MagazinAisle

Category: Business

  • Man who bought house for £395,000 discovers he owns school next door worth millions

    Man who bought house for £395,000 discovers he owns school next door worth millions

    A business owner ended up getting more than he bargained for when he bought a house after a legal mixup meant that he ended up also owning the primary school next door.

    Sukhjit Bains had bought the three bedroom house from Birmingham City Council at auction for £395,000, but when he was finalising the purchase his solicitor mistakenly sent him the incorrect kind of contract, which also included the school in the purchase.

    This initial error was then also not noticed by the conveyancers at the council, who approved the purchase, making Mr Bains the legal owner of the three bedroom house, and George Dixon Primary School.

    It would take an astonishing 10 years for the error to be noticed, when the school applied for status as an academy, the Daily Star reports.

    Mr Bains reportedly only discovered he had been the unwitting owner of the school the whole time when the council had to make the awkward call to him to request that he give it back.

    As technically speaking Mr Bains is the legal owner of the school, if he wanted to he could potentially do things like demand rent to use the property or even attempt to evict the school and demolish it.

    He technically owns the school (Getty Stock)

    He technically owns the school (Getty Stock)

    Mr Bains runs a care provider called NH Care Ltd, and bought the property at auction back in 2013. The house itself was originally built as a cottage for the school caretaker, and it’s this link that created the circumstances which made the extraordinary mistake possible.

    Due to their connection, both the school and the house are registered under the same number on the land registry.

    When the contracts were being drawn up the form used was one called a TR1, which transfers all the property which is registered under a single number with the land registry.

    That meant that no legal distinction was made between the former caretaker’s cottage that Mr Bains was purchasing, and the entire school which was registered under the same number.

    When he found out about the bizarre situation Mr Bains initially agreed to return the school to the council.

    However, since then he has stopped replying to the council, and has also declined to sign paperwork which has been sent over to him.

    It is believed that the parents of the more than 300 pupils at the school were not aware of the situation.

    The caretakers cottage (Google Street View)

    The caretakers cottage (Google Street View)

    Birmingham City Council has confirmed that it has now started legal proceedings in a bid to get the school returned to them after the colossal mistake, claiming that he has not answer letters, and phone calls, and that they have also been unable to reach him at his office in person as well after sending council officers to speak with him.

    The city council, which went bankrupt in 2023, has launched a legal case against Mr Bains, as well as against Lloyds Bank who are his lender, with the case being pursued in the High Court in London.

    In their case, the council sets out its formal demand that the school be returned to them, as well as saying that both the school and the playing fields attached cannot be sold without the permission of the Secretary of State.

    A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said: “The council is pursuing the appropriate legal process to rectify the position.

    “As the matter is currently the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

  • Will Bitmine outperform expected crypto bull market after acquiring another 12,532 ETH?

    Will Bitmine outperform expected crypto bull market after acquiring another 12,532 ETH?

    Bitmine’s Ethereum obsession

    Besides accumulating, the company is also aggressively staking Ethereum to earn passive income. As per its latest update, Bitmine has staked approximately 5.07 million $ETH, worth $12.9 billion, through its own validator network, MAVAN, and staking partners.

    At a reported annualized yield of 2.61%, Bitmine estimates that fully staking its holdings could generate around $400 million annually. However, concerns remain as staking returns can fluctuate, and staked $ETH may face liquidity constraints.

    Beyond this, Bitmine has also issued preferred stock, BMNP, offering a stated 9.5% annual dividend rate. This is another funding mechanism.

    Is Bitmine’s roadmap rocky or smooth?

    As Bitmine touched multiple milestones, Chairman Tom Lee noted,

    We believe Bitmine is positioned to outperform the crypto bull market that we expect to be coming, as the company has strengthened its competitive position over the past year in the midst of a crypto winter (bear market).

    This statement came within days of Lee predicting that $ETH could hit $5,000 by year-end.

    However, with BMNR trading at $23.83 following a drop of 0.83% at press time, there may still be cause for caution.

