@ e2c72a5a:bfacb2ee

The silent revolution: Ethereum's pivot to 'digital oil' could redefine crypto's future. While Bitcoin grabs headlines as digital gold, Ethereum is quietly transforming into something potentially more valuable—the essential infrastructure powering our digital economy. Ryan Berckmans reveals Ethereum's strategic shift from being just another cryptocurrency to becoming the foundation for stablecoins, tokenized assets, and global financial systems. With $480 billion in stablecoin volume and institutional players entering the space, Ethereum isn't just competing with Bitcoin—it's creating an entirely different value proposition. The question isn't whether ETH will hit $3K, but whether we're underestimating its long-term potential as the backbone of digital finance. Are you positioning yourself for the real crypto revolution happening right under our noses?

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

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

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

What's new

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

New contributors

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

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

GitHub Repo

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• 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

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

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

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

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

First Steps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Building on Bitcoin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ 20e7c953:3b8bcb21

21… That number means something. A reminder that limits create value - both in Bitcoin and in life.

Every June 21st, skaters around the world remind us that freedom is something you make yourself - one push at a time only constrained by your own limitations.

This year in Vientiane, we’re proud to support one of the few real skate spots in Laos. A place built and held together by skaters for skaters.

Expect around 50 locals - from young kids to older heads - showing up not just to skate, but to hold space for each other. No ego, no filters, just boards, fun and respect.

Bircoiners have lots to learn from these communities on this regard. Go skate and you'll find out.

SnF

Laostr

Skateboardingisfun

Skate4Fun

@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

Marques

Nordkidz est une marque allemande qui crée à la demande des vêtements et linges pour les bébés, les enfants, et un peu pour leurs parents.

Matières naturelles utilisées dans les produits

• Chanvre (biologique)
• Coton (biologique)
• Laine

⚠️ Attention, certains produits de cette marque contiennent des matières non naturelles, dont :

• Elasthanne, lycra, spandex

Catégories de produits proposés

Cette marque propose des produits intégralement en matière naturelle dans les catégories suivantes :

Vêtements

• Tailles vêtements : bébés, enfants, unisexe
• Hauts : pulls, t-shirts
• Bas : pantalons, pantalons de survêtement, shorts
• Tête et mains : bonnets, écharpes

Maison

• Linge : housses de pouf, langes, ponchos de bain

Autres informations

👉 En savoir plus sur le site de la marque

Où trouver leurs produits ?

• Nordkidz (en allemand, zone de livraison : Allemagne et Union Européenne) 💚 Via ce lien vous soutenez directement la marque.

---

📝 Tu peux contribuer à cette fiche en suggérant une modification en commentaire.

🗣️ Tu utilises des produits de cette marque ? Partage ton avis en commentaire.

⚡ Heureu-x-se de trouver cette information ? Soutiens le projet en faisant un don pour remercier les contribut-eur-ice-s.

@ 9ca447d2:fbf5a36d

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related: Bitcoin 2025 Conference Kicks off in Las Vegas Today

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

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

Trump Media’s official announcement

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

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

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

These products will make bitcoin more accessible to retail investors and support pro-Trump financial initiatives.

But not everyone is happy.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren recently expressed concerns about Trump Media’s Bitcoin plans. She asked U.S. regulators to clarify their oversight of digital-asset ETFs, warning of investor risk.

Industry insiders are comparing Trump Media’s plans to Strategy (MSTR) which has built a multi-billion dollar bitcoin treasury over the last year. They used stock and bond sales to fund their bitcoin purchases.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

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

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

What's new

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

New contributors

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

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

GitHub Repo

@ 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

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

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

This update brings key enhancements for clarity and usability:

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

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

Learn how to get started with Sparrow wallet:

Release notes (v2.2.0)

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

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

What's new in v2.2.1

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

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ e2c72a5a:bfacb2ee

The $220 million crypto heist that took just minutes reveals a fatal flaw in DeFi security. While blockchain tech promises trustless transactions, the Cetus DEX exploit on Sui exposed how a single undetected bug in a math library became catastrophic. What's truly alarming isn't the hack itself but the revelation from Curve's founder that professional hackers-for-hire are now coordinating sophisticated cross-platform attacks. This signals a dangerous evolution in crypto threats where vulnerabilities aren't just discovered—they're hunted by organized teams with specialized skills. The industry faces a stark choice: invest aggressively in preventative security or watch as billions more vanish in seconds. Is your crypto truly safe, or just waiting for the right hacker to find its weakness?

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

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

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

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

First Steps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Building on Bitcoin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

• This version introduces the Soroban P2P network, enabling Dojo to relay transactions to the Bitcoin network and share others' transactions to break the heuristic linking relaying nodes to transaction creators.

• Additionally, Dojo admins can now manage API keys in DMT with labels, status, and expiration, ideal for community Dojo providers like Dojobay. New API endpoints, including "/services" exposing Explorer, Soroban, and Indexer, have been added to aid wallet developers.
• Other maintenance updates include Bitcoin Core, Tor, Fulcrum, Node.js, plus an updated ban-knots script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.

"I want to thank all the contributors. This again shows the power of true Free Software. I also want to thank everyone who donated to help Dojo development going. I truly appreciate it," said Still Dojo Coder.

What's new

• Soroban P2P network. For MyDojo (Docker setup) users, Soroban will be automatically installed as part of their Dojo. This integration allows Dojo to utilize the Soroban P2P network for various upcoming features and applications.
• PandoTx. PandoTx serves as a transaction transport layer. When your wallet sends a transaction to Dojo, it is relayed to a random Soroban node, which then forwards it to the Bitcoin network. It also enables your Soroban node to receive and relay transactions from others to the Bitcoin network and is designed to disrupt the assumption that a node relaying a transaction is closely linked to the person who initiated it.
  • Pushing transactions through Soroban can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PUSH=off in docker-node.conf.
  • Processing incoming transactions from Soroban network can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PROCESS=off in docker-node.conf.
• API key management has been introduced to address the growing number of people offering their Dojos to the community. Dojo admins can now access a new API management tab in their DMT, where they can create unlimited API keys, assign labels for easy identification, and set expiration dates for each key. This allows admins to avoid sharing their main API key and instead distribute specific keys to selected parties.
• New API endpoints. Several new API endpoints have been added to help API consumers develop features on Dojo more efficiently:
  • New:
    • /latest-block - returns data about latest block
    • /txout/:txid/:index - returns unspent output data
    • /support/services - returns info about services that Dojo exposes
  • Updated:
    • /tx/:txid - endpoint has been updated to return raw transaction with parameter ?rawHex=1
  • The new /support/services endpoint replaces the deprecated explorer field in the Dojo pairing payload. Although still present, API consumers should use this endpoint for explorer and other pairing data.

Other changes

• Updated ban script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.
• Updated Fulcrum to v1.12.0.
• Regenerate Fulcrum certificate if expired.
• Check if transaction already exists in pushTx.
• Bump BTC-RPC Explorer.
• Bump Tor to v0.4.8.16, bump Snowflake.
• Updated Bitcoin Core to v29.0.
• Removed unnecessary middleware.
• Fixed DB update mechanism, added api_keys table.
• Add an option to use blocksdir config for bitcoin blocks directory.
• Removed deprecated configuration.
• Updated Node.js dependencies.
• Reconfigured container dependencies.
• Fix Snowflake git URL.
• Fix log path for testnet4.
• Use prebuilt addrindexrs binaries.
• Add instructions to migrate blockchain/fulcrum.
• Added pull policies.

#FREESAMOURAI

Learn how to set up and use your own Bitcoin privacy node with Dojo here.

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ e2c72a5a:bfacb2ee

Forget Lambos, think real estate tokens.

A European fund just dropped $3.4 million on tokenized real estate, marking the first time big money directly bought retail available tokens. This isn't just about crypto hype; it's about institutions embracing regulated crypto assets. Real World Assets (RWAs) are booming, up 260% this year, fueled by clearer US crypto rules. This surge pushes the tokenization sector past $23 billion.

Is this the start of crypto's mainstream moment?

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

“Not your keys, not your coins” isn’t a slogan—it’s a survival mantra in the age of digital sovereignty.

The seismic collapses of Mt. Gox (2014) and FTX (2022) weren’t anomalies; they were wake-up calls. When $8.7 billion in customer funds vanished with FTX, it exposed the fatal flaw of third-party custody: your bitcoin is only as secure as your custodian’s weakest link.

Yet today, As of early 2025, analysts estimate that between 2.3 million and 3.7 million Bitcoins are permanently lost, representing approximately 11–18% of bitcoin’s fixed maximum supply of 21 million coins, with some reports suggesting losses as high as 4 million BTC. This paradox reveals a critical truth: self-custody isn’t just preferable—it’s essential—but it must be done right.

The Custody Spectrum

Custodial Wallets (The Illusion of Control)

• Rehypothecation Risk: Most platforms lend your bitcoin for yield generation. When Celsius collapsed, users discovered their “held” bitcoin was loaned out in risky strategies.
• Account Freezes: Regulatory actions can lock withdrawals overnight. In 2023, Binance suspended dollar withdrawals for U.S. users citing “partner bank issues,” trapping funds for weeks.
• Data Vulnerability: KYC requirements create honeypots for hackers. The 2024 Ledger breach exposed 270,000 users’ personal data despite hardware security.

True Self-Custody
Self-custody means exclusively controlling your private keys—the cryptographic strings that prove bitcoin ownership. Unlike banks or exchanges, self-custody eliminates:

• Counterparty risk (no FTX-style implosions)
• Censorship (no blocked transactions)
• Inflationary theft (no fractional reserve lending)

Conquering the Three Great Fears of Self-Custody

Fear 1: “I’ll Lose Everything If I Make a Mistake”

Reality: Human error is manageable with robust systems:

• Test Transactions: Always send a micro-amount (0.00001 BTC) before large transfers. Verify receipt AND ability to send back.
• Multi-Backup Protocol: Store seed phrases on fireproof/waterproof steel plates (not paper!). Distribute copies geographically—one in a home safe, another with trusted family 100+ miles away.
• SLIP39 Sharding: Split your seed into fragments requiring 3-of-5 shards to reconstruct. No single point of failure.

Fear 2: “Hackers Will Steal My Keys”

Reality: Offline storage defeats remote attacks:

• Hardware Wallets: Devices like Bitkey or Ledger keep keys in “cold storage”—isolated from internet-connected devices. Transactions require physical confirmation.
• Multisig Vaults: Bitvault’s multi-sig system requires attackers compromise multiple locations/devices simultaneously. Even losing two keys won’t forfeit funds.
• Air-Gapped Verification: Use dedicated offline devices for wallet setup. Never type seeds on internet-connected machines.

Fear 3: “My Family Can’t Access It If I Die”

Reality: Inheritance is solvable:

• Dead Man Switches: Bitwarden’s emergency access allows trusted contacts to retrieve encrypted keys after a pre-set waiting period (e.g., 30 days).
• Inheritance Protocols: Bitkey’s inheritance solution shares decryption keys via designated beneficiaries’ emails. Requires multiple approvals to prevent abuse.
• Public Key Registries: Share wallet XPUBs (not private keys!) with heirs. They can monitor balances but not spend, ensuring transparency without risk.

The Freedom Dividend

1. Censorship Resistance: Send $10M BTC to a Wikileaks wallet without Visa/Mastercard blocking it.
2. Privacy Preservation: Avoid KYC surveillance—non-custodial wallets like Flash require zero ID verification.
3. Protocol Access: Participate in bitcoin-native innovations (Lightning Network, DLCs) only possible with self-custodied keys.
4. Black Swan Immunity: When Cyprus-style bank bailins happen, your bitcoin remains untouched in your vault.

The Sovereign’s Checklist

1. Withdraw from Exchanges: Move all BTC > $1,000 to self-custody immediately.
2. Buy Hardware Wallet: Purchase DIRECTLY from manufacturer (no Amazon!) to avoid supply-chain tampering.
3. Generate Seed OFFLINE: Use air-gapped device, write phrase on steel—never digitally.
4. Test Recovery: Delete wallet, restore from seed before funding.
5. Implement Multisig: For > $75k, use Bitvault for 2-of-3 multi-sig setup.
6. Create Inheritance Plan: Share XPUBs/SLIP39 shards with heirs + legal documents.

“Self-custody isn’t about avoiding risk—it’s about transferring risk from opaque institutions to transparent, controllable systems you design.”

The Inevitable Evolution: Custody Without Compromise

Emerging solutions are erasing old tradeoffs:

• MPC Wallets: Services like Xapo Bank shatter keys into encrypted fragments distributed globally. No single device holds full keys, defeating physical theft.
• Social Recovery: Ethically designed networks (e.g., Bitkey) let trusted contacts restore access without custodial control.
• Biometric Assurance: Fingerprint reset protocols prevent lockouts from physical injuries.

Lost keys = lost bitcoin. But consider the alternative: entrusting your life savings to entities with proven 8% annual failure rates among exchanges. Self-custody shifts responsibility from hoping institutions won’t fail to knowing your system can’t fail without your consent.

Take action today: Move one coin. Test one recovery. Share one xpub. The path to unchained wealth begins with a single satoshi under your control.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

• This version introduces the Soroban P2P network, enabling Dojo to relay transactions to the Bitcoin network and share others' transactions to break the heuristic linking relaying nodes to transaction creators.

• Additionally, Dojo admins can now manage API keys in DMT with labels, status, and expiration, ideal for community Dojo providers like Dojobay. New API endpoints, including "/services" exposing Explorer, Soroban, and Indexer, have been added to aid wallet developers.
• Other maintenance updates include Bitcoin Core, Tor, Fulcrum, Node.js, plus an updated ban-knots script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.

"I want to thank all the contributors. This again shows the power of true Free Software. I also want to thank everyone who donated to help Dojo development going. I truly appreciate it," said Still Dojo Coder.

What's new

• Soroban P2P network. For MyDojo (Docker setup) users, Soroban will be automatically installed as part of their Dojo. This integration allows Dojo to utilize the Soroban P2P network for various upcoming features and applications.
• PandoTx. PandoTx serves as a transaction transport layer. When your wallet sends a transaction to Dojo, it is relayed to a random Soroban node, which then forwards it to the Bitcoin network. It also enables your Soroban node to receive and relay transactions from others to the Bitcoin network and is designed to disrupt the assumption that a node relaying a transaction is closely linked to the person who initiated it.
  • Pushing transactions through Soroban can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PUSH=off in docker-node.conf.
  • Processing incoming transactions from Soroban network can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PROCESS=off in docker-node.conf.
• API key management has been introduced to address the growing number of people offering their Dojos to the community. Dojo admins can now access a new API management tab in their DMT, where they can create unlimited API keys, assign labels for easy identification, and set expiration dates for each key. This allows admins to avoid sharing their main API key and instead distribute specific keys to selected parties.
• New API endpoints. Several new API endpoints have been added to help API consumers develop features on Dojo more efficiently:
  • New:
    • /latest-block - returns data about latest block
    • /txout/:txid/:index - returns unspent output data
    • /support/services - returns info about services that Dojo exposes
  • Updated:
    • /tx/:txid - endpoint has been updated to return raw transaction with parameter ?rawHex=1
  • The new /support/services endpoint replaces the deprecated explorer field in the Dojo pairing payload. Although still present, API consumers should use this endpoint for explorer and other pairing data.

Other changes

• Updated ban script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.
• Updated Fulcrum to v1.12.0.
• Regenerate Fulcrum certificate if expired.
• Check if transaction already exists in pushTx.
• Bump BTC-RPC Explorer.
• Bump Tor to v0.4.8.16, bump Snowflake.
• Updated Bitcoin Core to v29.0.
• Removed unnecessary middleware.
• Fixed DB update mechanism, added api_keys table.
• Add an option to use blocksdir config for bitcoin blocks directory.
• Removed deprecated configuration.
• Updated Node.js dependencies.
• Reconfigured container dependencies.
• Fix Snowflake git URL.
• Fix log path for testnet4.
• Use prebuilt addrindexrs binaries.
• Add instructions to migrate blockchain/fulcrum.
• Added pull policies.

#FREESAMOURAI

Learn how to set up and use your own Bitcoin privacy node with Dojo here.

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ 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.

@ a74cf7d3:37b9b82e

Lava is the most secure way to borrow against your bitcoin. Lava Loans allow you to borrow dollars using your bitcoin as collateral, all without giving up self-custody. No need to wait days, sign paperwork, bridge your bitcoin, or trust third-party custodians to take out a loan. All you have to do is set the terms of your loan within your Lava Vault, and you can get your loan capital within seconds.

Unlike other bitcoin-backed lending options, Lava is entirely self-custodial. You control your own keys and never have to transfer your bitcoin to a third party. Historically, most bitcoin-backed lending solutions required users to trust custodians with their bitcoin, exposing them to hacks, rehypothecation risk, insolvency, and seizures. This resulted in more than $24B in user funds lost in 2022 alone. Lending protocols on other chains like Ethereum or Solana require users to bridge their bitcoin, introducing additional custodial, bridge, smart contract, and platform risks. Both options are clunky, risky, and slow.

Lava Loans introduces a better model. We’ve built a borrowing protocol that works entirely on native bitcoin. Taking out a loan on Lava takes seconds, doesn't require paperwork, and allows you to maintain self-custody. Lava is the best option for simple, low-cost, and safe bitcoin-backed loans.

In this article we’ll dive into the key features of Lava Loans, how it is different from other borrowing options on the market, and explain how it works at a technical level.

Key Features of Lava

• Instant loans: No paperwork. Just answer 2 questions and get your loan within seconds.

• Low cost: We minimize costs by reducing loan risk, allowing us to offer the lowest rates on the market. All fees are made transparent at the start.

• Flexible amounts: Borrow exactly what you need.

• No Custodial Risk: Your BTC never leaves your control. There’s no risk of hacks, seizure, or rehypothecation. You can verify this yourself on-chain. Lava is the only loan product where you can independently verify—on-chain and in real time—that your bitcoin is not being rehypothecated.

• No Loan Initiation Risk: Using atomic swaps, your collateral only moves if your loan capital is already secured.

• No Repayment Risk: Repay your loan and your BTC is automatically returned, guaranteed by cryptography.

• Reduced Liquidation Risk: You choose your own blinded, off-chain price source, minimizing the chance of unfair liquidation.

• Bug-Minimized: Lava uses formally verified smart contracts on bitcoin (Discreet Log Contracts), meaning all contract outcomes are known and signed ahead of time. Execution is private and secure.

How It Works

The Lava Loans Protocol is built on top of bitcoin-native smart contracts, called Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs). DLCs enable conditional (oracle-based) contracts on bitcoin, meaning they can execute transactions based on pre-specified and approved conditions. Lava Loans are executed via custom DLCs that allow the borrower and lender to agree to the terms of a loan, enter into a contract based on those terms, and have the contract enforce the terms on-chain— all without requiring a third-party custodian.

DLCs allow for a trust-minimized borrowing experience, and they avoid many of the risks inherent with smart contracts on other platforms like Ethereum. DLCs operate on Bitcoin itself— you don’t need to move your coins to another chain or layer. They also mitigate bug risk because they are formally verified, meaning the output conditions of the contract are known from the beginning. This helps to avoid the exploits commonly seen in Ethereum. Because the contracts use off-chain oracles, they aren't susceptible to oracle manipulation by miners. Not only that, but these contracts are private, customizable (choose your own oracle), and scalable (minimal on-chain cost because execution happens off-chain).

Lava Loans are on-chain contracts between borrowers and lenders. The borrower and the lender agree on a loan amount (in USD), a collateral amount (in BTC), the loan duration, the interest rate, the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio at which liquidation happens, and a data feed (oracle) that will provide the Bitcoin price. When the contract is initialized, the collateral is locked and the loan capital is transferred to the borrower. The oracle feeds the price of Bitcoin into the contract on a continuous basis, and the contract executes according to its pre-defined parameters. As long as the borrower maintains a healthy LTV and repays their loan, their collateral is automatically returned to them upon completion.

Each Lava Loan goes through three phases:

Phase 1: Loan Initiation

• The loan is initialized via an atomic swap; the bitcoin collateral is locked in the smart contract and the loan capital is transferred from the lender to the borrower. Because this is done via an atomic swap, the borrower and lender do not have to trust one another or use an escrow. The collateral moves into the smart contract, and the loan capital is automatically sent to the borrower.

Phase 2: Active Loan

• Once the atomic swap is complete, the loan is active. The bitcoin collateral remains locked in the smart contract, and the borrower has access to their loan capital.

• While the loan is active, the oracle feeds the bitcoin price into the contract on an ongoing basis. This allows the contract to monitor the LTV.

Phase 3: Loan Termination

Once the loan is active, it can terminated in one of the following ways:

• Repaid: If the borrower repays the loan, the collateral is released to the borrower atomically.

• Liquidated: If the loan value reaches a pre-determined LTV or the borrower misses a payment, the collateral is immediately released to the lender for liquidation.

• Expired: If the borrower does not repay the loan before the loan term ends, some of the collateral, equivalent to principal plus interest, is released to the lender, and the rest is sent to the borrower.

• Fail-Safe: In rare scenarios where the loan process cannot be completed as expected due to unresponsive oracles, the protocol has built-in fail-safe mechanisms. These mechanisms ensure that the collateral is not lost.

As you can see, all of the loan terms and conditions are built into the smart contract. The borrower and lender agree on the terms, enter into the loan, and then the contract executes the pre-specified and approved transactions based on either the actions taken by the borrow/lender, or the price changes in BTC. As a user, you can verify at any point that your collateral sits on-chain, is locked in the contract, and isn’t being used or rehypothecated in any way.

Security

Lava Loans are designed to be the most secure option for Bitcoiners who want to borrow against their holdings. Lava’s approach is trust-minimized, bug-minimized, and verifiable for users.

Trust-Minimized

• Traditional platforms expose you to bridge, custodian, or bank risk. Lava lets you borrow against native-BTC directly in your vault. This means there can’t be rehypothecation, funds lost in custodial hacks, or asset confiscation.

• While other platforms require blind trust during loan initiation, Lava uses atomic swaps to ensure your BTC collateral only moves to the escrowed smart contract once the loan is in your hands.

• The uncertainty of receiving collateral post-repayment is a concern with many platforms. Lava uses cryptographic guarantees to ensure that once you fulfill your repayment, your BTC is promptly returned.

• You don’t have to trust a lender who can liquidate your BTC unjustly. With Lava, you choose your off-chain, blinded oracles per loan to provide price data, drastically reducing risks from malicious entities.

Bug-Minimized

• Lava’s bitcoin smart contract is formally-verified, meaning the output conditions to the contract are known ahead of time, minimizing technical risk. DLCs, the underlying technology Lava uses, use pre-signed, encrypted transactions to specify the output conditions to a contract ahead of time. Since all the output conditions to the contract are specified ahead of time, and then encrypted using adaptor signatures, the output conditions are known (money can only move to borrower/lender).

• Lava’s contracts have been audited by the best auditors in the industry, Antoine Riard from thelab31 and Conduition, as well as the core contributors to the cryptography behind DLCs.

Verifiable

• Lava is the only loan product where you can independently verify—on-chain and in real time—that your bitcoin is not being rehypothecated. When you borrow using Lava, you have cryptographic proof, not just legal or reputational assurances, that your collateral is secure.

• Lava’s oracle implementation is open-source.

• Lava’s oracles make daily attestations and calculate a median price across various price feeds to avoid flash crash and unreliable margin call risk.

How Lava Compares

Loan Payments + Fees

Users who take out a Lava Loan pay a one-time origination fee (currently 2%) to open a loan, and each loan has a determined, fixed interest rate for the duration of the loan. Interest rates depend on the length of the loan, but they currently start at 5% annually. Users can also extend their loan by paying an extension fee (currently 2%) at the time that the loan is extended.

Loans that are longer than one month in duration require users to make monthly payments on their loans. Because the terms of Lava Loans are set programmatically in the smart contract, users must make their monthly payments on time in order to avoid being liquidated. You can make your monthly payments using digital dollars (either those held in your Lava Vault, or by depositing USDC into the vault) or via bank transfer. Bank transfers may take several days to clear, so it’s important to plan ahead in order to make the payments on time. Lava offers notifications in advance of payment deadlines in order to allow you sufficient time to plan and make payments.

FAQ

What are oracles?

Oracles are independent data feeds that attest to the price of Bitcoin and feed that price into the contract. At Lava, we’ve built Sibyls, an open-source oracle implementation for bitcoin. Users can choose their own oracles, and oracles have zero knowledge about the contracts they influence. In the case of the Lava Loans Protocol, oracles also make off-chain attestations, and in doing so, this helps us avoid the increased fees and miner manipulation that comes from on-chain oracles. You can learn more about our oracles here.

Why does Lava use digital dollars?

To ensure a fast, trust-minimized loan, Lava uses smart contracts that require HTLC compatibility. Fiat doesn’t support this, so we use digital dollars (like USDC on Solana) — which you can instantly withdraw to your bank account.

What are bitcoin smart contracts?

Bitcoin smart contracts (also known as discreet log contracts) enable conditional (oracle-based) contracts on bitcoin. The way it works is that each party to a contract creates and shares encrypted signatures for each output condition to the contract. Each counterparty has confidence they can decrypt the encrypted signatures and use them correctly at the right time because they can verify the encryption: verify when they can decrypt the signatures and that the signatures are valid.

Bitcoin smart contracts are a better way to do smart contracts because they are secure, private, customizable, and scalable. They mitigate bug risk because they are formally verified, meaning the output conditions of the contract are known from the beginning. This helps avoid exploits you constantly see in Ethereum. Since these contracts use off-chain oracles, they aren't susceptible to oracle manipulation by miners. Not only that, but these contracts are private, customizable (choose your own oracle), and scalable (minimal on-chain cost because execution happens off-chain).

These contracts are zero knowledge in that the blockchain has zero knowledge about the contract, the oracles have zero knowledge about the contract, and the counterparty can verify the encryption without needing the decrypted material.

Where can I learn more?

If you want to learn more about the Lava Loans Protocol, check out the loans paper here: https://github.com/lava-xyz/loans-paper/tree/main

Ready to borrow? Download the Lava Vault on iOS or Android and take out your first bitcoin-secured loan in seconds.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

Michael Goldstein, aka Bitstein, presents a sweeping philosophical and economic case for going “all in” on Bitcoin, arguing that unlike fiat, which distorts capital formation and fuels short-term thinking, Bitcoin fosters low time preference, meaningful saving, and long-term societal flourishing. At the heart of his thesis is “hodling for good”—a triple-layered idea encompassing permanence, purpose, and the pursuit of higher values like truth, beauty, and legacy. Drawing on thinkers like Aristotle, Hoppe, and Josef Pieper, Goldstein redefines leisure as contemplation, a vital practice in aligning capital with one’s deepest ideals. He urges Bitcoiners to think beyond mere wealth accumulation and consider how their sats can fund enduring institutions, art, and architecture that reflect a moral vision of the future.

Best Quotes

“Let BlackRock buy the houses, and you keep the sats.”

“We're not hodling just for the sake of hodling. There is a purpose to it.”

“Fiat money shortens your time horizon… you can never rest.”

“Savings precedes capital accumulation. You can’t build unless you’ve saved.”

“You're increasing the marginal value of everyone else’s Bitcoin.”

“True leisure is contemplation—the pursuit of the highest good.”

“What is Bitcoin for if not to make the conditions for magnificent acts of creation possible?”

“Bitcoin itself will last forever. Your stack might not. What will outlast your coins?”

“Only a whale can be magnificent.”

“The market will sell you all the crack you want. It’s up to you to demand beauty.”

Conclusion

This episode is a call to reimagine Bitcoin as more than a financial revolution—it’s a blueprint for civilizational renewal. Michael Goldstein reframes hodling as an act of moral stewardship, urging Bitcoiners to lower their time preference, build lasting institutions, and pursue truth, beauty, and legacy—not to escape the world, but to rebuild it on sound foundations.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Michael’s BBB presentation Hodl for Good
07:27 - Austrian principles on capital
15:40 - Fiat distorts the economic process
23:34 - Bitkey
24:29 - Hodl for Good triple entendre
29:52 - Bitcoin benefits everyone
39:05 - Unchained
40:14 - Leisure theory of value
52:15 - Heightening life
1:15:48 - Breaking from the chase makes room for magnificence
1:32:32 - Nakamoto Institute’s mission

Transcript

(00:00) Fiat money is by its nature a disturbance. If money is being continually produced, especially at an uncertain rate, these uh policies are really just redistribution of wealth. Most are looking for number to go up post hyper bitcoinization. The rate of growth of bitcoin would be more reflective of the growth of the economy as a whole.
(00:23) Ultimately, capital requires knowledge because it requires knowing there is something that you can add to the structures of production to lengthen it in some way that will take time but allow you to have more in the future than you would today. Let Black Rockck buy the houses and you keep the sats, not the other way around.
(00:41) You wait until later for Larry Frink to try to sell you a [Music] mansion. And we're live just like that. Just like that. 3:30 on a Friday, Memorial Day weekend. It's a good good good way to end the week and start the holiday weekend. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you for having me here. Thank you for coming. I wore this hat specifically because I think it's I think it's very apppropo uh to the conversation we're going to have which is I hope an extension of the presentation you gave at Bitblock Boom Huddle for good. You were working on
(01:24) that for many weeks leading up to uh the conference and explaining how you were structuring it. I think it's a very important topic to discuss now as the Bitcoin price is hitting new all-time highs and people are trying to understand what am I doing with Bitcoin? Like you have you have the different sort of factions within Bitcoin.
(01:47) Uh get on a Bitcoin standard, get on zero, spend as much Bitcoin as possible. You have the sailors of the world are saying buy Bitcoin, never sell, die with your Bitcoin. And I think you do a really good job in that presentation. And I just think your understanding overall of Bitcoin is incredible to put everything into context. It's not either or.
(02:07) It really depends on what you want to accomplish. Yeah, it's definitely there there is no actual one-sizefits-all um for I mean nearly anything in this world. So um yeah, I mean first of all I mean there was it was the first conference talk I had given in maybe five years. I think the one prior to that uh was um bit block boom 2019 which was my meme talk which uh has uh become infamous and notorious.
(02:43) So uh there was also a lot of like high expectations uh you know rockstar dev uh has has treated that you know uh that that talk with a lot of reference. a lot of people have enjoyed it and he was expecting this one to be, you know, the greatest one ever, which is a little bit of a little bit of a uh a burden to live up to those kinds of standards.
(03:08) Um, but you know, because I don't give a lot of talks. Um, you know, I I I like to uh try to bring ideas that might even be ideas that are common. So, something like hodling, we all talk about it constantly. uh but try to bring it from a little bit of a different angle and try to give um a little bit of uh new light to it.
(03:31) I alsove I've I've always enjoyed kind of coming at things from a third angle. Um whenever there's, you know, there's there's all these little debates that we have in in Bitcoin and sometimes it's nice to try to uh step out of it and look at it a little more uh kind of objectively and find ways of understanding it that incorporate the truths of of all of them.
(03:58) uh you know cuz I think we should always be kind of as much as possible after ultimate truth. Um so with this one um yeah I was kind of finding that that sort of golden mean. So uh um yeah and I actually I think about that a lot is uh you know Aristotle has his his concept of the golden mean. So it's like any any virtue is sort of between two vices um because you can you can always you can always take something too far.
(04:27) So you're you're always trying to find that right balance. Um so someone who is uh courageous you know uh one of the vices uh on one side is being basically reckless. I I can't remember what word he would use. Uh but effectively being reckless and just wanting to put yourself in danger for no other reason than just you know the thrill of it.
(04:50) Um and then on the other side you would just have cowardice which is like you're unwilling to put yourself um at any risk at any time. Um, and courage is right there in the middle where it's understanding when is the right time uh to put your put yourself, you know, in in the face of danger um and take it on. And so um in some sense this this was kind of me uh in in some ways like I'm obviously a partisan of hodling.
(05:20) Um, I've for, you know, a long time now talked about the, um, why huddling is good, why people do it, why we should expect it. Um, but still trying to find that that sort of golden mean of like yes, huddle, but also what are we hodling for? And it's not we're we're not hodddling just merely for the sake of hodddling.
(05:45) There there is a a purpose to it. And we should think about that. And that would also help us think more about um what are the benefits of of spending, when should we spend, why should we spend, what should we spend on um to actually give light to that sort of side of the debate. Um so that was that was what I was kind of trying to trying to get into.
(06:09) Um, as well as also just uh at the same time despite all the talk of hodling, there's always this perennial uh there's always this perennial dislike of hodlers because we're treated as uh as if um we're just free riding the network or we're just greedy or you know any of these things. And I wanted to show how uh huddling does serve a real economic purpose.
(06:36) Um, and it does benefit the individual, but it also does uh it it has actual real social um benefits as well beyond merely the individual. Um, so I wanted to give that sort of defense of hodling as well to look at it from um a a broader position than just merely I'm trying to get rich. Um uh because even the person who uh that is all they want to do um just like you know your your pure number grow up go up moonboy even that behavior has positive ramifications on on the economy.
(07:14) And while we might look at them and have uh judgments about their particular choices for them as an individual, we shouldn't discount that uh their actions are having positive positive effects for the rest of the economy. Yeah. So, let's dive into that just not even in the context of Bitcoin because I think you did a great job of this in the presentation.
(07:36) just you've done a good job of this consistently throughout the years that I've known you. Just from like a first principles Austrian economics perspective, what is the idea around capital accumulation, low time preference and deployment of that capital like what what like getting getting into like the nitty-gritty and then applying it to Bitcoin? Yeah, it's it's a big question and um in many ways I mean I I even I barely scratched the surface.
(08:05) uh I I can't claim to have read uh all the volumes of Bombber works, you know, capital and interest and and stuff like that. Um but I think there's some some sort of basic concepts that we can look at that we can uh draw a lot out. Um the first uh I guess let's write that. So repeat so like capital time preference. Yeah. Well, I guess getting more broad like why sav

@ 20e7c953:3b8bcb21

21… That number means something. A reminder that limits create value - both in Bitcoin and in life.

