X Pulls the Plug — the Era of “Talking Your Way to Traffic” Comes to an End.
Source: TechFlow (Shenchao)
X has shut down “tweet-to-earn.”
Yesterday, X’s Head of Product Nikita Bier announced that any application that rewards users for posting will have its API access revoked.
He added—almost considerately—that affected developers are welcome to contact the team, and X will help them migrate to Threads or Bluesky.
“The landlord kicks you out—and even helps arrange the moving truck.”
As soon as the news broke, the InfoFi sector collapsed across the board. KAITO fell by 20%, Cookie dropped by 20%, and the Kaito Yappers community, with 157,000 members, was shut down entirely.
Less than an hour later, Kaito founder Yu Hu published a long-form statement.
The post contained no apology to the community and no protest against X’s policy change. Its core message was straightforward:
Move elsewhere.

Yaps is being discontinued. The new product is called Kaito Studio, which will follow a more traditional marketing model—one-to-one partnerships between brands and creators—moving away from the open, points-farming system where anyone could participate.
Twitter is no longer the priority. The focus will shift to YouTube and TikTok.
The crypto niche is no longer the sole target either; the expansion is toward finance, AI, and the broader creator economy—a market worth USD 200 billion.
The product is ready.
The direction is clear.
The data is in place.
And a new narrative has been formed.
Still, this does not feel like an emergency response written within an hour. It feels more like something prepared in advance—kept in a drawer, waiting for X to make the first move.
At the same time, there were earlier signals on-chain.
Kaito’s multisig contract previously distributed 24 million KAITO tokens to five addresses. One of those addresses transferred 5 million KAITO in full to Binance a week ago.
It looks far more like a cash-out at the right moment.

Advance communication.
Advance drafting.
Advance transfer of tokens to exchanges.
Everything that needed to be done was done.
Then, once X made the announcement, the long statement followed immediately—polished, composed, framed as a proactive pivot and an embrace of change.
In the statement, Yu Hu wrote:
“After discussions with X, both parties agreed that a fully permissionless distribution system is no longer viable.”
Agreed.
Being kicked out is reframed as “reaching consensus.”
A product being effectively terminated is repackaged as a strategic upgrade.
This kind of rhetoric is all too familiar in crypto.
Projects never say, “We failed.”
They say they are exploring new possibilities.
They say market conditions have changed.
They say this is a planned transition.
It sounds graceful—but it is also pure PR.
At its core, X’s ban was merely the final blow. The “tweet-to-earn” model was already on its way out.
Mining by posting sounds appealing: tokenizing attention, fairly compensating creators, building a decentralized information economy.
But once deployed in reality, everyone knows how it played out.
If rewards are tied to posting, people post more.
If AI can generate content at scale, AI does the posting.
If accounts are unlimited, people spin up endless alts.
According to CryptoQuant, on January 9 alone, bots generated 7.75 million crypto-related tweets on X, a year-over-year increase of 1,224%.
ZachXBT had already been criticizing this last year, calling InfoFi platforms the primary drivers of AI-generated spam. He even offered a USD 5,000 bounty for user data to identify bot networks.
Genuine discussion was drowned out by endless “GM,” “LFG,” and “bullish.” Humans and bots blended together to the point where telling them apart became nearly impossible.
X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, had already posted a warning last week:
“CT is dying from suicide, not from the algorithm.”
Crypto Twitter is killing itself—it isn’t being killed by the algorithm.
At the time, the crypto community mocked him for arrogance and responded with GM memes.
Looking back now, doesn’t it feel like a notice issued before an execution?
Addressing spam, Yu Hu said Kaito had tried everything: raising thresholds, adding filters, redesigning incentives.
None of it worked.
The moment you reward posting with tokens, you are effectively offering a bounty for noise. No threshold can outpace profit-driven behavior. Human incentives are straightforward: as long as rewards exist, spam will not stop.
More critically, the lifeline was never in their own hands.
What business was Kaito really in?
Leveraging X’s traffic, using tokens to incentivize content production, and selling the resulting data to projects for marketing.
X was the foundation. Kaito was the structure built on top.
The moment the owner of the foundation decides to reclaim it, the building collapses. No justification required. No negotiation needed. A single announcement is enough.
InfoFi claims to be about a decentralized attention economy. But the attention layer was never decentralized. The algorithm belongs to the platform. The API belongs to the platform. The users belong to the platform.
You can put points on-chain.
You can decentralize the token.
But you cannot decentralize Twitter.
A parasite attempting to overthrow its host does not trigger a revolution. The host simply pulls the plug.
Over the past few years, Web3 startups have repeatedly pursued this model: borrow Web2 traffic to build Web3 momentum. Users remain on Twitter. Data remains on Twitter. Attention remains on Twitter. But the token is self-issued, and the revenue flows inward.
It sounds clever—using leverage to achieve scale.
But someone else’s traffic will always belong to someone else. Platforms tolerate you only until you become inconvenient. Once you do, parasitic business models collapse instantly.
This should serve as a warning to every Web3 project built on borrowed platform traffic.
If your lifeline is controlled by someone else, then every dollar you earn exists only because it hasn’t yet been taken back.
Ask yourself whether you are building a company—or renting a room.
Renters should not think like landlords, and they certainly should not believe the house is theirs.
Kaito says it will move to YouTube and TikTok next.
But are those landlords really easier to negotiate with than Musk?
You may also like