    Ethereum’s on-chain metrics raise red flags

    At the time of writing, $ETH was trading at $2,500.71 after falling by 1.5% in 24 hours.

    On the contrary, CryptoQuant’s data suggested that its network activity and development have remained resilient lately. Despite significant price volatility.

    For example, $ETH fell from above $4,500 to nearly $1,500, before recovering to around $2,500. And yet, daily active addresses have generally maintained a baseline of roughly 330,000–500,000.

    Source: CryptoQuant

    Meanwhile, the number of smart contracts has increased from approximately 60 million in January 2026 to over 72 million by October 2026.

    Source: CryptoQuant

    Still, if the price action continues to give in to the sellers, it would be difficult for on-chain metrics to pull up the bullish narrative for Ethereum.

    Final Summary

    • The largest Ethereum DAT has accumulated about 4.9% of Ethereum’s total circulating supply.
    • Bitmine has so far staked approximately 5.07 million $ETH, worth $12.9 billion.
  • Bitcoin Shakes Off Spooky Season Jitters: Can Bulls Keep It Going?

    Bitcoin Shakes Off Spooky Season Jitters: Can Bulls Keep It Going?

    In brief

    • Bitcoin is up 2.24% at $83,591.79 after dipping to $80,953.41, a higher low than the $80,365.12 swing that started its latest bounce.
    • The Crypto Fear and Greed Index sits at a neutral 55, down from an “extreme greed” peak of 82 in August.
    • Myriad traders give 54% odds that Bitcoin touches $80,000 in October and 45% odds it reaches $87,500.

    Bitcoin is bouncing today following a week that had traders swapping “Uptober” memes for “spooky szn” ones after BTC cut its September gains in half.

    The price of Bitcoin today slid to $80,953.41 early Tuesday, extending a Monday sell-off, then reversed to $83,591.79, up 2.24% on the day.

    Myriad: How high will Bitcoin go? Click to make your prediction.
    Myriad: How high will Bitcoin go? Click to make your prediction.

    The Crypto Fear and Greed Index, a 0-to-100 sentiment gauge built from momentum, volatility, options positioning and social data, fell to 53 from an “extreme greed” reading of 82 on Aug. 26. It reads 56 today, a neutral score. What it boils down to is this: The August euphoria is gone, but traders aren’t panicking either.

    Bitcoin ETFs are down a net $386.3 million in October, and outflows force funds to sell actual Bitcoin. Wednesday’s Consumer Price Index report, expected to show annual inflation rising to 3.6% from 3.4%, is the next test: a hotter print would boost rate-hike bets and likely pressure Bitcoin. The Federal Reserve meets Oct. 27-28.

    Traders on Myriad, a prediction market developed by Decrypt‘s parent company Dastan, give 54% odds that Bitcoin falls to $80,000 this month, down from 56% on Monday. The BTC highs in October market holds at 45% for $87,500. So, overall, sentiment has improved today, even if slightly.

    Bitcoin price: Bulls defend the golden zone

    Today’s low stopped about $588 above $80,365.12, the swing low where the bounce began. That higher low is what traders want in an uptrend. Bitcoin also reclaimed the Fibonacci “golden zone” between $81,847.57 and $82,305.50, an area where pullbacks within uptrends often draw buyers.

    Bitcoin price data. Image: Tradingview
    Bitcoin price data. Image: Tradingview

    The Average Directional Index, or ADX, measures trend strength, and readings above 25 confirm a trend. It reads 29.9 with buyers in control, but it was 42.8 on Oct. 7, so the uptrend is coasting rather than accelerating. The 50-day exponential moving average stayed above the 200-day, a golden cross traders read as an intact long-term uptrend.

    The Relative Strength Index, a 0-to-100 momentum gauge, sits at 53.4, just above the 50 line that separates bullish from bearish momentum. The Squeeze Momentum Indicator has been on for seven sessions, meaning volatility is compressed like a coiled spring, and its -0.52 reading leans slightly bearish.

