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Governor Dr Alex Otti Appoints Ndubuisi Ekekwe Chair of Abia State Technological Skills Acquisition Center

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To the Good People of Abia State, thank you for another opportunity to serve. To our dear Governor Dr Alex Otti, we understand your vision, and together, we will work to provide skills and capabilities to ensure Abians are ready for the 21st century.

The technology of nations is the wealth of nations, and Abia will use technical capabilities to advance shared prosperity and abundance for all. All of us will serve to fulfil that promise, for all Abians, as stated on our state’s coat of arms: prosperity through enterprise.

September 11th, 2025.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has approved the appointment of the following persons into the Abia State Technological Skills Acquisition Center:

 

  1. Prof. Ndubuisi Ekekwe – Chairman
  2. Eng. Cletus Ogbonnaya Ekpo – Vice Chairman
  3. Eng. Peter Ukonu – Director General
  4. Mr. Gerald Ilukwe – Member
  5. Mr. Chinenye Mba Uzoukwu – Member
  6. Mr. Fidelis Nwaeze – Member
  7. Dr. Christopher Kalu Okorie – Member
  8. Mr. Chukwudi Ogbonna – Member
  9. Dr. Mrs. Rita Ndidi Amuchienwa – Member

 

Prof. Kenneth Kalu, FCA

Secretary to the State Government

Bet Smarter, Not Harder: Spartans’ 10% CASHRAKE™ Changes the Game

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Find Out More About Spartans:

 

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Bitcoin Holds Strong at $114K Ahead of Key US CPI Data, Analysts Predict Surge to $160K

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Bitcoin (BTC) is holding steady around the $114,000 mark after a sharp rally on Wednesday, as traders brace for the release of US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data later today.

The flagship cryptocurrency ended several weeks of downward price action on Sept. 2 with a daily candle close above the corresponding trend line, a day after seeing its lowest levels in nearly two months.

Currently, BTC has surged to a 17-day high of $114,500, extending its recent bullish momentum and breaking through the crucial $113,000 resistance level that had repeatedly capped gains over the past week.

BTC Breaks Key Resistance as Bulls Regain Control

Earlier attempts to break above $113,000 were met with swift rejections, sending BTC tumbling by several thousand dollars on both September 6 and September 10. However, this time, bulls managed to overcome the resistance, setting the stage for further upward movement.

Despite a slight pullback, BTC remains firmly above $114,000, with traders anticipating heightened volatility once the CPI report drops. Historically, CPI releases have caused sharp, short-term declines before Bitcoin rebounded strongly.

Popular crypto analyst Rekt Capital noted that Bitcoin’s consistent rebounds suggest strong bullish momentum. “Each rejection from $113K has resulted in shallower and shallower pullbacks,” Rekt Capital explained, adding that it’s unlikely Bitcoin has already peaked this cycle, as that would make this one of the shortest bull markets in history.

Macro Tailwinds: Inflation and Rate Cuts

Bitcoin’s rise has been supported by broader macroeconomic trends. A recent drop in US inflation data has boosted risk assets such as Bitcoin and gold, with expectations growing for the Federal Reserve to begin interest rate cuts as early as next week.

Trader Jelle noted on X: “If today’s CPI report matches expectations, it will likely confirm a rate cut later this month, which could fuel further upside for BTC and the broader market.”

Analysts Eye $160,000 BTC Target

Fresh on-chain data has further fueled optimism. Trader BitBull highlighted a “golden cross” forming on Bitcoin’s MACD chart, a signal historically linked to major rallies. “Last time this occurred, BTC surged 40% in a month and set a new all-time high,” BitBull said. If history repeats, BTC could climb to $160,000, a target many traders are eyeing for late 2025.

Altcoins Join the Rally

Bitcoin’s momentum has spilled over into the altcoin market. Avalanche (AVAX) surged more than 7%, nearing the $30 level, while Dogecoin (DOGE) and Stellar (XLM) jumped by up to 3%.

Ethereum also saw gains, climbing 2.3% to trade above $4,400.

The standout performer, however, was Mantle (MNT), which soared to a new all-time high of $1.65, leading the market in percentage gains. In contrast, Worldcoin (WLD) dropped almost 8% after its recent strong rally.

The overall crypto market capitalization has surged past the $4 trillion mark, now standing at $4.06 trillion, according to CG data. Bitcoin’s dominance has steadied at 56%, reflecting renewed investor confidence in both BTC and altcoins.

