Author: NBTC

Visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has showcased a new “Star Wars” short film made using generative AI. Presented as part of a TED talk by ILM’s Chief Creative Officer Rob Bredow, the two-minute short “Star Wars: Field Guide” showcases a menagerie of weird alien hybrids created using imagery of Earth animals and AI. Billed as a test, rather than a final product, the aim of the piece, Bredow said, is to “see the trajectory we are on and the trajectory we want to be on next.” Bredow highlighted VFX artists’ anxiety about artificial intelligence, noting that when…

Ok folks – It’s a stacked week for crypto and the charts know it. Bitcoin just pierced through the $105K mark, volatility is ramping up, and all eyes are on Tuesday’s CPI report. But that’s not the full story. We’re looking at a collision of macro triggers: sticky inflation, unresolved U.S.-China trade tensions, and a Federal Reserve that’s still playing wait-and-see. The stakes? Potentially massive – especially for Bitcoin bulls hunting for a breakout above $106K. Let’s unpack what matters, why it matters, and what might come next. CPI Report: Why Tuesday Could Shake the Market April’s Consumer Price Index…

Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk’s weekly wrap-up of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. This is Margaux Nijkerk and Sam Kessler, CoinDesk’s Tech team. In this issue: Hacking Attempt on Lido Results in 1.4 Ether Lost From Oracle Provider Bitcoin DeFi Security Improves as Rootstock Boosts Hashrate Share Ethereum’s Next Upgrade ‘Fusaka’ Could Cut Layer-2 and Validator Costs Telegram Cracks Down on $8 billion Crypto Crime Marketplace Network News LIDO AVOIDS MAJOR SECURITY BREACH: Lido, Ethereum’s largest liquid staking protocol, avoided a major security incident after one of its nine oracle keys was compromised in what appears to…

VeChain enables unparalleled traceability, turning products into containers of historical data, from production origins to environmental impact. Highlighting real-world use cases with Walmart China and Bayer, Sebastian noted that transparency is now a business necessity, not a virtue. Shutting off traditional narratives of blockchain, VeChain ambassador Sebastian shared a bold statement and opened new threads on X (formerly Twitter). And as a blockchain, he explained, “VeChain is not just a blockchain but a ‘mirror that the world can’t look away from’ that reflects truths that have been hidden in the shadows of systemic opacity.” VeChain’s Role As A Mirror For…

On May 12, gold prices fell by over $100 (approximately 3%), dropping from $3,323 to just under $3,215 per ounce, while bitcoin remained stable, trading above $104,000. Trade War De-Escalation Bane for Safe Haven Asset Gold dropped marginally in the opening trading hours of May 12, while bitcoin reacted positively to reports that the U.S. and China had agreed to slash trade tariffs by 15%. Data showed the precious metal fell by more than $100, or approximately 3%, from $3,323 per ounce to just under $3,215 per ounce around noon. In contrast, bitcoin, which is touted as a digital version…

Binance Research tackles DeFAI, AI agents that autonomously interact with DeFi protocols. AI is slowly taking over the DeFi space. On Wednesday, May 14, Binance Research released a report on the future of AI agents in DeFi. The report specifically discusses DeFAI, or AI agents that can interact autonomously with DeFi protocols. “DeFi has long served as the most prominent and enduring real-world use case forblockchain technology. It provides a programmable, permissionless financial layer thathas facilitated everything from lending markets to decentralized exchanges,” Binance Research. These agents are able to trade, allocate liquidity, and even participate in DAO votes—all with…

Solana is gearing up for a major upgrade to its validators, increasing its scalability and throughput. Solana (SOL) is rolling out a major upgrade that hopes to make the chain more scalable. On Monday, May 5, Solana’s development optimization service Helius announced the rollout of Agave v2.2, an update to the Solana validator client. The update will increase block capacity by 20%, as well as introduce other improvements to network scalability and throughput. big newsSolana blocks are getting 20% biggermeaning more TPS, very soonthat + a ton of other improvements to the network are coming with Agave 2.2 — we…

Bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency, recently hit multi-month high at about $105,600. While some skeptics are sure that the local peak is in, the Short Term Output Profit Ratio (STH-SOPR) indicator by CryptoQuant says we should get ready for higher prices. Bitcoin price: No selling signals yet, CryptoQuant’s expert says Bitcoin (BTC) is getting closer to the potential distribution zone, but there are no signs of immediate selling signals. The cohort of short-term holders is looking at bigger BTC prices as a possible local peak, the Short Term Output Profit Ratio (STH-SOPR) says. The Smart Way to Sell Without Missing…

Flare has launched FAssets v1.1 on Songbird, a significant update aimed at scaling and expanding the utility of FXRP. This release introduces the Core Vault — a new mechanism that enhances capital efficiency by unlocking previously tied-up collateral and removing key bottlenecks in the minting process. The upgrade marks a major step in enabling XRP to participate meaningfully in decentralized finance (DeFi). FAssets are designed to bring non-smart contract assets like Bitcoin and Dogecoin into the DeFi ecosystem. Now, agents can deposit XRP directly into a Core Vault address on the XRP Ledger, which in turn automatically unlocks the corresponding…

The Shiba Inu (SHIB) team has destroyed millions of SHIB tokens over the last 24 hours according to data from its blockchain tracker, Shibburn. With about 584 million SHIB left in circulation, the move marks the team’s continued commitment to its token burn strategy, aimed at regulating SHIB’s market value. 18,851,865 SHIB gone According to the data, a total of 18,851,865 tokens were burned over the last 24 hours, seeing the SHIB burn rate skyrocket massively by 468968.55%. This massive 6-digit surge in SHIB’s burn rate marks a notable rebound in this crucial metric as the ecosystem has seen the…