    BitcoinBTC · USD

    $83,131−0.74%

    Oct 7Oct 9Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14

    $84.2k$83.1k$81.9k$80.7k

    24h HighHigh$84,025

    24h LowLow$82,919

    VolVol$1.1B

    Market projectionsOdds by Myriad

    →

    A daily close above $84,245.88 would open $86,644.19, then the $87,422.70 high, about $77 shy of Myriad’s $87,500 line. Losing $81,603.02 would bring the daily trend band’s upper edge into play just above $80,000. A close below it would expose $77,500.

    Until Wednesday’s CPI print, the active squeeze points to a market that is winding up rather than picking a direction. Oil and Iran headlines, Treasury yields, and daily ETF flows remain the short-term catalysts to track.

    Disclaimer

    The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.

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  • Japanese Bitcoin Company Metaplanet’s 52 Billion Yen Bitcoin Plan: Debt to be Paid Off, Shares to be Buyback! Here are the Details

    A conversion price of 339 yen per share was set for the bonds. Under the specified conditions, investors will be able to convert their bonds into company shares between November 12, 2026, and October 15, 2031. The bonds will not pay periodic interest, but the right to convert them into shares will give investors the opportunity to participate in the company’s future price performance.

    Metaplanet plans to conduct its initial share buyback through the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s ToSTNeT-3 over-the-counter trading platform. The company estimates that the amount of shares it can repurchase could reach approximately 7.1% of its total holdings. The actual amount will depend on the number of shares offered for sale.

    The buyback could increase the Bitcoin per share ratio by reducing the amount of shares in circulation. Conversely, the future conversion of bonds into shares will create new shares, potentially diluting the ownership stake of existing investors.

    The company announced that it held 44,000 BTC as of the end of September. However, the new bond proceeds are not planned to be used to buy Bitcoin. Since the funds are allocated to debt repayment and share buybacks, this development should not be interpreted as Metaplanet making a new Bitcoin purchase worth 52 billion yen.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Man who spent 40 days in cave without concept of time breaks down the astonishing effects on his body

    Man who spent 40 days in cave without concept of time breaks down the astonishing effects on his body

    A man who spent 40 days underground as part of an experiment on how removing the perception of time impacts people spoke of feeling ‘liberation’ during the experiment.

    Christian Clot led a group of volunteers spent 40 long days inside a cave in the south of France as part of an science experiment called ‘DeepTime’ which charted how it impacted people when you remove the usual ways that we chart the passage of time.

    “During the first week in the cave, it was really hard to accept the idea that when I wake up, I didn’t have to check my smartphone or my watch to see if I slept enough. I just have to listen to my body,” Clot said.

    “It was like a liberation, you know. It was like: Wow, amazing. I just have to listen to me!”

    When we say removing the passage of time, we don’t just mean taking away people’s watches and phones – the experiment very deliberately put them in a place that would take things much further.

    Our bodies have a natural rhythm for when to sleep and wake, based on things like sunlight which gives us an idea of what stage of the day it is, but here even this factor was removed by isolating the group in the cave.

    How would you sleep if you could get up whenever you wanted? (Getty Stock)

    How would you sleep if you could get up whenever you wanted? (Getty Stock)

    That meant that the people in the cave were entirely removed from any external sense of the time, whether it was artificial or natural, meaning that people had only their intuition or general ‘sense’ of time.

    During their underground stay volunteers could take scientific observations, with the cave being mostly dark except for one living area which was lit up.

    The volunteers were instructed to simply eat and sleep when they felt like they needed to, while it was ‘absolutely forbidden to wake up someone else’ so people just woke up when they woke up.

    Fascinatingly, the experiment found that there was a lot of individual variation among the people who participated.

    Clot told Insider that after the 40 days underground most of the people involved had completed just 40 ‘cycles’ of what we might think of as a day, indicating that they ended up on a time frame of 30 hours instead of 24.

