@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Die zwei mächtigsten Krieger sind Geduld und Zeit. \ Leo Tolstoi

Zum Wohle unserer Gesundheit, unserer Leistungsfähigkeit und letztlich unseres Glücks ist es wichtig, die eigene Energie bewusst zu pflegen. Das gilt umso mehr für an gesellschaftlichen Themen interessierte, selbstbewusste und kritisch denkende Menschen. Denn für deren Wahrnehmung und Wohlbefinden waren und sind die rasanten, krisen- und propagandagefüllten letzten Jahre in Absurdistan eine harte Probe.

Nur wer regelmäßig Kraft tankt und Wege findet, mit den Herausforderungen umzugehen, kann eine solche Tortur überstehen, emotionale Erschöpfung vermeiden und trotz allem zufrieden sein. Dazu müssen wir erkunden, was uns Energie gibt und was sie uns raubt. Durch Selbstreflexion und Achtsamkeit finden wir sicher Dinge, die uns erfreuen und inspirieren, und andere, die uns eher stressen und belasten.

Die eigene Energie ist eng mit unserer körperlichen und mentalen Gesundheit verbunden. Methoden zur Förderung der körperlichen Gesundheit sind gut bekannt: eine ausgewogene Ernährung, regelmäßige Bewegung sowie ausreichend Schlaf und Erholung. Bei der nicht minder wichtigen emotionalen Balance wird es schon etwas komplizierter. Stress abzubauen, die eigenen Grenzen zu kennen oder solche zum Schutz zu setzen sowie die Konzentration auf Positives und Sinnvolles wären Ansätze.

Der emotionale ist auch der Bereich, über den «Energie-Räuber» bevorzugt attackieren. Das sind zum Beispiel Dinge wie Überforderung, Perfektionismus oder mangelhafte Kommunikation. Social Media gehören ganz sicher auch dazu. Sie stehlen uns nicht nur Zeit, sondern sind höchst manipulativ und erhöhen laut einer aktuellen Studie das Risiko für psychische Probleme wie Angstzustände und Depressionen.

Geben wir negativen oder gar bösen Menschen keine Macht über uns. Das Dauerfeuer der letzten Jahre mit Krisen, Konflikten und Gefahren sollte man zwar kennen, darf sich aber davon nicht runterziehen lassen. Das Ziel derartiger konzertierter Aktionen ist vor allem, unsere innere Stabilität zu zerstören, denn dann sind wir leichter zu steuern. Aber Geduld: Selbst vermeintliche «Sonnenköniginnen» wie EU-Kommissionspräsidentin von der Leyen fallen, wenn die Zeit reif ist.

Es ist wichtig, dass wir unsere ganz eigenen Bedürfnisse und Werte erkennen. Unsere Energiequellen müssen wir identifizieren und aktiv nutzen. Dazu gehören soziale Kontakte genauso wie zum Beispiel Hobbys und Leidenschaften. Umgeben wir uns mit Sinnhaftigkeit und lassen wir uns nicht die Energie rauben!

Mein Wahlspruch ist schon lange: «Was die Menschen wirklich bewegt, ist die Kultur.» Jetzt im Frühjahr beginnt hier in Andalusien die Zeit der «Ferias», jener traditionellen Volksfeste, die vor Lebensfreude sprudeln. Konzentrieren wir uns auf die schönen Dinge und auf unsere eigenen Talente – soziale Verbundenheit wird helfen, unsere innere Kraft zu stärken und zu bewahren.

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben und ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be

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

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

Why Bitcoin Matters

Saving is the greatest discovery in human history

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

Saving created civilization itself

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

Money is the greatest creation in human history

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

Bitcoin is the best money ever created

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

Bitcoin is like a black hole

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

Bitcoin is like Buddhism discovering truth

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

Bitcoin is freedom

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

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

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

Bitcoin cannot steal your time

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

Bitcoin is insurance that protects against mismanagement

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

Bitcoin is going to absorb the world's value

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

Exit The Matrix

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

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

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

The Bitcoin standard will end war

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

We are entering the Bitcoin Renaissance era

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

The Path to Financial Truth

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

All the answers lie in understanding money and Bitcoin.

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

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

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

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Information ohne Reflexion ist geistiger Flugsand. \ Ernst Reinhardt

Der lateinische Ausdruck «Quo vadis» als Frage nach einer Entwicklung oder Ausrichtung hat biblische Wurzeln. Er wird aber auch in unserer Alltagssprache verwendet, laut Duden meist als Ausdruck von Besorgnis oder Skepsis im Sinne von: «Wohin wird das führen?»

Der Sinn und Zweck von so mancher politischen Entscheidung erschließt sich heutzutage nicht mehr so leicht, und viele Trends können uns Sorge bereiten. Das sind einerseits sehr konkrete Themen wie die zunehmende Militarisierung und die geschichtsvergessene Kriegstreiberei in Europa, deren Feindbildpflege aktuell beim Gedenken an das Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs beschämende Formen annimmt.

Auch das hohe Gut der Schweizer Neutralität scheint immer mehr in Gefahr. Die schleichende Bewegung der Eidgenossenschaft in Richtung NATO und damit weg von einer Vermittlerposition erhält auch durch den neuen Verteidigungsminister Anschub. Martin Pfister möchte eine stärkere Einbindung in die europäische Verteidigungsarchitektur, verwechselt bei der Argumentation jedoch Ursache und Wirkung.

Das Thema Gesundheit ist als Zugpferd für Geschäfte und Kontrolle offenbar schon zuverlässig etabliert. Die hauptsächlich privat finanzierte Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) ist dabei durch ein Netzwerk von sogenannten «Collaborating Centres» sogar so weit in nationale Einrichtungen eingedrungen, dass man sich fragen kann, ob diese nicht von Genf aus gesteuert werden.

Das Schweizer Bundesamt für Gesundheit (BAG) übernimmt in dieser Funktion ebenso von der WHO definierte Aufgaben und Pflichten wie das deutsche Robert Koch-Institut (RKI). Gegen die Covid-«Impfung» für Schwangere, die das BAG empfiehlt, obwohl es fehlende wissenschaftliche Belege für deren Schutzwirkung einräumt, formiert sich im Tessin gerade Widerstand.

Unter dem Stichwort «Gesundheitssicherheit» werden uns die Bestrebungen verkauft, essenzielle Dienste mit einer biometrischen digitalen ID zu verknüpfen. Das dient dem Profit mit unseren Daten und führt im Ergebnis zum Verlust unserer demokratischen Freiheiten. Die deutsche elektronische Patientenakte (ePA) ist ein Element mit solchem Potenzial. Die Schweizer Bürger haben gerade ein Referendum gegen das revidierte E-ID-Gesetz erzwungen. In Thailand ist seit Anfang Mai für die Einreise eine «Digital Arrival Card» notwendig, die mit ihrer Gesundheitserklärung einen Impfpass «durch die Hintertür» befürchten lässt.

Der massive Blackout auf der iberischen Halbinsel hat vermehrt Fragen dazu aufgeworfen, wohin uns Klimawandel-Hysterie und «grüne» Energiepolitik führen werden. Meine Kollegin Wiltrud Schwetje ist dem nachgegangen und hat in mehreren Beiträgen darüber berichtet. Wenig überraschend führen interessante Spuren mal wieder zu internationalen Großbanken, Globalisten und zur EU-Kommission.

Zunehmend bedenklich ist aber ganz allgemein auch die manifestierte Spaltung unserer Gesellschaften. Angesichts der tiefen und sorgsam gepflegten Gräben fällt es inzwischen schwer, eine zukunftsfähige Perspektive zu erkennen. Umso begrüßenswerter sind Initiativen wie die Kölner Veranstaltungsreihe «Neue Visionen für die Zukunft». Diese möchte die Diskussionskultur reanimieren und dazu beitragen, dass Menschen wieder ohne Angst und ergebnisoffen über kontroverse Themen der Zeit sprechen.

Quo vadis – Wohin gehen wir also? Die Suche nach Orientierung in diesem vermeintlichen Chaos führt auch zur Reflexion über den eigenen Lebensweg. Das ist positiv insofern, als wir daraus Kraft schöpfen können. Ob derweil der neue Papst, dessen «Vorgänger» Petrus unsere Ausgangsfrage durch die christliche Legende zugeschrieben wird, dabei eine Rolle spielt, muss jede/r selbst wissen. Mir persönlich ist allein schon ein Führungsanspruch wie der des Petrusprimats der römisch-katholischen Kirche eher suspekt.

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben und ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Du bist recht appetitlich oben anzuschauen, \ doch unten hin die Bestie macht mir Grauen. \ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Wie wenig bekömmlich sogenannte «Ultra-Processed Foods» wie Fertiggerichte, abgepackte Snacks oder Softdrinks sind, hat kürzlich eine neue Studie untersucht. Derweil kann Fleisch auch wegen des Einsatzes antimikrobieller Mittel in der Massentierhaltung ein Problem darstellen. Internationale Bemühungen, diesen Gebrauch zu reduzieren, um die Antibiotikaresistenz bei Menschen einzudämmen, sind nun möglicherweise gefährdet.

Leider ist Politik oft mindestens genauso unappetitlich und ungesund wie diverse Lebensmittel. Die «Corona-Zeit» und ihre Auswirkungen sind ein beredtes Beispiel. Der Thüringer Landtag diskutiert gerade den Entwurf eines «Coronamaßnahmen-Unrechtsbereinigungsgesetzes» und das kanadische Gesundheitsministerium versucht, tausende Entschädigungsanträge wegen Impfnebenwirkungen mit dem Budget von 75 Millionen Dollar unter einen Hut zu bekommen. In den USA soll die Zulassung von Covid-«Impfstoffen» überdacht werden, während man sich mit China um die Herkunft des Virus streitet.

Wo Corona-Verbrecher von Medien und Justiz gedeckt werden, verfolgt man Aufklärer und Aufdecker mit aller Härte. Der Anwalt und Mitbegründer des Corona-Ausschusses Reiner Fuellmich, der seit Oktober 2023 in Untersuchungshaft sitzt, wurde letzte Woche zu drei Jahren und neun Monaten verurteilt – wegen Veruntreuung. Am Mittwoch teilte der von vielen Impfschadensprozessen bekannte Anwalt Tobias Ulbrich mit, dass er vom Staatsschutz verfolgt wird und sich daher künftig nicht mehr öffentlich äußern werde.

Von der kommenden deutschen Bundesregierung aus Wählerbetrügern, Transatlantikern, Corona-Hardlinern und Russenhassern kann unmöglich eine Verbesserung erwartet werden. Nina Warken beispielsweise, die das Ressort Gesundheit übernehmen soll, diffamierte Maßnahmenkritiker als «Coronaleugner» und forderte eine Impfpflicht, da die wundersamen Injektionen angeblich «nachweislich helfen». Laut dem designierten Außenminister Johann Wadephul wird Russland «für uns immer der Feind» bleiben. Deswegen will er die Ukraine «nicht verlieren lassen» und sieht die Bevölkerung hinter sich, solange nicht deutsche Soldaten dort sterben könnten.

Eine wichtige Personalie ist auch die des künftigen Regierungssprechers. Wenngleich Hebestreit an Arroganz schwer zu überbieten sein wird, dürfte sich die Art der Kommunikation mit Stefan Kornelius in der Sache kaum ändern. Der Politikchef der Süddeutschen Zeitung «prägte den Meinungsjournalismus der SZ» und schrieb «in dieser Rolle auch für die Titel der Tamedia». Allerdings ist, anders als noch vor zehn Jahren, die Einbindung von Journalisten in Thinktanks wie die Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft (DAG) ja heute eher eine Empfehlung als ein Problem.

Ungesund ist definitiv auch die totale Digitalisierung, nicht nur im Gesundheitswesen. Lauterbachs Abschiedsgeschenk, die «abgesicherte» elektronische Patientenakte (ePA) ist völlig überraschenderweise direkt nach dem Bundesstart erneut gehackt worden. Norbert Häring kommentiert angesichts der Datenlecks, wer die ePA nicht abwähle, könne seine Gesundheitsdaten ebensogut auf Facebook posten.

Dass die staatlichen Kontrolleure so wenig auf freie Software und dezentrale Lösungen setzen, verdeutlicht die eigentlichen Intentionen hinter der Digitalisierungswut. Um Sicherheit und Souveränität geht es ihnen jedenfalls nicht – sonst gäbe es zum Beispiel mehr Unterstützung für Bitcoin und für Initiativen wie die der Spar-Supermärkte in der Schweiz.

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben und ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 43baaf0c:d193e34c

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

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

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

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

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

The Energy of Zaps

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

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

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

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

A Protocol for Emerging Artists and Creators

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proof of Work (PoW)

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

Halving 2024 Artwork

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

Magic Internet Money

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

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

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

For me, Zaps matter.

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

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Die Wahrheit verletzt tiefer als jede Beleidigung. \ Marquis de Sade

Sagen Sie niemals «Terroristin B.», «Schwachkopf H.», «korrupter Drecksack S.» oder «Meinungsfreiheitshasserin F.» und verkneifen Sie sich Memes, denn so etwas könnte Ihnen als Beleidigung oder Verleumdung ausgelegt werden und rechtliche Konsequenzen haben. Auch mit einer Frau M.-A. S.-Z. ist in dieser Beziehung nicht zu spaßen, sie gehört zu den Top-Anzeigenstellern.

«Politikerbeleidigung» als Straftatbestand wurde 2021 im Kampf gegen «Rechtsextremismus und Hasskriminalität» in Deutschland eingeführt, damals noch unter der Regierung Merkel. Im Gesetz nicht festgehalten ist die Unterscheidung zwischen schlechter Hetze und guter Hetze – trotzdem ist das gängige Praxis, wie der Titel fast schon nahelegt.

So dürfen Sie als Politikerin heute den Tesla als «Nazi-Auto» bezeichnen und dies ausdrücklich auf den Firmengründer Elon Musk und dessen «rechtsextreme Positionen» beziehen, welche Sie nicht einmal belegen müssen. [1] Vielleicht ernten Sie Proteste, jedoch vorrangig wegen der «gut bezahlten, unbefristeten Arbeitsplätze» in Brandenburg. Ihren Tweet hat die Berliner Senatorin Cansel Kiziltepe inzwischen offenbar dennoch gelöscht.

Dass es um die Meinungs- und Pressefreiheit in der Bundesrepublik nicht mehr allzu gut bestellt ist, befürchtet man inzwischen auch schon im Ausland. Der Fall des Journalisten David Bendels, der kürzlich wegen eines Faeser-Memes zu sieben Monaten Haft auf Bewährung verurteilt wurde, führte in diversen Medien zu Empörung. Die Welt versteckte ihre Kritik mit dem Titel «Ein Urteil wie aus einer Diktatur» hinter einer Bezahlschranke.

Unschöne, heutzutage vielleicht strafbare Kommentare würden mir auch zu einigen anderen Themen und Akteuren einfallen. Ein Kandidat wäre der deutsche Bundesgesundheitsminister (ja, er ist es tatsächlich immer noch). Während sich in den USA auf dem Gebiet etwas bewegt und zum Beispiel Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will, dass die Gesundheitsbehörde (CDC) keine Covid-Impfungen für Kinder mehr empfiehlt, möchte Karl Lauterbach vor allem das Corona-Lügengebäude vor dem Einsturz bewahren.

«Ich habe nie geglaubt, dass die Impfungen nebenwirkungsfrei sind», sagte Lauterbach jüngst der ZDF-Journalistin Sarah Tacke. Das steht in krassem Widerspruch zu seiner früher verbreiteten Behauptung, die Gen-Injektionen hätten keine Nebenwirkungen. Damit entlarvt er sich selbst als Lügner. Die Bezeichnung ist absolut berechtigt, dieser Mann dürfte keinerlei politische Verantwortung tragen und das Verhalten verlangt nach einer rechtlichen Überprüfung. Leider ist ja die Justiz anderweitig beschäftigt und hat außerdem selbst keine weiße Weste.

Obendrein kämpfte der Herr Minister für eine allgemeine Impfpflicht. Er beschwor dabei das Schließen einer «Impflücke», wie es die Weltgesundheitsorganisation – die «wegen Trump» in finanziellen Schwierigkeiten steckt – bis heute tut. Die WHO lässt aktuell ihre «Europäische Impfwoche» propagieren, bei der interessanterweise von Covid nicht mehr groß die Rede ist.

Einen «Klima-Leugner» würden manche wohl Nir Shaviv nennen, das ist ja nicht strafbar. Der Astrophysiker weist nämlich die Behauptung von einer Klimakrise zurück. Gemäß seiner Forschung ist mindestens die Hälfte der Erderwärmung nicht auf menschliche Emissionen, sondern auf Veränderungen im Sonnenverhalten zurückzuführen.

Das passt vielleicht auch den «Klima-Hysterikern» der britischen Regierung ins Konzept, die gerade Experimente zur Verdunkelung der Sonne angekündigt haben. Produzenten von Kunstfleisch oder Betreiber von Insektenfarmen würden dagegen vermutlich die Geschichte vom fatalen CO2 bevorzugen. Ihnen würde es besser passen, wenn der verantwortungsvolle Erdenbürger sein Verhalten gründlich ändern müsste.

In unserer völlig verkehrten Welt, in der praktisch jede Verlautbarung außerhalb der abgesegneten Narrative potenziell strafbar sein kann, gehört fast schon Mut dazu, Dinge offen anzusprechen. Im «besten Deutschland aller Zeiten» glaubten letztes Jahr nur noch 40 Prozent der Menschen, ihre Meinung frei äußern zu können. Das ist ein Armutszeugnis, und es sieht nicht gerade nach Besserung aus. Umso wichtiger ist es, dagegen anzugehen.

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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[1] Zur Orientierung wenigstens ein paar Hinweise zur NS-Vergangenheit deutscher Automobilhersteller:

• Volkswagen
• Porsche
• Daimler-Benz
• BMW
• Audi
• Opel
• Heute: «Auto-Werke für die Rüstung? Rheinmetall prüft Übernahmen»

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben und ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Es ist völlig unbestritten, dass der Angriff der russischen Armee auf die Ukraine im Februar 2022 strikt zu verurteilen ist. Ebenso unbestritten ist Russland unter Wladimir Putin keine brillante Demokratie. Aus diesen Tatsachen lässt sich jedoch nicht das finstere Bild des russischen Präsidenten – und erst recht nicht des Landes – begründen, das uns durchweg vorgesetzt wird und den Kern des aktuellen europäischen Bedrohungs-Szenarios darstellt. Da müssen wir schon etwas genauer hinschauen.

Der vorliegende Artikel versucht derweil nicht, den Einsatz von Gewalt oder die Verletzung von Menschenrechten zu rechtfertigen oder zu entschuldigen – ganz im Gegenteil. Dass jedoch der Verdacht des «Putinverstehers» sofort latent im Raume steht, verdeutlicht, was beim Thema «Russland» passiert: Meinungsmache und Manipulation.

Angesichts der mentalen Mobilmachung seitens Politik und Medien sowie des Bestrebens, einen bevorstehenden Krieg mit Russland geradezu herbeizureden, ist es notwendig, dieser fatalen Entwicklung entgegenzutreten. Wenn wir uns nur ein wenig von der herrschenden Schwarz-Weiß-Malerei freimachen, tauchen automatisch Fragen auf, die Risse im offiziellen Narrativ enthüllen. Grund genug, nachzuhaken.

Wer sich schon länger auch abseits der Staats- und sogenannten Leitmedien informiert, der wird in diesem Artikel vermutlich nicht viel Neues erfahren. Andere könnten hier ein paar unbekannte oder vergessene Aspekte entdecken. Möglicherweise klärt sich in diesem Kontext die Wahrnehmung der aktuellen (unserer eigenen!) Situation ein wenig.

Manipulation erkennen

Corona-«Pandemie», menschengemachter Klimawandel oder auch Ukraine-Krieg: Jede Menge Krisen, und für alle gibt es ein offizielles Narrativ, dessen Hinterfragung unerwünscht ist. Nun ist aber ein Narrativ einfach eine Erzählung, eine Geschichte (Latein: «narratio») und kein Tatsachenbericht. Und so wie ein Märchen soll auch das Narrativ eine Botschaft vermitteln.

Über die Methoden der Manipulation ist viel geschrieben worden, sowohl in Bezug auf das Individuum als auch auf die Massen. Sehr wertvolle Tipps dazu, wie man Manipulationen durchschauen kann, gibt ein Büchlein [1] von Albrecht Müller, dem Herausgeber der NachDenkSeiten.

Die Sprache selber eignet sich perfekt für die Manipulation. Beispielsweise kann die Wortwahl Bewertungen mitschwingen lassen, regelmäßiges Wiederholen (gerne auch von verschiedenen Seiten) lässt Dinge irgendwann «wahr» erscheinen, Übertreibungen fallen auf und hinterlassen wenigstens eine Spur im Gedächtnis, genauso wie Andeutungen. Belege spielen dabei keine Rolle.

Es gibt auffällig viele Sprachregelungen, die offenbar irgendwo getroffen und irgendwie koordiniert werden. Oder alle Redenschreiber und alle Medien kopieren sich neuerdings permanent gegenseitig. Welchen Zweck hat es wohl, wenn der Krieg in der Ukraine durchgängig und quasi wörtlich als «russischer Angriffskrieg auf die Ukraine» bezeichnet wird? Obwohl das in der Sache richtig ist, deutet die Art der Verwendung auf gezielte Beeinflussung hin und soll vor allem das Feindbild zementieren.

Sprachregelungen dienen oft der Absicherung einer einseitigen Darstellung. Das Gleiche gilt für das Verkürzen von Informationen bis hin zum hartnäckigen Verschweigen ganzer Themenbereiche. Auch hierfür gibt es rund um den Ukraine-Konflikt viele gute Beispiele.

Das gewünschte Ergebnis solcher Methoden ist eine Schwarz-Weiß-Malerei, bei der einer eindeutig als «der Böse» markiert ist und die anderen automatisch «die Guten» sind. Das ist praktisch und demonstriert gleichzeitig ein weiteres Manipulationswerkzeug: die Verwendung von Doppelstandards. Wenn man es schafft, bei wichtigen Themen regelmäßig mit zweierlei Maß zu messen, ohne dass das Publikum protestiert, dann hat man freie Bahn.

Experten zu bemühen, um bestimmte Sachverhalte zu erläutern, ist sicher sinnvoll, kann aber ebenso missbraucht werden, schon allein durch die Auswahl der jeweiligen Spezialisten. Seit «Corona» werden viele erfahrene und ehemals hoch angesehene Fachleute wegen der «falschen Meinung» diffamiert und gecancelt. [2] Das ist nicht nur ein brutaler Umgang mit Menschen, sondern auch eine extreme Form, die öffentliche Meinung zu steuern.

Wann immer wir also erkennen (weil wir aufmerksam waren), dass wir bei einem bestimmten Thema manipuliert werden, dann sind zwei logische und notwendige Fragen: Warum? Und was ist denn richtig? In unserem Russland-Kontext haben die Antworten darauf viel mit Geopolitik und Geschichte zu tun.

Ist Russland aggressiv und expansiv?

Angeblich plant Russland, europäische NATO-Staaten anzugreifen, nach dem Motto: «Zuerst die Ukraine, dann den Rest». In Deutschland weiß man dafür sogar das Datum: «Wir müssen bis 2029 kriegstüchtig sein», versichert Verteidigungsminister Pistorius.

Historisch gesehen ist es allerdings eher umgekehrt: Russland, bzw. die Sowjetunion, ist bereits dreimal von Westeuropa aus militärisch angegriffen worden. Die Feldzüge Napoleons, des deutschen Kaiserreichs und Nazi-Deutschlands haben Millionen Menschen das Leben gekostet. Bei dem ausdrücklichen Vernichtungskrieg ab 1941 kam es außerdem zu Brutalitäten wie der zweieinhalbjährigen Belagerung Leningrads (heute St. Petersburg) durch Hitlers Wehrmacht. Deren Ziel, die Bevölkerung auszuhungern, wurde erreicht: über eine Million tote Zivilisten.

Trotz dieser Erfahrungen stimmte Michail Gorbatschow 1990 der deutschen Wiedervereinigung zu und die Sowjetunion zog ihre Truppen aus Osteuropa zurück (vgl. Abb. 1). Der Warschauer Pakt wurde aufgelöst, der Kalte Krieg formell beendet. Die Sowjets erhielten damals von führenden westlichen Politikern die Zusicherung, dass sich die NATO «keinen Zentimeter ostwärts» ausdehnen würde, das ist dokumentiert. [3]

Expandiert ist die NATO trotzdem, und zwar bis an Russlands Grenzen (vgl. Abb. 2). Laut dem Politikberater Jeffrey Sachs handelt es sich dabei um ein langfristiges US-Projekt, das von Anfang an die Ukraine und Georgien mit einschloss. Offiziell wurde der Beitritt beiden Staaten 2008 angeboten. In jedem Fall könnte die massive Ost-Erweiterung seit 1999 aus russischer Sicht nicht nur als Vertrauensbruch, sondern durchaus auch als aggressiv betrachtet werden.

Russland hat den europäischen Staaten mehrfach die Hand ausgestreckt [4] für ein friedliches Zusammenleben und den «Aufbau des europäischen Hauses». Präsident Putin sei «in seiner ersten Amtszeit eine Chance für Europa» gewesen, urteilt die Journalistin und langjährige Russland-Korrespondentin der ARD, Gabriele Krone-Schmalz. Er habe damals viele positive Signale Richtung Westen gesendet.

Die Europäer jedoch waren scheinbar an einer Partnerschaft mit dem kontinentalen Nachbarn weniger interessiert als an der mit dem transatlantischen Hegemon. Sie verkennen bis heute, dass eine gedeihliche Zusammenarbeit in Eurasien eine Gefahr für die USA und deren bekundetes Bestreben ist, die «einzige Weltmacht» zu sein – «Full Spectrum Dominance» [5] nannte das Pentagon das. Statt einem neuen Kalten Krieg entgegenzuarbeiten, ließen sich europäische Staaten selber in völkerrechtswidrige «US-dominierte Angriffskriege» [6] verwickeln, wie in Serbien, Afghanistan, dem Irak, Libyen oder Syrien. Diese werden aber selten so benannt.

Speziell den Deutschen stünde außer einer Portion Realismus auch etwas mehr Dankbarkeit gut zu Gesicht. Das Geschichtsbewusstsein der Mehrheit scheint doch recht selektiv und das Selbstbewusstsein einiger etwas desorientiert zu sein. Bekanntermaßen waren es die Soldaten der sowjetischen Roten Armee, die unter hohen Opfern 1945 Deutschland «vom Faschismus befreit» haben. Bei den Gedenkfeiern zu 80 Jahren Kriegsende will jedoch das Auswärtige Amt – noch unter der Diplomatie-Expertin Baerbock, die sich schon länger offiziell im Krieg mit Russland wähnt, – nun keine Russen sehen: Sie sollen notfalls rausgeschmissen werden.

«Die Grundsatzfrage lautet: Geht es Russland um einen angemessenen Platz in einer globalen Sicherheitsarchitektur, oder ist Moskau schon seit langem auf einem imperialistischen Trip, der befürchten lassen muss, dass die Russen in fünf Jahren in Berlin stehen?»

So bringt Gabriele Krone-Schmalz [7] die eigentliche Frage auf den Punkt, die zur Einschätzung der Situation letztlich auch jeder für sich beantworten muss.

Was ist los in der Ukraine?

In der internationalen Politik geht es nie um Demokratie oder Menschenrechte, sondern immer um Interessen von Staaten. Diese These stammt von Egon Bahr, einem der Architekten der deutschen Ostpolitik des «Wandels durch Annäherung» aus den 1960er und 70er Jahren. Sie trifft auch auf den Ukraine-Konflikt zu, den handfeste geostrategische und wirtschaftliche Interessen beherrschen, obwohl dort angeblich «unsere Demokratie» verteidigt wird.

Es ist ein wesentliches Element des Ukraine-Narrativs und Teil der Manipulation, die Vorgeschichte des Krieges wegzulassen – mindestens die vor der russischen «Annexion» der Halbinsel Krim im März 2014, aber oft sogar komplett diejenige vor der Invasion Ende Februar 2022. Das Thema ist komplex, aber einige Aspekte, die für eine Beurteilung nicht unwichtig sind, will ich wenigstens kurz skizzieren. [8]

Das Gebiet der heutigen Ukraine und Russlands – die übrigens in der «Kiewer Rus» gemeinsame Wurzeln haben – hat der britische Geostratege Halford Mackinder bereits 1904 als eurasisches «Heartland» bezeichnet, dessen Kontrolle er eine große Bedeutung für die imperiale Strategie Großbritanniens zumaß. Für den ehemaligen Sicherheits- und außenpolitischen Berater mehrerer US-amerikanischer Präsidenten und Mitgründer der Trilateralen Kommission, Zbigniew Brzezinski, war die Ukraine nach der Auflösung der Sowjetunion ein wichtiger Spielstein auf dem «eurasischen Schachbrett», wegen seiner Nähe zu Russland, seiner Bodenschätze und seines Zugangs zum Schwarzen Meer.

Die Ukraine ist seit langem ein gespaltenes Land. Historisch zerrissen als Spielball externer Interessen und geprägt von ethnischen, kulturellen, religiösen und geografischen Unterschieden existiert bis heute, grob gesagt, eine Ost-West-Spaltung, welche die Suche nach einer nationalen Identität stark erschwert.

Insbesondere im Zuge der beiden Weltkriege sowie der Russischen Revolution entstanden tiefe Risse in der Bevölkerung. Ukrainer kämpften gegen Ukrainer, zum Beispiel die einen auf der Seite von Hitlers faschistischer Nazi-Armee und die anderen auf der von Stalins kommunistischer Roter Armee. Die Verbrechen auf beiden Seiten sind nicht vergessen. Dass nach der Unabhängigkeit 1991 versucht wurde, Figuren wie den radikalen Nationalisten Symon Petljura oder den Faschisten und Nazi-Kollaborateur Stepan Bandera als «Nationalhelden» zu installieren, verbessert die Sache nicht.

Während die USA und EU-Staaten zunehmend «ausländische Einmischung» (speziell russische) in «ihre Demokratien» wittern, betreiben sie genau dies seit Jahrzehnten in vielen Ländern der Welt. Die seit den 2000er Jahren bekannten «Farbrevolutionen» in Osteuropa werden oft als Methode des Regierungsumsturzes durch von außen gesteuerte «demokratische» Volksaufstände beschrieben. Diese Strategie geht auf Analysen zum «Schwarmverhalten» [9] seit den 1960er Jahren zurück (Studentenproteste), wo es um die potenzielle Wirksamkeit einer «rebellischen Hysterie» von Jugendlichen bei postmodernen Staatsstreichen geht. Heute nennt sich dieses gezielte Kanalisieren der Massen zur Beseitigung unkooperativer Regierungen «Soft-Power».

In der Ukraine gab es mit der «Orangen Revolution» 2004 und dem «Euromaidan» 2014 gleich zwei solcher «Aufstände». Der erste erzwang wegen angeblicher Unregelmäßigkeiten eine Wiederholung der Wahlen, was mit Wiktor Juschtschenko als neuem Präsidenten endete. Dieser war ehemaliger Direktor der Nationalbank und Befürworter einer Annäherung an EU und NATO. Seine Frau, die First Lady, ist US-amerikanische «Philanthropin» und war Beamtin im Weißen Haus in der Reagan- und der Bush-Administration.

Im Gegensatz zu diesem ersten Event endete der sogenannte Euromaidan unfriedlich und blutig. Die mehrwöchigen Proteste gegen Präsident Wiktor Janukowitsch, in Teilen wegen des nicht unterzeichneten Assoziierungsabkommens mit der EU, wurden zunehmend gewalttätiger und von Nationalisten und Faschisten des «Rechten Sektors» dominiert. Sie mündeten Ende Februar 2014 auf dem Kiewer Unabhängigkeitsplatz (Maidan) in einem Massaker durch Scharfschützen. Dass deren Herkunft und die genauen Umstände nicht geklärt wurden, störte die Medien nur wenig. [10]

Janukowitsch musste fliehen, er trat nicht zurück. Vielmehr handelte es sich um einen gewaltsamen, allem Anschein nach vom Westen inszenierten Putsch. Laut Jeffrey Sachs war das kein Geheimnis, außer vielleicht für die Bürger. Die USA unterstützten die Post-Maidan-Regierung nicht nur, sie beeinflussten auch ihre Bildung. Das geht unter anderem aus dem berühmten «Fuck the EU»-Telefonat der US-Chefdiplomatin für die Ukraine, Victoria Nuland, mit Botschafter Geoffrey Pyatt hervor.

Dieser Bruch der demokratischen Verfassung war letztlich der Auslöser für die anschließenden Krisen auf der Krim und im Donbass (Ostukraine). Angesichts der ukrainischen Geschichte mussten die nationalistischen Tendenzen und die Beteiligung der rechten Gruppen an dem Umsturz bei der russigsprachigen Bevölkerung im Osten ungute Gefühle auslösen. Es gab Kritik an der Übergangsregierung, Befürworter einer Abspaltung und auch für einen Anschluss an Russland.

Ebenso konnte Wladimir Putin in dieser Situation durchaus Bedenken wegen des Status der russischen Militärbasis für seine Schwarzmeerflotte in Sewastopol auf der Krim haben, für die es einen langfristigen Pachtvertrag mit der Ukraine gab. Was im März 2014 auf der Krim stattfand, sei keine Annexion, sondern eine Abspaltung (Sezession) nach einem Referendum gewesen, also keine gewaltsame Aneignung, urteilte der Rechtswissenschaftler Reinhard Merkel in der FAZ sehr detailliert begründet. Übrigens hatte die Krim bereits zu Zeiten der Sowjetunion den Status einer autonomen Republik innerhalb der Ukrainischen SSR.

Anfang April 2014 wurden in der Ostukraine die «Volksrepubliken» Donezk und Lugansk ausgerufen. Die Kiewer Übergangsregierung ging unter der Bezeichnung «Anti-Terror-Operation» (ATO) militärisch gegen diesen, auch von Russland instrumentalisierten Widerstand vor. Zufällig war kurz zuvor CIA-Chef John Brennan in Kiew. Die Maßnahmen gingen unter dem seit Mai neuen ukrainischen Präsidenten, dem Milliardär Petro Poroschenko, weiter. Auch Wolodymyr Selenskyj beendete den Bürgerkrieg nicht, als er 2019 vom Präsidenten-Schauspieler, der Oligarchen entmachtet, zum Präsidenten wurde. Er fuhr fort, die eigene Bevölkerung zu bombardieren.

Mit dem Einmarsch russischer Truppen in die Ostukraine am 24. Februar 2022 begann die zweite Phase des Krieges. Die Wochen und Monate davor waren intensiv. Im November hatte die Ukraine mit den USA ein Abkommen über eine «strategische Partnerschaft» unterzeichnet. Darin sagten die Amerikaner ihre Unterstützung der EU- und NATO-Perspektive der Ukraine sowie quasi für die Rückeroberung der Krim zu. Dagegen ließ Putin der NATO und den USA im Dezember 2021 einen Vertragsentwurf über beiderseitige verbindliche Sicherheitsgarantien zukommen, den die NATO im Januar ablehnte. Im Februar eskalierte laut OSZE die Gewalt im Donbass.

Bereits wenige Wochen nach der Invasion, Ende März 2022, kam es in Istanbul zu Friedensverhandlungen, die fast zu einer Lösung geführt hätten. Dass der Krieg nicht damals bereits beendet wurde, lag daran, dass der Westen dies nicht wollte. Man war der Meinung, Russland durch die Ukraine in diesem Stellvertreterkrieg auf Dauer militärisch schwächen zu können. Angesichts von Hunderttausenden Toten, Verletzten und Traumatisierten, die als Folge seitdem zu beklagen sind, sowie dem Ausmaß der Zerstörung, fehlen einem die Worte.

Hasst der Westen die Russen?

Diese Frage drängt sich auf, wenn man das oft unerträglich feindselige Gebaren beobachtet, das beileibe nicht neu ist und vor Doppelmoral trieft. Russland und speziell die Person Wladimir Putins werden regelrecht dämonisiert, was gleichzeitig scheinbar jede Form von Diplomatie ausschließt.

Russlands militärische Stärke, seine geografische Lage, sein Rohstoffreichtum oder seine unabhängige diplomatische Tradition sind sicher Störfaktoren für das US-amerikanische Bestreben, der Boss in einer unipolaren Welt zu sein. Ein womöglich funktionierender eurasischer Kontinent, insbesondere gute Beziehungen zwischen Russland und Deutschland, war indes schon vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg eine Sorge des britischen Imperiums.

Ein «Vergehen» von Präsident Putin könnte gewesen sein, dass er die neoliberale Schocktherapie à la IWF und den Ausverkauf des Landes (auch an US-Konzerne) beendete, der unter seinem Vorgänger herrschte. Dabei zeigte er sich als Führungspersönlichkeit und als nicht so formbar wie Jelzin. Diese Aspekte allein sind aber heute vermutlich keine ausreichende Erklärung für ein derart gepflegtes Feindbild.

Der Historiker und Philosoph Hauke Ritz erweitert den Fokus der Fragestellung zu: «Warum hasst der Westen die Russen so sehr?», was er zum Beispiel mit dem Medienforscher Michael Meyen und mit der Politikwissenschaftlerin Ulrike Guérot bespricht. Ritz stellt die interessante These [11] auf, dass Russland eine Provokation für den Westen sei, welcher vor allem dessen kulturelles und intellektuelles Potenzial fürchte.

Die Russen sind Europäer aber anders, sagt Ritz. Diese «Fremdheit in der Ähnlichkeit» erzeuge vielleicht tiefe Ablehnungsgefühle. Obwohl Russlands Identität in der europäischen Kultur verwurzelt ist, verbinde es sich immer mit der Opposition in Europa. Als Beispiele nennt er die Kritik an der katholischen Kirche oder die Verbindung mit der Arbeiterbewegung. Christen, aber orthodox; Sozialismus statt Liberalismus. Das mache das Land zum Antagonisten des Westens und zu einer Bedrohung der Machtstrukturen in Europa.

Fazit

Selbstverständlich kann man Geschichte, Ereignisse und Entwicklungen immer auf verschiedene Arten lesen. Dieser Artikel, obwohl viel zu lang, konnte nur einige Aspekte der Ukraine-Tragödie anreißen, die in den offiziellen Darstellungen in der Regel nicht vorkommen. Mindestens dürfte damit jedoch klar geworden sein, dass die Russische Föderation bzw. Wladimir Putin nicht der alleinige Aggressor in diesem Konflikt ist. Das ist ein Stellvertreterkrieg zwischen USA/NATO (gut) und Russland (böse); die Ukraine (edel) wird dabei schlicht verheizt.

Das ist insofern von Bedeutung, als die gesamte europäische Kriegshysterie auf sorgsam kultivierten Freund-Feind-Bildern beruht. Nur so kann Konfrontation und Eskalation betrieben werden, denn damit werden die wahren Hintergründe und Motive verschleiert. Angst und Propaganda sind notwendig, damit die Menschen den Wahnsinn mitmachen. Sie werden belogen, um sie zuerst zu schröpfen und anschließend auf die Schlachtbank zu schicken. Das kann niemand wollen, außer den stets gleichen Profiteuren: die Rüstungs-Lobby und die großen Investoren, die schon immer an Zerstörung und Wiederaufbau verdient haben.

Apropos Investoren: Zu den Top-Verdienern und somit Hauptinteressenten an einer Fortführung des Krieges zählt BlackRock, einer der weltgrößten Vermögensverwalter. Der deutsche Bundeskanzler in spe, Friedrich Merz, der gerne «Taurus»-Marschflugkörper an die Ukraine liefern und die Krim-Brücke zerstören möchte, war von 2016 bis 2020 Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender von BlackRock in Deutschland. Aber das hat natürlich nichts zu sagen, der Mann macht nur seinen Job.

Es ist ein Spiel der Kräfte, es geht um Macht und strategische Kontrolle, um Geheimdienste und die Kontrolle der öffentlichen Meinung, um Bodenschätze, Rohstoffe, Pipelines und Märkte. Das klingt aber nicht sexy, «Demokratie und Menschenrechte» hört sich besser und einfacher an. Dabei wäre eine für alle Seiten förderliche Politik auch nicht so kompliziert; das Handwerkszeug dazu nennt sich Diplomatie. Noch einmal Gabriele Krone-Schmalz:

«Friedliche Politik ist nichts anderes als funktionierender Interessenausgleich. Da geht’s nicht um Moral.»

