The Landscape of Crypto Assets and Artificial Intelligence Under the Shadow of the Global Economy

Recently, the global economic outlook has drawn widespread attention. The International Monetary Fund has significantly lowered its global economic growth forecast for 2025 to 2.8%, a new low since the pandemic. The U.S. economic policy uncertainty index has risen to a 40-year high, and gold futures prices have first broken through $3,500 per ounce. However, Bitcoin has risen against the trend by 10%, reaching a high of $94,000, prompting the market to reflect on the "new normal."

The situation in the trade war has shown subtle changes. The U.S. Treasury Department has acknowledged that the tariff policy towards China is difficult to sustain, and the White House has signaled a possible reduction in tariffs on certain goods. However, this is not a unilateral concession, but rather the result of a long-term game between both sides. China began to lay out countermeasures as early as 2018, including strategies such as restricting rare earth exports and shifting production bases.

The crypto market experienced significant volatility this week. The U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF recorded the largest single-day inflow of funds this year, with a cumulative net inflow exceeding $900 million. Bitcoin's price surpassed $93,000, and its market capitalization exceeded that of a certain tech giant for the first time, making it the fifth largest asset in the world. Ethereum, a certain public chain, and a certain popular token also rose accordingly.

Hong Kong's financial innovation is accelerating, with regulators approving the world's first Ethereum ETF that supports staking, allowing investors to directly receive staking rewards. In contrast, the ETFs in the U.S. market are currently limited to tracking prices.

A striking $3.6 billion Bitcoin acquisition plan has come to light. The plan will hold approximately 42,000 coins, making it the third largest Bitcoin reserve institution in the world. Partners include several well-known investment institutions and Crypto Assets companies. The newly established company is led by a staunch supporter of Bitcoin, and there is external belief that it has the potential to replicate the successful model of a well-known investor.

Unlike the global financial crisis in 2020, Bitcoin has performed relatively robustly this time, indicating that it is becoming a mature hedging tool. At the same time, gold continues to play its traditional safe-haven role. In a certain Asian country, there has even been the emergence of "gold vending machines" to facilitate quick trading of gold.

On the regulatory front, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission welcomes a new chair known for supporting financial innovation. Currently, there are 72 crypto-related ETFs awaiting approval, covering a variety of digital assets.

In the field of artificial intelligence, a particular Asian country held a special marathon where 20 humanoid robots challenged 12,000 human participants to a 21-kilometer race. In the automotive industry, a well-known car manufacturer announced a collaboration with a local AI startup, planning to apply its AI system to new models.

With the rise of large language model technology, some companies have successfully transformed from the financial sector to AI companies. Executives from global chip giants recently visited the country to discuss plans for customizing chips for the local market.

The upcoming industry conference is expected to present an optimistic atmosphere. Institutional funds continue to flow into the encryption market, and Bitcoin ETFs have changed the overall market sentiment. In the future, more Crypto Assets projects may explore decentralized large language models and AI tools, making the direction of industry development worth looking forward to.