Why X’s Product Chief Nikita Bier Banned ‘Infofi’ — rebuilding feed quality for a crypto-ready X
Nikita Bier, X’s (formerly Twitter) product lead since June 2025, revised X’s developer API policy in January 2026 to ban “infofi” apps — third‑party projects that reward users with points or tokens for posting. Bier, known for viral social apps Politify, TBH and Gas, applies a growth methodology focused on emotional triggers, network effects and attacking low‑quality content. The ban targets a wave of AI‑generated and reward‑driven spam that has flooded timelines and degraded user experience. X’s wider strategy includes financial features such as Smart Cashtags (real‑time asset prices and discussion), and Bier’s move is framed as clearing low‑quality content to attract serious investors, enable payments/DeFi ambitions, and improve retention. Product changes under Bier reportedly lifted X downloads by ~60% and time on platform by 20–43%, and subscriptions passed $1B. The decision likely tightens enforcement around tokenized posting incentives and signals X’s shift from token rewards toward higher‑quality financial discourse and regulated crypto integration.
Neutral
The ban on infofi apps is primarily a platform-moderation and product-quality decision rather than a direct market-moving regulatory event. Short term, projects issuing token rewards for posting (and their tokens) may see negative sentiment or reduced utility, causing localized sell pressure for related tokens. However, the move reduces low-quality spam and may improve user retention and attract institutional or retail investors interested in legitimate crypto discussions, supporting long-term on‑platform crypto utility. Historically, platform crackdowns on spammy or tokenized content (e.g., social network moderation of token faucets or bot-driven campaigns) cause short-lived volatility for niche tokens but improve platform credibility over months. Traders should expect short-term heightened volatility for tokens closely tied to infofi-type projects, while major crypto assets (BTC, ETH, SOL) are unlikely to be materially affected. Monitor X policy updates, listings of blocked apps, and on‑chain token flows for affected projects to time short trades; view long positions in platform-aligned crypto infrastructure as potentially benefiting if X successfully attracts higher-quality financial discourse and products.