I'm known for my optimism. I try to give people something to build, not just something to worry about.

I try to give people something to build, not just something to worry about. But in the fog of the past few months, the bright spots have been dim

I’m known for my optimism. I try to give people something to build, not just something to worry about. But in the fog of the past few months, the bright spots have been dim—distant, even. And as much as I hate being the bearer of dread, I’m increasingly concerned.

About the economy. About blockchain. About trust, civics, and the unseen hands moving global narratives like pieces on a board.

Let’s start with the obvious: the United States government is on the precipice of a fiscal cliff. It must refinance trillions of dollars in debt in an environment of stubbornly high interest rates. This alone would be enough to rattle global markets, but add to that a chaotic stew of trade policy, erratic tariffs, and election-season brinkmanship—and we’ve got a recipe for engineered collapse. President Donald Trump, now back in the driver’s seat, has every incentive to try and crash the economy now to bring rates down later, softening the path for long-term debt service and legacy preservation over the long term, so I am not bullish on anything in the short term.

It's very clear what's happening:President Trump now believes "short term pain" is his ONLY option to lower inflation and refinance $9+ trillion of US debt.We have seen over -$5 TRILLION erased from US stocks with the goal of LOWERING rates.Will it work? (a thread) pic.twitter.com/QlQYU65AZT

But is it just economics?

I have also seen a marked uptick in bot activity across X and Facebook. Every mundane post becomes a political minefield. “What are you cooking for dinner?” invites 400 comments about immigration, vaccines, Russia/Ukraine, Hunter Biden, Israel/Palestine, Elon Musk… That’s not organic.

And what about the vandalism and protests at Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)? The sudden outpouring of rage toward a company that was, just yesterday, a darling of the progressive elite—now defaced and attacked by what looks like a well-funded, well-coordinated machine.

The Elon Musk Tesla protests ARE PAIDWatch as these protesters pick through a pile of pre-made signs provided to them. This is all BEING FUNDED by Democrat donors and activist NGO groups. We demand investigations and accountability into the money trail pic.twitter.com/0gbH63GPEZ

And that’s actually even scarier to think about. If it’s not organic, who’s funding it, and to what end?

Even closer to home, Trump’s blockchain policy strikes me as incoherent at best and dangerously corrupt at worst. I’ve tried to be fair to Trump over the years. I don’t worship him. I don’t hate him. But when a sitting president aligns himself with Arthur Hayes—convicted of financial crimes and co-founder of BitMEX—to issue a pardon, I wonder who is paying the bills. I can see why, even if largely guilty, someone like Ross Ulbricht didn’t deserve to die in prison because he was young and idealistic when Silk Road started, and there is an argument to be made that it all got out of hand in a way that wasn’t as much malicious as it was circumstantial.

This is not the case with BitMEX. The exchange is a sophisticated business that was built and operated by sophisticated people with experience in the business of this sector with clear knowledge of KYC/AML laws that they were breaking on purpose. They knew the risks going in, and their punishments were largely slaps on the wrist that included some basic fines and probation.

Why bother? Why waste political capital for brazen white-collar criminals? Well, the mainstream of the cryptosphere thinks they are heroes!

Trump pardoned the BitMEX team – Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Sam Reed. The visionaries at BitMEX invented the perpetual swap, pioneered 24/7 leverage, and reshaped global finance. This lawfare just got corrected! Bullish. pic.twitter.com / 96z8r8Z76

What happened to principle? What happened to transparency? Why not also pardon Roger Ver? Or does he deserve to die in prison because he’s not a BTC insider?

And before we forget about Ross (again,) if the President believes Ross deserves a pardon—and we know he does—then shouldn’t the conversation also include the restitution of Ross’s assets? Otherwise, it just looks like another cynical move: confiscate assets, give yourself credit for their increase in value, and call it “strategy” to get along with Miami Mike’s narrative about permanent bullishness.

I would say I’m confused, except that would require me assuming good faith from anyone in the conversation.

If Trump wants to advocate for a Bitcoin strategy or even a vague blockchain strategy, why not embrace people without serious