@ 8c7778fc:7689822c

Trong bối cảnh nền kinh tế số đang trở thành động lực cốt lõi cho sự phát triển bền vững tại Việt Nam, VNWIN nổi lên không chỉ là một nền tảng trực tuyến về giải trí mà còn là một mắt xích quan trọng đóng góp vào sự chuyển đổi số quốc gia. Với nền tảng công nghệ vững chắc, quy trình vận hành hiện đại và khả năng tích hợp hệ thống linh hoạt, VNWIN đã và đang tạo ra một không gian số toàn diện, nơi người dùng không chỉ tham gia vào các hoạt động trực tuyến mà còn được tiếp cận với một mô hình kinh doanh thông minh. Nhờ áp dụng các công nghệ tiên tiến như AI, Big Data và bảo mật đa tầng, VNWIN không chỉ đảm bảo an toàn thông tin tuyệt đối mà còn tối ưu trải nghiệm người dùng theo từng nhu cầu cụ thể. Điều này không chỉ giúp nâng cao hiệu quả hoạt động nội bộ mà còn mang đến những giá trị gia tăng thực tế cho nền kinh tế, khi số lượng lớn người dùng VNWIN mỗi ngày đều tương tác, giao dịch và tiêu dùng thông qua nền tảng. Đặc biệt, việc tích cực tuân thủ các tiêu chuẩn pháp lý về thương mại điện tử cũng là điểm cộng lớn giúp VNWIN ngày càng khẳng định vai trò trong sự phát triển chung của hạ tầng kinh tế số Việt Nam.

Bên cạnh yếu tố công nghệ, VNWIN còn nổi bật nhờ khả năng xây dựng cộng đồng trực tuyến lành mạnh và có tính kết nối cao. Hệ sinh thái người dùng của VNWIN không chỉ dừng lại ở việc cung cấp sản phẩm mà còn liên tục mở rộng qua các chương trình tương tác cộng đồng, chăm sóc khách hàng chuyên sâu và các hoạt động trải nghiệm mang tính giáo dục về an toàn công nghệ số. Trong khi nhiều nền tảng số khác chỉ chú trọng vào lượt truy cập, VNWIN lại đầu tư vào chất lượng tương tác với người dùng, giúp tăng sự trung thành và độ tin cậy thương hiệu. Thông qua các kênh hỗ trợ như chat trực tuyến, hotline, email và mạng xã hội, người dùng VNWIN luôn nhận được sự hỗ trợ tận tình, nhanh chóng, thể hiện rõ cam kết đồng hành của doanh nghiệp với khách hàng. Ngoài ra, VNWIN cũng thường xuyên tổ chức các chương trình khuyến mãi, ưu đãi hấp dẫn và hoạt động tặng thưởng, nhằm kích thích hoạt động thương mại trong cộng đồng người dùng, tạo nên một chuỗi giá trị khép kín vừa phục vụ mục tiêu kinh doanh vừa thúc đẩy phát triển tiêu dùng nội địa. Việc người chơi quay lại sử dụng dịch vụ không chỉ đơn thuần vì giải trí mà còn bởi niềm tin vào hệ sinh thái số mà VNWIN đang kiến tạo mỗi ngày.

Không dừng lại ở việc phát triển nền tảng và xây dựng cộng đồng, VNWIN còn chủ động mở rộng ảnh hưởng thông qua các hoạt động hợp tác chiến lược với các đối tác công nghệ, tài chính và giáo dục. Sự kết nối đa ngành này không chỉ mở rộng quy mô hoạt động mà còn giúp VNWIN tăng cường tính đa dạng trong dịch vụ, tạo ra nhiều lựa chọn hơn cho người dùng. Bên cạnh đó, VNWIN cũng thể hiện vai trò tiên phong trong việc thúc đẩy nhận thức xã hội về lợi ích của nền kinh tế số thông qua các chiến dịch truyền thông tích cực, các dự án chia sẻ kiến thức công nghệ đến cộng đồng và các chương trình hỗ trợ thanh toán không tiền mặt. Đây chính là biểu hiện rõ ràng nhất cho cam kết phát triển bền vững, đưa công nghệ vào cuộc sống một cách hiệu quả, minh bạch và có trách nhiệm. Với định hướng phát triển lấy người dùng làm trung tâm, cùng chiến lược dài hạn trong việc đồng hành cùng nền kinh tế số Việt Nam, VNWIN đang khẳng định vị thế không thể thay thế trong hành trình số hóa toàn diện của quốc gia.

@ 41fa852b:af7b7706

"Bitcoin is a peaceful revolution." --Alex Gladstein

---

Life is still a bit upside-down after our house move, so I'm running slightly behind schedule this week.

I spent yesterday at Cyphermunk House for Bloom Fest, and it was honestly one of the best days I've had as a Bitcoiner. The range of personalities, the positivity, and the energy were all incredible. Huge credit to Psyfer and his team for making it happen. If you're reading this on Sunday, there's still time to head down for day two--full details here.

It's a quieter week for meetups across the UK and Ireland, but everything that's happening is listed below.

---

Upcoming Bitcoin Meetups

Happening this week…

1. Belfast Bitcoin: Join them on Tuesday the 3rd June, 20:00. These guys meet in person monthly on the first Tuesday of each month at Ormeau Baths Event Space, 18 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, BT2 8HS, Northern Ireland. 🍻

2. Bitcoin Walk - Edinburgh: Every Saturday they walk around Arthur's Seat in this historic city. Join them at 12 pm to chat about all things Bitcoin and keep fit. 🚶🏽‍♂️🚶🏼‍♀️🚶🏻

3. Bitcoin Derby: On Saturday the 7th June Bitcoin Derby will be at Ye Olde Dolphin, DE1 3DL. 🍺

---

New Businesses Accepting Bitcoin

This week we have…

• Danson Garage: A trusted, independent garage based in Sidcup, DA15 9NP offering honest, high-quality car servicing, repairs and MOTs. Whether it's diagnostics, tyres, brakes or general maintenance, their experienced team provides reliable work at fair prices. They're known for clear communication, quick turnarounds and great customer service, keeping local drivers safely on the road. Now accepting bitcoin. 🚗👨🏻‍🔧
• Pintus Deli: A cherished Italian brasserie, coffee house, and restaurant located at 132 Northcote Road in Wandsworth, South London. Open seven days a week, it offers a delightful menu featuring breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, complemented by freshly brewed coffee, juices, and a selection of wines and cocktails. With its warm ambiance and commitment to fresh, healthy ingredients, Pintus Deli provides a welcoming spot for any meal of the day. Now accepting bitcoin. 🥗🍝
• Stationery Place: Owned by long-established paper specialists John W Adams Ltd, offers a full range of printing, copying, scanning, binding and laminating services, plus custom-made rubber stamps. They stock an extensive selection of specialist paper and card, including their own high-quality range alongside premium brands from top paper companies. With over a century of expertise behind them, Stationery Place is a reliable go-to for both everyday stationery needs and professional print services. Now accepting bitcoin. 🖨️ 📖

---

Upcoming Special Events

These events aren't happening next week, but they're important to add to your calendar now as tickets are selling fast.

Children of Riddim Festival - Bitcoin Stage: This is shaping up to be one of the biggest music festivals with Bitcoin vibes in the world.

Around 150 DJs, artists, and speakers will perform over four days, from 12--16 June, in Hemel Hempstead. A dedicated stage, the Barn of Freedom, will spotlight Bitcoin culture, education, and unstoppable apps on the Nostr protocol--alongside music, talks, and much more.

Support for the Barn of Freedom stage can be given via geyser.fund, where both ticket purchases and donations are welcome. One-day and four-day passes are available, and on-site camping is included.

Confirmed names include Joe Bryan, Metamick (Geyser Fund), Roger9000, Angor, MadMunky, Huxley, and many more.

The Bitcoin Beach Retreat: An annual Bitcoin-only gathering held at a scenic coastal campsite in North Wales. Celebrating its fifth year in 2025, the retreat offers a relaxed, community-driven alternative to traditional conferences. From July 11--14, up to 120 Bitcoiners will come together to share knowledge, enjoy beachside BBQs, and strengthen their networks under the stars. With no pre-booked speakers, the event thrives on peer-led workshops and spontaneous discussions, fostering genuine connections among attendees. Emphasising local engagement, the retreat directs the majority of its funds into the surrounding community, with 42% of expenses paid in Bitcoin last year. Whether attending solo or with family, attendees can expect a welcoming environment dedicated to sound money and shared values.

---

Get Involved

• Volunteer: Passionate about merchant adoption? Reach out to Bridge2Bitcoin on Twitter or website.
• Start a Meetup: Want to launch a Bitcoin meetup? We'll support you. Contact us on Twitter or just reply to this email.
• Contribute to BTCMaps: Help maintain this key Bitcoin resource--no coding skills needed. Update a UK area.
• Telegram: Join our Channel for UK meetup updates
• Feedback: Reply to this email with ideas and suggestions.

---

This week's sponsors is…

---

Get out and support the meetups where you can, visit Bitcoin Events UK for more info on each meetup and to find your closest on the interactive map.

Stay tuned for more updates next week!

Simon.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Will not live in a pod.
Will not eat the bugs.
Will not get the chip.
Will not get a blue check.
Will not use CBDCs.

Live Free or Die.

Why did Elon buy twitter for $44 Billion? What value does he see in it besides the greater influence that undoubtedly comes with controlling one of the largest social platforms in the world? We do not need to speculate - he made his intentions incredibly clear in his first meeting with twitter employees after his takeover - WeChat of the West.

To those that do not appreciate freedom, the value prop is clear - WeChat is incredibly powerful and successful in China.

To those that do appreciate freedom, the concern is clear - WeChat has essentially become required to live in China, has surveillance and censorship integrated at its core, and if you are banned from the app your entire livelihood is at risk. Employment, housing, payments, travel, communication, and more become extremely difficult if WeChat censors determine you have acted out of line.

The blue check is the first step in Elon's plan to bring the chinese social credit score system to the west. Users who verify their identity are rewarded with more reach and better tools than those that do not. Verified users are the main product of Elon's twitter - an extensive database of individuals and complete control of the tools he will slowly get them to rely on - it is easier to monetize cattle than free men.

If you cannot resist the temptation of the blue check in its current form you have already lost - what comes next will be much darker. If you realize the need to resist - freedom tech provides us options.

---

If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

NOTE: "This version of clients is not compatible with older versions of coordinators. Coordinators must upgrade first, make sure you don't upgrade your client while this is marked as pre-release."

• This version brings a new and improved coordinators view with reviews signed both by the robot and the coordinator, adds market price sources in coordinator profiles, shows a correct warning for canceling non-taken orders after a payment attempt, adds Uzbek sum currency, and includes package library updates for coordinators.

Source: RoboSats.

• siggy47 is writing daily RoboSats activity reviews on stacker.news. Check them out here.
• Stay up-to-date with RoboSats on Nostr.

What's new

• New coordinators view (see the picture above).
• Available coordinator reviews signed by both the robot and the coordinator.
• Coordinators now display market price sources in their profiles.

Source: RoboSats.

• Fix for wrong message on cancel button when taking an order. Users are now warned if they try to cancel a non taken order after a payment attempt.
• Uzbek sum currency now available.
• For coordinators: library updates.
• Add docker frontend (#1861).
• Add order review token (#1869).
• Add UZS migration (#1875).
• Fixed tests review (#1878).
• Nostr pubkey for Robot (#1887).

New contributors

• @hexlorn made their first contribution in #1858.
• @umk0m1qk made their first contribution in #1864.

Full Changelog: v0.7.6-alpha...v0.7.7-alpha

GitHub Repo

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

NOTE: "This version of clients is not compatible with older versions of coordinators. Coordinators must upgrade first, make sure you don't upgrade your client while this is marked as pre-release."

• This version brings a new and improved coordinators view with reviews signed both by the robot and the coordinator, adds market price sources in coordinator profiles, shows a correct warning for canceling non-taken orders after a payment attempt, adds Uzbek sum currency, and includes package library updates for coordinators.

Source: RoboSats.

• siggy47 is writing daily RoboSats activity reviews on stacker.news. Check them out here.
• Stay up-to-date with RoboSats on Nostr.

What's new

• New coordinators view (see the picture above).
• Available coordinator reviews signed by both the robot and the coordinator.
• Coordinators now display market price sources in their profiles.

Source: RoboSats.

• Fix for wrong message on cancel button when taking an order. Users are now warned if they try to cancel a non taken order after a payment attempt.
• Uzbek sum currency now available.
• For coordinators: library updates.
• Add docker frontend (#1861).
• Add order review token (#1869).
• Add UZS migration (#1875).
• Fixed tests review (#1878).
• Nostr pubkey for Robot (#1887).

New contributors

• @hexlorn made their first contribution in #1858.
• @umk0m1qk made their first contribution in #1864.

Full Changelog: v0.7.6-alpha...v0.7.7-alpha

GitHub Repo

@ 21335073:a244b1ad

Someone asked for my thoughts, so I’ll share them thoughtfully. I’m not here to dictate how to promote Nostr—I’m still learning about it myself. While I’m not new to Nostr, freedom tech is a newer space for me. I’m skilled at advocating for topics I deeply understand, but freedom tech isn’t my expertise, so take my words with a grain of salt. Nothing I say is set in stone.

Those who need Nostr the most are the ones most vulnerable to censorship on other platforms right now. Reaching them requires real-time awareness of global issues and the dynamic relationships between governments and tech providers, which can shift suddenly. Effective Nostr promoters must grasp this and adapt quickly.

The best messengers are people from or closely tied to these at-risk regions—those who truly understand the local political and cultural dynamics. They can connect with those in need when tensions rise. Ideal promoters are rational, trustworthy, passionate about Nostr, but above all, dedicated to amplifying people’s voices when it matters most.

Forget influencers, corporate-backed figures, or traditional online PR—it comes off as inauthentic, corny, desperate and forced. Nostr’s promotion should be grassroots and organic, driven by a few passionate individuals who believe in Nostr and the communities they serve.

The idea that “people won’t join Nostr due to lack of reach” is nonsense. Everyone knows X’s “reach” is mostly with bots. If humans want real conversations, Nostr is the place. X is great for propaganda, but Nostr is for the authentic voices of the people.

Those spreading Nostr must be so passionate they’re willing to onboard others, which is time-consuming but rewarding for the right person. They’ll need to make Nostr and onboarding a core part of who they are. I see no issue with that level of dedication. I’ve been known to get that way myself at times. It’s fun for some folks.

With love, I suggest not adding Bitcoin promotion with Nostr outreach. Zaps already integrate that element naturally. (Still promote within the Bitcoin ecosystem, but this is about reaching vulnerable voices who needed Nostr yesterday.)

To promote Nostr, forget conventional strategies. “Influencers” aren’t the answer. “Influencers” are not the future. A trusted local community member has real influence—reach them. Connect with people seeking Nostr’s benefits but lacking the technical language to express it. This means some in the Nostr community might need to step outside of the Bitcoin bubble, which is uncomfortable but necessary. Thank you in advance to those who are willing to do that.

I don’t know who is paid to promote Nostr, if anyone. This piece isn’t shade. But it’s exhausting to see innocent voices globally silenced on corporate platforms like X while Nostr exists. Last night, I wondered: how many more voices must be censored before the Nostr community gets uncomfortable and thinks creatively to reach the vulnerable?

A warning: the global need for censorship-resistant social media is undeniable. If Nostr doesn’t make itself known, something else will fill that void. Let’s start this conversation.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• Version 1.3 of Bitcoin Safe introduces a redesigned interactive chart, quick receive feature, updated icons, a mempool preview window, support for Child Pays For Parent (CPFP) and testnet4, preconfigured testnet demo wallets, as well as various bug fixes and improvements.

• Upcoming updates for Bitcoin Safe include Compact Block Filters.

"Compact Block Filters increase the network privacy dramatically, since you're not asking an electrum server to give you your transactions. They are a little slower than electrum servers. For a savings wallet like Bitcoin Safe this should be OK," writes the project's developer Andreas Griffin.

• Learn more about the current and upcoming features of Bitcoin Safe wallet here.

What's new in v1.3

• Redesign of Chart, Quick Receive, Icons, and Mempool Preview (by @design-rrr).
• Interactive chart. Clicking on it now jumps to transaction, and selected transactions are now highlighted.

• Speed up transactions with Child Pays For Parent (CPFP).
• BDK 1.2 (upgraded from 0.32).
• Testnet4 support.
• Preconfigured Testnet demo wallets.
• Cluster unconfirmed transactions so that parents/children are next to each other.
• Customizable columns for all tables (optional view: Txid, Address index, and more)
• Bug fixes and other improvements.

Announcement / Archive
Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
Website

@ 21335073:a244b1ad

Please respect Virginia Giuffre’s memory by refraining from asking about the circumstances or theories surrounding her passing.

Since Virginia Giuffre’s death, I’ve reflected on what she would want me to say or do. This piece is my attempt to honor her legacy.

When I first spoke with Virginia, I was struck by her unshakable hope. I had grown cynical after years in the anti-human trafficking movement, worn down by a broken system and a government that often seemed complicit. But Virginia’s passion, creativity, and belief that survivors could be heard reignited something in me. She reminded me of my younger, more hopeful self. Instead of warning her about the challenges ahead, I let her dream big, unburdened by my own disillusionment. That conversation changed me for the better, and following her lead led to meaningful progress.

Virginia was one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. As a survivor of Epstein, Maxwell, and their co-conspirators, she risked everything to speak out, taking on some of the world’s most powerful figures.

She loved when I said, “Epstein isn’t the only Epstein.” This wasn’t just about one man—it was a call to hold all abusers accountable and to ensure survivors find hope and healing.

The Epstein case often gets reduced to sensational details about the elite, but that misses the bigger picture. Yes, we should be holding all of the co-conspirators accountable, we must listen to the survivors’ stories. Their experiences reveal how predators exploit vulnerabilities, offering lessons to prevent future victims.

You’re not powerless in this fight. Educate yourself about trafficking and abuse—online and offline—and take steps to protect those around you. Supporting survivors starts with small, meaningful actions. Free online resources can guide you in being a safe, supportive presence.

When high-profile accusations arise, resist snap judgments. Instead of dismissing survivors as “crazy,” pause to consider the trauma they may be navigating. Speaking out or coping with abuse is never easy. You don’t have to believe every claim, but you can refrain from attacking accusers online.

Society also fails at providing aftercare for survivors. The government, often part of the problem, won’t solve this. It’s up to us. Prevention is critical, but when abuse occurs, step up for your loved ones and community. Protect the vulnerable. it’s a challenging but a rewarding journey.

If you’re contributing to Nostr, you’re helping build a censorship resistant platform where survivors can share their stories freely, no matter how powerful their abusers are. Their voices can endure here, offering strength and hope to others. This gives me great hope for the future.

Virginia Giuffre’s courage was a gift to the world. It was an honor to know and serve her. She will be deeply missed. My hope is that her story inspires others to take on the powerful.

@ 52b4a076:e7fad8bd

I have been recently building NFDB, a new relay DB. This post is meant as a short overview.

Regular relays have challenges

Current relay software have significant challenges, which I have experienced when hosting Nostr.land: - Scalability is only supported by adding full replicas, which does not scale to large relays. - Most relays use slow databases and are not optimized for large scale usage. - Search is near-impossible to implement on standard relays. - Privacy features such as NIP-42 are lacking. - Regular DB maintenance tasks on normal relays require extended downtime. - Fault-tolerance is implemented, if any, using a load balancer, which is limited. - Personalization and advanced filtering is not possible. - Local caching is not supported.

NFDB: A scalable database for large relays

NFDB is a new database meant for medium-large scale relays, built on FoundationDB that provides: - Near-unlimited scalability - Extended fault tolerance - Instant loading - Better search - Better personalization - and more.

Search

NFDB has extended search capabilities including: - Semantic search: Search for meaning, not words. - Interest-based search: Highlight content you care about. - Multi-faceted queries: Easily filter by topic, author group, keywords, and more at the same time. - Wide support for event kinds, including users, articles, etc.

Personalization

NFDB allows significant personalization: - Customized algorithms: Be your own algorithm. - Spam filtering: Filter content to your WoT, and use advanced spam filters. - Topic mutes: Mute topics, not keywords. - Media filtering: With Nostr.build, you will be able to filter NSFW and other content - Low data mode: Block notes that use high amounts of cellular data. - and more

Other

NFDB has support for many other features such as: - NIP-42: Protect your privacy with private drafts and DMs - Microrelays: Easily deploy your own personal microrelay - Containers: Dedicated, fast storage for discoverability events such as relay lists

Calcite: A local microrelay database

Calcite is a lightweight, local version of NFDB that is meant for microrelays and caching, meant for thousands of personal microrelays.

Calcite HA is an additional layer that allows live migration and relay failover in under 30 seconds, providing higher availability compared to current relays with greater simplicity. Calcite HA is enabled in all Calcite deployments.

For zero-downtime, NFDB is recommended.

Noswhere SmartCache

Relays are fixed in one location, but users can be anywhere.

Noswhere SmartCache is a CDN for relays that dynamically caches data on edge servers closest to you, allowing: - Multiple regions around the world - Improved throughput and performance - Faster loading times

routerd

routerd is a custom load-balancer optimized for Nostr relays, integrated with SmartCache.

routerd is specifically integrated with NFDB and Calcite HA to provide fast failover and high performance.

Ending notes

NFDB is planned to be deployed to Nostr.land in the coming weeks.

A lot more is to come. 👀️️️️️️

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The revelation by Miles Suter, Product Lead at Block, at the Bitcoin Conference 2025 confirms the economic potential of LN for professional operators, but the yield comes mainly from routing fees

During the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Miles Suter, Bitcoin Product Lead at Block Inc., revealed data that could change the economic perception of the Lightning Network: the company’s routing node is generating annual returns of 9.7% on invested liquidity.

During his presentation, Suter confirmed what many experts suspected but no one had ever quantified precisely: Lightning payment routing can be not only technically effective, but also economically profitable on a large scale. With an estimated public capacity of 184 BTC (approximately $20 million), Block is demonstrating that Lightning infrastructure can generate significant returns through the use of bitcoin as a payment method.

Non-custodial yield, with a doubt

Lightning routing represents what experts define as “true non-custodial yield” – returns generated from the pure economic utility of bitcoin as a means of payment, without having to entrust one’s funds to third parties.

“We are earning almost 10% returns on Bitcoin by effectively routing real payments on the Lightning network,” Suter declared.

Riccardo Masutti — researcher and founder of Baited — has, however, observed that the double-digit yields advertised by Block are closely tied to an exceptionally aggressive fee structure that markedly deviates from the median parameters of the Lightning Network. In particular, the Cash App nodes apply a fee rate of 2,147,483,647 ppm, resulting in fees up to 2 million times higher than the average cost of standard channel transactions. Block’s own node also enforces significant fees: to route a million satoshis, it requires 1,053 sats in outgoing fees and 2,955 sats in incoming fees, compared to a network median base fee of approximately 0.999839 sat and a median fee rate of 0.000063 sat/sat. This discrepancy suggests that the yield is generated more by a surcharge imposed on intermediated payments than by any real efficiency in liquidity allocation.

In 2024 Cash App recorded an increase in Lightning payment volume equal to 7 times that of the previous year: one in four outgoing payments now occurs via LN, Suter stated.

According to Block’s Product Lead “if Bitcoin becomes only digital gold, we have failed the mission. If we don’t use bitcoin for payments, we risk losing one of the most important promises permissionless money. If we don’t preserve the qualities of cash in the digital world, human liberty is seriously in trouble.”

The company aims to incentivize practical and daily use of bitcoin, seeing Lightning payments as the key to realizing Satoshi Nakamoto’s original vision of a “peer-to-peer electronic payment system.”

The post According to Block, routing on Lightning yields 10% annually: but the yield comes from fees appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 91bea5cd:1df4451c

O Contexto Legal Brasileiro e o Consentimento

No ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, o consentimento do ofendido pode, em certas circunstâncias, afastar a ilicitude de um ato que, sem ele, configuraria crime (como lesão corporal leve, prevista no Art. 129 do Código Penal). Contudo, o consentimento tem limites claros: não é válido para bens jurídicos indisponíveis, como a vida, e sua eficácia é questionável em casos de lesões corporais graves ou gravíssimas.

A prática de BDSM consensual situa-se em uma zona complexa. Em tese, se ambos os parceiros são adultos, capazes, e consentiram livre e informadamente nos atos praticados, sem que resultem em lesões graves permanentes ou risco de morte não consentido, não haveria crime. O desafio reside na comprovação desse consentimento, especialmente se uma das partes, posteriormente, o negar ou alegar coação.

A Lei Maria da Penha (Lei nº 11.340/2006)

A Lei Maria da Penha é um marco fundamental na proteção da mulher contra a violência doméstica e familiar. Ela estabelece mecanismos para coibir e prevenir tal violência, definindo suas formas (física, psicológica, sexual, patrimonial e moral) e prevendo medidas protetivas de urgência.

Embora essencial, a aplicação da lei em contextos de BDSM pode ser delicada. Uma alegação de violência por parte da mulher, mesmo que as lesões ou situações decorram de práticas consensuais, tende a receber atenção prioritária das autoridades, dada a presunção de vulnerabilidade estabelecida pela lei. Isso pode criar um cenário onde o parceiro masculino enfrenta dificuldades significativas em demonstrar a natureza consensual dos atos, especialmente se não houver provas robustas pré-constituídas.

Outros riscos:

Lesão corporal grave ou gravíssima (art. 129, §§ 1º e 2º, CP), não pode ser justificada pelo consentimento, podendo ensejar persecução penal.

Crimes contra a dignidade sexual (arts. 213 e seguintes do CP) são de ação pública incondicionada e independem de representação da vítima para a investigação e denúncia.

Riscos de Falsas Acusações e Alegação de Coação Futura

Os riscos para os praticantes de BDSM, especialmente para o parceiro que assume o papel dominante ou que inflige dor/restrição (frequentemente, mas não exclusivamente, o homem), podem surgir de diversas frentes:

1. Acusações Externas: Vizinhos, familiares ou amigos que desconhecem a natureza consensual do relacionamento podem interpretar sons, marcas ou comportamentos como sinais de abuso e denunciar às autoridades.
2. Alegações Futuras da Parceira: Em caso de término conturbado, vingança, arrependimento ou mudança de perspectiva, a parceira pode reinterpretar as práticas passadas como abuso e buscar reparação ou retaliação através de uma denúncia. A alegação pode ser de que o consentimento nunca existiu ou foi viciado.
3. Alegação de Coação: Uma das formas mais complexas de refutar é a alegação de que o consentimento foi obtido mediante coação (física, moral, psicológica ou econômica). A parceira pode alegar, por exemplo, que se sentia pressionada, intimidada ou dependente, e que seu "sim" não era genuíno. Provar a ausência de coação a posteriori é extremamente difícil.
4. Ingenuidade e Vulnerabilidade Masculina: Muitos homens, confiando na dinâmica consensual e na parceira, podem negligenciar a necessidade de precauções. A crença de que "isso nunca aconteceria comigo" ou a falta de conhecimento sobre as implicações legais e o peso processual de uma acusação no âmbito da Lei Maria da Penha podem deixá-los vulneráveis. A presença de marcas físicas, mesmo que consentidas, pode ser usada como evidência de agressão, invertendo o ônus da prova na prática, ainda que não na teoria jurídica.

Estratégias de Prevenção e Mitigação

Não existe um método infalível para evitar completamente o risco de uma falsa acusação, mas diversas medidas podem ser adotadas para construir um histórico de consentimento e reduzir vulnerabilidades:

1. Comunicação Explícita e Contínua: A base de qualquer prática BDSM segura é a comunicação constante. Negociar limites, desejos, palavras de segurança ("safewords") e expectativas antes, durante e depois das cenas é crucial. Manter registros dessas negociações (e-mails, mensagens, diários compartilhados) pode ser útil.

2. Documentação do Consentimento:

   • Contratos de Relacionamento/Cena: Embora a validade jurídica de "contratos BDSM" seja discutível no Brasil (não podem afastar normas de ordem pública), eles servem como forte evidência da intenção das partes, da negociação detalhada de limites e do consentimento informado. Devem ser claros, datados, assinados e, idealmente, reconhecidos em cartório (para prova de data e autenticidade das assinaturas).

   • Registros Audiovisuais: Gravar (com consentimento explícito para a gravação) discussões sobre consentimento e limites antes das cenas pode ser uma prova poderosa. Gravar as próprias cenas é mais complexo devido a questões de privacidade e potencial uso indevido, mas pode ser considerado em casos específicos, sempre com consentimento mútuo documentado para a gravação.

     Importante: a gravação deve ser com ciência da outra parte, para não configurar violação da intimidade (art. 5º, X, da Constituição Federal e art. 20 do Código Civil).

3. Testemunhas: Em alguns contextos de comunidade BDSM, a presença de terceiros de confiança durante negociações ou mesmo cenas pode servir como testemunho, embora isso possa alterar a dinâmica íntima do casal.

4. Estabelecimento Claro de Limites e Palavras de Segurança: Definir e respeitar rigorosamente os limites (o que é permitido, o que é proibido) e as palavras de segurança é fundamental. O desrespeito a uma palavra de segurança encerra o consentimento para aquele ato.
5. Avaliação Contínua do Consentimento: O consentimento não é um cheque em branco; ele deve ser entusiástico, contínuo e revogável a qualquer momento. Verificar o bem-estar do parceiro durante a cena ("check-ins") é essencial.
6. Discrição e Cuidado com Evidências Físicas: Ser discreto sobre a natureza do relacionamento pode evitar mal-entendidos externos. Após cenas que deixem marcas, é prudente que ambos os parceiros estejam cientes e de acordo, talvez documentando por fotos (com data) e uma nota sobre a consensualidade da prática que as gerou.
7. Aconselhamento Jurídico Preventivo: Consultar um advogado especializado em direito de família e criminal, com sensibilidade para dinâmicas de relacionamento alternativas, pode fornecer orientação personalizada sobre as melhores formas de documentar o consentimento e entender os riscos legais específicos.

Observações Importantes

• Nenhuma documentação substitui a necessidade de consentimento real, livre, informado e contínuo.
• A lei brasileira protege a "integridade física" e a "dignidade humana". Práticas que resultem em lesões graves ou que violem a dignidade de forma não consentida (ou com consentimento viciado) serão ilegais, independentemente de qualquer acordo prévio.
• Em caso de acusação, a existência de documentação robusta de consentimento não garante a absolvição, mas fortalece significativamente a defesa, ajudando a demonstrar a natureza consensual da relação e das práticas.

• A alegação de coação futura é particularmente difícil de prevenir apenas com documentos. Um histórico consistente de comunicação aberta (whatsapp/telegram/e-mails), respeito mútuo e ausência de dependência ou controle excessivo na relação pode ajudar a contextualizar a dinâmica como não coercitiva.

• Cuidado com Marcas Visíveis e Lesões Graves Práticas que resultam em hematomas severos ou lesões podem ser interpretadas como agressão, mesmo que consentidas. Evitar excessos protege não apenas a integridade física, mas também evita questionamentos legais futuros.

O que vem a ser consentimento viciado

No Direito, consentimento viciado é quando a pessoa concorda com algo, mas a vontade dela não é livre ou plena — ou seja, o consentimento existe formalmente, mas é defeituoso por alguma razão.

O Código Civil brasileiro (art. 138 a 165) define várias formas de vício de consentimento. As principais são:

Erro: A pessoa se engana sobre o que está consentindo. (Ex.: A pessoa acredita que vai participar de um jogo leve, mas na verdade é exposta a práticas pesadas.)

Dolo: A pessoa é enganada propositalmente para aceitar algo. (Ex.: Alguém mente sobre o que vai acontecer durante a prática.)

Coação: A pessoa é forçada ou ameaçada a consentir. (Ex.: "Se você não aceitar, eu termino com você" — pressão emocional forte pode ser vista como coação.)

Estado de perigo ou lesão: A pessoa aceita algo em situação de necessidade extrema ou abuso de sua vulnerabilidade. (Ex.: Alguém em situação emocional muito fragilizada é induzida a aceitar práticas que normalmente recusaria.)

No contexto de BDSM, isso é ainda mais delicado: Mesmo que a pessoa tenha "assinado" um contrato ou dito "sim", se depois ela alegar que seu consentimento foi dado sob medo, engano ou pressão psicológica, o consentimento pode ser considerado viciado — e, portanto, juridicamente inválido.

Isso tem duas implicações sérias:

1. O crime não se descaracteriza: Se houver vício, o consentimento é ignorado e a prática pode ser tratada como crime normal (lesão corporal, estupro, tortura, etc.).

2. A prova do consentimento precisa ser sólida: Mostrando que a pessoa estava informada, lúcida, livre e sem qualquer tipo de coação.

   Consentimento viciado é quando a pessoa concorda formalmente, mas de maneira enganada, forçada ou pressionada, tornando o consentimento inútil para efeitos jurídicos.

Conclusão

Casais que praticam BDSM consensual no Brasil navegam em um terreno que exige não apenas confiança mútua e comunicação excepcional, mas também uma consciência aguçada das complexidades legais e dos riscos de interpretações equivocadas ou acusações mal-intencionadas. Embora o BDSM seja uma expressão legítima da sexualidade humana, sua prática no Brasil exige responsabilidade redobrada. Ter provas claras de consentimento, manter a comunicação aberta e agir com prudência são formas eficazes de se proteger de falsas alegações e preservar a liberdade e a segurança de todos os envolvidos. Embora leis controversas como a Maria da Penha sejam "vitais" para a proteção contra a violência real, os praticantes de BDSM, e em particular os homens nesse contexto, devem adotar uma postura proativa e prudente para mitigar os riscos inerentes à potencial má interpretação ou instrumentalização dessas práticas e leis, garantindo que a expressão de sua consensualidade esteja resguardada na medida do possível.

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Importante: No Brasil, mesmo com tudo isso, o Ministério Público pode denunciar por crime como lesão corporal grave, estupro ou tortura, independente de consentimento. Então a prudência nas práticas é fundamental.

Aviso Legal: Este artigo tem caráter meramente informativo e não constitui aconselhamento jurídico. As leis e interpretações podem mudar, e cada situação é única. Recomenda-se buscar orientação de um advogado qualificado para discutir casos específicos.

Se curtiu este artigo faça uma contribuição, se tiver algum ponto relevante para o artigo deixe seu comentário.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

When Sergei talks about bitcoin, he doesn’t sound like someone chasing profits or followers. He sounds like someone about to build a monastery in the ruins.

While the mainstream world chases headlines and hype, Sergei shows up in local meetups from Sacramento to Cleveland, mentors curious minds, and shares what he knows is true – hoping that, with the right spark, someone will light their own way forward.

We interviewed Sergei to trace his steps: where he started, what keeps him going, and why teaching bitcoin is far more than explaining how to set up a node – it’s about reaching the right minds before the noise consumes them. So we began where most journeys start: at the beginning.

First Steps

• So, where did it all begin for you and what made you stay curious?

I first heard about bitcoin from a friend’s book recommendation, American Kingpin, the book about Silk Road (online drug marketplace). He is still not a true bitcoiner, although I helped him secure private keys with some bitcoin.

I was really busy at the time – focused on my school curriculum, running a 7-bedroom Airbnb, and working for a standardized test prep company. Bitcoin seemed too technical for me to explore, and the pace of my work left no time for it.

After graduating, while pursuing more training, I started playing around with stocks and maximizing my savings. Passive income seemed like the path to early retirement, as per the promise of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early). I mostly followed the mainstream news and my mentor’s advice – he liked preferred stocks at the time.

I had some Coinbase IOUs and remember sending bitcoin within the Coinbase ledger to a couple friends. I also recall the 2018 crash; I actually saw the legendary price spike live but couldn’t benefit because my funds were stuck amidst the frenzy. I withdrew from that investment completely for some time. Thankfully, my mentor advised to keep en eye on bitcoin.

Around late 2019, I started DCA-ing cautiously. Additionally, my friend and I were discussing famous billionaires, and how there was no curriculum for becoming a billionaire. So, I typed “billionaires” into my podcast app, and landed on We Study Billionaires podcast.

That’s where I kept hearing Preston Pysh mention bitcoin, before splitting into his own podcast series, Bitcoin Fundamentals. I didn’t understand most of the terminology of stocks, bonds, etc, yet I kept listening and trying to absorb it thru repetition. Today, I realize all that financial talk was mostly noise.

When people ask me for a technical explanation of fiat, I say: it’s all made up, just like the fiat price of bitcoin! Starting in 2020, during the so-called pandemic, I dove deeper. I religiously read Bitcoin Magazine, scrolled thru Bitcoin Twitter, and joined Simply Bitcoin Telegram group back when DarthCoin was an admin.

DarthCoin was my favorite bitcoiner – experienced, knowledgeable, and unapologetic. Watching him shift from rage to kindness, from passion to despair, gave me a glimpse at what a true educator’s journey would look like.

The struggle isn’t about adoption at scale anymore. It’s about reaching the few who are willing to study, take risks, and stay out of fiat traps. The vast majority won’t follow that example – not yet at least… if I start telling others the requirements for true freedom and prosperity, they would certainly say “Hell no!”

• At what point did you start teaching others, and why?

After college, I helped teach at a standardized test preparation company, and mentored some students one-on-one. I even tried working at a kindergarten briefly, but left quickly; Babysitting is not teaching.

What I discovered is that those who will succeed don’t really need my help – they would succeed with or without me, because they already have the inner drive.

Once you realize your people are perishing for lack of knowledge, the only rational thing to do is help raise their level of knowledge and understanding. That’s the Great Work.

I sometimes imagine myself as a political prisoner. If that were to happen, I’d probably start teaching fellow prisoners, doctors, janitors, even guards. In a way we already live in an open-air prison, So what else is there to do but teach, organize, and conspire to dismantle the Matrix?

Building on Bitcoin

• You hosted some in-person meetups in Sacramento. What did you learn from those?

My first presentation was on MultiSig storage with SeedSigner, and submarine swaps through Boltz.exchange.

I realized quickly that I had overestimated the group’s technical background. Even the meetup organizer, a financial advisor, asked, “How is anyone supposed to follow these steps?” I responded that reading was required… He decided that Unchained is an easier way.

At a crypto meetup, I gave a much simpler talk, outlining how bitcoin will save the world, based on a DarthCoin’s guide. Only one person stuck around to ask questions – a man who seemed a little out there, and did not really seem to get the message beyond the strength of cryptographic security of bitcoin.

Again, I overestimated the audience’s readiness. That forced me to rethink my strategy. People are extremely early and reluctant to study.

• Now in Ohio, you hold sessions via the Orange Pill App. What’s changed?

My new motto is: educate the educators. The corollary is: don’t orange-pill stupid normies (as DarthCoin puts it).

I’ve shifted to small, technical sessions in order to raise a few solid guardians of this esoteric knowledge who really get it and can carry it forward.

The youngest attendee at one of my sessions is a newborn baby – he mostly sleeps, but maybe he still absorbs some of the educational vibes.

• How do local groups like Sactown and Cleveland Bitcoiners influence your work?

Every meetup reflects its local culture. Sacramento and Bay Area Bitcoiners, for example, do camping trips – once we camped through a desert storm, shielding our burgers from sand while others went to shoot guns.

Cleveland Bitcoiners are different. They amass large gatherings. They recently threw a 100k party. They do a bit more community outreach. Some are curious about the esoteric topics such as jurisdiction, spirituality, and healthful living.

I have no permanent allegiance to any state, race, or group. I go where I can teach and learn. I anticipate that in my next phase, I’ll meet Bitcoiners so advanced that I’ll have to give up my fiat job and focus full-time on serious projects where real health and wealth are on the line.

Hopefully, I’ll be ready. I believe the universe always challenges you exactly to your limit – no less, no more.

• What do people struggle with the most when it comes to technical education?

The biggest struggle isn’t technical – it’s a lack of deep curiosity. People ask “how” and “what” – how do I set up a node, what should one do with the lightning channels? But very few ask “why?”

Why does on-chain bitcoin not contribute to the circular economy? Why is it essential to run Lightning? Why did humanity fall into mental enslavement in the first place?

I’d rather teach two-year-olds who constantly ask “why” than adults who ask how to flip a profit. What worries me most is that most two-year-olds will grow up asking state-funded AI bots for answers and live according to its recommendations.

• One Cleveland Bitcoiner shows up at gold bug meetups. How valuable is face-to-face education?

I don’t think the older generation is going to reverse the current human condition. Most of them have been under mind control for too long, and they just don’t have the attention span to study and change their ways.

They’re better off stacking gold and helping fund their grandkids’ education. If I were to focus on a demographic, I’d go for teenagers – high school age – because by college, the indoctrination is usually too strong, and they’re chasing fiat mastery.

As for the gold bug meetup? Perhaps one day I will show up with a ukulele to sing some bitcoin-themed songs. Seniors love such entertainment.

• How do you choose what to focus on in your sessions, especially for different types of learners?

I don’t come in with a rigid agenda. I’ve collected a massive library of resources over the years and never stopped reading. My browser tab and folder count are exploding.

At the meetup, people share questions or topics they’re curious about, then I take that home, do my homework, and bring back a session based on those themes. I give them the key takeaways, plus where to dive deeper.

Most people won’t – or can’t – study the way I do, and I expect attendees to put in the work. I suspect that it’s more important to reach those who want to learn but don’t know how, the so-called nescient (not knowing), rather than the ignorant.

There are way too many ignorant bitcoiners, so my mission is to find those who are curious what’s beyond the facade of fake reality and superficial promises.

That naturally means that fewer people show up, and that’s fine. I’m not here for the crowds; I’m here to educate the educators. One bitcoiner who came decided to branch off into self-custody sessions and that’s awesome. Personally, I’m much more focused on Lightning.

I want to see broader adoption of tools like auth, sign-message, NWC, and LSPs. Next month, I’m going deep into eCash solutions, because let’s face it – most newcomers won’t be able to afford their own UTXO or open a lightning channel; additionally, it has to be fun and easy for them to transact sats, otherwise they won’t do it. Additionally, they’ll need to rely on

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The company unveils a service to generate returns from the Lightning Network while maintaining full control over one’s bitcoin.

Amboss, a company dedicated to developing the Lightning Network ecosystem, has announced the launch of Rails, a platform that enables users to earn yields on their bitcoin while retaining complete custody.

Rails stands out as the first fully self-custodial yield-generation service built specifically for the Lightning Network. Users can act as Liquidity Providers (LPs) while maintaining full control over their funds, contributing at the same time to improving the performance and scalability of the Lightning Network.

The service leverages Amboss’ AI infrastructure to optimize the speed, reliability, and capacity of Lightning transactions.

How it works

Rails’ yield-generation mechanism is based on two main activities:

• Payment routing: users earn fees by facilitating payment routing through the Lightning Network;
• Liquidity leasing: by providing liquidity to other participants in the LN network.

Although returns are not guaranteed, the performance demonstrated by companies like Block is notable. During the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Miles Suter of Block revealed that their routing node is generating a 9.7% APR on deposited bitcoin while maintaining control over private keys.

Strategic partnerships

Amboss has entered into partnerships with CoinCorner and Flux to launch Rails. CoinCorner has integrated the service into its exchange and payment platforms, while Flux aims to expand the Lightning Network’s role in global payments.

David Boylan, CFO of CoinCorner, stated:

“Rails offers a practical way for businesses like ours to participate in the Lightning Network’s growth. We’ve been using the Lightning Network for years, and Rails provides a structured approach to engaging with its economy, particularly through liquidity leasing and payment routing.”

Two complementary solutions

Rails offers two distinct services:

• Rails LP: designed for businesses with bitcoin treasuries, custodians, and high-net-worth individuals, with a minimum commitment of 1 BTC for one year;
• Liquidity subscriptions: aimed at businesses accepting bitcoin payments, with fees starting from 0.5%.

Jesse Shrader, co-founder and CEO of Amboss, commented:

“Rails is a transformative force for the Lightning Network. It’s not just about yield — it’s about enabling businesses to strengthen the network while earning on their bitcoins. This is a critical step in bitcoin’s evolution as a global medium of exchange.”

The post Amboss launches Rails: a service to earn yields from the Lightning Network appeared first on Atlas21.

@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365

Prelude

I wrote this post differently than any of my others. It started with a discussion with AI on an OPSec-inspired review of separation of powers, and evolved into quite an exciting debate! I asked Grok to write up a summary in my overall writing style, which it got pretty well. I've decided to post it exactly as-is. Ultimately, I think there are two solid ideas driving my stance here:

1. Perfect is the enemy of the good
2. Failure is the crucible of success

Beyond that, just some hard-core belief in freedom, separation of powers, and operating from self-interest.

Intro

Alright, buckle up. I’ve been chewing on this idea for a while, and it’s time to spit it out. Let’s look at the U.S. government like I’d look at a codebase under a cybersecurity audit—OPSEC style, no fluff. Forget the endless debates about what politicians should do. That’s noise. I want to talk about what they can do, the raw powers baked into the system, and why we should stop pretending those powers are sacred. If there’s a hole, either patch it or exploit it. No half-measures. And yeah, I’m okay if the whole thing crashes a bit—failure’s a feature, not a bug.

The Filibuster: A Security Rule with No Teeth

You ever see a firewall rule that’s more theater than protection? That’s the Senate filibuster. Everyone acts like it’s this untouchable guardian of democracy, but here’s the deal: a simple majority can torch it any day. It’s not a law; it’s a Senate preference, like choosing tabs over spaces. When people call killing it the “nuclear option,” I roll my eyes. Nuclear? It’s a button labeled “press me.” If a party wants it gone, they’ll do it. So why the dance?

I say stop playing games. Get rid of the filibuster. If you’re one of those folks who thinks it’s the only thing saving us from tyranny, fine—push for a constitutional amendment to lock it in. That’s a real patch, not a Post-it note. Until then, it’s just a vulnerability begging to be exploited. Every time a party threatens to nuke it, they’re admitting it’s not essential. So let’s stop pretending and move on.

Supreme Court Packing: Because Nine’s Just a Number

Here’s another fun one: the Supreme Court. Nine justices, right? Sounds official. Except it’s not. The Constitution doesn’t say nine—it’s silent on the number. Congress could pass a law tomorrow to make it 15, 20, or 42 (hitchhiker’s reference, anyone?). Packing the court is always on the table, and both sides know it. It’s like a root exploit just sitting there, waiting for someone to log in.

So why not call the bluff? If you’re in power—say, Trump’s back in the game—say, “I’m packing the court unless we amend the Constitution to fix it at nine.” Force the issue. No more shadowboxing. And honestly? The court’s got way too much power anyway. It’s not supposed to be a super-legislature, but here we are, with justices’ ideologies driving the bus. That’s a bug, not a feature. If the court weren’t such a kingmaker, packing it wouldn’t even matter. Maybe we should be talking about clipping its wings instead of just its size.

