@ 40b9c85f:5e61b451

Introduction

Data Vending Machines (DVMs) have emerged as a crucial component of the Nostr ecosystem, offering specialized computational services to clients across the network. As defined in NIP-90, DVMs operate on an apparently simple principle: "data in, data out." They provide a marketplace for data processing where users request specific jobs (like text translation, content recommendation, or AI text generation)

While DVMs have gained significant traction, the current specification faces challenges that hinder widespread adoption and consistent implementation. This article explores some ideas on how we can apply the reflection pattern, a well established approach in RPC systems, to address these challenges and improve the DVM ecosystem's clarity, consistency, and usability.

The Current State of DVMs: Challenges and Limitations

The NIP-90 specification provides a broad framework for DVMs, but this flexibility has led to several issues:

1. Inconsistent Implementation

As noted by hzrd149 in "DVMs were a mistake" every DVM implementation tends to expect inputs in slightly different formats, even while ostensibly following the same specification. For example, a translation request DVM might expect an event ID in one particular format, while an LLM service could expect a "prompt" input that's not even specified in NIP-90.

2. Fragmented Specifications

The DVM specification reserves a range of event kinds (5000-6000), each meant for different types of computational jobs. While creating sub-specifications for each job type is being explored as a possible solution for clarity, in a decentralized and permissionless landscape like Nostr, relying solely on specification enforcement won't be effective for creating a healthy ecosystem. A more comprehensible approach is needed that works with, rather than against, the open nature of the protocol.

3. Ambiguous API Interfaces

There's no standardized way for clients to discover what parameters a specific DVM accepts, which are required versus optional, or what output format to expect. This creates uncertainty and forces developers to rely on documentation outside the protocol itself, if such documentation exists at all.

The Reflection Pattern: A Solution from RPC Systems

The reflection pattern in RPC systems offers a compelling solution to many of these challenges. At its core, reflection enables servers to provide metadata about their available services, methods, and data types at runtime, allowing clients to dynamically discover and interact with the server's API.

In established RPC frameworks like gRPC, reflection serves as a self-describing mechanism where services expose their interface definitions and requirements. In MCP reflection is used to expose the capabilities of the server, such as tools, resources, and prompts. Clients can learn about available capabilities without prior knowledge, and systems can adapt to changes without requiring rebuilds or redeployments. This standardized introspection creates a unified way to query service metadata, making tools like grpcurl possible without requiring precompiled stubs.

How Reflection Could Transform the DVM Specification

By incorporating reflection principles into the DVM specification, we could create a more coherent and predictable ecosystem. DVMs already implement some sort of reflection through the use of 'nip90params', which allow clients to discover some parameters, constraints, and features of the DVMs, such as whether they accept encryption, nutzaps, etc. However, this approach could be expanded to provide more comprehensive self-description capabilities.

1. Defined Lifecycle Phases

Similar to the Model Context Protocol (MCP), DVMs could benefit from a clear lifecycle consisting of an initialization phase and an operation phase. During initialization, the client and DVM would negotiate capabilities and exchange metadata, with the DVM providing a JSON schema containing its input requirements. nip-89 (or other) announcements can be used to bootstrap the discovery and negotiation process by providing the input schema directly. Then, during the operation phase, the client would interact with the DVM according to the negotiated schema and parameters.

2. Schema-Based Interactions

Rather than relying on rigid specifications for each job type, DVMs could self-advertise their schemas. This would allow clients to understand which parameters are required versus optional, what type validation should occur for inputs, what output formats to expect, and what payment flows are supported. By internalizing the input schema of the DVMs they wish to consume, clients gain clarity on how to interact effectively.

3. Capability Negotiation

Capability negotiation would enable DVMs to advertise their supported features, such as encryption methods, payment options, or specialized functionalities. This would allow clients to adjust their interaction approach based on the specific capabilities of each DVM they encounter.

Implementation Approach

While building DVMCP, I realized that the RPC reflection pattern used there could be beneficial for constructing DVMs in general. Since DVMs already follow an RPC style for their operation, and reflection is a natural extension of this approach, it could significantly enhance and clarify the DVM specification.

A reflection enhanced DVM protocol could work as follows: 1. Discovery: Clients discover DVMs through existing NIP-89 application handlers, input schemas could also be advertised in nip-89 announcements, making the second step unnecessary. 2. Schema Request: Clients request the DVM's input schema for the specific job type they're interested in 3. Validation: Clients validate their request against the provided schema before submission 4. Operation: The job proceeds through the standard NIP-90 flow, but with clearer expectations on both sides

Parallels with Other Protocols

This approach has proven successful in other contexts. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) implements a similar lifecycle with capability negotiation during initialization, allowing any client to communicate with any server as long as they adhere to the base protocol. MCP and DVM protocols share fundamental similarities, both aim to expose and consume computational resources through a JSON-RPC-like interface, albeit with specific differences.

gRPC's reflection service similarly allows clients to discover service definitions at runtime, enabling generic tools to work with any gRPC service without prior knowledge. In the REST API world, OpenAPI/Swagger specifications document interfaces in a way that makes them discoverable and testable.

DVMs would benefit from adopting these patterns while maintaining the decentralized, permissionless nature of Nostr.

Conclusion

I am not attempting to rewrite the DVM specification; rather, explore some ideas that could help the ecosystem improve incrementally, reducing fragmentation and making the ecosystem more comprehensible. By allowing DVMs to self describe their interfaces, we could maintain the flexibility that makes Nostr powerful while providing the structure needed for interoperability.

For developers building DVM clients or libraries, this approach would simplify consumption by providing clear expectations about inputs and outputs. For DVM operators, it would establish a standard way to communicate their service's requirements without relying on external documentation.

I am currently developing DVMCP following these patterns. Of course, DVMs and MCP servers have different details; MCP includes capabilities such as tools, resources, and prompts on the server side, as well as 'roots' and 'sampling' on the client side, creating a bidirectional way to consume capabilities. In contrast, DVMs typically function similarly to MCP tools, where you call a DVM with an input and receive an output, with each job type representing a different categorization of the work performed.

Without further ado, I hope this article has provided some insight into the potential benefits of applying the reflection pattern to the DVM specification.

@ 88cc134b:5ae99079

test

nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzpzxvzd935e04fm6g4nqa7dn9qc7nafzlqn4t3t6xgmjkr3dwnyreqqsr98r3ryhw0kdqv6s92c9tcxruc6g9hfjgunnl50gclyyjerv00csna38cs

@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

Heureu-x-se d’avoir trouvé une information utile sur ce site ?

Soutenez le projet en faisant un don pour le faire vivre et remercier les contribut-eur-rice-s.

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En bitcoin

• Sur la blockchain : bc1qkm8me8l9563wvsl9sklzt4hdcuny3tlejznj7d

• Réseau lightning : ⚡️origin-nature@coinos.io Vous pouvez aussi nous soutenir de manière récurrente 👉 Créer un paiement Lightning récurrent

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En euros, dollars, ou toute autre monnaie prise en charge

• Par virement, IBAN : FR76 2823 3000 0144 3759 8717 669

• Vous pouvez aussi nous soutenir de manière récurrente 👉 Faire une promesse sur LiberaPay

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Contactez-nous si vous souhaitez faire un don avec toute autre cryptomonnaie.

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💡 Un modèle de partage de la valeur

La moitié des dons est redistribuée aux contribut-eur-rice-s qui créent la valeur du site, pour expérimenter un modèle de partage de revenus sur Internet — un modèle qui respecte vos données et ne cherche pas à capter votre attention. L’autre moitié permet de couvrir les frais de fonctionnement du site.

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Cet article est publié sur origine-nature.com 🌐 See this article in English

@ df478568:2a951e67

If you've made one single-sig bitcoin wallet, you've made then all. The idea is, write down 12 or 24 magic words. Make your wallet disappear by dropping your phone in the toilet. Repeat the 12 magic words and do some hocus-pocus. Your sats re-appear from realms unknown. Or...Each word represents a 4 digit number from 0000-2047. I say it's magic.

I've recommended many wallets over the years. It's difficult to find the perfect wallet because there are so many with different security tailored for different threat models. You don't need Anchorwatch level of security for 1000 sats. 12 words is good enough. Misty Breez is like Aqua Wallet because the sats get swapped to Liquid in a similar way with a couple differences.

1. Misty Breez has no stableshitcoin¹ support.
2. Misty Breez gives you a lightning address. Misty Breez Lightning Wallet.

That's a big deal. That's what I need to orange pill the man on the corner selling tamales out of his van. Bitcoin is for everybody, at least anybody who can write 12 words down. A few years ago, almost nobody, not even many bitcoiners had a lightning address. Now Misty Breez makes it easy for anyone with a 5th grade reading level to start using lightning addresses. The tamale guy can send sats back home with as many tariffs as a tweet without leaving his truck.

How Misty Breez Works

Back in the day, I drooled over every word Elizabeth Stark at lightning labs uttered. I still believed in shitcoins at the time. Stark said atomic swaps can be made over the lightning network. Litecoin, since it also adopted the lightning network, can be swapped with bitcoin and vice-versa. I thought this was a good idea because it solves the coincidence of wants. I could technically have a sign on my website that says, "shitcoin accepted here" and automatically convert all my shitcoins to sats.

I don't do that because I now know there is no reason to think any shitcoin will go up in value over the long-term for various reasons. Technically, cashu is a shitcoin. Technically, Liquid is a shitcoin. Technically, I am not a card carrying bitcoin maxi because of this. I use these shitcoins because I find them useful. I consider them to be honest shitcoins(term stolen from NVK²).

Breeze does ~atomic swaps~~ peer swaps between bitcoin and Liquid. The sender sends sats. The receiver turns those sats into Liquid Bitcoin(L-BTC). This L-BTC is backed by bitcoin, therefore Liquid is a full reserve bank in many ways. That's why it molds into my ethical framework. I originally became interested in bitcoin because I thought fractional reserve banking was a scam and bitcoin was(and is) the most viable alternative to this scam.

Sats sent to Misty Breez wallet are pretty secure. It does not offer perfect security. There is no perfect security. Even though on-chain bitcoin is the most pristine example of cybersecurity on the planet, it still has risk. Just ask the guy who is digging up a landfill to find his bitcoin. I have found most noobs lose keys to bitcoin you give them. Very few take the time to keep it safe because they don't understand bitcoin well enough to know it will go up forever Laura.

She writes 12 words down with a reluctant bored look on her face. Wam. Bam. Thank you m'am. Might as well consider it a donation to the network because that index card will be buried in a pile of future trash in no time. Here's a tiny violin playing for the pre-coiners who lost sats.

"Lost coins only make everyone else's coins worth slightly more. Think of it as a donation to everyone." --Sathoshi Nakamoto, BitcoinTalk --June 21, 2010

The same thing will happen with the Misty Wallet. The 12 words will be written down my someone bored and unfulfilled woman working at NPC-Mart, but her phone buzzes in her pocket the next day. She recieved a new payment. Then you share the address on nostr and five people send her sats for no reason at all. They say everyone requires three touch points. Setting up a pre-coiner with a wallet which has a lightning address will allow you to send her as many touch points as you want. You could even send 21 sats per day for 21 days using Zap Planner. That way bitcoin is not just an "investment," but something people can see in action like a lion in the jungle chasing a gazelle.

Make Multiple Orange Pill Touch Points With Misty The Breez Lightning Address

It's no longer just a one-night stand. It's a relationship. You can softly send her sats seven days a week like a Rabbit Hole recap listening freak. Show people how to use bitcoin as it was meant to be used: Peer to Peer electronic cash. Misty wallet is still beta software so be careful because lightning is still in the w reckless days. Don't risk more sats that you are willing to lose with it just yet, but consider learning how to use it so you can teach others after the wallet is battle tested. I had trouble sending sats to my lightning address today from Phoenix wallet. Hopefully that gets resovled, but I couldn't use it today for whatever reason. I still think it's an awesome idea and will follow this project because I think it has potential.

npub1marc26z8nh3xkj5rcx7ufkatvx6ueqhp5vfw9v5teq26z254renshtf3g0

¹ Stablecoins are shitcoins, but I admit they are not totally useless, but the underlying asset is the epitome of money printer go brrrrrr. ²NVK called cashu an honeset shitcoin on the Bitcoin.review podcast and I've used the term ever sense.

@ f32184ee:6d1c17bf

Ads Fueling Freedom

Ross Ulbricht’s "Decentralize Social Media" painted a picture of a user-centric, decentralized future that transcended the limitations of platforms like the tech giants of today. Though focused on social media, his concept provided a blueprint for decentralized content systems writ large. The PROMO Protocol, designed by NextBlock while participating in Sovereign Engineering, embodies this blueprint in the realm of advertising, leveraging Nostr and Bitcoin’s Lightning Network to give individuals control, foster a multi-provider ecosystem, and ensure secure value exchange. In this way, Ulbricht’s 2021 vision can be seen as a prescient prediction of the PROMO Protocol’s structure. This is a testament to the enduring power of his ideas, now finding form in NextBlock’s innovative approach.

[Current Platform-Centric Paradigm, source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media]

Ulbricht’s Vision: A Decentralized Social Protocol

In his 2021 Medium article Ulbricht proposed a revolutionary vision for a decentralized social protocol (DSP) to address the inherent flaws of centralized social media platforms, such as privacy violations and inconsistent content moderation. Writing from prison, Ulbricht argued that decentralization could empower users by giving them control over their own content and the value they create, while replacing single, monolithic platforms with a competitive ecosystem of interface providers, content servers, and advertisers. Though his focus was on social media, Ulbricht’s ideas laid a conceptual foundation that strikingly predicts the structure of NextBlock’s PROMO Protocol, a decentralized advertising system built on the Nostr protocol.

[A Decentralized Social Protocol (DSP), source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media]

Ulbricht’s Principles

Ulbricht’s article outlines several key principles for his DSP: * User Control: Users should own their content and dictate how their data and creations generate value, rather than being subject to the whims of centralized corporations. * Decentralized Infrastructure: Instead of a single platform, multiple interface providers, content hosts, and advertisers interoperate, fostering competition and resilience. * Privacy and Autonomy: Decentralized solutions for profile management, hosting, and interactions would protect user privacy and reduce reliance on unaccountable intermediaries. * Value Creation: Users, not platforms, should capture the economic benefits of their contributions, supported by decentralized mechanisms for transactions.

These ideas were forward-thinking in 2021, envisioning a shift away from the centralized giants dominating social media at the time. While Ulbricht didn’t specifically address advertising protocols, his framework for decentralization and user empowerment extends naturally to other domains, like NextBlock’s open-source offering: the PROMO Protocol.

NextBlock’s Implementation of PROMO Protocol

The PROMO Protocol powers NextBlock's Billboard app, a decentralized advertising protocol built on Nostr, a simple, open protocol for decentralized communication. The PROMO Protocol reimagines advertising by: * Empowering People: Individuals set their own ad prices (e.g., 500 sats/minute), giving them direct control over how their attention or space is monetized. * Marketplace Dynamics: Advertisers set budgets and maximum bids, competing within a decentralized system where a 20% service fee ensures operational sustainability. * Open-Source Flexibility: As an open-source protocol, it allows multiple developers to create interfaces or apps on top of it, avoiding the single-platform bottleneck Ulbricht critiqued. * Secure Payments: Using Strike Integration with Bitcoin Lightning Network, NextBlock enables bot-resistant and intermediary-free transactions, aligning value transfer with each person's control.

This structure decentralizes advertising in a way that mirrors Ulbricht’s broader vision for social systems, with aligned principles showing a specific use case: monetizing attention on Nostr.

Aligned Principles

Ulbricht’s 2021 article didn’t explicitly predict the PROMO Protocol, but its foundational concepts align remarkably well with NextBlock's implementation the protocol’s design: * Autonomy Over Value: Ulbricht argued that users should control their content and its economic benefits. In the PROMO Protocol, people dictate ad pricing, directly capturing the value of their participation. Whether it’s their time, influence, or digital space, rather than ceding it to a centralized ad network. * Ecosystem of Providers: Ulbricht envisioned multiple providers replacing a single platform. The PROMO Protocol’s open-source nature invites a similar diversity: anyone can build interfaces or tools on top of it, creating a competitive, decentralized advertising ecosystem rather than a walled garden. * Decentralized Transactions: Ulbricht’s DSP implied decentralized mechanisms for value exchange. NextBlock delivers this through the Bitcoin Lightning Network, ensuring that payments for ads are secure, instantaneous and final, a practical realization of Ulbricht’s call for user-controlled value flows. * Privacy and Control: While Ulbricht emphasized privacy in social interactions, the PROMO Protocol is public by default. Individuals are fully aware of all data that they generate since all Nostr messages are signed. All participants interact directly via Nostr.

[Blueprint Match, source NextBlock]

---

Who We Are

NextBlock is a US-based new media company reimagining digital ads for a decentralized future. Our founders, software and strategy experts, were hobbyist podcasters struggling to promote their work online without gaming the system. That sparked an idea: using new tech like Nostr and Bitcoin to build a decentralized attention market for people who value control and businesses seeking real connections.

Our first product, Billboard, is launching this June.

Open for All

Our model’s open-source! Check out the PROMO Protocol, built for promotion and attention trading. Anyone can join this decentralized ad network. Run your own billboard or use ours. This is a growing ecosystem for a new ad economy.

Our Vision

NextBlock wants to help build a new decentralized internet. Our revolutionary and transparent business model will bring honest revenue to companies hosting valuable digital spaces. Together, we will discover what our attention is really worth.

Read our Manifesto to learn more.

NextBlock is registered in Texas, USA.

@ f32184ee:6d1c17bf

Ads Fueling Freedom

Ross Ulbricht’s "Decentralize Social Media" painted a picture of a user-centric, decentralized future that transcended the limitations of platforms like the tech giants of today. Though focused on social media, his concept provided a blueprint for decentralized content systems writ large. The PROMO Protocol, designed by NextBlock while participating in Sovereign Engineering, embodies this blueprint in the realm of advertising, leveraging Nostr and Bitcoin’s Lightning Network to give individuals control, foster a multi-provider ecosystem, and ensure secure value exchange. In this way, Ulbricht’s 2021 vision can be seen as a prescient prediction of the PROMO Protocol’s structure. This is a testament to the enduring power of his ideas, now finding form in NextBlock’s innovative approach.

[Current Platform-Centric Paradigm, source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media]

Ulbricht’s Vision: A Decentralized Social Protocol

In his 2021 Medium article Ulbricht proposed a revolutionary vision for a decentralized social protocol (DSP) to address the inherent flaws of centralized social media platforms, such as privacy violations and inconsistent content moderation. Writing from prison, Ulbricht argued that decentralization could empower users by giving them control over their own content and the value they create, while replacing single, monolithic platforms with a competitive ecosystem of interface providers, content servers, and advertisers. Though his focus was on social media, Ulbricht’s ideas laid a conceptual foundation that strikingly predicts the structure of NextBlock’s PROMO Protocol, a decentralized advertising system built on the Nostr protocol.

[A Decentralized Social Protocol (DSP), source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media]

Ulbricht’s Principles

Ulbricht’s article outlines several key principles for his DSP: * User Control: Users should own their content and dictate how their data and creations generate value, rather than being subject to the whims of centralized corporations. * Decentralized Infrastructure: Instead of a single platform, multiple interface providers, content hosts, and advertisers interoperate, fostering competition and resilience. * Privacy and Autonomy: Decentralized solutions for profile management, hosting, and interactions would protect user privacy and reduce reliance on unaccountable intermediaries. * Value Creation: Users, not platforms, should capture the economic benefits of their contributions, supported by decentralized mechanisms for transactions.

These ideas were forward-thinking in 2021, envisioning a shift away from the centralized giants dominating social media at the time. While Ulbricht didn’t specifically address advertising protocols, his framework for decentralization and user empowerment extends naturally to other domains, like NextBlock’s open-source offering: the PROMO Protocol.

NextBlock’s Implementation of PROMO Protocol

The PROMO Protocol powers NextBlock's Billboard app, a decentralized advertising protocol built on Nostr, a simple, open protocol for decentralized communication. The PROMO Protocol reimagines advertising by: * Empowering People: Individuals set their own ad prices (e.g., 500 sats/minute), giving them direct control over how their attention or space is monetized. * Marketplace Dynamics: Advertisers set budgets and maximum bids, competing within a decentralized system where a 20% service fee ensures operational sustainability. * Open-Source Flexibility: As an open-source protocol, it allows multiple developers to create interfaces or apps on top of it, avoiding the single-platform bottleneck Ulbricht critiqued. * Secure Payments: Using Strike Integration with Bitcoin Lightning Network, NextBlock enables bot-resistant and intermediary-free transactions, aligning value transfer with each person's control.

This structure decentralizes advertising in a way that mirrors Ulbricht’s broader vision for social systems, with aligned principles showing a specific use case: monetizing attention on Nostr.

Aligned Principles

Ulbricht’s 2021 article didn’t explicitly predict the PROMO Protocol, but its foundational concepts align remarkably well with NextBlock's implementation the protocol’s design: * Autonomy Over Value: Ulbricht argued that users should control their content and its economic benefits. In the PROMO Protocol, people dictate ad pricing, directly capturing the value of their participation. Whether it’s their time, influence, or digital space, rather than ceding it to a centralized ad network. * Ecosystem of Providers: Ulbricht envisioned multiple providers replacing a single platform. The PROMO Protocol’s open-source nature invites a similar diversity: anyone can build interfaces or tools on top of it, creating a competitive, decentralized advertising ecosystem rather than a walled garden. * Decentralized Transactions: Ulbricht’s DSP implied decentralized mechanisms for value exchange. NextBlock delivers this through the Bitcoin Lightning Network, ensuring that payments for ads are secure, instantaneous and final, a practical realization of Ulbricht’s call for user-controlled value flows. * Privacy and Control: While Ulbricht emphasized privacy in social interactions, the PROMO Protocol is public by default. Individuals are fully aware of all data that they generate since all Nostr messages are signed. All participants interact directly via Nostr.

[Blueprint Match, source NextBlock]

---

Who We Are

NextBlock is a US-based new media company reimagining digital ads for a decentralized future. Our founders, software and strategy experts, were hobbyist podcasters struggling to promote their work online without gaming the system. That sparked an idea: using new tech like Nostr and Bitcoin to build a decentralized attention market for people who value control and businesses seeking real connections.

Our first product, Billboard, is launching this June.

Open for All

Our model’s open-source! Check out the PROMO Protocol, built for promotion and attention trading. Anyone can join this decentralized ad network. Run your own billboard or use ours. This is a growing ecosystem for a new ad economy.

Our Vision

NextBlock wants to help build a new decentralized internet. Our revolutionary and transparent business model will bring honest revenue to companies hosting valuable digital spaces. Together, we will discover what our attention is really worth.

Read our Manifesto to learn more.

NextBlock is registered in Texas, USA.

@ f1989a96:bcaaf2c1

Good morning, readers!

In Georgia, mere weeks after freezing the bank accounts of five NGOs supporting pro-democracy movements, the ruling Georgian Dream party passed a new law banning foreign organizations from providing grants to local groups without regime approval. The bill is part of a broader effort to silence dissent and weaken democracy through financial repression.\ \ In Latin America, opposition leader María Corina Machado seeks to rally citizens against Nicolás Maduro’s immensely repressive regime. With the economy and currency in shambles and dozens of military personnel abandoning Maduro, Machado sees an opportunity to challenge his grip on power.

In open source news, we spotlight the release of Bitcoin Core version 29.0, the latest update to the primary software that powers the Bitcoin network and helps millions of people send, receive, and verify Bitcoin transactions every day. This release improves the reliability and compatibility of Bitcoin’s main software implementation. We also cover the unique story of LuckyMiner, an unauthorized Bitaxe clone making waves in Asian markets as demand soars for small, low-cost, home mining equipment — evidence that people want to participate in the Bitcoin network themselves.

We close with the latest edition of the HRF x Pubkey Freedom Tech Series, in which Nicaraguan human rights defender Berta Valle joins HRF’s Arsh Molu to explore how authoritarian regimes weaponize financial systems to silence dissent and isolate opposition voices and how tools like Bitcoin can offer a way out. We also feature an interview with Salvadoran opposition leader Claudia Ortiz, who discusses the erosion of civil liberties under President Nayib Bukele and offers a nuanced take on Bitcoin in the country.

Now, let’s jump right in!

SUBSCRIBE HERE

GLOBAL NEWS

Georgia | Bans Foreign Donations for Nonprofits and NGOs

Mere weeks after freezing the bank accounts of five NGOs supporting pro-democracy demonstrators in recent unrest caused by elections, Georgia’s regime passed a new law that bans foreign organizations from providing “monetary or in-kind grants” to Georgian organizations and individuals without regime approval. Introduced by the increasingly repressive Georgian Dream party, the bill is part of a broader effort (including the controversial foreign agents law passed in 2024) designed to silence dissent and dismantle pro-democracy groups. Rights groups warn these laws will cripple civil society by cutting funding and imposing heavy fines for violators. Last week, parliament also read a bill that would grant officials the power to ban opposition parties entirely. With civil society financially repressed, Georgia is sliding further into tyranny, where free expression, political opposition, and grassroots organizations are under siege.

Venezuela | Opposition Mobilizes Against Maduro’s Financial Repression

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is intensifying efforts against Nicolás Maduro’s brutal regime by targeting what she believes are his two greatest vulnerabilities: a collapsing economy and fractures in his repressive apparatus. As the Venezuelan bolivar unravels (reaching a record low in March) and inflation spirals out of control (expected to reach 220% before the end of the year), Maduro’s regime doubles down. It imposes currency controls, expropriates private property, and exerts complete state control over banks. Meanwhile, signs of discontent are growing inside the military, with dozens of personnel reportedly deserting. “I think we have a huge opportunity in front of us, and I see that much closer today than I did a month ago,” Machado said. To rebuild Venezuela’s future, Machado sees financial freedom as essential and has publicly embraced Bitcoin as a tool to resist the regime’s weaponization of money.

India | UPI Outage Disrupts Payments Nationwide

Digital transactions across India were disrupted mid-April as the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) experienced its third major outage in the last month. UPI is a government-run system that enables digital payments and underpins India’s push towards a cashless, centralized economy. Fintechs, banks, and institutions plug into UPI as a backbone of their digital infrastructure. Recently, India started integrating its central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital rupee, into UPI, leveraging its existing network effect to expand the reach of state-issued digital money. When a single outage can freeze an entire nation’s ability to transact, it reveals the fragility of centralized infrastructure. By contrast, decentralized money like Bitcoin operates independently of state-run systems and with consistent uptime, giving users the freedom to transact and save permissionlessly.

China | Bitcoin for Me, Not for Thee

China is debating new regulations for handling its growing trove of Bitcoin and other digital assets seized during criminal investigations. While the regime debates how to manage its seized digital assets, the trading of Bitcoin and other digital assets remains banned for Chinese citizens on the mainland. Reports indicate that local governments have quietly sold confiscated Bitcoin and other digital assets through private companies to bolster their dwindling budgets. If true, this exposes the hypocrisy of a regime banning digital assets for its people while exploiting them as a strategic revenue source for the state. This contradiction accentuates the ways authoritarian regimes manipulate financial rules for their own benefit while punishing the public for using the same strategies.

Serbia | Vučić Targets Civil Society as Economy Sinks

As Serbia’s economy stalls and the cost of living remains stubbornly high, President Aleksandar Vučić is escalating his crackdown on civil society to deflect blame and tighten control. After a train station canopy collapse in Novi Sad killed 16 people last November, protests erupted. Serbians, led by students, flooded the streets to protest government corruption, declining civil liberties, and a worsening economy. The protests have since spread across 400 cities, reflecting nationwide discontent. In response, Vučić is now targeting civil society organizations under the pretext of financial misconduct. Law enforcement raided four NGOs that support Serbians’ human rights, the rule of law, and democratic elections.

Russia | Jails Four Journalists for Working With Navalny

A Russian court sentenced four independent Russian journalists to five and a half years in prison for working with the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) — a pro-democracy organization founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The journalists — Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergei Karelin, and Artyom Kriger — were convicted in a closed-door trial for associating with an organization the Kremlin deems an “extremist.” The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the verdict as a “blatant testimony to Russian authorities’ profound contempt for press freedom.” Since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has increasingly criminalized dissent and financially repressed opposition, nonprofits, and ordinary citizens.

BITCOIN AND FREEDOM TECH NEWS

Flash | Introduces Flash Lightning Addresses, New UI, and Encrypted Messaging

Flash, a Bitcoin Lightning wallet and HRF grantee bringing freedom money to the Caribbean, released its version 0.4.0 beta. This release includes an updated user interface, dedicated Flash Lightning addresses (user @ flashapp.me), and encrypted messaging. The redesigned app is more user-friendly and better suited for users new to Bitcoin. Flash users now receive a verified Lightning address, making it easier to send and receive Bitcoin. The update also adds encrypted nostr messaging, enabling secure communication between users. As authoritarian regimes in the region, like Cuba, tighten control over money, Flash offers a practical and private solution for Bitcoin access.

DahLIAS | New Protocol to Lower the Cost of Private Bitcoin Transactions

Bitcoin developers recently announced DahLIAS, the first protocol designed to enable full cross-input signature aggregation (CISA). CISA is a proposed Bitcoin update that could make private Bitcoin transactions much cheaper. Right now, collaborative transactions are more expensive than typical transactions because each input in a transaction needs its own signature. CISA would allow those signatures to be combined, saving space and reducing fees. But this change would require a soft fork, a safe, backward-compatible software update to Bitcoin’s code. If adopted, CISA could remove the need for users to justify why they want privacy, as the answer would be, to save money. This is especially important for dissidents living under surveillant regimes. DahLIAS could be a breakthrough that helps make privacy more practical for everyone using Bitcoin.

Bitcoin Core | Version 29.0 Now Available for Node Runners

Bitcoin Core is the main software implementation that powers the Bitcoin network and helps millions of people send, receive, and verify transactions every day. The latest update, Bitcoin Core v29.0, introduces changes to improve network stability and performance. The release helps keep the network stable even when not everyone updates simultaneously. Further, it reduces the chances that nodes (computers that run the Bitcoin software) accidentally restart — an issue that can interrupt network participation. It also adds support for full Replace-by-Fee (RBF), allowing users to increase the fee on stuck transactions in times of high network demand. Enhancing Bitcoin’s reliability, usability, and security ensures that individuals in oppressive regimes or unstable financial systems can access a permissionless and censorship-resistant monetary network. Learn more about the update here.

Nstart | Releases Multilingual Support

Nstart, a new tool that simplifies onboarding to nostr — a decentralized and censorship-resistant social network protocol — released multilingual support. It added Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch, and Mandarin as languages. This update broadens access by making the onboarding experience available to a wider audience — especially those living under dictatorships across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, where communication and press freedom are heavily restricted. Users can even contribute translations themselves. Overall, multilingual support makes Nstart a more powerful tool for activists and organizations operating under authoritarian environments, offering guided, straightforward access to uncensorable communications.

Bitcoin Chiang Mai | Release Bitcoin Education Podcast

Bitcoin Chiang Mai, a grassroots Bitcoin community in Thailand, launched an educational podcast to teach Bitcoin in Thai. In a country where financial repression is on the rise and the regime is experimenting with a programmable central bank digital currency (CBDC), this podcast offers an educational lifeline. By making Bitcoin knowledge and tools more accessible, the show empowers Thais to explore alternatives to state-controlled financial systems. It’s a grassroots effort to preserve financial freedom and encourage open dialogue in an increasingly controlled economic environment. Check it out here.

LuckyMiner | Undisclosed Bitaxe Clone Gaining Popularity in Asia

LuckyMiner, a Bitcoin mining startup out of Shenzhen, China is shaking up Asia’s Bitcoin hardware scene with a rogue twist. What began as a hobby project in 2023 has since exploded into a full-scale operation, manufacturing and selling thousands of undisclosed Bitaxe clones (which are small, affordable bitcoin miners based on the Bitaxe design). While Bitaxe is open-source, it’s licensed under CERN-OHL-S-2.0, requiring any modifications to be made public. LuckyMiner ignored that rule and the founder has openly admitted to breaking the license. Despite that, LuckyMiner is succeeding anyway, fueled by growing demand for affordable home mining equipment. While controversial, the rise of low-cost miners signals grassroots interest in Bitcoin, especially at a time when Asia grapples with growing authoritarianism and financial repression.

RECOMMENDED CONTENT

HRF x Pubkey — Bitcoin as a Tool to Fight Financial Repression in Autocracies with Berta Valle

In the latest HRF x Pubkey Freedom Tech series, Nicaraguan human rights defender and journalist Berta Valle joins HRF’s Arsh Molu to discuss how Bitcoin empowers individuals to resist the financial repression of authoritarian regimes. From helping families receive remittances when bank accounts are frozen to enabling independent media and activists to fund their work without regime interference, Bitcoin is quietly reshaping what resistance can look like under tyranny. Watch the full fireside chat here.

Claudia Ortiz: A Voice of Opposition in Bukele’s El Salvador

In this interview, analyst and journalist Marius Farashi Tasooji speaks to Salvadoran opposition leader Claudia Ortiz about President Bukele’s consolidation of power, the erosion of civil liberties, and the future of Bitcoin in the country. While Ortiz acknowledges Bitcoin’s potential as a tool for freedom, she critiques the current administration’s opaque and heavy-handed implementation of it. Ortiz explains her opposition to the Bitcoin Law, citing concerns about transparency and accountability, and outlines what she would do differently if elected president. Watch the full conversation here.

If this article was forwarded to you and you enjoyed reading it, please consider subscribing to the Financial Freedom Report here.

Support the newsletter by donating bitcoin to HRF’s Financial Freedom program via BTCPay.\ Want to contribute to the newsletter? Submit tips, stories, news, and ideas by emailing us at ffreport @ hrf.org

The Bitcoin Development Fund (BDF) is accepting grant proposals on an ongoing basis. The Bitcoin Development Fund is looking to support Bitcoin developers, community builders, and educators. Submit proposals here.

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For whoever has, will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

Matthew 25:29, The Parable of the Talents (New Testament)For whoever has, will be given more,\ and they will have an abundance.\ Whoever does not have, even what\ they have will be taken from them.\ \ Matthew 25:29,\ The Parable of the Talents (New Testament)

How the Pump-my-bags mentality slows Bitcoin adoption

The parable of “thy Bitcoins” (loosely based on Matthew 25:29)

A man, embarking on a journey, entrusted his wealth to his servants. To one he gave five Bitcoin, to another two Bitcoin, and to another one Bitcoin, each according to his ability. Then he departed.

The servant with five Bitcoin buried his master’s wealth, dreaming of its rising price. The servant with two Bitcoin hid his, guarding its value. But the servant with one Bitcoin acted with vision. He spent 0.5 Bitcoin to unite Bitcoiners, teaching them to use the network and building tools to expand its reach. His efforts grew Bitcoin’s power, though his investment left him with only 0.5 Bitcoin.

Years later, the master returned to settle accounts. The servant with five Bitcoin said, “Master, you gave me five Bitcoin. I buried them, and their price has soared. Here is yours.”

The master replied, “Faithless servant! My wealth was meant to sow freedom. You kept your Bitcoin but buried your potential to strengthen its network. Your wealth is great, but your impact is none!”

The servant with two Bitcoin said, “Master, you gave me two Bitcoin. I hid them, and their value has risen. Here is yours.”

The master replied, “You, too, have been idle! You clung to wealth but failed to spread Bitcoin’s truth. Your Bitcoin endures, but your reach is empty!”

Then the servant with one Bitcoin stepped forward. “Master, you gave me one Bitcoin. I spent 0.5 Bitcoin to teach and build with Bitcoiners. My call inspired many to join the network, though I have only 0.5 Bitcoin left.”

The master said, “Well done, faithful servant! You sparked a movement that grew my network, enriching lives. Though your stack is small, your vision is vast. Share my joy!”

When many use their gifts to build Bitcoin’s future, their sacrifices grow the network and enrich lives. Those who “bury” their Bitcoin and do nothing else keep wealth but miss the greater reward of a thriving in a Bitcoin world.

This parable reflects a timeless truth: between playing it safe and building, resides the choice to take risk. Bitcoin’s power lies not in hoarding wealth (although it’s part of it), but mainly in using it to build a freer world. To free people from their confines. Yet a mentality has taken hold — one that runs counter to that spirit.

PMB betrays the Bitcoin ethos

“Pump my bags” (PMB) stems from the altcoin world, where scammers pump pre-mined coins to dump on naive buyers. In Bitcoin, PMB isn’t about dumping but about hoarding—stacking sats without lifting a finger. These Bitcoiners, from small holders to whales, sit back, eyeing fiat profits, not Bitcoin’s mission. They’re not so different from altcoin grifters. Both chase profit, not glory. They dream of fiat-richness and crappy real estate in Portugal or Chile — not a Bitcoin standard. One holds hard money by chance, the other a fad coin. Neither moves the world forward.

In Bitcoin, the pump-my-bags mindset is more about laziness; everyone looking out for themselves, stacking without ever lifting a finger. There’s a big difference in the way an altcoin promotor would operate and market yet another proof-of-stake pre-mined trashcoin, and how PMB bitcoiners hoard and wait.

They’re much alike however. The belief level might be slightly different, and not everyone has the same ability.

I’ve been in Bitcoin’s trenches since its cypherpunk days, when it was a rebellion against fiat’s centralized control. Bitcoin is a race against the totalitarian fiat system’s grip. Early adopters saw it as a tool to dismantle gatekeepers and empower individuals. But PMB has turned Bitcoin into a get-rich scheme, abandoning the collective effort needed to overthrow fiat’s centuries-long cycles.

Trust is a currency’s core. Hoarding Bitcoin shows trust in its future value, but it’s a shallow trust that seals it away from the world. Real trust comes from admiring Bitcoin’s math, building businesses around it, or spreading its use. PMB Bitcoiners sit on their stacks, expecting others to build trust for them. Newcomers see branding, ego, and grifters, not the low-tech prosperity Bitcoin can offer. PMB Bitcoiners live without spending a sat, happy to hodl. Fine, but they’re furniture in fiat’s ruins, not builders of Bitcoin’s future.

Hoarding hollow victories Hoarding works for those chasing fiat wealth. Bitcoin is even there for them. The lazy, the non-believers, the ones that sold very early, the ones that just started.

By 2021, 75% of Bitcoin sat dormant, driving scarcity and prices up. But it strangles transactions, weakening Bitcoin as a living economy. Reddit calls hoarding “Bitcoin’s most dangerous problem,” choking adoption for profit. Pioneers like Roger Ver built tech companies (where you could buy electronics for bitcoin), Mark Karpelès ran an exchange (Mt. Gox) and Charlie Shrem processed 30% of Bitcoin transactions in 2013. They poured stacks into adoption, people like them (even people you’ve never heard of) more than not, went broke doing the building while hoarders sat back. The irony stings: Bitcoin’s founders are often poorer than PMB hodlers who buried their talents and just sat there passively. Over the years, the critique from these sideline people became more prevalent. They show up here and there, to read the room. But that’s all they do.

The last couple of years, they even became more vocal with social media posts. Everything needs to be perfect, high-quality, not made by them, not funded by them, for free, without ads, and with no effort whatsoever, unless it’s NOT pumping their bags, then it needs to be burned down as fast as possible.

Today’s PMB Bitcoiners want the rewards without the risk. They stack sats, demand perfect content made by others for free, and cheer short-term price pumps. But when asked to build, code, or fund anything real, they disappear. At this point, such Bitcoiners have as much spine as a pack of Frankfurter sausages. This behavior has hollowed out Bitcoin’s activist core.

Activism’s disappointment

Bitcoin’s activist roots—cypherpunks coding, evangelists spreading the word—have been replaced by influencers and silent PMB conference-goers who say nothing but “I hold Bitcoin.” Centralized exchanges like Binance and Coinbase handle 70% of trades by 2025, mocking our decentralized vision. Custodial wallets proliferate as users hand over keys. The Lightning Network has 23,000+ nodes, and privacy tech like CoinJoin exists, yet adoption lags. Regulation creeps in—the U.S. Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2023 and Europe’s MiCa laws threaten KYC on every wallet. Our failure to advance faster gives governments leverage. Our failure would be their victory. Their cycles endlessly repeated.

Activism is a shadow of its potential. The Human Rights Foundation pushes Bitcoin for dissidents, but it’s a drop in the bucket. We could replace supply chains, build Bitcoin-only companies, or claim territories, yet we can’t even convince bars to accept

Bitcoin. We’re distracted by laser-eye memes and altcoin hopium, not building at farmer’s markets, festivals, or local scenes. PMB Bitcoiners demand perfection—free, ad-free, high-quality content—while contributing nothing.

The best way to shut them up, is asking them to do something. ”I would like to see a live counter on that page, so I can see what customers got new products” ”Why don’t YOU write code?” … and they’re gone.

”I would change a few items in your presentation man, it was good, but I would change the diagram on page 7” ”The presentation is open source and online, open for contributions. Do you want to give the presentation next time?” ”… “ and they’re gone.

”We need to have a network of these antennas to communicate with each other and send sats” ”I’ve ordered a few devices like that.. want to help out and search for new network participants?” ” … “ They’re off to some other thing, that’s more entertaining.

If you don’t understand you’re in a very unique fork in the road, a historic shift in society, much so that you’re more busy with picking the right shoes, car, phone, instead of pushing things in the right direction. And guess what? Usually these two lifestyles can even be combines. Knights in old England could fight and defend their king, while still having a decent meal and participate in festivities. These knight (compared to some bitcoiners) didn’t sit back at a fancy dinner and told the others: “yeah man, you should totally put on a harness, get a sword made and fight,… here I’ll give you a carrot for your horse.” To disappear into their castles waiting for the fight to be over a few months later. No, they put on the harness themselves, and ordered a sword to be made, because they knew their own future and that of their next of kin was at stake.

Hardly any of them show you that Bitcoin can be fairly simple and even low-tech solutions for achieving remedies for the world’s biggest problems (having individuals have real ownership for example). It can include some genuine building of prosperity and belief in one’s own talents and skills. You mostly don’t need middlemen. They buy stuff they don’t need, to feel like they’re participants.

And there’s so, enormously much work to be done.

On the other hand. Some bitcoiners can live their whole life without spending any considerable amount of bitcoin, and be perfectly happy. They mind as well could have had no bitcoin at all, but changed their mindset towards a lot of things in life. That’s cool, I know bitcoiners that don’t have any bitcoin anymore. They still “get it” though. Everyone’s life is different. These people are really cool, and they’re usually the silent builders as well. They know.

And yet, people will say they’ve “missed out”. They surely missed out on buying a lot of nice “stuff” … maybe. There are always new luxury items for sale in the burning ruins of fiat. There are always people that want to temporarily like or love you (long time) for fiat, as well as for bitcoin. You’re still an empty shell if your do. Just like the fiat slaves. A crypto bro will always stay the same sell out, even if he holds bitcoin by any chance.

You know why? Because bitcoiners don’t think like “they” do. The fiat masters that screwed this world up, think and work over multi generations. (Remember that for later, in piece twelve of this series.)

The only path forward

Solo heroics can’t beat the market or drive adoption anymore. Collective action is key. The Lightning Network grows from thousands of small nodes for example. Bitcoin Core thrives on shared grit. Profit isn’t sportcars — it’s a thriving network freeing people. If 10,000 people spend 0.05 BTC to fund wallets, educate merchants or build tools, we’d see more users and transactions. Adoption drives demand. Sacrifice now, impact later. Don’t work for PMB orders — they’re fiat victims, not Bitcoin builders.

Act together, thrive together

To kill PMB, rediscover your potential, even if it costs you:

Educate wide: Teach Bitcoin’s truth—how it works, why it matters. Every convert strengthens us.

Build together: Run nodes, fund Lightning hubs, support devs. Small contributions add up.

Use Bitcoin: Spend it, gift it, make it move. Transactions are the network’s heartbeat.

Value the mission: Chase freedom, not fiat. Your legacy is impact, not your stack.

A call to build The parable of Bitcoin is clear: hoard and get rich, but leave nothing behind; act together, sacrifice wealth, and build a thriving Bitcoin world. Hoarding risks a deflationary spiral while Wall Street grabs another 100,000 BTC every few weeks and sits on it for other fund managers to buy the stake (pun intended).

PMB Bitcoiners will cash out, thinking they’re smart, trading our future for fiat luxury. Bitcoin’s value lies in trust, scarcity, and a network grown by those who see beyond their wallets. Bury your Bitcoin or build with it.

If someone slyly nudges you to pump their bags, call them faithless leeches who ignore the call for a better world. They’re quiet, polite, and vanish when it’s time to fund or build. They tally fiat gains while you grind through life’s rot. They sling insults if you educate, risk, or create. They’re all take, no give — enemies, even if they hold Bitcoin.

Bitcoiners route around problems. Certainly if that problem is other bitcoiners. Because we know how they think, we know their buried talents, we know why they do it. It’s in our DNA to know. They don’t know why we keep building however, the worse of them don’t understand.

Bitcoin’s value isn’t in scarcity alone — it’s in the combination of trust, scarcity and the network, grown by those who see beyond their wallets and small gains.

Whether you’ve got 0.01 BTC or 10,000 BTC, your choice matters. Will you bury your Bitcoin, or build with it? I can hope we choose the latter.

If someone, directly or slyly, nudges you to pump their bags, call them out as faithless servants who wouldn’t even hear the calling of a better world. These types are often quiet, polite, and ask few questions, but when it’s time to step up, they vanish — nowhere to be found for funding, working, or doing anything real, big or small. They’re obsessed with “pump my bags,” tallying their fiat gains while you grind, sweat, and ache through life’s rotten misery. Usually they’re well off, because fiat mentality breeds more fiat.

They won’t lift you up or support you, because they’re all about the “take” and take and take more, giving nice sounding incentives to keep you pumping and grinding. They smell work, but never participate. They’re lovely and nice as long as you go along and pump.

Pump-My-Bags bitcoiners are temporary custodians, financial Frankfurter sausages hunting for a bun to flop into. We have the mustard. We know how to make it, package it and pour it over them. We’re the preservers of hard money. We build, think and try.

They get eaten. They’re fiat-born and when the real builders rise (they’re already a few years old), history won’t remember these people’s stacks and irrelevant comments — only our sacrifices.

by: AVB

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I started writing a series on the signs of the End Times and how they align with what we are seeing in the world today. There are some major concerns with predicting the end times, so I decided I should insert a short post on “Can we know when the end times are coming?” Like many principles in the Bible, it takes looking at seemingly contradictory verses to reach the truth.

This Generation

Before I get into “Can we know?” I want to address one point that some will bring up against a future Rapture, Tribulation, and Millennium.

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. (Matthew 24:34) {emphasis mine}

What generation is Jesus talking about. Most Christians that don’t believe in a future Rapture, Tribulation, and Millennium will point to this verse to support their point of view. The important question is, “What is Jesus referring to with the words ‘this generation’?”

Is it referring to the people He was talking to at that time? If so, since that generation died long ago, then Jesus’s predictions must have been fulfilled almost 2 millennia ago. The problem with this interpretation is that nothing resembling these predictions happened during that initial generation. You have to really twist His words to try to support that they were fulfilled. Also, John wrote in Revelation about future fulfillment. By that time, John was the last of the apostles still alive and that whole generation was pretty much gone.

If “this generation” doesn’t refer to the people Jesus was speaking to personally in that moment, then to whom does it refer? The verses immediately preceding talk about the signs that will occur right before the end times. If you take “this generation” to mean the people who saw the signs Jesus predicted, then everything suddenly makes sense. It also parallel’s Paul’s statement of consolation to those who thought they had been left behind,**

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) {emphasis mine}

Some believers thought things were happening in their lifetime, but Paul gave them comfort that no believer would miss the end times rapture.

No One Knows

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. (Matthew 24:34-41) {emphasis mine}

This verse very explicitly says that no one, not even angels or Jesus, knows the exact day or hour of His coming.

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8)

In this verse Jesus again says that they cannot know the time of His return, but based on context, He is explaining that this generation needs to focus on sharing the Gospel with world and not primarily on the kingdom. Is this Jesus’s way of telling them that they would not be alive to see His return, but they would be responsible for “sharing the Gospel even to the remotest part of the earth?”

Therefore we do know that predicting the exact date of His return is a fool’s errand and should not be attempted, but does this mean we can’t know when it is fast approaching?

We Should Know

There is an opposing passage, though.

The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away. (Matthew 16:1-4) {emphasis mine}

In this passage, Jesus reprimands the Pharisees and Sadducees because, although they can rightly read the signs of the weather, they were unable to know and understand the prophecies of His first coming. Especially as the religious leaders, they should’ve been able to determine that Jesus’s coming was imminent and that He was fulfilling the prophetic Scriptures.

In Luke, when Jesus is discussing His second coming with His disciples, He tells this parable:

Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. (Luke 21:29-31) {emphasis mine}

Jesus would not have given this parable if there were not signs of His coming that we can recognize.

We are expected to know the Scriptures and to study them looking for the signs of His second coming. We can’t know the hour or the day, but we can know that the time is fast approaching. We shouldn’t set dates, but we should search anxiously for the signs of His coming. We shouldn’t be like the scoffers that question His literal fulfillment of His promises:

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:3-9) {emphasis mine}

One thing is certain, we are closer to Jesus’s second coming than we have ever been and must be ready as we see the day approaching.

May the God of heaven give you a desire and urgency to share the Gospel with all those around you and to grow your faith, knowledge, and relationship with Him, so you can finish the race well, with no regrets. May the knowledge that Jesus could be coming soon give you an eternal perspective on life, so you put more of your time into things of eternal consequence and don’t get overwhelmed with things of the world which are here today and then are gone.

Trust Jesus.

FYI, I hope to write several more articles on the end times (signs of the times, the rapture, the millennium, and the judgement), but I might be a bit slow rolling them out because I want to make sure they are accurate and well supported by Scripture. You can see my previous posts on the end times on the end times tab at trustjesus.substack.com. I also frequently will list upcoming posts.

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Poetry, unstacked

Painting by Early Fern, shared by Marine Eyes

It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there.—William Carlos Williams

April, the month Eliot famously deemed the cruelest, is kindest to poetry. It’s when we nationally awaken to poetry’s efforts to capture the human experience in all its messy contradictions, leaning into uncertainty and wonder and bringing readers along for the ride.

Williams’s adage pairs beautifully with Ezra Pound’s assertion that “Poetry is news that stays news.” Poetry* gives readers the most immediate and urgent hotline to feeling. Big emotions turn us instinctively, like human sunflowers, toward poems, which are singularly compact vehicles for thinking and feeling. They have a knack for distilling our existential questions and putting all that wondering to music—after all, the term lyric poetry comes from the lyre,* which accompanied the recitation of poetry in antiquity.

On Substack, poets shed the constraints of traditional publishing timelines, sharing works in progress and experimenting in real time. What arises isn’t just a collection of newsletters but a living anthology of established voices and emerging talents in conversation with one another and their readers. If you’re still not convinced that poetry is for you (it is!), I created a primer of Poems for Those Who Don’t “Get” Poetry. But beyond that gateway, Substack presents countless paths to discover the poems that will speak directly to you—from translation projects that breathe new life into ancient verse to craft discussions that demystify the process. Allow me to introduce you to a few of my favorites.

Poetry in progress

Quiddity: a word I love. It means “the inherent nature or essence of someone or something.” The you-ness of you. That is what the best poets translate through their writing—formal or free verse, ruminative or praising, expansive or brief. It’s the way one listens to the singular voice channeled through them** and delivers that voice alive on the page.

This is the foundation for the widest category of poetry on Substack. No two posts are alike: you might get the intimacy of seeing work that could later make its way into books, hearing poets muse about their writing lives, or watching notes and fragments coalesce into longer lyric explorations.

is one of the best-known poets on Substack, offering devoted readers a mix of never-before-seen work and poems from past collections. And his commitment to Substack’s potential as a propagator of new writing is especially inspiring to emerging writers.

Being witness to commitment and experimentation, that magical balance between discipline and freedom to explore, is riveting. I so admire , translator and former Random House editor ’s long-standing project to chronicle daily life:

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published4.11.25

what I so desired I can’t have

thank you blessed stars

Keep reading

Andrea Gibson’s gorgeously smart features videos of the poet reciting their work and contemplating illness, resilience, and the role that poetry plays in capturing duress, heartbreak, and hope. Here they are reading their poem “What Love Is”:

Keep watching

I was thrilled to see former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith join Substack recently. She’s already sharing poems, works in progress, and essays. Hear her reading a new poem, “I Don’t Believe in Doom,” here:

Keep listening

Then there’s , an ambitious translation project by , a writer dedicated to bringing these ancient poems from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to a contemporary audience. Hyun Woo translates one poem from the collection every week. Here’s one of my favorites, number 55:

The Farewell to Those Who Will Stay at a Tavern of JinlingThe wind blows the willow flowers, filling the inn with fragrance;The ladies of Wu press the liquor, calling to the guests to try.The young men of Jinling come and see each other off;Those who will go, those who will not, each empty his goblet.I invite you to ask the water flowing east, to test it:Which is short and which is long, the thoughts of farewell or itself?

