@ 26769dac:498e333b

I am here too\ In the same space like you

In the same situation I'm in\ It's a matter of positioning

I cannot leave this place I'm in\ It was brought about\ By what's been happening

So please don't look at me\ For what I can or cannot do for you\ But look at what is happening for me\ And what is happening for you

Let's communicate\ Not orchestrate

Because there's something I wish to do\ And there's a place I wish to go to

And I'm sure that there is too\ In your heart a fire\ Known by only you

So let us listen, look and see\ For what's true for you\ And what's true for me

That we may act upon what's here\ In order for us both to take a step\ In the direction we wish to steer

@ c1e6505c:02b3157e

I recently acquired a new lens:

1959 Leica Summaron F2.8 35mm LTM.

1959 Leica Summaron 35mm f2.8 LTM mounted on my Fujifilm Xpro2 with LTM adapter made by Urth.

Technically, it was a trade. I helped a fellow Bitcoiner set up their Sparrow Wallet, Nostr stuff, and troubleshoot a few wallet issues, and in return, they gave me the lens.

It all started at a local Bitcoin meetup I went to about a week ago - my second time attending. I recognized a few faces from last time, but also saw some new ones. These meetups are refreshing - it’s rare to speak a common language about something like Bitcoin or Nostr. Most people still don’t get it. But they will.

Technology moves forward. Networks grow. Old cells die off.

During the meetup, someone noticed I had my Leica M262 with me and struck up a conversation. Said they had some old Leica lenses and gear at home, and wanted to show me.

Bitcoin and photography in one conversation? I’m down.

A day or so later, they sent me a photo of one of the lenses: a vintage Summaron LTM 35mm f/2.8 from 1959. I’d never seen or heard of one before. They asked if I could help them set up Sparrow and a Bitcoin node. In exchange, they’d give me the lens. Sounded like a good deal to me. Helping plebs with their setups feels like a duty anyway. I said, of course.

They invited me over - a pretty trusting move, which I appreciated. They had some great Bitcoin memorabilia: Fred Krueger’s The Big Bitcoin Book (even if the guy’s turned full shitcoiner), and some FTX sunglasses from Bitcoin 2022. Probably future collector’s items, lol.

We headed upstairs to work on setting up Sparrow Wallet on their Windows machine. I verified the software download first (which you should always do), then helped them create a new wallet using their Ledger Flex. They also had an older Ledger Nano X. The Flex setup was easy, but the Nano X gave us trouble. It turns out Ledger allows multiple wallets for the same asset, which can show up differently depending on how they’re configured. In Sparrow, only one wallet showed—none of the others.

I believe it had to do with the derivation path from the Ledger. If anyone knows a fix, let me know.

After a few hours of troubleshooting, I told them I couldn’t really recommend Ledger. The UX is a mess. They’d already heard similar things from other plebs too.

I suggested switching to the Blockstream Jade. It’s a solid Bitcoin-only device from a trustworthy team. That’s what you want in a hardware wallet.

But back to the lens…

Since it’s an LTM (Leica Thread Mount), I couldn’t mount it directly on my M262. Luckily, I remembered I had an Urth adapter that fits my Fujifilm X-Pro2. I don’t use the X-Pro2 much these days—it’s mostly been sidelined by the M262 - but this was the perfect excuse to bring it out again.

To test the lens, I shot everything wide open at f/2.8. Nothing crazy fast, but it’s the best way to see a lens’s character. And this one definitely has character. There’s a subtle softness and a kind of motion blur effect around the edges when wide open. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but the more I shot, the more I liked it. It reminds me of Winogrand’s work in Winogrand Color - those messy, shifting edges that make the frame feel alive. It also helps soften the digital-ness of the camera sensor.

The focus throw is short and snappy - much tighter than my Summicron V3 35mm f/2. I really like how fast it is to use. The closest focusing distance is about 3.5 feet, so it’s not ideal for close-ups. And with the Urth adapter on the X-Pro2, the focal length ends up closer to 40mm.

The only thing that threw me off was the infinity lock. When the focus hits infinity, it physically locks - you have to press a small tab to unlock it. I’ve seen others complain about it, so I guess it’s just one of those old lens quirks. I’m getting used to it.

All the photos here were taken around where I live in South Carolina. Some during bike rides to the river for a swim, others while walking through the marshlands.

I try to make work wherever I am. You should be able to.

It’s about the light, the rhythm, the play - and having the motivation to actually go out and shoot.

Lens rating: 7.9/10

---

I mainly shoot with a Leica M262, and edit in Lightroom + Dehancer

Use “PictureRoom” for 10% off Dehancer Film

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to view my work - consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Also, please contact me if you would like to purchase any of my prints.

Follow me on Nostr:

npub1c8n9qhqzm2x3kzjm84kmdcvm96ezmn257r5xxphv3gsnjq4nz4lqelne96

@ a396e36e:ec991f1c

👤 Generation X: Between Invisibility and Structural Disillusionment\ Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, has been largely sidelined in generational discourse. Unlike the baby boomers —symbols of stability and prosperity— or millennials and Gen Z —constant fixtures in the media and cultural spotlight— Gen X has been the least mentioned, the least studied, and often not even recognized by its own members as a distinct generation.

Today, they are in midlife —a period that, according to the "U-shaped curve of happiness" theory, is one of the most emotionally and psychologically difficult stages: deteriorating health, professional stagnation, and the dual burden of caring for both parents and children. But their condition is not just a matter of age —it's the result of specific economic and political history.

Structurally, Generation X reached its critical stage of financial consolidation during the global economic crisis of 2008 —a moment that halted income growth and severely limited access to housing, investment opportunities, and saving capacity. Compared to other generations, their economic mobility was minimal, marked by wage stagnation and unstable labor conditions. Even in terms of wealth accumulation and home ownership, many Gen Xers show weaker indicators than early-born millennials at the same stage of adulthood.

At the same time, many countries —especially in Latin America and parts of Europe— experienced the rise of alternative models to free-market systems: socialist proposals promising redistribution, social justice, and equality. In practice, however, these models led to state dependency, excessive intervention, economic rigidity, and a loss of productive dynamism. The consequences were clear: rising poverty, institutional decay, inflation, plummeting investment, increasing corruption within state structures, and a severe weakening of the productive apparatus.

For a generation raised on the values of individual effort, self-reliance, and social mobility, this ideological shift resulted in a double disillusionment —first with a free-market system that never delivered the promised rewards, and then with a redistributive model that failed to solve structural problems and, in many cases, made them worse.

While younger generations now embrace proposals like universal basic income, nationalization, or permanent subsidies as fresh solutions, many in Gen X see them not as innovation, but as a repetition of mistakes already lived: economic stagnation, institutional fragility, sustained poverty, and expanding clientelist networks.

The story of Generation X is marked by having been the turning point between two collapsed models: a liberalism that never fulfilled its promises and a socialism that imposed dependency, corruption, and systematic impoverishment.

@ 005bc4de:ef11e1a2

Two days ago I put this out: https://peakd.com/hive-124838/@crrdlx/hostr-snaps-9i13ooa7ufp

Post: https://peakd.com/hive-124838/@crrdlx/hostr-snaps-9i13ooa7ufp

One of the comments said it "...looks like some sort of game as well." That was enough to tickle my curiosity and get me thinking. The round tomatoes and how they nestled into the grooves of the tiles reminded me of Chinese checkers. The grid brought Hex to mind (the game John Nash played) and I wondered if a square-grid version might be viable. A little searching revealed Hex is a "Connection game" and there are several. The one called Tak seemed really interesting and simple. I like interesting and I really like simple.

So, a square grid connection game wouldn't be new, however, you can't play Tak with tomatoes. Tak requires stacking "stones" or standing them on edge, that would be very, very tricky with tomatoes.

I looked around and happened to have some dried corn kernels and dry beans. I drew out a 5 x 5 grid of dots, lined up five corn kernels on one side in a "home row" and 5 beans on the other. We used to play a game where two sides of Army men met after a series of moves. In that game, we rolled dice to have a "combat" and see who would win the little battle. I wanted something like that in my game, some type of combat or conquest, somehow. So, I started messing around, moving kernels and beans, and totally just set out to make this game up on the fly. This is what I got...

Rules

The objective, like Hex or Tak, is to connect one side (your home row) to your opponent's side. The connection to the other side can be a straight line, or it CAN include a diagonal road. Any of the roads below would be a win for team bean (B).

• One side makes a move by sliding one corn/bean one spot forward.
• Then, take turns making moves.
• Movement can only be one spot forward/back or sideways (NSEW). You cannot move diagonally.
• Opponents CAN occupy, or "squat", on the same spot at once. If so, the spot is being "co-squatted" (they're like two people standing in the same sidewalk tile at the same time).
• However, while opponents occupy the same spot, a "combat" might ensue. A corn/bean can "attack" by moving yet another adjoining corn or bean onto the co-squatted spot. A conquest is made by outnumbering a spot 2-to-1. For instance, if a spot is being occupied by both a bean and corn, and then a second corn moves in, the two corns conquer the one bean. The bean is immediately removed. The bean player then places that conquered bean into any empty spot on his or her home row. That placement constitutes the bean player's turn. So, after the bean is placed on the home row, the corn player makes the next move.
• Play continues until someone completes a road from their home row across to their opponent's home row. (Again, a diagonal road is okay for the win.)
• The losing player got Succotashed.

Game name

As to the name, initially I wanted a tomato-ish name. But, I was using corn and beans. So, I'm naming this game "Succotash" after the corn, bean, and vegetable recipe. I considered calling it the "Texas Caviar Game" because it has tomatoes in it, but playing Succotash just sounds better. Plus, putting tomatoes in succotash sounds yummy.

Simple

A big goal here was to keep it simple. To that end, all that's needed is (a) a paper with a 5 x 5 grid drawn on it, and, (b) 5 pieces of something and 5 pieces of something else. Obviously I used corn kernels and beans, but it could easily be shells/legos, pennies/paperclips, nuts/stones, or whatever.

Initially, I had a "storehouse" of extra corn kernels and storehouse of extra beans (seen in the images). My thinking was that they would replace the corn or beans that get conquered by opponents. Upon playing the game, it was apparent that a storehouse is totally unnecessary. Once captured, the same corn/bean can just be the one that's placed back onto the home row. Five of each is fine.

Also, I'm sure the grid could easily be expanded to whatever size you wish. I played an opponent with the 5 x 5 grid, and that seemed a good size for a five minute or so game.

Why not sit down face-to-face with someone for a minute and give Succotash a try? If you do, I'd love to hear how it went.

@ 99e7936f:d5d2197c

“Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben.”

Wo bleibt die Rettung?

Wenn man bei einem Notfall auf den Rettungswagen wartet, dann fühlen sich Minuten wie Stunden an. Die Nerven sind bis zum Anschlag gespannt, alle Sinne sind geschärft.

Die Natur hat das so eingerichtet, damit man aufmerksam und  gut geschützt ist vor weiteren Verletzungen.

Bei Trauma ist das auch so, nur dass dieser Zustand gefühlt ein halbes Leben andauert. Das klingt brutal, ist aber in etwa so. Da ein menschlicher Körper das nicht gut aushalten kann, sendet er dem Gehirn die Information: “ Bitte mach etwas zur Entlastung, ich kann mit dem Dauerstress nicht gut umgehen. Ich habe ständig das Gefühl, dass etwas Schlimmes passiert und ich mich verteidigen muss.“ Das Gehirn überlegt sich dann eine Lösung, um auch selber endlich wieder Ruhe zu haben. In der Regel wird der traumatische Inhalt verdrängt, vergessen, abgewandelt, abgeschwächt oder als Schwarz-Weiß-Film wieder gegeben, also ohne Gefühl (re)präsentiert. Man kann dann von den traumatischen Erlebnissen erzählen, ohne ein einziges Gefühl zu haben. Das wirkt souverän, als habe man das Trauma verarbeitet, das Gegenteil ist der Fall. Manche Menschen reden sogar über Gefühle, empfinden diese aber nicht. Gefühle werden imitiert oder inszeniert. Wenn man selber fühlen kann, spürt man diesen feinen Unterschied als Zuhörer sofort. Jedenfalls ist alles das Traumafolge bzw. die Lösung, die uns das Gehirn nach Trauma anbietet. Entweder ist der ganze Inhalt samt Emotion weg, oder der Inhalt ist noch da, aber die Emotion dazu fehlt. Es gibt Menschen, die so tief traumatisiert sind, dass sie eine ganz andere Geschichte von sich selbst erzählen, als die, die eigentlich stattgefunden hat. Ich weiß, dass das gruselig klingt. Aber das ist eine Realität. Und es ist vermutlich gut so. Die Natur macht alles, um ein Menschenleben zu retten, und wenn es um den Preis des psychologischen Vergessens ist. Manche Erinnerungen sind offensichtlich nicht mit dem Leben vereinbar, deswegen werden sie für immer abgespalten. Mittlerweile habe ich persönlich viel Respekt vor Menschen, die sich an nichts mehr „erinnern“ können, da ich gelernt habe, dass sie am schlimmsten traumatisiert sind. Diese Einstellung hatte ich nicht immer.

Jedenfalls verhält es sich nach meiner Beobachtung und auch nach meinen eigenen Erfahrungen so, dass man sich ganz oft erst dann vollständig UND in Farbe an traumatische Erlebnisse erinnert, wenn die Zeit dafür reif ist. Man könnte auch sagen, wenn die Seele bereit ist, die verlorenen Seelenanteile wieder zuzulassen. Sie sind nie weg, denn eine unsichtbare Schnur verbindet uns immer mit dem, was passiert ist. Also, wenn dieser Moment, in dem Du Deine Seelenanteile wieder begrüßen darfst, kommt, dann ist das wie ein riesiges Geschenk, auch wenn sich das zu Beginn nicht so anfühlt. Es fühlt sich dann eher so an, wie wenn man auf den Rettungswagen wartet, aber es ist definitiv ein Geschenk, genau wie eine Geburt ein Geschenk ist. Und eine Geburt ist ja auch nicht immer leicht.

Also, je mehr Gefühl beim Erinnern von traumatischen Inhalten spürbar ist, desto besser kann  Traumabearbeitung gelingen. (Heiße den Schmerz willkommen, wenn er in Dein Leben kommt.) Ich persönlich hatte lange Wehen, bevor mein Trauma dann schlagartig aktiviert wurde. Das war, bildlich gesprochen, eine Hausgeburt, die ich allein vollbracht habe, weil der Rettungswagen dermaßen Verspätung hatte. Aber das Kind hat sich dennoch gut entwickelt. Ich habe zuvor lange von meinem Trauma „nur“ geredet. Ich habe rationalisiert, wie man in der Fachsprache sagt. Mir war meine frühe Verletzung bewusst, aber ich hatte kein Gefühl zu dem, was ich erlebt hatte. Als das Gefühl da war, verstand ich, dass es sinnvoll war, es solange nicht gefühlt haben zu können, denn es war ein überwältigender Schmerz. Die Natur macht instinktiv ein gutes Timing für die Wiederkehr des Gefühls. Sie sucht sich eine Zeit im Leben aus, wo man einen guten Stand hat, stabil ist, eine Umgebung hat, die einen zumindest für eine Weile halten und auffangen kann. Denn die Natur möchte schließlich, dass man auch die Wiederkehr des Gefühls überlebt.

Genauso schmerzhaft wie der Verlust des Gefühls war, genauso schmerzhaft ist seine Wiederkehr.

Der Schmerz ist quasi der Erste und der Letzte. Er macht das Licht aus, und später macht er das Licht oder den Farbfilm wieder an. Der Schmerz ist viel besser als sein Ruf.

Ich erzähle hier lediglich meine Erfahrungen und Beobachtungen, auch wenn ich allgemein formuliere. Das kann sich bei anderen Menschen auch anders verhalten. Aber ich finde den Erfahrungsaustausch über dieses Thema wichtig, WEIL es unterschiedlich sein kann und jeder auf einem anderen Level von Traumabearbeitung steht. Ein Problem bei Traumabearbeitung ist, dass jeder ein anderes Trauma erlebt hat, dass jeder einen anderen Nährboden hatte, auf den das Trauma fiel, und dass es verschiedene Stadien gibt, bis es dann endlich und hoffentlich soweit ist, dass das Trauma wieder vollständig in die eigene Psyche integriert werden kann und man wieder „ganz“ bzw. „neu und etwas anders“ ist. Und meine Erfahrung ist, dass man auf das Tempo dieses Prozesses leider keinen Einfluss hat, auch wenn es hierzu, wie ich finde, viele falsche Verkehrsdurchsagen gibt. Die Natur ist da verschlossen wie eine Auster, sie lässt sich nicht ins Handwerk pfuschen. Als ich das verstand, hat sich mein Wunsch, Menschen zu helfen, schlagartig verändert. Ich verstand, dass ICH das nicht machen kann, dass die Natur das selber macht. Und das ist eine gute Nachricht, denn die Natur kann das am besten und ist ein super zuverlässiger Partner.

Wir brauchen keinen Rettungswagen. Der Schmerz ist die Rettung.

Das Thema „Trauma“ birgt so viel positiven Erkenntnisgewinn über das Wunder des Lebens.

Aber zurück zum Thema. Wenn man, so wie ich, ein halbes Leben in einem Schwarz-Weiß-Film verbracht hat, dann die Hausgeburt ohne Rettungswagen durchgestanden hat und das Kind irgendwann anfängt, neugierige Fragen zu stellen, dann ist man im Zugzwang. In dieser Situation bin ich heute. Deswegen schreibe ich. Mein neues ICH fragt mich immer öfter, warum ich so viele Dinge tue, die ich eigentlich gar nicht mehr tun will. Kinder fragen einen auch manchmal ganz unverblümt, ob man den Hansi denn lieb hat oder ob man gerne im Büro arbeitet. Wenn man den Hansi nicht lieb hat und nicht gerne im Büro arbeitet, dann muss man schlucken und eine kindgerechte Antwort formulieren. Genauso wenig wie Kinder als kompetenter 20-jähriger auf die Welt kommen, genau so wenig ist man nach geglückter Traumabearbeitung „geheilt“. Es wird nichts schlagartig besser. Das ist auch so eine falsche Verkehrsdurchsage. Man lebt ja noch im alten Leben, was nun Schritt für Schritt verändert werden darf. ABER man ist glückliche Mutter. Mutter sein, ist nicht immer leicht, habe ich mir sagen lassen. Mütter lieben ihre Kinder. Im Idealfall machen sie sich keine Gedanken darüber, was aus ihrem Kind mal werden soll. Sie vertrauen einfach darauf, DASS aus ihrem Kind ein glücklicher Mensch wird und buttern deshalb so viel Liebe in das Kind hinein, wie in den wenigen Jahren, die das Kind ein Kind ist, möglich ist. So ähnlich geht es mir heute auch. Ich bin stolz auf mein neues ICH und lobe es, so oft ich kann. Jede Mutter lobt ihre Butter. Das ist wichtig, denn das Leben bietet ständig Herausforderungen, an denen man bekanntlich wachsen darf. Ich gehe jeden Tag mit meinem „Kind“ spazieren, und wir sehen viel. Wir sehen andere Menschen mit Trauma, wir hören zu, welches Trauma der andere erlebt hat und auf welchem Level er ist. Wir hören das Gefühl heraus, welches mitschwingt. Wir sehen Menschen in ihrem Schwarz-Weiß-Film. Und wir sehen Menschen, die scheinbar mit jeder Situation souverän umgehen können. Am meisten interessieren „uns“ zur Zeit solche Menschen, die ehrlich zugeben, dass sie Wehen haben, dass der Schmerz sich in immer kürzeren Abständen meldet. (Die verlorenen Seelenanteile ziehen an der unsichtbaren Schnur.) Mit diesen Leuten kann ich im Moment am besten. Das hört sich komisch an. Aber ich will damit zum Ausdruck bringen, dass ich mit diesen Menschen mittlerweile am meisten resoniere. Sie sprechen meine Sprache. Sie empfinden Gefühle, und sprechen über diese. Das ist für mich die schönste Sprache.

Wer in diesen Tagen wahrhaftig Schmerz empfindet, und nicht nur als Lippenbekenntnis, sondern echten üblen Schmerz über die enttäuschte Liebe oder über die Verhältnisse in dieser Welt, der ist mir sympathisch, der ist mir nah. Denn ich weiß, dass so ein fühlender Mensch auch bald eine Niederkunft erleben wird, die ihn verändert, die ihn anders auf diese Welt schauen lässt.

Der Schmerz bringt uns die Verwandlung. Der Schmerz bringt die verlorenen Seelenanteile zurück. Der Schmerz ist der Hüter des Lebens. Der Schmerz bringt Dir Deine volle Sensibilität für andere Menschen zurück. Alles, was Du bei Dir nicht fühlen kannst, kannst Du bei anderen nicht fühlen. Der Schmerz beendet das. Er macht das Licht an und gibt dem Film wieder Farbe.

Heiße den Schmerz willkommen, wenn er in Dein Leben kommt. Tu das, nicht etwa weil Du gern leidest, nein tu das, weil Du Dich liebst, weil Du bewusst darauf achten möchtest, was Dir wirklich gut tut und Freude macht. Ein Mensch oder ein Job, der Dir Schmerz bereitet, den gilt es loszulassen. Und wenn Du Schmerz im Gesicht Deines Gegenübers siehst, dann frage Dich ehrlich, was Dein Anteil daran ist, dass der andere leidet. Wir sind nicht für jedes Leid auf dieser Welt verantwortlich, das möchte ich hier auch betonen. Und die Schuld-Nummer zieht bei mir schon lange nicht mehr. Aber ich nehme immer besser wahr, wenn mein eigenes  Verhalten nicht angemessen, nicht authentisch ist, von überholten Glaubensmustern geprägt ist. Ich kann das erkennen und korrigieren. Ich kann das heute selber erkennen, weil der Schmerz mich das gelehrt hat, mich geöffnet hat. Der Schmerz lehrt uns ganz viel. Der Schmerz ist der Hüter des Lebens. Er trifft einen hart, macht aber weich.

Heiße den Schmerz willkommen, denn er ist die Rettung.   

“Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben.”

Onboarding bei Nostr:   Nostr

Easy onboarding via **Start.**\ \ Das Pareto-Team baut den “Marktplatz der Ideen” und hat dabei schon viel erreicht. \ team@pareto.space \ https://pareto.space \ https://geyser.fund/project/pareto?hero=1c1b8e487090

\ \ Newsletter per Mail (Die Friedenstaube)\ hier abonnieren\ \ In Telegram lesen -> hier unsere Kanäle\ https://t.me/pareto_artikel \ https://t.me/friedenstaube_artikel \ \ Als Feed in einem Feed-Reader \ https://pareto.space/atom/feed.xml \ https://pareto.space/atom/de_feed.xml \ https://pareto.space/atom/en_feed.xml

@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

These days it can feel like the whole world is out of control. Government officials lie and break the law. People are selfish, act emotionally rather than logically, and push ideologies that are illogical and contrary to reality. Society is divided into groups and people are judged, not for their own character, but based on which group they are placed into. There are wars and rumors of wars. There are worries of pandemics and economic disasters. Depression, psychosis, and despair is rampant even among the youngest among us.

Hope For Believers

As much as things seem to be out of control, they are not out of God’s control. This is what the Bible predicted. No matter how bad things get in the world, those who have put their faith in Jesus, do not need to feel despair.

Why are you in despair, O my soul?\ And why have you become disturbed within me?\ Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him\ For the help of His presence.\ O my God, my soul is in despair within me;\ Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan\ And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. (Psalm 42:5-6)

When we start to feel despair overcoming us, we need to remember what God has done and what He has promised. We need to praise God for what He has done, what He has promised, and what He will bring to completion. Things may be hard now, but God is still in control, and we know how the story will end. God triumphs. Good is rewarded. Evil is destroyed. We can stand on the foundation of hope because we know the ending. Even though things may be out of our personal control, they are always under God’s control.

The more fiercely the storm rages, the more we need to rest in Jesus and the more we need to put our hope in Him.

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!\ The Lord preserves the faithful\ And fully recompenses the proud doer.\ **Be strong and let your heart take courage,\ All you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:23-24) {emphasis mine}

We can take courage because God always acts for our long term good. Every hardship we experience here on earth will be recognized as a blessing that grew our faith and prepared us for heaven and God’s presence in eternity.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Even the worst things that happen to us, due to the sins of others, have a good purpose in our lives. God is working good through us. Our hope isn’t an empty hope. It isn’t a “I really hope this happens.” It is a “I can hope in the guaranteed promises of God.”

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, (2 Corinthians 1:8-10) {emphasis mine}

We may experience situations so bad that they seem hopeless, but with God, nothing is hopeless. The God who raises the dead can raise us out of any situation. The God who spoke the universe into existence can deliver us by a word.

The God of the Bible knows all and loves us completely. He looks at our situation through the lens of eternity. What seems best in the moment is not necessarily what is best for our eternity. Many times He delivers us through hardship rather than out of it. We just need to trust Him and put our hope in Him because He is good.

In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:17-20) {emphasis mine}

Read that statement again. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.” Are you trusting Jesus as the “anchor of your soul?” Is your hope just a wish or is it a “sure and steadfast” hope based on the promises of God that you know will 100% come true?

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

Isn’t it ironic that we need hope to persevere through tribulations, but that persevering through tribulation gives us character and hope? Our faith, trust, and hope grow through hardship. When things are easy, we almost always fall back on trusting in our own power rather than relying on God’s power. If we have put our faith in Jesus, there is no situation in which we should lose hope.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Is your joy and peace based on your circumstances or have you learned to have hope in God so you can experience joy and peace even in the trials?

Many people equate joy and happiness, but I think there is a key distinction. Happiness is a pleasant feeling that comes from pleasant circumstances. Joy is a similar feeling to happiness, but it comes from knowing God and His love. It is not tied to circumstances. When we have truly put our hope in God we can still have joy in and despite the most horrific circumstances.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3-4) {emphasis mine}

Just as Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that He provides living water that wells up inside, so that she need never thirst, in the same way believers have a living hope that wells up in times of need. Our hope is in the Creator of the universe and Savior of the world. No problem is too big for Him. No situation is a surprise to Him. No enemy is too powerful for Him. All of our problems are already solved. We just haven’t necessarily seen the solution yet.

My soul, wait in silence for God only,\ For my hope is from Him.\ He only is my rock and my salvation,\ My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.\ On God my salvation and my glory rest;\ The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. (Psalm 62:5-7)

Despair For Unbelievers

Although believers never have reason to despair, the same is not true for those who have rejected the Savior, Jesus Christ. In these perilous times, they have a real reason for dread and despair.

Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. (Deuteronomy 64-66)

Those who reject the atoning sacrifice of Jesus do not get His protection. They do not get His help. They cannot rest in hope in Him.

Of course, the good news is that they can chose to turn their hearts to Him, confess their sins, and trust in Him up until their moment of death. Sadly many will continue to put off faith until it is too late. Many will choose evil over good and license over submission until God gives them over to their lusts.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

If any of you have not yet put your trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, do not wait. Turn away from evil. Submit to the will of Jesus. Trust Him to take away your sins and cover you with His righteousness.

If any of you know people who are in despair, share the gospel with them. Tell them about the greatness of God. Show them the hope that is within you.

Can Believers Despair?

Are there believers who despair? Yes. Should believers ever despair? Definitely not!

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

Jesus is always with believers in all situations guiding and protecting us. Those difficult situations that happen are for our good, even when we can’t see how it could be for good.

Job had more reasons to despair than almost anyone, yet he trusted in God. He didn’t know why he was being put through such loss, but his loss increased his faith in God and was a great example to people throughout history. I also love this cry of his heart.

“Oh that my words were written!\ Oh that they were inscribed in a book!” (Job 19:23)

He may or may not have seen even the partial fulfillment of this cry, but His words are written in the book of Job, in the Holy Scriptures read by Jews and Christians throughout the world and throughout history. Job’s first response to loss was an example to us all. After losing all ten children and all of his wealth, this was his response.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. (Job 1:20)

Yes, it is true that he had moments of despair where he cursed his birth, but he then returned to God in faith and hope. After a brief rebuke from God, Job submitted to God’s will.

“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?\ I lay my hand on my mouth.\ Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;\ Even twice, and I will add nothing more.” (Job 40:4-5)

After his second rebuke from God, he fully submitted.

Then Job answered the Lord and said,

“I know that You can do all things,\ And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.\ ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’\ *Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,\ Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.\ ‘Hear, now, and I will speak;\ I will ask You, and You instruct me*.’\ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;\ But now my eye sees You;\ Therefore I retract,\ And I repent in dust and ashes**.” (Job 42:1-6) {emphasis mine}

Job admitted that he did not understand what God was doing, but that God was right; God was good; and God was Lord. Job was able to have hope knowing that God was in control and working for good.

In the case of Job, he was later blessed with more kids, more wealth, and more respect than he had in the beginning. We won’t all see our blessings here on earth, but all believers will receive blessings from their trials.

May our glorious Savior and God fill you with faith and hope in God, His goodness, His power, and His plan. May we all submit to His good will even when we do not understand and even when every part of our earthly body is crying, “stop!” May God fill you with knowledge of Him, faith in Him, and hope in Him.

Trust Jesus

@ 812cff5a:5c40aeeb

NIP-01 — الشكل الأساسي للأحداث في نُستر

رقم التعريف (NIP): 01
العنوان: الشكل الأساسي للأحداث
الحالة: نهائي
المؤلف: fiatjaf
التاريخ: 2020-12-10

---

الملخص

هذا المستند يعرّف الشكل القياسي لأي "حدث" يتم تداوله ضمن شبكة نُستر (Nostr).
الهدف من هذا التنسيق هو ضمان إمكانية معالجة وتفسير الأحداث من قبل جميع العملاء والخوادم بطريقة موحّدة.

---

هيكل الحدث

كل حدث عبارة عن كائن يحتوي على الحقول التالية:

{ "id": <معرّف فريد>, "pubkey": <مفتاح عام للمرسل>, "created_at": <تاريخ الإنشاء كرقم UNIX timestamp>, "kind": <نوع الحدث>, "tags": [<قائمة من الوسوم>], "content": <المحتوى>, "sig": <التوقيع الرقمي> }

---

شرح الحقول

• id: سلسلة نصية تمثل SHA-256 لمحتوى الحدث.
• pubkey: المفتاح العام للمستخدم (عادةً 32 بايت بصيغة hex).
• created_at: الطابع الزمني للإنشاء (Unix timestamp).
• kind: رقم يحدد نوع الحدث (مثلاً: منشور، متابعة، إعادة نشر).
• tags: قائمة من الوسوم المرتبطة بالحدث (مثلاً: إشارة إلى مستخدم أو حدث).
• content: المحتوى الأساسي للحدث (نص أو بيانات).
• sig: التوقيع الرقمي الذي يثبت أن المرسل هو صاحب المحتوى.

---

كيفية توليد معرف الحدث id

يتم توليد المعرّف عبر أخذ تمثيل JSON للحدث (بدون الحقول id و sig) ثم حساب التجزئة باستخدام SHA-256.

---

توقيع الحدث

يُوقّع المستخدم الحدث باستخدام مفتاحه الخاص.
هذا التوقيع الرقمي يسمح لأي شخص بالتحقق من صحة الحدث باستخدام المفتاح العام.

---

أنواع الأحداث (kind)

• 0: ملف التعريف (الاسم، الصورة، النبذة).
• 1: منشور عام نصي.
• 2: إعادة نشر.
• 3: قائمة المتابَعين.
• 4: رسالة مشفّرة خاصة.
• أنواع أخرى يمكن إضافتها لاحقًا.

---

الوسوم (Tags)

الوسوم عبارة عن قوائم (arrays) داخل الحدث لتوفير معلومات إضافية.
مثال:

["e", "<معرّف الحدث>"] ["p", "<مفتاح عام لمستخدم>"]

• "e" تشير إلى حدث.
• "p" تشير إلى مستخدم.

---

الخلاصة

NIP-01 هو الأساس الهيكلي لتبادل الأحداث عبر نُستر.
من خلال اتباع هذا الشكل، يمكن لجميع التطبيقات والخوادم العمل معاً بسلاسة، وضمان أمن وموثوقية كل حدث.

@ 5f078e90:b2bacaa3

Sylvi the seahorse

In the coral haven of Azure Bay, a seahorse named Sylvi danced with the tides. Her tail curled around a swaying frond as she watched fish dart by. One dawn, a lost pearl rolled into her nook. Sylvi, curious, nudged it along the reef, meeting crabs and eels who shared tales of the deep. By dusk, she found its oyster home. The pearl gleamed thanks, and Sylvi twirled home, her heart light as foam.

Ignore this test. This was in bold originally.

(380 chars, plain text after Markdown stripping, this was in italics originally)

Originally written on habla.news (on Nostr)

@ a29cfc65:484fac9c

Deutschland ist eines der wenigen Länder mit einer gesetzlich verankerten ausnahmslosen Schulbesuchspflicht. Mit den Schulschließungen in der Corona-Zeit wurde das Gesetz jedoch faktisch plötzlich außer Kraft gesetzt. Alle mussten zu Hause lernen. Als die Schulen danach wieder offen waren, wurden die Kinder mit Maskenpflicht, Tests und Impfdruck gequält. Nicht selten traten bei den Schülern Krankheiten und psychische Störungen auf. Nicht wenige Eltern suchten im Gespräch mit dem Lehrerkollegium nach Lösungen für ihre Kinder. In den meisten Fällen war das nicht möglich. Die Lehrer waren auf die neue Ideologie und die Durchsetzung der Maßnahmen eingeschworen und hatten Angst. Einige Eltern haben ihre Kinder dann in eigener Verantwortung aus der Schule genommen und zu Hause selbst unterrichtet. An manchen Orten fanden sich Gemeinschaften, wo die Kinder in Gruppen lernten. Während viele Lerngemeinschaften nicht mehr existieren, hat die Familie von Katharina den Unterricht für ihre drei Kinder in Eigenregie etabliert. Inzwischen haben sie dafür sogar „den Segen“ von Familiengericht und Jugendamt.

Katharina und Johannes leben mit ihren drei Wunschkindern Aurelius (15), Benjamin (14) und Friedrich (10) in einem Vorort von Leipzig. Die Familie wohnte früher in der Stadt. In der Corona-Zeit haben sie sich mit dem Physiotherapie- & Seminarzentrum Curasanus eine Existenz auf dem Land aufgebaut und begehen diesen Sommer ihr 20-jähriges Praxis-Jubiläum. Katharina hat ihre Arbeit als Physiotherapeutin weitgehend aufgegeben, um sich als Mama und Lernbegleiterin ihren Kindern widmen zu können. Daneben bietet sie Vorträge und Workshops an, übernimmt einen großen Teil der Praxis-Organisation und ist Manager, Rezeptionistin und Vertriebler der eigenen Firma. Wir besuchten einen ihrer Lachyoga-Kurse. Dabei erlebten wir ihr Zusammenspiel mit den drei Kindern. Anschließend stellten wir Katharina unsere Fragen zum Freilernen.

Im unmittelbaren Umfeld wird die Familie bestaunt und geachtet. Sie haben sich bewusst für das Freilernen entschieden. Die Kinder wurden ohne Test nicht mehr in die Schule gelassen. Auch andere Zwangsmaßnahmen wie die Maske wollten die Eltern den Kindern ersparen. Besonders Benjamin hatte traumatische Erlebnisse. Seine Lehrerin schmiss mit dem Schlüssel nach den Schülern und wandte andere schwarze Pädagogik an. Er ging ständig mit Bauchschmerzen ins Bett. Ein weiterer Punkt ist die Masernimpfung. Die Kinder könnten zwar zur Schule gehen, aber die Eltern werden mit rechtlichen Maßnahmen und Zwangszahlungen belegt. Da Katharina in ihrer Praxis viele Erkrankungen als Folge der Masernimpfung beobachten konnte, lehnt sie die Pflichtimpfung ab. Die Eltern haben kein Vertrauen mehr in die staatliche Schulerziehung mit all dem Zwang und den Erpressungen. Als die Familie den Entschluss gefasst hatte, die Kinder nicht mehr in die Schule zu schicken, haben sie ihre Praxis vorübergehend geschlossen, ihr Haus verkauft und sind auf Reisen gegangen. Die beiden großen Kinder wurden von der Schule abgemeldet. Nach der Rückkehr haben sie dann mit einem neuen Leben auf dem Land begonnen.

Lernen ohne Schule: Wie geht das?

„Wissen ist Macht und eine Holschuld“, sagt uns Katharina. Das ist ihr Motto und motiviert auch die Kinder. Mit dem Unterricht zu Hause macht die Familie ihre eigene Studie und zeigt, dass Lernen auch anders geht als in der Schule. Die Eltern können viel besser auf jedes einzelne Kind eingehen. Johannes arbeitete früher als Straßenbauer. Er unterstützt die Jungs vor allem in Mathematik, Geometrie und Physik sowie bei handwerklichen Fertigkeiten. Katharinas Stärken liegen in Deutsch, Sprachen und Organisation. Unter den Patienten ihrer Praxis gibt es Lehrer, die ihnen helfen. Weitere Unterstützung kommt von Freunden und Bekannten. Bei bestimmten Projekten treffen sie auf andere Freilernerkinder. „Das Netzwerk wird immer größer, es wird immer schöner und interessanter“, sagt Katharina. Man geht mit vielen anderen einen gemeinsamen Weg, verlässt dabei eingetretene Pfade und erkundet neue Themenfelder wie Mediengestaltung, freie Energie, Elektrotherapie, meditatives und Improvisations-Zeichnen. „Ich sprudele vor Ideen. Sie kommen in mein Feld, und dann mache ich was draus“, sagt Katharina. Die Jungs sind in Wurzen im Ringelnatz-Literaturkreis. Dort schreiben sie Drehbuchgeschichten und haben einen Film produziert. Sie suchen sich Projekte oder kreieren neue, wie mit dem Planetarium Eilenburg. Diese Zusammenarbeit hat sich sehr gut entwickelt. Dort lernen 4- bis 15-Jährige zusammen. Die drei Jungs spielen Klavier. Erdkunde und Geschichte erleben die Kinder auch dadurch, dass die Familie Hauptstädte oder die bosnischen Pyramiden selbst erkundet. Dabei erweist es sich als Vorteil, nicht auf die Ferienzeiten angewiesen zu sein.

Als Physiotherapeutin ist Katharina bewusst, dass man neue Lernstrategien entwickeln muss. Die Kinder lernen unterschiedlich. Jedes Kind hat seinen eigenen Charakter. Aurelius benötigt eher eine 1:1-Betreuung. Darauf kann Katharina viel individueller eingehen als die staatliche Schule. Es ist aber auch aufwendiger und anstrengender. Besonderen Wert legt sie darauf, dass rechte und linke Gehirnhälfte gleichmäßig beansprucht werden. Lernphasen werden immer wieder mit Entspannungs- oder Bewegungsphasen kombiniert. Sie weiß, dass den Kindern zuerst die Grundlagen des Lesens, Rechnens und Schreibens vermittelt werden müssen. Dann sind sie in der Lage, sich alles Weitere selbst anzueignen – Unterstützung vorausgesetzt. „Besonders das Schreiben mit der eigenen Hand ist wichtig für die Vernetzung der beiden Gehirnhälften“, sagt Katharina. Dafür nehmen sich die Eltern Zeit. Die Kinder führen Tagebuch. Außerdem halten es die Eltern für wichtig, den Kindern Werte und Tugenden wie Dankbarkeit, Verlässlichkeit, Beharrlichkeit, Aufrichtigkeit, Ehrlichkeit und die zehn Gebote zu vermitteln. Katharina und Johannes sind beide religiös begleitet aufgewachsen. Heute sehen sie die Kirche als Institution kritisch. Angebunden an die Schöpfung und im Gottvertrauen erschaffen und schöpfen sie Leben und Lebensraum aus eigener Kraft – so erklärt es uns Katharina.

Ein weiteres Thema sind die Funktionen des Körpers und wie sich die Kinder gesund erhalten können. Vieles lernen sie dabei in der Physiotherapiepraxis. Die Familie hat das Privileg, in ihrem eigenen Biorhythmus leben zu können. „Das macht sehr viel aus – wir sind alle gesund“, sagt Katharina. Der Lern- und Arbeitstag beginnt nicht vor 9 Uhr und hat eine eigene Struktur. Im Tagesablauf sind feste Verantwortlichkeiten integriert. So wechseln sich die Kinder aller drei Tage mit Tischdecken, Staubsaugen und Geschirrspüler ab. Das hilft ihnen, sich selbst zu organisieren. Das geht nicht immer reibungslos vonstatten. Wenn das Lernpensum beizeiten abgearbeitet wurde, helfen die Kinder im Haushalt oder Garten oder gehen ihrem Bewegungsdrang auf andere Weise nach. Die Eltern sind am Abend noch länger aktiv, denn die Praxis erfordert noch die eine oder andere bürokratische Pflicht. Die Familie ist sehr naturverbunden. Sie gehen viel in den Wald und in den Garten. Sie bauen selbst Gemüse und Obst an. Dabei können die Kinder zum Beispiel Erfahrungen mit Permakultur und natürlicher Düngung sammeln. Die Familie achtet auf die Ernährung, schließlich ist Katharina seit fast 25 Jahren Ernährungsberaterin. Was sie nicht selbst anbauen, wird beim Bauern des Vertrauens eingekauft. Die Jungs können selbst kochen und backen. Die Schädlichkeit von Zucker ist den Kindern schon bewusst geworden, ohne gänzlich auf Schokolade verzichten zu müssen. Medikamente gibt es im Haushalt nicht. Sie kennen sich sehr gut mit den Heilmitteln aus der Natur aus und können so ihre Selbstheilungskräfte aktivieren. Sie haben keinen Hausarzt. Natürlich hat keines der Kinder ein Handy. Bisher haben sie noch kein Verlangen danach. Die Eltern halten es für wichtig, dass die Kinder erst sicher bei Selbstorganisation und Tagesstruktur sind, bevor sie ein Handy bekommen. Katharina weist darauf hin, dass beispielsweise WhatsApp erst ab 16 Jahren zugelassen ist, und fragt sich, ob das andere Eltern wissen.

Gesetze auf Augenhöhe auslegen

Den Behörden blieben die Freilerner nicht verborgen. Sie wurden aktiv und schalteten das Familiengericht ein. Die Familie hatte keinen Anwalt und keine Rechtsschutzversicherung. Katharina erzählt uns, dass sie schließlich auf „Hilfe von oben“ gehofft habe. Irgendwer hat sie anscheinend erhört, denn sie bekamen „einen Engel“ als Verfahrensbeistand. Die Behörden waren sehr zugänglich. In den Gesprächen gab man zu, mit der Schulsituation ebenfalls nicht zufrieden zu sein. „Wir wollen so wie ihr, dass sich etwas verändert. Wir sind an Eurer Seite.“ Die Gespräche mit dem Jugendamt und der Richterin vom Familiengericht Grimma waren immer auf Augenhöhe. Schließlich legte man der Familie keine Steine in den Weg. Damit kann Katharina ihr Konzept nach außen leben und andere inspirieren. Ihre Schlussfolgerung: Eltern müssen sich ihrer Stärken bewusst werden und aus ihrer Angst herauskommen. Das Konzept muss aber zur Familie passen, denn jede Familie ist anders.

Die Basis für freies Lernen ist das Vertrauen der Eltern in ihre Kinder. Denn Kinder sind von Natur aus wissbegierig und wollen lernen. Katharina hat viel von Bertrand Stern und von Riccardo Leppe gelernt. Beiden wurde von ihren Eltern das Lernen ohne Schulbesuch ermöglicht. Mit Bertrand Stern hat Katharina Kontakt. Er wird im November am Buß- und Bettag eine kleine Fortbildung im Therapie- und Seminarzentrum geben. Für den Vorabend ist ein Vortrag geplant. Katharina zitiert Riccardo Leppe: „Es ändert sich nur was, wenn man es selbst tut.“ Er sei sich sicher, dass der Fortschritt beim Freilernen inzwischen so weit ist, dass „die Paste nicht wieder zurück in die Tube geht“.

Der Übergang zur Berufsausbildung

Die ersten Freilernerkinder kommen jetzt in das Alter, in dem sie eine Berufsausbildung beginnen können. Aurelius und Benjamin, die beiden „Großen“, machen seit Anfang des Jahres schon erste Praktika bei ortsansässigen Handwerksbetrieben. Beide Seiten sind sehr zufrieden. Durch die Praktika, die länger dauern als im schulischen Lehrplan vorgesehen, können sich die Kinder ausprobieren. Katharina findet es interessant miterleben zu dürfen, wie auf ihre Kinder reagiert wird. Bringen sie etwas mit, das die anderen nicht haben? Denken sie anders mit? Benjamin bekam schon ein Angebot, in einem Metallbau-Betrieb stundenweise mitzuarbeiten. In den Betrieben weiß man, dass die Abschlüsse der staatlichen Schulen größtenteils das Papier nicht wert sind, auf dem sie stehen. Viele verlassen die Schule und können kaum lesen und schreiben, von Selbstorganisation ganz zu schweigen. Ein Freilerner kann eine staatliche Externen-Prüfung ablegen, um einen Haupt- oder Realschulabschluss zu erwerben. Katharina: „Für eine Ausbildung bei einem privaten Unternehmer braucht man das nicht, allein der Unternehmer entscheidet über die Aufnahme des Auszubildenden“. Außerdem stehen den jungen Leuten Privatschulen oder der zweite Bildungsweg zur Verfügung. Wenn man einen praktischen Beruf ergreift, ist es immer noch möglich, sich bis zur Hochschulreife weiterzubilden. Nach mehrjährigen Tätigkeiten kann man bei den Kammern von Industrie, Handel und Handwerk (IHK und HWK) eine Abschlussprüfung ablegen, mit der man zum Studium zugelassen werden kann. Oder man geht gleich den Weg in die Selbstständigkeit.

Frei lernen weitergedacht

Während der Coronazeit haben sich in Sachsen und speziell um Leipzig herum kleine Freilernergruppen gefunden. Die Gruppen werden aktuell zusammengeführt, um zum Beispiel gemeinsam den Mathematikunterricht zu gestalten. Besonders um Dresden herum ist die Szene noch stärker ausgeprägt. Außerdem gibt es seit mehr als 20 Jahren den Bundesverband Natürlich Lernen (BVNL). Er bietet Beratung und zentrale Veranstaltungen an.

Der Wunsch nach dem freien Lernen ohne Schulzwang ist groß. Doch die meisten Eltern wollen ihre Kinder dafür irgendwo abgeben und nicht selbst unterrichten. Katharinas größter Wunsch ist es, drei bis fünf Elternpaare zu finden, die sich in die Betreuung und Unterrichtung ihrer Kinder teilen. Das größte Hindernis dafür sieht sie in den Eltern selbst. Durch ungelöste transgenerative Konflikte und unverarbeitete Familientraumata kommen sie noch nicht in ihre eigene Kraft für ein selbstbestimmtes Leben. Viele wagen es noch nicht, ihre Erwerbstätigkeit zugunsten der Kinder einzuschränken. Katharina sieht es als große Aufgabe für sich und ihre Familie, mit dem Freilernen das Gemeinschaftsbewusstsein und gute Konfliktlösungsstrategien zu entwickeln. Sie denkt dabei bereits an ihre Enkel. Aber sie weiß auch, dass die Eltern ein sehr hohes Maß an Eigeninitiative, Motivation und Selbstdisziplin aufbringen müssen. Sie würde Eltern, die sich das noch nicht zutrauen, als Traumabegleiterin zur Verfügung stehen, für einen angemessenen Energieausgleich. Diese gegenseitige Unterstützung käme Kindern und Eltern zugute. Ebenso hält sie die Idee der Mehrgenerationenerziehung für wichtig. Dabei profitieren nicht nur die Kinder. Die Erfahrungen der älteren Menschen gehen nicht verloren, sondern werden an die jüngeren Generationen weitergegeben und machen sie resilienter. Das hilft den Eltern, ihrer Erwerbsarbeit nachzugehen und Familientraumata zu bewältigen.

Katharina ist eine starke Frau und sprüht nur so vor Energie. Selbst als wir nach 21 Uhr das Therapiezentrum verlassen, sind ihr die Anstrengungen des Tages nicht anzumerken. Sie wird nicht müde beim Sprechen. Für Fragen zum Thema Freilernen kann man sich an sie wenden.

Der Text wurde zuerst am 27.05.2025 im Blog „Freie Akademie für Medien und Journalismus“ veröffentlicht (https://www.freie-medienakademie.de/medien-plus/lernen-neu-gemacht)

Bildquelle: Salah Darwish, unsplash.com

@ 005bc4de:ef11e1a2

BIP-2,100,000,000,000,000,000

So, you're telling me...

• 21 million bitcoins is out, and...
• 2.1 quadrillion sats is in, except that...
• sats are out, so...
• 2.1 quadrillion bitcoins is in, except that...
• there are actually millisats, but...
• millisats are out, so...
• millibitcoins are in, so now...
• there are 2.1 quintillion millibitcoins, except that...
• millibitcoins are the basic base unit of bitcoin, so...
• millibitcoins are out, and now...
• 2.1 quintillion bitcoins are in

@ 21810ca8:f2e8341e

Ich bin neu bei Nostr und versuche mich hier rein zu fuchsen. Kann das einer sehen? Und dann habe ich noch viele Fragen

Gibt es gute Marktplätze wie ebay oder ebay kleinanzeigen wo man stink normale dinge und kram von zuhause gegen sat verkaufen kann.

@ 3770c235:16042bcc

** Introduction: The Neon Pulse of Las Vegas
**It’s 2:30 AM on a Tuesday. The Strip hums with laughter, clinking glasses, and the occasional Elvis impersonator. A group of friends stumbles out of a nightclub, squinting under the glow of a Las Vegas billboard that screams, “Hungry? $5 Pancakes → 1 Block Right!” Ten minutes later, they’re drowning their late-night cravings in syrup.

This isn’t luck—it’s Las Vegas billboards doing what they do best: working while the rest of the world sleeps. In a city where the party never stops, these glowing giants are the ultimate salespeople. Let’s dive into why Las Vegas billboards outshine traditional ads and how your business can ride their 24/7 energy wave.

** Why Las Vegas Billboards Never Take a Coffee Break
** 1. Tourists Don’t Have Bedtimes (and Neither Do Billboards)
- 42 million visitors flock to Vegas yearly. They’re sipping margaritas at noon, gambling at midnight, and shopping at 3 AM.
- Las Vegas billboards near hotspots like the Bellagio Fountains or Fremont Street catch eyes round the clock.

Real Story:
A donut shop owner named Luis rented a billboard near the “Welcome to Vegas” sign. His message? “Jet Lagged? Sugar Fix Open 24/7!” Sales tripled—especially between 1 AM and 4 AM.

** 2. You Can’t “Skip” a Billboard
** - Imagine this: You’re stuck in traffic on the Strip. Your phone’s dead. That Las Vegas billboard for air-conditioned massages? It’s your lifeline.
- Compare that to online ads: 47% of people skip them, and TikTok ads vanish in a scroll.

1. Vegas Thrives on Impulse
2. Billboards tap into spontaneous decisions:
3. “Let’s try that rooftop bar!”
4. “Wait, free slot play? Let’s U-turn!”
5. Traditional ads (like radio spots) fade fast. Billboards linger, nudging tourists to act now.

** 5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Vegas Billboard
** 1. Size Matters (And So Does Flash)
- Strip billboards can be taller than a 5-story building.
- Digital screens use LEDs so bright, they’re visible from space.

Pro Tip:
A casino added fake “smoke” effects to their billboard for a Halloween promo. Traffic backed up for selfies—and bookings spiked.

1. No Language Barrier
2. Vegas draws visitors from Tokyo, Berlin, São Paulo...
3. A Las Vegas billboard with a giant cocktail emoji? Universal for “Drinks here!”

Case Study:
A Korean BBQ spot used a billboard of sizzling meat. No words. Just smoke visuals. Tourists followed the “aroma” straight to their door.

1. They’re Always in the Right Place, Right Time
2. 6 AM: Joggers see smoothie ads.
3. 3 PM: Pool partiers spot “Free Margarita” promos.

4. Midnight: Hangover clinics whisper, “We’ve got IVs.”

5. Instant Trust Boost

6. A tiny online ad says “startup.” A glowing billboard says, “We’re Vegas royalty.”

Jake’s Win:
Jake’s tiny magic shop rented a billboard reading, “Real Tricks—Cheaper Than the Casino!” Tourists treated him like David Blaine.

1. QR Codes = Instant Customers
2. “Scan for free parking!” → 1,000 scans in a weekend.
3. “Tap to call a limo” → Rides booked before the light turns green.

** How to Make Your Vegas Billboard Irresistible
** Step 1: Claim Your Territory
- The Strip: Pricey but prime ($15k–$60k/month).
- Fremont Street: Quirky, cheaper ($5k–$20k), packed with partiers.
- Highway 15: Target road-trippers with “Almost There! Cold Beer Ahead!”

Step 2: Keep It Stupid Simple
- Bad: “Experience Culinary Excellence at Our Artisanal Bistro!”
- Good: “24/7 Bacon Pancakes → Exit Here.”

Maria’s Hack:
Maria’s tattoo parlor used a billboard with a flaming skull and three words: “Walk-Ins Welcome.” No phone number. “People just… show up,” she laughs.

