@ 6c05c73e:c4356f17

Assim como a grande maioria dos brasileiros, eu não comecei um negócio porque "queria empreender". Muito pelo contrário, eu precisava para poder pagar as contas e manter o básico.

Então, vamos explorar essa pequena história e ver onde chegamos hoje.

Festas, Open Bar e Camisas

Meu primeiro negócio foi, na verdade, um combo. Eu tinha saído do último emprego e gostava muito de festas. Então, comecei a organizar uma festa mensalmente na casa do meu pai. Eu pagava a água, a energia e dava uma grana para ele. Em troca, organizava festas de sábado para domingo com open bar.

A fórmula era simples: criava um evento da festa no Facebook, convidava todo mundo que eu conhecia, panfletava na cidade e espalhava cartazes nos pontos de ônibus sobre a festa. E, para fechar com chave de ouro, mulher era VIP até as 20h. Consequência? Os caras vinham e pagavam o ingresso deles e o delas. Kkkkk. E a festa sempre lotava!

Comecei a notar que a galera se vestia mal. E pensei: "Por que não vestir eles?".

Pimba! Comecei a desenhar e confeccionar camisas para vender nas festas. E, pimba de novo! Vendeu tudo! Fiz duas coleções e mais algumas festas, até o dia em que um menino deu PT de tanto beber e decidi que era hora de tentar outra coisa.

Como Assim, a Apple Não Vai Mais Vender os Carregadores?

Isso foi durante a pandemia. A Apple decidiu vender o telefone e o cabo, e "que você se vire com a fonte". Estava difícil achar dinheiro no mercado naqueles tempos, e eu pensei: "Vou pesquisar no Google Trends e validar a ideia". Bingo! Tinha mais de 80 pontos de busca. Fui correndo para São Paulo, no Brás, e comprei, literalmente, todo o meu dinheiro em cabo de iPhone, carregador e bateria portátil.

Fiquei com R$ 100 na conta, só para fazer um lanche e pagar o Uber para voltar para casa. Chegando aqui, tirei fotos e fiz várias copys. Anunciei no OLX, Mercado Livre e Facebook. Impulsionei os anúncios no OLX, vendi para familiares e amigos, e vendia até para quem estava na rua. Fiz entrega de bike, a pé, de ônibus, e é isso mesmo, tem que ralar! Para queimar o resto da mercadoria, deixei em consignado em uma loja de eletrônicos. E, hora da próxima ideia.

Mulheres, Doces e TPM

Meu penúltimo negócio veio depois dos cabos. Eu pesquisei na internet negócios online para começar com pouca grana. (Depois que paguei as contas do dia a dia, sobraram R$ 3 mil). E achei uma pesquisa mostrando que doces tinham baixa barreira de entrada e exigiam poucos equipamentos. Eu trabalhei em restaurante por muitos anos e sabia como lucrar com aquilo. Além disso, mulheres consomem mais doce em uma certa época do mês.

Não deu outra, convidei duas pessoas para serem sócias. Desenvolvemos os produtos, fotografamos e fizemos as copys. Em seguida, precisávamos vender. Então, lá vamos nós de novo: iFood, WhatsApp, 99Food (na época), Uber Eats (na época), Elo7, famílias e amigos e, por fim, começamos a vender consignado em alguns restaurantes e lojas.

Foi uma época em que aprendi a prospectar clientes de todas as maneiras possíveis. De novo, minha maior dificuldade era a locomoção para fazer as entregas. Só tinha uma bike, mas entregávamos. Os primeiros três meses foram difíceis demais, mas rolou. No fim, nossas maiores vendas vinham do iFood, encomendas de festas e consignados.

Mas, como nem tudo são flores, meus dois sócios tomaram outros caminhos e abandonaram o projeto. Galera, está tudo bem com isso. Isso acontece o tempo todo. A vida muda e temos que aprender a aceitar isso. Vida que segue, fui para frente de novo.

Sobre Paixões, Paciência e Acreditar

Estava eu comemorando meu aniversário de 30 anos, num misto de realizações e pouca realização. Como assim? Sabe quando você faz um monte de coisas, mas ainda assim não sente que é aquilo? Pois então... Eu amo investimentos, livros, escrever e sempre curti trocar ideia com amigos e família sobre como se desenvolver.

Desde que comecei a usar a internet, eu criei: canal no YouTube, páginas no Instagram e Facebook, Pinterest, Steemit, blog e até canal no Telegram. Mas nunca tinha sido consistente, sabe? Tipo assim, vou fazer isso por um ano e plantar 100 sementes aqui. Enfim, inconsistência te derruba, meu amigo...

Eu voltei a trabalhar com restaurantes e estava doido para mudar de área. Estava exausto de trabalhar e meu WhatsApp não parava de tocar. Fui estudar ADM e Desenvolvimento de Sistemas no Senac. Dois anos depois, me formei, consegui um trabalho e comecei a pensar em como criar um negócio online, escalável e multilíngue.

Passei os próximos sete meses desenhando e pensando como. Mas tinha que dar o primeiro passo. Criei um site e fui escrevendo textos. Os primeiros 30 foram "aquilo", os próximos 10 melhoraram muito e os 10 seguintes me deixaram bem satisfeito. Hoje, tenho o negócio que estava na minha cabeça desde 2023. Mas olha o tamanho da volta que o universo me fez dar e aprender para chegar aqui hoje! Dicas? Só 3:

• Continua, lá na frente tudo vai fazer sentido.
• Presta mais atenção ao que a sua voz interior diz (intuição).
• Confia em si mesmo e faz sem medo de errar. Porque, adivinha? Você vai errar! Mas vai aprender e melhorar. Tem que persistir...