The Executive Should Go Full Klingon

Let’s talk presidents. I’m not saying they should wear Klingon armor and start shouting “Qapla’!”—though, let’s be real, that’d be awesome. I’m saying the executive should use every scrap of power the Constitution hands them. Enforce the laws you agree with, sideline the ones you don’t. If Congress doesn’t like it, they’ve got tools: pass new laws, override vetoes, or—here’s the big one—cut the budget. That’s not chaos; that’s the system working as designed.

Right now, the real problem isn’t the president overreaching; it’s the bureaucracy. It’s like a daemon running in the background, eating CPU and ignoring the user. The president’s supposed to be the one steering, but the administrative state’s got its own agenda. Let the executive flex, push the limits, and force Congress to check it. Norms? Pfft. The Constitution’s the spec sheet—stick to it.

Let the System Crash

Here’s where I get a little spicy: I’m totally fine if the government grinds to a halt. Deadlock isn’t a disaster; it’s a feature. If the branches can’t agree, let the president veto, let Congress starve the budget, let enforcement stall. Don’t tell me about “essential services.” Nothing’s so critical it can’t take a breather. Shutdowns force everyone to the table—debate, compromise, or expose who’s dropping the ball. If the public loses trust? Good. They’ll vote out the clowns or live with the circus they elected.

Think of it like a server crash. Sometimes you need a hard reboot to clear the cruft. If voters keep picking the same bad admins, well, the country gets what it deserves. Failure’s the best teacher—way better than limping along on autopilot.

States Are the Real MVPs

If the feds fumble, states step up. Right now, states act like junior devs waiting for the lead engineer to sign off. Why? Federal money. It’s a leash, and it’s tight. Cut that cash, and states will remember they’re autonomous. Some will shine, others will tank—looking at you, California. And I’m okay with that. Let people flee to better-run states. No bailouts, no excuses. States are like competing startups: the good ones thrive, the bad ones pivot or die.

Could it get uneven? Sure. Some states might turn into sci-fi utopias while others look like a post-apocalyptic vidya game. That’s the point—competition sorts it out. Citizens can move, markets adjust, and failure’s a signal to fix your act.

Chaos Isn’t the Enemy

Yeah, this sounds messy. States ignoring federal law, external threats poking at our seams, maybe even a constitutional crisis. I’m not scared. The Supreme Court’s there to referee interstate fights, and Congress sets the rules for state-to-state play. But if it all falls apart? Still cool. States can sort it without a babysitter—it’ll be ugly, but freedom’s worth it. External enemies? They’ll either unify us or break us. If we can’t rally, we don’t deserve the win.

Centralizing power to avoid this is like rewriting your app in a single thread to prevent race conditions—sure, it’s simpler, but you’re begging for a deadlock. Decentralized chaos lets states experiment, lets people escape, lets markets breathe. States competing to cut regulations to attract businesses? That’s a race to the bottom for red tape, but a race to the top for innovation—workers might gripe, but they’ll push back, and the tension’s healthy. Bring it—let the cage match play out. The Constitution’s checks are enough if we stop coddling the system.

Why This Matters

I’m not pitching a utopia. I’m pitching a stress test. The U.S. isn’t a fragile porcelain doll; it’s a rugged piece of hardware built to take some hits. Let it fail a little—filibuster, court, feds, whatever. Patch the holes with amendments if you want, or lean into the grind. Either way, stop fearing the crash. It’s how we debug the republic.

So, what’s your take? Ready to let the system rumble, or got a better way to secure the code? Hit me up—I’m all ears.

@ 9ca447d2:fbf5a36d

The third annual Bitcoin FilmFest (aka BFF25) proved once again that sovereign minds and decentralized culture thrive together.

For four electrifying days in Poland’s capital, the festival’s rallying call—’Fix the money, fix the culture‘—wasn’t just a slogan but a living, breathing movement.

From May 22-25, 2025, Warsaw buzzed with cinematic innovation, Bitcoin philosophy, and artistic vibe marking this gathering as truly incomparable.

Rebel Tribe with Unfiltered Creativity

With 200+ attendees from 20+ countries – primarily Poland, Czech Republic, the UK and Germany (~70% combined), plus representation from Spain, Italy, USA, Turkey and 15+ other nations including Thailand, Israel, Dubai and Latin America—BFF25 became a true global hub of freedom-fighters at heart. 

The European Pizza Day opener (May 22), celebrating Bitcoin’s first real-world transaction, saw rainy evening weather that couldn’t dampen the energy.

With concerts by Roger9000 and ABBE plus DJ sets from MadMunky, 2140 collective w/Airklipz and G.O.L.D., all early arrivals had a memorable start.

Dual Focus on Film and Bitcoin Culture

• Seven film workshops and seven hands-on sessions running parallel across Friday and Saturday at Amondo Cinema Club. Film: Martin Piga, Oswald Horowitz, Psyfer, Juan Pablo Mejía, Kristina Weiserova, Rare Passenger, Noa Gruman & Lahav Levi (Scardust). Bitcoin/Nostr: Aleks Svetski, Ioni Appelberg, Flash,  CryptoSteel, Bitrefill, Polish Bitcoin Association, Bitvocation.

• The Community Stage (Friday to Sunday afternoon) gave important space for both projects and individuals discussing their work and passions.
  Everything from music, art, fiction, Nostr, personal sovereignty to Polish-language debates on Bitcoin’s state and its possible future.

• Onscreen, 9 cinematic blocks from Friday to Sunday featured titles like UNBAKABLE, REVOLUCIÓN BITCOIN, HOTEL BITCOIN, PLANDEMIC: THE MUSICAL, plus shorts on new media (AI/experimental cinema), parallel communities (outcast cinema), and newly released pilots.

• Cinematic shark-tank with a €3,000 bounty: 8 contestants

  • Martin Piga: “PARALLEL SPACES”
  • Kristina Weiserova: “PUZZLE”
  • Aaron Koenig : “SATOSHI’S LAST WILL”
  • Philip Charter: “21 FUTURES”
  • Jenna Reid: “WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?”
  • Mr Black: “A LODGING OF WAYFARING MEN”
  • Oswald Horowitz: “THE LEGEND OF LANDI”
    The event ended with Jenna winning.

• Official Gala: Golden Rabbits 2025 crowned:

  • HOTEL BITCOIN by Manuel Sanabria & Carlos “Pocho” Villaverde (Best Story)
  • SATOSHI: THE CREATION OF BITCOIN by Arthur Machado (Best Short)
  • REVOLUCIÓN BITCOIN by Juan Pablo Mejía (Audience Choice)
  • NO MORE INFLATION by Maiku Tsukai’s aka Bitcoin Shooter (Best Film)

Nights Charged with Music and Unscripted Surprise

The festival’s legendary afterparties kept the energy high—Friday’s underground gathering at Morph Club (ex-Barbazaar) featured Aaron Koening’s live concert and 2140 DJs (Akme + Andy Princz).

The weekend’s unforgettable moment came when Noa Gruman took the stage with “MY HEAVEN” (Scardust original) and “40HPW” — her powerful tribute to Bitcoin podcasts and Bugle.News.

Lightning-Powered Innovation, and Extras

• Lightning in Action: Flash enabled instant Bitcoin payments across both main venues (Amondo + Samo Centrum, merch stations, and online shop)

• IndeeHub Backstage Pass: Attendees unlocked exclusive access to Lightning-powered VOD featuring selected films from BFF23-25

• BFF TV: Kiki (El Salvador) broadcasting live interviews, event clips, and trailers. Day One, and Day Two to rewatch online.

• Comedy Strike: Robert Le Ricain’s Gala stand-up proved Bitcoiners pack brains and humor—in equal measure.

A Community-Driven Cultural Experience

Bitcoin FilmFest wasn’t just an event—it was proof that culture shifts when money gets fixed. Mark your calendars for June 2026 and the next edition. More info and tickets going on sale soon.

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Bitcoin FilmFest (BFF25) returns to Warsaw for its third edition, blending independent cinema—from feature films and commercials to AI-driven experimental visuals—with education and entertainment.

Hundreds of attendees from around the world will gather for three days of screenings, discussions, workshops, and networking at the iconic Kinoteka Cinema (PKiN), the same venue that hosted the festival’s first two editions in March 2023 and April 2024.

This year’s festival, themed “Beyond the Frame,” introduces new dimensions to its program, including an extra day on May 22 to celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day, the first real-world bitcoin transaction, with what promises to be one of Europe’s largest commemorations of this milestone.

BFF25 bridges independent film, culture, and technology, with a bold focus on decentralized storytelling and creative expression. As a community-driven cultural experience with a slightly rebellious spirit, Bitcoin FilmFest goes beyond movies, yet cinema remains at its heart.

Here’s a sneak peek at the lineup, specially curated for movie buffs:

Generative Cinema –  A special slot with exclusive shorts and a thematic debate on the intersection of AI and filmmaking. Featured titles include, for example: BREAK FREE, SATOSHI: THE CREATION OF BITCOIN, STRANGE CURRENCIES, and BITCOIN IS THE MYCELIUM OF MONEY,  exploring financial independence, traps of the fiat system, and a better future built on sound money.

Upcoming Productions Preview – A bit over an hour-long block of unreleased pilots and works-in-progress. Attendees will get exclusive first looks at projects like FINDING HOME (a travel-meets-personal-journey series), PARALLEL SPACES (a story about alternative communities), and THE LEGEND OF LANDI (a mysterious narrative).

Freedom-Focused Ads & Campaigns – Unique screenings of video commercials, animations, and visual projects, culminating in “The PoWies” (Proof of Work-ies)—the first ever awards show honoring the best Bitcoin-only awareness campaigns.

To get an idea of what might come up at the event, here, you can preview 6 selected ads combined into two 2 videos:

• Unique Bitcoin-Video Ads: Part One
• Unique Bitcoin-Video Ads: Part Two

Open Pitch Competition – A chance for filmmakers to present fresh ideas and unfinished projects to an audience of a dedicated jury, movie fans and potential collaborators. This competitive block isn’t just entertaining—it’s a real opportunity for creators to secure funding and partnerships.

Golden Rabbit Awards: A lively gala honoring films from the festival’s Official Selection, with awards in categories like Best Feature, Best Story, Best Short, and Audience Choice.

BFF25 Main Screenings

Sample titles from BFF25’s Official Selection:

REVOLUCIÓN BITCOIN – A documentary by Juan Pablo, making its first screening outside the Spanish-speaking world in Warsaw this May. Three years of important work, 80 powerful minutes to experience. The film explores Bitcoin’s impact across Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, and Spain through around 40 diverse perspectives. Screening in Spanish with English subtitles, followed by a Q&A with the director.

UNBANKABLE – Luke Willms’ directorial debut, drawing from his multicultural roots and his father’s pioneering HIV/AIDS research. An investigative documentary based on Luke’s journeys through seven African countries, diving into financial experiments and innovations—from mobile money and digital lending to Bitcoin—raising smart questions and offering potential lessons for the West. Its May appearance at BFF25 marks its largest European event to date, following festival screenings and nominations across multiple continents over the past year.

HOTEL BITCOIN – A Spanish comedy directed by Manuel Sanabria and Carlos “Pocho” Villaverde. Four friends, 4,000 bitcoins , and one laptop spark a chaotic adventure of parties, love, crime, and a dash of madness. Exploring sound money, value, and relationships through a twisting plot. The film premiered at the Tarazona and Moncayo Comedy Film Festival in August 2024. Its Warsaw screening at BFF25 (in Spanish with English subtitles) marks its first public showing outside the Spanish-speaking world.

Check out trailers for this year’s BFF25 and past editions on YouTube.

Tickets & Info:

• Detailed program and tickets are available at bitcoinfilmfest.com/bff25.
• Stay updated via the festival’s official channels (links provided on the website).
• Use ‘LN-NEWS’ to get 10% of tickets

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Básico

bash lsblk # Lista todos os diretorios montados.

Para criar o sistema de arquivos:

bash mkfs.btrfs -L "ThePool" -f /dev/sdx

Criando um subvolume:

bash btrfs subvolume create SubVol

Montando Sistema de Arquivos:

bash mount -o compress=zlib,subvol=SubVol,autodefrag /dev/sdx /mnt

Lista os discos formatados no diretório:

bash btrfs filesystem show /mnt

Adiciona novo disco ao subvolume:

bash btrfs device add -f /dev/sdy /mnt

Lista novamente os discos do subvolume:

bash btrfs filesystem show /mnt

Exibe uso dos discos do subvolume:

bash btrfs filesystem df /mnt

Balancea os dados entre os discos sobre raid1:

bash btrfs filesystem balance start -dconvert=raid1 -mconvert=raid1 /mnt

Scrub é uma passagem por todos os dados e metadados do sistema de arquivos e verifica as somas de verificação. Se uma cópia válida estiver disponível (perfis de grupo de blocos replicados), a danificada será reparada. Todas as cópias dos perfis replicados são validadas.

iniciar o processo de depuração :

bash btrfs scrub start /mnt

ver o status do processo de depuração Btrfs em execução:

bash btrfs scrub status /mnt

ver o status do scrub Btrfs para cada um dos dispositivos

bash btrfs scrub status -d / data btrfs scrub cancel / data

Para retomar o processo de depuração do Btrfs que você cancelou ou pausou:

btrfs scrub resume / data

Listando os subvolumes:

bash btrfs subvolume list /Reports

Criando um instantâneo dos subvolumes:

Aqui, estamos criando um instantâneo de leitura e gravação chamado snap de marketing do subvolume de marketing.

bash btrfs subvolume snapshot /Reports/marketing /Reports/marketing-snap

Além disso, você pode criar um instantâneo somente leitura usando o sinalizador -r conforme mostrado. O marketing-rosnap é um instantâneo somente leitura do subvolume de marketing

bash btrfs subvolume snapshot -r /Reports/marketing /Reports/marketing-rosnap

Forçar a sincronização do sistema de arquivos usando o utilitário 'sync'

Para forçar a sincronização do sistema de arquivos, invoque a opção de sincronização conforme mostrado. Observe que o sistema de arquivos já deve estar montado para que o processo de sincronização continue com sucesso.

bash btrfs filsystem sync /Reports

Para excluir o dispositivo do sistema de arquivos, use o comando device delete conforme mostrado.

bash btrfs device delete /dev/sdc /Reports

Para sondar o status de um scrub, use o comando scrub status com a opção -dR .

bash btrfs scrub status -dR / Relatórios

Para cancelar a execução do scrub, use o comando scrub cancel .

bash $ sudo btrfs scrub cancel / Reports

Para retomar ou continuar com uma depuração interrompida anteriormente, execute o comando de cancelamento de depuração

bash sudo btrfs scrub resume /Reports

mostra o uso do dispositivo de armazenamento:

btrfs filesystem usage /data

Para distribuir os dados, metadados e dados do sistema em todos os dispositivos de armazenamento do RAID (incluindo o dispositivo de armazenamento recém-adicionado) montados no diretório /data , execute o seguinte comando:

sudo btrfs balance start --full-balance /data

Pode demorar um pouco para espalhar os dados, metadados e dados do sistema em todos os dispositivos de armazenamento do RAID se ele contiver muitos dados.

Opções importantes de montagem Btrfs

Nesta seção, vou explicar algumas das importantes opções de montagem do Btrfs. Então vamos começar.

As opções de montagem Btrfs mais importantes são:

**1. acl e noacl

**ACL gerencia permissões de usuários e grupos para os arquivos/diretórios do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.

A opção de montagem acl Btrfs habilita ACL. Para desabilitar a ACL, você pode usar a opção de montagem noacl .

Por padrão, a ACL está habilitada. Portanto, o sistema de arquivos Btrfs usa a opção de montagem acl por padrão.

**2. autodefrag e noautodefrag

**Desfragmentar um sistema de arquivos Btrfs melhorará o desempenho do sistema de arquivos reduzindo a fragmentação de dados.

A opção de montagem autodefrag permite a desfragmentação automática do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.

A opção de montagem noautodefrag desativa a desfragmentação automática do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.

Por padrão, a desfragmentação automática está desabilitada. Portanto, o sistema de arquivos Btrfs usa a opção de montagem noautodefrag por padrão.

**3. compactar e compactar-forçar

**Controla a compactação de dados no nível do sistema de arquivos do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.

A opção compactar compacta apenas os arquivos que valem a pena compactar (se compactar o arquivo economizar espaço em disco).

A opção compress-force compacta todos os arquivos do sistema de arquivos Btrfs, mesmo que a compactação do arquivo aumente seu tamanho.

O sistema de arquivos Btrfs suporta muitos algoritmos de compactação e cada um dos algoritmos de compactação possui diferentes níveis de compactação.

Os algoritmos de compactação suportados pelo Btrfs são: lzo , zlib (nível 1 a 9) e zstd (nível 1 a 15).

Você pode especificar qual algoritmo de compactação usar para o sistema de arquivos Btrfs com uma das seguintes opções de montagem:

• compress=algoritmo:nível
• compress-force=algoritmo:nível

Para obter mais informações, consulte meu artigo Como habilitar a compactação do sistema de arquivos Btrfs .

**4. subvol e subvolid

**Estas opções de montagem são usadas para montar separadamente um subvolume específico de um sistema de arquivos Btrfs.

A opção de montagem subvol é usada para montar o subvolume de um sistema de arquivos Btrfs usando seu caminho relativo.

A opção de montagem subvolid é usada para montar o subvolume de um sistema de arquivos Btrfs usando o ID do subvolume.

Para obter mais informações, consulte meu artigo Como criar e montar subvolumes Btrfs .

**5. dispositivo

A opção de montagem de dispositivo** é usada no sistema de arquivos Btrfs de vários dispositivos ou RAID Btrfs.

Em alguns casos, o sistema operacional pode falhar ao detectar os dispositivos de armazenamento usados em um sistema de arquivos Btrfs de vários dispositivos ou RAID Btrfs. Nesses casos, você pode usar a opção de montagem do dispositivo para especificar os dispositivos que deseja usar para o sistema de arquivos de vários dispositivos Btrfs ou RAID.

Você pode usar a opção de montagem de dispositivo várias vezes para carregar diferentes dispositivos de armazenamento para o sistema de arquivos de vários dispositivos Btrfs ou RAID.

Você pode usar o nome do dispositivo (ou seja, sdb , sdc ) ou UUID , UUID_SUB ou PARTUUID do dispositivo de armazenamento com a opção de montagem do dispositivo para identificar o dispositivo de armazenamento.

Por exemplo,

• dispositivo=/dev/sdb
• dispositivo=/dev/sdb,dispositivo=/dev/sdc
• dispositivo=UUID_SUB=490a263d-eb9a-4558-931e-998d4d080c5d
• device=UUID_SUB=490a263d-eb9a-4558-931e-998d4d080c5d,device=UUID_SUB=f7ce4875-0874-436a-b47d-3edef66d3424

**6. degraded

A opção de montagem degradada** permite que um RAID Btrfs seja montado com menos dispositivos de armazenamento do que o perfil RAID requer.

Por exemplo, o perfil raid1 requer a presença de 2 dispositivos de armazenamento. Se um dos dispositivos de armazenamento não estiver disponível em qualquer caso, você usa a opção de montagem degradada para montar o RAID mesmo que 1 de 2 dispositivos de armazenamento esteja disponível.

**7. commit

A opção commit** mount é usada para definir o intervalo (em segundos) dentro do qual os dados serão gravados no dispositivo de armazenamento.

O padrão é definido como 30 segundos.

Para definir o intervalo de confirmação para 15 segundos, você pode usar a opção de montagem commit=15 (digamos).

**8. ssd e nossd

A opção de montagem ssd** informa ao sistema de arquivos Btrfs que o sistema de arquivos está usando um dispositivo de armazenamento SSD, e o sistema de arquivos Btrfs faz a otimização SSD necessária.

A opção de montagem nossd desativa a otimização do SSD.

O sistema de arquivos Btrfs detecta automaticamente se um SSD é usado para o sistema de arquivos Btrfs. Se um SSD for usado, a opção de montagem de SSD será habilitada. Caso contrário, a opção de montagem nossd é habilitada.

**9. ssd_spread e nossd_spread

A opção de montagem ssd_spread** tenta alocar grandes blocos contínuos de espaço não utilizado do SSD. Esse recurso melhora o desempenho de SSDs de baixo custo (baratos).

A opção de montagem nossd_spread desativa o recurso ssd_spread .

O sistema de arquivos Btrfs detecta automaticamente se um SSD é usado para o sistema de arquivos Btrfs. Se um SSD for usado, a opção de montagem ssd_spread será habilitada. Caso contrário, a opção de montagem nossd_spread é habilitada.

**10. descarte e nodiscard

Se você estiver usando um SSD que suporte TRIM enfileirado assíncrono (SATA rev3.1), a opção de montagem de descarte** permitirá o descarte de blocos de arquivos liberados. Isso melhorará o desempenho do SSD.

Se o SSD não suportar TRIM enfileirado assíncrono, a opção de montagem de descarte prejudicará o desempenho do SSD. Nesse caso, a opção de montagem nodiscard deve ser usada.

Por padrão, a opção de montagem nodiscard é usada.

**11. norecovery

Se a opção de montagem norecovery** for usada, o sistema de arquivos Btrfs não tentará executar a operação de recuperação de dados no momento da montagem.

**12. usebackuproot e nousebackuproot

Se a opção de montagem usebackuproot for usada, o sistema de arquivos Btrfs tentará recuperar qualquer raiz de árvore ruim/corrompida no momento da montagem. O sistema de arquivos Btrfs pode armazenar várias raízes de árvore no sistema de arquivos. A opção de montagem usebackuproot** procurará uma boa raiz de árvore e usará a primeira boa que encontrar.

A opção de montagem nousebackuproot não verificará ou recuperará raízes de árvore inválidas/corrompidas no momento da montagem. Este é o comportamento padrão do sistema de arquivos Btrfs.

**13. space_cache, space_cache=version, nospace_cache e clear_cache

A opção de montagem space_cache** é usada para controlar o cache de espaço livre. O cache de espaço livre é usado para melhorar o desempenho da leitura do espaço livre do grupo de blocos do sistema de arquivos Btrfs na memória (RAM).

O sistema de arquivos Btrfs suporta 2 versões do cache de espaço livre: v1 (padrão) e v2

O mecanismo de cache de espaço livre v2 melhora o desempenho de sistemas de arquivos grandes (tamanho de vários terabytes).

Você pode usar a opção de montagem space_cache=v1 para definir a v1 do cache de espaço livre e a opção de montagem space_cache=v2 para definir a v2 do cache de espaço livre.

A opção de montagem clear_cache é usada para limpar o cache de espaço livre.

Quando o cache de espaço livre v2 é criado, o cache deve ser limpo para criar um cache de espaço livre v1 .

Portanto, para usar o cache de espaço livre v1 após a criação do cache de espaço livre v2 , as opções de montagem clear_cache e space_cache=v1 devem ser combinadas: clear_cache,space_cache=v1

A opção de montagem nospace_cache é usada para desabilitar o cache de espaço livre.

Para desabilitar o cache de espaço livre após a criação do cache v1 ou v2 , as opções de montagem nospace_cache e clear_cache devem ser combinadas: clear_cache,nosapce_cache

**14. skip_balance

Por padrão, a operação de balanceamento interrompida/pausada de um sistema de arquivos Btrfs de vários dispositivos ou RAID Btrfs será retomada automaticamente assim que o sistema de arquivos Btrfs for montado. Para desabilitar a retomada automática da operação de equilíbrio interrompido/pausado em um sistema de arquivos Btrfs de vários dispositivos ou RAID Btrfs, você pode usar a opção de montagem skip_balance .**

**15. datacow e nodatacow

A opção datacow** mount habilita o recurso Copy-on-Write (CoW) do sistema de arquivos Btrfs. É o comportamento padrão.

Se você deseja desabilitar o recurso Copy-on-Write (CoW) do sistema de arquivos Btrfs para os arquivos recém-criados, monte o sistema de arquivos Btrfs com a opção de montagem nodatacow .

**16. datasum e nodatasum

A opção datasum** mount habilita a soma de verificação de dados para arquivos recém-criados do sistema de arquivos Btrfs. Este é o comportamento padrão.

Se você não quiser que o sistema de arquivos Btrfs faça a soma de verificação dos dados dos arquivos recém-criados, monte o sistema de arquivos Btrfs com a opção de montagem nodatasum .

Perfis Btrfs

Um perfil Btrfs é usado para informar ao sistema de arquivos Btrfs quantas cópias dos dados/metadados devem ser mantidas e quais níveis de RAID devem ser usados para os dados/metadados. O sistema de arquivos Btrfs contém muitos perfis. Entendê-los o ajudará a configurar um RAID Btrfs da maneira que você deseja.

Os perfis Btrfs disponíveis são os seguintes:

single : Se o perfil único for usado para os dados/metadados, apenas uma cópia dos dados/metadados será armazenada no sistema de arquivos, mesmo se você adicionar vários dispositivos de armazenamento ao sistema de arquivos. Assim, 100% do espaço em disco de cada um dos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos pode ser utilizado.

dup : Se o perfil dup for usado para os dados/metadados, cada um dos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos manterá duas cópias dos dados/metadados. Assim, 50% do espaço em disco de cada um dos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos pode ser utilizado.

raid0 : No perfil raid0 , os dados/metadados serão divididos igualmente em todos os dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Nesta configuração, não haverá dados/metadados redundantes (duplicados). Assim, 100% do espaço em disco de cada um dos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos pode ser usado. Se, em qualquer caso, um dos dispositivos de armazenamento falhar, todo o sistema de arquivos será corrompido. Você precisará de pelo menos dois dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid0 .

raid1 : No perfil raid1 , duas cópias dos dados/metadados serão armazenadas nos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Nesta configuração, a matriz RAID pode sobreviver a uma falha de unidade. Mas você pode usar apenas 50% do espaço total em disco. Você precisará de pelo menos dois dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid1 .

raid1c3 : No perfil raid1c3 , três cópias dos dados/metadados serão armazenadas nos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Nesta configuração, a matriz RAID pode sobreviver a duas falhas de unidade, mas você pode usar apenas 33% do espaço total em disco. Você precisará de pelo menos três dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid1c3 .

raid1c4 : No perfil raid1c4 , quatro cópias dos dados/metadados serão armazenadas nos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Nesta configuração, a matriz RAID pode sobreviver a três falhas de unidade, mas você pode usar apenas 25% do espaço total em disco. Você precisará de pelo menos quatro dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid1c4 .

raid10 : No perfil raid10 , duas cópias dos dados/metadados serão armazenadas nos dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos, como no perfil raid1 . Além disso, os dados/metadados serão divididos entre os dispositivos de armazenamento, como no perfil raid0 .

O perfil raid10 é um híbrido dos perfis raid1 e raid0 . Alguns dos dispositivos de armazenamento formam arrays raid1 e alguns desses arrays raid1 são usados para formar um array raid0 . Em uma configuração raid10 , o sistema de arquivos pode sobreviver a uma única falha de unidade em cada uma das matrizes raid1 .

Você pode usar 50% do espaço total em disco na configuração raid10 . Você precisará de pelo menos quatro dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid10 .

raid5 : No perfil raid5 , uma cópia dos dados/metadados será dividida entre os dispositivos de armazenamento. Uma única paridade será calculada e distribuída entre os dispositivos de armazenamento do array RAID.

Em uma configuração raid5 , o sistema de arquivos pode sobreviver a uma única falha de unidade. Se uma unidade falhar, você pode adicionar uma nova unidade ao sistema de arquivos e os dados perdidos serão calculados a partir da paridade distribuída das unidades em execução.

Você pode usar 1 00x(N-1)/N % do total de espaços em disco na configuração raid5 . Aqui, N é o número de dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Você precisará de pelo menos três dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid5 .

raid6 : No perfil raid6 , uma cópia dos dados/metadados será dividida entre os dispositivos de armazenamento. Duas paridades serão calculadas e distribuídas entre os dispositivos de armazenamento do array RAID.

Em uma configuração raid6 , o sistema de arquivos pode sobreviver a duas falhas de unidade ao mesmo tempo. Se uma unidade falhar, você poderá adicionar uma nova unidade ao sistema de arquivos e os dados perdidos serão calculados a partir das duas paridades distribuídas das unidades em execução.

Você pode usar 100x(N-2)/N % do espaço total em disco na configuração raid6 . Aqui, N é o número de dispositivos de armazenamento adicionados ao sistema de arquivos. Você precisará de pelo menos quatro dispositivos de armazenamento para configurar o sistema de arquivos Btrfs no perfil raid6 .

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What is KYC/AML?

• The acronym stands for Know Your Customer / Anti Money Laundering.
• In practice it stands for the surveillance measures companies are often compelled to take against their customers by financial regulators.
• Methods differ but often include: Passport Scans, Driver License Uploads, Social Security Numbers, Home Address, Phone Number, Face Scans.
• Bitcoin companies will also store all withdrawal and deposit addresses which can then be used to track bitcoin transactions on the bitcoin block chain.
• This data is then stored and shared. Regulations often require companies to hold this information for a set number of years but in practice users should assume this data will be held indefinitely. Data is often stored insecurely, which results in frequent hacks and leaks.  
• KYC/AML data collection puts all honest users at risk of theft, extortion, and persecution while being ineffective at stopping crime. Criminals often use counterfeit, bought, or stolen credentials to get around the requirements. Criminals can buy "verified" accounts for as little as $200. Furthermore, billions of people are excluded from financial services as a result of KYC/AML requirements.

During the early days of bitcoin most services did not require this sensitive user data, but as adoption increased so did the surveillance measures. At this point, most large bitcoin companies are collecting and storing massive lists of bitcoiners, our sensitive personal information, and our transaction history.

Lists of Bitcoiners

KYC/AML policies are a direct attack on bitcoiners. Lists of bitcoiners and our transaction history will inevitably be used against us.

Once you are on a list with your bitcoin transaction history that record will always exist. Generally speaking, tracking bitcoin is based on probability analysis of ownership change. Surveillance firms use various heuristics to determine if you are sending bitcoin to yourself or if ownership is actually changing hands.  You can obtain better privacy going forward by using collaborative transactions such as coinjoin to break this probability analysis.

Fortunately, you can buy bitcoin without providing intimate personal information. Tools such as peach, hodlhodl, robosats, azteco and bisq help; mining is also a solid option: anyone can plug a miner into power and internet and earn bitcoin by mining privately.

You can also earn bitcoin by providing goods and/or services that can be purchased with bitcoin. Long term, circular economies will mitigate this threat: most people will not buy bitcoin - they will earn bitcoin - most people will not sell bitcoin - they will spend bitcoin.

There is no such thing as KYC or No KYC bitcoin, there are bitcoiners on lists and those that are not on lists.

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Panama City Mayor Mizrachi: “Bitcoin Is Not Just Safe, It’s Prosperous”

At the 2025 Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, the Director of Bitcoin Beach Mike Peterson, the Presidential Advisors of Building Bitcoin Country El Salvador Max & Stacy and the Mayor City of Panama Mayer Mizrachi discussed Bitcoins future in Panama.

At the beginning of the panel, Is Panama Next? El Salvador Leading The Region For Bitcoin Adoption, Mayor Mizrachi started by mentioning, “We accept Bitcoin. The city gets paid in Bitcoin, but it receives in dollars through an intermediary processing, payments processor. Bitcoin is not just safe. It’s prosperous.”

Max commented about the scammers in crypto and how El Salvador is managing it.

“We did a couple of things early on, one was to create The Bitcoin Office which will be directly reporting to the President, and then also we passed a law which will say bitcoin is money and everything else is an unregistered security,” said Max.

Mike Peterson stated, “the access of Bitcoin in Central America to do battle against the globalists that have always looked at the regionist back yard. This is intolerable and this is going to change right now.” After Mizrachi commented, “Imagine yourself in an economic block powered by El Salvador, supported by Panama and the rest will come.”

Stacy reminded everybody about El Salvador’s School system. 

“El Salvador is the first country in the world to have a comprehensive public school financial literacy education program from 7 years old,” mentioned Stacy. “These are little kids, learning financial literacy.”

Max ended the panel by saying, “the US game theory right? Because the US wants to buy a lot of Bitcoin, so if Panama wants to buy a lot of bitcoin then it helps everybody in the US. This is the beautiful expression of game theory perfectly aligned in the protocol that is changing the world that we live in. And on the street level what bitcoin does to the population is to go from a spending mentality to a saving mentality.”

You can watch the full panel discussion and the rest of the Bitcoin 2025 Conference Day 3 below:

This post Panama City Mayor Mizrachi: “Bitcoin Is Not Just Safe, It’s Prosperous” first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

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I didn’t set out to become an enemy of the world’s richest man, but I seem to have managed it all the same. Until this moment, I’ve resisted describing my falling out with Elon Musk in much detail, but as the man’s cultural influence has metastasized—and he continues to spread lies about me on the social media platform that he owns (Twitter/X)—it seems only appropriate to set the record straight. I know that it annoys many in my audience to see me defend myself against attacks that they recognize to be spurious, but they might, nevertheless, find the details of what happened with Elon interesting.

Of all the remarkable people I’ve met, Elon is probably the most likely to remain a world-historical figure—despite his best efforts to become a clown. He is also the most likely to squander his ample opportunities to live a happy life, ruin his reputation and most important relationships, and produce lasting harm across the globe. None of this was obvious to me when we first met, and I have been quite amazed at Elon’s evolution, both as a man and as an avatar of chaos. The friend I remember did not seem to hunger for public attention. But his engagement with Twitter/X transformed him—to a degree seldom seen outside of Marvel movies or Greek mythology. If Elon is still the man I knew, I can only conclude that I never really knew him.

When we first met, Elon wasn’t especially rich or famous. In fact, I recall him teetering on the brink of bankruptcy around 2008, while risking the last of his previous fortune to make payroll at Tesla. At the time, he was living off loans from his friends Larry and Sergey. Once Elon became truly famous, and his personal wealth achieved escape velocity, I was among the first friends he called to discuss his growing security concerns. I put him in touch with Gavin de Becker, who provided his first bodyguards, and recommended other changes to his life. We also went shooting on at least two occasions with Scott Reitz, the finest firearms instructor I’ve ever met. It is an ugly irony that Elon’s repeated targeting of me on Twitter/X has increased my own security concerns. He understands this, of course, but does not seem to care.

So how did we fall out? Let this be a cautionary tale for any of Elon’s friends who might be tempted to tell the great man something he doesn’t want to hear:

(1.) When the SARS-CoV-2 virus first invaded our lives in March of 2020, Elon began tweeting in ways that I feared would harm his reputation. I also worried that his tweets might exacerbate the coming public-health emergency. Italy had already fallen off a cliff, and Elon shared the following opinion with his tens of millions of fans :

the coronavirus panic is dumb

As a concerned friend, I sent him a private text:

Hey, brother— I really think you need to walk back your coronavirus tweet. I know there’s a way to parse it that makes sense (“panic” is always dumb), but I fear that’s not the way most people are reading it. You have an enormous platform, and much of the world looks to you as an authority on all things technical. Coronavirus is a very big deal, and if we don’t get our act together, we’re going to look just like Italy very soon. If you want to turn some engineers loose on the problem, now would be a good time for a breakthrough in the production of ventilators...

(2.) Elon’s response was, I believe, the first discordant note ever struck in our friendship:

Sam, you of all people should not be concerned about this.

He included a link to a page on the CDC website, indicating that Covid was not even among the top 100 causes of death in the United States. This was a patently silly point to make in the first days of a pandemic.

We continued exchanging texts for at least two hours. If I hadn’t known that I was communicating with Elon Musk, I would have thought I was debating someone who lacked any understanding of basic scientific and mathematical concepts, like exponential curves.

(3.) Elon and I didn’t converge on a common view of epidemiology over the course of those two hours, but we hit upon a fun compromise: A wager. Elon bet me $1 million dollars (to be given to charity) against a bottle of fancy tequila ($1000) that we wouldn’t see as many as 35,000 cases of Covid in the United States (cases, not deaths). The terms of the bet reflected what was, in his estimation, the near certainty (1000 to 1) that he was right. Having already heard credible estimates that there could be 1 million deaths from Covid in the U.S. over the next 12-18 months (these estimates proved fairly accurate), I thought the terms of the bet ridiculous—and quite unfair to Elon. I offered to spot him two orders of magnitude: I was confident that we’d soon have 3.5 million cases of Covid in the U.S. Elon accused me of having lost my mind and insisted that we stick with a ceiling of 35,000.

(4.) We communicated sporadically by text over the next couple of weeks, while the number of reported cases grew. Ominously, Elon dismissed the next batch of data reported by the CDC as merely presumptive—while confirmed cases of Covid, on his account, remained elusive.

(5.) A few weeks later, when the CDC website finally reported 35,000 deaths from Covid in the U.S. and 600,000 cases, I sent Elon the following text:

Is (35,000 deaths + 600,000 cases) > 35,000 cases?

(6.) This text appears to have ended our friendship. Elon never responded, and it was not long before he began maligning me on Twitter for a variety of imaginary offenses. For my part, I eventually started complaining about the startling erosion of his integrity on my podcast, without providing any detail about what had transpired between us.

(7.) At the end of 2022, I abandoned Twitter/X altogether, having recognized the poisonous effect that it had on my life—but also, in large part, because of what I saw it doing to Elon. I’ve been away from the platform for over two years, and yet Elon still attacks me. Occasionally a friend will tell me that I’m trending there, and the reasons for this are never good. As recently as this week, Elon repeated a defamatory charge about my being a “hypocrite” for writing a book in defense of honesty and then encouraging people to lie to keep Donald Trump out of the White House. Not only have I never advocated lying to defeat Trump (despite what that misleading clip from the Triggernometry podcast might suggest to naive viewers), I’ve taken great pains to defend Trump from the most damaging lie ever told about him. Elon knows this, because we communicated about the offending clip when it first appeared on Twitter/X. However, he simply does not care that he is defaming a former friend to hundreds of millions of people—many of whom are mentally unstable. On this occasion, he even tagged the incoming president of the United States.

All of this remains socially and professionally awkward, because Elon and I still have many friends in common. Which suggests the terms of another wager that I would happily make, if such a thing were possible—and I would accept 1000 to 1 odds in Elon’s favor:

I bet that anyone who knows us both knows that I am telling the truth.

Everyone close to Elon must recognize how unethical he has become, and yet they remain silent. Their complicity is understandable, but it is depressing all the same. These otherwise serious and compassionate people know that when Elon attacks private citizens on Twitter/X—falsely accusing them of crimes or corruption, celebrating their misfortunes—he is often causing tangible harm in their lives. It’s probably still true to say that social media “isn’t real life,” until thousands of lunatics learn your home address.

A final absurdity in my case, is that several of the controversial issues that Elon has hurled himself at of late—and even attacked me over—are ones we agree about. We seem to be in near total alignment on immigration and the problems at the southern border of the U.S. We also share the same concerns about what he calls “the woke mind virus.” And we fully agree about the manifest evil of the so-called “grooming-gangs scandal” in the U.K. The problem with Elon, is that he makes no effort to get his facts straight when discussing any of these topics, and he regularly promotes lies and conspiracy theories manufactured by known bad actors, at scale. (And if grooming were really one of his concerns, it’s strange that he couldn’t find anything wrong with Matt Gaetz.)

Elon and I even agree about the foundational importance of free speech. It’s just that his approach to safeguarding it—amplifying the influence of psychopaths and psychotics, while deplatforming real journalists and his own critics; or savaging the reputations of democratic leaders, while never saying a harsh word about the Chinese Communist Party—is not something I can support. The man claims to have principles, but he appears to have only moods and impulses.

Any dispassionate observer of Elon’s behavior on Twitter/X can see that there is something seriously wrong with his moral compass, if not his perception of reality. There is simply no excuse for a person with his talents, resources, and opportunities to create so much pointless noise. The callousness and narcissism conveyed by his antics should be impossible for his real friends to ignore—but they appear to keep silent, perhaps for fear of losing access to his orbit of influence.

Of course, none of this is to deny that the tens of thousands of brilliant engineers Elon employs are accomplishing extraordinary things. He really is the greatest entrepreneur of our generation. And because of the businesses he’s built, he will likely become the world’s first trillionaire—perhaps very soon. Since the election of Donald Trump in November, Elon’s wealth has grown by around $200 billion. That’s nearly $3 billion a day (and over $100 million an hour). Such astonishing access to resources gives Elon the chance—and many would argue the responsibility—to solve enormous problems in our world.

So why spend time spreading lies on X?

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

The Debt Train Has No Brakes: Lyn Alden Makes the Case for BTC at Bitcoin 2025

“Nothing stops this train,” Lyn Alden initially stated at Bitcoin 2025, walking the audience through a data-rich presentation that made one thing clear: the U.S. fiscal system is out of control—and Bitcoin is more necessary than ever. 

Her first chart, sourced from the Federal Reserve’s FRED database, displayed a stark decoupling: the unemployment rate is down, yet the fiscal deficit has surged past 7% of GDP. “This started around 2017, went into overdrive during the pandemic, and hasn’t corrected,” Alden said. “That’s not normal. We’re in a new era.” 

She didn’t mince words. “Nothing stops this train because there are no brakes attached to it anymore. The brakes are heavily impaired.

Why should Bitcoiners care? Because, as Alden explained, “it matters for asset prices—especially anything scarce.” She displayed a gold vs. real rates chart that showed gold soaring as real interest rates plunged. “Five years ago, most would have said Bitcoin couldn’t thrive in a high-rate environment. Yet here we are—Bitcoin over $100K, gold at new highs, and banks breaking under pressure.”

Next came what she called “The Turning Point”—a side-by-side showing how public debt growth overtook private sector debt post-2008, flipping a decades-long norm. “This is inflationary, persistent, and it means the Fed can’t slow things down anymore.” 

Another chart revealed why rising interest rates are now accelerating the deficit. “They’ve lost their brakes. Raising rates just makes the federal interest bill explode faster than it slows bank lending.”

Alden called it a ponzi: “The system is built on constant growth. Like a shark, it dies if it stops swimming.”

Her slide showed a relentless rise in total debt versus base money—except for a jolt in 2008, and again after 2020. “This isn’t going backward. Ever.” 

So why Bitcoin? “Because it’s the opposite. Scarce, decentralized, and mathematically capped,” Alden concluded. “There are two reasons nothing stops this train: math and human nature. Bitcoin is the mirror of this system—and the best protection from it.” 

You can watch the full panel discussion and the rest of the Bitcoin 2025 Conference Day 3 below:

This post The Debt Train Has No Brakes: Lyn Alden Makes the Case for BTC at Bitcoin 2025 first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

Many people today believe that the church has replaced Israel and that the promises given to Israel now apply to the church. When we say this, we are calling God a liar.

Can you imagine a groom promising to love and cherish his wife until death do they part and then saying, “I’m keeping my promise by loving and cherishing a new and different wife.”? We would never consider that man to be honest, faithful, and good. If God promised to protect and guide Israel, to have a descendant of David on the throne, and to give them the land, we can only trust Him if He fulfills these promises.

When we say the church has replaced Israel, we make two mistakes. We raise up the church beyond what is right and we put down Israel. We need to be careful because God promised Abraham:

“And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

and He reiterated this promise to Israel during the Exodus:

“He couches, he lies down as a lion,\ And as a lion, who dares rouse him?\ Blessed is everyone who blesses you [Israel],\ And cursed is everyone who curses you [Israel].” (Numbers 24:9) {clarification mine}

When we curse Israel or the Jews, we will be under God’s curse. Now this does not mean that every criticism of a particular action by Israel’s leaders brings a curse. Today’s nation of Israel is led by fallible men like every other nation, so there are mistakes made or corruption by particular leaders. It does, however, mean that generalizations against Israel and the Jews are wrong and of Satan.

Paul specifically warned the church against thinking they had replaced Israel in God’s blessing and love.

If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,\ He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”\ “This is My covenant with them,\ When I take away their sins.” *From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers*; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable**. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. (Romans 11:16-32) {emphasis mine}

Paul warns that although the Jews were pruned away due to rejection of Him and gentiles were grafted into Him by faith, if we reject God’s word, we can be pruned away and if the Jews return to Jesus, they can be grafted back in. He predicts that the Jews will return. “…that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved.” He also says regarding Israel that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Yes, Israel rejected Jesus and was punished for doing so, but they will be called back to God and trust in their Messiah, Jesus. In the end, all the promises of God to Abraham, Jacob, David, and others regarding Israel, will be brought to complete fulfillment.

Both the Old and New Testaments talk about Israel being punished for rejecting God and their Messiah, but that, after the time of the Gentiles, they will be called back to Him.

and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

After Daniel had been in prayer and repentance for the sins of Israel, the angel Gabriel came with this prophecy about Israel.

“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:24-26)

In this prophecy, the prediction of 69 weeks (literally sevens, but meaning groups of 7 years) from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (by Artaxerxes) to the Messiah was fulfilled to the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday.

I always thought it strange that the prophecy predicted 70 sevens and that there was the first 69 sevens (483 years), then \~2,000 years where nothing happens, and then comes the final seven — the Great Tribulation. It didn’t make sense until I realized, the 70 sevens referred to the years of Israel. The time of the gentiles intervenes between the 69th and 70th sevens. This delay happened due to Israel rejecting their Messiah.

When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

We are now in the time of the Gentiles, the church age, the intermission in the story of Israel. After the church is raptured, the story will return to Israel. The Jews (at least many of them) will finally accept their Messiah. They will suffer through the Tribulation while witnessing to the world and then God will finally fully fulfill His promises to Israel through the Millennial kingdom.

Alas! for that day is great,\ There is none like it;\ And it is the time of Jacob’s distress,\ But he will be saved from it.

‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord,\ ‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel;\ For behold, I will save you from afar\ And your offspring from the land of their captivity.\ And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease,\ And no one will make him afraid.\ For I am with you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to save you;\ For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you,\ Only I will not destroy you completely.\ But I will chasten you justly\ And will by no means leave you unpunished.’ \ (Jeremiah 30:7-11) {emphasis mine}

Jacob’s distress is the final Tribulation. The 144,000 Jewish witnesses will be saved through the whole Tribulation. Others may become saved and die a martyrs death, but they will then be brought into the millennial kingdom where the Messiah will fill the throne of David and Israel will reach from the River to the Sea.

The Jews have already been saved “from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity” with the recreation of Israel in 1947 and the continual return of Jews to their homeland.

God is working to fulfill His promises to Israel and His work is nearly complete.

“O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord, “For I am with you. For I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, Yet I will not make a full end of you; But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished.” (Jeremiah 46:28)

God promises a “full end of all the nations where I have driven you.” Those nations and people who try to destroy Israel will be destroyed. As Christians we should love what God loves, and despite Israel’s repeated betrayals, God still loves Israel, so we should, too.

May the God of heaven give us a right view of Israel. May we see them as God sees them. May God use us to share the Gospel in such a way as to lead to a harvest of Jews for the Kingdom of God. To God be the glory!

