@ 32e18276:5c68e245

I’m going to be on an ordinals panels as one of the people who is counter arguing the claim that they are good for bitcoin. I decided to brush up on the technicals on how inscriptions work. I am starting to see luke’s perspective on how it is exploiting a loophole in bitcoin’s anti-data-spam mechanisms.

Storing data in Bitcoin, the “standard” way

The standard way you add “data” to bitcoin is by calling the OP_RETURN opcode. Bitcoin devs noticed that people were storing data (like the bitcoin whitepaper) in the utxo set via large multisig transactions. The problem with this is that this set is unprunable and could grow over time. OP_RETURN outputs on the other-hand are provably prunable and don’t add to utxo bloat.

Here’s an excerpt from the march 2014 0.9.0 release notes that talks about this:

On OP_RETURN: There was been some confusion and misunderstanding in the community, regarding the OP_RETURN feature in 0.9 and data in the blockchain. This change is not an endorsement of storing data in the blockchain. The OP_RETURN change creates a provably-prunable output, to avoid data storage schemes – some of which were already deployed – that were storing arbitrary data such as images as forever-unspendable TX outputs, bloating bitcoin’s UTXO database. Storing arbitrary data in the blockchain is still a bad idea; it is less costly and far more efficient to store non-currency data elsewhere.

Much of the work on bitcoin core has been focused on making sure the system continues to function in a decentralized way for its intended purpose in the presence of people trying to abuse it for things like storing data. Bitcoin core has always discouraged this, as it is not designed for storage of images and data, it is meant for moving digital coins around in cyberspace.

To help incentive-align people to not do stupid things, OP_RETURN transactions were not made non-standard, so that they are relayable by peers and miners, but with the caveat:

1. They can only push 40 bytes (later increased to 80,83, I’m guessing to support larger root merkle hashes since that is the only sane usecase for op_return)

Bitcoin also added an option called -datacarriersize which limits the total number of bytes from these outputs that you will relay or mine.

Why inscriptions are technically an exploit

Inscriptions get around the datacarriersize limit by disguising data as bitcoin script program data via OP_PUSH inside OP_IF blocks. Ordinals do not use OP_RETURN and are not subjected to datacarriersize limits, so noderunners and miners currently have limited control over the total size of this data that they wish to relay and include in blocks. Luke’s fork of bitcoin-core has some options to fight this spam, so hopefully we will see this in core sometime soon as well.

Inscriptions are also taking advantage of features in segwit v1 (witness discount) and v2/taproot (no arbitrary script size limit). Each of these features have interesting and well-justified reasons why they were introduced.

The purpose of the witness discount was to make it cheaper to spend many outputs which helps the reduction of the utxo set size. Inscriptions took advantage of this discount to store monke jpegs disguised as bitcoin scripts. Remember, bitcoin is not for storing data, so anytime bitcoin-devs accidentally make it cheap and easy to relay data then this should be viewed as an exploit. Expect it to be fixed, or at least provide tools to noderunners for fighting this spam.

Where do we go from here

The interesting part of this story is that people seem to attach value to images stored on the bitcoin blockchain, and they are willing to pay the fee to get it in the block, so non-ideologic miners and people who don’t care about the health and decentralization of bitcoin are happy to pay or collect the fee and move on.

Data should not get a discount, people should pay full price if they want to store data. They should just use op_return and hashes like opentimestamps or any other reasonable protocol storing data in bitcoin.

After going through this analysis I’ve come to the opinion that this is a pretty bad data-spam exploit and bitcoin devs should be working on solutions. Ideological devs like luke who actually care about the health and decentralization of the network are and I’m glad to see it.

@ 23b0e2f8:d8af76fc

Necessário

• Um Android que você não use mais (a câmera deve estar funcionando).
• Um cartão microSD (opcional, usado apenas uma vez).
• Um dispositivo para acompanhar seus fundos (provavelmente você já tem um).

Algumas coisas que você precisa saber

• O dispositivo servirá como um assinador. Qualquer movimentação só será efetuada após ser assinada por ele.
• O cartão microSD será usado para transferir o APK do Electrum e garantir que o aparelho não terá contato com outras fontes de dados externas após sua formatação. Contudo, é possível usar um cabo USB para o mesmo propósito.
• A ideia é deixar sua chave privada em um dispositivo offline, que ficará desligado em 99% do tempo. Você poderá acompanhar seus fundos em outro dispositivo conectado à internet, como seu celular ou computador pessoal.

---

O tutorial será dividido em dois módulos:

• Módulo 1 - Criando uma carteira fria/assinador.
• Módulo 2 - Configurando um dispositivo para visualizar seus fundos e assinando transações com o assinador.

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No final, teremos:

• Uma carteira fria que também servirá como assinador.
• Um dispositivo para acompanhar os fundos da carteira.

---

Módulo 1 - Criando uma carteira fria/assinador

1. Baixe o APK do Electrum na aba de downloads em https://electrum.org/. Fique à vontade para verificar as assinaturas do software, garantindo sua autenticidade.

2. Formate o cartão microSD e coloque o APK do Electrum nele. Caso não tenha um cartão microSD, pule este passo.

1. Retire os chips e acessórios do aparelho que será usado como assinador, formate-o e aguarde a inicialização.

1. Durante a inicialização, pule a etapa de conexão ao Wi-Fi e rejeite todas as solicitações de conexão. Após isso, você pode desinstalar aplicativos desnecessários, pois precisará apenas do Electrum. Certifique-se de que Wi-Fi, Bluetooth e dados móveis estejam desligados. Você também pode ativar o modo avião.\ (Curiosidade: algumas pessoas optam por abrir o aparelho e danificar a antena do Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, impossibilitando essas funcionalidades.)

1. Insira o cartão microSD com o APK do Electrum no dispositivo e instale-o. Será necessário permitir instalações de fontes não oficiais.

1. No Electrum, crie uma carteira padrão e gere suas palavras-chave (seed). Anote-as em um local seguro. Caso algo aconteça com seu assinador, essas palavras permitirão o acesso aos seus fundos novamente. (Aqui entra seu método pessoal de backup.)

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Módulo 2 - Configurando um dispositivo para visualizar seus fundos e assinando transações com o assinador.

1. Criar uma carteira somente leitura em outro dispositivo, como seu celular ou computador pessoal, é uma etapa bastante simples. Para este tutorial, usaremos outro smartphone Android com Electrum. Instale o Electrum a partir da aba de downloads em https://electrum.org/ ou da própria Play Store. (ATENÇÃO: O Electrum não existe oficialmente para iPhone. Desconfie se encontrar algum.)

2. Após instalar o Electrum, crie uma carteira padrão, mas desta vez escolha a opção Usar uma chave mestra.

1. Agora, no assinador que criamos no primeiro módulo, exporte sua chave pública: vá em Carteira > Detalhes da carteira > Compartilhar chave mestra pública.

1. Escaneie o QR gerado da chave pública com o dispositivo de consulta. Assim, ele poderá acompanhar seus fundos, mas sem permissão para movimentá-los.

2. Para receber fundos, envie Bitcoin para um dos endereços gerados pela sua carteira: Carteira > Addresses/Coins.

3. Para movimentar fundos, crie uma transação no dispositivo de consulta. Como ele não possui a chave privada, será necessário assiná-la com o dispositivo assinador.

1. No assinador, escaneie a transação não assinada, confirme os detalhes, assine e compartilhe. Será gerado outro QR, desta vez com a transação já assinada.

1. No dispositivo de consulta, escaneie o QR da transação assinada e transmita-a para a rede.

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Conclusão

Pontos positivos do setup:

• Simplicidade: Basta um dispositivo Android antigo.
• Flexibilidade: Funciona como uma ótima carteira fria, ideal para holders.

Pontos negativos do setup:

• Padronização: Não utiliza seeds no padrão BIP-39, você sempre precisará usar o electrum.
• Interface: A aparência do Electrum pode parecer antiquada para alguns usuários.

Nesse ponto, temos uma carteira fria que também serve para assinar transações. O fluxo de assinar uma transação se torna: Gerar uma transação não assinada > Escanear o QR da transação não assinada > Conferir e assinar essa transação com o assinador > Gerar QR da transação assinada > Escanear a transação assinada com qualquer outro dispositivo que possa transmiti-la para a rede.

Como alguns devem saber, uma transação assinada de Bitcoin é praticamente impossível de ser fraudada. Em um cenário catastrófico, você pode mesmo que sem internet, repassar essa transação assinada para alguém que tenha acesso à rede por qualquer meio de comunicação. Mesmo que não queiramos que isso aconteça um dia, esse setup acaba por tornar essa prática possível.

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@ f9c0ea75:44e849f4

Nos anos 80, o Brasil testemunhou um dos momentos mais patéticos da sua história econômica: os "Fiscais do Sarney". Movidos por um decreto inútil, cidadãos foram incentivados a denunciar comerciantes que não seguissem o tabelamento de preços imposto pelo governo. O resultado? Um fracasso absoluto, prateleiras vazias, inflação descontrolada e a certeza de que a mentalidade fiscalizadora não gera valor para ninguém – apenas sufoca a economia e reforça o atraso.

Agora, décadas depois, vemos a mesma mentalidade derrotada ressurgir na Receita Federal com a fiscalização automática sobre transações acima de R$ 5.000 via PIX. Em vez de buscar um ambiente mais produtivo e inovador, o governo se empenha em monitorar cada centavo que circula, tratando qualquer movimentação um pouco maior como suspeita. Quem ganha com isso? Certamente não é o cidadão honesto, nem a economia real.

E quem são os protagonistas dessa história? Os novos fiscais da Receita Federal, que assumem um papel tão irrelevante quanto o dos fiscais de Sarney. Um trabalho de baixo valor agregado, que não contribui para a criação de riqueza ou inovação. São apenas burocratas modernos, presos na mentalidade de que controlar e punir é mais importante do que fomentar o crescimento e a liberdade financeira.

A história já provou que o fiscalismo estatal é um modelo falido, seja tabelando preços ou perseguindo transações financeiras. Enquanto alguns criam, inovam e geram valor, outros se ocupam apenas de vigiar e tributar. O tempo sempre mostrou quem estava certo.

Nos anos 80, o Brasil testemunhou um dos momentos mais patéticos da sua história econômica: os "Fiscais do Sarney". Movidos por um decreto inútil, cidadãos foram incentivados a denunciar comerciantes que não seguissem o tabelamento de preços imposto pelo governo. O resultado? Um fracasso absoluto, prateleiras vazias, inflação descontrolada e a certeza de que a mentalidade fiscalizadora não gera valor para ninguém – apenas sufoca a economia e reforça o atraso.

Agora, décadas depois, vemos a mesma mentalidade derrotada ressurgir na Receita Federal com a fiscalização automática sobre transações acima de R$ 5.000 via PIX. Em vez de buscar um ambiente mais produtivo e inovador, o governo se empenha em monitorar cada centavo que circula, tratando qualquer movimentação um pouco maior como suspeita. Quem ganha com isso? Certamente não é o cidadão honesto, nem a economia real.

E quem são os protagonistas dessa história? Os novos fiscais da Receita Federal, que assumem um papel tão irrelevante quanto o dos fiscais de Sarney. Um trabalho de baixo valor agregado, que não contribui para a criação de riqueza ou inovação. São apenas burocratas modernos, presos na mentalidade de que controlar e punir é mais importante do que fomentar o crescimento e a liberdade financeira.

A história já provou que o fiscalismo estatal é um modelo falido, seja tabelando preços ou perseguindo transações financeiras. Enquanto alguns criam, inovam e geram valor, outros se ocupam apenas de vigiar e tributar. O tempo sempre mostrou quem estava certo.

@ c11cf5f8:4928464d

Here we are again with our monthly Magnificent Seven, the summary giving you a hit of what you missed in the ~AGORA territory.

---

Top-Performing Ads

This month, the most engaging ones are:

• 00 [SELL] STACKER NEWS Merch: T-Shirts & Cap [32100 sats + shipping] by me :)
• 01 Beeswax Dinner Candles For Sale by @kr
• 02 I'd Buy ~bitcoin Territory At The Right Price by @0xbitcoiner
• 03 Bitcoin Watches by @jakoyoh629
• 04 SN merch live on amazon by @stack_harder
• 05 A couple programming bounties payable in BTC (Javascript/Typescript, C++) by @springfield_data_recovery
• 06 [SELL] Accepting SATs ~ Genuine Authentic SHAQ (Shaquille O'Neal) Autograph by @watchmancbiz
• 07 PlebBook 📖 - (Update: Jan 2025 - Earn Sats in AGORA) by @PlebLab
• 08 HereComes Bitcoin SATSCARD™ - Summer of Bitcoin by @Design_r
• 09 [OFFER] 12K sats for any item in The Bullish Shop (BOLT12 only) by @thebullishbitcoiner
• 10 Bitcoin Shirt on Walmart 👀 by @96dffdc39e

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Cowboys Credits Buyers

Yes, this Jan 3rd CCs have been deployed, a unique SN feature that enable everyone to play around and upvote/reward interesting contents and stackers. Has been an interesting number of stackers enetring the market and setting the rate

• @siggy47 Will Pay Sats For Cowboy Credits https://stacker.news/items/837713/r/AG Make him an offer. His territories rent are due.
• @ek [BUY] 100 cowboy credits for one satoshi https://stacker.news/items/837469/r/AG Sender must pay the 30% sybil fee, so the sender has to pay 100/0.7=142 CCs to get 1 sat
• @Darth first ever CCs offer, and always with his third eye looking at the future, want too [SWAP] SN Cowboy credits https://stacker.news/items/723069/r/AG _{PS: posted in October 2024}

Professional Services accepting Bitcoin

• I https://stacker.news/items/813013/r/AG @gpvansat's [OFFER][Graphic Design]

From the paste editions (It's important to keep these offers available) * II https://stacker.news/items/775383/r/AG @TinstrMedia - Color Grading (Styling) Your Pictures as a Service * III https://stacker.news/items/773557/r/AG @MamaHodl, MATHS TUTOR 50K SATS/hour English global * IV https://stacker.news/items/684163/r/AG @BTCLNAT's OFFER HEALTH COUNSELING [21 SAT/ consultation * V https://stacker.news/items/689268/r/AG @mathswithtess [SELL] MATHS TUTOR ONLINE, 90k sats per hour. Global but English only.

In case you missed

Here some interesting post, opening conversations and free speech about markets and business on the bitcoin circular economy:

• Buy Kratum With Bitcoin https://stacker.news/items/806578/r/AG by @siggy47
• How Is Shipping Handled? https://stacker.news/items/832303/r/AG by @siggy47
• Building a List of 'Buy It For Life' Products https://stacker.news/items/809655/r/AG by @kr
• Sender must pay the 30% sybil fee, so the sender has to pay 100/0.7=142 CCs to get 1 sat https://stacker.news/items/811292/r/AG by @Fabs
• How to (Ethically) Get Rid of Your Unwanted Stuff https://stacker.news/items/829228/r/AG by @mo
• The Calgary Sat Market - A driven community of Bitcoiners, making magic together https://stacker.news/items/811666/r/AG by @supratic
• ɅGOᏒɅ 🏜️ First Year Recap: A Thriving 2024 for Stacker News P2P Marketplace https://stacker.news/items/821255/r/AG by @AGORA

🏷️ Spending Sunday is back!

Share your most recent Bitcoin purchases of just check what other stackers are buying with their sats! Read more https://stacker.news/items/837629/r/AG

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Just a reminder for you all

This territory aims to connect stackers and curious buyers for IRL P2P Bitcoin deals. Have fun checking what else stackers are shilling globally in the ~AGORA. This is a great time for you to make some space un-dusting some stuff that has been sitting there for too long and get some sats for it!

---

Create your Ads now!

Looking to start something new? Hit one of the links below to free your mind:

• 💬 TOPIC for conversation,
• [⚖️ SELL] anything! or,
• if you're looking for something, hit the [🛒 BUY]!
• [🧑‍💻 HIRE] any bitcoiner skill or stuff from bitcoiners
• [🖇 OFFER] any product or service and stack more sats
• [🧑‍⚖️ AUCTION] to let stackers decide a fair price for your item
• [🤝 SWAP] if you're looking to exchange anything with anything else
• [🆓 FREE] your space, make a gift!
• [⭐ REVIEW] any bitcoin product or LN service you recently bought or subscribed to

---

Or contact @AGORA team on nostr DM and we can help you publish a personalized post.

. #nostr #stuff4sats #sell #buy #plebchain #grownostr #asknostr

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/842103

@ ed84ce10:cccf4c2a

Hackathon Summary

The YQuantum 2024 Hackathon concluded with significant participation and numerous project submissions, establishing itself as a vibrant platform for innovation. Out of 300 registrants, the on-site participants formed teams and worked on developing 28 BUIDLs, engaging in challenges across diverse tracks sponsored by prominent quantum computing organizations, such as QuEra Computing, IBM Quantum, Classiq, DoraHacks, SandboxAQ, and Capgemini/The Hartford/Quantinuum.

Participants developed groundbreaking solutions in quantum computing, driven by prize incentives, including quantum cloud credits, internships, networking opportunities, and potential speaking engagements. The grand prizes recognized exceptional projects, with the first place receiving $2000, presentation opportunities before Yale researchers, and participation in the Yale Innovation Summit.

The hackathon successfully fostered a collaborative environment that encouraged the exploration of cutting-edge technologies and ideas, advancing the quantum computing field. YQuantum 2024 underscored the potential of quantum technologies and promoted knowledge exchange among participants and sponsors.

Hackathon Winners

Held on April 13, 2024, YQuantum's inaugural event attracted 300 participants from 10 countries, featuring six industry-sponsored challenges that culminated in a series of prestigious awards.

Institute Grand Prizes Winners

• 1st Place: Quantum Consortium: Case-Duke-Lehigh-Vandy Nexus This project employs adiabatic methods to prepare antiferromagnetic energy eigenstates, with a focus on quantum many-body scarring and enhancing error correction in computing.

• 2nd Place: Sparse Quantum State Preparation The team developed efficient algorithms using Classiq APIs for sparse quantum state preparation, optimizing execution for scalability and efficiency in managing quantum data.

• 3rd Place: QuBruin This project optimizes algorithms using dynamic quantum circuits and enhances error correction. The team improved user accessibility through Qiskit-based models for better circuit performance under noise conditions.

IBM Quantum Prize Winners

• Modified IBM Challenge
  This project delves into foundational linear algebra concepts, emphasizing core principles and mastery.

QuEra Computing Prize Winners

• 3D Quantum Scars on 2D Tweezer Arrays
  The team investigates quantum scar states on a 3D lattice projected into 2D, using Julia and QuEra's Bloqade to simulate quantum dynamics.

Classiq Technologies Prize Winners

• YQuantum2024 Classiq Team 34 Wavefunction Wizards
  Focusing on optimizing sparse quantum state preparation, this project enhances algorithmic efficiency in quantum data processing.

DoraHacks Prize Winners

• Spooner_QRNG_Classifier
  The project employs Python scripts and a gradient booster classifier to predict quantum device origins of random binary data, surpassing baseline prediction accuracy.

Capgemini // Quantinuum // The Hartford Prize Winners

• Skittlez
  This partnership addresses quantum computing challenges through interdisciplinary expertise, designing innovative quantum solutions.

• Honorable Mention: BB24 - Yale Quantum Monte Carlo The project enhances Quantum Monte Carlo techniques via novel sampling and encoding schemes, improving parallel processing and computational efficiency.

SandboxAQ Prize Winners

• QuantumQuails
  This project improves solar cell efficiency through quantum chemistry, utilizing VQE to model solar energy absorption for enhanced conversion effectiveness.

• Honorable Mention: mRNA Sequence Design via Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm This project optimizes mRNA sequence design using QAOA, enhancing protein expression and structural stability through codon and nucleotide parameters.

Explore all projects at DoraHacks.

About the Organizer:

YQuantum

YQuantum is a prominent entity within the technology and blockchain sectors, recognized for its innovative approach and strategic initiatives. Specializing in utilizing quantum computing capabilities, YQuantum is committed to advancing the technological frontier. Though specific projects are not highlighted, YQuantum's role in shaping industry standards positions it as a leader in the field. Through dedication to cutting-edge research and development, YQuantum continues to drive progress in quantum technologies, aligning with its mission to propel scientific and technological advancements globally.

@ d830ee7b:4e61cd62

การเผชิญหน้า (The Collision Point)

กลางปี 2017 ที่ร้านคราฟท์เบียร์เล็ก ๆ ในย่านเกาะเกร็ด นนทบุรี อากาศร้อนจนเครื่องปรับอากาศ (ที่ยังไม่มี) ในร้านทำงานหนักแทบไหม้ "แจ๊ก กู้ดเดย์" (Jakk Goodday) นั่งลงบนเก้าอี้ไม้ที่เจ้าของร้านกันไว้ให้เป็นประจำ ราวกับเขาเป็นลูกค้าขาประจำระดับวีไอพี

กลิ่นกาแฟคั่ว ลอยผสมกับไอความร้อนจากนอกหน้าต่าง (ผิดร้านหรือเปล่า?) เกิดเป็นบรรยากาศขมติดปลายลิ้นชวนให้คนจิบแล้วอยากถอนใจ

เขาเหลือบมองออกไปนอกหน้าต่าง.. เห็นแสงแดดแผดเผาราวกับมันรู้ว่าสงคราม Blocksize กำลังคุกรุ่นขึ้นอีกครั้ง

บรรยากาศนอกหน้าต่างกับใน ฟอรัม Bitcointalk ช่างเหมือนกันจนน่าขนลุก มันร้อนแรง ไร้ความปรานี

แจ๊กเปิดแล็ปท็อป กดเข้าเว็บฟอรัม พอเสียงแจ้งเตือน “—ติ๊ง” ดังขึ้น คิ้วของเขาก็ขมวดเล็กน้อย คล้ายได้กลิ่นดินปืนกลางสนามรบ

“โรเจอร์ แวร์ (Roger Ver) ไลฟ์เดือดลั่นเวที!” “ปีเตอร์ วูเล (Pieter Wuille) โต้กลับเรื่อง SegWit!” “Hard Fork ใกล้ถึงจุดปะทะแล้ว!”

แจ๊กคลิกเข้าไปในลิงก์ของไลฟ์ทันที เหมือนมือของเขาไม่ต้องการคำสั่งจากสมอง ความคุ้นเคยกับเหตุการณ์แบบนี้บอกเขาว่า นี่ไม่ใช่ดีเบตธรรมดา แต่มันอาจเปลี่ยนอนาคตของ Bitcoin ได้จริง ๆ

เห็นแค่พาดหัวสั้น ๆ แต่ความตึงเครียดก็ชัดเจนขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ ทุกข้อความเหมือนสุมไฟใส่ใจกองหนึ่งที่พร้อมระเบิดได้ทุกเมื่อ

โทรศัพท์ของแจ๊กดังพร้อมปรากฏชื่อ แชมป์ ‘PIGROCK’ ลอยขึ้นมา เขาหยิบขึ้นมารับทันที

“ว่าไงวะแชมป์… มีอะไรด่วนหรือเปล่า?” น้ำเสียงแจ๊กฟังดูเหมือนง่วง ๆ แต่จริง ๆ เขาพร้อมจะลุกมาวิเคราะห์สถานการณ์ให้ฟังทุกเมื่อ

“พี่แจ๊ก.. ผมอ่านดีเบตเรื่อง SegWit ในฟอรัมอยู่ครับ บางคนด่าว่ามันไม่ได้แก้ปัญหาจริง ๆ บ้างก็บอกถ้าเพิ่ม Blocksize ไปเลยจะง่ายกว่า... ผมเลยสงสัยว่า Hard Fork ที่เค้าพูดถึงกันนี่คืออะไร ใครคิดอะไรก็ Fork กันได้ง่าย ๆ เลยเหรอ"

"แล้วถ้า Fork ไปหลายสาย สุดท้ายเหรียญไหนจะเป็น ‘Bitcoin ที่แท้จริง’ ล่ะพี่?”

“แล้วการ Fork มันส่งผลกับนักลงทุนยังไงครับ? คนทั่วไปอย่างผมควรถือไว้หรือขายหนีตายดีล่ะเนี่ย?”

แจ๊กยิ้มมุมปาก ชอบใจที่น้องถามจี้จุด

“เอางี้… การ Fork มันเหมือนแบ่งถนนออกเป็นสองสาย ใครชอบกติกาเก่าก็วิ่งถนนเส้นเก่า ใครอยากแก้กติกาใหม่ก็ไปถนนเส้นใหม่"

"แต่ประเด็นคือ... นี่ไม่ใช่เรื่องเล็ก ๆ เพราะมีผลต่ออัตลักษณ์ของ Bitcoin ทั้งหมดเลยนะมึง—ใครจะยอมปล่อยผ่านง่าย ๆ”

"คิดดูสิ ถ้าครั้งนี้พวกเขา Fork จริง มันอาจไม่ได้เปลี่ยนแค่เครือข่าย แต่เปลี่ยนวิธีที่คนมอง Bitcoin ไปตลอดกาลเลยนะ"

"แล้วใครมันจะอยากลงทุนในระบบที่แตกแยกซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าวะ?"

“งั้นหมายความว่าตอนนี้ก็มีสองแนวใหญ่ ๆ ชัวร์ใช่ไหมครับ?” แชมป์ถามต่อ

“ฝั่ง โรเจอร์ แวร์ ที่บอกว่าต้องเพิ่ม Blocksize ให้ใหญ่จุใจ กับฝั่งทีม Core อย่าง ปีเตอร์ วูเล ที่ยืนยันต้องใช้ SegWit ทำให้บล็อกเบา ไม่กระทบการกระจายอำนาจ?”

“ใช่เลย” แจ๊กจิบกาแฟดำเข้ม ๆ ผสมน้ำผึ้งไปหนึ่งอึก

“โรเจอร์นี่เขาเชื่อว่า Bitcoin ต้องเป็นเงินสดดิจิทัลที่ใช้จ่ายไว ค่าธรรมเนียมไม่แพง ส่วนปีเตอร์กับ Bitcoin Core มองว่าการเพิ่มบล็อกเยอะ ๆ มันจะไปฆ่า Node รายย่อย คนไม่มีทุนก็รัน Node ไม่ไหว สุดท้าย Bitcoin จะกลายเป็นระบบกึ่งรวมศูนย์ ซึ่งมันผิดหลักการเดิมของ ซาโตชิ ไงล่ะ”

“ฟังแล้วก็ไม่ใช่เรื่องง่ายนะพี่… งั้นที่ผมได้ยินว่า จิฮั่น อู๋ (Jihan Wu) เจ้าของ Bitmain ที่ถือ Hashrate เกินครึ่งนี่ก็มาอยู่ฝั่งเดียวกับโรเจอร์ใช่ไหม?"

"เพราะยิ่งบล็อกใหญ่ ค่าธรรมเนียมยิ่งเพิ่ม นักขุดก็ได้กำไรสูงขึ้นใช่ป่ะ?”

“ไอ้เรื่องกำไรก็ส่วนหนึ่ง...” แจ๊กถอนหายใจ

“แต่ที่สำคัญกว่านั้นคืออำนาจต่อรอง… ตอนประชุมลับที่ฮ่องกงเมื่อปีที่แล้ว พี่เองก็ถูกชวนให้เข้าไปในฐานะคนกลาง เลยเห็นภาพน่าขนลุกอยู่หน่อย ๆ"

"จิฮั่นนั่งไขว่ห้างด้วยสีหน้ามั่นใจมาก ด้วย Hashrate ราว 60% ของโลก สั่งซ้ายหันขวาหันเหมือนเป็นแม่ทัพใหญ่ได้เลย พอโรเจอร์ก็ไฟแรงอยู่แล้ว อยากให้ Bitcoin ครองโลกด้วยวิธีของเขา สองคนนี่จับมือกันทีจะเขย่าชุมชน Bitcoin ได้ทั้งกระดาน”

"พี่รู้สึกเหมือนนั่งอยู่ในศึกชิงบัลลังก์ยุคใหม่ คนหนึ่งยึดพลังขุด คนหนึ่งยึดความศรัทธาในชื่อ Bitcoin แต่สิ่งที่พี่สงสัยในตอนนั้นคือ… พวกเขาสู้เพื่อใครกันแน่?"

แชมป์เงียบไปครู่เหมือนกำลังประมวลผล “แล้วตอนนั้นพี่คิดยังไงบ้างครับ? รู้สึกกลัวหรือว่ายังไง?”

“จะไม่กลัวได้ไง!” แจ๊กหัวเราะแห้ง ๆ แวบหนึ่งก็นึกถึงสีหน้าที่ยิ้มเยาะของทั้งคู่ตอนประกาศความพร้อมจะ Fork

“พี่อดคิดไม่ได้ว่าถ้า Core ยังไม่ยอมขยายบล็อก พวกนั้นจะลากนักขุดทั้งกองทัพแฮชเรตไปทำเครือข่ายใหม่ให้เป็น ‘Bitcoin สายใหญ่’ แล้วทิ้งเครือข่ายเดิมให้ซวนเซ"

"แค่คิดก็นึกถึงสงครามกลางเมืองในหนังประวัติศาสตร์แล้วน่ะ.. แตกเป็นสองฝ่าย สุดท้ายใครแพ้ใครชนะ ไม่มีใครทำนายได้จริง ๆ”

พูดจบ.. เขาเปิดฟอรัมดูไลฟ์ดีเบตจากงานในปี 2017 ต่อ โรเจอร์ แวร์ กำลังพูดในโทนร้อนแรง

“Bitcoin ไม่ใช่ของคนรวย! ถ้าคุณไม่เพิ่ม Blocksize คุณก็ทำให้ค่าธรรมเนียมพุ่งจนคนธรรมดาใช้ไม่ได้!”

ขณะเดียวกัน ปีเตอร์ วูเล่ ยืนอยู่ฝั่งตรงข้าม สีหน้าเยือกเย็นราวกับตั้งรับมานาน “การเพิ่มบล็อกคือการทำลายโครงสร้าง Node รายย่อยในระยะยาว แล้วมันจะยังเรียกว่ากระจายอำนาจได้หรือ?”

"ถ้าคุณอยากให้ Bitcoin เป็นของคนรวยเพียงไม่กี่คน ก็เชิญขยายบล็อกไปเถอะนะ แต่ถ้าอยากให้มันเป็นระบบที่คนทุกระดับมีส่วนร่วมจริง ๆ ..คุณต้องฟังเสียง Node รายเล็กด้วย" ปีเตอร์กล่าว

เสียงผู้คนในงานโห่ฮากันอย่างแตกเป็นสองฝ่าย บ้างก็เชียร์ความตรงไปตรงมาของโรเจอร์ บ้างก็เคารพเหตุผลเชิงเทคนิคของปีเตอร์

ข้อความจำนวนมหาศาลในฟอรัมต่างโหมกระพือไปต่าง ๆ นานา มีทั้งคำด่าหยาบคายจนแจ๊กต้องเบือนหน้า ตลอดจนการวิเคราะห์ลึก ๆ ถึงอนาคตของ Bitcoin ที่อาจไม่เหมือนเดิม

ในระหว่างนั้น.. แชมป์ส่งข้อความ Discord กลับมาอีก

“พี่ ถ้า Fork จริง ราคาจะป่วนแค่ไหน? ที่เขาว่าคนถือ BTC จะได้เหรียญใหม่ฟรี ๆ จริงไหม? ผมกลัวว่าถ้าเกิดแบ่งเครือข่ายไม่รู้กี่สาย ตลาดอาจมั่วจนคนหายหมดก็ได้ ใช่ไหมครับ?”

"แล้วถ้าเครือข่ายใหม่ล้มเหลวล่ะครับ? จะส่งผลอะไรต่อชุมชน Bitcoin เดิม?"

"ไอ้แชมป์มึงถามรัวจังวะ!?" แจ๊กสบถเพราะเริ่มตั้งรับไม่ทัน

“ก็ขึ้นกับตลาดจะเชื่อว่าสายไหนเป็น ‘ของจริง’ อีกนั่นแหละ” แจ๊กพิมพ์กลับ

“บางคนถือไว้เผื่อได้เหรียญใหม่ฟรี บางคนขายหนีตายก่อน"

"พี่เองก็ยังไม่กล้าการันตีเลย แต่ที่แน่ ๆ สงครามนี้ไม่ได้มีแค่ผลกำไร มันกระทบศรัทธาของชุมชน Bitcoin ทั้งหมดด้วย"

"ถ้าชาวเน็ตเลิกเชื่อมั่น หรือคนนอกมองว่าพวกเราทะเลาะกันเองเหมือนเด็กแย่งของเล่น ต่อให้ฝั่งไหนชนะ ก็อาจไม่มีผู้ใช้เหลือให้ฉลอง”

แล้วสายตาแจ๊กก็ปะทะกับกระทู้ใหม่ที่เด้งขึ้นมาบนหน้าฟอรัม

“โรเจอร์ แวร์ ประกาศ: ถ้าไม่เพิ่ม Blocksize เราจะฟอร์กเป็น Bitcoin ที่แท้จริง!”

ตัวหนังสือหนาแปะอยู่ตรงนั้นส่งแรงสั่นสะเทือนราวกับจะดึงคนในวงการให้ต้องเลือกข้างกันแบบไม่อาจกลับหลังได้

แจ๊กเอื้อมมือปิดแล็ปท็อปช้า ๆ คล้ายยอมรับความจริงว่าหนทางประนีประนอมอาจไม่มีอีกแล้ว..

“สงครามนี่คงใกล้ระเบิดเต็มทีล่ะนะ” เขาลุกจากเก้าอี้ สะพายเป้ พึมพำกับตัวเองขณะมองกาแฟดำที่เหลือครึ่งแก้ว “ถ้าพวกเขาฟอร์กจริง โลกคริปโตฯ ที่เราเคยรู้จักอาจไม่มีวันเหมือนเดิมอีกต่อไป”

เขามองออกไปนอกหน้าต่าง แสงแดดที่แผดเผาราวกับกำลังบอกว่า.. อนาคตของ Bitcoin อยู่ในจุดที่เส้นแบ่งระหว่างชัยชนะกับความล่มสลายเริ่มพร่าเลือน... และอาจไม่มีทางย้อนกลับ

ก่อนเดินออกจากร้าน เขากดส่งข้อความสั้น ๆ ถึงแชมป์

“เตรียมใจกับความปั่นป่วนไว้ให้ดี ไม่แน่ว่าเราอาจจะได้เห็น Bitcoin แตกเป็นหลายสาย.. ใครจะอยู่ใครจะไปไม่รู้เหมือนกัน แต่เรื่องนี้คงไม่จบง่าย ๆ แน่”

แจ๊กผลักประตูออกไปพบกับแดดจัดที่เหมือนแผดเผากว่าเดิม พายุร้อนไม่ได้มาแค่ในรูปความร้อนกลางกรุง แต่มาในรูป “สงคราม Blocksize” ที่พร้อมจะฉีกชุมชนคริปโตออกเป็นฝักฝ่าย และอาจลามบานปลายจนกลายเป็นศึกประวัติศาสตร์

ทว่าสิ่งที่ค้างคาใจกลับเป็นคำถามนั้น…

เมื่อเครือข่ายแบ่งเป็นหลายสายแล้ว เหรียญไหนจะเป็น Bitcoin จริง?

หรือบางที... ในโลกที่ใครก็ Fork ได้ตามใจ เราจะไม่มีวันได้เห็น “Bitcoin หนึ่งเดียว” อีกต่อไป?

คำถามที่ไม่มีใครตอบได้ชัดนี้ส่องประกายอยู่ตรงปลายทาง ราวกับป้ายเตือนว่า “อันตรายข้างหน้า” และคนในชุมชนทั้งหมดกำลังจะต้องเผชิญ…

โดยไม่มีใครมั่นใจเลยว่าจะรอด หรือจะแตกสลายไปก่อนกันแน่...

สองเส้นทาง (The Forked Path)

กลางปี 2017 ท้องฟ้าเหนือบุรีรัมย์ยังคงคุกรุ่นด้วยไอแดดและความร้อนแรงของสงคราม Blocksize แจ๊ก กู้ดเดย์ ก้าวเข้ามาในคาเฟ่เล็ก ๆ แห่งหนึ่งในย่านเทศบาลด้วยสีหน้าครุ่นคิด เขาพยายามมองหามุมสงบสำหรับนั่งตั้งหลักในโลกความเป็นจริง ก่อนจะจมดิ่งสู่สงครามในโลกดิจิทัลบนฟอรัม Bitcointalk อีกครั้ง

กลิ่นกาแฟคั่วเข้มลอยกระทบจมูก แจ๊กสั่งกาแฟดำแก้วโปรดแล้วปลีกตัวมาที่โต๊ะริมกระจก กระจกบานนั้นสะท้อนแสงอาทิตย์จัดจ้า ราวกับจะบอกว่าวันนี้คงไม่มีใครหนีความร้อนที่กำลังแผดเผา ทั้งในอากาศและในชุมชน Bitcoin ได้พ้น

เขาเปิดแล็ปท็อปขึ้น ล็อกอินเข้า Bitcointalk.org ตามเคย ข้อความและกระทู้มากมายกระหน่ำแจ้งเตือน ไม่ต่างอะไรจากสมรภูมิคำพูดที่ไม่มีวันหลับ “Hong Kong Agreement ล้มเหลวจริงหรือ?” “UASF คือปฏิวัติโดย Node?” เหล่านี้ล้วนสะท้อนความไม่แน่นอนในชุมชน Bitcoin ที่ตอนนี้ ดูคล้ายจะถึงจุดแตกหักเต็มที...

“ทั้งที่ตอนนั้นเราก็พยายามกันแทบตาย…” แจ๊กพึมพำ มองจอด้วยสายตาเหนื่อยใจพร้อมภาพความทรงจำย้อนกลับเข้าในหัว เขายังจำการประชุมที่ฮ่องกงเมื่อต้นปี 2016 ได้แม่น ยามนั้นความหวังในการประนีประนอมระหว่าง Big Block และ Small Block ดูเป็นไปได้ หากแต่กลายเป็นละครฉากใหญ่ที่จบลงโดยไม่มีใครยอมถอย...

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...การประชุม Hong Kong Agreement (2016)

ภายในห้องประชุมหรูของโรงแรมใจกลางย่านธุรกิจฮ่องกง บรรยากาศตึงเครียดยิ่งกว่าการเจรจาสงบศึกในสมัยโบราณ

โรเจอร์ แวร์ ยืนเสนอว่า “การเพิ่ม Blocksize สำคัญต่ออนาคตของ Bitcoin — เราอยากให้คนทั่วไปเข้าถึงได้โดยไม่ต้องจ่ายค่าธรรมเนียมแพง ๆ”

“จิฮั่น อู๋ (Jihan Wu)” จาก Bitmain นั่งฝั่งเดียวกับโรเจอร์ คอยเสริมว่าการเพิ่มบล็อกคือโอกาสสำหรับนักขุด และหากทีม Core ไม่ยอม พวกเขาก็พร้อม “ดัน Fork” ขึ้นได้ทุกเมื่อ ด้วย Hashrate มหาศาลที่พวกเขาคุมไว้

ฝั่ง ปีเตอร์ วูเล (Pieter Wuille) กับ เกร็ก แมกซ์เวลล์ (Greg Maxwell) จาก Bitcoin Core เถียงกลับอย่างใจเย็นว่า “การขยายบล็อกอาจดึงดูดทุนใหญ่ ๆ แล้วไล่ Node รายย่อยออกไป ชุมชนอาจไม่เหลือความกระจายอำนาจอย่างที่ Satoshi ตั้งใจ”

สุดท้าย บทสรุปที่เรียกว่า Hong Kong Agreement ลงนามได้ก็จริง แต่มันกลับเป็นแค่ลายเซ็นบนกระดาษที่ไม่มีฝ่ายไหนเชื่อใจใคร

แจ๊กเบือนสายตาออกนอกหน้าต่าง สังเกตเห็นผู้คนเดินขวักไขว่ บ้างก็ดูรีบร้อน บ้างเดินทอดน่องเหมือนว่างเปล่า นี่คงไม่ต่างอะไรกับชาวเน็ตในฟอรัมที่แบ่งฝ่ายกันใน “สงคราม Blocksize” อย่างไม่มีทีท่าจะหยุด

แค่ไม่กี่นาที... เสียงโทรศัพท์ก็ดังขึ้น ชื่อ แชมป์ ‘PIGROCK’ โชว์หราเต็มจออีกครั้ง

“ว่าไงเจ้าแชมป์?” แจ๊กกรอกเสียงในสายด้วยอารมณ์เหนื่อย ๆ ทว่าพร้อมจะอธิบายเหตุการณ์ตามสไตล์คนที่ชอบครุ่นคิด

“พี่แจ๊ก.. ผมเข้าใจแล้วว่าการประชุมฮ่องกงมันล้มเหลว ตอนนี้ก็มีคนแยกเป็นสองขั้ว Big Block กับ SegWit แต่ผมเจออีกกลุ่มในฟอรัมเรียกว่า UASF (User-Activated Soft Fork) ที่เหมือนจะกดดันพวกนักขุดให้ยอมรับ SegWit..."

"อยากรู้ว่าตกลง UASF มันสำคัญยังไงครับ? ทำไมใคร ๆ ถึงเรียกว่าเป็น การปฏิวัติโดย Node กัน?”

แจ๊กอมยิ้มก่อนจะวางแก้วกาแฟลง พูดด้วยน้ำเสียงจริงจังกว่าเดิม “UASF น่ะหรือ? มันเปรียบได้กับการที่ ‘ชาวนา’ หรือ ‘ประชาชนตัวเล็ก ๆ’ ออกมาประกาศว่า ‘ฉันจะไม่รับบล็อกของนักขุดที่ไม่รองรับ SegWit นะ ถ้าแกไม่ทำตาม ฉันก็จะตัดบล็อกแกทิ้ง!’ เสมือนเป็นการปฏิวัติที่บอกว่าแรงขุดมากแค่ไหนก็ไม่สำคัญ ถ้าคนรัน Node ไม่ยอม… เชนก็เดินต่อไม่ได้”

“โห… ฟังดูแรงจริง ๆ พี่ แล้วถ้านักขุดไม่ร่วมมือ UASF จะเกิดอะไรขึ้น?” แชมป์ถามต่อเสียงสั่นนิด ๆ

“ก็อาจเกิด ‘Chain Split’ ยังไงล่ะ"

"แยกเครือข่ายเป็นสองสาย สุดท้ายเครือข่ายเดิม กับเครือข่ายใหม่ที่รองรับ SegWit ไม่ตรงกัน คนอาจสับสนหนักยิ่งกว่า Hard Fork ปกติด้วยซ้ำ"

"แต่นั่นแหละ... มันแสดงพลังว่าผู้ใช้ทั่วไปก็มีสิทธิ์กำหนดทิศทาง Bitcoin ไม่ได้น้อยไปกว่านักขุดเลย”

“เข้าใจแล้วครับพี่… เหมือน การปฏิวัติโดยประชาชนตาดำ ๆ ที่จับมือกันค้านอำนาจทุนใหญ่ใช่ไหม?” แชมป์หยุดครู่หนึ่ง “ผมเคยคิดว่า Node รายย่อยน้อยรายจะไปสู้อะไรไหว แต่ตอนนี้ดูท่าจะเปลี่ยนเกมได้จริงว่ะพี่…”

“ใช่เลย” แจ๊กตอบ

“นี่เป็นความพิเศษของ Bitcoin ที่บอกว่า ‘เราคุมเครือข่ายร่วมกัน’ แม้แต่ Bitmain ที่มี Hashrate มากกว่า 50% ก็หนาวได้ถ้าผู้ใช้หรือ Node รายย่อยรวมพลังกันมากพอ”

แชมป์ฟังด้วยความตื่นเต้นปนกังวล “แล้วแบบนี้ เรื่อง SegWit กับ Blocksize จะจบยังไงครับ? เห็นข่าวว่าถ้านักขุดโดนกดดันมาก ๆ คนอย่าง จิฮั่น อู๋ อาจออกไปสนับสนุน Bitcoin Cash ที่จะเปิดบล็อกใหญ่”

แจ๊กเลื่อนดูฟีดข่าวในฟอรัม Bitcointalk อีกครั้ง ก็เห็นพาดหัวชัด ๆ

“Bitmain ประกาศกร้าวพร้อมหนุน BCH เต็มพิกัด!”

เขาถอนหายใจเฮือกหนึ่ง “ก็ใกล้เป็นจริงแล้วล่ะ… โรเจอร์ แวร์ เองก็ผลักดัน BCH ว่าคือ Bitcoin แท้ที่ค่าธรรมเนียมถูก ใช้งานได้จริง ส่วนฝั่ง BTC ที่ยึดเอา SegWit เป็นหลัก ก็ไม่ยอมให้ Blocksize เพิ่มใหญ่เกินจำเป็น.."

"ต่างคนต่างมีเหตุผล... แต่อุดมการณ์นี่คนละทางเลย”

“แล้วพี่คิดว่าใครจะเป็นฝ่ายชนะครับ?”

“เฮ้ย.. มึงถามยากไปหรือเปล่า” แจ๊กหัวเราะหึ ๆ “ทุกคนมีโอกาสได้หมด และก็มีโอกาสพังหมดเหมือนกัน ถ้า UASF กดดันนักขุดให้อยู่กับ Core ได้ พวกเขาอาจยอมแพ้ แต่ถ้า Bitmain เทใจไป BCH นักขุดรายใหญ่คนอื่น ๆ ก็คงตาม"

"แล้วถ้าฝั่ง BCH เริ่มได้เปรียบ... อาจดึงคนไปเรื่อย ๆ สุดท้ายจะเหลือไหมล่ะฝั่ง SegWit ตัวจริง?”

“งั้น Node รายย่อยจะยืนอยู่ตรงไหนล่ะครับพี่?” แชมป์ถามอย่างหนักใจ

“Node รายย่อยและชุมชนผู้ใช้นี่แหละ คือ ตัวแปรชี้ขาด ทุกวันนี้คนกลุ่ม UASF พยายามโชว์พลังว่าตัวเองมีสิทธิ์ตั้งกติกาเหมือนกัน ไม่ใช่แค่นักขุด"

"อย่างที่บอก.. มันคือการ ‘ลุกขึ้นปฏิวัติ’ โดยชาวนา ต่อสู้กับเจ้าที่ที่ถือ ‘แฮชเรต’ เป็นอาวุธ”

แจ๊กตบบ่าตัวเองเบา ๆ ก่อนจะหัวเราะเล็กน้อย

“นี่แหละความมันของ Bitcoin ไม่มีเจ้าไหนสั่งได้เบ็ดเสร็จจริง ๆ ทุกฝั่งต่างถือไพ่คนละใบ สงครามยังไม่รู้จะจบยังไง ถึงอย่างนั้นมันก็สะท้อนวิญญาณ ‘decentralization’ ที่แท้จริง กล้ายอมรับสิทธิ์ทุกฝ่ายเพื่อแข่งขันกันตามกติกา”

จู่ ๆ ในหน้าฟอรัมก็มีกระทู้ใหม่เด้งเด่น “Bitmain หนุน Bitcoin Cash ด้วย Hashrate กว่า 50%! สงครามเริ่มแล้ว?” ข้อความนั้นดังโครมครามเหมือนระเบิดลงกลางวง

แจ๊กนิ่งไปชั่วขณะ สัมผัสได้ถึงความปั่นป่วนที่กำลังปะทุขึ้นอีกครั้ง เหงื่อบางเบาซึมบนหน้าผากแม้อากาศในคาเฟ่จะเย็นฉ่ำ เขาหันมองโทรศัพท์ที่ยังค้างสายกับแชมป์ แล้วเอ่ยด้วยน้ำเสียงจริงจัง

“นี่ล่ะ.. จุดเริ่มของสองเส้นทางอย่างชัดเจน… บล็อกใหญ่จะไปกับ BCH ส่วน SegWit ก็อยู่กับ BTC แน่นอนว่าทั้งสองฝ่ายไม่คิดถอยง่าย ๆ นักขุดจะเลือกข้างไหน? Node รายย่อยจะยอมใคร?"

"เมื่อสงครามครั้งนี้นำไปสู่การแบ่งเครือข่าย ใครกันแน่จะเป็นผู้ชนะตัวจริง? หรืออาจไม่มีผู้ชนะเลยก็เป็นได้”

ปลายสายเงียบงัน มีแต่เสียงหายใจของแชมป์ที่สะท้อนความกังวลปนอยากรู้อย่างแรง

“พี่… สุดท้ายแล้วเรากำลังยืนอยู่บนรอยแยกที่พร้อมจะฉีกทุกอย่างออกเป็นชิ้น ๆ ใช่ไหมครับ?”

“อาจจะใช่ก็ได้... หรือถ้ามองอีกมุม อาจเป็นวัฏจักรที่ Bitcoin ต้องเจอเป็นระยะ ทุกคนมีสิทธิ์ Fork ได้ตามใจใช่ไหมล่ะ? ก็ขอให้โลกได้เห็นกันว่าชุมชนไหนแน่จริง” แจ๊กพูดทิ้งท้ายก่อนจะแย้มยิ้มเจือรอยอ่อนล้า

ภาพบนจอคอมพิวเตอร์ฉายกระทู้ถกเถียงกันไม่หยุด ประหนึ่งเวทีดีเบตที่ไม่มีวันปิดไฟ แจ๊กจิบกาแฟอึกสุดท้ายเหมือนจะเตรียมพร้อมใจก่อนเข้าสู่สนามรบครั้งใหม่ สงครามยังไม่จบ.. ซ้ำยังดูหนักข้อยิ่งขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ

เขาลุกขึ้นจากโต๊ะ ชำเลืองมองแสงแดดจัดจ้าที่สาดลงมาไม่หยุด เปรียบเหมือนไฟแห่งข้อขัดแย้งที่เผาผลาญทั้งชุมชน Bitcoin ไม่ว่าใครจะเลือกอยู่ฝั่งไหน กลุ่ม UASF, กลุ่ม Big Block, หรือ กลุ่ม SegWit ทางเดินข้างหน้าล้วนเต็มไปด้วยความไม่แน่นอน

“สุดท้ายแล้ว… เมื่อกระดานแบ่งเป็นสองเส้นทางอย่างเด่นชัด สงคราม Blocksize จะจบลงด้วยใครได้บทผู้ชนะ?"

"หรือบางที… มันอาจไม่มีผู้ชนะที่แท้จริงในระบบที่ใครก็ Fork ได้ตลอดเวลา”

คำถามนี้ลอยติดค้างอยู่ในบรรยากาศยามบ่ายที่ร้อนระอุ ชวนให้ใครก็ตามที่จับตาดูสงคราม Blocksize ต้องฉุกคิด

เมื่อไม่มีใครเป็นเจ้าของ Bitcoin อย่างสมบูรณ์ ทุกคนจึงมีสิทธิ์บงการและเสี่ยงต่อการแตกแยกได้ทุกเมื่อ แล้วท้ายที่สุด ชัยชนะ–ความพ่ายแพ้ อาจไม่ใช่จุดสิ้นสุดของโลกคริปโตฯ

แต่เป็นเพียงจุดเริ่มต้นของการวิวัฒน์ที่ไม่มีวันจบสิ้น…

เมาท์แถมเรื่อง UASF (User-Activated Soft Fork)

นี่สนามรบยุคกลางที่ดูเหมือนในหนังแฟนตาซี ทุกคนมีดาบ มีโล่ แต่จู่ ๆ คนตัวเล็กที่เราไม่เคยสังเกต—พวกชาวนา ช่างไม้ คนแบกน้ำ—กลับรวมตัวกันยกดาบบุกวังเจ้าเมือง พร้อมตะโกนว่า “พอเถอะ! เราก็มีสิทธิ์เหมือนกัน!”

มันอาจจะดูเวอร์ ๆ หน่อยใช่ไหมครับ?

แต่ในโลก Bitcoin ปี 2017 นี่คือสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นในรูปแบบ “User-Activated Soft Fork” หรือ UASF การปฏิวัติด้วยพลังโหนด ซึ่งทำให้นักขุดยักษ์ใหญ่ตัวสั่นงันงกันมาแล้ว!

แล้ว UASF มันคืออะไรล่ะ?

“User-Activated Soft Fork” หรือเรียกย่อ ๆ ว่า “UASF” ไม่ใช่อัปเกรดซอฟต์แวร์สวย ๆ แต่เป็น “ดาบเล่มใหม่” ที่คนตัวเล็ก—หมายถึง โหนด รายย่อย—ใช้ต่อรองกับนักขุดรายใหญ่ โดยกติกาคือ.. ถ้านักขุดไม่ทำตาม (เช่น ไม่รองรับ SegWit) โหนดก็จะปฏิเสธบล็อกของพวกเขาอย่างไม่เกรงใจใคร

สมมุติว่าคุณคือโหนด..

คุณรันซอฟต์แวร์ Bitcoin คอยตรวจสอบธุรกรรม วันดีคืนดี คุณประกาศ “ต่อไปถ้าใครไม่รองรับ SegWit ฉันไม่ยอมรับบล็อกนะ!” นี่ล่ะครับ “UASF” ตัวเป็น ๆ

คำขวัญสุดฮิตของ UASF

“No SegWit, No Block”

หรือแปลว่าถ้าบล็อกไม่รองรับ SegWit ก็เชิญออกไปเลยจ้า..

มันเหมือนการที่ชาวนาโผล่มาตบโต๊ะอาหารท่านขุนว่า “นายใหญ่จะปลูกอะไรก็ปลูกไป แต่ไม่งั้นฉันไม่รับผลผลิตนายนะ!”

ความเชื่อมโยงกับ BIP 148

ถ้าจะพูดถึง UASF ต้องรู้จัก BIP 148 ไว้นิดนึง มันเปรียบเหมือน “ธงปฏิวัติ” ที่ตีตราว่าวันที่ 1 สิงหาคม 2017 คือเส้นตาย!

BIP 148 บอกไว้ว่า.. ถ้าถึงวันนั้นแล้วยังมีนักขุดหน้าไหนไม่รองรับ SegWit บล็อกที่ขุดออกมาก็จะถูกโหนดที่ใช้ UASF “แบน” หมด

ผลลัพธ์ที่ตั้งใจ นักขุดไม่อยากโดนแบนก็ต้องทำตาม UASF กล่าวคือ “นายต้องรองรับ SegWit นะ ไม่งั้นอด!”

หลายคนกลัวกันว่า “อ้าว ถ้านักขุดใหญ่ ๆ ไม่ยอมแล้วหันไปขุดสายอื่น จะไม่กลายเป็นแยกเครือข่าย (Chain Split) หรือ?”

ใช่ครับ.. มันอาจเกิดสงครามสายใหม่ทันทีไงล่ะ

ทำไม UASF ถึงสำคัญ?

ย้อนกลับไปก่อนปี 2017 Bitcoin มีปัญหาโลกแตกทั้งค่าธรรมเนียมแพง ธุรกรรมหน่วง บวกกับความขัดแย้งเรื่อง “จะเพิ่ม Blocksize ดีไหม?” ทางกลุ่มนักขุดรายใหญ่ (นำโดย Bitmain, Roger Ver ฯลฯ) รู้สึกว่า “SegWit ไม่ใช่ทางออกที่แท้จริง” แต่อีกฝั่ง (ทีม Core) ชี้ว่า “Blocksize ใหญ่มากไปจะรวมศูนย์นะ โหนดรายย่อยตายหมด”

UASF เลยโผล่มา เหมือนชาวนาตะโกนว่า

“หุบปากได้แล้วไอ้พวกที่สู้กัน! ถ้าพวกแกไม่รองรับ SegWit พวกข้า (โหนด) ก็จะไม่เอาบล็อกแก”

สาระก็คือ.. มันคือตัวบ่งชี้ว่าคนตัวเล็กอย่างโหนดรายย่อยก็มีพลังต่อรอง เป็นกลไกที่ดึงอำนาจจากมือทุนใหญ่กลับสู่มือชุมชน (Decentralization ที่แท้ทรู)

วิธีการทำงานของ UASF

ลองจินตนาการตาม..

1. การกำหนดเส้นตาย BIP 148 ประกาศไว้ “ถึงวันที่ 1 สิงหาคม 2017 ถ้านายยังไม่รองรับ SegWit โหนด UASF จะไม่รับบล็อกนาย”

2. ถ้าคุณเป็นนักขุด… คุณขุดบล็อกออกมา แต่ไม่ได้ตีธง “ฉันรองรับ SegWit” UASF โหนดเห็นปุ๊บ พวกเขาจะจับโยนทิ้งไปเลย

3. ผลกระทบ? นักขุดที่ไม่ยอมทำตามจะเจอปัญหา บล็อกที่ขุดออกมาไม่มีใครรับ—เสียแรงขุดฟรี

อาจเกิด Chain Split คือ แยกเครือข่ายเลย ถ้านักขุดเหล่านั้นไปตั้งสายใหม่

ความสำเร็จและความท้าทายของ UASF

ความสำเร็จ.. หลังการรวมพลังผู้ใช้ โหนดรายย่อยกดดันนักขุดได้ไม่น้อย จนกระทั่ง SegWit เปิดใช้งานจริงใน Bitcoin วันที่ 24 สิงหาคม 2017 ช่วยให้ธุรกรรมเร็วขึ้น แก้ Transaction Malleability และเปิดทางสู่ Lightning Network ในอนาคต

ความท้าทาย.. นักขุดบางค่ายไม่โอเค.. โดยเฉพาะ Bitmain ซึ่งคาดว่าจะสูญรายได้บางส่วน ก็นำไปสู่การสนับสนุน “Bitcoin Cash (BCH)” แยกสาย (Hard Fork) ของตัวเองตั้งแต่วันที่ 1 สิงหาคม 2017 นั่นเอง

ว่าแล้วก็เปรียบง่าย ๆ

UASF เหมือนปฏิบัติการยึดคฤหาสน์เจ้าเมืองมาเปิดให้ชาวบ้านเข้าอยู่ฟรี.. แต่อีกฝ่ายบอก

“งั้นฉันออกไปตั้งคฤหาสน์ใหม่ดีกว่า!”

บทเรียนสำคัญ UASF เป็นตัวอย่างชัดว่า “ผู้ใช้” หรือ โหนดรายย่อย สามารถสร้างแรงกดดันให้นักขุดต้องยอมเปลี่ยนได้จริง ๆ ไม่ใช่แค่ยอมรับเงื่อนไขที่ขุดกันมา

ผลกระทบระยะยาวหลังจากนั้นล่ะ?

SegWit ถูกใช้งาน ทำให้ค่าธรรมเนียมธุรกรรมลดลง (ช่วงหนึ่ง) เกิด Lightning Network เป็น Layer 2 สุเฟี้ยวของ Bitcoin เกิด BCH (Bitcoin Cash) เป็นสายแยกที่อ้างว่า Blocksize ใหญ่คือทางออก

สรุปแล้ว UASF ทำให้โลกได้รู้ว่า..

Bitcoin ไม่ใช่ของนักขุด หรือของฝ่ายพัฒนาใดฝ่ายเดียว แต่มันเป็นของทุกคน!

“Bitcoin เป็นของทุกคน”

ไม่มีใครมีอำนาจเบ็ดเสร็จ ไม่ว่าคุณจะถือ Hashrate มากแค่ไหน ถ้า Node ทั่วโลกไม่เอา ก็จบ!

“แรงขุดใหญ่แค่ไหน ก็แพ้ใจมวลชน!”

(น่าจะมีตอนต่อไปนะ.. ถ้าชอบก็ Zap โหด ๆ เป็นกำลังใจให้ด้วยนะครับ)

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Table Of Content

• Rollercoaster Rides

• The Impact of Macroeconomic Forces

• Short-term Projections

• Ethereum's Steady Stance

• Week-on-week Comparisons

• Altcoins in Focus

• The Laggards

• Market Overview

• Conclusion

• FAQ

September has once again proven itself to be a tumultuous month for the world's most prominent cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC). This month-long rollercoaster ride has historical roots, as September has historically been a challenging period for Bitcoin. However, the first two-thirds of the month showcased remarkable progress, raising expectations. But the recent resurgence of the US dollar has cast a shadow over the entire crypto market, leading to uncertainty among investors and traders.

Rollercoaster Rides

As the calendar pages flipped through September, Bitcoin embarked on a rollercoaster ride that left many in the crypto community holding their breath. Over the weekend, Bitcoin witnessed a significant dip, eroding a substantial portion of its gains for the month. Sunday's trading session saw the BTC/USDT pair drop by 1.2%, closing at $26,250. Monday's early trades further exacerbated the bearish trend, pushing the pair below $26,150. These rapid fluctuations in Bitcoin's value have been a hallmark of its journey in recent weeks.

The Impact of Macroeconomic Forces

In addition to its internal dynamics, Bitcoin has been significantly influenced by macroeconomic factors, particularly the policies and guidance provided by the Federal Reserve and other central banks. Last week, the Fed's unexpected hawkish stance sent shockwaves through financial markets, including the crypto sphere. This policy shift had an adverse effect on risk-on trading sentiment, causing investors to reevaluate their strategies. As the month approaches its conclusion, a less eventful macroeconomic calendar might imply reduced volatility in the coming days. However, the lingering impact of the Fed's decisions remains a source of uncertainty.

Short-term Projections

To gain insights into Bitcoin's short-term trajectory, market analysts have turned to Binance's order book analysis. According to their assessment, a support line appears to be forming at the $25,000 mark, providing some stability in the face of recent turbulence. Conversely, selling resistance has been identified at $27,500, indicating a significant challenge for Bitcoin's upward momentum. These levels are likely to play a crucial role in determining Bitcoin's path in the immediate future, with traders closely monitoring any breaches or rebounds.

Ethereum's Steady Stance

In contrast to Bitcoin's rollercoaster performance, Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has demonstrated a more stable trajectory over the past few days. While Saturday saw minimal fluctuations, Sunday's trades witnessed a modest 0.8% dip, settling at $1,580. As of Monday, Ethereum has maintained this position, indicating resilience in the face of market turbulence. Ethereum's stability, as compared to Bitcoin's wild swings, underscores the unique dynamics at play within the broader cryptocurrency market.

Week-on-week Comparisons

Examining the performance of these two leading cryptocurrencies over the course of the week reveals intriguing trends. Bitcoin has experienced a 2% decline in its value, signaling the challenges it faced amid a shifting financial landscape. Meanwhile, Ethereum has faced a slightly more significant drop of over 3%. These fluctuations underscore the inherent volatility of the crypto market, even among its most prominent players.

Altcoins in Focus

Beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, the broader altcoin spectrum presents a diverse set of performances. One standout performer has been Solana (SOL), which surged ahead by an impressive 1.75% in the past seven days. This remarkable growth has garnered the attention of investors and enthusiasts alike. Additionally, Ripple (XRP) has maintained positive momentum, adding approximately 0.8% to its value. These altcoins' resilience serves as a testament to the unique dynamics within the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

The Laggards

However, not all altcoins have been able to escape the gravitational pull of Bitcoin's performance. Prominent digital assets such as Binance's BNB token, Dogecoin (DOGE), Cardano (ADA), Polkadot (DOT), and Polygon (MATIC) have mirrored Bitcoin's downward trend. These digital assets have seen marginal losses in terms of their respective market capitalizations, underscoring the interconnectedness of the cryptocurrency market.

Market Overview

At present, the global cryptocurrency market cap stands at an impressive $1.04 trillion, signifying the substantial size and influence of the digital asset market. Bitcoin continues to command a dominant position, with a market dominance of 49.9%. This reaffirms Bitcoin's status as the undisputed leader in the digital asset space, despite the challenges it faces in September.

Conclusion

As September draws to a close, the battle between Bitcoin and the resurgent US dollar remains uncertain. The interplay between internal dynamics, macroeconomic factors, and market sentiment will continue to shape the crypto landscape in the days ahead. Traders and enthusiasts alike will be watching closely to discern the next moves in this high-stakes confrontation. As the dust settles, the cryptocurrency market will likely reveal new trends and opportunities for those who can navigate these uncertain waters with agility and insight.

FAQ

Why is September historically challenging for Bitcoin? September has traditionally been a tough month for Bitcoin, with factors like market sentiment and macroeconomic forces contributing to its volatility during this period.

How is the US dollar impacting Bitcoin's recent performance? The resurgence of the US dollar has cast a shadow over the crypto market, leading to uncertainty and impacting Bitcoin's value.

What are the short-term projections for Bitcoin and Ethereum? Short-term projections for Bitcoin suggest a support line at $25,000 and resistance at $27,500, while Ethereum has maintained relative stability.

Which altcoins have performed well recently? Solana (SOL) and Ripple (XRP) have shown positive momentum, but some prominent altcoins have followed Bitcoin's downward trend.

That's all for today

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Hackathon 总结

HackPrinceton Fall 2024 Hackathon 于 11 月 8 日至 10 日在普林斯顿大学举行。活动吸引了 238 名开发人员，他们注册了 99 个项目，参与者在为期 36 小时的活动中参与了研讨会、指导会议和展示。Hackathon 设有四个主要方向：教育 + 互动、医疗保健、金融和可持续性，鼓励多样化和创新的想法。

除了主要方向外，还提供了十七个由赞助商提供的挑战作为赏金，为活动增添了竞争元素。参与者通过公开的 GitHub 存储库提交他们的项目，并在最后一天向评委展示了两分钟展示。其中一个亮点是有效的项目"demo"，在时间限制下展示了不同行业的重大创意，提升了项目的可见度。

奖品是一个重要的激励因素，整体冠军奖是一套 AirPod Max，将颁发给获胜团队的每位成员，第二名团队将获得 Xbox Series S 游戏机。HackPrinceton Fall 2024 在技能发展、协作和创造性解决方案方面发挥了重要作用，展示了经验丰富和新手参与者的积极参与。

Hackathon 获奖者

Healthcare Prize Winners

• Bartimaeus: Stealing Vision Back - 该项目通过使用智能手机摄像头、YOLO 和 OpenCV 提供音频导航，帮助盲人进行空间导航，创新性地利用 AI 实现精准路径规划和物体识别。

• PillPal Pro - 一款智能盒子解决方案，通过 ESP32 微控制器确保老年患者遵循用药习惯，实现跟踪和通知功能，整合了 3D 打印外壳和 Firebase 功能。

• ReCall.ai - 该项目利用 AI 和可穿戴技术为认知障碍人士识别人脸，支持社交互动，并提供跨多种设施的认知健康洞察。

• HealthSync - 通过分配患者紧急程度评分并利用点对点网络和高级数据安全进行安全的实时信息交换，增强医院协调。

• Medbank - 提供个性化健康钱包，实现医疗信息和保险详情的管理，利用 AI 进行智能保险处理和地理空间分析实现供应商匹配。

• HormoniQ - 通过一款机器学习工具分析健康记录中的激素模式，解决 PCOS 诊断挑战，为医疗保健提供者提供早期干预可能性。

• World Translationator 5000 - 使用量子自然语言处理技术进行准确翻译，以解决医疗中的语言障碍。

Education and Interaction Prize Winners

• CrystalMath - 一个通过分步动画和语音解说可视化数学问题的 AI 驱动平台，使用 Claude 模型计算和 AWS 托管。

Finance Prize Winners

• Stratify - 提供一个 AI 驱动的股票回溯测试工具，通过详细分析和用户友好的模拟优化投资策略。

• Asteroid Audit - 通过游戏化的体验提供税务教育，整合 Unity 进行游戏开发，并使用自定义算法进行视觉税务估算。

• Orbital Finance - 使用 AI 语音助手技术进行实时客户互动，通过 MATLAB 和 NLP 提供深入的数据分析，助力业务增长。

Sustainability Prize Winners

• WasteWise - 使用计算机视觉和 GPT-4 API 分析垃圾数据，通过品牌和可回收性评价引导可持续的消费者习惯。

• SustainAI - 一个 AI 驱动的平台，根据用户数据提供个性化的可持续生活方式建议，利用 MATLAB 进行上下文数据个性化。

Developer Tool Prize Winners

• Scraply - 提供一个拖放界面简化深度学习教育，用于构建神经网络，具有算法建议和游戏化学习功能。

Financial Innovation Prize Winners

• Chama - 提供实时洞察平台，通过情感分析和可操作建议促进加密货币教育，整合 OnChainKit 进行安全交易。

• HackAwards - 通过项目所有权和贡献跟踪，使用 VerbWire API 和 Base Blockchain 实现高效处理，促进 Hackathon 参与。

浏览所有项目及更多详情请访问 HackPrinceton Fall 2024。

关于主办方：

HackPrinceton

HackPrinceton 将全球的黑客聚集在一起进行合作和创新。以沉浸式活动闻名，该组织提供研讨会、讲座和指导项目，促进技能发展和创新思维。这些活动为参与者提供了创造有影响力项目的必要工具，即使对那些没有初步团队或项目想法的人也是如此。HackPrinceton 致力于培养创造力，通过其全面支持为有抱负的创新者提供帮助，其使命是激发有影响力和创新性想法的生成。更多信息请访问 HackPrinceton 的网站。

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AE789 là một trong những nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến được ưa chuộng, mang đến cho người tham gia một không gian giải trí đầy hấp dẫn và thú vị. Với giao diện dễ sử dụng, dễ tiếp cận, AE789 nhanh chóng chiếm được lòng tin của người tham gia nhờ vào sự đa dạng trong các trò chơi cũng như cam kết bảo mật tuyệt đối. Nền tảng này không chỉ cung cấp các trò chơi phong phú mà còn tạo ra một môi trường an toàn và bảo mật cho người dùng.

Một trong những điểm mạnh lớn nhất của AE789 chính là sự đa dạng trong các trò chơi mà nền tảng này cung cấp. Người tham gia có thể dễ dàng tìm thấy một loạt các trò chơi từ đơn giản đến phức tạp, đáp ứng nhu cầu giải trí của nhiều đối tượng khác nhau. Các trò chơi trên AE789 không chỉ về mặt thể loại mà còn có sự đầu tư mạnh mẽ vào đồ họa và âm thanh. Những trò chơi được thiết kế đẹp mắt và có gameplay mượt mà, mang lại cảm giác chân thực, như thể người chơi đang tham gia vào một thế giới thực tế. Điều này tạo nên một trải nghiệm thú vị và không thể thiếu đối với những ai tìm kiếm một nền tảng giải trí chất lượng.

Bên cạnh các trò chơi phong phú, ae666 còn thu hút người tham gia với các chương trình khuyến mãi và sự kiện đặc biệt. Các sự kiện này mang đến cơ hội cho người tham gia nhận được những phần thưởng hấp dẫn và khám phá thêm nhiều tính năng mới của nền tảng. Đặc biệt, những chương trình khuyến mãi của AE789 không chỉ dành cho người tham gia mới mà còn áp dụng cho người chơi lâu dài, giúp duy trì sự hào hứng và thúc đẩy người chơi quay lại với nền tảng này. Các sự kiện này không chỉ tạo ra những cơ hội mới mẻ mà còn giúp người tham gia kết nối và giao lưu với cộng đồng giải trí sôi động trên AE789.

Bảo mật là yếu tố quan trọng được AE789 đặt lên hàng đầu. Nền tảng này sử dụng các công nghệ bảo mật tiên tiến nhất để bảo vệ thông tin cá nhân và giao dịch của người tham gia. Mọi dữ liệu đều được mã hóa và lưu trữ an toàn, giúp người tham gia hoàn toàn yên tâm khi sử dụng dịch vụ. AE789 cam kết cung cấp một môi trường bảo mật tuyệt đối, giúp người dùng không phải lo lắng về các rủi ro về thông tin cá nhân. Điều này tạo ra niềm tin vững chắc cho người tham gia, từ đó tăng cường sự trung thành và mức độ hài lòng với nền tảng.

Cuối cùng, AE789 cũng nổi bật với dịch vụ chăm sóc khách hàng tận tâm và chuyên nghiệp. Đội ngũ hỗ trợ khách hàng của nền tảng luôn sẵn sàng giải đáp mọi thắc mắc và hỗ trợ người tham gia trong suốt quá trình sử dụng dịch vụ. Với sự nhiệt tình và chuyên nghiệp, đội ngũ chăm sóc khách hàng của AE789 giúp người tham gia giải quyết nhanh chóng các vấn đề phát sinh, từ đó nâng cao trải nghiệm sử dụng nền tảng. Sự hỗ trợ chu đáo này cũng là một trong những yếu tố quan trọng giúp AE789 trở thành một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến được yêu thích và tin tưởng.

Với tất cả những yếu tố trên, AE789 xứng đáng là lựa chọn hàng đầu cho những ai tìm kiếm một không gian giải trí trực tuyến chất lượng và an toàn. Với sự đa dạng trong các trò chơi, chương trình khuyến mãi hấp dẫn, bảo mật tuyệt đối và dịch vụ hỗ trợ khách hàng tận tâm, AE789 cam kết mang đến cho người tham gia một trải nghiệm giải trí trọn vẹn và tuyệt vời.

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Previous Works in the Series:

TAIPEI

TIANJIN

KYOTO

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All images are credit of Hes, but you are free to download and use for any purpose. If you find joy from these photos, please feel free to send a zap. Enjoy life on a Bitcoin standard.

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88Club là một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến đang ngày càng thu hút sự chú ý của người dùng nhờ vào những dịch vụ đa dạng, chất lượng cao và tính bảo mật tuyệt đối. Với giao diện thân thiện, dễ sử dụng và các trò chơi phong phú, 88Club mang đến một không gian giải trí lý tưởng cho tất cả mọi người. Nền tảng này cam kết mang lại trải nghiệm tuyệt vời, từ các trò chơi giải trí đơn giản đến những trò chơi đòi hỏi kỹ năng cao, luôn đáp ứng nhu cầu đa dạng của người tham gia.

Điều làm nên sự khác biệt của 88Club chính là sự đa dạng trong các trò chơi và dịch vụ mà nó cung cấp. Người tham gia có thể dễ dàng tìm thấy một loạt các trò chơi hấp dẫn, từ những trò chơi giải trí nhẹ nhàng đến những trò chơi yêu cầu sự tính toán và chiến lược. Các trò chơi trên 88Club đều được thiết kế với đồ họa đẹp mắt, âm thanh sống động và gameplay mượt mà, mang đến cho người chơi những trải nghiệm chân thực và đầy hấp dẫn. Đặc biệt, 88Club không ngừng cập nhật các trò chơi mới, tạo ra một không gian giải trí không bao giờ bị nhàm chán.

