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Google’s Password Manager app works even if you have Chrome disabled on your smartphone.

I may eventually move to a different password manager

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Altcoin traders can hardly contain themselves as the long-awaited breakout appears to have begun. ETH posted gains of over 20% the last seven days and smaller cap coins like SOL, DOGE, and BNB are close behind, with Chainlink’s LINK token up 30% in the same timeframe. Does this mean alt season finally here?

A painful bull market for altcoin traders

2025 has been a stellar year for Bitcoin, seeing the number-one crypto climb steadily higher, marking a fresh all-time high of ~$122,838 on July 14, fueled by rising institutional demand and a favorable regulatory climate stateside.

The same cannot be said of altcoins, which have languished far from their peak levels. Ethereum’s lackluster performance, in particular, caused divisions within its community, leading many to question whether the divergence between technology and price was an existential issue.

Just as ETH price was beginning to break out and see sustained momentum, renowned trader and former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes rattled ETH holders, selling 2,373 coins from his stash and forecasting near-term headwinds for the number-one alt, which, he believed, would test the $3,000 mark based on a weaker-than-expected jobs report and a short-term slowdown in global liquidity.

Those who continued to HODL their ETH are feeling euphoric today as ETH price has surged more than 50% in a month, with some prediction platforms forecasting price targets over $60,000. Even Hayes has taken to crypto Twitter this morning to admit the folly of his decision, tagging Tommy Lee’s Fundstrat, now the largest holder of ETH, with the words:

“Had to buy it all back, do you forgive me? I pinky swear, I’ll never take profit again.”

Is alt season finally here?

With Hayes back on board, BTC and crypto allowed in 401ks, and Ethereum bulls from Buterin to Bankless, finally believing in the strength of this latest rally, does this mean that the long-awaited alt season is finally here?

It certainly looks that way as smaller-cap coins begin to pump across the board. Before you get over your skis, however, take note: this year’s alt season may differ from previous cycles. As prominent day trader and LINK ambassador Ito Shimotsuma, points out:

“Each #Altseason is smaller than the previous ones. And this is why I tell you to focus more on DYOR. In 2017, any random ICO pumped 100x. In 2021, any VC backed alt pumped 50x-100x. This time, very selective alts will outperform. Look for those alts with strong narrative and revenue sharing.”

Another well-known altcoin trader, Miles Deutscher, similarly exercises more caution, confirming that, in his opinion, a mini alt season is finally happening, but watch out for the rotation back into BTC between the $120-140K mark.

Into the Cryptoverse founder Benjamin Cowen is notably less bullish on alts, warning:

“This is not alt season.

This is ETH season

Let’s not confuse the two”

Is Bitcoin’s rally finally over?

With Ethereum and alts pumping, Bitcoin is currently being outperformed, and Bitcoin dominance has dropped to 59.2% at the time of writing after months of holding steady over 60%.

According to Bitcoin macro strategy analyst ecoinometrics, Bitcoin’s correlation with the Nasdaq is behind this recent stall.

“Bitcoin’s correlation with the Nasdaq helps explain recent price action.

When stocks dropped sharply late last week, Bitcoin followed. That’s what you expect when correlations are elevated.

Now that the Nasdaq is resuming its uptrend, Bitcoin is moving with it again.”

All eyes will be on the broader macro picture moving into next week to see what Bitcoin’s next move will be, and how long this alt season may last.

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Bit Digital, a computing infrastructure firm long associated with Bitcoin mining, is shifting gears and transitioning to Ethereum. The company has begun offloading Bitcoin reserves and significantly increasing its exposure to Ethereum. 

However, according to additional equity financing plans filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), it’s clear that Bit Digital’s pivot to ETH is just beginning. The timing could be more better, as Ethereum is currently gaining momentum in both price and institutional support.

SEC Filing Reveals Ongoing ETH Accumulation Plan

Bit Digital’s transition to Ethereum began in earnest earlier this month. On July 8, Bit Digital sold 280 BTC worth roughly $172 million to acquire over 100,600 ETH. That initial purchase was followed by an additional 19,683 ETH on July 18, bringing the company’s Ethereum holdings to approximately 120,306 ETH. Interestingly, these purchases have now placed Bit Digital among the top ten publicly known corporate holders of Ethereum.

The company didn’t keep quiet about its reasoning. In a statement posted to the social media platform X, Bit Digital explained its strategy shift is based on broader macroeconomic trends: “Why Ethereum? Why now? Society is entering a new monetary era.” The post highlighted volatile interest rates, inflation risks, and diminishing faith in fiat currency as key motivations for the switch to Ethereum. More importantly, it described Ethereum as offering both capital growth and native yield through staking, advantages that outshine traditional treasury strategies and even surpass Bitcoin’s use case as a store of value.

According to a filing submitted to the SEC on July 25, the company is seeking shareholder approval to increase its authorized share capital from 340 million to 1 billion ordinary shares. The proposed increase would raise total share capital from $3.5 million to $10.1 million while leaving preference shares unchanged. 