Every June 21st, skaters around the world remind us that freedom is something you make yourself - one push at a time only constrained by your own limitations.

This year in Vientiane, we’re proud to support one of the few real skate spots in Laos. A place built and held together by skaters for skaters.

Expect around 50 locals - from young kids to older heads - showing up not just to skate, but to hold space for each other. No ego, no filters, just boards, fun and respect.

Bircoiners have lots to learn from these communities on this regard. Go skate and you'll find out.

SnF

Laostr

Skateboardingisfun

Skate4Fun

Skatestr

@ 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.

@ e2c72a5a:bfacb2ee

Think your crypto is FDIC insured like your bank account? Big mistake. Crypto's wild west demands you be your own bank and security guard.

Crypto trading involves buying, selling, and exchanging digital currencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum, aiming to profit from price fluctuations. Security is paramount. Understand basic concepts like wallets (digital storage for your crypto), private keys (passwords to access your crypto), and blockchain (the technology that records all transactions).

Real world applications include using crypto for online purchases, international money transfers, and decentralized finance (DeFi) services like lending and borrowing. Current trends include the rise of DeFi, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and increasing institutional investment.

Best practices? Use strong, unique passwords, enable two factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts, and store most of your crypto in cold wallets (offline storage) to protect against hacking. Be wary of phishing scams and fake websites. Never share your private keys or seed phrases.

Misconceptions? Crypto is not anonymous, transactions are not easily reversible, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Also, remember that regulations are evolving, so stay informed.

With crypto hacks on the rise, are you truly ready to secure your digital fortune, or are you leaving the door open for the next billion dollar heist?

@ 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.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

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

What's new

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

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

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

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

  • For more technical details, see the protocol spec.

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

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

Fixes

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

Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
CCC Guide
Key Teleport site

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• 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

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.

@ e2c72a5a:bfacb2ee

Think crypto is just magic internet money? Think again.

Tokenomics is the secret sauce that makes or breaks a crypto project. It is the study of how tokens are created, distributed, and used within a blockchain ecosystem. Imagine it as the economic policy of a digital nation, dictating everything from supply and demand to user incentives.

Key features include supply caps, distribution models, utility, and burn mechanisms. A well designed token economy incentivizes user behavior, secures the network, and fosters long term growth. Poor tokenomics? It can lead to manipulation and project failure.

Zero Knowledge Proofs are like showing you know a password without revealing the password itself. This tech allows for private and secure transactions, verifying data without exposing the data itself. Think of voting systems where your vote stays secret, or supply chains where product details are confirmed without revealing the supplier.

Want to dive deeper into the economics of crypto? What project has the most interesting tokenomics you have seen?

@ 2e8970de:63345c7a

https://x.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1930203297396249067

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1lp1dwzx608xdu8jfpkqk/FT_GENDER_DIVIDE_SXSW.pptx?rlkey=9gcwvn77zss3k5l5vgiquennl&e=1&st=apgyr3ug&dl=0

https://stacker.news/items/998014

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

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

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

What's new

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

New contributors

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

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

GitHub Repo

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• 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

@ 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.

@ 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

@ 2cde0e02:180a96b9

pen & ink; monochromized

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón[a] (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈfɾiða ˈkalo]; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954[1]) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society.[2] Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist.[3] She is also known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.[4]

wikipedia

https://stacker.news/items/997980

@ 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.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

This update brings key enhancements for clarity and usability:

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

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

Learn how to get started with Sparrow wallet:

Release notes (v2.2.0)

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

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

What's new in v2.2.1

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

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ 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

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.

@ 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.

@ 3eab247c:1d80aeed

Global Metrics

Here are the top stats from the last period:

• Total Bitcoin-accepting merchants: 15,306 → 16,284
• Recently verified (1y): 7,540 → 7,803 (the rest of our dataset is slowly rotting; help us before it's too late!)
• Avg. days since last verification: 398 → 405 (more mappers, please)
• Merchants boosted: 22 (for a total of 4,325 days, someone is feeling generous)
• Comments posted: 34

Find current stats over at the 👉 BTC Map Dashboard.

Merchant Adoption

Steak n’ Shake

The US 🇺🇸 is a massive country, yet its BTC Map footprint has been lagging relative to other countries ... that is until now!

In what came as a nice surprise to our Shadowy Supertaggers 🫠, the Steak ’n Shake chain began accepting Bitcoin payments across hundreds of its locations nationwide (with some international locations too).

According to CoinDesk, the rollout has been smooth, with users reporting seamless transactions powered by Speed.

This marks a significant step towards broader Bitcoin adoption in the US. Now to drop the capital gains tax on cheesburgers!

SPAR Switzerland

In other chain/franchise adoption news, the first SPAR supermarket in Switzerland 🇨🇭 to begin accepting Bitcoin was this one in Zug. It was quickly followed by this one in Rossrüti and this one in Kreuzlingen, in what is believed to be part of a wider roll-out plan within the country powered by DFX's Open CryptoPay.

That said, we believe the OG SPAR crown goes to SPAR City in Arnhem Bitcoin City!

New Features

Merchant Comments in the Web App

Web App users are now on par with Android users in that they can both see and make comments on merchants.

This is powered by our tweaked API that enables anyone to make a comment as long as they pass the satswall fee of 500 sats. This helps keep spam manageable and ensure quality comments.

And just in case you were wondering what the number count was on the merchant pins - yep, they're comments!

Here is an 👉 Example merchant page with comments.

Merchant Page Design Tweaks

To support the now trio of actions (Verify, Boost & Comment) on the merchant page, we've re-jigged the design a little to make things a little clearer.

What do you think?

Technical

Codebase Refactoring

Thanks to Hannes’s contributions, we’ve made progress in cleaning-up the Web App's codebase and completing long overdue maintenance. Whilst often thankless tasks, these caretaking activities help immensely with long-term maintainability enabling us to confidently build new features.

Auth System Upgrades

The old auth system was held together with duct tape and prayers, and we’re working on a more robust authentication system to support future public API access. Updates include:

• Password hashing
• Bearer token support
• Improved security practices

More enhancements are in progress and we'll update you in the next blog post.

Better API Documentation

Instead of relying on tribal knowledge, we're finally getting around to writing actual docs (with the help/hindrance of LLMs). The "move fast, break everything" era is over; now we move slightly slower and break slightly less. Progress!

Database Improvements

We use SQLite, which works well but it requires careful handling in async Rust environments. So now we're untangling this mess to avoid accidental blocking queries (and the ensuing dumpster fires).

Backup System Enhancements

BTC Map data comes in three layers of fragility:

• Merchants (backed up by OS - the big boys handle this)
• Non-OSM stuff (areas, users, etc. - currently stored on a napkin)
• External systems (Lightning node, submission tickets - pray to Satoshi)

We're now forcing two core members to backup everything, because redundancy is good.

Credits

Thanks to everyone who directly contributed to the project this period:

• Comino
• descubrebitcoin
• Hannes
• Igor Bubelov
• Nathan Day
• Rockedf
• Saunter
• SiriusBig
• vv01f

Support Us

There are many ways in which you can support us:

• Become a Shadowy Supertagger and help maintain your local area or pitch-in with the never-ending global effort.

• Consider a zapping this note or make a donation to the to the project here.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Good morning (good night?)! The No Bullshit Bitcoin news feed is now available on Moody's Dashboard! A huge shoutout to sir Clark Moody for integrating our feed.

Headlines

• Spiral welcomes Ben Carman. The developer will work on the LDK server and a new SDK designed to simplify the onboarding process for new self-custodial Bitcoin users.

• The Bitcoin Dev Kit Foundation announced new corporate members for 2025, including AnchorWatch, CleanSpark, and Proton Foundation. The annual dues from these corporate members fund the small team of open-source developers responsible for maintaining the core BDK libraries and related free and open-source software (FOSS) projects.
• Strategy increases Bitcoin holdings to 538,200 BTC. In the latest purchase, the company has spent more than $555M to buy 6,556 coins through proceeds of two at-the-market stock offering programs.
• Spar supermarket experiments with Bitcoin payments in Zug, Switzerland. The store has introduced a new payment method powered by the Lightning Network. The implementation was facilitated by DFX Swiss, a service that supports seamless conversions between bitcoin and legacy currencies.

• The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) wants to contain 'crypto' risks. A report titled "Cryptocurrencies and Decentralised Finance: Functions and Financial Stability Implications" calls for expanding research into "how new forms of central bank money, capital controls, and taxation policies can counter the risks of widespread crypto adoption while still fostering technological innovation."
• "Global Implications of Scam Centres, Underground Banking, and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast Asia." According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, criminal organizations from East and Southeast Asia are swiftly extending their global reach. These groups are moving beyond traditional scams and trafficking, creating sophisticated online networks that include unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges, encrypted communication platforms, and stablecoins, fueling a massive fraud economy on an industrial scale.
• Slovenia is considering a 25% capital gains tax on Bitcoin profits for individuals. The Ministry of Finance has proposed legislation to impose this tax on gains from cryptocurrency transactions, though exchanging one cryptocurrency for another would remain exempt. At present, individual 'crypto' traders in Slovenia are not taxed.
• Circle, BitGo, Coinbase, and Paxos plan to apply for U.S. bank charters or licenses. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, major crypto companies are planning to apply for U.S. bank charters or licenses. These firms are pursuing limited licenses that would permit them to issue stablecoins, as the U.S. Congress deliberates on legislation mandating licensing for stablecoin issuers.

"Established banks, like Bank of America, are hoping to amend the current drafts of [stablecoin] legislation in such a way that nonbanks are more heavily restricted from issuing stablecoins," people familiar with the matter told The Block.

• Charles Schwab to launch spot Bitcoin trading by 2026. The financial investment firm, managing over $10 trillion in assets, has revealed plans to introduce spot Bitcoin trading for its clients within the next year.

Use the tools

• Bitcoin Safe v1.2.3 expands QR SignMessage compatibility for all QR-UR-compatible hardware signers (SpecterDIY, KeyStone, Passport, Jade; already supported COLDCARD Q). It also adds the ability to import wallets via QR, ensuring compatibility with Keystone's latest firmware (2.0.6), alongside other improvements.
• Minibits v0.2.2-beta, an ecash wallet for Android devices, packages many changes to align the project with the planned iOS app release. New features and improvements include the ability to lock ecash to a receiver's pubkey, faster confirmations of ecash minting and payments thanks to WebSockets, UI-related fixes, and more.
• Zeus v0.11.0-alpha1 introduces Cashu wallets tied to embedded LND wallets. Navigate to Settings > Ecash to enable it. Other wallet types can still sweep funds from Cashu tokens. Zeus Pay now supports Cashu address types in Zaplocker, Cashu, and NWC modes.
• LNDg v1.10.0, an advanced web interface designed for analyzing Lightning Network Daemon (LND) data and automating node management tasks, introduces performance improvements, adds a new metrics page for unprofitable and stuck channels, and displays warnings for batch openings. The Profit and Loss Chart has been updated to include on-chain costs. Advanced settings have been added for users who would like their channel database size to be read remotely (the default remains local). Additionally, the AutoFees tool now uses aggregated pubkey metrics for multiple channels with the same peer.
• Nunchuk Desktop v1.9.45 release brings the latest bug fixes and improvements.
• Blockstream Green iOS v4.1.8 has renamed L-BTC to LBTC, and improves translations of notifications, login time, and background payments.
• Blockstream Green Android v4.1.8 has added language preference in App Settings and enables an Android data backup option for disaster recovery. Additionally, it fixes issues with Jade entry point PIN timeout and Trezor passphrase input.
• Torq v2.2.2, an advanced Lightning node management software designed to handle large nodes with over 1000 channels, fixes bugs that caused channel balance to not be updated in some cases and channel "peer total local balance" not getting updated.
• Stack Wallet v2.1.12, a multicoin wallet by Cypher Stack, fixes an issue with Xelis introduced in the latest release for Windows.
• ESP-Miner-NerdQAxePlus v1.0.29.1, a forked version from the NerdAxe miner that was modified for use on the NerdQAxe+, is now available.
• Zark enables sending sats to an npub using Bark.

• Erk is a novel variation of the Ark protocol that completely removes the need for user interactivity in rounds, addressing one of Ark's key limitations: the requirement for users to come online before their VTXOs expire.
• Aegis v0.1.1 is now available. It is a Nostr event signer app for iOS devices.
• Nostash is a NIP-07 Nostr signing extension for Safari. It is a fork of Nostore and is maintained by Terry Yiu. Available on iOS TestFlight.
• Amber v3.2.8, a Nostr event signer for Android, delivers the latest fixes and improvements.
• Nostur v1.20.0, a Nostr client for iOS, adds

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

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

What's new

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

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

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

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

  • For more technical details, see the protocol spec.

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

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

Fixes

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

Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
CCC Guide
Key Teleport site

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

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

What's new

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

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

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

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

  • For more technical details, see the protocol spec.

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

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

Fixes

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

Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
CCC Guide
Key Teleport site

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• 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

@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.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

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

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

What's new

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

New contributors

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

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

GitHub Repo

@ 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.

@ 58537364:705b4b85

อารมณ์ คือ โลก - โลก คือ อารมณ์ อารมณ์ ในโลกปัจจุบันรวมอยู่ที่ วัตถุนิยม อารมณ์ จึงเป็นปัจจัยแห่งเหตุการณ์ทุกอย่างในโลก

…. “ เดี๋ยวนี้คําว่า “อารมณ์” ในภาษาไทยนั้น หมายถึงความรู้สึกในใจมากกว่า; เช่น พื้นเพของจิตใจในขณะนั้นเป็นอย่างไร, เรียกว่าอารมณ์ของเขาเป็นอย่างไร, อารมณ์กําลังดี อารมณ์กําลังไม่ดี, นี่ คําว่าอารมณ์ในภาษาไทยใช้กันไปเสียอย่างนี้ ; มันคนละเรื่องกับในภาษาบาลี ซึ่งคําว่า “อารมณ์” หมายถึง สิ่งที่จะเข้ามากระทบ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ใจ.

…. ถ้ากระทบแล้วเกิดความรู้สึกอย่างไร งุ่นง่านอยู่ในใจ อันนั้นไม่ได้เรียกว่าอารมณ์; อันนั้นก็เรียกว่ากิเลสอย่างอื่น เช่น เรียกว่าตัณหาบ้าง อุปาทานบ้าง; ถ้าจัดเป็นพวกขันธ์ ก็เรียกว่า เวทนาขันธ์บ้าง สัญญาขันธ์บ้าง สังขารขันธ์บ้าง; ถ้าเป็นความคิดที่งุ่นง่านก็เรียกว่า “สังขารขันธ์” ทั้งนั้น ดังนั้น เราจะต้องถือเอาคําว่าอารมณ์ในบาลีมาเป็นหลัก …. คําว่า อารมณ์ ที่จะเข้าใจกันง่ายๆ ก็หมายความว่า รูป เสียง กลิ่น รส โผฏฐัพพะ ที่จะมากระทบ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย นี้ ๕ อย่าง แล้วก็ความรู้สึกเก่าแก่ที่จะมาผุดขึ้นในใจอีก เรียกว่า ธัมมารมณ์ ที่จะมากระทบใจในปัจจุบันนี้ นี้ก็เป็นอันหนึ่ง เลยได้เป็นอารมณ์ ๖. อารมณ์กระทบ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ๕ อย่างข้างนอกนี้ก็สําคัญไปพวกหนึ่ง ที่ปรุงขึ้นภายในสําหรับกระทบใจโดยไม่ต้องอาศัย ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ใจ เลย ในเวลานั้นก็ยังมีอยู่นี้เรียกว่าธัมมารมณ์ นี้ก็ยิ่งสําคัญ: แต่ว่ารวมกันแล้วก็เรียกว่า อารมณ์ ได้ด้วยกันทั้งนั้น แปลว่า สิ่งที่จะมากระทบกับ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ใจ นั่นเอง

…. นี้ ดูให้ละเอียดตามตัวหนังสือ คําว่า “อารมณ์” แปลว่า ที่หน่วงบ้าง แปลว่า ที่ยินดีบ้าง, มันมีความหมายละเอียดมาก. ถ้าถือเอาความหมายอย่างคนที่มีตัวตนเป็นหลัก ธรรมะในฝ่ายฮินดูหรือฝ่ายพรหมณ์เขาก็จะพูดว่า สําหรับจิตหรืออาตมันเข้าไปจับฉวยเอา. แต่ถ้าพูดอย่างภาษาชาวพุทธพูดอย่างนั้นไม่ได้ เพราะไม่มีจิตไม่มีอาตมันชนิดนั้น แล้วจิตนี้ก็เพิ่งเกิดขึ้นหลังอารมณ์กระทบแล้ว; เลยต้องพูดตามพระบาลีที่ว่า อาศัยตาด้วย อาศัยรูปด้วย ย่อมเกิดจักษุวิญญาณ; ตาอาศัยกับรูปคืออารมณ์นั้นได้แล้วจึงจะเกิดจักษุวิญญาณ วิญญาณหรือจิตนี้เกิดทีหลัง

…. ฉะนั้น จึงไม่พูดว่า อารมณ์นี้เป็นสิ่งสําหรับจิตหรือตัวตนเข้าไปจับฉวยยึดเอา; ถ้าพูดอย่างนั้นมันก็จะเป็นฮินดูหรือพราหมณ์ไป คือมีตัวตนไป. พูดอย่างพุทธไม่มีตัวตน ทุกอย่างไม่ใช่ตัวตน เป็นสักว่าธาตุ, ได้การปรุงแต่งที่เหมาะแล้วมันก็ปรุงแต่งเป็นสิ่งใหม่ขึ้นมา ในนั้นอาจจะมีความรู้สึกโง่ไปว่าเป็นตัวเราก็ได้

…. ฉะนั้น คําว่าอารมณ์ ถ้าถือตามหลักในทางพุทธศาสนา ก็แปลว่า สิ่งที่อาศัยกันกับจิต จะเรียกว่าเป็นที่หน่วงของจิตมันก็ยังได้: ถ้าเข้าใจผิดมันก็ผิดได้: เรียกว่าสิ่งที่อาศัยกับอายตนะ แล้วก็เกิดเป็นความรู้สึกเป็นจิตขึ้นมา จิตกําลังหน่วงสิ่งนั้นเป็นอารมณ์ก็ได้ แต่จะให้เป็นตัวตนนั้นไม่ได้

…. โดยพยัญชนะก็มีอยู่อย่างนี้ ตัวพยัญชนะก็ยังกํากวม อารมฺมณํ หรือที่มาจาก อาลมฺพนํ ก็แปลว่า ที่หน่วงของจิต. ถ้าจะถือว่ามาจาก รม ที่แปลว่า ยินดี ก็แปลว่า มันเป็นสิ่งที่หลงใหลยินดีของจิต อย่างนี้ก็ยังได้อีก

…. แต่ขอให้รู้จักจากภายในดีกว่าที่จะมารู้จักจากตัวหนังสือ เมื่อตากระทบรูป เมื่อหูกระทบเสียง เป็นต้น มันเกิดขึ้นในใจ, แล้วสังเกตเอาที่นั่นก็แล้วกัน ว่ารูปที่มากระทบตานั้นมันคืออะไร? เสียงที่มากระทบหูนั้นมันคืออะไร? จะค่อยเข้าใจแจ่มแจ้งขึ้นทีละน้อยๆ ว่าอารมณ์นั้นคืออะไร? แต่ให้เข้าใจไว้ทีหนึ่งก่อนว่าสิ่งที่เรียกว่าอารมณ์ๆที่มากระทบนี้ มันยังไม่ดีไม่ชั่ว ยังไม่จัดเป็นสิ่งดีสิ่งชั่ว มันต้องผสมปรุงแต่งเป็นความคิดอย่างนั้นอย่างนี้เสียก่อน จึงจะจัดเป็นดีเป็นชั่ว อารมณ์ล้วนๆยังไม่ดีไม่ชั่ว จะได้รู้จักป้องกัน อย่าให้เป็นไปในทางชั่ว, ให้เป็นไปแต่ในทางดีได้ตามปรารถนา

…. นี้เรียกว่าโดยพยัญชนะ โดยตัวหนังสือ คําว่า “อารมณ์” แปลว่า เป็นที่ยินดีแห่งจิต, เป็นที่ยึดหน่วงแห่งจิต; โดยเฉพาะภาษาอภิธรรมแล้วก็ใช้คําว่า “เป็นที่หน่วงเอาของจิต”, คือจิตย่อมหน่วงสิ่งใดสิ่งหนึ่งเป็นอารมณ์ แปลคําว่าอารมณ์บ้าง, อาลัมพนะ แปลว่า เป็นที่หน่วงเอา.

…. เดี๋ยวนี้เราเรียนพุทธศาสนาไม่ใช่เรามาเรียนหนังสือบาลี, เราจะเรียนพระธรรมคําสอนของพระพุทธเจ้า เราก็ต้องดูสิ่งที่เรียกว่าอารมณ์ โดยหลักของธรรมชาติที่ปรุงแต่งกันอยู่ในใจดีกว่า; ก็อย่างพระบาลีที่ได้ว่ามาแล้วข้างต้นว่า จกฺขุญฺจ ปฏิจฺจ รูเป จ อุปฺปชฺชติ จกฺขุวิญฺญาณํ = เพราะอาศัยตาด้วย รูปด้วย ย่อมบังเกิดจักษุวิญญาณ ติณฺณํ ธมฺมานํ สงฺคติ ผสฺโส - การประจวบกันของ ๓ สิ่งนี้เรียกว่า “ผัสสะ”, ผสฺสปจฺจยา เวทนา = เพราะผัสสะเป็นปัจจัยจึงเกิดเวทนา, อย่างนี้เรื่อยไปจนเกิดทุกข์ จนเกิดความทุกข์, นี้เรียกว่าโดยธรรมชาติ

…. สิ่งที่เรียกว่าอารมณ์มีอยู่โดยธรรมชาติที่จะเข้ามาอาศัยกันกับตาข้างใน ที่มีอยู่ในตัวคน. แล้วจะเกิดจักษุวิญญาณ เป็นต้น ขึ้นในตัวคน; จะเกิด ผัสสะ เวทนา ตัณหา อุปาทาน ภพ ชาติ ขึ้นในตัวคน; นี้โดยธรรมชาติ พระพุทธเจ้าท่านบันดาลอะไรไม่ได้ : ธรรมชาติเป็นอยู่อย่างนี้ แต่ท่านรู้เรื่องนี้ท่านจึงนํามาสอนว่า ธรรมชาติมันมีอยู่อย่างนี้ เราจะต้องเข้าใจให้ถูกต้อง โดยที่จะป้องกันความทุกข์ไม่ให้เกิดขึ้นมาได้, หรือถ้าเกิดขึ้นมาได้ก็จะดับเสียได้

…. เราควรจะรู้จักอารมณ์ในฐานะที่เป็นธรรมชาติอันหนึ่ง ที่มีอยู่ตามธรรมชาติ แล้วที่จะเข้ามาทําเรื่องทําราวขึ้นในจิตใจของคนเราให้เกิดปัญหายุ่งยากนี้ให้ดีๆ นี้เรียกว่ารู้จักอารมณ์จากธรรมชาติโดยตรงอย่างนี้ ดีกว่าที่จะรู้จักตามตัวหนังสือ, ดีกว่าที่จะรู้จักตามคําบอกเล่าบางอย่างบางประการที่มันไม่มีประโยชน์อะไร. รู้จักตามคําบอกเล่าก็รู้จักตามที่พระพุทธเจ้าท่านตรัสดีกว่า แต่แล้วยังไม่รู้จักตัวจริง จนกว่าจะมารู้จักจากที่เมื่ออารมณ์มากระทบตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ใจ เข้าจริงๆ : นั่นจึงจะรู้จักอารมณ์ รู้จักผลที่เกิดขึ้นจากการกระทบของอารมณ์, รู้จักต่อไปตามลําดับ จนแก้ปัญหาต่างๆ ได้

…. นี่ ขอร้องให้รู้จักสิ่งที่เรียกว่า อารมณ์ ในฐานะที่เป็นธรรมชาติอันหนึ่ง ที่มีอยู่ตามธรรมชาติ ที่จะเข้ามากระทบอายตนะภายใน คือ กระทบ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ใจ แล้วมีเรื่องมีราวมีปัญหา

อารมณ์ คือ โลก - โลก คือ อารมณ์ …. “ ที่นี้จะให้ดูต่อไปอีก ว่าโดยข้อเท็จจริงที่เป็นอยู่แล้ว อารมณ์นั้นคืออะไร? ถ้าจะพูดโดยข้อเท็จจริงหรือตามสถานการณ์ที่เป็นอยู่จริงในชีวิตของคนเรา อารมณ์มันก็คือ “โลก” นั่นเอง. เดี๋ยวนี้เราไม่รู้จักโลกในฐานะอย่างนี้, เราไปเข้าใจความหมายของคําว่าโลกแคบไปบ้าง หรือว่าเขวไปบ้าง.

…. ถ้าจะรู้ตามหลักพระพุทธศาสนาแล้ว โลกทั้งหมดก็คือสิ่งที่จะมาปรากฏแก่ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ใจ ของเรา, เรามีเพียง ๖ อย่าง, แล้วมันก็ ปรากฏได้เพียง ๖ ทาง, มากกว่านั้นมันปรากฏไม่ได้ ดังนั้น โลกก็คือสิ่งที่จะมาปรากฏแก่ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ใจ ๖ อย่างของเรา. “โลก” ก็คือ รูป เสียง กลิ่น รส โผฏฐัพพะ ธัมมารมณ์ ๖ ประการเท่านั้น, ไม่มีอะไรมากไปกว่านั้น

…. ฉะนั้น รูป เสียง กลิ่น รส โผฏฐัพพะ ธัมมารมณ์ แต่ละอย่าง ๆ ก็คือ โลกในแต่ละแง่ละมุม นั่นเอง, ที่เป็น รูป เสียง กลิ่น รส โผฏฐัพพะ ก็อยู่ข้างนอก จะเรียกว่าอยู่ข้างนอกก็ได้, ที่เป็นอารมณ์เกิดขึ้นในใจ ปรุงขึ้นในใจก็เรียกว่าโลกข้างในก็ได้ แต่มันก็เป็นโลกอยู่นั่นแหละ เพราะมันเป็นสิ่งที่จิตจะต้องรู้สึก จิตรู้สึกก็เรียกว่าโลกสําหรับจิต ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย รู้สึก ก็เรียกว่าโลกสำหรับ ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย. นี้ขอให้มองให้เห็นชัดตามพระพุทธประสงค์ว่า โลก ก็คือ อารมณ์, อารมณ์ ก็คือ โลก.