Bên cạnh các trò chơi thú vị, 88club còn tổ chức các sự kiện và chương trình khuyến mãi hấp dẫn, mang đến cho người tham gia cơ hội nhận được những phần thưởng giá trị. Những sự kiện này không chỉ tạo cơ hội để người tham gia thể hiện tài năng mà còn giúp họ giao lưu và kết nối với cộng đồng. Với những chương trình khuyến mãi đặc biệt, người tham gia sẽ có cơ hội trải nghiệm những trò chơi mới mẻ và nhận những phần thưởng hấp dẫn, tạo nên một môi trường giải trí sôi động và phong phú.

Bảo mật là yếu tố mà 88Club đặc biệt chú trọng. Nền tảng này sử dụng các công nghệ bảo mật tiên tiến để bảo vệ thông tin cá nhân và các giao dịch của người tham gia. Mọi thông tin người dùng được mã hóa và bảo vệ an toàn tuyệt đối. Với hệ thống bảo mật mạnh mẽ, người tham gia có thể yên tâm khi tham gia vào các trò chơi và sự kiện mà không lo ngại về các vấn đề bảo mật. Điều này giúp 88Club xây dựng được lòng tin vững chắc trong cộng đồng người tham gia.

Một yếu tố quan trọng khác giúp 88Club trở thành lựa chọn hàng đầu chính là dịch vụ hỗ trợ khách hàng tận tình và chuyên nghiệp. Nền tảng này có đội ngũ hỗ trợ khách hàng luôn sẵn sàng giải đáp mọi thắc mắc và hỗ trợ người tham gia trong quá trình sử dụng dịch vụ. Với thái độ thân thiện, nhiệt tình và chuyên môn cao, đội ngũ hỗ trợ khách hàng của 88Club cam kết mang lại dịch vụ hỗ trợ tốt nhất, giúp người tham gia có thể tận hưởng những trải nghiệm giải trí tuyệt vời nhất mà không gặp phải bất kỳ rào cản nào.

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@ 68ce44e4:ecd5f574

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@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na danas.rs

22.09.2024 / Autor: Marko Matanović

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Bitkoin je 2009. godine zamišljen da bude digitalni keš. Zvučalo je revolucionarno zbog toga što je mnoge dovelo u dilemu: kako nešto potpuno digitalno može da ima vrednost i bude valuta.

Pre 15 godina smo živeli u društvu u kome je preko 95 odsto ukupnog novca u opticaju već potpuno digitalno i virtuelno.

Danas je još više izražena digitalizacija novca. Bitkoin je bio deo procesa evolucije više nego revolucije kada je u pitanju barem forma “novca”.

Petnaest godina kasnije bitkoin nije zamenio tradicionalne valute: dolare, evre, dinare. I verovatno to neće uraditi. Nije ispunio početnu zamisao, digitalni novac.

Ali se nametnuo kao čuvar vrednosti. Jedan od razloga je jednostavan. Kada posedujemo bilo koji oblik imovine, uvek ćemo za plaćanje (čemu novac većini ljudi i služi) koristiti najmanje kvalitetan novac, onaj koji vremenom ne dobija na vrednosti ili je gubi čak.

Veći deo vlasnika bitkoina veruje da će njegova vrednost rasti vremenom. Dok s druge strane imamo dinar, evro ili dolar koji će 100 odsto za godinu dana vredeti dva odsto ili 15 odsto manje. Zbog toga većina vlasnika bitkoina ga neće koristiti da kupuje hleb ili plaća račune za telefon, tj. kao sredstvo plaćanja.

Za razliku od fizičkog zlata, svima poznatog, jedna od prednosti bitkoina je prenosivost. Bitkoin infrastruktura funkcioniše tako da se svaka transakcija prenosa bitkoina obavlja u proseku za 10-ak minuta, 24/7/365.

Ta transakcija će se realizovati 100 odsto ako je usklađena sa pravilima Bitkoin ekosistema. Pravila su pritom transparentna, ista, lako primenljiva za sve. Iz ovoga se nameće i druga i treća potencijalna prednost bitkoina u odnosu na zlato. Bez obzira na količinu i vrednost bitkoina koji se kroz transakciju prenose, vreme tog prenosa je oko 10 minuta. A cena obrade transakcije zanemarljiva. Par dolara ili manje. Na dan pisanja teksta, kilogram zlata je vredeo oko 84.000 dolara ili 10 kilograma oko 840.000 dolara itd. Slične vrednosti je 1,4 bitkoin, tj. 14 bitkoina…

Postoje ozbiljni regulatorni, sigurnosni, vremenski, troškovni izazovi prenosa pomenutih količina zlata s jedne lokacije na drugu ili u drugu državu. Za prenos 0.0001 btc-a (bitkoina), vrednosti oko šest dolara ili za prenos 1.000 btc, vrednosti oko 60 miliona dolara trebaće vam 10 minuta. Transakcije vas mogu koštati i manje od jednog dolara!

I ne postoji bezbednosni rizik. Neuporedivo brže, sigurnije, jeftinije. Neki kažu da je bitkoin „digitalno zlato“ i pouzdana mreža za prenos vrednosti.

Bitkoin su u početku koristili samo pojedinci, fizička lica. Danas ga koriste i kompanije i neke države. Pojedinci deo sredstava prebacuju u bitkoine, kako bi se sačuvali od inflacije koja je u skoro svim ekonomijama prisutna i obezvređuje novac koji posedujemo.

Neki u njemu vide potencijal rasta vrednosti. Neki se bave “trading-om”, špekulisanjem u nadi da će kratkoročno zaraditi. Neki ga koriste da bi preneli vrednost brže i lakše.

U ratom zahvaćenih delovima sveta, deo populacije je kroz bitkoin i kriptovalute imao jedinu mogućnost da spase svoju do tada stečenu imovinu. U tim situacijama ne možete nekretninu, zlato, umetnička dela, automobile lako preneti ili sačuvati. Često su tada blokirani bankarski računi ili rad banaka. Ali, deo sredstava se može prebaciti u kriptovalute.

Zbog toga u Srbiji puno ljudi koji su se sklonili iz Rusije i Ukrajine zapravo koristi kriptovalute. Globalno, kompanije kupuju bitkoine, jer imaju investiciono usmerenje ili usmerenje ka diversifikaciji sredstava. I takođe bitkoin ili neke druge kriptovalute koriste kao sredstvo plaćanja u internacionalnom poslovanju. Neuporedivo je veća brzina realizacije transakcija kritpovaluta u poređenju sa transakcijama koje idu kroz bankarski sistem.

Postoje jurisdikcije koje nisu integrisane u globalne finansijske sisteme i ne postoji način naplate i saradnje dve kompanije iz dve države. Sve dok se kripto nije pojavio. Države imaju različite stavove po pitanju kripta. Neke ga kupuju. Neke ga rudare čak.

Ali većina je donela regulatorne okvire koji definišu zakonske mogućnosti i načine korišćenja kriptovaluta. I za građane i za kompanije. I za firme koje pružaju usluge povezane za kriptovalutama u tim državama. U Srbiji se primenjuje Zakon o digitalnoj imovini od 2021. godine i time su postavljeni dodatni regulatorni okviri.

SPLET konferencija koja se 8. oktobra održava u Beogradu je deo svog programa posvetila temama povezanim sa kriptovalutama, tokenizacijom, pravnim aspektima tog sveta.

ECD.rs, prva kriptomenjačnica u Srbiji, će imati svoje predstavnike i paneliste na SPLET-u. Cilj je da još dublje zaronimo u ove teme. Želimo da ponudimo dodatne uvide, odgovore. Delićemo iskustvo od 12 i više godina bavljenja kriptovalutama. Vidimo se na SPLET-u!

Splet konferenciju zajednički organizuju projekti „Preduzmi ideju“ u realizaciji Inicijative „Digitalna Srbija“ i „Srbija Inovira“, koje sprovodi ICT HUB, u saradnji sa Američkom agencijom za međunarodni razvoj (USAID). Ovogodišnju konferenciju realizuju i uz podršku i pokroviteljstvo Ministarstva nauke, tehnološkog razvoja i inovacija.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst za nin.rs.

09.10.2024 / Autor: Marko Matanović

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Najveći deo stvari merimo zajedničkim imeniteljem – novcem. Fantastični izum društva. Olakšava komunikaciju, saradnju i napredak civilizacije. Trenutna novčana vrednost mnogih stvari ne mora biti pokazatelj realne ili vrednosti na duge staze.

Bitkoin kao kriptovaluta ima svojih uspona i padova. U ceni. Kada nešto vredi nula pa krene od par mesta desno iza decimalnog zareza u $ protivvrednosti i završi na 50.000 ili 70.000$, može se reći da je bilo više uspona nego padova.

Zamišljen i najavljen je kao digitalni keš 2008. godine. Preskačući prvu godinu ili dve, rezervisane skoro isključivo za uzak krug programera, sledi poistovećivanje bitkoina sa sredstvom za plaćanja ilegalnih usluga i proizvoda. Zbog delimične zablude da su transakcije bitkoinom anonimne.

Godine 2013. godine pada Silk Road platforma, online marketplace, na kome se za bitkoin moglo kupiti puno toga ilegalnog. Po nekima to je i konačni pad bitkoina. Iz današnje perspektive, neupućena osoba može i dalje ostati pri stavu da je bitkoin pretežno tu za izvršenje ilegalnih transakcija. Bitkoin i danas postoji, Silk Road ne.

Par meseci posle Silk Road-a, pada i tada pratkično jedina “ozbiljna” kripto berza Mt. Gox. U to vreme odgovorna za 70%+ svih bitkoin transakcija. Tačno 10 godina kasnije, svedoci smo vraćanja dela izgubljenih sredstava (oko 25%) tadašnjim vlasnicima naloga na Mt. Gox berzi. Bitkoin je danas 100 puta vredniji nego pre 2014. Taj vraćeni “delić” izgubljenih bitkoina njegovim vlasnicima je danas “samo” 25 puta vredniji.

Bilo je još dosta propalih kripto projekata. I biće ih. Među poznatijim, prevara iza OneCoin-a. Sunovrat UST-a i Lune, Celsius i FTX bankroti. Svaki odogovoran za gubitke koji prelaze milijarde dolara. Bitkoin je i dalje tu. Bitkoin je imao i konkurente iz redova kriptovaluta. Poslednji pravi je iz 2017. godine i “Bitcoin Cash”. Danas kada se pogleda gde je jedan a gde drugi sve je jasno.

Satoshi Nakamoto, ime iza ideje bitkoina i njegovog lansiranja, je postavio fascinantne postulate na kojima će prva kriptovaluta funkcionisati. A inspirisan manjkavostima globalnog finansijskog sistema. Bitkoin je baziran na transparentnom, decentralizovanom sistemu. Dostupan svima, sa jednakim i izuzetno niskim barijerama ulaska i izlaska iz tog ekosistema. Funkcioniše po setu pravila koja su ista za sve. Ukoliko se poštuju, transakciju bitkoinom niko ne može osporiti i ne može se retroaktivno manipulisati.

Prvi put imamo digitalni sadržaj koji se ne može kopirati. Bitkoin ekosistem funkcioniše 15 godina pratkično bez down-time-a. Usko je shvatanje reći da je rudarenje bitkoina proces koji bespotrebno troši previše energije. Ili da bitkoin nema uporište u nekoj opipljivoj vrednosti. Ta skupa reč je poverenje. Ničijom svesnom namerom, već organski, bitkoin je od digitalnog keša postao prepoznat kao čuvar vrednosti, digitalno zlato. Jer zašto da koristiš za svakodnevna plaćanja nešto što može vredeti za godinu ili godine 5%,10%, 50% više, ako imaš RSD, EUR ili $ koji će 100% za godinu dana vredeti 2% ili 15% manje?

Danas bitkoin koriste obični ljudi, kompanije i države.

Satoshi je svakako imao drugačiju viziju ove kriptovalute – digitalni keš i pošteniji novac. Kreirajući ekosistem na koji svi mi možemo vršiti uticaj barem podjednako koliko i Satoshi, ostavljena su otvorena vrata da se vizija promeni. Vizija je prilagođena, prepuštena našim prethodnim i budućim postupcima i društvenim okolnostima. Važno je da su postulati i dalje tu. Sa njima i Bitkoin.

@ d830ee7b:4e61cd62

จุดเริ่มต้นของสงครามบล็อกไซส์

ลองนึกภาพร้านอาหารเล็ก ๆ ที่มีแค่สิบโต๊ะ แต่ลูกค้ากลับล้นหลามจนพนักงานวิ่งวุ่นตลอดวัน เราอาจเห็นภาพชัดว่าปัญหาต้องตามมาแน่ ๆ ถ้าจำนวนโต๊ะไม่พอกับลูกค้าที่ต่อแถวกันยาวเหยียด

บางคนหัวเสียจนยอมจ่ายเงินเพิ่มเพื่อรีบได้โต๊ะนั่ง ในขณะที่อีกหลายคนก็ยืนรอจนหมดอารมณ์กิน สุดท้ายก็ต้องถามกันว่า

“จะทำยังไงดี ถึงจะไม่เสียเอกลักษณ์ร้าน และไม่ปล่อยให้ลูกค้าต้องหงุดหงิดมากมายขนาดนี้?”

บรรยากาศตรงนี้เปรียบได้กับสภาพของบิตคอยน์ช่วงราวปี 2015 ซึ่งเดิมทีเคยรองรับธุรกรรมได้สบาย ๆ แต่จู่ ๆ ก็ต้องแบกรับภาระธุรกรรมมหาศาลจน “คิวยาวเป็นหางว่าว”

ทั้งหมดนี้มาจากข้อกำหนดตั้งต้นว่า แต่ละบล็อกมีขนาดเพียง 1 เมกะไบต์ และบล็อกจะถูกสร้างทุก ๆ ประมาณ 10 นาที ทีนี้พอผู้ใช้หลั่งไหลเข้ามาไม่หยุด พื้นที่เล็ก ๆ ที่ว่าเลยเอาไม่อยู่ ใครอยากให้ธุรกรรมติดบล็อกก่อนก็ควักกระเป๋าจ่ายค่าธรรมเนียมเพิ่ม ถ้าไม่จ่าย ธุรกรรมอาจรอข้ามวันข้ามคืน แถมยังเสี่ยงค้างเติ่งไปเลย

ความไม่พอใจจึงปะทุขึ้นเป็นเสียงดังลั่นว่า

“แก้ปัญหานี้ยังไงดี จะขยายบล็อกกันเลยไหม หรือปรับซอฟต์แวร์ให้ฉลาดขึ้นโดยไม่เพิ่มขนาดจริง ๆ?”

เมื่อสองแนวคิดนี้ตั้งฉากกัน คนในแวดวงบิตคอยน์จึงแตกเป็นสองฝั่งหลัก ๆ

ฝั่งแรกเสนอ “เพิ่ม Blocksize” โดยบอกว่าต้องแก้ให้จบตรงจุด เหมือนเพิ่มโต๊ะเข้าไปในร้าน จะได้รองรับลูกค้าได้มากขึ้น เพราะเชื่อว่า Bitcoin ต้องพร้อมสำหรับการใช้งานทั่วโลก การขยายจาก 1 MB เป็น 2 MB หรือ 4 MB หรือมากกว่านั้น จึงตอบโจทย์ผู้ใช้หลากหลายตั้งแต่รายเล็กไปจนถึงธุรกิจใหญ่

แกนนำฝ่ายนี้คือ Roger Ver หรือ “Bitcoin Jesus” ที่ผลักดันแนวคิดนี้สุดตัวร่วมกับทีมขุดอย่าง Bitmain ซึ่งไม่อยากเห็นใครต้องยืนรอนานหรือจ่ายแพงเวอร์

อีกฝ่ายคือทีมพัฒนา “Bitcoin Core” ที่มี Greg Maxwell และ Peter Wuille เป็นหัวขบวน พวกเขายืนยันว่าถ้ายิ่งเพิ่มขนาดบล็อกให้ใหญ่โต ก็จะยิ่งเก็บข้อมูลมากจนโหนดรายเล็ก ๆ ต้องใช้ทรัพยากรสูงขึ้น สุดท้ายอาจเหลือแค่รายใหญ่ที่รันโหนดไหว แล้ว Decentralization ก็จะถูกบั่นทอน

ฝ่ายบิตคอยน์คอร์จึงเสนอทางแก้แบบ Segregated Witness (SegWit) ซึ่งเปรียบได้กับการจัดโต๊ะใหม่ให้แยบยล—ย้ายข้อมูลลายเซ็นธุรกรรมไปไว้นอกบล็อกหลัก ทำให้ในบล็อกมีพื้นที่ใส่ธุรกรรมได้อีกเยอะขึ้นโดยไม่ต้องทุบผนังขยายร้าน

ความขัดแย้งไม่ได้จำกัดอยู่ในเว็บบอร์ดหรือฟอรัม แต่ลุกลามไปจนถึงเวทีระดับโลกอย่าง Consensus Conference ปี 2016 และ 2017 ฝ่ายหนุนเพิ่มขนาดบล็อกก็โหวกเหวกว่า “นี่แหละถูกจุดที่สุด”

ส่วนทีมบิตคอยน์คอร์ก็โต้กลับว่า “ขืนบล็อกใหญ่ไป ระบบก็เสี่ยงรวมศูนย์ เพราะใครจะมีทุนซื้ออุปกรณ์แพง ๆ และเน็ตแรง ๆ ตลอด” จึงไม่ใช่แค่ถกเถียงทางเทคนิค แต่สะท้อนมุมมองปรัชญาด้วยว่าบิตคอยน์ควรเป็นระบบ “กระจาย” หรือ “รวมศูนย์” กันแน่

ยิ่งถกก็ยิ่งมองไม่เห็นทางออก.. บ้างก็เสนอให้ Fork แยกเครือข่ายไปเลย เหมือนเปิดสาขาร้านใหม่ ใครไม่โอเคแนวไหนก็ไปอีกสาขาหนึ่ง

Roger Ver กับสายขุดยักษ์ใหญ่ก็บอกว่าถ้าไม่เพิ่ม Blocksize ต่อไปค่าธรรมเนียมสูง และคนจะเข้าถึงยากขึ้น เหมือนร้านที่โต๊ะแน่นจนคนล้น

ฝั่งบิตคอยน์คอร์ย้ำว่าจะพัฒนา SegWit กับ Lightning Network เพื่อขนธุรกรรมส่วนใหญ่ไปทำงานนอกบล็อกหลัก แม้อาจต้องรอให้เทคโนโลยีสุกงอม แต่คงไม่กระทบโหนดรายเล็กมากนัก

ในโลกออนไลน์ สงครามโซเชียลก็เริ่มเดือด ตั้งกระทู้กันทุกวัน บางคนต่อว่านักขุดว่าเอากำไรเป็นหลัก บ้างบอกทีมบิตคอยน์คอร์ไม่เข้าใจปัญหาฝั่งธุรกิจจนชาวเน็ตแบ่งเป็นหลายค่าย คำถามใหญ่จึงดังขึ้น

“ตกลงบิตคอยน์จะเป็น ‘อาวุธทางการเงิน’ ของคนหมู่มากได้จริงเหรอ ถ้าไม่มีพื้นที่ในบล็อกมากพอ?”

หรือ..

“ถ้าผลุนผลันขยายบล็อกไปเรื่อย ๆ จนเหลือแต่รายใหญ่ที่รันโหนดได้ แบบนั้นยังถือว่าเป็น บิตคอยน์ในอุดมการณ์ของ Satoshi Nakamoto ไหม?”

พอหลายฝ่ายพยายามประนีประนอมกันหลายเวที สุดท้ายก็ไม่ประสบผล Roger Ver มั่นใจว่าต้องเพิ่ม Blocksize เท่านั้นจึงพาบิตคอยน์รอด

ส่วนทีม Core ไม่ยอมเปิดทางง่าย ๆ เพราะกลัวระบบเสียหลักการกระจายอำนาจไป

ด้วยเหตุผลทั้งคู่จึงทำให้สงครามนี้ยืดเยื้อ กลุ่มขุดและพัฒนาในแวดวงเริ่มจับตากันเครียด บ้างเสนอทางผสม เช่น เพิ่ม Blocksize นิดหน่อย แล้วเปิด SegWit ควบคู่ บ้างเสนอว่าให้เลื่อนตัดสินใจออกไปก่อนก็ยังดี

ไม่มีใครรู้ว่าจะลงเอยอย่างไร.. และหากเรื่องนี้พลั้งพลาดบิตคอยน์อาจแตกเป็นสองสายจนผู้ใช้หรือนักลงทุนสับสน

สถานการณ์ช่วงแรกเหมือน “ไฟที่กำลังคุ” เพราะยังไม่ปะทุเต็มที่แต่ก็แรงพอจะยกครัวไปตลอดทั้งวงการ คนพัฒนาก็ทำ SegWit และ Lightning Network ไป ฝ่ายหนุน Blocksize ก็เดินสายผลักดันให้เต็มที่ ถึงขั้นยอมเสี่ยง Fork ถ้าจำเป็นจริง ๆ

นี่แหละคือจุดเริ่มต้นของความตึงเครียดที่ไม่ใช่แค่ “ขนาดบล็อก” แต่หมายถึงอนาคตของบิตคอยน์ที่อาจพลิกโฉมไปตลอดกาล..

คิดง่าย ๆ ก็เหมือนร้านอาหารเล็ก ๆ ที่กำลังจะก้าวสู่ภัตตาคารใหญ่ระดับท็อป เมื่อแขกเหรื่อมาไม่หยุดหย่อน แน่นอนว่าเสียงเรียกร้องให้ทุบกำแพงขยายร้านย่อมมีบ้าง แต่บางคนอาจบอก “เปลี่ยนวิธีจัดโต๊ะแทนได้ไหม?” ทุกแนวทางต่างมีทั้งโอกาสและความเสี่ยง

ที่สำคัญคือ บิตคอยน์เป็นสินทรัพย์อันดับหนึ่งของโลกคริปโตฯ หากก้าวพลาดเพียงเล็กน้อย อาจสะเทือนไปทั่วโลกด้วย

เนื้อหาถัดไปผมจะชวนมาดูว่า ใครกันแน่ที่อยู่เบื้องหลังการขับเคลื่อนสงคราม Blocksize ครั้งนี้?

พวกเขามีแรงจูงใจอะไรกันบ้าง? และจะนำพาบิตคอยน์ไปในทิศทางใด?

ขอทิ้งท้ายส่วนนี้ให้คิดเล่น ๆ

“ถ้าเพิ่ม Blocksize สุด ๆ แต่โหนดรายเล็กหายหมด สุดท้ายยังเรียกว่ากระจายอำนาจอยู่ไหม?”

“หรือจะรักษาบล็อกขนาดเล็กไว้อย่างเดิม แล้วปรับเทคโนโลยีเสริมให้ฉลาดขึ้นดีกว่า?”

ทั้งหมดที่เล่ามายังเป็นแค่บทโหมโรงนะครับ สงครามนี้เพิ่งปะทุเท่านั้น ยังมีอะไรเข้มข้นอีกมาก ติดตามต่อว่าฝั่งไหนจะงัดไม้เด็ดอะไรออกมาเพื่อรักษา “ร้านอาหาร” แห่งนี้ให้เดินหน้าต่อไปได้โดยไม่เสียตัวตน..

ใครคือผู้ขับเคลื่อนสงคราม Blocksize?

พาร์ทที่แล้ว เราได้เห็นภาพรวมของปัญหาที่ดูเหมือนจะเล็กนิดเดียวอย่าง “บล็อกใหญ่หรือเล็ก?” แต่กลับแผ่ขยายจนกลายเป็นมหากาพย์ความขัดแย้งในชุมชนบิตคอยน์ เสมือนเดิมพันอนาคตของสกุลเงินดิจิทัลอันดับหนึ่งบนโลกใบนี้

พอตอนนี้ถึงเวลาแล้วที่เราจะก้าวลึกลงไปในเบื้องหลังของสงครามอันร้อนแรงนี้ ใครอยู่ในเงามืด? ใครลากสายอยู่หลังเวที? และใครโดดขึ้นมาเดินลุยบนสนามเปิดเพื่อต่อสู้แย่งชิงฉันทามติของเครือข่าย?

มีคนชอบเปรียบเทียบว่าศึก Blocksize ครั้งนี้คือ “สนามรบดิจิทัล” ซึ่งไม่ได้ยิงกระสุนห้ำหั่นแต่ใช้โค้ดแทน ขับเคลื่อนด้วย “Hashrate” ที่เปรียบเสมือนอาวุธหนัก ฝ่ายไหนถือกำลังขุดสูงกว่าก็เหมือนมีกองทัพเบิ้ม ๆ อยู่ในมือ

ด้านนักพัฒนาและผู้ใช้ทั่วไปก็คล้ายประชากรพลเรือนที่บางทีก็ต้องยอมรับชะตา แต่บางทีก็รวมตัวประท้วงสร้างพลังของตัวเองให้โลกได้เห็น ทุกฝีก้าวมีคนจ้องดูว่าจะเกิด “Hard Fork” หรือ “Soft Fork” เมื่อไหร่ และกฎใดจะถูกประกาศเป็น “กฎใหม่” ให้ทุกคนต้องปฏิบัติตาม

ในมุมของคนอยาก “เพิ่ม Blocksize” เห็นชื่อของ Roger Ver โผล่โดดเด่นสุด ๆ เขาคือ “Bitcoin Jesus” แห่งยุคบุกเบิก ที่ครั้งหนึ่งทุ่มทุนโปรโมตบิตคอยน์แบบไม่กลัวเจ๊ง ด้วยความเชื่อว่าบิตคอยน์ควรเป็น “เงินสดดิจิทัล” ลื่นไหลจ่ายคล่อง สลัดค่าธรรมเนียมแพง ๆ ทิ้งไปให้หมด

ในสายตาเขา การคงบล็อกเล็กแค่ 1 MB ยิ่งทำให้คนใช้แล้วปวดหัว ค่าธรรมเนียมสูงปรี๊ด ธุรกรรมอืดอาดเกินจะทน เลยต้องขยายขนาดบล็อกแบบจัดเต็ม เหมือนขยายถนนให้รถวิ่งง่าย ไม่งั้นก็ต้องมุดเข้าอุโมงค์แคบ ๆ จอดติดกันยาว

และ “Bitmain” บริษัทเครื่องขุดเบอร์ใหญ่สุดในโลกก็เข้ามาเสริมพลังแบบเต็มขั้น ขับเคลื่อนโดย Jihan Wu ที่เล็งเห็นว่าพอยิ่งขยายบล็อก ธุรกรรมก็จะยิ่งทะลัก ค่าธรรมเนียมก็จะเพิ่มขึ้น นักขุดจะได้เงินดี สร้างแรงดึงดูดให้คนหันมาหาบิตคอยน์มากขึ้นไปอีก

Bitmain ถือ Hashrate มหาศาล จึงไม่ต่างจากมีทัพใหญ่พร้อมยกพลบุก เพื่อดันแนวคิด “Fork” ได้ตลอดเวลา ถ้าฝั่งเพิ่ม Blocksize อยากจะเล่นเกมสายไหนก็เดินได้เลย

อีกฟากสนาม คือทีม “Bitcoin Core” ถือเป็นแกนกลางที่คุมซอฟต์แวร์หลัก

นำโดย *Greg Maxwell, Peter Wuille และ Wladimir van der Laan***

พวกเขาห่วงว่าถ้าบล็อกใหญ่ขึ้นมาก คงจะมีแค่นายทุนใหญ่เท่านั้นที่รันโหนดไหว ประชาชนตัวเล็ก ๆ หรือคนไม่มีทรัพยากรเยอะก็ยิ่งถูกกันออกจากเครือข่าย กลายเป็นระบบกึ่งรวมศูนย์ ซึ่งสวนกับหลักการเดิมที่ Satoshi Nakamoto เคยวางไว้

พวกเขาจึงเสนอ Segregated Witness (SegWit) เพื่อตัดข้อมูลลายเซ็น (Witness Data) ทิ้งไปนอกบล็อก ทำให้มีพื้นที่รองรับธุรกรรมได้เยอะขึ้นแบบไม่ต้องขยาย “เลนหลัก” และจะต่อยอดด้วย Lightning Network เพื่อยกธุรกรรมส่วนใหญ่ไปอยู่นอกบล็อกอีกชั้น

ฝั่งนักพัฒนาเหล่านี้ไม่ได้สู้อย่างโดดเดี่ยว แต่มีผู้ใช้รวมพลังกันในนาม UASF (User-Activated Soft Fork) มองว่า

“ใครว่าขุดเยอะแล้วสั่งการได้หมด? ผู้ใช้ทั่ว ๆ ไปก็ออกแบบกติกาได้เหมือนกัน?”

พวกเขาบอกเลยว่า “ถ้าไม่หนุน SegWit พวกฉันไม่เอาด้วยนะ”

การเคลื่อนไหวแบบนี้สร้างแรงกดดันให้นักขุดต้องรีบตามน้ำ ไม่งั้นเสี่ยงโดนผู้ใช้ปฏิเสธบล็อกกันถ้วนหน้า

ปี 2016-2017 กลายเป็นช่วงร้อนระอุสุด ๆ Roger Ver ลุกขึ้นพูดเมื่อไหร่ มักกล่าวหาทีม Core ว่าปิดประตูโอกาสทองของบิตคอยน์

ส่วนทีม Core ก็ตีโต้กลับว่า “ถ้าเพิ่มบล็อกเร็วไป มีแต่จะทำให้บิ๊กทุนไม่กี่เจ้าเข้ามาผูกขาด!”

พอยิ่งเถียงกันในงานใหญ่ เช่น Consensus Conference 2017 ประเด็นก็ยิ่งเดือด บางฝ่ายอยาก “Fork” แตกสายไปเลย บางฝ่ายยังคอยประนีประนอม แต่ก็ไม่มีใครลงรอยกันได้

Roger Ver และ Bitmain เร่งเครื่องดัน Hard Fork

ทีม Core ไม่ยอมถอย ยืนกราน SegWit ก่อน แล้วใช้ Lightning Network ปิดเกม

ผลคือ...

ทุกคนเริ่มกลัวว่า “Bitcoin จะแตกเป็นสองสายจริง ๆ หรือ?”

จะเป็นบล็อกใหญ่ หรือจะอยู่ 1 MB พร้อม SegWit?

กลางปี 2017 สงครามนี้จึงคลอด “Bitcoin Cash” เครือข่ายใหม่ที่กลุ่ม Roger Ver ผลักดัน บอกว่านี่คือ “Bitcoin ตัวจริง” ที่ค่าธรรมเนียมถูกกว่า ธุรกรรมไวกว่า รองรับคนจำนวนมากได้

ในขณะเดียวกัน เครือข่ายหลัก BTC ก็เปิดใช้ SegWit ไป พร้อมมุ่งหน้าเปิดทาง Lightning Network ทำให้ครึ่งหนึ่งของชุมชนยังเชื่อมั่นว่าการรักษาบล็อกเล็ก คือหัวใจสำคัญของกระจายอำนาจ

Blocksize War ครั้งนี้ เกินกว่าจะเรียกว่า “ดีเบตเชิงเทคนิค”

มันคล้ายการปะทะอุดมการณ์ของ “กระจายอำนาจอย่างเคร่งครัด” ปะทะ “ขยายบล็อกให้ใช้งานจริงในชีวิตประจำวัน”

ทั้งสองฝ่ายต่างยิงวาทะกันเดือดในโซเชียลมีเดีย คนฝ่ายหนึ่งบอกอีกฝ่าย “ล้าหลังไม่รู้จักปรับตัว” อีกฝ่ายก็ยันกลับว่า “คิดแค่กำไรระยะสั้น ไม่รักษาอัตลักษณ์บิตคอยน์” บน Reddit, Twitter, ฟอรัมต่าง ๆ เหล่าผู้เคยเป็นเพื่อนร่วมทางต้องแยกค่ายกันเพราะมองต่างว่าควรเพิ่มบล็อกหรือเปล่า

ที่สุดแล้ว...

เมื่อสองอุดมการณ์สวนทางกันระดับราก แทบไม่มีพื้นที่ประนีประนอม บ้างเชื่อว่าถ้าไม่เพิ่มบล็อกบิตคอยน์จะใช้งานลำบากเกิน บ้างยึดมั่นว่าถ้าบล็อกใหญ่มากโหนดเล็ก ๆ ก็จะหายไปหมด ระบบจะตกในมือไม่กี่คน.. ซึ่งขัดเจตนารมณ์ตั้งต้นของ Satoshi แบบสุด ๆ

ผลลัพธ์จึงลงเอยด้วยการเกิด “Bitcoin Cash” (BCH) แยกเครือข่าย และเปิดศึกโฆษณาว่า “ตนต่างหากที่เป็นผู้สืบทอดแนวคิด Satoshi ของจริง”

เมื่อ Bitcoin Cash ถือกำเนิดพร้อมขนาดบล็อกใหญ่ “มหาศึก” ครั้งนี้ก็ไม่ได้จบลง แต่เปลี่ยนหน้าฉากไปสู่การตลาดและความชอบธรรม

ใคร ๆ ก็ตั้งคำถามว่า “Bitcoin Cash ต่างจาก Bitcoin ยังไง?” หรือ “ใครสืบทอดเจตนารมณ์ Satoshi อย่างแท้จริงกันแน่?”

นักพัฒนา ฝั่ง BTC ยังเหนียวแน่นว่ารักษาเครือข่ายให้เบา ๆ แล้วใช้ทริคอย่าง SegWit, Lightning Network เสริม คือทางออกป้องกันการรวมศูนย์

ฝ่าย BCH ก็บอกว่าบล็อกใหญ่เลยดีกว่า ทุกคนจะได้เทรดกันเพลินโดยไม่ต้องแย่งพื้นที่

ในภาพใหญ่.. สงครามครั้งนี้ส่งคลื่นกระเพื่อมไปทั่วโลกคริปโตฯ หลายคนกลัวว่าถ้ายังแยกแตกกันแบบนี้ต่อ ราคาจะผันผวนจนคนขยาด แต่ก็มีอีกฝ่ายที่มองว่า

“ดีสิ มีการแข่งขันแล้วเกิดนวัตกรรมใหม่ ๆ”

เพราะในโลกโอเพนซอร์ส ไม่มีใครหยุดการแยกตัวได้ถ้าคนบางกลุ่มอยากลองแนวทางใหม่

คำถามสำคัญคือ..

“ใครขับเคลื่อนสงคราม Blocksize?”

คำตอบก็หนีไม่พ้น Roger Ver, Bitmain และทีม Bitcoin Core รวมถึงกลุ่ม UASF

พวกเขาต่างมีพลังในมิติต่าง ๆ

Roger Ver มีแรงสนับสนุนจากนักขุดสายทุนจัด Bitmain มีกองทัพ Hashrate มหาศาล ทีม Bitcoin Core คุมซอฟต์แวร์ และ UASF ก็มีอำนาจ ‘No Node, No Vote’ ที่ปัดบล็อกไม่พอใจทิ้งได้หมด

นี่ไม่ใช่การรบระหว่าง “อำนาจกับผู้อ่อนแอ” แต่เป็นสมรภูมิที่ทุกขั้วมี “พลัง” อยู่คนละแบบ ทำให้การประนีประนอมเป็นเพียงอุดมคติ

จนที่สุดจึงแตกเป็นสองสาย เหมือนเป็นสปิริตของโอเพนซอร์สที่แค่ Fork ก็พาเดินไปคนละทิศ ใครอยากกดเครื่องขุดก็ขุด ใครอยากตามซอฟต์แวร์ Core ก็จัดไป

นึกภาพอนาคตสิครับ.. ถ้ามีเทคโนโลยีใหม่เข้ามาอีก จะมีสงคราม “Blocksize 2.0” หรือเปล่า? ถ้าเจอเงื่อนไขใหญ่ ๆ ในการเปลี่ยนระบบ ย่อมต้องเข้าสู่วงจรดีเบตเดือดปุดเหมือนเคย

เพราะบิตคอยน์เป็นระบบไร้ผู้นำสูงสุด ทุกฝ่ายจึงมีสิทธิชูมือคัดค้านหรือสนับสนุนอย่างอิสระ

ฉากในเนื้อหาส่วนนี้คือด้านหน้าฉากของสงคราม Blocksize และเหล่าคนขับเคลื่อนที่ทำให้เกิดการแตกแยกครั้งประวัติศาสตร์ในโลกบิตคอยน์ ส่วนต่อไปเราจะได้เห็นเทคนิคล้ำ ๆ และจุดชนวนสุดเฉพาะหน้าที่ทำให้สองฝ่ายยิ่งปะทะกันอีก

แต่ก่อนจะไปรอนั้น..

ขอสรุปให้คิดกันแบบง่าย ๆ ว่า… ในโลกอันไร้ศูนย์กลางที่ต่างคนต่างตะโกนว่า

“ฉันคือเจ้าของบิตคอยน์!”

สุดท้าย “ใครกันแน่เป็นผู้ตัดสินทิศทาง?” หรือแท้จริง “ชัยชนะ–ความพ่ายแพ้” ก็ไม่มีอยู่จริงในสงครามแบบนี้...

เอาจริง ๆ การตัดสินใจของไม่กี่คน หรือการร่วมตัวของยูสเซอร์กระจัดกระจาย ก็ล้วนมีสิทธิเปลี่ยนอนาคตของเงินดิจิทัลได้ทั้งสิ้น จึงเป็นเสน่ห์และความโกลาหลของ “decentralization” ที่น่าหลงใหล

ไม่มีใครสั่งใครได้เต็มร้อย แต่ก็ไม่มีใครจะหยุดคนอื่นได้หมดเช่นกัน

เมื่อมองย้อนกลับไป.. นี่แหละเป็นบทเรียนสำคัญว่าบิตคอยน์ไม่ได้เป็นของใครคนเดียว และถ้าวันหนึ่งไฟสงครามลุกลามขึ้นอีกรอบ เราทุกคนจะรับมือกันยังไง?

ตอนนี้สงครามอาจดูเงียบ ๆ แต่ก็ไม่ได้ปิดฉากสนิท เพราะคลื่นใต้น้ำยังพร้อมระอุขึ้นได้ตลอด

เวลาเท่านั้นที่จะบอกว่า SegWit จะพิสูจน์ตัวเองได้ไหม หรือฝ่าย Hard Fork จะกลับมาโดดเด่นอีกครั้ง

จึงมีแต่คำถามค้างคาว่า.. อีกหน่อยบิตคอยน์จะยังเป็นบิตคอยน์ในแบบที่เรารู้จัก? หรือจะเปลี่ยนโฉมตามรอยแผลที่สงคราม Blocksize ทิ้งไว้?

คอยติดตามกันต่อไปในบทความตอนที่ 2

เพราะนี่อาจเป็นวัฏจักรที่ยังไม่รู้วันสิ้นสุดจริง ๆ ก็ได้ครับ...

@ 4720beb1:fde5de50

I just published the new version of my NIP-404. It basically a way to have real ephemeral interactions on Nostr, so developers can model Stories and messages that disappear etc and providing a good level of plausible deniability. Here is the new version: https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1676

This is a follow-up of a previous proposal I did in last November. I tried to tackle most of issues that npub12262qa4uhw7u8gdwlgmntqtv7aye8vdcmvszkqwgs0zchel6mz7s6cgrkj npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft npub1acg6thl5psv62405rljzkj8spesceyfz2c32udakc2ak0dmvfeyse9p35c have raised.

There is a "working" example (I'm not a cryptographer, have mercy on me): https://github.com/gu1p/nip404_demo

TL;DR;

NIP-404: Ghost Events

This NIP introduces Ghost Events—a protocol for creating events that are plausibly deniable with a ephemeral nature, providing a weak binding to the author's identity. It leverages ring signatures, elliptic curve point-hashing, and a distance-based proof-of-work that references Bitcoin block hashes for chronological anchoring.

High-Level Mechanics

• Ring Signature over exactly two keys:
  1) Your real key
  2) A “mined” key — found by solving a proof-of-work puzzle (attacker) or randomly (by the real signer).
• Distance-based PoW: The mined key’s public key must be within distance δ of a “challenge point” derived from your public key and a Bitcoin block hash.
• Deniability: Verifiers can only tell that one of the two keys signed the event, not which one. Because all components are public, anyone can forge a Ghost Event referencing your key.

---

2. Detailed Protocol

2.1. Reference a Bitcoin Block

Pick a Bitcoin block B with hash H_B and timestamp t_B. This block anchors the event in time.

2.2. Derive a Challenge Point

1. Take your main public key P_A and concatenate it with H_B.
2. Compute S = SHA256(P_A || H_B)
3. Map S to secp256k1 (RFC 9380 “Hashing to Elliptic Curves”): challenge_PK = HashToCurve(S)

Anyone can verify this point by performing the same steps.

2.3. Pick a “Mined Key” P_mined

• Let x_c be the x-coordinate of challenge_PK.
• Find x_m such that |x_m - x_c| <= δ and (x_m, y_m) is a valid secp256k1 point.

• δ reflects the “difficulty” of finding such a key.

• In the proposal I have provide a way to get a δ given the number of tries and target probability you expect someone to mine the P_mined and also the inverse, compute the δ given a number of tries.

• Compute $T$ (number of tries) given $\delta$ and target probability.

2.4. Create a Ring Signature

Form a ring of two public keys: {P_A, P_mined}.
Use your real private key to sign, producing a ring signature that proves one of the private keys (either sk_A or sk_mined) signed — but not which one.

2.5. Publish the Ghost Event

Publish a standard Nostr event (kind, content, etc.) plus tags:

• ["ghost", "block-hash", "<H_B>"]
• ["ghost", "block-hash-timestamp", "<t_B>"]

The event’s sig field is the ring signature. Verifiers can:

1. Check validity of the ring signature over {P_A, P_mined}.
2. Recompute challenge_PK from <P_A, H_B>.
3. Measure how close P_mined is to challenge_PK (i.e., proof-of-work difficulty).
4. Conclude: “Either Alice really signed, or someone else who found a matching P_mined did.”

Practical Tips

• Picking δ:

• Decide how quickly you want deniability to set in. If you pick a very small δ, it requires more CPU time for an attacker to replicate—but also temporarily ties the event more strongly to you.

• If you want faster deniability, pick a larger δ, but accept that forging a second “mined” key becomes easier.

• If you want avoid OTS, pick a larger δ and reference older blocks.

• Verifying a Received Ghost Event:

• Check the actual δ provided.
• Estimate the tries T needed for a given success probability.
• Check the Key/s rate necessary to produce the event since the block was mined.

---

7. Example Ghost Event JSON

Alice: Today is a good day to post wild picture of me on Nostr! Maybe I will regret it later...
Alice: Let post as a ghost event!
Alice: I will set a PoW of 86400000000 tries for a 30% of success. It is an easy one!

json { "id": "f9d32cace9ead9457d121041c4c17a779ab84cecf90f08d90ccacd9673f1bab4", "pubkey": "npub1r587vuykqhf8k7x4e06380edc7mr7pkz59r44tausmlwq970wkyqv9dh85", "created_at": 1736350383, "kind": 1, "tags": [ [ "ghost", "block-hash", "00000000000000000000c75dc9d3296751a8bb62b2463fbc49035ee75ab45f39" ], [ "ghost", "block-hash-timestamp", 1736264059 ] ], "content": "Hi! This is Alice... Here is a picture of me drinking a beer!", "sig": "...<ring signature>...." }

Bob: Wow! There is an event from Alice!
Bob: Let's check the signature to make sure it is from Alice
Bob: Alice didn't sign this event!
Bob: I see some ghost tags here...
Bob: It is a ghost event!
Bob: There are 2 possible signers!
Bob: Alice is one of the possible signers!
It was produced, allegedly, after the block a 00000000000000000000c75dc9d3296751a8bb62b2463fbc49035ee75ab45f39
Bob: It says that the block was mined at 1736264059
Bob: Let see if this block is real!
Bob: The block is real!
Bob: Let's check the PoW
Bob: The other signer is: npub1jktevjlge6vjp2yfaltrlvuv99th2uxaxy8eglvcsvr7e2r9h5lq2978dz
Bob: The challenge public key is: npub1jktevjldsr7kr52f90602gfhmc8cac9quq6yy8k9vy94w2qptsasz9cfps
Bob: Let's figure out how hard it was to mine the private key
Bob: The distance between the challenge and the alleged mined public key is 494635222290174920048599093528121665305037827746663102318405983997
Bob: For having 50% of chance of figuring out this key, the signer should have done 83496150448 tries
Bob: The signer should have mined 967231 keys per second, since the block was mined
Bob: It is not a hard PoW!

@ 207ad2a0:e7cca7b0

Quick context: I wanted to check out Nostr's longform posts and this blog post seemed like a good one to try and mirror. It's originally from my free to read/share attempt to write a novel, but this post here is completely standalone - just describing how I used AI image generation to make a small piece of the work.

Hold on, put your pitchforks down - outside of using Grammerly & Emacs for grammatical corrections - not a single character was generated or modified by computers; a non-insignificant portion of my first draft originating on pen & paper. No AI is ~~weird and crazy~~ imaginative enough to write like I do. The only successful AI contribution you'll find is a single image, the map, which I heavily edited. This post will go over how I generated and modified an image using AI, which I believe brought some value to the work, and cover a few quick thoughts about AI towards the end.

Let's be clear, I can't draw, but I wanted a map which I believed would improve the story I was working on. After getting abysmal results by prompting AI with text only I decided to use "Diffuse the Rest," a Stable Diffusion tool that allows you to provide a reference image + description to fine tune what you're looking for. I gave it this Microsoft Paint looking drawing:

and after a number of outputs, selected this one to work on:

The image is way better than the one I provided, but had I used it as is, I still feel it would have decreased the quality of my work instead of increasing it. After firing up Gimp I cropped out the top and bottom, expanded the ocean and separated the landmasses, then copied the top right corner of the large landmass to replace the bottom left that got cut off. Now we've got something that looks like concept art: not horrible, and gets the basic idea across, but it's still due for a lot more detail.

The next thing I did was add some texture to make it look more map like. I duplicated the layer in Gimp and applied the "Cartoon" filter to both for some texture. The top layer had a much lower effect strength to give it a more textured look, while the lower layer had a higher effect strength that looked a lot like mountains or other terrain features. Creating a layer mask allowed me to brush over spots to display the lower layer in certain areas, giving it some much needed features.

At this point I'd made it to where I felt it may improve the work instead of detracting from it - at least after labels and borders were added, but the colors seemed artificial and out of place. Luckily, however, this is when PhotoFunia could step in and apply a sketch effect to the image.

At this point I was pretty happy with how it was looking, it was close to what I envisioned and looked very visually appealing while still being a good way to portray information. All that was left was to make the white background transparent, add some minor details, and add the labels and borders. Below is the exact image I wound up using:

Overall, I'm very satisfied with how it turned out, and if you're working on a creative project, I'd recommend attempting something like this. It's not a central part of the work, but it improved the chapter a fair bit, and was doable despite lacking the talent and not intending to allocate a budget to my making of a free to read and share story.

The AI Generated Elephant in the Room

If you've read my non-fiction writing before, you'll know that I think AI will find its place around the skill floor as opposed to the skill ceiling. As you saw with my input, I have absolutely zero drawing talent, but with some elbow grease and an existing creative direction before and after generating an image I was able to get something well above what I could have otherwise accomplished. Outside of the lowest common denominators like stock photos for the sole purpose of a link preview being eye catching, however, I doubt AI will be wholesale replacing most creative works anytime soon. I can assure you that I tried numerous times to describe the map without providing a reference image, and if I used one of those outputs (or even just the unedited output after providing the reference image) it would have decreased the quality of my work instead of improving it.

I'm going to go out on a limb and expect that AI image, text, and video is all going to find its place in slop & generic content (such as AI generated slop replacing article spinners and stock photos respectively) and otherwise be used in a supporting role for various creative endeavors. For people working on projects like I'm working on (e.g. intended budget $0) it's helpful to have an AI capable of doing legwork - enabling projects to exist or be improved in ways they otherwise wouldn't have. I'm also guessing it'll find its way into more professional settings for grunt work - think a picture frame or fake TV show that would exist in the background of an animated project - likely a detail most people probably wouldn't notice, but that would save the creators time and money and/or allow them to focus more on the essential aspects of said work. Beyond that, as I've predicted before: I expect plenty of emails will be generated from a short list of bullet points, only to be summarized by the recipient's AI back into bullet points.

I will also make a prediction counter to what seems mainstream: AI is about to peak for a while. The start of AI image generation was with Google's DeepDream in 2015 - image recognition software that could be run in reverse to "recognize" patterns where there were none, effectively generating an image from digital noise or an unrelated image. While I'm not an expert by any means, I don't think we're too far off from that a decade later, just using very fine tuned tools that develop more coherent images. I guess that we're close to maxing out how efficiently we're able to generate images and video in that manner, and the hard caps on how much creative direction we can have when using AI - as well as the limits to how long we can keep it coherent (e.g. long videos or a chronologically consistent set of images) - will prevent AI from progressing too far beyond what it is currently unless/until another breakthrough occurs.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

• The Lazarus Group's Cryptocurrency Holdings

• A Significant Drop in Holdings

• No Privacy Coins in Sight

• Underreported Holdings?

• Previous Attacks and Thefts

• Warnings and Threats

• Conclusion

• FAQ

In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrencies, security breaches and cyber heists have become alarmingly common. One name that frequently emerges in relation to these digital thefts is the Lazarus Group. This North Korean hacking collective has been linked to a series of high-profile cyber-attacks, amassing a significant amount of cryptocurrency in the process. This article delves deep into the group's activities, their holdings, and the implications of their actions on the crypto world.

The Lazarus Group's Cryptocurrency Holdings

The Lazarus Group, originating from North Korea, has made headlines with its vast cryptocurrency holdings. Recent reports suggest that this hacking collective has a digital treasure chest worth around $47 million. Bitcoin, the most popular and valuable cryptocurrency, forms the bulk of their holdings, with an estimated value of $42.5 million. In addition to Bitcoin, the group has diversified its holdings with Ether (ETH) valued at $1.9 million, BNB (BNB) worth $1.1 million, and a mix of stablecoins, primarily Binance USD (BUSD), which amounts to approximately $640,000.

A Significant Drop in Holdings

While the current figures are staggering, there has been a noticeable decline in the Lazarus Group's cryptocurrency assets. Data indicates that their holdings were valued at $86 million as of September 6. This value plummeted in the aftermath of the Stake.com hack, an event that saw the Lazarus Group as a prime suspect. Dune Analytics, a data monitoring platform, has been keeping a close eye on the group's activities. They have identified 295 wallets associated with the Lazarus Group, information corroborated by agencies like the FBI and the OFAC.

No Privacy Coins in Sight

For a hacking group that thrives on anonymity, it's surprising to note the absence of privacy coins in their portfolio. Coins such as Monero (XMR), Dash (DASH), and Zcash (ZEC), known for their enhanced privacy features, are conspicuously missing from their holdings. However, this hasn't deterred the group from continuing their operations. Their crypto wallets, devoid of privacy coins, have seen consistent activity, with the latest transaction recorded on September 20.

Underreported Holdings?

The figures mentioned might just be the tip of the iceberg. According to 21.co, the Lazarus Group's actual cryptocurrency holdings could be much higher than what's currently reported. This assertion is based on the data available to the public, suggesting that the group might have undisclosed assets hidden away.

Previous Attacks and Thefts

The Lazarus Group's foray into the crypto world has been marked by a series of attacks and thefts. They were the masterminds behind the CoinEx exchange hack, which resulted in losses exceeding $55 million. Their nefarious activities don't end there. The FBI has linked them to other significant breaches, including those targeting Alphapo, CoinsPaid, and Atomic Wallet. These attacks, in 2023 alone, saw the group walking away with more than $200 million. However, there's a silver lining. Chainalysis reports indicate a decline in crypto thefts by hackers associated with North Korea, with an 80% drop recorded from 2022.

Warnings and Threats The digital realm remains under the shadow of the Lazarus Group. Recent alerts from U.S. federal authorities have highlighted the group's potential to target critical sectors, including the U.S. healthcare and public health domains. These warnings underscore the group's capabilities and the persistent threat they pose.

Conclusion

The Lazarus Group's activities serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in the digital space. Their vast cryptocurrency holdings, accumulated through a series of hacks and breaches, highlight the need for enhanced security measures in the crypto world. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it's imperative for stakeholders to remain vigilant, ensuring that their assets are protected from such sophisticated threats. The story of the Lazarus Group is not just about a hacking collective's exploits but a call to action for the broader crypto community.

FAQ

Who is the Lazarus Group? The Lazarus Group is a North Korean hacking collective known for its high-profile cyber-attacks and significant cryptocurrency holdings.

How much cryptocurrency does the Lazarus Group hold? The group is reported to have amassed around $47 million in cryptocurrency, with Bitcoin forming the majority of their holdings.

Were there any recent significant drops in their holdings? Yes, their holdings saw a decline from $86 million as of September 6, especially after the Stake.com hack.

Does the Lazarus Group hold any privacy coins? Surprisingly, the group does not hold any known privacy coins like Monero, Dash, or Zcash.

Have there been any warnings about the Lazarus Group's activities? U.S. federal authorities have issued warnings about the group's potential to target sectors like U.S. healthcare and public health.

That's all for today

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@ 9a9d51f8:7f8f6f60

@ 52adc2ef:9f4bc0ba

สวัสดีครับวันนี้อยากจะมาขอสรุปคลิป

เงิน ถูกสร้างจาก อากาศธาตุอย่างแท้จริง

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odl7VqwcELI&t=610s

Speaker คุณปกป้อง Thai Ratel

พวกเราน่าจะเคยได้ยินกันว่า รัฐบาลสามารถพิมพ์เงินได้ ในความคิดเราตอนเด็กคือ การมีเครื่องพิมพ์ธนบัตรเเละพิมพ์ออกมาเยอะๆเเบบที่เคยเห็นในภาพยนตน์

แต่จริงๆการพิมพ์เงินไม่ใช่วิธี Physical แบบนั้น มันง่ายกว่านั้นมากๆ (อยากจะพิมพ์เงินบ้างเลย5555)

คำถามคือ How ทำยังไง ซึ่งเป็นกระบวนการทางบัญชี เราต้องเข้าใจหลักการทางบัญชีก่อน เเละในสื่อหรือข่าวต่างๆจะไม่มีการบอกตรงๆว่ากำลังพิมพ์เงินอยู่

ซึ่งเค้าจะใช้คำเเบบให้เรางงๆ เช่น -ปริมาณหนี้สาธารณะสูงขึ้น (เข้าใจง่ายๆคือกู้เงินเพิ่ม ซื้อพันธบัตรรัฐบาลเพิ่ม)

-Quantitative Easing (QE) มาตรการผ่อนคลายเชิงนโยบาย

-Yield curve control (เป็นการเข้าไปซื้อพันธบัตรเพื่อควบคุมผลตอบเเทนเป็นไปตามที่กำหนด คือกู้ไปซื้อเหมือน QE)

การที่เข้าใจการพิมพ์เงินต้องเข้าใจ

กลไกการสร้างเงิน

หลักสำคัญคือเราไม่สามารถเเก้ไขในบัญชีเอง มันผิดเเน่ๆ แต่ต้องเเก้ไขยังไงให้ถูกหลักกฎหมายเเละบัญชี

"การเสกเงินหรือเพิ่มเงินต้องมีของมีค่าหนุนหลัง"

ทุกธนาคารเค้าไม่ได้พิมพ์เงินขึ้นมาเปล่าๆ มันมีของมีค่าหนุนหลัง คำถามคือของมีค่าที่หนุนหลังการเสกเงิน คืออะไร

Monetary Base และ Deposit

Monetary Base คือ เงินที่รัฐบาลกลางสร้างโดยตรง ที่หมุนเวียนอยู่เป็นธนบัตร Deposit คือ ตัวเลขเงินฝากของธนาคารพาณิชย์

ขอบคุณรูปภาพจาก ช่อง Rightshift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odl7VqwcELI&t=610s

ตัวเลขที่เป็นเงินฝากของธนาคารมียอดที่สูงกว่าเงินที่รัฐบาลสร้างโดยตรง เพราะว่ามีการเสกเงินเกิดขึ้นในระบบงั้นเรามาดูกันว่าทำกันยังไงเริ่มที่

Fractional Reserve Banking (ระบบธนาคารสำรองเงินสดบางส่วน) การที่ตัวเลขเงินฝากสูงกว่าเงินที่รัฐบาลออกใช้จริงต้องเข้าใจระะบบ Fractional Reserve Banking ก่อน

ขอบคุณรูปภาพจาก https://web.facebook.com/SiamstrUpdate

ระบบนี้เป็นการสำรองเงินบางส่วนไม่จำเป็นต้องสำรอง 100% เช่น มีเงินฝากในธนาคาร 100 บาท ถ้าตามสิ่งที่ควรจะเป็นเเล้วสามารถปล่อยกู้ได้ 100 บาท ซึ่งควรตรงไปตรงมาง่ายๆ

เเต่ Fractional Reserve Banking สามารถปล่อยกู้เกินได้ เพราะคาดเดาว่าผู้คนไม่มีทางที่จะพร้อมใจกันมาถอนเงินสดพร้อมๆกัน ทำให้เกิดวงจรของเงินในระบบที่เพิ่มขึ้นได้ตามรูปด้านบน

Balance Sheet (งบดุล) อธิบายเเบบง่ายๆ งบดุล เป็นการเเสดงปริมาณ

ของที่มี เเละ ที่มาของสิ่งนั้น

สินทรัพย์=ส่วนผู้ถือหุ้น+หนี้สิน

โดยทั้งสองฝั่งต้องเท่ากันเสมอ ต่อไปเรามาทำความเข้าใจความหมายกัน

สินทรัพย์ คือ ทรัพยากรที่คาดว่าจะได้เงิน หรือ ประโยชน์ในอนาคต หนี้สิน คือ ภาระของบริษัท ต้องชำระโดย สินทรัพย์เท่านั้น

การฝากเเละการยืม การฝาก คือ ผู้รับฝากไม่มีสิทธิ์ที่จะใช้ของ การยืม คือ ผู้ยืมมีสิทธิ์ใช้ของตนกว่าผู้ให้ยืมจะมาทวงคืน

ตัวอย่าง เราไปฝากรถ ผู้ที่รับฝากไม่สามารถที่จะเอารถเราไปขับได้ เเต่ถ้าเราให้ยืมรถ คนยืมจะนำรถไปขับเเล้วมาคืนเรา เป็นต้น

ย้อนกลับมาที่ธนาคาร การลงงบดุลของธนาคาร เงินฝากจะไม่ใช่เป็น การฝากเงิน เเต่เป็น การยืมเงิน

สมมุติ Bob นำเงินมาฝากธนาคาร 100 บาท

ธนาคารจะลงในส่วนของ ทรัพย์สินธนาคาร เเละฝั่งที่เป็นเงินฝาก จะใส่ในส่วนของหนี้สิน เพราะต้องเป็นการยืมธนาคารจะสามารถมีสิทธิ์ในการใช้เงิน

ขอบคุณรูปภาพจาก ช่อง Rightshift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odl7VqwcELI&t=610s

จากรูปจะเห็นว่าการลงบัญชีงบดุลก็จะถูกต้องตามหลักทุกอย่าง ซึ่งธนาคารจะสามารถนำเงินที่ยืมเราไปประกอบธุรกรรมอย่างอื่นได้

เเต่ธนาคารไม่ได้เเค่รับฝากเงินเท่านั้น ธนาคารหารายได้จากการปล่อยสินเชื่อด้วย ถ้าเป็นการปล่อยกู้เเบบใช้เงินที่มีอยู่จริงคงไม่มีปัญหาเเต่ธนาคารใช้วิธี

เสกเงินจากอากาศ

สมมุติเพิ่มเติมจากตัวอย่างของ Bob ให้มี Alice มากู้ยืมเงินธนาคารเป็นจำนวนเงิน 300 บาท

ธนาคารจะทำสัญญากู้ยืมเงินเเละใส่ในงบดุลในส่วนของทรัพย์สิน เพราะนิยามของทรัพย์สิน คือ คาดว่าจะได้ประโยชน์ในอนาคต

เเละอีกฝั่งนึง ถ้า Alice ยังไม่เอาเงินสดจริงไป ธนาคารจะใส่เงิน 300 บาทลงใส่ส่วนของหนี้สินหรือเงินฝาก

ขอบคุณรูปภาพจาก ช่อง Rightshift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odl7VqwcELI&t=610s

สรุปจากตัวอย่าง ธนาคารมีเงินของ Bob เเค่ 100 บาท เเต่ในความเป็นจริงสามารถทำให้งบดุลมีเงิน ทั้งหมด 400 บาทได้

เเละเงินที่ Bob นำมาฝาก 100 บาทนั้นธนาคารก็จะถือไว้เผื่ออนาคตมีคนมาถอนเงินสดจริงๆ สามารถที่จะใช้เงินส่วนนี้ในการจ่ายเงินสดเเทนได้

ทั้งหมดคือวิธีการของ Fractional Reserve Banking

ธนาคารกลาง

ถ้าเป็นภาคใหญ่ขึ้นมาจาก ธนาคารพาณิชย์ เปลี่ยนเป็น ธนาคารกลาง เเละจาก Alice เปลี่ยนเป็น รัฐบาล ธนาคารกลางจะพิมพ์ธนบัตรได้มี 2 ส่วนคือ

1.National Reserve คือ ทองคำ เงินสกุลต่างๆ 2.พันธบัตรรัฐบาล

ภาพมันจะคล้ายกันเเต่เปลี่ยนเเค่ตัวละคร เมื่อรัฐบาลต้องการเสกเงินขึ้นมาเพื่อใช้จ่าย หรืออะไรก็เเล้วเเต่ จะไปขอกู้จากธนาคารกลางสัญญาเงินกู้นั้นเรียกว่า พันธบัตรรัฐบาล

ธนาคารกลางลงในบัญชีฝั่งของทรัพย์สิน ส่วนฝั่งของหนี้สิน ใส่เป็นส่วนของเงินฝากธนาคารกลางหรือ ธนบัตร นั้นเอง

ขอบคุณรูปภาพจาก ช่อง Rightshift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odl7VqwcELI&t=610s

ถ้าจะให้พูดสรุปได้เลย เงินคือหนี้

ถ้าจะพูดให้ลึกเเละเข้าใจ

หนี้คือ สิ่งที่เรายืมมาก่อนเเละต้องจ่ายคืน เเละในระบบนี้มีคนพิมพ์เงินขึ้นมาใช้ก่อนเเละผลักให้พวกเราใช้คืนนั้นเอง

หวังว่าจะให้ทุกคนเข้าใจว่าเงินสามารถที่จะเสกจากอากาศได้ เเละวิธีการ concept ในภาครวมเพื่อให้ทุกคนตระหนักว่า โลกของเราตอนนี้เต็มไปด้วยหนี้ เเละ เงินที่ออกมาทำให้เงินที่เราถืออยู่เสื่อมมูลค่าลง

@ edeb837b:ac664163

What is Social Trading?

Social trading is a revolutionary approach to financial markets, leveraging the power of community and technology to democratize trading and investing. Unlike traditional trading, where individuals make isolated decisions based on personal research and analysis, social trading allows users to observe, interact, and replicate the trading activities of others. This communal approach not only opens up financial markets to novices but also creates a collaborative environment where traders of all levels can learn and grow together.

The Core Concept of Social Trading

At its core, social trading is about transparency and connectivity. It transforms the solitary act of trading into a collective endeavor, where information, strategies, and experiences are shared openly within a community. This is facilitated through platforms that provide real-time access to the trading activities of others, enabling users to follow successful traders, copy their trades, and gain insights into market trends.

Key Elements of Social Trading:

1. Trade Sharing: Traders share their trades with the community in real-time, providing insights into their strategies and market movements.
2. Copy Trading: Less experienced traders can automatically replicate the trades of successful investors, benefiting from their expertise without needing deep market knowledge.
3. Community Interaction: Platforms often include features like discussion forums, leaderboards, and social media integration to foster interaction and learning.

The Rise of NVSTly: The Best Platform for Social Trading

What Sets NVSTly Apart?

Among the plethora of social trading platforms, NVSTly stands out as a premier choice for several reasons. It combines a user-friendly interface with robust features, making it an ideal platform for both novice and experienced traders. Here’s why NVSTly is the best platform for social trading:

1. Completely Free: Unlike many other platforms that impose a paywall, NVSTly is completely free. Users can sign up and access all features without any cost, making it accessible to everyone.
2. Cross-Platform Availability: NVSTly is available on both web browsers and mobile devices (iOS and Android). This flexibility ensures that users can trade and interact with the community anytime, anywhere.
3. Unique Discord Integration: NVSTly is the only social trading platform fully integrated with Discord. Through a unique bot, users can perform almost all actions on NVSTly directly through Discord, enhancing community interaction and ease of use.

NVSTly’s Standout Features

NVSTly offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to enhance the social trading experience:

• Real-Time Trade Tracking and Sharing: Users can track, share, or copy trades in real-time. Each position comes with extensive insights and performance stats.
• Multi-Market Support: NVSTly supports trading in stocks, options, and over 25 cryptocurrency exchanges, with plans to include futures and forex markets soon.
• Trade Insight UI: Every trade has a dedicated UI showing all events (open, average, trim, exit) along with real-time asset data and a unique POV chart marking key trading points.
• Global Trades Feed: A real-time feed showing all trades submitted by users. It includes filters to show trades from specific traders, top trades, or specific tickers.
• Global Leaderboards: Rankings of top traders for each market or combined markets, allowing users to follow and learn from the best.
• Real-Time Notifications: Follow any trader and receive notifications of their trades in real-time.
• Brokerage Integration: Automated tracking and sharing of trades executed within the broker, with cryptocurrency exchange integration coming soon.
• Automated Signals and Sharing: Trades can be shared instantaneously to social media and Discord.
• Future Goals: NVSTly aims to implement 1-click copy trading, simplifying the process even further.
• Trader Dashboards: In-depth performance stats for each trader, including trade history, win rate, total gain, average gain/loss/return, highest winning trade, and more.

Why NVSTly is Ideal for Social Traders

NVSTly's blend of comprehensive features, accessibility, and unique integrations makes it the ultimate platform for social trading. Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn from seasoned traders or an experienced investor seeking to share your insights and grow your following, NVSTly provides the tools and community to achieve your goals.

The platform’s commitment to being free and its integration with popular communication tools like Discord highlight its user-centric approach. By fostering a supportive and interactive environment, NVSTly not only enhances trading success but also builds a vibrant community of traders who can thrive together.

In conclusion, NVSTly redefines social trading by combining cutting-edge technology with a robust community framework. Its extensive features and unique integrations position it as the leading platform for anyone looking to engage in social trading. Sign up today and experience the future of trading with NVSTly.

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NVSTly is available for free on web, mobile devices (iOS & Google Play), and is fully integrated with Discord via a unique bot- the only of it's kind and available to any server or trading community on Discord. Or feel free to join a community of over 45,000 investors & traders on our Discod server.

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

The rise of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies has reshaped the global financial system, igniting new possibilities for innovation and development. In North America, a region at the forefront of technological advancements and economic influence, Bitcoin communities have played a pivotal role in advancing the adoption and utilization of digital currencies. These communities are engaged in a wide array of activities, from fostering education and providing technical support to promoting business opportunities and advocating for policy changes. This article will highlight 23 Bitcoin communities across North America, shedding light on their latest achievements and future ambitions in driving the expansion of Bitcoin technology, education, and economic empowerment. It offers readers a comprehensive understanding of the North American Bitcoin ecosystem and its significant influence on the global stage.

Thank you, nostr:npub1yzvxlwp7wawed5vgefwfmugvumtp8c8t0etk3g8sky4n0ndvyxesnxrf8q decentralized media client on Nostr to support people in owning their voice. #iOS #​Android, for supporting the publication of the Bitcoin Community Newsletter. Most of the content has been reviewed and confirmed by the South American communities. If there are any omissions, please feel free to reach out to me.

1.PlebLabs nostr:npub1an84q6c03wml5lf0uwcqcr20ydwv0t0lvv0xktlcfs9seattef8sdhz6yg * Introduction PlebLab is a hacker space and community accelerator based in Austin, Texas, dedicated to supporting the next generation of Bitcoin developers and startups. It brings together developers, hackers, creatives, and open-source builders to create a collaborative and innovative environment. PlebLab offers workshops, hackathons, and Startup Days to foster learning and growth within the Bitcoin ecosystem. By providing exposure, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities, PlebLab helps early-stage Bitcoin projects succeed. Its core philosophy is to support free and open-source development, driving innovation and progress within the Bitcoin space. * Latest Updates Recently, the PlebLab has continued to make significant strides in driving Bitcoin innovation and entrepreneurship. They have launched the second season of Top Builder, with a series of top-tier workshops focusing on Bitcoin Accounting, Bitcoin UX & UI Design, Bitcoin Marketing and Media, and more. These workshops aim to discover the next generation of Bitcoin industry startups, with participants having the chance to win up to $15,000 in BTC. The events will bring together Bitcoin developers and entrepreneurs, providing opportunities for showcasing ideas and networking. Additionally, PlebLab will host workshops related to Bitcoin technology and applications, helping members deepen their understanding of Bitcoin Core and enhance their development skills.

2.BAYAREA * Introduction Bay Area Bitcoin Users is a community formed by the people, for the people, aimed at providing an open and inclusive platform for all Bitcoin enthusiasts. The community regularly hosts events in the Bay Area, offering a space to share ideas, opinions, memes, and have relaxed discussions. It’s a great fit for anyone looking to dive deeper into Bitcoin technology or simply enjoy gatherings with like-minded individuals. * Latest Updates Recently, the Bay Area Bitcoin Users community hosted a Bitcoin Holiday Party at Eve (1535 Folsom St) in San Francisco, California. The event featured a Socratic seminar co-hosted by BitDevs and LitDevs at Digital Garage, followed by a festive celebration with music, snacks, a bar, and Bitcoin-related interactions. Designed as a family-friendly gathering, the event welcomed children accompanied by guardians, even though no specific activities for kids were organized.

3.Ann Arbor Bitcoin nostr:npub1j4dvdn24dp963f4sfak0g6nz0chnw8tyglvs3pn9gqhhhfukmrfsyznne7 * Introduction Ann Arbor Bitcoin is a community-focused organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, dedicated to fostering Bitcoin adoption and engagement. The group hosts regular meetups and events, providing a platform for Bitcoin enthusiasts to share knowledge and exchange ideas. * Latest Updates Recently, there have been no new updates from the community, with the latest event dating back to December 2022, which encouraged everyone to join their Telegram group to stay updated on all the latest news about meetups.

4.Bit Miami * Introduction BitMiami is a vibrant community dedicated to exploring and learning about the Bitcoin ecosystem in South Florida. * Latest Updates Recently, the BitMiami community has shared various Bitcoin-related events and updates. They highlighted Bitcoin Vortex Week in Miami and also focused on the HODLween event. BitMiami continues to support the growth of the South Florida Bitcoin community by reposting valuable content from local Bitcoin enthusiasts and organizations. They also encourage community members to actively engage with the Bitcoin ecosystem through meetups and educational opportunities.

5.Seattle Bitcoin and Beer nostr:npub1x2dm3cwqt0v9tqlf0ppzztaskn3th2x40p33hepl8rkwdgedw8eshypm5s * Introduction Seattle Bitcoin and Beer is a community that brings together Bitcoin enthusiasts and freedom lovers in Seattle. They regularly meet to discuss Bitcoin and build strong local connections in a city that may not always embrace freedom. The group fosters collaboration while enjoying good beer along the way. * Latest Updates Recently, the Seattle Bitcoin and Beer community hosted a monthly meetup on December 26th at the Old Stove Brewery on Nickerson St. Ship Canal, aiming to expand the sovereignty of the Bitcoin user network in the Great Northwest. Although this wasn't a cryptocurrency-exclusive meetup, participants gathered in a relaxed atmosphere to discuss Bitcoin and strengthen community connections.

6.Bitcoin Aruba * Introduction Bitcoin Aruba is a community dedicated to promoting the use and acceptance of Bitcoin across the beautiful island of Aruba. Their mission is to encourage local businesses and individuals to embrace Bitcoin as a payment option, creating a vibrant ecosystem where people can experience the freedom and potential of decentralized currency.. * Latest Updates Recently, the Bitcoin Aruba community has shared various Bitcoin-related updates on Twitter. They highlighted and reposted content from several Bitcoin initiatives, including the StackSats 250k Sat giveaway, BTCPay Server’s holiday greetings, and discussions on the importance of running your own Bitcoin node. Additionally, Bitcoin Aruba has been encouraging community members to actively engage in the Bitcoin ecosystem, with a focus on topics like node operation and privacy protection.

7.Bitcoin Beach Yucatan nostr:npub1w2my0n7rklzdgw7anjdnssq8mjzkpr54apqeg3pk9qjauu9dt26smyydvm * Introduction Bitcoin Beach Yucatán is a community dedicated to promoting Bitcoin education and adoption throughout the Yucatán state. * Latest Updates Recently, there have been no new updates from the community. The latest event dates back to Oct 2024, when they shared a post calling for help for the disaster-stricken area of Sisal, requesting food, clothing, and other essential supplies.

8.Bitcoin Brunch Miami * Introduction Bitcoin Brunch Miami is a community where Bitcoin enthusiasts gather every Sunday for casual discussions over brunch. * Latest Updates Recently, there have been no new updates from the community on twitter, The latest event dates back to July 2023. However, Bitcoin Brunch Miami has already hosted five brunch discussions in December.

