Vitalik Buterin

16 hours agoNews Editor

Vitalik Buterin details digital minimalism experiment with 100 days on WiFi only

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has laid out a broad personal experiment in “digital minimalism,” describing how he stepped away from X’s official interface, kept his phone off cellular data for 100 days, and shifted more of his workflow toward offline tools and command-line software. In the essay, Buterin argues that physical minimalism is no longer enough for an era shaped by algorithmic feeds, constant connectivity and web apps that collect data by default. He says using Firefly instead of X’s native client improved his mental state by removing the recommendation engine from daily use, while a WiFi-only phone setup helped him reduce location exposure and rebuild the habit of functioning offline. He also discusses offline maps, local-first knowledge apps, on-device AI, and command-line tools for crypto-related tasks such as updating ENS records and sending privacy-focused transactions. Across the piece, Buterin frames digital minimalism as a practical response to attention capture, privacy erosion and the concentration of power inside closed web interfaces, while stressing that the path will differ from person to person.

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Vitalik Buterin

2 days agoNews Editor

Vitalik Buterin outlines digital minimalism experiments, ranks Taipei No. 1 for public Wi‑Fi

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin used a new blog post published on Oct. 31 to describe what he calls “digital minimalism,” a deliberate way of using technology so each interaction is chosen rather than dictated by product design. In the post, he detailed three personal experiments that reshaped how he handles social media, mobile connectivity and web interfaces. The first involved continuing to post on X while avoiding X’s native interface by using Firefly, a social client developed by Mask Network that can read and publish across X, Bluesky, Farcaster and Lens. Buterin said the switch improved his mood and attributed that change largely to the absence of X’s recommendation algorithm. His second experiment kept his phone in airplane mode for 100 straight days, relying only on Wi‑Fi. He framed the move around privacy and mental health, arguing that mobile networks enable persistent location tracking and that even anonymous SIM cards do not fully prevent identification. In his own ranking of public Wi‑Fi access, he placed Taipei first, saying he could often connect to nearby hotspots without SMS verification. The third experiment replaced some browser-based tasks with AI-written command-line tools, including ENS updates and payments through privacy tools. Buterin argued that local software and command-line workflows can reduce repeated trust in servers, limit tracking and avoid manipulative interface design.

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Vitalik Buterin

2 days agoNews Editor

Vitalik says AI could help people rely less on social media and the web

Vitalik Buterin shared an article titled "Digital Minimalism" on X, arguing that advances in AI should push people to rethink how they interact with the digital world. His core point was that users should not let social media algorithms, mobile internet habits, or increasingly complex website interfaces dictate how they spend attention online. Instead, they should decide for themselves when and how to use digital tools. He outlined three personal experiments. First, he said he has reduced direct use of X’s native interface and instead uses Firefly to manage X, Bluesky, Farcaster, and Lens in one place, aiming to limit the effect of algorithmic recommendations on information intake. Second, he said he kept his phone in airplane mode by default for 100 consecutive days, only going online through Wi-Fi when needed, in part to reduce location data exposure. Third, he said he has been moving away from website-based workflows and using command-line tools for ENS, IPFS, and privacy-protocol-related tasks. Vitalik argued that traditional websites and web apps carry privacy risks and require users to repeatedly trust remote servers. He said modular tools, local apps, and AI can make tasks once reserved for programmers accessible through natural language.

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NIO

2 months agoNews Editor

NIO posts third straight profitable quarter, sticks to EV focus instead of building humanoid robots

NIO reported a sharp improvement in its second-quarter results, with revenue rising 69.1% year over year to RMB 32.1369 billion and gross profit up 211.3% to RMB 5.9065 billion. Vehicle deliveries also climbed 49.4%, and the company said it has now posted profits for three consecutive quarters. Still, the market reaction was weak: NIO’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell as much as 10% intraday on Sept. 1, closed down 6.39%, dropped another 3.35% the next day, and slid 1.07% again on Sept. 3. The earnings release and management call showed why investors remain cautious. Margins slipped from the first quarter, adjusted net profit fell sequentially, and NIO said costs for memory, bulk materials and batteries have been rising since March, adding RMB 14,000 to per-vehicle cost versus last year. Management said the company is trying to hold vehicle gross margin near the second-quarter level in the third and fourth quarters despite a projected additional RMB 2,000 to RMB 3,000 in material cost per car in the second half. Executives also discussed brand mix, battery swap expansion, smart driving subscriptions and embodied AI. Chairman William Li confirmed Ren Shaoqing has started an embodied intelligence venture, with NIO supporting it as a strategic shareholder, while making clear the automaker itself will stay focused on smart EVs rather than directly entering the humanoid robot business.

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