The apocryphal remark attributed to Zhou Enlai, China’s premier from 1949 to 1976, that it was “too early to tell” whether the French Revolution had been a positive development, has long symbolised China’s strategic patience. While historians debate whether Zhou actually made this comment—or whether it was a mistranslation or misattribution—the sentiment it conveys resonates deeply with China’s millennia-old cultural and political ethos. Rooted in a history spanning dynasties, philosophical traditions like taiji (long-term equilibrium), and governance systems designed for generational stability, China’s approach to economics and geopolitics is inherently long-termist. This contrasts sharply with the West’s, and particularly the United States’, fixation on short-term gains, a divide that profoundly shapes the trajectory of the US-China trade war.

The imposition of harsh tariffs by former US President Donald Trump has sent shockwaves through the global economy, reminiscent of the seismic shifts triggered by Richard Nixon's 1971 economic policies and the subsequent 1973 oil shock. These tariffs, if they escalate into a full-blown global trade war, could reshape the world's geopolitical and economic landscape in ways not witnessed since the 1970s. The parallels between Trump's tariffs and Nixon's actions are striking, and the potential long-term effects are equally profound.

Andreas Steno’s recent tweet lamenting the crypto sphere’s abandonment of its libertarian roots—"sovereign individuals" resisting state overreach—in favour of courting political and institutional power, cuts to the heart of a growing existential crisis within the industry. Once a bastion of anti-establishment idealism, crypto has increasingly become a mirror of the very systems it sought to dismantle, trading principles for profit and influence.

Javier Milei, the self-proclaimed "anarcho-capitalist" and chainsaw-wielding President of Argentina, was once hailed as a heroic figure within the cryptosphere. Even before his election, Milei captivated the imagination of crypto enthusiasts worldwide. His radical reform programmes, libertarian ideology, and enthusiastic endorsement of Bitcoin as a potential solution to Argentina’s chronic economic woes made him a darling of the digital asset community. His "punkish" persona, complete with a chainsaw as a symbol of cutting through state bureaucracy, only added to his allure. When he was elected, his star shone even brighter. Unlike Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador and the previous unofficial leader of the "Crypto Free World," Milei’s credentials as a trained economist and his outspoken libertarian views made him seem like the ideal figurehead for the crypto movement. For a time, it appeared that Milei might just be the messiah the cryptosphere had been waiting for.

It is easy to imagine, and indeed, based on social media reactions, it almost feels as though most cryptocurrency enthusiasts viewed Donald Trump significantly more negatively after the first seven days of his presidency than they did before his inauguration. What was initially seen as a potential golden age for the crypto world has quickly turned into a period of disillusionment, with the market reacting to unexpected developments that have shaken the foundations of the cryptosphere.

The preservation of our digital history faces unprecedented challenges, particularly as the landscape of the internet evolves. One of the pressing issues is the reliability of blogging platforms. Many individuals, including myself, have found that posting old content on more stable systems, such as the Hive Blockchain, is essential. This is not merely a matter of nostalgia; it is a necessity driven by the frequent occurrence of “404” errors on various platforms where content once thrived for over two decades. The loss of accessible material hampers research and reference efforts, highlighting the fragility of digital content in an era where permanence was once assumed.