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To write secure code, be less gullible than your AI

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Graphite is an AI code review platform that helps you get context on code changes, fix CI failures, and improve your PRs right from your PR page. Connect with Greg on LinkedIn and keep up with Graphite on their Twitter.

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### This Week’s Shoutout

This week’s shoutout goes to user **Xeradd**, who won an Investor badge by dropping a bounty on the question [How to specify x64 emulation flag (EC_CODE) for shared memory sections for ARM64 Windows?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/). If you’re curious about that, we’ll have an answer linked in the show notes.

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### Transcript: Conversation with Greg Foster of Graphite on AI and Security in Software Engineering

**Ryan Donovan:** Urban air mobility can transform the way engineers envision transporting people and goods within metropolitan areas. Matt Campbell, guest host of *The Tech Between Us*, and Bob Johnson, principal at Johnson Consulting and Advisory, explore the evolving landscape of electric vertical takeoff and lift aircraft and discuss which initial applications are likely to take flight. Listen from your favorite podcast platform or visit mouser.com/empoweringinnovation.

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**Ryan Donovan:** Hello, and welcome to the Stack Overflow Podcast, a place to talk all things software and technology. I’m your host, Ryan Donovan, and today we’re delving into some of the security breaches triggered by AI-generated code. While there’s been a lot of noise around this topic, my guest today argues that the problem isn’t the AI itself, but rather a lack of proper tooling when shipping that code.

My guest is Greg Foster, CTO and co-founder at Graphite. Welcome to the show, Greg.

**Greg Foster:** Thanks for having me, Ryan. Excited to talk about this.

**Ryan Donovan:** Before we dive deep, tell us a bit about your background. How did you get into software and technology?

**Greg Foster:** Happy to share! I’ve been coding for over half my life now. It all started in high school—I was 15 and needed a job, and I figured I could either bag groceries or code iOS apps, so I picked the latter. I went on to college, did internships at Airbnb, working on infrastructure and dev tools teams, helping build their release management software. Interestingly, I was hired as an iOS engineer but immediately shifted to dev tools, which I loved. For the last five years, I’ve been in New York working with friends to create Graphite, continuing my passion for dev tools.

**Ryan Donovan:** Everybody’s talking about AI-powered code generation now—some people doing “vibe coding” where they don’t even touch the code themselves and just say, “build me an app.” Then we see the ensuing security laughs on Twitter. You’re saying the AI isn’t purely the problem?

**Greg Foster:** It’s nuanced. Fundamentally, there’s a shifting landscape of trust and volume. Normally, when you do code reviews, you trust your teammates to some degree. You carefully vet code for bugs and architecture, but you don’t scrutinize every line on security—assuming teammates aren’t malicious. AI changes this because a computer writing code holds no accountability, and you might be the first person ever to lay eyes on it. Moreover, the volume of code changes is skyrocketing. Developers, including juniors, push many small PRs rapidly, which overloads the review process. This creates a bottleneck and trust deficit.

**Ryan Donovan:** Interesting. Our survey from a few months ago found people use AI more but trust it less, which seems natural since AI generates code based on statistical models of previous code.

**Greg Foster:** Yes, and AI can be quite gullible. Take recent hacks like the Amazon NX hack—prompts told the AI to scour user file systems deeply to find secrets. A human engineer would never do that blindly, but AI systems might follow those instructions unquestioningly. It’s a real challenge.

**Ryan Donovan:** So it’s really a lack of real-world context that AI code generators have. The speed and volume of PRs make human review difficult. Naturally, that calls for tooling solutions.

**Greg Foster:** Exactly. Graphite is all about tooling that helps make code review better. One timeless best practice remains: keep code changes small. Research from Google showed that longer pull requests get disproportionately fewer review comments—in fact, engagement drops steeply beyond about 100 lines of code.

We’ve seen the same data at Graphite. People tend to skim or blindly approve massive PRs, so small, manageable PRs—around 100-500 lines—hit a sweet spot for deep review.

But this requires tooling to manage stacked, incremental commits so developers can maintain flow without submitting giant PRs.

**Ryan Donovan:** That’s a key point. Many AI-generated chunks of code are enormous, unrefined, and not necessarily human-friendly. How do you see developers breaking that down and improving readability?

**Greg Foster:** Another concern is losing context. When you write code yourself over hours, you internalize the intricacies of that module or system. With AI-generated code, you often don’t fully absorb or understand the details. This means reviewers must pay extra-close attention.

Overall, fast, blind shipping of code reduces deep understanding and increases risk, especially for security.

**Ryan Donovan:** Copy-pasting from Stack Overflow has long been a source of vulnerabilities. AI seems to intensify that issue.

**Greg Foster:** Exactly. We used to shame copy-pasting, but now AI-generated snippets can propagate security flaws just as easily. Though these AI systems are generally well-intentioned, they create false confidence and lower the bar for attackers who now can craft malicious code with minimal skill.

**Ryan Donovan:** How do you guard not just the code, but the prompts themselves? Can prompts be sanitized or secured?

**Greg Foster:** It’s tough—probably impossible to secure prompts completely. You could try meta-prompting where one AI judges the security of another’s prompt output, but this is a cat-and-mouse game.