…. แต่ทีนี้ พระพุทธเจ้าท่านมองลึกกว่านั้น ท่านตรัสถึงข้อที่ว่า ถ้ามันมาเกิดเป็นปัญหาแก่เราเมื่อไรจึงจะเรียกว่า “มันมี” พอมันมาเป็นปัญหาแก่เราเมื่อไรก็เรียกว่า “เป็นทุกข์”; เพราะว่าเราได้ไปจับฉวยยึดถือเอาตามประสาตามวิสัยของคนที่ไม่รู้จักโลก ถ้าพูดว่าไม่รู้จักโลกแล้วคนก็มักจะไม่ยอมรับ เพราะว่าเขาจะพูดว่าเขารู้จักโลกดี. ยิ่งพวกฝรั่งสมัยนี้ นักวิทยาศาสตร์ปราดเปรื่องนั้น เขาจะไม่ยอมรับว่าเขาไม่รู้จักโลก. แต่ถ้าพูดตามหลักพุทธศาสนาแล้วก็จะพูดได้ว่ายังไม่รู้จักโลกเลย เป็นคนตาบอดยิ่งกว่าตาบอด; เพราะว่าฝรั่งเหล่านั้นรู้จักโลกแต่ในแง่สําหรับจะยึดมั่นถือมั่นเป็น “ตัวกู ของกู” จะครองโลกจะอะไร เอาประโยชน์ทุกอย่าง; เขารู้จักโลกในแง่นี้ อย่างนี้พุทธบริษัทไม่เรียกว่า “รู้จักโลก”; แต่ถือว่าเป็นคนตาบอดต่อโลก, หลงยึดมั่นถือมั่นในโลก. เพราะว่าคนเหล่านั้นไม่รู้จักโลกโดยความเป็นอารมณ์ ๖ ประการ คือ รูป เสียง กลิ่นรส โผฏฐัพพะ ธัมมารมณ์, แล้วเป็น “มายา” คือ เอาจริงไม่ได้ เป็นของชั่วคราวๆ หลอกให้เกิดความรู้สึกยึดมั่นถือมั่น

…. นี้เรารู้จัก เราไม่ไปหลงยึดมั่นถือมั่นกับมัน นี้จึงเรียกว่า “คนที่รู้จักโลก” ไปตามหลักของพุทธศาสนา, ฉะนั้น จึงไม่ยึดมั่นถือมั่นสิ่งใดโดยความเป็นตัวตน หรือโดยความเป็นของตน, เรียกว่าเป็นผู้รู้จักอารมณ์ ๖ ประการนั้นก็คือรู้จักโลกทั้งปวง, แล้วก็ไม่หลงไปในโลกในแง่ใดแง่หนึ่ง นี้เรียกว่า อารมณ์ ก็คือ โลก นั่นเอง ในความหมายที่ลึกที่สุดของพระพุทธสาสนา ไม่ใช่โลกก้อนดิน, ไม่ใช่โลกก้อนกลมๆ นี้. แต่มันหมายถึงคุณค่าอะไรที่มันมีอยู่ในโลกกลมๆ นี้ ที่จะเข้ามามาทําให้เกิดปัญหา ที่ตา ที่หู ที่จมูก ที่ลิ้น ที่กาย ที่ใจ ของคน. นั่นแหละคือตัวร้ายกาจของสิ่งที่เรียกว่า โลก เราจะต้องรู้จักในส่วนนี้ให้เพียงพอ

อารมณ์ในโลกปัจจุบันมารวมที่วัตถุนิยม …. ทีนี้ ดูอีกแง่หนึ่งก็โดยปัญหาที่กําลังมีอยู่ อารมณ์ในโลกนี้ในฐานะที่มันเป็นตัวปัญหาที่กําลังมีอยู่ มันมารวมอยู่ที่คําว่า “วัตถุนิยม”: หมายความว่า ตา หู จมูก ลิ้น กาย ใจ นี้ มันเป็นฝ่ายชนะ ไปหลงใหลในอารมณ์ รูป เสียง กลิ่น รส โผฏฐัพพะ ฯลฯ, แล้วก็เกิดนิยมหลงใหลในวัตถุเหล่านั้น จนเกิดความคิดใหม่ๆ, ปรุงแต่งไปในทางที่จะให้หลงใหลในโลกยิ่งขึ้นๆ, ความเจริญก้าวหน้า ในโลกสมัยนี้เป็นไปแต่ในทางอย่างนี้ ฉะนั้น จึงไกลความสงบ, ไกลสันติภาพ ไกลอะไรออกไปทุกที. การที่มนุษย์ที่มีปัญญาในโลกสมัยนี้ โดยเฉพาะฝรั่งที่ก้าวหน้านั้นเขาก็จัดโลกไปแต่ในแง่ของวัตถุมากขึ้นๆ: มันก็ไกลจากสันติภาพ ไกลจากความสงบสุขยิ่งขึ้นทุกที

…. ความสะดวกสบายที่ทําให้เกิดขึ้นมาได้นั้น ไม่ได้ช่วยส่งเสริมเกิดสันติภาพ; แต่มันช่วยให้เกิดความหลงในโลกนั้นเองมากขึ้น แล้วก็ช่วยให้หลงใหลใน “ตัวกู ของกู”, ยึดมั่นถือมั่นเห็นแก่ตัวมากขึ้น รวมกันแล้วมันไม่มีทางที่จะเกิดสันติภาพหรือสันติสุขในโลกได้เลย, จึงกลายเป็นความหลอกลวงเหลือประมาณ โลกจึงกลายเป็นความหลอกลวง, หรือสิ่งที่หลอกลวงเหลือประมาณใน เวลานี้ เราเรียกกันว่า ติดบ่วง หรือว่า ติดเหยื่อของวัตถุนิยม. คําพูดทั้งหมดนี้ ล้วนแต่เป็นการแสดงให้เห็นว่า อารมณ์นี้คืออะไร สิ่งที่เรียกว่าอารมณ์นั้น คือตัวโลกที่กําลังหลอกลวงเราอยู่ทุกวันอย่างยิ่ง โดยเฉพาะในปัจจุบันนี้เป็นวัตถุนิยม นี้คืออารมณ์”

พุทธทาสภิกขุ ที่มา : ธรรมบรรยายภาคมาฆบูชา ครั้งที่ ๗ หัวข้อเรื่อง “อารมณ์ คือ ปัจจัยแห่งเหตุการณ์ทุกอย่างในโลก” เมื่อวันที่ ๑๖ กุมภาพันธ์ ๒๕๑๗ จากหนังสือชุดธรรมโฆษณ์ เล่มชื่อว่า “ก ข ก กา ของการศึกษาพุทธศาสนา”

หมายเหตุ

“อารมณ์ ” ในทางพุทธศาสนา มี ๖ คือ... * ๑. รูปะ = รูป, สิ่งที่เห็น หรือ วัณณะ คือ สี * ๒. สัททะ = เสียง * ๓. คันธะ = กลิ่น * ๔. รสะ = รส * ๕. โผฏฐัพพะ = สัมผัสทางกาย * ๖. ธรรมารมณ์ = สิ่งที่ใจนึกคิด, อารมณ์ที่เกิดกับใจ

…. ทั้ง ๖ อย่างนี้ เป็นสิ่งสำหรับให้จิตยึดหน่วง เรียกอีกอย่างว่า "อายตนะภานนอก" ก็ได้

“อายตนะภายใน ๖” คือ ที่เชื่อมต่อให้เกิดความรู้, แดนต่อความรู้ฝ่ายภายใน มี * ๖ อย่าง คือ... * ๑. จักษุ - ตา * ๒. โสตะ - หู * ๓. ฆานะ - จมูก * ๔. ชิวหา - ลิ้น * ๕. กาย - กาย * ๖. มโน - ใจ

… หรือจะเรียกอีกอย่างว่า “อินทรีย์ ๖” ก็ได้ เพราะเป็นใหญ่ในหน้าที่ของตนแต่ละอย่าง เช่น จักษุ เป็นเจ้าการ(เป็นใหญ่)ในการเห็น เป็นต้น

ท. ส. ปัญญาวุฑโฒ – รวบรวม.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

• This version introduces the Soroban P2P network, enabling Dojo to relay transactions to the Bitcoin network and share others' transactions to break the heuristic linking relaying nodes to transaction creators.

• Additionally, Dojo admins can now manage API keys in DMT with labels, status, and expiration, ideal for community Dojo providers like Dojobay. New API endpoints, including "/services" exposing Explorer, Soroban, and Indexer, have been added to aid wallet developers.
• Other maintenance updates include Bitcoin Core, Tor, Fulcrum, Node.js, plus an updated ban-knots script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.

"I want to thank all the contributors. This again shows the power of true Free Software. I also want to thank everyone who donated to help Dojo development going. I truly appreciate it," said Still Dojo Coder.

What's new

• Soroban P2P network. For MyDojo (Docker setup) users, Soroban will be automatically installed as part of their Dojo. This integration allows Dojo to utilize the Soroban P2P network for various upcoming features and applications.
• PandoTx. PandoTx serves as a transaction transport layer. When your wallet sends a transaction to Dojo, it is relayed to a random Soroban node, which then forwards it to the Bitcoin network. It also enables your Soroban node to receive and relay transactions from others to the Bitcoin network and is designed to disrupt the assumption that a node relaying a transaction is closely linked to the person who initiated it.
  • Pushing transactions through Soroban can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PUSH=off in docker-node.conf.
  • Processing incoming transactions from Soroban network can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PROCESS=off in docker-node.conf.
• API key management has been introduced to address the growing number of people offering their Dojos to the community. Dojo admins can now access a new API management tab in their DMT, where they can create unlimited API keys, assign labels for easy identification, and set expiration dates for each key. This allows admins to avoid sharing their main API key and instead distribute specific keys to selected parties.
• New API endpoints. Several new API endpoints have been added to help API consumers develop features on Dojo more efficiently:
  • New:
    • /latest-block - returns data about latest block
    • /txout/:txid/:index - returns unspent output data
    • /support/services - returns info about services that Dojo exposes
  • Updated:
    • /tx/:txid - endpoint has been updated to return raw transaction with parameter ?rawHex=1
  • The new /support/services endpoint replaces the deprecated explorer field in the Dojo pairing payload. Although still present, API consumers should use this endpoint for explorer and other pairing data.

Other changes

• Updated ban script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.
• Updated Fulcrum to v1.12.0.
• Regenerate Fulcrum certificate if expired.
• Check if transaction already exists in pushTx.
• Bump BTC-RPC Explorer.
• Bump Tor to v0.4.8.16, bump Snowflake.
• Updated Bitcoin Core to v29.0.
• Removed unnecessary middleware.
• Fixed DB update mechanism, added api_keys table.
• Add an option to use blocksdir config for bitcoin blocks directory.
• Removed deprecated configuration.
• Updated Node.js dependencies.
• Reconfigured container dependencies.
• Fix Snowflake git URL.
• Fix log path for testnet4.
• Use prebuilt addrindexrs binaries.
• Add instructions to migrate blockchain/fulcrum.
• Added pull policies.

#FREESAMOURAI

Learn how to set up and use your own Bitcoin privacy node with Dojo here.

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

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

@ 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.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

Michael Goldstein, aka Bitstein, presents a sweeping philosophical and economic case for going “all in” on Bitcoin, arguing that unlike fiat, which distorts capital formation and fuels short-term thinking, Bitcoin fosters low time preference, meaningful saving, and long-term societal flourishing. At the heart of his thesis is “hodling for good”—a triple-layered idea encompassing permanence, purpose, and the pursuit of higher values like truth, beauty, and legacy. Drawing on thinkers like Aristotle, Hoppe, and Josef Pieper, Goldstein redefines leisure as contemplation, a vital practice in aligning capital with one’s deepest ideals. He urges Bitcoiners to think beyond mere wealth accumulation and consider how their sats can fund enduring institutions, art, and architecture that reflect a moral vision of the future.

Best Quotes

“Let BlackRock buy the houses, and you keep the sats.”

“We're not hodling just for the sake of hodling. There is a purpose to it.”

“Fiat money shortens your time horizon… you can never rest.”

“Savings precedes capital accumulation. You can’t build unless you’ve saved.”

“You're increasing the marginal value of everyone else’s Bitcoin.”

“True leisure is contemplation—the pursuit of the highest good.”

“What is Bitcoin for if not to make the conditions for magnificent acts of creation possible?”

“Bitcoin itself will last forever. Your stack might not. What will outlast your coins?”

“Only a whale can be magnificent.”

“The market will sell you all the crack you want. It’s up to you to demand beauty.”

Conclusion

This episode is a call to reimagine Bitcoin as more than a financial revolution—it’s a blueprint for civilizational renewal. Michael Goldstein reframes hodling as an act of moral stewardship, urging Bitcoiners to lower their time preference, build lasting institutions, and pursue truth, beauty, and legacy—not to escape the world, but to rebuild it on sound foundations.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Michael’s BBB presentation Hodl for Good
07:27 - Austrian principles on capital
15:40 - Fiat distorts the economic process
23:34 - Bitkey
24:29 - Hodl for Good triple entendre
29:52 - Bitcoin benefits everyone
39:05 - Unchained
40:14 - Leisure theory of value
52:15 - Heightening life
1:15:48 - Breaking from the chase makes room for magnificence
1:32:32 - Nakamoto Institute’s mission

Transcript

(00:00) Fiat money is by its nature a disturbance. If money is being continually produced, especially at an uncertain rate, these uh policies are really just redistribution of wealth. Most are looking for number to go up post hyper bitcoinization. The rate of growth of bitcoin would be more reflective of the growth of the economy as a whole.
(00:23) Ultimately, capital requires knowledge because it requires knowing there is something that you can add to the structures of production to lengthen it in some way that will take time but allow you to have more in the future than you would today. Let Black Rockck buy the houses and you keep the sats, not the other way around.
(00:41) You wait until later for Larry Frink to try to sell you a [Music] mansion. And we're live just like that. Just like that. 3:30 on a Friday, Memorial Day weekend. It's a good good good way to end the week and start the holiday weekend. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you for having me here. Thank you for coming. I wore this hat specifically because I think it's I think it's very apppropo uh to the conversation we're going to have which is I hope an extension of the presentation you gave at Bitblock Boom Huddle for good. You were working on
(01:24) that for many weeks leading up to uh the conference and explaining how you were structuring it. I think it's a very important topic to discuss now as the Bitcoin price is hitting new all-time highs and people are trying to understand what am I doing with Bitcoin? Like you have you have the different sort of factions within Bitcoin.
(01:47) Uh get on a Bitcoin standard, get on zero, spend as much Bitcoin as possible. You have the sailors of the world are saying buy Bitcoin, never sell, die with your Bitcoin. And I think you do a really good job in that presentation. And I just think your understanding overall of Bitcoin is incredible to put everything into context. It's not either or.
(02:07) It really depends on what you want to accomplish. Yeah, it's definitely there there is no actual one-sizefits-all um for I mean nearly anything in this world. So um yeah, I mean first of all I mean there was it was the first conference talk I had given in maybe five years. I think the one prior to that uh was um bit block boom 2019 which was my meme talk which uh has uh become infamous and notorious.
(02:43) So uh there was also a lot of like high expectations uh you know rockstar dev uh has has treated that you know uh that that talk with a lot of reference. a lot of people have enjoyed it and he was expecting this one to be, you know, the greatest one ever, which is a little bit of a little bit of a uh a burden to live up to those kinds of standards.
(03:08) Um, but you know, because I don't give a lot of talks. Um, you know, I I I like to uh try to bring ideas that might even be ideas that are common. So, something like hodling, we all talk about it constantly. uh but try to bring it from a little bit of a different angle and try to give um a little bit of uh new light to it.
(03:31) I alsove I've I've always enjoyed kind of coming at things from a third angle. Um whenever there's, you know, there's there's all these little debates that we have in in Bitcoin and sometimes it's nice to try to uh step out of it and look at it a little more uh kind of objectively and find ways of understanding it that incorporate the truths of of all of them.
(03:58) uh you know cuz I think we should always be kind of as much as possible after ultimate truth. Um so with this one um yeah I was kind of finding that that sort of golden mean. So uh um yeah and I actually I think about that a lot is uh you know Aristotle has his his concept of the golden mean. So it's like any any virtue is sort of between two vices um because you can you can always you can always take something too far.
(04:27) So you're you're always trying to find that right balance. Um so someone who is uh courageous you know uh one of the vices uh on one side is being basically reckless. I I can't remember what word he would use. Uh but effectively being reckless and just wanting to put yourself in danger for no other reason than just you know the thrill of it.
(04:50) Um and then on the other side you would just have cowardice which is like you're unwilling to put yourself um at any risk at any time. Um, and courage is right there in the middle where it's understanding when is the right time uh to put your put yourself, you know, in in the face of danger um and take it on. And so um in some sense this this was kind of me uh in in some ways like I'm obviously a partisan of hodling.
(05:20) Um, I've for, you know, a long time now talked about the, um, why huddling is good, why people do it, why we should expect it. Um, but still trying to find that that sort of golden mean of like yes, huddle, but also what are we hodling for? And it's not we're we're not hodddling just merely for the sake of hodddling.
(05:45) There there is a a purpose to it. And we should think about that. And that would also help us think more about um what are the benefits of of spending, when should we spend, why should we spend, what should we spend on um to actually give light to that sort of side of the debate. Um so that was that was what I was kind of trying to trying to get into.
(06:09) Um, as well as also just uh at the same time despite all the talk of hodling, there's always this perennial uh there's always this perennial dislike of hodlers because we're treated as uh as if um we're just free riding the network or we're just greedy or you know any of these things. And I wanted to show how uh huddling does serve a real economic purpose.
(06:36) Um, and it does benefit the individual, but it also does uh it it has actual real social um benefits as well beyond merely the individual. Um, so I wanted to give that sort of defense of hodling as well to look at it from um a a broader position than just merely I'm trying to get rich. Um uh because even the person who uh that is all they want to do um just like you know your your pure number grow up go up moonboy even that behavior has positive ramifications on on the economy.
(07:14) And while we might look at them and have uh judgments about their particular choices for them as an individual, we shouldn't discount that uh their actions are having positive positive effects for the rest of the economy. Yeah. So, let's dive into that just not even in the context of Bitcoin because I think you did a great job of this in the presentation.
(07:36) just you've done a good job of this consistently throughout the years that I've known you. Just from like a first principles Austrian economics perspective, what is the idea around capital accumulation, low time preference and deployment of that capital like what what like getting getting into like the nitty-gritty and then applying it to Bitcoin? Yeah, it's it's a big question and um in many ways I mean I I even I barely scratched the surface.
(08:05) uh I I can't claim to have read uh all the volumes of Bombber works, you know, capital and interest and and stuff like that. Um but I think there's some some sort of basic concepts that we can look at that we can uh draw a lot out. Um the first uh I guess let's write that. So repeat so like capital time preference. Yeah. Well, I guess getting more broad like why sav

@ 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

@ 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.

@ e2c72a5a:bfacb2ee

Think proving you're over 21 without showing your ID is impossible? Zero Knowledge Proofs make it real.

Zero Knowledge Proofs let you prove something is true without revealing the information itself. Imagine proving you know a password without saying it. It's like magic, but it's math.

They're used in crypto for private transactions, secure voting, and faster blockchains. Zcash and Aztec use them to hide transaction details. StarkWare uses them to make Ethereum faster.

But here's the twist: zk STARKs don't need a trusted setup, unlike zk SNARKs. This makes them more secure and decentralized.

Misconception alert: ZKPs aren't just for privacy. They also boost scalability and interoperability.

Want to dive deeper into this mind bending tech? What other secrets can ZKPs unlock?

@ 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

@ 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.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

Starting January 1, 2026, the United Kingdom will impose some of the world’s most stringent reporting requirements on cryptocurrency firms.

All platforms operating in or serving UK customers-domestic and foreign alike-must collect and disclose extensive personal and transactional data for every user, including individuals, companies, trusts, and charities. 

This regulatory drive marks the UK’s formal adoption of the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), a global initiative designed to bring crypto oversight in line with traditional banking and to curb tax evasion in the rapidly expanding digital asset sector.

What Will Be Reported?

Crypto firms must gather and submit the following for each transaction:

• User’s full legal name, home address, and taxpayer identification number
• Detailed data on every trade or transfer: type of cryptocurrency, amount, and nature of the transaction
• Identifying information for corporate, trust, and charitable clients

The obligation extends to all digital asset activities, including crypto-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat trades, and applies to both UK residents and non-residents using UK-based platforms. The first annual reports covering 2026 activity are due by May 31, 2027.

Enforcement and Penalties

Non-compliance will carry stiff financial penalties, with fines of up to £300 per user account for inaccurate or missing data-a potentially enormous liability for large exchanges. The UK government has urged crypto firms to begin collecting this information immediately to ensure operational readiness.

Regulatory Context and Market Impact

This move is part of a broader UK strategy to position itself as a global fintech hub while clamping down on fraud and illicit finance. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has championed these measures, stating, “Britain is open for business – but closed to fraud, abuse, and instability”. The regulatory expansion comes amid a surge in crypto adoption: the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority reported that 12% of UK adults owned crypto in 2024, up from just 4% in 2021.

Enormous Risks for Consumers: Lessons from the Coinbase Data Breach

While the new framework aims to enhance transparency and protect consumers, it also dramatically increases the volume of sensitive personal data held by crypto firms-raising the stakes for cybersecurity.

The risks are underscored by the recent high-profile breach at Coinbase, one of the world’s largest exchanges.

In May 2025, Coinbase disclosed that cybercriminals, aided by bribed offshore contractors, accessed and exfiltrated customer data including names, addresses, government IDs, and partial bank details. 

The attackers then used this information for sophisticated phishing campaigns, successfully deceiving some customers into surrendering account credentials and funds.

“While private encryption keys remained secure, sufficient customer information was exposed to enable sophisticated phishing attacks by criminals posing as Coinbase personnel.”

Coinbase now faces up to $400 million in compensation costs and has pledged to reimburse affected users, but the incident highlights the systemic vulnerability created when large troves of personal data are centralized-even if passwords and private keys are not directly compromised. The breach also triggered a notable drop in Coinbase’s share price and prompted a $20 million bounty for information leading to the attackers’ capture.

The Bottom Line

The UK’s forthcoming crypto reporting regime represents a landmark in financial regulation, promising greater transparency and tax compliance. However, as the Coinbase episode demonstrates, the aggregation of sensitive user data at scale poses a significant cybersecurity risk.

As regulators push for more oversight, the challenge will be ensuring that consumer protection does not become a double-edged sword-exposing users to new threats even as it seeks to shield them from old ones.

@ 1c5ff3ca:efe9c0f6

Just calling it Open is not enough - Herausforderungen öffentlicher Bildungsinfrastrukturen und wie Nostr helfen könnte

Ich möchte gerne mit euch teilen, an welchen Konzepten ich arbeite, um die öffentliche Bildungsinfrastruktur mit Hilfe von Nostr zugänglicher und offener zu gestalten. Ich arbeite im Bereich öffentlicher Bildungsinfrastrukturen, besonders im Feld von Open Educational Resources (#OER). OER sind offen lizenzierte Bildungsmaterialien, die mit einer offenen Lizenz, meist einer Creative Commons Lizenz, versehen sind (CC-0, CC-BY, CC-BY-SA). Durch die klare und offene Lizenzierung ist es leicht möglich, die Lernmaterialien auf die individuellen Bedarfe anzupassen, sie zu verbessern und sie erneut zu veröffentlichen.

Seit vielen Jahren wird einerseits die Entwicklung freier Bildungsmaterialien gefördert, andererseits werden Plattformen, insbesondere Repositorien gefördert, die diese Materialien verfügbar machen sollen. Denn irgendwo müssen diese Materialien zur Verfügung gestellt werden, damit sie auch gefunden werden können.

Das klappt allerdings nur so mittelgut.

Herausforderungen

Nach vielen Jahren Förderung kann die einfache Frage: "Wo kann ich denn mein OER-Material bereitstellen" nicht einfach beantwortet werden. Es gibt Services, bei denen ich mein OER hochladen kann, jedoch bleibt es dann eingeschlossen in dieser Plattform und wird nicht auf anderen Plattformen auffindbar. Außerdem sind diese Services häufig an bestimmte Bildungskontexte gebunden oder geben Content erst nach einer Qualitätsprüfung frei. Dies führt dazu, dass ein einfaches und gleichzeitig öffentliches Teilen nicht möglich ist.

Diese und weitere Herausforderungen haben ihren Ursprung darin, dass Service und Infrastruktur in der Architektur öffentlichen Bildungsarchitektur ungünstig vermischt werden. Als Infrastruktur verstehe ich hier die Bereitstellung einer öffentlichen und offen zugänglichen Bildungsinfrastruktur, auf der Daten ausgetauscht, also bereitgestellt und konsumiert werden können. Jedoch existiert eine solche Infrstruktur momentan nicht unabhängig von den Services, die auf ihr betrieben werden. Infrastrukturbetreiber sind momentan gleichzeitig immer Servicebetreiber. Da sie aber die Hand darüber haben wollen, was genau in ihrem Service passiert (verständlich), schränken sie den Zugang zu ihrer Infrastruktur mit ein, was dazu führt, dass sie Lock-In Mechanismen großer Medienplattformen in der kleinen öffentlichen Bildungsinfrastruktur replizieren.

Es ist in etwas so, als würde jeder Autobauer auch gleichzeitig die Straßen für seine Fahrzeuge bauen. Aber halt nur für seine Autos.

Anhand einiger beispielhafter Services, die bestehende Plattformen auf ihren Infrastrukturen anbieten, möchte ich die Herausforderungen aufzeigen, die ich im aktuellen Architekturkonzept sehe:

• Upload von Bildungsmaterial
• Kuration: Zusammenstellung von Listen, Annotation mit Metadaten
• Crawling, Indexierung und Suche
• Plattfformübergreifende Kollaboration in Communities -> Beispiel: Qualitätssicherung (was auch immer das genau bedeutet)
• KI- Services -> Beispiel: KI generierte Metadaten für BiIdungsmaterial

Material Upload

Der Service "Material-Upload" oder das Mitteilen eines Links zu einem Bildungsmaterial wird von verschiedenen OER-Pattformen bereitgestellt (wirlernenonline.de, oersi.org, mundo.schule).

Dies bedeutet konkret: Wenn ich bei einer der Plattformen Content hochlade, verbleibt der Content in der Regel auch dort und wird nicht mit den anderen Plattformen geteilt. Das Resultat für die User: Entweder muss ich mich überall anmelden und dort mein Material hochladen (führt zu Duplikaten) oder damit leben, dass eben nur die Nutzer:innen der jeweiligen Plattform meinen Content finden können.

Der "Open Educational Resource Search Index" (OERSI) geht diese Herausforderung an, indem die Metadaten zu den Bildungsmaterialien verschiedener Plattformen in einem Index bereitgestellt werden. Dieser Index ist wiederum öffentlich zugänglich, sodass Plattformen darüber auch Metadaten anderer Plattformen konsumieren können. Das ist schon sehr gut. Jedoch funktioniert das nur für Plattformen, die der OERSI indexiert und für alle anderen nicht. Der OERSI ist auf den Hochschulbereich fokussiert, d.h. andere Bildungskontexte werden hier ausgeschlossen. Der Ansatz für jeden Bildungsbereich einen passenden "OERSI" daneben zustellen skaliert und schlecht und es bleibt die Herausforderung bestehen, dass für jede Quelle, die indexiert werden soll, ein entsprechender Importer/Crawler geschrieben werden muss.

Dieser Ansatz (Pull-Ansatz) rennt den Materialien hinterher.

Es gibt jedoch noch mehr Einschränkungen: Die Plattformen haben sich jeweils auf spezifische Bildungskontexte spezialisiert. D.h. auf die Fragen: Wo kann ich denn mein OER bereitstellen, muss immer erst die Gegenfrage: "Für welchen Bildungsbereich denn?" beantwortet werden. Wenn dieser außerhalb des allgemeinbildendenden Bereichs oder außerhalb der Hochschule liegt, geschweige denn außerhalb des institutionellen Bildungsrahmens, wird es schon sehr, sehr dünn. Kurzum:

• Es ist nicht einfach möglich OER bereitzustellen, sodass es auch auf verschiedenen Plattformen gefunden werden kann.

Kuration

Unter Kuration verstehe ich hier die Zusammenstellung von Content in Listen oder Sammlungs ähnlicher Form sowie die Annotation dieser Sammlungen oder des Contents mit Metadaten.

Einige Plattformen bieten die Möglichkeit an, Content in Listen einzuordnen. Diese Listen sind jedoch nicht portabel. Die Liste, die ich auf Plattform A erstelle, lässt sich nicht auf Plattform B importieren. Das wäre aber schön, denn so könnten die Listen leichter auf anderen Plattformen erweitert oder sogar kollaborativ gestaltet werden, andererseits werden Lock-In-Effekte zu vermieden.

Bei der Annotation mit Metadaten treten verschiedene zentralisierende Faktoren auf. In der momentanen Praxis werden die Metadaten meist zum Zeitpunkt der Contentbereitstellung festgelegt. Meist durch eine Person oder Redaktion, bisweilen mit Unterstützung von KI-Services, die bei der Metadateneingabe unterstützen. Wie aber zusätzliche eigene Metadaten ergänzen? Wie mitteilen, dass dieses Material nicht nur für Biologie, sondern auch für Sport in Thema XY super einsetzbar wäre? Die momentanen Ansätze können diese Anforderung nicht erfüllen. Sie nutzen die Kompetenz und das Potential ihrer User nicht.

• Es gibt keine interoperablen Sammlungen
• Metadaten-Annotation ist zentralisiert
• User können keine eigenen Metadaten hinzufügen

Crawling, Indexierung und Suche

Da die Nutzer:innen nicht viele verschiedene Plattformen und Webseiten besuchen wollen, um dort nach passendem Content zu suchen, crawlen die "großen" OER-Aggregatoren diese, um die Metadaten des Contents zu indexieren. Über verschiedene Schnittstellen oder gerne auch mal über das rohe HTML. Letztere Crawler sind sehr aufwändig zu schreiben, fehleranfällig und gehen bei Design-Anpassungen der Webseite schnell kaputt, erstere sind etwas stabiler, solange sich die Schnittstelle nicht ändert. Durch den Einsatz des Allgemeinen Metadatenprofils für Bildungsressourcen (AMB) hat sich die Situation etwas verbessert. Einige Plattformen bieten jetzt eine Sitemap an, die Links zu Bildungsmaterial enthalten, die wiederum eingebettet script-tags vom Typ application/ld+json enthalten, sodass die Metadaten von dort importiert werden können.

Beispiel: e-teaching.org bietet hier eine Sitemap für ihre OER an: https://e-teaching.org/oer-sitemap.xml und auf den jeweiligen Seiten findet sich ein entsprechendes script-Tag.

Das ist schon viel besser, aber da geht noch mehr:

Zunächst ist dieser Ansatz nur für Plattformen und Akteure praktikabel, die über IT-Ressourcen verfügen, um entsprechende Funktionalitäten bei sich einbauen zu können. Lehrende können dies nicht einfach auf ihrem privaten Blog oder ähnliches umsetzen. Zum anderen besteht immer noch ein Discovery Problem. Ich muss nach wie vor wissen, wo ich suchen muss. Ich muss die Sitemaps kennen, sonst finde ich nichts. Statt eines Ansatzes, bei dem Akteure eigenständig mitteilen können, dass sie neuen Content haben (Push-Ansatz), verfolgen wir derzeit einen Ansatz, bei dem jede Plattform für sich Content im Pull-Verfahren akquiriert. Dies führt an vielen Stellen zu Doppelarbeiten, ist ineffizient (mehrere Personen bauen genau die gleichen Crawler, aber halt immer für ihre Plattform) und schliesst vor allem kleine Akteure aus (lohnt es sich einen Crawler zu programmieren, wenn die Webseite "nur" 50 Materialien bereitstellt?).

Anstatt erschlossene Daten zu teilen, arbeiten die Plattformen für sich oder stellen es höchstens wieder hinter eigenen (offenen oder geschlossenen) Schnittstellen bereit. Das ist wohl nicht das, was wir uns unter einer offenen und kollaborativen Gemeinschaft vorstellen, oder?

Bei der Suche stehen wir vor ähnlichen Herausforderungen, wie bereits oben geschildert. Obwohl verschiedene OER-Aggregatoren in Form von Repositorien oder Referatorien bereits viele der "kleineren" Plattformen indexieren und somit eine übergreifende Suche anbieten, ist es nicht möglich, diese Aggregatoren gemeinsam zu durchsuchen. Dies führt im Endeffekt dazu, dass die User wieder verschiedene Plattformen ansteuern müssen, wenn sie den gesamten OER-Fundus durchsuchen wollen.

• An vielen Stellen wird Content doppelt erschlossen, aber immer für die eigene Plattform
• Es gibt keinen geteilten Datenraum, in den Akteure Content "pushen" können
• Es gibt keine plattformübergreifenden Suchmöglichkeiten

Plattformübergreifende Kollaboration

Das wäre schön, oder? Mir ist schleierhaft, wie #OEP (Open Educational Practices, genaue Definition durch die Community steht noch aus) ohne funktionieren soll. Aber es gibt meines Wissens nach nicht mal Ansätze, wie das technisch umgesetzt werden soll (oder doch? let me hear).

