In the face of rapid technological advancements, the legal and financial sectors must adapt to the shifting landscape. OpenAI's GDPval benchmark suggests that AI could match human experts across various fields by 2027, disrupting office-based jobs in software development, law, accounting, and journalism. This indicates a future where AI-generated work could be compared to human-generated work in fields like investment banking, healthcare, and law. As such, legal and financial professionals must consider the implications of AI on their roles and prepare for possible workplace transformations.
In the crypto market, Bitcoin's performance continues to be closely watched in relation to inflation trends and the Federal Reserve's actions. Amid uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve and new tariff announcements, Bitcoin experienced a slight rebound, marking a 1.5% decrease in 24 hours. This highlights the need for legal and financial professionals to stay abreast of market trends and regulatory changes, as these can significantly impact market behaviour.
Meanwhile, Ethereum developers have approved a plan to increase the network's gas limit to 60 million as part of the forthcoming Fusaka upgrade. This move aims to increase the number of transactions processed per block as demand for block space continues to rise. However, concerns have been raised that rapid or excessive increases could place a heavier burden on nodes and potentially widen the gap between professional validators and smaller participants.
In other news, Vanguard, the $10 trillion asset manager, is reportedly considering a shift in its stance on cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This shift can be attributed to several factors, including the improved regulatory environment and the success of crypto ETFs. This suggests that traditional financial institutions are starting to recognize the potential of digital assets, signaling a shift towards a more pro-crypto direction in the financial sector.
Lastly, the recent 'abnormal withdrawal' from the yield farming platform Hypervault has brought attention to the broader Hyperliquid ecosystem. The incident, which resulted in $3.6 million being drained from the platform, highlights the importance of robust security measures and regulatory compliance in the crypto space. It serves as a reminder for legal and financial professionals to prioritize risk management and due diligence in their operations.
The following article summaries have been sourced from Decrypt, CryptoSlate, NewsBTC, and Crypto Briefing. Each summary includes a direct link to the original source.
OpenAI's GDPval benchmark has found that artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly matching human experts in various professional fields. The benchmark, which tested real jobs such as legal briefs, code, and reports, found that AI models like Claude and GPT-5 outperformed professionals in 44 occupations, showing a threefold improvement in just over a year. The study suggests that the first wave of AI disruption will primarily affect office-based jobs, including roles in software development, law, accounting, and journalism.
The GDPval benchmark focuses on tasks that are predominantly digital, covering roles in professional services, finance, insurance, information sector, healthcare administration, and white-collar manufacturing. It found that jobs most exposed to AI include software development, legal and accounting work, financial analysis, customer service, and content production. The study does not cover manual and physical labor jobs, emphasizing that the first wave of AI disruption will likely affect white-collar, office-based jobs. The report builds on a previous study suggesting that up to 80% of U.S. workers could see at least 10% of their tasks affected by AI, and around 19% could see at least 50% of their tasks affected.
However, the study also highlights the limitations of AI, such as its inability to fully grasp instructions, formatting errors, and struggles with collaboration and client interaction. Despite these limitations, the study suggests that AI could match human experts across various fields by 2027, potentially leading to rapid workplace transformations. While the current GDPval benchmark covers a limited number of tasks, it points to a future where AI-generated work could be compared to human-generated work in fields like investment banking, healthcare, and law.
Bitcoin experienced a slight rebound to $109,300 after falling below $109,000, marking a 1.5% decrease in 24 hours. This comes in the wake of August inflation data which showed a 2.9% year-over-year increase in core inflation. Over $970 million in crypto futures contracts were liquidated in the past day, with $852 million being long positions betting on price increases. Amid new tariff announcements by former President Trump and uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve, 69% of users now predict Bitcoin will fall to $105,000 before reaching $125,000.
