Qianwen invited guests but his WeChat account was banned; the prediction market opened a free supermarket in New York; AI speed from Shenzhen; Yi Lihua was blessed by God.
Written by: Nicky, Foresight News
Welcome back to "Hot Commentary," where we take you on a weekly journey through the rapid-fire competition and human drama of the tech and crypto world.
This week we will see the most direct spending, the most basic "ground promotion," the most extravagant hardware, and divine favor.
Without further ado, let's dive right into this week's exciting "film set"!
Alibaba spends 3 billion yuan to host a dinner party after a thousand questions are asked; WeChat responds: "Don't send me the link."
For two decades, the internet has witnessed countless subsidy wars, and now they've reached the realm of AI applications. In the AI-driven Spring Festival marketing battle, Alibaba's AI application, Qianwen, unleashed its "money power." On February 6th, its "3 Billion Yuan Free Shopping Spree for Spring Festival" campaign officially launched, allowing users to receive free benefits such as milk tea and entertainment simply through AI dialogue, with each person receiving at least 25 yuan in subsidies.
However, this wave of "money power" met with resistance on WeChat. Many users found that the sharing links for the "Thousand Questions" activity's red envelopes were blocked by WeChat, with the page displaying a message stating "Content contains misleading information." Simultaneously, copying the "Thousand Questions" password was also restricted within WeChat. This familiar scenario had previously played out in Tencent's own "Yuanbao" (a mobile game platform).
This is perhaps the most "sweet" yet most "torturing" way for AI technology to be implemented. When Qianwen tried to use 3 billion yuan and a cup of milk tea to open the door to users' hearts, it found that the "highway" to WeChat Moments was blocked.
Netizens tagged Yuanbao and Doubao, saying: "Are you two just going to watch Qianwen attract users like this?" Yuanbao retorted: "Both WeChat and I belong to Tencent, but Yuanbao's sharing codes have already been blocked by WeChat 😭"
While everyone was enjoying their delicious milk tea, the staff at the milk tea shop were already working like crazy 🤯 So how did the first person to drink the milk tea find out about it? 🤔
Some netizens commented that the name "Qianwen" doesn't feel as sophisticated as DeepSeek! This event also brought back the fun of grabbing WeChat red envelopes from a few years ago!
Alibaba may be using a 3 billion yuan investment to leverage a 40 billion yuan flow of funds. If these giant companies were to go global one day, how would they compete with giants like OpenAI?
Prediction platforms are "giving away money" on the streets, a return to the era of "free eggs upon registration".
As online traffic becomes increasingly expensive, Web3 prediction platforms are resorting to the most down-to-earth customer acquisition method—direct offline delivery.
Prediction platforms Polymarket and Kalshi distributed free food and household goods vouchers on the streets and in supermarkets in New York this week, and even set up temporary free grocery stores. Polymarket reportedly prepared $1 million and Kalshi $500,000 for this campaign, with a simple goal: to attract users.
This scene brought back memories for many Chinese netizens. It's reminiscent of the classic street promotion strategy used in the early days of the internet, where people would offer free eggs upon registration when promoting apps on the street.
Overseas netizens commented: Don't forget this is New York; it will be a complete mess in less than a month.
Perhaps this is the real RWA prediction market, providing everyone with a full range of services from blockchain to the dining table!
The platform may be using users' losses to "pay" for food, with the users themselves as the payers.
Netizens commented that Polymarket was actually the first to bring socialism to New York before Mamdani. (Note: Zohran Mamdani is an Indian-American politician, a democratic socialist, and the 111th mayor of New York City, who will be sworn in on January 1, 2026.)
From the intangible online prediction market to the tangible offline world of daily necessities, this move has successfully bridged the gap between the virtual and the real. No matter how cutting-edge the technology, the most direct way to acquire users is sometimes to satisfy humanity's most basic needs. When a prediction platform in New York attracts a user with free bread, it's not just competing with other platforms, but potentially with the entire attention economy.
AI hardware reaches new heights: OpenClaw prefabricated boxes launched in Huaqiangbei.
Remember OpenClaw (formerly ClawdBot), the AI project from last week that could wipe out an account's value? Its ecosystem evolution is much more impressive than its trading strategies.
On January 28, just after Alibaba Cloud launched its cloud service version, pre-built hardware host boxes specifically designed to run OpenClaw quickly appeared on the market. This means that previously, users had to go through the trouble of deploying using a Mac mini, but now they can simply buy the "Huaqiangbei AI Special Edition" box and plug it in to run.
The main unit can be shipped within 24-48 hours, truly embodying the speed of Shenzhen!
One netizen said that I could take out my old mini PC and run OpenClaw. Another netizen replied that the Mac mini can deploy all models locally at full size, while most others cannot. The difference between them is like the difference between the iPhone Pro Max and the iPhone mini, both of which are "iPhones".
Some netizens said that buying this "Huaqiangbei host" might allow them to wait for its value to appreciate 🤩 But other netizens replied that "the chip in this thing probably can't even beat the chip in AirPods."
The "Huaqiangbei Hosting" website claims to be compatible with WeChat, but users have had their accounts banned after using it. Perhaps Lark and DingTalk are better alternatives.
From the explosive popularity of open source to the launch of cloud services and the rollout of dedicated hardware, the entire process has been progressing on a weekly basis. An industry insider aptly commented: "In the AI era, the pace is so fast that both large and small companies are scrambling to keep up. The key is to first perfect your own product and then wait for the right opportunity." When the opportunity finally arrives, some are still looking for sails, while others have already built the ship for you.
Yi Lihua and "The Hand That Heaven Withdrew"
This week, the experience of Liquid Capital founder Jack Yi has been interpreted as a market parable full of philosophical implications.
During the recent market crash, his leveraged trading order was just $86 away from being forcibly liquidated when the market rebounded. Crypto KOL Chen Jian described it as: "At the last moment, God withdrew his hand and only gently tapped Yi Lihua on the forehead as a warning."
This resonated with many investors. Some shared their painful lessons: their long-term losses on Altcoin finally recovered to their cost price, but they missed the chance to escape because they were greedy, thinking "I can't lose everything," and the price eventually plummeted by 90%. Everyone lamented: you have to believe in fate. That moment when you break even is the market's opportunity for "self-redemption."
Netizens commented: "Where there's life, there's hope." $86 might be an opportunity for Yi Lihua to buy a used electric scooter.
Regarding this seemingly divine intervention, netizens speculated whether a powerful figure had stepped in to "save" the situation, given how coincidental it all seemed.
In the investment market, the most valuable thing is often not the euphoria of a surge, but the "escape rope" suddenly handed to you. Unfortunately, most people mistake it for a cable to continue climbing.
From a 3 billion yuan red envelope giveaway blocked by "walls" and street promotions by prediction platforms, to the extreme race of AI hardware, and the "fate" parable in the investment market, the business world is using the most complex rules, the simplest methods, and the most cutting-edge technology to compete for our attention and wallets in every way.
Have a great weekend, and stay alert in the face of every "bait" and "opportunity." See you next week!
(The content in this issue is based on publicly available information and online discussions, and is presented in a light-hearted manner for reference only.)
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