AI needs better human data, not bigger models

Opinion by: Rowan Stone, CEO at Sapien

AI is a paper tiger without human expertise in data management and training practices. Despite massive growth projections, AI innovations won’t be relevant if they continue training models based on poor-quality data. 

Besides improving data standards, AI models need human intervention for contextual understanding and critical thinking to ensure ethical AI development and correct output generation.

AI has a “bad data” problem

Humans have nuanced awareness. They draw on their experiences to make inferences and logical decisions. AI models are, however, only as good as their training data.

An AI model’s accuracy doesn’t entirely depend on the underlying algorithms’ technical sophistication or the amount of data processed. Instead, accurate AI performance depends on trustworthy, high-quality data during training and analytical performance tests.

Bad data has multifold ramifications for training AI models: It generates prejudiced output and hallucinations from faulty logic, leading to lost time in retraining AI models to

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-needs-better-human-data-not-bigger-models?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Veteran capital in crypto is shaping South Korea’s elections

Cryptocurrency has emerged as a defining issue in South Korea’s snap presidential election, with candidates vying for support from a growing base of digital asset investors across generations.

All three front-runners have rolled out crypto-friendly proposals. These include the legalization of spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and the easing of banking rules that currently restrict fiat-to-crypto trading to just five platforms.

The June 3 vote is slated to come around two years early, triggered by the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk-yeol after his controversial declaration of martial law in late 2024. Though quickly overturned by lawmakers, the abrupt power grab led to a political crisis and his eventual removal from office.

Yoon’s 2022 campaign leaned heavily on promises to reform crypto regulations — largely aimed at younger voters. This time, the political focus on digital assets has only intensified, as older generations begin to pour significant wealth into

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-south-korea-elections?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

10 red flags that scream ‘fake airdrop,’ and how to avoid them

Key takeaways

In 2024 and 2025, fake airdrop scams targeting Hamster Kombat, Wall Street Pepe and others led to millions in user losses, contributing to over $9.9 billion in global crypto scam damages.

Fake airdrops impersonate legitimate projects, tricking users into revealing private keys, signing malicious contracts or paying upfront fees that lead to irreversible crypto theft.

Warning signs include no official announcement, suspicious URLs, requests for private keys, grammar errors and unrealistic reward promises.

Future airdrops are shifting toward activity-based, retroactive and AI-monitored models that reward genuine user engagement while reducing exploitation.

While cryptocurrency airdrops are a legitimate way for projects to gain publicity and users, scammers exploit this hype, draining wallets through fake campaigns. In 2024 and 2025, fake airdrop scams around projects like Hamster Kombat and Wall Street Peepe cost victims millions. According to Chainalysis, the global estimated losses in 2024 from cryptocurrency scams and fraud,

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/fake-airdrops-and-how-to-avoid-them?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Bitcoin’s new highs may have been driven by Japan bond market crisis

Bitcoin’s recent all-time high may be linked to ongoing issues in the Japanese bond market, possibly signaling BTC’s growing recognition as a hedge against instability in the traditional financial (TradFi) system.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price rose to a new all-time high of $112,000 on May 22, before retracing to change hands above $109,700 at the time of writing on May 26, Cointelegraph data shows.

While some attributed the rally to geopolitical developments, including US President Donald Trump’s announcement of Russia–Ukraine ceasefire talks on May 19, macroeconomic factors appear to be playing a larger role, according to market analysts.

BTC/USD, 1-year chart. Source: CointelegraphJapan bonds hit yield record

Bitwise’s head of European research, André Dragosch, pointed to growing concerns around Japan’s sovereign credit outlook, highlighting a spike in the country’s long-term bond yields.

Japan 30-year LSEG government bonds yield. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The 30-year yield on Japanese bonds reached a new all-time high

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-all-time-high-by-japanese-bond-market-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

How to read Bitcoin candlestick charts (no experience needed)

Key takeaways

Bitcoin candlesticks are a popular tool among Bitcoin traders because they’re simple to use and offer an intuitive way to understand market sentiment and trends.

Bitcoin candlesticks are a rather old tool. Rice trader Honma Munehisa invented them in Japan as far back as the 18th century. They were introduced to Western financial markets in the late 1980s.

They help you understand bullish and bearish patterns in technical analysis. This knowledge will get you started with Bitcoin trading.

They should not be your only tool for making informed decisions. Combine them with other Bitcoin technical indicators, such as MAs (moving averages) or the RSI (relative strength index). 

If you’re new to Bitcoin (BTC) trading, you may wonder when to buy or sell. Candlestick charts, like bar or line graphs, have time on the horizontal axis, while the price data appears on the vertical axis. 