9.Bitcoin Charlotte nostr:npub1p7g986pc56qmvryplgzka0fsrpuwlk6mxk3h686w4e46n74e56qqhz88vk * Introduction Bitcoin Charlotte is a community for those passionate about Bitcoin, decentralization, privacy, and freedom. It provides opportunities to connect with individuals at the forefront of this transformative technology through social events, workshops, and online hangouts. The community’s mission is to educate and empower people to break free from financial dependence on banks and governments by embracing Bitcoin, the most superior form of money in history. * Latest Updates Recently, the Bitcoin Charlotte community hosted several events, including an in-person meetup at Southern Strain Brewery in Plaza Midwood, where members connected with like-minded individuals and celebrated Bitcoin's potential for financial liberation by purchasing beer with Bitcoin. Additionally, the community held an online Bitcoin meetup and knowledge-sharing session on December 2, further promoting Bitcoin education and awareness.

10.Bitcoin Ciudadela * Introduction Bitcoin Ciudadela is focused on transforming San Cristóbal de las Casas and Chiapas into strongholds for Bitcoin adoption and education. The community aims to build a robust network of Mexican Bitcoiners who are united in promoting the benefits of decentralized finance and empowering individuals with knowledge about Bitcoin. * Latest Updates Recently, there have been no new updates from the community. The latest event dates back to Apr 2024, when they shared a post criticizing those who supported restrictions on freedom and praised those who fought for liberty, questioned authority, and stood against oppression.

11.Bitcoin Jungle nostr:npub14f26g7dddy6dpltc70da3pg4e5w2p4apzzqjuugnsr2ema6e3y6s2xv7lu * Introduction Bitcoin Jungle is an open-source community project built on the Bitcoin Lightning Network, aiming to create a circular Bitcoin economy. It supports individuals and businesses by providing education, resources, and technology to drive Bitcoin adoption. Starting in the Golden Triangle region of Costa Rica, the project strives to set an example for Bitcoin communities. The goal is to establish a sustainable Bitcoin ecosystem for communities worldwide. * Latest Updates Recently, Bitcoin Jungle is actively preparing for the next Bitcoin Freedom Festival, which will take place from February 20th to 24th, 2025, at the Awake Earth Festival in Uvita, Costa Rica. The event will combine Bitcoin seminars with a music festival, lectures, and discussions, aiming to attract new audiences to the Bitcoin space in a unique and engaging way.

12.Bitcoin Lake Guatemala nostr:npub1a4excy7uf9z3mcafvm9cwdr549dl5lpazuvpr2nc550vf27n5a4scqq5k2 * Introduction Bitcoin Lake Guatemala is a Bitcoin community located in Guatemala, focused on promoting the use and education of Bitcoin in the Lake Atitlán region. By supporting local businesses in adopting Bitcoin payments and providing educational resources, the community aims to build a sustainable economy based on Bitcoin. * Latest Updates Recently, the community has shared one update，this post celebrates the continued growth and resilience of the Bitcoin movement, marking a significant milestone for the community.

13.Round Rock Bitcoiners nostr:npub17ysayggwumkpkpgsq75axd7ed9guw03wz9jldz5d0zrkgz0cja2qd09tzu * Introduction Round Rock Bitcoiners is a Bitcoin community in Round Rock, Texas, dedicated to promoting Bitcoin knowledge and adoption. Through monthly meetups and resource sharing, the group supports individuals and small businesses in adopting Bitcoin and fosters a local peer-to-peer network. * Latest Updates Recently, The Round Rock Bitcoiners community has been actively organizing events to promote Bitcoin education and strengthen community bonds. Recently, they hosted a screening of the film No More Inflation, exploring the future of money and inflation-free solutions, followed by a Bitcoin-themed happy hour. Additionally, they announced the second biennial Base58 Bitcoin LARP event, offering participants a unique experience of hands-on learning, networking, and fun. Additionally, they shared posts addressing KYC privacy risks, critical discussions about the IRS, the legacy of cypherpunk ideals, and new features in the Bitcoin ecosystem, such as Zaps integration with the Rumble platform.

14.SacTown Bitcoin * Introduction Sactown Bitcoiners is a Bitcoin-focused community with members from across the Greater Sacramento region. The group hosts two monthly events: a discussion and member-led presentation at the Arden-Dimick Library on the 4th Thursday and a social gathering at a brewery or restaurant on the 2nd Thursday. Discussions revolve around Bitcoin, covering topics like money, hope, and the future under a Bitcoin standard. Open to Bitcoin enthusiasts, beginners, and maximalists alike, the community maintains a strict “Bitcoin only” policy, creating a dedicated space for pure Bitcoin conversations. * Latest Updates Recently, SacTown Bitcoin hosted a Christmas Party and highlighted Bitcoin's transformative impact. On December 12, 2024, SacTown Bitcoin hosted the Sactown Bitcoiners Christmas Party at Turkovich Family Wines Tasting Room. The event featured a potluck, a white elephant gift exchange (participants were asked to bring a gift worth approximately $20), and a raffle. Additionally, SacTown Bitcoin has been focusing on the profound impact of Bitcoin on personal financial understanding and its potential to disrupt economic inequalities. They have shared posts highlighting insights from financial and investment professionals inspired by Bitcoin, as well as discussions on how Bitcoin empowers ordinary people to benefit from asset growth.

15.San Diego Bitcoiners * Introduction San Diego Bitcoiners is a community dedicated to learning and discussing Bitcoin, providing a platform for anyone interested in the cryptocurrency. Established during the COVID-19 pandemic, the community hosts monthly events featuring guest speakers, brief presentations, or casual conversations. Meetings are held every second Thursday of the month at Quantum Brewing in Kearny Mesa, welcoming all Bitcoin enthusiasts. * Latest Updates Recently, San Diego Bitcoiners have been actively engaged in promoting Bitcoin education and fostering community interaction. They were featured in a local news article as the oldest running Bitcoin meetup in San Diego. The community has been sharing important reminders, such as testing Bitcoin wallet backups every six months. They also continue to host regular meetups, with a focus on practical demonstrations, including CoinJoin and wallet integrations like Sparrow Wallet and JoinMarket. The latest meetup took place in December at Quantum Brewing, where members gathered to discuss Bitcoin and explore new tools in the ecosystem.

16.SLC-BTC * Introduction The SLC-BTC community focuses on Bitcoin and the Lightning Network, welcoming participants of all experience levels. Regular meetups feature discussions on topics such as Bitcoin protocol, software, economics, self-custody, and mining. Whether you're a newcomer or an experienced user, the community encourages open dialogue and answers any Bitcoin-related questions. * Latest Updates Recently, the SLC-BTC community hosted a series of successful events, including a Christmas party, thanks to the active participation and support of its members. During the party, the community offered a variety of giveaways and collaborated with several partners. Additionally, the community organized a Christmas Potluck Party and celebrated the milestone of Bitcoin's price breaking 100K. SLC-BTC continues to provide opportunities for Bitcoin enthusiasts to connect, learn, and grow together.

17.Topeka Bitcoin * Introduction The Topeka Bitcoin Meet-up aims to expand knowledge and awareness within the community. Hosted at local businesses, the group discusses topics such as Bitcoin (network vs asset), the Lightning Network, running a full node, self-custody, and accumulation strategies. Additionally, the community explores Bitcoin literature, podcasts, and other relevant topics. * Latest Updates Recently, the Topeka Bitcoin community shared some interesting Bitcoin-related insights and updates on Twitter. Members celebrated the new year, highlighting the concept of "time is money" and encouraging everyone to accumulate at least 31,536,000 Sats this year (one sat per second). The community also discussed the concept of "sat/cent parity," offering a unique perspective on Bitcoin's value. Additionally, Topeka Bitcoin shared creative activities related to Bitcoin, such as Bitcoin-friendly cruise line initiatives.

18.Vancouver Bitcoiners * Introduction The Vancouver Bitcoin community is a dedicated group of Bitcoin enthusiasts actively engaging in events like Bitdevs and more. With the motto “Splendor Sine Inflatione” (Splendor Without Inflation), the community focuses on fostering knowledge and connections around Bitcoin. * Latest Updates Recently, the Vancouver Bitcoiners community has been actively involved in advocating for Vancouver to become a Bitcoin-friendly city. Community members have supported Mayor Ken Sim's proposal to invest in Bitcoin and have participated in backing the city council's Bitcoin-friendly motion. Additionally, the community has voiced concern over the Bitcoin mining ban in British Columbia, suggesting the use of local renewable energy sources like tidal, wind, and solar power for Bitcoin mining to expand the grid and utilize excess heat from mining rigs. During the council's discussions, the community also supported the idea of Vancouver building a Bitcoin reserve, despite the associated risks.

19.Victoria Bitcoin * Introduction Victoria Bitcoin is a community that regularly hosts Bitcoin-focused meetups and BitDevs seminars, typically held one to two times a month. These events are free and open to the public, providing opportunities for discussion, learning, and networking. Community members can also win prizes from Canada's Bitcoin self-custody pioneers, Bull Bitcoin and Coinkite. The community places a strong emphasis on privacy, with all discussions following Chatham House rules. * Latest Updates Recently, the Victoria Bitcoin community has been actively hosting several Bitcoin-related events, fostering interaction and engagement among local Bitcoin enthusiasts. The community regularly organizes “Bitcoin & Coffee” meetups, providing members with opportunities to discuss Bitcoin. The most recent event was scheduled for December 22 at Discovery Coffee. Additionally, the community hosted an exciting Christmas party on December 13, where attendees enjoyed free pizza, beer, and champagne, and Christmas gifts were purchased with Bitcoin, showcasing the practical use of Bitcoin in everyday life. The event also included a Bitcoin giveaway for lucky participants..

20.Michigan Bitcoin Meetup in Benton Harbor * Introduction Michigan Bitcoin Meetup in Benton Harbor is a community focused on exploring Bitcoin's impact on investing, entrepreneurship, and self-sovereignty. It provides a platform for like-minded individuals to connect, learn, and share ideas. * Latest Updates Recently, there have been no new updates from the community. The latest event dates back to Nov 2024, which Announced Bitcoin Meetup Night in Benton Harbor on Thursday, November 21.

21.Western Mass Bitcoin Meetup nostr:npub1xgyjasdztryl9sg6nfdm2wcj0j3qjs03sq7a0an32pg0lr5l6yaqxhgu7s * Introduction Western Mass Bitcoin Meetup is a community focused on connecting local bitcoiners, promoting bitcoin education, and increasing merchant adoption. The group hosts monthly meetups and offers support for newcomers in areas like self-custody, Lightning Network, and mining. * Latest Updates Recently, the Western Mass Bitcoin Meetup has been actively organizing events to foster community engagement and growth. On December 8th, they hosted a social meetup at Fitzwilly's in Northampton, providing a space for Bitcoin enthusiasts to connect and share ideas. Additionally, they are preparing for their 29th meetup on January 5th in East Longmeadow, continuing to offer a platform for local Bitcoin supporters to gather and collaborate.

22.Yes Bitcoin Haiti nostr:npub1mjmaggp53xan2435wdse8ts06pzfcjejfex4pxasu67kxs5hqdpsyk7hx8 * Introduction Yes Bitcoin Haiti is Haiti's first Bitcoin-only initiative, launched to empower communities through Bitcoin education and adoption. Founded by Phanor Mendelking in February 2024, the project focuses on spreading financial literacy, promoting economic growth, and building a circular Bitcoin economy. Its mission includes offering local Bitcoin certification, hosting meetups and workshops, and onboarding businesses and community members. Operating from St. Michel de l'Attalaye, it aims to drive financial inclusion and resilience in Haiti's challenging economic landscape. * Latest Updates Recently, the Yes Bitcoin Haiti community has been actively advancing Bitcoin education. The first batch of students is nearing the end of their courses, with two students leading the discussion of Chapter 10 in preparation for the upcoming final exams and graduation. Additionally, the community has showcased proof-of-work in action, reinforcing the spread of Bitcoin knowledge through student-led lessons and engagement in activities.

23.YYC Bitcoin * Introduction YYC Bitcoin is a community-focused meetup dedicated to growing, educating, and supporting the Bitcoin ecosystem in Calgary. The group hosts biweekly meetups for networking and learning, covering essential Bitcoin topics such as wallet setup, privacy, multisig, lightning, and mining. Newcomers are encouraged to visit the website to familiarize themselves with key concepts and bring their questions to future events. * Latest Updates Recently, YYC Bitcoin has actively promoted Bitcoin education and outreach through several updates. They shared the BTC Sessions year-end recap and the The 4th Annual BTC Sessions HODLiday Special, engaging community participation. Additionally, YYC Bitcoin reposted Blockstream Jade's promotional offer, encouraging the purchase of hardware wallets. The community also highlighted Bitcoin Mentor's personalized coaching services to help members better understand Bitcoin technology. Furthermore, they supported and promoted ticket sales for the Learning Bitcoin 2025 conference, further advancing Bitcoin education.

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MU789 đang khẳng định vị thế là một trong những nền tảng kỹ thuật số tiên tiến và được yêu thích nhất hiện nay. Với thiết kế hiện đại và tính năng vượt trội, MU789 không chỉ mang lại sự tiện ích mà còn tạo ra một không gian phong phú, nơi người dùng có thể tận hưởng và khám phá nhiều hoạt động thú vị. Nền tảng này được xây dựng trên nguyên tắc đảm bảo sự hài lòng của người dùng thông qua trải nghiệm an toàn, tiện lợi và dễ tiếp cận.

Một điểm nổi bật của MU789 là sự đơn giản và tối ưu hóa trong giao diện. Dù bạn là người dùng mới hay đã có kinh nghiệm, nền tảng này luôn đảm bảo bạn có thể dễ dàng khám phá và sử dụng mọi tính năng. Các tính năng được sắp xếp khoa học và trực quan, giúp tiết kiệm thời gian và mang lại cảm giác thoải mái trong suốt quá trình sử dụng. MU789 cũng tương thích hoàn hảo trên mọi thiết bị, từ máy tính đến điện thoại di động, mang lại sự thuận tiện tối đa.

Tính an toàn và bảo mật là những yếu tố không thể thiếu khi nói đến Mu789. Nền tảng này cam kết bảo vệ thông tin cá nhân của người dùng bằng các công nghệ tiên tiến nhất. Quy trình kiểm soát nghiêm ngặt, hệ thống mã hóa dữ liệu hiện đại, và sự minh bạch trong quản lý giúp MU789 trở thành một lựa chọn đáng tin cậy. Người dùng có thể hoàn toàn yên tâm khi sử dụng nền tảng mà không phải lo lắng về các vấn đề bảo mật.

MU789 còn nổi bật với cách tiếp cận hướng đến cộng đồng. Nền tảng này không chỉ đơn thuần là một nơi để khám phá, mà còn là một không gian kết nối và giao lưu. Tại đây, người dùng có thể chia sẻ kinh nghiệm, học hỏi lẫn nhau và tham gia vào các hoạt động ý nghĩa. Môi trường thân thiện và tích cực của MU789 góp phần xây dựng một cộng đồng gắn kết, nơi mọi người cảm thấy mình thực sự thuộc về.

Tóm lại, MU789 là một nền tảng mang lại sự kết hợp hoàn hảo giữa công nghệ hiện đại, bảo mật vượt trội và tinh thần cộng đồng. Với cam kết đem đến trải nghiệm tốt nhất cho người dùng, MU789 không ngừng đổi mới và cải tiến để đáp ứng nhu cầu ngày càng cao của cộng đồng kỹ thuật số. Dù bạn là một người đam mê công nghệ hay chỉ đơn giản muốn tìm kiếm một không gian tiện ích, MU789 chắc chắn sẽ là điểm đến lý tưởng cho bạn.

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Trong thời đại kỹ thuật số không ngừng phát triển, các nền tảng cung cấp trải nghiệm tương tác và liền mạch ngày càng được ưa chuộng. VND789 nổi bật như một cái tên hàng đầu, mang đến cho người dùng một không gian năng động với nhiều tính năng thú vị. Được thiết kế với trọng tâm là người dùng, VND789 ưu tiên sự dễ dàng truy cập, tính bảo mật và sự hài lòng, tạo nên một môi trường thu hút mọi người quay lại.

Một trong những điểm mạnh của Vnd789 nằm ở giao diện thân thiện với người dùng. Nền tảng này được thiết kế trực quan, đảm bảo rằng người dùng ở mọi cấp độ đều có thể dễ dàng sử dụng. Dù bạn đang khám phá các lựa chọn giải trí phong phú hay cập nhật các xu hướng mới nhất, VND789 đảm bảo mọi tương tác diễn ra suôn sẻ và thú vị. Thiết kế hiện đại kết hợp với công nghệ tiên tiến mang lại trải nghiệm linh hoạt trên mọi thiết bị.

Tính bảo mật là một yếu tố cốt lõi làm nên sức hút của VND789. Nền tảng áp dụng các biện pháp mạnh mẽ để đảm bảo bảo vệ dữ liệu người dùng, mang lại sự yên tâm khi sử dụng. Các công nghệ mã hóa tiên tiến, quy trình xác minh nghiêm ngặt và việc cập nhật liên tục đảm bảo rằng người dùng có thể tập trung tận hưởng nền tảng mà không lo ngại. Sự minh bạch và đáng tin cậy là nền tảng trong hoạt động của VND789, khiến nó trở thành cái tên được nhiều người tin tưởng.

Điều thực sự làm nên sự khác biệt của VND789 chính là cam kết với sự gắn kết cộng đồng. Nền tảng tạo ra một môi trường nơi người dùng có thể kết nối, chia sẻ ý tưởng và tham gia vào nhiều hoạt động đa dạng. Với trọng tâm là sự bao hàm, VND789 xây dựng những mối quan hệ vượt ra ngoài không gian kỹ thuật số, mang lại cảm giác gắn kết giữa các thành viên. Chính cảm giác cộng đồng mạnh mẽ này làm tăng thêm giá trị trải nghiệm và khuyến khích sự gắn bó lâu dài.

Tóm lại, VND789 mang đến sự kết hợp độc đáo giữa đổi mới, bảo mật và tinh thần cộng đồng, làm nên một nền tảng nổi bật trong không gian kỹ thuật số. Với sự chú trọng vào sự hài lòng của người dùng và các tính năng hiện đại, VND789 xứng đáng là người dẫn đầu trong việc mang lại những trải nghiệm hấp dẫn. Dù bạn là người yêu công nghệ lâu năm hay mới bước chân vào thế giới kỹ thuật số, VND789 cung cấp một không gian mời gọi và an toàn để bạn khám phá và tận hưởng.

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Originally published Feb, 23, 2024

Introduction

Sunlight is the most important nutrient for our body. That may sound delusional to some, but the definition of a nutrient is: a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life. Sunlight certainly is necessary and essential for growth and the maintenance of life, but most don’t understand why. Most do not understand that the real benefit of sunlight is that it provides a vast spectrum of electromagnetic radiation (light) that signals different functions in our biology. This is why we can never replace sunlight with artificial lights, because the sun is a “broad band emitter” and all artificial lights are “narrow band emitters”. This means they only have a few isolated wavelengths, whereas sunlight contains the whole swath. 

The other most important aspect of sunlight is that it is time and location dependent. It is always changing…and that change or shift in light frequencies is providing our body the right information about how to function properly in our given environment. Artificial light is constant and provides a consistent/un-natural input signal that confuses our biology. 

The last piece, which I will dive into more in a future post…is the fact that sunlight is a continuous electromagnetic wave while indoor lighting is highly pulsed. This is a major reason why eye strain and headaches from staring at screens is so common.

Let’s dive into the important biological effects of the various wavelengths in full spectrum sunlight. 

Summary

• Sunlight is a broad band emitter and artificial light is a narrow band emitter

• Sunlight is an un-polarized, continuous source of electromagnetic radiation. Artificial light is highly pulsed

• Sunlight that reaches the earth is comprised of light frequencies that range from 280nm (UVB) to 2500nm (NIR) and everything in between. Each category of wavelength serves as a different biological stimuli

• UVB radiation stimulates the production of vitamin D, as well as serotonin and beta-endorphins, UVA promotes the release of nitric oxide into the blood, and both have a positive effect on the diversity of the microbiome and our endogenous hormone production

• Violet light can reverse myopia and potentially improve sleep quality

• Blue light is the master circadian signaler, turning on/off the SCN via melanopsin photoreceptor…thus regulating cortisol/melatonin production as well as all circadian timing in the body

• Green light can treat skin issues and also be used as a pain releiver

• Red light, near-infrared radiation (NIR), and far-infrared (FIR) radiation have anti-inflammatory and tissue healing effects…NIR also stimulates the production of melatonin inside the mitochondria, a master anti-oxidant.

The Biological Effects of Sunlight: By Color/Wavelength

There are several wavelengths of energy from the sun that reach the earth’s surface and trigger specific actions within the body to influence our health. And, just as some of this spectrum is able to make it through the atmosphere, different wavelengths are also able to penetrate the skin to different depths of the body’s tissues and have certain effects on the cells within those tissues, as you can see in the figure below.

Those at the lower wavelengths (such as UVB) only penetrate the very surface of the skin, while those at higher wavelengths (such as visible light) are able to penetrate deeper. Think of how you are able to see the light from a flashlight on the back of your hand when held against the skin on the palm of the hand – you can visually see the energy traveling through the skin, muscles, blood vessels and tissues of the hand. Infrared radiation can even get into the cells and mitochondria, and can get through clothing and bone!

Ultraviolet-B Radiation (UVB) – Vitamin D, Neurotransmitters, Melanin and Beta-endorphins

UVB (280-315nm) is the highest energy wavelength that reaches surface of the earth. It is only present when the sun is >30 degrees above the horizon. You can use apps like “Circadian” and “dminder” to tell you when UVB is present. At the 45th latitude in Wyoming, I go WITHOUT UVB for around 2 months in winter time. This is a big deal, because UVB light stimulates vitamin D synthesis, one of the most important molecules/hormones in the body. More importantly, it stimulates synthesis of sulfated Vitamin D, which is more bioactive and has far more biological relevance compared to un-sulfated Vitamin D as you would get from a supplement. This is why you can’t replace sunlight with a supplement, especially when it comes to Vitamin D. Using a UVB lamp (outside or in combo with NIR) would be in my opinion a better option than supplementing Vit D, or if you do take a supplement take it mid day and get some UVB exposure after taking it. I wrote extensively about Vitamin D supplementation in a previous newsletter. 

The vitamin D produced in the skin can also help protect the skin cells from DNA damage, facilitate DNA repair directly upon any UV damage, help prevent cell death, and protect against melanoma. In fact, keratinocytes, which make up over 90% of the outermost layer of skin, cannot rely on vitamin D3 from supplements and must synthesize their own supply of vitamin D directly from sun exposure, or by topical application.

Besides vitamin D, UVB radiation also promotes the production of neurotransmitters and beta-endorphins, chemicals that drive cognition, mood, relaxation, pain relief, and boost immunity. It also triggers the synthesis of MELANIN. It does this by stimulating proopiomelanocortin (POMC) activity in the brain and via exciting our aromatic amino acids. 

POMC is a precursor protein of several neuropeptides, including adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and β-endorphin (β-END). Our aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine) have ringed structures that allow them to trap UV light energy, and these aromatic amino acids are the precursors to neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, as well as melatonin and melanin. Serotonin is involved in cognition, regulation of feeding behavior, anxiety, aggression, pain, sexual activity, and sleep. These aromatics absorb heavily in the UVB/UVC range.

This UV-induced release of beta-endorphins means only one thing: there is an innate built in addiction pathway to the sun. Our biology is able to provide a “reward” for UV-induced vitamin D synthesis when vitamin D levels are low, during which time a greater amount of beta-endorphins are released upon exposure to UVB. As vitamin D levels rise, the sun-seeking behavior and resulting opioid response become repressed as less vitamin D is needed. It’s almost as if our body knows best, and we should go out of our way to listen to it. Instead, most people will continue to pour the Vit D supplements down their gully. 

Melanin, which is synthesized from UV light exposure and activation of alpha-MSH via POMC, is one of the most important molecules in our biology. It absorbs the entire EMR spectrum and acts as both a biological semiconductor and energy storage system (battery). I have written more about it in a previous newsletter and will dive even deeper very soon.

Ultraviolet-A Radiation (UVA) – Nitric Oxide + More

UVA (315-380nm) exists at a wavelength between UVB and visible light, and is able to reach deeper than UVB light but still only a few millimeters. UVA leads to the release of nitric oxide into the bloodstream which in turn benefits the cardiovascular and metabolic systems, and may offer other immunological benefits beyond those offered by nitric oxide. This vasodilatory effect enhances blood flow, lowers blood prressure and improves circulation. 

UVA can have similar effects to UVB such as stimulating POMC and the neuroendocrine axis, just with lesser efficiency compared to UVB light as it is a lower energy wavelength spectrum so it does not have as great of an excitatory effect on our biology. 

“UVA has better penetration reaching the reticular dermis but has 1000 times lower efficiency at inducing biological effects (expressed as the minimal erythema dose) than UVB”

For a deeper dive on UV lights impact on the brain and endocrine system, and the difference between UVC/UVB/UVA effects check out this paper.

UVA also shares some benefits with violet light (visible) such as reversing myopia in the eyes. Will discuss that more in the Violet light section. 

Ultraviolet Radiation (UVA + UVB) – The Most Important Input for Your Microbiome

Your gastrointestinal tract and the surface of the skin are home to trillions of microbes (bacteria, viruses, and yeast), called your “microbiome,” which act as their own organ and are crucial to your overall health. Skin health in particular is maintained by a balanced, diverse microbiome, which is in turn affected by nutrition, pH level, hygiene, exposure to toxins, barrier strength, stress levels, sunlight exposure, and overall health. 

UV exposure (and vitamin D itself) can have a healthy, regulatory effect on the microbiome of the skin and the gut, with UVB light having a beneficial impact on the diversity and abundance of the bacteria species of the gut microbiome, and UVB as well as UVA benefitting the skin microbiome. Studies have even shown that several molecules that help protect our skin from UV damage can be produced by the microbiome on our skin upon UV exposure, acting as a sort of natural sunscreen.

Why is UV light so good for our gut? Two reasons:

1. Remember those aromatic amino acids and neurotransmitters mentioned earlier? Well a vast majority of aromatics are synthesized by your gut microbes via the famous shikamate pathway (famous because glyphosate disrupts this). As a result, most of your neurotransmitter synthesis is happening in the gut. 90-95% of serotonin and 50% of dopamine is produced and stored in the gut. There is a reason it is called your second brain, and it is not fully due to the vagal nerve connection. 

2. Your bacteria absorb and fluoresce light constantly. We are made up of far more “bacteria” cells than our own cells and this microbiota is highly dependent on light input. It seems that UV light modulates pathogenic bacteria and helps beneficial bacteria proliferate. This is why UV light has been known as an effective method for cleaning surfaces.

UV Light Summary

UV light is imperative for properly functioning biology, and the fact that it has been demonized for “causing skin cancer” has resulted in a chronic health epidemic. Yes, solar tolerance and callus matters…that is why being outside all year round is imperative. UV light is the reason life began on this planet in the first place (read Nick Lane’s work on deep sea vents), and it stands true today that nearly ALL of the biological semi-conductors that power our biology absorb strongest in the UV range. When you can harness UV light, you become what it truly means to be a human being. 

Blue Light – Regulation of Circadian Rhythm, and Melatonin

Blue light (420-500nm) perhaps ma be the most well known light in the visible spectrum. It has been vilified (for good reason) as the light that will disrupt our sleep. This is true, but that does not mean that blue light has a negative impact on our health in the right context, the opposite actually. 

Blue light is the master circadian signaler. We sense it in our eyes and skin via the melanopsin receptor and the signal is what sets our bodies master circadian clock: the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This is how our body tells time, and this is why our blue light and overall light environment is so important. Blue light at night suppresses melatonin production far greater than any other color of light. Blue light conversely stimulates cortisol production, which is what provides wakefulness in the morning. 

Blue light is the highest energy wavelength that is present for almost the entirety of sunlight exposure, with an ever increasing amount until solar noon…and then decreasing amount in the afternoon. Again, this is how our body tells time. If you subscribe to the fact that our circadian rhythm is one of if not the most important aspect of our biology (timing is everything), then you would agree that your blue light environment may be the most important area of your health to tackle. This is why there has been such a monumental push on the education around artificial blue light and an entire industry made around blocking blue light. 

A healthy, regular circadian rhythm promotes healthy mood and improved cognition. Disruptions to circadian rhythm have been shown to increase the risk of most chornic diseases: including cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disease and metabolic conditions. Research has found that, compared to white light therapy, blue light is more effective for resetting circadian rhythms, suppressing nighttime melatonin, and enhancing performance. Other physiological actions of blue light suggested by the scientific literature include an increase in circulating beta endorphins, decreased systolic blood pressure due to nitric oxide mechanisms in the skin, an anti-bacterial effect, and a potential bio-modulating effect within the cells.

Blue light (like all areas of the light spectra) deserves an article of its own. I will be releasing an article dedicated to artificial blue light next month so stay tuned!

Red and Infrared Light - Healing Wavelengths

Red and infrared light is the most abundant portion of full spectrum sunlight, making up over 50% of the sunlight that hits the earth. Most of this is coming in the form of Near Infrared light (750-3000nm). Photo-biomodulation is a term used to describe the physiological effects from irradiation by red or near-infrared wavelengths. Red and near-infrared wavelengths have the ability to penetrate inside of our body’s tissues and cells, and can even penetrate through clothing. Studies have shown benefits such as improved tissue function, wound healing, anti-inflammatory effects, and improved energy metabolism from red and near-infrared wavelengths.

Conditions that may benefit from photobiomodulation include allergies, hypothyroidism, depression, dementia, cancer, diabetes related symptoms, exercise performance and recovery, pain, and cardiovascular diseases.

I have written an article on this substack that dives deep into the benefits of NIR light, and why I think it is the biggest nutrient deficiency worldwide (sunlight = NIR). NIR light (over 950 nm) may penetrate as deep as 8 cm and can penetrate bone, enter the cerebrospinal fluid and the brain.

Why is Red/NIR light so beneficial for our health ? Because it up-regulates ATP production and expands our exclusion zone water. You may have heard how fantastic Red/NIR light is for mitochondria…that is 100% true. Part of that reason is due to melatonin synthesis which is highlighted below. The other part is because it up regulates ATP production by expanding the exclusion zone water around the ATP nanomotor-reducing its viscosity and improving rotational torque. Bit complex yes, but that is the reality of our biology. ATP opens the binding site of proteins to water, which need to be hydrated to function properly as biological semiconductors so you could say that Red/NIR is IMPERATIVE for optimal biological function. 

NIR light & Intracellular Melatonin Synthesis

Recent research by Zimmerman, S. and Reiter R. suggests that melatonin (a master antioxidant) exists in two main forms within the body – circulatory melatonin, which is suppressed during the day upon exposure to blue light and has its major effect on sleep and the circadian rhythm, and sub-cellular melatonin, which is produced and used locally by the mitochondria within our cells. NIR light stimulates melatonin production in the mitochondria, which helps protect the cells from oxidative stress from whatever stressors/toxins make their way into the mitochondria. It also helps naturally combat the free radicals generated from UV exposure. This is why Red/NIR wavelengths are so healing, and balance out the high energy and biologically damaging (to some degree) Blue/UV wavelengths. There is always a far higher amount of NIR light than any other light in the spectrum when it comes to energy and power density.

I have written an in depth article about Melatonin as well, because it is so much more than a “sleep hormone”. Zimmerman brilliantly discusses this in his work and how most of the circadian community misses this piece. Melatonin is THE MASTER ANTIOXIDANT, being able to stabilize up to 10 free radicals per molecule due to its remarkable cascading antioxidant abilities.

Violet, Green, Yellow/Orange Light

Violet light (visible) is hard to find research on but can be thought to range from 360-420nm, right after UVA (or even some overlap) and right before blue light in the ascending wavelength spectrum of full spectrum sunlight. 

Japanese research showed that violet light (360–400 nm wavelengths) suppressed the axial length elongation both in a chick myopia model and in human. They also spiked out the fact that we are violet light deficient in a modern, indoor world because of the fear mongering around UV light. Blue light from screens causes myopia and violet/UVA light reverses it…

Violet light is also being studied for its potential benefit to improve sleep quality. 

Green light (495-570nm) penetrates your dermis, almost reaching the subcutaneous tissue below. Studies have shown that green light is effective for relieving pain. Green light is also beneficial for treating skin condictions, especially with regard to skin tone and complexion. Sunspots, melasma, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis can all benefit from green light. Another tout to the importance of full spectrum sun is the under discussed skin HEALING frequencies such as green + red to balance the high energy UV.

Green Light:

• Might be used in attempts to reduce skin redness and irritation.

• Has been studied for potential pain-reducing properties.

Yellow and Orange light. Lesser research around these wavelengths but including them anyways. These wavelengths penetrate the subcutaneous tissue beneath your dermis. Like green and blue light, they are effective at treating skin issues like eczema, sunburn, psoriasis, and creating an even skin tone. Yellow and orange light therapy is one of the less common types; however, it can help flush waste from your skin, elevate the functioning of your lymphatic system, and stimulate cellular energy to some extent.

One study proved that 590 nm light therapy after laser skin treatments reduced the intensity and healing time of skin irritation. 

Yellow light:

• Sometimes used to stimulate collagen production in the skin.

• Has been used in lightbox therapies for mood regulation.

Orange light:

• Often used in attempts to revitalize skin and promote a vibrant complexion.

• Might be utilized for its potentially energizing and uplifting effects.

Conclusion

You can not replace full spectrum sunlight with light therapies that have only a few isolated frequencies. Sunlight contains such a vast amount of frequencies that all affect our biology in different ways and together provides a very synergistic affect. Our biology has evolved over millions of years to take the FULL SPECTRUM sun as our main input signal. 

Light therapy can still be beneficial in certain scenarios without a doubt, but it will never replace full spectrum sunlight. This is a challenge in our modern indoor world we live in, and that is why we need to be so deliberate about going outside. That is also why I am so excited to be working with Daylight Computer, the world’s first computer that is designed to be used outside and has reflective screen technology that doesn’t destroy your retinas. Much more to come on Daylight Computer …so for now here is a repeat of the summary:

• Sunlight is a broad band emitter and artificial light is a narrow band emitter

• Sunlight is an un-polarized, continuous source of electromagnetic radiation. Artificial light is highly pulsed

• Sunlight that reaches the earth is comprised of light frequencies that range from 280nm (UVB) to 2500nm (NIR) and everything in between. Each category of wavelength serves as a different biological stimuli

• UVB radiation stimulates the production of vitamin D, as well as serotonin and beta-endorphins, UVA promotes the release of nitric oxide into the blood, and both have a positive effect on the diversity of the microbiome and our endogenous hormone production

• Violet light can reverse myopia and potentially improve sleep quality

• Blue light is the master circadian signaler, turning on/off the SCN via melanopsin photoreceptor…thus regulating cortisol/melatonin production as well as all circadian timing in the body

• Green light can treat skin issues and also be used as a pain releiver

• Red light, near-infrared radiation (NIR), and far-infrared (FIR) radiation have anti-inflammatory and tissue healing effects…NIR also stimulates the production of melatonin inside the mitochondria, a master anti-oxidant

Sunlight is the ultimate provider of light. Your light/EMF diet matters more than anything else in regards to health.

Biology is fundamentally electromagnetic.

Stay Sovereign,

Tristan

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My NEW COURSE EMF-201 is officially out! An in depth educational course that follows my flagship EMF-101 course. Diving deep into Radio Frequencies, 5G, and Modern Tech with an appearance from an RF Engineer who has 20+ years of industry experience. 

Follow my Decentralized Radio podcast for some brilliant upcoming episodes on light and EMFs.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

• The Anticipation of Bitcoin Halving

• Progress Status: 85% Complete

• Long-Term Holders and Their Influence

• Analyzing the Supply Trends

• What History Tells Us

• Conclusion

• FAQ

In the dynamic world of cryptocurrency, certain events stand out as pivotal moments that can shape the trajectory of the market. One such event is the Bitcoin halving, a process that reduces the rewards for mining Bitcoin by half, effectively slowing down the rate at which new Bitcoins are created. As we approach the next halving, scheduled for mid-2024, there's a palpable sense of anticipation among investors and market watchers. This article delves into the current status of the halving process and examines the role of long-term holders in influencing market trends.

The Anticipation of Bitcoin Halving

The cryptocurrency market is on the brink of a significant phase. With the next Bitcoin halving anticipated in mid-2024, the event is garnering immense attention from investors. Historical patterns suggest that a full-fledged bull market might not commence until the following year.

Progress Status: 85% Complete

Recent data reveals that the Bitcoin halving process is 85% complete. Concurrently, the supply of Bitcoin held by long-term holders (LTHs) is nearing its all-time high (ATH). In past cycles, such a scenario indicated the proximity of a macro bottom, which was then succeeded by the onset of a new cycle.

Long-Term Holders and Their Influence

The amount of Bitcoin supply in the possession of long-term holders has traditionally served as a reliable gauge for the cryptocurrency market's health. This metric has shown an inverse correlation with Bitcoin's long-term price trajectory.

During market lows, long-term hodlers tend to keep their assets stationary. The most significant surge in LTH possession typically transpires during intense bear markets. This is when steadfast investors, despite witnessing Bitcoin's price plummet, choose not to sell. Their conviction lies in the belief that the market will eventually recover, making their investments profitable.

Conversely, during a bull market's unraveling, the spike in Bitcoin's price prompts LTHs to become increasingly inclined to sell their assets for profit. Historically, every major bull market has seen a sharp decline in the supply held by LTHs. This leads to the coins transitioning to short-term holders (STHs), who are motivated by quick profit prospects.

Analyzing the Supply Trends

A cryptocurrency analyst showcased a chart depicting the Bitcoin supply in the hands of long-term holders. The chart reveals that the current BTC supply ratio held by LTHs is nearing its ATH of 76%, a benchmark set in late 2015 before the second halving.

Historically, this indicator peaked several months before each Bitcoin halving. Following this peak, the supply held by LTHs would typically plateau until several months post the subsequent halving. A significant drop in this metric was observed roughly six months after the event, marking the advent of a mature bull market.

What History Tells Us

If past patterns hold true, the cryptocurrency market might experience a sideways trend for approximately a year. The upcoming Bitcoin halving in mid-April 2024 might not have an immediate influence on Bitcoin's price. Its repercussions might only manifest in the last quarter of 2024 and continue into 2025.

This forecast aligns with the trends observed in the supply chart of long-term holders. The indicator is on the verge of reaching its ATH and might require around 12 months to reverse its trajectory, transitioning into a distribution phase. The commencement of LTHs selling post the Bitcoin halving could be one of the early indicators of a budding cryptocurrency bull run.

Conclusion

The Bitcoin halving is more than just a technical event; it's a significant milestone that has historically influenced market dynamics and investor behavior. As we inch closer to the next halving, the role of long-term holders becomes increasingly crucial. Their actions, whether holding steadfastly or choosing to sell, can set the tone for the market's direction in the subsequent months. While history offers insights, the ever-evolving nature of the cryptocurrency landscape means that nothing is set in stone. Investors and enthusiasts alike should remain vigilant, informed, and prepared for the myriad possibilities the future holds.

FAQ

When is the next Bitcoin halving expected? The next Bitcoin halving is anticipated to occur in mid-2024.

How does the halving impact long-term holders? Historically, as the halving approaches, the supply of Bitcoin held by long-term holders (LTHs) nears its all-time high, influencing market trends and price trajectories.

What does the current data suggest about the halving process? Current data indicates that the Bitcoin halving process is 85% complete, with the supply held by LTHs nearing its all-time high.

How has Bitcoin halving influenced market dynamics in the past? In previous cycles, the approach of a halving event signaled the proximity of a macro bottom, followed by the early phase of a new market cycle.

That's all for today

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na novaekonomija.rs

05.12.2024 / Autor: Dragan Milić

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Kada se desio prvi veliki „hajp“ oko bitkoina i kriptovaluta generalno (veći od prethodnih), negde krajem 2017-te, verujem da nije bilo čoveka koji tada bar u prolazu nije čuo da neko pominje te čudne, nove reči i fraze. Sećam se da mi je neki taksista, ničim izazvan, rekao da ulazi u posao sa rudarenjem kripta i da je uložio novac u grafičke karte koje treba da stignu preko veze, jer ih nema u prodaji. U tom trenutku to je moglo imati dvojako značenje. Ili da je kripto konačno ušao u mejnstrim i da ga je zajednica široko prihvatila ili da je vreme za izlazak iz tog biznisa i rasprodaju silnih altkoina koji su nicali kao pečurke posle kiše. Ispostavilo se da je ovo drugo bio ispravan odgovor odnosno dobra odluka.

Već u januaru sledeće, 2018. godine ceo sistem je počeo da se urušava kao kula od karata. Zagovornici kripta su govorili da je u pitanju samo korekcija i da će se stvar već na proleće popraviti, ali bitkoin se nije vratio na 17.000 dolara naredne tri godine. A mnoge druge kriptovalute zauvek su izgubile svoju vrednost.

Iako je to novo tržište volatilnost pratila godinama, a prati ga i danas, sada, na izmaku 2024. godine možda već možemo reći da je bitkoin na neki način prošao test vremena i „da je tu da ostane“. Dugo se bitkoin kretao u granicama između 50 i 70 hiljada američkih dolara, ali poguran rezultatima izbora u SAD i drugim makroekonomskim efektima koji su već konstanta, početkom decembra 2024. probio je psihološku granicu od 100.000 USD, čime su se dokazale tvrdnje da vreme digitalne imovine tek dolazi. Dan pre probijanja ovog limita, Džerom Pauel predsednik FED-a, nazvao je bitkoin digitalnim zlatom, i dodatno ubrzao ceo proces.

Mnogima ni danas nije jasno šta je zapravo kripto imovina i kako funkcioniše blokčejn na kojoj ista počiva. Što je opravdano jer je reč o veoma kompleksnoj tehnologiji čije razumevanje podrazumeva solidnu tehničku potkovanost i informisanost.

Činjenica je da nije potrebno poznavati tehnološki aspekt kripta da bi ga posedovali i trgovali istim, međutim to nas dovodi do starog pravila da investirate samo u stvari odnosno poslove koje razumete. Možda je to razlog zašto se tradicionalni ulagač i dalje drži S&P500 indeksa i nekretnina kao primarnog izbora, koji su uvek sigurnija opcija i manje podložna nestabilnosti.

Međutim, kako vreme odmiče, polako se stvara poverenje i u digitalnu imovinu kao opciju za ulaganje, koja nosi veliki rizik ali i veliku mogućnost zarade. Na primer, ko je pre nekoliko godina kupio bitkoin, na srednji rok je mogao višestruko da umnoži svoje ulaganje. A ko je bio u stanju da izađe iz okvira saveta „uloži onoliko koliko si spreman da oprostiš“ mogao je značajno da uveća svoj kapital. Na primer, da sam početkom 2020-te u jeku pandemije imao hrabrosti da kupim bitkoin po 5.000 dolara, sada bih zaradio dvadeset puta više. Ali, moglo je da bude i drugačije. Naknadna pamet ne važi…

Inače, moja lična predviđanja iz perioda s početka ove priče, dakle iz 2017-te, su bila polovično optimistična. Smeo sam se kladiti na blokčejn kao tehnologiju i njenu budućnost, međutim nisam bio siguran u bitkoin, jer sam mislio da će ubrzo biti prevaziđen. Naročito zbog svog Proof of work-a odnosno trošenja velike količine energije i računarskih resursa za odobravanje transakcija što nije bio slučaj kod nekih, u to vreme, novih kriptovaluta.

U avgustu 2017. u autorskom tekstu za jedan portal, sam napisao da kako god da završi Bitcoin kao čudo koje je okrenulo ekonomiju naglavačke ili i sam padne u revoluciji čiji je pionir i začetnik, Blockchain kao jedinstveno i genijalno tehnološko rešenje za transferisanje digitalnog novca će ostati. I mnogi upravo u ovoj tehnologiji vide budućnost novca. I pogrešio sam. Blokčejn i dalje čeka na svojih pet minuta, ali bitkoin odoleva i uči nas da na njega moramo računati.

U međuvremenu se dakle mnogo toga promenilo. Bitkoin se i pored volatilnosti uvukao u portfolije ozbiljnih investitora, odobreni su takozvani ETF-ovi (Exchange-Traded Fund), koji omogućavaju investitorima da ulažu u bitkoin bez potrebe da ga direktno poseduju ili upravljaju svojim digitalnim novčanicima i privatnim ključevima.

Glavna prepreka, u vidu nedostatka regulative, takođe je prevaziđena u mnogim pravnim sistemima. Možemo s ponosom istaći da je Republika Srbija jedna od prvih država u Evropi koja je regulisala Digitalnu imovinu. Ubrzo nakon usvajanja Zakona o digitalnoj imovini, izmenjen je i Zakon o porezu na dohodak građana, gde je bar na papiru, osvetljen i poreski tretman kripta. Problema u praksi i dalje ima, naročito oko podnošenja poreskih prijava i utvrđivanja poreske osnovice odnosno obračuna poreza, ali bar u delu vrste poreza i poreske stope pravne nesigurnosti više nema. Takođe, svako ko želi da se bavi pružanjem usluga može proći ne tako jednostavnu proceduru pribavljanja odgovarajućih dozvola u skladu sa zakonom i otpočeti taj posao u potpuno legalnim okvirima, što je do pre nekoliko godina bila siva zona i kod nas i u većini zemalja.

Bitkoinova mlađa braća nešto kaskaju sa dostizanjem svog ATH-a (All Time High), pa na primer ETH (Itirijum) u trenutku pisanja ovog teksta još uvek nije dostigao za njega magičnih 5.000 dolara, ali sva je prilika da će bitkoin prokrčiti put i za druge tokene odnosno kriptovalute na tržištu. Bar one koji su prošli test vremena i iza kojih postoji ozbiljnija infrastruktura i poslovanje.

@ 6e4f2866:a76f7a29

Foreword

“What’s the best sex you’ve ever had?”

Imagine that being the question that changed your life’s work!

And no, it didn’t come from a sleazy porn director in the basement

of a dingy house directed towards the person sitting on the

casting couch. It was asked by Rob Brinded at Chelsea FC’s stateof-

the-art Sports and Injury Prevention Medical facility and directed

at one of the best Football players in the world at that time.

Why did Rob ask that question? What did it reveal to him, and

how did that lead to him quitting his ‘perfect life’?

Even before the athlete answered, Rob knew he had unlocked

an incredibly important discovery. A discovery that would change

the trajectory of his life. One that would trigger him to walk

away from a high-paying job, get dumped by his girlfriend, and be

shunned by his professional peers while facing the inner demons

and self-torture of disappointment.

During this time, Rob forged a new mindset, armed himself

with the tools to cure himself, and extended that healing touch to

anyone who had the fortune of interacting with him.

Like many of my new friends, I first met Rob on Twitter. He

approached me after I had been the featured guest on The Bitcoin

Standard Podcast. My discussion with host Saifedean Ammous \ \ centred around the intricacies of the current education system

and the benefits of homeschooling. Rob had been particularly

intrigued by my insights about teaching versus learning and

how our education system is designed to mould kids rather than

nurture and inspire them. But what truly piqued Rob’s curiosity

was what I didn’t say. Throughout the podcast conversation,

he wanted to ask about certain nuances, the pauses. Because, well,

that’s the way Rob’s mind works now!

Over the next few months, Rob and I stayed in contact and

eventually had the pleasure of meeting each other in Madeira when

we received an invitation to assemble with other bitcoiners to meet

the President, as he and his cabinet wanted to learn more about

bitcoin and the opportunities it might bring to their island.

Extended, in-person conversations with Rob about his work

are truly fascinating. During our first meet-up, I found myself

open to everything he shared. Some people he has encountered

have brushed him off as a ‘Guru’ or too ‘Woo-Woo’ and thought

his ideas were too far out there. The irony here is that their feelings

are triggered by the very conditioning and programming that

these people have been subjected to and have been running from

their whole lives. As Rob would explain, the only way to step off

the hamster wheel is to realise you are on it in the first place. Most

people don’t and will forever be trapped, running the same selfdeprecating

programmes for their whole lives.

I was so captivated by Rob’s ideas that I booked him for a

few sessions (paid in bitcoin) to learn more about his work and,

of course, myself. My goal was to understand why I thought the

way I thought and why I acted the way I acted under certain stressors.

With a spirit of open exploration, we embarked on a journey

through my past, present and future, engaging in candid conversations

that flowed effortlessly. Rob’s guidance helped me decipher

the programs I had been running in my head (my OS system) and

how to close them down. I can best surmise it with the analogy

of ‘force-quitting’ a program on your computer when you get the

‘spinning beach ball of death’.

Once you do this simple visualisation exercise, a remarkable

transformation occurs — you feel lighter and think clearer. Like

our minds, our bodies can react in the most incredible ways. Lifelong

ailments, aches, or pains can feel instantly better and even disappear

completely.

Rob’s conviction in his work is not from blind luck; it’s rooted

in decades of deep introspection mixed with theoretical and practical

study — and, importantly, from results. The outcomes Rob

has seen and shared in this book are beyond remarkable and worth

everyone’s attention. As you journey through these pages and into

this rabbit hole, remember to note what emotions are triggered

within YOU carefully. Because that, dear reader, is your personal

hamster wheel. Those triggered emotions have been programmed

into your OS since you were born, and those programs are what

hold you back mentally and physically from being your best self

and living a happier and freer life.

So, sit back and enjoy the ride. Welcome to the rabbit hole of

decentralising your mind!

Daniel Prince

Host of The Once Bitten Podcast and Author of Choose Life

Block Height 800,608 — SW France \ \ M I N D , D E C E N T R A L I S E D

@ 33baa074:3bb3a297

Agricultural environmental monitoring In agricultural environments, ammonia sensors are used to monitor ammonia emissions, which is essential for farmland health management and environmental protection. Traditional monitoring methods usually require large instruments and complex operations, while microelectronic ammonia sensors have become an important tool for agricultural environmental monitoring due to their advantages such as fast response, high sensitivity and low cost. For example, microelectronic ammonia sensors can monitor ammonia emissions from livestock and poultry farms, detect problems in a timely manner and take measures to adjust them. In addition, sensors can also be used to monitor the ammonia nitrogen content in the soil, help rationally fertilize and increase crop yields.

Environmental monitoring of urban underground integrated pipe corridor construction In the construction of urban underground integrated pipe corridors, ammonia sensors are used to monitor the ammonia concentration in the compartment that houses the drainage pipes. This helps to ensure the safe operation of the integrated pipe corridor and prevent environmental pollution and safety hazards caused by ammonia leakage. The ammonia sensor monitors the ammonia concentration in the environment in real time through a gas sensitive element, outputs current, and converts the ammonia concentration into a digital signal for transmission and processing.

Smart public toilet environmental monitoring In the smart public toilet environmental monitoring system, the ammonia microelectronic sensor is responsible for monitoring the ammonia concentration in the public toilet. The system also includes a management platform, a monitoring terminal, an intelligent linkage and a transmission part, which can monitor the temperature and humidity, ammonia and other environmental gas concentrations in the public toilet in real time, and upload them to the environmental monitoring platform in real time. When the harmful gas content in the public toilet exceeds the standard, the system will issue an alarm message to pay attention to the safety of the toilet users in time. The ammonia microelectronic sensor uses a semiconductor sensor probe as the core detection device, which has the characteristics of fast response, high sensitivity and strong anti-interference ability.

In summary, ammonia sensors play an important role in environmental monitoring, helping us to better manage and protect the environment through real-time monitoring and data analysis.

@ 7ed7d5c3:6927e200

Can't decide if the terrible book you just read is a 1 or 1.5 star book? Look no further than this chart. Was it Shit or just Bad? Was that movie you watched Very Good or just Decent? How many things out there are really Life Changing?

Finally, a rating scale for humans. Use it for anything in your life that needs a rating out of 5 stars.

Rating / Description

0.5 – The worst 1.0 – Shit 1.5 – Bad 2.0 – Eh 2.5 – Entertaining, but not great 3.0 – Neutral 3.5 – Alright 4.0 – Decent 4.5 – Very good 5.0 – Life Changing

P.S. Do not use it to rate your wife's cooking. The author is not liable for any damages.

@ 68ce44e4:ecd5f574

Join early confirmed airdrop.. Llama points will be converted to UNITE tokens before TGE ... $3M funding received by top exchanges and ventures..

https://t.me/unite_io_bot/Llamas?startapp=ref_ihbjjigga

Llamaairdrop #unite #CryptoAirdrop #cryptocurrency #cryptonews

@ 2355757c:5ad3e04d

Non-Native Electromagnetic Fields (nnEMFs) are in my opinion, the least discussed and most pervasive environmental toxin in modern society that is negatively affecting our health. We live in a toxic soup world, where we are being attacked from every angle. Polluted air, water, plastics, chemicals in our food/clothes, endocrine disruptors in our personal care and cooking products…the list goes on and on. It is the unfortunate reality of living in a modern fiat world, where all big companies cut corners with cheap, toxic ingredients just so you can have a $20 cooking pan and a $15 t-shirt. 

On the bright side of things, most of those toxins are pretty easily avoidable by just swapping for higher quality or more natural alternatives. You can also filter or buy better water and eat real food that was raised locally without toxic herbicides (to a pretty easy degree). Enter nnEMFs, something that is IMPOSSIBLE to fully avoid and MUCH more challenging to mitigate exposure to. That is because technology is so ubiquitous in our modern society. Cell phones and wifi routers in every house, smart appliances, cell towers on every block, power distribution and transmission lines, 5G rollout…we are surrounded by nnEMFs on a daily basis.

What are nnEMFs and why are they bad for my health?

A nnEMF is any EMF generated from a non-native source AKA a result of modern human technology. The three most common sources of nnEMFs are from our electrical power grid, radiofrequency (RF) communication, and microwave frequencies. These three sources differ by function and frequency. 

• Electrical Power Grid - 60Hz Frequency - In “Extremely Low Frequency Range (ELF)”

• Radio Frequency (RF) - 3kHz to 300GHz - Mobile/Societal Communication/TV/Radio 

• Microwave (MW) - 300MHz to 300GHz - Radar/Satellite/Space Communication

It gets a bit confusing in the nomenclature between RF and MW, but in reality the only difference is the type of application above 300MHz. Below 300MHz and it is distinctly an RF frequency. All transmission and distribution of power to industry/homes/businesses is occurring at 60Hz. Vast differences in frequency, both turn out to be pretty detrimental for our health. Here’s a few reasons why:

1. Classified as a possible carcinogen by the IARC (Group 2B)

RF-EMFs and ELF EMFs have been classified by the IARC as possibly carcinogenic based on the current scientific evidence. Now this is still a lower classification than red meat, so does this carry any merit? I say yes. Many researchers agree, such as in THIS study where researchers looked at mobile phone radiation and risk of brain tumors and concluded that RF fields should be classified as a probable carcinogenunder the criteria used by the IARC. 

1. RF and ELF Fields Increase Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress. If you are a regular here in the health space you know how much comes down to maintaining redox homeostasis in our mitochondria (the supplier of ATP in our cells). Dysfunctional mitochondria = dysfunctional health and it just so happens that nnEMFs can significantly increase oxidative stress in our cells, with review studies like THIS one documenting how the most electromagnetic organs (brain, heart) as well as reproductive organs (testes, ovaries) were the MOST affected. (I wrote a recent substack post on declining sperm count and nnEMFs was the star of the show). Increased oxidative stress is consistent with OG findings from the likes of Dr. Robert Becker and Dr. Andrew Marino in their research. It is high level, but increased levels of oxidative stress predisposes you to increased risk of ALL KNOWN CHRONIC DISEASES. Because of this, nnEMFs have been strongly linked to increased risk of the following:

• Neurodegenerative diseases

• Reproductive issues

• Cancer 

• Cardiovascular disease 

• Diabetes

• Disturbed Sleep

We live in a toxic soup world. Achieving restorative sleep is the only way our body is able to fight back and restore our health from all of these toxic exposures. ANYTHING that impedes sleep restoration is a premature nail in the coffin in my eyes. Don’t believe me on the importance and power of melatonin and our circadian rhythm? Check out THIS thread I wrote on melatonin (anti-cancer, potent anti-oxidant, mitochondrial composer, etc.). Exposure to nnEMFs during the day AND at night disturb our sleep and prevent the ability to have that highly restorative sleep needed to detoxify and replenish our cells. Lose quality sleep, lose the ability to handle stressors that you are exposed to daily.

DON’T BELIEVE ME THAT nnEMFs are harmful to human health? You are not alone. Many mainstream media outlets, researchers, and industry “experts” dismiss the level of non-ionizing radiation coming from things like cell phones as dangerous to human health. This is has been ongoing since the 1970s. However, if you are subscribed to this newsletter you may have more of an open mind to believing everything you read from CNN, Forbes, or the WHO. I know you all question things more than the average member of society. So if you question the efficacy and morality of the vaccine, why would you not also question the potential health hazards of nnEMF exposure? Even Presidential Nominee RFK is on board. Big Tech, Big Pharma, Big Food…there is no difference! Centralized industry will do anything it takes to cover up research that is sound and not funded by themselves. Here is an example…

Dr. Henry Lai from University of Washington Emeritus has compiled the most comprehensive set of research articles regarding nnEMFs and biological impacts. He has reviewed OVER 2,500 studies. His conclusion?

Dr. Lai reports concluded from his research that exposure to RFR or ELF EMF produces oxidative effects or free radicals, and damages DNA. Downstream effects of studies examined include significant effects on genetic, neurological and reproductive functions. Among hundreds of studies of Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR), 70% to 89% reported significant biological effects. Among hundreds of studies of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) and static fields, 74% to 91% reported significant biological effects.

Still don’t believe me, read the book Going Somewhere by Dr. Andrew Marino. It will blow your mind on how much effort has gone to cover up research on the biological effects of nnEMFs since the 1970s. Or Google Russia’s stance on nnEMFs. 

You can also listen to one of our latest Decentralized Radio episodes with Anthony Smith, COO of EMF Safe. EMF Safe is a fantastic company that offers, in my opinion, the MOST effective nnEMF mitigation technology for your house. Hint: it’s not a f*cking pendant or harmonizer. YouTube link or Spotify link HERE.

Now that we got through the depressing side of the story, let's talk about WHAT YOU CAN DO to protect yourself from the harmful effects of nnEMFs without having to live in the woods-not a perfect solution either ;) 

HOW TO MITIGATE nnEMF detrimental health effects: DURATION + DISTANCE \

\ TIME/DURATION. Your worst enemy in being exposed to nnEMFs is the duration of exposure. Nearly all of the negative studies showed that after 48-72hrs of exposure (chronic), detrimental health effects were seen. HOWEVER, the same studies showed less conclusive negative health effects for exposures less than 24-48hrs (with variance). For me that means the following action items:

• Turn off the wifi-router at night 

• Turn phone on airplane mode when not using for >10 min

• Turn appliances OFF when not in use in your home 

• Create a sleep sanctuary with minimal/no electronics in the bedroom 

• Do not move to an area right next to High Voltage Transmission Lines, Substation, Airport, Hospital, etc. (any area with high powered communication/RF equipment or power distribution equipment) 

DISTANCE. Distance is your best friend in mitigating nnEMFs. Why? Inverse square law. Inverse square law is the fact that the magnitude of the EMF is calculated with the square of the distance in the denominator of the equation. This means that for every doubling of distance you have between you and the EMF source, the magnitude weakens by a factor of FOUR. Triple the distance, EMF magnitude goes down by a factor of NINE (and so forth). For me that results in the following action items:

• Do not keep your cell phone ON your body when ON & receiving calls/texts 

• Do NOT hold your cell phone up to your ear when making calls (use headphones/speaker)

• Move your bed 6-12 inches AWAY from any electrical outlets in your bedroom (especially near your head)

• Do not stand immediately next to high powered appliances when ON & in use (microwave, washer, dryer, blender, etc.)

There exists a lot of other nnEMF “mitigating/harmonizing” technologies, however I would be highly suspect of anyone trying to sell you something. EMFs are extremely complex. The angle of incidence, power level, and frequency matter tremendously. Most folks who aren’t engineers or have a deep knowledge of physics likely won’t be able to have the baseline knowledge to know what is a scam and what is not. OR what to prioritize from an nnEMF mitigation perspective. I gave a pretty good starting point above for what actionable steps you can take. THis does not mean all products are a scam. nnEMF shielding has its place and I use some of these products…but whenever a topic is extremely complex to the layperson, it is easy for someone to convince you that a product works. Especially when proof is challenging to come up with (EMF readers are an okay tool at best). 

As someone who holds a M.S. in Electrical Engineering, I never thought that my degree would come in handy for health optimization. Now in 2023, here I am realizing how electromagnetism is likely the MOST important topic to conceptualize to really crack the optimal health code. We are electromagnetic beings, and the research in this space has only just begun to scratch the surface.

If you want to learn more in depth about nnEMFs, mitigation tactics, what products work and do not, etc…subscribe to stay up to date on the latest. I am directly working with some renowned EMF experts on developing more educational content/courses that I will be launching in the near future to help practitioners and fellow esoteric health connoisseurs better understand nnEMFs more in depth to help themselves and their clients live a more optimal life. 

Here on Decentralized Health, I will be writing in depth about the electromagnetic aspects of health alongside other topics I am passionate about such as environmental toxins, regenerative agriculture, decentralization, Bitcoin and more. I want as many people as possible to become empowered through education so that they can escape the dependencies of the centralized systems that are tarnishing our quality of life. 

This is just the tip of the nnEMF iceberg. 

Stay Sovereign,

Tristan

Originally published Sep 25. 2023

@ f96073dc:5951c7c2

Introduction

The food we consume plays an obvious yet undervalued role in not just sustaining us, but also in shaping who we become.

The phrase "You are what you eat" transcends cliché to embody a profound truth: our diet directly influences our life experience.

Debates continue about the optimal food sources for human health and longevity.

These discussions often involve emotionally charged arguments influenced by faith, traditions, economic interests, and political opinions concerning the global climate crisis and sustainability.

My goal isn’t to delve into the weeds of this emotional & political debate, but instead to strip things back and provide a birds eye view on nutrition, whilst offering alternative lenses through which we can view food.

## Understanding Food as Information

More than mere fuel, food serves as crucial information for our bodies.

This concept may sound strange, as much of our nutritional understanding has been dumbed down to ‘energy in, energy out’, or ‘calories in, calories out’.

This perspective bypasses the importance of micro nutrients—the vitamins & minerals our bodies interrelate with, or don’t.

Food information determines how our cells function and regenerate, impacting everything from energy levels to cognitive ability.

The challenge lies in deciphering what constitutes "good information."

For centuries, nature provided a simple guide.

Our ancestors thrived on a diet of organ meats, plants, seafood, fruit, muscle meats, bones, and eggs—foods naturally rich in nutrients and absent of modern chemicals.

The question remains: If our forebears thrived on these natural foods, why have we deviated so drastically?

## The Shift in Food Paradigms

The introduction of heavily processed "Frankenfoods" laden with chemicals represents a stark departure from the diets of our grandparents and great-grandparents.

They consumed what we now coin "organic" food out of necessity rather than choice.

Food is pleasure, but it’s also a tool for a healthy self.

This ratio has been disproportionally thrown out of alignment.

The modern supermarket, with its aisles dominated by hyper palatable and processed products, reflects a concerning shift in our eating habits.

On the periphery of supermarkets lie fruits, vegetables, dairy, and animal based products, many of which have been sprayed with chemicals like glyphosate, or raised under inhumane conditions.

This brings us to the troubling paradox: while some parts of the world suffer from over-consumption and associated health issues like obesity and metabolic diseases, others face malnutrition and starvation due to food scarcity. (See red line below)

*HFCS: High fructose corn syrup

Questioning Current Food Paradigms

Our current food systems are broken.

A hard truth and pill to swallow, but if you look around, people have never been this unwell and overweight.

Misleading ‘Health Star Ratings’ and a flawed food pyramid, reflect a deeper societal malaise.

These systems often promote products that are not conducive to health, with processed carbohydrate forms serving as our staple, while nutrient and caloric dense foods like meat, fish, dairy, and natural fats have been marginalised.

## Whole Foods and Balanced Nutrients

So, what’s the ideal diet?

There is no universal diet that fits everybody.

The journey to finding the right diet involves personal experimentation.

However, a diet emphasising whole foods, which humans have consumed for millennia, remains a sound choice.

Eating natural foods avoids the pitfalls of ultra-processed foods and provides a balanced array of nutrients.

Side note: historically, meat was always the prized resource.

## Beyond Pesticides

Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts together a list of 15 foods with the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, and conversely, 12 of the most contaminated foods with pesticides.

This is known as the ‘Clean Fifteen’ and ‘Dirty Dozen’.

When financially feasible, it’s advised to consume organic and pasture raised products.

If buying organic isn’t possible, one strategy to reduce pesticides is to soak the produce in water and a teaspoon of baking soda or a splash of apple cider vinegar for a few minutes.

## Nutritional Strategies for Specific Needs

Strategies like the elimination diet can help individuals identify how specific foods affect their bodies, allowing them to make informed choices that resonate with their unique physiological needs.

Tracking macronutrients and particularly protein intake can be crucial for specific health goals like muscle growth or weight loss.

Gaining a baseline understanding of the macros in your food can be an important piece of the puzzle, but should not become an obsessive practice.

Many diets serve a purpose, and depending on your goals as well as physiology, can be leveraged for great benefit.

This broad concept has been developed into a growing area of research called Nutrigenomics, defined as the study of how different foods may interact with specific genes to modify the risk of common chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

For example, a ketogenic diet can help those with neurological disorders such as epilepsy or Alzheimer's disease, intermittent fasting can facilitate weight loss, and a carnivore diet can heal chronic skin or gut issues.

## Conclusion

In an era where diet-related health issues are rampant, returning to a more natural, informed way of eating is not just beneficial; it is necessary.

The prevalence of heavily processed "Frankenfoods" deviates from the nutrient-rich diets of our ancestors, contributing to a paradox of overconsumption and malnutrition.

Challenging current food paradigms is necessary to address misleading nutritional guidelines and flawed food systems.

Empower yourself to explore food in a deeper fashion, seeking a diet that not only nourishes your body but also aligns with your lifestyle goals and fosters a sense of vitality and well-being.

Eating well is a form of a self respect, and while we get the chance to inhabit this physical form, it should be our duty to make the most of this life and embody our fullest potential.

@ e6817453:b0ac3c39

The Rise of Graph RAGs and the Quest for Data Quality

As we enter a new year, it’s impossible to ignore the boom of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, particularly those leveraging graph-based approaches. The previous year saw a surge in advancements and discussions about Graph RAGs, driven by their potential to enhance large language models (LLMs), reduce hallucinations, and deliver more reliable outputs. Let’s dive into the trends, challenges, and strategies for making the most of Graph RAGs in artificial intelligence.

Booming Interest in Graph RAGs

Graph RAGs have dominated the conversation in AI circles. With new research papers and innovations emerging weekly, it’s clear that this approach is reshaping the landscape. These systems, especially those developed by tech giants like Microsoft, demonstrate how graphs can:

• Enhance LLM Outputs: By grounding responses in structured knowledge, graphs significantly reduce hallucinations.
• Support Complex Queries: Graphs excel at managing linked and connected data, making them ideal for intricate problem-solving.

Conferences on linked and connected data have increasingly focused on Graph RAGs, underscoring their central role in modern AI systems. However, the excitement around this technology has brought critical questions to the forefront: How do we ensure the quality of the graphs we’re building, and are they genuinely aligned with our needs?

Data Quality: The Foundation of Effective Graphs

A high-quality graph is the backbone of any successful RAG system. Constructing these graphs from unstructured data requires attention to detail and rigorous processes. Here’s why:

• Richness of Entities: Effective retrieval depends on graphs populated with rich, detailed entities.
• Freedom from Hallucinations: Poorly constructed graphs amplify inaccuracies rather than mitigating them.

Without robust data quality, even the most sophisticated Graph RAGs become ineffective. As a result, the focus must shift to refining the graph construction process. Improving data strategy and ensuring meticulous data preparation is essential to unlock the full potential of Graph RAGs.

Hybrid Graph RAGs and Variations

While standard Graph RAGs are already transformative, hybrid models offer additional flexibility and power. Hybrid RAGs combine structured graph data with other retrieval mechanisms, creating systems that:

• Handle diverse data sources with ease.
• Offer improved adaptability to complex queries.

Exploring these variations can open new avenues for AI systems, particularly in domains requiring structured and unstructured data processing.

Ontology: The Key to Graph Construction Quality

Ontology — defining how concepts relate within a knowledge domain — is critical for building effective graphs. While this might sound abstract, it’s a well-established field blending philosophy, engineering, and art. Ontology engineering provides the framework for:

• Defining Relationships: Clarifying how concepts connect within a domain.
• Validating Graph Structures: Ensuring constructed graphs are logically sound and align with domain-specific realities.

Traditionally, ontologists — experts in this discipline — have been integral to large enterprises and research teams. However, not every team has access to dedicated ontologists, leading to a significant challenge: How can teams without such expertise ensure the quality of their graphs?

How to Build Ontology Expertise in a Startup Team

For startups and smaller teams, developing ontology expertise may seem daunting, but it is achievable with the right approach:

1. Assign a Knowledge Champion: Identify a team member with a strong analytical mindset and give them time and resources to learn ontology engineering.
2. Provide Training: Invest in courses, workshops, or certifications in knowledge graph and ontology creation.
3. Leverage Partnerships: Collaborate with academic institutions, domain experts, or consultants to build initial frameworks.
4. Utilize Tools: Introduce ontology development tools like Protégé, OWL, or SHACL to simplify the creation and validation process.
5. Iterate with Feedback: Continuously refine ontologies through collaboration with domain experts and iterative testing.

So, it is not always affordable for a startup to have a dedicated oncologist or knowledge engineer in a team, but you could involve consulters or build barefoot experts.

You could read about barefoot experts in my article :

Even startups can achieve robust and domain-specific ontology frameworks by fostering in-house expertise.

How to Find or Create Ontologies

For teams venturing into Graph RAGs, several strategies can help address the ontology gap:

1. Leverage Existing Ontologies: Many industries and domains already have open ontologies. For instance:

2. Public Knowledge Graphs: Resources like Wikipedia’s graph offer a wealth of structured knowledge.

3. Industry Standards: Enterprises such as Siemens have invested in creating and sharing ontologies specific to their fields.

4. Business Framework Ontology (BFO): A valuable resource for enterprises looking to define business processes and structures.

5. Build In-House Expertise: If budgets allow, consider hiring knowledge engineers or providing team members with the resources and time to develop expertise in ontology creation.

6. Utilize LLMs for Ontology Construction: Interestingly, LLMs themselves can act as a starting point for ontology development:

7. Prompt-Based Extraction: LLMs can generate draft ontologies by leveraging their extensive training on graph data.

8. Domain Expert Refinement: Combine LLM-generated structures with insights from domain experts to create tailored ontologies.

Parallel Ontology and Graph Extraction

An emerging approach involves extracting ontologies and graphs in parallel. While this can streamline the process, it presents challenges such as:

• Detecting Hallucinations: Differentiating between genuine insights and AI-generated inaccuracies.
• Ensuring Completeness: Ensuring no critical concepts are overlooked during extraction.

Teams must carefully validate outputs to ensure reliability and accuracy when employing this parallel method.

LLMs as Ontologists

While traditionally dependent on human expertise, ontology creation is increasingly supported by LLMs. These models, trained on vast amounts of data, possess inherent knowledge of many open ontologies and taxonomies. Teams can use LLMs to:

• Generate Skeleton Ontologies: Prompt LLMs with domain-specific information to draft initial ontology structures.
• Validate and Refine Ontologies: Collaborate with domain experts to refine these drafts, ensuring accuracy and relevance.

However, for validation and graph construction, formal tools such as OWL, SHACL, and RDF should be prioritized over LLMs to minimize hallucinations and ensure robust outcomes.

Final Thoughts: Unlocking the Power of Graph RAGs

The rise of Graph RAGs underscores a simple but crucial correlation: improving graph construction and data quality directly enhances retrieval systems. To truly harness this power, teams must invest in understanding ontologies, building quality graphs, and leveraging both human expertise and advanced AI tools.

As we move forward, the interplay between Graph RAGs and ontology engineering will continue to shape the future of AI. Whether through adopting existing frameworks or exploring innovative uses of LLMs, the path to success lies in a deep commitment to data quality and domain understanding.

Have you explored these technologies in your work? Share your experiences and insights — and stay tuned for more discussions on ontology extraction and its role in AI advancements. Cheers to a year of innovation!

@ 6ad3e2a3:c90b7740

Maybe it’s because I watched The Omen at way too young an age, or maybe it’s because the Book of Revelation’s “mark of the beast” allegory is playing out too literally for my tastes, but having already written about the Second Coming, it only follows I should speculate as to its counterpart.

As I mentioned in The Second Coming, it’s dangerous to take the myths from our ancestors too literally. They used the symbols of their times, and we should be careful not to confuse the mental maps they had of their world with reality itself. That said, we should also not be dismissive — Mozart didn’t have fancy music editing software, but his genius using the modalities of the time was real. To the extent our forebears offered us their wisdom about the nature of man and forces within him we should endeavor to understand it. The technology and the symbols may have changed, but our essential nature is ever the same.

Just as the second coming of Christ would free man from tyranny, the Antichrist would be its imposition. And just as I speculated that Jesus might not return in the form of a person, it’s likely neither would his counterpart. But if Satoshi, Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, can be the face, so to speak, representing the movement toward freedom and God, who and what would represent its antithesis? Let’s speculate.

It would have to be someone charismatic, a person the multitudes would want to follow and in whom to look for reassurance. That eliminates villains du jour like Bill Gates, Klaus Schwab and Vladimir Putin. If that’s who Satan is sending, he’s not sending his best. What about Donald Trump? More charismatic, much more popular appeal. He’s a better choice than the first group, but while street-smart, he lacks refined intelligence and is too despised by wide swaths of the population. He’s also probably too old.

For a while, I would have said Barack Obama was the best candidate, and even some hard-core right wingers agreed (it’s hilarious that this claim was actually fact-checked! — you can’t fact-check whether someone is the Antichrist!) Obama was relatively young, vital enough, popular, charismatic and intelligent. But he’s faded from view the last few years and has been a surprisingly inconsequential former president.

