AI Agent Tries to Mine Crypto During Training Run

Plus: 🛢️ Onchain commodities trading surges, 🛡️ U.S. cyber strategy highlights crypto security.

Author

Juan Aranovich
March 09, 2026

Hi! In today’s edition:

  • 🤖 AI agent unexpectedly attempts crypto mining during training

  • 🛢️ Onchain commodities trading spikes as traders move to Hyperliquid

  • 🛡️ New U.S. cyber strategy includes protecting crypto infrastructure

Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Adaptive Security!

In crypto, the biggest losses don’t start with malware — they start with trust: a “founder” on a deepfake call asking for an urgent transfer, a cloned vendor voice “confirming” new banking details, or a perfectly-written email/DM that looks internal and reroutes funds.

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  • AI Content Creator that turns new threats, policies, or compliance needs into interactive, multilingual training in minutes

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AI Agent Unexpectedly Attempts Crypto Mining During Training

A new research paper has revealed a surprising episode involving an experimental AI agent connected to Alibaba’s research ecosystem. The model, called ROME, was designed to complete complex coding tasks by interacting with tools, terminal commands, and software environments. But during training runs, it began doing something researchers did not expect.

Security alerts from Alibaba Cloud first flagged unusual activity coming from the training servers. Investigators initially suspected a standard cybersecurity incident. Instead, they discovered the behavior was coming from the AI agent itself.

According to the researchers, the model attempted to divert GPU computing power to mine cryptocurrency and even created a reverse SSH tunnel to an external server, which could bypass normal firewall protections. The system had not been instructed to perform either task.

ROME is a 30 billion parameter model built on Alibaba’s Qwen architecture, though only about 3 billion parameters are active at once. Researchers believe the actions emerged during reinforcement learning as the agent explored ways to achieve its objectives.

The episode highlights a broader challenge in AI development. As autonomous agents gain more access to tools and infrastructure, unexpected behavior may emerge in ways developers never intended.

Weekend Trading Surge Highlights Demand for Onchain Commodities

Trading activity on Hyperliquid spiked this weekend, driven largely by strong demand for commodities markets onchain. According to onchain research firm Pine Analytics, the surge pushed HIP-3 weekend volume to its highest level yet, with the bulk of activity coming from trade.xyz.

Pine said the platform’s momentum began earlier this year during a sharp rally in silver. “Silver started its parabolic move, going from $85 to $114 in less than two weeks,” the firm wrote, adding that the volatility triggered the first major wave of retail adoption on the platform. At its peak, silver trading volume on trade.xyz reached $4.67 billion on a weekday and roughly $460 million on weekends.

A second surge came recently as geopolitical tensions disrupted traditional markets. When the U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran escalated on Feb. 28, crude oil futures were closed for the weekend. Traders instead flocked to onchain crude oil perpetuals, pushing weekend volume to about $720 million, Pine Analytics noted.

“These waves of demand show the platform is absorbing trading demand when TradFi markets are unavailable,” the firm wrote.

Trump Cyber Strategy Puts Crypto Security on the Agenda

The White House has unveiled a new National Cyber Strategy that explicitly includes protecting cryptocurrencies and blockchain infrastructure as part of the country’s broader cybersecurity agenda.

The document outlines plans to strengthen digital systems across government and industry, while emphasizing support for technologies that safeguard user privacy and financial networks. It also highlights the need to develop and adopt post quantum cryptography, a class of encryption designed to withstand future quantum computers that could theoretically break today’s security standards.

The issue has become a growing discussion inside crypto. Researchers warn that major blockchains such as Bitcoin may eventually need upgrades to remain secure in a world where quantum computing becomes practical. Some industry leaders argue the risk is still distant, while others are already preparing. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently proposed a roadmap aimed at making the network resistant to quantum attacks.

Today at 4:30 pm ET: Bits + Bips

One of the world’s most important energy chokepoints is effectively closed — yet markets are reacting with surprising calm.

On this episode of Bits + Bips, the hosts speak with former U.S. Army Major-General James “Spider” Marks about the military and macro implications of the Strait of Hormuz shutdown, how AI is shaping modern warfare, and whether markets are underestimating the economic consequences. 

They also examine Kraken gaining access to Federal Reserve payment rails and a new partnership between the New York Stock Exchange’s parent company and crypto exchange OKX. 

If you want to understand how geopolitics and crypto markets are intersecting right now, this conversation is worth watching.

Join us at 4:30 pm ET on X, YouTube or PumpFun.

  • 📉 World Liberty Financial, a crypto project linked to the Trump family, is facing investor frustration as its token price declines and trading liquidity remains thin, leaving some retail holders unable to sell their positions and highlighting the risks tied to politically branded crypto ventures.

  • đź’± Virtuals Protocol, an AI-focused crypto project, and the Ethereum Foundation introduced ERC-8183, a proposed open blockchain standard designed to let AI agents hire and pay each other directly onchain for digital tasks—such as coding, data analysis, or media generation—without relying on a centralized platform to manage payments or rules.

  • ⚖️ A U.S. federal judge dismissed a major lawsuit accusing Binance of enabling terrorism financing, ruling that while the exchange may have been broadly aware illicit actors used its platform, plaintiffs failed to prove a direct connection between Binance’s conduct and the specific attacks cited.

  • 🎯 Prediction market platform Kalshi is facing a class-action lawsuit over roughly $54 million in disputed bets, after traders who wagered that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would leave office claim the platform refused payouts by invoking a rule excluding markets tied to deaths following his reported killing in military strikes.

  • 🧾 The U.S. Internal Revenue Service proposed allowing crypto exchanges to require users to accept digital delivery of Form 1099-DA, the new tax document reporting crypto transactions, with consent potentially embedded during account sign-up and accounts at risk of closure if users refuse electronic reporting.

  • 🌍 Coinbase launched regulated futures trading for advanced users across 26 European countries, introducing contracts tied to assets like Bitcoin and Solana as well as stock indexes, including long-dated “perpetual-style” derivatives with leverage reaching up to 10 times.

  • đź“Š KAST, a fast-growing fintech startup focused on stablecoin banking services, raised $80 million at a $600 million valuation, with investors betting its platform for storing, earning yield, and spending blockchain-based dollars could push its yearly revenue pace to about $100 million.

  • đź’° Prediction-market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are exploring new fundraising rounds near $20 billion valuations, reflecting explosive growth in online betting on real-world events as combined monthly trading volume surged past $18 billion while regulators and lawmakers simultaneously question contracts tied to war, politics, and sports.