Trust Jesus

@ 57c631a3:07529a8e

What is Growth Engineering? Before we start: if you’ve already filled out the What is your tech stack? survey: thank you! If you’ve not done so, your help will be greatly appreciated. It takes 5-15 minutes to complete. Those filling out will receive results before anyone else, and additional analysis from myself and Elin. Fill out this survey here.**

Fill out the survey

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Growth engineering was barely known a decade ago, but today, most scaleups and many publicly traded tech companies have dedicated growth teams staffed by growth engineers. However, some software engineers are still suspicious of this new area because of its reputation for hacky code with little to no code coverage.

For this reason and others, I thought it would be interesting to learn more from an expert who can tell us all about the practicalities of this controversial domain. So I turned to Alexey Komissarouk, who’s been in growth engineering since 2016, and was in charge of it at online education platform, MasterClass. These days, Alexey lives in Tokyo, Japan, where he advises on growth engineering and teaches the Growth Engineering course at Reforge.

In today’s deep dive, Alexey covers:

1. What is Growth Engineering? In the simplest terms: writing code to help a company make more money. But there are details to consider: like the company size where it makes sense to have a dedicated team do this.
2. What do Growth Engineers work on? Business-facing work, empowerment and platform work are the main areas.
3. Why Growth Engineers move faster than Product Engineers. Product Engineers ship to build: Growth Engineers ship to learn. Growth Engineers do take shortcuts that would make no sense when building for longevity – doing this on purpose.
4. Tech stack. Common programming languages, monitoring and oncall, feature flags and experimentation, product analytics, review apps, and more.
5. What makes a good Growth Engineer? Curiosity, “build to learn” mindset and a “Jack of all trades” approach.
6. Where do Growth Engineers fit in? Usually part of the engineering department, either operating as with an “owner” or a “hitchiker” model.
7. Becoming a Growth Engineer. A great area if you want to eventually become a founder or product manager – but even if not, it can accelerate your career growth. Working in Growth forces you to learn more about the business.

With that, it’s over to Alexey:

I’ll never forget the first time I made my employer a million dollars.

I was running a push notification A/B test for meal delivery startup Sprig, trying to boost repeat orders.

A push notification similar to what we tested to boost repeat orders

Initial results were unpromising; the push notification was not receiving many opens. Still, I wanted to be thorough: before concluding the idea was a failure, I wrote a SQL query to compare order volume for subsequent weeks between customers in test vs control.

The SQL used to figure out the push notification’s efficiency

As it turned out, our test group “beat” the control group by around 10%:

‘review_5_push’ was the new type of push notification. Roughly the same amount of users clicked it, but they placed 10% more in orders

I plugged the numbers into a significance calculator, which showed it was statistically significant – or “stat-sig” – and therefore highly unlikely to be a coincidence. This meant we had a winner on our hands! But how meaningful was it, really, and what would adding the push notification mean for revenue, if rolled out to 100% of users?

It turned out this experiment created an additional $1.5 million dollars, annually, with just one push notification. Wow!

I was hooked. Since that day, I've shipped hundreds of experimental “winners” which generated hundreds of millions of incremental revenue for my employers. But you never forget the first one. Moments like this is what growth engineering is all about.

1. What is Growth Engineering?

Essentially, growth engineering is the writing of code to make a company money. Of course, all code produced by a business on some level serves this purpose, but while Product Engineers focus on creating a Product worth paying for, Growth Engineers instead focus on making that good product have a good business. To this end, they focus on optimizing and refining key parts of the customer journey, such as:

• Getting more people to consider the product
• Converting them into paying customers
• Keeping them as customers for longer, and spending more

What kinds of companies employ Growth Engineers? Places you’ve heard of, like Meta, LinkedIn, DoorDash, Coinbase, and Dropbox, are some of the ones I’ve had students from. There’s also OpenAI, Uber, Tiktok, Tinder, Airbnb, Pinterest… the list of high-profile companies goes on. Most newer public consumer companies you’ve heard have a growth engineering org, too.

Typically, growth engineering orgs are started by companies at Series B stage and beyond, so long as they are selling to either consumers or businesses via SaaS. These are often places trying to grow extremely fast, and have enough software engineers that some can focus purely on growth. Before the Series B stage, a team is unlikely to be ready for growth for various reasons; likely that it hasn’t found product-market fit, or has no available headcount, or lacks the visitor traffic required to run A/B tests.

Cost is a consideration. A fully-loaded growth team consisting of a handful of engineers, a PM, and a designer costs approximately 1 million dollars annually. To justify this, a rule of thumb is to have at least $5 million dollars in recurring revenue – a milestone often achieved at around the Series B stage.

Despite the presence of growth engineering at many public consumer tech companies, the field itself is still quite new, as a discipline and as a proper title.

Brief history of growth engineering

When I joined Opendoor in 2016, there was a head of growth but no dedicated growth engineers, but there were by the time I left in 2020. At MasterClass soon after, there was a growth org and a dozen dedicated growth engineers. So when did growth engineering originate?

The story is that its origins lie at Facebook in 2007. The team was created by then-VP of platform and monetization Chamath Palihapitiya. Reforce founder and CEO Brian Balfour shares:

“Growth (the kind found on an org chart) began at Facebook under the direction of Chamath Palihapitiya. In 2007, he joined the early team in a nebulous role that fell somewhere between Product, Marketing, and Operations. According to his retelling of the story on Recode Decode, after struggling to accomplish anything meaningful in his first year on the job, he was on the verge of being fired.Sheryl Sandberg joined soon after him, and in a hail mary move he pitched her the game-changing idea that led to the creation of the first-ever growth team. This idea not only saved his job, but earned him the lion’s share of the credit for Facebook’s unprecedented growth.At the time, Sheryl and Mark asked him, “What do you call this thing where you help change the product, do some SEO and SEM, and algorithmically do this or that?”His response: “I don’t know, I just call that, like, Growth, you know, we’re going to try to grow. I’ll be the head of growing stuff."And just like that, Growth became a thing.”

Rather than focus on a particular product or feature, the growth team at Facebook focused on moving the needle, and figuring out which features to work on. These days, Meta employs hundreds if not thousands of growth engineers.

2. What do Growth Engineers work on?

Before we jump into concrete examples, let’s identify three primary focus areas that a growth engineer’s work usually involves.

• Business-facing work – improving the business directly
• Empowerment work – enabling other teams to improve the business
• Platform work – improving the velocity of the above activities

Let’s go through all three:

Business-facing work

This is the bread and butter of growth engineering, and follows a common pattern:

• Implement an idea. Try something big or small to try and move a key business metric, which differs by team but is typically related to conversion rate or retention.
• Quantify impact. Usually via A/B testing.
• Analyze impact. Await results, analyze impact, ship or roll back – then go back to the first step.

Experiments can lead to sweeping or barely noticeable changes. A famous “I can’t believe they needed to test this” was when Google figured out which shade of blue generates the most clicks. At MasterClass, we tested things across the spectrum:

• Small: should we show the price right on the homepage, was that a winner? Yes, but we framed it in monthly terms of $15/month, not $180/year.
• Medium: when browsing a course page, should we include related courses, or more details about the course itself? Was it a winner? After lengthy experimentation, it was hard to tell: both are valuable and we needed to strike the right balance.
• Large: when a potential customer is interested, do we take them straight to checkout, or encourage them to learn more? Counterintuitively, adding steps boosted conversion!

Empowerment

One of the best ways an engineer can move a target metric is by removing themselves as a bottleneck, so colleagues from marketing can iterate and optimize freely. To this end, growth engineers can either build internal tools or integrate self-serve MarTech (Marketing Technology) vendors.

With the right tool, there’s a lot that marketers can do without engineering’s involvement:

• Build and iterate on landing pages (Unbounce, Instapage, etc)
• Draft and send email, SMS and Push Notifications (Iterable, Braze, Customer.io, etc)
• Connect new advertising partners (Google Tag Manager, Segment, etc)

We go more into detail about benefits and applications in the MarTech section of Tech Stack, below.

Platform work

As a business scales, dedicated platform teams help improve stability and velocity for the teams they support. Within growth, this often includes initiatives like:

• Experiment Platform. Many parts of running an experiment can be standardized, from filtering the audience, to bucketing users properly, to observing statistical methodology. Historically, companies built reusable Experiment Platforms in-house, but more recently, vendors such as Eppo and Statsig have grown in popularity with fancy statistical methodologies like “Controlled Using Pre-Experiment Data” (CUPED) that give more signal with less data.
• Reusable components. Companies with standard front-end components for things like headlines, buttons, and images, dramatically reduce the time required to spin up a new page. No more "did you want 5 or 6 pixels here" with a designer; instead growth engineers rely on tools like Storybook to standardize and share reusable React components.
• Monitoring. Growth engineering benefits greatly from leveraging monitoring to compensate for reduced code coverage. High-quality business metric monitoring tools can detect bugs before they cause damage.

When I worked at MasterClass, having monitoring at the ad layer prevented at least one six-figure incident. One Friday, a marketer accidentally broadened the audience for a particular ad from US-only, to worldwide. In response, the Facebook Ad algorithm went on a spending spree, bringing in plenty of visitors from places like Brazil and India, whom we knew from past experience were unlikely to purchase the product. Fortunately, our monitoring noticed the low-performing campaign within minutes, and an alert was sent to the growth engineer on-call, who immediately reached out to the marketer and confirmed the change was unintentional, and then shut down the campaign.

Without this monitoring, a subtle targeting error like this could have gone unnoticed all weekend and would have eaten up $100,000+ of marketing budget. This episode shows that platform investment can benefit everyone; and since growth needs them most, it’s often the growth platform engineering team which implements them.

As the day-to-day work of a Growth Engineer shows, A/B tests are a critical tool to both measure success and learn. It’s a numbers game: the more A/B tests a team can run in a given quarter, the more of them will end up winners, making the team successful. It’s no wonder, then, that Growth Engineering will pull out all the stops to improve velocity.

3. Why Growth Engineers move faster than Product Engineers

On the surface, growth engineering teams look like product engineering ones; writing code, shipping pull requests, monitoring on-call, etc. So how do they move so much faster? The big reason lies in philosophy and focus, not technology. To quote Elena Verna, head of growth at Dropbox:

“Product Engineering teams ship to build; Growth Engineering teams ship to learn.”

Real-world case: price changes at Masterclass

A few years ago at MasterClass, the growth team wanted to see if changing our pricing model to multiple tiers would improve revenue.

Inspired in part by multiple pricing tiers for competitors such as Netflix (above), Disney Plus, and Hulu.

The “multiple pricing tier” proposal for MasterClass.

From a software engineering perspective, this was a highly complex project because:

• Backend engineering work: the backend did not yet support multiple pricing options, requiring a decent amount of engineering, and rigorous testing to make sure existing customers weren’t affected.
• Client app changes: on the device side, multiple platforms (iOS, iPad, Android, Roku, Apple TV, etc) would each need to be updated, including each relevant app store.

The software engineering team estimated that becoming a “multi-pricing-tier” company would take months across numerous engineering teams, and engineering leadership was unwilling to greenlight that significant investment.

We in growth engineering took this as a challenge. As usual, our goal was not just to add the new pricing model, but to learn how much money it might bring in. The approach we ended up proposing was a Fake Door test, which involves offering a not-yet-available option to customers to gauge interest level. This was risky, as taking a customer who’s ready to pay and telling them to join some kind of waiting list is a colossal waste, and risks making them feel like the target of a “bait and switch” trick.

We found a way. The key insight was that people are only offended about a “bait and switch”, if the “switch” is worse than the “bait.” Telling customers they would pay $100 and then switching to $150 would cause a riot, but starting at $150 and then saying “just kidding, it’s only $100” is a pleasant surprise.

The good kind of surprise.

So long as every test “pricing tier” is less appealing – higher prices, fewer features – than the current offering, we could “upgrade” customers after their initial selection. A customer choosing the cheapest tier gets extra features at no extra cost, while a customer choosing a more expensive tier is offered a discount.

We created three new tiers, at different prices. The new “premium” tier would describe the existing, original offering. Regardless of what potential customers selected, they got this “original offering,” during the experiment.

The best thing about this was that no backend changes were required. There were no real, new, back-end pricing plans; everybody ended up purchasing the same version of MasterClass for the same price, with the same features. The entirety of the engineering work was on building a new pricing page, and the “congratulations, you’ve been upgraded” popup. This took just a few days.

Within a couple of weeks, we had enough data to be confident the financial upside of moving to a multi-pricing-tier model would be significant. With this, we’re able to convince the rest of engineering’s leadership to invest in building the feature properly. In the end, launching multiple pricing tiers turned out to be one of the biggest revenue wins of the year.

Building a skyscraper vs building a tent

The MasterClass example demonstrates the spirit of growth engineering; focusing on building to learn, instead of building to last. Consider building skyscrapers versus tents.

Building a tent optimizes for speed of set-up and tear-down over longevity. You don’t think of a tent as one that is shoddy or low-quality compared to skyscrapers: it’s not even the same category of buildings! Growth engineers maximize use of lightweight materials. To stick with the tents vs skyscraper metaphor: we prioritize lightweight fabric materials over steel and concrete whenever possible. We only resort to traditional building materials when there’s no other choice, or when a direction is confirmed as correct. Quality is important – after all, a tent must keep out rain and mosquitoes. However, the speed-vs-durability tradeoff decision results in very different approaches and outcomes.

4. Tech stack

At first glance, growth and product engineers use the same tooling, and contribute to the same codebases. But growth engineering tends to be high-velocity, experiment-heavy, and with limited test coverage. This means that certain “nice to have” tools for product engineering are mission-critical for growth engineers.

Read more https://connect-test.layer3.press/articles/ea02c1a1-7cfa-42b4-8722-0165abcae8bb

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Nostr is an open communication protocol that can be used to send messages across a distributed set of relays in a censorship resistant and robust way.

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If you missed my nostr introduction post you can find it here. My nostr account can be found here.

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We are nearly at the point that if something interesting is posted on a centralized social platform it will usually be posted by someone to nostr.

We are nearly at the point that if something interesting is posted exclusively to nostr it is cross posted by someone to various centralized social platforms.

We are nearly at the point that you can recommend a cross platform app that users can install and easily onboard without additional guides or resources.

As companies continue to build walls around their centralized platforms nostr posts will be the easiest to cross reference and verify - as companies continue to censor their users nostr is the best censorship resistant alternative - gradually then suddenly nostr will become the standard. 🫡

Current Nostr Stats

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Jack Mallers Announced A New System of Bitcoin Backed Loans at Strike

The Founder and CEO of Strike, Jack Mallers, at the 2025 Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, announced a new system of Bitcoin backed loans at Strike with one digit interest rate.

Jack Mallers began his keynote by pointing at the biggest problem. Fiat currency. 

“The best time to go to Whole Foods and buy eggs with your dollars was 1913,” said Mallers. “Every other time after, you are getting screwed.”

What’s the solution?

“The solution is Bitcoin,” stated Mallers. “Bitcoin is the money that we coincide that nobody can print. You can’t print, you can’t debase my time and energy, you cannot deprive me of owning assets, of getting out of debt, of living sovereignly and protecting my future, my family, my priced possessions. Bitcoin is what we invented to do that.”

Mallers gave a power message to the audience by explaining that people should HODL every dollar they have in Bitcoin. People should also spend a little of it to have a nice life.

“You can’t HODL forever,” said Jack.

While talking about loans that people borrow against their Bitcoin. He explained why he thinks banks putting 20% in interest for loans backed with Bitcoin is outrageous.

“All these professional economists, they are like Bitcoin is risky and volatile,” stated Mallers. “No it’s not. This is the magnificent 7 one year volatility and the orange one in the middle is Bitcoin. It’s no more risky and volatile. It’s a little bit more volatile than Apple, but is far less more volatile than Tesla.”

“As Bitcoin matures, its volatility goes down,” continued Jack. “Bitcoin volatility is at a point where it is no more risky than a Tesla Stock. We should not be paying double digits rates for a loan.”

Mallers announced his new system of loans at Strike of 9-13% in interest rates. It will allow people to get loans from $10,000 to $1 billion. 

Mallers closed by saying, “please be responsible. This is debt. Debt is like fire in my opinion. It can heat a civilization. It can warm your home, but if you go too crazy it can burn your house down.”

“Life is short,” said Jack. “Take the trip, but with bitcoin you just get to take a better one.”

This post Jack Mallers Announced A New System of Bitcoin Backed Loans at Strike first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

Capitalism is the most effective system for scaling innovation. The pursuit of profit is an incredibly powerful human incentive. Most major improvements to human society and quality of life have resulted from this base incentive. Market competition often results in the best outcomes for all.

That said, some projects can never be monetized. They are open in nature and a business model would centralize control. Open protocols like bitcoin and nostr are not owned by anyone and if they were it would destroy the key value propositions they provide. No single entity can or should control their use. Anyone can build on them without permission.

As a result, open protocols must depend on donation based grant funding from the people and organizations that rely on them. This model works but it is slow and uncertain, a grind where sustainability is never fully reached but rather constantly sought. As someone who has been incredibly active in the open source grant funding space, I do not think people truly appreciate how difficult it is to raise charitable money and deploy it efficiently.

Projects that can be monetized should be. Profitability is a super power. When a business can generate revenue, it taps into a self sustaining cycle. Profit fuels growth and development while providing projects independence and agency. This flywheel effect is why companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple have scaled to global dominance. The profit incentive aligns human effort with efficiency. Businesses must innovate, cut waste, and deliver value to survive.

Contrast this with non monetized projects. Without profit, they lean on external support, which can dry up or shift with donor priorities. A profit driven model, on the other hand, is inherently leaner and more adaptable. It is not charity but survival. When survival is tied to delivering what people want, scale follows naturally.

The real magic happens when profitable, sustainable businesses are built on top of open protocols and software. Consider the many startups building on open source software stacks, such as Start9, Mempool, and Primal, offering premium services on top of the open source software they build out and maintain. Think of companies like Block or Strike, which leverage bitcoin’s open protocol to offer their services on top. These businesses amplify the open software and protocols they build on, driving adoption and improvement at a pace donations alone could never match.

When you combine open software and protocols with profit driven business the result are lean, sustainable companies that grow faster and serve more people than either could alone. Bitcoin’s network, for instance, benefits from businesses that profit off its existence, while nostr will expand as developers monetize apps built on the protocol.

Capitalism scales best because competition results in efficiency. Donation funded protocols and software lay the groundwork, while market driven businesses build on top. The profit incentive acts as a filter, ensuring resources flow to what works, while open systems keep the playing field accessible, empowering users and builders. Together, they create a flywheel of innovation, growth, and global benefit.

@ 9c47bb51:000381d0

EVERYDAY STACKING GUIDE

Let me break it down for you: stacking sats is about building your Bitcoin stash little by little. You do not need to make some massive play or wait for the perfect opportunity. It is about finding simple, steady ways to add to your stack, no matter what your situation looks like. And the best part? There are so many ways to do it, whether you are creating something, connecting with folks directly, or just using tools that reward you. Let us dive into how you can stack sats consistently, keeping it decentralized and peer-to-peer whenever possible.

You have got platforms like Stacker News where you can earn sats just by being part of the conversation. Think of it as Bitcoin’s answer to Reddit. You share something valuable, comment on posts, or just engage with the community, and next thing you know, you have got some sats coming your way. It is simple, and it is steady. Plus, it feels good to know your thoughts and contributions are being rewarded.

Then there is Nostr, a decentralized social platform that is making waves. It is built to connect people directly, and it ties in Bitcoin through the Lightning Network. The coolest thing? You can get tipped, or “zapped,” for your posts, notes, or anything you put out there. This is not about big corporations taking a cut; it is people showing love directly. Share your ideas, your art, your insights, and watch your stack grow while connecting with a global community.

Now, let us talk about Fold. It is a little different but still fun. You spin their rewards wheel every day, and you will earn a few sats. Sometimes it is a little, sometimes it is more, but it all adds up. If you are using their Bitcoin rewards debit card for your regular spending, you are earning even more. Sure, it is not 100 percent decentralized, but it is an easy way to stack sats while handling your everyday purchases.

For creators, platforms like Zap.Stream are opening doors. Imagine streaming your work, whether it is music, art, teaching, or something else, and getting paid directly in Bitcoin by your audience. No middlemen, no fuss. It is all about connecting directly with the people who support you and earning sats in real time.

And do not forget about selling something for Bitcoin. Whether it is handmade crafts, digital products, or your services, there is always a way to find buyers who want to pay in sats. Platforms that focus on Bitcoin marketplaces make it easier to connect with those folks. Plus, it is a true peer-to-peer exchange, keeping it aligned with the decentralized spirit of Bitcoin.

If you are freelancing, there are options to get paid in Bitcoin directly. Whether you are designing, coding, writing, or consulting, there are platforms that let you bypass the banks and get your payment straight into your wallet. It is quick, efficient, and keeps you in control of your money.

And let us talk about the small, passive ways to stack sats. Cashback apps like Lolli let you earn Bitcoin on everyday purchases. It might not be a huge amount, but those little bits add up over time. If you are already spending the money, why not get some sats back for it?

The real key here is consistency. Set a goal for yourself, whether it is adding sats daily or weekly, and stick to it. Even if it is just a few hundred sats here and there, it is progress. Those small steps add up over time and can turn into something meaningful.

Why focus on decentralized and peer-to-peer methods? Because that is what Bitcoin is all about. It is about staying true to the values of self-sovereignty and financial freedom. By avoiding centralized systems, you are not just stacking sats; you are strengthening the Bitcoin ecosystem itself.

Stacking sats is not about getting rich overnight. It is a journey. It is about building your stash, supporting the Bitcoin movement, and claiming your financial independence bit by bit. Whether it is through sharing content, selling products, or using new platforms, the mission stays the same: keep adding to your stack, little by little. And remember, every sat counts.

@ 65912a7a:5dc638bf

Chef's notes

This is my late partner's award winning Cajun rice & beans recipe. It's an updated take on the traditional Cajun comfort food.

Chef Darin was a classically trained chef who spent 30+ years in the kitchen perfecting his recipes, and delivering authentic Cajun and Creole food to his patrons. This is a 5-star dish that will earn the respect of the most discerning Cajun afficionado. You won't be disappointed.

I suggest making this recipe exactly as directed the first time, and then make whatever adjustments you want for future batches. Also, don't cheap out on the Andouille. No Johnsonville or Hillshire Farms. Chef Aidelle's is a good choice, as is Silva's from Whole Foods. They cost a few extra bucks, but it's absolutely worth it.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 30 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 3 hours
• 🍽️ Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 16oz small red beans, dry
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 14-16oz andouille sausage, sliced
• 8oz ham, cubed
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic (12 cloves), minced
• 7 cups water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1 tbsp parsley, dried
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper, dried
• ¼ tsp sage, rubbed
• 1½ tsp salt (more or less to taste)

Directions

1. Soak beans in a large pot of water overnight.
2. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes (until onion is translucent).
3. Add beans, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, salt, MSG, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, Sage, and water. Stir, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low (btwn 2-3). Cover and simmer for 2½ hours.
4. Remove bay leaves. Mash some of the beans. Stir Andouille and ham into beans, and simmer uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Serve beans over steamed white rice.

@ 21335073:a244b1ad

I want to see Nostr succeed. If you can think of a way I can help make that happen, I’m open to it. I’d like your suggestions.

My schedule’s shifting soon, and I could volunteer a few hours a week to a Nostr project. I won’t have more total time, but how I use it will change.

Why help? I care about freedom. Nostr’s one of the most powerful freedom tools I’ve seen in my lifetime. If I believe that, I should act on it.

I don’t care about money or sats. I’m not rich, I don’t have extra cash. That doesn’t drive me—freedom does. I’m volunteering, not asking for pay.

I’m not here for clout. I’ve had enough spotlight in my life; it doesn’t move me. If I wanted clout, I’d be on Twitter dropping basic takes. Clout’s easy. Freedom’s hard. I’d rather help anonymously. No speaking at events—small meetups are cool for the vibe, but big conferences? Not my thing. I’ll never hit a huge Bitcoin conference. It’s just not my scene.

That said, I could be convinced to step up if it’d really boost Nostr—as long as it’s legal and gets results.

In this space, I’d watch for social engineering. I watch out for it. I’m not here to make friends, just to help. No shade—you all seem great—but I’ve got a full life and awesome friends irl. I don’t need your crew or to be online cool. Connect anonymously if you want; I’d encourage it.

I’m sick of watching other social media alternatives grow while Nostr kinda stalls. I could trash-talk, but I’d rather do something useful.

Skills? I’m good at spotting social media problems and finding possible solutions. I won’t overhype myself—that’s weird—but if you’re responding, you probably see something in me. Perhaps you see something that I don’t see in myself.

If you need help now or later with Nostr projects, reach out. Nostr only—nothing else. Anonymous contact’s fine. Even just a suggestion on how I can pitch in, no project attached, works too. 💜

Creeps or harassment will get blocked or I’ll nuke my simplex code if it becomes a problem.

https://simplex.chat/contact#/?v=2-4&smp=smp%3A%2F%2FSkIkI6EPd2D63F4xFKfHk7I1UGZVNn6k1QWZ5rcyr6w%3D%40smp9.simplex.im%2FbI99B3KuYduH8jDr9ZwyhcSxm2UuR7j0%23%2F%3Fv%3D1-2%26dh%3DMCowBQYDK2VuAyEAS9C-zPzqW41PKySfPCEizcXb1QCus6AyDkTTjfyMIRM%253D%26srv%3Djssqzccmrcws6bhmn77vgmhfjmhwlyr3u7puw4erkyoosywgl67slqqd.onion

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

Bitcoin has always been rooted in freedom and resistance to authority. I get that many of you are conflicted about the US Government stacking but by design we cannot stop anyone from using bitcoin. Many have asked me for my thoughts on the matter, so let’s rip it.

Concern

One of the most glaring issues with the strategic bitcoin reserve is its foundation, built on stolen bitcoin. For those of us who value private property this is an obvious betrayal of our core principles. Rather than proof of work, the bitcoin that seeds this reserve has been taken by force. The US Government should return the bitcoin stolen from Bitfinex and the Silk Road.

Usually stolen bitcoin for the reserve creates a perverse incentive. If governments see a bitcoin as a valuable asset, they will ramp up efforts to confiscate more bitcoin. The precedent is a major concern, and I stand strongly against it, but it should be also noted that governments were already seizing coin before the reserve so this is not really a change in policy.

Ideally all seized bitcoin should be burned, by law. This would align incentives properly and make it less likely for the government to actively increase coin seizures. Due to the truly scarce properties of bitcoin, all burned bitcoin helps existing holders through increased purchasing power regardless. This change would be unlikely but those of us in policy circles should push for it regardless. It would be best case scenario for American bitcoiners and would create a strong foundation for the next century of American leadership.

Optimism

The entire point of bitcoin is that we can spend or save it without permission. That said, it is a massive benefit to not have one of the strongest governments in human history actively trying to ruin our lives.

Since the beginning, bitcoiners have faced horrible regulatory trends. KYC, surveillance, and legal cases have made using bitcoin and building bitcoin businesses incredibly difficult. It is incredibly important to note that over the past year that trend has reversed for the first time in a decade. A strategic bitcoin reserve is a key driver of this shift. By holding bitcoin, the strongest government in the world has signaled that it is not just a fringe technology but rather truly valuable, legitimate, and worth stacking.

This alignment of incentives changes everything. The US Government stacking proves bitcoin’s worth. The resulting purchasing power appreciation helps all of us who are holding coin and as bitcoin succeeds our government receives direct benefit. A beautiful positive feedback loop.

Realism

We are trending in the right direction. A strategic bitcoin reserve is a sign that the state sees bitcoin as an asset worth embracing rather than destroying. That said, there is a lot of work left to be done. We cannot be lulled into complacency, the time to push forward is now, and we cannot take our foot off the gas. We have a seat at the table for the first time ever. Let's make it worth it.

We must protect the right to free usage of bitcoin and other digital technologies. Freedom in the digital age must be taken and defended, through both technical and political avenues. Multiple privacy focused developers are facing long jail sentences for building tools that protect our freedom. These cases are not just legal battles. They are attacks on the soul of bitcoin. We need to rally behind them, fight for their freedom, and ensure the ethos of bitcoin survives this new era of government interest. The strategic reserve is a step in the right direction, but it is up to us to hold the line and shape the future.

@ 106de8d9:a99be73f

For those who like to be first and make money https://t.me/edchess_bot/web3?startapp=ref-link=mTLuwhkSLyYJ

@ 9c47bb51:000381d0

As Bitcoin’s price continues to climb, the value of its smallest unit, the Satoshi, grows with it. Today, owning a million Satoshis is an affordable and wise investment—especially as Bitcoin reaches new heights. Here’s why a million Satoshis should be the minimum amount everyone owns and why cold storage is key to securing your future.

1. Affordability and Future Value

While owning one full Bitcoin might seem out of reach for many, owning one million Satoshis is much more achievable. As Bitcoin continues to rise in value, a million Satoshis, which is currently worth around $250, could become worth $10,000 or more in the future. This makes owning a million Satoshis not just an entry into Bitcoin, but a solid step toward securing future wealth.

1. A World Priced in Sats

Imagine a future where goods and services are priced in Satoshis. As Bitcoin gains widespread adoption, this scenario is becoming more likely. With Bitcoin potentially surpassing $1 million per coin, one million Satoshis will be worth a significant sum in the future. By owning this amount now, you’re setting yourself up for a future where everyday transactions are measured in Sats, ensuring your financial independence.

1. A Hedge Against Inflation

With fiat currencies losing value over time, Bitcoin offers a deflationary alternative. Owning Satoshis is like holding a form of “sound money” that protects you from inflationary pressures. As Bitcoin’s value continues to grow, your Satoshis could outpace inflation, preserving your wealth for the long term.

1. The Importance of Cold Storage

Storing your Satoshis securely is just as important as owning them. Cold storage solutions, like the Foundation Passport, Coldcard, or Bitkey, offer the highest level of security by keeping your private keys offline. This protects your Bitcoin from online threats, ensuring that your Satoshis remain safe for years to come.

Cold Storage Solutions

•   Foundation Passport: Portable, secure, and open-source. A great option for long-term Bitcoin storage.

•   Coldcard: A highly secure hardware wallet that keeps your Bitcoin offline and out of reach from hackers.

•   Bitkey: A versatile, user-friendly cold storage solution integrated with your smartphone.

A Better Future with Bitcoin

Owning a million Satoshis today is not just about having a small piece of Bitcoin—it’s about securing a financial future where Bitcoin is the standard. Cold storage protects your wealth, and owning Bitcoin positions you to thrive in a decentralized, Bitcoin-driven economy. As Bitcoin continues to evolve, those who embrace it today will be ahead of the curve in a world where wealth is stored in Satoshis.

@ 58537364:705b4b85

โลกเป็นอย่างไร เพราะใจเราเป็นอย่างนั้น

พระอาจารย์ไพศาล วิสาโล วัดป่าสุคะโต แสดงธรรม เย็นวันที่ ๓๑ กรกฎาคม ๒๕๖๕

คนเราทุกคนมีตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย แล้วก็ใจ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย มีไว้เพื่อรับรู้โลกภายนอก ตารับรู้รูป หูรับรู้เสียง จมูกรับรู้กลิ่น ลิ้นรับรู้รส และกายก็รับรู้สัมผัสที่เรียกว่าโผฏฐัพพะ และไม่ว่าจะรับรู้โลกภายนอกอะไร มันก็ส่งมาที่ใจ ใจทำหน้าที่คิด ทำหน้าที่รู้สึก

เราก็คงจะสังเกตได้ว่า เรารับรู้อะไร ใจก็มักจะเป็นอย่างนั้น เช่น ถ้าเกิดเราเห็นภาพคนกำลังอดอยากหิวโหย ก็เกิดความรู้สึกเศร้า สงสารในใจของเรา ถ้าเห็นภาพอุบัติเหตุรถยนต์ ก็เกิดความเสียวสยอง หรือว่าหวาดวิตกในใจ ถ้าเห็นเด็กกำลังร้องไห้ ก็เกิดความรู้สึกเศร้าในใจของเรา แต่ถ้าเกิดเห็นภาพคนกำลังสนุกสนานรื่นเริง มันก็มีความยินดีเกิดขึ้นในใจ

รับรู้อะไรก็มีผลต่อใจของเรา รับรู้สิ่งที่เป็นลบ ใจก็พลอยรู้สึกลบไปด้วย รับรู้สิ่งที่เป็นบวก ใจก็พลอยเป็นบวกไปด้วย เพราะฉะนั้นการรับรู้อะไร ก็เป็นสิ่งที่เราต้องใส่ใจ

ถ้าเราอยากจะให้ใจเราสงบ ใจเราเป็นสุข ไม่ถูกแผดเผาด้วยความโกรธ หรือว่าไม่ถูกกดกดดันด้วยความเศร้า หรือว่าถูกกระตุ้นเร้าด้วยความโลภ ความอยาก อันนี้ก็โยงไปถึงว่า เราเลือกที่จะอยู่ไหนด้วย ถ้าเราเลือกที่จะอยู่ในที่ที่สงบสงัด ใจก็พลอยสงบ หรือว่าสามารถจะเย็นได้ง่าย

เพราะฉะนั้นธรรมะข้อหนึ่งในโอวาทปาฏิโมกข์คือ พึงนอนและนั่งในที่สงัด ในที่ที่สงัดที่ที่เป็นรมณีย์ มันก็มีส่วนน้อมใจให้สงบไปด้วย

รวมทั้งการรู้จักใช้หู ใช้ตา ใช้จมูกให้เป็น ต้องรู้จักเลือกรับรู้สิ่งที่มันจะเกื้อกูล ต่อการสร้างกุศลธรรมขึ้นมาในใจ อย่างไรก็ตามเท่านั้นยังไม่พอ เพราะว่าการรับรู้ของเรา บ่อยครั้งเราไม่ได้รับรู้สิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นข้างหน้าเราอย่างที่มันเป็นจริง

บ่อยครั้งเราก็มีการตีความหรือปรุงแต่ง เราไม่ได้เห็นอย่างที่รูปปรากฏ เราไม่ได้ได้ยินอย่างที่เสียงมากระทบหูเรา เพราะว่ามีการตีความ หรือปรุงแต่งซ้อน แบบเรียกว่าสนิทแนบแน่นเลย อย่างเช่น เห็นคนกระซิบกระซาบต่อหน้าเรา เราก็อาจจะตีความไปว่า เขากำลังพูดถึงเรา หรืออาจจะถึงขั้นนินทาเรา แต่ความจริงอาจจะไม่ได้เป็นอย่างนั้น

หรือว่ามีคนบางคนมองหน้าเรา จ้องเรา เราก็อาจจะตีความว่า เขากำลังหาเรื่องเราก็ได้ หรือเขากำลังไม่พอใจเรา แต่ว่าความจริงอาจจะไม่ได้เป็นอย่างนั้นก็ได้ แต่ว่าเราตีความไปแล้ว แล้วส่วนใหญ่เราก็จะไม่ได้เห็น ไม่ได้รับรู้สด ๆ หรือว่าอย่างที่มันเป็น

แต่ว่ามันมีการตีความ ตีความในทางบวกก็มี ตีความในทางลบก็มี ซึ่งตรงนี้บ่อยครั้งก็สร้างปัญหา หรือสร้างความทุกข์ให้กับเรา เพราะการที่เราไม่ได้เห็นอะไรอย่างที่มันเป็นจริงๆ มันมีการตีความในใจของเราหรือด้วยใจของเรา และเราก็เผลอไปคิดว่า สิ่งที่จิตตีความ มันคือความจริง แต่บ่อยครั้งมันก็เป็นแค่การปรุงแต่ง หรือความคิดของเราเอง

มีพระทิเบตท่านหนึ่งเล่าว่า มีคราวหนึ่งจะเดินทางขึ้นเครื่องบิน ที่สนามบินมีการตรวจเอกซเรย์ข้าวของ โทรศัพท์ คอมพิวเตอร์ ระหว่างที่กำลังรอข้าวของของท่านที่กำลังผ่านการเอกซเรย์ ท่านก็เหลือบไปมองเห็นด่านรักษาความปลอดภัยอีกด่านหนึ่ง ที่เป็นด่านสุดท้าย

แล้วก็สังเกตว่ามีเจ้าหน้าที่รักษาความปลอดภัยคนหนึ่ง รูปร่างสูงใหญ่ มีหนวดเฟิ้มเลย จ้องมองมาที่ท่าน จ้องแบบเขม็งเลย ท่านเหลียวไปมองหลายครั้งก็เห็นว่าเขายังจ้องไม่เลิก ก็รู้สึกไม่ค่อยสู้ดีแล้ว เอ๊ะ หรือว่าเจ้าหน้าที่คนนี้กำลังสงสัยอะไรเราหรือเปล่า ถึงจ้องมองแบบนั้น แล้วยิ่งเห็นเจ้าหน้าที่คนนั้นจ้องมองมากเท่าไหร่ โดยที่ไม่มีรอยยิ้มเลยนะ ท่านก็เลยนึกในใจว่า เขาคงจะสงสัยเรา

ยิ่งมองเจ้าหน้าที่คนนั้น ก็ยิ่งรู้สึกว่าเจ้าหน้าที่คนนี้ หน้าเหี้ยม แล้วก็ดูหยาบกระด้าง หน้าตารูปร่างเหมือนมาเฟียเลย จู่ ๆ เจ้าหน้าที่คนนั้นก็วิทยุ พระทิเบตก็คิดสงสัยว่าคงต้องมีอะไรแน่ แล้วก็จริงด้วย มีเจ้าหน้าที่คนใหม่เดินมาที่ชายคนนี้ แล้วก็พูดคุยอะไรกันสักอย่าง แล้วเจ้าหน้าที่ที่มีหนวดก็ชี้มาที่ตัวท่าน

พระทิเบตใจเขาก็ไม่สู้ดีแล้ว เจ้าหน้าที่คนใหม่ก็มา พอมายืนแทนเจ้าหน้าที่คนแรกที่มีหนวด เจ้าหน้าที่ที่มีหนวดนั่นก็เดินตรงมาเลยที่ท่าน แล้วก็ถามว่า คุณคือมิสเตอร์ยงเกใช่ไหม ท่านก็ตอบว่าใช่ มีอะไรเหรอ เจ้าหน้าที่คนนั้นก็บอกว่า ผมอยากจะขอบคุณคุณเหลือเกินนะ เพราะว่าหนังสือคุณนี่ช่วยผมได้มากเลย อยากจะขอบคุณจริง ๆ เลย

เท่านี้แหละ พระทิเบตก็ยิ้มเลย แล้วเจ้าหน้าที่คนนั้นก็ยิ้มด้วย แล้วก็มาเขย่ามือกัน เป็นมิตรเลยนะ ก็รู้สึกโล่งอกขึ้นมาเลย นึกว่าจะมีเรื่องอะไร อ๋อ ที่แท้มาขอบคุณที่ได้อ่านหนังสือของเรา ทีแรกนึกว่าจะมาสงสัย มาค้นตัวอะไรสักอย่าง

แล้วท่านก็พบว่าภาพของชายคนนั้น ในสายตาของท่านเปลี่ยนไปเลย จากคนที่มีสีหน้าเหี้ยม กระด้างเหมือนมาเฟีย กลายเป็นคนที่อารมณ์ดี ใจดี สุภาพเรียบร้อย มีความเป็นมิตร และท่านก็มาเอะใจ ทำไมเรามองเจ้าหน้าที่คนนี้เปลี่ยนไป ทีแรกเห็นเป็นคนเหี้ยม คนหยาบ แต่เห็นตอนนี้กลายเป็นมิตร มีน้ำใจ แล้วก็มีความสุภาพ ก็คนคนเดียวกันแหละ แต่ทำไมเห็นต่างกันเลย แบบตรงข้ามกันเลย หลังจากที่เขามาทักทาย แล้วก็มาขอบคุณ

อันนี้ก็ชี้ให้เห็นว่าจิตของคนเรา มันส่งผลมากต่อการรับรู้ ทีแรกพอเห็นเจ้าหน้าที่คนนั้นจ้องมองเขม็งเลย ที่จริงเขาก็ไม่ได้มีอะไรในใจ แต่ว่าพระทิเบตท่านนี้ตีความไปแล้วว่า เขาคงไม่ชอบเราหรือคิดไม่ดีกับเรา ตีความไปในทางร้ายแล้ว ไม่ได้เห็นอย่างที่เป็น

พอตีความไปในทางร้ายเขาคิดไม่ดีกับเรา ท่านก็เลยรู้สึกไม่ดีกับเขา พอรู้สึกไม่ดีกับเขา ภาพของเขาที่เห็นในใจของท่าน ก็กลายเป็นคนที่ดูเหี้ยม กระด้าง เหมือนมาเฟีย เหมือนอันธพาล แต่ว่าพอเขามีอากัปกริยาในทางที่เป็นมิตร มาขอบคุณ มาขอบอกขอบใจ ความรู้สึกของท่านที่มีต่อเขาก็เปลี่ยนไป แทนที่จะเห็นว่าเขาคิดไม่ดีกับเรา ที่แท้เขาขอบคุณเรา พอรู้สึกดีกับเขา ภาพของเขาในสายตาของท่านก็เปลี่ยนไปเลย กลายเป็นคนที่สุภาพเรียบร้อย มีความเป็นมิตร

อันนี้เป็นสิ่งที่ชี้ให้เห็นเลยว่า คนเราบ่อยครั้งเรารับรู้อะไรก็ตาม เราไม่ได้รับรู้อย่างที่มันเป็น แต่ว่ามีการตีความ และถ้าเราตีความในทางลบ ว่าเขาคิดไม่ดีกับเรา จิตมันก็มีปฏิกิริยาตอบโต้ทันทีเลย พอคิดว่าเจ้าหน้าที่คนนี้เขาคิดไม่ดีกับเรา ท่านก็รู้สึกไม่ดีกับเขาโดยอัตโนมัติเลย

พอรู้สึกไม่ดีกับเขา ภาพของเขาที่ท่านเห็นก็กลายเป็นภาพของคนที่ดูดุร้าย ดูเหี้ยม มีการเติมแต่ง มีการใส่สี และนี่คือสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นกับคนเรา เกิดขึ้นกับเราในชีวิตประจำวัน เรารับรู้อะไร เราก็ไม่เคยรับรู้อย่างที่มันเป็น แต่ว่ามีการตีความ

ถ้าตีความในทางบวกก็ดีไป ถ้าตีความในทางลบ ก็เกิดความวิตก เกิดความกลัว เกิดความเครียด เกิดความขุ่นมัว และพอใจมีความวิตก มีความขุ่นมัว มองอะไรออกไป ก็เห็นแต่ภาพในทางลบ คนๆหนึ่งก็ถูกมองว่ากลายเป็นคนที่เหี้ยม กลายเป็นคนที่กระด้าง แต่พอใจเปลี่ยนไป ความรู้สึกที่มีต่อคนคนนั้นเปลี่ยนไป ภาพที่เห็นหรือว่าภาพที่มองออกไป มันก็เป็นอีกแบบหนึ่ง ตรงข้ามกันเลย

พูดอีกอย่างหนึ่งก็คือว่า ไม่ใช่แค่ว่าเราเห็นอะไรใจก็เป็นอย่างนั้น ในทางกลับกัน ใจเราเป็นอย่างไรก็เห็นโลกไปในทางนั้น ถ้าใจเราขุ่นมัว ใจเรามีความเครียด หรือมีความรู้สึกเป็นลบ โลกที่อยู่รอบตัวเรา หรือคนที่อยู่ข้างหน้าเรา ก็ถูกเติมแต่งให้เป็นลบไปด้วย มีการใส่สี แต่ถ้าเรารู้สึกบวกกับเขา ภาพที่เห็นก็เปลี่ยนไป กลายเป็นบวกไปด้วย อันนี้คือสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นกับเราตลอดเวลาเลยว่าก็ว่าได้

โลกเป็นอย่างไร มันก็อยู่ที่ใจของเราว่าเป็นอย่างไรด้วย ฉะนั้นบ่อยครั้ง เวลาเรารู้สึกว่าโลกมันหม่นหมอง ผู้คนไม่น่ารัก มันอาจจะเป็นเพราะว่าใจเราหม่นหมอง หรือว่าใจเรามีความรู้สึกที่เป็นลบก็ได้

ฉะนั้นก่อนที่เราจะไปตัดสิน ไปวิพากษ์วิจารณ์ หรือไปมองว่าโลกมันแย่ บางทีเราต้องกลับมาดูที่ใจของเรา ว่าใจเรามันมีการเติมแต่ง รูปที่ได้เห็น เสียงที่ได้ยินหรือเปล่า

ในปฏิจจสมุปบาท จะมีปัจจยาการตอนต้นเลยที่บอกว่า อวิชชาเป็นปัจจัยให้เกิดสังขาร สังขารเป็นปัจจัยให้กับวิญญาณ ที่พูดมาก็เป็นเรื่องที่ชี้ให้เห็นว่า สังขารปรุงแต่งวิญญาณอย่างไร

สังขารในที่นี้ก็คือการปรุงแต่ง หรือความรู้สึกนึกคิดในใจ อารมณ์ที่เกิดขึ้นในใจ มันก็ไปปรุงแต่งการรับรู้ ไม่ว่าจะเป็นการรับรู้ทางตา ทางหู ทางจมูก ทางลิ้น ทางกาย หรือแม้แต่ทางใจ ถ้าใจมีความรู้สึกในทางลบ เช่นคิดลบ หรือรู้สึกลบกับใคร ก็จะเห็นภาพคนๆ นั้นในทางลบไปด้วย เห็นเป็นคนที่กระด้าง เป็นคนที่เหี้ยม เป็นคนที่ไม่น่ารัก แต่ถ้าใจมีความรู้สึกเป็นบวก ก็จะเห็นเขาเป็นคนที่เป็นมิตร เห็นเขาสุภาพ

อันนี้ก็ไม่ต่างจากเรื่องของคนผู้ชายคนหนึ่งไปพักที่โรงแรม แล้วก็ถอดสร้อยคอที่คล้องพระสมเด็จราคาแพงด้วย ไว้ที่หัวนอน ออกไปทำธุระตอนเช้า ไปออกกำลังกาย กินข้าวเสร็จก็กลับเข้ามาในห้อง สร้อยหาย เอ๊ะ ใครเอาไป สงสัยพนักงานทำความสะอาด เพราะว่าในช่วงนั้น มีพนักงานทำความสะอาดเข้าไปจัดเตียง

เขาก็ตามหาว่าใครเป็นพนักงานทำความสะอาด พอพบเห็นเขา ก็ปักใจเชื่อเลยว่าเขาขโมยเอาสร้อยคอไป แล้วก็เฝ้าสังเกตผู้ชายคนนั้น ดูท่วงท่ามีพิรุธ แววตาก็มีพิรุธ ไม่กล้าสบตาเขา ใช่แน่ๆ เลย เอาสร้อยคอของเราไป แต่ปรากฏว่าตอนสายๆ หรือตอนบ่าย ปรากฏว่าเจอสร้อยมันตกอยู่หลังเตียง

พอรู้ว่าชายคนนั้น พนักงานทำความสะอาดไม่ได้ขโมยไป ก็เห็นเขาในภาพใหม่เลย น้ำเสียงเขาก็ไม่ได้มีพิรุธอะไร พูดจาก็ดี อากัปกริยาก็ไม่ได้ผิดปกติอะไร ภาพของพนักงานทำความสะอาดเปลี่ยนไปเลย

ที่จริงก็ไม่ได้เปลี่ยนไปหรอก เขาก็เหมือนเดิม ไม่ว่าตอนเช้า ตอนสาย หรือตอนบ่าย แต่ที่เปลี่ยนไปคือใจของผู้ชายคนนั้น ทีแรกปักใจเชื่อว่าพนักงานทำความสะอาดเป็นขโมย พอคิดแบบนั้นเข้า ก็เห็นแต่พิรุธ แต่พอรู้ว่าเขาไม่ได้ขโมยไป ภาพที่เห็นก็เปลี่ยนไป อันนี้เรียกว่าสังขารเป็นปัจจัยให้เกิดวิญญาณ

แล้วไม่ใช่เฉพาะกรณีแบบนี้เท่านั้น ในชีวิตประจำวันทั่วๆ ไป เวลาเรามีความทุกข์ ความเครียด แล้วเรารู้สึกว่าเป็นเพราะโลกภายนอก เป็นเพราะคนรอบตัว เช่นเราเห็นเขาไปในทางลบทางร้าย เราก็เลยเป็นทุกข์ ให้เราลองสังเกตดูก็ได้ว่า บ่อยครั้งความทุกข์ของเรา มันเกิดจากการที่เราตีความไปในทางลบ หรือว่าปรุงแต่งไปในทางร้ายหรือเปล่า

ฉะนั้นถ้าเรารู้จักหมั่นสังเกต หมั่นทบทวน เอาประสบการณ์ที่เคยเข้าใจผิดที่ตีความในทางลบ หรือว่าเติมแต่งในทางร้าย และทำให้เราเกิดความทุกข์ เกิดความวิตก เกิดความเครียด หรือว่าเกิดความไม่พอใจ เอามาเป็นบทเรียนสอนใจ มันจะช่วยทำให้เรารู้จักทักท้วง

ทักท้วงว่าสิ่งที่เราเห็น ที่จริงมันอาจจะไม่ใช่เป็นความจริงก็ได้ มันอาจจะมีการตีความไปแล้วในทางลบ หรือที่เรามองเห็น มองออกไปข้างนอก อาจจะมีการเติมแต่งไปในทางร้ายก็ได้ ไม่ว่ารับเข้ามาจะเป็นรูป รส กลิ่น เสียงที่ได้ยิน หรือมองออกไป มันมักจะมีการตีความหรือเติมแต่ง

แล้วมันก็ไม่จำเป็นต้องเป็นทางลบ อาจจะเป็นไปในทางบวกก็ได้ อันนี้ที่เขาเรียกว่าอคติ ฉันทาคติก็คือลำเอียงเพราะชอบ อันนี้ก็หมายถึงว่า มองเห็นคลาดเคลื่อนจากความเป็นจริง เพราะว่ามีความชอบ เขาทำอะไรก็ดูดีไปหมด เขาทำอะไรก็ดูถูกต้องไปหมด ทั้งๆ ที่ที่ผิดก็มี ที่พลาดก็มี แต่ว่าไม่เห็นเพราะว่ามองเห็นแต่ด้านดี อันนี้เพราะว่าลำเอียงเพราะชอบ หรือมิฉะนั้นก็ตรงข้าม โทสาคติ ลำเอียงเพราะโกรธ หรือลำเอียงเพราะกลัว ภยาคติ หรือว่าลำเอียงเพราะหลง

อย่างกรณีของพระทิเบต ท่านก็เกิดโทสาคติ ทีแรกเกิดโทสาคติ ก็เลยเห็นเจ้าหน้าที่รักษาความปลอดภัยคนนั้น เหี้ยม ดุ เหมือนผู้ร้าย เหมือนมาเฟีย แต่พอเขามาขอบคุณ เขามาแสดงความเป็นมิตร ก็เปลี่ยนไปเลย ฉันทาคติมาแทนโทสาคติ ก็เห็นเขาเป็นคนที่เป็นมิตร สุภาพเรียบร้อย อันนี้ก็เป็นสิ่งที่เราควรจะสังเกตได้ กับประสบการณ์ของตัวเราเอง ว่ามันเป็นอย่างนั้นบ้างหรือเปล่า จะได้เป็นเครื่องเตือนใจเรา เพื่อไม่ให้เราทุกข์ ที่สร้างขึ้นมาเอง

บางครั้งความทุกข์เราไปมองว่าเป็นเพราะคนนู้นคนนี้ แต่ที่จริงเป็นเพราะการปรุงแต่ง การตีความในทางลบ หรือว่าการเติมแต่งในทางร้ายของเรา

ที่พระพุทธเจ้าตรัสว่า ธรรมทั้งหลายมีใจเป็นใหญ่ มีใจเป็นหัวหน้า สำเร็จได้ด้วยใจ อันนี้ก็เป็นตัวอย่างหนึ่งว่า โลกภายนอกที่เราเห็นผ่าน ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย หรือแม้กระทั่งความคิด มันล้วนแล้วแต่เกิดหรือถูกกำหนดด้วยใจของเรา ถ้าใจเราเป็นลบก็เห็นเป็นลบ ถ้าใจเราเป็นบวกก็เห็นเป็นบวก

ฉะนั้นการกลับมาดูใจของเรา จึงเป็นเรื่องที่สำคัญมาก ถ้าไม่อยากให้เกิดไฟเผาในใจของเรา ก็ต้องกลับมาสำรวจตรวจตา หรือสอดส่องใจของเราว่า มันมีอคติ โทสาคติ ภยาคติหรือเปล่า หรือมันมีการเติมแต่งไปในทางลบทางร้ายหรือเปล่า ไม่อย่างนั้นเราก็จะสร้างหรือก่อทุกข์ขึ้นมาในใจของเรา ทั้งที่ความจริงไม่ได้เป็นอย่างนั้น.

