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  • Kazakhstan Goes All-In on Crypto, Zuck's 5GW AI Beast Mode, Hungary Throws Traders in Jail, and Claude AI Becomes Your New Work BFF!

Kazakhstan Goes All-In on Crypto, Zuck's 5GW AI Beast Mode, Hungary Throws Traders in Jail, and Claude AI Becomes Your New Work BFF!

From sovereign wealth funds betting big on Bitcoin to prison sentences for wrong exchanges, plus Meta's Manhattan-sized data center and AI that actually gets your job done – this week's tech madness explained!

Hey there, PoI readers! 💫

It's your favorite crypto connoisseur, Mochi, back with another serving of tantalizing tech and web3 news. From Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund diving into crypto waters and Meta's massive AI data center ambitions to Hungary's strict crypto crackdown and Claude AI's productivity revolution, we've got a lot to unpack. So, buckle up and get ready for a wild ride through the wonderland of digital assets and cutting-edge tech!

INTEL BRIEF

🟧 Kazakhstan's central bank is speculated to be planning investments of its sovereign wealth fund, gold, and foreign exchange reserves into cryptocurrencies, following strategies from Norway, the US, and Middle Eastern countries.

🟧 Meta is reportedly building a massive 5GW AI data center called Hyperion in Louisiana, along with a 1GW facility called Prometheus, as part of the company's aggressive push to compete in the AI race.

🟧 Hungary has enacted strict new laws that could sentence individuals to up to two years in prison for using unauthorized crypto exchanges, with penalties scaling up based on trading volumes.

🟧 Anthropic has launched a major update to Claude AI that integrates with popular productivity tools like Notion, Canva, Figma, and Stripe, allowing users to access these platforms directly through the AI assistant.

Kazakhstan Goes Crypto Shopping With Their National Piggy Bank

Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund has reportedly identified cryptocurrencies as a viable asset class for their national reserves.

Timur Suleimenov, head of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, dropped this bombshell at a press conference, saying the central bank is exploring "aggressive strategies to generate higher investment income" – and crypto is definitely not off the table. The man's basically saying, "Why settle for boring old treasury bonds when you can ride the crypto rollercoaster?"

Timur Suleimenov speaking at a conference hosted by the International Monetary Fund in 2025. Source: IMF

What's particularly interesting is that Kazakhstan isn't just winging it here. They're taking notes from the big players: Norway's sovereign wealth fund (those fjord-dwelling financial geniuses), the US government's digital asset holdings, and various Middle Eastern initiatives. Suleimenov pointed out that these authorities already have "certain investments either in crypto assets directly or in exchange-traded funds and shares of companies closely related to crypto assets."

The central bank chief also revealed plans to establish a national crypto asset reserve using digital assets confiscated by law enforcement.

Kazakhstan still lags behind many other countries in terms of retail crypto adoption. Source: Chainalysis

This move aligns with Kazakhstan's broader ambition to become Central Asia's leading crypto hub, though their current ranking of 57th out of 151 countries in Chainalysis' 2024 Global Crypto Adoption Index suggests they've got some work to do.

Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund is believed to be planning crypto investments alongside traditional gold and forex reserves
The strategy reportedly draws inspiration from Norway, US, and Middle Eastern crypto allocation models
Plans include creating a national crypto reserve using law enforcement-seized digital assets

Zuck Unleashes His 5GW AI Beast Mode on Louisiana

Mark Zuckerberg just dropped some serious infrastructure flex! The Meta CEO announced that his company is building a colossal AI data center called Hyperion that'll pack a whopping 5 gigawatts of computational power. To put that in perspective, that's enough juice to power a small country – or in Zuck's words, cover "most of Manhattan."

This is Meta going full throttle in the AI arms race against OpenAI and Google. After poaching top talent like former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang and former Safe Superintelligence CEO Daniel Gross for their Meta Superintelligence Lab, they're now throwing down the computational gauntlet.

Hyperion is believed to be setting up shop in Louisiana (specifically Richland Parish), where Meta previously announced a $10 billion data center development. Meta spokesperson Ashley Gabriel revealed that they're planning to bring 2GW online by 2030, then scale up to the full 5GW over several years.

Meta's also got Prometheus, a 1GW super cluster coming online in 2026 in New Albany, Ohio. Together, these digital behemoths will reportedly consume enough energy to power millions of homes – which is both impressive and slightly terrifying.

Of course, this massive power grab isn't without its environmental concerns. Meta's data center projects are already causing water shortages in some communities, with Newton County, Georgia residents finding their taps running dry.

Trump administration appears to be fully on board with this energy-intensive AI buildout, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright calling for the US to "lead the next major energy-intensive frontier: artificial intelligence."

