29 May 2025, 13:56

Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin Warns Crypto Apps Are Becoming “Too Convenient”

The post Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin Warns Crypto Apps Are Becoming “Too Convenient” appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is once again shaping the conversation around Web3 – this time with a strong warning about the rising trend of ultra-convenient crypto apps. While many in the space are cheering the smoother user experience, Buterin is urging caution: too much convenience could weaken the very foundation of decentralization. As new tools allow wallets to run directly inside websites, eliminating the need for browser extensions, separate apps, or passwords – Buterin is asking the Ethereum community to rethink the direction we’re heading. The Convenience Trap: Are Crypto Apps Too Easy? It’s true – these tools solve real problems. Onboarding is easier, user flows are smoother, and crypto feels more accessible than ever. But Buterin sees a potential danger in this shift. By putting wallets directly into apps, too much control gets handed over to those apps. If anything breaks, users might be left without protection. His concern? Convenience shouldn’t come at the cost of autonomy and long-term security. Smart Browsers Are the Vision Buterin isn’t against making crypto easier to use – he just wants to make sure we’re building it the right way. He proposes a different path forward: something he calls “minimum viable decentralization.” In this vision, browsers aren’t just passive tools. Instead, they actively protect users – performing security checks, enforcing decentralized standards like IPFS-hosted user interfaces, and blocking crypto versions of tracking tools. Rather than making wallets invisible, Buterin wants interfaces that users control. It’s not about reducing steps but about making those steps safer and smarter. I get the convenience benefits but I also see risk from going in this direction. We need more sophisticated software that is chosen by the user and incentive-aligned with the user to stand in between the user and apps and stand up for the user's interests, not less. In-app… — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) May 29, 2025 His message is: don’t fall into the trap of prioritizing convenience above all else. Progress is good but only if it protects users and stays true to Web3’s values. He believes the goal should be to build tools that allow users to interact with the blockchain without having to blindly trust every platform they touch. Keep It Easy, But Keep It Decentralized Ethereum continues to lead in blockchain innovation, but Buterin’s latest message is a crucial reminder. While user-friendly crypto apps are a big step forward, developers need to make sure they’re not giving up too much in return. The challenge now is to build solutions that are both easy to use and fully user-controlled – so that Ethereum can keep pushing boundaries without sacrificing its principles. Crypto should be convenient but never at the expense of control.

29 May 2025, 13:40

Kuaishou, Tencent-backed video giant rolls out Kling AI tool

Tencent-backed video company Kuaishou Technology upgraded its Kling AI video generation tool to version 2.1. Users can now upload an image and specify whether they want it animated or recreated. The company also stated that the upgrade enhances performance, video quality, and production speed . So far, Kling has over 22 million global users and has generated over 168 million video clips and 344 million images. The Kling 2.1 version offers 1080p videos According to Kuaishou, its new Kling 2.1 can produce high-quality 1080p videos in under sixty seconds. Each 1080p video should cost around 100 inspiration credits in Kling’s in-house currency. Additionally, users can get the less refined 1080p option for 35 credits or 720p for 20 credits. Typically, a user can earn 66 credits per dollar on the platform. The new 2.1 version includes enhanced motion performance and more lifelike physical simulation across all modes. Kling expects to draw in more users with the upgrade; however, the company had earned a decent amount of revenue even before this. Kling’s earnings report drove its Hong Kong-traded shares up 6% just a day before the version rollout. Kuaishou released their Kling 2.0 just this April, which Vice President Gai Kun had praised as the most powerful video generation model globally at the time. The model also focused on improving image, movement quality, and the realistic feel of generated clips like the 2.1 version. The new 2.1 version appears faster and potentially more efficient. ByteDance upgraded its Doubao chatbot recently Kuaishou introduced its first version of Kling AI in 2024, following in the footsteps of Open AI’s Sora video model previewed earlier that year Other tech giants have since rolled out comparable AI services. Among them are ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent Holdings. Some AI start-ups like Zhipu AI and Shengshu Tech have joined the effort to develop new AI businesses. This May, ByteDance upgraded its Doubao chatbot, including a video call function that allows it to interact with users more. Users can now have a video conversation with the AI tech and easily activate the function by turning on their phone’s camera during a voice call. The chatbot can also be used in real-time, for instance, as a tutor with gardening knowledge or an analyst when studying charts. Earlier, Doubao also enhanced its ability to change images into pixel art. In February, ByteDance also launched its OmniHuman-1 multimodal AI model, which allows users to convert images and sound bites into realistic videos. In 2024, Zhipu AI launched its AI model, Ying, which generates videos from any text. It can make high-resolution images in a mere 30 seconds. Users can choose how they would like their video presented. Additionally, Ying offers an image-to-video conversion option, providing new ways to create memes, advertisements, story plots, and short videos. Moreover, Shengshu AI also introduced its Vidu tool with a “reference to video” feature, which CEO Tang Jiayu argued cuts production time and saves costs. According to the company, Vidu generates a four-second clip in 30 seconds, making it one of the fastest on the market. At the tool’s inception, Zhang Xudong, product director at Shengshu AI, explained that the company aims to enable users to upload multiple characters and describe scenes, allowing those characters to act within them, much like a film production. Cryptopolitan Academy: Want to grow your money in 2025? Learn how to do it with DeFi in our upcoming webclass. Save Your Spot

