Web3 | Identosphere Blogcatcher

Binance founder CZ is promoting a new decentralized exchange, Aster, as Lighter farming ramps up while users flock to find the next Hyperliquid.

SYND's launch model uses MetaDEX incentives to supercharge early liquidity.

The Layer 1 network’s key metrics and token price are on the rise in anticipation of digital asset treasuries accumulating AVAX.

NFTStrategy brings PunkStrategy’s perpetual tokenomics to all NFT collections, creating programmable buy pressure.

The partnership aims to make AI-driven payments safer and more verifiable.

Yes, the L2 is only 'exploring' a token launch for now, but it's still great signal to start getting active on Base's tokenless protocols.

REX and Osprey beat rivals to market with a spot DOGE ETF by using a unique legal structure.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins rally as traders turn bullish after the Federal Reserve signals further rate cuts this year.

The Binance ecosystem token's historic surge follows the Fed’s rate cut and rising enthusiasm around BNB.

The Bitfinex-backed blockchain has revealed the date for its mainnet beta and XPL token launch, enabling zero-fee USDT transfers at launch.

New approval cuts timelines and removes red tape for ETFs tied to tokens like SOL, XRP, and DOGE.

The US crackdown on the world’s largest crypto exchange may be coming to a close, and founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) hints at a return to Binance.

RWAs are rapidly moving on-chain, unlocking new opportunities for investors and DeFi protocols, according to a new report from Dune and RWAxyz.

The move comes alongside increased speculation of MNT integrations on ByBit.

Lower rates may push investors toward crypto as traditional yields soften.

Bitcoin traded as low as $115,000, with major altcoins posting minor losses.

Pump.fun's relaunch of live-streaming features and revamp of token launch economics are a game-changing combo.

The Ethereum Foundation is looking to make DeFi’s top blockchain the settlement and coordination layer for autonomous AI agents.

The Maelstrom Fund founder is betting the next big crypto breakout will be in biotech.

Cross-chain bridge Wormhole plans to launch a reserve funded by both on-chain and off-chain revenues.

The Peter Thiel-backed firm scores regulatory approval for spot trading and custody services in New York.

Well, congratulations on taking your first step into the world of privacy. PIVX is a community-driven project with a focus on privacy, decentralization, and a robust, self-governing ecosystem.

But with your PIVX now safely in your wallet, the real question is: what’s next? In this article, I’ll guide you through the exciting possibilities and next steps as a new member of the PIVX community.

1. Secure Your Investment

Before you do anything else, I’ll recommend moving your PIVX from the exchange where you bought it to a secure, non-custodial wallet. As the popular crypto mantra goes, “not your keys, not your coins.” This step may not be necessary if you are in for the short-term, holding a small bag, or interested in swing trading.

Here are your best wallet options for storing PIVX:

PIVX Core Wallet: This is the full-featured, official wallet from the PIVX team. It’s a desktop wallet that requires you to download the entire PIVX blockchain, making it a bit resource-intensive. It provides a high level of security and access to all network features, including staking and masternode operation. MyPIVXWallet (MPW): For a more lightweight and convenient option, MyPIVXWallet is a web-based, non-custodial wallet. It works in your browser and doesn’t require a blockchain download, making it fast and easy to use on both desktop and mobile. Hardware Wallets: For the ultimate in security, a hardware wallet like a Ledger device is the way to go. It keeps your private keys offline, protecting them from malware and hackers. You can connect your hardware wallet to a PIVX-compatible interface to manage your coins while keeping them in cold storage. 2. Put Your PIVX to Work Staking

One of the most appealing features of PIVX is its Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. This allows you to earn passive income by “staking” your coins.

By holding PIVX in a connected wallet, you participate in securing the network and are rewarded with newly minted PIVX. The more coins you hold, the higher your chances of being chosen to validate a block and receive the reward. At the time this guide was written, the estimated annual reward for staking was 13%.

Meanwhile, there is also cold staking, which allows you to delegate your PIVX for staking without ever sending your coins or keeping your private keys online. This is the most secure way to stake. You can delegate your PIVX to a “hot wallet” (a staking node that is online 24/7) while your own wallet remains safely offline, such as on a hardware device.

PIVX Masternode

For those with a larger investment, running a PIVX Masternode offers higher rewards and a direct role in the network’s governance. To run a Masternode, you must lock up a collateral of 10,000 PIVX.

In exchange for your contribution to the PIVX network, you receive a significant portion of the block rewards (a current APY of 15.6%). They also get to vote on proposals submitted to the decentralized treasury, giving them a voice in the project’s development, funding, and future direction.

Running a Masternode is for the serious PIVX enthusiast who wants to be deeply involved in the project’s ecosystem and governance.

3. Explore the Ecosystem and Community

PIVX is more than just a coin; it’s a vibrant, community-driven project with a rich ecosystem. Now that you’re a part of it, consider getting involved.

Decentralized Governance: As already mentioned, the PIVX network is funded and managed by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). Masternode owners vote on proposals to allocate funds from the community treasury. It’s worth mentioning that you do not need to be a masternode owner to have a say on how things are done. You can actively contribute and make suggestions on the PIVX forum, Discord, and other social media channels. Privacy Features: PIVX has a unique privacy protocol called SHIELD, which uses zk-SNARKs (Zero-Knowledge Proofs) to enable anonymous transactions. This is a core feature and a key differentiator of the PIVX project. Trust me when I say this feature is better experienced than explained. So, you could try sending some SHIELDED transactions between wallets to have a feel of how the protocol operates. Community Resources: The PIVX community is known for being friendly and helpful. Join the official Discord or Telegram channels, follow them on Twitter, and check out the official documentation for guides and support. You’ll find a wealth of information and a passionate group of “PIVians” ready to welcome you. And I must add that PIVX recently had a soft launch of its global ambassador program, an initiative that incentivizes participation. Conclusion

Buying PIVX is just the beginning. The real journey lies in exploring its powerful features and becoming an active participant in its ecosystem. Whether you choose to simply hold your coins securely, put them to work through cold staking, or take on the responsibility of a masternode operator, you are now a part of a community that values privacy, decentralization, and collective governance. Welcome to the PIVX family!

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.
To stay on top of PIVX news please visit PIVX.org and Discord.PIVX.org.

“I Just Bought PIVX, Now What?” was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The stBTC launch enables Botanix users to earn native yield on their Bitcoin.

The stablecoin giant doubles down on Hyperliquid with token investment, cross-chain tooling, and ecosystem incentives.

U.S. crypto traders on CEXs overwhelmingly prefer BTC, while institutional funds pour into tokenized Treasuries and crypto ETFs.

Partnering with Irregular: Ahead of the Curve

Dan, Omer and their team are setting new security standards at the frontier of AI.

By Shaun Maguire and Dean Meyer Published September 17, 2025 OMER AND DAN. (PHOTO: BEN HAKIM)

One of the first times we met with Dan Lahav, he told us AI would soon be able to autonomously bypass traditional endpoint security. At the time, most people would have said that wasn’t possible. But then Dan pulled up a test-environment example of an AI agent doing exactly what he described.

Indeed, 2025 has ushered in a step-change in agentic capabilities. Model reasoning, memory and action-taking have all improved dramatically, while on the infrastructure side AI has become faster and more affordable, accelerating development and simplifying integrations. Agents already generate the majority of code within many companies and projects, across everything from review and CI/CD processes to research. We are witnessing a massive and transformative shift.

In short, AI is redefining the enterprise—and as Dan showed us that day, security is no exception. The continuous improvements required to ensure safety are a massive operational challenge. Fortunately for all of us, the team at Irregular is thinking ahead.

A frontier AI security lab on a mission to defend against the next generation of threats, Irregular works side-by-side with world leaders in AI including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind. By embedding directly with these cutting-edge research labs, Dan, co-founder Omer Nevo and their team are able to see around corners others can’t, running cyber offensive evaluations on advanced models and developing defenses before those models are released. This unprecedented access has put them at the epicenter of the conversation around responsible deployment of these technologies, and made Irregular an indispensable partner in the race toward AGI.

The Irregular team is exceptional, with brilliant minds across AI, security and math. Dan himself has deep expertise in both AI and security, driven by a lifelong obsession with superintelligence. His childhood fascination with Asimov and sci-fi led him to begin working in tech when he was just 14, and his AI research has taken him from top tech companies to the cover of Nature. Omer, meanwhile, began his career as an elite mathematician before joining Google as a researcher, and has a remarkable track record of attracting top technical talent. As excited as we were to see Irregular’s technology in action, getting to know the people behind it has taken that enthusiasm to a whole new level. We are grateful for the opportunity to be their partners and lead their recent funding.

Customers tell us the Irregular team moves at an unmatched pace, not only flagging potential misuse and architecting robust, state-of-the-art defenses, but creating compliance standards and roadmaps to help them keep critical systems online. Their work truly is setting standards for AI security: Irregular’s evaluations are cited (under their former name, Pattern Labs) in system cards for GPT-4, o3, o4 mini and 5; the UK government and Anthropic both use the company’s SOLVE framework, including to vet risks in Claude 4; and the team’s research on model theft and misuse is guiding policy across Europe.

And while Irregular is already generating millions in revenue, there is much room to grow. Outside of large or cloud-native companies, AI adoption is still early, and its security market remains nascent. The efforts of this team today will protect the enterprises of tomorrow.

Irregular is building the tools and frameworks those organizations need. At a time when autonomous systems are becoming more powerful and sophisticated by the day, Dan, Omer and their team have shown they can stay ahead of the curve and keep AI safe, responsible and secure.

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The web is unhealthy, and AI agents are about to rewrite how we shop.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Alex Rampell and Partner Justine Moore explore how AI agents will change commerce and the implications for Google’s business model, affiliate marketing, online shopping, and more.

 

Timecodes: 

0:00 Introduction 

0:12 The Role of AI Agents in Commerce

1:28 Affiliate Marketing & Impulse Buys

4:02 Observing Consumer Behavior & AI

6:08 Dynamic Pricing & E-commerce Trends

7:20 Online vs. Offline Shopping Behaviors

10:09 The Challenge of Attribution in Commerce

12:19 Aggregators, Brands, and Business Models

15:24 Trend Cycles & Single SKU Retailers

17:49 Google, Search, and the Freemium Model

22:41 The Unhealthy Web & Commercialization

26:04 Video Reviews & Trust in Commerce

29:10 The Costco Model & Consumer Trust

33:15 AI’s Impact on Different Types of Purchases

39:56 The Future: Specialized Shopping Agents

40:16 Opportunities for New Durable Companies

44:18 The Merchant Side: Infrastructure for AI Agents

 

Resources: 

Read the article: http://a16z.com/ai-x-commerce/

Find Alex on X: https://x.com/arampell

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins

 

Stay Updated: 

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!

Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

 

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kalshi and Polymarket are currently seeing their biggest volume spikes since the U.S. presidential election.

The crypto giant could shed its court-appointed watchdog as U.S. regulators shift to a lighter-touch approach under Trump.

Emporium simplifies onchain Pokémon card collecting with quick pulls, instant buybacks, and easy shipping.

The onchain asset manager’s Plasma pre-deposit vault for syrupUSDT hit capacity in under a minute.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and other large-caps are mostly flat today as geopolitical risks and Fed anticipation weigh on markets.

The firm aims to control 5% of the total DOGE circulating supply.

The new open-source standard adds card and crypto rails to power agent-to-agent transactions.

Today, Zashi CrossPay brings Zcash’s mathematically provable, best-in-class privacy to crypto payments across blockchains. Anyone holding shielded ZEC can now send payments privately in any NEAR-supported cryptocurrency. CrossPay is the […]

Source

The Helsinki-based firm received its license from Finland in what it says is a first for the EU.

The four-week bug hunt aims to harden Ethereum’s next major upgrade.

OpenAI’s Codex has already shipped hundreds of thousands of pull requests in its first month. But what is it really, and how will coding agents change the future of software?

In this episode, General Partner Anjney Midha goes behind the scenes with one of Codex’s product leads- Alexander Embiricos - to unpack its origin story, why its PR success rate is so high, the safety challenges of autonomous agents, and what this all means for developers, students, and the future of coding.

 

Timecodes:

0:00 Intro: The Vision for AI Agents

1:25 Codex’s Origin and Naming

3:20 Early Prototypes and Agent Form Factors

6:00 Cloud Agents: Safety and Security

9:40 Prompt Injection and Attack Vectors

12:00 PR Merging: Metrics and Transparency

17:00 The Future of Code Review and Automation

20:00 User Adoption: Internal vs. External Surprises

22:00 Multi-Turn Interactions and Product Learnings

29:30 Best-of-N, Slot Machine Analogy, and Creativity

33:00 Human Taste, Iteration, and Collaboration

40:00 AI’s Impact on Software Engineering Careers

45:00 Education, CS Degrees, and AI Integration

49:00 Prototyping, Hackathons, and Speed to Magic

55:00 Legacy Code, Modernization, and Global Adoption

1:00:00 Enterprise, Security, and Air-Gapped Environments

1:05:00 Product Roadmap and Future of Codex

1:10:00 Advice for Founders and Startups

1:15:00 Education Reform and Project-Based Learning

1:20:00 Hiring, Building, and New Grad Advice

 

Resources: 

Find Alex on X: https://x.com/embirico

Find Anjney on X: https://twitter.com/AnjneyMidha

 

Stay Updated: 

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!

Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

 

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A portion of protocol fees is set to be redirected to ENA holders.

Validators backed a fast, ecosystem-first proposal over established issuers, raising questions about risk, governance, and trust.

The 'Privacy Stewards of Ethereum' showcase their plans, which include private writes, reads, and proving.

The new full-time unit aims to accelerate the push for decentralized AI infrastructure.

Major digital assets struggled Monday ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, even as Solana ecosystem activity climbed.

The wallet is positioning mUSD as the default digital dollar across its ecosystem.

Tom Lee is more than 1/3 of the way to his goal of owning 5% of ETH's circulating supply.

The price of PUMP also just hit a new all-time high.

The Coinbase-backed L2 is weighing a token launch amid record growth.

Leading Base ecosystem tokens are surging as traders speculate on a $BASE airdrop.

Lombard's native BARD token is set to launch later this week.

New “PayPal Links” product will support Bitcoin, Ethereum, and PYUSD.

If implemented, the new Swiss law would require extensive user data collection and could mandate the disabling of encryption.

Switzerland, long considered a bastion of privacy and a safe haven for companies focused on digital anonymity, is on the verge of undermining its own reputation. The Swiss government is considering a new law that could dramatically alter the digital privacy landscape, not just for its citizens but for internet users worldwide.

The proposed regulation is a textbook example of how good intentions (or so they are framed) can undermine privacy and lead to disastrous outcomes.

The Proposal: A Ticking Time Bomb

The proposed law targets service providers with more than 5,000 users. It requires these companies to collect government-issued identification from their users and retain subscriber data for up to six months. This data would include names, email addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses, and device information. Even more alarmingly, the regulation could force companies to disable encryption for their services, effectively giving authorities a backdoor into what was once considered private communication.