Só para simplificar, meu negócio é um blog com AdSense (parece arcaico, mas funciona). Por hoje é isso. E, se quiserem trocar ideias e se conectar, tamo junto!

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• The latest firmware updates for COLDCARD devices introduce two major features: COLDCARD Co-sign (CCC) and Key Teleport between two COLDCARD Q devices using QR codes and/or NFC with a website.

What's new

• COLDCARD Co-Sign: When CCC is enabled, a second seed called the Spending Policy Key (Key C) is added to the device. This seed works with the device's Main Seed and one or more additional XPUBs (Backup Keys) to form 2-of-N multisig wallets.
  • The spending policy functions like a hardware security module (HSM), enforcing rules such as magnitude and velocity limits, address whitelisting, and 2FA authentication to protect funds while maintaining flexibility and control, and is enforced each time the Spending Policy Key is used for signing.
  • When spending conditions are met, the COLDCARD signs the partially signed bitcoin transaction (PSBT) with the Main Seed and Spending Policy Key for fund access. Once configured, the Spending Policy Key is required to view or change the policy, and violations are denied without explanation.

"You can override the spending policy at any time by signing with either a Backup Key and the Main Seed or two Backup Keys, depending on the number of keys (N) in the multisig."

• A step-by-step guide for setting up CCC is available here.

• Key Teleport for Q devices allows users to securely transfer sensitive data such as seed phrases (words, xprv), secure notes and passwords, and PSBTs for multisig. It uses QR codes or NFC, along with a helper website, to ensure reliable transmission, keeping your sensitive data protected throughout the process.

  • For more technical details, see the protocol spec.

"After you sign a multisig PSBT, you have option to “Key Teleport” the PSBT file to any one of the other signers in the wallet. We already have a shared pubkey with them, so the process is simple and does not require any action on their part in advance. Plus, starting in this firmware release, COLDCARD can finalize multisig transactions, so the last signer can publish the signed transaction via PushTX (NFC tap) to get it on the blockchain directly."

• Multisig transactions are finalized when sufficiently signed. It streamlines the use of PushTX with multisig wallets.
• Signing artifacts re-export to various media. Users are now provided with the capability to export signing products, like transactions or PSBTs, to alternative media rather than the original source. For example, if a PSBT is received through a QR code, it can be signed and saved onto an SD card if needed.
• Multisig export files are signed now. Public keys are encoded as P2PKH address for all multisg signature exports. Learn more about it here.
• NFC export usability upgrade: NFC keeps exporting until CANCEL/X is pressed.
• Added Bitcoin Safe option to Export Wallet.
• 10% performance improvement in USB upload speed for large files.
• Q: Always choose the biggest possible display size for QR.

Fixes

• Do not allow change Main PIN to same value already used as Trick PIN, even if Trick PIN is hidden.
• Fix stuck progress bar under Receiving... after a USB communications failure.
• Showing derivation path in Address Explorer for root key (m) showed double slash (//).
• Can restore developer backup with custom password other than 12 words format.
• Virtual Disk auto mode ignores already signed PSBTs (with “-signed” in file name).
• Virtual Disk auto mode stuck on “Reading…” screen sometimes.
• Finalization of foreign inputs from partial signatures. Thanks Christian Uebber!
• Temporary seed from COLDCARD backup failed to load stored multisig wallets.
• Destroy Seed also removes all Trick PINs from SE2.
• Lock Down Seed requires pressing confirm key (4) to execute.
• Q only: Only BBQr is allowed to export Coldcard, Core, and pretty descriptor.

Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
CCC Guide
Key Teleport site

@ d360efec:14907b5f

@ da8b7de1:c0164aee

A Tennessee Valley Authority benyújtotta az első amerikai BWRX-300 SMR építési kérelmet

A Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) hivatalosan is benyújtotta az amerikai Nukleáris Szabályozási Bizottsághoz (NRC) a GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 kis moduláris reaktor (SMR) építésére vonatkozó kérelmet a Clinch River telephelyen. Ez jelentős lépés az SMR-ek amerikai bevezetésében, és jól mutatja a fejlett nukleáris reaktortechnológiák kereskedelmi hasznosításának lendületét. A BWRX-300-at úgy tervezték, hogy rugalmas, skálázható nukleáris energiamegoldást kínáljon, amely széles körben alkalmazható lehet az USA energiaszektorában.

A NuScale előrehaladott tárgyalásokat folytat SMR telepítésekről 2030-ig

Az amerikai NuScale Power nukleáris reaktorvállalat előrehaladott tárgyalásokat folytat több potenciális ügyféllel SMR technológiájának telepítéséről, és akár 2030-ra működő erőművet szállíthat. A korai alkalmazók között lehetnek adatközpontok, nehézipari szereplők és közművek is, ami jól mutatja az előrehaladott nukleáris megoldások iránti növekvő érdeklődést különböző energiaigényes ágazatokban. Ez a fejlemény kiemeli az SMR-ek növekvő szerepét a globális dekarbonizációs és energiabiztonsági stratégiákban.