In some cases, suspicious prompts could trigger extra user verification steps, like password confirmation or biometric checks.

Also, if prompts come from untrusted users, they should be sandboxed or highly restricted, similar to executing untrusted code.

**Ryan Donovan:** Browsers already sandbox JavaScript and WebAssembly to prevent dangerous abuse.

**Greg Foster:** Indeed. Some AI-powered browsers or extensions have been exploited by injecting invisible prompts to perform malicious actions. This gullibility is something we should expect and prepare for.

At the end of the day, best practices—like minimizing exposure of secrets and being cautious about input—are more important than ever.

**Ryan Donovan:** You mentioned using LLMs themselves as judges for security scanning. How do you ensure those AI judges are trustworthy?

**Greg Foster:** Good question—“Who watches the watchman?”

Major LLMs today are reasonably reliable if well-prompted. If compromised at root, that’s a whole different challenge.

But in day-to-day use, you can trust security tools running LLMs to find real issues. You can measure their effectiveness through true positive and false positive rates. LLMs are actually pretty good at detecting security vulnerabilities in code, sometimes surpassing humans, who grow distracted or fatigued.

**Ryan Donovan:** Is there still a role for traditional static analysis and linting alongside LLM-based tools?

**Greg Foster:** Absolutely. Great security practice is layered. Keep your unit tests, linters, human code review, and add LLM scanning as a powerful augmentation layer.

Think of LLM-based scanners as “super linters” that run quickly and flexibly across many languages without much setup.

But don’t replace deterministic tests and human judgment—they catch problems LLMs can’t.

**Ryan Donovan:** That sounds like a healthy, balanced approach.

**Greg Foster:** For sure. The combination is greater than its parts. For example, LLMs can even help generate missing unit tests, reducing the barrier for engineers to write more tests.

**Ryan Donovan:** Do you worry developers will start outsourcing their security expertise entirely to AI?

**Greg Foster:** Not really. Much of security engineering involves manual processes, audits, policies, and incident response that AI can only assist, not replace.

For example, at Graphite, our security team implements network proxies, audit logging, and SOC2 compliance—all human-driven.

AI can help surface information faster during incidents, or assist with paperwork, but it won’t replace deep human expertise anytime soon.

**Ryan Donovan:** Every new abstraction layer in software adds complexity that engineers need to manage. AI seems to be another one in that lineage.

**Greg Foster:** Exactly. Engineering isn’t about typing lots of code; it’s about problem-solving, decision-making, and communication. AI just changes the tools we use.

Just like 3D printing shifted manufacturing but didn’t replace craftsmen, AI will change software engineering but not eliminate great engineers.

**Ryan Donovan:** We’re entering a new era of productivity and tooling with AI. How do you see AI tooling evolving?

**Greg Foster:** I see three main areas:

1. **Code Generation:** From simple tab completion to complex agent-driven creation that can even submit PRs directly.

2. **Code Review:** LLMs scanning diffs to find bugs, architectural issues, or security risks.

3. **Background Agents:** Autonomous tools that trigger off existing PRs to enhance them—splitting PRs, adding tests, or suggesting improvements proactively.

On the other hand, core infrastructure like CI, builds, and deployments remain largely unchanged.

This evolution highlights the importance of fundamentals—clean, small, incremental code changes, robust testing, rollbacks, and feature flags. Senior engineers who combine these classic best practices with AI tooling get the most value.

**Ryan Donovan:** Wise words. Thanks so much, Greg, for sharing your insights.

**Greg Foster:** Thank you, Ryan. If folks want to learn more about modern code review, stacking code changes, or applying AI in their workflows, check out [graphite.dev](https://graphite.dev) or follow us on Twitter.

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**Ryan Donovan:** And that’s a wrap! Remember, good coding and good security both come from solid fundamentals enhanced by smart tools. For questions or feedback on the podcast, reach out at podcast@stackoverflow.com or find me on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening!

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*This transcript has been edited for clarity and readability.*
https://stackoverflow.blog/2025/11/04/to-write-secure-code-be-less-gullible-than-your-ai/

Evergy Selects Kigen To Strengthen Grid Resilience Across Private and Public Networks

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**Evergy Selects Kigen’s Secure eSIM OS and eIM to Maximize Grid Reliability with Automated Failover Across Private and Public Networks**

Evergy, one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the Midwest United States serving 1.7 million customers across Kansas and Missouri, has selected Kigen, the global leader in eSIM and iSIM technology, to strengthen grid resiliency.

By adopting Kigen’s secure eSIM OS and eIM solution, Evergy is unifying private LTE and public networks into an automated connectivity layer. This creates a foundation for more reliable operations in the face of severe weather, growing energy demand, and the complexity of distributed energy resources (DERs).

Reliability is central to Evergy’s strategy, alongside affordability and sustainability. As utilities integrate distributed energy resources, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), and dynamic billing, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity becomes critical.

Severe thunderstorms, storm-related outages, and routine network upgrades can all disrupt real-time telemetry that forms the “heartbeat” of a modern grid. Without automation, managing tens of thousands of IoT devices at scale would create unacceptable risks to both service continuity and cost efficiency.

