@ 7ed6ce7e:d4ef845f

The BRICS bloc — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa — and New Development Bank partners like Rwanda defy the Philips-Kuznets model, where growth ostensibly balances unemployment, inflation, and inequality, ultimately providing for a market-supplied safety net. This dated lens misses an evolving post-Covid, 21st-century reality: a “Veblen Trap,” where masstige (mass luxury), veblenization of essentials, and financialized precarity unravel Amartya Sen’s Development as Freedom. Sen’s vision — development as capability expansion, tracked via the Human Development Index (HDI) — clashes with a world where identity-driven overconsumption taxes the Anthropocene, our epoch of human ecological dominance. Integrating Robert Shiller’s narrative economics, I argue BRICS wield pop culture narratives — akin to The Daily Show’s ascent as political kingmaker — to obscure this trap, reshaping global development. Moreover, this mix of taxation of the Anthropocene with the geopolitical weaponization of pop culture narratives allows us to infer the acceleration of extraplanetary expansion; first as resources harvesting in the Asteroid Belt and thereafter as outright colonization of the Moon and Mars. For Millennials as much for the the Global South, precarity fuels status-chasing: luxury IP “democratization” (e.g., branded sneakers) is just the obverse of a system that veblenizes essentials like healthcare or infrastructure, turning access into prestige. Financialization — debt and speculative markets — amplifies this, misallocating labor and time. Regulatory overreach and a resurgent industrial policy, a Laffer-style tipping point, accelerates collapse: civic trust erodes as citizenship tiers by consumption power. Yet, this trap extends beyond economics. Identity politics — tribalized via X posts — drives overconsumption, linking personal worth to carbon-heavy lifestyles. This scales to ESG and climate change: BRICS’ growth, lauded as sustainable via NDB projects, masks a paradox of luxury narratives (e.g., China’s EV boom) clashing with HDI stagnation and ecological strain. Using mixed methods — HDI trends, Anthropocene metrics (carbon footprints, resource depletion), and narrative- and sentiment-analysis from social media — I test this in BRICS contexts: South Africa’s privatized essentials, India’s urban precariat. The Veblen Trap explains why development falters as freedom increases; connecting identity, economy, and planetary limits. This redefines BRICS’ rise, challenging Western models and signaling a looming crisis: overconsumption’s human cost in the Anthropocene.

@ 3c7dc2c5:805642a8

## 🧠Quote(s) of the week: 'When you self custody bitcoin, you strengthen the network. When trusted third parties hold your bitcoin, you weaken it.' - Jameson Lopp ## 🧡Bitcoin news🧡 Unfortunately last week, the platform I am writing my Weekly Recaps on wasn't working. I apologize that you missed last week's recap. This week an extra long edition! On the 11th of February: ➡️The Swiss creator of ProtonMail launches a Bitcoin wallet that's open-source and self-custody to its 100 million customers. ➡️Polish Central Bank President Adam Glapiński rules out holding Bitcoin reserves "under any circumstances". "There is a lot to be said about Bitcoin. You can buy a lot and gain a lot, as well as lose a lot. However, we prefer something certain.” HFSP ➡️Email service provider Proton Mail just released an open-source Bitcoin wallet to their 100 million users. ➡️Publicly traded KULR buys an additional $10 million worth of Bitcoin. They now hold over 610 Bitcoin. ➡️Hong Kong confirms Bitcoin can be used as proof of capital for the new investment visa. ➡️'Bitcoin exchange reserves have hit a 3-year low of 2.5 million as demand continues to grow, per CryptoQuant. People are demanding physical gold and more Bitcoin. Interesting times.' -TKL ➡️Binance sold 3.600 Bitcoin ($350 million) from its reserves in January. ➡️Senator Lummis tells Fed Chair Jerome Powell: The Fed made a mess of Silicon Valley bank and there's a deliberate lack of understanding of Digital Asset policy by the Fed. During the hearing, Powell admitted there is a problem with crypto debanking, and also said never creating a central bank digital currency. ➡️Goldman Sachs just disclosed owning $1.58 BILLION Bitcoin through BlackRock and Fidelity ETFs. — MacroScope ➡️BlackRock has labeled Bitcoin as a “risk-off” asset. BlackRock says Bitcoin is “Risk Off” as a global monetary alternative, while ETH is “Risk On” as a blockchain play. Bitcoin is money, the rest of “crypto” is just a gamble. On the 12th of February: ➡️Metaplanet finished the day as Japan's 19th most liquid stock, with ¥42.6b (~$277 million) of trading volume. ➡️So far this year, Strategy's treasury operations have yielded a gain of 18,527 BTC, equivalent to approximately $ 1.8B in value. ➡️$114 billion VanEck's Matthew Sigel says the demand from 20 US Bitcoin Reserve bills could see states buy over 242,787 Bitcoin. ➡️Texas Senate Member Charles Schwertner filed legislation for a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" Two weeks ago, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced he would make this a "priority bill for the 2025 legislative session." The new legislative text for the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, SB 21, is very bullish! It removes the annual buying limit of $500 million, the legislature can appropriate as much as it wants to save BTC. ➡️Metaplanet Secures 4.0 Billion JPY Through 0% Unsecured, Unguaranteed Bonds for Additional Bitcoin Acquisition. ➡️The National Bank of Canada has purchased Bitcoin ETF worth $2 million. ➡️GameStop can service a loan of up to $100 BILLION for 4.6 years with its existing $4.6b cash balance at 1% interest. That's twice the amount of Bitcoin Michael Saylor's currently holds. On that news, GameStop surges +20% considering buying Bitcoin with its $4.6 BILLION cash balance. On the 14th of February: ➡️JPMorgan Chase, which previously labeled Bitcoin as a Ponzi scheme and a tool for money laundering, has disclosed Bitcoin exposure through ETFs in its latest SEC filing. “If you can’t beat them, join them.” ➡️Barclays discloses holding $131M worth of Bitcoin through IBIT shares in its latest 13F filing. ➡️Hong Kong-based Avenir reported owning ~$600m Bitcoin through BlackRock’s ETF. ➡️Japanese energy consultant Remixpoint spent nearly its $65M target to acquire Bitcoin in 2024, according to the latest earnings presentation.  