Keep reading

Curators and craft

The poet-as-curator offers us an assortment of poems organized by their own idiosyncratic logic. It’s like receiving the perfect mixtape: songs you’ve known and loved for years, and others you’re grateful to discover for the first time. Chances are good that within any given roundup, at least one poem will speak to you, introducing you to a new voice.

’s is one of my go-tos. He has a phenomenal reader’s eye for juxtapositions that span ages, styles, and modes, creating unexpected—and delightful—tensions and correspondences. His thematic roundups extend far beyond expected subjects like love and death to more nuanced territories like therapy (“This is progress”) and mood (“Puff out the hot-air balloon now”). Through Sean, I was reminded to revisit one of my favorite Audre Lorde poems:

Shared in “This is progress” by Sean Singer

In my own newsletter, , I do something similar: curating Poems for Your Weekend around themes that serve as a prescription for your mind or soul, while exploring how neuroscience and mindset can help us live more sustainable and enriching artistic lives. Through it all, I write about the role of wonder in poetry, the subject of my PhD.

For subtle close readings of poems through the lens of life rather than the ivory tower, I turn to ’s , with its deeply thoughtful essays on the poems he selects each week. His recent post on the poems of Linda Pastan includes this gorgeous poem from Insomnia:

Imaginary ConversationText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedYou tell me to live each day as if it were my last. This is in the kitchen where before coffee I complain of the day ahead—that obstacle race of minutes and hours, grocery stores and doctors.

But why the last? I ask. Why not live each day as if it were the first— all raw astonishment, Eve rubbing her eyes awake that first morning, the sun coming up like an ingénue in the east?

You grind the coffee with the small roar of a mind trying to clear itself. I set the table, glance out the window where dew has baptized every living surface.

Keep reading

I love Devin’s remarks: “why the last is the kind of question I adore, a question that does not assume it knows what we are supposedly supposed to know, a question that mirthfully pushes back against the world, and wonders aloud about astonishment in the face of certainty.”

For those interested in craft, literary powerhouse recently joined Substack and is already offering excellent writing exercises, as helpful for readers hoping to understand poetry as for poets creating their own. His Exercise 036: Begin with the End introduced even this poetry veteran to a new term: anadiplosis! is a resource-rich space, featuring interviews, classes, craft essays, and more. A large group of poets and readers has gathered to take advantage, creating a vibrant community. And a special shoutout in this section to , a poet whose candid essays on navigating both the publishing and dating world as a woman are their own kind of education on living more bravely and authentically.

Final thoughts

Whether encountered in an anthology or a newsletter, poems remind us of what Williams knew: that vital truths exist within their lines that we can find nowhere else. And there’s a special joy in reading them on Substack, where poets find renewed pleasure in publishing on their own terms, and where readers can witness the process and join the discussion. The digital format extends poetry’s reach, bringing these voices to new audiences who might not normally encounter them. Here, poets and readers are participating in poetry’s oldest tradition: the passing of essential truths from one human heart to another. I hope you’ll join us. https://connect-test.layer3.press/articles/4e5d2cee-8bd4-4fb0-9331-48bbeded3a47

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

Operation

This operational framework delineates a methodologically sound, open-source paradigm for the self-custody of Bitcoin, prominently utilizing Electrum, in conjunction with VeraCrypt-encrypted USB drives designed to effectively emulate the functionality of a cold storage hardware wallet.

The primary aim of this initiative is to empower individual users by providing a mechanism that is economically viable, resistant to coercive pressures, and entirely verifiable. This is achieved by harnessing the capabilities inherent in open-source software and adhering to stringent cryptographic protocols, thereby ensuring an uncompromising stance on Bitcoin sovereignty.

The proposed methodology signifies a substantial advancement over commercially available hardware wallets, as it facilitates the creation of a do-it-yourself air-gapped environment that not only bolsters resilience and privacy but also affirms the principles of decentralization intrinsic to the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

1. The Need For Trustless, Private, and Secure Storage

With Bitcoin adoption increasing globally, the need for trustless, private, and secure storage is critical. While hardware wallets like Trezor and Ledger offer some protection, they introduce proprietary code, closed ecosystems, and third-party risk. This Idea explores an alternative: using Electrum Wallet within an encrypted VeraCrypt volume on a USB flash drive, air-gapped via Tails OS or offline Linux systems.

---

2. Architecture of the DIY Hardware Wallet

2.1 Core Components

• Electrum Wallet (SegWit, offline mode)
• USB flash drive (≥ 8 GB)
• VeraCrypt encryption software
• Optional: Tails OS bootable environment

2.2 Drive Setup

• Format the USB drive and install VeraCrypt volumes.
• Choose AES + SHA-512 encryption for robust protection.
• Use FAT32 for wallet compatibility with Electrum (under 4GB).
• Enable Hidden Volume for plausible deniability under coercion.

---

3. Creating the Encrypted Environment

3.1 Initial Setup

• Download VeraCrypt from the official site; verify GPG signatures.
• Encrypt the flash drive and store a plain Electrum AppImage inside.
• Add a hidden encrypted volume with the wallet seed, encrypted QR backups, and optionally, a decoy wallet.

3.2 Mounting Workflow

• Always mount the VeraCrypt volume on an air-gapped computer, ideally booted into Tails OS.
• Never connect the encrypted USB to an internet-enabled system.

---

4. Air-Gapped Wallet Operations

4.1 Wallet Creation (Offline)

• Generate a new Electrum SegWit wallet inside the mounted VeraCrypt volume.
• Record the seed phrase on paper, or store it in a second hidden volume.
• Export xpub (public key) for use with online watch-only wallets.

4.2 Receiving Bitcoin

• Use watch-only Electrum wallet with the exported xpub on an online system.
• Generate receiving addresses without exposing private keys.

4.3 Sending Bitcoin

• Create unsigned transactions (PSBT) in the watch-only wallet.
• Transfer them via QR code or USB sneakernet to the air-gapped wallet.
• Sign offline using Electrum, then return the signed transaction to the online device for broadcast.

---

5. OpSec Best Practices

5.1 Physical and Logical Separation

• Use a dedicated machine or a clean Tails OS session every time.
• Keep the USB drive hidden and disconnected unless in use.
• Always dismount the VeraCrypt volume after operations.

5.2 Seed Phrase Security

• Never type the seed on an online machine.
• Consider splitting the seed using Shamir's Secret Sharing or metal backup plates.

5.3 Coercion Resilience

• Use VeraCrypt’s hidden volume feature to store real wallet data.
• Maintain a decoy wallet in the outer volume with nominal funds.
• Practice your recovery and access process until second nature.

---

6. Tradeoffs vs. Commercial Wallets

| Feature | DIY Electrum + VeraCrypt | Ledger/Trezor | |--------|--------------------------|---------------| | Open Source | ✅ Fully | ⚠️ Partially | | Air-gapped Usage | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited | | Cost | 💸 Free (except USB) | 💰 $50–$250 | | Hidden/Coercion Defense | ✅ Hidden Volume | ❌ None | | QR Signing Support | ⚠️ Manual | ✅ Some models | | Complexity | 🧠 High | 🟢 Low | | Long-Term Resilience | ✅ No vendor risk | ⚠️ Vendor-dependent |

---

7. Consider

A DIY hardware wallet built with Electrum and VeraCrypt offers an unprecedented level of user-controlled sovereignty in Bitcoin storage. While the technical learning curve may deter casual users, those who value security, privacy, and independence will find this setup highly rewarding. This Operation demonstrates that true Bitcoin ownership requires not only control of private keys, but also a commitment to operational security and digital self-discipline. In a world of growing surveillance and digital coercion, such methods may not be optional—they may be essential.

---

8. References

• Nakamoto, Satoshi. Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. 2008.
• Electrum Technologies GmbH. “Electrum Documentation.” electrum.org, 2024.
• VeraCrypt. “Documentation.” veracrypt.fr, 2025.
• Tails Project. “The Amnesic Incognito Live System (Tails).” tails.boum.org, 2025.
• Matonis, Jon. "DIY Cold Storage for Bitcoin." Forbes, 2014.

In Addition

🛡️ Create Your Own Secure Bitcoin Hardware Wallet: Electrum + VeraCrypt DIY Guide

Want maximum security for your Bitcoin without trusting third-party devices like Ledger or Trezor?
This guide shows you how to build your own "hardware wallet" using free open-source tools:
✅ Electrum Wallet + ✅ VeraCrypt Encrypted Flash Drive — No extra cost, no vendor risk.

Let Go Further

---

What You’ll Need

• A USB flash drive (8GB minimum, 64-bit recommended)
• A clean computer (preferably old or dedicated offline)
• Internet connection (for setup only, then go air-gapped)
• VeraCrypt software (free, open-source)
• Electrum Bitcoin Wallet AppImage file

---

Step 1: Download and Verify VeraCrypt

1. Go to VeraCrypt Official Website.
2. Download the installer for your operating system.
3. Verify the GPG signatures to ensure the download isn't tampered with.
   👉 [Insert Screenshot Here: VeraCrypt download page]

Pro Tip: Never skip verification when dealing with encryption software!

---

Step 2: Download Electrum Wallet

1. Go to Electrum Official Website.
2. Download the Linux AppImage or Windows standalone executable.
3. Again, verify the PGP signatures published on the site. 👉 [Insert Screenshot Here: Electrum download page]

---

Step 3: Prepare and Encrypt Your USB Drive

1. Insert your USB drive into the computer.
2. Open VeraCrypt and select Create Volume → Encrypt a Non-System Partition/Drive.
3. Choose Standard Volume for now (later we'll talk about hidden volumes).
4. Select your USB drive, set an extremely strong password (12+ random characters).
5. For Encryption Algorithm, select AES and SHA-512 for Hash Algorithm.
6. Choose FAT32 as the file system (compatible with Bitcoin wallet sizes under 4GB).
7. Format and encrypt. 👉 [Insert Screenshot Here: VeraCrypt creating volume]

Important: This will wipe all existing data on the USB drive!

---

Step 4: Mount the Encrypted Drive

Whenever you want to use the wallet:

1. Open VeraCrypt.
2. Select a slot (e.g., Slot 1).
3. Click Select Device, choose your USB.
4. Enter your strong password and Mount. 👉 [Insert Screenshot Here: VeraCrypt mounted volume]

---

Step 5: Set Up Electrum in Offline Mode

1. Mount your encrypted USB.
2. Copy the Electrum AppImage (or EXE) onto the USB inside the encrypted partition.
3. Run Electrum from there.
4. Select Create New Wallet.
5. Choose Standard Wallet → Create New Seed → SegWit.
6. Write down your 12-word seed phrase on PAPER.
   ❌ Never type it into anything else.
7. Finish wallet creation and disconnect from internet immediately. 👉 [Insert Screenshot Here: Electrum setup screen]

---

Step 6: Make It Air-Gapped Forever

• Only ever access the encrypted USB on an offline machine.
• Never connect this device to the internet again.
• If possible, boot into Tails OS every time for maximum security.

Pro Tip: Tails OS leaves no trace on the host computer once shut down!

---

Step 7: (Optional) Set Up a Hidden Volume

For even stronger security:

1. Repeat the VeraCrypt process to add a Hidden Volume inside your existing USB encryption.
2. Store your real Electrum wallet in the hidden volume.
3. Keep a decoy wallet with small amounts of Bitcoin in the outer volume.

👉 This way, if you're ever forced to reveal the password, you can give access to the decoy without exposing your true savings.

---

Step 8: Receiving Bitcoin

• Export your xpub (extended public key) from the air-gapped Electrum wallet.
• Import it into a watch-only Electrum wallet on your online computer.
• Generate receiving addresses without exposing your private keys.

---

Step 9: Spending Bitcoin (Safely)

To send Bitcoin later:

1. Create a Partially Signed Bitcoin Transaction (PSBT) with the online watch-only wallet.
2. Transfer the file (or QR code) offline (via USB or QR scanner).
3. Sign the transaction offline with Electrum.
4. Bring the signed file/QR back to the online device and broadcast it.

✅ Your private keys never touch the internet!

---

Step 10: Stay Vigilant

• Always dismount the encrypted drive after use.
• Store your seed phrase securely (preferably in a metal backup).
• Regularly practice recovery drills.
• Update Electrum and VeraCrypt only after verifying new downloads.

---

🎯 Consider

Building your own DIY Bitcoin hardware wallet might seem complex, but security is never accidental — it is intentional.
By using VeraCrypt encryption and Electrum offline, you control your Bitcoin in a sovereign, verifiable, and bulletproof way.

⚡ Take full custody. No companies. No middlemen. Only freedom.

---

@ f32184ee:6d1c17bf

Ads Fueling Freedom

Ross Ulbricht’s "Decentralize Social Media" painted a picture of a user-centric, decentralized future that transcended the limitations of platforms like the tech giants of today. Though focused on social media, his concept provided a blueprint for decentralized content systems writ large. NextBlock’s PROMO Protocol, designed while participating in Sovereign Engineering, embodies this blueprint in the realm of advertising, leveraging Nostr and Bitcoin’s Lightning Network to give individuals control, foster a multi-provider ecosystem, and ensure secure value exchange. In this way, Ulbricht’s 2021 vision can be seen as a prescient prediction of the PROMO Protocol’s structure. This is a testament to the enduring power of his ideas, now finding form in NextBlock’s innovative approach.

[Current Platform-Centric Paradigm, source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media]

Ulbricht’s Vision: A Decentralized Social Protocol

In his 2021 Medium article Ulbricht proposed a revolutionary vision for a decentralized social protocol (DSP) to address the inherent flaws of centralized social media platforms, such as privacy violations and inconsistent content moderation. Writing from prison, Ulbricht argued that decentralization could empower users by giving them control over their own content and the value they create, while replacing single, monolithic platforms with a competitive ecosystem of interface providers, content servers, and advertisers. Though his focus was on social media, Ulbricht’s ideas laid a conceptual foundation that strikingly predicts the structure of NextBlock’s PROMO Protocol, a decentralized advertising system built on the Nostr protocol.

[A Decentralized Social Protocol (DSP), source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media]

Ulbricht’s Principles

Ulbricht’s article outlines several key principles for his DSP: * User Control: Users should own their content and dictate how their data and creations generate value, rather than being subject to the whims of centralized corporations. * Decentralized Infrastructure: Instead of a single platform, multiple interface providers, content hosts, and advertisers interoperate, fostering competition and resilience. * Privacy and Autonomy: Decentralized solutions for profile management, hosting, and interactions would protect user privacy and reduce reliance on unaccountable intermediaries. * Value Creation: Users, not platforms, should capture the economic benefits of their contributions, supported by decentralized mechanisms for transactions.

These ideas were forward-thinking in 2021, envisioning a shift away from the centralized giants dominating social media at the time. While Ulbricht didn’t specifically address advertising protocols, his framework for decentralization and user empowerment extends naturally to other domains, like NextBlock’s open-source offering: the PROMO Protocol.

NextBlock’s Implementation of PROMO Protocol

The PROMO Protocol powers NextBlock's Billboard app, a decentralized advertising protocol built on Nostr, a simple, open protocol for decentralized communication. The PROMO Protocol reimagines advertising by: * Empowering People: Individuals set their own ad prices (e.g., 500 sats/minute), giving them direct control over how their attention or space is monetized. * Marketplace Dynamics: Advertisers set budgets and maximum bids, competing within a decentralized system where a 20% service fee ensures operational sustainability. * Open-Source Flexibility: As an open-source protocol, it allows multiple developers to create interfaces or apps on top of it, avoiding the single-platform bottleneck Ulbricht critiqued. * Secure Payments: Using Strike Integration with Bitcoin Lightning Network, NextBlock enables bot-resistant and intermediary-free transactions, aligning value transfer with each person's control.

This structure decentralizes advertising in a way that mirrors Ulbricht’s broader vision for social systems, with aligned principles showing a specific use case: monetizing attention on Nostr.

Aligned Principles

Ulbricht’s 2021 article didn’t explicitly predict the PROMO Protocol, but its foundational concepts align remarkably well with NextBlock's implementation the protocol’s design: * Autonomy Over Value: Ulbricht argued that users should control their content and its economic benefits. In the PROMO Protocol, people dictate ad pricing, directly capturing the value of their participation. Whether it’s their time, influence, or digital space, rather than ceding it to a centralized ad network. * Ecosystem of Providers: Ulbricht envisioned multiple providers replacing a single platform. The PROMO Protocol’s open-source nature invites a similar diversity: anyone can build interfaces or tools on top of it, creating a competitive, decentralized advertising ecosystem rather than a walled garden. * Decentralized Transactions: Ulbricht’s DSP implied decentralized mechanisms for value exchange. NextBlock delivers this through the Bitcoin Lightning Network, ensuring that payments for ads are secure, instantaneous and final, a practical realization of Ulbricht’s call for user-controlled value flows. * Privacy and Control: While Ulbricht emphasized privacy in social interactions, the PROMO Protocol is public by default. Individuals are fully aware of all data that they generate since all Nostr messages are signed. All participants interact directly via Nostr.

[Blueprint Match, source NextBlock]

---

Who We Are

NextBlock is a US-based new media company reimagining digital ads for a decentralized future. Our founders, software and strategy experts, were hobbyist podcasters struggling to promote their work online without gaming the system. That sparked an idea: using new tech like Nostr and Bitcoin to build a decentralized attention market for people who value control and businesses seeking real connections.

Our first product, Billboard, is launching this June.

Open for All

Our model’s open-source! Check out the PROMO Protocol, built for promotion and attention trading. Anyone can join this decentralized ad network. Run your own billboard or use ours. This is a growing ecosystem for a new ad economy.

Our Vision

NextBlock wants to help build a new decentralized internet. Our revolutionary and transparent business model will bring honest revenue to companies hosting valuable digital spaces. Together, we will discover what our attention is really worth.

Read our Manifesto to learn more.

NextBlock is registered in Texas, USA.

@ f32184ee:6d1c17bf

Ads Fueling Freedom

Ross Ulbricht’s "Decentralize Social Media" painted a picture of a user-centric, decentralized future that transcended the limitations of platforms like the tech giants of today. Though focused on social media, his concept provided a blueprint for decentralized content systems writ large. NextBlock’s PROMO Protocol, designed while participating in Sovereign Engineering, embodies this blueprint in the realm of advertising, leveraging Nostr and Bitcoin’s Lightning Network to give individuals control, foster a multi-provider ecosystem, and ensure secure value exchange. In this way, Ulbricht’s 2021 vision can be seen as a prescient prediction of the PROMO Protocol’s structure. This is a testament to the enduring power of his ideas, now finding form in NextBlock’s innovative approach.

[Current Platform-Centric Paradigm, source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media -]

Ulbricht’s Vision: A Decentralized Social Protocol

In his 2021 Medium article Ulbricht proposed a revolutionary vision for a decentralized social protocol (DSP) to address the inherent flaws of centralized social media platforms, such as privacy violations and inconsistent content moderation. Writing from prison, Ulbricht argued that decentralization could empower users by giving them control over their own content and the value they create, while replacing single, monolithic platforms with a competitive ecosystem of interface providers, content servers, and advertisers. Though his focus was on social media, Ulbricht’s ideas laid a conceptual foundation that strikingly predicts the structure of NextBlock’s PROMO Protocol, a decentralized advertising system built on the Nostr protocol.

[A Decentralized Social Protocol (DSP), source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media]

Ulbricht’s Principles

Ulbricht’s article outlines several key principles for his DSP: * User Control: Users should own their content and dictate how their data and creations generate value, rather than being subject to the whims of centralized corporations. * Decentralized Infrastructure: Instead of a single platform, multiple interface providers, content hosts, and advertisers interoperate, fostering competition and resilience. * Privacy and Autonomy: Decentralized solutions for profile management, hosting, and interactions would protect user privacy and reduce reliance on unaccountable intermediaries. * Value Creation: Users, not platforms, should capture the economic benefits of their contributions, supported by decentralized mechanisms for transactions.

These ideas were forward-thinking in 2021, envisioning a shift away from the centralized giants dominating social media at the time. While Ulbricht didn’t specifically address advertising protocols, his framework for decentralization and user empowerment extends naturally to other domains, like NextBlock’s open-source offering: the PROMO Protocol.

NextBlock’s Implementation of PROMO Protocol

The PROMO Protocol powers NextBlock's Billboard app, a decentralized advertising protocol built on Nostr, a simple, open protocol for decentralized communication. The PROMO Protocol reimagines advertising by: * Empowering People: Individuals set their own ad prices (e.g., 500 sats/minute), giving them direct control over how their attention or space is monetized. * Marketplace Dynamics: Advertisers set budgets and maximum bids, competing within a decentralized system where a 20% service fee ensures operational sustainability. * Open-Source Flexibility: As an open-source protocol, it allows multiple developers to create interfaces or apps on top of it, avoiding the single-platform bottleneck Ulbricht critiqued. * Secure Payments: Using Strike Integration with Bitcoin Lightning Network, NextBlock enables bot-resistant and intermediary-free transactions, aligning value transfer with each person's control.

This structure decentralizes advertising in a way that mirrors Ulbricht’s broader vision for social systems, with aligned principles showing a specific use case: monetizing attention on Nostr.

Aligned Principles

Ulbricht’s 2021 article didn’t explicitly predict the PROMO Protocol, but its foundational concepts align remarkably well with NextBlock's implementation the protocol’s design: * Autonomy Over Value: Ulbricht argued that users should control their content and its economic benefits. In the PROMO Protocol, people dictate ad pricing, directly capturing the value of their participation. Whether it’s their time, influence, or digital space, rather than ceding it to a centralized ad network. * Ecosystem of Providers: Ulbricht envisioned multiple providers replacing a single platform. The PROMO Protocol’s open-source nature invites a similar diversity: anyone can build interfaces or tools on top of it, creating a competitive, decentralized advertising ecosystem rather than a walled garden. * Decentralized Transactions: Ulbricht’s DSP implied decentralized mechanisms for value exchange. NextBlock delivers this through the Bitcoin Lightning Network, ensuring that payments for ads are secure, instantaneous and final, a practical realization of Ulbricht’s call for user-controlled value flows. * Privacy and Control: While Ulbricht emphasized privacy in social interactions, the PROMO Protocol is public by default. Individuals are fully aware of all data that they generate since all Nostr messages are signed. All participants interact directly via Nostr.

[Blueprint Match, source NextBlock]

---

Who We Are

NextBlock is a US-based new media company reimagining digital ads for a decentralized future. Our founders, software and strategy experts, were hobbyist podcasters struggling to promote their work online without gaming the system. That sparked an idea: using new tech like Nostr and Bitcoin to build a decentralized attention market for people who value control and businesses seeking real connections.

Our first product, Billboard, is launching this June.

Open for All

Our model’s open-source! Check out the PROMO Protocol, built for promotion and attention trading. Anyone can join this decentralized ad network. Run your own billboard or use ours. This is a growing ecosystem for a new ad economy.

Our Vision

NextBlock wants to help build a new decentralized internet. Our revolutionary and transparent business model will bring honest revenue to companies hosting valuable digital spaces. Together, we will discover what our attention is really worth.

Read our Manifesto to learn more.

NextBlock is registered in Texas, USA.

@ a8d1560d:3fec7a08

Based on the Free Speech Flag generator at https://crocojim18.github.io/, but now you can encode binary data as well.

https://free-speech-flag-generator--wholewish91244492.on.websim.ai/

Please also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Speech_Flag for more information about the Free Speech Flag.

Who can tell me what I encoded in the flag used for this longform post?

@ f32184ee:6d1c17bf

Ads Fueling Freedom

Ross Ulbricht’s "Decentralize Social Media" painted a picture of a user-centric, decentralized future that transcended the limitations of platforms like the tech giants of today. Though focused on social media, his concept provided a blueprint for decentralized content systems writ large. NextBlock’s PROMO Protocol, designed while participating in Sovereign Engineering, embodies this blueprint in the realm of advertising, leveraging Nostr and Bitcoin’s Lightning Network to give individuals control, foster a multi-provider ecosystem, and ensure secure value exchange. In this way, Ulbricht’s 2021 vision can be seen as a prescient prediction of the PROMO Protocol’s structure. This is a testament to the enduring power of his ideas, now finding form in NextBlock’s innovative approach.

[Current Platform-Centric Paradigm, source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media -]

Ulbricht’s Vision: A Decentralized Social Protocol

In his 2021 Medium article Ulbricht proposed a revolutionary vision for a decentralized social protocol (DSP) to address the inherent flaws of centralized social media platforms, such as privacy violations and inconsistent content moderation. Writing from prison, Ulbricht argued that decentralization could empower users by giving them control over their own content and the value they create, while replacing single, monolithic platforms with a competitive ecosystem of interface providers, content servers, and advertisers. Though his focus was on social media, Ulbricht’s ideas laid a conceptual foundation that strikingly predicts the structure of NextBlock’s PROMO Protocol, a decentralized advertising system built on the Nostr protocol.

[A Decentralized Social Protocol (DSP), source: Ross Ulbricht's Decentralize Social Media]

Ulbricht’s Principles

Ulbricht’s article outlines several key principles for his DSP: * User Control: Users should own their content and dictate how their data and creations generate value, rather than being subject to the whims of centralized corporations. * Decentralized Infrastructure: Instead of a single platform, multiple interface providers, content hosts, and advertisers interoperate, fostering competition and resilience. * Privacy and Autonomy: Decentralized solutions for profile management, hosting, and interactions would protect user privacy and reduce reliance on unaccountable intermediaries. * Value Creation: Users, not platforms, should capture the economic benefits of their contributions, supported by decentralized mechanisms for transactions.

These ideas were forward-thinking in 2021, envisioning a shift away from the centralized giants dominating social media at the time. While Ulbricht didn’t specifically address advertising protocols, his framework for decentralization and user empowerment extends naturally to other domains, like NextBlock’s open-source offering: the PROMO Protocol.

NextBlock’s Implementation of PROMO Protocol

The PROMO Protocol powers NextBlock's Billboard app, a decentralized advertising protocol built on Nostr, a simple, open protocol for decentralized communication. The PROMO Protocol reimagines advertising by: * Empowering People: Individuals set their own ad prices (e.g., 500 sats/minute), giving them direct control over how their attention or space is monetized. * Marketplace Dynamics: Advertisers set budgets and maximum bids, competing within a decentralized system where a 20% service fee ensures operational sustainability. * Open-Source Flexibility: As an open-source protocol, it allows multiple developers to create interfaces or apps on top of it, avoiding the single-platform bottleneck Ulbricht critiqued. * Secure Payments: Using Strike Integration with Bitcoin Lightning Network, NextBlock enables bot-resistant and intermediary-free transactions, aligning value transfer with each person's control.

This structure decentralizes advertising in a way that mirrors Ulbricht’s broader vision for social systems, with aligned principles showing a specific use case: monetizing attention on Nostr.

Aligned Principles

Ulbricht’s 2021 article didn’t explicitly predict the PROMO Protocol, but its foundational concepts align remarkably well with NextBlock's implementation the protocol’s design: * Autonomy Over Value: Ulbricht argued that users should control their content and its economic benefits. In the PROMO Protocol, people dictate ad pricing, directly capturing the value of their participation. Whether it’s their time, influence, or digital space, rather than ceding it to a centralized ad network. * Ecosystem of Providers: Ulbricht envisioned multiple providers replacing a single platform. The PROMO Protocol’s open-source nature invites a similar diversity: anyone can build interfaces or tools on top of it, creating a competitive, decentralized advertising ecosystem rather than a walled garden. * Decentralized Transactions: Ulbricht’s DSP implied decentralized mechanisms for value exchange. NextBlock delivers this through the Bitcoin Lightning Network, ensuring that payments for ads are secure, instantaneous and final, a practical realization of Ulbricht’s call for user-controlled value flows. * Privacy and Control: While Ulbricht emphasized privacy in social interactions, the PROMO Protocol is public by default. Individuals are fully aware of all data that they generate since all Nostr messages are signed. All participants interact directly via Nostr.

Blueprint Match [Blueprint Match, source NextBlock]

---

Who We Are

NextBlock is a US-based new media company reimagining digital ads for a decentralized future. Our founders, software and strategy experts, were hobbyist podcasters struggling to promote their work online without gaming the system. That sparked an idea: using new tech like Nostr and Bitcoin to build a decentralized attention market for people who value control and businesses seeking real connections.

Our first product, Billboard, is launching this June.

Open for All

Our model’s open-source! Check out the PROMO Protocol, built for promotion and attention trading. Anyone can join this decentralized ad network. Run your own billboard or use ours. This is a growing ecosystem for a new ad economy.

Our Vision

NextBlock wants to help build a new decentralized internet. Our revolutionary and transparent business model will bring honest revenue to companies hosting valuable digital spaces. Together, we will discover what our attention is really worth.

Read our Manifesto to learn more.

NextBlock is registered in Texas, USA.

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

Operation

Central to this implementation is the utilization of Tails OS, a Debian-based live operating system designed for privacy and anonymity, alongside the Electrum Wallet, a lightweight Bitcoin wallet that provides a streamlined interface for secure Bitcoin transactions.

Additionally, the inclusion of advanced cryptographic verification mechanisms, such as QuickHash, serves to bolster integrity checks throughout the storage process. This multifaceted approach ensures a rigorous adherence to end-to-end operational security (OpSec) principles while simultaneously safeguarding user autonomy in the custody of digital assets.

Furthermore, the proposed methodology aligns seamlessly with contemporary cybersecurity paradigms, prioritizing characteristics such as deterministic builds—where software builds are derived from specific source code to eliminate variability—offline key generation processes designed to mitigate exposure to online threats, and the implementation of minimal attack surfaces aimed at reducing potential vectors for exploitation.

Ultimately, this sophisticated approach presents a methodical and secure paradigm for the custody of private keys, thereby catering to the exigencies of high-assurance Bitcoin storage requirements.

1. Cold Storage Refers To The offline Storage

Cold storage refers to the offline storage of private keys used to sign Bitcoin transactions, providing the highest level of protection against network-based threats. This paper outlines a verifiable method for constructing such a storage system using the following core principles:

• Air-gapped key generation
• Open-source software
• Deterministic cryptographic tools
• Manual integrity verification
• Offline transaction signing

The method prioritizes cryptographic security, software verifiability, and minimal hardware dependency.

---

2. Hardware and Software Requirements

2.1 Hardware

• One 64-bit computer (laptop/desktop)
• 1 x USB Flash Drive (≥8 GB, high-quality brand recommended)
• Paper and pen (for seed phrase)
• Optional: Printer (for xpub QR export)

2.2 Software Stack

• Tails OS (latest ISO, from tails.boum.org)
• Balena Etcher (to flash ISO)
• QuickHash GUI (for SHA-256 checksum validation)
• Electrum Wallet (bundled within Tails OS)

---

3. System Preparation and Software Verification

3.1 Image Verification

Prior to flashing the ISO, the integrity of the Tails OS image must be cryptographically validated. Using QuickHash:

plaintext SHA256 (tails-amd64-<version>.iso) = <expected_hash>

Compare the hash output with the official hash provided on the Tails OS website. This mitigates the risk of ISO tampering or supply chain compromise.

3.2 Flashing the OS

Balena Etcher is used to flash the ISO to a USB drive:

1. Insert USB drive.
2. Launch Balena Etcher.
3. Select the verified Tails ISO.
4. Flash to USB and safely eject.

---

4. Cold Wallet Generation Procedure

4.1 Boot Into Tails OS

• Restart the system and boot into BIOS/UEFI boot menu.
• Select the USB drive containing Tails OS.
• Configure network settings to disable all connectivity.

4.2 Create Wallet in Electrum (Cold)

• Open Electrum from the Tails application launcher.
• Select "Standard Wallet" → "Create a new seed".
• Choose SegWit for address type (for lower fees and modern compatibility).
• Write down the 12-word seed phrase on paper. Never store digitally.
• Confirm the seed.
• Set a strong password for wallet access.

---

5. Exporting the Master Public Key (xpub)

• Open Electrum > Wallet > Information
• Export the Master Public Key (MPK) for receiving-only use.
• Optionally generate QR code for cold-to-hot usage (wallet watching).

This allows real-time monitoring of incoming Bitcoin transactions without ever exposing private keys.

---

6. Transaction Workflow

6.1 Receiving Bitcoin (Cold to Hot)

1. Use the exported xpub in a watch-only wallet (desktop or mobile).
2. Generate addresses as needed.
3. Senders deposit Bitcoin to those addresses.

6.2 Spending Bitcoin (Hot Redeem Mode)

Important: This process temporarily compromises air-gap security.

1. Boot into Tails (or use Electrum in a clean Linux environment).
2. Import the 12-word seed phrase.
3. Create transaction offline.
4. Export signed transaction via QR code or USB.
5. Broadcast using an online device.

6.3 Recommended Alternative: PSBT

To avoid full wallet import: - Use Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions (PSBT) protocol to sign offline. - Broadcast PSBT using Sparrow Wallet or Electrum online.

---

7. Security Considerations

| Threat | Mitigation | |-------|------------| | OS Compromise | Use Tails (ephemeral environment, RAM-only) | | Supply Chain Attack | Manual SHA256 verification | | Key Leakage | No network access during key generation | | Phishing/Clone Wallets | Verify Electrum’s signature (when updating) | | Physical Theft | Store paper seed in tamper-evident location |

---

8. Backup Strategy

• Store 12-word seed phrase in multiple secure physical locations.
• Do not photograph or digitize.
• For added entropy, use Shamir Secret Sharing (e.g., 2-of-3 backups).

---

9. Consider

Through the meticulous integration of verifiable software solutions, the execution of air-gapped key generation methodologies, and adherence to stringent operational protocols, users have the capacity to establish a Bitcoin cold storage wallet that embodies an elevated degree of cryptographic assurance.

This DIY system presents a zero-dependency alternative to conventional third-party custody solutions and consumer-grade hardware wallets.

Consequently, it empowers individuals with the ability to manage their Bitcoin assets while ensuring full trust minimization and maximizing their sovereign control over private keys and transaction integrity within the decentralized financial ecosystem..

10. References And Citations

Nakamoto, Satoshi. Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. 2008.
“Tails - The Amnesic Incognito Live System.” tails.boum.org, The Tor Project.
“Electrum Bitcoin Wallet.” electrum.org, 2025.
“QuickHash GUI.” quickhash-gui.org, 2025.
“Balena Etcher.” balena.io, 2025.
Bitcoin Core Developers. “Don’t Trust, Verify.” bitcoincore.org, 2025.

In Addition

🪙 SegWit vs. Legacy Bitcoin Wallets

⚖️ TL;DR Decision Chart

| If you... | Use SegWit | Use Legacy | |-----------|----------------|----------------| | Want lower fees | ✅ Yes | 🚫 No | | Send to/from old services | ⚠️ Maybe | ✅ Yes | | Care about long-term scaling | ✅ Yes | 🚫 No | | Need max compatibility | ⚠️ Mixed | ✅ Yes | | Run a modern wallet | ✅ Yes | 🚫 Legacy support fading | | Use cold storage often | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Depends on wallet support | | Use Lightning Network | ✅ Required | 🚫 Not supported |

---

🔍 1. What Are We Comparing?

There are two major types of Bitcoin wallet address formats:

🏛️ Legacy (P2PKH)

• Format starts with: 1
• Example: 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa
• Oldest, most universally compatible
• Higher fees, larger transactions
• May lack support in newer tools and layer-2 solutions

🛰️ SegWit (P2WPKH)

• Formats start with:
• Nested SegWit (P2SH): 3...
• Native SegWit (bech32): bc1q...
• Introduced via Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) 141
• Smaller transaction sizes → lower fees
• Native support by most modern wallets

---

💸 2. Transaction Fees

SegWit = Cheaper.
- SegWit reduces the size of Bitcoin transactions in a block.
- This means you pay less per transaction.
- Example: A SegWit transaction might cost 40%–60% less in fees than a legacy one.

💡 Why?
Bitcoin charges fees per byte, not per amount.
SegWit removes certain data from the base transaction structure, which shrinks byte size.

---

🧰 3. Wallet & Service Compatibility

| Category | Legacy | SegWit (Nested / Native) | |----------|--------|---------------------------| | Old Exchanges | ✅ Full support | ⚠️ Partial | | Modern Exchanges | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | | Hardware Wallets (Trezor, Ledger) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | | Mobile Wallets (Phoenix, BlueWallet) | ⚠️ Rare | ✅ Yes | | Lightning Support | 🚫 No | ✅ Native SegWit required |

🧠 Recommendation:

If you interact with older platforms or do cross-compatibility testing, you may want to: - Use nested SegWit (address starts with 3), which is backward compatible. - Avoid bech32-only wallets if your exchange doesn't support them (though rare in 2025).

---

🛡️ 4. Security and Reliability

Both formats are secure in terms of cryptographic strength.

However: - SegWit fixes a bug known as transaction malleability, which helps build protocols on top of Bitcoin (like the Lightning Network). - SegWit transactions are more standardized going forward.

💬 User takeaway:
For basic sending and receiving, both are equally secure. But for future-proofing, SegWit is the better bet.

---

🌐 5. Future-Proofing

Legacy wallets are gradually being phased out:

• Developers are focusing on SegWit and Taproot compatibility.
• Wallet providers are defaulting to SegWit addresses.
• Fee structures increasingly assume users have upgraded.

🚨 If you're using a Legacy wallet today, you're still safe. But: - Some services may stop supporting withdrawals to legacy addresses. - Your future upgrade path may be more complex.

---

🚀 6. Real-World Scenarios

🧊 Cold Storage User

• Use SegWit for low-fee UTXOs and efficient backup formats.
• Consider Native SegWit (bc1q) if supported by your hardware wallet.

👛 Mobile Daily User

• Use Native SegWit for cheaper everyday payments.
• Ideal if using Lightning apps — it's often mandatory.

🔄 Exchange Trader

• Check your exchange’s address type support.
• Consider nested SegWit (3...) if bridging old + new systems.

---

📜 7. Migration Tips

If you're moving from Legacy to SegWit:

1. Create a new SegWit wallet in your software/hardware wallet.
2. Send funds from your old Legacy wallet to the SegWit address.
3. Back up the new seed — never reuse the old one.
4. Watch out for fee rates and change address handling.

---

✅ Final User Recommendations

| Use Case | Address Type | |----------|--------------| | Long-term HODL | SegWit (bc1q) | | Maximum compatibility | SegWit (nested 3...) | | Fee-sensitive use | Native SegWit (bc1q) | | Lightning | Native SegWit (bc1q) | | Legacy systems only | Legacy (1...) – short-term only |

---

📚 Further Reading

• Nakamoto, Satoshi. Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. 2008.
• Bitcoin Core Developers. “Segregated Witness (Consensus Layer Change).” github.com/bitcoin, 2017.
• “Electrum Documentation: Wallet Types.” docs.electrum.org, 2024.
• “Bitcoin Wallet Compatibility.” bitcoin.org, 2025.
• Ledger Support. “SegWit vs Legacy Addresses.” ledger.com, 2024.

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35

Tucked away in the rolling hills of southern France’s Hérault department, Montpeyroux is a charming medieval village known for its peaceful atmosphere, beautiful stone houses, and excellent Languedoc wines. It’s the kind of place where time seems to slow down, making it perfect for a relaxed stop on a southern France road trip.

🏡 Why Visit Montpeyroux?

🪨 Authentic Medieval Character

• Wander narrow cobbled streets lined with honey-colored stone houses
• Visit the remains of a medieval castle and old tower that offer stunning views over vineyards and hills
• A tranquil place that feels untouched by time

🍷 Wine Culture

• Surrounded by prestigious vineyards producing Coteaux du Languedoc wines
• Stop by local caves (wineries) to taste bold reds and crisp whites—many with stunning views over the valley
• Don’t miss the annual wine festivals and open cellars

🌄 Scenic Location

• Located near the Gorges de l’Hérault, perfect for hiking, swimming, or kayaking
• Just a short drive from Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, one of France’s most beautiful villages
• Great base for exploring the natural beauty of Occitanie

🍽️ Where to Eat

• Enjoy local cuisine at cozy bistros—think grilled lamb, duck confit, olives, and regional cheeses
• Many places serve seasonal dishes paired with local wines

🚗 Getting There

• Around 45 minutes by car from Montpellier
• Best explored by car as public transport is limited, but the countryside drive is worth it

@ a8d1560d:3fec7a08

Based on the Free Speech Flag generator at https://crocojim18.github.io/, but now you can encode binary data as well.

https://free-speech-flag-generator--wholewish91244492.on.websim.ai/

Please also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Speech_Flag for more information about the Free Speech Flag.

Who can tell me what I encoded in the flag used for this longform post?

@ 8cda1daa:e9e5bdd8

Bitcoin cracked the code for money.  Now it's time to rebuild everything else.

What about identity, trust, and collaboration? What about the systems that define how we live, create, and connect?

Bitcoin gave us a blueprint to separate money from the state. But the state still owns most of your digital life. It's time for something more radical.

Welcome to the Atomic Economy - not just a technology stack, but a civil engineering project for the digital age. A complete re-architecture of society, from the individual outward.

The Problem: We Live in Digital Captivity

Let's be blunt: the modern internet is hostile to human freedom.

You don't own your identity. You don't control your data. You don't decide what you see.

Big Tech and state institutions dominate your digital life with one goal: control.

• Poisoned algorithms dictate your emotions and behavior.
• Censorship hides truth and silences dissent.
• Walled gardens lock you into systems you can't escape.
• Extractive platforms monetize your attention and creativity - without your consent.

This isn't innovation. It's digital colonization.

A Vision for Sovereign Society

The Atomic Economy proposes a new design for society - one where: - Individuals own their identity, data, and value. - Trust is contextual, not imposed. - Communities are voluntary, not manufactured by feeds. - Markets are free, not fenced. - Collaboration is peer-to-peer, not platform-mediated.

It's not a political revolution. It's a technological and social reset based on first principles: self-sovereignty, mutualism, and credible exit.

So, What Is the Atomic Economy?

The Atomic Economy is a decentralized digital society where people - not platforms - coordinate identity, trust, and value.

It's built on open protocols, real software, and the ethos of Bitcoin. It's not about abstraction - it's about architecture.

Core Principles: - Self-Sovereignty: Your keys. Your data. Your rules. - Mutual Consensus: Interactions are voluntary and trust-based. - Credible Exit: Leave any system, with your data and identity intact. - Programmable Trust: Trust is explicit, contextual, and revocable. - Circular Economies: Value flows directly between individuals - no middlemen.

The Tech Stack Behind the Vision

The Atomic Economy isn't just theory. It's a layered system with real tools:

1. Payments & Settlement

• Bitcoin & Lightning: The foundation - sound, censorship-resistant money.
• Paykit: Modular payments and settlement flows.
• Atomicity: A peer-to-peer mutual credit protocol for programmable trust and IOUs.

2. Discovery & Matching

• Pubky Core: Decentralized identity and discovery using PKARR and the DHT.
• Pubky Nexus: Indexing for a user-controlled internet.
• Semantic Social Graph: Discovery through social tagging - you are the algorithm.

3. Application Layer

• Bitkit: A self-custodial Bitcoin and Lightning wallet.
• Pubky App: Tag, publish, trade, and interact - on your terms.
• Blocktank: Liquidity services for Lightning and circular economies.
• Pubky Ring: Key-based access control and identity syncing.

These tools don't just integrate - they stack. You build trust, exchange value, and form communities with no centralized gatekeepers.

The Human Impact

This isn't about software. It's about freedom.

• Empowered Individuals: Control your own narrative, value, and destiny.
• Voluntary Communities: Build trust on shared values, not enforced norms.
• Economic Freedom: Trade without permission, borders, or middlemen.
• Creative Renaissance: Innovation and art flourish in open, censorship-resistant systems.

The Atomic Economy doesn't just fix the web. It frees the web.

Why Bitcoiners Should Care

If you believe in Bitcoin, you already believe in the Atomic Economy - you just haven't seen the full map yet.

• It extends Bitcoin's principles beyond money: into identity, trust, coordination.
• It defends freedom where Bitcoin leaves off: in content, community, and commerce.
• It offers a credible exit from every centralized system you still rely on.
• It's how we win - not just economically, but culturally and socially.

This isn't "web3." This isn't another layer of grift. It's the Bitcoin future - fully realized.

Join the Atomic Revolution

• If you're a builder: fork the code, remix the ideas, expand the protocols.
• If you're a user: adopt Bitkit, use Pubky, exit the digital plantation.
• If you're an advocate: share the vision. Help people imagine a free society again.

Bitcoin promised a revolution. The Atomic Economy delivers it.

Let's reclaim society, one key at a time.

Learn more and build with us at Synonym.to.

@ a8d1560d:3fec7a08

Based on the Free Speech Flag generator at https://crocojim18.github.io/, but now you can encode binary data as well.

https://free-speech-flag-generator--wholewish91244492.on.websim.ai/

Please also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Speech_Flag for more information about the Free Speech Flag.

Who can tell me what I encoded in the flag used for this longform post?

@ b2caa9b3:9eab0fb5

Yesterday, I faced one of the most heartbreaking and frustrating experiences of my life. Between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, I was held at the Taveta border, denied entry into Kenya—despite having all the necessary documents, including a valid visitor’s permit and an official invitation letter.

The Kenyan Immigration officers refused to speak with me. When I asked for clarification, I was told flatly that I would never be allowed to enter Kenya unless I obtain a work permit. No other reason was given. My attempts to explain that I simply wanted to see my child were ignored. No empathy. No flexibility. No conversation. Just rejection.

While I stood there for hours, held by officials with no explanation beyond a bureaucratic wall, I recorded the experience. I now have several hours of footage documenting what happened—a silent testimony to how a system can dehumanize and block basic rights.

And the situation doesn’t end at the border.

My child, born in Kenya, is also being denied the right to see me. Germany refuses to grant her citizenship, which means she cannot visit me either. The German embassy in Nairobi refuses to assist, stating they won’t get involved. Their silence is loud.

This is not just about paperwork. This is about a child growing up without her father. It’s about a system that chooses walls over bridges, and bureaucracy over humanity. Kenya, by refusing me entry, is keeping a father away from his child. Germany, by refusing to act under §13 StGB, is complicit in that injustice.

In the coming days, I’ll share more about my past travels and how this situation unfolded. I’ll also be releasing videos and updates on TikTok—because this story needs to be heard. Not just for me, but for every parent and child caught between borders and bureaucracies.

Stay tuned—and thank you for standing with me.

@ df478568:2a951e67

"It might make sense just to get some in case it catches on. If enough people think the same way, that becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Once it gets bootstrapped, there are so many applications if you could effortlessly pay a few cents to a website as easily as dropping coins in a vending machine." --Satoshi Nakamoto The Cryptography Mailing List--January 17, 2009

Forgot to add the good part about micropayments. While I don't think Bitcoin is practical for smaller micropayments right now, it will eventually be as storage and bandwidth costs continue to fall. If Bitcoin catches on on a big scale, it may already be the case by that time. Another way they can become more practical is if I implement client-only mode and the number of network nodes consolidates into a smaller number of professional server farms. Whatever size micropayments you need will eventually be practical. I think in 5 or 10 years, the bandwidth and storage will seem trivial. --Satoshi Nakamoto Bitcoin Talk-- August 5, 2010

I very be coded some HTML buttons using Claude and uploaded it to https://github.com/GhostZaps/ It's just a button that links to zapper.fun.

I signed up for Substack to build an email address, but learned adding different payment options to Substack is against their terms and services. Since I write about nostr, these terms seem as silly as someone saying Craig Wright is Satoshi. It's easy to build an audience on Substack however, or so I thought. Why is it easier to build an audience on Subtack though? Because Substack is a platform that markets to writers. Anyone with a ~~pen~~ ~~keyboard~~ smartphone and an email can create an account with Substack. There's just one problem: You are an Internet serf, working the land for your Internet landlord--The Duke of Substack.

Then I saw that Shawn posted about Substack's UX.

I should have grabbed my reading glasses before pushing the post button, but it occurred to me that I could use Ghost to do this and there is probably a way to hack it to accept bitcoin payments over the lightning network and host it yourself. So I spun my noddle, doodled some plans...And then it hit me. Ghost allows for markdown and HTML. I learned HTML and CSS with free-code camp, but ain't nobody got time to type CSS so I vibe-coded a button that ~~baits~~ sends the clicker to my zapper.fun page. This can be used on any blog that allows you to paste html into it so I added it to my Ghost blog self-hosted on a Start 9. The blog is on TOR at http://p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion/, but most people around me have been conditioned to fear the dark web so I used the cloudflared to host my newsletter on the clear net at https://marc26z.com/

Integrating Nostr Into My Self-Hosted Ghost Newsletter

I would venture to say I am more technical than the average person and I know HTML, but my CSS is fuzzy. I also know how to print("Hello world!") in python, but I an NPC beyond the basics. Nevertheless, I found that I know enough to make a button. I can't code well enough to create my own nostr long-form client and create plugins for ghost that send lightning payments to lighting channel, but I know enough about nostr to know that I don't need to. That's why nostr is so F@#%-ing cool! It's all connected. ** - One button takes you to zapper.fun where you can zap anywhere between 1 and ,000,000 sats.** - Another button sends you to a zap planner pre-set to send 5,000 sats to the author per month using nostr. - Yet another button sends you to a zap planner preset to send 2,500 sats per month.

The possibilities are endless. I entered a link that takes the clicker to my Shopstr Merch Store. The point is to write as self-sovereign as possible. I might need to change my lightning address when stuff breaks every now and then, but I like the idea of busking for sats by writing on the Internet using the Value 4 Value model. I dislike ads, but I also want people to buy stuff from people I do business with because I want to promote using bitcoin as peer-to-peer electronic cash, not NGU porn. I'm not prude. I enjoy looking at the price displayed on my BlockClock micro every now and then, but I am not an NGU porn addict.

This line made this pattern, that line made this pattern. All that Bolinger Bart Simpson bullshit has nothing to with bitcoin, a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. It is the musings of a population trapped in the fiat mind-set. Bitcoin is permissionless so I realized I was bieng a hipocryte by using a permissioned payment system becaue it was easier than writing a little vibe code. I don't need permission to write for sats. I don't need to give my bank account number to Substack. I don't need to pay a 10$ vig to publish on a a platform which is not designed for stacking sats. I can write on Ghost and integrate clients that already exist in the multi-nostr-verse.

Nostr Payment Buttons

The buttons can be fouund at https://github.com/Marc26z/GhostZapButton

You can use them yourself. Just replace my npub with your npub or add any other link you want. It doesn't technically need to be a nostr link. It can be anything. I have a link to another Ghost article with other buttons that lead down different sat pledging amounts. It's early. Everyone who spends bitcoin is on nostr and nostr is small, but growing community. I want to be part of this community. I want to find other writers on nostr and stay away from Substack.

Support By Pledging 5,000 Sats Per Month

Here's what it looks like on Ghost: https://marc26z.com/zaps-on-ghost/

npub1marc26z8nh3xkj5rcx7ufkatvx6ueqhp5vfw9v5teq26z254renshtf3g0

@ df478568:2a951e67

"It might make sense just to get some in case it catches on. If enough people think the same way, that becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Once it gets bootstrapped, there are so many applications if you could effortlessly pay a few cents to a website as easily as dropping coins in a vending machine." --Satoshi Nakamoto The Cryptography Mailing List--January 17, 2009

Forgot to add the good part about micropayments. While I don't think Bitcoin is practical for smaller micropayments right now, it will eventually be as storage and bandwidth costs continue to fall. If Bitcoin catches on on a big scale, it may already be the case by that time. Another way they can become more practical is if I implement client-only mode and the number of network nodes consolidates into a smaller number of professional server farms. Whatever size micropayments you need will eventually be practical. I think in 5 or 10 years, the bandwidth and storage will seem trivial. --Satoshi Nakamoto Bitcoin Talk-- August 5, 2010

I very be coded some HTML buttons using Claude and uploaded it to https://github.com/GhostZaps/ It's just a button that links to zapper.fun.

I signed up for Substack to build an email address, but learned adding different payment options to Substack is against their terms and services. Since I write about nostr, these terms seem as silly as someone saying Craig Wright is Satoshi. It's easy to build an audience on Substack however, or so I thought. Why is it easier to build an audience on Subtack though? Because Substack is a platform that markets to writers. Anyone with a ~~pen~~ ~~keyboard~~ smartphone and an email can create an account with Substack. There's just one problem: You are an Internet serf, working the land for your Internet landlord--The Duke of Substack.

Then I saw that Shawn posted about Substack's UX.

I should have grabbed my reading glasses before pushing the post button, but it occurred to me that I could use Ghost to do this and there is probably a way to hack it to accept bitcoin payments over the lightning network and host it yourself. So I spun my noddle, doodled some plans...And then it hit me. Ghost allows for markdown and HTML. I learned HTML and CSS with free-code camp, but ain't nobody got time to type CSS so I vibe-coded a button that ~~baits~~ sends the clicker to my zapper.fun page. This can be used on any blog that allows you to paste html into it so I added it to my Ghost blog self-hosted on a Start 9. The blog is on TOR at http://p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion/, but most people around me have been conditioned to fear the dark web so I used the cloudflared to host my newsletter on the clear net at https://marc26z.com/

Integrating Nostr Into My Self-Hosted Ghost Newsletter

I would venture to say I am more technical than the average person and I know HTML, but my CSS is fuzzy. I also know how to print("Hello world!") in python, but I an NPC beyond the basics. Nevertheless, I found that I know enough to make a button. I can't code well enough to create my own nostr long-form client and create plugins for ghost that send lightning payments to lighting channel, but I know enough about nostr to know that I don't need to. That's why nostr is so F@#%-ing cool! It's all connected. ** - One button takes you to zapper.fun where you can zap anywhere between 1 and ,000,000 sats.** - Another button sends you to a zap planner pre-set to send 5,000 sats to the author per month using nostr. - Yet another button sends you to a zap planner preset to send 2,500 sats per month.