In its SEC filing, Bit Digital makes it clear that the move is aimed at securing additional equity financing soon, specifically to support its growth plans centered around Ethereum purchases. A shareholder vote to approve the proposal is set for September 10, 2025. 

Ethereum Outperforming Bitcoin

Interestingly, Ethereum’s price action has picked up notably since Bit Digital initiated its ETH strategy. ETH has surged by about 51% since the beginning of the month, and the ETH/BTC trading pair is up about 35%, clear signs that the market may be rotating toward Ethereum. This trend is further reinforced by continued inflows into Spot Ethereum ETFs, which have now seen 16 consecutive days of positive net flows.

According to on-chain analytics platform Sentora (formerly IntoTheBlock), between $7.5 billion and $8 billion has flowed into US-listed ETH ETFs since July 2. This wave of institutional capital has helped push aggregate assets under management (AUM) well beyond initial projections, turning once-skeptical observers into believers.

Image From X: Sentora

Ethereum’s recent performance mirrors this inflow trend, as it is now trading at its highest levels this year. Ethereum began the week with gradual gains, dipped midweek, and rebounded with conviction. As of now, ETH is trading around $3,775, up roughly by 5% in the past seven days. 

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

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The Pixel Watch represents Google’s vision for what a Wear OS smartwatch should be, but even in its third generation, the platform has plenty of room to grow. While the Google Pixel Watch 3 is a fan favorite among Android users, it still pales in comparison to Wear OS smartwatches from Samsung and OnePlus in key areas.

That’s why we’re looking forward to the upcoming Google Pixel Watch 4, which aims to address some of these pain points, potentially bringing the smartwatch into true flagship territory. The Pixel Watch 4 hasn’t been officially revealed yet, but early rumors and leaks give us an idea of what the next Google Watch might bring. Here’s a speculative breakdown of how the Pixel Watch 4 might improve upon the Pixel Watch 3.

Google Pixel Watch 4 vs. Pixel Watch 3: Pricing and availability

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The Google Pixel Watch 4 is expected to launch alongside the Pixel 10 series, which will debut at an August 20 event. For reference, the Pixel Watch 3 was announced on August 13, 2024, and became available as of September 10, 2024.

As for pricing, no current rumors or leaks point to a price change for the Pixel Watch 4. In fact, a recent leak suggests that the price will remain the same in Europe, which is good news. That would mean you’ll pay $349 for a 41mm watch and $399 for a 45mm watch, with optional LTE versions costing another $100 on top of that. However, these prices are unconfirmed and could certainly rise due to inflation and other supply chain factors.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 is currently available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm, with prices starting at $349 and $399, respectively. Each size has three colorways: Matte Black and Polished Silver for both models, Champagne Gold as the 41mm exclusive, and Matte Hazel as the 45mm exclusive. The upgrade to cellular connectivity costs an extra $100.

Google Pixel Watch 4 vs. Pixel Watch 3: Design and display

Leaked Google Pixel Watch 4 renders might give us an early preview of Google’s upcoming smartwatch. Put simply, the Pixel Watch 4 appears to have a questionable design, of these renders turn out to be accurate. They depict the Pixel Watch 4 as being about 2mm thicker than its predecessor, and without rear charging pins visible.

These design changes could be divisive among Pixel Watch fans. A positive of this change is that the Pixel Watch 4 could switch back to a wireless charging puck for power, rather than the contacts and pins on the Pixel Watch 3. On the flip side, this would mean that the Pixel Watch has changed charging methods three times in four generations, which isn’t ideal for continuity.

Otherwise, the Pixel Watch 4 is expected to retain the same “waterdrop” design language as its predecessors. This time, the bezels might be even slimmer, helping make the newer model feel more modern. If the case size remains roughly the same, we could see the Pixel Watch 4 displays slightly grow compared to the 1.27- and 1.43-inch displays on the Pixel Watch 3.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 measures 12.3mm thick, so if these rumors are true, the newer model could be close to 15mm thick. That certainly isn’t great, because the current Pixel Watch 3 is actually on the thicker side of smartwatches already. The newly-announced Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is only 8.6mm thick, and the Apple Watch Series 10 is only 9.7mm thick.

Still, there will probably be more similarities than differences between the Google Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Watch 3. Both models will likely be offered in 41mm and 45mm sizes, and multiple colorways.

Google Pixel Watch 4 vs. Pixel Watch 3: Hardware and specs

In terms of hardware, we have been hearing rumors of a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 processor, which hasn’t been officially announced yet but has started surfacing in rumors. That said, it seems unlikely given the timeline that it will be featured in the upcoming Pixel Watch 4.

Android Central’s own Michael Hicks interviewed Qualcomm VP of wearables Dino Bekis about Qualcomm and Google’s partnership, when he discussed the “feature-focused” and “AI-driven” Snapdragon Wear chipset coming “next year” (2025). As such, it’s still possible we see the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip power the Pixel Watch 4, potentially bringing better speed, efficiency, and overall performance.