Holdings rose over 8,000% in nine months, from 68M yen in March to ¥5.8B ($38M) by year-end. ➡️SBC Medical Group Holdings, a Delaware corporation headquartered in Tokyo, announces it will purchase 1B yen worth of Bitcoin. ➡️Trump had better hurry up—the global Bitcoin arms race has begun. One of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds is now actively accumulating bitcoin. Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund (with $1.75 Trillion AUM) invested $437 MILLION in Blackrock's Bitcoin ETF. Although buying a Bitcoin ETF and not the spot Bitcoin is kinda weak.  <https://i.ibb.co/b5jjf74V/Gjw3q3-VWAAABWag.jpg> ➡️More notable holdings from BlackRock's bitcoin ETF as of their latest filings (Dec 31): - Goldman Sachs: 24,077,861 shares worth $1.35B (+89% increase) - Millennium Mgmt: 23,498,001 shares worth $1.32B (+116% increase) - State of Wisconsin Investment Board: 6,060,351 shares worth $339M (+110% increase) - Tudor Investment Corp: 4,428,230 shares worth $248M (+409% increase) On the 15th of February: ➡️Milei, President Argentina, and his shitcoinery (LIBRA): - was not announced by decree (so Milei acted on his own) - posted on his official presidential accounts on X and IG - ultra rug pull. Kirchnerists are planning their political trials, and shedding tears of joy. Saifedean Ammous: 'Astonishing shitcoinery by Milei, shocking even to shitcoiners. He marketed a shitcoin to support the growth of Argentina, received millions of dollars from fans worldwide, dumped his coins, tanked the coin 95%, deleted the tweet, and now expects everyone to just move on.' <https://i.ibb.co/0jGL4zJH/Gj4cn-VPa-EAAE1hp.jpg> 'Government-shilled meme coin rug-pulls last month, country by country — scammers in suits running the same old fiat scam playbook.' - CarlBMenger Okay, one more quote on this topic: 'You think Presidents of countries will rug pull you with meme-coins but they won't seize your bitcoin held at custodians?'- Jameson Lopp Get your Bitcoin out of exchanges. Save them on a hardware wallet, run your own node... be your own bank. Not your keys, not your coins. It's that simple. ➡️Global proprietary trading firm Jane Street Group has disclosed holdings of nearly 30K BTC ($2.8B), making it the largest Bitcoin ETF holder, surpassing Goldman Sachs at 25K BTC ($2.3B). ➡️Millennium Management owns $2.6B worth of Bitcoin. They’re the third largest hedge fund in the world. On the 16th of February: ➡️The National Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal are loading up on Strategy shares. ➡️In just one year, institutions have accumulated over 300,000 BTC in ETFs, nearly doubling their holdings since Q3 2024. Data from the latest 13F filings ➡️ The State of California has bought 41 million Dollars worth of Strategy MSTR with their pension funds. ➡️The California State Teachers Retirement System doubles its MSTR holdings, now worth $83 million. ➡️Cantor Fitzgerald, formerly led by Howard Lutnick, bought over $1 billion worth of MSTR shares in Q4, making it their largest position. With an average buy price of $229, they’re already up 47%. Lutnick now runs Trump’s new Sovereign Wealth Fund as Commerce Secretary. CalSTRS has $352 billion AUM and is the second largest pension fund in the USA. ➡️U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: Bitcoin is "about freedom... I think everything is on the table with Bitcoin."  On the 17th of February: ➡️'Bitcoin’s correlation with the S&P 500 has dropped to zero, marking a significant shift in market behavior. Historically tied to stocks, BTC is now moving independently, signaling a break from traditional macroeconomic influences.' - Bitcoin News [](https://i.ibb.co/x8B4n8cf/Gk-A-NXn-WQAA9-T9c.jpg) ➡️'Imagine using money whose supply you can’t personally audit. Bitcoin's the only widely accepted form of money whose supply anyone with a $200 computer can fully verify. This is one of the key things that sets Bitcoin apart from everything else.' - Wicked ➡️Metaplanet buys another ¥4 billion worth of Bitcoin. 'After ten months on the Bitcoin Standard, Metaplanet owns approximately 1/10,340th of the world’s first & only absolutely scarce monetary asset.' - Dylan DeClair ➡️2017 VCs dumping on ICOs 2020 DeFi rug pulls 2024 Meme coin pump and dumps That’s the last 3 cycles in crypto. It normally takes 3 mistakes for people to learn. This is why BTC dominance is climbing back to its proper equilibrium.' - Willy Woo ➡️GameStop is considering investing in Bitcoin. The company is sitting on over $4.5 billion in cash. On the 18th of February: ➡️Bitcoin ownership changed massively in 2024. [](https://i.ibb.co/HD0ndgPw/Gk-Fhucd-WQAAB2k-X.png) ➡️Daniel Batten: 'Tether is buying a 51% stake in Adecoagro, a renewable energy and Agriculture company for $1.24 billion. Here's why this matters to Bitcoin mining, and Bitcoin.': https://x.com/DSBatten/status/1891903192939577687 ➡️Union Bank of Switzerland UBS has bought 1.2 Billion Dollars worth of Strategy MSTR at an average price of $289.62 per stock. ➡️4-Year CAGR: BTC: 14%/year Gold: 13%/year S&P500: 12%/year This is the first time BTC is in the same range as other major assets over 4 years. ➡️South African Publicly traded Altvest Capital adopts Bitcoin Treasury Strategy and plans to buy $10 million of BTC. On the 20th of February: ➡️'Michael Saylor's STRATEGY announced pricing for up to $2.3 BILLION of convertible notes to buy more Bitcoin This is a $300m increase since the initial announcement.' -Bitcoin Archive On the 21sst of February: ➡️The Bybit hack is officially the largest crypto heist in HISTORY. $1.46B+ stolen (especially ETH) and still counting. That's 16% of ALL previous crypto hacks COMBINED. The Bybit hacker, North Korea's Lazarus Group behind Bybit's $1.4 billion hack, is now the 14th largest ETH holder in the world. They hold roughly 0.42% of total supply, more than Fidelity, Vitalik, and 2x +what the Ethereum Foundation holds Ethereum is toast. They can roll back