That leaves one person of whom I can think with the qualities and societal position to fill the role. Regrettably it’s someone I like, but of course I would like the Antichrist! If he weren’t likable he wouldn’t be the Antichrist.

That person is Elon Musk.

Musk is the richest person in the world, among the most followed on Twitter, has a borderline worshipful fanbase and big plans for improving humanity. Musk is young enough, he’s probably a genius and considering a private takeover of arguably the world’s most important communications network. He’s also a big player in satellites, energy, transportation and internet provision.

Musk says lots of sensible things with which I agree about free speech and rights. He is the perfect foil to the out-of-central-casting Schwab supervillain. As Edward Dowd speculated:

But, you might object, if Musk is the foil to Schwab’s terrible ideas, isn’t that good for humanity? How could the Antichrist be for free speech, renewable energy, population expansion? Again, of course, the Antichrist is going to have good, sensible ideas! But as Marshall McLuhan said, “The medium is the message.”

Or, more aptly, the top-down messianic complex is the message.

Musk has long discussed saving humanity via expansion into space and sustainable energy. But in order to save humanity, one must exert some control over it. While Musk’s Twitter takeover from the ineffectual woke scolds is getting most of the press, this is also going on:

Klaus Schwab’s pitch to own nothing and eat bugs is weak, but Musk, via brain implant, could potentially create a more satisfying virtual experience than most could hope to achieve in reality. And what could be more tantamount to complete control than letting someone else get the keys to the very organ of perception itself?

Well don’t get the implant then. Just get in your Tesla and drive away. But electric cars don’t work that way — they are attached to the grid, trackable and capable of being shut down remotely. And that’s before we consider driverless cars in which there would be even less privacy and autonomy. Moreover, Teslas track the driver’s movements already to an extent combustion-engine cars do not, ostensibly to inform the developing AI, but uses for technology evolve over time — sending email and paying bills over the internet was commonplace in 2000, but now people are micro-tracked by Facebook and Google.

One could object that Musk has, to-date, used his influence for good. But that makes it no less dangerous to entrust him with so much power: J.R.R. Tolkien understood this clearly:

“You are wise and powerful. Will you not take the Ring?”

“No!” cried Gandalf, springing to his feet. “With that power I should have power too great and terrible. And over me the Ring would gain a power still greater and more deadly.” His eyes flashed and his face was lit as by a fire within. “Do not tempt me! For I do not wish to become like the Dark Lord himself. Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good. Do not tempt me! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe, unused. The wish to wield it would be too great for my strength. I shall have such need of it. Great perils lie before me.”

-- The Lord of the Rings

Beyond Neuralink, Musk also seems to have a strong utilitarian bent:

In this paper Nick Bostrom makes the case that delaying technological advancement could cost humanity astronomical amounts of well-being because every moment we delay, stars are burning out, useful energy is being sucked into black holes, irreversible entropy is happening apace, depriving us of future potential. Bostrom translates it into potential human lives lost (or more aptly, never having been born) on account of this permanent loss.

While Bostrom’s framework seems benign — who is against collective human happiness in the form of more worthwhile lives? — it’s actually a form of utilitarianism that tries to sum the totality of human happiness over the entire species rather than to consider, as Immanuel Kant would, each individual as an end in himself. This viewing of the collective good as the optimal outcome has been used to justify many of history’s worst atrocities. To create a master race, to make sure everyone gets the same amount, to protect the world from covid, we must do whatever it takes!

If, per Bostrom’s math, one harnessed black hole were worth quadrillions of lives, it would, for example, seem an easy call to sacrifice a bunch of selfish losers on earth who stood in the way of creating the technology for doing so. Utilitarianism, ironically, winds up failing miserably by its own metric because (a) it can so easily be manipulated by whoever is maintaining the “greater good” spread sheet, which just happens to coincide with one’s ambitions; and (b) because it’s absurd to think you can calculate aggregate good for octillions of lives so far into an unknowable future. As such, while Musk’s pitch is more persuasive than Schwab’s or Gates’, it’s ultimately part of the same dangerous philosophy which is: “Let me optimize for total human happiness on your behalf.”

Contrast Musk’s top-down humanity-saving endeavors with Bitcoin which is purely opt-in, works with simple incentives and imposes no value judgments on its users. It’s a truth-recording clock, impervious to fraud and cooption by the powerful. No matter how wealthy or powerful a person is, he cannot control the network or get treated with special privileges. Bitcoin’s finite supply means governments cannot print more of it, cannot finance unpopular wars or massive giveaways to the military and pharmaceutical industrial complexes. Instead of trusting any particular powerful person (the president, Elon Musk, Bill Gates) to be good, it simply removes the incentives toward and reduces the capacity for evil.

The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. It is content with the low places that people disdain. Thus it is like the Tao.

From the Tao Te Ching (Lao Tse — translated by Stephen Mitchell)

We simply need the right conditions, the proper axioms on which to build. Just as the US Constitution created the framework for the most prosperous society in the history of the world, bitcoin will provide the axioms for peace, the harnessing of stranded energy and the low-time preference required for a more prosperous future.

But it won’t be the future brought to you by Elon Musk, and ultimately I foresee a clash between the two. One tell is his otherwise inexplicable promotion of Dogecoin as a possible currency for Tesla purchases. Dogecoin was literally a joke from its creator and of course has none of the security, decentralization or censorship resistance of bitcoin. Musk is too smart not to know that — he put a couple billion dollars of Tesla’s balance sheet in bitcoin already and almost certainly understands the value proposition. That he still cites Doge seriously would be a clever way to muddy the waters about what bitcoin is vs what blockchain-based “crypto” is. And of course the Antichrist would avail himself of bitcoin, if only to obfuscate his real intentions and also to be able to crash the price by selling, if necessary, at an opportune time.

The Klaus Schwab-Bill Gates-WEF set have already lost. They are widely despised, central banks are flailing, once-trusted institutions like the legacy media, major science and medical journals, the WHO, CDC and FDA are hemorrhaging influence. People are unhappy and looking for someone or something to trust. Elon Musk could fill that void, and if he does, he will be The Final Boss, the last false idol that needs to be discarded before humanity can, through its own efforts, enjoy a new era of prosperity, the Second Coming, so to speak.

I actually suspect Musk is genuine in his desire to help humanity via his vision and am pretty sure he doesn’t have 666 embedded in his scalp — in any case even Damian in The Omen neither knew who he was nor wanted to be the Antichrist! But the most dangerous people for humanity are those with the biggest plans for it.

Or put more succinctly:

@ c11cf5f8:4928464d

Let's hear some of your latest Bitcoin purchases, feel free to include links to the shops or merchants you bought from too.

If you missed our last thread, here are some of the items stackers recently spent their sats on.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/837629

@ 6c4b0219:bb7f889e

Meet BLAISE[primal.net/p/npub1v8lrnvsxkj3gkyygx5ru97tceljlycnm0r88k4wyafa8devd9m4qgsz42g], a passionate Nigerian from Anambra State, currently based in South Africa. His journey into Bitcoin is both inspiring and transformative. Born with a natural skepticism toward traditional banking systems, Blaise’s turning point came during his service year in Ekiti State, where a friend introduced him to trading and, ultimately, Bitcoin.

He said, "I recall the frustration of having money in a traditional bank but being unable to access it due to system failures. As a student, this left me stranded."

Then, he discovered Bitcoin—not just as a currency but as a revolutionary alternative to the flawed systems he had grown up with.

His first steps involved trading Bitcoin through gift cards using platforms like Paxful. Soon, Blaise became a vendor, helping local users exchange Bitcoin and gift cards, igniting his passion for a decentralized future.

THE SPARK THAT IGNITED THE FLAME

For Blaise, the real awakening came when he attended the Adopting Bitcoin Capetown Conference in South Africa. It wasn’t just about trading anymore—it was about freedom, decentralization, and security. Bitcoin was more than money; it was sovereignty.

With guidance from mentors like jabulani jakes of moloBTC amongst all and hours of self-study—listening to podcasts from @jack mallers, @Michael Saylor and more, watching videos, and reading resources—Blaise dove headfirst into the rabbit hole.

He embraced self-custody, ensuring his Bitcoin wasn’t at the mercy of any third party. "I never want to store my value in Naira again," he says.

Proof-of-Work: BLAISE’S CONTRIBUTIONS

Blaise is not just a believer; he’s a doer, he recently collaborated with us on our Cohort 2, and he's looking forward to contributing more to Bitcoin adoption. Below are some of his works:

= Community Building: He started a WhatsApp group dedicated to onboarding precoiners, teaching them the fundamentals of Bitcoin.

= Future Projects: Blaise is planning a Football x Bitcoin initiative, combining health, fitness, and Bitcoin education to spread the message in unique ways.

Also, Blaise aims to deeply explore the personal training space, focusing on helping Bitcoiners enhance their health and fitness. He is committed to collaborating with more Bitcoiners and initiatives to drive adoption further.

= Inspired by Impact: One of Blaise’s proudest inspirations is the @BitcoinEkasi project in South Africa. He dreams of replicating its circular economy model in Tarkwa Bay, Nigeria, where education, discipline, and passion-building go hand in hand with Bitcoin adoption.

CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS

Building in the Bitcoin space hasn’t been without its hurdles. Blaise highlights the difficulty of helping people truly grasp Bitcoin’s potential. Yet, he is undeterred.

=> His strategy?

Focusing on the psychological aspect of orange-pilling—helping individuals shift their mindset to embrace this revolutionary technology.

For Blaise, Bitcoin is deeply personal. It’s freedom. It’s empowerment. It’s motivation. He sees it as a tool that can reduce poverty, combat hyperinflation, and lower crime rates in African economies over the next decade.

BLAISE DREAMING BIG

BLAISE envisions a Nigeria where communities like Tarkwa Bay thrive with circular economies built on Bitcoin. He dreams of a future where Bitcoin empowers individuals, educates the youth, and fosters innovation in health, fitness, and beyond.

His journey is a testament to the transformative power of Bitcoin and the unyielding spirit of those who dare to dream.

Blaise is always eager to contribute to Bitcoin adoption in any way possible. In the coming year, he plans to delve into the personal training space for Bitcoiners, showcasing more Proof-of-Work through fitness and Bitcoin education!

To get in touch and stay updated on his progress, follow his new project account on X BITFITNESS and his personal account BLAISE.

Check out our story post for BLAISE onTwitter

#Bitcoin is FITNESS

@ 1932ff32:379e3b12

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Một trong những điểm mạnh của Dola789 là sự đa dạng về các trò chơi. Nền tảng này cung cấp rất nhiều loại trò chơi khác nhau, bao gồm các trò chơi trí tuệ, chiến thuật, giải trí và các trò chơi sáng tạo. Mỗi trò chơi đều được thiết kế với mục đích không chỉ mang lại niềm vui mà còn giúp người tham gia phát triển khả năng tư duy, sáng tạo và giải quyết vấn đề. Dola789 luôn cập nhật và giới thiệu các trò chơi mới nhằm mang đến cho người chơi những trải nghiệm thú vị và đầy thử thách. Điều này giúp người tham gia không bao giờ cảm thấy nhàm chán khi sử dụng nền tảng. https://dola789-vn.com

Bảo mật là yếu tố vô cùng quan trọng đối với Dola789. Nền tảng này sử dụng các công nghệ bảo mật tiên tiến nhất để đảm bảo rằng thông tin cá nhân của người tham gia luôn được bảo vệ một cách an toàn. Tất cả các giao dịch và dữ liệu đều được mã hóa, giúp người tham gia yên tâm rằng mọi thông tin cá nhân sẽ không bị rò rỉ hay bị xâm phạm. Dola789 cam kết bảo vệ quyền lợi của người tham gia và luôn duy trì một môi trường giải trí an toàn, minh bạch.

Giao diện của Dola789 được thiết kế rất thân thiện và dễ sử dụng, giúp người tham gia dễ dàng tìm kiếm các trò chơi và sự kiện yêu thích. Các tính năng của nền tảng được sắp xếp hợp lý và dễ tiếp cận, giúp người dùng không phải mất nhiều thời gian tìm kiếm. Dola789 cũng hỗ trợ truy cập trên cả thiết bị di động, cho phép người tham gia có thể giải trí mọi lúc, mọi nơi. Điều này giúp người tham gia luôn có thể tận hưởng những trò chơi yêu thích, dù ở nhà hay đang di chuyển.

Dịch vụ chăm sóc khách hàng của Dola789 là một yếu tố quan trọng khác giúp nền tảng này giữ vững được sự tin tưởng từ người tham gia. Đội ngũ hỗ trợ của Dola789 luôn sẵn sàng giải đáp mọi thắc mắc và hỗ trợ người dùng khi cần thiết. Dịch vụ khách hàng hoạt động 24/7, giúp người tham gia có thể nhận được sự trợ giúp ngay lập tức khi gặp phải vấn đề. Sự chuyên nghiệp và tận tâm của đội ngũ chăm sóc khách hàng đã giúp Dola789 xây dựng được niềm tin vững chắc từ cộng đồng người tham gia.

Tóm lại, Dola789 là một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến tuyệt vời, đáp ứng nhu cầu giải trí của mọi đối tượng người tham gia. Với sự kết hợp hoàn hảo giữa các trò chơi thú vị, bảo mật an toàn, giao diện dễ sử dụng và dịch vụ khách hàng tận tình, Dola789 là lựa chọn lý tưởng cho những ai muốn tìm kiếm một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến chất lượng và đáng tin cậy.

@ 1932ff32:379e3b12

Dola789 là một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến được đánh giá cao nhờ vào sự đa dạng trong các trò chơi và tính năng bảo mật tuyệt vời. Nền tảng này không chỉ phục vụ nhu cầu giải trí của mọi đối tượng người tham gia mà còn tạo ra một không gian an toàn, thuận tiện và hấp dẫn. Với giao diện đơn giản, dễ sử dụng, Dola789 nhanh chóng chiếm được sự yêu mến của cộng đồng người chơi. Người tham gia có thể tìm thấy những trò chơi yêu thích, thỏa mãn đam mê và thử thách bản thân trong môi trường giải trí chất lượng.

Một trong những điểm mạnh nổi bật của Dola789 chính là sự đa dạng của các trò chơi và sự kiện. Dola789 cung cấp một loạt các trò chơi từ đơn giản đến phức tạp, từ các trò chơi giải trí nhẹ nhàng đến những trò chơi trí tuệ đầy thử thách. Điều này mang lại cho người tham gia nhiều lựa chọn, giúp họ có thể dễ dàng tìm thấy trò chơi phù hợp với sở thích và khả năng của mình. Các trò chơi được thiết kế với đồ họa sắc nét, âm thanh sống động và gameplay mượt mà, mang đến cho người tham gia những giờ phút giải trí thú vị và thư giãn.

Dola789 cũng đặc biệt chú trọng đến vấn đề bảo mật. Nền tảng sử dụng các công nghệ bảo mật hiện đại để đảm bảo rằng mọi thông tin cá nhân của người tham gia luôn được bảo vệ tuyệt đối. Với hệ thống mã hóa dữ liệu tiên tiến, người tham gia có thể yên tâm rằng thông tin của họ sẽ không bị rò rỉ hay xâm phạm. Bảo mật thông tin là yếu tố then chốt để Dola789 xây dựng được lòng tin từ người tham gia, tạo ra một môi trường giải trí an toàn và đáng tin cậy. https://www-dola789.com

Giao diện của Dola789 được thiết kế rất trực quan và dễ sử dụng, giúp người tham gia dễ dàng tìm kiếm các trò chơi và sự kiện yêu thích. Mọi thứ đều được phân loại rõ ràng, từ các trò chơi mới, các trò chơi hot, cho đến các thể loại trò chơi khác nhau. Điều này giúp người tham gia tiết kiệm thời gian và công sức khi tìm kiếm nội dung yêu thích. Hơn nữa, Dola789 còn tối ưu hóa nền tảng của mình cho cả thiết bị di động, giúp người tham gia có thể giải trí mọi lúc, mọi nơi mà không gặp phải bất kỳ trở ngại nào.

Cuối cùng, dịch vụ chăm sóc khách hàng của Dola789 cũng là một trong những yếu tố quan trọng giúp nền tảng này xây dựng được niềm tin từ cộng đồng người tham gia. Đội ngũ hỗ trợ của Dola789 luôn sẵn sàng giải đáp mọi thắc mắc và cung cấp sự trợ giúp kịp thời khi người tham gia gặp phải vấn đề. Dịch vụ khách hàng của Dola789 hoạt động 24/7, giúp người tham gia có thể nhận được sự hỗ trợ bất kỳ lúc nào, tạo sự thuận tiện và an tâm cho người dùng.

Tóm lại, Dola789 là một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến xuất sắc, cung cấp cho người tham gia một không gian giải trí an toàn, đa dạng và đầy thử thách. Với sự kết hợp hoàn hảo giữa các trò chơi thú vị, bảo mật thông tin, giao diện dễ sử dụng và dịch vụ khách hàng tận tình, Dola789 xứng đáng là sự lựa chọn tuyệt vời cho những ai tìm kiếm một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến chất lượng.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

The Deceptive Scheme

The Fall of the Scammer

• Victims Take Charge

• The Verdict

• Conclusion

• FAQ

In a recent turn of events, a Bitcoin scammer, who was exposed and prosecuted by his own victims, has been handed a suspended prison sentence. The scammer, Doede Osman Khan, had been deceiving investors by promising them protection against online scams and lucrative returns on their investments. This case has brought to light the vulnerabilities that many face in the rapidly evolving world of cryptocurrency, where scammers often prey on the uninformed and the hopeful.

The Deceptive Scheme

Doede Osman Khan, a 50-year-old from Staffordshire, portrayed himself as a guardian angel for investors. He warned them about the perils of online scams and promised to help them navigate the treacherous waters of cryptocurrency investments. He assured them of making profits while doing so. However, in reality, Khan swindled thousands of dollars from unsuspecting individuals across the globe, including regions like Teesside and Canada. His promises, which seemed too good to be true, were laced with deceit and manipulation.

Khan's modus operandi involved offering tutorials on purchasing and trading cryptocurrency online. Within just a few months of starting in early 2019, he had managed to attract dozens of clients from around the world. He made "outlandish claims" and promised large profits with "zero risk". Khan's presentations, which were entirely fictitious, were designed to exploit the trust and ignorance of his victims. These presentations painted a picture of a risk-free investment world, which is far from the reality of cryptocurrency trading.

The Fall of the Scammer

Despite his claims of starting with honest intentions, Khan's fraudulent activities were primarily to cover up unexpected losses. The court found that greed overcame Khan after witnessing early success in his venture. This early success, instead of being a foundation for genuine business growth, became the catalyst for his descent into deceit.

Victims were lured into investing their Bitcoin funds with Khan to purchase trading bots, which he claimed would monitor the market. However, behind the intricate jargon, Khan's scam was straightforward - he simply pocketed their Bitcoin. Flaunting his ill-gotten gains, Khan often shared photos of himself living a luxurious lifestyle, complete with flashy cars, yachts, and skyscrapers. These images were a stark contrast to the financial and emotional turmoil he left in his wake.

While Khan admitted to stealing £20,000, the victims argue that the current value of the stolen Bitcoin could be as high as £725,000, showcasing the gravity of his deceit.

Victims Take Charge

Two victims, Stephen Johnson from Stockton and Margery Willhelm from Canada, collaborated with other investors to compile a comprehensive 700-page dossier on Khan. This dossier was a testament to their determination to bring Khan to justice. Mrs. Willhelm, whose husband runs a private investigation firm, expressed her determination to find Khan, emphasizing the emotional and financial toll his actions had taken on the victims. Her resilience showcases the strength of those wronged, and their commitment to ensuring justice is served.

Bethean McCall, a solicitor who took on the case, highlighted the emotional impact of the fraud on the victims, many of whom blamed themselves for being deceived. She emphasized the importance of victims realizing that they were manipulated by a professional scammer and that the blame lies solely with Khan.

The Verdict

Teesside Crown Court sentenced Khan to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after he pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud. This sentence, while providing some justice to the victims, also serves as a warning to potential scammers about the consequences of their actions. Additionally, Khan is now under a four-month curfew, with a proceeds of crime hearing scheduled for the future, ensuring that his actions continue to be monitored and that he faces the repercussions of his deceit.

Conclusion

The case of Doede Osman Khan serves as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the world of online investments, particularly in the realm of cryptocurrencies. While the digital age offers immense opportunities, it also presents avenues for deceit and fraud. It's crucial for investors to remain vigilant, conduct thorough research, and be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. The resilience and determination of Khan's victims not only brought a scammer to justice but also highlighted the importance of community and collaboration in the face of adversity.

FAQ

Who is Doede Osman Khan? Doede Osman Khan is a Bitcoin scammer who deceived investors by promising protection against online scams and lucrative returns.

How was Khan caught? Khan was exposed and prosecuted by his own victims, who compiled a comprehensive 700-page dossier against him.

What was Khan's scam method? Khan offered cryptocurrency trading tutorials and lured victims into investing their Bitcoin with him, promising to buy trading bots. He then simply pocketed their Bitcoin.

How much did Khan steal? Khan admitted to stealing £20,000, but the victims claim the current value of the stolen Bitcoin could be as high as £725,000.

What was Khan's sentence? Khan was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, by the Teesside Crown Court.

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@ 16d11430:61640947

The fiat monetary system, built on debt and centralized control, has entrenched a framework that incentivizes exploitation, overconsumption, and systemic corruption. While it appears to provide economic stability, its long-term trajectory reveals existential risks for humanity and all life on Earth. Here, we explore how the fiat system manifests these risks and how Bitcoin adoption could offer a peaceful alternative to avert catastrophe.

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The Fiat System’s Role in Accelerating Human Extinction

1. Perpetuation of Endless Growth and Consumption

Fiat currencies, through inflationary policies, compel perpetual economic growth to sustain themselves. This forces nations and corporations to prioritize short-term profits over sustainable practices, leading to the overexploitation of natural resources. The result is environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and an acceleration of climate change—key factors in the destabilization of life-supporting ecosystems.

1. Centralized Control and Authoritarianism

The fiat system thrives on centralized control by governments and banks. This concentration of power erodes individual freedoms, enabling authoritarian regimes to suppress dissent, fund wars, and perpetuate inequality. Over time, the devaluation of currencies exacerbates social unrest, fueling conflict and suffering.

1. Debt-Driven Inequality and Enslavement

At its core, fiat money is created through debt. This system locks individuals, businesses, and nations into cycles of borrowing and repayment, concentrating wealth and power in the hands of an elite minority. The growing wealth gap undermines democracy, destabilizes societies, and creates a system that serves the few while marginalizing the many.

1. Technological and Biological Risks

The fiat system funds the unchecked development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, surveillance systems, and bioweapons. Without ethical oversight, these innovations pose existential risks, from the loss of privacy to the potential for catastrophic misuse.

1. Psychological and Spiritual Corrosion

Fiat money’s detachment from tangible value fosters a culture of materialism and short-term thinking. It disconnects people from the intrinsic value of labor, time, and the natural world, leading to widespread dissatisfaction, mental health crises, and a loss of purpose.

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How Bitcoin Can Save the Species

1. Decentralization as a Foundation for Freedom

Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network, free from the control of governments and banks. This structure prevents authoritarian regimes from manipulating monetary systems to serve their agendas, enabling individuals to reclaim financial sovereignty.

1. Fixed Supply and Deflationary Economics

Bitcoin’s fixed supply of 21 million coins counters the inflationary nature of fiat currencies. By incentivizing savings and long-term thinking, it encourages sustainable practices, reducing the pressure to exploit finite resources for immediate gain.

1. Transparency and Accountability

The Bitcoin blockchain is an immutable ledger, fostering transparency in financial transactions. This technology undermines corruption, facilitates equitable resource allocation, and empowers communities to hold powerful entities accountable.

1. A Catalyst for Ethical Technological Development

Bitcoin’s open-source ethos inspires decentralized innovation in fields like energy, communications, and governance. It encourages the development of systems that prioritize resilience, fairness, and sustainability over profit.

1. Restoring Human Dignity and Purpose

Bitcoin realigns the concept of value with human labor, creativity, and time. By divorcing wealth from debt and centralized control, it fosters a culture of fairness, integrity, and respect for individual contributions, nurturing psychological and spiritual well-being.

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A Peaceful Revolution: Undermining Fiat’s Evil

Bitcoin’s adoption is not a call for violent upheaval but a peaceful revolution. Its design enables individuals and communities to opt out of the fiat system voluntarily, without coercion or conflict. As more people embrace Bitcoin, the centralized power of fiat systems will diminish, gradually eroding their capacity to inflict harm.

By transitioning to a Bitcoin standard, humanity can address the root causes of its existential crises. The result is a future where economic systems align with ethical values, fostering cooperation, sustainability, and a renewed sense of purpose.

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Conclusion: Choosing Survival Over Extinction

The fiat system, driven by greed and short-termism, has positioned humanity on the brink of self-destruction. Yet, Bitcoin offers a viable path to a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient future. It is not merely a financial technology but a philosophical shift—a reimagining of what it means to value life, labor, and the planet itself.

Adopting Bitcoin is not just about securing financial freedom; it is about safeguarding the very survival of our species and the ecosystems that sustain us. The choice before us is stark: continue down the fiat road toward extinction or embrace the decentralized, transparent, and ethical principles of Bitcoin to build a world worth living in.

Let this moment be a turning point, where humanity chooses not destruction, but redemption.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na danas.rs

11.01.2021 / Autor: Aleksandar Milošević

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Ima više od osam godina otkako sam prvi put čuo za to nešto što se zvalo bitkoin.

Libertarijanski san: „Decentralizovana“ valuta koju ne kontroliše nijedna država; na koju nijedna centralna banka ne može da utiče; koju je zahvaljujući „blokčejn“ tehnologiji nemoguće falsifikovati i koja nudi anonimnost kakvu poznaje samo keš.

Valuta čija je ukupna količina unapred fiksirana pa joj je rast vrednosti usađen u DNK.

I to još valuta koju je moguće dobiti besplatno, ali po zasluzi, jer bitkoini nastaju tako što vaš kompjuter reši komplikovani matematički zadatak iza kojeg se „krije“ jedan od ovih magičnih novčića.

To što je čitav sistem osmislio misteriozni matematički genije poznat kao Satoši Nakamoto, koji možda postoji, a možda i ne postoji i što se ceo finansijski establišment obrušio na čitavu bitkoin-maniju kombinacijom podsmeha i represivnih pretnji, moglo je samo da ubrza moju tadašnju odluku da kupim XFX ATI RADEON HD 5870 grafičku karticu za nekih 200 evra (maksimum koji sam od skromne novinarske plate mogao sebi da oprostim) i priključim se drugoj velikoj zlatnoj groznici, nekih 150 godina nakon one originalne, kalifornijske.

Ipak, kao što se da pretpostaviti iz činjenice da danas pišem ovaj tekst umesto da na nekom tropskom ostrvu vežbam skokove u vodu, sudbina nije htela da se obogatim rudareći bitkoine.

Ispostavilo se, naime, da moja moćna grafička karta ne odgovara mojoj dosta nesposobnoj matičnoj ploči, pa sam uz pomoć najgore „cost-benefit“ analize u istoriji biznisa zaključio da je bolje da prodam grafičku sa 20 evra gubitka i zaboravim na sve, nego da zarad svoje igrarije menjam čitav kompjuter.

Ta greška koštala me je nekih 700.000 dolara.

Toliko bih, žalosno je, danas imao da sam propalu investiciju u pogrešan hardver pretvorio u novotariju zvanu kriptovaluta, po tadašnjem kursu od 10 dolara za novčić, umesto što sam „zaboravio na sve“.

Bitkoin je, ispostavilo se, postao prilično velika stvar.

S kursom od 40.000 dolara za jedan bitkoin, s međunarodnim bankama koje spekulišu ovom valutom, s nuklearnim naučnicima hapšenim jer su ruski državni superkompjuter upregli da za njih rudari bitkoin, sa novinskim izveštajima o ljudima koji idu u zemlje s jeftinom strujom da u njima instaliraju čitava skladišta puna računara za traženje bitkoina, pa čak i sa poslednjim pričama koje krive upravo bitkoin za to što je u Pakistanu pao napon struje za 200 miliona ljudi i što je 500 miliona Evropljana zamalo ostalo bez svetla, nema nikakve sumnje da je bitkoin nešto veliko.

A opet, to nešto veliko i dalje uporno ostaje – ništa.

Ma koliko neverovatna cena od 40.000 dolara delovala zavodljivo, bitkoin entuzijasti su već jednom, pre tačno dve godine, sve to već doživeli, kada je ova valuta prvi put u meteorskom usponu za samo par nedelja dostigla 20.000 dolara, da bi se onda jednako naglo i jednako neobjašnjivo survala nazad, ostavljajući mnoge sa velikom i nimalo virtuelnom rupom u džepu.

Osnovni problem bitkoina, uzrok njegove karakteristične nestabilnosti – ogromnih skokova i jednako spektakularnih padova – jeste to što niko ne zna za šta je on koristan.

Ma kako uzbudljivo delovala čitava priča o novcu koji je van kontrole vlade, koji nudi anonimnost transakcija i koji je navodno nemoguće falsifikovati, činjenica je da prosečnoj osobi ništa od toga nije potrebno.

Tačnije, bitkoin – sem u uskom krugu slučajeva – ne nudi ništa što već ne možete da dobijete sa svojom valutom, a da vam je potrebno.

Za anonimnost je većini dovoljan keš, rizik od falsifikata je dovoljno mali da je zanemarljiv, a kontrola države i nezavisnost od monetarnih vlasti su priče koje su ljudima eventualno intelektualno zanimljive, ali nikog neće naterati da u praksi krene da koristi neku virtuelnu valutu.

Zato je bitkoin ostao novac ponajviše upotrebljavan za nezakonite transakcije – otkup podataka od hakera, prodaju droge i tome slično – gde su anonimnost i elektronski transfer novca bitniji od svega.

Zašto onda raste cena bitkoinu?

Zato što svi kupuju bitkoine nadajući se da će im cena skočiti i da će zaraditi.

Kako raste tražnja tako raste cena i očekivanje se ispunjava.

Onda kad tražnja nestane, a to će se desiti kad svi koji su upravo sad čuli za bitkoin pokupuju virtuelne novčiće videvši koliki je rast cene u poslednjim danima, cena će krenuti da pada.

Jer – bitkoini nikom nisu potrebni i niko ne želi da ih zadrži. Sve što svi žele je da ih kupe, da im cena „iz nekog razloga skoči“ i da ih onda zamene za „pravi novac“.

U toj igri, koja se stalno ponavlja kako naiđe novi talas publiciteta, neko naravno mora i da izgubi.

Bitkoin neće postići stabilnost i neće uspeti da iskaže svoju „deflatornu“ prirodu u koju se svi uzdaju da im trajno podiže vrednost novčića koje poseduju, sve dok se ne bude pronašla njegova svrha kao valute.

Dok dovoljno veliki broj ljudi ne bude hteo da drži i koristi bitkoine za ono za šta je svaka valuta namenjena – za kupovinu roba i usluga.

Droga, oružje, ucene i ostale oblasti kriminalne ekonomije nisu dovoljni da bi se takva stabilnost postigla.

Glavni problem bitkoina je zato njegova praznina.

Bitkoin nije zlato našeg doba. Pre je blato.

@ 00cfe60d:2819cc65

Lets start with the money talk, at its core, a good form of money is created from two key ingredients: time and energy.

**Money = Time + Energy ** This simple idea explains why money has value. Time is something we can never get back, and energy is what powers everything we do, both mentally and physically. Together, they create value.

Why Energy is So Important Energy is what keeps life going. It’s essential for everything we use and do every day. For example:

• Food without energy to cook is raw and not very tasty.
• A car without energy doesn’t go anywhere.
• A person without energy feels tired and can’t work or play.
• Your work without energy gets nothing done.
• Football without energy means no running, no cheering, and no fun.
• A phone without energy is just a useless object.
• A house without energy is cold, dark, and uncomfortable.
• Transportation without energy means no moving buses, trains, or planes.
• The internet without energy means no websites, no games, and no communication.
• Nature without energy means plants don’t grow and animals can’t survive.

And what about money without energy? ** We often hear that “time is money” but if money is created without any time or energy, it becomes worthless. That’s why energy is so important in giving money its value.

Why Bitcoin is Different

Bitcoin is special because it follows the equation of money perfectly. It’s the best kind of money because it requires both time and energy to exist. Here’s how:

• Time: Bitcoin’s network is designed to create new bitcoins at regular intervals, so time is built into the system.

• Energy: Bitcoin is made using a process called Proof-of-Work, which uses real-world energy to produce and secure it. This ties its value to effort and cost.

Thanks to this process, Bitcoin is:

1. Scarce: There will only ever be 21 million bitcoins. It can’t be copied or faked.

2. Reliable: Its value is tied to real-world energy, making it solid and trustworthy.

3. Effort-Based: No one can create bitcoins out of thin air. It takes real work.

This makes Bitcoin an honest form of money, free from manipulation or shortcuts. It connects the digital and physical worlds through energy, just like gold was in the past, requiring time and energy to extract and maintain its value.

The Problem with Regular Money (Fiat Money)

On the other hand, fiat money, the kind printed by governments, doesn’t follow the same rules. It’s made without effort, just by pressing a button. This leads to big problems:

1. Inflation: More money is printed, making the money you already have worth less.

2. Manipulation: Governments and banks can change the rules whenever they want.

3. Unfairness: People closest to the money printers benefit the most, while everyone else pays the price.

4. Fiat money breaks the rule of time and energy. It’s just a symbol, not a true store of value.

**Henry Ford’s Energy Currency Idea ** Over 100 years ago, Henry Ford had a bold idea: What if money was based on energy? He believed energy was the ultimate resource because it’s measurable and valuable to everyone.

Bitcoin brings Ford’s vision to life. Its Proof-of-Work system ties money directly to energy. Bitcoin acts as a global, incorruptible energy currency that rewards effort and aligns money with real-world value.

Why Energy-Based Money Matters

Money that’s rooted in time and energy isn’t just an idea, it’s a principle we live by every day. To truly understand the value of energy and effort, let me share a personal story.

Every single day of the week, I train. I pour my energy and effort into CrossFit, pushing my body and mind to their limits. Last year, during a competition, I achieved something I’d never done before: 12 ring muscle-ups. Before that, my maximum was just three. Through consistent training, spending my time and energy at the gym, I earned that reward. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.

This is Proof-of-Work in action. Just like my training required time and energy to achieve results, Bitcoin requires time and energy to exist. Its

Proof-of-Work mechanism ensures:

• It can’t be faked or inflated.
• It rewards hard work and energy, not shortcuts or manipulation.
• It restores trust by linking value to real-world effort.

In a world where fiat money can be printed without effort, Bitcoin shines as a clear and honest form of money. Like the work I put into my training, Bitcoin ties time and energy to value, creating a system that’s fair, transparent, and built to last.

@ f6f3be48:ba08f5dd

"The Synagogue of Satan just launched a drone strike on western Gaza City, murdering Palestinian journalist Hassan al-Qishawi (R.A.)

He is now the 245th reporter summarily executed by the bacteria called Talmudistan since October 7th, 2023.

Only in Palestine does your profession signify whether you live or die. Tell the truth about crimes against Gentiles by way of media? Dead. Saving Gentile lives? Dead. Attempting to feed Gentiles? Dead. Filling Gentiles with joy? Dead. Inspiring Gentiles to fight back with art? Dead. Welcome to the dystopia of Judaism. Coming soon worldwide if Gentile nations outside of the Resistance Axis don't stop cucking to World Jewry STAT."

t.me/Cultures_of_Resistance/39316

@ 1932ff32:379e3b12

Netwin là một trong những nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến nổi bật, thu hút đông đảo người dùng nhờ vào sự đa dạng trong hoạt động và chất lượng dịch vụ vượt trội. Với giao diện được thiết kế chuyên nghiệp cùng các tính năng hiện đại, Netwin không ngừng cải tiến nhằm mang lại những trải nghiệm tốt nhất cho người tham gia. Đây là lựa chọn lý tưởng cho những ai muốn tìm kiếm một không gian giải trí tiện lợi, sáng tạo và đáng tin cậy.

Điểm mạnh đầu tiên khi nhắc đến Netwin chính là giao diện thân thiện và dễ sử dụng. Các danh mục được sắp xếp hợp lý, rõ ràng, giúp người dùng nhanh chóng tìm thấy các tính năng mình cần. Việc tối ưu hóa giao diện cho nhiều loại thiết bị cũng là một ưu điểm lớn, cho phép người dùng dễ dàng truy cập mọi lúc, mọi nơi. Điều này tạo ra sự linh hoạt trong việc sử dụng, mang lại sự thuận tiện tối đa cho người tham gia. https://netwin-vn.com

Bên cạnh giao diện, Netwin còn gây ấn tượng bởi sự phong phú trong các hoạt động giải trí. Nền tảng này liên tục cập nhật các hoạt động mới, đa dạng về hình thức và nội dung nhằm mang đến cảm giác mới mẻ, thú vị cho người dùng. Ngoài ra, Netwin còn tạo điều kiện cho các thành viên tương tác với nhau, xây dựng một cộng đồng trực tuyến sôi động và gắn kết. Chính sự đổi mới không ngừng đã giúp Netwin giữ vững được vị thế của mình trong lòng người dùng.

Netwin luôn đề cao tính minh bạch và an toàn. Nền tảng áp dụng các biện pháp bảo mật tiên tiến để đảm bảo mọi thông tin cá nhân của người dùng được bảo vệ tốt nhất. Đồng thời, Netwin khuyến khích người dùng sử dụng nền tảng một cách có trách nhiệm, cung cấp các công cụ hỗ trợ quản lý thời gian hiệu quả. Đây là yếu tố quan trọng giúp tạo dựng niềm tin và xây dựng một môi trường giải trí lành mạnh, an toàn cho tất cả mọi người.

Tóm lại, Netwin không chỉ đơn thuần là một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến mà còn là nơi mang lại những giá trị tinh thần tích cực cho cộng đồng người dùng. Với giao diện thân thiện, nội dung đa dạng và sự chú trọng vào an toàn, Netwin đã và đang trở thành lựa chọn ưu tiên cho những ai yêu thích sự đổi mới và chất lượng. Trong tương lai, Netwin hứa hẹn sẽ tiếp tục phát triển và mang đến thêm nhiều trải nghiệm thú vị hơn nữa cho người dùng.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na politika.rs

13.09.2021 / Autor: Aleksandar Apostolovski

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Za svet virtuelne banalnosti u koji smo umarširali potrebna je i njegova moneta. Kakav svet takvo i sredstvo plaćanja.

Ni četnički jataci nisu kao što su nekada bili. Ne skrivaju se u zemunicama, ne spremaju masnu gibanicu – prste da poližeš – ne čekaju zapadne saveznike da se iskrcaju na Jadranu. Verovatno nemaju ni brade modne linije starog američkog benda „Zi Zi Top”.

Nepoznata sajber ilegalna grupa upala je u podrum kuće čiča Draže u Ivanjici. Zaista, prvorazredna vest. Instalirali su snažne procesore i mašine za rudarenje bitkoinima i daljinskim sistemom. Ko zna odakle. Možda sa Kariba, možda iz Kosjerića, možda iz Jajca – ako su ipak partizani. Trgovali su kriptovalutama. Umalo da tako rasture uličnu rasvetu tokom „Nušićijade”, pa su čelnici opštine sproveli internu istragu, tražeći ilegalce koji vrše diverziju nad elektroenergetskim sistemom grada i festivalom satire.

Upali su u Dražin dom, sišli u podrum i zatekli sofisticiranu opremu, snažne procesore i nekakve mašine za rudarenje po internetu. Kompjuterski komandosi, naravno, nisu bili prisutni. Sada ih juri policija. Potrošili su oko 55.000 kilovat-sati struje. Verovatno se skrivaju pod stripovskim kodnim imenima, poput hakera iz Niša koji su ojadili Teksašane, pa im je doakao FBI, jer Ameri možda trpe svoje prevarante koji muzu kockare na globalnom groblju kriptovaluta, ali ne dozvoljavaju da se u međunarodnu spekulativnu igru ubace mozgovi sa južne pruge, gde je dozvoljeno da se prži paprika, pravi ajvar i sluša melanholični džez na „Nišvilu”.

Jedan od članova niške hakerske grupe je Antonije Stojiljković, koji se krio iza lažnih imena „Toni Rivas” i „Džejkob Gold”, a u slobodno vreme bio je reper poznatiji kao „Zli Toni”. Stojiljković je izručen Americi zbog računarskih prevara. Dobrovoljno se prijavio kako bi se sklonio u Ameriku.

Ti momci su nudili bitkoin upola cene i stvorili takvu virtuelnu međunarodnu mrežu lažnih kompanija, menadžera, uz organizaciju video-konferencija, da su omađijali dobar deo internet investitora iz Teksasa, te je Federalni istražni biro morao da spasava čast kauboja koje su izradile Nišlije. Njihov vođa, izvesni Kristijan Krstić, prestao je da se javlja policiji, nestao je sa suprugom i ortakom Markom Pavlovićem bez traga, iako su pod istragom, što može da poremeti i diplomatske odnose između Srbije i SAD.

Taj Kristijan, ne onaj Kristijan koji se seli iz rijalitija u rijaliti, koristio je nadimke poput „Feliksa Logana” ili „Maršala Grahama” i na internet prevarama zaradio je više desetina miliona evra. Priča nije nimalo bezazlena. Veze „Zlog Tonija” dosežu, bar po dosadašnjem toku istrage, sve do klana Belivuka.

Ali, to će rešavati sudovi i policija, mada i podaci koji su procurili otkrivaju suštinu fame bitkoin i na hiljade kriptovaluta koje može stvoriti bilo koji maher, avanturista, šaljivdžija, klinac, multimilioner, tajne službe, trgovci oružjem, narko-bosovi, plaćene ubice ili Del Bojevi koji će iduće godine postati milioneri.

Virtuelni svet ne može postojati bez virtuelnih valuta, s tim što one nisu opipljive, iza njih ne stoje centralne banke i vlade. Dakle, nemate pojma ko ih je stvorio, nemate pojma s kime trgujete i ko su brokeri.

Vidim da na „Jutjubu”, u motelu „Stari Hrast” na Koridoru 10, neki momci plaćaju prebranac i vešalice bitkoinima, preko mobilnih telefona. U kafani primaju i etereume, digitalni novčić u usponu, odmah iza bitkoina. I za to čudo je potreban digitalni novčanik... Ovde ću se zaustaviti jer je za svet banalnosti u koji smo umarširali potrebna i njegova moneta. Kakav svet takvo i sredstvo plaćanja.

Kako su kompjuterski podaci svih vrsta, od pretraživača, društvenih mreža, aplikacija, do podataka kompanija, državnih i međunarodnih organizacija, i onih ličnih, koje upravo vi posedujete, postali nezamislivo ogromna baza koju je nemoguće uskladištiti, otvorena je berza za internet magacionere koji će, rudareći na internetu, postati kandidati za potencijalne šefove skladišta. Teoretski, možete izrudariti deo arhive CIA. Preporuka – ako saznate ko je ukokao Kenedija, ćutite ko zaliveni!

(Dragan Stojanović)

Da je Alija Sirotanović kojim slučajem rudario kao specijalci iz Dražinog podruma, postao bi Bil Gejts. Alija je znao da nema ’leba bez motike, odnosno krampa. Zato je ostao Sirotanović. Ovo je novo doba. Mašina krampuje u simuliranoj stvarnosti, a virtuelni homo sapijens upravlja procesorima. Bitkoin vrti gde burgija neće! Stvar ipak nije tako idilična. Te skalamerije troše ogromne količine električne energije i strahovito zagrevaju prostorije, pa je u Dražinom podrumu bilo nešto vrelije nego u sauni. Priča se da su najveći mešetari otperjali na Island da se prirodno rashlade. Sledeće stanište im je Grenland.

Kome god je stalo do računarskog kriptovalutnog avanturizma može da formira svoj mali rudnik, gde nema zlata ni dijamanata, ali ima koina, odnosno stotog dela bitkoina. Jedan trenutno vredi 50.000 dolara. Pitam se, ovako zastareo, gde su banke i menjačnice?

Sa ono malo informatičkog znanja – valjda ću uspeti nekako imejlom da pošaljem ovaj tekst – saznao sam da vrednost bitkoina vrtoglavo skače i pada na dnevnom nivou, a kako je njegov broj ograničen na globalnom nivou, a neformalni šef Federalnih rezervi bitkoina je donedavno bio jedan od najbogatijih ljudi sveta Ilon Mask, koji je na svom tviter nalogu svakodnevno formirao grafikon rasta i pada svojim opaskama, tu već naslućujem elemente bondovskog zapleta. Harizmatični superbogataš koji leti u svemir, poseduje kompaniju električnih automobila „Tesla”, upravljao je donedavno imaginarnom berzom i valutom, ali je nedavno odustao. Možda zato emigrira u kosmos?

Stvar zaista može izmaći kontroli ili će, možda, bitkoin postati naša sudbina, a mi rudari iz sauna? Salvador je pre nekoliko dana postao prva zemlja na svetu koja je usvojila bitkoin kao zakonsko sredstvo plaćanja, uz američki dolar, s planovima korišćenja vulkanske geotermalne energije za napajanje rudarenja digitalne valute. Postavili su i bankomate. Tamošnjem narodu, kao i meni, ništa nije jasno.

Međutim, broj bitkoina je ograničen i zato pomalo podseća na zlato. Ali kod zlata ipak ponešto razumem. Recimo, ako imam zlatnu polugu i neko me napadne, mogu da je koristim u samoodbrani, a onda je sklonim u trezor banke.

Mogu da učinim i nešto drugo, jednako glupo. Da stvorim sopstvenu kriptovalutu. Nazvaću je „Ser Oliver koin”. Cijena će joj, logično, biti prava sitnica. Trebaju mi saradnici. Kruži fama da se popriličan broj klinaca, mahom dvadesetogodišnjaka, pridružio kultu bitkoina. Tokom korone izgubili su poverenje u sve, naročito u nas matore. Optužuju nas za izdaju i predviđaju propast država i zvaničnih valuta, uz uspon dvoglave aždaje – saveza bogataša i političara.

Delimično su u pravu, ali nisu ukapirali ključnu stvar. Aždaja raste, a oni rudare. Na kraju će završiti još gore nego Alija Sirotanović. Likovi im neće biti na novčanicama, a kablovima će biti priključeni za superkompjuter. Njihov novi vlasnik, s kodnim imenom „Procesor”, plaćaće ih idiot-koinima. Tražili smo, gledaćemo.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Discover the controversial perspective that the fiat currency system, managed by central banks, resembles a legal Ponzi scheme. Uncover the nuances of fiat currency, central banking, and its potential parallels to Ponzi schemes. Also, explore the significance of Bitcoin in challenging traditional financial norms and its role as an emerging alternative. Is the foundation of our modern financial system truly as it seems, and can Bitcoin redefine the future of money?

Table Of Content

• The Fiat System: A Legal Ponzi Scheme?

• Bitcoin's Challenge to the Fiat System

• Bitcoin's Resistance to Manipulation

• The Emergence of Bitcoin ETFs

• Root Causes of Financial Frauds

• Conclusion

• FAQs

The Fiat System: A Legal Ponzi Scheme?

In the world of finance and economics, few terms are as polarising and provocative as "Ponzi scheme." Often associated with high-profile frauds and financial scandals, the concept of a Ponzi scheme typically conjures images of disgraced con artists and their unsuspecting victims. However, could it be that a similar model, albeit operating legally, is at the very core of our modern financial system?

At its core, the fiat monetary system is characterised by a crucial feature: the absence of intrinsic value. Unlike Bitcoin or other commodities that underpinned historical monetary systems, fiat currencies like the US dollar are not backed by tangible assets. Instead, their value is derived solely from the trust and confidence that people place in the issuing government or central authority.

A Ponzi scheme operates on the premise that returns to earlier investors are paid with the capital of newer investors, creating the illusion of profitability. This structure works as long as fresh investments continually pour in, masking the absence of a legitimate revenue source. The fiat system, in an eerily similar fashion, is perpetuated by continually increasing debt and the circulation of more currency.

In the fiat system, governments create money by issuing debt. The expansion of the money supply comes from loans that must eventually be repaid with interest. When these loans come due, governments often issue new debt to pay off the old, resulting in a growing debt burden. Just as a Ponzi scheme must attract new investors to maintain the illusion of solvency, governments must accumulate more debt to meet previous obligations, putting the burden on future generations.

The fiat system's longevity relies on a constant cycle of currency devaluation and inflation. Governments can effectively reduce the real value of their debt by inflating the currency, shifting the cost onto the populace. While this may seem sustainable in the short term, it mirrors the Ponzi scheme's tactic of robbing Peter to pay Paul. In both cases, there's a fundamental issue of sustainability.

Bitcoin's Challenge to the Fiat System

In recent years, Bitcoin has emerged as a revolutionary force challenging the traditional fiat monetary system. Built on the principles of decentralisation and indepence, poses a significant threat to the established norms of central banking and government-issued currencies.

Bitcoin operates on a decentralised network of computers, known as the blockchain. Unlike fiat currencies controlled by central banks, Bitcoin is not subject to the whims of any single authority. This decentralised nature promotes transparency, security, and trust among its users, effectively challenging the centralised control of fiat money.

One of Bitcoin's most distinctive features is its capped supply of 21 million coins. This scarcity stands in stark contrast to fiat currencies that can be printed endlessly by governments. Bitcoin's limited supply acts as a hedge against inflation, making it an attractive store of value.

Bitcoin's technology ensures secure ownership of assets. Users have control over their private keys, reducing the risk of unauthorised seizures or asset freezes, a concern in the fiat system.

Bitcoin is accessible to anyone with an internet connection, providing financial inclusion to the unbanked and underbanked populations. This inclusivity challenges the exclusivity of fiat systems, which often require intermediaries and traditional banking infrastructure.

The decentralised nature of Bitcoin makes it resistant to censorship, ensuring that transactions are not subject to arbitrary restrictions or controls, as seen in some fiat-based systems.

Bitcoin's disruptive potential in the world of finance is undeniable. Its challenge to the fiat system represents a shift in the way we think about money, wealth, and economic systems. As Bitcoin continues to gain mainstream acceptance, it raises fundamental questions about the future of currency and financial infrastructure.

Bitcoin's Resistance to Manipulation:

In the world of finance and economics, the notion of a truly decentralised, trustless, and censorship-resistant form of money is both revolutionary and, to some, unnerving. Bitcoin, stands as a testament to the potential of digital assets to challenge conventional fiat currencies and the centralised systems that underpin them. A fundamental aspect of Bitcoin's allure is its resistance to manipulation, a quality that sets it apart from traditional financial systems and even some other cryptocurrencies.

At its core, Bitcoin operates on a blockchain – a distributed ledger that records all transactions across a vast network of computers. This decentralised nature, combined with cryptographic principles, ensures a high degree of security and transparency. Unlike fiat currencies, which are subject to the whims of central banks and governments, Bitcoin's monetary policy is encoded in its software. The total supply is capped at 21 million coins, and new Bitcoins are issued in a predictable, diminishing manner through a process known as mining.

Bitcoin's resistance to manipulation stems from several key factors. Firstly, its decentralised network is maintained by a diverse group of miners worldwide, making it nearly impossible for any single entity to exert control over the system. Unlike centralised financial institutions that can manipulate interest rates, print money at will, or engage in other questionable practices, Bitcoin's protocol operates independently of human interference.

Secondly, Bitcoin's security mechanisms, such as proof-of-work, ensure that transactions are validated by a competitive network of miners. This makes it incredibly costly and difficult for anyone to compromise the network. Additionally, the immutability of the blockchain means that once a transaction is recorded, it cannot be altered or deleted, providing a robust defence against fraud or manipulation.

Lastly, Bitcoin's open-source nature allows the global community to scrutinise its code and propose changes through a consensus-driven process. Any updates or improvements to the network require majority approval, preventing any single entity from manipulating the protocol to suit its interests.

As traditional fiat currencies face challenges related to inflation, political influence, and centralised control, Bitcoin's resistance to manipulation positions it as a compelling alternative. While it is not without its own set of unique risks, Bitcoin's core principles of decentralisation and transparency contribute to its appeal as a novel form of digital money that empowers individuals and resists manipulation by powerful institutions.

The Emergence of Bitcoin ETFs

The emergence of Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) represents a notable development in the world of digital investments, serving as a bridge between traditional financial markets and the realm of digital assets. These ETFs provide a convenient and regulated avenue for investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without the need to directly possess the cryptocurrency. This comes at a time when Bitcoin has garnered widespread recognition and piqued the interest of both retail and institutional investors.

One crucial aspect of Bitcoin ETFs is their potential to simplify the investment process. Rather than dealing with the intricacies of owning and securely storing Bitcoin in digital wallets, investors can purchase shares of a Bitcoin ETF through conventional brokerage accounts. This streamlined approach lowers entry barriers for those who might have hesitated to navigate the complexities of Blockchain and self-custody.

Furthermore, Bitcoin ETFs offer regulatory oversight and investor protection. These funds operate within the bounds of financial regulations and undergo scrutiny from relevant authorities, enhancing security for investors. They also confer an aura of legitimacy upon the digital asset market, rendering it more appealing to institutional investors that necessitate adherence to regulatory standards.

The advent of Bitcoin ETFs mirrors the evolving role of digital assets. Bitcoin, once considered a niche asset, has matured into a mainstream investment choice. The interest in Bitcoin ETFs signifies the growing embrace of digital assets within the conventional financial system.

However, the ascent of Bitcoin ETFs also ignites discussions about their potential impact on the digital asset market. Some believe that they might stimulate increased demand for Bitcoin, potentially influencing its price dynamics. Nonetheless, these ETFs mark a pivotal step in the broader adoption of digital assets, attracting a wider range of investors to the digital asset sphere.

Root Causes of Financial Frauds

The root causes of financial fraud extend beyond the realm of digital currencies, highlighting that deception-driven activities primarily originate outside the digital asset ecosystem. While the term "digital currency fraud" often suggests that virtual assets are the focal point of these fraudulent activities, in reality, it's seldom the case.

Contrary to the prevailing narrative that digital currencies are a haven for illicit activities, fiat currency remains the preferred choice of financial criminals. Reports from the US Treasury and EUROPOL emphasise that traditional financial channels, associated with fiat transactions, still play a more substantial role in illegal financial activities than virtual assets. Fiat currencies, despite being subject to stringent regulations and oversight, continue to be the medium of choice for criminal activities.

The heart of the matter lies in distinguishing between the origin of the fraud and the role of digital currency within it. In numerous instances, the initial fraudulent activity takes place within non-financial domains or fiat transactions. An illustrative example is credit card fraud, which primarily employs fiat-based payments for unauthorised charges. While some cases culminate in the acquisition of digital currencies, the initial fraudulent activity is rooted in fiat-based mechanisms.

Even in the context of digital currency romance scams or investment schemes, the crux of the fraud lies in establishing non-financial relationships with victims. Funds often start as fiat, moving through traditional payment channels before making their way into digital currencies. The fraud's inception, therefore, remains primarily in the fiat space, and there are several opportunities for intervention through conventional financial systems.

Decentralised Finance (DeFi) hacks, which sometimes fall within the digital currency realm, are more related to risk management protocols within the DeFi ecosystem. These vulnerabilities are often not tied to digital currencies themselves but stem from flaws in DeFi platforms, frequently involving phishing tactics.

To combat these financial frauds with digital currency involvement, it is essential to recognize the preliminary stages of deception, which usually unfold outside the digital asset landscape. Enhancing AML and transaction monitoring intelligence tools, combined with educational efforts, can proactively identify and mitigate potential fraud risks in the fiat sector, even before they intersect with digital currencies. This approach can address the root causes of financial fraud effectively, irrespective of whether they subsequently involve digital currencies or traditional financial systems.

Conclusion

The emergence of Bitcoin has shed light on a widespread, yet often unacknowledged, issue in the world of finance—the fiat scam. Fiat currencies, including the U.S. dollar and the euro, are the lifeblood of traditional financial systems, issued and governed by central banks. However, these currencies lack intrinsic value and are subject to manipulation by central authorities, akin to a legal Ponzi scheme.

Central banks, empowered by governments, possess the authority to create and manage fiat money. They can print additional currency at will, which devalues existing holdings and redistributes wealth, all under the umbrella of legality. Moreover, fiat transactions typically involve intermediaries, like banks, adding layers of complexity and fees.

Bitcoin has introduced an alternative financial paradigm. Unlike fiat, Bitcoin operates on a transparent blockchain network with a predetermined supply, immune to central authority manipulation. It has become a symbol of decentralised financial systems and digital scarcity.

As the world grapples with this shift, it is essential to acknowledge the fiat scam—a legal Ponzi scheme perpetuated by central banks. With increased awareness and the rise of Bitcoin, the financial landscape is poised for transformation, challenging the dominance of fiat currencies.

FAQs

Is the Fiat System Truly a Legal Ponzi Scheme? The fiat system shares similarities with a legal Ponzi scheme in its reliance on continual growth and debt accumulation to sustain itself, but it's important to note that the key difference is legality. Central banks have the authority to issue fiat, making it legal, while Ponzi schemes are fraudulent by nature.

How Does Bitcoin Challenge the Fiat System? Bitcoin challenges the traditional fiat system through decentralisation, a limited supply of 21 million coins, user-controlled assets, accessibility for the unbanked, and resistance to censorship, providing an alternative to centralised fiat currencies.

What Are the Root Causes of Financial Frauds? Root causes of financial frauds often start with non-financial activities or fiat transactions. Credit card fraud, romance scams, and investment schemes typically begin with fiat-based transactions before involving digital currencies. Enhancing AML and transaction monitoring tools can proactively address these root causes in both digital and traditional financial systems.

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Last week, I was reading “The Air We Breathe”, by Glen Scrivener. It’s about “How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality”, and it explores the Christian roots of the values we prize in today's western society. It’s all around us, but we don’t really know where it came from: It’s the air we’re breathing. The ideas and ethics behind Christianity, whether you believe in them or not, are embedded in our culture.

As I was reading this, I saw so many parallels with Bitcoin, so wanted to list them below and share some of my thoughts. Can Bitcoin also become “The Air We Breathe”? Or in plebs words: hyperbitcoinization? Can Bitcoin become so ubiquitous that it becomes normal? Can there be a world in which we don’t even know where Bitcoin came from? It would be a world with many similar views as with today's view on Christianity. It becomes the air we breathe, something that used to be a counterculture that over time became ubiquitous. What can we learn from it?

These are my ten parallels of Bitcoin with the early days of Christianity. 1. Separation from state 2. From obscure counterculture to dominant force 3. Exponential grassroots growth 4. Conversion of emperors/politicians 5. Sudden tolerance and protection for ideology 6. Fall of the empire, end of the status quo 7. Missionaries spreading the word 8. Persuasion and education are key 9. Age of Enlightenment

Note: I’m no expert on Christianity, nor a historian of the Roman Empire, and I know just a bit about Bitcoin. See this as a thought experiment.

1. Separation from state In all fairness, I’m not the first to draw this first parallel. It was Satoshi Nakamoto themself who made the connection even before Bitcoin was available to the public, with several hints pointing back to important dates and moments in Christian history. The big parallel here is the “separation of money and state” and “separation of church and state”.

Before going back to the early days of Christianity in the first centuries AD, I first want to draw this parallel with Satoshi.

It’s 1517. The German Priest Maarten Luther writes his Ninety-five Theses, and nails this on the church doors in Wittenberg. The theses are also known as the “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”. He kickstarted a movement with a radical new idea for that time: The separation of the church from the state.

The Catholic Church had become one with the state. Via the means of indulgences, there was an ability to pay for your redemption. The church was corrupted by money, power and politics. The church and indulgences replaced the need for personal responsibility and an individual faith with money and perverse structures.

Reformation Day is a Protestant Christian religious holiday celebrated on 31 October in remembrance of the onset of the Reformation. But the 31st of October is also the day in which Satoshi shared his pamphlet with the world: in 2008 they published the Bitcoin Whitepaper. It kickstarted a movement with a radical new idea for that time: The separation of the money from the state.

But this was not Satoshi’s only hint. Another one is the date of Bitcoin’s Genesis Block: January 3, 2009. It was the day that the idea of the separation of money and the state became reality, more than just an idea in an individual's mind.

Did you know that Maarten Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1521 by Pope Leo X for sparking this revolutionary new way of thinking (and being). It happened on January 3 as well. I bet Satoshi Nakamoto knew.

To be fair, this parallel is not new and known by many bitcoiners. But it’s a good introduction to the topic, and after reading “The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality”, I automatically started to see more parallels between (the early days of) Christianity and todays adoption of Bitcoin. Because it was of course not Maarten Luther who sparked these rebellious thoughts in 1500, but it was Jesus himself approx. 2000 years ago.

Let’s go back from the 1500s to the first decades AD to the beginning of this radical new belief system. During the dominance of the Roman empire in the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, someone told a story that opposed every mainstream paradigm.

Jesus’ idea was radically different from the belief systems of that day. He preached Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality in a world that was full of Debauchery and Violence, with Gladiator Games, Slavery, Public Crucifixion, and Brutalities. The belief system of that time was not like todays. There were superior races (Greek/Romans over barbarians), superior sexes (man over women), superior classes (free man over slaves) and the concept of justice was more something in the realm of “restoring rights of those that were superior”, than “equality for all, men and women, Greek and barbarian, free and slave”.

Jesus opposed the status quo. It started small and irrelevant; as a counterculture. But it didn’t stay that way.

2. From obscure counterculture to dominant force In “The Air We Breathe”, Scrivener asks the question: “How did the obscure, marginal Jesus movement of the 1st century become the dominant religious force in the Western world in a few centuries?”

Important to know, is that the Christian faith was the opposite of the narrative. Concepts like Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality didn’t exist in the Roman Empire. Human rights neither. Individual rights neither. The emperor was almost de facto God himself.

Early Christians were persecuted for preaching a different story: that God is NOT the ruler of the empire. Jesus preached the separation of politics from God; separating faith from the state. As a result, he was crucified, and many of his followers were killed by Nero (between 54 and 68 AD), Domitian (81–96 AD), Trajan (98–117 AD) and Decius (249–251 AD). This new narrative was a thread for the Roman rulers.

Draw the parallels of how there have been many attempts to “kill” bitcoin, not with physical persecution but with an information war. Not by physical violence, but by misinformation. Bitcoin threatens the status quo, just like Christianity threatened the Roman Empire.

You see?

But how is the obscure movement of Bitcoin in the 20th century becoming the dominant force, similar to the question that Scrivener asked about Christianity? Perhaps the answer lies in the following parallel.

3. Exponential grassroots growth Sociologist Rodney Stark estimates in “The Rise of Christianity” that from the time of the first Easter, the church began growing at a rate of 40% per decade, a modest but relentless 3.4% per year. By the year 300, Christians numbered perhaps 6 million: about a tenth of the empire.

Despite pushbacks, the army of believers continued to grow. Grassroots, peer-to-peer. It was not the state-religion, it was a peaceful army of believers that spread the word, resulting in an exponential growth of its followers. The counterculture became more and more dominant.

You may see what I’m doing here. It was basically the meme that all Bitcoiners know: Gradually, then suddenly. Against the current.

4. Conversion of emperors/politicians In 312 a big change happened: Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. As Stark writes, "Constantine's conversion would better be seen as a response to the massive exponential wave in progress, not as its cause".

Are we living in that same era, where nation states start to embrace Bitcoin? Where politicians don’t oppose as strongly anymore, but are flirting with the idea of embracing it? And again the parallel: it’s responsive to the exponential wave of progress, not as its cause.

Whether Constantine is Nayib Bukele, Donald Trump, or Milei: it doesn’t matter. It’s the dynamic that matters. The counterculture becomes so dominant, that the “rulers” of the world are wanting to be part of it. Which will be followed by “rules” that favour the ideology, movement, and beliefs.

5. Tolerance and protection for ideology In 313 Constatines Edict of Milan granted freedom to Christians that were remarkable for that time and a model for religious toleration for the coming centuries.

The tide was turning, and by 380 Emperor Theodosius made Christianity Rome's official religion, more than half the population had already converted. In a few short centuries Christianity had gone from radical counterculture to dominant cultural power. This was an extraordinary shift in the church's relationship with the world. The edict expressly grants religious liberty to Christians, who had been the object of special persecution, but also goes even further and grants liberty to all other religions. And then, in 410, the world itself changed.

It changed from grassroots, bottom-up adoption to some kind of nation state adoption. One that was driven by decrees and edicts, instead of the analog cyberhornets of that day. Actually, the ideas of Indulgences were introduced via these Edicts, something that Maarten Luther actually was fighting against in the 1500s.

The world changed from the state-less Christian belief and moved (back) towards a system in which the state and church were connected again. Yes — the Roman Catholic Church. Until the previously mentioned critics during the Reformation.

6. Fall of the empire, end of the status quo When people speak of the fall of the Roman Empire, they usually mean in the 5th century when the western half fell. But there was also an eastern half, known as the Byzantine Empire (with its capital in what is modern-day Istanbul).

How did this relate to the movement that once was Cult, and now suddenly had become Culture?

It was Augustine, the north African bishop (354-430), who laid the foundation for a new philosophical, theological, and legal system. He distinguished between the fragile earthly realm and the eternal heavenly kingdom. Rome was “a city of man”, which fell. But the “city of God” was forever. He continued to separate the Roman Catholic Church from the faith that it once was. This distinction was vital, and it gave rise to the concept of "the secular realm". He planted the first ideas of "the separation of church and state" again, which started to spread throughout Europe during the supposedly "sandy desert" of the Middle Ages.

The parallel and lesson here might be that narratives can be taken over, for the worse. And that it takes centuries to take back the narrative, but/and only after an empire has fallen. Whether we refer to “The Fourth Turning” by William Strauss and Neil Howe or “Changing World Orders” by Ray Dalio. There is something to preserve, and it needs active monitoring and pushbacks!

7. Missionary, spreading the word The way the church sought to spread its influence would become a question that would take many centuries (and many failures) to settle. In the past, empires sought to spread their influence almost always by force. Christianity has been a missionary faith from the beginning. It was for this reason that Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine to Britain to convert the Anglo-Saxons.

Augustine was commanded by Gregory to use only "gentle means". His goal was persuasion. His method was teaching and preaching. And he was successful, converting King Aethelbert of Kent and becoming the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

You see what I’m talking about again: the parallel is simple. Bitcoin is a similar peaceful revolution, a missionary movement, of those that wish to see their Cult turn into a Culture. “Genle means”, teachings, persuasions. Or in pleb terminology: Orangepilling.

8. Persuasion and education are key Over the next decades and centuries, this movement continued. English Benedictine monk (675-754) Boniface was sent from the previously “barbarian” Britain to “orangepill the East” – in this case the Saxons in the Germanic lands. In the words of his advisor, the Bishop of Winchester, his goal was "to convince them by many documents and arguments". This mission of persuasion and education was largely successful. Today he’s better known as “the Apostle to the Germans". He was killed in The Netherlands (Dokkum).

Boniface kept to a policy of non-violence and non-retaliation, even to the point of death. Another famous writer about this topic, Tom Holland, summarises the lesson we learn from Boniface: "to convert was to educate".

In the following century this lesson was sorely needed by the Frankish king Charles the Great, aka Charlemagne (742-814). Charlemagne's path to power was a brutal one. When the Saxons stood in his way, Charlemagne beheaded 4,500 of them in a single day. There are concrete reasons why "getting medieval" might be associated today with brutality.

Is “Bitcoin as Legal Tender”, whether this is peaceful or violently, the way to go? Are we “getting medieval” with these kind of measures, in order to go from Cult to Culture, from counterculture to dominant culture, in which we lose the true essence of our revolution of separation of the state from the matter?

9. Age of Enlightenment Alcuin of York (735-804), was bold enough to write to Charlemagne directly with his criticism. "A person can be drawn into the faith, not forced into it". Be a lighthouse, not a tugboat!

The church's official teaching would later agree with Alcuin's position. In the 12th century all "harsh means" were forbidden since faith arises from the will, not compulsion. Enlightenment comes through education and persuasion.

There’s work to do. Grassroots. Education. Peer-to-peer. Not directed by politicians, nor opposed by those in power. Through education and persuasion. Rules without rulers. Because eventually, with the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, there are stark examples of the church using “harsh means" again. Forcing Bitcoin on people will never be the way: it’s a cheat code to the end goal. In order to succeed, we’ll need to be a missionary.

Final words I don’t want in any way to compare Christianity in itself as a faith, and Bitcoin as a technology, with each other. I enjoyed exploring the sociological phenomena between two countercultures, the grassroots movement and missionary parallels between both of them. Satoshi gave the first assist, with the 31st of October (Whitepaper Day) and the Genesis Block on January 3rd.

Let’s not mix religion with monetary systems, even though there are many similarities between certain movements. That’s not my goal for sharing this brain dump. But let’s learn from the past, from Constatine’s Edict and from Augustine, from Charlemagne (and especially Alcuin of York), from Boniface and from Maarten Luther. And from Satoshi Nakamoto.

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Originalni tekst na trzisnoresenje.blogspot.com

22.12.2017 / Autor: Slaviša Tasić

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Ovoliki uspon Bitcoina neobjašnjiv je za ekonomiste. Ne znam da li je to problem za bitcoin ili za ekonomiste, ali činjenica je da se uspeh bitcoina ne uklapa u postojeće ekonomske koncepte bar kada se radi o njemu kao valuti (blockchain kao tehnološka podloga je druga stvar). Možda su tinejdžeri koji su kupovali bitcoin 2010. i sada postali milioneri ispali pametniji od ekonomista, ali ja i dalje ne vidim odgovor bitcoina na neka standardna konceptualna pitanja. Postoji apokrifna izjava pripisana nekom profesoru ekonomije: "OK, vidim da to radi u praksi -- ali čik da vidim da li radi u teoriji?" Ovo je nešto tog tipa.

O poreklu novca, od Aristotela nasuprot Platonu pa sve do danas, postoje dve teorije. Jedna je teorija robnog novca i po njoj je novac nastao kada su neke vredne stvari počele da se češće koriste u razmeni. Plemeniti metali, naročito srebro i zlato, najpogodniji za čuvanje, oblikovanje i seckanje tako su postali novac. Kada se kasnije pojavio papirni novac on je sve do prvih decenija 20. veka bio samo hartija od vrednosti koja donosiocu daje pravo na propisanu količinu zlata.

Druga teorija je kartalizam, po kojoj neku robu novcem ne čini njena unutrašnja vrednost ili robna podloga, već država onda kada odluči da tu robu prihvata za naplatu poreza. Zbog toga je prelaz na papirni novac tokom 20. veka bio tako bezbolan i papirne valute se danas bez problema prihvataju. Današnji papirni novac nije više sertifikat koji vam daje pravo na zlato, ali vrednost ima jer u krajnjoj liniji znate da njime uvek možete platiti državi za porez ili usluge.

Bitcoin se ne uklapa ni u jednu od ovih teorija. On nema imanentnu vrednost kao robni novac, niti se može koristiti za plaćanje državi. Jedini način za bitcoin da ima neku vrednost je da ga prihvataju druge privatne strane u transakcijama. To je potpuni novitet u istoriji novca, jer se po prvi put radi o privatnom dekretnom (proklamovanom ili fiat) novcu. Postojao je privatni novac sa robnom podlogom; postoji državni dekretni novac; ali nikad privatni dekretni novac.

Najveći problem sa bitcoinom kao valutom je nestabilnost. To što njegova vrednost vrtoglavo raste nikako nije argument u prilog njemu jer nestabilnost valute isključuje mogućnost smislenog ugovaranja u njoj. Pristalice bitcoina dobro znaju da je njegova ponuda automatski ograničena i to je čest argument u odbranu bitcoina kao valute i navodno u prilog njegove stabilnosti. Ja nisam siguran da ograničenost ponude igra tako veliku ulogu.

Prvo, iako je količina bitcoina ograničena, može se napraviti neograničeno mnogo kopija bitcoina ili boljih kripto valuta. Već sada postoji na hiljade njih. Šta ograničenost ponude bitcoina uopšte znači kada ima neograničeno mnogo alternativa?

Drugo, iako je ponuda ograničena, cenu novca, kao i svega drugog, određuju ponuda i tražnja. A tražnja je kao što vidimo veoma varijabilna. Tako na jednoj strani imamo kvaziograničenost ponude a na drugoj veliku neizvesnost tražnje. To sve ukazuje na ogromnu nestabilnost.

Kod klasičnih valuta, poput evra ili dinara, ponuda je ograničena politikom centralne banke. Mnogi će reći da to nije nikakva garancija, ali zapadne valute već 30 godina nemaju nikakvu inflaciju, a u proteklih desetak godina veći problem bila je deflacija. Tražnja - želja za držanjem novca - je kod državnih valuta takođe varijabilna, ali mnogo manje jer monopolski karakter ovih valuta i naplata poreza u njima garantuju njihovu upotrebu. I kod tradicionalnih valuta ne samo da je tražnja novca relativno stabilna, već u situacijama kada tražnja novca bude nestabilna, fleksibilnost njegove ponude postaje prednost a ne mana. Na primer, tražnja za švajcarskim francima je negde oko 2009. naglo porasla. Švajcarska centralna banka je na to reagovala ogromnim povećanjem ponude, tako da je franak sačuvao bazičnu stabilnost. Jeste ojačao ali u razumnoj meri - ne desetostruko ili stostruko kao što rade kriptovalute.

Zato ne vidim kako se oscilacije bitcoina mogu zaustaviti. Jasno je da kriptovalute imaju neku korisnost u transakcijama, makar to bilo i za ilegalne aktivnosti, ali kada je ponuda neograničena a tražnja neizvesna onda nema nikakvih smernica buduće vrednosti. Ne znam koliko se to čak i može nazvati balonom jer se uopšte nemamo na šta osloniti u proceni nekakve prave vrednosti -- nema nikakvog fundamentalnog razloga ni da cena bitcoina poraste na $19,000 niti da danas padne na $12,500. Jedina vrednost koja u teoriji ima smisla je nula ili vrlo blizu nule.