Even so, the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 has proven quite capable, and it wouldn’t be a total loss if the Pixel Watch 4 retains this chip, as Google has been known to make the best of older chipsets in the past.

Other than that, we expect the Pixel Watch 4 to feature the same fitness and health sensors as the Pixel Watch 3. The highlight of the sensor assortment would be a multi-path optical heart rate sensor supporting ECG readings. The Pixel Watch 3 also supports blood-oxygen detection, skin temperature readings, and cEDA analysis, so those should carry over to the Pixel Watch 4 as well.

Google Pixel Watch 4 vs. Pixel Watch 3: Fitness and health features

The Google Pixel Watch 4 will most likely be powered by Wear OS 6, which brings the Material 3 Expressive design language to the smartwatch form factor. It’s a new-look operating system that will add things like more fluid scrolling, buttons, and notification cards, all of which dynamically adapt to user interaction and the Pixel Watch’s display size.

More importantly, Wear OS 6 will add proper support for third-party watch faces. The Watch Face Push API will let third-party faces sync with Pixel Watch models without needing to go through the Google Play Store, via apps like Facer.

Additionally, Gemini is replacing the Google Assistant on the Pixel Watch 4. The current Pixel Watch 3 will get all of these upgrades when Wear OS 6 rolls out, but it’s possible the Pixel Watch 4 will get some first. Additionally, the Pixel Watch 4 might offer a longer software support window.

A recent rumor suggests that Google is enhancing its strength training capabilities, featuring tools such as a workout builder and real-time guidance. This may include more advanced post-workout analysis and form insights, catering to weightlifters and bodybuilders.

Google Pixel Watch 4 vs. Pixel Watch 3: Is it worth waiting for?

Right now, there are too many unknowns to say for sure whether the Google Pixel Watch 4 will be the slam-dunk upgrade over the current Pixel Watch 3. Current rumors paint a clear picture: the Pixel Watch 4 might be better than the Pixel Watch 3 in some areas, and worse in others. Specifically, the Pixel Watch 4’s rumored thicker chassis may be a non-starter for some users — the Pixel Watch 3 was already on the thicker side of smartwatches.

With that being said, a potential chip upgrade, Wear OS 6, and slimmer bezels are just a few reasons the Pixel Watch 4 might sound incredibly appealing. That’ll be especially true if the Pixel Watch 4 indeed retains the same pricing structure as the Pixel Watch 3.

For now, we’ll have to wait for Google’s official unveiling of the Pixel Watch 4 to know exactly how the upcoming model will compare to the current one.

Rumor mill: Since their launch in early 2022, AMD’s X3D CPUs have become the most-sought after CPUs for PC gamers who want top performance, thanks largely to their 3D V-Cache technology, which enables higher frame rates and smoother gameplay. Intel is now reportedly planning to counter AMD’s recent dominance in high-end gaming by incorporating similar technology in its upcoming Nova Lake CPUs.

According to tipster @Haze2K1, at least two SKUs in the Nova Lake lineup will ship with increased L3 cache. Intel calls the new technology “bLLC,” which is short for “big Last Line Cache.” The leaker added that both SKUs with bLLC will feature 8 P-cores and 4 LP-E cores. One will be paired with 20 E-cores, while the other will include only 12. Both chips are expected to have a 125W TDP.

bLLC is an integral part of Intel’s latest Clearwater Forest server CPUs, but the company has so far denied plans to bring the technology to its consumer lineup.

In a November 2024 interview with YouTubers der8auer and Bens Hardware, Intel’s Tech Communications Manager, Florian Maislinger, stated that Team Blue had no plans to introduce a 3D V-Cache-like technology in its desktop processors.

8p, 16e
8p, 12e

Both 4lpe, bLLC, 125w https://t.co/EQo4MiaGpq

– Haze (@Haze2K1) June 17, 2025

In the Clearwater Forest chips, the local cache is integrated into the base tile, which sits beneath the active tiles and acts as an interconnect. Adding more cache to the base tile would make the Nova Lake processors structurally similar to AMD’s 9000-series X3D chips, which also feature V-Cache attached to the bottom of the CPU dies.

Intel’s future lineup will reportedly be led by the flagship Core Ultra 9 485K with 52 cores and a 150W TDP, while the entry-level chip is expected to be the Core Ultra 3 415K, featuring 12 cores and a 125W TDP.

In the first two generations of X3D, AMD placed the V-Cache on top of the CPU chiplets, which led to poor thermals and throttled clock speeds. With its third-generation X3D lineup, AMD moved the V-Cache beneath the chiplets, improving both thermal performance and clock behavior.

Nova Lake-S is expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027 and is rumored to include at least six desktop SKUs. The lineup will reportedly be led by the flagship Core Ultra 9 485K with 52 cores and a 150W TDP, while the entry-level chip is expected to be the Core Ultra 3 415K, featuring 12 cores and a 125W TDP. The processors are also tipped to use the all-new LGA 1954 packaging and a new socket.