the chain and destroy what is left of the decentralization claim or allow North Korean baad actors to keep $1.4B of ETH and unleash an eternal internal battle. Either way, it is terrible. https://x.com/Leishman/status/1892970132000866335 Now are ask yourself: If Coinbase got hacked and their Bitcoin was stolen, would Bitcoin's CEO consider rolling back the chain? ➡️New report finds Bitcoin mining: https://x.com/MARAHoldings/status/1893015821535879475 * brings $4.1 billion in annual U.S. gross product * creates 31,000 jobs * helps stabilize the grid On the 22nd of February: ➡️Montana's #Bitcoin Reserve Bill has died in the House. I fully agree with the following statement made by BitBuyer313 on X: "Unpopular fact. This bill is going to get shot down in every single state that it was proposed, and a Bitcoin strategic reserve is going to get shot down as well. In the case of an emergency, the US government is one EO 6102 away from a strategic reserve honeypot called Coinbase.' Not only Coinbase but also the ETFs and maybe even MSTR. On the 24th of February: ➡️Whales are buying Bitcoin in quantities never seen before. ➡️Strategy completes a $2 billion offering of convertible notes at 0% coupon and 35% premium so they can buy more Bitcoin. Meanwhile, Strategy has acquired 20,356 BTC for ~$1.99B at ~$97,514 per bitcoin and has achieved a Bitcoin Yield of 6.9% YTD 2025. As of 2/23/2025, we hodl 499,096 Bitcoin acquired for ~$33.1 billion at ~$66,357 per Bitcoin Strategy has now acquired 284,696 Bitcoin since the halving. That works out to 918 BTC per day since the halving. That is 2.04 times the daily issuance. Sjeezzzz ➡️Rezolve AI launches a $1B Bitcoin treasury program, starting with a $100M investment. ➡️'Citadel Securities to become Bitcoin and crypto liquidity provider for major exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, Crypto com, and others.' -Bitcoin Archive ➡️Germany's €370 BILLION Deka bank to launch Bitcoin and crypto trading+custody for institutions. ➡️Over $110,000,000,000 was wiped out from the crypto market in the past 24 hours. ➡️Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming all rejected bills for state Strategic Bitcoin Reserves over volatility concerns. There are still 19 US states with live Strategic Bitcoin Reserves! A total of 5 states; WY, PA, ND, MT & MS have dead bills. Joe Burnett: 'Unpopular opinion: Bitcoin’s volatility DOES make holding bitcoin risky in the short term, but the volatility is a function of its active monetization and 60% CAGR. Short-term swings don’t affect its long-term fundamentals or long-term performance.' ➡️Despite $38.6B flowing into Bitcoin ETFs since January 2024, only $17.5B (44%) appears to be from direct long-term investment, according to 10x Research. The remaining 56% likely involves arbitrage, where short Bitcoin futures are used to balance ETF inflows. ## 💸Traditional Finance / Macro: On the 13th of February: 👉🏽The S&P 500 surges toward 6100 despite rising inflation and trade war concerns, now 0.5% away from a new all-time high. ## 🏦Banks:  👉🏽Jamie Dimon just sold 33% of his J.P. Morgan stock on February 20th Co-CEO Troy Rohrbaugh also sold 20% yesterday. The 1% always knows when to bail. ## 🌎Macro/Geopolitics: On the 11th of February: 👉🏽CarlBMenger: 'The wait to withdraw Gold had increased from a few days to several weeks, Bank of England. Imagine securing your wealth in a bearer asset to avoid counterparty risk, only to stash it in another country and pray they let you withdraw it. Bitcoin fixes this stupidity.' (foto) If a 2% drawdown in Bank of England's gold reserves has caused a 6-week delay, it's safe to say 99% of the vault is empty. 👉🏽CPI 0.5% MoM, Exp. 0.3% CPI Core 0.4% MoM, Exp. 0.3% CPI 3.0% YoY, Exp. 2.9% CPI Core 3.3% YoY, Exp. 3.1% The Fed's worst nightmare just got worse. US CPI ran very hot in January. The headline inflation rate accelerated to 3% YoY from 2.9% in Dec, CPI increased 0.5% MoM, the biggest since Aug 2023. Core CPI rose to 3.3% YoY from 3.2%, higher than the consensus of +3.1%. Zerohedge: 'The bad news: CPI is just catching up to the reality which was being masked by the Biden admin. The good news: shelter CPI was the big driver, accounting for 30% of the headline increase, and lags by 12 months which means real inflation is far more modest.' On the 13th of February: 👉🏽The US budget deficit hit 6.4% in 2024, the biggest in history outside of major economic crises and wars. Over the next decade, the interest contribution is set to widen and there is nothing that will stop this train. Opt-out, study Bitcoin. 👉🏽In the past 12 months, America paid a record $1.167 trillion in interest on the federal debt; this is more than all US spending on Defense, Health, and Income Security, and only Social Security spending is bigger (for 3 years at which interest will surpass it) 👉🏽Reuters was paid millions of dollars by the US government for “large scale social deception”. That is literally what it says on the purchase order! Now we know why the left is in total panic mode. The walls are literally closing in on massive scams. 👉🏽ZeroHedge: 'Another day, another 346K oz of gold delivered to comex vaults, pushing the total to 36.5 million oz, of which the big 3 are now at a record 30 million oz.' On the 14th of February: 👉🏽 Ever since D.O.G.E. (Department of Governmental Examination) started sniffing around government agencies, something HILARIOUS has happened: WikiLeaks: Washington DC searches soar for "Swiss bank" (yellow), "offshore bank" (green), "wire money" (red) and "IBAN" (blue). (foto) Pretty damning, panic in DC, the cover-up is in full swing! Washington DC searches for "lawyer' have increased 400% (data from Google trends) 👉🏽The Chinese Property Market has seen a total loss of $18 Trillion over the past 3 years, surpassing the losses suffered by the U.S. during the Global Financial Crisis. 