The digital asset management giant Grayscale has launched a new trust for a mid-cap altcoin that has doubled its value in the past month.

Grayscale’s new Story Trust provides accredited investors with exposure to Story (IP), a layer-1 blockchain network focused on intellectual property.

Story launched in February and aims to provide a scalable intellectual property solution on a blockchain where rights holders can upload IP, set the terms of use and monetize it throughout the protocol’s application ecosystem. The project also brings real-world data to artificial intelligence (AI) systems, including robots, surgical assistants and autonomous vehicles.

Story’s native asset, IP, is trading at $5.95 at time of writing. The 69th-ranked crypto asset by market cap is down more than 2% in the past 24 hours but up more than 8% in the past seven days and more than 100% in the past month.

Rayhaneh Sharif-Askary, Grayscale’s head of product and research, says the asset manager’s new trust reflects Story’s technological potential.

“Grayscale Story Trust gives investors exposure to a protocol shaping the foundational intellectual property layer for the information and AI era. That includes not just creative content, but real-world data  – the force powering one of today’s most advanced intelligent systems.” 

The trust is solely invested in the IP token.

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This update enables the assistant to perform tasks such as signing in to accounts, reading emails, making bookings, uploading files, and even connecting with services like Gmail, Google Drive, and GitHub.

However, OpenAI stated in a July 25 blog post that using the agent might put personal data at risk, particularly due to “prompt injection”. This type of attack happens when someone adds hidden instructions to content that the chatbot might read, like a blog post, website text, or an email.

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If the chatbot follows those instructions, it could take actions the user never intended, such as sharing private information or changing account settings.

In a blog post, OpenAI explained that once the agent is allowed to access connected websites, it may also be able to view sensitive information, such as emails, files, or login data.

The post also noted that attackers could try to trick the assistant by hiding commands in everyday text. If that works, the assistant might send data to an unauthorized user or perform actions without the user’s knowledge.

OpenAI first announced the agent on July 17. At the time, the full launch was planned for a few days later, but it ended up being released on July 24, along with an update to the ChatGPT app.

Recently, xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) company, fixed the problems with Grok 4’s offensive responses. What did the company say? Read the full story.

Crypto Reporter

Shalini Nagarajan

Crypto Reporter

Shalini Nagarajan

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Shalini is a crypto reporter who provides in-depth reports on daily developments and regulatory shifts in the cryptocurrency sector.

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July 15, 2025

StanChart has launched spot trading services for Bitcoin and Ether through its UK branch, marking a notable milestone as it becomes the first global systemically important bank to offer institutional clients direct access to these digital assets in a regulated manner.

The move, Reuters reported Tuesday, allows corporates, asset managers and institutional investors to trade Bitcoin and Ether through familiar foreign exchange trading interfaces.

The bank added that non-deliverable forwards would also be available soon as it expands its crypto product suite.

“As client demand accelerates further, we want to offer clients a route to transact, trade and manage digital asset risk safely and efficiently within regulatory requirements,” said group chief executive Bill Winters.

Building on Collateral and Stablecoin Moves Across Asia

The rollout reflects growing appetite among institutional investors to integrate digital assets into traditional portfolios. It also positions StanChart as a frontrunner among mainstream banks adapting to the maturing crypto market.

StanChart has been quietly building its crypto footprint through a series of targeted initiatives. In April 2025, the bank partnered with OKX and Franklin Templeton to introduce a digital collateral mirroring program, aimed at bridging traditional finance and digital asset management.

Earlier this year, in February, its Hong Kong subsidiary joined forces with Animoca Brands and HKT to launch a new stablecoin venture. The group plans to issue a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin under the city’s new regulatory framework and has submitted an application to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority for a license.

StanChart Breaks New Ground as Traditional Banks Tiptoe Toward Real-Time Crypto Trading

The UK-based lender, known for its focus on emerging markets and institutional clients, has been cautiously optimistic about crypto. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that both StanChart and Deutsche Bank were exploring new avenues to grow their crypto businesses in the United States, following years of regulatory pushback.

