Bitcoin Breaks $120K, Hackers Lurk, and Quantum Leaps – Tech News Roundup (July 13–14, 2025)

Cryptocurrency & Fintech: Bitcoin’s New High and a Trump Token Frenzy

Bitcoin Smashes Records: The world’s largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin soared past $120,000 for the first time on Monday, marking a historic milestone reuters.com. It briefly hit $122,571 before settling around $121,953 reuters.com. Analysts attribute the crypto rally to strong institutional demand, optimism for upcoming U.S. crypto regulations, and even vocal support from President Donald Trump – who calls himself the “crypto president” reuters.com reuters.com. “It’s riding a number of tailwinds at the moment,” noted IG market analyst Tony Sycamore, citing regulatory momentum and bullish sentiment. He added that after such a “very, very strong” week-long surge, Bitcoin could easily test the $125,000 level next reuters.com. The broader crypto market followed suit, with Ether climbing above $3,000 and other altcoins like XRP and Solana gaining ~3% each, swelling the total crypto market cap to about $3.8 trillion reuters.com.

Trump-Themed Token Turbulence: Meanwhile, a new Trump-branded meme coin ($TRUMP) sparked a frenzy – and some hard lessons. According to a Reuters investigation, major crypto exchanges fast-tracked listings of the $TRUMP token in mere days, versus the several months usually needed for vetting reuters.com reuters.com. Launched just before Trump’s inauguration, the coin lacks intrinsic value (like most meme coins) and has shown wild price swings. Yet Coinbase listed it within 24 hours, citing “customer demand,” despite its own stated rigorous listing standards reuters.com. No corners were cut, exchanges insist, and the White House even claimed the coin posed “no conflicts of interest.” Still, experts warn the episode highlights the risks of speculative crypto manias: many late buyers have been left holding losses, while a few early movers cashed out big reuters.com. The $TRUMP saga is a cautionary tale that even as crypto goes mainstream, due diligence can fall by the wayside in the race to satisfy traders’ appetites.

Consumer Electronics & Gadgets: New Leaks, Big Storage, and Self-Destructing Drives

Smartphone Rumor Mill – Samsung & Apple: Mobile enthusiasts got their fill of leaks over the weekend. In the Android realm, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 is tipped for major camera upgrades. Insiders report that at least two S26 models will feature improved camera hardware, and codenames for the devices even surfaced online techradar.com. On the Apple side, a top Apple tipster believes he’s pinpointed the iPhone 17’s release date – and it could be just two months away techradar.com. If true, that puts Apple’s next flagship launch in September, aligning with its usual fall product cycle. While Apple hasn’t confirmed anything, the rumor has fans buzzing that the iPhone 17 may drop earlier than expected, possibly with new features to rival the competition.

Record-Breaking Storage: In PC hardware news, data hoarders have reason to cheer (and perhaps wince at the price tag). Seagate’s colossal 36TB hard drive – the world’s largest capacity HDD – is now on preorder for about $800 techradar.com. This 36TB Exos drive sets a new benchmark for spinning storage, though early buyers are essentially paying a premium for bragging rights and enterprise-grade space. On the faster side of storage, a next-gen PCIe 6.0 solid-state drive prototype was unveiled, promising a blistering 28 GB/s throughput and capacities up to 512 GB. However, don’t expect to plug one into your rig anytime soon – analysts predict PCIe 6.0 SSDs won’t hit consumer PCs until near 2030, given the lag in platform support and real-world demand.

Self-Destructing SSDs: One of the more eyebrow-raising gadget releases is a new “self-destructing” internal SSD that just hit the market techradar.com. With a single click, users can trigger an unstoppable data wipe that persists even if the drive is unplugged or loses power. The drive’s makers tout it as the ultimate failsafe for sensitive data: if you’re disposing of a drive or fear it’s about to be stolen, you can nuke the data instantly. The feature leverages an on-board power source to complete the data destruction sequence without external power techradar.com. While it sounds like spy-movie tech, it addresses real concerns about data breaches. Experts say it could appeal to government and enterprise buyers with high security needs – though average consumers might find it overkill (and a bit scary to have a doomsday button for their files).

