Digital business models

Openbank adds cryptocurrency trading for German customers

Openbank, Grupo Santander’s fully digital bank, now allows customers in Germany to buy, sell, and hold major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Polygon, and Cardano.

The service integrates seamlessly with existing investments, removing the need to transfer funds to other platforms. It also provides the protection of MiCA regulations and the backing of Santander.

Competitive fees of 1.49% per trade apply, with no custody charges, and the service will soon be available to customers in Spain. Over the coming months, Openbank plans to expand its portfolio and introduce new features, such as direct conversion between different digital assets.

The launch strengthens Openbank’s investment offerings in Germany, complementing its Robo Advisor and thousands of stocks, funds, and ETFs. It also includes an AI-powered broker platform providing target prices for European and US stocks.

Grupo Santander emphasises that the new crypto trading service responds to customer demand while broadening the bank’s range of innovative, technology-driven investment products.

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Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund INA targets data centres and AI in healthcare

The Indonesia Investment Authority (INA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, is sharpening its focus on digital infrastructure, healthcare and renewable energy as it seeks to attract foreign partners and strengthen national development.

The fund, created in 2021 with $5 billion in state capital, now manages assets worth around $10 billion and is expanding its scope beyond equity into hybrid capital and private credit.

Chief investment officer Christopher Ganis said data centres and supporting infrastructure, such as sub-sea cables, were key priorities as the government emphasises data independence and resilience.

INA has already teamed up with Singapore-based Granite Asia to invest over $1.2 billion in Indonesia’s technology and AI ecosystem, including a new data centre campus in Batam. Ganis added that AI would be applied first in healthcare instead of rushing into broader adoption.

Renewables also remain central to INA’s strategy, with its partnership alongside Abu Dhabi’s Masdar Clean Energy in Pertamina Geothermal Energy cited as a strong performer.

Ganis said Asia’s reliance on bank financing highlights the need for INA’s support in cross-border growth, since domestic banks cannot always facilitate overseas expansion.

Despite growing global ambitions, INA will prioritise projects directly linked to Indonesia. Ganis stressed that it must deliver benefits at home instead of directing capital into ventures without a clear link to the country’s future.

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First quantum-AI data centre launched in New York City

Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) and Digital Realty have launched the first quantum-AI data centre in New York City at the JFK10 facility, powered by Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips. The project combines superconducting quantum computers with AI supercomputing under one roof.

OQC’s GENESIS quantum computer is the first to be deployed in a New York data centre, designed to support hybrid workloads and enterprise adoption. Future GENESIS systems will ship with Nvidia accelerated computing and CUDA-Q integration as standard.

OQC CEO Gerald Mullally said the centre will drive the AI revolution securely and at scale, strengthening the UK–US technology alliance. Digital Realty CEO Andy Power called it a milestone for making quantum-AI accessible to enterprises and governments.

UK Science Minister Patrick Vallance highlighted the £212 billion economic potential of quantum by 2045, citing applications from drug discovery to clean energy. He said the launch puts British innovation at the heart of next-generation computing.

The centre, embedded in Digital Realty’s PlatformDIGITAL, will support applications in finance, security, and AI, including quantum machine learning and accelerated model training. OQC Chair Jack Boyer said it demonstrates UK–US collaboration in leading frontier technologies.

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AI will kill middle-ground media, but raw content will thrive

Advertising is heading for a split future. By 2030, brands will run hyper-personalised AI campaigns or embrace raw human storytelling. Everything in between will vanish.

AI-driven advertising will go far beyond text-to-image gimmicks. These adaptive systems will combine social trends, search habits, and first-party data to create millions of real-time ad variations.

The opposite approach will lean into imperfection, featuring unpolished TikToks, founder-shot iPhone videos, and authentic and alive content. Audiences reward authenticity over carefully scripted, generic campaigns.

Mid-tier, polished, forgettable, creative work will be the first to fade away. AI can replicate it instantly, and audiences will scroll past it without noticing.

Marketers must now pick a side: feed AI with data and scale personalisation, or double down on community-driven, imperfect storytelling. The middle won’t survive.

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3D figurine craze takes off with Google Gemini update

Google’s Gemini latest update has sparked a social media craze by allowing users to transform 2D photos into lifelike 3D figurines. The feature, part of Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, has quickly become the standout trend from the update.

Instead of serving as a photo-editing tool, Gemini now helps users turn selfies, portraits, and pet photos into stylized statuettes. The images resemble collectable vinyl or resin figures, with smooth finishes and polished detailing.

The digital figurine trend blends personalisation with creativity, allowing users to reimagine themselves or loved ones as miniature display pieces. The playful results have been widely shared across platforms, driving renewed engagement with Google’s AI suite.