29 May 2025, 13:30

How African innovators are using blockchain to solve real problems

While blockchain headlines in the West often focus on speculation and regulation, in Africa, it’s a different story, one rooted in necessity, innovation and grassroots adoption. The latest episode of The Clear Crypto Podcast explores this ground-up revolution with Kevin Imani, head of StarkWare’s Africa Venture Studio, who shares how communities across the continent are using blockchain to tackle real-world problems in finance, energy and connectivity. A student movement “Young students were using blockchain before it was mainstream,” Imani explained. From Kenya to Nigeria, local needs, not hype, drove early adoption. In many cases, it was students receiving digital currencies from abroad or freelancers getting paid in dollars and struggling to convert funds into local currency. With limited banking infrastructure or trust in government institutions, decentralized alternatives offered a lifeline. Imani highlighted how centralized systems like Kenya’s E-Mpesa changed access to finance, but still fall short for international payments or off-ramping digital assets. Related: Blockchain.com expands in Africa as local crypto rules take shape “You have to start becoming a trader almost,” he said, describing the convoluted process of converting stablecoins or crypto earnings into usable local funds. This trust gap has fueled peer-to-peer crypto usage. “These were kids holding stablecoins not to spend them, but to store value.” Even before regulators or startups built formal infrastructure, communities had already found use cases for blockchain. Blockchain beyond finance Beyond finance, African innovators are tapping blockchain to address energy insecurity. In rural Zambia, excess power from a mini hydro station could go to waste. Instead, residents can now use that surplus to mine Bitcoin, for example, generating revenue and creating a sustainable power loop. “It’s self-sustaining and reduces waste,” Imani said. Connectivity is another frontier. In areas where traditional internet providers fall short, decentralized WiFi hotspot networks are emerging. With blockchain, community members can share bandwidth and be compensated instantly and transparently. “You don’t need a middleman. It’s fair and trackable,” he said. Still, mainstream adoption remains cautious. Governments like those in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa are in “standby mode,” focused more on consumer protection than full-scale implementation. But Imani remains optimistic: “The need is there. The technology is here. The only question is how we bridge that gap.” To hear the full conversation on The Clear Crypto Podcast , listen to the full episode on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page , Apple Podcasts or Spotify . And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows! Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet

29 May 2025, 13:28

Live Coin Watch Analysis Confirms: Bitcoin Solaris’s 4X Presale-to-Launch Growth Outperforms Market Averages