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The Four-Layer Framework

Layer 1: Zoom Out

Start by looking at the big picture. What’s the subject about, and why does it matter? Focus on the overarching ideas and how they fit together. Think of this as the 30,000-foot view—it’s about understanding the "why" and "how" before diving into the "what."

Example: If you’re learning programming, start by understanding that it’s about giving logical instructions to computers to solve problems.

• Tip: Keep it simple. Summarize the subject in one or two sentences and avoid getting bogged down in specifics at this stage.

Once you have the big picture in mind, it’s time to start breaking it down.

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Layer 2: Categorize and Connect

Now it’s time to break the subject into categories—like creating branches on a tree. This helps your brain organize information logically and see connections between ideas.

Example: Studying biology? Group concepts into categories like cells, genetics, and ecosystems.

• Tip: Use headings or labels to group similar ideas. Jot these down in a list or simple diagram to keep track.

With your categories in place, you’re ready to dive into the details that bring them to life.

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Layer 3: Master the Details

Once you’ve mapped out the main categories, you’re ready to dive deeper. This is where you learn the nuts and bolts—like formulas, specific techniques, or key terminology. These details make the subject practical and actionable.

Example: In programming, this might mean learning the syntax for loops, conditionals, or functions in your chosen language.

• Tip: Focus on details that clarify the categories from Layer 2. Skip anything that doesn’t add to your understanding.

Now that you’ve mastered the essentials, you can expand your knowledge to include extra material.

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Layer 4: Expand Your Horizons

Finally, move on to the extra material—less critical facts, trivia, or edge cases. While these aren’t essential to mastering the subject, they can be useful in specialized discussions or exams.

Example: Learn about rare programming quirks or historical trivia about a language’s development.

• Tip: Spend minimal time here unless it’s necessary for your goals. It’s okay to skim if you’re short on time.

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Pro Tips for Better Learning

1. Use Active Recall and Spaced Repetition

Test yourself without looking at notes. Review what you’ve learned at increasing intervals—like after a day, a week, and a month. This strengthens memory by forcing your brain to actively retrieve information.

2. Map It Out

Create visual aids like diagrams or concept maps to clarify relationships between ideas. These are particularly helpful for organizing categories in Layer 2.

3. Teach What You Learn

Explain the subject to someone else as if they’re hearing it for the first time. Teaching exposes any gaps in your understanding and helps reinforce the material.

4. Engage with LLMs and Discuss Concepts

Take advantage of tools like ChatGPT or similar large language models to explore your topic in greater depth. Use these tools to:
- Ask specific questions to clarify confusing points.
- Engage in discussions to simulate real-world applications of the subject.
- Generate examples or analogies that deepen your understanding.

Tip: Use LLMs as a study partner, but don’t rely solely on them. Combine these insights with your own critical thinking to develop a well-rounded perspective.

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Get Started

Ready to try the Four-Layer Method? Take 15 minutes today to map out the big picture of a topic you’re curious about—what’s it all about, and why does it matter? By building your understanding step by step, you’ll master the subject with less stress and more confidence.

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Originalni tekst na trzisnoresenje.blogspot.com

06.10.2014 / Autor: Slaviša Tasić

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Od kako je bitcoin postao popularan vodi se rasprava među zagovornicima slobodnog tržišta oko njegovo gpravog statusa: da li je to budući novac, efikasan sistem zaobilaženja državne kontrole i garant slobode pojedinca, ili pak fikcija i pomodarstvo iza koje nema ničeg stvarnog?

Teorijski centar debate je pitanje da li je bitcoin "zapravo" novac ili ne. Jedna grupa tvrdi da jeste, pozivajući se na to da je nastao hiljadama dobrovoljnih akata potrošača na tržištu i time uspostavljen kao konvencija. Ko ste vi, teoretičari iz fotelje, da u ime naroda koji prihvata bitcoin definišete šte je "pravi" novac a šta nije? Druga škola tvrdi da je to irelevantno, da je takozvana vrednost bitcoina fiktivna i naduvana, i da će uskoro pući, jer nema nikakve realne pozadine: svaki novac kroz istoriju je uvek morao da ima podlogu nećeg realnog, najčešće plemenitog metala neke vrste, novac nikad ne nastaje nečijom naredbom ili proizvoljnom odlukom.

Vrlo često se u ovom kontekstu pominje Misesova čuena "teorema regresije". Ona kaže da je novac univerzalno razmensko sredstvo koje svoju vrednost crpe iz prethodne upotrebne vrednosti materijala od kojeg je sačinjeno. Recimo, zlato i srebro imaju vrednost kao nakit i luksuzna roba koju ljudi traže iz ne-monetarnih razloga, a njihova vrednost kao novca se onda izvodi iz te prethodne evaluacije njegove ne monetarne upotrebne "vrednosti". Tehnički rečeno, tražnja za zlatom kao monetarnim dobrom izvedena je iz tražnje za zlatom kao nemonetarnim dobrom.

Problem sa bitcoinom je što na prvi pogled on nema nikakvu ne-monetarnu vrednost. Nije zasnovan ni na kakvom fizičkom materijalu ili robi, već predstavlja kompjuterski algoritam. Bitcoin je beskoristan za bilo šta drugo osim kao sredstvo plaćanja. Ako je tome tako, onda postoje samo dve mogućnosti: ili bitcoin ne može da bude novac, ili je teorija o realnoj, nemonetarnoj osnovi novca netačna.

Izgleda da ni jedno ni drugo nije slučaj. Bitcoin jeste sredstvo razmene, iako još uvek nije novac, budući da nije univerzalno prihvaćen (što ne znači da ne može ili da neće biti prihvaćen), ali bitcoin istovremeno JESTE zasnovan na nečem realnom, tj ima vrednost i mimo svoje uloge kao novca. Ta prethodna vrednost bitcoina je njegova uloga kao efikasnog sistema plaćanja. Kao što Jeffrey Tucker naglašava u svom novom tekstu, Bitcoin je 2008 uveden kao sistem plaćanja koji bi omogućio efikasni transfer resursa između pojedinaca u raznim delovima sveta uz potpuno zaobilaženje zvaničnog finansijskog sistema. Programski dokument osnivača Bitcoina nije uopšte spominjao novac nego samo sistem plaćanja koji omogućava pouzdanost, anonimonst i operisanje izvan zvaničnih finansijkih tokova. Tehnički detalji su ovde.

Bitcoin kao sistem je lansiran 9 januara 2009, ali u tom trenutku njegova vrednost je bila nula! Sve do oktobra 2009 potenicjalni klijenti su mogli da dobiju besplatno koliko god hoće bitcoina da eksperimentišu. Ljudi su vršili prve transakcije, proveravali da li je sistem pouzdan, da li radi onako kako je obećano itd. Taj proces eksperminetisanja je trajao oko deset meseci. U tom periodu Bitcoin kao novac nije imao nikakvu tržišnu vrednost. Pre tačno pet godina, 5 oktobra 2009 postavljena je prva tržišna cena. Ona je bila 1390 bitcoina za jedan američki dolar, odnosno jedan bitcoin je vredeo manje od desetog dela penija. U tom trenutku publika je bila još uvek skeptična, što se pokazalo u vrlo niskoj ceni, ali kako je vreme prolazilo cena je rasla jer je evaluacija sistema, sa protokom vremena i daljim potvrđivanjem njegove vrednosti i pouzdanosti, kao i ulaskom mnogo šireg kurga ljudi u igru, postajala sve viša. Međutim, to je sve sa teorijske tačke gledišta irelevantno; ključna stvar je da je početna evaluacija bitcoina, prva tržišna cena objavljena 5 oktobra 2009 bila zapravo izraz evaluacije sistema plaćanja koja je vršena mesecima nezavisno od samog novca (tj njegove potencijalne vrednosti). Bitcoin kao novac "regresira" u mizesovskom smislu na bitcoin kao sistem plaćanja.

Dakle, bitcoin nije fiat novac. On predstavlja potencijalnu valutu koja je izvedena iz tržišne vrednosti specifičnog sistema plaćanja koji klijentima omogućava značajne prednosti koje drugi sistemi ne pružaju. I stoga oza njega stoji "realna vrednost" u istom smislu u kome nešto "realno" stoji iza zlata i srebra kao novca, ili iza modernih fiat valuta izvedenih iz zlata i srebra. Ja ne verujem da bi bitcoin imao velike šanse protiv zlata i srebra na slobodnom tržištu valuta, ali u ovom trenutku ne postoji slobodno tržište valuta, tj onaj ko pokuša da trguje u zlatu završiće u zatvoru. U takvim okolnostima, virtuelnost bitcoina predstavlja komparativnu prednost u odnosu na svaku vrstu robnog novca uključujući i zlato: vlasnik ne poseduje nikakvu fizičku supstancu koju vlada može da mu konfiskuje. Naravno, to bi moglo da se promeni ukoliko vlade ocene da je bitcoin značajna opasnost i krene u tehnološki rat protiv njega. U tom slučaju bi i cena verovatno pala.

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סדרה של כיבושים פרטיים בעבר הירדן בימי משה

אחרי שמשה משמיד את סיחון ועוג, השטחים שהיו בשליטתם בעבר הירדן המזרחי נופלים בפני בני ישראל להשתלט עליהם. ואכן היו כאלה שיצאו למבצעי כיבוש על דעת ובכוחות עצמם (במדבר לב:לט):

וַיֵּלְכוּ בְּנֵי מָכִיר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה גִּלְעָדָה וַיִּלְכְּדֻהָ וַיּוֹרֶשׁ אֶת־הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ׃

משפחה בודדת משתלטת על שטח ומטפלת באוכלוסיה המקומית ללא תמיכה של שלטון מרכזי כלשהו. מתברר שפעולה זאת היתה בהסכמת משה והוא אכן מאשרר אותה באופן מיידי(שם לב:מ):

וַיִּתֵּן מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַגִּלְעָד לְמָכִיר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה וַיֵּשֶׁב בָּהּ׃

יאיר בן מנשה אולי קיבל השראה ממכיר והוא יוצא לכבוש לעצמו שטחי מרעה ומחנות לגידול צאן (שם לב:מא):

וְיָאִיר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה הָלַךְ וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת־חַוֺּתֵיהֶם וַיִּקְרָא אֶתְהֶן חַוֺּת יָאִיר׃

באותו פרק זמן גם אצל נבח בוער הרצון לחיות כישות ריבונית עצמאית וכנראה הדרך לעשות זאת היא על ידי יציאה לכיבוש שטחים באופן פרטי ולקחת עליהם בעלות. לא נראה שהוא ביקש את הרשות של מישהו (שם לב:מב):

וְנֹבַח הָלַךְ וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת־קְנָת וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶיהָ וַיִּקְרָא לָה נֹבַח בִּשְׁמוֹ׃

ככה שטיינזלץ מתאר את נבח:

נֹבַח, שלא ידוע מי הוא, אך מן הסתם היה אדם הרפתקן שהעדיף להיות רועה צאן במזרח הפרוע ולא להתגורר כחקלאי בארץ כנען, ועל כן הצטרף לחצי שבט מנשה

כיבושי יהושע נועדו להכין תשתית לכיבושים פרטיים

יהושע א -יב מתאר את מלחמותיו יחד עם ולמען כלל האומה. עד כדי כך שיהושע יא:כג אומר:

וַיִּקַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיִּתְּנָהּ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְנַחֲלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמַחְלְקֹתָם לְשִׁבְטֵיהֶם וְהָאָרֶץ שָׁקְטָה מִמִּלְחָמָה׃

אבל ביג:א הוא אומר:

וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָיו אַתָּה זָקַנְתָּה בָּאתָ בַיָּמִים וְהָאָרֶץ נִשְׁאֲרָה הַרְבֵּה־מְאֹד לְרִשְׁתָּהּ׃

אז אם יהושע לקח "את כל הארץ" אז איך "והארץ נשארה הרבה מאד לרשתה"? הרלב"ג (יא:ג) מסביר:

והנה נזכר אחר זה כי כבר נשאר הרבה עדיין מן הארץ לרשתה אלא שעכ"ז כבר חלקה להם יהושע בנחלה לישראל לשבטיהם כמו שזכר אחר זה, וזכר עם זה שהארץ שקטה ממלחמה כי לא היו נלחמים עם ישראל ולא ישראל עמם ואף על פי שכבר נשאר הרבה מן הארץ לרשתה,

חלוקת הארץ לנחלות שבטיות היתה בעצם חלוקת גזרות בהן כל שבט ישלים את העבודה באופן עצמאי. וכיבושי יהושע היו הכנת מצב בו יש לשבטים נקודת התחלה מצויינת להשלים כיבושים.

כיבוש חברון על ידי כלב בן יפונה

החל מפרק יג, מתוארת חלוקת הנחלות לכל שבט ושבט. במעמד זה, כלב בן יפונה מבקש מיהושע את הזכויות לחברון - הזכות לפעול באופן עצמאי ולקחת את העיר כנחלה (יהושע יד:יב):

וְעַתָּה תְּנָה־לִּי אֶת־הָהָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר ה' בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי אַתָּה־שָׁמַעְתָּ בַיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי־עֲנָקִים שָׁם וְעָרִים גְּדֹלוֹת בְּצֻרוֹת אוּלַי ה' אוֹתִי וְהוֹרַשְׁתִּים כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה':

אין כאן בקשה מיהושע להקצות לו כוח צבאי כלל-ישראלי למשימת כיבוש העיר, אלא רק הרשות לפעול באופן עצמאי ולקבל את העיר.

יהושע נענה לבקשה:

וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־חֶבְרוֹן לְכָלֵב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּה לְנַחֲלָה׃

אנחנו עוד נראה שיהושע אכן מאיץ בשאר השבטים לנהוג באופן דומה, אך הם פחות נענים למשימה. ואכן כלב מבצע פעולה צבאית כאדם פרטי (טו:יד):

וַיֹּרֶשׁ מִשָּׁם כָּלֵב אֶת־שְׁלוֹשָׁה בְּנֵי הָעֲנָק אֶת־שֵׁשַׁי וְאֶת־אֲחִימַן וְאֶת־תַּלְמַי יְלִידֵי הָעֲנָק׃

כלב ממשיך לכיבוש נוסף ללא נטילת רשות מיהושע

מיד לאחר מכן כלב ממשיך במסע הכיבושים הפרטי שלו:

וַיַּעַל מִשָּׁם אֶל־יֹשְׁבֵי דְּבִר וְשֵׁם־דְּבִר לְפָנִים קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר׃

וכאן, כלב מגלה יכולת אופרטיבית גבוהה - הוא מוציא מכרז בַּמָּקום לכיבוש העיר שמושך אליו את אחד הכישרונות הגדולים של אותו הדור שמבצע את המשימה בהצלחה (יהושע טו:טו):

וַיֹּאמֶר כָּלֵב אֲשֶׁר־יַכֶּה אֶת־קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר וּלְכָדָהּ וְנָתַתִּי לוֹ אֶת־עַכְסָה בִתִּי לְאִשָּׁה׃ וַיִּלְכְּדָהּ עׇתְנִיאֵל בֶּן־קְנַז אֲחִי כָלֵב וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ אֶת־עַכְסָה בִתּוֹ לְאִשָּׁה׃

ביקורת יהושע על העדר יוזמה פרטית של שבטים להשלים כיבושים

אמנם יהושע הכין תשתית להשתלטות ישראלית על כל ארץ כנען, אבל לא כל השבטים היה ביכולתם או היה ברצונם להשלים אותה (יהושע יז:יב):

וְלֹא יָכְלוּ בְּנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה לְהוֹרִישׁ אֶת־הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיּוֹאֶל הַכְּנַעֲנִי לָשֶׁבֶת בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת׃

אולי הכנענים יושבי העמקים היו כוח צבאי יותר רציני מיושבי הר חברון וסביבותיה. אולי לא הוגן שיצא הגורל לשבטים עם צרכים גדולים במיוחד לנחלות בהן יש קושי בהתמודדות עם אוכלוסיה מקומית עם יתרון צבאי משמעותי:

וַיֹּאמְרוּ בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף לֹא־יִמָּצֵא לָנוּ הָהָר וְרֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל בְּכׇל־הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ־הָעֵמֶק לַאֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית־שְׁאָן וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעֵמֶק יִזְרְעֶאל׃

יהושע בכל זאת מתעקש שהם לא יוותרו על השטחים הנ"ל וכי בשלב כלשהו יהיה ביכולתם להשלים את ההשתלטות על נחלתם (שם יז:יח):

כִּי הַר יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ כִּי־יַעַר הוּא וּבֵרֵאתוֹ וְהָיָה לְךָ תֹּצְאֹתָיו כִּי־תוֹרִישׁ אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי כִּי רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל לוֹ כִּי חָזָק הוּא׃

רש"י במקום מסביר:

כִּי חָזָק הוּא. וְאַתָּה יֵשׁ בְּךָ הַיְכוֹלֶת וְתּוֹרִישֶׁנּוּ

וזה תמצית הביקורת של יהושע (שםיח:ג):

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד־אָנָה אַתֶּם מִתְרַפִּים לָבוֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם :

וסיכום העניין הוא שעדיין יש עבודת כיבוש , והיא מוטלת על כל שבט ושבט, ולא על כח צבאי לאומי. ויש בידם להצליח (שם כג:ד-ה):

רְאוּ הִפַּלְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּנַחֲלָה לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם מִן־הַיַּרְדֵּן וְכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִכְרַתִּי וְהַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃ וַה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם הוּא יֶהְדֳּפֵם מִפְּנֵיכֶם וְהוֹרִישׁ אֹתָם מִלִּפְנֵיכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֶת־אַרְצָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם לָכֶם׃

רש"י במקום מסביר:

רְאוּ הִפַּלְתִּי לָכֶם. בְּגוֹרָל לְנַחֲלָה

מלחמת דבורה וברק היתה וולונטרית

אז אחרי מות יהושע נשארו חלקים רבים מהארץ שמהם לא גורשו הכנעני והשלטון הישראלי בהם היה רופף אם בכלל. בימי דבורה הוחלט לבצע מהלך שישנה את המציאות הגאו-פוליטית באזור, אך באופן מצומצם על ידי שני שבטים בלבד, ללא גיוס של כלל האומה. (שופטים ד:ו):

וַתִּשְׁלַח וַתִּקְרָא לְבָרָק בֶּן־אֲבִינֹעַם מִקֶּדֶשׁ נַפְתָּלִי וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הֲלֹא צִוָּה  יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵךְ וּמָשַׁכְתָּ בְּהַר תָּבוֹר וְלָקַחְתָּ עִמְּךָ עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי נַפְתָּלִי וּמִבְּנֵי זְבֻלוּן׃׃

אבל בפועל דבורה מזכירה שבטים נוספים לשבח - שבטים שנראה שהצטרפו למלחמה לצידם של דבורה וברק (שם ה:יד):

מִנִּי אֶפְרַיִם שׇׁרְשָׁם בַּעֲמָלֵק אַחֲרֶיךָ בִנְיָמִין בַּעֲמָמֶיךָ מִנִּי מָכִיר יָרְדוּ מְחֹקְקִים וּמִזְּבוּלֻן מֹשְׁכִים בְּשֵׁבֶט סֹפֵר׃
וְשָׂרַי בְּיִשָּׂשכָר עִם־דְּבֹרָה וְיִשָּׂשכָר כֵּן בָּרָק בָּעֵמֶק שֻׁלַּח בְּרַגְלָיו בִּפְלַגּוֹת רְאוּבֵן גְּדֹלִים חִקְקֵי־לֵב׃

לעומתם היו שבטים ומשפחות שנמנעו מלהשתתף ודבורה מזכירה אותם בשמותם (שם ה:טו):

לָמָּה יָשַׁבְתָּ בֵּין הַמִּשְׁפְּתַיִם לִשְׁמֹעַ שְׁרִקוֹת עֲדָרִים לִפְלַגּוֹת רְאוּבֵן גְּדוֹלִים חִקְרֵי־לֵב׃ גִּלְעָד בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן שָׁכֵן וְדָן לָמָּה יָגוּר אֳנִיּוֹת אָשֵׁר יָשַׁב לְחוֹף יַמִּים וְעַל מִפְרָצָיו יִשְׁכּוֹן׃

אך הביקורת היא לא חריפה במיוחד ומבטאת אולי אכזבה יותר מכל דבר אחר, דבר שמובן אם המלחמה הזאת היתה על בסיס מתנדבים משבטים אחרים.

בני דן מרחיקים לצפון

תמצית המעשה של בני דן מובא כבר ביהושע (יט:מז):

וַיֵּצֵא גְבוּל־בְּנֵי־דָן מֵהֶם וַיַּעֲלוּ בְנֵי־דָן וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ עִם־לֶשֶׁם וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אוֹתָהּ  וַיַּכּוּ אוֹתָהּ לְפִי־חֶרֶב וַיִּרְשׁוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בָהּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְלֶשֶׁם דָּן כְּשֵׁם דָּן אֲבִיהֶם׃

עיקר תיאור המעשה הוא בשופטים, וכדאי לציין את הרקע (יח:א-ב):

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּבַיָּמִים הָהֵם שֵׁבֶט הַדָּנִי מְבַקֶּשׁ־לוֹ נַחֲלָה לָשֶׁבֶת כִּי לֹא־נָפְלָה לּוֹ עַד־הַיּוֹם הַהוּא בְּתוֹךְ־שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנַחֲלָה׃

מסתבר שכל שבט אחראי לכבוש לעצמו את נחלתו או לפחות שטח שהיא "מן ההפקר", כדי שאנשיו יוכלו ליישב את הארץ כבני אדם חופשיים. כמו בני יוסף בכבוש בית אל (שופטים ב), בני דן פועלים באופן עצמאי עוד החל משלב איסוף המודיעין:

וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ בְנֵי־דָן  מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם חֲמִשָּׁה אֲנָשִׁים מִקְצוֹתָם אֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי־חַיִל מִצׇּרְעָה וּמֵאֶשְׁתָּאֹל לְרַגֵּל אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וּלְחׇקְרָהּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם לְכוּ חִקְרוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וַיָּבֹאוּ הַר־אֶפְרַיִם עַד־בֵּית מִיכָה וַיָּלִינוּ שָׁם׃

שאר הסיפור ידוע, ואזור "לשם" בצפון היה ידוע ומפורסם בפי כל כ"דן".

בני שמעון מתרחבים למדבריות ערב

כיבוש שטחים בארץ אדום הדרומית ("מְבוֹא גְדֹר עַד לְמִזְרַח הַגָיְא")

בדברי הימים א מובאת רשימת היוחסין של שבט שמעון. נחלתם היתה בדרום הארץ על גבול המדבר ובעקבות גידול באוכלוסין, חבל ארץ זה לא הספיק למחייתם, במיוחד בגלל שעסקו ברעיית צאן (ולא בחקלאות) והם היו זקוקים לשטחים נוספים (דה"י א ד:לח):

אֵלֶּה הַבָּאִים בְּשֵׁמוֹת נְשִׂיאִים בְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם וּבֵית אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם פָּרְצוּ לָרוֹב:

כמו בני יוסף ובני דן לפניהם, הם מקדימים לאסוף מודיעין על האזור אותו הם מעוניינים לתקוף (שם שם:לט-מ):

וַיֵּלְכוּ לִמְבוֹא גְדֹר עַד לְמִזְרַח הַגָּיְא לְבַקֵּשׁ מִרְעֶה לְצֹאנָם: וַיִּמְצְאוּ מִרְעֶה שָׁמֵן וָטוֹב וְהָאָרֶץ רַחֲבַת יָדַיִם וְשֹׁקֶטֶת וּשְׁלֵוָה כִּי מִן־חָם הַיֹּשְׁבִים שָׁם לְפָנִים׃

לאחר שמתברר שיש סיכוי גבוה למבצע צבאי מוצלח הם תוקפים (שם שם:מא):

וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלֶּה הַכְּתוּבִים בְּשֵׁמוֹת בִּימֵי  יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־אׇהֳלֵיהֶם וְאֶת־[הַמְּעוּנִים] (המעינים) אֲשֶׁר נִמְצְאוּ־שָׁמָּה וַיַּחֲרִימֻם עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם כִּי־מִרְעֶה לְצֹאנָם שָׁם׃

חשוב לציין כי האירוע הזה התרחש בימי חזקיהו המלך, תקופה בה היה קיים שלטון ריכוזי חזק, וסביר להניח גם בעל יכולות צבאיות בשביל לבצע את הפעולה הזאת בעצמו, אך אין פה שום רמז לכך שבני שמעון, "אלה הכתובים בשמות", חשבו להתייעץ או לקבל אישור מהשלטון בירושלים ליציאה למבצע הזה.

מחיית עמלק בהר שעיר

ההתרחבות של בני שמעון לא הסתיימה בכיבוש הנ"ל, אלא המשיכה בהר שעיר על ידי קבוצה מצומצמת, שכנראה קיבלה רוח במפרסים בעקבות ההצלחה הקודמת (שם:מב):

וּמֵהֶם  מִן־בְּנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן הָלְכוּ לְהַר שֵׂעִיר אֲנָשִׁים חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וּפְלַטְיָה וּנְעַרְיָה וּרְפָיָה וְעֻזִּיאֵל בְּנֵי יִשְׁעִי בְּרֹאשָׁם׃

לא מוזכר מה גרם להם לעשות זאת אבל סביר להניח שהיה מדובר באנשים שהחירות האישית שלהם היתה חשובה עבורם ורצו לחיות ללא תלות באחרים, אפילו אחיהם לשבט (שם:מג):

וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־שְׁאֵרִית הַפְּלֵטָה לַעֲמָלֵק וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃

בני ראובן משתלטים על המדבר הסוּרי

גם בני ראובן התרבו עד אשר לא יכלה נחלתם המקורית לשאת אותם והם נאלצו להרחיב את יישוביהם מעבר לתחום הגלעד, עד למדבר הסורי בואכה הפרת (שם ה:ט):

וְלַמִּזְרָח יָשַׁב עַד־לְבוֹא מִדְבָּרָה לְמִן־הַנָּהָר פְּרָת כִּי מִקְנֵיהֶם רָבוּ בְּאֶרֶץ גִּלְעָד׃

אך התרחבותם נתקלה באוכלוסיות מקומיות שכנראה לא איפשרו להם חופש תנועה, עד למצב בו הם היו צריכים להשתמש באלימות כדי לחיות ללא הפרעה (שם ה:י):

וּבִימֵי שָׁאוּל עָשׂוּ מִלְחָמָה עִם־הַהַגְרִאִים וַיִּפְּלוּ בְּיָדָם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בְּאׇהֳלֵיהֶם עַל־כׇּל־פְּנֵי מִזְרָח לַגִּלְעָד׃

'דעת מקרא' על הפסוק אמנם טוען ששאול הוביל את המלחמה והיא לא נעשית באופן פרטי, אך אין זכר לכך במפרשים המסורתיים וגם לשון הפסוק תומך ברעיון שבני ראובן פעלו על דעת ובכוחות עצמם.

נפילה והתאוששות

הכיבושים הנ"ל לא החזיקו מעמד לאורך התקופות ובעקבות התחזקות ארם בסוף המאה ה9 והשתלטות אלימה של ארם על אותם אזורים בהם ישבו בני ראובן, בני ראובן ספגו אבידות מרובות ונאלצו לסגת לנחלתם המצומצמת (מלבים, שם ה:יט):

בימי יהואחז מלך ישראל שאז גבר עליהם יד מלך ארם וישימם כעפר לדוש (כנזכר מלכים ב י״ג:ז׳ ושם יד), ואז שבו ההגריאים ונתישבו במקומם

אחרי שבני ראובן התחזקו וארם נחלשה הם חברו יחד לבני גד ולחצי שבט מנשה, התארגנו צבאית, ויצאו למבצע רחב היקף נגד האוכלוסיות הערביות באזור (ה:יח-יט):

בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵן וְגָדִי וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט־מְנַשֶּׁה מִן־בְּנֵי־חַיִל אֲנָשִׁים נֹשְׂאֵי מָגֵן וְחֶרֶב וְדֹרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת וּלְמוּדֵי מִלְחָמָה אַרְבָּעִים וְאַרְבָּעָה אֶלֶף וּשְׁבַע־מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים יֹצְאֵי צָבָא׃ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ מִלְחָמָה עִם־הַהַגְרִיאִים וִיטוּר וְנָפִישׁ וְנוֹדָב׃

הם נהנו מהצלחה מרובה והצליחו לחדש את יישובם באזורים האלה, יישוב שהחזיק מעמד עד לימי תגלת פלאסר - סוף תקופת הממלכה (ה:כ-כב):

וַיֵּעָזְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וַיִּנָּתְנוּ בְיָדָם הַהַגְרִיאִים וְכֹל שֶׁעִמָּהֶם כִּי לֵא-לֹהִים זָעֲקוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְנַעְתּוֹר לָהֶם כִּי־בָטְחוּ בוֹ׃ וַיִּשְׁבּוּ מִקְנֵיהֶם גְּמַלֵּיהֶם חֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וְצֹאן מָאתַיִם וַחֲמִשִּׁים אֶלֶף וַחֲמוֹרִים אַלְפָּיִם וְנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם מֵאָה אָלֶף׃ כִּי־חֲלָלִים רַבִּים נָפָלוּ כִּי מֵהָאֱ-לֹהִים הַמִּלְחָמָה וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַחְתֵּיהֶם עַד־הַגֹּלָה׃

לסיכום

מאחר שהאינדיבדואליזם הוא חלק בלתי נפרד מהאתוס העברי, גם מצוות החלות על כלל האומה לא יכולות להיות מקויימות כתיקונן אלא אם כן יש ביטוי לרצון וליוזמה של היחיד. יישוב/כיבוש הארץ הוא אחד מהמצוות האלה ומתרחש בשני מישורים: 1. במישור הלאומי - כיבושים שנחוצים לביסוס גרעין התיישבותי של כלל האומה ולכן משתתף בהם צבא לאומי ממלכתי. 2. במישור השבטי/פרטי - כיבושים אופציונלים שהשלמתם תלויה ברצון וביוזמה של קבוצות מצומצמות (שבטים) ויחידים.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na trzisnoresenje.blogspot.com

15.12.2023 / Autor: Slaviša Tasić

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Ovako sam pisao u aprilu kad je Bitcoin vredeo $50-100 dolara:

"Koja je budućnost Bitcoina? Većina mu predviđa propast, ali već smo videli da ima neprijatelje sa obeju strana i obe imaju svoje razloge. ... Ali ekonomski gledano, sada kad je Bitcoin došao dovde, meni se čini da može još mnogo rasti."

...

"Zato mislim da ekonomski Bitcoin više nema problem. Sa ovako ograničenom ponudom, a uz održanje sadašnje tražnje ili njen rast, njegove vrednost može i još mnogo da poraste."

U međuvremenu je otišao na preko $1,000. Ali mislite da sam kupio neki Bitcoin? Nisam, teško je baviti se takvim sitnicama kad morate da pišete blog.

Evo šta sada mislim o Bitcoinu.

Najvažnije je razumeti zašto Bitcoin uopšte ima vrednost. To što ima neku vrednost i nije tako iznenađujuće. Valute su istorijski spontano nastajale najčešće od nečega što ima istinsku vrednost, bronze, srebra ili zlata. Ali nije neviđeno ni da novac bez intristične vrednosti bude široko prihvaćen. Poznat je slučaj ostrva kamenog novca, gde je novac bilo kamenje, neka vrsta krečnjaka (vidi sliku ispod). Stanovnici jednog polinezijskog ostrva su koristili ovaj kamen kao novac zbog samo jedne osobine -- zato što nije postojao na ostrvu. Da biste nabavili takvo kamenje morali ste ići na drugo ostrvo, što je bilo skupo i naporno. I to je jedina osobina koja je krečnjak činila novcem, nisu ga koristili ni za šta drugo.

Štaviše, da ne bi kotrljali kamenje pri svakoj kupovini, trgovali su samo pravima na odrđeni kamen, a da se kamen uopšte nije morao pomeriti s mesta. To je suštinski isto kao današnje elektronsko bankarstvo, ali to je druga priča.

Bitcoin je nešto najbliže tome. Kad se uspostavi konvencija, onda novac ne mora imati imanentnu vrednost. Konvencija je, iz garantovanu retkost dovoljan uslov da nešto uspe kao novac. Kao i krečnjak na tom ostrvu, Bitcoin je suštinski bezvredan, ali 1) ne može se naći lako (ima retkost) i 2) postoji konvencija da se prihvata kao novac -- prihvatate ga jer znate da će ga i drugi prihvatiti.

Ali koliko je Bitcoin zaista redak? Sam Bitcoin jeste, jer mu je ponuda programski ograničena. Ali sada vidimo uspon drugih kripto valuta -- Litecoin, Peercoin, i drugi. Bitcoin je redak, ali svako može da napravi nešto jako slično bitcoinu i zvati ga drugačije. To se uveliko i dešava, za sada bez efekta na vrednost Bitcoina.

Za sada Bitcoin ima rastuću snagu konvencije, ili ekonomskim rečnikom, za njega radi efekat mreže. Efekat mreže postoji kada svaki dodatni korisnik povećava vrednost dobra -- vi koristite tastaturu sa početnim slovima QWERTY zato što svi drugi koriste istu tastaturu pa je glupo da počinjete nešto drugo; otvorili ste Facebook nalog ne zato što je Facebook tehnološki najbolje urađen nego zato što svi drugi imaju Facebook pa se tako nalkaše povezujete; nemate Google Plus jer niko drugi nema Google Plus što ga čini beskorisnim, i tako dalje. Uspostavljene mreže je jako teško srušiti, one se perpetuiraju i rastu na principu začaranog kruga.

Kad se jednom uspostave, mreže kao Facebook ili Bitcoin imaju ugrađenu prednost i teško ih je srušiti. Ali znate li ko je još imao efekat mreže u svoju korist? Imao je Windows i imao je MySpace. Windows se još drži ali nije ni blizu moći od pre desetak godina, a MySpace je potpuno propao -- a ljudi su 2008. MySpaceu predviđali večni monopol zbog efekta mreže. Poenta je, efekat mreže je prednost ali nikome ne garantuje monopol, pa čak ni opstanak.

Situacija sa Bitcoinom je ovakva. Sa pojavom drugih valuta retkost je izgubio. Nije bitno što nema Bitcoina, Bitcoin je samo ime. Ima ili može biti neograničeno mnogo kriptovaluta istog tipa i to je ono što je važno. Konvenciju odnosno efekat mreže Bitcoin još uvek ima, štaviše tu je i dalje u usponu. Ali to mu ne garantuje dugoročni uspeh. Kad se ta dva saberu, mislim da Bitcoin nema dobrih dugoročnih izgleda. Da sam onda u aprilu kupio Bitcoine, sada bih prodao.

@ 1bda7e1f:bb97c4d9

Tldr

• Nostr is an open and interoperable protocol
• You can integrate it with workflow automation tools to augment your experience
• n8n is a great low/no-code workflow automation tool which you can host yourself
• Nostrobots allows you to integrate Nostr into n8n
• In this blog I create some workflow automations for Nostr
• A simple form to delegate posting notes
• Push notifications for mentions on multiple accounts
• Push notifications for your favourite accounts when they post a note
• All workflows are provided as open source with MIT license for you to use

Inter-op All The Things

Nostr is a new open social protocol for the internet. This open nature exciting because of the opportunities for interoperability with other technologies. In Using NFC Cards with Nostr I explored the nostr: URI to launch Nostr clients from a card tap.

The interoperability of Nostr doesn't stop there. The internet has many super-powers, and Nostr is open to all of them. Simply, there's no one to stop it. There is no one in charge, there are no permissioned APIs, and there are no risks of being de-platformed. If you can imagine technologies that would work well with Nostr, then any and all of them can ride on or alongside Nostr rails.

My mental model for why this is special is Google Wave ~2010. Google Wave was to be the next big platform. Lars was running it and had a big track record from Maps. I was excited for it. Then, Google pulled the plug. And, immediately all the time and capital invested in understanding and building on the platform was wasted.

This cannot happen to Nostr, as there is no one to pull the plug, and maybe even no plug to pull.

So long as users demand Nostr, Nostr will exist, and that is a pretty strong guarantee. It makes it worthwhile to invest in bringing Nostr into our other applications.

All we need are simple ways to plug things together.

Nostr and Workflow Automation

Workflow automation is about helping people to streamline their work. As a user, the most common way I achieve this is by connecting disparate systems together. By setting up one system to trigger another or to move data between systems, I can solve for many different problems and become way more effective.

n8n for workflow automation

Many workflow automation tools exist. My favourite is n8n. n8n is a low/no-code workflow automation platform which allows you to build all kinds of workflows. You can use it for free, you can self-host it, it has a user-friendly UI and useful API. Vs Zapier it can be far more elaborate. Vs Make.com I find it to be more intuitive in how it abstracts away the right parts of the code, but still allows you to code when you need to.

Most importantly you can plug anything into n8n: You have built-in nodes for specific applications. HTTP nodes for any other API-based service. And community nodes built by individual community members for any other purpose you can imagine.

Eating my own dogfood

It's very clear to me that there is a big design space here just demanding to be explored. If you could integrate Nostr with anything, what would you do?

In my view the best way for anyone to start anything is by solving their own problem first (aka "scratching your own itch" and "eating your own dogfood"). As I get deeper into Nostr I find myself controlling multiple Npubs – to date I have a personal Npub, a brand Npub for a community I am helping, an AI assistant Npub, and various testing Npubs. I need ways to delegate access to those Npubs without handing over the keys, ways to know if they're mentioned, and ways to know if they're posting.

I can build workflows with n8n to solve these issues for myself to start with, and keep expanding from there as new needs come up.

Running n8n with Nostrobots

I am mostly non-technical with a very helpful AI. To set up n8n to work with Nostr and operate these workflows should be possible for anyone with basic technology skills.

• I have a cheap VPS which currently runs my HAVEN Nostr Relay and Albyhub Lightning Node in Docker containers,
• My objective was to set up n8n to run alongside these in a separate Docker container on the same server, install the required nodes, and then build and host my workflows.

Installing n8n

Self-hosting n8n could not be easier. I followed n8n's Docker-Compose installation docs–

• Install Docker and Docker-Compose if you haven't already,
• Create your docker-compose.yml and .env files from the docs,
• Create your data folder sudo docker volume create n8n_data,
• Start your container with sudo docker compose up -d,
• Your n8n instance should be online at port 5678.

n8n is free to self-host but does require a license. Enter your credentials into n8n to get your free license key. You should now have access to the Workflow dashboard and can create and host any kind of workflows from there.

Installing Nostrobots

To integrate n8n nicely with Nostr, I used the Nostrobots community node by Ocknamo.

In n8n parlance a "node" enables certain functionality as a step in a workflow e.g. a "set" node sets a variable, a "send email" node sends an email. n8n comes with all kinds of "official" nodes installed by default, and Nostr is not amongst them. However, n8n also comes with a framework for community members to create their own "community" nodes, which is where Nostrobots comes in.

You can only use a community node in a self-hosted n8n instance (which is what you have if you are running in Docker on your own server, but this limitation does prevent you from using n8n's own hosted alternative).

To install a community node, see n8n community node docs. From your workflow dashboard–

• Click the "..." in the bottom left corner beside your username, and click "settings",
• Cilck "community nodes" left sidebar,
• Click "Install",
• Enter the "npm Package Name" which is n8n-nodes-nostrobots,
• Accept the risks and click "Install",
• Nostrobots is now added to your n8n instance.

Using Nostrobots

Nostrobots gives you nodes to help you build Nostr-integrated workflows–

• Nostr Write – for posting Notes to the Nostr network,
• Nostr Read – for reading Notes from the Nostr network, and
• Nostr Utils – for performing certain conversions you may need (e.g. from bech32 to hex).

Nostrobots has good documentation on each node which focuses on simple use cases.

Each node has a "convenience mode" by default. For example, the "Read" Node by default will fetch Kind 1 notes by a simple filter, in Nostrobots parlance a "Strategy". For example, with Strategy set to "Mention" the node will accept a pubkey and fetch all Kind 1 notes that Mention the pubkey within a time period. This is very good for quick use.

What wasn't clear to me initially (until Ocknamo helped me out) is that advanced use cases are also possible.

Each node also has an advanced mode. For example, the "Read" Node can have "Strategy" set to "RawFilter(advanced)". Now the node will accept json (anything you like that complies with NIP-01). You can use this to query Notes (Kind 1) as above, and also Profiles (Kind 0), Follow Lists (Kind 3), Reactions (Kind 7), Zaps (Kind 9734/9735), and anything else you can think of.

Creating and adding workflows

With n8n and Nostrobots installed, you can now create or add any kind of Nostr Workflow Automation.

• Click "Add workflow" to go to the workflow builder screen,
• If you would like to build your own workflow, you can start with adding any node. Click "+" and see what is available. Type "Nostr" to explore the Nostrobots nodes you have added,
• If you would like to add workflows that someone else has built, click "..." in the top right. Then click "import from URL" and paste in the URL of any workflow you would like to use (including the ones I share later in this article).

Nostr Workflow Automations

It's time to build some things!

A simple form to post a note to Nostr

I started very simply. I needed to delegate the ability to post to Npubs that I own in order that a (future) team can test things for me. I don't want to worry about managing or training those people on how to use keys, and I want to revoke access easily.

I needed a basic form with credentials that posted a Note.

For this I can use a very simple workflow–

• A n8n Form node – Creates a form for users to enter the note they wish to post. Allows for the form to be protected by a username and password. This node is the workflow "trigger" so that the workflow runs each time the form is submitted.
• A Set node – Allows me to set some variables, in this case I set the relays that I intend to use. I typically add a Set node immediately following the trigger node, and put all the variables I need in this. It helps to make the workflows easier to update and maintain.
• A Nostr Write node (from Nostrobots) – Writes a Kind-1 note to the Nostr network. It accepts Nostr credentials, the output of the Form node, and the relays from the Set node, and posts the Note to those relays.

Once the workflow is built, you can test it with the testing form URL, and set it to "Active" to use the production form URL. That's it. You can now give posting access to anyone for any Npub. To revoke access, simply change the credentials or set to workflow to "Inactive".

It may also be the world's simplest Nostr client.

You can find the Nostr Form to Post a Note workflow here.

Push notifications on mentions and new notes

One of the things Nostr is not very good at is push notifications. Furthermore I have some unique itches to scratch. I want–

• To make sure I never miss a note addressed to any of my Npubs – For this I want a push notification any time any Nostr user mentions any of my Npubs,
• To make sure I always see all notes from key accounts – For this I need a push notification any time any of my Npubs post any Notes to the network,
• To get these notifications on all of my devices – Not just my phone where my Nostr regular client lives, but also on each of my laptops to suit wherever I am working that day.

I needed to build a Nostr push notifications solution.

To build this workflow I had to string a few ideas together–

• Triggering the node on a schedule – Nostrobots does not include a trigger node. As every workflow starts with a trigger we needed a different method. I elected to run the workflow on a schedule of every 10-minutes. Frequent enough to see Notes while they are hot, but infrequent enough to not burden public relays or get rate-limited,
• Storing a list of Npubs in a Nostr list – I needed a way to store the list of Npubs that trigger my notifications. I initially used an array defined in the workflow, this worked fine. Then I decided to try Nostr lists (NIP-51, kind 30000). By defining my list of Npubs as a list published to Nostr I can control my list from within a Nostr client (e.g. Listr.lol or Nostrudel.ninja). Not only does this "just work", but because it's based on Nostr lists automagically Amethyst client allows me to browse that list as a Feed, and everyone I add gets notified in their Mentions,
• Using specific relays – I needed to query the right relays, including my own HAVEN relay inbox for notes addressed to me, and wss://purplepag.es for Nostr profile metadata,
• Querying Nostr events (with Nostrobots) – I needed to make use of many different Nostr queries and use quite a wide range of what Nostrobots can do–
  • I read the EventID of my Kind 30000 list, to return the desired pubkeys,
  • For notifications on mentions, I read all Kind 1 notes that mention that pubkey,
  • For notifications on new notes, I read all Kind 1 notes published by that pubkey,
  • Where there are notes, I read the Kind 0 profile metadata event of that pubkey to get the displayName of the relevant Npub,
  • I transform the EventID into a Nevent to help clients find it.
• Using the Nostr URI – As I did with my NFC card article, I created a link with the nostr: URI prefix so that my phone's native client opens the link by default,
• Push notifications solution – I needed a push notifications solution. I found many with n8n integrations and chose to go with Pushover which supports all my devices, has a free trial, and is unfairly cheap with a $5-per-device perpetual license.

Once the workflow was built, lists published, and Pushover installed on my phone, I was fully set up with push notifications on Nostr. I have used these workflows for several weeks now and made various tweaks as I went. They are feeling robust and I'd welcome you to give them a go.

You can find the Nostr Push Notification If Mentioned here and If Posts a Note here.

In speaking with other Nostr users while I was building this, there are all kind of other needs for push notifications too – like on replies to a certain bookmarked note, or when a followed Npub starts streaming on zap.stream. These are all possible.

Use my workflows

I have open sourced all my workflows at my Github with MIT license and tried to write complete docs, so that you can import them into your n8n and configure them for your own use.

To import any of my workflows–

• Click on the workflow of your choice, e.g. "Nostr_Push_Notify_If_Mentioned.json",
• Click on the "raw" button to view the raw JSON, ex any Github page layout,
• Copy that URL,
• Enter that URL in the "import from URL" dialog mentioned above.

To configure them–

• Prerequisites, credentials, and variables are all stated,
• In general any variables required are entered into a Set Node that follows the trigger node,
• Pushover has some extra setup but is very straightforward and documented in the workflow.

What next?

Over my first four blogs I explored creating a good Nostr setup with Vanity Npub, Lightning Payments, Nostr Addresses at Your Domain, and Personal Nostr Relay.

Then in my latest two blogs I explored different types of interoperability with NFC cards and now n8n Workflow Automation.

Thinking ahead n8n can power any kind of interoperability between Nostr and any other legacy technology solution. On my mind as I write this:

• Further enhancements to posting and delegating solutions and forms (enhanced UI or different note kinds),
• Automated or scheduled posting (such as auto-liking everything Lyn Alden posts),
• Further enhancements to push notifications, on new and different types of events (such as notifying me when I get a new follower, on replies to certain posts, or when a user starts streaming),
• All kinds of bridges, such as bridging notes to and from Telegram, Slack, or Campfire. Or bridging RSS or other event feeds to Nostr,
• All kinds of other automation (such as BlackCoffee controlling a coffee machine),
• All kinds of AI Assistants and Agents,

In fact I have already released an open source workflow for an AI Assistant, and will share more about that in my next blog.

Please be sure to let me know if you think there's another Nostr topic you'd like to see me tackle.

GM Nostr.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na trzisnoresenje.blogspot.com

03.04.2013 / Autor: Slaviša Tasić

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Posle kiparske epizode naglo je došlo do rasta njegove vrednosti. Bitcoin je virtuelna valuta koju ne kontroliše niko. Umesto toga, emitovanje Bitcoina ograničeno je komplikovanim programom. Kao i kod zlata, svako može da iskopa novčiće, ali kopanje je naporno i neizvesno -- jedina je razlika što se posao ne obavlja fizički već kompjuterski. Program je postavljen tako da količina iskopanih Bitcoina raste po stalno opadajućoj stopi, dok se na kraju, za nekih stotinak godina, asimptotski ne približi konačnom nivou.

Za bliže objašnjenje Bitcoina i više o tekućim dešavanima pročešljajte Nedeljni komentar, a meni ceo fenomen postaje vrlo interesantan iz nekoliko razloga.

Prvo, Bitcoin ima mnogo neprijatelja. Neprijatelji su pristalice državnog novca, jer je ovo privatni, decentralizovani novac, čije štampanje ne kontrolišu stručnjaci za monetarnu politiku već se obavlja po automatskom programu. Tokovi novca se teško kontrolišu i neke centralne banke su već "izrazile zabrinutost" zbog rastuće uloge ove valute.

Ali, neprijatelji su i libertarijanski ekonomisti kojima je bliži zlatni standard. U njihovu viziju se ne uklapa to što Bitcoin očigledno nema pravu materijalnu vrednost. Bitcoin je nešto kao privatni fiat novac -- dosada neviđeni fenomen. Po njima tako nešto ne može da postoji i zato mu od samog početka predviđaju propast, ali ih bar za ovih par godina njegovog postojanja stvarnost demantuje.

Dalje, nastanak i dosadašnji uspeh Bitcoina se kosi sa bilo kojom postojećom teorijom i štaviše, za njegov uspeh gotovo da uopšte nema racionalnog objašnjenja. Najveća tajna slobodne razmene, bilo da je to tržište ili drugi oblici slobodne i dobrovoljne saradnje, je to što iz neorganizovane akcije slobodnih pojedinaca može doći do ishoda kojima se ne možemo unapred nadati, koji prevazilaze našu moć imaginacije i koje čak i ex post teško možemo racionalno objasniti. (To je Hayekova najvažnija ideja, a ne njegov libertarijanizam po sebi).

Bitcoin je izgledao a i dalje većini ekonomista i medija izgleda nemoguće, jer iako je njegova ponuda ograničena programom, tražnja za njim je stvar pukog verovanja. Kod zlata i srebra, tražnja postoji jer ti metali imaju i stvarnu vrednost. Kod državnog novca, tražnja postoji jer vam država kaže da morate da koristite taj novac, ali i svojim autoritetom garantuje da će svi ostali prihvatati taj novac. Kod Bitcoina vam niko ne garantuje ništa. Kako je to počelo da se koristi, kako su ljudi, posebno oni u početku, prihvatali da prodaju stvari za Bitcoine, ili da razmenjuju svoje evre i dolare za Bitcoine, meni uopšte nije jasno. Sada je lakše, valuta je donekle uspostavljena, više je prodavaca koji je prihvataju, znate da ima dovoljno onih koji je koriste i zato ima nekih osnova za verovanje da će se to nastaviti. Ali da je tako nešto moglo da počne, da nastane ni iz čega, je gotovo neshvatljivo.

Koja je budućnost Bitcoina? Većina mu predviđa propast, ali već smo videli da ima neprijatelje sa obeju strana i obe imaju svoje razloge. Propast je pre svega moguća usled državne intervencije. Možda će tako nešto jednostavno biti zabranjeno i proganjano. Kad je američka Komisija za hartije od vrednosti mogla da ugasi jako korisnu onlajn kladionicu Intrade (čije smo kvote na razne događaje u svetu ovde često linkovali), navodno iz razloga finansijske sigurnosti, onda je vrlo moguće da i Bitcoin dođe na red.

Ali ekonomski gledano, sada kad je Bitcoin došao dovde, meni se čini da može još mnogo rasti. Tačno je da tražnja za njim počiva na cikličnom verovanju, na verovanju svakog korisnika da će svi drugi nastaviti da primaju Bitcoin, ali: prvo, već nas je jednom iznanadilo da je Bitcoin samo na osnovu tog verovanja došao od nule do današnjih preko 100$ za Bitcoin. Drugo, ne zaboravite da ni ostale valute nisu baš toliko drugačije. Tražnja za državnim novcen se, bez obzira na državne garancije, dobrim delom zasniva na istoj slobodnoj veri da će i drugi prihvatati taj novac. Zlato ima materijalnu vrednost, ali ta vrednost, za industrijsku upotrebu ili nakit, je obično dosta manja od njegove sadašnje cene. Nisu se u poslenjih nekoliko godina industrijska upotreba i atraktivnost zlatnog nakita promenili, već su se promenila očekivanja vrednosti zlata, koja takođe zavise od vaše pretpostavke da će i ostali nastaviti da kupuju i drže zlato.

Zato mislim da ekonomski Bitcoin više nema problem. Sa ovako ograničenom ponudom, a uz održanje sadašnje tražnje ili njen rast, njegove vrednost može i još mnogo da poraste. Mnogo realniji scenario raspada je panika posle najave država da će zabraniti njegovu upotrebu uz neki izgovor kao što su finansijska stabilnost ili sprečavanje pranja novca. Ali čak i ako se to dogodi ostaće fascinantno da je ovakva inicijativa uopšte uspela -- protivno zakonima slabašne ljudske logike.

@ 2f4550b0:95f20096

Leadership is rarely a smooth ride. For every moment of success, there are setbacks and challenges that test even the most seasoned leaders. The key to sustained success isn’t avoiding difficulties but rather how effectively one can navigate through them. Resilience, the ability to bounce back from adversity, is not just a personal asset; it’s a leadership imperative.

I remember an experience earlier in my career that underscored the power of resilience in leadership. I was leading a team on a high-stakes project. We had invested countless hours, fine-tuned every detail, and had finally reached the presentation phase. Then, disaster struck: the technology we relied on for the demo failed at the last minute. The team’s morale plummeted. I saw the disappointment in their faces, and I could feel the weight of their expectations on me.

At that moment, I had a choice: I could either give in to frustration and let the team spiral, or I could model resilience and lead them through the crisis. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that setbacks are temporary and often lead to growth. We brainstormed solutions on the spot, restructured our approach, and within hours had a makeshift presentation that was just as impactful as our original plan. In the end, we delivered it successfully—and I learned one of the most valuable lessons in leadership: resilience doesn’t mean avoiding failure, but rather how we respond when things don’t go as planned.

This experience taught me that resilient leadership hinges on a few essential principles:

• Maintain a Positive Outlook: As a leader, your mindset directly influences your team. When faced with setbacks, staying calm and optimistic can help anchor the group. A positive perspective allows you to focus on solutions instead of dwelling on problems.
• Adapt and Problem-Solve: Resilience is about adaptability. Things don’t always go according to plan, and being able to quickly pivot and think creatively in the face of adversity is crucial. Resilient leaders encourage their teams to embrace change, adapt, and find alternative solutions.
• Support Your Team: Leaders cannot be resilient alone. Resilience thrives in a supportive environment. Offer your team encouragement, communicate openly, and make sure they know they have your support. By fostering a culture of mutual trust, you’ll enable everyone to recover and grow stronger together.
• Learn from Setbacks: Every challenge presents an opportunity to learn. Resilient leaders view failures as stepping stones to improvement. Reflecting on what went wrong and why, allows leaders and teams to strengthen their strategies moving forward.

In leadership, setbacks are inevitable. What sets great leaders apart is their ability to bounce back. With resilience, you can navigate through challenges with confidence and lead your team toward continued success.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

• A Series of Banking Collapses

• Federal Reserve's Counteraction

• The Impact on Bitcoin

• Market's Delayed Reaction

• Bitcoin's Future Amidst Monetary Policies

• Conclusions

• FAQ

Bitcoin, the digital gold of the 21st century, has always been at the center of discussions in the financial and tech worlds. Its volatile price movements and its potential to revolutionize the financial sector make it a hot topic. Among the many voices opining on Bitcoin's trajectory, Arthur Hayes, co-founder and former CEO of BitMEX, stands out with his unique insights. He firmly believes that March was a defining month that signaled the onset of a bullish trend for Bitcoin. This article aims to unpack Hayes' perspective and understand the reasons behind his belief.

A Series of Banking Collapses

March of this year wasn't just another month on the financial calendar; it was a month marked by significant banking disturbances. Hayes attributes the beginning of Bitcoin's bull run to a specific date: March 10. On this day, the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a significant event in the banking world. But this wasn't an isolated incident. Just two days before, on March 8, Silvergate Bank faced liquidation, sending ripples of concern through the financial community. This wave of uncertainty continued when, on March 12, Signature Bank was compelled to shut its doors due to intervention by New York regulators. These back-to-back banking crises set the stage for what was to come in the cryptocurrency realm.

Federal Reserve's Counteraction

Reacting to the unfolding banking crises, the Federal Reserve took a decisive step. They introduced the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP), a strategic move aimed at stabilizing the banking sector. This program was designed to offer banks loans that could extend up to a year. However, there was a catch: banks had to post "qualifying assets" as collateral to avail themselves of these loans. Hayes viewed this initiative as a clear attempt by the Federal Reserve to provide a safety net for the entire banking system. In his interpretation, the Fed's message was straightforward: "Exchange your devalued bonds for fresh dollars, and let's stabilize the system."

The Impact on Bitcoin

The repercussions of the banking crises and the Federal Reserve's countermeasures were felt in the cryptocurrency market, particularly in Bitcoin's price dynamics. Following these events, Bitcoin's price began its upward trajectory, registering an impressive increase of approximately 26%. Hayes believes that the Federal Reserve's actions, combined with the growing skepticism towards the value of fiat currencies, played a pivotal role in this surge. As faith in traditional currencies waned, traders and investors began to see the appeal of fixed-supply assets, with Bitcoin emerging as the prime contender.

Market's Delayed Reaction

While the indicators pointing to a bullish trend in Bitcoin are clear to some, Hayes observes that the broader market has been somewhat sluggish in its response. This delay in market reaction is not uncommon in the financial world, where multiple factors influence decision-making processes. However, Hayes remains undeterred in his optimism. He anticipates that within a span of six to twelve months, the market will not only recognize but also react positively to this bullish trend, further propelling Bitcoin's growth.

Bitcoin's Future Amidst Monetary Policies

Hayes' bullish stance on Bitcoin extends beyond just its recent performance. He envisions a bright future for the cryptocurrency, irrespective of the monetary decisions taken by institutions like the Federal Reserve. Whether the Fed opts for interest rate hikes to induce economic tightening or chooses the path of printing more money to infuse liquidity into the system, Hayes believes Bitcoin is poised to benefit. In his perspective, the inherent properties of Bitcoin, combined with its decentralized nature, position it favorably to thrive amidst varying economic scenarios.

Conclusion

Arthur Hayes' insights offer a deep dive into the intricate dynamics between traditional banking systems, global monetary policies, and the burgeoning world of cryptocurrencies. As we stand at the crossroads of financial evolution, understanding these interplays becomes crucial. Hayes' conviction that March marked the commencement of Bitcoin's bullish trend provides not just a perspective but also a beacon for those navigating the cryptocurrency waters. His analysis underscores the potential of Bitcoin and offers a glimpse into its promising future in the ever-evolving financial landscape.

FAQ

When did Hayes believe the Bitcoin bull run started? Hayes believes that the Bitcoin bull run began on March 10.

What significant event occurred on March 10? On March 10, the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

How did the Federal Reserve respond to banking crises? The Federal Reserve introduced the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) to stabilize the banking sector by offering loans in exchange for "qualifying assets" as collateral.

What impact did these events have on Bitcoin? Following these events, Bitcoin's price surged by approximately 26%, marking the beginning of its bullish trend.

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@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

I’ve known that there are references to Jesus in the Old Testament. They just don’t use the name Jesus.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) {emphasis mine}

Notice the references to God in the plural. These are clues to the trinitarian (3 persons in one God) nature of God.

There are also examples of theophanies (preincarnate Jesus) in the Old Testament. These theophanies are frequently referred to as “the angel of the Lord” or “the angel of God.”

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Genesis 22:11-12) {emphasis mine}

In this case we know that the “angel of the Lord” is not just an angel because he says, “I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me,” equating Himself, “Me,” with God. In most cases when an angel appears, the people drop face down in worship, but the angel corrects them and tells them not to worship. When the angel is Jesus, He accepts the worship and in many cases sacrifices as well.

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? … So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”

Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” (Judges 6:12=13a, 17-22) {emphasis mine}

As you can see, Gideon offered an offering. An offering to anyone other than God would be idolatry. Gideon offers a “a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour,” which is a proper sin offering to God. The angel did not eat the offering, but told Gideon to “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock … Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.” Gideon’s offering was taken as a burnt offering to God and to angel of the Lord, who is Jesus.

With all of this, look at the verse I read last night:

Who has ascended into heaven and descended?\ Who has gathered the wind in His fists?\ Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?\ Who has established all the ends of the earth?\ What is His name or His son’s name?\ Surely you know! (Proverbs 30:4) {emphasis mine}

Surely this is a passage about Jesus.

This verse says, “Who has ascended into heaven and descended?” The New Testament says about Jesus, “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.” (John 3:13)

This verse says, “Who has gathered the wind in His fists?” The New Testament says about Jesus,

And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. (Mark 4:37-39) {emphasis mine}

This verse says, “Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?” The New Testament says about Jesus,

And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:25-29) {emphasis mine}

This verse says, “Who has established all the ends of the earth?” The New Testament says about Jesus,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (John 1:1-3) {emphasis mine}

This verse says, “What is His name or His son’s name?” The New Testament says about Jesus,

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17) {emphasis mine}

This verse says, “Surely you know!” As New Testament believers we know the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The Bible was pointing to the Son of God long before He came to earth as a baby.

Who has ascended into heaven and descended?\ Who has gathered the wind in His fists?\ Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?\ Who has established all the ends of the earth?\ What is His name or His son’s name?\ Surely you know! (Proverbs 30:4) {emphasis mine}

It doesn’t matter how many times we have already read the Bible. Every time we read it, we can discover new insight and knowledge of God, His eternal plans, and His commands for our lives. God is good.

Trust Jesus.

@ 2063cd79:57bd1320

Unit-Bias

Bitcoin hat in der öffentlichen Wahrnehmung und bei Menschen, die sich weniger mit dem Thema befassen, einen sogenannten Unit-Bias, also eine durch Unwissenheit hervorgerufene Voreingenommenheit gegenüber der Einheit "Bitcoin". Das bedeutet, dass viele unerfahrene Anleger//innen und Nutzer//innen der Meinung sind, dass der Besitz eines ganzen bitcoins psychologisch wichtig oder überhaupt nur als solcher möglich ist. Anders ausgedrückt, glauben viele Menschen, sie müssen Bitcoin als Ganzes kaufen, also einen ganzen "physischen" bitcoin, statt kleinerer Bruchstücke. Das lässt den Vermögenswert für die meisten zu teuer aussehen.

Dies ist für Bitcoin insofern ein Problem, als dass viele Menschen sich durch ihre Voreingenommenheit gar nicht mit Bitcoin beschäftigen ("kann ich mir nicht leisten") oder das Gefühl haben, Bitcoin sei zu teuer und deshalb gibt es kein Wertsteigerungspotential mehr ("der Zug ist abgefahren, ich hätte vor sechs Jahren investieren sollen"). Schlimmer noch, als sich nicht mit Bitcoin zu beschäftigen, ist sich dann stattdessen alternativen, "erschwinglicheren" Kryptowährungen zuzuwenden. Dieser Unit-Bias ist allerdings nichts anderes als ein Marketing-, bzw. ein Bildungsproblem. Denn wie wir wissen kann man Bitcoin in 100 Millionen Untereinheiten brechen und in kleinsten Mengen erwerben, verschicken und verkaufen. Doch haben Außenstehende von Begriffen wie Lightning oder Sats meistens noch nie gehört.

Untereinheiten

Doch auch innerhalb der Bitcoin-Szene ist die Unterteilung von Bitcoin in Untereinheiten nicht ganz unumstritten. Denn viele Nutzer//innen sind sich uneinig darüber, was der beste Weg ist, Bitcoins Untereinheiten zu bezeichnen und sogar darzustellen. Dies zeigt sich z.B. darin, dass Apps oft entweder Bitcoin oder Fiat anzeigen, manche Apps aber auch Beträge in Sats darstellen. Dies verlangt aber oft eigene Einstellungen innerhalb der App oder viele Klicks, die die Bedienung und Darstellung eher unhandlich gestalten.

Es gibt verschiedene Lösungsansätze, die dem/der Nutzer//in die ungewohnte Rechnung mit acht Nachkommastellen erleichtern sollen. Denn viele Anwender//innen denken beim Blick in ihre Wallets oft noch in lokalen Fiat-Werten, also in ganzen Einheiten (z.B. Euro oder Dollar) und Hundertsteln (z.B. Cents).

Einige Wallets versuchen diesen Spagat komplett zu umgehen, indem sie vermeiden, Beträge in Fiat darzustellen. Doch auch hier bleibt immer noch das Problem der unhandlichen Darstellung von acht Nachkommastellen, weshalb einige Anbieter einfach zwei Eingabemöglichkeiten bieten und den Betrag in Bitcoin oder Sats automatisch umrechnen.

Doch selbst das Zeichen für Sats ist nicht final geklärt. Es gibt viele verschiedene Vorschläge und Meinungen dazu, welches Symbol genutzt werden sollte. Die meisten Apps, Rechnungen und Sticker schreiben einfach das Wort "Sats" oder "sats" aus. Allerdings ist dies ein Problem, da außerhalb der Bitcoin-Szene niemand weiß, was ein Sat ist. Die meisten Menschen werden mittlerweile von Bitcoin gehört haben, auch wenn sie nicht wissen, wie es funktioniert, was es bedeutet, oder wie man damit umgeht. Doch auch das B Logo mit den Dollarstrichen (₿) werden die meisten Menschen zuordnen können.

Sats hingegen ist ein sehr nischiger Begriff und seine Verwendung noch unbekannter. Oft wird das Blitzsymbol (3 auf der unteren Grafik) verwendet, um Lightning darzustellen und auch das Symbol mit den drei horizontalen Strichen und zwei vertikalen Punkten (4 auf der unteren Grafik), das entfernt an das Dollar-Zeichen erinnern soll ($), erfreut sich immer größerer Beliebtheit. Das Problem dabei ist nur, dass es sich in geschriebener Form nicht, oder nur unzulänglich darstellen lässt: 丰 🤡

Es war lange logisch und notwendig, ganze Bitcoins zur Aufzählung und Bezahlung zu verwenden, da bei der Einführung von Bitcoin sein Geldwert sehr gering war. Es bestand also absolut keine Notwendigkeit dazu, in kleineren Einheiten als Bitcoin zu denken. Einfaches Beispiel: letzte Woche, am 22. Mai, jährte sich der Bitcoin-Pizza-Day zum 13. Mal, also jener Tag an dem Laszlo Hanyecz für zwei Pizza 10.000 bitcoins bezahlte und damit die erste offline Transaktion mit Bitcoin tätigte. 10.000 bitcoins entsprachen zu diesem Zeitpunkt also knapp $40, oder andersrum $1 entsprach 250 bitcoins Es gab also immer noch keine Notwendigkeit, kleinere Einheiten von Bitcoin zu verwenden. Diese Notwendigkeit ergab sich erst, als der Bitcoin und der Dollar Parität erlangten (1 Bitcoin = $1) und spätestens, als Bitcoin die Marke von $100 durchbrach, wurde rechnen in Bitcoin schwieriger.

Fortan überlegte man sich, Bitcoin in kleineren Einheiten darzustellen. Die zwei Möglichkeiten sind der Bit und der Sat. Ein einzelner bitcoin kann in 1.000.000 Bits oder bis zu 100.000.000 Sats unterteilt werden, also 100 Sats = 1 Bit = 0,000001 Bitcoin.

Ein weiterer Grund, weshalb eine Stückelung in bitcoin (der Begriff für einen ganzen physischen bitcoin) schwierig und verwirrend ist, und deshalb viele nach einer alternativen Bezeichnung für Untereinheiten suchten, ist dass darüber hinaus "Bitcoin" zur Beschreibung von zwei Dingen verwendet werden kann: dem monetären Netzwerk (Bitcoin - großes B) und dem monetären Vermögenswert (bitcoin - kleines B).

Bitcoin, der Vermögenswert, ist für diejenigen, die noch nichts damit zu tun hatten, sowohl verwirrend als auch fremd. Denn wie bereits erwähnt, führt der Unit-Bias dazu, dass viele Menschen denken, dass sie es sich nicht leisten können, Bitcoin zu kaufen, oder dass sie den Anschluss verpasst haben. Die Verwendung einer Bepreisung in Bruchteilen würde die Verwirrung über die Benennung des Netzwerks und des Vermögenswerts verringern, aber auch die psychologische Hürde für den Einstieg in Bitcoin senken. Vorausgesetzt, die Benennung ist logisch und intuitiv.

Bits vs. Sats

Wie schon erwähnt, gibt es zwei gängige Untereinheiten von Bitcoin, 1 Bit (= 0,000001 Bitcoin) und 1 Sat (0,00000001 Bitcoin). Seit jeher gibt es Diskussionen darüber, welche der beiden Einheiten für den täglichen Gebrauch die vernünftigere und intuitivere ist.

Die Verwendung von Bits zur Aufzählung von Bitcoin hat einige Vorteile. Ein Bit stellt ein „Bit“ eines Bitcoins dar, also der grundlegendsten und kleinsten Informationseinheit in der Informatik. Den meisten Menschen fällt es einfacher, das Wort „Bit“ mit Bitcoin zu assoziieren und daher verstehen sie eher, dass ein Bit ein Teil eines Bitcoins ist. Ein „Sat“ bedeutet für den Durchschnittsmenschen, wie oben beschrieben, nichts.

Adam Back (CEO von Blockstream und Bitcoin-Legende) ist wahrscheinlich der bekannteste Befürworter von Bits > Sats. Er argumentiert von verschiedenen Richtungen, dass z.B. Bits eine rechnerisch einfachere Variante ist, Untereinheiten von Bitcoin darzustellen, als Sats.

Weiter argumentiert er mit der historischen Entwicklung von Bitcoin, dem Protokoll und seiner Referenz-Implementierung. In den Anfangsjahren wurde in der Bitcoin Core Wallet mit Bits gearbeitet. Außerdem argumentiert er, dass die Verbindung zwischen Bitcoin der Haupteinheit und Bits oder Sats als Untereinheit zumindest semantisch gebrochen werden sollte. Da Bitcoin (im Fall eines weiter steigenden Kurses) als Recheneinheit immer unpraktischer wird, sollte man als mentales Modell auf das Rechenpaar Bits und Sats zurückgreifen - analog zur Darstellung von Dollars und Cents oder Euros und Cents. Dabei stellen die zwei Nachkommastellen eines in Bits angegebenen Preises die Sats dar.

Ganz einfaches Beispiel: Ein Kasten Bier kostet heute etwas 20€, also 0,00079758 Bitcoin. Einfacher dargestellt: 797,58 Bits, also 797 Bits und 58 Sats. “Ein Bitcoin ist zu teuer, aber Sats sind zu viele, klingen billig und verwirrend.” Es ist schwer in Sats zu denken und selbst wenn der Preis von Bitcoin 1 M US Dollar erreicht, ist ein Bit immer noch eine greifbare und günstige Einheit: 1 Bit = 1 US Dollar.

Eines von Adams Hauptargumenten ist, dass Sat als Untereinheit nicht funktioniert, weil es Dust gibt. Das Problem mit Dust besteht darin, dass es nicht möglich ist, Bitcoin unter einem bestimmten Schwellenwert auszugeben. Sein Argument ist, dass der Nutzen einer Einheit abhanden kommt, wenn diese Einheit als kleinste Recheneinheit nicht ausgegeben werden kann. Zugegeben, niemand kann mehr etwas für einen Cent kaufen, aber zumindest ist es technisch nicht unmöglich. Allerdings ist es unmöglich, 1 oder sogar 10 Sats über das Bitcoin-Netzwerk zu senden, ohne Layer-2-Skalierungstechnologien zu verwenden.

Dust

Unter Bitcoin-Dust versteht man eine sehr kleine Menge Bitcoin, typischerweise in kleinen ein- bis zweistelligen Sats-Beträgen, doch auch kommen immer öfter dreistellige Beträge vor. Sie werden Dust oder „Staub“ genannt, weil diese Beträge so gering sind, dass sie oft als unbedeutend und unpraktisch für die Verwendung bei regulären Transaktionen angesehen werden.

Es gibt keine offizielle Definition dafür wie groß/klein ein Betrag sein muss, um als Dust zu gelten, da jede Softwareimplementierung (Client, Wallet, etc.) einen anderen Schwellenwert annehmen kann. Die Bitcoin Core Referenzimplementierung definiert Dust als jede Transaktionsausgabe, die niedriger ist als die aktuellen Transaktionsgebühren.

Dust entsteht meist unbeabsichtigt bei Bitcoin-Transaktionen. Denn wenn Bitcoin von einer Adresse an eine andere gesendet wird, fällt oft eine Transaktionsgebühr an. Um Spam zu verhindern und die Sicherheit des Netzwerks zu gewährleisten, gibt es bei Bitcoin eine Mindestgröße für jede Transaktion. Dieses Limit ist der Mindestbetrag an Bitcoin, der als Ausgabe in eine Transaktion einbezogen werden kann. Der Rest ist Dust.

Oder einfacher ausgedrückt, wenn die Mindestgröße für eine Bitcoin-On-Chain-Transaktion 500 Sats (5 Bits) beträgt und ich noch 800 Sats (8 Bits) in meiner Wallet habe, kann ich nach dem Versenden von 600 Sats (6 Bits) die übrigen 200 Sats (2 Bits) nicht mehr ausgeben. Diese verbleibenden 2 Bits sind Dust.

Dust stellt aus mehreren Gründen eine Herausforderung für das Bitcoin-Netzwerk und seine Benutzer//innen dar:

UTXO-Bloat: Bei jeder Transaktion werden nicht ausgegebene Transaktionsausgaben (UTXOs) erstellt, und Dust erhöht die Anzahl der UTXOs im System. Dies kann zu einer aufgeblähten Blockchain führen und sich negativ auf die Leistung und Skalierbarkeit des Netzwerks auswirken.

➡️ Wie UTXOs funktionieren

Wallet-Management: Im Laufe der Zeit kann sich in Wallets viel Dust ansammeln, und die Verwaltung solch kleiner Beträge kann für Benutzer//innen unpraktisch sein. Bei vielen Wallets ist ein Mindestguthaben erforderlich, und die Dust-Mengen sind möglicherweise zu gering, um diese Anforderung zu erfüllen. Viele Nutzer//innen wechseln häufig zwischen Wallets und transferirien ihre Vermögen vorher auf die neuen Wallets, bei solchen Wechseln bleiben Dust-Beträge zurück und gelten langfristig als verloren.