👉🏽'The US government spent a near-record $642 BILLION in January, $142 billion higher than last year. Over the last 12 months, government expenditures hit a whopping $7.1 TRILLION. By comparison, public expenses in 2019 were 32% lower, at $4.8 trillion. In just 10 years, federal government spending has DOUBLED. Government outlays have never been so large excluding the 2020 pandemic and 2021 recovery. Government spending is out of control.' -TKL 👉🏽In the last 72 hours JD Vance has told Europe - if it doesn't repeal the AI Act and Digital Services Act the US will outflank them - if it doesn't repeal the GDPR, the US will tariff them - if it keeps censoring its people, America will platform them Europe thought they could regulate the internet (AI), censor speech, and impose trade barriers without consequences. 'As a European, I’m outraged by Vance’s speech. Outraged that it took an American to say what no European bureaucrat dared to.' - Learn Latin (Twitter) Europe’s biggest problem isn’t just self-imposed tariffs or bureaucracy, it’s the illusion that regulation equals strength. While the U.S. plays to win, Europe debates rules that often handicap its own businesses. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Europe whatsoever, but I do think that it is shooting itself in her foot. Deregulation, lower taxes, Defense spending up, incentives for foreign direct investments and downsize red tape is more necessary than ever. Europe has a historical change of being in the game or becoming a pariah in the new global order. European leaders emphasize the superiority of the ‘European way and therefore I lean more to the 'becoming a pariah in the new global order' side. Unfortunately. 👉🏽Since DOGE began discussing mass layoffs, the median home price in Washington DC has FALLEN by -$139,000. In 30 days, nearly 4,000 homes have been listed for sale in and around Washington DC. Although I hate the shitcoinery by Milei, he has clearly shown that a free market is the only way out of poverty. That’s the exact opposite of socialism which is the best proven way into poverty for all. [](https://i.ibb.co/nMRXystB/Gj5-Kyg-HWw-AAA7td.jpg) Poverty in Argentina fell to 33.5% in January 2025, according to UTDT. As inflation falls and wages rise, poverty rates in the country are falling sharply again. 👉🏽Meloni announces that Italy supports yesterday’s proposal by Ursula von der Leyen to remove military spending from the 3% deficit limit EU countries have. It will allow Italy to quickly rearm and use its large defense industry to the fullest. EU plans a €700 billion weapons package to arm Europe. More debt… more eurozone inflation. On the 16th of February: 👉🏽DOGE next target - Fort Knox Gold Reserve! The US gold reserves - last "audited" in 1974 - remain shrouded in secrecy. Elon Musk's recent query sheds light on decades of opacity! It’s time for a full accounting of OUR Gold at Fort Knox. 'Theoretically, there's over 8k metric tons or roughly 250 million Troy Ounces. At today's spot price of over $2,800/oz is  $700 billion. The DC Swamp creatures have likely dipped deeply into that cookie jar.' - Diver Dan On the 17th of February: 👉🏽The Reserve Bank of Australia confirmed the existence of fake Gold bars being held at the Bank of England. Don’t trust, verify. Bitcoin is audited every 10 minutes. 👉🏽41% of all the full-time jobs created during the Biden administration were government employees. 👉🏽Gold prices are now officially up +50% over the last 14 months and made ANOTHER all-time high. Gold's market cap just hit $20 TRILLION for the first time in history. 'After 45 years, Gold has finally reached a new all-time high in inflation-adjusted terms. Patience is key and most HODLers are dead by now.' - CarlBMenger On the 18th of February: 👉🏽The Treasury Access Symbol, an identification code for payments in the US Treasury system, was an "optional" field. As a result, DOGE is unable to trace $4.7 TRILLION worth of US Treasury payments. That's ~2.6 TIMES the 2024 US deficit.. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/doge-finds-47-trillion-virtually-untraceable-treasury-payments 👉🏽'US inflation materially accelerated in January: Supercore inflation jumped 4.0% year-over-year in January. However, the 3-month annualized rate and the 6-month annualized rate jumped to 4.7% and 5.3%, respectively. The 1-month rate annualized would put inflation at 9.5%, the second-highest since 2022. Overall, Supercore inflation has been now above the Fed’s 2% target for 4.5 years. The fight against inflation has entered a new era.' - TKL On the 21st of February: 👉🏽China just cranked up the money printer to max speed (M1 Money Supply). Other CBs will follow suit. (foto) [](https://i.ibb.co/q3t58CqS/Gk-Rh-Bn-ZWk-AA4-IAV.jpg) 'China's M1 money supply jumped from $67T in Dec 2024 to $112T in Jan 2025 because they changed how M1 is calculated. Notice the rapid decline in M1 in 2024. The only reason you'd do this is to mask liquidity injections you're using to fend off a deflationary debt spiral.' 👉🏽The ECB has recorded the biggest loss in its 25-year history. (foto) The European Central Bank (ECB) has reported a record loss of €7.9 billion for the year 2024, surpassing the previous year's loss of €1.3 billion. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.pr250220~eca25e4e21.en.html 👉🏽Japan’s inflation rate rises to 4.0%, its highest since January 2023. - the US (3.0%) - the UK (3.7%) - the Eurozone (2.5%) - China (0.5%) Yet, the policy rate of the Bank of Japan stands at 0.5%. On the 24th of February: 👉🏽'US CPI inflation is on track to hit 4.6% over the next 6 months, according to Bank of America. CPI inflation has averaged +0.4% on a month-over-month basis over the last 3 months. If this trend continues, this puts year-over-year inflation on pace to hit 4.6% by July, the highest since April 2023. That would be more than DOUBLE the Fed’s 2% inflation target. Even if monthly inflation prints ease to 0.3%, year-over-year inflation would still rise to 3.8%. Inflation is accelerating.' - TKL ## 🎁If you have made it this far I would like to give you a little gift: What Bitcoin Did: THE MONEY PRINTER IS COMING with James Lavish. They discuss: - Global liquidity - The Fed caught lying - QE is coming - DOGE - Bitcoin in 2025 https://youtu.be/uhQnDNWMNew Credit: I have used multiple sources! My savings account: Bitcoin The tool I recommend for setting up a Bitcoin savings plan: PocketBitcoin especially suited for beginners or people who want to invest in Bitcoin with an automated investment plan once a week or monthly. Use the code SE3997 Get your Bitcoin out of exchanges. Save them on a hardware wallet, run your own node...be your own bank. Not your keys, not your coins. It's that simple. ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Do you think this post is helpful to you? If so, please share it and support my work with a zap. ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ⭐ Many thanks⭐ Felipe - Bitcoin Friday! ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

# Election Authority (EA) Platform ## 1.1 EA Administration Interface (Web-Based) - **Purpose**: Gives authorized personnel (e.g., election officials) a user-friendly way to administer the election. - **Key Tasks**: 1. **Voter Registration Oversight**: Mark which voters have proven their identity (via in-person KYC or some legal process). 2. **Blind Signature Issuance**: Approve or deny blind signature requests from registered voters (each corresponding to one ephemeral key). 3. **Tracking Voter Slots**: Keep a minimal registry of who is allowed one ephemeral key signature, and mark it “used” once a signature is issued. 4. **Election Configuration**: Set start/end times, provide encryption parameters (public keys), manage threshold cryptography setup. 5. **Monitor Tallying**: After the election, collaborate with trustees to decrypt final results and release them. ## 1.2 EA Backend Services - **Blind Signature Service**: - An API endpoint or internal module that receives a *blinded ephemeral key* from a voter, checks if they are authorized (one signature per voter), and returns the blind-signed result. - Typically requires secure storage of the EA’s **blind signing private key**. - **Voter Roll Database**: - Stores minimal info: “Voter #12345 is authorized to request one ephemeral key signature,” plus status flags. - Does **not** store ephemeral keys themselves (to preserve anonymity). - **(Optional) Mix-Net or Homomorphic Tally Service**: - Coordinates with trustees for threshold decryption or re-encryption. - Alternatively, a separate “Tally Authority” service can handle this. --- # 2. Auditor Interface ## 2.1 Auditor Web-Based Portal - **Purpose**: Allows independent auditors (or the public) to: 1. **Fetch All Ballots** from the relays (or from an aggregator). 2. **Verify Proofs**: Check each ballot’s signature, blind signature from the EA, OTS proof, zero-knowledge proofs, etc. 3. **Check Double-Usage**: Confirm that each ephemeral key is used only once (or final re-vote is the only valid instance). 4. **Observe Tally Process**: Possibly see partial decryptions or shuffle steps, verify the final result matches the posted ballots. - **Key Tasks**: - Provide a **dashboard** showing the election’s real-time status or final results, after cryptographic verification. - Offer **open data** downloads so third parties can run independent checks. ## 2.2 (Optional) Trustee Dashboard - If the election uses threshold cryptography (multiple parties must decrypt), each **trustee** (candidate rep, official, etc.) might have an interface for: - Uploading partial decryption shares or re-encryption proofs. - Checking that other trustees did their steps correctly (zero-knowledge proofs for correct shuffling, etc.). --- # 3. Voter Application ## 3.1 Voter Client (Mobile App or Web Interface) - **Purpose**: The main tool voters use to participate—**before**, **during**, and **after** the election. - **Functionalities**: 1. **Registration Linking**: - Voter goes in-person to an election office or uses an online KYC process. - Voter obtains or confirms their **long-term (“KYC-bound”) key**. The client can store it securely (or the voter just logs in to a “voter account”). 2. **Ephemeral Key Generation**: - Create an ephemeral key pair (\(nsec_e, npub_e\)) locally. - Blind \(\npub_e\) and send it to the EA for signing. - Unblind the returned signature. - Store \(\npub_e\) + EA’s signature for use during voting. 3. **Ballot Composition**: - Display candidates/offices to the voter. - Let them select choices. - Possibly generate zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) behind the scenes to confirm “exactly one choice per race.” 4. **Encryption & OTS Timestamp**: - Encrypt the ballot under the election’s **public** (threshold) key or produce a format suitable for a mix-net. - Obtain an **OpenTimestamps** proof for the ballot’s hash. 5. **Publish Ballot**: - Sign the entire “timestamped ballot” with the ephemeral key. - Include the EA’s blind signature on \(\npub_e\). - Post to the Nostr relays (or any chosen decentralized channel). 6. **Re-Voting**: - If the user needs to change their vote, the client repeats the encryption + OTS step, publishes a new ballot with a strictly later OTS anchor. 7. **Verification**: - After the election, the voter can check that their final ballot is present in the tally set. ## 3.2 Local Storage / Security - The app must securely store: - **Ephemeral private key** (\(nsec_e\)) until voting is complete. - Potential backup/recovery mechanism if the phone is lost. - Blind signature from the EA on \(\npub_e\). - Potentially uses hardware security modules (HSM) or secure enclaves on the device. --- # 4. Nostr Relays (or Equivalent Decentralized Layer) - **Purpose**: Store and replicate voter-submitted ballots (events). - **Key Properties**: 1. **Redundancy**: Voters can post to multiple relays to mitigate censorship or downtime. 2. **Public Accessibility**: Auditors, the EA, and the public can fetch all events to verify or tally. 3. **Event Filtering**: By design, watchers can filter events with certain tags, e.g. “election: 2025 County Race,” ensuring they gather all ballots. --- # 5. Threshold Cryptography Setup ## 5.1 Multi-Seg (Multi-Party) Key Generation - **Participants**: Possibly the EA + major candidates + accredited observers. - **Process**: A **Distributed Key Generation (DKG)** protocol that yields a single **public** encryption key. - **Private Key Shares**: Each trustee holds a piece of the decryption key; no single party can decrypt alone. ## 5.2 Decryption / Tally Mechanism - **Homomorphic Approach**: 1. Ballots are *additively* encrypted. 2. Summation of ciphertexts is done publicly. 3. Trustees provide partial decryptions for the final sum. - **Mix-Net Approach**: 1. Ballots are collected. 