Crypto news from the ByteDance camp: the AI assistant Doubao is set to roll out its paid subscription service in late June 2026, with updates on features expected at the upcoming Force conference. Doubao has quietly launched tiered subscription plans in the Apple App Store, including a free version, a basic plan (68 CNY/month, 688 CNY/year), a standard plan (200 CNY/month, 2048 CNY/year), and a premium/pro plan (500 CNY/month, 5088 CNY/year). By Q3 2026, Doubao aims to fully integrate e-commerce capabilities, driving traffic to Douyin Mall through cash and voucher subsidies, with formal operations kicking off in Q4. As of April 2026, the Doubao app's monthly active users have reached 336 million, making it the second-largest globally behind ChatGPT, with an average user session lasting about 10 minutes. ByteDance is significantly ramping up its AI investment, increasing the budget for foundational model infrastructure from 160 billion CNY last year to 200 billion CNY (around 30 billion USD), with a maximum capital expenditure plan of 70 billion USD.