Step 3: Track Your Wins (Like a Vegas High Roller)
- QR Codes: “Scan for Free Slot Play!” → Track scans.
- Unique URLs: “Visit VegasPizza24.com” → Monitor traffic.
- Old-School: Count foot traffic. (“Did that bachelor party just roll in from our billboard? Yes.”)

**FAQs ** 1. “How do I even measure if my billboard’s working? It’s not like online ads!”
Answer:
You’re right—it’s not just clicks and likes. But here’s how real businesses track success:
- QR Codes: Add a unique code like “Scan for Free Appetizer!” Track scans.
- Promo Codes: “Mention this billboard for 20% off!” (Works great for Uber drivers: “My passengers blurt it out mid-ride,” says driver Luis M.)
- Foot Traffic Spikes: Note sales surges after your ad goes live. A dispensary saw a 60% bump in visits after their “We’re Closer Than the Casino!” billboard.
- Social Media Tags: Encourage selfies with your billboard. A retro motel offered a free pool pass for tagged photos. Their Instagram exploded.

1. “Aren’t billboards old-school? My Gen Z customers live on TikTok!”
   Answer:
   Billboards in Vegas are anything but old-school. Here’s why:
2. Hybrid Campaigns: Pair billboards with geofenced mobile ads. Example: A billboard for a pool party says, “Scan to Pre-Order Drinks.” Users nearby get a TikTok-style ad on their phone.
3. Instagrammable Designs: Quirky billboards go viral. The “Welcome to Vegas” sign is the most Instagrammed spot in the city. Mimic that vibe!
4. Influencer Collabs: Pay a Vegas influencer to pose with your billboard. Their followers will hunt it down like a scavenger hunt.

Real Story:
A vintage clothing store’s billboard (“Find Your Retro Vibe → 2 Blocks East”) became a TikTok trend after a local influencer did a “thrift haul” video there.

** 3. “What’s the biggest mistake businesses make with Vegas billboards?”
** Answer:
Trying to cram in too much info! Drivers have 5–7 seconds to read your ad. Avoid:
- Text Overload: “Grand Opening! 50% Off! Open 24/7! Call Now!” → Too much!
- Bland Designs: Gray text on a gray background? Yawn.
- Ignoring Locals: Tourists are 70% of viewers, but locals matter too. A gym’s billboard said, “Tired of Tourists? Work Out in Peace.” Memberships spiked.

Fix It:
- Use 7 words max.
- Bold colors (red, yellow, neon pink).
- Add a clear call to action: “Turn Right Now!” or “Scan for Free Parking.”

1. “Do I need a permit? What if my ad gets rejected?”
   Answer:
   Yep, permits are a thing. The city bans:
2. Flashing Lights Near Residences: No strobes in suburban areas.
3. Certain Content: No swear words, adult themes, or political fights.

How to Avoid Rejection:
- Work with local Outdoor Advertising companies—they know the rules.
- Submit designs early. One pizza joint’s ad was flagged for a pepperoni slice deemed “too suggestive.” They swapped it to a cheese pull… and it got approved.

Conclusion: Let Your Business Shine All Night Long
At 5 AM, as the sun peeks over the desert, the Las Vegas billboards keep glowing. They’ve sold midnight pancakes, inspired shotgun weddings, and even talked someone out of a questionable tattoo (“Wait! Our Parlor’s Better → Next Exit”).

These aren’t just ads—they’re part of Vegas’ heartbeat. So whether you’re slinging sushi, massages, or monster truck rides, remember: In a city that never sleeps, your billboard shouldn’t either.

Ready to Light Up the Night?
Find Las Vegas billboards near you today. And if you spot one that says, “Free High-Fives for Readers of This Article,” honk twice. It’s probably yours.

@ 6e0ea5d6:0327f353

Ascolta bene! It is more dignified to thirst alone in the desert than to share wine with someone who has no thirst for conquest.

On the silent path to success, it’s not the declared enemies who slow the march, but rather the friends. Not the noble or loyal ones, but the failures—those who carry a dull glint in their eyes, chronic laziness in their spirit, and the eternal excuse of bad luck in their pockets. Friendship, when poorly chosen, becomes a polished anchor, tied to your ankle with ropes named camaraderie.

Nothing weighs heavier on the journey than having to endure the failed and envious around you. It is a kind of emotional parasitism that begins with empathy and ends in stagnation. Those who live among the weak will crawl. Those who keep company with miserable friends, instead of striving to prosper, learn to curse wealth—not out of ethics, but out of envy. Mediocrity, my friend, is contagious. And it does not take root suddenly, but like a silent epidemic.

Ambition—that fire that burns in the bones of great men—will always seem like arrogance to the ears of the failed. Those who have never built anything, except arguments to justify their paralysis, will never understand the fury of someone born to conquer. And so, with smiles, they spit venom: “Calm down,” they say, “be content,” they advise. Hypocrites. What they call humility is nothing more than resignation to their own defeat.

To walk alone, with hunger and honor, is worth more than feasting at lavish tables at the cost of your own sweat, surrounded by parasites who toast your downfall with glasses full of praise. No one prospers where the conversation is filled with complaints, criticism, and envy. What does not build up, corrodes.

The rust of the weak is invisible at first—a bitter joke here, a veiled critique there. And before you know it, the structure is already rotten. Of the friendship, only the weight remains. Of the relationship, only exhaustion. The true enemy of success is the company of those who have failed and wish for you the same fate. These tragic figures—always tired, always victims—are masters of collective self-sabotage.

Feel no remorse in abandoning those who build nothing and consume everything. And in that abandonment, you become freer, stronger, and unbreakable.

Thank you for reading, my friend!

If this message resonated with you, consider leaving your "🥃" as a token of appreciation.

A toast to our family!

@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be

For those who still don't truly understand Bitcoin, it means you still don't understand what money is, who creates it, and why humans need money.

It's a scam that the education system doesn't teach this important subject, while we spend almost our entire lives trying to earn money. Therefore, I recommend following the money and studying Bitcoin seriously.

Why Bitcoin Matters

Saving is the greatest discovery in human history

Before humans learned to save, we were just animals living day to day. Saving is what makes humans different from other animals — the ability to think about the future and store for later.

Saving created civilization itself

Without saving, there would be no cities, no science, no art. Everything we call "progress" comes from the ability to save.

Money is the greatest creation in human history

It is the tool that has allowed human civilization to advance to this day. Money is the best tool humans use for saving.

Bitcoin is the best money ever created

It is the most perfect money humans have ever created. No one can control, manipulate, destroy it, and it is truly limited like time in life.

Bitcoin is like a black hole

That will absorb all value from the damaged financial system. It will draw stability and value to itself. Everything of value will flow into Bitcoin eventually.

Bitcoin is like Buddhism discovering truth

It helps understand the root problems of the current financial system and the emergence of many problems in society, just like Buddha who understood all suffering and the causes of suffering.

Bitcoin is freedom

Money is power, money controls human behavior. When we have money that preserves value and cannot be controlled, we will have intellectual freedom, freedom of expression, and the power to choose.

The debt that humanity has created today would take another thousand years to pay off completely

There is no way out and it's heading toward serious collapse. Bitcoin is the light that will help prevent humanity from entering another dark age.

Bitcoin cannot steal your time

It cannot be created from nothing. Every Bitcoin requires real energy and time to create.

Bitcoin is insurance that protects against mismanagement

It helps protect against currency debasement, economic depression, and failed policies. Bitcoin will protect your value.

Bitcoin is going to absorb the world's value

Eventually, Bitcoin will become the store of value for the entire world. It will absorb wealth from all assets, all prices, and all investments.

Exit The Matrix

We live in a financial Matrix. Every day we wake up and go to work, thinking we're building a future for ourselves. But in reality, we're just giving energy to a system that extracts value from us every second. Bitcoin is the red pill — it will open your eyes to see the truth of the financial world. Central banks are the architects of this Matrix — they create money from nothing, and we have to work hard to get it.

The education system has deceived us greatly. They teach us to work for money, but never teach us what money is. We spend 12-16 years in school, then spend our entire lives earning money, but never know what it is, who creates it, and why it has value. This is the biggest scam in human history.

We are taught to be slaves of the system, but not taught to understand the system.

The Bitcoin standard will end war

When you can't print money for war anymore, war becomes too expensive.

We are entering the Bitcoin Renaissance era

An era of financial and intellectual revival. Bitcoin is creating a new class of humans. People who understand and hold Bitcoin will become a new class with true freedom.

The Path to Financial Truth

Follow the money trail and you will see the truth: - Who controls money printing? - Why do prices keep getting higher? - Why are the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer?

All the answers lie in understanding money and Bitcoin.

Studying Bitcoin is not just about investment — it's about understanding the future of currency and human society.

Don't just work for money. Understand money. Study Bitcoin.

If you don't understand money, you will be a slave to the system forever. If you understand Bitcoin, you will gain freedom.

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

ยังมีอีกสิ่งหนึ่งที่มักซ่อนอยู่ในเมล็ดธัญพืช ถั่วเปลือกแข็ง และพืชตระกูลถั่วทั้งหลาย เป็นเหมือน “กล่องเก็บขุมทรัพย์” สำหรับชีวิตน้อยๆ ของพืชในวันที่จะเติบโต แต่พอสิ่งนี้หลุดเข้ามาในร่างกายมนุษย์ มันกลับถูกมองว่าเป็น “ขโมย” ขโมยแร่ธาตุไปจากร่างกายเรา เจ้าสิ่งนั้นคือ “กรดไฟติก” หรือ phytic acid นั่นเองครับ

กรดไฟติกเป็นสารอินทรีย์ที่พืชสร้างขึ้นเพื่อเก็บสะสมฟอสฟอรัสไว้ใช้ตอนงอกงามในอนาคต มันเปรียบเหมือนกระปุกออมสินของเมล็ดพืช พวกเมล็ดถั่วดำ ข้าวโพด ข้าวกล้อง ข้าวโอ๊ต เมล็ดทานตะวัน อัลมอนด์ ไปจนถึงเต้าหู้ ถั่วเหลือง และธัญพืชต่างๆ ล้วนมีกรดไฟติกอยู่ไม่น้อย โดยเฉพาะถ้าเป็น “ธัญพืชเต็มเมล็ด” ที่ไม่ผ่านการขัดสีแบบที่หลายๆคนชอบ นั่นเพราะเยื่อหุ้มเมล็ดคือที่เก็บเจ้าตัวนี้ไว้

หลายคนคงคิดว่า อ้าวแล้วเจ้ากรดไฟติกทำไมถึงมีชื่อเสียงไม่ค่อยดีนัก? คำตอบอยู่ที่ “ความสามารถในการจับแร่ธาตุ” ของมันนี่แหละครับ

กรดไฟติกเป็นเหมือนแม่เหล็กเล็กๆ ที่สามารถจับตัวกับแร่ธาตุต่างๆ ได้ดี โดยเฉพาะ “แร่ธาตุบวกสอง” ทั้งหลาย แร่ธาตุบวกสอง คือ แร่ธาตุที่เวลาอยู่ในร่างกายจะอยู่ในรูปของไอออนที่มีประจุไฟฟ้า บวก 2 (เขียนว่า ²⁺) หรือพูดอีกแบบคือ มันเสียอิเล็กตรอนออกไป 2 ตัว เลยกลายเป็นไอออนที่มีพลังบวก 2 หน่วย กรดไฟติก หรือ แทนนิน จะทำตัวเป็น "แม่เหล็ก" ดูดแร่ธาตุออกไป มันมักจะจับกับแร่ธาตุที่มีประจุบวก โดยเฉพาะพวกที่ประจุบวกแรงๆ แบบ บวกสอง (²⁺) นี่แหละ เพราะจับแน่น จับเหนียว ยิ่งบวกเยอะยิ่งจับดี เหมือนแช่แม่เหล็กลงไปในกล่องโลหะ เช่น ธาตุเหล็ก สังกะสี แมกนีเซียม แคลเซียม และทองแดง พอมันจับเสร็จแล้ว ร่างกายเราก็ไม่สามารถดูดซึมแร่ธาตุพวกนี้เข้าไปได้ เพราะมันเปลี่ยนสภาพกลายเป็นของจับคู่ที่ลำไส้ไม่รู้จัก ไม่รู้จะพาเข้าร่างกายยังไง สุดท้ายก็ต้องโบกมือลาไปพร้อมของเสีย

พวกที่เป็น บวกสาม (³⁺) อย่างเช่น อลูมิเนียม (Al³⁺) หรือ เหล็กเฟอริก (Fe³⁺) จะจับแน่นมาก ถึงขั้นอาจเกิด “ตกตะกอน” แบบไม่ละลายน้ำเลยทีเดียว พวกนี้ลำไส้ไม่สามารถดูดซึมได้เลย ในขณะที่แร่ธาตุบวกหนึ่ง โซเดียม (Na⁺) โพแทสเซียม (K⁺) ประจุบวกแค่ +1 จับกับกรดไฟติกได้น้อยกว่า

ในแง่นี้กรดไฟติกเลยถูกเรียกว่า “สารต้านสารอาหาร” หรือ anti-nutrient เพราะมันต้านไม่ให้ร่างกายได้แร่ธาตุที่ควรจะได้ แต่อย่าเพิ่งตัดสินมันเหมือนผู้ร้าย เพราะในขณะที่กรดไฟติกอาจขโมยแร่ธาตุบางตัวจากร่างกาย มันก็มีคุณสมบัติน่าสนใจที่ดูจะเป็นคุณงามความดีของมันเหมือนกัน เช่น มันสามารถจับกับโลหะหนักบางชนิด เช่น ตะกั่ว หรือแคดเมียม ที่อาจปนเปื้อนในอาหาร แล้วพาออกไปจากร่างกายก่อนที่สิ่งเหล่านั้นจะทำร้ายเรา

และอีกด้านหนึ่งที่กำลังเป็นที่สนใจคือ ฤทธิ์ต้านอนุมูลอิสระของกรดไฟติก มันอาจช่วยลดการอักเสบ หรือยับยั้งการเติบโตของเซลล์มะเร็งบางชนิดในระดับเซลล์ได้ มีงานวิจัยที่พบว่ามันอาจไปจับกับธาตุเหล็กส่วนเกินที่ว่ายอยู่ในเลือด ซึ่งเป็นตัวเร่งปฏิกิริยาอนุมูลอิสระ คล้ายช่วย “เก็บเศษเหล็กที่ลอยไปมาบนทางด่วนหลอดเลือด” ให้ปลอดภัยขึ้นอีกนิด

แต่ทั้งนี้ทั้งนั้น อยากให้คิดแบบนี้ครับว่า กรดไฟติกคือคนแปลกหน้าที่ “บางมื้อก็มีประโยชน์ บางมื้อก็ทำให้เราขาดของดี” สิ่งสำคัญอยู่ที่ “สภาวะแวดล้อมของมื้ออาหาร” ถ้าอาหารในมื้อมีแร่ธาตุไม่มากนัก แล้วกรดไฟติกเข้ามาเยอะ มันก็ยิ่งลดโอกาสดูดซึมแร่ธาตุเหล่านั้น แต่ถ้ามื้ออาหารมีความหลากหลาย โปรตีนเพียงพอ วิตามิน C อยู่ครบ ก็ช่วยเพิ่มการดูดซึมธาตุเหล็กได้ดีขึ้น เพราะมันเปลี่ยนเหล็กให้อยู่ในรูปแบบที่ร่างกายดูดซึมง่ายขึ้น

แล้วเราจะจัดการยังไงกับกรดไฟติกในครัวแบบบ้านเรา?

วิธีพื้นบ้านมีมาแต่โบราณแล้วนั่นคือ -แช่น้ำ ก่อนหุงข้าวกล้อง หรือแช่ถั่วก่อนนำไปต้ม จะช่วยลดกรดไฟติกได้ระดับหนึ่ง เพราะมีเอนไซม์ที่ชื่อว่า phytase ซึ่งจะเริ่มทำงานเมื่อพืชได้รับน้ำและอุณหภูมิพอเหมาะ -การหมัก เช่น หมักแป้งข้าวเปลือกทำขนม หรือการหมักเต้าหู้ ก็เป็นวิธีดั้งเดิมที่ช่วยลดกรดไฟติกลงได้มาก เพราะเอนไซม์ของจุลินทรีย์ในกระบวนการหมักจะช่วยย่อยกรดไฟติกให้ลดลง -การงอก หรือ sprouting คือการทำให้เมล็ดพืชเริ่มต้นชีวิตใหม่ เช่น ถั่วงอก ข้าวกล้องงอก วิธีนี้ลดกรดไฟติกได้ดีมาก เพราะ phytase ที่อยู่ในพืชจะถูกกระตุ้นให้ทำงานสูงสุดตอนพืชเริ่มงอก

ข้อมูลคร่าวๆ บอกว่า วิธีเหล่านี้อาจลดกรดไฟติกลงได้ 30-90% ขึ้นกับชนิดของพืช และระยะเวลาที่ใช้

แต่ต้องรู้ไว้ด้วยว่า… การลดกรดไฟติกก็อาจทำให้พลังงานสำรองหรือสารอาหารบางตัวในพืชหายไปด้วยเช่นกัน เช่น วิตามิน B และสารต้านอนุมูลอิสระบางชนิด จึงควรใช้วิธีที่พอเหมาะ ไม่ถึงกับฆ่าความดีของพืชหมด

ดังนั้นเช่นกันครับว่า กรดไฟติกไม่ใช่ศัตรู ไม่ใช่เทพเจ้า แต่คือ “สมการ” ที่ต้องรู้จักแก้ไขให้เหมาะกับมื้ออาหารของเรา ถ้าเฮียเลือกกินแบบ animal-based อยู่แล้ว แร่ธาตุสำคัญส่วนใหญ่ก็ได้จากเนื้อสัตว์แบบที่ดูดซึมได้ดีอยู่แล้ว กรดไฟติกจากพืชที่กินพอประมาณก็อาจไม่ได้ร้ายแรงอะไรนัก เพียงแต่ต้องรู้ทันและจัดการให้พอดี ไม่ให้มันกลายเป็นตัวฉุดไม่ให้ร่างกายดูดซึมของดี

สุดท้าย เหมือนชีวิตเรานี่แหละ… “ทุกอย่างมีมุมมืดและมุมสว่าง อยู่ที่ว่าเราจัดแสงยังไงให้แม้แต่เงาก็กลายเป็นพลังของชีวิตเรา” #โรงบ่มสุขภาพ #HealthyHut #pirateketo #ตำรับเอ๋ #siripun #siamstr

/เฮียเอง

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

ในปี 2013 ณ กรุงลอนดอน แฮมเบอร์เกอร์หน้าตาดูธรรมดาแต่ไม่ธรรมดาชิ้นหนึ่งได้ถูกจัดวางอย่างสง่างามบนจานสีขาวในงานแถลงข่าวระดับโลก ไม่ใช่เพราะมันแพงเกินเหตุที่ตั้งราคาที่ 330,000 ดอลลาร์ต่อชิ้น แต่เพราะมันไม่เคยเกิดขึ้นมาก่อนในประวัติศาสตร์นี่คือ “เนื้อเพาะเลี้ยง” (cultured meat) ชิ้นแรกของโลกที่เติบโตมาจากเซลล์ ไม่ใช่จากสัตว์ทั้งตัว

เบื้องหลังอาหารชิ้นนี้คือชายชาวดัตช์คนหนึ่ง ชื่อว่า มาร์ค โพสต์ (Mark Post) นักวิทยาศาสตร์ด้านสรีรวิทยาหลอดเลือด ซึ่งไม่ได้มีดีกรีจากแค่มหาวิทยาลัย แต่มีความฝันที่อยากจะสร้างอาหารจากเทคโนโลยีเพื่ออนาคต เขาเริ่มต้นจากห้องทดลองเล็กๆ ที่มหาวิทยาลัย Maastricht ในประเทศเนเธอร์แลนด์ โดยเชื่อว่าการเพาะเลี้ยงเนื้อจากเซลล์ต้นกำเนิดของวัวจะสามารถลดผลกระทบด้านสิ่งแวดล้อมจากอุตสาหกรรมเนื้อสัตว์ได้

แต่กว่าจะมีแฮมเบอร์เกอร์เพาะเลี้ยงได้หนึ่งชิ้น เขาต้องเพาะเลี้ยงเส้นใยกล้ามเนื้อเล็กๆ มากกว่า 20,000 เส้น นำมารวมกัน ประกอบโครง สร้างรูปร่าง คล้ายกับงานศิลปะทางวิทยาศาสตร์ ใช้เวลาเป็นเดือน แถมกระบวนการทั้งหมดต้องอยู่ในสภาพปลอดเชื้อราวกับโรงพยาบาลของนาโนเทคโนโลยี ส่วนต้นทุนมหาศาลที่ใช้ในวันนั้น มาจากมหาเศรษฐีผู้ร่วมก่อตั้ง Google อย่าง Sergey Brin ที่เห็นว่ามันอาจเป็นคำตอบของปัญหาอาหารโลกในอนาคต

แต่เรื่องนี้มีอะไรมากกว่าที่สื่อกระแสหลักอยากให้คุณรู้

หลังจากเปิดตัวเนื้อในห้องแล็บ โลกก็เหมือนถูกปลุกให้ตื่นขึ้นในอีกมิติหนึ่ง บริษัทสตาร์ทอัพที่เคยเน้นเขียนโค้ด เริ่มหันมาเขียนสูตรเนื้อ บริษัทรายใหญ่อย่าง Cargill, Tyson Foods และแม้แต่ Richard Branson ก็เทเงินสนับสนุนบริษัทรุ่นใหม่อย่าง Mosa Meat ซึ่งก่อตั้งโดย Dr. Post เองในปี 2016 พร้อมแผนทะเยอทะยานที่จะส่ง “เนื้อจากแล็บ” เข้าซูเปอร์มาร์เก็ตภายในทศวรรษเดียว

Mosa Meat พยายามลดต้นทุนจากหลักแสน ให้เหลือหลักร้อย และวันนี้บริษัทเหล่านี้กำลังสร้างโรงงานที่ผลิตเนื้อในถังหมักขนาดยักษ์ ไม่ต่างจากโรงเบียร์ พวกเขาเลี้ยงเซลล์วัวในน้ำเลี้ยงที่เดิมทีเคยใช้เซรุ่มจากลูกวัว (Fetal Bovine Serum) ซึ่งเป็นสิ่งที่ย้อนแย้ง ที่สวนทางกับภาพ “ปลอดภัยไร้เลือด” มาก เพราะในขณะที่โฆษณาว่า “ปลอดการฆ่า” แต่กลับใช้ส่วนผสมที่ได้มาจากเลือดลูกวัวที่ยังไม่เกิด จนต้องหาทางเปลี่ยนสูตรเป็น “น้ำเลี้ยงเทียม” ที่มาจากสารเคมีและอาหารสังเคราะห์แทน

ด้วยโครงสร้าง scaffold ที่ช่วยให้เซลล์ก่อตัวเป็นเนื้อเยื่อ และ กระบวนการเพาะเลี้ยงใน bioreactor ขนาดยักษ์ ที่เปลี่ยนเซลล์เล็ก ๆ ให้เป็นเนื้อก้อนใหญ่ในเวลาไม่กี่สัปดาห์

แต่ขณะที่ภาพความล้ำซึ่งดูจะเติบโตอย่างสดใส กลับมีเงามืดที่เติบโตพร้อมกันไปเงียบๆไม่ต่างกับอนาคินและดาร์ธเวเดอร์

แม้จะเป็นนวัตกรรมล้ำหน้า แต่ทุกขั้นตอนถูกห่อหุ้มไว้ด้วย “สิทธิบัตร” สิ่งที่ทำให้เนื้อชนิดนี้ไม่ได้เป็นของทุกคน แต่เป็นสมบัติทางปัญญาของบริษัทเท่านั้น เนื้อจากเซลล์เหล่านี้ ไม่เหมือนเนื้อจากฟาร์มที่ใครก็เลี้ยงเองได้ ไม่สามารถเก็บเมล็ดพันธุ์ไว้เพาะรุ่นหน้าแบบชาวนาในอดีต ทุกอย่างต้องเริ่มต้นในห้องแล็บ ต้องใช้เทคโนโลยีเฉพาะ ต้องมีสูตรลับเฉพาะ ต้องพึ่งบริษัทที่มีสิทธิบัตรครอบครองชีวิตเซลล์เพียงไม่กี่เจ้า

Mosa Meat ไม่ได้หยุดแค่การผลิต พวกเขายื่นจด สิทธิบัตรกว่า 10 กลุ่ม ครอบคลุมตั้งแต่สูตรน้ำเลี้ยง วิธีเพาะเลี้ยงเซลล์ ไปจนถึงวิธีห่อบรรจุสินค้าขั้นสุดท้าย กล่าวอีกอย่างคือ ถ้าใครอยากทำเนื้อเพาะเลี้ยงแบบนี้บ้าง ก็ต้อง “จ่ายค่าลิขสิทธิ์” ให้เขาเสียก่อน เรากำลังก้าวสู่ยุคที่ อาหารไม่ใช่ผลผลิตจากดินและแรงคน แต่เป็นผลผลิตของทรัพย์สินทางปัญญา และเมื่อใดที่ “เนื้อ” กลายเป็นสิ่งที่คนผลิตเองไม่ได้ ต้องซื้อจากห้างเท่านั้น เกษตรกรกลายเป็นผู้บริโภค ผู้บริโภคกลายเป็นผู้ขึ้นอยู่กับระบบ ห่วงโซ่อาหารที่เคยเป็นของชุมชนถูกตัดขาดด้วยท่อส่งจากห้องทดลองสู่จานอาหาร เราไม่ได้ซื้อเนื้อ แต่ “เช่าเทคโนโลยี” ที่ผลิตเนื้อมาให้เรากิน

และที่น่าสนใจคือ รัฐบาลในหลายประเทศกลับเป็นผู้ให้ทุนสนับสนุน เช่น โครงการของสหภาพยุโรปที่มอบเงินกว่า 2 ล้านยูโรให้ Dr. Post และ Mosa Meat รวมถึงโครงการของสิงคโปร์ที่ให้ใบอนุญาตจำหน่ายเนื้อเพาะเลี้ยงรายแรกของโลกในปี 2020 ราวกับว่า “เนื้อจากแล็บ” กำลังจะกลายเป็นนโยบายด้านความมั่นคงอาหารแห่งอนาคต

มันไม่ใช่เรื่องของการวิจัยอีกต่อไป แต่มันคือการปูทางอำนาจใหม่ ที่เปลี่ยน “อาหาร” ให้กลายเป็น “ซอฟต์แวร์ชีวภาพ” ที่จดทะเบียนครอบครองสิทธิ์แบบเดียวกับแอปในมือถือ

แล้วการใช้สื่อก็จะมาในรุปแบบที่ประชาชนโห่ร้องดีใจ เฉลิมฉลองการเกิดขึ้นของมันโดยไม่รู้สึกว่า เสรีภาพในการจัดการด้านอาหารสิ้นสุดลงแล้ว ในทางหนึ่ง มันอาจดูสวยงามไร้ที่ติ ช่วยลดการฆ่าสัตว์ ลดการปล่อยก๊าซเรือนกระจก และให้โปรตีนสะอาดแก่คนจำนวนมาก

แต่อีกทางหนึ่ง มันคือการรวมศูนย์อำนาจด้านอาหารไว้ในมือบริษัทยักษ์ใหญ่ ที่สามารถตั้งราคาตามใจ และควบคุมทุกขั้นตอนตั้งแต่ฟาร์ม (ในหลอดทดลอง) ถึงโต๊ะอาหารของเรา

เกษตรกรจะหมดบทบาท เพราะไม่มีใครต้องเลี้ยงสัตว์อีก ผู้บริโภคจะหมดทางเลือก เพราะสูตรทุกอย่างถูกจดสิทธิบัตร สุดท้าย คนธรรมดาอย่างเราอาจ “มีเงินก็ยังไม่มีสิทธิ์ทำอาหารกินเอง”

ไม่มีใครในหมู่บ้านจะต้มแกงจากวัตถุดิบแล็บเหล่านี้ได้โดยไม่จ่ายค่าลิขสิทธิ์ ไม่มีใครปลูกหรือเพาะเนื้อได้เอง เพราะเขาถือสิทธิบัตร ไม่มีใครรู้ส่วนผสมที่แท้จริง เพราะมันคือ “ความลับทางการค้า”

หลายๆคนเริ่มคิดในใจว่า…นี่ไม่ใช่เรื่องเล็กอีกต่อไป เพราะนี่อาจไม่ใช่แค่เนื้อจากห้องแล็บ แต่ มันคือจุดเริ่มต้นของอนาคตของอาหารที่ไม่เป็นของประชาชนอีกต่อไป มันคือการเริ่มต้นของยุคที่มนุษย์จะไม่สามารถ “เข้าครัวของตัวเอง” ได้อีกต่อไป

ไหนๆเราตามมาถึงตอนนี้แล้ว เข้าหมวดที่ 2 ของอาหารอนาคตแล้ว เฮียไม่ได้บอกว่าเทคโนโลยีไม่ดีนะครับ เราตัดสินเดี๋ยวนี้ไม่ได้ แต่เรารู้เรื่องของมันได้

แต่โลกนี้เต็มไปด้วยคำว่า “ดีต่อโลก” ที่ซ่อนคำว่า “ดีต่อผู้ถือหุ้น” อยู่ข้างใน เราอาจจะกำลังก้าวสู่ยุคที่ “เนื้อไม่ได้ปลอดภัยขึ้น แต่ถูกควบคุมง่ายขึ้น” และประชาชนก็อาจกลายเป็นเพียง “ผู้ใช้บริการเนื้อ” ที่ไม่มีสิทธิ์แม้แต่จะรู้ว่าเนื้อในจานคืออะไรบ้างแน่

โลกอาหารในอนาคตไม่ได้ขึ้นกับว่าเราปลูกอะไร แต่ขึ้นกับว่า “ใครจดสิทธิบัตรก่อน” และเมื่อถึงวันนั้น เฮียแอบคิดว่า เราอาจไม่ได้เสียแค่ฟาร์มและครัว แต่เรากำลังเสีย “เสรีภาพในการกิน” ไปอย่างช้า ๆ ด้วยรอยยิ้มของนักลงทุนและเสียบปรบมือจาก "ใครบางคน"

ทุกวันนี้ใครนิยมไดเอทอะไร ภูมิใจในการดูแลสุขภาพยังไง ก็ทำไปเหอะครับ ขอเพียงว่า เส้นทางที่เดินอยู่นั้น สนับสนุนเกษตกร สนับสนุน local ให้แข็งแรง ทุกสังคมมีทั้งคนดีและคนไม่ดี เราค่อยๆ verify สนับสนุนคนดีๆ แต่ไม่ใช่ไปเดียจฉันท์ลงโทษคนไม่ดี เราเสริมความรู้ให้เขา พยายามโอบอุ้มพวกเขา ถ้าชีวิตดีขึ้น การออมเห็นผลขึ้น อาจทำให้ชีวิตทุกคนดีขึ้น

#pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ 812cff5a:5c40aeeb

ميزة حسابات Nostr: حرية مطلقة دون تقديم معلومات شخصية

في عصرٍ تسيطر فيه شركات التكنولوجيا الكبرى على بيانات المستخدمين، تأتي شبكة Nostr كحل جذري يعيد للمستخدم السيطرة على هويته الرقمية. واحدة من أبرز ميزات Nostr هي القدرة على إنشاء عدد غير محدود من الحسابات، دون الحاجة لتقديم أي معلومات شخصية، مثل رقم الهاتف أو البريد الإلكتروني.

مفاتيح بدل الحسابات

في Nostr، لا يوجد مفهوم "الحساب" التقليدي. بدلاً من ذلك، يتم إنشاء هوية المستخدم عبر زوج من المفاتيح: مفتاح خاص (Private Key) ومفتاح عام (Public Key). المفتاح العام يُستخدم لتعريفك ونشر مشاركاتك، بينما المفتاح الخاص يُستخدم لتوقيع تلك المشاركات وإثبات ملكيتك لها.

قابلية التنقل بين التطبيقات

الميزة الكبرى في هذا النموذج هي أن هذه المفاتيح يمكن استخدامها في أي تطبيق Nostr. سواء كنت تستخدم تطبيق Damus، أو Amethyst، أو أي عميل آخر، يمكنك استخدام نفس المفتاح العام للوصول إلى هويتك، منشوراتك، وقائمة متابعيك، بدون الحاجة لإعادة تسجيل أو إعادة بناء ملفك الشخصي في كل تطبيق.

لا تسجيل دخول، لا مركزية

بخلاف الشبكات الاجتماعية التقليدية التي تعتمد على تسجيل الدخول المركزي وكلمة مرور، فإن Nostr مبني على بروتوكول لا مركزي لا يحتاج إلى خوادم مركزية أو عمليات تسجيل دخول. هذا يعني أنك تتحكم بالكامل في بياناتك، ولا يمكن لأي جهة منعك أو حذف حسابك.

المرونة والخصوصية

• يمكنك إنشاء عدة مفاتيح لهويات مختلفة، كل منها تمثل شخصية مختلفة أو اهتمامًا معينًا.
• لا أحد يستطيع ربط هذه الحسابات ببعض أو تتبعها إلا إذا قمت أنت بذلك.
• يمكنك التخلي عن مفتاح واستبداله بآخر متى شئت، بدون طلب إذن من أي منصة.

خاتمة

ما يميز Nostr حقًا ليس فقط حريته التقنية، بل فلسفته المبنية على الخصوصية والتمكين. هو ليس مجرد بديل لتويتر أو فيسبوك، بل هو إطار جديد للتواصل الاجتماعي حيث الهوية تنبع من المستخدم، لا من المنصة.

@ b7274d28:c99628cb

In this second installment of The Android Elite Setup tutorial series, we will cover installing the nostr:npub10r8xl2njyepcw2zwv3a6dyufj4e4ajx86hz6v4ehu4gnpupxxp7stjt2p8 on your #Android device and browsing for apps you may be interested in trying out.

Since the #Zapstore is a direct competitor to the Google Play Store, you're not going to be able to find and install it from there like you may be used to with other apps. Instead, you will need to install it directly from the developer's GitHub page. This is not a complicated process, but it is outside the normal flow of searching on the Play Store, tapping install, and you're done.

Installation

From any web browser on your Android phone, navigate to the Zapstore GitHub Releases page and the most recent version will be listed at the top of the page. The .apk file for you to download and install will be listed in the "Assets."

Tap the .apk to download it, and you should get a notification when the download has completed, with a prompt to open the file.

You will likely be presented with a prompt warning you that your phone currently isn't allowed to install applications from "unknown sources." Anywhere other than the Play Store is considered an "unknown source" by default. However, you can manually allow installation from unknown sources in the settings, which the prompt gives you the option to do.

In the settings page that opens, toggle it to allow installation from this source, and you should be prompted to install the application. If you aren't, simply go to your web browser's downloads and tap on the .apk file again, or go into your file browser app and you should find the .apk in your Downloads folder.

If the application doesn't open automatically after install, you will find it in your app drawer.

Home Page

Right at the top of the home page in the Zapstore is the search bar. You can use it to find a specific app you know is available in the Zapstore.

There are quite a lot of open source apps available, and more being added all the time. Most are added by the Zapstore developer, nostr:npub1wf4pufsucer5va8g9p0rj5dnhvfeh6d8w0g6eayaep5dhps6rsgs43dgh9, but some are added by the app developers themselves, especially Nostr apps. All of the applications we will be installing through the Zapstore have been added by their developers and are cryptographically signed, so you know that what you download is what the developer actually released.

The next section is for app discovery. There are curated app collections to peruse for ideas about what you may want to install. As you can see, all of the other apps we will be installing are listed in nostr:npub1wf4pufsucer5va8g9p0rj5dnhvfeh6d8w0g6eayaep5dhps6rsgs43dgh9's "Nostr" collection.

In future releases of the Zapstore, users will be able to create their own app collections.

The last section of the home page is a chronological list of the latest releases. This includes both new apps added to the Zapstore and recently updated apps. The list of recent releases on its own can be a great resource for discovering apps you may not have heard of before.

Installed Apps

The next page of the app, accessed by the icon in the bottom-center of the screen that looks like a clock with an arrow circling it, shows all apps you have installed that are available in the Zapstore. It's also where you will find apps you have previously installed that are ready to be updated. This page is pretty sparse on my test profile, since I only have the Zapstore itself installed, so here is a look at it on my main profile:

The "Disabled Apps" at the top are usually applications that were installed via the Play Store or some other means, but are also available in the Zapstore. You may be surprised to see that some of the apps you already have installed on your device are also available on the Zapstore. However, to manage their updates though the Zapstore, you would need to uninstall the app and reinstall it from the Zapstore instead. I only recommend doing this for applications that are added to the Zapstore by their developers, or you may encounter a significant delay between a new update being released for the app and when that update is available on the Zapstore.

Tap on one of your apps in the list to see whether the app is added by the developer, or by the Zapstore. This takes you to the application's page, and you may see a warning at the top if the app was not installed through the Zapstore.

Scroll down the page a bit and you will see who signed the release that is available on the Zapstore.

In the case of Primal, even though the developer is on Nostr, they are not signing their own releases to the Zapstore yet. This means there will likely be a delay between Primal releasing an update and that update being available on the Zapstore.

Settings

The last page of the app is the settings page, found by tapping the cog at the bottom right.

Here you can send the Zapstore developer feedback directly (if you are logged in), connect a Lightning wallet using Nostr Wallet Connect, delete your local cache, and view some system information.

We will be adding a connection to our nostr:npub1h2qfjpnxau9k7ja9qkf50043xfpfy8j5v60xsqryef64y44puwnq28w8ch wallet in part 5 of this tutorial series.

For the time being, we are all set with the Zapstore and ready for the next stage of our journey.

Continue to Part 3: Amber Signer. Nostr link: nostr:naddr1qqxnzde5xuengdeexcmnvv3eqgstwf6d9r37nqalwgxmfd9p9gclt3l0yc3jp5zuyhkfqjy6extz3jcrqsqqqa28qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qg6waehxw309aex2mrp0yhxyunfva58gcn0d36zumn9wss80nug

@ b7274d28:c99628cb

Your identity is important to you, right? While impersonation can be seen in some senses as a form of flattery, we all would prefer to be the only person capable of representing ourselves online, unless we intentionally delegate that privilege to someone else and maintain the ability to revoke it.

Amber does all of that for you in the context of #Nostr. It minimizes the possibility of your private key being compromized by acting as the only app with access to it, while all other Nostr apps send requests to Amber when they need something signed. This even allows you to give someone temporary authority to post as you without giving them your private key, and you retain the authority to revoke their permissions at any time.

nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5 has provided Android users with an incredibly powerful tool in Amber, and he continues to improve its functionality and ease of use. Indeed, there is not currently a comparative app available for iOS users. For the time being, this superpower is exclusive to Android.

Installation

Open up the Zapstore app that you installed in the previous stage of this tutorial series.

Very likely, Amber will be listed in the app collection section of the home page. If it is not, just search for "Amber" in the search bar.

Opening the app's page in the Zapstore shows that the release is signed by the developer. You can also see who has added this app to one of their collections and who has supported this app with sats by zapping the release.

Tap "Install" and you will be prompted to confirm you are sure you want to install Amber.

Helpfully, you are informed that several other users follow this developer on Nostr. If you have been on Nostr a while, you will likely recognize these gentlemen as other Nostr developers, one of them being the original creator of the protocol.

You can choose to never have Zapstore ask for confirmation again with apps developed by nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5, and since we have another of his apps to install later in this tutorial series, I recommend you toggle this on. Then tap on "Trust greenart7c3 and install app."

Just like when you installed the Zapstore from their GitHub, you will be prompted to allow the Zapstore to install apps, since Android considers it an "unknown source."

Once you toggle this on and use the back button to get back to the Zapstore, Amber will begin downloading and then present a prompt to install the app. Once installed, you will see a prompt that installation was a success and you can now open the app.

From here, how you proceed will depend on whether you need to set up a new Nostr identity or use Amber with an existing private key you already have set up. The next section will cover setting up a new Nostr identity with Amber. Skip to the section titled "Existing Nostrich" if you already have an nsec that you would like to use with Amber.

New Nostrich

Upon opening the application, you will be presented with the option to use an existing private key or create a new Nostr account. Nostr doesn't really have "accounts" in the traditional sense of the term. Accounts are a relic of permissioned systems. What you have on Nostr are keys, but Amber uses the "account" term because it is a more familiar concept, though it is technically inaccurate.

Choose "Create a new Nostr account" and you will be presented with a screen telling you that your Nostr account is ready. Yes, it was really that easy. No email, no real name, no date of birth, and no annoying capcha. Just "Create a new account" and you're done.

The app presents you with your public key. This is like an address that can be used to find your posts on Nostr. It is 100% unique to you, and no one else can post a note that lists this npub as the author, because they won't have the corresponding private key. You don't need to remember your npub, though. You'll be able to readily copy it from any Nostr app you use whenever you need it.

You will also be prompted to add a nickname. This is just for use within Amber, since you can set up multiple profiles within the app. You can use anything you want here, as it is just so you can tell which profile is which when switching between them in Amber.

Once you've set your nickname, tap on "Continue."

The next screen will ask you what Amber's default signing policy should be.

The default is to approve basic actions, referring to things that are common for Nostr clients to request a signature for, like following another user, liking a post, making a new post, or replying. If you are more concerned about what Amber might be signing for on your behalf, you can tell it to require manual approval for each app.

Once you've made your decision, tap "Finish." You will also be able to change this selection in the app settings at any time.

With this setup out of the way, you are now presented with the main "Applications" page of the app.

At the top, you have a notification encouraging you to create a backup. Let's get that taken care of now by tapping on the notification and skipping down to the heading titled "Backing Up Your Identity" in this tutorial.

Existing Nostrich

Upon opening the application, you will be presented with the option to use your private key or create a new Nostr account. Choose the former.

The next screen will require you to paste your private key.

You will need to obtain this from whatever Nostr app you used to create your profile, or any other Nostr app that you pasted your nsec into in the past. Typically you can find it in the app settings and there will be a section mentioning your keys where you can copy your nsec. For instance, in Primal go to Settings > Keys > Copy private key, and on Amethyst open the side panel by tapping on your profile picture in the top-left, then Backup Keys > Copy my secret key.

After pasting your nsec into Amber, tap "Next."

Amber will give you a couple options for a default signing policy. The default is to approve basic actions, referring to things that are common for Nostr clients to request a signature for, like following another user, liking a post, making a new post, or replying. If you are more concerned about what Amber might be signing for on your behalf, you can tell it to require manual approval for each app.

Once you've made your decision, tap "Finish." You will also be able to change this selection in the app settings at any time.

With this setup out of the way, you are now presented with the main "Applications" page of the app. You have nothing here yet, since you haven't used Amber to log into any Nostr apps, but this will be where all of the apps you have connected with Amber will be listed, in the order of the most recently used at the top.

Before we go and use Amber to log into an app, though, let's make sure we've created a backup of our private key. You pasted your nsec into Amber, so you could just save that somewhere safe, but Amber gives you a few other options as well. To find them, you'll need to tap the cog icon at the bottom of the screen to access the settings, then select "Backup Keys."

Backing Up Your Identity

You'll notice that Amber has a few different options for backing up your private key that it can generate.

First, it can give you seed words, just like a Bitcoin seed. If you choose that option, you'll be presented with 12 words you can record somewhere safe. To recover your Nostr private key, you just have to type those words into a compatible application, such as Amber.

The next option is to just copy the secret/private key in its standard form as an "nsec." This is the least secure way to store it, but is also the most convenient, since it is simple to paste into another signer application. If you want to be able to log in on a desktop web app, the browser extension Nostr signers won't necessarily support entering your 12 word seed phrase, but they absolutely will support pasting in your nsec.

You can also display a QR code of your private key. This can be scanned by Amber signer on another device for easily transferring your private key to other devices you want to use it on. Say you have an Android tablet in addition to your phone, for instance. Just make sure you only use this function where you can be certain that no one will be able to get a photograph of that QR code. Once someone else has your nsec, there is no way to recover it. You have to start all over on Nostr. Not a big deal at this point in your journey if you just created a Nostr account, but if you have been using Nostr for a while and have built up a decent amount of reputation, it could be much more costly to start over again.

The next options are a bit more secure, because they require a password that will be used to encrypt your private key. This has some distinct advantages, and a couple disadvantages to be aware of. Using a password to encrypt your private key will give you what is called an ncryptsec, and if this is leaked somehow, whoever has it will not necessarily have access to post as you on Nostr, the way they would if your nsec had been leaked. At least, not so long as they don't also have your password. This means you can store your ncryptsec in multiple locations without much fear that it will be compromised, so long as the password you used to encrypt it was a strong and unique one, and it isn't stored in the same location. Some Nostr apps support an ncryptsec for login directly, meaning that you have the option to paste in your ncryptsec and then just log in with the password you used to encrypt it from there on out. However, now you will need to keep track of both your ncryptsec and your password, storing both of them safely and separately. Additionally, most Nostr clients and signer applications do not support using an ncryptsec, so you will need to convert it back to a standard nsec (or copy the nsec from Amber) to use those apps.

The QR option using an ncryptsec is actually quite useful, though, and I would go this route when trying to set up Amber on additional devices, since anyone possibly getting a picture of the QR code is still not going to be able to do anything with it, unless they also get the password you used to encrypt it.

All of the above options will require you to enter the PIN you set up for your device, or biometric authentication, just as an additional precaution before displaying your private key to you.

As for what "store it in a safe place" looks like, I highly recommend a self-hosted password manager, such as Vaultwarden+Bitwarden or KeePass. If you really want to get wild, you can store it on a hardware signing device, or on a steel seed plate.

Additional Settings

Amber has some additional settings you may want to take advantage of. First off, if you don't want just anyone who has access to your phone to be able to approve signing requests, you can go into the Security settings add a PIN or enable biometrics for signing requests. If you enable the PIN, it will be separate from the PIN you use to access your phone, so you can let someone else use your phone, like your child who is always begging to play a mobile game you have installed, without worrying that they might have access to your Nostr key to post on Amethyst.

Amber also has some relay settings. First are the "Active relays" which are used for signing requests sent to Amber remotely from Nostr web apps. This is what enables you to use Amber on your phone to log into Nostr applications on your desktop web browser, such as Jumble.social, Coracle.social, or Nostrudel.ninja, eliminating your need to use any other application to store your nsec whatsoever. You can leave this relay as the default, or you can add other relays you want to use for signing requests. Just be aware, not all relays will accept the notes that are used for Nostr signing requests, so make sure that the relay you want to use does so. In fact, Amber will make sure of this for you when you type in the relay address.

The next type of relays that you can configure in Amber are the "Default profile relays." These are used for reading your profile information. If you already had a Nostr identity that you imported to Amber, you probably noticed it loaded your profile picture and display name, setting the latter as your nickname in Amber. These relays are where Amber got that information from. The defaults are relay.nostr.band and purplepag.es. The reason for this is because they are aggregators that look for Nostr profiles that have been saved to other relays on the network and pull them in. Therefore, no matter what other relay you may save your profile to, Amber will likely be able to find it on one of those two relays as well. If you have a relay you know you will be saving your Nostr profiles to, you may want to add it to this list.

You can also set up Amber to be paired with Orbot for signing over Tor using relays that are only accessible via the Tor network. That is an advanced feature, though, and well beyond the scope of this tutorial.

Finally, you can update the default signing policy. Maybe after using Amber for a while, you've decided that the choice you made before was too strict or too lenient. You can change it to suit your needs.

Zapstore Login

Now that you are all set up with Amber, let's get you signed into your first Nostr app by going back to the Zapstore.

From the app's home screen, tap on the user icon in the upper left of the screen. This will open a side panel with not much on it except the option to "sign in." Go ahead and tap on it.

You will be presented with the option to either sign in with Amber, or to paste your npub. However, if you do the latter, you will only have read access, meaning you cannot zap any of the app releases. There are other features planned for the Zapstore that may also require you to be signed in with write access, so go ahead and choose to log in with Amber.

Your phone should automatically switch to Amber to approve the sign-in request.

You can choose to only approve basic actions for Zapstore, require it to manually approve every time, or you can tell it that you "fully trust this application." Only choose the latter option with apps you have used for a while and they have never asked you to sign for anything suspicious. For the time being, I suggest you use the "Approve basic actions" option and tap "Grant Permissions."

Your phone will switch back to the Zapstore and will show that you are now signed in. Congratulations! From here on out, logging into most Nostr applications will be as easy as tapping on "Log in with Amber" and approving the request.

If you set up a new profile, it will just show a truncated version of your npub rather than the nickname you set up earlier. That's fine. You'll have an opportunity to update your Nostr profile in the next tutorial in this series and ensure that it is spread far and wide in the network, so the Zapstore will easily find it.

That concludes the tutorial for Amber. While we have not covered using Amber to log into Nostr web apps, that is outside the scope of this series, and I will cover it in an upcoming tutorial regarding using Amber's remote signer options in detail.

Since you're already hanging out in the Zapstore, you may as well stick around, because we will be using it right out the gate in the next part of this series: Amethyst Installation and Setup. (Coming Soon)

@ 491afeba:8b64834e

Quando adolescente eu acreditava na coerência da teoria de "amor líquido" do polonês, sociólogo, Zygmunt Bauman, apresentada no livro "Amor Líquido: Sobre a Fragilidade dos Laços Humanos", qual no meu amadurecimento em estudos, sejam eles no meio acadêmico ou fora, percebo como uma das formas mais rasas de explicar as mudanças e transformações dos padrões de relações sócio-afetivas dos humanos. A seguir colocar-me-ei na minha juventude não tanto recente, direi então que nós, se adolescentes e conservadores, ou mesmo jovens adultos mais conservadores, costumamos levar como dogma uma óptica decadentista generalizada de todos os avanços de eras dos homens, universalizamos por nos ser comum a indistinção entre humanidade e humanidades, ou mesmo "humanity" e "humankind" ("humanidade" como espécime e "humanidade" como um universal), compreendemos toda "essas" como "essa" e indistinguimos as sociedades para com os homens, ou seja, a incapacidade de definir os seres dentro de suas respectivas singularidades e especificidades nos leva ao decadentismo generalista (a crença de que de forma geral, e universal, a "civilização universal" decai moralmente, éticamente, materialmente e espiritualmente), que aparente à nós determinadas mudanças nas relações humanas quanto ao caráter sócio-afetivo, por falta de profundidade e critérios ainda sobre questões alinhadas aos métodos e coerências, ou incoerências, lógicas, nós se jovens e conservadores somos levados ao engodo de concordar com a teoria do amor líquido de Bauman, que devo cá explicar de antemão: trata ela, a teoria, o padrão de "amor" dos tempos presentes como frágil, de prazo (curto e médio) e diferente em grau comparativamente ao amor comum das eras passadas.

Aos jovens mais progressistas opera uma compreensão dialética sobre as eras dos homens nos seu tempo presente, na qual ao tempo que o ser progride ele também regride simultaneamente, ou seja, a medida que aparecem contradições advindas de transformações materiais da realidade humana o ser supera essas contradições e progride em meio as transformações, ainda fazendo parte da lógica dessa indissociavelmente, assim constantemente progredindo e regredindo, havendo para esses dois vetores de distinção: o primeiro é o que releva questões espirituais como ao caráter do pensamento "new age", o segundo ignora essas questões por negar a existência da alma, seguem ao materialismo. Cedem em crer na teoria baumaninana como dogma, pois não encontram outros meios para explicar as transformações da sociedade na esfera sócio-afetiva sem que haja confrontamento direto com determinadas premissas assim pertinemente presentes, ou por não conciliarem com análises relativamente superiores, como a de Anthony Giddens sobre a "relação pura" em "A Transformação da Intimidade" e de François de Singly apresentada em "Sociologie du Couple".

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6f/b4/9e/6fb49eda2c8cf6dc837a0abfc7e108e6.jpg

Há um problema quando uma teoria deixa de assim ser para vir a tornar-se mais um elemento desconexo da ciência, agora dentro da cultura pop, se assim podemos dizer, ou da cultura de massa, ou se preferirem mesmo "anticultura", esse problema é a sua deformização teórica, tornando-se essa rasa para sua palatabilidade massiva, somada a incapacidade de partes da sociedade civil em compreender as falhas daquilo que já foi massificado. Tive surpresa ao entender que muitos outros compartilham da mesma opinião, a exemplo, possuo um amigo na faculdade, marxista, que ao falarmos sobre nossos projetos de pesquisa, citou ele o projeto de um de nossos colegas, no qual esse referido um de nossos colegas faria seu projeto com base na teoria do amor líquido de Bauman, então alí demos risada disso, ora, para nós a teoria baumaniana é furada, passamos a falar sobre Bauman e o motivo pelo qual não gostávamos, lá fiquei até surpreso em saber que mais gente além de mim não gostava da teoria de Bauman, pois ao que eu via na internet era rede de enaltecimentos à figura e à sua teoria, tal como fosse uma revelação partindo de alguma divindade da Idade do Bronze. Pouco tempo depois tive em aula de teoria política uma citação de Bauman partindo do professor que ministrava a disciplina, no entanto, ao citar o nome de Bauman o mesmo fez uma feição na qual aparentava segurar risada, provavelmente ele também não levava Bauman à sério. Não devo negar que todas as vezes que vejo o sociólogo sendo citado em alguma nota no X, no Instagram ou qualquer outra rede social, tal como fosse um referencial teórico bom, sinto uma vergonha alheia pois alí tenho uma impressão de que a pessoa não leu Bauman e usa o referencial teórico como um fato já assim provado e comprovado.