Cybersecurity & Privacy: Fake VPN Malware and New Vulnerabilities

GitHub Malware Trap: Cybersecurity experts are sounding the alarm about an ingenious new malware campaign targeting privacy-conscious users and gamers. The attack uses fake “free VPN” software hosted on GitHub to lure victims, but the download is actually a nasty info-stealer in disguise techradar.com. According to researchers at Cyfirma, the malware is a sophisticated dropper for the Lumma Stealer that bills itself as “Free VPN for PC” techradar.com. Once run, it quietly plants itself in the Windows AppData folder and even poses as a Minecraft “Skin Changer” mod to snare gamers techradar.com. The stealth techniques are advanced – the malware uses process injection via legitimate Windows tools like MSBuild.exe, plus obfuscation and memory-only payloads, to evade antivirus detection techradar.com. Its success also hinges on abusing GitHub as a trusted distribution platform, complete with detailed instructions that lend an air of legitimacy techradar.com. The takeaway: be extremely wary of software from unofficial sources, even on GitHub, and verify that “free VPN” or game mod downloads are from an authentic project. As one security researcher put it, if it sounds too good (or too free) to be true, it just might hide malware.

Urgent Patches for Critical Flaws: Alongside crafty malware, critical vulnerabilities continue to emerge. On July 13, security researchers publicly disclosed a severe flaw in Fortinet’s FortiWeb software (CVE-2025-25257) that allows remote code execution without authentication securityaffairs.com. A proof-of-concept exploit was released, meaning attackers can quickly weaponize it. Fortinet urged all users to “patch immediately” to block potential intrusions securityaffairs.com. Similarly, a zero-day exploit for Wing FTP Server was caught being actively used by hackers within days of its technical details going public securityaffairs.com. This exploit grants full system takeover on unpatched servers. These incidents underscore a broader theme: IT admins are in a race against time to deploy patches once a vulnerability is leaked, as threat actors are pouncing faster than ever. Staying current with updates is paramount – as is cautious network segmentation – to avoid becoming the next breach headline.

Transportation & Automotive Tech: Supersonic Breakthroughs and EV Innovations

Quiet Supersonic Flight Tests: The dream of sonic-speed travel without the sonic boom took a step forward, courtesy of NASA and JAXA. Engineers announced they blasted a scale model of the experimental X-59 jet to Mach 1.4 in a Tokyo wind tunnel to validate its ultra-quiet design scitechdaily.com. The hand-sized model of the X-59 QueSST – a prototype “quiet” supersonic plane – was fired down the tunnel at 925 mph (Mach 1.4) to gather data. Early results are promising: the X-59’s needle-nosed, sleek shape performed as expected, hinting it can break the sound barrier with a softer sonic thump instead of a window-rattling boom scitechdaily.com. This is a key milestone for NASA’s quest to bring back supersonic passenger flight (post-Concorde) in a way palatable to regulators and communities. With these findings, the X-59 team is more confident than ever that a future of cross-continental flights at double the speed – without terrifying the towns below – could become reality.

EV Developments – Battery Swaps and Mining Trucks: In electric vehicle news, China’s Nio launched a new 7-seater electric SUV under its sub-brand Onvo, featuring the company’s hallmark battery-swapping tech thedriven.io. The Onvo L90 model is targeted at families and offers an option to buy the car without a battery (at a lower price) and then subscribe to a battery-as-a-service plan thedriven.io. Nio reports that it has already performed over 70 million battery swaps across its network of 3,400 swapping stations in China, proving the concept’s viability at scale thedriven.io. The L90’s launch, with initial deliveries slated for early August, shows Nio doubling down on swap technology to set itself apart from conventional charging models.

Heavy transportation is getting a jolt of electrification too. Global mining giant BHP announced partnerships with battery leaders CATL and BYD to cut emissions in its operations reuters.com. The preliminary deals will see them jointly develop battery-powered heavy mining trucks and locomotives to replace diesel machines across BHP’s mines and rail lines reuters.com. They’ll also explore fast-charging systems and battery recycling for these extreme-duty batteries reuters.com. If successful, the initiative could drastically reduce the carbon footprint of hauling ore. “This marks further progress in BHP’s work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions… and could provide a template to cut mining industry emissions,” said BHP Chief Procurement Officer Rashpal Bhatti reuters.com. In other words, electrifying colossal dump trucks and trains isn’t just about BHP’s mines – it could pave the way for a greener mining sector worldwide.