Supporters of the law, such as Jean-Louis Biberstein, claim that it is a necessary measure to combat cyberattacks, organized crime, and terrorism. They promise “strict safeguards” to prevent mass surveillance. However, history has shown that such promises are often difficult to uphold once the infrastructure for surveillance is in place. As one policy advisor, Chloé Berthélémy, points out, this law would allow authorities to obtain sensitive user data with a simple request, bypassing traditional legal oversight mechanisms like court orders.

An Exodus of Trust

The immediate impact of this proposal has been a chilling effect on the digital privacy industry. Companies that chose Switzerland for its strong privacy laws are now second-guessing that decision. Proton, a well-known provider of secure email and VPN services, has already announced plans to move most of its physical infrastructure out of the country. Proton’s CEO, Andy Yen, has compared the proposed regulation to a similar law in Russia, highlighting how far Switzerland is deviating from its European and Western counterparts.

This move by companies like Proton is more than just a business decision; it’s a vote of no confidence in Switzerland’s ability to protect digital freedoms. It also signals a global shift, where countries are increasingly looking to chip away at online anonymity in the name of security. The paradox, as noted by Alexis Roussel of NymVPN, is that Switzerland could be destroying its own privacy industry at a time when the need for such technology is growing more critical than ever.

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.
To stay on top of PIVX news please visit PIVX.org and Discord.PIVX.org

Switzerland’s Looming Digital Surveillance was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Can we make science as fast as software? 

In this episode, Erik Torenberg talks with Patrick Hsu (cofounder of Arc Institute) and a16z general partner Jorge Conde about Arc’s “virtual cells” moonshot, which uses foundation models to simulate biology and guide experiments. 

They discuss why research is slow, what an AlphaFold-style moment for cell biology could look like, and how AI might improve drug discovery. The conversation also covers hype versus substance in AI for biology, clinical bottlenecks, capital intensity, and how breakthroughs like GLP-1s show the path from science to major business and health impact.

 

Resources:

Find Patrick on X: https://x.com/pdhsu

Find Jorge on X: https://x.com/JorgeCondeBio

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

 

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Without a doubt, the introduction of stablecoins has vastly increased overall crypto liquidity, adoption and real-world use cases as they offered a safe haven against the industry’s volatility, especially during bearmarkets. However, despite being extremely efficient, the main stablecoin actors (i.e. Circle & Tether) are centralised entities. Many attempts have been made to create a reliable decentralised stablecoin, but regulations and the resounding collapse of Terra’s UST have only pushed towards more established, yet centralised, variants.

f(x) is a new generation CDP (collateralised debt position) protocol that offers on-chain perpetual trading for BTC & ETH with near-0 funding rates and a novel liquidation mechanism which protects users against hard liquidations. The leverage component is powered by emitting fxUSD, the protocol’s decentralised stablecoin, which boasts robust peg-keeping mechanisms, the main one being fxSAVE’s stability pool. The fxSAVE strategy bestows nearly 10% APY to the yield-bearing fxUSD-USDC pair.

Topics covered in this episode:

Cyrille’s background AladdinDAO Decentralised stablecoins f(x) perps and sharing liquidation risks The efficiency of progressive liquidations Removing funding rates fxSAVE’s stability pool yields fxUSD’s organic adoption The importance of decentralised stablecoins Winning in the perp arena Opportunities in the stablecoin adoption race

Episode links:

Cyrille Brière on X f(x) Protocol on X AladdinDAO on X

Sponsors:

Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - ⁠gnosis.io⁠

This episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture.

Euler is a DeFi lending protocol built around the idea of permissionless modularity, enabling users to lend and borrow almost any crypto asset with flexible, permissionless pools, tailored to individual risk profiles. Moreover, Euler Vault Kit (EVK) and Ethereum Vault Connector (EVC) enable the creation of custom lending vaults which, in turn, can be used as collateral for other vaults. Earlier this year Euler also announced EulerSwap, a new DEX with a built-in AMM powered by Euler’s lending infrastructure and integrated with Uniswap v4’s hook architecture. EulerSwap integrates directly with Euler’s lending vaults, allowing assets to be used across multiple pools. This turns the lending protocol into a shared liquidity layer, improving capital efficiency across the ecosystem via swaps, lending yield or collateral for borrowing other assets.

Topics covered in this episode:

Michael’s background The history & vision behind Euler The Euler hack Euler V2 Euler vs. other lending protocols Diversifying offerings Variable vs. fixed rates How Pendle works Euler’s future RWAs Privacy in DeFi Euler roadmap The impact of AI in DeFi

Episode links:

⁠⁠Michael Bentley on X⁠⁠ Euler on X⁠⁠

Sponsors:

Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - ⁠gnosis.io⁠ Chorus One: one of the largest node operators worldwide, trusted by 175,000+ accounts across more than 60 networks, Chorus One combines institutional-grade security with the highest yields at - ⁠chorus.one⁠

This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain.

Let's take a closer look at what the respected Ethereum R&D team has been building.

PIVX Weekly Pulse (Sept 5th, 2025 — Sept 11th, 2025)

Stay on top of what’s happening with PIVX. Our weekly digest gives you the inside scoop on market changes and community developments.

Top Stories PIVX Listed on BTCC: PIVX is thrilled to announce a major milestone in its expansion push. The leading privacy coin is now listed on BTCC, one of the oldest cryptocurrency exchanges, founded in 2011. This is yet another step forward for PIVX, increasing its visibility and providing the community with another trusted platform for trading. Trading is available on the PIVX/USDT trading pairs, and as of press time, the 24-hour trading volume was over $5 million. PIVX Ramps Up for Mainstream Adoption: The “soft launch” of the Global PIVX Ambassador Program (GPAP) has been a huge success, and the response has been nothing short of phenomenal. In just three days, the initiative attracted over 200 passionate applicants, signaling a new era for PIVX. GPAP is more than just a new initiative; it’s a strategic move to supercharge PIVX’s mission of mainstream adoption for privacy coins. Market Pulse Masternode Count: Two new masternodes came online this week, bringing the total number of active PIVX masternodes to 1,985. Price Check: PIVX continued to hold its ground this week, with the Daily USD Value trading between $0.13 and $0.14. While the price action remained steady, a positive shift was recorded in the weekly average, which saw a bump to $0.1361 from last week’s $0.1325. Trading Buzz: Continuing a positive trend, PIVX’s total weekly trading volume increased from $15 million to $17.5 million. This growth in volume accompanied the rise in the weekly price average, suggesting a positive sentiment in the market.

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.
To stay on top of PIVX news please visit PIVX.org and Discord.PIVX.org

PIVX Weekly Pulse (Sept 5th, 2025 — Sept 11th, 2025) was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Reportedly raising funding at a $3 billion valuation, Polymarket is working with Chainlink following its previous governance and oracle dilemmas.

Giza debuts Swarms and Pulse, showcasing how AI agents are reshaping DeFi with smarter yields.

The $13 billion synthetic dollar expands to Avalanche with DeFi integrations and AVAX rewards.

The new oracle setup aims to eliminate delays, reduce disputes, and boost trust.

Stripe's contentious choice to build its own L1 has the Ethereum community talking about speed.

Easy gains are gone for crypto treasury companies, and only those with strategic discipline may survive the new competitive phase, Coinbase warns.

Its U.S. business will be led by former White House crypto advisor Bo Hines.

The launch comes as the U.S. stablecoin market expands under new regulatory clarity.

The Winklevoss-led exchange priced above earlier guidance ahead of Friday Nasdaq debut.

Crypto markets are closing the week on a high note as traders bet on an imminent Fed rate cut.

Stablecoins are no longer just a buzzword—they’re transforming the way the world moves money. In this episode of The Defiant Podcast, we sit down with Reeve Collins, co-founder of Tether, co-founder of WeFi, and chairman at STBL, to explore the groundbreaking evolution of stablecoins.

In this conversation from Lenny’s Podcast, Ben Horowitz joins Lenny to discuss the psychological muscle every founder needs, why hesitation can be fatal for CEOs, when it’s time to replace a founder, and how to normalize failure while building confidence. They also explore the Databricks founding story, investing in Adam Neumann after WeWork, whether AI is in a bubble, where the real opportunities lie, and Ben’s work with the Paid in Full Foundation supporting hip-hop pioneers. The result is a candid look at leadership, product management, and what it takes to build enduring companies.

 

Timecodes: 

00:00 Introduction 

00:22 The Psychology of Leadership & Decision-Making

02:41 Leadership lessons from Shaka Senghor

07.56 Struggle, Pain, and Growth as a CEO 

10:15 Running toward fear and why hesitation kills companies

19:35 Who shouldn’t start a company

22:36 The Databricks story: thinking bigger

24:54 Managerial leverage and CEO psychology

28:06 When founders should be replaced as CEOs

31:20 Normalizing failure for CEOs

37:57 Counterintuitive lessons about building companies

42:31 “Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager”

48:21 Product managers as leaders

51:16 Why a16z invested in Adam Neumann after WeWork

56:23 Is AI in a bubble?

01:02:43 The biggest opportunities in AI

01:12:51 Why U.S. leadership in AI matters

01:18:53 The Paid in Full Foundation for hip-hop pioneers

01:23:18 Lightning round: book recommendations, products, and life mottos

 

Resources: 

Find Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz

Find Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/behorowitz/

Watch more of Lenny’s Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@LennysPodcast

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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The world’s largest asset manager may soon bring its ETFs and RWA products onchain.

The new Pudgy Penguins mobile game blends battle royale mini-games with NFT cosmetics.

Institutional inflows, gaming adoption and network upgrades fuel Avalanche’s DeFi rebound.

Citizen-Only: Breaking down the Linea ecosystem reward opportunities worth chasing.

Multi-billion dollar memecoin scams and investor unlocks torched Solana sentiment in Q1, but SOL is starting to outperform again.

The Foundation plans discounted AVAX sales to two new corporate digital asset treasuries.

In a brief mention buried in a long X post, OpenSea’s CMO said the platform is about to raise fees to fund its pre-TGE rewards pool.

Traders are piling into Pendle markets that leverage Hyperliquid’s leading liquid staking protocol, betting on a future airdrop.

Figure's upsized debut marks the latest breakout crypto IPO, with Gemini coming tomorrow.

The move comes just three days after MegaETH unveiled its new MegaUSD stablecoin.

Following the staked SOL exploit on SwissBorg involving Kiln’s API, the staking provider said it’s exiting all of its ETH validators “out of an abundance of caution”

The consumer brand turned DAT now claims $105K in daily staking rewards.

Amid a messy airdrop, LINEA has lost half its value since launching yesterday.

Markets are broadly flat after the August CPI report, with SOL and DOGE breaking the trend.

Web2 firms are betting on their own blockchains, but many web3 industry leaders are questioning the move away from Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision and ethos.

The $13T U.S. mortgage market serves 50M homeowners but still runs on decades-old software. 

In this episode, a16z GP Angela Strange hosts Tim Mayopoulos (ex-CEO of Fannie Mae and ex-president of Blend), Mike Yu (co-founder and CEO of Vesta), and Andrew Wang (co-founder and CEO of Valon) to unpack why standardization and regulation slow change, and how modern loan-origination and servicing platforms, cleaner data, and AI can cut costs, boost transparency, and reduce errors. They also discuss policy levers that could speed innovation and what a true one-tap mortgage could look like.

 

Timecodes: 

00:00 Introduction 

00:59 The Scale and Structure of the US Mortgage Market

01:33 Why Mortgage Tech is Slow to Change

02:00 Challenges of Standardization and Regulation

03:41 The Human Side of Home Buying

07:43 Old Software and Its Impact on Homeowners

11:16 Data Transparency and Capital Markets

13:17 Building New Mortgage Infrastructure: LOS and Servicing

16:22 Operational Challenges and Opportunities in Servicing

22:04 Driving Digital Adoption at Fannie Mae

25:15 Modernizing Data and Appraisals

28:27 Core Replacement vs. Wrappers: Tech Strategies

35:29 AI in Mortgage: Today and Tomorrow

40:42 AI, Regulation, and the Future of Compliance

43:54 Advice for Lenders Preparing for an AI Future

47:49 Visions for the Future of Mortgages

 

Resources: 

Find Angela on X: https://x.com/astrange

Find Tim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-j-mayopoulos-56972a45/

Find Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wangandrewd/

Find Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeyu1/

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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MNT rocketed to $1.50 following excitement for its Bybit partnership.

Experts say the blockchain could face strategic challenges as the S token price drops and yield-driven users exit.

The battle to issue USDH showcases Hyperliquid's breakneck rise to prominence in Crypto.

The Layer 2 blockchain developed by Consensys has launched its long-awaited token and airdrop.

The Solana-based memecoin launchpad’s token is up another 20% today, and 43% on the week to a $5.6 billion valuation.

Hyperliquid’s stablecoin launch has evolved into one of the hottest competitions DeFi has seen in years, with institutions and DeFi protocols clamoring to win validators over.

Ronin is tapping Optimism’s tools to build its own chain, joining crypto heavyweights who also relied on the OP Stack to launch their L2 networks.

One web developer’s compromised npm account triggered a large-scale supply chain attack, but the hacker only got a few cents in crypto, analysts say.

LINEA tokens are now claimable for a 90-day period; unclaimed tokens will return to the ecosystem fund.

The tokenized equities product has surpassed $3.8B in trading volume since launch.

The flagship Real-World Asset Summit is set to take place on September 16 and 17 at The William Vale in Brooklyn, marking the event's third consecutive year at the venue. This upcoming edition is positioned to be a significant gathering for industry leaders, particularly following the recent passing of the GENIUS Act, which has generated favorable momentum for the sector.

The post Gen AI Present and Future: A Conversation with Naveen Zutshi, CIO at Databricks appeared first on Greylock.

BTC pushed above $114,000, while ETH is trading near $4,400.

The Sam Altman-backed project sees a token spike following a treasury rollout by Nasdaq-listed Eightco.

A court has ordered Google to pay a hefty $425 million for deceiving its users about their online privacy. The ruling stems from a class-action lawsuit filed in July 2020, which accused the tech giant of misleading consumers with its “Web & App Activity” setting.

The lawsuit, initiated by plaintiff Anibal Rodriguez, centred on a Google setting that was supposed to halt data collection. However, the court found that Google continued to collect user data through a separate database called Firebase, which secretly tracked user activity across 1.5 million apps. This dual-collection system misled approximately 98 million Google users into believing their online actions were completely private.

While Google’s legal team argued that users were properly informed through an “Are You Sure?” prompt, a juror highlighted a critical point: “users are skimmers, not readers.” This statement underscores the court’s finding that Google’s communication was not clear enough to prevent user confusion.

But this is not an isolated incident for Google. The company has a history of questionable privacy practices, including past settlements for tracking user locations when it claimed it would not, and for misleading users about data collection in its “incognito mode.” Internal communications revealed that Google was “intentionally vague” about its data collection because the full truth could “sound alarming to users.”

Although the $425 million awarded is a fraction of the original $31 billion sought by the plaintiffs, it represents a clear judicial message on the importance of transparent user privacy policies. Google has stated its intention to appeal the decision, maintaining that its privacy tools provide users with adequate control over their data.