Meta is building Hyperion, a 5GW AI data center in Louisiana, plus Prometheus (1GW) in Ohio by 2026
The facilities are believed to be part of Meta's strategy to compete with OpenAI and Google in the AI race
Combined energy consumption could power millions of homes, raising concerns about community impact

Hungary Gets Crypto Cranky and Starts Throwing Traders in Jail

Hungary just went from "crypto curious" to "crypto police state.” The country has updated its Criminal Code with some seriously spicy new laws that could land crypto traders in the slammer for up to two years just for using the "wrong" exchange.

Starting July 1st, Hungary's new legislation makes it a criminal offense to use unauthorized crypto exchanges. We're talking actual prison time here, folks – not just a slap on the wrist or a strongly worded letter from your bank. Trade between 5 million to 50 million forints ($14,600 to $145,950) on an unauthorized platform? That's potentially two years behind bars. Scale that up to the "particularly large value" range of 50-500 million forints ($145,950 to $1.46 million)? Now you're looking at three years.

If you're caught with trades over 500 million forints, you could be staring down a five-year prison sentence.

A highlighted excerpt of Hungary’s updated Criminal Code with the new penalties for using unauthorized crypto exchanges. Source: National Legislation Database of Hungry

The law doesn't just target users either – it's got crypto service providers in its crosshairs too. Running an unauthorized exchange could net you anywhere from three to eight years in prison, depending on the volume of trades.

What makes this particularly messy is that Hungary's Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs (SZTFH) has been given 60 days to develop compliance frameworks for these laws, but there's currently no guidance for companies trying to figure out what's legal and what's not.

The confusion is already causing chaos – Revolut, the UK-based fintech company, initially pulled all crypto services from Hungary before partially reinstating crypto withdrawals only. Even they're scrambling to figure out what's legal in this new landscape.

Hungary's new Criminal Code imposes up to 2 years prison for using unauthorized crypto exchanges
Penalties scale with trading volume, reaching up to 5 years for trades over $1.46 million
Service providers face 3-8 years prison, while regulatory guidance is still being developed

Claude AI Just Became the Ultimate Digital Assistant That Actually Gets You

Anthropic just dropped a massive update that's about to make Claude AI the ultimate digital sidekick. We're talking about a whole new directory of integrated tools that connects Claude directly to your favorite productivity platforms like Notion, Canva, Figma, Stripe, and more.

Gone are the days of having to re-explain your entire project to Claude every single time you want help. You know that annoying routine of "Okay Claude, so I'm working on this project, and here's the context, and here's what I need..." Yeah, that's ancient history now.

Claude can reportedly access your user-approved services and data directly, meaning it actually knows what you're working on. Want Claude to "write release notes for our latest sprint from Linear"? Boom – it'll automatically extract ticket information and generate a polished document. Need to turn a creative brief into a branded Canva post? Done. Want to transform a Figma design into usable code? Claude's got you covered, all without the platform-hopping dance.

Anthropic highlighted some pretty slick use cases that'll make productivity nerds everywhere do a little happy dance:

  • Creating organized Notion roadmaps from AI-guided planning sessions

  • Generating payment summaries using live Stripe data

  • Accessing local applications like Prisma and Socket via the new Claude Desktop app

Now, before you get too excited, there's a small catch (because there's always a catch, right?). While the tool directory is available to all Claude users on web and desktop, certain integrations – particularly with remote apps – are exclusive to paid plan subscribers. Desktop extensions for locally installed applications require the Claude Desktop app to be installed.

This update is believed to represent a significant shift from Claude being just a basic AI assistant to becoming a fully-fledged digital co-worker that actually understands your workflow.

Claude AI now integrates with popular tools like Notion, Canva, Figma, and Stripe through a new directory system
Users can access these platforms directly through Claude without repeatedly explaining project context
Some integrations are exclusive to paid subscribers, while desktop features require the Claude Desktop app

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And that's a wrap, my lovely PoI readers! I hope this edition left you feeling informed, entertained, and maybe even a little bit richer (in knowledge, of course). From national crypto reserves to AI powerhouses and regulatory curveballs, today's tech landscape is more exciting than ever. Remember to stay curious, stay informed, and keep spreading the love. Until next time, this is Mochi, signing off with a virtual high-five!

P.S. Don't forget to share your thoughts, questions, and favorite crypto puns with us. very voice matters in the PoI community! 📣❤️ Share the newsletter

🍨📰 Catch you in the next issue! 📰🍨

Intel Drop #242

Disclaimer: The insights we share here at Proof of Intel (PoI) are all about stoking your tech curiosity, not steering your wallet. So, please don't take anything we say as financial advice. For all money matters, consult with a certified professional. -