Biotech & Health Tech: Parkinson’s Breakthrough and Protein “Icebergs”

Weekly Shot for Parkinson’s Relief: A remarkable biotech development from Australia promises to ease life for millions of Parkinson’s patients. Researchers at the University of South Australia unveiled a once-a-week injectable treatment that could spare patients from taking pills multiple times a day scitechdaily.com. The treatment is a tiny biodegradable gel implanted under the skin, which steadily releases Parkinson’s medications (levodopa and carbidopa) over seven days scitechdaily.com. Early lab results show the gel provides steadier symptom control with fewer side effects, thanks to consistent drug dosing all week long scitechdaily.com scitechdaily.com. “This weekly injection could be a game-changer for Parkinson’s care,” said Professor Sanjay Garg, lead researcher on the project, noting it simplifies treatment and maintains stable medication levels scitechdaily.com. The injectable polymer system has proven over 90% effective in releasing the drugs throughout the week and safely biodegrades thereafter scitechdaily.com. While human trials are still ahead, the team is optimistic, having filed a patent and eyeing uses of this long-acting drug delivery for other chronic conditions as well scitechdaily.com. For the 8+ million people living with Parkinson’s globally, a single weekly shot instead of dozens of pills could indeed be life-changing if this innovation reaches the clinic.

Alzheimer’s “Iceberg” of Proteins: Separately, neuroscientists are uncovering new clues in the fight against neurodegenerative disease. A groundbreaking study (in aging lab animals) revealed an “iceberg” of over 200 misfolded proteins quietly accumulating in the brain that may contribute to memory loss scitechdaily.com. These hidden proteins – many previously undetected – were found in aging rats’ brains and could represent early drivers of Alzheimer’s-like cognitive decline scitechdaily.com. The discovery is likened to an iceberg because the well-known pathological proteins (like beta-amyloid and tau) might be just the tip, with hundreds of other lesser-known misfolded proteins lurking beneath the surface. While this research is preliminary, it suggests new targets for diagnostics or therapies: if scientists can identify and clear this broader constellation of rogue proteins, they might blunt the silent damage that eventually leads to dementia. It’s a reminder of how complex conditions like Alzheimer’s are – and how much remains hidden, awaiting further research to bring it to light.

Green Energy & Sustainability: Clean Energy Deals and Climate Risks

$8.3B for Clean Energy in Saudi Arabia: The global shift to renewable energy chalked up a big win as Saudi Arabia inked $8.3 billion in clean power deals reuters.com. On July 13, Saudi officials announced a series of power purchase agreements totaling 15 GW of new renewable capacity reuters.com. The projects – led by Saudi utility giant ACWA Power in partnership with state entities – span five massive solar farms across Aseer, Medina, Mecca and Riyadh provinces, plus two large wind farms near Riyadh reuters.com reuters.com. This is a significant chunk toward Saudi Arabia’s goal of installing 130 GW of renewables by 2030 reuters.com. It also signals the oil-rich kingdom’s commitment (at least financially) to its Vision 2030 diversification plan. If completed, these solar and wind plants will help reduce Saudi’s reliance on burning crude for electricity and cut emissions, all while meeting growing domestic power demand. Analysts note the scale of investment underscores a broader trend: clean energy infrastructure is booming in the Middle East, as countries race to meet climate targets and capitalize on abundant sun and wind.

Climate Change Threatens Data Centers: A sobering study made tech leaders sit up this week: many of the world’s top data center hubs could be in jeopardy due to climate change techradar.com. New research highlighted by TechRadar indicates that key data center locations – think low-lying coastal tech hubs and areas already facing extreme heat – are at rising risk from floods, heatwaves, and other climate impacts techradar.com. For example, places like Silicon Valley, parts of the U.S. East Coast, and low-lying areas of Asia and Europe host giant server farms that may not be climate-resilient. As servers generate enormous heat on their own, cooling them in the face of higher ambient temperatures becomes more costly and energy-intensive. And extreme weather events (hurricanes, wildfires, droughts) threaten power and water supplies that data centers need. The report urges urgent investments in climate-proofing digital infrastructure – such as better cooling tech, backup power, and choosing safer locales for new builds. With our world ever more dependent on the cloud, climate adaptation is now an agenda item in the boardrooms of tech companies. Future-proofing the internet’s backbone has become as critical as cutting its carbon footprint.