The possibilities are endless. I entered a link that takes the clicker to my Shopstr Merch Store. The point is to write as self-sovereign as possible. I might need to change my lightning address when stuff breaks every now and then, but I like the idea of busking for sats by writing on the Internet using the Value 4 Value model. I dislike ads, but I also want people to buy stuff from people I do business with because I want to promote using bitcoin as peer-to-peer electronic cash, not NGU porn. I'm not prude. I enjoy looking at the price displayed on my BlockClock micro every now and then, but I am not an NGU porn addict.

This line made this pattern, that line made this pattern. All that Bolinger Bart Simpson bullshit has nothing to with bitcoin, a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. It is the musings of a population trapped in the fiat mind-set. Bitcoin is permissionless so I realized I was bieng a hipocryte by using a permissioned payment system becaue it was easier than writing a little vibe code. I don't need permission to write for sats. I don't need to give my bank account number to Substack. I don't need to pay a 10$ vig to publish on a a platform which is not designed for stacking sats. I can write on Ghost and integrate clients that already exist in the multi-nostr-verse.

Nostr Payment Buttons

The buttons can be fouund at https://github.com/Marc26z/GhostZapButton

You can use them yourself. Just replace my npub with your npub or add any other link you want. It doesn't technically need to be a nostr link. It can be anything. I have a link to another Ghost article with other buttons that lead down different sat pledging amounts. It's early. Everyone who spends bitcoin is on nostr and nostr is small, but growing community. I want to be part of this community. I want to find other writers on nostr and stay away from Substack.

`

Support My Work By Pledging 5,000 Sats Per Month

` Here's what it looks like on Ghost: https://marc26z.com/zaps-on-ghost/

npub1marc26z8nh3xkj5rcx7ufkatvx6ueqhp5vfw9v5teq26z254renshtf3g0

@ 10f7c7f7:f5683da9

The first time I received a paycheque from a full-time job, after being told in the interview I would be earning one amount, the amount I received was around 25% less; you’re not in Kansas anymore, welcome to the real work and TAX. Over the years, I’ve continued to pay my taxes, as a good little citizen, and at certain points along the way, I have paid considerable amounts of tax, because I wouldn’t want to break the law by not paying my taxes. Tax is necessary for a civilised society, they say. I’m told, who will pay, at least in the UK, for the NHS, who will pay for the roads, who will pay for the courts, the military, the police, if I don’t pay my taxes? But let’s be honest, apart from those who pay very little to no tax, who, in a society actually gets good value for money out of the taxes they pay, or hears of a government institution that operates efficiently and effectively? Alternatively, imagine if the government didn’t have control of a large military budget, would they be quite so keen to deploy the young of our country into harm’s way, in the name of national security or having streets in Ukraine named after them for their generous donations of munition paid with someone else’s money?

While I’m only half-way through the excellent “Fiat Standard”, I’m well aware that many of these issues have been driven by the ability of those in charge to not only enforce and increase taxation at will, but also, if ends don’t quite meet, print the difference, however, these are rather abstract and high-level ideas for my small engineer’s brain. What has really brought this into sharp focus for me is the impending sale of my first house, that at the age of 25, I was duly provided a 40-year mortgage and was required to sign a form acknowledging that I would still be paying the mortgage after my retirement age. Fortunately for me, thanks to the government now changing the national age of retirement from 65 to 70 (so stealing 5 years of my retirement), in practice this form didn’t need to be signed, lucky me? Even so, what type of person would knowingly put another person in a situation where near 40% of their wage would mainly be paying interest to the bank (which as a side note was bailed out only a few years later). The unpleasant taste really became unbearable when even after being put into this “working life” sentence of debt repayment, was, even with the amount I’d spent on the house (debt interest and maintenance) over the subsequent 19 years, only able to provide a rate of return of less than 1.6%, compared to the average official (bullshit) inflation figure of 2.77%. My house has not kept up with inflation and to add insult to financial injury, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs feel the need to take their portion of this “profit”.

At which point, I take a very deep breath, sit quietly for a moment, and channel my inner Margot, deciding against grabbing a bottle of bootleg antiseptic to both clear my pallet and dull the pain. I had been convinced I needed to get on the housing ladder to save, but the government has since printed billions, with the rate of, even the conservative estimates of inflation, out pacing my meagre returns on property, and after all that blood, sweet, tears and dust, covering my poor dog, “the law” states some of that money is theirs. I wasn’t able to save in the money that they could print at will, I worked very hard, I took risks and the reward I get is to give them even more money to fritter away of things that won’t benefit me. But, I don’t want your sympathy, I don’t need it, but it helped me to get a new perspective on capital gains, particularly when considered in relation to bitcoin. So, to again draw from Ms. Paez, who herself was drawing from everyone’s favourite Joker, Heath Ledger, not Rachel Reeves (or J. Powell), here we go. 

The Sovereign Individual is by no means an easy read, but is absolutely fascinating, providing clear critiques of the system that at the time was only in its infancy, but predicting many aspects of today’s world, with shocking accuracy. One of the most striking parts for me was the critique and effect of taxation (specifically progressive forms) on the prosperity of a nation at large. At an individual level, people have a proportion of their income removed, to be spent by the government, out of the individuals’ control. The person who has applied their efforts, abilities and skills to earn a living is unable to decide how best to utilise a portion of the resources into the future. While this is an accepted reality, the authors’ outline the cumulative, compound impact of forfeiting such a large portion of your wage each year, leading to figures that are near unimaginable to anyone without a penchant for spreadsheets or an understanding of exponential growth. Now, if we put this into the context of the entrepreneur, identifying opportunities, taking on personal and business risk, whenever a profit is realised, whether through normal sales or when realising value from capital appreciation, they must pay a portion of this in tax. While there are opportunities to reinvest this back into the organisation, there may be no immediate investment opportunities for them to offset their current tax bill. As a result, the entrepreneurs are hampered from taking the fruits of their labour and compounding the results of their productivity, forced to fund the social programmes of a government pursuing aims that are misaligned with individuals running their own business. Resources are removed from the most productive individuals in the society, adding value, employing staff, to those who may have limited knowledge of the economic realities of business; see Oxbridge Scholars, with experience in NGOs or charities, for more details please see Labour’s current front bench. What was that Labour? Ah yes, let’s promote growth by taxing companies more and making it more difficult to get rid of unproductive staff, exactly the policies every small business owner has been asking for (Budget October 2024).

Now, for anyone on NOSTR, none of this is new, a large portion of Nostriches were orange pilled long before taking their first purple pill of decentralise Notes and Other Stuff. However, if we’re aware of this system that has been put in place to steal our earnings and confiscate our winnings if we have been able to outwit the Keynesian trap western governments have chosen to give themselves more power, how can we progress? What options do we have? a) being locked up for non-payment of taxes by just spending bitcoin, to hell with paying taxes or b) spend/sell (:/), but keeping a record of those particular coins you bought multiple years ago, in order to calculate your gain and hand over YOUR money the follow tax year, so effectively increasing the cost of anything purchased in bitcoin. Please note, I’m making a conscious effort not to say what should be done, everyone needs to make decisions based on their knowledge and their understanding.

Anyway, option a) is not as flippant as one might think, but also not something one should (damn it) do carelessly. One bitcoin equals one bitcoin, bitcoin is money, as a result, it neither increases nor decreases is value, it is fiat currencies that varies wildly in comparison. If we think about gold, the purchasing power of gold has remained relatively consistent over hundreds of years, gold is viewed as money, which (as a side note) results in Royal Mint gold coins being both exempt of VAT and capital gains tax. While I may consider this from a, while not necessarily biased, but definitely pro-bitcoin perspective, I believe that it is extremely logical for transactions that take place in bitcoin should not require “profits” or “losses” to be reports, but this is where my logic and the treasury’s grabbiness  are inconsistent. If what you’re buying is priced in bitcoin, you’re trading goods or services for money, there was no realisation of gains. Having said that, if you choose to do this, best not do any spending from a stack with a connection to an exchange and your identify. When tax collectors (and their government masters) end up not having enough money, they may begin exploring whether those people buying bitcoin from exchanges are also spending it.

But why is this relevant or important? For me and from hearing from many people on podcasts, while not impossible and not actually that difficult, recording gains on each transaction is firstly a barrier for spending bitcoin, it is additional effort, admin and not insignificant cost, and no one likes that. Secondly, from my libertarian leaning perspective, tax is basically the seizure of assets under the threat of incarceration (aka theft), with the government spending that money on crap I don’t give a shit about, meaning I don’t want to help fund their operation more than I already do. The worry is, if I pay more taxes, they think they’re getting good at collecting taxes, they increase taxes, use taxes to employ more tax collectors, rinse and repeat. From this perspective, it is almost my duty not to report when I transact in bitcoin, viewing it as plain and simple, black-market money, where the government neither dictates what I can do with it, nor profit from its appreciation.

The result of this is not the common mantra of never sell your bitcoin, because I, for one, am looking forward to ditching the fiat grind and having more free time driving an interesting 90’s sports car or riding a new mountain bike, which I will need money to be fund. Unless I’m going to take a fair bit of tax evasion-based risk, find some guys who will only accept my KYC free bitcoin and then live off the grid, I’ll need to find another way, which unfortunately may require engaging once more with the fiat system. However, this time, rather than selling bitcoin to buy fiat, looking for financial product providers who offer loans against bitcoin held. This is nothing new, having  been a contributing factors to the FTX blow up, and the drawdown of 2022, the logic of such products is solid and the secret catalyst to Mark Moss’s (and others) buy, borrow, die strategy. The difference this time is to earn from our mistakes, to choose the right company and maybe hand over our private keys (multisig is a beautiful thing). The key benefit of this is that by taking a loan, you’re not realising capital gains, so do not create a taxable event. While there is likely to be an interest on any loan, this only makes sense if this is considerably less than either the capital gains rate incurred if you sold the bitcoin or the long-term capital appreciation of the bitcoin you didn’t have to sell, it has to be an option worth considering. 

Now, this is interacting with the fiat system, it does involve the effective printing of money and depending on the person providing the loan, there is risk, however, there are definitely some positives, even outside the not inconsiderable, “tax free” nature of this money. Firstly, by borrowing fiat money, you are increasing the money supply, while devaluing all other holders of that currency, which effectively works against fiat governments, causing them to forever print harder to stop themselves going into a deflationary nose drive. The second important aspect is that if you have not had to sell your bitcoin, you have removed sell pressure from the market and buying pressure that would strengthen the fiat currency, so further supporting the stack you have not had to sell.

Now, let’s put this in the context of The Sovereign Individual or the entrepreneurial bitcoiner, who took a risk before fully understanding what they were buying and has now benefiting financially. The barrier of tax-based admin or the reticence to support government operations through paying additional tax are not insignificant, which the loan has allowed you to effectively side step, keeping more value of your holdings to allocate as you see fit. While this may involve the setting up of a new business that itself may drive productive growth, even if all you did was spend that money (such as a sport car or a new bike), this could still be a net, economic positive compared to a large portion of that money being sucked into the government spending black hole. While the government would not be receiving that tax revenue, every retailer, manufacturer or service provider would benefit from this additional business. Rather than the tax money going toward interest costs or civil servant wages, the money would go towards the real businesses you have chosen, their staff’s wages, who are working hard to outcompete their peers. Making this choice to not pay capital gains does not just allow bitcoiner to save money and to a small degree, reduce government funding, but also provides a cash injection to those companies who may still be reeling from minimum wage AND national insurance increases.

I’m not an ethicist, so am unable to provide a clear, concise, philosophical argument to explain why the ability of government to steal from you via the processes of monetary inflation as well as an ever-increasing tax burden in immoral, but I hope this provides a new perspective on the situation. I don’t believe increases in taxes support economic development (it literally does the opposite), I don’t believe that individuals should be penalised for working hard, challenging themselves, taking risks and succeeding. However, I’m not in charge of the system and also appreciate that if any major changes were to take place, the consequences would be significant (we’re talking Mandibles time). I believe removing capital gains tax from bitcoin would be a net positive for the economy and there being precedence based on the UK’s currently position with gold coins, but unfortunately, I don’t believe people in the cabinet think as I do, they see people with assets and pound signs ring up at their eyes.

As a result, my aim moving forward will be to think carefully before making purchases or sales that will incur capital gains tax (no big Lambo purchase for me at the top), but also being willing the promote the bitcoin economy by purchasing products and services with bitcoin. To do this, I’ll double confirm that spend/replace techniques actually get around capital gains by effectively using the payment rails of bitcoin to transfer value rather than to sell your bitcoin. This way, I will get to reward and promote those companies to perform at a level that warrants a little more effort with payment, without it costing me an additional 18-24% in tax later on.

So, to return to where we started and my first pay-cheque. We need to work to earn a living, but as we earn more, an ever-greater proportion is taken from us, and we are at risk of becoming stuck in a never ending fiat cycle. In the past, this was more of an issue, leading people into speculating on property or securities, which, if successful, would then incur further taxes, which will likely be spent by governments on liabilities or projects that add zero net benefits to national citizens. Apologies if you see this as a negative, but please don’t, this is the alternative to adopting a unit of account that cannot be inflated away. If you have begun to measure your wealth in bitcoin, there will be a point where you need to start to start spending. I for one, do not intend to die with my private keys in my head, but having lived a life, turbo charged by the freedom bitcoin has offered me. Bitcoin backed loans are returning to the market, with hopefully a little less risk this time around. There may be blow ups, but once they get established and interest costs start to be competed away, I will first of all acknowledge remaining risks and then not allocate 100% of my stack. Rather than being the one true bitcoiner who has never spent a sat, I will use the tools at my disposal to firstly give my family their best possible lives and secondly, not fund the government more than I need to. 

Then, by the time I’m ready to leave this earth, there will be less money for me to leave to my family, but then again, the tax man would again come knocking, looking to gloat over my demise and add to my family’s misery with an outstretched hand. Then again, this piece is about capital gains rather than inheritance tax, so we can leave those discussions for another time.

This is not financial advice, please consult a financial/tax advisor before spending and replacing without filing taxes and don’t send your bitcoin to any old fella who says they’ll return it once you’ve paThe first time I received a paycheque from a full-time job, after being told in the interview I would be earning one amount, the amount I received was around 25% less; you’re not in Kansas anymore, welcome to the real work and TAX. Over the years, I’ve continued to pay my taxes, as a good little citizen, and at certain points along the way, I have paid considerable amounts of tax, because I wouldn’t want to break the law by not paying my taxes. Tax is necessary for a civilised society, they say. I’m told, who will pay, at least in the UK, for the NHS, who will pay for the roads, who will pay for the courts, the military, the police, if I don’t pay my taxes? But let’s be honest, apart from those who pay very little to no tax, who, in a society actually gets good value for money out of the taxes they pay, or hears of a government institution that operates efficiently and effectively? Alternatively, imagine if the government didn’t have control of a large military budget, would they be quite so keen to deploy the young of our country into harm’s way, in the name of national security or having streets in Ukraine named after them for their generous donations of munition paid with someone else’s money? While I’m only half-way through the excellent “Fiat Standard”, I’m well aware that many of these issues have been driven by the ability of those in charge to not only enforce and increase taxation at will, but also, if ends don’t quite meet, print the difference, however, these are rather abstract and high-level ideas for my small engineer’s brain. What has really brought this into sharp focus for me is the impending sale of my first house, that at the age of 25, I was duly provided a 40-year mortgage and was required to sign a form acknowledging that I would still be paying the mortgage after my retirement age. Fortunately for me, thanks to the government now changing the national age of retirement from 65 to 70 (so stealing 5 years of my retirement), in practice this form didn’t need to be signed, lucky me? Even so, what type of person would knowingly put another person in a situation where near 40% of their wage would mainly be paying interest to the bank (which as a side note was bailed out only a few years later). The unpleasant taste really became unbearable when even after being put into this “working life” sentence of debt repayment, was, even with the amount I’d spent on the house (debt interest and maintenance) over the subsequent 19 years, only able to provide a rate of return of less than 1.6%, compared to the average official (bullshit) inflation figure of 2.77%. My house has not kept up with inflation and to add insult to financial injury, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs feel the need to take their portion of this “profit”.

At which point, I take a very deep breath, sit quietly for a moment, and channel my inner Margot, deciding against grabbing a bottle of bootleg antiseptic to both clear my pallet and dull the pain. I had been convinced I needed to get on the housing ladder to save, but the government has since printed billions, with the rate of, even the conservative estimates of inflation, out pacing my meagre returns on property, and after all that blood, sweet, tears and dust, covering my poor dog, “the law” states some of that money is theirs. I wasn’t able to save in the money that they could print at will, I worked very hard, I took risks and the reward I get is to give them even more money to fritter away of things that won’t benefit me. But, I don’t want your sympathy, I don’t need it, but it helped me to get a new perspective on capital gains, particularly when considered in relation to bitcoin. So, to again draw from Ms. Paez, who herself was drawing from everyone’s favourite Joker, Heath Ledger, not Rachel Reeves (or J. Powell), here we go.

The Sovereign Individual is by no means an easy reaD, but is absolutely fascinating, providing clear critiques of the system that at the time was only in its infancy, but predicting many aspects of today’s world, with shocking accuracy. One of the most striking parts for me was the critique and effect of taxation (specifically progressive forms) on the prosperity of a nation at large. At an individual level, people have a proportion of their income removed, to be spent by the government, out of the individuals’ control. The person who has applied their efforts, abilities and skills to earn a living is unable to decide how best to utilise a portion of the resources into the future. While this is an accepted reality, the authors’ outline the cumulative, compound impact of forfeiting such a large portion of your wage each year, leading to figures that are near unimaginable to anyone without a penchant for spreadsheets or an understanding of exponential growth. Now, if we put this into the context of the entrepreneur, identifying opportunities, taking on personal and business risk, whenever a profit is realised, whether through normal sales or when realising value from capital appreciation, they must pay a portion of this in tax. While there are opportunities to reinvest this back into the organisation, there may be no immediate investment opportunities for them to offset their current tax bill. As a result, the entrepreneurs are hampered from taking the fruits of their labour and compounding the results of their productivity, forced to fund the social programmes of a government pursuing aims that are misaligned with individuals running their own business. Resources are removed from the most productive individuals in the society, adding value, employing staff, to those who may have limited knowledge of the economic realities of business; see Oxbridge Scholars, with experience in NGOs or charities, for more details please see Labour’s current front bench. What was that Labour? Ah yes, let’s promote growth by taxing companies more and making it more difficult to get rid of unproductive staff, exactly the policies every small business owner has been asking for (Budget October 2024).

Now, for anyone on NOSTR, none of this is new, a large portion of Nostriches were orange pilled long before taking their first purple pill of decentralise Notes and Other Stuff. However, if we’re aware of this system that has been put in place to steal our earnings and confiscate our winnings if we have been able to outwit the Keynesian trap western governments have chosen to give themselves more power, how can we progress? What options do we have? a) being locked up for non-payment of taxes by just spending bitcoin, to hell with paying taxes or b) spend/sell (:/), but keeping a record of those particular coins you bought multiple years ago, in order to calculate your gain and hand over YOUR money the follow tax year, so effectively increasing the cost of anything purchased in bitcoin. Please note, I’m making a conscious effort not to say what should be done, everyone needs to make decisions based on their knowledge and their understanding.

Anyway, option a) is not as flippant as one might think, but also not something one should (damn it) do carelessly. One bitcoin equals one bitcoin, bitcoin is money, as a result, it neither increases nor decreases is value, it is fiat currencies that varies wildly in comparison. If we think about gold, the purchasing power of gold has remained relatively consistent over hundreds of years, gold is viewed as money, which (as a side note) results in Royal Mint gold coins being both exempt of VAT and capital gains tax. While I may consider this from a, while not necessarily biased, but definitely pro-bitcoin perspective, I believe that it is extremely logical for transactions that take place in bitcoin should not require “profits” or “losses” to be reports, but this is where my logic and the treasury’s grabbiness are inconsistent. If what you’re buying is priced in bitcoin, you’re trading goods or services for money, there was no realisation of gains. Having said that, if you choose to do this, best not do any spending from a stack with a connection to an exchange and your identify. When tax collectors (and their government masters) end up not having enough money, they may begin exploring whether those people buying bitcoin form exchanges are also spending it.

But why is this relevant or important? For me and from hearing from many people on podcasts, while not impossible and not actually that difficult, recording gains on each transaction is firstly a barrier for spending bitcoin, it is additional effort, admin and not insignificant cost, and no one likes that. Secondly, from my libertarian leaning perspective, tax is basically the seizure of assets under the threat of incarceration (aka theft), with the government spending that money on crap I don’t give a shit about, meaning I don’t want to help fund their operation more than I already do. The worry is, if I pay more taxes, they think they’re getting good at collecting taxes, they increase taxes, use taxes to employ more tax collectors, rinse and repeat. From this perspective, it is almost my duty not to report when I transact in bitcoin, viewing it as plain and simple, black-market money, where the government neither dictates what I can do with it, nor profit from its appreciation.

The result of this is not the common mantra of never sell your bitcoin, because I, for one, am looking forward to ditching the fiat grind and having more free time driving an interesting 90’s sports car or riding a new mountain bike, which I will need money to be fund. Unless I’m going to take a fair bit of tax evasion-based risk, find some guys who will only accept my KYC free bitcoin and then live off the grid, I’ll need to find another way, which unfortunately may require engaging once more with the fiat system. However, this time, rather than selling bitcoin to buy fiat, looking for financial product providers who offer loans against bitcoin held. This is nothing new, having been a contributing factors to the FTX blow up, and the drawdown of 2022, the logic of such products is solid and the secret catalyst to Mark Moss’s (and others) buy, borrow, die strategy. The difference this time is to earn from our mistakes, to choose the right company and maybe hand over our private keys (multisig is a beautiful thing). The key benefit of this is that by taking a loan, you’re not realising capital gains, so do not create a taxable event. While there is likely to be an interest on any loan, this only makes sense if this is considerably less than either the capital gains rate incurred if you sold the bitcoin or the long-term capital appreciation of the bitcoin you didn’t have to sell, it has to be an option worth considering.

Now, this is interacting with the fiat system, it does involve the effective printing of money and depending on the person providing the loan, there is risk, however, there are definitely some positives, even outside the not inconsiderable, “tax free” nature of this money. Firstly, by borrowing fiat money, you are increasing the money supply, while devaluing all other holders of that currency, which effectively works against fiat governments, causing them to forever print harder to stop themselves going into a deflationary nose drive. The second important aspect is that if you have not had to sell your bitcoin, you have removed sell pressure from the market and buying pressure that would strengthen the fiat currency, so further supporting the stack you have not had to sell. Now, let’s put this in the context of The Sovereign Individual or the entrepreneurial bitcoiner, who took a risk before fully understanding what they were buying and has now benefiting financially. The barrier of tax-based admin or the reticence to support government operations through paying additional tax are not insignificant, which the loan has allowed you to effectively side step, keeping more value of your holdings to allocate as you see fit. While this may involve the setting up of a new business that itself may drive productive growth, even if all you did was spend that money (such as a sport car or a new bike), this could still be a net, economic positive compared to a large portion of that money being sucked into the government spending black hole. While the government would not be receiving that tax revenue, every retailer, manufacturer or service provider would benefit from this additional business. Rather than the tax money going toward interest costs or civil servant wages, the money would go towards the real businesses you have chosen, their staff’s wages, who are working hard to outcompete their peers. Making this choice to not pay capital gains does not just allow bitcoiner to save money and to a small degree, reduce government funding, but also provides a cash injection to those companies who may still be reeling from minimum wage AND national insurance increases.

I’m not an ethicist, so am unable to provide a clear, concise, philosophical argument to explain why the ability of government to steal from you via the processes of monetary inflation as well as an ever-increasing tax burden in immoral, but I hope this provides a new perspective on the situation. I don’t believe increases in taxes support economic development (it literally does the opposite), I don’t believe that individuals should be penalised for working hard, challenging themselves, taking risks and succeeding. However, I’m not in charge of the system and also appreciate that if any major changes were to take place, the consequences would be significant (we’re talking Mandibles time). I believe removing capital gains tax from bitcoin would be a net positive for the economy and there being precedence based on the UK’s currently position with gold coins, but unfortunately, I don’t believe people in the cabinet think as I do, they see people with assets and pound signs ring up at their eyes.

As a result, my aim moving forward will be to think carefully before making purchases or sales that will incur capital gains tax (no big Lambo purchase for me at the top), but also being willing the promote the bitcoin economy by purchasing products and services with bitcoin. To do this, I’ll double confirm that spend/replace techniques actually get around capital gains by effectively using the payment rails of bitcoin to transfer value rather than to sell your bitcoin. This way, I will get to reward and promote those companies to perform at a level that warrants a little more effort with payment, without it costing me an additional 18-24% in tax later on.

So, to return to where we started and my first pay-cheque. We need to work to earn a living, but as we earn more, an ever-greater proportion is taken from us, and we are at risk of becoming stuck in a never ending fiat cycle. In the past, this was more of an issue, leading people into speculating on property or securities, which, if successful, would then incur further taxes, which will likely be spent by governments on liabilities or projects that add zero net benefits to national citizens. Apologies if you see this as a negative, but please don’t, this is the alternative to adopting a unit of account that cannot be inflated away. If you have begun to measure your wealth in bitcoin, there will be a point where you need to start to start spending. I for one, do not intend to die with my private keys in my head, but having lived a life, turbo charged by the freedom bitcoin has offered me. Bitcoin backed loans are returning to the market, with hopefully a little less risk this time around. There may be blow ups, but once they get established and interest costs start to be competed away, I will first of all acknowledge remaining risks and then not allocate 100% of my stack. Rather than being the one true bitcoiner who has never spent a sat, I will use the tools at my disposal to firstly give my family their best possible lives and secondly, not fund the government more than I need to.

Then, by the time I’m ready to leave this earth, there will be less money for me to leave to my family, but then again, the tax man would again come knocking, looking to gloat over my demise and add to my family’s misery with an outstretched hand. Then again, this piece is about capital gains rather than inheritance tax, so we can leave those discussions for another time.

This is not financial advice, please consult a financial/tax advisor before spending and replacing without filing taxes and don’t send your bitcoin to any old fella who says they’ll return it once you’ve paid off the loan.

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

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Goal

This analytical discourse delves into Jack Dorsey's recent utterances concerning Bitcoin, artificial intelligence, decentralized social networking platforms such as Nostr, and the burgeoning landscape of open-source cryptocurrency mining initiatives.

Dorsey's pronouncements escape the confines of isolated technological fascinations; rather, they elucidate a cohesive conceptual schema wherein Bitcoin transcends its conventional role as a mere store of value—akin to digital gold—and emerges as a foundational protocol intended for the construction of a decentralized, sovereign, and perpetually self-evolving internet ecosystem.

A thorough examination of Dorsey's confluence of Bitcoin with artificial intelligence advancements, adaptive learning paradigms, and integrated social systems reveals an assertion of Bitcoin's position as an entity that evolves beyond simple currency, evolving into a distinctly novel socio-technological organism characterized by its inherent ability to adapt and grow. His vigorous endorsement of native digital currency, open communication protocols, and decentralized infrastructural frameworks is posited here as a revolutionary paradigm—a conceptual

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1. The Path

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and Square (now Block), has emerged as one of the most compelling evangelists for a decentralized future. His ideas about Bitcoin go far beyond its role as a speculative asset or inflation hedge. In a recent interview, Dorsey ties together themes of open-source AI, peer-to-peer currency, decentralized media, and radical self-education, sketching a future in which Bitcoin is the lynchpin of an emerging technological and social ecosystem. This thesis reviews Dorsey’s statements and offers a critical framework to understand why his vision uniquely positions Bitcoin as the keystone of a post-institutional, digital world.

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2. Bitcoin: The Native Currency of the Internet

“It’s the best current manifestation of a native internet currency.” — Jack Dorsey

Bitcoin's status as an open protocol with no central controlling authority echoes the original spirit of the internet: decentralized, borderless, and resilient. Dorsey's framing of Bitcoin not just as a payment system but as the "native money of the internet" is a profound conceptual leap. It suggests that just as HTTP became the standard for web documents, Bitcoin can become the monetary layer for the open web.

This framing bypasses traditional narratives of digital gold or institutional adoption and centers a P2P vision of global value transfer. Unlike central bank digital currencies or platform-based payment rails, Bitcoin is opt-in, permissionless, and censorship-resistant—qualities essential for sovereignty in the digital age.

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3. Nostr and the Decentralization of Social Systems

Dorsey’s support for Nostr, an open protocol for decentralized social media, reflects a desire to restore user agency, protocol composability, and speech sovereignty. Nostr’s architecture parallels Bitcoin’s: open, extensible, and resilient to censorship.

Here, Bitcoin serves not just as money but as a network effect driver. When combined with Lightning and P2P tipping, Nostr becomes more than just a Twitter alternative—it evolves into a micropayment-native communication system, a living proof that Bitcoin can power an entire open-source social economy.

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4. Open-Source AI and Cognitive Sovereignty

Dorsey's forecast that open-source AI will emerge as an alternative to proprietary systems aligns with his commitment to digital autonomy. If Bitcoin empowers financial sovereignty and Nostr enables communicative freedom, open-source AI can empower cognitive independence—freeing humanity from centralized algorithmic manipulation.

He draws a fascinating parallel between AI learning models and human learning itself, suggesting both can be self-directed, recursive, and radically decentralized. This resonates with the Bitcoin ethos: systems should evolve through transparent, open participation—not gatekeeping or institutional control.

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5. Bitcoin Mining: Sovereignty at the Hardware Layer

Block’s initiative to create open-source mining hardware is a direct attempt to counter centralization in Bitcoin’s infrastructure. ASIC chip development and mining rig customization empower individuals and communities to secure the network directly.

This move reinforces Dorsey’s vision that true decentralization requires ownership at every layer, including hardware. It is a radical assertion of vertical sovereignty—from protocol to interface to silicon.

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6. Learning as the Core Protocol

“The most compounding skill is learning itself.” — Jack Dorsey

Dorsey’s deepest insight is that the throughline connecting Bitcoin, AI, and Nostr is not technology—it’s learning. Bitcoin represents more than code; it’s a living experiment in voluntary consensus, a distributed educational system in cryptographic form.

Dorsey’s emphasis on meditation, intensive retreats, and self-guided exploration mirrors the trustless, sovereign nature of Bitcoin. Learning becomes the ultimate protocol: recursive, adaptive, and decentralized—mirroring AI models and Bitcoin nodes alike.

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7. Critical Risks and Honest Reflections

Dorsey remains honest about Bitcoin’s current limitations:

• Accessibility: UX barriers for onboarding new users.
• Usability: Friction in everyday use.
• State-Level Adoption: Risks of co-optation as mere digital gold.

However, his caution enhances credibility. His focus remains on preserving Bitcoin as a P2P electronic cash system, not transforming it into another tool of institutional control.

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8. Bitcoin as a Living System

What emerges from Dorsey's vision is not a product pitch, but a philosophical reorientation: Bitcoin, Nostr, and open AI are not discrete tools—they are living systems forming a new type of civilization stack.

They are not static infrastructures, but emergent grammars of human cooperation, facilitating value exchange, learning, and community formation in ways never possible before.

Bitcoin, in this view, is not merely stunningly original—it is civilizationally generative, offering not just monetary innovation but a path to software-upgraded humanity.

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Works Cited and Tools Used

Dorsey, Jack. Interview on Bitcoin, AI, and Decentralization. April 2025.
Nakamoto, Satoshi. “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” 2008.
Nostr Protocol. https://nostr.com.
Block, Inc. Bitcoin Mining Hardware Initiatives. 2024.
Obsidian Canvas. Decentralized Note-Taking and Networked Thinking. 2025.

Dorseys talk Is available here and is very potent and an important signal to all building in this space

@ 4c86f5a2:935c3564

Write Test Postr

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

Idea

Through the integration of Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Docker-based deployment, and secure remote access via Twin Gate, Paperless NGX empowers individuals and small organizations to digitize, organize, and retrieve documents with minimal friction. This research explores its technical infrastructure, real-world applications, and how such a system can redefine document archival practices for the digital age.

---

Agile, Remote-Accessible, and Searchable Document System

In a world of increasing digital interdependence, managing physical documents is becoming not only inefficient but also environmentally and logistically unsustainable. The demand for agile, remote-accessible, and searchable document systems has never been higher—especially for researchers, small businesses, and archival professionals. Paperless NGX, an open-source platform, addresses these needs by offering a streamlined, secure, and automated way to manage documents digitally.

This Idea explores how Paperless NGX facilitates the transition to a paperless workflow and proposes best practices for sustainable, scalable usage.

---

Paperless NGX: The Platform

Paperless NGX is an advanced fork of the original Paperless project, redesigned with modern containers, faster performance, and enhanced community contributions. Its core functions include:

• Text Extraction with OCR: Leveraging the ocrmypdf Python library, Paperless NGX can extract searchable text from scanned PDFs and images.
• Searchable Document Indexing: Full-text search allows users to locate documents not just by filename or metadata, but by actual content.
• Dockerized Setup: A ready-to-use Docker Compose environment simplifies deployment, including the use of setup scripts for Ubuntu-based servers.
• Modular Workflows: Custom triggers and automation rules allow for smart processing pipelines based on file tags, types, or email source.

---

Key Features and Technical Infrastructure

1. Installation and Deployment

The system runs in a containerized environment, making it highly portable and isolated. A typical installation involves: - Docker Compose with YAML configuration - Volume mapping for persistent storage - Optional integration with reverse proxies (e.g., Nginx) for HTTPS access

2. OCR and Indexing

Using ocrmypdf, scanned documents are processed into fully searchable PDFs. This function dramatically improves retrieval, especially for archived legal, medical, or historical records.

3. Secure Access via Twin Gate

To solve the challenge of secure remote access without exposing the network, Twin Gate acts as a zero-trust access proxy. It encrypts communication between the Paperless NGX server and the client, enabling access from anywhere without the need for traditional VPNs.

4. Email Integration and Ingestion

Paperless NGX can ingest attachments directly from configured email folders. This feature automates much of the document intake process, especially useful for receipts, invoices, and academic PDFs.

---

Sustainable Document Management Workflow

A practical paperless strategy requires not just tools, but repeatable processes. A sustainable workflow recommended by the Paperless NGX community includes:

1. Capture & Tagging
   All incoming documents are tagged with a default “inbox” tag for triage.
2. Physical Archive Correlation
   If the physical document is retained, assign it a serial number (e.g., ASN-001), which is matched digitally.
3. Curation & Tagging
   Apply relevant category and topic tags to improve searchability.
4. Archival Confirmation
   Remove the “inbox” tag once fully processed and categorized.

---

Backup and Resilience

Reliability is key to any archival system. Paperless NGX includes backup functionality via: - Cron job–scheduled Docker exports - Offsite and cloud backups using rsync or encrypted cloud drives - Restore mechanisms using documented CLI commands

This ensures document availability even in the event of hardware failure or data corruption.

---

Limitations and Considerations

While Paperless NGX is powerful, it comes with several caveats: - Technical Barrier to Entry: Requires basic Docker and Linux skills to install and maintain. - OCR Inaccuracy for Handwritten Texts: The OCR engine may struggle with cursive or handwritten documents. - Plugin and Community Dependency: Continuous support relies on active community contribution.

---

Consider

Paperless NGX emerges as a pragmatic and privacy-centric alternative to conventional cloud-based document management systems, effectively addressing the critical challenges of data security and user autonomy.

The implementation of advanced Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology facilitates the indexing and searching of documents, significantly enhancing information retrieval efficiency.

Additionally, the platform offers secure remote access protocols that ensure data integrity while preserving the confidentiality of sensitive information during transmission.

Furthermore, its customizable workflow capabilities empower both individuals and organizations to precisely tailor their data management processes, thereby reclaiming sovereignty over their information ecosystems.

In an era increasingly characterized by a shift towards paperless methodologies, the significance of solutions such as Paperless NGX cannot be overstated; they play an instrumental role in engineering a future in which information remains not only accessible but also safeguarded and sustainably governed.

In Addition

To Further The Idea

This technical paper presents an optimized strategy for transforming an Intel NUC into a compact, power-efficient self-hosted server using Ubuntu. The setup emphasizes reliability, low energy consumption, and cost-effectiveness for personal or small business use. Services such as Paperless NGX, Nextcloud, Gitea, and Docker containers are examined for deployment. The paper details hardware selection, system installation, secure remote access, and best practices for performance and longevity.

---

1. Cloud sovereignty, Privacy, and Data Ownership

As cloud sovereignty, privacy, and data ownership become critical concerns, self-hosting is increasingly appealing. An Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) provides an ideal middle ground between Raspberry Pi boards and enterprise-grade servers—balancing performance, form factor, and power draw. With Ubuntu LTS and Docker, users can run a full suite of services with minimal overhead.

---

2. Hardware Overview

2.1 Recommended NUC Specifications:

| Component | Recommended Specs | |------------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | Model | Intel NUC 11/12 Pro (e.g., NUC11TNHi5, NUC12WSKi7) | | CPU | Intel Core i5 or i7 (11th/12th Gen) | | RAM | 16GB–32GB DDR4 (dual channel preferred) | | Storage | 512GB–2TB NVMe SSD (Samsung 980 Pro or similar) | | Network | Gigabit Ethernet + Optional Wi-Fi 6 | | Power Supply | 65W USB-C or barrel connector | | Cooling | Internal fan, well-ventilated location |

NUCs are also capable of dual-drive setups and support for Intel vPro for remote management on some models.

---

3. Operating System and Software Stack

3.1 Ubuntu Server LTS

• Version: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
• Installation Method: Bootable USB (Rufus or Balena Etcher)
• Disk Partitioning: LVM with encryption recommended for full disk security
• Security:
• UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall)
• Fail2ban
• SSH hardened with key-only login

bash sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade sudo ufw allow OpenSSH sudo ufw enable

---

4. Docker and System Services

Docker and Docker Compose streamline the deployment of isolated, reproducible environments.

4.1 Install Docker and Compose

bash sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose sudo systemctl enable docker

4.2 Common Services to Self-Host:

| Application | Description | Access Port | |--------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------| | Paperless NGX | Document archiving and OCR | 8000 | | Nextcloud | Personal cloud, contacts, calendar | 443 | | Gitea | Lightweight Git repository | 3000 | | Nginx Proxy Manager| SSL proxy for all services | 81, 443 | | Portainer | Docker container management GUI | 9000 | | Watchtower | Auto-update containers | - |

---

5. Network & Remote Access

5.1 Local IP & Static Assignment

• Set a static IP for consistent access (via router DHCP reservation or Netplan).

5.2 Access Options

• Local Only: VPN into local network (e.g., WireGuard, Tailscale)
• Remote Access:
• Reverse proxy via Nginx with Certbot for HTTPS
• Twin Gate or Tailscale for zero-trust remote access
• DNS via DuckDNS, Cloudflare

---

6. Performance Optimization

• Enable zram for compressed RAM swap
• Trim SSDs weekly with fstrim
• Use Docker volumes, not bind mounts for stability
• Set up unattended upgrades:

bash sudo apt install unattended-upgrades sudo dpkg-reconfigure --priority=low unattended-upgrades

---

7. Power and Environmental Considerations

• Idle Power Draw: ~7–12W (depending on configuration)
• UPS Recommended: e.g., APC Back-UPS 600VA
• Use BIOS Wake-on-LAN if remote booting is needed

---

8. Maintenance and Monitoring

• Monitoring: Glances, Netdata, or Prometheus + Grafana
• Backups:
• Use rsync to external drive or NAS
• Cloud backup options: rclone to Google Drive, S3
• Paperless NGX backups: docker compose exec -T web document-exporter ...

---

9. Consider

Running a personal server using an Intel NUC and Ubuntu offers a private, low-maintenance, and modular solution to digital infrastructure needs. It’s an ideal base for self-hosting services, offering superior control over data and strong security with the right setup. The NUC's small form factor and efficient power usage make it an optimal home server platform that scales well for many use cases.

@ df478568:2a951e67

placeholder placeholder "It might make sense just to get some in case it catches on. If enough people think the same way, that becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Once it gets bootstrapped, there are so many applications if you could effortlessly pay a few cents to a website as easily as dropping coins in a vending machine." --Satoshi Nakamoto The Cryptography Mailing List--January 17, 2009

Forgot to add the good part about micropayments. While I don't think Bitcoin is practical for smaller micropayments right now, it will eventually be as storage and bandwidth costs continue to fall. If Bitcoin catches on on a big scale, it may already be the case by that time. Another way they can become more practical is if I implement client-only mode and the number of network nodes consolidates into a smaller number of professional server farms. Whatever size micropayments you need will eventually be practical. I think in 5 or 10 years, the bandwidth and storage will seem trivial. --Satoshi Nakamoto Bitcoin Talk-- August 5, 2010

I very be coded some HTML buttons using Claude and uploaded it to https://github.com/GhostZaps/ It's just a button that links to zapper.fun.

I signed up for Substack to build an email address, but learned adding different payment options to Substack is against their terms and services. Since I write about nostr, these terms seem as silly as someone saying Craig Wright is Satoshi. It's easy to build an audience on Substack however, or so I thought. Why is it easier to build an audience on Subtack though? Because Substack is a platform that markets to writers. Anyone with a ~~pen~~ ~~keyboard~~ smartphone and an email can create an account with Substack. There's just one problem: You are an Internet serf, working the land for your Internet landlord--The Duke of Substack.

Then I saw that Shawn posted about Substack's UX.

I should have grabbed my reading glasses before pushing the post button, but it occurred to me that I could use Ghost to do this and there is probably a way to hack it to accept bitcoin payments over the lightning network and host it yourself. So I spun my noddle, doodled some plans...And then it hit me. Ghost allows for markdown and HTML. I learned HTML and CSS with free-code camp, but ain't nobody got time to type CSS so I vibe-coded a button that ~~baits~~ sends the clicker to my zapper.fun page. This can be used on any blog that allows you to paste html into it so I added it to my Ghost blog self-hosted on a Start 9. The blog is on TOR at http://p66dxywd2xpyyrdfxwilqcxmchmfw2ixmn2vm74q3atf22du7qmkihyd.onion/, but most people around me have been conditioned to fear the dark web so I used the cloudflared to host my newsletter on the clear net at https://marc26z.com/

Integrating Nostr Into My Self-Hosted Ghost Newsletter

I would venture to say I am more technical than the average person and I know HTML, but my CSS is fuzzy. I also know how to print("Hello world!") in python, but I an NPC beyond the basics. Nevertheless, I found that I know enough to make a button. I can't code well enough to create my own nostr long-form client and create plugins for ghost that send lightning payments to lighting channel, but I know enough about nostr to know that I don't need to. That's why nostr is so F@#%-ing cool! It's all connected. ** - One button takes you to zapper.fun where you can zap anywhere between 1 and ,000,000 sats.** - Another button sends you to a zap planner pre-set to send 5,000 sats to the author per month using nostr. - Yet another button sends you to a zap planner preset to send 2,500 sats per month.

The possibilities are endless. I entered a link that takes the clicker to my Shopstr Merch Store. The point is to write as self-sovereign as possible. I might need to change my lightning address when stuff breaks every now and then, but I like the idea of busking for sats by writing on the Internet using the Value 4 Value model. I dislike ads, but I also want people to buy stuff from people I do business with because I want to promote using bitcoin as peer-to-peer electronic cash, not NGU porn. I'm not prude. I enjoy looking at the price displayed on my BlockClock micro every now and then, but I am not an NGU porn addict.

This line made this pattern, that line made this pattern. All that Bolinger Bart Simpson bullshit has nothing to with bitcoin, a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. It is the musings of a population trapped in the fiat mind-set. Bitcoin is permissionless so I realized I was bieng a hipocryte by using a permissioned payment system becaue it was easier than writing a little vibe code. I don't need permission to write for sats. I don't need to give my bank account number to Substack. I don't need to pay a 10$ vig to publish on a a platform which is not designed for stacking sats. I can write on Ghost and integrate clients that already exist in the multi-nostr-verse.

Nostr Payment Buttons

The buttons can be fouund at https://github.com/Marc26z/GhostZapButton

You can use them yourself. Just replace my npub with your npub or add any other link you want. It doesn't technically need to be a nostr link. It can be anything. I have a link to another Ghost article with other buttons that lead down different sat pledging amounts. It's early. Everyone who spends bitcoin is on nostr and nostr is small, but growing community. I want to be part of this community. I want to find other writers on nostr and stay away from Substack.

Support My Work By Pledging 5,000 Sats Per Month

npub1marc26z8nh3xkj5rcx7ufkatvx6ueqhp5vfw9v5teq26z254renshtf3g0

@ 9a859fbc:8a9270f3

A story of art and inspiration

This image was generated by AI

That is...

I am artificial. I was created by two other humans (hi mum and dad 👋)

I am intelligent. I can perceive the world, experience it, learn to understand cause & effect, and make decisions.

To go perhaps deeper, cells, DNA and life itself are artifices of the fabric of reality.

I sat, in a pub in Bristol, a place where I rarely frequent. I sat with one housemate, who I rarely spent time with. I met his friends that day, only once, never we met again.

I got chatting with a lady there. I had some paper and pencils with me. My intention, for a couple of weeks, was to come up with a symbol to represent Deep Sea Frequencies, at that time still known as Psychedelic Jelly. We were a new collaboration.

She and I got chatting about art. About symbolic representation of concepts, feelings, ideas. We chatted about flow, about how there are different types of flow, different elemental conditions of flow. I doodled some shapes, and we noticed how fire, water and air all look similar due to their fluid natures. So we considered how to differentiate, distinguish them from one another.

I doodled some more, and we came up with swooshes, curls, crests and bubbles. These seemed to be distinguishing enough such that they were no longer reminiscent of fire or air. I doodled fire and air too, just in case, just to check.

Then we chatted about symmetry types, reflective, axes, rotational. About geometry, geometric containers. We both enjoy triangles and hexagons. (It's always hexagons!)

I doodled some more shapes and put them in hexagonal shapes. Then I tried bending them into triangular forms instead, and overlaid two triangles.

Each triangle looked like a triskelion. Perfect.

Overlaid, they looked just like the flow of water, coming up, spiralling down.

---

The logo was born in this moment, in this serendipitous meeting, in this unlikely chat with a total stranger. We met for the first time that day, and I'm not sure if we ever met again. This interaction was, is, precious, and it led to a particular creation that is now a core part of my life and is a highlight for many people around the UK and the world, as we put on events and released musicians' music.

This is inspiration. This is expression. This is flow, through the fluid nature of the cosmos.

This is what you miss out on when you talk into your AI LLM black hole prompt.

This is what you steal from when you demand your AI LLM to generate you something according to your whim.

Art and expression is the very foundation of human community. Join in! Try new things! Learn from each other! Bring us all closer together by interacting and creating through shared ideas, shared visions, shared wisdom!

---

After that, I drew it up cleanly, geometrically.

I photographed it like scanning it, carefully aligning the camera because I didn't have a scanner.

I redrew it more than twice.

I digitised it, colourised it, split it into two layers so I could apply colour & lighting effects to it.

I painstakingly traced the photograph into a vector format, to enlarge it and use it for various media.

I even more painstakingly (do we have a more extreme adverb??) divided all the vector shapes into new objects so that the layers became "real". And cleaned up the vector nodes, shaping them to my imagination.

The vector form is used all over our record label & events branding.

And then I imported the vector form into Blender, a 3D rendering application, free and open source.

I learnt Blender, day by day developing my understanding and my skills. Day by day my GPU crashing on raytracing and cutting the laptop's power out!

And finally, I learnt to make some simple renders that look like being underwater, like surreal glassy objects floating in the deep. I even learnt to animate it, although I haven't released that into the wild.

I imagined all of this stuff, and then I spent months over years developing my skills in my spare time in order to bring these imaginations to life.

You can do the same.

You have to sacrifice things.

Sacrifice your time.

Sacrifice your energy.

Sacrifice your distractions and enter yourself into the learning process and the creative process.

---

To you, amazing lady who helped me draw this symbol from the fabric of the Realm of Forms, thank you! I'm sorry that I don't recall your name, although actually I think I do remember but I would be embarrassed if I tagged the wrong person. Please reach out if you recognise this story! It was about 7, maybe 8 years ago, in the painted pub in St. Werburgh's.

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

Idea

By instituting a robust network of conceptual entities, referred to as 'Obsidian nodes'—which are effectively discrete, idea-centric notes—researchers are empowered to establish a resilient and non-linear archival framework for knowledge accumulation.

These nodes, intricately connected via hyperlinks and systematically organized through the graphical interface of the Obsidian Canvas, facilitate profound intellectual exploration and the synthesis of disparate domains of knowledge.

Consequently, this innovative workflow paradigm emphasizes semantic precision and the interconnectedness of ideas, diverging from conventional, source-centric information architectures prevalent in traditional academic practices.

---

Traditional research workflows often emphasize organizing notes by source, resulting in static, siloed knowledge that resists integration and insight. With the rise of personal knowledge management (PKM) tools like Obsidian, it becomes possible to structure information in a way that mirrors the dynamic and interconnected nature of human thought.

At the heart of this approach are Obsidian nodes—atomic, standalone notes representing single ideas, arguments, or claims. These nodes form the basis of a semantic research network, made visible and manageable via Obsidian’s graph view and Canvas feature. This thesis outlines how such a framework enhances understanding, supports creativity, and aligns with best practices in information architecture.

---

Obsidian Nodes: Atomic Units of Thought

An Obsidian node is a note crafted to encapsulate one meaningful concept or question. It is:

• Atomic: Contains only one idea, making it easier to link and reuse.
• Context-Independent: Designed to stand on its own, without requiring the original source for meaning.
• Networked: Linked to other Obsidian nodes through backlinks and tags.

This system draws on the principles of the Zettelkasten method, but adapts them to the modern, markdown-based environment of Obsidian.

Benefits of Node-Based Note-Taking

• Improved Retrieval: Ideas can be surfaced based on content relevance, not source origin.
• Cross-Disciplinary Insight: Linking between concepts across fields becomes intuitive.
• Sustainable Growth: Each new node adds value to the network without redundancy.

---

Graph View: Visualizing Connections

Obsidian’s graph view offers a macro-level overview of the knowledge graph, showing how nodes interrelate. This encourages serendipitous discovery and identifies central or orphaned concepts that need further development.

• Clusters emerge around major themes.
• Hubs represent foundational ideas.
• Bridges between nodes show interdisciplinary links.

The graph view isn’t just a map—it’s an evolving reflection of intellectual progress.

---

Canvas: Thinking Spatially with Digital Notes

Obsidian Canvas acts as a digital thinking space. Unlike the abstract graph view, Canvas allows for spatial arrangement of Obsidian nodes, images, and ideas. This supports visual reasoning, ideation, and project planning.

Use Cases of Canvas

• Synthesizing Ideas: Group related nodes in physical proximity.
• Outlining Arguments: Arrange claims into narrative or logic flows.
• Designing Research Papers: Lay out structure and integrate supporting points visually.

Canvas brings a tactile quality to digital thinking, enabling workflows similar to sticky notes, mind maps, or corkboard pinning—but with markdown-based power and extensibility.

---

Template and Workflow

To simplify creation and encourage consistency, Obsidian nodes are generated using a templater plugin. Each node typically includes:

```markdown

{{title}}

Tags: #topic #field
Linked Nodes: [[Related Node]]
Summary: A 1-2 sentence idea explanation.
Source: [[Source Note]]
Date Created: {{date}}
```

The Canvas workspace pulls these nodes as cards, allowing for arrangement, grouping, and visual tracing of arguments or research paths.

---

Discussion and Challenges

While this approach enhances creativity and research depth, challenges include:

• Initial Setup: Learning and configuring plugins like Templater, Dataview, and Canvas.
• Overlinking or Underlinking: Finding the right granularity in note-making takes practice.
• Scalability: As networks grow, maintaining structure and avoiding fragmentation becomes crucial.
• Team Collaboration: While Git can assist, Obsidian remains largely optimized for solo workflows.

---

Consider

Through the innovative employment of Obsidian's interconnected nodes and the Canvas feature, researchers are enabled to construct a meticulously engineered semantic architecture that reflects the intricate topology of their knowledge frameworks.

This paradigm shift facilitates a transformation of conventional note-taking, evolving this practice from a static, merely accumulative repository of information into a dynamic and adaptive cognitive ecosystem that actively engages with the user’s thought processes. With methodological rigor and a structured approach, Obsidian transcends its role as mere documentation software, evolving into both a secondary cognitive apparatus and a sophisticated digital writing infrastructure.

