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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-03-13 19:39:28
In much of the world, it is incredibly difficult to access U.S. dollars. Local currencies are often poorly managed and riddled with corruption. Billions of people demand a more reliable alternative. While the dollar has its own issues of corruption and mismanagement, it is widely regarded as superior to the fiat currencies it competes with globally. As a result, Tether has found massive success providing low cost, low friction access to dollars. Tether claims 400 million total users, is on track to add 200 million more this year, processes 8.1 million transactions daily, and facilitates $29 billion in daily transfers. Furthermore, their estimates suggest nearly 40% of users rely on it as a savings tool rather than just a transactional currency.
Tether’s rise has made the company a financial juggernaut. Last year alone, Tether raked in over $13 billion in profit, with a lean team of less than 100 employees. Their business model is elegantly simple: hold U.S. Treasuries and collect the interest. With over $113 billion in Treasuries, Tether has turned a straightforward concept into a profit machine.
Tether’s success has resulted in many competitors eager to claim a piece of the pie. This has triggered a massive venture capital grift cycle in USD tokens, with countless projects vying to dethrone Tether. Due to Tether’s entrenched network effect, these challengers face an uphill battle with little realistic chance of success. Most educated participants in the space likely recognize this reality but seem content to perpetuate the grift, hoping to cash out by dumping their equity positions on unsuspecting buyers before they realize the reality of the situation.
Historically, Tether’s greatest vulnerability has been U.S. government intervention. For over a decade, the company operated offshore with few allies in the U.S. establishment, making it a major target for regulatory action. That dynamic has shifted recently and Tether has seized the opportunity. By actively courting U.S. government support, Tether has fortified their position. This strategic move will likely cement their status as the dominant USD token for years to come.
While undeniably a great tool for the millions of users that rely on it, Tether is not without flaws. As a centralized, trusted third party, it holds the power to freeze or seize funds at its discretion. Corporate mismanagement or deliberate malpractice could also lead to massive losses at scale. In their goal of mitigating regulatory risk, Tether has deepened ties with law enforcement, mirroring some of the concerns of potential central bank digital currencies. In practice, Tether operates as a corporate CBDC alternative, collaborating with authorities to surveil and seize funds. The company proudly touts partnerships with leading surveillance firms and its own data reveals cooperation in over 1,000 law enforcement cases, with more than $2.5 billion in funds frozen.
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The global demand for Tether is undeniable and the company’s profitability reflects its unrivaled success. Tether is owned and operated by bitcoiners and will likely continue to push forward strategic goals that help the movement as a whole. Recent efforts to mitigate the threat of U.S. government enforcement will likely solidify their network effect and stifle meaningful adoption of rival USD tokens or CBDCs. Yet, for all their achievements, Tether is simply a worse form of money than bitcoin. Tether requires trust in a centralized entity, while bitcoin can be saved or spent without permission. Furthermore, Tether is tied to the value of the US Dollar which is designed to lose purchasing power over time, while bitcoin, as a truly scarce asset, is designed to increase in purchasing power with adoption. As people awaken to the risks of Tether’s control, and the benefits bitcoin provides, bitcoin adoption will likely surpass it.
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@ 1d7ff02a:d042b5be
2025-03-13 03:19:49
# Dr. Jack Kruse on Artificial Light, Sunlight, and Health: Podcast Summary
*A comprehensive breakdown of Dr. Jack Kruse's perspectives on how light affects our health and wellbeing as discussed on the Breath Podcast*
## Introduction
In this fascinating podcast, Dr. Jack Kruse shares his controversial and thought-provoking perspectives on how artificial light impacts our health, why sunlight is crucial for wellbeing, and how our modern lifestyle may be fundamentally misaligned with our biology. Below is a summary of the key points discussed.