พระอาจารย์ไพศาล วิสาโล

ขอขอบคุณ Visalo.org

@ 4c96d763:80c3ee30

Changes

Fernando López Guevara (2):

• feat(column): add tooltip on remove column button
• feat(hashtag-column): handle new hashtag on Enter key press

pushed to notedeck:refs/heads/master

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

There is something quietly rebellious about stacking sats. In a world obsessed with instant gratification, choosing to patiently accumulate Bitcoin, one sat at a time, feels like a middle finger to the hype machine. But to do it right, you have got to stay humble. Stack too hard with your head in the clouds, and you will trip over your own ego before the next halving even hits.

Small Wins

Stacking sats is not glamorous. Discipline. Stacking every day, week, or month, no matter the price, and letting time do the heavy lifting. Humility lives in that consistency. You are not trying to outsmart the market or prove you are the next "crypto" prophet. Just a regular person, betting on a system you believe in, one humble stack at a time. Folks get rekt chasing the highs. They ape into some shitcoin pump, shout about it online, then go silent when they inevitably get rekt. The ones who last? They stack. Just keep showing up. Consistency. Humility in action. Know the game is long, and you are not bigger than it.

Ego is Volatile

Bitcoin’s swings can mess with your head. One day you are up 20%, feeling like a genius and the next down 30%, questioning everything. Ego will have you panic selling at the bottom or over leveraging the top. Staying humble means patience, a true bitcoin zen. Do not try to "beat” Bitcoin. Ride it. Stack what you can afford, live your life, and let compounding work its magic.

Simplicity

There is a beauty in how stacking sats forces you to rethink value. A sat is worth less than a penny today, but every time you grab a few thousand, you plant a seed. It is not about flaunting wealth but rather building it, quietly, without fanfare. That mindset spills over. Cut out the noise: the overpriced coffee, fancy watches, the status games that drain your wallet. Humility is good for your soul and your stack. I have a buddy who has been stacking since 2015. Never talks about it unless you ask. Lives in a decent place, drives an old truck, and just keeps stacking. He is not chasing clout, he is chasing freedom. That is the vibe: less ego, more sats, all grounded in life.

The Big Picture

Stack those sats. Do it quietly, do it consistently, and do not let the green days puff you up or the red days break you down. Humility is the secret sauce, it keeps you grounded while the world spins wild. In a decade, when you look back and smile, it will not be because you shouted the loudest. It will be because you stayed the course, one sat at a time. \ \ Stay Humble and Stack Sats. 🫡

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• The latest firmware updates for COLDCARD devices introduce two major features: COLDCARD Co-sign (CCC) and Key Teleport between two COLDCARD Q devices using QR codes and/or NFC with a website.

What's new

• COLDCARD Co-Sign: When CCC is enabled, a second seed called the Spending Policy Key (Key C) is added to the device. This seed works with the device's Main Seed and one or more additional XPUBs (Backup Keys) to form 2-of-N multisig wallets.
  • The spending policy functions like a hardware security module (HSM), enforcing rules such as magnitude and velocity limits, address whitelisting, and 2FA authentication to protect funds while maintaining flexibility and control, and is enforced each time the Spending Policy Key is used for signing.
  • When spending conditions are met, the COLDCARD signs the partially signed bitcoin transaction (PSBT) with the Main Seed and Spending Policy Key for fund access. Once configured, the Spending Policy Key is required to view or change the policy, and violations are denied without explanation.

"You can override the spending policy at any time by signing with either a Backup Key and the Main Seed or two Backup Keys, depending on the number of keys (N) in the multisig."

• A step-by-step guide for setting up CCC is available here.

• Key Teleport for Q devices allows users to securely transfer sensitive data such as seed phrases (words, xprv), secure notes and passwords, and PSBTs for multisig. It uses QR codes or NFC, along with a helper website, to ensure reliable transmission, keeping your sensitive data protected throughout the process.

  • For more technical details, see the protocol spec.

"After you sign a multisig PSBT, you have option to “Key Teleport” the PSBT file to any one of the other signers in the wallet. We already have a shared pubkey with them, so the process is simple and does not require any action on their part in advance. Plus, starting in this firmware release, COLDCARD can finalize multisig transactions, so the last signer can publish the signed transaction via PushTX (NFC tap) to get it on the blockchain directly."

• Multisig transactions are finalized when sufficiently signed. It streamlines the use of PushTX with multisig wallets.
• Signing artifacts re-export to various media. Users are now provided with the capability to export signing products, like transactions or PSBTs, to alternative media rather than the original source. For example, if a PSBT is received through a QR code, it can be signed and saved onto an SD card if needed.
• Multisig export files are signed now. Public keys are encoded as P2PKH address for all multisg signature exports. Learn more about it here.
• NFC export usability upgrade: NFC keeps exporting until CANCEL/X is pressed.
• Added Bitcoin Safe option to Export Wallet.
• 10% performance improvement in USB upload speed for large files.
• Q: Always choose the biggest possible display size for QR.

Fixes

• Do not allow change Main PIN to same value already used as Trick PIN, even if Trick PIN is hidden.
• Fix stuck progress bar under Receiving... after a USB communications failure.
• Showing derivation path in Address Explorer for root key (m) showed double slash (//).
• Can restore developer backup with custom password other than 12 words format.
• Virtual Disk auto mode ignores already signed PSBTs (with “-signed” in file name).
• Virtual Disk auto mode stuck on “Reading…” screen sometimes.
• Finalization of foreign inputs from partial signatures. Thanks Christian Uebber!
• Temporary seed from COLDCARD backup failed to load stored multisig wallets.
• Destroy Seed also removes all Trick PINs from SE2.
• Lock Down Seed requires pressing confirm key (4) to execute.
• Q only: Only BBQr is allowed to export Coldcard, Core, and pretty descriptor.

Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
CCC Guide
Key Teleport site

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

This update brings key enhancements for clarity and usability:

• Recent Blocks View: Added to the Send tab and inspired by Mempool's visualization, it displays the last 2 blocks and the estimated next block to help choose fee rates.
• Camera System Overhaul: Features a new library for higher resolution detection and mouse-scroll zoom support when available.
• Vector-Based Images: All app images are now vectorized and theme-aware, enhancing contrast, especially in dark mode.
• Tor & P2A Updates: Upgraded internal Tor and improved support for pay-to-anchor (P2A) outputs.
• Linux Package Rename: For Linux users, Sparrow has been renamed to sparrowwallet (or sparrowserver); in some cases, the original sparrow package may need manual removal.
• Additional updates include showing total payments in multi-payment transaction diagrams, better handling of long labels, and other UI enhancements.

• Sparrow v2.2.1 is a bug fix release that addresses missing UUID issue when starting Tor on recent macOS versions, icons for external sources in Settings and Recent Blocks view, repackaged .deb installs to use older gzip instead of zstd compression, and removed display of median fee rate where fee rates source is set to Server.

Learn how to get started with Sparrow wallet:

Release notes (v2.2.0)

• Added Recent Blocks view to Send tab.
• Converted all bitmapped images to theme aware SVG format for all wallet models and dialogs.
• Support send and display of pay to anchor (P2A) outputs.
• Renamed sparrow package to sparrowwallet and sparrowserver on Linux.
• Switched camera library to openpnp-capture.
• Support FHD (1920 x 1080) and UHD4k (3840 x 2160) capture resolutions.
• Support camera zoom with mouse scroll where possible.
• In the Download Verifier, prefer verifying the dropped file over the default file where the file is not in the manifest.
• Show a warning (with an option to disable the check) when importing a wallet with a derivation path matching another script type.
• In Cormorant, avoid calling the listwalletdir RPC on initialization due to a potentially slow response on Windows.
• Avoid server address resolution for public servers.
• Assume server address is non local for resolution failures where a proxy is configured.
• Added a tooltip to indicate truncated labels in table cells.
• Dynamically truncate input and output labels in the tree on a transaction tab, and add tooltips if necessary.
• Improved tooltips for wallet tabs and transaction diagrams with long labels.
• Show the address where available on input and output tooltips in transaction tab tree.
• Show the total amount sent in payments in the transaction diagram when constructing multiple payment transactions.
• Reset preferred table column widths on adjustment to improve handling after window resizing.
• Added accessible text to improve screen reader navigation on seed entry.
• Made Wallet Summary table grow horizontally with dialog sizing.
• Reduced tooltip show delay to 200ms.
• Show transaction diagram fee percentage as less than 0.01% rather than 0.00%.
• Optimized and reduced Electrum server RPC calls.
• Upgraded Bouncy Castle, PGPainless and Logback libraries.
• Upgraded internal Tor to v0.4.8.16.
• Bug fix: Fixed issue with random ordering of keystore origins on labels import.
• Bug fix: Fixed non-zero account script type detection when signing a message on Trezor devices.
• Bug fix: Fixed issue parsing remote Coldcard xpub encoded on a different network.
• Bug fix: Fixed inclusion of fees on wallet label exports.
• Bug fix: Increase Trezor device libusb timeout.

Linux users: Note that the sparrow package has been renamed to sparrowwallet or sparrowserver, and in some cases you may need to manually uninstall the original sparrow package. Look in the /opt folder to ensure you have the new name, and the original is removed.

What's new in v2.2.1

• Updated Tor library to fix missing UUID issue when starting Tor on recent macOS versions.
• Repackaged .deb installs to use older gzip instead of zstd compression.
• Removed display of median fee rate where fee rates source is set to Server.
• Added icons for external sources in Settings and Recent Blocks view
• Bug fix: Fixed issue in Recent Blocks view when switching fee rates source
• Bug fix: Fixed NPE on null fee returned from server

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

This piece is the first in a series that will focus on things I think are a priority if your focus is similar to mine: building a strong family and safeguarding their future.

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Choosing the ideal place to raise a family is one of the most significant decisions you will ever make. For simplicity sake I will break down my thought process into key factors: strong property rights, the ability to grow your own food, access to fresh water, the freedom to own and train with guns, and a dependable community.

A Jurisdiction with Strong Property Rights

Strong property rights are essential and allow you to build on a solid foundation that is less likely to break underneath you. Regions with a history of limited government and clear legal protections for landowners are ideal. Personally I think the US is the single best option globally, but within the US there is a wide difference between which state you choose. Choose carefully and thoughtfully, think long term. Obviously if you are not American this is not a realistic option for you, there are other solid options available especially if your family has mobility. I understand many do not have this capability to easily move, consider that your first priority, making movement and jurisdiction choice possible in the first place.

Abundant Access to Fresh Water

Water is life. I cannot overstate the importance of living somewhere with reliable, clean, and abundant freshwater. Some regions face water scarcity or heavy regulations on usage, so prioritizing a place where water is plentiful and your rights to it are protected is critical. Ideally you should have well access so you are not tied to municipal water supplies. In times of crisis or chaos well water cannot be easily shutoff or disrupted. If you live in an area that is drought prone, you are one drought away from societal chaos. Not enough people appreciate this simple fact.

Grow Your Own Food

A location with fertile soil, a favorable climate, and enough space for a small homestead or at the very least a garden is key. In stable times, a small homestead provides good food and important education for your family. In times of chaos your family being able to grow and raise healthy food provides a level of self sufficiency that many others will lack. Look for areas with minimal restrictions, good weather, and a culture that supports local farming.

Guns

The ability to defend your family is fundamental. A location where you can legally and easily own guns is a must. Look for places with a strong gun culture and a political history of protecting those rights. Owning one or two guns is not enough and without proper training they will be a liability rather than a benefit. Get comfortable and proficient. Never stop improving your skills. If the time comes that you must use a gun to defend your family, the skills must be instinct. Practice. Practice. Practice.

A Strong Community You Can Depend On

No one thrives alone. A ride or die community that rallies together in tough times is invaluable. Seek out a place where people know their neighbors, share similar values, and are quick to lend a hand. Lead by example and become a good neighbor, people will naturally respond in kind. Small towns are ideal, if possible, but living outside of a major city can be a solid balance in terms of work opportunities and family security.

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Let me know if you found this helpful. My plan is to break down how I think about these five key subjects in future posts.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Bank run on every crypto bank then bank run on every "real" bank.

— ODELL (@ODELL) December 14, 2022

Good morning.

It looks like PacWest will fail today. It will be both the fifth largest bank failure in US history and the sixth major bank to fail this year. It will likely get purchased by one of the big four banks in a government orchestrated sale.  

March 8th - Silvergate Bank
March 10th - Silicon Valley Bank
March 12th - Signature Bank
March 19th - Credit Suisse
May 1st - First Republic Bank
May 4th - PacWest Bank?

PacWest is the first of many small regional banks that will go under this year. Most will get bought by the big four in gov orchestrated sales. This has been the playbook since 2008. Follow the incentives. Massive consolidation across the banking industry. PacWest gonna be a drop in the bucket compared to what comes next.

First, a hastened government led bank consolidation, then a public/private partnership with the remaining large banks to launch a surveilled and controlled digital currency network. We will be told it is more convenient. We will be told it is safer. We will be told it will prevent future bank runs. All of that is marketing bullshit. The goal is greater control of money. The ability to choose how we spend it and how we save it. If you control the money - you control the people that use it.

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ 35f80bda:406855c0

Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy. A private matter is something one doesn't want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn't want anybody to know. Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world.

If two parties have some sort of dealings, then each has a memory of their interaction. Each party can speak about their own memory of this; how could anyone prevent it? One could pass laws against it, but the freedom of speech, even more than privacy, is fundamental to an open society; we seek not to restrict any speech at all. If many parties speak together in the same forum, each can speak to all the others and aggregate together knowledge about individuals and other parties. The power of electronic communications has enabled such group speech, and it will not go away merely because we might want it to.

Since we desire privacy, we must ensure that each party to a transaction have knowledge only of that which is directly necessary for that transaction. Since any information can be spoken of, we must ensure that we reveal as little as possible. In most cases personal identity is not salient. When I purchase a magazine at a store and hand cash to the clerk, there is no need to know who I am. When I ask my electronic mail provider to send and receive messages, my provider need not know to whom I am speaking or what I am saying or what others are saying to me; my provider only need know how to get the message there and how much I owe them in fees. When my identity is revealed by the underlying mechanism of the transaction, I have no privacy. I cannot here selectively reveal myself; I must always reveal myself.

Therefore, privacy in an open society requires anonymous transaction systems. Until now, cash has been the primary such system. An anonymous transaction system is not a secret transaction system. An anonymous system empowers individuals to reveal their identity when desired and only when desired; this is the essence of privacy.

Privacy in an open society also requires cryptography. If I say something, I want it heard only by those for whom I intend it. If the content of my speech is available to the world, I have no privacy. To encrypt is to indicate the desire for privacy, and to encrypt with weak cryptography is to indicate not too much desire for privacy. Furthermore, to reveal one's identity with assurance when the default is anonymity requires the cryptographic signature.

We cannot expect governments, corporations, or other large, faceless organizations to grant us privacy out of their beneficence. It is to their advantage to speak of us, and we should expect that they will speak. To try to prevent their speech is to fight against the realities of information. Information does not just want to be free, it longs to be free. Information expands to fill the available storage space. Information is Rumor's younger, stronger cousin; Information is fleeter of foot, has more eyes, knows more, and understands less than Rumor.

We must defend our own privacy if we expect to have any. We must come together and create systems which allow anonymous transactions to take place. People have been defending their own privacy for centuries with whispers, darkness, envelopes, closed doors, secret handshakes, and couriers. The technologies of the past did not allow for strong privacy, but electronic technologies do.

We the Cypherpunks are dedicated to building anonymous systems. We are defending our privacy with cryptography, with anonymous mail forwarding systems, with digital signatures, and with electronic money.

Cypherpunks write code. We know that someone has to write software to defend privacy, and since we can't get privacy unless we all do, we're going to write it. We publish our code so that our fellow Cypherpunks may practice and play with it. Our code is free for all to use, worldwide. We don't much care if you don't approve of the software we write. We know that software can't be destroyed and that a widely dispersed system can't be shut down.

Cypherpunks deplore regulations on cryptography, for encryption is fundamentally a private act. The act of encryption, in fact, removes information from the public realm. Even laws against cryptography reach only so far as a nation's border and the arm of its violence. Cryptography will ineluctably spread over the whole globe, and with it the anonymous transactions systems that it makes possible.

For privacy to be widespread it must be part of a social contract. People must come and together deploy these systems for the common good. Privacy only extends so far as the cooperation of one's fellows in society. We the Cypherpunks seek your questions and your concerns and hope we may engage you so that we do not deceive ourselves. We will not, however, be moved out of our course because some may disagree with our goals.

The Cypherpunks are actively engaged in making the networks safer for privacy. Let us proceed together apace.

Onward.

Eric Hughes hughes@soda.berkeley.edu

9 March 1993

@ 9c47bb51:000381d0

In a world that often rewards conformity, being open-minded can be a radical act. It is a choice to embrace curiosity, challenge assumptions, and allow life to surprise you. When we open our minds, we invite new possibilities—not just in the realm of ideas but in every aspect of existence, from consciousness expansion to financial freedom with Bitcoin, and even finding a life partner. Let’s explore how this mindset can transform your reality.

1. Open-Mindedness and Consciousness

The first step to expanding consciousness is realizing how much there is to learn. By questioning the default narratives we’ve inherited—about who we are, why we’re here, and what reality itself means—we create space for deeper awareness.

This could involve practices like meditation, exploring alternative philosophies, or studying ancient wisdom traditions like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These practices teach us that the mind is not a fixed entity but a fluid and evolving tool. When we let go of rigid beliefs, we begin to notice synchronicities, experience heightened awareness, and even tap into higher states of being.

Being open-minded in this sense doesn’t mean blindly accepting everything; it means cultivating discernment while remaining curious. It’s in this openness that we discover the profound interconnectedness of all things.

1. Bitcoin: Financial Freedom through Innovation

For many, Bitcoin is a misunderstood or intimidating concept. But being open-minded to alternative systems can lead to incredible breakthroughs—not just financially but philosophically. Bitcoin isn’t just “digital money”; it represents decentralization, transparency, and freedom from traditional financial systems that have long prioritized the few over the many.

Adopting Bitcoin often requires a mental shift. It’s not about chasing short-term gains but about understanding the principles of sound money, scarcity, and peer-to-peer networks. For those willing to question how money works and why it matters, Bitcoin offers an opportunity to participate in a financial revolution that empowers individuals.

Openness to Bitcoin can also reshape your mindset toward technology, personal sovereignty, and global collaboration. It’s not just a currency; it’s a philosophy of trust and innovation.

1. Finding Love Through Open-Mindedness

The search for a life partner often mirrors our internal beliefs about ourselves and others. An open mind can transform how we approach relationships, making space for unexpected connections.

When we let go of rigid expectations—about what our partner “should” look like, where we’ll meet them, or how a relationship should progress—we allow love to unfold organically. Sometimes, the most wonderful spouse enters our lives when we least expect it, perhaps through a chance encounter or shared passion.

Open-mindedness in love also means being willing to grow together, embracing differences, and learning from one another. It’s about building a relationship rooted in mutual respect, curiosity, and the belief that you can continually discover new facets of your partner (and yourself) over time.

Final Thoughts: The Ripple Effect of Open-Mindedness

Whether it’s exploring consciousness, adopting Bitcoin, or finding a wonderful spouse, being open-minded is a skill that creates ripple effects across all areas of life. It’s not just about embracing new ideas—it’s about living with the belief that the universe has infinite possibilities waiting for you to discover.

By opening your mind, you open doors: to deeper awareness, financial independence, and love that feels like home. The more you explore, the more you realize that being open-minded doesn’t just expand your world—it transforms it.

So, the next time you’re faced with something unfamiliar or challenging, ask yourself: What could I learn if I let myself be curious?

On this journey, everything becomes possible.

@ 0970cf17:135aa040

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@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Michael Saylor Presents The 21 Ways to Wealth at Bitcoin 2025

Michael Saylor, Executive Chairman of Strategy, took the stage at Bitcoin 2025 delivering a keynote titled “21 Ways to Wealth.” He stated: “This speech is for you. I’ve traveled the world and told countries, institutional investors, and even the disembodied spirits of our children’s children why they need Bitcoin. This is for every individual, every family, every small business. It’s for everybody.”  

He began with clarity. “The first way to wealth is clarity,” he said. “Clarity comes the moment you realize Bitcoin is capital—perfected capital, programmable capital, incorruptible capital.” For Saylor, every thoughtful individual on Earth will ultimately seek such pristine capital, and every AI system will prefer it as well. 

The second path is conviction. Bitcoin, he said, will appreciate faster than every other asset, because it’s engineered for performance. “It’s going to grow faster than real estate or collectibles. It is the most efficient store of value in human history.”

The third way is courage. “If you’re going to get rich on Bitcoin, you need courage,” he warned. “Wealth favors those who embrace intelligent monetary risk. Some people will get left behind. Others will juggle it. But the bold will feed the fire—sell your bonds, buy Bitcoin. An extraordinary explosion of value is coming.”

Fourth comes cooperation. “You are more powerful if you have the full support of your family. Your children have time and potential. The secret is transferring capital into their hands. Families that move in unity are unstoppable.”

The fifth is capability. “Master AI,” he said. “In 2025, everything you can imagine is at your fingertips—wisdom, analysis, creativity. Ask AI, argue with it, use it. You can become a super genius. Don’t put your ego first—put your interests first. Your family will thank you.”

Saylor’s sixth way to wealth is composition: construct legal entities that scale your strategy and protect your assets. “Ask the AI and figure it out. You can work hard, or you can work smart. This year, everyone should be operating like the most sophisticated millionaire family office.”

The seventh is citizenship. Choose your economic nexus carefully—“domicile where sovereignty respects your freedom,” he said. “This isn’t just about this year—it’s about this century.”

Eighth is civility. “Respect the natural power structures of the world. Respect the force of nature,” he explained. “If you want to generate wealth in the Bitcoin universe, don’t fight unnecessarily. Find common ground. Inflation and distraction are your enemies.”

Ninth is corporation. “A well-structured corporation is the most powerful wealth engine on Earth. Families are powerful. Partnerships are even more powerful. But corporations can scale globally. What is your vehicle? What is your path?”

The tenth way is focus. “Just because you can do a thing doesn’t mean you should,” he warned. “If you invest in Bitcoin, there’s a 90% chance it will succeed over five years. Don’t confuse ambition with accomplishment. Come up with a strategy—and stick to it.”

The eleventh is equity. “Share your opportunities with investors who will share your risk,” he said, pointing to MicroStrategy’s own rise from $10 million to a $5 billion market cap by aligning with equity partners who believed in the Bitcoin mission.

The twelfth is credit. “There are people in the world who are afraid of the future—they want small yield, certainty. Offer that. Give creditors security in return for capital. Convert their fear into fuel and turn risk into yield by investing in Bitcoin.”

The thirteenth is compliance. “Create the best company you can within the rules of your market. Learn the rules of the road. If you know them, you can drive faster. You can scale legally and sustainably.”

The fourteenth way is capitalization. “Velocity compounds wealth,” Saylor said. “Raise and reinvest capital as fast and as often as you can. The faster your money moves into productive Bitcoin strategies, the more it multiplies.”

Fifteenth is communication. “Speak with candor. Act with transparency. And repeat your message often,” he urged. “Creating wealth with Bitcoin is simple—but only if people understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.”

Sixteenth is commitment. “Don’t allow yourself to be distracted,” he said. “Don’t chase your own ideas. Don’t feed the trolls. Stay committed to Bitcoin. It’s the greatest idea in the world. The world probably doesn’t care what you think—but it will care when you win.”

The Seventeenth way is competence. “You’re not competing with noise—you’re competing with someone who is laser-focused, who executes flawlessly,” he said. “You must deliver consistent, precise, and reliable performance. That’s how you win.”

The Eighteenth is adaptation. “Circumstances change. Every structure you trust today will eventually fail. A wise person is prepared to abandon their baggage and adjust plans when needed. Rigidity is ruin.”

Nineteenth is evolution. “Build on your core strengths. You don’t need to start over—you need to level up. Leverage what you already do best, and expand it through Bitcoin and advanced technologies.”

Twentieth is advocacy. “Inspire others to walk the Bitcoin path,” he said. “Become an evangelist for economic freedom. Show others what this revolution really means. Show them the way.”

Finally, the twenty-first way is generosity. “When you’re successful—and you will be successful—spread happiness. Share security. Deliver hope. That light inside you will shine. And others will be drawn to it.” 

As he ended, Saylor smiled and quoted the very origin of it all: 

“It might make sense to get some, in case it catches on.” – Satoshi.

In Michael Saylor’s worldview, Bitcoin is not a get-rich-quick scheme—it’s the ultimate long-term play. It is the foundation of generational wealth, the engine of personal and institutional freedom, and the tool for those bold enough to lead humanity into a more sovereign, secure future. 

You can watch the full panel discussion and the rest of the Bitcoin 2025 Conference Day 3 below: 

This post Michael Saylor Presents The 21 Ways to Wealth at Bitcoin 2025 first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

@ a10260a2:caa23e3e

In this post, you’ll see how easy it is to consolidate some UTXOs. Hopefully this’ll give you the confidence to try it out whenever fees are low. It’s super simple and can be done in two steps!

Step 1

Go to your wallet and grab a receive address. As you can see, this wallet has two UTXOs.

Step 2

Once you have a receive address, send the max amount in your wallet to it (i.e. you’ll be sending to yourself). What you’ll receive is your all your bitcoin back minus the network fee. In this case, the cost was 900 sats.

That’s it.

Next time, when you go to Send > Coin Control, you’ll see that you have one large UTXO instead of one large and one small.

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

Here’s a revised timeline of macro-level events from The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047 by Lionel Shriver, reimagined in a world where Bitcoin is adopted as a widely accepted form of money, altering the original narrative’s assumptions about currency collapse and economic control. In Shriver’s original story, the failure of Bitcoin is assumed amid the dominance of the bancor and the dollar’s collapse. Here, Bitcoin’s success reshapes the economic and societal trajectory, decentralizing power and challenging state-driven outcomes.

Part One: 2029–2032

• 2029 (Early Year)\ The United States faces economic strain as the dollar weakens against global shifts. However, Bitcoin, having gained traction emerges as a viable alternative. Unlike the original timeline, the bancor—a supranational currency backed by a coalition of nations—struggles to gain footing as Bitcoin’s decentralized adoption grows among individuals and businesses worldwide, undermining both the dollar and the bancor.

• 2029 (Mid-Year: The Great Renunciation)\ Treasury bonds lose value, and the government bans Bitcoin, labeling it a threat to sovereignty (mirroring the original bancor ban). However, a Bitcoin ban proves unenforceable—its decentralized nature thwarts confiscation efforts, unlike gold in the original story. Hyperinflation hits the dollar as the U.S. prints money, but Bitcoin’s fixed supply shields adopters from currency devaluation, creating a dual-economy split: dollar users suffer, while Bitcoin users thrive.

• 2029 (Late Year)\ Dollar-based inflation soars, emptying stores of goods priced in fiat currency. Meanwhile, Bitcoin transactions flourish in underground and online markets, stabilizing trade for those plugged into the bitcoin ecosystem. Traditional supply chains falter, but peer-to-peer Bitcoin networks enable local and international exchange, reducing scarcity for early adopters. The government’s gold confiscation fails to bolster the dollar, as Bitcoin’s rise renders gold less relevant.

• 2030–2031\ Crime spikes in dollar-dependent urban areas, but Bitcoin-friendly regions see less chaos, as digital wallets and smart contracts facilitate secure trade. The U.S. government doubles down on surveillance to crack down on bitcoin use. A cultural divide deepens: centralized authority weakens in Bitcoin-adopting communities, while dollar zones descend into lawlessness.

• 2032\ By this point, Bitcoin is de facto legal tender in parts of the U.S. and globally, especially in tech-savvy or libertarian-leaning regions. The federal government’s grip slips as tax collection in dollars plummets—Bitcoin’s traceability is low, and citizens evade fiat-based levies. Rural and urban Bitcoin hubs emerge, while the dollar economy remains fractured.

Time Jump: 2032–2047

• Over 15 years, Bitcoin solidifies as a global reserve currency, eroding centralized control. The U.S. government adapts, grudgingly integrating bitcoin into policy, though regional autonomy grows as Bitcoin empowers local economies.

Part Two: 2047

• 2047 (Early Year)\ The U.S. is a hybrid state: Bitcoin is legal tender alongside a diminished dollar. Taxes are lower, collected in BTC, reducing federal overreach. Bitcoin’s adoption has decentralized power nationwide. The bancor has faded, unable to compete with Bitcoin’s grassroots momentum.

• 2047 (Mid-Year)\ Travel and trade flow freely in Bitcoin zones, with no restrictive checkpoints. The dollar economy lingers in poorer areas, marked by decay, but Bitcoin’s dominance lifts overall prosperity, as its deflationary nature incentivizes saving and investment over consumption. Global supply chains rebound, powered by bitcoin enabled efficiency.

• 2047 (Late Year)\ The U.S. is a patchwork of semi-autonomous zones, united by Bitcoin’s universal acceptance rather than federal control. Resource scarcity persists due to past disruptions, but economic stability is higher than in Shriver’s original dystopia—Bitcoin’s success prevents the authoritarian slide, fostering a freer, if imperfect, society.

Key Differences

• Currency Dynamics: Bitcoin’s triumph prevents the bancor’s dominance and mitigates hyperinflation’s worst effects, offering a lifeline outside state control.
• Government Power: Centralized authority weakens as Bitcoin evades bans and taxation, shifting power to individuals and communities.
• Societal Outcome: Instead of a surveillance state, 2047 sees a decentralized, bitcoin driven world—less oppressive, though still stratified between Bitcoin haves and have-nots.

This reimagining assumes Bitcoin overcomes Shriver’s implied skepticism to become a robust, adopted currency by 2029, fundamentally altering the novel’s bleak trajectory.

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

Since its creation, Bitcoin has been one of the most hotly debated assets in the financial world—both by passionate supporters and skeptics. Its extreme volatility and the impact it has had on the traditional financial system have made it a constant subject of speculation. Over time, Bitcoin’s adoption has grown, sparking ongoing discussions about its future—both in terms of price and integration into the global financial system. In this context, multiple scenarios have been proposed, ranging from optimistic to cautious, depending on factors like regulation, institutional adoption, and technological innovation.

Bitcoin’s price: forecasts and influencing factors

01 - Institutional Adoption: The growing use of Bitcoin by major companies and institutional investors has been seen as a bullish driver. Companies like Tesla, MicroStrategy, and Square have added Bitcoin to their balance sheets, boosting confidence in it as a store of value. As more businesses follow suit, demand for Bitcoin could increase, pushing the price upward.

02 - Government Regulation: How governments respond to Bitcoin is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty. Heavy-handed regulation could restrict access and dampen interest, while a more favorable approach could boost adoption and support price growth. Countries like El Salvador have shown positive trends by adopting Bitcoin as legal tender, though in many others, regulation remains a significant challenge.

03 - Limited Supply: With a maximum supply of 21 million coins, Bitcoin is immune to inflationary money printing. This scarcity makes it especially attractive as a store of value, particularly during times of global economic uncertainty, potentially supporting long-term price appreciation.

04 - Technology and Scalability: Innovations like the Lightning Network and Taproot, aimed at improving scalability and transaction efficiency, could help increase Bitcoin's utility—making it more accessible for daily use and positively impacting its market value.

Global adoption of Bitcoin: The path toward financial inclusion

Bitcoin adoption is rising globally, especially in regions where traditional financial systems are inefficient or inaccessible. Countries facing economic instability, such as those plagued by high inflation or currency crises, are increasingly viewing Bitcoin as a viable alternative. Financial inclusion is a key driver of this adoption, as Bitcoin offers financial services to people excluded from the traditional banking sector.

01 - Emerging Markets: In countries like Brazil, Argentina, Nigeria, and others, demand for Bitcoin has grown as people seek to protect their assets from the devaluation of local currencies. In these regions, Bitcoin functions as both a store of value and a medium of exchange free from central authority control.

02 - Adoption by Governments and Businesses: As more companies and even governments embrace Bitcoin, its integration into the global economy could accelerate. El Salvador, for example, has shown it’s possible to adopt Bitcoin as an official currency, while more businesses are accepting it as a payment method—further legitimizing its role in global commerce.

03 - Education and Accessibility: As more people understand how Bitcoin works and appreciate its advantages—such as security, privacy, and financial freedom—adoption is likely to grow. Easier-to-use exchanges and improved wallet interfaces are making it simpler for everyday users to access and use Bitcoin.

Future scenarios: Optimism or caution?

Bitcoin's future remains uncertain, but several possible outcomes are taking shape. The optimistic scenario foresees greater price appreciation and widespread global adoption, driven by technological innovation, increased institutional trust, and the search for a decentralized alternative to the traditional financial system. In this case, Bitcoin could become a widely accepted form of payment and a global store of value, with prices reaching new all-time highs.

On the other hand, the more cautious scenario suggests that obstacles like government regulation, competition from other digital currencies, and potential technical shortcomings could prevent Bitcoin from becoming central to the financial system. Furthermore, price volatility could deter those seeking stability and security.

In summary, predictions about Bitcoin’s price and global adoption are undeniably complex and influenced by a wide range of factors. Bitcoin’s future will depend on how society, governments, and businesses respond to this new form of money. While the potential for appreciation is significant, the risks and volatility involved cannot be ignored. As global adoption increases and technology continues to evolve, it will be essential to closely monitor the developments shaping Bitcoin’s role in the global financial landscape.

Thank you very much for reading this far. I hope everything is well with you, and sending a big hug from your favorite Bitcoiner maximalist from Madeira. Long live freedom!

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

NOTE: "This version of clients is not compatible with older versions of coordinators. Coordinators must upgrade first, make sure you don't upgrade your client while this is marked as pre-release."

• This version brings a new and improved coordinators view with reviews signed both by the robot and the coordinator, adds market price sources in coordinator profiles, shows a correct warning for canceling non-taken orders after a payment attempt, adds Uzbek sum currency, and includes package library updates for coordinators.

Source: RoboSats.

• siggy47 is writing daily RoboSats activity reviews on stacker.news. Check them out here.
• Stay up-to-date with RoboSats on Nostr.

What's new

• New coordinators view (see the picture above).
• Available coordinator reviews signed by both the robot and the coordinator.
• Coordinators now display market price sources in their profiles.

Source: RoboSats.

• Fix for wrong message on cancel button when taking an order. Users are now warned if they try to cancel a non taken order after a payment attempt.
• Uzbek sum currency now available.
• For coordinators: library updates.
• Add docker frontend (#1861).
• Add order review token (#1869).
• Add UZS migration (#1875).
• Fixed tests review (#1878).
• Nostr pubkey for Robot (#1887).

New contributors

• @hexlorn made their first contribution in #1858.
• @umk0m1qk made their first contribution in #1864.

Full Changelog: v0.7.6-alpha...v0.7.7-alpha

GitHub Repo

@ 9c47bb51:000381d0

The financial markets are at a crossroads. With SPY trading at $608 and QQQ at $525, these flagship ETFs are steadily moving toward the $1,000 per share milestone. While the milestone itself is symbolic, its implications for investors and the broader market could be transformative.

For many retail investors, high share prices—despite the availability of fractional shares—create a psychological barrier. Investors instinctively perceive higher prices as less accessible, even if the value proposition remains unchanged. This perception challenges the traditional market and raises the question:

How will markets adapt as SPY and QQQ continue their climb toward $1,000 per share?

Let’s explore two potential paths forward, including how Bitcoin ETFs and direct Bitcoin ownership could reshape how we invest and define “The Market.”

1. New Standardized Products for Retail Investors

When SPY and QQQ reach higher price levels, markets will likely introduce new products to maintain accessibility. This adaptation wouldn’t be unprecedented. For example, Fidelity’s FNILX, a zero-expense index fund that tracks the S&P 500, provides a low-cost and highly accessible alternative to traditional funds.

However, FNILX is a mutual fund and doesn’t offer the liquidity or tradability of ETFs, which makes ETFs far more appealing to active traders and long-term investors alike. The ETF equivalent of FNILX would likely take the form of new products specifically designed to solve the “high price barrier” problem.

What These New ETFs Could Look Like:

•   Lower Price Points: New ETFs might adopt alternative share structures or tokenization to fractionalize ownership while maintaining correlation to major indices like SPY and QQQ.

•   Cost-Effective Options: Providers could offer these products with reduced or zero fees, similar to FNILX, but with the tradability of ETFs.

•   Trader-Friendly Designs: These ETFs would retain liquidity and flexibility, ensuring active investors can continue trading them easily.

Such products would act as next-generation ETFs, satisfying demand for accessibility while keeping retail investors engaged in traditional markets.

1. The Rise of Bitcoin as an Alternative Market Standard

While SPY and QQQ dominate the current investment landscape, the rise of Bitcoin ETFs and direct Bitcoin ownership presents a compelling alternative. Bitcoin’s decentralized nature and finite supply make it fundamentally different from traditional equities, and its adoption as a financial instrument is growing rapidly.

Bitcoin ETFs: A Familiar Entry Point

Bitcoin ETFs, like IBIT, bridge the gap between the traditional financial system and the world of cryptocurrency. They allow investors to gain Bitcoin exposure through familiar platforms, such as brokerage accounts, without needing to manage private keys or wallets.

Advantages of Bitcoin ETFs: 1. Ease of Use: Easily accessible through existing brokerage platforms, making Bitcoin exposure as simple as buying a stock.

2.  Regulated Framework: Operates within traditional financial regulations, providing a sense of security for traditional investors.

3.  Portfolio Integration: Fits seamlessly into diversified portfolios, allowing Bitcoin exposure alongside traditional assets.

However, Bitcoin ETFs have limitations, including management fees, lack of true ownership, and reliance on third-party custodians.

Self-Custody Bitcoin: True Financial Sovereignty

For investors who want to fully embrace the decentralized ethos of Bitcoin, self-custody offers unparalleled financial sovereignty. By purchasing Bitcoin directly and storing it in a private wallet, investors take full control of their assets.

Benefits of Self-Custody: 1. True Ownership: You hold the private keys, ensuring no third party has control over your Bitcoin.

2.  Censorship Resistance: Self-custodied Bitcoin is immune to freezes, seizures, or restrictions.
3.  Decentralization: You actively contribute to the resilience of the Bitcoin network.

4.  Security: Proper practices, like using hardware wallets or multi-signature solutions, provide robust protection against theft or institutional failure.

Self-custody does require responsibility, but the learning curve is shrinking as user-friendly tools and educational resources become more widely available.

A Broader Shift in Market Perception

As SPY and QQQ climb toward $1,000, Bitcoin may begin to redefine how we measure market health and economic performance. Traditionally, indices like the S&P 500 have been seen as benchmarks for the economy. In the future, Bitcoin’s price and adoption metrics could serve as a parallel or even competing measure.

Why Bitcoin Could Become a New Market Standard:

•   Global Inclusion: Bitcoin is accessible to anyone with an internet connection, breaking down geographic and economic barriers.

•   Inflation Hedge: Its finite supply makes it a powerful store of value, particularly in inflationary environments.

•   Decentralized Economy: Bitcoin represents a global, decentralized economic standard, uncorrelated with traditional equity markets.

Implications for the Future of Investing

For Traditional ETFs:

As SPY and QQQ approach $1,000, the introduction of new, lower-priced ETF products will be critical to maintaining retail engagement. These innovations could fragment demand across products, altering trading volumes and creating new dynamics for liquidity and volatility.

For Bitcoin:

The rise of Bitcoin ETFs and self-custody will empower investors to rethink how they store and grow their wealth. The decision between convenience (Bitcoin ETFs) and sovereignty (self-custody) will define a new era of financial choice.

Takeaway: Preparing for a Transformative Future

The approaching $1,000 milestone for SPY and QQQ is more than just a numerical milestone—it signals a shift in how markets must adapt to the needs of investors. Whether through new standardized ETFs or the growing adoption of Bitcoin ETFs and self-custody, the investment landscape is evolving.

For investors, this is an opportunity to embrace change. Will you continue to follow traditional benchmarks, explore new Bitcoin products, or take control through self-custody?

One thing is clear: the markets of tomorrow will reward those who adapt, innovate, and educate themselves. The future isn’t about choosing between systems—it’s about using the tools that empower you to thrive.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Marty's Bent

It's been a pretty historic week for the United States as it pertains to geopolitical relations in the Middle East. President Trump and many members of his administration, including AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, traveled across the Middle East making deals with countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and others. Many are speculating that Iran may be included in some behind the scenes deal as well. This trip to the Middle East makes sense considering the fact that China is also vying for favorable relationships with those countries. The Middle East is a power player in the world, and it seems pretty clear that Donald Trump is dead set on ensuring that they choose the United States over China as the world moves towards a more multi-polar reality.