Die Situation in der Ukraine ist sicher komplex, vor allem wegen der inneren Zerrissenheit. Es dürfte nicht leicht sein, eine friedliche Lösung für das Zusammenleben zu finden, aber die Beteiligten müssen es vor allem wollen. Unter den gegebenen Umständen könnte eine sinnvolle Perspektive mit Neutralität und föderalen Strukturen zu tun haben.

Allen, die sich bis hierher durch die Lektüre gearbeitet (oder auch einfach nur runtergescrollt) haben, wünsche ich frohe Oster-Friedenstage!

[Titelbild: Pixabay; Abb. 1 und 2: nach Ganser/SIPER; Abb. 3: SIPER]

--- Quellen: ---

[1] Albrecht Müller, «Glaube wenig. Hinterfrage alles. Denke selbst.», Westend 2019

[2] Zwei nette Beispiele:

• ARD-faktenfinder (sic), «Viel Aufmerksamkeit für fragwürdige Experten», 03/2023
• Neue Zürcher Zeitung, «Aufstieg und Fall einer Russlandversteherin – die ehemalige ARD-Korrespondentin Gabriele Krone-Schmalz rechtfertigt seit Jahren Putins Politik», 12/2022

[3] George Washington University, «NATO Expansion: What Gorbachev Heard – Declassified documents show security assurances against NATO expansion to Soviet leaders from Baker, Bush, Genscher, Kohl, Gates, Mitterrand, Thatcher, Hurd, Major, and Woerner», 12/2017

[4] Beispielsweise Wladimir Putin bei seiner Rede im Deutschen Bundestag, 25/09/2001

[5] William Engdahl, «Full Spectrum Dominance, Totalitarian Democracy In The New World Order», edition.engdahl 2009

[6] Daniele Ganser, «Illegale Kriege – Wie die NATO-Länder die UNO sabotieren. Eine Chronik von Kuba bis Syrien», Orell Füssli 2016

[7] Gabriele Krone-Schmalz, «Mit Friedensjournalismus gegen ‘Kriegstüchtigkeit’», Vortrag und Diskussion an der Universität Hamburg, veranstaltet von engagierten Studenten, 16/01/2025\ → Hier ist ein ähnlicher Vortrag von ihr (Video), den ich mit spanischer Übersetzung gefunden habe.

[8] Für mehr Hintergrund und Details empfehlen sich z.B. folgende Bücher:

• Mathias Bröckers, Paul Schreyer, «Wir sind immer die Guten», Westend 2019
• Gabriele Krone-Schmalz, «Russland verstehen? Der Kampf um die Ukraine und die Arroganz des Westens», Westend 2023
• Patrik Baab, «Auf beiden Seiten der Front – Meine Reisen in die Ukraine», Fiftyfifty 2023

[9] vgl. Jonathan Mowat, «Washington's New World Order "Democratization" Template», 02/2005 und RAND Corporation, «Swarming and the Future of Conflict», 2000

[10] Bemerkenswert einige Beiträge, von denen man später nichts mehr wissen wollte:

• ARD Monitor, «Todesschüsse in Kiew: Wer ist für das Blutbad vom Maidan verantwortlich», 10/04/2014, Transkript hier
• Telepolis, «Blutbad am Maidan: Wer waren die Todesschützen?», 12/04/2014
• Telepolis, «Scharfschützenmorde in Kiew», 14/12/2014
• Deutschlandfunk, «Gefahr einer Spirale nach unten», Interview mit Günter Verheugen, 18/03/2014
• NDR Panorama, «Putsch in Kiew: Welche Rolle spielen die Faschisten?», 06/03/2014

[11] Hauke Ritz, «Vom Niedergang des Westens zur Neuerfindung Europas», 2024

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben.

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

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

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

หลายคนคงคิดว่า อ้าวแล้วเจ้ากรดไฟติกทำไมถึงมีชื่อเสียงไม่ค่อยดีนัก? คำตอบอยู่ที่ “ความสามารถในการจับแร่ธาตุ” ของมันนี่แหละครับ

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

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

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

และอีกด้านหนึ่งที่กำลังเป็นที่สนใจคือ ฤทธิ์ต้านอนุมูลอิสระของกรดไฟติก มันอาจช่วยลดการอักเสบ หรือยับยั้งการเติบโตของเซลล์มะเร็งบางชนิดในระดับเซลล์ได้ มีงานวิจัยที่พบว่ามันอาจไปจับกับธาตุเหล็กส่วนเกินที่ว่ายอยู่ในเลือด ซึ่งเป็นตัวเร่งปฏิกิริยาอนุมูลอิสระ คล้ายช่วย “เก็บเศษเหล็กที่ลอยไปมาบนทางด่วนหลอดเลือด” ให้ปลอดภัยขึ้นอีกนิด

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

แล้วเราจะจัดการยังไงกับกรดไฟติกในครัวแบบบ้านเรา?

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

ข้อมูลคร่าวๆ บอกว่า วิธีเหล่านี้อาจลดกรดไฟติกลงได้ 30-90% ขึ้นกับชนิดของพืช และระยะเวลาที่ใช้

แต่ต้องรู้ไว้ด้วยว่า… การลดกรดไฟติกก็อาจทำให้พลังงานสำรองหรือสารอาหารบางตัวในพืชหายไปด้วยเช่นกัน เช่น วิตามิน B และสารต้านอนุมูลอิสระบางชนิด จึงควรใช้วิธีที่พอเหมาะ ไม่ถึงกับฆ่าความดีของพืชหมด

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

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

/เฮียเอง

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Verstand ohne Gefühl ist unmenschlich; \ Gefühl ohne Verstand ist Dummheit. \ Egon Bahr

Seit Jahren werden wir darauf getrimmt, dass Fakten eigentlich gefühlt seien. Aber nicht alles ist relativ und nicht alles ist nach Belieben interpretierbar. Diese Schokoladenhasen beispielsweise, die an Ostern in unseren Gefilden typisch sind, «ostern» zwar nicht, sondern sie sitzen in der Regel, trotzdem verwandelt sie das nicht in «Sitzhasen».

Nichts soll mehr gelten, außer den immer invasiveren Gesetzen. Die eigenen Traditionen und Wurzeln sind potenziell «pfui», um andere Menschen nicht auszuschließen, aber wir mögen uns toleranterweise an die fremden Symbole und Rituale gewöhnen. Dabei ist es mir prinzipiell völlig egal, ob und wann jemand ein Fastenbrechen feiert, am Karsamstag oder jedem anderen Tag oder nie – aber bitte freiwillig.

Und vor allem: Lasst die Finger von den Kindern! In Bern setzten kürzlich Demonstranten ein Zeichen gegen die zunehmende Verbreitung woker Ideologie im Bildungssystem und forderten ein Ende der sexuellen Indoktrination von Schulkindern.

Wenn es nicht wegen des heiklen Themas Migration oder wegen des Regenbogens ist, dann wegen des Klimas. Im Rahmen der «Netto Null»-Agenda zum Kampf gegen das angeblich teuflische CO2 sollen die Menschen ihre Ernährungsgewohnheiten komplett ändern. Nach dem Willen von Produzenten synthetischer Lebensmittel, wie Bill Gates, sollen wir baldmöglichst praktisch auf Fleisch und alle Milchprodukte wie Milch und Käse verzichten. Ein lukratives Geschäftsmodell, das neben der EU aktuell auch von einem britischen Lobby-Konsortium unterstützt wird.

Sollten alle ideologischen Stricke zu reißen drohen, ist da immer noch «der Putin». Die Unions-Europäer offenbaren sich dabei ständig mehr als Vertreter der Rüstungsindustrie. Allen voran zündelt Deutschland an der Kriegslunte, angeführt von einem scheinbar todesmutigen Kanzlerkandidaten Friedrich Merz. Nach dessen erneuter Aussage, «Taurus»-Marschflugkörper an Kiew liefern zu wollen, hat Russland eindeutig klargestellt, dass man dies als direkte Kriegsbeteiligung werten würde – «mit allen sich daraus ergebenden Konsequenzen für Deutschland».

Wohltuend sind Nachrichten über Aktivitäten, die sich der allgemeinen Kriegstreiberei entgegenstellen oder diese öffentlich hinterfragen. Dazu zählt auch ein Kongress kritischer Psychologen und Psychotherapeuten, der letzte Woche in Berlin stattfand. Die vielen Vorträge im Kontext von «Krieg und Frieden» deckten ein breites Themenspektrum ab, darunter Friedensarbeit oder die Notwendigkeit einer «Pädagogik der Kriegsuntüchtigkeit».

Der heutige «stille Freitag», an dem Christen des Leidens und Sterbens von Jesus gedenken, ist vielleicht unabhängig von jeder religiösen oder spirituellen Prägung eine passende Einladung zur Reflexion. In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft. In diesem Sinne wünsche ich Ihnen frohe Ostertage!

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben und ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Governor Abbott will have to decide whether to sign the bill establishing a bitcoin reserve for the state.

Texas could become the third U.S. state to set up a strategic bitcoin reserve, following the approval of Senate Bill 21 by the state House, with 101 votes in favor and 42 against.

Lee Bratcher, founder and president of the Texas Blockchain Council, expressed confidence that Governor Greg Abbott will sign the legislative measure. In an interview with The Block, Bratcher said:

“I’ve talked to the governor about this personally, and I think he wants to see Texas lead in this way.”

The bill is expected to reach the governor’s desk within a week or two, according to Bratcher’s projections. If signed, Texas would follow in the footsteps of New Hampshire and Arizona in creating a state-held bitcoin reserve.

Despite Texas ranking as the world’s eighth-largest economy — ahead of many nations — the initial approach to the reserve will be cautious. Bratcher estimates the starting investment will be in the “tens of millions of dollars,” an amount he describes as “modest” for an economy the size of Texas. The responsibility for operational decisions would fall to the state comptroller, who acts as an executive accountant in charge of managing and investing public funds.

“My sense is that it will be in the tens of millions of dollars, which, while it sounds significant, is a very modest amount, for a state the size of Texas.” explained the president of the Texas Blockchain Council.

The road to approval

According to Bratcher, the idea of creating a state bitcoin reserve dates back to 2022 and represents the culmination of years of work by the Texas Blockchain Council. The organization has worked closely with lawmakers who shared the vision of seeing the state accumulate the world’s leading cryptocurrency. Additionally, Texas has long been home to numerous bitcoin mining companies.

The post Texas one step away from a bitcoin reserve: only the governor’s signature is missing appeared first on Atlas21.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Zwei mal drei macht vier, \ widewidewitt und drei macht neune, \ ich mach mir die Welt, \ widewide wie sie mir gefällt. \ Pippi Langstrumpf

Egal, ob Koalitionsverhandlungen oder politischer Alltag: Die Kontroversen zwischen theoretisch verschiedenen Parteien verschwinden, wenn es um den Kampf gegen politische Gegner mit Rückenwind geht. Wer den Alteingesessenen die Pfründe ernsthaft streitig machen könnte, gegen den werden nicht nur «Brandmauern» errichtet, sondern der wird notfalls auch strafrechtlich verfolgt. Doppelstandards sind dabei selbstverständlich inklusive.

In Frankreich ist diese Woche Marine Le Pen wegen der Veruntreuung von EU-Geldern von einem Gericht verurteilt worden. Als Teil der Strafe wurde sie für fünf Jahre vom passiven Wahlrecht ausgeschlossen. Obwohl das Urteil nicht rechtskräftig ist – Le Pen kann in Berufung gehen –, haben die Richter das Verbot, bei Wahlen anzutreten, mit sofortiger Wirkung verhängt. Die Vorsitzende des rechtsnationalen Rassemblement National (RN) galt als aussichtsreiche Kandidatin für die Präsidentschaftswahl 2027.

Das ist in diesem Jahr bereits der zweite gravierende Fall von Wahlbeeinflussung durch die Justiz in einem EU-Staat. In Rumänien hatte Călin Georgescu im November die erste Runde der Präsidentenwahl überraschend gewonnen. Das Ergebnis wurde später annulliert, die behauptete «russische Wahlmanipulation» konnte jedoch nicht bewiesen werden. Die Kandidatur für die Wahlwiederholung im Mai wurde Georgescu kürzlich durch das Verfassungsgericht untersagt.

Die Veruntreuung öffentlicher Gelder muss untersucht und geahndet werden, das steht außer Frage. Diese Anforderung darf nicht selektiv angewendet werden. Hingegen mussten wir in der Vergangenheit bei ungleich schwerwiegenderen Fällen von (mutmaßlichem) Missbrauch ganz andere Vorgehensweisen erleben, etwa im Fall der heutigen EZB-Chefin Christine Lagarde oder im «Pfizergate»-Skandal um die Präsidentin der EU-Kommission Ursula von der Leyen.

Wenngleich derartige Angelegenheiten formal auf einer rechtsstaatlichen Grundlage beruhen mögen, so bleibt ein bitterer Beigeschmack. Es stellt sich die Frage, ob und inwieweit die Justiz politisch instrumentalisiert wird. Dies ist umso interessanter, als die Gewaltenteilung einen essenziellen Teil jeder demokratischen Ordnung darstellt, während die Bekämpfung des politischen Gegners mit juristischen Mitteln gerade bei den am lautesten rufenden Verteidigern «unserer Demokratie» populär zu sein scheint.

Die Delegationen von CDU/CSU und SPD haben bei ihren Verhandlungen über eine Regierungskoalition genau solche Maßnahmen diskutiert. «Im Namen der Wahrheit und der Demokratie» möchte man noch härter gegen «Desinformation» vorgehen und dafür zum Beispiel den Digital Services Act der EU erweitern. Auch soll der Tatbestand der Volksverhetzung verschärft werden – und im Entzug des passiven Wahlrechts münden können. Auf europäischer Ebene würde Friedrich Merz wohl gerne Ungarn das Stimmrecht entziehen.

Der Pegel an Unzufriedenheit und Frustration wächst in großen Teilen der Bevölkerung kontinuierlich. Arroganz, Machtmissbrauch und immer abstrusere Ausreden für offensichtlich willkürliche Maßnahmen werden kaum verhindern, dass den etablierten Parteien die Unterstützung entschwindet. In Deutschland sind die Umfrageergebnisse der AfD ein guter Gradmesser dafür.

[Vorlage Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben und ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

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

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

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

แต่เรื่องนี้มีอะไรมากกว่าที่สื่อกระแสหลักอยากให้คุณรู้

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

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

ด้วยโครงสร้าง scaffold ที่ช่วยให้เซลล์ก่อตัวเป็นเนื้อเยื่อ และ กระบวนการเพาะเลี้ยงใน bioreactor ขนาดยักษ์ ที่เปลี่ยนเซลล์เล็ก ๆ ให้เป็นเนื้อก้อนใหญ่ในเวลาไม่กี่สัปดาห์

แต่ขณะที่ภาพความล้ำซึ่งดูจะเติบโตอย่างสดใส กลับมีเงามืดที่เติบโตพร้อมกันไปเงียบๆไม่ต่างกับอนาคินและดาร์ธเวเดอร์

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

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

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

มันไม่ใช่เรื่องของการวิจัยอีกต่อไป แต่มันคือการปูทางอำนาจใหม่ ที่เปลี่ยน “อาหาร” ให้กลายเป็น “ซอฟต์แวร์ชีวภาพ” ที่จดทะเบียนครอบครองสิทธิ์แบบเดียวกับแอปในมือถือ

แล้วการใช้สื่อก็จะมาในรุปแบบที่ประชาชนโห่ร้องดีใจ เฉลิมฉลองการเกิดขึ้นของมันโดยไม่รู้สึกว่า เสรีภาพในการจัดการด้านอาหารสิ้นสุดลงแล้ว ในทางหนึ่ง มันอาจดูสวยงามไร้ที่ติ ช่วยลดการฆ่าสัตว์ ลดการปล่อยก๊าซเรือนกระจก และให้โปรตีนสะอาดแก่คนจำนวนมาก

แต่อีกทางหนึ่ง มันคือการรวมศูนย์อำนาจด้านอาหารไว้ในมือบริษัทยักษ์ใหญ่ ที่สามารถตั้งราคาตามใจ และควบคุมทุกขั้นตอนตั้งแต่ฟาร์ม (ในหลอดทดลอง) ถึงโต๊ะอาหารของเรา

เกษตรกรจะหมดบทบาท เพราะไม่มีใครต้องเลี้ยงสัตว์อีก ผู้บริโภคจะหมดทางเลือก เพราะสูตรทุกอย่างถูกจดสิทธิบัตร สุดท้าย คนธรรมดาอย่างเราอาจ “มีเงินก็ยังไม่มีสิทธิ์ทำอาหารกินเอง”

ไม่มีใครในหมู่บ้านจะต้มแกงจากวัตถุดิบแล็บเหล่านี้ได้โดยไม่จ่ายค่าลิขสิทธิ์ ไม่มีใครปลูกหรือเพาะเนื้อได้เอง เพราะเขาถือสิทธิบัตร ไม่มีใครรู้ส่วนผสมที่แท้จริง เพราะมันคือ “ความลับทางการค้า”

หลายๆคนเริ่มคิดในใจว่า…นี่ไม่ใช่เรื่องเล็กอีกต่อไป เพราะนี่อาจไม่ใช่แค่เนื้อจากห้องแล็บ แต่ มันคือจุดเริ่มต้นของอนาคตของอาหารที่ไม่เป็นของประชาชนอีกต่อไป มันคือการเริ่มต้นของยุคที่มนุษย์จะไม่สามารถ “เข้าครัวของตัวเอง” ได้อีกต่อไป

ไหนๆเราตามมาถึงตอนนี้แล้ว เข้าหมวดที่ 2 ของอาหารอนาคตแล้ว เฮียไม่ได้บอกว่าเทคโนโลยีไม่ดีนะครับ เราตัดสินเดี๋ยวนี้ไม่ได้ แต่เรารู้เรื่องของมันได้

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

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

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

#pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Bitcoin surpasses gold in the United States: 50 million holders and a dominant role in the global market.

According to a new report by River, for the first time in history, the number of Americans owning bitcoin has surpassed that of gold holders. The analysis reveals that approximately 50 million U.S. citizens currently own the cryptocurrency, while gold owners number 37 million. In fact, 14.3% of Americans own bitcoin, the highest percentage of holders worldwide.

Source: River

The report highlights that 40% of all Bitcoin-focused companies are based in the United States, consolidating America’s dominant position in the sector. Additionally, 40.5% of Bitcoin holders are men aged 31 to 35, followed by 35.9% of men aged 41 to 45. In contrast, only 13.4% of holders are women.

Source: River

Notably, U.S. companies hold 94.8% of all bitcoins owned by publicly traded companies worldwide. According to the report, recent regulatory changes in the U.S. have made the asset more accessible through financial products such as spot ETFs.

The document also shows that American investors increasingly view the cryptocurrency as protection against fiscal instability and inflation, appreciating its limited supply and decentralized governance model.

For River, Bitcoin offers significant practical advantages over gold in the modern digital era. Its ease of custody, cross-border transfer, and liquidity make the cryptocurrency an attractive option for both individual and institutional investors, the report suggests.

The post USA: 50 million Americans own bitcoin appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 812cff5a:5c40aeeb

ميزة حسابات Nostr: حرية مطلقة دون تقديم معلومات شخصية

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

مفاتيح بدل الحسابات

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

قابلية التنقل بين التطبيقات

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

لا تسجيل دخول، لا مركزية

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

المرونة والخصوصية

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

خاتمة

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

@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be

ສຳລັບໃຜທີ່ຍັງບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ Bitcoin ຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ, ຫມາຍຄວາມວ່າເຈົ້າຍັງບໍ່ທັນເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າເງິນແມ່ນຫຍັງ, ໃຜເປັນຜູ້ສ້າງມັນ, ແລະເປັນຫຍັງມະນຸດຈຶ່ງຕ້ອງການເງິນ. ມັນເປັນເລື່ອງ scam ທີ່ລະບົບການສຶກສາບໍ່ໄດ້ສອນເລື່ອງສຳຄັນນີ້, ໃນຂະນະທີ່ພວກເຮົາໃຊ້ເວລາເກືອບທັງຊີວິດເພື່ອຫາເງິນ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ, ຂໍແນະນຳໃຫ້ follow the money ແລະ ສຶກສາ Bitcoin ຢ່າງຈິງຈັງ.

Why Bitcoin Matters

Saving is the greatest discovery in human history

ກ່ອນທີ່ມະນຸດຈະຮຽນຮູ້ການເກັບອອມ, ພວກເຮົາເປັນພຽງແຕ່ສັດທີ່ມີຊີວິດຢູ່ແບບວັນຕໍ່ວັນ. ການປະຢັດແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ມະນຸດແຕກຕ່າງຈາກສັດອື່ນ — ຄວາມສາມາດໃນການຄິດກ່ຽວກັບອະນາຄົດ ແລະ ເກັບໄວ້ສຳລັບມື້ຫຼັງ.

Saving created civilization itself

ບໍ່ມີການເກັບອອມ, ບໍ່ມີການສ້າງເມືອງ, ບໍ່ມີວິທະຍາສາດ, ບໍ່ມີສິລະປະ. ທຸກສິ່ງທີ່ເຮົາເອີ້ນວ່າ "ຄວາມກ້າວໜ້າ" ແມ່ນມາຈາກຄວາມສາມາດໃນການຮູ້ຈັກເກັບອອມ.

Money is the greatest creation in human history

ມັນເປັນເຄື່ອງມືທີ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ອາລະຍະທຳມະນຸດກ້າວໜ້າມາເຖິງທຸກມື້ນີ້ ເງິນ ເປັນເຄື່ອງມືທີ່ດີທີ່ສຸດທີ່ມະນຸດໃຊ້ໃນການເກັບອອມ.

Bitcoin is the best money ever created

ມັນແມ່ນເງິນທີ່ສົມບູນແບບທີ່ສຸດທີ່ມະນຸດເຄີຍສ້າງຂຶ້ນມາ. ບໍ່ມີໃຜສາມາດ ຄວບຄຸມ, ຈັດການ, ທຳລາຍ ແລະ ມີຈຳກັດຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ ຄືກັບເວລາໃນຊີວິດ.

Bitcoin ຄືກັບ black hole

ທີ່ຈະດູດເອົາມູນຄ່າທັງໝົດຈາກລະບົບການເງິນທີ່ເສຍຫາຍມັນຈະດູດເອົາຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງແລະມູນຄ່າມາສູ່ຕົວມັນເອງ. ທຸກສິ່ງທີ່ມີມູນຄ່າຈະໄຫຼເຂົ້າສູ່ Bitcoin ໃນທີ່ສຸດ.

Bitcoin ຄືກັບສາດສະໜາພຸດທີ່ຄົ້ນພົບຄວາມຈິງ

ມັນເຮັດໃຫ້ເຂົ້າໃຈຕົ້ນຕໍບັນຫາຂອງລະບົບການເງິນປະຈຸບັນ ແລະ ເກີດເປັນບັນຫາຫລາຍໆຢ່າງໃນສັງຄົມ ດັ່ງກັບພະພຸດທະເຈົ້າທີ່ເຂົ້າໃຈທຸກ ແລະ ເຫດຂອງການເກີດທຸກ.

Bitcoin ຄືອິດສະຫຼະພາບ

ເງິນຄືອຳນາດ, ເງິນຄືສິ່ງຄວບຄຸມພຶດຕິກຳຂອງມະນຸດ ເມື່ອເຮົາມີເງິນທີ່ຮັກສາມູນຄ່າໄດ້ ແລະ ຄວບຄຸມບໍ່ໄດ້ ຈຶ່ງຈະມີຄວາມອິດສະຫຼະທາງຄວາມຄິດ, ການສະແດງອອກ, ແລະ ອຳນາດໃນການເລືອກ.

ຫນີ້ສິນທີ່ມະນຸດສ້າງຂຶ້ນໃນປະຈຸບັນນີ້ ໃຊ້ເວລາອີກພັນປີກໍ່ໄຊ້ຫນີ້ບໍ່ໝົດ

ມັນບໍ່ມີທາງອອກ ແລະ ກຳລັງມຸ່ງໜ້າສູ່ການລົ່ມສະລາຍຢ່າງຮ້າຍແຮງ. Bitcoin ຄືແສງສະຫວ່າງທີ່ຈະຊ່ວຍປ້ອງກັນບໍ່ໃຫ້ມະນຸດເຂົ້າສູ່ຍຸກມືດມົວອີກຄັ້ງ.

Bitcoin cannot steal your time

ມັນບໍ່ສາມາດຖືກສ້າງຂຶ້ນຈາກຄວາມຫວ່າງເປົ່າ. ທຸກ Bitcoin ຕ້ອງໃຊ້ພະລັງງານແລະເວລາທີ່ແທ້ຈິງໃນການສ້າງ.

Bitcoin ຄືປະກັນໄພທີ່ປ້ອງກັນການບໍລິຫານທີ່ຜິດພາດ

ມັນຊ່ວຍປ້ອງກັນຄວາມເສື່ອມໂຊມຂອງເງິນຕາ, ເສດຖະກິດທີ່ຕົກຕ່ຳ ແລະ ນະໂຍບາຍທີ່ຜິດພາດ, Bitcoin ຈະປົກປ້ອງຄຸນຄ່າຂອງເຈົ້າ.

Bitcoin is going to absorb the world's value

ໃນທີ່ສຸດ, Bitcoin ຈະກາຍເປັນທີ່ເກັບຮັກສາມູນຄ່າຂອງໂລກທັງໝົດ. ມັນຈະດູດເອົາຄວາມມັ່ງຄັ່ງຈາກທຸກຊັບສິນ, ທຸກລາຄາ, ແລະທຸກການລົງທຶນ.

Exit The Matrix

ພວກເຮົາອາໄສຢູ່ໃນ Matrix ທາງດ້ານການເງິນ. ທຸກໆມື້ພວກເຮົາຕື່ນຂຶ້ນມາແລະໄປເຮັດວຽກ, ຄິດວ່າເຮົາກຳລັງສ້າງອະນາຄົດໃຫ້ຕົວເອງ. ແຕ່ຄວາມຈິງແລ້ວ, ພວກເຮົາພຽງແຕ່ກຳລັງໃຫ້ພະລັງງານແກ່ລະບົບທີ່ຂູດເອົາຄຸນຄ່າຈາກພວກເຮົາທຸກວິນາທີ. Bitcoin is the red pill — ມັນຈະເປີດຕາໃຫ້ເຈົ້າເຫັນຄວາມຈິງຂອງໂລກການເງິນ. Central banks are the architects of this Matrix — ພວກເຂົາສ້າງເງິນຈາກຄວາມຫວ່າງເປົ່າ, ແລະພວກເຮົາຕ້ອງເຮັດວຽກໜັກເພື່ອໄດ້ມັນມາ.

ລະບົບການສຶກສາໄດ້ຫຼອກລວງເຮົາຢ່າງໃຫຍ່ຫຼວງ. ພວກເຂົາສອນໃຫ້ເຮົາເຮັດວຽກເພື່ອຫາເງິນ, ແຕ່ບໍ່ເຄີຍສອນວ່າເງິນແມ່ນຫຍັງ. ເຮົາໃຊ້ເວລາ 12-16 ປີໃນໂຮງຮຽນ, ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນໃຊ້ເວລາທັງຊີວິດເພື່ອຫາເງິນ, ແຕ່ບໍ່ເຄີຍຮູ້ຈັກວ່າມັນແມ່ນຫຍັງ, ໃຜສ້າງ, ແລະເປັນຫຍັງມັນມີຄຸນຄ່າ.This is the biggest scam in human history ພວກເຮົາຖືກສອນໃຫ້ເປັນທາດຂອງລະບົບ, ແຕ່ບໍ່ໄດ້ຮັບການສອນໃຫ້ເຂົ້າໃຈລະບົບ.

The Bitcoin standard will end war

ເມື່ອບໍ່ສາມາດພິມເງິນເພື່ອສົງຄາມແລ້ວ, ສົງຄາມຈະກາຍເປັນສິ່ງທີ່ແພງເກີນໄປ.

ພວກເຮົາກຳລັງເຂົ້າສູ່ຍຸກ Bitcoin Renaissance

ຍຸກແຫ່ງການຟື້ນຟູທາງດ້ານການເງິນແລະປັນຍາ. Bitcoin is creating a new class of humans ຄົນທີ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ ແລະ ຖື Bitcoin ຈະກາຍເປັນຊົນຊັ້ນໃໝ່ທີ່ມີອິດສະຫຼະພາບຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ.

The Path to Financial Truth

Follow the money trail ແລະເຈົ້າຈະເຫັນຄວາມຈິງ:

• ໃຜຄວບຄຸມການພິມເງິນ?
• ເປັນຫຍັງລາຄາສິນຄ້າຂຶ້ນສູງຂຶ້ນເລື້ອຍໆ?
• ເປັນຫຍັງຄົນທຸກທຸກກວ່າເກົ່າ ແລະຄົນຮັ່ງມີຮັ່ງມີກວ່າເກົ່າ?

ຄຳຕອບທັງໝົດແມ່ນຢູ່ໃນການທຳຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈເລື່ອງເງິນ ແລະ Bitcoin.

ການສຶກສາ Bitcoin ບໍ່ແມ່ນພຽງແຕ່ການລົງທຶນ — ມັນແມ່ນການເຂົ້າໃຈອະນາຄົດຂອງເງິນຕາ ແລະ ສັງຄົມມະນຸດ.

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

ຖ້າເຈົ້າບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈເງິນ, ເຈົ້າຈະເປັນທາດຂອງລະບົບຕະຫຼອດໄປ. ຖ້າເຈົ້າເຂົ້າໃຈ Bitcoin, ເຈົ້າຈະໄດ້ຮັບອິດສະຫຼະພາບ.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Spanien bleibt einer der Vorreiter im europäischen Prozess der totalen Überwachung per Digitalisierung. Seit Mittwoch ist dort der digitale Personalausweis verfügbar. Dabei handelt es sich um eine Regierungs-App, die auf dem Smartphone installiert werden muss und in den Stores von Google und Apple zu finden ist. Per Dekret von Regierungschef Pedro Sánchez und Zustimmung des Ministerrats ist diese Maßnahme jetzt in Kraft getreten.

Mit den üblichen Argumenten der Vereinfachung, des Komforts, der Effizienz und der Sicherheit preist das Innenministerium die «Innovation» an. Auch die Beteuerung, dass die digitale Variante parallel zum physischen Ausweis existieren wird und diesen nicht ersetzen soll, fehlt nicht. Während der ersten zwölf Monate wird «der Neue» noch nicht für alle Anwendungsfälle gültig sein, ab 2026 aber schon.

Dass die ganze Sache auch «Risiken und Nebenwirkungen» haben könnte, wird in den Mainstream-Medien eher selten thematisiert. Bestenfalls wird der Aspekt der Datensicherheit angesprochen, allerdings in der Regel direkt mit dem Regierungsvokabular von den «maximalen Sicherheitsgarantien» abgehandelt. Dennoch gibt es einige weitere Aspekte, die Bürger mit etwas Sinn für Privatsphäre bedenken sollten.

Um sich die digitale Version des nationalen Ausweises besorgen zu können (eine App mit dem Namen MiDNI), muss man sich vorab online registrieren. Dabei wird die Identität des Bürgers mit seiner mobilen Telefonnummer verknüpft. Diese obligatorische fixe Verdrahtung kennen wir von diversen anderen Apps und Diensten. Gleichzeitig ist das die Basis für eine perfekte Lokalisierbarkeit der Person.

Für jeden Vorgang der Identifikation in der Praxis wird später «eine Verbindung zu den Servern der Bundespolizei aufgebaut». Die Daten des Individuums werden «in Echtzeit» verifiziert und im Erfolgsfall von der Polizei signiert zurückgegeben. Das Ergebnis ist ein QR-Code mit zeitlich begrenzter Gültigkeit, der an Dritte weitergegeben werden kann.

Bei derartigen Szenarien sträuben sich einem halbwegs kritischen Staatsbürger die Nackenhaare. Allein diese minimale Funktionsbeschreibung lässt die totale Überwachung erkennen, die damit ermöglicht wird. Jede Benutzung des Ausweises wird künftig registriert, hinterlässt also Spuren. Und was ist, wenn die Server der Polizei einmal kein grünes Licht geben? Das wäre spätestens dann ein Problem, wenn der digitale doch irgendwann der einzig gültige Ausweis ist: Dann haben wir den abschaltbaren Bürger.

Dieser neue Vorstoß der Regierung von Pedro Sánchez ist ein weiterer Schritt in Richtung der «totalen Digitalisierung» des Landes, wie diese Politik in manchen Medien – nicht einmal kritisch, sondern sehr naiv – genannt wird. Ebenso verharmlosend wird auch erwähnt, dass sich das spanische Projekt des digitalen Ausweises nahtlos in die Initiativen der EU zu einer digitalen Identität für alle Bürger sowie des digitalen Euro einreiht.

In Zukunft könnte der neue Ausweis «auch in andere staatliche und private digitale Plattformen integriert werden», wie das Medienportal Cope ganz richtig bemerkt. Das ist die Perspektive.

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

Dazu passend:

Nur Abschied vom Alleinfahren? Monströse spanische Überwachungsprojekte gemäß EU-Norm

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben und ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ b7274d28:c99628cb

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

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

Installation

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

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

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

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

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

Home Page

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

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

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

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

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

Installed Apps

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

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

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

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

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

Settings

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

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

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

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

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

@ aa8de34f:a6ffe696

In seinem Beitrag vom 30. März 2025 fragt Henning Rosenbusch auf Telegram angesichts zunehmender digitaler Kontrolle und staatlicher Allmacht:

„Wie soll sich gegen eine solche Tyrannei noch ein Widerstand formieren können, selbst im Untergrund? Sehe ich nicht.“\ (Quelle: t.me/rosenbusch/25228)

Er beschreibt damit ein Gefühl der Ohnmacht, das viele teilen: Eine Welt, in der Totalitarismus nicht mehr mit Panzern, sondern mit Algorithmen kommt. Wo Zugriff auf Geld, Meinungsfreiheit und Teilhabe vom Wohlverhalten abhängt. Der Bürger als kontrollierbare Variable im Code des Staates.\ Die Frage ist berechtigt. Doch die Antwort darauf liegt nicht in alten Widerstandsbildern – sondern in einer neuen Realität.

-- Denn es braucht keinen Untergrund mehr. --

Der Widerstand der Zukunft trägt keinen Tarnanzug. Er ist nicht konspirativ, sondern transparent. Nicht bewaffnet, sondern mathematisch beweisbar. Bitcoin steht nicht am Rand dieser Entwicklung – es ist ihr Fundament. Eine Bastion aus physikalischer Realität, spieltheoretischem Schutz und ökonomischer Wahrheit. Es ist nicht unfehlbar, aber unbestechlich. Nicht perfekt, aber immun gegen zentrale Willkür.

Hier entsteht kein „digitales Gegenreich“, sondern eine dezentrale Renaissance. Keine Revolte aus Wut, sondern eine stille Abkehr: von Zwang zu Freiwilligkeit, von Abhängigkeit zu Selbstverantwortung. Diese Revolution führt keine Kriege. Sie braucht keine Führer. Sie ist ein Netzwerk. Jeder Knoten ein Individuum. Jede Entscheidung ein Akt der Selbstermächtigung.

Weltweit wachsen Freiheits-Zitadellen aus dieser Idee: wirtschaftlich autark, digital souverän, lokal verankert und global vernetzt. Sie sind keine Utopien im luftleeren Raum, sondern konkrete Realitäten – angetrieben von Energie, Code und dem menschlichen Wunsch nach Würde.

Der Globalismus alter Prägung – zentralistisch, monopolistisch, bevormundend – wird an seiner eigenen Hybris zerbrechen. Seine Werkzeuge der Kontrolle werden ihn nicht retten. Im Gegenteil: Seine Geister werden ihn verfolgen und erlegen.

Und während die alten Mächte um Erhalt kämpfen, wächst eine neue Welt – nicht im Schatten, sondern im Offenen. Nicht auf Gewalt gebaut, sondern auf Mathematik, Physik und Freiheit.

Die Tyrannei sieht keinen Widerstand.\ Weil sie nicht erkennt, dass er längst begonnen hat.\ Unwiderruflich. Leise. Überall.

@ b7274d28:c99628cb

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

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

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

Installation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Nostrich

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Existing Nostrich

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Backing Up Your Identity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Additional Settings

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

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

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

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

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

Zapstore Login

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Michigan lawmakers are unveiling a comprehensive strategy to regulate Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

On May 21, Republican Representative Bill Schuette introduced House Bill 4510, a proposal to amend the Michigan Public Employee Retirement System Investment Act. The legislation would allow the state treasurer, currently Rachael Eubanks, to diversify the state’s investments by including cryptocurrencies with an average market capitalization of over $250 million in the past calendar year.

Under current criteria, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) are the only cryptocurrencies that meet these selection standards. The proposal specifies that any investment in digital assets must be made through exchange-traded products (spot ETFs) issued by registered investment companies.

Anti-CBDC legislation

Republican Representative Bryan Posthumus is leading the bipartisan initiative behind the second bill, HB 4511, which establishes protections for cryptocurrency holders. The proposal prohibits Michigan from implementing crypto bans or imposing licensing requirements on digital asset holders.

Another key aspect of the legislation is a ban on state officials from supporting or promoting a potential federal central bank digital currency (CBDC). The definition includes the issuance of memorandums or official statements endorsing CBDC proposals related to testing, adoption, or implementation.

Mining and redevelopment of abandoned sites

The third bill, HB 4512, is a proposal led by Democratic Representative Mike McFall for a bipartisan group. This initiative would establish a Bitcoin mining program allowing operators to use abandoned oil and natural gas sites.

The program calls for the appointment of a supervisor tasked with assessing the site’s remaining productive potential, identifying the last operator, and determining the length of abandonment. Prospective participants would need to submit detailed legal documentation of their organizational structure, demonstrate operational expertise in mining, and provide profitability breakeven estimates for their ventures.

The fourth and final bill, HB 4513, also introduced by the bipartisan group led by McFall, focuses on the fiscal aspect of the HB 4512 initiative. The proposal would amend Michigan’s income tax laws to include proceeds generated from the proposed Bitcoin mining program.

The post Michigan: four bills on pension funds, CBDCs, and mining appeared first on Atlas21.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

A fake Uber driver steals $73,000 in XRP and $50,000 in Bitcoin after drugging an American tourist.

A U.S. citizen vacationing in the United Kingdom fell victim to a scam that cost him $123,000 in cryptocurrencies stored on his smartphone. The man was drugged by an individual posing as an Uber driver.

According to My London, Jacob Irwin-Cline had spent the evening at a London nightclub, consuming several alcoholic drinks before requesting an Uber ride home. The victim admitted he hadn’t carefully verified the booking details on his device, mistakenly getting into a private taxi driven by someone who, at first glance, resembled the expected Uber driver but was using a completely different vehicle.

Once inside the car, the American tourist reported that the driver offered him a cigarette, allegedly laced with scopolamine — a rare and powerful sedative. Irwin-Cline described how the smoke made him extremely docile and fatigued, causing him to lose consciousness for around half an hour.

Upon waking, the driver ordered the victim to get out of the vehicle. As Irwin-Cline stepped out, the man suddenly accelerated, running him over and fleeing with his mobile phone, which contained the private keys and access to his cryptocurrencies. Screenshots provided to MyLondon show that $73,000 worth of XRP and $50,000 in bitcoin had been transferred to various wallets.

This incident adds to a growing trend of kidnappings, extortions, armed robberies, and ransom attempts targeting crypto executives, investors, and their families.

Just a few weeks ago, the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, CEO of crypto exchange Paymium, were targeted in a kidnapping attempt in Paris. The incident took place in broad daylight when attackers tried to force the family into a parked vehicle. However, Noizat’s daughter managed to fight off the assailants.

The post American tourist drugged and robbed: $123,000 in crypto stolen in London appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be

ກຸນແຈສຳຄັນແມ່ນການເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າແສງແດດບໍ່ແມ່ນສິ່ງດຽວ—ມັນແມ່ນຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ທີ່ສັບສົນທີ່ເຮັດວຽກຮ່ວມກັນຄືດັ່ງດົນຕີສຳລັບສຸຂະພາບຂອງມະນຸດ.

