Digital business models Archives | Page 352 of 569

Brazil lawmaker pushes to scrap crypto tax on Bitcoin holders

Brazilian lawmaker Eros Biondini has introduced a draft bill aiming to eliminate cryptocurrency taxes, especially for those holding Bitcoin as a long-term store of value. The proposal seeks to repeal clauses in the tax code and a 2023 law that currently require income tax on crypto profits.

The bill will be reviewed by a committee in the Chamber of Deputies before potentially moving to the Senate and the President, who both hold veto powers.

Biondini argues that new taxes on financial transactions, including foreign exchange and insurance, are poorly timed amid economic fragility. He highlights that Brazil’s tax burden reached its highest in 15 years, amounting to 32.32% of GDP in 2024.

The lawmaker criticised the government for opposing crypto adoption, claiming that existing and proposed tax laws unfairly penalise people seeking safe, sovereign stores of value.

Previously, Biondini also pushed for formal recognition of Bitcoin as a strategic store of value in Brazil. His earlier proposal would exempt Bitcoin holders from tax and confirm their right to self-custody without intermediaries.

In November last year, he unveiled a plan to allocate up to 5% of Brazil’s $372 billion international reserve fund into Bitcoin, signalling a bold approach to national economic sovereignty.

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China’s robotics industry set to double by 2028, led by drones and humanoid robots

China’s robotics industry is on course to double in size by 2028, with Morgan Stanley projecting market growth from US$47 billion in 2024 to US$108 billion.

With an annual expansion rate of 23 percent, the country is expected to strengthen its leadership in this fast-evolving field. Analysts credit China’s drive for innovation and cost efficiency as key to advancing next-generation robotics.

A cornerstone of the ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative, robotics is central to the nation’s goal of dominating global high-tech industries. Last year, China accounted for 40 percent of the worldwide robotics market and over half of all industrial robot installations.

Recent data shows industrial robot production surged 35.5 percent in May, while service robot output climbed nearly 14 percent.

Morgan Stanley anticipates drones will remain China’s largest robotics segment, set to grow from US$19 billion to US$40 billion by 2028.

Meanwhile, the humanoid robot sector is expected to see an annual growth rate of 63 percent, expanding from US$300 million in 2025 to US$3.4 billion by 2030. By 2050, China could be home to 302 million humanoid robots, making up 30 percent of the global population.

The researchers describe 2025 as a milestone year, marking the start of mass humanoid robot production.

They emphasise that automation is already reshaping China’s manufacturing industry, boosting productivity and quality instead of simply replacing workers and setting the stage for a brighter industrial future.

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OpenAI considers antitrust action against Microsoft over AI hosting control

OpenAI reportedly tries to reduce Microsoft’s exclusive control over hosting its AI models, signalling growing friction between the two companies.

According to the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI leadership has considered filing an antitrust complaint against Microsoft, alleging anti-competitive behaviour in their ongoing collaboration. The move could trigger federal regulatory scrutiny.

The tension comes amid ongoing talks over OpenAI’s corporate restructuring. A report by The Information suggests that OpenAI is negotiating to grant Microsoft a 33% stake in its reorganized for-profit unit. In exchange, Microsoft would give up rights to future profits.

OpenAI also wants to revise its existing contract with Microsoft, particularly clauses that grant exclusive Azure hosting rights. The company reportedly aims to exclude its planned $3 billion acquisition of AI startup Windsurf from the agreement, which otherwise gives Microsoft access to OpenAI’s intellectual property.

This developing rift could reshape one of the most influential alliances in AI. Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI since 2019 and integrates its models into Microsoft 365 Copilot and Azure services. However, both firms are diversifying.

OpenAI is turning to Google Cloud and Oracle for additional computing power, while Microsoft has begun integrating alternative AI models into its products.

Industry experts warn that regulatory scrutiny or contract changes could impact enterprise customers relying on tightly integrated AI solutions, particularly in sectors like healthcare and finance. Companies may face service disruptions, higher costs, or compatibility challenges if major players shift strategy or infrastructure.