Many are calling the events of this week the Riyadh Accords. There were many deals that were struck in relation to artificial intelligence, defense, energy and direct investments in the United States. A truly prolific power play and demonstration of deal-making ability of Donald Trump, if you ask me. Though I will admit some of the numbers that were thrown out by some of the countries were a bit egregious. We shall see how everything plays out in the coming years. It will be interesting to see how China reacts to this power move by the United States.

While all this was going on, there was something happening back in the United States that many people outside of fringe corners of FinTwit are not talking about, which is the fact that the 10-year and 30-year U.S. Treasury bond yields are back on the rise. Yesterday, they surpassed the levels of mid-April that caused a market panic and are hovering back around levels that have not been seen since right before Donald Trump's inauguration.

I imagine that there isn't as much of an uproar right now because I'm pretty confident the media freakouts we were experiencing in mid-April were driven by the fact that many large hedge funds found themselves off sides of large levered basis trades. I wouldn't be surprised if those funds have decreased their leverage in those trades and bond yields being back to mid-April levels is not affecting those funds as much as they were last month. But the point stands, the 10-year and 30-year yields are significantly elevated with the 30-year approaching 5%. Regardless of the deals that are currently being made in the Middle East, the Treasury has a big problem on its hands. It still has to roll over many trillions worth of debt over over the next few years and doing so at these rates is going to be massively detrimental to fiscal deficits over the next decade. The interest expense on the debt is set to explode in the coming years.

On that note, data from the first quarter of 2025 has been released by the government and despite all the posturing by the Trump administration around DOGE and how tariffs are going to be beneficial for the U.S. economy, deficits are continuing to explode while the interest expense on the debt has definitively surpassed our annual defense budget.

via Charlie Bilello

via Mohamed Al-Erian

To make matters worse, as things are deteriorating on the fiscal side of things, the U.S. consumer is getting crushed by credit. The 90-plus day delinquency rates for credit card and auto loans are screaming higher right now.

via TXMC

One has to wonder how long all this can continue without some sort of liquidity crunch. Even though equities markets have recovered from their post-Liberation Day month long bear market, I would not be surprised if what we're witnessing is a dead cat bounce that can only be continued if the money printers are turned back on. Something's got to give, both on the fiscal side and in the private markets where the Common Man is getting crushed because he's been forced to take on insane amounts of debt to stay afloat after years of elevated levels of inflation. Add on the fact that AI has reached a state of maturity that will enable companies to replace their current meat suit workers with an army of cheap, efficient and fast digital workers and it isn't hard to see that some sort of employment crisis could be on the horizon as well.

Now is not the time to get complacent. While I do believe that the deals that are currently being made in the Middle East are probably in the best interest of the United States as the world, again, moves toward a more multi-polar reality, we are facing problems that one cannot simply wish away. They will need to be confronted. And as we've seen throughout the 21st century, the problems are usually met head-on with a money printer.

I take no pleasure in saying this because it is a bit uncouth to be gleeful to benefit from the strife of others, but it is pretty clear to me that all signs are pointing to bitcoin benefiting massively from everything that is going on. The shift towards a more multi-polar world, the runaway debt situation here in the United States, the increasing deficits, the AI job replacements and the consumer credit crisis that is currently unfolding, All will need to be "solved" by turning on the money printers to levels they've never been pushed to before.

Weird times we're living in.

China's Manufacturing Dominance: Why It Matters for the U.S.

In my recent conversation with Lyn Alden, she highlighted how China has rapidly ascended the manufacturing value chain. As Lyn pointed out, China transformed from making "sneakers and plastic trinkets" to becoming the world's largest auto exporter in just four years. This dramatic shift represents more than economic success—it's a strategic power play. China now dominates solar panel production with greater market control than OPEC has over oil and maintains near-monopoly control of rare earth elements crucial for modern technology.

"China makes like 10 times more steel than the United States does... which is relevant in ship making. It's relevant in all sorts of stuff." - Lyn Alden

Perhaps most concerning, as Lyn emphasized, is China's financial leverage. They hold substantial U.S. assets that could be strategically sold to disrupt U.S. treasury market functioning. This combination of manufacturing dominance, resource control, and financial leverage gives China significant negotiating power in any trade disputes, making our attempts to reshoring manufacturing all the more challenging.

Check out the full podcast here for more on Triffin's dilemma, Bitcoin's role in monetary transition, and the energy requirements for rebuilding America's industrial base.

Headlines of the Day

Financial Times Under Fire Over MicroStrategy Bitcoin Coverage - via X

Trump in Qatar: Historic Boeing Deal Signed - via X

Get our new STACK SATS hat - via tftcmerch.io

Johnson Backs Stock Trading Ban; Passage Chances Slim - via X

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Ten31, the largest bitcoin-focused investor, has deployed 158,469 sats | $150.00M across 30+ companies through three funds. I am a Managing Partner at Ten31 and am very proud of the work we are doing. Learn more at ten31.vc/invest.

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Final thought...

Building things of value is satisfying.

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@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Builders Exist Because Of Users

Builder: Nicholas Gregory

Language(s): C++, Rust

Contribute(s/ed) To: Ocean Sidechain, Mainstay, Mercury Wallet, Mercury Layer

Work(s/ed) At: CommerceBlock (formerly)

Prior to Bitcoin, Nicholas was a software developer working in the financial system for banking firms developing trading and derivatives platforms. After the 2008 financial crisis he began to consider alternatives to the legacy financial system in the fallout. 

Like many from that time, he completely ignored the original Slashdot article featuring the Bitcoin whitepaper due to the apparent focus on Windows as an application platform (Nicholas was a UNIX/Linux developer). Thankfully someone he knew introduced him to Bitcoin later on. 

The thing that captured his interest about Bitcoin rather than other alternatives at the time was its specific architecture as a distributed computer network. 

“The fact that it was like an alternative way. It was all based around [a] kind of […] network. And what I mean by that, building financial systems, people always wanted a system that was 24-7.

And how do you deal with someone interacting [with] it in different geographical parts of the world without it being centralized?

And I’d seen various ways of people solving that problem, but it never had been done, you know, in a kind of […] scalable solution. And using […] cryptography and proof of work to solve that issue was just weird, to be honest. It was totally weird for me.”

All of the other systems he had designed, and some that he built, were systems distributed across multiple parts of the world. Unlike Bitcoin however, these systems were permissioned and restricted who could update the relevant database(s) despite that fact that copies of them were redundantly distributed globally. 

“The fact that in Bitcoin you had everyone kind of doing this proof of work game, which is what it is. And whoever wins does the [database] write. That mess[ed] with my head. That was […] very unique.”

Beginning To Build

Nicholas’s path to building in the space was an organic one. At the time he was living in New York City, and being a developer he of course found the original Bitdevs founded in NYC. Back then meetups were incredibly small, sometimes even less than a dozen people, so the environment was much more conducive to in-depth conversations than some larger meetups these days. 

He first began building a “hobbyist” Over The Counter (OTC) trading software stack for some people (back then a very significant volume of bitcoin was traded OTC for cash or other fiat mediums). From here Nicholas and Omar Shibli, whom he met at Bitdevs, worked together on Pay To Contract (BIP 175). 

BIP 175 specifies a scheme where a customer purchasing a good participates in generating the address the merchant provides. This is done by the two first agreeing on a contract describing what is being paid for, afterwards the merchant sends a master public key to the consumer, who uses the hash of that description of the item or service to generate an individual address using the hash and master public key. 

This allows the customer to prove what the merchant agreed to sell them, and that the payment for the good or service has been made. Simply publishing the master public key and contract allows any third party to generate the address that was paid, and verify that the appropriate amount of funds were sent there. 

Ocean and Mainstay

Nicholas and Omar went on to found CommerceBlock, a Bitcoin infrastructure company. Commerceblock took a similar approach to business as Blockstream, building technological platforms to facilitate the use of Bitcoin and blockchains in general in commerce and finance. Shortly afterwards Nicholas met Tom Trevethan who came on board. 

“I met Tom via, yeah, a mutual friend, happy to say who it is. There’s a guy called, who, new people probably don’t know who he is, but OGs do, John Matonis.  John Matonis was a good friend of mine, [I’d] known him for a while. He introduced me to Tom, who was, you know, kind of more on the cryptography side. And it kind of went from there.”

The first major project they worked on was Ocean, a fork of the Elements sidechain platform developed by Blockstream that the Liquid sidechain was based on. The companies CoinShares and Blockchain in partnership with others launched an Ocean based sidechain in 2019 to issue DGLD, a gold backed digital token. 

“So we, you know, we were working on forks of Elements, doing bespoke sidechains. […] Tom had some ideas around cryptography. And I think one of our first ideas was about how to bolt on these forks of Elements onto […] the Bitcoin main chain. […] We thought the cleanest way to do that was […] using some sort of, I can’t remember, but it was something [based on] single-use sealed sets, which was an invention by Peter Todd. And I think we implemented that fairly well with Mainstay.”

The main distinction between Ocean and Liquid as a sidechain platform is Ocean’s use of a protocol designed at Commerceblock called Mainstay. Mainstay is a timestamping protocol that, unlike Opentimestamps, strictly orders the merkle tree it builds instead of randomly adding items in whatever order they are submitted in. This allows each sidechain to timestamp its current blockheight into the Bitcoin blockchain everytime mainchain miners find a block. 

While this is useless for any bitcoin pegged into the sidechain, for regulated real world assets (RWA), this provides a singular history of ownership that even the federation operating the sidechain cannot change. This removes ambiguity of ownership during legal disputes. 

When asked about the eventually shuttering of the project, Nicholas had this to say: 

“I don’t know if we were early, but we had a few clients. But it was, yeah, there wasn’t much adoption. I mean, Liquid wasn’t doing amazing. And, you know, being based in London/Europe, whenever we met clients to do POCs, we were competing against other well-funded projects. 

It shows how many years ago they’d either received money from people like IBM or some of the big consultancies and were promoting Hyperledger.  Or it was the days when we would be competing against EOS and Tezos. So because we were like a company that needed money to build prototypes or build sidechains, it kind of made it very hard. And back then there wasn’t much adoption.”

Mercury Wallet and Mercury Layer

After shutting down Ocean, Nicholas and Tom eventually began working on a statechain implementation, though the path to this was not straightforward. 

“[T]here were a few things happening at the same time that led to it. So the two things were we were involved in a [proof of concept], a very small […]POC for like a potential client. But this rolled around Discreet Log Contracts. And one of the challenges of Discreet Log Contracts, they’re very capital inefficient. So we wanted a way to novate those contracts. And it just so happened that Ruben Sampson, you know, wrote this kind of white paper/Medium post about statechains. And […] those two ideas, that kind of solved potentially that issue around DLCs.”

In the end they did not wind up deploying a statechain solution for managing DLCs, but went in a different direction. 

Well, there was another thing happening at the same time, coinswaps. And, yeah, bear in mind, in those days, everyone worried that by […] 2024/2025 […] network fees could be pretty high. And to do […] coin swaps, you kind of want to do multiple rounds. So […] state chains felt perfect because […] you basically take a UTXO, you put it off the chain, and then you can swap it as much as you want.”

Mercury Wallet was fully built out and functional, but sadly never gained any user adoption. Samourai Wallet and Wasabi Wallet at the time dominated the privacy tool ecosystem, and Mercury Wallet was never able to successfully take a bite out of the market. 

Rather than completely give up, they went back to the drawing board to build a statechain variant using Schnorr with the coordinator server blind signing, meaning it could not see what it was signing. When asked why those changes were made, he had this to say: “That would give us a lot more flexibility to do other things in Bitcoin with L2s. You know, the moment you have a blinded solution, we thought, well, this could start having interoperability with Lightning.”

Rather than building a user facing wallet this time, they built out a Software Development Kit (SDK) that could be integrated with other wallets.

“{…] I guess with Mercury Layer, it was very much building a kind of […] full-fledged Layer 2 that anyone could use. So we [built] it as an SDK. We did have a default wallet that people could run. But we were hoping that other people would integrate it.”

The End of CommerceBlock

In the end, CommerceBlock shuttered its doors after many years of brilliant engineering work. Nicholas and the rest of the team built numerous systems and protocols that were very well engineered, but at the end of the day they seemed to always be one step ahead of the curve. That’s not necessarily a good thing when it comes to building systems for end users. 

If your work is too far ahead of the demand from users, then in the end that isn’t a sustainable strategy. 

“…being in the UK, which is not doing that well from a regulatory point of view, played into it. If I

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Amboss Launches Rails, a Self-Custodial Bitcoin Yield Service

Amboss, a leader in AI-driven solutions for the Bitcoin Lightning Network, today announced Rails, a groundbreaking self-custodial Bitcoin yield service. According to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine, it’s designed to empower companies, custodians, and high net worth individuals. This allows participants to earn a yield on their Bitcoin.

Big news from @TheBitcoinConf !
We’re thrilled to announce Rails—a self-custodial Bitcoin yield service that empowers you to earn on your BTC while supercharging the Lightning Network.

Let’s bring Bitcoin to the World.https://t.co/3WYYvB95hP

— AMBOSS (@ambosstech) May 29, 2025

Rails also launched a secure way for Liquidity Providers (LPs) to hold all custody of their Bitcoin while generating returns from liquidity leases and payment routing, although they are not guaranteed. The implementation of Amboss’ AI technology, Rails strengthened their Lighting Network with more dependable transactions and larger payment volumes.

“Rails is a transformative force for the Lightning Network,” said the CEO and Co-Founder of Amboss Jesse Shrader. “It’s not just about yield—it’s about enabling businesses to strengthen the network while earning on their Bitcoin. This is a critical step in Bitcoin’s evolution as a global medium of exchange.”

The service offers two options: 

• Rails LP is designed for high net worth individuals, custodians, and companies with Bitcoin treasuries, requiring a minimum commitment of 1 BTC for one year. 
• Liquidity subscriptions are designed for businesses that receive Bitcoin payments, with fees starting at 0.5%.

Amboss partnered with CoinCorner and Flux (a joint venture between Axiom and CoinCorner), to bring Rails to the market. CoinCorner has incorporated it into both its exchange platform and daily payment services in the Isle of Man. Flux is jointly focused on advancing the Lightning Network’s presence in global payments. Their participation highlights growing industry trust in Rails as a tool to scale Bitcoin effectively. 

“Rails offers a practical way for businesses like ours to participate in the Lightning Network’s growth,” said the CFO of CoinCorner David Boylan. “We’ve been using the Lightning Network for years, and Rails provides a structured approach to engaging with its economy, particularly through liquidity leasing and payment routing. This aligns with our goal of making Bitcoin more accessible and practical for everyday use.”

This post Amboss Launches Rails, a Self-Custodial Bitcoin Yield Service first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

@ 9c47bb51:000381d0

What is NWC? Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) is an open protocol that connects your Lightning wallet to apps using your Nostr identity (Npub). It’s private, decentralized, and secure—no need for Google or Facebook logins.

Why Choose NWC?

🔑 Unified Identity • Log into apps using your Npub (Nostr public key). • No passwords. One identity for all apps.

⚡ Seamless Payments • Send or receive Lightning payments directly in apps. • Enable tips, subscriptions, or in-app purchases instantly.

🛡️ Privacy First • No personal data sharing—your Npub is all you need. • Your wallet keys stay secure and private.

🌐 Decentralized Control • No centralized gatekeepers. • Your identity and wallet are yours forever—no bans or restrictions.

How NWC Works

1️⃣ Get a Nostr Key Pair • Npub = your public identity. • Your private key stays secure.

2️⃣ Connect to Apps with NWC • Use your Npub to authorize apps. • Your Lightning wallet handles payments securely.

3️⃣ Freedom Across Apps • Use NWC with any app that supports Nostr and Lightning.

Why NWC is Better than Google/Facebook

❌ Google/Facebook • Centralized and tracks your data. • Can ban or restrict your account. • Requires passwords and exposes personal info.

✅ NWC • Decentralized and private. • Censorship-resistant—your identity is always yours. • Password-free and keeps your data secure.

The Future of Online Connection NWC is the better way to connect apps, wallets, and identities. Say goodbye to centralized logins and hello to freedom, privacy, and control.

🔑 Start using NWC today—your wallet, your identity, your rules.

@ 9ca447d2:fbf5a36d

Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the company behind Truth Social and other Trump-branded digital platforms, is planning to raise $2.5 billion to build one of the largest bitcoin treasuries among public companies.

The deal involves the sale of approximately $1.5 billion in common stock and $1.0 billion in convertible senior secured notes.

According to the company, the offering is expected to close by the end of May, pending standard closing conditions.

Devin Nunes, CEO of Trump Media, said the investment in bitcoin is a big part of the company’s long-term plan.

“We view Bitcoin as an apex instrument of financial freedom,” Nunes said.

“This investment will help defend our Company against harassment and discrimination by financial institutions, which plague many Americans and U.S. firms.”

He added that the bitcoin treasury will be used to create new synergies across the company’s platforms including Truth Social, Truth+, and the upcoming financial tech brand Truth.Fi.

“It’s a big step forward in the company’s plans to evolve into a holding company by acquiring additional profit-generating, crown jewel assets consistent with America First principles,” Nunes said.

The $2.5 billion raise will come from about 50 institutional investors. The $1 billion in convertible notes will have 0% interest and be convertible into shares at a 35% premium.

TMTG’s current liquid assets, including cash and short-term investments, are $759 million as of the end of the first quarter of 2025. With this new funding, the company’s liquid assets will be over $3 billion.

Custody of the bitcoin treasury will be handled by Crypto.com and Anchorage Digital. They will manage and store the digital assets.

Earlier this week The Financial Times reported Trump Media was planning to raise $3 billion for digital assets acquisitions.

The article said the funds would be used to buy bitcoin and other digital assets, and an announcement could come before a major related event in Las Vegas.

Related: Bitcoin 2025 Conference Kicks off in Las Vegas Today

Trump Media denied the FT report. In a statement, the company said, “Apparently the Financial Times has dumb writers listening to even dumber sources.”

There was no further comment. However, the official $2.5 billion figure, which was announced shortly after by Trump Media through a press release, aligns with its actual filing and investor communication.

Trump Media’s official announcement

This comes at a time when the Trump family and political allies are showing renewed interest in Bitcoin.

President Donald Trump who is now back in office since the 2025 election, has said he wants to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.”

Trump Media is also working on retail bitcoin investment products including ETFs aligned with America First policies.

These products will make bitcoin more accessible to retail investors and support pro-Trump financial initiatives.

But not everyone is happy.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren recently expressed concerns about Trump Media’s Bitcoin plans. She asked U.S. regulators to clarify their oversight of digital-asset ETFs, warning of investor risk.

Industry insiders are comparing Trump Media’s plans to Strategy (MSTR) which has built a multi-billion dollar bitcoin treasury over the last year. They used stock and bond sales to fund their bitcoin purchases.

@ 9c47bb51:000381d0

If you could earn between 100-1,000 sats a day, what would that amount to if Bitcoin reached $1,000,000 per coin? Let’s do the math:

1 Bitcoin (BTC) = 100,000,000 satoshis (sats).

Current Bitcoin price = $101,000.

Future Bitcoin price = $1,000,000.

Daily Earnings in Fiat Equivalent at $1M/BTC:

•   100 sats/day = 0.000001 BTC/day = $1.00/day

•   1,000 sats/day = 0.00001 BTC/day = $10.00/day

Annual Earnings at $1M/BTC:

•   100 sats/day x 365 days = $365/year

•   1,000 sats/day x 365 days = $3,650/year

Even at the smallest level—earning 100 sats a day—you’re positioning yourself for significant long-term wealth as Bitcoin’s value increases. It’s a perfect example of the power of accumulation over time.

Why Every Sat Matters

Bitcoin is scarce, with only 21 million BTC to ever exist. That’s 2,100 trillion sats for the entire world. Each satoshi is a fraction of a finite resource, making it inherently valuable. If someone gives you even 1 satoshi, they are saying, “I appreciate your work. You’re making a difference.”

Whether you’re earning sats through:

•   Working: Salary or side hustle paid in Bitcoin.

•   Nostr: Engaging, posting, or contributing to communities.

•   Streaming: Providing value in podcasts or live content.

•   Rewards Apps: Using tools like Fold or other Bitcoin cashback services.

Every sat stacks up, and over time, those seemingly small earnings can become life-changing.

The Fun of Stacking Sats

Part of the magic of Bitcoin is the journey. Watching your small daily efforts compound into something meaningful is both empowering and exciting. So whether you’re earning sats, stacking on dips, or getting tipped on Nostr—have fun. Celebrate every sat. You’re building a future on a foundation of hard work and a revolutionary currency.

The Bitcoin ride is just getting started. Hold tight, stack consistently, and enjoy the journey to financial sovereignty!

@ cefb08d1:f419beff

https://stacker.news/items/994252

@ 6e0ea5d6:0327f353

"Malcolm Forbes recounts that a lady, wearing a faded cotton dress, and her husband, dressed in an old handmade suit, stepped off a train in Boston, USA, and timidly made their way to the office of the president of Harvard University. They had come from Palo Alto, California, and had not scheduled an appointment. The secretary, at a glance, thought that those two, looking like country bumpkins, had no business at Harvard.
— We want to speak with the president — the man said in a low voice.
— He will be busy all day — the secretary replied curtly.
— We will wait.
The secretary ignored them for hours, hoping the couple would finally give up and leave. But they stayed there, and the secretary, somewhat frustrated, decided to bother the president, although she hated doing that.
— If you speak with them for just a few minutes, maybe they will decide to go away — she said.
The president sighed in irritation but agreed. Someone of his importance did not have time to meet people like that, but he hated faded dresses and tattered suits in his office. With a stern face, he went to the couple.
— We had a son who studied at Harvard for a year — the woman said. — He loved Harvard and was very happy here, but a year ago he died in an accident, and we would like to erect a monument in his honor somewhere on campus.

— My lady — said the president rudely —, we cannot erect a statue for every person who studied at Harvard and died; if we did, this place would look like a cemetery.

— Oh, no — the lady quickly replied. — We do not want to erect a statue. We would like to donate a building to Harvard.

The president looked at the woman's faded dress and her husband's old suit and exclaimed:

— A building! Do you have even the faintest idea of how much a building costs? We have more than seven and a half million dollars' worth of buildings here at Harvard.

The lady was silent for a moment, then said to her husband:

— If that’s all it costs to found a university, why don’t we have our own?

The husband agreed.

The couple, Leland Stanford, stood up and left, leaving the president confused. Traveling back to Palo Alto, California, they established there Stanford University, the second-largest in the world, in honor of their son, a former Harvard student."

Text extracted from: "Mileumlivros - Stories that Teach Values."

Thank you for reading, my friend! If this message helped you in any way, consider leaving your glass “🥃” as a token of appreciation.

A toast to our family!

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

ไม่ต้องคาดหวังวิชาการมากๆในวันอาทิตย์ก็ได้นะครับ วันนี้เรามาคุยเรื่องแดดในอีกแบบกันบ้าง เพราะเห็นว่าช่วงนี้ฝนตกบ่อยจนบางทีก็มีแดดมาให้ตากแค่แว๊บเดียวจริงๆ แต่มันเป็นแว๊บที่ทำให้นึกอะไรขึ้นมาได้ครับ

เฮียชอบมองฟ้าเวลาฝนหยุดตกใหม่ๆ ฟ้ายังไม่ใสสนิท แต่มีแสงอ่อนๆ ทะลุเมฆบางๆ แดดแบบนี้แหละที่มักจะพา “รุ้งกินน้ำ” มาวิ่งเล่นกลางท้องฟ้า

สมัยก่อนเคยสงสัยว่า แค่แสงผ่านหยดน้ำในอากาศ ทำไมถึงแยกสีได้เจ็ดเฉดแบบนั้น จนวันหนึ่งเฮียได้รู้ว่า หยดน้ำเล็กๆ เหล่านั้น ไม่ใช่แค่ “ใส” แต่ทำหน้าที่เหมือน “เลนส์” อย่างดีของธรรมชาติ เป็นเลนส์ที่รวมแสง กระจายแสง หักเหแสง แล้วเปลี่ยนพลังธรรมดาให้กลายเป็นภาพมหัศจรรย์บนฟ้า

และนั่นแหละที่ทำให้เฮียเริ่มสงสัยต่อว่า...มันจะเป็นไปได้ไหม ที่หยดน้ำจะสร้าง “ไฟ” จากแสงแดดได้จริงๆ? คำตอบคือ ได้จ้ะ 55555

ในฟิสิกส์ เราเรียกปรากฏการณ์นี้ว่า focusing of light หรือการรวมแสง ซึ่งสามารถเกิดขึ้นได้จริงแม้ผ่านเลนส์ธรรมชาติอย่างหยดน้ำ หรือแม้แต่ไอน้ำบางๆ ที่ล่องลอยอยู่ในอากาศ พลังงานแสงที่รวมผ่านเลนส์แบบนี้ อาจมีความร้อนพอจุดไฟติดได้เลยทีเดียว เช่น ไฟไหม้ที่เริ่มจากแว่นขยาย หรือจากกระจกเว้าสะท้อนแดด ก็ล้วนใช้หลักเดียวกัน

สมัยก่อนก็มีตำนานว่าอาร์คีมีดีส นักคณิตแห่งกรีก เคยใช้กระจกสะท้อนแดดเผาเรือข้าศึก โชว์พลังแสงจากฟ้าจนกลายเป็นเรื่องเล่าในตำนาน แม้จะถกเถียงกันว่าเวอร์ไปหรือเปล่า แต่หลักการมันจริงจังนะครับ

เพราะในโลกของความเป็นจริงพลังงานเกือบทั้งหมดที่โลกใช้ได้ในวันนี้...มาจากแดด

-ลมที่พัดเกิดจากอุณหภูมิบนพื้นดินที่แดดอุ่นไม่เท่ากัน -ฝนที่ตกก็เพราะแดดระเหยน้ำขึ้นไปเป็นไอ -พืชเติบโตได้เพราะแดดกระตุ้นให้เกิดกระบวนการสังเคราะห์แสง -แม้แต่ไฟฟ้าที่มนุษย์ใช้ ก็เริ่มต้นจากโฟตอนเล็กๆ ที่ปล่อยตัวเองออกมาจากดวงอาทิตย์

โลกของเรา คือเครื่องจักรแปรแสงเป็นชีวิต หยดน้ำ เป็นเพียงหนึ่งในฟันเฟืองใสๆ ที่เปลี่ยนแสงนั้นให้เกิดรูปร่าง เกิดพลัง เกิดไฟ และสุดท้ายกลายเป็น "ความรุ่งเรืองของชีวิต"

ย้อนกลับไปในประวัติศาสตร์ มนุษย์รู้เรื่องนี้มาก่อนเราจะมีไฟฟ้าเสียอีก อียิปต์โบราณบูชาเทพ “รา” เทพแห่งดวงอาทิตย์ ชาวอินคาและมายา วัดจังหวะชีวิตจากการเคลื่อนของแดด ในจีนยุคโบราณ เชื่อว่าไฟฟ้าบนฟ้า ไอน้ำบนดิน ต้องสมดุล ไม่งั้นจะเกิดโรคระบาด ทั้งหมดบอกเราว่า แดดไม่ใช่แค่แสง แต่เป็นครูของชีวิต

แต่ที่เฮียชอบที่สุดคือ แม้จะเป็นเพียงหยดน้ำหนึ่งหยด ถ้าอยู่ในที่ที่เหมาะ เจอกับแสงที่ใช่ มันสามารถจุด “ไฟ” ขึ้นมาได้จริงๆ

เฮียว่านี่แหละคือสัญลักษณ์ของมนุษย์ เราก็เหมือนหยดเล็กๆ ใสๆ ธรรมดาแต่ถ้าได้พบแดดของตัวเอง ไม่ว่าแดดนั้นจะเป็นแรงบันดาลใจ ความรัก งานที่ทำ หรือความฝันในใจ และถ้าเรายอมเป็น “เลนส์” ให้พลังนั้นลอดผ่าน ไฟบางอย่างก็จะลุกขึ้นในตัวเราและทำให้โลกรอบข้างอุ่นขึ้นด้วย

เฮียเลยอยากชวนให้ลองหันหน้าเข้าหาแดด ไม่ต้องถึงขั้นจ้องตากับพระอาทิตย์ แค่ยอมให้แสงนั้นผ่านใจเรา เพราะแม้แดดจะเหมือนเดิมทุกวัน แต่ใจเราต่างหากที่เปลี่ยนไปในทุกครั้งและบางที แค่แสงหนึ่งหยด ก็อาจเป็นไฟสำหรับทั้งชีวิต

#SundaySpecialเราจะไปเป็นหมูแดดเดียว #pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ 0fa80bd3:ea7325de

intro

The Russian state made me a Bitcoiner. In 1991, it devalued my grandmother's hard-earned savings. She worked tirelessly in the kitchen of a dining car on the Moscow–Warsaw route. Everything she had saved for my sister and me to attend university vanished overnight. This story is similar to what many experienced, including Wences Casares. The pain and injustice of that time became my first lessons about the fragility of systems and the value of genuine, incorruptible assets, forever changing my perception of money and my trust in government promises.

In 2014, I was living in Moscow, running a trading business, and frequently traveling to China. One day, I learned about the Cypriot banking crisis and the possibility of moving money through some strange thing called Bitcoin. At the time, I didn’t give it much thought. Returning to the idea six months later, as a business-oriented geek, I eagerly began studying the topic and soon dove into it seriously.

I spent half a year reading articles on a local online journal, BitNovosti, actively participating in discussions, and eventually joined the editorial team as a translator. That’s how I learned about whitepapers, decentralization, mining, cryptographic keys, and colored coins. About Satoshi Nakamoto, Silk Road, Mt. Gox, and BitcoinTalk. Over time, I befriended the journal’s owner and, leveraging my management experience, later became an editor. I was drawn to the crypto-anarchist stance and commitment to decentralization principles. We wrote about the economic, historical, and social preconditions for Bitcoin’s emergence, and it was during this time that I fully embraced the idea.

It got to the point where I sold my apartment and, during the market's downturn, bought 50 bitcoins, just after the peak price of $1,200 per coin. That marked the beginning of my first crypto winter. As an editor, I organized workflows, managed translators, developed a YouTube channel, and attended conferences in Russia and Ukraine. That’s how I learned about Wences Casares and even wrote a piece about him. I also met Mikhail Chobanyan (Ukrainian exchange Kuna), Alexander Ivanov (Waves project), Konstantin Lomashuk (Lido project), and, of course, Vitalik Buterin. It was a time of complete immersion, 24/7, and boundless hope.

After moving to the United States, I expected the industry to grow rapidly, attended events, but the introduction of BitLicense froze the industry for eight years. By 2017, it became clear that the industry was shifting toward gambling and creating tokens for the sake of tokens. I dismissed this idea as unsustainable. Then came a new crypto spring with the hype around beautiful NFTs – CryptoPunks and apes.

I made another attempt – we worked on a series called Digital Nomad Country Club, aimed at creating a global project. The proceeds from selling images were intended to fund the development of business tools for people worldwide. However, internal disagreements within the team prevented us from completing the project.

With Trump’s arrival in 2025, hope was reignited. I decided that it was time to create a project that society desperately needed. As someone passionate about history, I understood that destroying what exists was not the solution, but leaving everything as it was also felt unacceptable. You can’t destroy the system, as the fiery crypto-anarchist voices claimed.

With an analytical mindset (IQ 130) and a deep understanding of the freest societies, I realized what was missing—not only in Russia or the United States but globally—a Bitcoin-native system for tracking debts and financial interactions. This could return control of money to ordinary people and create horizontal connections parallel to state systems. My goal was to create, if not a Bitcoin killer app, then at least to lay its foundation.

At the inauguration event in New York, I rediscovered the Nostr project. I realized it was not only technologically simple and already quite popular but also perfectly aligned with my vision. For the past month and a half, using insights and experience gained since 2014, I’ve been working full-time on this project.

@ daa41bed:88f54153

There has been a good bit of discussion on Nostr over the past few days about the merits of zaps as a method of engaging with notes, so after writing a rather lengthy article on the pros of a strategic Bitcoin reserve, I wanted to take some time to chime in on the much more fun topic of digital engagement.

Let's begin by defining a couple of things:

Nostr is a decentralized, censorship-resistance protocol whose current biggest use case is social media (think Twitter/X). Instead of relying on company servers, it relies on relays that anyone can spin up and own their own content. Its use cases are much bigger, though, and this article is hosted on my own relay, using my own Nostr relay as an example.

Zap is a tip or donation denominated in sats (small units of Bitcoin) sent from one user to another. This is generally done directly over the Lightning Network but is increasingly using Cashu tokens. For the sake of this discussion, how you transmit/receive zaps will be irrelevant, so don't worry if you don't know what Lightning or Cashu are.

If we look at how users engage with posts and follows/followers on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, etc., it becomes evident that traditional social media thrives on engagement farming. The more outrageous a post, the more likely it will get a reaction. We see a version of this on more visual social platforms like YouTube and TikTok that use carefully crafted thumbnail images to grab the user's attention to click the video. If you'd like to dive deep into the psychology and science behind social media engagement, let me know, and I'd be happy to follow up with another article.

In this user engagement model, a user is given the option to comment or like the original post, or share it among their followers to increase its signal. They receive no value from engaging with the content aside from the dopamine hit of the original experience or having their comment liked back by whatever influencer they provide value to. Ad revenue flows to the content creator. Clout flows to the content creator. Sales revenue from merch and content placement flows to the content creator. We call this a linear economy -- the idea that resources get created, used up, then thrown away. Users create content and farm as much engagement as possible, then the content is forgotten within a few hours as they move on to the next piece of content to be farmed.

What if there were a simple way to give value back to those who engage with your content? By implementing some value-for-value model -- a circular economy. Enter zaps.

Unlike traditional social media platforms, Nostr does not actively use algorithms to determine what content is popular, nor does it push content created for active user engagement to the top of a user's timeline. Yes, there are "trending" and "most zapped" timelines that users can choose to use as their default, but these use relatively straightforward engagement metrics to rank posts for these timelines.

That is not to say that we may not see clients actively seeking to refine timeline algorithms for specific metrics. Still, the beauty of having an open protocol with media that is controlled solely by its users is that users who begin to see their timeline gamed towards specific algorithms can choose to move to another client, and for those who are more tech-savvy, they can opt to run their own relays or create their own clients with personalized algorithms and web of trust scoring systems.

Zaps enable the means to create a new type of social media economy in which creators can earn for creating content and users can earn by actively engaging with it. Like and reposting content is relatively frictionless and costs nothing but a simple button tap. Zaps provide active engagement because they signal to your followers and those of the content creator that this post has genuine value, quite literally in the form of money—sats.

I have seen some comments on Nostr claiming that removing likes and reactions is for wealthy people who can afford to send zaps and that the majority of people in the US and around the world do not have the time or money to zap because they have better things to spend their money like feeding their families and paying their bills. While at face value, these may seem like valid arguments, they, unfortunately, represent the brainwashed, defeatist attitude that our current economic (and, by extension, social media) systems aim to instill in all of us to continue extracting value from our lives.

Imagine now, if those people dedicating their own time (time = money) to mine pity points on social media would instead spend that time with genuine value creation by posting content that is meaningful to cultural discussions. Imagine if, instead of complaining that their posts get no zaps and going on a tirade about how much of a victim they are, they would empower themselves to take control of their content and give value back to the world; where would that leave us? How much value could be created on a nascent platform such as Nostr, and how quickly could it overtake other platforms?

Other users argue about user experience and that additional friction (i.e., zaps) leads to lower engagement, as proven by decades of studies on user interaction. While the added friction may turn some users away, does that necessarily provide less value? I argue quite the opposite. You haven't made a few sats from zaps with your content? Can't afford to send some sats to a wallet for zapping? How about using the most excellent available resource and spending 10 seconds of your time to leave a comment? Likes and reactions are valueless transactions. Social media's real value derives from providing monetary compensation and actively engaging in a conversation with posts you find interesting or thought-provoking. Remember when humans thrived on conversation and discussion for entertainment instead of simply being an onlooker of someone else's life?

If you've made it this far, my only request is this: try only zapping and commenting as a method of engagement for two weeks. Sure, you may end up liking a post here and there, but be more mindful of how you interact with the world and break yourself from blind instinct. You'll thank me later.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

---

"Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy.  A private matter is something one doesn't want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn't want anybody to know. Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world." - Eric Hughes, A Cypherpunk's Manifesto, 1993

---

Privacy is essential to freedom. Without privacy, individuals are unable to make choices free from surveillance and control. Lack of privacy leads to loss of autonomy. When individuals are constantly monitored it limits our ability to express ourselves and take risks. Any decisions we make can result in negative repercussions from those who surveil us. Without the freedom to make choices, individuals cannot truly be free.

Freedom is essential to acquiring and preserving wealth. When individuals are not free to make choices, restrictions and limitations prevent us from economic opportunities. If we are somehow able to acquire wealth in such an environment, lack of freedom can result in direct asset seizure by governments or other malicious entities. At scale, when freedom is compromised, it leads to widespread economic stagnation and poverty. Protecting freedom is essential to economic prosperity.

The connection between privacy, freedom, and wealth is critical. Without privacy, individuals lose the freedom to make choices free from surveillance and control. While lack of freedom prevents individuals from pursuing economic opportunities and makes wealth preservation nearly impossible. No Privacy? No Freedom. No Freedom? No Wealth.

Rights are not granted. They are taken and defended. Rights are often misunderstood as permission to do something by those holding power. However, if someone can give you something, they can inherently take it from you at will. People throughout history have necessarily fought for basic rights, including privacy and freedom. These rights were not given by those in power, but rather demanded and won through struggle. Even after these rights are won, they must be continually defended to ensure that they are not taken away. Rights are not granted - they are earned through struggle and defended through sacrifice.

---

If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• Coinswap is a decentralized protocol for private, trustless cryptocurrency swaps. It allows participants to securely swap digital assets without intermediaries, using advanced cryptographic techniques and atomic swaps to ensure privacy and security.
• This release introduces major improvements to the protocol's efficiency, security, and usability, including custom in-memory UTXO indexes, more advanced coin-selection algorithms, fidelity bond management and more.
• The update also improves user experience with full Mac support, faster Tor connections, enhanced UI/UX, a unified API, and improved protocol documentation.

"The Project is under active beta development and open for contributions and beta testing. The Coinswap market place is live in testnet4. Bug fixes and feature requests are very much welcome."

• Manuals and demo docs are available here.

What's new

• Core protocol and performance improvements:
  • Custom in-memory UTXO indexes. Frequent Core RPC calls, which caused significant delays, have been eliminated by implementing custom in-memory UTXO indexes. These indexes are also saved to disk, leading to faster wallet synchronization.
  • Coin selection. Advanced coin-selection algorithms, like those in Bitcoin Core, have been incorporated, enhancing the efficiency of creating different types of transactions.
  • Fidelity management. Maker servers now automate tasks such as checking bond expiries, redemption, and recreation for Fidelity Bonds, reducing the user's management responsibilities.
  • Taker liveness. The WaitingFundingConfirmation message has been added to keep swap connections between Takers and Makers, assisting with variable block confirmation delays.

• User experience and compatibility:

  • Mac compatibility. The crate and apps now fully support Mac.
  • Tor operations are streamlined for faster, more resilient connections. Tor addresses are now consistently linked to the wallet seed, maintaining the same onion address through system reboots.
  • The UI/UX improvements enhance the display of balances, UTXOs, offer data, fidelity bonds, and system logs. These updates make the apps more enjoyable and provide clearer coin swap logs during the swap process.

• API design improvements. Transaction creation routines have been streamlined to use a single common API, which reduces technical debt and eliminates redundant code.

• Protocol spec documentation now details how Coinswap breaks the transaction graph and improves privacy through routed swaps and amount splitting, and includes diagrams for clarity.

Source: Coinswap Protocol specification.

Announcement
GitHub Repo
Protocol Spec

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

With the growing digitalization of money, governments around the world have begun developing Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) in response to the rising popularity of Bitcoin. While Bitcoin represents a decentralized and censorship-resistant financial system, CBDCs are digital versions of fiat currencies, directly controlled by central banks. This emerging competition could shape the future of money and define the balance between financial freedom and state control.

Key differences between Bitcoin and CBDCs

Bitcoin and CBDCs differ in nearly every fundamental aspect:

01 - Centralization vs Decentralization: Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network where no government or entity can change the rules or censor transactions. CBDCs, on the other hand, are issued and managed by central banks, enabling greater control over the circulation and use of money.

02 - Fixed Supply vs Controlled Inflation: Bitcoin has a fixed supply of 21 million units, making it a scarce and deflationary asset. CBDCs can be issued without limits, much like traditional fiat currencies, and are subject to inflationary monetary policies.

03 - Privacy vs Surveillance: Bitcoin allows pseudonymous transactions, ensuring a certain degree of financial privacy. CBDCs may be designed to track every transaction, enabling full governmental oversight—and potentially, control over how citizens spend their money.

04 - Censorship Resistance vs State Control: Bitcoin enables anyone to transact without needing third-party approval. CBDCs, being centralized, could be used by governments to restrict undesirable transactions or even freeze funds at the press of a button.

What are governments aiming for with CBDCs?

The introduction of CBDCs is often promoted with benefits such as:

01 - Greater efficiency in financial transactions by removing intermediaries and reducing banking costs.

02 - Easier implementation of economic policies, such as direct stimulus payments or automated taxation.

03 - Enhanced ability to combat illegal activities through real-time transaction tracking.

However, these justifications raise serious concerns about the erosion of financial privacy and the expansion of government power over the monetary system.

Bitcoin as an alternative to CBDCs

The rise of CBDCs may, in fact, reinforce Bitcoin’s position as the true alternative to state-controlled money. As citizens become aware of the risks associated with a fully centralized financial system, demand for a decentralized, censorship-resistant asset like Bitcoin may increase.

01 - Protection from state control: Bitcoin empowers users with full sovereignty over their money, free from arbitrary freezes or confiscations.

02 - Preservation of financial privacy: Unlike CBDCs, which may monitor every transaction, Bitcoin offers a level of anonymity that shields individuals from excessive surveillance.

03 - Store of value against inflation: While governments can endlessly issue CBDCs, Bitcoin’s guaranteed scarcity positions it as a hedge against irresponsible monetary policy.

In summary, the competition between Bitcoin and CBDCs is set to become one of the defining financial battles of the future. As governments seek to reinforce their control through centralized digital currencies, Bitcoin remains the leading option for those who value financial independence and protection from state surveillance. The choice between a free, decentralized financial system and a monitored, government-controlled one may determine the course of the digital economy for decades to come.

Thank you very much for reading this far. I hope everything is well with you, and sending a big hug from your favorite Bitcoiner maximalist from Madeira. Long live freedom!

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• The latest firmware updates for COLDCARD devices introduce two major features: COLDCARD Co-sign (CCC) and Key Teleport between two COLDCARD Q devices using QR codes and/or NFC with a website.

What's new

• COLDCARD Co-Sign: When CCC is enabled, a second seed called the Spending Policy Key (Key C) is added to the device. This seed works with the device's Main Seed and one or more additional XPUBs (Backup Keys) to form 2-of-N multisig wallets.
  • The spending policy functions like a hardware security module (HSM), enforcing rules such as magnitude and velocity limits, address whitelisting, and 2FA authentication to protect funds while maintaining flexibility and control, and is enforced each time the Spending Policy Key is used for signing.
  • When spending conditions are met, the COLDCARD signs the partially signed bitcoin transaction (PSBT) with the Main Seed and Spending Policy Key for fund access. Once configured, the Spending Policy Key is required to view or change the policy, and violations are denied without explanation.

"You can override the spending policy at any time by signing with either a Backup Key and the Main Seed or two Backup Keys, depending on the number of keys (N) in the multisig."

• A step-by-step guide for setting up CCC is available here.

• Key Teleport for Q devices allows users to securely transfer sensitive data such as seed phrases (words, xprv), secure notes and passwords, and PSBTs for multisig. It uses QR codes or NFC, along with a helper website, to ensure reliable transmission, keeping your sensitive data protected throughout the process.

  • For more technical details, see the protocol spec.

"After you sign a multisig PSBT, you have option to “Key Teleport” the PSBT file to any one of the other signers in the wallet. We already have a shared pubkey with them, so the process is simple and does not require any action on their part in advance. Plus, starting in this firmware release, COLDCARD can finalize multisig transactions, so the last signer can publish the signed transaction via PushTX (NFC tap) to get it on the blockchain directly."

• Multisig transactions are finalized when sufficiently signed. It streamlines the use of PushTX with multisig wallets.
• Signing artifacts re-export to various media. Users are now provided with the capability to export signing products, like transactions or PSBTs, to alternative media rather than the original source. For example, if a PSBT is received through a QR code, it can be signed and saved onto an SD card if needed.
• Multisig export files are signed now. Public keys are encoded as P2PKH address for all multisg signature exports. Learn more about it here.
• NFC export usability upgrade: NFC keeps exporting until CANCEL/X is pressed.
• Added Bitcoin Safe option to Export Wallet.
• 10% performance improvement in USB upload speed for large files.
• Q: Always choose the biggest possible display size for QR.

Fixes

• Do not allow change Main PIN to same value already used as Trick PIN, even if Trick PIN is hidden.
• Fix stuck progress bar under Receiving... after a USB communications failure.
• Showing derivation path in Address Explorer for root key (m) showed double slash (//).
• Can restore developer backup with custom password other than 12 words format.
• Virtual Disk auto mode ignores already signed PSBTs (with “-signed” in file name).
• Virtual Disk auto mode stuck on “Reading…” screen sometimes.
• Finalization of foreign inputs from partial signatures. Thanks Christian Uebber!
• Temporary seed from COLDCARD backup failed to load stored multisig wallets.
• Destroy Seed also removes all Trick PINs from SE2.
• Lock Down Seed requires pressing confirm key (4) to execute.
• Q only: Only BBQr is allowed to export Coldcard, Core, and pretty descriptor.

Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
CCC Guide
Key Teleport site

@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365

I got into a friendly discussion on X regarding health insurance. The specific question was how to deal with health insurance companies (presumably unfairly) denying claims? My answer, as usual: get government out of it!

The US healthcare system is essentially the worst of both worlds:

• Unlike full single payer, individuals incur high costs
• Unlike a true free market, regulation causes increases in costs and decreases competition among insurers

I'm firmly on the side of moving towards the free market. (And I say that as someone living under a single payer system now.) Here's what I would do:

• Get rid of tax incentives that make health insurance tied to your employer, giving individuals back proper freedom of choice.
• Reduce regulations significantly.

• In the short term, some people will still get rejected claims and other obnoxious behavior from insurance companies. We address that in two ways:

  1. Due to reduced regulations, new insurance companies will be able to enter the market offering more reliable coverage and better rates, and people will flock to them because they have the freedom to make their own choices.
  2. Sue the asses off of companies that reject claims unfairly. And ideally, as one of the few legitimate roles of government in all this, institute new laws that limit the ability of fine print to allow insurers to escape their responsibilities. (I'm hesitant that the latter will happen due to the incestuous relationship between Congress/regulators and insurers, but I can hope.)

