Daily Crypto & AI News

🤖 AI

• How a USB-connected speaker can infect a PC without ever being touched
  Ars Technica AI
  Seller of the Sound Blaster Katana V2X doesn't consider the behavior a vulnerability.
• Startup Battlefield 200 applications officially close in 3 days
  TechCrunch AI
  Applications for Startup Battlefield 200 officially close on June 8, 11:59 p.m. PT. Don't wait any longer. Secure your shot at competing on the Disrupt Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 this October at San Francisco's Moscone West.
• Google will pay SpaceX $920M per month for compute
  TechCrunch AI
  In a statement, a Google representative described the deal as a result of unexpected demand for its recently launched AI products.
• The most interesting startups right now want to get you off your phone
  TechCrunch AI
  While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck ...
• This is your laptop… on AI
  The Verge AI
  We're now deep into developer conference season, and one of the themes so far is the relentless conviction from Big Tech companies that AI is going to change everything about how we do everything. Nvidia's Jensen Huang made that clearer than anyone this week, when he described...
• New York lawmakers pass one-year ban on new data centers
  The Verge AI
  The New York State legislature passed a one-year moratorium on new large data centers, the first statewide ban of its kind if Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul signs it into law. Lawmakers behind the bill say it's meant to give policymakers time to understand the impact of larg...
• The token bill comes due: Inside the industry scramble to manage AI’s runaway costs
  TechCrunch AI
  "The whole conversation shifted from tokenmaxxing and 'go fast' to 'we need guardrails, how do we control this?'"
• The ‘together tech’ wave might be the most intriguing startup bet of 2026
  TechCrunch AI
  While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck ...
• This AI startup says it can tell if a script will make a hit film
  The Verge AI
  When Quilty hit the industry trades earlier this year, the AI startup promised that its tool could accurately predict a film's success just by reading the script. When people actually got a chance to experiment with Quilty's product, though, they were left skeptical. Even with...
• AirTrunk commits $30B to build 5GW of AI data centers in India
  TechCrunch AI
  The Australian data center operator plans to set up 5GW of capacity in India.

💰 Crypto

• ETH falls to 13-month low on Zcash bug news and Bitcoin drop to sub-$60K: Is $1.4K next?
  Cointelegraph
  ETH price crashed below $1,600 as a vulnerability in Zcash emerged and Bitcoin sold off below $60,000 for the first time in months.
• Travala lets AI agents book hotels with USDC on Base
  Cointelegraph
  Travala’s new protocol lets AI agents search and book hotels with USDC on Base, but travelers still approve the final payment.
• Crypto tax proposals weighed ahead of Tuesday House hearing
  Cointelegraph
  Among the issues US lawmakers are expected to discuss in a digital asset taxation hearing are “de minimis” reporting exceptions for crypto transactions.
• Zcash Bug Crisis Shows Privacy Cuts Both Ways, Experts Say
  Decrypt
  Fallout from a bug that enabled undetectable Zcash counterfeiting shows that privacy can sometimes present tradeoffs, experts say.
• Strategy Shares Fall to 4-Month Low as STRC Dips and Bitcoin Sinks Under $60K
  Decrypt
  Strategy shares tumbled alongside Bitcoin on Friday as the firm's flagship preferred stock also came under pressure.
• Bitcoin bears face $2.6B trap as BTC funding rate drops: Is a short squeeze brewing?
  Cointelegraph
  Bitcoin bears piled into short positions as BTC price slid to $60,000. Will the $2.6 billion in short leverage lead to an upside squeeze?
• Why diehard bitcoin purists aren’t sweating the massive price crash that wiped out $200 billion
  CoinDesk
• Anthropic Is Helping the NSA Hack China. It Also Wants Everyone to Pause AI
  Decrypt
  The company behind Claude embedded engineers at the NSA for offensive cyber ops, then published a report warning AI could soon build itself without humans in the loop.
• Zcash Crash Just Wiped Billions From the Privacy Coin's Market Cap—Can ZEC Recover?
  Decrypt
  The price of Zcash cratered following the disclosure of a serious vulnerability for the privacy coin. Can ZEC make a comeback anytime soon?
• Kraken offers SpaceX IPO access through xStocks
  Cointelegraph
  Eligible users in more than 110 markets can register for tokenized SpaceX equity ahead of the company's highly anticipated public listing.