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Today’s Menu

• Former Meta scientist condemns company's AI division as dysfunctional and fear-driven

• Bitcoin achieves second all-time high in 48 hours as Trump intensifies Fed pressure

Markets

TODAY IN AI

Former Meta scientist condemns company's AI division as dysfunctional and fear-driven

A departing Meta AI scientist has delivered a scathing internal critique comparing the company's culture to "metastatic cancer," exposing deep dysfunction within the 2,000-person AI unit responsible for developing LLaMA models. Tijmen Blankevoort's essay, reported by The Information, reveals systemic problems that could undermine Meta's ambitious AI initiatives.

Blankevoort, who worked directly on LLaMA development, described widespread demoralization among Meta AI employees who lack clarity about the division's mission and strategic direction. His assessment suggests that Meta's AI efforts suffer from fundamental organizational issues beyond simple competitive pressures.

The researcher attributed the dysfunction to a "culture of fear" perpetuated by frequent performance reviews and layoffs that undermine creativity and employee morale. This environment appears particularly counterproductive for AI research, which requires experimentation, collaboration, and tolerance for failure inherent in breakthrough development.

The timing is particularly damaging as Meta launches its Superintelligence unit while aggressively recruiting top talent from OpenAI, Apple, and other competitors with massive compensation packages. If existing employees already feel unmotivated and directionless, integrating new high-profile hires could exacerbate cultural tensions rather than solving them.

Interestingly, Blankevoort reported that Meta leadership responded "very positively" to his critique, expressing eagerness to address the issues he raised. This reaction suggests company executives recognize the severity of the problems and may be prepared to implement significant cultural changes.

The essay validates Sam Altman's prediction that Meta's aggressive poaching tactics would create "deep cultural problems," though Blankevoort's account suggests these issues predated the recent hiring spree. The dysfunction appears rooted in Meta's broader corporate culture rather than specific AI division management.

TODAY IN CRYPTO

Bitcoin achieves second all-time high in 48 hours as Trump intensifies Fed pressure

Bitcoin has shattered through $117,000, marking its second all-time high within 48 hours as a convergence of political pressure, institutional demand, and structural factors drives unprecedented price action. The surge reflects growing confidence that monetary policy will become more accommodative under intensified presidential pressure.

President Trump catalyzed the latest rally by posting that crypto and tech are "through the roof" while calling on the Federal Reserve to "rapidly lower rates." This follows weeks of public pressure on Fed Chair Jerome Powell, with Trump even hinting at potentially firing Powell when his term expires in May 2026.

Markets responded immediately, with Bitcoin surging alongside stocks while Ethereum and Solana caught the momentum. The rally reflects growing investor confidence that Trump's influence over monetary policy will create favorable conditions for risk assets including cryptocurrency.

Institutional demand reached extraordinary levels, with $1.2 billion flowing into spot Bitcoin ETFs—the second-largest single-day inflow ever recorded. Ethereum ETFs experienced their second-best day since launch with $383.1 million in inflows, demonstrating broad-based institutional appetite for crypto exposure.

However, the most significant factor may be that mainstream adoption remains in early stages. As ETF Store's Nate Geraci observed: "Financial advisors, who control enormous amounts of money, have barely even begun allocating to BTC & ETH ETFs... Major platforms such as Vanguard are still gatekeeping these ETFs. And we're still seeing near record inflows."

Additional structural factors support continued appreciation, including declining Bitcoin exchange reserves, retail interest still at early 2021 levels, and rising rate cut expectations. These dynamics suggest current price action reflects genuine structural demand rather than speculative froth.

The combination of political pressure for monetary easing, accelerating institutional adoption, and constrained supply creates conditions for sustained price appreciation. Trump's willingness to publicly pressure the Fed signals a fundamental shift in monetary policy dynamics that could benefit Bitcoin long-term.

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Until next time,

Damon James