🤖Humanoid Takes Voice Commands

☀️Good morning. It's Friday, Feb. 21, and we're covering, Japan’s Inflation Hits 2-Year High, Pushing Calls For BOJ Rate Hikes, Figure’s Humanoid Robot Can Takes Voice Commands For Household Tasks, China Backs Trump’s Ukraine Peace Effort At G20, and much more. First time reading? Sign up to get this newsletter: Sign up here.

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MARKETS

Cryptocurrency Prices by Market Cap

• The global cryptocurrency market cap today is $3.24 Trillion, a 1.25% increase in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $90.98B, which makes a 8.69% increase.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $7.58B, 8.33% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $86.75B, which is 95.35% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 60.20%, an increase of 0.04% over the day.

Metaplanet Expands Bitcoin Holdings To 2,100 BTC With Latest $6.6 Million Purchase

Metaplanet has continued its aggressive Bitcoin accumulation, announcing the acquisition of an additional 68.59 BTC for approximately $6.6 million at an average price of $96,335 per Bitcoin. Since launching its Bitcoin strategy in April 2024, the Japan-listed firm has aggressively accumulated BTC, growing from just 141 BTC in June 2024. The company aims to reach 10,000 BTC by the end of 2025 and 21,000 BTC by 2026. (Read Deeper)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Japan’s Inflation Hits 2-Year High, Pushing Calls For BOJ Rate Hikes

Japan's inflation rate rose to 4% in January, the highest level since January 2023, strengthening the case for potential rate hikes by the Bank of Japan (BOJ). Core inflation, excluding fresh food, climbed to 3.2%, while core-core inflation, which also excludes energy, increased to 2.5%. This marks the 34th consecutive month that inflation has exceeded the BOJ's 2% target. The inflation data follows stronger-than-expected GDP growth for the last quarter but a sharp slowdown in full-year 2024 growth to just 0.1%.

Takeaway: Following the data release, the yen appreciated slightly against the U.S. dollar. BOJ officials, including Governor Kazuo Ueda and board member Hajime Takata, have signaled growing concerns over inflation risks and the need for higher interest rates. Japanese 10-year government bond yields, which had reached a 15-year high, slightly declined. (Read Deeper)

Alibaba Shares Hit Three-Year High As AI And Cloud Investments Fuel Growth

Alibaba’s shares surged to a three-year high after reporting better-than-expected Q3 revenue and announcing major investments in AI and cloud computing. Its U.S.-listed stock jumped 8%, with billionaire investor Ryan Cohen increasing his stake to $1 billion. CEO Eddie Wu highlighted AI as a generational opportunity, stating Alibaba will invest more in AI and cloud in the next three years than in the past decade. Investor confidence was further bolstered by Jack Ma’s presence at a recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Takeaway: The company’s revenue reached ¥280.15B ($38.58B), slightly above expectations. Domestic e-commerce (Taobao & Tmall) grew 5%, while international e-commerce surged 32%. Alibaba’s Cloud Intelligence Unit posted 13% growth. The company is collaborating with Apple to integrate AI into iPhones sold in China and has released an upgraded AI model, Qwen 2.5, outperforming DeepSeek-V3. Alibaba's stock is up 60% in 2025, solidifying its position as a leader in China’s AI race. (Read Deeper)

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

Figure’s Humanoid Robot Can Takes Voice Commands For Household Tasks

Figure, a Bay Area robotics firm, has introduced Helix, a new Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model that enables humanoid robots to perform household tasks using voice commands. Similar to Google DeepMind’s RT-2, Helix integrates visual data with large language models (LLMs) to allow robots to understand and execute commands in real time. The technology enables robots to handle thousands of household objects and collaborate on tasks, addressing the challenges of home environments, which are far less structured than factories or warehouses.