ວົງດົນຕີສຸຂະພາບຂອງດວງອາທິດ

ແສງຕອນເຊົ້າ (ແສງແດງ/ແສງອິນຟາເຣດໃກ້): ແສງແດງອ່ອນໂຍນຂອງຕອນແລງແລະຄຳ່ທີ່ປະກອບສ້າງ 90% ຂອງການປ່ອຍແສງຂອງດວງອາທິດ. ຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ນີ້ເຮັດໜ້າທີ່ຄືການປັບແຕ່ງເຊວລ໌, ເພີ່ມການຜະລິດພະລັງງານມີໂຕຄອນເດຍແລະກະກຽມຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານສຳລັບມື້ທີ່ຈະມາເຖິງ. ຄິດໃສ່ວ່າມັນແມ່ນການກະກຽມເຄື່ອງຈັກເຊວລ໌ຂອງທ່ານ.

ແສງຕອນກາງວັນ (ແສງ UV/ແສງສີຟ້າ): ແສງອາທິດທີ່ເຂັ້ມຂົ້ນຕອນກາງວັນສົ່ງມອບແສງອຸນຕາລະວິໂອເລດທີ່ຜະລິດວິຕາມິນ D—ຮໍໂມນທີ່ສຳຄັນຫຼາຍທີ່ເກືອບທຸກເຊວລ໌ໃນຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານມີຕົວຮັບສຳລັບມັນ. ເຖິງແມ່ນວ່າມັນຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າ "ວິຕາມິນ," ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານຜະລິດວິຕາມິນ D ສ່ວນໃຫຍ່ຜ່ານການສຳຜັດຜິວໜັງກັບແສງ UVB. ນີ້ບໍ່ແມ່ນພຽງແຕ່ເລື່ອງສຸຂະພາບກະດູກ—ການຂາດວິຕາມິນ D ໄດ້ຖືກເຊື່ອມໂຍງກັບມະເຮັງ, ໂຣກພູມຄຸ້ມກັນຕົນເອງ, ໂຣກຫົວໃຈແລະເສັ້ນເລືອດ, ແລະການເພີ່ມຂຶ້ນຂອງການເສຍຊີວິດຈາກທຸກສາເຫດ. ວິຕາມິນ D ທີ່ຜະລິດຕາມທຳມະຊາດຈາກແສງແດດແກ່ຍາວ 2-3 ເທົ່າໃນຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານເມື່ອທຽບກັບຢາເສີມ, ສະແດງໃຫ້ເຫັນວ່າເປັນຫຍັງການສຳຜັດແສງແດດຕາມທຳມະຊາດຈຶ່ງດີກວ່າຢາເສີມ.

ແສງ UV ຍັງກະຕຸ້ນການຜະລິດເມລານິນ, ທີ່ເຮັດໜ້າທີ່ເປັນແບັດເຕີຣີທຳມະຊາດ, ເກັບຮັກສາອີເລັກຕຣອນທີ່ໃຫ້ພະລັງງານແກ່ມີໂຕຄອນເດຍຂອງທ່ານ. ໃນຂະນະທີ່ແສງສີຟ້າຮັບໃຊ້ຈຸດປະສົງຄູ່: ມັນຮັກສາໃຫ້ທ່ານຕື່ນຕົວໃນຕອນກາງວັນໃນຂະນະທີ່ຂັດຂວາງການຜະລິດເມລາໂທນິນ. ແຕ່ວ່າ, ແສງສີຟ້າມີດ້ານມືດ—ການສຶກສາສະແດງວ່າມັນສາມາດເຮັດໃຫ້ເກີດຄວາມເສຍຫາຍຂອງ DNA ແລະສ້າງສິ່ງທີ່ເປັນອັນຕະລາຍທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າສະສາລະອົກຊິເຈນປະຕິກິລິຍາຢູ່ທັງຜິວໜັງແລະຕາ, ຄ້າຍຄືກັບລັງສີ UV. ນີ້ແມ່ນເຫດຜົນທີ່ການສຳຜັດແສງສີຟ້າໂດດດ່ຽວ (ເຊັ່ນຈາກໜ້າຈໍ) ໂດຍບໍ່ມີຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ປ້ອງກັນຂອງແສງອາທິດສາມາດເປັນອັນຕະລາຍໂດຍສະເພາະ.

ການປ່ຽນແປງຕອນແລງ: ເມື່ອແສງສີຟ້າຫຼຸດລົງໃນຕອນແລງ, ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານເລີ່ມຜະລິດເມລາໂທນິນ, ທີມງານທຳຄວາມສະອາດເຊວລ໌ທີ່ເອົາຜະລິດຕະພັນພິດທີ່ສະສົມໃນລະຫວ່າງການຜະລິດພະລັງງານຂອງມື້ອອກ.

ວິກິດການແສງສະໄໝໃໝ່

ມະນຸດສະໄໝໃໝ່ໃຊ້ເວລາ 93% ຢູ່ໃນເຮືອນ, ສ້າງຄວາມບໍ່ສົມດູນຂອງແສງທີ່ເປັນອັນຕະລາຍ. ພວກເຮົາໄດ້ປ່ຽນໝໍ້ແສງໄຟແກ້ວທີ່ມີປະໂຫຍດດ້ວຍ LED ທີ່ຂາດຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ແສງອິນຟາເຣດໃກ້ທີ່ປ້ອງກັນ, ໃນຂະນະທີ່ແສງສີຟ້າປອມຈາກໜ້າຈໍຂັດຂວາງການຜະລິດເມລາໂທນິນຕາມທຳມະຊາດຂອງພວກເຮົາໃນຕອນກາງຄືນ. ນີ້ສ້າງພາຍຸທີ່ສົມບູນແບບ: ຄວາມເຄັ່ງຕຶງຈາກການເກີດອົກຊິເດຊັນໂດຍບໍ່ມີກົນໄກການທຳຄວາມສະອາດຕາມທຳມະຊາດ, ການຂາດວິຕາມິນ D, ແລະການຂາດຄື່ນຄວາມຖີ່ປ້ອງກັນຕອນເຊົ້າທີ່ກະກຽມຮ່າງກາຍຂອງພວກເຮົາສຳລັບການສຳຜັດແສງແດດ.

ທາງແກ້ໄຂຕາມທຳມະຊາດ

ການຄົ້ນຄວ້າຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນວິທີການງ່າຍໆ: ຮັບເອົາຈັງຫວະຕາມທຳມະຊາດຂອງດວງອາທິດ. ເລີ່ມມື້ຂອງທ່ານດ້ວຍການສຳຜັດແສງຕອນເຊົ້າເພື່ອກະກຽມມີໂຕຄອນເດຍຂອງທ່ານ. ຍອມຮັບວ່າແສງແດດຕອນກາງວັນບາງຢ່າງໃຫ້ວິຕາມິນ D ແລະເມລານິນທີ່ຈຳເປັນ. ຄ່ອຍໆຜ່ອນຄາຍເມື່ອແສງແລງຫຼຸດລົງ, ອະນຸຍາດໃຫ້ມີການຜະລິດເມລາໂທນິນຕາມທຳມະຊາດ.

ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານພັດທະນາມາຫຼາຍລ້ານປີກັບວົງຈອນແສງນີ້. ໃນຂະນະທີ່ພວກເຮົາບໍ່ສາມາດປະຖິ້ມຊີວິດທີ່ທັນສະໄໝໄດ້, ພວກເຮົາສາມາດເຄົາລົບຄວາມຕ້ອງການທາງຊີວະວິທະຍາຂອງພວກເຮົາສຳລັບແສງແດດແບບຄົບຖ້ວນ. ຫຼັງຈາກທັງໝົດ, ທຸກເຊວລ໌ໃນຮ່າງກາຍຂອງທ່ານແລ່ນດ້ວຍພະລັງງານ, ແລະດວງອາທິດຍັງຄົງເປັນແຫຼ່ງພະລັງງານຫຼັກຂອງໂລກພວກເຮົາ. ໃນໂລກເທັກໂນໂລຢີສູງຂອງພວກເຮົາ, ພວກເຮົາຕ້ອງຈື່ຄູ່ຮ່ວມງານບູຮານລະຫວ່າງສຸຂະພາບຂອງມະນຸດກໍຄືແສງແດດ.

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Der Irrsinn ist bei Einzelnen etwas Seltenes – \ aber bei Gruppen, Parteien, Völkern, Zeiten die Regel. \ Friedrich Nietzsche

Erinnern Sie sich an die Horrorkomödie «Scary Movie»? Nicht, dass ich diese Art Filme besonders erinnerungswürdig fände, aber einige Szenen daraus sind doch gewissermaßen Klassiker. Dazu zählt eine, die das Verhalten vieler Protagonisten in Horrorfilmen parodiert, wenn sie in Panik flüchten. Welchen Weg nimmt wohl die Frau in der Situation auf diesem Bild?

Diese Szene kommt mir automatisch in den Sinn, wenn ich aktuelle Entwicklungen in Europa betrachte. Weitreichende Entscheidungen gehen wider jede Logik in die völlig falsche Richtung. Nur ist das hier alles andere als eine Komödie, sondern bitterernst. Dieser Horror ist leider sehr real.

Die Europäische Union hat sich selbst über Jahre konsequent in eine Sackgasse manövriert. Sie hat es versäumt, sich und ihre Politik selbstbewusst und im Einklang mit ihren Wurzeln auf dem eigenen Kontinent zu positionieren. Stattdessen ist sie in blinder Treue den vermeintlichen «transatlantischen Freunden» auf ihrem Konfrontationskurs gen Osten gefolgt.

In den USA haben sich die Vorzeichen allerdings mittlerweile geändert, und die einst hoch gelobten «Freunde und Partner» erscheinen den europäischen «Führern» nicht mehr vertrauenswürdig. Das ist spätestens seit der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz, der Rede von Vizepräsident J. D. Vance und den empörten Reaktionen offensichtlich. Große Teile Europas wirken seitdem wie ein aufgescheuchter Haufen kopfloser Hühner. Orientierung und Kontrolle sind völlig abhanden gekommen.

Statt jedoch umzukehren oder wenigstens zu bremsen und vielleicht einen Abzweig zu suchen, geben die Crash-Piloten jetzt auf dem Weg durch die Sackgasse erst richtig Gas. Ja sie lösen sogar noch die Sicherheitsgurte und deaktivieren die Airbags. Den vor Angst dauergelähmten Passagieren fällt auch nichts Besseres ein und so schließen sie einfach die Augen. Derweil übertrumpfen sich die Kommentatoren des Events gegenseitig in sensationslüsterner «Berichterstattung».

Wie schon die deutsche Außenministerin mit höchsten UN-Ambitionen, Annalena Baerbock, proklamiert auch die Europäische Kommission einen «Frieden durch Stärke». Zu dem jetzt vorgelegten, selbstzerstörerischen Fahrplan zur Ankurbelung der Rüstungsindustrie, genannt «Weißbuch zur europäischen Verteidigung – Bereitschaft 2030», erklärte die Kommissionspräsidentin, die «Ära der Friedensdividende» sei längst vorbei. Soll das heißen, Frieden bringt nichts ein? Eine umfassende Zusammenarbeit an dauerhaften europäischen Friedenslösungen steht demnach jedenfalls nicht zur Debatte.

Zusätzlich brisant ist, dass aktuell «die ganze EU von Deutschen regiert wird», wie der EU-Parlamentarier und ehemalige UN-Diplomat Michael von der Schulenburg beobachtet hat. Tatsächlich sitzen neben von der Leyen und Strack-Zimmermann noch einige weitere Deutsche in – vor allem auch in Krisenzeiten – wichtigen Spitzenposten der Union. Vor dem Hintergrund der Kriegstreiberei in Deutschland muss eine solche Dominanz mindestens nachdenklich stimmen.

Ihre ursprünglichen Grundwerte wie Demokratie, Freiheit, Frieden und Völkerverständigung hat die EU kontinuierlich in leere Worthülsen verwandelt. Diese werden dafür immer lächerlicher hochgehalten und beschworen.

Es wird dringend Zeit, dass wir, der Souverän, diesem erbärmlichen und gefährlichen Trauerspiel ein Ende setzen und die Fäden selbst in die Hand nehmen. In diesem Sinne fordert uns auch das «European Peace Project» auf, am 9. Mai im Rahmen eines Kunstprojekts den Frieden auszurufen. Seien wir dabei!

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben und ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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Wir werden nicht zulassen, dass technisch manches möglich ist, \ aber der Staat es nicht nutzt. \ Angela Merkel

Die Modalverben zu erklären, ist im Deutschunterricht manchmal nicht ganz einfach. Nicht alle Fremdsprachen unterscheiden zum Beispiel bei der Frage nach einer Möglichkeit gleichermaßen zwischen «können» im Sinne von «die Gelegenheit, Kenntnis oder Fähigkeit haben» und «dürfen» als «die Erlaubnis oder Berechtigung haben». Das spanische Wort «poder» etwa steht für beides.

Ebenso ist vielen Schülern auf den ersten Blick nicht recht klar, dass das logische Gegenteil von «müssen» nicht unbedingt «nicht müssen» ist, sondern vielmehr «nicht dürfen». An den Verkehrsschildern lässt sich so etwas meistens recht gut erklären: Manchmal muss man abbiegen, aber manchmal darf man eben nicht.

Dieses Beispiel soll ein wenig die Verwirrungstaktik veranschaulichen, die in der Politik gerne verwendet wird, um unpopuläre oder restriktive Maßnahmen Stück für Stück einzuführen. Zuerst ist etwas einfach innovativ und bringt viele Vorteile. Vor allem ist es freiwillig, jeder kann selber entscheiden, niemand muss mitmachen. Später kann man zunehmend weniger Alternativen wählen, weil sie verschwinden, und irgendwann verwandelt sich alles andere in «nicht dürfen» – die Maßnahme ist obligatorisch.

Um die Durchsetzung derartiger Initiativen strategisch zu unterstützen und nett zu verpacken, gibt es Lobbyisten, gerne auch NGOs genannt. Dass das «NG» am Anfang dieser Abkürzung übersetzt «Nicht-Regierungs-» bedeutet, ist ein Anachronismus. Das war vielleicht früher einmal so, heute ist eher das Gegenteil gemeint.

In unserer modernen Zeit wird enorm viel Lobbyarbeit für die Digitalisierung praktisch sämtlicher Lebensbereiche aufgewendet. Was das auf dem Sektor der Mobilität bedeuten kann, haben wir diese Woche anhand aktueller Entwicklungen in Spanien beleuchtet. Begründet teilweise mit Vorgaben der Europäischen Union arbeitet man dort fleißig an einer «neuen Mobilität», basierend auf «intelligenter» technologischer Infrastruktur. Derartige Anwandlungen wurden auch schon als «Technofeudalismus» angeprangert.

Nationale Zugangspunkte für Mobilitätsdaten im Sinne der EU gibt es nicht nur in allen Mitgliedsländern, sondern auch in der Schweiz und in Großbritannien. Das Vereinigte Königreich beteiligt sich darüber hinaus an anderen EU-Projekten für digitale Überwachungs- und Kontrollmaßnahmen, wie dem biometrischen Identifizierungssystem für «nachhaltigen Verkehr und Tourismus».

Natürlich marschiert auch Deutschland stracks und euphorisch in Richtung digitaler Zukunft. Ohne vernetzte Mobilität und einen «verlässlichen Zugang zu Daten, einschließlich Echtzeitdaten» komme man in der Verkehrsplanung und -steuerung nicht aus, erklärt die Regierung. Der Interessenverband der IT-Dienstleister Bitkom will «die digitale Transformation der deutschen Wirtschaft und Verwaltung vorantreiben». Dazu bewirbt er unter anderem die Konzepte Smart City, Smart Region und Smart Country und behauptet, deutsche Großstädte «setzen bei Mobilität voll auf Digitalisierung».

Es steht zu befürchten, dass das umfassende Sammeln, Verarbeiten und Vernetzen von Daten, das angeblich die Menschen unterstützen soll (und theoretisch ja auch könnte), eher dazu benutzt wird, sie zu kontrollieren und zu manipulieren. Je elektrischer und digitaler unsere Umgebung wird, desto größer sind diese Möglichkeiten. Im Ergebnis könnten solche Prozesse den Bürger nicht nur einschränken oder überflüssig machen, sondern in mancherlei Hinsicht regelrecht abschalten. Eine gesunde Skepsis ist also geboten.

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben. Er ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Banking giants JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo are in talks to develop a unified stablecoin solution.

According to the Wall Street Journal on May 22, some of the largest financial institutions in the United States are exploring the possibility of joining forces to launch a stablecoin.

Subsidiaries of JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo have initiated preliminary discussions for a joint stablecoin issuance, according to sources close to the matter cited by the WSJ. Also at the negotiating table are Early Warning Services, the parent company of the digital payments network Zelle, and the payment network Clearing House.

The talks are reportedly still in the early stages, and any final decision could change depending on regulatory developments and market demand for stablecoins.

Stablecoin regulation

On May 20, the US Senate voted 66 to 32 to advance discussion of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act), a specific law to regulate stablecoins. The bill outlines a regulatory framework for stablecoin collateralization and mandates compliance with anti-money laundering rules.

David Sacks, White House crypto advisor, expressed optimism about the bill’s bipartisan approval. However, senior Democratic Party officials intend to amend the bill to include a clause preventing former President Donald Trump and other US officials from profiting from stablecoins.

Demand for stablecoins has increased, with total market capitalization rising to $245 billion from $205 billion at the beginning of the year, a 20% increase.

The post Major US banks consider launching a joint stablecoin appeared first on Atlas21.

@ aa8de34f:a6ffe696

19. März 2025

🔐 1. SHA-256 is Quantum-Resistant

Bitcoin’s proof-of-work mechanism relies on SHA-256, a hashing algorithm. Even with a powerful quantum computer, SHA-256 remains secure because:

• Quantum computers excel at factoring large numbers (Shor’s Algorithm).
• However, SHA-256 is a one-way function, meaning there's no known quantum algorithm that can efficiently reverse it.
• Grover’s Algorithm (which theoretically speeds up brute force attacks) would still require 2¹²⁸ operations to break SHA-256 – far beyond practical reach.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

🔑 2. Public Key Vulnerability – But Only If You Reuse Addresses

Bitcoin uses Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) to generate keys.

• A quantum computer could use Shor’s Algorithm to break SECP256K1, the curve Bitcoin uses.
• If you never reuse addresses, it is an additional security element
• 🔑 1. Bitcoin Addresses Are NOT Public Keys

Many people assume a Bitcoin address is the public key—this is wrong.

• When you receive Bitcoin, it is sent to a hashed public key (the Bitcoin address).
• The actual public key is never exposed because it is the Bitcoin Adress who addresses the Public Key which never reveals the creation of a public key by a spend
• Bitcoin uses Pay-to-Public-Key-Hash (P2PKH) or newer methods like Pay-to-Witness-Public-Key-Hash (P2WPKH), which add extra layers of security.

🕵️♂️ 2.1 The Public Key Never Appears

• When you send Bitcoin, your wallet creates a digital signature.
• This signature uses the private key to prove ownership.
• The Bitcoin address is revealed and creates the Public Key
• The public key remains hidden inside the Bitcoin script and Merkle tree.

This means: ✔ The public key is never exposed. ✔ Quantum attackers have nothing to target, attacking a Bitcoin Address is a zero value game.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

🔄 3. Bitcoin Can Upgrade

Even if quantum computers eventually become a real threat:

• Bitcoin developers can upgrade to quantum-safe cryptography (e.g., lattice-based cryptography or post-quantum signatures like Dilithium).
• Bitcoin’s decentralized nature ensures a network-wide soft fork or hard fork could transition to quantum-resistant keys.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

⏳ 4. The 10-Minute Block Rule as a Security Feature

• Bitcoin’s network operates on a 10-minute block interval, meaning:Even if an attacker had immense computational power (like a quantum computer), they could only attempt an attack every 10 minutes.Unlike traditional encryption, where a hacker could continuously brute-force keys, Bitcoin’s system resets the challenge with every new block.This limits the window of opportunity for quantum attacks.

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🎯 5. Quantum Attack Needs to Solve a Block in Real-Time

• A quantum attacker must solve the cryptographic puzzle (Proof of Work) in under 10 minutes.
• The problem? Any slight error changes the hash completely, meaning:If the quantum computer makes a mistake (even 0.0001% probability), the entire attack fails.Quantum decoherence (loss of qubit stability) makes error correction a massive challenge.The computational cost of recovering from an incorrect hash is still incredibly high.

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⚡ 6. Network Resilience – Even if a Block Is Hacked

• Even if a quantum computer somehow solved a block instantly:The network would quickly recognize and reject invalid transactions.Other miners would continue mining under normal cryptographic rules.51% Attack? The attacker would need to consistently beat the entire Bitcoin network, which is not sustainable.

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🔄 7. The Logarithmic Difficulty Adjustment Neutralizes Threats

• Bitcoin adjusts mining difficulty every 2016 blocks (\~2 weeks).
• If quantum miners appeared and suddenly started solving blocks too quickly, the difficulty would adjust upward, making attacks significantly harder.
• This self-correcting mechanism ensures that even quantum computers wouldn't easily overpower the network.

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🔥 Final Verdict: Quantum Computers Are Too Slow for Bitcoin

✔ The 10-minute rule limits attack frequency – quantum computers can’t keep up.

✔ Any slight miscalculation ruins the attack, resetting all progress.

✔ Bitcoin’s difficulty adjustment would react, neutralizing quantum advantages.

Even if quantum computers reach their theoretical potential, Bitcoin’s game theory and design make it incredibly resistant. 🚀

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

A new Bitwise report reveals notable growth for institutional investments in bitcoin over the coming years.

According to the latest forecasts from asset management firm Bitwise, capital flows into Bitcoin could exceed $120 billion by the end of 2025, with projections reaching $300 billion the following year.

This growth is rooted in the rising interest from sovereign wealth funds, publicly traded companies, state treasuries, and institutional investment vehicles such as spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Analysts expect the number of companies holding bitcoin in their treasuries to double by the end of 2026.

Bitwise’s analysis highlights how Bitcoin is no longer seen solely as a speculative asset but is emerging as a serious contender for the role of global store of value.

The report notes that, according to its authors, global wealth is gradually moving away from traditional safe havens like gold and shifting toward Bitcoin.

Spot ETF boom

Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States have outperformed all expectations throughout 2024. These financial instruments have attracted over $36.2 billion in net inflows, surpassing by twenty times the early performance of SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), historically the most successful commodity ETF.

Source: Bitwise

In just twelve months, U.S. spot ETFs have accumulated $125 billion in assets under management (AUM). Bitwise projections suggest that annual inflows could reach $100 billion by 2027.

However, approximately $35 billion in capital remained on the sidelines in 2024 due to regulatory restrictions at financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

States consider a bitcoin reserve

Bitwise’s analysis also highlights Bitcoin’s growing appeal beyond Wall Street. Publicly traded companies currently hold over 1.1 million BTC, worth more than $125 billion. Sovereign governments collectively own more than 500,000 BTC, with the United States, China, and the United Kingdom leading the rankings.

In its base scenario, Bitwise forecasts a modest reallocation of institutional and sovereign assets toward Bitcoin: 5% of government gold reserves and 0.5% of assets from major wealth management platforms. Even under these conservative assumptions, total bitcoin inflows could reach $420 billion over 2025-2026.

In a more optimistic scenario, with 10% of gold reserves and 1% of managed portfolios shifting to Bitcoin, inflows could exceed $920 billion, absorbing more than 9 million bitcoins — around 40% of the total supply.

The post Bitcoin attracts institutional investors: $300 billion expected by 2026, according to Bitwise appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be

ຄົນສ່ວນຫຼາຍມັກຈະມອງເຫັນ Bitcoin ເປັນສິນຊັບທີ່ມີຄວາມສ່ຽງສູງ ເນື່ອງຈາກມີອັດຕາການປ່ຽນແປງລາຄາທີ່ຮຸນແຮງແລະກວ້າງຂວາງໃນໄລຍະສັ້ນໆ. ແຕ່ຄວາມຈິງແລ້ວ ຄວາມຜັນຜວນຂອງ Bitcoin ແມ່ນຄຸນລັກສະນະພິເສດທີ່ສຳຄັນຂອງມັນ ບໍ່ແມ່ນຂໍ້ບົກພ່ອງ.

ລາຄາແມ່ນຫຍັງ?

ເພື່ອເຂົ້າໃຈເລື້ອງນີ້ດີຂຶ້ນ ເຮົາຕ້ອງເຂົ້າໃຈກ່ອນວ່າລາຄາໝາຍເຖິງຫຍັງ. ລາຄາແມ່ນການສະທ້ອນຄວາມຄິດເຫັນແລະການປະເມີນມູນຄ່າຂອງຜູ້ຊື້ແລະຜູ້ຂາຍໃນເວລາໃດໜຶ່ງ. ການຕັດສິນໃຈຊື້ຫຼືຂາຍໃນລາຄາໃດໜຶ່ງ ກໍແມ່ນການສື່ສານກັບຕະຫຼາດ ແລະກົນໄກຂອງຕະຫຼາດຈະຄ້ົນຫາແລະກໍານົດລາຄາທີ່ແທ້ຈິງຂອງສິນຊັບນັ້ນ.

ເປັນຫຍັງ Bitcoin ຈຶ່ງຜັນຜວນ?

Bitcoin ຖືກສ້າງຂຶ້ນບົນພື້ນຖານອິນເຕີເນັດ ເຮັດໃຫ້ການສື່ສານຄວາມຄິດເຫັນຂອງຜູ້ຄົນສາມາດເຮັດໄດ້ຢ່າງໄວວາ. ຍິ່ງໄປກວ່ານັ້ນ Bitcoin ມີລັກສະນະກະຈາຍສູນ (decentralized) ແລະບໍ່ມີຜູ້ຄວບຄຸມສູນກາງ ຈຶ່ງເຮັດໃຫ້ຄົນສາມາດຕັດສິນໃຈຊື້ຂາຍໄດ້ຢ່າງໄວວາ.

ສິ່ງນີ້ເຮັດໃຫ້ລາຄາຂອງ Bitcoin ສາມາດສະທ້ອນຄວາມຄິດເຫັນຂອງຄົນໄດ້ແບບເວລາຈິງ (real-time). ແລະເນື່ອງຈາກມະນຸດເຮົາມີຄວາມຄິດທີ່ບໍ່ແນ່ນອນ ມີການປ່ຽນແປງ ລາຄາຂອງ Bitcoin ຈຶ່ງປ່ຽນແປງໄປຕາມຄວາມຄິດເຫັນລວມຂອງຜູ້ຄົນແບບທັນທີ.

ປັດໄຈທີ່ເພີ່ມຄວາມຜັນຜວນ:

ຂະໜາດຕະຫຼາດທີ່ຍັງນ້ອຍ: ເມື່ອປຽບທຽບກັບຕະຫຼາດການເງິນແບບດັ້ງເດີມ ຕະຫຼາດ Bitcoin ຍັງມີຂະໜາດນ້ອຍ ເຮັດໃຫ້ການຊື້ຂາຍຈຳນວນໃຫຍ່ສາມາດສົ່ງຜົນກະທົບຕໍ່ລາຄາໄດ້ຫຼາຍ.

ການຄ້າຂາຍຕະຫຼອດ 24/7: ບໍ່ເຫມືອນກັບຕະຫຼາດຫຼັກຊັບທີ່ມີເວລາເປີດປິດ Bitcoin ສາມາດຊື້ຂາຍໄດ້ຕະຫຼອດເວລາ ເຮັດໃຫ້ການປ່ຽນແປງລາຄາສາມາດເກີດຂຶ້ນໄດ້ທຸກເວລາ.

ການປຽບທຽບກັບສິນຊັບອື່ນ

ເມື່ອປຽບທຽບກັບສິນຊັບອື່ນທີ່ມີການຄວບຄຸມ ເຊັ່ນ ສະກຸນເງິນທ້ອງຖິ່ນຫຼືທອງຄຳ ທີ່ເບິ່ງຄືວ່າມີຄວາມຜັນຜວນໜ້ອຍກວ່າ Bitcoin ນັ້ນ ບໍ່ແມ່ນຫມາຍຄວາມວ່າພວກມັນບໍ່ມີຄວາມຜັນຜວນ. ແຕ່ເປັນເພາະມີການຄວບຄຸມຈາກອົງການສູນກາງ ເຮັດໃຫ້ການສື່ສານຄວາມຄິດເຫັນຂອງຄົນໄປຮອດຕະຫຼາດບໍ່ແບບເວລາຈິງ.

ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ສິ່ງທີ່ເຮົາເຫັນແມ່ນການຊັກຊ້າ (delay) ໃນການສະແດງຄວາມຄິດເຫັນທີ່ແທ້ຈິງອອກມາເທົ່ານັ້ນ ບໍ່ແມ່ນຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງຂອງມູນຄ່າ.

ກົນໄກການຄວບຄຸມແລະຜົນກະທົບ:

ສະກຸນເງິນ: ທະນາຄານກາງສາມາດພິມເງິນ ປັບອັດຕາດອກເບີ້ຍ ແລະແຊກແຊງຕະຫຼາດ ເຮັດໃຫ້ລາຄາບໍ່ສະທ້ອນມູນຄ່າທີ່ແທ້ຈິງໃນທັນທີ.

ຫຼັກຊັບ: ມີລະບຽບການຫຼາຍຢ່າງ ເຊັ່ນ ການຢຸດການຊື້ຂາຍເມື່ອລາຄາປ່ຽນແປງຫຼາຍເກີນໄປ (circuit breakers) ທີ່ຂັດຂວາງການສະແດງຄວາມຄິດເຫັນທີ່ແທ້ຈິງ.

ທອງຄຳ: ຖຶງແມ່ນຈະເປັນສິນຊັບທີ່ບໍ່ມີການຄວບຄຸມ ແຕ່ຕະຫຼາດທອງຄຳມີຂະໜາດໃຫຍ່ກວ່າ Bitcoin ຫຼາຍ ແລະມີການຄ້າແບບດັ້ງເດີມທີ່ຊ້າກວ່າ.

ບົດສະຫຼຸບ

ການປຽບທຽບຄວາມຜັນຜວນລະຫວ່າງ Bitcoin ແລະສິນຊັບອື່ນໆ ໂດຍໃຊ້ໄລຍະເວລາສັ້ນນັ້ນ ບໍ່ມີຄວາມສົມເຫດສົມຜົນປານໃດ ເພາະວ່າປັດໄຈເລື້ອງການຊັກຊ້າໃນການສະແດງຄວາມຄິດເຫັນນີ້ແມ່ນສິ່ງສຳຄັນທີ່ສົ່ງຜົນຕໍ່ລາຄາທີ່ແທ້ຈິງ.

ສິ່ງທີ່ຄວນເຮັດແທ້ໆແມ່ນການນຳເອົາກອບເວລາທີ່ກວ້າງຂວາງກວ່າມາວິເຄາະ ເຊັ່ນ ເປັນປີຫຼືຫຼາຍປີ ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງປຽບທຽບ. ດ້ວຍວິທີນີ້ ເຮົາຈຶ່ງຈະເຫັນປະສິດທິຜົນແລະການດຳເນີນງານທີ່ແທ້ຈິງຂອງ Bitcoin ໄດ້ຢ່າງຈະແຈ້ງ

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Bald werde es verboten, alleine im Auto zu fahren, konnte man dieser Tage in verschiedenen spanischen Medien lesen. Die nationale Verkehrsbehörde (Dirección General de Tráfico, kurz DGT) werde Alleinfahrern das Leben schwer machen, wurde gemeldet. Konkret erörtere die Generaldirektion geeignete Sanktionen für Personen, die ohne Beifahrer im Privatauto unterwegs seien.

Das Alleinfahren sei zunehmend verpönt und ein Mentalitätswandel notwendig, hieß es. Dieser «Luxus» stehe im Widerspruch zu den Maßnahmen gegen Umweltverschmutzung, die in allen europäischen Ländern gefördert würden. In Frankreich sei es «bereits verboten, in der Hauptstadt allein zu fahren», behauptete Noticiastrabajo Huffpost in einer Zwischenüberschrift. Nur um dann im Text zu konkretisieren, dass die sogenannte «Umweltspur» auf der Pariser Ringautobahn gemeint war, die für Busse, Taxis und Fahrgemeinschaften reserviert ist. Ab Mai werden Verstöße dagegen mit einem Bußgeld geahndet.

Die DGT jedenfalls wolle bei der Umsetzung derartiger Maßnahmen nicht hinterherhinken. Diese Medienberichte, inklusive des angeblich bevorstehenden Verbots, beriefen sich auf Aussagen des Generaldirektors der Behörde, Pere Navarro, beim Mobilitätskongress Global Mobility Call im November letzten Jahres, wo es um «nachhaltige Mobilität» ging. Aus diesem Kontext stammt auch Navarros Warnung: «Die Zukunft des Verkehrs ist geteilt oder es gibt keine».

Die «Faktenchecker» kamen der Generaldirektion prompt zu Hilfe. Die DGT habe derlei Behauptungen zurückgewiesen und klargestellt, dass es keine Pläne gebe, Fahrten mit nur einer Person im Auto zu verbieten oder zu bestrafen. Bei solchen Meldungen handele es sich um Fake News. Teilweise wurde der Vorsitzende der spanischen «Rechtsaußen»-Partei Vox, Santiago Abascal, der Urheberschaft bezichtigt, weil er einen entsprechenden Artikel von La Gaceta kommentiert hatte.

Der Beschwichtigungsversuch der Art «niemand hat die Absicht» ist dabei erfahrungsgemäß eher ein Alarmzeichen als eine Beruhigung. Walter Ulbrichts Leugnung einer geplanten Berliner Mauer vom Juni 1961 ist vielen genauso in Erinnerung wie die Fake News-Warnungen des deutschen Bundesgesundheitsministeriums bezüglich Lockdowns im März 2020 oder diverse Äußerungen zu einer Impfpflicht ab 2020.

Aber Aufregung hin, Dementis her: Die Pressemitteilung der DGT zu dem Mobilitätskongress enthält in Wahrheit viel interessantere Informationen als «nur» einen Appell an den «guten» Bürger wegen der Bemühungen um die Lebensqualität in Großstädten oder einen möglichen obligatorischen Abschied vom Alleinfahren. Allerdings werden diese Details von Medien und sogenannten Faktencheckern geflissentlich übersehen, obwohl sie keineswegs versteckt sind. Die Auskünfte sind sehr aufschlussreich, wenn man genauer hinschaut.

Digitalisierung ist der Schlüssel für Kontrolle

Auf dem Kongress stellte die Verkehrsbehörde ihre Initiativen zur Förderung der «neuen Mobilität» vor, deren Priorität Sicherheit und Effizienz sei. Die vier konkreten Ansätze haben alle mit Digitalisierung, Daten, Überwachung und Kontrolle im großen Stil zu tun und werden unter dem Euphemismus der «öffentlich-privaten Partnerschaft» angepriesen. Auch lassen sie die transhumanistische Idee vom unzulänglichen Menschen erkennen, dessen Fehler durch «intelligente» technologische Infrastruktur kompensiert werden müssten.

Die Chefin des Bereichs «Verkehrsüberwachung» erklärte die Funktion des spanischen National Access Point (NAP), wobei sie betonte, wie wichtig Verkehrs- und Infrastrukturinformationen in Echtzeit seien. Der NAP ist «eine essenzielle Web-Applikation, die unter EU-Mandat erstellt wurde», kann man auf der Website der DGT nachlesen.

Das Mandat meint Regelungen zu einem einheitlichen europäischen Verkehrsraum, mit denen die Union mindestens seit 2010 den Aufbau einer digitalen Architektur mit offenen Schnittstellen betreibt. Damit begründet man auch «umfassende Datenbereitstellungspflichten im Bereich multimodaler Reiseinformationen». Jeder Mitgliedstaat musste einen NAP, also einen nationalen Zugangspunkt einrichten, der Zugang zu statischen und dynamischen Reise- und Verkehrsdaten verschiedener Verkehrsträger ermöglicht.

Diese Entwicklung ist heute schon weit fortgeschritten, auch und besonders in Spanien. Auf besagtem Kongress erläuterte die Leiterin des Bereichs «Telematik» die Plattform «DGT 3.0». Diese werde als Integrator aller Informationen genutzt, die von den verschiedenen öffentlichen und privaten Systemen, die Teil der Mobilität sind, bereitgestellt werden.

Es handele sich um eine Vermittlungsplattform zwischen Akteuren wie Fahrzeugherstellern, Anbietern von Navigationsdiensten oder Kommunen und dem Endnutzer, der die Verkehrswege benutzt. Alle seien auf Basis des Internets der Dinge (IOT) anonym verbunden, «um der vernetzten Gemeinschaft wertvolle Informationen zu liefern oder diese zu nutzen».

So sei DGT 3.0 «ein Zugangspunkt für einzigartige, kostenlose und genaue Echtzeitinformationen über das Geschehen auf den Straßen und in den Städten». Damit lasse sich der Verkehr nachhaltiger und vernetzter gestalten. Beispielsweise würden die Karten des Produktpartners Google dank der DGT-Daten 50 Millionen Mal pro Tag aktualisiert.

Des Weiteren informiert die Verkehrsbehörde über ihr SCADA-Projekt. Die Abkürzung steht für Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, zu deutsch etwa: Kontrollierte Steuerung und Datenerfassung. Mit SCADA kombiniert man Software und Hardware, um automatisierte Systeme zur Überwachung und Steuerung technischer Prozesse zu schaffen. Das SCADA-Projekt der DGT wird von Indra entwickelt, einem spanischen Beratungskonzern aus den Bereichen Sicherheit & Militär, Energie, Transport, Telekommunikation und Gesundheitsinformation.

Das SCADA-System der Behörde umfasse auch eine Videostreaming- und Videoaufzeichnungsplattform, die das Hochladen in die Cloud in Echtzeit ermöglicht, wie Indra erklärt. Dabei gehe es um Bilder, die von Überwachungskameras an Straßen aufgenommen wurden, sowie um Videos aus DGT-Hubschraubern und Drohnen. Ziel sei es, «die sichere Weitergabe von Videos an Dritte sowie die kontinuierliche Aufzeichnung und Speicherung von Bildern zur möglichen Analyse und späteren Nutzung zu ermöglichen».

Letzteres klingt sehr nach biometrischer Erkennung und Auswertung durch künstliche Intelligenz. Für eine bessere Datenübertragung wird derzeit die Glasfaserverkabelung entlang der Landstraßen und Autobahnen ausgebaut. Mit der Cloud sind die Amazon Web Services (AWS) gemeint, die spanischen Daten gehen somit direkt zu einem US-amerikanischen «Big Data»-Unternehmen.

Das Thema «autonomes Fahren», also Fahren ohne Zutun des Menschen, bildet den Abschluss der Betrachtungen der DGT. Zusammen mit dem Interessenverband der Automobilindustrie ANFAC (Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Automóviles y Camiones) sprach man auf dem Kongress über Strategien und Perspektiven in diesem Bereich. Die Lobbyisten hoffen noch in diesem Jahr 2025 auf einen normativen Rahmen zur erweiterten Unterstützung autonomer Technologien.

Wenn man derartige Informationen im Zusammenhang betrachtet, bekommt man eine Idee davon, warum zunehmend alles elektrisch und digital werden soll. Umwelt- und Mobilitätsprobleme in Städten, wie Luftverschmutzung, Lärmbelästigung, Platzmangel oder Staus, sind eine Sache. Mit dem Argument «emissionslos» wird jedoch eine Referenz zum CO2 und dem «menschengemachten Klimawandel» hergestellt, die Emotionen triggert. Und damit wird so ziemlich alles verkauft.

Letztlich aber gilt: Je elektrischer und digitaler unsere Umgebung wird und je freigiebiger wir mit unseren Daten jeder Art sind, desto besser werden wir kontrollier-, steuer- und sogar abschaltbar. Irgendwann entscheiden KI-basierte Algorithmen, ob, wann, wie, wohin und mit wem wir uns bewegen dürfen. Über einen 15-Minuten-Radius geht dann möglicherweise nichts hinaus. Die Projekte auf diesem Weg sind ernst zu nehmen, real und schon weit fortgeschritten.