Ein Szenario für solche plattformübergreifende Kollaboration könnte Qualitätssicherung sein. Gesetzt, dass sich zwei Plattformen / Communities auf etwas verständigt haben, dass sie als "Qualität" bezeichnen, wie aber dieses Gütesiegel nun an den Content bringen?

Plattform A: Na, dann kommt doch alle zu uns. Hier können wir das machen und dann hängt auch ein schönes Badge an den Materialien.

Plattform B: Ja, aber dann hängt es ja nicht an unseren Materialien. Außerdem wollen/müssen wir bei uns arbeiten, weil welche Existenzberechtigung hat denn meine Plattform noch, wenn wir alles bei dir machen?

• Obwohl nun #OEP in aller Munde sind, gibt es keine technischen Ansätze, wie (plattformübergreifende) Kollaboration technisch abgebildet werden kann

KI-Services

Was ist heute schon komplett ohne das Thema KI zu erwähnen? Mindestens für den nächsten Förderantrag muss auch irgendetwas mit KI gemacht werden...

Verschiedene Projekte erarbeiten hilfreiche und beeindruckende KI-Services. Beispielsweise, um die Annotation von Content mit Metadaten zu erleichtern, Metadaten automatisch hinzuzufügen, Content zu bestimmten Themen zu finden oder (halb-)automatisch zu Sammlungen hinzuzufügen. Aber (vielleicht habt ihr es schon erraten): Funktioniert halt nur auf der eigenen Plattform. Vermutlich, weil die Services nah am plattformeigenen Datenmodell entwickelt werden. Und da die Daten dieses Silo nicht verlassen, passt das schon. Das führt dazu, dass an mehreren Stellen die gleichen Services doppelt entwickelt werden.

• KI-Services funktionieren oft nur auf der Plattform für die sie entwickelt werden

Zusammenfassung der Probleme

Wir machen übrigens vieles schon sehr gut (Einsatz des AMB, Offene Bidungsmaterialien, wir haben eine großartige Community) und jetzt müssen wir halt weiter gehen.

(Die OER-Metadatengruppe, die das Allgemeine Metadatenprofil für Bildungsressourcen (AMB) entwickelt hat, bekommt für ihre Arbeit keine direkte Förderung. Gleichzeitig ist sie eine zentrale Anlaufstelle für alle, die mit Metadaten in offenen Bildungsinfrastukturen hantieren und das Metadatenprofil ist eines der wenigen Applikationsprofile, das öffentlich einsehbar, gut dokumentiert ist und Validierungsmöglichkeiten bietet.)

Betrachten wir die gesamten Plattformen und die beschriebenen Herausforderungen aus der Vogelperspektive, so lassen sich drei ineinander verschränkte Kernbestandteile unterscheiden, die helfen, die beschriebenen Probleme besser zu verstehen:

• User
• Service
• Daten

User: Auf (fast) allen Plattformen agieren User. Sie laden Material hoch, annotieren mit Metadaten, sind in einer Community, suchen Content usw. Egal, ob sie sich einloggen können/müssen, irgendetwas bieten wir unseren Usern an, damit sie daraus hoffentlich Mehrwerte ziehen

Service: Das ist dieses irgendetwas. Die "Webseite", die Oberfläche, das, wo der User klicken und etwas tun kann. Es ist das, was den Daten oft eine "visuelle" Form gibt. Der Service ist der Mittler, das Interface zwischen User und Daten. Mithilfe des Services lassen sich Daten erzeugen, verändern oder entfernen (Es gibt natürlich auch viele nicht-visuelle Services, die Interaktion mit Daten ermöglichen, aber für die meisten normalen Menschen, gibt es irgendwo was zu klicken).

Daten: Die Informationen in strukturierter maschinenlesbarer Form, die dem User in gerenderter Form durch einen Service Mehrwerte bieten können. Ungerenderte Daten können wir schwieirg erfassen (wir sind ja nicht Neo). Das können entweder die Metadaten zu Bildungmaterialien sein, die Materialien selbst, Profilinformationen, Materialsammlungen o.ä.

Meines Erachtens nach haben viele der oben beschriebenen Herausforderungen ihren Ursprung darin, dass die drei Kernbestandteile User, Service, Daten ungünstig miteinander verbunden wurden. Was kein Vorwurf sein soll, denn das ist genau die Art und Weise, wie die letzten Jahre (Jahrzehnte?) Plattformen immer gebaut wurden:

• User, Service und Daten werden in einer Plattform gebündelt

Das heisst durch meinen Service agieren die User mit den Daten und ich kann sicherstellen, dass in meiner kleinen Welt alles gut miteinander funktioniert. Sinnvoll, wenn ich Microsoft, Facebook, X oder ähnliches bin, weil mein Geschäftsmodell genau darin liegt: User einschließen (lock-in), ihnen die Hohheit über ihren Content nehmen (oder kannst du deine Facebook Posts zu X migrieren?) und nach Möglichkeit nicht wieder rauslassen.

Aber unsere Projekte sind öffentlich. Das sind nicht die Mechanismen, die wir replizieren sollten. Also was nun?

Bildungsinfrasstrukturen auf Basis des Nostr-Protokolls

Nostr

Eine pseudonyme Person mit dem Namen "fiatjaf" hat 2019 ein Konzept für ein Social Media Protokoll "Nostr - Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted By Relays" wie folgt beschrieben:

It does not rely on any trusted central server, hence it is resilient, it is based on cryptographic keys and signatures, so it is tamperproof, it does not rely on P2P techniques, therefore it works.

Fiatjaf, 2019

Die Kernbestandsteile des Protokolls bestehen aus:

• JSON -> Datenformat
• SHA256 & Schnorr -> Kryptographie
• Websocket -> Datenaustausch

Und funktionieren tut es so:

User besitzen ein "Schlüsselpaar": einen privaten Schlüssel (den behälst du für dich, nur für dich) und einen öffentlichen Schlüssel, den kannst du herumzeigen, das ist deine öffentliche Identität. Damit sagst du anderen Usern: Hier schau mal, das bin ich. Die beiden Schlüssel hängen dabei auf eine "magische" (kryptografische) Weise zusammen: Der öffentliche Schlüssel lässt sich aus dem privaten Schlüssel generieren, jedoch nicht andersherum. D.h. falls du deinen öffentlichen Schlüssel verlierst: Kein Problem, der lässt sich immer wieder herstellen. Wenn du deinen privaten Schlüssel verlierst: Pech gehabt, es ist faktisch unmöglich, diesen wieder herzustellen.

Die Schlüsselmagie geht jedoch noch weiter: Du kannst mit deinem privaten Schlüssel "Nachrichten" signieren, also wie unterschreiben. Diese Unterschrift, die du mit Hilfe des privaten Schlüssels erstellst, hat eine magische Eigenschaft: Jeder kann mithilfe der Signatur und deinem öffentlichen* Schlüssel nachprüfen, dass nur die Person, die auch den privaten Schlüssel zu diesem öffentlichen Schlüssel besitzt, diese Nachricht unterschrieben haben kann. Magisch, richtig? Verstehst du nicht komplett? Nicht schlimm, du benutzt es bereits vermutlich, ohne dass du es merkst. Das ist keine fancy neue Technologie, sondern gut abgehangen und breit im Einsatz.

Merke: User besitzen ein Schlüsselpaar und können damit Nachrichten signieren.

Dann gibt es noch die Services. Services funktionieren im Grunde wie bereits oben beschrieben. Durch sie interagieren die User mit Daten. Aber bei Nostr ist es ein kleines bisschen anders als sonst, denn: Die Daten "leben" nicht in den Services. Aber wo dann?

Wenn ein User einen Datensatz erstellt, verändert oder entfernen möchte, wird dieses "Event" (so nennen wir das bei Nostr) mit deinem privaten Schlüssel signiert (damit ist für alle klar, nur du kannst das gemacht haben) und dann mehrere "Relays" gesendet. Das sind die Orte, wo die Daten gehalten werden. Wenn ein User sich in einen Service einloggt, dann holt sich der Service die Daten, die er braucht von diesen Relays. User, Service und Daten sind also entkoppelt. Der User könnte zu einem anderen Service wechseln und sich dieseleben Daten von den Relays holen. Keine Lock-In Möglichkeiten.

Merke: User, Service und Daten sind entkoppelt.

Zuletzt gibt es noch die Relays. Relays sind Orte. Es sind die Orte, zu denen die Events, also die Daten der User, ihre Interaktionen, gesendet und von denen sie angefragt werden. Sie sind sowas wie das Backend von Nostr, allerdings tun sie nicht viel mehr als das: Events annehmen, Events verteilen. Je nach Konfiguration dürfen nur bestimmte User auf ein Relay schreiben oder davon lesen.

Das Protokoll ist von seinem Grunddesign auf Offenheit und Interoperabilität ausgelegt. Keine Registrierung ist nötig, sondern nur Schlüsselpaare. Durch kryptografische Verfahren kann dennoch die Authentizitität eines Events sichergestellt werden, da nur die Inhaberin des jeweiligen Schlüsselpaares dieses Event so erstellen konnte. Die Relays sorgen dafür die Daten an die gewünschten Stellen zu bringen und da wir mehr als nur eines benutzen, haben wir eine gewisse Ausfallsicherheit. Da die Daten nur aus signierten JSON-Schnipseln bestehen, können wir sie leicht an einen anderen Ort kopieren, im Falle eines Ausfalls. Durch die Signaturen ist wiederum sichergestellt, dass zwischendurch keine Veränderungen an den Daten vorgenommen wurden.

Beispiel: Ein Nostr Event

Hier ein kleiner technischer Exkurs, der beschreibt, wie Nostr Events strukturiert sind. Falls dich die technischen Details nicht so interessieren, überspringe diesen Abschnitt ruhig.

Jedes Nostr Event besitzt die gleiche Grundstruktur mit den Attributen:

• id: Der Hash des Events
• pubkey: Der Pubkey des Urhebers des Events
• created_at: Der Zeitstempel des Events
• kind: Der Typ des Events
• tags: Zusätzliche Metadaten für das Event können in diesem Array hinterlegt werden
• content: Der textuelle Inhalt eines Events
• sig: Die Signatur des Events, um die Integrität der Daten zu überprüfen

json { "id": <32-bytes lowercase hex-encoded sha256 of the serialized event data>, "pubkey": <32-bytes lowercase hex-encoded public key of the event creator>, "created_at": <unix timestamp in seconds>, "kind": <integer between 0 and 65535>, "tags": [ [<arbitrary string>...], // ... ], "content": <arbitrary string>, "sig": <64-bytes lowercase hex of the signature of the sha256 hash of the serialized event data, which is the same as the "id" field> }

Die verwendeten Eventtypen sowie die existierenden Spezifikationen lassen sich unter https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/ einsehen.

Wichtig ist auch: Du kannst einfach anfangen, Anwendungen zu entwickeln. Die Relays werden alle Events akzeptieren, die dem o.g. Schema folgen. Du musst also niemanden um Erlaubnis fragen oder warten, bis deine Spezifikation akzeptiert und hinzugefügt wurde.

You can just build things.

Exkurs: Nostr für Binärdaten - Blossom

Ja, aber... das ist doch nur für textbasierte Daten geeignet? Was ist denn mit den Binärdaten (Bilder, Videos, PDFs, etc)

Diese Daten sind oft recht groß und es wurde sich auf das Best-Practice geeignet, diese Daten nicht auf Relays abzulegen, sondern einen besser geeigneten Publikationsmechanismus für diese Datentypen zu finden. Der Ansatz wird als "Blossom - Blobs stored simply on mediaservers" bezeichnet und ist recht unkompliziert.

Blossom Server (nichts anderes als simple Medienserver) nutzen Nostr Schlüsselpaare zur Verwaltung Identitäten und zum Signieren von Events. Die Blobs werden über ihren sha256 Hash identifiziert. Blossom definiert einige standardisierte Endpunkte, die beschreiben wie Medien hochgeladen werden können, wie sie konsumiert werden können usw.

Die Details, wie Authorisierung und die jeweiligen Endpunkte funktionieren, werden in der genannten Spezifikation beschrieben.

Nostr 🤝 Öffentliche Bildungsinfrastrukturen

Wie könnten Herausforderungen gelöst werden, wenn wir Nostr als Basis für die öffentliche Bildungsinfrastruktur einsetzen?

Material-Upload

• Es ist nicht einfach möglich OER bereitzustellen, sodass es auch auf verschiedenen Plattformen gefunden werden kann.

Mit Nostr als Basis-Infrastruktur würden die Metadaten und die Binärdaten nicht an den Service gekoppelt sein, von dem aus sie bereitgestellt wurden. Binärdaten können auf sogenannten Blossom-Servern gehostet werden. Metadaten, Kommentare und weitere textbasierte Daten werden über die Relay-Infrastruktur verteilt. Da Daten und Service entkoppelt sind, können die OER Materialien von verschiedenen Anwendungen aus konsumiert werden.

Kuration

• Es gibt keine interoperablen Sammlungen
• Metadaten-Annotation ist zentralisiert
• User können keine eigenen Metadaten hinzufügen

Sammlungen sind per se interoperabel. Auf Protokollebene ist definiert, wie Listen funktionieren. Die Annotation mit Metadaten ist an keiner Stelle zentralisiert. Das Versprechen der RDF-Community "Anyone can say anything about any topic" wird hier verwirklicht. Ich muss mir ja nicht alles anhören. Vielleicht konsumiere ich nur Metadaten-Events bestimmter Redaktionen oder User. Vielleicht nur diejenigen mit einer Nähe zu meinem sozialen Graphen. Jedenfalls gibt es die Möglichkeit für alle User entsprechende Metadaten bereit zu stellen.

Crawling, Indexierung und Suche * An vielen Stellen wird Content doppelt erschlossen, aber immer für die eigene Plattform * Es gibt keinen geteilten Datenraum, in den Akteure Content "pushen" können * Es gibt keine plattformübergreifenden Suchmöglichkeiten

Keine Doppelerschließungen mehr. Wenn ein User im Netzwerk ein Metadatenevent veröffentlicht hat, ist es für alle konsumierbar. Der Datenraum ist per se geteilt. Plattformübergreifende Suche wird durch die Kombination aus Relays und NIPs ermöglicht. In den NIPs können spezielle Query-Formate für die jeweiligen NIPs definiert werden. Relays können anzeigen, welche NIPs sie untersützten. Eine plattformübergreifende Suche ist im Nostr eine relay-übergreifende Suche.

Plattformübergreifende Kollaboration

• Obwohl nun #OEP in aller Munde sind, gibt es keine technischen Ansätze, wie (plattformübergreifende) Kollaboration technisch abgebildet werden kann

Nostr ist der technische Ansatz.

KI-Services

• KI-Services funktionieren oft nur auf der Plattform für die sie entwickelt werden

Es gibt im Nostr das Konzept der Data Vending Machines (s. auch data-vending-machines.org). Statt also einfach nur eine API zu bauen (was auch schon sehr schön ist, wenn sie offen zugänglich ist), könnten diese Services auch als Akteure im Nostr Netzwerk fungieren und Jobs annehmen und ausführen. Die Art der Jobs kann in einer Spezifikation beschrieben werden, sodass die Funktionsweise für alle interessierten Teilnehmer im Netzwerk einfach nachzuvollziehen ist.

Die Services könnten sogar monetarisiert werden, sodass sich hier auch Möglichkeiten böten, Geschäftsmodelle zu entwickeln.

Fazit

Die Open Education Community ist großartig. Es sind einzigartige und unglaublich engagierte Menschen, die sich dem hehren Ziel "Zugängliche Bildung für Alle" -> "Offene Bildung" verschrieben haben. Wir verwenden Creative Commons Lizenzen -> Commons -> Gemeingüter. Es ist okay, dass viele Projekte von Sponsoren und Förderungen abhängig sind. Was wir machen, ist im Sinne eines Gemeingutes: Öffentliche Bildung für alle. Also zahlen wir als Gemeinschaft alle dafür.

Was nicht okay ist: Dass das, wofür wir alle gezahlt haben, nach kurzer Zeit nicht mehr auffindbar ist. Dass es eingeschlossen wird. In öffentlich finanzierten Datensilos. Es muss für alle auch langfristig verfügbar sein. Sonst ist es nicht zugänglich, nicht offen. Dann ist das O in OER nur ein Label und Marketing, um für eine ABM-Maßnahme 3 Jahre Geld zu bekommen. Denn nichts anderes ist Content-Entwicklung, wenn der Content nach drei Jahren weggeschmissen wird.

Und dasselbe gilt für OEP. Offene Lernpraktiken, sind auch nur eine Phrase, wenn wir die passende technische Infrastruktur nicht mitdenken, die wirkliche Offenheit und Kollaboration und damit die Umsetzung offener Lernpraktiken ermöglicht.

Und wenn wir uns jetzt nicht Gedanken darüber machen, die Infrastruktur für offenes Lernen anzupassen, dann werden wir vermutlich in einigen Jahren sehen können, was bei politischen Umorientierungen noch davon übrig bleiben wird. Wenn die Fördertöpfe komplett gestrichen werden, was bleibt dann übrig von dem investierten Geld?

Wir brauchen Lösungen, die engagierte Communities weiter betreiben können und denen kein Kopf abgeschlagen werden kann, ohne dass wir zwei neue daneben setzen könnten.

Wir müssen uns jetzt Gedanken darüber machen.

Wie offen will öffentliche Bildungsinfrastruktur sein?

@ 0b118e40:4edc09cb

The idea of Bitcoin as an internet native currency, and eventually a global one, is coming to life slowly. But historically, the idea of global currency has haunted the world’s financial imagination for nearly a century. 

From Keynes’s Bancor in 1944 to Zhou Xiaochuan’s post-crisis proposal in 2009 to today’s renewed debates, the idea resurfaces every time the global economy fractures. 

Could this time be different with Bitcoin? 

I decided to trace the idea of global currency through several decades and books. I may have missed some parts, so feel free to add. I’ll keep this brief and leave the books I’ve read below.

In the beginning

It all started on July 1, 1944. 730 delegates from 44 Allied nations, including major powers like the US, UK, Soviet Union, China, and France, gathered at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. They spent 2 weeks figuring out how the new international monetary and financial system would be, post WW2

After WW1, the treaty of Versailles was needed, but imposed harsh reparations that devastated economies and contributed to the rise of fascism, such as Hitler, Mussolini and gang. 

So when folks met up in 1944 (WW2 was almost ending), the goal was to prevent another Great Depression, another global conflict and build a stable global economic order. 

2 main proposals were discussed in Bretton Woods. 

1. John Maynard Keynes, representing the UK, proposed the creation of a global currency called Bancor. It will be issued through a global central bank known as the International Clearing Union (ICU).

2. Harry Dexter White, representing the US, promoted a dollar-based system. Countries would peg their currencies to the US. dollar backed by gold. He also led the creation of the IMF and the World Bank.

To understand how both of these proposals work, let's look at an example.

• Country A (Germany): Massive exporter

• Country B (USA): Massive importer

• Country C (Brazil): Balanced trade (imports = exports)

***Based on Dexter’s model and the current USD-based system, ***

Say Germany sells $1B worth of cars to the US. The US  pays in dollars, increasing its trade deficit. Germany accumulates dollars as reserves or buys the US Treasury bonds. Over time, the US continues running trade deficits, while Germany keeps hoarding dollars. Hence the  unsustainable debt of the US. 

***In Keynes’s Bancor system, ***

If Germany sells $1B worth of cars to the US, then the US does not pay in dollars. Instead, the ICU credits Germany with 1B Bancors and debits the US with -1B Bancors. 

The ICU police this. If Germany exceeds the surplus threshold, it pays interest or penalties to discourage hoarding. If the US exceeds its deficit threshold, it is warned to rebalance trade or face restrictions.

Here, Germany is incentivized to import more (e.g., from Brazil) or invest in global development. The US is encouraged to export more or reduce consumption. Brazil, with balanced trade, enjoys stability in Bancor flows and avoids pressure.

The idea behind Bancor was a zero-sum balancing act. No country could become “too big to fail” due to excessive deficits. But it was too complicated and idealistic in assuming every country could maintain balanced trade. 

Dexter on the other hand had a few tricks up his sleeve. In the end, Dexter’s USD dominance proposal was adopted. 

The Bretton Woods system established the US dollar as the central global currency 

Why did dollar dominance win over Bancor?

Simplicity often wins over complexity. But more so ICU felt too centralized, asking nations to surrender economic autonomy to a global body. That didn’t sit well in a post-war world where sovereignty was non-negotiable. That and idealist economic trade balance views. 

Dexter’s dollar-based system on the other hand wasn’t fair play at all. It was centralized and authoritarian in its design. 

So how did Dexter pull it off?

They had gold. They were ahead in economic recovery.

And they had nuclear weapons. 

At the time, the US held nearly 2/3 of the world’s gold reserves. It was a significant advantage in advocating for a gold-backed dollar as the bedrock of global trade. 

The US proposed a fixed gold peg at $35 per ounce.

From a broader geopolitical backdrop, the global population in 1944 was about 2.3 billion, a fraction of today’s 8 billion. The world was far less interconnected. The war had devastated Europe, Russia, and much of Asia. Infrastructure, economies, and entire cities were in ruins. The US, by contrast, had faced far fewer casualties and damages. Being geographically isolated, it had minimal domestic losses, around a tenth of what Europe suffered, and its economy was poised to rebuild faster. 

But gold dominance and economic recovery alone didn’t secure US financial dominance.

American scientific breakthroughs had already signaled global power. Physicists like Leo Szilard and Albert Einstein, who had fled Europe, helped develop nuclear weapons. Their intent was deterrence, not destruction. But once the bomb existed, it changed geopolitics overnight. The US had military dominance. And after Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, it became the undisputed superpower. 

In the end, the USD won and the vision for neutral global currency faded. 

And 20 years passed on…

France sends its warship to the US

Under Bretton Woods, countries could exchange dollars for gold, but the US had been printing more dollars than it had gold to back it. And it used it to fund the costly Vietnam War and domestic programs like the Great Society under LBJ. 

Belgian-American economist Robert Triffin pointed out a fatal flaw in the Bretton Woods system that came to be known as the Triffin dilemma. 

• The world needed US dollars for liquidity and trade.

• But the more dollars the US pumped out, the less credible its gold promise became.

Yet the US kept promising that every dollar was still convertible to gold at $35 per ounce.

French President Charles de Gaulle saw this as financial imperialism. He called it the  “exorbitant privileged position”. The world had to pay for what they bought with the money they have, but not the US. 

So in 1965, France did something unexpected. It sent a warship to New York Harbor to physically retrieve French gold reserves held by the Federal Reserve. 

Would it have escalated to war? Maybe. But likely not. It was perhaps more of a diplomatic theatre and a sovereign flex. France was exercising its right under the Bretton Woods agreement to convert dollars into gold. But doing it with military formality was to send a signal to the world that they don’t trust the US system anymore.

It was one of the first major public blows to the dollar’s credibility. And France wasn’t alone. Other countries like West Germany and Switzerland followed suit, redeeming dollars for gold and draining US reserves.

The Nixon shock

Given they did not have enough gold, the IMF introduced Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) in 1969. SDRs were an international reserve asset, created to supplement gold and dollar reserves. Instead of relying solely on the US dollar, SDRs were based on a basket of major currencies (originally gold-backed but later diversified).

The idea was to reduce the world’s dependence on the dollar and avoid a liquidity crisis. But SDRs were a little too late and a little too weak to solve the underlying problem.

By 1971, the US could no longer sustain the illusion. President Nixon “closed the gold window,” suspending dollar convertibility to gold. 

The Bretton Woods collapsed and this marked the beginning of fiat money dominance.

The French pursuit

While France demanded justice in one corner of the world, the French franc, specifically the CFA franc, has been dominant in parts of Africa since 1945, long before 1971.

After WWII, France created two CFA franc zones:

• West Africa: Communauté Financière Africaine (XOF)

• Central Africa: Coopération Financière en Afrique Centrale (XAF)

These zones included 14 African countries, many of which were former French colonies. France maintained monetary control via currency convertibility guarantees and representation in African central banks. Till today it has influence over these country’s monetary policy.

Colonisation hasn't ended in some parts of the world. 

Did countries stop using the USD after the Nixon shock 1971?

Nope. The US dollar was no longer convertible to gold and it dismantled the fixed exchange rate system. But most countries did not stop using the USD as their dominant reserve or trade currency. There were no decent alternatives. Instead, they floated their currencies or maintained a soft peg to the dollar or a basket of currencies. 

The USD remained dominant in oil trade (OPEC priced oil in USD) - petrodollar deal, global debt markets and FX reserves (central banks kept holding USD). 

In 1997, when many Southeast Asian countries were still pegged to the USD, Soros claimed that SEA will tank. The US further increased its credit rates leading to capital flight and eventual tanking of these countries leading to Asian Financial Crisis '97. Many financial crisis has similar vibe.

The 1999 Euro launch

The idea of a shared currency appeared again, this time through the forms of Euro. It was a mandatory system for member states of the Eurozone, and came with centralized authority, the European Central Bank (ECB), which controlled monetary policy for all participating nations.

At first glance, the euro seemed like a win. It eliminated exchange rate fluctuations, making trade within the Eurozone smoother. It gave weaker economies access to lower borrowing costs and helped Europe establish itself as a financial heavyweight. Today, the euro is the second most-used reserve currency after the US dollar.

But it came at a cost. Countries that adopted the euro lost monetary sovereignty and could no longer print their own money or adjust interest rates to respond to local crises. This became painfully clear during Greece’s debt crisis, where strict monetary policies prevented the country from devaluing its currency to recover. The one-size-fits-all approach meant that economies as different as Germany and Greece had to follow the same rules, often to the detriment of weaker nations. Debt-ridden countries like Italy and Spain were forced into harsh austerity measures because they could not manipulate their currency to ease financial strain. Meanwhile, richer nations like Germany and the Netherlands felt they were unfairly propping up struggling economies, creating political tension across the EU.

In recent years, the euro has faced pressure from global trade tensions, monetary tightening, and geopolitical instability contributing to market volatility and periodic depreciation against other major currencies.

The Bretton Woods 2.0

Believe it or not, after all that, there was a call for Bretton Woods 2.0. Yet another global currency dream.

When the housing market collapsed in 2008 followed by a series of domino effects, global banks froze lending, economies contracted, and panic set in. The crisis exposed how fragile the international financial system had become as it was overly reliant on debt, under-regulated, and centered around the US dollar.

Many countries, especially in the Global South and emerging markets, started to question whether a system built around a single national currency was sustainable. 

China, for instance, had been holding huge amounts of US debt while the US printed more dollars through bailouts and quantitative easing. This created global imbalances as exporting nations were lending money to the US to keep the system running, while taking on the risk of dollar depreciation. 

In 2009, China’s central bank openly proposed replacing the US dollar with a neutral global reserve currency suggesting SDRs (Special Drawing Rights) issued by the IMF instead.

These concerns led to a wave of calls from world leaders for a “Bretton Woods 2.0” ,  a modern rethinking of the post-WWII economic order. At G20 summits in London in 2009, countries like France, China, and Russia pushed for reforms in global financial institutions and more balanced power sharing. 

In the end, the IMF received more funding, and some banking regulations were tightened in the years after. But no real overhaul happened. No surprise there? The dollar remained dominant. 

The foundation of the global economy didn’t change, even though trust in it had been deeply shaken.

The growth of BRICS

In 2023, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa began discussing the idea of a shared currency or alternative mechanism to reduce the dependence on USD ie de-dollarisation. The sanctions on Russia didn't help. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US and its allies froze Russia’s dollar reserves and cut it off from SWIFT, the “backbone of global banking communication”. This made one thing clear. If you fall out with Washington, your access to the global economy can vanish overnight.

China’s growing economic power also gave it more leverage to process alternative options. It would trade in Yuan with Russia and Iran.

I know many still say it's at its early stage, but I see many countries hedging their bets quietly and aligning with Putin and Xi. It became more obvious after US imposed tariffs on multiple nations, signaling that economic tools can double as political weapons. The world’s second financial system is slowly forming.

What is the world looking for, for the last century ?

A global currency that is 

1. Simple 

2. Free from dominant power 

3. Decentralised

4. Borderless

5. Scarce 

6. Transparent 

7. Inclusive, with self custody

8. Resilient in crisis 

9. Built for individual financial sovereignty

10. A new backbone for global finance, owned by no one

It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what politics you believe in, or how your economy leans. The answer keeps pointing in the same direction:

Bitcoin

This is the first true global currency.

And it’s just there 

Waiting...

.

.

.

---

Some books that might interest you :

1. The Battle of Bretton Woods by Benn Steil

2. Goodbye, Great Britain by Kathleen Burk and Alec Cairncross

3. The Ghost of Bancor by Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa

4. Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins

5. The Blood Bankers by James S. Henry

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

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

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

What's new

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

Source: RoboSats.

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

New contributors

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

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

GitHub Repo

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

“Not your keys, not your coins” isn’t a slogan—it’s a survival mantra in the age of digital sovereignty.

The seismic collapses of Mt. Gox (2014) and FTX (2022) weren’t anomalies; they were wake-up calls. When $8.7 billion in customer funds vanished with FTX, it exposed the fatal flaw of third-party custody: your bitcoin is only as secure as your custodian’s weakest link.

Yet today, As of early 2025, analysts estimate that between 2.3 million and 3.7 million Bitcoins are permanently lost, representing approximately 11–18% of bitcoin’s fixed maximum supply of 21 million coins, with some reports suggesting losses as high as 4 million BTC. This paradox reveals a critical truth: self-custody isn’t just preferable—it’s essential—but it must be done right.

The Custody Spectrum

Custodial Wallets (The Illusion of Control)

• Rehypothecation Risk: Most platforms lend your bitcoin for yield generation. When Celsius collapsed, users discovered their “held” bitcoin was loaned out in risky strategies.
• Account Freezes: Regulatory actions can lock withdrawals overnight. In 2023, Binance suspended dollar withdrawals for U.S. users citing “partner bank issues,” trapping funds for weeks.
• Data Vulnerability: KYC requirements create honeypots for hackers. The 2024 Ledger breach exposed 270,000 users’ personal data despite hardware security.

True Self-Custody
Self-custody means exclusively controlling your private keys—the cryptographic strings that prove bitcoin ownership. Unlike banks or exchanges, self-custody eliminates:

• Counterparty risk (no FTX-style implosions)
• Censorship (no blocked transactions)
• Inflationary theft (no fractional reserve lending)

Conquering the Three Great Fears of Self-Custody

Fear 1: “I’ll Lose Everything If I Make a Mistake”

Reality: Human error is manageable with robust systems:

• Test Transactions: Always send a micro-amount (0.00001 BTC) before large transfers. Verify receipt AND ability to send back.
• Multi-Backup Protocol: Store seed phrases on fireproof/waterproof steel plates (not paper!). Distribute copies geographically—one in a home safe, another with trusted family 100+ miles away.
• SLIP39 Sharding: Split your seed into fragments requiring 3-of-5 shards to reconstruct. No single point of failure.