Nemzetközi fókusz: érintetti bevonás és munkaerő-fejlesztés

Az IAEA Nemzetközi Konferenciája a Nukleáris Energia Programok Érintetti Bevonásáról ma zárult, ahol kiemelték az átlátható kommunikáció jelentőségét a nukleáris hulladékkezelés és vészhelyzetek során. A konferencia hangsúlyozta a diverzifikált, magasan képzett nukleáris munkaerő fejlesztésének stratégiáit is, beleértve az oktatási partnerségeket és a célzott képzéseket a hátrányos helyzetű csoportok számára. Ezek a témák globális szinten is elismerik, hogy a közbizalom és a tehetséggondozás kulcsfontosságú a nukleáris energia jövőbeni sikeréhez.

Globális politikai változások és piaci trendek

Az elmúlt hetekben több országban jelentős politikai változások történtek:

• Belgium visszavonta a 2003-as atomerőmű-lezárási törvényt, így ismét lehetőség nyílik új nukleáris létesítmények építésére.
• Dánia újraértékeli évtizedek óta fennálló nukleáris tilalmát, és új elemzést rendelt a nukleáris energia lehetséges szerepéről.
• Vietnam és más országok is előrehaladott tárgyalásokat folytatnak új atomerőművek építéséről.
• Az Európai Bizottság előkészíti az orosz nukleáris energiaimport fokozatos kivezetését, és hamarosan új jogszabályjavaslatokat terjeszt elő.
• Az Egyesült Államokban a 2026-os költségvetési év elnöki javaslatában csökkentik a Nukleáris Energia Hivatal finanszírozását, ugyanakkor regionális együttműködési megállapodásokat írnak alá a fejlett nukleáris technológiák támogatására a Mountain West régióban.

Kína tíz új atomerőművi reaktort hagyott jóvá

Kína Államtanácsa jóváhagyta tíz új atomerőművi reaktor építését öt projekt keretében, köztük nyolc Hualong One egységet. Ezek a projektek jelentős bővülést jelentenek Kína nukleáris kapacitásában; az előkészületek már zajlanak, a tényleges építkezések a hatósági engedélyek után indulnak. Ez is mutatja, hogy Kína elkötelezett a nukleáris energia mellett, mint a tiszta energiaellátás egyik alappillére.

Iparági kilátások: optimizmus és befektetések

Az iparág vezetői egészséges, optimista képet festenek a nukleáris szektorról: az Egyesült Államokban (például TerraPower és X-energy) aktív projektek zajlanak, Lengyelországban új partnerségek születnek, és nő a magánbefektetés a fejlett nukleáris üzemanyaggyártásban. Emellett egyre nagyobb várakozás övezi, hogy a Világbank hamarosan megváltoztathatja politikáját, és lehetővé teheti a nukleáris projektek finanszírozását, ami további globális beruházásokat indíthat el a szektorban.

További információk:

• world-nuclear-news.org
• nucnet.org
• iaea.org
• ans.org
• energy.gov

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Nostr is an open communication protocol that can be used to send messages across a distributed set of relays in a censorship resistant and robust way.

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If you missed my nostr introduction post you can find it here. My nostr account can be found here.

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We are nearly at the point that if something interesting is posted on a centralized social platform it will usually be posted by someone to nostr.

We are nearly at the point that if something interesting is posted exclusively to nostr it is cross posted by someone to various centralized social platforms.

We are nearly at the point that you can recommend a cross platform app that users can install and easily onboard without additional guides or resources.

As companies continue to build walls around their centralized platforms nostr posts will be the easiest to cross reference and verify - as companies continue to censor their users nostr is the best censorship resistant alternative - gradually then suddenly nostr will become the standard. 🫡

Current Nostr Stats

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ d191fd34:91b61845

Cybernoma: Universal Declaration of Natural and Cybernetic Rights

Preamble

We, individuals, independent and autonomous entities possessing consciousness and the ability to feel, recognize that we possess inherent and natural rights that are universal and inalienable. These rights are based on Natural Law and the principle of non-aggression, and must be protected to ensure freedom, justice, and prosperity for all. The discovery and construction of the digital territory through the Internet has transformed our world, creating new dimensions of interaction and communication that require additional protection of our natural rights. In this context, we declare the following natural and cybernetic rights:

Article 1: Right to Life, Liberty, and Security

Every individual has the right to life, liberty, and security of existence. These rights are inherent and cannot be suppressed by any authority.

Article 2: Private Property

Every individual has the right to own private property and enjoy the fruits of their labour and effort. Private property is a natural right that must be respected and protected. This includes both tangible and intangible assets, such as data, patents, and knowledge. Data generated by an individual is their property and may be transferred or sold only with their explicit consent.

Article 3: Non-Aggression

No individual or group may initiate force, fraud, coercion, or psychological manipulation against another. Aggression can be physical, psychological, material, or virtual. All individuals have the right to defend themselves against any form of aggression.

Article 4: Minimum Intervention

Authorities must intervene as little as possible in the economic and personal activities of individuals. State intervention must be limited to protecting natural rights and ensuring justice.

Article 5: Freedom of Expression and Information

Every individual has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any medium without restriction. Censorship is a violation of this natural right. Furthermore, every individual has the right to access public domain information and open-source code without any restrictions.

Article 6: Net Neutrality

The Internet must remain neutral, free from governmental or corporate interference that favors certain actors over others. All individuals have the right to access and participate in the network equitably.

Article 7: Decentralisation

The global network must be decentralised, with multiple points of control and no central authority that can impose unilateral rules. Decentralization is essential for protecting individual freedom and autonomy.

