DuckDuckGo has launched Chrome and Firefox extensions that let users make its AI-free search page their default search engine, following growing criticism of Google's AI-heavy search experience. The company says traffic to its no-AI search page has tripled since Google's latest search overhaul, while app downloads have also risen sharply.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced that Toncoin will be renamed GRAM, bringing back the original token name from Telegram’s abandoned blockchain project.

Coinone secured major investments from OKX Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities, with both firms set to take a 19.6% stake in the South Korean crypto exchange.

Vitalik Buterin said DeepSeek V4 could help Ethereum users keep blockchain activity private by running AI tools directly on their own devices instead of relying on centralised servers. He also called for Ethereum-focused AI models and better hardware support to improve smart contract security and private blockchain access.

Meta is launching paid subscription plans for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and its Meta AI chatbot, with prices ranging from US$2.99 to US$19.99 per month. The company is expanding subscriptions as it spends heavily on artificial intelligence and looks for new income beyond advertising.

A former senior CIA official was arrested after FBI agents allegedly found more than $40 million worth of gold bars, $2 million in cash and luxury watches inside his Virginia home. Investigators say David Rush falsely claimed military and academic qualifications for years while secretly taking government funds meant for work-related expenses.

Hyperliquid has launched prediction markets for US inflation and other real-world events using its HIP-4 system. Validators now settle outcomes directly, and the first CPI market has already started trading.

George Hotz warned that AI coding agents are producing large amounts of flawed software that looks convincing but hides deeper problems. After testing the tools for six months, he argued that companies relying heavily on AI-generated code could see software quality decline even as productivity rises.

France has become the centre of most crypto-related kidnappings and violent extortion cases, with criminals targeting investors and their families to steal digital assets. Security experts say leaked customer data, public exposure and growing crypto wealth are making holders more vulnerable to physical attacks.

Russia has introduced new rules requiring crypto miners to register the IP addresses linked to their mining equipment with the Federal Tax Service.