: Vitalik Buterin warns EU over “zero-space” approach to online content regulation
Vitalik Buterin has strongly criticized the European Union’s “zero-space” approach under the Digital Services Act (DSA), arguing that treating certain content, viewpoints or products as something to be eliminated entirely reflects a totalitarian and anti-pluralistic mindset. In his view, a free society cannot realistically seek to erase controversial ideas in an environment that no single actor can fully control.
The Ethereum co-founder said the core problem is not the existence of extreme or controversial views in small, contained spaces, but the way social media algorithms amplify them and allow them to dominate public discourse. He argued that policy should focus on preventing such content from overwhelming the broader conversation, rather than attempting to remove it altogether.
Buterin warned that pursuing a goal of leaving “no space” for disliked viewpoints inevitably fuels social conflict and encourages technocratic authoritarianism, as regulators build increasingly intrusive enforcement mechanisms to impose victory in subjective disputes. Instead, he advocated for a user-empowerment approach that emphasizes algorithmic transparency, greater platform openness, stronger competition and incentives to reduce the large-scale amplification of harmful content. He expressed hope that European governments would choose a pluralistic path that reinforces freedom of speech, rather than creating a tightly sanitized online environment through top-down control.
Bitcoin mining stocks diverge sharply as AI becomes the key driver
Publicly listed bitcoin mining stocks showed sharp divergence in 2025, with companies pivoting toward AI and high-performance computing infrastructure significantly outperforming pure-play bitcoin miners. IREN stood out with roughly +300% year-to-date gains, while Bitdeer emerged as the sector’s biggest laggard.
AI-focused miners such as IREN, Cipher Mining and Hut 8 delivered triple-digit returns, supported by GPU cloud deals, hyperscaler partnerships and long-term data center leases. In contrast, bitcoin-centric miners including Marathon, CleanSpark, Riot and Bitdeer underperformed, highlighting that BTC holdings alone were insufficient to offset weaker earnings, execution challenges and delayed AI strategies.
The year reinforced a clear trend: miners repurposing infrastructure for AI data centers have consistently outperformed traditional bitcoin-only operators.
🎄 Meet the Upscale Advent Calendar!
Friends, we spent a long time thinking about what to give you for the New Year - and couldn’t stop at just one gift.
So here it is: 6 activities at once. For traders. For active community members. And for newcomers who are just getting to know Upscale.
🗓 How does it work?
On specific dates, a new calendar window will open. We’ll announce each one across all our channels.
🍊 What’s inside?
Tasks, surprises, challenges, discounts, and that exact kind of action that makes you want to stay part of a strong community.
🥂 Ready to kick off 2026 in style?
Turn on notifications and don’t miss the first window opening on December 29.
See you there 🤝
I keep coming back to one simple thought: if AI agents are going to act like workers, they’ll need to pay like software. Not “one big payment after a human approves it”… but tiny, constant payments that happen while the job is being done.
That’s why Kite feels different to me. It’s not trying to bolt agent payments onto old rails — it’s building a chain for that loop: identity → delegation → session limits → payment execution. And lately, they’ve been making that vision more real. Their docs lean hard into standards like AP2 (Agent Payments Protocol) and agent-to-agent coordination, basically framing Kite as the execution + settlement layer where an agent’s mandate can be enforced on-chain, not just “promised” off-chain.
What I also like is the progress on usability for real users. The Ozone testnet phase pushed ideas like universal accounts / smoother onboarding (so identity works across chains without turning everything into seed-phrase chaos). That’s the kind of boring improvement that actually unlocks adoption.
If this agent economy really happens, the winners won’t be the loudest apps — they’ll be the quiet payment rails that agents trust at scale. Kite is clearly aiming for that lane.
@GoKiteAI $KITE #KITE
{spot}(KITEUSDT)
Bitcoin stays subdued at year-end as precious metals and stocks hit record highs
Bitcoin remains under pressure amid thin holiday liquidity and derivatives positioning, with traders focused on a record $28 billion crypto options expiry. BTC is trading around $87,200, down roughly 6.5% from its 2025 open, and has continued to oscillate below the $90,000 level throughout the holiday week.
Wall Street flows reflect a defensive stance, as U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded about $500 million in net outflows this week and more than $4.3 billion in withdrawals over the final two months of the year, contributing to a decline of over $1.2 trillion in total crypto market capitalization.
In contrast, precious metals have surged. Gold climbed above $4,580 per ounce and silver rose past $75, both setting new all-time highs, driven by geopolitical tensions, a weaker U.S. dollar and year-end liquidity conditions, alongside expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026.
U.S. equities, meanwhile, have remained resilient, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at record highs, while the Nasdaq is up more than 20% year-to-date.