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The company is facing a class action lawsuit following a stock price drop triggered by the delayed disclosure of a December data breach.

Coinbase finds itself at the center of a legal storm after being hit with a class action lawsuit filed by shareholders. The lawsuit stems from a decline in the company’s stock price, which occurred after the belated communication of a cybersecurity incident.

The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, names investor Brady Nessler as the lead plaintiff. The suit claims that the platform’s shareholders suffered “substantial losses and damages” due to the company’s alleged failure to disclose material information.

Investors accuse the company of not promptly revealing crucial details that could have influenced investment decisions. Among the main allegations is the failure to immediately communicate a data breach that took place last December.

Details of the breach

On May 15, Coinbase publicly disclosed the news of a cyberattack that occurred last December. The incident involved cybercriminals who managed to corrupt several company employees, gaining unauthorized access to customer personal data.

The delayed disclosure of the data breach triggered an immediate stock market reaction. Coinbase shares fell 7.2%, closing the day at $244.

The exchange estimated that the financial impact of the data breach could range between $180 million and $400 million. These costs would cover both expenses to restore security systems and potential reimbursements to customers affected by the incident.

The lawsuit highlights that the company should have communicated these estimated costs to investors more promptly, allowing them to make informed decisions about their investments.

Additional allegations in the lawsuit

In addition to the data breach, the lawsuit lists a series of other alleged communication failures by the company. Among them is the non-disclosure of a violation by CB Payments — Coinbase’s UK subsidiary — of a 2020 agreement with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.

The class action covers all investors who acquired company shares between April 14, 2021, and May 14, 2025 — a period during which the allegedly omitted information is believed to have negatively affected the stock price.

The legal action doesn’t target the company alone but also names top executives including CEO Brian Armstrong and CFO Alesia Haas among the defendants.

The post Lawsuit against Coinbase: investors sue exchange for failing to disclose data breach appeared first on Atlas21.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Was nützt die schönste Schuldenbremse, wenn der Russe vor der Tür steht? \ Wir können uns verteidigen lernen oder alle Russisch lernen. \ Jens Spahn

In der Politik ist buchstäblich keine Idee zu riskant, kein Mittel zu schäbig und keine Lüge zu dreist, als dass sie nicht benutzt würden. Aber der Clou ist, dass diese Masche immer noch funktioniert, wenn nicht sogar immer besser. Ist das alles wirklich so schwer zu durchschauen? Mir fehlen langsam die Worte.

Aktuell werden sowohl in der Europäischen Union als auch in Deutschland riesige Milliardenpakete für die Aufrüstung – also für die Rüstungsindustrie – geschnürt. Die EU will 800 Milliarden Euro locker machen, in Deutschland sollen es 500 Milliarden «Sondervermögen» sein. Verteidigung nennen das unsere «Führer», innerhalb der Union und auch an «unserer Ostflanke», der Ukraine.

Das nötige Feindbild konnte inzwischen signifikant erweitert werden. Schuld an allem und zudem gefährlich ist nicht mehr nur Putin, sondern jetzt auch Trump. Europa müsse sich sowohl gegen Russland als auch gegen die USA schützen und rüsten, wird uns eingetrichtert.

Und während durch Diplomatie genau dieser beiden Staaten gerade endlich mal Bewegung in die Bemühungen um einen Frieden oder wenigstens einen Waffenstillstand in der Ukraine kommt, rasselt man im moralisch überlegenen Zeigefinger-Europa so richtig mit dem Säbel.

Begleitet und gestützt wird der ganze Prozess – wie sollte es anders sein – von den «Qualitätsmedien». Dass Russland einen Angriff auf «Europa» plant, weiß nicht nur der deutsche Verteidigungsminister (und mit Abstand beliebteste Politiker) Pistorius, sondern dank ihnen auch jedes Kind. Uns bleiben nur noch wenige Jahre. Zum Glück bereitet sich die Bundeswehr schon sehr konkret auf einen Krieg vor.

Die FAZ und Corona-Gesundheitsminister Spahn markieren einen traurigen Höhepunkt. Hier haben sich «politische und publizistische Verantwortungslosigkeit propagandistisch gegenseitig befruchtet», wie es bei den NachDenkSeiten heißt. Die Aussage Spahns in dem Interview, «der Russe steht vor der Tür», ist das eine. Die Zeitung verschärfte die Sache jedoch, indem sie das Zitat explizit in den Titel übernahm, der in einer ersten Version scheinbar zu harmlos war.

Eine große Mehrheit der deutschen Bevölkerung findet Aufrüstung und mehr Schulden toll, wie ARD und ZDF sehr passend ermittelt haben wollen. Ähnliches gelte für eine noch stärkere militärische Unterstützung der Ukraine. Etwas skeptischer seien die Befragten bezüglich der Entsendung von Bundeswehrsoldaten dorthin, aber immerhin etwa fifty-fifty.

Eigentlich ist jedoch die Meinung der Menschen in «unseren Demokratien» irrelevant. Sowohl in der Europäischen Union als auch in Deutschland sind die «Eliten» offenbar der Ansicht, der Souverän habe in Fragen von Krieg und Frieden sowie von aberwitzigen astronomischen Schulden kein Wörtchen mitzureden. Frau von der Leyen möchte über 150 Milliarden aus dem Gesamtpaket unter Verwendung von Artikel 122 des EU-Vertrags ohne das Europäische Parlament entscheiden – wenn auch nicht völlig kritiklos.

In Deutschland wollen CDU/CSU und SPD zur Aufweichung der «Schuldenbremse» mehrere Änderungen des Grundgesetzes durch das abgewählte Parlament peitschen. Dieser Versuch, mit dem alten Bundestag eine Zweidrittelmehrheit zu erzielen, die im neuen nicht mehr gegeben wäre, ist mindestens verfassungsrechtlich umstritten.

Das Manöver scheint aber zu funktionieren. Heute haben die Grünen zugestimmt, nachdem Kanzlerkandidat Merz läppische 100 Milliarden für «irgendwas mit Klima» zugesichert hatte. Die Abstimmung im Plenum soll am kommenden Dienstag erfolgen – nur eine Woche, bevor sich der neu gewählte Bundestag konstituieren wird.

Interessant sind die Argumente, die BlackRocker Merz für seine Attacke auf Grundgesetz und Demokratie ins Feld führt. Abgesehen von der angeblichen Eile, «unsere Verteidigungsfähigkeit deutlich zu erhöhen» (ausgelöst unter anderem durch «die Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz und die Ereignisse im Weißen Haus»), ließ uns der CDU-Chef wissen, dass Deutschland einfach auf die internationale Bühne zurück müsse. Merz schwadronierte gefährlich mehrdeutig:

«Die ganze Welt schaut in diesen Tagen und Wochen auf Deutschland. Wir haben in der Europäischen Union und auf der Welt eine Aufgabe, die weit über die Grenzen unseres eigenen Landes hinausgeht.»

[Titelbild: Tag des Sieges]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na bitcoin-balkan.com.

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3. Broj ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin
4. Zaključak

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

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

1. Procena vrednosti kao procenat od njegovog punog potencijala

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

Procena vrednosti

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

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

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

Većina Bitcoin-ovih pozitivnih strana opstaje

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Broj ljudi koji su prihvatili Bitcoin

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

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

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

1. Kežual amateri (prstom u vodi)

2. Alokatori 1% (stopalima u vodi)

3. Značajni vernici (do pojasa u vodi)

4. Bitcoin maximalisti (u vodi preko glave)

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

1. Kežual amateri

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

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

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

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

2. Alokatori 1%

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

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

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

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

3. Značajni vernici

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

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

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

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

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

4. Bitcoin maximal­isti

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

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

1. Prodaja „Bitcoin Standard“

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

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

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

1. Kvalitativna triangulacija

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

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

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

To nas dovodi do 0,01% penetracije.

Zaključak

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

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

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

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

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Jacopo Graziuso’s econometric study explains how the presence of Bitcoin is connected to the reduction of emissions and consumption in countries where it is mined.

The debate on Bitcoin’s environmental impact has been at the center of media attention for years, often characterized by approximate information and common misconceptions. But what emerges when data is analyzed? An answer comes from the study by Jacopo Graziuso, a recent graduate in Economics and Finance at the University of Salento, who dedicated his thesis to the topic, titled: “Bitcoin and energy: towards efficiency and environmental sustainability”.

“It bothers me when they tell me ‘Bitcoin pollutes, Bitcoin consumes’. This prompted me to write the thesis,” Graziuso tells Atlas21 microphones. “We live in an era of free and accessible information, yet disinformation reigns supreme, leading to beliefs without scientific foundation.”

Regarding his research work, Graziuso emphasizes: “I thank professor of econometrics Pierluigi Toma who knew what Bitcoin is and what mining is and gave me carte blanche for writing the thesis.”

The methodology used for the study is an econometric analysis based on data from 171 states from 2009 to 2024, with particular attention to the relationship between Bitcoin presence, greenhouse gas emissions (climate-altering gases) and energy consumption. To define Bitcoin’s “presence”, Graziuso created a variable that takes value 1 if at least 1% of the population uses (knows or has a wallet) the cryptocurrency or if it is present in state reserves.

The results of the research, conducted only with open source software, contradict the dominant narrative, Graziuso explains: “The analysis shows that Bitcoin’s presence in a state is associated with a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. The study reveals that Bitcoin’s presence in a state reduces emissions by 39 megatons of CO2 equivalent. Essentially, where there is Bitcoin, climate-altering gas emissions decrease.”

Graziuso wants to emphasize the difference between consumption and pollution: “The problem is not consumption, it’s pollution. The distinction is fundamental: energy consumption is necessary for human development, while pollution derives from the use of inefficient energy sources. Currently China consumes over 4500% more than the entire Bitcoin network. Furthermore, thanks to mining flexibility, Bitcoin can help a state reduce general consumption.”

The research highlights how mining is acting as a catalyst for the adoption of renewable and nuclear energy. Mining naturally seeks the cheapest sources which increasingly coincide with the cleanest ones, the interviewee states.

One analyzed aspect is Bitcoin’s role as “buyer of last resort” for otherwise wasted energy. Graziuso cites several examples:

• Alps Blockchain, which has reactivated 32 disused hydroelectric plants in northern Italy and is working on building facilities in Paraguay and Ecuador exploiting hydroelectric energy;
• projects like Gridless that exploit excess energy from renewable sources in remote areas: “Not only does [Gridless] optimize the use of local energy resources, but it reinvests mining profits in communities, improving access to electricity and supporting the local economy,” writes Graziuso;
• in Texas, thanks to agreements with electricity grid operator ERCOT, miners exploit the operational flexibility of their machines to adapt consumption to grid needs, turning them off during peak moments and turning them back on when there is surplus energy, thus acting as buyers of last resort and contributing to stabilizing the electrical grid.

Another interesting aspect concerns the recovery of heat generated by machines: “Marathon Digital Holdings in Finland uses heat from its ASICs to heat 80,000 homes,” explains Graziuso. “Domestic applications are also being developed where ASIC heat is used for heating, further mitigating pollution.”

Immersion cooling, a technique that involves immersing mining machines in a dielectric fluid made in the laboratory, is cited as a promising solution to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. This way it is also possible to reduce machine noise, while the heat produced is dissipated by the dielectric material. Graziuso cites CleanSpark as an example of a completely carbon neutral mining farm that uses this technology: “This cooling technique allows us to safely overclock hardware, increasing performance by increasing operating frequency beyond factory settings,” states CleanSpark.

The thesis includes a section dedicated to zones that are emerging as sustainable mining hubs in different parts of the world:

• in Kenya and Ethiopia, “mining powered by hydroelectric energy is bringing drinking water and electricity to previously unserved communities,” declares Graziuso;
• in Georgia and Texas, Bitcoin mining is contributing to making the electrical grid more stable, intervening during peak demand moments and absorbing excess energy during overproduction periods;
• in Canada, companies like Upstream Data and Hut 8 Mining use mining to valorize excess or dispersed energy, including gas flaring in oil fields, thus reducing energy waste and emissions;
• the Makai project in Hawaii exploits OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) technology to convert ocean thermal energy into clean and renewable electricity.

Despite mining’s potential, obstacles to complete decarbonization still exist: “Decarbonization is still far away. Currently in many countries there are still state incentives from 40 years ago that favor fossil sources. Due to these incentives, today entrepreneurs’ costs are lower when fossil fuels are used. Once these state incentives end, perhaps the situation will improve. At the moment it is the miners who must voluntarily use renewable sources,” observes Graziuso. Italy, for example, continues to depend about 60% on fossil sources.

Another piece of data analyzed in the thesis is the improvement in energy efficiency of specialized mining machines: “In about 15 years, efficiency has improved by over 95%: this means decreased consumption and pollution,” emphasizes Graziuso.

“I hope this research contributes to spreading a more accurate and data-based narrative,” concludes Graziuso. “Bitcoin is not the problem, but could be part of the solution to the global energy challenge.”

The thesis will soon be published in its entirety online as a scientific paper.

The post Bitcoin reduces emissions and consumption: the thesis published at the University of Salento appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 91bea5cd:1df4451c

Em nota, a prefeitura justificou que essas alterações visam ampliar a segurança das praias, conforto e organização, para os frequentadores e trabalhadores dos locais. No entanto, Orla Rio, concessionária responsável pelos espaços, e o SindRio, sindicato de bares e restaurantes, ficou insatisfeita com as medidas e reforçou que a música ao vivo aumenta em mais de 10% o ticket médio dos estabelecimentos e contribui para manter os empregos, especialmente na baixa temporada.

De acordo com Paes, as medidas visam impedir práticas ilegais para que a orla carioca continue sendo um espaço ativo econômico da cidade: “Certas práticas são inaceitáveis, especialmente por quem tem autorização municipal. Vamos ser mais restritivos e duros. A orla é de todos”.

Saiba quais serão as 16 proibições nas praias do Rio de Janeiro

• Utilização de caixas de som, instrumentos musicais, grupos ou qualquer equipamento sonoro, em qualquer horário. Apenas eventos autorizados terão permissão.
• Venda ou distribuição de bebidas em garrafas de vidro em qualquer ponto da areia ou do calçadão.
• Estruturas comerciais ambulantes sem autorização, como carrocinhas, trailers, food trucks e barracas.
• Comércio ambulante sem permissão, incluindo alimentos em palitos, churrasqueiras, isopores ou bandejas térmicas improvisadas.
• Circulação de ciclomotores e patinetes motorizados no calçadão.
• Escolinhas de esportes ou recreações não autorizadas pelo poder público municipal.
• Ocupação de área pública com estruturas fixas ou móveis de grandes proporções sem autorização.
• Instalação de acampamentos improvisados em qualquer trecho da orla.
• Práticas de comércio abusivo ou enganosas, incluindo abordagens insistentes. Quiosques e barracas devem exibir cardápio, preços e taxas de forma clara.
• Uso de animais para entretenimento, transporte ou comércio.
• Hasteamento ou exibição de bandeiras em mastros ou suportes.
• Fixação de objetos ou amarras em árvores ou vegetação.
• Cercadinhos feitos por ambulantes ou quiosques, que impeçam a livre circulação de pessoas.
• Permanência de carrinhos de transporte de mercadorias ou equipamentos fora dos momentos de carga e descarga.
• Armazenamento de produtos, barracas ou equipamentos enterrados na areia ou depositados na vegetação de restinga.
• Uso de nomes, marcas, logotipos ou slogans em barracas. Apenas a numeração sequencial da prefeitura será permitida.

@ 662f9bff:8960f6b2

I have been really busy this week with work - albeit back in Madeira - so I had little time to read or do much other than work. In the coming weeks I should have more time - I am taking a few weeks off work and have quite a list of things to do.

First thing is to relax a bit and enjoy the pleasant weather here in Funchal for a few days. With 1st May tomorrow it does seem that there will be quite a bit to do..

Some food for thought for you. Who takes and makes your decisions? Do you make them yourself based on information that you have and know to be true or do you allow other people to take and make decisions for you? For example - do you allow governments or unaccountable beaureaucrats and others to decide for you and even to compell you?

In theory Governments should respect Consent of the Governed and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government". For you to decide if and to what extent governments today are acting in line with these principles. If not, what can you do about it? I dive into this below and do refer back to letter 9 - section: So What can you do about it.

First, a few things to read, watch and listen to

• I Finance the Current Thing by Allen Farrington - when money is political, everything is political...

• Prediction for 2030 (the Great Reset). Sorelle explains things pretty clearly if you care to watch and listen...

• The Global Pandemic Treaty: What You Need to Know . James Corbett is pretty clear too... is this being done with your support? Did you miss something?

• Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid - fascinating thinking on how quite a few recent things came about...

And a few classics - you ought to know these already and the important messages in them should be much more obvious now...

• 1984 by George Orwell - look for the perpetual war & conflict, ubiquitous surveillance and censorship not to mention Room 101

• Animal farm - also by George Orwell - note how the pigs end up living in the farmhouse exceeding all the worst behaviour of the farmer and how the constitution on the wall changes. Things did not end well for loyal Boxer.

• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley- A World State, inhabited by genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy - the novel anticipates large scale psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society which is challenged by only a single individual who does not take the Soma.

For more - refer to the References and Reading List

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

One of the most transformative books that I ever read was 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey. Over many years and from researching hstorical literature he found seven traits that successful people typically display. By default everyone does the opposite of each of these! Check how you do - be honest...

• Habits 1-3 are habits of Self - they determine how you behave and feel

• Habits 4-6 are habits of interpersonal behaviour - they determine how you deal with and interact with others

• Habit 7 is about regeneration and self care - foundation for happy and healthy life and success

One: Be proactive

Choose your responses to all situations and provocations - your reaction to a situation determines how you feel about it.

By default people will be reactive and this controls their emotions

Two: Begin with the end in mind

When you start to work on something, have a clear view of the goal to be achieved; it should be something substantial that you need and will value.

By default people will begin with what is in front of them or work on details that they can do or progress without having a clear view on the end result to be achieved

Three: Put First things First

Be clear on, and begin with, the Big Rocks- the most important things. If you do not put the Big Rocks into your planning daily activities, your days will be full of sand and gravel! All things can be categorised as Urgent or Not-Urgent and Important or Not-Important.

By Default people will focus on Urgent regardless of importance - all of the results come from focusing on Important Non-Urgent things. All of the 7 Habits are in this category!

Four: Seek Win-Win in all dealings with people and in all negotiations

This is the only sustainable outcome; if you cannot achieve Win-Win then no-deal is the sustainable alternative.

By default people will seek Win-Loose - this leads to failed relationships

Five: Seek first to understand - only then to be understood.

Once you visibly understand the needs and expectations of your counterpart they will be open to listening to your point of view and suggestions/requests - not before!

By default people will expound their point of view or desired result causing their counterpart to want to do the same - this ends in "the dialogue of the deaf"

Six: Synergise - Seek the 3rd alternative in all problems and challenges

Work together to find a proposal that is better than what each of you had in mind

By default people will focus on their own desired results and items, regardless of what the other party could bring to help/facilitate or make available

Seven: Sharpen the saw

Take time to re-invigorate and to be healthy - do nothing to excess. Do not be the forrester who persists in cutting the tree with a blunt saw bcause sharpening it is inconvenient or would "take too much time"!

By default people tend to persist on activities and avoid taking time to reflect, prepare and recover

Mindaps - a technique by Tony Buzan

Many years ago I summarised this in a Mind Map (another technique that was transformative for me - a topic for another Letter from around the world!) see below. Let me know if this interests you - happy to do an explainer video on this!

That's it!

No one can be told what The Matrix is.\ You have to see it for yourself.**

Do share this newsletter with any of your friends and family who might be interested.

You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

💡Enjoy the newsletters in your own language : Dutch, French, German, Serbian, Chinese Traditional & Simplified, Thai and Burmese.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Since 2019, the United States has been the country with the highest number of recorded cases, but Europe remains the most affected region.

According to a Binance report, the United States is the country that has recorded the greatest number of crypto-related kidnapping cases since 2019, despite a recent increase in incidents in France.

At the regional level, however, Europe remains the area with the highest number of crypto-related kidnappings: 59 cases over six years. During the same period, North America — which includes the United States and Canada — recorded 48 cases. Particularly notable is the data concerning the entire Asian continent, where 62 cases of crypto-related kidnappings have been documented, most of which are concentrated in Southeast Asian countries.

France emerges as a concerning hotspot for crypto kidnappings, with six recent cases, three of which have already occurred in 2025.

Source: Binance

The primary targets of these kidnappings include executives of crypto companies, professional traders, exchange employees, and entrepreneurs in the sector. Family members and close associates of victims are often targeted as well. An emerging phenomenon involves tourists suspected of possessing large amounts of cryptocurrency funds.

Kidnapping cases in 2025

The year 2025 has already seen particularly serious episodes of kidnappings linked to the digital asset world. The most notable case involved David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his wife, who were abducted from their residence in France earlier this January. The incident drew international attention from both the crypto industry and law enforcement agencies.

Another attempt took place in Paris, where armed men tried to kidnap the daughter and granddaughter of the CEO of the French exchange Paymium. Overseas, in New York, police arrested 37-year-old John Woeltz after discovering that an Italian tourist had been held captive and mistreated for weeks in a luxury Manhattan apartment.

Binance highlights a direct correlation between the price trend of Bitcoin and the increase in kidnappings. Since Bitcoin reached new all-time highs this year, attacks involving physical threats have also increased proportionally, the exchange suggests.

Source: Binance

In 2025 alone, at least 15 kidnapping episodes have already been documented, many involving ransom demands denominated in bitcoin.

The post Crypto kidnappings on the rise: the US leads global statistics appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0

At

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

Como usar o at

1. Verifique se o at está instalado

bash which at

Se não estiver instalado:

bash sudo apt install at

E inicie o serviço (caso necessário):

bash sudo systemctl enable --now atd

2. Agendar um comando

bash at 10:00 AM tomorrow

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

Exemplo 1:

bash at 09:00 AM next Monday

(Entrada do usuário no prompt do at)

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

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

Exemplo 2:

bash at 21:00 Apr 15

Entrada no prompt:

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

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

Formatos de Data e Hora Válidos

• now + 1 minute

• midnight

• tomorrow

• 5pm

• 08:30

• 7:00am next friday

• noon + 2 days

Visualizar tarefas agendadas

bash atq

Remover uma tarefa agendada

bash atrm <número_da_tarefa>

Você encontra o número da tarefa com atq.

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cron

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

Arquivo de configuração:

• Cada usuário pode editar seu próprio agendador com:

  bash crontab -e

• O formato padrão de uma linha no crontab:

  m h dom mon dow comando

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

Exemplos:

• Executar um script a cada minuto:

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

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

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

• Backup todo domingo às 5h da manhã:

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

Limitações:

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

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anacron

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

Verificação da instalação:

bash anacron -V

Instalação (caso necessário):

bash sudo apt update sudo apt install anacron

Arquivo de configuração:

/etc/anacrontab

Acessado com:

sudo nano /etc/anacrontab

Formato de cada linha:

PERIOD DELAY IDENT COMMAND

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

Exemplo:

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

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

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

Ativação do serviço:

bash sudo systemctl enable --now anacron

Verificação de status:

bash systemctl status anacron

Logs de execução:

bash grep anacron /var/log/syslog

/etc/anacrontab: Arquivo de Configuração do anacron

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

Cabeçalho Padrão

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

• SHELL: Shell padrão utilizado para executar os comandos.

• HOME: Diretório home usado durante a execução.

• LOGNAME: Usuário associado à execução das tarefas.

Entradas Padrão do Sistema

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

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

Diretórios utilizados:

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

• /etc/cron.weekly: scripts semanais

• /etc/cron.monthly: scripts mensais

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

Personalização

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

PERIOD DELAY IDENT COMMAND

Exemplo:

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

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

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

@ a95c6243:d345522c

«Wir brauchen eine digitale Brandmauer gegen den Faschismus», schreibt der Chaos Computer Club (CCC) auf seiner Website. Unter diesem Motto präsentierte er letzte Woche einen Forderungskatalog, mit dem sich 24 Organisationen an die kommende Bundesregierung wenden. Der Koalitionsvertrag müsse sich daran messen lassen, verlangen sie.

In den drei Kategorien «Bekenntnis gegen Überwachung», «Schutz und Sicherheit für alle» sowie «Demokratie im digitalen Raum» stellen die Unterzeichner, zu denen auch Amnesty International und Das NETTZ gehören, unter anderem die folgenden «Mindestanforderungen»:

• Verbot biometrischer Massenüberwachung des öffentlichen Raums sowie der ungezielten biometrischen Auswertung des Internets.
• Anlasslose und massenhafte Vorratsdatenspeicherung wird abgelehnt.
• Automatisierte Datenanalysen der Informationsbestände der Strafverfolgungsbehörden sowie jede Form von Predictive Policing oder automatisiertes Profiling von Menschen werden abgelehnt.
• Einführung eines Rechts auf Verschlüsselung. Die Bundesregierung soll sich dafür einsetzen, die Chatkontrolle auf europäischer Ebene zu verhindern.
• Anonyme und pseudonyme Nutzung des Internets soll geschützt und ermöglicht werden.
• Bekämpfung «privaten Machtmissbrauchs von Big-Tech-Unternehmen» durch durchsetzungsstarke, unabhängige und grundsätzlich föderale Aufsichtsstrukturen.
• Einführung eines digitalen Gewaltschutzgesetzes, unter Berücksichtigung «gruppenbezogener digitaler Gewalt» und die Förderung von Beratungsangeboten.
• Ein umfassendes Förderprogramm für digitale öffentliche Räume, die dezentral organisiert und quelloffen programmiert sind, soll aufgelegt werden.

Es sei ein Irrglaube, dass zunehmende Überwachung einen Zugewinn an Sicherheit darstelle, ist eines der Argumente der Initiatoren. Sicherheit erfordere auch, dass Menschen anonym und vertraulich kommunizieren können und ihre Privatsphäre geschützt wird.

Gesunde digitale Räume lebten auch von einem demokratischen Diskurs, lesen wir in dem Papier. Es sei Aufgabe des Staates, Grundrechte zu schützen. Dazu gehöre auch, Menschenrechte und demokratische Werte, insbesondere Freiheit, Gleichheit und Solidarität zu fördern sowie den Missbrauch von Maßnahmen, Befugnissen und Infrastrukturen durch «die Feinde der Demokratie» zu verhindern.

Man ist geneigt zu fragen, wo denn die Autoren «den Faschismus» sehen, den es zu bekämpfen gelte. Die meisten der vorgetragenen Forderungen und Argumente finden sicher breite Unterstützung, denn sie beschreiben offenkundig gängige, kritikwürdige Praxis. Die Aushebelung der Privatsphäre, der Redefreiheit und anderer Grundrechte im Namen der Sicherheit wird bereits jetzt massiv durch die aktuellen «demokratischen Institutionen» und ihre «durchsetzungsstarken Aufsichtsstrukturen» betrieben.

Ist «der Faschismus» also die EU und ihre Mitgliedsstaaten? Nein, die «faschistische Gefahr», gegen die man eine digitale Brandmauer will, kommt nach Ansicht des CCC und seiner Partner aus den Vereinigten Staaten. Private Überwachung und Machtkonzentration sind dabei weltweit schon lange Realität, jetzt endlich müssen sie jedoch bekämpft werden. In dem Papier heißt es:

«Die willkürliche und antidemokratische Machtausübung der Tech-Oligarchen um Präsident Trump erfordert einen Paradigmenwechsel in der deutschen Digitalpolitik. (...) Die aktuellen Geschehnisse in den USA zeigen auf, wie Datensammlungen und -analyse genutzt werden können, um einen Staat handstreichartig zu übernehmen, seine Strukturen nachhaltig zu beschädigen, Widerstand zu unterbinden und marginalisierte Gruppen zu verfolgen.»

Wer auf der anderen Seite dieser Brandmauer stehen soll, ist also klar. Es sind die gleichen «Feinde unserer Demokratie», die seit Jahren in diese Ecke gedrängt werden. Es sind die gleichen Andersdenkenden, Regierungskritiker und Friedensforderer, die unter dem großzügigen Dach des Bundesprogramms «Demokratie leben» einem «kontinuierlichen Echt- und Langzeitmonitoring» wegen der Etikettierung «digitaler Hass» unterzogen werden.

Dass die 24 Organisationen praktisch auch die Bekämpfung von Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon und anderen fordern, entbehrt nicht der Komik. Diese fallen aber sicher unter das Stichwort «Machtmissbrauch von Big-Tech-Unternehmen». Gleichzeitig verlangen die Lobbyisten implizit zum Beispiel die Förderung des Nostr-Netzwerks, denn hier finden wir dezentral organisierte und quelloffen programmierte digitale Räume par excellence, obendrein zensurresistent. Das wiederum dürfte in der Politik weniger gut ankommen.

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Die «Eliten» führen bereits groß angelegte Pilotprojekte für eine Zukunft durch, die sie wollen und wir nicht. Das schreibt der OffGuardian in einem Update zum Thema «EU-Brieftasche für die digitale Identität». Das Portal weist darauf hin, dass die Akteure dabei nicht gerade zimperlich vorgehen und auch keinen Hehl aus ihren Absichten machen. Transition News hat mehrfach darüber berichtet, zuletzt hier und hier.

Mit der EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI-Brieftasche) sei eine einzige von der Regierung herausgegebene App geplant, die Ihre medizinischen Daten, Beschäftigungsdaten, Reisedaten, Bildungsdaten, Impfdaten, Steuerdaten, Finanzdaten sowie (potenziell) Kopien Ihrer Unterschrift, Fingerabdrücke, Gesichtsscans, Stimmproben und DNA enthält. So fasst der OffGuardian die eindrucksvolle Liste möglicher Einsatzbereiche zusammen.

Auch Dokumente wie der Personalausweis oder der Führerschein können dort in elektronischer Form gespeichert werden. Bis 2026 sind alle EU-Mitgliedstaaten dazu verpflichtet, Ihren Bürgern funktionierende und frei verfügbare digitale «Brieftaschen» bereitzustellen.

Die Menschen würden diese App nutzen, so das Portal, um Zahlungen vorzunehmen, Kredite zu beantragen, ihre Steuern zu zahlen, ihre Rezepte abzuholen, internationale Grenzen zu überschreiten, Unternehmen zu gründen, Arzttermine zu buchen, sich um Stellen zu bewerben und sogar digitale Verträge online zu unterzeichnen.

All diese Daten würden auf ihrem Mobiltelefon gespeichert und mit den Regierungen von neunzehn Ländern (plus der Ukraine) sowie über 140 anderen öffentlichen und privaten Partnern ausgetauscht. Von der Deutschen Bank über das ukrainische Ministerium für digitalen Fortschritt bis hin zu Samsung Europe. Unternehmen und Behörden würden auf diese Daten im Backend zugreifen, um «automatisierte Hintergrundprüfungen» durchzuführen.

Der Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen und Verbraucherverbände (VZBV) habe Bedenken geäußert, dass eine solche App «Risiken für den Schutz der Privatsphäre und der Daten» berge, berichtet das Portal. Die einzige Antwort darauf laute: «Richtig, genau dafür ist sie ja da!»

Das alles sei keine Hypothese, betont der OffGuardian. Es sei vielmehr «Potential». Damit ist ein EU-Projekt gemeint, in dessen Rahmen Dutzende öffentliche und private Einrichtungen zusammenarbeiten, «um eine einheitliche Vision der digitalen Identität für die Bürger der europäischen Länder zu definieren». Dies ist nur eines der groß angelegten Pilotprojekte, mit denen Prototypen und Anwendungsfälle für die EUDI-Wallet getestet werden. Es gibt noch mindestens drei weitere.

Den Ball der digitalen ID-Systeme habe die Covid-«Pandemie» über die «Impfpässe» ins Rollen gebracht. Seitdem habe das Thema an Schwung verloren. Je näher wir aber der vollständigen Einführung der EUid kämen, desto mehr Propaganda der Art «Warum wir eine digitale Brieftasche brauchen» könnten wir in den Mainstream-Medien erwarten, prognostiziert der OffGuardian. Vielleicht müssten wir schon nach dem nächsten großen «Grund», dem nächsten «katastrophalen katalytischen Ereignis» Ausschau halten. Vermutlich gebe es bereits Pläne, warum die Menschen plötzlich eine digitale ID-Brieftasche brauchen würden.

Die Entwicklung geht jedenfalls stetig weiter in genau diese Richtung. Beispielsweise hat Jordanien angekündigt, die digitale biometrische ID bei den nächsten Wahlen zur Verifizierung der Wähler einzuführen. Man wolle «den Papierkrieg beenden und sicherstellen, dass die gesamte Kette bis zu den nächsten Parlamentswahlen digitalisiert wird», heißt es. Absehbar ist, dass dabei einige Wahlberechtigte «auf der Strecke bleiben» werden, wie im Fall von Albanien geschehen.

Derweil würden die Briten gerne ihre Privatsphäre gegen Effizienz eintauschen, behauptet Tony Blair. Der Ex-Premier drängte kürzlich erneut auf digitale Identitäten und Gesichtserkennung. Blair ist Gründer einer Denkfabrik für globalen Wandel, Anhänger globalistischer Technokratie und «moderner Infrastruktur».

Abschließend warnt der OffGuardian vor der Illusion, Trump und Musk würden den US-Bürgern «diesen Schlamassel ersparen». Das Department of Government Efficiency werde sich auf die digitale Identität stürzen. Was könne schließlich «effizienter» sein als eine einzige App, die für alles verwendet wird? Der Unterschied bestehe nur darin, dass die US-Version vielleicht eher privat als öffentlich sei – sofern es da überhaupt noch einen wirklichen Unterschied gebe.

[Titelbild: Screenshot OffGuardian]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 662f9bff:8960f6b2

This past week I have been very busy in Holywood - just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland with a lot to do on top of my day-job! It was an unplanned trip but mission accomplished and we are off on the road again. I am writing this on my 3h30 Ryanair flight - so even in weeks like this you can find time to reflect quietly and think clearly if you look for it and seize the opportunity.

You might have noticed that I have "rebranded" the website and newsletter as "Letter From ...around the world". This reflects the reality that Hong Kong is not currently the "Asia World City" and I am not there. Whether it will ever reclaim that title again and when, or even if I can return remains to be seen. I am deeply saddened that after living 10 fabulous years in HK we had to abandon everything that Saturday night at the end of February.

This is the third time in my life that I have chosen Exit from "Loyalty, Voice or Exit" - (recall issue 09 - On Location).... Expect both Voice and Exit to become increasingly difficult or even unavailable in many jurisdictions. It is time to wake up. Talk to me if you are awake or curious!

One thing I learned back in 2004 on my first businss trip to New York is that "The way you react to a situation determines how you feel about it". This is one of so many insights that I learned from "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Steven Covey. I found the book at 4pm in the afternoon walking around outside my hotel trying to stay up to overcome jet-lag. I got back to the hotel and proceeded to devour the entire book overnight. I had never done that with any book before and I do not think I have done it since. Look out for a full review in an upcoming newsletter.

Thanks to Ali Abdaal for his passionate and insightful review of "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon - clearly this is something that he has internalised and he does practice what he preaches. Indeed this is a short and easy read with many pictures and simple suggestions - recommended! I did read it on my Kindle and I am enjoying how the highlights automagically sync into Obsidian (see last week's find).

I was also inspired by Ali's How to Start a Youtube Channel explainer. I have been following Ali for about 5 years since he was a student doing these videos in his student room on his iPhone while studying Medicine in Cambridge. His passion for sharing his insights on how to study effectively as well as facilitating the learning that medical students needed to do enabled him to set up his own businesss. This set him on the road to his current 3 million subscribers and a business employing over a dozen people inspiring and helping others to acquire skills that are increasingly valuable in the the world today and going forward.

Over the coming months I will be experimenting with different channels and different media not only to discover new insights for myself but also to share things that I distill and find interesting. Also somewhat loosely inspired by "How to Get What you want and Want What You Have" by Jon Gray, I do recognize that I am now in the latter of the "Ten Time Periods" - if I had to pick one, I would say number 8 - at least that is how I feel!

So do subscribe to the newsletter and do follow along on Youtube. I'm obviously still in stage 1 of Ali's 3-stage process - so be patient and do give feedback, questions and suggestions!

Another day - another Airport...

That's it!

No one can be told what The Matrix is.\ You have to see it for yourself.**

Do share this newsletter with any of your friends and family who might be interested.

You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

💡Enjoy the newsletters in your own language : Dutch, French, German, Serbian, Chinese Traditional & Simplified, Thai and Burmese.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na bitcoin-balkan.com.

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Pregled sadržaja

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

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

Šta je Bitcoin?

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

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

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

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

Šta Bitcoin može da učini za vas?

Bitcoin može da sačuva vaš teško zarađeni novac.

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

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

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

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

Zašto ljudi kupuju Bitcoin?

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

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

Broj aktivnih Bitcoin novčanika neprekidno raste

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

Izvor: Glassnode

Cena Bitcoina se neprestano penje

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

Izvor: Glassnode

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

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

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

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

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

Dolari, Euri, Dinari

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kuće

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

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

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

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

Akcije

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

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

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

A to nije baš siguran način štednje novca.

Zlato

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

Cena zlata

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

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

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

Vaša uštedjevina nije bezbedna.

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

Sistem ne funkcioniše dobro za većinu ljudi.

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

EPI Plate VS Produktivnost

CBPP Nejednakost Bogatstva Tokom Vremena

Edelman Studija Poverenja

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

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

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

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

Šta Bitcoin čini drugačijim?

Bitcoini su retki.

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

Bitcoini nemaju drugu ugovornu stranu.

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

Bitcoin je pristupačan.

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

Bitcoin se ne može konfiskovati.

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

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

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

Bitcoin je za štednju.

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

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

Po čemu se Bitcoin razlikuje od ostalih valuta?

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

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

Bitcoin je otvoren sistem.

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

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

Bitcoin ima ograničenu ponudu.

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

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

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

Bitcoin putuje oko sveta za nekoliko minuta.

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

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

Bitcoin se može čuvati na “USB-u”.

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

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

Kako Bitcoin spašava svet?

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

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

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

Kako mogu da saznam više o Bitcoin-u?

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

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

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0

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

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I. Fundamento histórico: a civilização da liberdade é cristã

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

Foi o cristianismo que:

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

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

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

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

Negar isso é amputar a própria genealogia da liberdade ocidental.

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

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

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

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II. Falsa dicotomia: fé e liberdade não são opostas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isso se deve a quatro premissas teológicas:

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

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

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

4. Autonomia institucional, presente nas universidades medievais.

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

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

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

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V. O cristianismo como barreira à revolução cultural

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

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

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

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Conclusão

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

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

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

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Ständige Lügen und Unterstellungen, permanent falsche Fürsorge \ können Bausteine von emotionaler Manipulation sein. Mit dem Zweck, \ Macht und Kontrolle über eine andere Person auszuüben. \ Apotheken Umschau

Irgendetwas muss passiert sein: «Gaslighting» ist gerade Thema in vielen Medien. Heute bin ich nach längerer Zeit mal wieder über dieses Stichwort gestolpert. Das war in einem Artikel von Norbert Häring über Manipulationen des Deutschen Wetterdienstes (DWD). In diesem Fall ging es um eine Pressemitteilung vom Donnerstag zum «viel zu warmen» Winter 2024/25.

Häring wirft der Behörde vor, dreist zu lügen und Dinge auszulassen, um die Klimaangst wach zu halten. Was der Leser beim DWD nicht erfahre, sei, dass dieser Winter kälter als die drei vorangegangenen und kälter als der Durchschnitt der letzten zehn Jahre gewesen sei. Stattdessen werde der falsche Eindruck vermittelt, es würde ungebremst immer wärmer.

Wem also der zu Ende gehende Winter eher kalt vorgekommen sein sollte, mit dessen Empfinden stimme wohl etwas nicht. Das jedenfalls wolle der DWD uns einreden, so der Wirtschaftsjournalist. Und damit sind wir beim Thema Gaslighting.

Als Gaslighting wird eine Form psychischer Manipulation bezeichnet, mit der die Opfer desorientiert und zutiefst verunsichert werden, indem ihre eigene Wahrnehmung als falsch bezeichnet wird. Der Prozess führt zu Angst und Realitätsverzerrung sowie zur Zerstörung des Selbstbewusstseins. Die Bezeichnung kommt von dem britischen Theaterstück «Gas Light» aus dem Jahr 1938, in dem ein Mann mit grausamen Psychotricks seine Frau in den Wahnsinn treibt.