**Watch the full interview here: [Dr. Jack Kruse on The Breath Podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luMHcGTAhA8)**
## Key Ideas on Artificial Light
1. **Artificial Light Fundamentally Disrupts Natural Systems**
- The sun is an external source of energy and information that all life on Earth has evolved to connect with
- Artificial light, especially blue light, disrupts our natural biological processes
- Blue light specifically alters two key chemicals: dopamine and melatonin
- Blue light destroys melatonin production in mitochondria, which is essential for cellular recycling and repair
2. **Blue Light and Control**
- Blue light has been deliberately chosen for screens and devices because it's "easier to govern people" who are affected by it
- Blue light technology creates addiction and steals people's time
- Dr. Kruse claims DARPA transferred patents to tech companies like Google and Meta that are used in most tech devices
3. **Blue Light Reception**
- Since 2017, research shows blue light detectors are present not just in our eyes but throughout our skin, fat, and arteries
- Blue light blocking glasses only protect the eyes, not the rest of the body
- Blue blockers should block light from 400-550 nanometers to be effective
4. **Government Policy and Lighting**
- Dr. Kruse mentions the banning of incandescent bulbs (which contain more red and purple light) as problematic
- Modern replacement lights lack the beneficial purple and red light frequencies that he believes are essential for health
## Natural Light and Health
1. **Light Stability and Geographic Location**
- People living at higher latitudes (further from the equator) face "light instability" problems
- Living closer to the equator provides more consistent daily light/dark cycles
- Cruz recommends people at high latitudes see the sunrise every day and embrace cold
2. **Nighttime Light Practices**
- For those at high latitudes: turn off all lights when the sun sets
- Candles are preferable to artificial lighting, including red light
- The constant light cycle at equatorial latitudes (like El Salvador) creates a natural rhythm
3. **Sunlight and Sex Hormones**
- UV light affects sex steroid hormones
- Lack of UV light exposure can contribute to hormonal issues
- Light exposure regulates cortisol, which controls waking cycles
4. **Disease Patterns and Light**
- Cruz connects geographic latitude with disease patterns (e.g., higher MS rates at higher latitudes)
- He suggests relocating to lower latitudes could help with certain conditions
- The quality of decisions made is linked to optimized dopamine and melatonin, which require proper light exposure
## Vitamin D and Sunlight
1. **Vitamin D Supplements vs. Sunlight**
- Cruz strongly advises against vitamin D supplements
- Vitamin D pills are soaked in seed oils, while natural vitamin D from sunlight is made from cholesterol in skin
- Vitamin D supplements can raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol
- Supplements can affect people with darker skin worse than those with lighter skin
- Instead of supplements, he recommends proper sun exposure or specialized lighting
2. **Building Solar Callus**
- Developing a "solar callus" allows better sun tolerance without burning
- Preconditioning with infrared light (600-1000nm) helps protect skin from UV
- Melanin is the body's natural sunscreen
- Sunscreens, sunglasses, and sun-avoidance decrease natural melanin production
- Cruz recommends against sunscreen, sunglasses, and sun-blocking products
## Grounding/Earthing
1. **Connection to Earth**
- Grounding connects humans to the Earth's electrons
- The sun (cathode) hitting Earth (anode) creates free electrons on the surface
- Humans have sweat glands on hands and feet to improve this connection
2. **Grounding Practices**
- Avoid grounding sheets that plug into electrical outlets
- Use copper wires connected to ground outside instead
- Be cautious about grounding in cities due to electromagnetic pollution
- Cruz recommends grounding directly on grass or in natural water
3. **Health Effects of Grounding**
- Grounding provides free electrons without eating food
- Sickness represents positive charge; health represents negative charge
- Cold water has more electrons than warm water (reason for cold exposure benefits)
- Grounding improves respiratory efficiency and oxygen utilization
## Other Health Recommendations
1. **EMF Protection**
- Cautions against relying on EMF blockers and Faraday cages as primary solutions
- These are band-aids for a bigger problem (living in high-EMF environments)
- Better to relocate to lower-EMF areas when possible
2. **Saunas**
- Avoid electric saunas due to EMF concerns
- Recommends traditional saunas using water, heat, and fire
- Sauna is essentially "near infrared therapy"
- Suggests geothermal heating as ideal
3. **Decentralized Living**
- Advocates for sovereignty in medicine, money, and lifestyle
- Recommends disconnecting from centralized systems and reconnecting with nature
- Suggests investing in natural environments and resources that support health
- Emphasizes making health decisions based on natural principles rather than mainstream medical advice
## Core Message
Dr. Kruse's fundamental philosophy is that optimal health comes from living in alignment with natural light cycles and Earth's electromagnetic properties. He views modern technological environments as fundamentally at odds with human biology and advocates for "decentralized" approaches to health that prioritize natural light, grounding, and geographic location over conventional medical interventions.
## Conclusion
While Dr. Kruse's perspectives may be considered controversial by some in the mainstream medical community, they offer an intriguing alternative view on health optimization through environmental factors. His emphasis on the importance of natural light, geographic location, and connection to the Earth presents a holistic approach that challenges conventional thinking about health and wellness.
Whether you agree with all his theories or not, his ideas invite us to reconsider our relationship with technology, artificial light, and our natural environment.
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*Disclaimer: This blog post summarizes Dr. Jack Kruse's views as expressed in the podcast and does not constitute medical advice. Readers should consult with healthcare professionals before making significant changes to their health routines.*
*Source: This summary is based on Dr. Jack Kruse's appearance on The Breath Podcast. [Watch the full interview here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=your-video-id-here).*
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@ 9dd283b1:cf9b6beb
2025-03-12 09:46:45
My Raspberry Pi 4 (running Umbrel) has been disconnecting approximately once a month, and my 1TB SSD now has only 80GB of space remaining. I'm considering an upgrade—possibly moving to a Pi 5 with a 2TB drive—but I'm open to any suggestions for a better setup within a similar budget. Any recommendations?
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/911133