Há pontos positivos na teoria baumaniana, como a capacidade de perceber o problema e correlacioná-lo à modernidade, assim como sucitar a influência do que há de material no fenômeno, porém os erros são pertinentes: o primeiro problema é de categoria. Não há, por parte de Bauman noção alguma entre as dissociações dos amores, não há atenção sobre o amor como estrutura ou ele como um sentimento, todo ele é compreendido uniformemente como "amor", partindo do pressuposto que todas as relações, todas elas, são firmadas com base no amor. Essa crença tem uma origem: Hegel. Nos Escritos Teológicos Hegel partia da crença que o amor ligava os seres relacionalmente como uma força de superação e alienação, mas há de compreendermos que esse Friedrich Hegel é o jovem ainda pouco maduro em suas ideias e seu sistema de pensamento, mais a frente, em "Fenomenologia do Espírito e na Filosofia do Direito", Hegel compreende a institucionalidade do direito no amor e a institucionalização dessa força, assim aproxima-se da realidade a respeito da inserção do amor nas esferas práticas do humano, porém essa ideia, apesar de imperfeita, pois ao que sabemos não é o amor que consolida a relação, mas sim a Verdade (Alétheia), conforme apontado por Heidegger em "Ser e Tempo", essa ideia do amor como a fundamento das relações humanas influenciou, e até hoje influencia, qualquer análise sobre as relações humanas fora da esfera materialista, fora dessa pois, melhormente explicado em exemplo, os marxistas (em exemplo), assim como Marx, consideram como base primordial das relações as condições materiais.

Por certo, não é de todo amor a base para a solidificação, ora, erram aqueles que creem que somente essa força, assim apontada por Hegel, constituiam todos os relacionamentos formais como pilares fundamentais, pois em prática as famílias eram até a fiduciarização dessas, por mais paradoxal que seja, compreendidas melhor como instituições orgânicas de caráter legal do que conluios de afetividades. A família outrora tinha consigo aparelhos de hierarquia bem estabelicidos, quais prezavam pela ordem interna e externa, que acima dessa instituição estava somente a Igreja (outra instituição), com sua fiduciarização [da família] após o movimento tomado pelos Estados nacionais em aplicação do casamento civil mudou-se a lógica das partes que a compõe, findou-se o princípio da subsidiariedade (não intervenção de determinadas instituições nas decisões quais podem ser exercidas em resuluções de problemas nas competências de quaisquer instituições), foi-se então, contudo, também a autoridade, e nisso revela-se um outro problema não apontado na teoria de Bauman: qual o padrão do amor "sólido"? Pois, ora, sociedades tradicionais não abdicavam do relevar dos amores para tornar seus filhos em ativos nas práticas de trocas (dádivas)? É notório que esse padrão se dissocia do padrão de sentimento apontado por Bauman, encontramos esse fato em estudo nos trabalhos "Ensaio Sobre a Dádiva", do Marcel Mauss, e "As Estruturas Elementares do Parentesco", do Claude Levi-Strauss, quais expõem que nas sociedades "sólidas", tradicionais, relevava-se mais questões institucionais que as sentimentais para a formação de laços (teoria da aliança). Muitas das relações passadas não eram baseadas no amor, não significando assim que as de hoje, em oposição, sejam, mas que permanecem-se semelhantes em base, diferentemente em grau e forma.

https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F748b94c3-f882-45db-8333-09260ef15cfe_615x413.jpeg

Ora, ainda existem casamentos motivados pela política, pelo status, pelo prestígio, pelos bens, pelo poder, pela influência familiar e assim sucetivamente, tal como no passado, ocorre que essa prática tornou-se oculta, não mais explícita e aparente, devo dizer ainda que em partes, pois prepondera em nosso tempo uma epidemia de adultérios, fornicações, práticas lascivas e demais práticas libertinosas explicitamente, em contraposição às práticas ocultas em vergonhas de sociedades sem declínio moral e espiritual, o que nos leva a questionar o método comparativo em dicotomia temporal "presente x passado" aplicado por Bauman, no qual segue-se da seguinte forma:

                     Transformação
Passado = *sólido* | Presente = *líquido*

Categorias
Padrão de amor: tradicional (*sólido*)
                            moderno (*líquido*)

*Sólido* = estável, prazo (médio-grande), profundo, determinado.
*Líquido* = instável, prazo (curto-médio), raso, indeterminado.

O que penso é: Zygmunt Bauman buscou uma explicação material e laical para desviar ao fato de que há uma notória correlação entre espiritualização da sociedade, se voltada à Verdade, com a estabilidade das instituições, o que é já reduzido à moral religiosa, somente, não à mística, como por pensadores da linha de Tocqueville, ou em abordagens também mais laical (positivista) porém ainda relevantes, como Émile Durkheim em "As Formas Elementares da Vida Religiosa" e Max Weber em "A Ética Protestante e o Espírito do Capitalismo", contrapondo uma abordage mais voltada, de fato, a espiritualidade, como Christopher Dawnson, que defende essa teoria em "Religião e o Surgimento da Cultura Ocidental", e Eric Voegelin, principalmente nas obras "A Nova Ciência da Política" e "Ordem e História".

Encerrando, minha cosmovisão é a católica, o sistema de crença e religião qual sigo é do Deus que se fez homem por amor aos seus filhos, não posso negar ou mesmo omitir o fato de que, por trás de toda a minha crítica estão meus pensamentos e minhas convicções alinhadas àquilo que mais tenho amor em toda minha vida: a Verdade, e a Verdade é Deus, pois Cristo é a Verdade, o Caminho e a Vida, ninguém vai ao Pai se não por Ele, e pois bem, seria incoerência de minha parte não relevar o fato de crença como um dos motivos pelos quais eu rejeito a teoria do amor líquido de Zygmunt Bauman, pois os amores são todos eles praticados por formas, existem por diferentes formas e assim são desde sua tradicionalidade até o predomínio das distorções de declínio espiritual das eras presentes (e também antigas pré-Era Axial), estão esses preservados pelo alinhamento à verdade, assim são indistorcíveis, imutáveis, ou seja, amor é amor, não releva-se o falso amor como um, simplesmente não o é, assim o interesse, a sanha por bens, o egoísmo e a egolatria ("cupiditas", para Santo Agostinho de Hipona, em oposição ao que o santo e filósofo trata por "caritas") não são formas do amor, são autoenganos, não bons, se não são bons logo não são de Deus, ora, se Deus é amor, se ele nos ama, determino como amor (e suas formas) o que está de acordo com a Verdade. Aprofundando, a Teologia do Corpo, do Papa São João Paulo II, rejeita a "liquidez" apresentada por Bauman, pois o amor é, em suma, sacríficio, parte da entrega total de si ao próximo, e se não há logo não é amor. A Teologia do Corpo rejeita não os fundamentos de mentira no "líquido", mas também no "sólido", pois a tradicionalidade não é sinônimo de bom e pleno acordo com o amor que Deus pede de nós, não são as coerções, as violências, as imposições e demais vontades em oposição às de Deus que determinam os amores -- fatos em oposição ao ideário romanticizado. Claro, nem todas as coerções são por si inválidas do amor, ou mesmo as escolhas em trocas racionalizadas, a exemplo do autruísmo em vista da chance da família ter êxito e sucesso, ou seja, pelo bem dos próximos haver a necessidade de submissão a, em exemplo, um casamento forjado, ou algo do gênero, reconhece-se o amor no ato se feito por bem da família, porém o amor incutido, nesse caso, explicita o caráter sacrificial, no qual uma vontade e um amor genuinamente potencial em prazeres e alegrias são anulados, ou seja, mesmo nesse modelo tradicional na "solidez" há possibilidade do amor, não nas formas romanticizadas em critérios, como "estabilidade" e "durabilidade", mas no caráter do sacríficio exercido. Conforme nos ensina São Tomás de Aquino, o amor não é uma "força", tal como ensina Hegel, mas sim uma virtude teologal conforme na "Suma Teológica" (II-II Q. 26-28), não devemos reduzir o amor e os amores em análises simplórias (não simples) de falsa complexidade extraídas em métodos questionáveis e pouco competentes à real diensão de crise espiritual das eras, por esse motivo não concordo com a teoria do amor líquido de Zygmunt Bauman.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na bitcoin-balkan.com.

---

Pregled sadržaja

1. Procena vrednosti
2. Većina Bitcoin-ovih pozitivnih strana opstaje
3. Broj ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin
4. Zaključak

Prošlo je trinaest godina od nastanka Bitcoina i lako je poverovati da je većina njegovog rasta iza njega. Deo ovoga je rezultat predrasude koju svi delimo i što nas navodi da zamislimo trenutno stanje stvari kao završni stepen njegovog razvoja. Svaki bitcoiner je nekad mislio da je prekasan sa Bitcoin-om. Međutim, kada primenjujemo kritičko razmišljanje da bismo procenili gde je Bitcoin u svojoj putanji rasta, otkrivamo da je suprotno u stvari tačno: još uvek je vrlo, vrlo rano.

Postoje dva načina da razmišljate o tome koliko je rano za Bitcoin kao zalihu vrednosti neke imovine:

1. Procena vrednosti kao procenat od njegovog punog potencijala

2. Prihvatanje kao procenat od njegovog punog potencijala (na čemu je fokus u ovom članku).

Procena vrednosti

Prvi i najčešći način da se proceni koliko je rano za Bitcoin je da se pogleda njegova ukupna vrednost (trenutno oko 900B USD) i uporedi sa njegovim punim potencijalom. Izazov sa ovim je očigledno da je puni potencijal Bitcoin-a stvar nagađanja. Oni koji duboko razumeju Bitcoin imaju tendenciju da njegov potencijal posmatraju barem kao potencijal zlata (oko 13T USD), ali teoretski više poput 200T USD (oko polovine ukupne vrednosti sveta).

Za brzi pregled ovog potencijala od 200T USD, pogledajmo ukupno raspoloživo tržište Bitcoin-a. Radi jednostavnosti, samo ćemo razmotriti njegovu ulogu zalihe vrednosti i zanemariti njegov potencijal da pojede tržišni udeo od oko 100T USD ukupne vrednosti u različitim svetskim valutama. Uzimajući u obzir različite zalihe vrednosne imovine i grubom procenom koliki bi % Bitcoin mogao da uzme od njih, dobili smo ovakav rezultat:

Iako put do 200T USD nije veliko rastezanje, u stvarnoj vrednosti čini se previše dobrim da bi bio istinit. Sa obzirom da je bez presedana da zaliha vrednosti neke robe postigne vrednost veću od zlata, to jednostavno predstavlja neistraženu teritoriju. Ali čak i ako se jednostavno pridržavamo targetiranja niže ciljne vrednosti zlata od 13T USD, Bitcoin još uvek tendenciju velikog porasta svoje cene u budućnosti.

Većina Bitcoin-ovih pozitivnih strana opstaje

Svako ko razmišlja da nešto svog teško zarađenog novca uskladišti u Bitcoin pita se „da li sam poranio ili zakasnio?“ Nepisano je pravilo da se svako oseća kao da je zakasnio kad stigne. Brojni su primeri ljudi koji žale kako su zakasnili 2011. ili 2013. ili 2016. godine, kada je cena Bitcoin-a bila 5, 100, odnosno 600 USD.

Kao i u bilo kojoj zajednici koja se razvija i raste i u kojoj ima manjka nekretninama, pridošlice zavide ljudima koji su već obezbedili sebi nekretninu, ne sluteći da će njima zavideti ljudi koji tek treba da dođu. Ovaj fenomen je primenjiv i na velikom broju drugih primera. Na primer, zakasneli u Kalifornijskoj zlatnoj groznici bili su razočarani kada su došli, a bogata zlatna polja su već bila iscrpljena, i umesto toga su se naseliti na nekoliko stotina hektara zemljišta, a koje sada vrede bogatstvo.

U srcu ovog osećanja je strah da više nema uspona, da više nema novca koji se može zaraditi uzimajući ono što je još uvek ostalo dostupno. Da li smo dostigli tu tačku sa Bitcoin-om?

Pa ne. Čini se da je zapravo suprotno. Na osnovu punog potencijalnog opsega procene koji smo utvrdili gore, čak i u ishodu niskog nivoa (13T USD), velika većina bogatstva koje će steći vlasnici Bitcoin-a, tek treba da se stekne (96%). Da bi parirao proceni zlata, Bitcoin i dalje mora da poraste 26 puta.

A ako se desi vrhunski ishod, punih 99,7% ukupnog stvaranja bogatstva Bitcoin-a ostaje pred nama. To bi značilo da Bitcoin još uvek treba da poraste 400 puta, zanemarujući pariranje zlatu.

Stavljanjem trenutne vrednosti Bitcoin-a u perspektivu, postaje jasno da je za Bitcoin još uvek vrlo rano.

Iako ova analiza sugeriše da za Bitcoin-u ostaje od 26x do 400x rasta, korisno je proveriti ovaj zaključak kroz drugo razumno objašnjenje, a tamo gde je poznat puni potencijal…

Broj ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin

Procene broja vlasnika Bitcoin-a širom sveta se veoma razlikuju. To je dovelo do prilične količine dvosmislenosti i nesigurnosti u vezi sa stvarnim brojevima i određenog stepena odustajanja i mišljenja da je taj broj jednostavno preteško precizno proceniti. Iako je teško utvrditi konačan broj, glavni razlog za odstupanje u procenama je nedostatak standardizovanih definicija šta znači prihvatanje Bitcoin-a.

Istina je da postoje različiti nivoi prihvatanja Bitcoin-a. Podelom na segmente prihvatanja Bitcoin-a lakše je uvideti ne samo zašto postoji širok opseg procena, već i još važnije, koliko je još uvek rano za prihvatanje Bitcoin-a kao preferirane zalihe vrednosti.

U ove svrhe, hajde da podelimo u segmente prihvatanje Bitcoin-a na četiri različita „nivoa“:

1. Kežual amateri (prstom u vodi)

2. Alokatori 1% (stopalima u vodi)

3. Značajni vernici (do pojasa u vodi)

4. Bitcoin maximalisti (u vodi preko glave)

Pre nego što počnemo, potreban nam je imenilac. Mogli bismo da koristimo globalno stanovništvo, ali po mom mišljenju ovo daje loše rezultate. Ono što mi zaista procenjujemo je koji procenat sveta koji poseduje odredjeno bogatstvo za skladištenje u Bitcoin-u, je to i učinio. Prema podacima sa sajta Statista, 2,2 biliona ljudi na svetu poseduje najmanje 10k USD u neto vrednosti, što se čini kao razumna granica za zalihu koju žele da uskladište. Činjenica je da će siromašne zajednice takođe koristiti Bitcoin kao zalihu vrednosti i verovatno će iz njega izvući veću korist kao rezultat marginalnog pristupa tradicionalnoj bankarskoj infrastrukturi kao klijenti banaka sa „niskom vrednošću“. Međutim, u naše svrhe, jednostavno gledamo koliko je ljudi usvojilo Bitcoin među grupama sa značajnim bogatstvom za skladištenje, tako da će 2.2 biliona služiti kao naša puna potencijalna veličina tržišta.

1. Kežual amateri

Ovaj segment ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin uključuje sve one koji imaju bilo koju količinu Bitcoin-a – vašeg prijatelja sa 20 USD BTC-a negde u nekom novčaniku ili vašu tetku koja se ne seća svoje Coinbase lozinke iz 2017. Po mom mišljenju, najveća zabuna oko broja ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin nastaje zbog poistovećivanja „kežual amatera“ sa ljudima koji su u potpunosti prihvatili Bitcoin. Realnost je takva da ljudi ovog segmenta uglavnom samo eksperimentišu, bilo da bi stekli osećaj za ono o čemu svi pričaju, ili samo uložu nekoliko dolara u Bitcoin u nadi da će možda dobiti džekpot, kao što je slučaj sa greb-greb nagradnim igrama.

Zbog toga, „kežual amateri“ su razlog dovodjenja u zabludu pravog broja ljudi koji su u potpunosti prihvatili Bitcoin. Njihovo ponašanje zapravo ne predstavlja prihvatanje u pravom smislu te reči i stoga se ne bi trebalo smatrati ljudima koji su u potpunosti prihvatili Bitcoin. Istina je da, kada kežual amateri shvate da je Bitcoin najbolja zaliha vrednosti neke imovine u istoriji, neće ostati na samo 20 USD u Bitcoin-ima. Umesto toga, oni će svoju štednju prebaciti u mnogo većim iznosima.

Što se tiče odredjivanja veličine ovog segmenta, Willy Woo je sastavio razumno iscrpnu i sveobuhvatnu procenu od oko 187 miliona ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin, što znači da su oni u najmanju ruku „kežual amateri“.

Koristeći ovaj i naš puni potencijal od 2,2 biliona ljudi kao imenioca, 8,5% potencijalnih ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin-e dostiglo je nivo „kežual amatera“. Ovo je prilično velik broj i potpuno obmanjuje stvarni obim potpunog prihvatanja, a što će pokazati sledeći segmenti.

2. Alokatori 1%

Za preostale potkategorije, tačni podaci su manje dostupni. Kao takvi, sve što možemo je da smislimo razumne procene putem triangulacije.

Po mom mišljenju, „alokatori 1%“ se mogu okarakterisati kao ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin, i koji žele da imaju mali, ali ne i zanemarljivi deo u Bitcoin-u. Za naše svrhu, mislim da je pristojan prag za ovu grupu svako ko ima najmanje 0,1 Bitcoin, i može se smatrati da imaju malu, ali ne i zanemarljivu poziciju u Bitcoin-u.

Gledajući Bitcoin blockchain, postoji oko 3 miliona adresa koje imaju najmanje 0,1 BTC. Pored ovih brojeva na blockchain-u, moramo da uzmemo u obzir i znatan broj ljudi koji imaju ovaj iznos na berzi ili GBTC-u. Kombinovanjem, mislim da je razumno proceniti da je 10 miliona ljudi dostiglo nivo „alokatora 1%“ ili veći.

Na osnovu ovih brojeva, samo 1⁄17 „kežual amatera“ dostiglo je nivo prihvatanja „alokatora 1%“, što znači da je ovaj nivo prihvatanja Bitcoin-a do danas postigao samo 0,5% penetracije. Ovaj strmi pad je razlog zašto je došlo do zablude da veliki broj „kežual amatera“ bude označeno kao grupa koja je u potpunosti prihvatila Bitcoin.

3. Značajni vernici

U ovu kategoriju spada svako ko je dostigao nivo razumevanja Bitcoin-a da alokacija od 1% ili čak 5% više ne izgleda dovoljna.

Uopšteno govoreći, ova grupa se kreće u rasponu od 5 – 50%. Išao bih toliko daleko da bih rekao da je većina ljudi koji sebe smatraju vernicima u Bitcoin-e, uključujući većinu Bitcoin Twitter-a, negde u ovoj grupi.

Procena veličine ove grupe postaje mnogo nejasnija, ali možemo se osloniti na podatke iz blockchain-a da bismo došli do razumne procene.

Za početak, hajde da utvrdimo da je većina ljudi koji su dostigli ovaj nivo verovanja i razumevanja Bitcoin-a, izborila da poseduje najmanje 1 Bitcoin. Pored toga, ovaj nivo ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin je verovatno osigurao svoj Bitcoin u chain-u novčanika kojim oni upravljaju. Gledajući podatke na chain-u, oko 820k adresa ima najmanje 1 Bitcoin. Kao grubu pretpostavku, uzmimo da 500k od toga poseduju ljudi koji su dostigli nivo prihvatanja „značajnog vernika“.

Ako potom generički zaokružimo akaunte za ljude koji nisu postigli status whole­coiner-a (eng. osoba koja poseduje barem 1 BTC), ili koji svoja sredstva drže na berzi, dolazimo do grube procene od 2 miliona „značajnih vernika“.

4. Bitcoin maximal­isti

Za našu svrhu, recimo da ova grupa uključuje svakoga ko je dovoljno duboko ušao u Bitcoin da je zaključio da bi više od 50% njihove neto vrednosti trebalo da bude uskladišteno u Bitcoin-u.

Procena veličine ove grupe je gotovo nemoguća, zato ćemo morati da budemo kreativni.

1. Prodaja „Bitcoin Standard“

2. Hajde da konzervativno procenimo da je samo 20% maximalističara kupilo Bitcoin Standard, i da je 50% tih ljudi koji su ga razumeli, postali maksimalisti. Na osnovu knjige Amazon US rank (6,681), onlajn kalkulatori procenjuju da je prodato oko 15k primeraka.

3. Hajde da budemo velikodušni i da zaokružimo taj broj od oko 15k na 50k, uzimajući u obzir međunarodnu prodaju i kupovinu izvan Amazona.

Ovo nas dovodi do procene broja od 125k maximalista. Da ne bismo pogrešili, bićemo oprezni, i udvostručimo taj broj i rećićemo da ih ima 250k.

1. Kvalitativna triangulacija

Čisto subjektivno, ali čini mi se da na Twitter-u, primarnom domu za komunikaciju maximalista, postoji možda 10k aktivno angažovanih Bitcoin maximalista. Da budemo vrlo konzervativni, recimo da ovo predstavlja oko 5% maximalista (od ukupno 200k).

Uz to, kao procenu od vrha nadole, čini se opravdanim da je oko 10% ljudi koji su dostigli 5 – 50% alokacije Bitcoin-a napravilo skok ka maximalizmu.

Sve u svemu, cifra od oko 250k Bitcoin maximalista čini se konzervativnom, ako ne i velikodušnom pretpostavkom.

To nas dovodi do 0,01% penetracije.

Zaključak

Kako god gledali brojke, još uvek je rano za Bitcoin. Posmatrajući procenu vrednosti Bitcoin-a kao procenat njegovog punog potencijala, vidimo da je trenutna vrednost Bitcoin-a negde između 0,2% i 3% njegovog krajnjeg stanja, što znači da ostaje 30x do 500x rasta. Gledajući napredak prihvatanja Bitcoin-a, vidimo da je trenutna penetracija Bitcoin-a negde između 0,01% i 8,5%, u zavisnosti od toga koji prag prihvatanja gledate.

Ako verujete, kao što ja verujem, da je Bitcoin na putu da postane dominantna zaliha vrednosti i preferirani novac za ceo svet, na kraju će norma biti više od 50% posedovanja neto vrednosti u Bitcoin-u. Budući da naša analiza ovde sugeriše da samo 0,01% sveta zadovoljava ove standarde, opravdano je zaključiti da 99,99% sveta ostaje da sledi njihov primer.

Sve u svemu, dok svi koji se pojave na Bitcoin-u neizbežno osećaju žaljenje zbog toga što nisu ranije investirali i pitaju se da li su u potpunosti propustili brod, jasno je da većina rasta Bitcoin-a ostaje pred nama. Da stavimo ovo u neki kontekst, obzirom da može postojati samo 21 milion Bitcoin-a, prosečna osoba na zemlji (od 8 biliona ljudi) imaće samo 0,0025 Bitcoin-a. Još je toliko rano, da ukupna neto vrednost te prosečne osobe u Bitcoin-u može da se kupi za samo 90 USD.

I ako mislite da je kasno, zapravo je veoma rano, zato vam čestitam i uživajte u skupljanju sats-ova dok su još uvek ovako jeftini!

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0

At

at é uma ferramenta de agendamento de tarefas em Linux usada para executar comandos únicos em um horário e data específicos. Diferente do cron, que serve para tarefas recorrentes, o at executa uma única vez.

Como usar o at

1. Verifique se o at está instalado

bash which at

Se não estiver instalado:

bash sudo apt install at

E inicie o serviço (caso necessário):

bash sudo systemctl enable --now atd

2. Agendar um comando

bash at 10:00 AM tomorrow

Você será levado a um prompt interativo. Digite o comando desejado e finalize com Ctrl + D.

Exemplo 1:

bash at 09:00 AM next Monday

(Entrada do usuário no prompt do at)

echo "Relatório pronto" >> ~/relatorio.txt Ctrl + D

Resultado: O trecho "relatório pronto" será incluído no documento relatorio.txt.

Exemplo 2:

bash at 21:00 Apr 15

Entrada no prompt:

notify-send "Hora de fazer backup!" Ctrl + D

Resultado: Às 21h do dia 15 de abril, o sistema exibirá uma notificação.

Formatos de Data e Hora Válidos

• now + 1 minute

• midnight

• tomorrow

• 5pm

• 08:30

• 7:00am next friday

• noon + 2 days

Visualizar tarefas agendadas

bash atq

Remover uma tarefa agendada

bash atrm <número_da_tarefa>

Você encontra o número da tarefa com atq.

---

cron

O cron é um utilitário de agendamento de tarefas baseado no tempo. Permite executar comandos ou scripts automaticamente em horários específicos. Ele depende do daemon crond, que deve estar ativo e em execução contínua no sistema.

Arquivo de configuração:

• Cada usuário pode editar seu próprio agendador com:

  bash crontab -e

• O formato padrão de uma linha no crontab:

  m h dom mon dow comando

|Campo|Descrição|Valores possíveis| |---|---|---| |m|Minuto|0–59| |h|Hora|0–23| |dom|Dia do mês|1–31| |mon|Mês|1–12| |dow|Dia da semana|0–6 (0 = Domingo)| |comando|Comando a executar|Qualquer comando shell válido|

Exemplos:

• Executar um script a cada minuto:

  bash * * * * * /usr/local/bin/execute/this/script.sh

• Fazer backup no dia 10 de junho às 08:30:

  bash 30 08 10 06 * /home/sysadmin/full-backup

• Backup todo domingo às 5h da manhã:

  bash 0 5 * * 0 tar -zcf /var/backups/home.tgz /home/

Limitações:

Tarefas agendadas com cron não são executadas se o computador estiver desligado ou suspenso no horário programado. O comando é simplesmente ignorado. Use cron para tarefas com data/hora exatas.

---

anacron

O anacron é uma alternativa ao cron voltada para sistemas que não ficam ligados o tempo todo, como notebooks e desktops. Ele garante a execução de tarefas periódicas (diárias, semanais, mensais) assim que possível após o sistema ser ligado, caso tenham sido perdidas. Use anacron para tarefas periódicas tolerantes a atrasos.

Verificação da instalação:

bash anacron -V

Instalação (caso necessário):

bash sudo apt update sudo apt install anacron

Arquivo de configuração:

/etc/anacrontab

Acessado com:

sudo nano /etc/anacrontab

Formato de cada linha:

PERIOD DELAY IDENT COMMAND

| Campo | Descrição | | ------- | ------------------------------------------- | | PERIOD | Intervalo em dias (1 = diário, 7 = semanal) | | DELAY | Minutos a esperar após o boot | | IDENT | Nome identificador da tarefa | | COMMAND | Comando ou script a ser executado |

Exemplo:

bash 1 3 limpeza-temporarios /home/usuario/scripts/limpar_tmp.sh

Executa o script uma vez por dia, 3 minutos após o sistema ser ligado.

Nota: Não é necessário usar run-parts nem cron.daily para tarefas personalizadas. Basta apontar diretamente para o script desejado. O run-parts só deve ser usado quando se deseja executar todos os scripts de um diretório.

Ativação do serviço:

bash sudo systemctl enable --now anacron

Verificação de status:

bash systemctl status anacron

Logs de execução:

bash grep anacron /var/log/syslog

/etc/anacrontab: Arquivo de Configuração do anacron

O arquivo /etc/anacrontab define tarefas periódicas a serem executadas pelo anacron, garantindo que comandos sejam executados mesmo que o computador esteja desligado no horário originalmente programado.

Cabeçalho Padrão

bash SHELL=/bin/sh HOME=/root LOGNAME=root

• SHELL: Shell padrão utilizado para executar os comandos.

• HOME: Diretório home usado durante a execução.

• LOGNAME: Usuário associado à execução das tarefas.

Entradas Padrão do Sistema

bash 1 5 cron.daily run-parts --report /etc/cron.daily 7 10 cron.weekly run-parts --report /etc/cron.weekly @monthly 15 cron.monthly run-parts --report /etc/cron.monthly

|Campo|Significado| |---|---| |1|Executa a tarefa diariamente (a cada 1 dia)| |5|Espera 5 minutos após o boot| |cron.daily|Identificador da tarefa (usado nos logs)| |run-parts|Executa todos os scripts dentro do diretório|

Diretórios utilizados:

• /etc/cron.daily: scripts executados uma vez por dia

• /etc/cron.weekly: scripts semanais

• /etc/cron.monthly: scripts mensais

O comando run-parts executa automaticamente todos os scripts executáveis localizados nesses diretórios.

Personalização

Para adicionar tarefas personalizadas ao anacron, basta adicionar novas linhas com o formato:

PERIOD DELAY IDENT COMMAND

Exemplo:

bash 1 3 limpeza-temporarios /home/usuario/scripts/limpar_tmp.sh

Executa o script limpar_tmp.sh diariamente, com 3 minutos de atraso após o boot.

Importante: Não é necessário — nem recomendado — usar run-parts quando a intenção é executar um script individual. O run-parts espera um diretório e ignora arquivos individuais. Usar run-parts com um script individual causará falha na execução.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na bitcoin-balkan.com.

---

Pregled sadržaja

1. Šta je Bitcoin?
2. Šta Bitcoin može da učini za vas?
3. Zašto ljudi kupuju Bitcoin?
4. Da li je vaš novac siguran u dolarima, kućama, akcijama ili zlatu?
5. Šta je bolje za štednju od dolara, kuća i akcija?
6. Po čemu se Bitcoin razlikuje od ostalih valuta?
7. kako Bitcoin spašava svet?
8. Kako mogu da saznam više o Bitcoin-u?

---

Bitcoin čini da štednja novca bude kul – i praktična – ponovo. Ovaj članak objašnjava kako i zašto.

Šta je Bitcoin?

Bitcoin se naziva digitalno zlato, mašina za istinu, blockchain, peer to peer mreža čvorova, energetski ponor i još mnogo toga. Bitcoin je, u stvari, sve ovo. Međutim, ova objašnjenja su često toliko tehnička i suvoparna, da bi većina ljudi radije gledala kako trava raste. Što je najvažnije, ova objašnjenja ne pokazuju kako Bitcoin ima bilo kakve koristi za vas.

iPod nije postao kulturološka senzacija jer ga je Apple nazvao „prenosnim digitalnim medijskim uređajem“. Postao je senzacija jer su ga zvali “1,000 pesama u vašem džepu.”

Ne zanima vas šta je Bitcoin. Vas zanima šta on može da učini za vas.

Baš kao i Internet, vaš auto, vaš telefon, kao i mnogi drugi uređaji i sistemi koje svakodnevno koristite, vi ne treba da znate šta je Bitcoin ili kako to funkcioniše da biste razumeli šta on može da učini za vas.

Šta Bitcoin može da učini za vas?

Bitcoin može da sačuva vaš teško zarađeni novac.

Bitcoin je stekao veliku pažnju u 2017. i 2018. godini zbog svoje spekulativne upotrebe. Mnogi ljudi su ga kupili nadajući se da će se obogatiti. Cena je naglo porasla, a zatim se srušila. Ovo nije bio prvi put da je Bitcoin uradio to. Međutim, niko nikada nije izgubio novac držeći bitcoin duže od 3,5 godine – ćak i ako je kupio na apsolutnim vrhovima.

Zašto Bitcoin konstantno raste? Ljudi počinju da shvataju koliko je Bitcoin moćan, kao način uštede novca u svetu u kojem je ’novac’ poput dolara, eura i drugih nacionalnih valuta dizajniran da gubi vrednost.

Ovo čini Bitcoin odličnom opcijom za štednju novca na nekoliko godina ili više. Bitcoin je bolji od štednje novca u dolarima, akcijama, nekretninama, pa čak i u zlatu.

Zato pokušajte da zaboravite na trenutak na razumevanje blockchaina, digitalne valute, kriptografije, seed fraza, novčanika, rudarstva i svih ostalih nerazumljivih termina. Za sada, razgovarajmo o tome zašto ljudi kupuju Bitcoin: razlog je prostiji nego što vi mislite.

Zašto ljudi kupuju Bitcoin?

Naravno, svako ima svoj razlog za kupovinu Bitcoin-a. Jedan od razloga, koji verovatno često čujete, je taj što mu vrednost raste. Ljudi žele da se obogate. Uskoče kao spekulanti, krenu u vožnju i najverovatnije ih prodaju ubrzo nakon kupovine.

Međutim, čak i kada cena krene naglo prema gore i strmoglavo padne nazad, mnogi ljudi ostanu i nakon tog pada. Otkud mi to znamo? Broj aktivnih novčanika dnevno, koji je otprilike sličan broju korisnika Bitcoin-a, nastavlja da raste. Takođe, nakon svakog balona u istoriji Bitcoin-a, cena se nikada ne vraća na svoju cenu pre balona. Uvek ostane malo višlja. Bitcoin se penje, a svaka masovna spekulativna serija dovodi sve više i više ljudi.

Broj aktivnih Bitcoin novčanika neprekidno raste

„Aktivna adresa“ znači da je neko tog dana poslao Bitcoin transakciju. Donji grafikon je na logaritamskoj skali.

Izvor: Glassnode

Cena Bitcoina se neprestano penje

Kroz istoriju Bitcoin-a možemo videti divlje kolebanje cena, ali nakon svakog balona, cena se ostaje višlja nego pre. Ovo je cena Bitcoin-a na logaritamskoj skali.

Izvor: Glassnode

To pokazuje da se ljudi zadržavaju: potražnja za Bitcoin-om se povećava. Da je svaki masovni rast cena bio samo balon koji su iscenirali prevaranti koji žele brzo da se obogate, cena bi se vratila na nivo pre balona. To se dogodilo sa lalama, ali ne i sa Bitcoin-om.

I zašto se onda cena Bitcoin-a stalno povećava? Sve veći broj ljudi čuva Bitcoin dugoročno – oni razumeju šta Bitcoin može učiniti za njihovu štednju.

Zašto ljudi štede svoj novac u Bitcoin-u umesto na štednim računima, kućama, deonicama ili zlatu? Hajde da pogledajmo sve te metode štednje, i zatim da ih uporedimo sa Bitcoin-om.

Da li je vaš novac siguran u dolarima, kućama, akcijama ili zlatu?

Tokom mnogo godina, to su bile pristojne opcije za štednju. Međutim, sistem koji podržava vrednost svega ovoga je u krizi.

Dolari, Euri, Dinari

Dolari i sve ostale „tradicionalne“ valute koje proizvode vlade, stvorene su da izgube vrednost kroz inflaciju. Banke i tradicionalni monetarni sistem uzrokuju inflaciju stalnim stvaranjem i distribucijom novog novca. Kada Američke Federalne Rezerve objave ciljanu stopu od 2% inflacije, to znači da žele da vaš novac svake godine izgubi 2% od svoje vrednosti. Čak i sa inflacijom od samo 2%, vaša štednja u dolarima izgubiće polovinu vrednosti tokom 40-godišnjeg radnog veka.

Izveštena inflacija se danas opasno povečava, uprkos rastućem „buretu sa barutom“ koji bi mogao da explodira i dovede do masivne hiperinflacije. Što je više valute u opticaju, to je više baruta u buretu.

Naše vlade su ekonomiju napunile valutama da bankarski sistem ne bi propao nakon finansijske krize koja se dogodila 2008. godine. Od tada je većina glavnih centralnih banaka postavila vrlo niske kamatne stope, što pojedincima i korporacijama omogućava dobijanje jeftinijih kredita. To znači da mnogi pojedinci i korporacije podižu ogromne kredite i koriste ih za kupovinu druge imovine poput deonica, umetničkih dela i nekretnina. Sve ovo pozajmljivanje znači da stvaramo tone novog novca i stavljamo ga u opticaj.

Računi za podsticaje (stimulus bills) COVID-19 za 2020. godinu unose trilione u sistem. Ovoliko stvaranje valuta na kraju dovodi do inflacije – velikog gubitka u vrednosti valute.

Količina američkog dolara u opticaju gotovo se udvostručila od marta 2020. godine. Izvor

Računi za podsticaje su bez presedana, toliko da je neko izmislio meme da opiše ovu situaciju.

Resurs koji vlade mogu da naprave u većem broju da bi platile svoje račune? Ne zvuči kao dobro mesto za štednju novca.

Kuće

Kuće su tokom prošlog veka bile pristojan način štednje novca. Međutim, pad cena nekretnina 2007. godine doveo je do toga da su mnogi vlasnici kuća izgubili svu ušteđevinu.

Danas su kuće gotovo nepristupačne za prosečnog čoveka. Jedan od načina da se ovo izmeri je koliko godišnjih zarada treba prosečnom čoveku da zaradi ekvivalent vrednosti prosečne kuće. Prema CityLab-u, publikaciji Bloomberg-a koja pokriva gradove, porodica može da priuštiti određenu kuću ako košta manje od 2,6 godišnjih prihoda domaćinstva te porodice.

Međutim, prema RZS (Republički zavod za statistiku) prosečan prihod porodičnog domaćinstva u Srbiji iznosi oko 570 EUR mesečno ili otprilike 7.000 EUR godišnje. Nažalost, samo najjeftinija područja van gradova imaju srednje cene kuća od oko 2,6 prosečnih godišnjih prihoda domaćinstva. U većim gradovima poput Beograda i Novog Sada srednja cena kuće je veća od 10 prosečnih godišnjih prihoda jednog domaćinstva.

Ako nekako možete sebi da priuštite kuću, ona bi mogla biti pristojna zaliha vrednosti. Dokle god ne doživimo još jedan krah i izvršitelji zaplene ovu imovinu mnogim vlasnicima kuća.

Akcije

Berza je u prošlosti takođe dobro poslovala. Međutim, sporo i stabilno povećanje tržišta događa se u dosadnom, predvidljivom svetu. Svakog dana vidimo sve manje toga. Nakon ubrzanja korona virusa, videli smo smo najbrži pad američke berze u istoriji od 25% – brži od Velike depresije.

Neki se odlučuju za ulaganje u obveznice i drugu finansijsku imovinu, ali ’prinosi’ za tu imovinu – procenat kamate zarađene na imovinu iz godine u godinu – stalno opada. Sve veći broj odredjenih imovina ima čak i negativne prinose, što znači da posedovanje te imovine košta! Ovo je veliki problem za sve koji se oslanjaju na penziju. Plus, s obzirom na to da su akcije denominovane u tradicionalnim valutama poput dolara i evra, inflacija pojede prinos koji investitor dobije.

Najgore od svega je to što ti isti ekonomski krahovi koji uzrokuju masovna otpuštanja i teško tržište rada takođe znače i nagli pad cena akcija. Čuvanje ušteđevine u akcijama može značiti i gubitak štednje i gubitak posla zbog recesije. Teška vremena mogu da vas prisile da svoje akcije prodate po vrlo malim cenama samo da biste platili svoje račune.

A to nije baš siguran način štednje novca.

Zlato

Vrednost zlata neprekidno se povećavala tokom 5000 godina, obično padajući onda kada berza obećava jače prinose.

Cena zlata

Evidencija vrednosti zlata je solidna. Međutim, zlato nosi i druge rizike. Većina ljudi poseduje zlato na papiru. Oni fizički ne poseduju zlato, već ga njihova banka čuva za njih. Zbog toga je zlato veoma podložno konfiskaciji od strane vlade.

Zašto bi vlada konfiskovala nečije zlato, a kamoli u demokratskoj zemlji u „slobodnom svetu“? Ali to se dešavalo i ranije. 1933. godine Izvršnom Naredbom 6102, predsednik Roosevelt naredio je svim Amerikancima da prodaju svoje zlato vladi u zamenu za papirne dolare. Vlada je iskoristila pretnju zatvorom za prikupljanje zlata u fizičkom obliku. Znali su da se zlato više poštuje kao zaliha vrednosti širom sveta od papirnih dolara.

Ako posedujete svoje zlato na nekoj od aplikacija za trgovanje akcijama, možete se kladiti da će vam ga država oduzeti ako joj zatreba. Čak i ako posedujete fizičko zlato, onda ga izlažete mogućnosti krađe – od strane kriminalca ili vaše vlade.

Vaša uštedjevina nije bezbedna.

Rast cena svih gore navedenih sredstava zavisi od našeg trenutnog političkog i ekonomskog sistema koji se nastavlja kao i tokom proteklih 100 godina. Međutim, danas vidimo ogromne pukotine u ovom sistemu.

Sistem ne funkcioniše dobro za većinu ljudi.

Od 1971. plate većine američkih radnika nisu rasle. S druge strane, bogatstvo koje imaju najbogatiji u društvu nalazi se na nivoima koji nisu viđeni više od 80 godina. U međuvremenu, ljudi sve manje i manje veruju institucijama poput banaka i vlada.

EPI Plate VS Produktivnost

CBPP Nejednakost Bogatstva Tokom Vremena

Edelman Studija Poverenja

Širom sveta možemo videti dokaze o slamanju sistema kroz politički ekstremizam: izbor Trampa i drugih ekstremističkih desničarskih kandidata, Bregzit, pokret Occupy, popularizacija koncepta univerzalnog osnovnog dohotka, povratak pojma „socijalizam“ nazad u modu. Ljudi na svim delovima političkog i društvenog spektra osećaju problematična vremena i posežu za sve radikalnijim rešenjima.

Šta je bolje za štednju od dolara, kuća i akcija?

Pa kako ljudi mogu da štede novac u ovim teškim vremenima? Ili ne koriste tradicionalne valute, ili kupuju sredstva koja će zadržati vrednost u teškim vremenima.

Bitcoin ima najviše potencijala da zadrži vrednost kroz politička i ekonomska previranja od bilo koje druge imovine. Na tom putu će biti rupa na kojima će se rušiti ili pumpati, međutim, njegova svojstva čine ga takvim da će verovatno preživeti previranja kada druga imovina ne bude to mogla.

Šta Bitcoin čini drugačijim?

Bitcoini su retki.

Proces ‘rudarenja’ bitcoin-a, proizvodnju bitcoin-a čini veoma skupom, a Bitcoin protokol ograničava ukupan broj bitcoin-a na 21 milion novčića. To čini Bitcoin imunim na nagle poraste ponude. Ovo se veoma razlikuje od tradicionalnih valuta, koje vlade mogu da štampaju sve više kad god one to požele. Zapamtite, povećanje ponude vrši veliki pritisak na vrednost valute.

Bitcoini nemaju drugu ugovornu stranu.

Bitcoin se takođe razlikuje od imovine kao što su obveznice, akcije i kuće, jer mu nedostaje druga ugovorna strana. Druge ugovorne strane su drugi subjekti uključeni u vrednost sredstva, koji to sredstvo mogu obezvrediti ili vam ga uzeti. Ako imate hipoteku na svojoj kući, banka je druga ugovorna strana. Kada sledeći put dođe do velikog finansijskog kraha, banka vam može oduzeti kuću. Kompanije su kvazi-ugovorne strane akcijama i obveznicama, jer mogu da počnu da donose loše odluke koje utiču na njihovu cenu akcija ili na „neizvršenje“ duga (da ga ne vraćaju vama ili drugim poveriocima). Bitcoin nema ovih problema.

Bitcoin je pristupačan.

Svako sa 5 eura i mobilnim telefonom može da kupi i poseduje mali deo bitcoin-a. Važno je da znate da ne morate da kupite ceo bitcoin. Bitcoin-i su deljivi do 100-milionite jedinice, tako da možete da kupite Bitcoin u vrednosti od samo nekoliko eura. Neuporedivo lakše nego kupovina kuće, zlata ili akcija!

Bitcoin se ne može konfiskovati.

Banke drže većinu vaših eura, zlata i akcija za vas. Većina ljudi u razvijenom svetu veruje bankama, jer većina ljudi koji žive u današnje vreme nikada nije doživela konfiskaciju imovine ili ’šišanje’ od strane banaka ili vlada. Nažalost, postoji presedan za konfiskaciju imovine čak i u demokratskim zemljama sa snažnom vladavinom prava.

Kada vlada konfiskuje imovinu, ona obično ubedi javnost da će je menjati za imovinu jednake vrednosti. U SAD-u 1930-ih, vlada je davala dolare vlasnicima zlata. Vlada je znala da uvek može da odštampa još više dolara, ali da ne može da napravi više zlata. Na Kipru 2012. godine, jedna propala banka je svojim klijentima dala deonice banke da pokrije dolare klijenata koje je banka trebala da ima. I dolari i deonice su strmoglavo opali u odnosu na imovinu koja je uzeta od ovih ljudi.

Doći do bitcoin-a koji ljudi poseduju, biće mnogo teže jer se bitcoin-i mogu čuvati u novčaniku koji ne poseduje neka treća strana, a vi možete čak i da zapamtite privatne ključeve do vašeg bitcoin-a u glavi.

Bitcoin je za štednju.

Bitcoin se polako pokazuje kao najbolja opcija za dugoročnu štednju novca, posebno s obzirom na današnju ekonomsku klimu. Posedovanje čak i malog dela, je polisa osiguranja koja se isplati ako svet i dalje nastavi da ludi. Cena Bitcoin-a u dolarima može divlje da varira u roku od godinu ili dve, ali tokom 3+ godine skoro svi vide slične ili više cene od trenutka kada su ga kupili. U stvari, doslovno niko nije izgubio novac čuvajući Bitcoin duže od 3,5 godine – čak i ako je kupio BTC na apsolutnim vrhovima tržišta.

Imajte na umu da nakon ove tačke ti ljudi više nikada nisu videli rizik od gubitka. Cena se nikada nije smanjila niže od najviše cene u prethodnom ciklusu.

Po čemu se Bitcoin razlikuje od ostalih valuta?

Bitcoin funkcioniše tako dobro kao način štednje zbog svog neobičnog dizajna, koji ga čini drugačijim od bilo kog drugog oblika novca koji je postojao pre njega. Bitcoin je digitalna valuta, prvi i verovatno jedini primer valute koja ima ograničenu ponudu dok radi na otvorenom, decentralizovanom sistemu. Vlade strogo kontrolišu valute koje danas koristimo, poput dolara i eura, i proizvode ih za finansiranje ratova i dugova. Korisnici Bitcoin-a – poput vas – kontrolišu Bitcoin protokol.

Evo šta Bitcoin razlikuje od dolara, eura i drugih valuta:

Bitcoin je otvoren sistem.

Svako može da odluči da se pridruži Bitcoin mreži i primeni pravila softverskog protokola, što je dovelo do vrlo decentralizovanog sistema u kojem nijedan pojedinac ili entitet ne može da blokira transakciju, zamrzne sredstva ili da ukrade od druge osobe.Današnji savremeni bankarski sistem se uveliko razlikuje. Nekoliko banaka je dobilo poverenje da gotovo sve valute, akcije i druge vredne predmete čuvaju na “sigurnom” za svoje klijente. Da biste postali banka, potrebni su vam milioni dolara i neverovatne količine političkog uticaja. Da biste pokrenuli Bitcoin čvor i postali „svoja banka“, potrebno vam je nekoliko stotina dolara i jedno slobodno popodne.

Tako izgleda Bitcoin čvor – Node MyNode čvor vam omogućava da postanete svoja banka za samo nekoliko minuta.

Bitcoin ima ograničenu ponudu.

Softverski protokol otvorenog koda koji upravlja Bitcoin sistemom ograničava broj novih bitcoin-a koji se mogu stvoriti tokom vremena, sa ograničenjem od ukupno 21.000.000 bitcoin-a. S druge strane, valute koje danas koristimo imaju neograničenu ponudu. Istorija i sadašnje odluke centralnih banaka govore nam da će vlade uvek štampati sve više i više valuta, sve dok valuta ne bude bezvredna. Sve ovo štampanje uzrokuje inflaciju, što pravi štetu običnim radnim ljudima i štedišama.

Tradicionalne valute su dizajnirane tako da opadaju vremenom. Svaki put kada centralna banka kaže da cilja određenu stopu inflacije, oni ustvari kažu da žele da vaš novac svake godine izgubi određeni procenat svoje vrednosti.

Bitcoin-ova ograničena ponuda znači da je on tako dizajniran da raste vremenom kako se potražnja za njim povećava.

Bitcoin putuje oko sveta za nekoliko minuta.

Svako može da pošalje bitcoin-e za nekoliko minuta širom sveta, bez obzira na granice, banke i vlade. Potrebno je manje od minuta da se transakcija pojavi na novčaniku primaoca i oko 60 minuta da se transakcija u potpunosti „obračuna“, tako da primaoc može da bude siguran da su primljeni bitcoin-i sada njegovi (6 konfirmacija bloka). Slanje drugih valuta širom sveta traje danima ili čak mesecima ako se šalju milionski iznosi, a podrazumeva i visoke naknade.

Neke vlade i novinari tvrde da ova sloboda putovanja koju pruža Bitcoin pomaže kriminalcima i teroristima. Međutim, transakciju Bitcoin-a je lakše pratiti nego većinu transakcija u dolarima ili eurima.

Bitcoin se može čuvati na “USB-u”.

Dizajn Bitcoin-a je takav da vam treba samo da čuvate privatni ključ do svojih ‘bitcoin’ adresa (poput lozinke do bankovnih računa) da biste pristupili svojim bitcoin-ima odakle god poželite. Ovaj privatni ključ možete da sačuvate na disku ili na papiru u obliku 12 ili 24 reči na engleskom jeziku. Kao rezultat toga, možete da držite Bitcoin-e vredne milione dolara u svojoj šaci.

Sve ostale valute danas možete ili da strpate u svoj dušek ili da ih poverite banci na čuvanje. Za većinu ljudi koji žive u razvijenom svetu, i koji ne osporavaju autoritet i poverenje u banku, ovo deluje sasvim dobro. Međutim, oni kojima je potrebno da pobegnu od ugnjetavačke vlade ili koji naljute pogrešne ljude, ne mogu verovati bankama. Za njih je sposobnost da nose svoju ušteđevinu bez potrebe za ogromnim koferom neprocenjiva. Čak i ako ne živite na mestu poput ovog, cena Bitcoin-a se i dalje povećava kada ih neko kome oni trebaju kupi.

Kako Bitcoin spašava svet?

Bitcoin, kao ultimativni način štednje, je cakum pakum, ali da li on pomaže u poboljšanju sveta u celini?

Kao što ćete početi da shvatate, ulazeći sve dublje i u druge sadržaje na ovoj stranici, mnogi temeljni delovi našeg današnjeg monetarnog sistema i ekonomije su duboko slomljeni. Međutim, oni koji upravljaju imaju korist od ovakvih sistema, pa se on verovatno neće promeniti bez revolucije ili mirnog svrgavanja od strane naroda. Bitcoin predstavlja novi sistem, sa nekoliko glavnih prednosti:

• Bitcoin popravlja novac, koji je milenijumima služio kao važan alat za rast i poboljšanje društva.
• Bitcoin vraća zdrav razum pozajmljivanju, uklanjanjem apsurdnih situacija poput negativnih kamatnih stopa (gde zajmitelj plaća da bi se zadužio).
• Bitcoin pokreće ulaganja u obnovljive izvore energije i poboljšava energetsku efikasnost u mreži, služeći kao „krajnji kupac“ za sve vrste energije.

Kako mogu da saznam više o Bitcoin-u?

Ovaj članak vam je dao osnovno razumevanje zašto biste trebali razmišljati o Bitcoin-u. Ako želite da saznate više, preporučujem ove resurse:

• Film "Bitcoin: Kraj Novca Kakav Poznajemo"
• Još uvek je rano za Bitcoin
• Zasto baš Bitcoin?
• Šta je to Bitcoin?
• The Bitcoin Whitepaper ← objavljen 2008. godine, ovo je izložio dizajn za Bitcoin.

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0

A posição do libertário que rejeita o cristianismo padece de sérias incoerências lógicas, históricas e filosóficas. Ao renegar as bases espirituais e culturais que tornaram possível o próprio ideal libertário, tal posição demonstra ser, ao mesmo tempo, autofágica e irracional. É o caso de alguém que se gloria dos frutos de uma árvore que corta pela raiz.

---

I. Fundamento histórico: a civilização da liberdade é cristã

Não foi o secularismo moderno, nem o paganismo antigo, que ergueram as instituições que protegem a dignidade da pessoa humana e os limites ao poder. Desde os primeiros séculos, a Igreja resistiu ao culto estatal romano, afirmando a soberania de Deus sobre os Césares — "Mais importa obedecer a Deus que aos homens" (Atos 5,29).

Foi o cristianismo que:

• Fundou universidades livres, onde o saber era buscado sob o primado da verdade;

• Defendeu a lei natural como fundamento do direito — uma doutrina que protege o indivíduo contra tiranias;

• Resgatou e aprofundou o conceito de pessoa, dotada de razão e livre-arbítrio, imagem de Deus, e, portanto, inalienavelmente digna e responsável.

Em momentos-chave da história, como nas disputas entre papado e império, nas resistências contra absolutismos, e na fundação do direito internacional por Francisco de Vitoria e a Escola de Salamanca, foi o cristianismo quem freou o poder estatal em nome de princípios superiores. A tradição cristã foi frequentemente o principal obstáculo à tirania, não seu aliado.

Negar isso é amputar a própria genealogia da liberdade ocidental.