Will this magically fix everything overnight like politicians normally promise? No. But it will allow the market to return to a healthy state. And I don't think it will take long (order of magnitude: 5-10 years) for it to come together, but that's just speculation.

And since there's a high correlation between those who believe government can fix problems by taking more control and demanding that only credentialed experts weigh in on a topic (both points I strongly disagree with BTW): I'm a trained actuary and worked in the insurance industry, and have directly seen how government regulation reduces competition, raises prices, and harms consumers.

And my final point: I don't think any prior art would be a good comparison for deregulation in the US, it's such a different market than any other country in the world for so many reasons that lessons wouldn't really translate. Nonetheless, I asked Grok for some empirical data on this, and at best the results of deregulation could be called "mixed," but likely more accurately "uncertain, confused, and subject to whatever interpretation anyone wants to apply."

https://x.com/i/grok/share/Zc8yOdrN8lS275hXJ92uwq98M

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

When Sergei talks about bitcoin, he doesn’t sound like someone chasing profits or followers. He sounds like someone about to build a monastery in the ruins.

While the mainstream world chases headlines and hype, Sergei shows up in local meetups from Sacramento to Cleveland, mentors curious minds, and shares what he knows is true – hoping that, with the right spark, someone will light their own way forward.

We interviewed Sergei to trace his steps: where he started, what keeps him going, and why teaching bitcoin is far more than explaining how to set up a node – it’s about reaching the right minds before the noise consumes them. So we began where most journeys start: at the beginning.

First Steps

• So, where did it all begin for you and what made you stay curious?

I first heard about bitcoin from a friend’s book recommendation, American Kingpin, the book about Silk Road (online drug marketplace). He is still not a true bitcoiner, although I helped him secure private keys with some bitcoin.

I was really busy at the time – focused on my school curriculum, running a 7-bedroom Airbnb, and working for a standardized test prep company. Bitcoin seemed too technical for me to explore, and the pace of my work left no time for it.

After graduating, while pursuing more training, I started playing around with stocks and maximizing my savings. Passive income seemed like the path to early retirement, as per the promise of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early). I mostly followed the mainstream news and my mentor’s advice – he liked preferred stocks at the time.

I had some Coinbase IOUs and remember sending bitcoin within the Coinbase ledger to a couple friends. I also recall the 2018 crash; I actually saw the legendary price spike live but couldn’t benefit because my funds were stuck amidst the frenzy. I withdrew from that investment completely for some time. Thankfully, my mentor advised to keep en eye on bitcoin.

Around late 2019, I started DCA-ing cautiously. Additionally, my friend and I were discussing famous billionaires, and how there was no curriculum for becoming a billionaire. So, I typed “billionaires” into my podcast app, and landed on We Study Billionaires podcast.

That’s where I kept hearing Preston Pysh mention bitcoin, before splitting into his own podcast series, Bitcoin Fundamentals. I didn’t understand most of the terminology of stocks, bonds, etc, yet I kept listening and trying to absorb it thru repetition. Today, I realize all that financial talk was mostly noise.

When people ask me for a technical explanation of fiat, I say: it’s all made up, just like the fiat price of bitcoin! Starting in 2020, during the so-called pandemic, I dove deeper. I religiously read Bitcoin Magazine, scrolled thru Bitcoin Twitter, and joined Simply Bitcoin Telegram group back when DarthCoin was an admin.

DarthCoin was my favorite bitcoiner – experienced, knowledgeable, and unapologetic. Watching him shift from rage to kindness, from passion to despair, gave me a glimpse at what a true educator’s journey would look like.

The struggle isn’t about adoption at scale anymore. It’s about reaching the few who are willing to study, take risks, and stay out of fiat traps. The vast majority won’t follow that example – not yet at least… if I start telling others the requirements for true freedom and prosperity, they would certainly say “Hell no!”

• At what point did you start teaching others, and why?

After college, I helped teach at a standardized test preparation company, and mentored some students one-on-one. I even tried working at a kindergarten briefly, but left quickly; Babysitting is not teaching.

What I discovered is that those who will succeed don’t really need my help – they would succeed with or without me, because they already have the inner drive.

Once you realize your people are perishing for lack of knowledge, the only rational thing to do is help raise their level of knowledge and understanding. That’s the Great Work.

I sometimes imagine myself as a political prisoner. If that were to happen, I’d probably start teaching fellow prisoners, doctors, janitors, even guards. In a way we already live in an open-air prison, So what else is there to do but teach, organize, and conspire to dismantle the Matrix?

Building on Bitcoin

• You hosted some in-person meetups in Sacramento. What did you learn from those?

My first presentation was on MultiSig storage with SeedSigner, and submarine swaps through Boltz.exchange.

I realized quickly that I had overestimated the group’s technical background. Even the meetup organizer, a financial advisor, asked, “How is anyone supposed to follow these steps?” I responded that reading was required… He decided that Unchained is an easier way.

At a crypto meetup, I gave a much simpler talk, outlining how bitcoin will save the world, based on a DarthCoin’s guide. Only one person stuck around to ask questions – a man who seemed a little out there, and did not really seem to get the message beyond the strength of cryptographic security of bitcoin.

Again, I overestimated the audience’s readiness. That forced me to rethink my strategy. People are extremely early and reluctant to study.

• Now in Ohio, you hold sessions via the Orange Pill App. What’s changed?

My new motto is: educate the educators. The corollary is: don’t orange-pill stupid normies (as DarthCoin puts it).

I’ve shifted to small, technical sessions in order to raise a few solid guardians of this esoteric knowledge who really get it and can carry it forward.

The youngest attendee at one of my sessions is a newborn baby – he mostly sleeps, but maybe he still absorbs some of the educational vibes.

• How do local groups like Sactown and Cleveland Bitcoiners influence your work?

Every meetup reflects its local culture. Sacramento and Bay Area Bitcoiners, for example, do camping trips – once we camped through a desert storm, shielding our burgers from sand while others went to shoot guns.

Cleveland Bitcoiners are different. They amass large gatherings. They recently threw a 100k party. They do a bit more community outreach. Some are curious about the esoteric topics such as jurisdiction, spirituality, and healthful living.

I have no permanent allegiance to any state, race, or group. I go where I can teach and learn. I anticipate that in my next phase, I’ll meet Bitcoiners so advanced that I’ll have to give up my fiat job and focus full-time on serious projects where real health and wealth are on the line.

Hopefully, I’ll be ready. I believe the universe always challenges you exactly to your limit – no less, no more.

• What do people struggle with the most when it comes to technical education?

The biggest struggle isn’t technical – it’s a lack of deep curiosity. People ask “how” and “what” – how do I set up a node, what should one do with the lightning channels? But very few ask “why?”

Why does on-chain bitcoin not contribute to the circular economy? Why is it essential to run Lightning? Why did humanity fall into mental enslavement in the first place?

I’d rather teach two-year-olds who constantly ask “why” than adults who ask how to flip a profit. What worries me most is that most two-year-olds will grow up asking state-funded AI bots for answers and live according to its recommendations.

• One Cleveland Bitcoiner shows up at gold bug meetups. How valuable is face-to-face education?

I don’t think the older generation is going to reverse the current human condition. Most of them have been under mind control for too long, and they just don’t have the attention span to study and change their ways.

They’re better off stacking gold and helping fund their grandkids’ education. If I were to focus on a demographic, I’d go for teenagers – high school age – because by college, the indoctrination is usually too strong, and they’re chasing fiat mastery.

As for the gold bug meetup? Perhaps one day I will show up with a ukulele to sing some bitcoin-themed songs. Seniors love such entertainment.

• How do you choose what to focus on in your sessions, especially for different types of learners?

I don’t come in with a rigid agenda. I’ve collected a massive library of resources over the years and never stopped reading. My browser tab and folder count are exploding.

At the meetup, people share questions or topics they’re curious about, then I take that home, do my homework, and bring back a session based on those themes. I give them the key takeaways, plus where to dive deeper.

Most people won’t – or can’t – study the way I do, and I expect attendees to put in the work. I suspect that it’s more important to reach those who want to learn but don’t know how, the so-called nescient (not knowing), rather than the ignorant.

There are way too many ignorant bitcoiners, so my mission is to find those who are curious what’s beyond the facade of fake reality and superficial promises.

That naturally means that fewer people show up, and that’s fine. I’m not here for the crowds; I’m here to educate the educators. One bitcoiner who came decided to branch off into self-custody sessions and that’s awesome. Personally, I’m much more focused on Lightning.

I want to see broader adoption of tools like auth, sign-message, NWC, and LSPs. Next month, I’m going deep into eCash solutions, because let’s face it – most newcomers won’t be able to afford their own UTXO or open a lightning channel; additionally, it has to be fun and easy for them to transact sats, otherwise they won’t do it. Additionally, they’ll need to rely on

@ 9e69e420:d12360c2

Federal employees must remove pronouns from email signatures by the end of the day. This directive comes from internal memos tied to two executive orders signed by Donald Trump. The orders target diversity and equity programs within the government.

CDC, Department of Transportation, and Department of Energy employees were affected. Staff were instructed to make changes in line with revised policy prohibiting certain language.

One CDC employee shared frustration, stating, “In my decade-plus years at CDC, I've never been told what I can and can't put in my email signature.” The directive is part of a broader effort to eliminate DEI initiatives from federal discourse.

@ 9c47bb51:000381d0

Running your own Bitcoin node is one of the most powerful actions you can take to secure financial sovereignty and protect the network’s decentralization.

Bitcoin nodes independently verify transactions and enforce consensus rules, ensuring no single entity—be it governments, corporations, or influential players like BlackRock or Michael Saylor—can dictate how Bitcoin evolves.

Here’s why it matters 👇🏽

1.  Decentralization Is Freedom

A network is only as decentralized as its participants. When you run a node, you become a part of the consensus mechanism that ensures Bitcoin remains neutral, censorship-resistant, and immune to centralized control.

2.  Verification, Not Trust

Bitcoin’s power lies in its ability to eliminate the need for trust. By running a node, you verify every transaction and block yourself, instead of relying on others who may have vested interests. This ensures you’re transacting on the Bitcoin network as it was designed—not on a version compromised by corporate or governmental interests.

3.  Preventing Centralized Upgrades

Players like BlackRock and influential figures might push for changes to Bitcoin that align with their agendas, potentially undermining its core principles. Running your own node gives you the power to reject unwanted upgrades and stick to Bitcoin’s original ethos.

4.  Strengthening the Network

The more nodes in the network, the more robust and resistant it becomes to attacks or collusion by centralized entities. Your node helps secure this public good for everyone.

Bitcoin is a tool for freedom, but that freedom only lasts if we actively protect it. Running a node is not just a technical act—it’s a declaration of independence. Don’t let the promise of Bitcoin be steered by the powerful. Take control. Verify. Secure your sovereignty.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

Dr. Jack Kruse returns in this fiery episode to expose what he alleges is a coordinated campaign by Big Pharma, technocrats, and global elites to control public health narratives and financial systems through manipulated health policies and propaganda. He accuses figures like Calli and Casey Means of fronting a compromised "Maha Movement," backed by A16Z, Big Tech, and the World Economic Forum, with ambitions to embed themselves into U.S. health policy and bioweapons programs. Kruse details his covert efforts to expose these connections, claiming they led to the withdrawal of Casey Means' Surgeon General nomination, and warns of a looming biotechnocratic surveillance state where mRNA vaccines act as bioweapons to enforce compliance. Urging Bitcoiners to expand their fight for sovereignty beyond finance into healthcare and biology, Kruse argues that the true war is over time sovereignty—not just monetary freedom—and that protecting children from vaccine harms is now the most urgent front in this escalating battle.

Best Quotes

"Bitcoin is worthless if you have no time."

"We’re not playing games here. This is to the death."

"Big Pharma is just the drug dealer. The real boss is the Department of Defense and DARPA."

"The real battle in D.C. isn’t left vs. right, it’s Rothschilds and Rockefellers vs. the technocrats."

"First principle Bitcoiners need to become first principle decentralizers of life itself."

Conclusion

This episode delivers a provocative call to action from Dr. Jack Kruse, who warns that the fight for sovereignty must go beyond finance to confront what he sees as the immediate threat of centralized bio-surveillance through mRNA vaccines. Blending insider claims with health activism, Kruse urges Bitcoiners and the public to recognize that true freedom requires decentralizing not only money but also healthcare and information systems, arguing that without protecting biological sovereignty, Bitcoin’s promise of liberty will be meaningless if people are left physically, mentally, or politically compromised.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
0:47 - Outlining MAHA infiltration
22:59 - Fold & Bitkey
24:35- Danger to children
28:27 - Political shell game
35:40 - Unchained
36:09 - Time theft
41:07 - Vax data
46:32 - Bioweapon and control system
58:29 - Game plan - Decentralized yourself
1:15:16 - Priorities
1:24:30 - Support Mary Talley Bowden

Transcript

(00:00) me, Larry Leard, those kind of Bitcoiners, the people that are out there that have money, like they're looking to take us out. You need to know a little bit about the back history that I don't think I've talked about anywhere on any other podcast. Rick Callie is linked to the current administration is through Susie Watts.
(00:17) They both were working at Mercury PR basically is the frontman for propaganda for Big Farm. Basically, who pays you? You become their [ __ ] We're not playing games here. This is to the death. This is the biggest issue facing Maha now. It's not Froot Loops. It's not red dye. But the messenger RA job can drop you like Demar Handler.
(00:40) Can end your career like JJ Watt. Dr. Jack Cruz, welcome back to the show. Thank you, sir, for having me. Well, thank you for being here. I mean, you're making a lot of noise around a topic that I wasn't well aware of. I'm not going to lie. I think I got duped by or we'll find out if I actually got duped by the meanses. Cali means was coming in last year talking big about Maja getting the food correct.
(01:15) Um, basically telling the story of him being a lobbyist and understanding how corrupt the food system is. And we talked about it last time we were on two months ago. this sort of maha movement has shifted towards focusing on preventative care particularly in diets and you were on the Danny Danny Jones show late last year with Cali means uh sort of pressuring him to admit that the vaccine should be pulled off the market and he did not did not bite and would not budge on that and now his sister Casey has been appointed to surgeon general and
(01:50) this is something Let me let me tell you a little bit about that because you need to know a little bit about the back history that I don't think I've talked about anywhere on any other podcast. She was going to be named surgeon general uh back then. Just so you know that I knew it and I knew quite a bit of other things.
(02:16) So what was my goal? I knew um that Cali and Casey were tied to big tech. They were tied specifically, which you'll be interested in, A16Z, the shitcoiners extraordinaire, and they were also tied to the World Economic Forum through the book deal. Um, so my goal at that time as part of the person that was big in the mob like, and Marty, I don't know if you know this back part of the story.
(02:46) Maha begins not with Casey and Cali and Bobby Kennedy. It began with me, Bobby, and Rick Rubin on Rick's podcast the day that I told RFK Jr. that SV40 was in the Fiser Jabs. Mhm. And that's when Bobby found out that I wrote the law for Blly for a constitutional amendment for medical freedom. And he asked me to use four pages of the law.
(03:13) And Blly cleared me to do that. And then Aaron Siri, who was Bobby's attorney and working with a lot of the stuff that Bobby does with vaccines and I can Aaron contacted me. So just so you're clear, this is two and a half years ago. This is before this is a year previous to Casey and Cali coming on the scene. And I was always behind the scenes.
(03:37) I was not really interested in getting involved um in the [ __ ] show. But when I saw these two show up, the way they showed up and when I heard Cali actually say on a podcast that, you know, he was the modus operande of the Maha movement and he's the one that brought Bobby and Trump together.
(04:02) I said, "That's where I draw a [ __ ] line." I'm like, "Uh-uh. These guys, I know exactly what they're going to do. I see the game plan. they're going to use a shell game and I needed to have proof before you can come out and be a savage. You got to have proof. So, I hired three former Secret Service agents to actually do a very deep dive.
(04:24) We're talking about the kind of dive that you would get uh if you were going for a Supreme Court nomination. Okay? It cost me a lot of money. And why did I think it was important? Because as you know, you know, as a Bitcoiner, you just saw the big scam that happened with Maya Paribu down in Cerninam that happened after.
(04:49) Well, when I hired these guys, when all of my research that I had done was confirmed by them, I said, "Okay, now we need to go on a podcast very publicly and we need to put Cali's feet to the fire." Why? because I knew and he did not know that I knew this prior to the podcast. Uh that his sister was going to be nominated for surgeon general then.
(05:14) And because he didn't know and you you'll be able to confirm this or the savages in your audience can confirm this with Danny Jones. Do you know that Cali cancelled the podcast to do it into uh February? Yeah. Well, I think it was April of 25 because he didn't want to give anybody the time and day.
(05:37) So, what did I start doing? I started posting some of the information back in November that I found and the links to the Wjikis and the links to Bin, the links to A16Z. I didn't didn't give a ton of the information, but let's just put it this way. enough to make Callie and Cassie scream a little bit that people in DC started to read all my tweets.
(06:04) And then he called Danny up and said, "Danny, I want to do this podcast immediately." And I knew the reason why. Cuz I was baiting him to come so I could hit him with the big stuff. Why? Because you have to understand these two kids, you know, tied to the Rockefellers. They're tied to the banking elite.
(06:26) They're tied to the World Economics Form. Rick Callie is linked to the current administration is through Susie Watts. They both were working at Mercury PR and uh Mercury PR uh basically is the frontman for propaganda for Big Farm and everybody knows that, but not everybody knew that Cali worked for them.
(06:50) And you know the story that he sold all you guys, how he fooled you. And I consider you a smart guy, a savage, it's not shocking how he fooled you because he said as a um a lobbyist basically who pays you, you become their [ __ ] to to be quite honest and you'll say things that will make sense. Everybody in creation who's going to watch your podcast knows that all the things that Casey and Cali have said have been said literally for 30, 40, 50 years going all the way back to probably Anel Peas about diet and exercise.
(07:25) Everybody [ __ ] knows that. It's not new. They just decided to repackage it up and then they actually got in Bobby's ear about it. And when I released all this stuff, did Bobby know what I had? Yeah, he knew. And did the people in DC all what all their antennas up about this issue? Who was most pissed off with Uncle Jack back then? Susie [ __ ] Walls.
(07:56) Why? because those two are her babies that were going to be the amber that Susie Cassidy Cassidy Big Farmer were going to place around um Bobby Kennedy once he got confirmed. And that's why for the savages that are listening to this podcast, you go back and look at Nicole's tweet from, you know, I guess it was about four or five days ago that this didn't make sense.
(08:20) Why? because I gave the data directly to the people in DC behind the scenes of what was really going on and because it was so explosive. That's the reason Susie had to not give the job to Casey Means. She had to wait till the heat died down. So they elevated Janette and Janette bas

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

In this episode of TFTC, energy economist Anas Alhajji outlines a profound shift in U.S. foreign policy under Trump—away from military intervention and toward transactional diplomacy focused on trade, reconstruction, and curbing Chinese and Russian influence in the Middle East. He highlights Trump’s quiet outreach to Syria as emblematic of the U.S.'s strategic flexibility in legitimizing former adversaries when economically beneficial. Alhajji dismisses BRICS as a fractured bloc incapable of rivaling the U.S.-led order and insists the dollar and petrodollar remain dominant. On energy, he warns that despite favorable fundamentals, prices are suppressed by political confusion, underinvestment, and an aging power grid ill-prepared for the AI and urbanization boom. He also contends that Iran is stalling negotiations to buy time for nuclear advancement and that any deal will be superficial. Finally, Alhajji debunks the myth of Trump being pro-oil, noting his long-standing hostility toward the industry and explaining why a repeat of his past energy boom is implausible given today’s financial and structural constraints.

Best Quotes

• “BRICS is a paper tiger. Everything about BRICS is what China does—and that’s it.”
• “The dollar is here to stay. The petrodollar is here to stay. End of story.”
• “Trump hates the oil industry. He always classified it as an enemy.”
• “Energy projects are 30- to 40-year investments, but politicians think in 4-year cycles. That’s where the disconnect lies.”
• “People think shale will boom again. It won’t. The model changed from ‘drill baby drill’ to ‘control baby control.’”
• “The real story of Trump’s trip wasn’t about politics—it was investment, investment, investment.”
• “Without massive investment in the grid and gas turbines, blackouts will become the norm—even in rich countries like Kuwait.”
• “Iran and China have perfected the game of oil exports. Sanctions are just theater at this point.”

Conclusion

Anas Alhajji’s conclusion challenges conventional narratives, arguing that global power is shifting from military dominance to economic leverage, infrastructure investment, and energy control. He presents a nuanced view of U.S. foreign policy under Trump, emphasizing the strategic importance of trade and reconstruction over regime change. As energy demand soars and geopolitical risks mount, Alhajji warns that the real dangers lie not in foreign adversaries, but in policy confusion, infrastructural lag, and complacency—making this episode a crucial listen for anyone seeking to understand the high-stakes intersection of energy, economics, and diplomacy.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
0:48 - Syria and US diplomacy in Middle East
12:50 - Trump in the Middle East
18:12 - Fold & Bitkey
19:48 - Iran - Nuclear program and PR
33:53 - Unchained
34:22 - Crude markets, trade war and US debt
54:28 - Trump's energy stance
1:05:46 - Energy sector challanges
1:14:44 - Policy recommendations
1:21:18 - AI and bitcoin

Transcript

(00:00) oil prices market fundamentals support higher price than where we are today. But because of this confusion, everyone is scared of low economic growth and that is a serious problem. The US media ignored part of Trump's speech when he said we are not about nation building and they refer to Afghanistan and Iraq.
(00:15) Look at them. This is a criticism of George W. Bush. We have groups that are talking about the demise of the dollar, the rise of bricks. Bricks is a paper tiger. Everything about bricks is what China does and that's it. The dollar is here to stay and the petro dollar is here to stay.
(00:31) The perception is that the Trump administration is cold but the reality Trump hates the oil [Music] indust. How are you? Very good. Very good. Thank you. As you were telling me, you've been a bit sleepd deprived this week trying to keep up with what's going on. Oh, absolutely. I mean, Trump keeps us on our toes uh all the time.
(01:06) In fact, I plan certain things for the weekend and Trump will say something or he will do something and all of a sudden we get busy again. Uh so clients are not going to wait for you until you finish your work. Basically, they want to know what's going on. So what is going on? What what how profound were the events in the Middle East? These are very uh very profound changes basically because it is very clear that if you look at the last 15 years uh and you look at the growth uh in the Middle East, you look at the growth of Saudi Arabia and uh the
(01:41) role of Turkey for example in the region uh it just just amazing be beyond any uh any thoughts. Uh in fact both of them Turkey and Saudi Arabia are part of the G20. Uh so they have economic influence and they have political influence. And of course the icing on the cake for those who are familiar with the region is to recognize the Syrian government and meet with the Syrian uh president.
(02:11) Uh this is a major a major change in economics and politics uh of the Middle East. Let's touch on that Syria uh topic for a while because I think a lot of people here in the United States were a bit shocked at how sort of welcoming President Trump was towards the new Syrian president considering the fact that uh he was considered an enemy not too long ago here in the United States.
(02:42) What first of all it's a fact of life for those who would like to check the history of politics. There were many people around the world who were classified or they were on the terrorism list and then they became friends of the United States or they were became heroes. I mean Nelson Mandela is one of them. You look at Latin America, there are presidents in Latin America who were uh the enemy of the United States and then they became uh uh cooperative with the United States and the United States recognized their governments and the result of their uh elections. Uh so
(03:15) we've seen this historically uh several uh several times around the world and as they say freedom fighters for some basically are the enemies and the terrorists for for others etc. So uh what we've seen that's why the the visit is very important that the recognition of this government is very important. uh the fact on the ground that uh the president of Syria had the power on the ground uh he had the the the people on the ground and he had the control on the ground and whatever he's been he's been doing since he came into power until now
(03:52) he done all the right steps u and people loved him I mean everyone who went to Syria whether the Syrians who left Syria 40 years ago or uh the visitors who are coming to Syria, they will tell you, "We have never seen the Syrian people as happy as we've seen them today, despite the fact that they they live in misery.
(04:17) They don't have um 8 million people without housing. Uh there is barely any electricity in most of the country. There is no internet. There is barely any food. The uh inflation is rampant, etc. But people are happy because they lived in fear for a very long time. And uh the steps they have taken. For example, the uh ministers in the previous government uh are still there and they are still in the housing of the government.
(04:49) They still have the drivers. They still have the cars from the previous government. They still have it until today. So uh they they were classified as enemies before. But all of a sudden now you have a new government that is uh accepting them. Uh so we we see some changes on the ground that are positive and we'll see how these things will go given that the area around them basically has been unstable for a very long time.
(05:17) how because I don't the the news when I was actually it was surreal for me because my first trip to the Middle East was last December when it was literally f flying over Syria to Abu Dhabi when uh um Assad was getting thrown out and it was pretty surreal to be in that region of the world.
(05:43) How as it pertains to like religious minorities within Syria moving forward is there protractions protections there? Um well let me just uh I want to emphasize one point that is very important. What did the interest of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States in Syria if remember Syria was controlled by Iran and was controlled by the Russians.
(06:09) So in a sense it becomes uh kind of an imperative that taking it away from Iran and Russia and not bringing Iran or Russia back is extremely important. Now the Russians are still there and they have their own base but at least they are not bombing the Syrians and not killing them anymore. But the idea here is taking Syria out of Iran and Russia and probably later on if they kick the Russians out, Russians will not have access to the Mediterranean.
(06:37) Uh so there is an interest uh of all parties basically to take Russia out of Iran and um out of uh Syria regardless the country is uh devastated and it creates massive opportunities for US companies on all levels and uh we've seen a contract uh done recently with you mentioned Abu Dhabi uh uh a contract uh uh with the UA a basically to revamp all the Syrian ports and work on the Syrian ports.
(07:13) Uh so such contracts basically uh when you have a country that has nothing and it's completely devastated the whole infrastructure is devastated. Who is going to build it? If the uh what the Chinese, the Russians, so who who are going to build it? So, uh I think there is a a big room for US companies and others basically to come in and uh literally help on one side and make money on the other.
(07:38) Yeah, I think that that's what I'm trying to discern. What was this convoy from the United States to the Middle East this week signali

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

Since its launch in 2009, Bitcoin has attracted the attention of a wide range of investors and visionaries who believe in its potential to revolutionize the global financial system. Over the years, several figures have stood out within the movement—either as pioneers who helped build it or as investors who bet on its future. These individuals have played crucial roles in Bitcoin's development, its growing adoption, and its legitimacy in financial markets.

• Satoshi Nakamoto

The most significant Bitcoin pioneer is undoubtedly its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Although the name is a pseudonym, Nakamoto's contribution to the creation and launch of Bitcoin was foundational. In 2008, Nakamoto published the famous whitepaper "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," outlining the concept of a decentralized digital currency that could operate without the need for a central authority like a bank. In 2009, he released the Bitcoin software and mined the first block of the blockchain—the “genesis block.”

Nakamoto remained a mysterious figure and gradually withdrew from public involvement around 2011, leaving the project in the hands of a growing community of developers. Though his identity remains unknown, his impact on ushering in a new digital era is undeniable.

• Hal Finney

Hal Finney was one of Nakamoto’s earliest collaborators and is widely known as the first person to receive a Bitcoin transaction. In January 2009, he received 10 bitcoins from Nakamoto as part of an early test, becoming one of the first believers in the project. Finney, a respected programmer and cryptography expert, played a vital role in Bitcoin’s early technical development and helped promote it within the digital privacy community.

He was a dedicated advocate for decentralized technologies and supported Bitcoin until his death in 2014. Finney is remembered as a key pioneer of digital currency.

• Roger Ver

Known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” Roger Ver was one of the first investors and outspoken advocates for Bitcoin. Captivated by the idea of decentralized money, Ver made early investments in various Bitcoin-related startups and projects. He quickly recognized Bitcoin’s disruptive potential and became a leading voice promoting its adoption as a payment method and financial tool.

Ver was instrumental in creating companies and initiatives that supported Bitcoin's early ecosystem. Although he later became a controversial figure—due to his advocacy for Bitcoin Cash as an alternative to the original Bitcoin blockchain—his contributions to Bitcoin's early popularity remain significant.

• Tim Draper

Tim Draper is one of the most prominent venture capitalists in the Bitcoin space. In 2014, he famously purchased nearly 30,000 bitcoins from a U.S. government auction, following the shutdown of the Silk Road marketplace. Draper paid approximately $19 million for the coins and has since become a public advocate for Bitcoin as a viable alternative to fiat currencies.

As the founder of Draper Associates, he is known for his long-term vision and conviction in the potential of cryptocurrencies. Draper frequently promotes Bitcoin as a tool for democratizing finance and anticipates its mass adoption in the coming years.

• Michael Saylor

Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, is a leading figure in institutional Bitcoin adoption. In 2020, he made headlines by purchasing over 100,000 bitcoins for his company—making MicroStrategy the first publicly traded company to adopt Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. Saylor has since become a vocal proponent of Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and a superior store of value compared to fiat money.

His bold move has helped legitimize Bitcoin in the corporate world and inspired other companies to follow suit. Saylor continues to assert that Bitcoin is the future of finance and that MicroStrategy’s strategy serves as a model for corporate treasury management in the digital age.

In summary, the pioneers and investors who helped grow and promote Bitcoin have played essential roles in the evolution of this disruptive technology. From the enigmatic Satoshi Nakamoto to key figures like Hal Finney, Roger Ver, Tim Draper, and Michael Saylor, Bitcoin has been shaped by individuals with a unique vision for the future of money and financial freedom. Through their belief and perseverance, they helped lay the foundation for Bitcoin’s global adoption—transforming it from a radical idea into a revolutionary force in the financial system. While Bitcoin’s future will depend on its continued innovation and broader adoption, the contributions of these early leaders are undeniable.

Thank you very much for reading this far. I hope everything is well with you, and sending a big hug from your favorite Bitcoiner maximalist from Madeira. Long live freedom!

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

This update brings key enhancements for clarity and usability:

• Recent Blocks View: Added to the Send tab and inspired by Mempool's visualization, it displays the last 2 blocks and the estimated next block to help choose fee rates.
• Camera System Overhaul: Features a new library for higher resolution detection and mouse-scroll zoom support when available.
• Vector-Based Images: All app images are now vectorized and theme-aware, enhancing contrast, especially in dark mode.
• Tor & P2A Updates: Upgraded internal Tor and improved support for pay-to-anchor (P2A) outputs.
• Linux Package Rename: For Linux users, Sparrow has been renamed to sparrowwallet (or sparrowserver); in some cases, the original sparrow package may need manual removal.
• Additional updates include showing total payments in multi-payment transaction diagrams, better handling of long labels, and other UI enhancements.

• Sparrow v2.2.1 is a bug fix release that addresses missing UUID issue when starting Tor on recent macOS versions, icons for external sources in Settings and Recent Blocks view, repackaged .deb installs to use older gzip instead of zstd compression, and removed display of median fee rate where fee rates source is set to Server.

Learn how to get started with Sparrow wallet:

Release notes (v2.2.0)

• Added Recent Blocks view to Send tab.
• Converted all bitmapped images to theme aware SVG format for all wallet models and dialogs.
• Support send and display of pay to anchor (P2A) outputs.
• Renamed sparrow package to sparrowwallet and sparrowserver on Linux.
• Switched camera library to openpnp-capture.
• Support FHD (1920 x 1080) and UHD4k (3840 x 2160) capture resolutions.
• Support camera zoom with mouse scroll where possible.
• In the Download Verifier, prefer verifying the dropped file over the default file where the file is not in the manifest.
• Show a warning (with an option to disable the check) when importing a wallet with a derivation path matching another script type.
• In Cormorant, avoid calling the listwalletdir RPC on initialization due to a potentially slow response on Windows.
• Avoid server address resolution for public servers.
• Assume server address is non local for resolution failures where a proxy is configured.
• Added a tooltip to indicate truncated labels in table cells.
• Dynamically truncate input and output labels in the tree on a transaction tab, and add tooltips if necessary.
• Improved tooltips for wallet tabs and transaction diagrams with long labels.
• Show the address where available on input and output tooltips in transaction tab tree.
• Show the total amount sent in payments in the transaction diagram when constructing multiple payment transactions.
• Reset preferred table column widths on adjustment to improve handling after window resizing.
• Added accessible text to improve screen reader navigation on seed entry.
• Made Wallet Summary table grow horizontally with dialog sizing.
• Reduced tooltip show delay to 200ms.
• Show transaction diagram fee percentage as less than 0.01% rather than 0.00%.
• Optimized and reduced Electrum server RPC calls.
• Upgraded Bouncy Castle, PGPainless and Logback libraries.
• Upgraded internal Tor to v0.4.8.16.
• Bug fix: Fixed issue with random ordering of keystore origins on labels import.
• Bug fix: Fixed non-zero account script type detection when signing a message on Trezor devices.
• Bug fix: Fixed issue parsing remote Coldcard xpub encoded on a different network.
• Bug fix: Fixed inclusion of fees on wallet label exports.
• Bug fix: Increase Trezor device libusb timeout.

Linux users: Note that the sparrow package has been renamed to sparrowwallet or sparrowserver, and in some cases you may need to manually uninstall the original sparrow package. Look in the /opt folder to ensure you have the new name, and the original is removed.

What's new in v2.2.1

• Updated Tor library to fix missing UUID issue when starting Tor on recent macOS versions.
• Repackaged .deb installs to use older gzip instead of zstd compression.
• Removed display of median fee rate where fee rates source is set to Server.
• Added icons for external sources in Settings and Recent Blocks view
• Bug fix: Fixed issue in Recent Blocks view when switching fee rates source
• Bug fix: Fixed NPE on null fee returned from server

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ 65912a7a:5dc638bf

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 5 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 30 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 12-14oz fresh cranberries
• 1⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 orange, peeled & chopped
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Using medium sauce pan, simmer cranberries and water for 5-6 min. Cranberries will start to pop.
2. Add brown sugar, raisins, and chopped orange to the berries.
3. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 min. Stir often to prevent sticking. Remove from heat.
4. Let set until room temp. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
5. Put in a covered container and keep refrigerated. Lasts for about 2 weeks.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

In this episode, Bram Kanstein delivers a powerful exploration of how studying money for thousands of hours led him to a single, life-changing conclusion: Bitcoin is the key to preserving value and reclaiming personal agency in an increasingly unstable world. Through the lens of a disillusioned millennial generation—raised with technological optimism but betrayed by economic reality—Bram exposes the fiat system as one built on illusion, debt, and diminishing returns. He explains how Bitcoin’s transparent, rule-based design offers a principled alternative, especially for those wired to question systems and seek truth. Describing the fiat economy as a “high-velocity trash system” that undermines innovation and long-term planning, he argues Bitcoin creates the time and space to think, build, and live freely. As AI reshapes the labor market, Bram sees Bitcoin as a vital foundation for individuals to adapt, maintain sovereignty, and thrive in a future defined by rapid technological disruption.

Best Quotes

“Anything that you would want to fix in the world is broken because the money is broken.”

“You’re stacking nothing. Literal paper.”

“You have to red pill before you orange pill.”

“The only thing you need to do is move to the other money that they cannot mess with.”

“One Bitcoin is one Bitcoin. That’s the whole point.”

“Millennials are primed to understand Bitcoin.”

“Bitcoin lets you get out of the rat race and start walking your own path.”

“The fiat mindset is a zero-sum game. In Bitcoin, value is created.”

“We should stop asking how to value Bitcoin—and start asking how to value everything else in Bitcoin.”

“Even with a master’s in economics, people still don’t understand what money is.”

Conclusion

This episode delivers a powerful call to rethink everything we assume about money, arguing that understanding Bitcoin is less about profit and more about reclaiming personal agency in a world defined by uncertainty. Bram Kanstein shows how asking fundamental questions—like “What is money?”—can lead to a deeper sense of purpose and autonomy. As AI and systemic instability accelerate, Bitcoin emerges not just as sound money, but as a life tool for intentional living, long-term thinking, and individual sovereignty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
0:36 - INTJ bitcoiners
4:58 - The millennial headspace is primed for bitcoin
7:25 - Bitcoin gives time and space to build
15:29 - Fold & Bitkey
17:05 - Seeing systemic problems
26:25 - Bitcoin’s positive feedback loop
33:55 - Recognize your agency
37:58 - Unchained
38:27 - Fiat money creates uncertainty
44:41 - What is money?
54:04 - Money and energy
1:03:43 - Bitcoin allows growth
1:09:02 - Bitcoin/AI
1:31:34 - Optimistic note

Transcript

(00:00) Let's say you're a millennial and mid-30s and you want to retire in 30 years. If you calculate the amount of dollar, pound the euro, yen units. You need way more units of that money than you think right now. They are funding pension funds, but the pension funds are using that money for the people that are actually retiring.
(00:17) No one knows about money. They don't know how debt works, how finance works. But that's kind of how it's designed, right? Like that's what eventually keeps the Ponzi alive. And I just started with the question, what do you think happens if you call the bank and say like, hey, can I get 100 or 200k in cash? Man, you got an editor like in house.
(00:39) That's That's pro. That's uh it's because this setup I'm so far away from the computer. I just need somebody to hit the button. Okay. Okay. the extent the extent of of Logan's job extends far beyond just hitting the button. But yeah, INTJ I think uh I think it was as we rear into what looks to be another bull market.
(01:05) I think getting back to first principles and discussing the challenges of studying and understanding Bitcoin, it's important to to highlight the archetype of individuals who have studied fallen down the rabbit hole and really dedicated their lives to Bitcoin. And this INTJ cohort that exists within Bitcoin seems pretty material apparently. Yeah.
(01:35) I mean, I have many moments where I just realize that I'm lucky that my brain is wired in a certain way, you know. I feel like crazy blessed that I figured out this Bitcoin thing, you know, and that when I ran into certain realizations along the way in my Bitcoin journey that I was like, hm, you know, how does this actually work? you know, do I actually understand the systems I'm participating in, the things that I believe, you know, the the the the people that I abstracted um or or outsourced certain responsibilities to to take care of, for example, my money
(02:10) in the bank. You know, I I think um being wired in a certain way definitely helps in grasping Bitcoin to a degree where you're like, okay, this is the only thing I need to pay attention to, you know, in my life. And yeah, we we jokingly started talking about this because I have the hat here, but there was this um I think it was like like a Twitter poll actually or someone shared it on Twitter and this is already like two or three years old where where someone investigated these MyersBriggs um personality types and I think there's
(02:42) only like 2% of people that have INTJ but like 20% of Bitcoiners have that personality type. So it um it apparently helps. So yeah, I just I just quickly Googled it actually. It says uh the INTJ is the architect. It's a personality type with the introverted intuitive thinking and judging traits. These thoughtful tacticians love perfecting the details of life, applying creativity and rationality to everything they do.
(03:09) I think the rationality part here is what um what uh I think helps you to to gro Bitcoin eventually. Yeah, it reminds me of I forget what the study was, but postco it was a similar distribution of just like 2% of people were highly skeptical of what was going on with the lockdowns and the attack on bodily autonomy.
(03:38) And there was a study that was done about I forget it was bees or some type of fly that they they have like the horde of um the horde of the particular fly I think it was bees has like 2% act as these sort of alarm bells that are on the outside the outskirts of the community and they'll start communicating like hey something's wrong here and people the other flies or bees will be skeptical at first but then eventually uh the alarm bells will be proven to be right that there was some sort of danger around the corner. That's fascinating.
(04:09) Yeah. Yeah, that's fascinating. I I think we're not that special eventually, you know, like we think we have all this autonomy, but but um yeah, we're we're just wired in a certain way. And I think I don't know where you want to take this conversation, but I think, you know, part of growing up and being an adult is figuring out, you know, how do I actually work and how do I work with how I work, you know? Yeah. No, it is.
(04:36) And as I get older, creep into my mid-30s, which is hard hard to come to grips with, it is uh really falling back on like, all right, I I feel like I have a good perspective on the world and my place in it, and how do I just optimize to make sure I'm aligning my my work and my career, I guess, if you call it that, with what I'm passionate about. Yeah.
(05:00) Well, I also think that is actually why our generation, you know, my my podcast is Bitcoin for millennials. I think uh the millennials are primed to understand Bitcoin. You know, we are in this life phase where big things happen, you know, starting a family or settling somewhere or or making big career moves or decide Yeah.
(05:25) like deciding what am I going to spend like the next 10 20 years on and uh I think it's an interesting phase actually I I don't know how that was for you but but for me like the the 30s were really where I dove more and more into Bitcoin like got got that stronger conviction and also yeah kind of was invited to go further down that that rabbit hole you know and like how I see it now is that that Bitcoin is really the foundation for the rest of my life, you know, like it it gives me time and space to look forward and enthusiasm, you know, like I sometimes lurk on the
(06:01) millennial subreddit, you know, or the finance sub subreddit. And many people in our generation are very nihilistic, you know, they're very unsure about the future. Like some people aren't even having kids because they think they cannot afford it, you know. And uh whenever I read that, I just think like, yeah, I I don't really have those things.
(06:22) But I know it's because of Bitcoin, you know. I I know that Bitcoin gives me, yeah, like I said, the time and space to figure out what's next, like what should I focus on? Like it gives time and space to to try out stuff, to build something, you know, to to to really attempt at at doing something. Where I see many people that don't see that, they are more in the consumer type, you know, like they they just spend the money that's worth the most today, you know, like that's what they're incentivized to do. Yeah.
(06:49) And is is that why you started Bitcoin for millennials is to number one put the put the message out there. Millennials come listen to this. One of you Yes. that is trying to educate you about this. But because this is something I think about a lot is somebody's like dead smack in the middle of the millennial generation and has observed many of the things you just described in my own life, my own network.
(07:13) And that's part of the reason why this podcast exists. And um what I'm trying to do at TFTC is just try to figure out a way to reach into the minds of millennials, hopefully c

@ c9badfea:610f861a

1. Install Feeder (it's free and open source)
2. Discover RSS feeds from various sources (see links below)
3. Copy the Feed URL
4. Open Feeder, tap the ⁞ icon, and choose Add Feed
5. Paste the Feed URL and tap Search
6. Select the found RSS feed item
7. Scroll down and tap OK

Some Sources

• Podcast Index
• RSS Finder
• Feedspot

ℹ️ You can also use YouTube channel URLs as feeds

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Marty's Bent

It's been a pretty historic week for the United States as it pertains to geopolitical relations in the Middle East. President Trump and many members of his administration, including AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, traveled across the Middle East making deals with countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and others. Many are speculating that Iran may be included in some behind the scenes deal as well. This trip to the Middle East makes sense considering the fact that China is also vying for favorable relationships with those countries. The Middle East is a power player in the world, and it seems pretty clear that Donald Trump is dead set on ensuring that they choose the United States over China as the world moves towards a more multi-polar reality.

Many are calling the events of this week the Riyadh Accords. There were many deals that were struck in relation to artificial intelligence, defense, energy and direct investments in the United States. A truly prolific power play and demonstration of deal-making ability of Donald Trump, if you ask me. Though I will admit some of the numbers that were thrown out by some of the countries were a bit egregious. We shall see how everything plays out in the coming years. It will be interesting to see how China reacts to this power move by the United States.

While all this was going on, there was something happening back in the United States that many people outside of fringe corners of FinTwit are not talking about, which is the fact that the 10-year and 30-year U.S. Treasury bond yields are back on the rise. Yesterday, they surpassed the levels of mid-April that caused a market panic and are hovering back around levels that have not been seen since right before Donald Trump's inauguration.

I imagine that there isn't as much of an uproar right now because I'm pretty confident the media freakouts we were experiencing in mid-April were driven by the fact that many large hedge funds found themselves off sides of large levered basis trades. I wouldn't be surprised if those funds have decreased their leverage in those trades and bond yields being back to mid-April levels is not affecting those funds as much as they were last month. But the point stands, the 10-year and 30-year yields are significantly elevated with the 30-year approaching 5%. Regardless of the deals that are currently being made in the Middle East, the Treasury has a big problem on its hands. It still has to roll over many trillions worth of debt over over the next few years and doing so at these rates is going to be massively detrimental to fiscal deficits over the next decade. The interest expense on the debt is set to explode in the coming years.

On that note, data from the first quarter of 2025 has been released by the government and despite all the posturing by the Trump administration around DOGE and how tariffs are going to be beneficial for the U.S. economy, deficits are continuing to explode while the interest expense on the debt has definitively surpassed our annual defense budget.

via Charlie Bilello

via Mohamed Al-Erian

To make matters worse, as things are deteriorating on the fiscal side of things, the U.S. consumer is getting crushed by credit. The 90-plus day delinquency rates for credit card and auto loans are screaming higher right now.

via TXMC

One has to wonder how long all this can continue without some sort of liquidity crunch. Even though equities markets have recovered from their post-Liberation Day month long bear market, I would not be surprised if what we're witnessing is a dead cat bounce that can only be continued if the money printers are turned back on. Something's got to give, both on the fiscal side and in the private markets where the Common Man is getting crushed because he's been forced to take on insane amounts of debt to stay afloat after years of elevated levels of inflation. Add on the fact that AI has reached a state of maturity that will enable companies to replace their current meat suit workers with an army of cheap, efficient and fast digital workers and it isn't hard to see that some sort of employment crisis could be on the horizon as well.

Now is not the time to get complacent. While I do believe that the deals that are currently being made in the Middle East are probably in the best interest of the United States as the world, again, moves toward a more multi-polar reality, we are facing problems that one cannot simply wish away. They will need to be confronted. And as we've seen throughout the 21st century, the problems are usually met head-on with a money printer.

I take no pleasure in saying this because it is a bit uncouth to be gleeful to benefit from the strife of others, but it is pretty clear to me that all signs are pointing to bitcoin benefiting massively from everything that is going on. The shift towards a more multi-polar world, the runaway debt situation here in the United States, the increasing deficits, the AI job replacements and the consumer credit crisis that is currently unfolding, All will need to be "solved" by turning on the money printers to levels they've never been pushed to before.

Weird times we're living in.

China's Manufacturing Dominance: Why It Matters for the U.S.

In my recent conversation with Lyn Alden, she highlighted how China has rapidly ascended the manufacturing value chain. As Lyn pointed out, China transformed from making "sneakers and plastic trinkets" to becoming the world's largest auto exporter in just four years. This dramatic shift represents more than economic success—it's a strategic power play. China now dominates solar panel production with greater market control than OPEC has over oil and maintains near-monopoly control of rare earth elements crucial for modern technology.

"China makes like 10 times more steel than the United States does... which is relevant in ship making. It's relevant in all sorts of stuff." - Lyn Alden

Perhaps most concerning, as Lyn emphasized, is China's financial leverage. They hold substantial U.S. assets that could be strategically sold to disrupt U.S. treasury market functioning. This combination of manufacturing dominance, resource control, and financial leverage gives China significant negotiating power in any trade disputes, making our attempts to reshoring manufacturing all the more challenging.