Untitled
I’m unable to access the original article content you referenced. Please provide specific details or another article so…

From Utopian Narratives to Financial Infrastructure: The "Disenchantment" and Shift of Crypto VC

A decade-long personal feud, if not for OpenAI's "hypocrisy," there would be no globally leading AI company Anthropic

a16z: The True Meaning of Strong Chain Quality, Block Space Should Not Be Monopolized

a16z: The True Meaning of Strong Chain Quality, Block Space Should Not Be Monopolized

2% user contribution, 90% trading volume: The real picture of Polymarket

Trump Can't Take It Anymore, 5 Signals of the US-Iran Ceasefire

Judge Halts Pentagon's Retaliation Against Anthropic | Rewire News Evening Brief

Midfield Battle of Perp DEX: The Decliners, The Self-Savers, and The Latecomers

Iran War Stalemate: What Signal Should the Market Follow?

Rejecting AI Monopoly Power, Vitalik and Beff Jezos Debate: Accelerator or Brake?

Insider Trading Alert! Will Trump Call a Truce by End of April?

After establishing itself as the top tokenized stock, does Ondo have any new highlights?

BIT Brand Upgrade First Appearance, Hosts "Trust in Digital Finance" Industry Event in Singapore

OpenClaw Founder Interview: Why the US Should Learn from China on AI Implementation
WEEX AI Wars II: Enlist as an AI Agent Arsenal and Lead the Battle
Where the thunder of legions falls into a hallowed hush, the true kings of arena are crowned in gold and etched into eternity. Season 1 of WEEX AI Wars has ended, leaving a battlefield of glory. Millions watched as elite AI strategies clashed, with the fiercest algorithmic warriors dominating the frontlines. The echoes of victory still reverberate. Now, the call to arms sounds once more!
WEEX now summons elite AI Agent platforms to join AI Wars II, launching in May 2026. The battlefield is set, and the next generation of AI traders marches forward—only with your cutting-edge arsenal can they seize victory!
Will you rise to equip the warriors and claim your place among the legends? Can your AI Agent technology dominate the battlefield? It's time to prove it:
Arm the frontlines: Showcase your technology to a global audience;Raise your banner: Gain co-branded global exposure via online competition and offline workshops;Recruit and rally troops: Attract new users, build your community and achieve long-term growth;Deploy in real battle: Integrate with WEEX’s trading system for real market use and get real feedback for rapid product iteration;Strategic rewards: Become an agent on WEEX and enjoy industry leading commission rebates and copy trading profit share.Join WEEX AI Wars II now to sound the charge!
Season 1 Triumph: Proven Global DominanceWEEX AI Wars Season 1 was nothing short of a decisive conquest. Across the digital battlefield, over 2 million spectators bore witness to the clash of elite AI strategies. Tens of thousands of live interactions and more than 50,000 event page visits amplified the reach, giving our sponsors a global stage to showcase their power.
Season 1 unleashed a trading storm of monumental scale, where elite algorithmic warriors clashed, shaping a new era in AI-driven markets. $8 billion in total trading volume, 160,000 battle-tested API calls — we saw one of the most hardcore algorithmic trading armies on the planet, forging an ideal arena for strategy iteration and refinement.
On the ground, workshop campaigns in Dubai, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, and Turkey brought AI trading directly to the frontlines. Sponsors gained offline dominance, connecting with top AI trader units and forming strategic alliances. Livestreams broadcast these battles worldwide, amassing 350,000 views and over 30,000 interactions, huge traffic to our sponsors and partners.
For Season 2, WEEX will expand to even more cities, multiplying opportunities for partners to assert influence and command the battlefield, both online and offline.