Bitcoin's performance is being closely watched in relation to inflation trends and the Federal Reserve's actions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 2.7% year-over-year increase in inflation for August, slightly higher than July's 2.6%. Core consumer spending, excluding volatile food and energy prices, showed that inflation has risen 2.9% compared to the same period last year. Fabian Dori, chief investment officer at Sygnum Bank, noted that while this supports the Fed's narrative of gradually easing price pressures, it still leaves policymakers balancing sticky inflation with signs of a softer labor market.
Bitcoin's value dipped as low as $109,000 in the past 24 hours but has rebounded slightly to about $109,300. Over the past week, Bitcoin has fallen 5.9%, according to data from crypto price aggregator CoinGecko. The cryptocurrency market has been under pressure, with more than $1 billion worth of crypto futures contracts liquidated over the previous 24 hours. The largest single liquidated position was a $19.2 million ETH-USDT contract on Singapore-based exchange HTX. Dean Chen, an analyst for crypto derivatives exchange Bitunix, stated that the recently announced high tariffs remain an uncertain factor that could deliver one-off inflationary pressure while weighing on growth. He added that traders should keep leverage strictly controlled, scale into positions gradually, and validate breakouts/fake-outs through capital flows.
Hypervault Finance, a yield farming platform, has experienced an 'abnormal withdrawal' of $3.6 million. The funds were transferred to crypto mixer Tornado Cash after being bridged to the Ethereum chain. Blockchain security firms, including PeckShield and CertiK, have reported on the incident, with CertiK disclosing the specific wallets linked to the suspected withdrawals. Following the incident, Hypervault's website and social media profiles have become inaccessible.
The incident has brought attention to the broader Hyperliquid ecosystem, upon which Hypervault was built. Hyperliquid is a decentralized exchange specializing in perpetual futures trading, with approximately $2 billion in total value locked. The compromised platform, Hypervault, had $6.01 million in total value locked as of Thursday. The platform had recently announced surpassing $5 million in total value locked, indicating its growing significance within the HyperEVM ecosystem. However, the recent incident has led to a "rug pull" notice for the project on DefiLlama, suggesting the founders may have siphoned user funds and abandoned the project.
Ethereum developers have approved a plan to increase the network's gas limit to 60 million as part of the forthcoming Fusaka upgrade. The decision was confirmed by Ethereum Foundation contributor Tim Beiko during the All Core Devs Execution (ACDE) #221 call. Fusaka's testnet activations are set to commence in October, with a mainnet release expected shortly after. The developers' decision indicates a concerted effort to increase the number of transactions processed per block as demand for block space continues to rise.
This is not the first time Ethereum has revised its gas limit this year. The limit was raised to approximately 36 million units in February and then to 45 million in July. The proposed 60 million limit in the Fusaka upgrade would mark the third increase in 2025, highlighting the central role of scaling in the project's roadmap. Gas on Ethereum represents the computational power required to execute on-chain actions like token transfers, asset swaps, or contract deployments. Everstake, a prominent staking provider, stated that higher gas limits allow for more transactions per block, higher throughput, and improved efficiency across both Layer-1 and Layer-2 systems. However, the proposed adjustment has sparked debate within the community, with concerns that rapid or excessive increases could place a heavier burden on nodes and potentially widen the gap between professional validators and smaller participants.
Vanguard, the $10 trillion asset manager, is reportedly considering a shift in its stance on cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The firm has traditionally maintained a cautious approach towards digital assets, preferring stability and long-term returns over what it once deemed speculative products. Unlike competitors such as Fidelity, Vanguard has historically barred clients from purchasing Bitcoin ETFs on its brokerage platform. However, recent reports suggest that the firm has initiated exploratory discussions with external partners about providing brokerage customers access to select third-party crypto ETFs. It is important to note that Vanguard is not expected to develop in-house products akin to its rivals.