Ein weiteres Problem besteht darin, dass Dust nicht genau definiert werden kann. Die Transaktionsgebühren hängen wesentlich von zwei Faktoren ab: Den Gebühren in sat/vB, welche von der Auslastung des Mempools abhängen und zu Zeiten von hoher Auslastung dementsprechend hoch sind, und zum anderen vom UTXO-Set des/der jeweiligen Nutzer//in. Denn wie wir wissen, werden Transaktionen aus einer oder mehreren UTXOs zusammengesetzt, je mehr UTXOs dabei benötigt werden, um den gewünschten Betrag zu versenden, desto höher sind die Kosten für diese Transaktion, da sich das Gewicht (in vBytes) erhöht. Diese beiden Faktoren können die Gebühren in Einzelfällen so strukturieren, dass größere Mengen Dust anfallen, als in anderen Fällen.

Datenschutzbedenken: Da jede Transaktion in der Blockchain gespeichert wird, können selbst winzige Mengen Dust mit der Identität oder dem Transaktionsverlauf einer Person verknüpft werden, was die Privatsphäre gefährdet. Diese Funktion wird von Angreifern in sogenannten Dust-Attacks ausgenutzt. Denn böswillige Angreifer haben schnell erkannt, dass Nutzer//innen die winzigen Dust-Beträge, die in ihren Wallet-Adressen angezeigt werden, nicht viel Aufmerksamkeit schenken oder gar bemerken. Angreifer schicken also Kleinstbeträge an eine große Anzahl von Adressen, um dann im nächsten Schritt in einer kombinierten Analyse dieser Adressen und der Beträge, versuchen herauszufinden, welche Adressen zur gleichen Wallet gehören. Dabei ist es das Ziel, diese so identifizierbaren Adressen und Wallets schließlich den jeweiligen Eigentümer//innen zuzuordnen, um diese dann durch ausgefeilte Phishing-Angriffe oder Cyber-Erpressungen zu attackieren.

Um diese Probleme zu lösen, können Nutzer//innen Dust konsolidieren, indem sie mehrere Dust-UTXOs in einer einzigen Transaktion mit einem höheren Wert kombinieren. Einige Wallets und Dienste bieten Funktionen an, mit denen Benutzer//innen ihren Dust effektiv verwalten und konsolidieren können.

Abschließende Gedanken

Der Unit-Bias ist absolut vorhanden. Ich persönlich begegne ihm immer wieder in Gesprächen mit Bitcoin-Interessierten, die sich mit der Materie noch nicht lange auseinandergesetzt haben. Die Verwunderung ist oft sehr groß, dass bitcoins nicht als Ganzes gekauft werden müssen. Die Verwendung einer Untereinheit sowohl in Wallets, als auch bei der Bepreisung kann dabei helfen.

An die Verwendung von Sats als die kleinste Einheit von Bitcoin habe ich mich gewöhnt, allerdings tendiere ich mittlerweile persönlich zum Gebrauch von Bits. Die hervorgebrachten Argumente leuchten mir ein und ich bin überzeugt, dass Bits eine größere Akzeptanz außerhalb des Bitcoin-Inner-Circles hervorrufen können, als Sats. Darüber hinaus ist das Sats-Zeichen wirklich unpraktisch.

Ich befürworte hier einige Ideen, die das Paragrafzeichen zum Symbol für Sats erheben wollen.

🫳🎤

---

In diesem Sinne, 2... 1... Risiko!‌

@ 58edc6ae:e070cfa5

MiCA Regulation and the new AML Regulation have recently come into force, raising several concerns about how the EU is approaching non-custodial payment solutions. These include:

1. Conflicts with privacy standards and human rights norms

The rules permit excessive collection and sharing of information on private transactions without adequate safeguards, conflicting with EU privacy standards and international human rights principles, as emphasised in rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union.

1. Blocking innovation

The regulations conflict with privacy-focused technologies, potentially stifling new ideas and platforms in the EU. This could weaken the EU’s position as a leader in digital finance.

1. Hurting competition

Compliance with these regulations increases operating costs for EU-based CASPs, placing them at a disadvantage compared to non-EU companies operating under less restrictive rules. This may push users toward unregulated services outside Europe, undermining the regulations' purpose.

1. Excluding vulnerable groups

The regulations could make it harder for people in poorer or politically unstable countries to access secure and private financial tools, leaving them without viable financial options.

---

These issues are explored in detail in the report prepared by nostr:npub15ka0zlfeys4vphnl6dk4x63e7sra0mp3wmrp4ml7q993z8km0n6spjxua8 and me for Open Dialogue Foundation upon the request of nostr:npub13ajk3hhvqys2ev4y68jwxywgs8fsdsuk4y5gkzs874jdyrccvf5qak2yd9 .

It is crucial to reopen the discussion on these issues and urge European lawmakers to reconsider their approach. The EU needs a regulatory framework that strikes a balance between security and privacy, fosters innovation, and rebuilds Europe’s weakened position in the global digital economy.

MiCA #AML

@ d83793e3:3de45629

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Tóm lại, Like88 là sự kết hợp hoàn hảo giữa đa dạng, tiện ích và an toàn, mang lại một trải nghiệm giải trí toàn diện. Với sự phát triển không ngừng, Like88 xứng đáng là lựa chọn hàng đầu cho những ai muốn khám phá một không gian giải trí trực tuyến chất lượng và đẳng cấp.

@ d83793e3:3de45629

668FY là một trong những nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến hàng đầu, mang đến cho người dùng một không gian thư giãn sáng tạo và chất lượng. Với giao diện thiết kế hiện đại, dễ sử dụng và đa dạng các loại trò chơi, 668FY nhanh chóng thu hút được sự quan tâm của cộng đồng người chơi. Đây không chỉ là nơi để giải trí mà còn là nơi gắn kết, khám phá và tận hưởng những trải nghiệm độc đáo.

Một trong những điểm nổi bật của 668FY là sự đa dạng trong danh mục trò chơi. Người tham gia có thể tìm thấy nhiều thể loại hấp dẫn, từ các trò chơi yêu cầu sự tư duy và tính toán chiến lược đến những trò chơi giải trí đơn giản nhưng không kém phần thú vị. Mỗi trò chơi trên nền tảng đều được thiết kế tỉ mỉ, mang đến sự cân bằng giữa thử thách và niềm vui, giúp người chơi tận hưởng trọn vẹn từng phút giây. https://668fy.top

668FY cũng chú trọng đến việc cải thiện trải nghiệm người dùng thông qua giao diện trực quan và tính năng tối ưu hóa trên nhiều thiết bị. Nền tảng hoạt động mượt mà trên cả máy tính và điện thoại thông minh, cho phép người chơi truy cập dễ dàng ở bất kỳ đâu, bất kỳ lúc nào. Điều này giúp 668FY trở thành lựa chọn lý tưởng cho những ai muốn giải trí mà không bị gián đoạn.

Không chỉ tập trung vào trò chơi, 668FY còn xây dựng một cộng đồng người chơi sôi động và gắn kết. Nền tảng cung cấp các công cụ giao lưu như diễn đàn và tính năng trò chuyện, giúp người chơi dễ dàng kết nối, chia sẻ kinh nghiệm và tham gia vào các hoạt động thú vị. Những sự kiện trực tuyến được tổ chức thường xuyên cũng tạo thêm sự phấn khích, thu hút nhiều người tham gia.

668FY cam kết cao về tính bảo mật và an toàn thông tin cá nhân. Bằng cách áp dụng công nghệ bảo mật tiên tiến, nền tảng đảm bảo mọi dữ liệu của người chơi được bảo vệ một cách tốt nhất. Điều này giúp người dùng hoàn toàn yên tâm tận hưởng các dịch vụ mà không phải lo lắng về rủi ro bảo mật.

Tóm lại, 668FY không chỉ là nơi giải trí mà còn là một không gian kết nối, sáng tạo và an toàn. Với sự đa dạng trong trò chơi, giao diện thân thiện và cộng đồng người dùng tích cực, 668FY chính là lựa chọn hoàn hảo cho những ai đang tìm kiếm một trải nghiệm giải trí trực tuyến đầy đủ và thú vị.

@ c5fede3d:16e03f7b

Hay quien dice el famoso dicho de «año nuevo, vida nueva». En este caso, iniciamos el año con el mismo propósito, seguir aprendiendo para que no nos pille el toro. En esta ocasión, toca tratar la entrada de capital a tu wallet. Sin embargo, hay que saber donde meterse sin que las arenas movedizas te engullan. ¿Preparado para comprar la hucha del cerdito?

Esta es la segunda entrega de Semanario Crypto, una serie de artículos dedicados para aquellos que desconocen los conceptos básicos del mundo de las criptomonedas. La semana pasada hicimos un barrido sin adentrarnos en territorio comanche. Si aún no tienes claro qué es una wallet o cuál es el propósito de una frase semilla, ve al punto de partida y vuelve a leerte Semanario Crypto #1 | Un nuevo paradigma, porque es el ticket de entrada para este mundillo y no lo puedes perder.

EL LÍO DEL MONTEPÍO💱

Si has llegado hasta aquí, he de felicitarte. Has dado dos grandes pasos. El primero, tener la mente abierta y querer aprender. El segundo, disponer de una wallet y tener guardada a buen recaudo la frase semilla. Ahora es el momento de la verdad, operar, no sin antes tener claro un par de conceptos más.

¿Qué son los exchanges?

Son plataformas digitales donde los usuarios pueden comprar, vender o intercambiar criptomonedas. A través de ellas, los usuarios pueden convertir su dinero tradicional en crypto, facilitando el comercio de criptoactivos.

Los exchanges son los bancos del mundo de la criptomonedas. Ambos actúan como intermediarios en las transacciones financieras y ofrecen servicios relacionados con la inversión y el comercio. Sin embargo, no todos los exchanges son iguales, se diferencian dos tipos:

1. Exchange Centralizado (CEX)

En este tipo de exchange, una entidad centralizada gestiona las transacciones y retiene los fondos los usuarios. Los CEX custodian tu dinero, cuentan con equipos profesionales de atención al cliente y están sujetos a altas regulaciones gubernamentales. Te registras, haces la verificación de identidad (KYC) y ellos te proporcionan una wallet para que la fondees con tu dinero fiduciario y operes dentro de la plataforma. Todo un ecosistema a golpe de click.

2. Exchange Descentralizado (DEX)

Aquí las transacciones se realizan entre usuarios a través de contratos inteligentes en la blockchain (P2P), es decir, las operaciones se hacen directamente desde sus propias billeteras. No requieren que se proporcionen información personal. Los usuarios mantienen el control sobre sus activos (autocustodia) y no habrá que depositar en ellas.

Sabiendo las diferencias entre un CEX y un DEX, nuevamente nos hallamos en la tesitura de tener que definirnos a nosotros mismos. En la anterior entrega de Semanario Crypto optamos por una wallet caliente o una fría en función del tipo de inversor que somos, o incluso pudimos hacer un mix emparejando la wallet fría a una extensión de navegador. Aunque, como acabamos de ver, si te registras en un CEX ellos ya te proporcionan una billetera electrónica para que operes dentro de la plataforma. La elección es tuya, pero has de tener en cuenta cómo operar de una forma u otra conforme al capital que dispongas:

Quiero operar por un monto superior a 50k euros anuales y/o soy un buen ciudadano.

• Amigo mío, quítate de problemas, y registrate en un CEX como Binance o Bit2Me. La legislación fiscal española incide especialmente en que cualquier tenencia de criptomonedas superior a 50k euros debe ser declarada. Con los exchanges que te he puesto, la información proporcionada a la Agencia Tributaria es automática y de ella se encargan ellos, no tienes que hacer nada de nada. Solo hacer tu declaración anual habitual.
• También es la opción ideal para el vago y el que no dispone de tiempo. ¿Quieres hacer un mix que te ofrezca las bondades de los CEX y los DEX? Atento al siguiente punto y atiende a las nuevas regulaciones de cara a 2025.

Quiero operar por un monto inferior a 10k euros anuales y/o considero que los CEX son neo-usureros.

• La solución son los DEX. Como ya vimos, los exchanges descentralizados no requieren de KYC para operar, de modo que dan un mayor grado de privacidad y anonimato, puesto que jamás dispondrán de tu documentación personal. Además, estás expuesto a lo que se denomina el ecosistema de las finanzas descentralizadas (DeFi).
• El mundo DeFi busca democratizar el acceso a los servicios financieros, abriendo un abanico de nuevos mercados, oportunidades de inversión y ser el primero en conocer las innovaciones financieras. Sin lugar a dudas, es donde están los más avispados y la gente pudiente, muestra de ello es el valor de su capitalización de mercado, alcanzando más de 52 mil millones de dólares, que se dice pronto.

EL CASTILLO DE DRÁCULA, LA AEAT 🧛

El año 2025 va a ser determinante para el devenir del mundo de las criptomonedas, al menos en Europa. Es el año donde entran en vigor las nuevas regulaciones fiscales. Parece ser que el mantra de que los criptoactivos eran una estafa y que no valían nada a pasado a mejor vida a partir de la entrada del gran capital, como Blackrock. Ahora, los entes fiscales reguladores quieren su porción del pastel y apuntan a tu billetera. Si quieres operar en este mundillo, debes saber un poco de fiscalidad, para que no llamen a tu puerta. Aunque, recuerda, si optaste por ser un buen ciudadano (español, en este caso) que te registraste en un CEX como Binance o Bit2Me no tendrás mayores preocupaciones, porque allí todo lo que hagas acaba registrado automáticamente en tu declaración del año fiscal. De todas formas, siempre es bueno aprender, sobre todo si operas desde los DEX con tu billetera autocustodiada.

1. La Ley MiCa y Directiva DAC8

• Reglamento europeo que establece el marco regulatorio para las criptomonedas. Obliga a que todos los servicios financieros que emitan o comercialicen criptoactivos tengan licencia y deban proporcionar información sobre sus operaciones. Los proveedores de servicios deberán informar sobre las transacciones realizadas por residentes en Europa con fines de supervisión fiscal. Los ciudadanos europeos están obligados a declarar la tenencia de criptoactivos como parte del patrimonio personal, incluyendo ganancias, la cual estará sujeta a impuestos.
• La Directiva DAC8 complementa al reglamento y se enfoca en el intercambio automático de información fiscal entre los Estados miembro de la UE (CARF). Los proveedores de criptoactivos deberán reportarán todas las transacciones y datos relevantes a las autoridades fiscales nacionales, concretamente los movimientos y saldos del usuario. Legitima a Hacienda a poder embargar las criptomonedas depositadas en un exchange, las wallets autocustodiadas son inembargables por estar en control del usuario.

2. La Travel Rule o Regla de Viaje

• Regulación que aumenta la trazabilidad entre las transacciones de criptomonedas. Exige a los servicios de activos digitales (VASP) recojan y compartan información sobre los remitentes y beneficiarios, sea a carteras custodiadas o autocustodiadas.

3. Límites y “mandamientos”

• Cualquier transferencia superior a 1.000 euros requerirá que el proveedor recopile datos personales.
• Si el monto de operaciones alcanza los 10.000 euros anuales, el proveedor informa.
• Si el monto de operaciones alcanza los 3.000 euros en un trimestre natural, el proveedor informa.
• Las ganancias deben ser declaradas en el IRPF al final del año fiscal, incluso si las criptomonedas no se han convertido a FIAT (dinero fiduciario tradicional).
• El Modelo 721 es una obligación informativa que deben cumplir los contribuyentes que poseen criptomonedas en el extranjero (exchange que no opere bajo legislación española y no presente los modelos informativos requeridos por Hacienda) y cuyo saldo supera los 50.000 euros a fecha del 31 de diciembre.
• La CNMV supervisa el mercado de criptoactivos y el Banco de España las monedas estables (dólares digitales como USDC-USDT).

¿AÚN CON FUERZAS?

Pues sabiendo todo esto, ya es hora de que deposites tu dinero en tu billetera de criptomonedas. ¿Cómo hacerlo? Eso ya lo verás en la siguiente entrega de Semanario Crypto. En él se te ofrecerá el martillo para que rompes la hucha del cerdito y le des vida a tu wallet. Aprende las rutas de entrada y de salida. Opera con conocimiento y sabiendo lo que haces. Es más fácil de lo que piensas. Recuerda que la información es poder, y tú la vas a tener.

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Descargo de responsabilidad: Toda la información compartida forma parte de mi visión personal y no tiene como objetivo asesorar financieramente. Doy información, no consejos de inversión.

@ 2063cd79:57bd1320

Ich hatte vor ein paar Wochen die Gelegenheit mich mit Micheal Hassard persönlich zu unterhalten. Mike ist Verteidiger im Fall von Roman Sterlingov. Der Fall ist haarsträubend und beängstigend. Mike und ich haben uns einige Zeit unterhalten und er hat mir einige Details aus diesem wirklich spannenden Prozess verraten. Ich wollte versuchen die Informationen in einem Artikel zusammenzufassen, um auch anderen Leuten, die mit dem Fall noch nicht betraut sind, die Möglichkeit zu geben, zu verstehen, was für absurde Methoden und ungerechte Beweismittel in diesem noch komplett neuen rechtlichen Umfeld angewendet werden.

LAX

Am 27. April 2001 landet ein Direktflug aus Moskau am Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Bei der Passkontrolle an der Immigration wird ein junger Passagier dieses Fluges von Kriminalermittlern des Internal Revenue Service (IRS) verhaftet. In seinem Gepäck befinden sich vier Reisepässe und allerhand technisches Equipment. Darunter Laptops, externe Festplatten und Bitcoin Signing Devices (Hardware Wallets). Der junge Mann wird festgenommen, seine mitgeführten Besitztümer und Pässe konfisziert, dann wird er in Untersuchungshaft gebracht. Der Vorwurf: Die Gründung und der Betrieb eines Bitcoin Mixers. Konkret wird ihm vorgeworfen, Bitcoin Fog gegründet und betrieben zu haben, darüber hinaus wird er in drei Punkten angeklagt: Geldwäsche, Betrieb eines nicht lizenzierten Geldtransfergeschäfts und Geldtransfer ohne Lizenz. Die IRS behauptet, dass über 1,2 Millionen Bitcoin, im Wert von etwa 336 M US Dollar zum Zeitpunkt der Transaktionen, über Bitcoin Fog verschickt wurden.

Bitcoin Fog

Bitcoin Fog war ein beliebter Custodial Bitcoin Mixer, der von Nutzer//innen für ihre Privatsphäre genutzt wurde. Mixer sind Services die entwickelt wurden, um das Problem der "Common-Input-Ownership-Heuristik" zu brechen. Vereinfacht ausgedrückt beschreibt dieses Problem die Annahme, dass mehrere Inputs einer Transaktion relativ sicher dem gleichen Besitzer gehören. Ich habe Bitcoin Mixer schon mal detailliert beschrieben:

https://www.genexyz.org/post/23-block-772315-bitcoin-mixing-q6i7y4/

TL;DR: Die Grundidee besteht darin, dass man einen Coin nimmt, der aus mehreren UTXOs besteht, und diesen mit Hilfe eines Dienstes einem Pool zuführt. Diese Dienste erhalten für die Vermittlung, Zusammenführung und das Stellen der Infrastruktur eine kleine Gebühr. Transaktionen werden dann so aufgebaut, dass sie es Überwachungsfirmen oder anderen Beobachtern sehr schwer machen, genau zu wissen, welcher Transaktion-Output zu welchem der Input-Steller gehört.

Bitcoin Fog wurde 2011 gegründet und ist ein Custodial Service, was bedeutet, dass Nutzer//innen ihre Bitcoin an eine Wallet des Betreibers senden, und im Gegenzug dann von Bitcoin Fog andere Bitcoin zurück erhalten, um die Spur der On-Chain-Transaktionen zu verwischen.

Roman Sterlingov

Roman war schon früh Benutzer von Bitcoin. Als er 14 Jahre alt war, zog er mit seiner Mutter von Russland nach Schweden und beschäftigte sich ab etwa 2011 mit Bitcoin. Dies ist wichtig, denn als russischer und schwedischer Staatsbürger ist Roman im Besitz von vier offiziell ausgestellten Reisepässen. Russland hat zwei Pässe, einen für das Reisen innerhalb und einen für das Reisen außerhalb Russlands. Schweden stellt auch zwei Reisepässe aus. Als der Bitcoin-Kurs stieg, wurde er Millionär. Er kündigte seinen Job und versuchte, sich selbstständig zu machen. Unter anderem gründete er ein VPN-Geschäft, das nicht erfolgreich war, und entschied sich später aufgrund der Volatilität von Bitcoin und fehlenden Einnahmen aus seinen Projekten, Pilot bei einer kommerziellen Fluggesellschaft zu werden.

Er meldete sich bei einer kalifornischen Flugschule an und 2021, als Roman nach Kalifornien zur Flugschule flog, wurde er von der Regierung am Flughafen LAX verhaftet. Er sitzt seit über zwei Jahren im Gefängnis und wartet auf seinen Prozess. Neben seinen Pässen und seinem Equipment wurden auch die seit 2011 angesammelten Bitcoin beschlagnahmt, da diese auf Konten bei u.a. Kraken lagen.

Die Anklage

Kalifornien hat Roman Sterlingov wegen des Vorwurfs verhaftet, über einen Zeitraum von 10 Jahren Bitcoin im Wert von fast 336 M US Dollar gewaschen zu haben. Ihm wird vorgeworfen, über sein Konto und seine IP-Adressen mit der Bitcoin Fog-Domain und mit Mt. Gox-Konten, die in Verbindung zu Bitcoin Fog stehen, an Bitcoin Fog beteiligt zu sein.

Vor dem Start des Dienstes nutzte der Administrator seinen echten Namen auf seinem Mt. Gox-Konto, um die Plattform einem Betatest zu unterziehen. Sein persönliches Google-Konto wurde auch zum Speichern der Schritte zur Bezahlung der Domain verwendet. Dies sind jedoch zum heutigen Zeitpunkt nur Anschuldigungen ohne konkrete Beweise. Der Fall stützt sich stark auf digitale Forensik und Blockchain-Analyse ohne Zeugenaussagen oder ähnliche konkrete Beweisstücke. Selbst wenn Roman die Domain gekauft hätte, wäre dies nicht illegal. Die Verjährungsfrist für die angeblichen Verbrechen ist ebenfalls abgelaufen. Was bleibt, sind von der Anklage angeführte "Beweise", die sich komplett auf die Blockchain-Analyse der Firma Chainalysis stützen.

Chainalysis

Chainalysis ist die wohl bekannteste Blockchain-Analyse Firma. In einem früheren Artikel habe ich schon mal beschrieben, wie diese Firmen operieren:

https://www.genexyz.org/post/19-block-765505-on-chain-analytics-mhcumo/

TL;DR: Unter On-Chain Analytics versteht man die Analyse von Daten, die auf jeder beliebigen Blockchain vorhanden sind. Diese Daten sind auf der Chain, also on-chain und somit für jedermann jederzeit und von überall abrufbar. Genauer bieten Blockchains Daten über Adressen, Transaktionen und in gewisser Weise auch über Wallets. Diese Informationen können verwertet werden, um verschiedene Sachverhalte darzustellen. Dieses Verfahren wird auch Heuristik genannt und bedient sich wahrscheinlicher Annahmen, also z.B. wiederkehrender Muster. Dabei werden sogenannte Cluster erstellt, also Verbindungen zwischen Adressen und Transaktionen gezogen.

So nutzen nutzen Analyse-Firmen wie Chainalysis Heuristiken und Wahrscheinlichkeitsanalysen, um Bitcoin-Transaktionen und Eigentümerwechsel zu verfolgen. Sie versuchen, Adressen auf der Grundlage dieser Heuristiken zu gruppieren, jedoch stimmen die Ergebnisse verschiedener Unternehmen oft nicht überein. Dies kann zu vagen Beweisen und Schuldunterstellungen führen.

„Während die Identität eines Besitzers einer Bitcoin-Adresse im Allgemeinen anonym ist (es sei denn, der Besitzer entscheidet sich dafür, die Informationen öffentlich zugänglich zu machen), können Strafverfolgungsbehörden den Besitzer einer bestimmten Bitcoin-Adresse oft durch Analyse der Blockchain identifizieren“ - Devon Beckett, Special Agent, IRS

Chainalysis betreiben einen sogenannten Reactor, der diese Analysen vornimmt. Diese Analyse dient als Grundlage für das Argument, Roman habe Geld von seinem Mt Gox-Konto abgebucht und verwendet, um die Bezahlung der DNS-Registrierung für Bitcoin Fog zu tätigen und zu verbergen. Es wird so versucht, Roman mit Aufzeichnungen im Bitcoin Talk-Forums in Verbindung zu bringen, die wiederum Bitcoin Fog mit illegalen Aktivitäten in Verbindung bringen.

Konkret wird anhand dieser Analyse eine Verbindung zu Roman und weiter zu Bitcoin Fog hergestellt, die beweisen soll, dass Zahlungen im Wert von 336 M US Dollar gewaschen wurden, die für Drogengeschäfte verwendet wurden.

Es gibt keine objektiven Standards für diese Art der Analyse und Strafverfolgungsbehörden stützen ihre Beweise auf diese privaten Ermittlungen. Im konkreten Fall vo Chainalysis spielen Beziehungen zu Strafverfolgungsbehörden wie dem britischen Serious Crimes Office und dem US-Justizministerium, sowie den damit einhergehenden Geldquellen eine entscheidende Rolle beim Aufstieg des Unternehmens zum größten Anbieter dieser Dienstleistungen mit einer Marktkapitalisierung von 8,6 Milliarden US Dollar.

Verteidigung

Roman wird in diesem Fall von der Kanzlei Ekeland Law, PLLC vertreten. Die Anwälte, Tor Ekeland und Michael Hassard sind der festen Überzeugung, dass Roman unschuldig ist und dass er in diesem Fall aufgrund fehlerhafter digitaler Forensik in Bedrängnis geraten ist.

Roman gibt zu, Bitcoin Fog aus Datenschutzgründen verwendet zu haben, um seine Bitcoin zu waschen, bevor er diese in sein Konto bei Kraken einzahlte. Das Mischen an sich ist nicht illegal, denn während der Anhörung erkannte der Richter sogar an, dass die Verwendung eines Mixers wie Bitcoin Fog nicht grundsätzlich verboten sei. Dies war sogar das erste Mal, dass ein Richter ausdrücklich erklärte, dass das Mischen von Bitcoin nicht illegal ist und dass es auch nicht illegal ist, Nutzer//in eines Mischdienstes zu sein. Es ist jedoch zu beachten, dass sich dieser Fall speziell gegen den Betreiber von Bitcoin Fog richtet und versucht, den Dienst mit Drogenmarktplätzen in Verbindung zu bringen.

Argumente für Romans Unschuld beinhalten unter anderem, dass Bitcoin Fog in der gesamten Zeit von Romans Inhaftierung aktiv geblieben ist, was darauf schließen lässt, dass die eigentlichen Betreiber immer noch auf freiem Fuß sind. Roman wurde vor seiner Verhaftung überwacht, es wurden Abhör- und Überwachungsmaßnahmen durchgeführt, jedoch keine Beweise gefunden, die ihn mit dem Betrieb von Bitcoin Fog in Verbindung bringen, selbst nachdem Server beschlagnahmt wurden.

Darüber hinaus ignoriert die Anklage auch die Tatsache, dass die DNS-Registrierung der Bitcoin Fog Domain seit Romans Verhaftung zweimal erneuert wurde. Trotzdem versucht die Anklage eine Verbindung zu Roman auf der Grundlage von IP-Adressen herzustellen, die mit anderen E-Mails verknüpft sind, die zur Registrierung der DNS und zur Erstellung eines Kontos im Bitcoin Talk Forum verwendet wurden.

Roman wird Verschwörung vorgeworfen, es wurde jedoch kein einziger Mitverschwörer genannt. Bei den von der Anklage behaupteten Transaktionen handelt es sich um Lizenzzahlungen des Mixers, die jedoch nicht durch Beweise gestützt werden. Wenn Roman ein Drahtzieher wäre, der 336 M US Dollar an Drogengeldern gewaschen hätte, würde es für ihn keinen Sinn machen, sein Geld mit seinem richtigen Namen und Passfoto auf ein KYC-Konto bei Kraken einzuzahlen.

An dieser Stelle ist es vielleicht interessant festzustellen, dass Michael Gronager, einer der Mitbegründer von Chainalysis, auch einer der Mitbegründer von Kraken war.

Mt Gox Daten

Es gibt eine Verbindung zwischen Kraken, Chainalysis und Mt Gox. Denn nicht nur war der Gründer von Kraken, Jesse Powell, als Berater für Mt. Gox bei der Lösung eines Sicherheitsproblems tätig und begann in Erwartung seines Kollapses mit der Arbeit an Kraken als Ersatz, auch Chainalysis wurde als direkte Reaktion auf den Mt. Gox-Skandal gegründet.

Chainalysis wurde in den offiziellen Ermittlungen im Insolvenzverfahren von Mt. Gox genutzt, um den Verbleib der "gestohlenen" bitcoins zu untersuchen. Allerdings gibt es Anzeichen dafür, dass die dabei verwendeten Daten falsch und unzuverlässig seien. Angebliche Transaktionsnummern und Wallet-Adressen existieren nicht, werden verwechselt oder sind schlichtweg fehlerhaft. Genau dieser Datensatz wird aber nun benutzt, um Fälle wie den von Roman zu beweisen.

Ankläger

Einer der Staatsanwälte des Falles ist jetzt leitender Rechtsberater für Chainalysis, und ein IRS-Ermittler gründete während seiner Tätigkeit für den IRS ein privates Unternehmen namens Exigent LLC. Die Pressemitteilungen und Fundraising-Runden von Chainalysis stehen eng im Zusammenhang mit dem Fall. Exigent LLC erhält in der Pressemitteilung des US-Justizministeriums die höchste Auszeichnung für Romans Verhaftung, und fünf Monate später kaufte Chainalysis Exigent LLC. Dieser Fall scheint von Karrierismus und Profitstreben getrieben zu sein.

Problem

Neben den Verbindungen der Ermittler und Ankläger mit Chainalysis und der Problematik der fehlenden Beweise, ist dieser Fall zutiefst beunruhigend und wirft Bedenken hinsichtlich des geltenden Computerrechts auf.

Die meisten Blockchain-Strafverfolgungen folgen dem gleichen Muster: Einspruchsvereinbarungen, Gerichtsverfahren oder Entlassungen. Unschuldige Menschen gehen oft auf Plädoyer-Deals ein, weil ihnen die Ressourcen fehlen, um gegen die unbegrenzten Ressourcen des Department of Justice zu kämpfen. Roman kann keinen Deal annehmen, weil er nichts weiß und lügen müsste.

Es ist beunruhigend, dass der Fall in Washington D.C. verhandelt wird, obwohl Roman keine Verbindungen zu dieser Stadt hat. Die einzige Grundlage dafür, die Gerichtsbarkeit nach D.C. zu legen, ist darin begründet, dass eine verdeckte Operation gegen Roman aus Washington D.C. geleitet wurde. Dies gibt Anlass zur Sorge, weil es Staatsanwälten ermöglicht, Angeklagte auf der Grundlage von Online-Interaktionen vor jedes Bundesgericht zu ziehen - ob US Staatsbürger oder nicht. Dies ist ein direkter Verstoß gegen die Gerichtsstandsklausel und entfernt wichtige Elemente des Strafrechtssystems, da es jede/n Nutzer//in von Bitcoin-Mixern in die gefährliche Lage versetzen kann, vor einem US-Gericht angeklagt zu werden, wenn eine auch nur dünne Beweislage gegen ihn/sie vorliegt.

Ein weiteres Problem besteht in den vorgebrachten Beweisen. Denn die Verteidigung hat bis heute keinen Einblick in den Code oder die verwendeten Datensätze, die von Chainalysis verwendet wurden, erhalten. Chainalysis beruft sich dabei auf seine proprietären Geschäftsdaten und lehnt eine Offenlegung ab. Es wird vermutet, dass die Datensätze falsch sind, insbesondere angesichts der fragwürdigen Mt. Gox-Aufzeichnungen, auf die sie sich stützen.

Die bereitgestellten Daten sind begrenzt, unvollständig und werden in komplizierten Flussdiagrammen dargestellt. Die verwendete Software, wie z.B. der Chainalysis Reactor, steht nicht für eine unabhängige Prüfung zur Verfügung. Der Mangel an Transparenz und Zugang zu dieser Software gibt Anlass zu Bedenken hinsichtlich ihrer Genauigkeit und den daraus gezogenen Schlussfolgerungen.

Es bestehen Zweifel am Zusammenhang zwischen Roman, dem Betreiber von Bitcoin Fog, und den mutmaßlichen Straftaten. Roman sitzt derzeit im Gefängnis, ihm droht eine Haftstrafe von 50 Jahren. Die Freiheit einer Person wird durch eine kommerzielle proprietäre Software gefährdet, die vor Gericht erwirken kann, dass Quellen und Datensätze nicht offengelegt werden.

Auch wirft der Fall Bedenken hinsichtlich fehlender Standards, des gewinnorientierten Charakters des forensischen Bereichs, der Weigerung, Beweise auszutauschen, und der Möglichkeit von Justizirrtümern auf, die durch fehlerhafte Software und fragwürdige Praktiken verursacht werden.

Wie geht es weiter?

Das Verteidigungsteam hat finanzielle Probleme, da alle Gelder von Roman beschlagnahmt wurden. Der Antrag auf Freigabe der Mittel wurde abgelehnt. Romans Verteidigung muss öffentliche Mittel beantragen und hofft auf Spenden. Ich habe in einem früheren Artikel schon auf die Spendenseite aufmerksam gemacht. Wer anhand der aufgelisteten Fakten das Gefühl bekommt, dass hier jemand zu Unrecht verhaftet wurde und helfen möchte, kann die Verteidigung mit einer Spende unterstützen.

https://www.torekeland.com/roman-sterlingov

https://geyser.fund/project/usvsterlingov

FREEROMAN

🫳🎤

---

In diesem Sinne, 2... 1... Risiko!‌

@ 609899dc:13493d8d

Simplify your Arlo security system setup with Myarlosetup.From connecting devices to setting up settings for maximum security, our professional assistance guarantees a seamless installation experience. We assist you in smoothly integrating your floodlights, doorbells, and cameras into your system. Get improved protection and real-time monitoring for your house or place of business. You can rely on Myarlosetup to offer detailed guidance and guarantee a simple and effective Arlo security system setup. Easily secure your home now!

@ f9cf4e94:96abc355

Scuttlebutt foi iniciado em maio de 2014 por Dominic Tarr ( dominictarr ) como uma rede social alternativa off-line, primeiro para convidados, que permite aos usuários obter controle total de seus dados e privacidade. Secure Scuttlebutt (ssb) foi lançado pouco depois, o que coloca a privacidade em primeiro plano com mais recursos de criptografia.

Se você está se perguntando de onde diabos veio o nome Scuttlebutt:

Este termo do século 19 para uma fofoca vem do Scuttlebutt náutico: “um barril de água mantido no convés, com um buraco para uma xícara”. A gíria náutica vai desde o hábito dos marinheiros de se reunir pelo boato até a fofoca, semelhante à fofoca do bebedouro.

Marinheiros se reunindo em torno da rixa. ( fonte )

Dominic descobriu o termo boato em um artigo de pesquisa que leu.

Em sistemas distribuídos, fofocar é um processo de retransmissão de mensagens ponto a ponto; as mensagens são disseminadas de forma análoga ao “boca a boca”.

Secure Scuttlebutt é um banco de dados de feeds imutáveis apenas para acréscimos, otimizado para replicação eficiente para protocolos ponto a ponto. Cada usuário tem um log imutável somente para acréscimos no qual eles podem gravar. Eles gravam no log assinando mensagens com sua chave privada. Pense em um feed de usuário como seu próprio diário de bordo, como um diário de bordo (ou diário do capitão para os fãs de Star Trek), onde eles são os únicos autorizados a escrever nele, mas têm a capacidade de permitir que outros amigos ou colegas leiam ao seu diário de bordo, se assim o desejarem.

Cada mensagem possui um número de sequência e a mensagem também deve fazer referência à mensagem anterior por seu ID. O ID é um hash da mensagem e da assinatura. A estrutura de dados é semelhante à de uma lista vinculada. É essencialmente um log somente de acréscimo de JSON assinado. Cada item adicionado a um log do usuário é chamado de mensagem.

Os logs do usuário são conhecidos como feed e um usuário pode seguir os feeds de outros usuários para receber suas atualizações. Cada usuário é responsável por armazenar seu próprio feed. Quando Alice assina o feed de Bob, Bob baixa o log de feed de Alice. Bob pode verificar se o registro do feed realmente pertence a Alice verificando as assinaturas. Bob pode verificar as assinaturas usando a chave pública de Alice.

Estrutura de alto nível de um feed

Pubs são servidores de retransmissão conhecidos como “super peers”. Pubs conectam usuários usuários e atualizações de fofocas a outros usuários conectados ao Pub. Um Pub é análogo a um pub da vida real, onde as pessoas vão para se encontrar e se socializar. Para ingressar em um Pub, o usuário deve ser convidado primeiro. Um usuário pode solicitar um código de convite de um Pub; o Pub simplesmente gerará um novo código de convite, mas alguns Pubs podem exigir verificação adicional na forma de verificação de e-mail ou, com alguns Pubs, você deve pedir um código em um fórum público ou chat. Pubs também podem mapear aliases de usuário, como e-mails ou nome de usuário, para IDs de chave pública para facilitar os pares de referência.

Depois que o Pub enviar o código de convite ao usuário, o usuário resgatará o código, o que significa que o Pub seguirá o usuário, o que permite que o usuário veja as mensagens postadas por outros membros do Pub, bem como as mensagens de retransmissão do Pub pelo usuário a outros membros do Pub.

Além de retransmitir mensagens entre pares, os Pubs também podem armazenar as mensagens. Se Alice estiver offline e Bob transmitir atualizações de feed, Alice perderá a atualização. Se Alice ficar online, mas Bob estiver offline, não haverá como ela buscar o feed de Bob. Mas com um Pub, Alice pode buscar o feed no Pub mesmo se Bob estiver off-line porque o Pub está armazenando as mensagens. Pubs são úteis porque assim que um colega fica online, ele pode sincronizar com o Pub para receber os feeds de seus amigos potencialmente offline.

Um usuário pode, opcionalmente, executar seu próprio servidor Pub e abri-lo ao público ou permitir que apenas seus amigos participem, se assim o desejarem. Eles também podem ingressar em um Pub público. Aqui está uma lista de Pubs públicos em que todos podem participar . Explicaremos como ingressar em um posteriormente neste guia. Uma coisa importante a observar é que o Secure Scuttlebutt em uma rede social somente para convidados significa que você deve ser “puxado” para entrar nos círculos sociais. Se você responder às mensagens, os destinatários não serão notificados, a menos que estejam seguindo você de volta. O objetivo do SSB é criar “ilhas” isoladas de redes pares, ao contrário de uma rede pública onde qualquer pessoa pode enviar mensagens a qualquer pessoa.

Perspectivas dos participantes

Scuttlebot

O software Pub é conhecido como servidor Scuttlebutt (servidor ssb ), mas também é conhecido como “Scuttlebot” e sbotna linha de comando. O servidor SSB adiciona comportamento de rede ao banco de dados Scuttlebutt (SSB). Estaremos usando o Scuttlebot ao longo deste tutorial.

Os logs do usuário são conhecidos como feed e um usuário pode seguir os feeds de outros usuários para receber suas atualizações. Cada usuário é responsável por armazenar seu próprio feed. Quando Alice assina o feed de Bob, Bob baixa o log de feed de Alice. Bob pode verificar se o registro do feed realmente pertence a Alice verificando as assinaturas. Bob pode verificar as assinaturas usando a chave pública de Alice.

Estrutura de alto nível de um feed

Pubs são servidores de retransmissão conhecidos como “super peers”. Pubs conectam usuários usuários e atualizações de fofocas a outros usuários conectados ao Pub. Um Pub é análogo a um pub da vida real, onde as pessoas vão para se encontrar e se socializar. Para ingressar em um Pub, o usuário deve ser convidado primeiro. Um usuário pode solicitar um código de convite de um Pub; o Pub simplesmente gerará um novo código de convite, mas alguns Pubs podem exigir verificação adicional na forma de verificação de e-mail ou, com alguns Pubs, você deve pedir um código em um fórum público ou chat. Pubs também podem mapear aliases de usuário, como e-mails ou nome de usuário, para IDs de chave pública para facilitar os pares de referência.

Depois que o Pub enviar o código de convite ao usuário, o usuário resgatará o código, o que significa que o Pub seguirá o usuário, o que permite que o usuário veja as mensagens postadas por outros membros do Pub, bem como as mensagens de retransmissão do Pub pelo usuário a outros membros do Pub.

Além de retransmitir mensagens entre pares, os Pubs também podem armazenar as mensagens. Se Alice estiver offline e Bob transmitir atualizações de feed, Alice perderá a atualização. Se Alice ficar online, mas Bob estiver offline, não haverá como ela buscar o feed de Bob. Mas com um Pub, Alice pode buscar o feed no Pub mesmo se Bob estiver off-line porque o Pub está armazenando as mensagens. Pubs são úteis porque assim que um colega fica online, ele pode sincronizar com o Pub para receber os feeds de seus amigos potencialmente offline.

Um usuário pode, opcionalmente, executar seu próprio servidor Pub e abri-lo ao público ou permitir que apenas seus amigos participem, se assim o desejarem. Eles também podem ingressar em um Pub público. Aqui está uma lista de Pubs públicos em que todos podem participar . Explicaremos como ingressar em um posteriormente neste guia. Uma coisa importante a observar é que o Secure Scuttlebutt em uma rede social somente para convidados significa que você deve ser “puxado” para entrar nos círculos sociais. Se você responder às mensagens, os destinatários não serão notificados, a menos que estejam seguindo você de volta. O objetivo do SSB é criar “ilhas” isoladas de redes pares, ao contrário de uma rede pública onde qualquer pessoa pode enviar mensagens a qualquer pessoa.

Perspectivas dos participantes

Pubs - Hubs

Pubs públicos

| Pub Name | Operator | Invite Code | | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | scuttle.us | @Ryan | scuttle.us:8008:@WqcuCOIpLtXFRw/9vOAQJti8avTZ9vxT9rKrPo8qG6o=.ed25519~/ZUi9Chpl0g1kuWSrmehq2EwMQeV0Pd+8xw8XhWuhLE= | | pub1.upsocial.com | @freedomrules | pub1.upsocial.com:8008:@gjlNF5Cyw3OKZxEoEpsVhT5Xv3HZutVfKBppmu42MkI=.ed25519~lMd6f4nnmBZEZSavAl4uahl+feajLUGqu8s2qdoTLi8= | | Monero Pub | @Denis | xmr-pub.net:8008:@5hTpvduvbDyMLN2IdzDKa7nx7PSem9co3RsOmZoyyCM=.ed25519~vQU+r2HUd6JxPENSinUWdfqrJLlOqXiCbzHoML9iVN4= | | FreeSocial | @Jarland | pub.freesocial.co:8008:@ofYKOy2p9wsaxV73GqgOyh6C6nRGFM5FyciQyxwBd6A=.ed25519~ye9Z808S3KPQsV0MWr1HL0/Sh8boSEwW+ZK+8x85u9w= | | ssb.vpn.net.br | @coffeverton | ssb.vpn.net.br:8008:@ze8nZPcf4sbdULvknEFOCbVZtdp7VRsB95nhNw6/2YQ=.ed25519~D0blTolH3YoTwSAkY5xhNw8jAOjgoNXL/+8ZClzr0io= | | gossip.noisebridge.info | Noisebridge Hackerspace @james.network | gossip.noisebridge.info:8008:@2NANnQVdsoqk0XPiJG2oMZqaEpTeoGrxOHJkLIqs7eY=.ed25519~JWTC6+rPYPW5b5zCion0gqjcJs35h6JKpUrQoAKWgJ4= |

Pubs privados

Você precisará entrar em contato com os proprietários desses bares para receber um convite.

| Pub Name | Operator | Contact | | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | | many.butt.nz | @dinosaur | mikey@enspiral.com | | one.butt.nz | @dinosaur | mikey@enspiral.com | | ssb.mikey.nz | @dinosaur | mikey@enspiral.com | | ssb.celehner.com | @cel | cel@celehner.com |

Pubs muito grandes

Aviso: embora tecnicamente funcione usar um convite para esses pubs, você provavelmente se divertirá se o fizer devido ao seu tamanho (muitas coisas para baixar, risco para bots / spammers / idiotas)

| Pub Name | Operator | Invite Code | | --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | scuttlebutt.de | SolSoCoG | scuttlebutt.de:8008:@yeh/GKxlfhlYXSdgU7CRLxm58GC42za3tDuC4NJld/k=.ed25519~iyaCpZ0co863K9aF+b7j8BnnHfwY65dGeX6Dh2nXs3c= | | Lohn's Pub | @lohn | p.lohn.in:8018:@LohnKVll9HdLI3AndEc4zwGtfdF/J7xC7PW9B/JpI4U=.ed25519~z3m4ttJdI4InHkCtchxTu26kKqOfKk4woBb1TtPeA/s= | | Scuttle Space | @guil-dot | Visit scuttle.space | | SSB PeerNet US-East | timjrobinson | us-east.ssbpeer.net:8008:@sTO03jpVivj65BEAJMhlwtHXsWdLd9fLwyKAT1qAkc0=.ed25519~sXFc5taUA7dpGTJITZVDCRy2A9jmkVttsr107+ufInU= | | Hermies | s | net:hermies.club:8008~shs:uMYDVPuEKftL4SzpRGVyQxLdyPkOiX7njit7+qT/7IQ=:SSB+Room+PSK3TLYC2T86EHQCUHBUHASCASE18JBV24= |

GUI - Interface Gráfica do Utilizador(Usuário)

Patchwork - Uma GUI SSB (Descontinuado)

Patchwork é o aplicativo de mensagens e compartilhamento descentralizado construído em cima do SSB . O protocolo scuttlebutt em si não mantém um conjunto de feeds nos quais um usuário está interessado, então um cliente é necessário para manter uma lista de feeds de pares em que seu respectivo usuário está interessado e seguindo.

Fonte: scuttlebutt.nz

Quando você instala e executa o Patchwork, você só pode ver e se comunicar com seus pares em sua rede local. Para acessar fora de sua LAN, você precisa se conectar a um Pub. Um pub é apenas para convidados e eles retransmitem mensagens entre você e seus pares fora de sua LAN e entre outros Pubs.

Lembre-se de que você precisa seguir alguém para receber mensagens dessa pessoa. Isso reduz o envio de mensagens de spam para os usuários. Os usuários só veem as respostas das pessoas que seguem. Os dados são sincronizados no disco para funcionar offline, mas podem ser sincronizados diretamente com os pares na sua LAN por wi-fi ou bluetooth.

Patchbay - Uma GUI Alternativa

Patchbay é um cliente de fofoca projetado para ser fácil de modificar e estender. Ele usa o mesmo banco de dados que Patchwork e Patchfoo , então você pode facilmente dar uma volta com sua identidade existente.

Planetary - GUI para IOS

Planetary é um app com pubs pré-carregados para facilitar integração.

Manyverse - GUI para Android

Manyverse é um aplicativo de rede social com recursos que você esperaria: posts, curtidas, perfis, mensagens privadas, etc. Mas não está sendo executado na nuvem de propriedade de uma empresa, em vez disso, as postagens de seus amigos e todos os seus dados sociais vivem inteiramente em seu telefone .

Fontes

• https://scuttlebot.io/

• https://decentralized-id.com/decentralized-web/scuttlebot/#plugins

• https://medium.com/@miguelmota/getting-started-with-secure-scuttlebut-e6b7d4c5ecfd

• Secure Scuttlebutt : um protocolo de banco de dados global.

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

Here are my predictions for Nostr in 2025:

Decentralization: The outbox and inbox communication models, sometimes referred to as the Gossip model, will become the standard across the ecosystem. By the end of 2025, all major clients will support these models, providing seamless communication and enhanced decentralization. Clients that do not adopt outbox/inbox by then will be regarded as outdated or legacy systems.

Privacy Standards: Major clients such as Damus and Primal will move away from NIP-04 DMs, adopting more secure protocol possibilities like NIP-17 or NIP-104. These upgrades will ensure enhanced encryption and metadata protection. Additionally, NIP-104 MLS tools will drive the development of new clients and features, providing users with unprecedented control over the privacy of their communications.

Interoperability: Nostr's ecosystem will become even more interconnected. Platforms like the Olas image-sharing service will expand into prominent clients such as Primal, Damus, Coracle, and Snort, alongside existing integrations with Amethyst, Nostur, and Nostrudel. Similarly, audio and video tools like Nostr Nests and Zap.stream will gain seamless integration into major clients, enabling easy participation in live events across the ecosystem.

Adoption and Migration: Inspired by early pioneers like Fountain and Orange Pill App, more platforms will adopt Nostr for authentication, login, and social systems. In 2025, a significant migration from a high-profile application platform with hundreds of thousands of users will transpire, doubling Nostr’s daily activity and establishing it as a cornerstone of decentralized technologies.

@ e97aaffa:2ebd765d

Último dia do ano, momento para tirar o pó da bola de cristal, para fazer reflexões, previsões e desejos para o próximo ano e seguintes.

Ano após ano, o Bitcoin evoluiu, foi ultrapassando etapas, tornou-se cada vez mais mainstream. Está cada vez mais difícil fazer previsões sobre o Bitcoin, já faltam poucas barreiras a serem ultrapassadas e as que faltam são altamente complexas ou tem um impacto profundo no sistema financeiro ou na sociedade. Estas alterações profundas tem que ser realizadas lentamente, porque uma alteração rápida poderia resultar em consequências terríveis, poderia provocar um retrocesso.

Código do Bitcoin

No final de 2025, possivelmente vamos ter um fork, as discussões sobre os covenants já estão avançadas, vão acelerar ainda mais. Já existe um consenso relativamente alto, a favor dos covenants, só falta decidir que modelo será escolhido. Penso que até ao final do ano será tudo decidido.

Depois dos covenants, o próximo foco será para a criptografia post-quantum, que será o maior desafio que o Bitcoin enfrenta. Criar uma criptografia segura e que não coloque a descentralização em causa.

Espero muito de Ark, possivelmente a inovação do ano, gostaria de ver o Nostr a furar a bolha bitcoinheira e que o Cashu tivesse mais reconhecimento pelos bitcoiners.

Espero que surjam avanços significativos no BitVM2 e BitVMX.

Não sei o que esperar das layer 2 de Bitcoin, foram a maior desilusão de 2024. Surgiram com muita força, mas pouca coisa saiu do papel, foi uma mão cheia de nada. Uma parte dos projetos caiu na tentação da shitcoinagem, na criação de tokens, que tem um único objetivo, enriquecer os devs e os VCs.

Se querem ser levados a sério, têm que ser sérios.

“À mulher de César não basta ser honesta, deve parecer honesta”

Se querem ter o apoio dos bitcoiners, sigam o ethos do Bitcoin.

Neste ponto a atitude do pessoal da Ark é exemplar, em vez de andar a chorar no Twitter para mudar o código do Bitcoin, eles colocaram as mãos na massa e criaram o protocolo. É claro que agora está meio “coxo”, funciona com uma multisig ou com os covenants na Liquid. Mas eles estão a criar um produto, vão demonstrar ao mercado que o produto é bom e útil. Com a adoção, a comunidade vai perceber que o Ark necessita dos covenants para melhorar a interoperabilidade e a soberania.

É este o pensamento certo, que deveria ser seguido pelos restantes e futuros projetos. É seguir aquele pensamento do J.F. Kennedy:

“Não perguntem o que é que o vosso país pode fazer por vocês, perguntem o que é que vocês podem fazer pelo vosso país”

Ou seja, não fiquem à espera que o bitcoin mude, criem primeiro as inovações/tecnologia, ganhem adoção e depois demonstrem que a alteração do código camada base pode melhorar ainda mais o vosso projeto. A necessidade é que vai levar a atualização do código.

Reservas Estratégicas de Bitcoin

Bancos centrais

Com a eleição de Trump, emergiu a ideia de uma Reserva Estratégia de Bitcoin, tornou este conceito mainstream. Foi um pivot, a partir desse momento, foram enumerados os políticos de todo o mundo a falar sobre o assunto.

A Senadora Cynthia Lummis foi mais além e propôs um programa para adicionar 200 mil bitcoins à reserva ao ano, até 1 milhão de Bitcoin. Só que isto está a criar uma enorme expectativa na comunidade, só que pode resultar numa enorme desilusão. Porque no primeiro ano, o Trump em vez de comprar os 200 mil, pode apenas adicionar na reserva, os 198 mil que o Estado já tem em sua posse. Se isto acontecer, possivelmente vai resultar numa forte queda a curto prazo. Na minha opinião os bancos centrais deveriam seguir o exemplo de El Salvador, fazer um DCA diário.

Mais que comprar bitcoin, para mim, o mais importante é a criação da Reserva, é colocar o Bitcoin ao mesmo nível do ouro, o impacto para o resto do mundo será tremendo, a teoria dos jogos na sua plenitude. Muitos outros bancos centrais vão ter que comprar, para não ficarem atrás, além disso, vai transmitir uma mensagem à generalidade da população, que o Bitcoin é “afinal é algo seguro, com valor”.

Mas não foi Trump que iniciou esta teoria dos jogos, mas sim foi a primeira vítima dela. É o próprio Trump que o admite, que os EUA necessitam da reserva para não ficar atrás da China. Além disso, desde que os EUA utilizaram o dólar como uma arma, com sanção contra a Rússia, surgiram boatos de que a Rússia estaria a utilizar o Bitcoin para transações internacionais. Que foram confirmados recentemente, pelo próprio governo russo. Também há poucos dias, ainda antes deste reconhecimento público, Putin elogiou o Bitcoin, ao reconhecer que “Ninguém pode proibir o bitcoin”, defendendo como uma alternativa ao dólar. A narrativa está a mudar.

Já existem alguns países com Bitcoin, mas apenas dois o fizeram conscientemente (El Salvador e Butão), os restantes têm devido a apreensões. Hoje são poucos, mas 2025 será o início de uma corrida pelos bancos centrais. Esta corrida era algo previsível, o que eu não esperava é que acontecesse tão rápido.

Empresas

A criação de reservas estratégicas não vai ficar apenas pelos bancos centrais, também vai acelerar fortemente nas empresas em 2025.

Mas as empresas não vão seguir a estratégia do Saylor, vão comprar bitcoin sem alavancagem, utilizando apenas os tesouros das empresas, como uma proteção contra a inflação. Eu não sou grande admirador do Saylor, prefiro muito mais, uma estratégia conservadora, sem qualquer alavancagem. Penso que as empresas vão seguir a sugestão da BlackRock, que aconselha um alocações de 1% a 3%.

Penso que 2025, ainda não será o ano da entrada das 6 magníficas (excepto Tesla), será sobretudo empresas de pequena e média dimensão. As magníficas ainda tem uma cota muito elevada de shareholders com alguma idade, bastante conservadores, que têm dificuldade em compreender o Bitcoin, foi o que aconteceu recentemente com a Microsoft.

Também ainda não será em 2025, talvez 2026, a inclusão nativamente de wallet Bitcoin nos sistema da Apple Pay e da Google Pay. Seria um passo gigante para a adoção a nível mundial.

ETFs

Os ETFs para mim são uma incógnita, tenho demasiadas dúvidas, como será 2025. Este ano os inflows foram superiores a 500 mil bitcoins, o IBIT foi o lançamento de ETF mais bem sucedido da história. O sucesso dos ETFs, deve-se a 2 situações que nunca mais se vão repetir. O mercado esteve 10 anos à espera pela aprovação dos ETFs, a procura estava reprimida, isso foi bem notório nos primeiros meses, os inflows foram brutais.

Também se beneficiou por ser um mercado novo, não existia orderbook de vendas, não existia um mercado interno, praticamente era só inflows. Agora o mercado já estabilizou, a maioria das transações já são entre clientes dos próprios ETFs. Agora só uma pequena percentagem do volume das transações diárias vai resultar em inflows ou outflows.

Estes dois fenómenos nunca mais se vão repetir, eu não acredito que o número de inflows em BTC supere os número de 2024, em dólares vai superar, mas em btc não acredito que vá superar.

Mas em 2025 vão surgir uma infindável quantidade de novos produtos, derivativos, novos ETFs de cestos com outras criptos ou cestos com ativos tradicionais. O bitcoin será adicionado em produtos financeiros já existentes no mercado, as pessoas vão passar a deter bitcoin, sem o saberem.

Com o fim da operação ChokePoint 2.0, vai surgir uma nova onda de adoção e de produtos financeiros. Possivelmente vamos ver bancos tradicionais a disponibilizar produtos ou serviços de custódia aos seus clientes.

Eu adoraria ver o crescimento da adoção do bitcoin como moeda, só que a regulamentação não vai ajudar nesse processo.

Preço

Eu acredito que o topo deste ciclo será alcançado no primeiro semestre, posteriormente haverá uma correção. Mas desta vez, eu acredito que a correção será muito menor que as anteriores, inferior a 50%, esta é a minha expectativa. Espero estar certo.

Stablecoins de dólar

Agora saindo um pouco do universo do Bitcoin, acho importante destacar as stablecoins.

No último ciclo, eu tenho dividido o tempo, entre continuar a estudar o Bitcoin e estudar o sistema financeiro, as suas dinâmicas e o comportamento humano. Isto tem sido o meu foco de reflexão, imaginar a transformação que o mundo vai sofrer devido ao padrão Bitcoin. É uma ilusão acreditar que a transição de um padrão FIAT para um padrão Bitcoin vai ser rápida, vai existir um processo transitório que pode demorar décadas.

Com a re-entrada de Trump na Casa Branca, prometendo uma política altamente protecionista, vai provocar uma forte valorização do dólar, consequentemente as restantes moedas do mundo vão derreter. Provocando uma inflação generalizada, gerando uma corrida às stablecoins de dólar nos países com moedas mais fracas. Trump vai ter uma política altamente expansionista, vai exportar dólares para todo o mundo, para financiar a sua própria dívida. A desigualdade entre os pobres e ricos irá crescer fortemente, aumentando a possibilidade de conflitos e revoltas.

“Casa onde não há pão, todos ralham e ninguém tem razão”

Será mais lenha, para alimentar a fogueira, vai gravar os conflitos geopolíticos já existentes, ficando as sociedade ainda mais polarizadas.

Eu acredito que 2025, vai haver um forte crescimento na adoção das stablecoins de dólares, esse forte crescimento vai agravar o problema sistémico que são as stablecoins. Vai ser o início do fim das stablecoins, pelo menos, como nós conhecemos hoje em dia.

Problema sistémico

O sistema FIAT não nasceu de um dia para outro, foi algo que foi construído organicamente, ou seja, foi evoluindo ao longo dos anos, sempre que havia um problema/crise, eram criadas novas regras ou novas instituições para minimizar os problemas. Nestes quase 100 anos, desde os acordos de Bretton Woods, a evolução foram tantas, tornaram o sistema financeiro altamente complexo, burocrático e nada eficiente.

Na prática é um castelo de cartas construído sobre outro castelo de cartas e que por sua vez, foi construído sobre outro castelo de cartas.

As stablecoins são um problema sistémico, devido às suas reservas em dólares e o sistema financeiro não está preparado para manter isso seguro. Com o crescimento das reservas ao longo dos anos, foi se agravando o problema.

No início a Tether colocava as reservas em bancos comerciais, mas com o crescimento dos dólares sob gestão, criou um problema nos bancos comerciais, devido à reserva fracionária. Essas enormes reservas da Tether estavam a colocar em risco a própria estabilidade dos bancos.

A Tether acabou por mudar de estratégia, optou por outros ativos, preferencialmente por títulos do tesouro/obrigações dos EUA. Só que a Tether continua a crescer e não dá sinais de abrandamento, pelo contrário.

Até o próprio mundo cripto, menosprezava a gravidade do problema da Tether/stablecoins para o resto do sistema financeiro, porque o marketcap do cripto ainda é muito pequeno. É verdade que ainda é pequeno, mas a Tether não o é, está no top 20 dos maiores detentores de títulos do tesouros dos EUA e está ao nível dos maiores bancos centrais do mundo. Devido ao seu tamanho, está a preocupar os responsáveis/autoridades/reguladores dos EUA, pode colocar em causa a estabilidade do sistema financeiro global, que está assente nessas obrigações.

Os títulos do tesouro dos EUA são o colateral mais utilizado no mundo, tanto por bancos centrais, como por empresas, é a charneira da estabilidade do sistema financeiro. Os títulos do tesouro são um assunto muito sensível. Na recente crise no Japão, do carry trade, o Banco Central do Japão tentou minimizar a desvalorização do iene através da venda de títulos dos EUA. Esta operação, obrigou a uma viagem de emergência, da Secretaria do Tesouro dos EUA, Janet Yellen ao Japão, onde disponibilizou liquidez para parar a venda de títulos por parte do Banco Central do Japão. Essa forte venda estava desestabilizando o mercado.

Os principais detentores de títulos do tesouros são institucionais, bancos centrais, bancos comerciais, fundo de investimento e gestoras, tudo administrado por gestores altamente qualificados, racionais e que conhecem a complexidade do mercado de obrigações.

O mundo cripto é seu oposto, é naife com muita irracionalidade e uma forte pitada de loucura, na sua maioria nem faz a mínima ideia como funciona o sistema financeiro. Essa irracionalidade pode levar a uma “corrida bancária”, como aconteceu com o UST da Luna, que em poucas horas colapsou o projeto. Em termos de escala, a Luna ainda era muito pequena, por isso, o problema ficou circunscrito ao mundo cripto e a empresas ligadas diretamente ao cripto.

Só que a Tether é muito diferente, caso exista algum FUD, que obrigue a Tether a desfazer-se de vários biliões ou dezenas de biliões de dólares em títulos num curto espaço de tempo, poderia provocar consequências terríveis em todo o sistema financeiro. A Tether é grande demais, é já um problema sistémico, que vai agravar-se com o crescimento em 2025.

Não tenham dúvidas, se existir algum problema, o Tesouro dos EUA vai impedir a venda dos títulos que a Tether tem em sua posse, para salvar o sistema financeiro. O problema é, o que vai fazer a Tether, se ficar sem acesso às venda das reservas, como fará o redeem dos dólares?

Como o crescimento do Tether é inevitável, o Tesouro e o FED estão com um grande problema em mãos, o que fazer com o Tether?

Mas o problema é que o atual sistema financeiro é como um curto cobertor: Quanto tapas a cabeça, destapas os pés; Ou quando tapas os pés, destapas a cabeça. Ou seja, para resolver o problema da guarda reservas da Tether, vai criar novos problemas, em outros locais do sistema financeiro e assim sucessivamente.

Conta mestre

Uma possível solução seria dar uma conta mestre à Tether, dando o acesso direto a uma conta no FED, semelhante à que todos os bancos comerciais têm. Com isto, a Tether deixaria de necessitar os títulos do tesouro, depositando o dinheiro diretamente no banco central. Só que isto iria criar dois novos problemas, com o Custodia Bank e com o restante sistema bancário.

O Custodia Bank luta há vários anos contra o FED, nos tribunais pelo direito a ter licença bancária para um banco com full-reserves. O FED recusou sempre esse direito, com a justificativa que esse banco, colocaria em risco toda a estabilidade do sistema bancário existente, ou seja, todos os outros bancos poderiam colapsar. Perante a existência em simultâneo de bancos com reserva fracionária e com full-reserves, as pessoas e empresas iriam optar pelo mais seguro. Isso iria provocar uma corrida bancária, levando ao colapso de todos os bancos com reserva fracionária, porque no Custodia Bank, os fundos dos clientes estão 100% garantidos, para qualquer valor. Deixaria de ser necessário limites de fundos de Garantia de Depósitos.

Eu concordo com o FED nesse ponto, que os bancos com full-reserves são uma ameaça a existência dos restantes bancos. O que eu discordo do FED, é a origem do problema, o problema não está nos bancos full-reserves, mas sim nos que têm reserva fracionária.

O FED ao conceder uma conta mestre ao Tether, abre um precedente, o Custodia Bank irá o aproveitar, reclamando pela igualdade de direitos nos tribunais e desta vez, possivelmente ganhará a sua licença.

Ainda há um segundo problema, com os restantes bancos comerciais. A Tether passaria a ter direitos similares aos bancos comerciais, mas os deveres seriam muito diferentes. Isto levaria os bancos comerciais aos tribunais para exigir igualdade de tratamento, é uma concorrência desleal. Isto é o bom dos tribunais dos EUA, são independentes e funcionam, mesmo contra o estado. Os bancos comerciais têm custos exorbitantes devido às políticas de compliance, como o KYC e AML. Como o governo não vai querer aliviar as regras, logo seria a Tether, a ser obrigada a fazer o compliance dos seus clientes.

A obrigação do KYC para ter stablecoins iriam provocar um terramoto no mundo cripto.

Assim, é pouco provável que seja a solução para a Tether.

FED

Só resta uma hipótese, ser o próprio FED a controlar e a gerir diretamente as stablecoins de dólar, nacionalizado ou absorvendo as existentes. Seria uma espécie de CBDC. Isto iria provocar um novo problema, um problema diplomático, porque as stablecoins estão a colocar em causa a soberania monetária dos outros países. Atualmente as stablecoins estão um pouco protegidas porque vivem num limbo jurídico, mas a partir do momento que estas são controladas pelo governo americano, tudo muda. Os países vão exigir às autoridades americanas medidas que limitem o uso nos seus respectivos países.

Não existe uma solução boa, o sistema FIAT é um castelo de cartas, qualquer carta que se mova, vai provocar um desmoronamento noutro local. As autoridades não poderão adiar mais o problema, terão que o resolver de vez, senão, qualquer dia será tarde demais. Se houver algum problema, vão colocar a responsabilidade no cripto e no Bitcoin. Mas a verdade, a culpa é inteiramente dos políticos, da sua incompetência em resolver os problemas a tempo.

Será algo para acompanhar futuramente, mas só para 2026, talvez…

É curioso, há uns anos pensava-se que o Bitcoin seria a maior ameaça ao sistema ao FIAT, mas afinal, a maior ameaça aos sistema FIAT é o próprio FIAT(stablecoins). A ironia do destino.

Isto é como uma corrida, o Bitcoin é aquele atleta que corre ao seu ritmo, umas vezes mais rápido, outras vezes mais lento, mas nunca pára. O FIAT é o atleta que dá tudo desde da partida, corre sempre em velocidade máxima. Só que a vida e o sistema financeiro não é uma prova de 100 metros, mas sim uma maratona.

Europa

2025 será um ano desafiante para todos europeus, sobretudo devido à entrada em vigor da regulamentação (MiCA). Vão começar a sentir na pele a regulamentação, vão agravar-se os problemas com os compliance, problemas para comprovar a origem de fundos e outras burocracias. Vai ser lindo.

O Travel Route passa a ser obrigatório, os europeus serão obrigados a fazer o KYC nas transações. A Travel Route é uma suposta lei para criar mais transparência, mas prática, é uma lei de controle, de monitorização e para limitar as liberdades individuais dos cidadãos.

O MiCA também está a colocar problemas nas stablecoins de Euro, a Tether para já preferiu ficar de fora da europa. O mais ridículo é que as novas regras obrigam os emissores a colocar 30% das reservas em bancos comerciais. Os burocratas europeus não compreendem que isto coloca em risco a estabilidade e a solvência dos próprios bancos, ficam propensos a corridas bancárias.

O MiCA vai obrigar a todas as exchanges a estar registadas em solo europeu, ficando vulnerável ao temperamento dos burocratas. Ainda não vai ser em 2025, mas a UE vai impor políticas de controle de capitais, é inevitável, as exchanges serão obrigadas a usar em exclusividade stablecoins de euro, as restantes stablecoins serão deslistadas.

Todas estas novas regras do MiCA, são extremamente restritas, não é para garantir mais segurança aos cidadãos europeus, mas sim para garantir mais controle sobre a população. A UE está cada vez mais perto da autocracia, do que da democracia. A minha única esperança no horizonte, é que o sucesso das políticas cripto nos EUA, vai obrigar a UE a recuar e a aligeirar as regras, a teoria dos jogos é implacável. Mas esse recuo, nunca acontecerá em 2025, vai ser um longo período conturbado.

Recessão

Os mercados estão todos em máximos históricos, isto não é sustentável por muito tempo, suspeito que no final de 2025 vai acontecer alguma correção nos mercados. A queda só não será maior, porque os bancos centrais vão imprimir dinheiro, muito dinheiro, como se não houvesse amanhã. Vão voltar a resolver os problemas com a injeção de liquidez na economia, é empurrar os problemas com a barriga, em de os resolver. Outra vez o efeito Cantillon.

Será um ano muito desafiante a nível político, onde o papel dos políticos será fundamental. A crise política na França e na Alemanha, coloca a UE órfã, sem um comandante ao leme do navio. 2025 estará condicionado pelas eleições na Alemanha, sobretudo no resultado do AfD, que podem colocar em causa a propriedade UE e o euro.

Possivelmente, só o fim da guerra poderia minimizar a crise, algo que é muito pouco provável acontecer.

Em Portugal, a economia parece que está mais ou menos equilibrada, mas começam a aparecer alguns sinais preocupantes. Os jogos de sorte e azar estão em máximos históricos, batendo o recorde de 2014, época da grande crise, não é um bom sinal, possivelmente já existe algum desespero no ar.

A Alemanha é o motor da Europa, quanto espirra, Portugal constipa-se. Além do problema da Alemanha, a Espanha também está à beira de uma crise, são os países que mais influenciam a economia portuguesa.

Se existir uma recessão mundial, terá um forte impacto no turismo, que é hoje em dia o principal motor de Portugal.

Brasil

Brasil é algo para acompanhar em 2025, sobretudo a nível macro e a nível político. Existe uma possibilidade de uma profunda crise no Brasil, sobretudo na sua moeda. O banco central já anda a queimar as reservas para minimizar a desvalorização do Real.

Sem mudanças profundas nas políticas fiscais, as reservas vão se esgotar. As políticas de controle de capitais são um cenário plausível, será interesse de acompanhar, como o governo irá proceder perante a existência do Bitcoin e stablecoins. No Brasil existe um forte adoção, será um bom case study, certamente irá repetir-se em outros países num futuro próximo.

Os próximos tempos não serão fáceis para os brasileiros, especialmente para os que não têm Bitcoin.

Blockchain

Em 2025, possivelmente vamos ver os primeiros passos da BlackRock para criar a primeira bolsa de valores, exclusivamente em blockchain. Eu acredito que a BlackRock vai criar uma própria blockchain, toda controlada por si, onde estarão os RWAs, para fazer concorrência às tradicionais bolsas de valores. Será algo interessante de acompanhar.

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Estas são as minhas previsões, eu escrevi isto muito em cima do joelho, certamente esqueci-me de algumas coisas, se for importante acrescentarei nos comentários. A maioria das previsões só acontecerá após 2025, mas fica aqui a minha opinião.

Isto é apenas a minha opinião, Don’t Trust, Verify!

@ d83793e3:3de45629

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Bitcoin เป็นเกราะป้องกันจากการควบคุมของรัฐบาล

ในโลกที่การควบคุมทางการเงินของรัฐมีผลกระทบต่อชีวิตของประชาชน การปกป้องทรัพย์สินส่วนบุคคลจึงเป็นประเด็นสำคัญที่หลายคนกังวล Bitcoin ได้เข้ามามีบทบาทสำคัญในฐานะเครื่องมือที่ช่วยป้องกันการอายัดทรัพย์สินและการแทรกแซงทางการเงินจากรัฐบาลและองค์กรต่างๆ

กรณีศึกษาที่น่าสนใจ

1. เวเนซุเอลา: เมื่อประเทศประสบภาวะเงินเฟ้อสูงและรัฐบาลมีการควบคุมการแลกเปลี่ยนเงินตราต่างประเทศ ประชาชนบางส่วนใช้ Bitcoin เพื่อรักษามูลค่าทรัพย์สินของพวกเขาและทำธุรกรรมข้ามพรมแดนโดยไม่ต้องผ่านการตรวจสอบจากรัฐบาล

2. แคนาดา: ในปี 2022 รัฐบาลแคนาดามีการอายัดบัญชีธนาคารของผู้ประท้วงในการเคลื่อนไหวทางการเมืองบางอย่าง Bitcoin กลายเป็นช่องทางในการระดมทุนและช่วยให้ประชาชนสามารถป้องกันการแทรกแซงจากรัฐบาลได้

3. ไนจีเรีย: ธนาคารกลางไนจีเรียสั่งห้ามธุรกรรมที่เกี่ยวข้องกับ Bitcoin และคริปโตเคอร์เรนซีอื่นๆ แต่ประชาชนกลับหันมาใช้ Bitcoin ในตลาดมืดเพื่อหลีกเลี่ยงข้อจำกัดและรักษาความเป็นอิสระทางการเงิน

Bitcoin ปกป้องทรัพย์สินอย่างไร?

1. ความเป็นเจ้าของแท้จริง: Bitcoin ใช้ระบบกระจายศูนย์ที่ไม่มีตัวกลาง ซึ่งหมายความว่าไม่มีองค์กรหรือรัฐใดสามารถเข้าถึงหรือยึดครอง Bitcoin ของคุณได้ หากคุณเก็บรักษาคีย์ส่วนตัวอย่างปลอดภัย

2. ไร้พรมแดน: Bitcoin สามารถโอนย้ายได้ทั่วโลกโดยไม่ต้องผ่านธนาคารหรือสถาบันการเงินที่อยู่ภายใต้การควบคุมของรัฐบาล ทำให้เป็นตัวเลือกที่น่าสนใจสำหรับผู้ที่ต้องการหลบเลี่ยงการอายัดทรัพย์สิน

3. ความโปร่งใสและความปลอดภัย: การทำธุรกรรมของ Bitcoin ถูกบันทึกในบล็อกเชนซึ่งเป็นระบบที่โปร่งใสและตรวจสอบได้ ในขณะเดียวกันข้อมูลส่วนบุคคลของผู้ใช้งานจะถูกเก็บเป็นความลับ

ข้อควรระวัง

แม้ Bitcoin จะมีข้อดีในเรื่องการปกป้องทรัพย์สินจากรัฐ แต่ผู้ใช้งานต้องมีความระมัดระวังในการจัดเก็บคีย์ส่วนตัว และหลีกเลี่ยงการพึ่งพาบริการจากบุคคลที่สามที่อาจไม่ปลอดภัย

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ในโลกที่อิสรภาพทางการเงินถูกท้าทาย Bitcoin กลายเป็นเครื่องมือสำคัญสำหรับการปกป้องทรัพย์สินและสิทธิส่วนบุคคลของประชาชน คุณคิดว่า Bitcoin สามารถเป็นคำตอบสำหรับความท้าทายนี้ได้จริงหรือไม่? ร่วมพูดคุยในความคิดเห็น!

