Pudgy Penguins projected its animated characters on the Las Vegas Sphere for a week-long holiday campaign, promoting its physical products rather than NFTs. The display helped the crypto-born brand reach mainstream audiences, supporting merchandise sales and boosting recognition despite a struggling NFT market.

Hollywood.com and Crypto.com have launched a platform where fans can trade predictions on movies, music, TV shows, and awards. The service is fully regulated in the US, letting users buy and sell contracts based on entertainment events in real time.

FC Barcelona’s official Instagram account was hacked to promote a fake $FCB token on the Solana blockchain, misleading fans and causing potential financial losses. The token briefly surged to $3 million in value before crashing, highlighting risks of scams using popular brands and unverified cryptocurrencies.

Nintendo has denied claims that it lobbied the Japanese government to restrict generative AI, after a politician admitted spreading false information. The controversy comes as the gaming industry debates AI use, with many developers already experimenting while Nintendo remains cautious about protecting its IP.

A new South Korean drama "To The Moon", follows three women investing in crypto during the 2017–2018 Bitcoin boom. It highlights the country’s $3.15 billion daily retail crypto market and growing regulatory oversight.

Pump.fun has brought back its Solana livestreaming feature after a 2024 shutdown caused by unsafe broadcasts, including staged self-harm. With stricter moderation and a new revenue-sharing model, the platform is rapidly attracting creators and generating millions in weekly fees.

Elon Musk has accused Apple of favouring OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the App Store, claiming this blocks his AI app, Grok, from reaching the top spot. Apple denies any bias, while Sam Altman fired back at Musk’s claims, leading to a public clash between the two tech figures.

The US SEC clarified that certain liquid staking tokens are not securities, allowing these platforms to operate without registering their tokens. This decision opens the door for liquid staking tokens to be included in ETFs, boosting institutional interest in crypto assets.

A malware campaign disguised as fake crypto apps has exposed over 10 million people worldwide by stealing their personal and crypto data. The malware spreads through deceptive ads and targets browser extensions like MetaMask to access users’ wallets and credentials.

SaruTobi, a mobile game, has returned to the iOS App Store with built-in Bitcoin payments using the Lightning Network. Players can now spend and earn small amounts of Bitcoin directly in the game without needing an external wallet.