🚀 OpenAI’s New Tool, MicroStrategy’s BTC Pause, Musk’s Gov Play
Good morning. It’s Monday, February 03. Today we are covering:
OpenAI launches 'deep research' tool that it says can match research analyst
MicroStrategy Ends Bitcoin Purchase Streak After a Dozen Weeks
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk's Government Takeover
Microsoft 365 is losing its free VPN feature
Stablecoins are finding product market fit in emerging markets
Let’s dive in
Quick note for our loyal readers: We’re thrilled to keep bringing you Newslit Daily, ad-free and focused on the stories that matter most. To keep it that way—and dream even bigger—we need your support.
Your pledge helps us stay independent and deliver high-quality insights while exploring exciting new ideas—like a daily podcast or deeper story dives.
What would you love to see next? Share your thoughts and help shape the future of Newslit Daily. Thank you for being part of this journey!
OpenAI launches 'deep research' tool that it says can match research analyst
By Dan Milmo via The Guardian
OpenAI has unveiled "deep research," an AI agent integrated into ChatGPT that can generate research reports in 10 minutes, a task that would take human analysts many hours. It is powered by the company’s latest o3 model.
The tool scans, analyzes, and synthesizes hundreds of sources—including text, images, and PDFs—to produce comprehensive reports with cited sources, targeting professionals in finance, science, and engineering.
"Deep research" is exclusive to U.S. Pro-tier users at $200/month, limited to 100 queries per month, and is unavailable in Europe and the UK due to the high cost of processing each query.
𝕏: today we launch deep research, our next agent. this is like a superpower; experts on demand! it can go use the internet, do complex research and reasoning, and give you back a report. it is really good, and can do tasks that would take hours/days and cost hundreds of dollars. - Sam Altman (@sama)
MicroStrategy Ends Bitcoin Purchase Streak After a Dozen Weeks
By Monique Mulima via Bloomberg
MicroStrategy halted its 12-week Bitcoin buying streak, marking the first time since late October that the company did not acquire additional BTC.
The firm accumulated over $20 billion in Bitcoin during the streak, bringing its total holdings to approximately $44.7 billion, representing more than 2% of all Bitcoin that will ever exist.
The purchases coincided with Bitcoin's record rally, fueled in part by Donald Trump’s pro-crypto stance and his administration's industry-friendly policies.
𝕏: Last week, MicroStrategy did not sell any shares of class A common stock under its at-the-market equity offering program, and did not purchase any bitcoin. As of 2/2/2025, we hodl 471,107 $BTC acquired for ~$30.4 billion at ~$64,511 per bitcoin. - Michael Saylor (@saylor)
The best way to reach new readers is through word of mouth. If you click THIS LINK in your inbox, it’ll create an easy-to-send pre-written email you can just fire off to some friends.
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk's Government Takeover
By Vittoria Elliott via WIRED
Elon Musk's takeover of federal government infrastructure involves a group of young, inexperienced engineers—some as young as 19—working on his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, despite lacking relevant government expertise.
These engineers, many with ties to Musk, Peter Thiel, and xAI, hold key positions at OPM, GSA, and Treasury, raising concerns about unvetted access to sensitive government data and classified information.
Reports suggest that DOGE personnel attempted to access classified security systems at USAID, leading to internal turmoil, while experts warn of a "hostile takeover" of federal agencies by Musk's private network.
𝕏: Fox News has learned 50 senior USAID staff were placed on administrative leave then all staff were subjected to a gag order (no communication with anyone outside the agency without approval) then the removal of signage from HQ then the DOGE team took over the computer systems. - Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC)
Microsoft 365 is losing its free VPN feature
By Tom Warren via The Verge
Microsoft 365 is removing its built-in VPN feature from Microsoft Defender on February 28, citing low usage and a shift in investment priorities.
The VPN had limitations, including a 50GB monthly cap and automatic regional connections, preventing users from bypassing geo-restrictions.
This removal comes weeks after Microsoft raised subscription prices, adding AI-powered Office features while offering a downgraded classic plan to retain existing pricing.
𝕏: Microsoft 365 is losing its free VPN feature. Originally designed as a privacy feature, the VPN in Microsoft 365 is going away later this month just as Microsoft raises subscription prices for the first time in 12 years - Tom Warren (@tomwarren)
Stablecoins are finding product market fit in emerging markets
By Tage Kene-Okafor via TechCrunch
Stablecoins are gaining traction in emerging markets, solving inefficiencies in cross-border payments where traditional banking is slow, expensive, or unreliable—leading firms like SpaceX and Stripe to integrate them into global transactions.
The sector has seen explosive growth, with startups like Yellow Card ($3B in volume), Conduit ($10B TPV), and Juicyway ($1.3B processed) attracting major VC investments from Sequoia, QED Investors, and Blockchain Capital.
Beyond remittances, stablecoins are reshaping payroll, consumer finance, and retail, with firms like Nubank, Rise, and Cashnote.io leading adoption—while governments weigh regulation, with Abu Dhabi embracing stablecoin payments and the U.S. considering new oversight laws.
𝕏: Stablecoin infra's impact is 100% more acutely felt in emerging markets where @DCGco has doubled down on leaders like @hugfink at payroll disruptor @rise_pay 🇺🇸 + @ezradar at compliance cross-border payments team @withcaliza 🇧🇷🇲🇽 - great piece @ulonnaya! - Aaron Fu (@aaronqfu)
Trending in AI
Why Is This C.E.O. Bragging About Replacing Humans With A.I.?
Google’s X spins out Heritable Agriculture, a startup using AI to improve crop yield
AI Has Rocked the Stock Market, But What Will It Do for the Economy?
SoftBank and OpenAI set up joint company to push artificial intelligence services
Thanks for reading to the bottom and soaking in our Newslit Daily fueled with highlights for your morning.
I hope you found it interesting and, needless to say, if you have any questions or feedback let me know by hitting reply.
Take care and see you tomorrow!
How was today’s email?