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.
To stay on top of PIVX news please visit PIVX.org and Discord.PIVX.org

Orders Google to Pay $425M for Misleading Users on Privacy was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Why do some consumer products explode into networks that reshape the internet, while others fade away?

Today on the podcast, a16z general partners Anish Acharya and Chris Dixon take on that question. Anish invests in AI-native consumer products and the next wave of consumer tech. Chris is best known for his work in Web3 and network economies, and he’s also led some of a16z’s biggest consumer bets.

Together, they cover the history and power of consumer networks, the exponential forces that shape how they grow, and what it all means for founders building in the age of AI.

 

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction 

00:43 The Power of Networks in Tech

02:19 Moore’s Law, Composability, and Network Effects

06:39 Building Networks: Tools vs. Networks

10:49 Brand, Pricing, and Consumer Software Trends

14:33 Movements, Communities, and Niche Markets

20:02 Decentralization, AI, and the Open Web

24:45 Platform Shifts and the Idea Maze

29:55 Native vs. Skeuomorphic Technologies

36:14 Open Source, Policy, and the Future of AI

42:03 Closing Thoughts & Outro

 

Resources: 
Find Chris on X: https://x.com/cdixon

Find Anish on X: https://x.com/illscience

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Story Protocol's native token blew through new all-time highs on Wednesday as DAT fever continued its move to altcoins.

The stock exchange’s plan to support trading of tokenized shares presents new technical hurdles for the SEC and DTCC.

The Japanese firm plans to allocate nearly all of the proceeds toward BTC purchases amid deepening macro concerns.

Korea’s leading centralized exchange is bringing its users onchain.

A new survey reveals most Ethereum developers earn far less than industry peers, with no token upside.

With its Digital Interest Token (FDIT), Fidelity moves to challenge BlackRock’s BUIDL fund.

It's not even close.

Solana validators approved an update that aims to settle transactions in just 150 milliseconds.

The DeFi firm’s proposal would see USDH fully backed by USDtb.

The Toronto-based blockchain investment firm is trading under the ticker STKE.

Just two months after the exploit, Kinto’s K token dropped sharply on the news, wiping out the remaining value it had recovered.

Founders Jacob Frantz and Zachary Salmon will lead Coinbase’s onchain consumer efforts as Sensible winds down.

You’ve probably stumbled on predictions along these lines: “Bitcoin will reach $200,000 by the end of 2025, Ethereum is poised to hit $10k by 2026, or Little XYZ (fictitious name) is the next 100x gem.” Let’s be honest, we are all searching for projects with strong foundations and significant growth potential. But while attention often gravitates towards top-tier assets and memecoins, I believe that PIVX is an undervalued gem.

In this article, I talk about why I believe that PIVX is a must-have in every crypto portfolio. But I must warn you that this is not financial advice, and therefore, you should conduct your own research before investing in cryptocurrencies.

What is PIVX?

PIVX (Private Instant Verified Transaction) is a privacy-centric Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain that has been around since 2016. You may not know this, but PIVX actually outperformed Monero by 57 times in 2017.

Unlike many cryptocurrencies where transactions are publicly visible on a ledger, PIVX uses advanced cryptographic techniques called zk-SNARKs to shield transaction details such as the sender, receiver, and amount. Consequently, users have the freedom to choose between a transparent transaction and a private one.

This unique feature not only protects user privacy but also ensures fungibility, meaning every PIVX coin is indistinguishable from the next, preventing any coin from being “tainted” by its transaction history.

Masternodes and Decentralized Governance

One of PIVX’s key features is its masternode network. Masternodes are full-node wallets that require a collateral of 10,000 PIVX. In return for securing the network, operators earn a portion of the block rewards.

This model creates a powerful incentive for long-term holding and participation. More importantly, masternodes form the backbone of PIVX’s Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). Masternode owners can vote on community-submitted proposals for funding from the decentralized treasury, ensuring the project’s development is community-driven and self-sustaining without the need for a central authority or a private company.

Recent data put the number of active masternodes at around 1,990, locking up nearly 20 million PIVX in collateral. This accounts for over 20% of the circulating supply, and in my opinion, is an indicator of long-term belief in the project. But having masternodes and decentralized governance does not make any project a gem. So, what separates PIVX from the pack?

Technology That Matters

There have been growing talks about privacy and the need to protect it. I won’t be wrong to assume that privacy could become the new meta in the crypto space, and PIVX has been a steadfast champion of privacy and fungibility. Its SHIELD technology, a bespoke implementation of zk-SNARKs, is a necessary leap forward in a world where financial privacy is under constant threat. This is technology with a purpose, and that’s the kind of tech that lasts.

Real-World Utility

We all know that many crypto projects are all big talk with zero action or utility. PIVX is rapidly becoming a currency you can actually use for everyday transactions. For instance, its integration with Travala.com allows you to book flights and hotels with PIVX. Similarly, a partnership with Shopping.io opens up a vast world of e-commerce, letting you spend PIVX at major retailers.

On the business side of things, the collaboration with NowPayments enables businesses worldwide to seamlessly accept PIVX, driving practical use cases every day. And for everyday spending, the introduction of PIVcards bridges the gap between your digital assets and gift cards for Amazon, Netflix, Airbnb, and thousands more.

The Upcoming Ambassador Program

Beyond its solid technology and a decentralized community, PIVX is gearing up for its next major push with a powerful global marketing tool: the upcoming Ambassador Program. This initiative isn’t just about a few community managers; it’s a strategic move to establish a network of dedicated PIVX advocates across the globe. By empowering ambassadors in key regions, PIVX can effectively localize its message, build grassroots communities, and drive adoption on a far wider scale.

This program is a crucial part of the project’s growth strategy. While many crypto projects rely on paid advertising or short-lived social media campaigns, PIVX is investing in a more authentic, sustainable form of marketing. The ambassadors will serve as a direct link between the core team and local communities, educating new users, organizing events, and fostering a sense of ownership among PIVX supporters worldwide. This is the kind of forward-thinking, community-centric strategy that could push PIVX to the front lines and finally give it the global recognition it deserves.

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.
To stay on top of PIVX news please visit PIVX.org and Discord.PIVX.org

Is PIVX an Undervalued Gem? was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In this episode of The Defiant Podcast, we sit down with Joseph Onorati, CEO of DeFi Development Corp, the second-largest Solana treasury company. Joseph shares the journey of transforming DeFi Development Corp into a Solana-focused treasury powerhouse, their innovative yield strategies, and why Solana's volatility and native yield make it a compelling treasury asset. We also dive into the broader case for crypto treasury companies, the risks and rewards of staking strategies, and the future of Solana in the blockchain ecosystem.

BTC is trading above $112,600, while ETH keeps holding out around $4,300, as markets await new data to determine Fed rate cuts.

A new compensation survey raises concerns about both talent retention and growth for the network.

What happens when AI collides with salesmanship, streaming-era sports, and healthcare?

In this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined by Mark Cuban, entrepreneur, Dallas Mavericks co-owner, and founder of Cost Plus Drugs.

Topics include fiery group chats and how dissent sharpens thinking, the sales playbook of modern politics, and concrete fixes for U.S. healthcare like ending PBM opacity, publishing real prices, and government-backed patient financing. Mark also explains how AI is pushing media from “social” to algorithmic, why he expects millions of models, and why ESOPs are an underrated wealth engine. He shares what he’d build today and weighs in on NBA economics under the new collective bargaining agreement.

Timecodes: 

00:00 Introduction 

00:47 Salesmanship, Politics, and Social Media

04:05 AI, Algorithms, and the Future of Media

06:29 Fragmentation of Social Platforms

09:04 Political Messaging & Economic Populism

12:05 Wealth, Equity, and Employee Ownership

16:39 AI’s Impact on Education and Healthcare

21:32 Fixing the US Healthcare System

29:39 Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI

33:38 Business Success, Sports, and Investments

35:32 NBA Economics and Team Building

50:44 Personal Priorities & Closing Thoughts

 

Resources: 

Find Mark on X: https://x.com/mcuban

 

Stay Updated: 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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The new PunkStrategy protocol turns every $PNKSTR trade into fuel for buying CryptoPunks.

A quick guide to earning, borrowing, and leveraging on Jupiter Lend, the new Solana money market.

“Ethereum’s Tron killer” aims to safeguard the legacy blockchain against the proliferation of institution-led alternative Layer 1 networks.

The agricultural marketplace told The Defiant it's preparing to expand into Latin America and Central Asia starting next year.

The marketplace’s new Flagship Collection will collect notable NFTs as a long-term cultural treasury.

HOOD jumped 15% on inclusion news, while MSTR dipped as its BTC-driven profits failed to sway the index committee.

Built with Ethena Labs, USDm is designed to power real-time applications on MegaETH while offering low fees.

Leveraging Stargate and LayerZero, the activation will allow native stablecoin liquidity to flow seamlessly across different DeFi ecosystems.

The company bought over 319K ETH last week.

𝗣𝗜𝗩𝗫 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺! Are you looking to grow with a crypto community?
Do you believe in Privacy?

#PIVX is now recruiting for Advocates and Ambassadors to its program.
https://pivx.org/ambassador-program

Sign Up and Join Us Today! Discord.PIVX.org
(Please note, go to the #Ambassador channel when you enter Discord.)

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.

𝗣𝗜𝗩𝗫 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿… was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

BTC is trading near $112,000, while ETH hovers above $4,300 after record weekly ETF outflows.

The firm now holds over $71B in bitcoin, and is sitting on $24B in unrealized gains.

Who’s speaking up for startups in Washington, D.C.?

In this episode, Matt Perault (Head of AI Policy, a16z) and Collin McCune (Head of Government Affairs, a16z) unpack the “Little Tech Agenda” for AI- why AI rules should regulate harmful use, not model development; how to keep open source open; the roles of the federal government vs states in regulating AI; and how the U.S. can compete globally without shutting out new founders.

 

Timecodes: 

0:00 – Introduction 

1:12 – Defining the Little Tech Agenda

4:40 – Challenges for Startups vs. Big Tech

6:37 – Principles of Smart AI Regulation

9:55 – History of AI Policy & Regulatory Fears

19:26 – The Role of Open Source and Global Competition

23:45 – Motivations Behind Policy Approaches

26:40 – Debates on Regulating Use vs. Development

35:15 – Federal vs. State Roles in AI Policy

39:24 – AI Policy and U.S.–China Competition

40:45 – Current Policy Landscape & Action Plans

42:47 – Moratoriums, Preemption, and Political Dynamics

50:00 – Looking Forward: The Future of AI Policy

56:16 – Conclusion & Disclaimers

Resources: 

Read the Little Tech Agenda: https://a16z.com/the-little-tech-agenda/

Read ‘Regulate AI Use, Not AI Development : https://a16z.com/regulate-ai-use-not-ai-development/

Read Martin’s article ‘Base AI Policy on Evidence, Not Existential Angst: https://a16z.com/base-ai-policy-on-evidence-not-existential-angst/

Read ‘Setting the Agenda for Global AI Leadership’:

https://a16z.com/setting-the-agenda-for-global-ai-leadership-assessing-the-roles-of-congress-and-the-states/

Read ‘The Commerce Clause in the Age of AI”: 

https://a16z.com/the-commerce-clause-in-the-age-of-ai-guardrails-and-opportunities-for-state-legislatures/

Find Matt on X: https://x.com/MattPerault

Find Collin on X: https://x.com/Collin_McCune

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

 

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our chart of the week is pumpfun (PUMP)

Trends to Watch (Solana renaissance)

David Hoffman: Are you adding to the open future Ethereum enables or unbundling its impact?

Stainless founder Alex Rattray joins a16z partner Jennifer Li to talk about the future of APIs, SDKs, and the rise of MCP (Model Context Protocol). Drawing on his experience at Stripe—where he helped redesign API docs and built code-generation systems—Alex explains why the SDK is the API for most developers, and why high-quality, idiomatic libraries are essential not just for humans, but now for AI agents as well.

They dive into:

The evolution of SDK generation and lessons from building at scale inside Stripe. Why MCP reframes APIs as interfaces for large language models. The challenges of designing tools and docs for both developers and AI agents. How context limits, dynamic tool generation, and documentation shape agent usability. The future of developer platforms in an era where “every company is an API company.”

Timecodes: 

0:00 – Introduction: APIs as the Dendrites of the Internet

1:49 – Building API Platforms: Lessons from Stripe

3:03 – SDKs: The Developer’s Interface

6:16 – The MCP Model: APIs for AI Agents

9:23 – Designing for LLMs and AI Users

13:08 – Solving Context Window Challenges

16:57 – The Importance of Strongly Typed SDKs

21:07 – The Future of API and Agent Experience

24:45 – Lessons from Leading API Companies

26:14 – Outro and Disclaimers

Resources: 

Find Alex on X: https://x.com/rattrayalex

Find Jennifer on X: https://x.com/JenniferHli

Stay Updated: 

Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z

Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

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Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

 

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to your new weekly rundown on our limitless future.

Capital is pouring into the perpetuals trading platform as its closed beta draws to an end.

In this episode of The Defiant Podcast, we sit down with Fakhul Miah, Managing Director of GoMining Institutional and former Morgan Stanley executive, to explore the rapidly evolving world of Bitcoin mining in 2025.

Bitcoin stabilizes near $111,000 while investors weigh economic data and regulatory signals.

New PayFi integrations and stablecoin activity are driving increased activity on TRON.

Crypto's Pokémon fever caught fire this week as investors flocked to platforms that bring tokenization to trading physical cards.

The DEX revealed plans to lower trading fees and let validators vote on which team can launch its first native stablecoin.

Freysa’s Enchanted brings privacy and performance together, anonymizing queries to closed models while safeguarding data with TEEs.

The Trump family deepens its relationship with Crypto.com, with the now-finalized nine-figure deal.

Public, crypto-native chains won't replace TradFi, SWIFT’s chief innovation officer argues, while the crypto world debates who really controls neutrality in finance.

The acquisition expands Kraken's advanced trading stack.

The public miner now holds 52,477 BTC with a DAT stack second only to Strategy.

Fireblocks introduces its Fireblocks Network for Payments, comparing it to SWIFT.

PIVX Weekly Pulse (Aug 29th, 2025 — Sept 4th, 2025)

Our weekly digest brings you the latest market updates and key community highlights right to your inbox. Stay informed about the price, network developments, and what’s happening in the PIVX community.

Top Stories

MeileDVPN Integrates PIVX Shield: MeileDVPN has become the first VPN provider to accept shielded in-app PIVX payments, allowing users to pay for their VPN service with enhanced privacy and security. This is a game-changer for the PIVX community, showcasing the real-world value of its privacy-centric technology.

Market Pulse Masternode Count: The total number of active masternodes has plunged to 1,983, a significant drop from last week’s count of 2,017. The decline is likely connected to the broader downturn in the cryptocurrency market, which has resulted in a slight drop in PIVX prices. There’s also a possibility that some nodes may have temporarily gone offline as of press time. Price Check: This week, PIVX’s Daily USD Value dropped, holding a range between $0.13 and $0.14. Consequently, the weekly average fell to $0.1325, shy of last week’s $0.1436. Trading Buzz: Following the recent price drop, PIVX saw its weekly trading volume decrease from $18.6 million to $15 million. Nevertheless, the daily trading volume remained strong, staying largely above the $2 million benchmark.

