Top stories today:

1. Bitcoin crosses $100K as Trump picks Paul Atkins as next SEC chief
2. Powell says Bitcoin “really a competitor for gold”
3. Sam Altman suggests AGI overhyped, “tremendously sad” about Musk
4. Google’s DeepMind shows Genie 2 to generate 3D content
5. OpenAI announces 12-day “shipmas” season, Sora launch likely
6. Global VC funding -13% MoM to $28B in Nov.

0. Data and calendar

Listen to our AI-generated podcast summarizing today’s newsletter (beware of the few hallucinations):

1. Bitcoin crosses $100K as Trump picks Paul Atkins as next SEC chief

• $104K was briefly touched by the world’s 1st cryptocurrency on late Wed.

• $2.03T market cap.

• +49% in BTC value since Trump’s election victory on Nov. 5.

Atkins “recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial,” Trump said

• Critical of post-2008 financial crisis reforms.

Relatedly, Trump has nominated Vance aide Gail Slater as his top DOJ antitrust official

• She carries deep tech policy experience, including work on big tech cases at the FTC.

• Unclear whether she will be pro- or anti-M&A, given Vance’s mixed views.

2. Powell says Bitcoin “just like gold, only it’s virtual,” “really a competitor for gold”