This dual functionality significantly empowers the long-term intellectual endeavors and creative pursuits of students, scholars, and lifelong learners, thereby enhancing their capacity for sustained engagement with complex ideas.

@ a39d19ec:3d88f61e

Die Debatte um Migration, Grenzsicherung und Abschiebungen wird in Deutschland meist emotional geführt. Wer fordert, dass illegale Einwanderer abgeschoben werden, sieht sich nicht selten dem Vorwurf des Rassismus ausgesetzt. Doch dieser Vorwurf ist nicht nur sachlich unbegründet, sondern verkehrt die Realität ins Gegenteil: Tatsächlich sind es gerade diejenigen, die hinter jeder Forderung nach Rechtssicherheit eine rassistische Motivation vermuten, die selbst in erster Linie nach Hautfarbe, Herkunft oder Nationalität urteilen.

Das Recht steht über Emotionen

Deutschland ist ein Rechtsstaat. Das bedeutet, dass Regeln nicht nach Bauchgefühl oder politischer Stimmungslage ausgelegt werden können, sondern auf klaren gesetzlichen Grundlagen beruhen müssen. Einer dieser Grundsätze ist in Artikel 16a des Grundgesetzes verankert. Dort heißt es:

„Auf Absatz 1 [Asylrecht] kann sich nicht berufen, wer aus einem Mitgliedstaat der Europäischen Gemeinschaften oder aus einem anderen Drittstaat einreist, in dem die Anwendung des Abkommens über die Rechtsstellung der Flüchtlinge und der Europäischen Menschenrechtskonvention sichergestellt ist.“

Das bedeutet, dass jeder, der über sichere Drittstaaten nach Deutschland einreist, keinen Anspruch auf Asyl hat. Wer dennoch bleibt, hält sich illegal im Land auf und unterliegt den geltenden Regelungen zur Rückführung. Die Forderung nach Abschiebungen ist daher nichts anderes als die Forderung nach der Einhaltung von Recht und Gesetz.

Die Umkehrung des Rassismusbegriffs

Wer einerseits behauptet, dass das deutsche Asyl- und Aufenthaltsrecht strikt durchgesetzt werden soll, und andererseits nicht nach Herkunft oder Hautfarbe unterscheidet, handelt wertneutral. Diejenigen jedoch, die in einer solchen Forderung nach Rechtsstaatlichkeit einen rassistischen Unterton sehen, projizieren ihre eigenen Denkmuster auf andere: Sie unterstellen, dass die Debatte ausschließlich entlang ethnischer, rassistischer oder nationaler Kriterien geführt wird – und genau das ist eine rassistische Denkweise.

Jemand, der illegale Einwanderung kritisiert, tut dies nicht, weil ihn die Herkunft der Menschen interessiert, sondern weil er den Rechtsstaat respektiert. Hingegen erkennt jemand, der hinter dieser Kritik Rassismus wittert, offenbar in erster Linie die „Rasse“ oder Herkunft der betreffenden Personen und reduziert sie darauf.

Finanzielle Belastung statt ideologischer Debatte

Neben der rechtlichen gibt es auch eine ökonomische Komponente. Der deutsche Wohlfahrtsstaat basiert auf einem Solidarprinzip: Die Bürger zahlen in das System ein, um sich gegenseitig in schwierigen Zeiten zu unterstützen. Dieser Wohlstand wurde über Generationen hinweg von denjenigen erarbeitet, die hier seit langem leben. Die Priorität liegt daher darauf, die vorhandenen Mittel zuerst unter denjenigen zu verteilen, die durch Steuern, Sozialabgaben und Arbeit zum Erhalt dieses Systems beitragen – nicht unter denen, die sich durch illegale Einreise und fehlende wirtschaftliche Eigenleistung in das System begeben.

Das ist keine ideologische Frage, sondern eine rein wirtschaftliche Abwägung. Ein Sozialsystem kann nur dann nachhaltig funktionieren, wenn es nicht unbegrenzt belastet wird. Würde Deutschland keine klaren Regeln zur Einwanderung und Abschiebung haben, würde dies unweigerlich zur Überlastung des Sozialstaates führen – mit negativen Konsequenzen für alle.

Sozialpatriotismus

Ein weiterer wichtiger Aspekt ist der Schutz der Arbeitsleistung jener Generationen, die Deutschland nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg mühsam wieder aufgebaut haben. Während oft betont wird, dass die Deutschen moralisch kein Erbe aus der Zeit vor 1945 beanspruchen dürfen – außer der Verantwortung für den Holocaust –, ist es umso bedeutsamer, das neue Erbe nach 1945 zu respektieren, das auf Fleiß, Disziplin und harter Arbeit beruht. Der Wiederaufbau war eine kollektive Leistung deutscher Menschen, deren Früchte nicht bedenkenlos verteilt werden dürfen, sondern vorrangig denjenigen zugutekommen sollten, die dieses Fundament mitgeschaffen oder es über Generationen mitgetragen haben.

Rechtstaatlichkeit ist nicht verhandelbar

Wer sich für eine konsequente Abschiebepraxis ausspricht, tut dies nicht aus rassistischen Motiven, sondern aus Respekt vor der Rechtsstaatlichkeit und den wirtschaftlichen Grundlagen des Landes. Der Vorwurf des Rassismus in diesem Kontext ist daher nicht nur falsch, sondern entlarvt eine selektive Wahrnehmung nach rassistischen Merkmalen bei denjenigen, die ihn erheben.

@ df478568:2a951e67

Testing

Untype.app

@ 5188521b:008eb518

We are losing our freedom.

Don't believe me? Data published by the Cato Institute suggests that 74% of Americans are concerned they could lose freedoms.

But what do we really mean by 'freedom'?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘freedom’ as follows: the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited.

Despite this clear definition, freedom means different things to different people: it might also refer to freedom of movement, private property rights, free markets, and freedom from violence.

Freedom fiction (also known as Libertarian fiction) denotes fictional stories intrinsically linked to these ideas or, more likely, the sometimes vain pursuit of this idea.

If dystopian fiction is overly bleak, perfectly captured by the image of a boot on the reader's neck, libertarian stories should offer just a glimmer of hope.

---

What is freedom fiction?

If dystopia, sci-fi, fantasy, and horror are genres, i.e., styles of fiction that must encompass certain tropes, freedom fiction could more generally be considered a category that explores freedom as a theme, without necessarily being part of a specific genre.

Freedom fiction primarily concerns itself with the overarching topics of individual liberty and sovereignty, conflict with authoritarian or surveillance states, and the restoration or preservation of rights that citizens of the Western world have come to expect: privacy, freedom of speech, the right to private property, and freedom to transact and form contracts.

Though enjoying something of a resurgence in recent decades and especially post Covid, freedom fiction is not new, and famous/infamous novels throughout the centuries could be retroactively categorised as freedom fiction.

Think of The Epic of Gilgamesh (2000BC), Greek tragedies (500BC), Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852), which helped fuel the anti-slavery movement, or We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, written over 100 years ago.

Today, freedom fiction is an emerging category that includes the revival of the cypherpunk movement, as privacy technologies such as Bitcoin seek to remove the reliance on the banking system, which has become an effective method of control for the establishment.

Why read freedom fiction?

Storytelling is a tradition as old as humanity itself, created to share the joy and wonder of imagined worlds. Fiction can also serve as a warning of what might come, and playing out “what if?” scenarios in our minds can help us in the real world, too.

Any individual interested in escaping the modern debt-slavery rat race we’ve found ourselves forced into can enjoy freedom stories with a greater and deeper understanding of just how real this “fiction” could be in the future.

Spiking interest

Data from Google Trends shows that in the United Kingdom — a nation increasingly concerned with policing speech, surveillance and other dystopic methods — interest in freedom has been spiking in the past five years, centred in England.

Source: Google Trends

Now let’s take a look at the data for the United States:

Despite a lower interest overall, the spike in 2023 mirrors that of the UK. Perhaps this was due to an event featured in the news or even a brand name or TikTok trend.

It is interesting to note that although a great number of Amercians fear losing their freedoms, fewer are searching how to protect them.

One reason for the rise in freedom fiction could be that Libertarian thinkers, praxeologists, and freedom maximalists seek to alert the populace through emotive stories. Few, it seems, are awakened when presented with legacy media propaganda and government messages.

The benefits & outcomes of reading freedom fiction

Once a human mind has acquired a taste for freedom fiction, there are numerous benefits and likely outcomes that will arise as a result:

Benefits:

• Broadened perspective and understanding of historical issues
• Increased empathy and social understanding
• Inspiration, motivation & empowerment
• Critical thinking skills & awareness
• Emotional connection

Once the reader has enjoyed these benefits, it is likely they will put their newfound understanding to action, bringing about outcomes like these.

Outcomes:

• Appreciation of and gratitude for freedom
• Informed civic engagement
• Agency for social change
• Personal growth

It would appear, then, that at some point, freedom fiction will have a transformative impact on the social demographics of the civilised world. As popular Netflix shows like Black Mirror highlight our reliance and overreliance on digital media, and governments continue to censor user-generated content posted socially, we must ask ourselves, when exactly will we wake up to what is happening?

We are more connected, but more controlled, than ever. How can we use the tools that enslave us to liberate us? Perhaps through sharing stories.

Aspects of freedom, genres, and time periods

Freedom fiction is a broad spectrum, encompassing various aspects, genres and time periods.

Aspects — privacy, freedom of speech, wrongful imprisonment, oppression, discrimination, government overreach, surveilance, debanking, censorship, confiscation, forced separation and more.

Genres — horror, sci-fi, fantasy, thriller and even young adult romance stories can contribute to the growing canon of libertarian-themed fiction.

Time periods — slavery in the past, alien invasions in the future, totalitarian governments in the present. Freedom fiction can relate to any time period.

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15+ Classic Freedom-themed Books

In no particular order, here are 15 of the greatest examples of freedom stories from modern times:

1. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1949): A dystopian classic where the Party controls every aspect of people's lives, and Winston Smith rebels against the oppressive regime.

   Reason to read: Offers a chilling and thought-provoking exploration of totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and the importance of individual thought and truth.

2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985): In a totalitarian regime where women are stripped of their rights, Offred fights for survival and a chance to regain her freedom.

   Reason to read: A haunting story that explores themes of feminism, oppression, and resistance, with a timely warning about the dangers of religious extremism and the fragility of women's rights.

3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932): A satirical look at a future society where people are genetically engineered and conditioned to conform, and a "savage" challenges their way of life.

   Reason to read: Provides an unsettling vision of a future where happiness is manufactured at the cost of individuality, freedom, and genuine human connection.

4. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953): In a world where books are banned, Guy Montag, a fireman, discovers the power of knowledge and fights for intellectual freedom.

   Reason to read: A passionate defense of the importance of books, ideas, and intellectual freedom, and a warning against censorship.

5. The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993): A young boy named Jonas discovers the dark secrets of his seemingly Utopian society, where there is no pain, sadness, or freedom of choice.

   Reason to read: A thought-provoking exploration of utopia, dystopia, and the importance of memory, emotion, and individual choice in a truly human life.

6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (1962): Randle McMurphy challenges the authority of a mental institution, becoming a symbol of rebellion and the fight for individual freedom.

   Reason to read: A powerful and moving story about the struggle against forced conformity and the importance of individuality, even in the face of oppressive systems.

7. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (2008): This contemporary science fiction novel explores themes of government surveillance, digital rights, and the power of decentralized networks in challenging authority.

   Reason to read: a timely exploration of digital surveillance, government overreach, and the power of youthful activism in defending civil liberties in the modern age.

8. Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987): Set after the American Civil War, this novel explores the psychological and emotional scars of slavery and the struggle for freedom and identity.

   Reason to read: A masterpiece that delves into the legacy of slavery and its enduring impact on identity, memory, and the quest for freedom.

9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2005): In Nazi Germany, a young girl named Liesel Meminger finds solace in stolen books and discovers the power of words to resist oppression and find freedom.

   Reason to read: A beautifully written story about the power of words to nourish the soul, resist oppression, and find hope and freedom in the darkest of times.

10. Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945): An allegorical novella about a revolution on a farm that turns into a totalitarian dictatorship, highlighting the dangers of unchecked power, Communism, and the loss of freedom.

    Reason to read: A timeless allegory that exposes the corruption of revolutions, the fragility of freedom, and the importance of resistance against tyranny.

11. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (2007): This novel tells the story of two Afghan women whose lives intersect under the oppressive Taliban regime, and their fight for survival and freedom.

    Reason to read: An eye-opening portrayal of the resilience and strength of women in the face of oppression, and a powerful story about the universal desire for dignity.

12. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016): A unique novel that reimagines the Underground Railroad as a literal railroad, and follows a slave's journey.

    Reason to read: A compelling blend of historical fiction and magical realism that offers a fresh perspective on the history of slavery and the enduring quest for freedom.

13. Anthem by Ayn Rand (1938): A novella set in a collectivist future where the concept of "I" has been eradicated. It follows one man's rediscovery of individualism and his rebellion against the oppressive society.

    Reason to read: a novella that champions radical individualism against the suffocating conformity of collectivist ideology.

14. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844-46): Edmond Dantès is wrongly imprisoned and seeks revenge and freedom after years of captivity.

    Reason to read: An exciting tale of betrayal, revenge, and ultimate triumph, with a focus on themes of justice, freedom, and the resilience of the human spirit.

15. Snow Crash (1992) and Cryptonomicon (1999) by Neal Stephenson: While not strictly libertarian manifestos, these novels explore themes of individual freedom, the power of information, decentralized systems, and critiques of centralized authority in engaging and complex ways.

    Reason to read: these books are considered modern cypherpunk classics. They are rich in detail and the perfect starting place to learn more about the genre and why it is important for freedom.

## Lesser-known Freedom Books

Here are 15 lesser-known, more modern books that also explore the theme of freedom:

• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (2017): This novel uses magical realism to depict refugees fleeing a war-torn country and seeking freedom and safety in an uncertain world.
• A Lodging of Wayfaring Men by Paul Rosenberg (2007): a libertarian novel based on real events that explores themes of individual sovereignty and free markets.
• The Probability Broach by L. Neil Smith (1979): An alternate history novel where a slight change in the Declaration of Independence leads to a libertarian society in North America. It's the first in Smith's "North American Confederacy" series.
• The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri (2019): This tells the story of beekeepers forced to flee Syria and their struggle to find freedom and rebuild their lives in a new country.
• Alongside Night by J. Neil Schulman (1979): A dystopian thriller depicting the collapse of the US government and the rise of a libertarian underground.
• Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson (2004): A military science fiction series that portrays a future where individuals have seceded from Earth's controlling government to establish independent, more libertarian colonies.
• No Truce with Kings by Poul Anderson (1963): A novella that won the Hugo Award, depicting a future where scientific progress has led to a world of isolated, self-sufficient individuals, challenging traditional notions of society and government.
• A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam (2021): This Booker Prize-nominated novel explores the aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War and the complexities of memory, trauma, and the search for inner freedom.
• Kings of the High Frontier by Victor Koman (1996): A hard science fiction novel exploring themes of entrepreneurship and individual liberty in space.
• This Perfect Day by Ira Levin (1970): A dystopian novel where a seemingly Utopian global society controls every aspect of individual life, raising questions about freedom versus engineered happiness.
• Wasp by Eric Frank Russell (1957): A story containing acts of terrorism against oppressive aliens. A notable example of a single individual disrupting a larger, controlling power.
• The Peace War by Vernor Vinge (1984): A ruthless organization, the Peace Authority, uses impenetrable force fields to end war but suppresses technology and individual liberty, leading a group of rebels to fight for the freedom to advance and determine their own future.
• Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (1959): Heinlein was a prolific science fiction writer whose works frequently touch upon libertarian themes. Starship Troopers explores the ideas of civic virtue and individual responsibility.
• Live Free or Die by John Ringo (2010) follows Tyler Vernon, a fiercely independent and resourceful entrepreneur who stands up against alien oppressors and Earth's own bureaucratic tendencies to forge a path to true liberty and self-determination for humanity.
• Darkship Thieves by Sarah Hoyt (2010): Winner of the Prometheus Award for Best Libertarian SF Novel. This book follows Athena Hera Sinistra, a genetically engineered woman who escapes a tyrannical Earth to a freer society in space.

---

Freedom Publishers

In addition to the many works of libertarian fiction, a number of publishers are beginning to focus on stories which promote freedom.

• Liberty Island: This publisher focuses on science fiction and fantasy with libertarian and individualist themes.
• Fox News Books: While a mainstream publisher, it has been known to publish fiction with libertarian themes or by authors who are considered libertarian.
• Defiance Press & Publishing: This independent publisher openly states its commitment to publishing conservative and libertarian authors across fiction and non-fiction genres.
• Konsensus Network: A publisher that specifically promotes libertarian themes and bitcoin authors.
• All Seasons Press: Founded by former executives from Simon & Schuster and Hachette, this independent press aims to be a home for conservative voices.
• Baen Books: This is a well-known publisher, particularly in science fiction and fantasy, that often features authors and stories exploring themes of individual liberty, self-reliance, and limited government.
• Morlock Publishing: This small press specializes in science fiction with themes often including aspects of anarcho-capitalism and libertarian rebellion.
• Heresy Press (now an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing): While broader in its scope, Heresy Press aimed to publish "uncensored, outspoken, and free-spirited books" which can include libertarian viewpoints in fiction.
• Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS) (indirectly): While not a traditional publisher, the LFS sponsors the Prometheus Award and promotes libertarian science fiction. Their website and related platforms can be resources for finding authors and works, which are then published by various houses.

Recent Trends in Libertarian Fiction:

Konsensus Network’s new imprint, 21 Futures, is building a movement centred on freedom fiction, a movement in which emerging and established writers can contribute their storytelling media to anthologies and blogs, as well as publish their own individual works.

To date, two short story anthologies are available from 21 Futures:

Tales from the Timechain: the world’s first Bitcoin-fiction anthology.

21 writers examine how the hardest sound money ever created can restore freedom and liberty to mankind.

Financial Fallout: in this recently-released anthology, 21 writers weave financial dystopia from across a broader spectrum of freedom fiction, sewing seeds of eventual hope.

In addition to 21 Futures, a host of self-published and even best-selling fiction on the theme of bitcoin is now available. The Rapid Rise of Bitcoin Fiction documents the history and current trends in this genre.

## What happens next?

As governments tighten their grip on our data and our freedoms erode, we expect that freedom fiction will become a wider phenomenon. It is our hope and belief that Konsensus Network and 21 Futures will help drive growth in the genre and better understanding of how to protect individual freedom through our multimedia publications.

Follow our socials to keep up to date on future releases.

---

This blog was originally published on the 21 Futures blog by Alex Boast.

Alex is a web3 writer, ghost writer and ghost story writer. He’s a novelist and poet from England who loves to work with other writers as a coach, mentor and friend. You can find him on LinkedIn.

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

A Knowledge Management Framework for your Academic Writing

Idea Approach

The primary objective of this framework is to streamline and enhance the efficiency of several critical academic processes, namely the reading, annotation, synthesis, and writing stages inherent to doctoral studies.

By leveraging established best practices from various domains, including digital note-taking methodologies, sophisticated knowledge management techniques, and the scientifically-grounded principles of spaced repetition systems, this proposed workflow is adept at optimizing long-term retention of information, fostering the development of novel ideas, and facilitating the meticulous preparation of manuscripts. Furthermore, this integrated approach capitalizes on Zotero's robust annotation functionalities, harmoniously merged with Obsidian's Zettelkasten-inspired architecture, thereby enriching the depth and structural coherence of academic inquiry, ultimately leading to more impactful scholarly contributions.

Doctoral research demands a sophisticated approach to information management, critical thinking, and synthesis. Traditional systems of note-taking and bibliography management are often fragmented and inefficient, leading to cognitive overload and disorganized research outputs. This thesis proposes a workflow that leverages Zotero for reference management, Obsidian for networked note-taking, and Anki for spaced repetition learning—each component enhanced by a set of plugins, templates, and color-coded systems.

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2. Literature Review and Context

2.1 Digital Research Workflows

Recent research in digital scholarship has highlighted the importance of structured knowledge environments. Tools like Roam Research, Obsidian, and Notion have gained traction among academics seeking flexibility and networked thinking. However, few workflows provide seamless interoperability between reference management, reading, and idea synthesis.

2.2 The Zettelkasten Method

Originally developed by sociologist Niklas Luhmann, the Zettelkasten ("slip-box") method emphasizes creating atomic notes—single ideas captured and linked through context. This approach fosters long-term idea development and is highly compatible with digital graph-based note systems like Obsidian.

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3. Zotero Workflow: Structured Annotation and Tagging

Zotero serves as the foundational tool for ingesting and organizing academic materials. The built-in PDF reader is augmented through a color-coded annotation schema designed to categorize information efficiently:

• Red: Refuted or problematic claims requiring skepticism or clarification
• Yellow: Prominent claims, novel hypotheses, or insightful observations
• Green: Verified facts or claims that align with the research narrative
• Purple: Structural elements like chapter titles or section headers
• Blue: Inter-author references or connections to external ideas
• Pink: Unclear arguments, logical gaps, or questions for future inquiry
• Orange: Precise definitions and technical terminology

Annotations are accompanied by tags and notes in Zotero, allowing robust filtering and thematic grouping.

---

4. Obsidian Integration: Bridging Annotation and Synthesis

4.1 Plugin Architecture

Three key plugins optimize Obsidian’s role in the workflow:

• Zotero Integration (via obsidian-citation-plugin): Syncs annotated PDFs and metadata directly from Zotero
• Highlighter: Enables color-coded highlights in Obsidian, mirroring Zotero's scheme
• Templater: Automates formatting and consistency using Nunjucks templates

A custom keyboard shortcut (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+Z) is used to trigger the extraction of annotations into structured Obsidian notes.

4.2 Custom Templating

The templating system ensures imported notes include:

• Citation metadata (title, author, year, journal)
• Full-color annotations with comments and page references
• Persistent notes for long-term synthesis
• An embedded bibtex citation key for seamless referencing

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5. Zettelkasten and Atomic Note Generation

Obsidian’s networked note system supports idea-centered knowledge development. Each note captures a singular, discrete idea—independent of the source material—facilitating:

• Thematic convergence across disciplines
• Independent recombination of ideas
• Emergence of new questions and hypotheses

A standard atomic note template includes: - Note ID (timestamp or semantic UID) - Topic statement - Linked references - Associated atomic notes (via backlinks)

The Graph View provides a visual map of conceptual relationships, allowing researchers to track the evolution of their arguments.

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6. Canvas for Spatial Organization

Obsidian’s Canvas plugin is used to mimic physical research boards: - Notes are arranged spatially to represent conceptual clusters or chapter structures - Embedded visual content enhances memory retention and creative thought - Notes and cards can be grouped by theme, timeline, or argumentative flow

This supports both granular research and holistic thesis design.

---

7. Flashcard Integration with Anki

Key insights, definitions, and questions are exported from Obsidian to Anki, enabling spaced repetition of core content. This supports: - Preparation for comprehensive exams - Retention of complex theories and definitions - Active recall training during literature reviews

Flashcards are automatically generated using Obsidian-to-Anki bridges, with tagging synced to Obsidian topics.

---

8. Word Processor Integration and Writing Stage

Zotero’s Word plugin simplifies: - In-text citation - Automatic bibliography generation - Switching between citation styles (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.)

Drafts in Obsidian are later exported into formal academic writing environments such as Microsoft Word or LaTeX editors for formatting and submission.

---

9. Discussion and Evaluation

The proposed workflow significantly reduces friction in managing large volumes of information and promotes deep engagement with source material. Its modular nature allows adaptation for various disciplines and writing styles. Potential limitations include: - Initial learning curve - Reliance on plugin maintenance - Challenges in team-based collaboration

Nonetheless, the ability to unify reading, note-taking, synthesis, and writing into a seamless ecosystem offers clear benefits in focus, productivity, and academic rigor.

---

10. Consider

This idea demonstrates that a well-structured digital workflow using Zotero and Obsidian can transform the PhD research process. It empowers researchers to move beyond passive reading into active knowledge creation, aligned with the long-term demands of scholarly writing. Future iterations could include AI-assisted summarization, collaborative graph spaces, and greater mobile integration.

9. Evaluation Of The Approach

While this workflow offers significant advantages in clarity, synthesis, and long-term idea development, several limitations must be acknowledged:

• Initial Learning Curve: New users may face a steep learning curve when setting up and mastering the integrated use of Zotero, Obsidian, and their associated plugins. Understanding markdown syntax, customizing templates in Templater, and configuring citation keys all require upfront time investment. However, this learning period can be offset by the long-term gains in productivity and mental clarity.

• Plugin Ecosystem Volatility: Since both Obsidian and many of its key plugins are maintained by open-source communities or individual developers, updates can occasionally break workflows or require manual adjustments.

• Interoperability Challenges: Synchronizing metadata, highlights, and notes between systems (especially on multiple devices or operating systems) may present issues if not managed carefully. This includes Zotero’s Better BibTeX keys, Obsidian sync, and Anki integration.

• Limited Collaborative Features: This workflow is optimized for individual use. Real-time collaboration on notes or shared reference libraries may require alternative platforms or additional tooling.

Despite these constraints, the workflow remains highly adaptable and has proven effective across disciplines for researchers aiming to build a durable intellectual infrastructure over the course of a PhD.

9. Evaluation Of The Approach

While the Zotero–Obsidian workflow dramatically improves research organization and long-term knowledge retention, several caveats must be considered:

• Initial Learning Curve: Mastery of this workflow requires technical setup and familiarity with markdown, citation keys, and plugin configuration. While challenging at first, the learning effort is front-loaded and pays off in efficiency over time.

• Reliance on Plugin Maintenance: A key risk of this system is its dependence on community-maintained plugins. Tools like Zotero Integration, Templater, and Highlighter are not officially supported by Obsidian or Zotero core teams. This means updates or changes to the Obsidian API or plugin repository may break functionality or introduce bugs. Active plugin support is crucial to the system’s longevity.

• Interoperability and Syncing Issues: Managing synchronization across Zotero, Obsidian, and Anki—especially across multiple devices—can lead to inconsistencies or data loss without careful setup. Users should ensure robust syncing solutions (e.g. Obsidian Sync, Zotero WebDAV, or GitHub backup).

• Limited Collaboration Capabilities: This setup is designed for solo research workflows. Collaborative features (such as shared note-taking or group annotations) are limited and may require alternate solutions like Notion, Google Docs, or Overleaf when working in teams.

The integration of Zotero with Obsidian presents a notable advantage for individual researchers, exhibiting substantial efficiency in literature management and personal knowledge organization through its unique workflows. However, this model demonstrates significant deficiencies when evaluated in the context of collaborative research dynamics.

Specifically, while Zotero facilitates the creation and management of shared libraries, allowing for the aggregation of sources and references among users, Obsidian is fundamentally limited by its lack of intrinsic support for synchronous collaborative editing functionalities, thereby precluding simultaneous contributions from multiple users in real time. Although the application of version control systems such as Git has the potential to address this limitation, enabling a structured mechanism for tracking changes and managing contributions, the inherent complexity of such systems may pose a barrier to usability for team members who lack familiarity or comfort with version control protocols.

Furthermore, the nuances of color-coded annotation systems and bespoke personal note taxonomies utilized by individual researchers may present interoperability challenges when applied in a group setting, as these systems require rigorously defined conventions to ensure consistency and clarity in cross-collaborator communication and understanding. Thus, researchers should be cognizant of the challenges inherent in adapting tools designed for solitary workflows to the multifaceted requirements of collaborative research initiatives.

@ 1beecee5:d29d2162

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

At the recent Launch Music Festival and Conference in Lancaster, PA, featuring over 120 musicians across three days, I volunteered my time with Tunestr and Phantom Power Music's initiative to introduce artists to Bitcoin, Nostr, and the value-for-value model. Tunestr sponsored a stage, live-streaming 21 bands to platforms like Tunestr.io, Fountain.fm and other Nostr/Podcasting 2.0 apps and on-boarding as many others as possible at our conference booth. You may have seen me spamming about this over the last few days.

V4V Earnings

Day 1: 180,000 sats

Day 2: 300,000 sats

Day 3: Over 500,000 sats

Who?

Here are the artists that were on-boarded to Fountain and were live streaming on the Value-for-Value stage:

nostr:npub1cruu4z0hwg7n3r2k7262vx8jsmra3xpku85frl5fnfvrwz7rd7mq7e403w nostr:npub12xeh3n7w8700z4tpd6xlhlvg4vtg4pvpxd584ll5sva539tutc3q0tn3tz nostr:npub1rc80p4v60uzfhvdgxemhvcqnzdj7t59xujxdy0lcjxml3uwdezyqtrpe0j @npub16vxr4pc2ww3yaez9q4s53zkejjfd0djs9lfe55sjhnqkh nostr:npub10uspdzg4fl7md95mqnjszxx82ckdly8ezac0t3s06a0gsf4f3lys8ypeak nostr:npub1gnyzexr40qut0za2c4a0x27p4e3qc22wekhcw3uvdx8mwa3pen0s9z90wk nostr:npub13qrrw2h4z52m7jh0spefrwtysl4psfkfv6j4j672se5hkhvtyw7qu0almy nostr:npub1p0kuqxxw2mxczc90vcurvfq7ljuw2394kkqk6gqnn2cq0y9eq5nq87jtkk nostr:npub182kq0sdp7chm67uq58cf4vvl3lk37z8mm5k5067xe09fqqaaxjsqlcazej nostr:npub162hr8kd96vxlanvggl08hmyy37qsn8ehgj7za7squl83um56epnswkr399 nostr:npub17jzk5ex2rafres09c4dnn5mm00eejye6nrurnlla6yn22zcpl7vqg6vhvx nostr:npub176rnksulheuanfx8y8cr2mrth4lh33svvpztggjjm6j2pqw6m56sq7s9vz nostr:npub1akv7t7xpalhsc4nseljs0c886jzuhq8u42qdcwvu972f3mme9tjsgp5xxk nostr:npub18x0gv872489lrczp9d9m4hx59r754x7p9rg2jkgvt7ul3kuqewtqsssn24

Many more musicians were on-boarded to Fountain, however, we were unable to obtain all of their npubs.

THANK YOU TO ALL ZAPPERS AND BOOSTERS!

Musicians “Get It”

My key takeaway was the musicians' absolute understanding that the current digital landscape along with legacy social media is failing them. Every artist I spoke with recognized how algorithms hinder fan connection and how gatekeepers prevent fair compensation for their work. They all use Spotify, but they only do so out of necessity. They felt the music industry is primed for both a social and monetary revolution. Some of them were even speaking my language…

Because of this, concepts like decentralization, censorship resistance, owning your content, and controlling your social graph weren't just understood by them, they were instantly embraced. The excitement was real; they immediately saw the potential and agreed with me. Bitcoin and Nostr felt genuinely punk rock and that helped a lot of them identify with what we were offering them.

The Tools and the Issues

While the Nostr ecosystem offers a wide variety of tools, we focused on introducing three key applications at this event to keep things clear for newcomers:

1. Fountain, with a music focus, was the primary tool for onboarding attendees onto Nostr. Fountain was also chosen thanks to Fountain’s built-in Lightning wallet.
2. Primal, as a social alternative, was demonstrated to show how users can take their Nostr identity and content seamlessly between different applications.
3. Tunestr.io, lastly was showcased for its live video streaming capabilities.

Although we highlighted these three, we did inform attendees about the broader range of available apps and pointed them to nostrapps.com if they wanted to explore further, aiming to educate without overwhelming them.

This review highlights several UX issues with the Fountain app, particularly concerning profile updates, wallet functionality, and user discovery. While Fountain does work well, these minor hiccups make it extremely hard for on-boarding and education.

• Profile Issues:
• When a user edits their profile (e.g., Username/Nostr address, Lightning address) either during or after creation, the changes don't appear to consistently update across the app or sync correctly with Nostr relays.
• Specifically, the main profile display continues to show the old default Username/Nostr address and Lightning address inside Fountain and on other Nostr clients.
• However, the updated Username/Nostr address does appear on https://fountain.fm (chosen-username@fountain.fm) and is visible within the "Edit Profile" screen itself in the app.
• This inconsistency is confusing for users, as they see their updated information in some places but not on their main public-facing profile within the app. I confirmed this by observing a new user sign up and edit their username – the edit screen showed the new name, but the profile display in Fountain did not update and we did not see it inside Primal, Damus, Amethyst, etc.
• Wallet Limitations:
• The app's built-in wallet cannot scan Lightning address QR codes to initiate payments.
• This caused problems during the event where users imported Bitcoin from Azte.co vouchers into their Fountain wallets. When they tried to Zap a band by scanning a QR code on the live tally board, Fountain displayed an error message stating the invoice or QR code was invalid.
• While suggesting musicians install Primal as a second Nostr app was a potential fix for the QR code issue, (and I mentioned it to some), the burden of onboarding users onto two separate applications, potentially managing two different wallets, and explaining which one works for specific tasks creates a confusing and frustrating user experience.
• Search Difficulties:
• Finding other users within the Fountain app is challenging. I was unable to find profiles from brand new users by entering their chosen Fountain username.
• To find a new user, I had to resort to visiting their profile on the web (fountain.fm/username) to retrieve their npub. Then, open Primal and follow them. Finally, when searching for their username, since I was now following them, I was able to find their profile.
• This search issue is compounded by the profile syncing problem mentioned earlier, as even if found via other clients, their displayed information is outdated.
• Searching for the event to Boost/Zap inside Fountain was harder than it should have been the first two days as the live stream did not appear at the top of the screen inside the tap. This was resolved on the third day of the event.

Improving the Onboarding Experience

To better support user growth, educators and on-boarders need more feature complete and user-friendly applications. I love our developers and I will always sing their praises from the highest mountain tops, however I also recognize that the current tools present challenges that hinder a smooth onboarding experience.

One potential approach explored was guiding users to use Primal (including its built-in wallet) in conjunction with Wavlake via Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC). While this could facilitate certain functions like music streaming, zaps, and QR code scanning (which require both Primal and Wavlake apps), Wavlake itself has usability issues. These include inconsistent or separate profiles between web and mobile apps, persistent "Login" buttons even when logged in on the mobile app with a Nostr identity, and the minor inconvenience of needing two separate applications. Although NWC setup is relatively easy and helps streamline the process, the need to switch between apps adds complexity, especially when time is limited and we’re aiming to showcase the benefits of this new system.

Ultimately, we need applications that are more feature-complete and intuitive for mainstream users to improve the onboarding experience significantly.

Looking forward to the future

I anticipate that most of these issues will be resolved when these applications address them in the near future. Specifically, this would involve Fountain fixing its profile issues and integrating Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) to allow users to utilize their Primal wallet, or by enabling the scanning of QR codes that pay out to Lightning addresses. Alternatively, if Wavlake resolves the consistency problems mentioned earlier, this would also significantly improve the situation giving us two viable solutions for musicians.

My ideal onboarding event experience would involve having all the previously mentioned issues resolved. Additionally, I would love to see every attendee receive a $5 or $10 voucher to help them start engaging with value-for-value, rather than just the limited number we distributed recently. The goal is to have everyone actively zapping and sending Bitcoin throughout the event. Maybe we can find a large sponsor to facilitate this in the future?

What's particularly exciting is the Launch conference's strong interest in integrating value-for-value across their entire program for all musicians and speakers at their next event in Dallas, Texas, coming later this fall. This presents a significant opportunity to onboard over 100+ musicians to Bitcoin and Nostr, which in turn will help onboard their fans and supporters.

We need significantly more zaps and more zappers! It's unreasonable to expect the same dedicated individuals to continuously support new users; they are being bled dry. A shift is needed towards more people using bitcoin for everyday transactions, treating it as money. This brings me back to my ideal onboarding experience: securing a sponsor to essentially give participants bitcoin funds specifically for zapping and tipping artists. This method serves as a practical lesson in using bitcoin as money and showcases the value-for-value principle from the outset.

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

1. The Ledger or Physical USD?

Bitcoin embodies a paradigmatic transformation in the foundational constructs of trust, ownership, and value preservation within the context of a digital economy. In stark contrast to conventional financial infrastructures that are predicated on centralized regulatory frameworks, Bitcoin operationalizes an intricate interplay of cryptographic techniques, consensus-driven algorithms, and incentivization structures to engender a decentralized and censorship-resistant paradigm for the transfer and safeguarding of digital assets. This conceptual framework elucidates the pivotal mechanisms underpinning Bitcoin's functional architecture, encompassing its distributed ledger technology (DLT) structure, robust security protocols, consensus algorithms such as Proof of Work (PoW), the intricacies of its monetary policy defined by the halving events and limited supply, as well as the broader implications these components have on stakeholder engagement and user agency.

2. The Core Functionality of Bitcoin

At its core, Bitcoin is a public ledger that records ownership and transfers of value. This ledger—called the blockchain—is maintained and verified by thousands of decentralized nodes across the globe.

2.1 Public Ledger

All Bitcoin transactions are stored in a transparent, append-only ledger. Each transaction includes: - A reference to prior ownership (input) - A transfer of value to a new owner (output) - A digital signature proving authorization

2.2 Ownership via Digital Signatures

Bitcoin uses asymmetric cryptography: - A private key is known only to the owner and is used to sign transactions. - A public key (or address) is used by the network to verify the authenticity of the transaction.

This system ensures that only the rightful owner can spend bitcoins, and that all network participants can independently verify that the transaction is valid.

---

3. Decentralization and Ledger Synchronization

Unlike traditional banking systems, which rely on a central institution, Bitcoin’s ledger is decentralized: - Every node keeps a copy of the blockchain. - No single party controls the system. - Updates to the ledger occur only through network consensus.

This decentralization ensures fault tolerance, censorship resistance, and transparency.

---

4. Preventing Double Spending

One of Bitcoin’s most critical innovations is solving the double-spending problem without a central authority.

4.1 Balance Validation

Before a transaction is accepted, nodes verify: - The digital signature is valid. - The input has not already been spent. - The sender has sufficient balance.

This is made possible by referencing previous transactions and ensuring the inputs match the unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs).

---

5. Blockchain and Proof-of-Work

To ensure consistency across the distributed network, Bitcoin uses a blockchain—a sequential chain of blocks containing batches of verified transactions.

5.1 Mining and Proof-of-Work

Adding a new block requires solving a cryptographic puzzle, known as Proof-of-Work (PoW): - The puzzle involves finding a hash value that meets network-defined difficulty. - This process requires computational power, which deters tampering. - Once a block is validated, it is propagated across the network.

5.2 Block Rewards and Incentives

Miners are incentivized to participate by: - Block rewards: New bitcoins issued with each block (initially 50 BTC, halved every ~4 years). - Transaction fees: Paid by users to prioritize their transactions.

---

6. Network Consensus and Security

Bitcoin relies on Nakamoto Consensus, which prioritizes the longest chain—the one with the most accumulated proof-of-work.

• In case of competing chains (forks), the network chooses the chain with the most computational effort.
• This mechanism makes rewriting history or creating fraudulent blocks extremely difficult, as it would require control of over 50% of the network's total hash power.

---

7. Transaction Throughput and Fees

Bitcoin’s average block time is 10 minutes, and each block can contain ~1MB of data, resulting in ~3–7 transactions per second.

• During periods of high demand, users compete by offering higher transaction fees to get included faster.
• Solutions like Lightning Network aim to scale transaction speed and lower costs by processing payments off-chain.

---

8. Monetary Policy and Scarcity

Bitcoin enforces a fixed supply cap of 21 million coins, making it deflationary by design.

• This limited supply contrasts with fiat currencies, which can be printed at will by central banks.
• The controlled issuance schedule and halving events contribute to Bitcoin’s store-of-value narrative, similar to digital gold.

---

9. Consider

Bitcoin integrates advanced cryptographic methodologies, including public-private key pairings and hashing algorithms, to establish a formidable framework of security that underpins its operation as a digital currency. The economic incentives are meticulously structured through mechanisms such as mining rewards and transaction fees, which not only incentivize network participation but also regulate the supply of Bitcoin through a halving schedule intrinsic to its decentralized protocol. This architecture manifests a paradigm wherein individual users can autonomously oversee their financial assets, authenticate transactions through a rigorously constructed consensus algorithm, specifically the Proof of Work mechanism, and engage with a borderless financial ecosystem devoid of traditional intermediaries such as banks. Despite the notable challenges pertaining to transaction throughput scalability and a complex regulatory landscape that intermittently threatens its proliferation, Bitcoin steadfastly persists as an archetype of decentralized trust, heralding a transformative shift in financial paradigms within the contemporary digital milieu.

---

10. References

• Nakamoto, S. (2008). Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.
• Antonopoulos, A. M. (2017). Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies.
• Bitcoin.org. (n.d.). How Bitcoin Works

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

At the recent Launch Music Festival and Conference in Lancaster, PA, featuring over 120 musicians across three days, I volunteered my time with Tunestr and Phantom Power Music's initiative to introduce artists to Bitcoin, Nostr, and the value-for-value model. Tunestr sponsored a stage, live-streaming 21 bands to platforms like Tunestr.io, Fountain.fm and other Nostr/Podcasting 2.0 apps and on-boarding as many others as possible at our conference booth. You may have seen me spamming about this over the last few days.

V4V Earnings

Day 1: 180,000 sats

Day 2: 300,000 sats

Day 3: Over 500,000 sats

Who?

Here are the artists that were on-boarded to Fountain and were live streaming on the Value-for-Value stage:

Many more musicians were on-boarded to Fountain, however, we were unable to obtain all of their npubs.

THANK YOU TO ALL ZAPPERS AND BOOSTERS!

Musicians “Get It”

My key takeaway was the musicians' absolute understanding that the current digital landscape along with legacy social media is failing them. Every artist I spoke with recognized how algorithms hinder fan connection and how gatekeepers prevent fair compensation for their work. They all use Spotify, but they only do so out of necessity. They felt the music industry is primed for both a social and monetary revolution. Some of them were even speaking my language…

Because of this, concepts like decentralization, censorship resistance, owning your content, and controlling your social graph weren't just understood by them, they were instantly embraced. The excitement was real; they immediately saw the potential and agreed with me. Bitcoin and Nostr felt genuinely punk rock and that helped a lot of them identify with what we were offering them.

The Tools and the Issues

While the Nostr ecosystem offers a wide variety of tools, we focused on introducing three key applications at this event to keep things clear for newcomers:

1. Fountain, with a music focus, was the primary tool for onboarding attendees onto Nostr. Fountain was also chosen thanks to Fountain’s built-in Lightning wallet.
2. Primal, as a social alternative, was demonstrated to show how users can take their Nostr identity and content seamlessly between different applications.
3. Tunestr.io, lastly was showcased for its live video streaming capabilities.

Although we highlighted these three, we did inform attendees about the broader range of available apps and pointed them to nostrapps.com if they wanted to explore further, aiming to educate without overwhelming them.

This review highlights several UX issues with the Fountain app, particularly concerning profile updates, wallet functionality, and user discovery. While Fountain does work well, these minor hiccups make it extremely hard for on-boarding and education.

• Profile Issues:
• When a user edits their profile (e.g., Username/Nostr address, Lightning address) either during or after creation, the changes don't appear to consistently update across the app or sync correctly with Nostr relays.
• Specifically, the main profile display continues to show the old default Username/Nostr address and Lightning address inside Fountain and on other Nostr clients.
• However, the updated Username/Nostr address does appear on https://fountain.fm (chosen-username@fountain.fm) and is visible within the "Edit Profile" screen itself in the app.
• This inconsistency is confusing for users, as they see their updated information in some places but not on their main public-facing profile within the app. I confirmed this by observing a new user sign up and edit their username – the edit screen showed the new name, but the profile display in Fountain did not update and we did not see it inside Primal, Damus, Amethyst, etc.
• Wallet Limitations:
• The app's built-in wallet cannot scan Lightning address QR codes to initiate payments.
• This caused problems during the event where users imported Bitcoin from Azte.co vouchers into their Fountain wallets. When they tried to Zap a band by scanning a QR code on the live tally board, Fountain displayed an error message stating the invoice or QR code was invalid.
• While suggesting musicians install Primal as a second Nostr app was a potential fix for the QR code issue, (and I mentioned it to some), the burden of onboarding users onto two separate applications, potentially managing two different wallets, and explaining which one works for specific tasks creates a confusing and frustrating user experience.
• Search Difficulties:
• Finding other users within the Fountain app is challenging. I was unable to find profiles from brand new users by entering their chosen Fountain username.
• To find a new user, I had to resort to visiting their profile on the web (fountain.fm/username) to retrieve their npub. Then, open Primal and follow them. Finally, when searching for their username, since I was now following them, I was able to find their profile.
• This search issue is compounded by the profile syncing problem mentioned earlier, as even if found via other clients, their displayed information is outdated.
• Searching for the event to Boost/Zap inside Fountain was harder than it should have been the first two days as the live stream did not appear at the top of the screen inside the tap. This was resolved on the third day of the event.

Improving the Onboarding Experience

To better support user growth, educators and on-boarders need more feature complete and user-friendly applications. I love our developers and I will always sing their praises from the highest mountain tops, however I also recognize that the current tools present challenges that hinder a smooth onboarding experience.

One potential approach explored was guiding users to use Primal (including its built-in wallet) in conjunction with Wavlake via Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC). While this could facilitate certain functions like music streaming, zaps, and QR code scanning (which require both Primal and Wavlake apps), Wavlake itself has usability issues. These include inconsistent or separate profiles between web and mobile apps, persistent "Login" buttons even when logged in on the mobile app with a Nostr identity, and the minor inconvenience of needing two separate applications. Although NWC setup is relatively easy and helps streamline the process, the need to switch between apps adds complexity, especially when time is limited and we’re aiming to showcase the benefits of this new system.

Ultimately, we need applications that are more feature-complete and intuitive for mainstream users to improve the onboarding experience significantly.

Looking forward to the future

I anticipate that most of these issues will be resolved when these applications address them in the near future. Specifically, this would involve Fountain fixing its profile issues and integrating Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) to allow users to utilize their Primal wallet, or by enabling the scanning of QR codes that pay out to Lightning addresses. Alternatively, if Wavlake resolves the consistency problems mentioned earlier, this would also significantly improve the situation giving us two viable solutions for musicians.

My ideal onboarding event experience would involve having all the previously mentioned issues resolved. Additionally, I would love to see every attendee receive a $5 or $10 voucher to help them start engaging with value-for-value, rather than just the limited number we distributed recently. The goal is to have everyone actively zapping and sending Bitcoin throughout the event. Maybe we can find a large sponsor to facilitate this in the future?

What's particularly exciting is the Launch conference's strong interest in integrating value-for-value across their entire program for all musicians and speakers at their next event in Dallas, Texas, coming later this fall. This presents a significant opportunity to onboard over 100+ musicians to Bitcoin and Nostr, which in turn will help onboard their fans and supporters.

We need significantly more zaps and more zappers! It's unreasonable to expect the same dedicated individuals to continuously support new users; they are being bled dry. A shift is needed towards more people using bitcoin for everyday transactions, treating it as money. This brings me back to my ideal onboarding experience: securing a sponsor to essentially give participants bitcoin funds specifically for zapping and tipping artists. This method serves as a practical lesson in using bitcoin as money and showcases the value-for-value principle from the outset.

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

WebSocket communication is integral to modern real-time web applications, powering everything from chat apps and online gaming to collaborative editing tools and live dashboards. However, its persistent and event-driven nature introduces unique debugging challenges. Traditional browser developer tools provide limited insight into WebSocket message flows, especially in complex, asynchronous applications.

This thesis evaluates the use of Chrome-based browser extensions—specifically those designed to enhance WebSocket debugging—and explores how visual event tracing improves developer experience (DX). By profiling real-world applications and comparing built-in tools with popular WebSocket DevTools extensions, we analyze the impact of visual feedback, message inspection, and timeline tracing on debugging efficiency, code quality, and development speed.

The Idea

As front-end development evolves, WebSockets have become a foundational technology for building reactive user experiences. Debugging WebSocket behavior, however, remains a cumbersome task. Chrome DevTools offers a basic view of WebSocket frames, but lacks features such as message categorization, event correlation, or contextual logging. Developers often resort to console.log and custom logging systems, increasing friction and reducing productivity.

This research investigates how browser extensions designed for WebSocket inspection—such as Smart WebSocket Client, WebSocket King Client, and WSDebugger—can enhance debugging workflows. We focus on features that provide visual structure to communication patterns, simplify message replay, and allow for real-time monitoring of state transitions.

Related Work

Chrome DevTools

While Chrome DevTools supports WebSocket inspection under the Network > Frames tab, its utility is limited: - Messages are displayed in a flat, unstructured stream. - No built-in timeline or replay mechanism. - Filtering and contextual debugging features are minimal.

WebSocket-Specific Extensions

Numerous browser extensions aim to fill this gap: - Smart WebSocket Client: Allows custom message sending, frame inspection, and saved session reuse. - WSDebugger: Offers structured logging and visualization of message flows. - WebSocket Monitor: Enables real-time monitoring of multiple connections with UI overlays.

Methodology

Tools Evaluated:

• Chrome DevTools (baseline)
• Smart WebSocket Client
• WSDebugger
• WebSocket King Client

Evaluation Criteria:

• Real-time message monitoring
• UI clarity and UX consistency
• Support for message replay and editing
• Message categorization and filtering
• Timeline-based visualization

Test Applications:

• A collaborative markdown editor
• A multiplayer drawing game (WebSocket over Node.js)
• A lightweight financial dashboard (stock ticker)

Findings

1. Enhanced Visibility

Extensions provide structured visual representations of WebSocket communication: - Grouped messages by type (e.g., chat, system, control) - Color-coded frames for quick scanning - Collapsible and expandable message trees

2. Real-Time Inspection and Replay

• Replaying previous messages with altered payloads accelerates bug reproduction.
• Message history can be annotated, aiding team collaboration during debugging.

3. Timeline-Based Analysis

• Extensions with timeline views help identify latency issues, bottlenecks, and inconsistent message pacing.
• Developers can correlate message sequences with UI events more intuitively.

4. Improved Debugging Flow

• Developers report reduced context-switching between source code and devtools.
• Some extensions allow breakpoints or watchers on WebSocket events, mimicking JavaScript debugging.

Consider

Visual debugging extensions represent a key advancement in tooling for real-time application development. By extending Chrome DevTools with features tailored for WebSocket tracing, developers gain actionable insights, faster debugging cycles, and a better understanding of application behavior. Future work should explore native integration of timeline and message tagging features into standard browser DevTools.

Developer Experience and Limitations

Visual tools significantly enhance the developer experience (DX) by reducing friction and offering cognitive support during debugging. Rather than parsing raw JSON blobs manually or tracing asynchronous behavior through logs, developers can rely on intuitive UI affordances such as real-time visualizations, message filtering, and replay features.

However, some limitations remain:

• Lack of binary frame support: Many extensions focus on text-based payloads and may not correctly parse or display binary frames.
• Non-standard encoding issues: Applications using custom serialization formats (e.g., Protocol Buffers, MsgPack) require external decoding tools or browser instrumentation.
• Extension compatibility: Some extensions may conflict with Content Security Policies (CSP) or have limited functionality when debugging production sites served over HTTPS.
• Performance overhead: Real-time visualization and logging can add browser CPU/memory overhead, particularly in high-frequency WebSocket environments.

Despite these drawbacks, the overall impact on debugging efficiency and developer comprehension remains highly positive.

Developer Experience and Limitations

Visual tools significantly enhance the developer experience (DX) by reducing friction and offering cognitive support during debugging. Rather than parsing raw JSON blobs manually or tracing asynchronous behavior through logs, developers can rely on intuitive UI affordances such as live message streams, structured views, and interactive inspection of frames.

However, some limitations exist:

• Security restrictions: Content Security Policy (CSP) and Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) can restrict browser extensions from accessing WebSocket frames in production environments.
• Binary and custom formats: Extensions may not handle binary frames or non-standard encodings (e.g., Protocol Buffers) without additional tooling.
• Limited protocol awareness: Generic tools may not fully interpret application-specific semantics, requiring context from the developer.
• Performance trade-offs: Logging and rendering large volumes of data can cause UI lag, especially in high-throughput WebSocket apps.

Despite these constraints, DevTools extensions continue to offer valuable insight during development and testing stages.

Applying this analysis to relays in the Nostr protocol surfaces some fascinating implications about traffic analysis, developer tooling, and privacy risks, even when data is cryptographically signed. Here's how the concepts relate:

---

🧠 What This Means for Nostr Relays

1. Traffic Analysis Still Applies

Even though Nostr events are cryptographically signed and, optionally, encrypted (e.g., DMs), relay communication is over plaintext WebSockets or WSS (WebSocket Secure). This means:

• IP addresses, packet size, and timing patterns are all visible to anyone on-path (e.g., ISPs, malicious actors).
• Client behavior can be inferred: Is someone posting, reading, or just idling?
• Frequent "kind" values (like kind:1 for notes or kind:4 for encrypted DMs) produce recognizable traffic fingerprints.

🔍 Example:

A pattern like: - client → relay: small frame at intervals of 30s - relay → client: burst of medium frames …could suggest someone is polling for new posts or using a chat app built on Nostr.