The figurine generator also complements Gemini’s other creative functions, such as image combination and style transformation, which allow users to experiment with entirely new aesthetics. Together, these tools extend Gemini’s appeal beyond simple photo correction.

While other platforms have offered 3D effects, Gemini’s version produces highly polished results in seconds, democratising what was once a niche 3D modelling skill. For many, it is the most accessible way to turn memories into digital art.

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Meta set to unveil $800 smart glasses with display

Meta is set to unveil its first pair of smart glasses with a built-in display at its annual Connect conference in California.

Expected to be called Celeste, the glasses will debut at around $800 and feature a small digital display in the right lens for notifications. Analysts say the higher price point could limit adoption compared with Meta’s Ray-Ban line, which starts at $299.

Alongside the new glasses, Meta is also expected to launch its first wristband for hand-gesture control and an updated Ray-Ban line with better cameras, battery life and AI features. Developers will gain access to a new software kit to build device apps.

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New Babbel Speak helps beginners practise conversations

Babbel has introduced an AI-powered voice trainer designed to help beginners gain confidence in speaking a new language.

Babbel’s chief executive, Tim Allen, said the aim is not instant fluency but helping learners move from first words to confident conversations.

Called Babbel Speak, the AI feature guides users through 28 real-life scenarios, such as ordering coffee or describing the weather. It provides personalised feedback and uses a calming design with animations to ease anxiety while learning.

The trainer is available in open beta on the App Store and Play Store for English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

Subscribers can try it as part of the standard plans of Babbel, which start at $107.40 per year, with a lifetime option also offered.

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Study reveals why humans adapt better than AI

A new interdisciplinary study from Bielefeld University and other leading institutions explores why humans excel at adapting to new situations while AI systems often struggle. Researchers found humans generalise through abstraction and concepts, while AI relies on statistical or rule-based methods.

The study proposes a framework to align human and AI reasoning, defining generalisation, how it works, and how it can be assessed. Experts say differences in generalisation limit AI flexibility and stress the need for human-centred design in medicine, transport, and decision-making.

Researchers collaborated across more than 20 institutions, including Bielefeld, Bamberg, Amsterdam, and Oxford, under the SAIL project. The initiative aims to develop AI systems that are sustainable, transparent, and better able to support human values and decision-making.

Interdisciplinary insights may guide the responsible use of AI in human-AI teams, ensuring machines complement rather than disrupt human judgement.

The findings underline the importance of bridging cognitive science and AI research to foster more adaptable, trustworthy, and human-aligned AI systems capable of tackling complex, real-world challenges.

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UN to train governments in blockchain and AI

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) plans to launch a ‘Government Blockchain Academy’ next year to educate public sector officials on blockchain, AI, and other emerging technologies.

The initiative aims to help governments leverage tech for economic growth and sustainable development.

The academy will partner with the Exponential Science Foundation, a non-profit promoting blockchain and AI. Training will cover financial services, digital IDs, public procurement, smart contracts, and climate finance to help governments boost transparency, inclusion, and resilience.

UNDP officials highlighted that developing countries, including India, Pakistan, and Vietnam, are already among the leading adopters of crypto technology.

The academy will provide in-person and online courses, workshops, and forums to guide high-impact blockchain initiatives aligned with national priorities.

The programme follows last year’s UNDP blockchain academy, created in partnership with the Algorand Foundation, which trained over 22,000 staff members to support sustainable growth projects in participating countries.

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Hong Kong to speed up tech hub plan with China

One of S.A.R. of China, Hong Kong, is preparing to accelerate its cross-border technology hub plans with mainland China as the city seeks new growth drivers to offset its fragile economy.

Chief Executive John Lee is set to deliver his annual policy address on Wednesday, with the Northern Metropolis project expected to take centre stage.

The initiative aims to transform a sparsely populated area into a base for advanced industries and innovation, while reducing reliance on finance and real estate.

According to state-owned media, the government will ease financing rules to attract companies in AI, renewable energy and medical technology.

An urgency that comes despite signs of recovery, as the economy of Hong Kong grew at its fastest pace in over a year last quarter. Yet home prices continue to fall, unemployment has risen, and public finances remain stretched.

The administration is unlikely to offer sweeping property incentives, such as tax cuts or looser rules for mainland buyers, given fiscal constraints. Instead, it may revive the long-dormant Tenants Purchase Scheme, first launched in 1998, which allows public housing tenants to buy their flats at reduced prices.

Analysts say that without bold reforms, the housing market will stay under pressure as oversupply and weak sentiment weigh on values.

Hong Kong’s $7.2 trillion stock market could benefit if new listings and inflows are encouraged, especially as developers look to stimulus and lower mortgage rates to support sales.

However, with the economy of China also slowing down, doubts remain over whether deeper integration and technology investments can provide a lasting boost.

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