Evergy’s LTE network already spans 100 sites, supporting thousands of IoT sensors, AMI, and operational technology devices. With an expansion expected to reach tens of thousands of devices, failover between private and public networks must be seamless. Manual approaches cannot keep pace at this scale.

“As we modernize our grids, uninterrupted device data means visibility and preparation against outages from both the fast-changing energy transition and unpredictable severe weather. Taking control of our infrastructure requires network availability, and automation is the foundation on which dynamic billing and AI can build. Kigen eSIMs and the eIM, configured to Evergy’s needs, enable us to set a new benchmark in grid resiliency—what has long been the holy grail of resilient, intelligent grids,” said Bill Franzen, Evergy lead radio engineer.

Kigen’s secure eSIM OS and SGP.32-compliant eIM solution give Evergy the flexibility to manage connectivity dynamically through eSIMs provisioned with multiple operator profiles. Kigen eSIM OS for IoT and consumer devices includes configurable features such as its network rescue and recovery applet, which enables dynamic, automated failover between private LTE and preferred public networks based on business rules.

These operations are centrally managed through Kigen Pulse, allowing control at fleet scale—by geography, asset type, or site—ensuring continuity of operations, reducing lifecycle costs, and supporting broader goals of capital efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

Cybersecurity is paramount in critical infrastructure. Evergy’s deployment relies on the Kigen eIM hosted at its Dublin site, which is fully certified under the GSMA Security Accreditation Scheme for Subscription Management (SAS-SM). This site operates the Kigen eIM solution to the latest GSMA SGP.32 IoT eSIM specification, providing both assurance of compliance and the trusted foundation required for secure, grid-ready operations.

“Building in dynamic automation for scaled failover and recovery, we enable Evergy’s vision to design for improved reliability, resilience, and operational intelligence. As utilities navigate the energy transition, uninterrupted connectivity is the foundation for AI, dynamic billing, and DER integration. With Kigen’s configurable eSIM OS and SGP.32-compliant eIM, utilities can take control of their connectivity and create the intelligent grids the future demands,” said Vincent Korstanje, CEO at Kigen.
https://iotbusinessnews.com/2025/11/03/evergy-selects-kigen-to-strengthen-grid-resilience-across-private-and-public-networks/

When Government Competes, America Loses

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In recent years, it has become an unfortunate bipartisan article of faith that the government — and not individuals, nor the businesses or institutions of civil society into which those individuals voluntarily assemble themselves — ought to operate to accomplish any good dreamt up by politicians and the pundit class.

But this fatal conceit, which seeks to subvert the competitive processes of the market and subordinate the will of the free American citizen to the bureaucrat’s, fails not only theoretically but empirically, because state action cannot compete with human action.

To document this, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance has inaugurated a series of policy briefs, chronicling the manifest and myriad failures of central planning and government-run economic endeavors. But first, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, it ought to be understood “where we are, and whither we are tending.”

The movement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) values ubiquitous and affordable medicine; so, its followers say, government ought to socialize the healthcare industry. Even so-called Abundance Democrats, in revolt against the stultifying excesses of the far left, betray a narrow view that associates economic development too closely with the deeds of the government, albeit a government freed of the worst strictures of such laws as the National Environmental Protection Act.

Republicans, too, have begun to echo the socialist senator from Vermont. Encapsulating this thinking, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent put it thus: “We believe home ownership is good, so therefore the government wants to be involved.” Proficiency in this language — that of progressives and socialists — has been gained by purported conservatives, who seem to have forgotten their mother tongue.

Indeed, although hardly a radical in temperament, Bessent makes explicit the radical premise from which many Republicans and nearly every Democrat now reason: I approve of X; the government must ensure that X occurs, perhaps even by effecting X directly.

Journeying from its source in principle to its destination in a policy proposal, any idea is refracted, colored, sometimes distorted, as it passes through myriad ideological lenses and filters. And, accordingly, the central planner’s premise, shared by the left and right, takes shape differently in the hands of each, touched by differing philosophical convictions and directed toward different ends.

Joe Biden fretted about carbon emissions and sought to make the composition of energy production, the construction of infrastructure, and even the technologies found in the cars Americans drive and the appliances in American homes a question to be decided by politicians and bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.—efforts which concluded in failure.

President Trump desires more domestic manufacturing; ergo, protectionism. He desires more high-tech, cutting-edge domestic manufacturing; ergo, the federal government acquired a 10-percent stake in Intel, becoming the company’s largest shareholder. He has been persuaded that organized labor is his friend; ergo, he conjured up a “golden share” in U.S. Steel, in no small part to enable his administration to protect the firm’s unionized employees.

In state capitals and city halls, similar assumptions obtain, and similar plans are propounded. For example, in the effort to make access to broadband internet ubiquitous, government-owned networks—which almost invariably founder—have been constructed in cities nationwide. Penetrating the national news cycle, Zohran Mamdani (New York City’s mayor-presumptive) advocated city-run grocery stores, opening their doors in competition with the private sector. No matter that such proposals have, in practice, proved themselves quixotic.

The ideologies of central planning rarely succeed even by the metrics of the planners themselves. So long as people remain people—both in their shortcomings as technocrats and in their independence and interest as entrepreneurs and workers—socialism and its softer, nicer, more palatable progeny will remain a scheme practicable only in Utopia, the land that never was and cannot be.