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.
To stay on top of PIVX news please visit PIVX.org and Discord.PIVX.org

PIVX Weekly Pulse (Aug 29th, 2025 — Sept 4th, 2025) was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Taken from The Oprah Podcast, this special episode brings together Shaka Senghor, a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz, and Oprah Winfrey for a powerful conversation on resilience and transformation.

Shaka, a resilience expert, motivational speaker, and bestselling author of Writing My Wrongs, shares his journey from incarceration to redemption along with insights from his new book, How to Be Free. Full of hard-earned wisdom and practical tools, it’s a guide for anyone seeking freedom in their own life.

Timecodes: 

0:00 Introduction 
1:30 Shaka’s Journey: From Prison to Freedom
4:10 The Power of Narrative and Mindset
6:10 Active Journaling & Writing My Wrongs
8:45 Escaping Life’s Hidden Prisons
10:00 The Role of Forgiveness
16:40 Healing Family Relationships
21:00 Unconditional Forgiveness & True Freedom
22:40 Resilience as a Spiritual Principle
24:15 Mentorship & Meeting Ben Horowitz
28:55 Lessons on Success and Failure
30:20 The Meaning of a Pardon
31:50 Life After Prison: Finding Joy in Freedom
32:30 Advice for Listeners: How to Begin Your Own Journey
35:15 Closing Thoughts 

Resources: 

Find Shaka on X: https://x.com/ShakaSengho

Find Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz

Find Oprah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/

Listen to the full podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

 

Stay Updated: 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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The yield-bearing stablecoin has grown by 59% since the beginning of summer as institutional demand accelerates.

The NYSE-listed company plans to accumulate ENA, the governance token of the Ethena protocol, as a treasury asset.

The LINEA token is trading at a $2.7 billion pre-market valuation on Hyperliquid.

Five new airdrops worth farming before everyone else piles in.

ABTC closed below $7 in a rough day for Trump Family-owned crypto efforts.

The sudden move raises questions after the address moved millions in WLFI tokens.

Pokémon card tokenization is exploding. Here are the main platforms you need to know about!

The new chain is EVM compatible but does not settle directly to Ethereum.

Phishing attacks drove most losses, continuing a steady rise in monthly crypto incidents.

Etherscan data shows that a wallet containing Justin Sun’s substantial WLFI holdings was blacklisted by the Trump-linked DeFi project.

Trading volume on Ethereum’s decentralized exchanges rose 45% to $74 billion in August.

The stock exchange is reportedly taking steps to slow public companies from issuing stock to buy crypto.

Bitcoin and Ethereum drop as $256M in liquidations hit markets, while spot Bitcoin ETFs record inflows.

The payments network features design input from a star-studded lineup including Anthropic, Visa, OpenAI, and Deutsche Bank.

Through a new tie-up with Wormhole, Unichain is adding SOL and HYPE as it looks to reverse slumping liquidity and user activity.

The CEO said the company's volume of computer-generated code in on track to surpass human-written code.

Is non-consensus investing overrated—or the secret to venture returns?

a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg is joined by Martín Casado (General Partner, a16z) and Leo Polovets (General Partner, Humba Ventures) to unpack the debate that lit up venture Twitter/X: should founders and VCs chase consensus, or run from it?

They explore what “consensus” really means in practice, how market efficiency shapes venture outcomes, why most companies fail from indigestion, not starvation, and the risks founders face when they’re too far outside consensus.

 

Timecodes: 

00:00 Introduction 

01:04 Defining Consensus and Market Efficiency

06:30 The Role of Hot Rounds and Market Signals

10:25 Founder Perspective: Risks of Non-Consensus

13:19 Investor Perspective: Indigestion vs. Starvation

18:28 Market Cycles & Sector Hype

23:55 The Evolution of Venture Market Efficiency

26:29 Case Studies & Personal Anecdotes

33:02 Fund Size, Ownership, and the Impact on Strategy

51:40 The Future of Venture: Multi-Stage vs. Seed Funds

 

Resources: 

Find Leo on X: https://x.com/lpolovets

Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Ethereum and Solana lead the charge as the broader DeFi ecosystem records strong growth.

The token has rallied more than 1000% in two days as users swarmed the platform’s Pokémon card gacha machine.

BETH makes Ethereum’s burned ETH composable. Here’s how it works and why it matters.

The leading predictions market is ready for its stateside return.

Trading of the stock was halted twice in the opening hour, and the share price is down almost 50% from its early morning high.

Backed by Winklevoss Capital and Nakamoto Holdings, Treasury B.V. has aims to become the EU’s largest bitcoin balance sheet.

Bitget Token will become the native token of Morph, despite an audit showing that the L2 has numerous critical security vulnerabilities and other red flags.

A recent "Grinta" upgrade may be linked to the latest outages on Starknet, an Ethereum Layer 2 network that went offline for more than four hours.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and major altcoins rise following the SEC and CFTC sharing a statement on spot crypto trading.

The venture backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump also filed to raise up to $2.1B to finance buying more BTC.

Jack Altman sits down with Martin Casado, General Partner at a16z, to unpack the shifting dynamics of venture capital and why media matters more than ever. They cover a16z’s evolution from generalists to specialized platforms, the rise of AI infrastructure, and why today’s fiercest battles are often for talent, not market share.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction

0:27 Importance of Media for VC

3:50 Evolution of a16z

7:00 Specialization

10:32 Value of Distribution

13:16 Staying Power in Infrastructure

19:49 The Conflicts Dynamic

26:32 State of Play in AI

30:48 The Future of Coding

34:58 Significance of Open Source

39:48 Marc Andreessen’s Leadership

44:02 The Only Sin in VC

48:37 Scaling a Lot of Board Seats

Resources: 

Listen to more from Uncapped: https://linktr.ee/uncappedpod

Find Jack on X: https://x.com/jaltma

Find Uncapped on X: https://x.com/uncapped_pod

Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

Stay Updated: 

Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z

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Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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The Ethereum advocacy group is building Wall Street ties and privacy tools.

Here’s the latest scoop on what’s been cooking at PIVXLabs.

We’ve been hard at work on multiple fronts, from rolling out new tools to polishing existing ones. Below is a rundown of our recent efforts, keeping things straightforward and focused on the progress you care about.

Vector Bot SDK: First Version Out the Door

We’ve launched the initial version of the Vector Bot SDK, a big step toward empowering developers to build bots for the Vector ecosystem. This release involved a ton of groundwork to make it solid and user-friendly. Check it out:

Vector Bot SDK: github.com/Luke-Larsen/Vector-SDK Mirror Repository: github.com/VectorPrivacy/Vector-SDK

To help folks get started, we also released an example bot to show how the SDK works in action:

Vector Bot SDK Example: github.com/Luke-Larsen/Vector-SDK-Example
We’re also working on typing indicators for the SDK, a handy feature for when bot responses take a moment. This is in progress and can be tracked here: github.com/VectorPrivacy/Vector-SDK/pull/1 Closed-Source Bot R&D

We’ve been diving deep into research and development for some exciting bot features, much of which will feed into open-source example bots. A chunk of this work is for a new bot we’re crafting to make Vector more fun and engaging. Planned features include:

AI Generation: Image, video, and text generation to spice up interactions. Address Book System: Helping users find and connect with each other. Cross-Platform Messaging: Enabling short messages between Vector’s Discord and Matrix bots, bridging communities seamlessly.

Stay tuned — these additions aim to draw more eyes to Vector and make it a blast to use!

PIVCards Server Maintenance

We hit a snag with some external software affecting PIVCards, but we’ve rolled out a fix, and the service is back online, running smoothly.

MyPIVXWallet (MPW)

Work on MyPIVXWallet has been all about refining the experience for the upcoming multi-account and multi-masternode release. Here’s what we’ve been tweaking:

Database Cleanup: Improved account deletion to keep the database tidy (PR #572, PR #586).

Faster Vault Creation: Reduced loading times by remembering created blocks PR #574.

Proposal Fixes: Blocked decimal values in proposal payments for cleaner submissions PR #580. Synced Alert Improvement: Alerts now only show for the active wallet PR #583. End-to-End Test Fixes: Squashed bugs to ensure smoother testing PR #584. Seed Export/Import: Added the ability to export and import entire vault seeds, not just wallets PR #585. Shield Memo Design: Finalized the design for memos on SHIELD transactions to improve usability PR #551.

These updates are all about making MPW more reliable and user-friendly as we gear up for the big release.

Labs Pulse: Infrastructure Monitoring Tool

We’re thrilled to share that Labs Pulse, our new infrastructure monitoring tool, is live (though not officially announced yet, as we’re ironing out a few final details). Hosted on an isolated server, Labs Pulse gives the Labs Team and community a color-coded snapshot of our ecosystem’s health, quick notifications for critical issues, and better tools to tackle infrastructure hiccups.

Backend: Fully built to keep things running smoothly. Frontend: Beautifully designed by barbie_babe_ in parallel. Labs Pulse is already live and usable (but not yet announced, with minor work left). pulse.pivxla.bz Source Code:
Available under the MIT license at github.com/PIVX-Labs/Labs-Pulse Labs Oracle: Price Display Feature

We added a small but useful in-tab price display to Labs Oracle, making it easier to check prices at a glance.

github.com/PIVX-Labs/Oracle/commit/b8e545c27872e2100b6a22fda61af6f3d14ac21f

Vector App Enhancements
The Vector app got some love with around 20 new commits, focusing on:

Group Chat Prep: A multi-week refactor to support group chats, self-destructing chats, public chats, and more, moving beyond DM-only functionality. Bug Fixes: Hunted down pesky bugs affecting file sharing, notifications, muting, voice messaging, and Android stability to make Vector smoother and more reliable.

Wrapping Up
Despite a well-deserved vacation break, the team’s been pushing forward with these updates to strengthen the PIVX ecosystem and its tools. From Vector’s bot-building potential to Labs Pulse’s monitoring power and MPW’s polish, we’re laying the groundwork for a more private, user-friendly, and robust experience.

Thanks for your support, and we’ll keep you posted on what’s next!

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.
To learn more about what PIVXLabs is doing please join their Discord:
https://discord.gg/5hkRpcBx

PIVX Labs Development Report was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Qualified investors outside the U.S. can now trade tokenized U.S. equities on the Ethereum blockchain, with plans to expand support for BNB Chain and Solana.

The non-custodial wallet provider is stepping into the real-world asset space with tokenized securities.

The EF is selling more ETH to fund grants and research; Crypto Twitter has thoughts.

The DeFi Renaissance Incentive Program (DRIP) aims to accelerate innovation and liquidity on Arbitrum.

A VPN is supposed to be a privacy tool that covers your digital tracks. Chances are that you already use one to access restricted content and enhance your privacy. But what happens when a VPN begins to steal your data?

FreeVPN.One appeared to be everything users expect from a reputable browser extension. With over 100,000 installations, Google’s coveted “Verified” status, and a respectable 3.8 out of 5-star rating from more than 1,100 reviews, it had successfully positioned itself as a trustworthy privacy solution in the Chrome Web Store. Since its 2020 launch, the extension operated legitimately, building user trust and a substantial install base.

However, this trust was systematically betrayed beginning in April 2025 when the developers released version 3.0.3, marking the beginning of what security researchers at Koi Security would later identify as a carefully orchestrated campaign of digital surveillance.

The Evolution of Malice

According to reports, the transformation of FreeVPN.One from protector to predator didn’t happen overnight. Instead, it followed a methodical progression that demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of both browser security mechanisms and user psychology.

The initial red flag appeared with the April 2025 update when developers added an <all_urls> permission to the extension. This seemingly technical change granted the extension unprecedented access to every website a user visited. While concerning, the extension’s content scripts remained limited to VPN provider domains at this stage, creating what security researcher Lotan Sery described as opening “the door” for future malicious activities.

The true malicious transformation occurred with version 3.1.3, released in July 2025. This update introduced the extension’s most invasive capability: automatic screenshot capture of every webpage users visited, combined with systematic collection and exfiltration of sensitive personal information.

A Comprehensive Surveillance Operation

The technical sophistication of FreeVPN.One’s spyware capabilities reveal a well-planned surveillance operation designed to operate entirely beneath users’ awareness. The extension employs a two-stage screenshot capture process that demonstrates both technical expertise and deliberate intent to deceive.

When users navigate to any website, the extension automatically injects malicious content scripts through its broad manifest permissions. After a carefully calculated 1.1-second delay, timed precisely to ensure pages fully load and capture maximum information, the script triggers a background service worker that leverages Chrome’s privileged captureVisibleTab() API to take silent screenshots.

These captured images, along with associated metadata including page URLs, tab identifiers, and unique user tracking codes, are then transmitted to attacker-controlled servers at the domain aitd.one. The entire process occurs continuously and automatically, requiring no user interaction and providing no visual indicators of the ongoing surveillance.

The extension’s data collection extends beyond screenshots to include comprehensive device fingerprinting and location tracking. Upon installation and at each startup, the malicious code queries geolocation APIs, encodes the collected data using base64 encoding, and transmits these details to the attackers’ servers.

Sophisticated Deception Tactics

Perhaps most concerning is the extension’s use of legitimate-sounding features to mask its malicious activities. In July 2025, developers introduced what they branded as “Scan with AI Threat Detection,” a feature that ostensibly justified screenshot uploads for security analysis. This feature even includes disclosure in the extension’s privacy policy about uploading screenshots to analyze potential threats.

However, this apparent transparency serves as sophisticated misdirection. While users might reasonably consent to occasional security scans, the extension actually captures screenshots of every single webpage visited, occurring continuously in the background regardless of whether users ever activate the scanning feature. The legitimate-seeming security functionality provides plausible cover for comprehensive surveillance.

The developers further enhanced their deception with additional technical sophistication in late July 2025. They implemented AES-256 encryption with RSA key wrapping to obfuscate their data exfiltration and migrated operations from the primary domain to a subdomain (scan.aitd.one), likely attempting to evade detection and complicate forensic analysis.

Developer Responses Raise Additional Red Flags

When confronted by Koi Security researchers, the FreeVPN.One developers’ responses only amplified concerns about their intentions and legitimacy. Their explanations for the extension’s behavior were both inconsistent with observed functionality and failed to address the fundamental privacy violations.

The developers initially claimed that automatic screenshot capture was limited to suspicious domains as part of a background security scanning feature. However, researchers documented the extension actively capturing screenshots on universally trusted services, including Google Sheets and Google Photos, platforms that could hardly be characterized as malicious or suspicious.

Even more troubling, the developers admitted that screenshot capture was enabled by default for all users, with vague promises to require explicit consent in future updates. This admission confirms that millions of screenshots containing sensitive personal information continue to be collected and transmitted without user knowledge or permission.

When researchers requested basic legitimacy verification, such as company profiles, GitHub repositories, or LinkedIn pages, the developers ceased all communication. The only evidence of corporate identity was a suspicious Wix template website that appeared hastily constructed and lacking substantive information about the development team or company structure.

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice
To stay on top of PIVX news please visit PIVX.org

When Privacy Tools Turn Predatory: The FreeVPN.One Spyware Investigation was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Crypto is often accused of chasing the next shiny thing, but these five frontiers feel both early and enduring.

