Wessel van Rensburg
@wildebees.bsky.social
The digital policy strategist you didn’t know you needed—using terms like 'sovereign data assets' as casually as most would say 'hello'.
Also geopolitics, innovation, industrial policy.
Location: Den Haag 🇳🇱 From: 🇿🇦
Also geopolitics, innovation, industrial policy.
Location: Den Haag 🇳🇱 From: 🇿🇦
Pinned
Why stablecoins are Silicon Valley's Pandora's box
Stablecoins betray the essence of money itself: credit.
www.reaction.life
New essay ↓ with Andreas Dombret www.reaction.life/p/why-stable... #stablecoins
Stablecoins are Silicon Valley's Pandora's box. The Trump admin just signed the GENIUS Act, but the warnings should be louder.
Here's what everyone's missing about why stablecoins betray the essence of money itself 🧵
Stablecoins are Silicon Valley's Pandora's box. The Trump admin just signed the GENIUS Act, but the warnings should be louder.
Here's what everyone's missing about why stablecoins betray the essence of money itself 🧵
The probe, announced under the EU’s Digital Services Act, will assess if xAI tried to mitigate the risks of deploying Grok’s tools on X and the proliferation of content that “may amount to child sexual abuse material”.
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
EU opens formal probe into Musk’s xAI over Grok deepfakes
European regulators begin investigation into creation and spread of sexualised images of women and children
giftarticle.ft.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:48 AM
The probe, announced under the EU’s Digital Services Act, will assess if xAI tried to mitigate the risks of deploying Grok’s tools on X and the proliferation of content that “may amount to child sexual abuse material”.
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Europe's strategy for energy sovereignty on two t-shirts.
January 22, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Europe's strategy for energy sovereignty on two t-shirts.
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
On my way to Frankfurt where tomorrow I’ll be on a panel at the 14th ILF Conference on the Future of the Financial Sector.
My panel’s topic? Stablecoins. 😬
My panel’s topic? Stablecoins. 😬
January 26, 2026 at 6:52 AM
On my way to Frankfurt where tomorrow I’ll be on a panel at the 14th ILF Conference on the Future of the Financial Sector.
My panel’s topic? Stablecoins. 😬
My panel’s topic? Stablecoins. 😬
Gosh. Being a top Chinese general does not seem to be a long term occupation
China’s senior-most general, Zhang Youxia, accused of leaking information about the country’s nuclear-weapons program to the US and accepting bribes for official acts
www.wsj.com/world/ch...
www.wsj.com/world/ch...
January 26, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Gosh. Being a top Chinese general does not seem to be a long term occupation
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Goudprijs stijgt naar record: 5.000 dollar
Goudprijs stijgt naar record: 5.000 dollar
Goedemorgen! Iedereen houdt van ronde getallen. Of het nu de AEX is die door de grens van 1.000 punten gaat of de goudprijs die (weer) een record bereikt.
www.nrc.nl
January 26, 2026 at 6:48 AM
Goudprijs stijgt naar record: 5.000 dollar
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
This morning, I recorded a video on TikTok about why DHS’s arguments for the power to enter homes without judicial warrants in immigration cases are bunk.
Nine hours later, TikTok still says my video is “under review,” and can’t be shared.
Well, here’s a link:
georgetown.box.com/v/Vladeck-IC...
Nine hours later, TikTok still says my video is “under review,” and can’t be shared.
Well, here’s a link:
georgetown.box.com/v/Vladeck-IC...
January 26, 2026 at 2:00 AM
This morning, I recorded a video on TikTok about why DHS’s arguments for the power to enter homes without judicial warrants in immigration cases are bunk.
Nine hours later, TikTok still says my video is “under review,” and can’t be shared.
Well, here’s a link:
georgetown.box.com/v/Vladeck-IC...
Nine hours later, TikTok still says my video is “under review,” and can’t be shared.
Well, here’s a link:
georgetown.box.com/v/Vladeck-IC...
So quick and so brazen!
#TikTok has begun censoring anti-Trump and anti-Ice content
January 26, 2026 at 6:53 AM
So quick and so brazen!
On my way to Frankfurt where tomorrow I’ll be on a panel at the 14th ILF Conference on the Future of the Financial Sector.
My panel’s topic? Stablecoins. 😬
My panel’s topic? Stablecoins. 😬
January 26, 2026 at 6:52 AM
On my way to Frankfurt where tomorrow I’ll be on a panel at the 14th ILF Conference on the Future of the Financial Sector.
My panel’s topic? Stablecoins. 😬
My panel’s topic? Stablecoins. 😬
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
The NYT about Europe’s growing dependency on US gas.
Time to transition much, much faster.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/b...
Time to transition much, much faster.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/b...
January 26, 2026 at 6:33 AM
The NYT about Europe’s growing dependency on US gas.
Time to transition much, much faster.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/b...
Time to transition much, much faster.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/b...
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
The largest Trump superPAC donor so far this cycle is the president of OpenAI
January 26, 2026 at 12:55 AM
The largest Trump superPAC donor so far this cycle is the president of OpenAI
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Germany's paper of record (not exactly a paragon of progressiveness) comes out in favor of boycotting the World Cup.
Fußball-WM 2026: Sollte der DFB über einen Boykott nachdenken?