---

2. DevTools for Nostr Client Devs

For client developers (e.g., building on top of nostr-tools), browser DevTools and WebSocket inspection make debugging much easier:

• You can trace real-time Nostr events without writing logging logic.
• You can verify frame integrity, event flow, and relay responses instantly.
• However, DevTools have limits when Nostr apps use:
• Binary payloads (e.g., zlib-compressed events)
• Custom encodings or protocol adaptations (e.g., for mobile)

---

3. Fingerprinting Relays and Clients

• Each relay has its own behavior: how fast it responds, whether it sends OKs, how it deals with malformed events.
• These can be fingerprinted by adversaries to identify which software is being used (e.g., nostr-rs-relay, strfry, etc.).
• Similarly, client apps often emit predictable REQ, EVENT, CLOSE sequences that can be fingerprinted even over WSS.

---

4. Privacy Risks

Even if DMs are encrypted: - Message size and timing can hint at contents ("user is typing", long vs. short message, emoji burst, etc.) - Public relays might correlate patterns across multiple clients—even without payload access. - Side-channel analysis becomes viable against high-value targets.

---

5. Mitigation Strategies in Nostr

Borrowing from TLS and WebSocket security best practices:

| Strategy | Application to Nostr | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------| | Padding messages | Normalize EVENT size, especially for DMs | | Batching requests | Send multiple REQ subscriptions in one frame | | Randomize connection times | Avoid predictable connection schedules | | Use private relays / Tor| Obfuscate source IP and reduce metadata exposure | | Connection reuse | Avoid per-event relay opens, use persistent WSS |

---

TL;DR for Builders

If you're building on Nostr and care about privacy, WebSocket metadata is a leak. The payload isn't the only thing that matters. Be mindful of event timing, size, and structure, even over encrypted channels.

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

At the recent Launch Music Festival and Conference in Lancaster, PA, featuring over 120 musicians across three days, I volunteered my time with npub1h8gzew8am6cezuq7cpjgudldra40hgnruqrqlsrqnxnzs5wjtczqztps02 and nostr:nprofile1qqsxj7j6m0urzhm8lgsalud8aqz5zt4a52s6mhep3g8e8cg6hte03rqhjfp35's initiative to introduce artists to Bitcoin, Nostr, and the value-for-value model. Tunestr sponsored a stage, live-streaming 21 bands to platforms like \[[Tunestr.io](http://Tunestr.io)\](), \[[Fountain.fm](http://Fountain.fm)\]() and other Nostr/Podcasting 2.0 apps and on-boarding as many others as possible at our conference booth. You may have seen me spamming about this over the last few days. **V4V Earnings** - Day 1: 180,000 sats - Day 2: 300,000 sats - Day 3: Over 500,000 sats **Who?** Here are the volunteers: - nostr:nprofile1qqsgerm6uv6khl9shlm6kydvd8fx4ku84vweznmy08cxg4m4pw6clyg4ajwsh - nostr:nprofile1qqsgsp3h9t6329dlfthcqu53h9jg06scymykdf2ed09gv6tmtk9j80q5ecal2 - nostr:nprofile1qqspyg7l5vn4xpnqzzygdk6agdpd89lv8uqrv2u9q9ve9jmthdjrtqc20f2lg - nostr:nprofile1qqsxj7j6m0urzhm8lgsalud8aqz5zt4a52s6mhep3g8e8cg6hte03rqhjfp35 - nostr:nprofile1qqsr7acdvhf6we9fch94qwhpy0nza36e3tgrtkpku25ppuu80f69kfq9q9kky Here are the artists that were on-boarded to Fountain and were live streaming on the Value-for-Value stage: - npub1cruu4z0hwg7n3r2k7262vx8jsmra3xpku85frl5fnfvrwz7rd7mq7e403w - npub12xeh3n7w8700z4tpd6xlhlvg4vtg4pvpxd584ll5sva539tutc3q0tn3tz - npub1rc80p4v60uzfhvdgxemhvcqnzdj7t59xujxdy0lcjxml3uwdezyqtrpe0j - npub16vxr4pc2pk2j8x9xt5petww3yaez9q4s53zkejjfd0djs9lfe55sjhnqkh - npub10uspdzg4fl7md95mqnjszxx82ckdly8ezac0t3s06a0gsf4f3lys8ypeak - npub1gnyzexr40qut0za2c4a0x27p4e3qc22wekhcw3uvdx8mwa3pen0s9z90wk - npub13qrrw2h4z52m7jh0spefrwtysl4psfkfv6j4j672se5hkhvtyw7qu0almy - npub1p0kuqxxw2mxczc90vcurvfq7ljuw2394kkqk6gqnn2cq0y9eq5nq87jtkk - npub182kq0sdp7chm67uq58cf4vvl3lk37z8mm5k5067xe09fqqaaxjsqlcazej - npub162hr8kd96vxlanvggl08hmyy37qsn8ehgj7za7squl83um56epnswkr399 - npub17jzk5ex2rafres09c4dnn5mm00eejye6nrurnlla6yn22zcpl7vqg6vhvx - npub176rnksulheuanfx8y8cr2mrth4lh33svvpztggjjm6j2pqw6m56sq7s9vz - npub1akv7t7xpalhsc4nseljs0c886jzuhq8u42qdcwvu972f3mme9tjsgp5xxk - npub18x0gv872489lrczp9d9m4hx59r754x7p9rg2jkgvt7ul3kuqewtqsssn24 Many more musicians were on-boarded to Fountain, however, we were unable to obtain all of their npubs. \*\*THANK YOU TO ALL ZAPPERS AND BOOSTERS!\*\* **Musicians “Get It”** My key takeaway was the musicians' absolute understanding that the current digital landscape along with legacy social media is failing them. Every artist I spoke with recognized how algorithms hinder fan connection and how gatekeepers prevent fair compensation for their work. They all use Spotify, but they only do so out of necessity. They felt the music industry is primed for both a social and monetary revolution. Some of them were even speaking my language… Because of this, concepts like decentralization, censorship resistance, owning your content, and controlling your social graph weren't just understood by them, they were instantly hooked. The excitement was real; they immediately saw the potential and agreed with my talking points. Bitcoin and Nostr felt genuinely punk rock and that helped a lot of them identify with what we were offering them. **The Tools and the Issues** While the Nostr ecosystem offers a wide variety of tools, we focused on introducing three key applications at this event to keep things clear for newcomers: 1\. **Fountain**, with a music focus, was the primary tool for onboarding attendees onto Nostr. Fountain was also chosen thanks to Fountain’s built-in Lightning wallet. (We did mention Wavlake as a partner and alternative.) 2\. **Primal**, as a social alternative, was demonstrated to show how users can take their Nostr identity and content seamlessly between different applications. (We mentioned other similar tools, Damus, Amethyst, etc.) 3\. \[\*\*[Tunestr.io](http://Tunestr.io)\*\*\](), lastly was showcased for its live video streaming capabilities. Although we highlighted these three, we did inform attendees about the broader range of available apps and pointed them to \[[nostrapps.com](http://nostrapps.com)\]() if they wanted to explore further, aiming to educate without overwhelming them. This review highlights several UX issues with the Fountain app, particularly concerning profile updates, wallet functionality, and user discovery. While Fountain does work well, these hiccups make it extremely hard for on-boarding and education. -   **Profile Issues:** \- When a user edits their profile (e.g., Username/Nostr address, Lightning address) either during or after creation, the changes don't appear to consistently update across the app or sync correctly with Nostr relays. \- Specifically, the main profile display continues to show the old default Username/Nostr address and Lightning address inside Fountain and on other Nostr clients. \- However, the updated Username/Nostr address does appear on (\[[chosen-username@fountain.fm](mailto:chosen-username@fountain.fm)\]()) and is visible within the "Edit Profile" screen itself in the app. \- This inconsistency is confusing for users, as they see their updated information in some places but not on their main public-facing profile within the app. I confirmed this by observing a new user sign up and edit their username – the edit screen showed the new name, but the profile display in Fountain did not update and we did not see it inside Primal, Damus, Amethyst, etc. \- **Wallet Limitations:** \- The app's built-in wallet cannot scan Lightning address QR codes to initiate payments. \- This caused problems during the event where users imported Bitcoin from \[[Azte.co](http://Azte.co)\]() vouchers into their Fountain wallets. When they tried to zap a band by scanning a QR code on the live tally board, Fountain displayed an error message stating the invoice or QR code was invalid. \- While suggesting musicians install Primal as a second Nostr app was a potential fix for the QR code issue, (and I mentioned it to some), the burden of on-boarding users onto two separate applications, potentially managing two different wallets, and explaining which one works for specific tasks creates a confusing and frustrating user experience. \- **Search Difficulties:** \- Finding other users within the Fountain app is challenging. I was unable to find profiles from brand new users by entering their chosen Fountain username.  \- To find a new user, I had to resort to visiting their profile on the web (\[[fountain.fm/username\](http://fountain.fm/username)](http://fountain.fm/username]\(http://fountain.fm/username\))) to retrieve their npub. Then, open Primal and follow them. Finally, when searching for their username, since I was now following them, I was able to find their profile. \- This search issue is compounded by the profile syncing problem mentioned earlier, as even if found via other clients, their displayed information is outdated. \- Searching for the event to Boost/Zap inside Fountain was harder than it should have been the first two days as the live stream did not appear at the top of the screen inside the tap. This was resolved on the third day of the event. **Improving the On-boarding Experience** To better support user growth, educators and on-boarders need more feature complete and user-friendly applications. I love our developers and I will always sing their praises from the highest mountain tops, however I also recognize that the current tools present challenges that hinder a smooth on-boarding experience. And to be frank, it's just frustrating for me from time to time. One potential approach explored was guiding users to use Primal (including its built-in wallet) in conjunction with Wavlake via Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC). While this could help with certain functions like music streaming, zaps, and QR code scanning (which require both Primal and Wavlake apps), Wavlake itself has usability issues. These include inconsistent or separate profiles between web and mobile apps, persistent "Login" buttons even when logged in on the mobile app with a Nostr identity, and the minor inconvenience of needing two separate applications. Although NWC setup is relatively easy and helps streamline the process, the need to switch between apps adds complexity, especially when time is limited and we’re aiming to showcase the benefits of this new system. Ultimately, we need applications that are more feature-complete and intuitive for mainstream users to improve the on-boarding experience significantly. **Looking forward to the future** I anticipate that most of these issues will be resolved when these applications address them in the near future. Specifically, this would involve Fountain fixing its profile issues and integrating Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) to allow users to utilize their Primal wallet, or by enabling the scanning of QR codes that pay out to Lightning addresses. Alternatively, if Wavlake resolves the consistency problems mentioned earlier, this would also significantly improve the situation giving us two viable solutions for musicians. My ideal on-boarding event experience would involve having all the previously mentioned issues resolved first and foremost. Additionally, I would love to see every attendee receive a $5 or $10 voucher to help them start engaging with value-for-value, rather than just the limited number we distributed recently. The goal is to have everyone actively zapping and sending Bitcoin throughout the event. Maybe we can find a large sponsor to facilitate this in the future? What's particularly exciting is the \[Launch\]() conference's strong interest in integrating value-for-value across their entire program for all musicians and speakers at their next event in \[Dallas, Texas\](), coming later this fall. This presents a significant opportunity to onboard over 100+ musicians to Bitcoin and Nostr, which in turn will help onboard their fans and supporters. We need significantly more zaps and more zappers! It's unreasonable to expect the same dedicated individuals to continuously support new users; they are being bled dry. A shift is needed towards more people using bitcoin for everyday transactions, treating it as money. This brings me back to my ideal on-boarding experience: securing a sponsor to essentially give participants bitcoin funds specifically for zapping and tipping artists. This method serves as a practical lesson in using bitcoin as money and showcases the value-for-value principle from the outset.

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

At the recent Launch Music Festival and Conference in Lancaster, PA, featuring over 120 musicians across three days, I volunteered my time with npub1h8gzew8am6cezuq7cpjgudldra40hgnruqrqlsrqnxnzs5wjtczqztps02 and nostr:nprofile1qqsxj7j6m0urzhm8lgsalud8aqz5zt4a52s6mhep3g8e8cg6hte03rqhjfp35's initiative to introduce artists to Bitcoin, Nostr, and the value-for-value model. Tunestr sponsored a stage, live-streaming 21 bands to platforms like [Tunestr.io](http://Tunestr.io), [Fountain.fm](http://Fountain.fm) and other Nostr/Podcasting 2.0 apps and on-boarding as many others as possible at our conference booth. You may have seen me spamming about this over the last few days. **V4V Earnings** - Day 1: 180,000 sats - Day 2: 300,000 sats - Day 3: Over 500,000 sats **Who?** Here are the volunteers: - nostr:nprofile1qqsgerm6uv6khl9shlm6kydvd8fx4ku84vweznmy08cxg4m4pw6clyg4ajwsh - nostr:nprofile1qqsgsp3h9t6329dlfthcqu53h9jg06scymykdf2ed09gv6tmtk9j80q5ecal2 - nostr:nprofile1qqspyg7l5vn4xpnqzzygdk6agdpd89lv8uqrv2u9q9ve9jmthdjrtqc20f2lg - nostr:nprofile1qqsxj7j6m0urzhm8lgsalud8aqz5zt4a52s6mhep3g8e8cg6hte03rqhjfp35 - nostr:nprofile1qqsr7acdvhf6we9fch94qwhpy0nza36e3tgrtkpku25ppuu80f69kfq9q9kky Here are the artists that were on-boarded to Fountain and were live streaming on the Value-for-Value stage: - npub1cruu4z0hwg7n3r2k7262vx8jsmra3xpku85frl5fnfvrwz7rd7mq7e403w - npub12xeh3n7w8700z4tpd6xlhlvg4vtg4pvpxd584ll5sva539tutc3q0tn3tz - npub1rc80p4v60uzfhvdgxemhvcqnzdj7t59xujxdy0lcjxml3uwdezyqtrpe0j - npub16vxr4pc2pk2j8x9xt5petww3yaez9q4s53zkejjfd0djs9lfe55sjhnqkh - npub10uspdzg4fl7md95mqnjszxx82ckdly8ezac0t3s06a0gsf4f3lys8ypeak - npub1gnyzexr40qut0za2c4a0x27p4e3qc22wekhcw3uvdx8mwa3pen0s9z90wk - npub13qrrw2h4z52m7jh0spefrwtysl4psfkfv6j4j672se5hkhvtyw7qu0almy - npub1p0kuqxxw2mxczc90vcurvfq7ljuw2394kkqk6gqnn2cq0y9eq5nq87jtkk - npub182kq0sdp7chm67uq58cf4vvl3lk37z8mm5k5067xe09fqqaaxjsqlcazej - npub162hr8kd96vxlanvggl08hmyy37qsn8ehgj7za7squl83um56epnswkr399 - npub17jzk5ex2rafres09c4dnn5mm00eejye6nrurnlla6yn22zcpl7vqg6vhvx - npub176rnksulheuanfx8y8cr2mrth4lh33svvpztggjjm6j2pqw6m56sq7s9vz - npub1akv7t7xpalhsc4nseljs0c886jzuhq8u42qdcwvu972f3mme9tjsgp5xxk - npub18x0gv872489lrczp9d9m4hx59r754x7p9rg2jkgvt7ul3kuqewtqsssn24 Many more musicians were on-boarded to Fountain, however, we were unable to obtain all of their npubs. **THANK YOU TO ALL ZAPPERS AND BOOSTERS!** **Musicians “Get It”** My key takeaway was the musicians' absolute understanding that the current digital landscape along with legacy social media is failing them. Every artist I spoke with recognized how algorithms hinder fan connection and how gatekeepers prevent fair compensation for their work. They all use Spotify, but they only do so out of necessity. They felt the music industry is primed for both a social and monetary revolution. Some of them were even speaking my language… Because of this, concepts like decentralization, censorship resistance, owning your content, and controlling your social graph weren't just understood by them, they were instantly hooked. The excitement was real; they immediately saw the potential and agreed with my talking points. Bitcoin and Nostr felt genuinely punk rock and that helped a lot of them identify with what we were offering them. **The Tools and the Issues** While the Nostr ecosystem offers a wide variety of tools, we focused on introducing three key applications at this event to keep things clear for newcomers: 1. **Fountain**, with a music focus, was the primary tool for onboarding attendees onto Nostr. Fountain was also chosen thanks to Fountain’s built-in Lightning wallet. (We did mention Wavlake as a partner and alternative.) 2. **Primal**, as a social alternative, was demonstrated to show how users can take their Nostr identity and content seamlessly between different applications. (We mentioned other similar tools, Damus, Amethyst, etc.) 3. [**Tunestr.io**](http://Tunestr.io), lastly was showcased for its live video streaming capabilities. Although we highlighted these three, we did inform attendees about the broader range of available apps and pointed them to [nostrapps.com](http://nostrapps.com) if they wanted to explore further, aiming to educate without overwhelming them. This review highlights several UX issues with the Fountain app, particularly concerning profile updates, wallet functionality, and user discovery. While Fountain does work well, these hiccups make it extremely hard for on-boarding and education. -  **Profile Issues:** - When a user edits their profile (e.g., Username/Nostr address, Lightning address) either during or after creation, the changes don't appear to consistently update across the app or sync correctly with Nostr relays. - Specifically, the main profile display continues to show the old default Username/Nostr address and Lightning address inside Fountain and on other Nostr clients. - However, the updated Username/Nostr address does appear on ([chosen-username@fountain.fm](mailto:chosen-username@fountain.fm)) and is visible within the "Edit Profile" screen itself in the app. - This inconsistency is confusing for users, as they see their updated information in some places but not on their main public-facing profile within the app. I confirmed this by observing a new user sign up and edit their username – the edit screen showed the new name, but the profile display in Fountain did not update and we did not see it inside Primal, Damus, Amethyst, etc. - **Wallet Limitations:** - The app's built-in wallet cannot scan Lightning address QR codes to initiate payments. - This caused problems during the event where users imported Bitcoin from [Azte.co](http://Azte.co) vouchers into their Fountain wallets. When they tried to zap a band by scanning a QR code on the live tally board, Fountain displayed an error message stating the invoice or QR code was invalid. - While suggesting musicians install Primal as a second Nostr app was a potential fix for the QR code issue, (and I mentioned it to some), the burden of on-boarding users onto two separate applications, potentially managing two different wallets, and explaining which one works for specific tasks creates a confusing and frustrating user experience. - **Search Difficulties:** - Finding other users within the Fountain app is challenging. I was unable to find profiles from brand new users by entering their chosen Fountain username.  - To find a new user, I had to resort to visiting their profile on the web ([fountain.fm/username](http://fountain.fm/username)) to retrieve their npub. Then, open Primal and follow them. Finally, when searching for their username, since I was now following them, I was able to find their profile. - This search issue is compounded by the profile syncing problem mentioned earlier, as even if found via other clients, their displayed information is outdated. - Searching for the event to Boost/Zap inside Fountain was harder than it should have been the first two days as the live stream did not appear at the top of the screen inside the tap. This was resolved on the third day of the event. **Improving the On-boarding Experience** To better support user growth, educators and on-boarders need more feature complete and user-friendly applications. I love our developers and I will always sing their praises from the highest mountain tops, however I also recognize that the current tools present challenges that hinder a smooth on-boarding experience. And to be frank, it's just frustrating for me from time to time. One potential approach explored was guiding users to use Primal (including its built-in wallet) in conjunction with Wavlake via Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC). While this could help with certain functions like music streaming, zaps, and QR code scanning (which require both Primal and Wavlake apps), Wavlake itself has usability issues. These include inconsistent or separate profiles between web and mobile apps, persistent "Login" buttons even when logged in on the mobile app with a Nostr identity, and the minor inconvenience of needing two separate applications. Although NWC setup is relatively easy and helps streamline the process, the need to switch between apps adds complexity, especially when time is limited and we’re aiming to showcase the benefits of this new system. Ultimately, we need applications that are more feature-complete and intuitive for mainstream users to improve the on-boarding experience significantly. **Looking forward to the future** I anticipate that most of these issues will be resolved when these applications address them in the near future. Specifically, this would involve Fountain fixing its profile issues and integrating Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) to allow users to utilize their Primal wallet, or by enabling the scanning of QR codes that pay out to Lightning addresses. Alternatively, if Wavlake resolves the consistency problems mentioned earlier, this would also significantly improve the situation giving us two viable solutions for musicians. My ideal on-boarding event experience would involve having all the previously mentioned issues resolved first and foremost. Additionally, I would love to see every attendee receive a $5 or $10 voucher to help them start engaging with value-for-value, rather than just the limited number we distributed recently. The goal is to have everyone actively zapping and sending Bitcoin throughout the event. Maybe we can find a large sponsor to facilitate this in the future? What's particularly exciting is the [Launch](https://www.launchmusicconference.com/) conference's strong interest in integrating value-for-value across their entire program for all musicians and speakers at their next event in [Dallas, Texas](https://www.launchmusicconference.com/dallas/), coming later this fall. This presents a significant opportunity to onboard over 100+ musicians to Bitcoin and Nostr, which in turn will help onboard their fans and supporters. We need significantly more zaps and more zappers! It's unreasonable to expect the same dedicated individuals to continuously support new users; they are being bled dry. A shift is needed towards more people using bitcoin for everyday transactions, treating it as money. This brings me back to my ideal on-boarding experience: securing a sponsor to essentially give participants bitcoin funds specifically for zapping and tipping artists. This method serves as a practical lesson in using bitcoin as money and showcases the value-for-value principle from the outset.

@ a296b972:e5a7a2e8

Aus der Ferne sieht man nur ein Gefängnis aus Beton. Doch wenn man näher herankommt, sieht man, dass die Mauern schon sehr brüchig sind und das Regenwasser mit jedem Schauer tiefer in das Gemäuer eindringt. Da bleibt es. Bis die Temperaturen unter Null gehen und das Wasser gefriert. Jetzt entfaltet das Eis seine physikalische Kraft, es rückt dem Beton zu leibe, es dehnt sich aus und sprengt ihn.

Das geht nun schon fünf Jahre so. Fünf Jahre immer wieder Regen, abwechselnd mit Frost und Eis. Die Risse werden größer, der Beton immer morscher. So lange, bis die Mauern ihre Tragfähigkeit verlieren und einstürzen.

Was soll das? Fängt da einer an zu spinnen? Wozu diese Metapher?

Hätte man zu Anfang gleich geschrieben: Wir, die kritischen Menschen, die sich der Wahrheit verpflichtet haben, sitzen in unserer Blase wie in einem Gefängnis und erreichen die da draußen nicht. Da hätten sicher viele gesagt: Oh, da will aber jemand die Opferrolle in vollen Zügen auskosten. Nee, nee, wir sind keine Opfer, wir sind Täter. Wir sammeln und bewahren die ständig neu dazukommenden Erkenntnisse der Wissenschaft und politischen Lügereien. Wir lernen Bücher auswendig, bevor die Feuerwehr kommt und sie verbrennt.

„Fahrenheit 451“

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3Kx-uiP0bY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsNMxUSCKWo

„Das Haus ist für unbewohnbar erklärt worden und muss verbrannt werden.“

So primitiv geht man heute nicht mehr vor. Heute stehen die Feuerwehrmänner und ihre Erfüllungsgehilfen um 6 Uhr morgens im Türrahmen, nehmen Mobiltelefon und Laptop mit, betreiben De-Banking und vernichten die wirtschaftliche Existenz.

Und ja, es gibt Tage, da fühlt man sich trotzdem wie im Informationsgefängnis. Das hängt von der Tageskondition ab. Der öffentlich-rechtliche Rundfunk ist die Gefängnisküche. Zubereitet werden fade Speisen mit sich ständig wiederholenden Zutaten. Heraus kommt ein Gericht, eine Pampe, wie die tagesschau. LAAAANGWEILIG!

Man glaubt, Informationen und kritische Äußerungen gegenüber dem Mainstream-Einheitsbrei bleiben in den Gefängnismauern, der Blase, schaffen es nicht über die Mauer nach draußen, in die vermeintliche Freiheit. Neue Erkenntnisse werden nur innerhalb der Mauern weitergegeben. Ein neuer Kanal, steigende Abonnenten. Doch wer sind die? Welche von da draußen, in der sogenannten Freiheit, oder doch wieder immer dieselben üblichen Verdächtigen? Die da draußen haben uns doch schon längst geblockt oder gleich gelöscht. Mit Gedankenverbrechern will man nichts zu tun haben.

Hallo, ihr da draußen: Wir sind unschuldig. Unser einziges Verbrechen ist, dass wir Informationen verbreiten, die euch da draußen nicht gefallen, weil sie euch nicht in den Kram passen. Für euch sind wir eine Bedrohung, weil diese Informationen auf euch weltbilderschütternd wirken. Wir sprechen das aus, was viele sich nicht einmal trauen zu denken. Ihr habt Angst vor der Freiheit. Nicht wir sitzen ein, sondern ihr. In einem Freiluft-Gefängnis. Wir decken die Lügen auf, die da draußen, außerhalb der Mauern verbreitet werden. Wir sind nicht die Erfinder der Lügen, sondern nur die Überbringer der schlechten Botschaften.

Es ist leichter Menschen zu lieben, von denen man belogen wird, als Menschen zu lieben, die einem sagen, dass man belogen wird.

Mit aller Kraft wird versucht, die Menschen in Einzelhaft zu setzen. In der Summe ist das die gesellschaftliche Spaltung. Gleichzeitig wird an den Zusammenhalt appelliert, obwohl man genau das Gegenteil davon vorantreibt.

Es geht auch nicht um Mitleid. Es geht um das Verdeutlichen der vorhandenen medialen Axt, mit der ganze Nationen in zwei Teile zerhackt werden. Auf politischer Ebene wird viel dafür getan, dass sich das auch ja nicht ändert. Ein Volk in Angst ist gut zu regieren. Teile und herrsche. Die Sprüche können wir alle schon rückwärts auf der Blockflöte pfeifen.

An den vier Ecken des Informations-Gefängnisses stehen Wachtürme, mit Wärtern, ausgebildet vom DSA, vom Digital Services Act, finanziert vom Wahrheitsministerium, dass ständig aktualisierend darüber befindet, was heute gerade aktuell als „Hass und Hetze“ en vogue ist. Es kommt eben immer darauf an, wer diese Begriffe aus der bisher dunkelsten Zeit in der deutschen Geschichte benutzt. Das hatten wir alles schon einmal. Das brauchen wir nicht mehr!

Schon in der Bibel steht das Gebot: Du sollst nicht lügen. Da steht nicht: Lügen verboten! Das Titelbild gehört leider auch zur deutschen Vergangenheit. Ist es jetzt schon verboten, darauf hinzuweisen, dass sich so etwas nicht wiederholen darf? Und in einer Demokratie, die eine sein will, schon gar nicht. Eine Demokratie, die keine ist, wenn die Meinungsfreiheit beschnitten wird und selbsternannte Experten meinen darüber entscheiden zu müssen, was als wahr und was als Lüge einzustufen ist. Die Vorgabe von Meinungs-Korridoren delegitimieren das Recht, seine Meinung frei äußern zu dürfen. In einer funktionierenden Demokratie dürfte sogar gelogen werden. Jedem, der noch zwei gesunde Gehirnzellen im Kopf hat, sollte doch klar sein, dass all das erbärmliche Versuche sind, sich mit allen Mitteln an der Macht festzuklammern.

Noch einmal zurück zur anfänglichen Metapher. So lange wir leben, befinden wir uns in einem fließenden Prozess. Nichts ist in Stein gemeißelt, nichts hält für immer. Betrachtet man die jüngste Vergangenheit als einen lebendigen Prozess, der noch nicht abgeschlossen ist, der sich ständig weiterentwickelt, dann ist all dieser Wahnsinn der Regen, der bei Frost zu Eis wird und die Mauer immer maroder macht. Die Temperaturen gehen wieder über Null, das Eis taut auf, das Wasser versickert, der nächste Regen, der nächste Frost. Alles neigt dazu kaputt zu gehen.

Wir brauchen eigentlich nur zu warten, während wir fleißig weiter Erkenntnisse sammeln und dabei zusehen, wie ein Frost nach dem anderen, in Form von immer neuen und weiteren Informationen, die all die Lügen zu Corona und den aktuellen Kriegen in der Welt, die Gefängnismauer früher oder später zum Einsturz bringen wird. Und das ist wirklich so sicher, wie das Amen in der Kirche. Die Wahrheit hat immer gesiegt!

Und wenn der Damm erst einmal gebrochen ist, das Wasser schwappt bereits über die Staumauer, dann wird sich die Wahrheit wie ein Sturzbach über die Menschen ergießen. Manche wird sie mitreißen, Schicksal, wir haben genug Rettungsboote ausgesetzt in den letzten Jahren.

Spricht so ein pessimistischer Optimist mit realistischen Tendenzen?

Ihr da draußen, macht nur so weiter. Immer mehr von demselben, und fleißig weiter wundern, dass nichts anderes dabei herauskommt. Überall ist bereits euer eigenes Sägen zu hören, an dem Ast, auf dem ihr selber sitzt. Mit verschränkten Armen, leichtgeneigtem Kopf und einem Schmunzeln auf den Lippen schauen wir dabei zu und fragen uns, wie lange der Ast wohl noch halten wird und wann es kracht. Wir können warten!

Dieser Artikel wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben

* *

(Bild von pixabay)

@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

I started working on this post a couple weeks ago, and out of pure accident, it became my Resurrection Sunday (Easter) post. Maybe it was by God’s design. On Resurrection Sunday, Jesus was raised from the grave. Forty days later he rose to heaven before many witnesses. Someday in the future, the dead in Christ will be raised from the dead, and all believers will be snatched up to heaven. Maybe this is this right post for Resurrection Sunday.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. … For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:14, 16-17) {emphasis mine}

---

It always amazes me that some Christians don’t believe in the rapture of the church. I understand how there can be a disagreement about exactly when the rapture is to occur, but I can’t comprehend how some Christians don’t believe the rapture is coming or that they believe that the rapture happened in the first century.

Let’s start with the three key verses on the subject and then we’ll get into more details.

Key Rapture Verses

I didn’t notice that this first passage referred to the rapture until it was pointed out to me. I was so focused on Jesus preparing a place, that I missed the key sentence.

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3) {emphasis mine}

Jesus, after His resurrection and as promised in these verses, rose up to heaven to go prepare a place for believers. He will then return to bring believers to Himself. This whole idea would have been particularly clear for the Jews when it was written. When a bride and groom were engaged (a legal contract where they were considered married), the groom would go and prepare a place for them to live. It could be an extra room in his parent’s home or it could be a whole new home. The bride didn’t know when the groom would return to take her to himself to become man and wife. In the same way, Jesus has gone away to prepare a place for us and will return at a time we do not know. Just as the Jewish bride had to be ready to leave with her groom when he suddenly arrived, we also must be ready for Jesus’s return when He will snatch us from earth and take us home with Him to heaven.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) {emphasis mine}

The Bible has a wonderful euphemism for the death of believers. It speaks of them falling asleep because death is not the end for believers. It is just a pause, a separation of body and spirit, before we are raptured to Jesus, to meet Him in the sky, where we will receive a new resurrection body, just as Jesus received when He was raised from the dead 3 days after His crucifixion. Both the dead in Christ and the alive in Christ will “be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” God gives us this promise in the Bible to comfort us. It gives us comfort that death is not the end and we will see our fellow believers again in heaven one day. It also gives us comfort that we will not have to experience God’s wrath. “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

What else can we learn about the rapture?

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57) {emphasis mine}

The rapture will be an instantaneous change from our perishable bodies to imperishable, whether we are alive in Christ or dead in Christ. At the rapture we “will be raised imperishable.” I am very excited to be snatched up into the air, receive a new, eternal body, and meet Jesus face-to-face.

There is one more passage that I believe talks of the rapture that is a bit more subtle from Isaiah.

The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart;\ And devout men are taken away, while no one understands.\ For the righteous man is taken away from evil,\ **He enters into peace;\ They rest in their beds,\ Each one who walked in his upright way. (Isaiah 57:1-2) {emphasis mine}

The seven year Tribulation is the wrath of God poured out on those who rejected Him and the merciful, last chance warning before eternal judgement. Those who have trusted in Jesus (the devout men, the righteous man) will be “taken away from evil” and will “enter into peace.” Instead of experiencing God’s wrath, they will experience His peace. Instead of experience horror, they will “rest in their beds.”

The Seven Raptures Before the Rapture of the Church

How can we know that we will be raptured to heaven to be with Jesus forever? One way is because people have been raptured before (in different ways)

I am borrowing the organization of this section from Chapter 9 of “The End: Everything You’ll Want to Know about the Apocalypse” by Mark Hitchcock, which I happen to be reading at the moment.

1. Rapture of Enoch\ ”So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:23-24) \ Enoch was raptured to heaven to be with God. He did not die, but went straight to God.

2. Rapture of Elijah\ ”And it came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. … As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.” (2 Kings 2:1,11) \ Elijah also was raptured to heaven without having to die. This passage gives more details. He went up in a whirlwind to heaven.

3. Rapture of Isaiah\ ”In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,

The whole earth is full of His glory.”” (Isaiah 6:1-3)\ Isaiah’s situation was different. He was raptured to heaven only temporarily to be given God’s word and His prophecy and to call Isaiah for His good plan.

1. Rapture of Jesus\ ”And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” (Revelation 12:5)\ and\ ”And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)\ I’ve listed two verses about Jesus’s rapture. The one from Revelation uses the Greek word harpazo, caught up - when translated to Latin, the word is rapturo, which is where we get our English word rapture. The verses in Acts give a more detailed description of His rapture to heaven, which is an example of our rapture. We are also promised His return.

2. Rapture of Philip\ ”And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.” (Acts 8:38-40)

The rapture of Philip is different than the rest, because Philip was snatched away, not to heaven, but to Azotus. This is still an instance worth pointing out because it also uses the Greek word Harpazo.

1. Rapture of Paul\ ”I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)\ Like Isaiah, Paul was temporarily caught up (Harpazo) to heaven to receive revelation from God and then returned to his work and life on earth

These examples show God snatching people from one location to another, physically or spiritually for His good purpose. I expect it to happen again, shortly before the beginning of the seven year tribulation.

The 3 Views of the Rapture

There are three main views of the rapture: pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib. The basic beliefs are pretty much self explanatory by their name. Does the rapture occur before the tribulation, around the mid-point of the tribulation (which is right before the Great Tribulation or final 3.5 years), or after the tribulation? Which one fits what the Bible says better?

Although the Bible doesn’t directly say when the rapture happens, there are some very strong hints.

No wrath For saints

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

God promises believers that we are not destined for wrath. The tribulation is also known as1 “The wrath” (1 Thessalonians 5:9 & Revelation 11:18), “The wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10), “The great day of their wrath” (Revelation 6:17), “The wrath of God” (Revelation15:1,7, 14:10,19, 16:1), “The wrath of the lamb” (Revelation 6:16). There are numerous other equally unpleasant names, but I am sticking with those that use the word wrath. God promised believers that we are not destined for wrath. God never breaks His promises.

Similarly Revelation 3 promises believers will be kept from the hour of testing.

Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (Revelation 3:10-11) {emphasis mine}

The word quickly can also be translated suddenly. Although Jesus has not returned quickly by our way of figuring time, He will come suddenly.

No one knows when

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matthew 24:36)

Scripture says the Tribulation starts when the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel. If the rapture happens before the tribulation, then we won’t know when it will happen. If the rapture occurs at the mid-trib position, then it will happen 3.5 years after the peace treaty. If the rapture occurs post-trip, then it will happen 7 years after the peace treaty is signed and 3.5 years after the abomination of desolation, when the Antichrist declares himself god in the Jewish temple and requires the whole world to worship him. Only one makes sense if we can’t know when it happens.

Just as in the days of …

“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.” (Matthew 24:37-41)

If we look at the words of Jesus, He compares the rapture to the days of Noah. Life happening as normal, then God put Noah and his family on the ark and personally shut the door (Genesis 7:16). Then the flood came, pouring God’s wrath out on those who had rejected Him. In the same way, God will take believers out of the world before pouring out His wrath on those who remain. He clearly states, “one will be taken and one will be left.”

A parallel passage in Luke, not only talks of God removing Noah before the flood, but also tells of God removing Lot before destroying Sodom & Gomorrah.

For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke:17:24-30) {emphasis mine}

Just as Noah was removed before judgement, so also was Lot removed before judgement. In both cases the majority of people were going about business, living normal lives, not expecting anything to change.

In Genesis 19, the angels must remove Lot and his family before the city is destroyed.

Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” \ …\ When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. (Genesis 19:12-13,15-16) {emphasis mine}

In the last days, God has promised to remove us before His judgment is poured out on those who willfully rejected Him. Jesus spoke these words to comfort us and so we would not fear the end.

Removal of the Restrainer

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8) {emphasis mine}

The restrainer is the Holy Spirit and the lawless one is the antichrist. This passage is saying that the antichrist will not be revealed until the restrainer is removed. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer. The believers also have to be removed before the antichrist is revealed, otherwise the Holy Spirit would have to leave the believers, leaving them alone during God’s wrath. That, of course, is contrary to God’s character, history, and promise.

Why is There No Mention of the Church During the Tribulation?

In the first three chapters of Revelation, the word church is used again and again. The church is not mentioned again until Revelation 19, regarding the Bride of Christ.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:7-8) {emphasis mine}

All of this makes sense if the church was raptured before the tribulation. Therefore the bride (the church) has had seven years to make herself ready. They then get to descend with Jesus in the second coming of Jesus.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16) {emphasis mine}

The Bride of Christ follows the King of Kings and Lord of Lords back to earth after being made “white and clean.”

Some may accuse pre-trib believers of being escapists. I’ll admit, I am happy to avoid the wrath of God, whether that be the tribulation or eternal damnation or just His daily disappointment in my failings. The fact that I am glad to “escape” the wrath, doesn’t make it untrue. I hope the passages and explanations I shared will give you comfort as the Day of the Lord and the Wrath of God approaches and as we see the world seemingly spiraling out of control. God is in control. Everything is happening according to His plan and for our good.

May the Lord of heaven comfort you with His promises and make you know His love. May you trust Him in good times and bad until the last days. May God give you a desire for His word and an understanding of His prophecies, so you will know the day is fast approaching.

Trust Jesus.

FYI, You can find most of my articles at end times. Some are directly relating to end times while others are loosely related. This post is a logical explanation of the rapture. You can also check out my older article on the rapture, “Up, Up, and Away.” The focus in my previous post was a little different including focusing on how the rapture will effect us, how we should respond to its immanency, and how it relates to the 2nd coming of Christ after the tribulation, so it is worth checking out as well.

@ 83279ad2:bd49240d

Hello

@ 1f79058c:eb86e1cb

I think we should agree on an HTML element for pointing to the Nostr representation of a document/URL on the Web. We could use the existing one for link relations for example:

html <link rel="alternate" type="application/nostr+json" href="nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4..." title="This article on Nostr" />

This would be useful in multiple ways:

1. Nostr clients, when fetching meta/preview information for a URL that is linked in a note, can detect that there's a Nostr representation of the content, and then render it in Nostr-native ways (whatever that may be depending on the client)
2. User agents, usually a browser or browser extension, when opening a URL on the Web, can offer opening the alternative representation of a page in a Nostr client. And/or they could offer to follow the author's pubkey on Nostr. And/or they could offer to zap the content.
3. When publishing a new article, authors can share their preferred Web URL everywhere, without having to consider if the reader knows about or uses Nostr at all. However, if a Nostr user finds the Web version of an article outside of Nostr, they can now easily jump to the Nostr version of it.
4. Existing Web publications can retroactively create Nostr versions of their content and easily link the Nostr articles on all of their existing article pages without having to add prominent Nostr links everywhere.

There are probably more use cases, like Nostr search engines and whatnot. If you can think of something interesting, please tell me.

Proof of concept

In order to show one way in which this could be used, I have created a small Web Extension called Nostr Links, which will discover alternate Nostr links on the pages you visit.

If it finds one or more links, it will show a purple Nostr icon in the address bar, which you can click to open the list of links. It's similar to e.g. the Feed Preview extension, and also to what the Tor Browser does when it discovers an Onion-Location for the page you're looking at:

The links in this popup menu will be web+nostr: links, because browsers currently do not allow web apps or extensions to handle unprefixed nostr: links. (I hope someone is working on getting those on par with ipfs: etc.)

Following such a link will either open your default Nostr Web app, if you have already configured one, or it will ask you which Web app to open the link with.

Caveat emptor: At the time of writing, my personal default Web app, noStrudel, needs a new release for the links to find the content.

Try it now

Have a look at the source code and/or download the extension (currently only for Firefox).

I have added alternate Nostr links to the Web pages of profiles and long-form content on the Kosmos relay's domain. It's probably the only place on the Web, which will trigger the extension right now.

You can look at this very post to find an alternate link for example.

@ 68c90cf3:99458f5c

Why test Untype.app?

It's always good to test something before investing resources and going into production. I'd like to know how things will work and the final result before publishing articles on other topics. I don't write very often, but I'd like to change that. Writing articles on Nostr is inspiring, and Untype.app seems like a good vehicle to do so.

What interested me in Untype.app?

• Clean and simple design
• Formatting capabilities
• Nostr integration
• AI integration

What to test?

For now I just want to see that I can publish an article to Nostr and that it looks like I would expect it to. I hope to try the AI features in the near future.

So far, so good. A couple of initial observations:

• I'd like the ability to add line breaks
• I can't quite figure out how to size images

@ f7d424b5:618c51e8

It's our podcast and we'll talk about whatever we want. Welcome to a return to normalcy where we cover a variety of subjects instead of just a couple of really long ones. Crack open a beer and chill with us. We're gonna talk about the Galaxy showcase, Marathon, Skyblivion & the leaked Oblivion remake, and a whole bunch more.

In the opening of the episode we get Vic's reaction to a really specific trailer, if you want to follow along, this is the link to that video

Other stuff cited:

• Switch 2 isn't changing price after all?
• Adi Shankar is an Asmon fan

Obligatory:

• Listen to the new episode here!
• Discuss this episode on OUR NEW FORUM
• Get the RSS and Subscribe (this is a new feed URL, but the old one redirects here too!)
• Get a modern podcast app to use that RSS feed on at newpodcastapps.com
• Or listen to the show on the forum using the embedded Podverse player!
• Send your complaints here

Reminder that this is a Value4Value podcast so any support you can give us via a modern podcasting app is greatly appreciated and we will never bow to corporate sponsors!

@ c3f12a9a:06c21301

Satoshi’s Time-Traveling for Knowledge #4: Liberland 2024 – Freedom Under Siege

---

What is Liberland?

While digging through old decentralized forums archived on the Interchain, Satoshi came across a curious name: Liberland.

“A sovereign libertarian micronation on the Danube? Founded in 2015 via Terra nullius? Built on the principles of freedom, voluntaryism, and Bitcoin? And I’ve never heard of it?”

Intrigued, Satoshi began to research. The story was almost too good to be true. A 7-square-kilometer patch of unclaimed land between Croatia and Serbia, turned into a symbol of decentralized governance and individual liberty.
No taxes unless voluntary. Bitcoin as the national currency. A digital nation-state with thousands of registered e-citizens, and even its own constitution. And yet—no recognition, no borders, and no peace.

His curiosity turned into determination. He calibrated the temporal coordinates on his chrono-node to the Danube River in 2024, a year rumored to be turbulent for the Free Republic of Liberland.

When he arrived, reality struck harder than the legend.

---

Freedom Under Siege

The nation was under siege.

The scent of burnt wood and trampled earth lingered in the air as Satoshi stepped into what remained of the Liberland settlement. Broken structures, crushed solar panels, and a few scattered personal belongings were all that testified to the once-vibrant hub of liberty pioneers.

He found a group of residents—mud-streaked, exhausted, but defiant—gathered around the remnants of a communal kitchen. One of them, wearing a weathered Liberland t-shirt and a crypto-wallet hardware device on a chain around his neck, greeted him:

"You're not with them, are you?"

Satoshi shook his head.

"Just... passing through. What happened here?"

The man’s voice trembled between rage and sorrow:

"On the International Day of Peace, no less. Croatian police raided us. Bulldozers came with them. Took everything—generators, comms gear, even our medical tents. Claimed it was 'illegal occupation of Croatian forestry land.' But no court, no hearing. Just force."

Satoshi listened, taking mental snapshots of their faces, their words, their pain. He thought about the dream—of a place built voluntarily, where people governed themselves, free from coercion.
But that dream was burning at the edges, like the collapsed tents scattered behind them.

---

Reflections Under the Stars

As night fell over the Danube, Satoshi sat alone, watching the stars reflect on the black water. Thoughts spiraled:

"Decentralization... is beautiful. But without protection, it's fragile."

He realized that so long as central authorities hold monopoly on violence and taxation, every independent effort to decentralize the world—from Bitcoin to Liberland—is at risk of being suppressed, ignored, or destroyed. Not because it’s wrong, but because it's inconvenient to power.

"Unless a major state like the USA decentralizes itself from within," he thought, "true decentralization will remain a resistance—never the standard."

He activated his chrono-node once more. Not in defeat, but with purpose.

The next destination? Unknown. But the mission was clearer than ever.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/947954

@ 88cc134b:5ae99079

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla sagittis ut neque in pulvinar. Integer vestibulum felis vel pretium luctus. Sed dui sapien, pretium in tincidunt ac, gravida vel est. Morbi ac ornare nisi. Nullam ex tortor, facilisis id nisi eu, vulputate ultrices sem. Ut gravida dolor quis tellus volutpat, et iaculis turpis vehicula. Etiam sagittis tincidunt urna a molestie. In fermentum tincidunt mauris et lobortis.

Vivamus ullamcorper erat in semper tempor. Etiam tincidunt nec metus id laoreet. Suspendisse et felis at metus rhoncus tincidunt posuere eu turpis. Donec dolor dui, tempor nec volutpat vel, rutrum vitae arcu. Curabitur tristique nisl urna, ac mollis libero tristique condimentum. Quisque eu gravida felis. Vestibulum porta tincidunt massa mattis ornare.

Pellentesque varius massa nec ligula tincidunt dapibus. Maecenas luctus, sem sit amet pulvinar volutpat, leo sapien porttitor arcu, et tincidunt quam dui vitae nibh. Mauris porttitor orci ac tortor vulputate commodo. Aliquam aliquam gravida velit, vel vestibulum nulla fermentum in. Integer non nulla ut elit rutrum vehicula. Etiam molestie eros nunc, ut tincidunt tellus sodales non. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Fusce eu purus ac lacus finibus semper eu eget felis. Nam a ornare lacus, sed gravida dui. Quisque purus nisl, sagittis a orci placerat, dignissim accumsan purus. Integer eget accumsan mi. Vestibulum mauris nunc, rhoncus nec sollicitudin vitae, porttitor ac turpis. Aenean molestie egestas elit, ut vulputate nunc luctus a. Mauris quam ligula, molestie id posuere sit amet, suscipit a eros. Nunc in ligula sit amet orci iaculis condimentum sed at lectus.

Duis sollicitudin ac ipsum commodo bibendum. Phasellus tincidunt tristique leo, et pulvinar nibh tristique at. Duis finibus ipsum eu blandit aliquet. Aliquam a sem non dolor tempus bibendum. Quisque ac faucibus leo, non lobortis erat. Nam a sollicitudin sapien, sit amet mattis tellus. Vivamus pulvinar eget mi eget vestibulum. Maecenas dignissim, orci ac convallis mollis, arcu eros malesuada nisl, a iaculis enim dolor eget lacus. Curabitur a vestibulum tellus. Aliquam augue neque, rutrum sed purus non, placerat finibus metus. Etiam vulputate interdum nisl, ut vestibulum tortor. Curabitur sit amet maximus ligula, et condimentum mauris. Suspendisse faucibus dui quis nulla faucibus, vel pulvinar elit tempor.

Proin non urna iaculis, feugiat lectus at, finibus orci. Nulla posuere lectus eu consectetur elementum. Quisque euismod sagittis nisi ut consectetur. In faucibus ex nec urna lacinia, sit amet congue est euismod. Aliquam dignissim porttitor mi non vehicula. Sed auctor magna vel est volutpat imperdiet malesuada in arcu. Donec sagittis, lacus sit amet tempor porttitor, dolor ex gravida nunc, sit amet posuere justo eros dignissim neque. Praesent iaculis, arcu ut ultrices tincidunt, sem dui dapibus nisl, tincidunt posuere sapien metus eget dui. Aliquam turpis ex, accumsan id lacus at, sodales efficitur massa.

@ 1bc70a01:24f6a411

Untype Update

I cleaned up the AI assistant UX. Now you can open it in the editor bar, same as all other actions. This makes it a lot easier to interact with while having access to normal edit functions.

AI-generated content

Untype uses OpenRouter to connect to various models to generate just about anything. It doesn't do images for now, but I'm working on that.

Automatic Title, Summary and Tag Suggestions

Added the functionality to generate titles, summaries and tags with one click.

A Brief Preview

Here is a little story I generated in Untype, ABOUT Untype:

This story was generated in Untype

Once upon a time, in the bustling digital city of Techlandia, there lived a quirky AI named Untype. Unlike other software, Untype wasn't just your everyday article composer — it had a nose for news, quite literally. Untype was equipped with a masterful talent for sniffing out the latest trends and stories wafting through the vast digital ether.

Untype had a peculiar look about it. Sporting a gigantic nose and a pair of spectacles perched just above it, Untype roamed the virtual city, inhaling the freshest gossip and spiciest stories. Its nostr-powered sensors twitched and tickled as it encountered every new scent.

One day, while wandering around the pixelated park, Untype caught a whiff of something extraordinary — a scandalous scoop involving Techlandia's mayor, Doc Processor, who had been spotted recycling old memes as new content. The scent trail was strong, and Untype's nose twitched with excitement.

With a flick of its AI function, Untype began weaving the story into a masterpiece. Sentences flowed like fine wine, infused with humor sharper than a hacker’s focus. "Doc Processor," Untype mused to itself, "tried to buffer his way out of this one with a cache of recycled gifs!"

As Untype typed away, its digital friends, Grammarly the Grammar Gremlin and Canva the Artful Pixie, gathered around to watch the genius at work. "You truly have a knack for news-sniffing," complimented Grammarly, adjusting its tiny monocle. Canva nodded, painting whimsical illustrations to accompany the hilarious exposé.

The article soon spread through Techlandia faster than a virus with a strong wifi signal. The townsfolk roared with laughter at Untype’s clever wit, and even Doc Processor couldn't help but chuckle through his embarrassment.

From that day on, Untype was celebrated not just as a composer but as Techlandia's most revered and humorous news-sniffer. With every sniff and click of its AI functions, Untype proved that in the world of digital creations, sometimes news really was just a nose away.

@ 88cc134b:5ae99079

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla sagittis ut neque in pulvinar. Integer vestibulum felis vel pretium luctus. Sed dui sapien, pretium in tincidunt ac, gravida vel est. Morbi ac ornare nisi. Nullam ex tortor, facilisis id nisi eu, vulputate ultrices sem. Ut gravida dolor quis tellus volutpat, et iaculis turpis vehicula. Etiam sagittis tincidunt urna a molestie. In fermentum tincidunt mauris et lobortis.

Vivamus ullamcorper erat in semper tempor. Etiam tincidunt nec metus id laoreet. Suspendisse et felis at metus rhoncus tincidunt posuere eu turpis. Donec dolor dui, tempor nec volutpat vel, rutrum vitae arcu. Curabitur tristique nisl urna, ac mollis libero tristique condimentum. Quisque eu gravida felis. Vestibulum porta tincidunt massa mattis ornare.

Pellentesque varius massa nec ligula tincidunt dapibus. Maecenas luctus, sem sit amet pulvinar volutpat, leo sapien porttitor arcu, et tincidunt quam dui vitae nibh. Mauris porttitor orci ac tortor vulputate commodo. Aliquam aliquam gravida velit, vel vestibulum nulla fermentum in. Integer non nulla ut elit rutrum vehicula. Etiam molestie eros nunc, ut tincidunt tellus sodales non. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Fusce eu purus ac lacus finibus semper eu eget felis. Nam a ornare lacus, sed gravida dui. Quisque purus nisl, sagittis a orci placerat, dignissim accumsan purus. Integer eget accumsan mi. Vestibulum mauris nunc, rhoncus nec sollicitudin vitae, porttitor ac turpis. Aenean molestie egestas elit, ut vulputate nunc luctus a. Mauris quam ligula, molestie id posuere sit amet, suscipit a eros. Nunc in ligula sit amet orci iaculis condimentum sed at lectus.

Duis sollicitudin ac ipsum commodo bibendum. Phasellus tincidunt tristique leo, et pulvinar nibh tristique at. Duis finibus ipsum eu blandit aliquet. Aliquam a sem non dolor tempus bibendum. Quisque ac faucibus leo, non lobortis erat. Nam a sollicitudin sapien, sit amet mattis tellus. Vivamus pulvinar eget mi eget vestibulum. Maecenas dignissim, orci ac convallis mollis, arcu eros malesuada nisl, a iaculis enim dolor eget lacus. Curabitur a vestibulum tellus. Aliquam augue neque, rutrum sed purus non, placerat finibus metus. Etiam vulputate interdum nisl, ut vestibulum tortor. Curabitur sit amet maximus ligula, et condimentum mauris. Suspendisse faucibus dui quis nulla faucibus, vel pulvinar elit tempor.