Uma das chaves do cristianismo para a construção dessa civilização da liberdade foi a exaltação do individualismo. Ao afirmar que o ser humano é feito à imagem de Deus e que sua salvação é uma escolha pessoal, o cristianismo colocou o indivíduo no centro da moralidade e da liberdade. Diferente dos gregos, cuja ética era voltada para a polis e a cidade-estado, o cristianismo reafirma a suprema importância do indivíduo, com sua capacidade de escolha moral, responsabilidade pessoal e dignidade intrínseca. Esse princípio, mais do que qualquer outra religião, foi o alicerce do desenvolvimento da liberdade individual e da autonomia, valores que sustentam a civilização ocidental.

A ética grega, na melhor das hipóteses, descreve a ordem natural — mas não consegue justificar por que essa ordem deveria obrigar a vontade humana. Um Logos impessoal não tem autoridade moral. Uma ordem cósmica sem um Legislador é apenas um dado de fato, não uma norma vinculante. A vontade pode rebelar-se contra o telos — e sem um Deus justo, que ordena a natureza à perfeição, não há razão última para não o fazer.

A cultura grega teve uma influência indiscutível sobre o desenvolvimento da civilização ocidental, mas o cristianismo não só absorveu o que havia de bom na cultura grega, como também elevou e completou esses aspectos. O cristianismo, ao afirmar que todos os homens são feitos à imagem e semelhança de Deus e têm dignidade intrínseca, levou a uma noção de igualdade moral e liberdade que transcende as limitações da pólis grega.

---

II. Falsa dicotomia: fé e liberdade não são opostas

Com frequência equiparam a religião à coerção e à obediência cega. Mas isso é um equívoco: o cristianismo não se impõe pela força, mas apela à consciência. O próprio Deus, em sua relação com a criatura racional, respeita sua liberdade. Como ensina a Escritura:

"Se alguém quiser vir após mim..." (Mt 16,24);
"Eis que estou à porta e bato. Se alguém ouvir a minha voz e abrir a porta, entrarei em sua casa e cearei com ele." (Ap 3,20);
"Assim falai, e assim procedei, como devendo ser julgados pela lei da liberdade." (Tiago 2,12).

A adesão à fé deve ser livre, voluntária e racional, pois sem liberdade não há verdadeiro mérito, nem amor genuíno. Isso é mais compatível com o princípio de não agressão do que qualquer utopia secular. Ora, o núcleo do evangelho é voluntarista: salvação pessoal, conversão interior, caridade.

Ninguém deve ser forçado, contra sua vontade, a abraçar a fé, pois o ato de fé é por sua natureza voluntário (Dignitatis Humanae; CDC, cân. 748,2)

Se algum Estado usa da força para impor o cristianismo, afirmar que o cristianismo causou as coerções é tão equivocado quanto dizer que a propriedade privada causa o comunismo; é uma inversão da realidade, pois o comunismo surge precisamente da violação da propriedade. Portanto, a fé forçada é inválida em si mesma, pois viola a natureza do ato de crer, que deve ser livre.

---

III. Fundamento moral: sem transcendência, o libertarianismo flutua no vácuo

O libertário anticristão busca defender princípios objetivos — como a inviolabilidade do indivíduo e a ilegitimidade da agressão — sem um fundamento transcendente que lhes dê validade universal. Por que a agressão é errada? Por que alguém tem direito à vida, à liberdade, à propriedade? Sem uma explicação transcendental, as respostas para tais perguntas se tornam apenas opiniões ou convenções, não obrigações morais vinculantes. Se a moralidade é puramente humana, então os direitos podem ser modificados ou ignorados conforme a vontade da sociedade. O conceito de direitos naturais, tão caro ao libertarianismo, precisa de um solo metafísico que justifique sua universalidade e imutabilidade. Caso contrário, eles podem ser tratados apenas como acordos utilitários temporários ou preferências culturais, sem qualquer obrigatoriedade para todos os seres humanos em todas as circunstâncias.

Pensadores libertários seculares, como Ayn Rand e Murray Rothbard, tentaram ancorar os direitos naturais na razão humana ou na natureza do homem. Rand baseia sua ética no egoísmo racional, enquanto Rothbard apela à lei natural. Embora essas abordagens busquem objetividade, elas carecem de uma resposta definitiva para por que a razão ou a natureza humana obrigam moralmente todos os indivíduos. Sem um fundamento transcendente, suas concepções permanecem vulneráveis a interpretações subjetivas ou a cálculos utilitários.

Aqui, o cristianismo oferece uma explicação sólida e transcendental que fundamenta os direitos naturais. A visão cristã de que o ser humano foi criado à imagem e semelhança de Deus confere à pessoa uma dignidade intrínseca, imutável e universal. Essa dignidade não depende de fatores externos, como consenso social ou poder político, mas é uma característica inerente ao ser humano pela sua criação divina. A partir dessa perspectiva teológica, torna-se possível afirmar com base sólida que os direitos naturais são dados por Deus e, portanto, são universais e vinculantes.

O cristianismo também é a base de um sistema moral que distingue claramente justiça de legalidade. O Estado pode criar leis, mas isso não significa que essas leis sejam justas. A justiça, sob a ótica cristã, é uma expressão da ordem moral objetiva, algo que transcende as leis humanas e é definido pela vontade divina. Por isso, o libertarianismo cristão vê a agressão como uma violação de uma ordem moral objetiva, e não apenas uma violação de uma convenção social ou de um acordo utilitário.

Se a moralidade e os direitos naturais não forem fundamentados em um Logos criador e legislador, o que acontece é que o conceito de direito natural degenera para algo mais frágil, como um simples acordo utilitário. Nesse cenário, os direitos do indivíduo se tornam algo acordado entre os membros de uma sociedade, em vez de princípios imutáveis e universais. Os direitos podem ser negociados, alterados ou ignorados conforme o interesse do momento.

---

IV. Fundamento científico: a racionalidade moderna é filha da fé cristã

A ciência moderna só foi possível no contexto cultural cristão. Nenhuma outra civilização — nem a grega, nem a islâmica, nem a chinesa — produziu o método científico como o Ocidente cristão o fez.

Isso se deve a quatro premissas teológicas:

1. Criação racional: O mundo é ordenado por um Deus racional.

2. Distinção entre Criador e criatura: A natureza não é divina e pode ser estudada sem sacrilégio.

3. Valor do trabalho e da observação empírica, herdado do monaquismo.

4. Autonomia institucional, presente nas universidades medievais.

A doutrina cristã da Criação ex nihilo ensina que o mundo foi criado por um Deus racional, sábio e pessoal. Portanto, o cosmos é ordenado, possui leis, e pode ser compreendido pela razão humana — que é imagem do Criador. Isso contrasta fortemente com as cosmovisões panteístas ou mitológicas, onde o mundo é cíclico, arbitrário ou habitado por forças caprichosas.

Sem essa fé no Logos criador, não há razão para crer que a natureza tenha uma ordem inteligível universal e constante, que pode ser descoberta por observação e dedução. A ciência moderna só é possível porque, antes de investigar a natureza, pressupôs-se que ela era investigável — e isso foi uma herança direta do pensamento cristão.

Homens como Bacon, Newton, Kepler e Galileu viam na ciência um modo de glorificar o Criador. O ateísmo cientificista é, portanto, parasitário da teologia cristã, pois toma seus frutos e rejeita suas raízes. A ciência moderna nasceu como filha legítima da fé cristã. E os que hoje a usam contra sua mãe, ou são ingratos, ou ignorantes.

---

V. O cristianismo como barreira à revolução cultural

O cristianismo é a barreira mais sólida contra a infiltração revolucionária. A chamada "marcha gramsciana", que visa corroer os fundamentos morais da sociedade para subjugar o indivíduo ao coletivo, encontra sua resistência mais firme nos princípios cristãos. A fé cristã, ao proclamar a existência de uma verdade objetiva, de uma lei moral imutável e de uma dignidade humana que transcende o Estado e o consenso social, imuniza a civilização contra o relativismo e o igualitarismo nivelador do marxismo cultural.

Além disso, o cristianismo é uma tradição milenar, profundamente enraizada no cotidiano das pessoas, não sendo uma novidade a ser imposta ou implementada, mas uma força presente há séculos, que permeia a estrutura social, moral e cultural da sociedade. Sua presença constante nas comunidades, desde os tempos mais antigos, oferece uma resistência robusta contra qualquer tentativa de subverter a ordem natural e moral estabelecida.

Não por acaso, tanto Karl Marx quanto Antonio Gramsci identificaram no cristianismo o principal obstáculo à realização de seus projetos revolucionários. Marx chamou a religião de "ópio do povo" porque sabia que uma alma ancorada em Deus não se submete facilmente ao poder terreno; Gramsci, mais sutil, propôs a destruição da cultura cristã como pré-condição para o triunfo do socialismo. Sem essa âncora transcendente, a sociedade torna-se presa fácil das engenharias sociais que pretendem redefinir arbitrariamente o homem, a família e a liberdade.

---

Conclusão

O libertário anticristão, consciente ou não, nega as fundações mesmas do edifício que habita. Ao rejeitar o cristianismo, cava o abismo sob os próprios pés, privando o ideal libertário de sua base moral, cultural e racional. Ele defende a ética voluntária, a liberdade individual e a ordem espontânea, mas sem o solo metafísico e histórico que torna esses princípios inteligíveis e possíveis. É um erro tentar preservar a liberdade em termos absolutos sem reconhecer as raízes cristãs que a sustentam, pois o cristianismo é a única tradição que a legitima e a viabiliza.

Negar o cristianismo é racionalmente insustentável. A liberdade, como a conhecemos, é filha da fé cristã, que oferece a base moral e metafísica que torna a liberdade tanto desejável quanto possível. Mesmo que ateu, o libertário que ama a liberdade deveria, no mínimo, respeitar — e, idealmente, redescobrir — essas raízes cristãs. Pois sem fé, restam apenas o niilismo e o relativismo, que, eventualmente, desaguam na servidão.

Como nos ensina a tradição: Ubi fides ibi libertas — onde há fé, há liberdade.

@ 5391098c:74403a0e

Você trabalha 5 meses do ano somente para pagar impostos. Ou seja, 42% da sua renda serve para bancar serviços públicos de péssima qualidade. Mesmo que você tivesse a liberdade de usar esses 42% da sua renda para contratar serviços privados de qualidade (saúde, segurança e ensino), ainda assim você seria um escravo porque você recebe dinheiro em troca do seu trabalho, e o dinheiro perde cerca de 10% do valor a cada ano. Em outras palavras todo seu dinheiro que sobra depois de comprar comida, vestuário e moradia perde 100% do valor a cada 10 anos. Isso acontece porque o Estado imprime dinheiro do nada e joga na economia de propósito para gerar INFLAÇÃO e manter todos nós escravizados. Você pode deixar seu dinheiro investido em qualquer aplicação que imaginar e ainda assim nunca terá uma rentabilidade superior a inflação real. No final, acaba perdendo tudo do mesmo jeito. Caso você se ache esperto por investir o que sobra da sua renda em bens duráveis como imóveis ou veículos, sabia que esses bens também não são seus, porque se deixar de pagar os impostos desses bens (iptu, itr, ipva) você também perde tudo. Além disso, o custo de manutenção desses bens deve ser levado em consideração na conta das novas dívidas que você assumiu. No caso dos imóveis urbanos é impossível alugá-lo por mais de 0,38% do seu valor mensalmente. Em outras palavras, a cada ano você recebe menos de 5% do que investiu, tem que pagar o custo de manutenção, mais impostos e a valorização do bem nunca será superior a inflação real, também fazendo você perder quase tudo em cerca de 15 anos. A situação é ainda pior com os imóveis rurais e veículos, basta fazer as contas. Caso o dinheiro que você receba em troca do seu trabalho seja suficiente apenas para comprar comida, vestuário e moradia, você já sabe que é um escravo né?… Precisamos entender que a escravidão não acabou, apenas foi democratizada. Hoje a escravidão é financeira, nós somos os castiços e os donos do dinheiro são o senhorio. Os donos do dinheiro são os Globalistas e os Estados seus fantoches. O esquema é simples: fazer todo mundo trabalhar em troca de algo que perde 100% do valor a cada 10 anos, ou seja o dinheiro. Se você pudesse trabalhar em troca de algo que aumentasse de valor acima da inflação real a cada 10 anos você finalmente conquistaria sua liberdade financeira e deixaria de ser escravo. Pois bem, isso já é possível, e não se trata de ouro ou imóveis e sim sobre o Bitcoin, que sobe de valor mais de 100% a cada 10 anos, com a vantagem de ser inconfiscável e de fácil transferência para seus herdeiros quando você morrer, através de uma simples transação LockTime feita em vida. Portanto, mesmo que você não tenha dinheiro para comprar Bitcoin, passar a aceitar Bitcoin em troca de seus produtos e serviços é a única forma de se libertar da escravidão financeira. A carta de alforria financeira proporcionada pelo Bitcoin não é imediata, pois a velocidade da sua libertação depende do quanto você está disposto a aprender sobre o assunto. Eu estou aqui para te ajudar, caso queira. No futuro o Bitcoin estará tão presente na sua vida quanto o pix e o cartão de crédito, você querendo ou não. Assim como o cartão de crédito foi a evolução do cheque pós-datado e o pix a evolução do cartão, o Bitcoin e outras criptomoedas serão a evolução de todos esses meios de pagamento. O que te ofereço é a oportunidade de abolição da sua escravatura antes dos demais escravos acordarem para a realidade, afinal a história sempre se repete: desde o ano de 1300 a.c. a escravidão era defendida pelos próprios escravos, que mais cedo ou mais tarde, foram libertados por Moisés em êxodo 11 da Bíblia Sagrada e hoje o povo de israel se tornou a nação mais rica do mundo. A mesma história se repetiu na Roma Antiga: com o pão e circo. Da mesma forma todo esse império escravocrata ruiu porque mais cedo ou mais tarde os escravos se revoltam, bastam as coisas piorarem bastante. O atual regime de escravidão teve início com a queda do padrão-ouro para impressão do dinheiro no ano de 1944. A escravidão apenas ficou mais sofisticada, pois em vez de pagar os escravos com cerveja como no Egito Antigo ou com pão e circo como na Roma Antiga, passou-se a pagar os escravos com dinheiro sem lastro, ou seja dinheiro inventado, criado do nada, sem qualquer representação com a riqueza real da economia. Mesmo sendo a escravidão atual mais sofisticada, que deixou de ser física para ser financeira, o que torna a mentira mais bem contada, mais cedo ou mais tarde os escravos modernos irão acordar, basta as coisas piorarem mais ou perceberem que todos os bens e serviços do mundo não representam nem 1% de todo o dinheiro que impresso sem lastro. Em outras palavras, se os donos de todo o dinheiro do mundo resolvessem utilizá-lo para comprar tudo o que existe à venda, o preço do quilo do café subiria para R$ 297.306,00 e o preço médio dos imóveis subiria para um número tão grande que sequer caberia nesta folha de papel. Hoje, o dinheiro não vale nada, seus donos sabem disso e optam por entregar o dinheiro aos poucos para os escravos em troca do seu trabalho, para manter o atual regime o máximo de tempo possível. Mesmo assim, o atual regime de escravidão financeira está com os dias contados e depende de você se posicionar antes do efeito manada. Nunca é tarde para entrar no Bitcoin, mesmo ele tendo uma quantidade de emissão limitada, seu valor subirá infinitamente. A menor unidade do Bitcoin é o satoshi, cuja abreviação é sats. Diferente do centavo, cada sat vale um centésimo milionésimo de bitcoin. Hoje (25/05/25), cada unidade de Bitcoin equivale a setecentos mil reais. Logo, cada R$ 0,01 equivale à 0,007 sats. Lembrando que o centavo é um real dividido por cem e o sat é um bitcoin dividido por cem milhões, por isso ainda não existe a paridade entre 1 centavo de real e 1 sat. Essa paridade será alcançada quando um Bitcoin passar a valer um milhão de reais. Com a velocidade que nosso dinheiro está perdendo valor isso não irá demorar muito. Utilizando dados econômicos avançados, prevejo que cada unidade de Bitcoin passará a valer hum milhão de reais até o ano de 2029, assim equiparando 1 sat para cada R$ 0,01. Nesse momento, certamente muitos empresários, comerciantes e profissionais liberais passarão a aceitar o Bitcoin como forma de pagamento pelos seus produtos e serviços, assim como o cheque foi substituído pelo cartão de crédito e o cartão pelo pix. Sabendo disso, você pode entrar na onda de transição no futuro junto com a manada e perder essa alta valorização, ou passar a aceitar Bitcoin agora pelos seus produtos e serviços, assinando assim, a própria carta de alforria da sua escravidão financeira. É importante dizer que os próprios globalistas e governos estão trocando dinheiro por Bitcoin como nunca na história e mesmo que eles adquiram todos os bitcoins disponíveis, ainda assim não será mais possível manter seu regime de escravidão financeira funcionando porque a emissão de Bitcoin é limitada, sendo impossível criar Bitcoin sem lastro, como é feito com o dinheiro hoje. Com o presente artigo, te ofereço a oportunidade de conquistar seus primeiros sats agora, de forma segura e independente, sem precisar de corretoras, bancos, intermediários ou terceiros, basta você querer pois toda a informação necessária está disponível na internet gratuitamente. Se ainda assim você quiser continuar sendo escravo financeiro, depois não adiantar se arrepender quando as janelas de oportunidade se fecharem, o Drex for implantado, papel moeda restringido e sua vida piorar bastante. Importante mencionar que a Lei Brasileira ainda permite a movimentação de até R$ 30.000,00 em Bitcoin por mês sem a necessidade de declaração à Receita Federal e que esse direito pode deixar de existir a qualquer momento, e que quando o Drex for implantado você perderá diversos outros direitos, dentre ele a liberdade de gastar seu dinheiro como quiser e o sigilo. Ofereço ainda, a oportunidade de você baixar uma carteira de Bitcoin gratuita e segura no seu aparelho de celular que funciona de forma semelhante a um banco digital como Nubank e Pagseguro por exemplo, para poder começar à receber Bitcoin pelos seus produtos e serviços agora, de forma fácil e gratuita. Utilizando o qrcode abaixo você ainda ganha alguns sats de graça, promoção válida até o dia 29/05/25 e patrocinada pela Corretora Blink de El Salvador, onde o Bitcoin já é moeda oficial do país, basta acessar o link e instalar o aplicativo: https://get.blink.sv/btcvale

Aviso: disponibilizei o link da carteira de Bitcoin da Corretora Blink apenas como exemplo de como é fácil aceitar Bitcoin como forma de pagamento pelos seus produtos e serviços. Não recomento depender de qualquer corretora para guardar seus valores em Bitcoin. A melhor forma de fazer isso é mantendo dois computadores ou notebook em casa, um conectado à internet com memória em disco disponível de 1 terabyte ou mais para armazenar e visualizar suas transações e outro computador ou notebook desconectado da internet para armazenar suas senhas e chaves privadas para assinar as transações via pendrive. Somente assim você estará 100% livre e seguro. Importante ainda fazer backup em vários CDs com criptografia do seu computador ou notebook que assina as transações, assim também ficando 100% livre e seguro para restaurar sua carteira em qualquer outro computador caso necessário. Todas as instruções de como fazer isso já estão disponíveis gratuitamente na internet. Caso deseje contratar uma consultoria pessoal que inclui aulas particulares por vídeo conferência, onde você aprenderá:

→ Tudo o que precisa saber sobre Bitcoin e demais criptomoedas; → Sistema operacional Linux; → Como instalar sua carteira de Bitcoin em dois computadores para assinaturas air gapped; → Se manter 100% livre e seguro. → Com carga horária à combinar conforme sua disponibilidade.

O custo do investimento pelo meu serviço individual para esse tipo de consultoria é de 204.000 sats (R$ 1.543,46 na cotação atual) valor válido até 31/07/25, interessados entrar em contato por aqui ou através da Matrix: @davipinheiro:matrix.org https://davipinheiro.com/voce-e-escravo-e-nem-sabe-eu-vou-te-provar-agora/

@ 5391098c:74403a0e

Você trabalha 5 meses do ano somente para pagar impostos. Ou seja, 42% da sua renda serve para bancar serviços públicos de péssima qualidade. Mesmo que você tivesse a liberdade de usar esses 42% da sua renda para contratar serviços privados de qualidade (saúde, segurança e ensino), ainda assim você seria um escravo porque você recebe dinheiro em troca do seu trabalho, e o dinheiro perde cerca de 10% do valor a cada ano. Em outras palavras todo seu dinheiro que sobra depois de comprar comida, vestuário e moradia perde 100% do valor a cada 10 anos. Isso acontece porque o Estado imprime dinheiro do nada e joga na economia de propósito para gerar INFLAÇÃO e manter todos nós escravizados. Você pode deixar seu dinheiro investido em qualquer aplicação que imaginar e ainda assim nunca terá uma rentabilidade superior a inflação real. No final, acaba perdendo tudo do mesmo jeito. Caso você se ache esperto por investir o que sobra da sua renda em bens duráveis como imóveis ou veículos, sabia que esses bens também não são seus, porque se deixar de pagar os impostos desses bens (iptu, itr, ipva) você também perde tudo. Além disso, o custo de manutenção desses bens deve ser levado em consideração na conta das novas dívidas que você assumiu. No caso dos imóveis urbanos é impossível alugá-lo por mais de 0,38% do seu valor mensalmente. Em outras palavras, a cada ano você recebe menos de 5% do que investiu, tem que pagar o custo de manutenção, mais impostos e a valorização do bem nunca será superior a inflação real, também fazendo você perder quase tudo em cerca de 15 anos. A situação é ainda pior com os imóveis rurais e veículos, basta fazer as contas. Caso o dinheiro que você receba em troca do seu trabalho seja suficiente apenas para comprar comida, vestuário e moradia, você já sabe que é um escravo né?… Precisamos entender que a escravidão não acabou, apenas foi democratizada. Hoje a escravidão é financeira, nós somos os castiços e os donos do dinheiro são o senhorio. Os donos do dinheiro são os Globalistas e os Estados seus fantoches. O esquema é simples: fazer todo mundo trabalhar em troca de algo que perde 100% do valor a cada 10 anos, ou seja o dinheiro. Se você pudesse trabalhar em troca de algo que aumentasse de valor acima da inflação real a cada 10 anos você finalmente conquistaria sua liberdade financeira e deixaria de ser escravo. Pois bem, isso já é possível, e não se trata de ouro ou imóveis e sim sobre o Bitcoin, que sobe de valor mais de 100% a cada 10 anos, com a vantagem de ser inconfiscável e de fácil transferência para seus herdeiros quando você morrer, através de uma simples transação LockTime feita em vida. Portanto, mesmo que você não tenha dinheiro para comprar Bitcoin, passar a aceitar Bitcoin em troca de seus produtos e serviços é a única forma de se libertar da escravidão financeira. A carta de alforria financeira proporcionada pelo Bitcoin não é imediata, pois a velocidade da sua libertação depende do quanto você está disposto a aprender sobre o assunto. Eu estou aqui para te ajudar, caso queira. No futuro o Bitcoin estará tão presente na sua vida quanto o pix e o cartão de crédito, você querendo ou não. Assim como o cartão de crédito foi a evolução do cheque pós-datado e o pix a evolução do cartão, o Bitcoin e outras criptomoedas serão a evolução de todos esses meios de pagamento. O que te ofereço é a oportunidade de abolição da sua escravatura antes dos demais escravos acordarem para a realidade, afinal a história sempre se repete: desde o ano de 1300 a.c. a escravidão era defendida pelos próprios escravos, que mais cedo ou mais tarde, foram libertados por Moisés em êxodo 11 da Bíblia Sagrada e hoje o povo de israel se tornou a nação mais rica do mundo. A mesma história se repetiu na Roma Antiga: com o pão e circo. Da mesma forma todo esse império escravocrata ruiu porque mais cedo ou mais tarde os escravos se revoltam, bastam as coisas piorarem bastante. O atual regime de escravidão teve início com a queda do padrão-ouro para impressão do dinheiro no ano de 1944. A escravidão apenas ficou mais sofisticada, pois em vez de pagar os escravos com cerveja como no Egito Antigo ou com pão e circo como na Roma Antiga, passou-se a pagar os escravos com dinheiro sem lastro, ou seja dinheiro inventado, criado do nada, sem qualquer representação com a riqueza real da economia. Mesmo sendo a escravidão atual mais sofisticada, que deixou de ser física para ser financeira, o que torna a mentira mais bem contada, mais cedo ou mais tarde os escravos modernos irão acordar, basta as coisas piorarem mais ou perceberem que todos os bens e serviços do mundo não representam nem 1% de todo o dinheiro que impresso sem lastro. Em outras palavras, se os donos de todo o dinheiro do mundo resolvessem utilizá-lo para comprar tudo o que existe à venda, o preço do quilo do café subiria para R$ 297.306,00 e o preço médio dos imóveis subiria para um número tão grande que sequer caberia nesta folha de papel. Hoje, o dinheiro não vale nada, seus donos sabem disso e optam por entregar o dinheiro aos poucos para os escravos em troca do seu trabalho, para manter o atual regime o máximo de tempo possível. Mesmo assim, o atual regime de escravidão financeira está com os dias contados e depende de você se posicionar antes do efeito manada. Nunca é tarde para entrar no Bitcoin, mesmo ele tendo uma quantidade de emissão limitada, seu valor subirá infinitamente. A menor unidade do Bitcoin é o satoshi, cuja abreviação é sats. Diferente do centavo, cada sat vale um centésimo milionésimo de bitcoin. Hoje (25/05/25), cada unidade de Bitcoin equivale a setecentos mil reais. Logo, cada R$ 0,01 equivale à 0,007 sats. Lembrando que o centavo é um real dividido por cem e o sat é um bitcoin dividido por cem milhões, por isso ainda não existe a paridade entre 1 centavo de real e 1 sat. Essa paridade será alcançada quando um Bitcoin passar a valer um milhão de reais. Com a velocidade que nosso dinheiro está perdendo valor isso não irá demorar muito. Utilizando dados econômicos avançados, prevejo que cada unidade de Bitcoin passará a valer hum milhão de reais até o ano de 2029, assim equiparando 1 sat para cada R$ 0,01. Nesse momento, certamente muitos empresários, comerciantes e profissionais liberais passarão a aceitar o Bitcoin como forma de pagamento pelos seus produtos e serviços, assim como o cheque foi substituído pelo cartão de crédito e o cartão pelo pix. Sabendo disso, você pode entrar na onda de transição no futuro junto com a manada e perder essa alta valorização, ou passar a aceitar Bitcoin agora pelos seus produtos e serviços, assinando assim, a própria carta de alforria da sua escravidão financeira. É importante dizer que os próprios globalistas e governos estão trocando dinheiro por Bitcoin como nunca na história e mesmo que eles adquiram todos os bitcoins disponíveis, ainda assim não será mais possível manter seu regime de escravidão financeira funcionando porque a emissão de Bitcoin é limitada, sendo impossível criar Bitcoin sem lastro, como é feito com o dinheiro hoje. Com o presente artigo, te ofereço a oportunidade de conquistar seus primeiros sats agora, de forma segura e independente, sem precisar de corretoras, bancos, intermediários ou terceiros, basta você querer pois toda a informação necessária está disponível na internet gratuitamente. Se ainda assim você quiser continuar sendo escravo financeiro, depois não adiantar se arrepender quando as janelas de oportunidade se fecharem, o Drex for implantado, papel moeda restringido e sua vida piorar bastante. Importante mencionar que a Lei Brasileira ainda permite a movimentação de até R$ 30.000,00 em Bitcoin por mês sem a necessidade de declaração à Receita Federal e que esse direito pode deixar de existir a qualquer momento, e que quando o Drex for implantado você perderá diversos outros direitos, dentre ele a liberdade de gastar seu dinheiro como quiser e o sigilo. Ofereço ainda, a oportunidade de você baixar uma carteira de Bitcoin gratuita e segura no seu aparelho de celular que funciona de forma semelhante a um banco digital como Nubank e Pagseguro por exemplo, para poder começar à receber Bitcoin pelos seus produtos e serviços agora, de forma fácil e gratuita. Utilizando o qrcode abaixo você ainda ganha alguns sats de graça, promoção válida até o dia 29/05/25 e patrocinada pela Corretora Blink de El Salvador, onde o Bitcoin já é moeda oficial do país, basta acessar o link e instalar o aplicativo: https://get.blink.sv/btcvale

Aviso: disponibilizei o link da carteira de Bitcoin da Corretora Blink apenas como exemplo de como é fácil aceitar Bitcoin como forma de pagamento pelos seus produtos e serviços. Não recomento depender de qualquer corretora para guardar seus valores em Bitcoin. A melhor forma de fazer isso é mantendo dois computadores ou notebook em casa, um conectado à internet com memória em disco disponível de 1 terabyte ou mais para armazenar e visualizar suas transações e outro computador ou notebook desconectado da internet para armazenar suas senhas e chaves privadas para assinar as transações via pendrive. Somente assim você estará 100% livre e seguro. Importante ainda fazer backup em vários CDs com criptografia do seu computador ou notebook que assina as transações, assim também ficando 100% livre e seguro para restaurar sua carteira em qualquer outro computador caso necessário. Todas as instruções de como fazer isso já estão disponíveis gratuitamente na internet. Caso deseje contratar uma consultoria pessoal que inclui aulas particulares por vídeo conferência, onde você aprenderá:

→ Tudo o que precisa saber sobre Bitcoin e demais criptomoedas; → Sistema operacional Linux; → Como instalar sua carteira de Bitcoin em dois computadores para assinaturas air gapped; → Se manter 100% livre e seguro. → Com carga horária à combinar conforme sua disponibilidade.

O custo do investimento pelo meu serviço individual para esse tipo de consultoria é de 204.000 sats (R$ 1.543,46 na cotação atual) valor válido até 31/07/25, interessados entrar em contato por aqui ou através da Matrix: @davipinheiro:matrix.org https://davipinheiro.com/voce-e-escravo-e-nem-sabe-eu-vou-te-provar-agora/

@ f0fcbea6:7e059469

Muita gente, hoje em dia, acha que a leitura já não é tão necessária quanto foi no passado. O rádio e a televisão acabaram assumindo as funções que outrora pertenciam à mídia impressa, da mesma maneira que a fotografia assumiu as funções que outrora pertenciam à pintura e às artes gráficas. Temos de reconhecer - é verdade - que a televisão cumpre algumas dessas funções muito bem; a comunicação visual dos telejornais, por exemplo, tem impacto enorme. A capacidade do rádio em transmitir informações enquanto estamos ocupados - dirigindo um carro, por exemplo - é algo extraordinário, além de nos poupar muito tempo. No entanto, é necessário questionar se as comunicações modernas realmente aumentam o conhecimento sobre o mundo à nossa volta.

Talvez hoje saibamos mais sobre o mundo do que no passado. Dado que o conhecimento é pré-requisito para o entendimento, trata-se de algo bom. Mas o conhecimento não é um pré-requisito tão importante ao entendimento quanto normalmente se supõe. Não precisamos saber tudo sobre determinada coisa para que possamos entendê-la. Uma montanha de fatos pode provocar o efeito contrário, isto é, pode servir de obstáculo ao entendimento. Há uma sensação, hoje em dia, de que temos acesso a muitos fatos, mas não necessariamente ao entendimento desses fatos.

Uma das causas dessa situação é que a própria mídia é projetada para tornar o pensamento algo desnecessário - embora, é claro, isso seja apenas mera impressão. O ato de empacotar ideias e opiniões intelectuais é uma atividade à qual algumas das mentes mais brilhantes se dedicam com grande diligência. O telespectador, o ouvinte, o leitor de revistas - todos eles se defrontam com um amálgama de elementos complexos, desde discursos retóricos minuciosamente planejados até dados estatísticos cuidadosamente selecionados, cujo objetivo é facilitar o ato de "formar a opinião" das pessoas com esforço e dificuldade mínimos. Por vezes, no entanto, o empacotamento é feito de maneira tão eficiente, tão condensada, que o telespectador, o ouvinte ou o leitor não conseguem formar sua opinião. Em vez disso, a opinião empacotada é introjetada em sua mente mais ou menos como uma gravação é inserida no aparelho de som. No momento apropriado, aperta-se o play e a opinião é "tocada". Eles reproduzem a opinião sem terem pensado a respeito.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Star Wars is often viewed as a myth of rebellion, freedom, and resistance to tyranny. The iconography—scrappy rebels, totalitarian stormtroopers, lone smugglers—suggests a deep anti-authoritarian ethos. Yet, beneath the surface, the narrative arc of Star Wars consistently affirms the necessity, even sanctity, of central authority. This blog entry introduces the question: Is Star Wars fundamentally a celebration of statism?

---

Rebellion as Restoration, Not Revolution

The Rebel Alliance’s mission is not to dismantle centralized power, but to restore the Galactic Republic—a bureaucratic, centrally governed institution. Characters like Mon Mothma and Bail Organa are high-ranking senators, not populist revolutionaries. The goal is to remove the corrupt Empire and reinstall a previous central authority, presumed to be just.

• Rebels are loyalists to a prior state structure.
• Power is not questioned, only who wields it.

---

Jedi as Centralized Moral Elites

The Jedi, often idealized as protectors of peace, are unelected, extra-legal enforcers of moral and military order. Their authority stems from esoteric metaphysical abilities rather than democratic legitimacy.

• They answer only to their internal Council.
• They are deployed by the Senate, but act independently of civil law.
• Their collapse is depicted as tragic not because they were unaccountable, but because they were betrayed.

This positions them as a theocratic elite, not spiritual anarchists.

---

Chaos and the Frontier: The Case of the Cantina

The Mos Eisley cantina, often viewed as a symbol of frontier freedom, reveals something darker. It is: - Lawless - Violent - Culturally fragmented

Conflict resolution occurs through murder, not mediation. Obi-Wan slices off a limb; Han shoots first—both without legal consequence. There is no evidence of property rights, dispute resolution, or voluntary order.

This is not libertarian pluralism—it’s moral entropy. The message: without centralized governance, barbarism reigns.

---

The Mythic Arc: Restoration of the Just State

Every trilogy in the saga returns to a single theme: the fall and redemption of legitimate authority.

1. Prequels: Republic collapses into tyranny.
2. Originals: Rebels fight to restore legitimate order.
3. Sequels: Weak governance leads to resurgence of authoritarianism; heroes must reestablish moral centralism.

The story is not anti-state—it’s anti-bad state. The solution is never decentralization; it’s the return of the right ruler or order.

---

Conclusion: The Hidden Statism of a Rebel Myth

Star Wars wears the costume of rebellion, but tells the story of centralized salvation. It: - Validates elite moral authority (Jedi) - Romanticizes restoration of fallen governments (Republic) - Portrays decentralized zones as corrupt and savage (outer rim worlds)

It is not an anarchist parable, nor a libertarian fable. It is a statist mythology, clothed in the spectacle of rebellion. Its core message is not that power should be abolished, but that power belongs to the virtuous few.

---

Question to Consider:
If the Star Wars universe consistently affirms the need for centralized moral and political authority, should we continue to see it as a myth of freedom? Or is it time to recognize it as a narrative of benevolent empire?

@ d360efec:14907b5f

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Zvanični vebsajt knjige

Srpski prevod knjige "The Little Bitcoin Book"

---

Zašto je Bitkoin bitan za vašu slobodu, finansije i budućnost?

Verovatno ste čuli za Bitkoin u vestima ili da o njemu raspravljaju vaši prijatelji ili kolege. Kako to da se cena stalno menja? Da li je Bitkoin dobra investicija? Kako to uopšte ima vrednost? Zašto ljudi stalno govore o tome kao da će promeniti svet?

"Mala knjiga o Bitkoinu" govori o tome šta nije u redu sa današnjim novcem i zašto je Bitkoin izmišljen da obezbedi alternativu trenutnom sistemu. Jednostavnim rečima opisuje šta je Bitkoin, kako funkcioniše, zašto je vredan i kako utiče na individualnu slobodu i mogućnosti ljudi svuda - od Nigerije preko Filipina do Venecuele do Sjedinjenih Država. Ova knjiga takođe uključuje odeljak "Pitanja i odgovori" sa nekim od najčešće postavljanih pitanja o Bitkoinu.

Ako želite da saznate više o ovom novom obliku novca koji i dalje izaziva interesovanje i usvajanje širom sveta, onda je ova knjiga za vas.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na bitcoin-balkan.com.

---

Pregled sadržaja

1. 5 Razloga Zašto je Novac Važan za Vas, Individualno
2. 3 Razloga Zašto je Novac Važan za Društvo u Celini
3. Zašto ljudi mrze novac?

Novac vs trenuci – da li oni treba da budu u sukobu? Kakva je uloga novca?

Novac je nepredvidiva zver modernog društva – neki ga veličaju sa stalnom željom da steknu više, dok ga drugi demonizuju i kažu da je pohlepa srž društvenih problema. Tokom mnogih godina svog života, ja sam često prelazio sa jednog na drugo gledište, i naučio mnogo toga upoznajući druge ljude koji žive na oba kraja ovog spektra. Kao i kod mnogih složenih tema, istina leži negde u sredini.

Novac je važan zato što on može da pomogne u uklanjanju materijalnih želja i patnji – omogućavanjem da preuzmete kontrolu nad svojim životom i da brinete o voljenima. Novac podiže životni standard društva omogućavanjem trgovine, a pritom minimalizuje potrebu za poverenjem.

Na novac možemo gledati kao na način da svoj uloženi trud sačuvamo u odredjenom obliku, i da ga vremenom prenesemo, tako da možemo da uživamo u plodovima svog rada. Novac kao alat je jedna od najvažnijih stvari za rast civilizacije. Na nesreću, mnogi su vremenom zlostavljali novac, ali sa dobrim razlogom: način na koji naš novac danas funkcioniše dovodi do duboko podeljenog društva – što ću i objasniti.

5 Razloga Zašto je Novac Važan za Vas, Individualno

Novac je važan za rast bogatstva, što je malo drugačije od toga da imamo veliku platu ili jednostavno zarađivati velike količine novca. Bogatstvo je otklanjanje želja, kako bi mogli da obratimo više pažnje na neke korisnije stvari u životu, od pukog preživljavanja i osnovnih udobnosti.

Bogata osoba je ona koja zaradi više novca nego što potroši, i koja ga čuva – ona čuva svoj rad tokom vremena. Uporedite ovo sa visoko plaćenim lekarom koji živi u velikoj vili sa hipotekom i sa Mercedesom na lizing. Iako ova osoba ima visoke prihode, ona takođe ima velike rashode u vidu obaveze plaćanja te hipoteke i lizinga. Te obaveze sprečavaju ovu osobu da uživa u istinskim blagodetima novca i bogatstva koje one predstavljaju:

1. Sloboda od potrebe za radom

Bez bogatstva, vi morate da radite da biste preživeli. Dostizanjem bogatstva i odredjenom imovinom koja vam donosi novac bez potrebe da vi trošite svoje vreme, vi možete da oslobodite svoj raspored. Više ne zavisite od posla koji mrzite, i nemorate da provodite 40 sati nedeljno odvojeni od porodice, samo da biste se pobrinuli za svoje osnovne potrebe. Dobijanje otkaza u padu ekonomije neće vas dovesti do finansijske propasti ili nečeg goreg.

2. Kontrola nad time kako vi trošite svoje vreme

Kada steknete bogatstvo, vi možete da odlučite kako želite da provodite svoje vreme. Kada se nalazimo u trci pacova i radimo 40+ sati nedeljno, često se naviknemo da novac trošimo onda kada imamo slobodnog vremena. Idemo na lepe večere ili idemo na skupe odmore. Međutim, sa više vremena, a možda čak i sa manje novca, mi možemo da imamo isto ili više uživanja živeći usporenije.

Razmislite o ovome – ukoliko imate samo 1 nedelju slobodno od posla, vi onda morate da kupite onaj mnogo skuplji let u Petak uveče koji se vraća u sledeću Nedelju, kako biste maksimalno iskoristili svoje vreme na nekom egzotičnom mestu za odmor. Međutim, ukoliko ste u mogućnosti da izdržavate sebe bez potrebe da mnogo vremena provodite na poslu, vi onda možete u Utorak da krenete jeftinijim letom i vratite se u sledeću Sredu. Takođe nećete osećati toliki pritisak da se opustite u uživanju tokom vaše nedelje u inostranstvu – možda ćete čak moći i da ostanete duže i da istražujete više, bez plaćanja skupih turističkih agencija i hotela kako bi organizovali vaše kraće putovanje.

3. Sposobnost da pomažete vašim prijateljima i porodici

Onda kada novca imate na pretek, možete poboljšati svoje odnose sa prijateljima i porodicom ne samo kroz dodatno slobodno vreme koje provodite sa njima, već i sa samim novcem. Ako je vašem prijatelju potrebna hitna operacija, vi možete da mu izadjete u susret i pomognete mu da stane na svoje noge. Ukoliko vam je tetka bolesna, vi možete da provedete vreme pored nje, umesto da je pozovete na kratko dok putujete prema kući vraćajući se nakon celog dana provedenog u kancelariji.

4. Smanjen finansijski stres

Stres je sveobuhvatno i opasno stanje modernog doba, sa kojim gotovo svi mi živimo u nekoj odredjenoj meri. Povezan je sa lošim zdravljem, sa preko 43% svih odraslih koji kažu da pate od odredjenih zdravstvenih problema uzrokovanih stresom. Stres zbog posla pogađa 83% zaposlenih.

Pravo bogatstvo – koje znači eliminaciju želja i potreba – može da ukloni ovaj stres i njegove negativne uticaje na druge delove života. Ovo bi čak moglo da ukloni većinu stresa u vašem životu, uzimajući u obzir da je uzrok stresa broj 1 upravo novac.

5. Bolje možete da pomognete vašoj zajednici

Mnogi od nas žele da volontiraju u svojim zajednicama i pomognu onima koja je pomoć preko potrebna, ali nisu u stanju da pronađu slobodnog vremena i energije zbog svog posla, porodice i društvenih aktivnosti koje nas mentalno i fizički čine srećnima, zdravima i hranjenima. Sa bogatstvom, mi možemo da posvetimo vreme koje nam je potrebno za razumevanje i doprinos drugima – a ne samo da sa vremena na vreme pomognemo slanjem humanitarnog SMS-a.

---

Novac, koji se pametno koristi, je moćno sredstvo za poboljšanje vašeg života i života vaših najmilijih i zajednice. Međutim, novac je takođe moćno sredstvo za poboljšanje društva u celini – ukoliko je dobro strukturiran.

3 Razloga Zašto je Novac Važan za Društvo u Celini

Novac poboljšava sposobnost ljudi da trguju jedni s drugima, što podstiče određene specijalizacije. Ako je imanje vašeg komšije odlično za proizvodnju vina, a vaše je pogodno za žito, obojica možete da profitirate trgovinom. Sad oboje imate i hleb i vino, umesto jednog pijanog vlasnika vinograda i jednog proizvodjača žita kome je dosadno!

Novac poboljšava društvo na nekoliko načina:

1. Omogućava specijalizaciju

Kao u primeru vlasnika vinograda i proizvodjača žita, novac omogućava povećanu specijalizaciju poboljšavajući sposobnost trgovine. Svaka razmena dobara ima problem sa ‘sticajima potreba’ – oba partnera u trgovini moraju da žele ono što druga osoba ima da bi pristala na trgovinu.

Možemo da mislimo o novcu kao o dobru koje žele gotovo svi. Ovo trgovinu čini mnogo jednostavnijom – da biste stekli odredjeno dobro, sve što vam je potrebno je novac, a ne neka slučajna stvar koju prodavac tog dobra takođe želi u tom trenutku. Vremenom je upotreba novca omogućila specijalizaciju, što je povećalo kvalitet i složenost roba i usluga.

Zamislite da sami pokušate da napravite svoj telefon – a bili su potrebni milioni stručnjaka i specijalizovana oprema da bi proizveli taj uređaj. Svi ti stručnjaci i kompanije plaćaju jedni drugima u novcu, omogućavajući složenom plesu globalnih proizvođača i lanaca snabdevanja da taj telefon isporuče na dlan vaše ruke. Čak i nešto tako jednostavno kao flaša za vodu uključuje naftna polja i proizvodne pogone koji su možda hiljadama kilometara od vaše kuće.

Kada ljudi mogu da se specijalizuju, kvalitet robe i usluga može da se poveća.

2. Omogućava korisnu trgovinu uz smanjeno poverenje

Mala društva mogu mirno i produktivno da posluju bez novca koristeći usluge, “dodjem ti” i uzajamno razumevanje. Međutim, kako se društva uvećavaju, svima brzo postaje nemoguće da održavaju lične odnose i isti stepen poverenja sa svima ostalima. Sistem trgovine uslugama i međusobnog poverenja ne funkcioniše previše dobro sa putnikom koji se nalazi na proputovanju kroz grad, i provede samo 15 minuta svog života u vašoj prodavnici.

Novac minimizira poverenje potrebno za trgovinu u većim društvima. Sada više ne moram da verujem da ćete mi pomoći kasnije kada mi zatreba – mogu samo da prihvatim uplatu od vas i da to koristim da bih sebi pomogao kasnije. Jedan od mojih omiljenih mislilaca, Nick Szabo, ovo naziva ‘društvena prilagodljivost’.

3. Smanjuje upotrebu sile

Kada društvo teži upotrebi određenog oblika novca za olakšavanje trgovine, može u velikoj meri da smanji nasilje u tom društvu. Kako to može biti tako? Zar ljudi ne bi i dalje želeli da kradu jedni od drugih ili da se svete?

Ukoliko razmišljamo van uobičajnih okvira, možemo da počnemo da razumemo kako novac može da smanji nasilje. Ako ti i ja živimo u susednim zemljama i želimo nešto što druga zemlja ima, imamo dva načina da to dobijemo: uzimanjem na silu ili menjanjem nečeg našeg za to. Kao što je ranije rečeno, novac znatno olakšava trgovinu – pa ćemo postojanjem zajedničkog monetarnog sistema verovatnije radje izvršiti trgovinu nego napad na zemlju. Zašto bismo rizikovali svoje živote kad možemo samo mirno da trgujemo jedni sa drugima?

Zašto ljudi mrze novac?

Pa ako novac ima toliko koristi za nas lično i za društvo u celini, zašto toliko ljudi mrzi novac? Zašto je demonizovan, zajedno sa onima koji ga imaju puno?

Za deo ovoga može biti okrivljen problem u jednakosti mogućnosti – to da je nekima teže da izadju iz nemaštine i postanu bogati. Bez sumnje, neki mali deo potiče od ljudi koji jednostavno ne žele da se trude ili preduzmu neophodne rizike da bi postali bogati.

Međutim, oba ova problema imaju više veze sa problemima kako naš novac danas funkcioniše, nego sa bilo kojim problemom u samom konceptu novca. Novčani sistem treba da nagrađuje ljude koji proizvode vredne stvari i trguju njima sa drugima. Verujem da većina ljudi danas misli da novac tako funkcioniše, i to ne bi smelo da bude daleko od istine.

Naš trenutni monetarni sistem, na žalost, nagrađuje ’finansijalizaciju’ – pretvarajući sve u imovinu, čija vrednost može da se napumpava ili spušta stvaranjem dobre priče i navođenjem drugih da veruju u nju. Razuzdani dug pogonjen stalnim omalovažavanjem svih glavnih valuta dodat je ovom blatu finansijalizacije. Sada je isplativije podići ogroman kredit i koristiti ga za brzo okretanje imovine radi zarade nego izgraditi posao koji društvu nudi korisne robe i usluge.

Tradicionalni monetarni sistem dodatno nagradjuje predatore, partnere u zločinu i neradnike.

Propast našeg novca razvila se tokom proteklih pola veka, počevši od toga kada su naše valute postale ništa više od parčeta papira, podržanog sa verom i kreditima naših vlada. Da biste bolje razumeli ovu promenu, pogledajte moj post o svrsi i istoriji novca.

Ako vam se sviđa moj rad, molim vas da ga podelite sa svojim prijateljima i porodicom. Cilj mi je da svima pružim pogled u ekonomiju i na to kako ona utiče na njihov život.

@ 45d6c2bf:56915a25

published without nostr installed

@ 43baaf0c:d193e34c

During the incredible Bitcoin Filmfest, I attended a community session where a discussion emerged about zapping and why I believe zaps are important. The person leading the Nostr session who is also developing an app that’s partially connected to Nostr mentioned they wouldn’t be implementing the zap mechanism directly. This sparked a brief but meaningful debate, which is why I’d like to share my perspective as an artist and content creator on why zaps truly matter.

Let me start by saying that I see everything from the perspective of an artist and creator, not so much from a developer’s point of view. In 2023, I started using Nostr after spending a few years exploring the world of ‘shitcoins’ and NFTs, beginning in 2018. Even though I became a Bitcoin maximalist around 2023, those earlier years taught me an important lesson: it is possible to earn money with my art.

Whether you love or hate them, NFTs opened my eyes to the idea that I could finally take my art to the next level. Before that, for over 15 years, I ran a travel stock video content company called @traveltelly. You can read the full story about my journey in travel and content here: https://yakihonne.com/article/traveltelly@primal.net/vZc1c8aXrc-3hniN6IMdK

When I truly understood what Bitcoin meant to me, I left all other coins behind. Some would call that becoming a Bitcoin maximalist.

The first time I used Nostr, I discovered the magic of zapping. It amazed me that someone who appreciates your art or content could reward you—not just with a like, but with real value: Bitcoin, the hardest money on earth. Zaps are small amounts of Bitcoin sent as a sign of support or appreciation. (Each Bitcoin is divisible into 100 million units called Satoshis, or Sats for short—making a Satoshi the smallest unit of Bitcoin recorded on the blockchain.)

The Energy of Zaps

If you’re building an app on Nostr—or even just connecting to it—but choose not to include zaps, why should artists and content creators share their work there? Why would they leave platforms like Instagram or Facebook, which already benefit from massive network effects?

Yes, the ability to own your own data is one of Nostr’s greatest strengths. That alone is a powerful reason to embrace the protocol. No one can ban you. You control your content. And the ability to post once and have it appear across multiple Nostr clients is an amazing feature.

But for creators, energy matters. Engagement isn’t just about numbers—it’s about value. Zaps create a feedback loop powered by real appreciation and real value, in the form of Bitcoin. They’re a signal that your content matters. And that energy is what makes creating on Nostr so special.

But beyond those key elements, I also look at this from a commercial perspective. The truth is, we still can’t pay for groceries with kisses :)—we still need money as a medium of exchange. Being financially rewarded for sharing your content gives creators a real incentive to keep creating and sharing. That’s where zaps come in—they add economic value to engagement.

A Protocol for Emerging Artists and Creators

I believe Nostr offers a great starting point for emerging artists and content creators. If you’re just beginning and don’t already have a large following on traditional social media platforms, Nostr provides a space where your work can be appreciated and directly supported with Bitcoin, even by a small but engaged community.

On the other hand, creators who already have a big audience and steady income on platforms like Instagram or YouTube may not feel the urgency to switch. This is similar to how wealthier countries are often slower to understand or adopt Bitcoin—because they don’t need it yet. In contrast, people in unbanked regions or countries facing high inflation are more motivated to learn how money really works.

In the same way, emerging creators—those still finding their audience and looking for sustainable ways to grow—are often more open to exploring new ecosystems like Nostr, where innovation and financial empowerment go hand in hand.

The same goes for Nostr. After using it for the past two years, I can honestly say: without Nostr, I wouldn’t be the artist I am today.

Nostr motivates me to create and share every single day. A like is nice but receiving a zap, even just 21 sats, is something entirely different. Once you truly understand that someone is willing to pay you for what you share, it’s no longer about the amount. It’s about the magic behind it. That simple gesture creates a powerful, positive energy that keeps you going.

Even with Nostr’s still relatively small user base, I’ve already been able to create projects that simply wouldn’t have been possible elsewhere.

Zaps do more than just reward—they inspire. They encourage you to keep building your community. That inspiration often leads to new projects. Sometimes, the people who zap you become directly involved in your work, or even ask you to create something specifically for them.

That’s the real value of zaps: not just micro-payments, but micro-connections sparks that lead to creativity, collaboration, and growth.

Proof of Work (PoW)

Over the past two years, I’ve experienced firsthand how small zaps can evolve into full art projects and even lead to real sales. Here are two examples that started with zaps and turned into something much bigger:

Halving 2024 Artwork

When I started the Halving 2024 project, I invited people on Nostr to be part of it. 70 people zapped me 2,100 sats each, and in return, I included their Npubs in the final artwork. That piece was later auctioned and sold to Jurjen de Vries for 225,128 Sats.

Magic Internet Money

For the Magic Internet Money artwork, I again invited people to zap 2,100 sats to be included. Fifty people participated, and their contributions became part of the final art frame. The completed piece was eventually sold to Filip for 480,000 sats.

These examples show the power of zaps: a simple, small act of appreciation can turn into larger engagement, deeper connection, and even the sale of original art. Zaps aren’t just tips—they’re a form of collaboration and support that fuel creative energy.

I hope this article gives developers a glimpse into the perspective of an artist using Nostr. Of course, this is just one artist’s view, and it doesn’t claim to speak for everyone. But I felt it was important to share my Proof of Work and perspective.

For me, Zaps matter.