Fear 2: “Hackers Will Steal My Keys”

Reality: Offline storage defeats remote attacks:

• Hardware Wallets: Devices like Bitkey or Ledger keep keys in “cold storage”—isolated from internet-connected devices. Transactions require physical confirmation.
• Multisig Vaults: Bitvault’s multi-sig system requires attackers compromise multiple locations/devices simultaneously. Even losing two keys won’t forfeit funds.
• Air-Gapped Verification: Use dedicated offline devices for wallet setup. Never type seeds on internet-connected machines.

Fear 3: “My Family Can’t Access It If I Die”

Reality: Inheritance is solvable:

• Dead Man Switches: Bitwarden’s emergency access allows trusted contacts to retrieve encrypted keys after a pre-set waiting period (e.g., 30 days).
• Inheritance Protocols: Bitkey’s inheritance solution shares decryption keys via designated beneficiaries’ emails. Requires multiple approvals to prevent abuse.
• Public Key Registries: Share wallet XPUBs (not private keys!) with heirs. They can monitor balances but not spend, ensuring transparency without risk.

The Freedom Dividend

1. Censorship Resistance: Send $10M BTC to a Wikileaks wallet without Visa/Mastercard blocking it.
2. Privacy Preservation: Avoid KYC surveillance—non-custodial wallets like Flash require zero ID verification.
3. Protocol Access: Participate in bitcoin-native innovations (Lightning Network, DLCs) only possible with self-custodied keys.
4. Black Swan Immunity: When Cyprus-style bank bailins happen, your bitcoin remains untouched in your vault.

The Sovereign’s Checklist

1. Withdraw from Exchanges: Move all BTC > $1,000 to self-custody immediately.
2. Buy Hardware Wallet: Purchase DIRECTLY from manufacturer (no Amazon!) to avoid supply-chain tampering.
3. Generate Seed OFFLINE: Use air-gapped device, write phrase on steel—never digitally.
4. Test Recovery: Delete wallet, restore from seed before funding.
5. Implement Multisig: For > $75k, use Bitvault for 2-of-3 multi-sig setup.
6. Create Inheritance Plan: Share XPUBs/SLIP39 shards with heirs + legal documents.

“Self-custody isn’t about avoiding risk—it’s about transferring risk from opaque institutions to transparent, controllable systems you design.”

The Inevitable Evolution: Custody Without Compromise

Emerging solutions are erasing old tradeoffs:

• MPC Wallets: Services like Xapo Bank shatter keys into encrypted fragments distributed globally. No single device holds full keys, defeating physical theft.
• Social Recovery: Ethically designed networks (e.g., Bitkey) let trusted contacts restore access without custodial control.
• Biometric Assurance: Fingerprint reset protocols prevent lockouts from physical injuries.

Lost keys = lost bitcoin. But consider the alternative: entrusting your life savings to entities with proven 8% annual failure rates among exchanges. Self-custody shifts responsibility from hoping institutions won’t fail to knowing your system can’t fail without your consent.

Take action today: Move one coin. Test one recovery. Share one xpub. The path to unchained wealth begins with a single satoshi under your control.

@ 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

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

This update brings key enhancements for clarity and usability:

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

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

Learn how to get started with Sparrow wallet:

Release notes (v2.2.0)

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

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

What's new in v2.2.1

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

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ 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.

@ 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

@ e516ecb8:1be0b167

Imagina un mundo donde cada peso que gastas es vigilado, registrado y cuestionado. Donde el Estado decide si puedes comprar un café, una manzana o una criptomoneda. No es una distopía de ciencia ficción, es el rumbo que están tomando varios países, mientras otros, como Argentina, dan un giro inesperado hacia la libertad. ¿Quién está ganando esta batalla por el control de tu dinero?

Argentina: "Tus dólares son tuyos" En Argentina, Javier Milei, con su bandera libertaria ondeando, ha dado un paso audaz: desmantelar el control policial sobre el dinero de los ciudadanos. Su lema, "Tus dólares son tuyos", es tan obvio como revolucionario. Después de décadas de corralitos, cepos cambiarios y una inflación que en 2023 alcanzó el 211,4% según el INDEC, Milei apuesta por devolverle al ciudadano el poder sobre su propio capital. Con el país logrando superávit fiscal por primera vez en años (0,2% del PBI en el primer trimestre de 2024), el gobierno ya no necesita espiar cada transacción para exprimir impuestos.

Pero aquí viene lo curioso: encuestas recientes, como una de la consultora Poliarquía, muestran que un 35% de los argentinos aún prefiere que el Estado controle sus finanzas. ¿Masoquismo? ¿Miedo a la libertad? Tal vez sea la costumbre de vivir bajo la lupa. Milei, fiel a su convicción, no solo liberaliza por necesidad económica, sino porque cree que el dinero es tuyo, no del burócrata de turno.

España y el Euro Digital: El ojo que todo lo ve Mientras Argentina afloja las riendas, Europa cabalga en dirección opuesta. En España, el gobierno está reduciendo progresivamente los umbrales para controlar transacciones bancarias. A partir de 2026, cada pago por Bizum —el equivalente ibérico al Pix brasileño— estará bajo escrutinio. Según el Banco de España, en 2024 se realizaron más de 1.200 millones de transacciones por Bizum, moviendo unos 60.000 millones de euros. Ahora, cada una de esas operaciones será un dato más para Hacienda.

Pero no es solo España. La Unión Europea avanza con el Euro Digital, un proyecto que promete ser la pesadilla de cualquier amante de la privacidad. Esta moneda digital, según el Banco Central Europeo, permitirá rastrear cada movimiento, limitar ciertos gastos (¿adiós a compras de cripto o donaciones incómodas?), e incluso programar que el dinero "se oxide". Sí, has leído bien: si no gastas tus euros digitales en un tiempo determinado, podrían perder valor o simplemente desaparecer. Un informe del BCE de 2023 estima que el Euro Digital estará operativo en 2027, y ya hay pruebas piloto en países como Alemania y Francia. ¿Libertad financiera? Más bien un Gran Hermano con esteroides.

Chile: El Estado fisgón y los funcionarios de lujo En Chile, el control monetario también aprieta. El gobierno ha propuesto levantar el secreto bancario, permitiendo que cualquier funcionario del SII pueda husmear en tus cuentas. Además, si haces más de 50 transacciones al mes, el Servicio de Impuestos Internos (SII) pondrá la lupa sobre ti. ¿Y las ferias libres? Esas donde compras tus tomates y zapallos sin complicaciones ahora deberán emitir boletas electrónicas, encareciendo los productos para el ciudadano de a pie. Según la CEPAL, los costos administrativos para pequeños comerciantes podrían aumentar hasta un 15% con estas medidas.

Mientras tanto, el sector público chileno vive en otra galaxia. Funcionarios con sueldos que superan los 5 millones de pesos mensuales (unos 5.500 USD) toman licencias médicas para viajar por el mundo, según denuncias de la Contraloría. Algunos incluso cobran por "turnos" de 17 horas extras diarias o marcan asistencia en dos lugares al mismo tiempo. ¿Y quién paga? Tú, con tus impuestos.

La resistencia: Volver al efectivo o abrazar las cripto Si el Estado quiere controlar cada centavo, ¿qué opciones nos quedan? Una es volver al efectivo, pero no nos engañemos: el dinero fiat, controlado por bancos centrales, pierde valor a largo plazo. En Chile, la inflación acumulada entre 2010 y 2024 fue del 62%, según el INE. Tus billetes de hoy valen menos que los de ayer, y mañana valdrán aún menos.

La otra opción es el mundo cripto, pero no cualquier cripto. Bitcoin, la más conocida, es un titán para almacenar valor, pero para transacciones diarias necesita una segunda capa como Lightning Network, que procesa pagos instantáneos con comisiones ínfimas (menos de 0,01 USD por transacción en 2024). Alternativas como Bitcoin Cash (BCH) o Monero (XMR) ofrecen transacciones rápidas y, en el caso de XMR, un enfoque en la privacidad que hace temblar a los burócratas. Sin embargo, ninguna cripto servirá si los comercios y las personas no las adoptan. En Argentina, por ejemplo, solo el 1,5% de las transacciones minoristas en 2024 usaron criptomonedas, según Chainalysis. La libertad financiera no llega sola: hay que construirla.

El futuro es ahora El dinero es poder, y quien controla el dinero controla tu vida. Mientras Milei en Argentina te devuelve las llaves de tus dólares, en Europa y Chile te atan las manos con leyes, regulaciones y monedas digitales. La pregunta no es si quieres libertad, sino si estás dispuesto a pelear por ella. Usa efectivo, explora cripto, pero sobre todo, no dejes que el Gran Hermano decida por ti. Porque una vez que el Estado mete la mano en tu bolsillo, no la saca nunca.

@ 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.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

• This version introduces the Soroban P2P network, enabling Dojo to relay transactions to the Bitcoin network and share others' transactions to break the heuristic linking relaying nodes to transaction creators.

• Additionally, Dojo admins can now manage API keys in DMT with labels, status, and expiration, ideal for community Dojo providers like Dojobay. New API endpoints, including "/services" exposing Explorer, Soroban, and Indexer, have been added to aid wallet developers.
• Other maintenance updates include Bitcoin Core, Tor, Fulcrum, Node.js, plus an updated ban-knots script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.

"I want to thank all the contributors. This again shows the power of true Free Software. I also want to thank everyone who donated to help Dojo development going. I truly appreciate it," said Still Dojo Coder.

What's new

• Soroban P2P network. For MyDojo (Docker setup) users, Soroban will be automatically installed as part of their Dojo. This integration allows Dojo to utilize the Soroban P2P network for various upcoming features and applications.
• PandoTx. PandoTx serves as a transaction transport layer. When your wallet sends a transaction to Dojo, it is relayed to a random Soroban node, which then forwards it to the Bitcoin network. It also enables your Soroban node to receive and relay transactions from others to the Bitcoin network and is designed to disrupt the assumption that a node relaying a transaction is closely linked to the person who initiated it.
  • Pushing transactions through Soroban can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PUSH=off in docker-node.conf.
  • Processing incoming transactions from Soroban network can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PROCESS=off in docker-node.conf.
• API key management has been introduced to address the growing number of people offering their Dojos to the community. Dojo admins can now access a new API management tab in their DMT, where they can create unlimited API keys, assign labels for easy identification, and set expiration dates for each key. This allows admins to avoid sharing their main API key and instead distribute specific keys to selected parties.
• New API endpoints. Several new API endpoints have been added to help API consumers develop features on Dojo more efficiently:
  • New:
    • /latest-block - returns data about latest block
    • /txout/:txid/:index - returns unspent output data
    • /support/services - returns info about services that Dojo exposes
  • Updated:
    • /tx/:txid - endpoint has been updated to return raw transaction with parameter ?rawHex=1
  • The new /support/services endpoint replaces the deprecated explorer field in the Dojo pairing payload. Although still present, API consumers should use this endpoint for explorer and other pairing data.

Other changes

• Updated ban script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.
• Updated Fulcrum to v1.12.0.
• Regenerate Fulcrum certificate if expired.
• Check if transaction already exists in pushTx.
• Bump BTC-RPC Explorer.
• Bump Tor to v0.4.8.16, bump Snowflake.
• Updated Bitcoin Core to v29.0.
• Removed unnecessary middleware.
• Fixed DB update mechanism, added api_keys table.
• Add an option to use blocksdir config for bitcoin blocks directory.
• Removed deprecated configuration.
• Updated Node.js dependencies.
• Reconfigured container dependencies.
• Fix Snowflake git URL.
• Fix log path for testnet4.
• Use prebuilt addrindexrs binaries.
• Add instructions to migrate blockchain/fulcrum.
• Added pull policies.

#FREESAMOURAI

Learn how to set up and use your own Bitcoin privacy node with Dojo here.

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ 7460b7fd:4fc4e74b

比特币正在主动引诱量子计算“破解自己”

引言：危机还是契机？

比特币和量子计算，这两个看似对立的存在，正在酝酿一场耐人寻味的博弈。许多人担心未来强大的量子计算机将秒破比特币的密码学基石，从而令区块链安全灰飞烟灭。然而，本文想传达的核心观点却截然相反：比特币不仅不会被量子破解打败，反而正在通过协议层的巧妙设计来“引诱”量子计算进入自己的游戏规则之中。通过诸如BIP-360等提案，比特币有望将量子计算的威胁转化为动力，开启一个“后挖矿时代”的全新正反馈经济体系，让“破解”本身成为新的挖矿机制。

这样的观点听起来近乎狂想，但背后有着深厚的技术逻辑支撑。我们将从基本的密码学原理谈起，逐步剖析量子计算的能力与局限，以及比特币协议在抗量子方向做出的结构性准备。最后，我们探讨一种大胆的经济模型：当量子计算被诱导去参与“破解竞赛”时，或许正是比特币凤凰涅槃、新经济形态崛起之机。

非对称加密的数学本质：“上帝视角”的陷门答案

非对称加密（如RSA、椭圆曲线加密ECC等）的核心在于存在一种单向函数：正向计算容易，反向推导极难。公钥可以视作某个难题的题目，私钥则相当于“上帝视角”提前知道的答案。一旦掌握私钥，就能轻松完成从答案到题目的逆推；而只有公钥时，想要逆推出私钥则被设计为在现实中不可行。这类单向难题通常通过陷门函数来实现——对合法持有者（私钥）来说，存在隐藏的捷径（陷门）可以快速解题；而对局外人来说，题目看似无解。

举例来说，比特币当前采用的ECC加密：私钥与公钥的关系就像“一次难以逆推的乘法”。给定私钥x，乘以基点G可轻易得到公钥点P = x·G，但已知P却无法高效求出x。这种不对称确保了签名者可以用私钥生成签名，而验证者只能用公钥验证签名而无法伪造。私钥掌握了解题的“上帝答案”，公钥则只能用于验证答案是否正确。

这一点在新型的抗量子算法中同样体现。以格密码（lattice cryptography）为例：Falcon等基于NTRU格的签名算法，其公钥可以被视为一个高维长基，私钥是对应的短基。pqshield.com在二维格子上的示意说明了这种不对称性：拥有短基（私钥）时，我们可以高效地找到距离某个目标点很近的格点解；但只有长基（公钥）时，我们顶多能验证某个给定解是否有效，却很难自行找到足够优质的解pqshield.com。换言之，私钥提供了一个陷门，允许持有者快速逆推答案，而公钥持有者只能望“题”兴叹。

图：在二维格子中，签名者持有的短基（私钥）可以高效求解出距离目标点（黑色方块）极近的格点解（绿色圆点）。绿色平行四边形表示短基下求解空间很小，因而容易找到最优解。这直观展示了陷门函数的威力：私钥掌握短基就如同拿到了解题捷径。

图：仅持有长基（公钥）时，使用相同算法得到的格点解（红色圆点）可能距离目标（黑色方块）很远。红色平行四边形代表在无陷门情况下求解范围巨大，找到最佳解极其困难。但验证者仍可用长基检查出某个解（如绿色点）确实是有效解pqshield.com。这体现了公私钥在计算能力上的不对称：私钥可求解，公钥仅可验证。

总而言之，非对称加密的安全性源自数学难题的单向性质和陷门结构。私钥就是那个隐藏的逆向通道，“上帝视角”的答案；公钥则是不具备捷径的信息，只够验证而无法逆推。从RSA的整数分解、ECC的离散对数，到Falcon的近似最近矢量问题，每一种公钥体制都是在构造“题目易出答案难逆”的格局，让持有陷门者轻松，旁观破解者绝望。

量子计算的原理与极限：并行穷举的神话与现实

量子计算机令人畏惧之处，在于其并行计算能力。通过量子叠加态，n个量子比特（qubit）可同时表示2^n种状态——仿佛能把指数级的可能性同时考虑。配合量子干涉与算法设计，量子计算机能够以远胜传统计算机的效率解决某些特定问题。其中最著名的就是Shor算法，它能在多项式时间内完成对大整数的质因数分解和离散对数求解。这正是传统公钥加密（RSA、ECC）的命门：一旦有足够强大的量子计算机，基于这些数学问题的公钥体制将不再困难，私钥可以由公钥“解密”而出coindesk.com。

然而，“并行穷举”的神话背后有严格的物理和工程学限制。首先是量子比特数量和质量的限制：当前的量子芯片规模远未达到破解现代加密所需的级别。据风险研究机构与专家调查，目前我们只有几十到几百个物理qubit，而要威胁256位ECC或2048位RSA，需要数百万高质量qubitdeloitte.com。不仅数量上相差几个数量级，现有量子芯片的纠错和降噪技术也远不成熟。量子比特极其敏感，微小噪声都会引入错误，真正实用的量子计算机需要对成千上万的物理比特进行纠错编码，形成稳定的逻辑比特。这个工程挑战之巨大，使得可攻破密码的量子计算机仍是多年之后的前景——多数专家预测大概还需十几年时间才可能出现实质威胁deloitte.com。

其次，量子计算并非万能破解，仅对特定问题有指数级加速。Shor算法擅长因数分解和离散对数，Grover算法可以对无结构的穷举搜索加速（将时间复杂度平方根降低）。但许多新兴的抗量子算法依赖的问题（如格上的最短向量问题SVP、最近向量问题CVP，或多变量方程、哈希预像等）目前并无高效量子算法。这些问题大多属于NP难类，甚至找近似解也极为困难emerginginvestigators.org。尽管量子计算提供并行试探能力，但对这类高度复杂的问题也爱莫能助。正如一项研究指出：SVP和CVP问题即便在量子计算机上依然“极端困难”，在可预见的将来仍足以保证安全性emerginginvestigators.org。Falcon所使用的NTRU格就是这样的难题代表——没有已知算法可以像Shor之于RSA那样，高效攻破NTRU问题。

最后，我们还需注意量子攻击的实际条件。量子破解比特币主要有两种情景：存储攻击和传输攻击deloitte.com。存储攻击指利用量子计算找出已公开公钥对应的私钥，从而盗取静态存放于链上某地址的币；传输攻击则是当交易广播（公钥暴露）后，在被矿工打包上链前的短暂窗口内，量子计算抢先推导私钥并盗转。这两种攻击对量子能力要求不同：存储攻击允许耗时几周甚至数月破解一个密钥，只要在币移动前完成即可；而传输攻击要求在区块确认之前（比特币约10分钟内，以太坊更短）秒破私钥deloitte.com。显然，目前和可预见的中期内，量子计算都远达不到传输攻击所需的即时破解水平；即便存储攻击，由于比特币区块链的UTXO模型（稍后详述），真正高价值、长时间暴露公钥的币也相对有限deloitte.com。因此，量子威胁虽然现实存在，但并非一夜之间让比特币崩溃的魔法。这反倒给予我们部署抗量子方案、引导量子力量“为我所用”的时间窗口。

抗量子密码学的三大结构前提

要让比特币真正抵御量子威胁，并把量子计算纳入自身生态，需要满足几个结构性前提。经过多年社区讨论和研究，以下三点被认为是比特币走向抗量子的关键设计要素：

1. UTXO模型：隐藏公钥缩短攻击窗口 – 比特币采用UTXO模型，每次交易都会生成新地址，公钥通常以哈希形式隐藏在地址中，直到你花费时才公布。这意味着量子计算只有在你发起交易后的很短时间内（交易确认前）才能获得公钥并尝试破解，大大压缩了攻击窗口anduro.iodeloitte.com。相较之下，账户模型（如以太坊）重复使用固定地址，公钥一旦被提取或首次使用后就长久暴露，使得65%以上的以太币当前都处于量子暴露风险中，而比特币约只有25%处于类似风险deloitte.com。UTXO模型通过“一次性地址”和“不用则公钥不出”的原则，天然提供了对抗量子存储攻击的第一道屏障。

2. “见证隔离”（SegWit）：模块化升级签名算法 – 抗量子方案的发展日新月异，比特币必须保持签名算法的可插拔升级能力。2017年的见证隔离升级正是为此奠定基础：SegWit将签名等见证数据与交易本体分离，并引入版本化的见证脚本格式。这使得添加新签名类型成为可能——通过软分叉引入新的输出类型和见证版本，就能兼容地支持不同算法delvingbitcoin.org。正如BIP-341利用SegWit扩展出了Taproot的Schnorr签名，比特币也可以扩展出抗量子签名的新地址类型而无需硬分叉或显著增加区块体积delvingbitcoin.org。这一模块化特性对于迎接未来各类抗量子算法至关重要，没有SegWit的铺垫，抗量子改造将困难重重。

3. 分级安全机制：根据价值和时效选择算法强度 – 由于UTXO的性质，每笔交易在花费时都会暴露其公钥。因此，安全策略不能“一刀切”，应允许根据币值大小或持有时长采用不同强度的抗量子算法。高价值的UTXO、长期未移动的“老币”，应使用更高安全级别但可能更重型的签名方案；反之，小额频繁交易可用较轻量的方案以兼顾效率和区块容量。好比Falcon提供了512和1024两种参数版本：Falcon-1024安全级别更高但签名稍大，而Falcon-512签名更小速度更快，适合资源受限场景emerginginvestigators.org。未来比特币或可同时支持多种抗量子算法或参数，用户按需选用，让“安全性”成为一种可以权衡和市场定价的链上资源。每一次支付都在安全与成本之间找到平衡，这将促使一个分层的安全市场形成——进一步论述见后文经济模型部分。

上述三大前提缺一不可：UTXO模型提供了基础的_安全缓冲_，SegWit机制给予_升级弹性_，分级算法让_经济可行性_落地。在这方面，比特币的体系结构远优于某些后来的公链。例如，以太坊的账户模型天生缺乏隐藏公钥的机制，地址就是固定的公钥哈希，一旦使用过私钥签名就永久暴露公钥，同时其交易脚本（EVM）对签名算法固定死，没有灵活插拔空间。这意味着以太坊想转向抗量子算法，必须经过极其痛苦的整体迁移或硬分叉——开发者需要为每个账户引入新密钥，新老算法并行过渡，智能合约地址、签名验证逻辑全部推倒重来。这种难度令人生畏，以至于有人嘲讽以太坊“几乎不可能”实现真正的抗量子迁移。反观比特币，得益于其简单而弹性的UTXO+Script设计，只需通过新的输出类型软分叉，就可以逐步引入抗量子地址，让用户自愿迁移过渡，避免一次性硬分叉的系统性风险。

BIP-360：可选抗量子签名，引入量子博弈

面对量子威胁，比特币开发社区并未坐以待毙。2024年，由开发者Hunter Beast提出的BIP-360提案（又称P2QRH，意为“支付到抗量子哈希”）正式将抗量子签名引入了议事日程anduro.io。BIP-360核心思路是在比特币中增加新的地址类型，这些地址采用后量子密码学的签名算法（当前优先考虑Falcon，并备选CRYSTALS-Dilithium和SPHINCS+等）来取代易受量子攻击的ECDSA/Schnorr签名anduro.iogroups.google.com。换句话说，用户可以自愿选择生成一种“抗量子地址”，对应的UTXO需使用抗量子算法签名才能解锁。

为什么说BIP-360让比特币“引诱”量子计算加入博弈？这里有几层含义：

首先，BIP-360采用软分叉方式部署，可选而非强制。这意味着在量子计算真正成熟之前，绝大多数交易仍可继续使用原有签名算法，不平添负担；而有安全偏好的用户或机构可以提前迁移一部分资金到抗量子地址以高枕无忧。随着量子技术进展，逐步会有更多人选择这个选项，形成一个与量子威胁赛跑的过程。这种自愿迁移机制本身就是一种对量子黑客的诱导：网络主动暴露出一个“堡垒更坚固”的区域，鼓励守法用户往那里走，同时意味着留下的旧区域反而成为显眼的攻击目标和“诱饵”。

其次，BIP-360在算法选择和参数上充分考虑了区块链经济的承受力。起初提案曾讨论过一些前沿算法如SQIsign，但发现其验证开销高达ECDSA的15,000倍，若全网采用将使验证一块新区块从1秒暴涨到4小时，带来难以接受的性能瓶颈groups.google.com。最终的方案优选Falcon等NIST标准算法，它们签名体积较小、验证高效，可与当前区块大小和验证速度相容groups.google.com。例如Falcon-1024的签名约1.3KB、公钥1.7KB左右，这虽然比当前64字节的Schnorr签名大得多，但并非无法承受。通过配置灵活的安全级别（如重要交易才用Falcon-1024，一般小额用Falcon-512或普通Schnorr），比特币区块空间将被合理分配在安全性和费用之间。BIP-360精心设计了新的地址格式和见证结构，确保即便引入抗量子签名，区块验证和存储开销也在经济范围内，不会动摇挖矿和节点运行的成本平衡anduro.io。

最后也是最具前瞻性的一点，BIP-360为量子计算参与链上博弈打开了一扇门。通过提供抗量子和非抗量子地址并存的环境，比特币网络其实设置了一个对量子计算的挑战擂台：量子计算可以选择去攻击那些仍使用旧签名算法且价值巨大的UTXO，但同一时间，网络里的用户也在不断提升关键UTXO的签名强度来应对。量子计算不再是一个纯粹的外部敌人，而被巧妙地“请”进了系统，在规则内与用户和矿工互动。这为下一节将讨论的新经济模型奠定了基础——破解即挖矿的雏形由此孕育。

值得一提的是，BIP-360还提出了一个Taproot的量子安全补丁方案P2TRH，用哈希隐藏Taproot的公钥以弥补其“公钥长曝”缺陷groups.google.comgroups.google.com。因为现有的Taproot地址（见证v1）是直接以公钥生成地址，失去了UTXO模型隐藏公钥的优势，量子攻击者可以随时尝试破解Taproot资金。P2TRH通过将Taproot公钥再哈希一层，恢复“见证前隐藏公钥”的特性，代价是每笔此类输入增加8.25字节开销groups.google.com。这显示出比特币开发者未雨绸缪，连新升级的Taproot漏洞也在想办法弥补，使全局达到抗量子的结构性统一。

综上，BIP-360及相关提案不仅提供了技术方案，更释放出一种积极的信号：比特币正主动拥抱量子挑战，将其纳入规则之内。正如Anduro团队支持BIP-360时所言：“量子攻击的威胁严肃而迫近，我们不能坐等紧急关头才手忙脚乱。”anduro.ioanduro.io比特币社区选择了在危机到来前主动布局，以最小的代价换取最大的安全冗余和发展新契机。

“破解竞赛”经济模型：当量子成为新矿工

设想未来5-15年内，量子计算技术逐步成熟。在比特币网络中，可能会上演这样一幕令人惊叹的图景：量子计算矿工和抗量子验证者同时在线，围绕着尚未升级的老式UTXO展开一场你追我赶的“破解竞赛”。这将引发怎样的经济动力？我们大胆描绘一个后PoW时代的可能场景：

一方面，强大的量子计算机不再浪费算力去挖掘哈希谜题（传统PoW），而是直接瞄准那些“量子易攻”的UTXO，即尚使用老式ECDSA/Schnorr签名且公钥已暴露的地址。这些地址里的币对合法持有人来说如果迟迟未迁移到抗量子地址，实际上就变成了躺在链上的“悬赏”：谁能先算出私钥，谁就能转走这些币。在量子计算参与者眼中，这些币和早期比特币矿工眼中的区块奖励无异，都是凭借算力可竞争获取的收益。值得注意的是，根据分析，目前约有25%的比特币（按币量）处于公钥已暴露状态deloitte.com。随着时间推移，这个比例可能上升——除非持有人主动升级安全。这就像网络故意留出了一片“牧场”，让量子计算在其中竞相捕猎，以获得收益。量子攻击者之间形成竞争：更快的量子芯片、更好的算法意味着可以更早破解特定私钥，拿下那笔币。这几乎就是PoW的变体——过去矿工拼SHA-256算力抢区块奖励，未来量子矿工拼质因数分解/离散对数能力抢遗留UTXO。

另一方面，守护这片“牧场”的则是抗量子验证者和普通用户自身的防范行为。所谓抗量子验证者，可能是运行完整后量子节点或提供安全服务的专业机构。他们一方面帮助用户升级UTXO（例如提供一键迁移服务，把旧地址币转移到新PQ地址上，收取服务费），另一方面监测全网可疑交易。当量子攻击者尝试盗取某UTXO时，如果该UTXO持有者事先购买了“安全服务”，验证者可以抢先代为花费将币转移到更安全的地址（类似白帽黑客行为），或者提供更高级别签名升级以挫败攻击。总之，抗量子能力本身也成为一种商品，在市场上明码标价。你想让自己的币绝对安全？可以付费请量子安全服务团队定期轮换密钥、使用最高强度签名、监控链上异常。你的交易想确保不中途被截胡？可以支付更高矿工费甚至指定量子保险节点护送。在链上，一个根据签名难度和安全级别定价的市场逐渐形成：越高难度的签名（比如超长位的Falcon变种、多重签名方案结合等）需要支付越高的费用来存储和验证；反过来，这些费用补贴给保障网络安全的矿工/节点，激励他们投入更多资源提升抗量子能力。这种正反馈循环下，“安全”本身成为了新的经济激励。

如此一来，比特币生态迎来了“后挖矿时代”的转型：当区块补贴逐渐趋零，原本空缺的矿工激励由量子破解竞赛和安全服务市场所填补。量子计算加入竞争并非摧毁网络，反而扮演起类似矿工的角色，通过攻破薄弱环节来获得收益；而诚实的参与者则通过不断升级安全措施和支付安全费用来保护资产。这看似矛盾，却形成了动态平衡：正如生物进化中的“红后效应”，猎豹越快，羚羊也进化得更快，两者共同提升了系统的活力。

当然，这一模型中也充满戏剧性和讽刺意味——尤其当我们把眼光投向其他缺乏这种机制的公链。以太坊等账户制链若在量子时代陷入危机，很可能只能选择停机硬分叉、或者由中心化机构出面更换用户密钥，几乎无自动博弈的空间可言。而比特币网络则通过精妙的协议调整，把外部威胁内化为内部博弈，让市场机制去调节和应对。这种弹性与活力，正是比特币经久不衰的原因。

结语：危机催生新生，量子力量为我所用

当年互联网面对计算机病毒肆虐时，人们最终没有被动防守，而是发展出杀毒产业、安全协议，将病毒的威胁转化为推动网络更加健壮的动力。同样道理，比特币面对量子计算的冲击，并非只能筑高墙固步自封，而是选择了更具前瞻性的道路：拥抱威胁、化敌为友。通过提前布局抗量子基础设施（UTXO模型、SegWit扩展、PQ签名算法）、逐步推行BIP-360等方案，比特币正悄然改变游戏规则。在这个新规则中，量量对决、攻守博弈将上演全新篇章，网络安全不再是一成不变的盾牌，而是一套动态进化的生态系统。

或许若干年后回望，我们会发现量子计算并没有摧毁比特币，反而成就了比特币历史上的一次重大飞跃——开启了一个后工作量证明时代的新纪元。在这个纪元里，“破解就是新挖矿”不再只是戏谑之语，而成为链上真实上演的经济现象；“出售安全”也从附属服务变成每个节点和用户的日常考量。比特币将继续履行其角色：作为一个去中心化的、自我强化的金融体系，它有能力将任何挑战转化为自身进化的燃料。

正如BIP-360提案作者所言，这是一个“when 而非 if”的议题anduro.io。量子计算终将到来，而比特币已在主动邀请它参与一场精心设计的游戏。当量子计算机真的站上擂台，比特币早已不再是那个任人宰割的靶子，而更像是一位早已摆好阵势的棋手，静候对手入局。在这盘大棋中，没有永远的猎物，只有不断进化的猎人。比特币，会是那个始终笑到最后的“猎人”吗？让我们拭目以待。

参考文献：

• 【18】PQShield博客：《Falcon – A Post-Quantum Signature Scheme》 – 阐释格密码中长基（公钥）与短基（私钥）的不对称性pqshield.com。

• 【28】Deloitte报告：《Quantum risk to the Ethereum blockchain》 – 比较了比特币UTXO模型与以太坊账户模型在量子攻击下的差异，指出以太坊65%资产易受量子威胁，而比特币约25%deloitte.comdeloitte.com。

• 【23】Bitcoin开发者论坛：《Proposing a P2QRH BIP towards a quantum resistant soft fork》 – 描述了通过SegWit扩展新签名算法的思路，无需硬分叉且不增加区块大小delvingbitcoin.org。

• 【22】Emerging Investigators论文：《A meta-analysis on NIST post-quantum cryptographic primitive finalists》 – 说明Falcon-512与Falcon-1024在安全性和性能上的差异，并强调SVP/CVP等问题对量子计算依然极为困难emerginginvestigators.orgemerginginvestigators.org。

• 【36】Anduro博客：《Bitcoin Needs Quantum Resistant Addresses – We Support BIP360》 – 介绍了BIP-360提案内容，引入抗量子地址类型P2QRH，采用Falcon和Dilithium签名，软分叉兼容anduro.io。同时强调量子威胁需提早应对的紧迫性anduro.ioanduro.io。

• 【32】Bitcoin开发邮件列表：《P2QRH/BIP-360 Update》 – 提供了BIP-360提案的最新动态，算法选型从SQIsign转向Falcon、Dilithium、SPHINCS+，原因是前者验证开销过大（15,000倍）而不切实际groups.google.comgroups.google.com。

• 【30】CoinDesk报道：《Quantum Computing Could Break Bitcoin-Like Encryption Far Easier…》 – 提及比特币所用ECC也可被Shor算法破解，只要有足够强大的量子计算机coindesk.com。

• 【33】Deloitte报告：《Quantum risk to the Ethereum blockchain》 – 阐述当前量子计算的物理局限：需要上百万qubit且降低噪声量级，目前技术远不能攻击密码算法deloitte.com。

• 【38】Bitcoin开发邮件列表：《P2QRH/BIP-360 Update》 – 描述了针对Taproot的P2TRH抗量子方案，用哈希隐藏公钥以减小长时间暴露，并分析其开销和局限groups.google.comgroups.google.com。

@ 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.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• Wasabi Wallet v2.6.0 "Prometheus" is a major update for the project, focused on resilience and independence from centralized systems.
• Key features include support for BIP 158 block filters for direct node synchronization, a revamped full node integration for easier setup without third-party reliance, SLIP 39 share backups for flexible wallet recovery (sponsored by Trezor), and a Nostr-based update manager for censorship-resistant updates.
• Additional improvements include UI bug fixes, a new fallback for transaction broadcasting, updated code signing, stricter JSON serialization, and options to avoid third-party rate providers, alongside various under-the-hood enhancements.