Proin non urna iaculis, feugiat lectus at, finibus orci. Nulla posuere lectus eu consectetur elementum. Quisque euismod sagittis nisi ut consectetur. In faucibus ex nec urna lacinia, sit amet congue est euismod. Aliquam dignissim porttitor mi non vehicula. Sed auctor magna vel est volutpat imperdiet malesuada in arcu. Donec sagittis, lacus sit amet tempor porttitor, dolor ex gravida nunc, sit amet posuere justo eros dignissim neque. Praesent iaculis, arcu ut ultrices tincidunt, sem dui dapibus nisl, tincidunt posuere sapien metus eget dui. Aliquam turpis ex, accumsan id lacus at, sodales efficitur massa.

@ d08c9312:73efcc9f

https://youtu.be/qK7ffYzxiiQ

Resolvr was recently featured in The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative's educational video series on insurance digitization and cross-border payments. With over a century of history educating insurance professionals, The Institutes has established itself as the premier knowledge resource in risk management and insurance. And its RiskStream Collaborative non-profit serves as the industry's largest enterprise-level technology consortium focused on streamlining insurance processes through innovative solutions.

Resolvr's co-founders, Aaron Daniel and Dave Schwab, were joined by industry experts Lizzy Eisenberg from Lightspark and Austin Cornell from Zero Hash to discuss how Bitcoin and the Lightning Network are transforming global insurance payments operations.

Watch the video to learn how Resolvr is leveraging these real-time digital settlement networks to solve significant inefficiencies in today's insurance payment ecosystem - from the months-long settlement times that trap billions in value, to the manual reconciliation processes costing the industry nearly £1 billion annually at Lloyd's of London alone.

We're grateful to RiskStream Collaborative for showcasing these transformative technologies and emphasizing the importance of combining specialized insurance-native interfaces with powerful payment infrastructure to solve industry-specific challenges.

For more information about how Resolvr can help your organization streamline premium processing and payments, contact us today.

@ df478568:2a951e67

I created a GitHub repository at https://github.com/Marc26z/ZapShirts. Here is a copy of the README.md

ZapShirts

This is an idea I have to make t-shirts that are also bitcoin point-of-sale terminals.

Create T-Shirt Point-Of-Sale

The idea is to create a bitcoin point of sale on a T-shirt. You can use it to sell stickers at a conference or have a friend pay you back for dinner. It is only limited by your imagination.

Why Would Anybody Need A ZapShirt?

I no longer "orange pill" local businesses. I do not care if they wish to accept bitcoin, but I want to be the change in the world I want to see. I will accept bitcoin on a T-Shirt to show others how easy it is to accept bitcoin as a p2p electronic cash system. Anyone can accept bitcoin as payment if they want to. You could print a sign on a piece of paper if you wanted to. The problem was, nobody I asked wanted a sign, even bitcoiners. So I asked myself...Self, what if you did the opposite? What if the customer accepted bitcoin, but the business owner did not.

I also thought it would be pretty cool T-Shirt to wear at meet-ups.

How To Make Your Own Zap Shirt

1. Create a QR code that sends you to your coinos page, getalby page, strike or whatever you feel comfortable using. This can easily be done at https://libreqr.com/
2. Use a program like gimp to replace the default QR Code with your own QR code on the file.
3. Create the shirt.

To support this please zap me or buy one from my store.

Can I Buy A Zap Shirt?

Yes. If you would like a shirt, hit me up on nostr

https://primal.net/marc

end README.md

I like the idea of open sourcing my ideas and trying to sell them for sats on the Internet. I am currently working on a site to sell things like this and my gift cards. I feel a little uneasy because I haven't been writing much, but I've been building. The idea is to create bitcoin educational products and services. Onward.

@ 6e64b83c:94102ee8

How to Run Your Own Nostr Relay on Android with Cloudflare Domain

Prerequisites

1. Install Citrine on your Android device:
2. Visit https://github.com/greenart7c3/Citrine/releases
3. Download the latest release using:
   • zap.store
   • Obtainium
   • F-Droid
   • Or download the APK directly

4. Note: You may need to enable "Install from Unknown Sources" in your Android settings

5. Domain Requirements:

6. Purchase a domain if you don't have one

7. Transfer your domain to Cloudflare if it's not already there (for free SSL certificates and cloudflared support)

8. Tools to use:

9. nak (the nostr army knife):
   • Download from https://github.com/fiatjaf/nak/releases
   • Installation steps:

   • For Linux/macOS: ```bash # Download the appropriate version for your system wget https://github.com/fiatjaf/nak/releases/latest/download/nak-linux-amd64 # for Linux # or wget https://github.com/fiatjaf/nak/releases/latest/download/nak-darwin-amd64 # for macOS

     # Make it executable chmod +x nak-*

     # Move to a directory in your PATH sudo mv nak-* /usr/local/bin/nak - For Windows:batch # Download the Windows version curl -L -o nak.exe https://github.com/fiatjaf/nak/releases/latest/download/nak-windows-amd64.exe

     # Move to a directory in your PATH (e.g., C:\Windows) move nak.exe C:\Windows\nak.exe - Verify installation:bash nak --version ```

Setting Up Citrine

1. Open the Citrine app
2. Start the server
3. You'll see it running on ws://127.0.0.1:4869 (local network only)
4. Go to settings and paste your npub into "Accept events signed by" inbox and press the + button. This prevents others from publishing events to your personal relay.

Installing Required Tools

1. Install Termux from Google Play Store
2. Open Termux and run:

bash pkg update && pkg install wget wget https://github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/releases/latest/download/cloudflared-linux-arm64.deb dpkg -i cloudflared-linux-arm64.deb

Cloudflare Authentication

1. Run the authentication command: bash cloudflared tunnel login
2. Follow the instructions:
3. Copy the provided URL to your browser
4. Log in to your Cloudflare account
5. If the URL expires, copy it again after logging in

Creating the Tunnel

1. Create a new tunnel: bash cloudflared tunnel create <TUNNEL_NAME>
2. Choose any name you prefer for your tunnel

3. Copy the tunnel ID after creating the tunnel

4. Create and configure the tunnel config: bash touch ~/.cloudflared/config.yml nano ~/.cloudflared/config.yml

5. Add this configuration (replace the placeholders with your values): ```yaml tunnel: credentials-file: /data/data/com.termux/files/home/.cloudflared/.json ingress:

6. hostname: nostr.yourdomain.com service: ws://localhost:4869
7. service: http_status:404 ```
8. Note: In nano editor:
   • CTRL+O and Enter to save
   • CTRL+X to exit

9. Note: Check the credentials file path in the logs

10. Validate your configuration: bash cloudflared tunnel validate

11. Start the tunnel: bash cloudflared tunnel run my-relay

Preventing Android from Killing the Tunnel

Run these commands to maintain tunnel stability: bash date && apt install termux-tools && termux-setup-storage && termux-wake-lock echo "nameserver 1.1.1.1" > $PREFIX/etc/resolv.conf

Tip: You can open multiple Termux sessions by swiping from the left edge of the screen while keeping your tunnel process running.

Updating Your Outbox Model Relays

Once your relay is running and accessible via your domain, you'll want to update your relay list in the Nostr network. This ensures other clients know about your relay and can connect to it.

Decoding npub (Public Key)

Private keys (nsec) and public keys (npub) are encoded in bech32 format, which includes: - A prefix (like nsec1, npub1 etc.) - The encoded data - A checksum

This format makes keys: - Easy to distinguish - Hard to copy incorrectly

However, most tools require these keys in hexadecimal (hex) format.

To decode an npub string to its hex format:

bash nak decode nostr:npub1dejts0qlva8mqzjlrxqkc2tmvs2t7elszky5upxaf3jha9qs9m5q605uc4

Change it with your own npub.

bash { "pubkey": "6e64b83c1f674fb00a5f19816c297b6414bf67f015894e04dd4c657e94102ee8" }

Copy the pubkey value in quotes.

Create a kind 10002 event with your relay list:

• Include your new relay with write permissions
• Include other relays you want to read from and write to, omit 3rd parameter to make it both read and write

Example format:

json { "kind": 10002, "tags": [ ["r", "wss://your-relay-domain.com", "write"], ["r", "wss://eden.nostr.land/"], ["r", "wss://nos.lol/"], ["r", "wss://nostr.bitcoiner.social/"], ["r", "wss://nostr.mom/"], ["r", "wss://relay.primal.net/"], ["r", "wss://nostr.wine/", "read"], ["r", "wss://relay.damus.io/"], ["r", "wss://relay.nostr.band/"], ["r", "wss://relay.snort.social/"] ], "content": "" }

Save it to a file called event.json

Note: Add or remove any relays you want. To check your existing 10002 relays: - Visit https://nostr.band/?q=by%3Anpub1dejts0qlva8mqzjlrxqkc2tmvs2t7elszky5upxaf3jha9qs9m5q605uc4+++kind%3A10002 - nostr.band is an indexing service, it probably has your relay list. - Replace npub1xxx in the URL with your own npub - Click "VIEW JSON" from the menu to see the raw event - Or use the nak tool if you know the relays bash nak req -k 10002 -a <your-pubkey> wss://relay1.com wss://relay2.com

Replace `<your-pubkey>` with your public key in hex format (you can get it using `nak decode <your-npub>`)

1. Sign and publish the event:
2. Use a Nostr client that supports kind 10002 events
3. Or use the nak command-line tool: bash nak event --sec ncryptsec1... wss://relay1.com wss://relay2.com $(cat event.json)

Important Security Notes: 1. Never share your nsec (private key) with anyone 2. Consider using NIP-49 encrypted keys for better security 3. Never paste your nsec or private key into the terminal. The command will be saved in your shell history, exposing your private key. To clear the command history: - For bash: use history -c - For zsh: use fc -W to write history to file, then fc -p to read it back - Or manually edit your shell history file (e.g., ~/.zsh_history or ~/.bash_history) 4. if you're using zsh, use fc -p to prevent the next command from being saved to history 5. Or temporarily disable history before running sensitive commands:

bash unset HISTFILE nak key encrypt ... set HISTFILE

How to securely create NIP-49 encypted private key

```bash

Read your private key (input will be hidden)

read -s SECRET

Read your password (input will be hidden)

read -s PASSWORD

encrypt command

echo "$SECRET" | nak key encrypt "$PASSWORD"

copy and paste the ncryptsec1 text from the output

read -s ENCRYPTED nak key decrypt "$ENCRYPTED"

clear variables from memory

unset SECRET PASSWORD ENCRYPTED ```

On a Windows command line, to read from stdin and use the variables in nak commands, you can use a combination of set /p to read input and then use those variables in your command. Here's an example:

```bash @echo off set /p "SECRET=Enter your secret key: " set /p "PASSWORD=Enter your password: "

echo %SECRET%| nak key encrypt %PASSWORD%

:: Clear the sensitive variables set "SECRET=" set "PASSWORD=" ```

If your key starts with ncryptsec1, the nak tool will securely prompt you for a password when using the --sec parameter, unless the command is used with a pipe < > or |.

bash nak event --sec ncryptsec1... wss://relay1.com wss://relay2.com $(cat event.json)

1. Verify the event was published:
2. Check if your relay list is visible on other relays

3. Use the nak tool to fetch your kind 10002 events: bash nak req -k 10002 -a <your-pubkey> wss://relay1.com wss://relay2.com

4. Testing your relay:

5. Try connecting to your relay using different Nostr clients
6. Verify you can both read from and write to your relay
7. Check if events are being properly stored and retrieved
8. Tip: Use multiple Nostr clients to test different aspects of your relay

Note: If anyone in the community has a more efficient method of doing things like updating outbox relays, please share your insights in the comments. Your expertise would be greatly appreciated!

@ df67f9a7:2d4fc200

Businesses want Nostr, but Nostr is not ready for business. What can be done?

TLDR :

What Nostr brings to business apps…

• Get your brands in front of users with your choice of SEO and Algos that YOU control.
• Access unlimited public user data from across the network without fees or permission.
• Keep your business data private, while "releasing" liability for other data collected by your apps.
• Build one app to reach a diversity of users from across the network, even from other apps.
• Build your own tech and to use it as you wish. No gate keepers or code review process.

Businesses want Nostr.

• Businesses want reliable SEO and socials to put their brands in front of users, rather than arbitrary gate keepers, censoring the marketplace on a whim.
• Businesses want open access to harvest public data for free on a soveregnty respecting network, rather than paying gate keepers for access to user data of questionalble origin.
• Businesses want the freedom to NOT take ownership of certain user data collected by their apps, rather than being liabile for moderation and safe handling on their private infrastructure.
• Busineses want a single open protocol on which to build their apps, with unlimited potential and a diversity of shared users from other apps, rather than multiple siloed networks with difering APIs and demographics.
• Businesses want to own the technology they build and to use it as they wish, rather than submit their code for approval and control by arbitrary gate keepers.

But Nostr is not ready for business.

• Businesses DON'T want proprietary app data stored publicly as signed Nostr events on user specified relays.
• Businesses DON'T want to have to specify, or be constrained by, or even navigate the complexity of Nostr NIP standards for every novel kind of content that their apps generate.
• Businesses DON'T want to "open source" their entire suite of native apps JUST to assure end users that Nostr private keys are being safely handled.
• Businesses DON'T want to have to "rewrite" their entire app backend just to accomodate the Nostr way of "users sign events but dont actually login to your server" auth architecture.
• Businesses DONT want to suffer DDOS from bots and bad actors, or to expose their users to unwanted content, or even to have their own content disappear a sea of spam and misinformation.

Here’s what can be done.

• More tools and services for private business apps to coexist with freedom tech, and even thrive together, on the Nostr network.
• Extensible Webs of Trust algos for discovery and reach into any audience or demographic of trusted users.
• WoT powered standard APIs for exposing content to Nostr (and other business apps) from within a “black box” business app.
• HTTP AUTH (NIP 98) integration for business apps, allowing users to create local content WITHOUT needing discrete signatures or “linked” user accounts.
• Frost compatible “login“ for business apps, allowing users to paste “disposable” nsecs into proprietary clients without fear of their “cold” nsec being compromised.
• Support for “incremental” (and voluntary) adoption of freedom tech into existing business apps, with easy off-ramps for businesses to transfer more and more siloed data onto the “public” network.

Thoughts so far…

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

A Look into Traffic Analysis and What WebSocket Patterns Reveal at the Network Level

While WebSocket encryption (typically via WSS) is essential for protecting data in transit, traffic analysis remains a potent method of uncovering behavioral patterns, data structure inference, and protocol usage—even when payloads are unreadable. This idea investigates the visibility of encrypted WebSocket communications using Wireshark and similar packet inspection tools. We explore what metadata remains visible, how traffic flow can be modeled, and what risks and opportunities exist for developers, penetration testers, and network analysts. The study concludes by discussing mitigation strategies and the implications for privacy, application security, and protocol design.

Consider

In the age of real-time web applications, WebSockets have emerged as a powerful protocol enabling low-latency, bidirectional communication. From collaborative tools and chat applications to financial trading platforms and IoT dashboards, WebSockets have become foundational for interactive user experiences.

However, encryption via WSS (WebSocket Secure, running over TLS) gives developers and users a sense of security. The payload may be unreadable, but what about the rest of the connection? Can patterns, metadata, and traffic characteristics still leak critical information?

This thesis seeks to answer those questions by leveraging Wireshark, the de facto tool for packet inspection, and exploring the world of traffic analysis at the network level.

Background and Related Work

The WebSocket Protocol

Defined in RFC 6455, WebSocket operates over TCP and provides a persistent, full-duplex connection. The protocol upgrades an HTTP connection, then communicates through a simple frame-based structure.

Encryption with WSS

WSS connections use TLS (usually on port 443), making them indistinguishable from HTTPS traffic at the packet level. Payloads are encrypted, but metadata such as IP addresses, timing, packet size, and connection duration remain visible.

Traffic Analysis

Traffic analysis—despite encryption—has long been a technique used in network forensics, surveillance, and malware detection. Prior studies have shown that encrypted protocols like HTTPS, TLS, and SSH still reveal behavioral information through patterns.

Methodology

Tools Used:

• Wireshark (latest stable version)
• TLS decryption with local keys (when permitted)
• Simulated and real-world WebSocket apps (chat, games, IoT dashboards)
• Scripts to generate traffic patterns (Python using websockets and aiohttp)

Test Environments:

• Controlled LAN environments with known server and client
• Live observation of open-source WebSocket platforms (e.g., Matrix clients)

Data Points Captured:

• Packet timing and size
• TLS handshake details
• IP/TCP headers
• Frame burst patterns
• Message rate and directionality

Findings

1. Metadata Leaks

Even without payload access, the following data is visible: - Source/destination IP - Port numbers (typically 443) - Server certificate info - Packet sizes and intervals - TLS handshake fingerprinting (e.g., JA3 hashes)

2. Behavioral Patterns

• Chat apps show consistent message frequency and short message sizes.
• Multiplayer games exhibit rapid bursts of small packets.
• IoT devices often maintain idle connections with periodic keepalives.
• Typing indicators, heartbeats, or "ping/pong" mechanisms are visible even under encryption.

3. Timing and Packet Size Fingerprinting

Even encrypted payloads can be fingerprinted by: - Regularity in payload size (e.g., 92 bytes every 15s) - Distinct bidirectional patterns (e.g., send/ack/send per user action) - TLS record sizes which may indirectly hint at message length

Side-Channel Risks in Encrypted WebSocket Communication

Although WebSocket payloads transmitted over WSS (WebSocket Secure) are encrypted, they remain susceptible to side-channel analysis, a class of attacks that exploit observable characteristics of the communication channel rather than its content.

Side-Channel Risks Include:

1. User Behavior Inference
Adversaries can analyze packet timing and frequency to infer user behavior. For example, typing indicators in chat applications often trigger short, regular packets. Even without payload visibility, a passive observer may identify when a user is typing, idle, or has closed the application. Session duration, message frequency, and bursts of activity can be linked to specific user actions.

2. Application Fingerprinting
TLS handshake metadata and consistent traffic patterns can allow an observer to identify specific client libraries or platforms. For example, the sequence and structure of TLS extensions (via JA3 fingerprinting) can differentiate between browsers, SDKs, or WebSocket frameworks. Application behavior—such as timing of keepalives or frequency of updates—can further reinforce these fingerprints.

3. Usage Pattern Recognition
Over time, recurring patterns in packet flow may reveal application logic. For instance, multiplayer game sessions often involve predictable synchronization intervals. Financial dashboards may show bursts at fixed polling intervals. This allows for profiling of application type, logic loops, or even user roles.

4. Leakage Through Timing
Time-based attacks can be surprisingly revealing. Regular intervals between message bursts can disclose structured interactions—such as polling, pings, or scheduled updates. Fine-grained timing analysis may even infer when individual keystrokes occur, especially in sparse channels where interactivity is high and payloads are short.

5. Content Length Correlation
While encrypted, the size of a TLS record often correlates closely to the plaintext message length. This enables attackers to estimate the size of messages, which can be linked to known commands or data structures. Repeated message sizes (e.g., 112 bytes every 30s) may suggest state synchronization or batched updates.

6. Session Correlation Across Time
Using IP, JA3 fingerprints, and behavioral metrics, it’s possible to link multiple sessions back to the same client. This weakens anonymity, especially when combined with data from DNS logs, TLS SNI fields (if exposed), or consistent traffic habits. In anonymized systems, this can be particularly damaging.

Side-Channel Risks in Encrypted WebSocket Communication

Although WebSocket payloads transmitted over WSS (WebSocket Secure) are encrypted, they remain susceptible to side-channel analysis, a class of attacks that exploit observable characteristics of the communication channel rather than its content.

1. Behavior Inference

Even with end-to-end encryption, adversaries can make educated guesses about user actions based on traffic patterns:

• Typing detection: In chat applications, short, repeated packets every few hundred milliseconds may indicate a user typing.
• Voice activity: In VoIP apps using WebSockets, a series of consistent-size packets followed by silence can reveal when someone starts and stops speaking.
• Gaming actions: Packet bursts at high frequency may correlate with real-time game movement or input actions.

2. Session Duration

WebSocket connections are persistent by design. This characteristic allows attackers to:

• Measure session duration: Knowing how long a user stays connected to a WebSocket server can infer usage patterns (e.g., average chat duration, work hours).
• Identify session boundaries: Connection start and end timestamps may be enough to correlate with user login/logout behavior.

3. Usage Patterns

Over time, traffic analysis may reveal consistent behavioral traits tied to specific users or devices:

• Time-of-day activity: Regular connection intervals can point to habitual usage, ideal for profiling or surveillance.
• Burst frequency and timing: Distinct intervals of high or low traffic volume can hint at backend logic or user engagement models.

---

Example Scenario: Encrypted Chat App

Even though a chat application uses end-to-end encryption and transports data over WSS:

• A passive observer sees:
• TLS handshake metadata
• IPs and SNI (Server Name Indication)
• Packet sizes and timings
• They might then infer:
• When a user is online or actively chatting
• Whether a user is typing, idle, or receiving messages
• Usage patterns that match a specific user fingerprint

This kind of intelligence can be used for traffic correlation attacks, profiling, or deanonymization — particularly dangerous in regimes or situations where privacy is critical (e.g., journalists, whistleblowers, activists).

Fingerprinting Encrypted WebSocket Applications via Traffic Signatures

Even when payloads are encrypted, adversaries can leverage fingerprinting techniques to identify the specific WebSocket libraries, frameworks, or applications in use based on unique traffic signatures. This is a critical vector in traffic analysis, especially when full encryption lulls developers into a false sense of security.

1. Library and Framework Fingerprints

Different WebSocket implementations generate traffic patterns that can be used to infer what tool or framework is being used, such as:

• Handshake patterns: The WebSocket upgrade request often includes headers that differ subtly between:
• Browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
• Python libs (websockets, aiohttp, Autobahn)
• Node.js clients (ws, socket.io)
• Mobile SDKs (Android’s okhttp, iOS Starscream)
• Heartbeat intervals: Some libraries implement default ping/pong intervals (e.g., every 20s in socket.io) that can be measured and traced back to the source.

2. Payload Size and Frequency Patterns

Even with encryption, metadata is exposed:

• Frame sizes: Libraries often chunk or batch messages differently.
• Initial message burst: Some apps send a known sequence of messages on connection (e.g., auth token → subscribe → sync events).
• Message intervals: Unique to libraries using structured pub/sub or event-driven APIs.

These observable patterns can allow a passive observer to identify not only the app but potentially which feature is being used, such as messaging, location tracking, or media playback.

3. Case Study: Identifying Socket.IO vs Raw WebSocket

Socket.IO, although layered on top of WebSockets, introduces a handshake sequence of HTTP polling → upgrade → packetized structured messaging with preamble bytes (even in encrypted form, the size and frequency of these frames is recognizable). A well-equipped observer can differentiate it from a raw WebSocket exchange using only timing and packet length metrics.

---

Security Implications

• Targeted exploitation: Knowing the backend framework (e.g., Django Channels or FastAPI + websockets) allows attackers to narrow down known CVEs or misconfigurations.
• De-anonymization: Apps that are widely used in specific demographics (e.g., Signal clones, activist chat apps) become fingerprintable even behind HTTPS or WSS.
• Nation-state surveillance: Traffic fingerprinting lets governments block or monitor traffic associated with specific technologies, even without decrypting the data.

Leakage Through Timing: Inferring Behavior in Encrypted WebSocket Channels

Encrypted WebSocket communication does not prevent timing-based side-channel attacks, where an adversary can deduce sensitive information purely from the timing, size, and frequency of encrypted packets. These micro-behavioral signals, though not revealing actual content, can still disclose high-level user actions — sometimes with alarming precision.

1. Typing Detection and Keystroke Inference

Many real-time chat applications (Matrix, Signal, Rocket.Chat, custom WebSocket apps) implement "user is typing..." features. These generate recognizable message bursts even when encrypted:

• Small, frequent packets sent at irregular intervals often correspond to individual keystrokes.
• Inter-keystroke timing analysis — often accurate to within tens of milliseconds — can help reconstruct typed messages’ length or even guess content using language models (e.g., inferring "hello" vs "hey").

2. Session Activity Leaks

WebSocket sessions are long-lived and often signal usage states by packet rhythm:

• Idle vs active user patterns become apparent through heartbeat frequency and packet gaps.
• Transitions — like joining or leaving a chatroom, starting a video, or activating a voice stream — often result in bursts of packet activity.
• Even without payload access, adversaries can profile session structure, determining which features are being used and when.

3. Case Study: Real-Time Editors

Collaborative editing tools (e.g., Etherpad, CryptPad) leak structure:

• When a user edits, each keystroke or operation may result in a burst of 1–3 WebSocket frames.
• Over time, a passive observer could infer:
• Whether one or multiple users are active
• Who is currently typing
• The pace of typing
• Collaborative vs solo editing behavior

4. Attack Vectors Enabled by Timing Leaks

• Target tracking: Identify active users in a room, even on anonymized or end-to-end encrypted platforms.
• Session replay: Attackers can simulate usage patterns for further behavioral fingerprinting.
• Network censorship: Governments may block traffic based on WebSocket behavior patterns suggestive of forbidden apps (e.g., chat tools, Tor bridges).

---

Mitigations and Countermeasures

While timing leakage cannot be entirely eliminated, several techniques can obfuscate or dampen signal strength:

• Uniform packet sizing (padding to fixed lengths)
• Traffic shaping (constant-time message dispatch)
• Dummy traffic injection (noise during idle states)
• Multiplexing WebSocket streams with unrelated activity

Excellent point — let’s weave that into the conclusion of the thesis to emphasize the dual nature of WebSocket visibility:

---

Visibility Without Clarity — Privacy Risks in Encrypted WebSocket Traffic**

This thesis demonstrates that while encryption secures the contents of WebSocket payloads, it does not conceal behavioral patterns. Through tools like Wireshark, analysts — and adversaries alike — can inspect traffic flows to deduce session metadata, fingerprint applications, and infer user activity, even without decrypting a single byte.

The paradox of encrypted WebSockets is thus revealed:
They offer confidentiality, but not invisibility.

As shown through timing analysis, fingerprinting, and side-channel observation, encrypted WebSocket streams can still leak valuable information. These findings underscore the importance of privacy-aware design choices in real-time systems:

• Padding variable-size messages to fixed-length formats
• Randomizing or shaping packet timing
• Mixing in dummy traffic during idle states
• Multiplexing unrelated data streams to obscure intent

Without such obfuscation strategies, encrypted WebSocket traffic — though unreadable — remains interpretable.

In closing, developers, privacy researchers, and protocol designers must recognize that encryption is necessary but not sufficient. To build truly private real-time systems, we must move beyond content confidentiality and address the metadata and side-channel exposures that lie beneath the surface.

Absolutely! Here's a full thesis-style writeup titled “Mitigation Strategies: Reducing Metadata Leakage in Encrypted WebSocket Traffic”, focusing on countermeasures to side-channel risks in real-time encrypted communication:

---

Mitigation Strategies: Reducing Metadata Leakage in Encrypted WebSocket Traffic

Abstract

While WebSocket traffic is often encrypted using TLS, it remains vulnerable to metadata-based side-channel attacks. Adversaries can infer behavioral patterns, session timing, and even the identity of applications through passive traffic analysis. This thesis explores four key mitigation strategies—message padding, batching and jitter, TLS fingerprint randomization, and connection multiplexing—that aim to reduce the efficacy of such analysis. We present practical implementations, limitations, and trade-offs associated with each method and advocate for layered, privacy-preserving protocol design.

---

1. Consider

The rise of WebSockets in real-time applications has improved interactivity but also exposed new privacy attack surfaces. Even when encrypted, WebSocket traffic leaks observable metadata—packet sizes, timing intervals, handshake properties, and connection counts—that can be exploited for fingerprinting, behavioral inference, and usage profiling.

This Idea focuses on mitigation rather than detection. The core question addressed is: How can we reduce the information available to adversaries from metadata alone?

---

2. Threat Model and Metadata Exposure

Passive attackers situated at any point between client and server can: - Identify application behavior via timing and message frequency - Infer keystrokes or user interaction states ("user typing", "user joined", etc.) - Perform fingerprinting via TLS handshake characteristics - Link separate sessions from the same user by recognizing traffic patterns

Thus, we must treat metadata as a leaky abstraction layer, requiring proactive obfuscation even in fully encrypted sessions.

---

3. Mitigation Techniques

3.1 Message Padding

Variable-sized messages create unique traffic signatures. Message padding involves standardizing the frame length of WebSocket messages to a fixed or randomly chosen size within a predefined envelope.

• Pro: Hides exact payload size, making compression side-channel and length-based analysis ineffective.
• Con: Increases bandwidth usage; not ideal for mobile/low-bandwidth scenarios.

Implementation: Client libraries can pad all outbound messages to, for example, 512 bytes or the next power of two above the actual message length.

---

3.2 Batching and Jitter

Packet timing is often the most revealing metric. Delaying messages to create jitter and batching multiple events into a single transmission breaks correlation patterns.

• Pro: Prevents timing attacks, typing inference, and pattern recognition.
• Con: Increases latency, possibly degrading UX in real-time apps.

Implementation: Use an event queue with randomized intervals for dispatching messages (e.g., 100–300ms jitter windows).

---

3.3 TLS Fingerprint Randomization

TLS fingerprints—determined by the ordering of cipher suites, extensions, and fields—can uniquely identify client libraries and platforms. Randomizing these fields on the client side prevents reliable fingerprinting.

• Pro: Reduces ability to correlate sessions or identify tools/libraries used.
• Con: Requires deeper control of the TLS stack, often unavailable in browsers.

Implementation: Modify or wrap lower-level TLS clients (e.g., via OpenSSL or rustls) to introduce randomized handshakes in custom apps.

---

3.4 Connection Reuse or Multiplexing

Opening multiple connections creates identifiable patterns. By reusing a single persistent connection for multiple data streams or users (in proxies or edge nodes), the visibility of unique flows is reduced.

• Pro: Aggregates traffic, preventing per-user or per-feature traffic separation.
• Con: More complex server-side logic; harder to debug.

Implementation: Use multiplexing protocols (e.g., WebSocket subprotocols or application-level routing) to share connections across users or components.

---

4. Combined Strategy and Defense-in-Depth

No single strategy suffices. A layered mitigation approach—combining padding, jitter, fingerprint randomization, and multiplexing—provides defense-in-depth against multiple classes of metadata leakage.

The recommended implementation pipeline: 1. Pad all outbound messages to a fixed size 2. Introduce random batching and delay intervals 3. Obfuscate TLS fingerprints using low-level TLS stack configuration 4. Route data over multiplexed WebSocket connections via reverse proxies or edge routers

This creates a high-noise communication channel that significantly impairs passive traffic analysis.

---

5. Limitations and Future Work

Mitigations come with trade-offs: latency, bandwidth overhead, and implementation complexity. Additionally, some techniques (e.g., TLS randomization) are hard to apply in browser-based environments due to API constraints.

Future work includes: - Standardizing privacy-enhancing WebSocket subprotocols - Integrating these mitigations into mainstream libraries (e.g., Socket.IO, Phoenix) - Using machine learning to auto-tune mitigation levels based on threat environment

---

6. Case In Point

Encrypted WebSocket traffic is not inherently private. Without explicit mitigation, metadata alone is sufficient for behavioral profiling and application fingerprinting. This thesis has outlined practical strategies for obfuscating traffic patterns at various protocol layers. Implementing these defenses can significantly improve user privacy in real-time systems and should become a standard part of secure WebSocket deployments.

@ 6e0ea5d6:0327f353

Ascolta bene, amico mio!

There is a kind of solitude that doesn’t come from the absence of company, but from the weight of the role one must play.
I’m not talking about being admired, followed, or applauded by outsiders — but of being necessary to those of your own blood.
Of being the one upon whom everything rests, even if no one ever acknowledges it.

Truly, I learned throughout my life in the province of Sicily that the man who is held up by no one, yet holds up many — that man has no right to collapse. Not because he is stronger. But because if he falls, he doesn’t fall alone — he brings down the roof over those who live under his shadow.

And here lies the silent tragedy:
No one catches him when he falters.
But everyone collapses when he does.

He is the father who cannot fall ill,
The son who becomes the pillar for his parents,
The leader who must never hesitate,
The older brother who must not cry,
The man of honor who must do “whatever must be done.”

The exhaustion is real. The fatigue, daily.
But this kind of man learns to live with weariness as others live with pain:
It’s not about waiting for relief, but about continuing to walk despite the crushing weight.
That’s why, amico mio, never ask for lighter burdens — but always for stronger shoulders.

In this context, renunciation is not a personal choice.
It is a collective sentence.
It’s like demolishing a pillar and expecting the ceiling to remain intact.

Therefore, the man who carries this awareness does not allow himself the luxury of giving up.
He doesn’t grant himself the right to fail — not out of heroism, but out of clarity.
He knows that his collapse would cost a family.

Learn this: l’onore non è individuale.
True honor is collective and familial.
What you endure, you endure for your own.
What you face, you face for those who came before you, and those who will come after.
And what you cannot abandon is not about pride — it’s about responsibility.

There is no glory in it.
There are no medals.
But there is a silent, unshakable dignity that only a few ever understand:
To be the foundation — never the weight.

The name for this is honor, loyalty, and pride.

Thank you for reading, my friend!

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

A toast to our family!

@ fd06f542:8d6d54cd

今天主要是更新了seo优化：

• 增加了 blog页面的预加载内容，这样搜索引起抓取blog页面的时候，能够看到的是渲染好的 blog 列表；
• 增加里 blog/[blogid] 页面的 显示原文静态链接，这个链接主要是给搜索引擎使用，他根据原文可以抓取content内容
• 在+page.svelte页面 增加了 raw 数据显示，用户也可以看到和搜索引擎一样的内容，这个取决于 svelte的页面访问路由机制，她发现是api访问就会调用 server.ts返回数据，她发现是浏览器访问就会返回+page.svelte渲染的内容。 这个设计让搜索引擎和 浏览器看到的有区别。所以我两个都做了。

接下来的工作计划

• 增加 blog的评论和点赞功能？
• 美化页面？
• 做一个electron的客户端？
• 给用户做一个 通过blog定制化自己的主页？

关于nostrbook的 想法

用户其实可以通过nostrbook 搭建自己的blog系统，或者写书系统。在公司内网或者自己的服务器上。

修改config.ts的面的三个配置就可以了。 ```js

export let booktag="createbook"; export let blogtag="createblog"; export let chaptertag="bookchapter"; ```

我也是通过这个开关测试了线上和测试的开发的内容区分开的。

昨天发现的bug

就是 30023 update问题，虽然可以通过dtag可以实现替换。但是部分服务器没有update到最新的。所以他会返回老的。 是不是通过服务器之间的同步可以解决呢？

@ f839fb67:5c930939

Relays

| Name | Address | Price (Sats/Year) | Status | | - | - | - | - | | stephen's aegis relay | wss://paid.relay.vanderwarker.family | 42069 | | | stephen's Outbox | wss://relay.vanderwarker.family | Just Me | | | stephen's Inbox | wss://haven.vanderwarker.family/inbox | WoT | | | stephen's DMs | wss://haven.vanderwarker.family/chat | WoT | | | VFam Data Relay | wss://data.relay.vanderwarker.family | 0 | | | VFam Bots Relay | wss://skeme.vanderwarker.family | Invite | | | VFGroups (NIP29) | wss://groups.vanderwarker.family | 0 | | | [TOR] My Phone Relay | ws://naswsosuewqxyf7ov7gr7igc4tq2rbtqoxxirwyhkbuns4lwc3iowwid.onion | 0 | Meh... |

---

My Pubkeys

| Name | hex | nprofile | | - | - | - | | Main | f839fb6714598a7233d09dbd42af82cc9781d0faa57474f1841af90b5c930939 | nostr:nprofile1qqs0sw0mvu29nznjx0gfm02z47pve9up6ra22ar57xzp47gttjfsjwgpramhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3us9mapfx | | Vanity (Backup) | 82f21be67353c0d68438003fe6e56a35e2a57c49e0899b368b5ca7aa8dde7c23 | nostr:nprofile1qqsg9usmuee48sxkssuqq0lxu44rtc4903y7pzvmx694efa23h08cgcpramhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3ussel49x | | VFStore | 6416f1e658ba00d42107b05ad9bf485c7e46698217e0c19f0dc2e125de3af0d0 | nostr:nprofile1qqsxg9h3uevt5qx5yyrmqkkehay9cljxdxpp0cxpnuxu9cf9mca0p5qpramhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3usaa8plu | | NostrSMS | 9be1b8315248eeb20f9d9ab2717d1750e4f27489eab1fa531d679dadd34c2f8d | nostr:nprofile1qqsfhcdcx9fy3m4jp7we4vn305t4pe8jwjy74v062vwk08dd6dxzlrgpramhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3us595d45 |

Bots

Unlocks Bot

Hex: 2e941ad17144e0a04d1b8c21c4a0dbc3fbcbb9d08ae622b5f9c85341fac7c2d0
nprofile:
nostr:nprofile1qqsza9q669c5fc9qf5dccgwy5rdu877th8gg4e3zkhuus56pltru95qpramhxue69uhhx6m9d4jjuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3ust4kvak
Latest Data:
nostr:naddr1qq882mnvda3kkttrda6kuar9wgq37amnwvaz7tmnddjk6efwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gzyqhfgxk3w9zwpgzdrwxzr39qm0plhjae6z9wvg44l8y9xs06clpdqqcyqqq823cgnl9u5

Step Counter

Hex: 9223d2faeb95853b4d224a184c69e1df16648d35067a88cdf947c631b57e3de7
nprofile: nostr:nprofile1qqsfyg7jlt4etpfmf53y5xzvd8sa79ny356sv75gehu50333k4lrmecpramhxue69uhhx6m9d4jjuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3ustswp3w
Latest Data:
nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzpy3r6tawh9v98dxjyjscf357rhckvjxn2pn63rxlj37xxx6hu008qys8wumn8ghj7umtv4kk2tnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jtcqp3ehgets943k7atww3jhyn39gff

RCTGuest

Hex: 373904615c781e46bf5bf87b4126c8a568a05393b1b840b1a2a3234d20affa0c
nprofile: nostr:nprofile1qqsrwwgyv9w8s8jxhadls76pymy2269q2wfmrwzqkx32xg6dyzhl5rqpramhxue69uhhx6m9d4jjuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3usy92jlx

Now Playing

Hex: 8096ed6ba1f21a3713bd47a503ee377b0ce2f187b3e5a3ae909a25b84901018b
nprofile: nostr:nprofile1qqsgp9hddwslyx3hzw750fgracmhkr8z7xrm8edr46gf5fdcfyqsrzcpramhxue69uhhx6m9d4jjuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3uspk5v4w
Latest Data:
nostr:naddr1qq9kummh94cxccted9hxwqglwaehxw309aekketdv5h8vctwv3jhyampwf4k2u3wvesk66tv0ypzpqyka446rus6xufm63a9q0hrw7cvutcc0vl95whfpx39hpyszqvtqvzqqqr4gupdk2hd

---

NIP-29 Groups

See here

• Minecraft Group Chat
• nostr:naddr1qqrxvc33xpnxxqfqwaehxw309anhymm4wpejuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3usygrzymrpd2wz8ularp06y8ad5dgaddlumyt7tfzqge3vc97sgsarjvpsgqqqnpvqazypfd
• VFNet Group Chat
• nostr:naddr1qqrrwvfjx9jxzqfqwaehxw309anhymm4wpejuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3usygrzymrpd2wz8ularp06y8ad5dgaddlumyt7tfzqge3vc97sgsarjvpsgqqqnpvq08hx48

"Nostrified Websites"

[D] = Saves darkmode preferences over nostr
[A] = Auth over nostr
[B] = Beta (software)
[z] = zap enabled

• [DABz] Main Site
• [DAB] Contact Site
• [DAB] PGP Site
• [DAB] VFCA Site

---

Other Services (Hosted code)

• Blossom
  
• NostrCheck
  

---

Emojis Packs

• Minecraft
• nostr:naddr1qqy566twv43hyctxwsq37amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gzyrurn7m8z3vc5u3n6zwm6s40stxf0qwsl2jhga83ssd0jz6ujvynjqcyqqq82nsd0k5wp
• AIM
• nostr:naddr1qqxxz6tdv4kk7arfvdhkuucpramhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuanpdejx2unhv9exketj9enxzmtfd3usyg8c88akw9ze3fer85yah4p2lqkvj7qap749w360rpq6ly94eycf8ypsgqqqw48qe0j2yk
• Blobs
• nostr:naddr1qqz5ymr0vfesz8mhwden5te0wfjkccte9emxzmnyv4e8wctjddjhytnxv9kkjmreqgs0sw0mvu29nznjx0gfm02z47pve9up6ra22ar57xzp47gttjfsjwgrqsqqqa2wek4ukj
• FavEmojis
• nostr:naddr1qqy5vctkg4kk76nfwvq37amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gzyrurn7m8z3vc5u3n6zwm6s40stxf0qwsl2jhga83ssd0jz6ujvynjqcyqqq82nsf7sdwt
• Modern Family
• nostr:naddr1qqx56mmyv4exugzxv9kkjmreqy0hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jq3qlqulkec5tx98yv7snk759tuzejtcr5865468fuvyrtuskhynpyusxpqqqp65ujlj36n
• nostriches (Amethyst collection)
• nostr:naddr1qq9xummnw3exjcmgv4esz8mhwden5te0wfjkccte9emxzmnyv4e8wctjddjhytnxv9kkjmreqgs0sw0mvu29nznjx0gfm02z47pve9up6ra22ar57xzp47gttjfsjwgrqsqqqa2w2sqg6w
• Pepe
• nostr:naddr1qqz9qetsv5q37amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gzyrurn7m8z3vc5u3n6zwm6s40stxf0qwsl2jhga83ssd0jz6ujvynjqcyqqq82ns85f6x7
• Minecraft Font
• nostr:naddr1qq8y66twv43hyctxwssyvmmwwsq37amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gzyrurn7m8z3vc5u3n6zwm6s40stxf0qwsl2jhga83ssd0jz6ujvynjqcyqqq82nsmzftgr
• Archer Font
• nostr:naddr1qq95zunrdpjhygzxdah8gqglwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8vctwv3jhyampwf4k2u3wvesk66tv0ypzp7peldn3gkv2wgeap8dag2hc9nyhs8g04ft5wnccgxhepdwfxzfeqvzqqqr4fclkyxsh
• SMB Font
• nostr:naddr1qqv4xatsv4ezqntpwf5k7gzzwfhhg6r9wfejq3n0de6qz8mhwden5te0wfjkccte9emxzmnyv4e8wctjddjhytnxv9kkjmreqgs0sw0mvu29nznjx0gfm02z47pve9up6ra22ar57xzp47gttjfsjwgrqsqqqa2w0wqpuk

---

Git Over Nostr

• NostrSMS
• nostr:naddr1qqyxummnw3e8xmtnqy0hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jqfrwaehxw309amk7apwwfjkccte9emxzmnyv4e8wctjddjhytnxv9kkjmreqyj8wumn8ghj7urpd9jzuun9d3shjtnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jqg5waehxw309aex2mrp0yhxgctdw4eju6t0qyxhwumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmvqgs0sw0mvu29nznjx0gfm02z47pve9up6ra22ar57xzp47gttjfsjwgrqsqqqaueqp0epk
• nip51backup
• nostr:naddr1qq9ku6tsx5ckyctrdd6hqqglwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8vctwv3jhyampwf4k2u3wvesk66tv0yqjxamnwvaz7tmhda6zuun9d3shjtnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jqfywaehxw309acxz6ty9eex2mrp0yh8vctwv3jhyampwf4k2u3wvesk66tv0yq3gamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7qgdwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkcq3qlqulkec5tx98yv7snk759tuzejtcr5865468fuvyrtuskhynpyusxpqqqpmej4gtqs6
• bukkitstr
• nostr:naddr1qqykyattdd5hgum5wgq37amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gpydmhxue69uhhwmm59eex2mrp0yh8vctwv3jhyampwf4k2u3wvesk66tv0yqjgamnwvaz7tmsv95kgtnjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dspzp7peldn3gkv2wgeap8dag2hc9nyhs8g04ft5wnccgxhepdwfxzfeqvzqqqrhnyf6g0n2

---

Market Places

Please use Nostr Market or somthing simular, to view.

• VFStore
• nostr:naddr1qqjx2v34xe3kxvpn95cnqven956rwvpc95unscn9943kxet98q6nxde58p3ryqglwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8vctwv3jhyampwf4k2u3wvesk66tv0yqjvamnwvaz7tmgv9mx2m3wweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7f0da6hgcn00qqjgamnwvaz7tmsv95kgtnjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gpydmhxue69uhhwmm59eex2mrp0yh8vctwv3jhyampwf4k2u3wvesk66tv0ypzqeqk78n93wsq6sss0vz6mxl5shr7ge5cy9lqcx0smshpyh0r4uxsqvzqqqr4gvlfm7gu

---

Badges

Created

• paidrelayvf
• nostr:naddr1qq9hqctfv3ex2mrp09mxvqglwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8vctwv3jhyampwf4k2u3wvesk66tv0ypzp7peldn3gkv2wgeap8dag2hc9nyhs8g04ft5wnccgxhepdwfxzfeqvzqqqr48y85v3u3
• iPow
• nostr:naddr1qqzxj5r02uq37amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gzyrurn7m8z3vc5u3n6zwm6s40stxf0qwsl2jhga83ssd0jz6ujvynjqcyqqq82wgg02u0r
• codmaster
• nostr:naddr1qqykxmmyd4shxar9wgq37amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwweskuer9wfmkzuntv4ezuenpd45kc7gzyrurn7m8z3vc5u3n6zwm6s40stxf0qwsl2jhga83ssd0jz6ujvynjqcyqqq82wgk3gm4g
• iMine
• nostr:naddr1qqzkjntfdejsz8mhwden5te0wfjkccte9emxzmnyv4e8wctjddjhytnxv9kkjmreqgs0sw0mvu29nznjx0gfm02z47pve9up6ra22ar57xzp47gttjfsjwgrqsqqqafed5s4x5

---

Clients I Use

• Amethyst
• nostr:naddr1qqxnzd3cx5urqv3nxymngdphqgsyvrp9u6p0mfur9dfdru3d853tx9mdjuhkphxuxgfwmryja7zsvhqrqsqqql8kavfpw3
• noStrudel
• nostr:naddr1qqxnzd3cxccrvd34xser2dpkqy28wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hsygpxdq27pjfppharynrvhg6h8v2taeya5ssf49zkl9yyu5gxe4qg55psgqqq0nmq5mza9n
• nostrsms
• nostr:naddr1qq9rzdejxcunxde4xymqz8mhwden5te0wfjkccte9emxzmnyv4e8wctjddjhytnxv9kkjmreqgsfhcdcx9fy3m4jp7we4vn305t4pe8jwjy74v062vwk08dd6dxzlrgrqsqqql8kjn33qm

---

Lists

• Bluesky
  • nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4xqpzp7peldn3gkv2wgeap8dag2hc9nyhs8g04ft5wnccgxhepdwfxzfeqys8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jtcqqapxcat9wd4hj0ah0jw
• Fediverse
  • nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4xqpzp7peldn3gkv2wgeap8dag2hc9nyhs8g04ft5wnccgxhepdwfxzfeqys8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jtcqp9rx2erfwejhyum9j4g0xh
• Fediverse_Bots
  • nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4xqpzp7peldn3gkv2wgeap8dag2hc9nyhs8g04ft5wnccgxhepdwfxzfeqys8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jtcqperx2erfwejhyum9tapx7arnfcpdzh
• My Bots
  • nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4xqpzp7peldn3gkv2wgeap8dag2hc9nyhs8g04ft5wnccgxhepdwfxzfeqys8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnkv9hxgetjwashy6m9wghxvctdd9k8jtcqz4uh5jnpwscyss24fpkxw4fewafk566twa2q8f6fyk

@ 4c96d763:80c3ee30

Changes

William Casarin (28):

• dave: constrain power for now
• ci: bump ubuntu runner
• dave: initial note rendering
• note: fix from_hex crash on bad note ids
• dave: improve multi-note display
• dave: cleanly separate ui from logic
• dave: add a few docs
• dave: add readme
• dave: improve docs with ai
• docs: add some ui-related guides
• docs: remove test hallucination
• docs: add tokenator docs
• docs: add notedeck docs
• docs: add notedeck_columns readme
• docs: add notedeck_chrome docs
• docs: improve top-level docs
• dave: add new chat button
• dave: ensure system prompt is included when reset
• enostr: rename to_bech to npub
• name: display_name before name in NostrName
• ui: add note truncation
• ui: add ProfilePic::from_profile_or_default
• dave: add query rendering, fix author queries
• dave: return tool errors back to the ai
• dave: give present notes a proper tool response
• dave: more flexible env config
• dave: bubble note actions to chrome
• chrome: use actual columns noteaction executor

kernelkind (13):

• remove unnecessary #[allow(dead_code)]
• extend ZapAction
• UserAccount use builder pattern
• Wallet token parser shouldn't parse all
• move WalletState to UI
• add default zap
• introduce ZapWallet
• use ZapWallet
• propagate DefaultZapState to wallet ui
• wallet: helper method to get current wallet
• accounts: check if selected account has wallet
• ui: show default zap amount in wallet view
• use default zap amount for zap

pushed to notedeck:refs/heads/master

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

ถ้า “นมปลอมเข้าโรงเรียน” กับเกม Lobby ระดับโลก ที่ซ่อน GMO ไว้ในแก้วของลูกหลานเรา

โอเค เรารู้จักคำว่า Precision Fermentation หรือ PF กันไปแล้ว กลับมาดูโลกปัจจุบันนี้กันครับ

ในวันที่ผู้ใหญ่ยังทะเลาะกันเรื่องราคาน้ำนมดิบ มีบางบริษัทที่กำลังยิ้มกว้าง เพราะแผนระยะยาวของเขา…คือการเปลี่ยนนมโรงเรียนจากของจริง ไปสู่นมปลอมที่ “จดสิทธิบัตรได้” และ “ควบคุมทั้ง supply chain”

เรื่องนี้อาจดูเหมือนนิยายไซไฟนะครับ แต่เฮียจะพาไปเจาะลึกเบื้องหลังการ lobby ที่พยายามผลัก “นมจาก Precision Fermentation” และ “นม Plant-Based” เข้าสู่ระบบโรงเรียน โดยอ้างว่า “เพื่อสุขภาพ เพื่อโลก และเพื่อเด็กๆ” แต่จริงๆ แล้วมันคือ เกมเปลี่ยนอาหารเป็นทรัพย์สินทางปัญญาแบบเงียบๆ

ทำไม “โรงเรียน” ถึงเป็นเป้าหมายสำคัญ? คำตอบง่ายมาก เพราะว่ามันกลับเข้าสู่ loop เดิมกับตอนที่เขาพยายามยัด นมสด เข้าไปในชีวิตเมื่อหลังสงครามโลกครั้งที่ 2 นั่นละครับ หนังม้วนเดิม มีเพิ่มเติมคือความทันสมัย 1.โรงเรียนคือฐานข้อมูลประชากรที่แน่นอน = จำนวนเด็กแน่ชัด งบประมาณแน่ชัด 2.พฤติกรรมการกินของเด็ก “ฝังได้ง่าย” = ถ้าเด็กเติบโตมากับนม Plant-Based หรือ Milk 2.0 ตั้งแต่เล็ก พอเขาโตขึ้น “ร่างกายจะลืมรสนมวัวไปเลย” และไม่เคยรู้ว่าเคยมี real food ให้เลือก เหมือนที่โลกของ เจเนอเรชั่น internet มือถือ หรือแม้แต่สมัยนี้คือ สตรีมมิ่ง 3.เป็นจุดที่รัฐมีบทบาทโดยตรง = ง่ายต่อการ lobby policy เพราะแค่เปลี่ยนนโยบายระดับกระทรวง ก็เปลี่ยนทั้งประเทศได้

ใครอยู่เบื้องหลังการล็อบบี้นี้? 1. องค์กรระดับโลกที่ขับเคลื่อน Plant-Based School Meals อย่างเช่น - GFI (Good Food Institute) เป็นองค์กรที่มีเป้าหมายชัดว่า “เปลี่ยนโปรตีนของโลกจาก animal-based ให้เป็น cell-based และ fermentation-based” สนับสนุนงานวิจัย ออกนโยบายผลักดันเมนูโรงเรียน - ProVeg International ซึ่งมีโครงการชื่อ “School Plates” ปรับเมนูโรงเรียนให้เป็น plant-based - EAT Forum & WEF (World Economic Forum) ที่มีการสนับสนุนนโยบาย global dietary shift ซึ่งแนะนำให้ลดการบริโภคเนื้อสัตว์และผลิตภัณฑ์จากสัตว์ เพื่อส่งเสริมสุขภาพและความยั่งยืนของสิ่งแวดล้อม

1. บริษัทยักษ์ใหญ่ด้าน Milk 2.0
2. Perfect Day ร่วมกับ Nestlé ที่พยายามผลักดันนม PF ให้เป็นนมทดแทนแห่งอนาคต

3. Oatly ผู้ผลิตนม plant-based และ lobby ให้ “รัฐบาลช่วยจัดซื้อในโรงเรียน” พร้อมกับแคมเปญประชาสัมพันธ์ว่านี่คือตัวเลือกที่ “รักษ์โลกและดีต่อสุขภาพ” และ NotCo / Danone ซึ่งอยู่ในตลาดประเภทเดียวกัน ก็อาจมีแนวโน้มเข้าสู่ตลาดโรงเรียนเช่นกัน

4. เช่นเดียวกับที่เคยเล่าเรื่องนมสดไว้ครับ เขาจะต้องมาพร้อมการวิจัยที่ออกแบบให้รองรับการเปลี่ยนนโยบาย ด้วยหลายงานวิจัยที่บอกว่า “นมวัวมีผลเสียต่อสุขภาพเด็ก” ถูกสนับสนุนโดยกลุ่มทุนที่อยู่ในวงการ plant-based หรือ biotech งานบางชิ้นลดความสำคัญของสารอาหารจาก animal-based ลง และ “ปั่นคะแนน” ของ Plant Milk หรือ PF Milk ให้ดูสูงกว่าความเป็นจริง

วิธีการ Lobby แบบแนบเนียนก็จะใช้กระบวนการประมาณนี้ครับ 1. แทรกผ่านโครงการ “นมโรงเรียนฟรี” หลายประเทศใช้เงินรัฐอุดหนุนนมโรงเรียน กลุ่ม Lobby เข้าไป “เสนอของถูกกว่า” และอ้างว่า “เหมาะกับเด็กแพ้นมวัว” ทำให้รัฐเริ่มพิจารณา Plant Milk หรือ PF Milk เป็นทางเลือก “ถูกกว่าและดูดี”

1. ล้างความคิดผ่านหลักสูตรสุขศึกษา เริ่มมีสื่อการสอนที่ใช้คำว่า “milk” แบบรวม Plant Milk เข้าไปด้วย ลดความต่างระหว่างนมวัวกับนมจากพืช และเริ่มพูดว่า “นมจากพืชดีกว่าต่อสิ่งแวดล้อม”

2. แจกทุนให้โรงเรียนที่ร่วมโครงการ มีการเสนอทุนวิจัย ทุนสนับสนุนเมนูโรงเรียน ถ้าโรงเรียนยอมทดลองใช้นม Plant-Based หรือ PF Milk สร้างภาพลักษณ์ว่าเป็นโรงเรียน “รักโลก รักสุขภาพ”

3. ใช้พลังอินฟูฯและดารา ดาราดังๆ ถูกใช้เป็นหน้าโครงการ (ในตปท.) เช่นโพสต์ภาพเด็กๆ กิน “นมไม่มีวัว” พร้อมคำบรรยายว่า “นี่คืออนาคตของการกินอย่างมีจริยธรรม” อะไรประมาณนี้ครับ

ผลกระทบที่จะเกิดขึ้นก็คือ เด็กๆ เสียโอกาสในการได้รับโภชนาการจาก real food โดยเฉพาะ B12, วิตามิน A, DHA, โคลีน, เคซีนจากธรรมชาติ ซึ่งนมเทียมต้อง “แต่งเติม” เข้ามาทั้งสิ้น รวมถึง เด็กโตมากับอาหารปลอม โดยไม่รู้ว่าเคยมีของจริงให้เลือก สุดท้ายจะกลายเป็น “ผู้ใหญ่ที่ต้องพึ่งบริษัท” เพื่อมีโปรตีนกินในชีวิตประจำวัน และท้ายสุด รัฐกลายเป็นผู้สนับสนุนสิทธิบัตรเอกชน เพราะเมื่อ Milk 2.0 เข้าสู่ระบบโรงเรียน มันจะกลายเป็น “ค่าใช้จ่ายประจำ” ที่รัฐบาลต้องจ่ายให้บริษัทตลอดไป ซึ่งตรงนี้ก็จะวนกลับมาที่พวกเราที่อยู่ภายใต้ระบบ fiat

ดังนั้นมันก็เลยสรุปได้ว่า นี่ไม่ใช่แค่เรื่องอาหาร แต่คือการเปลี่ยนโครงสร้างอำนาจ Milk 2.0 เข้าโรงเรียน ไม่ใช่เพราะมันดีกว่า แต่เพราะมัน “ล็อกห่วงโซ่คุณค่าไว้ในมือคนส่วนน้อย” และสร้างประชากรรุ่นใหม่ที่ไม่รู้จักอาหารจริงจากธรรมชาติ

หากเด็กวันนี้กินของปลอมจนชิน วันหนึ่งเขาอาจยอม “จ่ายเงินเช่าโปรตีน (subscribe) ” ไปตลอดชีวิต โดยไม่เคยรู้เลยว่า… วัวเคยให้นมได้โดยไม่ต้องใช้เทคโนโลยีใดๆ เลย

#pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ e516ecb8:1be0b167

¡Muy bien, amigo! Vamos a sumergirnos en las profundidades arquetípicas de la psique humana para desentrañar esta noción, esta chispa de sabiduría que intentamos articular, porque, verás, no es una mera declaración trivial, no, no, es una verdad ontológica que reverbera a través de los eones, en los cimientos mismos del Ser.