Thank you to all the developers who are building these amazing apps on Nostr. Your work empowers artists like me to share, grow, and be supported through the value-for-value model.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

I. Introduction: Money as a Function of Efficiency and Preference

Money is not defined by law, but by power over productivity. In any open economy, the most economically efficient actors—those who control the most valuable goods, services, and knowledge—ultimately dictate the medium of exchange. Their preferences signal to the broader market what form of money is required to access the highest-value goods, from durable commodities to intangibles like intellectual property and skilled labor.

Whatever money these actors prefer becomes the de facto unit of account and store of value, regardless of its legal status. This emergent behavior is natural and reflects a hierarchy of monetary utility.

II. Classical Gresham’s Law: A Product of Market Distortion

Gresham’s Law, famously stated as:

"Bad money drives out good"

is only valid under coercive monetary conditions, specifically: - Legal tender laws that force the acceptance of inferior money at par with superior money. - Fixed exchange rates imposed by decree, not market valuation. - Governments or central banks backing elastic fiduciary media with promises of redemption. - Institutional structures that mandate debt and tax payments in the favored currency.

Under these conditions, superior money (hard money) is hoarded, while inferior money (soft, elastic, inflationary) circulates. This is not an expression of free market behavior—it is the result of suppressed price discovery and legal coercion.

Gresham’s Law, therefore, is not a natural law of money, but a law of distortion under forced parity and artificial elasticity.

III. The Collapse of Coercion: Inversion of Gresham’s Law

When coercive structures weaken or are bypassed—through technological exit, jurisdictional arbitrage, monetary breakdown, or political disintegration—Gresham’s Law inverts:

Good money drives out bad.

This occurs because: - Market actors regain the freedom to select money based on utility, scarcity, and credibility. - Legal parity collapses, exposing the true economic hierarchy of monetary forms. - Trustless systems (e.g., Bitcoin) or superior digital instruments (e.g., stablecoins) offer better settlement, security, and durability. - Elastic fiduciary media become undesirable as counterparty risk and inflation rise.

The inversion marks a return to monetary natural selection—not a breakdown of Gresham’s Law, but the collapse of its preconditions.

IV. Elasticity and Control

Elastic fiduciary media (like fiat currency) are not intrinsically evil. They are tools of state finance and debt management, enabling rapid expansion of credit and liquidity. However, when their issuance is unconstrained, and legal tender laws force their use, they become weapons of economic coercion.

Banks issue credit unconstrained by real savings, and governments enforce the use of inflated media through taxation and courts. This distorts capital allocation, devalues productive labor, and ultimately hollows out monetary confidence.

V. Monetary Reversion: The Return of Hard Money

When the coercion ends—whether gradually or suddenly—the monetary system reverts. The preferences of the productive and wealthy reassert themselves:

• Superior money is not just saved—it begins to circulate.
• Weaker currencies are rejected not just for savings, but for daily exchange.
• The hoarded form becomes the traded form, and Gresham’s Law inverts completely.

Bitcoin, gold, and even highly credible stable instruments begin to function as true money, not just stores of value. The natural monetary order returns, and the State becomes a late participant, not the originator of monetary reality.

VI. Conclusion

Gresham’s Law operates only under distortion. Its inversion is not an anomaly—it is a signal of the collapse of coercion. The monetary system then reorganizes around productive preference, technological efficiency, and economic sovereignty.

The most efficient market will always dictate the form of hard money. The State can delay this reckoning through legal force, but it cannot prevent it indefinitely. Once free choice returns, bad money dies, and good money lives again.

@ a0e937b7:50db609a

Because we are not merely addicted to #Narrativium: It is our drive, imbued into our very essence. And it is so much easier to absorb our daily dose from the billions of trickles provided by everyone else as a substitute drug #Gossipium, or temporarily saturate our unquenchable thirst by just giving in to the temptation by the incessable stream of Movies and Series providing #Fictionium than it is to find a properly satisfying Source Of Narrativium (acronymize that 😉), let alone create our own Narrativium that might even be worthy of sharing. And yet, there is so much more fulfilment possible by letting one's creativity work instead of merely using a "share" button - which briefly seems to trick the human brain into believing that one has actually participated in providing one's peers with proper Narrativium, possibly as part of an implicit social contract: "I give you all some Narrativium I found, now give me more in return". It is such a trivial action to take, even more effortless than gossiping. But let's be honest, it often just feels hollow. And even when we write something, it is again tempting to just create #Rantium instead of something actually useful.

Gossypium herbaceum, the cotton plant (Photo by H. Zell from Wikipedia)

Originally I merely wanted to post a witty quote from https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Narrativium about Narrativium on Facebook:

"Humans add narrativium to their world. They insist on interpreting the universe as if it's telling a story. This leads them to focus on facts that fit the story, while ignoring those that don't." - T. Pratchett, I. Steward, J. Cohen, The Science of Discworld I

Maybe even subtly allude to how that might explain quite a lot about the everyday insanity that seems to surround us, especially these days.

"We are not Homo sapiens, Wise Man. We are the third chimpanzee. [...] We are Pan narrans, the storytelling ape. [...] if you understand the power of story, and learn to detect abuses of it, you might actually deserve the appellation Homo sapiens." - T. Pratchett, I. Steward, J. Cohen, The Science of Discworld II

Really. I was just going to quote a bit and go on about my day with some meaningless procrastination. Why already bother with housework when I can delay that until tomorrow or the day after and just watch some series in the Arrowverse now? But after ten minutes of a Legends of Tomorrow episode called "Lucha de Apuestas", curiosity got the better of me. What is it with Luchadores and their masks, I mockingly wondered. So I read Wikipedia on it. Lots of culture, history and, most importantly to me, Narrativium. I probably couldn't care less for to guys bumping fists on a stage, I don't really care about watching any sports either. But there's a certain fascination to stories, isn't there? So I felt like sharing about Narrativium, and here we are.

—

That's it for now, I might keep writing on this. One day. Just as I keep continuing writing everything else I start. Not. Well, motivate me.

@ 9cb3545c:2ff47bca

Introduction

Public companies that hold Bitcoin on behalf of investors (often issuing securities backed by those Bitcoin holdings) have faced growing pressure to demonstrate proof of reserves – evidence that they genuinely hold the cryptocurrency they claim. One approach is to publish the company’s Bitcoin wallet addresses so that anyone can verify the balances on the blockchain. This practice gained momentum after high-profile crypto collapses (e.g. FTX in 2022) eroded trust, leading major exchanges and fund issuers like Binance, Kraken, OKX, and Bitwise to publicize wallet addresses as proof of assets . The goal is transparency and reassurance for investors. However, making wallet addresses public comes with significant security and privacy risks. This report examines those risks – from cybersecurity threats and blockchain tracing to regulatory and reputational implications – and weighs them against the transparency benefits of on-chain proof of reserves.

Proof of Reserves via Public Wallet Addresses

In the cryptocurrency ethos of “don’t trust – verify,” on-chain proof of reserves is seen as a powerful tool. By disclosing wallet addresses (or cryptographic attestations of balances), a company lets investors and analysts independently verify that the Bitcoin reserves exist on-chain. For example, some firms have dashboards showing their addresses and balances in real time . In theory, this transparency builds trust by proving assets are not being misreported or misused. Shareholders gain confidence that the company’s Bitcoin holdings are intact, potentially preventing fraud or mismanagement.

Yet this approach essentially sacrifices the pseudonymity of blockchain transactions. Publishing a wallet address ties a large, known institution to specific on-chain funds. While Bitcoin addresses are public by design, most companies treat their specific addresses as sensitive information. Public proof-of-reserve disclosures break that anonymity, raising several concerns as detailed below.

Cybersecurity Threats from Visible Wallet Balances

Revealing a wallet address with a large balance can make a company a prime target for hackers and cybercriminals. Knowing exactly where significant reserves are held gives attackers a clear blueprint. As Bitcoin advocate (and MicroStrategy Executive Chairman) Michael Saylor warned in 2025, “publicly known wallet addresses become prime targets for malicious actors. Knowing where significant reserves are held provides hackers with a clear target, potentially increasing the risk of sophisticated attacks” . In other words, publishing the address increases the attack surface – attackers might intensify phishing campaigns, malware deployment, or insider bribery aimed at obtaining the keys or access to those wallets.

Even if the wallets are secured in cold storage, a public address advertisement may encourage attempts to penetrate the organization’s security. Custodians and partners could also be targeted. Saylor noted that this exposure isn’t just risky for the company holding the Bitcoin; it can indirectly put their custodial providers and related exchanges at risk as well . For instance, if a third-party custodian manages the wallets, hackers might attempt to breach that custodian knowing the reward (the company’s Bitcoin) is great.

Companies themselves have acknowledged these dangers. Grayscale Investments, which runs the large Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), pointedly refused to publish its wallet addresses in late 2022, citing “security concerns” and complex custody arrangements that have “kept our investors’ assets safe for years” . Grayscale implied that revealing on-chain addresses could undermine those security measures, and it chose not to “circumvent complex security arrangements” just to appease public demand . This highlights a key point: corporate treasury security protocols often assume wallet details remain confidential. Publicizing them could invalidate certain assumptions (for example, if an address was meant to be operationally secret, it can no longer serve that role once exposed).

Additionally, a publicly known trove of cryptocurrency might invite physical security threats. While not a purely “cyber” issue, if criminals know a particular company or facility controls a wallet with, say, thousands of Bitcoin, it could lead to threats against personnel (extortion or coercion to obtain keys). This is a less common scenario for large institutions (which typically have robust physical security), but smaller companies or key individuals could face elevated personal risk by being associated with huge visible crypto reserves.

In summary, cybersecurity experts consider public proof-of-reserve addresses a double-edged sword: transparency comes at the cost of advertising exactly where a fortune is held. As Saylor bluntly put it, “the conventional way of issuing proof of reserves today is actually insecure… This method undermines the security of the issuer, the custodian, the exchanges and the investors. This is not a good idea”  . From a pure security standpoint, broadcasting your wallets is akin to drawing a bullseye on them.

Privacy Risks: Address Clustering and Blockchain Tracing

Blockchain data is public, so publishing addresses opens the door to unwanted analytics and loss of privacy for the business. Even without knowing the private keys, analysts can scrutinize every transaction in and out of those addresses. This enables address clustering – linking together addresses that interact – and other forms of blockchain forensics that can reveal sensitive information about the company’s activities.

One immediate risk is that observers can track the company’s transaction patterns. For example, if the company moves Bitcoin from its reserve address to an exchange or to another address, that move is visible in real time. Competitors, investors, or even attackers could deduce strategic information: perhaps the company is planning to sell (if coins go to an exchange wallet) or is reallocating funds. A known institution’s on-chain movements can thus “reveal strategic movements or holdings”, eroding the company’s operational privacy . In a volatile market, advance knowledge of a large buy or sell by a major player could even be exploited by others (front-running the market, etc.).

Publishing one or a few static addresses also violates a basic privacy principle of Bitcoin: address reuse. Best practice in Bitcoin is to use a fresh address for each transaction to avoid linking them  . If a company continuously uses the same “proof of reserve” address, all counterparties sending funds to or receiving funds from that address become visible. Observers could map out the company’s business relationships or vendors by analyzing counterparties. A Reddit user commenting on an ETF that published a single address noted that “reusing a single address for this makes me question their risk management… There are much better and more privacy-preserving ways to prove reserves… without throwing everything in a single public address” . In other words, a naive implementation of proof-of-reserve (one big address) maximizes privacy leakage.

Even if multiple addresses are used, if they are all disclosed, one can perform clustering analysis to find connections. This happened in the Grayscale case: although Grayscale would not confirm any addresses, community analysts traced and identified 432 addresses likely belonging to GBTC’s custodial holdings by following on-chain traces from known intermediary accounts . They managed to attribute roughly 317,705 BTC (about half of GBTC’s holdings) to those addresses . This demonstrates that even partial information can enable clustering – and if the company directly published addresses, the task becomes even easier to map the entirety of its on-chain asset base.

Another threat vector is “dusting” attacks, which become more feasible when an address is publicly known. In a dusting attack, an adversary sends a tiny amount of cryptocurrency (dust) to a target address. The dust itself is harmless, but if the target address ever spends that dust together with other funds, it can cryptographically link the target address to other addresses in the same wallet. Blockchain security researchers note that “with UTXO-based assets, an attacker could distribute dust to an address to reveal the owner’s other addresses by tracking the dust’s movement… If the owner unknowingly combines this dust with their funds in a transaction, the attacker can… link multiple addresses to a single owner”, compromising privacy . A company that publishes a list of reserve addresses could be systematically dusted by malicious actors attempting to map out all addresses under the company’s control. This could unmask cold wallet addresses that the company never intended to publicize, further eroding its privacy and security.

Investor confidentiality is another subtle concern. If the business model involves individual investor accounts or contributions (for instance, a trust where investors can deposit or withdraw Bitcoin), public addresses might expose those movements. An outside observer might not know which investor corresponds to a transaction, but unusual inflows/outflows could signal actions by big clients. In extreme cases, if an investor’s own wallet is known (say a large investor announces their involvement), one might link that to transactions in the company’s reserve addresses. This could inadvertently reveal an investor’s activities or holdings, breaching expectations of confidentiality. Even absent direct identification, some investors might simply be uncomfortable with their transactions being part of a publicly traceable ledger tied to the company.

In summary, publishing reserve addresses facilitates blockchain tracing that can pierce the veil of business privacy. It hands analysts the keys to observe how funds move, potentially exposing operational strategies, counterparties, and internal processes. As one industry publication noted, linking a large known institution to specific addresses can compromise privacy and reveal more than intended . Companies must consider whether they are ready for that level of transparency into their every on-chain move.

Regulatory and Compliance Implications

From a regulatory perspective, wallet address disclosure lies in uncharted territory, but it raises several flags. First and foremost is the issue of incomplete information: A wallet address only shows assets, not the company’s liabilities or other obligations. Regulators worry that touting on-chain holdings could give a false sense of security. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cautioned investors to “not place too much confidence in the mere fact a company says it’s got a proof-of-reserves”, noting that such reports “lack sufficient information” for stakeholders to ascertain if liabilities can be met . In other words, a public company might show a big Bitcoin address balance, but if it has debts or customer liabilities of equal or greater value, the proof-of-reserve alone is “not necessarily an indicator that the company is in a good financial position” .

This regulatory stance implies that address disclosure, if done, must be paired with proper context. A public company would likely need to clarify in its financial statements or investor communications that on-chain reserves are unencumbered (not pledged as loan collateral, not already sold forward, etc.) and that total liabilities are accounted for. Otherwise, there’s a risk of misleading investors, which could have legal consequences. For example, if investors interpret the on-chain balance as proof of solvency but the company actually had leveraged those bitcoins for loans, lawsuits or regulatory enforcement could follow for misrepresentation.

There’s also a compliance burden associated with revealing addresses. Once an address is known to be the company’s, that company effectively must monitor all transactions related to it. If someone sends funds to that address (even without permission), the company might receive tainted coins (from hacked sources or sanctioned entities). This could trigger anti-money laundering (AML) red flags. Normally, compliance teams can ignore random deposits to unknown wallets, but they cannot ignore something sent into their publicly identified corporate wallet. Even a tiny dust amount sent from a blacklisted address could complicate compliance – for instance, the company would need to prove it has no relation to the sender and perhaps even avoid moving those tainted outputs. Being in the open increases such exposure. Threat actors might even exploit this by “poisoning” a company’s address with unwanted transactions, just to create regulatory headaches or reputational smears.

Another consideration is that custodial agreements and internal risk controls might forbid public disclosure of addresses. Many public companies use third-party custodians for their Bitcoin (for example, Coinbase Custody, BitGo, etc.). These custodians often treat wallet details as confidential for security. Grayscale noted that its Bitcoin are custodied on Coinbase and implied that revealing on-chain info would interfere with security arrangements  . It’s possible that some custodians would object to their clients broadcasting addresses, or might require additional assurances. A company going against such advice might be seen as negligent if something went wrong.

Regulators have so far not mandated on-chain proofs for public companies – in fact, recent laws have exempted public companies from proof-of-reserve mandates on the assumption they are already subject to rigorous SEC reporting. For example, a Texas bill in 2023 required crypto exchanges and custodians to provide quarterly proof-of-reserves to the state, but it “specifically carved out public reporting companies” since they already file audited financials with the SEC . The rationale was that between SEC filings and audits, public companies have oversight that private crypto firms lack . However, this also highlights a gap: even audited financials might not verify 100% of crypto assets (auditors often sample balances). Some observers noted that standard audits “may not ever include the 100% custodial asset testing contemplated by proof of reserves”, especially since quarterly SEC filings (10-Q) are often not audited . This puts public companies in a nuanced position – they are trusted to use traditional audits and internal controls, but the onus is on them if they choose to add extra transparency like on-chain proofs.

Finally, securities regulators focus on fair disclosure and accuracy. If a company publicly posts addresses, those essentially become investor disclosures subject to anti-fraud rules. The firm must keep them up to date and accurate. Any mistake (such as publishing a wrong address or failing to mention that some coins are locked up or lent out) could attract regulatory scrutiny for being misleading. In contrast, a formal audit or certification from a third-party comes with standards and disclaimers that are better understood by regulators. A self-published wallet list is an unprecedented form of disclosure that regulators haven’t fully vetted – meaning the company bears the risk if something is misinterpreted.

In summary, wallet address disclosure as proof-of-reserve must be handled very carefully to avoid regulatory pitfalls. The SEC and others have warned that on-chain assets alone don’t tell the whole story . Public companies would need to integrate such proofs with their official reporting in a responsible way – otherwise they risk confusion or even regulatory backlash for giving a false sense of security.

Reputational and Operational Risks

While transparency is meant to enhance reputation, in practice public wallet disclosures can create new reputational vulnerabilities. Once an address is public, a company’s every on-chain action is under the microscope of the crypto community and media. Any anomaly or perceived misstep can snowball into public relations problems.

One vivid example occurred with Crypto.com in late 2022. After the exchange published its cold wallet addresses to prove reserves (a move prompted by the FTX collapse), on-chain analysts quickly noticed a “suspicious transfer of 320,000 ETH” – about 82% of Crypto.com’s Ether reserves – moving from their cold wallet to another exchange (Gate.io)  . This large, unexpected transfer sparked immediate panic and FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) on social media. Observers speculated that Crypto.com might be insolvent or was manipulating snapshots of reserves by borrowing funds. The CEO had to publicly respond, admitting it was an operational error – the ETH was supposed to go to a new cold storage address but ended up at a whitelisted external address by mistake . The funds were eventually returned, but not before reputational damage was done: the incident made headlines about mishandled funds and rattled user confidence  . This case illustrates how full public visibility can turn an internal slip-up into a highly public crisis. If the addresses had not been public, the mistake might have been quietly corrected; with on-chain transparency, there was nowhere to hide and no way to control the narrative before the public drew worst-case conclusions.

Even routine operations can be misinterpreted. Blockchain data lacks context – analysts may jump to conclusions that hurt a company’s reputation even if nothing is actually wrong. For instance, Binance (the world’s largest crypto exchange) encountered scrutiny when on-chain observers noted that one of its reserve wallets (labeled “Binance 8”) contained far more assets than it should have. This wallet was meant to hold collateral for Binance’s issued tokens, but held an excess balance, suggesting possible commingling of customer funds with collateral  . Bloomberg and others reported a ~$12.7 billion discrepancy visible on-chain . Binance had to acknowledge the issue as a “clerical error” and quickly separate the funds, all under the glare of public attention  . While Binance maintained that user assets were fully backed and the mistake was purely operational, the episode raised public concern over Binance’s practices, feeding a narrative that even the largest exchange had internal control lapses. The key point is that public proof-of-reserves made the lapse obvious to everyone, forcing a reactive explanation. The reputational hit (even if temporary) was an operational risk of being so transparent.

Additionally, strategic confidentiality is lost. If a company holding Bitcoin as a reserve asset decides to make a major move (say, reallocating to a different wallet, or using some Bitcoin for a strategic investment or loan), doing so with known addresses broadcasts that strategy. Competitors or market analysts can infer things like “Company X is moving 10% of its BTC — why? Are they selling? Hedging? Using it as collateral?” This can erode any competitive advantage of keeping financial strategies discreet. It might even affect the company’s stock price if investors interpret moves negatively. For example, if a blockchain analysis shows the company’s reserves dropping, shareholders might fear the company sold Bitcoin (perhaps due to financial distress), even if the reality is benign (like moving funds to a new custodian). The company would be forced into continuous public explanation of on-chain actions to prevent misunderstanding.

There’s also a risk of exposing business partnerships. Suppose the company uses certain exchanges or OTC desks to rebalance its holdings – transactions with those service providers will be visible and could link the company to them. If one of those partners has issues (say a hacked exchange or a sanctioned entity inadvertently), the company could be reputationally contaminated by association through the blockchain trail.

Finally, not all publicity is good publicity in the crypto world. A public proof-of-reserve might invite armchair auditors to scrutinize and criticize every aspect of the company’s crypto management. Minor issues could be blown out of proportion. On the flip side, if a company chooses not to publish addresses, it could face reputational risk from a different angle: skeptics might question why it isn’t being transparent. (Indeed, Grayscale’s refusal to disclose wallet addresses led to social media chatter about whether they truly held all the Bitcoin they claimed, contributing to investor nervousness and a steep discount on GBTC shares .) Thus, companies are in a delicate spot: share too much and every move invites scrutiny; share too little and you breed distrust.

Balancing Transparency Benefits vs. Risks

The central question is whether the benefit of proving reserve holdings to investors outweighs these security and privacy risks. It’s a classic risk-reward calculation, and opinions in the industry are divided.

On the side of transparency, many argue that the credibility and trust gained by proof-of-reserves is invaluable. Advocates note that Bitcoin was designed for open verification – “on-chain auditability and permissionless transparency” are core features . By embracing this, companies demonstrate they are good stewards of a “trustless” asset. In fact, some believe public companies have a duty to be extra transparent. A recent Nasdaq report contended that “when a publicly traded company holds Bitcoin but offers no visibility into how that Bitcoin is held or verified, it exposes itself to multiple levels of risk: legal, reputational, operational, and strategic”, undermining trust . In that view, opacity is riskier in the long run – a lack of proof could weaken investor confidence or invite regulatory suspicion. Shareholders and analysts may actually penalize a company that refuses to provide verifiable proof of its crypto assets .

Transparency done right can also differentiate a firm as a leader in governance. Publishing reserve data (whether via addresses or through third-party attestations) can be seen as a commitment to high standards. For example, Metaplanet, an investment firm, publicly discloses its BTC reserve addresses and even provides a live dashboard for anyone to verify balances . This proactive openness signals confidence and has been touted as an industry best practice in some quarters. By proving its reserves, a company can potentially avoid the fate of those that lost public trust (as happened with opaque crypto firms in 2022). It’s also a means to preempt false rumors – if data is out in the open, misinformation has less room to grow.

However, the pro-transparency camp increasingly acknowledges that there are smarter ways to achieve trust without courting all the risks. One compromise is using cryptographic proofs or audits instead of plain address dumps. For instance, exchanges like Kraken have implemented Merkle tree proof-of-reserves: an independent auditor verifies all customer balances on-chain and provides a cryptographic report, and customers can individually verify their account is included without the exchange revealing every address publicly. This method proves solvency to those who need to know without handing over a complete roadmap to attackers. Another emerging solution is zero-knowledge proofs, where a company can prove knowledge or ownership of certain assets without revealing the addresses or amounts to the public. These technologies are still maturing, but they aim to deliver the best of both worlds: transparency and privacy.

On the side of caution, many experts believe the risks of full public disclosure outweigh the incremental gain in transparency, especially for regulated public companies. Michael Saylor encapsulates this viewpoint: he calls on-chain proof-of-reserve “a bad idea” for institutions, arguing that it “offers one-way transparency” (assets only) and “leaves organizations open to cyberattacks” . He stresses that no serious security expert would advise a Fortune 500 company to list all its wallet addresses, as it essentially compromises corporate security over time . Saylor and others also point out the pointlessness of an assets-only proof: unless you also prove liabilities, showing off reserves might even be dangerous because it could lull investors into a false sense of security .

Regulators and traditional auditors echo this: proof-of-reserves, while a useful tool, “is not enough by itself” to guarantee financial health . They advocate for holistic transparency – audits that consider internal controls, liabilities, and legal obligations, not just a snapshot of a blockchain address  . From this perspective, a public company can satisfy transparency demands through rigorous third-party audits and disclosures rather than raw on-chain data. Indeed, public companies are legally bound to extensive reporting; adding public crypto addresses on top may be seen as redundant and risky.

There is also an implicit cost-benefit analysis: A successful attack resulting from over-sharing could be catastrophic (loss of funds, legal liability, reputational ruin), whereas the benefit of public proof is somewhat intangible (improved investor sentiment, which might be achieved via other assurance methods anyway). Given that trade-off, many firms err on the side of caution. As evidence, few if any U.S.-listed companies that hold Bitcoin have published their wallet addresses. Instead, they reference independent custodians and audits for assurance. Even crypto-native companies have pulled back on full transparency after realizing the downsides – for example, some auditing firms halted issuing proof-of-reserves reports due to concerns about how they were interpreted and the liability involved  .

Industry best practices are still evolving. A prudent approach gaining favor is to prove reserves without leaking sensitive details. This can involve disclosing total balances and having an auditor or blockchain oracle confirm the assets exist, but without listing every address publicly. Companies are also encouraged to disclose encumbrances (whether any of the reserves are collateralized or lent out) in tandem, to address the liabilities issue . By doing so, they aim to achieve transparency and maintain security.

In evaluating whether to publish wallet addresses, a company must ask: Will this level of openness meaningfully increase stakeholder trust, or would a more controlled disclosure achieve the same goal with less risk? For many public companies, the answer has been to avoid public addresses. The risks – from attracting hackers to revealing strategic moves – tend to outweigh the marginal transparency benefit in their judgment. The collapse of unregulated exchanges has certainly proven the value of reserve verification, but public companies operate in a different context with audits and legal accountability. Thus, the optimal solution may be a middle ground: proving reserves through vetted processes (auditor attestations, cryptographic proofs) that satisfy investor needs without blatantly exposing the company’s financial backend to the world.

Conclusion

Publishing Bitcoin wallet addresses as proof of reserves is a bold transparency measure – one that speaks to crypto’s ideals of open verification – but it comes with a laundry list of security considerations. Public companies weighing this approach must contend with the heightened cybersecurity threat of advertising their treasure troves to hackers, the loss of privacy and confidentiality as on-chain sleuths dissect their every transaction, and potential regulatory complications if such disclosures are misunderstood or incomplete. Real-world incidents illustrate the downsides: firms that revealed addresses have seen how quickly online communities flag (and sometimes misinterpret) their blockchain moves, causing reputational turbulence and forcing rapid damage control  .

On the other hand, proving reserves to investors is important – it can prevent fraud and bolster trust. The question is how to achieve it without incurring unacceptable risk. Many experts and industry leaders lean towards the view that simply publishing wallet addresses is too risky a method, especially for public companies with much to lose  . The risks often do outweigh the direct benefits in such cases. Transparency remains crucial, but it can be provided in safer ways – through regular audits, cryptographic proofs that don’t expose all wallet details, and comprehensive disclosures that include liabilities and controls.

In conclusion, while on-chain proof of reserves via public addresses offers a tantalizing level of openness, it must be approached with extreme caution. For most public companies, the smart strategy is to balance transparency with security: verify and show investors that assets exist and are sufficient, but do so in a controlled manner that doesn’t compromise the very assets you’re trying to protect. As the industry matures, we can expect more refined proof-of-reserve practices that satisfy the demand for honesty and solvency verification without unduly endangering the enterprise. Until then, companies will continue to tread carefully, mindful that transparency is only truly valuable when it doesn’t come at the price of security and trust.

Sources:

•   Grayscale statement on refusal to share on-chain proof-of-reserves 
•   Community analysis identifying Grayscale’s wallet addresses 
•   Cointelegraph – Crypto.com’s mistaken 320k ETH transfer spotted via on-chain proof-of-reserves  
•   Axios – Binance wallet “commingling” error observed on-chain  
•   Michael Saylor’s remarks on security risks of publishing wallet addresses   
•   SEC Acting Chief Accountant on limitations of proof-of-reserves reports 
•   Nasdaq (Bitcoin for Corporations) – argument for corporate transparency & proof-of-reserves   
•   1inch Security Blog – explanation of dusting attacks and privacy loss via address linking 

@ 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.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

The former seems to have found solid product market fit. Expect significant volume, adoption, and usage going forward.

The latter's future remains to be seen. Dependence on Tor, which has had massive reliability issues, and lack of strong privacy guarantees put it at risk.

— ODELL (@ODELL) October 27, 2022

The Basics

• Lightning is a protocol that enables cheap and fast native bitcoin transactions.
• At the core of the protocol is the ability for bitcoin users to create a payment channel with another user.
• These payment channels enable users to make many bitcoin transactions between each other with only two on-chain bitcoin transactions: the channel open transaction and the channel close transaction.
• Essentially lightning is a protocol for interoperable batched bitcoin transactions.
• It is expected that on chain bitcoin transaction fees will increase with adoption and the ability to easily batch transactions will save users significant money.
• As these lightning transactions are processed, liquidity flows from one side of a channel to the other side, on chain transactions are signed by both parties but not broadcasted to update this balance.
• Lightning is designed to be trust minimized, either party in a payment channel can close the channel at any time and their bitcoin will be settled on chain without trusting the other party.

There is no 'Lightning Network'

• Many people refer to the aggregate of all lightning channels as 'The Lightning Network' but this is a false premise.
• There are many lightning channels between many different users and funds can flow across interconnected channels as long as there is a route through peers.
• If a lightning transaction requires multiple hops it will flow through multiple interconnected channels, adjusting the balance of all channels along the route, and paying lightning transaction fees that are set by each node on the route.

Example: You have a channel with Bob. Bob has a channel with Charlie. You can pay Charlie through your channel with Bob and Bob's channel with User C.

• As a result, it is not guaranteed that every lightning user can pay every other lightning user, they must have a route of interconnected channels between sender and receiver.

Lightning in Practice

• Lightning has already found product market fit and usage as an interconnected payment protocol between large professional custodians.
• They are able to easily manage channels and liquidity between each other without trust using this interoperable protocol.
• Lightning payments between large custodians are fast and easy. End users do not have to run their own node or manage their channels and liquidity. These payments rarely fail due to professional management of custodial nodes.
• The tradeoff is one inherent to custodians and other trusted third parties. Custodial wallets can steal funds and compromise user privacy.

Sovereign Lightning

• Trusted third parties are security holes.
• Users must run their own node and manage their own channels in order to use lightning without trusting a third party. This remains the single largest friction point for sovereign lightning usage: the mental burden of actively running a lightning node and associated liquidity management.
• Bitcoin development prioritizes node accessibility so cost to self host your own node is low but if a node is run at home or office, Tor or a VPN is recommended to mask your IP address: otherwise it is visible to the entire network and represents a privacy risk.
• This privacy risk is heightened due to the potential for certain governments to go after sovereign lightning users and compel them to shutdown their nodes. If their IP Address is exposed they are easier to target.
• Fortunately the tools to run and manage nodes continue to get easier but it is important to understand that this will always be a friction point when compared to custodial services.

The Potential Fracture of Lightning

• Any lightning user can choose which users are allowed to open channels with them.
• One potential is that professional custodians only peer with other professional custodians.
• We already see nodes like those run by CashApp only have channels open with other regulated counterparties. This could be due to performance goals, liability reduction, or regulatory pressure.

• Fortunately some of their peers are connected to non-regulated parties so payments to and from sovereign lightning users are still successfully processed by CashApp but this may not always be the case going forward.

Summary

• Many people refer to the aggregate of all lightning channels as 'The Lightning Network' but this is a false premise. There is no singular 'Lightning Network' but rather many payment channels between distinct peers, some connected with each other and some not.
• Lightning as an interoperable payment protocol between professional custodians seems to have found solid product market fit. Expect significant volume, adoption, and usage going forward.
• Lightning as a robust sovereign payment protocol has yet to be battle tested. Heavy reliance on Tor, which has had massive reliability issues, the friction of active liquidity management, significant on chain fee burden for small amounts, interactivity constraints on mobile, and lack of strong privacy guarantees put it at risk.

---

If you have never used lightning before, use this guide to get started on your phone.

---

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

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

Since its creation, Bitcoin has been a revolutionary asset, challenging the traditional financial system and proposing a new form of decentralized money. However, its future remains uncertain and the subject of intense debate. Among the possible outcomes, two extreme scenarios stand out: hyperbitcoinization-where Bitcoin becomes the dominant currency in the global economy—and obsolescence, where the network loses relevance and is replaced by other solutions.

• Hyperbitcoinization: The World Adopts Bitcoin as a Monetary Standard

01 - Loss of trust in fiat currencies: Due to excessive money printing by central banks, many economies face rampant inflation. Bitcoin, with its fixed supply of 21 million units, emerges as a more trustworthy alternative.

02 - Growing adoption by companies and governments: Some countries have already begun integrating Bitcoin into their economies, accepting it for payments and as a store of value. If this trend continues, Bitcoin’s legitimacy as a global currency will grow.

03 - Ease of global transactions: Bitcoin enables fast and low-cost international transfers, removing the need for financial intermediaries and reducing operational costs.

04 - Technological advancements: Scalability improvements, such as the Lightning Network, can make Bitcoin more efficient for daily use, encouraging mass adoption.

If hyperbitcoinization becomes reality, the world may witness a radical shift in the financial system—with greater decentralization, censorship resistance, and an economy based on sound, predictable money.

• Obsolescence: Bitcoin Loses Relevance and Is Replaced

01 - Restrictive government regulations: If major economic powers enforce strict regulations on Bitcoin, adoption could slow, reducing its utility.

02 - Technological shortcomings or lack of innovation: Despite its security and decentralization, Bitcoin may struggle to scale effectively. If superior solutions emerge and gain acceptance, Bitcoin could lose its leading position.

03 - Competition from faster, more user-friendly alternatives: Other forms of digital money may surpass Bitcoin in scalability and usability, potentially leading to a decline in Bitcoin adoption.

04 - Decreasing miner incentives: As new Bitcoin issuance halves every four years, miners will rely increasingly on transaction fees. If those fees are insufficient to sustain network security, long-term viability could be at risk.

In summary, Bitcoin’s future could unfold along multiple paths, depending on factors like innovation, global adoption, and resilience to external challenges. Hyperbitcoinization would represent an economic revolution—ushering in a decentralized, inflation-resistant monetary system. Yet, obsolescence remains a risk if the network fails to adapt to future demands. Regardless of the outcome, Bitcoin has already made its mark on financial history, paving the way for a new era of digital money and economic freedom.

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!

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

Since its creation, Bitcoin has been much more than just an alternative to traditional money. With the ongoing digitalization of the global economy, Bitcoin has emerged as a foundational pillar for new forms of transactions, commerce, and value storage. Its decentralization, transparency, and censorship resistance make it a solid base for digital economies, where financial interactions occur without the need for traditional intermediaries.

• Bitcoin’s role in the digital economy

01 - Global, borderless transactions: Anyone with internet access can send and receive Bitcoin without needing a bank or government authorization.

02 - Limited and predictable supply: Unlike fiat currencies that can be inflated by central banks, Bitcoin has a fixed cap of 21 million units, making it a scarce and reliable asset.

03 - Security and transparency: The Bitcoin blockchain or timechain publicly records all transactions, ensuring a secure and auditable system.

04 - Censorship resistance: No government or institution can block Bitcoin transactions, enabling a freer and more accessible digital economy.

With these characteristics, Bitcoin is already transforming various economic sectors and driving new forms of commerce and investment.

• Bitcoin in digital commerce and the global economy

01 - E-commerce: Businesses and consumers can use Bitcoin for fast international transactions without exorbitant fees.

02 - International remittances: Workers sending money to their home countries can avoid high fees and long delays by using Bitcoin.

03 - Emerging economies: In countries with unstable currencies and unreliable banking systems, Bitcoin serves as a secure and decentralized alternative for storing wealth and conducting daily transactions.

Additionally, Bitcoin is being adopted by companies and even governments as a store of value, reinforcing its role as a foundation for the digital economy of the future.

• Challenges and adapting to the new economy

01 - Price volatility: Bitcoin’s fluctuating value can make it difficult to use as a daily medium of exchange.

02 - Regulations and governmental resistance: Some countries attempt to restrict or regulate Bitcoin to maintain control over the traditional financial system.

03 - Education and adoption: Many people still lack the knowledge to use Bitcoin safely and effectively.

In summary, Bitcoin is transforming the way the world interacts with money, offering a decentralized and transparent alternative for digital economies. As more individuals and businesses adopt Bitcoin for payments, savings, and global commerce, its impact becomes increasingly clear. Despite the challenges, Bitcoin continues to solidify its place as the foundation of a new economic paradigm—where financial freedom and technological innovation go hand in hand.

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!

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

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

— ODELL (@ODELL) December 14, 2022

The four main banks of bitcoin and “crypto” are Signature, Prime Trust, Silvergate, and Silicon Valley Bank. Prime Trust does not custody funds themselves but rather maintains deposit accounts at BMO Harris Bank, Cross River, Lexicon Bank, MVB Bank, and Signature Bank. Silvergate and Silicon Valley Bank have already stopped withdrawals. More banks will go down before the chaos stops. None of them have sufficient reserves to meet withdrawals.

Bitcoin gives us all the ability to opt out of a system that has massive layers of counterparty risk built in, years of cheap money and broken incentives have layered risk on top of risk throughout the entire global economy. If you thought the FTX bank run was painful to watch, I have bad news for you: every major bank in the world is fractional reserve. Bitcoin held in self custody is unique in its lack of counterparty risk, as global market chaos unwinds this will become much more obvious.

The rules of bitcoin are extremely hard to change by design. Anyone can access the network directly without a trusted third party by using their own node. Owning more bitcoin does not give you more control over the network with all participants on equal footing.

Bitcoin is:
- money that is not controlled by a company or government
- money that can be spent or saved without permission
- money that is provably scarce and should increase in purchasing power with adoption

Bitcoin is money without trust. Whether you are a nation state, corporation, or an individual, you can use bitcoin to spend or save without permission. Social media will accelerate the already deteriorating trust in our institutions and as this trust continues to crumble the value of trust minimized money will become obvious. As adoption increases so should the purchasing power of bitcoin.

A quick note on "stablecoins," such as USDC - it is important to remember that they rely on trusted custodians. They have the same risk as funds held directly in bank accounts with additional counterparty risk on top. The trusted custodians can be pressured by gov, exit scam, or caught up in fraud. Funds can and will be frozen at will. This is a distinctly different trust model than bitcoin, which is a native bearer token that does not rely on any centralized entity or custodian.

Most bitcoin exchanges have exposure to these failing banks. Expect more chaos and confusion as this all unwinds. Withdraw any bitcoin to your own wallet ASAP.

Simple Self Custody Guide: https://werunbtc.com/muun
More Secure Cold Storage Guide: https://werunbtc.com/coldcard

---

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

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5

Autor: Milosz Matuschek. Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben. Sie finden alle Texte der Friedenstaube und weitere Texte zum Thema Frieden hier. Die neuesten Pareto-Artikel finden Sie auch in unserem Telegram-Kanal.

---

Die neuesten Artikel der Friedenstaube gibt es jetzt auch im eigenen Friedenstaube-Telegram-Kanal.

---

Der Schweizer Historiker Daniele Ganser startet eine Plakataktion. Auf Facebook schreibt er:

"Dieses Plakat habe ich ab heute an sechs Bahnhöfen in der Schweiz aufhängen lassen: Die Schweiz muss die Neutralität bewahren. Keine Zusammenarbeit mit der NATO!

Die Aktion läuft eine Woche. Das Plakat hängt in Basel (Gleis 5 und 7), Zürich (Gleis 9 und 12), Bern (Gleis 3 und 11), Luzern (Gleis 7 und 11), St. Gallen (Gleis 1 und 2) und Chur (Gleis 4 und Arosabahn).

Wenn jemand ein Plakat sieht und fotografiert und es mir per Email schickt freut mich das!

https://globalbridge.ch/die-schweiz-muss-die.../

Daniele Ganser kann man über folgende Seite kontaktieren.

---

LASSEN SIE DER FRIEDENSTAUBE FLÜGEL WACHSEN!

Hier können Sie die Friedenstaube abonnieren und bekommen die Artikel zugesandt.

Schon jetzt können Sie uns unterstützen:

• Für 50 CHF/EURO bekommen Sie ein Jahresabo der Friedenstaube.
• Für 120 CHF/EURO bekommen Sie ein Jahresabo und ein T-Shirt/Hoodie mit der Friedenstaube.
• Für 500 CHF/EURO werden Sie Förderer und bekommen ein lebenslanges Abo sowie ein T-Shirt/Hoodie mit der Friedenstaube.
• Ab 1000 CHF werden Sie Genossenschafter der Friedenstaube mit Stimmrecht (und bekommen lebenslanges Abo, T-Shirt/Hoodie).

Für Einzahlungen in CHF (Betreff: Friedenstaube):

Für Einzahlungen in Euro:

Milosz Matuschek

IBAN DE 53710520500000814137

BYLADEM1TST

Sparkasse Traunstein-Trostberg

Betreff: Friedenstaube

Wenn Sie auf anderem Wege beitragen wollen, schreiben Sie die Friedenstaube an: friedenstaube@pareto.space

---

Sie sind noch nicht auf Nostr and wollen die volle Erfahrung machen (liken, kommentieren etc.)? Zappen können Sie den Autor auch ohne Nostr-Profil! Erstellen Sie sich einen Account auf Start. Weitere Onboarding-Leitfäden gibt es im Pareto-Wiki.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

The newly proposed RESTRICT ACT - is being advertised as a TikTok Ban, but is much broader than that, carries a $1M Fine and up to 20 years in prison️! It is unconstitutional and would create massive legal restrictions on the open source movement and free speech throughout the internet.

The Bill was proposed by: Senator Warner, Senator Thune, Senator Baldwin, Senator Fischer, Senator Manchin, Senator Moran, Senator Bennet, Senator Sullivan, Senator Gillibrand, Senator Collins, Senator Heinrich, and Senator Romney. It has broad support across Senators of both parties.

Corrupt politicians will not protect us. They are part of the problem. We must build, support, and learn how to use censorship resistant tools in order to defend our natural rights.

The RESTRICT Act, introduced by Senators Warner and Thune, aims to block or disrupt transactions and financial holdings involving foreign adversaries that pose risks to national security. Although the primary targets of this legislation are companies like Tik-Tok, the language of the bill could potentially be used to block or disrupt cryptocurrency transactions and, in extreme cases, block Americans’ access to open source tools or protocols like Bitcoin.

The Act creates a redundant regime paralleling OFAC without clear justification, it significantly limits the ability for injured parties to challenge actions raising due process concerns, and unlike OFAC it lacks any carve-out for protected speech. COINCENTER ON THE RESTRICT ACT

Full Text of Bill

---

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

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

The new website is finally live! I put in a lot of hard work over the past months on it. I'm proud to say that it's out now and it looks pretty cool, at least to me!

Why rewrite it all?

The old kycnot.me site was built using Python with Flask about two years ago. Since then, I've gained a lot more experience with Golang and coding in general. Trying to update that old codebase, which had a lot of design flaws, would have been a bad idea. It would have been like building on an unstable foundation.

That's why I made the decision to rewrite the entire application. Initially, I chose to use SvelteKit with JavaScript. I did manage to create a stable site that looked similar to the new one, but it required Jav aScript to work. As I kept coding, I started feeling like I was repeating "the Python mistake". I was writing the app in a language I wasn't very familiar with (just like when I was learning Python at that mom ent), and I wasn't happy with the code. It felt like spaghetti code all the time.

So, I made a complete U-turn and started over, this time using Golang. While I'm not as proficient in Golang as I am in Python now, I find it to be a very enjoyable language to code with. Most aof my recent pr ojects have been written in Golang, and I'm getting the hang of it. I tried to make the best decisions I could and structure the code as well as possible. Of course, there's still room for improvement, which I'll address in future updates.

Now I have a more maintainable website that can scale much better. It uses a real database instead of a JSON file like the old site, and I can add many more features. Since I chose to go with Golang, I mad e the "tradeoff" of not using JavaScript at all, so all the rendering load falls on the server. But I believe it's a tradeoff that's worth it.

What's new

• UI/UX - I've designed a new logo and color palette for kycnot.me. I think it looks pretty cool and cypherpunk. I am not a graphic designer, but I think I did a decent work and I put a lot of thinking on it to make it pleasant!
• Point system - The new point system provides more detailed information about the listings, and can be expanded to cover additional features across all services. Anyone can request a new point!
• ToS Scrapper: I've implemented a powerful automated terms-of-service scrapper that collects all the ToS pages from the listings. It saves you from the hassle of reading the ToS by listing the lines that are suspiciously related to KYC/AML practices. This is still in development and it will improve for sure, but it works pretty fine right now!
• Search bar - The new search bar allows you to easily filter services. It performs a full-text search on the Title, Description, Category, and Tags of all the services. Looking for VPN services? Just search for "vpn"!
• Transparency - To be more transparent, all discussions about services now take place publicly on GitLab. I won't be answering any e-mails (an auto-reply will prompt to write to the corresponding Gitlab issue). This ensures that all service-related matters are publicly accessible and recorded. Additionally, there's a real-time audits page that displays database changes.
• Listing Requests - I have upgraded the request system. The new form allows you to directly request services or points without any extra steps. In the future, I plan to enable requests for specific changes to parts of the website.
• Lightweight and fast - The new site is lighter and faster than its predecessor!
• Tor and I2P - At last! kycnot.me is now officially on Tor and I2P!

How?

This rewrite has been a labor of love, in the end, I've been working on this for more than 3 months now. I don't have a team, so I work by myself on my free time, but I find great joy in helping people on their private journey with cryptocurrencies. Making it easier for individuals to use cryptocurrencies without KYC is a goal I am proud of!

If you appreciate my work, you can support me through the methods listed here. Alternatively, feel free to send me an email with a kind message!

Technical details

All the code is written in Golang, the website makes use of the chi router for the routing part. I also make use of BigCache for caching database requests. There is 0 JavaScript, so all the rendering load falls on the server, this means it needed to be efficient enough to not drawn with a few users since the old site was reporting about 2M requests per month on average (note that this are not unique users).

The database is running with mariadb, using gorm as the ORM. This is more than enough for this project. I started working with an sqlite database, but I ended up migrating to mariadb since it works better with JSON.

The scraper is using chromedp combined with a series of keywords, regex and other logic. It runs every 24h and scraps all the services. You can find the scraper code here.

The frontend is written using Golang Templates for the HTML, and TailwindCSS plus DaisyUI for the CSS classes framework. I also use some plain CSS, but it's minimal.

The requests forms is the only part of the project that requires JavaScript to be enabled. It is needed for parsing some from fields that are a bit complex and for the "captcha", which is a simple Proof of Work that runs on your browser, destinated to avoid spam. For this, I use mCaptcha.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

@matt_odell don't you even dare not ask about nostr!

— Kukks (Andrew Camilleri) (@MrKukks) May 18, 2021

Nostr first hit my radar spring 2021: created by fellow bitcoiner and friend, fiatjaf, and released to the world as free open source software. I was fortunate to be able to host a conversation with him on Citadel Dispatch in those early days, capturing that moment in history forever. Since then, the protocol has seen explosive viral organic growth as individuals around the world have contributed their time and energy to build out the protocol and the surrounding ecosystem due to the clear need for better communication tools.

nostr is to twitter as bitcoin is to paypal

As an intro to nostr, let us start with a metaphor:

twitter is paypal - a centralized platform plagued by censorship but has the benefit of established network effects

nostr is bitcoin - an open protocol that is censorship resistant and robust but requires an organic adoption phase

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.
 - Anyone can run a relay.
 - Anyone can interact with the protocol.
 - Relays can choose which messages they want to relay.
 - Users are identified by a simple public private key pair that they can generate themselves.

Nostr is often compared to twitter since there are nostr clients that emulate twitter functionality and user interface but that is merely one application of the protocol. Nostr is so much more than a mere twitter competitor. Nostr clients and relays can transmit a wide variety of data and clients can choose how to display that information to users. The result is a revolution in communication with implications that are difficult for any of us to truly comprehend.

Similar to bitcoin, nostr is an open and permissionless protocol. No person, company, or government controls it. Anyone can iterate and build on top of nostr without permission. Together, bitcoin and nostr are incredibly complementary freedom tech tools: censorship resistant, permissionless, robust, and interoperable - money and speech protected by code and incentives, not laws.

As censorship throughout the world continues to escalate, freedom tech provides hope for individuals around the world who refuse to accept the status quo. This movement will succeed on the shoulders of those who choose to stand up and contribute. We will build our own path. A brighter path.

---

My Nostr Public Key: npub1qny3tkh0acurzla8x3zy4nhrjz5zd8l9sy9jys09umwng00manysew95gx

---

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

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

Know Your Customer is a regulation that requires companies of all sizes to verify the identity, suitability, and risks involved with maintaining a business relationship with a customer. Such procedures fit within the broader scope of anti-money laundering (AML) and counterterrorism financing (CTF) regulations.

Banks, exchanges, online business, mail providers, domain registrars... Everyone wants to know who you are before you can even opt for their service. Your personal information is flowing around the internet in the hands of "god-knows-who" and secured by "trust-me-bro military-grade encryption". Once your account is linked to your personal (and verified) identity, tracking you is just as easy as keeping logs on all these platforms.

Rights for Illusions

KYC processes aim to combat terrorist financing, money laundering, and other illicit activities. On the surface, KYC seems like a commendable initiative. I mean, who wouldn't want to halt terrorists and criminals in their tracks?

The logic behind KYC is: "If we mandate every financial service provider to identify their users, it becomes easier to pinpoint and apprehend the malicious actors."

However, terrorists and criminals are not precisely lining up to be identified. They're crafty. They may adopt false identities or find alternative strategies to continue their operations. Far from being outwitted, many times they're several steps ahead of regulations. Realistically, KYC might deter a small fraction – let's say about 1% ^1 – of these malefactors. Yet, the cost? All of us are saddled with the inconvenient process of identification just to use a service.

Under the rhetoric of "ensuring our safety", governments and institutions enact regulations that seem more out of a dystopian novel, gradually taking away our right to privacy.

To illustrate, consider a city where the mayor has rolled out facial recognition cameras in every nook and cranny. A band of criminals, intent on robbing a local store, rolls in with a stolen car, their faces obscured by masks and their bodies cloaked in all-black clothes. Once they've committed the crime and exited the city's boundaries, they switch vehicles and clothes out of the cameras' watchful eyes. The high-tech surveillance? It didn’t manage to identify or trace them. Yet, for every law-abiding citizen who merely wants to drive through the city or do some shopping, their movements and identities are constantly logged. The irony? This invasive tracking impacts all of us, just to catch the 1% ^1 of less-than-careful criminals.

KYC? Not you.

KYC creates barriers to participation in normal economic activity, to supposedly stop criminals. ^2

KYC puts barriers between many users and businesses. One of these comes from the fact that the process often requires multiple forms of identification, proof of address, and sometimes even financial records. For individuals in areas with poor record-keeping, non-recognized legal documents, or those who are unbanked, homeless or transient, obtaining these documents can be challenging, if not impossible.

For people who are not skilled with technology or just don't have access to it, there's also a barrier since KYC procedures are mostly online, leaving them inadvertently excluded.

Another barrier goes for the casual or one-time user, where they might not see the value in undergoing a rigorous KYC process, and these requirements can deter them from using the service altogether.

It also wipes some businesses out of the equation, since for smaller businesses, the costs associated with complying with KYC norms—from the actual process of gathering and submitting documents to potential delays in operations—can be prohibitive in economical and/or technical terms.

You're not welcome

Imagine a swanky new club in town with a strict "members only" sign. You hear the music, you see the lights, and you want in. You step up, ready to join, but suddenly there's a long list of criteria you must meet. After some time, you are finally checking all the boxes. But then the club rejects your membership with no clear reason why. You just weren't accepted. Frustrating, right?

This club scenario isn't too different from the fact that KYC is being used by many businesses as a convenient gatekeeping tool. A perfect excuse based on a "legal" procedure they are obliged to.

Even some exchanges may randomly use this to freeze and block funds from users, claiming these were "flagged" by a cryptic system that inspects the transactions. You are left hostage to their arbitrary decision to let you successfully pass the KYC procedure. If you choose to sidestep their invasive process, they might just hold onto your funds indefinitely.

Your identity has been stolen

KYC data has been found to be for sale on many dark net markets^3. Exchanges may have leaks or hacks, and such leaks contain very sensitive data. We're talking about the full monty: passport or ID scans, proof of address, and even those awkward selfies where you're holding up your ID next to your face. All this data is being left to the mercy of the (mostly) "trust-me-bro" security systems of such companies. Quite scary, isn't it?

As cheap as $10 for 100 documents, with discounts applying for those who buy in bulk, the personal identities of innocent users who passed KYC procedures are for sale. ^3

In short, if you have ever passed the KYC/AML process of a crypto exchange, your privacy is at risk of being compromised, or it might even have already been compromised.

(they) Know Your Coins

You may already know that Bitcoin and most cryptocurrencies have a transparent public blockchain, meaning that all data is shown unencrypted for everyone to see and recorded forever. If you link an address you own to your identity through KYC, for example, by sending an amount from a KYC exchange to it, your Bitcoin is no longer pseudonymous and can then be traced.