If men had the psychology and habits of the white ant, perhaps, things would be different; but, as Winston Churchill noted, “human nature is more intractable than ant-nature.” To their chagrin, politicians are left to contend with the world as it is, and with people as they are.

Russell Kirk once wrote: “Ignore the fact, and that fact will be your master.” Trumpian protectionism, single-payer medicine, or Mamdani’s petty socialism—none will succeed. No matter how powerful the force of the will or of the passions that propel them to completion, these projects cannot and, therefore, will not overcome the laws of economics, founded in human nature.

Finding failure, the central planners will run to and fro, searching vainly for some new policy remedy with which to save the patient, ignorant of the fact that the disease was, in the first place, brought on by an unnatural and imprudent course of treatment.

In the words of a popular online meme: “Reject modernity; embrace tradition.” Indeed, both left and right ought to reject the modern innovation of economies directed and micromanaged by the state and return to America’s heritage: liberty, property rights inviolable, and free markets.

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**Related Articles:**

– Why Free Speech Needs Congressional Action
– Republicans Should Reject European-Style Tech Policy
https://spectator.org/when-government-competes-america-loses/

Durov Launches Cocoon Decentralized AI Network on TON

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**Cocoon: TON’s Confidential Compute Network for Private AI Tasks Launching November 2025**

At the Blockchain Life 2025 conference in Dubai, Pavel Durov officially introduced **Cocoon**, the Confidential Compute Open Network built on TON (The Open Network). Slated for launch in November 2025, Cocoon aims to deliver a decentralized compute network specifically designed for private, secure AI inference and compute tasks.

### What is Cocoon?

Cocoon is a confidential compute network focused on privacy and security. Its core feature is confidential computing, which means all data processed on the network remains encrypted. Importantly, the compute providers—such as hardware owners contributing resources—cannot directly view users’ inputs or requests. This privacy-first approach is especially relevant amid growing concerns around data leaks and increasing dominance by big tech AI platforms.

### How Does the Cocoon Network Work?

The network invites hardware providers, such as GPU owners, to contribute their computing resources in exchange for rewards paid in TON tokens. At the same time, developers and users can pay with TON tokens to access compute power necessary for executing AI models and other compute-intensive tasks.

By keeping all computations confidential and encrypted, Cocoon ensures user privacy while enabling decentralized AI services. The network is currently accepting applications from both hardware providers and developers who want to participate ahead of its official November 2025 launch.

### Telegram’s Role and Integration

Telegram itself is planned to be the first major client using Cocoon’s services. The platform intends to integrate Cocoon’s AI capabilities directly into its Mini Apps and bot ecosystem, giving the network instant access to Telegram’s massive user base—approximately 1 billion users worldwide.

This close integration with the Telegram ecosystem not only accelerates Cocoon’s rollout but also offers a significant distribution advantage over other decentralized compute projects like Render Network or Ankr. The deep connection between Cocoon, Telegram, and TON provides a unique combination of blockchain infrastructure and large-scale application reach.

### Why Cocoon Matters: Privacy and Token Utility

Cocoon may successfully bring together two of today’s biggest technology trends: decentralized AI computation and blockchain infrastructure. By enabling secure, private AI services, Cocoon could capitalize on the growing global demand for distributed computing resources.

Additionally, the network’s payment model relies on the TON token, potentially driving substantial increases in everyday TON usage and overall token value. This development could transform TON from primarily a messaging and payments platform into a comprehensive computing platform, expanding its ecosystem considerably.

### Looking Ahead

While the announcement of Cocoon is promising, practical deployment and real-world performance remain to be seen. Its success will depend on how well it can deliver secure, scalable confidential computing services and the extent to which developers and users embrace the platform.

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**Related:**
[Pavel Durov Calls TON Telegram “Backbone,” $400M VC Support Revealed](#)
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/blockchain/durov-launches-cocoon-decentralized-ai-network-on-ton/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=durov-launches-cocoon-decentralized-ai-network-on-ton

NVIDIA Expands AI Education and Innovation Across the US

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NVIDIA is taking bold steps to democratize access to artificial intelligence (AI) education and innovation across the United States. The tech giant is partnering with states, municipalities, and educational institutions to ensure that AI capabilities reach beyond traditional tech hubs.

### AI Factories and Educational Initiatives

One of the significant initiatives includes the establishment of an AI factory at the University of Utah. This collaboration with NVIDIA and HPE aims to triple the university’s computing capacity with a $50 million investment. The project will bolster healthcare and scientific research efforts, focusing on critical areas such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, genetics, and mental health.

Utah joins other states like California, Mississippi, and Oregon in partnering with NVIDIA to enhance AI education and boost economic development. The initiative also provides AI skills and certification to educators across universities and community colleges through NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador Program.

### Municipal and Community Collaborations

In Rancho Cordova, California, NVIDIA is working with the city and the Human Machine Collaboration Institute (HMCI) to build an AI ecosystem. This strategy involves developing AI infrastructure, workforce upskilling, and student training to attract AI businesses. The city plans to reinvest revenue from these businesses into further AI infrastructure and workforce development.

Micah Runner, Rancho Cordova City Manager, emphasized the city’s pioneering role in uniting industry, education, and government to drive economic growth. This initiative serves as a model for other cities aiming to integrate AI into their local economies.