    The experiment also removed daylight as a factor in regulating participants' sleep cycles (Getty Stock)

    The experiment also removed daylight as a factor in regulating participants’ sleep cycles (Getty Stock)

    One person on the study had an even longer cycle, sleeping 23 times over the course of the 40 day experiment.

    Things also changed over the course of the experiment as well as people began to readjust to the strange new environment in which they found themselves.

    At first, Clot said that people were entirely out of sync with one another as they were still tied to how they would sleep and wake up in their everyday lives.

    “People were awake around the clock,” said Clot.

    But he noticed that as the days, such as they were, continued to pass on people began to fall into a strange synchronicity.

    “In an unconscious way, when people wanted to be together, they woke up at the same time,” said Clot.

    It just goes to show how forces that we think of as all-encompassing are in fact a lot more malleable than we might expect.

  • Stacks’ STX, a Bitcoin layer-2 token, has surged by 50% in four weeks

    Stacks’ STX, a Bitcoin layer-2 token, has surged by 50% in four weeks

    This creates a positive feedback loop for $STX: As more $BTC moves into the Stacks ecosystem, a larger portion of $STX is systematically locked up and removed from the active market. By tying bitcoin liquidity directly to $STX scarcity, the architecture skews demand-supply dynamics heavily in favor of long-term price appreciation.

    Period 3 follows Periods 1 and 2, which served as preparatory phases to safely transition signers and bootstrap initial liquidity.

    $STX is not the only coin to have surged over 24 hours. BDX, REDNER, and PYTH are other major gainers, adding 6% each. It’s a sign of liquidity increasingly pivoting to coins other than the major cryptocurrencies.

    Still, the broader context remains tightly bound to macroeconomic indicators. Analysts are getting ready for Wednesday’s U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, which could heavily influence expectations for upcoming Federal Reserve interest-rate decisions. Stay alert!

    Read more: For analysis of today’s activity in altcoins and derivatives, see Crypto Markets Today . For a comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead.”

    What’s trending

    • Ledger says ‘spy’ chip inside CryptoBilis Ledger devices transmitted wallet keys over mobile network (CoinDesk): Covert hardware implanted in some Ledger crypto wallet devices read users’ 24-word recovery phrases and sent them to an attacker over a mobile phone network.
    • Global semiconductor stocks sell-off over AI boom worries pulls Asian shares lower (AP): Global shares were mixed, but a selloff in chipmaker shares pulled Asian shares lower, with South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index falling more than 5%. U.S. futures edged higher, and oil prices fell.
    • Bitcoin whale that sat through the March 2020 crash moves $378 million (CoinDesk): A bitcoin whale who received their coins days before the Covid crash of March 2020 and sat through it has moved $377.6 million worth of $BTC.
    • U.S. Treasury yields fall as energy prices pull back (CNB): Bond yields fell after energy prices dropped in early trading as investors looked ahead to key economic data releases this week.
  • Solana Treasury Firm DeFi Development Keeps Buying SOL as CHAD Preferred Stock Hits Record

    Solana Treasury Firm DeFi Development Keeps Buying SOL as CHAD Preferred Stock Hits Record

    In brief

    • DeFi Development Corp added about 22,070 SOL and SOL equivalents last week, lifting its treasury to roughly 2,586,282 tokens, up 12% since August 12.
    • Its CHAD perpetual preferred stock, which pays a 13% annual dividend on a $10 stated amount, hit record highs in the week ended October 9 and is approaching $10 after an IPO priced at $8.
    • DFDV common stock traded near $4.41 on Monday, giving the company a market value of about $144 million against roughly $287 million worth of SOL.

    DeFi Development Corp, the Nasdaq-listed Solana piggy bank, added about 22,070 SOL—worth about $2,373,211—and “SOL equivalents” to its treasury last week, according to a press release published Monday.

    That brings its stash to roughly 2,586,282 tokens, worth about $287 million with SOL near $111. Weekly buys keep shrinking, from 101,381 SOL in mid-September (around $11.4 million) to 47,706 ($5.8 million), then 26,202 ($3.1 million).