If, for instance, you send Bitcoin from such an identified address to another KYC'ed address (say, from a friend), everyone having access to that address-identity link information (exchanges, governments, hackers, etc.) will be able to associate that transaction and know who you are transacting with.

Conclusions

To sum up, KYC does not protect individuals; rather, it's a threat to our privacy, freedom, security and integrity. Sensible information flowing through the internet is thrown into chaos by dubious security measures. It puts borders between many potential customers and businesses, and it helps governments and companies track innocent users. That's the chaos KYC has stirred.

The criminals are using stolen identities from companies that gathered them thanks to these very same regulations that were supposed to combat them. Criminals always know how to circumvent such regulations. In the end, normal people are the most affected by these policies.

The threat that KYC poses to individuals in terms of privacy, security and freedom is not to be neglected. And if we don’t start challenging these systems and questioning their efficacy, we are just one step closer to the dystopian future that is now foreseeable.

Edited 20/03/2024 * Add reference to the 1% statement on Rights for Illusions section to an article where Chainalysis found that only 0.34% of the transaction volume with cryptocurrencies in 2023 was attributable to criminal activity ^1

@ 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.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

Over the past few months, I've dedicated my time to a complete rewrite of the kycnot.me website. The technology stack remains unchanged; Golang paired with TailwindCSS. However, I've made some design choices in this iteration that I believe significantly enhance the site. Particularly to backend code.

UI Improvements

You'll notice a refreshed UI that retains the original concept but has some notable enhancements. The service list view is now more visually engaging, it displays additional information in a more aesthetically pleasing manner. Both filtering and searching functionalities have been optimized for speed and user experience.

Service pages have been also redesigned to highlight key information at the top, with the KYC Level box always accessible. The display of service attributes is now more visually intuitive.

The request form, especially the Captcha, has undergone substantial improvements. The new self-made Captcha is robust, addressing the reliability issues encountered with the previous version.

Terms of Service Summarizer

A significant upgrade is the Terms of Service summarizer/reviewer, now powered by AI (GPT-4-turbo). It efficiently condenses each service's ToS, extracting and presenting critical points, including any warnings. Summaries are updated monthly, processing over 40 ToS pages via the OpenAI API using a self-crafted and thoroughly tested prompt.

Nostr Comments

I've integrated a comment section for each service using Nostr. For guidance on using this feature, visit the dedicated how-to page.

Database

The backend database has transitioned to pocketbase, an open-source Golang backend that has been a pleasure to work with. I maintain an updated fork of the Golang SDK for pocketbase at pluja/pocketbase.

Scoring

The scoring algorithm has also been refined to be more fair. Despite I had considered its removal due to the complexity it adds (it is very difficult to design a fair scoring system), some users highlighted its value, so I kept it. The updated algorithm is available open source.

Listings

Each listing has been re-evaluated, and the ones that were no longer operational were removed. New additions are included, and the backlog of pending services will be addressed progressively, since I still have access to the old database.

API

The API now offers more comprehensive data. For more details, check here.

About Page

The About page has been restructured for brevity and clarity.

Other Changes

Extensive changes have been implemented in the server-side logic, since the whole code base was re-written from the ground up. I may discuss these in a future post, but for now, I consider the current version to be just a bit beyond beta, and additional updates are planned in the coming weeks.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

I'm launching a new service review section on this blog in collaboration with OrangeFren. These reviews are sponsored, yet the sponsorship does not influence the outcome of the evaluations. Reviews are done in advance, then, the service provider has the discretion to approve publication without modifications.

Sponsored reviews are independent from the kycnot.me list, being only part of the blog. The reviews have no impact on the scores of the listings or their continued presence on the list. Should any issues arise, I will not hesitate to remove any listing.

---

The review

WizardSwap is an instant exchange centred around privacy coins. It was launched in 2020 making it old enough to have weathered the 2021 bull run and the subsequent bearish year.

| Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Tor-friendly | Limited liquidity | | Guarantee of no KYC | Overly simplistic design | | Earn by providing liquidity | |

Rating: ★★★★★ Service Website: wizardswap.io

Liquidity

Right off the bat, we'll start off by pointing out that WizardSwap relies on its own liquidity reserves, meaning they aren't just a reseller of Binance or another exchange. They're also committed to a no-KYC policy, when asking them, they even promised they would rather refund a user their original coins, than force them to undergo any sort of verification.

On the one hand, full control over all their infrastructure gives users the most privacy and conviction about the KYC policies remaining in place.

On the other hand, this means the liquidity available for swapping isn't huge. At the time of testing we could only purchase at most about 0.73 BTC with XMR.

It's clear the team behind WizardSwap is aware of this shortfall and so they've come up with a solution unique among instant exchanges. They let you, the user, deposit any of the currencies they support into your account and earn a profit on the trades made using your liquidity.

Trading

Fees on WizardSwap are middle-of-the-pack. The normal fee is 2.2%. That's more than some exchanges that reserve the right to suddenly demand you undergo verification, yet less than half the fees on some other privacy-first exchanges. However as we mentioned in the section above you can earn almost all of that fee (2%) if you provide liquidity to WizardSwap.

It's good that with the current Bitcoin fee market their fees are constant regardless of how much, or how little, you send. This is in stark contrast with some of the alternative swap providers that will charge you a massive premium when attempting to swap small amounts of BTC away.

Test trades

Test trades are always performed without previous notice to the service provider.

During our testing we performed a few test trades and found that every single time WizardSwap immediately detected the incoming transaction and the amount we received was exactly what was quoted before depositing. The fees were inline with what WizardSwap advertises.

• Monero payment proof
• Bitcoin received
• Wizardswap TX link - it's possible that this link may cease to be valid at some point in the future.

ToS and KYC

WizardSwap does not have a Terms of Service or a Privacy Policy page, at least none that can be found by users. Instead, they offer a FAQ section where they addresses some basic questions.

The site does not mention any KYC or AML practices. It also does not specify how refunds are handled in case of failure. However, based on the FAQ section "What if I send funds after the offer expires?" it can be inferred that contacting support is necessary and network fees will be deducted from any refund.

UI & Tor

WizardSwap can be visited both via your usual browser and Tor Browser. Should you decide on the latter you'll find that the website works even with the most strict settings available in the Tor Browser (meaning no JavaScript).

However, when disabling Javascript you'll miss the live support chat, as well as automatic refreshing of the trade page. The lack of the first means that you will have no way to contact support from the trade page if anything goes wrong during your swap, although you can do so by mail.

One important thing to have in mind is that if you were to accidentally close the browser during the swap, and you did not save the swap ID or your browser history is disabled, you'll have no easy way to return to the trade. For this reason we suggest when you begin a trade to copy the url or ID to someplace safe, before sending any coins to WizardSwap.

The UI you'll be greeted by is simple, minimalist, and easy to navigate. It works well not just across browsers, but also across devices. You won't have any issues using this exchange on your phone.

Getting in touch

The team behind WizardSwap appears to be most active on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/WizardSwap_io

If you have any comments or suggestions about the exchange make sure to reach out to them. In the past they've been very receptive to user feedback, for instance a few months back WizardSwap was planning on removing DeepOnion, but the community behind that project got together ^1 and after reaching out WizardSwap reversed their decision ^2.

You can also contact them via email at: support @ wizardswap . io

Disclaimer

None of the above should be understood as investment or financial advice. The views are our own only and constitute a faithful representation of our experience in using and investigating this exchange. This review is not a guarantee of any kind on the services rendered by the exchange. Do your own research before using any service.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

Bitcoin enthusiasts frequently and correctly remark how much value it adds to Bitcoin not to have a face, a leader, or a central authority behind it. This particularity means there isn't a single person to exert control over, or a single human point of failure who could become corrupt or harmful to the project.

Because of this, it is said that no other coin can be equally valuable as Bitcoin in terms of decentralization and trustworthiness. Bitcoin is unique not just for being first, but also because of how the events behind its inception developed. This implies that, from Bitcoin onwards, any coin created would have been created by someone, consequently having an authority behind it. For this and some other reasons, some people refer to Bitcoin as "The Immaculate Conception".

While other coins may have their own unique features and advantages, they may not be able to replicate Bitcoin's community-driven nature. However, one other cryptocurrency shares a similar story of mystery behind its creation: Monero.

History of Monero

Bytecoin and CryptoNote

In March 2014, a Bitcointalk thread titled "Bytecoin. Secure, private, untraceable since 2012" was initiated by a user under the nickname "DStrange"^1^. DStrange presented Bytecoin (BCN) as a unique cryptocurrency, in operation since July 2012. Unlike Bitcoin, it employed a new algorithm known as CryptoNote.

DStrange apparently stumbled upon the Bytecoin website by chance while mining a dying bitcoin fork, and decided to create a thread on Bitcointalk^1^. This sparked curiosity among some users, who wondered how could Bytecoin remain unnoticed since its alleged launch in 2012 until then^2^.

Some time after, a user brought up the "CryptoNote v2.0" whitepaper for the first time, underlining its innovative features^4^. Authored by the pseudonymous Nicolas van Saberhagen in October 2013, the CryptoNote v2 whitepaper^5^ highlighted the traceability and privacy problems in Bitcoin. Saberhagen argued that these flaws could not be quickly fixed, suggesting it would be more efficient to start a new project rather than trying to patch the original^5^, an statement simmilar to the one from Satoshi Nakamoto^6^.

Checking with Saberhagen's digital signature, the release date of the whitepaper seemed correct, which would mean that Cryptonote (v1) was created in 2012^7^, although there's an important detail: "Signing time is from the clock on the signer's computer" ^9^.

Moreover, the whitepaper v1 contains a footnote link to a Bitcointalk post dated May 5, 2013^10^, making it impossible for the whitepaper to have been signed and released on December 12, 2012.

As the narrative developed, users discovered that a significant 80% portion of Bytecoin had been pre-mined^11^ and blockchain dates seemed to be faked to make it look like it had been operating since 2012, leading to controversy surrounding the project.

The origins of CryptoNote and Bytecoin remain mysterious, leaving suspicions of a possible scam attempt, although the whitepaper had a good amount of work and thought on it.

The fork

In April 2014, the Bitcointalk user thankful_for_today, who had also participated in the Bytecoin thread^12^, announced plans to launch a Bytecoin fork named Bitmonero^13^.

The primary motivation behind this fork was "Because there is a number of technical and marketing issues I wanted to do differently. And also because I like ideas and technology and I want it to succeed"^14^. This time Bitmonero did things different from Bytecoin: there was no premine or instamine, and no portion of the block reward went to development.

However, thankful_for_today proposed controversial changes that the community disagreed with. Johnny Mnemonic relates the events surrounding Bitmonero and thankful_for_today in a Bitcointalk comment^15^:

When thankful_for_today launched BitMonero [...] he ignored everything that was discussed and just did what he wanted. The block reward was considerably steeper than what everyone was expecting. He also moved forward with 1-minute block times despite everyone's concerns about the increase of orphan blocks. He also didn't address the tail emission concern that should've (in my opinion) been in the code at launch time. Basically, he messed everything up. Then, he disappeared.

After disappearing for a while, thankful_for_today returned to find that the community had taken over the project. Johnny Mnemonic continues:

I, and others, started working on new forks that were closer to what everyone else was hoping for. [...] it was decided that the BitMonero project should just be taken over. There were like 9 or 10 interested parties at the time if my memory is correct. We voted on IRC to drop the "bit" from BitMonero and move forward with the project. Thankful_for_today suddenly resurfaced, and wasn't happy to learn the community had assumed control of the coin. He attempted to maintain his own fork (still calling it "BitMonero") for a while, but that quickly fell into obscurity.

The unfolding of these events show us the roots of Monero. Much like Satoshi Nakamoto, the creators behind CryptoNote/Bytecoin and thankful_for_today remain a mystery^17^, having disappeared without a trace. This enigma only adds to Monero's value.

Since community took over development, believing in the project's potential and its ability to be guided in a better direction, Monero was given one of Bitcoin's most important qualities: a leaderless nature. With no single face or entity directing its path, Monero is safe from potential corruption or harm from a "central authority".

The community continued developing Monero until today. Since then, Monero has undergone a lot of technological improvements, migrations and achievements such as RingCT and RandomX. It also has developed its own Community Crowdfundinc System, conferences such as MoneroKon and Monerotopia are taking place every year, and has a very active community around it.

Monero continues to develop with goals of privacy and security first, ease of use and efficiency second. ^16^

This stands as a testament to the power of a dedicated community operating without a central figure of authority. This decentralized approach aligns with the original ethos of cryptocurrency, making Monero a prime example of community-driven innovation. For this, I thank all the people involved in Monero, that lead it to where it is today.

If you find any information that seems incorrect, unclear or any missing important events, please contact me and I will make the necessary changes.

Sources of interest

• https://forum.getmonero.org/20/general-discussion/211/history-of-monero
• https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/852/what-is-the-origin-of-monero-and-its-relationship-to-bytecoin
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monero
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=583449.0
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=563821.0
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=233561
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=512747.0
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=740112.0
• https://monero.stackexchange.com/a/1024
• https://inspec2t-project.eu/cryptocurrency-with-a-focus-on-anonymity-these-facts-are-known-about-monero/
• https://medium.com/coin-story/coin-perspective-13-riccardo-spagni-69ef82907bd1
• https://www.getmonero.org/resources/about/
• https://www.wired.com/2017/01/monero-drug-dealers-cryptocurrency-choice-fire/
• https://www.monero.how/why-monero-vs-bitcoin
• https://old.reddit.com/r/Monero/comments/u8e5yr/satoshi_nakamoto_talked_about_privacy_features/

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

“The future is there... staring back at us. Trying to make sense of the fiction we will have become.” — William Gibson.

This month is the 4th anniversary of kycnot.me. Thank you for being here.

Fifteen years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer electronic cash system: a decentralized currency free from government and institutional control. Nakamoto's whitepaper showed a vision for a financial system based on trustless transactions, secured by cryptography. Some time forward and KYC (Know Your Customer), AML (Anti-Money Laundering), and CTF (Counter-Terrorism Financing) regulations started to come into play.

What a paradox: to engage with a system designed for decentralization, privacy, and independence, we are forced to give away our personal details. Using Bitcoin in the economy requires revealing your identity, not just to the party you interact with, but also to third parties who must track and report the interaction. You are forced to give sensitive data to entities you don't, can't, and shouldn't trust. Information can never be kept 100% safe; there's always a risk. Information is power, who knows about you has control over you.

Information asymmetry creates imbalances of power. When entities have detailed knowledge about individuals, they can manipulate, influence, or exploit this information to their advantage. The accumulation of personal data by corporations and governments enables extensive surveillances.

Such practices, moreover, exclude individuals from traditional economic systems if their documentation doesn't meet arbitrary standards, reinforcing a dystopian divide. Small businesses are similarly burdened by the costs of implementing these regulations, hindering free market competition^1:

How will they keep this information safe? Why do they need my identity? Why do they force businesses to enforce such regulations? It's always for your safety, to protect you from the "bad". Your life is perpetually in danger: terrorists, money launderers, villains... so the government steps in to save us.

‟Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry Mamma's gonna make all of your nightmares come true Mamma's gonna put all of her fears into you Mamma's gonna keep you right here, under her wing She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing Mamma's gonna keep baby cosy and warm” — Mother, Pink Floyd

We must resist any attack on our privacy and freedom. To do this, we must collaborate.

If you have a service, refuse to ask for KYC; find a way. Accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero. Commit to circular economies. Remove the need to go through the FIAT system. People need fiat money to use most services, but we can change that.

If you're a user, donate to and prefer using services that accept such currencies. Encourage your friends to accept cryptocurrencies as well. Boycott FIAT system to the greatest extent you possibly can.

This may sound utopian, but it can be achieved. This movement can't be stopped. Go kick the hornet's nest.

“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.” — Eric Hughes, A Cypherpunk's Manifesto

The anniversary

Four years ago, I began exploring ways to use crypto without KYC. I bookmarked a few favorite services and thought sharing them to the world might be useful. That was the first version of kycnot.me — a simple list of about 15 services. Since then, I've added services, rewritten it three times, and improved it to what it is now.

kycnot.me has remained 100% independent and 100% open source^2 all these years. I've received offers to buy the site, all of which I have declined and will continue to decline. It has been DDoS attacked many times, but we made it through. I have also rewritten the whole site almost once per year (three times in four years).

The code and scoring algorithm are open source (contributions are welcome) and I can't arbitrarly change a service's score without adding or removing attributes, making any arbitrary alterations obvious if they were fake. You can even see the score summary for any service's score.

I'm a one-person team, dedicating my free time to this project. I hope to keep doing so for many more years. Again, thank you for being part of this.

@ 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.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

After almost 3 months of work, we've completed the redesign of kycnot.me. More modern and with many new features.

Privacy remains the foundation - everything still works with JavaScript disabled. If you enable JS, you will get some nice-to-have features like lazy loading and smoother page transitions, but nothing essential requires it.

User Accounts

We've introduced user accounts that require zero personal information:

• Secret user tokens - no email, no phone number, no personal data
• Randomly generated usernames for default privacy and fairness
• Karma system that rewards contributions and unlocks features: custom display names, profile pictures, and more.

Reviews and Community Discussions

On the previous sites, I was using third party open source tools for the comments and discussions. This time, I've built my own from scratch, fully integrated into the site, without JavaScript requirements.

Everyone can share their experiences and help others make informed decisions:

• Ratings: Comments can have a 1-5 star rating attached. You can have one rating per service and it will affect the overall user score.
• Discussions: These are normal comments, you can add them on any listed service.

Comment Moderation

I was strugling to keep up with moderation on the old site. For this, we've implemented an AI-powered moderation system that:

• Auto-approves legitimate comments instantly
• Flags suspicious content for human review
• Keeps discussions valuable by minimizing spam

The AI still can mark comments for human review, but most comments will get approved automatically by this system. The AI also makes summaries of the comments to help you understand the overall sentiment of the community.

Powerful Search & Filtering

Finding exactly what you need is now easier:

• Advanced filtering system with many parameters. You can even filter by attributes to pinpoint services with specific features.

The results are dynamic and shuffle services with identical scores for fairness.

See all listings

Listings are now added as 'Community Contributed' by default. This means that you can still find them in the search results, but they will be clearly marked as such.

Updated Scoring System

New dual-score approach provides more nuanced service evaluations:

• Privacy Score: Measures how well a service protects your personal information and data

• Trust Score: Assesses reliability, security, and overall reputation

• Combined into a weighted Overall Score for quick comparisons

• Completely transparent and open source calculation algorithm. No manual tweaking or hidden factors.

AI-Powered Terms of Service Analysis

Basically, a TLDR summary for Terms of Service:

• Automated system extracts the most important points from complex ToS documents
• Clear summaries
• Updated monthly to catch any changes

The ToS document is hashed and only will be updated if there are any changes.

Service Events and Timelines

Track the complete history of any service, on each service page you can see the timeline of events. There are two types of events:

• Automatic events: Created by the system whenever something about a service changes, like its description, supported currencies, attributes, verification status…
• Manual events: Added by admins when there’s important news, such as a service going offline, being hacked, acquired, shut down, or other major updates.

There is also a global timeline view available at /events

Notification System

Since we now have user accounts, we built a notifiaction system so you can stay informed about anything:

• Notifications for comment replies and status changes
• Watch any comment to get notified for new replies.
• Subscribe to services to monitor events and updates
• Notification customization.

Coming soon: Third-party privacy-preserving notifications integration with Telegram, Ntfy.sh, webhooks...

Service Suggestions

Anyone with an account can suggest a new service via the suggestion form. After submitting, you'll receive a tracking page where you can follow the status of your suggestion and communicate directly with admins.

All new suggestions start as "unlisted" — they won't appear in search results until reviewed. Our team checks each submission to ensure it's not spam or inappropriate. If similar services already exist, you'll be shown possible duplicates and can choose to submit your suggestion as an edit instead.

You can always check the progress of your suggestion, respond to moderator questions, and see when it goes live, everything will also be notified to your account. This process ensures high-quality listings and a collaborative approach to building the directory.

---

These are some of the main features we already have, but there are many more small changes and improvements that you will find when using the site.

What's Next?

This is just the beginning. We will be constantly working to improve KYCnot.me and add more features that help you preserve your privacy.

Remember: True financial freedom requires the right to privacy. Stay KYC-free!

@ 5ea46480:450da5bd

Understanding or grasping Nostr can be deceptively difficult. At the very least it is non-trivial. At first glance, looking at NIP-01, the protocol is rather straight forward. But those are just the basics; yes the beauty of Nostr is its ‘simplicity’, but that does not mean the system that results from it is not complex. Conway's Game of Life only has a hand full of rules, yet you can, in theory at least, create any complex system imaginable. And this is where the deception lies; the less you define from the outset, the more you imply on what follows.

It appears that as it stands, Nostr suffers from this deceptiveness. You can reason through all these implications, but that is still an exercise that has to be performed and where mistakes can be made. Worse, this exercise has been a group effort from the start that is still in progress. Currently there is no clear cut ‘authoritative’ example of all the implications that have been ‘discovered’ thus far.

A good example of the implications following Nostr’s primitives is what we now refer to as the ‘outbox model’. The reason we ‘now’ refer to it as such, is because initially it was called the ‘Gossip model’ derived from the client that first implemented the idea. Outbox is fundamental to Nostr, but it was never explicitly stated in the initial protocol description. The result is that roughly five years into this Nostr endeavor, it is still not universally implemented; worse yet, some developers appear to be in no rush to do so. Now the reason they will give you is probably one based on priority, yet I can’t shake the feeling that they apparently don’t ‘get it’.

My point here is not to play some blame game or hold anyone to account. I am just concluding they don’t actually get the new paradigm that we have all stumbled into. To expand on this specific outbox example, its significance only becomes really apparent further along in the ‘reasoning through all the implications’ exercise. In relation to one aspect, but there are more: The point is not ‘just’ censorship-resistance for users, but the freedom for relays that comes with it to apply whatever policy on what they store and make available; it is this discrimination or curation that can add value by making finding relevant information easier in a straightforward manner. But it relies on outbox to avoid isolation; something that only becomes apparent once you are reasoning through all the implications on how we discover and consume content.

To be clear, this piece is not supposed to a crusade on the outbox model, my point here is that there is an inherent logic to Nostr stemming from putting cryptography front and center. It is a logic that has to be applied and will subsequently carry you through all the challenges we face in reconstructing the entirety of the web. This is not to say there is only one obvious path, and different schools of thought are bound to emerge. But it behooves us all, faced with this new paradigm, to continuously reflect on the mental image we have cultivated of what Nostr is; actively re-performing that exercise of exploring the implications this simple set of protocol rules creates.

Unfortunately I can not escape my own folly. After all, I am just an armchair asshole that never wrote a single line of code in his life. Obviously this minds-eye bullshit is not even half the story, the bulk of the effort is translating it into software, the tangible, the real. It is in that effort ultimately the real exploration of this paradigm occurs. All I can do is build castles in the sky.

@ b7274d28:c99628cb

A few months ago, a nostrich was switching from iOS to Android and asked for suggestions for #Nostr apps to try out. nostr:npub18ams6ewn5aj2n3wt2qawzglx9mr4nzksxhvrdc4gzrecw7n5tvjqctp424 offered the following as his response:

nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzq0mhp4ja8fmy48zuk5p6uy37vtk8tx9dqdwcxm32sy8nsaa8gkeyqydhwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgunsd3jkyuewvdhk6tcpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhszythwden5te0dehhxarj9emkjmn99uqzpwwts6n28eyvjpcwvu5akkwu85eg92dpvgw7cgmpe4czdadqvnv984rl0z

Yes. #Android users are fortunate to have some powerful Nostr apps and tools at our disposal that simply have no comparison over on the iOS side. However, a tool is only as good as the knowledge of the user, who must have an understanding of how best to wield it for maximum effect. This fact was immediately evidenced by replies to Derek asking, "What is the use case for Citrine?" and "This is the first time I'm hearing about Citrine and Pokey. Can you give me links for those?"

Well, consider this tutorial your Nostr starter-kit for Android. We'll go over installing and setting up Amber, Amethyst, Citrine, and Pokey, and as a bonus we'll be throwing in the Zapstore and Coinos to boot. We will assume no previous experience with any of the above, so if you already know all about one or more of these apps, you can feel free to skip that tutorial.

So many apps...

You may be wondering, "Why do I need so many apps to use Nostr?" That's perfectly valid, and the honest answer is, you don't. You can absolutely just install a Nostr client from the Play Store, have it generate your Nostr identity for you, and stick with the default relays already set up in that app. You don't even need to connect a wallet, if you don't want to. However, you won't experience all that Nostr has to offer if that is as far as you go, any more than you would experience all that Italian cuisine has to offer if you only ever try spaghetti.

Nostr is not just one app that does one thing, like Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok. It is an entire ecosystem of applications that are all built on top of a protocol that allows them to be interoperable. This set of tools will help you make the most out of that interoperability, which you will never get from any of the big-tech social platforms. It will provide a solid foundation for you to build upon as you explore more and more of what Nostr has to offer.

So what do these apps do?

Fundamental to everything you do on Nostr is the need to cryptographically sign with your private key. If you aren't sure what that means, just imagine that you had to enter your password every time you hit the "like" button on Facebook, or every time you commented on the latest dank meme. That would get old really fast, right? That's effectively what Nostr requires, but on steroids.

To keep this from being something you manually have to do every 5 seconds when you post a note, react to someone else's note, or add a comment, Nostr apps can store your private key and use it to sign behind the scenes for you. This is very convenient, but it means you are trusting that app to not do anything with your private key that you don't want it to. You are also trusting it to not leak your private key, because anyone who gets their hands on it will be able to post as you, see your private messages, and effectively be you on Nostr. The more apps you give your private key to, the greater your risk that it will eventually be compromised.

Enter #Amber, an application that will store your private key in only one app, and all other compatible Nostr apps can communicate with it to request a signature, without giving any of those other apps access to your private key.

Most Nostr apps for Android now support logging in and signing with Amber, and you can even use it to log into apps on other devices, such as some of the web apps you use on your PC. It's an incredible tool given to us by nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5, and only available for Android users. Those on iPhone are incredibly jealous that they don't have anything comparable, yet.

Speaking of nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5, the next app is also one of his making.

All Nostr data is stored on relays, which are very simple servers that Nostr apps read notes from and write notes to. In most forms of social media, it can be a pain to get your own data out to keep a backup. That's not the case on Nostr. Anyone can run their own relay, either for the sake of backing up their personal notes, or for others to post their notes to, as well.

Since Nostr notes take up very little space, you can actually run a relay on your phone. I have been on Nostr for almost 2 and a half years, and I have 25,000+ notes of various kinds on my relay, and a backup of that full database is just 24MB on my phone's storage.

Having that backup can save your bacon if you try out a new Nostr client and it doesn't find your existing follow list for some reason, so it writes a new one and you suddenly lose all of the people you were following. Just pop into your #Citrine relay, confirm it still has your correct follow list or import it from a recent backup, then have Citrine restore it. Done.

Additionally, there are things you may want to only save to a relay you control, such as draft messages that you aren't ready to post publicly, or eCash tokens, which can actually be saved to Nostr relays now. Citrine can also be used with Amber for signing into certain Nostr applications that use a relay to communicate with Amber.

If you are really adventurous, you can also expose Citrine over Tor to be used as an outbox relay, or used for peer-to-peer private messaging, but that is far more involved than the scope of this tutorial series.

You can't get far in Nostr without a solid and reliable client to interact with. #Amethyst is the client we will be using for this tutorial because there simply isn't another Android client that comes close, so far. Moreover, it can be a great client for new users to get started on, and yet it has a ton of features for power-users to take advantage of as well.

There are plenty of other good clients to check out over time, such as Coracle, YakiHonne, Voyage, Olas, Flotilla and others, but I keep coming back to Amethyst, and by the time you finish this tutorial, I think you'll see why. nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z and others who have contributed to Amethyst have really built something special in this client, and it just keeps improving with every update that's shipped.

Most social media apps have some form of push notifications, and some Nostr apps do, too. Where the issue comes in is that Nostr apps are all interoperable. If you have more than one application, you're going to have both of them notifying you. Nostr users are known for having five or more Nostr apps that they use regularly. If all of them had notifications turned on, it would be a nightmare. So maybe you limit it to only one of your Nostr apps having notifications turned on, but then you are pretty well locked-in to opening that particular app when you tap on the notification.

Pokey, by nostr:npub1v3tgrwwsv7c6xckyhm5dmluc05jxd4yeqhpxew87chn0kua0tjzqc6yvjh, solves this issue, allowing you to turn notifications off for all of your Nostr apps, and have Pokey handle them all for you. Then, when you tap on a Pokey notification, you can choose which Nostr app to open it in.

Pokey also gives you control over the types of things you want to be notified about. Maybe you don't care about reactions, and you just want to know about zaps, comments, and direct messages. Pokey has you covered. It even supports multiple accounts, so you can get notifications for all the npubs you control.

One of the most unique and incredibly fun aspects of Nostr is the ability to send and receive #zaps. Instead of merely giving someone a 👍️ when you like something they said, you can actually send them real value in the form of sats, small portions of a Bitcoin. There is nothing quite like the experience of receiving your first zap and realizing that someone valued what you said enough to send you a small amount (and sometimes not so small) of #Bitcoin, the best money mankind has ever known.

To be able to have that experience, though, you are going to need a wallet that can send and receive zaps, and preferably one that is easy to connect to Nostr applications. My current preference for that is Alby Hub, but not everyone wants to deal with all that comes along with running a #Lightning node. That being the case, I have opted to use nostr:npub1h2qfjpnxau9k7ja9qkf50043xfpfy8j5v60xsqryef64y44puwnq28w8ch for this tutorial, because they offer one of the easiest wallets to set up, and it connects to most Nostr apps by just copy/pasting a connection string from the settings in the wallet into the settings in your Nostr app of choice.

Additionally, even though #Coinos is a custodial wallet, you can have it automatically transfer any #sats over a specified threshold to a separate wallet, allowing you to mitigate the custodial risk without needing to keep an eye on your balance and make the transfer manually.

Most of us on Android are used to getting all of our mobile apps from one souce: the Google Play Store. That's not possible for this tutorial series. Only one of the apps mentioned above is available in Google's permissioned playground. However, on Android we have the advantage of being able to install whatever we want on our device, just by popping into our settings and flipping a toggle. Indeed, thumbing our noses at big-tech is at the heart of the Nostr ethos, so why would we make ourselves beholden to Google for installing Nostr apps?

The nostr:npub10r8xl2njyepcw2zwv3a6dyufj4e4ajx86hz6v4ehu4gnpupxxp7stjt2p8 is an alternative app store made by nostr:npub1wf4pufsucer5va8g9p0rj5dnhvfeh6d8w0g6eayaep5dhps6rsgs43dgh9 as a resource for all sorts of open-source apps, but especially Nostr apps. What is more, you can log in with Amber, connect a wallet like Coinos, and support the developers of your favorite Nostr apps directly within the #Zapstore by zapping their app releases.

One of the biggest features of the Zapstore is the fact that developers can cryptographically sign their app releases using their Nostr keys, so you know that the app you are downloading is the one they actually released and hasn't been altered in any way. The Zapstore will warn you and won't let you install the app if the signature is invalid.

Getting Started

Since the Zapstore will be the source we use for installing most of the other apps mentioned, we will start with installing the Zapstore.

We will then use the Zapstore to install Amber and set it up with our Nostr account, either by creating a new private key, or by importing one we already have. We'll also use it to log into the Zapstore.

Next, we will install Amethyst from the Zapstore and log into it via Amber.

After this, we will install Citrine from the Zapstore and add it as a local relay on Amethyst.

Because we want to be able to send and receive zaps, we will set up a wallet with CoinOS and connect it to Amethyst and the Zapstore using Nostr Wallet Connect.

Finally, we will install Pokey using the Zapstore, log into it using Amber, and set up the notifications we want to receive.

By the time you are done with this series, you will have a great head-start on your Nostr journey compared to muddling through it all on your own. Moreover, you will have developed a familiarity with how things generally work on Nostr that can be applied to other apps you try out in the future.

Continue to Part 2: The Zapstore. Nostr Link: nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzpde8f55w86vrhaeqmd955y4rraw8aunzxgxstsj7eyzgntyev2xtqydhwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnzwf5kw6r5vfhkcapwdejhgtcqp5cnwdphxv6rwwp3xvmnzvqgty5au

@ 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.

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

There must be a limit to how much data is transferred across the bitcoin network in order to keep the ability to run and use your own node accessible. A node is required to interact with the global bitcoin network - if you do not use your own node then you must trust someone else's node. If nodes become inaccessible to run then the network will centralize around the remaining entities that operate them - threatening the censorship resistance at the core of bitcoin's value prop. The bitcoin protocol uses three main mechanisms to keep node operation costs low - a fixed limit on the amount of data in each block, an automatic difficulty adjustment that regulates how many blocks are produced based on current mining hash rate, and a robust dynamic transaction fee market.

Bitcoin transaction fees limit network abuse by making usage expensive. There is a cost to every transaction, set by a dynamic free market based on demand for scarce block space. It is an incredibly robust way to prevent spam without relying on centralized entities that can be corrupted or pressured.

After the 2017 bitcoin fee spike we had six years of relative quiet to build tools that would be robust in a sustained high fee market. Fortunately our tools are significantly better now but many still need improvement. Most of the pain points we see today will be mitigated.

The reality is we were never going to be fully prepared - pressure is needed to show the pain points and provide strong incentives to mitigate them.

It will be incredibly interesting to watch how projects adapt under pressure. Optimistic we see great innovation here.

---

_If you are willing to wait for your transaction to confirm you can pay significantly lower fees. Learn best practices for reducing your fee burden here.

My guide for running and using your own bitcoin node can be found here._

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

I often hear "bitcoin doesn't interest me, I'm not a finance person."

Ironically, the beauty of sound money is you don't have to be. In the current system you're expected to manage a diversified investment portfolio or pay someone to do it. Bitcoin will make that optional.

— ODELL (@ODELL) September 16, 2018

At first glance bitcoin often appears overwhelming to newcomers. It is incredibly easy to get bogged down in the details of how it works or different ways to use it. Enthusiasts, such as myself, often enjoy going down the deep rabbit hole of the potential of bitcoin, possible pitfalls and theoretical scenarios, power user techniques, and the developer ecosystem. If your first touch point with bitcoin is that type of content then it is only natural to be overwhelmed. While it is important that we have a thriving community of bitcoiners dedicated to these complicated tasks - the true beauty of bitcoin lies in its simplicity. Bitcoin is simply better money. It is the best money we have ever had.

Life is complicated. Life is hard. Life is full of responsibility and surprises. Bitcoin allows us to focus on our lives while relying on a money that is simple. A money that is not controlled by any individual, company, or government. A money that cannot be easily seized or blocked. A money that cannot be devalued at will by a handful of corrupt bureaucrat who live hundreds of miles from us. A money that can be easily saved and should increase in purchasing power over time without having to learn how to "build a diversified stock portfolio" or hire someone to do it for us.

Bitcoin enables all of us to focus on our lives - our friends and family - doing what we love with the short time we have on this earth. Time is scarce. Life is complicated. Bitcoin is the most simple aspect of our complicated lives. If we spend our scarce time working then we should be able to easily save that accrued value for future generations without watching the news or understanding complicated financial markets. Bitcoin makes this possible for anyone.

Yesterday was Mother's Day. Raising a human is complicated. It is hard, it requires immense personal responsibility, it requires critical thinking, but mothers figure it out, because it is worth it. Using and saving bitcoin is simple -  simply install an app on your phone. Every mother can do it. Every person can do it.

Life is complicated. Life is beautiful. Bitcoin is simple.

---

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

@ 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.

@ 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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

@ 3c559080:a053153e

So firstly you should find an emulator for whatever you want to play on. There are many for desktop and mobile devices. Checkhere for a list of all the available consoles and their various emulators.

Next what game do you want to play? This is the like the homepage for a shit ton of roms.

Some of the more popular roms are there and other various list like Sony Nintendo

After narrowing down your selection you will end up on myrient i assume this is just some dope person hosting all these so if you get some use out of it, think of donating they even take corn, but other shitcoins too (but thats not the focus here)

Once you download the Rom of the game you want, you will get a compressed (zip) folder, unzip it and within it will be the rom, most systems will identify your emulator and use it open the game. If not, launch the emulator and within it should be an option to open a file, open the file in the unzipped folder.

Enjoy So you want to Mod?

So every Mod, is a mod for a specific game [ex. Pokemon Blue, Pokemon FireRed, Super Mario Bros.] so it requires you to get the Rom for that base game, the mod itself, and a tool to patch it. There is an online tool to easily patch the mod to the ROM. IMPORTANT, this will not change any naming, Id recommend having a folder with the base game roms, and a folder for the mods, and lastly a folder for the newly modded roms. Make sure to name or just save the game in modded roms folder after the patch.

Below are a few resource to find various Pokemon Rom mods(sometimes called hacks)

• r/PokemonROMhacks
• Good Compilations of Hacks and Resource/Guides

Personally, Pokemon Unbound is considered the best most polished hack. it runs on Pokemon Fire Red.

Pokemon Emerald Rouge is a cool take on the popular Rougelite genre. This runs on base game Pokemon Emerald

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

There must be a limit to how much data is transferred across the bitcoin network in order to keep the ability to run and use your own node accessible. A node is required to interact with the global bitcoin network - if you do not use your own node then you must trust someone else's node. If nodes become inaccessible to run then the network will centralize around the remaining entities that operate them - threatening the censorship resistance at the core of bitcoin's value prop. The bitcoin protocol uses three main mechanisms to keep node operation costs low - a fixed limit on the amount of data in each block, an automatic difficulty adjustment that regulates how many blocks are produced based on current mining hash rate, and a robust dynamic transaction fee market.

Bitcoin transaction fees limit network abuse by making usage expensive. There is a cost to every transaction, set by a dynamic free market based on demand for scarce block space. It is an incredibly robust way to prevent spam without relying on centralized entities that can be corrupted or pressured.

After the 2017 bitcoin fee spike we had six years of relative quiet to build tools that would be robust in a sustained high fee market. Fortunately our tools are significantly better now but many still need improvement. Most of the pain points we see today will be mitigated.

The reality is we were never going to be fully prepared - pressure is needed to show the pain points and provide strong incentives to mitigate them.

It will be incredibly interesting to watch how projects adapt under pressure. Optimistic we see great innovation here.

---

_If you are willing to wait for your transaction to confirm you can pay significantly lower fees. Learn best practices for reducing your fee burden here.

My guide for running and using your own bitcoin node can be found here._

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Influencers would have you believe there is an ongoing binance bank run but bitcoin wallet data says otherwise.

- binance wallets are near all time highs
- bitfinex wallets are also trending up
- gemini and coinbase are being hit with massive withdrawals though

You should not trust custodians, they can rug you without warning. It is incredibly important you learn how to hold bitcoin yourself, but also consider not blindly trusting influencers with a ref link to shill you.

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

I often hear "bitcoin doesn't interest me, I'm not a finance person."

Ironically, the beauty of sound money is you don't have to be. In the current system you're expected to manage a diversified investment portfolio or pay someone to do it. Bitcoin will make that optional.

— ODELL (@ODELL) September 16, 2018

At first glance bitcoin often appears overwhelming to newcomers. It is incredibly easy to get bogged down in the details of how it works or different ways to use it. Enthusiasts, such as myself, often enjoy going down the deep rabbit hole of the potential of bitcoin, possible pitfalls and theoretical scenarios, power user techniques, and the developer ecosystem. If your first touch point with bitcoin is that type of content then it is only natural to be overwhelmed. While it is important that we have a thriving community of bitcoiners dedicated to these complicated tasks - the true beauty of bitcoin lies in its simplicity. Bitcoin is simply better money. It is the best money we have ever had.

Life is complicated. Life is hard. Life is full of responsibility and surprises. Bitcoin allows us to focus on our lives while relying on a money that is simple. A money that is not controlled by any individual, company, or government. A money that cannot be easily seized or blocked. A money that cannot be devalued at will by a handful of corrupt bureaucrat who live hundreds of miles from us. A money that can be easily saved and should increase in purchasing power over time without having to learn how to "build a diversified stock portfolio" or hire someone to do it for us.

Bitcoin enables all of us to focus on our lives - our friends and family - doing what we love with the short time we have on this earth. Time is scarce. Life is complicated. Bitcoin is the most simple aspect of our complicated lives. If we spend our scarce time working then we should be able to easily save that accrued value for future generations without watching the news or understanding complicated financial markets. Bitcoin makes this possible for anyone.

Yesterday was Mother's Day. Raising a human is complicated. It is hard, it requires immense personal responsibility, it requires critical thinking, but mothers figure it out, because it is worth it. Using and saving bitcoin is simple -  simply install an app on your phone. Every mother can do it. Every person can do it.

Life is complicated. Life is beautiful. Bitcoin is simple.

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

For years American bitcoin miners have argued for more efficient and free energy markets. It benefits everyone if our energy infrastructure is as efficient and robust as possible. Unfortunately, broken incentives have led to increased regulation throughout the sector, incentivizing less efficient energy sources such as solar and wind at the detriment of more efficient alternatives.

The result has been less reliable energy infrastructure for all Americans and increased energy costs across the board. This naturally has a direct impact on bitcoin miners: increased energy costs make them less competitive globally.

Bitcoin mining represents a global energy market that does not require permission to participate. Anyone can plug a mining computer into power and internet to get paid the current dynamic market price for their work in bitcoin. Using cellphone or satellite internet, these mines can be located anywhere in the world, sourcing the cheapest power available.

Absent of regulation, bitcoin mining naturally incentivizes the build out of highly efficient and robust energy infrastructure. Unfortunately that world does not exist and burdensome regulations remain the biggest threat for US based mining businesses. Jurisdictional arbitrage gives miners the option of moving to a friendlier country but that naturally comes with its own costs.

Enter AI. With the rapid development and release of AI tools comes the requirement of running massive datacenters for their models. Major tech companies are scrambling to secure machines, rack space, and cheap energy to run full suites of AI enabled tools and services. The most valuable and powerful tech companies in America have stumbled into an accidental alliance with bitcoin miners: THE NEED FOR CHEAP AND RELIABLE ENERGY.

Our government is corrupt. Money talks. These companies will push for energy freedom and it will greatly benefit us all.

---

Microsoft Cloud hiring to "implement global small modular reactor and microreactor" strategy to power data centers: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/microsoft-cloud-hiring-to-implement-global-small-modular-reactor-and-microreactor-strategy-to-power-data-centers/

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Humanity's Natural State Is Chaos
Without order there is chaos. Humans competing with each other for scarce resources naturally leads to conflict until one group achieves significant power and instates a "monopoly on violence."

Power Brings Stability
Power has always been the key means to achieve stability in societies. Centralized power can be incredibly effective in addressing issues such as crime, poverty, and social unrest efficiently. Unfortunately this power is often abused and corrupted.

Centralized Power Breeds Tyranny
Centralized power often leads to tyrannical rule. When a select few individuals hold control over a society, they tend to become corrupted. Centralized power structures often lack accountability and transparency, and rely too heavily on trust.

Distributed Power Cultivates Freedom
New technology that empowers individuals provide us the ability to rebuild societies from the bottom up. Strong individuals that can defend and provide for themselves will help build strong local communities on a similar foundation. The result is power being distributed throughout society rather than held by a select few.

In the short term, relying on trust and centralized power is an easy answer to mitigating chaos, but freedom tech tools provide us the ability to build on top of much stronger distributed foundations that provide stability while also cultivating individual freedom.

The solution starts with us. Empower yourself. Empower others. A grassroots freedom tech movement scaling one person at a time.

---

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

@ 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.

@ 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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Influencers would have you believe there is an ongoing binance bank run but bitcoin wallet data says otherwise.

- binance wallets are near all time highs
- bitfinex wallets are also trending up
- gemini and coinbase are being hit with massive withdrawals though

You should not trust custodians, they can rug you without warning. It is incredibly important you learn how to hold bitcoin yourself, but also consider not blindly trusting influencers with a ref link to shill you.

---

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

@ 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.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

For years American bitcoin miners have argued for more efficient and free energy markets. It benefits everyone if our energy infrastructure is as efficient and robust as possible. Unfortunately, broken incentives have led to increased regulation throughout the sector, incentivizing less efficient energy sources such as solar and wind at the detriment of more efficient alternatives.

The result has been less reliable energy infrastructure for all Americans and increased energy costs across the board. This naturally has a direct impact on bitcoin miners: increased energy costs make them less competitive globally.

Bitcoin mining represents a global energy market that does not require permission to participate. Anyone can plug a mining computer into power and internet to get paid the current dynamic market price for their work in bitcoin. Using cellphone or satellite internet, these mines can be located anywhere in the world, sourcing the cheapest power available.

Absent of regulation, bitcoin mining naturally incentivizes the build out of highly efficient and robust energy infrastructure. Unfortunately that world does not exist and burdensome regulations remain the biggest threat for US based mining businesses. Jurisdictional arbitrage gives miners the option of moving to a friendlier country but that naturally comes with its own costs.

Enter AI. With the rapid development and release of AI tools comes the requirement of running massive datacenters for their models. Major tech companies are scrambling to secure machines, rack space, and cheap energy to run full suites of AI enabled tools and services. The most valuable and powerful tech companies in America have stumbled into an accidental alliance with bitcoin miners: THE NEED FOR CHEAP AND RELIABLE ENERGY.

Our government is corrupt. Money talks. These companies will push for energy freedom and it will greatly benefit us all.

---

Microsoft Cloud hiring to "implement global small modular reactor and microreactor" strategy to power data centers: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/microsoft-cloud-hiring-to-implement-global-small-modular-reactor-and-microreactor-strategy-to-power-data-centers/

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

The former seems to have found solid product market fit. Expect significant volume, adoption, and usage going forward.

The latter's future remains to be seen. Dependence on Tor, which has had massive reliability issues, and lack of strong privacy guarantees put it at risk.

— ODELL (@ODELL) October 27, 2022

The Basics

• Lightning is a protocol that enables cheap and fast native bitcoin transactions.
• At the core of the protocol is the ability for bitcoin users to create a payment channel with another user.
• These payment channels enable users to make many bitcoin transactions between each other with only two on-chain bitcoin transactions: the channel open transaction and the channel close transaction.
• Essentially lightning is a protocol for interoperable batched bitcoin transactions.
• It is expected that on chain bitcoin transaction fees will increase with adoption and the ability to easily batch transactions will save users significant money.
• As these lightning transactions are processed, liquidity flows from one side of a channel to the other side, on chain transactions are signed by both parties but not broadcasted to update this balance.
• Lightning is designed to be trust minimized, either party in a payment channel can close the channel at any time and their bitcoin will be settled on chain without trusting the other party.

There is no 'Lightning Network'

• Many people refer to the aggregate of all lightning channels as 'The Lightning Network' but this is a false premise.
• There are many lightning channels between many different users and funds can flow across interconnected channels as long as there is a route through peers.
• If a lightning transaction requires multiple hops it will flow through multiple interconnected channels, adjusting the balance of all channels along the route, and paying lightning transaction fees that are set by each node on the route.

Example: You have a channel with Bob. Bob has a channel with Charlie. You can pay Charlie through your channel with Bob and Bob's channel with User C.

• As a result, it is not guaranteed that every lightning user can pay every other lightning user, they must have a route of interconnected channels between sender and receiver.

Lightning in Practice

• Lightning has already found product market fit and usage as an interconnected payment protocol between large professional custodians.
• They are able to easily manage channels and liquidity between each other without trust using this interoperable protocol.
• Lightning payments between large custodians are fast and easy. End users do not have to run their own node or manage their channels and liquidity. These payments rarely fail due to professional management of custodial nodes.
• The tradeoff is one inherent to custodians and other trusted third parties. Custodial wallets can steal funds and compromise user privacy.

Sovereign Lightning

• Trusted third parties are security holes.
• Users must run their own node and manage their own channels in order to use lightning without trusting a third party. This remains the single largest friction point for sovereign lightning usage: the mental burden of actively running a lightning node and associated liquidity management.
• Bitcoin development prioritizes node accessibility so cost to self host your own node is low but if a node is run at home or office, Tor or a VPN is recommended to mask your IP address: otherwise it is visible to the entire network and represents a privacy risk.
• This privacy risk is heightened due to the potential for certain governments to go after sovereign lightning users and compel them to shutdown their nodes. If their IP Address is exposed they are easier to target.
• Fortunately the tools to run and manage nodes continue to get easier but it is important to understand that this will always be a friction point when compared to custodial services.

The Potential Fracture of Lightning

• Any lightning user can choose which users are allowed to open channels with them.
• One potential is that professional custodians only peer with other professional custodians.
• We already see nodes like those run by CashApp only have channels open with other regulated counterparties. This could be due to performance goals, liability reduction, or regulatory pressure.

• Fortunately some of their peers are connected to non-regulated parties so payments to and from sovereign lightning users are still successfully processed by CashApp but this may not always be the case going forward.

Summary

• Many people refer to the aggregate of all lightning channels as 'The Lightning Network' but this is a false premise. There is no singular 'Lightning Network' but rather many payment channels between distinct peers, some connected with each other and some not.
• Lightning as an interoperable payment protocol between professional custodians seems to have found solid product market fit. Expect significant volume, adoption, and usage going forward.
• Lightning as a robust sovereign payment protocol has yet to be battle tested. Heavy reliance on Tor, which has had massive reliability issues, the friction of active liquidity management, significant on chain fee burden for small amounts, interactivity constraints on mobile, and lack of strong privacy guarantees put it at risk.

---

If you have never used lightning before, use this guide to get started on your phone.

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

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

— ODELL (@ODELL) December 14, 2022

The four main banks of bitcoin and “crypto” are Signature, Prime Trust, Silvergate, and Silicon Valley Bank. Prime Trust does not custody funds themselves but rather maintains deposit accounts at BMO Harris Bank, Cross River, Lexicon Bank, MVB Bank, and Signature Bank. Silvergate and Silicon Valley Bank have already stopped withdrawals. More banks will go down before the chaos stops. None of them have sufficient reserves to meet withdrawals.

Bitcoin gives us all the ability to opt out of a system that has massive layers of counterparty risk built in, years of cheap money and broken incentives have layered risk on top of risk throughout the entire global economy. If you thought the FTX bank run was painful to watch, I have bad news for you: every major bank in the world is fractional reserve. Bitcoin held in self custody is unique in its lack of counterparty risk, as global market chaos unwinds this will become much more obvious.

The rules of bitcoin are extremely hard to change by design. Anyone can access the network directly without a trusted third party by using their own node. Owning more bitcoin does not give you more control over the network with all participants on equal footing.

Bitcoin is:
- money that is not controlled by a company or government
- money that can be spent or saved without permission
- money that is provably scarce and should increase in purchasing power with adoption

Bitcoin is money without trust. Whether you are a nation state, corporation, or an individual, you can use bitcoin to spend or save without permission. Social media will accelerate the already deteriorating trust in our institutions and as this trust continues to crumble the value of trust minimized money will become obvious. As adoption increases so should the purchasing power of bitcoin.

A quick note on "stablecoins," such as USDC - it is important to remember that they rely on trusted custodians. They have the same risk as funds held directly in bank accounts with additional counterparty risk on top. The trusted custodians can be pressured by gov, exit scam, or caught up in fraud. Funds can and will be frozen at will. This is a distinctly different trust model than bitcoin, which is a native bearer token that does not rely on any centralized entity or custodian.

Most bitcoin exchanges have exposure to these failing banks. Expect more chaos and confusion as this all unwinds. Withdraw any bitcoin to your own wallet ASAP.

Simple Self Custody Guide: https://werunbtc.com/muun
More Secure Cold Storage Guide: https://werunbtc.com/coldcard

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Humanity's Natural State Is Chaos
Without order there is chaos. Humans competing with each other for scarce resources naturally leads to conflict until one group achieves significant power and instates a "monopoly on violence."

Power Brings Stability
Power has always been the key means to achieve stability in societies. Centralized power can be incredibly effective in addressing issues such as crime, poverty, and social unrest efficiently. Unfortunately this power is often abused and corrupted.

Centralized Power Breeds Tyranny
Centralized power often leads to tyrannical rule. When a select few individuals hold control over a society, they tend to become corrupted. Centralized power structures often lack accountability and transparency, and rely too heavily on trust.

Distributed Power Cultivates Freedom
New technology that empowers individuals provide us the ability to rebuild societies from the bottom up. Strong individuals that can defend and provide for themselves will help build strong local communities on a similar foundation. The result is power being distributed throughout society rather than held by a select few.

In the short term, relying on trust and centralized power is an easy answer to mitigating chaos, but freedom tech tools provide us the ability to build on top of much stronger distributed foundations that provide stability while also cultivating individual freedom.

The solution starts with us. Empower yourself. Empower others. A grassroots freedom tech movement scaling one person at a time.

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

The newly proposed RESTRICT ACT - is being advertised as a TikTok Ban, but is much broader than that, carries a $1M Fine and up to 20 years in prison️! It is unconstitutional and would create massive legal restrictions on the open source movement and free speech throughout the internet.

The Bill was proposed by: Senator Warner, Senator Thune, Senator Baldwin, Senator Fischer, Senator Manchin, Senator Moran, Senator Bennet, Senator Sullivan, Senator Gillibrand, Senator Collins, Senator Heinrich, and Senator Romney. It has broad support across Senators of both parties.