2. Multiple servers shuffle and re-encrypt them (each trustee verifies correctness). 3. Final set is decrypted, but the link to each ephemeral key is lost. ## 5.3 Trustee Interfaces - **Separate or integrated into the auditor interface**—each trustee logs in and provides their partial key share for decrypting the final result. - Possibly combined with ZK proofs to confirm correct partial decryption or shuffling. --- # 6. OpenTimestamps (OTS) or External Time Anchor ## 6.1 Aggregator Service - **Purpose**: Receives a hash from the voter’s app, anchors it into a blockchain or alternative time-stamping system. - **Result**: Returns a proof object that can later be used by any auditor to confirm the time/block height at which the hash was included. ## 6.2 Verifier Interface - Could be part of the **auditor tool** or the **voter client**. - Checks that each ballot’s OTS proof is valid and references a block/time prior to the election’s closing. --- # 7. Registration Process (In-Person or Hybrid) 1. **Voter presents ID** physically at a polling station or a designated office (or an online KYC approach, if legally allowed). 2. **EA official**: - Confirms identity. - Links the voter to a “voter record” (Voter #12345). - Authorizes them for “1 ephemeral key blind-sign.” 3. **Voter obtains or logs into the voter client**: - The app or website might show “You are now cleared to request a blind signature from the EA.” - Voter later (or immediately) generates the ephemeral key and requests the blind signature. --- # 8. Putting It All Together (High-Level Flow) 1. **Key Setup** - The EA + trustees run a DKG to produce the **election public key**. 2. **Voter Registration** - Voter is validated (ID check). - Marked as eligible in the EA database. 3. **Blind-Signed Ephemeral Key** - Voter’s client generates a key, blinds \(\npub_e\), obtains EA’s signature, unblinds. 4. **Voting** 1. Voter composes ballot, encrypts with the election public key. 2. Gets OTS proof for the ballot hash. 3. Voter’s ephemeral key signs the entire package (including EA’s signature on \(\npub_e\)). 4. Publishes to Nostr. 5. **Re-Voting** (Optional) - Same ephemeral key, new OTS timestamp. - Final ballot is whichever has the latest valid timestamp before closing. 6. **Close of Election & Tally** 1. EA announces closing. 2. Tally software (admin + auditors) collects ballots from Nostr, discards invalid duplicates. 3. Threshold decryption or mix-net to reveal final counts. 4. Publish final results and let auditors verify everything. --- # 9. Summary of Major Components Below is a succinct list: 1. **EA Admin Platform** - Web UI for officials (registration, blind signature issuing, final tally management). - Backend DB for voter records & authorized ephemeral keys. 2. **Auditor/Trustee Platforms** - Web interface for verifying ballots, partial decryption, and final results. 3. **Voter Application (Mobile / Web)** - Generating ephemeral keys, getting blind-signed, casting encrypted ballots, re-voting, verifying included ballots. 4. **Nostr Relays (Decentralized Storage)** - Where ballots (events) are published, replicated, and fetched for final tally. 5. **Threshold Cryptography System** - Multi-party DKG for the election key. - Protocols or services for partial decryption, mix-net, or homomorphic summation. 6. **OpenTimestamps Aggregator** - Service that returns a blockchain-anchored timestamp proof for each ballot’s hash. ## Additional Implementation Considerations - **Security Hardening**: - Using hardware security modules (HSM) for the EA’s blind-signing key, for trustee shares, etc. - **Scalability**: - Handling large numbers of concurrent voters, large data flows to relays. - **User Experience**: - Minimizing cryptographic complexity for non-technical voters. - **Legal and Procedural**: - Compliance with local laws for in-person ID checks, mandatory paper backups (if any), etc. --- ## Final Note While each **functional block** can be designed and deployed independently (e.g., multiple aggregator services, multiple relays, separate tally servers), the **key** to a successful system is **interoperability** and **careful orchestration** of these components—ensuring strong security, a straightforward voter experience, and transparent auditing. nostr:naddr1qqxnzde5xq6nzv348yunvv35qy28wue69uhnzv3h9cczuvpwxyargwpk8yhsygxpax4n544z4dk2f04lgn4xfvha5s9vvvg73p46s66x2gtfedttgvpsgqqqw4rs0rcnsu

@ 712d0fec:3e5d56c8

**Autor:** [Pablito.eth](https://x.com/PabloSabbatella) **Tweet Original:** [Ver Tweet](https://x.com/PabloSabbatella/status/1893752288201863200) ## Se Recomienda Leer el Tweet Original Aunque este artículo proporciona un resumen de los consejos de Pablito.eth, se recomienda encarecidamente leer el tweet original para obtener todos los detalles directamente del autor. El tweet contiene matices y ejemplos que pueden complementar la información presentada aquí ## Introducción En un mundo donde nuestros dispositivos móviles contienen tanta información personal y sensible, perder un celular puede ser un verdadero dolor de cabeza. El incidente reciente de Pablito.eth en Palermo nos ofrece enseñanzas valiosas sobre cómo estar preparados para este desafortunado escenario. Aquí te comparto un resumen y análisis de sus recomendaciones. ## Resumen del Tweet Pablo expuso los siguientes puntos para proteger tu celular en caso de robo o perdida: 1. **Activar la Protección contra Robo:** - Usa "Theft protection" en **Android** o "Stolen device protection" en **iOS**. 2. **Seguridad del SIM:** - Pon un PIN al chip de la SIM para evitar su uso no autorizado. - Si tienes la tarjeta original, guarda el código PUK para emergencias. 3. **Localización del Dispositivo:** - Activa "Find my device" o "Find my Android" para localizar el celular. - Comparte tu ubicación en tiempo real con alguien de confianza. 4. **Bloqueo de Aplicaciones:** - Usa PIN, huella digital o FaceID en apps con información sensible: bancos, fintechs, crypto, email, fotos, mensajerías, etc. 5. **Revisión de Seguridad:** - Revisa qué información puede acceder un criminal sin biometría. Elimina o protege datos sensibles. 6. **Gestión de Aplicaciones:** - Desinstala apps que no uses diariamente para reducir riesgos. 