Summary

Meta drops $200M on AI talent Jeff Pang, OpenAI loses the Windsurf deal and then Google gets outplayed,, while crypto markets go vertical. This may have been the wildest weekend yet in AI and crypto.

In this episode of the NFA Podcast, Nish (Sachdev) and (Michiel)Frackers cover the wildest stories in tech and crypto from the past week. They open with a headline grabber: Meta’s $200 million offer to Apple’s AI exec Jeff Pang.

Nish and Michiel unpack what this means for Meta’s strategy, why they might be abandoning their LLama model and how Pang’s hiring reflects the ongoing AI talent war. Nish argues Meta is now in “spray and pray” mode, hiring brilliant people first and figuring out a product strategy later.

Next, they discuss Kazakhstan’s unexpected decision to build astrategic Bitcoin reserve, raising questions about whether a volatile crypto asset belongs in a country’s sovereign balance sheet. This flows into a wider discussion about decentralization, institutional trust, and the politicalnarratives shaping adoption of Bitcoin.

The biggest geopolitical and policy theme of the episode is “Crypto Week” in the US: three new bills moving through Congress —the Genius Act, Clarity Act, and Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act— could reshape how stablecoins are issued and how digital assets are regulated. Nish breaks down how these laws may impact Circle, Tether and CBDC development across federal and state jurisdictions.

Mid-episode, Michiel drops a jaw-dropping three-part story:OpenAI’s $3B failed acquisition of AI startup Windsurf, Google’s reverse acquihire of its founders and Cognition’s final scoop of the company in a move that stuns the whole industry.

In the final segment, they run through major market updates:Bitcoin, Nvidia, altcoins, and PumpFun’s $600 million launch. The episode closes with a progress check on their trading competition (spoiler: someone is down 75%) and predictions for Bitcoin, the fear & greed index and the arrival of altcoin season.

Michiel's News

Meta Poached Apple’s Pang With Pay Package Over $200 Million

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-09/meta-poached-apple-s-pang-with-pay-package-over-200-million

The most insane 72 hours in startup history just ended.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sytaylor_the-most-insane-72-hours-in-startup-history-ugcPost-7350607437411807234-hYq5

Nvidia to resume H20 chips export to China

https://www.wsj.com/tech/nvidia-wins-ok-to-resume-sales-of-ai-chip-to-china-after-ceo-meets-trump-68f55d71

Nish's news

Cryptoweek in the USA

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/crypto-week-pushes-bitcoin-to-record-high-as-lawmakers-weigh-3-key-bills-in-dc-135334982.html

Pump Fun launches an ICO - sells out in 12 minutes, raising $600 million

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-12/memecoin-platform-pump-fun-raises-600-million-within-12-minutes

Chapter List

00:00 – Intro & Jeff Peng’s $200M Meta Package 

04:34 – Meta's AI Gamble and LLaMA’s Decline 

07:00 – Kazakhstan’s Bitcoin Reserve Strategy 

09:33 – US Crypto Bills: Genius Act, Clarity Act,Anti-CBDC 

13:11 – Wild Windsurf Saga: OpenAI, Google &Cognition 

17:21 – Markets: Bitcoin, Nvidia, PumpFun Token Sale 

20:12 – Trading Competition: Michiel vs. Nish 

22:22 – Predictions: BTC, Fear & Greed, Altcoin Season 

25:58 – Wrap-up & Final Thoughts 

Keywords

Crypto, AI, Meta, Jeff Peng, OpenAI, Google, Windsurf,Cognition, Bitcoin, Kazakhstan, CBDC, Genius Act, Clarity Act, Anti-CBDC, Circle IPO, PumpFun, Altcoin Season, Trading Competition, Nvidia, Trump, Michiel Frackers, Nish, Token Listing, Market Update, Tracer, Crypto News, Web3, Decentralization, Regulation, Crypto Week, Fear and Greed Index

The NFA Podcast is Not Financial Information.