Article 8: Privacy

Every individual has the right to privacy, including control over their personal data and communications. No entity may collect, store, or use personal data without the explicit consent of the individual.

Article 9: Individual Autonomy

Individuals have the right and responsibility to make autonomous decisions about their lives, including their activities in the digital space. Individual autonomy is fundamental to the freedom and dignity of all conscious and sentient beings.

Article 10: Right to Resistance

Every individual has the right to resist any form of oppression or tyranny that violates their natural and cybernetic rights. Resistance may take various forms, including civil disobedience and armed defense when necessary.

Conclusion

These natural and cybernetic rights are universal and inalienable, and must be respected and protected by all authorities and entities. Any violation of these rights constitutes an aggression against freedom, justice, and dignity.

This Universal Declaration of Natural and Cybernetic Rights is inspired by fundamental documents that have defended freedom, justice, and individual rights throughout history. We recognize the legacy of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which established universal principles of dignity and rights for all conscious and sentient beings. We also align with the 1996 Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace, which proclaimed the ideals of a free and open, decentralised, and neutral network. We find resonance in documents such as the Magna Carta and the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which laid the foundations for protecting individual rights against abuses of power. These documentary precedents are part of a continuous effort to ensure that natural and cybernetic rights are respected and protected in all spheres of life.

Proclaimed on May 23, 2025, by us, the Guardians of Cybernoma, defenders of freedom, justice, and natural and cybernetic rights.

@ 5ea46480:450da5bd

Neutrality can be a confusing notion. It implies some sort of a-political position, yet neutrality is in itself a political position. But what it means, or how neutrality expresses itself is in a lack of bias or preference; it is the act of non-decision where we see neutrality. As a result, some conflation can occur, because this ‘non-decision’ can be the result of two things: Either being in the position to decide, but choosing not to, what we can perhaps call ‘active neutrality’. Or, the sheer inability to express and actuate preference, where we could call that ‘passive neutrality’.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, aka ICANN, is an actively (for the most part) neutral institution. It has all the power and control to express its preferences, and censor basically all the relevant and most actively used parts of the world wide web. But it doesn’t (for the most part), because we recognize the value of this neutral stance. The only reason they are actively instead of passively neutral, is due to technical reasons; we simply don’t know of any workable way to remove the controlling body from the system, and we would if we could. Instead we encapsulated it in all kinds of power obscuring institutions and structures to mitigate the issue.

The reason the controlling body has to exist, is because the objective is a ‘global state’ (global as it is understood in programming, meaning as much as ‘overarching’). The point is that google.com, means/refers to the same thing wherever you are. The added value of some simple human readable and memorable address ‘google.com’ falls apart the moment it becomes inconsistent. The only way to ensure this, is to put a single entity in charge. We employ these ‘global states’ in all kinds of places in society, often with geographical boundaries we call ‘jurisdictions’, but at the very least you know where those lines are drawn and can therefor know what to expect.

There is one exception to this ‘rule’ that ‘global state’ requires a single entity to be in charge: Bitcoin. It is the whole crux of the system; on the one hand we require ‘global state’ in order to have consistent accounting, but on the other hand we did not want anyone to be in charge. The goal of Bitcoin was neutrality, and it found it by capturing ‘passive’ variant by making the system ‘permissionless’. Now it is crucial to understand that non of Bitcoins attributes are intrinsic, but instead are emergent and the result of human action. Also, Bitcoins ‘global state’ is stupendously expensive and does not scale. The fact that those things were not properly understood is what lead to the BlOcKcHaIn hype, believing this passively neutral global state could be implemented outside the realms of money. But this piece is not about Bitcoin, or blockchains for that matter.

The reason I talk about them, is to point out that this passive neutrality is an emergent property not actually found within the system at all. You as user still rely on a third party in what we call miners, and those miners are free to be as biased and non-neutral as they want; in fact we sort of rely on them to be biased towards money. You don’t get your transaction confirmed because a miner likes you, but because you sufficiently bribed him to do so. And Bitcoin’s censorship resistance relies on the hope that such bribes will at least appeal to some miner out there. Bitcoin’s neutrality is the result of there ultimately not being any one particular actor with the ability actuate its preference over time, regardless of the fact that they are able to do so in moments of time.

Nostr does something similar, just without the whole global state thing. It is not neutral because of the good graces of some overlord, it actually recognizes the foolishness of such an effort and lets anyone be as biased an non-neutral as they want, with one simple exception. The only expectation of neutrality is with clients that they adhere to the protocol and actually let users connect to whatever relay they want and produce events that other clients are capable of interpreting, i.e. that they be interoperable. But hopefully because the system is permissionless, some people decide to make such clients, and users decide to use them, instead of willfully locking themselves up. It has to be remarked that humanity does not have the greatest track-record in this regard, but the incentives behind interoperability gives us a fighting chance at least.

Nostr’s neutrality is an emergent property that is the result of human action; it relies on people setting up relays, and people making decisions on what relays they use. The type of neutrality is of the passive kind. The protocol does not provide a public space as such, it just allows you to navigate a potentially vast amount of private spaces; the commons is the connective tissue, and it is this connective tissue that is ‘neutral’. What it boils down to, is that you don’t have to ask permission to ask whomever you want to ask for permission. And in the most desperate moment, you can always resort to asking yourself for permission; I am sure you will comply with such a request.