Damit Gaslighting funktioniert, muss das Opfer dem Täter vertrauen. Oft wird solcher Psychoterror daher im privaten oder familiären Umfeld beschrieben, ebenso wie am Arbeitsplatz. Jedoch eignen sich die Prinzipien auch perfekt zur Manipulation der Massen. Vermeintliche Autoritäten wie Ärzte und Wissenschaftler, oder «der fürsorgliche Staat» und Institutionen wie die UNO oder die WHO wollen uns doch nichts Böses. Auch Staatsmedien, Faktenchecker und diverse NGOs wurden zu «vertrauenswürdigen Quellen» erklärt. Das hat seine Wirkung.

Warum das Thema Gaslighting derzeit scheinbar so populär ist, vermag ich nicht zu sagen. Es sind aber gerade in den letzten Tagen und Wochen auffällig viele Artikel dazu erschienen, und zwar nicht nur von Psychologen. Die Frankfurter Rundschau hat gleich mehrere publiziert, und Anwälte interessieren sich dafür offenbar genauso wie Apotheker.

Die Apotheken Umschau machte sogar auf «Medical Gaslighting» aufmerksam. Davon spreche man, wenn Mediziner Symptome nicht ernst nähmen oder wenn ein gesundheitliches Problem vom behandelnden Arzt «schnöde heruntergespielt» oder abgetan würde. Kommt Ihnen das auch irgendwie bekannt vor? Der Begriff sei allerdings irreführend, da er eine manipulierende Absicht unterstellt, die «nicht gewährleistet» sei.

Apropos Gaslighting: Die noch amtierende deutsche Bundesregierung meldete heute, es gelte, «weiter [sic!] gemeinsam daran zu arbeiten, einen gerechten und dauerhaften Frieden für die Ukraine zu erreichen». Die Ukraine, wo sich am Montag «der völkerrechtswidrige Angriffskrieg zum dritten Mal jährte», verteidige ihr Land und «unsere gemeinsamen Werte».

Merken Sie etwas? Das Demokratieverständnis mag ja tatsächlich inzwischen in beiden Ländern ähnlich traurig sein. Bezüglich Friedensbemühungen ist meine Wahrnehmung jedoch eine andere. Das muss an meinem Gedächtnis liegen.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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Europa – das Ganze ist eine wunderbare Idee, \ aber das war der Kommunismus auch. \ Loriot

«Europa hat fertig», könnte man unken, und das wäre nicht einmal sehr verwegen. Mit solch einer Einschätzung stünden wir nicht alleine, denn die Stimmen in diese Richtung mehren sich. Der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron warnte schon letztes Jahr davor, dass «unser Europa sterben könnte». Vermutlich hatte er dabei andere Gefahren im Kopf als jetzt der ungarische Ministerpräsident Viktor Orbán, der ein «baldiges Ende der EU» prognostizierte. Das Ergebnis könnte allerdings das gleiche sein.

Neben vordergründigen Themenbereichen wie Wirtschaft, Energie und Sicherheit ist das eigentliche Problem jedoch die obskure Mischung aus aufgegebener Souveränität und geschwollener Arroganz, mit der europäische Politiker:innende unterschiedlicher Couleur aufzutreten pflegen. Und das Tüpfelchen auf dem i ist die bröckelnde Legitimation politischer Institutionen dadurch, dass die Stimmen großer Teile der Bevölkerung seit Jahren auf vielfältige Weise ausgegrenzt werden.

Um «UnsereDemokratie» steht es schlecht. Dass seine Mandate immer schwächer werden, merkt natürlich auch unser «Führungspersonal». Entsprechend werden die Maßnahmen zur Gängelung, Überwachung und Manipulation der Bürger ständig verzweifelter. Parallel dazu plustern sich in Paris Macron, Scholz und einige andere noch einmal mächtig in Sachen Verteidigung und «Kriegstüchtigkeit» auf.

Momentan gilt es auch, das Überschwappen covidiotischer und verschwörungsideologischer Auswüchse aus den USA nach Europa zu vermeiden. So ein «MEGA» (Make Europe Great Again) können wir hier nicht gebrauchen. Aus den Vereinigten Staaten kommen nämlich furchtbare Nachrichten. Beispielsweise wurde einer der schärfsten Kritiker der Corona-Maßnahmen kürzlich zum Gesundheitsminister ernannt. Dieser setzt sich jetzt für eine Neubewertung der mRNA-«Impfstoffe» ein, was durchaus zu einem Entzug der Zulassungen führen könnte.

Der europäischen Version von «Verteidigung der Demokratie» setzte der US-Vizepräsident J. D. Vance auf der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz sein Verständnis entgegen: «Demokratie stärken, indem wir unseren Bürgern erlauben, ihre Meinung zu sagen». Das Abschalten von Medien, das Annullieren von Wahlen oder das Ausschließen von Menschen vom politischen Prozess schütze gar nichts. Vielmehr sei dies der todsichere Weg, die Demokratie zu zerstören.

In der Schweiz kamen seine Worte deutlich besser an als in den meisten europäischen NATO-Ländern. Bundespräsidentin Karin Keller-Sutter lobte die Rede und interpretierte sie als «Plädoyer für die direkte Demokratie». Möglicherweise zeichne sich hier eine außenpolitische Kehrtwende in Richtung integraler Neutralität ab, meint mein Kollege Daniel Funk. Das wären doch endlich mal ein paar gute Nachrichten.

Von der einstigen Idee einer europäischen Union mit engeren Beziehungen zwischen den Staaten, um Konflikte zu vermeiden und das Wohlergehen der Bürger zu verbessern, sind wir meilenweit abgekommen. Der heutige korrupte Verbund unter technokratischer Leitung ähnelt mehr einem Selbstbedienungsladen mit sehr begrenztem Zugang. Die EU-Wahlen im letzten Sommer haben daran ebenso wenig geändert, wie die Bundestagswahl am kommenden Sonntag darauf einen Einfluss haben wird.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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The global population has been rising rapidly for the past two centuries when compared to historical trends. Fifty years ago, that trend seemed set to continue, and there was a lot of concern around the issue of overpopulation. But if you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ll know that while the population is still rising, that trend now seems set to reverse this century, and there’s every indication population could decline precipitously over the next two centuries.

Demographics is a field where predictions about the future are much more reliable than in most scientific fields. That’s because future population trends are “baked in” decades in advance. If you want to know how many fifty-year-olds there will be in forty years, all you have to do is count the ten-year-olds today and allow for mortality rates. That maximum was already determined by the number of births ten years ago, and absolutely nothing can change that now. The average person doesn’t think that through when they look at population trends. You hear a lot of “oh we just need to do more of x to help the declining birthrate” without an acknowledgement that future populations in a given cohort are already fixed by the number of births that already occurred.

As you can see, global birthrates have already declined close to the 2.3 replacement level, with some regions ahead of others, but all on the same trajectory with no region moving against the trend. I’m not going to speculate on the reasons for this, or even whether it’s a good or bad thing. Instead I’m going to make some observations about outcomes this trend could cause economically, and why. Like most macro issues, an individual can’t do anything to change the global landscape personally, but knowing what that landscape might look like is essential to avoiding fallout from trends outside your control.

The Resource Pie

Thomas Malthus popularized the concern about overpopulation with his 1798 book An Essay on the Principle of Population. The basic premise of the book was that population could grow and consume all the available resources, leading to mass poverty, starvation, disease, and population collapse. We can say in hindsight that this was incorrect, given that the global population has increased from less than a billion to over eight billion since then, and the apocalypse Malthus predicted hasn’t materialized. Exactly the opposite, in fact. The global standard of living has risen to levels Malthus couldn’t have imagined, much less predicted.

So where did Malthus go wrong? His hypothesis seems reasonable enough, and we do see a similar trend in certain animal populations. The base assumption Malthus got wrong was to assume resources are a finite, limiting factor to the human population. That at some point certain resources would be totally consumed, and that would be it. He treated it like a pie with a lot of slices, but still a finite number, and assumed that if the population kept rising, eventually every slice would be consumed and there would be no pie left for future generations. That turns out to be completely wrong.

Of course, the earth is finite at some abstract level. The number of atoms could theoretically be counted and quantified. But on a practical level, do humans exhaust the earth’s resources? I’d point to an article from Yale Scientific titled Has the Earth Run out of any Natural Resources? To quote,

> However, despite what doomsday predictions may suggest, the Earth has not run out of any resources nor is it likely that it will run out of any in the near future. > > In fact, resources are becoming more abundant. Though this may seem puzzling, it does not mean that the actual quantity of resources in the Earth’s crust is increasing but rather that the amount available for our use is constantly growing due to technological innovations. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the only resource we have exhausted is cryolite, a mineral used in pesticides and aluminum processing. However, that is not to say every bit of it has been mined away; rather, producing it synthetically is much more cost efficient than mining the existing reserves at its current value.

As it happens, we don’t run out of resources. Instead, we become better at finding, extracting, and efficiently utilizing resources, which means that in practical terms resources become more abundant, not less. In other words, the pie grows faster than we can eat it.

So is there any resource that actually limits human potential? I think there is, and history would suggest that resource is human ingenuity and effort. The more people are thinking about and working on a problem, the more solutions we find and build to solve it. That means not only does the pie grow faster than we can eat it, but the more people there are, the faster the pie grows. Of course that assumes everyone eating pie is also working to grow the pie, but that’s a separate issue for now.

Productivity and Division of Labor

Why does having more people lead to more productivity? A big part of it comes down to division of labor and specialization. The best way to get really good at something is to do more of it. In a small community, doing just one thing simply isn’t possible. Everyone has to be somewhat of a generalist in order to survive. But with a larger population, being a specialist becomes possible. In fact, that’s the purpose of money, as I explained here.

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The more specialized an economy becomes, the more efficient it can be. There are big economies of scale in almost every task or process. So for example, if a single person tried to build a car from scratch, it would be extremely difficult and take a very long time. However, if you have a thousand people building a car, each doing a specific job, they can become very good at doing that specific job and do it much faster. And then you can move that process to a factory, and build machines to do specific jobs, and add even more efficiency.

But that only works if you’re building more than one car. It doesn’t make sense to build a huge factory full of specialized equipment that takes lots of time and effort to design and manufacture, and then only build one car. You need to sell thousands of cars, maybe even millions of cars, to pay off that initial investment. So division of labor and specialization relies on large populations in two different ways. First, you need a large population to have enough people to specialize in each task. But second and just as importantly, you need a large population of buyers for the finished product. You need a big market in order to make mass production economical.

Think of a computer or smartphone. It takes thousands of specialized processes, thousands of complex parts, and millions of people doing specialized jobs to extract the raw materials, process them, and assemble them into a piece of electronic hardware. And electronics are relatively expensive anyway. Imagine how impossible it would be to manufacture electronics economically, if the market demand wasn’t literally in the billions of units.

Stairs Up, Elevator Down

We’ve seen exponential increases in productivity over the past few centuries, resulting in higher living standards even as population exploded. Now, facing the prospect of a drastic trend reversal, what will happen to productivity and living standards? The typical sentiment seems to be “well, there are a lot of people already competing for resources, so if population does decline, that will just reduce the competition and leave a bigger slice of pie for each person, so we’ll all be getting wealthier as a result of population decline.”

This seems reasonable at first glance. Surely dividing the economic pie into fewer slices means a bigger slice for everyone, right? But remember, more specialization and division of labor is what made the pie as big as it is to begin with. And specialization depends on large populations for both the supply of specialized labor, and the demand for finished goods. Can complex supply chains and mass production withstand population reduction intact? I don’t think the answer is clear.

The idea that it will all be okay, and we’ll get wealthier as population falls, is based on some faulty assumptions. It assumes that wealth is basically some fixed inventory of “things” that exist, and it’s all a matter of distribution. That’s typical Marxist thinking, similar to the reasoning behind “tax the rich” and other utopian wealth transfer schemes.

The reality is, wealth is a dynamic concept with strong network effects. For example, a grocery store in a large city can be a valuable asset with a large potential income stream. The same store in a small village with a declining population can be an unprofitable and effectively worthless liability.

Even something as permanent as a house is very susceptible to network effects. If you currently live in an area where housing is scarce and expensive, you might think a declining population would be the perfect solution to high housing costs. However, if you look at a place that’s already facing the beginnings of a population decline, you’ll see it’s not actually that simple. Japan, for example, is already facing an aging and declining population. And sure enough, you can get a house in Japan for free, or basically free. Sounds amazing, right? Not really.

If you check out the reason houses are given away in Japan, you’ll find a depressing reality. Most of the free houses are in rural areas or villages where the population is declining, often to the point that the village becomes uninhabited and abandoned. It’s so bad that in 2018, 13.6% of houses in Japan were vacant. Why do villages become uninhabited? Well, it turns out that a certain population level is necessary to support the services and businesses people need. When the population falls too low, specialized businesses can no longer operated profitably. It’s the exact issue we discussed with division of labor and the need for a high population to provide a market for the specialist to survive. As the local stores, entertainment venues, and businesses close, and skilled tradesmen move away to larger population centers with more customers, living in the village becomes difficult and depressing, if not impossible. So at a certain critical level, a village that’s too isolated will reach a tipping point where everyone leaves as fast as possible. And it turns out that an abandoned house in a remote village or rural area without any nearby services and businesses is worth… nothing. Nobody wants to live there, nobody wants to spend the money to maintain the house, nobody wants to pay the taxes needed to maintain the utilities the town relied on. So they try to give the houses away to anyone who agrees to live there, often without much success.

So on a local level, population might rise gradually over time, but when that process reverses and population declines to a certain level, it can collapse rather quickly from there.

I expect the same incentives to play out on a larger scale as well. Complex supply chains and extreme specialization lead to massive productivity. But there’s also a downside, which is the fragility of the system. Specialization might mean one shop can make all the widgets needed for a specific application, for the whole globe. That’s great while it lasts, but what happens when the owner of that shop retires with his lifetime of knowledge and experience? Will there be someone equally capable ready to fill his shoes? Hopefully… But spread that problem out across the global economy, and cracks start to appear. A specialized part is unavailable. So a machine that relies on that part breaks down and can’t be repaired. So a new machine needs to be built, which is a big expense that drives up costs and prices. And with a falling population, demand goes down. Now businesses are spending more to make fewer items, so they have to raise prices to stay profitable. Now fewer people can afford the item, so demand falls even further. Eventually the business is forced to close, and other industries that relied on the items they produced are crippled. Things become more expensive, or unavailable at any price. Living standards fall. What was a stairway up becomes an elevator down.

Hope, From the Parasite Class?

All that being said, I’m not completely pessimistic about the future. I think the potential for an acceptable outcome exists.

I see two broad groups of people in the economy; producers, and parasites. One thing the increasing productivity has done is made it easier than ever to survive. Food is plentiful globally, the only issues are with distribution. Medical advances save countless lives. Everything is more abundant than ever before. All that has led to a very “soft” economic reality. There’s a lot of non-essential production, which means a lot of wealth can be redistributed to people who contribute nothing, and if it’s done carefully, most people won’t even notice. And that is exactly what has happened, in spades.

There are welfare programs of every type and description, and handouts to people for every reason imaginable. It’s never been easier to survive without lifting a finger. So millions of able-bodied men choose to do just that.

Besides the voluntarily idle, the economy is full of “bullshit jobs.” Shoutout to David Graeber’s book with that title. (It’s an excellent book and one I would highly recommend, even though the author was a Marxist and his conclusions are completely wrong.) A 2015 British poll asked people, “Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world?” Only 50% said yes, while 37% said no and 13% were uncertain.

This won’t be a surprise to anyone who’s operated a business, or even worked in the private sector in general. There are three types of jobs; jobs that accomplish something productive, jobs that accomplish nothing of value, and jobs that actually hinder people trying to accomplish something productive. The number of jobs in the last two categories has grown massively over the years. This would include a lot of unnecessary administrative jobs, burdensome regulatory jobs, useless DEI and HR jobs, a large percentage of public sector jobs, most of the military-industrial complex, and the list is endless. All these jobs accomplish nothing worthwhile at best, and actively discourage those who are trying to accomplish something at worst.

Even among jobs that do accomplish some useful purpose, the amount of time spent actually doing the job continues to decline. According to a 2016 poll, American office workers spent only 39% of their workday actually doing their primary task. The other 61% was largely wasted on unproductive administrative tasks and meetings, answering emails, and just simply wasting time.

I could go on, but the point is, there’s a lot of slack in the economy. We’ve become so productive that the number of people actually doing the work to keep everyone fed, clothed, and cared for is only a small percentage of the population. In one sense, that’s a cause for optimism. The population could decline a lot, and we’d still have enough bodies to man the economic engine, as it were.

Aging

The thing with population decline, though, is nobody gets to choose who goes first. Not unless you’re a psychopathic dictator. So populations get old, then they get small. This means that the number of dependents in the economy rises naturally. Once people retire, they still need someone to grow the food, keep the lights on, and provide the medical care. And it doesn’t matter how much money the retirees have saved, either. Money is just a claim on wealth. The goods and services actually have to be provided by someone, and if that someone was never born, all the money in the world won’t change anything.

And the aging occurs on top of all the people already taking from the economy without contributing anything of value. So that seems like a big problem.

Currently, wealth redistribution happens through a combination of direct taxes, indirect taxation through deficit spending, and the whole gamut of games that happen when banks create credit/debt money by making loans. In a lot of cases, it’s very indirect and difficult to pin down. For example, someone has a “job” in a government office, enforcing pointless regulations that actually hinder someone in the private sector from producing something useful. Their paycheck comes from the government, so a combination of taxes on productive people, and deficit spending, which is also a tax on productive people. But they “have a job,” so who’s going to question their contribution to society? On the other hand, it could be a banker or hedge fund manager. They might be pulling in a massive salary, but at the core all they’re really doing is finding creative financial ways to transfer wealth from productive people to themselves, without contributing anything of value.

You’ll notice a common theme if you think about this problem deeply. Most of the wealth transfer that supports the unproductive, whether that’s welfare recipients, retirees, bureaucrats, corporate middle managers, or weapons manufacturers, is only possible through expanding the money supply. There’s a limit to how much direct taxation the productive will bear while the option to collect welfare exists. At a certain point, people conclude that working hard every day isn’t worth it, when taxes take so much of their wages that they could make almost as much without working at all. So the balance of what it takes to support the dependent class has to come indirectly, through new money creation.

As long as the declining population happens under the existing monetary system, the future looks bleak. There’s no limit to how much money creation and inflation the parasite class will use in an attempt to avoid work. They’ll continue to suck the productive class dry until the workers give up in disgust, and the currency collapses into hyperinflation. And you can’t run a complex economy without functional money, so productivity inevitably collapses with the currency.

The optimistic view is that we don’t have to continue supporting the failed credit/debt monetary system. It’s hurting productivity, messing up incentives, and contributing to increasing wealth inequality and lower living standards for the middle class. If we walk away from that system and adopt a hard money standard, the possibility of inflationary wealth redistribution vanishes. The welfare and warfare programs have to be slashed. The parasite class is forced to get busy, or starve. In that scenario, the declining population of workers can be offset by a massive shift away from “bullshit jobs” and into actual productive work.

While that might not be a permanent solution to declining population, it would at least give us time to find a real solution, without having our complex economy collapse and send our living standards back to the 17th century.

It’s a complex issue with many possible outcomes, but I think a close look at the effects of the monetary system on productivity shows one obvious problem that will make the situation worse than necessary. Moving to a better monetary system and creating incentives for productivity would do a lot to reduce the economic impacts of a declining population.

@ 5391098c:74403a0e

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

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

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

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

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The open-source project makes it possible to send bitcoin even in censored or disconnected areas through a radio mesh network.

In an interview with Decrypt, the developer known by the pseudonym “cyber” revealed the details of Darkwire, an open-source project that could enable new use cases for Bitcoin transactions without internet access.

The project, presented at the Bitcoin 2025 Official Hackathon, leverages Long Range Radio (LoRa) technology to create a decentralized mesh network that allows Bitcoin transactions to be sent even in the total absence of traditional connectivity.

Darkwire was specifically designed for situations where conventional communication infrastructure is inaccessible or controlled. According to cyber, the system is ideal for politically sensitive regions like the Rafah Crossing or the Indo-Tibetan border, where internet access can be limited or heavily monitored.

“Darkwire is for individuals seeking privacy or wishing to bypass surveillance of their communications and transactions. Imagine it to be akin to Tor but for this specific use case,” the creator explained.

LoRa technology

Darkwire operates through a combination of technologies. The system uses long-range LoRa radios along with microcontrollers such as the Arduino UNO to form a decentralized mesh network.

When a user wants to send a Bitcoin transaction without internet access, they specify the recipient’s address and the amount via a local graphical interface managed by bitcoinlib. The system then generates a signed Bitcoin transaction in hexadecimal format, which is split into smaller packets and transmitted via radio.

Mesh Network

Darkwire’s mesh network allows the data to “hop” from node to node until it reaches an internet-connected exit point. In ideal conditions, each Darkwire node has a range of up to 10 kilometers with a direct line of sight, reduced to 3-5 kilometers in densely populated areas.

“At least one node in the network needs to be connected to the internet, so that the transaction can be pushed to the blockchain for miners to verify it,” cyber said.

Once the transaction data reaches a node with internet access, it acts as an exit point, broadcasting the verified Bitcoin transaction to the global network, where it can be included in a block.

Limitations and future developments

Currently, Darkwire faces several technical limitations that the team is actively working to address. The relatively low bandwidth of LoRa radios and their sensitivity to terrain obstacles represent challenges. Moreover, the system’s dependence on internet-connected exit nodes could create potential points of failure.

According to reports, the project is still in its hackathon phase, but cyber has plans to further develop it, turning it into a full open-source platform and making it “the industry standard” for LoRa-based communications.

“I do hope people living in any kind of authoritarian regimes and states do get to use darkwire and put the truth out there,” the developer added.

The post Bitcoin without internet thanks to LoRa technology: the Darkwire project appeared first on Atlas21.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Die «moralische Weltordnung» – eine Art Astrologie. Friedrich Nietzsche

Das Treffen der BRICS-Staaten beim Gipfel im russischen Kasan war sicher nicht irgendein politisches Event. Gastgeber Wladimir Putin habe «Hof gehalten», sagen die Einen, China und Russland hätten ihre Vorstellung einer multipolaren Weltordnung zelebriert, schreiben Andere.

In jedem Fall zeigt die Anwesenheit von über 30 Delegationen aus der ganzen Welt, dass von einer geostrategischen Isolation Russlands wohl keine Rede sein kann. Darüber hinaus haben sowohl die Anreise von UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres als auch die Meldungen und Dementis bezüglich der Beitrittsbemühungen des NATO-Staats Türkei für etwas Aufsehen gesorgt.

Im Spannungsfeld geopolitischer und wirtschaftlicher Umbrüche zeigt die neue Allianz zunehmendes Selbstbewusstsein. In Sachen gemeinsamer Finanzpolitik schmiedet man interessante Pläne. Größere Unabhängigkeit von der US-dominierten Finanzordnung ist dabei ein wichtiges Ziel.

Beim BRICS-Wirtschaftsforum in Moskau, wenige Tage vor dem Gipfel, zählte ein nachhaltiges System für Finanzabrechnungen und Zahlungsdienste zu den vorrangigen Themen. Während dieses Treffens ging der russische Staatsfonds eine Partnerschaft mit dem Rechenzentrumsbetreiber BitRiver ein, um Bitcoin-Mining-Anlagen für die BRICS-Länder zu errichten.

Die Initiative könnte ein Schritt sein, Bitcoin und andere Kryptowährungen als Alternativen zu traditionellen Finanzsystemen zu etablieren. Das Projekt könnte dazu führen, dass die BRICS-Staaten den globalen Handel in Bitcoin abwickeln. Vor dem Hintergrund der Diskussionen über eine «BRICS-Währung» wäre dies eine Alternative zu dem ursprünglich angedachten Korb lokaler Währungen und zu goldgedeckten Währungen sowie eine mögliche Ergänzung zum Zahlungssystem BRICS Pay.

Dient der Bitcoin also der Entdollarisierung? Oder droht er inzwischen, zum Gegenstand geopolitischer Machtspielchen zu werden? Angesichts der globalen Vernetzungen ist es oft schwer zu durchschauen, «was eine Show ist und was im Hintergrund von anderen Strippenziehern insgeheim gesteuert wird». Sicher können Strukturen wie Bitcoin auch so genutzt werden, dass sie den Herrschenden dienlich sind. Aber die Grundeigenschaft des dezentralisierten, unzensierbaren Peer-to-Peer Zahlungsnetzwerks ist ihm schließlich nicht zu nehmen.

Wenn es nach der EZB oder dem IWF geht, dann scheint statt Instrumentalisierung momentan eher der Kampf gegen Kryptowährungen angesagt. Jürgen Schaaf, Senior Manager bei der Europäischen Zentralbank, hat jedenfalls dazu aufgerufen, Bitcoin «zu eliminieren». Der Internationale Währungsfonds forderte El Salvador, das Bitcoin 2021 als gesetzliches Zahlungsmittel eingeführt hat, kürzlich zu begrenzenden Maßnahmen gegen das Kryptogeld auf.

Dass die BRICS-Staaten ein freiheitliches Ansinnen im Kopf haben, wenn sie Kryptowährungen ins Spiel bringen, darf indes auch bezweifelt werden. Im Abschlussdokument bekennen sich die Gipfel-Teilnehmer ausdrücklich zur UN, ihren Programmen und ihrer «Agenda 2030». Ernst Wolff nennt das «eine Bankrotterklärung korrupter Politiker, die sich dem digital-finanziellen Komplex zu 100 Prozent unterwerfen».

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Auf der diesjährigen Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz geht es vor allem um die Ukraine. Protagonisten sind dabei zunächst die US-Amerikaner. Präsident Trump schockierte die Europäer kurz vorher durch ein Telefonat mit seinem Amtskollegen Wladimir Putin, während Vizepräsident Vance mit seiner Rede über Demokratie und Meinungsfreiheit für versteinerte Mienen und Empörung sorgte.

Die Bemühungen der Europäer um einen Frieden in der Ukraine halten sich, gelinde gesagt, in Grenzen. Größeres Augenmerk wird auf militärische Unterstützung, die Pflege von Feindbildern sowie Eskalation gelegt. Der deutsche Bundeskanzler Scholz reagierte auf die angekündigten Verhandlungen über einen möglichen Frieden für die Ukraine mit der Forderung nach noch höheren «Verteidigungsausgaben». Auch die amtierende Außenministerin Baerbock hatte vor der Münchner Konferenz klargestellt:

«Frieden wird es nur durch Stärke geben. (...) Bei Corona haben wir gesehen, zu was Europa fähig ist. Es braucht erneut Investitionen, die der historischen Wegmarke, vor der wir stehen, angemessen sind.»

Die Rüstungsindustrie freut sich in jedem Fall über weltweit steigende Militärausgaben. Die Kriege in der Ukraine und in Gaza tragen zu Rekordeinnahmen bei. Jetzt «winkt die Aussicht auf eine jahrelange große Nachrüstung in Europa», auch wenn der Ukraine-Krieg enden sollte, so hört man aus Finanzkreisen. In der Konsequenz kennt «die Aktie des deutschen Vorzeige-Rüstungskonzerns Rheinmetall in ihrem Anstieg offenbar gar keine Grenzen mehr». «Solche Friedensversprechen» wie das jetzige hätten in der Vergangenheit zu starken Kursverlusten geführt.

Für manche Leute sind Kriegswaffen und sonstige Rüstungsgüter Waren wie alle anderen, jedenfalls aus der Perspektive von Investoren oder Managern. Auch in diesem Bereich gibt es Startups und man spricht von Dingen wie innovativen Herangehensweisen, hocheffizienten Produktionsanlagen, skalierbaren Produktionstechniken und geringeren Stückkosten.

Wir lesen aktuell von Massenproduktion und gesteigerten Fertigungskapazitäten für Kriegsgerät. Der Motor solcher Dynamik und solchen Wachstums ist die Aufrüstung, die inzwischen permanent gefordert wird. Parallel wird die Bevölkerung verbal eingestimmt und auf Kriegstüchtigkeit getrimmt.

Das Rüstungs- und KI-Startup Helsing verkündete kürzlich eine «dezentrale Massenproduktion für den Ukrainekrieg». Mit dieser Expansion positioniere sich das Münchner Unternehmen als einer der weltweit führenden Hersteller von Kampfdrohnen. Der nächste «Meilenstein» steht auch bereits an: Man will eine Satellitenflotte im Weltraum aufbauen, zur Überwachung von Gefechtsfeldern und Truppenbewegungen.

Ebenfalls aus München stammt das als DefenseTech-Startup bezeichnete Unternehmen ARX Robotics. Kürzlich habe man in der Region die größte europäische Produktionsstätte für autonome Verteidigungssysteme eröffnet. Damit fahre man die Produktion von Militär-Robotern hoch. Diese Expansion diene auch der Lieferung der «größten Flotte unbemannter Bodensysteme westlicher Bauart» in die Ukraine.

Rüstung boomt und scheint ein Zukunftsmarkt zu sein. Die Hersteller und Vermarkter betonen, mit ihren Aktivitäten und Produkten solle die europäische Verteidigungsfähigkeit erhöht werden. Ihre Strategien sollten sogar «zum Schutz demokratischer Strukturen beitragen».

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 5391098c:74403a0e

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

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

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

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

@ f0fcbea6:7e059469

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

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

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

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Steak ‘n Shake Reveals Bitcoin Payment Success at Bitcoin 2025 Conference

Speaking at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference this morning, Steak ‘n Shake executive Dan Edwards shared new data and insights from the company’s recent move to accept Bitcoin payments globally via the Lightning Network. 

JUST IN: Fast food giant Steak 'n Shake announced they're saving 50% in processing fees accepting Bitcoin payments

'#Bitcoin is faster than credit cards' pic.twitter.com/bxApgBL6El

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) May 27, 2025

“On May 16, we began accepting Bitcoin as payment in all of our locations where permitted to do so by law,” Edwards began. “This is a global implementation.” 

According to Edwards, Bitcoin transactions are already outperforming expectations. “The day we launched Bitcoin, 1 out of every 500 bitcoin transactions in the world happened at Steak ‘n Shake,” he said. 

Steak ‘n Shake is also saving significantly on processing fees. “Bitcoin is faster than credit cards, and when customers choose to pay in Bitcoin, we’re saving 50% in processing fees,” said Edwards. “That makes Bitcoin a win for the customer, a win for us, and a win for the Bitcoin community.” 

He emphasized that the decision was not a publicity stunt, but a serious payment upgrade. “We didn’t see this as a marketing gimmick. We saw it as a viable option to pay—on par with other globally accepted methods.” 

The company reports that customer behavior has already shifted. “We’ve seen a sustained spike since adding Bitcoin,” Edwards noted. 

Edwards also teased the company’s future plans, calling for more technical talent. “We’re not done. We’re investing in cyber chefs, autonomous drives, AI tech—and we need engineers to help us build it.” 

To celebrate Bitcoin integration, limited-edition Bitcoin-themed menu items are launching this week in Las Vegas, including the Bitcoin Burger, Super-Sized Bitcoin Meal, and Bitcoin Milkshake. A “blockchain menu” is also in the works. 

“Celebrate the use of Bitcoin,” Edwards concluded. “Because this is just the beginning.”

This post Steak ‘n Shake Reveals Bitcoin Payment Success at Bitcoin 2025 Conference first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

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

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Rebellion as Restoration, Not Revolution

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

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

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Jedi as Centralized Moral Elites

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

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

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

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Chaos and the Frontier: The Case of the Cantina

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

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

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

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The Mythic Arc: Restoration of the Just State

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

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

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

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Conclusion: The Hidden Statism of a Rebel Myth

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

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

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

@ d360efec:14907b5f

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Since 2019, the United States has been the country with the highest number of recorded cases, but Europe remains the most affected region.

According to a Binance report, the United States is the country that has recorded the greatest number of crypto-related kidnapping cases since 2019, despite a recent increase in incidents in France.

At the regional level, however, Europe remains the area with the highest number of crypto-related kidnappings: 59 cases over six years. During the same period, North America — which includes the United States and Canada — recorded 48 cases. Particularly notable is the data concerning the entire Asian continent, where 62 cases of crypto-related kidnappings have been documented, most of which are concentrated in Southeast Asian countries.

France emerges as a concerning hotspot for crypto kidnappings, with six recent cases, three of which have already occurred in 2025.

Source: Binance

The primary targets of these kidnappings include executives of crypto companies, professional traders, exchange employees, and entrepreneurs in the sector. Family members and close associates of victims are often targeted as well. An emerging phenomenon involves tourists suspected of possessing large amounts of cryptocurrency funds.

Kidnapping cases in 2025

The year 2025 has already seen particularly serious episodes of kidnappings linked to the digital asset world. The most notable case involved David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his wife, who were abducted from their residence in France earlier this January. The incident drew international attention from both the crypto industry and law enforcement agencies.

Another attempt took place in Paris, where armed men tried to kidnap the daughter and granddaughter of the CEO of the French exchange Paymium. Overseas, in New York, police arrested 37-year-old John Woeltz after discovering that an Italian tourist had been held captive and mistreated for weeks in a luxury Manhattan apartment.

Binance highlights a direct correlation between the price trend of Bitcoin and the increase in kidnappings. Since Bitcoin reached new all-time highs this year, attacks involving physical threats have also increased proportionally, the exchange suggests.

Source: Binance

In 2025 alone, at least 15 kidnapping episodes have already been documented, many involving ransom demands denominated in bitcoin.

The post Crypto kidnappings on the rise: the US leads global statistics appeared first on Atlas21.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Nur wenn wir aufeinander zugehen, haben wir die Chance \ auf Überwindung der gegenseitigen Ressentiments! \ Dr. med. dent. Jens Knipphals

In Wolfsburg sollte es kürzlich eine Gesprächsrunde von Kritikern der Corona-Politik mit Oberbürgermeister Dennis Weilmann und Vertretern der Stadtverwaltung geben. Der Zahnarzt und langjährige Maßnahmenkritiker Jens Knipphals hatte diese Einladung ins Rathaus erwirkt und publiziert. Seine Motivation:

«Ich möchte die Spaltung der Gesellschaft überwinden. Dazu ist eine umfassende Aufarbeitung der Corona-Krise in der Öffentlichkeit notwendig.»

Schon früher hatte Knipphals Antworten von den Kommunalpolitikern verlangt, zum Beispiel bei öffentlichen Bürgerfragestunden. Für das erwartete Treffen im Rathaus formulierte er Fragen wie: Warum wurden fachliche Argumente der Kritiker ignoriert? Weshalb wurde deren Ausgrenzung, Diskreditierung und Entmenschlichung nicht entgegengetreten? In welcher Form übernehmen Rat und Verwaltung in Wolfsburg persönlich Verantwortung für die erheblichen Folgen der politischen Corona-Krise?

Der Termin fand allerdings nicht statt – der Bürgermeister sagte ihn kurz vorher wieder ab. Knipphals bezeichnete Weilmann anschließend als Wiederholungstäter, da das Stadtoberhaupt bereits 2022 zu einem Runden Tisch in der Sache eingeladen hatte, den es dann nie gab. Gegenüber Multipolar erklärte der Arzt, Weilmann wolle scheinbar eine öffentliche Aufarbeitung mit allen Mitteln verhindern. Er selbst sei «inzwischen absolut desillusioniert» und die einzige Lösung sei, dass die Verantwortlichen gingen.

Die Aufarbeitung der Plandemie beginne bei jedem von uns selbst, sei aber letztlich eine gesamtgesellschaftliche Aufgabe, schreibt Peter Frey, der den «Fall Wolfsburg» auch in seinem Blog behandelt. Diese Aufgabe sei indes deutlich größer, als viele glaubten. Erfreulicherweise sei der öffentliche Informationsraum inzwischen größer, trotz der weiterhin unverfrorenen Desinformations-Kampagnen der etablierten Massenmedien.

Frey erinnert daran, dass Dennis Weilmann mitverantwortlich für gravierende Grundrechtseinschränkungen wie die 2021 eingeführten 2G-Regeln in der Wolfsburger Innenstadt zeichnet. Es sei naiv anzunehmen, dass ein Funktionär einzig im Interesse der Bürger handeln würde. Als früherer Dezernent des Amtes für Wirtschaft, Digitalisierung und Kultur der Autostadt kenne Weilmann zum Beispiel die Verknüpfung von Fördergeldern mit politischen Zielsetzungen gut.

Wolfsburg wurde damals zu einem Modellprojekt des Bundesministeriums des Innern (BMI) und war Finalist im Bitkom-Wettbewerb «Digitale Stadt». So habe rechtzeitig vor der Plandemie das Projekt «Smart City Wolfsburg» anlaufen können, das der Stadt «eine Vorreiterrolle für umfassende Vernetzung und Datenerfassung» aufgetragen habe, sagt Frey. Die Vereinten Nationen verkauften dann derartige «intelligente» Überwachungs- und Kontrollmaßnahmen ebenso als Rettung in der Not wie das Magazin Forbes im April 2020:

«Intelligente Städte können uns helfen, die Coronavirus-Pandemie zu bekämpfen. In einer wachsenden Zahl von Ländern tun die intelligenten Städte genau das. Regierungen und lokale Behörden nutzen Smart-City-Technologien, Sensoren und Daten, um die Kontakte von Menschen aufzuspüren, die mit dem Coronavirus infiziert sind. Gleichzeitig helfen die Smart Cities auch dabei, festzustellen, ob die Regeln der sozialen Distanzierung eingehalten werden.»

Offensichtlich gibt es viele Aspekte zu bedenken und zu durchleuten, wenn es um die Aufklärung und Aufarbeitung der sogenannten «Corona-Pandemie» und der verordneten Maßnahmen geht. Frustration und Desillusion sind angesichts der Realitäten absolut verständlich. Gerade deswegen sind Initiativen wie die von Jens Knipphals so bewundernswert und so wichtig – ebenso wie eine seiner Kernthesen: «Wir müssen aufeinander zugehen, da hilft alles nichts».

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 662f9bff:8960f6b2

Issue 11 already - I will be including numbers going forward to make past letters easier to find and refer to. The past two weeks I have been on vacation - my first real vacation is a couple of years. Monday I am back to work for a bit. I have decided to work from here rather than subject myself to more international travel - we are still refugees from the insanity in Hong Kong. We really have been relaxing and enjoying life on the island. Levada hikes and Jeep tours!

220415 Jeep tour - Cabo Girao, Porto Moniz, Fanal and Ponto do Sol - Madeira

We had plenty of time to relax and enjoy life. Madeira is a fantastic place to visit with lots to see and do and even more weather!. I did think that HK was mountainous - but Madeira is next level! Portuguese is also something else; have not yet made much progress but we did not try much and English will generally suffice. As you see in the video above, Madeira is getting serious about attracting Digital Nomads and as you will see below they have forward-thinking local government - exactly as foreseen in my top book pick - The Sovereign Indvidual.

I did get to read quite a lot of interesting books and material - will be sharing insights below and going forward. Happy to discuss too - that offer is still open.

Among other things I got to appreciate more the Apple ecosystem and the seamless integration between Mac, iPhone and iPad - in combination with working with no/limited WiFi and using tethering from my CalyxOS Pixel. Strong privacy is important and Apple scores reasonably well - though you will want to take some additional precautions, I have been enjoying reading my kindle on all platforms and listening to the audio-books with reading-location syncing (fantastic). I am considering sharing tips and tricks on secure setups as well as aspects that I find particularly useful - do talk to me if you have questions or suggestions.

Bitcoin BTC

Given how important Bitcoin already is and will become I think it is right that I should include a section here with relevant news, insights and provocations to discuss. Note that Bitcoin is different from "Crypto"; do not get them mixed up!

• Madeira is not just trying to be friendly to digital nomads - photo above and Ponto do Sol. Last week the President of the Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque attended the Miami conference to announce that his government will “work to create a fantastic environment for bitcoin in Madeira.” This is part of the Game Theory of Bitcoin Adoption by Nation States

• Announcing Taro, Multi-Asset Bitcoin & Lightning** **- this has potential to be something really big. It complements, and may even be better than, Jack Mallers' Strike. Their Blog post is here and the Wiki with the detailed specification is here.