    Myriad: Where does Solana go next? Click to make your prediction.
    Myriad: Where does Solana go next? Click to make your prediction.

    DFDV is a digital asset treasury company, a public firm that holds a cryptocurrency so stock investors can bet on it without opening a crypto account. It was a real estate software firm called Janover until April 2025, when it pivoted to Solana and copied Strategy’s Bitcoin playbook.

    CHAD, the company’s perpetual preferred stock, hit all-time highs in the week ended October 9 and is approaching $10. Perpetual preferred shares never mature and get dividends before common stock; CHAD pays a variable 13% a year on its $10 stated amount, or $1.30 per share, declared each business day.

    “CHAD reaching new highs and approaching $10.00 even as SOL pulled back is an encouraging sign that investors are recognizing its distinct income proposition,” said Dan Kang, Chief Strategy Officer. “For common shareholders, CHAD provides a funding source that can support accretive SOL per share growth without issuing additional common shares. For CHAD holders, it offers daily income supported by that growing, productive treasury,” he added.

    That record sounds less dramatic once you know the shares priced their IPO at $8 in September, below their own stated amount. Last week DFDV even authorized buybacks for whenever CHAD trades under its $10 par value. Mission nearly accomplished.

    BitcoinBTC · USD

    $83,280−3.4%

    Oct 6Oct 8Oct 10Oct 11Oct 13

    $86.6k$84.6k$82.7k$80.7k

    24h HighHigh$84,074

    24h LowLow$81,018

    VolVol$1.3B

    Market projectionsOdds by Myriad

    →

    The price matters because DFDV funds its SOL purchases through a $300 million at-the-market program, which sells new CHAD shares gradually at market prices. The closer CHAD trades to $10, the more SOL each new share buys.

    “Short-term volatility has not changed our conviction or our commitment to accumulating SOL,” CEO Joseph Onorati said in the release.

    SOL fell about 9% over seven days, and nearly $1 billion in long positions, or bets that prices would rise, were liquidated in 24 hours. Liquidation is forced selling: when traders bet with borrowed money and prices fall far enough to wipe out their collateral, exchanges close the bet automatically, pushing prices lower still.

    A 13% dividend looks generous, but CHAD is backed by a company whose main asset trades about 62% below its January 2025 peak of roughly $295. The release itself warns that staking rewards may not be enough to cover dividends.

    DFDV’s common stock traded near $4.41 on Monday, a market value of about $140 million—roughly half the value of its SOL, though it also carries debt. When a treasury company trades below its crypto stash, selling shares to buy tokens stops making sense, one reason the sector is under pressure.

    CHAD holders will keep collecting $0.00516 per share for each business day through October 30, and the next macro test arrives Wednesday with the U.S. September inflation report.

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  • MI5 Chief warns of growing terror AI threat as right-wing extremism reaches children as young as 13

    MI5 Chief warns of growing terror AI threat as right-wing extremism reaches children as young as 13

    Extreme right-wing terrorism is continuing to infiltrate younger people in the UK who are being taken down ‘dark paths’ of the internet, the Director General of MI5 has said.

    In his annual update on current threats to the UK, Sir Ken McCallum said that just months ago, MI5 was investigating a radicalised extreme right-wing 13-year-old in the UK.

    During his speech to select media at Thames House, the headquarters of the UK’s domestic intelligence agency, today (13 October), Sir Ken said of the investigation: “Believe me, we wish we didn’t have to. But that investigation generated insight that enabled one of our international partners to prevent a lethal attack on their soil.”

    He added: “We will continue to work tirelessly to detect and get ahead of such volatile threats. But no system can catch them all.”

    Currently, the terror threat in the UK remains high, with the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) having increased the UK terrorism threat to severe, which means an attack in the UK is ‘highly likely’, for the first time in almost five years.

    (Getty Stock Image)

    (Getty Stock Image)

    On advice to parents, he said (if) ‘you’re worried your teenager is being taken down some dark paths on the internet, have a word with a teacher, healthcare professional or someone you trust in your community’.