7. **Copia de Seguridad:** - Duplica tu celular en un dispositivo viejo y guárdalo de forma segura, con batería y apagado. 8. **Protección para Mensajería:** - Aplica FaceID o huella digital para abrir WhatsApp y Telegram cada vez. 9. **Número de Recuperación:** - Evita usar tu número de celular como número de recuperación para cuentas. 10. **Listados de Emergencia:** - Crea un documento con números de teléfono importantes para bloquear el chip, bancos, etc. ## Citas Pablito.eth enfatizó: *"Gracias a que estaba preparado para este escenario, no pudieron hacer absolutamente nada con el mismo (ni formatearlo). Van un par de recomendaciones simples que les evitarán un dolor de cabeza si algún día les sucede."* *"Estos puntos a tener en cuenta son los más básicos pero les van a permitir estar un 95% seguros."* ## Conclusión La experiencia de Pablito.eth nos recuerda que tomar medidas preventivas puede ahorrarnos muchos problemas si nuestro celular llega a caer en las manos equivocadas. Implementar estas estrategias no solo protege nuestra información sino que también disuade a los potenciales ladrones de acceder a nuestros datos personales. ## Referencias y Créditos Puedes seguir a [Pablito.eth](https://x.com/PabloSabbatella) en Twitter para más consejos y experiencias sobre seguridad informática.

@ 67403b2c:27b48c7a

## The inconvenient truth about success that productivity gurus don't want you to know "Just work harder." If you're like me, you've heard this advice hundreds of times. It's plastered across LinkedIn posts, echoed in graduation speeches, and whispered in performance reviews. But here's what nobody tells you: it might be the most damaging piece of career advice ever given. ## The Religion of Hard Work From an early age, we're indoctrinated into what I call "the religion of hard work." Its commandments are simple: - Thou shalt hustle 24/7 - Thou shalt glorify the grind - Thou shalt feel guilty about rest We worship at the altar of productivity porn, sharing stories of self-made millionaires and pioneering entrepreneurs who "made it" through sheer force of will. The gospel is clear: work harder than everyone else, and success will follow. But here's the inconvenient truth: it's mostly fiction. ## The Data Tells a Different Story Let's look at what research actually shows: - A 2022 study found that socioeconomic background was *twice* as predictive of career advancement as work ethic - 77% of professionals report burnout at their current jobs - Productivity *plummets* after 50 hours of work per week - Working longer hours directly correlates with increased rates of depression and anxiety Think about that for a second. We're killing ourselves for a promise that data shows isn't even true. ## The Real Success Stories Nobody Talks About The tech industry—my world for the past decade—provides the perfect case study. For every "overnight success" story about a founder who worked 100-hour weeks, there are dozens of equally hard-working teams that failed. The difference? Usually not effort, but timing, connections, or plain old luck. Remember Friendster? They worked just as hard as Facebook. MySpace? They grinded just like Twitter. The difference wasn't effort—it was everything else. ## The Nordic Model: Working Less, Achieving More Here's what really bakes my noodle: the countries with the shortest working hours often have the highest productivity and happiness levels. Take Denmark and Norway: - Shorter workweeks - More vacation time - Higher productivity per hour - Consistently ranked among the world's happiest nations They've cracked the code that we're still trying to figure out: working smarter beats working harder. ## A Better Way Forward Instead of measuring success in hours worked or sacrifices made, what if we measured it in: - Mental health preserved - Relationships strengthened - Creative projects completed - Life experiences gained Companies like Buffer and Basecamp aren't just experimenting with this approach—they're proving it works. Their four-day workweeks and "calm company" philosophies haven't hurt their bottom lines; they've helped them. ## The Real Revolution The next time someone tells you to "just work harder," remember this: hard work has its place, but it's just one ingredient in a complex recipe. The real revolution isn't in grinding ourselves down—it's in building a life where success doesn't require sacrifice. Because maybe, just maybe, the smartest thing we can do is stop working so hard at working hard. --- *If this resonated with you, hit the subscribe button below. I write weekly about rethinking traditional career advice and finding better ways to define and achieve success.*

@ 67403b2c:27b48c7a

The heat was relentless—a suffocating force that offered no refuge. Our world shrank to the confines of portable toilets and the fleeting mercy of a mobile shower truck. Even the simple dignity of clean clothes hung precariously on the whims of a laundry service that weaponized access as a form of control. We lived under the weight of an institutional facade, where arbitrary rules served not order but power. Minutes late to retrieve laundry? The facility would shut down for the day. Showers became bargaining chips, withdrawn for imagined infractions. The computer room, our sole sanctuary of climate control, stood as a cruel mirage—perpetually promised, perpetually denied. Only the Wi-Fi remained steadfast, a digital umbilical cord to the world beyond our suspended reality. In this liminal space between citizen and prisoner, I discovered an unexpected salvation in vulnerability. The act of opening up to my family about my circumstances didn't just halve the burden—it restored a piece of my humanity. Yet even now, with those days behind me, the memories trigger visceral responses that ripple through my body like aftershocks of trauma. The path to homelessness is a gradual unraveling. One moment, you're maintaining a precarious balance of employment and housing; the next, you're watching that fragile stability dissolve. The stress manifests physically—a constant companion that transforms into waves of terror and overwhelming dread. Even now, recounting these experiences summons that familiar tide of panic, threatening to pull me under. Survival mode rewires your priorities