@ 5ea46480:450da5bd

Understanding or grasping Nostr can be deceptively difficult. At the very least it is non-trivial. At first glance, looking at NIP-01, the protocol is rather straight forward. But those are just the basics; yes the beauty of Nostr is its ‘simplicity’, but that does not mean the system that results from it is not complex. Conway's Game of Life only has a hand full of rules, yet you can, in theory at least, create any complex system imaginable. And this is where the deception lies; the less you define from the outset, the more you imply on what follows.

It appears that as it stands, Nostr suffers from this deceptiveness. You can reason through all these implications, but that is still an exercise that has to be performed and where mistakes can be made. Worse, this exercise has been a group effort from the start that is still in progress. Currently there is no clear cut ‘authoritative’ example of all the implications that have been ‘discovered’ thus far.

A good example of the implications following Nostr’s primitives is what we now refer to as the ‘outbox model’. The reason we ‘now’ refer to it as such, is because initially it was called the ‘Gossip model’ derived from the client that first implemented the idea. Outbox is fundamental to Nostr, but it was never explicitly stated in the initial protocol description. The result is that roughly five years into this Nostr endeavor, it is still not universally implemented; worse yet, some developers appear to be in no rush to do so. Now the reason they will give you is probably one based on priority, yet I can’t shake the feeling that they apparently don’t ‘get it’.

My point here is not to play some blame game or hold anyone to account. I am just concluding they don’t actually get the new paradigm that we have all stumbled into. To expand on this specific outbox example, its significance only becomes really apparent further along in the ‘reasoning through all the implications’ exercise. In relation to one aspect, but there are more: The point is not ‘just’ censorship-resistance for users, but the freedom for relays that comes with it to apply whatever policy on what they store and make available; it is this discrimination or curation that can add value by making finding relevant information easier in a straightforward manner. But it relies on outbox to avoid isolation; something that only becomes apparent once you are reasoning through all the implications on how we discover and consume content.

To be clear, this piece is not supposed to a crusade on the outbox model, my point here is that there is an inherent logic to Nostr stemming from putting cryptography front and center. It is a logic that has to be applied and will subsequently carry you through all the challenges we face in reconstructing the entirety of the web. This is not to say there is only one obvious path, and different schools of thought are bound to emerge. But it behooves us all, faced with this new paradigm, to continuously reflect on the mental image we have cultivated of what Nostr is; actively re-performing that exercise of exploring the implications this simple set of protocol rules creates.

Unfortunately I can not escape my own folly. After all, I am just an armchair asshole that never wrote a single line of code in his life. Obviously this minds-eye bullshit is not even half the story, the bulk of the effort is translating it into software, the tangible, the real. It is in that effort ultimately the real exploration of this paradigm occurs. All I can do is build castles in the sky.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

Bitcoin FilmFest (BFF25) returns to Warsaw for its third edition, blending independent cinema—from feature films and commercials to AI-driven experimental visuals—with education and entertainment.

Hundreds of attendees from around the world will gather for three days of screenings, discussions, workshops, and networking at the iconic Kinoteka Cinema (PKiN), the same venue that hosted the festival’s first two editions in March 2023 and April 2024.

This year’s festival, themed “Beyond the Frame,” introduces new dimensions to its program, including an extra day on May 22 to celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day, the first real-world bitcoin transaction, with what promises to be one of Europe’s largest commemorations of this milestone.

BFF25 bridges independent film, culture, and technology, with a bold focus on decentralized storytelling and creative expression. As a community-driven cultural experience with a slightly rebellious spirit, Bitcoin FilmFest goes beyond movies, yet cinema remains at its heart.

Here’s a sneak peek at the lineup, specially curated for movie buffs:

Generative Cinema –  A special slot with exclusive shorts and a thematic debate on the intersection of AI and filmmaking. Featured titles include, for example: BREAK FREE, SATOSHI: THE CREATION OF BITCOIN, STRANGE CURRENCIES, and BITCOIN IS THE MYCELIUM OF MONEY,  exploring financial independence, traps of the fiat system, and a better future built on sound money.

Upcoming Productions Preview – A bit over an hour-long block of unreleased pilots and works-in-progress. Attendees will get exclusive first looks at projects like FINDING HOME (a travel-meets-personal-journey series), PARALLEL SPACES (a story about alternative communities), and THE LEGEND OF LANDI (a mysterious narrative).

Freedom-Focused Ads & Campaigns – Unique screenings of video commercials, animations, and visual projects, culminating in “The PoWies” (Proof of Work-ies)—the first ever awards show honoring the best Bitcoin-only awareness campaigns.

To get an idea of what might come up at the event, here, you can preview 6 selected ads combined into two 2 videos:

• Unique Bitcoin-Video Ads: Part One
• Unique Bitcoin-Video Ads: Part Two

Open Pitch Competition – A chance for filmmakers to present fresh ideas and unfinished projects to an audience of a dedicated jury, movie fans and potential collaborators. This competitive block isn’t just entertaining—it’s a real opportunity for creators to secure funding and partnerships.

Golden Rabbit Awards: A lively gala honoring films from the festival’s Official Selection, with awards in categories like Best Feature, Best Story, Best Short, and Audience Choice.

BFF25 Main Screenings

Sample titles from BFF25’s Official Selection:

REVOLUCIÓN BITCOIN – A documentary by Juan Pablo, making its first screening outside the Spanish-speaking world in Warsaw this May. Three years of important work, 80 powerful minutes to experience. The film explores Bitcoin’s impact across Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, and Spain through around 40 diverse perspectives. Screening in Spanish with English subtitles, followed by a Q&A with the director.

