Sup fellow degens, 

It is December 31, 2025. 

The champagne is popping, the ball is about to drop, and the air is filled with that specific mix of hope, regret, and gunpowder that only New Year's Eve can provide.

Usually, this is the time when I send you a frantic email about a "midnight lock" or a strategy to hedge your hangover. 

I normally tell you to chase that final loss of the year so you can start 2026 with a clean slate. 

But today feels different. Today, we are channeling pure holiday spirit. We are looking at the glass as half full.

I was scrolling through the community forums this morning, expecting to see the usual degeneracy. Instead, I saw something beautiful. 

It seems that for 2026, the biggest bet many of you are placing is not on the Chiefs, or a slot machine, or a crypto coin. The biggest bet you are placing is on yourselves.

We are witnessing the rise of the "Retirement Class of 2026." Here is a celebration of the degens who are hanging up their boots, beating the house by walking out the door, and choosing peace for the New Year.

They are leaving the space to us - real degens who will be able to dance with the full power in the new year.

We often talk about "math" in terms of odds and probability. But sometimes, the most important math happens on a tax return.

After a year of grinding slots and achieving "Tier 2" status at five different casinos (a feat that requires serious dedication), they hit a $10,000 jackpot.

In the old days, we would celebrate that. But this player did the "real" math. They realized that because they take the standard tax deduction, they cannot write off their losses against that win. They did the calculation and realized that continuing to play wasn't just a gamble against the casino; it was a gamble against the IRS.

So, they decided to quit.

This is financial maturity in its purest form. It takes a strong person to look at a "win" and realize it’s actually a trap. Walking away because the tax code creates a negative EV situation isn't giving up; it is the ultimate strategic maneuver.

If you think quitting is only for the small players, think again. Another ex-degen, a self-proclaimed "whale" who churns through 8 figures of coin-in (that’s tens of millions of dollars cycled through machines) per year, dropped a truth bomb that shook the forum.

This player ran the numbers on the proposed tax changes for 2026. They calculated that even if they "lost" $1.1 million in actual cash, the way the phantom winnings and tax brackets worked out, they could owe $7.1 million in taxes.

Let that sink in. Losing a million to owe seven million.

Their resolution for 2026? "I love gambling, but not that much. Just going to spend that money buying more real estate."

I think replacing "feeding a slot machine" with "buying real estate" is what we call a level up. It’s a wholesome pivot from digital dopamine to tangible assets. 

Let’s just hope that this “estate” will be a nice casino which we will visit :)

If you are thinking of joining the "Class of 2026" or just trying to be a little bit smarter with your bankroll, as a degen gambler, I am still proud of you. 

2025 was a wild ride full of bad beats and crazy sweats, but 2026 is going to be your year of clarity and degeneracy.

Leave the rest to us.

Raise a glass to the ones who are walking away. You beat the game by leaving the table.

For those of us still here, let the party continue!

See you next year. It will be even crazier.

TL;DR: Some degens are hanging up their gambling boots in 2026, making strategic exits to avoid tax traps and preserve wealth. From hitting jackpots they can’t deduct to realizing huge potential tax liabilities, walking away is the ultimate power move. Here’s to the “Retirement Class of 2026”- you win by leaving the table, and for the rest of us, the party continues.

Stay degen,

Dima