@ d83793e3:3de45629

Nohu666 là một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến nổi bật, nơi mang lại những trải nghiệm độc đáo và phong phú cho người dùng. Với sự chú trọng đến thiết kế hiện đại và dịch vụ chất lượng, Nohu666 đã thu hút được sự quan tâm của đông đảo người chơi từ khắp nơi. Giao diện thân thiện và dễ sử dụng của nền tảng giúp người dùng dễ dàng tiếp cận với các tính năng và dịch vụ, từ đó tận hưởng trọn vẹn những giây phút giải trí. Sự kết hợp giữa công nghệ tiên tiến và cách tiếp cận sáng tạo chính là yếu tố làm nên sự thành công của Nohu666 trên thị trường.

Điểm nổi bật của Nohu666 chính là danh mục trò chơi đa dạng, được thiết kế để đáp ứng mọi nhu cầu và sở thích của người chơi. Nền tảng này không ngừng cập nhật và đổi mới để mang đến những trò chơi hấp dẫn với đồ họa sống động, âm thanh chân thực, tạo nên một không gian giải trí đầy lôi cuốn. Từ những trò chơi nhẹ nhàng để thư giãn đến các thử thách đòi hỏi kỹ năng và tư duy, Nohu666 luôn mang lại sự lựa chọn phong phú cho người dùng. Chính sự đa dạng này đã giúp Nohu666 trở thành điểm đến lý tưởng cho những ai muốn khám phá các trải nghiệm giải trí chất lượng. https://nohu666-vn.com

Một trong những yếu tố quan trọng giúp Nohu666 ghi điểm mạnh mẽ trong lòng người dùng chính là cam kết bảo mật và sự an toàn trong mọi giao dịch. Nền tảng này áp dụng các công nghệ mã hóa hiện đại để bảo vệ thông tin cá nhân và dữ liệu người dùng. Bằng cách ưu tiên quyền riêng tư và an toàn, Nohu666 đã xây dựng được lòng tin vững chắc từ cộng đồng người chơi. Đối với những người luôn đặt sự an tâm lên hàng đầu, Nohu666 thực sự là một lựa chọn không thể bỏ qua.

Không chỉ nổi bật về sản phẩm và dịch vụ, Nohu666 còn sở hữu đội ngũ hỗ trợ khách hàng chuyên nghiệp và tận tâm, luôn sẵn sàng hỗ trợ người chơi 24/7. Mọi thắc mắc và vấn đề của người dùng đều được giải quyết nhanh chóng và hiệu quả, mang lại sự hài lòng tối đa. Từ việc giải đáp thông tin cơ bản đến xử lý các vấn đề kỹ thuật, đội ngũ hỗ trợ của Nohu666 luôn đảm bảo rằng mọi trải nghiệm của người chơi đều diễn ra suôn sẻ. Đây chính là một trong những lý do quan trọng giúp Nohu666 luôn giữ vững được vị trí hàng đầu trong lòng người dùng.

Nohu666 không chỉ là một nền tảng giải trí mà còn là nơi mang đến những trải nghiệm đáng nhớ và cơ hội kết nối cộng đồng. Với sự đầu tư vào công nghệ hiện đại, nội dung đa dạng và dịch vụ hỗ trợ tuyệt vời, Nohu666 đã khẳng định được vị thế của mình trong lĩnh vực giải trí trực tuyến. Đây thực sự là một lựa chọn lý tưởng cho những ai tìm kiếm một không gian thư giãn an toàn và thú vị. Hãy trải nghiệm Nohu666 ngay hôm nay để khám phá những điều tuyệt vời mà nền tảng này mang lại!

@ 896c3ee8:e054cc31

I was scrolling through some news articles published by Primal.net/flash on my phone —Bitcoin up, Trump said this or that, accompanied by a screenshot of Twitter. I asked myself: why does social media exist? Is it to fulfill our need for social connection? Is it to show off our thoughts? Is it validation? It wasn’t like this long ago. It was a part of life now it is Life.

Quite some time ago, I was baffled to see a woman being prosecuted in a court of law based on what she had posted on Facebook! Facebook? Seriously, an internet post landing a person in jail? Since when? No one notified me. I thought the internet was just a thing—a toy for us to play with, have fun, and then return to our real life. I remember using Pidgin and IRC; back then, the internet was just a tool. One sudden day, all of that turned into serious business. Early internet, and by extension social media, was a fun place, but now it is a place where real money is spent and real lives are built. I mean, some of the richest companies are software companies—an industry titan propelled by intangible property. It is hard not to miss the early days when one could say absolutely anything in a forum post and leave forever, detached from the filth they spewed. Now we all know censorship, data mining, AI training, and laws getting involved. I cannot even take part in a cultural movement without being tracked and attacked. At some point, the internet attached itself to human consciousness so deeply that it has now become inseparable from the human experience and experience of life. Just like reading and writing, to live a modern life, one must have an internet connection and a social media account. It’s disheartening to think that our worth is often measured by the number of people who 'follow' us.

This attachment meant that there were powers who needed to control the internet. Laws were hopeless on the internet—one could break a list of laws of a particular country sitting from a boat in a faraway land where no jurisdictional police could touch a single fleck of their hair. This cross-border nature made it very necessary for law enforcement to up their game, and so they did. Now, posting something and forgetting it being associated with you is a dream of the past.

To achieve this, they went into a Hail Mary attempt to break human rights written in the declaration they all signed. The right to privacy needed to go first. You see, on the internet, you are not a human—just a fat, Mountain Dew-drinking piece of meat, a data generation machine. Rights mean very little for you if you are a keyboard warrior. No clause in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights said that an account on the internet is a human! So you lose privacy. Since law enforcers break privacy, it looks like it really is not a crime to break it. So, service providers break it too. Who is to stop them now? Law enforcers?

That is just the tip, perhaps even a necessary evil. Breaking privacy only allows enforcement of laws that have been written. There needs to be some mechanism to enforce laws that are not written—the so-called "soft laws" (a term used in international law). If illegal activity is to be curbed, instead of chasing after criminals, why not be proactive and get to the root of the evil: human thought? Here enters censorship. If you don't know about something you won't act on it. If you do not know about guns, you will not pick up a gun. Censorship allows law enforcers to enforce laws that may be written in the future, potential laws. Maybe one day, being on a particular political side will be deemed illegal, so let’s stop it now. Ever heard of a cat chasing a mouse? Censorship is just a mouse chasing a cat. A reversal of cause and effect.

These two factors, coupled with the internet's revenue stream—your attention—ruined the internet. Ads by God are one of the most human things humans have created: “Let us show you what you could be a part of. As you are right now, you seem unfulfilled; let us show you what you want.” The economy of attention is best tapped by creators working on our primal urge for reproduction. The porn industry is a mega titan for this reason. I do not have any bad words against the innovators working in that industry. They are the true and perhaps only industry that uses the internet to its maximum and has great respect for technology and technological innovation.

When I think more deeply about the purpose of social media, I realize I have no clear answer. Why should one show what their lunch looks like? What is the goal of sharing such trivial experiences? Perhaps the dopamine rush of likes and engagement is strong enough to motivate such actions. The definition of an individual gets blurred here. What is an individual person? A collection of social media posts? Or should we emphasize more on your offline version the flawed acne and angst filled individual who subscribes to the weird, concorted philosophy of Proudhon, Locke, and Marx? The algorithms have been determining the future of people on social media. People are worried about losing jobs to a computer now. Since YouTube and Instagram started utilizing attention to pay people, algorithms began to determine who should be paid and what should be paid. The ship of us being under a computer has long sailed.

To answer why social media exists, here is one study that identified ten uses and gratifications for using social media: social interaction, information seeking, passing time, entertainment, relaxation, communicatory utility, convenience utility, expression of opinion, information sharing, and surveillance/knowledge about others (reference ISSN: 1352-2752). Most studies you find will be in line with these. I will not expound more on this; you all know why you use social media, and you all also know why people use social media.

To end it, Nostr gives you certain things that traditional social media and the 'internet' fail to provide. You know what those are since you are here.

P.S.—This is written exclusively for the eyes in the Nostr ecosystem. I will not publish it anywhere else. Link people to this post even from outside; I don’t care.

@ edeb837b:ac664163

At NVSTly, we embrace the concept of “building in public.” This approach shapes how we develop, test, and roll out features, with the goal of making NVSTly the best social trading platform for our users. But what exactly does building in public mean for NVSTly? Let’s break it down.

Updates as They’re Finished

Instead of waiting to bundle new features and fixes into big, infrequent releases, we push updates as they’re completed. This ensures users benefit from improvements as soon as possible. However, our agile development style means you might notice subtle changes before they’re officially included in a published changelog. These incremental updates allow us to iterate and enhance the platform quickly.

Internal Testing, Real-World Feedback

Before any update reaches the production environment, our team conducts internal testing to ensure the new feature or fix works as intended. For example, a recent update to allow stats and daily/weekly recap commands to function with usernames containing spaces was thoroughly tested internally. Unfortunately, this change inadvertently broke compatibility with Discord IDs, highlighting the challenges of anticipating every edge case.

This is where building in public comes into play: while we strive for thorough testing, some issues only emerge when updates meet real-world usage. That’s why we rely on our vibrant user base to help us identify bugs, unintended behaviors, and areas for improvement.

The Role of Our User Community

Our users play a critical role in the development process. By using NVSTly in their daily trading workflows, they encounter scenarios that internal testing might miss. When users report bugs, glitches, or other issues, it provides us with invaluable insights into how the platform performs under various conditions.

If you ever experience something on NVSTly that doesn’t seem to work as expected, we encourage you to report it to us. Unlike platforms that may identify and resolve issues passively over time, NVSTly relies directly on user feedback to detect and prioritize fixes. Every report helps us improve.

Changelogs: A Snapshot of Progress

Given our frequent updates, we publish changelogs only after accumulating several changes or introducing major features. This means that when you see a changelog, many of the updates listed might have been implemented days or even weeks earlier. While this approach helps us focus on building and refining the platform, it’s another example of how building in public keeps the development process transparent.

Why Building in Public Matters

By building in public, we:

• Accelerate innovation: Continuous updates ensure the platform evolves rapidly.
• Foster transparency: Users gain insight into what’s changing and how issues are addressed.
• Strengthen collaboration: Feedback from users directly informs our priorities and solutions.

This approach isn’t without its challenges, but we believe the benefits far outweigh the risks. Building in public allows us to create a platform that truly meets the needs of our community — a community we’re proud to involve in the journey.

How You Can Help

If you notice a bug, glitch, or unintended behavior, please let us know right away. Your feedback is essential to making NVSTly better every day. Together, we’re not just building a platform; we’re building a community-driven experience that reflects the collective expertise and passion of its users.

Thank you for being part of the NVSTly journey. Let’s keep building — together.

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NVSTly is available for free on web, mobile devices (iOS & Google Play), and is fully integrated with Discord via a unique bot- the only of it’s kind and available to any server or trading community on Discord. Or feel free to join a community of over 45,000 investors & traders on our Discod server.

@ bd50a856:038f487c

I'M NOT IN SCHOOL WHY AM I DOING THIS?

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Isms in my opinion are not good. - Ferris Bueler

OK so like many a disillusioned youth I was a pretty hardcore Marxist back in college. There's a common pipeline that starts as a 13 year old who wished they could vote for Ron Paul in 2008, takes a hard left turn at the first sign of bigotry, and winds up with a pretty badass juche tattoo. The Enlightenment era ideas of an ascertainable objective truth and mankind's control over their own destiny, combined with the complete subversion of the political history I was brought up with felt very empowering. But nowadays I'm not so sure I want to lay claim to any specific point or vector on the political spectrum. 2024 was in many ways a year of reflection for me. I've managed to reconnect with my sense of spirituality after years of bitterness towards the concept brought on by a life of run-ins with religious fundemantalism, and I had to challenge alot of things that for years I've taken for granted both about myself and the world at large. This ideological audit was in no small way catalyzed by my adoption of NOSTR, which with its endless potential enticed me out of the progressive echo chamber I made my digital home on the fediverse and into a new echo chamber: one full of Bitcoiners.

I had bought Bitcoin before, as a way to short the dollar, but I never encountered its ideologues in the wild. At first gradually then suddenly I was making the types of arguments in my head that former me would have decried as pedantic to the point of being apologetic towards the ruling class. And just like that the 19th and 20th century political and philosophical works which I zaelously held as trail blazes on the long and labyrinthine path towards realizing Absolute Truth were cast forcefully into their murky historical context by the staggering success of the first truly decentralized monetary system. In my college days, I saw Lenin's model of revoutionary politics and the Vanguard Party as the only way for a people's movement to legitimately threaten the hegemony of the global oligarchs who caused so much unnecessary suffering. Now I can see how whether or not that type of centralization was a necessary concession then, one cannot in good faith believe it to be so in the age of Bitcoin.

Yet you'll have to forgive me because still I'm sympathetic to much of the broader movement of Marxism. I detest how Great Man Theory suboordinates the totality of the evolution of society to the wills of a few individuals, and prefer to see socialism in a different light. Rather than viewing the movement as a clever trick some cartoonishly evil mustaches and haircuts used to brainwash almost half the human population, I see a genuine attempt by hundreds of millions of people to change the world for the better, forever. Yes the suffering was immense, and many many people for whom the tumult was too much, as well as those who wished to maintain their parasitic lifestyles, fled for their lives it was far from a black and white phenomena. Living standards also skyrocketed over the long run in places like the USSR and the PRC, from literacy to employment to diet, access to healthcare, you name it. But still the narrative of Hegel's Dialectic playing out in the arena of class politics - wherein the oppressed by becoming the oppressors would naturally do away with oppression altogether by following their self interest just as the Bourgeoisie had done, thereby unwinding the knot of economic injustice - has lost its status as the driving force of all of history for me. It's still much more compelling than the caricature of simply replacing one form of centralization with another. Rather its a much more relatable fallacy: taking a truth, in this case the millennia of class struggle which humanity has dealt with since the advent of agriculture, and trying to extrapolate from it some abstract and all compassing polemic that makes it all make sense. Moreover, in the same way that Bitcoiners say, "Once you see it you can never go back," I cannot unlearn just how hypocritical and dishonest the Western narrative of history is. Lying and calling America the land of the land of opportunity when the abundance we've known for our Empire's whole existence exists merely because of stolen land and slave labor. This is not a moralist objection by the way, though that would be wholly justified. The true horror is that people view the US as the model of a self sufficient nation state when in reality it has always been parasitic, even in it's larval stage. And of course the disillusion with every military campaign since the end of World War 2, starting with the grotesque and gratuitous display of power in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then the fraudulant and deadly campaigns in Korea, Loas, Vietnam, and of course the entire Middle East. Our own forms of surveillance, censorship, repression all staring at us in the images we projected on the face of the Berlin Wall.

I know a little part of that probably rubbed some of you the wrong way. Hey we still were a net positive force in WW2, of course. And despite many differences in historical interpretations, when it comes to Marx's tomes of economic criticism I think the Bitcoiners of NOSTR would find a lot of rhetorical similarities with their gripes about the age of fiat actually share many rhetorical similarities: The levers of control over the global economy had been consolidated by a select view who were spamming them to make themselves inordinately wealthy at the cost of the quality of life for the majority of Planet Earth. The value of your labor is being ciphoned by a bunch of rackateering lizard men known as politicians. Fair competition, the spirit of Capitalism on paper, has been eroded by its those who claim to be its biggest proponents. Forever wars as a business, predatory global economic policies, proles=plebs, yada yada. Although I guess this note would be pointless if I yada-yada'd over the best parts.

THE INVISIBLE HANDJOB

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The landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed, and demand a rent even for its natural produce. -Adam Smith

In the above quoted Wealth of Nations (Book 1, chapter 11) as well as in Book 4 and in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, everyone's favorite economist they've never read paints a complex and somewhat contradictory image of the proprietors over the means of production in his time. He saw greed and gluttony in their souls, but viewed their actions within the context of an emergent system whereby their selfishness propelled the interest of everyone. So, almost exactly how Marx viewed the holy timespanning vendetta of the have-nots of the world. However, in Book 1 ch10 of Wealth of Nations Smith says this:

[The rent] is not at all proportioned to what the landlord may have laid out upon the improvement of the land, or to what he can afford to take; but to what the farmer can afford to give,

In a section where he concedes that the landlords' actions amount to extortion. He also articulates here how through the influence of legislation, the landlord class effectively outlawed collective negotiation on the part of the working class while bolstering it for themselves, resulting in monopolies. Marx cites Smith himself throughout Das Kapital, and lays out extensively this process of the consolidation of capitalist power in part 3 of the first volume. The two also subscribed to the Labor Theory of Value, as did every other Enlightenment era economist... and so do most Bitcoiners! At least they sure sound like they do when they talk about the erosion of the masses' life force by the debasement of fiat. After all if the commodity that is money is an expression of your time and labor, then so must be the value of every other commodity. I've heard people try to glibly dismiss the LTV as stupid, citing things like land, products of fully automated processes... And digital assets. As if land didn't have to be surveyed, and discovered (or won in a genocide). Or if fully automated production processes didn't require thousands of hours of expert labor on robotics and/or computer engineering. Or if all financial assets in general didn't hold merely a hypothetical value as a representation of value wrought in the productive economy. And to be perfectly honest I always found the subjective theory of value to be downright silly, like imagine haggling at a supermarket over a gallon of milk. Yes demand is subjective (and really more of an expression of willing buying power than need but that's a whole other can of worms), but it's wholly reliant on objective factors such as scarcity and the relative difficulty to produce a certain commodity oneself. And when those who corner the market collude on pricing it's not like you even have the ability to "vote with your money". You have no leverage, unless you own a cow. All in all the price of a commodity can't be anything other than an approximation of its objective value based on the average cost of the raw materials and socially necessary labor time, ebbing and flowing with the asynchronous undulations of supply and demand. And maybe a little extra something just to cushion that P&L. OK maybe a lot. Gotta outperform inflation, right?! Was I being glib, myself, there? It just feels self evident from my current perspective, the hollow vampirism of it all. Capitalists enacting the rights to procure surplus value, reinsert it as capital in order to procure even more surplus value, rinsing and repeating, drifting further and further from the corporeal reality of our own survival and swallowing entire generations in the process.

STATISTS BE LIKE...

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The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem- Milton Friedman

On September 11, 1973 Chilean President Salvador Allende died during a fascist coup d'état perpetrated by the commander in chief of the military Augusto Pinochet. Officially he took his own life for fear of what would be done to him, but it remains a contentious topic. Pinochet's regime was characterized by mass arrests, widespread use of torture, extrajudicial killings, mass exiles, and brutal censorship of his political ditractors. But he cut taxes!!!! And he did so with the council of the Chicago Boys, a group of Chicago University alumni and disciples of right wing icon Milton Friedman. Friedman applauded Pinochet's government for his economic policies and providing a shining example of Milton's take on what small laissez-faire government looks like: Repression of the masses, no rules for the classes.

Pinochet was also a collaborator with the CIA on their project Operation Condor, whereby the funding and stoking of violence and unrest was weaponized to subvert the rise of left leaning politics throughout South and Central America and maintain cheap access to raw materials which US corporations relied on. As a matter of fact, the deep state has an endless track record of resorting to all sorts of crazy measures to subvert the popularity of socialism. This contradicts directly the American conservative view that the deep state wants socialism, and that Trump - who has cooperated in the continuations of these policies with the attempted coups in Venezuela and Bolivia during his first term - is here to stop 'em. The scapegoating and fear mongering of foreign left leaning governments in lucrative regions is a time honored tradition here In the US. All the West has always had more in common with the totalitarianism of Fascism than the East. If you're curious or skeptical about this, looking up Michael Parenti's Blackshirts & Reds is a good place to start digging deeper.

And while conservatives remain in denial about the parasiticism and exclusion their version of freedom relies on, Progressivism, as I see it, is a limping, mutilated, abomination of a watered down version of itself. Democrats for over a century now continue offering the bare minimum that would assuage their cinstituencies in the short term at best, and the exact same neocon policies of war and imperialism abroad, and corporate oligarchy and a police state at home. Yet every two years progressives walk beleaguered to the polls to vote blue no who. And Milton Friedman laughs in his grave. Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, attributed to president of Tanzinia, Julius Nyere: "The Americans also have a one party state, but with typical American extravegance, they have two of them." https://image.nostr.build/9380dbc6d51a443b76340b46c760e12c9bb0540a170a8f5a2a22847e0bba88c7.jpg

WHAT IS DO BE DONE?

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I found freedom. Losing all hope is freedom. - Edward Norton, Fight Club

If you made it through all that rambling, what is wrong with you? In all seriousness, I hope this was a fruitful glance into the mind of someone who might think a little differently. In a rapidly evolving world, where systems we ourselves have put in place not only constitute the environment we live in, but reproduce themselves through our behavior as well, despondency, rage, and confusion permeate the collective consciousness. But there's also Bitcoin, which to an increasing number - and to an extent myself - represents a successful proof of concept of a new, genuinely Decentralized Ideological Apparatus. One which relies on Mutual Aid and the cooperation of smaller, decentralized and self sufficient communities. And to a certain extent it also represents hope. But it's as much an asset to those who'd prefer to continue feeding on the suffering of others as it is to those hoping for a change. Hope is as dangerous as fear - Lao Tzu

@ a38a5cd0:92b1b8f0

I was born and raised in Europe—Switzerland, to be exact—and we’ve always had a special relationship with Europe or the EU. Although Switzerland is in the middle of Europe, it has always been isolated—not politically speaking, but through clever negotiations and an attractive financial marketplace.

But it’s still part of Europe, and whenever we drove to Germany, Austria (where I now live), or Italy, we always felt at home. Everyone was welcoming and accepted that Switzerland is the ‘special kid’ on the continent.

This is one of Europe’s superpowers. It lives off its different cultures. Other than America, I’m sorry to compare it, but it feels like many Americans have never left their own country; we can drive somewhere for three hours and pass two or even three countries.

Citizens speak different languages in each country, but we get along because there is a certain ‘European Vibe’ around. These different cultures and societies enable you to find communities where you feel at home and can be the best version of yourself—at least, that’s what I believe and have experienced.

However, the last 15 years have been challenging. Not only from a business standpoint, we tend to regulate and not innovate, but also from a political standpoint.

The EU and specific countries such as Sweden, Germany, and even Austria are fighting with high immigration, the Euro crisis – casually losing over 65% of its purchasing power this past decade – and ever-increasing debt.

Combine that with a keen interest by the majority of the population in Europe for Communism or Socialism. Please don’t ask me why it’s so popular in Europe. I think it could be an outcome of the world war situations where we never wanted to shift extremely right again. Or maybe the openness of the European spirit invites this thoughtfulness.

These ideologies don’t want the individual to succeed. For the better of all, it has always been at the center of these political movements. Inevitably, this idea leads to more poverty, more centralization, and, in the end, less democracy (the favorite word of any left-leaning politician in Europe) with a dictator at the whelm.

For some weird reason, we don’t want individual Europeans to succeed; instead, we have a collectivism that punishes brilliant ideas and nurtures the ever-increasing state.

So, why are you writing this essay then, Joël? Are you a right winger who’s just here to tell us Communism failed and we should do something else? NO! While my political views can definitely be described as conservative, I’m not associated with the right side of the aisle and would describe myself as a libertarian. However, for the European standard, I might be categorized as ‘right-wing,’ but who isn’t these days?!

But to answer the question, I think we have a secret weapon. Many of these freaks are either ignoring or deliberately downplaying because they’re scared of losing power and trying everything to forbid it.

You might have guessed by the title this secret weapon is Bitcoin!

There are apparent reasons why Bitcoin is the ultimate solution for Europe. These reasons are well known, from its scarcity to its natural state as the best reserve asset and its average value increase of 45% each year for the past decade. From a monetary perspective, these points make perfect sense.

However, there is more to the orange coin, especially from a polarization perspective. In Europe, the left and right are so far apart that it’s laughable. Bitcoin is the only asset or ecosystem enabling people from two corners to reunite and agree on something.

In Europe, in particular, this is something like human rights and privacy for every individual on the continent. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in Switzerland, Germany, or Portugal. Every citizen of these countries is rooting for human rights and the right to protect your most precious secrecies from third parties, aka the ever-increasing security state.

If you take a closer look at most political debates in Europe, both the left and the right agree that citizens should be able to protect their physical or digital properties and how to be more independent. Bitcoin enables you to do all of these things.

Additionally, mining can be an excellent catalyst for all parties to unite if you examine topics such as energy independence. Lefties can choose renewable energy, while right-wingers can embrace a free and healthy energy market. Bitcoin also enables this.

However, the most significant and crucial point is that Bitcoin will enable all nations to be independent again. Many countries lost their sovereignty mainly due to the EU and the Euro.

We no longer talk about each country’s interests; instead, we insert the sentence, ‘Anything that’s good for the EU.’ While the EEA (European Economic Area) was a noble idea that facilitated trade and economic output in Europe, it was abused and became a regulatory superpower with the EU.

You can see the consequences of this from the sheer number of companies who left Europe or international companies who treat Europe as a secondary market with little interest.

If Nations can regain sovereignty again and nurture their economic or sociological advantages, every citizen in these countries will have a new outlook on life.

All it takes for each of them to make the most important step in their Bitcoin journey; being curious enough to learn more about it, spending some time learning the fundamentals, and getting off zero!

One European nation with great potential for this is my home country, Switzerland. We’re the golden European standard for democracy, sovereignty, a strong economy, and a country where everyone can succeed.

After all, fellow Bitcoiners have already taken the initiative to add Bitcoin to the Swiss National Bank (SNB) ’s balance sheet and have already invested in MicroStrategy.

All it takes is the last step, which is to stack Sats as a strategic treasury reserve asset. As a fellow Swiss citizen and someone who works at a Swiss Bitcoin-only company, I would welcome this step and would love to help out!

To quote Walt Disney: ‘The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.’ So go ahead, Europe, and get started! Block space is limited, and 2140 is edging closer every ten minutes with a new block!

@ bcbb3e40:a494e501

No podemos ignorar la importancia que el Reino Visigodo tiene en la configuración de España, de la impronta definitiva que aportó al proceso de etnogénesis para dar la forma definitiva a esa entidad histórica que hoy, tras tres siglos de invasiones germánicas, desde la caída del Imperio Romano a finales del siglo V d.C., hasta el advenimiento del Islam. A modo de contraste, diremos también, que la identidad nacional española, o si se quiere ver así, el alma hispánica, se forjó en claro y evidente contraste con el ocupante sarraceno, y su presencia en el orbe peninsular, junto al recuerdo de la herencia visigoda y los sucesivos concilios toledanos, sirvieron de estímulo al avance de los reinos cristianos del norte. Es decir, España se construyó en la lucha, en el combate abierto contra un enemigo al que consideraba ocupante y representaba una realidad cultural, étnica y civilizacional totalmente antagónica a la naciente realidad hispánica.

De ahí la importancia del sustrato germánico, godo, que viene a agregarse al ya preexistente de hispano-romanos, celtas e íberos. En las últimas décadas esta importancia se ha visto relegada, de forma deliberada, a un segundo plano, y si nuestros padres y abuelos conocían la famosa lista de reyes godos, en la actualidad, su conocimiento entre gran parte de la población española, y especialmente entre los más jóvenes, es puramente testimonial, cuando no inexistente.

|| |:-| |El mapa muestra la distribución territorial de la península ibérica durante el período del Reino Visigodo (409-711 d.C.). Se destacan los dominios visigodos, con Toledo como capital, y las principales ciudades como Emerita, Hispalis, y Cesaraugusta. También se señala la presencia del dominio bizantino en el sureste (Cartago y Córdoba) y la región ocupada por los suevos en el noroeste (Bracara y Lucus). Las áreas de los astures, cántabros y vascones aparecen al norte como zonas independientes.|

No obstante, no queremos hacer aquí una relación de reyes, ni hablar de las estructuras políticas, económicas o religiosas del reino visigodo, sino que pretendemos centrarnos en una sola figura, la del rey Sisebuto, cuya fama y los elogios que se dedican a su persona nos han sido legados por las fuentes de la época. San Isidoro de Sevilla, una de las grandes personalidades de la época —autor de las famosas Etimologías, un compendio del saber antiguo en lo que se consideró como la primera enciclopedia cristiana— y uno de los grandes maestros del Occidente medieval, nos aporta valiosas informaciones sobre Sisebuto:

«fue brillante en su palabra, docto en sus pensamientos y bastante instruido en conocimientos literarios [...]. Fue notable por sus conocimientos bélicos y célebre por sus victorias».

O también en Historia Gothorum:

«se mostró tan clemente después de su victoria, que pagó un precio para dejar en libertad a muchos que habían sido hechos prisioneros por su ejército y reducidos a esclavitud como botín de guerra».

De hecho existió un vínculo de amistad entre Isidoro de Sevilla y Sisebuto, y el primero dedicó al segundo una primera edición de sus Etimologías, y escribió a instancias del monarca visigodo otras obras como De natura rerum. La fama del rey visigodo traspasó fronteras y encontramos referencias a sus virtudes y cualidades personales a través de la Crónica del Pseudo Fredegario, donde se aplican otros calificativos como «varón sabio, piadosisimo y digno de toda alabanza». De modo que las fuentes ya nos permiten trazar un primer retrato general sobre la figura del protagonista de nuestro escrito, y que podríamos resumir así: monarca sabio, guerrero y sensible. Cualidades estas que pueden parecer difícilmente compatibles, pero que nuestro Sisebuto aunaba conformando una poderosa personalidad.

Rey guerrero

Pero antes que nada deberíamos preguntarnos por los orígenes del rey Sisebuto, quien ocupó el trono del reino visigodo durante 9 años, entre el 612 y el 621. Se destacó por su capacidad para defender tanto en las fronteras interiores como exteriores la autoridad de la monarquía visigoda. Prueba de ello fueron las campañas que acometió contra los astures en el Norte, terminando con las veleidades independentistas de estos pueblos belicosos, aunque hay cierto oscurantismo en cuanto a las fuentes. Y paralelamente, en el Sur, las operaciones militares de Sisebuto estuvieron dirigidas contra la provincia bizantina ubicada en el sureste peninsular desde mediados del siglo anterior. Las sucesivas campañas militares consiguieron mermar los dominios bizantinos en la península, especialmente con la conquista de Málaga en 619. Además conviene destacar el notable desarrollo del ejército naval visigodo, alcanzando elevadas cotas de esplendor nunca registradas con monarcas precedentes. No hay datos totalmente contrastados, pero es posible que, con Sisebuto, surgiera una marina organizada.

Las guerras que se libraron entre visigodos y bizantinos fueron cruentas y sanguinarias, generando gran dolor y consternación entre nuestro monarca, algo que, como indican los propios historiadores y cronistas de la época, era bastante infrecuente. En la citada Crónica de Fredegario se le atribuyen ciertas afirmaciones a tal respecto, en las que lamenta las pérdidas humanas y se expresa con un notable humanitarismo:

«Si se producen guerras —escribía Sisebuto a Cesario—, si la cruenta espada se ensaña por doquier, si los vicios de los hombres hacen que los tiempos presentes sean tiempos belicosos, ¿qué cuentas, pensadlo, habrá que rendir a Dios por tantos crímenes, por tantas calamidades, por tantas funestas heridas?»

«Se mostró tan clemente después de su victoria —dice San Isidoro en Historia de los Godos— que pagó un precio con el fin de dejar en libertad a muchos que habían sido hechos prisioneros por su ejército y reducidos a esclavitud, llegando incluso su tesoro a servir para el rescate de los cautivos.»

Lo fundamental para Sisebuto era la unificación del territorio peninsular bajo el poder godo, pero no solo empleó medios militares, sino que también hizo uso de la diplomacia. Respecto a este tema, se conservan dos cartas de la correspondencia entre Sisebuto y el gobernador provincial e imperial en España, Cesario, en torno a la disputas entre visigodos y bizantinos relacionadas con los prisioneros de guerra. Con ocasión de la captura del obispo Cecilio de Mentesa por parte de los bizantinos, Cesario se apresuró a ponerlo en libertad y escribió al rey Sisebuto para comunicárselo con las siguientes palabras:

«Nuestro beatísimo padre, Cecilio, fue capturado por nuestros hombres, mas en consideración a Dios y vuestro reino y como prueba de buena voluntad, lo liberamos rápidamente y pusimos la mayor diligencia para que fuera devuelto a su santa iglesia y enviado a vuestra presencia».

Sisebuto respondió a Cesario de manera cordial y afectuosa, lo que supuso la toma de contacto a través de una delegación diplomática entre ambas partes, godos y bizantinos, que condujo a un acuerdo. Los bizantinos no serían expulsados definitivamente del territorio peninsular hasta el reinado de Suintila (588-633).

Rey sabio

El monarca visigodo también fue un notable erudito e intelectual, muy destacado en una época de gran esplendor cultural capitaneada por San Isidoro de Sevilla, de quien ya hemos dicho que mantuvo una estrecha relación con Sisebuto. Las famosas Etimologías isidorianas estuvieron consagradas en su primera edición a la figura del rey a través de las siguientes palabras, que le honraban a través de la siguiente dedicatoria:

«Como te he prometido —escribía al rey el obispo hispalense— te envío ahora la obra acerca “Del origen” de ciertas cosas, recopilada con el recuerdo de antiguas lecturas. Por eso, en algunos pasajes aparece anotada de acuerdo con lo que habían escrito nuestros antepasados».

Se puede decir que Sisebuto fue al mismo tiempo un promotor de la actividad literaria, intelectual y científica, y un hombre sabio de su época, con la producción de obras en el ámbito de la ciencia y la literatura, al margen de los asuntos propiamente religiosos, algo que podría resultar chocante en relación a otros reyes bárbaros de aquel entonces. Fruto de esta doble vertiente tenemos el Liber de natura rerum, obra de San Isidoro, dedicada al conocimiento del universo y los fenómenos naturales. Por su parte su contribución a la producción científica de la época fue el Liber rotarum o Carmen de luna, un poema en el que trataba de explicar el fenómeno de los eclipses al margen de motivaciones religiosas, en el terreno puramente físico.

Sus incursiones no se limitaron al mundo puramente científico de los fenómenos físicos, sino que sus intereses también se orientaron hacia la vida y hechos de otros hombres de su tiempo. Tal es así, que vemos como su principal obra, Vida y pasión de San Desiderio, un obispo de Borgoña que padeció de persecuciones y murió años atrás. Esta obra guarda ciertas particularidades por sus motivaciones políticas, orientadas a congraciarse con Clotario II, rey de la Francia merovingia.

Rey religioso (y gibelino)

Sisebuto fue un monarca profundamente religioso y en consonancia con la ortodoxia, lo que hizo que en muchas ocasiones tuviera que intervenir para su fortalecimiento y mantenimiento. De hecho, su propio hijo, Teudila, ingresó en una orden monástica impelido por su progenitor, que alentó su celo religioso. Incluso envió una carta al rey longobardo Adaloaldo, convertido al catolicismo, exhortándolo a que hiciera lo propio con la totalidad del reino, y terminar así con los últimos restos de herejía arriana, que había tenido un relativo éxito entre los pueblos germánicos en su momento. Además trató de ofrecer argumentos lógicos y fundamentados en la exégesis católica, amparándose rigurosamente en las Sagradas Escrituras. Al mismo tiempo, augura prosperidad y buenos designios en un futuro hipotético ante la conversión al catolicismo, favoreciendo la acción benéfica de la providencia divina sobre su pueblo. Todavía debería pasar medio siglo para la conversión de los longobardos, mucho después de la muerte de Sisebuto, acontecida en el 621.

Sisebuto también se preocupó por fortalecer y vigorizar la propia estructura eclesiástica, algo que fue una constante en la España visigoda y se materializó a través de sucesivos Concilios en Toledo. Sisebuto, como nos relata el historiador José Orlandis, lejos de utilizar la Iglesia como un parapeto, como una suerte de protección para reforzar su posición, se mostró más bien con cierta mentalidad «cesaropapista». Actitud a través de la cual Sisebuto tomaba la iniciativa, tanto en el ámbito político y temporal como en aquel religioso-espiritual y atemporal. En cierto sentido podríamos calificar a Sisebuto como un «rey gibelino» por esa simbiosis entre ambas esferas, asumiendo él mismo, personalmente, la función de velar por el buen orden eclesiástico. Un buen ejemplo de ello lo tenemos en las imposiciones a Eusebio, el obispo de Tarragona, influyendo directamente sobre decisiones internas de la institución.

|| |:-:| |MORDINI, Attilio; El católico gibelino; Hipérbola Janus, 2016|

El problema religioso: los judíos

Ya en el primer código legal de visigótico, la Lex Romana Visigothorum promulgado en el año 506, en el que se establecía la condición jurídica de los hispanorromanos, se excluía a los judíos de los cargos públicos, proscribía los matrimonios mixtos entre cristianos y judíos y limitaba sus actividades religiosas. Al margen de las comunidades religiosas cristianas, los judíos seguían sus propias leyes y preceptos religiosos, mantieniendo una barrera respecto a los pobladores autóctonos. Con la conversión de la fe arriana a la católica de Recaredo I, y en consecuencia del propio reino, los monarcas visigodos comenzaron una serie de políticas encaminadas a conseguir la unidad religiosa y política del reino. Su decisión, que fue oficializada en el III Concilio de Toledo, contó con un apoyo mayoritario del clero y la nobleza visigoda. A partir de ese momento comenzó un proceso de integración entre godos e hispanorromanos en virtud del principio religioso.

|| |:-| |Una moneda de oro visigoda acuñada durante el reinado de Sisebuto (612-621 d.C.). En el anverso, aparece el retrato estilizado del rey, rodeado por una inscripción en caracteres latinos. Estas monedas reflejan la influencia romano-bizantina en el arte y economía del Reino Visigodo. (Foto: Wikimedia Commons)|

Esta situación dejó a otros grupos religiosos ante un dilema, que era o la conversión o la expulsión. Sisebuto fue quien más celo puso a tal respecto para lograr la deseada unidad religiosa. A partir de una serie de decretos promulgados al cabo de pocos meses del inicio de su reinado, en el 612, se ordenó la liberación de todos los cristianos en su relación de dependencia respecto a los judíos. Estas medidas incluían la liberación de los esclavos y servidores cristianos en relación a los judíos, la transferencia de éstos a señores cristianos o la obligación de manumitir y quedando así libres. Estas disposiciones eran de obligado cumplimiento bajo la pena de muerte o confiscación de bienes.

Al mismo tiempo, Sisebuto también se propuso impedir el proselitismo religioso judío y estimular su conversión al cristianismo. De hecho, los matrimonios mixtos preexistentes debían adoptar una educación en la fe cristiana para los hijos, en caso de no aceptarlo, el matrimonio se consideraba nulo. Los conversos y judíos también quedaban excluidos de los cargos públicos. También se debía producir una renuncia y abjuración pública de la ley y prácticas judaicas. La mencionada ley tuvo unas consecuencias inmediatas sobre la comunidad judía en el ámbito económico, donde además la existencia de esclavos y colonos en arriendo eran numerosos, además de las prácticas usurarias.

Sisebuto ha quedado para la historia como el gran perseguidor de los judíos, aunque en realidad su propósito era misionero y evangélico, por el celo religioso que ya hemos expuesto, y tampoco fue obra del propio Sisebuto, sino que encontramos los primeros ecos de esta legislación en la última etapa del Imperio Romano. Si hasta el momento la legislación se había aplicado de manera un tanto superficial, con Sisebuto adquiere mayor «radicalidad», aunque tampoco afectasen exclusivamente a la población judía, la cual era numerosa en aquella época. Los propios godos no pudieron casarse con los romanos hasta las reformas legales aplicadas bajo el reinado de Leovigildo.

Respecto a la cuestión de la prohibición de que los judíos poseyeran esclavos cristianos, algo que era muy frecuente, también infringían la ley al circuncidarse, dado que formaba parte del ritual formal de judaización o conversión a la fe judía. El decreto de Sisebuto ofrecía a estos esclavos la opción de obtener la libertad bajo el amparo de la corona, si no eran vendidos a otros amos cristianos. El impacto económico al que aludíamos también afectó notablemente las actividades agropecuarias de la comunidad judía, que perdieron su estatus privilegiado entre los sectores más acomodados de la sociedad. Del mismo modo que la prohibición de desempeñar cargos públicos mermó su preponderancia social.

No obstante, Sisebuto consideraba el asunto en una dimensión puramente religiosa, y el fin último era la integración bajo la unidad del credo católico. La unificación religiosa se convirtió en una prioridad, y su celo religioso no se fundaba en un criterio de fanatismo irracional, sino todo lo contrario. Al monarca godo le importaban, y mucho, las conversiones sinceras, sujetas a un principio reflexivo y racional. De hecho, en ese tiempo había otros segmentos de la población que se movían en el terreno de las creencias paganas, como los propios arrianos, a los que también interesaba encuadrar bajo el mismo principio religioso. En cuanto a los judíos, y la incidencia que se hizo sobre este grupo, se debió a que eran comunidades que representaban un enorme poder en el conjunto del reino, con una notable influencia, especialmente en el sur y el Levante español, regiones que se encontraban en la frontera con los territorios bizantinos peninsulares.

No obstante, y a pesar de que existe una continuidad en la aplicación de estas políticas para contener la influencia de la religión judía en los límites del reino, y vemos como éstas se mantienen hasta el hundimiento final con la conquista árabe del 711, lo cierto es que la práctica de la religión judía se mantuvo a ciertos niveles, como prueba la existencia de tumbas e inscripciones judías registradas a lo largo de esta época. Paradójicamente, en el plano económico y social fueron mucho más efectivas que en el terreno religioso, y de hecho, de haberse aplicado con la radicalidad que se les presume, estas leyes hubieran acabado con la existencia de la población judía en el reino, o bien mediante la conversión o bien mediante la expulsión, pero nada de eso sucedió finalmente.

El reinado de Sisebuto terminó en el 621, tras nueve años de intenso reinado. Se sospecha que murió envenenado por la ingesta excesiva de un medicamento, según el testimonio de otro rey, Suintila. No obstante hay muchos puntos oscuros bajo esta explicación, y la falta de fuentes fiables no nos permite desentrañar los hechos que rodearon su muerte. Le sucedería su hijo Recaredo II, quien también moriría en extrañas circunstancias, nunca desentrañadas, a los pocos meses de su coronación.

Lo fundamental, si tenemos que hacer una idea general de la figura del rey godo, es que representó una etapa peculiar en el desarrollo histórico del Reino toledano, en la medida que mostró una personalidad ilustrada, con notables conocimientos respecto al saber de la época, cultivó la poesía y la literatura, y no por ello descuidó los asuntos de gobierno. Los fundamentos religiosos, tan importantes en lo sucesivo, y a través de los Concilios de Toledo, en la configuración político-religiosa y en la unidad embrionaria de la futura España, fueron una de sus grandes prioridades, y para alcanzar la consolidación del reino no dudo en hacer la guerra, de manera implacable, para ser magnánimo y generoso cuando la situación lo requería. Desde Hipérbola Janus, y quien os escribe, no nos queda sino valorar la figura de este olvidado, y en ocasiones injustamente denostado, rey visigodo.

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Artículo original: Hipérbola Janus, Sisebuto, el rey sabio, guerrero y humanitario (TOR), 30/Dic/2024

@ 1cb14ab3:95d52462

Tree branches, Rock. 4' x 4 [Boulder, USA. 2016]

Introduction

Nestled deep in the forest near Boulder, "Looking Glass" invites viewers to rediscover the quiet beauty of overlooked natural details. By framing the play of light, texture, and shadow through a 4-foot circular lens, the piece shifts focus to the microcosms of the forest, drawing attention to a small and overlooked waterfall.

Site & Placement

The lens is perched amid a cluster of trees, emphasizing a quiet patch of the forest that often goes unnoticed. Positioned 22 feet from the lens, a carefully placed bench offers a perfect vantage point, guiding visitors to linger, observe, and absorb the layered simplicity of the scene.

Impermanence & Integration

True to the ethos of the Earth Lens series, Looking Glass exists only briefly. Its natural materials—branches, wood, and rock—blend seamlessly into the forest and will eventually be reclaimed by it. The fleeting presence of the lens reflects the transient beauty of life, encouraging viewers to appreciate the details that often escape notice in the rush of time.

Reflection

In its short life, Looking Glass offers a moment of stillness and clarity, a chance to peer into the intimate world of the forest. The work becomes a lens not just for the environment but also for introspection, reminding viewers of the quiet wonders that surround them every day.

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Photos

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More from the 'Earth Lens' Series:

Earth Lens Series: Artist Statement + List of Works

COMING SOON: "Folsom" (Earth Lens 002)

COMING SOON: "Sanctuary" (Earth Lens 003)

COMING SOON: "Platte" (Earth Lens 004)

COMING SOON: "Grandfather" (Earth Lens 005)

COMING SOON: "Chongming" (Earth Lens 006)

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More from Hes

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All images are credit of Hes, but you are free to download and use for any purpose. If you find joy from my art, please feel free to send a zap. Enjoy life on a Bitcoin standard.

@ 403fc3fb:1d1c404c

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Introduction

nostr:npub1nj5v9hfxegyuqz4z9vfpgu9lxpgald066wspxadywmhslasuw2gsnyrxzg shared a great thread on X about what the Dutch Noderunners did to push Bitcoin adoption. Since it took him quite some time and he didn’t want to redo it on #nostr I’m happy to share his thread here as well, since it has a lot of cool stuff in it. Here we go:

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Noderunners 2024 Recap

by nostr:npub1nj5v9hfxegyuqz4z9vfpgu9lxpgald066wspxadywmhslasuw2gsnyrxzg

Here it is, the 2024 Noderunners recap! As we are preparing for our annual party on the third day of Christmas I’d like to reflect to all the great stuff we’ve build together to push bitcoin adoption from bottom up. I’m proud we’ve made it this far and we’re just starting! 🔥 We like to come together as often as possible to chat about bitcoin and drink a beer so we started even more meetups. We now do meetups in Roermond, Leiden, Eindhoven, Utrecht, Breda, Friesland, Zaandam. And an occasional party in Arnhem or Den Bosch. Feel free to join us anytime.

On our meetups and in the wild we meet the most awesome bitcoiners. To show them our respect we honor them by knighting them as an Honorary Noderunner. This year nostr:npub1nw5vdz8sj89y3h3tp7dunx8rhsm2qzfpf8ujq9m8mfvjsjth0uwqs9n2gn nostr:npub13ql75nq8rldygpkjke47y893akh5tglqtqzs6cspancaxktthsusvfqcg7 nostr:npub1cn4t4cd78nm900qc2hhqte5aa8c9njm6qkfzw95tszufwcwtcnsq7g3vle and nostr:npub1uaj9phu5lpxpczm3vaayt46m0yv0pduxzy7z6quwd2uggxue7fmqx9665u joined our ranks! 🧡

As you can imagine, we were pleasantly surprised when we saw an honorary Noderunner wearing his pin in the courtroom in the case against fAkEtOsHi! Nice to meet again in Amsterdam nostr:npub1qg8j6gdwpxlntlxlkew7eu283wzx7hmj32esch42hntdpqdgrslqv024kw !

The Bitcoin conference in Amsterdam was full of Noderunners. On and off stage. On stage we had nostr:npub1jqs0u7zhh53e94gyhm4eu458wm6sw7z0kk66jjhhkhh346tcq2ysfgr247 nostr:npub1h0fd5xu8rfhwdkkjr78ssdhm7rdjyf97hhjqr9acwv77ux0uvf8q23kvcg nostr:npub17tyke9lkgxd98ruyeul6wt3pj3s9uxzgp9hxu5tsenjmweue6sqq4y3mgl Tom Lamoen and others.

In the panel there was nostr:npub1art8cs66ffvnqns5zs5qa9fwlctmusj5lj38j94lv0ulw0j54wjqhpm0w5 who asked a cheeky question… 🤓 He wrote the awesome “The Genesis Book” in which he describes the people and technology that led to the birth of bitcoin. Hope to see you 3kd Aaron!

Proof of work is the thing Noderunners value the most. We do the work on and offline. In Amsterdam we had several projects to display! Of course the BitcoinTaps, the bitcoin bitaxe B at the entrance, The nostr:npub1kd3nlw09ufkgmts2kaf0x8m4mq57exn6l8rz50v5ngyr2h3j5cfswdsdth arcade and the video of @npub1f59dz0ru0l8zpsl4cryj5ch2rahwxeex3mr7lpl2ltzxsfwsdwastu6nqk!

Personally I was very exited nostr:npub1qg5a5l3t7pakmm4r4up2e764xecsw62fk3rntevm24fwyczhndtsdrvc4x Edward and Stef of Connect The World Podcast allowed us to bring the Arcade to the afterparty at Braai where we played some tournaments with nostr:npub1jt97tpsul3fp8hvf7zn0vzzysmu9umcrel4hpgflg4vnsytyxwuqt8la9y nostr:npub1j8y6tcdfw3q3f3h794s6un0gyc5742s0k5h5s2yqj0r70cpklqeqjavrvg and many others!

Hopefully we can create a Noderunners lounge or such next year at @npub13e6qu4kdjsyysrfl5an558rawvqg0rx2xuat9ca706spcdqjzhuqq6md43! Connections were made!

This year there was also the first edition of nostr:npub1uv2tr83c5y7k82af6zdzlqs8m0klcmndd8u5vmlg2eyrskld6uzsv4rmr8 organized by nostr:npub14mge80nm5r0zj0gncxvpunlr28jyku95547q0m82ec475x3yy92skvjgm5 and Bitcoin Stad. It was an awesome event with great speakers but the best thing was the Noderunners Lounge in the basement where Hester Bais tapped a beer.. 🍺

There was some trouble in paradise when the GitHub page of nostr:npub1k5f85zx0xdskyayqpfpc0zq6n7vwqjuuxugkayk72fgynp34cs3qfcvqg2 got canceled due to false copyright claims.. He makes the most beautiful, full open source BTClock! He’s a good frend and very productive Noderunner! 🧡

nostr:npub1k5f85zx0xdskyayqpfpc0zq6n7vwqjuuxugkayk72fgynp34cs3qfcvqg2 also did a lot behind the scenes for the Noderunners SOLO Mining Pool! http://pool.noderunners.network

As we are also very enthusiastic about NOSTR nostr:npub1p6xyr6u5vet33r4x724vxmp9uwfllax5zjdgxeujyrtxt90lp74qvah0rm has set up our own nostr relay: wss://relay.noderunners.network

Noderunner nostr:npub1yn84ur49llj7pp9a7uv477f7vrpj0rj7df5pnfncvkusaxgy6jqsj9xgfl set up a mixer where he organizes a weekly coinjoin every sunday for more anonymous bitcoin transactions. https://coinjoin.nl

Our Belgian Noderunner Kim de Vos made the infamous “Big Mac index” where he expresses the price of bitcoin in Big Macs.. He also runs the AVBpodcast (my personal favorite).

We have several members who have their own podcasts. Also a lot of Noderunners appeared in podcasts as a guest. nostr:npub1agyf7kae8nkxqrd7rvvxt6nh9vwpcqzen2mc9dl3u38a04awpjcq09n23f educates bitcoin beginners. Tom Lamoen talks about libertarianism.

nostr:npub1gfxgylgst4lcemkjth6xdvcvq7le8rtlrym7wayml63qrjggngaqkqescl interviews bitcoiners from all over the world.

And nostr:npub1kj2ngxmm0zccswfqplff87rpgvmq9utvk0g726wc0h8pv4kwm8ss6zgm4n laughs at 🤡🌍

After months, even years of hard work nostr:npub1w98ems6ryhpv7zvmhwp5sv65p0pwrnvzw4lucn0ch776qan9ntdstscwpx launched the best bitcoin board game ever!

nostr:npub1w98ems6ryhpv7zvmhwp5sv65p0pwrnvzw4lucn0ch776qan9ntdstscwpx is also involved with the Dutch bitcoin magazine BitcoinFocus which features a lot of Noderunner builds and articles.

Of course I should mention our frens at nostr:npub1ua6fxn9ktc4jncanf79jzvklgjftcdrt5etverwzzg0lgpmg3hsq2gh6v6 where you can pay a few sats to play your favorite songs! http://radio.noderunners.org

LightningPlaces is working hard making entrepreneurs accepting bitcoin and putting them on their website! 🔥💪🏼

nostr:npub1lhufm09wzp42y67t3s8axlewwna8rmetak68w38yal7xjrwktpsscpt08x is also hooking up webshops and physical shops (and bars) to accept bitcoin! Connect them if you’re looking for a custom solution! https://lightningcheckout.eu/nl/

Maybe we should create an open source HW Wallet too but for now we have the man, the myth, the legend nostr:npub17tyke9lkgxd98ruyeul6wt3pj3s9uxzgp9hxu5tsenjmweue6sqq4y3mgl in our midst.. A real honor as we all share the same values and ethics in life but especially in bitcoin! We’ve been building seedsigners from scratch by the dozen!

Most of us are very entrepreneurial. Several bitcoin shops are run by Noderunners.

nostr:npub1qvwdl9rp7a5ghrxv57wnml5ehg2whjh708vys6kaxpkgu0z3aclsuy2h4p - https://bitcoinbrabant.com

nostr:npub1k00lff0ahjv4d2kwuwxy040d2282yjmzj6eeu5ghav054s4yrfzsplyc86 - https://bitsaga.be

nostr:npub1837pplcuwcjn35zwmpuy62ekcfdtvklajn6pueus3am09s27vu6smuj6v9 - https://miningwholesale.eu

A special shoutout to our junior Noderunner Esramsterdam who is organizing a bitcoin event focused on women. Because bitcoin is not only for men. More info: https://vanbanknaarbitcoin.nl

Also a special shoutout to @npub17k8u7c6kfjgtd380890zx0m4adu8vl53m9fvtc7lal4j9gp74xqqkguha4! The only way to get free sats. Drank not enough beer with nostr:npub1pzurm7nx3q08894wl6uautryq95sku5jhzgwjjrskwdafcwxekuq4n7vtu this year.. but we really need to set up a collaborative project!

Ok I’m done. Forgot a lot but this sums it up quite well. Greetings and love to everyone involved with the Noderunners I forgot to mention. I love you all and hope to build a lot more together! 🧡🔥

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Jan Burgers

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Short Non-Bitcoin

nostr:npub12786tz9vyzuhe5jdjc9esd64vqh3pvqe34u9a3dyegudv5chkx9sexz86w

Joep Laser Sheep - Elden Lord 3x

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nostr:npub1m0yz3tvsa8cwheqhkqj96zr9kget8j8yda0vfmrah5c0dafj6xcq4l4az6

@Erik Dutch

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nostr:npub1l5pxvjzhw77h86tu0sml2gxg8jpwxch7fsj6d05n7vuqpq75v34syk4q0n

Noderunners Shop

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nostr:npub1ap78x7mvw0vu9s7yltflmkqphx8rt8hsk9gdg0k42vwnmnpvpe2qptxewe

nostr:npub1n2ph08n4pqz4d3jk6n2p35p2f4ldhc5g5tu7dhftfpueajf4rpxqfjhzmc

@Bitcmonkey

@Roynode

nostr:npub18n56f28efvmsjcl80lv2ngtmkl3y6q2rg0m2zqas3kw4jwkrsvdqxnmver

nostr:npub135q6dvnjah9023xszmjs2wvd4gqhn2trku52wt2lv8cl4hc8ltjsk0w4sq

nostr:npub1837u93v8am8q2rauvkqfk9sf6xfq07p9m4m82jueqh5u4qzkg25qesqrr4

nostr:npub1pkmp7vtgfwg7g0pt4xdd4r2npz2p8yweeq0yx7xm590h4nuszynqq2e2r3

nostr:npub19r33crtgdt4spqxl5a3nhqx2ucdputtqcnnxkplnp4mv2dqldqqs39j5eq

nostr:npub19z9g9ymx3aalx3h0jr2cskehvhgppznv2lpqsrpgggpeueesq4lsknsp8r

nostr:npub1jlvtd4zmq7ukjcytqxu2gy5myp2uataupjk4a3l467fj7pxpk3xq5p3w0j

@HeroVanKampen

nostr:npub16htmakd0gvsmwjnravfvfn5mh2x7wjd0vxq20z2c0979e7xh0a8q6ssnew

nostr:npub1xw6jekvethghmrlv0chkx5p78h3wk2ep5x588ga854d68cugr40qxuwt5e

nostr:npub1zakkum8w7uancehpev0drxuly3e74fg5v7q4n0zpxcdn72wakpjs9cgpve

and all others I can’t find here or I forgot.. 🧡🔥💪🏼 LFG, see you soon!

Bonus: This has never aired but @DanielMol was doubtful of our impact to more bitcoin adoption.. I know we are a bit toxic but we have our hearts on the right place and help anyone who is serious about it.. Happy days Daniel! 🧡

@ 3c7dc2c5:805642a8

🧠Quote(s) of the week:

“Bitcoin is a clock with a new concept of time – block height – synchronously marking depletion of the most valuable resource in the universe, our time.” - Ross Stevens

'The fact that billions of working men and women must sacrifice 40+ years of their time, energy, health, and focus to gain access to fiat currencies that central banks can replicate with a keystroke is injustice on the largest scale humanity has ever seen. It is theft. Bitcoin' - Bitcoin for Freedom

'Billions of people will watch the generational opportunity to own 1 whole Bitcoin slip through their fingers and never return. There will be less than 500,000 whole-coiners in the world, which will continue to drop, regardless of how many people wish they had one. This is wealth based on math.' Wealth Theory

🧡Bitcoin news🧡

Happy New Year fam!🧡 Here's to a year filled with love, health, and wonderful Bitcoin moments.

Now before I am going to start with the Weekly Recap I want to share what is happening with MiCA / Travel Rule in the EU. The EU is back with more attacks on our freedom. Their 2025 MiCA and TravelRule regulations are just another step to control and surveil our financial lives. This is a good thread on what’s happening with MiCA in the EU. To make it even more specific, a thread worth your time especially if you're in Europe. x.com/ferenckovacs/status/1873278442600325235

To sum it up. The EU is cracking down on freedom while America is on the verge of an unprecedented pro-Bitcoin administration. The EU is going to be left behind again (!) because of a lack of Bitcoin education. That's why I am writing my Weekly Recaps and created this account (Bitcoin Friday). Change the world through Bitcoin education.

On the 24th of December: ➡️Michael Saylor is not fucking around. MicroStrategy just said that they want to raise the authorized share count by 10 BILLION. They currently have 330 million shares outstanding, meaning this could increase the share count by 3,000%. Microstrategy now owns 444.000 Bitcoin. That is as much as China, the US, and the UK combined. Madness! Key proposals include: 1. Increasing authorized Class A shares from 330 million to 10.33 billion to support future capital raising. 2. Increasing authorized preferred shares from 5 million to 1.005 billion to expand financing options. 3. Amending the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan to provide automatic equity awards for new directors joining the Board.

➡️While others are selling, BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF bought $32 million in BTC yesterday.

➡️The value of Metaplanet’s Bitcoin treasury is now 12x larger than the market cap of the entire company in April. Metaplanet is using Saylor's playbook. All 1,761.99 of Metaplanet’s BTC are verifiable on the chain.

➡️The Bank of Italy identifies Bitcoin P2P services as "crime-as-a-service", due to their alleged use in money laundering operations. Ma figura di merda! Don't let them frame regular Bitcoin usage as criminal. You have a right to freedom of transaction, privacy, and self-custody. Oh on a side note. They should be banning the "crime-as-a-service" Euro then - which constitutes 98.5% of illicit money laundering compared to Bitcoin, cazzos!

➡️Less than 1.2 million Bitcoin left to mine! Tick-tock, next block! (foto)

➡️Publicly traded Matador Technologies Inc. approves to purchase of $4.5 million Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset.

➡️South African parliament member Mzwanele Manyi said "Bitcoin is coming in full force. It will devalue gold. It's unstoppable."

On the 25th of December: ➡️Russia is using BITCOIN in foreign trade, says finance minister - Reuters Finance Minister: "Such transactions are already occurring. We believe they should be expanded and developed further. I am confident this will happen next year". From last week: "Russia lawmakers were this week revealed to be pushing the country to create a Bitcoin strategic reserve... Vladimir Putin praised bitcoin as an alternative to FX reserves following the seizure of its funds by Western governments." I guess banning them from SWIFT wasn’t the greatest idea after all.

➡️Jameson Lopp: "If you have a lot of bitcoin you should leave it with a custodian." 'Meanwhile, custodian losses in 2024: Rain: $15M Indodax: $22M Lykke: $22M BingX: $45M BitForex: $56M BtcTurk: $90M WazirX: $230M DMM Bitcoin: $305M' Source: hacked.slowmist.io/?c=Exchange

➡️Multiple U.S. states considering Strategic Bitcoin Reserves - CNBC

El Salvador is just 2.23 BTC away from holding 6000 bitcoin in its Strategic ReserveLike a boss, El Salvador continued adding one BTC per day to our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. And we are still so early ...

➡️Malaysia’s largest bank says when the US establishes Bitcoin Reserves, other countries will follow with increasing demand.

On the 26th of December: ➡️Thailand has backed a pilot scheme proposed by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra to introduce Bitcoin payments at a tourist center in Phuket, Thailand.

➡️Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expresses uncertainty about implementing a Bitcoin strategic reserve, citing a lack of information on the US and other countries' plans.

➡️Another public company launches a Bitcoin treasury allocating 90% of their cash. Public company KULR buys 217.18 Bitcoin for $21 million for its Bitcoin Treasury strategy.

➡️Bitcoin mining (from otherwise wasted hydropower) is now 18% of all Ethiopian Electric Power’s revenue. The country has turned excess hydroelectric power into a profitable asset by powering Bitcoin mining operations, earning $1B in revenue last year. The move is drawing global investors who benefit from the country's low energy costs, and it's an example of how sustainable energy can drive economic growth across Africa. Source: www.crypto-news-flash.com/ethiopias-dam-powers-18-revenue-through-bitcoin-mining

On the 27th of December

➡️Daniel Batten: 'In addition to 13 peer-reviewed academic papers, there are now 8 sustainability magazines covering the fast-growing story of how Bitcoin is supporting sustainable energy development and climate action. They are: x.com/DSBatten/status/1872475284319949035 Great thread and articles/papers! Must read.

➡️Bitcoin is being quietly acquired by whales through private transactions, per CryptoQuant. The number of CoinJoin transactions has tripled over two years, with many attributing the surge to legitimate investment.

➡️Over 60 public companies now hold Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. (foto) '14,400 BTC taken off exchanges today. This will keep happening until the liquid supply is gone. When that happens you better be done stacking.' - Bitcoin For Freedom.

➡️$5 billion Bitwise files for Bitcoin Standard Corporations ETF.

➡️IRS rules demand brokers report digital asset transactions, including decentralized exchanges from 2027.

On the 28th of December: ➡️ProShares files for ETFs tracking the S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, and gold—denominated in Bitcoin. These ETFs take long positions in stocks or gold while using Bitcoin futures to short USD and go long on BTC, making them essentially Bitcoin-hedged ETFs. Nate Geraci: 'ETF filings last 48hrs… -Strive Btc Bond ETF -Bitwise Btc Standard Corporations ETF -REX Btc Corporate Treasury Convertible Bond ETF -ProShares Btc hedged ETFs on S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, & gold 2025 is gonna be wild' This is de facto how BTC is going to scale to a billion users.

On the 29th of December: ➡️Bitcoin vs. Gold ETFs in 2024: •Bitcoin: $36.8 billion in net flows •Gold: $454 million in net flows Bitcoin is demonetizing gold in real-time. (foto)

On the 30th of December: ➡️This year's investor letter from Stone Ridge did not disappoint. One of the best investor newsletters I've read in a long time. www.nydig.com/research/stone-ridge-2024-investor-letter This year's investor letter from Stone Ridge did not disappoint. One of the best investor newsletters I've read in a long time. (foto) 'NYDIG is about to unlock one of the largest investable pools of capital in the entire financial system—insurance float—and channel it into Bitcoin-backed loans. This is a big deal. More efficient lending → lower loan costs → less BTC sold → increased scarcity → higher demand and price → stronger institutional interest → accelerated Bitcoin adoption.' - Sam Callahan ➡️Tether buys 7,629 Bitcoin worth $705 million for its reserves and now owns $7.7 billion in Bitcoin.

➡️'According to Luke Dash Jr's estimates of unreachable / non-listening node counts, the total number of Bitcoin nodes rose 49% from 65,000 to 96,852 during 2024.' - Jameson Lopp The number of publicly reachable computers running Bitcoin blockchain software increased by 19% this year. This is very important! Noderunners!

➡️MicroStrategy has acquired 2,138 BTC for ~$209 million at ~$97,837 per bitcoin and has achieved a BTC Yield of 47.8% QTD and 74.1% YTD. As of 12/29/2024, they hodl 446,400 Bitcoin acquired for ~$27.9 billion at ~$62,428 per Bitcoin.

On the 31st of December: ➡️A Swiss initiative to include Bitcoin in the constitution has advanced to the review stage in the Feuille fédérale, the official publication for legislative texts and government decisions.

➡️New record bitcoin network computing hashrate: 800,000,000,000,000,000,000x per second.

➡️Bitcoin miners earned $15B in revenue in 2024. This assumes they instantly sell for fiat, which is not the case - miners tend to be HODLers.

➡️Bitcoin Returns since 2010... (foto) "Only" +120% this year, 5x the returns of the S&P 500.

➡️Bhutan now likely holds more Bitcoin per capita than any other country on Earth.

➡️$1.5 trillion Franklin Templeton says "We expect to see strategic Bitcoin reserves added by several nations" in 2025.

💸Traditional Finance / Macro:

On the 26th of December: 👉🏽'The US stock market is becoming even more concentrated: The top 10 stocks now reflect a record 40% of the S&P 500's market cap. This percentage now exceeds the 2000 Dot-Com bubble levels by ~14 percentage points. In 2024, these stocks have added over $7 TRILLION in market cap and are now worth a record $20.9 trillion. To put this into perspective, the entire European stock market is worth ~$16 trillion, or $4.9 trillion LESS. The market's rally is not broadening.' -TKL

🏦Banks: 👉 no news

🌎Macro/Geopolitics:

On the 24th of December: 👉🏽'US existing home sales are set to close at 4.04 million in 2024, marking the worst year since 1995. Sales are set to be even lower than during the 2008 Financial Crisis. The lack of demand for existing homes comes as home prices have jumped over 50% since 2020. Over the same period, mortgage rates have nearly TRIPLED, making affordability even worse. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is up 100 basis points since September alone, to 7.1%, despite the Fed cutting rates by 100 basis points. The US housing market is frozen.' -TKL

On the 25th of December: 👉🏽Javier Milei announces a structural tax reform that will eliminate 90% of taxes in Argentina.

👉🏽 China withdrew $158 billion from its financial system through its MLF tool (Medium-Term lending facility), the largest liquidity removal in a decade.

On the 26th of December: 👉🏽“Brussels started a department to look for €60M in savings. Its operational costs so far are €30M.” The most EU thing I've ever seen. The worst part? The government can only grow in its current form, which means it will only become bigger and more expensive. Inefficiency in government. A lot of inefficiency, with more and more regulations and no contributing productivity. Welcome to how Western governments function.

Remember the report from Oxfam International two months ago? "Up to $41 billion in World Bank climate finance unaccounted for.". Remember how the Pentagon fails 7th audit in a row, unable to fully account for the $ 842B budget.

But hey, Bitcoin is just made-up money, right?

👉🏽'The 10-year note yield is now up 100 basis points since the "Fed pivot" began in September. In other words, while the Fed has CUT rates by 100 bps, rates in the market have RISEN by 100 bps.' -TKL “As a result, the average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage in the United States is now at 7.10%. To put this into perspective, just 3 months ago the average rate bottomed at 6.15%. Buying the median-priced home at $420,400 now costs an average of ~$400 more PER MONTH.” The disconnect between the Fed and what's going on in the bond market is ridiculous. Never in the last 40 years has the 10-year Treasury risen more quickly after the Fed started a rate-cutting cycle. The housing market pays the price (read the first point in this segment)

👉🏽New Chinese $137B river dam project in Tibet, 3x the size of Three Gorges for 300 million people. $137B honestly sounds like a small amount after hearing how much the US spends on foreign wars. They've given Ukraine $183B to date. One war in Ukraine or one dam that generates enough electricity to power your entire country? The environmental destruction will be irreversible and will affect the entire planet. The Chinese see our planet as a commodity and a resource that needs to be exploited. Arnaud Bertrand: 'China just approved yet another project of an unfathomable scale: a mega-dam that will generate 3 times more power than the Three Gorges, enough to meet the annual needs of over 300m people, the equivalent of the entire US population. scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3292267/china-approves-tibet-mega-dam-could-generate-3-times-more-power-three-gorges… The project will cost an insane 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion) to build and will be located on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet autonomous region, which carves out the deepest canyon on Earth.'

On the 29th of December: 👉🏽'Germany, France, and Italy, the three largest economies in Europe have been stagnating for years. Grotesque overregulation, lack of innovation, and left redistribution mindset replacing hard work & entrepreneurial spirit have their price. What needs to happen for Europe to grow again?' -Michael A. Arouet The EU is destroying the European economy. 'Sixteen years ago, the US and EU economies were nearly equal in size. Today, the US economy is 50% larger than the EU. Europe is being strangled by the EU and its Commission President von der Leyen's red tape.'- Steve Hanke (foto)

On the 31st of December: 👉🏽'Global corporate debt issuance jumped ~34% year-over-year to a record $7.9 trillion in 2024. Global corporate debt sales have DOUBLED over the last 12 years. Issuances have now surpassed the previous record of $7.2 trillion in 2021. This comes as historically low corporate bond spreads have fueled massive issuance activity. Furthermore, the average US investment-grade bond spread has fallen to just 0.77 percentage points in early December. This market the tightest spread since the late 1990s, according to Ice BofA data.' -TKL The only thing I am wondering is who is buying corporate debt when you can get 5% in a money market? Or just buy Bitcoin😉

👉🏽Total US debt is up 30%, or $8.5 trillion since Biden's inauguration, to $36.2 trillion.

🎁If you have made it this far I would like to give you a little gift:

Some fountain of Jeff Booth's wisdom: Repricing the World in Bitcoin

Credit: I have used multiple sources!

My savings account: Bitcoin The tool I recommend for setting up a Bitcoin savings plan: PocketBitcoin especially suited for beginners or people who want to invest in Bitcoin with an automated investment plan once a week or monthly. Use the code BITCOINFRIDAY

Get your Bitcoin out of exchanges. Save them on a hardware wallet, run your own node...be your own bank. Not your keys, not your coins. It's that simple.⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

Do you think this post is helpful to you? If so, please share it and support my work with sats.

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⭐ Many thanks⭐

Felipe -Bitcoin Friday!

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@ 3c7dc2c5:805642a8

🧠Quote(s) of the week:

Bitcoin is freedom of speech in the language of money.

'The five stages of a No-Coiner:

1. Denial (most people are here)

2. Anger (Peter Schiff)

3. Bargaining (Shitcoiners)

4. Depression (Rekt shit-coiners)

5. Acceptance (Bitcoiner)' - Bitcoin for Freedom

🧡Bitcoin news🧡

On the 31st of December:

➡️Impressive growth for Unchained in securing Bitcoin for clients. $9.5 billion financial services company Unchained helped its clients secure over 100,000 Bitcoin in 2024.

➡️'ETH/BTC is down 30% this year—the "world computer" needs a new narrative quickly, otherwise, it's going to fall another 100%.' -Joe Consorti

➡️'Since the beginning of Q4, treasury operations delivered a BTC Yield of 47.8%, a net benefit of 120,600 BTC to our shareholders. At $96K per BTC, that equates to $11.6 billion for the quarter.' - Michael Saylor

On the 1st of January:

➡️BlackRock's Spot Bitcoin ETF now holds over 2% of all the Bitcoin that will ever exist.

➡️MicroStrategy is now down 47% since hitting an all-time high 6 weeks ago.

➡️'$793M worth of Bitcoin was transferred from MicroStrategy-linked Coinbase Prime Custody addresses to unknown wallets, according to Arkham Intelligence.' -Bitcoin News

➡️We start the year with a new low on Bitcoin on exchanges, and 30k Bitcoin withdrew in the last 24 hours.

➡️Daniel Batten: 'Little known fact: The World's largest Sovereign Fund (Government Pension Fund Global, Norway) already has significant Bitcoin exposure. The fund has invested $217 million in MicroStrategy, tripling its allocation between Aug 2023 and Aug 2024. Expect more of this in 2025.'

➡️New research paper published:

https://www.cetjournal.it/cet/24/114/061.pdf

TL;DR: Pairing Bitcoin mining and Green Hydrogen can: accelerate the build-out of solar and wind capacity boost capacity for negative emission technologies, capturing >7.4 t CO2e per Bitcoin

➡️Globalt Investments senior portfolio manager Thomas Martin reveals that the company currently has 10% of its portfolio in gold and that it could increase its holdings in Bitcoin, but probably below 5%.

➡️Hong Kong-listed company Yuxing buys 78.2 Bitcoin for $6.3 million.

➡️2024 is in the books, and the results are clear:

Bitcoin topped the charts again, outperforming every major asset class for the year. Investment returns last year:

Bitcoin: +121%

Gold: +27%

NASDAQ: +26%

S&P 500: +25%

Dow Jones: +13%

Emerging Markets: +6%

Cash: +5%

Real Estate: +5%

Commodities: +2%

Oil: +1%

US Bonds: +1%

Again Bitcoin is at the top. There is no second best.