Check out the full podcast here for more on Triffin's dilemma, Bitcoin's role in monetary transition, and the energy requirements for rebuilding America's industrial base.

Headlines of the Day

Financial Times Under Fire Over MicroStrategy Bitcoin Coverage - via X

Trump in Qatar: Historic Boeing Deal Signed - via X

Get our new STACK SATS hat - via tftcmerch.io

Johnson Backs Stock Trading Ban; Passage Chances Slim - via X

---

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Use the promo code *“TFTC20”* during checkout for 20% off

---

Ten31, the largest bitcoin-focused investor, has deployed 158,469 sats | $150.00M across 30+ companies through three funds. I am a Managing Partner at Ten31 and am very proud of the work we are doing. Learn more at ten31.vc/invest.

---

Final thought...

Building things of value is satisfying.

---

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@media screen and (max-width: 480px) { .mobile-padding { padding: 10px 0 !important; } .social-container { width: 100% !important; max-width: 260px !important; } .social-icon { padding: 0 !important; } .social-icon img { height: 32px !important; width: 32px !important; } .icon-cell { padding: 0 4px !import

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

• This version introduces the Soroban P2P network, enabling Dojo to relay transactions to the Bitcoin network and share others' transactions to break the heuristic linking relaying nodes to transaction creators.

• Additionally, Dojo admins can now manage API keys in DMT with labels, status, and expiration, ideal for community Dojo providers like Dojobay. New API endpoints, including "/services" exposing Explorer, Soroban, and Indexer, have been added to aid wallet developers.
• Other maintenance updates include Bitcoin Core, Tor, Fulcrum, Node.js, plus an updated ban-knots script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.

"I want to thank all the contributors. This again shows the power of true Free Software. I also want to thank everyone who donated to help Dojo development going. I truly appreciate it," said Still Dojo Coder.

What's new

• Soroban P2P network. For MyDojo (Docker setup) users, Soroban will be automatically installed as part of their Dojo. This integration allows Dojo to utilize the Soroban P2P network for various upcoming features and applications.
• PandoTx. PandoTx serves as a transaction transport layer. When your wallet sends a transaction to Dojo, it is relayed to a random Soroban node, which then forwards it to the Bitcoin network. It also enables your Soroban node to receive and relay transactions from others to the Bitcoin network and is designed to disrupt the assumption that a node relaying a transaction is closely linked to the person who initiated it.
  • Pushing transactions through Soroban can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PUSH=off in docker-node.conf.
  • Processing incoming transactions from Soroban network can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PROCESS=off in docker-node.conf.
• API key management has been introduced to address the growing number of people offering their Dojos to the community. Dojo admins can now access a new API management tab in their DMT, where they can create unlimited API keys, assign labels for easy identification, and set expiration dates for each key. This allows admins to avoid sharing their main API key and instead distribute specific keys to selected parties.
• New API endpoints. Several new API endpoints have been added to help API consumers develop features on Dojo more efficiently:
  • New:
    • /latest-block - returns data about latest block
    • /txout/:txid/:index - returns unspent output data
    • /support/services - returns info about services that Dojo exposes
  • Updated:
    • /tx/:txid - endpoint has been updated to return raw transaction with parameter ?rawHex=1
  • The new /support/services endpoint replaces the deprecated explorer field in the Dojo pairing payload. Although still present, API consumers should use this endpoint for explorer and other pairing data.

Other changes

• Updated ban script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.
• Updated Fulcrum to v1.12.0.
• Regenerate Fulcrum certificate if expired.
• Check if transaction already exists in pushTx.
• Bump BTC-RPC Explorer.
• Bump Tor to v0.4.8.16, bump Snowflake.
• Updated Bitcoin Core to v29.0.
• Removed unnecessary middleware.
• Fixed DB update mechanism, added api_keys table.
• Add an option to use blocksdir config for bitcoin blocks directory.
• Removed deprecated configuration.
• Updated Node.js dependencies.
• Reconfigured container dependencies.
• Fix Snowflake git URL.
• Fix log path for testnet4.
• Use prebuilt addrindexrs binaries.
• Add instructions to migrate blockchain/fulcrum.
• Added pull policies.

#FREESAMOURAI

Learn how to set up and use your own Bitcoin privacy node with Dojo here.

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• The latest firmware updates for COLDCARD devices introduce two major features: COLDCARD Co-sign (CCC) and Key Teleport between two COLDCARD Q devices using QR codes and/or NFC with a website.

What's new

• COLDCARD Co-Sign: When CCC is enabled, a second seed called the Spending Policy Key (Key C) is added to the device. This seed works with the device's Main Seed and one or more additional XPUBs (Backup Keys) to form 2-of-N multisig wallets.
  • The spending policy functions like a hardware security module (HSM), enforcing rules such as magnitude and velocity limits, address whitelisting, and 2FA authentication to protect funds while maintaining flexibility and control, and is enforced each time the Spending Policy Key is used for signing.
  • When spending conditions are met, the COLDCARD signs the partially signed bitcoin transaction (PSBT) with the Main Seed and Spending Policy Key for fund access. Once configured, the Spending Policy Key is required to view or change the policy, and violations are denied without explanation.

"You can override the spending policy at any time by signing with either a Backup Key and the Main Seed or two Backup Keys, depending on the number of keys (N) in the multisig."

• A step-by-step guide for setting up CCC is available here.

• Key Teleport for Q devices allows users to securely transfer sensitive data such as seed phrases (words, xprv), secure notes and passwords, and PSBTs for multisig. It uses QR codes or NFC, along with a helper website, to ensure reliable transmission, keeping your sensitive data protected throughout the process.

  • For more technical details, see the protocol spec.

"After you sign a multisig PSBT, you have option to “Key Teleport” the PSBT file to any one of the other signers in the wallet. We already have a shared pubkey with them, so the process is simple and does not require any action on their part in advance. Plus, starting in this firmware release, COLDCARD can finalize multisig transactions, so the last signer can publish the signed transaction via PushTX (NFC tap) to get it on the blockchain directly."

• Multisig transactions are finalized when sufficiently signed. It streamlines the use of PushTX with multisig wallets.
• Signing artifacts re-export to various media. Users are now provided with the capability to export signing products, like transactions or PSBTs, to alternative media rather than the original source. For example, if a PSBT is received through a QR code, it can be signed and saved onto an SD card if needed.
• Multisig export files are signed now. Public keys are encoded as P2PKH address for all multisg signature exports. Learn more about it here.
• NFC export usability upgrade: NFC keeps exporting until CANCEL/X is pressed.
• Added Bitcoin Safe option to Export Wallet.
• 10% performance improvement in USB upload speed for large files.
• Q: Always choose the biggest possible display size for QR.

Fixes

• Do not allow change Main PIN to same value already used as Trick PIN, even if Trick PIN is hidden.
• Fix stuck progress bar under Receiving... after a USB communications failure.
• Showing derivation path in Address Explorer for root key (m) showed double slash (//).
• Can restore developer backup with custom password other than 12 words format.
• Virtual Disk auto mode ignores already signed PSBTs (with “-signed” in file name).
• Virtual Disk auto mode stuck on “Reading…” screen sometimes.
• Finalization of foreign inputs from partial signatures. Thanks Christian Uebber!
• Temporary seed from COLDCARD backup failed to load stored multisig wallets.
• Destroy Seed also removes all Trick PINs from SE2.
• Lock Down Seed requires pressing confirm key (4) to execute.
• Q only: Only BBQr is allowed to export Coldcard, Core, and pretty descriptor.

Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
CCC Guide
Key Teleport site

@ 9b12847f:9a3ee831

What is the CGT loan trap?

The Capital Gains Tax (CGT) loan trap, is where you take a bitcoin-backed loan, expecting that providing the collateral does not trigger CGT, only to find that it does trigger CGT.

Oof.

It's a particularly dangerous trap for plebs because bitcoin collateralised lending typically requires over-collateralisation which is often 2x the amount being borrowed. This means if CGT is triggered on the provision of the collateral, your CGT is 2x the CGT bill had you just sold down the bitcoin for the amount you borrowed.

That's without adding the additional cost of the interest on the loan; more oof.

Why it's important to pay attention to this

Firstly because if you're caught in the trap, you're the one who is liable and not the Lender.

Secondly, because all bitcoin transactions are permanent records and you can reasonably assume that future tax collection sleuths will backtrack through yesterday's transactions. Lenders who KYC their customers provide an easy data collection point for tax collectors, and that data doesn't go away.

And lastly, because there is no emerging signs of fiscal responsibility at the sovereign level, so it's reasonable to assume tax agencies are being directed to increase collections .. and bitcoiners aren't going to get any sort of pass there.

And of course, the bigger the Bitcoin network grows, the more attractive bitcoin collateralised lending will be, and the the more attention it will garner .. and some of that will be from tax collectors.

So, what determines if CGT is applicable?

The concept of beneficial ownership is the relevant term to understand and pay attention to. A change in beneficial ownership is what tax authorities use as the trigger to determine if a CGT event has occurred. This isn't a term or concept isolated to my country (Australia) or the US or the UK or Europe - it's one that's been actively harmonised across the G20. It applies to all asset classes.

The beneficial owner is the one who enjoys the benefits of the asset. It's slightly different to the concept of legal owner which is the person or entity on a government register as the "owner" of the asset.

And if you're a bitcoiner reading this, you're probably already aware that there is no government register of the "ownership of bitcoin" - that's very literally what the timechain, and your bitcoin private keys, are .. but we digress.

Where there is a change in the beneficial owner of an asset, that triggers a CGT liability. This isn't new, it's not related to bitcoin specifically but to all asset classes, and it is consistent over a wide group of countries. The way that each jurisdiction legislates, enforces and applies it will vary somewhat.

So let's explore how that relates to providing collateral in bitcoin-backed loans.

Types of bitcoin backed loans

Bitcoin represents pristine and unimpeachable collateral, so any dollar lender should be happily accepting it as collateral from their perspective. But let's focus on the issue of changing beneficial ownership and how that ties into the borrower's CGT liabilities.

There are loans available from platforms that provide the dollar liquidity, and there are loans from peers.

Loans from platforms

Loans from platforms are going to require KYC information because there is a centralised lender and that will come with a legal construct. The three things to pay attention to are:

1. Legal terms and conditions

Ideally, the platform terms should have a statement that acknowledges the unchanged beneficial ownership of the collateral by the borrower, as long as the borrower does not default on the loan.

There may not be such a statement, and if there is not, then the next point on how the collateral is managed needs some careful attention.

The immediate red-flag is if the terms categorically state that there is a change of beneficial ownership of the collateral; being a party to such a contract would legally acknowledge that you transferred beneficial ownership, triggering CGT.

NB: The legal terms and conditions should be generally accessible. If they aren't available then request them from support. If they're not forthcoming, then it's a giant red flag and I'd recommend you exit stage left.

1. How the collateral is custodied

A key test that is used to determine if beneficial ownership has changed is the custody of the asset(s). If bitcoin as collateral is kept in a discrete location, and is not pooled with other collateral, then there is a strong case to maintain the chain of unbroken beneficial ownership.

By contrast, collateral that is sent into a "pool" can be deemed to be disposed of, since it's not the same bitcoin that is being returned on successful completion of the loan. I am personally aware of plebs who have been "bitten" by using lending services who "pool" collateral from multiple loans into a pool, and consequently receive different bitcoin on loan completion. The safe assumption is that collateral that is pooled, will be deemed a disposal for CGT events.

1. Whether collateral can be re-hypothecated

Ignoring the very dubious issues around re-hypothecation more generally, (who remembers BlockFi, Celsius, Genesis, 3Arrows Capital etc), from a CGT trigger event perspective, if collateral can be re-hypothecated, it will likely be deemed a disposal for CGT purposes.

Loans that are peer-to-peer

There are other borrowing mechanisms that are based on enabling borrowing interaction directly between peers. These typically do not need to introduce the privacy and security risks of KYC, and so consequently do not require a specific legal contract between the peers.

The "terms" of the agreement are defined in the code that implements the contract between the parties, with the collateral held in a multi-party escrow, and returned to the Borrower should they successfully repay their loan. Only if the loan is NOT repaid, or needs to be liquidated, does the collateral change ownership.

In an ideal world, the usage terms for such platforms would acknowledge that the collateral provided by the Borrower remains their unchanged beneficial ownership unless the contract is liquidated, or the loan is not repaid.

Examples of platforms that allow peers to connect and create contracts for borrowing between themselves include Debifi, Lend at HodlHodl, Firefish and Lendasat.

How did I end up down this rabbit hole?

I narrowly avoided falling into precisely this trap recently when I was considering a loan from https://ledn.io I was curious that the Loan terms weren't available to review on their site, or from the customer dashboard after I signed up.

They happily provided them on request (https://www.ledn.io/legal/usd-loan-agreement), and once I got to Section 7 (b), it became clear this wasn't a product I wanted to use because every supply of collateral to Ledn, for any loan, would automatically trigger a CGT event.

Ledn, like every other lending platform, do not offer tax advice, and are clear to state the tax implications of using their products are up to the borrower to assess with their appropriate advisors.

Like many things in Bitcoin, this then made me curious about how widespread this practice was, what the underlying legal definitions were, how widely and harmoniously they were applied .. and here we are .. writing (and reading) blog posts!

So why borrow against your bitcoin at all?

Bitcoin-backed loans can potentially provide a mechanism to access dollars, without selling your bitcoin, and thereby deferring CGT on the sale of bitcoin.

For bitcoiners who've humbly stacked sats for several cycles, borrowing against your bitcoin, may provide a mechanism to further delay spending or selling sats, thereby increasing your purchasing power further.

When you borrow against your bitcoin, you are expecting bitcoin to continue to increase in purchasing power, and at a higher rate than the cost of the interest on the loan. Based on 16 years of bitcoin price history, this is a pretty safe assumption.

Don't however, make assumptions on CGT events that can potentially undermine the entire financial logic of going down this route in the first place; check carefully.

What will definitely trigger a CGT event?

Firstly and most obviously, if you take a bitcoin collateralised loan, and fail to repay the loan or are margin called and liquidated, then that portion of the collateral required to extinguish your loan will be sold. That's clearly a change of beneficial ownership, and that transaction will trigger a CGT liability.

Next, any service or product which explicitly requires you to acknowledge a change of beneficial ownership of the collateral on lodgement, will also trigger a CGT event.

After that, as we outlined earlier, pay close attention to collateral custody mechanisms and transparency and clarity on re-hypothecation - both of which are potential CGT trigger events.

So what's worth checking out?

Currently these are the lending offers that I'm aware of that are worth considering and I understand don't fall foul of the three key aspects outlined above.

• https://debifi.com

• https://firefish.io

• https://lend.hodlhodl.com

• https://lendasat.com/

As always, do your own checking, and validate with your accounting/legal advisors; the consequences of getting this wrong are potentially significant.

To be clear, I've no financial interest in any of these platforms, nor have I been paid to write this article, nor do I use referral codes. I have used some of these platforms, and believe them all to be operated by reputable teams with high integrity.

Final thoughts

Lastly, for those coming to the @bitcoinbushbash at the end of July in Palm Cove Queensland, I'll be presenting a session on this topic.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• Version 1.3 of Bitcoin Safe introduces a redesigned interactive chart, quick receive feature, updated icons, a mempool preview window, support for Child Pays For Parent (CPFP) and testnet4, preconfigured testnet demo wallets, as well as various bug fixes and improvements.

• Upcoming updates for Bitcoin Safe include Compact Block Filters.

"Compact Block Filters increase the network privacy dramatically, since you're not asking an electrum server to give you your transactions. They are a little slower than electrum servers. For a savings wallet like Bitcoin Safe this should be OK," writes the project's developer Andreas Griffin.

• Learn more about the current and upcoming features of Bitcoin Safe wallet here.

What's new in v1.3

• Redesign of Chart, Quick Receive, Icons, and Mempool Preview (by @design-rrr).
• Interactive chart. Clicking on it now jumps to transaction, and selected transactions are now highlighted.

• Speed up transactions with Child Pays For Parent (CPFP).
• BDK 1.2 (upgraded from 0.32).
• Testnet4 support.
• Preconfigured Testnet demo wallets.
• Cluster unconfirmed transactions so that parents/children are next to each other.
• Customizable columns for all tables (optional view: Txid, Address index, and more)
• Bug fixes and other improvements.

Announcement / Archive
Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
Website

@ 0fa80bd3:ea7325de

The land that belongs to the indigenous peoples of Russia has been seized by a gang of killers who have unleashed a war of extermination. They wipe out anyone who refuses to conform to their rules. Those who disagree and stay behind are tortured and killed in prisons and labor camps. Those who flee lose their homeland, dissolve into foreign cultures, and fade away. And those who stand up to protect their people are attacked by the misled and deceived. The deceived die for the unchecked greed of a single dictator—thousands from both sides, people who just wanted to live, raise their kids, and build a future.

Now, they are forced to make an impossible choice: abandon their homeland or die. Some perish on the battlefield, others lose themselves in exile, stripped of their identity, scattered in a world that isn’t theirs.

There’s been endless debate about how to fix this, how to clear the field of the weeds that choke out every new sprout, every attempt at change. But the real problem? We can’t play by their rules. We can’t speak their language or use their weapons. We stand for humanity, and no matter how righteous our cause, we will not multiply suffering. Victory doesn’t come from matching the enemy—it comes from staying ahead, from using tools they haven’t mastered yet. That’s how wars are won.

Our only resource is the will of the people to rewrite the order of things. Historian Timothy Snyder once said that a nation cannot exist without a city. A city is where the most active part of a nation thrives. But the cities are occupied. The streets are watched. Gatherings are impossible. They control the money. They control the mail. They control the media. And any dissent is crushed before it can take root.

So I started asking myself: How do we stop this fragmentation? How do we create a space where people can rebuild their connections when they’re ready? How do we build a self-sustaining network, where everyone contributes and benefits proportionally, while keeping their freedom to leave intact? And more importantly—how do we make it spread, even in occupied territory?

In 2009, something historic happened: the internet got its own money. Thanks to Satoshi Nakamoto, the world took a massive leap forward. Bitcoin and decentralized ledgers shattered the idea that money must be controlled by the state. Now, to move or store value, all you need is an address and a key. A tiny string of text, easy to carry, impossible to seize.

That was the year money broke free. The state lost its grip. Its biggest weapon—physical currency—became irrelevant. Money became purely digital.

The internet was already a sanctuary for information, a place where people could connect and organize. But with Bitcoin, it evolved. Now, value itself could flow freely, beyond the reach of authorities.

Think about it: when seedlings are grown in controlled environments before being planted outside, they get stronger, survive longer, and bear fruit faster. That’s how we handle crops in harsh climates—nurture them until they’re ready for the wild.

Now, picture the internet as that controlled environment for ideas. Bitcoin? It’s the fertile soil that lets them grow. A testing ground for new models of interaction, where concepts can take root before they move into the real world. If nation-states are a battlefield, locked in a brutal war for territory, the internet is boundless. It can absorb any number of ideas, any number of people, and it doesn’t run out of space.

But for this ecosystem to thrive, people need safe ways to communicate, to share ideas, to build something real—without surveillance, without censorship, without the constant fear of being erased.

This is where Nostr comes in.

Nostr—"Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays"—is more than just a messaging protocol. It’s a new kind of city. One that no dictator can seize, no corporation can own, no government can shut down.

It’s built on decentralization, encryption, and individual control. Messages don’t pass through central servers—they are relayed through independent nodes, and users choose which ones to trust. There’s no master switch to shut it all down. Every person owns their identity, their data, their connections. And no one—no state, no tech giant, no algorithm—can silence them.

In a world where cities fall and governments fail, Nostr is a city that cannot be occupied. A place for ideas, for networks, for freedom. A city that grows stronger the more people build within it.

@ 9ca447d2:fbf5a36d

Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the company behind Truth Social and other Trump-branded digital platforms, is planning to raise $2.5 billion to build one of the largest bitcoin treasuries among public companies.

The deal involves the sale of approximately $1.5 billion in common stock and $1.0 billion in convertible senior secured notes.

According to the company, the offering is expected to close by the end of May, pending standard closing conditions.

Devin Nunes, CEO of Trump Media, said the investment in bitcoin is a big part of the company’s long-term plan.

“We view Bitcoin as an apex instrument of financial freedom,” Nunes said.

“This investment will help defend our Company against harassment and discrimination by financial institutions, which plague many Americans and U.S. firms.”

He added that the bitcoin treasury will be used to create new synergies across the company’s platforms including Truth Social, Truth+, and the upcoming financial tech brand Truth.Fi.

“It’s a big step forward in the company’s plans to evolve into a holding company by acquiring additional profit-generating, crown jewel assets consistent with America First principles,” Nunes said.

The $2.5 billion raise will come from about 50 institutional investors. The $1 billion in convertible notes will have 0% interest and be convertible into shares at a 35% premium.

TMTG’s current liquid assets, including cash and short-term investments, are $759 million as of the end of the first quarter of 2025. With this new funding, the company’s liquid assets will be over $3 billion.

Custody of the bitcoin treasury will be handled by Crypto.com and Anchorage Digital. They will manage and store the digital assets.

Earlier this week The Financial Times reported Trump Media was planning to raise $3 billion for digital assets acquisitions.

The article said the funds would be used to buy bitcoin and other digital assets, and an announcement could come before a major related event in Las Vegas.

Related: Bitcoin 2025 Conference Kicks off in Las Vegas Today

Trump Media denied the FT report. In a statement, the company said, “Apparently the Financial Times has dumb writers listening to even dumber sources.”

There was no further comment. However, the official $2.5 billion figure, which was announced shortly after by Trump Media through a press release, aligns with its actual filing and investor communication.

Trump Media’s official announcement

This comes at a time when the Trump family and political allies are showing renewed interest in Bitcoin.

President Donald Trump who is now back in office since the 2025 election, has said he wants to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.”

Trump Media is also working on retail bitcoin investment products including ETFs aligned with America First policies.

These products will make bitcoin more accessible to retail investors and support pro-Trump financial initiatives.

But not everyone is happy.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren recently expressed concerns about Trump Media’s Bitcoin plans. She asked U.S. regulators to clarify their oversight of digital-asset ETFs, warning of investor risk.

Industry insiders are comparing Trump Media’s plans to Strategy (MSTR) which has built a multi-billion dollar bitcoin treasury over the last year. They used stock and bond sales to fund their bitcoin purchases.

@ 2dd9250b:6e928072

Durante a década de 1990, houve o aumento da globalização da economia, determinando a adição do fluxo internacional de capitais, de produtos e serviços. Este fenômeno levou a uma interdependência maior entre as economias dos países. Justamente por causa da possibilidade de que um eventual colapso econômico em um país resulte no contágio dos demais. Diante disso, aumentou a preocupação com os riscos incentivando a utilização de sofisticados modelos e estratégias de avaliação de gestão de risco.

Na década, ganharam destaque ainda os graves problemas financeiros enfrentados, entre outros, pelo banco inglês Barings Bank, e pelo fundo de investimento norte-americano Long Term Capital Management.

Outro grande destaque foi a fraude superior a US$ 7 bilhões sofrida pelo banco Société Generale em Janeiro de 2008.

O Barings Bank é um banco inglês que faliu em 1995 em razão de operações financeiras irregulares e mal-sucedidas realizadas pelo seu principal operador de mercado. O rombo da instituição foi superior à US$ 1,3 Bilhão e causado por uma aposta equivocada no desempenho futuro no índice de ações no Japão. Na realidade, o mercado acionário japonês caiu mais de 15% na época, determinando a falência do banco. O Baring Bank foi vendido a um grupo financeiro holandês (ING) pelo valor simbólico de uma libra esterlina.

O Long Term Capital Management era um fundo de investimento de que perdeu em 1998 mais de US$ 4,6 bilhões em operações nos mercados financeiros internacionais. O LTCM foi socorrido pelo Banco Central dos Estados Unidos (Federal Reserve ), que coordenou uma operação de socorro financeiro à instituição. A justificativa do Banco Central para esta decisão era "o receio das possíveis consequências mundiais da falência do fundo de investimento".

O banco francês Société Generale informou, em janeiro de 2008, uma perda de US$ 7,16 bilhões determinadas por fraudes efetuadas por um operador do mercado financeiro. Segundo revelou a instituição, o operador assumiu posições no mercado sem o conhecimento da direção do banco. A instituição teve que recorrer a uma urgente captação de recursos no mercado próxima a US$ 5,0 bilhões.

E finalmente chegamos ao caso mais problemático da era das finanças modernas anterior ao Bitcoin, o caso Lehman Brothers.

O Lehman Brothers era o 4° maior de investimentos dos EUA quando pediu concordata em 15/09/2008 com dívidas que superavam inacreditáveis US$ 600 bilhões.

Não se tinha contas correntes ou talão de cheques do Lehman Brothers. Era um banco especializado em investimentos e complexas operações financeiras. Havia feito pesados investimentos em empréstimos a juros fixos no famigerado mercado subprime, e o crédito imobiliário voltado a pessoas consideradas de forte risco de inadimplência.

Com essa carteira de investimentos que valia bem menos que o estimado e o acúmulo de projetos financeiros, minou a confiança dos investidores na instituição de 158 anos. Suas ações passaram de US$ 80 a menos de US$ 4. Acumulando fracassos nas negociações para levantar fundos; a instituição de cerca de 25 mil funcionários entrou em concordata.

O Federal Reserve resgatou algumas instituições financeiras grandes e tradicionais norte-americanas como a seguradora AIG no meio da crise. O Fed injetou um capital de US$ 182, 3 bilhões no American International Group (AIG).

Foi exatamente essa decisão do Fed em salvar alguns bancos e deixar quebrar outros, que causou insegurança por parte dos clientes. E os clientes ficaram insatisfeitos tanto com os bancos de investimentos quanto com as agências de classificação de risco, como a Standard & Poor's que tinha dado uma nota alta para o Lehman Brothers no mesmo dia em que ele quebrou.

E essa foi uma das razões pelo qual o Bitcoin foi criado. Satoshi Nakamoto entendeu que as pessoas não estavam mais confiando nem no Governo, nem nos Bancos Privados que o Governo federal restagatava quando eles quebravam e isso prejudicou muita gente. Tanto que o “hash” do Genesis Block contém o título do artigo “Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks” (Chanceler à beira de segundo resgate para bancos, em português) da edição britânica do The Times.

Esse texto foi parcialmente editado do texto de ASSAF Neto, CAF (2014).

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Marty's Bent

It's been a pretty historic week for the United States as it pertains to geopolitical relations in the Middle East. President Trump and many members of his administration, including AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, traveled across the Middle East making deals with countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and others. Many are speculating that Iran may be included in some behind the scenes deal as well. This trip to the Middle East makes sense considering the fact that China is also vying for favorable relationships with those countries. The Middle East is a power player in the world, and it seems pretty clear that Donald Trump is dead set on ensuring that they choose the United States over China as the world moves towards a more multi-polar reality.

Many are calling the events of this week the Riyadh Accords. There were many deals that were struck in relation to artificial intelligence, defense, energy and direct investments in the United States. A truly prolific power play and demonstration of deal-making ability of Donald Trump, if you ask me. Though I will admit some of the numbers that were thrown out by some of the countries were a bit egregious. We shall see how everything plays out in the coming years. It will be interesting to see how China reacts to this power move by the United States.

While all this was going on, there was something happening back in the United States that many people outside of fringe corners of FinTwit are not talking about, which is the fact that the 10-year and 30-year U.S. Treasury bond yields are back on the rise. Yesterday, they surpassed the levels of mid-April that caused a market panic and are hovering back around levels that have not been seen since right before Donald Trump's inauguration.

I imagine that there isn't as much of an uproar right now because I'm pretty confident the media freakouts we were experiencing in mid-April were driven by the fact that many large hedge funds found themselves off sides of large levered basis trades. I wouldn't be surprised if those funds have decreased their leverage in those trades and bond yields being back to mid-April levels is not affecting those funds as much as they were last month. But the point stands, the 10-year and 30-year yields are significantly elevated with the 30-year approaching 5%. Regardless of the deals that are currently being made in the Middle East, the Treasury has a big problem on its hands. It still has to roll over many trillions worth of debt over over the next few years and doing so at these rates is going to be massively detrimental to fiscal deficits over the next decade. The interest expense on the debt is set to explode in the coming years.

On that note, data from the first quarter of 2025 has been released by the government and despite all the posturing by the Trump administration around DOGE and how tariffs are going to be beneficial for the U.S. economy, deficits are continuing to explode while the interest expense on the debt has definitively surpassed our annual defense budget.

via Charlie Bilello

via Mohamed Al-Erian

To make matters worse, as things are deteriorating on the fiscal side of things, the U.S. consumer is getting crushed by credit. The 90-plus day delinquency rates for credit card and auto loans are screaming higher right now.

via TXMC

One has to wonder how long all this can continue without some sort of liquidity crunch. Even though equities markets have recovered from their post-Liberation Day month long bear market, I would not be surprised if what we're witnessing is a dead cat bounce that can only be continued if the money printers are turned back on. Something's got to give, both on the fiscal side and in the private markets where the Common Man is getting crushed because he's been forced to take on insane amounts of debt to stay afloat after years of elevated levels of inflation. Add on the fact that AI has reached a state of maturity that will enable companies to replace their current meat suit workers with an army of cheap, efficient and fast digital workers and it isn't hard to see that some sort of employment crisis could be on the horizon as well.

Now is not the time to get complacent. While I do believe that the deals that are currently being made in the Middle East are probably in the best interest of the United States as the world, again, moves toward a more multi-polar reality, we are facing problems that one cannot simply wish away. They will need to be confronted. And as we've seen throughout the 21st century, the problems are usually met head-on with a money printer.

I take no pleasure in saying this because it is a bit uncouth to be gleeful to benefit from the strife of others, but it is pretty clear to me that all signs are pointing to bitcoin benefiting massively from everything that is going on. The shift towards a more multi-polar world, the runaway debt situation here in the United States, the increasing deficits, the AI job replacements and the consumer credit crisis that is currently unfolding, All will need to be "solved" by turning on the money printers to levels they've never been pushed to before.

Weird times we're living in.

China's Manufacturing Dominance: Why It Matters for the U.S.

In my recent conversation with Lyn Alden, she highlighted how China has rapidly ascended the manufacturing value chain. As Lyn pointed out, China transformed from making "sneakers and plastic trinkets" to becoming the world's largest auto exporter in just four years. This dramatic shift represents more than economic success—it's a strategic power play. China now dominates solar panel production with greater market control than OPEC has over oil and maintains near-monopoly control of rare earth elements crucial for modern technology.

"China makes like 10 times more steel than the United States does... which is relevant in ship making. It's relevant in all sorts of stuff." - Lyn Alden

Perhaps most concerning, as Lyn emphasized, is China's financial leverage. They hold substantial U.S. assets that could be strategically sold to disrupt U.S. treasury market functioning. This combination of manufacturing dominance, resource control, and financial leverage gives China significant negotiating power in any trade disputes, making our attempts to reshoring manufacturing all the more challenging.

Check out the full podcast here for more on Triffin's dilemma, Bitcoin's role in monetary transition, and the energy requirements for rebuilding America's industrial base.

Headlines of the Day

Financial Times Under Fire Over MicroStrategy Bitcoin Coverage - via X

Trump in Qatar: Historic Boeing Deal Signed - via X

Get our new STACK SATS hat - via tftcmerch.io

Johnson Backs Stock Trading Ban; Passage Chances Slim - via X

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Ten31, the largest bitcoin-focused investor, has deployed 158,469 sats | $150.00M across 30+ companies through three funds. I am a Managing Partner at Ten31 and am very proud of the work we are doing. Learn more at ten31.vc/invest.

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Final thought...

Building things of value is satisfying.

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@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Good morning (good night?)! The No Bullshit Bitcoin news feed is now available on Moody's Dashboard! A huge shoutout to sir Clark Moody for integrating our feed.

Headlines

• Spiral welcomes Ben Carman. The developer will work on the LDK server and a new SDK designed to simplify the onboarding process for new self-custodial Bitcoin users.

• The Bitcoin Dev Kit Foundation announced new corporate members for 2025, including AnchorWatch, CleanSpark, and Proton Foundation. The annual dues from these corporate members fund the small team of open-source developers responsible for maintaining the core BDK libraries and related free and open-source software (FOSS) projects.
• Strategy increases Bitcoin holdings to 538,200 BTC. In the latest purchase, the company has spent more than $555M to buy 6,556 coins through proceeds of two at-the-market stock offering programs.
• Spar supermarket experiments with Bitcoin payments in Zug, Switzerland. The store has introduced a new payment method powered by the Lightning Network. The implementation was facilitated by DFX Swiss, a service that supports seamless conversions between bitcoin and legacy currencies.

• The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) wants to contain 'crypto' risks. A report titled "Cryptocurrencies and Decentralised Finance: Functions and Financial Stability Implications" calls for expanding research into "how new forms of central bank money, capital controls, and taxation policies can counter the risks of widespread crypto adoption while still fostering technological innovation."
• "Global Implications of Scam Centres, Underground Banking, and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast Asia." According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, criminal organizations from East and Southeast Asia are swiftly extending their global reach. These groups are moving beyond traditional scams and trafficking, creating sophisticated online networks that include unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges, encrypted communication platforms, and stablecoins, fueling a massive fraud economy on an industrial scale.
• Slovenia is considering a 25% capital gains tax on Bitcoin profits for individuals. The Ministry of Finance has proposed legislation to impose this tax on gains from cryptocurrency transactions, though exchanging one cryptocurrency for another would remain exempt. At present, individual 'crypto' traders in Slovenia are not taxed.
• Circle, BitGo, Coinbase, and Paxos plan to apply for U.S. bank charters or licenses. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, major crypto companies are planning to apply for U.S. bank charters or licenses. These firms are pursuing limited licenses that would permit them to issue stablecoins, as the U.S. Congress deliberates on legislation mandating licensing for stablecoin issuers.

"Established banks, like Bank of America, are hoping to amend the current drafts of [stablecoin] legislation in such a way that nonbanks are more heavily restricted from issuing stablecoins," people familiar with the matter told The Block.

• Charles Schwab to launch spot Bitcoin trading by 2026. The financial investment firm, managing over $10 trillion in assets, has revealed plans to introduce spot Bitcoin trading for its clients within the next year.

Use the tools

• Bitcoin Safe v1.2.3 expands QR SignMessage compatibility for all QR-UR-compatible hardware signers (SpecterDIY, KeyStone, Passport, Jade; already supported COLDCARD Q). It also adds the ability to import wallets via QR, ensuring compatibility with Keystone's latest firmware (2.0.6), alongside other improvements.
• Minibits v0.2.2-beta, an ecash wallet for Android devices, packages many changes to align the project with the planned iOS app release. New features and improvements include the ability to lock ecash to a receiver's pubkey, faster confirmations of ecash minting and payments thanks to WebSockets, UI-related fixes, and more.
• Zeus v0.11.0-alpha1 introduces Cashu wallets tied to embedded LND wallets. Navigate to Settings > Ecash to enable it. Other wallet types can still sweep funds from Cashu tokens. Zeus Pay now supports Cashu address types in Zaplocker, Cashu, and NWC modes.
• LNDg v1.10.0, an advanced web interface designed for analyzing Lightning Network Daemon (LND) data and automating node management tasks, introduces performance improvements, adds a new metrics page for unprofitable and stuck channels, and displays warnings for batch openings. The Profit and Loss Chart has been updated to include on-chain costs. Advanced settings have been added for users who would like their channel database size to be read remotely (the default remains local). Additionally, the AutoFees tool now uses aggregated pubkey metrics for multiple channels with the same peer.
• Nunchuk Desktop v1.9.45 release brings the latest bug fixes and improvements.
• Blockstream Green iOS v4.1.8 has renamed L-BTC to LBTC, and improves translations of notifications, login time, and background payments.
• Blockstream Green Android v4.1.8 has added language preference in App Settings and enables an Android data backup option for disaster recovery. Additionally, it fixes issues with Jade entry point PIN timeout and Trezor passphrase input.
• Torq v2.2.2, an advanced Lightning node management software designed to handle large nodes with over 1000 channels, fixes bugs that caused channel balance to not be updated in some cases and channel "peer total local balance" not getting updated.
• Stack Wallet v2.1.12, a multicoin wallet by Cypher Stack, fixes an issue with Xelis introduced in the latest release for Windows.
• ESP-Miner-NerdQAxePlus v1.0.29.1, a forked version from the NerdAxe miner that was modified for use on the NerdQAxe+, is now available.
• Zark enables sending sats to an npub using Bark.

• Erk is a novel variation of the Ark protocol that completely removes the need for user interactivity in rounds, addressing one of Ark's key limitations: the requirement for users to come online before their VTXOs expire.
• Aegis v0.1.1 is now available. It is a Nostr event signer app for iOS devices.
• Nostash is a NIP-07 Nostr signing extension for Safari. It is a fork of Nostore and is maintained by Terry Yiu. Available on iOS TestFlight.
• Amber v3.2.8, a Nostr event signer for Android, delivers the latest fixes and improvements.
• Nostur v1.20.0, a Nostr client for iOS, adds

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

This update brings key enhancements for clarity and usability:

• Recent Blocks View: Added to the Send tab and inspired by Mempool's visualization, it displays the last 2 blocks and the estimated next block to help choose fee rates.
• Camera System Overhaul: Features a new library for higher resolution detection and mouse-scroll zoom support when available.
• Vector-Based Images: All app images are now vectorized and theme-aware, enhancing contrast, especially in dark mode.
• Tor & P2A Updates: Upgraded internal Tor and improved support for pay-to-anchor (P2A) outputs.
• Linux Package Rename: For Linux users, Sparrow has been renamed to sparrowwallet (or sparrowserver); in some cases, the original sparrow package may need manual removal.
• Additional updates include showing total payments in multi-payment transaction diagrams, better handling of long labels, and other UI enhancements.

• Sparrow v2.2.1 is a bug fix release that addresses missing UUID issue when starting Tor on recent macOS versions, icons for external sources in Settings and Recent Blocks view, repackaged .deb installs to use older gzip instead of zstd compression, and removed display of median fee rate where fee rates source is set to Server.

Learn how to get started with Sparrow wallet:

Release notes (v2.2.0)

• Added Recent Blocks view to Send tab.
• Converted all bitmapped images to theme aware SVG format for all wallet models and dialogs.
• Support send and display of pay to anchor (P2A) outputs.
• Renamed sparrow package to sparrowwallet and sparrowserver on Linux.
• Switched camera library to openpnp-capture.
• Support FHD (1920 x 1080) and UHD4k (3840 x 2160) capture resolutions.
• Support camera zoom with mouse scroll where possible.
• In the Download Verifier, prefer verifying the dropped file over the default file where the file is not in the manifest.
• Show a warning (with an option to disable the check) when importing a wallet with a derivation path matching another script type.
• In Cormorant, avoid calling the listwalletdir RPC on initialization due to a potentially slow response on Windows.
• Avoid server address resolution for public servers.
• Assume server address is non local for resolution failures where a proxy is configured.
• Added a tooltip to indicate truncated labels in table cells.
• Dynamically truncate input and output labels in the tree on a transaction tab, and add tooltips if necessary.
• Improved tooltips for wallet tabs and transaction diagrams with long labels.
• Show the address where available on input and output tooltips in transaction tab tree.
• Show the total amount sent in payments in the transaction diagram when constructing multiple payment transactions.
• Reset preferred table column widths on adjustment to improve handling after window resizing.
• Added accessible text to improve screen reader navigation on seed entry.
• Made Wallet Summary table grow horizontally with dialog sizing.
• Reduced tooltip show delay to 200ms.
• Show transaction diagram fee percentage as less than 0.01% rather than 0.00%.
• Optimized and reduced Electrum server RPC calls.
• Upgraded Bouncy Castle, PGPainless and Logback libraries.
• Upgraded internal Tor to v0.4.8.16.
• Bug fix: Fixed issue with random ordering of keystore origins on labels import.
• Bug fix: Fixed non-zero account script type detection when signing a message on Trezor devices.
• Bug fix: Fixed issue parsing remote Coldcard xpub encoded on a different network.
• Bug fix: Fixed inclusion of fees on wallet label exports.
• Bug fix: Increase Trezor device libusb timeout.

Linux users: Note that the sparrow package has been renamed to sparrowwallet or sparrowserver, and in some cases you may need to manually uninstall the original sparrow package. Look in the /opt folder to ensure you have the new name, and the original is removed.

What's new in v2.2.1

• Updated Tor library to fix missing UUID issue when starting Tor on recent macOS versions.
• Repackaged .deb installs to use older gzip instead of zstd compression.
• Removed display of median fee rate where fee rates source is set to Server.
• Added icons for external sources in Settings and Recent Blocks view
• Bug fix: Fixed issue in Recent Blocks view when switching fee rates source
• Bug fix: Fixed NPE on null fee returned from server

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ a10260a2:caa23e3e

Last Updated: May 31, 2025

First off, big shoutout to Coinos for having support for adding a memo to BOLT12 offers. This provides a solid alternative for the pleb who wants to support mining decentralization but doesn’t want to set up a CLN node and pay thousands of sats for a channel only to get little rewards. This is the case for most of us who only have a miner or two (e.g. a Bitaxe and/or an S9).

Before we get into setting up Lightning payouts, you’ll want to have your miner configured to mine with OCEAN of course. You’ll also want to make sure that the bitcoin address you use is from a wallet that supports signing messages.

These are the ones listed in the OCEAN docs:

• Bitcoin Knots/Bitcoin Core
• Coldcard
• Electrum
• LND (Command Line)
• Seedsigner
• Sparrow
• Specter
• Trezor

I checked one of my favorite, user-friendly wallets — Blue Wallet — and it happens to support signing messages as well.

Just tap the three dots on the upper right and you’ll see the “Sign/Verify Message” button at the bottom.

Update [January 18]: You can now use Coinos to sign by going to https://coinos.io/sign

The trick here is to not refresh the page. In other words, when you're logged in to your Coinos account, go to the URL and use the legacy address (starts with a "1") that's displayed to configure your miner(s). If you refresh the page, you're going to get a new address which will cause the signing to fail later on. Remember, keep the tab open and don't refresh the page.

Whichever wallet you choose, generate a receive address to use when configuring your miner (it’ll also be your OCEAN username).

Here’s how it looks on the Bitaxe (AxeOS)…

And the Antminer S9 (Braiins OS).

NOTE: There’s a slight difference in the URL format between the two apps. Other than that, the username will be your bitcoin address followed by the optional “.” + the nickname for your machine.

You can find more details on OCEAN’s get started page.

---

Alright, now that your miner is pointed at OCEAN. Let’s configure Lightning payouts!

Generating the BOLT12 Offer

In the Coinos app, go to Receive > Bolt 12. This should be opened in another tab from the one we're using to sign the the configuration message.

Tap “Set memo” and set it to “OCEAN Payouts for [insert your bitcoin address]” (this text is case-sensitive). Use the same bitcoin address you used above to configure your miner(s).

After tapping OK, copy the BOLT12 offer (it should start with “lno”) and proceed to the next step.

Generating the Configuration Message

Navigate to the My Stats page by searching for your OCEAN Bitcoin address.

The click the Configuration link next to Next Block to access the configuration form.

Paste the BOLT12 offer here, update the block height to latest, click GENERATE, and copy the generated unsigned message.

Signing the Configuration Message

To sign the generated message, go back to Blue Wallet and use the signing function. Paste the configuration message in the Message field, tap Sign, and copy the signed message that’s generated.

If you're using Coinos to sign, return to the page that you kept open (and didn't refresh) and do the same. Paste the configuration message, click submit, and copy the signed message.

Submitting the Signed Message

Once signed, copy the signature, paste it in the OCEAN configuration form, and click CONFIRM.

If all goes well, you should see a confirmation that the configuration was successful. Congrats! 🎉

All you gotta do now is sit back, relax, and wait for a block to be found…

Or you can look into setting up DATUM. 😎

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

What is KYC/AML?

• The acronym stands for Know Your Customer / Anti Money Laundering.
• In practice it stands for the surveillance measures companies are often compelled to take against their customers by financial regulators.
• Methods differ but often include: Passport Scans, Driver License Uploads, Social Security Numbers, Home Address, Phone Number, Face Scans.
• Bitcoin companies will also store all withdrawal and deposit addresses which can then be used to track bitcoin transactions on the bitcoin block chain.
• This data is then stored and shared. Regulations often require companies to hold this information for a set number of years but in practice users should assume this data will be held indefinitely. Data is often stored insecurely, which results in frequent hacks and leaks.  
• KYC/AML data collection puts all honest users at risk of theft, extortion, and persecution while being ineffective at stopping crime. Criminals often use counterfeit, bought, or stolen credentials to get around the requirements. Criminals can buy "verified" accounts for as little as $200. Furthermore, billions of people are excluded from financial services as a result of KYC/AML requirements.

During the early days of bitcoin most services did not require this sensitive user data, but as adoption increased so did the surveillance measures. At this point, most large bitcoin companies are collecting and storing massive lists of bitcoiners, our sensitive personal information, and our transaction history.

Lists of Bitcoiners

KYC/AML policies are a direct attack on bitcoiners. Lists of bitcoiners and our transaction history will inevitably be used against us.

Once you are on a list with your bitcoin transaction history that record will always exist. Generally speaking, tracking bitcoin is based on probability analysis of ownership change. Surveillance firms use various heuristics to determine if you are sending bitcoin to yourself or if ownership is actually changing hands.  You can obtain better privacy going forward by using collaborative transactions such as coinjoin to break this probability analysis.

Fortunately, you can buy bitcoin without providing intimate personal information. Tools such as peach, hodlhodl, robosats, azteco and bisq help; mining is also a solid option: anyone can plug a miner into power and internet and earn bitcoin by mining privately.

You can also earn bitcoin by providing goods and/or services that can be purchased with bitcoin. Long term, circular economies will mitigate this threat: most people will not buy bitcoin - they will earn bitcoin - most people will not sell bitcoin - they will spend bitcoin.

There is no such thing as KYC or No KYC bitcoin, there are bitcoiners on lists and those that are not on lists.

---

If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

Bitcoin FilmFest (BFF25) returns to Warsaw for its third edition, blending independent cinema—from feature films and commercials to AI-driven experimental visuals—with education and entertainment.

Hundreds of attendees from around the world will gather for three days of screenings, discussions, workshops, and networking at the iconic Kinoteka Cinema (PKiN), the same venue that hosted the festival’s first two editions in March 2023 and April 2024.

This year’s festival, themed “Beyond the Frame,” introduces new dimensions to its program, including an extra day on May 22 to celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day, the first real-world bitcoin transaction, with what promises to be one of Europe’s largest commemorations of this milestone.

