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4 May 2026, 14:39

Cryptopolitan Report: 38% of Our Readers Have Never Used an AI Agent. Here’s What That Tells Us About Where Adoption Actually Stands

The global AI agent market currently stands at an approximate valuation of over $12 billion in 2026 and this is growing at nearly 45% annually. Despite this explosive rise, our newsletter poll highlights an adoption gap that continues to exist even among a digitally savvy and tech forward audience. This report breaks down the growth of this space, the results from the poll and what the numbers tell us about awareness and, ultimately, the obstacles holding back adoption. In its simplest form, an AI agent is software that not only responds to a user’s prompt but also takes action. Standard large language models interaction is based on the user asking a question and receiving an answer. An agent on the other hand can plan multi-step tasks, use external tools, browse the internet, write and execute code, manage files, send emails and make decisions autonomously on behalf of the user. The key differentiator here is autonomy. This is a massive departure and leap from the chatbot era. ChatGPT revolutionised the way we find and dissect information and every new model continues to excel in this aspect. That said, agents are built to complete workflows and that brings a whole new set of use cases for enterprises and individuals. A customer service agent can handle a complaint end to end without human intervention. A coding agent can write, test, debug, and deploy. A research agent can gather, synthesise, and present findings across dozens of sources in minutes. How Fast Is This Market Growing? The numbers show that the growth is nothing short of remarkable. The global AI agents market is valued at $12.06 billion in 2026, up from $8.29 billion in 2025 and is estimated to touch $53.2 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 44.9%, according to Research and Markets . Other longer term forecasts have a higher growth rate as a report from Grand View Research places this figure to reach $182.97 billion by 2023. That’s roughly a 15x from where we stand today. Enterprise adoption of AI agents is exploding at the same time. According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI survey covering 1,993 participants across 105 countries, 88% of organisations now use AI in at least one function, up from 78% the prior year and a significant leap from 20% in 2017. 62% of organisations are at least experimenting with AI agents, with 23% actively scaling and an additional 39% having begun experimenting, per the same survey. Gartner forecasts that 40% of enterprise applications will embed task-specific AI agents by 2026, up from less than 5% in 2025. The use cases driving adoption are concentrated but expanding. According to a Langchain survey of over 1,300 professionals conducted as far back as late 2024, the top applications are research and summarisation at 58%, personal productivity and workflow automation at 53.5%, and customer service and ticket resolution at 45.8%. Critically, 90% of non-tech companies either use or plan to use AI agents, nearly matching the tech sector at 89%. In 2026, this is not a niche technology story. It is a broad enterprise shift. Reader Pulse: The Poll The poll, conducted via the Cryptopolitan newsletter, draws responses from a digitally engaged, investment-aware audience that actively tracks developments across crypto, AI, and emerging technology. These are readers who consume this space daily, making the results a sharper and more meaningful signal than a broad consumer survey would produce. The fact that non-usage still leads in this cohort is precisely what makes the data worth examining. No (38.46%): The leading response, and the most revealing one. Nearly four in ten respondents from an audience that actively follows AI and crypto developments have never used an AI agent. This is not a general population survey. The fact that non-usage leads among this cohort underscores a critical point: awareness of AI does not automatically translate to hands-on engagement with its most powerful applications. Yes (~36.75%): Roughly one in three have used an AI agent, a figure that broadly tracks with enterprise-level adoption data. The Langchain report cited above found 51% of over 1,300 surveyed professionals rely on AI agents, while broader surveys suggest around 35% of organisations report widespread usage. Our poll’s “yes” cohort sits within that range, suggesting the Cryptopolitan audience reflects the wider digitally engaged professional population reasonably well. What’s an AI agent? (~24.79%): Nearly one in four respondents did not know what an AI agent is. This is arguably the most important data point in the poll. In an audience that reads about AI daily, a 25% awareness gap signals that the technology, despite its rapid growth in enterprise deployment, has not yet crossed into mainstream comprehension. The terminology itself remains a barrier. The gap between market growth statistics and actual user understanding is wider than the headline numbers suggest. Combined, the non-users and unaware respondents represent over 63% of the poll. In an audience predisposed to emerging technology, this signals that AI agents are still in the early adopter phase for individual users, even as enterprise deployment accelerates rapidly. The Barriers Holding Back Broader Adoption Enterprise momentum is real, but so are the constraints. Over 40% of agentic AI projects are projected to be cancelled by the end of 2027, with escalating costs, unclear business value, and inadequate risk controls as primary drivers, according to Gartner . According to a UiPath 2025 Agentic AI Research Report , based on a survey of 252 U.S. IT executives at companies with over $1 billion in revenue, IT security tops the list of concerns around adopting agentic AI at 56%, followed by cost of implementation at 37% and integration with existing systems at 35%. When asked what would be most critical to effective implementation, executives ranked ensuring safety and privacy as the single most important factor, ahead of regulatory compliance and system integration For individual users, the barrier is simpler: the tools are not yet intuitive enough to onboard people who do not already know what they are looking for. The “What’s an AI agent?” response in our poll is, in part, a product design and communication problem as much as it is an awareness problem. What the Numbers Mean for 2026 2026 has been widely described as the year AI agents move from experiment to infrastructure. According to Salesforce’s annual CIO study , based on a survey of 200 CIOs across 24 countries, full AI implementation jumped from 11% in 2024 to 42% in 2025, a 282% increase year on year, with CIOs now dedicating 30% of their AI budgets specifically to agentic AI, The enterprise side of the equation is moving quickly. The individual side is where the story becomes more nuanced, and where our poll adds something the market size reports do not. The roughly 37% of our audience who have used an AI agent are ahead of the curve. The 38% who have not, and the 25% who have not yet encountered the concept, represent the next wave of potential users. Whether that wave arrives in months or years depends on how quickly the technology becomes accessible, intuitive, and visible in everyday digital life. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .

4 May 2026, 13:02

Ripple CEO Torched Multiple XRP Narratives at XRP Las Vegas

Brad Garlinghouse took the stage at XRP Las Vegas and addressed the community directly. What he said left little room for doubt. Crypto commentator Happy Daddy (@StuporPendus) compiled key clips from Garlinghouse’s appearance and shared them on X, calling his comments a direct rebuttal to some of the most persistent narratives circulating about Ripple and XRP. The post gained traction fast, and it is easy to see why. Brad Garlinghouse just TORCHED multiple XRP narratives at XRP Las Vegas “RLUSD replacing XRP”? Addressed. “Ripple doesn’t care about XRP”? Addressed. And Brad says XRP STILL has legal clarity EVEN without the Clarity Act. That’s HUGE. #XRP #CryptoNews #CNF pic.twitter.com/VCTTPAQUT4 — Happy Daddy (@StuporPendus) May 1, 2026 Ripple’s Commitment to XRP Is Not Up for Debate Garlinghouse addressed questions about Ripple’s loyalty to XRP head-on. He noted that Ripple remains the largest holder of XRP on the planet and has every reason to want the asset to succeed. “We are the most interested party in seeing XRP be successful,” he said. “We will continue to be the most interested party in seeing XRP be successful.” Happy Daddy called the clip amazing, noting it directly addresses fears about Ripple’s priorities . The concern has circulated in the community for some time, particularly since Ripple launched its stablecoin, RLUSD. RLUSD Does Not Replace XRP The launch of RLUSD fueled speculation that Ripple was pivoting away from XRP. Garlinghouse rejected that conclusion entirely. He described Ripple’s strategy as multi-step, where not every decision will have an obvious direct connection to XRP, but all decisions ultimately serve the same goal. Happy Daddy reinforced the point. RLUSD functions as a tool within a larger system, and not a replacement for XRP, as both assets complement each other . XRP Already Has Legal Clarity One of the strongest moments from the event came when Garlinghouse addressed the status of XRP under current law. He confirmed that XRP’s legal clarity does not depend on the passage of the CLARITY Act. “A federal judge said in her opinion, XRP in and of itself is not a security. Boom. We have clarity.” He acknowledged the CLARITY Act would benefit the broader industry , but was unequivocal that XRP stands on solid legal ground regardless of legislative outcomes. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Garlinghouse did offer a prediction on the Clarity Act. He said the bill needs to clear the committee by the end of the third week of May. If it does, he believes it will pass the Senate, citing existing bipartisan support at that level. If it does not clear the committee by that point, he expressed concern about its prospects. A Bright Future for XRP Happy Daddy closed the post on a confident note, stating the conversation boosted his conviction. Garlinghouse’s remarks at XRP Las Vegas delivered direct answers to questions the community has raised for months, and have token holders hopeful for the future. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Ripple CEO Torched Multiple XRP Narratives at XRP Las Vegas appeared first on Times Tabloid .