• Michael Saylor is one of today's pre-eminent thinkers and communicators. Listen and learn from his revcent interview with Lex Friedman.

• SLP365 Anita Posch - Bitcoin For Fairness in Zimbabwe and Zambia — A great interview by Stephan Livera. Key takeaways: Learn how to use it before you really need it. if it works in Zimbabwe and Namibia it will work anywhere It’s still early and governments will give no help; rather they will be busy putting sticks in the wheels and sand in the gears…

• For those who look for education on Bitcoin - a starting point can be Anita Posch's The Art of (L)earning Bitcoin with many useful resources linked.

Discovery of the week - Obsidian

For years I have been an avid notetaker. I caught the bug when I did Electronic Engineering at Southampton University and we had to keep a "lab book". Ever since then in my professional work I kept a notebook and took daily notes. Recently this evolved into taking notes on computer. With the arrival of online working and screen-sharing such notes can be very useful and this unleased new value in note-taking.

For personal notes I found great value with Apple Notes - a tool that has improved dramatically in recent years and works perfectly on Mac, iPhone and iPad. However, like many notetakers I often felt that I was "missing a trick". The reality is that searching and retrieval is not as easy as you want it to be and it's hard to reassemble and repurpose your collected information into new output.

In recent years I have considered using several tools but found none of them compelling enough to put in the time to learn and adopt. There is also the fear of "lock in" and endless subscriptions to pay - as anyone who has used Evernote will know!

Big thank you to Rachel for this one. She did get me thinking and encouraged me to give Obsidian another try - I had looked at it last year but it felt overwhelming compared to Apple Notes - I could never have imagined how great it could be!

The absolute best overview of Obsidian and how to use it is FromSergio - his playlist is required watching. Particular highlights:

• Kindle Highlights - this is a superbly useful feature that normally you can only get with a subscription service - do buy the developer a coffee!

• No Lock-in - your files are simple markdown and you have full control

• Works perfectly on Mac and iPhones using iCloud - no annoying sync subscription to pay for

• It's free for personal use - no payment or annoying subscription

• Lots of high quality training material readily available and a great community of people to help you

Reading

• Empires Rise and Fall this extracts and summarises from John Glubb's paper of nearly 100 years ago, The Fate of Empires - I think you call that foresight! I do identify with his frustrations about how history has been taught considering how important it is to learn from past generations.

• The Sovereign Individual is required reading for everyone - I did dip back into it a few times over the last week or so, making Kindle highlights that magically sync into Obsidian - how great is that! If you read nothing else, read chapter 7.

• From Paris to Karachi – Regime Change is In the Air - Tom Luongo is a most interesting character and he does speak his mind. Read and consider. You might prefer to listen to him discussing with Marty.

• Aleks Svetski: The Remnant, The Parasite & The Masses - inspired by the incredible 1930’s essay by Albert J Nock; Isaiah’s Job. Aleks discusses this in his Wake Up podcast - also recommended.

• In my TBR queue (to be read): Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - I must admit, I am in intrigued by Odolena's review in addition to Aleks' recommendation.

• I also think that I need to restart on (and finish) Foundation by Isaac Asimov - after watching Odolena's review of it!

• ...and I need to add Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - again inspired by Odolena's review and I have seen others recommend it too!

Watching and Listening

• Joe Blogs: Who is BUYING Russian Oil Now? Can Europe really change SUPPLIERS & are SANCTIONS Working? - do stop and think - in who's name are the governments implementing all these extreme measures - go back and re-read section "So what can you do about it?" in issue 9

• Rupert Murdochizing The Internet — The Cyberlaw Podcast — whether you agree with him or not Stewart Baker is just the best podcast provocateur!

• AntiWarhol, Culture Creation, & The Pop Art Syndicate — One of The Higherside Chats - perhaps this might open your mind and make you question some things. The rabbit hole goes deep.

• How Britain's Bankers Made Billions From The End Of Empire. At the demise of British Empire, City of London financial interests created a web of offshore secrecy jurisdictions that captured wealth from across the globe and hid it behind obscure financial structures in a web of offshore islands.

• Secret City - A film about the City of London, the Corporation that runs it.

• How things get Re-Priced when a Currency Fails — An important explainer from Joe Brown of The Heresy Financial Podcast — keep an eye out for signs!

• E76: Elon vs. Twitter — the All-In Podcast. I do not agree with all these boyz say but it is interesting to listen to see how the Silicon Valley types think. David Sacks nails it, and Chamath is not far behind! If you were in any doubt as to how corrupt things are this should put you right!

For those who prefer a structured reading list, check References

That's it!

No one can be told what The Matrix is.\ You have to see it for yourself.**

Do share this newsletter with any of your friends and family who might be interested.

You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

💡Enjoy the newsletters in your own language : Dutch, French, German, Serbian, Chinese Traditional & Simplified, Thai and Burmese.

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Im Augenblick wird mit größter Intensität, großer Umsicht \ das deutsche Volk belogen. \ Olaf Scholz im FAZ-Interview

Online-Wahlen stärken die Demokratie, sind sicher, und 61 Prozent der Wahlberechtigten sprechen sich für deren Einführung in Deutschland aus. Das zumindest behauptet eine aktuelle Umfrage, die auch über die Agentur Reuters Verbreitung in den Medien gefunden hat. Demnach würden außerdem 45 Prozent der Nichtwähler bei der Bundestagswahl ihre Stimme abgeben, wenn sie dies zum Beispiel von Ihrem PC, Tablet oder Smartphone aus machen könnten.

Die telefonische Umfrage unter gut 1000 wahlberechtigten Personen sei repräsentativ, behauptet der Auftraggeber – der Digitalverband Bitkom. Dieser präsentiert sich als eingetragener Verein mit einer beeindruckenden Liste von Mitgliedern, die Software und IT-Dienstleistungen anbieten. Erklärtes Vereinsziel ist es, «Deutschland zu einem führenden Digitalstandort zu machen und die digitale Transformation der deutschen Wirtschaft und Verwaltung voranzutreiben».

Durchgeführt hat die Befragung die Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH, also alles in der Familie. Die gleiche Erhebung hatte der Verband übrigens 2021 schon einmal durchgeführt. Damals sprachen sich angeblich sogar 63 Prozent für ein derartiges «Demokratie-Update» aus – die Tendenz ist demgemäß fallend. Dennoch orakelt mancher, der Gang zur Wahlurne gelte bereits als veraltet.

Die spanische Privat-Uni mit Globalisten-Touch, IE University, berichtete Ende letzten Jahres in ihrer Studie «European Tech Insights», 67 Prozent der Europäer befürchteten, dass Hacker Wahlergebnisse verfälschen könnten. Mehr als 30 Prozent der Befragten glaubten, dass künstliche Intelligenz (KI) bereits Wahlentscheidungen beeinflusst habe. Trotzdem würden angeblich 34 Prozent der unter 35-Jährigen einer KI-gesteuerten App vertrauen, um in ihrem Namen für politische Kandidaten zu stimmen.

Wie dauerhaft wird wohl das Ergebnis der kommenden Bundestagswahl sein? Diese Frage stellt sich angesichts der aktuellen Entwicklung der Migrations-Debatte und der (vorübergehend) bröckelnden «Brandmauer» gegen die AfD. Das «Zustrombegrenzungsgesetz» der Union hat das Parlament heute Nachmittag überraschenderweise abgelehnt. Dennoch muss man wohl kein ausgesprochener Pessimist sein, um zu befürchten, dass die Entscheidungen der Bürger von den selbsternannten Verteidigern der Demokratie künftig vielleicht nicht respektiert werden, weil sie nicht gefallen.

Bundesweit wird jetzt zu «Brandmauer-Demos» aufgerufen, die CDU gerät unter Druck und es wird von Übergriffen auf Parteibüros und Drohungen gegen Mitarbeiter berichtet. Sicherheitsbehörden warnen vor Eskalationen, die Polizei sei «für ein mögliches erhöhtes Aufkommen von Straftaten gegenüber Politikern und gegen Parteigebäude sensibilisiert».

Der Vorwand «unzulässiger Einflussnahme» auf Politik und Wahlen wird als Argument schon seit einiger Zeit aufgebaut. Der Manipulation schuldig befunden wird neben Putin und Trump auch Elon Musk, was lustigerweise ausgerechnet Bill Gates gerade noch einmal bekräftigt und als «völlig irre» bezeichnet hat. Man stelle sich die Diskussionen um die Gültigkeit von Wahlergebnissen vor, wenn es Online-Verfahren zur Stimmabgabe gäbe. In der Schweiz wird «E-Voting» seit einigen Jahren getestet, aber wohl bisher mit wenig Erfolg.

Die politische Brandstiftung der letzten Jahre zahlt sich immer mehr aus. Anstatt dringende Probleme der Menschen zu lösen – zu denen auch in Deutschland die weit verbreitete Armut zählt –, hat die Politik konsequent polarisiert und sich auf Ausgrenzung und Verhöhnung großer Teile der Bevölkerung konzentriert. Basierend auf Ideologie und Lügen werden abweichende Stimmen unterdrückt und kriminalisiert, nicht nur und nicht erst in diesem Augenblick. Die nächsten Wochen dürften ausgesprochen spannend werden.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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Governor Abbott will have to decide whether to sign the bill establishing a bitcoin reserve for the state.

Texas could become the third U.S. state to set up a strategic bitcoin reserve, following the approval of Senate Bill 21 by the state House, with 101 votes in favor and 42 against.

Lee Bratcher, founder and president of the Texas Blockchain Council, expressed confidence that Governor Greg Abbott will sign the legislative measure. In an interview with The Block, Bratcher said:

“I’ve talked to the governor about this personally, and I think he wants to see Texas lead in this way.”

The bill is expected to reach the governor’s desk within a week or two, according to Bratcher’s projections. If signed, Texas would follow in the footsteps of New Hampshire and Arizona in creating a state-held bitcoin reserve.

Despite Texas ranking as the world’s eighth-largest economy — ahead of many nations — the initial approach to the reserve will be cautious. Bratcher estimates the starting investment will be in the “tens of millions of dollars,” an amount he describes as “modest” for an economy the size of Texas. The responsibility for operational decisions would fall to the state comptroller, who acts as an executive accountant in charge of managing and investing public funds.

“My sense is that it will be in the tens of millions of dollars, which, while it sounds significant, is a very modest amount, for a state the size of Texas.” explained the president of the Texas Blockchain Council.

The road to approval

According to Bratcher, the idea of creating a state bitcoin reserve dates back to 2022 and represents the culmination of years of work by the Texas Blockchain Council. The organization has worked closely with lawmakers who shared the vision of seeing the state accumulate the world’s leading cryptocurrency. Additionally, Texas has long been home to numerous bitcoin mining companies.

The post Texas one step away from a bitcoin reserve: only the governor’s signature is missing appeared first on Atlas21.

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Zvanični vebsajt knjige

Srpski prevod knjige "The Little Bitcoin Book"

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

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

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

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

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Menschen tun alles, egal wie absurd, \ um ihrer eigenen Seele nicht zu begegnen. \ Carl Gustav Jung

«Extremer Reichtum ist eine Gefahr für die Demokratie», sagen über die Hälfte der knapp 3000 befragten Millionäre aus G20-Staaten laut einer Umfrage der «Patriotic Millionaires». Ferner stellte dieser Zusammenschluss wohlhabender US-Amerikaner fest, dass 63 Prozent jener Millionäre den Einfluss von Superreichen auf US-Präsident Trump als Bedrohung für die globale Stabilität ansehen.

Diese Besorgnis haben 370 Millionäre und Milliardäre am Dienstag auch den in Davos beim WEF konzentrierten Privilegierten aus aller Welt übermittelt. In einem offenen Brief forderten sie die «gewählten Führer» auf, die Superreichen – also sie selbst – zu besteuern, um «die zersetzenden Auswirkungen des extremen Reichtums auf unsere Demokratien und die Gesellschaft zu bekämpfen». Zum Beispiel kontrolliere eine handvoll extrem reicher Menschen die Medien, beeinflusse die Rechtssysteme in unzulässiger Weise und verwandele Recht in Unrecht.

Schon 2019 beanstandete der bekannte Historiker und Schriftsteller Ruthger Bregman an einer WEF-Podiumsdiskussion die Steuervermeidung der Superreichen. Die elitäre Veranstaltung bezeichnete er als «Feuerwehr-Konferenz, bei der man nicht über Löschwasser sprechen darf.» Daraufhin erhielt Bregman keine Einladungen nach Davos mehr. Auf seine Aussagen machte der Schweizer Aktivist Alec Gagneux aufmerksam, der sich seit Jahrzehnten kritisch mit dem WEF befasst. Ihm wurde kürzlich der Zutritt zu einem dreiteiligen Kurs über das WEF an der Volkshochschule Region Brugg verwehrt.

Nun ist die Erkenntnis, dass mit Geld politischer Einfluss einhergeht, alles andere als neu. Und extremer Reichtum macht die Sache nicht wirklich besser. Trotzdem hat man über Initiativen wie Patriotic Millionaires oder Taxmenow bisher eher selten etwas gehört, obwohl es sie schon lange gibt. Auch scheint es kein Problem, wenn ein Herr Gates fast im Alleingang versucht, globale Gesundheits-, Klima-, Ernährungs- oder Bevölkerungspolitik zu betreiben – im Gegenteil. Im Jahr, als der Milliardär Donald Trump zum zweiten Mal ins Weiße Haus einzieht, ist das Echo in den Gesinnungsmedien dagegen enorm – und uniform, wer hätte das gedacht.

Der neue US-Präsident hat jedoch «Davos geerdet», wie Achgut es nannte. In seiner kurzen Rede beim Weltwirtschaftsforum verteidigte er seine Politik und stellte klar, er habe schlicht eine «Revolution des gesunden Menschenverstands» begonnen. Mit deutlichen Worten sprach er unter anderem von ersten Maßnahmen gegen den «Green New Scam», und von einem «Erlass, der jegliche staatliche Zensur beendet»:

«Unsere Regierung wird die Äußerungen unserer eigenen Bürger nicht mehr als Fehlinformation oder Desinformation bezeichnen, was die Lieblingswörter von Zensoren und derer sind, die den freien Austausch von Ideen und, offen gesagt, den Fortschritt verhindern wollen.»

Wie der «Trumpismus» letztlich einzuordnen ist, muss jeder für sich selbst entscheiden. Skepsis ist definitiv angebracht, denn «einer von uns» sind weder der Präsident noch seine auserwählten Teammitglieder. Ob sie irgendeinen Sumpf trockenlegen oder Staatsverbrechen aufdecken werden oder was aus WHO- und Klimaverträgen wird, bleibt abzuwarten.

Das WHO-Dekret fordert jedenfalls die Übertragung der Gelder auf «glaubwürdige Partner», die die Aktivitäten übernehmen könnten. Zufällig scheint mit «Impfguru» Bill Gates ein weiterer Harris-Unterstützer kürzlich das Lager gewechselt zu haben: Nach einem gemeinsamen Abendessen zeigte er sich «beeindruckt» von Trumps Interesse an der globalen Gesundheit.

Mit dem Projekt «Stargate» sind weitere dunkle Wolken am Erwartungshorizont der Fangemeinde aufgezogen. Trump hat dieses Joint Venture zwischen den Konzernen OpenAI, Oracle, und SoftBank als das «größte KI-Infrastrukturprojekt der Geschichte» angekündigt. Der Stein des Anstoßes: Oracle-CEO Larry Ellison, der auch Fan von KI-gestützter Echtzeit-Überwachung ist, sieht einen weiteren potenziellen Einsatz der künstlichen Intelligenz. Sie könne dazu dienen, Krebserkrankungen zu erkennen und individuelle mRNA-«Impfstoffe» zur Behandlung innerhalb von 48 Stunden zu entwickeln.

Warum bitte sollten sich diese superreichen «Eliten» ins eigene Fleisch schneiden und direkt entgegen ihren eigenen Interessen handeln? Weil sie Menschenfreunde, sogenannte Philanthropen sind? Oder vielleicht, weil sie ein schlechtes Gewissen haben und ihre Schuld kompensieren müssen? Deswegen jedenfalls brauchen «Linke» laut Robert Willacker, einem deutschen Politikberater mit brasilianischen Wurzeln, rechte Parteien – ein ebenso überraschender wie humorvoller Erklärungsansatz.

Wenn eine Krähe der anderen kein Auge aushackt, dann tut sie das sich selbst noch weniger an. Dass Millionäre ernsthaft ihre eigene Besteuerung fordern oder Machteliten ihren eigenen Einfluss zugunsten anderer einschränken würden, halte ich für sehr unwahrscheinlich. So etwas glaube ich erst, wenn zum Beispiel die Rüstungsindustrie sich um Friedensverhandlungen bemüht, die Pharmalobby sich gegen institutionalisierte Korruption einsetzt, Zentralbanken ihre CBDC-Pläne für Bitcoin opfern oder der ÖRR die Abschaffung der Rundfunkgebühren fordert.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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Originalni tekst na bitcoin-balkan.com.

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Pregled sadržaja

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

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

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

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

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

5 Razloga Zašto je Novac Važan za Vas, Individualno

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

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

1. Sloboda od potrebe za radom

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

2. Kontrola nad time kako vi trošite svoje vreme

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

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

3. Sposobnost da pomažete vašim prijateljima i porodici

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

4. Smanjen finansijski stres

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

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

5. Bolje možete da pomognete vašoj zajednici

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

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

3 Razloga Zašto je Novac Važan za Društvo u Celini

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

Novac poboljšava društvo na nekoliko načina:

1. Omogućava specijalizaciju

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

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

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

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

2. Omogućava korisnu trgovinu uz smanjeno poverenje

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

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

3. Smanjuje upotrebu sile

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

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

Zašto ljudi mrze novac?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ 45d6c2bf:56915a25

published without nostr installed

@ 51bbb15e:b77a2290

Yeah, I’m sure everything in the file is legit. 👍 Let’s review the guard witness testimony…Oh wait, they weren’t at their posts despite 24/7 survellience instructions after another Epstein “suicide” attempt two weeks earlier. Well, at least the video of the suicide is in the file? Oh wait, a techical glitch. Damn those coincidences!

At this point, the Trump administration has zero credibility with me on anything related to the Epstein case and his clients. I still suspect the administration is using the Epstein files as leverage to keep a lot of RINOs in line, whereas they’d be sabotaging his agenda at every turn otherwise. However, I just don’t believe in ends-justify-the-means thinking. It’s led almost all of DC to toss out every bit of the values they might once have had.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Die grauenvollste Aussicht ist die der Technokratie – \ einer kontrollierenden Herrschaft, \ die durch verstümmelte und verstümmelnde Geister ausgeübt wird. \ Ernst Jünger

«Davos ist nicht mehr sexy», das Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) mache Davos kaputt, diese Aussagen eines Einheimischen las ich kürzlich in der Handelszeitung. Während sich einige vor Ort enorm an der «teuersten Gewerbeausstellung der Welt» bereicherten, würden die negativen Begleiterscheinungen wie Wohnungsnot und Niedergang der lokalen Wirtschaft immer deutlicher.

Nächsten Montag beginnt in dem Schweizer Bergdorf erneut ein Jahrestreffen dieses elitären Clubs der Konzerne, bei dem man mit hochrangigen Politikern aus aller Welt und ausgewählten Vertretern der Systemmedien zusammenhocken wird. Wie bereits in den vergangenen vier Jahren wird die Präsidentin der EU-Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Begleitung von Klaus Schwab ihre Grundsatzansprache halten.

Der deutsche WEF-Gründer hatte bei dieser Gelegenheit immer höchst lobende Worte für seine Landsmännin: 2021 erklärte er sich «stolz, dass Europa wieder unter Ihrer Führung steht» und 2022 fand er es bemerkenswert, was sie erreicht habe angesichts des «erstaunlichen Wandels», den die Welt in den vorangegangenen zwei Jahren erlebt habe; es gebe nun einen «neuen europäischen Geist».

Von der Leyens Handeln während der sogenannten Corona-«Pandemie» lobte Schwab damals bereits ebenso, wie es diese Woche das Karlspreis-Direktorium tat, als man der Beschuldigten im Fall Pfizergate die diesjährige internationale Auszeichnung «für Verdienste um die europäische Einigung» verlieh. Außerdem habe sie die EU nicht nur gegen den «Aggressor Russland», sondern auch gegen die «innere Bedrohung durch Rassisten und Demagogen» sowie gegen den Klimawandel verteidigt.

Jene Herausforderungen durch «Krisen epochalen Ausmaßes» werden indes aus dem Umfeld des WEF nicht nur herbeigeredet – wie man alljährlich zur Zeit des Davoser Treffens im Global Risks Report nachlesen kann, der zusammen mit dem Versicherungskonzern Zurich erstellt wird. Seit die Globalisten 2020/21 in der Praxis gesehen haben, wie gut eine konzertierte und konsequente Angst-Kampagne funktionieren kann, geht es Schlag auf Schlag. Sie setzen alles daran, Schwabs goldenes Zeitfenster des «Great Reset» zu nutzen.

Ziel dieses «großen Umbruchs» ist die totale Kontrolle der Technokraten über die Menschen unter dem Deckmantel einer globalen Gesundheitsfürsorge. Wie aber könnte man so etwas erreichen? Ein Mittel dazu ist die «kreative Zerstörung». Weitere unabdingbare Werkzeug sind die Einbindung, ja Gleichschaltung der Medien und der Justiz.

Ein «Great Mental Reset» sei die Voraussetzung dafür, dass ein Großteil der Menschen Einschränkungen und Manipulationen wie durch die Corona-Maßnahmen praktisch kritik- und widerstandslos hinnehme, sagt der Mediziner und Molekulargenetiker Michael Nehls. Er meint damit eine regelrechte Umprogrammierung des Gehirns, wodurch nach und nach unsere Individualität und unser soziales Bewusstsein eliminiert und durch unreflektierten Konformismus ersetzt werden.

Der aktuelle Zustand unserer Gesellschaften ist auch für den Schweizer Rechtsanwalt Philipp Kruse alarmierend. Durch den Umgang mit der «Pandemie» sieht er die Grundlagen von Recht und Vernunft erschüttert, die Rechtsstaatlichkeit stehe auf dem Prüfstand. Seiner dringenden Mahnung an alle Bürger, die Prinzipien von Recht und Freiheit zu verteidigen, kann ich mich nur anschließen.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 662f9bff:8960f6b2

April already and we are still refugees from the madness in HK. During March I had quite a few family matters that took priority and I also needed to work for two weeks. April is a similar schedule but we flew to Madeira for a change of scene and so that I could have a full 2-weeks off - my first real holiday in quite a few years!

We are staying in an airBnB in Funchal - an experience that I can totally recommend - video below! Nice to have an apartment that is fully equipped in a central location and no hassle for a few weeks. While here we are making the most of the great location and all the local possibiliites.

Elsewhere in the world

Things are clearly not going great around the world. If you are still confused as to why these things are happening, do go back and read the previous Letter from HK section "Why? How did we get here?"

You should be in no doubt that the "Great Reset" with its supporting "Great Narrative" is in full swing.. This is it - it is not a drill. For additional insights the following are recommended.

• Jeff Booth discusses clearly and unemotionally with Pomp - Inflation is theft from humanity by the world governments

• James' summary of Day 2 of the Miami conference - Peter Thiel (wow) and a fantastic explainer from Saifedean on the costs of the current corrupt financial system

• James' summary of Day 3 of the Miami conference - listen in particular to the words of wisdom from Michael Saylor and Lyn Alden

• Layered Money - The corruption of the system will blow your mind once you understand it…

• This is BIG: Strike Is Bringing Freedom To Retail Merchants

• Mark summarises Ray's book: Things will go faster and slower than you want!

• Thoughtful words from George - evil is at work - be in no doubt..

• Wow - My mind is blown. Must listen to John Carvalho - what clear ambition and answers to every question!

• Related to the John Carvalho discussion. Likely these two options will end up complementing each other

On the personal and inspirational side

Advantage of time off work is that I have more time to read, listen and watch things that interest me. It really is a privilege that so much high quality material is so readily available. Do not let it go to waste. A few fabulous finds (and some re-finds) from this past week:

• Ali Abdaal's bookshelf review just blew my mind! For the full list of books with links see the text under his video. So many inspirations and his delivery is perfect.

• Gotta recommend Ali's 21 Life Lessons. I have been following him since he was student in Cambridge five years ago - his personal and professional growth and what he achieves (now with his team) is truely staggering.

• Also his 15 books to read in 2022 - especially this one!

• I also keep going back to Steve Jobs giving the 2005 Stanford Commencement address Three stories from his life - listen and be inspired - especially story #3

You will know that I am a fan of Audio Books and also Kindle - recently I am starting to use Whispersync where you get the Kindle- and Audio-books together for a nice price. This makes it easier to take notes (using Mac or iPad Kindle reader) while getting the benefit of having the book read to you by a professional reader.

I have also been inspired by a few people pushing themselves to do more reading - like this girl and Ali himself with his tips. Above all: just do it and do not get stuck on something that does not work for you!

Books that I am reading - Audio and Kindle!

• The Final Empire: Mistborn, Book 1 - this is a new genre for me - I rather feel that it might be a bit too complicated for my engineering mind - let's see

• Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life - certainly provocative and obvious if you think about it but 99% do the opposite!

• Chariots of the Gods - a classic by Erich von Daniken (written in 1968) - I have been inspired by his recent YT video appearances. Thought provoking and leads you to many possibilities.

So what's it like in Funchal, Madeira?

Do check out HitTheRoadMadeira's walking tour around Funchal

My first impressions of Funchal 

and see my day out on Thursday!

Saturday - Funchal and Camar de Lobos

That's it!

No one can be told what The Matrix is.\ You have to see it for yourself.**

Do share this newsletter with any of your friends and family who might be interested.

You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

💡Enjoy the newsletters in your own language : Dutch, French, German, Serbian, Chinese Traditional & Simplified, Thai and Burmese.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Michigan lawmakers are unveiling a comprehensive strategy to regulate Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

On May 21, Republican Representative Bill Schuette introduced House Bill 4510, a proposal to amend the Michigan Public Employee Retirement System Investment Act. The legislation would allow the state treasurer, currently Rachael Eubanks, to diversify the state’s investments by including cryptocurrencies with an average market capitalization of over $250 million in the past calendar year.

Under current criteria, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) are the only cryptocurrencies that meet these selection standards. The proposal specifies that any investment in digital assets must be made through exchange-traded products (spot ETFs) issued by registered investment companies.

Anti-CBDC legislation

Republican Representative Bryan Posthumus is leading the bipartisan initiative behind the second bill, HB 4511, which establishes protections for cryptocurrency holders. The proposal prohibits Michigan from implementing crypto bans or imposing licensing requirements on digital asset holders.

Another key aspect of the legislation is a ban on state officials from supporting or promoting a potential federal central bank digital currency (CBDC). The definition includes the issuance of memorandums or official statements endorsing CBDC proposals related to testing, adoption, or implementation.

Mining and redevelopment of abandoned sites

The third bill, HB 4512, is a proposal led by Democratic Representative Mike McFall for a bipartisan group. This initiative would establish a Bitcoin mining program allowing operators to use abandoned oil and natural gas sites.

The program calls for the appointment of a supervisor tasked with assessing the site’s remaining productive potential, identifying the last operator, and determining the length of abandonment. Prospective participants would need to submit detailed legal documentation of their organizational structure, demonstrate operational expertise in mining, and provide profitability breakeven estimates for their ventures.

The fourth and final bill, HB 4513, also introduced by the bipartisan group led by McFall, focuses on the fiscal aspect of the HB 4512 initiative. The proposal would amend Michigan’s income tax laws to include proceeds generated from the proposed Bitcoin mining program.

The post Michigan: four bills on pension funds, CBDCs, and mining appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

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

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

A Jurisdiction with Strong Property Rights

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

Abundant Access to Fresh Water

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

Grow Your Own Food

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

Guns

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

A Strong Community You Can Depend On

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

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

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Bitcoin surpasses gold in the United States: 50 million holders and a dominant role in the global market.

According to a new report by River, for the first time in history, the number of Americans owning bitcoin has surpassed that of gold holders. The analysis reveals that approximately 50 million U.S. citizens currently own the cryptocurrency, while gold owners number 37 million. In fact, 14.3% of Americans own bitcoin, the highest percentage of holders worldwide.

Source: River

The report highlights that 40% of all Bitcoin-focused companies are based in the United States, consolidating America’s dominant position in the sector. Additionally, 40.5% of Bitcoin holders are men aged 31 to 35, followed by 35.9% of men aged 41 to 45. In contrast, only 13.4% of holders are women.

Source: River

Notably, U.S. companies hold 94.8% of all bitcoins owned by publicly traded companies worldwide. According to the report, recent regulatory changes in the U.S. have made the asset more accessible through financial products such as spot ETFs.

The document also shows that American investors increasingly view the cryptocurrency as protection against fiscal instability and inflation, appreciating its limited supply and decentralized governance model.

For River, Bitcoin offers significant practical advantages over gold in the modern digital era. Its ease of custody, cross-border transfer, and liquidity make the cryptocurrency an attractive option for both individual and institutional investors, the report suggests.

The post USA: 50 million Americans own bitcoin appeared first on Atlas21.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Ich begann, Social Media aufzubauen, \ um den Menschen eine Stimme zu geben. \ Mark Zuckerberg

Sind euch auch die Tränen gekommen, als ihr Mark Zuckerbergs Wendehals-Deklaration bezüglich der Meinungsfreiheit auf seinen Portalen gehört habt? Rührend, oder? Während er früher die offensichtliche Zensur leugnete und später die Regierung Biden dafür verantwortlich machte, will er nun angeblich «die Zensur auf unseren Plattformen drastisch reduzieren».

«Purer Opportunismus» ob des anstehenden Regierungswechsels wäre als Klassifizierung viel zu kurz gegriffen. Der jetzige Schachzug des Meta-Chefs ist genauso Teil einer kühl kalkulierten Business-Strategie, wie es die 180 Grad umgekehrte Praxis vorher war. Social Media sind ein höchst lukratives Geschäft. Hinzu kommt vielleicht noch ein bisschen verkorkstes Ego, weil derartig viel Einfluss und Geld sicher auch auf die Psyche schlagen. Verständlich.

«Es ist an der Zeit, zu unseren Wurzeln der freien Meinungsäußerung auf Facebook und Instagram zurückzukehren. Ich begann, Social Media aufzubauen, um den Menschen eine Stimme zu geben», sagte Zuckerberg.

Welche Wurzeln? Hat der Mann vergessen, dass er von der Überwachung, dem Ausspionieren und dem Ausverkauf sämtlicher Daten und digitaler Spuren sowie der Manipulation seiner «Kunden» lebt? Das ist knallharter Kommerz, nichts anderes. Um freie Meinungsäußerung geht es bei diesem Geschäft ganz sicher nicht, und das war auch noch nie so. Die Wurzeln von Facebook liegen in einem Projekt des US-Militärs mit dem Namen «LifeLog». Dessen Ziel war es, «ein digitales Protokoll vom Leben eines Menschen zu erstellen».

Der Richtungswechsel kommt allerdings nicht überraschend. Schon Anfang Dezember hatte Meta-Präsident Nick Clegg von «zu hoher Fehlerquote bei der Moderation» von Inhalten gesprochen. Bei der Gelegenheit erwähnte er auch, dass Mark sehr daran interessiert sei, eine aktive Rolle in den Debatten über eine amerikanische Führungsrolle im technologischen Bereich zu spielen.

Während Milliardärskollege und Big Tech-Konkurrent Elon Musk bereits seinen Posten in der kommenden Trump-Regierung in Aussicht hat, möchte Zuckerberg also nicht nur seine Haut retten – Trump hatte ihn einmal einen «Feind des Volkes» genannt und ihm lebenslange Haft angedroht –, sondern am liebsten auch mitspielen. KI-Berater ist wohl die gewünschte Funktion, wie man nach einem Treffen Trump-Zuckerberg hörte. An seine Verhaftung dachte vermutlich auch ein weiterer Multimilliardär mit eigener Social Media-Plattform, Pavel Durov, als er Zuckerberg jetzt kritisierte und gleichzeitig warnte.

Politik und Systemmedien drehen jedenfalls durch – was zu viel ist, ist zu viel. Etwas weniger Zensur und mehr Meinungsfreiheit würden die Freiheit der Bürger schwächen und seien potenziell vernichtend für die Menschenrechte. Zuckerberg setze mit dem neuen Kurs die Demokratie aufs Spiel, das sei eine «Einladung zum nächsten Völkermord», ernsthaft. Die Frage sei, ob sich die EU gegen Musk und Zuckerberg behaupten könne, Brüssel müsse jedenfalls hart durchgreifen.

Auch um die Faktenchecker macht man sich Sorgen. Für die deutsche Nachrichtenagentur dpa und die «Experten» von Correctiv, die (noch) Partner für Fact-Checking-Aktivitäten von Facebook sind, sei das ein «lukratives Geschäftsmodell». Aber möglicherweise werden die Inhalte ohne diese vermeintlichen Korrektoren ja sogar besser. Anders als Meta wollen jedoch Scholz, Faeser und die Tagesschau keine Fehler zugeben und zum Beispiel Correctiv-Falschaussagen einräumen.

Bei derlei dramatischen Befürchtungen wundert es nicht, dass der öffentliche Plausch auf X zwischen Elon Musk und AfD-Chefin Alice Weidel von 150 EU-Beamten überwacht wurde, falls es irgendwelche Rechtsverstöße geben sollte, die man ihnen ankreiden könnte. Auch der Deutsche Bundestag war wachsam. Gefunden haben dürften sie nichts. Das Ganze war eher eine Show, viel Wind wurde gemacht, aber letztlich gab es nichts als heiße Luft.

Das Anbiedern bei Donald Trump ist indes gerade in Mode. Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) tut das auch, denn sie fürchtet um Spenden von über einer Milliarde Dollar. Eventuell könnte ja Elon Musk auch hier künftig aushelfen und der Organisation sowie deren größtem privaten Förderer, Bill Gates, etwas unter die Arme greifen. Nachdem Musks KI-Projekt xAI kürzlich von BlackRock & Co. sechs Milliarden eingestrichen hat, geht da vielleicht etwas.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a4992688:88fd660f

Retail Isn't Coming Back

(and they might be gone for good)

Written by nostr:nprofile1qqs2fxfx3z6yns4a6mafcwdgsrtluf747h37nl2vglt9mqj93r7kvrcwm69jy

It's been just a matter of days since Bitcoin has broken a new all-time high in US dollars and yet, things are extremely quiet on the ground level... Your friends aren't texting to find out if now is a good time to buy, the normies at work haven't brought it up to you, and Coinbase isn't even in the top 100 overall apps in the Google Play App Store. As of now, it sits at #164.

In fact, according to Google search trends, worldwide interest in Bitcoin is lower today while setting new all-time highs above $110,000 than it was at the pits of the 2022 bear market when FTX was blowing up and Bitcoin crashed to below $16,000.

the mempool also paints a quiet picture. It’s mostly empty. Just a few blocks’ worth of transactions waiting to confirm, most paying 1–4 sats/vB. In fact, over the last 144 blocks (about 24 hours), the average fee per transaction has hovered below 1,500 sats, roughly $1.50.

This is far from the behavior found on-chain during previous all-time highs. It reflects an underutilized network predominantly being used by its original power users. Meanwhile, the hash rate climbs relentlessly, month after month, setting record after record. Miners are expending more energy than ever, but fee pressure is nowhere to be found.

🕵️‍♂️ Is Retail In The Room with Us Now?

The typical signs of retail investor enthusiasm, such as increased Google searches, higher Coinbase app downloads, and a congested mempool all remain subdued. This raises the question: Is the current rally predominantly driven by institutional investors, with retail participation lagging behind?

Since the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, these financial instruments have accumulated nearly 1.21 million bitcoin, with total assets under management exceeding $132 billion (or, 5.75%+ of 21M total BTC). Initially, retail investors were the primary contributors to these inflows, accounting for approximately 80% of the total assets under management as of October 2024. However, more recent trends indicate a shift, with institutional investors, including hedge funds and asset managers, increasing their stakes in Bitcoin ETFs.

Institutional exposure more than doubled from Q3 to Q4 of 2024 according to SEC 13-F filings, whereas assets under management for all non-institutional ETF holders grew by 62%. While retail is responsible for approximately 73.7% of AUM in the ETFs, a small number of institutions represent more than a 26% of the ETF inflows as of the end of 2024.

🥴 PTSD - Portfolio Trauma & Speculative Disillusionment

For many retail investors, the scars from the 2021–2022 crypto cycle run deep. They bought into the hype near Bitcoin's previous all-time high of $69,000, only to watch their investments plummet to $15,000. The collapse of major platforms like Terra, Celsius, and FTX didn't just erase wealth—it shattered trust.

This collective trauma has left many retail investors wary. They've seen the cycle before: rapid gains followed by devastating losses. The excitement that once drew them into the market has been replaced by caution and skepticism. Even as Bitcoin reaches new heights, the enthusiasm that characterized previous bull runs is noticeably absent.

By all measurable metrics, retail investors appear increasingly reluctant to step outside the comfort of traditional financial rails to gain Bitcoin exposure. In response to past losses and a heightened desire for security, many are now turning to regulated investment vehicles like spot Bitcoin ETFs, offered by institutions such as BlackRock and Fidelity. These products provide a familiar, low-friction on-ramp by eliminating the need for self-custody, avoiding the risks of phishing and exchange hacks, and sidestepping the complexities of managing wallets or navigating volatile crypto platforms. This behavioral shift helps explain why we’re not seeing a surge in mempool congestion, on-chain activity, or crypto exchange downloads. Retail isn’t gone per se... they are however predominantly choosing to interact with Bitcoin from a "safe" distance, inside the walled garden of TradFi.

🧙‍♂️ Pay No Attention to the Custodian Behind the Curtain

Retail might look like it's back, but it isn't. Not really. They've been rerouted. Herded away from the open network and into the controlled comfort of traditional finance, where Bitcoin is boxed up, regulated, and sold as a familiar financial product.

Spot ETFs from firms like BlackRock offer the illusion of exposure without any of the responsibility or freedom that comes with actually owning Bitcoin. There are no private keys, no ability to withdraw, no direct access to the asset. Most of the Bitcoin that backs those shares sits in Coinbase Custody, inaccessible from the investor’s point of view. Retail can watch the price move, but they can't move a single sat.

They can't send it to family. They can't use Lightning. They can't participate in a fork or vote with their coins. Their holdings are locked inside a financial product, subject to tax surveillance and government oversight, with none of the borderless, censorship-resistant qualities that make Bitcoin what it is.

This isn’t Bitcoin as a tool for sovereignty. It’s Bitcoin as a stock proxy, tucked neatly into retirement accounts and brokerage dashboards. Retail hasn't returned to Bitcoin. They've returned to a synthetic version of it. One that looks clean, feels safe, and doesn’t ask them to think too hard.

The crowd is back, but not on the chain. They've returned to price, not protocol.

🔍Missing: Retail. Last Seen 2021.

If this bull run feels quieter than the last one, it’s because it is. Retail investors, once the lifeblood of Bitcoin mania, are largely absent from the on-chain activity. Their presence isn’t being felt where it used to be.

The reasons are stacking up. Regulatory pressure has increased globally, with new tax reporting rules, stricter KYC requirements, and fewer accessible exchanges making direct participation more frustrating than exciting. At the same time, the opportunity cost has shifted. T-bills are yielding 5 percent, and the stock market is deep in an AI-driven rally that feels new and full of upside. Compared to that, Bitcoin’s core narratives like digital gold or inflation protection no longer feel urgent or unique.

Institutions are now leading through ETFs and futures, smoothing out volatility and removing many of the sudden moves that once drew in retail traders. On-chain user experience still falls behind modern apps, Lightning remains niche, and energy concerns continue to shape public perception. More importantly, the cost of everyday life has gone up. Rent is up. Groceries are expensive. People are stretched thin. Student loans have resumed and homeownership is out of reach for many.

Until those conditions shift, retail is unlikely to return in any meaningful way. It is not that they have given up on Bitcoin. They are simply trying to keep up with everything else.

The chart below illustrates that the number of active Bitcoin addresses has declined by approximately 42% since its peak in 2021.

🧲 What Pulls Them Back In?

