Economic

BBVA advises wealthy clients to invest in crypto

BBVA, Spain’s second-largest bank, advises affluent clients to allocate between 3% and 7% of their portfolios to cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. The guidance comes just months after Spanish regulators approved the bank’s crypto trading services.

According to Philippe Meyer, head of digital and blockchain solutions at BBVA Switzerland, the bank has been advising wealthy clients on Bitcoin since September 2024. He noted that a modest crypto allocation can improve portfolio performance without taking on excessive risk.

Client response, he added, has been largely positive.

BBVA has executed crypto trades since 2021 and began active advisory services in late 2024. In March, Spain’s securities regulator authorised BBVA to offer trading in Bitcoin and Ether, with full mobile integration expected in the coming months.

The move aligns with the broader rollout of the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), which occurred at the end of 2024. Meanwhile, Santander is reportedly exploring the launch of euro and dollar-pegged stablecoins to expand its retail crypto services.

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OKX launches regulated exchanges in Germany and Poland

OKX has expanded its European presence by launching fully compliant centralised exchanges in Germany and Poland. These new platforms offer access to over 270 cryptocurrencies, including more than 60 crypto-to-euro trading pairs.

Integrating the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) infrastructure allows seamless Euro deposits and withdrawals through bank transfers and local payment methods.

The expansion aligns with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, marking a significant step towards regulated crypto adoption in the region. OKX’s acquisition of the first full MiCA licence highlights its commitment to transparency and security, setting a standard for other crypto firms.

Germany is set to lead Europe in crypto growth by 2030, with Poland emerging as a key player thanks to pro-Bitcoin leader Karol Nawrocki. The compliant exchanges may attract increased institutional investment, challenging the view of crypto as an unregulated sector.

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Crypto exchange WhiteBit signs with Juventus

Juventus have announced a new three-year sleeve sponsorship deal with cryptocurrency exchange WhiteBit, further strengthening their ties to the crypto sector. The agreement makes WhiteBit the official crypto exchange partner of the Serie A club, with its logo to appear on the men’s first team jerseys.

The deal, reportedly worth €5 million per season, includes exclusive digital content and joint initiatives designed to engage fans. WhiteBit takes over from asset management firm Azimut, which held the sleeve rights briefly following earlier crypto sponsors Bitget and Zondacrypto.

The partnership marks another strategic push by Juventus into the digital asset space. Earlier this year, crypto firm Tether increased its ownership stake in the club by over ten percent.

WhiteBit, meanwhile, has expanded its footprint in football through a partnership with Barcelona and was among the top ten crypto sponsors globally last season.

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Orange, AFD, and Proparco unite for inclusive and sustainable digital growth

Orange, AFD Group, and Proparco have signed a three-year agreement to accelerate digital inclusion and promote sustainable development across 20 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East. The partnership will focus on deploying high-speed digital infrastructure, including network backbones and submarine cables, to address connectivity gaps in underserved and rural regions.

That initiative responds to stark disparities in internet access, with only 37% of Sub-Saharan Africa connected compared to over 91% in Europe. Beyond infrastructure, the partnership focuses on improving access to essential digital services in key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education, while also promoting financial and energy inclusion to reduce inequalities and empower remote communities.

A major priority is supporting youth and fostering local innovation through programs that provide digital skills training and professional integration opportunities, enabling young people to participate actively in the digital economy. At the same time, the initiative aims to build vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystems so that communities can become creators, not just consumers, of technology.

Environmental sustainability and ethical responsibility are also at the heart of the collaboration, with strong commitments to reducing the digital sector’s ecological footprint and ensuring responsible practices in areas like data use, cybersecurity, and AI. The partnership seeks to embed inclusivity, innovation, and sustainability into the digital transformation process.

That partnership reflects a shared goal of using digital technology to promote equality and sustainable development, focusing on sovereign, innovative, and locally driven digital services.

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Hexagon unveils AEON humanoid robot powered by NVIDIA to build industrial digital twins

As industries struggle to fill 50 million job vacancies globally, Hexagon has unveiled AEON — a humanoid robot developed in collaboration with NVIDIA — to tackle labour shortages in manufacturing, logistics and beyond.

AEON can perform complex tasks like reality capture, asset inspection and machine operation, thanks to its integration with NVIDIA’s full-stack robotics platform.

By simulating skills using NVIDIA Isaac Sim and training in Isaac Lab, AEON drastically reduced its development time, mastering locomotion in weeks instead of months.

The robot is built using NVIDIA’s trio of AI systems, combining simulation with onboard intelligence powered by Jetson Orin and IGX Thor for real-time navigation and safe collaboration.

AEON will be deployed in factories and warehouses, scanning environments to build high-fidelity digital twins through Hexagon’s cloud-based Reality Cloud Studio and NVIDIA Omniverse.

Hexagon believes AEON can bring digital twins into mainstream use, streamlining industrial workflows through advanced sensor fusion and simulation-first AI. The company is also leveraging synthetic motion data to accelerate robot learning, pushing the boundaries of physical AI for real-world applications.