Corrupt politicians will not protect us. They are part of the problem. We must build, support, and learn how to use censorship resistant tools in order to defend our natural rights.

The RESTRICT Act, introduced by Senators Warner and Thune, aims to block or disrupt transactions and financial holdings involving foreign adversaries that pose risks to national security. Although the primary targets of this legislation are companies like Tik-Tok, the language of the bill could potentially be used to block or disrupt cryptocurrency transactions and, in extreme cases, block Americans’ access to open source tools or protocols like Bitcoin.

The Act creates a redundant regime paralleling OFAC without clear justification, it significantly limits the ability for injured parties to challenge actions raising due process concerns, and unlike OFAC it lacks any carve-out for protected speech. COINCENTER ON THE RESTRICT ACT

Full Text of Bill

---

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

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

@matt_odell don't you even dare not ask about nostr!

— Kukks (Andrew Camilleri) (@MrKukks) May 18, 2021

Nostr first hit my radar spring 2021: created by fellow bitcoiner and friend, fiatjaf, and released to the world as free open source software. I was fortunate to be able to host a conversation with him on Citadel Dispatch in those early days, capturing that moment in history forever. Since then, the protocol has seen explosive viral organic growth as individuals around the world have contributed their time and energy to build out the protocol and the surrounding ecosystem due to the clear need for better communication tools.

nostr is to twitter as bitcoin is to paypal

As an intro to nostr, let us start with a metaphor:

twitter is paypal - a centralized platform plagued by censorship but has the benefit of established network effects

nostr is bitcoin - an open protocol that is censorship resistant and robust but requires an organic adoption phase

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.
 - Anyone can run a relay.
 - Anyone can interact with the protocol.
 - Relays can choose which messages they want to relay.
 - Users are identified by a simple public private key pair that they can generate themselves.

Nostr is often compared to twitter since there are nostr clients that emulate twitter functionality and user interface but that is merely one application of the protocol. Nostr is so much more than a mere twitter competitor. Nostr clients and relays can transmit a wide variety of data and clients can choose how to display that information to users. The result is a revolution in communication with implications that are difficult for any of us to truly comprehend.

Similar to bitcoin, nostr is an open and permissionless protocol. No person, company, or government controls it. Anyone can iterate and build on top of nostr without permission. Together, bitcoin and nostr are incredibly complementary freedom tech tools: censorship resistant, permissionless, robust, and interoperable - money and speech protected by code and incentives, not laws.

As censorship throughout the world continues to escalate, freedom tech provides hope for individuals around the world who refuse to accept the status quo. This movement will succeed on the shoulders of those who choose to stand up and contribute. We will build our own path. A brighter path.

---

My Nostr Public Key: npub1qny3tkh0acurzla8x3zy4nhrjz5zd8l9sy9jys09umwng00manysew95gx

---

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

@ 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.

• 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

@ 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.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

News

• Bitcoin mining centralization in 2025. According to a blog post by b10c, Bitcoin mining was at its most decentralized in May 2017, with another favorable period from 2019 to 2022. However, starting in 2023, mining has become increasingly centralized, particularly due to the influence of large pools like Foundry and the use of proxy pooling by entities such as AntPool.

Source: b10c's blog.

• OpenSats announces the eleventh wave of Nostr grants. The five projects in this wave are the mobile live-streaming app Swae, the Nostr-over-ham-radio project HAMSTR, Vertex—a Web-of-Trust (WOT) service for Nostr developers, Nostr Double Ratchet for end-to-end encrypted messaging, and the Nostr Game Engine for building games and applications integrated with the Nostr ecosystem.
• New Spiral grantee: l0rinc. In February 2024, l0rinc transitioned to full-time work on Bitcoin Core. His efforts focus on performance benchmarking and optimizations, enhancing code quality, conducting code reviews, reducing block download times, optimizing memory usage, and refactoring code.
• Project Eleven offers 1 BTC to break Bitcoin's cryptography with a quantum computer. The quantum computing research organization has introduced the Q-Day Prize, a global challenge that offers 1 BTC to the first team capable of breaking an elliptic curve cryptographic (ECC) key using Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer. The prize will be awarded to the first team to successfully accomplish this breakthrough by April 5, 2026.
• Unchained has launched the Bitcoin Legacy Project. The initiative seeks to advance the Bitcoin ecosystem through a bitcoin-native donor-advised fund platform (DAF), investments in community hubs, support for education and open-source development, and a commitment to long-term sustainability with transparent annual reporting.
  • In its first year, the program will provide support to Bitcoin hubs in Nashville, Austin, and Denver.
  • Support also includes $50,000 to the Bitcoin Policy Institute, a $150,000 commitment at the University of Austin, and up to $250,000 in research grants through the Bitcoin Scholars program.

"Unchained will match grants 1:1 made to partner organizations who support Bitcoin Core development when made through the Unchained-powered bitcoin DAF, up to 1 BTC," was stated in a blog post.

• Block launched open-source tools for Bitcoin treasury management. These include a dashboard for managing corporate bitcoin holdings and provides a real-time BTC-to-USD price quote API, released as part of the Block Open Source initiative. The company’s own instance of the bitcoin holdings dashboard is available here.

Source: block.xyz

• Bull Bitcoin expands to Mexico, enabling anyone in the country to receive pesos from anywhere in the world straight from a Bitcoin wallet. Additionally, users can now buy Bitcoin with a Mexican bank account.

"Bull Bitcoin strongly believes in Bitcoin’s economic potential in Mexico, not only for international remittances and tourism, but also for Mexican individuals and companies to reclaim their financial sovereignty and protect their wealth from inflation and the fragility of traditional financial markets," said Francis Pouliot, Founder and CEO of Bull Bitcoin.

• Corporate bitcoin holdings hit a record high in Q1 2025. According to Bitwise, public companies' adoption of Bitcoin has hit an all-time high. In Q1 2025, these firms collectively hold over 688,000 BTC, marking a 16.11% increase from the previous quarter. This amount represents 3.28% of Bitcoin's fixed 21 million supply.

Source: Bitwise.

• The Bitcoin Bond Company for institutions has launched with the aim of acquiring $1 trillion in Bitcoin over 21 years. It utilizes secure, transparent, and compliant bond-like products backed by Bitcoin.
• The U.S. Senate confirmed Paul Atkins as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). At his confirmation hearing, Atkins emphasized the need for a clear framework for digital assets. He aims to collaborate with the CFTC and Congress to address jurisdiction and rulemaking gaps, aligning with the Trump administration's goal to position the U.S. as a leader in Bitcoin and blockchain finance.
• Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith has been released from custody. Griffith, whose sentence was reduced to 56 months, is now seeking a pardon. He was initially sentenced to 63 months for allegedly violating international sanctions laws by providing technical advice on using cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology to evade sanctions during a presentation titled 'Blockchains for Peace' in North Korea.
• No-KYC exchange eXch to close down under money laundering scrutiny. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency trading platform said it will cease operations on May 1. This decision follows allegations that the platform was used by North Korea's Lazarus Group for money laundering. eXch revealed it is the subject of an active "transatlantic operation" aimed at shutting down the platform and prosecuting its team for "money laundering and terrorism."
• Blockstream combats ESP32 FUD concerning Jade signers. The company stated that after reviewing the vulnerability disclosed in early March, Jade was found to be secure. Espressif Systems, the designer of the ESP32, has since clarified that the "undocumented commands" do not constitute a "backdoor."

• Bank of America is lobbying for regulations that favor banks over tech firms in stablecoin issuance. The bank's CEO Brian Moynihan is working with groups such as the American Bankers Association to advance the issuance of a fully reserved, 1:1 backed "Bank of America coin." If successful, this could limit stablecoin efforts by non-banks like Tether, Circle, and others, reports The Block.
• Tether to back OCEAN Pool with its hashrate. "As a company committed to financial freedom and open access, we see supporting decentralization in Bitcoin mining as essential to the network’s long-term integrity," said Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.
• Bitdeer to expand its self-mining operations to navigate tariffs. The Singapore-based mining company is advancing plans to produce machines in the U.S. while reducing its mining hardware sales. This response is in light of increasing uncertainties related to U.S. trade policy, as reported by Bloomberg.
• Tether acquires $32M in Bitdeer shares. The firm has boosted its investment in Bitdeer during a wider market sell-off, with purchases in early to mid-April amounting to about $32 million, regulatory filings reveal.
• US Bitcoin miner manufacturer Auradine has raised $153 million in a Series C funding round as it expands into AI infrastructure. The round was led by StepStone Group and included participation from Maverick Silicon, Premji Invest, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Qualcomm Ventures, Mayfield, MARA Holdings, GSBackers, and other existing investors. The firm raised to over $300 million since its inception in 2022.
• Voltage has partnered with BitGo to [enable](https://www.voltage.cloud/blog/bitgo-and-voltage-team-up-to-deliver-instant-bitcoin-and-stabl

@ 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.

---

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

@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be

ສຳລັບໃຜທີ່ຍັງບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ Bitcoin ຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ, ຫມາຍຄວາມວ່າເຈົ້າຍັງບໍ່ທັນເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າເງິນແມ່ນຫຍັງ, ໃຜເປັນຜູ້ສ້າງມັນ, ແລະເປັນຫຍັງມະນຸດຈຶ່ງຕ້ອງການເງິນ. ມັນເປັນເລື່ອງ scam ທີ່ລະບົບການສຶກສາບໍ່ໄດ້ສອນເລື່ອງສຳຄັນນີ້, ໃນຂະນະທີ່ພວກເຮົາໃຊ້ເວລາເກືອບທັງຊີວິດເພື່ອຫາເງິນ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ, ຂໍແນະນຳໃຫ້ follow the money ແລະ ສຶກສາ Bitcoin ຢ່າງຈິງຈັງ.

Why Bitcoin Matters

Saving is the greatest discovery in human history

ກ່ອນທີ່ມະນຸດຈະຮຽນຮູ້ການເກັບອອມ, ພວກເຮົາເປັນພຽງແຕ່ສັດທີ່ມີຊີວິດຢູ່ແບບວັນຕໍ່ວັນ. ການປະຢັດແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ມະນຸດແຕກຕ່າງຈາກສັດອື່ນ — ຄວາມສາມາດໃນການຄິດກ່ຽວກັບອະນາຄົດ ແລະ ເກັບໄວ້ສຳລັບມື້ຫຼັງ.

Saving created civilization itself

ບໍ່ມີການເກັບອອມ, ບໍ່ມີການສ້າງເມືອງ, ບໍ່ມີວິທະຍາສາດ, ບໍ່ມີສິລະປະ. ທຸກສິ່ງທີ່ເຮົາເອີ້ນວ່າ "ຄວາມກ້າວໜ້າ" ແມ່ນມາຈາກຄວາມສາມາດໃນການຮູ້ຈັກເກັບອອມ.

Money is the greatest creation in human history

ມັນເປັນເຄື່ອງມືທີ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ອາລະຍະທຳມະນຸດກ້າວໜ້າມາເຖິງທຸກມື້ນີ້ ເງິນ ເປັນເຄື່ອງມືທີ່ດີທີ່ສຸດທີ່ມະນຸດໃຊ້ໃນການເກັບອອມ.

Bitcoin is the best money ever created

ມັນແມ່ນເງິນທີ່ສົມບູນແບບທີ່ສຸດທີ່ມະນຸດເຄີຍສ້າງຂຶ້ນມາ. ບໍ່ມີໃຜສາມາດ ຄວບຄຸມ, ຈັດການ, ທຳລາຍ ແລະ ມີຈຳກັດຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ ຄືກັບເວລາໃນຊີວິດ.

Bitcoin ຄືກັບ black hole

ທີ່ຈະດູດເອົາມູນຄ່າທັງໝົດຈາກລະບົບການເງິນທີ່ເສຍຫາຍມັນຈະດູດເອົາຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງແລະມູນຄ່າມາສູ່ຕົວມັນເອງ. ທຸກສິ່ງທີ່ມີມູນຄ່າຈະໄຫຼເຂົ້າສູ່ Bitcoin ໃນທີ່ສຸດ.

Bitcoin ຄືກັບສາດສະໜາພຸດທີ່ຄົ້ນພົບຄວາມຈິງ

ມັນເຮັດໃຫ້ເຂົ້າໃຈຕົ້ນຕໍບັນຫາຂອງລະບົບການເງິນປະຈຸບັນ ແລະ ເກີດເປັນບັນຫາຫລາຍໆຢ່າງໃນສັງຄົມ ດັ່ງກັບພະພຸດທະເຈົ້າທີ່ເຂົ້າໃຈທຸກ ແລະ ເຫດຂອງການເກີດທຸກ.

Bitcoin ຄືອິດສະຫຼະພາບ

ເງິນຄືອຳນາດ, ເງິນຄືສິ່ງຄວບຄຸມພຶດຕິກຳຂອງມະນຸດ ເມື່ອເຮົາມີເງິນທີ່ຮັກສາມູນຄ່າໄດ້ ແລະ ຄວບຄຸມບໍ່ໄດ້ ຈຶ່ງຈະມີຄວາມອິດສະຫຼະທາງຄວາມຄິດ, ການສະແດງອອກ, ແລະ ອຳນາດໃນການເລືອກ.

ຫນີ້ສິນທີ່ມະນຸດສ້າງຂຶ້ນໃນປະຈຸບັນນີ້ ໃຊ້ເວລາອີກພັນປີກໍ່ໄຊ້ຫນີ້ບໍ່ໝົດ

ມັນບໍ່ມີທາງອອກ ແລະ ກຳລັງມຸ່ງໜ້າສູ່ການລົ່ມສະລາຍຢ່າງຮ້າຍແຮງ. Bitcoin ຄືແສງສະຫວ່າງທີ່ຈະຊ່ວຍປ້ອງກັນບໍ່ໃຫ້ມະນຸດເຂົ້າສູ່ຍຸກມືດມົວອີກຄັ້ງ.

Bitcoin cannot steal your time

ມັນບໍ່ສາມາດຖືກສ້າງຂຶ້ນຈາກຄວາມຫວ່າງເປົ່າ. ທຸກ Bitcoin ຕ້ອງໃຊ້ພະລັງງານແລະເວລາທີ່ແທ້ຈິງໃນການສ້າງ.

Bitcoin ຄືປະກັນໄພທີ່ປ້ອງກັນການບໍລິຫານທີ່ຜິດພາດ

ມັນຊ່ວຍປ້ອງກັນຄວາມເສື່ອມໂຊມຂອງເງິນຕາ, ເສດຖະກິດທີ່ຕົກຕ່ຳ ແລະ ນະໂຍບາຍທີ່ຜິດພາດ, Bitcoin ຈະປົກປ້ອງຄຸນຄ່າຂອງເຈົ້າ.

Bitcoin is going to absorb the world's value

ໃນທີ່ສຸດ, Bitcoin ຈະກາຍເປັນທີ່ເກັບຮັກສາມູນຄ່າຂອງໂລກທັງໝົດ. ມັນຈະດູດເອົາຄວາມມັ່ງຄັ່ງຈາກທຸກຊັບສິນ, ທຸກລາຄາ, ແລະທຸກການລົງທຶນ.

Exit The Matrix

ພວກເຮົາອາໄສຢູ່ໃນ Matrix ທາງດ້ານການເງິນ. ທຸກໆມື້ພວກເຮົາຕື່ນຂຶ້ນມາແລະໄປເຮັດວຽກ, ຄິດວ່າເຮົາກຳລັງສ້າງອະນາຄົດໃຫ້ຕົວເອງ. ແຕ່ຄວາມຈິງແລ້ວ, ພວກເຮົາພຽງແຕ່ກຳລັງໃຫ້ພະລັງງານແກ່ລະບົບທີ່ຂູດເອົາຄຸນຄ່າຈາກພວກເຮົາທຸກວິນາທີ. Bitcoin is the red pill — ມັນຈະເປີດຕາໃຫ້ເຈົ້າເຫັນຄວາມຈິງຂອງໂລກການເງິນ. Central banks are the architects of this Matrix — ພວກເຂົາສ້າງເງິນຈາກຄວາມຫວ່າງເປົ່າ, ແລະພວກເຮົາຕ້ອງເຮັດວຽກໜັກເພື່ອໄດ້ມັນມາ.

ລະບົບການສຶກສາໄດ້ຫຼອກລວງເຮົາຢ່າງໃຫຍ່ຫຼວງ. ພວກເຂົາສອນໃຫ້ເຮົາເຮັດວຽກເພື່ອຫາເງິນ, ແຕ່ບໍ່ເຄີຍສອນວ່າເງິນແມ່ນຫຍັງ. ເຮົາໃຊ້ເວລາ 12-16 ປີໃນໂຮງຮຽນ, ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນໃຊ້ເວລາທັງຊີວິດເພື່ອຫາເງິນ, ແຕ່ບໍ່ເຄີຍຮູ້ຈັກວ່າມັນແມ່ນຫຍັງ, ໃຜສ້າງ, ແລະເປັນຫຍັງມັນມີຄຸນຄ່າ.This is the biggest scam in human history ພວກເຮົາຖືກສອນໃຫ້ເປັນທາດຂອງລະບົບ, ແຕ່ບໍ່ໄດ້ຮັບການສອນໃຫ້ເຂົ້າໃຈລະບົບ.

The Bitcoin standard will end war

ເມື່ອບໍ່ສາມາດພິມເງິນເພື່ອສົງຄາມແລ້ວ, ສົງຄາມຈະກາຍເປັນສິ່ງທີ່ແພງເກີນໄປ.

ພວກເຮົາກຳລັງເຂົ້າສູ່ຍຸກ Bitcoin Renaissance

ຍຸກແຫ່ງການຟື້ນຟູທາງດ້ານການເງິນແລະປັນຍາ. Bitcoin is creating a new class of humans ຄົນທີ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ ແລະ ຖື Bitcoin ຈະກາຍເປັນຊົນຊັ້ນໃໝ່ທີ່ມີອິດສະຫຼະພາບຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ.

The Path to Financial Truth

Follow the money trail ແລະເຈົ້າຈະເຫັນຄວາມຈິງ:

• ໃຜຄວບຄຸມການພິມເງິນ?
• ເປັນຫຍັງລາຄາສິນຄ້າຂຶ້ນສູງຂຶ້ນເລື້ອຍໆ?
• ເປັນຫຍັງຄົນທຸກທຸກກວ່າເກົ່າ ແລະຄົນຮັ່ງມີຮັ່ງມີກວ່າເກົ່າ?

ຄຳຕອບທັງໝົດແມ່ນຢູ່ໃນການທຳຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈເລື່ອງເງິນ ແລະ Bitcoin.

ການສຶກສາ Bitcoin ບໍ່ແມ່ນພຽງແຕ່ການລົງທຶນ — ມັນແມ່ນການເຂົ້າໃຈອະນາຄົດຂອງເງິນຕາ ແລະ ສັງຄົມມະນຸດ.

Don't just work for money. Understand money. Study Bitcoin.

ຖ້າເຈົ້າບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈເງິນ, ເຈົ້າຈະເປັນທາດຂອງລະບົບຕະຫຼອດໄປ. ຖ້າເຈົ້າເຂົ້າໃຈ Bitcoin, ເຈົ້າຈະໄດ້ຮັບອິດສະຫຼະພາບ.

@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be

ກຸນແຈສຳຄັນແມ່ນການເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າແສງແດດບໍ່ແມ່ນສິ່ງດຽວ—ມັນແມ່ນຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ທີ່ສັບສົນທີ່ເຮັດວຽກຮ່ວມກັນຄືດັ່ງດົນຕີສຳລັບສຸຂະພາບຂອງມະນຸດ.

ວົງດົນຕີສຸຂະພາບຂອງດວງອາທິດ

ແສງຕອນເຊົ້າ (ແສງແດງ/ແສງອິນຟາເຣດໃກ້): ແສງແດງອ່ອນໂຍນຂອງຕອນແລງແລະຄຳ່ທີ່ປະກອບສ້າງ 90% ຂອງການປ່ອຍແສງຂອງດວງອາທິດ. ຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ນີ້ເຮັດໜ້າທີ່ຄືການປັບແຕ່ງເຊວລ໌, ເພີ່ມການຜະລິດພະລັງງານມີໂຕຄອນເດຍແລະກະກຽມຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານສຳລັບມື້ທີ່ຈະມາເຖິງ. ຄິດໃສ່ວ່າມັນແມ່ນການກະກຽມເຄື່ອງຈັກເຊວລ໌ຂອງທ່ານ.

ແສງຕອນກາງວັນ (ແສງ UV/ແສງສີຟ້າ): ແສງອາທິດທີ່ເຂັ້ມຂົ້ນຕອນກາງວັນສົ່ງມອບແສງອຸນຕາລະວິໂອເລດທີ່ຜະລິດວິຕາມິນ D—ຮໍໂມນທີ່ສຳຄັນຫຼາຍທີ່ເກືອບທຸກເຊວລ໌ໃນຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານມີຕົວຮັບສຳລັບມັນ. ເຖິງແມ່ນວ່າມັນຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າ "ວິຕາມິນ," ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານຜະລິດວິຕາມິນ D ສ່ວນໃຫຍ່ຜ່ານການສຳຜັດຜິວໜັງກັບແສງ UVB. ນີ້ບໍ່ແມ່ນພຽງແຕ່ເລື່ອງສຸຂະພາບກະດູກ—ການຂາດວິຕາມິນ D ໄດ້ຖືກເຊື່ອມໂຍງກັບມະເຮັງ, ໂຣກພູມຄຸ້ມກັນຕົນເອງ, ໂຣກຫົວໃຈແລະເສັ້ນເລືອດ, ແລະການເພີ່ມຂຶ້ນຂອງການເສຍຊີວິດຈາກທຸກສາເຫດ. ວິຕາມິນ D ທີ່ຜະລິດຕາມທຳມະຊາດຈາກແສງແດດແກ່ຍາວ 2-3 ເທົ່າໃນຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານເມື່ອທຽບກັບຢາເສີມ, ສະແດງໃຫ້ເຫັນວ່າເປັນຫຍັງການສຳຜັດແສງແດດຕາມທຳມະຊາດຈຶ່ງດີກວ່າຢາເສີມ.

ແສງ UV ຍັງກະຕຸ້ນການຜະລິດເມລານິນ, ທີ່ເຮັດໜ້າທີ່ເປັນແບັດເຕີຣີທຳມະຊາດ, ເກັບຮັກສາອີເລັກຕຣອນທີ່ໃຫ້ພະລັງງານແກ່ມີໂຕຄອນເດຍຂອງທ່ານ. ໃນຂະນະທີ່ແສງສີຟ້າຮັບໃຊ້ຈຸດປະສົງຄູ່: ມັນຮັກສາໃຫ້ທ່ານຕື່ນຕົວໃນຕອນກາງວັນໃນຂະນະທີ່ຂັດຂວາງການຜະລິດເມລາໂທນິນ. ແຕ່ວ່າ, ແສງສີຟ້າມີດ້ານມືດ—ການສຶກສາສະແດງວ່າມັນສາມາດເຮັດໃຫ້ເກີດຄວາມເສຍຫາຍຂອງ DNA ແລະສ້າງສິ່ງທີ່ເປັນອັນຕະລາຍທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າສະສາລະອົກຊິເຈນປະຕິກິລິຍາຢູ່ທັງຜິວໜັງແລະຕາ, ຄ້າຍຄືກັບລັງສີ UV. ນີ້ແມ່ນເຫດຜົນທີ່ການສຳຜັດແສງສີຟ້າໂດດດ່ຽວ (ເຊັ່ນຈາກໜ້າຈໍ) ໂດຍບໍ່ມີຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ປ້ອງກັນຂອງແສງອາທິດສາມາດເປັນອັນຕະລາຍໂດຍສະເພາະ.

ການປ່ຽນແປງຕອນແລງ: ເມື່ອແສງສີຟ້າຫຼຸດລົງໃນຕອນແລງ, ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານເລີ່ມຜະລິດເມລາໂທນິນ, ທີມງານທຳຄວາມສະອາດເຊວລ໌ທີ່ເອົາຜະລິດຕະພັນພິດທີ່ສະສົມໃນລະຫວ່າງການຜະລິດພະລັງງານຂອງມື້ອອກ.

ວິກິດການແສງສະໄໝໃໝ່

ມະນຸດສະໄໝໃໝ່ໃຊ້ເວລາ 93% ຢູ່ໃນເຮືອນ, ສ້າງຄວາມບໍ່ສົມດູນຂອງແສງທີ່ເປັນອັນຕະລາຍ. ພວກເຮົາໄດ້ປ່ຽນໝໍ້ແສງໄຟແກ້ວທີ່ມີປະໂຫຍດດ້ວຍ LED ທີ່ຂາດຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ແສງອິນຟາເຣດໃກ້ທີ່ປ້ອງກັນ, ໃນຂະນະທີ່ແສງສີຟ້າປອມຈາກໜ້າຈໍຂັດຂວາງການຜະລິດເມລາໂທນິນຕາມທຳມະຊາດຂອງພວກເຮົາໃນຕອນກາງຄືນ. ນີ້ສ້າງພາຍຸທີ່ສົມບູນແບບ: ຄວາມເຄັ່ງຕຶງຈາກການເກີດອົກຊິເດຊັນໂດຍບໍ່ມີກົນໄກການທຳຄວາມສະອາດຕາມທຳມະຊາດ, ການຂາດວິຕາມິນ D, ແລະການຂາດຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ປ້ອງກັນຕອນເຊົ້າທີ່ກະກຽມຮ່າງກາຍຂອງພວກເຮົາສຳລັບການສຳຜັດແສງແດດ.

ທາງແກ້ໄຂຕາມທຳມະຊາດ

ການຄົ້ນຄວ້າຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນວິທີການງ່າຍໆ: ຮັບເອົາຈັງຫວະຕາມທຳມະຊາດຂອງດວງອາທິດ. ເລີ່ມມື້ຂອງທ່ານດ້ວຍການສຳຜັດແສງຕອນເຊົ້າເພື່ອກະກຽມມີໂຕຄອນເດຍຂອງທ່ານ. ຍອມຮັບວ່າແສງແດດຕອນກາງວັນບາງຢ່າງໃຫ້ວິຕາມິນ D ແລະເມລານິນທີ່ຈຳເປັນ. ຄ່ອຍໆຜ່ອນຄາຍເມື່ອແສງແລງຫຼຸດລົງ, ອະນຸຍາດໃຫ້ມີການຜະລິດເມລາໂທນິນຕາມທຳມະຊາດ.

ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານພັດທະນາມາຫຼາຍລ້ານປີກັບວົງຈອນແສງນີ້. ໃນຂະນະທີ່ພວກເຮົາບໍ່ສາມາດປະຖິ້ມຊີວິດທີ່ທັນສະໄໝໄດ້, ພວກເຮົາສາມາດເຄົາລົບຄວາມຕ້ອງການທາງຊີວະວິທະຍາຂອງພວກເຮົາສຳລັບແສງແດດແບບຄົບຖ້ວນ. ຫຼັງຈາກທັງໝົດ, ທຸກເຊວລ໌ໃນຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານແລ່ນດ້ວຍພະລັງງານ, ແລະດວງອາທິດຍັງຄົງເປັນແຫຼ່ງພະລັງງານຫຼັກຂອງໂລກພວກເຮົາ. ໃນໂລກເທັກໂນໂລຢີສູງຂອງພວກເຮົາ, ພວກເຮົາຕ້ອງຈື່ຄູ່ຮ່ວມງານບູຮານລະຫວ່າງສຸຂະພາບຂອງມະນຸດກໍຄືແສງແດດ.

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

เราค่อยๆลำดับเรื่องราวเริ่มจากเบาๆกันก่อนนะครับ หากย้อนกลับไปในปี 2009 บนเส้นทางที่โลกกำลังสับสนระหว่างการกินที่อิงธรรมชาติกับแนวทางการเปลี่ยนแปลงอาหารแบบสุดขั้ว Ethan Brown ได้ก่อตั้งบริษัท Beyond Meat ขึ้นมา โดยมีจุดประสงค์ชัดเจนว่าอยากสร้าง "เนื้อจากพืช" ให้มีรสชาติ เนื้อสัมผัส และประสบการณ์ที่ใกล้เคียงกับเนื้อสัตว์จริงให้มากที่สุดเท่าที่จะทำได้ นี่คือภาพลวงตาที่ถูกสร้างขึ้นภายใต้ธงของความยั่งยืน แต่เบื้องลึกกลับแฝงความเงียบงันอยู่ใต้เงาเทคโนโลยี

Ethan Brown ไม่ใช่คนที่ตื่นเช้ามาแล้วอยากเปลี่ยนโลกในทันที เขาเติบโตมากับพ่อที่เป็นนักอนุรักษ์ธรรมชาติ มีฟาร์มโคนมเล็ก ๆ ให้ได้สัมผัสความจริงของเกษตรกรรมแบบดั้งเดิม เขาเรียนจบปริญญาตรีด้านประวัติศาสตร์และรัฐบาล ต่อด้วยปริญญาโทด้านนโยบายสาธารณะจาก University of Maryland และ MBA จาก Columbia University เขาเคยทำงานด้านนโยบายพลังงานทางเลือกที่ National Governors Association และบริษัท Ballard Power Systems ก่อนจะย้ายขั้วจากพลังงานสู่โปรตีนแทน

ช่วงหนึ่งเขาพูดใน TED ว่า “ผมมองเห็นว่าอาหารนั้นเชื่อมโยงกับสิ่งแวดล้อมและสุขภาพมนุษย์อย่างลึกซึ้ง แต่เราแทบไม่พูดถึงเรื่องนี้ในระดับระบบเลย” เขาเห็นว่าสัตว์คือ “เครื่องจักรแปลงโปรตีนจากพืชไปเป็นเนื้อ” ซึ่งเขาเชื่อว่ามัน “ไม่จำเป็นอีกต่อไปแล้ว” ในศตวรรษที่ 21

Beyond Meat ไม่ได้ใช้สูตรการต้มถั่วแล้วปั้นเป็นเบอร์เกอร์แบบบ้าน ๆ แต่ใช้กระบวนการแปรรูปที่ซับซ้อนระดับอุตสาหกรรมที่เรียกว่า High Moisture Extrusion (HME) ที่ต้องใช้เครื่องจักรเฉพาะราคาแพงมาก เพื่อดัดแปลงโปรตีนพืช เช่น ถั่วเหลือง ถั่วลันเตา ให้มีโครงสร้างเหมือนกล้ามเนื้อสัตว์ ทั้งเส้นใย ความชุ่มฉ่ำ และแรงต้านเมื่อกัด ซึ่งทั้งหมดนี้ไม่สามารถทำในครัวชาวบ้านได้ง่าย ๆ

บริษัทได้รับทุนสนับสนุนตั้งแต่ช่วงเริ่มต้นจากกลุ่มนักลงทุนที่มีอิทธิพลใน Silicon Valley เช่น Kleiner Perkins และ Obvious Corporation ของ Evan Williams ผู้ร่วมก่อตั้ง Twitter ก่อนจะขยายฐานนักลงทุนไปยัง Tyson Foods (ซึ่งเป็นบริษัทยักษ์ใหญ่ด้านเนื้อสัตว์ของสหรัฐฯ ที่ลงทุนใน Beyond Meat ก่อนจะถอนตัวภายหลัง) และนักแสดงฮอลลีวูดอย่าง Leonardo DiCaprio การเข้าระดมทุนในตลาดหุ้น (IPO) ปี 2019 ก็ยิ่งสร้างกระแสให้บริษัทกลายเป็นภาพตัวแทนของการกินอนาคตที่ยั่งยืน ทว่าในความหรูหรานั้น มีรอยร้าวแฝงอยู่เสมอ

ในขณะที่ภาพจำของ Beyond Meat ถูกวาดว่าเป็น “ทางรอดของโลก” และ “อาหารเพื่อสิ่งแวดล้อม” รัฐบาลสหรัฐฯ ก็สนับสนุนทิศทางนี้อย่างเงียบเชียบ ด้วยการอัดงบประมาณกว่า 125 ล้านดอลลาร์เข้าสู่อุตสาหกรรมโปรตีนทางเลือกผ่านโครงการต่าง ๆ เช่น หน่วยงานวิจัย USDA และกองทุนสนับสนุนมหาวิทยาลัยด้านเทคโนโลยีอาหาร ไม่ต่างจากรัฐบาลอิสราเอลที่ทุ่มงบกว่า 18 ล้านดอลลาร์ให้บริษัทเนื้อเพาะเลี้ยงแบบไม่มีอ้อมค้อม ทั้งหมดนี้กำลังสร้างระบบอาหารที่ไม่ต้องพึ่งดิน ไม่ต้องพึ่งแดด ไม่ต้องพึ่งเกษตรกร แต่ขึ้นอยู่กับโรงงานที่ควบคุมโดยบริษัทมหาชนเพียงไม่กี่เจ้า

เมื่อมองให้ลึกลงไป Beyond Meat ไม่ใช่แค่บริษัทอาหาร แต่คือจุดเริ่มต้นแรกๆของโลก ในด้านระบบนิเวศใหม่ที่ตัด “คนตัวเล็ก” ออกจากสมการเกษตรกรรมโดยสิ้นเชิง เกษตรกรจะไม่มีทางผลิต “เนื้อจากพืช” เหล่านี้ได้ด้วยตัวเอง เพราะต้องใช้เทคโนโลยีราคาแพง วัตถุดิบเฉพาะ และสูตรการแปรรูปที่ถูกจดสิทธิบัตรไว้หมดแล้ว ระบบอาหารจึงค่อย ๆ ถูกปิดตายภายใต้รั้วของลิขสิทธิ์ เหมือนโลกของซอฟต์แวร์ที่ไม่มีใครแตะต้องโค้ดต้นฉบับได้ ทุกคำที่เคี้ยวอาจกลายเป็นทรัพย์สินของใครบางคน และในวันที่ดินผืนสุดท้ายไม่ได้ปลูกพืช แต่กลายเป็นโรงงานสังเคราะห์โปรตีน นั่นแหละที่มนุษย์จะพบว่า ตนเองไม่ได้เป็น “ผู้ผลิตอาหาร” อีกต่อไป แต่กลายเป็น “ผู้บริโภค” ตลอดกาล

แม้ตัวเลขยอดขายของ Beyond Meat จะพุ่งขึ้นในช่วงแรกหลังเข้าตลาดหุ้น แต่เมื่อเวลาผ่านไป กลับสะท้อนความจริงที่น่าสนใจว่าสิ่งที่ดูเหมือนจะเป็นทางออกของโลก อาจไม่ใช่คำตอบที่ยั่งยืนเลยก็ได้

ในปี 2022 บริษัทประกาศลดพนักงานลง 19% และราคาหุ้นร่วงลงกว่า 80% จากจุดสูงสุด พร้อมกับข่าวคราวที่ส่อให้เห็นปัญหาด้านความปลอดภัยในสายการผลิต และยอดขายที่ไม่เติบโตตามเป้า แม้จะพยายามขยายตลาดอย่างต่อเนื่อง แต่คนทั่วไปเริ่มตระหนักว่า “เนื้อจากพืช” ที่แปรรูปหนักอาจไม่ใช่คำตอบของสุขภาพหรือสิ่งแวดล้อมอย่างที่เคยเชื่อ

ไม่เพียงเท่านั้น ผลการสำรวจในอเมริกาและยุโรปเริ่มชี้ว่า คนที่เคยทดลองกิน plant-based meat กลับไม่ซื้อซ้ำ โดยให้เหตุผลว่าไม่อร่อย แพง และไม่เชื่อว่าเป็นอาหารที่ดีต่อร่างกายจริง ๆ อีกทั้งบางรายถึงกับบอกว่ารู้สึกแปลกแยก เพราะอาหารที่มีส่วนผสมเยอะและชื่อส่วนประกอบที่อ่านไม่ออก มักทำให้คนรู้สึกว่าไม่ใช่อาหารธรรมชาติ ซึ่งขัดกับความตั้งใจเดิมที่อยากกินอาหารเพื่อสุขภาพ

คำว่า “ยั่งยืน” จึงไม่เพียงพอจะอธิบายได้ว่าอะไรคือสิ่งดีจริง ๆ เพราะหากความยั่งยืนนั้นหมายถึงการผูกขาด แปรรูป และบังคับให้ผู้คนต้องซื้ออาหารจากบริษัทไม่กี่แห่ง มันก็ไม่ได้ต่างอะไรกับการจำกัดอิสรภาพในจานข้าว อาหารที่แท้ควรเป็นของทุกคน เป็นสิทธิ์พื้นฐานที่มนุษย์ควรสร้างได้เอง ไม่ใช่ต้องลงทะเบียนซื้อกับห้างใหญ่ ๆ ผ่าน QR code ทุกมื้อ

ทุกวันนี้ Beyond Meat ยังไม่ถึงจุดตกต่ำที่สุด และยังมีโอกาสกลับมาได้เสมอ แต่สิ่งนึงที่เราต้องตระหนักเอาไว้คือ นี่ยังเป็นแค่ยักษ์เล็กไม่ใช่ยักษ์ใหญ่ เทคโนโลยีการสกัดโปรตีนพืชมาขยำเป็นรูปนั้น ณ วินาทีนี้ คือโบราณเกินไปแล้วครับ ในตลาดก็มีหมูปลอมเนื้อปลอมแบบนี้ออกมามากมาย หน้าตางดงามสมจริง แต่สิ่งเหล่านี้มันคือแค่จุดเริ่มต้นครับ ถ้าจะนับเรื่องราวเหล่านี้ว่าเริ่มจาก 2009 ก็ไม่ผิดนัก

เมื่อถึงจุดหนึ่ง คุณจะมองเห็นลำดับชั้นของ ธุรกิจ นวตกรรม การครอบงำทางการตลาดแบบผูกมัดที่ตัดแขนตัดขาไปทีละนิดจนเราหมดสิทธิ์เลือก สิ่งเดียวที่เราจะเลือกได้คือ ซื้อเนื้อจากแลปไหน #pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ c1e6505c:02b3157e

I spent Memorial Day swimming in the local river - something I try to do at least four times a week. It’s the best form of exercise imo, but it’s more than that. Swimming against the tide, feeling the water move around me... there’s something about it that keeps me grounded. Nature at her peak.

Today I brought my X-Pro2 with the 1959 Leica Summaron 35mm f/2.8. I'm still testing the lens wide open to get a feel for its character. My subject this time: the light playing on the ripples and waves.

While I was shooting, a kid randomly ran up to me and started telling me something about what he got for his dad while fishing, or something - I didn’t quite hear him - and then he asked what I was looking at. I told him, “The ripples. The way the light is refracting.” I had him sit exactly where I was so he could see it too.

He lit up. You could tell no one had ever pointed something like that out to him before. In that moment, I felt like maybe I was able to plant a little seed - a new way of seeing.

This is what I was looking at.

@ c9badfea:610f861a

1. Install Loop Habit Tracker (it's free and open source)
2. Launch the app, tap ➡️
3. Tap ⁝, select Settings, scroll down and tap Customize Notifications
4. Enable Show Notifications
5. Return to the main screen
6. Tap + to add a habit
7. Choose Yes Or No for simple yes/no questions (e.g. Did you wake up early?)
8. Choose Measurable for questions where a quantity is expected (e.g. How many pages did you read?)
9. Assign a Name (e.g. Waking up early)
10. Enter a Question (e.g. Did you wake up early?)
11. Define the Frequency (e.g. Every Day)
12. Schedule a Reminder (e.g. 08:00 and Any Day Of The Week)
13. Include a Note if needed
14. Hit Save to create the habit
15. Start tracking your habits!

ℹ️ To categorize habits, use colors (e.g. blue for morning, orange for afternoon) or title prefixes (e.g. "Morning - Waking Up Early" and "Afternoon - Workout")

@ 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

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

U ovoj sekciji pratićemo cene raznih dobara i usluga, a pre svega nekretnina, prosečne srpske plate, goriva, deviznih i zlatnih rezervi Srbije u odnosu na Bitkoin. Iz priloženih grafikona može se videti da sve vremenom gubi vrednost, odnosno postaje jeftinije u odnosu na BTC.

---

Cene nekretnina u Republici Srbiji izražene kroz Bitkoin (kompletni grafikoni)

---

Visina prosečne zarade u Republici Srbiji, cene goriva, dinarska i devizna štednja stanovništva, devizne i zlatne rezerve Srbije - izraženo kroz Bitkoin (kompletni grafikoni)

---

Prosečna cena m2 stana u Gradu Beogradu izražena kroz BTC

---

Prosečna cena m2 stana u Novom Sadu izražena kroz BTC

---

Prosečna cena m2 stana u Nišu izražena kroz BTC

---

Prosečna cena m2 stana u Kragujevcu izražena kroz BTC

---

Prosečna zarada u Republici Srbiji izražena kroz BTC

---

Cena goriva 'Evro Premium BMB 95' izražena kroz BTC

---

Cena goriva 'Evro Dizel' izražena kroz BTC

---

Dinarska štednja stanovništva kod banaka izražena kroz BTC

---

Devizna štednja stanovništva kod banaka izražena kroz BTC

---

Devizne rezerve Republike Srbije izražene kroz BTC

---

Zlatne rezerve Republike Srbije izražene kroz BTC

@ 2b998b04:86727e47

Today I pause — not to celebrate, but to remember.\ Memorial Day is a reminder that freedom always comes at a cost. Not theoretical. Not digital. Real. Blood-bought. Passed down.

I didn’t earn the liberties I have. Someone else paid for them.\ The least I can do is steward them well — in how I live, build, and speak.

Tomorrow, I head to Bitcoin 2025.\ I go not just as a Bitcoiner, but as someone who believes Bitcoin, when rightly understood, calls us back to truth, cost, and accountability.\ Not magic internet money. Not another tech trend.\ But a reckoning.

So I walk into this week with both gratitude and resolve:

• Grateful for those who gave their lives.

• Grateful for the freedom to write, build, and think out loud.

• Resolved to use that freedom wisely — and to build systems that don't require bloodshed to sustain them.

Let’s build what lasts.\ Let’s remember what was paid.\ Let’s walk into Bitcoin 2025 with clear eyes and full hearts.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Headlines

• Twenty One Capital is set to launch with over 42,000 BTC in its treasury. This new Bitcoin-native firm, backed by Tether and SoftBank, is planned to go public via a SPAC merger with Cantor Equity Partners and will be led by Jack Mallers, co-founder and CEO of Strike. According to a report by the Financial Times, the company aims to replicate the model of Michael Saylor with his company, MicroStrategy.
• Florida's SB 868 proposes a backdoor into encrypted platforms. The bill and its House companion have both passed through their respective committees and are headed to a full vote. If enacted, SB 868 would require social media companies to decrypt teens' private messages, ban disappearing messages, allow unrestricted parental access to private messages, and likely eliminate encryption for all minors altogether.
• Paul Atkins has officially assumed the role of the 34th Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This is a return to the agency for Atkins, who previously served as an SEC Commissioner from 2002 to 2008 under the George W. Bush administration. He has committed to advancing the SEC’s mission of fostering capital formation, safeguarding investors, and ensuring fair and efficient markets.
• Solosatoshi.com has sold over 10,000 open-source miners, adding more than 10 PH of hashpower to the Bitcoin network.

"Thank you, Bitaxe community. OSMU developers, your brilliance built this. Supporters, your belief drives us. Customers, your trust powers 10,000+ miners and 10PH globally. Together, we’re decentralizing Bitcoin’s future. Last but certainly not least, thank you@skot9000 for not only creating a freedom tool, but instilling the idea into thousands of people, that Bitcoin mining can be for everyone again," said the firm on X.

• OCEAN's DATUM has found 100 blocks. "Over 65% of OCEAN’s miners are using DATUM, and that number is growing every day. This means block template construction is making its way back into the hands of the miners, which is not only the most profitable for miners on OCEAN but also one of the best things for Bitcoin," stated the mining pool.

Source: orangesurf

• Arch Labs has secured $13 million to develop "ArchVM" and integrate smart-contract functionality with Bitcoin. The funding round, valuing the company at $200 million, was led by Pantera Capital, as announced on Tuesday.
• Tesla still holds nearly $1 billion in bitcoin. According to the automaker's latest earnings report, the firm reported digital asset holdings worth $951 million as of March 31.
• The European Central Bank is pushing for amendments to the European Union's Markets in Crypto Assets legislation (MiCA), just months after its implementation. According to Politico's report on Tuesday, the ECB is concerned that U.S. support for cryptocurrency, particularly stablecoins, could cause economic harm to the 27-nation bloc.
• TABConf 2025 is scheduled to take place from October 13-16, 2025. This prominent technical Bitcoin conference is dedicated to community building, education, and developer support, and it is set to return in October. Get your tickets here.
• Kaduna Lightning Development Bootcamp. From May 14th to 17th, the Bitcoin Lightning Developer Bootcamp will take place in Kaduna, Nigeria. Thisevent offers four dynamic days of coding, learning, and networking. Organized by Africa Free Routing and supported by Btrust, Tether, and African Bitcoiners, this bootcamp is designed as a gateway for African developers eager to advance their skills in Bitcoin and Lightning development. Apply here.

Source: African Bitcoiners.

Use the tools

• Core Lightning (CLN) v25.02.2 as been released to fix a broken Docker image. The issue was caused by an SQLite version that did not support an advanced query.
• Blitz wallet v0.4.4-beta introduces several updates and improvements, including the prevention of duplicate ecash payments, fixes for background ecash invoice handling, the ability for users to send payments to BOLT12 invoices from their Liquid balance, support for Blink QR codes, a lowered minimum amount for Lightning-to-Liquid payments to 100 sats, the option to initiate a node sync via a swipe gesture on the wallet's home screen, and the introduction of opt-in or opt-out functionality for newly implemented crash analytics via settings.
• Utreexo v0.5.0, a hash-based dynamic accumulator, is now available.
• Specter v2.1.1 is now available on StartOS. "This update brings compatibility with Bitcoin Core v28 and incorporates several upstream improvements," said developer Alex71btc.
• ESP-Miner (AxeOS) v2.7.0b1 is now available for testing.
• NodeGuard v0.16.1, a treasury management solution for Lightning nodes, has been released.
• The latest stacker.news updates include prompts to add a receiving wallet when posting or making comments (for new users), an option to randomize poll choices, improved URL search, and a few other enhancements. A bug fix for territories created after 9/19/24 has been implemented to reward 70% of their revenue to owners instead of 50%.

Other stuff

• The April edition of the 256 Foundation's newsletter is now available. It includes the latest mining news, Bitcoin network health updates, project developments, and a tutorial on how to update FutureBit's Apollo 1 to the Apollo 2 software.
• Siggy47 has posted a comprehensive RoboSats guide on stacker.news.
• Learn how to run your own Nostr relay using Citrine and Cloudflare Tunnels by following this step-by-step guide by Dhalism.
• Max Guise has written a Bitkey roadmap update for April 2025.

• PlebLab has uploaded a video on how to build a Rust wallet with LDK Node by Ben Carman.

• Do you want more? Subscribe and get No Bullshit GM report straight to your mailbox and No Bullshit Bitcoin on Nostr.

• Feedback or tips? Drop it here.
• #FREESAMOURAI

Sign up for No Bullshit Bitcoin

No Bullshit Bitcoin Is a Bitcoin News Desk Without Ads, Paywalls, or Clickbait.

Subscribe .nc-loop-dots-4-24-icon-o{--animation-duration:0.8s} .nc-loop-dots-4-24-icon-o *{opacity:.4;transform:scale(.75);animation:nc-loop-dots-4-anim var(--animation-duration) infinite} .nc-loop-dots-4-24-icon-o :nth-child(1){transform-origin:4px 12px;animation-delay:-.3s;animation-delay:calc(var(--animation-duration)/-2.666)} .nc-loop-dots-4-24-icon-o :nth-child(2){transform-origin:12px 12px;animation-delay:-.15s;animation-delay:calc(var(--animation-duration)/-5.333)} .nc-loop-dots-4-24-icon-o :nth-child(3){transform-origin:20px 12px} @keyframes nc-loop-dots-4-anim{0%,100%{opacity:.4;transform:scale(.75)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scale(1)}}

Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

@ 2b998b04:86727e47

Why Trading Matters (And Why It’s Not a Zero-Sum Game)

There’s a common belief — even in some Bitcoin circles — that short-term trading is just gambling. That it’s a zero-sum game where one trader’s win is another’s loss.

I get it. The noise is real. So is the wreckage from over-leveraged bets and mindless speculation.

But that’s not the whole story.

Recently, someone I worked with in 2023 and 2024 — a former mortgage broker — invited me to join an “investment club” that sends buy/sell signals through WhatsApp.\ Just follow the messages. Don’t think. Don’t learn. Just click and hope.

That’s not trading.\ That’s waiting on an oracle and outsourcing your judgment. It’s faith in hype, not process. It’s anti-skill.

Another friend told me my approach — aiming for consistent, small intraday gains — sounded boring. But here’s what I told him:

If I trade a $100 stock ten times in a day for a $1–2 gain each time, I’ve made the same as someone waiting around for that one 10% spike.\ But I’ve done it with discipline, risk control, and real engagement. That’s not boring. That’s working.

These days, I only trade equities. No crypto. No forex.

Why? Because equities are productive assets tied to real businesses in a real economy.\ They aren’t my end goal — Bitcoin is.\ But equities offer a stable, regulated environment to extract short-term gains without feeding the casino culture of leveraged altcoins or hypervolatile FX pairs.

And forex? You're just trading one melting ice cube for another — flipping between fiat currencies that are backed by nothing but promises and policies.\ It's like playing musical chairs with pieces of paper while the music gets faster.\ I’ve done it. I understand it. But it no longer feels congruent with my Bitcoin ethos.

It’s not about purity. It’s about alignment.\ If I’m going to trade, I want the process to reflect the same principles that drew me to Bitcoin: transparency, discipline, and long-term thinking.

Real trading is:

• Dynamic, not zero-sum.\ While some instruments are win/lose, markets as a whole reward liquidity, attention, and adaptability. Traders contribute to price discovery.

• A funding mechanism for conviction.\ I don’t trade just to make money — I trade to build. My equity gains fund my Bitcoin stacking, my open-source work, my writing, my peace of mind.

• A craft, not a shortcut.\ The edge is earned. Over time. In silence. With scars.

I’m not here to follow someone’s signals.\ And I’m not chasing that one moonshot.

This is daily work.\ This is Proof of Work.

---

Postscript:\ This week? No red days. A green week — around $300.\ Not a huge number. And that’s okay.\ Because I wasn’t just trading.

I was writing. Building. Launching tools. Finishing a 5-part series.\ Some weeks, the return isn’t measured in dollars. It’s measured in direction.

Small trades. Strong conviction. Deep alignment.

That’s Proof of Work, too.

@ 87fedb9f:0da83419

https://www.thrivingnow.center/t/1487/5

We covered…

1. Differentiation: Claiming Our Energetic Space

Differentiation isn’t just about closeness or distance—it’s about clearly knowing where we end and others begin. We can say, “They’re tired and grumpy right now,” without giving up our cheerful mood from a peaceful morning meditation. We can adapt without losing ourselves, choosing consciously rather than reacting habitually.

2. Energetic Boundaries: Maintaining Our Own Weather

Many of us with heightened empathy tend to embody another person’s emotions, making their grumpiness our own. Practicing differentiation helps us notice their state without internalizing it, allowing us to maintain our own emotional clarity and calm, even when someone else brings stormy energy into the room.

3. Growing Emotional Muscles Through Discomfort

Differentiation is challenging because it involves tolerating discomfort. For example, preparing a meal lovingly and then watching someone else be disappointed requires emotional resilience. Using EFT tapping, we actively address these uncomfortable moments, building inner strength and clarity to stay true to ourselves even under pressure.

4. Self-Validation: Anchoring Our Integrity

Instead of relying on external validation, we ask ourselves: “Did I act with integrity?” If we’ve lovingly prepared a meal or helped in a situation, we can acknowledge our effort regardless of others’ reactions. By validating ourselves internally, we nurture our sense of self-worth and emotional freedom.

5. Allowing Others Their Own Discomfort

We often feel compelled to alleviate others’ discomfort immediately—yet it’s not always helpful. For instance, when someone is hungover or grumpy, we don’t need to energetically jump in to fix their state. Allowing people to experience their discomfort without interference respects their personal growth and conserves our emotional resources.

6. From Survival Obligations to Conscious Responsiveness

As children, enmeshment—absorbing others’ emotional states—was crucial for survival. As adults, we can shift to a posture of response-ability, being willing and able to respond without obligation. Recognizing we no longer need survival reactions for non-life-threatening situations helps us thrive rather than merely survive emotionally.

7. Honoring the Essential Struggle

Just like a butterfly must struggle out of its chrysalis to survive, allowing someone to face their own challenges supports genuine growth. Even if our heart urges us to intervene, differentiation guides us to remain compassionately present without interfering with their developmental process.

8. Turning Down the Empathy Volume

Many of us developed heightened empathy to monitor emotional threats in childhood. We can now gently turn down this sensitivity, trusting that we’ll notice genuine needs without overreacting to every emotional ripple around us. We use EFT tapping and mindful intentions to recalibrate this empathic awareness.

9. Discernment Check-In: “How Much Is Mine?”

We practice asking ourselves: “How much of this discomfort belongs to me, and how much is theirs?” If we’re triggered by someone’s frustration or disappointment, checking in helps us clarify our own feelings from theirs. For example, recognizing that a child’s intense disappointment resonates with our own unresolved feelings helps us respond more skillfully.