4 May 2026, 12:20

Anthropic advances $1.5 billion venture to sell AI tools to private-equity companies

Anthropic is close to forming a $1.5 billion AI venture with Blackstone (BX), Goldman Sachs (GS), Hellman & Friedman, General Atlantic, and other Wall Street companies. The planned company will sell artificial intelligence tools to businesses owned by private-equity funds. That means the first customers will likely be companies already sitting inside buyout portfolios, where owners are always hunting for lower costs, faster work, better software, tighter cyber checks, and cleaner financial reporting. The announcement could come as soon as Monday. Anthropic , Blackstone, and Hellman & Friedman are each expected to put in about $300 million. Goldman Sachs is expected to invest around $150 million as a founding backer. General Atlantic and other investors are also part of the plan. The total backing is expected to reach about $1.5 billion. Wall Street companies back Anthropic as private-equity companies look for AI tools that cut real operating costs The new business is being designed as a consulting-style arm for Anthropic. Its job will be to help companies add AI into their daily work. That can include customer service, legal review, finance, coding, cybersecurity, research, document handling, and internal data searches. A private-equity company can test the tools in one company, then push the same playbook across other holdings if the numbers work. That gives Anthropic a way to reach many businesses through a smaller group of investors and owners. The deal also puts Anthropic deeper into the enterprise AI race . OpenAI, Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), and Nvidia (NVDA) are all fighting for the same corporate budget. Most companies are past the cute demo stage now. They want AI that can save money, protect systems, help workers find answers faster, and avoid creating a compliance disaster. For private-equity companies, higher financing costs have made margin gains more important. That is the part Wall Street cares about. Nobody is writing a $1.5 billion check for vibes. Defense officials still treat Anthropic as a risk while Mythos pulls interest from national security agencies Meanwhile, Department of Defense CTO Emil Michael said on Friday that Anthropic remains a supply chain risk. At the same time, Emil separated that dispute from Mythos, the company’s cyber-focused AI model. He told reporters that the Mythos matter is being handled across the government, not only inside the Department of War. Emil said the model has special ability to find cyber weaknesses and help patch them, so government networks need stronger protection. The dispute started after the DOD and Anthropic failed to agree on how the agency could use Anthropic’s models. The Pentagon then placed the company under a supply chain risk label as a danger to U.S. national security. Anthropic sued the Trump administration in March to fight the Pentagon’s blacklist. The cases are still active in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. One hard question remains open: how can the DOD use Mythos while the broader Anthropic risk label still exists? Emil said the Pentagon still wants guardrails. He also said those terms can be negotiated because each AI company has its own view. After a meeting on the matter, President Donald Trump told CNBC that a deal between Anthropic and the DOD is possible. Trump also said the company is “very smart” and could “be of great use.” Even with the risk label, the DOD has used Anthropic models to support military work tied to the war in Iran. The National Security Agency, which sits under the DOD, has reportedly used Mythos, Axios reported. Emil said national security reviews must look at frontier AI models, including Chinese systems. He said the NSA and Commerce Department test models to see what they can do at the edge. Also on Friday, the DOD announced agreements with seven AI companies to place their tools on classified networks for “lawful operational use.” The list includes Google, OpenAI, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, SpaceX, which merged with Elon Musk’s xAI, and Reflection, a startup building open-weight models. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .

4 May 2026, 11:02

Crypto Proponent Says This XRP Video Should Give You Goosebumps

Crypto commentator John Squire has issued a strongly worded statement on X, accompanied by a video presentation from a member of his team, outlining a firm position on XRP’s evolving role in the financial system. The message presents XRP as moving beyond retail-driven speculation toward a core infrastructure component for global finance. Tweet Emphasizes Shift in XRP Narrative In his post, Squire declared that “XRP is waking up” and described the moment as a system-level transition. He stated that the implications of the ongoing changes are significant and not yet fully understood by many market participants. The tone of the message suggests that current developments represent a turning point, with XRP positioned at the center of a broader financial transformation. The tweet was accompanied by a video featuring Scarlett Hayes, identified as part of Squire’s team, who delivered an extended explanation of this perspective. Her remarks focused on the idea that XRP is transitioning into a utility-driven asset supported by institutional demand. XRP IS WAKING UP This isn’t a normal crypto video… this is the system turning on. This is bigger than most people can even process. If this $XRP video doesn’t give you goosebumps, you clearly don’t get what it really means. pic.twitter.com/9KQaSOp9Eq — John Squire (@TheCryptoSquire) May 2, 2026 Video Details Institutional Utility and Supply Dynamics In the video, Hayes stated that XRP is moving from being a retail speculation asset to what she described as a “critical service provider.” She argued that increasing real-world utility would create structural scarcity, particularly as tokens become locked in systems designed to facilitate cross-border financial flows. Hayes emphasized that large-scale financial activity would require significant XRP reserves to operate efficiently. According to her explanation, this dynamic could limit available supply as institutional participation grows. She also noted that each transaction on the XRP Ledger slightly reduces supply, describing the system as inherently deflationary in a high-usage environment. The presentation further positioned XRP as a solution to inefficiencies in existing global payment systems. Hayes referred to the current cross-border payments market and suggested that capturing even a portion of that activity would necessitate higher asset valuations to maintain liquidity. Institutional Interest and Global Financial Integration The video also noted growing institutional involvement, referencing major financial entities and ongoing developments in financial infrastructure. Hayes stated that organizations are preparing for increased participation, while retail investors may not yet recognize the scale of these changes. She highlighted discussions in international financial circles regarding liquidity bridges and suggested that XRP aligns with these emerging frameworks. The narrative presented XRP as a bridge asset that eliminates the need for pre-funded accounts, thereby improving capital efficiency. In addition, Hayes mentioned developments in Asia involving financial firms and indicated that these efforts contribute to the foundation for broader adoption. She also referenced the potential impact of tokenization of real-world assets on the XRP Ledger , which she described as another driver of demand. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Long-Term Positioning and Market Outlook Throughout the video, Hayes maintained that XRP’s future depends on sustained utility rather than short-term market sentiment. She stated that institutional financial products would connect speculative activity with real-world use cases, reinforcing long-term value. The presentation concluded with a message urging viewers to conduct independent research while paying attention to institutional trends. Hayes described the current period as an early stage in a larger transition and asserted that XRP’s role in global finance will become more defined as adoption progresses. Squire’s tweet and the accompanying video collectively present a clear stance that XRP is entering a new phase, characterized by institutional integration and increasing functional demand within the financial system. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Crypto Proponent Says This XRP Video Should Give You Goosebumps appeared first on Times Tabloid .

4 May 2026, 09:00

Satoshi’s 22,000 Wallets Could Make Quantum Attacks On Bitcoin Far More Difficult: Expert