Takeaway: Figure has primarily focused on workplace robotics, this new announcement signals a shift toward domestic applications. The company acknowledges that extensive machine learning and adaptation are needed to make home robots practical. Although still in early development, Helix represents a step toward intelligent, adaptable household robots, and the announcement serves as both a technological milestone and a recruitment push for engineering talent. (Read Deeper)

Meta Approves Executive Bonuses Of Up To 200% Amid Workforce Cuts

Meta has approved a new executive compensation plan that could increase bonuses to 200% of base salaries. The decision, disclosed in an SEC filing, comes as the company moves forward with plans to lay off around 4,000 employees, or 5% of its workforce. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has framed the job cuts as a way to eliminate "low-performing" employees and improve efficiency.

Takeaway: The updated bonus structure does not apply to Zuckerberg and was justified by Meta as a way to bring executive pay in line with industry standards. The company stated that previous executive compensation was below the 15th percentile among industry peers, and the adjustment moves it to the 50th percentile. The layoffs have drawn criticism, with some employees claiming they were let go despite strong performance reviews. (Read Deeper)

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

China Backs Trump’s Ukraine Peace Effort At G20

China has backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate a peace deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, as revealed at a G20 meeting in South Africa. Meanwhile, U.S. allies, including Australia, Germany, and the UK, have reaffirmed their support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump’s approach marks a sharp departure from past U.S. policy, as he has engaged directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin while sidelining Ukraine. His recent comments labeling Zelenskiy a “dictator” have further strained relations.

Takeaway: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed support for U.S.-Russia negotiations, though analysts suggest Beijing is mainly observing the situation while ensuring its interests are protected. Some experts believe China could be angling for a future role in Ukraine’s reconstruction. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration has agreed to further talks with Russia, though Moscow remains firm on its stance against Ukraine joining NATO. (Read Deeper)

Israel Rejects Hamas’ Claim Of Returning Shiri Bibas’ Body

Israel has rejected Hamas’ claim that it returned the body of Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother kidnapped with her two sons during the October 7, 2023, attack. The Israeli military confirmed through forensic testing that the body returned was not Bibas or any other known hostage. However, her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, and another hostage, Oded Lifshitz, were positively identified. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hold Hamas accountable.

Takeaway: Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, which included the return of four deceased hostages, and demanded Bibas’ body be handed over. Hamas previously claimed Bibas and her children were killed in an Israeli airstrike, while Israeli intelligence asserts the boys were murdered in captivity in November 2023. The hostage exchanges are part of a ceasefire deal that started on January 19, 2024, with 28 hostages and over 1,000 prisoners exchanged so far. (Read Deeper)

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

A$AP Rocky And Rihanna Joke About Naming Next Baby After Lawyer

A$AP Rocky was found not guilty on two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, bringing relief to him and Rihanna. After the verdict, the couple jokingly told their lawyer, Joe Tacopina, that they might name their next child "A$AP Joe" in his honor. Rocky, facing a possible decade-long prison sentence, had expressed gratitude to Tacopina before the decision. When the verdict was read, he emotionally embraced Rihanna in the courtroom. Rihanna later shared her relief on social media, crediting God for the outcome. (Read Deeper)

Kim Kardashian Confirms She’s Not Taking A Cut As North West’s Momager

Kim Kardashian confirmed that she is not taking a percentage of North West’s earnings, despite managing her daughter’s growing career. In the February 20 episode of The Kardashians, Kim told her sister Khloé that she wasn’t acting like their mom, Kris Jenner, who takes a 10% cut from her daughters’ careers. The conversation came as Kim debated whether to let North, then 10, perform as Simba in The Lion King 30th anniversary celebration at the Hollywood Bowl. (Read Deeper)

PODCAST(WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO)

• Majorana 1 Explained: Hear from the Microsoft team behind the recent breakthrough in physics and quantum computing demonstrated by the new Majorana 1 chip. (Listen)

EXTRA BREVITI

• Rivian Nears Profitability but Warns of Policy Risks Under Trump Administration. (Read More)

• OpenAI Hits 400 Million Users Despite Rising Competition from DeepSeek. (Read More)

• Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei told President Xi Jinping that concerns over China’s lack of domestic semiconductor chips and operating systems have eased. (Read More)