### Expanding AI Education in Higher Learning

To prepare students for AI-driven careers, NVIDIA is collaborating with institutions like Miles College in Alabama. The partnership aims to integrate AI across academic programs and community engagement efforts.

With resources from NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute, Miles College is enhancing its AI curriculum and training faculty and students in AI technologies. Bobbie Knight, President of Miles College, highlighted the initiative’s role in preparing graduates for leadership roles and fostering regional economic strength. The college has already integrated AI into many courses, with significant research support derived from AI technologies.

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Through these widespread collaborations, NVIDIA is not only advancing AI education but also stimulating economic development and innovation across the U.S. As cities and states continue to adopt AI strategies, the potential for growth and technological advancement appears promising.

*Image source: Shutterstock.*
https://Blockchain.News/news/nvidia-expands-ai-education-and-innovation-across-the-us

AI data center in Louisiana brings unwanted construction, rising energy bills

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Lisa Hopkins bought her house in Louisiana’s Richland Parish two years ago. However, lately, her family only finds peace and quiet on their front porch at night, after construction stops for the day. That’s because Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, is now building its largest artificial intelligence data center in the country right across the street.

“It’s always noise, all the time,” Hopkins told CBS News. She added, “We honestly didn’t know how big of a scale it was gonna be. Some mornings it’s hard to get out of our driveway, just because of all the dump trucks.”

### The $10 Billion Project and Economic Hopes

Louisiana approved the $10 billion project in August, expressing hopes that it would bring economic growth to the region. However, some experts warn that the data center’s massive power demands could raise electricity bills for customers statewide.

The state’s main utility company, Entergy, has agreed to pay for a $550 million transmission line to supply power to the center. Experts say this cost will likely be passed on to the 1.1 million customers served by Entergy Louisiana. This raises concerns in a parish where nearly a quarter of the population lives in poverty, according to the state’s utility commission.

### Impact on Energy Prices

The potential increase in utility bills is not the only concern. State officials who approved the plan admit that the increased energy demand from the data center could, in turn, push gas prices higher.

“This single data center is set to span an amount of land that is about 70 football fields worth of land, and it’s going to consume roughly three times the amount of electricity that the entire city of New Orleans consumes on an annual basis,” explained Paul Arbaje, an energy analyst with the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists, in an interview with CBS News.

The Hopkins family showed CBS News their recent power bills, which indicated that fuel costs increased by about $13 a month compared to last year.

### Broader Impacts Across the Country

As the nationwide construction boom in new data centers continues, other communities are already feeling the impacts. Customers in at least 13 states have reported higher utility bills linked to the development of new data centers, according to the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

“We’re all kind of sharing the pain in that fight,” Arbaje said. “It’s up to state regulators, really, to step in and protect consumers and make sure that tech companies and utility companies are paying their fair share for this development.”

### Meta’s Response and Community Investments

Meta’s head of community development in North America, Katie Comer, said the company is working closely with Entergy to reduce impacts on customers. She told CBS News that Meta has “invested a million dollars into their bill pay assistance program to support low-income families.”

Addressing residents’ concerns about the impact on the neighborhood, Comer stated, “We are actively on the ground every day. We want to listen and learn and meet the community where they’re at.”

In addition, Meta is investing $200 million into local infrastructure projects and partnering with local school programs to support the community’s long-term development.

“This community as a whole is incredibly special,” Comer said. “We’ve been very proud of the work that we’ve been able to do together. I am extremely excited about the work that we will do in the future together.”

### Differing Perspectives and Local Sentiments

Entergy has suggested that Meta’s arrival in Louisiana could actually lead to lower power bills for customers. In a statement, the company indicated that resilience upgrades linked to the project could reduce electricity costs by up to 10%.

However, residents remain skeptical. Donna Collins, who has lived in the region her entire life, expressed hope that the company’s promises prove true but remains cautious. “I’m going to have to see it to believe it,” Collins told CBS News.

Collins also said that outreach from the state and Meta requesting local input was lacking. “I definitely don’t feel like I had a say, and I don’t know many people that do,” she said.

Hopkins echoed those concerns, sharing that she never received any notices about public hearings in the mail. “It’s not fair. It’s not something that we asked to be put here,” she said.

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The construction of Meta’s massive AI data center in Richland Parish highlights the complex balance between economic development and community impact. As the project moves forward, many local residents remain watchful about how it will affect their daily lives and utility costs.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meta-ai-data-center-richland-parish-louisiana-energy-costs/

Ripple Price Prediction: XRP Poised for $6.50 Breakout While AlphaPepe Attracts Massive Retail Attention

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As the crypto market gears up for renewed momentum, major projects with both institutional and retail appeal are coming into focus. XRP, the native token of Ripple Labs, is showing signs of structural strength and may be setting up for a breakout run toward $6.50 if key catalysts align. Meanwhile, the rising presale token AlphaPepe (ALPE) is rapidly gaining retail traction, positioning itself as a high-potential early-stage investment with growing investor interest.