The post Live Coin Watch Analysis Confirms: Bitcoin Solaris’s 4X Presale-to-Launch Growth Outperforms Market Averages appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News Bitcoin Solaris isn’t waiting for market permission. It’s building momentum by design, and now, with Live Coin Watch confirming a projected 4X return from presale to launch, the spotlight is only getting hotter. But this isn’t just about numbers. This is a story about architecture, mobile-first access, and a chain finally doing what others promised. If you’re still thinking Bitcoin Solaris is just another new token, you’re already behind. From Bitcoin’s Ideals to Real-World Use Bitcoin Solaris (BTC-S) starts where Bitcoin left off. While Bitcoin made decentralization real, BTC-S is making it scalable and programmable. It’s built around a dual-layer blockchain—the Base Layer uses SHA-256 PoW for unmatched security, while the Solaris Layer delivers fast, efficient smart contract execution through DPoS. With finality in 2 seconds and up to 100,000 TPS, it’s capable of supporting DeFi, NFTs, and advanced dApps at scale. The chain isn’t just powerful—it’s accessible. The upcoming Solaris Nova app will allow users to mine BTC-S directly from their smartphones . No fancy rigs. No high electricity bills. Just real participation. Daily Wealth, Not Just Hype The way Bitcoin Solaris distributes rewards flips the script on typical crypto economics. Here, everyone contributes—and everyone earns. Mobile miners, validators, and stakers all share the block rewards: 40% goes to miners on the Base Layer 25% goes to validators on the Solaris Layer 20% is allocated to stakers 10% funds development 5% is reserved for community projects The Next Big Shift in Blockchain Has a Name—Bitcoin Solaris Rewards scale with long-term participation thanks to time-weight factors and contribution scores. Whether you’re validating blocks or staking from your phone, the protocol is designed to reward consistent effort, not just capital. Technology That Talks to Itself Cross-layer interaction is where the chain flexes its intelligence. The Solaris Layer routinely commits its state to the Base Layer, and validator elections are anchored in the PoW chain to prevent long-range attacks. The result? A system where security, speed, and flexibility coexist—not compromise. Its smart contracts are written in Rust, and initial tooling follows the Solana development model, making it easy for developers to deploy fast and migrate later. That Solana connection isn’t surface-level either—Bitcoin Solaris integrates with Solana’s infrastructure for bootstrapping, including shared tooling, cross-chain bridges, and compatibility with existing dApps. The Presale That’s Turning Heads It’s not just Live Coin Watch watching this unfold. With the presale running for just 90 days, the window is tight, and the pace is aggressive. BTC-S is currently priced at $5 in Phase 5, moving to $6 next, and locked in for a $20 launch. More than 11,000 users have joined, with $1.8M+ already raised. Plenty of influencers and blockchain analysts are already tuning in. A strong breakdown by Token Empire explores why this presale is attracting attention fast. And that’s the point: it’s short, aggressive, and backed by functionality—not just FOMO. Momentum Is a Signal You can feel it in the channels. Scroll through the active Telegram or check live updates on X, and you’ll see the same pattern repeating: new users, new questions, real curiosity. The conversations aren’t empty—they’re about infrastructure, mobile staking, launch dates, and potential returns. Even before launch, Bitcoin Solaris has been under serious scrutiny. It’s already been reviewed by multiple auditing firms— Cyberscope and Freshcoins —and passed a KYC verification to reinforce trust. Conclusion Bitcoin Solaris isn’t a lucky guess or a viral moment. It’s architecture, incentive design, and cross-layer innovation are packed into one of the fastest-moving presales this cycle. The technology is real. The wealth model is inclusive. And the window? It’s closing fast. For more information on Bitcoin Solaris: Website: https://www.bitcoinsolaris.com/ Telegram: https://t.me/Bitcoinsolaris X: https://x.com/BitcoinSolaris

29 May 2025, 13:01

BitcoinOS Sees 'Renaissance' for Litecoin With Its First Ever ZK Rollup

The first-ever ZK rollup for Litecoin aims to enhance the legacy chain’s scalability and cross-chain functionality.