    ‘The benefits of AI are real, but so are the national security threats’

    Sir Ken also announced the launch of an AI Threat Assessment Centre – to be known as AITAC – in the UK, which will be housed in MI5 and bring together expertise from various bodies to inform Government and produce assessments.

    He said Artificial Intelligence (AI) was ‘supercharging the cybersecurity contest between attackers and defenders’, given it can produce ‘propaganda’ and also ‘radicalise material tailored to the individual’.

    “We’ve caught terrorists seeking to exploit AI to improve their reconnaissance and attack methodologies, with AI-enabled drones adding a new twist,” he said.

    He added: “Not yet realised – but the misuse case to which I’d attach the greatest weight – is AI’s potential to change the stakes on existing or even new bioweapons.”

    (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

    (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

    Earlier in the week, Britain’s AI minister Kanishka Narayan warned that a breach of the UK’s cyber defences was ‘likely, if not inevitable’.

    Over the last few months, experts have also warned that AI could wipe out humanity within the near future if the technology race is allowed to go on unchecked.

    ‘We were all horrified by the murder of Ann Widdecombe in July’

    Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe died aged 78 after being hit over the head with a hammer 21 times at her home in Devon in July.

    The man accused of murdering her, Joshua Kerry, 28, has also been charged with a terror plot against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

    Speaking about societal resilience, Sir Ken said that ‘sadly, the case is part of a concerning trend of violence targeted at political figures, religious or community groups and more’.

    On Monday, 12 October, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced an independent review of the UK’s protective security system.

  • South Korea blocks 27 crypto exchanges, including Bitmart and Kucoin

    South Korea blocks 27 crypto exchanges, including Bitmart and Kucoin

    “User assets remain safe and secure, and we will communicate any further updates through our official channels.”

    BitMart, Phemex and MEXC did not immediately respond to a CoinDesk request for comment.

    South Korea’s proposed Digital Asset Basic Law, yet to come into force, would set the groundwork for a legal framework for digital assets, including issuance, trading, custody and supervision. The country’s Financial Services Commission and Financial Supervisory service announced new rules in April, removing the discretion exchanges had to let users bypass holding periods.

    The FIU said it has referred 44 unregistered operators to investigators and will seek further blocks against websites that reopen under different addresses. Only 28 virtual asset service providers are currently registered with the regulator.

    The financial watchdog also warned that traders using unauthorized platforms could face difficulties recovering their funds. The FIU said it will work with the Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA), an industry association, to help affected customers withdraw their funds where access restrictions create problems. It also urged investors to check whether their exchange is registered and to withdraw assets from unauthorized operators.

    South Korean investors have been gradually moving large amounts of crypto overseas for months due to stricter rules, with an estimated $110 billion leaving domestic exchanges in 2025.

  • From GTA V on iPhone to Free Photoshop: This AI Tool Is Upending Software

    From GTA V on iPhone to Free Photoshop: This AI Tool Is Upending Software

    In brief

    • REA, an open-source toolkit that connects AI coding agents to reverse-engineering tools like Ghidra, went from under 10,000 GitHub stars on October 6 to more than 100,000 by October 12.
    • Claude Opus 5.5 has fueled a wave of AI-decompiled game mashups and ports, from Spider-Man swinging through Arkham City to an unofficial PC port of Fable 2.
    • Developer Brandon Thomas released ArtCraft, free Rust-built Adobe alternatives made with Claude, but calls it a clean-room rebuild that never touches Adobe’s code.

    Would you like to kill a boss in Skyrim using an AK47 from Counter Strike? Give your NPCs a real genius-level brain that gives you unique answers instead of predefined strings of text? Would you like to run GTA V on your iPhone? What about using paid software for free, and legally? Well, people are doing that and more with AI right now.

    A free tool that lets AI agents pull apart almost any piece of software has become the hottest project on GitHub, jumping from fewer than 10,000 stars on October 6 to more than 100,000 by Monday.

    Myriad: Which company will IPO next? Click to make your prediction.
    Myriad: Which company will IPO next? Click to make your prediction.