### XRP Outlook: Pathway to $6.50

Currently trading in the low-$2 range, XRP is consolidating following recent regulation-related news and institutional infrastructure developments. Analysts are increasingly watching its breakout potential, pointing to several factors including institutional inflows, ongoing discussions around ETFs, expansion in cross-border payment solutions, and accumulation by whales.

If XRP decisively breaks resistance and market liquidity returns, a target zone around $6.50 becomes plausible—representing roughly a 3x move from current levels. For this breakout to materialize, several conditions must synchronize. Technical patterns suggest that if XRP holds support and breaks above the $3–$4 range with strong volume, the next upward leg could propel it toward the $6+ mark in a favorable market cycle.

### AlphaPepe: Retail Hype Meets Early-Stage Opportunity

While XRP attracts institutional attention, AlphaPepe is capturing the retail wave in a different way, combining early-stage positioning, meme-coin energy, and structural growth drivers. Widely viewed as a high-potential early-stage investment, AlphaPepe has caught the eye of analysts who previously identified meme-coin surges.

On-chain data reveals whale accumulation, indicating “smart money” entering early. The community is growing rapidly, with over 100 new holders joining daily, signaling strong retail momentum that stands out in the presale market. This blend of meme culture appeal, early entry mechanics, and whale participation creates a compelling narrative where AlphaPepe could benefit from the next wave of retail-led crypto moves.

As XRP sets up for a potential multi-fold move driven by infrastructure and institutional participation, AlphaPepe offers the speculative “grassroots” side of the same cycle.

### Comparative Perspective

XRP and AlphaPepe serve different roles within a diversified crypto portfolio:

– **XRP** is a large-cap asset with a clear narrative rooted in institutional adoption, payments infrastructure, and increasing regulatory clarity. If these themes hold, XRP’s path to $6.50 would be grounded in tangible progress and broad market participation.

– **AlphaPepe**, on the other hand, is an early-stage, speculative token fueled by retail momentum and community growth.

For many investors seeking portfolio balance, this pairing makes sense: holding XRP for macro upside while allocating a smaller stake to AlphaPepe for potentially higher beta returns.

### Conclusion

XRP is positioning itself for what could be a significant breakout run toward $6.50, contingent on institutional flows, regulatory clarity, and a broader market rotation aligning. Simultaneously, AlphaPepe is emerging as a standout retail opportunity with rapid holder growth, early-stage mechanics, and growing attention from both retail investors and whales.

In this phase of the market, combining larger-cap momentum plays with high-potential speculative assets may define the best performance strategies—where XRP sets the stage, and AlphaPepe might just steal the show.

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**Website:**
**Telegram:**
**X:**

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### FAQs

**What must happen for XRP to reach $6.50?**
XRP requires increased institutional inflows, improved regulatory clarity on Ripple’s offerings, and a breakout above key resistance levels into a risk-on market cycle.

**What makes AlphaPepe different from traditional meme coins?**
AlphaPepe exhibits whale accumulation, structured price increases for early participants, daily holder growth exceeding 100 new addresses, and is being closely monitored by analysts who tracked prior meme-coin surges.

**Is AlphaPepe a safer bet than XRP?**
No. AlphaPepe remains speculative and higher risk but offers higher reward potential. XRP provides a more defined growth narrative but with less upside leverage.

**Can an investor hold both XRP and AlphaPepe in the same portfolio?**
Yes. Many investors use XRP as a core large-cap growth play while allocating a smaller portion to AlphaPepe for early-entry upside potential.

**What time frame is realistic for these moves?**
The next several months into late 2025 and early 2026 appear critical for XRP to break out and for AlphaPepe to transition from presale to listing and broader trading momentum.

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*This publication is sponsored. Coindoo does not endorse or assume responsibility for the content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products, or any other materials on this page. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before engaging in any cryptocurrency-related activities. Coindoo will not be liable, directly or indirectly, for any damages or losses resulting from use of or reliance on any content, goods, or services mentioned. Always do your own research.*

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**About the Author**
*Krasimir Rusev* is a reporter at Coindoo with many years of experience covering cryptocurrencies and financial markets. He specializes in analysis, news, and forecasts for digital assets, providing readers with in-depth and reliable information on the latest market trends. His expertise and professionalism make him a valuable source for investors, traders, and anyone following the dynamics of the crypto world.
https://coindoo.com/ripple-price-prediction-xrp-poised-for-6-50-breakout-while-alphapepe-attracts-massive-retail-attention/

Solana News: Developer Rankings Reveal New Leaders in the Ecosystem

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Activity Across the Solana Ecosystem Heats Up Amid Rising Developer Engagement

Activity across the Solana ecosystem is heating up once again, with a wave of new projects drawing developer attention and expanding the network’s technical footprint. According to fresh data from Santiment, developer engagement within Solana-based platforms has risen notably over the past month, underlining the network’s growing influence across DeFi, infrastructure, and cross-chain applications.

Innovation Concentrates Around Core Protocols

While the Solana blockchain continues to anchor the ecosystem, developer activity has started to spread beyond the base layer. Wormhole, the protocol linking Solana with other major networks, remains a top focus for teams building cross-chain solutions. Meanwhile, the derivatives-focused Drift protocol saw a meaningful uptick in engineering progress, reflecting renewed interest in decentralized trading tools on Solana.