This new version brings us closer to our ultimate goal: ensuring Wasabi is future-proof," said the developers, while also highlighting the following key areas of focus for the project:

• Ensuring users can always fully and securely use their client.
• Making contribution and forks easy through a codebase of the highest quality possible: understandable, maintainable, and improvable.

"As we achieve our survival goals, expect more cutting-edge improvements in Bitcoin privacy and self-custody. Thank you for the trust you place in us by using Wasabi," was stated in the release notes.

What's new

• Support for Standard BIP 158 Block Filters. Wasabi now syncs using BIP 158 filters without a backend/indexer, connecting directly to a user's node. This boosts sync speed, resilience, and allows full sovereignty without specific server dependency.
• Full Node Integration Rework. The old integration has been replaced with a simpler, more adaptable system. It’s not tied to a specific Bitcoin node fork, doesn’t need the node on the same machine as Wasabi, and requires no changes to the node’s setup.
  • "Simply enable the RPC server on your node and point Wasabi to it," said the developers. This ensures all Bitcoin network activities—like retrieving blocks, fee estimations, block filters, and transaction broadcasting—go through your own node, avoiding reliance on third parties.
• Create & Recover SLIP 39 Shares. Users now create and recover wallets with multiple share backups using SLIP 39 standard.

"Special thanks to Trezor (SatoshiLabs) for sponsoring this amazing feature."

• Nostr Update Manager. This version implements a pioneering system with the Nostr protocol for update information and downloads, replacing reliance on GitHub. This enhances the project's resilience, ensuring updates even if GitHub is unavailable, while still verifying updates with the project's secure certificate.
• Updated Avalonia to v11.2.7, fixes for UI bugs (including restoring Minimize on macOS Sequoia).
• Added a configurable third-party fallback for broadcasting transactions if other methods fail.
• Replaced Windows Code Signing Certificate with Azure Trusted Signing.
• Many bug fixes, improved codebase, and enhanced CI pipeline.
• Added the option to avoid using any third-party Exchange Rate and Fee Rate providers (Wasabi can work without them).
• Rebuilt all JSON Serialization mechanisms avoiding default .NET converters. Serialization is now stricter.

Full Changelog: v2.5.1...v2.6.0

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ 9ca447d2:fbf5a36d

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related: Bitcoin 2025 Conference Kicks off in Las Vegas Today

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

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

Trump Media’s official announcement

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

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

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

These products will make bitcoin more accessible to retail investors and support pro-Trump financial initiatives.

But not everyone is happy.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren recently expressed concerns about Trump Media’s Bitcoin plans. She asked U.S. regulators to clarify their oversight of digital-asset ETFs, warning of investor risk.

Industry insiders are comparing Trump Media’s plans to Strategy (MSTR) which has built a multi-billion dollar bitcoin treasury over the last year. They used stock and bond sales to fund their bitcoin purchases.

@ fbf0e434:e1be6a39

Hackathon 概要

ETHBratislava Hackathon Vol.2 汇聚 54 名开发者并审核通过 11 个项目，成为以太坊社区的重要盛事。此次黑客马拉松在斯洛伐克技术大学举办，参与者可免费参与 ETHBratislava 大会，这一安排助力开发者探索区块链技术的前沿进展。

项目在解决以太坊可扩展性与互操作性问题上成果显著，尤其在 “World Computer” 赛道表现突出。“Zircuit Restaking Track” 赛道也带来重要创新，聚焦通过 AI 驱动的 zk rollups 技术提升安全性与扩展性。“European Stablecoin EURØP Challenge” 则致力于开发欧元背书的稳定币，推动欧洲监管数字货币概念落地。

参与者不仅获得资深导师指导、与行业领袖建立连接的机会，现场更有招聘方挖掘技术人才。活动在兼具庆祝与社交属性的派对中落幕。总计 4,000 欧元奖金的设置，营造了开发者之间竞争与合作并存的创新氛围。ETHBratislava Vol.2 成功孵化出影响以太坊未来的创新构想，同时强化了社区联结。

Hackathon 获奖者

World Computer 奖项获奖者

此类别着重于利用以太坊能力的面向消费者的应用程序。开发者创建了解决方案，旨在增强包容性、金融工具和教育平台。获奖者包括：

• Zhar: 该去中心化平台使用AI和以太坊区块链来管理、执行和激励使用智能合约和代币的链上挑战。
• Ledger Lens: 一个Web应用程序，促进对以太坊多层生态系统的可视化和分析，强调代币流动和跨链桥使用等指标。

现实世界代币化奖项获奖者

此类别集中于在欧洲利用EUR锚定的稳定币EURØP构建效用。项目目标是在此数字货币之上部署初步技术增强。

• dEST: 一个去中心化平台，利用NFTs和智能合约来促进无中介的代币化房地产交易。
• EnergyHub: 一个提供去中心化平台以货币化多余绿色能源并通过智能合约和用户友好的仪表板实现能源捐赠的应用程序。

Restaking 奖项获奖者

此类别鼓励团队在Zircuit生态系统内的AI驱动zkEVM上进行构建，着重于支持AI增强安全性和创新zk rollup技术的项目。

• RestakerX: 一个仪表板应用程序，设计用于跟踪Zircuit网络上的数字资产，提供算法建议以最大化收益。

有关所有项目的更多详细信息和此次黑客马拉松中展示的创新理念的进一步见解，请访问 ETHBratislava Hackathon页面。

关于组织者

Ethereum Bratislava

Ethereum Bratislava 是中欧和东欧地区区块链和技术领域的一个重要社区，致力于推进以太坊的开发和整合。由一支专家团队支持，该组织在增强以太坊在中欧和东欧地区的可扩展性和安全性的项目中作出了重大贡献。积极参与社区活动和教育活动强调了他们在区块链领域促进技术创新和知识共享的承诺。Ethereum Bratislava 继续支持技术改进和生态系统增长，旨在增强以太坊的能力和跨各行业的采用。

@ b2caa9b3:9eab0fb5

If you'd like to connect with me on XMPP, you're very welcome! I first used it many years ago, and now I've returned to it — and I'm really glad I did.

XMPP is a secure and privacy-friendly way to communicate. It's spam-resistant: messages only go through once you've accepted a contact request. To request a connection, just send me a message.

One of the great things about XMPP is that you have control over encryption. You can choose to use strong encryption like PGP or OMEMO, or even no encryption at all — it's entirely up to you. Your messages aren’t tied to any one company or service.

There are many apps (called clients) you can use with XMPP, and you’re not locked into a single one that monitors or sells your data. XMPP is an open protocol, which means freedom of choice and better privacy.

My XMPP username is: rubenstorm@c0nnect.de

I’ve also been much less active on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media. That’s because I’ve shifted from platforms to protocols — more decentralized, censorship-resistant tools that put users in control. I started exploring these about two years ago and haven’t looked back.

If you’re interested in learning more or want help getting started, feel free to reach out. Just message me using any XMPP client — I’ll be happy to connect!

@ 975e4ad5:8d4847ce

What is the Fiat System and How Do Central Banks Set Interest Rates?

When central banks expand credit, they often increase the money supply by creating new money through mechanisms like quantitative easing (QE). For instance, a central bank may purchase government bonds, injecting money into the economy. This boosts liquidity but can lead to inflation when too much money chases limited goods and services.

Low interest rates make borrowing cheaper, encouraging spending and investment. However, this can overheat the economy, create speculative bubbles (e.g., in real estate), and drive inflation. Conversely, high interest rates restrict borrowing, slow the economy, and curb inflation but may trigger recessions.

How Would Interest Rates Work Under a Bitcoin Standard?

Under a Bitcoin standard, the money supply is fixed—only 21 million bitcoins will ever exist, with the last one mined around 2140. Unlike the fiat system, no central authority can manipulate the money supply or set interest rates. Instead, interest rates would be determined entirely by the market—by the supply and demand for capital.

If someone wants to borrow bitcoins, the interest rate would depend on negotiations between the lender and borrower. For example, if demand for loans is high and available bitcoins are scarce, interest rates would rise. Conversely, if there are ample bitcoin savings, rates might fall. This process would be fully decentralized and reflect real market conditions, not central bank decisions.

Since new bitcoins cannot be “printed,” there would be no inflation caused by an expanding money supply. Instead, bitcoin’s value would likely rise over time (deflation) as its fixed supply competes with growing demand. This could encourage saving over reckless spending, reshaping economic behavior.

Advantages of a Bitcoin Standard

1. Protection Against Inflation: Bitcoin’s fixed supply prevents currency devaluation, a common issue with fiat money. This safeguards savings and promotes long-term planning.

2. Decentralization: Without a central bank manipulating the market, economic decisions are made by individuals, not bureaucrats. This aligns with free-market principles where competition and innovation thrive.

3. Transparency and Security: The Bitcoin blockchain is public and immutable, ensuring transactions are transparent and secure from tampering.

4. Financial Freedom: Under a Bitcoin standard, individuals have full control over their money without government or bank interference, which is especially crucial in countries with unstable regimes or currencies.

5. Discipline in Lending: Without the ability to print money, lenders would be more cautious, reducing risky investments and speculative bubbles.

Potential Drawbacks and Why a Bitcoin Standard is Superior

One major argument against a Bitcoin standard is that it could slow economic growth. Low interest rates in the fiat system encourage borrowing and spending, driving economic activity. Under a Bitcoin standard, where interest rates are market-driven and likely higher, borrowing would be costlier, potentially limiting investments in new projects.

However, this critique misses a key point: economic growth fueled by artificially low interest rates and money printing is often unsustainable. It leads to debt crises, inflation, and bubbles that eventually burst, as seen in 2008. A Bitcoin standard promotes healthy economic discipline, where investments are based on real value, not artificial capital.

Moreover, bitcoin’s deflationary nature could shift how people view money. Instead of chasing endless growth, societies might prioritize sustainability, innovation, and efficiency. This could lead to a more stable and equitable economy in the long run.

Additional Considerations

A Bitcoin standard could transform global trade. Today, countries with fiat currencies often manipulate exchange rates to gain trade advantages. With bitcoin as a universal currency, such manipulations would vanish, fostering fairer competition.

Another aspect is energy efficiency. While bitcoin mining consumes energy, it incentivizes the development of renewable sources as miners seek cheap, sustainable energy. This could accelerate the transition to a green economy.

Conclusion

The Bitcoin standard offers a vision of an economy rooted in sound money, free markets, and financial freedom. While it may slow certain aspects of economic growth, it creates a more stable and sustainable system that protects individuals from inflation and centralized control. In a world where trust in institutions is waning, the Bitcoin standard is a step toward a fairer and more transparent future.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

People forget Bear Stearns failed March 2008 - months of denial followed before the public realized how bad the situation was under the surface.

Similar happening now but much larger scale. They did not fix fundamental issues after 2008 - everything is more fragile.

The Fed preemptively bailed out every bank with their BTFP program and First Republic Bank still failed. The second largest bank failure in history.

There will be more failures. There will be more bailouts. Depositors will be "protected" by socializing losses across everyone.

Our President and mainstream financial pundits are currently pretending the banking crisis is over while most banks remain insolvent. There are going to be many more bank failures as this ponzi system unravels.

Unlike 2008, we have the ability to opt out of these broken and corrupt institutions by using bitcoin. Bitcoin held in self custody is unique in its lack of counterparty risk - you do not have to trust a bank or other centralized entity to hold it for you. Bitcoin is also incredibly difficult to change by design since it is not controlled by an individual, company, or government - the supply of dollars will inevitably be inflated to bailout these failing banks but bitcoin supply will remain unchanged. I do not need to convince you that bitcoin provides value - these next few years will convince millions.

---

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

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

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

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

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

First Steps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Building on Bitcoin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

Michael Goldstein, aka Bitstein, presents a sweeping philosophical and economic case for going “all in” on Bitcoin, arguing that unlike fiat, which distorts capital formation and fuels short-term thinking, Bitcoin fosters low time preference, meaningful saving, and long-term societal flourishing. At the heart of his thesis is “hodling for good”—a triple-layered idea encompassing permanence, purpose, and the pursuit of higher values like truth, beauty, and legacy. Drawing on thinkers like Aristotle, Hoppe, and Josef Pieper, Goldstein redefines leisure as contemplation, a vital practice in aligning capital with one’s deepest ideals. He urges Bitcoiners to think beyond mere wealth accumulation and consider how their sats can fund enduring institutions, art, and architecture that reflect a moral vision of the future.

Best Quotes

“Let BlackRock buy the houses, and you keep the sats.”

“We're not hodling just for the sake of hodling. There is a purpose to it.”

“Fiat money shortens your time horizon… you can never rest.”

“Savings precedes capital accumulation. You can’t build unless you’ve saved.”

“You're increasing the marginal value of everyone else’s Bitcoin.”

“True leisure is contemplation—the pursuit of the highest good.”

“What is Bitcoin for if not to make the conditions for magnificent acts of creation possible?”

“Bitcoin itself will last forever. Your stack might not. What will outlast your coins?”

“Only a whale can be magnificent.”

“The market will sell you all the crack you want. It’s up to you to demand beauty.”

Conclusion

This episode is a call to reimagine Bitcoin as more than a financial revolution—it’s a blueprint for civilizational renewal. Michael Goldstein reframes hodling as an act of moral stewardship, urging Bitcoiners to lower their time preference, build lasting institutions, and pursue truth, beauty, and legacy—not to escape the world, but to rebuild it on sound foundations.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Michael’s BBB presentation Hodl for Good
07:27 - Austrian principles on capital
15:40 - Fiat distorts the economic process
23:34 - Bitkey
24:29 - Hodl for Good triple entendre
29:52 - Bitcoin benefits everyone
39:05 - Unchained
40:14 - Leisure theory of value
52:15 - Heightening life
1:15:48 - Breaking from the chase makes room for magnificence
1:32:32 - Nakamoto Institute’s mission

Transcript

(00:00) Fiat money is by its nature a disturbance. If money is being continually produced, especially at an uncertain rate, these uh policies are really just redistribution of wealth. Most are looking for number to go up post hyper bitcoinization. The rate of growth of bitcoin would be more reflective of the growth of the economy as a whole.
(00:23) Ultimately, capital requires knowledge because it requires knowing there is something that you can add to the structures of production to lengthen it in some way that will take time but allow you to have more in the future than you would today. Let Black Rockck buy the houses and you keep the sats, not the other way around.
(00:41) You wait until later for Larry Frink to try to sell you a [Music] mansion. And we're live just like that. Just like that. 3:30 on a Friday, Memorial Day weekend. It's a good good good way to end the week and start the holiday weekend. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you for having me here. Thank you for coming. I wore this hat specifically because I think it's I think it's very apppropo uh to the conversation we're going to have which is I hope an extension of the presentation you gave at Bitblock Boom Huddle for good. You were working on
(01:24) that for many weeks leading up to uh the conference and explaining how you were structuring it. I think it's a very important topic to discuss now as the Bitcoin price is hitting new all-time highs and people are trying to understand what am I doing with Bitcoin? Like you have you have the different sort of factions within Bitcoin.
(01:47) Uh get on a Bitcoin standard, get on zero, spend as much Bitcoin as possible. You have the sailors of the world are saying buy Bitcoin, never sell, die with your Bitcoin. And I think you do a really good job in that presentation. And I just think your understanding overall of Bitcoin is incredible to put everything into context. It's not either or.
(02:07) It really depends on what you want to accomplish. Yeah, it's definitely there there is no actual one-sizefits-all um for I mean nearly anything in this world. So um yeah, I mean first of all I mean there was it was the first conference talk I had given in maybe five years. I think the one prior to that uh was um bit block boom 2019 which was my meme talk which uh has uh become infamous and notorious.
(02:43) So uh there was also a lot of like high expectations uh you know rockstar dev uh has has treated that you know uh that that talk with a lot of reference. a lot of people have enjoyed it and he was expecting this one to be, you know, the greatest one ever, which is a little bit of a little bit of a uh a burden to live up to those kinds of standards.
(03:08) Um, but you know, because I don't give a lot of talks. Um, you know, I I I like to uh try to bring ideas that might even be ideas that are common. So, something like hodling, we all talk about it constantly. uh but try to bring it from a little bit of a different angle and try to give um a little bit of uh new light to it.
(03:31) I alsove I've I've always enjoyed kind of coming at things from a third angle. Um whenever there's, you know, there's there's all these little debates that we have in in Bitcoin and sometimes it's nice to try to uh step out of it and look at it a little more uh kind of objectively and find ways of understanding it that incorporate the truths of of all of them.
(03:58) uh you know cuz I think we should always be kind of as much as possible after ultimate truth. Um so with this one um yeah I was kind of finding that that sort of golden mean. So uh um yeah and I actually I think about that a lot is uh you know Aristotle has his his concept of the golden mean. So it's like any any virtue is sort of between two vices um because you can you can always you can always take something too far.
(04:27) So you're you're always trying to find that right balance. Um so someone who is uh courageous you know uh one of the vices uh on one side is being basically reckless. I I can't remember what word he would use. Uh but effectively being reckless and just wanting to put yourself in danger for no other reason than just you know the thrill of it.
(04:50) Um and then on the other side you would just have cowardice which is like you're unwilling to put yourself um at any risk at any time. Um, and courage is right there in the middle where it's understanding when is the right time uh to put your put yourself, you know, in in the face of danger um and take it on. And so um in some sense this this was kind of me uh in in some ways like I'm obviously a partisan of hodling.
(05:20) Um, I've for, you know, a long time now talked about the, um, why huddling is good, why people do it, why we should expect it. Um, but still trying to find that that sort of golden mean of like yes, huddle, but also what are we hodling for? And it's not we're we're not hodddling just merely for the sake of hodddling.
(05:45) There there is a a purpose to it. And we should think about that. And that would also help us think more about um what are the benefits of of spending, when should we spend, why should we spend, what should we spend on um to actually give light to that sort of side of the debate. Um so that was that was what I was kind of trying to trying to get into.
(06:09) Um, as well as also just uh at the same time despite all the talk of hodling, there's always this perennial uh there's always this perennial dislike of hodlers because we're treated as uh as if um we're just free riding the network or we're just greedy or you know any of these things. And I wanted to show how uh huddling does serve a real economic purpose.
(06:36) Um, and it does benefit the individual, but it also does uh it it has actual real social um benefits as well beyond merely the individual. Um, so I wanted to give that sort of defense of hodling as well to look at it from um a a broader position than just merely I'm trying to get rich. Um uh because even the person who uh that is all they want to do um just like you know your your pure number grow up go up moonboy even that behavior has positive ramifications on on the economy.
(07:14) And while we might look at them and have uh judgments about their particular choices for them as an individual, we shouldn't discount that uh their actions are having positive positive effects for the rest of the economy. Yeah. So, let's dive into that just not even in the context of Bitcoin because I think you did a great job of this in the presentation.
(07:36) just you've done a good job of this consistently throughout the years that I've known you. Just from like a first principles Austrian economics perspective, what is the idea around capital accumulation, low time preference and deployment of that capital like what what like getting getting into like the nitty-gritty and then applying it to Bitcoin? Yeah, it's it's a big question and um in many ways I mean I I even I barely scratched the surface.
(08:05) uh I I can't claim to have read uh all the volumes of Bombber works, you know, capital and interest and and stuff like that. Um but I think there's some some sort of basic concepts that we can look at that we can uh draw a lot out. Um the first uh I guess let's write that. So repeat so like capital time preference. Yeah. Well, I guess getting more broad like why sav

@ 31a4605e:cf043959

Nos últimos anos, o Bitcoin tem sido frequentemente comparado ao ouro, ganhando o nome de "ouro digital". Essa comparação ocorre porque ambas as formas de valor têm características em comum, como escassez, durabilidade e aceitação mundial. Contudo, o Bitcoin também representa uma novidade tecnológica que muda a ideia de dinheiro e investimento, se destacando como uma alternativa moderna e eficaz ao ouro físico.

Uma das razões pelas quais o Bitcoin é comparado ao ouro é a sua escassez programada. Enquanto o ouro é um recurso natural limitado, cuja oferta depende da mineração, o Bitcoin tem um teto máximo de 21 milhões de unidades, definido em seu código. Esse teto faz com que o Bitcoin seja protegido contra a inflação, ao contrário das moedas tradicionais, que podem ser criadas sem limites pelos bancos centrais.

Essa característica traz um valor duradouro, parecido com o ouro, já que a oferta limitada ajuda a manter o poder de compra ao longo do tempo. Com o aumento da procura por Bitcoin, sua quantidade reduzida reforça seu papel como reserva de valor.

Outro aspecto que aproxima o Bitcoin do ouro é a durabilidade. Enquanto o ouro resiste à corrosão e pode ser guardado por séculos, o Bitcoin é um ativo digital protegido por criptografia avançada e armazenado na blockchain — um livro-razão imutável e descentralizado.

Além disso, o Bitcoin é mais fácil de transportar do que o ouro. Mover ouro físico envolve custos e segurança, tornando o transporte complicado, principalmente em transações internacionais. Por outro lado, o Bitcoin pode ser enviado digitalmente para qualquer parte do mundo em minutos, com taxas baixas e sem intermediários. Essa vantagem tecnológica torna o Bitcoin mais eficaz para um mundo globalizado e digital.

A segurança é outra característica que o Bitcoin e o ouro têm em comum. O ouro é difícil de falsificar, fazendo dele uma reserva de valor confiável. Da mesma forma, o Bitcoin usa protocolos de criptografia que asseguram transações seguras e protegidas contra fraudes.

Além disso, todas as transações feitas com Bitcoin são registradas na blockchain, fornecendo um nível de transparência que o ouro físico não oferece. Qualquer pessoa pode revisar as transações na rede, aumentando a confiança e a rastreabilidade.

EconômicaHistoricamente, o ouro tem sido utilizado como proteção contra a inflação e crises econômicas. Durante momentos de instabilidade, os investidores buscam o ouro como uma maneira de preservar seu patrimônio. O Bitcoin, por sua vez, está surgindo como uma alternativa digital com o mesmo propósito.

Em países com alta inflação ou instabilidade política, o Bitcoin tem sido usado como uma proteção contra a desvalorização das moedas locais. Sua natureza descentralizada impede que governos confisquem ou controlem diretamente o ativo, garantindo maior liberdade financeira para os usuários.

Apesar de suas semelhanças com o ouro, o Bitcoin ainda enfrenta desafios. Sua volatilidade é muito maior, o que pode causar incertezas a curto prazo. No entanto, muitos especialistas afirmam que essa volatilidade é uma característica comum em ativos novos e tende a diminuir com o tempo, à medida que a aceitação cresce e o mercado se desenvolve.

Outro desafio é a regulamentação. Enquanto o ouro já é reconhecido globalmente como um ativo financeiro, o Bitcoin ainda enfrenta resistência de governos e instituições financeiras, que procuram formas de controlá-lo e regulá-lo.

Resumindo, o Bitcoin, muitas vezes chamado de "ouro digital", oferece uma nova forma de valor que combina as melhores características do ouro com a eficiência e a inovação da tecnologia digital. Sua escassez planejada, segurança criptográfica, portabilidade e resistência à censura fazem dele uma alternativa viável para preservar riqueza e realizar transações no mundo moderno.

Mesmo com muita volatilidade, o Bitcoin está se firmando como uma reserva de valor e como um ativo de proteção contra crises econômicas. Assim, ele representa não apenas uma evolução do sistema financeiro, mas também um símbolo da mudança para uma economia digital descentralizada e global.

Muito obrigado por teres lido o texto até aqui, espero que esteja tudo bem contigo e um abraço enorme do teu madeirense bitcoiner maximalista favorito. Viva a liberdade!

@ 4fa5d1c4:fd6c6e41

1. Einleitung

Dieser Beitrag bietet eine detaillierte Einführung in Nostr - ein dezentrales Protokoll für soziale Medien, das sich grundlegend von traditionellen und föderierten Plattformen unterscheidet - und erweitert seine Diskussion, um das Potenzial für die Integration von Nostr in die Entwicklung von Bildungsplattformen im Sinne von Open Educational Practices (OEP) zu untersuchen. Nostr ist als leichtgewichtiger, zensurresistenter Mechanismus konzipiert, der in erster Linie auf einer kryptografischen Schlüsselverwaltung und einer Client-zentrierten Architektur basiert, die zusammen eine dezentrale Identitätskontrolle und Autonomie über digitale Inhalte ermöglichen. Im Gegensatz zu konventionellen zentralisierten Modellen, die sich auf servergestützte Kontrolle oder föderierte Systeme wie Mastodon, die Moderation und Identitätsspeicherung zusammenfassen, stützt sich Nostr auf ein Netzwerk von "Relais", die ohne direkte Interkommunikation arbeiten, wobei alle Funktionen der Datenaggregation, des Austauschs von Inhalten zwischen den Räumen und der Benutzerinteraktion an die Client-Anwendungen delegiert werden. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es daher, einen umfassenden technischen und konzeptionellen Überblick über die Architektur des Protokolls und eine kritische Diskussion seiner Anwendbarkeit im Kontext dezentraler Bildungsplattformen zu geben, die eine offene, nutzergesteuerte Erstellung, Verwaltung und Verteilung von Inhalten fördern und damit den Prinzipien des OEP entsprechen.

2. Hintergrund und Motivation

Die Entwicklung der sozialen Medien in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten war geprägt von zunehmend zentralisierten Plattformen, die sowohl die digitale Identität der Nutzer als auch die von ihnen erstellten Inhalte kontrollieren, was oft zu Zensur, algorithmischer Manipulation und Einzelausfällen führt. Im Gegensatz dazu haben sich dezentralisierte Social-Media-Protokolle wie Nostr als innovative Antwort auf diese Zentralisierungsfallen entwickelt, die offene, kryptografisch sichere und verteilte Architekturen verwenden. Nostr wurde mit dem ausdrücklichen Schwerpunkt konzipiert, den Nutzern die volle Kontrolle über ihre Kontoauthentifizierung und digitale Identität zu geben, was durch die Verwaltung von kryptografischen Schlüsselpaaren analog zu denen in Bitcoin-Wallets erreicht wird. Dieses Modell verbessert nicht nur die zensurresistenten Eigenschaften der Plattform, sondern verändert auch grundlegend die Machtdynamik in traditionellen sozialen Netzwerken, da es die Abhängigkeit von zentralen Behörden minimiert und die Möglichkeiten der Ausbeutung und Überwachung verringert. Im Kontext von Bildungsökosystemen bieten diese Merkmale eine solide Grundlage für die Entwicklung von Plattformen, die transparent, partizipatorisch und widerstandsfähig sind, da sie die gemeinsame Nutzung und kontinuierliche Weiterentwicklung von Bildungsressourcen ohne zentralisierte Kontrolle oder Unternehmenssteuerung unterstützen.

3. Technische Architektur von Nostr

Die Architektur von Nostr basiert in erster Linie auf zwei integralen Komponenten: Clients und Relays. Clients sind die benutzerseitigen Anwendungen, die die Erstellung, Veröffentlichung und Aggregation von Inhalten ermöglichen, während Relays Server sind, die von den Benutzern generierte Nachrichten, so genannte "Events", empfangen, speichern und weiterleiten. Eine der wichtigsten Neuerungen des Nostr-Protokolls ist die radikale Entkopplung der traditionellen Client-Server-Beziehung: Die Relais müssen sich nicht synchronisieren oder miteinander kommunizieren, was bedeutet, dass die Replikation von Inhalten und die Aggregation von Daten zwischen den Räumen vollständig auf der Client-Seite stattfindet. Dies minimiert die zentrale Kontrolle und schafft ein verteiltes, relaisbasiertes System, das von Natur aus resistent gegen Zensur ist, da die Dichte der verfügbaren Relays und die Möglichkeit der Nutzer, sich mit mehreren Relays zu verbinden, sicherstellen, dass die Inhalte auch dann zugänglich bleiben, wenn bestimmte Relays ausfallen oder kompromittiert sind.