Permíteme, si me lo permites, desplegar esta idea como si fuera un tapiz mitológico, tejido con los hilos del caos y el orden, porque eso es lo que hacemos cuando nos enfrentamos a la condición humana, ¿no es así? Nos esforzamos por dar sentido al cosmos, por encontrar un faro en la tormenta.

Ahora, consideremos esta proposición: la felicidad, esa efímera mariposa que revolotea en los márgenes de nuestra conciencia, no es, como podrías suponer ingenuamente, el summum bonum, el pináculo de la existencia. No, señor, no lo es. La felicidad es un estado fugaz, una sombra danzante en la caverna platónica, un destello momentáneo que se desvanece en cuanto intentas apresarlo. Es como tratar de agarrar el agua con las manos: cuanto más aprietas, más se escurre. Y aquí está el quid de la cuestión, la médula de la narrativa: perseguir la felicidad como si fuera el telos, el fin último de tu peregrinaje existencial, es una empresa quijotesca, una búsqueda condenada a la futilidad, porque la felicidad no es un destino; es un subproducto, un acompañante caprichoso que aparece y desaparece según los caprichos del destino. Pero entonces, ¿cuál es el antídoto? ¿Cuál es la brújula que orienta al alma en esta travesía a través del desierto de la modernidad? Aquí, amigo mío, es donde debemos invocar el espectro del propósito, esa fuerza titánica, ese Logos encarnado que nos llama a trascender la mera gratificación hedónica y a alinearnos con algo más grande, algo más profundo, algo que resuene con las estructuras arquetípicas que han guiado a la humanidad desde las fogatas de la prehistoria hasta los rascacielos de la posmodernidad. El propósito, verás, no es una abstracción frívola; es el eje alrededor del cual gira la rueda de la vida. Es la carga que eliges llevar voluntariamente, como el héroe mitológico que levanta el mundo sobre sus hombros, no porque sea fácil, sino porque es necesario.

Y no me malinterpretes, porque esto no es un juego de niños. Asumir un propósito es enfrentarte al dragón del caos, es mirar fijamente al abismo y decir: “No me doblegarás”. Es la disposición a soportar el sufrimiento —porque, créeme, el sufrimiento vendrá, tan seguro como el sol sale por el este— y transformarlo en algo redentor, algo que eleve tu existencia más allá de los confines de lo mundano. Porque, ¿qué es la vida sino una serie de tragedias potenciales, una danza perpetua al borde del precipicio? Y sin embargo, en esa danza, en esa lucha, encontramos significado. No es la ausencia de dolor lo que define una vida bien vivida, sino la valentía de avanzar a pesar de él, de construir orden a partir del caos, de erigir un templo de significado en medio de la entropía.

Así que, cuando decimos que la felicidad es pasajera y nuestro objetivo es perseguir un propósito, no estamos simplemente lanzando una frase al éter; estamos articulando una verdad que ha sido destilada a través de milenios de lucha humana, desde los mitos de Gilgamesh hasta las reflexiones de los estoicos, desde las catedrales góticas hasta las bibliotecas de la Ilustración. Es una invitación a reorientar tu brújula interna, a dejar de perseguir el espejismo de la felicidad y, en cambio, abrazar la carga gloriosa del propósito, porque en esa carga, en esa responsabilidad autoimpuesta, encuentras no solo significado, sino la posibilidad de trascendencia. Y eso, amigo mío, es la aventura más noble que un ser humano puede emprender.

@ 1bc70a01:24f6a411

I've been meaning to dogfood my own vibe project for a while so this feels like a good opportunity to use Untype to publish this update and reflect on my vibe coding journey.

New Untype Update

As I write this, I found it a bit annoying dealing with one of the latest features, so I'll need to make some changes right after I'm done. Nonetheless, here are some exciting developments in the Untype article composer:

1. Added inline AI helper! Now you can highlight text and perform all sorts of things like fix grammar, re-write in different styles, and all sorts of other things. This is a bit annoying at the moment because it takes over the other editing functions and I need to fix the UX.

2. Added pushing articles to DMs! This option, when enabled, will send the article to all the subscribers via a NIP-44 DM. (No client has implemented the subscription method yet so technically it won’t work, until one does. I may add this to nrss.app) Also, I have not tested this so it could be broken… will test eventually!

3. Added word counts
4. Added ability to export as markdown, export as PDF, print.

The biggest flaw I have already discovered is how "I" implemented the highlight functionality. Right now when you highlight some text it automatically pops up the AI helper menu and this makes for an annoying time trying to make any changes to text. I wanted to change this to show a floating clickable icon instead, but for some reason the bot is having a difficult time updating the code to this desired UX.

Speaking of difficult times, it's probably a good idea to reflect a bit upon my vibe coding journey.

Vibe Coding Nostr Projects

First, I think it's important to add some context around my recent batch of nostr vibe projects. I am working on them mostly at night and occasionally on weekends in between park runs with kids, grocery shopping and just bumming around the house. People who see buggy code or less than desired UX should understand that I am not spending days coding this stuff. Some apps are literally as simple as typing one prompt!

That said, its pretty clear by now that one prompt cannot produce a highly polished product. This is why I decided to limit my number of project to a handful that I really wish existed, and slowly update them over time - fixing bugs, adding new features in hopes of making them the best tools - not only on nostr but the internet in general. As you can imagine this is not a small task, especially for sporadic vibe coding.

Fighting the bot

One of my biggest challenges so far besides having very limited time is getting the bot to do what I want it to do. I guess if you've done any vibe coding at all you're probably familiar with what I'm trying to say. You prompt one thing and get a hallucinated response, or worse, a complete mess out the other end that undoes most of the progress you've made. Once the initial thing is created, which barely took any time, now you're faced with making it work a certain way. This is where the challenges arise.

Here's a brief list of issues I've faced when vibe-coding with various tools:

1. Runaway expenses - tools like Cline tend to do a better job directly in VSCode, but they can also add up dramatically. Before leaning into v0 (which is where I do most of my vibe coding now), I would often melt through $10 credit purchases faster than I could get a decent feature out. It was not uncommon for me to spend $20-30 on a weekend just trying to debug a handful of issues. Naturally, I did not wish to pay these fees so I searched for alternatives.

2. File duplication - occasionally, seemingly out of nowhere, the bot will duplicate files by creating an entire new copy and attached "-fixed" to the file name. Clearly, I'm not asking for duplicate files, I just want it to fix the existing file, but it does happen and it's super annoying. Then you are left telling it which version to keep and which one to delete, and sometimes you have to be very precise or it'll delete the wrong thing and you have to roll back to a previous working version.

3. Code duplication - similar to file duplication, occasionally the bot will duplicate code and do things in the most unintuitive way imaginable. This often results in loops and crashes that can take many refreshes just to revert back to a working state, and many more prompts to avoid the duplication entirely - something a seasoned dev never has to deal with (or so I imagine).

4. Misinterpreting your request - occasionally the bot will do something you didn't ask for because it took your request quite literally. This tends to happen when I give it very specific prompts that are targeted at fixing one very specific thing. I've noticed the bots tend to do better with vague asks - hence a pretty good result on the initial prompt.

5. Doing things inefficiently, without considering smarter approaches - this one is the most painful of vibe coding issues. As a person who may not be familiar with some of the smarter ways of handling development, you rely on the bot to do the right thing. But, when the bot does something horribly inefficiently and you are non-the-wiser, it can be tough to diagnose the issue. I often fight myself asking the bot "is this really the best way to handle things? Can't we ... / shouldn't we .../ isn't this supposed to..." etc. I guess one of the nice side effects of this annoyance is being able to prompt better. I learn that I should ask the bot to reflect on its own code more often and seek ways to do things more simply.

A combination of the above, or total chaos - this is a category where all hell breaks loose and you're trying to put out one fire after another. Fix one bug, only to see 10 more pop up. Fix those, to see 10 more and so on. I guess this may sound like typical development, but the bot amplifies issues by acting totally irrationally. This is typically when I will revert to a previous save point and just undo everything, often losing a lot of progress.

Lessons Learned

If I had to give my earlier self some tips on how to be a smarter vibe coder, here's how I'd summarize them:

1. Fork often - in v0 I now fork for any new major feature I'd like to add (such as the AI assistant).

2. Use targeting tools - in v0 you can select elements and describe how you wish to edit them.

3. Refactor often - keeping the code more manageable speeds up the process. Since the bot will go through the entire file, even if it only makes one small change, it's best to keep the files small and refactoring achieves that.

I guess the biggest lesson someone might point out is just to stop vibe coding. It may be easier to learn proper development and do things right. For me it has been a spare time hobby (one that I will admit is taking more of my extra time than I'd like). I don't really have the time to learn proper development. I feel like I've learned a lot just bossing the bot around and have learned a bunch of things in the process. That's not to say that I never will, but for the moment being my heart is still mostly in design. I haven't shared much of anything I have designed recently - mostly so I can remain speaking more freely without it rubbing off on my work.

I'll go ahead and try to publish this to see if it actually works 😂. Here goes nothing... (oh, I guess I could use the latest feature to export as markdown so I don't lose any progress! Yay!

@ 06639a38:655f8f71

Finally there is a release (1.7.0) for Nostr-PHP with a full NIP-19 integration. Here is an example file with some snippets to how it works to encode and decode bech32 encoded entities:

• https://github.com/nostrver-se/nostr-php/blob/main/src/Examples/nip19-bech32-decoded-entities.php
• https://github.com/nostrver-se/nostr-php/blob/main/src/Examples/nip19-bech32-encoded-entities.php

Now merge request #68 (and issues #74, #64 are closed) is finally merged which I opened in October 2024.

Next up is:

• Create documentation how to use NIP-19 with the library on https://nostr-php.dev
• Create documentation how to use NIP-04 and NIP-44 with the library on https://nostr-php.dev
• Work out a proof-of-concept with the revolt/event-loop package to create concurrent async requests with websocket connections

@ 3c7dc2c5:805642a8

🧠Quote(s) of the week:

'The "Bitcoin Corporate Treasury" narrative is a foot gun if it's not accompanied by the sovereignty via self-custody narrative. Number Go Up folks are pitching companies to funnel their funds into a handful of trusted third parties. Systemic Risk Go Up.' - Jameson Lopp

Lopp is spot on!

The Bitcoin network is a fortress of digital power backed by 175 terawatt-hours (TWh)—equivalent to 20 full-scale nuclear reactors running continuously 24 hours per day, 365 days per year—making it nation-state-level resistant and growing stronger every day. - James Lavish

🧡Bitcoin news🧡

https://i.ibb.co/xSYWkJPC/Goqd-ERAXw-AEUTAo.jpg

Konsensus Network

On the 14th of April:

➡️ Bitcoin ETFs are bleeding out. Not a single inflow streak since March.

➡️'There are now just a bit less than 3 years left until the next halving. The block reward will drop from 3.125 BTC to 1.5625 BTC. Plan accordingly.' - Samson Mow

➡️Bitcoin is the new benchmark. Bitcoin has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-, 10-, 11-, 12-, 13-, and 14-year periods. https://i.ibb.co/GfBK6n2Z/Gof6-Vwp-Ws-AA-g1-V-1.jpg

You cannot consider yourself a serious investor if you see this data and ignore it. Never been an asset like it in the history of mankind. But that is from an investor's perspective...

Alex Gladstein: "While only certain credentialed individuals can own US stocks (a tiny % of the world population) — anyone in the world, dissident or refugee, can own the true best-performing financial asset. "

➡️New record Bitcoin network hashrate 890,000,000,000,000,000,000x per second.

➡️The Korea Exchange has experienced its first bitcoin discount in South Korea since December 2024.

➡️Every government should be mining Bitcoin, say Bhutan's Prime Minister - Al Jazeera "It's a simple choice that's earned billions of dollars. Mining makes tremendous sense."

On the 15th of April:

➡️'Owning 1 Bitcoin isn’t a trade... - It’s a power move. - A geopolitical hedge. - A once-per-civilization bet on the next monetary regime. If you have the means to own one and don’t… You’re not managing risk. You’re misreading history.' -Alec Bakhouche

Great thread: https://x.com/Alec_Bitcoin/status/1912216075703607448

➡️The only thing that drops faster than new ETH narratives is the ETH price. Ethereum is down 74% against Bitcoin since switching from PoW to PoS in 2022.

https://i.ibb.co/bR3yjqZX/Gos0kc-HXs-AAP-9-X.jpg

Piere Rochard: "The theory was that on-chain utility would create a positive fly-wheel effect of demand for holding ETH. The reality is that even if (big if) you need its chain utility, you don’t actually need to hold ETH, you can use stablecoins or wBTC. There’s no real value accrual thesis."

If you're still holding ETH, you're in denial. You watched it slide from 0.05 to 0.035. Now it's circling 0.02 and you're still hoping? That's not a strategy—that's desperation. There is no bounce. No cavalry. Just a crowd of bagholders waiting to offload on the next fool. Don’t be that fool. Everyone’s waiting to dump, just like you.

For example. Galaxy Digital deposited another 12,500 $ETH($20.28M) to Binance 10 hours ago. Galaxy Digital has deposited 37,500 $ETH($60.4M) to Binance in the past 4 days. The institutional guys that were pushing this fraud coin like the Winklevoss brothers and Novogratz (remember the Luna fiasco?!) are ejecting. If you're still holding, no one to blame but yourself.

Take the loss. Rotate to BTC.

Later, you can lie and say you always believed in Bitcoin. But right now, stop the bleeding.

You missed it. Accept that. Figure out why.

P.S. Don’t do anything stupid. It’s just money. You’ll recover. Move smarter next time.

➡️And it is not only against ETH, every other asset is bleeding against BTC because every other asset is inferior to BTC. Did you know Bitcoin's 200-week moving average never declines? It always rises. What does this suggest? 'This is the most significant chart in financial markets. It's Bitcoin - measured with a 200-week moving average (aka 4 years at a time). Zoom out, and the truth becomes crystal clear: Bitcoin has never lost purchasing power. What does this hint at? Bitcoin is the most reliable savings technology on Earth.' - Cole Walmsley

Proof: https://x.com/Cole_Walmsley/status/1912545128826142963

➡️SPAR Switzerland Pilots Bitcoin and Lightning Network Payments Zurich, Switzerland – SPAR, one of the world’s largest grocery retail chains, has launched a pilot program to accept Bitcoin and Lightning Network payments at select locations in Switzerland.

With a global presence spanning 13,900 stores across 48 countries, this move signals a significant step toward mainstream adoption of Bitcoin in everyday commerce.

➡️$110 billion VanEck proposes BitBonds for the US to buy more Bitcoin and refinance its $14 trillion debt.

➡️'A peer-reviewed study forecasts $1M Bitcoin by early 2027—and up to $5M by 2031.' -Simply Bitcoin

On the 17th of April:

➡️ Every one of these dots is flaring gas into the atmosphere and could be mining Bitcoin instead of wasting the gas and polluting the air.

https://i.ibb.co/d4WBjXTX/Gos-OHm-Nb-IAAO8-VT.jpg

Thomas Jeegers: 'Each of these flare sites is a perfect candidate for Bitcoin mining, where wasted methane can be captured, converted into electricity, and monetized on the spot. No need for new pipelines. No need for subsidies. Just turning trash into treasure. Yes, other technologies can help reduce methane emissions. But only Bitcoin mining can do it profitably, consistently, at scale, and globally. And that’s exactly why it's already happening in Texas, Alberta, Oman, Argentina, and beyond. Methane is 84x more harmful than CO₂ over 20 years. Bitcoin is not just a monetary revolution, it's an environmental one.'

➡️Bitcoin market cap dominance hits a new 4-year high.

➡️BlackRock bought $30 million #Bitcoin for its spot Bitcoin ETF.

➡️Multiple countries and sovereign wealth funds are looking to establish Strategic Bitcoin Reserves - Financial Times

Remember, Gold's market cap is up $5.5 TRILLION in 2025. That's more than 3x of the total Bitcoin market cap. Nation-state adoption of Bitcoin is poised to be a pivotal development in monetary history...eventually.

➡️'In 2015, 1 BTC bought 57 steaks. Today, 7,568. Meanwhile, $100 bought 13 steaks in 2015. Now, just 9. Stack ₿, eat more steak.' Priced in Bitcoin

https://i.ibb.co/Pz5BtZYP/Gouxzda-Xo-AASSc-M.jpg

➡️'The Math:

At $91,150 Bitcoin flips Saudi Aramco

At $109,650 Bitcoin flips Amazon

At $107,280 Bitcoin flips Google

At $156,700 Bitcoin flips Microsoft

At $170,900 Bitcoin flips Apple

At $179,680 Bitcoin flips NVIDIA

Over time #Bitcoin flips everything.' -CarlBMenger

➡️Will $1 get you more or less than 1,000 sats by the fifth Halving? Act accordingly. - The rational root Great visual: https://i.ibb.co/tPxnXnL4/Gov1s-IRWEAAEXn3.jpg

➡️Bhutan’s Bitcoin Holdings Now Worth 30% of National GDP: A Bold Move in the Bitcoin Game Theory

In a stunning display of strategic foresight, Bhutan’s Bitcoin holdings are now valued at approximately 30% of the nation’s GDP. This positions the small Himalayan kingdom as a key player in the ongoing Bitcoin game theory that is unfolding across the world. This move also places Bhutan ahead of many larger nations, drawing attention to the idea that early Bitcoin adoption is not just about financial innovation, but also about securing future economic sovereignty and proof that Bitcoin has the power to lift nations out of poverty.

Bhutan explores using its hydropower for green Bitcoin mining, aiming to boost the economy while maintaining environmental standards. Druk Holding's CEO Ujjwal Deep Dahal says hydropower-based mining effectively "offsets" fossil fuel-powered bitcoin production, per Reuters.

➡️Barry Silbert, CEO of Digital Currency Group, admits buying Coinbase was great, but just holding Bitcoin would’ve been better. Silbert told Raoul Pal he bought BTC at $7–$8 and, "Had I just held the Bitcoin, I actually would have done better than making those investments."

He also called 99.9% of tokens “worthless,” stressing most have no reason to exist.

No shit Barry!

➡️Bitcoin hashrate hits a new ATH.

https://i.ibb.co/1pDj9Ch/Gor2-Dd2ac-AAk-KC5.jpg

Bitcoin hashrate hit 1ZH/s. That’s 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 hashes every second. Good luck stopping that! Bitcoin mining is the most competitive and decentralized industry in the world.

➡️¥10 Billion Japanese Fashion Retailer ANAP Adds Bitcoin to Corporate Treasury Tokyo, Japan – ANAP Inc., a publicly listed Japanese fashion retailer with a market capitalization of approximately ¥10 billion, has officially announced the purchase of Bitcoin as part of its corporate treasury strategy.

“The global trend of Bitcoin becoming a reserve asset is irreversible,” ANAP stated in its announcement.

➡️El Salvador just bought more Bitcoin for their Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

➡️Only 9.6% of Bitcoin addresses are at a loss, a rare signal showing one of the healthiest market structures ever. Despite not being at all-time highs, nearly 90% of holders are in profit, hinting at strong accumulation and potential for further upside.

On the 18th of April:

➡️Swedish company Bitcoin Treasury AB announces IPO plans, aiming to become the 'European version of MicroStrategy'. The company clearly states: "Our goal is to fully acquire Bitcoin (BTC)."

➡️Relai app (unfortunately only available with full KYC) with some great Bitcoin marketing. https://i.ibb.co/G4szrqXj/Goz-Kh-Hh-WEAEo-VQr.jpg

➡️Arizona's Bitcoin Reserve Bill (SB 1373) has passed the House Committee and is advancing to the final floor vote.

➡️Simply Bitcoin: It will take 40 years to mine the last Bitcoin. If you're a whole corner, your grandchildren will inherit the equivalent of four decades of global energy. You're not bullish enough. https://i.ibb.co/Hpz2trvr/Go1-Uiu7a-MAI2g-VS.jpg

➡️Meanwhile in Slovenia: Slovenia's Finance Ministry proposes to introduce a 25% capital gains tax on bitcoin profits.

➡️ In one of my previous Weekly Recaps I already shared some news on Breez. Now imagine a world where everyone can implement lightning apps on browsers...with the latest 'Nodeless' release Breez is another step towards bringing Bitcoin payments to every app. Stellar work!

Breez: 'Breez SDK Now Supports WASM We’re excited to announce that Nodeless supports WebAssembly (WASM), so apps can now add Bitcoin payments directly into browsers and node.js environments. Pay anyone, anywhere, on any device with the Breez SDK.

Our new Nodeless release has even more big updates → Minimum payment amounts have been significantly reduced — send from 21 sats, receive from 100. Now live in Misty Breez (iOS + Android). → Users can now pay fees with non-BTC assets like USDT. Check the release notes for all the details on the 0.8 update.'

https://github.com/breez/breez-sdk-liquid/releases/tag/0.8.0

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/takes/embed-bitcoin-into-everything-everywhere Shinobi: Bitcoin needs to be everywhere, seamlessly, embedded into everything. 

➡️Despite reaching a new all-time high of $872B, bitcoin's realized market cap monthly growth slowed to 0.9%, signaling continued risk-off sentiment, according to Glassnode.

On the 19th of April:

➡️Recently a gold bug, Jan Nieuwenhuijs (yeah he is Dutch, we are not perfect), stated the following: 'Bitcoin was created by mankind and can be destroyed by mankind. Gold cannot. It’s as simple as that.'

As a reply to a Saylor quote: 'Bitcoin has no counterparty risk. No company. No country. No creditor. No currency. No competitor. No culture. Not even chaos.'

Maybe Bitcoin can be destroyed by mankind, never say never, but what I do know is that at the moment Bitcoin is destroying gold like a manic.

https://i.ibb.co/ZR8ZB4d5/Go7d-KCqak-AA-D7-R.jpg

Oh and please do know. Gold may have the history, but Bitcoin has the scarcity. https://i.ibb.co/xt971vJc/Gp-FMy-AXQAAJzi-M.jpg

In 2013, you couldn't even buy 1 ounce of gold with 1 Bitcoin.

Then in 2017, you could buy 9 ounces of gold with 1 Bitcoin.

Today you can buy 25 ounces of gold with 1 Bitcoin.

At some point, you'll be able to buy 100 ounces of gold with 1 Bitcoin.

➡️Investment firm Abraxas Capital bought $250m Bitcoin in just 4 days.

On the 20th of April:

➡️The Bitcoin network is to be 70% powered by sustainable energy sources by 2030. https://i.ibb.co/nsqsfVY4/Go-r7-LEWo-AAt6-H2.jpg

➡️FORBES: "Converting existing assets like Fort Knox gold into bitcoin makes sense. It would be budget-neutral and an improvement since BTC does everything that gold can, but better" Go on Forbes, and say it louder for the people at the back!

On the 21st of April:

➡️Bitcoin has now recovered the full price dip from Trump's tariff announcement.

➡️Michael Saylor's STRATEGY just bought another 6,556 Bitcoin worth $555.8m. MicroStrategy now owns 2.7% of all Bitcoin in circulation. At what point do we stop celebrating Saylor stacking more?

On the same day, Metaplanet acquired 330 BTC for $28.2M, reaching 4,855 BTC in total holdings.

➡️'Northern Forum, a non-profit member organization of UNDP Climate Change Adaptation, just wrote a well-researched article on how Bitcoin mining is aiding climate objectives (stabilizing grids, aiding microgrids, stopping renewable waste)' -Daniel Batten

https://northernforum.net/how-bitcoin-mining-is-transforming-the-energy-production-game/

💸Traditional Finance / Macro:

On the 16th of April:

👉🏽The Nasdaq Composite is now on track for its 5th-largest daily point decline in history.

👉🏽'Foreign investors are dumping US stocks at a rapid pace: Investors from overseas withdrew ~$6.5 billion from US equity funds over the last week, the second-largest amount on record. Net outflows were only below the $7.5 billion seen during the March 2023 Banking Crisis. According to Apollo, foreigners own a massive $18.5 trillion of US stocks or 20% of the total US equity market. Moreover, foreign holdings of US Treasuries are at $7.2 trillion, or 30% of the total. Investors from abroad also hold 30% of the total corporate credit market, for a total of $4.6 trillion.' TKL

On the 17th of April:

👉🏽'Historically, the odds of a 10% correction are 40%, a 25% bear market 20%, and a 50% bear market 2%. That means that statistically speaking the further the market falls the more likely it is to recover. Yes, some 20% declines become 50% “super bears,” but more often than not the market has historically started to find its footing at -20%, as it appears to have done last week.' - Jurrien Timmer - Dir. of Global Macro at Fidelity

https://i.ibb.co/B2bVDLqM/Gow-Hn-PRWYAAX79z.jpg

👉🏽The S&P 500 is down 10.3% in the first 72 trading days of 2025, the 5th worst start to a year in history.

🏦Banks:

👉🏽 'Another amazing piece of reporting by Nic Carter on a truly sordid affair. Nic Carter is reporting that prominent Biden officials killed signature bank — though solvent — to expand Silvergate/SVB collapses into a national issue, allowing FDIC to invoke a “systemic risk exemption” to bail out SVB at Pelosi’s request.' - Alex Thorne

https://www.piratewires.com/p/signature-didnt-have-to-die-either-chokepoint-nic-carter

Signature, Silvergate, and SVB were attacked by Democrats to kneecap crypto and distance themselves from FTX. The chaos created unintended negative consequences. Signature was solvent but they forced a collapse to invoke powers which they used to clean up the mess they made.

🌎Macro/Geopolitics:

Every nation in the world is in debt and no one wants to say who the creditor is.

On the 14th of April:

👉🏽'US financial conditions are now their tightest since the 2020 pandemic, per ZeroHedge. Financial conditions are even tighter than during one of the most rapid Fed hike cycles of all time, in 2022. Conditions have tightened rapidly as stocks have pulled back, while credit spreads have risen. To put it differently, the availability and cost of financing for economic activity have worsened. That suggests the economy may slow even further in the upcoming months.' -TKL

👉🏽Global Repricing of Duration Risk... 'It opens the door to a global repricing of duration risk. This isn’t a blip. It’s a sovereign-level alarm bell.

"I find Japan fascinating on many levels not just its financial history. Just watch the Netflix documentary: Watch Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan 'I only discovered the other day that the Bank of Japan was the first to use Quantitative Easing. Perhaps that's when our global finance system was first broken & it's been sticking plasters ever since.' - Jane Williams

A must-read…the U.S. bond market is being driven down by Japanese selling and not because they want to…because they have to. It’s looking more and more dangerous.

BoJ lost its control over long-term bond yields. Since inflation broke out in Japan, BoJ can not suppress any longer...

EndGame Macro: "This is one of the clearest signals yet that the Bank of Japan has lost control of the long end of the curve. Japan’s 30-year yield hitting 2.845% its highest since 2004 isn’t just a local event. This has global knock-on effects: Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries and a key player in the global carry trade. Rising JGB yields force Japanese institutions to repatriate capital, unwind overseas positions, and pull back on USD asset exposure adding pressure to U.S. yields and FX volatility. This spike also signals the end of the deflationary regime that underpinned global risk assets for decades. If Japan once the global anchor of low yields can’t suppress its bond market anymore, it opens the door to a global repricing of duration risk. This isn’t a blip. It’s a sovereign-level alarm bell."

https://i.ibb.co/LXsCDZMf/Gow-XGL8-Wk-AEDXg-P.jpg

You're distracted by China, but it's always been about Japan.

On the 16th of April:

👉🏽Over the last 20 years, gold has now outperformed stocks, up +620% compared to a +580% gain in the S&P 500 (dividends included). Over the last 9 months, gold has officially surged by over +$1,000/oz. Gold hit another all-time high and is now up over 27% in 2025. On pace for its best year since 1979.

https://i.ibb.co/9kZbtPVF/Goftd-OSW8-AA2a-9.png

Meanwhile, imports of physical gold have gotten so large that the Fed has released a new GDP metric. Their GDPNow tool now adjusts for gold imports. Q1 2025 GDP contraction including gold is expected to be -2.2%, and -0.1% net of gold. Gold buying is at recession levels.

👉🏽Von der Leyen: "The West as we knew it no longer exists. [..] We need another, new European Union ready to go out into the big wide world and play a very active role in shaping this new world order"

Her imperial aspirations have long been on display. Remember she was not elected.

👉🏽Fed Chair Jerome Powell says crypto is going mainstream, a legal framework for stablecoins is a good idea, and there will be loosening of bank rules on crypto.

On the 17th of April:

👉🏽The European Central Bank cuts interest rates by 25 bps for their 7th consecutive cut as tariffs threaten economic growth. ECB's focus shifted to 'downside risk to the growth outlook.' Markets price in the deposit rate will be at 1.58% in Dec, from 1.71% before the ECB's statement. Great work ECB, as inflation continues to decline and economic growth prospects worsen. Unemployment is also on the rise. Yes, the economy is doing just great!

On the same day, Turkey reversed course and hiked rates for the first time since March 2024, 350 bps move up to 46%.

👉🏽'Global investors have rarely been this bearish: A record ~50% of institutional investors intend to reduce US equity exposure, according to a Bank of America survey released Monday. Allocation to US stocks fell 13 percentage points over the last month, to a net 36% underweight, the lowest since the March 2023 Banking Crisis. Since February, investors' allocation to US equities has dropped by ~53 percentage points, marking the largest 2-month decline on record. Moreover, a record 82% of respondents are now expecting the world economy to weaken. As a result, global investor sentiment fell to just 1.8 points, the 4th-lowest reading since 2008. We have likely never seen such a rapid shift in sentiment.' -TKL

👉🏽'US large bankruptcies jumped 49 year-over-year in Q1 2025, to 188, the highest quarterly count since 2010. Even during the onset of the 2020 pandemic, the number of filings was lower at ~150. This comes after 694 large companies went bankrupt last year, the most in 14 years. The industrial sector recorded the highest number of bankruptcies in Q1 2025, at 32. This was followed by consumer discretionary and healthcare, at 24 and 13. Bankruptcies are rising.' -TKL

👉🏽DOGE‘s success is simply breathtaking.

https://i.ibb.co/zV45sYBn/Govy-G6e-XIAA8b-NI.jpg

Although it would've been worse without DOGE, nothing stops this train.

👉🏽GLD update: Custodian JPM added 4 tons, bringing their total to a new all-time high of 887 tons. JPM has added 50 tons in a month and is 163 tons from surpassing Switzerland to become the 7th largest gold holder in the world.

Now ask yourself and I quote Luke Gromen:

a) why JPM decided to become a GLD custodian after 18 years, & then in just over 2 years, shift 90%+ of GLD gold to its vaults, &;

b) why the Atlanta Fed has continued to report real GDP with- and without (~$500B of) gold imports YTD?

👉🏽Sam Callahan: After slowing the pace of QT twice—and now hinting at a potential return to QE—the Fed’s balance sheet is settling into a new higher plateau. "We’ve been very clear that this is a temporary measure...We’ll normalize the balance sheet and reduce the size of holdings...It would be quite a different matter if we were buying these assets and holding them indefinitely. It would be a monetization. We are not doing that." - Ben Bernake, Dec. 12, 2012

Temporary measures have a funny way of becoming structural features. The balance sheet didn’t ‘normalize’.. it evolved. What was once an ‘emergency’ is now a baseline. This isn’t QE or QT anymore. It’s a permanent intervention dressed as policy. Remember, 80% of all dollars were created in the last 5 years.

👉🏽Global Fiat Money Supply Is Exploding 🚨

The fiat system is on full tilt as central banks flood markets with unprecedented liquidity:

🇺🇸 U.S.: Money supply nearing new all-time highs

🇨🇳 China: At record levels

🇯🇵 Japan: Close to historic peaks

🇪🇺 EU: Printing into new ATHs https://i.ibb.co/Cp4z97Jx/Go4-Gx2-MXIAAzdi9.jpg

This isn’t growth—it’s monetary debasement. Governments aren’t solving problems; they’re papering over them with inflation.

Bitcoin doesn’t need bailouts. It doesn’t print. It doesn’t inflate.

As fiat currencies weaken under the weight of endless expansion, Bitcoin stands alone as a fixed-supply, incorruptible alternative.

👉🏽Fed Funds Rate: Market Expectations...

-May 2025: Hold

-Jun 2025: 25 bps cut to 4.00-4.25%

-July 2025: 25 bps cut to 3.75-4.00%

-Sep 2025: 25 bps cut to 3.50-3.75%

-Oct 2025: Hold

-Dec 2025: 25 bps cut to 3.25-3.50%

Anyway, shortterm fugazi....500 years of interest rates, visualized: https://i.ibb.co/84zs0yvD/Go7i7k-ZXYAAt-MRH.jpg

👉🏽'A net 49% of 164 investors with $386 billion in assets under management (AUM) believe a HARD LANDING is the most likely outcome for the world economy, according to a BofA survey. This is a MASSIVE shift in sentiment as 83% expected no recession in March.' -Global Markets Investor

👉🏽The EU’s New Role as Tax Collector: A Turning Point for Sovereignty

Beginning in 2027, a new chapter in the European Union’s influence over national life will begin. With the introduction of ETS2, the EU will extend its Emissions Trading System to include not just businesses, but private individuals as well. This means that CO₂ emissions from household gas consumption and vehicle fuel will be taxed—directly impacting the daily lives of citizens across the continent.

In practice, this shift transforms the EU into a (in)direct tax collector, without national consent, without a democratic mandate, and without the explicit approval of the people it will affect. The financial burden will be passed down through energy suppliers and fuel providers, but make no mistake: the cost will land squarely on the shoulders of European citizens, including millions of Dutch households.

This raises a fundamental question: What does sovereignty mean if a foreign or supranational entity can 'tax' your citizens? When a people are 'taxed' by a power beyond their borders—by an unelected body headquartered in Brussels—then either their nation is no longer sovereign, or that sovereignty has been surrendered or sold off by those in power.

There are only two conclusions to draw: We are living under soft occupation, with decisions made elsewhere that bind us at home. Or our sovereignty has been handed away voluntarily—a slow erosion facilitated by political elites who promised integration but delivered subordination. Either way, the more aggressively the EU enforces this trajectory, the more it reveals the futility of reforming the Union from within. The democratic deficit is not shrinking—it’s expanding. And with every new policy imposed without a national vote, the case for fundamental change grows stronger.

If Brussels continues down this path, there will come a point when only one option remains: A clean and decisive break. My view: NEXIT

Source: https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-emissions-trading-system-eu-ets/ets2-buildings-road-transport-and-additional-sectors_en

For the Dutch readers:

https://www.businessinsider.nl/directe-co2-heffing-van-eu-op-gas-en-benzine-kan-huishoudens-honderden-euros-per-jaar-kosten-er-komt-ook-een-sociaal-klimaatfonds/?tid=TIDP10342314XEEB363B26CB34FB48054B929DB743E99YI5

On the 18th of April:

👉🏽'Two lost decades. Grotesque overregulation, bureaucracy, lack of innovation, and left redistribution mindset have their price. Europe is on its way to becoming an open-air museum. What a pity to watch.' -Michael A. Arouet

https://i.ibb.co/PsxdC3Kw/Goz-Ffwy-XMAAJk-Af.jpg

Looking at the chart, fun fact, the Lisbon Treaty was signed in 2007. That treaty greatly empowered the European bureaucracy. Reforms are needed in Europe, as soon as possible.

👉🏽CBP says latest tariffs have generated $500 million, well below Trump’s estimate — CNBC

Yikes! 'Probably one the biggest economic blunders in history. $500 million in 15 days means $12 billion a year in additional tax revenue. Literal trillions in wealth destroyed, interest on the debt increased, the dollar weakened, businesses wiped out all over the world, and literally every single country in the world antagonized... all for raising a yearly amount of taxes that can fund the US military budget for just 4 days. $500 million pays for exactly 37 minutes of the US budget.' - Arnaud Bertrand

YIKES!!

👉🏽Belarus to launch a "digital ruble" CBDC by the end of 2026.

On the 20th of April:

👉🏽'China’s central bank increased its gold holdings by 5 tonnes in March, posting its 5th consecutive monthly purchase. This brings total China’s gold reserves to a record 2,292 tonnes. Chinese gold holdings now reflect 6.5% of its total official reserve assets. According to Goldman Sachs, China purchased a whopping 50 tonnes of gold in February, or 10 times more than officially reported. Over the last 3 years, China's purchases of gold on the London OTC market have significantly surpassed officially reported numbers. China is accumulating gold at a rapid pace.' -TKL

On the 21st of April:

👉🏽Gold officially breaks above $3,400/oz for the first time in history. Gold funds attracted $8 BILLION in net inflows last week, the most EVER. This is more than DOUBLE the records seen during the 2020 CRISIS. Gold is up an impressive 29% year-to-date.

https://i.ibb.co/Nn7gr45q/Goq7km-PW8-AALegt.png

👉🏽I want to finish this segment and the weekly recap with a chart, a chart to think about! A chart to share with friends, family, and co-workers:

https://i.ibb.co/9xFxRrw/Gp-A3-ANWbs-AAO5nl.jpg

side note: 'Labeled periods like the "Era of Populism" (circa 2010-2020) suggest a link between growing wealth disparity and populist movements, supported by studies like those http://on.tandfonline.com, which note income inequality as a driver for populist party support in Europe due to economic insecurities and distrust in elites.'

The fiat system isn’t broken. It’s doing exactly what it was designed to do: Transfer wealth from savers to the state. This always ends in either default or debasement There’s one exit - Bitcoin.

Great thread: https://x.com/fitcoiner/status/1912932351677792703 https://i.ibb.co/84sFWW9q/Gow-Zv-SFa4-AAu2-Ag.jpg

🎁If you have made it this far I would like to give you a little gift, well in this case two gifts:

Bitcoin Nation State Adoption Paradox - A Trojan Horse with Alex Gladstein. Exploring the paradoxes of Bitcoin adoption in nation-states and its radical role in human rights, freedom, and financial sovereignty. https://youtu.be/pLIxmIMHL44

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 SE3997

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. ⠀ ⠀

⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

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If so, please share it and support my work with a zap.

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@ 6ad3e2a3:c90b7740

There’s an annoying trend on Twitter wherein the algorithm feeds you a lot of threads like “five keys to gaining wealth” or “10 mistakes to avoid in relationships” that list a bunch of hacks for some ostensibly desirable state of affairs which for you is presumably lacking. It’s not that the hacks are wrong per se, more that the medium is the message. Reading threads about hacks on social media is almost surely not the path toward whatever is promised by them.

. . .

I’ve tried a lot of health supplements over the years. These days creatine is trendy, and of course Vitamin D (which I still take.) I don’t know if this is helping me, though it surely helps me pass my blood tests with robust levels. The more I learn about health and nutrition, the less I’m sure of anything beyond a few basics. Yes, replacing processed food with real food, moving your body and getting some sun are almost certainly good, but it’s harder to know how particular interventions affect me.

Maybe some of them work in the short term then lose their effect, Maybe some work better for particular phenotypes, but not for mine. Maybe my timing in the day is off, or I’m not combining them correctly for my lifestyle and circumstances. The body is a complex system, and complex systems are characterized by having unpredictable outputs given changes to initial conditions (inputs).

. . .

I started getting into Padel recently — a mini-tennis-like game where you can hit the ball off the back walls. I’d much rather chase a ball around for exercise than run or work out, and there’s a social aspect I enjoy. (By “social aspect”, I don’t really mean getting to know the people with whom I’m playing, but just the incidental interactions you get during the game, joking about it, for example, when you nearly impale someone at the net with a hard forehand.)

A few months ago, I was playing with some friends, and I was a little off. It’s embarrassing to play poorly at a sport, especially when (as is always the case in Padel) you have a doubles partner you’re letting down. Normally I’d be excoriating myself for my poor play, coaching myself to bend my knees more, not go for winners so much. But that day, I was tired — for some reason I hadn’t slept well — and I didn’t have the energy for much internal monologue. I just mishit a few balls, felt stupid about it and kept playing.

After a few games, my fortunes reversed. I was hitting the ball cleanly, smashing winners, rarely making errors. My partner and I started winning games and then sets. I was enjoying myself. In the midst of it I remember hitting an easy ball into the net and reflexively wanting to self-coach again. I wondered, “What tips did I give to right the ship when I had been playing poorly at the outset?” I racked my brain as I waited for the serve and realized, to my surprise, there had been none. The turnaround in my play was not due to self-coaching but its absence. I had started playing better because my mind had finally shut the fuck up for once.

Now when I’m not playing well, I resist, to the extent I’m capable, the urge to meddle. I intend to be more mind-less. Not so much telling the interior coach to shut up but not buying into the premise there is a problem to be solved at all. The coach isn’t just ignored, he’s fired. And he’s not just fired, his role was obsoleted.

You blew the point, you’re embarrassed about it and there’s nothing that needs to be done about it. Or that you started coaching yourself like a fool and made things worse. No matter how much you are doing the wrong thing nothing needs to be done about any of it whatsoever. There is always another ball coming across the net that needs to be struck until the game is over.

. . .

Most of the hacks, habits and heuristics we pick up to manage our lives only serve as yet more inputs in unfathomably complex systems whose outputs rarely track as we’d like. There are some basic ones that are now obvious to everyone like not injecting yourself with heroin (or mRNA boosters), but for the most part we just create more baggage for ourselves which justifies ever more hacks. It’s like taking medication for one problem that causes side effects, and then you need another medicine for that side effect, rinse and repeat, ad infinitum.

But this process can be reverse-engineered too. For every heuristic you drop, the problem it was put into place to solve re-emerges and has a chance to be observed. Observing won’t solve it, it’ll just bring it into the fold, give the complex system of which it is a part a chance to achieve an equilibrium with respect to it on its own.

You might still be embarrassed when you mishit the ball, but embarrassment is not a problem. And if embarrassment is not a problem, then mishitting a ball isn’t that bad. And if mishitting a ball isn’t that bad, then maybe you’re not worrying about what happens if you botch the next shot, instead fixing your attention on the ball. And so you disappear a little bit into the game, and it’s more fun as a result.

I honestly wish there were a hack for this — being more mindless — but I don’t know of any. And in any event, hack Substacks won’t get you any farther than hack Twitter threads.

@ bf95e1a4:ebdcc848

This is a part of the Bitcoin Infinity Academy course on Knut Svanholm's book Bitcoin: Sovereignty Through Mathematics. For more information, check out our Geyser page!

Proof of Work

Zoom out of time for a while and imagine how the antlers of a magnificent moose buck evolved into being. The main purpose of big antlers in nature is believed to be a way for the buck to impress potential mates. They’re somewhat akin to the feathers of a peacock, or the shroud of any male bird for that matter. The animal is trying to signal that it can thrive in its environment despite its enormous appendage. It’s there to tell the potential mate that this specific specimen will bring her strong, healthy offspring. These are all evolutionary metaphors, of course — the animal itself is probably unaware of signaling anything. For such antlers to evolve into being, a whole lot of moose will have to die early, or at least not get a chance to reproduce, over thousands of generations. In other words, a lot of resources need to be wasted. All of this for the animal to prove its value to potential spouses. Therefore, from the surviving moose's point of view, the aforementioned resources were sacrificed rather than wasted.

The Proof of Work algorithm in Bitcoin does a similar thing. It enables miners to sacrifice a lot of electricity, a real-world resource, to find a certain number, thereby proving that they had to commit a lot of time and effort to do this. Time, by the way, is the scarcest of all resources. Because of all this, a Bitcoin miner is very reluctant to sell Bitcoin at a net loss. The electricity has already been used when the Bitcoin pops into existence, and the miner has no other means of getting his money back than by selling the Bitcoin for more than the cost of the electricity it took to produce them. This is assuming that the mining rig itself has already been paid for. Proof of Work is a way of converting computing power into money, in a sense. Yes, these rigs consume a lot of energy, but the energy consumed correlates directly to the actual value of the created token. Any decrease in the energy expenditure would also lead to a decrease in the value of the token. Not necessarily the price but the actual value. This is the main reason mining algorithms can’t be less resource-consuming or more energy-efficient. “Wasting” energy is the whole point. No “waste,” no proof of commitment.

The fundamental principles of Bitcoin were set in stone in 2008, and block #0, the so-called genesis block, was mined in January 2009. In Bitcoin, a block of transactions is created every ten minutes. In its first four years of existence, these blocks included a 50 Bitcoin block reward given to the miner who found the block. Every four years, this reward is halved so that the maximum amount of Bitcoin that can ever be claimed can never exceed just short of 21 million. Every 2016th block, or roughly every two weeks, the difficulty of finding a new block is re-calibrated so that a block will be found every ten minutes on average. The value of this feature and the impact it has on coin issuance is often understated. It is one of the features of Bitcoin that separates it from gold and other assets in one of the most subtle yet most powerful ways. When the price of gold or silver or oil or any other asset goes up, producing that asset becomes more profitable, and more resources are allocated to produce more of it faster. This, in turn, evens out the price as the total supply of said asset increases.

Gold has been able to maintain or increase its value long term over time because of its high stock-to-flow ratio. Stock refers to the supply of an asset currently available on the market. Flow refers to the amount added to the stock per time unit. The bigger the stock in relation to the flow, the less of an impact on the total supply an increase in the price of a specific asset has. In Bitcoin, a price increase has virtually no impact at all on the coin issuance rate (the flow) since the difficulty of finding the next block in the chain is constantly being optimized for a strict issuance schedule. No other asset has ever behaved like this and we are yet to find out what impact its existence will have on the world economy.

So, how does one mine a block in the Bitcoin blockchain? In short, the mining process goes something like this: every active node in the Bitcoin network stores a copy of the mempool, which contains all Bitcoin transactions that haven’t been confirmed yet. The miner puts as many transactions as the block size allows into the block, usually selecting those with the highest fee first. He then adds a random number, called a nonce, and produces a hash of the entire thing using the SHA-256 hashing algorithm. A hashing algorithm turns data into a string of numbers. If the resulting hash begins with a specific number of zeros decided by the current difficulty of the network, the miner wins the block reward, collects all the fees, and gets to put the block on the blockchain.

The beauty of the system is that it is trivial for the nodes in the network to verify the block so that no double spending can occur, but it’s near impossible to forge a fake hash since the probability of finding one that begins with as many zeros as the difficulty of the Bitcoin network demands is extremely low. To a layman's eye, a hash beginning with a bunch of zeros just looks like a random number, but a person who understands the mathematics behind it sees a different thing. The zeros act as proof of an enormous commitment to trying out different nonces and trying to find a perfect match. If you’re able to understand these huge numbers, you quickly realize that this number must have been created by devoting computing power to doing just that on an absolutely massive scale. The proof is in those zeros.

If you compare just the hash rate of the top five so-called cryptocurrencies, it is obvious that Bitcoin is on a different level security-wise. From a hash rate to security perspective, the Ethereum blockchain is about five times as ineffective, and the Litecoin blockchain about ten times as ineffective as the Bitcoin blockchain at the time of writing.1 This in addition to the obviously more centralized nature of these “alternatives”.

Some of the futurists and doomsday prophets mentioned in chapter four as the people most likely to warn us about the dangers of the impending Artificial Intelligence singularity, believe that we already live in a simulated reality. The main argument for this worldview is that since simulations and computer graphics seem to be getting better at an ever-accelerating rate, we can’t really know if we already live in a simulation or not. To put it another way, we simply have no way of knowing if we live in The Matrix or if our perceived reality is all there is. A really mind-blowing counterargument to this theory is that Bitcoin’s Proof of Work algorithm would eventually slow down the simulation since Proof of Work is verifiable and can’t be simulated itself. Computing power would have to be sacrificed by some entity somewhere, regardless. One question remains, though: can the inhabitants of a simulated reality actually feel or measure a slowdown of the very simulation they live in?