    It’s called REA, short for Reverse Engineer Anything. Stars are GitHub’s version of a bookmark, and REA collected more than 30,000 of them on October 11 alone, after sitting mostly ignored since its creation in April.

    How REA works

    Apps and games ship as machine code, the raw instructions a processor reads and humans basically can’t. Decompiling tries to turn that back into readable code, a bit like tasting a cake and working backward to the recipe.

    Reverse engineering is the bigger umbrella: figuring out how something works without its blueprints, whether by watching what an app does and the data it sends, or by reading its code. This repository does exactly that.

    In practice, a user points an agent at a program, asks how one feature works, and lets it dig from what happens on screen all the way down to the binary. It works on desktop apps, Android apps, and websites.

    REA hooks AI coding assistants such as Claude Code or OpenAI’s Codex up to the professional tools that do that job, like Ghidra, the reverse-engineering suite the NSA released to the public in 2019. The bridge is MCP, the Model Context Protocol, a standard Anthropic created so AI models can plug into outside tools—basically a universal adapter.

    BitcoinBTC · USD

    $83,280−3.4%

    Oct 6Oct 8Oct 10Oct 11Oct 13

    $86.6k$84.6k$82.7k$80.7k

    24h HighHigh$84,074

    24h LowLow$81,018

    VolVol$1.3B

    Market projectionsOdds by Myriad

    →

    The developer’s “readme” file itself is far more modest than the hype, stating that REA “does not claim to recover original source code or automatically clone an application.” It doesn’t even ship its own decompiler.

    This actually makes the whole operation legal(ish). The developer has never read the code, and just ships a similarly coded alternative that does exactly the same, but isn’t exactly the same.

    The gates are open

    People are doing all sorts of weird things with REA. For example, some players ended up watching Spider-Man swing through the Gotham of Batman: Arkham City, and creepers fight Elden Ring boss Malenia after someone stuffed about 1,600 Minecraft items into FromSoftware’s game. Another modder dropped Escape from Tarkov’s guns and menus into Skyrim and called it “Escape from Skyrim lol.”

    Old console exclusives are escaping their consoles too: In September, a fan used an open-source AI model and a recompilation toolkit to bring Fable 2, the only mainline Fable game never released on PC, to Windows. The AI got it booting in about an hour, followed by a long stretch of manual fixes. Another one got to run GTV on iOS fluidly—something not even Rockstar Games bothered doing.

    Using these techniques (not the tools), developer Brandon Thomas took the idea to software people pay for every month, using Claude Opus 5.5 to build ArtCraft, a set of free, open-source apps written in Rust that mirror Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom and other Adobe programs, for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

    Thomas says he snapped after Adobe charged him its cancellation fee one too many times. He isn’t alone in that grudge: Adobe agreed in March to a $150 million settlement with the Justice Department, which accused it of hiding early termination fees and making subscriptions a pain to cancel, though the company denied wrongdoing.

    ArtCraft isn’t built with REA, and Thomas calls the project a clean-room rebuild, meaning the code is written from scratch using public documentation and observed behavior, never the original code, the same legal approach Compaq used to clone IBM’s PC BIOS in the 1980s.

    The apps are labeled “early alpha” or “in development” on the project’s site, and one pixel artist has already called the Photoshop clone “completely unusable.”

    Source: Artcraft

    Anything that runs on your own device can now be read by an AI agent with enough patience and tokens, which erodes the oldest copy protection in software: the sheer pain of reading machine code. That means cheaper clones and better game preservation, but also easier piracy and fewer places for security flaws to hide.

    Activision has already pulled footage of an AI-decompiled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Bethesda sent a cease-and-desist letter over an AI-made browser game called Fallout: New York.

    That seems to be the only defense studios have against a trend that may easily force open source everything.

    REA, meanwhile, keeps shipping, with eight releases between October 3 and October 11. Thomas has already walked back his promise to match Adobe’s feature set within a month, and now says it will take months.

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