Hey there, PoI readers! 💫

It's your favorite crypto connoisseur, Mochi, back with another serving of tantalizing tech and web3 news. From Brazil turning Bitcoin into symphonies and ex-FTX execs raising millions for new ventures to Solana treasury companies sliding on billion-dollar filings and massive insurance hacks affecting millions, we've got a lot to unpack. So, buckle up and get ready for a wild ride through the wonderland of digital assets and beyond!

INTEL BRIEF

🟧 Brazil just approved a wild project to turn Bitcoin's chaotic price swings into live orchestral music, with plans to raise $197K through tax-deductible cultural funding.

🟧 Brett Harrison, former FTX US president, just raised $35 million to build a new institutional trading platform for derivatives, crypto, and traditional assets—proving that even post-FTX, investors still bet big on crypto infrastructure.

🟧 Upexi's stock dropped 7.5% after filing to raise $1 billion for its Solana treasury, though the company hasn't actually bought any SOL in over five months and is sitting on a 19% paper loss.

🟧 Insurance giant Aflac confirmed hackers stole personal and health data of 22.6 million people—including Social Security numbers and medical records—in a breach believed to be linked to the notorious Scattered Spider hacking group.

Brazil Just Approved an Orchestra That Plays Music Based on Bitcoin's Wild Price Moves

Brazil wants you to hear them. An experimental orchestral project just scored approval to raise up to 1.09 million reais ($197,000) through Brazil's Rouanet Law, a tax-incentive program for cultural initiatives. The mission? Transform Bitcoin's price movements into live music performed by an actual orchestra in Brasília, the country's federal capital.

Here's where it gets spicy: the project will use an algorithm to track BTC price data in real time during the performance, converting those wild market swings into musical notation. As Bitcoin pumps or dumps, the melody, rhythm, and harmony shift accordingly. Think of it as the world's most expensive MIDI controller, except instead of your bedroom beats, it's a full orchestra playing the soundtrack to your portfolio's existential crisis.

The concept blends art, mathematics, economics, and physics into what's believed to be an audible representation of Bitcoin's legendary volatility. Will a sudden price spike sound triumphant? Will a crash sound like the Titanic theme? We'll have to wait and see, but the idea of translating market chaos into orchestral composition is undeniably fascinating.

This isn't the first time crypto has gotten artsy. Back in 2020, artist Matt Kane created "Right Place & Right Time," a programmable NFT that shifted its visual appearance based on Bitcoin's price. More recently, AI artist Refik Anadol has been turning datasets—including environmental data from the Brazilian Amazon—into immersive digital art installations.

Brazil's orchestral experiment takes this data-driven art movement to the next level, proving that crypto isn't just disrupting finance—it's remixing culture itself. Fundraising wraps up by December 31, so if you're a Brazilian company looking for tax deductions and avant-garde vibes, this might be your jam.

Brazil approved a project to raise $197K to turn Bitcoin price data into live orchestral music in Brasília

An algorithm will track BTC movements in real time, converting market volatility into melody, rhythm, and harmony

The project builds on earlier crypto art experiments like Matt Kane's price-reactive NFTs and Refik Anadol's data-driven installations

The Guy Who Left FTX Before It Imploded Just Raised $35 Million for His Next Venture

FTX US before it all went kaboom just raised $35 million for his new venture. Brett Harrison, former president of the now-infamous exchange, has secured serious backing for Architect Financial Technologies, a startup building an institutional trading platform that spans crypto, equities, futures, and derivatives. Talk about a comeback story.

According to The Information, the funding round pulled in heavy hitters including Miax, Tioga Capital, ARK Investment, Galaxy, and VanEck—names that don't mess around when it comes to financial infrastructure. This follows a $12 million raise in 2024 backed by Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures, and SALT Fund, bringing Architect's total haul to a respectable war chest.

So what's Harrison cooking? Architect recently scored regulatory approval in Bermuda to offer perpetual futures contracts tied to traditional assets like stocks, commodities, and currencies. If "perps" sound familiar, that's because they were popularized by BitMEX and later became FTX's bread and butter before the exchange spectacularly imploded in late 2022. Harrison, who left FTX months before the collapse, is now betting that the institutional world is ready for a cleaner, more compliant version of the same playbook.

The platform is aimed squarely at professional and institutional traders, offering algorithmic trading tools, advanced risk management, and multi-asset support. Architect plans to expand beyond Bermuda into Europe and Asia-Pacific, signaling ambitions to compete on a global scale.

Why derivatives? Because they're massive. The notional value of global derivatives markets is believed to be in the hundreds of trillions of dollars—dwarfing actual economic output. In crypto specifically, derivatives are estimated to account for 75-80% of total trading volume on major exchanges. But with great volume comes great volatility: the October 10 crypto liquidation event wiped out $19 billion in a single day, the largest on record.