Analysts suggest that the era of single-model reliance may be ending. As innovation from rivals like DeepSeek accelerates, enterprises and cloud providers are moving toward multi-model support, aiming for modular, scalable, and use-case-specific AI deployments.

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Workplace deepfake abuse: What employers must know

Deepfake technology—AI-generated videos, images, and audio—has entered the workplace in alarming ways.

Once difficult to produce, deepfakes are now widely accessible and are being used to harass, impersonate, or intimidate employees. These synthetic media attacks can cause deep psychological harm, damage reputations, and expose employers to serious legal risks.

While US federal law hasn’t yet caught up, new legislation like the Take It Down Act and Florida’s Brooke’s Law require platforms to remove non-consensual deepfake content within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, employers could face claims under existing workplace laws if they fail to act on deepfake harassment. Inaction may lead to lawsuits for creating a hostile environment or for negligent oversight.

Most workplace policies still don’t mention synthetic media and something like this creates blind spots, especially during investigations, where fake images or audio could wrongly influence decisions.

Employers need to shift how they assess evidence and protect both accused and accuser fairly. It’s time to update handbooks, train staff, and build clear response plans that include digital impersonation and deepfake abuse.

By treating deepfakes as a modern form of harassment instead of just a tech issue, organisations can respond faster, protect staff, and maintain trust. Proactive training, updated policies, and legal awareness will be crucial to workplace safety in the age of AI.

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Bitcoin slides as Trump issues Tehran evacuation warning

Bitcoin prices slumped on Monday evening as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East worsened. The drop followed Trump’s early G7 exit and reported return to Washington for an emergency White House meeting.

The crypto market reacted quickly to the heightened uncertainty. Bitcoin dropped by over $2,000, falling from an intraday high of $108,780 to around $106,421. Ethereum suffered a steeper decline of nearly 5 per cent, while other leading altcoins shed between 5 and 6 per cent.

According to CoinGlass, roughly $400 million in leveraged positions were liquidated, and overall crypto market capitalisation fell by around $80 billion.

The sell-off followed reports of escalating violence in the region. Embassies, including those of China and Russia, have urged their nationals to leave Israel immediately, citing worsening security conditions, civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.

The Chinese embassy recommended departure via land borders, while Russia’s ambassador called for all citizens to leave without delay.

Cryptocurrency markets, already volatile since early May, remain highly sensitive to global political risks. Although Bitcoin is still trading above $100,000, further instability could prompt deeper losses if tensions continue to escalate.

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Anubis ransomware threatens permanent data loss

A new ransomware threat known as Anubis is making waves in the cybersecurity world, combining file encryption with aggressive monetisation tactics and a rare file-wiping feature that prevents data recovery.

Victims discover their files renamed with the .anubis extension and are presented with a ransom note warning that stolen data will be leaked unless payment is made.

What sets Anubis apart is its ability to permanently erase file contents using a command that overwrites them with zero-byte shells. Although the filenames remain, the data inside is lost forever, rendering recovery impossible.

Researchers have flagged the destructive feature as highly unusual for ransomware, typically seen in cyberespionage rather than financially motivated attacks.

The malware also attempts to change the victim’s desktop wallpaper to reinforce the impact, although in current samples, the image file was missing. Anubis spreads through phishing emails and uses tactics like command-line scripting and stolen tokens to escalate privileges and evade defences.

It operates as a ransomware-as-a-service model, meaning less-skilled cybercriminals can rent and use it easily.

Security experts urge organisations to treat Anubis as more than a typical ransomware threat. Besides strong backup practices, firms are advised to improve email security, limit user privileges, and train staff to spot phishing attempts.

As attackers look to profit from stolen access and unrecoverable destruction, prevention becomes the only true line of defence.

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Trump unveils gold smartphone and new 5G wireless service

US President Donald Trump and his sons have launched a mobile phone service called Trump Mobile 5G, alongside plans to release a gold-coloured smartphone branded with the Trump name.

The service is being offered through partnerships with all three major US mobile networks, though they are not named directly.

The monthly plan, known as the ’47 Plan’, costs $47.45- referencing Trump’s position as the 45th and 47th president. Customers can join their current Android or iPhone devices, either with a physical SIM or an eSIM.

A new Trump-branded Android device, the T1, will launch in September. Priced at $499, it comes with Android 15, a 6.8-inch screen and biometric features like fingerprint scanning and AI facial recognition.

At a press event in New York, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump introduced the initiative, saying it would combine high-quality service with an ‘America First’ approach.

They emphasised that the company is US-based, including its round-the-clock customer service, which promises real human support instead of automated systems.

While some critics may see the move as political branding, the Trump Organisation framed it as a business venture.

The company has already earned hundreds of millions from Trump-branded consumer goods. As with other mobile providers, the new service will fall under the regulatory oversight of the Federal Communications Commission, led by a Trump-appointed chair.

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Crypto scandal sparks no-confidence vote in Czech Parliament

The Czech government faced pressure as Parliament debated a no-confidence motion over a scandal tied to a Bitcoin donation. The Justice Ministry sold a crypto donation worth nearly 1 billion koruna ($47 million), triggering outrage over the donor’s criminal record for drug offences.

Justice Minister Pavel Blazek resigned in May, stating he wanted to avoid further damage to the coalition. Prime Minister Petr Fiala accepted his resignation and praised him for acting responsibly.

Eva Decroix, also from the Civic Democratic Party, took over the post and announced an independent investigation into the ministry’s donation handling.

Opposition leaders, including Andrej Babis of the ANO movement, accused the government of possibly laundering money. The organised crime unit is investigating, but the origin and reason for the Bitcoin donation remain unclear.

The four-party coalition still holds a majority, making it unlikely that the no-confidence motion will succeed. However, the affair arrives just months before crucial elections in October, with polls predicting a win for Babis.

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ChatGPT and generative AI have polluted the internet — and may have broken themselves

The explosion of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has flooded the internet with low-quality, AI-generated content, making it harder for future models to learn from authentic human knowledge.

As AI continues to train on increasingly polluted data, a loop forms in which AI imitates already machine-made content, leading to a steady drop in originality and usefulness. The worrying trend is referred to as ‘model collapse’.

To illustrate the risk, researchers compare clean pre-AI data to ‘low-background steel’ — a rare kind of steel made before nuclear testing in 1945, which remains vital for specific medical and scientific uses.

Just as modern steel became contaminated by radiation, modern data is being tainted by artificial content. Cambridge researcher Maurice Chiodo notes that pre-2022 data is now seen as ‘safe, fine, clean’, while everything after is considered ‘dirty’.

A key concern is that techniques like retrieval-augmented generation, which allow AI to pull real-time data from the internet, risk spreading even more flawed content. Some research already shows that it leads to more ‘unsafe’ outputs.

If developers rely on such polluted data, scaling models by adding more information becomes far less effective, potentially hitting a wall in progress.

Chiodo argues that future AI development could be severely limited without a clean data reserve. He and his colleagues urge the introduction of clear labelling and tighter controls on AI content.

However, industry resistance to regulation might make meaningful reform difficult, raising doubts about whether the pollution can be reversed.

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Japanese firms increase Bitcoin holdings

Three prominent Japanese companies have recently increased their Bitcoin reserves, signalling growing institutional adoption in the country’s corporate sector. Remixpoint added 56.8 BTC, pushing its total holdings to over 1,000 Bitcoin.

The firm’s latest purchase, worth approximately $5.6 million, reflects a bullish outlook consistent with its earlier crypto investments.

Video game developer Gumi made a notable entry into the cryptocurrency market with a $6.3 million Bitcoin acquisition. The move forms part of a strategic effort to diversify its strong cash flow from gaming into digital assets.

Similarly, fashion company ANAP Holdings acquired 50.56 BTC as part of a plan to hold more than 1,000 Bitcoin by August 2025, drawing parallels to other major corporate crypto treasury strategies.

These purchases underscore Japan’s emerging role as a key player in the global crypto landscape. Factors such as a weakening yen, low real interest rates, and supportive regulatory frameworks have encouraged traditional firms to view Bitcoin as a valuable portfolio diversifier.

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