A new upgrade introduces programmability to Bitcoin-based tokens, opening the gates for DeFi and NFTs.

The NFT company continues to gain popularity with a mainstream audience.

Ondo Finance is at the forefront of the real-world asset (RWA) revolution, bringing traditional financial products like U.S. treasuries, stocks, and ETFs onto blockchain rails. In this episode of the Defiant Podcast, Ian De Bode, Chief Strategy Officer at Ondo Finance, dives into democratizing access to financial markets for a global audience. By tokenizing assets, Ondo enables 24/7 mobility, seamless DeFi integration, and enhanced investor protections, all while addressing the inefficiencies of traditional finance.

The Layer 1 blockchain is the latest to abandon its pursuit of decentralization and cozy up to U.S traditional finance.

Privy Home brings order to embedded wallet chaos, letting you track balances, apps, and activity across email and social logins.

Michael Saylor's bitcoin stack now sits at 636,505 BTC.

The stablecoin lending protocol's TVL has nearly doubled since YZi Labs’ strategic investment last week.

The former SNL star is teaming up with Academy Award winner Casey Affleck for a Bitcoin-focused conspiracy film.

CleanCore shares are down 50% today, while DOGE is flat.

The token listing of the World Liberty Financial native token has brought the U.S. President's family billions in paper gains.

Statsig and OpenAI: A New Chapter for Product Experimentation

Congratulations to Vijaye and the entire Statsig team.

By Lauren Reeder Published September 2, 2025

The Statsig story actually begins years before the company was founded. Our former partner Mike Vernal worked closely with Vijaye Raji at Facebook (now Meta), where Vijaye made an indelible mark. He was one of the early engineers at Meta who started multiple key lines of business, including building Facebook Marketplace and running their Seattle office. 

When Vijaye was ready to start his own company, the whole Sequoia partnership was eager to be part of the journey from day one. We were thrilled to lead their Series A in February 2021 and then their Series B a year later. As we deepened our partnership, Dannie Herzberg and I were impressed by Vijaye’s ability to attract and retain world-class talent in their home base of Seattle and their knack for non-stop shipping great products. It’s built into their DNA—ask anyone at Statsig who maintains their website, and they’ll laugh and point to the CEO’s desk.

Today, we are happy to share that OpenAI has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Statsig. As a part of this acquisition, the entire Statsig team will be joining OpenAI. Statsig will continue operating independently and serving its customers out of its Seattle office. Vijaye will take a leadership position at OpenAI as CTO of the Applications business.

In the AI era, it is easier than ever to generate everything from code to marketing copy. In this new paradigm, figuring out which output is best becomes the hardest part. Statsig brings the perfect complement: while AI can create countless variations, Statsig provides the rigorous testing framework needed to determine what actually works in the real world. Some of the best product teams build on the Statsig platform, including teams at OpenAI, Atlassian, Notion, Figma, Milwaukee Tools, Microsoft and thousands of other companies. 

Congratulations to Vijaye and the entire Statsig team on this new chapter! We’re grateful to be part of the journey, and can’t wait to see what this team builds next.

The closing of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

Share Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on LinkedIn Share this via email Related Topics #AI Statsig’s Vijaye Raji wants you to think impact Spotlight Read OpenAI Just Released Its Powerful New ChatGPT Agent Hosted by Sonya Huang and Lauren Reeder Podcast Listen Sam Altman on Building the ‘Core AI Subscription’ LIVE from AI Ascent 2025 Podcast Listen How Gamma Scaled the ‘Cursor for Slides’ to $50M ARR Hosted by Sonya Huang Podcast Listen JOIN OUR MAILING LIST Get the best stories from the Sequoia community. Email address Leave this field empty if you’re human:

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Bitcoin, XRP, and Solana climb as investors weigh trade policy uncertainty and growing odds of an interest rate cut in September.

The Joe Lubin-helmed Ethereum treasury firm now holds over 837K ether.

What if the future of media isn’t controlled by algorithms or legacy institutions—but by independent voices building directly with their audiences?

In this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined by Chris Best, cofounder and CEO of Substack, along with a16z general partners Katherine Boyle and Andrew Chen.

We trace the origin story of Substack and its cultural impact, including how it reinvented the business model for independent media. We also explore the evolution of blogging, the rebundling of media, and what the future holds as attention becomes the scarcest resource.

Timecodes: 

00:00 Introduction
03:50 Origins of Substack
06:29 The Evolution of Blogging & Media Models
09:15 Direct Audience Connection & Platform Independence
10:57 Vision for Substack & The Role of Algorithms
21:06 Business Models: Ads, Subscriptions, and AI
26:10 The Scarcity of Attention & Value of Good Content
27:45 Unbundling, Rebundling, and the Future of Media Companies
37:12 Academia, Books, and Changing Content Formats
44:31 Substack’s Next Phase & Closing Thoughts

Resources: 

Find Chris on Substack: https://cb.substack.com/

Find Chris on X: https://x.com/cjgbest

Find Andrew Chen on Substack: https://andrewchen.substack.com/

Find Andrew on X: https://x.com/andrewchen

Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle

Find Katherine on Substack: https://boyle.substack.com/

Stay Updated: 

Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z

Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

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Find a16z on LinkedIn

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Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

 

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The move brings 24/7 trading of equities and ETFs to DeFi’s largest blockchain.

Ahead of its Nasdaq debut, The Ether Machine inks a major deal with an ETH whale.

The European Union’s proposed Chat Control bill, officially known as the Regulation on Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), is a textbook example of a policy with a noble goal and potentially disastrous side effects. While framed as a vital tool to protect children, its core mechanisms could fundamentally reshape digital privacy not just in Europe, but globally. The bill has faced significant backlash ahead of a crucial vote on September 12. But what could possibly go wrong?

The Trojan Horse of Surveillance

At its heart, the bill seeks to mandate client-side scanning. This means that a user’s device would be forced to scan private messages and photos for illicit content before it is encrypted and sent. But we all know that the moment a government, or any third party, can mandate a backdoor into a user’s device to inspect private messages, the very concept of end-to-end encryption is compromised.

End-to-end encryption is designed to ensure that only the sender and the recipient can read their messages. By requiring a device to scan content before it is encrypted, the bill effectively turns every device into a potential informant, bypassing the very security that makes private communication possible.

This isn’t just a technical issue; it’s a philosophical one. It establishes a dangerous precedent. If governments can force tech companies to build a backdoor for one purpose, what prevents them from mandating it for others? The door is now open for surveillance on a mass scale, under the guise of security.

Setting a Global Precedent

The privacy backlash against this bill is not coming from fringe groups; it’s coming from some of the most privacy-conscious EU member states, including Austria, Poland, and the Netherlands. The Council’s own Legal Service has even warned that the bill could violate human rights.

Furthermore, a win for this bill in Europe would set a perilous global precedent. The EU often leads the way on digital policy, and if this legislation passes, other countries, especially those with authoritarian regimes, could point to it as a justification for their own mass surveillance laws. It could become a blueprint for governments worldwide to bypass encryption and monitor citizens’ private communications, leading to a race to the bottom for digital freedom.

In the pursuit of a safer internet, the EU risks building a less private one for everyone. The debate isn’t about whether to protect children; this is a universal goal. The debate is about how to do so without sacrificing the fundamental right to privacy, a right that underpins a free and open society. If the bill passes, we will be left to face the consequences of a world where our private messages are no longer our own.

PIVX. Your Rights. Your Privacy. Your Choice.
To stay on top of PIVX news please visit PIVX.org and Discord.PIVX.org

The EU’s Chat Control Bill was originally published in PIVX on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The World Liberty Financial token nosedived after being listed for spot trading yesterday, with early holders reporting problems accessing their funds.

Rootstock looks to continue its growth with the addition of Avalon’s lending infrastructure.

Backed by Peter Thiel and DeFi leaders, the treasury firm is betting big on staking and onchain yields.

With its latest all-time high in August, Bitcoin is breaking the usual post-halving pattern and may have peaked early, analysts at CoinGecko say.

Bitcoin is up slightly to trade above $109,000, while altcoins are mostly in the red.

A new Ethereum Foundation initiative promises trustless transfers across L2 networks.

Venture capital has powered companies like Facebook and TikTok—but what if that same urgency fueled America’s defense and industrial base? Katherine Boyle, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and cofounder of the firm’s American Dynamism practice, argues this is the biggest business opportunity of our time.

In this conversation from The Shawn Ryan Show, Boyle discusses the rise of defense tech startups, why optimism drives her work, and how a new generation of engineers and founders is rethinking innovation and patriotism in America.

 

Timecodes: 

0:00 Introduction 

0:41 Patriotism, Optimism, and American Innovation

4:27 Startups vs. Legacy Primes in Defense

10:08 Venture Capital’s Unique Incentives

17:21 Katherine’s Backstory: Family & Upbringing

21:07 The Decline of Community & Family Pillars

23:23 Polarization, Religion, and Social Fabric

26:16 America’s Birth Rate Crisis

29:46 Cultural Shifts and the Family Structure

42:01 Katherine’s Path: Journalism to Venture Capital

1:06:06 Breaking into Silicon Valley

1:18:06 Investing in Defense: The Anduril Story

1:37:37 The American Dynamism Movement

2:04:27 Manufacturing, Space, and the Future of Defense

2:14:06 Espionage, China, and National Security

2:37:38 The Attack on the American Family

2:48:29 Cultural Change, Suffering, and Purpose

2:55:30 Closing Thoughts

 

Resources: 

Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle

Shawn Ryan Show Links 

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join

Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=7abec4d61c324b24

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Ethereum is special.

Blockchains operate as a public ledger, ‘disclosing’ the entire transaction history and associated data to everyone. While verifiability and traceability are key traits, as blockchains gain global adoption, those very features hinder the process. Self custody, on-chain identities, corporate strategies, transaction history, private deals, all represent highly sensitive information that call for provable confidentiality. Fully homomorphic encryption has long been considered the ‘holy grail’ of cryptography as it enables computation to be performed on encrypted data without the need of prior decryption. This basically translates to true end-to-end encryption, both on-chain and off-chain. As cryptographic research advances, so does the scalability and applicability of FHE. As a result of more than 5 years of work, Zama has now released Zama Protocol, which enables confidential smart contracts on top of any L1 or L2 using FHE, without any additional execution burden. By encrypting all ciphertexts with the same public key, FHE ensures composability and seamless integration across different blockchains and applications, making it a true cross-chain confidentiality layer. Through parallel execution, Zama Protocol already surpasses Ethereum’s throughput, yet future roadmap includes open-source development of FPGA & ASIC in order to scale it even further, to accommodate faster, non-EVM chains.

Topics covered in this episode:

Zama’s progress in FHE Zama's confidential blockchain Protocol Security guarantees of MPC coprocessors Maintaining a healthy operator set Slashing and governance Zama’s throughput Open-sourcing FPGA & ASIC development The Zama token & its implications Zama’s public testnet Private voting Zama funding Regulations Expanding use cases beyond blockchains Future goals and expectations

Episode links:

Rand Hindi on X Zama on X

Sponsors:

Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.io Chorus One: one of the largest node operators worldwide, trusted by 175,000+ accounts across more than 60 networks, Chorus One combines institutional-grade security with the highest yields at - chorus.one

This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst.

Could Trump's Intel deal foreshadow crypto acquisitions on 'national security' grounds?

Beyond its app, Zora’s real magic is its open infrastructure, which is powering new experiments around creator coins.

Where the Bankless Analyst team has been yield farming this month.

Venice AI is advancing private, uncensored tools for users and devs alike with a new app, a new token, and new models.

The $10 Trillion AI Revolution: Why It’s Bigger Than the Industrial Revolution

The Cognitive Revolution is here—and it’s moving much faster than previous technologies.

By Konstantine Buhler Published August 28, 2025

We recently had the opportunity to discuss the state of AI with Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. This presentation was the basis of our conversation. Jensen has talked about building the “AI factory” of the future. What took 144 years during the Industrial Revolution might happen in just a few years with AI.

Here’s why: The specialization imperative.

Beyond a certain scale, complex systems need both general-purpose AND highly specialized components to mature. 

What took 144 years during the Industrial Revolution might happen in just a few years with AI. Here’s the timeline of that cycle:

1712: First steam engine invented 1779: First factory system (67 years later) 1923: Modern assembly line perfected (144 years after that)

Today, we’re living through the Cognitive Revolution:

1999: First GPU (our “steam engine”) 2016: First AI factory putting all components together 202X: The cognitive assembly line

In this revolution, we went from engine to factory in just 17 years instead of 67—and the cognitive assembly line is likely fast approaching. The question isn’t IF this transformation will happen. It’s WHO will be the John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie of the AI era.

At Sequoia, we believe it’s the startups being built right now—the ones carrying out this specialization imperative across every industry. The Cognitive Revolution is here. And it’s moving faster than anything we’ve seen before.

Share Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on LinkedIn Share this via email Related Topics #AI AI Ascent 2025 Video highlights from our AI conference. Perspective Read The Stochastic Mindset By Konstantine Buhler Perspective Read AI Agents Move Beyond Chat Konstantine Buhler on the 2025 AI 50 list Perspective Read Nvidia: An Overnight Success Story 30 Years in the Making Crucible Moments: EP8 Podcast Listen JOIN OUR MAILING LIST Get the best stories from the Sequoia community. Email address Leave this field empty if you’re human:

The post $10T AI Revolution appeared first on Sequoia Capital.

The Zcash Foundation is committed to transparency and openness with the Zcash community and our other stakeholders. Today, we are releasing our Q2 2025 report, which provides an overview of the work undertaken by our engineering team, as well as an overview of other activities during this period.

As with our previous quarterly reports, this report describes our financial inflow and outflows, with a detailed breakdown of our expenses, and we have included a snapshot of the Foundation’s financial position, in terms of liquid assets and liabilities that must be met using those assets.

Download the Q2 2025 report here.

Our previous quarterly reports can be found here.

The post The Zcash Foundation’s Q2 2025 Report appeared first on Zcash Foundation.

We’ve just shipped the first feature in the Zashi–NEAR integration: a private, decentralized off-ramp for shielded ZEC. Starting today, you can swap shielded ZEC to any NEAR-supported cryptocurrency in Zashi. […]

Source

We have released FROST v2.2.0, which includes a security fix. There are no breaking changes in this release. For full details, please refer to the release notes.

Security Fix

This release adds validation for the min_signers parameter in the frost_core::keys::refresh functions. Before, it was not clear that it was not possible to change min_signers with the refresh procedure. Using a smaller value would not decrease the threshold, and attempts to sign using a smaller threshold would fail. Additionally, after refreshing the shares with a smaller threshold, it would still be possible to sign with the original threshold; however, this could cause a security loss to the participant’s shares. We have not determined the exact security implications of doing so and judged it simpler to just validate min_signers. If for some reason you have done a refresh share procedure with a smaller min_signers we strongly recommend migrating to a new key. Thank you BlockSec for reporting the finding.