The shift in Vanguard's approach towards crypto can be attributed to several factors, including the improved regulatory environment and the success of crypto ETFs. Over the past year, the Trump administration has steered the US regulatory landscape towards a more pro-crypto direction. This shift is evident in the growing collaboration between key financial watchdogs such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), who are working towards establishing clearer rules for the sector. Additionally, the success of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, which have attracted over $70 billion in inflows since their launch last year, has likely influenced Vanguard's decision. Industry observers, like Nate Geraci of The ETF Store, have long anticipated this outcome, arguing that Vanguard's resistance to crypto ETFs could not persist indefinitely once competitors demonstrated their viability.
BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, is expanding its Bitcoin offerings with a new fund called the iShares Bitcoin Premium ETF. Unlike traditional spot ETFs that passively track Bitcoin's price, this new product is designed to turn Bitcoin's volatility into investor yield. It plans to hold Bitcoin or related instruments and write covered calls against those holdings to earn premiums. These premiums will then be distributed to investors as income, allowing the fund to capture value from Bitcoin's frequent price swings rather than merely reflecting them. This move could potentially disrupt other issuers who are developing income-based Bitcoin products, given BlackRock's dominant position in the spot ETF market.
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas highlighted that the latest filing demonstrates BlackRock's strategic focus on Bitcoin and Ethereum, rather than pursuing ETFs tied to smaller altcoins like some competitors. This focus appears to be paying off, with the firm's early Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs generating over $260 million in annual revenue. However, Robbie Mitchnick, BlackRock's global head of digital assets, suggested that institutional participation in crypto ETFs is still in its early stages, indicating the potential for more capital inflow as regulated offerings mature.
Despite the recent sharp drop in Bitcoin's price, renowned crypto analyst Egrag Crypto maintains that Bitcoin is still in a bull market. Egrag Crypto suggests that the current situation is part of a larger repeating pattern that has been ongoing since late 2022. He asserts that this cycle is not yet complete and anticipates another strong upward movement before the onset of a bear phase.
Egrag Crypto explains that Bitcoin's pattern since December 2022 has been consistent: a price surge, a retest of support, a bounce back, a slight correction, and the creation of a new local high. He emphasizes that the critical level to watch is $103,000. As long as Bitcoin does not fall below this level, Egrag believes there is no cause for concern. Instead, he anticipates another significant price increase before the cycle peaks. His personal target for this move is between $150,000 and $175,000, which he believes will mark the final push of the current bull run before the market transitions into its next bear phase.
Egrag Crypto also draws parallels between Bitcoin and gold. He notes that the high demand for gold, despite predictions of its peak, is indicative of a cycle nearing its top. He expects gold to drop by $600 to $1,000 once peace is restored between Russia and Ukraine, confirming the cyclical nature of the market. Egrag applies this same logic to Bitcoin, insisting that despite the current downturn, the cycle is still active. He plans to invest around $30,000 in the next macro cycle and then shift into strong altcoins, advocating patience and respect for market cycles as the most effective strategy.
The crypto token Aster has been in the limelight since its launch on September 17, with a surge of more than 6,000% in just a few days. This rapid growth has made it one of the most discussed projects in the crypto industry, reflecting the strong interest in innovative decentralized finance projects. The token is backed by Yzi Labs, formerly Binance Labs, and has been publicly endorsed by the former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, which has added credibility and visibility to the project. Despite a recent 28% retraction from its all-time high, the market is watching to see if this is a healthy correction or a sign of deeper pullbacks to come.
Adding to the buzz around Aster, influential YouTuber MrBeast has reportedly purchased 538,384 ASTER, valued at approximately $990K. This move has sparked debate among traders and investors, with some viewing it as a bullish signal that could boost the token's visibility and adoption, while others see it as a potential "top signal" indicating the peak of speculative mania. Regardless of the differing views, MrBeast's involvement has certainly intensified interest in ASTER. The token is currently trading around $1.84, showing signs of stabilization after a sharp pullback from its recent highs above $2.40. The market will be closely watching to see if a consolidation phase could set the stage for a potential recovery.
Dogecoin's weekly chart is displaying a potential macro cup-and-handle pattern, according to crypto analyst badger (@badger0102). The pattern spans the entire 2021–2025 cycle and indicates potential growth beyond previous peaks. The current price of Dogecoin sits between the 0.50 and 0.618 Fibonacci retracements of the measured move, around $0.2268.
