If you know you need to learn how to use AI but you're not sure where to get started, then the team at Volaris has you covered. For just $27, you can get their step-by-step course for using AI to replace your day to day.

Click here to check it out now.

_{Read Time: 10 Minutes}

Today’s Menu

• Gemini 2.5 Pro leapfrogs OpenAI and Anthropic with minimal fanfare despite groundbreaking performance

• New Hampshire becomes first state to create Bitcoin reserve while others scramble to follow

Markets

TODAY IN AI

Gemini 2.5 Pro leapfrogs OpenAI and Anthropic with minimal fanfare despite groundbreaking performance

Google has quietly released Gemini 2.5 Pro I/O Edition, an updated model that has achieved something remarkable: complete dominance across major AI benchmarks without the marketing hype that typically accompanies such advancements. This strategic release once again demonstrates Google's preference for shipping superior products with minimal fanfare while competitors stage elaborate product launches for less capable systems.

The updated model has dramatically dethroned previous frontrunners, claiming the top position on the WebDev Arena leaderboard by surpassing Anthropic's Claude 3.7 Sonnet with a substantial margin. Most notably, it's also captured the coveted number one position across all categories on the LM Arena leaderboard, overtaking OpenAI's flagship o3 model—an achievement few industry observers anticipated this early in the competitive cycle.

Technical improvements in the release focus heavily on development capabilities, with enhanced performance for frontend and UI implementation, code transformation, editing, and creating sophisticated agentic workflows. The model also introduces advanced video understanding capabilities that enable entirely new application types, such as automatically converting video content into interactive learning experiences.

What makes this release particularly notable is its timing—weeks before Google's highly anticipated I/O developer conference, suggesting the company couldn't resist showcasing its technical superiority ahead of the event. This pattern mirrors Google's December approach, when it released a barrage of state-of-the-art model upgrades with minimal marketing compared to competitors.

The technical community has taken immediate notice of these capabilities, with early tests confirming that so-called "vibe coding"—the ability to describe desired functionality in natural language and receive working implementations—has reached unprecedented levels of sophistication. Google's continued focus on developer experience rather than consumer marketing suggests a strategic emphasis on capturing the technical audience that ultimately determines platform adoption across the AI ecosystem.

^{Today In Crypto}

New Hampshire becomes first state to create Bitcoin reserve while others scramble to follow

New Hampshire has made cryptocurrency history by becoming the first U.S. state to officially establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, with Governor Kelly Ayotte signing House Bill 302 into law on May 6. This landmark legislation authorizes the state to allocate up to 5% of its general fund into digital assets, though with a significant restriction—only cryptocurrencies with a market capitalization exceeding $500 billion qualify, effectively limiting current investments exclusively to Bitcoin.

The legislation provides New Hampshire with multiple implementation options, including self-custody of Bitcoin, utilizing qualified custodial services, or gaining exposure through spot ETFs. This flexibility allows the state to adapt its approach as regulatory frameworks and market infrastructure evolve, creating a future-proofed treasury strategy that protects against monetary debasement.

This breakthrough follows recent setbacks in other states, with Arizona's governor vetoing a similar bill just days earlier and Florida's proposed legislation being withdrawn from consideration. Dennis Porter, founder of the Satoshi Action Fund that provided the model legislation, described New Hampshire's action as not merely passing a bill but "sparking a movement," noting that "the first one is the hardest. Now other states have a roadmap to follow."

The successful passage has immediately intensified focus on pending legislation in Texas, Michigan, Maryland, and North Carolina, where similar Bitcoin reserve proposals are under consideration. This state-level competition represents a new front in Bitcoin adoption, with potentially significant implications for domestic monetary policy if multiple state treasuries begin accumulating substantial holdings.

New Hampshire's first-mover advantage establishes it as the pioneer in what increasingly appears to be a race among states to secure Bitcoin positions before potential federal regulations might restrict such activities. The legislation's market capitalization requirement—limiting investment to assets exceeding $500 billion—reveals a strategic focus on established cryptocurrencies with significant liquidity rather than experimental alternatives, suggesting a conservative approach to digital asset treasury management.

Want to share The Future of Disruptive Tech with a friend, family member, or coworker? Pass this link along to them.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Damon James