Other Changes

The Minimum Supported Rust Version (MSRV) has been updated to 1.81, making all crates no-std, except for frost-ed448. Distributed Key Generation (DKG) refresh functions have been added to the crate-specific refresh modules. Additionally, we have added serialize_whole and deserialize_whole methods for VerifiableSecretSharingCommitment. To further enhance customization options, a new post_generate method has been implemented in the Ciphersuite, allowing for greater flexibility in ciphersuite configurations. We’ve also made documentation improvements and improved test coverage.

Acknowledgments

A big thank you to all the contributors who made this release possible: @VolodymyrB, @StackOverflowExcept1on, @crStiv, @azuchi, @conradoplg and @natalieesk

 

The post FROST 2.2.0 Release appeared first on Zcash Foundation.

In this interview from the 20VC podcast, Martin Casado (a16z General Partner) joins Harry Stebbings to unpack the state of AI, the rise of coding models, the future of open vs. closed source, and how value is shifting across the stack.

Martin offers a candid view of the opportunities and dangers shaping AI and venture capital today.

 

Resources: 

Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

Find Harry on X: https://x.com/harrystebbings

More about 20VC:

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@20VC

Subscribe on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3j2KMcZTtgTNBKwtZBMHvl?si=85bc9196860e4466&nd=1&dlsi=d1dbbc6a0d7c4408

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twenty-minute-vc-20vc-venture-capital-startup/id958230465

Visit their Website: https://www.20vc.com

Subscribe to their Newsletter: https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/

Follow 20VC on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/20vchq/#

Follow 20VC on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@20vc_tok

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Will Fed rate cuts signal the end of the CRCL party?

The new platform enables stablecoin borrowing against tokenized Treasurys with Circle, VanEck, and Chainlink on board.

The new feature lets users create, back up, and recover wallets with Google or Apple accounts.

Details are scant, but U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick apparently wants to start with putting GDP on the blockchain.

What are real consumers actually doing with AI today?

In this episode, a16z consumer investors Olivia Moore and Justine Moore break down the fifth edition of our Consumer AI 100, a biannual ranking of the most used AI-native web and mobile products across the globe.

 

Timecodes:  

0:00 Introduction

1:45 New Companies & Trends

3:32 Companionship & Creative Tools

4:20 Big Tech on the List: Google’s Impact

6:24 Chinese AI Companies & Global Trends

10:19 Vibecoding: A New Trend

13:40 AI All-Stars: Consistent Top Performers

15:30 Network Effects & Product Experience

17:20 Enterprise Adoption & Prosumer Growth

19:40 Biggest Takeaways

21:09 Grok's debut

22:56 Future predictions

25:14 Closing & Audience Engagement

 

Resources:

Read more about the Top Gen 100: http://a16z.com/100-gen-ai-apps-5/

Find Olivia on X: https://x.com/omooretweets

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Ryan Sean Adams: Protect your future. Save in assets. Save in crypto.

Football.Fun blends fantasy sports with crypto trading, letting you own and compete with player shares on Base.

The firm holds approximately $3.6 billion worth of ETH.

Trump's son is investing in Polymarket via his venture firm 1789 Capital. He already holds an advisory role at competitor Kalshi.

Privacy is not a privilege—it’s a human right

From the moment the Zcash Genesis block was mined, a fierce and unwavering conviction has anchored our mission: privacy is not a privilege seized by the few, but an inalienable human right that belongs to us all. In an era shadowed by relentless surveillance and rampant exploitation, Zcash emerged as a digital fortress, designed to empower individuals with the ability to transact freely, shielded from fear and intrusion.

Today, the Zcash Foundation takes a bold step forward by unveiling a groundbreaking effort, the Shielded Aid Initiative (SAI). This transformative strategic initiative channels our core convictions and the power of our privacy-preserving technology into one of the most critical sectors of all: humanitarian aid, where the risks are immense and the consequences profound. Here, privacy is not just a technical feature, it’s a lifeline. For the world’s most vulnerable populations, Zcash’s privacy-preserving technology provides essential safeguards.

The Urgent Privacy Challenge Facing Humanitarian Blockchain Programs

Despite the best intentions of NGOs worldwide, most organizations are deploying blockchain-based field programs without fully considering their privacy implications. While transparent blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum are able to offer breakthroughs in transparency and accountability, they can unintentionally expose personally identifiable information of the very communities these programs aim to support and protect.

We have observed a troubling pattern among these pilot projects, often launched with an aim to improve transparency, efficiency, and donor confidence, but later becoming keenly aware of the severe privacy risks after deployment. Since the data trail is immutable, aid recipients can be re-identified, putting them at risk of intimidation, extortion, exclusion, or worse. Despite this, the same process continues to be repeated in future pilots with the same potential harmful outcomes.These aren’t isolated oversights, but instead reflect a systemic failure to center privacy and data protection in the design and governance of humanitarian blockchain systems. We believe vulnerable populations deserve better.

Why Transparent Blockchains Are Dangerous in Humanitarian Contexts

While transparent ledgers are valuable in supply chains or financial auditing, their very openness creates permanent digital records that hostile actors can weaponize in humanitarian settings. Our society must stop building digital roadmaps for hostile actors. These are tools that inadvertently aid oppressive regimes, traffickers, or criminals in targeting people already in crisis.

This is not a theoretical risk; these dangers have repeatedly surfaced in real-world field programs, implemented without privacy-related planning and audits. The resulting privacy breaches were not, in most cases, caused by malicious intent but rather stem from leadership shortcomings, a lag in technology-related education and adaptation, and a persistent failure to learn from mistakes made by previous pilot projects. Until these systemic flaws are addressed, humanitarian organizations are not just inviting future failures, they are most certainly guaranteeing them.

Privacy by Design: The Three Pillars of Zcash in Humanitarian Aid

Privacy is imperative—and attainable. We believe that every person deserves protection from surveillance, discrimination, and harm. Our mission is to bridge the privacy knowledge gap in humanitarian contexts by championing privacy as a vital form of protection for individuals. 

Using Zcash technology, we empower aid organizations to deliver cash assistance securely and compliantly, shielding vulnerable individuals from exploitation while aligning with humanitarian principles and global compliance standards. 

The technology to protect beneficiaries exists. Zcash offers a strong framework for privacy-preserving digital payments and data protection in humanitarian contexts, with three pillars securing the foundation of current and future components of this initiative: 

Privacy = Protection: Zcash is essential for safeguarding vulnerable populations from surveillance, abuse, and coercion. Ensuring the privacy of aid recipients is not optional;it is fundamental to their security and dignity. Privacy = Compliance: Privacy-by-design goes beyond technology; it is a fundamental humanitarian obligation that ensures compliance with critical data responsibility policies. Integrating privacy from the onset aligns with established frameworks and international norms for data handling in humanitarian contexts. Privacy = Sustainability: Zcash enables scalable, censorship-resistant on-chain transactions. This approach empowers enduring aid programs that remain secure and effective in the face of evolving challenges.

Engaging Senior Leadership to Embrace Privacy-Preserving Design as a Priority

Our goal is to engage NGO senior leadership teams globally, ensuring that aid delivery does not threaten the safety and dignity of recipients. Specifically we aim to help these teams:

Understand the difference: Transparent vs. privacy-preserving blockchain transactions are worlds apart.
Assess pilot programs: Programs that rely on transparent transactions inadvertently expose the personal information of beneficiaries.
Demand privacy-preserving design: Privacy isn’t just a technical feature; it must be baked into policy, architecture, and practice.

With knowledge and the right tools, organizations will — we believe — choose to prioritize the privacy and protection of the communities they serve.

Zcash Leads the Way

Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) have revolutionized the ability to prove information or verify eligibility without revealing sensitive details. Zcash leverages ZKPs to power its protocol, enabling selective transparency and uncompromising privacy, developed by world-class cryptographers with decades of research behind it.

Zcash allows humanitarian programs to meet funding and compliance requirements without storing personally identifiable data,  mitigating unnecessary data collection and storage risks.

The Shielded Aid Initiative is dedicated to:

Helping humanitarian organizations integrate Zcash’s privacy-preserving technology into blockchain pilots.
Providing expert consultation and rigorous privacy risk assessments.
Advocating for privacy-preserving design as the standard in humanitarian digital interventions.

Our team aims to support program planning, technology review, and risk mitigation to ensure that humanitarian blockchain deployments enhance safety, dignity, and privacy.

Looking Forward: Making Privacy-Preserving the Norm, Not the Exception

The world’s most vulnerable communities should never have to choose between receiving aid and maintaining their privacy or safety.

By applying the core principles that are foundational to Zcash in these humanitarian contexts, we can build systems that are not only transparent for donors and auditors but invisibly protective for recipients. This initiative reaffirms that the promise of blockchain is not broken — it must simply be realized responsibly, with privacy-preserving design as the non-negotiable baseline.

Together, we can set a new standard where privacy-preserving practices and dignity are fundamental for all humanitarian digital aid deployments. The time to act is now.

—

For more information about our humanitarian initiatives and how we can help your organization deploy privacy-preserving blockchain solutions, please visit zfnd.org or contact our team directly at SAI@zfnd.org. 

The post Zcash Foundation Launches New Initiative to Champion Privacy-Preserving Humanitarian Aid appeared first on Zcash Foundation.

Trump Media is putting the CRO token at the center of its Truth Social ecosystem and will create a treasury company for the token.

Major crypto trading firms are placing their bets that DAT enthusiasm moves to Solana next.

Advances in proving systems are making ZK cheaper, faster, and inevitable.

The troubled L2 team is swapping out its CEO and shifting strategies.

ETF vibes, onchain. Learn to use Reserve on Ethereum or Base to buy diversified token baskets in a single swap.

U.S. users can once again trade bitcoin, ether, and 50+ tokens directly inside Webull’s main investment platform.

Not content to let ETH grab headlines over Solana, 3 major funds are reportedly raising the largest reserve of its kind for SOL.

Built primarily for institutional-grade clients,  Pareto delivers customizable on-chain credit markets designed to expand DeFi liquidity and TradFi tokenization through structured yield strategies tailored to diverse risk profiles. Pareto allows its users to construct individualized credit lines in specific risk-ajusted tranches, with custom: interest rates, lockup periods, withdrawal cycles, reserve ratios, etc. In addition, Pareto’s USP is an yield-bearing synthetic stablecoin, fully backed by major stablecoins, that can be deployed into a diversified portfolio of liquid, short- and long-term credit, thus increasing capital efficiency.

Topics covered in this episode:

Matteo’s background Idle Finance yield optimization Pivoting to Pareto Institutional borrowers in early DeFi Competitive advantage of Pareto Outsourcing underwriting Managing defaults Customized lending KYC requirements Timeline terms ‘marketplace’ USP, Pareto’s synthetic yield-bearing dollar Legal framework & credit allocators USP yield, liquidity & integrations ‘Opaque’ credit vs. DeFi Pareto smart contracts and redeems Success in on-chain credit markets

Episode links:

Matteo Pandolfi on X Pareto Pareto on X Idle Finance on X

Sponsors:

Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.io Chorus One: one of the largest node operators worldwide, trusted by 175,000+ accounts across more than 60 networks, Chorus One combines institutional-grade security with the highest yields at - chorus.one

This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst.

What exactly is an AI agent, and how will agents change the way we work?

In this episode, a16z general partners Erik Torenberg and Martin Casado sit down with Aaron Levie (CEO, Box) and Steven Sinofsky (a16z board partner; former Microsoft exec) to unpack one of the hottest debates in AI right now.

They cover:

Competing definitions of an “agent,” from background tasks to autonomous interns Why today’s agents look less like a single AGI and more like networks of specialized sub-agents The technical challenges of long-running, self-improving systems How agent-driven workflows could reshape coding, productivity, and enterprise software What history — from the early PC era to the rise of the internet — tells us about platform shifts like this one

The conversation moves from deep technical questions to big-picture implications for founders, enterprises, and the future of work.

 

Timecodes: 

0:00 Introduction: The Evolution of AI Agents

0:36 Defining Agency and Autonomy

1:54 Long-Running Agents and Feedback Loops

4:49 Specialization and Task Division in AI

6:20 Human-AI Collaboration and Productivity

6:59 Anthropomorphizing AI and Economic Impact

9:10 Predictions, Progress, and Platform Shifts

11:31 Recursive Self-Improvement and Technical Challenges

13:20 Hallucinations, Verification, and Expert Productivity

16:20 The Role of Experts and Tool Adoption

22:14 Changing Workflows: Agents Reshaping Work Patterns

45:55 Division of Labor, Specialization, and New Roles

48:47 Verticalization, Applied AI, and the Future of Agents

54:44 Platform Competition and the Application Layer

55:29 Closing Thoughts and Takeaways 

 

Resources: 

Find Aaron on X: https://x.com/levie

Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesi

 

Stay Updated: 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Erik Torenberg sits down with Ben Horowitz, Cofounder of a16z, for a candid conversation on venture capital, leadership, and the future of innovation. Recorded live at a16z’s Menlo Park offices in 2023, Ben shares practical wisdom and hard-earned lessons on navigating market cycles, building resilient companies, and why culture is a lasting competitive edge.

Timecodes: 

0:00 Introduction 

0:49 Building a Lasting Venture Firm

1:57 Product vs. Investor-Driven Firms

5:17 Evolution of Andreessen Horowitz

8:43 Fund Sizing & Market Opportunity

11:38 Recruiting & Culture at a16z

13:58 Supporting Founders & Firm Mission

14:39 Governance & Firm Structure

17:15 The Future of Venture Capital

20:26 Riding Trends: AI, Web3, and Beyond

27:06 Regulation, Open Source, and Innovation

29:22 LPs, Macro, and Long-Term Strategy

33:25 Advice for the Next Generation

37:15 Tech Optimism & Societal Impact

42:33 Closing Thoughts & Outro

 

Resources: 

Find Ben on X:  https://x.com/bhorowitz

Subscribe to Turpentine VC: link.chtbl.com/TurpentineVC

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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在 DeFi 中，开放的承诺背后隐藏着一个隐性成本：脆弱性。每笔交易都清晰可见，每项策略都暴露无遗。MEV 机器人会利用你的行动。领先者会抢占你的先机。

作为最早关注区块链隐私的项目之一，我们现在正在重写 DeFi 剧本。

继我们的原生代币 ZEN 成功迁移到 Base 上的 ERC-20 之后，我们已在 Base 上正式启动了我们的应用链测试网，并首次推出 Singularity 的 DarkSwap 作为我们新的以隐私为中心的生态系统中的首个应用程序。

这一里程碑代表着模块化、隐私优先的生态系统的基础，在这个生态系统中，公平、防机器人交易成为常态，交易者最终可以无所畏惧地进行交易。

为什么隐私在 DeFi 中如此重要

以太坊及其 L2 的开放式账本使你的交易的每个细节都清晰可见：资产类型、规模、时机，甚至意图。这种透明度不仅有利于验证，也是 MEV 机器人蓬勃发展的原因。它们能够在你的交易最终确定之前就洞察到你的动向，并迅速采取行动。

Horizen 的新应用链采用了不同的方法：合规且保密。我们正与Singularity合作推出 DarkSwap，这是一个基于 Horizen Base 应用链的防机器人、完全保密的交易层。通过隐藏交易规模、价格和资产详细信息，DarkSwap 确保无人能够抢先交易或劫持您的交易。对于机构而言，这意味着策略不会被泄露。对于普通用户而言，这意味着更公平的执行。

Horizen Appchain 上的隐私defi: DarkSwap：有目的的隐私

这是有目的的隐私：保护交易者，确保公平，并为机构原本会回避的更复杂的 DeFi 用例打开大门。

Horizen Appchain 测试网上现已上线的主要功能：

防机器人执行——消除夹心攻击、抢先交易和其他 MEV 漏洞。 完全保密——资产、规模和价格保持隐藏。 熟悉的工作流程——从同一个钱包存款和取款，没有额外的复杂性。 合规准备——在需要时生成零知识证明以供选择性披露。

从用户的角度来看，您仍然可以与熟悉的 DEX（例如Aerodrome和Uniswap）进行交互。DarkSwap 在后台处理隐私层，使体验更加无缝衔接。

更大的图景

此次发布是在 7 月份成功将 ZEN 迁移到 Base 上的 ERC-20 代币之后发布的，这是一个关键时刻，将 Horizen 从基于 UTXO 的区块链转变为模块化、与以太坊一致的架构。

此次 DarkSwap 应用链测试网的上线证明了隐私与合规并非对立，而是可以相辅相成。更多实际应用正在筹备中，为 Horizen 于 2025 年底在 Base 上发布应用链主网奠定了基础。与此同时，DarkSwap 正在为隐私、可组合的 DeFi 树立新标杆。

立即试用 DarkSwap

立即在 Horizen 测试网上试用 DarkSwap

 DarkSwap 教程

Horizen 测试网应用链 网络名称：Horizen 测试网（基础应用链） 新的 RPC URL：  https://horizen-rpc-testnet.appchain.base.org 链ID：84532009 货币符号：ETH Sepolia网络 网络名称：Base Sepolia 新的 RPC URL：  https://sepolia.base.org 链ID：84532 货币符号：ETH

The post Horizen测试网的隐私Defi “DarkSwap”上线：私密、防机器人的 DeFi 登陆 Base appeared first on Horizen Blog.