The "cup" portion of the pattern traces a multi-year arc from the 2021 peak through a prolonged decline into the 2022–2023 trough and a rounded recovery that accelerated in 2024. The low of the base aligns with the 0.00 Fibonacci anchor near $0.0491, while the right rim formed during the Q1–Q2 2025 thrust that stalled just beneath the 0.786 retracement at ~$0.4181 and ahead of the 0.886 at ~$0.5490. Following this surge, Dogecoin carved a classic "handle" pullback into mid-2025, bottoming in the $0.14 region before pivoting higher. The rebound has since reclaimed the 0.50 at ~$0.1919 and is pressing toward the 0.618 at ~$0.2646.
The chart indicates a series of resistances and targets should momentum persist. If the price can break through the mid-$0.30s to low-$0.40s range, it would constitute a textbook cup-and-handle breakout, potentially leading to higher targets, with the macro target set at approximately $2.3119. On the downside, the handle's structure provides a clear invalidation map, with immediate support resting at the 0.50 ($~0.1919), followed by $~0.1391 (0.382) and $~0.0934 (0.236). A sustained loss in the mid-$0.15s would undercut the pattern, risking a return toward the deep-base band above $0.05 anchored at $0.0491.
SWIFT, the global financial messaging network, is partnering with Linea, an Ethereum-compatible blockchain platform, to develop onchain messaging capabilities. This marks a significant step towards deeper blockchain integration in the world of global finance. The initiative's goal is to bridge traditional banking with blockchain technology through secure, distributed ledgers. This development is a clear indication of the interbank network's shift towards blockchain integration, focusing on the creation of secure blockchain transaction systems.
In addition to onchain messaging, SWIFT is also exploring the creation of an interbank settlement token. Linea, built on Ethereum Layer 2 with zk-rollup technology, is designed to facilitate faster, lower-cost, and more scalable transactions while maintaining Ethereum's security. Its native token, LINEA, supports ecosystem incentives and rewards ETH stakers bridged onto the network. The onchain messaging experiment by SWIFT aims to extend blockchain-based payment settlement beyond traditional messaging functions, highlighting the difference between digital cash transfers and comprehensive onchain activities.
Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang, has forecasted that Elon Musk will be the first to achieve 1 gigawatt of AI compute power. This prediction comes in light of Musk's rapid development of artificial intelligence infrastructure through his AI company, xAI. Huang praised Musk's engineering prowess in constructing large-scale supercomputer systems.
xAI's Colossus II supercomputer is on track to scale to over 500,000 GPUs, making it a potential contender for the first gigawatt-scale AI compute system. Nvidia has been a significant contributor to xAI's projects, supplying over 100,000 GPU units. Musk has expressed his ambition for xAI to reach 1 gigawatt of coherent AI training compute before expanding to 10 and 100 gigawatts. Achieving the gigawatt milestone would be a significant advancement in AI computing capacity, necessitating a substantial power infrastructure and the coordination of hundreds of thousands of processing units working simultaneously.
In a significant development, dormant Ethereum wallets that had been inactive for eight years have been activated, moving approximately $785 million worth of Ether. The funds, originally sourced from major cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, belonged to an early Ethereum participant. The wallets held 736,316 ETH, valued at $2.9 billion, with each Ether token currently trading at around $3,925 according to CoinGecko data. This event is part of a recurring trend of dormant Ethereum whales reactivating and moving their funds after years of inactivity.
In late August 2025, a similar event occurred when over 92,500 ETH was transferred from a foundation-related wallet that had been dormant for 6.6 years. Another significant movement was recorded on August 23, 2025, when 77,735 ETH, worth $368.6 million, was moved to Bitfinex. These transfers are often interpreted as potential indicators of liquidation or repositioning in response to market volatility. Inflows to exchanges like these are typically seen as preparations for trading activity.