10. Permission to Pause and Choose

When faced with emotional demands—especially from family or intense group dynamics—we give ourselves permission to pause and reflect. We ask, “Is this really my circus, my monkey?” and decide what genuinely feels right. For instance, deciding whether to answer a distressed late-night call from a family member becomes a conscious choice rather than an automatic obligation.

11. Authentic Connections in the “We Space”

Differentiation doesn’t mean isolation—it creates a “we space” where authentic relationships thrive. Being differentiated means we are fully ourselves within relationships, clearly communicating our needs and limits, and respecting those of others. This mutual clarity fosters deeper, healthier connections built on emotional freedom and genuine understanding.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Headlines

• Spiral renews support for Dan Gould and Joschisan. The organization has renewed support for Dan Gould, who is developing the Payjoin Dev Kit (PDK), and Joschisan, a Fedimint developer focused on simplifying federations.
• Metaplanet buys another 145 BTC. The Tokyo-listed company has purchased an additional 145 BTC for $13.6 million. Their total bitcoin holdings now stand at 5,000 coins, worth around $428.1 million.
• Semler Scientific has increased its bitcoin holdings to 3,303 BTC. The company acquired an additional 111 BTC at an average price of $90,124. The purchase was funded through proceeds from an at-the-market offering and cash reserves, as stated in a press release.
• The Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Bill 2025 introduced in Kenya. The new legislation aims to establish a comprehensive legal framework for licensing, regulating, and supervising virtual asset service providers (VASPs), with strict penalties for non-compliant entities.
• Russian government to launch a cryptocurrency exchange. The country's Ministry of Finance and Central Bank announced plans to establish a trading platform for "highly qualified investors" that "will legalize crypto assets and bring crypto operations out of the shadows."
• All virtual asset service providers expect to be fully compliant with the Travel Rule by the end of 2025. A survey by financial surveillance specialist Notabene reveals that 90% of virtual asset service providers (VASPs) expect full Travel Rule compliance by mid-2025, with all aiming for compliance by year-end. The survey also shows a significant rise in VASPs blocking withdrawals until beneficiary information is confirmed, increasing from 2.9% in 2024 to 15.4% now. Additionally, about 20% of VASPs return deposits if originator data is missing.
• UN claims Bitcoin mining is a "powerful tool" for money laundering. The Rage's analysis suggests that the recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report on crime in South-East Asia makes little sense and hints at the potential introduction of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures at the mining level.
• Riot Platforms has obtained a $100 million credit facility from Coinbase Credit, using bitcoin as collateral for short-term funding to support its expansion. The firm's CEO, Jason Les, stated that this facility is crucial for diversifying financing sources and driving long-term stockholder value through strategic growth initiatives.
• Bitdeer raises $179M in loans and equity amid Bitcoin chip push. The Miner Mag reports that Bitdeer entered into a loan agreement with its affiliate Matrixport for up to $200 million in April, as disclosed in its annual report filed on Monday.
• Federal Reserve retracts guidance discouraging banks from engaging in 'crypto.' The U.S. Federal Reserve withdrew guidance that discouraged banks from crypto and stablecoin activities, as announced by its Board of Governors on Thursday. This includes rescinding a 2022 supervisory letter requiring prior notification of crypto activities and 2023 stablecoin requirements.

"As a result, the Board will no longer expect banks to provide notification and will instead monitor banks' crypto-asset activities through the normal supervisory process," reads the FED statement.

• UAE-based Islamic bank ruya launches Shari’ah-compliant bitcoin investing. The bank has become the world’s first Islamic bank to provide direct access to virtual asset investments, including Bitcoin, via its mobile app, per Bitcoin Magazine.
• U.S. 'crypto' scam losses amounted to $9.3B in 2024. The US The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported $9.3 billion losses in cryptocurrency-related scams in 2024, noting a troubling trend of scams targeting older Americans, which accounted for over $2.8 billion of those losses.

Source: FBI.

• North Korean hackers establish fake companies to target 'crypto' developers. Silent Push researchers reported that hackers linked to the Lazarus Group created three shell companies, two of which are based in the U.S., with the objective of spreading malware through deceptive job interview scams aimed at individuals seeking jobs in cryptocurrency companies.
• Citrea deployed its Clementine Bridge on the Bitcoin testnet. The bridge utilizes the BitVM2 programming language to inherit validity from Bitcoin, allegedly providing "the safest and most trust-minimized way to use BTC in decentralized finance."
• Hesperides University offers a Master’s degree in Bitcoin. Bitcoin Magazine reports the launch of the first-ever Spanish-language Master’s program dedicated exclusively to Bitcoin. Starting April 28, 2025, this fully online program will equip professionals with technical, economic, legal, and philosophical skills to excel in the Bitcoin era.
• BTC in D.C. event is set to take place on September 30 - October 1 in Washington, D.C. Learn more about this initiative here.

Use the tools

• Bitcoin Keeper just got a new look. Version 2.2.0 of the mobile multisig app brought a new branding design, along with a Keeper Private tier, testnet support, ability to import and export BIP-329 labels, and the option to use a Server Key with multiple users.
  • Earlier this month the project also announced Keeper Learn service, offering clear and guided Bitcoin learning sessions for both groups and individuals.
• Keeper Desktop v0.2.2, a companion desktop app for Bitcoin Keeper mobile app, received a renewed branding update, too.

The evolution of Bitcoin Keeper logo. Source: BitHyve blog.

• Blockstream Green Desktop v2.0.25 updates GDK to v0.75.1 and fixes amount parsing issues when switching from fiat denomination to Liquid asset.
• Lightning Loop v0.31.0-beta enhances the loop listswaps command by improving the ability to filter the response.
• Lightning-kmp v1.10.0, an implementation of the Lightning Network in Kotlin, is now available.
• LND v0.19.0-beta.rc3, the latest beta release candidate of LND is now ready for testing.
• ZEUS v0.11.0-alpha2 is now available for testing, too. It's nuts.
• JoinMarket Fidelity Bond Simulator helps potential JoinMarket makers evaluate their competitive position in the market based on fidelity bonds.
• UTXOscope is a text-only Bitcoin blockchain analysis tool that visualizes price dynamics using only on-chain data. The

@ 26769dac:498e333b

My life is my way Home\ My death is my arrival

I can't wait to be Home\ And so I love life

I can't wait to be Home\ And so I want to live to the fullest

For there are no shortcuts

Many people die\ And never make it Home

They will have to wait\ For another chance to die

Another chance to live fully\ And die totally

I'm so thankful to be alive\ I'm on my way Home

I'm so thankful to be alive\ To have another chance to die

Every day I take a step\ In the direction of my death\ I do not postpone it

Every day I take a step\ In the direction of my truth\ I do not avoid it

It is who I am, always have been\ And always will be

It lies beyond that door\ That keeps everything in check

Where only can go through\ Which is forever true

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Dragi Bitcoineri,

Kako se bliži treći mesec izostanka ličnog dohotka na Fakultetu dramskih umetnosti u Beogradu, a dosadašnji vidovi podrške ne mogu da pokriju sve profesore, neophodno je da preduzmemo dalje korake kako ne bi više ispaštali profesori zbog svoje otvorene podrške studentima u borbi za pravednije društvo.

Možda nekad, kad se spolja gleda, deluje kao da se ništa ne dešava na fakultetima ali u našoj zajednici konstantno vri. Borbu sa studentima osećamo kao svoju moralnu i građansku dužnost, a namera nam je da istrajemo na tom putu ka instuitucionalnoj odgovornosti, slobodi i pravdi.

Doniraj BTC! Sve donacije idu u Bitcoin novčanik studenata u blokadi FDU! Hvala unapred ❤️

coinos.io/sviublokadefdu

@ c9badfea:610f861a

1. Install Trail Sense (it's free and open source)
2. Open the app, and tap Next then I Agree
3. Allow location access While Using The App and Allow notifications
4. Tap 🧭 on the bottom bar to open the compass
   • Use 📍️ in the upper left to manage paths
   • Use 🗺️ in the upper right to take a picture of a physical map and navigate on it
   • Use ⬆️ in the lower right to set beacons along your hike
5. Tap ☁️ on the bottom bar for weather information
   • Use ☁️ in the upper left to predict weather using cloud patterns
   • Use 🌡️ in the upper right to estimate the temperature (useful when in the mountains)
6. Tap ✨ on the bottom bar for astronomy details
   • Use 🔦 in the upper left to toggle your phone's flashlight
   • Use ⬇️ in the upper right to set alarms and reminders (e.g. sunset alerts)
7. Tap ▦ on the bottom bar to access extra tools
   • Use 🔦 to toggle the flashlight
   • Use 🔊 to play a whistle sound
   • Use 🔋 to turn battery-saving mode on or off
8. Select User Guide for help with all features
9. Enjoy!

ℹ️ Explore the app - it has many features worth learning

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

News

• 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.
• Spiral renews support for Dan Gould and Joschisan. The organization has renewed support for Dan Gould, who is developing the Payjoin Dev Kit (PDK), and Joschisan, a Fedimint developer focused on simplifying federations.
• 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.
• The European Central Bank is pushing for amendments to the European Union's Markets in Crypto Assets legislation (MiCA), just months after its implementation. According to Politico's report on Tuesday, the ECB is concerned that U.S. support for cryptocurrency, particularly stablecoins, could cause economic harm to the 27-nation bloc.
• 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.
• The Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Bill 2025 introduced in Kenya. The new legislation aims to establish a comprehensive legal framework for licensing, regulating, and supervising virtual asset service providers (VASPs), with strict penalties for non-compliant entities.
• 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.

• Paul Atkins has officially assumed the role of the 34th Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This is a return to the agency for Atkins, who previously served as an SEC Commissioner from 2002 to 2008 under the George W. Bush administration. He has committed to advancing the SEC’s mission of fostering capital formation, safeguarding investors, and ensuring fair and efficient markets.
• Federal Reserve retracts guidance discouraging banks from engaging in 'crypto.' The U.S. Federal Reserve withdrew guidance that discouraged banks from crypto and stablecoin activities, as announced by its Board of Governors on Thursday. This includes rescinding a 2022 supervisory letter requiring prior notification of crypto activities and 2023 stablecoin requirements.

"As a result, the Board will no longer expect banks to provide notification and will instead monitor banks' crypto-asset activities through the normal supervisory process," reads the FED statement.

• Russian government to launch a cryptocurrency exchange. The country's Ministry of Finance and Central Bank announced plans to establish a trading platform for "highly qualified investors" that "will legalize crypto assets and bring crypto operations out of the shadows."
• Twenty One Capital is set to launch with over 42,000 BTC in its treasury. This new Bitcoin-native firm, backed by Tether and SoftBank, is planned to go public via a SPAC merger with Cantor Equity Partners and will be led by Jack Mallers, co-founder and CEO of Strike. According to a report by the Financial Times, the company aims to replicate the model of Michael Saylor with his company, MicroStrategy.
• 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.
• Metaplanet buys another 145 BTC. The Tokyo-listed company has purchased an additional 145 BTC for $13.6 million. Their total bitcoin holdings now stand at 5,000 coins, worth around $428.1 million.
• Semler Scientific has increased its bitcoin holdings to 3,303 BTC. The company acquired an additional 111 BTC at an average price of $90,124. The purchase was funded through proceeds from an at-the-market offering and cash reserves, as stated in a press release.
• Tesla still holds nearly $1 billion in bitcoin. According to the automaker's latest earnings report, the firm reported digital asset holdings worth $951 million as of March 31.
• 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.

• 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.
• Arch Labs has secured $13 million to develop "ArchVM" and integrate smart-contract functionality with Bitcoin. The funding round, valuing the company at $200 million, was led by Pantera Capital, as announced on Tuesday.
• Citrea deployed its Clementine Bridge on the Bitcoin testnet. The bridge utilizes the BitVM2 programming language to inherit validity from Bitcoin, allegedly providing "the safest and most trust-minimized way to use BTC in decentralized finance."
• UAE-based Islamic bank ruya launches Shari’ah-compliant bitcoin investing. The bank has become the world’s first Islamic bank to provide direct access to virtual asset investments, including Bitcoin, via its mobile app, per Bitcoin Magazine.
• Solosatoshi.com has sold over 10,000 open-source miners, adding more than 10 PH of hashpower to the Bitcoin network.

"Thank you, Bitaxe community. OSMU developers, your brilliance built this. Supporters, your belief drives us. Customers, your trust powers 10,000+ miners and 10PH globally. Together, we’re decentralizing Bitcoin’s future. Last but certainly not least, thank you@skot9000 for not only creating a freedom tool, but instilling the idea into thousands of people, that Bitcoin mining can be for everyone again," said the firm on X.

• OCEAN's DATUM has found 100 blocks. "Over 65% of OCEAN’s miners are using DATUM, and that number is growing every day. This means block template construction is making its way back into the hands of the miners, which is not only the most profitable

@ 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

@ 5c26ee8b:a4d229aa

In March 2022, I have introduced “VCPs”; (Virtual Currency points). So that the international transactions are made without relying on one currency or another and the financial crises are easily avoided.

You may have noticed that banks are increasing their gold reserves and that there are interests for local virtual currency and that was after the note was published.

The picture of the note showing its date will be in attachment to this post; I can’t edit it to avoid that its date gets changed. Here its content:

Conversion of international banking system: The “VCPs” system: * Each central bank would keep its assets and funds in homeland. * Establishing the value of one virtual currency point. I suggested that: 1 virtual currency point (VCP) = 0.1 gram of gold. * Virtual evaluation must be made to each currency, virtual currency points must be added to each currency’s market value. * International transfers and payments must use the virtual currency points, VCPs,  assigned to each currency in international operations. * Daily, weekly, monthly or yearly the actual money corresponding to the virtual currency points used in payments and transfers will be sent by any chosen mean of transport to the banks that had completed the operations or to the corresponding central banks. In this way no currency would prevail in international payments as all currencies will be considered as VCPs. —————————————————————- Because of the need of more guidelines to start using VCPs I have published the following updates:

VCPs allowance updates:

• Not only gold, also precious stones or agreed minerals held in banks can be used to obtain the VCPs allowance (public VCPs allowances). At the same time what is registered and kept in circulation (of gold, precious stones and agreed minerals that belongs to the people) in the country as private VCPs allowances to increase the VCPs allowances. The people can use their personal VCPs along with their precious items for purchases; for example if they sell or use their own gold to buy something, they must give their VCPs registration receipt or card (if they didn’t register their gold to obtain VCPs allowance, they can get it registered at the moment they decide to sell it so it gets added to the private VCPs allowances of his/her country). However, the registered materials must be declared at all borders while traveling once exceeded an internationally agreed specific amount (such as the value of €10000). Therefore a registration method can be agreed with gold and jewelry shops. For instance, while evaluating the materials getting registered, an online VCPs account (for a first registration) can get made on the site that is getting ready and the registration can be combined with a physical/online card (VCPs allowance card. For registering other materials in a later moment, the same card can be used to access the same account. Note that the materials must be used with the private VCPs allowance card for buying or selling, while for public VCPs accounts it’s not necessary because the materials will be kept in the central bank or other banks) or a receipt with a serial number (and other methods to protect customers from fraud). Banks can buy private VCPs while buying gold or other agreed materials and make them public VCPs. And people can have public VCPs allowances corresponding to the value of money (currency) they have already in their accounts. While if people buy gold from the bank (with cash or any other payment method), the related public VCPs allowance will be transformed into private ones (the buyers must receive the actual gold with the private VCPs allowance).
• The agreed materials that can be used to obtain public VCPs must not be consumable (such as oil or natural gas) or used for industrial purposes (such as iron or lithium).
• The printed and online (used by credit or debit cards) currency kept in circulation of the concerned country must correspond to the value of public VCPs allowance that must correspond with the value of gold kept in the central bank (printing more money will decrease its own value internationally).
• Private banks in the same country can have a public VCPs agreement with the central bank so that each bank registers and declares how much gold or valuable materials it has and get its own share of public VCPs allowance and its related printed/online currency in circulation.
• Gems and gold kept in museums can have public VCPs allowances that correspond to their weights only not the archeological values.
• International trade can use public VCPs allowances and the physical payment must follow; either by a preferred currency or gold. However if two or more countries have a trade agreement they can barter goods using IVCPs (International VCPs Allowances; that does not need to have a deposited amount of gold although they will use the same reference as public or private VCPs because it’s a general way to evaluate goods of different types; so for example oil can be swapped for electronics based on how much IVCPs are agreed to be equally swapped each year; i.e. a gallon of oil that costs 50 IVCPs can be swapped for a device that costs 25 IVCPs and grains that cost 25 IVCPs in an International VCPs Allowance Agreement where all parties receives the agreed goods without transferring money or gold). The amount of IVCPs can be agreed per year or there could a multiple online account/s viewable by the countries/parties taking part in the agreement showing the balance of International VCPs that can still be used in bartering goods for each one of the participating countries/parties).
• Cryptocurrencies can be like International VCPs they won’t need to have a deposit of gold, however they must go through an evaluation process compared to their current comparative value and gold (i.e. the amount of bitcoin that must be paid to buy a 0.1g of gold now can become the fixed value) so that the Cryptocurrencies can still be used for trading or bartering for goods even after the release of VCPs. The Cryptocurrencies can sustain the deficiencies of amount of currency that can be used in the same country or internationally (because not everyone can have enough gold deposited to sustain the daily trade). However regulations on the amount of Cryptocurrency/ies exchanged in a country must be agreed with its own central bank or there could be an international agreement; this amount can’t be less than what’s already in use of a certain Cryptocurrency. Or Cryptocurrencies can be exchanged with IVCPs (to protect people’s money while keeping in mind their compared value with gold now) and an amount of International VCPs allowance can be used also for bartering goods in the same country through an agreement with its own central bank.
• Public VCPs must have printable cash allowance that can be in the country or overseas (registered in banks, exchange companies and at borders). Each bank can have registers of local or foreign cash.
• In order to avoid the devaluation of the currency, because the printed money will corrisponde to the gold or valuable minerals held by the country, the concerned country must retrieve the cash abroad and replace it either with another currency or IVCPs through a trade agreement.
• To compensate the deficit of VCPs necessary for daily use within a country and to make a proper distinction, locally, Local Virtual Points (LVCPs) can be used.
• The Local VCPs would be issued by local authorities.

Meanwhile, countries started using the free VCPs platform that is built by a talented web developer in JavaScript; fiatjaf. I insist though that the trade name for the virtual currency points stays “VCPs” and that the clients are made aware of its usage in their daily banking.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na bitcoin-balkan.com.

---

Pregled sadržaja

1. Šta uzrokuje Inflaciju?
2. Da li nam je infacija potrebna?
3. Kako se meri inflacija?
4. Da li inflacija pokreće ekonomski rast?
5. Da li inflacija pokreće ili umanjuje nejednakost bogatstva?
6. Gde se danas javlja inflacija?
7. Šta je deflacija?
8. Kakav uticaj inflacija ima na društvo?

Inflacija može da bude uznemirujuća tema, jer uključuje amorfni koncept novca. Međutim, inflacija je zapravo jednostavna tema koja je napravljena da bude složena razdvajanjem novca i drugih dobara. U ovom članku razlažemo inflaciju i njene uzroke.

Najjednostavnija definicija inflacije je rast cena dobara i usluga. Kada cene rastu, to takođe znači da vrednost jedinice novca – poput dolara – opada. Uzmimo primer McDonald’s hamburgera: 1955. ovaj skromni hamburger se prodavao za samo 15 centi. U 2018. godini se prodavao za 1,09 USD. U 2021. godini prodaje se za 2,49 USD – ogroman rast cene od 1650%.

To znači da je dolar izgubio dosta svoje vrednosti. 1955. godine mogli ste da kupite gotovo 7 hamburgera za novčanicu od jednog dolara. 2021. godine taj dolar vam ne bi kupio ni jedan hamburger. Zašto se čini da cene uvek rastu tokom vremena? I šta možete da učinite povodom toga? Ovaj članak ima za cilj da odgovori na ta pitanja.

Ekonomisti pokušavaju da sumiraju rast cena mnogih dobara i usluga kao jedan prosečan broj. Ovaj broj predstavlja promenu ukupnih troškova u godišnjim troškovima prosečnog potrošača, kao što su stanarina, hrana i gorivo.

U Sjedinjenim Državama ovaj broj je poznat kao Indeks Potrošačkih Cena, eng. Consumer Price Index (CPI). Kada se CPI poveća tokom određenog vremenskog perioda, ekonomisti kažu da imamo inflaciju. Kada se smanji, to se naziva deflacija.

Šta uzrokuje Inflaciju?

Mnogi izvori kažu da je stalna inflacija koju danas doživljavamo ili uzrokovana povećanjem potražnje (eng. demand-pull) ili smanjenjem ponude usled povećanih proizvodnih troškova (eng. cost-push).

Ovi razlozi nisu tačni – hajde da pogledamo zašto.

Da bismo razumeli pravi razlog inflacije, moramo da sagledamo dve vrste inflacije:

1. Inflacija Cena: Cene vremenom rastu.
2. Monetarna Inflacija: Količina valute u opticaju raste sa vremenom.

Prva, inflacija cena, retko se javlja tokom dužih perioda (decenije, vekovi) zbog povećane potražnje ili povećanih troškova. Zašto? Tržišta teže da se uravnoteže. Tokom istorije smo više puta videli da povećana potražnja za dobrom povećava njegovu cenu, što podstiče proizvođače da proizvode više tog dobra. Kada se ponuda poveća, cene se smanjuju.

Ovaj ciklus može da potraje nekoliko godina, i javlja se kod gotovo svake robe i „konačnog dobra“ (automobili, televizori, hrana itd.) na Zemlji. Izuzetak su retki metali poput zlata i srebra. Dokazi o tome su prikazani u nastavku.

Kada se poveća trošak za proizvodnju dobra, cena tog dobra često raste da bi pokrila te troškove. Ovaj rast cene dovodi do toga da potrošači tog dobra traže alternativu ili smanjuju potrošnju tog dobra, što dovodi do pada cena na prethodni nivo.

Tržište se prirodno uravnotežava, a cene se smanjuju ili povećanjem ponude ili smanjenjem potražnje.

Da li imamo dokaze da tržišta vremenom uravnotežuju ponudu i potražnju?

Podaci o cenama robe tokom vremena mogu nam dati bolje razumevanje da li tržišta zaista efikasno uravnotežuju ponudu i potražnju. Međutim, cene ne možemo da posmatramo u smislu nacionalnih valuta, jer naše vlade uvek štampaju više svojih nacionalnih valuta.

Oni sprovode monetarnu inflaciju, koja može da izazove inflaciju cena. Posmatranje tržišnih cena u smislu nacionalnih valuta, poput američkog dolara, je poput merenja visine lenjirom koji se neprestano smanjuje. Vaša visina u broju biće sve veća i veća, ali stvarna visina se ne menja.

Mi možemo da znamo da li tržišta uravnotežuju ponudu i potražnju gledajući cene dobara u smislu monetarnog dobra koje ima vrlo konzistentnu ponudu tokom vremena.

Vremenom se pokazalo da zlato ima najmanju monetarnu inflaciju od svih postojećih valuta i dobara. To čini zlato odličnim ‘lenjirom’ za merenje da li tržišta vremenom uravnotežuju ponudu i potražnju. Da bismo bolje razumeli inflaciju cena tokom vremena, pitaćemo koliko unci zlata nešto košta tokom vremena.

Cene u zlatu pokazuju nam da se tržišta vremenom uravnotežuju

Ako cene dobara posmatramo u obliku zlata, vidimo da cene robe prate srednje tačke tokom dužih vremenskih perioda.

Nafta, na primer, je vrlo nestabilna, ali ima tendenciju da se kreće oko 2,5 grama zlata po barelu.

WTI Sirova Nafta u gramima Zlata po Barelu

Cena nafte je promenljiva, ali tokom decenija ima tendenciju da se kreće po strani.

Cene kuća tokom proteklih 10 godina takođe su prilično stabilne, iako imamo fiksnu količinu zemlje na planeti. Vidimo da cene kuća u pogledu zlata imaju tendenciju da variraju oko indeksne cene od oko 80, prikazane na grafikonu.

Shiller-ov US indeks cena kuća u USD i zlatu

Ovaj grafikon je na logaritamskoj skali, što nam omogućava da vizualizujemo zapanjujuća povećanja u zelenoj liniji, koja predstavlja domove u dolarima.

Grafički izražene u američkim dolarima, cene ovih dobara uvek rastu – baš kao i McDonald’s hamburger. Da su povećana potražnja ili povećani troškovi odgovorni za konstantnu inflaciju cena, takođe bismo videli kako se cena ove robe povećava u smislu zlata. Podaci iznad pokazuju da su cene konstantne.

Moraju da postoje i drugi razlozi za upornu inflaciju cena koju smo videli u dolarskim iznosima tokom proteklog veka.

Evo šta znamo o tome šta dugoročno utiče na cene, kao u periodu od 1955. do 2018. godine:

1. Rast produktivnosti uzrokovan inovacijama, što dovodi do pada cena tokom vremena
2. Monetarna inflacija – štampanje velikih količina valute – koja uzrokuje porast cena denominovanih u toj valuti tokom vremena

Znamo da cene izražene u dolarima, eurima i ostalim valutama neprestano rastu. Ako ne mislimo da naša produktivnost kao društva ide unazad, postoji samo jedan jednostavan razlog za inflaciju cena: štampanje većih količina valute, iliti monetarna inflacija.

Naše vlade i banke su zapravo prilično iskrene u pogledu zapanjujućih količina valute koje štampaju. Oni nam svakodnevno govore da oni uzrokuju monetarnu inflaciju.

Da li nam je infacija potrebna?

Bez uporne monetarne inflacije (koja uzrokuje inflaciju cena), naša celokupna savremena ekonomija bi se srušila.

The Guardian

Dozvolite da vam objasnim. Sledeći odeljak može da bude šokantan, i ohrabrujem vas da i sami istražite ukoliko mislite da nisam u pravu.

Kada centralne banke i komercijalne banke daju zajmove, one stvaraju novu valutu.

Kada centralne banke daju zajmove vladama “kupujući državni dug”, one stvaraju novu valutu kada to urade. To omogućava vladama da vode budžetski deficit trošeći više nego što uzimaju od poreza. U tom procesu državni dug se nagomilava.

Komercijalne banke stvaraju novu valutu kada daju zajmove fizičkim licima i preduzećima. Jedino ograničenje koliko novog novca mogu da stvore je zakonski zahtev da banka ima na raspolaganju određeni procenat od ukupnog iznosa novca koji su ljudi deponovali. Zbog toga je naš bankarski sistem poznat kao delimična rezerva – banke pri ruci moraju da imaju samo deo vašeg novca.

Stvaranje valute je neophodno da bi održalo sistem u životu

Budući da se svi zajmovi uglavnom sastoje od novostvorene valute, mora se stvoriti još više valute da bi se taj dug otplatio. A evo i zašto:

Recimo da su prošle godine sve svetske kreditne aktivnosti dovele do stvaranja 100 milijardi dolara. Svih tih 100 milijardi dolara je novostvoreno, i one se duguju bankama sa nekom dodatnom vrednošću za kamate. Odakle dolazi ova dodatna valuta za plaćanje kamata? Budući da ovde govorimo o celokupnoj svetskoj ekonomiji, to plaćanje kamata mora da dodje iz nove količine novostvorene valute.

Sve jedinice današnjih valuta nastale su pozajmljivanjem, a isplata kamate na te zajmove znači da moramo stalno da stvaramo još više nove valute. To dovodi do beskrajne monetarne inflacije. Kada nova valuta cirkuliše kroz ekonomiju, to dovodi do porasta cena: inflacije cena.

Previše monetarne inflacije može dovesti do hiperinflacije cena. U Venecueli je krajem 2018. godine piletina koštala preko 14 miliona Bolivara. Izvor: NBC News

Monetarni sistem se raspada ako se ova monetarna inflacija zaustavi, jer bi to značilo da veliki broj onih koji su uzeli zajam širom sveta ne bi mogao da vrati novac koji su pozajmili – oni ne bi izmirili svoje dugove.

Banke ili zajmodavci koji drže dug tada bi imali bezvrednu imovinu. Budući da vrednost duga podupire vrednost valute, vrednost valute bi strmoglavo padala zajedno sa dugom.

Kada ljudi izgube poverenje u ’tradicionalnu’ valutu, ona brzo postane bezvredna. To se dogodilo u Nemačkoj nakon Prvog svetskog rata, u Peruu devedesetih, Jugoslaviji 1994. ,Zimbabveu, Venecueli i sa još bezbroj drugih tradicionalnih valuta. Da bi odložile ovaj neizbežni ishod dokle god mogu, centralne banke jačaju poverenje u sistem nastavljajući da štampaju valutu stabilnim kursom.

Ovo osigurava da većina ljudi koju su uzeli zajam ima valutu za otplatu svojih kredita. Upravo to se dešava kada vlada izvrši „spas“ kao 2008. ili 2020. – oni osiguravaju da svi imaju dovoljno novca za plaćanje dugova, tako da laž može da se nastavi.

Inflacija ne dolazi iz povećanja potražnje

Sa više valute u opticaju, monetarna inflacija može da izgleda kao povećanje potražnje. Međutim, ekonomisti koji kažu da povećana potražnja pokreće stabilnu inflaciju tokom decenija propuštaju suptilnu poentu: iako monetarna inflacija može da prouzrokuje veću potrošnju, to nije zato što su ljudi zaista bogatiji, već zato što veruju da su bogatiji.

Kada se puno novca ubrizga u ekonomiju, cene jednostavno rastu jer više valute pokriva istu količinu robe. Rast cena znači pad vrednosti valute, tako da nema realnog povećanja stvarnog bogatstva, iako ljudi možda “troše više” u nominalnom iznosu valute.

Uzmimo ovaj primer: vi mesečno zarađujete 1.500 EUR, i prema svom trenutnom načinu života vi mesečno trošite oko 1.500 EUR. Dolazi vlada i počinje da vam daje dodatnih 500 EUR svakog meseca – vi se osećate poprilično dobro, zar ne? Sada možete da izlazite češće u restoran.

Međutim, vlada daje svima po 500 EUR mesečno, i svi ostali takođe troše taj novac. Ekonomista u vladinoj kancelariji, vidi da sada svi troše tih dodatnih 500 EUR mesečno i zaključuje da je vlada ‘stimulisala ekonomiju’.

Ipak, kako sav taj dodatni novac kruži ekonomijom, cene prirodno rastu. Sada vam je potrebno 2.000 EUR da biste održali svoj trenutni način života.

Da li si nešto bogatiji?

Vi možda imate više eura na vašem bankovnom računu, ali svaki od njih vam kupuje manje. Sada trošite 2.000 EUR mesečno da biste živeli životnim stilom koji vas je nekada koštao samo 1.500 EUR mesečno.

Ovo je ono što monetarna inflacija radi, i zašto je toliko pametnih ekonomista zavarano da misle da povećana potražnja, radije nego štampanje novca, pokreće trajnu inflaciju cena.

Da li smo uvek imali inflaciju?

Stalna inflacija cena relativno je nedavna pojava u modernim ekonomijama i započela je u vreme kada su Sjedinjene Države počele da konstantno štampaju valutu. Ako bi promene ponude i potražnje zaista dugoročno uzrokovale inflaciju cena, videli bismo inflaciju cena tokom istorije. Podaci govore drugačiju priču.

Indeks potrošačkih cena, koji se povećava kada imamo inflaciju cena, bio je prilično konstantan pre početka našeg trenutnog tradicionalnog ’fiat’ monetarnog sistema.

Taj sistem je započeo Bretton Woods-ovim sporazumom iz 1945. godine, a ubrzao se kada je Nixon 1971. okončao svetski zlatni standard.

Indeks potrošačkih cena, Sjedinjene Države, 1790-2015

Kako se meri inflacija?

Inflacija cena se često prikazuje kao promena indeksa potrošačkih cena (CPI). CPI je prosek cena raznih dobara koje ljudi kupuju u svakodnevnom životu: hrane, goriva, stanovanja itd. U Sjedinjenim Državama, vladin odsek pod nazivom Biro za statistiku rada (BLS) meri promene cena. To rade tako što posećuju maloprodajne radnje, beleže cene, računaju prosek i izveštavaju godišnju inflaciju kao promenu u odnosu na prošlu godinu.

Stopa inflacije koja se izveštava, je važna svima jer se koristi za određivanje povećanja troškova života i socijalnih davanja, poput plaćanja socijalnog osiguranja. Kada se CPI prilagodi naniže, isplate zarada i naknada su manje nego što bi trebalo da budu.

Efekti su se vremenom sjedinili: osoba koja u svojoj prvoj godini rada zaradi 40.000 USD zarađivaće samo 52.000 USD u svojoj desetoj godini staža, sa povećanim troškovima života od 3% da bi se plata podudarala sa inflacijom. Ako bi vlada umesto toga prijavila inflaciju od 6%, ta osoba bi u svojoj desetoj godini zarađivala 67.500 USD – tj. oko 30% više. Način na koji izračunavamo i prijavljujemo inflaciju ima ogroman uticaj na zaradu većine zaposlenih i građana.

Ovo je inflacija (procentualna promena u CPI) izmerena u poslednjih 20 godina u Sjedinjenim Državama:

Prvobitno je BLS jednostavno beležio cenu korpe robe široke potrošnje svake godine. Međutim, istraživanje Boskinove Komisije 1996. godine dovelo je do novih alata koji Birou za statistiku rada omogućavaju prilagođavanje cena u CPI. Dva najvažnija alata su geometrijsko ponderisanje i hedonika.

Geometrijsko Ponderisanje

Geometrijsko ponderisanje znači da kupovne navike sada mogu da utiču na to koliko promena cene pojedinog dobra utiče na CPI. Ako potrošači kupe manje robe, ona ima manju težinu kada se ubaci u presek indeksa potrošačkih cena. Boskinova Komisija je tvrdila da bi ova promena pomogla da se promene sklonosti potrošača. Međutim, ne postoji način da se utvrdi da li ljudi menjaju svoje kupovne navike jer zapravo žele da kupuju različite stvari. Vrlo je moguće da ljudi kupuju manje određenog dobra jer ono raste u ceni. Stoga geometrijsko ponderisanje uzrokuje da roba sa velikim rastom cena ima manje uticaja na CPI, što dovodi do niže prijavljene inflacije.

Hedonika

Hedonika omogućava Birou za statistiku rada da menja cenu dobra na osnovu njegovog opaženog povećanja ‘korisnosti’ tokom vremena. Evo primera: recimo da se televizor sa rezolucijom od 720p 2009. godine prodavao za 200 USD. U 2010. godini isti model televizora sada ima rezoluciju od 1080p i prodaje se po istoj ceni: 200 USD. Međutim, pošto se tehnologija u televizoru poboljšala, zaposleni u Birou za statistiku rada mogu da izmisle ‘korisni’ broj i pomoću njega oduzmu deo vrednosti od cene televizora. Kao rezultat, BLS može da kaže da TV košta 180 USD u 2010. godini – iako je njegova cena 200 USD. Ovo dovodi do pada prijavljene inflacije.

Oba ova prilagođavanja smanjuju prijavljenu stopu inflacije, što smanjuje povećanje troškova života i isplate naknada za socijalno osiguranje. Koliko ta prilagođavanja inflacije pogađaju radničku klasu i penzionere? Neke procene, poput procena ekonomiste John Williams-a, sa koledža u Darmouthu, stavljaju stvarnu inflaciju u SAD na u proseku 3% – 6% više nego što je izveštavano od strane Bira za statistiku rada. To bi inflaciju u 2020 dovelo do 5% – 8%, umesto na prijavljenih 2%.

U 2021. godini prijavljena inflacija je 5.4%, u prvom kvartalu.

Da li inflacija pokreće ekonomski rast?

Mnogi ljudi veruju da stabilna inflacija pokreće ekonomski rast podstičući investicije i potrošnju umesto štednje. Međutim, osnovni ekonomski podaci pobijaju ovu uobičajenu tvrdnju.

Ako za primer uzmemo Sjedinjene Države, nacija je imala samo kratke periode inflacije od 1775. do oko 1950. godine, kao što pokazuje indeks potrošačkih cena koji je ostao nepromenjen. Inflacija dobija zamah tek nakon 1971. godine, pa bi bilo za očekivati da će i stopa rasta bruto domaćeg proizvoda (BDP) Sjedinjenih Država porasti nakon 1971. godine.

Indeks potrošačkih cena, Sjedinjene Države, 1790-2015

Međutim, vidimo da se bruto domaći proizvod (BDP) po stanovniku u Sjedinjenim Državama, uobičajena mera ekonomske snage, neprekidno povećavao od 1820. godine do danas po stopi od oko 1,85% godišnje. Ne postoji porast oko 1971. godine, uprkos rastućoj inflaciji koja je započela u to vreme.

Ovo je logaritamski grafikon, koji nam omogućava da bolje vizualizujemo rast tokom vremena: što više logaritamski grafikon podseća na pravu liniju, to je stopa promene konzistentnija. Za više detalja, ovde pogledajte naslov: Rast na tehnološkoj granici i rast dostizanja.

To pokazuje da inflacija ne pokreće ekonomski rast.

Nažalost, imamo dokaze da inflacija ima i druge neželjene posledice, poput nejednakosti bogatstva. Koncentracija bogatstva u top 1%, počela je da raste krajem 1970-ih, nekoliko godina nakon što su Sjedinjene Države skinule svet sa zlatnog standarda i pretvorile se u monetarni sistem zasnovan na dugovima koji zahteva monetarnu inflaciju, a time i inflaciju cena, da bi preživeo.

Za potpunu istoriju tranzicije novca sa robnog sistema na dužni sistem, pročitajte naš članak o novcu.

Da li inflacija pokreće ili umanjuje nejednakost bogatstva?

Veza između inflacije i nejednakosti bogatstva postaje jasna kada pogledamo kako novostvorena valuta ulazi u ekonomiju. Vlade, komercijalne banke, velike korporacije i bogati često koriste kredite da bi iskoristili prednosti svojih moći. Kada podignu kredite, oni novonastalu valutu dobijaju ranije od svih ostalih. Oni imaju koristi od inflacije trošenjem nove valute pre nego što cene počnu da rastu kao rezultat te nove valute koja kruži u ekonomiji. Veliki i bogati subjekti često mogu da dobiju kredite po nižim troškovima od prosečnog građanina ili malog preduzeća. To znači da mogu da povećaju svoje poslovanje i bogatstvo brže od manjih firmi.

Bogati mogu da dobiju jeftine zajmove, zahvaljujući Federalnim Rezervama koje zadržavaju niske kamatne stope. To im omogućava da koriste ovo prednost za ostvarivanje ogromne dobiti.

Inflacija pogadja one koji rade za platu i ne mogu da ulože veći deo svog prihoda. Zarade se polako menjaju, ponekad se uskladjuju samo jednom godišnje. Kao rezultat, cene osnovnih dobara i usluga često rastu mnogo pre nego što zarade porastu. Cena potrošačke korpe takođe se smanjuje sa manipulacijama indeksom potrošačkih cena (CPI) koji skriva rast inflacije.

Gde se danas javlja inflacija?

Rekordno visoka inflacija javlja se u zemljama kao što su Venecuela, Zimbabve, Turska, Iran, Kuba, Južna Afrika i Argentina. To dovodi do sloma trgovine i političke nestabilnosti.

U razvijenom svetu vlade izveštavaju o niskoj inflaciji cena. Međutim, globalni bankarski sistem stvara nove valute u tonama – u toku je velika monetarna inflacija. Centralne banke dovode do sve većeg stvaranja valuta snižavanjem kamatnih stopa. To dovodi do toga da korporacije i pojedinci mogu da uzimaju jeftinije kredite, a svaki kredit znači stvaranje nove valute. Od 2008. godine, gotovo sve glavne centralne banke postavile su kamatne stope blizu nule.

Mnoge centralne banke takođe su pozajmljivale ogromne iznose vladama i bankama koje su propale nakon finansijske krize 2008. godine. Za samo nekoliko meseci, ovo je udvostručilo (ponekad utrostručilo ili učetvorostručilo) novčanu masu mnogih nacija. Oni su ovo nazvali „kvantitativno ublažavanje“.

Ako banke koriste toliku monetarnu inflaciju, zašto onda mi ne vidimo inflaciju cena?

Jednostavno rečeno, većina nove valute nije dospela u ruke običnih ljudi. Kada obični ljudi budu mogli da potroše novoštampanu valutu na svoje svakodnevne potrebe, tada ćemo videti rast CPI i inflacije.

Danas većina valuta ulazi u svet putem bankarskih zajmova, pa banke igraju veliku ulogu u tome gde se dešava inflacija. Banke prvenstveno pozajmljuju vrlo ‘sigurnim’ klijentima poput bogatih pojedinaca, vlada i velikih korporacija. Ovi subjekti kupuju luksuznu robu, umetnička dela, finansijsku imovinu i državne obveznice.

Cene ovih vrsta imovine nisu uključene u CPI, tako da je prijavljena inflacija niska. Kao rezultat, povećanje plata i isplate socijalnog osiguranja su takođe na niskom nivou.

Bogati su uživali u periodu od 2008. do 2021. godine, kada je njihova imovina upumpavana sa velikom količinom novog novca proizvedenog od bankarskih kredita!

Šta se dešava kada nova valuta dodje u ruke običnih ljudi?

Nažalost, jednog dana će sva ova nova valuta da uđe u normalnu ekonomiju i time će se povećati cene svakodnevne robe. To je poćelo da se dešava 2021. godine kao rezultat stimulativnih programa COVID-19 u Sjedinjenim Državama, koji su ljudima distribuirali trilione dolara. Iako je ovo zasigurno poželjnije od spašavanja korporacija, svaka vrsta spašavanja koja uključuje štampanje novca ima gadne dugoročne efekte.

Ovo što sada doživljavamo dogodilo se u Nemačkoj tokom i posle Prvog svetskog rata. Cene u Nemačkoj su zapravo pale tokom Prvog svetskog rata uprkos velikom stvaranju valute od strane Nemačke centralne banke. Nisko poverenje u ekonomiju sprečavalo je nemački narod da troši novac. Međutim, kad se rat završio i kada su ljudi ponovo počeli da ga troše, cene su vrlo naglo skočile i valuta je postala bezvredna. To bi moglo da se dogodi 2020-ih u Sjedinjenim Državama, sa obzirom na predložene programe podsticaja.

Politike poput Univerzalnog Osnovnog Dohotka, eng. Universal Basic Income (UBI), koje izgledaju pogodne za njihova obećanja da će “spasiti ljude”, takođe mogu da pokrenu hiperinflaciju. Obični ljudi bi se osećali imućnije, trošili bi svoju novoštampanu valutu i doveli do brzog rasta cena. Ovo bi u suštini poništilo pozitivan uticaj građana koji dobijaju “besplatan novac” svakog meseca.

Pa kako onda vi možete da zaštitite svoju ušteđevinu od inflacije? Kupujte imovinu koja je retka, potcenjena i koju vlade teško mogu da prigrabe. Ova imovina su plemeniti metali poput zlata, i Bitcoin.

Šta je deflacija?

Deflacija znači pad cena tokom vremena. Mnogi ekonomisti kažu da će ovo dovesti do toga da ljudi gomilaju valutu i da će dovesti do ekonomskog kolapsa, jer ljudi prestaju da kupuju robu i ulažu u preduzeća. To jednostavno nije tačno, jer ljudi uvek imaju potrebe i želje zbog kojih kupuju odredjenu robu. Stalni pad cena tokom vremena jednostavno bi promenio psihologiju potrošačke kulture u kojoj živimo.

Potrošačka kultura potiče od inflacije

Kako je to istina? Pogledajmo na sledećem primeru. Recimo da želite novi auto i da imate dovoljno novca da ga kupite. Poznato je da u našem svetu zbog stalne inflacije vaš novac vremenom postaje sve manje i manje vredan. U paralelnom svemiru u kojem se javlja stalna deflacija, vaš novac vremenom postaje sve vredniji.

• Uz konstantnu inflaciju, auto će koštati nešto više sledeće godine, i nešto više naredne godine. Niste sigurni gde da uložite novac da biste sa vremenom sigurno očuvali njegovu kupovnu moć. Ako niste sigurni da li ćete da kupite auto, ima više finansijskog smisla da ga kupite odmah, da biste dobili najbolju ponudu.
• Uz konstantnu deflaciju, auto će koštati nešto manje sledeće, i još manje naredne godine. Ako samo čuvate vaš novac, sledeće godine ćete dobiti bolju ponudu za auto. Ako niste sigurni da li ćete da kupite auto, ima više finansijskog smisla da sačekate malo duže da biste dobili bolju ponudu.

Sada razmislite o ta dva scenarija, pomnožena bilionima ljudi i proizvoda. Uz konstantnu inflaciju, svako ima malo više razloga da kupuje stvari upravo sada. Uz konstantnu deflaciju, svi sada imaju malo manje razloga da kupuju. Upravo na taj način inflacija je u osnovi naše materijalističke, potrošačke kulture. Deflacija bi mogla da bude lek.

Inflacija uzrokuje loše investicije

Vaš novac godišnje gubi “2%” svoje vrednosti zbog inflacije. Sada, recimo da vas Stefan pita da investirate u njegov Fast food. Nakon uvida u brojeve, verujete da ćete ovom investicijom izgubiti 1% od vrednosti svog novca. Gubitak od 1% u Stefanovom poslu bolji je od gubitka od 2% zbog inflacije, pa se vi odlučujete da uložite. Ovo je loša investicija, eng. malinvestment – investirajući vi ćete da izgubite deo vrednosti. Međutim, čuvanje valute je još gore, zato ulažete.

Mnogi investitori, poput penzijskih fondova, danas su prisiljeni da investiraju u neprofitabilne biznise zbog investicionih mandata i same veličine njihove ‘imovine pod upravljanjem’.

Pristalice konstantno niske inflacije veruju da bi deflacija smanjila investicije. Međutim, to bi samo smanjilo ulaganje u preduzeća sa negativnim očekivanim prinosom poput Stefanovog Fast food-a. Na primer, recimo da je deflacija u proseku oko 2% godišnje. Na ovom tržištu investitori bi jednostavno prestali da ulažu u projekte za koje misle da će im zaraditi manje od 2% godišnjeg povrata ulaganja.

Neznatno deflaciona valuta obeshrabriće ulaganja u lažna i loša preduzeća i podstaći ulaganje u solidna preduzeća koja svetu dodaju vrednost.

Kakav uticaj inflacija ima na društvo?

Inflacija pokreće povećanu potrošnju, smanjenu štednju i povećani dug. Sve ove stvari dovode do toga da većina ljudi mora da radi više sati i duže u starosti. Iako inflacija kažnjava one koji rade za platu, ona obogaćuje vlasnike bilo koje imovine koja dobija na ceni kada nova valuta uđe u sistem. Ova imovina uključuje akcije, umetnička dela, nekretnine i drugu imovinu koju bogataši koriste za čuvanje svog bogatstva.

Vremenom ljudi i firme izmišljaju nove načine za jeftinije stvaranje dobara i usluga višeg kvaliteta. Ovo je poznato kao ‘rast produktivnosti’ i trebalo bi da uzrokuje da cene tokom vremena konstantno padaju, a ne da rastu. Samo konstantno stvaranje valute koje je neophodno zbog monetarnog sistema zasnovanog na dugu naše vlade uzrokuje stalnu inflaciju i njene loše efekte.

Ako vam se sviđa moj rad, molim vas da ga podelite sa svojim prijateljima i porodicom. Cilj mi je da svima pružim pogled u ekonomiju i na to kako ona utiče na njihov život.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

News

• Wallet of Satoshi teases a comeback in the US market with a non-custodial product. According to an announcement on X, the widely popular custodial Lightning wallet is preparing to re-enter the United States market with a non-custodial wallet. It is unclear whether the product will be open-source, but the project has clarified that "there will be no KYC on any Wallet of Satoshi, ever!" Wallet of Satoshi ceased serving customers in the United States in November 2023.

• Vulnerability disclosure: Remote crash due to addr message spam in Bitcoin Core versions before v29. Bitcoin Core developer Antoine Poinsot disclosed an integer overflow bug that crashes a node if spammed with addr messages over an extended period. A fix was released on April 14, 2025, in Bitcoin Core v29.0. The issue is rated Low severity.
• Coinbase Know Your Customer (KYC) data leak. The U.S. Department of Justice, including its Criminal Division in Washington, is investigating a cyberattack on Coinbase. The incident involved cybercriminals attempting to extort $20 million from Coinbase to prevent stolen customer data from being leaked online. Although the data breach affected less than 1% of the exchange's users, Coinbase now faces at least six lawsuits following the revelation that some customer support agents were bribed as part of the extortion scheme.
• Fold has launched Bitcoin Gift Cards, enabling users to purchase bitcoin for personal use or as gifts, redeemable via the Fold app. These cards are currently available on Fold’s website and are planned to expand to major retailers nationwide later this year.

"Our mission is to make bitcoin simple and approachable for everyone. The Bitcoin Gift Card brings bitcoin to millions of Americans in a familiar way. Available at the places people already shop, the Bitcoin Gift Card is the best way to gift bitcoin to others," said Will Reeves, Chairman and CEO of Fold.

• Corporate treasuries hold nearly 1.1 million BTC, representing about 5.5% of the total circulating supply (1,082,164 BTC), per BitcoinTreasuries.net data. Recent purchases include Strategy adding 7,390 BTC (total: 576,230 BTC), Metplanet acquiring 1,004 BTC (total: 7,800 BTC), Tether holding over 100,521 BTC, and XXI Capital, led by Jack Mallers, starting with 31,500 BTC.
  • Meanwhile, a group of investors has filed a class action lawsuit against Strategy and its executive Michael Saylor. The lawsuit alleges that Strategy made overly optimistic projections using fair value accounting under new FASB rules while downplaying potential losses.
• The U.S. Senate voted to advance the GENIUS stablecoin bill for further debate before a final vote to pass it. Meanwhile, the House is crafting its own stablecoin legislation to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins and their issuers in the U.S, reports CoinDesk.
• French 'crypto' entrepreneurs get priority access to emergency police services. French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, agreed on measures to enhance security for 'crypto' professionals during a meeting on Friday. This follows a failed kidnapping attempt on Tuesday targeting the family of a cryptocurrency exchange CEO, and two other kidnappings earlier this year.
• Brussels Court declares tracking-based ads illegal in EU. The Brussels Court of Appeal ruled tracking-based online ads illegal in the EU due to an inadequate consent model. Major tech firms like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and X are affected by the decision, as their consent pop-ups fail to protect privacy in real-time bidding, writes The Record.
• Telegram shares data on 22,777 users in Q1 2025, a significant increase from the 5,826 users' data shared during the same period in 2024. This significant increase follows the arrest of CEO and founder Pavel Durov last year.
• An Australian judge has ruled that Bitcoin is money, potentially exempting it from capital gains tax in the country. If upheld on appeal, this interim decision could lead to taxpayer refunds worth up to $1 billion, per tax lawyer Adrian Cartland.

Use the tools

• Bitcoin Safe v1.3.0 a secure and user-friendly Bitcoin savings wallet for beginners and advanced users, introduces an interactive chart, Child Pays For Parent (CPFP) support, testnet4 compatibility, preconfigured testnet demo wallets, various bug fixes, and other improvements.
• BlueWallet v7.1.8 brings numerous bug fixes, dependency updates, and a new search feature for addresses and transactions.
• Aqua Wallet v0.3.0 is out, offering beta testing for the reloadable Dolphin card (in partnership with Visa) for spending bitcoin and Liquid BTC. It also includes a new Optical Character Recognition (OCR) text scanner to read text addresses like QR codes, colored numbers on addresses for better readability, a reduced minimum for spending and swapping Liquid Bitcoin to 100 sats, plus other fixes and enhancements.

Source: Aqua wallet.

• The latest firmware updates for COLDCARD Mk4 v5.4.3 and Q v1.3.3 are now available, featuring the latest enhancements and bug fixes.
• Nunchuk Android v1.9.68.1 and iOS v1.9.79 introduce support for custom blockchain explorers, wallet archiving, re-ordering wallets on the home screen via long-press, and an anti-fee sniping setting.
• BDK-cli v1.0.0, a CLI wallet library and REPL tool to demo and test the BDK library, now uses bdk_wallet 1.0.0 and integrates Kyoto, utilizing the Kyoto protocol for compact block filters. It sets SQLite as the default database and discontinues support for sled.
• publsp is a new command-line tool designed for Lightning node runners or Lightning Service Providers (LSPs) to advertise liquidity offers over Nostr.

"LSPs advertise liquidity as addressable Kind 39735 events. Clients just pull and evaluate all those structured events, then NIP-17 DM an LSP of their choice to coordinate a liquidity purchase," writes developer smallworlnd.

• Lightning Blinder by Super Testnet is a proof-of-concept privacy tool for the Lightning Network. It enables users to mislead Lightning Service Providers (LSPs) by making it appear as though one wallet is the sender or recipient, masking the original wallet. Explore and try it out here.

• Mempal v1.5.3, a Bitcoin mempool monitoring and notification app for Android, now includes a swipe-down feature to refresh the dashboard, a custom time option for widget auto-update frequency, and a