They provide a quick

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/how-to-read-bitcoin-candlestick-charts?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Pakistan appoints special assistant to PM on blockchain and crypto

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Pakistan Crypto Council CEO Bilal Bin Saqib as his special assistant on blockchain and crypto.

Saqib’s appointment takes effect immediately under Rule 4(6) of the Rules of Business, 1973. He has been granted the status of minister of state and will serve without salary or official benefits, according to a May 26 report in the English-language local news outlet, Pakistan Observer.

The move follows a series of government initiatives aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s presence in the digital asset space. Just one day prior, Pakistan allocated 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity exclusively for Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence centers.

In mid-May, Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance also endorsed the creation of a dedicated body to regulate the country’s blockchain-based financial infrastructure. The Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) will serve as a regulatory body to oversee licensing, regulate exchanges, custodians, wallets, tokenized platforms, stablecoins and decentralized finance applications.

Related:

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/pakistan-appoints-special-asstant-to-pm-on-blockchain-and-crypto?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Strategy bags 4,020 Bitcoin as price briefly breaks $110K

Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin investor, bagged a fresh stash of BTC as the price briefly surged above $110,000 last week.

Strategy acquired 4,020 Bitcoin (BTC) for $427.1 million between May 19 and 23, the company announced on May 26.

The latest purchases were made at an average price of $106,237 per coin, with Bitcoin smashing past $110,000 on May 22.

The acquisition marked the fourth Bitcoin purchase by Strategy in May, bringing Strategy’s total BTC holdings to 580,250 BTC, acquired for about $40.6 billion at an average price of $69,979 per coin.

Strategy director sells 2,650 MSTR shares

Strategy’s new Bitcoin acquisition followed a series of Class A sales by Strategy director Jarrod Patten.

According to a Strategy report of the proposed sale of securities filed on May 22, Patten sold 2,650 MSTR shares in the period between May 16 and 21, worth nearly $1.1 million.

Since

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/strategy-bags-bitcoin-price-record-past-110?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Hedera Africa Hackathon launches with $1M prize pool and Web3 focus

The Hashgraph Association and the Exponential Science Foundation have launched the Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025, a global event designed to accelerate Web3 and artificial intelligence adoption across the African continent.

With a prize pool of $1 million, the hackathon will run from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30 and aims to attract over 10,000 participants across 15 African countries, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph.

Organized by two nonprofit organizations — the Switzerland-based Hashgraph Association and the tech research-focused Exponential Science Foundation — the event is open to developers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide.

“We aim to use technologies that converge Web3 with AI to create transparent cognitive solutions that optimize processes and facilitate decision-making and automate the execution,” said Kamal Youssefi, the president of the board of directors at the Hashgraph Association.

All solutions will be built on the Hedera network across four tracks: onchain finance and real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation; ESG

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/hedera-launches-hackathon-in-africa-to-uncover-emerging-talents?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Ethereum co-founder responds to Sweden’s cashless-society rethink

As Sweden rethinks its push toward a cashless society, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin highlighted the fragility of centralized digital payments and the opportunity presented for decentralized payment alternatives. 

In recent years, Sweden has led the charge toward a cashless future, with digital payment platforms becoming widespread. However, as concerns over cyber-threats, civil defense and instability emerged, Swedish authorities are now actively encouraging citizens to keep cash. 

Buterin highlighted that the reversal highlights that while centralized solutions may be efficient, they may not be reliable in times of crisis. 

“Nordics are walking back the cashless society initiative because their centralized implementation of the concept is too fragile,” Buterin wrote, citing a March 16 article by The Guardian. “Cash turns out necessary as a backup.”

Source: Vitalik ButerinHow Ethereum can play a role in a crisis

A former central bank official predicted in 2018 that Sweden would be

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/ethereum-alternative-sweden-cashless-plans?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

$1M Bitcoin by 2030: Big names predict massive debt-driven BTC rally

Some prominent financial commentators and investment analysts are predicting a long-term Bitcoin rally that may send the asset’s price above $1 million before the end of the decade, driven by rising inflation and mounting global debt.

ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood said Bitcoin (BTC) could reach $1.5 million by 2030 in her firm’s “Bull Case” forecast. In a Feb. 11 video, Wood said the price would require BTC to grow at a compound annual rate of 58% over the next five years, largely fueled by increased institutional adoption.

Bitcoin price targets 2030. Source: ARK Invest

Related: Bitcoin hits new all-time high of $109K as trade war tensions ease

Robert Kiyosaki, a popular financial educator and the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, predicted a more modest Bitcoin price of $1 million by 2035.

“I strongly believe, by 2035, that one Bitcoin will be over $ 1 million, Gold will

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/kiyosaki-wood-eric-trump-predict-1m-bitcoin?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound