Weekly Consulting Snapshot #8: R1 1776 Goes Open-Source, Cardex Gets Hacked, and Grok-3 Debuts
Technology is moving fast, and AI and blockchain are at the center of it all. In this blog, we’ll look at some recent news and tools that show how these fields are growing and what that means for the future.
AI: The Next Leap in Intelligent Systems
Open-Sourcing R1: A New Era in AI
Perplexity Blog - Open Sourcing R1 1776
Perplexity has released R1 1776, an open-source version of the DeepSeek-R1 model. This model has been further trained to ensure it provides unbiased, accurate, and factual information.
DeepSeek-R1, developed by a Chinese startup, is known for its strong math and reasoning skills but also includes strict censorship, especially on topics sensitive in China. Perplexity has worked to remove these biases, making R1 1776 a more neutral and reliable model for users.
By open-sourcing R1 1776, Perplexity allows developers and researchers to access and build upon this improved model, promoting transparency and collaboration in AI development.
LLM Code Generation: A Developer’s Take
Harper’s Blog - LLM Codegen Workflow
This article talks about using Large Language Models (LLMs) to help write code. The author shares how they use AI in their coding process, including what works well and what doesn’t. While AI can save time, people still need to check the code for mistakes and make sure it stays organized.
Perplexity Deep Research: New AI for Deeper Insights
Perplexity Blog - Deep Research
Perplexity has a new tool called Deep Research AI, which focuses on finding and summarizing information more deeply than normal search. It can link ideas from different topics, making it helpful for people who do detailed research and want to see connections in large amounts of data.
The Limitations of LLMs
Sean Goedecke - What LLMs Can’t Do
Sean Goedecke points out where LLMs still fall short, such as in true reasoning, creativity, and planning for the long term. AI models rely on spotting patterns, not actual understanding. Therefore, humans remain important for decisions that need real insight or creativity.
xAI’s Grok-3: Human-Like Reasoning?
Elon Musk’s xAI announced Grok-3, which they say can show “human reasoning.” Many people in the AI field are waiting to see if this is real reasoning or just clever pattern matching. If Grok-3 can do what it claims, it might change how AI is used in everyday life.
Blockchain: Security, Innovation, and Adoption
NFT Finance with HyperFND
HyperFND is bringing new ways to own and trade NFTs. By splitting ownership and using DeFi methods, it lets more people invest in NFTs. This could make NFTs easier to trade.
Cardex Exploit: Security Warning for DeFi
Cardex was hacked, losing over $400,000 in Ether from 9,000 wallets. This is a big reminder that DeFi platforms need strong security measures to protect users.
Hong Kong’s Crypto Plans
Tech in Asia - Hong Kong’s Crypto Strategy
Hong Kong wants to be a global leader in cryptocurrency by exploring new digital asset products. This is part of a larger plan to become a major hub for blockchain, especially as other places set stricter rules.
Israeli Blockchain Security Firm Raises $50M
Tech in Asia - Israeli Blockchain Security Firm
An Israeli startup that focuses on securing blockchain platforms has raised $50 million. As more people use DeFi and Web3, the need for better protection grows. Investors see a big opportunity here.
Top Products Shaping the Future
Graphiti: Easy AI Workflow Charts
Graphiti is a free Python library that helps you create knowledge graphs that change over time. It automatically builds graphs that update as relationships change and keeps a history of past data. This is very useful for AI systems like personal assistants or autonomous agents that need long-term memory. It works with both messy and organized data, allowing advanced searches that mix time, meaning, and graph ideas.
RoadwayAI: Smarter Traffic Management
Roadway is a tool for marketing teams, especially in SaaS companies. It tracks where website traffic comes from and shows how different channels and campaigns help grow a business. Acting like a smart coworker, Roadway gives AI-powered insights and practical advice to improve marketing, automate reports, and boost revenue.
21st.dev: Boosting Developer Productivity
21st.dev is a community platform and marketplace for design engineers to find, share, and sell ready-made React components. Inspired by shadcn/ui, it offers many simple and modern UI parts made with Tailwind CSS and Radix UI. You can choose from a wide range of components—from buttons and forms to sliders and calendars—to build user interfaces quickly.
Wegic.ai: AI-Driven Image Editing
Wegic is an AI-powered service that works like a complete website team, covering design, development, and management. With a chat-like interface, you describe your website ideas and Wegic turns them into a working, customizable site. This makes it easy for anyone, even without technical skills, to create and manage a professional website.
Builder.io: Turn Figma Designs into Code
Visual Copilot is a Figma plugin by Builder.io that uses AI to convert designs into clean, responsive code for frameworks like React, Vue, Svelte, Angular, and more. It works with tools like Tailwind CSS and CSS Modules. This plugin makes it simple to move from design to code by generating ready-to-use code, which speeds up development and keeps designs and code consistent.
Conclusion
AI and blockchain are growing quickly, with open-source models and secure DeFi solutions leading the way. Meanwhile, new tools keep popping up to help developers, designers, and businesses work better. Keeping track of these trends can help us use these technologies in smart, safe, and creative ways.