29 May 2025, 13:00

Trump Media & Technology Group: Bitcoin Is A Bad Idea

Summary Trump Media's Bitcoin treasury strategy won't solve its core issues of weak user engagement, deteriorating financials, and extreme overvaluation. The $2.5 billion capital raise exposes shareholders to high dilution and leverage, making DJT a risky, leveraged bet on Bitcoin's volatility. Valuation remains unsustainably high, with price-to-sales and price-to-book ratios far above industry norms, driven by a 'Trump premium' rather than fundamentals. Despite a possible bull case tied to Bitcoin's price, I see significant downside and maintain a strong sell rating on Trump Media shares. Co-Authored by Noah Cox and Brock Heilig Investment Thesis Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT), President Donald Trump’s media and technology company, are down over 30% over the last six months and have fallen by more than 35% year-to-date. While the company is implementing a Bitcoin treasury strategy (that has worked well for lifting share prices of some firms), I don’t think this will work for the owner of Truth Social. Despite some major crypto moves that have garnered a ton of attention this week (thanks to the Bitcoin Conference), the company’s core performance remains poor. Weak social media traffic and deteriorating financials continue to haunt the company and prevent it from growing. Additionally, the lofty valuation is completely out of line with fundamentals, given DJT’s weak user engagement, high costs, and poor financial results. Even with Bitcoin on its balance sheet, this doesn’t change. The newly announced plan to put ~$2.5 billion into a Bitcoin reserve doesn’t solve DJT’s underlying problems. The plan could make the company some money, but there are far too many foundational issues that outweigh a potential Bitcoin treasury. At the end of the day, the company becomes a leveraged bet in Bitcoin. This could work, but I am concerned they will not be able to attract the same financing terms that fellow Bitcoin treasury company MicroStrategy ( MSTR ) has attracted. Notably, since the Bitcoin treasury plan was confirmed, DJT’s stock has fallen over 10%. I think the market is seeing what I am fearing: this won’t work. Shares here are a strong sell. Why I'm Doing Follow-Up Coverage One of the main reasons why I’m doing follow-up coverage on Trump Media Group is because of their new plan to focus on a Bitcoin treasury. To be clear, I think some Bitcoin treasury solutions can work. We’ve seen this plan work with Michael Saylor and MicroStrategy (rebranded as Strategy), who holds more than 550,000 Bitcoin. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Trump Media Group inspires the same confidence. Back in January, the Trump family launched $TRUMP and $MELANIA crypto coins, named after the President and his wife. These quickly dropped in value. I think this has left a bad taste in investors’ mouths when it comes to the Trump family and crypto. To me, it seems like the company is trying to copy the crypto reserve playbook. I don’t think it's going to work. That is why I am doing follow-up coverage on the company. I am concerned about major dilution/financial strain on shareholders. This follow up analysis is meant to compare Trump Media Group’s strategy to those of successful crypto asset adopters. Bitcoin Reserve Here Is A Bad Idea One of the biggest indicators to me that this plan will fail for the company is because of high leverage and dilution. The company is raising roughly $2.5 billion, consisting of ~ $1.5 billion in new common equity and $1.0 billion in convertible senior notes. Relative to the size of the Trump Media Group, this is an enormous number, and it comes at the expense of shareholders. If Bitcoin’s price doesn’t climb substantially (or worse, it falls), the company could be stuck with a massive amount of debt to repay. Keep in mind for other Bitcoin treasury companies (like Strategy and GameStop ( GME )), the companies committed cash already on the balance sheet before financing more capital for more Bitcoin purchases. With this Bitcoin strategy, the owner of Truth social is now highly susceptible to extreme volatility. Putting a large chunk of corporate treasury into Bitcoin puts the company in a tough spot that exposes them to wild market swings. Bitcoin is notoriously volatile, and critics have long noted that holding a big, volatile asset can risk severe financial losses. This is especially a concern for Trump Media and Technology Group because the company doesn’t have other stable cash-generating businesses. To compare, MicroStrategy has done a fairly strong job of segmenting risk by offering a host of convertible notes, preferred stock, and common shares to help investors buy the security they believe matches their risk preference. While I am not a fan of some of this