Telecom & Infrastructure: Huawei’s Controversial Contract in Spain

Huawei in Europe’s Backdoor: A new development in Spain has raised eyebrows among security allies: the Spanish government awarded Huawei a €12.3 million contract to manage its law enforcement wiretap system therecord.media. Despite EU-wide worries over Huawei’s ties to Beijing, Spain will let the Chinese tech firm oversee data storage for SITEL, the country’s central wiretapping platform used by police and intelligence agencies therecord.media. The deal – awarded via standard procurement processes – comes even as most of Europe is moving to exclude Huawei from 5G networks. Spain’s Interior Ministry insists Huawei must follow strict cybersecurity rules under the contract therecord.media, but internal reports say there’s “growing unrest” among Spanish security services about handing such sensitive infrastructure to a Chinese vendor therecord.media. Security analysts note that Spain’s stance diverges sharply from its NATO allies. “Spain’s stance on high-risk technology vendors places greater emphasis on supply chain reliability than on geopolitical considerations,” observed Natasha Buckley, a cybersecurity researcher at RUSI, contrasting it with the far more restrictive approaches in countries like the UK and Poland therecord.media. In effect, Spain has taken a case-by-case approach – banning Huawei in some areas (like certain 5G projects) but embracing it for other needs – resulting in a patchwork policy that critics say falls short of a clear strategy therecord.media. The news has rekindled debate over how European nations balance tech reliability, cost, and security in the shadow of geopolitical tensions. For Huawei, which has long denied providing any backdoors, the Spanish contract is a significant foothold – and a public relations win – at a time when its business in Europe has been under heavy strain.

Quantum Computing Advances: March Toward Quantum Supremacy

IBM’s Roadmap to a 2029 Quantum Computer: The race for quantum computing supremacy is accelerating. Tech giant IBM laid out an ambitious roadmap to build a practical quantum computer by 2029 reuters.com. In a June announcement, IBM said its upcoming “IBM Quantum Starling” system – to be housed in a New York data center – will incorporate around 200 logical qubits, enough (by their calculations) to start outperforming classical supercomputers on useful tasks reuters.com. IBM is targeting a fault-tolerant, large-scale machine by 2033 and has devised new error-correction algorithms that drastically cut down the number of qubits wasted on error fixing reuters.com. “We’ve answered those science questions… now you need a grand challenge in engineering,” said Dr. Jay Gambetta, IBM’s head of quantum research, indicating that no new physics are required – just engineering muscle to scale up and integrate the system reuters.com. This confidence stems from progress since 2019, when IBM pivoted its approach to build hardware first and tailor the error-correction to it, rather than the other way around reuters.com. If IBM hits its milestones, the late 2020s could finally usher in quantum computers that tackle real-world problems beyond the reach of classical machines.

Google’s Quantum Leap: IBM isn’t alone. Alphabet’s Google Quantum AI team recently achieved a dramatic breakthrough of its own, pointing to the field’s rapid gains. Google announced that its latest quantum processor, a 105-qubit chip dubbed “Willow,” solved in just five minutes a calculation so complex it would take a classical supercomputer longer than the history of the universe to compute reuters.com. This feat, published in Nature, suggests Google has crossed a critical threshold of quantum advantage (albeit on a contrived math problem). More importantly, Google reported that by cleverly linking qubits together and correcting errors in real time, the error rate actually went down as they added more qubits – a promising sign of scalability reuters.com. “We are past the break-even point,” proclaimed Dr. Hartmut Neven, who leads Google’s Quantum AI lab reuters.com. In other words, adding qubits is now yielding net gains rather than being cancelled out by noise. Together, these developments from IBM, Google, and others underscore that quantum computing is swiftly shifting from theory to implementation. The coming years may deliver machines capable of revolutionary calculations in drug discovery, materials science, cryptography and beyond – heralding a new era of computational power.

Sources: This roundup is based on reporting from Reuters, TechRadar, SciTechDaily, The Record, and other tech news outlets. Key references include Reuters technology and business reports from July 13–14, 2025 (on Bitcoin’s surge reuters.com reuters.com, crypto exchange listings reuters.com, BHP’s battery partnerships reuters.com reuters.com, Saudi energy deals reuters.com reuters.com, and Spain’s Huawei contract therecord.media therecord.media), TechRadar coverage of consumer devices and security threats techradar.com techradar.com, SciTechDaily’s science and health news on Parkinson’s research scitechdaily.com scitechdaily.com and aerospace tests scitechdaily.com, and IBM’s and Google’s quantum computing announcements as reported by Reuters and Nature reuters.com reuters.com. This comprehensive overview excludes developments in artificial intelligence and satellite tech to focus on other sectors of the tech world as of mid-July 2025.