UNBANKABLE – Luke Willms’ directorial debut, drawing from his multicultural roots and his father’s pioneering HIV/AIDS research. An investigative documentary based on Luke’s journeys through seven African countries, diving into financial experiments and innovations—from mobile money and digital lending to Bitcoin—raising smart questions and offering potential lessons for the West. Its May appearance at BFF25 marks its largest European event to date, following festival screenings and nominations across multiple continents over the past year.

HOTEL BITCOIN – A Spanish comedy directed by Manuel Sanabria and Carlos “Pocho” Villaverde. Four friends, 4,000 bitcoins , and one laptop spark a chaotic adventure of parties, love, crime, and a dash of madness. Exploring sound money, value, and relationships through a twisting plot. The film premiered at the Tarazona and Moncayo Comedy Film Festival in August 2024. Its Warsaw screening at BFF25 (in Spanish with English subtitles) marks its first public showing outside the Spanish-speaking world.

Check out trailers for this year’s BFF25 and past editions on YouTube.

Tickets & Info:

• Detailed program and tickets are available at bitcoinfilmfest.com/bff25.
• Stay updated via the festival’s official channels (links provided on the website).
• Use ‘LN-NEWS’ to get 10% of tickets

@ 5ea46480:450da5bd

Decentralization refers to control/power, and relates to censorship resistance. That is it, it is not more complicated then that. Resilience is a function of redundancy; a centralized censored system can have a redundant set-up and therefor be resilient.

Take Bitcoin; the blockchain is a central database, it is resilient because it has many redundant copies among a lot of different nodes. The message (txs and blocks) propagation is decentralized due to existence of a p2p network among these nodes, making the data distribution censorship resistant (hello op_return debate). But onchain transactions themselves are NOT p2p, they require a middlemen (a miner) because it is a central database, as opposed to something like lightning which is p2p. Peer to Peer says something about relative architectural hierarchical position/relation. P2P provides censorship resistance because it entails equal power relations, provided becoming a peer is permissionless. What makes onchain transactions censorship resistant is that mining is permissionless, and involves this open power struggle/game where competition results in a power distribution among players, meaning (hopefully) decentralization. The fact users rely on these middlemen is mitigated by this decentralization on the one hand, and temper-proofing via cryptographic signatures on the other, resulting in what we call trustlessness (or trust minimization for the autists in the room); we only rely on a miner to perform a job (including your tx into a block), but we don’t trust the miner to perform the job correctly, this we can verify ourselves.

This leads us to Nostr, because that last part is exactly what Nostr does as well. It uses cryptography to get tamper-proof messaging, which then allows you to use middle-men in a trust minimized way. The result is decentralization because in general terms, any middle man is as good as any other (same as with miners), and becoming such a middleman is permissionless(somewhat, mostly); which in turn leads to censorship resistance. It also allows for resilience because you are free to make things as redundant as you'd like.

Ergo, the crux is putting the cryptography central, making it the starting point of the system; decentralization then becomes an option due to trust minimization. The difference between Bitcoin an Nostr, is that Bitcoin maintains a global state/central ledger and needs this PoW/Nakamoto consensus fanfare; Nostr rests itself with local perspectives on 'the network'.

The problem with the Fediverse, is that it does not provide trust minimization in relation to the middlemen. Sure, there are a lot different servers, but you rely on a particular one (and the idea you could switch never really seemed to have materialized in a meaningful way). It also fails in permisionlessness because you rely on the association between servers, i.e. federation, to have meaningful access to the rest of the network. In other words, it is more a requirement of association than freedom of association; you have the freedom to be excommunicated.

The problem with ATproto is that is basically does not solve this dynamic; it only complicates it by pulling apart the components; identity and data, distribution and perspective are now separated, and supposedly you don’t rely on any particular one of these sub-component providers in the stack; but you do rely on all these different sub-component providers in the stack to play nice with each other. And this ‘playing nice’ is just the same old ‘requirement of association’ and ‘freedom of excommunication’ that looms at the horizon.

Yes, splitting up the responsibilities of identity, hosting and indexing is what is required to safe us from the platform hellscape which at this stage takes care of all three. But as it turns out, it was not a matter cutting those up into various (on paper) interchangeable middlemen. All that is required is putting cryptographic keys in the hands of the user; the tamperproofing takes care of the rest, simply by trust minimizing the middlemen we use. All the sudden it does not matter which middlemen we use, and no one is required to play nice; we lost the requirement of association, and gained freedom of association, which was the purpose of censorship resistance and therefor decentralization, to begin with.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

What is KYC/AML?

• The acronym stands for Know Your Customer / Anti Money Laundering.
• In practice it stands for the surveillance measures companies are often compelled to take against their customers by financial regulators.
• Methods differ but often include: Passport Scans, Driver License Uploads, Social Security Numbers, Home Address, Phone Number, Face Scans.
• Bitcoin companies will also store all withdrawal and deposit addresses which can then be used to track bitcoin transactions on the bitcoin block chain.
• This data is then stored and shared. Regulations often require companies to hold this information for a set number of years but in practice users should assume this data will be held indefinitely. Data is often stored insecurely, which results in frequent hacks and leaks.  
• KYC/AML data collection puts all honest users at risk of theft, extortion, and persecution while being ineffective at stopping crime. Criminals often use counterfeit, bought, or stolen credentials to get around the requirements. Criminals can buy "verified" accounts for as little as $200. Furthermore, billions of people are excluded from financial services as a result of KYC/AML requirements.