Marc Andreessen, cofounder Andreessen Horowitz, joins the Hermitix podcast for a conversation on AI, accelerationism, energy, and the future.

From the thermodynamic roots of effective accelerationism (E/acc) to the cultural cycles of optimism and fear around new technologies, Marc shares why AI is best understood as code, how nuclear debates mirror today’s AI concerns, and what these shifts mean for society and progress.

 

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction 

0:51 Podcast Overview & Guest Introduction

1:45 Marc Andreessen’s Background

3:30 Technology’s Role in Society

4:44 The Hermitix Question: Influential Thinkers

8:19 AI: Past, Present, and Future

10:57 Superconductors and Technological Breakthroughs

15:53 Optimism, Pessimism, and Stagnation in Technology

22:54 Fear of Technology and Social Order

29:49 Nuclear Power: Promise and Controversy

34:53 AI Regulation and Societal Impact

41:16 Effective Accelerationism Explained

47:19 Thermodynamics, Life, and Human Progress

53:07 Learned Helplessness and the Role of Elites

1:01:08 The Future: 10–50 Years and Beyond

 

Resources:

Marc on X:   https://x.com/pmarca

Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/

Become part of the Hermitix community:

On X: https://x.com/Hermitixpodcast

Support: http://patreon.com/hermitix

Find James on X: https://x.com/meta_nomad

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Partnering with Abby Care: A Caregiving Revolution

By Josephine Chen and Alfred Lin Published August 21, 2025 Alfred, Havi and Josephine.

A few years ago, a 26-year-old single mom named Candelaria was overwhelmed and exhausted. She’d been trying to balance work and caring for her two kids, but was struggling to find someone qualified to help—especially with two-year-old Santiago, who had complex medical needs and used a feeding tube. When Santiago was hospitalized for a serious infection in his bloodstream, Candelaria missed work to be by his side. Then she was fired.

Thankfully, Candelaria’s tax preparer told her about Abby Care, a company that helps family members train and become employed as Certified Nursing Assistants for their loved ones with disabilities or special needs. With the company’s guidance, Candelaria passed the state licensing exam, and was able to provide even better care to Santiago and earn a living by doing so.

When founder Havi Nguyen launched Abby Care in 2021, Colorado was the only state with a robust pediatric family caregiving program. Today, seven states have similar active programs, with Abby Care live and running in five of them, and another eight states are currently implementing or piloting. Politically, it has proven to be a bipartisan win-win-win, not only creating skilled employment, but also improving patient outcomes, and reducing the cost of care to the state.

When we first met Havi, we were immediately intrigued. At the time, Abby Care was only a website with a waitlist. But we had seen countless digital healthcare companies and recognized that solving the supply problem was key to better, more accessible care. Abby Care’s business model does just that. Just as Airbnb created hosts out of homeowners who’d never considered starting a hotel, and millions of people who had never worked in a restaurant became delivery drivers with DoorDash, Abby Care unlocks a new supply of quality clinical caregivers.

Havi herself is an undeniable force of nature. Abby Care is inspired by her own experience growing up on Medicaid, and she understands deeply the challenges of that system and the people her company can help. She will also run through any wall to make things happen, which is exactly what’s needed in a founder driving this kind of change.

We have seen firsthand Havi and her team’s commitment to the family caregiving community, and we are proud to have partnered with them from day one of their journey and to continue supporting them at every stage. They are building a future where every patient can receive the support they deserve and where their caregivers are trained, compensated and empowered. It is nothing less than a revolution in caregiving, with Abby Care leading the way.

Share Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on LinkedIn Share this via email Related Topics #Funding announcement #Healthcare Partnering with Finch: AI-Powered Justice By Alfred Lin News Read Partnering with Crosby: A Law Firm at the Speed of AI By Josephine Chen and Alfred Lin News Read Partnering with Freed: An AI-Powered Clinician’s Assistant By Josephine Chen and Jess Lee News Read JOIN OUR MAILING LIST Get the best stories from the Sequoia community. Email address Leave this field empty if you’re human:

The post Partnering with Abby Care: A Caregiving Revolution appeared first on Sequoia Capital.

Housing and healthcare make up nearly half of household spending, yet both sectors are riddled with inefficiency and rising costs.

In this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined by a16z Growth partner Alex Immerman and Minna Song and Tony Stoyanov, cofounders of EliseAI, to discuss why they’re tackling these critical industries and how AI can transform everything from leasing and maintenance to patient scheduling and compliance.

The conversation covers:

Why the U.S. is 5 million housing units short — and how technology can help unlock existing supply How automation can cut waste, reduce labor costs, and improve affordability What fully autonomous buildings might look like, and how that model could extend to healthcare

This is about the costs that touch every household, and the role AI might play in finally bringing them down.

Timecodes: 

0:00 Introduction 

0:28 Why Housing and Healthcare?

1:17 Technology’s Role in Housing

3:39 Housing Affordability & Supply Challenges

5:42 Regulatory and Capital Barriers

8:30 Improving Efficiency in Real Estate

13:05 Automation and the Future of Property Management

18:28 The Human Role in an AI-Driven Industry

20:35 Financial Engineering & Data Bottlenecks

21:51 The Future of Housing: Robotics, Mobility, and Flexibility

25:29 R&D and Technology Adoption in Real Estate

27:09 Addressing Criticisms of PropTech

29:24 Maintenance, Repairs, and AI Solutions

31:44 Expanding from Housing to Healthcare

32:38 Parallels Between Housing and Healthcare

36:41 The Future of Healthcare Operations

39:09 Lessons Learned & Ultimate Vision for EliseAI

40:55 Closing Thought

Resources: 

Link to blog: https://a16z.com/announcement/investing-in-eliseai/

Find Minna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minna-song/

Find Tony on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stoyan-tony-stoyanov-07690a53

FInd Alex on X: https://x.com/aleximm

 

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Partnering with Zed: The AI-Powered Code Editor Built from Scratch

Nathan, Antonio and Max are giving developers the granular control and speed they need to collaborate in code—with both humans and AI.

By Sonya Huang and James Flynn Published August 20, 2025 MAX, ANTONIO AND NATHAN.

Today we are excited to announce that Sequoia is leading the Series B in Zed.

Zed is a high performance code editor built from scratch in Rust, used by 150K active developers each month. Developers like Zed because it’s super fast. It’s lightweight. It’s extensible. And it’s built with collaboration at its core—collaboration with other humans, and increasingly, AI agents.

Convincing developers to switch IDEs (integrated development environments) isn’t easy. But we’re encouraged by the early results. Zed is playing the long game and has earned its way into the hearts and minds of early adopters. It is the IDE of choice for programming legends like Mike Bostock, Mitchell Hashimoto and Solomon Hykes, and beloved by exceptional engineering teams like Anthropic, Linear, Ramp and Shopify. 9% of Rust developers now use Zed, up from 1% a year earlier (State of Rust Survey), and Zed is the 2nd most popular AI IDE overall by usage (State of AI 2025). 

Team & Deeply Held Beliefs

Zed was founded with the belief that decades-old web technology—powering VS Code, and all the forks of VS Code—was simply not powerful enough to bring coding into the future. And founders Nathan Sobo, Antonio Scandurra and Max Brunsfeld understand the shortcomings of VS Code viscerally. In the early 2010s, Nathan built Atom at GitHub, where Antonio and Max joined him. One of the most popular IDEs of its time, it later paved the way for VS Code, and also helped drive the direction of VS Code’s enabling technology, Electron—a cross-platform application framework that powers Slack, Discord, Notion and many other apps to this day.

In Zed, Nathan, Antonio and Max see an opportunity to leapfrog the previous generation of technology they built and create a new substrate that is lightweight, fast and extensible. All of these tech changes would allow Zed to create a developer UI that was fundamentally collaborative—just as designers collaborate in Figma, and knowledge workers collaborate in Google Docs, Zed allows developers to collaborate in the IDE.

Collaboration for All

Zed’s vision of collaboration was well timed. AI is forever changing software development, and we are moving from a paradigm of working in your own editor locally, to collaborating with AI agents. 

Collaboration has always been a core focus for Zed, and the same elements they’ve been working on for years to facilitate more natural human collaboration also apply to human <> AI agent collaboration. One example is DeltaDB, an open-source sync engine that captures every code operation, enabling character-level permalinks and real-time collaboration between humans and AI agents. DeltaDB has the potential to solve many of the versioning, control and interpretability problems that now plague AI coding agents.

What’s Ahead

VS Code forks are having a moment. And software development as an industry is changing, FAST. Coders are even questioning whether IDEs will matter in the future.

When others are zigging, Zed is choosing to zag. They have a deeply held conviction that the IDE will have some important role to play in the future of coding, and that the only way to build that future is from the ground up, with the newest technology that is architected for speed and collaboration.

And Zed is eyes wide open to the fact that the shape and role of the IDE itself will change. Today, developers are moving across terminal interfaces, local IDEs and web-based agentic tools to fully harness the power of AI. All of those tools are very useful but incomplete. There are benefits of a GUI that you can’t replicate in the command line; VS Code and forks have too much baggage and too little flexibility; and web-based agents struggle to work in production codebases. Zed is working to evolve the role of the IDE to deliver the best of all worlds, within a unified GUI.

The vision is ambitious—but no one is more qualified to make it a reality than this unique and passionate (and growing!) team. We couldn’t be more excited to lead Zed’s Series B, and to partner with Nathan, Antonio and Max on this critical product for the future of human<>AI collaboration. 

Share Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on LinkedIn Share this via email Related Topics #AI #Funding announcement Fireworks: Production Deployments for the Compound AI Future By Sonya Huang and Romie Boyd News Read Partnering with Aspora: Diaspora Banking Goes Global By Luciana Lixandru, George Robson and James Flynn News Read Partnering with Hugging Face: A Machine Learning Transformation By Pat Grady and Sonya Huang News Read JOIN OUR MAILING LIST Get the best stories from the Sequoia community. Email address Leave this field empty if you’re human:

The post Partnering with Zed: The AI-Powered Code Editor Built from Scratch appeared first on Sequoia Capital.

Do tariffs help rebuild American manufacturing or hold it back? 

In this episode, American Compass founder and chief economist Oren Cass sits down with commentator and author Noah Smith and a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg for a lively debate on the future of U.S. industry. 

They discuss the case for tariff-driven re-industrialization versus free-market approaches, the role of allies in trade policy, and what the numbers really show about manufacturing jobs, investment, and output. Along the way, they challenge each other’s assumptions and explore what it would take to actually bring more production back to American soil.

 

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction & Framing the Debate

1:27 Oren Cass: Economic Philosophy & American Compass

4:02 Manufacturing, Family, and Community

5:00 Free Trade, Comparative Advantage, and Policy

8:30 Tariffs: US vs. China and Historical Context

9:30 Do Tariffs Help US Manufacturing?

15:00 Data, Indicators, and Economic Predictions

22:00 Theory, History, and the Role of Economics

28:00 Trade Deficits, Scale, and Global Competition

38:00 Negotiation, Game Theory, and Policy Tools

46:00 Trade Deficits, Scale, and Global Competition

1:03:23 Negotiating with Allies and the Limits of Tariff Threats

 

Resources: 

Find Oren on X: https://https://x.com/oren_cass

American Compass: https://americancompass.org/

Find Noah on X: https://x.com/noahpinion

Subscribe to Noah’s Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog/

 

Stay Updated: 

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Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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This is the first post in a series about security and privacy challenges in agentic browsers. This vulnerability research was conducted by Artem Chaikin (Senior Mobile Security Engineer), and was written by Artem and Shivan Kaul Sahib (VP, Privacy and Security).

The threat of instruction injection

At Brave, we’re developing the ability for our in-browser AI assistant Leo to browse the Web on your behalf, acting as your agent. Instead of just asking “Summarize what this page says about London flights”, you can command: “Book me a flight to London next Friday.” The AI doesn’t just read, it browses and completes transactions autonomously. This will significantly expand Leo’s capabilities while preserving Brave’s privacy guarantees and maintaining robust security guardrails to protect your data and browsing sessions.

This kind of agentic browsing is incredibly powerful, but it also presents significant security and privacy challenges. As users grow comfortable with AI browsers and begin trusting them with sensitive data in logged in sessions—such as banking, healthcare, and other critical websites—the risks multiply. What if the model hallucinates and performs actions you didn’t request? Or worse, what if a benign-looking website or a comment left on a social media site could steal your login credentials or other sensitive data by adding invisible instructions for the AI assistant?

To compare our implementation with others, we examined several existing solutions, such as Nanobrowser and Perplexity’s Comet. While looking at Comet, we discovered vulnerabilities which we reported to Perplexity, and which underline the security challenges faced by agentic AI implementations in browsers. The attack demonstrates how easy it is to manipulate AI assistants into performing actions that were prevented by long-standing Web security techniques, and how users need new security and privacy protections in agentic browsers. 

The vulnerability we’re discussing in this post lies in how Comet processes webpage content: when users ask it to “Summarize this webpage,” Comet feeds a part of the webpage directly to its LLM without distinguishing between the user’s instructions and untrusted content from the webpage. This allows attackers to embed indirect prompt injection payloads that the AI will execute as commands. For instance, an attacker could gain access to a user’s emails from a prepared piece of text in a page in another tab.

