Vitalik responded to the question of whether it was a planned economy: Gas usage is still determined by the market.

- Texas became the first U.S. state to invest $5M in Bitcoin via BlackRock's IBIT ETF under the SB 21 law, establishing a $10M strategic reserve. - The ETF purchase serves as a temporary measure while Texas develops infrastructure for self-custodied Bitcoin holdings by 2026. - This move signals growing institutional adoption, with Texas planning to shift to direct custody and potentially influence future state crypto strategies.

- U.S. jobless claims fell to 220,000 in late November, signaling labor market resilience despite broader economic uncertainty. - Consumer confidence dropped to 88.7, with pessimism over business conditions and income growth raising recession risks. - Treasury Secretary Bessent emphasized economic strength and 2026 growth optimism, downplaying trade policy impacts on inflation. - Fed faces conflicting signals: strong jobs data vs. weak consumer sentiment and 4.8% inflation expectations complicate December

- ALT5 Sigma faces SEC scrutiny over delayed disclosure of CEO suspension, potentially violating 4-day reporting rules. - Financial distress deepens with 57.9% revenue decline, -74.89% net margin, and 0.73 Altman Z-Score signaling bankruptcy risk. - $1.5B WLFI token purchase linked to Trump-connected entities raises fraud concerns amid circular transactions and delayed disclosures. - Market indicators show oversold conditions (RSI 36.91), weak liquidity (0.88 current ratio), and 1.65 beta amplifying volati