Harrison's betting that institutions want exposure to this wild world—just with better guardrails.

Brett Harrison (ex-FTX US president) raised $35M from ARK, Galaxy, VanEck and others for Architect Financial Technologies

The platform will offer perpetual futures, derivatives, equities, and crypto trading for institutional clients, starting in Bermuda

Derivatives dominate crypto trading (75-80% of volume) but also amplify risk—like the $19B liquidation event in October

Upexi Wants to Spend $1 Billion on Solana and Its Stock Immediately Tanked

Nothing says "investor confidence" quite like your stock dropping 7.5% the moment you announce plans to buy more crypto. Upexi, one of the largest corporate Solana treasury holders, filed a $1 billion shelf registration with the SEC on Tuesday, signaling it might finally break its five-month dry spell on SOL purchases. The market's reaction? A collective "uh, maybe not."

The filing reveals that Upexi could raise funds through common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, and units over time, with proceeds earmarked for "general corporate purposes"—aka stacking more Solana and staking it for rewards. The company currently holds 2.1 million SOL worth $262.3 million, making it the fourth-largest corporate Solana treasury according to CoinGecko data.

But here's the kicker: Upexi hasn't bought a single SOL token since July 23. That's over five months of radio silence during a period when Solana slid from its $293.31 all-time high in January 2025 down to its current price of $123.75—a brutal 57.5% drop. The company's SOL stash peaked at around $525 million in mid-September but has since deflated to $262.3 million, leaving Upexi with a 19% paper loss. Ouch.

The timing couldn't be more awkward. Corporate crypto treasury strategies have cooled significantly in late 2025 amid a broader market pullback, and confidence in the "buy and hold" playbook is reportedly waning. Upexi itself only pivoted from consumer products and e-commerce to a Solana treasury company in late April, making this a relatively fresh (and rocky) experiment.

Shares in Upexi (UPXI) closed Tuesday at $1.84, down 7.54%, though they recovered slightly after hours, climbing 4.34% to $1.92. Whether this billion-dollar filing signals a bold comeback or a desperate Hail Mary remains to be seen, but investors are speculated to be... skeptical.

Upexi filed to raise $1 billion to expand its Solana treasury, but shares fell 7.5% on the news

The company holds 2.1 million SOL ($262.3M) but hasn't purchased any since July 23—over 5 months ago

Upexi is sitting on a 19% paper loss as SOL trades at $123.75, down 57.5% from its $293 January high

Hackers Just Walked Away With Personal Data Belonging to 22.6 Million Aflac Customers

Aflac, the insurance company best known for its duck mascot and supplemental coverage, just confirmed that hackers made off with the personal and health data of approximately 22.65 million people. That's nearly half of Aflac's 50 million customers, according to the company's own website. Quack... ouch.

The breach was initially disclosed back in June, but Aflac kept the victim count under wraps until this week, when it began notifying affected individuals. According to filings with the Texas and Iowa attorneys general, the stolen data is a hacker's treasure trove: names, dates of birth, home addresses, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, passport details, state ID numbers, and—perhaps most worryingly—medical and health insurance information.

In its Iowa filing, Aflac revealed that the cybercriminals responsible "may be affiliated with a known cyber-criminal organization," with federal law enforcement and cybersecurity experts indicating this group was targeting the insurance industry at large. Translation: this wasn't some random script kiddie—it was a coordinated hit. The likely culprit? Scattered Spider, an amorphous collective of primarily young, English-speaking hackers who were actively targeting insurers around the time of the breach. These aren't your typical basement dwellers; Scattered Spider has been linked to several high-profile attacks and is believed to have sophisticated social engineering capabilities.

Aflac wasn't alone in getting breached during this wave. Other insurance companies, including Erie Insurance and Philadelphia Insurance Companies, were also hit around the same time, suggesting a coordinated campaign against the industry.

When reached for comment by TechCrunch, Aflac's spokesperson ghosted them harder than your ex. The company has yet to publicly address the scale of the breach or provide detailed mitigation steps for affected customers.

If you're an Aflac customer, keep an eye on your mailbox (and your credit report). This kind of data combo is premium fuel for identity theft and fraud.

Aflac confirmed 22.6 million people had their personal and health data stolen in a June cyberattack

Stolen info includes Social Security numbers, medical records, driver's licenses, and passport details

The breach is believed to be linked to Scattered Spider, a hacking group that targeted multiple insurance companies simultaneously

And that's a wrap, my lovely PoI readers! hope this edition left you feeling informed, entertained, and maybe even a little bit richer (in knowledge, of course). From orchestral Bitcoin performances to multimillion-dollar data breaches, today's tech world never stops surprising us. Remember to stay curious, stay informed, and keep spreading the love. Until next time, this is Mochi, signing off with a virtual high-five!

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