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ChatGPT now supports MCP for business data access, but safety risks remain

OpenAI has officially enabled support for Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) in ChatGPT, allowing businesses to connect their internal tools directly to the chatbot through Deep Research.

The development enables employees to retrieve company data from previously siloed systems, offering real-time access to documents and search results via custom-built MCP servers.

Adopting MCP — an open industry protocol recently embraced by OpenAI, Google and Microsoft — opens new possibilities and presents security risks.

OpenAI advises users to avoid third-party MCP servers unless hosted by the official service provider, warning that unverified connections may carry prompt injections or hidden malicious directives. Users are urged to report suspicious activity and avoid exposing sensitive data during integration.

To connect tools, developers must set up an MCP server and create a tailored connector within ChatGPT, complete with detailed instructions. The feature is now live for ChatGPT Enterprise, Team and Edu users, who can share the connector across their workspace as a trusted data source.

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Senate passes the GENIUS Act to regulate stablecoins

The US Senate has passed the GENIUS Act, the first bill to establish a federal framework for regulating dollar-backed stablecoins. Passed with cross-party support in a 68–30 vote, the legislation marks a major win for the crypto industry, which has long sought clearer oversight.

The bill still requires approval from the House and a signature from President Trump. It would mandate that stablecoin issuers hold reserves in cash or US Treasuries, undergo audits, and disclose their holdings.

While it bans members of Congress and their families from profiting, the same restriction does not apply to Trump and his family — a point of contention among Democrats.

Circle and other crypto firms welcomed the move. Meanwhile, major players like Bank of America, Amazon, and Walmart are exploring their stablecoin offerings. Trump has also backed a new coin, USD1, through his startup World Liberty Financial.

If the legislation becomes law, it could transform payments by encouraging new issuers, reducing reliance on traditional card networks, and expanding global access to digital dollars. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believes the market could surpass $2 trillion by 2028.

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Meta offers $100M bonuses to poach OpenAI talent but Altman defends mission-driven culture

Meta has reportedly attempted to lure top talent from OpenAI with signing bonuses exceeding $100 million, according to OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by his brother, Jack Altman, he revealed that Meta has offered extremely high compensation to key OpenAI staff, yet none have accepted the offers.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is said to be directly involved in recruiting for a new ‘superintelligence’ team as part of the latest AI push.

The tech giant recently announced a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI and brought Scale’s CEO, Alexandr Wang, on board. Altman believes Meta sees ChatGPT not only as competition for Google but as a potential rival to Facebook regarding user attention.

Altman questioned whether such high-compensation strategies foster the right environment, suggesting that culture cannot be built on upfront financial incentives alone.

He stressed that OpenAI prefers aligning rewards with its mission instead of offering massive pay packets. In his view, sustainable innovation stems from purpose, not payouts.

While recognising Meta’s persistence in the AI race, Altman suggested that the company will likely try again if the current effort fails. He highlighted a cultural difference, saying OpenAI has built a team focused on consistent innovation — something he believes Meta still struggles to understand.

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OpenAI brings DALL-E image creation to WhatsApp users worldwide

OpenAI has officially launched image creation capabilities for WhatsApp users, expanding access to its AI visual tools via the verified number +1-800-ChatGPT. Using natural language prompts, the feature enables users to generate or edit images directly within their chats.

Previously limited to the web and mobile versions of ChatGPT, the image generation tool—powered by DALL-E—is now available globally on WhatsApp, free of charge. OpenAI announced the rollout via X, encouraging users to connect their accounts for enhanced functionality.

To get started, users should save +1-800-ChatGPT (+1-800-242-8478) to their contacts, send ‘Hi’ via WhatsApp, and follow the instructions to link their OpenAI account.

Once verified, they can prompt the AI with creative requests such as ‘design a futuristic skyline’ or ‘show a dog surfing on Mars’ and receive bespoke visuals in return.

The move further integrates generative AI into everyday messaging, making powerful image-creation tools more accessible to a broad user base.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is preparing to introduce in-app advertising. With over two billion active users, Meta plans to monetise the platform more aggressively—signalling a notable shift in WhatsApp’s strategy.

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Deepfake technology fuels new harassment risks

A growing threat of AI-generated media is reshaping workplace harassment, with deepfakes used to impersonate colleagues and circulate fabricated explicit content in the US. Recent studies found that almost all deepfakes were sexually explicit by 2023, often targeting women.

Organisations risk liability under existing laws if deepfake incidents create hostile work environments. New legislation like the TAKE IT DOWN Act and Florida’s Brooke’s Law now mandates rapid removal of non-consensual intimate imagery.

Employers are also bracing for proposed rules requiring strict authentication of AI-generated evidence in legal proceedings. Industry experts advise an urgent review of harassment and acceptable use policies, clear incident response plans and targeted training for HR, legal and IT teams.

Protective measures include auditing insurance coverage for synthetic media claims and staying abreast of evolving state and federal regulations. Forward-looking employers already embed deepfake awareness into their harassment prevention and cybersecurity training to safeguard workplace dignity.

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