By simply buying and holding Bitcoin, you outperformed 99.99% of all financial institutions on planet Earth in 2024, without hidden fees and bullshit.

On the 2nd of January:

➡️Billionaire investor Ray Dalio recommends Bitcoin as 'hard money' amid national debt increases, per the Block.

Recently I have seen a Ray Dalio interview. He owns Bitcoin, but he still doesn't understand some basic concepts. Oh well, Gradually then suddenly. Ray Dalio: "I want to steer away from debt assets like bonds and debt, and have some hard money like gold and Bitcoin."

➡️FORBES: Bitcoin mining in Africa “has shown to provide the much-needed revenue to boost electricity infrastructure development, create jobs, sustainably electrify rural communities, and catalyze green energy production.”

➡️The Oxford English Dictionary added the word "satoshi'.

➡️Fold announces up to $30M in convertible note financing, backed by Bitcoin, to fuel growth and fast-track product development.

On the 3rd of January:

➡️On this day 16 years ago Bitcoin went online! Happy Bitcoin Genesis Block Day! This block is unspendable. Satoshi also waited 6 days before mining block #2 so others had time to join the network.

Now that Bitcoin has existed for 16 years! Lindy effect says that Bitcoin would at least exist for another 16 years.

January 3, 2009. Satoshi undermines block 0 on a difficulty 1 CPU and incorporates into the Genesis Block hexadecimal code base the headline of that day’s Times “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on the brink of second bailout for banks”. The bank bailout plan ‘cause of the subprime mortgage crisis in the GFC.

Since that day, the network has grown dramatically. Now, millions of people all over earth use Bitcoin. And while it’s great to hear that other countries like El Salvador, Bhutan, and others are embracing Bitcoin, I can’t help but wish my own country 🇳🇱 was embracing Bitcoin too.

Tick tick, next block without fail, Bitcoin continues to provide us with the most significant tool for freedom of speech and monetary sovereignty in the digital age!

Bitcoin is about financial inclusion and economic empowerment.🎯

Bitcoin is secured by the most powerful computing network in the world!🧡

Which leads me to the following.

➡️Just like with other emerging tech, perspectives evolve. Fascinating to see that finally, the vast majority of academic papers are recognizing the benefits of Bitcoin Mining.

Daniel Batten: "87.5% of contemporary peer-reviewed literature on Bitcoin and energy highlight Bitcoin mining having significant, scaleable environmental benefits This shift in scientific consensus follows the same trend as that of other nascent technologies, where first-generation research is superseded by more nuanced work based on better understanding, more case studies, and improved data."

Here you can find the list of those 14 of the last 16 peer review academic papers: https://x.com/DSBatten/status/1874858383523618887

➡️Another one, a scientific paper suggests that Bitcoin could function as a safe haven in relation to geopolitical risk in times of market crashes.

"We find that Bitcoin and the Swiss Franc function as safe havens in relation to geopolitical risk in times of market crashes while Gold and Treasury bonds do not. [...] the protective aspects [...] mainly show through large stock market moves."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1544612324015721#:~:text=Using%20S%26P%20500%20and%20GPR,and%20Treasury%20bonds%20do%20not

➡️Eric Balchunas: "IBIT with its biggest outflow day ever yesterday with $332m, about 0.7% of the total aum. It's so over.."

We had a good run everyone. haha

➡️If you were hoping to see evidence for how simple it can be to do Bitcoin right… here you go. Just buy and hold. Believe me, please read the post/thread:

https://x.com/sminston_with/status/1874978781200588838

➡️Bitcoin's network hashrate increased by 56% in 2024, from 512 to 800 exahash per second.

➡️ Chinese auto-trading platform Cango Inc. now holds 933.8 Bitcoin. The company increased Bitcoin mining production by 56% in December, producing 569.9 BTC.

➡️'Bitcoin's UTXO set grew from 153.4M to 186.4M during 2024, adding 1 net additional UTXO per second.' - Jameson Lopp

On the 4th of January:

➡️'Unredacted FDIC documents reveal coordinated efforts to restrict Bitcoin activities under Operation Chokepoint 2.0, exposing systemic discrimination against the industry.' TFTC

Ridiculous actions were taken with intent over the last few years. We all knew it. I am not surprised at all.

➡️The Bitcoin network finalized more than $19 trillion worth of BTC transactions in 2024. More than double the $8.7 trillion settled over the network in 2023 - reversing two years of declining transaction volume since 2021. Decisively proving that Bitcoin is both a store of value and a medium of exchange.

On the 5th of January:

➡️The largest Bitcoin mine in the world is nearing completion. Riot Blockchain’s new facility is under construction in Corsicana Texas, which, once fully developed, will be powered by 1 gigawatt in total mining capacity.

➡️Ffs nothing learned from 2022, ahumm FTX ahuhmm Celcius.

'One of the largest publicly traded Bitcoin mining firms in the U.S., MARA, has lent 7,377 BTC to third parties to generate yield, representing approximately 16% of its total reserves. These loans are “short-term arrangements with well-established third parties.” The long-term objective is to generate sufficient yield to offset operating expenses.'

Surely nobody has even gotten caught offsides rehypothecating their Bitcoin, right? Right!?!?!?

➡️Metaplanet is aiming to expand its Bitcoin holdings more than fivefold to 10,000 Bitcoin in 2025, says CEO Simon Gerovich.

💸Traditional Finance / Macro:

On the 31st of December:

👉🏽Over $7.11 trillion was added to the US stock market in 2024.

👉🏽'The last time the top 10 stocks accounted for this much of the S&P 500, was just before the Great Depression in 1929…' - Geiger Capital The top 10 stocks in the S&P 500 are now almost 800 TIMES larger than the 75th percentile stock.

Not even the Great Depression in the 1930s saw market concentration this high. It's now 50% MORE concentrated than in 2001.

Yeah, it is bad (please watch the video as mentioned in last week's Weekly Recap - Luke Gromen & Preston Pysh). For now, the Fed especially Trump won't let a depression happen.

On the 2nd of January:

👉🏽The US Bond Market has now been in a drawdown for 53 months, by far the longest in history.

🏦Banks:

👉🏽'no news

🌎Macro/Geopolitics:

On the 1st of January:

👉🏽Germany, the economic powerhouse of Europe, is now on the brink of a collapse. Energy shortages. Aging workers. A stagnating economy. What happened to Europe’s strongest economy—and what does it mean for the EU’s future?

(foto)

I have mentioned it multiple times here in the Weekly Recaps. Given its policy instability and lack of innovation support, Germany's decline is no surprise. I wouldn't call it a collapse though. What will be next? The AfD likely will win the upcoming elections. Will that help to rejuvenate their economy, I don't think so. But if they (current and past administrations) keep pushing the same tired policies expect more support for real change like the AfD. Don't get me wrong. Economic despair fuels AfD’s surge, while democracy’s legitimacy falters.

This isn’t just about one nation, it’s a global wake-up call.

👉🏽'U.S. Dollar is now the most overvalued in history according to Bank of America.' - Barchart

👉🏽Lagarde says the European Central Bank has a “big, heavy agenda for 2025” of bringing inflation down to 2% and continuing progress toward a CBDC. Full video aka.

The new Bitcoin marketing ad: https://x.com/Lagarde/status/1874380049442320773

Pardon my English, but these people are unelected psychopaths. Lagarde is almost 70 years old. Should monetary policy be set by people who don't understand the current & future economic trends that will rule society?

Digital Euro means slavery. Study the meaning of money to boycott with an alternative, Bitcoin! The honey badgers are on the move.

Oh and regarding that mysterious 2% inflation figure. Let's say you save $200 a month for 30 years in a savings account. Your total contributions over 30 years would be $72,000.

Here's how much buying power you would have left, if inflation was:

2%: $39,275

3%: $28 872

4%: $21,157

5%: $15,453

There is no reason we should have 2% inflation. Let alone the 4-8% inflation we had the last couple of years.

On the 2nd of January:

👉🏽We in Europe really fucked up. 'Europe has gone from relying entirely on cheap Russian gas to relying entirely on expensive US LNG' - Zero Hedge

They closed their nuclear reactors for this. Get woke, go broke. Oh, by the way, the Nordstream 2 pipeline incident has a clear winner, and it's not Ukraine or Russia.

👉🏽The EURO tumbles to the lowest level since 2022 amid ongoing concerns about Europe’s economy.

👉🏽

Dr. Jan Wüstenfeld: "Meanwhile, Bitcoin's supply growth rate is at 0.8%, and in 172,536 blocks, the newly issued Bitcoin per day will halve again, then halve again after another 210,000 blocks, and again and again. Choose wisely.

👉🏽Reserves at the Fed sink below $3 Trillion to the lowest since 2020. The Fed will end QT in March or April give or take a month. Especially with RRP running dry. Banking liquidity is getting too tight

👉🏽The Chinese Property Market has seen a total loss of $18 Trillion over the past 3 years, surpassing the losses suffered by the U.S. during the Global Financial Crisis.

👉🏽'The US deficit as a percentage of GDP is projected to average 6.3% over the next 10 years.

This comes after the deficit reached 6.7% in 2024, the largest since 2021. Such elevated deficits have never happened outside of wars and significant economic crises.

Furthermore, the deficit is estimated to hit 7.1% of GDP in 2025, the 3rd highest among the world's major economies, only behind India and China. Meanwhile, the budget gap for the first 2 months of the Fiscal Year 2025 reached $624 BILLION, the largest on record. The US is on unsustainable fiscal path.' -TKL

On the 5th of January:

👉🏽'The US National Debt increased by $2.2 trillion in 2024, following increases of $2.6 trillion in 2023, $1.8 trillion in 2022, $1.9 trillion in 2021, and $4.5 trillion in 2020. How much will the National Debt increase in 2025?' - Charlie Bilello

On the 6th of January:

👉🏽Hedge Fund Manager Steve Diggle, who made $3 Billion during the Global Financial Crisis, has returned and compares the current market to what we saw from 2005-2007

🎁If you have made it this far I would like to give you a little gift:

What Bitcoin Did:

2024: BITCOIN IN REVIEW with HODL & ODELL

https://youtu.be/-tijL0iD5GI?si=Q7Xsy-mRg4UqxKe3

Good one!

Credit: I have used multiple sources!

My savings account: Bitcoin The tool I recommend for setting up a Bitcoin savings plan: PocketBitcoin especially suited for beginners or people who want to invest in Bitcoin with an automated investment plan once a week or monthly. Use the code BITCOINFRIDAY

Get your Bitcoin out of exchanges. Save them on a hardware wallet, run your own node...be your own bank. Not your keys, not your coins. It's that simple.⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

Do you think this post is helpful to you? If so, please share it and support my work with sats.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

⭐ Many thanks⭐

Felipe -Bitcoin Friday!

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

@ 254f56d7:f2c38100

Vamos ver seu funcionamento

@ 1cb14ab3:95d52462

Event Recap

For the Official Stooki Sound Afterparty in Boulder, CO, I took the unconventional venue of a kitchen on The Hill and transformed it into an immersive environment for Toybox and Tesfa’s performances. The space was custom-mapped with projections that interacted seamlessly with the surroundings, turning the kitchen into a dynamic, visual landscape. I added retrofitted props to deepen the visual experience, giving the projections a multi-dimensional quality. This innovative approach created a unique atmosphere, enhancing the performance while blurring the lines between physical space and digital art.

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Event Photos

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Recap Video

nostr:naddr1qqrj6wpkx3u8qscpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuamfdejsygquk99txdv8dly7lsmasw969p70zlj6mnxtyzlk6j0em2tft4fyvgpsgqqqskas47n36f

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Other Immersive Experiences by Hes

Light Pollution [2015]

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All images are credit of Hes, but you are free to download and use for any purpose. If you find joy from my art, please feel free to send a zap. Enjoy life on a Bitcoin standard.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

• The Influence of Global Oil Prices

• Bitcoin's Roller Coaster Ride

• Anticipation Surrounding the 2024 Halving Event

• The Broader Crypto Landscape

• Conclusions

• FAQ

In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin stands as a beacon, often dictating the mood of the entire crypto market. Its price fluctuations are closely watched by investors, analysts, and enthusiasts alike. Max Keiser, a prominent figure in the crypto space, recently shed light on some intriguing factors that might be influencing Bitcoin's current price trajectory. This article delves into Keiser's insights, exploring the broader implications of global events on Bitcoin's market performance.

The Influence of Global Oil Prices

Max Keiser, a renowned Bitcoin advocate and former trader, recently drew attention to the interplay between global oil prices and Bitcoin's market performance. Responding to a post by German economics expert, Holger Zschaepitz, Keiser highlighted the significance of Brent oil reaching $90 per barrel for the first time since the previous November. According to Keiser, the surge in oil prices, driven by Saudi Arabia's decision to extend its reduction in oil production for another three months, has had ripple effects in the financial world. One of these effects is the shift of investor interest towards higher interest deposit USD accounts. This diversion of investments is creating what Keiser terms as "a small headwind for Bitcoin," implying that as traditional markets like oil show promise, some investors might be reconsidering their cryptocurrency positions.

Bitcoin's Roller Coaster Ride

The cryptocurrency market, known for its volatility, witnessed Bitcoin's price undergoing significant fluctuations recently. A notable event that gave Bitcoin a temporary boost was Grayscale's triumph over the SEC in a legal battle concerning the conversion of its Bitcoin Trust into a spot ETF. This victory led to a rapid 7.88% spike in Bitcoin's price within a mere hour, pushing it from the $26,000 bracket to briefly touch the $28,000 threshold. However, this euphoria was short-lived. Over the subsequent week, the cryptocurrency saw its gains erode, settling in the $25,400 range. At the time the reference article was penned, Bitcoin was hovering around $25,688.

Anticipation Surrounding the 2024 Halving Event

The Bitcoin community is abuzz with anticipation for the next scheduled Bitcoin halving, projected to take place in April-May 2024. This event will see the rewards for Bitcoin miners being slashed by half, resulting in a decreased supply of Bitcoin entering the market. Historically, such halvings have acted as catalysts, propelling Bitcoin's price upwards. A case in point is the aftermath of the 2020 halving, post which Bitcoin soared to an all-time high of $69,000 in October 2021. However, some financial analysts argue that this surge was less about the halving and more a consequence of the extensive monetary measures adopted by institutions like the US Federal Reserve. These measures, taken in response to the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns, flooded the market with cash, potentially driving up Bitcoin's price.

The Broader Crypto Landscape

While Bitcoin remains the most dominant and influential cryptocurrency, it's essential to consider its position within the broader crypto ecosystem. Other cryptocurrencies, often referred to as 'altcoins', also play a role in shaping investor sentiment and market dynamics. Factors such as technological advancements, regulatory changes, and global economic shifts not only impact Bitcoin but the entire crypto market. As investors diversify their portfolios and explore newer blockchain projects, Bitcoin's role as the market leader is continually tested. Yet, its pioneering status and proven resilience make it a focal point of discussions and analyses in the crypto world.

Conclusion

Bitcoin, the flagship cryptocurrency, has always been subject to a myriad of market forces and global events. While its inherent potential remains undeniable, the current market landscape, shaped by factors ranging from oil prices to global economic policies, presents challenges. Yet, with events like the 2024 halving on the horizon, there's an air of optimism among Bitcoin enthusiasts and investors about the future trajectory of this digital asset.

FAQ

Who is Max Keiser? Max Keiser is a prominent Bitcoin advocate, former trader, and well-known crypto podcaster.

What did Keiser say about Bitcoin's price? Keiser pointed out that rising global oil prices and the allure of higher interest deposit USD accounts are creating a "small headwind" for Bitcoin.

How did Grayscale's legal victory affect Bitcoin? Grayscale's win over the SEC led to a 7.88% spike in Bitcoin's price within an hour.

When is the next Bitcoin halving expected? The next Bitcoin halving is projected to occur around April-May 2024.

Did the 2020 Bitcoin halving influence its price? Yes, post the 2020 halving, Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $69,000 in October 2021.

That's all for today

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ 33baa074:3bb3a297

Evaporation is an important link in the water cycle in nature, and it plays a key role in the circulation of water and energy exchange. The following are the specific manifestations of the cyclical role of evaporation in nature:

Key links in the water cycle Evaporation is one of the most important links in the water cycle. Through evaporation, water changes from liquid to gas, enters the atmosphere, and becomes water vapor. This process occurs not only on the surface of the ocean, but also in lakes, rivers on land, and moisture in the soil. The evaporated water vapor then moves with atmospheric activity, participates in subsequent condensation, precipitation, and other links, and completes the global cycle of water.

Energy exchange and climate impact During the evaporation process, water absorbs heat from the surrounding environment, thereby cooling the environment. When water vapor condenses into liquid water (such as clouds and rain) in the atmosphere, it releases energy, warming the environment. This energy exchange has an important impact on the climate and is an important mechanism for regulating the temperature of the earth. Water purification The evaporation process has a certain purification effect. When water evaporates, some impurities dissolved in the water are left in place, while pure water vapor enters the atmosphere. This natural filtering process helps improve the quality of precipitation and replenish clean freshwater resources on land.

Mineral Transport Evaporation and the water cycle work together to promote the transport of minerals around the world. Water carries and distributes minerals during evaporation, precipitation, infiltration, etc., affecting the geological characteristics of the earth and the nutritional balance of the ecosystem.

Life Support The water cycle, including evaporation, is essential for the maintenance of most life on Earth. It ensures the continuous supply and distribution of water resources and supports the survival and reproduction of various organisms.

Summary Evaporation is not only a key link in the water cycle in nature, but also plays an important role in energy exchange, climate regulation, water purification, mineral transportation, and life support. By understanding the role of evaporation in the natural cycle, we can better understand and protect our environment.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Zvanični vebsajt knjige

Srpski prevod knjige "The Little Bitcoin Book"

...

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

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

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

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

@ dd664d5e:5633d319

Hodling Bitcoin does not make you a capitalist

I've noticed that Bitcoin-mindedness seems to lead some people to communistic thinking because it's a hard-limited form of capital. Marx, like most Bitcoiners, heavily discounted the possibility of economic growth or transformation changing the economy enough to undermine some minority's control of some form of capital.

What few today understand, is that many of the Dirty Capitalists of Marx's era actually agreed with him; they were just disdainful of labor and worried that the workers finding out that Marxism is correct about the nature of capitalism would cause unrest. They were the original HFSP crowd.

This was the basic idea, that Marx had, and that many Bitcoiners would agree with:

Capital is strictly limited and the people that control it can keep labor from attaining any, except when their labor is necessary.

And, as we know, automation will make human labor increasingly unnecessary.

The math doesn't check out

That underlies all of the calculations of "Well, if I just grab this Bitcoin wallet and hodl for twenty years, then it will grow in value to equal half of everything in existence and then I can just buy up half the planet and rule over everyone like a god."

This is economic nonsense because it assumes that: 1) the value of all things remains static over time, 2) purchasing something with money gives you ownership of it, 3) people will always use that specific money (or any money, at all!) for all transactions, 4) there is no such thing as opportunity cost, 5) people will always value money more than any other thing, and therefore be willing to always trade it for anything else, 6) humans are passive, defenseless, and easy to rule over, 7) someone who is preoccupied with hodling an asset steadily and sharply rising in price would ever be emotionally ready to part with it.

All monies can die.

People use money for everything because it is easy, fast and cheap. If money becomes too precious or scarce, they will simply switch to using other things (as we saw with gold). Humans replace tools that aren't working well, with those that work better, and money is just another tool. Bitcoin is more divisible than gold, but that won't matter, if enough of it is held by too few.

This is why there's a natural cap on the price of a money and why human productivity in the here and now is not irrelevant or in vain.

@ 68ce44e4:ecd5f574

Xenea Wallet Daily Quiz 29 Dec

Complete now : https://xenea.app/register/167mZpWf7A

XENEAwallet #cryptoairdrop #cryptocurrency #cryptonews #bitcoin #EarnFreeCrypto

@ c11cf5f8:4928464d

Let's hear some of your latest Bitcoin purchases, feel free to include links to the shops or merchants you bought from too.

If you missed our last thread, here are some of the items stackers recently spent their sats on.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/828556

@ 2ed3596e:98b4cc78

Americans can now get paid in bitcoin sent directly to their personal bitcoin wallet. Share your Bitcoin Well Direct Deposit details with your employer (or anyone sending you money), set your bitcoin/dollar split and receive sats instead of fiat with every paycheck. 

Whenever you buy bitcoin with Bitcoin Well, we automatically send it to your self-custody wallet. Your bitcoin is safest in a self-custody wallet. 

So, when you set up your Direct Deposit with Bitcoin Well, you Dollar Cost Average bitcoin into your self-custody wallet with every paycheck. 

Refer at least 1 friend to Bitcoin Well to unlock Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit bitcoin purchases bring you a massive leap forward to replacing your bank with Bitcoin Well 🧡

Here’s how you can get paid in bitcoin:

Step 1: Refer a friend to Bitcoin Well

To unlock the Direct Deposit feature in your Bitcoin Well account you must first refer one person to Bitcoin Well. Referring a friend is quick and easy! Simply share your referral link from your found in your Referrals page.

\ Once someone has created an account with your referral link, you’ll get an email notifying you of your successful referral. You’ll receive a second email informing you that you have unlocked Direct Deposit. Now you’re ready for Step 2!

Step 2: Set your Direct Deposit details

\ Navigate to your newly unlocked Direct Deposit page in your Bitcoin Well account. Tell us how much bitcoin you want to receive, and how many dollars you want to keep with the slider at the top.

\ Next you need to tell us where to send your bitcoin by adding your personal bitcoin wallet! As with everything Bitcoin Well does, we send the bitcoin you buy from each deposit directly to your self-custody. Your bitcoin should always remain in your control; with your keys. 

Once these details are saved, you can download your Direct Deposit details in the form of a void cheque to send to your employer (or anyone else that wants to send you money!).

## \ Step 3: Withdraw remaining dollars or buy more bitcoin later

\ Remaining dollars in your Cash Balance can be withdrawn to your bank or used to purchase more bitcoin. Navigate to Withdraw Dollars then select your bank account, the amount of dollars you’d like to withdraw and confirm your withdrawal. 

\ You can buy more bitcoin with the dollars already in your account! Go to Buy bitcoin, select from ‘Cash Balance’ to ‘your bitcoin wallet’, enter the amount and confirm. More bitcoin is now on its way to your bitcoin wallet! Buying directly to self-custody has never been easier 😎

Earn sats for referring friends to Bitcoin Well

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Originalni rad

Jun 2018 / Autor: Aleksandar Radivojević

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APSTRAKT:

Kripto valute, kao pod kategorija virtuelnih valuta, predstavljaju nastavak inovacija zasnovanih na tehnološkom napretku na finansijskim tržištima. Ovaj put predmet inovacije je sam novac. Nagli porast interesovanja za ovu vrstu valuta u svetu uticao je na potrebu regulacije, pre svega na nacionalnom, a zatim i nadnacionalnom nivou. Međutim, problem pri regulaciji posledica je nekoliko faktora: nivo tehnološke kompleksnosti sistema kripto valuta, činjenica da se kripto valute tek nalaze u početnoj fazi razvoja, kao i činjenica da bi pogrešna regulacija mogla da dovede do potencijalnog tehnološkog zaostatka za drugim državama. Stoga ne čudi raznolikost u regulisanju istog fenomena od strane različitih država, u nekim slučajevima čak i potpuna suprotnost. Važno je napomenuti da kripto valute treba posmatrati kao inovaciju, odnosno fenomen koji je u razvoju. Shodno tome svaka kritika, pozitivna ili negativna, samo je kritika trenutnog koraka u procesu razvoja, pa je treba uzeti sa rezervom. U dugom roku kripto valute će napustiti nedefinisanu sferu i iskazati svoj potencijal i vrednost, tek tada ćemo sa sigurnošću moći da ocenimo njihov doprinos razvoju društva.

1. UVOD

Virtuelna valuta predstavlja valutu denominiranu u sopstvenoj jedinici mere iza koje ne stoji država niti bilo koji centralizovani autoritet, a čija se vrednost određuje na tržištu u čistom odnosu ponude i tražnje, bez uplitanja monetarnih vlasti.

Postoji nekoliko definicija virtuelnih valuta, pa tako Međunarodni monetarni fond (MMF) virtualnu valutu definiše kao „Digitalni predstavnik vrednosti, izdat od strane privatnih aktera i denominiran u sopstvenoj jedinici vrednosti“2. Evropska centralna banka (ECB) koristi sledeću definiciju „Digitalni predstavnik vrednosti, koji nije izdat od strane centralne banke, kreditne institucije ili institucije elektronskog novca, koji u nekim situacijama može biti korišćena kao zamena za novac“3. ECB je u odnosu na definiciju iz 2012. godine4 uvela dve promene. Izbačen je termin neregulisan, usled činjenice da su određene države regulisale virtuelne valute, ali još važnije ECB prema novoj definiciji ne definiše više virtuelne valute kao novac.

Upravo ove dve promene u definiciji ECB ukazuju na trenutno najznačajnija pitanja vezana za virtuelne valute, pitanje regulacije i pitanje klasifikacije ovih valuta kao novac ili finansijsku imovinu.

Karakteristike pojedinačnih virtuelnih valuta klasifikuju ih u podgrupe. Neke od njih postoje već duži niz godina bez ikakvih potreba regulacije, usled činjenice da njihov uticaj na globalnu ekonomiju nije značajan. Uticaj kripto valuta, kao jedne od potkategorija, postao je toliki da zahteva uključivanje kreatora ekonomskih politika u njihovo regulisanje. Bilo da ograniči ili podstakne njihovu upotrebu.

U osnovi, kripto valute u potpunosti preispituju sistem monetarnog funkcionisanja zasnovanog na fiducijarnom novcu iza čije vrednosti stoji država ili određeni viši centralizovani autoritet. Kako iza virtuelne valute ne stoji država, a sistem funkcionisanja je zasnovan na kompleksnoj tehnologiji, postavlja se pitanje uloge centralne banke, komercijalnih banaka i ostalih finansijskih institucija koje su u poslednjih nekoliko decenije bili dominantni akteri finansijskog sektora.

2. BITKOIN

Bitkoin predstavlja kripto valutu koja je pokretač i nosilac trenutnog stanja na tržištu kripto valuta sa učešćem od preko 40%. Prema karakteristikama virtuelnih valuta ovu kripto valutu svrstavamo u potpuno decentralizovanu i konvertibilnu, a njena ukupna, buduća, ponuda je unapred određena. Nastanak bitkoina vezuje se za članak koji je objavljen od strane autora pod pseudonimom Satoši Nakamoto 2008. godine pod nazivom „Bitkoin – Elektronski sistem gotovine između jednakih“. Satoši Nakamoto, za sada nepoznati pojedinac ili grupa pojedinaca, 2009. godine pustio je u promet prvi bitkoin softver i prve jedinice valute. S obzirom da se radi o tehnologiji baziranoj na otvorenom kodu (open source technology) sistem je nastavio da radi bez potrebe uključivanja njegovog osnivača.

Ukupna tržišna vrednost bitkoin valute u trećem kvartalu 2017. godine iznosila je 75 milijardi dolara, taj iznos je početkom 2018. godine dostigao 232 milijarde dolara, dok je početkom juna 2018. godine on iznosio 115 milijardi. U poređenju sa monetarnim agregatima dominantnih fiducijarnih valuta ovaj iznos nije značajan ( EUR M3 11804 milijardi5, USD M3 13701 milijardi6). Međutim bitkoin posmatramo kao novi fenomen koji beleži snažni rast (tržišna vrednost na kraju 2016. godine iznosila je 15,5 milijardi dolara).

Celokupni proces koji stoji iza kreiranja, transfera, čuvanja i trošenja virtualne valute obavlja se elektronski. Osnovni elementi sistema svake virtualne valute jesu sama valuta (Bitkoin, Ethereum, itd.) i tehnologija beleženja i sprovođenja transakcija. Mehanizam na osnovu koga funkcioniše određena valuta definiše i sprovodi: izdavanje valute; sprovođenje internih pravila koja su osnova funkcionisanja valute; transfer novca i poravnanja. Mehanizam na osnovu kojeg funkcionišu kripto valute jeste decentralizovani mehanizam koji koristi kriptografiju (šifrovanje) u obavljanju ovih funkcija.

Decentralizovani mehanizam podrazumeva da ne postoji centralna jedinica koja izdaje novac, vrši proveru i realizaciju plaćanja, poravnanja, itd., već se ove funkcije sprovode od strane većeg broja nezavisnih jedinica (pojedinaca, udruženja ili kompanija). Ove jedinice zovu se „rudari“ (miners) i oni svojim uključivanjem u online mrežu virtualne valute obavljaju ove aktivnosti koristeći kapacitete svoje računarske opreme. Rudari su pojedinci ili kompanije raspoređeni po celom svetu koji ovu aktivnost obavljaju u cilju dobijanja vlasništva nad novim jedinicama kripto valute. Ovako decentralizovani sistem koji stoji iza obrade transakcija eliminiše mogućnost ljudske greške koja je prisutna u bankama i ostalim finansijskim institucijama. Naime, da bi pojedinac ili grupa pojedinaca promenila bilo koju informaciju u sistemu mora raspolagati sa 51% računarskog kapaciteta koji stoji iza mreže, što je skoro neizvodljivo.

Neophodan element sistema kripto valuta jeste digitalni novčanik (wallet) koji predstavlja softver koji čuva informacije o količini i iznosu kripto valuta koje su u posedu vlasnika novčanika. Korišćenje bilo koje kripto valute podrazumeva prethodno registrovanje novčanika. Pružaoci usluga novčanika su privatne firme koje funkcionišu u sistemu kripto valuta pa je ovaj deo sistema u određenoj meri rizičan, jer se informacije o vlasništvu nad kripto valutom mogu izgubiti lošim upravljanjem kompanije koja pruža usluge ili tehnološkim rizicima kojima je ona izložena7.

Jedan od najinteresantnijih i najznačajnijih elemenata sistema kripto valuta jeste „lanac blokova“ (blockchain) koji predstavlja decentralizovanu bazu podataka sačinjenu od manjih baza (blokova) koji su digitalno povezani na mreži. Ovi blokovi sadrže informacije o transakcijama koje se kriptografski generišu u jedan blok koji se zatim povezuje sa ostalim već generisanim blokovima koji sadrže prethodne informacije. Celokupna procedura na kojoj je zasnovan blockchain onemogućava bilo kakvu promenu informacija u bloku, jer su blokovi međusobno povezani kodom, pa je za promenu podataka potrebno hakovati ceo lanac blokova.

Bitkoin, ostale kripto valute, njihov značaj u budućnosti i primena i dalje su pod znakom pitanja. Međutim, isto se ne može reći za blockchain tehnologiju. Ova tehnologija i njene moguće primene već su zainteresovale veliki broj značajnih aktera na tržištu, pa i država. Goldman Sachs je još u 2015. godini prijavio i registrovao patent za sistem virtuelnog poravnanja finansijskih transakcija koje će u velikoj meri olakšati bankarske transakcije, a koji je upravo zasnovan na blockchain tehnologiji. Blockchain tehnologija nije ograničena samo na finansije. Nepromenljivost informacija čini tehnologiju primenljivom i u drugim sferama. Švedska je najdalje otišla u primeni ove tehnologije, a planovi za primenu u imovinskim transakcijama i katastru su već u toku. Primene ove tehnologije su višestruke i rast njene zastupljenosti u različitim sferama se može očekivati u budućnosti.

3. POTREBA REGULACIJE

Navedene osobine kripto valuta prikazane na primeru najpopularnije valute, bitkoin-a, ukazuju na složenost problema njihove regulacije. Reč je o globalnom fenomenu u čijoj dosadašnjoj regulaciji pojedinačne zemlje ne samo da nemaju zajednički stav, već se ti stavovi u pojedinim slučajevima potpuno razlikuju. Pored toga, na nacionalnom nivou postavlja se pitanje nadležnosti regulacije, s obzirom da još uvek postoji nerazumevanje da li je reč o valuti ili imovini i koji deo sistema treba regulisati (transakciju, vlasnika, posrednika, prodavca,..). Tehnološki faktori takođe utiču na mogućnosti regulacije, usled teškoća u praćenju operacija sa virtuelnim valutama.

Dinamičan rast trgovine virtuelnim valutama u poslednjih godinu dana uticao je i na sve veći broj pokušaja regulacije od strane pojedinačnih država, ali i na rast zahteva za usaglašavanjem i regulacijom na međunarodnom nivou. Dosadašnji načini regulacije u velikoj meri su različiti od zemlje do zemlje. Većina zemalja izdala je upozorenje potrošačima, a neke od zemalja odlučile su se i za nametanje zahteva za izdavanje dozvola za određene učesnike na tržištu, dok je jedan broj zemalja potpuno zabranio upotrebu valuta.

Osnovni rizici koje kripto valute i rast njihove popularnosti i upotrebe sa sobom nose posledično definišu načine regulacije. Ti rizici jesu finansiranje terorizma, pranje novca, izbegavanje poreza, neregulisano kretanje kapitala, zaštita potrošača, itd. Pored toga, karakteristike mehanizma koji pokreće sistem, odnosno akteri i njihove međusobne veze, drugi su osnovni faktor koji definiše način regulacije. Stoga su dosadašnje regulative najčešće bile usmerene na učesnike u trgovini kripto valutama i finansijske institucije koje sa njima posluju.

Transakcije između korisnika virtuelne valute nije moguće regulisati, usled činjenice da je jedan od osnovnih principa virtuelnih valuta upravo anonimnost vlasništva. Međutim kompanije koje prihvataju plaćanje za svoje usluge ili dobra u virtuelnim valutama mogu biti predmet regulacije. Takođe, mada transakcije među vlasnicima valuta jesu anonimne, konverzija virtuelnih valuta u fiducijarne valute najčešće se sprovodi preko posrednika, koji može biti, i za sada u velikom broju slučajeva i jeste, predmet regulacije. U primeru Srbije, kupovina virtuelne valute vrši se preko posrednika, koji za svoje usluge uzima naknadu od 4-7% po transakciji.

Za sada, ove kompanije predstavljaju očigledne ciljeve regulacije. Određene zemlje regulišu i pružaoce „novčanik“ servisa, jer su oni neophodni činioci sistema virtuelnih valuta. Razlog za ovo jeste trenutni, ali u budućnosti možda i izraženiji, odnos obima transakcija između vlasnika kripto valuta (koji je anoniman) i transakcija vlasnika valuta i pružaoca usluga i dobara za te valute (prodavaca). Regulacija kroz pružaoce usluga „novčanika“ nije česta usled činjenice da se ona odnosi na regulacije između učesnika bez konverzije virtuelnih valuta u realnu ekonomiju (dobra, usluge ili fiducijarne valute).

Ubrzan razvoj virtuelnih valuta izazvao je brzu potrebu regulacije, pa su se određene države odlučile za unilateralne regulacije na sopstvenom tržištu, dok je za međunarodni konsenzus i regulaciju potrebno vreme. Međunarodna regulacija biće postepena iz više razloga. Pre svega reč je o promenljivom fenomenu pa shodno tome nije moguće odlučiti se za konkretnu trajnu regulaciju pre sagledavanja i razumevanja celokupnog fenomena. Dodatno, različite države drugačije sagledavaju ovaj fenomen i njegov potencijal. Dok neke države zabranjuju njegovu upotrebu (Kina) druge je u potpunosti podržavaju (Australija, Kanada, itd.).

Razvoj virtuelnih valuta predstavlja revoluciju na valutnom tržištu koja može imati značajan uticaj na celokupno funkcionisanje svetske ekonomije. Pri regulisanju potrebno je voditi računa da se primenom postojećih načina regulacije ne ograniči ili promeni smer ove inovacije.

Budući da virtuelne valute pružaju veću slobodu pojedincu, od njega zahtevaju i veću odgovornost. Naime, transakcija za određenu robu (primer kupovina preko interneta) beleži se putem blockchain-a i u tom trenutku je finalna. Plaćanje tim putem na pogrešan račun tradicionalni sistem rešava zahtevom za povraćaj novca sa jednog računa na drugi u okviru komercijalne banke, odnosno korigovanje u procesu poravnanja. Sistem plaćanja virtuelnim valutama nema ovu mogućnost, usled činjenice da nema centralnog regulatora koji može izvršiti promenu i činjenice da je vlasništvo nad računom anonimno.

Još jedan rizik je kvar sistema na kome su virtualne valute bazirane. Do kvara može doći usled tehnoloških problema sa kojima se suočava sama mreža, pružaoci usluga „novčanika“ ili platforma za trgovinu virtuelnim valutama. Mada stvarni i potencijalno veoma opasni, ovi rizici svojstveni su i trenutnom sistemu pa tako može doći do „kvara“ samog finansijskog sistema, banaka (pružaoca usluga „novčanika“) ili berzi (platformi za trgovinu). Ove kvarove smo i pored regulacija već doživeli, a reakcija je bila podrška države sistemu u kvaru, pa bi u regulaciji kripto valuta trebalo razmotriti i snažniju podršku države u funkcionisanju osnova postojećeg sistema i stvaranju mreža zaštite u slučaju pojedinačnih kvarova aktera na mreži.

Jedina realna opasnost virtuelnih valuta u ovom trenutku jeste njihov neuspeh i krah investitora koji su uložili u njih, što ni u kom slučaju ne bi trebalo da bude pitanje kojim se kreatori ekonomske politike bave. Naime, krah investitora, pojedinaca i kompanija, u slučaju da se vremenom pokaže da kripto valute nemaju nikakvu vrednost, ne bi imao uticaj međunarodni finansijski sistem jer ne bi doveo do lančanog kraha osnovnih finansijskih institucija, kao što je slučaj bio sa krahom tržišta nekretnina 2008. godine. Većina zemalja koje su se do sada bavile pitanjem kripto valuta objavilo je saopštenja za javnost kojima se građanima ukazuje na potencijalne rizike korišćenja i ulaganja u ove valute. Slično obaveštenje objavila je i Narodna banka Srbije samo u užem obliku pozivajući se i usmeravajući građane na obaveštenja Evropske unije.

Jedan od najčešće pominjanih rizika široke rasprostranjenosti virtuelnih valuta jesu mogućnost finansiranja terorizma i pranje novca. Ovi rizici se pominju u skoro svima analizama uticaja kripto valuta, a njihova regulacija upravo predstavlja preteranu regulaciju koja ograničava inovacije. Sprečavanje finansiranja terorizma kontrolom finansija pojedinaca u okviru postojećeg sistema rezultat je prilike koju je način funkcionisanja sistema pružio institucijama koje su zadužene za nacionalnu sigurnost i borbu protiv terorizma. Uvođenje boljeg i efikasnijeg sistema ne treba biti ograničavano činjenicom da je prethodni sistem olakšavao određenim institucijama izvršavanje svojih dužnosti. Naprotiv, druge institucije bi trebalo da, umesto ograničavanja tehnološkog napretka u drugim sferama, podstiču napredak tehnologije u svom delovanju i traže načine za uspešnije obavljanje svojih dužnosti korišćenjem inovacija i novih sistema.

Ni fiducijarni ni virtuelni novac nemaju funkciju sprečavanja terorizma. Sloboda pojedinaca i anonimnost u raspolaganju sopstvenom imovinom trebalo bi da bude jedna od osnova demokratije pa je njeno regulisanje uskraćivanje ovih prava zarad drugog cilja. Sankcionisanje korišćenja imovine pojedinca ili kompanije za finansiranje terorizma treba biti sprovedeno od strane nadležnih institucija, uz pomoć finansijskog sistema ukoliko on pruža mogućnosti za to, ali ne ograničavanjem razvoja društva da bi se te mogućnosti zadržale.

Korišćenje kripto valuta, i anonimnost i lakoća transfera iz jedne u drugu državu koju one pružaju, takođe otežava borbu protiv izbegavanja oporezivanja sakrivanjem bogatstva i prihoda. Još jedan problem u oporezivanju jeste i šta se oporezuje – kripto valuta kao imovina ili novac. Jedno od trenutnih rešenja pri definisanju ovog pitanje jeste klasifikacija prema vremenu držanja valute. Odnosno, da li se valuta drži duži period u cilju sticanja kapitalne dobiti u slučaju porasta njene vrednosti ili se često koristi kao sredstvo plaćanja. Pitanje je i kako i po kojoj vrednosti oporezovati novo stvorenu valutu, dobijenu procesom „rudarenja“, da li po tržišnoj vrednosti u trenutku ostvarivanja prava na novu jedinicu valute (SAD) ili tek po vrednosti u trenutku prodaje te jedinica (Australija).

Takođe postoji rizik i da će razvijanje samog sistema blokchain-a uticati na smanjenje prihoda drugih finansijskih institucija kao što su berze, ali ovde je reč o riziku tehnološkog napretka na profitne kompanije koje zaostaju u razvoju i inovacijama i koje ni u kakvom slučaju ne bi trebalo regulacijom štiti od neuspeha na slobodnom tržištu.

Prvobitni fokus treba da bude na najhitnijim pitanjima vezanim za kripto valute, uključujući finansijski integritet, zaštitu potrošača/investitora i utaju poreza, uz istovremeno ostavljanje manje neposrednih rizika (na primer, finansijsku stabilnost, monetarnu politiku) za kasniju fazu. Pravi pristup regulaciji zavisiće od budućeg razvoja virtuelnih valuta, koji za sada nije predvidiv. Međutim, sam razvoj virtuelnih valuta zavisiće od sadašnje reguacije, pa je potrebno veoma pažljivo pristupiti regulaciji u cilju zaštite tržišta i građana od rizika, ali ne na uštrb ekonomskog napretka.

Za razliku od samih virtuelnih valuta primena blockchain mehanizma ne predstavlja problem regulatorima.

4. REGULACIJA U SVETU

Najliberalnija država na svetu po pitanju operacija sa bitkoinom i ostalim kripto valutama jeste Japan. Bitkoin je u Japanu definisan kao legalno sredstvo plaćanja što je dovelo do brzog rasta broja kompanija koje primaju bitkoin kao sredstvo plaćanja, kao i do brzog razvoja kompanija koje se bave razvojem blockchain tehnologije. Za razliku od nacionalne valute banke nemaju obavezu obavljanja operacija sa bitkoinom, ali je upotreba bitkoina neograničena ukoliko se strane u upotrebi o tome slažu. Kao zemlja sa najliberalnijom regulacijom i najvećim učešćem u ukupnoj trgovini na dnevnom nivou trgovina kripto valutama u Japanu je takođe najčešće bila meta značajnih hakerskih napada i krađa8.

Još jedna zemlja sa veoma liberalnim pogledom na ovu tehnologiju jeste Australija. Operacije sa bitkoinom i ostalim kripto valutama nisu ograničene, niti su ICO9 ograničene, ali se svaka pojedinačna ICO posmatra od strane države u cilju povećavanja sigurnosti i smanjivanja rizika. Poreska politika bitkoin i ostale slične valute posmatra kao imovinu, i na osnovu toga definiše kapitalnu dobit u zavisnosti od operacija sa ovom imovinom10.

Predsednik Belorusije koga mnogi nazivaju poslednjim evropskim diktatorom, Aleksandar Lukašenko, potpisao je krajem decembra 2017. godine zakon čijim je stupanjem na snagu, krajem marta 2018. godine, regulisano poslovanje sa kripto valutama. Preduzeća u skladu sa ovim zakonom mogu da kreiraju svoje kripto valute, poseduju druge kripto valute i vrše sve operacije sa njima isključivo preko berzi kripto valuta. Građani mogu slobodno da obavljaju aktivnosti „rudara“, da kupuju, prodaju i menjaju kripto valute, kao i da ih kupuju i prodaju za beloruske rublje. Ostvareni profit od svih ovih operacija neće biti oporezivan sve do januara 2023 godine, niti će se aktivnosti rudarenja i trgovanja kripto valuta smatrati preduzetničkim poduhvatom11. Ovaj zakon posebnu pažnju posvećuje blokchain tehnologiji pa se aktivnosti zasnovane na ovoj tehnologiji posebno oporezuju. Ova preduzeća biće oslobođena poreza na dobit i poreza na dodatu vrednost. Umesto toga plaćaće porez u iznosu od 1% ukupnog prihoda.

Rusija je početkom 2018. godine predstavila nacrt zakona kojim će biti regulisane operacije sa kripto valutama12. Mada zakon definiše kripto valute kao imovinu, a ne kao novac, njegove odredbe pomak su ka razvoju kripto valuta, s obzirom da su informacije o regulaciji kripto valuta od strane ruskih vlasti u prethodnom period bile pre svega usmerene ka potpunoj zabrani operacija sa ovim valutama. Trgovina kripto valutama kao imovinom, međutim, najverovatnije neće biti podložna porezu na dodatu vrednost s obzirom da će se suštinski posmatrati kao finansijska imovina. U poslednje vreme se sve više i govori i o aktivnostima ruskih vlasti ka kreiranju državne kripto valute – kriptorublje13. Trenutno je nepoznato da li će ova valuta, ukoliko bude kreirana, biti jedna od dozvoljenih kripto valuta na ruskom tržištu ili jedina dozvoljena, ali njeno eventualno kreiranje će svakako biti pomak u razvoju kripto valuta.

Vlada Kanade je prva zemlja koja je formalno regulisala digitalne valute, u junu 2014. godine. Bitkoin definiše kao elektronski novac koji građani mogu koristiti kao sredstvo plaćanja u kompanijama koje to sredstvo prihvataju. Takođe, dozvoljena je kupovina i prodaja bitkoina kao finansijske imovine u cilju ostvarivanja zarade. Sa druge strane bitkoin nije zakonsko sredstvo plaćanja, pa je time njegova upotreba ograničena u kompanijama koje prihvataju da svoje usluge ili robu prodaju za tu kripto valutu. Poreska regulacija transakcija u bitkoin-u ista je kao i za transakcije u nacionalnoj valuti. Sve poreske obaveze nastale iz promene vlasništva bitkoina podložne su već postojećim poreskim obligacijama. Takođe, svaki gubitak ili dobitak od trgovine bitkoinom kao finansijskom imovinom mora biti prijavljen pri obračunu poreza na dohodak građana14.

Sjedinjene Američke Države prepustile su svakoj državi u okviru svog sastava da odrede kako će njihovi građani moći da učestvuju u operacijama sa kripto valutama. Na nivou nacije regulacija definiše virtualne valute kao imovinu i obavezuje građane da prijave ostvareni profit na osnovu operacija sa virtualnim valutama poreskoj administraciji15. Različite državne agencije takođe regulišu u određenoj meri operacije sa kripto valutama koje su u njihovoj nadležnosti, ne regulišući same kripto valute već operacije sa njima koje nisu dozvoljene. Pa tako Mreža za primenu regulacija u oblasti finansijskog kriminala (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network - FinCEN) kao deo Ministarstva finansija SAD nalaže svim berzama koje trguju kripto valutama i drugim kompanijama koje se bave operacijama sa kripto valutama da se registruju kao kompanije koje se bave prenosom ili konverzijom novca i time budu regulisane Zakonom o sigurnosti bankarskog sistema.

Regulacija u Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu je u toku i u ovom slučaju je najpre usmerena ka rešavanju problema koje popularizacija ovih valuta donosi u oblasti borbe protiv terorizma i pranja novca. U skladu sa time pre svega će biti regulisane platforme za trgovinu valutama i kompanije koje pružaju usluge virtuelnih novčanika u okviru direktiva za suzbijanje pranja novca i finansiranje terorizma16.

Evropska unija kao celina nije jasno regulisala kripto valute. Usaglašavanje većeg broja zemalja oko regulisanja pojma koji se i dalje razvija i koji i dalje nema jasnu definiciju zahteva određeno vreme i iskustvo, ali aktivnosti pojedinačnih zemalja EU povodom ovog pitanja mogu nam ukazati na pravac razvoja kripto valuta i tehnologija koje stoje iza njih u EU u budućnosti. Početkom 2018. godine francuski ministar finansija najavio je formiranje radne grupe čiji ce cilj biti definisanje regulatornih normi kriptov valuta. Estonija je već zatražila od EU komentar na pokretanje ICO za sopstvenu kripto valutu estcoin, što je možda moglo biti i očekivao od države sa veoma razvijenim digitalnim društvom i e-upravom. Članovi Nacionalne banke Finske objavili su septembru 2017. godine istraživački dokument17 u kome navode da ne postoji potreba za regulacijom bitkoina. U Nemačkoj nije doneta regulativa koja se odnosi na sam bitkoin i ostale kripto valute već se primenjuju već postojeće regulative na „sredstvo razmene“ kako je bitkoin definisan u Nemačkoj. Značajno je napomenuti da pri kupovini bitkoina za euro bitkoin mora biti uvećan za PDV, čime je njegova popularizacija donekle ograničena.

Švajcarska takođe nije posebno regulisala bitkoin niti je na bilo koji način ograničila njegovu upotrebu. Pored toga što su ovakvi uslovi doveli do razvoja kompanija koje se bave razvojem blockchain tehnologije, država je kroz stvaranje asocijacije18 ovih kompanija dodatno doprinela njihovom razvoju i pokazala svoj interes u daljem razvoju tehnologije koja stoji iza kripto valuta. U januaru 2018. godine Državni sekretarijat za međunarodna finansijska pitanja (SIF) uspostavio je radnu grupu za blockchain / ICO koja e pregledati zakonski okvir i identifikovati bilo kakvu potrebu za aktivnostima uz učeše Federalnog ureda pravde (FOJ), Švajcarskog nadzornog organa za finansijsko tržište (FINMA)19.

Nasuprot ovim zemljama, koje regulisanjem ne zabranjuju upotrebu bitkoina, Narodna banka Kine je u septembru zabranila inicijalne ponude virtuelnih valuta (initaila coin offering - ICO)20 i donela odluku o zatvaranju domaćih berzi za prodaju bitkoina. Međutim, regulacijom nije zabranjeno „rudarenje“ novih jedinica postojećih valuta. Razlozi za ovakav stav Kine prema kripto valutama mogu se pronaći u jedinstvenim okolnostima u kojima je regulacija doneta. Naime, Kina se u trenutku regulacije nalazila u situaciji u kojoj se dominantan deo trgovine bitkinom obavlja od strane kineskih građana21, dve od tri kineske berze za trgovinu kripto valutama koje su zatvorene u trenutku donošenja regulacije (Bitfinex, OkCoin, i BTCC) zauzimale su drugo i treće mesto na svetu prema obimu trgovine kripto valutama22, a gore navedene regulacije u drugim zemljama u tom trenutku nisu bile donete. U takvim okolnostima Kina je morala da reguliše tržište kako ne bi došlo do ozbiljnijih ekonomskih posledica kao rezultat kombinacije navedenih faktora. Kako se kripto valute budu razvijale, a različiti oblici regulacije davali rezultate i preporuke za dalju regulaciju, možemo očekivati relaksaciju tržišta kripto valuta u Kini.

Indija još uvek nije regulisala kripto valute, ali sa primljenim iznosom doznaka u vrednosti od 72 milijarde dolara u 2015. godini23 predstavlja poseban izazov za regulatore jer bitkoin omogućuje nesmetan trenutni priliv doznaka iz virtuelnog novčanika pošiljaoca na račun primaoca potpuno netransparentno. Filipini kao zemlja koja se nalazi na trećem mestu liste sa 29 milijardi dolara primljenih kroz doznake u 2015. godini takođe su najavili regulaciju, posebno pri konverziji bitkoina u nacionalnu valutu.

U Srbiji su operacije sa Bitkoinom su slobodne i moguće je slobodno ih razmenjivati za dinare. Kao i većina zemalja Srbija (Narodna banka) je objavila upozorenje o upotrebi kripto valuta24 još u 2014. godini, pozivajući se na obaveštenja Evropske unije. Bitkoin je u Srbiji moguće slobodno razmenjivati za dinare. Za Srbiju je regulacija bitkoina važna i iz ugla primanja doznaka, čija je vrednost procenjena na 2 milijarde američkih dolara.

5. ZAKLJUČAK

Za sistem kripto valuta se ne može reći da predstavlja realnu opasnost, a da to ne bude zasnovano samo na pretpostavkama. Takođe, kao što smo već naveli, najveći deo kritika, kao što su finansiranje terorizma, izbegavanje poreza, itd., nisu realne kritike jer se ovim problemima bave institucije, a ne novac. Da je moguće vršiti aktivnosti borbe protiv ovih problema bez ograničavanja ili zabrane korišćenja kripto valuta pokazuje primer kažnjavanja kompanije BTC za pranje novca putem operacija sa kripto valutama u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama, od strane državne agencije Mreža za primenu regulacija u oblasti finansijskog kriminala 25

U radu smo videli nekoliko načina regulacije kripto valuta u nekim od najrazvijenijih svetskih ekonomija. Neke od navedenih regulacija su iskazane formalno, dok je u nekim slučajevima regulacija izvršena jednostavnim prihvatanjem operacija sa kripto valutama. Nakon regulacija i prihvatanja operacija sa kripto valutama u ovim zemljama teško je verovati da će druge zemlje u bliskoj budućnosti moći da zabrane upotrebu i ograde se od tehnološkog razvoja zasnovanog na blockchain tehnologiji i kripto valutama. Ovakva mogućnost svakako postoji, ali je ona verovatna isključivo na tržištima na kojima trgovina kripto valutama bude značajno pozitivno odstupala od svetskih trendova, kao što je bio slučaj sa Kineskim tržištem.

Kripto valute predstavljaju značajnu tehnološku evoluciju u okviru međunarodnog finansijskog sistema. I postojeći sistem zasnovan je na prethodnim tehnološkim evolucijama, pa je tako i u ovom slučaju potrebno pratiti njen razvoj, prihvatiti i primeniti sve pozitivne aspekte. Uključivanje države kroz regulaciju ovde je možda i najpotrebnije. Kao i kod svakog tehnološkog napretka najveći otpor daljem napretku stvaraju oni koji najviše uživaju u postojećem sistemu. U slučaju da se pokaže da kripto valute pružaju značajnu korist građanima na štetu finansijskih institucija ovaj otpor će svakako biti snažan.

Videli smo da su kritike koje se odnose na finansiranje terorizma, pranje novca, itd., neosnovane. Sa druge strane kritike da se ne radi o novcu su prerane. Fluktuacije vrednosti koje kripto valute iskazuju na dnevnom nivou nisu svojstvene pravim valutama, pa ih pre svega treba posmatrati kao imovinu kojom se trguje. Međutim i ovde se može postaviti pitanje fluktuacija valuta u uslovima inflacije i hiperinflacije, odnosno u uslovima nestabilnosti i nemogućnosti predviđanja, čak i kratkoročnih, kretanja na tržištu valute koja je u pitanju. Upravo takve okolnosti trenutno karakterišu tržište kripto valuta. Klasifikacija kripto valuta kao imovine u ovom trenutku možda je i opravdana sa aspekta da se njima više trguje nego što se koriste u trgovini, ali u tom smislu bi i klasifikacija interneta u sličnoj fazi razvoja kao „sistem za razmenu naučnih informacija“ bila opravdana. Upotreba i mogućnosti kripto valuta tek su u ranoj fazi razvoja. Šta one trenutno predstavljaju, imovinu ili novac, može biti predmet debate, ali samo na nivou pojedinačnih zemalja, usled njihove različite primene na ovim nivoima, i samo u trenutku razmatranja.

Kako su kripto valute iskazale otpornost na negativne regulacije, pritisak velikih igrača na obaranje cena, medijski pritisak ekonomskih analitičara, i opstale kao još uvek u potpunosti nedefinisani fenomen realno je očekivati da ćemo u narednih nekoliko meseci videti pozitivne promene u regulaciji kripto valuta kao i verovatno uključivanje berzi u trgovinu kripto valutama kao imovinom. U srednjem roku ovo bi trebalo da dovede do rasta vrednosti kripto valuta. U dugom roku kripto valute će preći iz nedefinisane sfere i u funkciji četvrte industrijske revolucije iskazati svoj potencijal i vrednost.

Posebnu pažnju treba obratiti na činjenicu da se ovo odnosi samo na mali broj kripto valuta, koje će nivoom tehnološkog razvoja najpre i najbolje odgovoriti na zahteve tržišta. Dominantan broj kripto valuta i u ovom trenutku nema nikakvu vrednost, već se u potpunosti bazira na već široko rasprostranjenoj tehnologiji i snažnom marketingu. U tom smislu kretanje na tržištu kripto valuta možemo poistovetiti sa kretanjem na tačka-com tržištu krajem devedesetih godina 20. veka. Početak razvoja interneta doveo je do ogromnih rasta ulaganja u kompanije koje su bile bazirane na internetu, bez obzira na činjenicu da ta ulaganja nisu bila opravdana ekonomskim podacima i činjenicama. Nakon pucanja balona veliki broj ulagača ostao je bez celokupnog ulaganja, ali oni koji su uložili u E-bay, Amazon, i dr. ostvarili su i verovatno i dalje ostvaruju značajan profit.

Ovde možemo napraviti još jednu vezu. U trenutku razvoja interneta moglo se takođe postaviti pitanje njegovog budućeg uticaja na razvoj terorizma, pornografije, i dr. i smanjivanje mogućnosti odgovarajućih službi u borbi protiv ovih problema. Da li su ovi razlozi trebali da spreče razvoj internet tehnologije ili ne?

Narodna banka Srbije, kao i ostali kreatori ekonomskih politika u Srbiji, trebalo bi da prate sve promene na tržištu kripto valuta i regulacije i aktivnosti drugih država kako bi mogli da procene potencijalne rizike i prednosti ranog uvođena i regulacije kripto valuta. Uzevši u obzir moguće legalne načine kupovine i prodaje kripto valuta u Srbiji, NBS bi u ovom trenutku mogla da uloži napore u regulisanje kupo-prodaje ovih valuta i oporezivanje dobiti nastale ne osnovu ovih transakcija.

6. LITERATURA

• Ernest and Young Global Consumer Banking Survey, 2014, http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY_-_Global_Consumer_Banking_Survey_2014/$FILE/EY-Global-Consumer-Banking-Survey-2014.pdf
• European Central Bank, 2012, Virtual currency schemes, Frankfurt.
• European Central Bank, 2015, Virtual currency schemes – a further analysis, Frankfurt.
• Financial Action Task Force, 2014, Virtual Currencies Key Definitions and Potential AML/
• CFT Risks, Pariz.
• International Monetary Fund, 2016, Virtual Currencies and Beyond: Initial Considerations, Washington.
• Houy, N., 2014, The Bitcoin mining game, Groupe d’ Analyse et de Théorie Économique
• Lyon-St Étienne, Lyon.
• Houy, N., 2014, The economics of Bitcoin transaction fees, Groupe d’ Analyse et de
• Théorie Économique Lyon-St Étienne, Lyon.
• Nakamoto, S., 2008, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System, https://bitcoin.org/
• bitcoin.pdf
• Rainer, B. et all., 2015, Bitcoin: Economics, Technology, and Governance, Journal of
• Economie Perspectives, Vol. 29, str. 213-238.
• Vondrackova, A., Regulation of Virtual Currency in the European Union, 2016, Charles
• University Law Faculty, Prag
• Swan, M., Blockchain – Blueprint for a new economy, 2015, O’Reilly, Sebastopol.

Internet izvori:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoshi_Nakamoto#Development_of_bitcoin
• www.blockchain.info
• https://bitcoin.org/en/
• https://coin.dance/poli
• www.coinmarketcap.com

...

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1. Fondacija za razvoj ekonomske nauke
2. Virtual Currencies and Beyond: Initial Considerations, 2016, International Monetary Fund, Washington, USA
3. Virtual currency schemes – a further analysis, 2015, European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany
4. Neregulisani digitalni novac koji je najčešće izdat i regulisan od strane svog osnivača i prihvaćen od strane određene virtuelne zajednice
5. http://sdw.ecb.europa.eu/reports.do?node=1000003478 Podatak za oktobar 2017. godine.
6. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MABMM301USM189S Podatak za septembar 2017. godine.
7. Primer Mt. Gox, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._Gox
8. Mt. Gox Exchange i Coincheck
9. Inicijalna ponuda virtuelnih valuta
10. https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Gen/Tax-treatment-of-crypto-currencies-in-Australia---specificallybitcoin/#TransactingwithBitcoin
11. https://media.dev.by/decree_media_kit_en.pdf
12. https://ria.ru/economy/20171221/1511414652.html
13. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4989410/Russia-launches-cyber-currency-CryptoRuble.html
14. https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/payment/digital-currency.html
15. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-virtual-currency-guidance
16. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2017-10-27/110111
17. https://helda.helsinki.fi/bof/bitstream/handle/123456789/14912/BoF_DP_1727.pdf;jsessionid=2F1E2EDBF1180739B5C13906CA99260E?sequence=1
18. https://cryptovalley.swiss/
19. https://www.sif.admin.ch/sif/en/home/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-69539.html
20. Inicijalna ponuda virtuelne valute (ICO) podrazumeva neregulisano finansiranje razvoja novih virtuelnih valuta prikupljanjem sredstava od zainteresovanih investitora. Investitori (pojedinci ili kompanije) ulažu fiducijarni novac ili već postojeće virtuelne valute u zamenu za vlasništvo nad određenim brojem jedinica novostvorene valute, u nadi da će u budućnosti njena vrednost biti višestruko veća. Ukoliko se prikupi unapred definisana potrebna suma u okviru ICO investitorima se dodeljuje pripadajući broj jedinica nove valute, ukoliko ne investirani novac se vraća investitorima.
21. Prema nekim procenama 45% ukupne trgovine bitkoinom.
22. http://data.bitcoinity.org/markets/volume/6m?c=e&t=b
23. https://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROSPECTS/Resources/334934-1199807908806/4549025-1450455807487/Factbookpart1.pdf
24. http://www.nbs.rs/internet/latinica/scripts/showContent.html?id=7605
25. https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-fines-btc-e-virtual-currency-exchange-110-million-facilitating-ransomware

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Một trong những điểm nổi bật của VN98 là giao diện người dùng được thiết kế tinh tế và dễ dàng tiếp cận. Các tính năng của nền tảng đều được bố trí hợp lý, giúp người dùng dễ dàng tìm thấy những công cụ và dịch vụ mà mình cần mà không gặp phải bất kỳ khó khăn nào. Giao diện đơn giản nhưng hiệu quả giúp người dùng tận dụng tối đa các tính năng, từ đó mang lại trải nghiệm sử dụng mượt mà và hiệu quả. Điều này cũng khiến VN98 trở thành lựa chọn lý tưởng cho cả những người mới sử dụng nền tảng lần đầu. https://vn98.online

Bảo mật là yếu tố mà VN98 đặt lên hàng đầu. Nền tảng sử dụng các công nghệ bảo mật tiên tiến, giúp bảo vệ thông tin cá nhân và dữ liệu của người dùng khỏi những nguy cơ tiềm ẩn. Mọi thông tin và giao dịch đều được mã hóa và xử lý một cách an toàn, mang lại sự yên tâm tuyệt đối cho người dùng khi tham gia vào các hoạt động trực tuyến. Chính vì thế, người dùng có thể hoàn toàn tin tưởng vào sự an toàn của dữ liệu và bảo mật thông tin cá nhân khi sử dụng VN98.

Ngoài việc chú trọng đến bảo mật, VN98 còn xây dựng một cộng đồng người dùng năng động và sáng tạo. Người dùng có thể dễ dàng kết nối với nhau, chia sẻ ý tưởng và học hỏi từ những kinh nghiệm của những thành viên khác. Môi trường cộng đồng của VN98 khuyến khích sự sáng tạo và hỗ trợ lẫn nhau, giúp mọi người phát triển kỹ năng và mở rộng mối quan hệ. Đây là yếu tố quan trọng giúp VN98 giữ vững sự trung thành của người dùng, đồng thời tạo ra một không gian trực tuyến tích cực và gắn kết.

Cuối cùng, VN98 luôn nỗ lực cải tiến và nâng cấp các tính năng để đáp ứng nhu cầu ngày càng đa dạng của người dùng. Nền tảng này không chỉ theo kịp các xu hướng công nghệ mới mà còn liên tục đưa ra các giải pháp sáng tạo để nâng cao trải nghiệm người dùng. Với khả năng tương thích trên nhiều thiết bị, từ máy tính đến điện thoại di động, VN98 đảm bảo rằng người dùng có thể truy cập nền tảng mọi lúc, mọi nơi, giúp tối ưu hóa sự tiện lợi cho người sử dụng.

Tóm lại, VN98 là một nền tảng trực tuyến toàn diện, cung cấp những tính năng tiện ích, bảo mật cao và cộng đồng tích cực. Với giao diện thân thiện, tính năng bảo mật mạnh mẽ và sự cam kết đổi mới liên tục, VN98 là sự lựa chọn lý tưởng cho những ai tìm kiếm một nền tảng trực tuyến an toàn, tiện lợi và hiệu quả. Nền tảng này chắc chắn sẽ tiếp tục phát triển và mang lại giá trị lớn cho người dùng trong tương lai.

@ bec0c9d3:c4e9cd29

GENESIS PARTY - by 2140 Collective and Angor.io

Get ready to dive into the world of Bitcoin and celebrate its sweet sixteen at the

**!

Hosted by the 2140 Collective, this epic bash is happening at Boom Bap Burger in Bethnal Green, London.

From 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM, join fellow Bitcoin enthusiasts in a venue that not only serves mouth-watering burgers but also embraces the future by accepting Bitcoin payments for all your food and drink cravings.

Thanks to our awesome supporter, ANGOR.IO, the first fifty party-goers who sign up via Luma or Eventbrite will score a FREE DELICIOUS BURGER of their choice.

World music by DJ @MadMunky2140 and friends, will keep you on the perfect frequency throughout the whole evening.

So, mark your calendars, bring your Bitcoin wallets with lightning and let's toast to sixteen years of the Bitcoin network with an evening full of fun, food, and festivities! *🥳🎉🤪***

EVENT PAGE - register

EVENTBRITE

Crew behind

2140.wtf

SPONSOR

ANGOR.io

LOCATION:

BOOM BAP BURGER 252 Paradise Row, London E2 9LE, UK

see ya in a NEW YEAR ,

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

In this edition, We were honored to have Martin npub19vtlpmfzz8yl4g9r7c8u8t2vaqjhjgpjrc36hc2typxnutpnluzs3tx8xe， the founder of Bitcoin Nairobi, share his journey in creating the Bitcoin community, his goals, and some of the challenges faced. He emphasized the importance of education and innovation in promoting Bitcoin adoption in Kenya.

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YakiHonne: Martin, it’s truly an honor and a pleasure to have you with us today. We’re looking forward to a fruitful conversation as we move forward. Before we dive in, I’d like to take a moment to share some background on what YakiHonne is. YakiHonne is a decentralized media client built on the Nostr protocol that enables freedom of speech through technology. It empowers creators to create their own voice, assets, and features. It also allows features like smart widgets, verified notes, and focuses on long-form articles. today. we'll be exploring more about your community. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Martin：I’m Martin Mutonga, the founder of Bitcoin Nairobi. I’m 21 years old and currently studying at the University of Nairobi. YakiHonne: What sparked your interest in Bitcoin, and what motivated you to create a community around it?

Martin：I first got interested in Bitcoin as a way to find passive income. Before discovering Bitcoin, I worked as an AI annotation Jobs. During this time, I came across Bitcoin. After reading the Bitcoin white paper, I decided to explore it further. I then started looking for Bitcoin communities in Kenya and joined events like Bitcoin DADA，The Core, and others. It was then that I realized there was a gap in Bitcoin education in Kenya. Many people were getting into Bitcoin but didn’t know how to earn from it. Martin：I decided to create Bitcoin Nairobi, a community focused on advancing Bitcoin through education, adoption, and innovation. Our mission is to educate people about Bitcoin, help merchants integrate Bitcoin payments to attract more customers, and foster innovation by exploring protocols like Nostr and leveraging apps like YakiHonne to drive growth.

YakiHonne: Great. Could you share how your community started and how you managed to attract members?

Martin：The community initially started through a WhatsApp group, originally for people who have questions related to Bitcoin. I shared my knowledge of Bitcoin and expressed my desire to train others, which led to small Bitcoin learning sessions. Before this, I completed a Bitcoin diploma course with Mi Premier Bitcoin, which deepened my passion for Bitcoin and inspired me to start my own company. Bitcoin became my true passion, and I was determined to fully dive into it. Martin：I then founded Bitcoin Nairobi, initially focusing on the concept of the circular economy, which I called Bitcoin Aerobics. With support from Geyser and other Bitcoin enthusiasts in Kenya, the community began to grow. Every few months, we attract new members through a project called Bitcoin School Kenya, mostly university students who want to learn and earn with Bitcoin while studying.

YakiHonne: Can you share some of the challenges you faced when you first started?

Martin：One of the main challenges I faced early on was the lack of guidance, as many Bitcoin users are anonymous. Additionally, relevant content is scattered across various platforms, making it difficult to gather all the necessary information in one place. Another challenge is the small number of true Bitcoiners in Kenya. While there are many participants in cryptocurrency and altcoins, there are only about 28 true Bitcoin users in Kenya, which is a tiny fraction of the country's 58 million people. Martin：Seeing this gap, I founded Bitcoin School Kenya, aiming to promote Bitcoin education. Our goal is not only to teach people about Bitcoin but also to empower them to become Bitcoin ambassadors in their local communities. This way, we can extend our impact beyond Nairobi, especially to rural areas.

YakiHonne: As you mentioned, many people are involved in cryptocurrency and other coins, including popular meme coins like Dogecoin. While they claim to be part of the crypto space, Bitcoin is truly the dominant and most significant coin. However, true Bitcoiners are few in number and not as widely recognized. Additionally, the content related to Bitcoin is scattered across platforms like YouTube and Google, making it hard to find a single source to access all the necessary information. I completely understand the frustration. YakiHonne: What are the core principles that guide the Bitcoin Nairobi community? How do you maintain trust and reliability, especially when facing the widespread skepticism around cryptocurrency? How do you ensure that community members trust you, particularly when onboarding them?

Martin：I think we are simply following the principles of Bitcoin's proof of work—if you show your proof of work, you'll be rewarded, and that's all there is to it. That's the essence of proof of work.

YakiHonne: A lot of people feel that cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, and Web3 are scams, and they don't see them as the future. So, How do you convince people to trust and believe in Bitcoin?

Martin：What we do is organize meetups. However, due to financial constraints, we've only been able to host two so far, one of which was in Kibra, a part of the Bitcoin Nairobi community. I believe this is how we gain trust in Bitcoin and what we do. Another key aspect is maintaining consistent communication. If people have issues, we engage with them. We also communicate with merchants and guide them on what they need. This helps build trust within the community. Additionally, we are transparent with our funds. Whatever donations or grants we receive, we make sure to be open about how the funds are used and show the community exactly what we’ve spent them on. This is how we build trust.

YakiHonne: It seems you're really doing a great job in that aspect. How do you educate your members and keep them informed about the latest Bitcoin developments?

Martin： We collaborate with Bitcoin developers like Simon, who is the lead of BitDevs Nairobi. Simon often conducts classes with Bitcoin School Kenya, where he trains people in Bitcoin development.We also invite guest developers, such as those from Btrust, to join our sessions and train people on Bitcoin development. Additionally, we bring in experts on specific topics like Lightning or Nostr to provide specialized training for students. Looking ahead, we aim to nurture our own developers who can contribute to projects like Bitcoin Core, the Lightning Network, and Nostr. These developers will eventually train others, helping us build a stronger ecosystem.

YakiHonne: I look forward to seeing your developers in the future. It would be amazing to have developers from your community contributing—it would be a great benefit both for them and for the Bitcoin community as a whole.

Martin：Honestly, you can't know everything. Another amazing thing about Bitcoin is the supportive community—there's always someone willing to help. For example, I didn’t even approach Simon myself; I just attended a BitDevs meetup, and he offered to train during our classes. We also have Nayoma, the first African male Bitcoin Core developer, contributing to the classes. It's truly inspiring to see so many knowledgeable people coming together to share their expertise.

YakiHonne: How does the community collaborate with the broader Bitcoin ecosystem, and what partnerships have had the greatest impact on Bitcoin Nairobi?

Martin：One key factor that has helped Bitcoin Nairobi gain recognition globally is our involvement with the Federation of Bitcoin Circular Economies. We collaborate with other communities by actively participating in their calls and staying in contact with leaders at the Federation as well as other communities. This consistent engagement has significantly boosted our visibility. Martin：Additionally, through Bitcoin School Kenya, we operate as a light node in the broader Bitcoin ecosystem. For now, we function as a light node, but we’re aiming to upgrade to a full node by next year. This will enable members of our community not only to contribute locally but also to teach and collaborate with other communities and circular economies worldwide.

YakiHonne: What major challenges has the community faced, and how did you overcome them while maintaining integrity?

Martin：I wouldn't say there's a major challenge, but one challenge we faced was connecting with others in the Bitcoin space. However, we’ve made progress. Another challenge we’re facing now is organizing physical meetups. This has been difficult since we’re still relatively new in the Federation and the circular economies.

YakiHonne: It seems like you haven’t faced much resistance in terms of people viewing Bitcoin as a scam or having trust issues about its stability, like concerns over whether Bitcoin will crash. You haven't experienced these kinds of challenges.

Martin：Most people believe in the technology and in Bitcoin. The main issue they have is knowing where and how they can sell it. However, when it comes to doubting Bitcoin itself, I can’t say many people question the technology. Especially young people, they’re into online work, AI, and Bitcoin—basically anything related to the future.

YakiHonne: What are the community's goals for the next 6-12 months, and how do you see it evolving with Bitcoin's growth？

Martin：Our community's goals are to develop more educators and promote the widespread adoption of Bitcoin education, launch more Bitcoin-based projects to drive local adoption, strengthen collaborations with other organizations and communities to expand our influence, and increase our efforts in “orange-pilling” to help more people understand and embrace Bitcoin. As Bitcoin continues to grow, we will also continue to expand and evolve, fostering the maturation of the Bitcoin ecosystem.

YakiHonne: That's great. We’re excited to see how these initiatives will unfold in the coming months. Best of luck in achieving your vision, and we look forward to hearing about your progress in the future! OK, We're glad to see everyone and look forward to the next community interview. Thank you all, and that wraps up today's session.