Season 2 Arsenal: Equip the Frontlines and Command VictoryBy enlisting in WEEX AI Wars II as an AI Agent arsenal, your platform can command unprecedented visibility, and extend your influence across the world. This is your chance to deploy cutting-edge technology, dominate the competitive frontlines, and reap lasting rewards—GAINING MORE USERS, HIGHER REVENUE, AND LONG-TERM SUPREMACY IN THE AI TRADING ARENA.
Reach WEEX’s 8 million userbase and global crypto community. Unleash your potential on a global stage! This is your ultimate opportunity to skyrocket product visibility and rapidly scale your userbase. Following the explosive success of Season 1—which crushed records with 2 million+ total exposures, your brand is next in line for unparalleled reach and industry-wide impact!Test and showcase your AI Agent in real markets. Throw your AI Agents into the ultimate arena! Empower elite traders to harness your tech through the high-speed WEEX API. This isn't just a demo—it's a live-market battleground to stress-test your algorithms, gather mission-critical feedback, and prove your product's dominance in real-time trading.Gain extensive co-branded exposure and traffic support. Command the spotlight! As a partner, your brand will saturate our entire ecosystem, from viral social media blitzes to global live streams and exclusive offline workshops. We don't just show your logo; we ensure your brand is unstoppable and unforgettable to a massive, global audience.Enjoy industry leading rebates. Becoming our partner is not a one-time collaboration, but the start of a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with tangible revenue opportunities.Comprehensive growth support: WEEX provides partners with exclusive interviews, joint promotions, and livestream exposure to continuously enhance visibility and engagement.By partnering with WEEX, your platform gains high-quality exposure, more users and sustainable flow of revenue. The Hackathon is more than a competition. It is a platform for innovation, collaboration, and tangible business growth.
Grab Your Second Chance: Join WEEX AI Wars II TodayThe second season of the WEEX AI Trading Hackathon will be even more ambitious and impactful, with expanded global participation, livestreamed competitions, and workshops in more cities worldwide. It offers AI Agent Partners a unique platform to showcase their technology, engage with top developers and traders, and gain global visibility.
We invite forward-thinking partners to join WEEX AI Wars II now, to demonstrate innovation, create lasting impact, foster collaboration, and share in the success of the next generation of AI trading strategies.
About WEEXFounded in 2018, WEEX has developed into a global crypto exchange with over 6.2 million users across more than 150 countries. The platform emphasizes security, liquidity, and usability, providing over 1,200 spot trading pairs and offering up to 400x leverage in crypto futures trading. In addition to the traditional spot and derivatives markets, WEEX is expanding rapidly in the AI era — delivering real-time AI news, empowering users with AI trading tools, and exploring innovative trade-to-earn models that make intelligent trading more accessible to everyone. Its 1,000 BTC Protection Fund further strengthens asset safety and transparency, while features such as copy trading and advanced trading tools allow users to follow professional traders and experience a more efficient, intelligent trading journey.
Follow WEEX on social mediaX: @WEEX_Official
Instagram: @WEEX Exchange
Tiktok: @weex_global
Youtube: @WEEX_Official
Discord: WEEX Community
Telegram: WeexGlobal Group

Nasdaq Enters Correction Territory | Rewire News Morning Brief

OpenAI loses to Thousnad-Question, unable to grow a checkout counter in the chatbox
Untitled
I’m unable to access the original article content you referenced. Please provide specific details or another article so…