Retail hasn’t disappeared. It’s just not on-chain. They’re watching the charts, buying the proxies, and dipping into Bitcoin exposure through familiar vehicles like ETFs and high-beta stocks. MSTR, MSTY, SQ, MARA, and RIOT have become stand-ins for the real thing. For many, that feels close enough. They haven’t sworn off Bitcoin entirely, but they also haven’t found a reason to return to the protocol itself. Price alone isn’t doing it. If Bitcoin is going to recapture retail attention on-chain, it needs more than speculation. It needs to be usable, intuitive, and culturally relevant. Until then, the crowd will stay inside the walled garden, content with price exposure. The question now is what pulls them back into the open network.

🛠️ Make it Frictionless, or Forget it

Retail won’t return until exploring Bitcoin feels rewarding, not risky. Right now, engaging directly with the network still feels technical, intimidating, and easy to get wrong. The average person doesn’t want to learn about seed phrases, fee markets, or signing messages. They just want it to work, and ideally in one tap.

Self-custody, while powerful, still comes with a learning curve that scares most users off. One typo can lose everything. One phishing link can wipe a life’s savings. When compared to the ease of buying a Bitcoin ETF inside a brokerage app, it becomes obvious why most people choose comfort over control.

Lightning wallets have improved, but mainstream usability is still far off. Many users struggle with basic concepts like payment channels and inbound liquidity. App store reviews often reflect confusion and frustration. More importantly, Lightning still raises serious questions in a high-fee environment. Opening or closing a channel can become expensive when the base layer gets congested. This undermines Lightning’s value as a low-cost, instant settlement layer. If fees are unpredictable, it becomes harder to trust that Lightning will be there when users actually need it.

Apps like Nostr are beginning to pave the way with native Lightning features like zaps, where users can send sats as tips or signals within a social feed. It’s the kind of simple, purpose-driven interaction that could eventually normalize Lightning in everyday use. But for now, it remains niche, with limited reach beyond early adopters and Bitcoin-native circles. The pieces are falling into place, but mainstream readiness is still a long way off.

To pull retail back in, Bitcoin has to compete on usability, not just principle. That means seedless recovery. Wallets that back up automatically. Tap-to-pay Lightning. Default privacy. Smarter fee estimation. The average user should not have to study Bitcoin to use it, just like they don’t need to understand TCP/IP to send an email.

Until the experience becomes effortless, Bitcoin on-chain will remain the domain of power users and diehards. Everyone else will keep choosing exposure over participation, because for now, the friction outweighs the freedom.

🔥 Give Them a Reason to Care Again

Speculation brought retail in. Survival might bring them back. But between those extremes, there needs to be a reason to engage that feels meaningful in everyday life. For most people, Bitcoin still doesn’t offer that. It’s not woven into anything they do. It’s not a tool they reach for. It’s just a number in a ticker—or now, in an ETF.

The core narratives that once drove adoption have lost their urgency. “Digital gold” sounds more like a sales pitch than a breakthrough. “Inflation hedge” didn’t hold up during inflation. “Opt out of the banking system” is hard to relate to when your paycheck hits a checking account and your bills are on autopay. These messages worked when people were curious or scared. But in a world focused on AI, passive income, and stable yields, Bitcoin feels like a cold, hard asset with no warm story.

Retail doesn’t just need new slogans. They need a new reason. A killer app. A cultural hook. Something that connects the protocol to their daily life. That could come from anywhere—remittances, peer-to-peer media, AI payments, creator tools, censorship resistance, even gaming. We’re starting to see glimpses. Nostr’s Lightning zaps, for example, show how sats could flow through social interactions. It's lightweight, casual, and fits into habits people already have. But even that is still early and relatively isolated from the mainstream.

Of course, it’s possible that price alone brings them back. A violent move toward $200,000 or higher could generate headlines, social buzz, and another wave of opportunistic buying. But even in that scenario, most people still won't touch the protocol. They’ll chase exposure, not interaction. They’ll buy tickers, not UTXOs.

Retail will come back when Bitcoin stops being an idea they watch and starts being a tool they use. Until then, attention might spike, but engagement will remain shallow.

🏠 Bitcoin Needs a Homebase

Bitcoin is everywhere, but it feels like it’s nowhere. There's no single place where the culture lives. No town square. No digital front porch where holders, builders, speculators, artists, and newcomers all cross paths. And that absence is being felt.

In past cycles, Twitter served as a kind of home for Bitcoin discussion. But now the conversation is fractured. Memes, developer talk, Lightning experiments, and exchange drama are scattered across Telegram groups, Nostr relays, GitHub repos, Reddit threads, and gated newsletters. There’s no central venue that brings it all together. What once felt like a movement now feels more like a loose network of subcultures.

This isn’t just a cultural gap. It’s a usability gap. Without a shared space or interface, discovering Bitcoin's tools, communities, or use cases becomes a fragmented and overwhelming experience. For newcomers especially, it turns exploration into a scavenger hunt. There’s no hub where someone can casually browse peer-to-peer markets, tip someone over Lightning, try a game, test a wallet, or ask basic questions without feeling out of place.

Importantly, this homebase shouldn’t be a corporate platform or single point of failure. It should reflect the values of the network itself—open, decentralized, secure, and resistant to censorship. A sovereign space, not another walled garden. Something that anyone can plug into, build on top of, or access freely without needing permission or credentials. Not a headquarters, but a commons.

Bitcoin doesn’t need a leader, but it could use a center of gravity. A place where its many threads can be visible, accessible, and in conversation with each other. Until it feels like something you can step into, most people won’t feel like they’re truly part of it.

🧵 Final Thoughts

Retail didn’t disappear. It checked out. After wild volatility, failed platforms, and busted narratives, most people aren't rushing back into the Bitcoin Network as we know it. They’ve opted for safety. For simplicity. For familiar rails like ETFs, proxy stocks, and apps that feel intuitive and risk-free.

Bitcoin, meanwhile, has matured in price but not necessarily in presence. The protocol is stronger than ever, but the culture feels scattered. The use cases feel theoretical. The experience still feels fragile. And for most, that's just not enough.

Maybe retail comes back with the next crisis. Maybe it takes a breakout product. Or maybe it doesn’t happen for years. No one knows what the catalyst will be, or if there even has to be one. But what’s clear is that Bitcoin’s next chapter won’t be won by price alone. It will be shaped by the tools we build, the stories we tell, and the places we create for people to show up.

One thing I know for sure: if retail returns, it won’t be for long unless we’ve built something that gives them a real reason to stay.

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@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

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

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

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

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

Gresham’s Law, famously stated as:

"Bad money drives out good"

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

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

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

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

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

Good money drives out bad.

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

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

IV. Elasticity and Control

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

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

V. Monetary Reversion: The Return of Hard Money

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

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

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

VI. Conclusion

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

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

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

A fake Uber driver steals $73,000 in XRP and $50,000 in Bitcoin after drugging an American tourist.

A U.S. citizen vacationing in the United Kingdom fell victim to a scam that cost him $123,000 in cryptocurrencies stored on his smartphone. The man was drugged by an individual posing as an Uber driver.

According to My London, Jacob Irwin-Cline had spent the evening at a London nightclub, consuming several alcoholic drinks before requesting an Uber ride home. The victim admitted he hadn’t carefully verified the booking details on his device, mistakenly getting into a private taxi driven by someone who, at first glance, resembled the expected Uber driver but was using a completely different vehicle.

Once inside the car, the American tourist reported that the driver offered him a cigarette, allegedly laced with scopolamine — a rare and powerful sedative. Irwin-Cline described how the smoke made him extremely docile and fatigued, causing him to lose consciousness for around half an hour.

Upon waking, the driver ordered the victim to get out of the vehicle. As Irwin-Cline stepped out, the man suddenly accelerated, running him over and fleeing with his mobile phone, which contained the private keys and access to his cryptocurrencies. Screenshots provided to MyLondon show that $73,000 worth of XRP and $50,000 in bitcoin had been transferred to various wallets.

This incident adds to a growing trend of kidnappings, extortions, armed robberies, and ransom attempts targeting crypto executives, investors, and their families.

Just a few weeks ago, the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, CEO of crypto exchange Paymium, were targeted in a kidnapping attempt in Paris. The incident took place in broad daylight when attackers tried to force the family into a parked vehicle. However, Noizat’s daughter managed to fight off the assailants.

The post American tourist drugged and robbed: $123,000 in crypto stolen in London appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 662f9bff:8960f6b2

Currently, and for the last three weeks, I am in Belfast. With the situation in HK becoming ever more crazy by the day we took the opportunity to escape from Hong Kong for a bit - I escaped with V and 3 suitcases. I also have some family matters that I am giving priority to at this time. We plan to stay a few more weeks in Northern Ireland and then after some time in Belgium we will be visiting some other European locations. I do hope that HK will be a place that we can go back to - we will see...

What's happening?

Quite a few significant events have happened in the last few weeks that deserve some deeper analysis and checking than you will ever get from the media propaganda circus that is running full force at the moment. You should be in no doubt that the "Great Reset" with its supporting "Great Narrative" is in full swing.

In most of the world the C19 story has run its course - for now. Most countries seem to have have "declared victory" and "moved on". Obviously HK is an exception (nothing happened there for the last two years) and I fear they will get to experience the whole 2-year thing in the coming 3-4 months. Watch out - the politicians everywhere are looking to permanently establish the "emergency controls" as "normal" - see previous Letter for some examples in Ireland and EU.

Invasion of Ukraine has led to so many lines being crossed - to the extent that clearly things will never be the same again in our lifetime.

Why? How did we get here?

I do not claim to know all the answers but some things are fairly clear if you look with open eyes and the wisdom that previous generations and civilisations have made available to us - even if most choose to ignore it (Plato on the flaws of democracy). Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it and even those who learn will have litle choice but to go along for much of the ride.

Perhaps my notes and the links below will help you to form an educated opinion rather than the pervasive propaganda we are all being fed.

The current situation is more than 100 years in the making and much (if not most) of what you thought was true is less veracious than you could ever imagine. No doubt we could (and maybe should) go back further but let's start in 1913 when the British Government asked the public no longer to request exchange of their pounds for gold coins at the post office. This led to the issuing of War Bonds and fractional reserve accounting that allowed the Bank of England essentially to print unlimited money to fight in WW1; without this devious action they would have been constrained to act within the limits of the country's reserves and WW1 would have been shorter. Read The Fiat Standard for more details on how this happened. Around this time, and likely no coincidence, the US bankers were scheming how to get around the constitutional controls against such actions in their own country - read more in The Creature from Jekyll Island.

Following WW1, Germany was forced to pay war reparations in Gold (hard money). This led to a decade of money printing and extravagant excesses and crashes as hyperinflation set in, ending in the bankrupting of the country and the nationalism that fed WW2 - the gory details of devaluation and hyperinflation in Weimar Germany are described in When Money Dies. Meanwhile the US bankers who had been preparing since 1913 stepped in with unlimited money printing to fund WW2 and then also in their Marshal Plan to cement in place the Bretton Woods post-war agreement that made US Dollar the global reserve currency.

Decades of boom and bust followed - well explained by Ray Dalio who portrays this as perfectly normal and to be expected - unfortunately it is for soft (non-hard) money based economies. The Fourth Turning will give many additional insights to this period too as well as cycles to watch for and their cause and nature. In 1961 Eisenhower tried to warn the population in his farewell address about the "Military Industrial Complex" and many believe that Robert Kennedy's assassination in 1963 may well be not entirely unrelated.

Things came to a head in August 1971 when the countries of the world realised that the US was (contrary to all promises) printing unlimited funds to (among other things) fight the Vietnam war and so undermining the expected and required convertibility of US dollars (the currency of global trade) for Gold (hard money). A French warship heading to NY to collect France's gold was the straw that caused Nixon to default on US Debt convertibility and "close the gold window".

This in turn led to further decades of increasing financialization, further fuelled (pun intended) by the PetroDollar creation and "exorbitant priviledge" that the US obtained by having the global reserve currency - benefiting those closest to the money supply (Cantillon effect) while hollowing out the US manufacturing and eventually devastating its middle and working classes (Triffin dilemma) - Arthur Hayes describes all this and much more as well as the likely outlook in his article - Energy Canceled. Absolutely required reading or listen to Guy Swan reading it and giving his additional interpetation.

Zoltan Pozsar of Credit Suisse explains how the money system is now being reset following the events of last few weeks and his article outlines a likely way forward - Bretton Woods III. His paper is somewhat dense, heavy reading and you might prefer to listen to Luc Gromen's more conversational explainer with Marty

All of this was well known to our forefathers

The writers of the American Constitution understood the dangers of money being controlled by any elite group and they did their best to include protections in the US constitution. It did take the bankers multiple decades and puppet presidents to circumvent these but do so they did. Thomas Jefferson could not have been more clear in his warning.

" If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around(these banks) will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

Islamic finace also recognised the dangers - you will likely be aware of the restrictions that forbid interest payments - read this interesting article from The Guardian

You will likely also be aware from schooldays that the Roman Empire collapsed because it expanded too much and the overhead became unbearable leading to the debasement of its money and inability to extract tax payments to support itself. Read more from Mises Institute. Here too, much of this will likely ring familiar.

So what can you do about it?

In theory Governments should respect Consent of the Governed and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government".

For you to decide if and to what extent governments today are acting in line with these principles. If not, what can you do about it?

The options you have are basically - Loyalty, Voice or Exit. 1. You can be loyal and accept what you are told - 2. you may (or may not) be able to voice disagreement and 3. you may (or may not!) be able to exit. Authoritarian governments will make everything except Loyalty difficult or even impossible - if in doubt, read George Orwell 1984 - or look just around at recent events today in many countries.

I'll be happy to delve deeper into this in subsequent letters if there is interest - for now I recommend you to read Sovereign Individual. It is a long read but each chapter starts with a summary and you can read the summaries of each chapter as a first step. Also - I'm happy to discuss with you - just reach out and let me know!

For those who prefer a structured reading list, check References

That's it!

No one can be told what The Matrix is.\ You have to see it for yourself.**

Do share this newsletter with any of your friends and family who might be interested.

You can easily ask questions or discuss any topics in the newsletters in our Telegram group - click the link here to join the group.\ You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

💡Enjoy the newsletters in your own language : Dutch, French, German, Serbian, Chinese Traditional & Simplified, Thai and Burmese.

@ a0e937b7:50db609a

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—

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

@ 91bea5cd:1df4451c

Contexto e início

O precursor direto do avivamento foi William J. Seymour, um pregador afro-americano filho de ex-escravos, influenciado pelos ensinamentos de Charles Parham, que pregava o "batismo no Espírito Santo" com evidência do falar em línguas.

Em 1906, Seymour foi convidado para pregar em uma igreja em Los Angeles. Após ser rejeitado por alguns por sua pregação sobre o batismo com o Espírito Santo, ele começou a liderar reuniões de oração na casa da família Asberry. Em abril de 1906, durante uma dessas reuniões, os participantes começaram a experimentar manifestações intensas do Espírito Santo, incluindo glossolalia (falar em línguas), curas e profecias.

A Rua Azusa

Logo, o número de participantes cresceu tanto que foi necessário mudar para um antigo prédio da Igreja Metodista Africana Episcopal, no número 312 da Rua Azusa, no centro de Los Angeles. Esse local se tornou o epicentro do avivamento.

Características marcantes

Cultos espontâneos e fervorosos, muitas vezes sem ordem pré-definida.

Diversidade étnica e social: negros, brancos, latinos, asiáticos, ricos e pobres adoravam juntos — algo radical para os padrões da época.

Ênfase nas manifestações espirituais, como línguas, curas, visões e profecias.

Igualdade de gênero e raça no ministério, com mulheres e homens de diversas origens pregando e liderando.

Impacto

O avivamento da Rua Azusa marcou o nascimento e expansão global do pentecostalismo, hoje uma das maiores forças do cristianismo mundial. Missionários saíram de Azusa para várias partes do mundo, levando a mensagem pentecostal. Movimentos como as Assembleias de Deus e Igreja do Evangelho Quadrangular têm raízes nesse avivamento.

Tensão e Interpretação entre Reformistas e Pentecostalistas

Evangelhos e Atos

João Batista profetiza: “Ele vos batizará com o Espírito Santo e com fogo” (Mateus 3:11).

Em Atos 2, no Pentecostes, os discípulos falam em línguas e recebem poder (Atos 1:8; 2:4).

Outros episódios: Atos 10 (Casa de Cornélio) e Atos 19 (Éfeso).

Cartas Paulinas

Paulo não relaciona diretamente o “batismo com o Espírito” ao falar em línguas. Em 1 Coríntios 12:13 ele diz: “Pois em um só Espírito todos nós fomos batizados em um corpo”.

A glossolalia aparece como um dom entre outros, mas não como evidência obrigatória (1 Coríntios 12:30).

Tensão

Pentecostais veem o batismo com o Espírito como uma segunda experiência após a conversão, evidenciada por línguas. Reformados geralmente interpretam que o batismo com o Espírito ocorre na conversão e que línguas não são obrigatórias ou cessaram com os apóstolos.

Reformadores e o Batismo com o Espírito Santo

Martinho Lutero, João Calvino e outros reformadores não falavam em línguas nem davam ênfase a experiências carismáticas.

Cessacionismo: Doutrina comum entre reformados que diz que os dons sobrenaturais (línguas, profecias, curas) cessaram com a era apostólica.

Continuação (posição pentecostal): Os dons continuam hoje.

Filmes / Documentários

“Azusa Street: The Origins of Pentecostalism” (2006) – Documentário com imagens históricas e entrevistas.

“Wesley” (2009) – Biografia de John Wesley, precursor do metodismo e influência indireta no pentecostalismo.

“The Cross and the Switchblade” (1970) – História de David Wilkerson e a conversão de Nicky Cruz; enfatiza a obra do Espírito.

Série “God in America” (PBS) – Episódio sobre o pentecostalismo (não só Azusa, mas seu impacto cultural).

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Was du bist hängt von drei Faktoren ab: \ Was du geerbt hast, \ was deine Umgebung aus dir machte \ und was du in freier Wahl \ aus deiner Umgebung und deinem Erbe gemacht hast. \ Aldous Huxley

Das brave Mitmachen und Mitlaufen in einem vorgegebenen, recht engen Rahmen ist gewiss nicht neu, hat aber gerade wieder mal Konjunktur. Dies kann man deutlich beobachten, eigentlich egal, in welchem gesellschaftlichen Bereich man sich umschaut. Individualität ist nur soweit angesagt, wie sie in ein bestimmtes Schema von «Diversität» passt, und Freiheit verkommt zur Worthülse – nicht erst durch ein gewisses Buch einer gewissen ehemaligen Regierungschefin.

Erklärungsansätze für solche Entwicklungen sind bekannt, und praktisch alle haben etwas mit Massenpsychologie zu tun. Der Herdentrieb, also der Trieb der Menschen, sich – zum Beispiel aus Unsicherheit oder Bequemlichkeit – lieber der Masse anzuschließen als selbstständig zu denken und zu handeln, ist einer der Erklärungsversuche. Andere drehen sich um Macht, Propaganda, Druck und Angst, also den gezielten Einsatz psychologischer Herrschaftsinstrumente.

Aber wollen die Menschen überhaupt Freiheit? Durch Gespräche im privaten Umfeld bin ich diesbezüglich in der letzten Zeit etwas skeptisch geworden. Um die Jahreswende philosophiert man ja gerne ein wenig über das Erlebte und über die Erwartungen für die Zukunft. Dabei hatte ich hin und wieder den Eindruck, die totalitären Anwandlungen unserer «Repräsentanten» kämen manchen Leuten gerade recht.

«Desinformation» ist so ein brisantes Thema. Davor müsse man die Menschen doch schützen, hörte ich. Jemand müsse doch zum Beispiel diese ganzen merkwürdigen Inhalte in den Social Media filtern – zur Ukraine, zum Klima, zu Gesundheitsthemen oder zur Migration. Viele wüssten ja gar nicht einzuschätzen, was richtig und was falsch ist, sie bräuchten eine Führung.

Freiheit bedingt Eigenverantwortung, ohne Zweifel. Eventuell ist es einigen tatsächlich zu anspruchsvoll, die Verantwortung für das eigene Tun und Lassen zu übernehmen. Oder die persönliche Freiheit wird nicht als ausreichend wertvolles Gut angesehen, um sich dafür anzustrengen. In dem Fall wäre die mangelnde Selbstbestimmung wohl das kleinere Übel. Allerdings fehlt dann gemäß Aldous Huxley ein Teil der Persönlichkeit. Letztlich ist natürlich alles eine Frage der Abwägung.

Sind viele Menschen möglicherweise schon so «eingenordet», dass freiheitliche Ambitionen gar nicht für eine ganze Gruppe, ein Kollektiv, verfolgt werden können? Solche Gedanken kamen mir auch, als ich mir kürzlich diverse Talks beim viertägigen Hacker-Kongress des Chaos Computer Clubs (38C3) anschaute. Ich war nicht nur überrascht, sondern reichlich erschreckt angesichts der in weiten Teilen mainstream-geformten Inhalte, mit denen ein dankbares Publikum beglückt wurde. Wo ich allgemein hellere Köpfe erwartet hatte, fand ich Konformismus und enthusiastisch untermauerte Narrative.

Gibt es vielleicht so etwas wie eine Herdenimmunität gegen Indoktrination? Ich denke, ja, zumindest eine gestärkte Widerstandsfähigkeit. Was wir brauchen, sind etwas gesunder Menschenverstand, offene Informationskanäle und der Mut, sich freier auch zwischen den Herden zu bewegen. Sie tun das bereits, aber sagen Sie es auch dieses Jahr ruhig weiter.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Banking giants JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo are in talks to develop a unified stablecoin solution.

According to the Wall Street Journal on May 22, some of the largest financial institutions in the United States are exploring the possibility of joining forces to launch a stablecoin.

Subsidiaries of JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo have initiated preliminary discussions for a joint stablecoin issuance, according to sources close to the matter cited by the WSJ. Also at the negotiating table are Early Warning Services, the parent company of the digital payments network Zelle, and the payment network Clearing House.

The talks are reportedly still in the early stages, and any final decision could change depending on regulatory developments and market demand for stablecoins.

Stablecoin regulation

On May 20, the US Senate voted 66 to 32 to advance discussion of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act), a specific law to regulate stablecoins. The bill outlines a regulatory framework for stablecoin collateralization and mandates compliance with anti-money laundering rules.

David Sacks, White House crypto advisor, expressed optimism about the bill’s bipartisan approval. However, senior Democratic Party officials intend to amend the bill to include a clause preventing former President Donald Trump and other US officials from profiting from stablecoins.

Demand for stablecoins has increased, with total market capitalization rising to $245 billion from $205 billion at the beginning of the year, a 20% increase.

The post Major US banks consider launching a joint stablecoin appeared first on Atlas21.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Heute möchte ich ein Gedicht mit euch teilen. Es handelt sich um eine Ballade des österreichischen Lyrikers Johann Gabriel Seidl aus dem 19. Jahrhundert. Mir sind diese Worte fest in Erinnerung, da meine Mutter sie perfekt rezitieren konnte, auch als die Kräfte schon langsam schwanden.

Dem originalen Titel «Die Uhr» habe ich für mich immer das Wort «innere» hinzugefügt. Denn der Zeitmesser – hier vermutliche eine Taschenuhr – symbolisiert zwar in dem Kontext das damalige Zeitempfinden und die Umbrüche durch die industrielle Revolution, sozusagen den Zeitgeist und das moderne Leben. Aber der Autor setzt sich philosophisch mit der Zeit auseinander und gibt seinem Werk auch eine klar spirituelle Dimension.

Das Ticken der Uhr und die Momente des Glücks und der Trauer stehen sinnbildlich für das unaufhaltsame Fortschreiten und die Vergänglichkeit des Lebens. Insofern könnte man bei der Uhr auch an eine Sonnenuhr denken. Der Rhythmus der Ereignisse passt uns vielleicht nicht immer in den Kram.

Was den Takt pocht, ist durchaus auch das Herz, unser «inneres Uhrwerk». Wenn dieses Meisterwerk einmal stillsteht, ist es unweigerlich um uns geschehen. Hoffentlich können wir dann dankbar sagen: «Ich habe mein Bestes gegeben.»

Ich trage, wo ich gehe, stets eine Uhr bei mir; \ Wieviel es geschlagen habe, genau seh ich an ihr. \ Es ist ein großer Meister, der künstlich ihr Werk gefügt, \ Wenngleich ihr Gang nicht immer dem törichten Wunsche genügt.

Ich wollte, sie wäre rascher gegangen an manchem Tag; \ Ich wollte, sie hätte manchmal verzögert den raschen Schlag. \ In meinen Leiden und Freuden, in Sturm und in der Ruh, \ Was immer geschah im Leben, sie pochte den Takt dazu.

Sie schlug am Sarge des Vaters, sie schlug an des Freundes Bahr, \ Sie schlug am Morgen der Liebe, sie schlug am Traualtar. \ Sie schlug an der Wiege des Kindes, sie schlägt, will's Gott, noch oft, \ Wenn bessere Tage kommen, wie meine Seele es hofft.

Und ward sie auch einmal träger, und drohte zu stocken ihr Lauf, \ So zog der Meister immer großmütig sie wieder auf. \ Doch stände sie einmal stille, dann wär's um sie geschehn, \ Kein andrer, als der sie fügte, bringt die Zerstörte zum Gehn.

Dann müßt ich zum Meister wandern, der wohnt am Ende wohl weit, \ Wohl draußen, jenseits der Erde, wohl dort in der Ewigkeit! \ Dann gäb ich sie ihm zurücke mit dankbar kindlichem Flehn: \ Sieh, Herr, ich hab nichts verdorben, sie blieb von selber stehn.

Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804-1875)

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Introduction

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

Proof of Reserves via Public Wallet Addresses

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

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

Cybersecurity Threats from Visible Wallet Balances

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

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

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

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

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

Privacy Risks: Address Clustering and Blockchain Tracing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Regulatory and Compliance Implications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reputational and Operational Risks

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

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

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

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

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

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

Balancing Transparency Benefits vs. Risks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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A new Bitwise report reveals notable growth for institutional investments in bitcoin over the coming years.

According to the latest forecasts from asset management firm Bitwise, capital flows into Bitcoin could exceed $120 billion by the end of 2025, with projections reaching $300 billion the following year.

This growth is rooted in the rising interest from sovereign wealth funds, publicly traded companies, state treasuries, and institutional investment vehicles such as spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Analysts expect the number of companies holding bitcoin in their treasuries to double by the end of 2026.

Bitwise’s analysis highlights how Bitcoin is no longer seen solely as a speculative asset but is emerging as a serious contender for the role of global store of value.

The report notes that, according to its authors, global wealth is gradually moving away from traditional safe havens like gold and shifting toward Bitcoin.

Spot ETF boom

Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States have outperformed all expectations throughout 2024. These financial instruments have attracted over $36.2 billion in net inflows, surpassing by twenty times the early performance of SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), historically the most successful commodity ETF.

Source: Bitwise

In just twelve months, U.S. spot ETFs have accumulated $125 billion in assets under management (AUM). Bitwise projections suggest that annual inflows could reach $100 billion by 2027.

However, approximately $35 billion in capital remained on the sidelines in 2024 due to regulatory restrictions at financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

States consider a bitcoin reserve

Bitwise’s analysis also highlights Bitcoin’s growing appeal beyond Wall Street. Publicly traded companies currently hold over 1.1 million BTC, worth more than $125 billion. Sovereign governments collectively own more than 500,000 BTC, with the United States, China, and the United Kingdom leading the rankings.

In its base scenario, Bitwise forecasts a modest reallocation of institutional and sovereign assets toward Bitcoin: 5% of government gold reserves and 0.5% of assets from major wealth management platforms. Even under these conservative assumptions, total bitcoin inflows could reach $420 billion over 2025-2026.

In a more optimistic scenario, with 10% of gold reserves and 1% of managed portfolios shifting to Bitcoin, inflows could exceed $920 billion, absorbing more than 9 million bitcoins — around 40% of the total supply.

The post Bitcoin attracts institutional investors: $300 billion expected by 2026, according to Bitwise appeared first on Atlas21.

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Falls du beim Lesen des Titels dieses Newsletters unwillkürlich an positive Neuigkeiten aus dem globalen polit-medialen Irrenhaus oder gar aus dem wirtschaftlichen Umfeld gedacht hast, darf ich dich beglückwünschen. Diese Assoziation ist sehr löblich, denn sie weist dich als unverbesserlichen Optimisten aus. Leider muss ich dich diesbezüglich aber enttäuschen. Es geht hier um ein anderes Thema, allerdings sehr wohl ein positives, wie ich finde.

Heute ist ein ganz besonderer Tag: die Wintersonnenwende. Genau gesagt hat heute morgen um 10:20 Uhr Mitteleuropäischer Zeit (MEZ) auf der Nordhalbkugel unseres Planeten der astronomische Winter begonnen. Was daran so außergewöhnlich ist? Der kürzeste Tag des Jahres war gestern, seit heute werden die Tage bereits wieder länger! Wir werden also jetzt jeden Tag ein wenig mehr Licht haben.

Für mich ist dieses Ereignis immer wieder etwas kurios: Es beginnt der Winter, aber die Tage werden länger. Das erscheint mir zunächst wie ein Widerspruch, denn meine spontanen Assoziationen zum Winter sind doch eher Kälte und Dunkelheit, relativ zumindest. Umso erfreulicher ist der emotionale Effekt, wenn dann langsam die Erkenntnis durchsickert: Ab jetzt wird es schon wieder heller!

Natürlich ist es kalt im Winter, mancherorts mehr als anderswo. Vielleicht jedoch nicht mehr lange, wenn man den Klimahysterikern glauben wollte. Mindestens letztes Jahr hat Väterchen Frost allerdings gleich zu Beginn seiner Saison – und passenderweise während des globalen Überhitzungsgipfels in Dubai – nochmal richtig mit der Faust auf den Tisch gehauen. Schnee- und Eischaos sind ja eigentlich in der Agenda bereits nicht mehr vorgesehen. Deswegen war man in Deutschland vermutlich in vorauseilendem Gehorsam schon nicht mehr darauf vorbereitet und wurde glatt lahmgelegt.

Aber ich schweife ab. Die Aussicht auf nach und nach mehr Licht und damit auch Wärme stimmt mich froh. Den Zusammenhang zwischen beidem merkt man in Andalusien sehr deutlich. Hier, wo die Häuser im Winter arg auskühlen, geht man zum Aufwärmen raus auf die Straße oder auf den Balkon. Die Sonne hat auch im Winter eine erfreuliche Kraft. Und da ist jede Minute Gold wert.

Außerdem ist mir vor Jahren so richtig klar geworden, warum mir das südliche Klima so sehr gefällt. Das liegt nämlich nicht nur an der Sonne als solcher, oder der Wärme – das liegt vor allem am Licht. Ohne Licht keine Farben, das ist der ebenso simple wie gewaltige Unterschied zwischen einem deprimierenden matschgraubraunen Winter und einem fröhlichen bunten. Ein großes Stück Lebensqualität.

Mir gefällt aber auch die Symbolik dieses Tages: Licht aus der Dunkelheit, ein Wendepunkt, ein Neuanfang, neue Möglichkeiten, Übergang zu neuer Aktivität. In der winterlichen Stille keimt bereits neue Lebendigkeit. Und zwar in einem Zyklus, das wird immer wieder so geschehen. Ich nehme das gern als ein Stück Motivation, es macht mir Hoffnung und gibt mir Energie.

Übrigens ist parallel am heutigen Tag auf der südlichen Halbkugel Sommeranfang. Genau im entgegengesetzten Rhythmus, sich ergänzend, wie Yin und Yang. Das alles liegt an der Schrägstellung der Erdachse, die ist nämlich um 23,4º zur Umlaufbahn um die Sonne geneigt. Wir erinnern uns, gell?

Insofern bleibt eindeutig festzuhalten, dass “schräg sein” ein willkommener, wichtiger und positiver Wert ist. Mit anderen Worten: auch ungewöhnlich, eigenartig, untypisch, wunderlich, kauzig, … ja sogar irre, spinnert oder gar “quer” ist in Ordnung. Das schließt das Denken mit ein.

In diesem Sinne wünsche ich euch allen urige Weihnachtstage!

---

Dieser Beitrag ist letztes Jahr in meiner Denkbar erschienen.

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

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

• Hyperbitcoinization: The World Adopts Bitcoin as a Monetary Standard

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

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

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

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

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

• Obsolescence: Bitcoin Loses Relevance and Is Replaced

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ 662f9bff:8960f6b2

Let's start with some important foundational thinking - based on natural law. Money should be separate from the State - if not history shows that governments and human greed will always take over and manipulate the system in their favour and the expense of their populations. For extensive references, read The Sovereign Individual and The Creature from Jeckyll Island.

• The Separation of State and Money is the most important thing you can listen to this week. Thanks to Allen Farrington - his paper is here for those who prefer to read. Wake up, folks!

• The American Forefathers knew this when the wrote the American Constitution. Thomas Jefferson said: “If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency first by inflation then by deflation the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered... I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.” Mark Moss explains it well here. Charlie Robinsons take here.

The situation in Canada explifies the issues

Governments have have long used "international economic sanctions" against other nations to enforce their positions. Now in Canada, and soon in your country too, they are applying such sanctions their own citizens - disconnecting them from the financial system and removing their ability to use their own life savings as they wish. Canadians spoke with their money - in one week they raised more money in support of the truckers for peaceful protest than were raised in support of all Canadian political parties in the election of last year - only to have it confiscated and blocked by those politicians.

• CPL. Daniel Bulford (Justin Trudeau's body guard) is particularly clear and eloquent - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3123688351279364

• Nick & Greg (two Canadians in Canada) explain the situation to Peter McCormack - https://youtu.be/QBWYp-cBr4o

• Dr Jordan Peterson and Dr Julie Ponesse (also Canadians in Canada) speak openly about what is going on https://t.co/2T7A4VEek1

• Even Canadians living in China speak up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvDvJWdlD1E

Meanwhile in Turkey...

Joe Blogs has been giving blow by blow updates of the deteriorating sitation over the last weeks. What is happening to Turkey will come to many countries - sooner than you might imagine. Watch and learn here, here and here - more on his channel.

EU Citizens should be aware and lobby their MPs

Dropping of all C-19 restrictions is a tactic to stop people thinking about them; meanwhile the politicians are taking steps to get all of the emergency restrictions codified into normal law so that they can be deployed on you any time or all the time in future.\ Act now - or lose all freedoms - your choice - watch here or click below for the explainer.

More on war - recall our discussion last week

War steals and destroys the wealth of generations. We have been here before - remember World Wars 1 and 2...

• Dr Mattias Desmet explains how mass formation psychosis happens and how he became aware: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRo-ieBEw-8

• Be aware of this well known and much abused psycholgical experiment - rats in a cage - explained by Dr Christ Martensen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kSBdMXQkPI

To remain silent is wrong - to deny the rights of others to discuss and challenge (and even to punish or coerce them) is a crime in support of the biger crime. Each of us has a choice - choose wisely.

Could you have known about this?

"The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it."

"Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."

A closing thought...

Look closely at the cover of the Economist magazine released in December 2018 - The World in 2019 - see how many of those things have already come true.

In case this is too difficult for you - some things to note: Four horsemen of the apacalypse, Statue of Liberty wearing a facemask, Vetruvian Man with QR code (Vaccine passport), DNA mark on his arm, wearing virtual reality glasses... The animal bottom right is a Pangolin. Scales of Justice are well tipped/skewed, facial recognition, electric cars, Putin's pipelines, China and Brexit feature highly along with the lieing media (Pinnochio) and #metoo. I smell Predictive Programming.

• More insights in the explainer here (backup copy here) - including why it is backwards...

That's it!

No one can be told what The Matrix is.\ You have to see it for yourself.**

Do share this newsletter with any of your friends and family who might be interested.

You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

💡Enjoy the newsletters in your own language : Dutch, French, German, Serbian, Chinese Traditional & Simplified, Thai and Burmese.

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

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

• Bitcoin’s role in the digital economy

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

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

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

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

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

• Bitcoin in digital commerce and the global economy

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

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

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

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

• Challenges and adapting to the new economy

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

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

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

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

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

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The company is facing a class action lawsuit following a stock price drop triggered by the delayed disclosure of a December data breach.

Coinbase finds itself at the center of a legal storm after being hit with a class action lawsuit filed by shareholders. The lawsuit stems from a decline in the company’s stock price, which occurred after the belated communication of a cybersecurity incident.

The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, names investor Brady Nessler as the lead plaintiff. The suit claims that the platform’s shareholders suffered “substantial losses and damages” due to the company’s alleged failure to disclose material information.

Investors accuse the company of not promptly revealing crucial details that could have influenced investment decisions. Among the main allegations is the failure to immediately communicate a data breach that took place last December.

Details of the breach

On May 15, Coinbase publicly disclosed the news of a cyberattack that occurred last December. The incident involved cybercriminals who managed to corrupt several company employees, gaining unauthorized access to customer personal data.

The delayed disclosure of the data breach triggered an immediate stock market reaction. Coinbase shares fell 7.2%, closing the day at $244.

The exchange estimated that the financial impact of the data breach could range between $180 million and $400 million. These costs would cover both expenses to restore security systems and potential reimbursements to customers affected by the incident.

The lawsuit highlights that the company should have communicated these estimated costs to investors more promptly, allowing them to make informed decisions about their investments.

Additional allegations in the lawsuit

In addition to the data breach, the lawsuit lists a series of other alleged communication failures by the company. Among them is the non-disclosure of a violation by CB Payments — Coinbase’s UK subsidiary — of a 2020 agreement with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.

The class action covers all investors who acquired company shares between April 14, 2021, and May 14, 2025 — a period during which the allegedly omitted information is believed to have negatively affected the stock price.

The legal action doesn’t target the company alone but also names top executives including CEO Brian Armstrong and CFO Alesia Haas among the defendants.

The post Lawsuit against Coinbase: investors sue exchange for failing to disclose data breach appeared first on Atlas21.

@ a5ee4475:2ca75401

clients #link #list #english #article #finalversion #descentralismo

*These clients are generally applications on the Nostr network that allow you to use the same account, regardless of the app used, keeping your messages and profile intact.

**However, you may need to meet certain requirements regarding access and account NIP for some clients, so that you can access them securely and use their features correctly.