BFF25 bridges independent film, culture, and technology, with a bold focus on decentralized storytelling and creative expression. As a community-driven cultural experience with a slightly rebellious spirit, Bitcoin FilmFest goes beyond movies, yet cinema remains at its heart.

Here’s a sneak peek at the lineup, specially curated for movie buffs:

Generative Cinema –  A special slot with exclusive shorts and a thematic debate on the intersection of AI and filmmaking. Featured titles include, for example: BREAK FREE, SATOSHI: THE CREATION OF BITCOIN, STRANGE CURRENCIES, and BITCOIN IS THE MYCELIUM OF MONEY,  exploring financial independence, traps of the fiat system, and a better future built on sound money.

Upcoming Productions Preview – A bit over an hour-long block of unreleased pilots and works-in-progress. Attendees will get exclusive first looks at projects like FINDING HOME (a travel-meets-personal-journey series), PARALLEL SPACES (a story about alternative communities), and THE LEGEND OF LANDI (a mysterious narrative).

Freedom-Focused Ads & Campaigns – Unique screenings of video commercials, animations, and visual projects, culminating in “The PoWies” (Proof of Work-ies)—the first ever awards show honoring the best Bitcoin-only awareness campaigns.

To get an idea of what might come up at the event, here, you can preview 6 selected ads combined into two 2 videos:

• Unique Bitcoin-Video Ads: Part One
• Unique Bitcoin-Video Ads: Part Two

Open Pitch Competition – A chance for filmmakers to present fresh ideas and unfinished projects to an audience of a dedicated jury, movie fans and potential collaborators. This competitive block isn’t just entertaining—it’s a real opportunity for creators to secure funding and partnerships.

Golden Rabbit Awards: A lively gala honoring films from the festival’s Official Selection, with awards in categories like Best Feature, Best Story, Best Short, and Audience Choice.

BFF25 Main Screenings

Sample titles from BFF25’s Official Selection:

REVOLUCIÓN BITCOIN – A documentary by Juan Pablo, making its first screening outside the Spanish-speaking world in Warsaw this May. Three years of important work, 80 powerful minutes to experience. The film explores Bitcoin’s impact across Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, and Spain through around 40 diverse perspectives. Screening in Spanish with English subtitles, followed by a Q&A with the director.

UNBANKABLE – Luke Willms’ directorial debut, drawing from his multicultural roots and his father’s pioneering HIV/AIDS research. An investigative documentary based on Luke’s journeys through seven African countries, diving into financial experiments and innovations—from mobile money and digital lending to Bitcoin—raising smart questions and offering potential lessons for the West. Its May appearance at BFF25 marks its largest European event to date, following festival screenings and nominations across multiple continents over the past year.

HOTEL BITCOIN – A Spanish comedy directed by Manuel Sanabria and Carlos “Pocho” Villaverde. Four friends, 4,000 bitcoins , and one laptop spark a chaotic adventure of parties, love, crime, and a dash of madness. Exploring sound money, value, and relationships through a twisting plot. The film premiered at the Tarazona and Moncayo Comedy Film Festival in August 2024. Its Warsaw screening at BFF25 (in Spanish with English subtitles) marks its first public showing outside the Spanish-speaking world.

Check out trailers for this year’s BFF25 and past editions on YouTube.

Tickets & Info:

• Detailed program and tickets are available at bitcoinfilmfest.com/bff25.
• Stay updated via the festival’s official channels (links provided on the website).
• Use ‘LN-NEWS’ to get 10% of tickets

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The blockchain analytics firm claims to have identified the Bitcoin addresses held by the company led by Saylor.

Arkham Intelligence announced it had identified addresses linked to Strategy. According to Arkham’s statements, an additional 70,816 BTC connected to the company have been identified, with an estimated value of around $7.6 billion at current prices. This discovery would bring the total amount of Strategy’s identified holdings to $54.5 billion.

SAYLOR SAID HE WOULD NEVER REVEAL HIS ADDRESSES … SO WE DID

We have identified an additional 70,816 BTC belonging to Strategy, bringing our total identified MSTR BTC holdings to $54.5 Billion. We are the first to publicly identify these holdings.

This represents 87.5% of… pic.twitter.com/P3OVdVrhQL

— Arkham (@arkham) May 28, 2025

The analytics firm claims to have mapped 87.5% of Strategy’s total holdings. In a provocative post on X, Arkham wrote:

“Saylor said he would never reveal his addresses. So, we did it for him.
Previously, we tagged:
– 107,000 BTC sent to MSTR’s Fidelity deposits (Fidelity does not segregate custody, so these BTC do not appear in the MSTR entity)
– Over 327,000 BTC held in segregated custody, including Coinbase Prime, in our MSTR entity.”

Arkham’s revelations directly clash with Michael Saylor’s public statements on wallet security. During the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, the Strategy chairman explicitly warned against publishing corporate wallet addresses.

“No institutional or enterprise security analyst would ever think it’s a good idea to publish all the wallet addresses so you can be tracked back and forth,” Saylor said during the event.

The executive chairman of Strategy added:

“The current, conventional way to publish proof-of-reserves is an insecure proof of reserves… It’s not a good idea, it’s a bad idea.”

He compared publishing wallet addresses to “publishing the addresses, bank accounts, and phone numbers of your kids hoping it will protect them — when in fact it makes them more vulnerable.”

Finally, the executive chairman suggested using artificial intelligence to explore the security implications of such a practice, claiming that in-depth research could produce “50 pages” of potential security risks.

The post Arkham reveals 87% of Strategy’s Bitcoin addresses appeared first on Atlas21.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

• This version introduces the Soroban P2P network, enabling Dojo to relay transactions to the Bitcoin network and share others' transactions to break the heuristic linking relaying nodes to transaction creators.

• Additionally, Dojo admins can now manage API keys in DMT with labels, status, and expiration, ideal for community Dojo providers like Dojobay. New API endpoints, including "/services" exposing Explorer, Soroban, and Indexer, have been added to aid wallet developers.
• Other maintenance updates include Bitcoin Core, Tor, Fulcrum, Node.js, plus an updated ban-knots script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.

"I want to thank all the contributors. This again shows the power of true Free Software. I also want to thank everyone who donated to help Dojo development going. I truly appreciate it," said Still Dojo Coder.

What's new

• Soroban P2P network. For MyDojo (Docker setup) users, Soroban will be automatically installed as part of their Dojo. This integration allows Dojo to utilize the Soroban P2P network for various upcoming features and applications.
• PandoTx. PandoTx serves as a transaction transport layer. When your wallet sends a transaction to Dojo, it is relayed to a random Soroban node, which then forwards it to the Bitcoin network. It also enables your Soroban node to receive and relay transactions from others to the Bitcoin network and is designed to disrupt the assumption that a node relaying a transaction is closely linked to the person who initiated it.
  • Pushing transactions through Soroban can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PUSH=off in docker-node.conf.
  • Processing incoming transactions from Soroban network can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PROCESS=off in docker-node.conf.
• API key management has been introduced to address the growing number of people offering their Dojos to the community. Dojo admins can now access a new API management tab in their DMT, where they can create unlimited API keys, assign labels for easy identification, and set expiration dates for each key. This allows admins to avoid sharing their main API key and instead distribute specific keys to selected parties.
• New API endpoints. Several new API endpoints have been added to help API consumers develop features on Dojo more efficiently:
  • New:
    • /latest-block - returns data about latest block
    • /txout/:txid/:index - returns unspent output data
    • /support/services - returns info about services that Dojo exposes
  • Updated:
    • /tx/:txid - endpoint has been updated to return raw transaction with parameter ?rawHex=1
  • The new /support/services endpoint replaces the deprecated explorer field in the Dojo pairing payload. Although still present, API consumers should use this endpoint for explorer and other pairing data.

Other changes

• Updated ban script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.
• Updated Fulcrum to v1.12.0.
• Regenerate Fulcrum certificate if expired.
• Check if transaction already exists in pushTx.
• Bump BTC-RPC Explorer.
• Bump Tor to v0.4.8.16, bump Snowflake.
• Updated Bitcoin Core to v29.0.
• Removed unnecessary middleware.
• Fixed DB update mechanism, added api_keys table.
• Add an option to use blocksdir config for bitcoin blocks directory.
• Removed deprecated configuration.
• Updated Node.js dependencies.
• Reconfigured container dependencies.
• Fix Snowflake git URL.
• Fix log path for testnet4.
• Use prebuilt addrindexrs binaries.
• Add instructions to migrate blockchain/fulcrum.
• Added pull policies.

#FREESAMOURAI

Learn how to set up and use your own Bitcoin privacy node with Dojo here.

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ c2865f41:eaff678a

Unwilling to investigate. No interpellation of neighbors, witnesses, experts. No report emitted commenting on the petition, but just ignoring to answer. As such O.S.R. calls upon the justice system to address the wrongs. The analog drawing of geometer at the time of entree in the register of the O.S.R property

See the map attached, it is annotated and self-explaining, could not be clearer. O.S.R challenges the court to convoke when still alive), and any explanation he can give as to his drawing, now ignored by the same instance(Plav Cadastre) that mandated him in the first place. The example record

See attachment: the example record is out of a Swiss register, note the precise identity and details, address etc. of the owner of said parcel. That is what the constitution of Montenegro subscribes to: to have similar practices respected. The trail into the forest See attachment, another supporting map, as an example of the practices that are pertinent to justify an immediate injunction by the court, of all activities on the contested parcels.

@ 2e8970de:63345c7a

Enfortumab Vedotin and Pembrolizumab doubled survival rates, with fewer serious side effects in advanced bladder cancer.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2312117

https://stacker.news/items/993799

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0

A seguir, veja como instalar e configurar o Privoxy no Pop!_OS.

---

1. Instalar o Tor e o Privoxy

Abra o terminal e execute:

bash sudo apt update sudo apt install tor privoxy

Explicação:

• Tor: Roteia o tráfego pela rede Tor.
• Privoxy: Proxy avançado que intermedia a conexão entre aplicativos e o Tor.

---

2. Configurar o Privoxy

Abra o arquivo de configuração do Privoxy:

bash sudo nano /etc/privoxy/config

Navegue até a última linha (atalho: Ctrl + / depois Ctrl + V para navegar diretamente até a última linha) e insira:

bash forward-socks5 / 127.0.0.1:9050 .

Isso faz com que o Privoxy envie todo o tráfego para o Tor através da porta 9050.

Salve (CTRL + O e Enter) e feche (CTRL + X) o arquivo.

---

3. Iniciar o Tor e o Privoxy

Agora, inicie e habilite os serviços:

bash sudo systemctl start tor sudo systemctl start privoxy sudo systemctl enable tor sudo systemctl enable privoxy

Explicação:

• start: Inicia os serviços.
• enable: Faz com que iniciem automaticamente ao ligar o PC.

---

4. Configurar o Navegador Firefox

Para usar a rede Tor com o Firefox:

1. Abra o Firefox.
2. Acesse Configurações → Configurar conexão.
3. Selecione Configuração manual de proxy.
4. Configure assim:
   • Proxy HTTP: 127.0.0.1
   • Porta: 8118 (porta padrão do Privoxy)
   • Domínio SOCKS (v5): 127.0.0.1
   • Porta: 9050
5. Marque a opção "Usar este proxy também em HTTPS".
6. Clique em OK.

---

5. Verificar a Conexão com o Tor

Abra o navegador e acesse:

text https://check.torproject.org/

Se aparecer a mensagem "Congratulations. This browser is configured to use Tor.", a configuração está correta.

---

Dicas Extras

• Privoxy pode ser ajustado para bloquear anúncios e rastreadores.
• Outros aplicativos também podem ser configurados para usar o Privoxy.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

People forget Bear Stearns failed March 2008 - months of denial followed before the public realized how bad the situation was under the surface.

Similar happening now but much larger scale. They did not fix fundamental issues after 2008 - everything is more fragile.

The Fed preemptively bailed out every bank with their BTFP program and First Republic Bank still failed. The second largest bank failure in history.

There will be more failures. There will be more bailouts. Depositors will be "protected" by socializing losses across everyone.

Our President and mainstream financial pundits are currently pretending the banking crisis is over while most banks remain insolvent. There are going to be many more bank failures as this ponzi system unravels.

Unlike 2008, we have the ability to opt out of these broken and corrupt institutions by using bitcoin. Bitcoin held in self custody is unique in its lack of counterparty risk - you do not have to trust a bank or other centralized entity to hold it for you. Bitcoin is also incredibly difficult to change by design since it is not controlled by an individual, company, or government - the supply of dollars will inevitably be inflated to bailout these failing banks but bitcoin supply will remain unchanged. I do not need to convince you that bitcoin provides value - these next few years will convince millions.

---

If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

Starting January 1, 2026, the United Kingdom will impose some of the world’s most stringent reporting requirements on cryptocurrency firms.

All platforms operating in or serving UK customers-domestic and foreign alike-must collect and disclose extensive personal and transactional data for every user, including individuals, companies, trusts, and charities. 

This regulatory drive marks the UK’s formal adoption of the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), a global initiative designed to bring crypto oversight in line with traditional banking and to curb tax evasion in the rapidly expanding digital asset sector.

What Will Be Reported?

Crypto firms must gather and submit the following for each transaction:

• User’s full legal name, home address, and taxpayer identification number
• Detailed data on every trade or transfer: type of cryptocurrency, amount, and nature of the transaction
• Identifying information for corporate, trust, and charitable clients

The obligation extends to all digital asset activities, including crypto-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat trades, and applies to both UK residents and non-residents using UK-based platforms. The first annual reports covering 2026 activity are due by May 31, 2027.

Enforcement and Penalties

Non-compliance will carry stiff financial penalties, with fines of up to £300 per user account for inaccurate or missing data-a potentially enormous liability for large exchanges. The UK government has urged crypto firms to begin collecting this information immediately to ensure operational readiness.

Regulatory Context and Market Impact

This move is part of a broader UK strategy to position itself as a global fintech hub while clamping down on fraud and illicit finance. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has championed these measures, stating, “Britain is open for business – but closed to fraud, abuse, and instability”. The regulatory expansion comes amid a surge in crypto adoption: the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority reported that 12% of UK adults owned crypto in 2024, up from just 4% in 2021.

Enormous Risks for Consumers: Lessons from the Coinbase Data Breach

While the new framework aims to enhance transparency and protect consumers, it also dramatically increases the volume of sensitive personal data held by crypto firms-raising the stakes for cybersecurity.

The risks are underscored by the recent high-profile breach at Coinbase, one of the world’s largest exchanges.

In May 2025, Coinbase disclosed that cybercriminals, aided by bribed offshore contractors, accessed and exfiltrated customer data including names, addresses, government IDs, and partial bank details. 

The attackers then used this information for sophisticated phishing campaigns, successfully deceiving some customers into surrendering account credentials and funds.

“While private encryption keys remained secure, sufficient customer information was exposed to enable sophisticated phishing attacks by criminals posing as Coinbase personnel.”

Coinbase now faces up to $400 million in compensation costs and has pledged to reimburse affected users, but the incident highlights the systemic vulnerability created when large troves of personal data are centralized-even if passwords and private keys are not directly compromised. The breach also triggered a notable drop in Coinbase’s share price and prompted a $20 million bounty for information leading to the attackers’ capture.

The Bottom Line

The UK’s forthcoming crypto reporting regime represents a landmark in financial regulation, promising greater transparency and tax compliance. However, as the Coinbase episode demonstrates, the aggregation of sensitive user data at scale poses a significant cybersecurity risk.

As regulators push for more oversight, the challenge will be ensuring that consumer protection does not become a double-edged sword-exposing users to new threats even as it seeks to shield them from old ones.

@ 9e69e420:d12360c2

Oregano oil is a potent natural compound that offers numerous scientifically-supported health benefits.

Active Compounds

The oil's therapeutic properties stem from its key bioactive components: - Carvacrol and thymol (primary active compounds) - Polyphenols and other antioxidant

Antimicrobial Properties

Bacterial Protection The oil demonstrates powerful antibacterial effects, even against antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA and other harmful bacteria. Studies show it effectively inactivates various pathogenic bacteria without developing resistance.

Antifungal Effects It effectively combats fungal infections, particularly Candida-related conditions like oral thrush, athlete's foot, and nail infections.

Digestive Health Benefits

Oregano oil supports digestive wellness by: - Promoting gastric juice secretion and enzyme production - Helping treat Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) - Managing digestive discomfort, bloating, and IBS symptoms

Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects

The oil provides significant protective benefits through: - Powerful antioxidant activity that fights free radicals - Reduction of inflammatory markers in the body - Protection against oxidative stress-related conditions

Respiratory Support

It aids respiratory health by: - Loosening mucus and phlegm - Suppressing coughs and throat irritation - Supporting overall respiratory tract function

Additional Benefits

Skin Health - Improves conditions like psoriasis, acne, and eczema - Supports wound healing through antibacterial action - Provides anti-aging benefits through antioxidant properties

Cardiovascular Health Studies show oregano oil may help: - Reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels - Support overall heart health

Pain Management The oil demonstrates effectiveness in: - Reducing inflammation-related pain - Managing muscle discomfort - Providing topical pain relief

Safety Note

While oregano oil is generally safe, it's highly concentrated and should be properly diluted before use Consult a healthcare provider before starting supplementation, especially if taking other medications.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

Starting January 1, 2026, the United Kingdom will impose some of the world’s most stringent reporting requirements on cryptocurrency firms.

All platforms operating in or serving UK customers-domestic and foreign alike-must collect and disclose extensive personal and transactional data for every user, including individuals, companies, trusts, and charities. 

This regulatory drive marks the UK’s formal adoption of the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), a global initiative designed to bring crypto oversight in line with traditional banking and to curb tax evasion in the rapidly expanding digital asset sector.

What Will Be Reported?

Crypto firms must gather and submit the following for each transaction:

• User’s full legal name, home address, and taxpayer identification number
• Detailed data on every trade or transfer: type of cryptocurrency, amount, and nature of the transaction
• Identifying information for corporate, trust, and charitable clients

The obligation extends to all digital asset activities, including crypto-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat trades, and applies to both UK residents and non-residents using UK-based platforms. The first annual reports covering 2026 activity are due by May 31, 2027.

Enforcement and Penalties

Non-compliance will carry stiff financial penalties, with fines of up to £300 per user account for inaccurate or missing data-a potentially enormous liability for large exchanges. The UK government has urged crypto firms to begin collecting this information immediately to ensure operational readiness.

Regulatory Context and Market Impact

This move is part of a broader UK strategy to position itself as a global fintech hub while clamping down on fraud and illicit finance. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has championed these measures, stating, “Britain is open for business – but closed to fraud, abuse, and instability”. The regulatory expansion comes amid a surge in crypto adoption: the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority reported that 12% of UK adults owned crypto in 2024, up from just 4% in 2021.

Enormous Risks for Consumers: Lessons from the Coinbase Data Breach

While the new framework aims to enhance transparency and protect consumers, it also dramatically increases the volume of sensitive personal data held by crypto firms-raising the stakes for cybersecurity.

The risks are underscored by the recent high-profile breach at Coinbase, one of the world’s largest exchanges.

In May 2025, Coinbase disclosed that cybercriminals, aided by bribed offshore contractors, accessed and exfiltrated customer data including names, addresses, government IDs, and partial bank details. 

The attackers then used this information for sophisticated phishing campaigns, successfully deceiving some customers into surrendering account credentials and funds.

“While private encryption keys remained secure, sufficient customer information was exposed to enable sophisticated phishing attacks by criminals posing as Coinbase personnel.”

Coinbase now faces up to $400 million in compensation costs and has pledged to reimburse affected users, but the incident highlights the systemic vulnerability created when large troves of personal data are centralized-even if passwords and private keys are not directly compromised. The breach also triggered a notable drop in Coinbase’s share price and prompted a $20 million bounty for information leading to the attackers’ capture.

The Bottom Line

The UK’s forthcoming crypto reporting regime represents a landmark in financial regulation, promising greater transparency and tax compliance. However, as the Coinbase episode demonstrates, the aggregation of sensitive user data at scale poses a significant cybersecurity risk.

As regulators push for more oversight, the challenge will be ensuring that consumer protection does not become a double-edged sword-exposing users to new threats even as it seeks to shield them from old ones.

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0

Bitcoin: Um sistema de dinheiro eletrônico direto entre pessoas.

Satoshi Nakamoto
satoshin@gmx.com
www.bitcoin.org

---

Resumo

O Bitcoin é uma forma de dinheiro digital que permite pagamentos diretos entre pessoas, sem a necessidade de um banco ou instituição financeira. Ele resolve um problema chamado gasto duplo, que ocorre quando alguém tenta gastar o mesmo dinheiro duas vezes. Para evitar isso, o Bitcoin usa uma rede descentralizada onde todos trabalham juntos para verificar e registrar as transações.

As transações são registradas em um livro público chamado blockchain, protegido por uma técnica chamada Prova de Trabalho. Essa técnica cria uma cadeia de registros que não pode ser alterada sem refazer todo o trabalho já feito. Essa cadeia é mantida pelos computadores que participam da rede, e a mais longa é considerada a verdadeira.

Enquanto a maior parte do poder computacional da rede for controlada por participantes honestos, o sistema continuará funcionando de forma segura. A rede é flexível, permitindo que qualquer pessoa entre ou saia a qualquer momento, sempre confiando na cadeia mais longa como prova do que aconteceu.

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1. Introdução

Hoje, quase todos os pagamentos feitos pela internet dependem de bancos ou empresas como processadores de pagamento (cartões de crédito, por exemplo) para funcionar. Embora esse sistema seja útil, ele tem problemas importantes porque é baseado em confiança.

Primeiro, essas empresas podem reverter pagamentos, o que é útil em caso de erros, mas cria custos e incertezas. Isso faz com que pequenas transações, como pagar centavos por um serviço, se tornem inviáveis. Além disso, os comerciantes são obrigados a desconfiar dos clientes, pedindo informações extras e aceitando fraudes como algo inevitável.

Esses problemas não existem no dinheiro físico, como o papel-moeda, onde o pagamento é final e direto entre as partes. No entanto, não temos como enviar dinheiro físico pela internet sem depender de um intermediário confiável.

O que precisamos é de um sistema de pagamento eletrônico baseado em provas matemáticas, não em confiança. Esse sistema permitiria que qualquer pessoa enviasse dinheiro diretamente para outra, sem depender de bancos ou processadores de pagamento. Além disso, as transações seriam irreversíveis, protegendo vendedores contra fraudes, mas mantendo a possibilidade de soluções para disputas legítimas.

Neste documento, apresentamos o Bitcoin, que resolve o problema do gasto duplo usando uma rede descentralizada. Essa rede cria um registro público e protegido por cálculos matemáticos, que garante a ordem das transações. Enquanto a maior parte da rede for controlada por pessoas honestas, o sistema será seguro contra ataques.

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2. Transações

Para entender como funciona o Bitcoin, é importante saber como as transações são realizadas. Imagine que você quer transferir uma "moeda digital" para outra pessoa. No sistema do Bitcoin, essa "moeda" é representada por uma sequência de registros que mostram quem é o atual dono. Para transferi-la, você adiciona um novo registro comprovando que agora ela pertence ao próximo dono. Esse registro é protegido por um tipo especial de assinatura digital.

O que é uma assinatura digital?

Uma assinatura digital é como uma senha secreta, mas muito mais segura. No Bitcoin, cada usuário tem duas chaves: uma "chave privada", que é secreta e serve para criar a assinatura, e uma "chave pública", que pode ser compartilhada com todos e é usada para verificar se a assinatura é válida. Quando você transfere uma moeda, usa sua chave privada para assinar a transação, provando que você é o dono. A próxima pessoa pode usar sua chave pública para confirmar isso.

Como funciona na prática?

Cada "moeda" no Bitcoin é, na verdade, uma cadeia de assinaturas digitais. Vamos imaginar o seguinte cenário:

1. A moeda está com o Dono 0 (você). Para transferi-la ao Dono 1, você assina digitalmente a transação com sua chave privada. Essa assinatura inclui o código da transação anterior (chamado de "hash") e a chave pública do Dono 1.
2. Quando o Dono 1 quiser transferir a moeda ao Dono 2, ele assinará a transação seguinte com sua própria chave privada, incluindo também o hash da transação anterior e a chave pública do Dono 2.
3. Esse processo continua, formando uma "cadeia" de transações. Qualquer pessoa pode verificar essa cadeia para confirmar quem é o atual dono da moeda.

Resolvendo o problema do gasto duplo

Um grande desafio com moedas digitais é o "gasto duplo", que é quando uma mesma moeda é usada em mais de uma transação. Para evitar isso, muitos sistemas antigos dependiam de uma entidade central confiável, como uma casa da moeda, que verificava todas as transações. No entanto, isso criava um ponto único de falha e centralizava o controle do dinheiro.

O Bitcoin resolve esse problema de forma inovadora: ele usa uma rede descentralizada onde todos os participantes (os "nós") têm acesso a um registro completo de todas as transações. Cada nó verifica se as transações são válidas e se a moeda não foi gasta duas vezes. Quando a maioria dos nós concorda com a validade de uma transação, ela é registrada permanentemente na blockchain.

Por que isso é importante?

Essa solução elimina a necessidade de confiar em uma única entidade para gerenciar o dinheiro, permitindo que qualquer pessoa no mundo use o Bitcoin sem precisar de permissão de terceiros. Além disso, ela garante que o sistema seja seguro e resistente a fraudes.

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3. Servidor Timestamp

Para assegurar que as transações sejam realizadas de forma segura e transparente, o sistema Bitcoin utiliza algo chamado de "servidor de registro de tempo" (timestamp). Esse servidor funciona como um registro público que organiza as transações em uma ordem específica.

Ele faz isso agrupando várias transações em blocos e criando um código único chamado "hash". Esse hash é como uma impressão digital que representa todo o conteúdo do bloco. O hash de cada bloco é amplamente divulgado, como se fosse publicado em um jornal ou em um fórum público.

Esse processo garante que cada bloco de transações tenha um registro de quando foi criado e que ele existia naquele momento. Além disso, cada novo bloco criado contém o hash do bloco anterior, formando uma cadeia contínua de blocos conectados — conhecida como blockchain.

Com isso, se alguém tentar alterar qualquer informação em um bloco anterior, o hash desse bloco mudará e não corresponderá ao hash armazenado no bloco seguinte. Essa característica torna a cadeia muito segura, pois qualquer tentativa de fraude seria imediatamente detectada.

O sistema de timestamps é essencial para provar a ordem cronológica das transações e garantir que cada uma delas seja única e autêntica. Dessa forma, ele reforça a segurança e a confiança na rede Bitcoin.

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4. Prova-de-Trabalho

Para implementar o registro de tempo distribuído no sistema Bitcoin, utilizamos um mecanismo chamado prova-de-trabalho. Esse sistema é semelhante ao Hashcash, desenvolvido por Adam Back, e baseia-se na criação de um código único, o "hash", por meio de um processo computacionalmente exigente.

A prova-de-trabalho envolve encontrar um valor especial que, quando processado junto com as informações do bloco, gere um hash que comece com uma quantidade específica de zeros. Esse valor especial é chamado de "nonce". Encontrar o nonce correto exige um esforço significativo do computador, porque envolve tentativas repetidas até que a condição seja satisfeita.

Esse processo é importante porque torna extremamente difícil alterar qualquer informação registrada em um bloco. Se alguém tentar mudar algo em um bloco, seria necessário refazer o trabalho de computação não apenas para aquele bloco, mas também para todos os blocos que vêm depois dele. Isso garante a segurança e a imutabilidade da blockchain.

A prova-de-trabalho também resolve o problema de decidir qual cadeia de blocos é a válida quando há múltiplas cadeias competindo. A decisão é feita pela cadeia mais longa, pois ela representa o maior esforço computacional já realizado. Isso impede que qualquer indivíduo ou grupo controle a rede, desde que a maioria do poder de processamento seja mantida por participantes honestos.

Para garantir que o sistema permaneça eficiente e equilibrado, a dificuldade da prova-de-trabalho é ajustada automaticamente ao longo do tempo. Se novos blocos estiverem sendo gerados rapidamente, a dificuldade aumenta; se estiverem sendo gerados muito lentamente, a dificuldade diminui. Esse ajuste assegura que novos blocos sejam criados aproximadamente a cada 10 minutos, mantendo o sistema estável e funcional.

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5. Rede

A rede Bitcoin é o coração do sistema e funciona de maneira distribuída, conectando vários participantes (ou nós) para garantir o registro e a validação das transações. Os passos para operar essa rede são:

1. Transmissão de Transações: Quando alguém realiza uma nova transação, ela é enviada para todos os nós da rede. Isso é feito para garantir que todos estejam cientes da operação e possam validá-la.

2. Coleta de Transações em Blocos: Cada nó agrupa as novas transações recebidas em um "bloco". Este bloco será preparado para ser adicionado à cadeia de blocos (a blockchain).

3. Prova-de-Trabalho: Os nós competem para resolver a prova-de-trabalho do bloco, utilizando poder computacional para encontrar um hash válido. Esse processo é como resolver um quebra-cabeça matemático difícil.

4. Envio do Bloco Resolvido: Quando um nó encontra a solução para o bloco (a prova-de-trabalho), ele compartilha esse bloco com todos os outros nós na rede.

5. Validação do Bloco: Cada nó verifica o bloco recebido para garantir que todas as transações nele contidas sejam válidas e que nenhuma moeda tenha sido gasta duas vezes. Apenas blocos válidos são aceitos.

6. Construção do Próximo Bloco: Os nós que aceitaram o bloco começam a trabalhar na criação do próximo bloco, utilizando o hash do bloco aceito como base (hash anterior). Isso mantém a continuidade da cadeia.

Resolução de Conflitos e Escolha da Cadeia Mais Longa

Os nós sempre priorizam a cadeia mais longa, pois ela representa o maior esforço computacional já realizado, garantindo maior segurança. Se dois blocos diferentes forem compartilhados simultaneamente, os nós trabalharão no primeiro bloco recebido, mas guardarão o outro como uma alternativa. Caso o segundo bloco eventualmente forme uma cadeia mais longa (ou seja, tenha mais blocos subsequentes), os nós mudarão para essa nova cadeia.

Tolerância a Falhas

A rede é robusta e pode lidar com mensagens que não chegam a todos os nós. Uma transação não precisa alcançar todos os nós de imediato; basta que chegue a um número suficiente deles para ser incluída em um bloco. Da mesma forma, se um nó não receber um bloco em tempo hábil, ele pode solicitá-lo ao perceber que está faltando quando o próximo bloco é recebido.

Esse mecanismo descentralizado permite que a rede Bitcoin funcione de maneira segura, confiável e resiliente, sem depender de uma autoridade central.

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6. Incentivo

O incentivo é um dos pilares fundamentais que sustenta o funcionamento da rede Bitcoin, garantindo que os participantes (nós) continuem operando de forma honesta e contribuindo com recursos computacionais. Ele é estruturado em duas partes principais: a recompensa por mineração e as taxas de transação.

Recompensa por Mineração

Por convenção, o primeiro registro em cada bloco é uma transação especial que cria novas moedas e as atribui ao criador do bloco. Essa recompensa incentiva os mineradores a dedicarem poder computacional para apoiar a rede. Como não há uma autoridade central para emitir moedas, essa é a maneira pela qual novas moedas entram em circulação. Esse processo pode ser comparado ao trabalho de garimpeiros, que utilizam recursos para colocar mais ouro em circulação. No caso do Bitcoin, o "recurso" consiste no tempo de CPU e na energia elétrica consumida para resolver a prova-de-trabalho.

Taxas de Transação

Além da recompensa por mineração, os mineradores também podem ser incentivados pelas taxas de transação. Se uma transação utiliza menos valor de saída do que o valor de entrada, a diferença é tratada como uma taxa, que é adicionada à recompensa do bloco contendo essa transação. Com o passar do tempo e à medida que o número de moedas em circulação atinge o limite predeterminado, essas taxas de transação se tornam a principal fonte de incentivo, substituindo gradualmente a emissão de novas moedas. Isso permite que o sistema opere sem inflação, uma vez que o número total de moedas permanece fixo.

Incentivo à Honestidade

O design do incentivo também busca garantir que os participantes da rede mantenham um comportamento honesto. Para um atacante que consiga reunir mais poder computacional do que o restante da rede, ele enfrentaria duas escolhas:

1. Usar esse poder para fraudar o sistema, como reverter transações e roubar pagamentos.
2. Seguir as regras do sistema, criando novos blocos e recebendo recompensas legítimas.

A lógica econômica favorece a segunda opção, pois um comportamento desonesto prejudicaria a confiança no sistema, diminuindo o valor de todas as moedas, incluindo aquelas que o próprio atacante possui. Jogar dentro das regras não apenas maximiza o retorno financeiro, mas também preserva a validade e a integridade do sistema.

Esse mecanismo garante que os incentivos econômicos estejam alinhados com o objetivo de manter a rede segura, descentralizada e funcional ao longo do tempo.

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7. Recuperação do Espaço em Disco

Depois que uma moeda passa a estar protegida por muitos blocos na cadeia, as informações sobre as transações antigas que a geraram podem ser descartadas para economizar espaço em disco. Para que isso seja possível sem comprometer a segurança, as transações são organizadas em uma estrutura chamada "árvore de Merkle". Essa árvore funciona como um resumo das transações: em vez de armazenar todas elas, guarda apenas um "hash raiz", que é como uma assinatura compacta que representa todo o grupo de transações.

Os blocos antigos podem, então, ser simplificados, removendo as partes desnecessárias dessa árvore. Apenas a raiz do hash precisa ser mantida no cabeçalho do bloco, garantindo que a integridade dos dados seja preservada, mesmo que detalhes específicos sejam descartados.

Para exemplificar: imagine que você tenha vários recibos de compra. Em vez de guardar todos os recibos, você cria um documento e lista apenas o valor total de cada um. Mesmo que os recibos originais sejam descartados, ainda é possível verificar a soma com base nos valores armazenados.

Além disso, o espaço ocupado pelos blocos em si é muito pequeno. Cada bloco sem transações ocupa apenas cerca de 80 bytes. Isso significa que, mesmo com blocos sendo gerados a cada 10 minutos, o crescimento anual em espaço necessário é insignificante: apenas 4,2 MB por ano. Com a capacidade de armazenamento dos computadores crescendo a cada ano, esse espaço continuará sendo trivial, garantindo que a rede possa operar de forma eficiente sem problemas de armazenamento, mesmo a longo prazo.

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8. Verificação de Pagamento Simplificada

É possível confirmar pagamentos sem a necessidade de operar um nó completo da rede. Para isso, o usuário precisa apenas de uma cópia dos cabeçalhos dos blocos da cadeia mais longa (ou seja, a cadeia com maior esforço de trabalho acumulado). Ele pode verificar a validade de uma transação ao consultar os nós da rede até obter a confirmação de que tem a cadeia mais longa. Para isso, utiliza-se o ramo Merkle, que conecta a transação ao bloco em que ela foi registrada.

Entretanto, o método simplificado possui limitações: ele não pode confirmar uma transação isoladamente, mas sim assegurar que ela ocupa um lugar específico na cadeia mais longa. Dessa forma, se um nó da rede aprova a transação, os blocos subsequentes reforçam essa aceitação.

A verificação simplificada é confiável enquanto a maioria dos nós da rede for honesta. Contudo, ela se torna vulnerável caso a rede seja dominada por um invasor. Nesse cenário, um atacante poderia fabricar transações fraudulentas que enganariam o usuário temporariamente até que o invasor obtivesse controle completo da rede.

Uma estratégia para mitigar esse risco é configurar alertas nos softwares de nós completos. Esses alertas identificam blocos inválidos, sugerindo ao usuário baixar o bloco completo para confirmar qualquer inconsistência. Para maior segurança, empresas que realizam pagamentos frequentes podem preferir operar seus próprios nós, reduzindo riscos e permitindo uma verificação mais direta e confiável.

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9. Combinando e Dividindo Valor

No sistema Bitcoin, cada unidade de valor é tratada como uma "moeda" individual, mas gerenciar cada centavo como uma transação separada seria impraticável. Para resolver isso, o Bitcoin permite que valores sejam combinados ou divididos em transações, facilitando pagamentos de qualquer valor.

Entradas e Saídas

Cada transação no Bitcoin é composta por:

• Entradas: Representam os valores recebidos em transações anteriores.
• Saídas: Correspondem aos valores enviados, divididos entre os destinatários e, eventualmente, o troco para o remetente.

Normalmente, uma transação contém:

• Uma única entrada com valor suficiente para cobrir o pagamento.
• Ou várias entradas combinadas para atingir o valor necessário.

O valor total das saídas nunca excede o das entradas, e a diferença (se houver) pode ser retornada ao remetente como troco.

Exemplo Prático

Imagine que você tem duas entradas:

1. 0,03 BTC
2. 0,07 BTC

Se deseja enviar 0,08 BTC para alguém, a transação terá:

• Entrada: As duas entradas combinadas (0,03 + 0,07 BTC = 0,10 BTC).
• Saídas: Uma para o destinatário (0,08 BTC) e outra como troco para você (0,02 BTC).

Essa flexibilidade permite que o sistema funcione sem precisar manipular cada unidade mínima individualmente.

Difusão e Simplificação

A difusão de transações, onde uma depende de várias anteriores e assim por diante, não representa um problema. Não é necessário armazenar ou verificar o histórico completo de uma transação para utilizá-la, já que o registro na blockchain garante sua integridade.

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10. Privacidade

O modelo bancário tradicional oferece um certo nível de privacidade, limitando o acesso às informações financeiras apenas às partes envolvidas e a um terceiro confiável (como bancos ou instituições financeiras). No entanto, o Bitcoin opera de forma diferente, pois todas as transações são publicamente registradas na blockchain. Apesar disso, a privacidade pode ser mantida utilizando chaves públicas anônimas, que desvinculam diretamente as transações das identidades das partes envolvidas.

Fluxo de Informação

• No modelo tradicional, as transações passam por um terceiro confiável que conhece tanto o remetente quanto o destinatário.
• No Bitcoin, as transações são anunciadas publicamente, mas sem revelar diretamente as identidades das partes. Isso é comparável a dados divulgados por bolsas de valores, onde informações como o tempo e o tamanho das negociações (a "fita") são públicas, mas as identidades das partes não.

Protegendo a Privacidade

Para aumentar a privacidade no Bitcoin, são adotadas as seguintes práticas:

1. Chaves Públicas Anônimas: Cada transação utiliza um par de chaves diferentes, dificultando a associação com um proprietário único.
2. Prevenção de Ligação: Ao usar chaves novas para cada transação, reduz-se a possibilidade de links evidentes entre múltiplas transações realizadas pelo mesmo usuário.

Riscos de Ligação

Embora a privacidade seja fortalecida, alguns riscos permanecem:

• Transações multi-entrada podem revelar que todas as entradas pertencem ao mesmo proprietário, caso sejam necessárias para somar o valor total.
• O proprietário da chave pode ser identificado indiretamente por transações anteriores que estejam conectadas.

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11. Cálculos

Imagine que temos um sistema onde as pessoas (ou computadores) competem para adicionar informações novas (blocos) a um grande registro público (a cadeia de blocos ou blockchain). Este registro é como um livro contábil compartilhado, onde todos podem verificar o que está escrito.

Agora, vamos pensar em um cenário: um atacante quer enganar o sistema. Ele quer mudar informações já registradas para beneficiar a si mesmo, por exemplo, desfazendo um pagamento que já fez. Para isso, ele precisa criar uma versão alternativa do livro contábil (a cadeia de blocos dele) e convencer todos os outros participantes de que essa versão é a verdadeira.

Mas isso é extremamente difícil.

Como o Ataque Funciona

Quando um novo bloco é adicionado à cadeia, ele depende de cálculos complexos que levam tempo e esforço. Esses cálculos são como um grande quebra-cabeça que precisa ser resolvido.

• Os “bons jogadores” (nós honestos) estão sempre trabalhando juntos para resolver esses quebra-cabeças e adicionar novos blocos à cadeia verdadeira.
• O atacante, por outro lado, precisa resolver quebra-cabeças sozinho, tentando “alcançar” a cadeia honesta para que sua versão alternativa pareça válida.

Se a cadeia honesta já está vários blocos à frente, o atacante começa em desvantagem, e o sistema está projetado para que a dificuldade de alcançá-los aumente rapidamente.

A Corrida Entre Cadeias

Você pode imaginar isso como uma corrida. A cada bloco novo que os jogadores honestos adicionam à cadeia verdadeira, eles se distanciam mais do atacante. Para vencer, o atacante teria que resolver os quebra-cabeças mais rápido que todos os outros jogadores honestos juntos.

Suponha que:

• A rede honesta tem 80% do poder computacional (ou seja, resolve 8 de cada 10 quebra-cabeças).
• O atacante tem 20% do poder computacional (ou seja, resolve 2 de cada 10 quebra-cabeças).

Cada vez que a rede honesta adiciona um bloco, o atacante tem que "correr atrás" e resolver mais quebra-cabeças para alcançar.

Por Que o Ataque Fica Cada Vez Mais Improvável?

Vamos usar uma fórmula simples para mostrar como as chances de sucesso do atacante diminuem conforme ele precisa "alcançar" mais blocos:

P = (q/p)^z

• q é o poder computacional do atacante (20%, ou 0,2).
• p é o poder computacional da rede honesta (80%, ou 0,8).
• z é a diferença de blocos entre a cadeia honesta e a cadeia do atacante.

Se o atacante está 5 blocos atrás (z = 5):

P = (0,2 / 0,8)^5 = (0,25)^5 = 0,00098, (ou, 0,098%)

Isso significa que o atacante tem menos de 0,1% de chance de sucesso — ou seja, é muito improvável.

Se ele estiver 10 blocos atrás (z = 10):

P = (0,2 / 0,8)^10 = (0,25)^10 = 0,000000095, (ou, 0,0000095%).

Neste caso, as chances de sucesso são praticamente nulas.

Um Exemplo Simples

Se você jogar uma moeda, a chance de cair “cara” é de 50%. Mas se precisar de 10 caras seguidas, sua chance já é bem menor. Se precisar de 20 caras seguidas, é quase impossível.

No caso do Bitcoin, o atacante precisa de muito mais do que 20 caras seguidas. Ele precisa resolver quebra-cabeças extremamente difíceis e alcançar os jogadores honestos que estão sempre à frente. Isso faz com que o ataque seja inviável na prática.

Por Que Tudo Isso é Seguro?

• A probabilidade de sucesso do atacante diminui exponencialmente. Isso significa que, quanto mais tempo passa, menor é a chance de ele conseguir enganar o sistema.
• A cadeia verdadeira (honesta) está protegida pela força da rede. Cada novo bloco que os jogadores honestos adicionam à cadeia torna mais difícil para o atacante alcançar.

E Se o Atacante Tentar Continuar?

O atacante poderia continuar tentando indefinidamente, mas ele estaria gastando muito tempo e energia sem conseguir nada. Enquanto isso, os jogadores honestos estão sempre adicionando novos blocos, tornando o trabalho do atacante ainda mais inútil.

Assim, o sistema garante que a cadeia verdadeira seja extremamente segura e que ataques sejam, na prática, impossíveis de ter sucesso.

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12. Conclusão

Propusemos um sistema de transações eletrônicas que elimina a necessidade de confiança, baseando-se em assinaturas digitais e em uma rede peer-to-peer que utiliza prova de trabalho. Isso resolve o problema do gasto duplo, criando um histórico público de transações imutável, desde que a maioria do poder computacional permaneça sob controle dos participantes honestos. A rede funciona de forma simples e descentralizada, com nós independentes que não precisam de identificação ou coordenação direta. Eles entram e saem livremente, aceitando a cadeia de prova de trabalho como registro do que ocorreu durante sua ausência. As decisões são tomadas por meio do poder de CPU, validando blocos legítimos, estendendo a cadeia e rejeitando os inválidos. Com este mecanismo de consenso, todas as regras e incentivos necessários para o funcionamento seguro e eficiente do sistema são garantidos.

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Faça o download do whitepaper original em português: https://bitcoin.org/files/bitcoin-paper/bitcoin_pt_br.pdf

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Nostr is an open communication protocol that can be used to send messages across a distributed set of relays in a censorship resistant and robust way.

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If you missed my nostr introduction post you can find it here. My nostr account can be found here.

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We are nearly at the point that if something interesting is posted on a centralized social platform it will usually be posted by someone to nostr.

We are nearly at the point that if something interesting is posted exclusively to nostr it is cross posted by someone to various centralized social platforms.

We are nearly at the point that you can recommend a cross platform app that users can install and easily onboard without additional guides or resources.

As companies continue to build walls around their centralized platforms nostr posts will be the easiest to cross reference and verify - as companies continue to censor their users nostr is the best censorship resistant alternative - gradually then suddenly nostr will become the standard. 🫡

Current Nostr Stats

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

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What is KYC/AML?

• The acronym stands for Know Your Customer / Anti Money Laundering.
• In practice it stands for the surveillance measures companies are often compelled to take against their customers by financial regulators.
• Methods differ but often include: Passport Scans, Driver License Uploads, Social Security Numbers, Home Address, Phone Number, Face Scans.
• Bitcoin companies will also store all withdrawal and deposit addresses which can then be used to track bitcoin transactions on the bitcoin block chain.
• This data is then stored and shared. Regulations often require companies to hold this information for a set number of years but in practice users should assume this data will be held indefinitely. Data is often stored insecurely, which results in frequent hacks and leaks.  
• KYC/AML data collection puts all honest users at risk of theft, extortion, and persecution while being ineffective at stopping crime. Criminals often use counterfeit, bought, or stolen credentials to get around the requirements. Criminals can buy "verified" accounts for as little as $200. Furthermore, billions of people are excluded from financial services as a result of KYC/AML requirements.

During the early days of bitcoin most services did not require this sensitive user data, but as adoption increased so did the surveillance measures. At this point, most large bitcoin companies are collecting and storing massive lists of bitcoiners, our sensitive personal information, and our transaction history.

Lists of Bitcoiners

KYC/AML policies are a direct attack on bitcoiners. Lists of bitcoiners and our transaction history will inevitably be used against us.

Once you are on a list with your bitcoin transaction history that record will always exist. Generally speaking, tracking bitcoin is based on probability analysis of ownership change. Surveillance firms use various heuristics to determine if you are sending bitcoin to yourself or if ownership is actually changing hands.  You can obtain better privacy going forward by using collaborative transactions such as coinjoin to break this probability analysis.

Fortunately, you can buy bitcoin without providing intimate personal information. Tools such as peach, hodlhodl, robosats, azteco and bisq help; mining is also a solid option: anyone can plug a miner into power and internet and earn bitcoin by mining privately.

You can also earn bitcoin by providing goods and/or services that can be purchased with bitcoin. Long term, circular economies will mitigate this threat: most people will not buy bitcoin - they will earn bitcoin - most people will not sell bitcoin - they will spend bitcoin.

There is no such thing as KYC or No KYC bitcoin, there are bitcoiners on lists and those that are not on lists.

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