The quantum threat to Bitcoin may be far less concentrated than widely assumed — and that structural detail is quietly reshaping how developers and investors think about the risk. Related Reading: XRP Bulls Eye Breakout As Ripple Unveils 13,000 Bank Connections Worldwide A Distributed Problem, Not A Single Target Coins attributed to Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto are spread across roughly 22,000 separate addresses, each holding 50 BTC. That means a quantum computer capable of cracking Bitcoin’s encryption would need to break thousands of individual wallets — not one massive target. According to Alex Thorn, a researcher who attended a recent industry gathering in Las Vegas, that reality is changing how experts frame the threat. The real high-value targets, Thorn noted, are large exchanges and active institutions — entities that can migrate to post-quantum addresses on their own if needed. The distinction between long-range and short-range quantum attacks matters here, too. Neutral atom quantum systems — a competing approach to the more widely known superconducting method — are only capable of long-range attacks. i had many discussions about quantum & bitcoin in las vegas this week, both on and off stage, with skeptics, advocates, and many overall smart bitcoiners some consensus i feel is emerging: 1) satoshi’s coins (P2PK) should not be touched. violating his property rights could be… — Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) May 2, 2026 Google recently opened a neutral atom lab shortly before publishing a major quantum computing paper. Some observers read that move as a quiet acknowledgment that superconducting technology may have limits, though the company has not said so directly. Property Rights And The Satoshi Question The question of whether Bitcoin’s protocol should ever be changed to address Satoshi’s coins drew strong opinions. Based on Thorn’s account of discussions at the event, a rough consensus formed: those coins should not be touched. if you haven’t yet, watch the great discussion between @reardencode @jamesob @cryptoquick @apruden08 at @TheBitcoinConf last week https://t.co/2F52Jwkgzo — Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) May 2, 2026 Altering the protocol to move or freeze them would undermine a foundational principle — that property rights on the Bitcoin network are inviolable. Violating that principle, even with good intentions, could do lasting damage to the network’s credibility. Still, experts acknowledged the risk from Satoshi’s coins is manageable. Proposals like the “hourglass” mechanism could be activated if a long-range quantum attack appeared imminent. On-chain data cited by Thorn also shows Bitcoin markets have regularly absorbed over 1 million BTC in a short window — meaning even a worst-case scenario involving a 50% price drop might be survivable if property rights were preserved in the process. The Case For Quiet Research On the question of developing post-quantum cryptography for Bitcoin, the Las Vegas conversations pointed toward a clear middle ground. Background research — building, testing, and compressing new cryptographic signatures — was broadly seen as worthwhile, even if implementation remains years away. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Path To $100K May Happen Before Anyone Understands Why: Analyst The concern is not the research itself but how it gets introduced. Adding something untested to the protocol, or triggering governance gridlock while other upgrades wait, are the real dangers to avoid. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView

3 May 2026, 21:30

Russia targets 60 million VPN users with soaring fees and surveillance

Russian officials are putting together plans that would make it too expensive for most people to use virtual private networks, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports. The government wants to charge mobile phone users around 2 dollars for every gigabyte of international internet traffic. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service says the real purpose behind this pricing scheme is to make VPN use too costly for regular people. Since VPNs route traffic through servers in other countries, almost all VPN activity would count as international and trigger the higher fees. Phone companies have asked to wait until at least Sept. 1 before rolling out these charges. The plan is also going after small internet providers in Russia. Right now, a license costs about $134. That’s pretty low. But under the new rules, it would jump to around $66,000 for a basic license and more than $1.3 million for a general one. They also want to cut the number of license types from 17 down to just three. Ukrainian intelligence analysts predict most small providers won’t survive this. Over 90% of the country’s 4,200 operators could shut down or get bought out. That would leave internet access mostly in the hands of a few large companies with close ties to the government. Another part of the plan is speeding up the rollout of SORM. This system will give Russia’s FSB direct access to online activity. This increasingly authoritarian environment in Russia has also affected Putin’s approval rating , as Cryptopolitan reported. Over 60 million Russians depend on VPNs Telegram was blocked on April 10, with officials saying it’s used by criminals. At the same time, they’ve been promoting MAX, a government-approved messaging app. But the 65 million Russian users of Telegram chose VPN as an alternative. The number of blocked websites in Russia now sits at 4.7 million. Major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X have been blocked since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Alexei Kozlyuk from the VPN Guild association said roughly 60 million Russians know how to use VPNs. A 2025 survey by the Institute of Social Marketing found that 46 percent of people questioned had used a VPN at least once. Some estimates put Russia second in the world for VPN usage, with about 37.6 percent of internet users depending on them. “If you live with a VPN switched on, you can access corners of the internet that are best avoided,” warned Sergei Boyarsky, who heads the State Duma’s Information Policy Committee. Apps scan phones for VPN use Banks and tech companies are now helping track VPN users, according to research from RKS Global, a group that works on internet freedom issues. The group looked at 30 popular Russian apps, including ones from T-Bank, Sberbank, Yandex, and VKontakte. They found that 22 of these apps check whether someone is using a VPN or has one on their phone. Most keep this information on their servers, where security services can see it. “Any Android app released by Russian companies for the Russian market may now be spying,” RKS Global said in their report . Mazay Banzaev, who started an open-source VPN company called Amnezia, pointed out something troubling. “It’s one thing if Russian IT companies were to ‘catch’ users the moment they visit a site with a VPN enabled,” he told The Guardian. “It is quite another when even a closed application continues scanning the phone for VPN usage.” If you want a calmer entry point into DeFi crypto without the usual hype, start with this free video.