---

CLIENTS

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Twitter like

• Nostrmo - [source] 🌐💻(🐧🪟🍎)🍎🤖(on zapstore)
• Coracle - Super App [source] 🌐🤖(on zapstore)
• Amethyst - Super App with note edit, delete and other stuff with Tor [source] 🤖(on zapstore)
• Primal - Social and wallet [source] 🌐🍎🤖(on zapstore)
• Iris - [source] 🌐🤖🍎
• Current - [source] 🤖🍎
• FreeFrom 🤖🍎
• Openvibe - Nostr and others (new Plebstr) [source] 🤖🍎
• Snort 🌐(🤖[early access]) [onion] [source]
• Damus 🍎 [source]
• Nos 🍎 [source]
• Nostur 🍎 [source]
• NostrBand 🌐 [info] [source]
• Yana [source] 🌐💻(🐧) 🍎🤖(on zapstore)
• Nostribe [on development] 🌐 [source]
• Lume 💻(🐧🪟🍎) [info] [source]
• Gossip - [source] 💻(🐧🪟🍎)
• noStrudel - Gamified Experience [onion] [info/source] 🌐
• [Nostrudel Next] - [onion]
• moStard - Nostrudel with Monero [onion] [info/source] 🌐
• Camelus - [source] 🤖 [early access]

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Community

• CCNS - Community Curated Nostr Stuff [source]
• Nostr Kiwi [creator] 🌐
• Satellite [info] 🌐
• Flotilla - [source] 🌐🐧🤖(on zapstore)
• Chachi - [source] 🌐
• Futr - Coded in haskell [source] 🐧 (others soon)
• Soapbox - Comunnity server [info] [source] 🌐
• Ditto - Soapbox community server 🌐 [source] 🌐
• Cobrafuma - Nostr brazilian community on Ditto [info] 🌐
• Zapddit - Reddit like [source] 🌐
• Voyage (Reddit like) [on development] 🤖

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Wiki

• Wikifreedia - Wiki Dark mode [source] 🌐
• Wikinostr - Wiki with tabs clear mode [source] 🌐
• Wikistr - Wiki clear mode [info] [source] 🌐

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Search

• Keychat - Signal-like chat with AI and browser [source] 💻(🐧🪟🍎) - 📱(🍎🤖{on zapstore})
• Spring - Browser for Nostr apps and other sites [source] 🤖 (on zapstore)
• Advanced nostr search - Advanced note search by isolated terms related to a npub profile [source] 🌐
• Nos Today - Global note search by isolated terms [info] [source] 🌐
• Nostr Search Engine - API for Nostr clients [source]
• Ntrends - Trending notes and profiles 🌐

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Website

• Nsite - Nostr Site [onion] [info] [source]
• Nsite Gateway - Nostr Site Gateway [source]
• Npub pro - Your site on Nostr [source]

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App Store

ZapStore - Permitionless App Store [source] 🤖 💻(🐧🍎)

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Video and Live Streaming

• Flare - Youtube like 🌐 [source]
• ZapStream - Lives, videos, shorts and zaps (NIP-53) [source] 🌐 🤖(lives only | Amber | on zapstore)
• Swae - Live streaming [source] (on development) ⏳

Post Aggregator - Kinostr - Nostr Cinema with #kinostr [english] [author] 🌐 - Stremstr - Nostr Cinema with #kinostr [english] [source] 📱 (on development) ⏳

Link Agreggator - Kinostr - #kinostr - Nostr Cinema Profile with links [English] - Equinox - Nostr Cinema Community with links [Portuguese]

---

Audio and Podcast Transmission

• Castr - Your npub as podcast feed [source]
• Nostr Nests - Audio Chats [source] 🌐
• Fountain - Podcast [source] 🤖🍎
• Corny Chat - Audio Chat [source] 🌐

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Music

• Tidal - Music Streaming [source] [about] [info] 🤖🍎🌐
• Wavlake - Music Streaming [source] 🌐(🤖🍎 [early access])
• Tunestr - Musical Events [source] [about] 🌐
• Stemstr - Musical Colab (paid to post) [source] [about] 🌐

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Images

• Lumina - Trending images and pictures [source] 🌐
• Pinstr - Pinterest like [source] 🌐
• Slidestr - DeviantArt like [source] 🌐
• Memestr - ifunny like [source] 🌐

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Download and Upload

• DTAN - Distributed Torrent Archive on Nostr [info] [source] 🌐

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Documents, graphics and tables

• Mindstr - Mind maps [source] 🌐
• Docstr - Share Docs [info] [source] 🌐
• Formstr - Share Forms [info] 🌐
• Sheetstr - Share Spreadsheets [source] 🌐
• Slide Maker - Share slides 🌐 [Advice: Slide Maker https://zaplinks.lol/ site is down]

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Health

• Sobrkey - Sobriety and mental health [source] 🌐
• Runstr - Running app [source] 🌐
• NosFabrica - Finding ways for your health data 🌐
• LazerEyes - Eye prescription by DM [source] 🌐

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Forum

• OddBean - Hacker News like [info] [source] 🌐
• LowEnt - Forum [info] 🌐
• Swarmstr - Q&A / FAQ [info] 🌐
• Staker News - Hacker News like 🌐 [info]

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Direct Messenges (DM)

• 0xchat 🤖🍎 [source]
• Nostr Chat 🌐🍎 [source]
• Blowater 🌐 [source]
• Anigma (new nostrgram) - Telegram based [on development] [source]

---

Reading

• Oracolo - A minimalist Nostr html blog [source]
• nRSS - Nostr RSS reader 🌐
• Highlighter - Insights with a highlighted read [info] 🌐
• Zephyr - Calming to Read [info] 🌐
• Flycat - Clean and Healthy Feed [info] 🌐
• Nosta - Check Profiles [on development] [info] 🌐
• Alexandria - e-Reader and Nostr Knowledge Base (NKB) [source] 🌐

---

Writing

• Habla - Blog [info] 🌐
• Blogstack - Blog [info]🌐
• YakiHonne - Articles and News [info] 🌐🍎🤖(on zapstore)

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Lists

• Following - Users list [source] 🌐
• Nostr Unfollower - Nostr Unfollower
• Listr - Lists [source] 🌐
• Nostr potatoes - Movies List [source] 💻(numpy)

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Market and Jobs

• Shopstr - Buy and Sell [onion] [source] 🌐
• Nostr Market - Buy and Sell 🌐
• Plebeian Market - Buy and Sell [source] 🌐
• Ostrich Work - Jobs [source] 🌐
• Nostrocket - Jobs [source] 🌐

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Data Vending Machines - DVM (NIP90)

(Data-processing tools)

• Noogle - [source] 🌐
• Vendata - [source] 🌐
• TaskTiger 🌐
• Malware DVMs 🌐

---

Games

• Chesstr - Chess 🌐 [source]
• Jestr - Chess [source] 🌐
• Snakestr - Snake game [source] 🌐
• Snakes on a Relay - Multiplayer Snake game like slither.io [source] 🌐

ENGINES - DEG Mods - Decentralized Game Mods [info] [source] 🌐 - NG Engine - Nostr Game Engine [source] 🌐 - JmonkeyEngine - Java game engine [source] 🌐

---

Customization

• Emojito - Send Funny Stickers to React 🌐 [creator]

---

Like other Services

• Olas - Instagram like [source] 🌐🍎🤖(on zapstore)
• Nostree - Linktree like 🌐
• Rabbit - TweetDeck like [info] 🌐
• Zaplinks - Nostr links 🌐
• Omeglestr - Omegle-like Random Chats [source] 🌐

---

General Uses

• Njump - HTML text gateway source 🌐
• Filestr - HTML midia gateway [source] 🌐
• W3 - Nostr URL shortener [source] 🌐
• Playground - Test Nostr filters [source] 🌐

---

Places

• Wherostr - Travel and show where you are
• Arc Map (Mapstr) - Bitcoin Map [info]

---

Driver and Delivery

• RoadRunner - Uber like [on development] ⏱️
• Nostrlivery - iFood like [on development] ⏱️

⚠️ SCAM ⚠️ | Arcade City - Uber like [source]

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OTHER STUFF

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Lightning Wallets (zap)

• Alby - Native and extension [info] 🌐
• ZBD - Gaming and Social [info] [source] 🤖🍎
• Wallet of Satoshi - Simplest Lightning Wallet [info] 🤖🍎
• Minibits - Cashu mobile wallet [info] 🤖
• Blink - Opensource custodial wallet (KYC over 1000 usd) [source] 🤖🍎
• LNbits - App and extesion [source] 🤖🍎💻
• Zeus - [info] [source] 🤖🍎

Without Zap - Wassabi Wallet - Privacy-focused and non-custodial with Nostr Update Manager [source]

---

Exchange

• Mostro - P2P lightning exchange on Nostr [info] 🌐
• Emptio - Bitcoin P2P on Nostr [on development]

---

Media Server (Upload Links)

audio, image and video

Connected with Nostr (NIP):

• Nostr Build - Free and paid Upload [info] [source] 🌐
• NostrMedia - Written in Go with Nip 96 / Blossom (free and paid) [info] [source]
• Nostr Check - [info] [source] 🌐
• NostPic - [info] [source] 🌐
• Sovbit - Free and paid upload [info] [source] 🌐
• Voidcat - Nip-96 and Blossom [source] 🌐
• Primal Media - Primal Media Uploader [source] 🌐

Blossom - Your Media Safer

• Primal Blossom 🌐
• NostrBuild Blossom - Free upload (max 100MiB) and paid [info] [source] 🌐

Paid Upload Only

• Satellite CDN - prepaid upload (max 5GB each) [info] [source] 🌐

Without Nostr NIP:

• Pomf - Upload larger videos (max 1GB) [source]
• Catbox - max 200 MB [source]
• x0 - max 512 MiB [source]

---

Donation and payments

• Zapper - Easy Zaps [source] 🌐
• Autozap [source] 🌐
• Zapmeacoffee 🌐
• Nostr Zap 💻(numpy)
• Creatr - Creators subscription 🌐
• Geyzer - Crowdfunding [info] [source] 🌐
• Heya! - Crowdfunding [source]

---

Security

• Secret Border - Generate offline keys 💻(java)
• Umbrel - Your private relay [source] 🌐

---

Key signing/login and Extension

• Amber - Key signing [source] 🤖(on zapstore)
• Nowser - Account access keys 📱(🤖🍎) 💻(🐧🍎🪟)
• Nos2x - Account access keys 🌐
• Nsec.app 🌐 [info]
• Lume - [info] [source] 🐧🪟🍎
• Satcom - Share files to discuss - [info] 🌐
• KeysBand - Multi-key signing [source] 🌐

---

Code

• Stacks - AI Templates [info] [source] 🌐
• Nostrify - Share Nostr Frameworks 🌐
• Git Workshop (github like) [experimental] 🌐
• Gitstr (github like) [on development] ⏱️
• Osty [on development] [info] 🌐
• Python Nostr - Python Library for Nostr
• Sybil - Creating, managing and test Nostr events [on development] ⏱️

---

Relay Check and Cloud

• Nostr Watch - See your relay speed 🌐
• NosDrive - Nostr Relay that saves to Google Drive

---

Bidges and Getways

• Matrixtr Bridge - Between Matrix & Nostr
• Mostr - Between Nostr & Fediverse
• Nostrss - RSS to Nostr
• Rsslay - Optimized RSS to Nostr [source]
• Atomstr - RSS/Atom to Nostr [source]

Useful Profiles and Trends

nostr-voice - Voice note (just some clients)

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NOT RELATED TO NOSTR

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Voca - Text-to-Speech App for GrapheneOS [source] 🤖(on zapstore)

Android Keyboards

• Futo - Gboard like [source]
• Florisboard - [source]
• Heliboard - Openboard based [source]

---

Personal notes and texts

• Joplin - privacy-focused note taking app with sync capabilities [source] 📱(🤖🍎) - 💻 (🐧🪟🍎)

---

Front-ends

• Nitter - Twitter / X without your data [source]
• NewPipe - Youtube, Peertube and others, without account & your data [source] 🤖
• Piped - Youtube web without you data [source] 🌐

---

Other Services

• Brave - Browser [source]
• DuckDuckGo - Search [source]
• LLMA - Meta - Meta open source AI [source]
• DuckDuckGo AI Chat - Famous AIs without Login [source]
• Proton Mail - Mail [source]

Other open source index: Degoogled Apps

---

Some other Nostr index on:

Nostr Apps | Nostorg | Awesome Nostr

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daniele Ganser kann man über folgende Seite kontaktieren.

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LASSEN SIE DER FRIEDENSTAUBE FLÜGEL WACHSEN!

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

Schon jetzt können Sie uns unterstützen:

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Milosz Matuschek

IBAN DE 53710520500000814137

BYLADEM1TST

Sparkasse Traunstein-Trostberg

Betreff: Friedenstaube

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

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

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Jacopo Graziuso’s econometric study explains how the presence of Bitcoin is connected to the reduction of emissions and consumption in countries where it is mined.

The debate on Bitcoin’s environmental impact has been at the center of media attention for years, often characterized by approximate information and common misconceptions. But what emerges when data is analyzed? An answer comes from the study by Jacopo Graziuso, a recent graduate in Economics and Finance at the University of Salento, who dedicated his thesis to the topic, titled: “Bitcoin and energy: towards efficiency and environmental sustainability”.

“It bothers me when they tell me ‘Bitcoin pollutes, Bitcoin consumes’. This prompted me to write the thesis,” Graziuso tells Atlas21 microphones. “We live in an era of free and accessible information, yet disinformation reigns supreme, leading to beliefs without scientific foundation.”

Regarding his research work, Graziuso emphasizes: “I thank professor of econometrics Pierluigi Toma who knew what Bitcoin is and what mining is and gave me carte blanche for writing the thesis.”

The methodology used for the study is an econometric analysis based on data from 171 states from 2009 to 2024, with particular attention to the relationship between Bitcoin presence, greenhouse gas emissions (climate-altering gases) and energy consumption. To define Bitcoin’s “presence”, Graziuso created a variable that takes value 1 if at least 1% of the population uses (knows or has a wallet) the cryptocurrency or if it is present in state reserves.

The results of the research, conducted only with open source software, contradict the dominant narrative, Graziuso explains: “The analysis shows that Bitcoin’s presence in a state is associated with a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. The study reveals that Bitcoin’s presence in a state reduces emissions by 39 megatons of CO2 equivalent. Essentially, where there is Bitcoin, climate-altering gas emissions decrease.”

Graziuso wants to emphasize the difference between consumption and pollution: “The problem is not consumption, it’s pollution. The distinction is fundamental: energy consumption is necessary for human development, while pollution derives from the use of inefficient energy sources. Currently China consumes over 4500% more than the entire Bitcoin network. Furthermore, thanks to mining flexibility, Bitcoin can help a state reduce general consumption.”

The research highlights how mining is acting as a catalyst for the adoption of renewable and nuclear energy. Mining naturally seeks the cheapest sources which increasingly coincide with the cleanest ones, the interviewee states.

One analyzed aspect is Bitcoin’s role as “buyer of last resort” for otherwise wasted energy. Graziuso cites several examples:

• Alps Blockchain, which has reactivated 32 disused hydroelectric plants in northern Italy and is working on building facilities in Paraguay and Ecuador exploiting hydroelectric energy;
• projects like Gridless that exploit excess energy from renewable sources in remote areas: “Not only does [Gridless] optimize the use of local energy resources, but it reinvests mining profits in communities, improving access to electricity and supporting the local economy,” writes Graziuso;
• in Texas, thanks to agreements with electricity grid operator ERCOT, miners exploit the operational flexibility of their machines to adapt consumption to grid needs, turning them off during peak moments and turning them back on when there is surplus energy, thus acting as buyers of last resort and contributing to stabilizing the electrical grid.

Another interesting aspect concerns the recovery of heat generated by machines: “Marathon Digital Holdings in Finland uses heat from its ASICs to heat 80,000 homes,” explains Graziuso. “Domestic applications are also being developed where ASIC heat is used for heating, further mitigating pollution.”

Immersion cooling, a technique that involves immersing mining machines in a dielectric fluid made in the laboratory, is cited as a promising solution to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. This way it is also possible to reduce machine noise, while the heat produced is dissipated by the dielectric material. Graziuso cites CleanSpark as an example of a completely carbon neutral mining farm that uses this technology: “This cooling technique allows us to safely overclock hardware, increasing performance by increasing operating frequency beyond factory settings,” states CleanSpark.

The thesis includes a section dedicated to zones that are emerging as sustainable mining hubs in different parts of the world:

• in Kenya and Ethiopia, “mining powered by hydroelectric energy is bringing drinking water and electricity to previously unserved communities,” declares Graziuso;
• in Georgia and Texas, Bitcoin mining is contributing to making the electrical grid more stable, intervening during peak demand moments and absorbing excess energy during overproduction periods;
• in Canada, companies like Upstream Data and Hut 8 Mining use mining to valorize excess or dispersed energy, including gas flaring in oil fields, thus reducing energy waste and emissions;
• the Makai project in Hawaii exploits OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) technology to convert ocean thermal energy into clean and renewable electricity.

Despite mining’s potential, obstacles to complete decarbonization still exist: “Decarbonization is still far away. Currently in many countries there are still state incentives from 40 years ago that favor fossil sources. Due to these incentives, today entrepreneurs’ costs are lower when fossil fuels are used. Once these state incentives end, perhaps the situation will improve. At the moment it is the miners who must voluntarily use renewable sources,” observes Graziuso. Italy, for example, continues to depend about 60% on fossil sources.

Another piece of data analyzed in the thesis is the improvement in energy efficiency of specialized mining machines: “In about 15 years, efficiency has improved by over 95%: this means decreased consumption and pollution,” emphasizes Graziuso.

“I hope this research contributes to spreading a more accurate and data-based narrative,” concludes Graziuso. “Bitcoin is not the problem, but could be part of the solution to the global energy challenge.”

The thesis will soon be published in its entirety online as a scientific paper.

The post Bitcoin reduces emissions and consumption: the thesis published at the University of Salento appeared first on Atlas21.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Since 2019, the United States has been the country with the highest number of recorded cases, but Europe remains the most affected region.

According to a Binance report, the United States is the country that has recorded the greatest number of crypto-related kidnapping cases since 2019, despite a recent increase in incidents in France.

At the regional level, however, Europe remains the area with the highest number of crypto-related kidnappings: 59 cases over six years. During the same period, North America — which includes the United States and Canada — recorded 48 cases. Particularly notable is the data concerning the entire Asian continent, where 62 cases of crypto-related kidnappings have been documented, most of which are concentrated in Southeast Asian countries.

France emerges as a concerning hotspot for crypto kidnappings, with six recent cases, three of which have already occurred in 2025.

Source: Binance

The primary targets of these kidnappings include executives of crypto companies, professional traders, exchange employees, and entrepreneurs in the sector. Family members and close associates of victims are often targeted as well. An emerging phenomenon involves tourists suspected of possessing large amounts of cryptocurrency funds.

Kidnapping cases in 2025

The year 2025 has already seen particularly serious episodes of kidnappings linked to the digital asset world. The most notable case involved David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his wife, who were abducted from their residence in France earlier this January. The incident drew international attention from both the crypto industry and law enforcement agencies.

Another attempt took place in Paris, where armed men tried to kidnap the daughter and granddaughter of the CEO of the French exchange Paymium. Overseas, in New York, police arrested 37-year-old John Woeltz after discovering that an Italian tourist had been held captive and mistreated for weeks in a luxury Manhattan apartment.

Binance highlights a direct correlation between the price trend of Bitcoin and the increase in kidnappings. Since Bitcoin reached new all-time highs this year, attacks involving physical threats have also increased proportionally, the exchange suggests.

Source: Binance

In 2025 alone, at least 15 kidnapping episodes have already been documented, many involving ransom demands denominated in bitcoin.

The post Crypto kidnappings on the rise: the US leads global statistics appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 87f5e1d9:e251d8f4

In the realm of cryptocurrency, the stakes are incredibly high, and losing access to your digital assets can be a daunting experience. But don’t worry — cryptrecver.com is here to transform that nightmare into a reality! With expert-led recovery services and leading-edge technology, Crypt Recver specializes in helping you regain access to your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Why Choose Crypt Recver? 🤔 🔑 Expertise You Can Trust At Crypt Recver, we blend advanced technology with skilled engineers who have a solid track record in crypto recovery. Whether you’ve forgotten your passwords, lost your private keys, or encountered issues with damaged hardware wallets, our team is ready to assist.

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Our Recovery Services Include: 📈 Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We can assist in recovering lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases. Transaction Recovery: Mistaken transfers, lost passwords, or missing transaction records — let us help you reclaim your funds! Cold Wallet Restoration: Did your cold wallet fail? We specialize in safely extracting assets. Private Key Generation: Forgotten your private key? We can help you generate new keys linked to your funds without compromising security. Don’t Let Lost Crypto Ruin Your Day! 🕒 With an estimated 3 to 3.4 million BTC lost forever, it’s essential to act quickly when facing access issues. Whether you’ve been affected by a dust attack or simply forgotten your key, Crypt Recver provides the support you need to reclaim your digital assets.

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Trust Crypt Recver for the best crypto recovery service — get back to trading with confidence! 💪In the realm of cryptocurrency, the stakes are incredibly high, and losing access to your digital assets can be a daunting experience. But don’t worry — cryptrecver.com is here to transform that nightmare into a reality! With expert-led recovery services and leading-edge technology, Crypt Recver specializes in helping you regain access to your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

# Why Choose Crypt Recver? 🤔

🔑 Expertise You Can Trust\ At Crypt Recver, we blend advanced technology with skilled engineers who have a solid track record in crypto recovery. Whether you’ve forgotten your passwords, lost your private keys, or encountered issues with damaged hardware wallets, our team is ready to assist.

⚡ Fast Recovery Process\ Time is crucial when recovering lost funds. Crypt Recver’s systems are designed for speed, enabling quick recoveries — allowing you to return to what matters most: trading and investing.

🎯 High Success Rate\ With a success rate exceeding 90%, our recovery team has aided numerous clients in regaining access to their lost assets. We grasp the complexities of cryptocurrency and are committed to providing effective solutions.

🛡️ Confidential & Secure\ Your privacy is paramount. All recovery sessions at Crypt Recver are encrypted and completely confidential. You can trust us with your information, knowing we uphold the highest security standards.

🔧 Advanced Recovery Tools\ We employ proprietary tools and techniques to tackle complex recovery scenarios, from retrieving corrupted wallets to restoring coins from invalid addresses. No matter the challenge, we have a solution.

# Our Recovery Services Include: 📈

• Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We can assist in recovering lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases.
• Transaction Recovery: Mistaken transfers, lost passwords, or missing transaction records — let us help you reclaim your funds!
• Cold Wallet Restoration: Did your cold wallet fail? We specialize in safely extracting assets.
• Private Key Generation: Forgotten your private key? We can help you generate new keys linked to your funds without compromising security.

Don’t Let Lost Crypto Ruin Your Day! 🕒

With an estimated 3 to 3.4 million BTC lost forever, it’s essential to act quickly when facing access issues. Whether you’ve been affected by a dust attack or simply forgotten your key, Crypt Recver provides the support you need to reclaim your digital assets.

🚀 Start Your Recovery Now!\ Ready to retrieve your cryptocurrency? Don’t let uncertainty hold you back!\ 👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Today!cryptrecver.com

Need Immediate Assistance? 📞

For quick queries or support, connect with us on:\ ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver\ 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Trust Crypt Recver for the best crypto recovery service — get back to trading with confidence! 💪

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

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

Why rewrite it all?

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

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

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

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

What's new

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

How?

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

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

Technical details

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

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

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

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

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

@ b83a28b7:35919450

This article was originally part of the sermon of Plebchain Radio Episode 111 (May 2, 2025) that nostr:nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmvqyg8wumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnvv9hxgqpqtvqc82mv8cezhax5r34n4muc2c4pgjz8kaye2smj032nngg52clq7fgefr and I did with nostr:nprofile1qythwumn8ghj7ct5d3shxtnwdaehgu3wd3skuep0qyt8wumn8ghj7ct4w35zumn0wd68yvfwvdhk6tcqyzx4h2fv3n9r6hrnjtcrjw43t0g0cmmrgvjmg525rc8hexkxc0kd2rhtk62 and nostr:nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmvqyg8wumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnvv9hxgqpq4wxtsrj7g2jugh70pfkzjln43vgn4p7655pgky9j9w9d75u465pqahkzd0 of the nostr:nprofile1qythwumn8ghj7ct5d3shxtnwdaehgu3wd3skuep0qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcqyqwfvwrccp4j2xsuuvkwg0y6a20637t6f4cc5zzjkx030dkztt7t5hydajn

Listen to the full episode here:

<<https://fountain.fm/episode/Ln9Ej0zCZ5dEwfo8w2Ho>>

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Bitcoin has always been a narrative revolution disguised as code. White paper, cypherpunk lore, pizza‑day legends - every block is a paragraph in the world’s most relentless epic. But code alone rarely converts the skeptic; it’s the camp‑fire myth that slips past the prefrontal cortex and shakes hands with the limbic system. People don’t adopt protocols first - they fall in love with protagonists.

Early adopters heard the white‑paper hymn, but most folks need characters first: a pizza‑day dreamer; a mother in a small country, crushed by the cost of remittance; a Warsaw street vendor swapping złoty for sats. When their arcs land, the brain releases a neurochemical OP_RETURN which says, “I belong in this plot.” That’s the sly roundabout orange pill: conviction smuggled inside catharsis.

That’s why, from 22–25 May in Warsaw’s Kinoteka, the Bitcoin Film Fest is loading its reels with rebellion. Each documentary, drama, and animated rabbit‑hole is a stealth wallet, zipping conviction straight into the feels of anyone still clasped within the cold claw of fiat. You come for the plot, you leave checking block heights.

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Here's the clip of the sermon from the episode:

nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzpwp69zm7fewjp0vkp306adnzt7249ytxhz7mq3w5yc629u6er9zsqqsy43fwz8es2wnn65rh0udc05tumdnx5xagvzd88ptncspmesdqhygcrvpf2

@ 91bea5cd:1df4451c

Instruções:

1. Leia cada pergunta cuidadosamente.
2. Escolha a opção (A, B, C ou D) que melhor descreve você na maioria das situações. Seja o mais honesto possível.
3. Anote a letra correspondente à sua escolha para cada pergunta.
4. No final, some quantas vezes você escolheu cada letra (A, B, C, D).
5. Veja a seção de resultados para interpretar sua pontuação.

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Teste de Temperamento

1. Em um evento social (festa, reunião), como você geralmente se comporta? A) Sou o centro das atenções, converso com todos, faço piadas e animo o ambiente. B) Tomo a iniciativa, organizo atividades ou discussões, e gosto de liderar conversas. C) Prefiro observar, conversar em grupos menores ou com pessoas que já conheço bem, e analiso o ambiente. D) Sou tranquilo, ouvinte, evito chamar atenção e me adapto ao ritmo do grupo.

2. Ao enfrentar um novo projeto ou tarefa desafiadora no trabalho ou estudo: A) Fico entusiasmado com a novidade, tenho muitas ideias iniciais, mas posso me distrair facilmente. B) Defino metas claras, crio um plano de ação rápido e foco em alcançar resultados eficientemente. C) Analiso todos os detalhes, planejo meticulosamente, prevejo possíveis problemas e busco a perfeição. D) Abordo com calma, trabalho de forma constante e organizada, e prefiro um ambiente sem pressão.

3. Como você geralmente reage a críticas? A) Tento levar na esportiva, talvez faça uma piada, mas posso me magoar momentaneamente e logo esqueço. B) Defendo meu ponto de vista vigorosamente, posso ficar irritado se sentir injustiça, mas foco em corrigir o problema. C) Levo muito a sério, analiso profundamente, posso me sentir magoado por um tempo e repenso minhas ações. D) Escuto com calma, considero a crítica objetivamente e tento não levar para o lado pessoal, buscando a paz.

4. Qual seu estilo de tomada de decisão? A) Sou impulsivo, decido rapidamente com base no entusiasmo do momento, às vezes me arrependo depois. B) Sou decidido e rápido, foco no objetivo final, às vezes sem considerar todos os detalhes ou sentimentos alheios. C) Sou ponderado, analiso todas as opções e consequências, demoro para decidir buscando a melhor escolha. D) Sou cauteloso, prefiro evitar decisões difíceis, busco consenso ou adio se possível.

5. Como você lida com rotina e repetição? A) Acho entediante rapidamente, preciso de variedade e novidade constante para me manter engajado. B) Tolero se for necessário para atingir um objetivo, mas prefiro desafios e mudanças que eu controlo. C) Aprecio a ordem e a previsibilidade, me sinto confortável com rotinas bem estabelecidas. D) Adapto-me bem à rotina, acho confortável e seguro, não gosto de mudanças bruscas.

6. Em uma discussão ou conflito: A) Tento aliviar a tensão com humor, expresso meus sentimentos abertamente, mas não guardo rancor. B) Sou direto e assertivo, defendo minha posição com firmeza, posso parecer confrontador. C) Evito confronto direto, mas fico remoendo o problema, analiso os argumentos e posso guardar ressentimento. D) Busco a conciliação, tento entender todos os lados, sou diplomático e evito o conflito a todo custo.

7. Como você expressa seus sentimentos (alegria, tristeza, raiva)? A) Expresso de forma aberta, intensa e visível, minhas emoções mudam rapidamente. B) Expresso de forma direta e forte, principalmente a raiva ou a determinação, controlo emoções "fracas". C) Tendo a internalizar, minhas emoções são profundas e duradouras, posso parecer reservado. D) Sou contido na expressão emocional, mantenho a calma externamente, mesmo que sinta algo internamente.

8. Qual seu nível de energia habitual? A) Alto, sou muito ativo, falante e entusiasmado, gosto de estar em movimento. B) Muito alto e direcionado, tenho muita energia para perseguir meus objetivos e liderar. C) Variável, posso ter picos de energia para projetos que me interessam, mas também preciso de tempo quieto para recarregar. D) Moderado e constante, sou calmo, tranquilo, prefiro atividades menos agitadas.

9. Como você organiza seu espaço de trabalho ou sua casa? A) Pode ser um pouco caótico e desorganizado, com muitas coisas interessantes espalhadas. B) Organizado de forma funcional para máxima eficiência, focado no essencial para as tarefas. C) Extremamente organizado, metódico, cada coisa em seu lugar, prezo pela ordem e estética. D) Confortável e prático, não necessariamente impecável, mas funcional e sem excessos.

10. O que mais te motiva? A) Reconhecimento social, diversão, novas experiências e interações. B) Poder, controle, desafios, alcançar metas ambiciosas e resultados concretos. C) Qualidade, significado, fazer as coisas da maneira certa, compreensão profunda. D) Paz, estabilidade, harmonia nos relacionamentos, evitar estresse e pressão.

11. Como você reage a imprevistos ou mudanças de plano? A) Adapto-me rapidamente, às vezes até gosto da novidade, embora possa atrapalhar meus planos iniciais. B) Fico irritado com a perda de controle, mas rapidamente busco uma solução alternativa para manter o objetivo. C) Sinto-me desconfortável e ansioso, preciso de tempo para reavaliar e replanejar cuidadosamente. D) Aceito com calma, sou flexível e me ajusto sem muito alarde, desde que não gere conflito.

12. Qual o seu maior medo (em termos gerais)? A) Ser rejeitado, ignorado ou ficar entediado. B) Perder o controle, parecer fraco ou incompetente. C) Cometer erros graves, ser inadequado ou imperfeito. D) Conflitos, pressão, tomar decisões erradas que afetem a estabilidade.

13. Como você costuma passar seu tempo livre? A) Socializando, saindo com amigos, buscando atividades novas e divertidas. B) Engajado em atividades produtivas, esportes competitivos, planejando próximos passos. C) Lendo, estudando, refletindo, dedicando-me a hobbies que exigem atenção e cuidado. D) Relaxando em casa, assistindo filmes, lendo tranquilamente, passando tempo com a família de forma calma.

14. Ao trabalhar em equipe: A) Sou o animador, trago ideias, conecto as pessoas, mas posso ter dificuldade em focar nos detalhes. B) Assumo a liderança naturalmente, delego tarefas, foco nos resultados e mantenho todos na linha. C) Sou o planejador e o crítico construtivo, atento aos detalhes, garanto a qualidade, mas posso ser muito exigente. D) Sou o pacificador e o colaborador, ajudo a manter a harmonia, realizo minhas tarefas de forma confiável.

15. Como você lida com prazos? A) Muitas vezes deixo para a última hora, trabalho melhor sob a pressão do prazo final, mas posso me atrapalhar. B) Gosto de terminar bem antes do prazo, vejo o prazo como um desafio a ser superado rapidamente. C) Planejo o tempo cuidadosamente para cumprir o prazo com qualidade, fico ansioso se o tempo fica curto. D) Trabalho em ritmo constante para cumprir o prazo sem estresse, não gosto de correria.

16. Qual destas frases mais te descreve? A) "A vida é uma festa!" B) "Se quer algo bem feito, faça você mesmo (ou mande fazer do seu jeito)." C) "Tudo tem um propósito e um lugar certo." D) "Devagar se vai ao longe."

17. Em relação a regras e procedimentos: A) Gosto de flexibilidade, às vezes acho as regras limitantes e tento contorná-las. B) Uso as regras a meu favor para atingir objetivos, mas não hesito em quebrá-las se necessário e se eu puder controlar as consequências. C) Sigo as regras rigorosamente, acredito que elas garantem ordem e qualidade. D) Respeito as regras para evitar problemas, prefiro seguir o fluxo estabelecido.

18. Como você reage quando alguém está emocionalmente abalado? A) Tento animar a pessoa, conto piadas, ofereço distração e companhia. B) Ofereço soluções práticas para o problema, foco em resolver a situação que causou o abalo. C) Escuto com empatia, ofereço apoio profundo e tento compreender a dor da pessoa. D) Mantenho a calma, ofereço um ouvido atento e um ombro amigo, sem me deixar abalar muito.

19. Que tipo de filme ou livro você prefere? A) Comédias, aventuras, romances leves, algo que me divirta e me mantenha entretido. B) Ação, suspense, biografias de líderes, estratégias, algo que me desafie ou inspire poder. C) Dramas profundos, documentários, mistérios complexos, ficção científica filosófica, algo que me faça pensar e sentir. D) Histórias tranquilas, dramas familiares, romances amenos, natureza, algo que me relaxe e traga conforto.

20. O que é mais importante para você em um relacionamento (amizade, amoroso)? A) Diversão, cumplicidade, comunicação aberta e espontaneidade. B) Lealdade, objetivos em comum, apoio mútuo nas ambições. C) Compreensão profunda, fidelidade, apoio emocional e intelectual. D) Harmonia, estabilidade, aceitação mútua e tranquilidade.

21. Se você ganhasse na loteria, qual seria sua primeira reação/ação? A) Faria uma grande festa, viajaria pelo mundo, compraria presentes para todos! B) Investiria estrategicamente, planejaria como multiplicar o dinheiro, garantiria o controle financeiro. C) Pesquisaria as melhores opções de investimento, faria um plano detalhado de longo prazo, doaria para causas significativas. D) Guardaria a maior parte em segurança, faria algumas melhorias práticas na vida, evitaria mudanças drásticas.

22. Como você se sente em relação a riscos? A) Gosto de arriscar se a recompensa parecer divertida ou excitante, sou otimista. B) Calculo os riscos e assumo-os se acreditar que a recompensa vale a pena e que posso controlar a situação. C) Evito riscos desnecessários, prefiro a segurança e a previsibilidade, analiso tudo antes de agir. D) Desgosto de riscos, prefiro caminhos seguros e comprovados, a estabilidade é mais importante.

23. Sua memória tende a focar mais em: A) Momentos divertidos, pessoas interessantes, experiências marcantes (embora possa esquecer detalhes). B) Sucessos, fracassos (para aprender), injustiças cometidas contra você, quem te ajudou ou atrapalhou. C) Detalhes precisos, conversas significativas, erros cometidos (por você ou outros), sentimentos profundos. D) Fatos objetivos, rotinas, informações práticas, geralmente de forma neutra.

24. Quando aprende algo novo, você prefere: A) Experimentar na prática imediatamente, aprender fazendo, mesmo que cometa erros. B) Entender o objetivo e a aplicação prática rapidamente, focar no essencial para usar o conhecimento. C) Estudar a fundo a teoria, entender todos os porquês, buscar fontes confiáveis e dominar o assunto. D) Aprender em um ritmo calmo, com instruções claras e passo a passo, sem pressão.

25. Se descreva em uma palavra (escolha a que mais se aproxima): A) Entusiasmado(a) B) Determinado(a) C) Criterioso(a) D) Pacífico(a)

26. Como você lida com o silêncio em uma conversa? A) Sinto-me desconfortável e tento preenchê-lo rapidamente com qualquer assunto. B) Uso o silêncio estrategicamente ou o interrompo para direcionar a conversa. C) Posso apreciar o silêncio para refletir, ou me sentir um pouco ansioso dependendo do contexto. D) Sinto-me confortável com o silêncio, não sinto necessidade de preenchê-lo.

27. O que te deixa mais frustrado(a)? A) Tédio, falta de reconhecimento, ser ignorado. B) Incompetência alheia, falta de controle, obstáculos aos seus planos. C) Desorganização, falta de qualidade, injustiça, superficialidade. D) Conflitos interpessoais, pressão excessiva, desordem emocional.

28. Qual a sua relação com o passado, presente e futuro? A) Foco no presente e nas oportunidades imediatas, otimista em relação ao futuro, esqueço o passado facilmente. B) Foco no futuro (metas) e no presente (ações para alcançá-las), aprendo com o passado mas não me prendo a ele. C) Reflito muito sobre o passado (aprendizados, erros), analiso o presente e planejo o futuro com cautela, às vezes com preocupação. D) Vivo o presente de forma tranquila, valorizo a estabilidade e a continuidade do passado, vejo o futuro com serenidade.

29. Se você tivesse que organizar um evento, qual seria seu papel principal? A) Relações públicas, divulgação, animação, garantir que todos se divirtam. B) Coordenação geral, definição de metas, delegação de tarefas, garantir que tudo aconteça conforme o planejado (por você). C) Planejamento detalhado, logística, controle de qualidade, garantir que nada dê errado. D) Suporte, resolução de problemas de forma calma, garantir um ambiente harmonioso.

30. Qual ambiente de trabalho te agrada mais? A) Dinâmico, social, com muita interação, flexibilidade e novidades. B) Competitivo, desafiador, focado em resultados, onde eu possa liderar ou ter autonomia. C) Estruturado, quieto, onde eu possa me concentrar, com padrões claros de qualidade e tempo para análise. D) Estável, cooperativo, sem pressão, com relacionamentos harmoniosos e tarefas previsíveis.

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Calculando seus Resultados:

Agora, conte quantas vezes você escolheu cada letra:

• Total de A: ______
• Total de B: ______
• Total de C: ______
• Total de D: ______

A letra (ou as letras) com a maior pontuação indica(m) seu(s) temperamento(s) dominante(s).

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Interpretação dos Resultados:

• Se sua maior pontuação foi A: Temperamento SANGUÍNEO Dominante

  • Características: Você é extrovertido, otimista, sociável, comunicativo, entusiasmado e adora novidades. Gosta de ser o centro das atenções, faz amigos facilmente e contagia os outros com sua energia. É criativo e espontâneo.
  • Pontos Fortes: Carismático, inspirador, adaptável, bom em iniciar relacionamentos e projetos, perdoa facilmente.
  • Desafios Potenciais: Pode ser indisciplinado, desorganizado, impulsivo, superficial, ter dificuldade em focar e terminar tarefas, e ser muito dependente de aprovação externa.

• Se sua maior pontuação foi B: Temperamento COLÉRICO Dominante

  • Características: Você é enérgico, decidido, líder nato, orientado para metas e resultados. É ambicioso, assertivo, direto e não tem medo de desafios ou confrontos. Gosta de estar no controle e é muito prático.
  • Pontos Fortes: Determinado, eficiente, líder natural, bom em tomar decisões e resolver problemas, autoconfiante.
  • Desafios Potenciais: Pode ser impaciente, dominador, teimoso, insensível aos sentimentos alheios, propenso à raiva e a "atropelar" os outros para atingir seus objetivos.

• Se sua maior pontuação foi C: Temperamento MELANCÓLICO Dominante

  • Características: Você é introvertido, analítico, sensível, perfeccionista e profundo. É leal, dedicado, aprecia a beleza e a ordem. Tende a ser pensativo, criterioso e busca significado em tudo. Leva as coisas a sério.
  • Pontos Fortes: Detalhista, organizado, criativo (em profundidade), leal, empático, comprometido com a qualidade e a justiça.
  • Desafios Potenciais: Pode ser pessimista, excessivamente crítico (consigo e com os outros), indeciso (pela análise excessiva), guardar ressentimentos, ser propenso à tristeza e ao isolamento.

• Se sua maior pontuação foi D: Temperamento FLEUMÁTICO Dominante

  • Características: Você é calmo, tranquilo, equilibrado e diplomático. É observador, paciente, confiável e fácil de conviver. Evita conflitos, busca harmonia e estabilidade. É um bom ouvinte e trabalha bem sob rotina.
  • Pontos Fortes: Pacífico, estável, confiável, bom ouvinte, diplomático, eficiente em tarefas rotineiras, mantém a calma sob pressão.
  • Desafios Potenciais: Pode ser indeciso, procrastinador, resistente a mudanças, parecer apático ou sem entusiasmo, ter dificuldade em se impor e expressar suas próprias necessidades.

Combinações de Temperamentos:

É muito comum ter pontuações altas em duas letras. Isso indica uma combinação de temperamentos. Por exemplo:

• Sanguíneo-Colérico: Extrovertido, enérgico, líder carismático, mas pode ser impulsivo e dominador.
• Sanguíneo-Fleumático: Sociável e agradável, mas pode ter dificuldade com disciplina e iniciativa.
• Colérico-Melancólico: Líder focado e detalhista, muito capaz, mas pode ser excessivamente crítico e exigente.
• Melancólico-Fleumático: Quieto, confiável, analítico, mas pode ser indeciso e resistente a riscos.

Importante: Este teste é uma ferramenta de autoconhecimento. Ninguém se encaixa perfeitamente em uma única caixa. Use os resultados para entender melhor suas tendências naturais, seus pontos fortes e as áreas onde você pode buscar equilíbrio e desenvolvimento.