During the early days of bitcoin most services did not require this sensitive user data, but as adoption increased so did the surveillance measures. At this point, most large bitcoin companies are collecting and storing massive lists of bitcoiners, our sensitive personal information, and our transaction history.

Lists of Bitcoiners

KYC/AML policies are a direct attack on bitcoiners. Lists of bitcoiners and our transaction history will inevitably be used against us.

Once you are on a list with your bitcoin transaction history that record will always exist. Generally speaking, tracking bitcoin is based on probability analysis of ownership change. Surveillance firms use various heuristics to determine if you are sending bitcoin to yourself or if ownership is actually changing hands.  You can obtain better privacy going forward by using collaborative transactions such as coinjoin to break this probability analysis.

Fortunately, you can buy bitcoin without providing intimate personal information. Tools such as peach, hodlhodl, robosats, azteco and bisq help; mining is also a solid option: anyone can plug a miner into power and internet and earn bitcoin by mining privately.

You can also earn bitcoin by providing goods and/or services that can be purchased with bitcoin. Long term, circular economies will mitigate this threat: most people will not buy bitcoin - they will earn bitcoin - most people will not sell bitcoin - they will spend bitcoin.

There is no such thing as KYC or No KYC bitcoin, there are bitcoiners on lists and those that are not on lists.

---

If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• RoboSats v0.7.7-alpha is now available!

NOTE: "This version of clients is not compatible with older versions of coordinators. Coordinators must upgrade first, make sure you don't upgrade your client while this is marked as pre-release."

• This version brings a new and improved coordinators view with reviews signed both by the robot and the coordinator, adds market price sources in coordinator profiles, shows a correct warning for canceling non-taken orders after a payment attempt, adds Uzbek sum currency, and includes package library updates for coordinators.

Source: RoboSats.

• siggy47 is writing daily RoboSats activity reviews on stacker.news. Check them out here.
• Stay up-to-date with RoboSats on Nostr.

What's new

• New coordinators view (see the picture above).
• Available coordinator reviews signed by both the robot and the coordinator.
• Coordinators now display market price sources in their profiles.

Source: RoboSats.

• Fix for wrong message on cancel button when taking an order. Users are now warned if they try to cancel a non taken order after a payment attempt.
• Uzbek sum currency now available.
• For coordinators: library updates.
• Add docker frontend (#1861).
• Add order review token (#1869).
• Add UZS migration (#1875).
• Fixed tests review (#1878).
• Nostr pubkey for Robot (#1887).

New contributors

• @hexlorn made their first contribution in #1858.
• @umk0m1qk made their first contribution in #1864.

Full Changelog: v0.7.6-alpha...v0.7.7-alpha

GitHub Repo

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

• This version introduces the Soroban P2P network, enabling Dojo to relay transactions to the Bitcoin network and share others' transactions to break the heuristic linking relaying nodes to transaction creators.

• Additionally, Dojo admins can now manage API keys in DMT with labels, status, and expiration, ideal for community Dojo providers like Dojobay. New API endpoints, including "/services" exposing Explorer, Soroban, and Indexer, have been added to aid wallet developers.
• Other maintenance updates include Bitcoin Core, Tor, Fulcrum, Node.js, plus an updated ban-knots script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.

"I want to thank all the contributors. This again shows the power of true Free Software. I also want to thank everyone who donated to help Dojo development going. I truly appreciate it," said Still Dojo Coder.

What's new

• Soroban P2P network. For MyDojo (Docker setup) users, Soroban will be automatically installed as part of their Dojo. This integration allows Dojo to utilize the Soroban P2P network for various upcoming features and applications.
• PandoTx. PandoTx serves as a transaction transport layer. When your wallet sends a transaction to Dojo, it is relayed to a random Soroban node, which then forwards it to the Bitcoin network. It also enables your Soroban node to receive and relay transactions from others to the Bitcoin network and is designed to disrupt the assumption that a node relaying a transaction is closely linked to the person who initiated it.
  • Pushing transactions through Soroban can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PUSH=off in docker-node.conf.
  • Processing incoming transactions from Soroban network can be deactivated by setting NODE_PANDOTX_PROCESS=off in docker-node.conf.
• API key management has been introduced to address the growing number of people offering their Dojos to the community. Dojo admins can now access a new API management tab in their DMT, where they can create unlimited API keys, assign labels for easy identification, and set expiration dates for each key. This allows admins to avoid sharing their main API key and instead distribute specific keys to selected parties.
• New API endpoints. Several new API endpoints have been added to help API consumers develop features on Dojo more efficiently:
  • New:
    • /latest-block - returns data about latest block
    • /txout/:txid/:index - returns unspent output data
    • /support/services - returns info about services that Dojo exposes
  • Updated:
    • /tx/:txid - endpoint has been updated to return raw transaction with parameter ?rawHex=1
  • The new /support/services endpoint replaces the deprecated explorer field in the Dojo pairing payload. Although still present, API consumers should use this endpoint for explorer and other pairing data.