with brutal efficiency. When shelter becomes uncertain, the body's response is primal and absolute: - Communications fade to white noise - Basic needs become luxury items - The world contracts to a single imperative: find safety In these moments of acute crisis, even fundamental human needs—food, connection, dignity—become secondary concerns. Shelter becomes an obsession, sought in any form: a public restroom, a quiet corner, any space that offers temporary reprieve from exposure. The myth of multitasking crumbles when basic survival consumes every ounce of mental energy. Each day balances precariously on the edge of catastrophe, where the slightest disruption can trigger a cascade of survival responses. These aren't conscious choices but reflexive adaptations—often destructive, always necessary. Walking through society wearing the invisible marks of homelessness teaches you about humiliation, but also about resilience. There's something profoundly dehumanizing about having your existence reduced to pure survival, yet within that stripped-down reality, hope persists—stubborn and essential as a heartbeat. Every step forward becomes an act of reclaiming identity, even as worn clothes and weathered dignity remind you of the distance still to travel. This narrative transcends personal testimony—it illuminates how survival consciousness reshapes human experience. My coping mechanisms, however imperfect, represent more than individual strategies; they reflect the universal human drive to preserve dignity in the face of systematic degradation. Through this lens, physical deprivation and emotional trauma reveal a deeper truth: resilience isn't about thriving, but about maintaining our essential humanity when circumstances conspire to strip it away. # Garden of Modern Eden Every Sunday, Adon watched Elder Clark stand at the pulpit, his voice carrying across the congregation like thunder. The elder preached about strength, about what made a "real man"—always with those air quotes that made Adon's stomach turn. After service one morning, Adon overheard Clark counseling another young man. "Stand alone. That's what men do. We don't need help, we don't ask for it." The words felt like stones dropping into Adon's chest, each one heavier than the last. Adon thought about Steve waiting in their apartment, about the strength it took to be themselves in a world that seemed determined to deny their existence. He thought about Clark's daughter, who had transitioned years ago and now lived states away, sending only Christmas cards that were never acknowledged. "Funny," Adon whispered to himself as he walked home that day, "how some people trust G_d with everything except the beautiful diversity of His creation." He smiled, finally understanding that true strength wasn't in standing alone—it was in standing proudly as the person you were meant to be, even when others refused to see you. his voice carrying across the congregation like thunder. The elder preached about strength, about what made a "real man"—always with those air quotes that made Adon's stomach turn. After service one morning, Adon overheard Clark counseling another young man. "Stand alone. That's what men do. We don't need help, we don't ask for it." The words felt like stones dropping into Adon's chest, each one heavier than the last. Adon thought about Steve waiting in their apartment, about the strength it took to be themselves in a world that seemed determined to deny their existence. He thought about Clark's daughter, who had transitioned years ago and now lived states away, sending only Christmas cards that were never acknowledged. "Funny," Adon whispered to himself as he walked home that day, "how some people trust G_d with everything except the beautiful diversity of His creation." He smiled, finally understanding that true strength wasn't in standing alone—it was in standing proudly as the person you were meant to be, even when others refused to see you.  --- Love what you see? Support my work! ☕ Your coffee donations help fuel new content and keep this project going. I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback too! 👉 [Buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/adontai](https://buymeacoffee.com/adontai)

@ 4c96d763:80c3ee30

# Changes ## Daniel D’Aquino (8): - Add release process issue template - Reduce swipe sensitivity on thread chat view - Fix issue where a NWC connection would not work unless restarting the app - Implement developer feature to avoid distractions - Fix issue where a NWC connection would not work unless restarting the app - Fix issue where note persisted after note publication - Add development and testing tips - Improve open action handling for notifications ## Terry Yiu (6): - Export strings for translation - Remove preview strings from translation and add missing period to duplicate string to avoid double translation - Trim whitespaces from Lightning addresses - Fix reposts banner to be localizable - Add Conversations tab to profiles - Remove mystery tabs meant to fix tab switching bug that no longer exists ## Transifex (23): - Translate Localizable.strings in pt_PT - Translate Localizable.strings in pt_PT - Translate Localizable.strings in pt_PT - Translate Localizable.strings in pt_PT - Translate Localizable.strings in pt_PT - Translate Localizable.stringsdict in th - Translate Localizable.strings in th - Translate Localizable.strings in th - Translate Localizable.strings in th - Translate Localizable.strings in th - Translate Localizable.strings in th - Translate InfoPlist.strings in nl - Translate InfoPlist.strings in nl - Translate Localizable.strings in nl - Translate Localizable.strings in de - Translate InfoPlist.strings in de - Translate Localizable.strings in de - Translate InfoPlist.strings in ja - Translate InfoPlist.strings in th - Translate Localizable.strings in th - Translate Localizable.strings in pl_PL - Translate InfoPlist.strings in pl_PL - Translate InfoPlist.strings in pl_PL ## William Casarin (2): - Revert "Update EventMenu.swift" - prs: ensure PR always have a linked issue ## alltheseas (1): - Update EventMenu.swift pushed to [damus:refs/heads/master](http://git.jb55.com/damus/commit/935a6cae7a199871f06e42190919844c87266a1b.html)