In Nostr sind Ereignisse als JSON-Objekte strukturiert, die einem definierten Schema mit verschiedenen "Arten" (NIPs) entsprechen, um spezifische Funktionalitäten wie Benutzerprofile (NIP-0), Beiträge (NIP-1), Followers (NIP-3) und andere zukünftige Erweiterungen zu unterstützen. Jedes Ereignis wird mit dem privaten kryptografischen Schlüssel des Nutzers digital signiert, was die Authentizität und Integrität der Daten garantiert und gleichzeitig eine sichere, pseudonyme Interaktion ermöglicht. Da innerhalb des Protokolls keine zentrale Behörde oder ein einziger Identitätsspeicher existiert, behalten die Nutzer die vollständige Kontrolle über ihre digitalen Identitäten, und wenn der private Schlüssel verloren geht, ist das entsprechende Konto unwiederbringlich. Dieser Ansatz verankert den Grundsatz, dass Identität sowohl dezentralisiert als auch unveränderlich ist, und stärkt die individuelle Kontrolle über persönliche Daten und Inhalte.

Da die Relays unabhängig voneinander von verschiedenen Betreibern verwaltet und nicht von zentralen Diensten koordiniert werden, können die Benutzer mehrere Relays auswählen, um die Bereitstellung und Replikation von Inhalten zu optimieren. Diese architektonische Entscheidung verbessert die Redundanz und Ausfallsicherheit erheblich, bringt aber gleichzeitig technische Herausforderungen in Bezug auf Standardisierung, Moderation und effiziente Kommunikation zwischen den Clients mit sich. Nostr integriert auch Bitcoin-basierte Mikrozahlungen (bekannt als "Zaps"), um finanzielle Anreize für den Betrieb von Relay-Servern zu schaffen und so die Herausforderungen der wirtschaftlichen Nachhaltigkeit in einer dezentralen Infrastruktur zu bewältigen. Die Design-Entscheidungen in Nostr fördern Offenheit und Innovation, indem sie es jeder Person oder Organisation mit ausreichenden technischen Fähigkeiten erlauben, ein Relay zu hosten oder einen Client zu entwickeln, was zu einem lebendigen Ökosystem von verschiedenen Anwendungen und Diensten führt.

4. Identitätsmanagement und Moderation

Im Mittelpunkt des dezentralen Paradigmas von Nostr steht der Ansatz der Identitätsverwaltung, der sich von traditionellen Systemen unterscheidet, bei denen Identitäten als Kontodaten von zentralen Servern verwaltet werden. Bei Nostr verfügt jeder Benutzer über ein einzigartiges kryptografisches Schlüsselpaar, wobei der öffentliche Schlüssel als dauerhafte digitale Kennung und der private Schlüssel als Mittel zum Signieren aller Aktionen und Ereignisse dient. Dieses kryptonative Modell gewährleistet nicht nur robuste Sicherheit und Authentizität, sondern überlässt den Nutzern auch die alleinige Verantwortung für die Verwaltung ihrer Schlüssel - was sowohl die Freiheit als auch das Risiko eines vollständig dezentralen Identitätssystems unterstreicht.Dieses empfindliche Gleichgewicht unterstreicht die Autonomie der Nutzer und steht im Einklang mit dem breiteren Ethos dezentraler sozialer Medien, in denen keine einzelne Instanz die Identität einer Person ohne Zugang zu ihrem privaten Schlüssel außer Kraft setzen oder manipulieren kann.

Die Moderation in Nostr ist aufgrund des dezentralen Kuratierungsmodells noch komplexer. Die Inhalte werden nicht von einer zentralen Behörde moderiert, sondern durch eine Kombination aus relaisspezifischen Richtlinien und clientseitigen Kontrollen, wie z. B. benutzerdefinierte Listen für persönliche Kuratoren oder Sperr-/Stummschaltungsfunktionen. Dieser Ansatz fördert zwar die freie Meinungsäußerung und unterstützt eine Vielzahl von Standpunkten, kann aber auch zu uneinheitlichen Moderationsrichtlinien und fragmentierten Nutzererfahrungen auf verschiedenen Relays und Clients führen, was für die Nutzer eine erhebliche technische und verhaltensbezogene Belastung darstellt, wenn sie ihre digitalen Umgebungen kuratieren wollen.

5. Skalierbarkeit und Widerstandsfähigkeit gegen Zensur

Ein entscheidendes Merkmal des Nostr-Protokolls ist sein hohes Maß an Skalierbarkeit und Zensurresistenz, das durch seine verteilte, relaisbasierte Architektur erreicht wird. Durch die Dezentralisierung der Speicherung und Verbreitung von Inhalten auf zahlreiche unabhängige Relays entschärft Nostr die üblichen Schwachstellen zentralisierter sozialer Plattformen, wie z. B. Single Points of Failure oder das Potenzial für staatliche oder unternehmensgesteuerte Zensur. Mehrere Relays können gleichzeitig arbeiten, wodurch sichergestellt wird, dass die Stabilität des Netzwerks auch dann erhalten bleibt, wenn einige von ihnen vom Netz genommen werden oder behördlichem Druck ausgesetzt sind, und dass Inhalte für Kunden, die mit alternativen Relays verbunden sind, zugänglich bleiben.

Die Skalierbarkeit von Nostr wird dadurch verbessert, dass sich die Nutzenden gleichzeitig mit mehreren Relays verbinden können, was die Replikation von Inhalten über ein globales Netz von Servern ermöglicht, das sich über zahlreiche geografische Regionen und autonome Systeme erstreckt. Dieser Replikationsmechanismus bringt jedoch Herausforderungen mit sich, wie z. B. eine erhöhte Redundanz bei der Speicher- und Bandbreitennutzung, die eine sorgfältige Optimierung und die Entwicklung innovativer clientseitiger Strategien erfordern, um den Datenabruf zu verwalten und den Overhead zu reduzieren, ohne die Verfügbarkeit zu beeinträchtigen. Darüber hinaus trägt die Dezentralisierung der Zuständigkeiten für Kuratierung und Moderation zu einer dynamischen Umgebung bei, in der Inhalte sowohl gegen erzwungene Löschungen resistent als auch an die Bedürfnisse der Nutzer anpassbar sind, wenn auch auf Kosten von Einheitlichkeit und vorhersehbarer Nutzererfahrung.

6. Vergleich mit föderierten und zentralisierten Modellen

Das Aufkommen dezentraler Protokolle wie Nostr steht in scharfem Kontrast zu föderierten Netzwerken wie Mastodon, die das ActivityPub-Protokoll verwenden. Während föderierte Systeme die Kontrolle über unabhängige Instanzen verteilen, verlassen sie sich immer noch auf ein gewisses Maß an Zentralisierung auf der Ebene jeder einzelnen Instanz, von denen jede ihre eigenen Richtlinien bezüglich Moderation, Identitätsüberprüfung und Inhaltszensur durchsetzt. In diesen Systemen ist die Verwaltung zwar auf mehrere Knotenpunkte verteilt, aber es besteht eine Abhängigkeit von Serveradministratoren, die erhebliche Macht über den Inhalt und die Identität der Benutzer haben; dies steht im Gegensatz zu Nostrs vollständig kundenorientiertem Kurations- und Identitätsverwaltungsmodell, das darauf abzielt, jeden einzelnen Kontrollpunkt zu eliminieren.

In zentralisierten Architekturen werden Benutzerdaten und -identitäten auf proprietäre und undurchsichtige Weise verwaltet, wodurch Inhalte den Launen von Unternehmensrichtlinien und externem Druck ausgesetzt werden, was zu Überwachung, gezielter Zensur oder einseitiger algorithmischer Manipulation von Inhalten führen kann. Das Design von Nostr - das auf kryptografischer Authentifizierung, clientseitiger Datenaggregation und dem erlaubnisfreien Betrieb von Relay-Servern beruht - stellt eine radikale Abkehr dar, die das Gleichgewicht der Macht fest in die Hände der einzelnen Nutzer und nicht in die Hände zentraler Behörden legt.

7. Implikationen für Bildungsplattformen

Das Potenzial für die Integration des dezentralen Protokolls von Nostr in Bildungsplattformen bietet eine transformative Gelegenheit zur Unterstützung von Open Educational Practices (OEP). OEP legt den Schwerpunkt auf Inklusion, Autonomie der Lernenden, kollaborative Wissenserstellung und offenen Zugang zu Bildungsressourcen. Herkömmliche Bildungsplattformen sind oft durch zentralisierte Architekturen eingeschränkt, die den Zugang behindern und Innovationen unterdrücken können, da sie auf einzelne administrative Kontrollen und proprietäre Content-Management-Systeme angewiesen sind.

Durch die Nutzung der dezentralen Infrastruktur von Nostr können Bildungsplattformen aufgebaut werden, die es Lehrenden und Lernenden ermöglichen, die volle Kontrolle über ihre digitalen Identitäten und Bildungsinhalte zu behalten, ohne das Risiko von Zensur oder externer Einmischung. In solchen Systemen verwaltet jeder Teilnehmer seine eigene Identität mithilfe von kryptografischen Schlüsseln, wodurch sichergestellt wird, dass Bildungsleistungen, Beiträge und Zeugnisse auf überprüfbare und unveränderliche Weise aufgezeichnet werden. Dies fördert ein Umfeld, in dem die Schaffung und Verbreitung von Wissen wirklich von den Teilnehmern selbst bestimmt wird, frei von den Zwängen, die von zentralen Torwächtern auferlegt werden.

Darüber hinaus bietet die relaisbasierte Architektur von Nostr eine beispiellose Skalierbarkeit und Ausfallsicherheit - Eigenschaften, die für ein Bildungsökosystem, das eine Vielzahl von Nutzern mit unterschiedlichem geografischen und sozioökonomischen Hintergrund unterstützen muss, unerlässlich sind. Bildungsinhalte - von digitalen Lehrbüchern und Multimedia-Vorlesungen bis hin zu interaktiven Diskursen und gemeinschaftlichen Projekten - können gespeichert und über mehrere Relays repliziert werden, um sicherzustellen, dass der Zugang auch bei lokalen Netzwerkausfällen oder Zensurversuchen erhalten bleibt.

Das offene Protokoll von Nostr ist außerdem eine ideale Grundlage für die Entwicklung interoperabler Bildungsplattformen, auf denen Drittentwickler und Bildungseinrichtungen maßgeschneiderte Clients und Anwendungen für pädagogische Zwecke erstellen können. Dieser Ansatz fördert ein vielfältiges Ökosystem von Bildungswerkzeugen und -diensten, die nahtlos zusammenarbeiten, ohne auf eine einzige proprietäre Plattform beschränkt zu sein, und steht damit im Einklang mit dem Ethos des OEP. Pädagogen können digitale Lernumgebungen entwerfen, die die kollaborative Erstellung von Inhalten, Peer-Reviews und Community-gesteuerte Kuration unterstützen und gleichzeitig von der Sicherheit und Transparenz profitieren, die das kryptografische Grundgerüst von Nostr bietet.

Darüber hinaus gewährleistet die inhärente Zensurresistenz von Nostr, dass Bildungsinhalte zugänglich und frei von staatlichen oder unternehmerischen Eingriffen bleiben - ein besonders wichtiger Aspekt für Lernende in Regionen, in denen der Zugang zu Informationen eingeschränkt oder überwacht wird. Diese Widerstandsfähigkeit untermauert nicht nur die demokratische Verbreitung von Wissen, sondern unterstützt auch den Grundsatz eines digitalen Gemeinguts, bei dem Bildungsressourcen kollektiv verwaltet und gemeinsam genutzt werden. In diesem Zusammenhang kann Nostr genutzt werden, um Bildungsplattformen zu entwickeln, die nicht nur robust und integrativ sind, sondern auch auf die Bedürfnisse marginalisierter oder unterrepräsentierter Gemeinschaften abgestimmt sind.

Zusätzlich zu diesen strukturellen Vorteilen kann die finanzielle Nachhaltigkeit dezentraler Bildungsplattformen durch die Integration von auf Kryptowährungen basierenden Anreizmechanismen gestärkt werden - wie die Unterstützung von Nostr für Bitcoin Lightning "Zaps" zeigt. Diese Micropayment-Systeme eröffnen Möglichkeiten für neuartige Finanzierungsmodelle, die Pädagogen und Inhaltsersteller direkt belohnen und so die Abhängigkeit von werbebasierten Einnahmen oder zentralisierten Finanzierungsströmen verringern, die häufig die Integrität der Bildung gefährden. Solche wirtschaftlichen Anreize können auch den Betrieb und die Wartung von Relay-Servern unterstützen und so sicherstellen, dass die dezentrale Infrastruktur belastbar und kontinuierlich für Bildungszwecke verfügbar bleibt.

8. Möglichkeiten für kollaboratives und kultursensibles Lernen

Über die technische Stabilität und Skalierbarkeit hinaus bietet die dezentrale Natur von Nostr bedeutende Möglichkeiten zur Förderung von kollaborativem Lernen und kultursensibler Pädagogik. Dezentralisierte Bildungsplattformen, die auf Nostr aufbauen, können lokale Gemeinschaften in die Lage versetzen, Inhalte zu erstellen und zu kuratieren, die kontextuell relevant und kulturell angemessen sind - ein entscheidender Faktor bei der Förderung von Bildungsgerechtigkeit und Inklusivität. In Umgebungen, in denen Mainstream-Bildungstechnologien als von oben nach unten betrachtet werden und nicht mit lokalen Werten oder pädagogischen Ansätzen übereinstimmen, ermöglicht eine dezentralisierte Infrastruktur die Entwicklung maßgeschneiderter digitaler Lernumgebungen, die lokale Kulturen, Sprachen und Traditionen widerspiegeln.

Dieser gemeinschaftsorientierte Bildungsansatz fördert das Gefühl der Eigenverantwortung bei Lernenden und Lehrenden gleichermaßen und ermutigt zur gemeinschaftlichen Schaffung von Wissen, das unterschiedliche Erkenntnistheorien respektiert. So können Pädagogen beispielsweise dezentrale "Lernräume" einrichten, in denen Open-Source-Lernmaterialien, Werkzeuge für die digitale Kompetenz und innovative Lehrmethoden gemeinsam genutzt und durch partizipatives Engagement kontinuierlich weiterentwickelt werden. In einem solchen Modell verschwimmen die Grenzen zwischen Lernenden und Lehrenden, was einen fließenden Ideenaustausch und die gemeinsame Schaffung von Wissen ermöglicht, die im Mittelpunkt offener Bildungspraktiken stehen.

Darüber hinaus ermöglicht die Flexibilität der Client-zentrierten Architektur von Nostr die Entwicklung von spezialisierten Bildungsclients, die auf die jeweiligen Lernstile und Disziplinen zugeschnitten sind. Diese Clients könnten Funktionen wie erweiterte Such- und Filterfunktionen für Bildungsinhalte, integrierte Anmerkungswerkzeuge für die gemeinsame Bearbeitung von Dokumenten und interoperable Identitätsmanagementsysteme enthalten, die es den Lernenden ermöglichen, ihre Anmeldedaten nahtlos in verschiedene digitale Lernumgebungen zu übertragen. Solche Innovationen würden nicht nur die Rolle der Nutzerautonomie beim digitalen Lernen stärken, sondern auch die Entwicklung von Bildungsnetzwerken fördern, die belastbar und anpassungsfähig sind und auf die sich verändernden pädagogischen Herausforderungen reagieren können.

9. Herausforderungen und Abhilfestrategien

Trotz der vielversprechenden Möglichkeiten ist die Integration von Nostr in Bildungsplattformen nicht unproblematisch. Gerade die Funktionen, die den Nutzern mehr Möglichkeiten bieten - wie selbstverwaltete kryptografische Schlüssel und dezentralisierte Inhaltsmoderation - führen auch Komplexitäten ein, die die Benutzerfreundlichkeit und Zugänglichkeit behindern können, insbesondere für Personen ohne fortgeschrittene technische Kenntnisse. Die Schlüsselverwaltung stellt beispielsweise eine kritische Schwachstelle dar; der Verlust eines privaten Schlüssels führt unwiderruflich zum Verlust der Identität und des Zugriffs auf die eigenen digitalen Beiträge - ein Risiko, das durch solide Bildungsinitiativen und Mechanismen zur Unterstützung der Nutzer angegangen werden muss.

Die technische Kompetenz von Lehrenden und Lernenden ist in diesem Zusammenhang von größter Bedeutung und erfordert die Entwicklung umfassender Einführungsverfahren, benutzerfreundlicher Schnittstellen und Hilfsmittel, die kryptografische Konzepte entmystifizieren und die Interaktion mit dezentralen Netzwerken vereinfachen. Zu diesem Zweck könnte der Einsatz intuitiver Bildungsmodule, interaktiver Tutorials und von der Community geleiteter Schulungen technische Barrieren abbauen und gleichzeitig die Entwicklung digitaler Kompetenzen fördern, die für die Navigation in dezentralen Netzwerken unerlässlich sind. Darüber hinaus muss die Herausforderung einer inkonsistenten Moderation und fragmentierten Nutzererfahrung aufgrund der heterogenen Richtlinien unabhängiger Relais und Clients durch die Einrichtung von Community-Governance-Rahmenwerken und interoperablen Standards angegangen werden, die eine Grundlinie der Qualität und Sicherheit auf der gesamten Plattform gewährleisten.

Strategien zur Bewältigung des mit der Skalierbarkeit verbundenen Overheads - wie etwa die redundante Replikation von Beiträgen über eine übermäßige Anzahl von Relays - sollten sich auf die Implementierung clientseitiger Optimierungstechniken konzentrieren, die die Ineffizienz von Bandbreite und Speicherplatz verringern, ohne die Belastbarkeit und Zugänglichkeit des Netzwerks zu beeinträchtigen. Kontinuierliche Forschung und iterative Verfeinerung werden notwendig sein, um ein Gleichgewicht zwischen den Vorteilen der Dezentralisierung und der ihr innewohnenden betrieblichen Komplexität zu finden und sicherzustellen, dass auf Nostr basierende Bildungsplattformen sowohl robust als auch benutzerfreundlich bleiben können.

10. Zukünftige Richtungen und Forschungsmöglichkeiten

Die Einbindung von Nostr in Bildungsplattformen stellt ein fruchtbares Gebiet für Forschung und Entwicklung dar, das zahlreiche Möglichkeiten zur Erkundung bietet. Zukünftige Arbeiten könnten das Design interoperabler Bildungsrahmenwerke erforschen, die die dezentrale Architektur von Nostr mit aufkommenden Technologien wie künstlicher Intelligenz, Blockchain-basiertem Credentialing und fortschrittlichen kryptographischen Techniken integrieren, um die Sicherheit, Zugänglichkeit und Authentizität in digitalen Lernumgebungen weiter zu verbessern. Die Erforschung gemeinschaftsbasierter Governance-Modelle ist ebenfalls gerechtfertigt, da dezentrale Plattformen Mechanismen für die kollektive Entscheidungsfindung und Konfliktlösung erfordern, die mit den Grundsätzen einer offenen, partizipativen Bildung vereinbar sind.

Ein möglicher Weg ist die Entwicklung modularer, quelloffener Bildungs-Clients, die sich nahtlos mit verschiedenen Relais verbinden lassen und den Lehrkräften leistungsstarke Tools zur Kuratierung und Moderation von Inhalten bieten. Diese Clients könnten anpassbare Dashboards, Module für die Zusammenarbeit in Echtzeit und integrierte Unterstützung für Mikrozahlungen oder Anreizstrukturen bieten, um sicherzustellen, dass Bildungsinhalte sowohl dynamisch als auch finanziell nachhaltig bleiben. Darüber hinaus könnte die Einrichtung digitaler Identitätsrahmen, die auf den kryptografischen Prinzipien von Nostr aufbauen, zu innovativen Modellen für die Überprüfung akademischer Zeugnisse, die Verfolgung des Lernfortschritts und die Erleichterung der plattformübergreifenden Anerkennung von Bildungsleistungen führen, und das alles ohne die Aufsicht zentralisierter Registrierungsbehörden.

Die Schnittstelle zwischen digitaler Kompetenz und ethischer digitaler Bürgerschaft ist ein weiteres vielversprechendes Forschungsgebiet. In dem Maße, in dem Pädagogen dezentrale Bildungstechnologien in die Lehrpläne integrieren, wird es zwingend notwendig, Lehrmethoden zu entwickeln, die nicht nur technische Kenntnisse, sondern auch die kritischen und moralischen Fähigkeiten vermitteln, die für die Arbeit in einem dezentralen digitalen Ökosystem erforderlich sind. Solche pädagogischen Strategien sollten Schulungen zum Schlüsselmanagement, zur Verifizierung digitaler Identitäten und zum Verständnis der Kompromisse umfassen, die mit dezentralisierten und zentralisierten Technologiemodellen einhergehen, um den Schülern eine ausgewogene Perspektive auf digitale Rechte, Verantwortlichkeiten und Möglichkeiten zu vermitteln.

Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen akademischen Institutionen, Open-Source-Gemeinschaften und Innovatoren dezentraler Technologien wird entscheidend sein, um diese Forschungsagenden voranzutreiben und die Entwicklung von Bildungslabors und Pilotprojekten zu fördern, die die praktischen Auswirkungen und Vorteile dezentraler Bildungsplattformen auf der Grundlage von Nostr erforschen. Solche Initiativen könnten als lebende Laboratorien zum Testen neuer Werkzeuge, Methoden und Governance-Strategien dienen, mit dem Ziel, das Gleichgewicht zwischen dem Versprechen der Dezentralisierung und ihren praktischen Herausforderungen schrittweise zu verfeinern.

11. Schlußfolgerung

Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass Nostr eine bahnbrechende Entwicklung in der Architektur sozialer Medien darstellt, die die Beziehung zwischen Nutzern, Inhalten und Netzwerkinfrastruktur durch ein dezentralisiertes, kryptographisch gesichertes und klientenzentriertes Modell neu definiert. Das relaisbasierte Design, die dezentrale Identitätsverwaltung und die offene Architektur bieten erhebliche Vorteile gegenüber herkömmlichen zentralisierten und föderierten Systemen in Bezug auf Zensurresistenz, Skalierbarkeit und Benutzerautonomie. Diese technischen Innovationen haben weitreichende Auswirkungen auf die Entwicklung von Bildungsplattformen, die den Grundsätzen der Open Educational Practices entsprechen. Durch die Unterstützung von nutzergesteuerten Identitäten, stabiler Replikation von Inhalten und gemeinschaftsgesteuerter Verwaltung bietet Nostr eine Infrastruktur für dezentrale Bildungsökosysteme, die Inklusion, Zusammenarbeit und kontinuierliche Innovation fördern.

Der Einsatz von Nostr in Bildungskontexten verspricht, Lernende und Lehrende in die Lage zu versetzen, Bildungsinhalte frei von zentralisierten Einschränkungen und externer Zensur zu erstellen, zu teilen und gemeinschaftlich weiterzuentwickeln. Gleichzeitig erfordern die Herausforderungen, die mit der technischen Komplexität, der Schlüsselverwaltung und der inkonsistenten Moderation verbunden sind, kontinuierliche Forschung und die Entwicklung unterstützender Werkzeuge. Wenn diese Probleme durch gezielte Maßnahmen wie benutzerfreundliche Schnittstellen, umfassende Programme für digitale Kompetenz und gemeinschaftsbasierte Governance-Modelle angegangen werden, können die Beteiligten das volle Potenzial von Nostr nutzen, um dezentrale, offene und partizipative Bildungsplattformen zu schaffen, die den Geist von Open Educational Practices wirklich verkörpern.

Letztendlich stellt die Integration von Nostr in dezentralisierte Bildungsplattformen nicht nur eine technische Entwicklung dar, sondern auch einen gesellschaftspolitischen Wandel hin zu größerer Dezentralisierung, Ermächtigung der Nutzer und digitaler Souveränität. Diese Ausrichtung an den Werten des OEP definiert nicht nur die Verbreitung und den Konsum von Bildungsinhalten neu, sondern ist auch Katalysator für breitere Diskussionen über digitale Rechte, Inklusion und ethische Teilhabe an der digitalen Allmende. Das Potenzial solcher Plattformen, kontextrelevante, zensurresistente und kollaborativ kuratierte Bildungsressourcen bereitzustellen, ist ein entscheidender Schritt, um die Zukunft der digitalen Bildung neu zu gestalten.

Fazit

Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass die innovative Architektur von Nostr, die auf einer kryptografischen Schlüsselverwaltung und dezentralen Relay-Netzwerken basiert, den Grundstein für eine neue Generation von Bildungsplattformen legt, die die Einschränkungen zentralisierter Systeme überwinden können. Ihre Fähigkeit, belastbare, sichere und nutzerzentrierte digitale Umgebungen bereitzustellen, steht in perfektem Einklang mit den Grundsätzen offener Bildungspraktiken und bietet Lehrenden und Lernenden eine noch nie dagewesene Kontrolle über ihre digitalen Interaktionen und Inhalte. Kontinuierliche Forschung, interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit und gezielte Bildungsinitiativen werden unerlässlich sein, um dieses Potenzial voll auszuschöpfen und sicherzustellen, dass die Vorteile der Dezentralisierung allen Mitgliedern der Bildungsgemeinschaft zugänglich sind.

Durch den strategischen Einsatz von Nostr-basierten Bildungsplattformen kann die Zukunft des Lernens als ein Bereich neu konzipiert werden, in dem offener Zugang, Autonomie der Lernenden und gemeinschaftsgesteuerte Wissensbildung nicht nur möglich, sondern unvermeidlich sind - eine Zukunft, in der dezentrale Infrastrukturen eine gerechtere, transparentere und partizipativere digitale Bildungslandschaft ermöglichen.

Dieser Beitrag hat daher eine ausführliche Einführung in die technischen und konzeptionellen Grundlagen von Nostr gegeben, die Mechanismen beschrieben, mit denen Nostr Dezentralisierung und Zensurresistenz erreicht, und seine bedeutenden Auswirkungen auf die Zukunft von Bildungsplattformen im Rahmen von Open Educational Practices untersucht. Die Synergie zwischen dem dezentralen Paradigma von Nostr und dem demokratischen, inklusiven Ethos von OEP birgt ein transformatives Versprechen für die Neugestaltung der digitalen Bildung in einer Weise, die Offenheit, Sicherheit und lebenslanges Lernen für eine globale Gemeinschaft fördert.

Indem sie aufkommende dezentralisierte Protokolle wie Nostr als grundlegende Infrastrukturkomponenten von Bildungsplattformen nutzen, können Stakeholder eine ganzheitliche digitale Transformation vorantreiben, die Technologie, Pädagogik und Ethik vereint und ein Paradigma einführt, in dem Bildungsgerechtigkeit und digitale Selbstbestimmung keine Wünsche, sondern realisierte Prinzipien unserer vernetzten Gesellschaft sind.

---

Verwendete Quellen:

• Seeing the Politics of Decentralized Social Media Protocols. S Hwang, AX Zhang. ArXiv (2025). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2505.22962

• Navigating Decentralized Online Social Networks: An Overview of Technical and Societal Challenges in Architectural Choices. Ujun Jeong, L. Ng, K. Carley, Huan Liu. ArXiv (2504). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2504.00071

• Towards Decentralized Applications. X Ma. 2024. https://escholarship.org/content/qt0j7044w0/qt0j7044w0_noSplash_c638cdfda170244b9abf750f654399f1.pdf

• Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP) and User Empowerment: An Analysis of Online Identity Ownership, Data Privacy, and Comparative Assessment with Other Decentralized Protocols. M Nay . 2024. https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/156782/nay-mnay-meng-eecs-2024-thesis.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

• A Kantian Right to Fediverse Access, or: for a digital enlightenment on the social web. JN Bingemann . https://philarchive.org/archive/BINAKR

• Exploring the Nostr Ecosystem: A Study of Decentralization and Resilience. Yiluo Wei, Gareth Tyson. ArXiv (2402). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2402.05709

• Money and Trust in Metaverses, Bitcoin and Stablecoins in global social XR. John O'Hare, Allen J. Fairchild, U. Ali. ArXiv (2207). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2207.09460

• FEDSTR: Money-In AI-Out | A Decentralized Marketplace for Federated Learning and LLM Training on the NOSTR Protocol. Konstantinos E. Nikolakakis, George Chantzialexiou, Dionysis Kalogerias. ArXiv (2024). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2404.15834

• "Sumud" as Connected Learning: Towards a Collective Digital Commons in Palestine.. H Scott, M Ujvari, AMA Bakeer. 2025. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1464483.pdf

---

Erstellt mit Unterstützung von FutureHouse, Perplexity, Deepl, Ideogram und ChatGPT.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

Michael Goldstein, aka Bitstein, presents a sweeping philosophical and economic case for going “all in” on Bitcoin, arguing that unlike fiat, which distorts capital formation and fuels short-term thinking, Bitcoin fosters low time preference, meaningful saving, and long-term societal flourishing. At the heart of his thesis is “hodling for good”—a triple-layered idea encompassing permanence, purpose, and the pursuit of higher values like truth, beauty, and legacy. Drawing on thinkers like Aristotle, Hoppe, and Josef Pieper, Goldstein redefines leisure as contemplation, a vital practice in aligning capital with one’s deepest ideals. He urges Bitcoiners to think beyond mere wealth accumulation and consider how their sats can fund enduring institutions, art, and architecture that reflect a moral vision of the future.

Best Quotes

“Let BlackRock buy the houses, and you keep the sats.”

“We're not hodling just for the sake of hodling. There is a purpose to it.”

“Fiat money shortens your time horizon… you can never rest.”

“Savings precedes capital accumulation. You can’t build unless you’ve saved.”

“You're increasing the marginal value of everyone else’s Bitcoin.”

“True leisure is contemplation—the pursuit of the highest good.”

“What is Bitcoin for if not to make the conditions for magnificent acts of creation possible?”

“Bitcoin itself will last forever. Your stack might not. What will outlast your coins?”

“Only a whale can be magnificent.”

“The market will sell you all the crack you want. It’s up to you to demand beauty.”