StanChart’s entry into spot trading marks a significant evolution in how traditional banks interact with digital assets. Until now, most large financial institutions have limited themselves to offering custody or indirect exposure through structured products and funds.

With spot trading now on the table, institutional clients can execute real-time transactions in bitcoin and ether, two of the most widely held and liquid cryptocurrencies, while staying within the bounds of UK regulation.

The offering also serves a strategic purpose. By integrating crypto capabilities into its core financial infrastructure, StanChart can better manage client risk, deepen relationships with forward-looking asset managers and expand its services in a market that is increasingly moving on-chain.

While competitors are still navigating internal policies and regulatory uncertainty, StanChart’s latest move shows it is betting on crypto becoming a permanent fixture in institutional finance.

Google is rolling out Veo 3 to everyone using Vertex AI, which is an ML-testing platform provided by Google Cloud.

Unlike Sora and other generative video AI models, Veo 3 is a state-of-the-art video generator trained on millions of YouTube videos, and it can generate realistic videos, but great quality comes at a high cost.

Veo 3 isn’t free, but since it’s part of Google Cloud, you can use it for free by subscribing to the $300 trial offered by Google.

To get started, you can sign up for a Google Cloud trial credit, which applies to all Google Cloud services, including Vertex AI.

Your Google Cloud trial, which requires a credit or debit card for human verification, offers $300 of Cloud Billing credits, valid for 90 days. You will not be charged until you exhaust the limit and upgrade to a regular account.

$300 is more than enough to generate several clips, but remember that Vertex AI can generate Veo 3 clips of 8 seconds only.

A basic prompt is more than enough to generate video clips with audio, which can even match the native accent of several languages.

Google’s YouTube channel has several unlisted videos that show off the quality of Veo 3.

Google Imagen 4, which is the company’s state-of-the-art text-to-image model, is rolling out for free, but only on AI Studio.

In a blog post, Google announced the rollout of the new Imagen 4 model, but reminded users that it’s free for a “limited time” only.

Unlike the old text-to-image model, Imagen 4 offers significant improvements and takes the text-to-image generation quality to the next level.

Google says it has two new Imagen models.

The first one is called “Imagen 4” and it’s optimised for regular tasks, but the Imagen 4 Ultra is the flagship text-to-image model.

“Designed to handle a wide range of image generation tasks with significant improvements in quality, particularly for text generation, over Imagen 3. Imagen 4 is priced at $0.04 per output image,” the company noted.

On the other hand, Imagen 4 Ultra is priced at $0.06 per output image because it precisely follows instructions aligned with your text prompts, giving better results compared to the competitors.

Gemini doesn’t have access to the Imagen 4 model at the moment. However, it’ll arrive for paid users in the coming weeks.

My Neighbor Alice, the popular blockchain-based farming and builder game, has officially launched “Chapter One: A New Adventure,” marking its first full release after several alpha seasons. Built on the Chromia blockchain, the update introduces frictionless browser-based gameplay, wallet-optional access, and integrated token and NFT features—bringing the entire experience to players for the first time.

Key Highlights: My Neighbor Alice Chapter One Launch

• First public release after multiple alpha seasons

• Playable instantly in-browser—no downloads, wallets, or tokens needed

• Powered by Chromia’s gasless infrastructure and on-chain relational architecture

• ALICE token now live on Chromia mainnet with in-game use

• Pudgy Penguins NFT collaboration brings 40,000 companions into the game

Instant Browser-Based Access for Web3 Gaming

Players can now explore My Neighbor Alice directly in their browser, with no need to download software or connect a crypto wallet. Plus, a new mode enables users to begin playing immediately, and they can create a wallet at any time within the game to mint assets or save progress. This approach removes traditional onboarding friction and opens the game to a broader audience.

“This launch is more than just a game update. It is a proof point that Web3 can deliver the same user-friendly experience as Web2: no downloads, no wallets, just pure gameplay,” said Steve Haßenpflug, VP of Games at My Neighbor Alice. “With Chapter One, we are showcasing the future of gaming. Open, accessible, and built for the community.”

