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  • šŸš€ SoftBank’s AI Infrastructure Power Play | šŸ¤– OpenAI’s Model Comeback | šŸŒ• Firefly’s Volatile Space Debut

šŸš€ SoftBank’s AI Infrastructure Power Play | šŸ¤– OpenAI’s Model Comeback | šŸŒ• Firefly’s Volatile Space Debut

SoftBank buys a Foxconn plant to boost AI hardware, OpenAI restores its old GPT model after issues with GPT-5, and Firefly Aerospace sees early stock swings after its Nasdaq debut.

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šŸ–‹ Today’s Angle

Welcome to your crisp briefing that makes those morning scrolls worth it. Today’s highlight reel:

  • SoftBank makes a strategic pivot buying a Foxconn plant in Ohio to boost AI infrastructure, tying up with OpenAI’s Stargate project.

  • OpenAI hears the outcry and resurrects its old GPT-4o model after the rocky debut of GPT-5 shook workflows and psyches.

  • Firefly Aerospace’s Nasdaq debut brought hype—but the stock cooled off quickly, showing the space sector’s volatility for new public entrants.

  • Chainlink launches a LINK Reserve to fuel long-term blockchain resilience by converting service revenues into tokens, a savvy financial play.

  • El Salvador takes crypto adoption a step further with plans for the world’s first Bitcoin bank, pushing digital currency deeper into mainstream finance.

––Sascha Thiele

šŸš€ Tech & Business

 What Happened: SoftBank acquired Foxconn’s former electric vehicle plant in Lordstown, Ohio, for $375 million. This facility will be repurposed to produce AI servers supporting the Stargate data center initiative, a $500 billion collaboration including OpenAI and Oracle. The plant could become the epicenter of SoftBank’s ambitious plans to build AI infrastructure spanning hundreds of thousands of jobs.

 Why It Matters: This move underscores a global race to control AI hardware production and data center real estate, especially as political tensions and tariffs complicate supply chains. It's a major bet on AI as the future industrial backbone, with potential ripple effects on job creation, cloud computing, and US tech sovereignty..

What Happened: Just 24 hours after launching GPT-5, OpenAI faced backlash over the new model's unexpected performance issues and disruption to user workflows. CEO Sam Altman announced the return of the GPT-4o model for paid subscribers, promising improved performance, doubled rate limits, and a UI tweak to ease switching between versions.

Why It Matters: This rapid pivot reveals how critical user experience is even for bleeding-edge tech. AI’s promise as a ā€œPhD-level expert on demandā€ is exciting but real-world usability bumps show the gap between hype and reality. Altman’s nod to smarter updates and legacy options hints at a more iterative AI rollout strategy.

What Happened: Firefly Aerospace's stock soared during its IPO launch day, fueled by excitement over its historic Blue Ghost lunar landing. But the gains partially reversed the next day, with shares dropping 13% from their peak. The company raised nearly $870 million through its offering and currently holds over a billion dollars in backlog contracts with NASA and other clients.

Why It Matters: Firefly’s market introduction reflects growing investor appetite for space tech plays but also the sector’s inherent volatility. The sharp post-IPO correction underscores how high expectations collide with the challenge of sustaining operational success in aerospace, especially amid competitors like Rocket Lab and the private SpaceX giant.

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šŸ’° The Finance Overview

Make It Rain Money GIF

Giphy

Big Tech shows caution after AI hype with shares in cloud and semiconductor sectors wavering amid geopolitical tension. The rollout of new AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT-5, is under heavy scrutiny as investors watch user adoption closely. Startup investments remain robust but show preference for AI and space tech ventures with clear government contracts or market foothold.

Cloud infrastructure spending is expected to sharpen focus on in-house AI data centers, sparked in part by SoftBank’s bold hardware facility moves. Watch for next week’s earnings from AI hardware providers and the evolving regulatory landscape around crypto assets, with El Salvador’s Bitcoin bank plan hinting at expanded cryptocurrency institutionalization..

Central Banks Money GIF by AmberApp

Gif by darkbean on Giphy

What Happened: Chainlink introduced the Chainlink Reserve, an on-chain treasury that accumulates LINK tokens by converting service payments and enterprise fees into LINK automatically. It currently holds over $1 million in LINK, designed to grow with increasing usage and foster long-term network development.

Why It Matters: This move solidifies Chainlink’s financial foundation, ensuring continuous development funding and incentivizing network security. By automating token accumulation through their Payment Abstraction tech, Chainlink aligns its economic model with increasing decentralized finance adoption and institutional integrations..

What Happened: El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office announced plans to launch "Bitcoin Banks," marking the first institution fully denominated in Bitcoin. This follows the country’s early role in legalizing BTC as legal tender and is seen as a further step toward integrating cryptocurrency into national financial infrastructure.

Why It Matters: This pioneering move could set a precedent globally, signaling a new phase in crypto mainstream adoption by providing dedicated banking services tailored for digital assets. It also challenges traditional fiat dominance and could encourage other nations to adopt similar innovative frameworks.

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