Bitcoin

The comparison to smoking is potent: smoking led to decades of heavy regulation, taxation, and advertising bans. If social media follows a similar trajectory, platforms that host crypto content (e.g., Twitter, Discord) could face stricter rules, indirectly affecting crypto community growth and user acquisition among younger demographics. This fits into a broader trend of governments scrutinizing digital platforms, which could eventually extend to crypto exchanges and DeFi front-ends that market to minors.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges recommends that doctors routinely check screen time and social media use in younger patients, comparing the harm to smoking.