Future Outlook

Bitcoin’s breakout above $113,000 signals strong bullish momentum as traders await critical CPI data. If macroeconomic conditions align and historical patterns repeat, analysts believe BTC could rally toward $160,000, potentially setting the stage for a new all-time high.

CleanCore’s $67M DOGE Purchase Is A Bold, High-Risk Bet to Redefine Itself as a Crypto-Centric Company

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CleanCore Solutions, Inc. (NYSE American: ZONE), a Nebraska-based company originally focused on aqueous ozone cleaning technology, has pivoted to establish the “official” Dogecoin treasury in partnership with the Dogecoin Foundation and its commercial arm, House of Doge.

This move began with a $175 million private placement announced on September 2, 2025, involving over 80 institutional investors like Pantera Capital, GSR, and FalconX, with proceeds earmarked primarily for acquiring Dogecoin (DOGE) as the company’s core reserve asset.

CleanCore executed its initial purchase, acquiring 285,420,000 DOGE tokens for approximately $68 million (at an average price around $0.238 per DOGE). This positions CleanCore as the largest single DOGE treasury holder to date, surpassing prior corporate adopters like Bit Origin.

The company has set an aggressive first milestone of accumulating 1 billion DOGE within the next 30 days, with a long-term goal of holding about 5% of Dogecoin’s circulating supply (roughly 75 billion tokens total). Future buys will occur via OTC desks and public markets to minimize volatility.

The treasury is advised by House of Doge and crypto ETF issuer 21Shares, focusing on governance, yield opportunities (e.g., staking-like rewards via exchanges), and utility development like payments, tokenization, and remittances. Elon Musk’s longtime attorney, Alex Spiro, became board chairman; Dogecoin Foundation Director Timothy Stebbing joined the board; and House of Doge CEO Marco Margiotta was appointed chief investment officer.

CleanCore aims to legitimize DOGE beyond its meme roots by anchoring institutional adoption, integrating it into real-world applications, and creating financial products. CEO Clayton Adams described it as a “watershed moment” for aligning public companies with crypto foundations.

ZONE shares initially plunged over 60% to around $2.69 on the announcement day, reflecting investor skepticism about the pivot from cleaning tech to a meme coin-focused treasury. However, the stock has shown volatility since, with some recovery tied to crypto market sentiment.

Dogecoin’s price hovered around $0.21–$0.24 during these events, with a market cap of about $32 billion. This follows a trend of public companies like Bit Origin adding altcoins to treasuries, though such moves have often led to stock underperformance amid regulatory scrutiny and volatility risks.

By allocating a substantial portion of its $175 million private placement to DOGE, CleanCore is shifting from a traditional operational model to a crypto-heavy balance sheet. This exposes the company to Dogecoin’s price volatility, which could amplify financial risk but also offers potential upside if DOGE appreciates.

The aggressive goal of acquiring 1 billion DOGE in 30 days and 5% of circulating supply long-term suggests significant capital commitment to crypto over traditional business reinvestment. This could strain liquidity if operational needs arise or if DOGE’s value declines sharply.

Plans to explore staking-like rewards via exchanges could generate passive income, but these carry counterparty risks (e.g., exchange insolvency) and regulatory uncertainty, especially in the U.S.  Moving from aqueous ozone cleaning to a Dogecoin treasury signals a near-total reorientation.

This risks alienating existing stakeholders (e.g., cleaning tech customers, traditional investors) while betting on unproven crypto utility in payments, tokenization, and remittances. Collaboration with the Dogecoin Foundation, House of Doge, and 21Shares positions CleanCore as a pioneer in institutional DOGE adoption.

These partnerships could enhance credibility and access to crypto infrastructure but may also tie the company’s fate to DOGE’s volatile reputation. Appointing crypto-savvy figures like Alex Spiro, Timothy Stebbing, and Marco Margiotta strengthens strategic execution but introduces governance risks.

The initial 60%+ drop in ZONE’s stock price reflects investor skepticism about the pivot. Continued volatility is likely as markets assess CleanCore’s ability to balance crypto speculation with operational stability. Recovery may hinge on DOGE’s performance and broader crypto sentiment.

CleanCore’s purchase of 285.4 million DOGE (~0.38% of circulating supply) and planned acquisitions could provide price support for Dogecoin, especially if executed via OTC desks to avoid sudden spikes. However, large-scale buying may also draw speculative traders, increasing volatility.

Following Bit Origin’s smaller DOGE treasury move, CleanCore’s high-profile pivot could inspire other public companies to explore altcoin treasuries, particularly for meme coins. However, it may also invite scrutiny from regulators like the SEC, given the speculative nature of DOGE.