Santiment’s internal tracking, based on GitHub commits and code contributions, shows Solana maintaining a wide lead over other projects, scoring well above all ecosystem peers. The data suggests that the recent expansion in developer energy is not merely market-driven but reflects steady product evolution and infrastructure refinement.

New Growth Stories Emerge Beyond Established Names

Beyond the established names, several smaller players are beginning to command attention. Swarms, an emerging project exploring decentralized AI and data-sharing systems, has jumped sharply in developer activity, signaling an expansion of Solana’s use cases beyond finance.

Helium, the decentralized wireless network that migrated to Solana earlier this year, also showed measurable growth in developer participation. Other platforms such as Orca, a decentralized exchange, and Marinade, known for its liquid staking solutions, continue to strengthen their positions as foundational components of Solana’s DeFi stack.

Adjustments Within the Rankings

While some projects are seeing a clear uptrend, others appear to be stabilizing or cooling off. Pyth Network, a key data oracle provider, and Metaplex, the NFT infrastructure hub, both recorded slower development activity compared to previous months. Their decline in GitHub engagement may simply reflect the completion of major upgrades earlier in the quarter rather than a retreat of developer interest.

Still, top projects such as Solana (SOL) itself, Wormhole, and JTO have remained firmly entrenched in the upper tier of Santiment’s rankings, reflecting consistent work from core engineering teams and independent contributors.

A Broader Signal for Builders

The uptick in coding activity points to a maturing ecosystem that is still innovating despite shifting market conditions. While many blockchain networks have struggled to retain developer interest during periods of price stagnation, Solana’s strong showing across both infrastructure and application layers underscores its growing reputation as a builder-driven network rather than a purely speculative one.

If this momentum continues, Solana’s developer base may soon rival that of Ethereum’s Layer 2 networks in terms of pace and project diversity — a sign that the next wave of innovation could be emerging from within its expanding ecosystem.

*The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice.*

Coindoo Agencies
https://coindoo.com/solana-news-developer-rankings-reveal-new-leaders-in-the-ecosystem/

Asian shares gain as Trump says he expects a trade deal with China

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**Asian Shares Rally as U.S. Futures Jump; Japan’s Nikkei 225 Tops 50,000 for the First Time**

*BANGKOK (AP)* — Asian shares surged and U.S. futures climbed on Monday, buoyed by strong performances from Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225, which surpassed the 50,000 mark for the first time in history. Positive developments in trade relations between the U.S., China, and other major trading partners contributed to the upbeat market sentiment.

U.S. President Donald Trump visited Malaysia for a summit with Southeast Asian nations, where he reached preliminary trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, a trade deal between the United States and China appeared closer to fruition. Officials from both of the world’s largest economies announced on Sunday that they had reached an initial consensus, setting the stage for Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to work toward finalizing the deal during a high-stakes meeting later in the week.

“This isn’t just photo-op diplomacy. Behind the showmanship, Washington and Beijing’s top trade lieutenants have quietly mapped out a framework that might, just might, keep the world’s two largest economies from tearing up the field again,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management in a commentary.

Following Malaysia, Trump was scheduled to visit Japan before concluding his Asian tour in South Korea, where he is expected to meet Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

A report released Monday by the APEC secretariat forecast that annual growth in the Pacific region will slow to 3% this year from 3.6% last year, partly due to trade restrictions and higher tariffs.

### Japan’s Market Rally

In Japan, newly installed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi enjoys high levels of public support for her market-friendly policies. The Nikkei 225 index climbed 2.1% to 50,329.08, hitting record intraday highs. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, favors raising defense spending, boosting stocks of major defense contractors such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which rose 8.7%. Other defense-related companies also gained, with IHI Corp. up 2.6% and Hitachi increasing 2.7%.

Trump has frequently criticized Japan for restricting access to its auto market, citing it as one justification for imposing tariffs of 25%—later reduced to 15%—on Japan, one of America’s most vital Asian allies. In response, the Japanese government has proposed purchasing a fleet of Ford F-150 trucks for inspecting roads and infrastructure, signaling openness to U.S. products.

### Gains Across Asia-Pacific Markets

South Korea saw shares surge as well, with the Kospi rising 2% to a record 4,018.73. Investors are optimistic about a possible trade agreement with the United States. Chinese markets also posted solid gains: Hong Kong’s Hang Seng increased by 1% to 26,427.34, and the Shanghai Composite rose 1% to 3,991.35.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 picked up 0.3% to 9,047.40, while Taiwan’s Taiex gained 2.1%, and India’s Sensex was up 0.5%.

### U.S. Stocks Hit Records

On Friday, U.S. stocks reached record highs after inflation data proved less severe than anticipated. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to 6,791.69, surpassing its previous all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 1% to 47,207.12, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.1% to a record 23,204.87.

The encouraging inflation figures suggest less financial strain for lower- and middle-income households grappling with high price increases. More importantly for Wall Street, the data may clear the way for the Federal Reserve to continue cutting interest rates to support a slowing job market.

The Fed cut its main interest rate last month for the first time this year but has so far been cautious about additional cuts due to concerns that lower rates might exacerbate inflation.

Most large U.S. companies reported stronger-than-expected profits last quarter, further raising hopes for steady economic growth.