Die Fußballwelt als Staffage: An Donald Trumps Politik wird auch die Weltmeisterschaft nichts ändern. Die Positionierung des DFB scheint klar.
www.faz.net
January 25, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Germany's paper of record (not exactly a paragon of progressiveness) comes out in favor of boycotting the World Cup.
Exactly what I fear.
It's why if Dems win the mid-terms there is a non-trivial risk of Trump declaring the Senate and House to be illegitimate and sending Bovino and his DHS goons into Congress
i think this attitude — that all opposition is illegitimate and nothing we do can be questioned— is probably pervasive in the white house and helps explain why they keep making terrible political choices
January 25, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Exactly what I fear.
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
U.S. tech companies will hit the wall soon. As it is now Europe has no other choice than to break free from them. That the White House sit on a kill switch for everything related to U.S. tech means that they can stop us dead in our tracks. That is of course not possible to accept.
January 24, 2026 at 8:23 PM
U.S. tech companies will hit the wall soon. As it is now Europe has no other choice than to break free from them. That the White House sit on a kill switch for everything related to U.S. tech means that they can stop us dead in our tracks. That is of course not possible to accept.
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
AI is supercharging information warfare. Influence operations are being automated. A single setup can generate content, schedule posts, reply at scale, and run engagement loops. When this is self-hosted, it does not rely on a platform vendor and it is harder to detect, take down or attribute. (1/5)
January 24, 2026 at 10:53 AM
AI is supercharging information warfare. Influence operations are being automated. A single setup can generate content, schedule posts, reply at scale, and run engagement loops. When this is self-hosted, it does not rely on a platform vendor and it is harder to detect, take down or attribute. (1/5)
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
A federal judge effectively ordered the U.S. government not to cover up evidence that it illegally executed a civilian, at the request of local prosecutors seeking to investigate federal agents for murder.
Don’t want to overstate things but it feels reminiscent of the run-up to the Civil War.
Don’t want to overstate things but it feels reminiscent of the run-up to the Civil War.
Understand that 370 days ago even bringing a motion like this would probably have been treated as sanctionably frivolous
Today it was granted ex parte
Today it was granted ex parte
A federal judge issues a restraining order against the feds, barring them from "destroying or altering evidence"
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
January 25, 2026 at 3:17 PM
A federal judge effectively ordered the U.S. government not to cover up evidence that it illegally executed a civilian, at the request of local prosecutors seeking to investigate federal agents for murder.
Don’t want to overstate things but it feels reminiscent of the run-up to the Civil War.
Don’t want to overstate things but it feels reminiscent of the run-up to the Civil War.
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Power prices surge in Virginia, home to the world's largest data center hub; record demand is expected during the winter storm, partly due to data center needs (Tim McLaughlin/Reuters)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
January 25, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Power prices surge in Virginia, home to the world's largest data center hub; record demand is expected during the winter storm, partly due to data center needs (Tim McLaughlin/Reuters)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Board of Peace - Season 1
January 24, 2026 at 7:45 AM
Board of Peace - Season 1
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.
January 24, 2026 at 8:29 PM
If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Closest anyone will ever get to an apology from The Orange ManBoy - now he should say something similar to the other 31 countries whose military he insulted
January 24, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Closest anyone will ever get to an apology from The Orange ManBoy - now he should say something similar to the other 31 countries whose military he insulted
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Breaking News: President Trump threatened Canada with steep tariffs if it “makes a deal with China” and insulted Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Trump Threatens Canada With Tariffs as Post-Davos Fallout Continues
President Trump said he would impose tariffs if Canada made “a deal with China,” though there is no sign that those countries are discussing a broad trade agreement.
nyti.ms
January 24, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Breaking News: President Trump threatened Canada with steep tariffs if it “makes a deal with China” and insulted Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Deutsche's "Europe could start a firesale of US treasuries" was a useful piece of chatter -- to stoke US jitters.
It wasn't a button EU governments can really push, since most of those assets are held privately.
But the diversify-away from USA trade may garner some speed on the margin.
It wasn't a button EU governments can really push, since most of those assets are held privately.
But the diversify-away from USA trade may garner some speed on the margin.
January 24, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Deutsche's "Europe could start a firesale of US treasuries" was a useful piece of chatter -- to stoke US jitters.
It wasn't a button EU governments can really push, since most of those assets are held privately.
But the diversify-away from USA trade may garner some speed on the margin.
It wasn't a button EU governments can really push, since most of those assets are held privately.
But the diversify-away from USA trade may garner some speed on the margin.
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
Here is the video. Trigger warning: MURDER
January 24, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Here is the video. Trigger warning: MURDER
Reposted by Wessel van Rensburg
“You guys just got to the last page?”
January 24, 2026 at 10:04 AM
“You guys just got to the last page?”
Unfortunately, this is probably correct.
“Trump stunned Europe with his Greenland threats. But it will probably take an even bigger shock to spur it into the determined action needed for greater independence from America”
ep.ft.com/permalink/em...
ep.ft.com/permalink/em...
Welcome back. Success has many fathers (and mothers), failure is an orphan. European policy-makers congratulated themselves for standing firm and bringing about Donald Trump’s head-spinning climbdown on Greenland.
ep.ft.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Unfortunately, this is probably correct.