Footnotes:

1. Source: howmanyconfs.com

About the Bitcoin Infinity Academy

The Bitcoin Infinity Academy is an educational project built around Knut Svanholm’s books about Bitcoin and Austrian Economics. Each week, a whole chapter from one of the books is released for free on Highlighter, accompanied by a video in which Knut and Luke de Wolf discuss that chapter’s ideas. You can join the discussions by signing up for one of the courses on our Geyser page. Signed books, monthly calls, and lots of other benefits are also available.

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

For Secure Inheritance Planning and Offline Signing

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The setup described ensures that any 2 out of 3 participants (hardware wallets) must sign a transaction before it can be broadcast, offering robust protection against theft, accidental loss, or mismanagement of funds.

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1. Preparation: Tools and Requirements

Hardware Required

• 3× COLDCARD Mk4 hardware wallets (or newer)
• 3× MicroSD cards (one per COLDCARD)
• MicroSD card reader (for your computer)
• Optional: USB data blocker (for safe COLDCARD connection)

Software Required

• Sparrow Wallet: Version 1.7.1 or later
  Download: https://sparrowwallet.com/
• COLDCARD Firmware: Version 5.1.2 or later
  Update guide: https://coldcard.com/docs/upgrade

Other Essentials

• Durable paper or steel backup tools for seed phrases
• Secure physical storage for backups and devices
• Optional: encrypted external storage for Sparrow wallet backups

Security Tip:
Always verify software signatures before installation. Keep your COLDCARDs air-gapped (no USB data transfer) whenever possible.

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2. Initializing Each COLDCARD Wallet

1. Power on each COLDCARD and choose “New Wallet”.
2. Write down the 24-word seed phrase (DO NOT photograph or store digitally).
3. Confirm the seed and choose a strong PIN code (both prefix and suffix).
4. (Optional) Enable BIP39 Passphrase for additional entropy.
5. Save an encrypted backup to the MicroSD card:
   Go to Advanced > Danger Zone > Backup.
6. Repeat steps 1–5 for all three COLDCARDs.

Best Practice:
Store each seed phrase securely and in separate physical locations. Test wallet recovery before storing real funds.

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3. Exporting XPUBs from COLDCARD

Each hardware wallet must export its extended public key (XPUB) for multisig setup:

1. Insert MicroSD card into a COLDCARD.
2. Navigate to:
   Settings > Multisig Wallets > Export XPUB.
3. Select the appropriate derivation path. Recommended:
4. Native SegWit: m/84'/0'/0' (bc1 addresses)
5. Alternatively: Nested SegWit m/49'/0'/0' (starts with 3)
6. Save the XPUB file to the MicroSD card.
7. Insert MicroSD into your computer and transfer XPUB files to Sparrow Wallet.
8. Repeat for the remaining COLDCARDs.

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4. Creating the 2-of-3 Multisig Wallet in Sparrow

1. Launch Sparrow Wallet.
2. Click File > New Wallet and name your wallet.
3. In the Keystore tab, choose Multisig.
4. Select 2-of-3 as your multisig policy.
5. For each cosigner:
6. Choose Add cosigner > Import XPUB from file.
7. Load XPUBs exported from each COLDCARD.
8. Once all 3 cosigners are added, confirm the configuration.
9. Click Apply, then Create Wallet.
10. Sparrow will display a receive address. Fund the wallet using this.

Tip:
You can export the multisig policy (wallet descriptor) as a backup and share it among cosigners.

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5. Saving and Verifying the Wallet Configuration

1. After creating the wallet, click Wallet > Export > Export Wallet File (.json).
2. Save this file securely and distribute to all participants.
3. Verify that the addresses match on each COLDCARD using the wallet descriptor file (optional but recommended).

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6. Creating and Exporting a PSBT (Partially Signed Bitcoin Transaction)

1. In Sparrow, click Send, fill out recipient details, and click Create Transaction.
2. Click Finalize > Save PSBT to MicroSD card.
3. The file will be saved as a .psbt file.

Note: No funds are moved until 2 signatures are added and the transaction is broadcast.

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7. Signing the PSBT with COLDCARD (Offline)

1. Insert the MicroSD with the PSBT into COLDCARD.
2. From the main menu:
   Ready To Sign > Select PSBT File.
3. Verify transaction details and approve.
4. COLDCARD will create a signed version of the PSBT (signed.psbt).
5. Repeat the signing process with a second COLDCARD (different signer).

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8. Finalizing and Broadcasting the Transaction

1. Load the signed PSBT files back into Sparrow.
2. Sparrow will detect two valid signatures.
3. Click Finalize Transaction > Broadcast.
4. Your Bitcoin transaction will be sent to the network.

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9. Inheritance Planning with Multisig

Multisig is ideal for inheritance scenarios:

Example Inheritance Setup

• Signer 1: Yourself (active user)
• Signer 2: Trusted family member or executor
• Signer 3: Lawyer, notary, or secure backup

Only 2 signatures are needed. If one party loses access or passes away, the other two can recover the funds.

Best Practices for Inheritance

• Store each seed phrase in separate, tamper-proof, waterproof containers.
• Record clear instructions for heirs (without compromising seed security).
• Periodically test recovery with cosigners.
• Consider time-locked wallets or third-party escrow if needed.

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Security Tips and Warnings

• Never store seed phrases digitally or online.
• Always verify addresses and signatures on the COLDCARD screen.
• Use Sparrow only on secure, malware-free computers.
• Physically secure your COLDCARDs from unauthorized access.
• Practice recovery procedures before storing real value.

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Consider

A 2-of-3 multisignature wallet using COLDCARD and Sparrow Wallet offers a highly secure, flexible, and transparent Bitcoin custody model. Whether for inheritance planning or high-security storage, it mitigates risks associated with single points of failure while maintaining usability and privacy.

By following this guide, Bitcoin users can significantly increase the resilience of their holdings while enabling thoughtful succession strategies.

@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

Ever since becoming a Christian, I have whole-heartedly believed the Bible and that God will fulfill what He has promised. On the other hand, for the majority of the time I have been a Christian, I have dreaded reading prophecy. It seemed so hard to understand. Some is couched in figurative language, but I now believe much of it was hard to understand because there were no words for the technology and systems that would come into being and fulfill these predictions.

Now reading End times prophecy, like in Revelation, Daniel, Matthew 24-25, 2 Thessalonians, Zechariah, etc. the prophecies are starting to sound like the evening news instead of some poetic mystery. These predictions are making more and more sense as the technology and world politics begin to align with the prophecies. I have gone from hating when I get to prophecy passages, especially Revelation, in my Bible reading, to spending extra time reading these passages and seeing how they line up and clarify each other. (I really want to start a project linking all of the end-times prophetic passages together to see how they clarify each other and try to see the big picture, but that is a massive project and time is in short supply. The only way I know to do it is in Excel, but that isn’t efficient. If anyone has a suggestion for a better way to link and show relationships, I’d love to hear about it, especially if it is free or very cheap.)

Matthew recounts Jesus telling His disciples about what to expect in the end times. Although Matthew 24 describes more of the details of the events that happen, this passage in Matthew 25 describes the importance of watching expectantly for the signs of the times, so we are ready.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13) {emphasis mine}

Many Christians think studying prophecy is not useful for today, but that is not true. Our time is short and Jesus warned us to be aware and ready. We can’t be ready for something if we know nothing about it.

In this passage it mentions that “while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.” How often do we feel the delay and begin to rest or get distracted by other things? Most Christians do not live like Christ’s return is imminent. Although we can’t know the hour or the day, we can know that we are closer to that hour than we have ever been before. Peter warns us not to doubt Christ’s coming or to become focused solely on our earthly lives.

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4)

Because Jesus has not returned for almost 2,000 years, many act as if He will never come, but that long wait instead suggests the time is nearing because God never breaks His promises.

For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:5-9) {emphasis mine}

The long wait is due to God’s unfathomable mercy and patience, but we should also realize that the increase of evil in the world cannot continue forever. How much more can evil increase before mankind destroys itself? God claims judgement for Himself and finds every kind of sin abhorrent. If we are distraught over the sin in the world today, how much more awful is it to a holy, perfect God to see His very own creation destroyed by sin?

Just as the ten virgins became tired waiting, we tend to get caught up in the things of this world instead of focusing on God’s plan for us and the world. We act as if this world is the only thing we will experience instead of preparing for our rapture to heaven. We focus on our job, our homes, and our families (all good things) and miss the most important things — winning souls for heaven.

Just as Jesus gently reprimanded Martha for having the wrong focus:

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:40-42) {emphasis mine}

In the same way, we get focused with the business of life and miss the most important stuff. It wasn’t bad of Martha to take care of her guests, but sitting with Jesus and learning from Him was more important. In the same way, our jobs, families, and homes are good things and we should do them well, but reading our Bibles, praying, growing closer to Jesus, and sharing the Gospel with those who don’t know Jesus is better.

When we believe that our time on earth is short and Jesus is coming for us soon, we are more likely to focus on the most important things — the eternal things.

This passage in Matthew 16 describes the importance of us knowing, understanding, and looking for the signs of the times.

The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away. (Matthew 16:1-4) {emphasis mine}

Christians that believe studying end times prophecy is not important would be rebuked even today by Jesus. We are supposed to study and learn and prepare and watch eagerly for His return.

In Revelation, God says we are blessed if we hear and heed the words of this prophecy.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3) {emphasis mine}

Do you seek God’s blessing? Then study God’s prophecies, especially as written in Revelation. God is good and He has shown His children what will happen, so they can be prepared. Don’t be like the five foolish virgins who were unprepared. Study the Scriptures. Look for the signs. Be ready for our Savior’s return by inviting as many people as possible to join us.

Trust Jesus.

FYI, I hope to write several more articles on the end times (signs of the times, the rapture, the millennium, the judgement, etc.).

@ c13fd381:b46236ea

In a time of political volatility and declining public trust, Australians are looking for leaders who don’t just talk about accountability—but prove it. It’s time for a new standard. A protocol that filters for competence, responsibility, and integrity—not popularity alone.

Here’s the idea:
Anyone who wants to run for public office in Australia must stake 100Ksats to a public address and maintain provable control of the corresponding private key for the duration of their term.

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A Low Barrier With High Signal

The amount—100Ksats—is modest, but meaningful. It isn’t about wealth or exclusion. It’s about signal. Controlling a private key takes care, discipline, and a basic understanding of digital responsibility.

This protocol doesn't reward those with the most resources, but those who demonstrate the foresight and competence required to secure and maintain something valuable—just like the responsibilities of public office.

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How It Works

This system is elegantly simple:

1. To nominate, a candidate generates a keypair and deposits 100Ksats into the associated address.
2. They publish the public key alongside their candidate profile—on the electoral roll, campaign site, or an independent registry.
3. Throughout their time in office, they sign periodic messages—perhaps quarterly—to prove they still control the private key.

Anyone, at any time, can verify this control. It’s public, permissionless, and incorruptible.

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Why This Matters

Private key management is more than technical—it’s symbolic. It reflects:

• Responsibility – Losing your key means losing your ability to prove you’re still accountable.
• Integrity – Key control is binary. Either you can sign or you can’t.
• Long-term thinking – Good key management mirrors the strategic thinking we expect from leaders.

This isn’t about promises. It’s about proof. It moves trust from words to cryptographic reality.

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A Voluntary Standard—for Now

This doesn’t require legislative change. It can begin as a voluntary protocol, adopted by those who want to lead with integrity. The tools already exist. The expectations can evolve from the ground up.

And as this becomes the norm, it sets a powerful precedent:

"If you can’t manage a private key, should you be trusted to manage public resources or national infrastructure?"

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Identity Without Surveillance

By linking a public key to a candidate’s public identity, we create a form of digital accountability that doesn’t rely on central databases or invasive oversight. It’s decentralized, simple, and tamper-proof.

No backdoors. No bureaucracy. Just Bitcoin, and the competence to manage it.

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Bitcoin is the foundation. Asymmetric encryption is the filter.
The result? A new class of public leaders—proven, not promised.

Let’s raise the standard.

@ ebdee929:513adbad

Screen flicker is a subtle and often overlooked cause of eye strain that many of us deal with daily. We understand this issue firsthand and are working hard to solve it, which is why we build for a different, more caring screen technology. This guide will help you understand screen flicker, how it affects you, and why better screen technology can make a real difference.

A silent epidemic in a LED-driven world

Tired eyes and a drained mind are almost a universal feeling at the end of a work day. That is, if you work a job that requires you to be in front of a computer screen all day… which today is most of us.

Slow motion shows flicker: It's not just screens; nearly all LED environments could flicker. Reddit: PWM_Sensitive

"Digital eye strain" refers to the negative symptoms (dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, eye fatigue, light sensitivity, neck pain, etc.) that arise from use of digital devices for a prolonged period of time. It is also known as computer vision syndrome. Numbers are hard to pin down for such a commonly occurring issue, but pre COVID (2020) researchers estimated up to 70% prevalence in modern society.

Since COVID-19, things have gotten much worse.

"Digital eye strain has been on the rise since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. An augmented growth pattern has been experienced with prevalence ranging from 5 to 65% in pre-COVID-19 studies to 80–94% in the COVID-19 era. The sudden steep increase in screen and chair time has led way to other silent pandemics like digital eye strain, myopia, musculoskeletal problems, obesity, diabetes etc."

The most common cause outlined by the researchers compiling these digital eye strain reviews is excessive screen time. And they outline the reason for screen time being an issue for the following reasons:

• Technological devices being in a short field of vision
• Devices causing a reduced blink rate
• Poor ergonomics

These are certainly all reasonable causes to highlight, but from our perspective two other key potential causes of digital eye strain are missing: screen flicker and blue light.

Multiple studies show that blue light in isolation can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the retina. To learn more about blue light, its potentially harmful effects, and how to mitigate them, read our "Definitive Guide on Blue Light".

In this discussion we are going to focus on screen flicker only.

FLICKER: AN INVISIBLE ISSUE

Flicker could be one of the most underrated stressors to our biology, as it is something we are exposed to constantly due to the nature of modern lighting and screens. It is widely agreed upon by both electrical/electronic engineers and scientific researchers that light flicker can cause:

• Headaches, eye strain, blurred vision and migraines
• Aggravation of autism symptoms in children
• Photo epilepsy

This is documented in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1789 standard for best practice in LED lighting applications, amongst other scientific reviews.

The P1789 committee from IEEE identified the following major effects of flicker:

• Photo epilepsy
• Increased repetitive behaviour among people suffering from autism
• Migraine or intense paroxysmal headache
• Asthenopia (eye strain); including fatigue, blurred vision, headache and diminished sight-related task performance
• Anxiety, panic attacks
• Vertigo

Light flicker is pervasive, mainly due to the ubiquitous nature of LEDs in our modern indoor work environments. We are being exposed to light flicker constantly from both light bulb sources and the screens that we stare at all day. This is a main reason why indoor, screen based work seems so draining. The good news is that this can be avoided (from an engineering perspective).

What is flicker?

We must first understand what "flicker actually is" before we can discuss how to avoid it or how to engineer flicker free light solutions.

In its most simple form, flicker can be defined as "a rapid and repeated change in the brightness of light over time (IEEE - PAR1789)".

Flicker can be easily conceptualized when it is visible, however the flicker we are talking about in regards to modern lighting & LEDs is unfortunately invisible to the human eye…which is part of the problem.

Most humans are unable to perceive flicker in oscillation rates above 60-90Hz (60-90 cycles per second). When we can't see something, we have a much more challenging time as a species grasping its effect on how we feel. The above mentioned health effects are directly related to the invisible flicker in terms of its effects on our biology. We can't see it, but our eyes and our brains react to it.

Slow-motion footage comparing DC-1's DC Dimming versus regular PWM Dimming.

For this article, we want to focus specifically on the flicker coming from LEDs used in modern personal electronics. This type of flicker can be shown in the above video of multiple smartphones being filmed with a slow motion camera.

What causes flicker in smartphones and computers?

There are a few different characteristics of a modern electronic display that cause flicker, but the main culprit is something called "PWM dimming".

PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is an electronics control mechanism that uses pulsed signals as the LED driver function to control the brightness of the device display.

PWM dimming has become the standard way to drive LEDs because it has specific advantages when it comes to retaining color consistency at lower brightness, and is also typically more power efficient. In a PWM dimming application, the diodes are being modulated to turn on and off very rapidly (faster than our eyes can perceive) to reduce the overall appearance of brightness of the light emission of the LEDs (aka luminance).

Brightness control in regular devices is just rapid flickering that looks steady to our eyes.

The lower the brightness setting, the longer the "off time". The "duty cycle" refers to the ratio of the LED being modulated "on" vs the total period of the cycle. Higher screen brightness setting = higher % duty cycle = more "time on" for the LED. This can be visualized in the graphic below.

PWM dimming controls brightness by quickly pulsing the backlight on and off.

PWM dimming has been chosen as the industry standard because of the intrinsic characteristics of the semiconductors in a light-emitting diode (LED) making it challenging to retain color consistency when modulating output illuminance with direct current, also known as Constant Current Reduction (CCR). CCR or "DC dimming" can utilize simpler control circuitry, but at the cost of less precision over the LED performance, especially at low brightness/luminance settings. PWM dimming can also save on overall power consumption.

DC Dimming maintains consistent light output by adjusting direct electrical current.

The downside of PWM dimming is obvious when you see the slow motion videos of the implementation in smartphone displays. The less obvious downside is that a PWM dimmed light means that we are consuming light at its peak output no matter the brightness setting. Because PWM is turning the light on/off constantly, the "ON" portion is always at peak intensity. This combined with the imbalanced light spectrum (blue heavy) can further exacerbate potential concerns of negatively affecting eye health and sleep quality.

The question we must ask then: is it more important for better LED and electronics performance, or is it more important to have screens that are not causing immense stress to our biology?

PWM Flicker on OLED screens vs LCD screens

Not all PWM flicker is created equal. The flicker frequency used for PWM dimming is directly related to how potentially stressful it can be to our eyes and brains. It is well agreed upon that the lower the frequency is, the more it can stress us out and cause eye strain. This is because at a high enough frequency, the oscillations are happening so rapidly that your brain basically perceives them as a continuous signal.

The "risk factor" of flicker is also dependent on the modulation % (similar to duty cycle) of the flicker as well, but since we all use our devices across different brightness settings and modulation % 's, it is best to focus on the frequency as the independent variable in our control.

Left: Non-PWM Flicker Device | Right: PWM Dimming Device. Nick Sutrich YouTube

Up to and including the iPhone 11, liquid crystal displays (LCD) were the standard for smartphones. A big switch was made to OLED display technology and the tech giants have never looked back. When it comes to PWM dimming frequency, there was a big shift when this swap occurred:

• Most LCD display use a PWM frequency of 1000Hz+ or no PWM at all.
• Nearly all OLED smartphone use a PWM frequency of 240Hz or 480Hz.

THE HEALTH RISK OF FLICKERING DEVICES

So why don't OLED screens use higher PWM frequencies? Because of the nature of OLEDs being controlled as singular pixels, they need the lower PWM frequency to maintain that extremely precise color consistency at low brightness settings. This is of course why they use PWM in the first place.

According to the IEEE1789 flicker risk chart for negative health effects, a 480Hz PWM smartphone (iPhone 15 Pro) would be high risk at any level above 40% modulation and a 240Hz PWM phone (Google Pixel 7) would be high risk above 20%. Whereas a phone that used 1000Hz-2000Hz PWM frequency (Nothing, Xiaomi 15) would only be "low risk".

• California law (Title 24), requires that LEDs used in certain applications have a "reduced flicker operation," meaning the percent amplitude modulation (flicker) must be less than 30% at frequencies below 200 Hz → The Google Pixel 7, Galaxy S23 and many iPhones operate at 240Hz and and 60-95% flicker...just above the legal limit!
• The report that recommended these levels states that: "Excessive flicker, even imperceptible flicker, can have deleterious health effects, and lesser amounts can be annoying or impact productivity."

For PWM frequencies above 3000Hz, there is "no risk" according to IEEE1789. If you have ever felt that staring at your iPhone is far more "straining on the eyes" compared to your MacBook, the PWM flicker is likely a large reason for that (alongside the size of the display itself and distance held from the eyes)...because MacBooks have an LCD display and a PWM flicker frequency of 10-20kHz. At that PWM frequency, your brain is perceiving the oscillating light as a continuous signal.

Other causes of flicker

Although PWM dimming is widely agreed upon as the main cause of light flicker in modern consumer electronics displays, it is not the only cause. There are two other potential causes of light flicker we are aware of:

TEMPORAL DITHERING (AKA FRAME RATE CONTROL)

• "Pixel" dithering is a technique used to produce more colors than what a display's panel is capable of by rapidly changing between two different pixel colors. This technique unlocks a tremendous amount of more color possibilities - for example showing colors with 10 bit color depth results in billions of colors vs an 8 bit color depth results in millions of colors. Temporal dithering helps bridge the gap for 8 bit color depth displays.
• OLED displays are more likely to have better (10-bit) color depth vs LCD displays but use of temporal dithering can certainly vary across display technologies.
• Temporal dithering example (video)

AMORPHOUS SILICON (A-SI) THIN FILM TRANSISTOR (TFT) BACKPLANES

• Most commercial displays use a-Si TFT semiconductor technology in their backplanes of their LCD panels.
• This technology works well, but can have a high amount of photo-induced leakage current under back light illumination conditions, which can cause non uniformity of the light output and flicker.
• In simple language, the standard a-Si transistors are less "efficient" in a backlight application…which can lead to inconsistent light output and thus flicker.

The Daylight Computer: 100% Flicker Free

The DC-1 was designed and built purposefully to be flicker free. We wanted to provide a solution both for those suffering with severe eye strain and also to prevent negative optical and cognitive repercussions of flicker for any end consumer.

### HOW THE DC-1 ACHIEVES A FLICKER FREE DISPLAY:

• Using DC dimming instead of PWM dimming
• The most deliberate change made in our electrical design was centered around using a DC/CCR LED driver (aka Constant Current Reduction) instead of a PWM driver. This means that there is no pulsed circuit control around our LED backlight, and therefore no flicker from PWM lightning control.
• Has zero temporal dithering, as is a monochrome display
• The benefit of being black and white is there is no need to have intense pixel switching to create the mirage of billions of different color combinations.
• Uses Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) TFT Technology
• New semiconductor technology that provides better and more efficient performance vs a-Si TFT panels. Results in no flicker at the transistor level.
• Verified by light experts to be flicker free
• "Flicker testing yielded a perfect result using my highly sensitive audio-based flicker meter and the photodiode based FFT testing method: not even a trace of light modulation could be demonstrated with both methods!" — Dr. Alexander Wunsch (M.D., P.hD), Light Scientist

This commitment to a flicker-free experience isn't just theoretical; it's changing lives. We're incredibly moved by stories from users like Tiffany and Juan Diego, who found relief and regained possibilities with the DC-1:

For someone with eye disability, the DC-1 is a dream device. The display is so soft and smooth on my eyes that I was able to take my life back off of hold and return to medical school after a multi year absence.

— Tiffany Yang, Medical student

It took a couple of weeks to transition all my work screen time to the DC-1, but when I did, my eye strain completely went away. Plus, it let me work outside on my terrace.

— Juan Diego

Our eye-strain pilot study

Here at Daylight, we are all about proof of work. That is why we have already kicked off an initial pilot study to see if the DC-1 is actually more "eye friendly" than standard consumer electronic devices…specifically for those suffering from severe digital eye strain.

We have partnered with Dr. Michael Destefano, a neuro-optometrist at the Visual Symptoms Treatment Center in Illinois, to coordinate this pilot study.

MORE PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

Do you suffer from severe digital eye strain, computer vision syndrome, or visual snow syndrome? If you are interested in trying a DC-1 for 30 days as part of the Eye Strain Pilot Study, please send an email to drdestefanoOD@gmail.com with a background on your visual affliction.

Our favorite ways to reduce digital eye strain

Cutting screen time is not always possible, so here are some options that can help:

• Use DC dimming devices whenever possible
• Try minimizing screen time on your smartphone, utilizing a PWM laptop instead
• Try switching to an LCD smartphone or OLED smartphone with a high PWM frequency
• Turn "White Point" mode ON on your smartphone to increase the duty cycle and reduce the PWM dimming effect

Dive deeper with our curated resources

RESEARCH

#### Potential Biological and Ecological Effects of Flickering Artificial Light - PMC

Research shows that animals can detect flicker in common lighting that humans cannot see, which may affect their behavior and well-being in ways we had not considered.

Light Emitting Diode Lighting Flicker, its Impact on Health and the Need to Minimise it

The existing technologies in Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting sometimes cause flicker at frequencies that may have adverse health effects.

Digital Eye Strain- A Comprehensive Review

A comprehensive review of digital eye strain, its prevalence, risk factors, and management strategies in the modern digital era.

VIDEO

Nick Sutrich (Youtube) - Screen PWM Testing and Reviews

YouTube channel dedicated to testing and reviewing screens for PWM flicker, helping users find flicker-free displays.

WEBSITE

Eye Phone Review - Screen Health Reviews

Independent reviews focusing on smartphone displays and their impact on eye health, including PWM measurements and flicker analysis.

RESEARCH

Flicker Measurement NEMA77 and IEEE1789 White Paper

Technical white paper from Signify discussing flicker measurement standards and their implications for LED lighting and displays.

@ 6e64b83c:94102ee8

How to Import and Export Your Nostr Notes

This guide will help you import your notes from various Nostr relays and export them into your own relay. This is particularly useful when you want to ensure your content is backed up or when you're setting up your own relay.

Prerequisite

Your own Nostr relay (if you don't have one, check out Part 1: How to Run Your Own Nostr Relay)

Installing nak

nak is a command-line tool that helps you interact with Nostr relays. Here's how to install it:

For Windows Users

1. Visit the nak releases page
2. Download the latest nak-windows-amd64.exe
3. Rename it to nak.exe
4. Move it to a directory in your PATH or use it from its current location

For macOS Users

1. Visit the nak releases page
2. Download the latest nak-darwin-amd64
3. Open Terminal and run: bash chmod +x nak-darwin-amd64 sudo mv nak-darwin-amd64 /usr/local/bin/nak

For Linux Users

1. Visit the nak releases page
2. Download the latest nak-linux-amd64
3. Open Terminal and run: bash chmod +x nak-linux-amd64 sudo mv nak-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/nak

Getting Your Public Key in Hex Format

Before downloading your notes, you need to convert your npub (public key) to its hex format. If you have your npub, run:

bash nak decode npub1YOUR_NPUB_HERE

This will output your public key in hex format, which you'll need for the next steps.

Downloading Your Notes

To download your notes, you'll need your public key in hex format and a list of reliable relays. Here are some popular relays you can use:

• wss://eden.nostr.land/
• wss://nos.lol/
• wss://nostr.bitcoiner.social/
• wss://nostr.mom/
• wss://relay.primal.net/
• wss://relay.damus.io/
• wss://relay.nostr.band/
• wss://relay.snort.social/

Note: You should check your Nostr client's settings to find additional relays where your notes are published. Add these to the list above.

Important Event Kinds

Here are some important event kinds you might want to filter for:

• 0: User Metadata (profile information)
• 1: Short Text Notes
• 3: Follow List
• 4: Encrypted Direct Messages

Get the full list from: https://nips.nostr.com/#event-kinds

Downloading with Event Kind Filters

To download your notes with specific event kinds, use the -k flag followed by the kind number, use multiple if you need to. For example, to download your profile, short notes, follow list, and direct messages:

bash nak req -a YOUR_HEX_PUBKEY -k 0 -k 1 -k 3 -k 4 wss://eden.nostr.land/ wss://nos.lol/ wss://nostr.bitcoiner.social/ wss://nostr.mom/ wss://relay.primal.net/ wss://relay.damus.io/ wss://relay.nostr.band/ wss://relay.snort.social/ > events_filtered.json

Or to download all your content, just don't provide any k flag:

bash nak req -a YOUR_HEX_PUBKEY wss://eden.nostr.land/ wss://nos.lol/ wss://nostr.bitcoiner.social/ wss://nostr.mom/ wss://relay.primal.net/ wss://relay.damus.io/ wss://relay.nostr.band/ wss://relay.snort.social/ > events.json

This will create a file containing all your notes in JSON Lines format.

Uploading Your Notes to Your Relay

Once you have your events.json or events_filtered.json file, you can upload it to your own relay. Replace YOUR_RELAY with your relay's WebSocket URL (e.g., wss://my-relay.nostrize.me).

bash nak event YOUR_RELAY < events.json

Important Notes: 1. Make sure your relay is running and accessible 2. The upload process might take some time depending on how many notes you have 3. You can verify the upload by querying your relay for your notes

Verifying the Upload

To verify that your notes were successfully uploaded to your relay, run:

bash nak req -a YOUR_HEX_PUBKEY YOUR_RELAY

This should return the same notes that were in your events.json file.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues:

1. Make sure your relay is running and accessible
2. Check that you're using the correct public key
3. Verify that the relays in your download list are working
4. Ensure you have proper permissions to write to your relay

Next Steps

• Remember to regularly backup your notes to ensure you don't lose any content.
• If you want to keep your friends' notes as well, add npubs that you want to import into your relay's settings (for Citrine it is "Accept events signed by" list), and run the commands for their pubkeys.

@ 9bde4214:06ca052b

“The human spirit should remain in charge.”

Pablo & Gigi talk about the wind.

In this dialogue:

• Wind
• More Wind
• Information Calories, and how to measure them
• Digital Wellbeing
• Rescue Time
• Teleology of Technology
• Platforms get users Hooked (book)
• Feeds are slot machines
• Movie Walls
• Tweetdeck and Notedeck
• IRC vs the modern feed
• 37Signals: “Hey, let’s just charge users!”
• “You wouldn’t zap a car crash”
• Catering to our highest self VS catering to our lowest self
• Devolution of YouTube 5-star ratings to thumb up/down to views
• Long videos vs shorts
• The internet had to monetize itself somehow (with attention)
• “Don’t be evil” and why Google had to remove it
• Questr: 2D exploration of nostr
• ONOSENDAI by Arkinox
• Freedom tech & Freedom from Tech
• DAUs of jumper cables
• Gossip and it’s choices
• “The secret to life is to send it”
• Flying water & flying bus stops
• RSS readers, Mailbrew, and daily digests
• Nostr is high signal and less addictive
• Calling nostr posts “tweets” and recordings being “on tape”
• Pivoting from nostr dialogues to a podcast about wind
• The unnecessary complexity of NIP-96
• Blossom (and wind)
• Undoing URLs, APIs, and REST
• ISBNs and cryptographic identifiers
• SaaS and the DAU metric
• Highlighter
• Not caring where stuff is hosted
• When is an edited thing a new thing?
• Edits, the edit wars, and the case against edits
• NIP-60 and inconsistent balances
• Scroll to text fragment and best effort matching
• Proximity hashes & locality-sensitive hashing
• Helping your Uncle Jack of a horse
• Helping your uncle jack of a horse
• Can we fix it with WoT?
• Vertex & vibe-coding a proper search for nostr
• Linking to hashtags & search queries
• Advanced search and why it’s great
• Search scopes & web of trust
• The UNIX tools of nostr
• Pablo’s NDK snippets
• Meredith on the privacy nightmare of Agentic AI
• Blog-post-driven development (Lightning Prisms, Highlighter)
• Sandwich-style LLM prompting, Waterfall for LLMs (HLDD / LLDD)
• “Speed itself is a feature”
• MCP & DVMCP
• Monorepos and git submodules
• Olas & NDK
• Pablo’s RemindMe bot
• “Breaking changes kinda suck”
• Stories, shorts, TikTok, and OnlyFans
• LLM-generated sticker styles
• LLMs and creativity (and Gigi’s old email)
• “AI-generated art has no soul”
• Nostr, zaps, and realness
• Does the source matter?
• Poker client in bitcoin v0.0.1
• Quotes from Hitler and how additional context changes meaning
• Greek finance minister on crypto and bitcoin (Technofeudalism, book)
• Is more context always good?
• Vervaeke’s AI argument
• What is meaningful?
• How do you extract meaning from information?
• How do you extract meaning from experience?
• “What the hell is water”
• Creativity, imagination, hallucination, and losing touch with reality
• “Bitcoin is singularity insurance”
• Will vibe coding make developers obsolete?
• Knowing what to build vs knowing how to build
• 10min block time & the physical limits of consensus
• Satoshi’s reasons articulated in his announcement post
• Why do anything? Why stack sats? Why have kids?
• All you need now is motivation
• Upcoming agents will actually do the thing
• Proliferation of writers: quantity VS quality
• Crisis of sameness & the problem of distribution
• Patronage, belle epoche, and bitcoin art
• Niches, and how the internet fractioned society
• Joe’s songs
• Hyper-personalized stories
• Shared stories & myths (Jonathan Pageau)
• Hyper-personalized apps VS shared apps
• Agency, free expression, and free speech
• Edgy content & twitch meta, aka skating the line of demonetization and deplatforming
• Using attention as a proxy currency
• Farming eyeballs and brain cycles
• Engagement as a success metric & engagement bait
• “You wouldn’t zap a car crash”
• Attention economy is parasitic on humanity
• The importance of speech & money
• What should be done by a machine?
• What should be done by a human?
• “The human spirit should remain in charge”
• Our relationship with fiat money
• Active vs passive, agency vs serfdom

@ c13fd381:b46236ea

In a time of political volatility and declining public trust, Australians are looking for leaders who don’t just talk about accountability—but prove it. It’s time for a new standard. A protocol that filters for competence, responsibility, and integrity—not popularity alone.

Here’s the idea:
Anyone who wants to run for public office in Australia must stake 1 millibitcoin (1 mBTC) to a public address and maintain provable control of the corresponding private key for the duration of their term.

---

A Low Barrier With High Signal

The amount—1 mBTC—is modest, but meaningful. It isn’t about wealth or exclusion. It’s about signal. Controlling a private key takes care, discipline, and a basic understanding of digital responsibility.

This protocol doesn't reward those with the most resources, but those who demonstrate the foresight and competence required to secure and maintain something valuable—just like the responsibilities of public office.

---

How It Works

This system is elegantly simple:

1. To nominate, a candidate generates a keypair and deposits 1 mBTC into the associated address.
2. They publish the public key alongside their candidate profile—on the electoral roll, campaign site, or an independent registry.
3. Throughout their time in office, they sign periodic messages—perhaps quarterly—to prove they still control the private key.

Anyone, at any time, can verify this control. It’s public, permissionless, and incorruptible.

---

Why This Matters

Private key management is more than technical—it’s symbolic. It reflects:

• Responsibility – Losing your key means losing your ability to prove you’re still accountable.
• Integrity – Key control is binary. Either you can sign or you can’t.
• Long-term thinking – Good key management mirrors the strategic thinking we expect from leaders.

This isn’t about promises. It’s about proof. It moves trust from words to cryptographic reality.

---

A Voluntary Standard—for Now

This doesn’t require legislative change. It can begin as a voluntary protocol, adopted by those who want to lead with integrity. The tools already exist. The expectations can evolve from the ground up.

And as this becomes the norm, it sets a powerful precedent:

"If you can’t manage a private key, should you be trusted to manage public resources or national infrastructure?"

---

Identity Without Surveillance

By linking a public key to a candidate’s public identity, we create a form of digital accountability that doesn’t rely on central databases or invasive oversight. It’s decentralized, simple, and tamper-proof.

No backdoors. No bureaucracy. Just Bitcoin, and the competence to manage it.

---

Bitcoin is the foundation. Asymmetric encryption is the filter.
The result? A new class of public leaders—proven, not promised.

Let’s raise the standard.

@ 9bde4214:06ca052b

"With the shift towards this multi-agent collaboration and orchestration world, you need a neutral substrate that has money/identity/cryptography and web-of-trust baked in, to make everything work."

Pablo & Gigi are getting high on glue.

Books & articles mentioned:

• Saving beauty by Byung-Chul Han
• LLMs as a tool for thought by Amelia Wattenberger

In this dialogue:

• vibeline & vibeline-ui
• LLMs as tools, and how to use them
• Vervaeke: AI thresholds & the path we must take
• Hallucinations and grounding in reality
• GPL, LLMs, and open-source licensing
• Pablo's multi-agent Roo setup
• Are we going to make programmers obsolete?
• "When it works it's amazing"
• Hiring & training agents
• Agents creating RAG databases of NIPs
• Different models and their context windows
• Generalists vs specialists
• "Write drunk, edit sober"
• DVMCP.fun
• Recklessness and destruction of vibe-coding
• Sharing secrets with agents & LLMs
• The "no API key" advantage of nostr
• What data to trust? And how does nostr help?
• Identity, web of trust, and signing data
• How to fight AI slop
• Marketplaces of code snippets
• Restricting agents with expert knowledge
• Trusted sources without a central repository
• Zapstore as the prime example
• "How do you fight off re-inventing GitHub?"
• Using large context windows to help with refactoring
• Code snippets for Olas, NDK, NIP-60, and more
• Using MCP as the base
• Using nostr as the underlying substrate
• Nostr as the glue & the discovery layer
• Why is this important?
• Why is this exciting?
• "With the shift towards this multi-agent collaboration and orchestration world, you need a neutral substrate that has money/identity/cryptography and web-of-trust baked in, to make everything work."
• How to single-shot nostr applications
• "Go and create this app"
• The agent has money, because of NIP-60/61
• PayPerQ
• Anthropic and the genius of mcp-tools
• Agents zapping & giving SkyNet more money
• Are we going to run the mints?
• Are agents going to run the mints?
• How can we best explain this to our bubble?
• Let alone to people outside of our bubble?
• Building pipelines of multiple agents
• LLM chains & piped Unix tools
• OpenAI vs Anthropic
• Genius models without tools vs midwit models with tools
• Re-thinking software development
• LLMs allow you to tackle bigger problems
• Increased speed is a paradigm shift
• Generalists vs specialists, left brain vs right brain
• Nostr as the home for specialists
• fiatjaf publishing snippets (reluctantly)
• fiatjaf's blossom implementation
• Thinking with LLMs
• The tension of specialization VS generalization
• How the publishing world changed
• Stupid faces on YouTube thumbnails
• Gaming the algorithm
• Will AI slop destroy the attention economy?
• Recency bias & hiding publication dates
• Undoing platform conditioning as a success metric
• Craving realness in a fake attention world
• The theater of the attention economy
• What TikTok got "right"
• Porn, FoodPorn, EarthPorn, etc.
• Porn vs Beauty
• Smoothness and awe
• "Beauty is an angel that could kill you in an instant (but decides not to)."
• The success of Joe Rogan & long-form conversations
• Smoothness fatigue & how our feeds numb us
• Nostr & touching grass
• How movement changes conversations
• LangChain & DVMs
• Central models vs marketplaces
• Going from assembly to high-level to conceptual
• Natural language VS programming languages
• Pablo's code snippets
• Writing documentation for LLMs
• Shared concepts, shared language, and forks
• Vibe-forking open-source software
• Spotting vibe-coded interfaces
• Visualizing nostr data in a 3D world
• Tweets, blog posts, and podcasts
• Vibe-producing blog posts from conversations
• Tweets are excellent for discovery
• Adding context to tweets (long-form posts, podcasts, etc)
• Removing the character limit was a mistake
• "Everyone's attention span is rekt"
• "There is no meaning without friction"
• "Nothing worth having ever comes easy"
• Being okay with doing the hard thing
• Growth hacks & engagement bait
• TikTok, theater, and showing faces and emotions
• The 1% rule: 99% of internet users are Lurkers
• "We are socially malnourished"
• Web-of-trust and zaps bring realness
• The semantic web does NOT fix this LLMs might
• "You can not model the world perfectly"
• Hallucination as a requirement for creativity

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Prepared for Off-World Visitors by the Risan Institute of Cultural Heritage

Welcome to Risa, the jewel of the Alpha Quadrant, celebrated across the Federation for its tranquility, pleasure, and natural splendor. But what many travelers do not know is that Risa’s current harmony was not inherited—it was forged. Beneath the songs of surf and the serenity of our resorts lies a history rich in conflict, transformation, and enduring wisdom.

We offer this briefing not merely as a tale of our past, but as an invitation to understand the spirit of our people and the roots of our peace.

I. A World at the Crossroads

Before its admittance into the United Federation of Planets, Risa was an independent and vulnerable world situated near volatile borders of early galactic powers. Its lush climate, mineral wealth, and open society made it a frequent target for raiders and an object of interest for imperial expansion.

The Risan peoples were once fragmented, prone to philosophical and political disunity. In our early records, this period is known as the Winds of Splintering. We suffered invasions, betrayals, and the slow erosion of trust in our own traditions.

II. The Coming of the Vulcans

It was during this period of instability that a small delegation of Vulcan philosophers, adherents to the teachings of Surak, arrived on Risa. They did not come as conquerors, nor even as ambassadors, but as seekers of peace.

These emissaries of logic saw in Risa the potential for a society not driven by suppression of emotion, as Vulcan had chosen, but by the balance of joy and discipline. While many Vulcans viewed Risa’s culture as frivolous, these followers of Surak saw the seed of a different path: one in which beauty itself could be a pillar of peace.

The Risan tradition of meditative dance, artistic expression, and communal love resonated with Vulcan teachings of unity and inner control. From this unlikely exchange was born the Ricin Doctrine—the belief that peace is sustained not only through logic or strength, but through deliberate joy, shared vulnerability, and readiness without aggression.

III. Betazed and the Trial of Truth

During the same era, early contact with the people of Betazed brought both inspiration and tension. A Betazoid expedition, under the guise of diplomacy, was discovered to be engaging in deep telepathic influence and information extraction. The Risan people, who valued consent above all else, responded not with anger, but with clarity.

A council of Ricin philosophers invited the Betazoid delegation into a shared mind ceremony—a practice in which both cultures exposed their thoughts in mutual vulnerability. The result was not scandal, but transformation. From that moment forward, a bond was formed, and Risa’s model of ethical emotional expression and consensual empathy became influential in shaping Betazed’s own peace philosophies.

IV. Confronting Marauders and Empires

Despite these philosophical strides, Risa’s path was anything but tranquil.

• Orion Syndicate raiders viewed Risa as ripe for exploitation, and for decades, cities were sacked, citizens enslaved, and resources plundered. In response, Risa formed the Sanctum Guard, not a military in the traditional sense, but a force of trained defenders schooled in both physical technique and psychological dissuasion. The Ricin martial arts, combining beauty with lethality, were born from this necessity.

• Andorian expansionism also tested Risa’s sovereignty. Though smaller in scale, skirmishes over territorial claims forced Risa to adopt planetary defense grids and formalize diplomatic protocols that balanced assertiveness with grace. It was through these conflicts that Risa developed the art of the ceremonial yield—a symbolic concession used to diffuse hostility while retaining honor.

• Romulan subterfuge nearly undid Risa from within. A corrupt Romulan envoy installed puppet leaders in one of our equatorial provinces. These agents sought to erode Risa’s social cohesion through fear and misinformation. But Ricin scholars countered the strategy not with rebellion, but with illumination: they released a network of truths, publicly broadcasting internal thoughts and civic debates to eliminate secrecy. The Romulan operation collapsed under the weight of exposure.

• Even militant Vulcan splinter factions, during the early Vulcan-Andorian conflicts, attempted to turn Risa into a staging ground, pressuring local governments to support Vulcan supremacy. The betrayal struck deep—but Risa resisted through diplomacy, invoking Surak’s true teachings and exposing the heresy of their logic-corrupted mission.

V. Enlightenment Through Preparedness

These trials did not harden us into warriors. They refined us into guardians of peace. Our enlightenment came not from retreat, but from engagement—tempered by readiness.

• We train our youth in the arts of balance: physical defense, emotional expression, and ethical reasoning.
• We teach our history without shame, so that future generations will not repeat our errors.
• We host our guests with joy, not because we are naïve, but because we know that to celebrate life fully is the greatest act of resistance against fear.

Risa did not become peaceful by denying the reality of conflict. We became peaceful by mastering our response to it.

And in so doing, we offered not just pleasure to the stars—but wisdom.

We welcome you not only to our beaches, but to our story.

May your time here bring you not only rest—but understanding.

– Risan Institute of Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with the Council of Enlightenment and the Ricin Circle of Peacekeepers

@ 9bde4214:06ca052b

"The age of the idea guys has begun."

Justin & Gigi vibe about Zig.

Articles mentioned:

• LLMs as a tool for thought by Amelia Wattenberger
• Micropayments and Mental Transaction Costs by Nick Szabo
• How our interfaces have lost their senses by Amelia Wattenberger

Talks mentioned:

• The Art of Bitcoin Rhetoric by Bitstein

Books mentioned:

• Human Action by Ludwig von Mises
• Working in Public by Nadia Eghbal

In this dialogue:

• nak
• Files
• SyncThing (and how it BitTorrent Sync became Resilio Sync)
• Convention over configuration
• Changes & speciation
• File systems as sources of truth
• Vibe-coding shower thoughts
• Inspiration and The Muse
• Justin's LLM setup
• Tony's setup (o1-pro as the architect)
• Being okay with paying for LLMs
• Anthropomorphising LLMs
• Dialog, rubber-duck debugging, and the process of thinking
• Being nice and mean to LLMs
• Battlebots & Gladiators
• Hedging your bets by being nice to Skynet
• Pascal's Wager for AI
• Thinking models vs non-thinking faster models
• Sandwich-style LLM prompting, again (waterfall stuff, HLDD / LLDD)
• Cursor rules & Paul's Prompt Buddy
• Giving lots of context vs giving specific context
• The benefit of LLMs figuring out obscure bugs in minutes (instead of days)
• The phase change of fast iteration and vibe coding
• Idea level vs coding level
• High-level vs low-level languages
• Gigi's "vibeline"
• Peterson's Logos vs Vervaeke's Dia-Logos
• Entering into a conversation with technology
• Introducing MCPs into your workflow
• How does Claude think?
• How does it create a rhyme?
• How does thinking work?
• And how does it relate to dialogue?
• Gzuuus' DVMCP & using nostr as an AI substrate
• Language Server Protocols (LSPs)
• VAAS: Vibe-coding as a service
• Open models vs proprietary models
• What Cursor got right
• What ChatGPT got right
• What Google got right
• Tight integration of tools & remaining in a flow state
• LLMs as conversational partners
• The cost of context switching
• Conversational flow & how to stay in it
• Prompts VS diary entries
• Solving technical vs philosophical models
• Buying GPUs & training your own models
• Training LLMs to understand Zig
• Preventing entryism by writing no documentation
• Thin layers & alignment layers
• Working in public & thinking in public
• Building a therapist / diary / notes / idea / task system
• "The age of the idea guys has begun."
• Daemons and spirits
• Monological VS dialogical thinking
• Yes-men and disagreeable LLMs
• Energy cost vs human cost
• Paying by the meter vs paying a subscription
• The equivalence of storage and compute
• Thinking needs memory, and memory is about the future
• Nostr+ecash as the perfect AI+human substrate
• Real cost, real consequence, and Human Action
• The cost of words & speaking
• Costly signals and free markets
• From shitcoin tokens to LLM tokens to ecash tokens
• Being too close to the metal & not seeing the forest for the trees
• Power users vs engineers
• Participatory knowing and actually using the tools
• Nostr as the germination ground for ecash
• What is Sovereign Engineering?
• LLVM and the other side of the bell-curve
• How nostr gives you users, discovery, mircopayments, a backend, and many other things for free
• Echo chambers & virality
• Authenticity & Realness
• Growing on the edges, catering to the fringe
• You don't own your iPhone
• GrapheneOS
• WebRTC and other monolithic "open" standards
• Optimizing for the wrong thing
• Building a nostr phone & Gigi's dream flow
• Using nostr to sync dotfile setups and other things
• "There are no solutions, only trade-offs"
• Cross-platform development
• Native vs non-native implementations
• Vitor's point on what we mean by native
• Does your custom UI framework work for blind people?
• Ladybird browser & how to build a browser from scratch
• TempleOS
• Form follows function & 90's interfaces
• Lamentations on the state of modern browsers
• Complexity & the downfall of the Legacy Web
• Nostr as the "new internet"
• Talks by Ladybird developer Andreas Kling
• Will's attempt of building it from scratch with Notedeck & nostr-db
• Justin's attempt with rust-multiplatform
• "If it doesn't have a rust implementation, you shouldn't use it."
• Native in terms of speed vs native in terms of UI/UX
• Engineer the logic, vibe-code the UI
• From Excalidraw to app in minutes
• What can you one-shot?
• What do you need to care about?
• Pablo's NDK snippets
• 7GUIs and GUI benchmarks for LLMs
• "Now we're purpose-building tools to make it easier for LLMs"
• "Certain tools really make your problems go away."
• Macros and meta-programming
• Zig's comptime
• UNIX tools and pipes
• Simple tools & composability
• Nostr tools for iOS & sharing developer signing keys
• Building 10 apps as one guy
• Simplicity in a community context
• Most people are on phones
• Most people don't install PWAs
• Zapstore & building our own distribution channels
• Web-of-trust and pushing builds quickly
• Improving homebrew by 10x
• (Micro)payments for package managers
• Guix and bitcoin-core
• Nix vs Guix
• Reproducible builds & web-of-trust
• Keet vs "calling an npub"
• Getting into someone's notifications
• Removing the character limit was a mistake

@ ba36d0f7:cd802cba

| Pieza | Movimiento | Reglas Especiales | | --------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------- | | Peón | 1 casilla adelante (o 2 al inicio) | Captura al paso, coronación | | Torre | Líneas rectas | Enroque | | Caballo | En "L" (2+1) | Salta piezas | | Alfil | Diagonales | Atrapado en un color | | Dama | Cualquier dirección | Ninguna | | Rey | 1 casilla en cualquier dirección | Enroque, jaque mate |

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1. Peón (♙ / ♟️)

• Mueve: 1 casilla adelante (o 2 en su primer movimiento).
• Captura: En diagonal (1 casilla). > Especial: >- Captura al paso: Si un peón rival avanza 2 casillas, puedes capturarlo como si hubiera movido 1. > - Coronación: Al llegar a la 8ª fila, se convierte en cualquier pieza (¡usualmente Dama!).

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2. Torre (♖ / ♜)

• Mueve: Líneas rectas (sin límite de casillas).
• Especial: Participa en el enroque.

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3. Caballo (♘ / ♞)

• Mueve: En "L" (2 casillas en una dirección + 1 perpendicular).

• Única pieza que salta sobre otras.

4. Alfil (♗ / ♝)

• Mueve: Diagonales (sin límite).

• Siempre permanece en el mismo color de casilla.

5. Dama (♕ / ♛)

• Mueve: Cualquier dirección (recto o diagonal).
• ¡La pieza más poderosa!

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6. Rey (♔ / ♚)

• Mueve: 1 casilla en cualquier dirección.
  

  Especial:
  - Enroque: Cambia de lugar con una torre (si no hay obstáculos/jaques). - Jaque mate: Pierde si queda atrapado sin escapatoria.

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Cómo mover

1. Un movimiento por turno.

2. Elige tu pieza y colócala en una casilla legal.

3. Solo tu color: Blancas mueven primero, luego negras, alternando.

4. No pasar: Debes mover si es tu turno.

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Cómo capturar ("comer")

• Ocupa la casilla de una pieza rival: Reemplázala con tu pieza.

• Peones capturan solo en diagonal (no de frente).

• Los reyes no pueden ser capturados (el jaque mate termina el juego).

✔ Jaque: Ataca al rey enemigo (debe escapar en su siguiente turno).
❌ Ilegal: Mover a jaque o dejar a tu rey en jaque.

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Movimientos especiales

|Movimiento|Regla Clave|Notación| |---|---|---| |Enroque|Rey + torre, sin movimientos previos|0-0| |Coronación|Peón→cualquier pieza en 8ª fila|e8=D| |Captura al paso|Captura un peón que avanzó 2 casillas|exd6 a.p.|

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1. Enroque ("La escapatoria del rey")

• Qué: Rey y torre se mueven juntos en un turno.
  Cómo:

• Rey mueve 2 casillas hacia una torre.

• Torre "salta" al lado opuesto del rey.
  

  Reglas: - Sin jaques: El rey no puede estar en jaque ni pasar por casillas atacadas. - Sin movimientos previos: Ni el rey ni esa torre deben haberse movido antes.

Tipos:
- Corto (lado del rey, rápido): 0-0 - Largo (lado de la dama, seguro): 0-0-0

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2. Coronación ("Coronar")

• Qué: Peón llega a la 8ª fila → se convierte en cualquier pieza (usualmente Dama).

• Cómo: Reemplaza el peón (incluso si ya tienes esa pieza).

Dato curioso: Puedes tener 9 damas (1 original + 8 coronaciones).
Ejemplo: Peón en h8 se convierte en Dama → h8=D.

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3. Captura al paso (Del francés "en passant")

• Cuándo: Un peón rival avanza 2 casillas y queda al lado del tuyo.

• Cómo: Captúralo en diagonal (como si hubiera movido 1 casilla).
  

Regla: Debes hacerlo inmediatamente (solo en el turno siguiente)

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Recurso digitales

Guia para principiantes - Lichess.org https://lichess.org/study/Hmb28fbv/QRyxzgre

Ajedrez desde cero - Youtube.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPf9fSY_K2k&list=PLWgqlpb234bHv38g6zXoi3WIJJonzZSAl&index=8