Holding a large DOGE treasury may attract attention from U.S. regulators, especially if CleanCore pursues financial products (e.g., DOGE-based ETFs or payment systems). Compliance with securities laws, custody standards, and anti-money laundering rules will be critical.

DOGE’s meme coin origins could undermine CleanCore’s credibility with traditional investors, especially if the pivot is perceived as speculative rather than strategic. The involvement of high-profile figures like Elon Musk’s attorney may amplify media and regulatory focus.

CleanCore’s move, backed by institutional investors like Pantera Capital and GSR, could elevate DOGE’s status beyond a meme coin, especially if utility in payments or tokenization gains traction. However, failure to deliver could reinforce DOGE’s speculative image.

The success of this pivot depends on DOGE’s market performance, CleanCore’s ability to integrate crypto into viable products, and navigating regulatory hurdles. Monitor ZONE’s stock, DOGE’s price, and SEC filings

UAE’s MBZUAI Launches Low-Cost Reasoning Model to Challenge OpenAI and DeepSeek

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched a low-cost reasoning model, joining the global AI arms race.

The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the UAE’s flagship AI research university, unveiled a new reasoning model on Tuesday that it claims can rival those of OpenAI and Chinese lab DeepSeek—at a fraction of the size and cost.

The model, dubbed K2 Think, boasts just 32 billion parameters, compared with the 671 billion that power DeepSeek’s R1, and was built on Alibaba’s open-source Qwen 2.5 framework. Run and tested on hardware from U.S. chipmaker Cerebras, K2 Think is designed to deliver performance on par with the industry’s largest reasoning systems, despite being significantly smaller. OpenAI has not disclosed parameter counts for its flagship models.

The project was developed in partnership with G42, the UAE’s AI champion backed by Microsoft. Researchers say the model achieved benchmark parity with rivals across math (AIME24, AIME25, HMMT25, OMNI-Math-HARD), coding (LiveCodeBenchv5), and science (GPQA-Diamond) tasks.

How it Works

Hector Liu, director of MBZUAI’s Institute of Foundation Models, attributed K2 Think’s performance to methods such as chain-of-thought supervised fine-tuning—a step-by-step reasoning approach—and test-time scaling, which boosts performance by allocating extra compute during inference.

“What was special about our model is we treat it more like a system than just a model,” Liu said. “Unlike a regular open-source model where we can just release the model, we actually deploy the model and see how we can improve the model over time.”

Richard Morton, managing director at the institute, emphasized the scientific focus: “The fact is that the fundamental reasoning of the human brain is the cornerstone of all the thinking process. With this application, instead of taking 1,000 or 2,000 human beings five years to think through a particular question, this vastly condenses that period.”

Why it Matters

Until recently, the AI race has been dominated by the U.S. and China. OpenAI and American Big Tech firms set the early pace with large-scale foundation models, while DeepSeek’s R1 breakthrough earlier this year bolstered China’s standing. The UAE now hopes to insert itself into this competition, using AI not only to diversify beyond oil but also to enhance geopolitical influence.

The country points to G42 as a symbol of this ambition, though its ties to Microsoft have attracted scrutiny in Washington due to G42’s past links with Chinese partners. At the same time, the UAE faces rising regional competition, with neighboring Saudi Arabia investing heavily through Humain, an AI venture backed by its Public Investment Fund.

What’s Next for K2 Think?

If K2 Think fulfills its promise, the UAE could carve out a niche as the hub for cost-efficient, domain-specific AI. MBZUAI’s model could become a tool for emerging markets and smaller economies that lack the infrastructure of Silicon Valley or Beijing by focusing on reasoning for math, science, and clinical research. This would bolster the UAE’s credibility as a scientific power and accelerate the adoption of AI in places historically shut out of the race.

However, there are challenges. While benchmarks are promising, global AI development is driven by firms with enormous capital reserves and infrastructure. If OpenAI and DeepSeek continue to push forward with models that improve efficiency at a massive scale, K2 Think risks being overshadowed. Geopolitical scrutiny of Microsoft’s partnership with G42 could also complicate adoption abroad, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.

K2 Think does not seek to compete head-to-head with ChatGPT or other general-purpose chatbots. Instead, it is targeted at specialized reasoning tasks—where performance, cost, and efficiency matter as much as scale. The release of K2 Think signals a new phase in its ambition for the UAE: positioning itself not only as a consumer of global AI breakthroughs but as a contributor that could shape how scientific reasoning is automated in the years ahead.