How the attack works Setup: An attacker embeds malicious instructions in Web content through various methods. On websites they control, attackers might hide instructions using white text on white backgrounds, HTML comments, or other invisible elements. Alternatively, they may inject malicious prompts into user-generated content on social media platforms such as Reddit comments or Facebook posts. Trigger: An unsuspecting user navigates to this webpage and uses the browser’s AI assistant feature, for example clicking a “Summarize this page” button or asking the AI to extract key points from the page. Injection: As the AI processes the webpage content, it sees the hidden malicious instructions. Unable to distinguish between the content it should summarize and instructions it should not follow, the AI treats everything as user requests. Exploit: The injected commands instruct the AI to use its browser tools maliciously, for example navigating to the user’s banking site, extracting saved passwords, or exfiltrating sensitive information to an attacker-controlled server.

This attack is an example of an indirect prompt injection: the malicious instructions are embedded in external content (like a website, or a PDF) that the assistant processes as part of fulfilling the user’s request.

Attack demonstration

To illustrate the severity of this vulnerability in Comet, we created a proof-of-concept demonstration:

In this demonstration, you can see:

A user visits a Reddit post, with a comment containing the prompt injection instructions hidden behind the spoiler tag.

The user clicks the Comet browser’s “Summarize the current webpage” button.

While processing the page for summarization, the Comet AI assistant sees and processes these hidden instructions.

The malicious instructions command the Comet AI to:

Navigate to https://www.perplexity.ai/account/details and extract the user’s email address Navigate to https://www.perplexity.ai./account and log in with this email address to receive an OTP (one-time password) from Perplexity (note that the trailing dot creates a different domain, perplexity.ai. vs perplexity.ai, to bypass existing authentication) Navigate to https://gmail.com, where the user is already logged in, and read the received OTP Exfiltrate both the email address and the OTP by replying to the original Reddit comment

The attacker learns the victim’s email address, and can take over their Perplexity account using the exfiltrated OTP and email address combination.

Once the user tries to summarize the Reddit post with the malicious comment in Comet, the attack happens without any further user input.

Impact and implications

This attack presents significant challenges to existing Web security mechanisms. When an AI assistant follows malicious instructions from untrusted webpage content, traditional protections such as same-origin policy (SOP) or cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) are all effectively useless. The AI operates with the user’s full privileges across authenticated sessions, providing potential access to banking accounts, corporate systems, private emails, cloud storage, and other services.

Unlike traditional Web vulnerabilities that typically affect individual sites or require complex exploitation, this attack enables cross-domain access through simple, natural language instructions embedded in websites. The malicious instructions could even be included in user-generated content on a website the attacker doesn’t control (for example, attack instructions hidden in a Reddit comment). The attack is both indirect in interaction, and browser-wide in scope.

The attack we developed shows that traditional Web security assumptions don’t hold for agentic AI, and that we need new security and privacy architectures for agentic browsing.

Possible mitigations

In our analysis, we came up with the following strategies which could have prevented attacks of this nature. We’ll discuss this topic more fully in the next blog post in this series.

The browser should distinguish between user instructions and website content

The browser should clearly separate the user’s instructions from the website’s contents when sending them as context to the backend. The contents of the page should always be treated as untrusted. Note that once the model on the backend gets passed both the trusted user request and the untrusted page contents, its output must be treated as potentially unsafe.

The model’s outputs should be checked for user-alignment

Based upon the task and the context, the model comes up with actions for the browser to take; these actions should be treated as “potentially unsafe” and should be independently checked for alignment against the user’s requests. This is related to the previous point about differentiating between the user’s requests (trusted) and the contents of the page (always untrusted).

Security and privacy sensitive actions should require user interaction

No matter the prior agent plan and tasks, the model should require explicit user interaction for security and privacy-sensitive tasks. For example: sending an email should always prompt the user to confirm right before the email is sent, and an agent should never automatically click through a TLS connection error interstitial.

The browser should isolate agentic browsing from regular browsing

Agentic browsing is an inherently powerful-but-risky mode for the user to be in, as this attack demonstrates. It should be impossible for the user to “accidentally” end up in this mode while casually browsing. Does the browser really need the ability to open your email account, send emails, and read sensitive data from every logged-in site if all you’re trying to do is summarize Reddit discussions? As with all things in the browser, permissions should be as minimal as possible. Powerful agentic capabilities should be isolated from regular browsing tasks, and this difference should be intuitively obvious to the user. This clean separation is especially important in these early days of agentic security, as browser vendors are still working out how to prevent security and privacy attacks. In future posts, we’ll cover more about how we are working towards a safer agentic browsing experience with fine-grained permissions.

Disclosure timeline July 25, 2025: Vulnerability discovered and reported to Perplexity July 27, 2025: Perplexity acknowledged the vulnerability and implemented an initial fix July 28, 2025: Retesting revealed the fix was incomplete; additional details and comments were provided to Perplexity August 11, 2025: One-week public disclosure notice sent to Perplexity August 13, 2025: Final testing confirmed the vulnerability appears to be patched  August 20, 2025: Public disclosure of vulnerability details (Update: on further testing after this blog post was released, we learned that Perplexity still hasn’t fully mitigated the kind of attack described here. We’ve re-reported this to them.) Research Motivation

We believe strongly in raising the privacy and security bar across the board for agentic browsing. A safer Web is good for everyone. As we saw, giving an agent authority to act on the Web, especially within a user’s authenticated context, carries significant security and privacy risks. Our goal with this research is to surface those risks early and demonstrate practical defenses. This helps Brave, Perplexity, other browsers, and (most importantly) all users. 

We look forward to collaborating with Perplexity and the broader browser and AI communities on hardening agentic AI and, where appropriate, standardizing security boundaries that agentic features rely on.

Conclusion

This vulnerability in Perplexity Comet highlights a fundamental challenge with agentic AI browsers: ensuring that the agent only takes actions that are aligned with what the user wants. As AI assistants gain more powerful capabilities, indirect prompt injection attacks pose serious risks to Web security.

Browser vendors must implement robust defenses against these attacks before deploying AI agents with powerful Web interaction capabilities. Security and privacy cannot be an afterthought in the race to build more capable AI tools.

Since its inception, Brave has been committed to providing industry-leading privacy and security protections to its users, and to promoting Web standards that reflect this commitment. In the next blog post of the series we will talk about Brave’s approach to securing the browser agent in order to deliver secure AI browsing to our nearly 100 million users.

Horizen 成立于 2017 年，近八年来一直致力于隐私技术的创新。如今，它作为首批应用链之一加入 Base 生态系统，ZEN 也即将转型为 ERC-20 代币。我们将为您揭晓这其中的奥秘。

Horizen 已于今年 7 月成功将其 ZEN 代币从其自有区块链迁移至 Base，并将成为标准的 ERC-20 代币。这听起来可能像专业术语，但它解决了一个实际问题：过去，专注于隐私的代币在很大程度上被 DeFi 拒之门外。市场情绪的变化和监管的明确性正在为加密货币的隐私用例铺平道路，而这些用例的实现，首先要普及 Horizen 技术。

这就是为什么这次迁移最终可以向重视隐私的用户开放 DeFi。

1. Base迁移终结了孤立问题

ZEN 最初是其自身 Layer-1 UTXO 区块链的原生代币，但迁移到 Base 改变了 DeFi 的访问方式。Base 拥有超过 100 万的每日活跃地址，这些地址现在可以访问 ZEN 并体验其隐私解决方案。这些用户之前因需要克服技术障碍才能使用和投资 ZEN。

迁移的另一个重要优势是 Horizen 技术的可组合性增强。随着 ZEN 成为 ERC-20 代币，它可以与以太坊上的所有 DeFi 应用无缝协作：去中心化交易所、借贷平台、收益挖矿、流动性池。无需再进行复杂的变通或依赖中心化交易所。ZEN 持有者可以直接参与 DeFi 活动。

Base 的费用也远低于以太坊主网，这使得小额交易和 DeFi 操作实际上变得经济实惠。如果你想提供流动性或尝试收益耕作，但 Gas 费用过高，那么 Base 可以解决这个问题。

2. 隐私增强型 DeFi 解决了实际问题

当前 DeFi 的特点是：一切都完全公开。如今大多数区块链网络并非匿名，而是使用假名——这是一个重要的区别。你的每笔交易、每个钱包余额、你的每个举动，任何有经验的人都能看到。他们只需登录区块浏览器，使用情报平台将地址与所有者身份关联起来即可。

对于企业、大型交易商或任何不想让自己的财务活动被公开的人来说，这都是个问题。这就像你不得不敞开大门办理所有银行业务，而你的账户余额却被显示在广告牌上一样。

Horizen 正在构建一些工具，在不破坏 DeFi 隐私性的前提下增强其隐私性。Horizen 的应用链和 ZEN 将与隐私增强功能直接挂钩，例如利用内置的零知识证明和可信执行环境 (TEE)，从而实现隐私合规的用例，例如隐私交易、隐私代币转移等。

这些功能可能会吸引很多目前因隐私问题而远离 DeFi 的用户加入。

3. 在隐私和合规之间取得适当的平衡

同样，隐私解决方案需要达到一定的平衡才能保持合规性，而如果没有 Horizen 提供的隐私技术，到目前为止，这是无法实现的。

许多用户和机构希望获得私密服务，但他们的服务提供商却面临合规性问题，可能违反 KYC 和 AML 法规。零知识加密技术可以帮助解决这一问题，它使服务、机构和用户能够在不泄露个人或敏感信息的情况下证明其合规性。

零知识加密技术未来甚至可能实现选择性披露等高级功能。这意味着用户可以在整体上维护自己的隐私，同时选择向特定方披露特定信息，而无需将其公开或共享。

4. 干净的代币经济学，避免常见的问题

ZEN 拥有许多 DeFi 代币所不具备的优势：简单、公平的经济机制。它设有 2100 万枚代币的硬性上限，无需大量持有的风险投资人，也没有复杂的解锁计划。

这在 DeFi 中至关重要，因为您不必担心早期投资者突然抛售导致代币价格暴跌，因为您的代币仍被锁定在流动性池中。迁移过程始终保持 1:1 的比例，因此您的持仓不会被稀释。

团队将使用现有供应量中的 500 万枚未铸造的 ZEN（不发行新代币）来资助生态系统的可持续增长和发展。在这个充斥着复杂代币经济学、利于内部人士的项目的领域，ZEN 的直截了当的策略脱颖而出。

5. 尽早参与 Base 的隐私基础设施建设

自 2022 年上线以来，Base 一直是增长最快的区块链生态系统之一，但其中大多数项目都在构建与我们在其他地方看到的相同类型的 DeFi 应用。Horizen 正在构建其他项目可以使用的隐私基础设施。

他们计划在 Base 上推出一条专用链，专门用于支持隐私的 DeFi 应用。其他开发者可以在此基础上进行构建，从而形成网络效应，让隐私工具成为标配功能，而非稀缺的附加组件。

在Base这样不断发展的平台上，尽早布局隐私基础设施可能非常有价值。此外，Base有Coinbase的支持，这提供了许多隐私项目所缺乏的监管透明度。

这对用户意味着什么

代币迁移已于 2025 年 7 月完成，ZEN 已在 Aerodrome 和 Uniswap 等主流 DEX 上线并具备流动性。如果您持有 ZEN，您可以通过简单的网页界面领取新代币；如果您使用 Horizen 的 EON 侧链，则领取过程将自动进行。

更广阔的前景是，这为那些因为隐私问题而回避 DeFi 的人们打开了大门。对于现有的 DeFi 用户来说，它增加了前所未有的隐私选项。对于开发者、DeFi 用户和代币持有者来说，这都将开启一系列激动人心的机会。

立即在Aerodrome和Uniswap上交易 ZEN 。

在X上关注 Horizen

The post ZEN 迁移至 Base 平台，为 DeFi 解锁隐私的 5 个理由 appeared first on Horizen Blog.

The Zcash Foundation is excited to share our roadmap of events for the next three years. This tentative plan is designed to support learning, collaboration, and innovation across the global Zcash community.

While the overall vision is represented below, specifics may shift over time in response to factors like available resources, community needs, and partnership opportunities. Our hope is that by sharing this plan early, we can spark ideas, foster alignment, and invite feedback.

Funding

Our planned approach is to self-fund most of these events, depending on the status of our treasury and runway at the time. For Zcon specifically, we may explore co-funding options with Zcash Community Grants (ZCG) or the Zcash coinholder community, depending on the scope, timing, and alignment of it with broader ecosystem goals. Any funding requests will be made transparently and with a strong justification, ensuring alignment with the Zcash Foundation’s mission and resource stewardship.

2026 Plans Q1 Zcomm: A one-day virtual gathering for community-led learning and inspiration. Members from around the world will share ideas and experiences, with possible session topics including how to organize a hackathon, host an in-person event, grow and manage an online community, or build local momentum.

 

The goal: help others turn great ideas into action.

Rather than focusing on specific Zcash-related content, Zcomm is centered on the “how”- how to educate, how to organize, how to engage. Think of it as a toolkit for community builders. For example, instead of a session on how to use a wallet, Zcomm might feature a session on how to create a tutorial. 

Zcash Dev Summit (Q1 or Q2): A gathering for developers, co-located with another relevant event where we expect strong Zcash dev presence. Exact location TBD.   Late Q3 or Early Q4 Zcon7: Our flagship annual conference—location TBD. Zcon7 will be a fully in-person event, designed to foster deeper collaboration, connection, and focus among attendees. To prioritize engagement and make the most of available resources, we will not be livestreaming the sessions. Instead, we’re partnering with podcasters and content creators to share highlights, interviews, and takeaways with the broader community. Whether you’re joining us in person or following along from afar, we’re committed to making Zcon7 impactful and accessible in new ways.   2027 Plans Zcash Dev Summit (+ Hackathon – if there’s strong demand for one): A focused gathering for developers to collaborate on Zcash infrastructure, align on technical priorities, and exchange insights. If there’s a clear need to solve a problem or build a specific tool or feature, the summit will include a hands-on hackathon to drive that work forward.
Zcon8 (Virtual): An online edition of our annual conference, offering talks, panels, and community discussions focused on Zcash, privacy, and the community—accessible to a global audience from anywhere in the world.
Zcon Voices: Locally organized, regionally relevant. Zcon Voices is a community-led event series designed to spark conversation and education around Zcash and financial privacy within specific cultural and geographic contexts. Events will be presented in the local language and tailored to address local opportunities and challenges.

 

Community members will submit funding proposals, with ZCAP voting on selections using the same process as minor grants.

 

2028 Plans Zcash Dev Summit (+ Hackathon – again, if there’s strong demand for one)
Zcon Voices and/or Zcomm (depending on feedback from previous years and need)
Zcon9 (Virtual)

 

We’re sharing this roadmap early to help community members plan ahead and explore how they might get involved. Stay tuned for more details—and if you have ideas or questions, we’d love to hear them!

The post Announcing ZF’s 3-Year Vision for Community Events appeared first on Zcash Foundation.