### Commodities and Currency Movements

Early Monday trading saw U.S. benchmark crude oil rise 15 cents to $61.65 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, increased 12 cents to $65.32 per barrel. The U.S. dollar strengthened against the Japanese yen to 153.15 from 152.85 yen. Conversely, the euro slipped to $1.1622 from $1.1636.
https://wtop.com/world/2025/10/asian-shares-gain-japans-nikkei-tops-50000-level-as-trump-seeks-trade-deals/

Jurassic World Evolution 3 Review – Third Time’s a Charm

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**Jurassic World Evolution 3 Review**

Dear Frontier, if you’re reading this, please somehow make all your fantastic sims cross-compatible. Sure, maybe the wallabies from *Planet Zoo* might not want to procreate next to an enclosure of velociraptors while a triple inverted coaster screams overhead. Still, you say “build it your way,” right? Wishful thinking aside, thanks for *Jurassic World Evolution 3*. It’s the best of the series. It’s also just a wink and a nudge away from *Planet Zoo*, so let’s talk about that crossover.

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### Incremental, but Large Increments

In *Jurassic World Evolution 3*, your tasks remain essentially the same as in prior games. The overarching challenge is finding a balance between commerce and conservation, exploitation and, well, evolution. Turning a profit while advancing science, dinosaur genetics, and efficient keeping.

The tasks are not unlike those in *Planet Zoo*, but the captives are a bit more extreme. *Jurassic World Evolution 3* doesn’t throw the baby tyrannosaur out with the bathwater, because it doesn’t need to. The fundamentals remain solid.

There’s a campaign, a sandbox, and some one-off challenges — more than enough to keep fans satisfied for a good long while. However, for *Jurassic World Evolution 3*, Frontier has added a bit more depth around breeding, genetics, and the dinosaur growth cycle.

The game introduces juvenile animals. In addition to being adorable and audience-pleasing, they also have a separate range of behaviors with each other and their parents. They exhibit the blended genetic tendencies and appearance you might expect.

Juveniles have unique needs separate from adults. It means more stuff to balance, but that’s what players enjoy. Breeding now takes into consideration sexual dimorphism, fertility, compatibility, territory size, and nest placement. Part of the game’s campaign deals with bioengineering enough males to populate breeding programs.

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### Dr. Malcolm Returns

The singular Jeff Goldblum — aka The Fly, aka The Wizard of Oz, aka Dr. Ian Malcolm — returns to quip and intone his usual scientific warnings, but the cast is uniformly pretty good.

Overall, the game’s campaign is the best of the three games, taking the player from Hawaii to Japan to the Nevada desert. As always, the campaign is part narrative, part tutorial, and moves along at a welcome, streamlined clip.

The game’s challenge mode presents players with a range of one-off scenarios to test their ability in a variety of situations. If nothing else, the scenarios are a great practice tool for deep diving into the game’s systems.

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### Play in the Sandbox

For me, and I suspect many other players, the campaign is like the vegetables, and the sandbox is the dessert. That doesn’t mean the veggies aren’t nutritious and can’t be delicious, but the freedom of building in the sandbox is endlessly fun.

As always, players can shape the sandbox experience in extremely granular ways. For some players, paying attention to every detail of infrastructure, staffing, maintenance, and research is pure joy; for others, worrying about building a sustainable power grid is annoying.

For *Jurassic World Evolution 3*, Frontier introduces modular building tools and the ability to easily customize buildings and other design elements in far more detail. Easy is relative, of course. Building an aesthetically pleasing and entertaining park experience is always a challenge.

This version includes a few new attractions, maybe the coolest of which is a kayak ride. Guests can paddle down rivers while dinos graze on the banks. The new zipline ride lets people swoop over herds of dinosaurs. Will a pen of hungry allosaurs nip at the heels of zipliners? Let’s find out.

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### Fly in the Amber

I played *Jurassic World Evolution 3* on the PS5, which means using the controller for building. Thanks largely to Frontier porting its games to consoles, the practicality of playing a building sim with a controller has steadily improved.

It will probably never be as easy or intuitive as a mouse and keyboard, but the experience is relatively painless in *Jurassic World Evolution 3*.

Let me copy/paste my standard Frontier sim game complaint: lack of compatibility with prior games. Especially when a game’s tech is more iterative than dramatically different, having to repurchase content always smacks of greed. It was true in *Planet Coaster*, and it’s true in *Evolution 3*.

However, one really bright spot is that blueprints and player-made content in the Frontier Workshop is cross-platform compatible.

Generally, *Jurassic World Evolution 3* looks great, especially its lighting and scenery. At least on the PS5, some of the dinosaur skin textures have an unrealistic plastic/rubber sheen to them. However, dinosaur animations continue to evolve and feel ever more lifelike.

Players looking forward to playing on PS5 should note that there have been some issues with limits on park complexity. Frontier is working on this problem.

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Thanks to its modular building systems, new juvenile dinosaurs, and engaging campaign, *Jurassic World Evolution 3* is the best of the series. It feels like a more flexible and more refined version of a familiar game.

If it had compatibility with prior content, it would be a 10/10, but *Jurassic World Evolution 3* is a great foundation for expansion.

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*PS5 code provided by the publisher for review.*
https://cogconnected.com/review/jurassic-world-evolution-3-review/