capital structure, they have done a good job of segmenting risk here. Trump Media and Technology Group has not done this (at least yet). While the company claims that this Bitcoin play will create synergies for subscription payments and use cases within their Truth Social and Truth+ media and social media brands, I just don’t see the use case here. Bitcoin’s use case is not for payments (mainly). This is what stablecoins are for. In essence, they are trying to use an asset called “digital gold” to replace dollar payments vs. stablecoins (industry standard). This feels backwards and not a disciplined approach to crypto. Valuation The Trump Media and Technology Group’s valuation metrics still remain extreme by most standards. The company’s Trailing Twelve Months price-to-sales ratio is currently ~1,269 . When compared to the sector median of just 1.22, this is a steep 103,000% premium to the sector median. Personally, I think this is an incredible disconnect between price and actual revenue. While a Bitcoin treasury can be a strong move, in this case, I think this is a strong indicator that the stock’s current price level is unsustainable. Investors buying shares in this stock are paying over 1,000 times the company’s sales. This type of premium only makes sense if the company has both explosive growth and near-flawless execution, neither of which have materialized (I believe). Currently, their price-to-book ratio is also high. The TTM price-to-book ratio of 5.70 is 190.5% higher than the sector median of 1.96. In practical terms, nearly all of the stock’s market value is built on intangible goodwill, rather than on hard assets or earnings power. If Trump Media shares were to re-rate down to the typical industry price-to-book multiple, the stock would need to drop about 65% from current levels. In my opinion, the valuation premium appears to be almost purely a “Trump premium,” with investors betting on the celebrity and political relevance of the company’s figurehead, rather than any demonstrated business performance. Even with the Bitcoin treasury on deck, I still think these metrics will not improve a lot. On the operating side, costs are growing faster than revenues. For the full year 2024, cost of revenue increased 275% . This means that the company is spending significantly more to generate each dollar of sales, which is a concerning trend. With this, I think shares should trade at the sector median price to book ratio going forward. This would imply 65% downside from here. Bull Thesis Although I’m bearish on the owner of Truth Social, I want to highlight what, I think, is a small potential for a bull thesis here. After the company adopted their Bitcoin treasury strategy, I think this has ironically become their strongest bullish argument. Bulls argue that by raising $2.5 billion to buy Bitcoin, Trump Media has positioned itself as a leveraged proxy for Bitcoin’s price. This means that if you’re very bullish on Bitcoin, owning stock in Trump’s media company could amplify that. If Bitcoin continues to appreciate, the company’s asset base and, theoretically, its stock price, could do really well. On this same front, another point bulls will point out is that this massive capital raise gives the company a war chest that could be used to fund new ventures, acquisitions, or technology development (the primary use of the offering is to purchase Bitcoin). They don’t have to spend it all on Bitcoin. These are all plausible. The reason I am bearish, however, is because I think these are unlikely. At the end of the day, though, there are tough realities that the company has to face. The $1 billion convertible note is essentially a huge bet that must be paid back (or converted) later. This means that if Bitcoin’s price doesn’t rise high enough, the company could end up with a depleted treasury and a large debt to service, putting shareholder equity in a precarious spot. If Bitcoin stumbles, there is absolutely no diversified revenue stream to fall back on, and this worries me greatly. This compares to MicroStrategy, which has a record of successfully refinancing debt. Takeaway While I am overall bullish on the concept of a Bitcoin treasury strategy, Trump Media and Technology Group’s new Bitcoin reserve strategy only strengthens my original bearish stance. The company’s core problems, like overvaluation, declining user engagement, and financial underperformance, remain unaddressed. If anything, I think that management’s decision to take a gamble on Bitcoin highlights a lack of viable solutions for the company. I see significant downside from here. For the company’s share price to make sense, either its social media business would need a strong turnaround, or Bitcoin would need to move much higher. Because of this, I am still a strong sell on shares of the Trump Media and Technology Group.