Source: My Neighbor Alice

Powered by Chromia’s On-Chain Architecture for Games

The full release uses Chromia, a Layer-1 relational blockchain platform with a modular framework for decentralized applications. Thanks to Chromia’s gasless interaction model, players avoid paying transaction fees when engaging with blockchain features.

All core game data, such as world state and player progress, is stored on-chain using Chromia’s relational architecture. That means the game reduces reliance on external servers and goes beyond the asset-only models common in many Web3 games, enabling a more persistent and decentralized experience.

“This launch is a major milestone, not only for My Neighbor Alice but for Chromia as a platform,” said Henrik Hjelte, Co-Founder of Chromia. “It shows how our architecture can power complex, persistent virtual worlds while keeping the experience smooth and intuitive.”

ALICE Token Integration and NFT Ecosystem Expansion

With the public release, the game now supports the ALICE token on the Chromia mainnet, enabling native functionality directly within gameplay. While ALICE isn’t required to play, it unlocks extra features and lets players engage more deeply with the in-game economy.

Players can buy, sell, and trade NFTs through the in-game marketplace, creating a dynamic, player-driven economy where they can also earn rewards and monetize their creations.

On top of that, My Neighbor Alice has introduced a collaboration with Pudgy Penguins, bringing all 40,000 NFTs from the collection into the game as fully animated 3D companions.

This expands the social layer of the game and shows its ability to integrate outside assets, boosting its broader community appeal.

The launch of Chapter One: A New Adventure moves My Neighbor Alice out of its testing phase and into full availability. By making the experience more accessible and lowering the barrier to entry, the game hopes to set an example for how Web3 titles can reach and retain mainstream audiences.

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Cantor Fitzgerald has launched a new $2 billion loan program backed by Bitcoin. According to a report, the firm has already closed its first deals. This move comes as crypto lending starts to find its feet again after big defaults in 2022.

Cantor Fitzgerald Launches Bitcoin Loan Line

Based on report by Bloomberg, Cantor Fitzgerald set aside $2 billion to lend against Bitcoin. The plan rolled out over the past year. It began in July 2024 with a promise to work with trusted custodians.

By April 2025, the global financial services firm teamed up with Tether, SoftBank and Bitfinex on Twenty One Capital, a $3.6 billion fund. That fund aims to hold more than 42,000 Bitcoin and was structured using a $200 million SPAC. The big picture: Cantor is serious about making Bitcoin loans a regular product.

Institutional credit continues to scale: Portfolio companies @maplefinance and @falconxnetwork are supporting origination and distribution for Cantor Fitzgerald’s $2B Bitcoin-backed lending arm. A key step in maturing crypto capital markets. https://t.co/YWZGLwntr5

— CMT Digital (@CMT_Digital) May 27, 2025

FalconX And Maple Get Backing

FalconX secured the first slice of credit, planning to tap more than $100 million. Maple Finance followed with a similar deal for its customers. Both firms confirmed they’ve drawn on the new line already.

These early loans show that trustworthy names can still access crypto financing. Demand is there, and lenders seem ready to pick up the pieces after the Celsius and BlockFi collapses.

Strong Bets From Big Investors

The bank’s faith in Bitcoin goes deeper than loans. Cantor Equity Partners quietly bought about $459 million of Bitcoin in May 2025 through a merger with Twenty One Capital. On top of that, Cantor holds nearly $2 billion in Strategy stock.

This stake ties their fortunes to price swings. They say they’ll keep buying even if prices drop sharply, showing they aren’t scared of the ups and downs.

Image: Shutterstock

Caution As Risks Linger

Other players are moving in, too. Strive raised $750 million to build a Bitcoin stash and chase special credit deals. Blockstream grabbed new investments, and Xapo Bank started offering its own crypto loans this year.

Traditional banks haven’t sat out. The Bank of Montreal put $150 million into crypto ETFs. Barclays added $130 million. BNY Mellon availed of $68 million in Strategy shares. Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and UBS are set to roll out spot Bitcoin ETF services by year-end.

Even so, Bitcoin can swing wildly. A sudden price drop or a margin call could force quick sales. Lenders and borrowers will need clear rules and solid plans to keep things running smoothly.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

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