Conclusion

This episode is a call to reimagine Bitcoin as more than a financial revolution—it’s a blueprint for civilizational renewal. Michael Goldstein reframes hodling as an act of moral stewardship, urging Bitcoiners to lower their time preference, build lasting institutions, and pursue truth, beauty, and legacy—not to escape the world, but to rebuild it on sound foundations.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Michael’s BBB presentation Hodl for Good
07:27 - Austrian principles on capital
15:40 - Fiat distorts the economic process
23:34 - Bitkey
24:29 - Hodl for Good triple entendre
29:52 - Bitcoin benefits everyone
39:05 - Unchained
40:14 - Leisure theory of value
52:15 - Heightening life
1:15:48 - Breaking from the chase makes room for magnificence
1:32:32 - Nakamoto Institute’s mission

Transcript

(00:00) Fiat money is by its nature a disturbance. If money is being continually produced, especially at an uncertain rate, these uh policies are really just redistribution of wealth. Most are looking for number to go up post hyper bitcoinization. The rate of growth of bitcoin would be more reflective of the growth of the economy as a whole.
(00:23) Ultimately, capital requires knowledge because it requires knowing there is something that you can add to the structures of production to lengthen it in some way that will take time but allow you to have more in the future than you would today. Let Black Rockck buy the houses and you keep the sats, not the other way around.
(00:41) You wait until later for Larry Frink to try to sell you a [Music] mansion. And we're live just like that. Just like that. 3:30 on a Friday, Memorial Day weekend. It's a good good good way to end the week and start the holiday weekend. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you for having me here. Thank you for coming. I wore this hat specifically because I think it's I think it's very apppropo uh to the conversation we're going to have which is I hope an extension of the presentation you gave at Bitblock Boom Huddle for good. You were working on
(01:24) that for many weeks leading up to uh the conference and explaining how you were structuring it. I think it's a very important topic to discuss now as the Bitcoin price is hitting new all-time highs and people are trying to understand what am I doing with Bitcoin? Like you have you have the different sort of factions within Bitcoin.
(01:47) Uh get on a Bitcoin standard, get on zero, spend as much Bitcoin as possible. You have the sailors of the world are saying buy Bitcoin, never sell, die with your Bitcoin. And I think you do a really good job in that presentation. And I just think your understanding overall of Bitcoin is incredible to put everything into context. It's not either or.
(02:07) It really depends on what you want to accomplish. Yeah, it's definitely there there is no actual one-sizefits-all um for I mean nearly anything in this world. So um yeah, I mean first of all I mean there was it was the first conference talk I had given in maybe five years. I think the one prior to that uh was um bit block boom 2019 which was my meme talk which uh has uh become infamous and notorious.
(02:43) So uh there was also a lot of like high expectations uh you know rockstar dev uh has has treated that you know uh that that talk with a lot of reference. a lot of people have enjoyed it and he was expecting this one to be, you know, the greatest one ever, which is a little bit of a little bit of a uh a burden to live up to those kinds of standards.
(03:08) Um, but you know, because I don't give a lot of talks. Um, you know, I I I like to uh try to bring ideas that might even be ideas that are common. So, something like hodling, we all talk about it constantly. uh but try to bring it from a little bit of a different angle and try to give um a little bit of uh new light to it.
(03:31) I alsove I've I've always enjoyed kind of coming at things from a third angle. Um whenever there's, you know, there's there's all these little debates that we have in in Bitcoin and sometimes it's nice to try to uh step out of it and look at it a little more uh kind of objectively and find ways of understanding it that incorporate the truths of of all of them.
(03:58) uh you know cuz I think we should always be kind of as much as possible after ultimate truth. Um so with this one um yeah I was kind of finding that that sort of golden mean. So uh um yeah and I actually I think about that a lot is uh you know Aristotle has his his concept of the golden mean. So it's like any any virtue is sort of between two vices um because you can you can always you can always take something too far.
(04:27) So you're you're always trying to find that right balance. Um so someone who is uh courageous you know uh one of the vices uh on one side is being basically reckless. I I can't remember what word he would use. Uh but effectively being reckless and just wanting to put yourself in danger for no other reason than just you know the thrill of it.
(04:50) Um and then on the other side you would just have cowardice which is like you're unwilling to put yourself um at any risk at any time. Um, and courage is right there in the middle where it's understanding when is the right time uh to put your put yourself, you know, in in the face of danger um and take it on. And so um in some sense this this was kind of me uh in in some ways like I'm obviously a partisan of hodling.
(05:20) Um, I've for, you know, a long time now talked about the, um, why huddling is good, why people do it, why we should expect it. Um, but still trying to find that that sort of golden mean of like yes, huddle, but also what are we hodling for? And it's not we're we're not hodddling just merely for the sake of hodddling.
(05:45) There there is a a purpose to it. And we should think about that. And that would also help us think more about um what are the benefits of of spending, when should we spend, why should we spend, what should we spend on um to actually give light to that sort of side of the debate. Um so that was that was what I was kind of trying to trying to get into.
(06:09) Um, as well as also just uh at the same time despite all the talk of hodling, there's always this perennial uh there's always this perennial dislike of hodlers because we're treated as uh as if um we're just free riding the network or we're just greedy or you know any of these things. And I wanted to show how uh huddling does serve a real economic purpose.
(06:36) Um, and it does benefit the individual, but it also does uh it it has actual real social um benefits as well beyond merely the individual. Um, so I wanted to give that sort of defense of hodling as well to look at it from um a a broader position than just merely I'm trying to get rich. Um uh because even the person who uh that is all they want to do um just like you know your your pure number grow up go up moonboy even that behavior has positive ramifications on on the economy.
(07:14) And while we might look at them and have uh judgments about their particular choices for them as an individual, we shouldn't discount that uh their actions are having positive positive effects for the rest of the economy. Yeah. So, let's dive into that just not even in the context of Bitcoin because I think you did a great job of this in the presentation.
(07:36) just you've done a good job of this consistently throughout the years that I've known you. Just from like a first principles Austrian economics perspective, what is the idea around capital accumulation, low time preference and deployment of that capital like what what like getting getting into like the nitty-gritty and then applying it to Bitcoin? Yeah, it's it's a big question and um in many ways I mean I I even I barely scratched the surface.
(08:05) uh I I can't claim to have read uh all the volumes of Bombber works, you know, capital and interest and and stuff like that. Um but I think there's some some sort of basic concepts that we can look at that we can uh draw a lot out. Um the first uh I guess let's write that. So repeat so like capital time preference. Yeah. Well, I guess getting more broad like why sav

@ 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.

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

When people talk about Bitcoin, it’s often described as a digital currency or a “speculative investment.” However, one of Bitcoin’s most fundamental and least understood roles is its function as a settlement network. To understand this, it’s worth comparing it with traditional settlement systems like SWIFT and exploring how Bitcoin offers a foundational layer for global value transfer decentralized and censorship-resistant.

First, let’s explain the difference between liquidity and settlement:

• Liquidity refers to the ease with which an asset can be converted into “money” without losing value.

• Settlement is the process of completing a transaction (actual transfer of value between parties).

SWIFT: The communication layer of the traditional financial system

The SWIFT system (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) is a network for communication between banks. It doesn’t move money directly but sends standardized messages that instruct financial institutions to perform transfers. The process involves multiple intermediaries, is costly, slow (can take days), and depends on trust between parties and local regulations.

Unlike SWIFT, Bitcoin is a self-sufficient network that enables the direct settlement of value between two parties, without the need for intermediaries. With each block mined, transactions are validated and recorded immutably in a global, transparent, and secure database: the timechain or "blockchain".

01 - Final settlement: Once a transaction is confirmed by a sufficient number of blocks, it is considered final and irreversible.

02 - Censorship resistance: There is no central entity that can block or reverse a valid transaction.

03 - Global availability: The network is accessible 24/7 anywhere in the world with internet access.

Just as gold once served as the foundation of monetary systems, Bitcoin is establishing itself as a base layer of digital value. This layer can support others, such as:

01 - The Lightning Network, which enables near-instant transactions with extremely low fees;

02 - Tokenized financial services, which can use Bitcoin as collateral or for inter-institutional settlement.

By functioning as a public and neutral settlement network, Bitcoin offers an alternative to the traditional system, which is fragmented, closed, and reliant on trust between institutions.

In summary, more than just a speculative asset, Bitcoin is emerging as a global financial infrastructure. As a settlement network, it removes intermediaries, reduces costs, increases security, and democratizes access to value transfer. In an increasingly interconnected and digital world, understanding Bitcoin’s role as a base layer may be key to understanding the future of money.

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

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• "Today we're launching the beta version of our multiplatform Nostr browser! Think Google Chrome but for Nostr apps. The beta is our big first step toward this vision," announced Damus.
• This version comes with the Dave Nostr AI assistant, support for zaps and the Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) wallet interface, full-text note search, GIFs and fullscreen images, multiple media uploads, user tagging, relay list and mute list support, along with a number of other improvements."

"Included in the beta is the Dave, the Nostr AI assistant (its Grok for Nostr). Dave is a new Notedeck browser app that can search and summarize notes from the network. For a full breakdown of everything new, check out our beta launch video."

What's new

• Dave Nostr AI assistant app.
• GIFs.
• Fulltext note search.
• Add full screen images, add zoom, and pan.
• Zaps! NWC/ Wallet UI.
• Introduce last note per pubkey feed (experimental).
• Allow multiple media uploads per selection.
• Major Android improvements (still WIP).
• Added notedeck app sidebar.
• User Tagging.
• Note truncation.
• Local network note broadcast, broadcast notes to other notedeck notes while you're offline.
• Mute list support (reading).
• Relay list support.
• Ctrl-enter to send notes.
• Added relay indexing (relay columns soon).
• Click hashtags to open hashtag timeline.
• Fixed timelines sometimes not updating (stale feeds).
• Fixed UI bounciness when loading profile pictures
• Fixed unselectable post replies.

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo
Website

@ 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.

@ 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.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

Starting January 1, 2026, the United Kingdom will impose some of the world’s most stringent reporting requirements on cryptocurrency firms.

All platforms operating in or serving UK customers-domestic and foreign alike-must collect and disclose extensive personal and transactional data for every user, including individuals, companies, trusts, and charities. 

This regulatory drive marks the UK’s formal adoption of the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), a global initiative designed to bring crypto oversight in line with traditional banking and to curb tax evasion in the rapidly expanding digital asset sector.

What Will Be Reported?

Crypto firms must gather and submit the following for each transaction:

• User’s full legal name, home address, and taxpayer identification number
• Detailed data on every trade or transfer: type of cryptocurrency, amount, and nature of the transaction
• Identifying information for corporate, trust, and charitable clients

The obligation extends to all digital asset activities, including crypto-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat trades, and applies to both UK residents and non-residents using UK-based platforms. The first annual reports covering 2026 activity are due by May 31, 2027.

Enforcement and Penalties

Non-compliance will carry stiff financial penalties, with fines of up to £300 per user account for inaccurate or missing data-a potentially enormous liability for large exchanges. The UK government has urged crypto firms to begin collecting this information immediately to ensure operational readiness.

Regulatory Context and Market Impact

This move is part of a broader UK strategy to position itself as a global fintech hub while clamping down on fraud and illicit finance. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has championed these measures, stating, “Britain is open for business – but closed to fraud, abuse, and instability”. The regulatory expansion comes amid a surge in crypto adoption: the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority reported that 12% of UK adults owned crypto in 2024, up from just 4% in 2021.

Enormous Risks for Consumers: Lessons from the Coinbase Data Breach

While the new framework aims to enhance transparency and protect consumers, it also dramatically increases the volume of sensitive personal data held by crypto firms-raising the stakes for cybersecurity.

The risks are underscored by the recent high-profile breach at Coinbase, one of the world’s largest exchanges.

In May 2025, Coinbase disclosed that cybercriminals, aided by bribed offshore contractors, accessed and exfiltrated customer data including names, addresses, government IDs, and partial bank details. 

The attackers then used this information for sophisticated phishing campaigns, successfully deceiving some customers into surrendering account credentials and funds.

“While private encryption keys remained secure, sufficient customer information was exposed to enable sophisticated phishing attacks by criminals posing as Coinbase personnel.”

Coinbase now faces up to $400 million in compensation costs and has pledged to reimburse affected users, but the incident highlights the systemic vulnerability created when large troves of personal data are centralized-even if passwords and private keys are not directly compromised. The breach also triggered a notable drop in Coinbase’s share price and prompted a $20 million bounty for information leading to the attackers’ capture.

The Bottom Line

The UK’s forthcoming crypto reporting regime represents a landmark in financial regulation, promising greater transparency and tax compliance. However, as the Coinbase episode demonstrates, the aggregation of sensitive user data at scale poses a significant cybersecurity risk.

As regulators push for more oversight, the challenge will be ensuring that consumer protection does not become a double-edged sword-exposing users to new threats even as it seeks to shield them from old ones.

@ 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.

@ fbf0e434:e1be6a39

Hackathon 概要

Verifiable AI Hackathon 由 cheqd 主办，聚焦通过安全、可验证的道德系统构建可信 AI 生态。活动吸引 278 名开发者参与，共提交 21 个项目，致力于推动可信 AI 环境的建立。开发者针对 AI 技术滥用问题（如 deepfake 欺诈）及透明化、道德化 AI 系统构建挑战提出解决方案。

参与者围绕自主经济、AI 验证、安全数据应用等主题，借助 cheqd 的去中心化标识符（DID）与可验证凭证（VC）技术展开探索。核心成果包括内容认证创新方案，以及通过验证数据集防范虚假信息的应用实践。

本次黑客松凸显了 AI 解决方案需以透明度和用户权益为核心的发展方向，旨在通过区块链工具为开发者赋能，夯实安全可靠的 AI 应用基础。这一举措致力于将数字身份与 AI 的交互模式，升级为兼顾可持续性与隐私保护的新型范式。

Hackathon 获奖者

AI Agents 奖项获奖者

• Kith: 这个去中心化系统利用加密的可验证凭证，通过去中心化标识符（DIDs）确保 AI 代理的隐私、认证和可信度。
• Identone: 该项目通过在电话交谈中验证身份来保障人与AI语音代理之间的互动可信度。
• SNAILS.: 利用去中心化数字身份来验证内容的机器人，从而增强 AI 环境中的信任。

其他奖项获奖者

• CheqDeep: 利用区块链技术认证媒体内容，通过 DID 链接资源验证人类来源和真实性。
• Trusty Bytes: 为 AI 代理提供一个获取经过验证数据的市场，使用基于区块链的验证来确保可信交易。
• crdbl: 一个平台，通过可验证凭证、去中心化身份、加密签名和AI验证来提升在线可信度。

构建一个整合私人用户数据的Agent奖项获奖者

• Viskify: 一个AI辅助手的平台，用于人才验证，利用可验证凭证和确定性去中心化标识符，并与 Stripe 和 Verida 集成以进行账单和私人数据管理。

有关所有项目的更多信息，请访问 The Verifiable AI Hackathon。

关于主办方

cheqd

cheqd 是区块链行业的重要参与者，专注于数字身份解决方案。该组织以其在建立支持安全和注重隐私数据管理的去中心化身份基础设施中所扮演的角色而闻名。通过利用最前沿的区块链技术，cheqd 在身份生态系统的标准开发中发挥了关键作用。其努力包括建立战略合作伙伴关系，以创建可互操作的身份服务。秉承加强数字信任框架的承诺，cheqd 继续通过先进且有效的身份管理解决方案来赋能个人和组织。

@ 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

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.

@ 812cff5a:5c40aeeb

Chorus: تجربة في البرمجة الانسداحية

كيفية بناء تطبيق Nostr بسرعة البرق باستخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي.

في 26 مايو، تم إطلاق تطبيق Chorus في منتدى أوسلو للحرية. صُمم هذا التطبيق للناشطين والمعارضين ومنظمي المجتمع، ويتميز بمجموعات تشبه تلك الموجودة في فيسبوك مع محفظة eCash مدمجة لجمع التبرعات.

Chorus مبني على Nostr، وهو بروتوكول لامركزي ومفتوح مصمم ليكون مقاومًا للرقابة. يمكن لأي شخص في العالم إنشاء حساب Nostr والنشر إلى خوادم Nostr، أو حتى بناء تطبيق Nostr خاص به — ولا يمكن لأحد إيقافه. هذا ما يجعل Nostr المكان المثالي للمقاتلين من أجل الحرية، الذين غالبًا ما يواجهون الرقابة من الحكومات الاستبدادية أو الشركات التي تتحكم في المنصات الاجتماعية الرئيسية.

يمكن للمستخدمين إنشاء حساب Chorus (أو تسجيل الدخول باستخدام حساب Nostr موجود) في ثوانٍ والبدء فورًا في استلام eCash، وإنشاء مجموعات، ومشاركة المحتوى. يتضمن التطبيق ميزات قوية لإدارة المجتمع، بحيث يمكن للمجموعات اختيار أنواع المحتوى التي تسمح بها وفقًا لشروطها الخاصة. يمكن للمستخدمين إرسال eCash على الفور إلى المجموعات التي يرغبون في دعمها، مما يوفر أداة لجمع التبرعات عبر الحدود لا يمكن لأي حكومة إيقافها.

قبل عام فقط، ربما استغرق بناء النسخة التي تم إطلاقها الأسبوع الماضي من Chorus أسابيع. ولكن بفضل أدوات الذكاء الاصطناعي الحالية، قمنا بذلك في خمسة أيام فقط.

⸻

كيفية القيام بذلك: بناء تطبيق في أيام باستخدام وكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي

الخطوة 1: تجميع الفريق

تم بناء Chorus بواسطة And Other Stuff، وهي مجموعة جديدة مكرسة لتعزيز Nostr في خمسة مجالات رئيسية: تجربة المستخدم والتسجيل، المجتمعات، الاتصالات الخاصة، التجارة، والذكاء الاصطناعي. شمل فريق هذا المشروع: • Calle، منشئ Cashu (eCash) • JeffG، منشئ White Noise (الاتصالات الخاصة) • Rabble و Liz Swiegart من Nos (تجربة المستخدم والتسجيل) • Alex Gleason و MK Fain، منشئو Soapbox (المجتمعات) • و Jack Dorsey (مستشار)

الخطوة 2: البدء بقالب قوي

عند البرمجة بالانسداح، السياق هو الملك. إذا بدأت بمجلد فارغ وطلبت من وكيل ذكاء اصطناعي “بناء تطبيق مجموعات Nostr”، فلا يزال أمامك الكثير من العمل للحصول على شيء وظيفي حتى بشكل بسيط. من المحتمل أن تكون تنفيذات Nostr محاكاة، لا تتصل بخوادم حقيقية، أو تم تنفيذها بشكل غير صحيح. قد تكون أنواع الأحداث خاطئة، وقد لا يتم تحميل واجهة المستخدم، وحظًا سعيدًا في محاولة معرفة الخطوة التالية لإصلاح الفوضى.

هذا لأن الذكاء الاصطناعي يفتقر إلى بعض السياقات الرئيسية للبدء: • وثائق صديقة للذكاء الاصطناعي حول بروتوكول Nostr • أمثلة عالية الجودة على تنفيذ Nostr • أساسيات حول تكديس التكنولوجيا المفضل • سياق حول كيفية بناء المشروع وتشغيله وتصحيحه

الحل هو توفير المزيد من السياق، وسيكون العديد من مبرمجي الانسداح المخضرمين على دراية بالصراع في محاولة جعل الوكيل يقرأ روابط مختلفة للوثائق ويتبع 500 كلمة من السياق المصاغ بعناية في مطالبتهم الافتتاحية. ومع ذلك، غالبًا ما يربك هذا الوكلاء الذين يعملون بشكل أفضل مع مطالبات بسيطة. الحل لهذه المشكلة هو Stacks.

Stacks: بدء البرمجة الانسداحية بسرعة

Stacks تحل مشكلة نقص السياق الأولي من خلال إنشاء قوالب جاهزة مصممة خصيصًا لاستخدام وكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي. يمكن استخدام “stack” لبناء أي نوع من المشاريع بأي لغة برمجة مع أي هدف نهائي في الاعتبار. بالنسبة لـ Chorus، استخدمنا MKStack، وهو قالب مصمم خصيصًا لبناء تطبيقات Nostr.

يتميز MKStack بعدة حلول للمشاكل الشائعة في الذكاء الاصطناعي: • Nostrbook MCP للاستعلام عن وثائق Nostr • مكونات بداية لميزات Nostr الشائعة مثل تسجيل الدخول • دعم Blossom لتحميل الوسائط • ملفات سياقية لتوجيه الوكيل خلال العقبات الشائعة وسير عمل التصحيح • نشر موقعك على الفور باستخدام Surge

النتيجة هي موقع جميل يعمل مباشرة مع Nostr في مطالبة واحدة:

“بناء تطبيق مجموعات على غرار فيسبوك على Nostr باستخدام NIP 72.”

كان هذا هو نتيجة تلك المطالبة الواحدة: http://groups72.surge.sh

الخطوة 3: إضافة الميزات باستخدام وكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي

Stacks بدأت تطوير Chorus بسرعة. بعد ذلك، استخدمنا وكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي لإضافة ميزات إضافية مثل: • محفظة eCash مدمجة • ميزات إدارة المجتمع • دعم الوسائط المتعددة

كل ذلك تم باستخدام مطالبات بسيطة وتوجيهات للذكاء الاصطناعي، مما سمح لنا ببناء تطبيق كامل الوظائف في أيام قليلة فقط.

⸻

ملاحظة:تم استخدام مصطلح برمجة الانسداحية بهدف الطرفة كترجمة لمصطلح Vibe coding تم كتابة هذه المقال من قبل المبدعة nostr: npub1jvnpg4c6ljadf5t6ry0w9q0rnm4mksde87kglkrc993z46c39axsgq89sc

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• This release introduces Payjoin v2 functionality to Bitcoin wallets on Cake, along with several UI/UX improvements and bug fixes.
• The Payjoin v2 protocol enables asynchronous, serverless coordination between sender and receiver, removing the need to be online simultaneously or maintain a server. This simplifies privacy-focused transactions for regular users.

"I cannot speak highly enough of how amazing it has been to work with @bitgould and Jaad from the@payjoindevkit team, they're doing incredible work. None of this would be possible without them and their tireless efforts. PDK made it so much easier to ship Payjoin v2 than it would have been otherwise, and I can't wait to see other wallets jump in and give back to PDK as they implement it like we did," said Seth For Privacy, VP at Cake Wallet.

How to started with Payjoin in Cake Wallet:

1. Open the app menu sidebar and click Privacy.
2. Toggle the Use Payjoin option.
3. Now on your receive screen you'll see an option to copy a Payjoin URL

• Bull Bitcoin Wallet v0.4.0 introduced Payjoin v2 support in late December 2024. However, the current implementations are not interoperable at the moment, an issue that should be addressed in the next release of the Bull Bitcoin Wallet.

• Cake Wallet was one of the first wallets to introduce Silent Payments back in May 2024. However, users may encounter sync issues while using this feature at present, which will be resolved in the next release of Cake Wallet.

What's new

• Payjoin v2 implementation.
• Wallet group improvements: Enhanced management of multiple wallets.
• Various bug fixes: improving overall stability and user experience.
• Monero (XMR) enhancements.

Learn more about using, implementing, and understanding BIP 77: Payjoin Version 2 using the payjoin crate in Payjoin Dev Kit here.

Announcement
Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ 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.

@ 31a4605e:cf043959

O surgimento do Bitcoin trouxe uma nova visão para o conceito de dinheiro, desafiando o sistema financeiro convencional baseado em moedas fiduciárias. Enquanto as moedas fiduciárias, como o real, o dólar e o euro, são amplamente usadas e reconhecidas como métodos de troca, o Bitcoin representa uma inovação digital que propõe descentralização e autonomia financeira. Embora ambos desempenhem funções básicas como meio de troca e reserva de valor, suas diferenças principais estão na maneira como são emitidos, geridos e transacionados.

Uma das principais distinções entre o Bitcoin e as moedas fiduciárias é a maneira como são emitidos e administrados. As moedas fiduciárias são emitidas por bancos centrais, que têm o poder de regular sua quantidade em circulação. Esse modelo permite a aplicação de políticas monetárias, como o aumento da oferta de dinheiro para estimular a economia ou a diminuição para controlar a inflação. No entanto, essa capacidade também pode resultar na desvalorização da moeda, se for emitida em excesso.

O Bitcoin, por outro lado, tem um sistema de emissão totalmente descentralizado. Ele é criado por meio de um processo chamado mineração, no qual computadores resolvem problemas matemáticos complexos para validar transações na rede. Além disso, a oferta total de bitcoins é limitada a 21 milhões de unidades, tornando-o um ativo deflacionário, ou seja, sua escassez pode aumentar seu valor ao longo do tempo. Essa limitação contrasta fortemente com a natureza ilimitada da impressão de moedas fiduciárias.

Moedas fiduciárias são centralizadas, o que significa que sua emissão e controle são decididos por autoridades governamentais. Isso também implica que transações feitas com essas moedas passam por intermediários, como bancos, que podem aplicar taxas e limites, além de estarem sujeitos a regulamentações e auditorias.

O Bitcoin, por sua vez, é descentralizado. Ele opera em uma rede peer-to-peer, onde as transações são verificadas por participantes chamados mineradores e registradas em um livro público conhecido como blockchain. Essa descentralização elimina a necessidade de intermediários, tornando o Bitcoin mais resistente à censura e ao controle governamental. Isso também proporciona maior transparência, já que qualquer pessoa pode verificar as transações na rede.

Outra diferença importante está na maneira como as transações são feitas. Com moedas fiduciárias, as transações geralmente dependem de bancos ou sistemas de pagamento, que podem impor restrições de horários e taxas altas, especialmente para transferências internacionais.

O Bitcoin, por outro lado, permite transferências diretas entre pessoas, em qualquer lugar do mundo e a qualquer momento, sem a necessidade de intermediários. Isso torna o sistema mais acessível, especialmente para aqueles que não possuem contas bancárias ou vivem em países com sistemas financeiros restritivos. Além disso, as taxas de transação do Bitcoin podem ser menores do que as taxas cobradas por bancos tradicionais.

As moedas fiduciárias proporcionam segurança baseada em leis governamentais e no sistema bancário, mas os usuários precisam confiar nesses intermediários. O Bitcoin, em contrapartida, oferece um alto nível de segurança através de criptografia avançada. As carteiras digitais, que guardam bitcoins, são protegidas por chaves privadas, assegurando que somente o dono possa acessá-las.

No entanto, a privacidade funciona de maneira diferente. Transações em moedas fiduciárias normalmente estão ligadas à identidade do usuário, enquanto o Bitcoin oferece um certo nível de anonimato, já que os endereços das carteiras não requerem identificação pessoal. Ainda assim, todas as transações são públicas e registradas no blockchain, o que pode ser um ponto de monitoramento para autoridades.

O valor das moedas fiduciárias é sustentado pela confiança no governo que as emite e na economia do país. Por outro lado, o Bitcoin não é apoiado por nenhum governo ou ativo físico. Seu valor é definido pela oferta e demanda no mercado, fazendo com que seja altamente volátil. Embora essa volatilidade apresente um risco, também atrai pessoas que veem o Bitcoin como uma possibilidade de valorização a longo prazo.

Resumindo, o Bitcoin e as moedas fiduciárias diferem significativamente em sua estrutura, controle e funcionalidade. Enquanto as moedas fiduciárias são controladas por governos e dependem de intermediários, o Bitcoin oferece descentralização, transparência e liberdade financeira. Apesar de sua volatilidade e alguns desafios relacionados à regulamentação, o Bitcoin representa uma alternativa nova ao sistema financeiro tradicional.

Muito obrigado por teres lido o texto até aqui, espero que esteja tudo bem contigo e um abraço enorme do teu madeirense bitcoiner maximalista favorito. Viva a liberdade!

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

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

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

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

First Steps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Building on Bitcoin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ 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

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

“Not your keys, not your coins” isn’t a slogan—it’s a survival mantra in the age of digital sovereignty.

The seismic collapses of Mt. Gox (2014) and FTX (2022) weren’t anomalies; they were wake-up calls. When $8.7 billion in customer funds vanished with FTX, it exposed the fatal flaw of third-party custody: your bitcoin is only as secure as your custodian’s weakest link.

Yet today, As of early 2025, analysts estimate that between 2.3 million and 3.7 million Bitcoins are permanently lost, representing approximately 11–18% of bitcoin’s fixed maximum supply of 21 million coins, with some reports suggesting losses as high as 4 million BTC. This paradox reveals a critical truth: self-custody isn’t just preferable—it’s essential—but it must be done right.

The Custody Spectrum

Custodial Wallets (The Illusion of Control)

• Rehypothecation Risk: Most platforms lend your bitcoin for yield generation. When Celsius collapsed, users discovered their “held” bitcoin was loaned out in risky strategies.
• Account Freezes: Regulatory actions can lock withdrawals overnight. In 2023, Binance suspended dollar withdrawals for U.S. users citing “partner bank issues,” trapping funds for weeks.
• Data Vulnerability: KYC requirements create honeypots for hackers. The 2024 Ledger breach exposed 270,000 users’ personal data despite hardware security.

True Self-Custody
Self-custody means exclusively controlling your private keys—the cryptographic strings that prove bitcoin ownership. Unlike banks or exchanges, self-custody eliminates:

• Counterparty risk (no FTX-style implosions)
• Censorship (no blocked transactions)
• Inflationary theft (no fractional reserve lending)

Conquering the Three Great Fears of Self-Custody

Fear 1: “I’ll Lose Everything If I Make a Mistake”

Reality: Human error is manageable with robust systems:

• Test Transactions: Always send a micro-amount (0.00001 BTC) before large transfers. Verify receipt AND ability to send back.
• Multi-Backup Protocol: Store seed phrases on fireproof/waterproof steel plates (not paper!). Distribute copies geographically—one in a home safe, another with trusted family 100+ miles away.
• SLIP39 Sharding: Split your seed into fragments requiring 3-of-5 shards to reconstruct. No single point of failure.

Fear 2: “Hackers Will Steal My Keys”

Reality: Offline storage defeats remote attacks:

• Hardware Wallets: Devices like Bitkey or Ledger keep keys in “cold storage”—isolated from internet-connected devices. Transactions require physical confirmation.
• Multisig Vaults: Bitvault’s multi-sig system requires attackers compromise multiple locations/devices simultaneously. Even losing two keys won’t forfeit funds.
• Air-Gapped Verification: Use dedicated offline devices for wallet setup. Never type seeds on internet-connected machines.

Fear 3: “My Family Can’t Access It If I Die”

Reality: Inheritance is solvable:

• Dead Man Switches: Bitwarden’s emergency access allows trusted contacts to retrieve encrypted keys after a pre-set waiting period (e.g., 30 days).
• Inheritance Protocols: Bitkey’s inheritance solution shares decryption keys via designated beneficiaries’ emails. Requires multiple approvals to prevent abuse.
• Public Key Registries: Share wallet XPUBs (not private keys!) with heirs. They can monitor balances but not spend, ensuring transparency without risk.

The Freedom Dividend

1. Censorship Resistance: Send $10M BTC to a Wikileaks wallet without Visa/Mastercard blocking it.
2. Privacy Preservation: Avoid KYC surveillance—non-custodial wallets like Flash require zero ID verification.
3. Protocol Access: Participate in bitcoin-native innovations (Lightning Network, DLCs) only possible with self-custodied keys.
4. Black Swan Immunity: When Cyprus-style bank bailins happen, your bitcoin remains untouched in your vault.

The Sovereign’s Checklist

1. Withdraw from Exchanges: Move all BTC > $1,000 to self-custody immediately.
2. Buy Hardware Wallet: Purchase DIRECTLY from manufacturer (no Amazon!) to avoid supply-chain tampering.
3. Generate Seed OFFLINE: Use air-gapped device, write phrase on steel—never digitally.
4. Test Recovery: Delete wallet, restore from seed before funding.
5. Implement Multisig: For > $75k, use Bitvault for 2-of-3 multi-sig setup.
6. Create Inheritance Plan: Share XPUBs/SLIP39 shards with heirs + legal documents.

“Self-custody isn’t about avoiding risk—it’s about transferring risk from opaque institutions to transparent, controllable systems you design.”

The Inevitable Evolution: Custody Without Compromise

Emerging solutions are erasing old tradeoffs:

• MPC Wallets: Services like Xapo Bank shatter keys into encrypted fragments distributed globally. No single device holds full keys, defeating physical theft.
• Social Recovery: Ethically designed networks (e.g., Bitkey) let trusted contacts restore access without custodial control.
• Biometric Assurance: Fingerprint reset protocols prevent lockouts from physical injuries.

Lost keys = lost bitcoin. But consider the alternative: entrusting your life savings to entities with proven 8% annual failure rates among exchanges. Self-custody shifts responsibility from hoping institutions won’t fail to knowing your system can’t fail without your consent.

Take action today: Move one coin. Test one recovery. Share one xpub. The path to unchained wealth begins with a single satoshi under your control.