In a February 14, 2026 post on X, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned that many prediction markets are tilting toward short-term speculation and gambling-style activity. He outlined an alternative model where onchain markets work with AI assistants to hedge household and business expenses against inflation, while supporters argue platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi can still provide decentralized economic intelligence amid rising US regulatory scrutiny.

X is preparing to launch a Smart Cashtags feature that will allow users to trade cryptocurrencies and stocks directly in the app, building on its existing $BTC-style asset tracking. The upgrade will add live charts, related posts, and instant trading from cashtags, aligning with Elon Musk's broader plan to turn X into an "everything app" with integrated payments via X Money.

In a post on February 14, 2026, X's product lead Nikita Bier said Smart Cashtags will arrive within weeks, enabling stock and crypto trades directly from the timeline. The rollout pairs with X Money, a peer-to-peer payments tool in limited beta, and follows recent restrictions on engagement-reward apps.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said in an X post that prediction markets are tilting toward "unhealthy" short-term speculation and should evolve into hedging platforms that stabilize consumer prices. He proposed onchain markets, guided by local LLMs, to build personalized baskets of contracts tied to household expenses.

On February 14 2026, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a long X post criticizing how prediction markets are evolving toward short-term, dopamine-driven bets. He argued that platforms are increasingly favoring crypto price and sports wagers with little long-term informational or societal value, diverging from his more positive view in December 2025. Buterin now urges a pivot toward generalized hedging tools that help manage real-world risks instead of focusing on ultra-short-term gambling-style products.

On Feb. 14, 2026, Vitalik Buterin cautioned that prediction markets are skewing toward short-term crypto and sports bets and urged a shift to long‑term hedging tools. He outlined using markets to offset real‑world risks and stabilize purchasing power. Over the past year, sector volumes grew roughly fourfold, according to CertiK.

X outlined plans on February 14, 2026 to let users execute stock and crypto trades directly from their feeds by tapping ticker symbols like $BTC or $TSLA. The in-feed tool is part of a broader push that includes money-transmission licenses in more than 40 U.S. states, a Visa payments tie-up, and internal tests of the X Money wallet.

On February 14, 2026, researchers at iVerify reported a mobile spyware platform called ZeroDayRAT that can fully compromise Android and iOS devices. The tool is reportedly sold on Telegram and lets attackers control phones, capture GPS data, access notifications from banking and crypto apps, and intercept SMS one-time passwords. Victims are infected through links in smishing texts, phishing emails, fake app stores, and messaging apps.