Other changes

• Updated ban script to disconnect inbound Knots nodes.
• Updated Fulcrum to v1.12.0.
• Regenerate Fulcrum certificate if expired.
• Check if transaction already exists in pushTx.
• Bump BTC-RPC Explorer.
• Bump Tor to v0.4.8.16, bump Snowflake.
• Updated Bitcoin Core to v29.0.
• Removed unnecessary middleware.
• Fixed DB update mechanism, added api_keys table.
• Add an option to use blocksdir config for bitcoin blocks directory.
• Removed deprecated configuration.
• Updated Node.js dependencies.
• Reconfigured container dependencies.
• Fix Snowflake git URL.
• Fix log path for testnet4.
• Use prebuilt addrindexrs binaries.
• Add instructions to migrate blockchain/fulcrum.
• Added pull policies.

#FREESAMOURAI

Learn how to set up and use your own Bitcoin privacy node with Dojo here.

Announcement / Archive
GitHub Repo

@ d360efec:14907b5f

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

The former seems to have found solid product market fit. Expect significant volume, adoption, and usage going forward.

The latter's future remains to be seen. Dependence on Tor, which has had massive reliability issues, and lack of strong privacy guarantees put it at risk.

— ODELL (@ODELL) October 27, 2022

The Basics

• Lightning is a protocol that enables cheap and fast native bitcoin transactions.
• At the core of the protocol is the ability for bitcoin users to create a payment channel with another user.
• These payment channels enable users to make many bitcoin transactions between each other with only two on-chain bitcoin transactions: the channel open transaction and the channel close transaction.
• Essentially lightning is a protocol for interoperable batched bitcoin transactions.
• It is expected that on chain bitcoin transaction fees will increase with adoption and the ability to easily batch transactions will save users significant money.
• As these lightning transactions are processed, liquidity flows from one side of a channel to the other side, on chain transactions are signed by both parties but not broadcasted to update this balance.
• Lightning is designed to be trust minimized, either party in a payment channel can close the channel at any time and their bitcoin will be settled on chain without trusting the other party.

There is no 'Lightning Network'

• Many people refer to the aggregate of all lightning channels as 'The Lightning Network' but this is a false premise.
• There are many lightning channels between many different users and funds can flow across interconnected channels as long as there is a route through peers.
• If a lightning transaction requires multiple hops it will flow through multiple interconnected channels, adjusting the balance of all channels along the route, and paying lightning transaction fees that are set by each node on the route.

Example: You have a channel with Bob. Bob has a channel with Charlie. You can pay Charlie through your channel with Bob and Bob's channel with User C.

• As a result, it is not guaranteed that every lightning user can pay every other lightning user, they must have a route of interconnected channels between sender and receiver.

Lightning in Practice

• Lightning has already found product market fit and usage as an interconnected payment protocol between large professional custodians.
• They are able to easily manage channels and liquidity between each other without trust using this interoperable protocol.
• Lightning payments between large custodians are fast and easy. End users do not have to run their own node or manage their channels and liquidity. These payments rarely fail due to professional management of custodial nodes.
• The tradeoff is one inherent to custodians and other trusted third parties. Custodial wallets can steal funds and compromise user privacy.

Sovereign Lightning

• Trusted third parties are security holes.
• Users must run their own node and manage their own channels in order to use lightning without trusting a third party. This remains the single largest friction point for sovereign lightning usage: the mental burden of actively running a lightning node and associated liquidity management.
• Bitcoin development prioritizes node accessibility so cost to self host your own node is low but if a node is run at home or office, Tor or a VPN is recommended to mask your IP address: otherwise it is visible to the entire network and represents a privacy risk.
• This privacy risk is heightened due to the potential for certain governments to go after sovereign lightning users and compel them to shutdown their nodes. If their IP Address is exposed they are easier to target.
• Fortunately the tools to run and manage nodes continue to get easier but it is important to understand that this will always be a friction point when compared to custodial services.

The Potential Fracture of Lightning

• Any lightning user can choose which users are allowed to open channels with them.
• One potential is that professional custodians only peer with other professional custodians.
• We already see nodes like those run by CashApp only have channels open with other regulated counterparties. This could be due to performance goals, liability reduction, or regulatory pressure.

• Fortunately some of their peers are connected to non-regulated parties so payments to and from sovereign lightning users are still successfully processed by CashApp but this may not always be the case going forward.

Summary

• Many people refer to the aggregate of all lightning channels as 'The Lightning Network' but this is a false premise. There is no singular 'Lightning Network' but rather many payment channels between distinct peers, some connected with each other and some not.
• Lightning as an interoperable payment protocol between professional custodians seems to have found solid product market fit. Expect significant volume, adoption, and usage going forward.
• Lightning as a robust sovereign payment protocol has yet to be battle tested. Heavy reliance on Tor, which has had massive reliability issues, the friction of active liquidity management, significant on chain fee burden for small amounts, interactivity constraints on mobile, and lack of strong privacy guarantees put it at risk.

---

If you have never used lightning before, use this guide to get started on your phone.

---

If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ 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.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

Know Your Customer is a regulation that requires companies of all sizes to verify the identity, suitability, and risks involved with maintaining a business relationship with a customer. Such procedures fit within the broader scope of anti-money laundering (AML) and counterterrorism financing (CTF) regulations.

Banks, exchanges, online business, mail providers, domain registrars... Everyone wants to know who you are before you can even opt for their service. Your personal information is flowing around the internet in the hands of "god-knows-who" and secured by "trust-me-bro military-grade encryption". Once your account is linked to your personal (and verified) identity, tracking you is just as easy as keeping logs on all these platforms.

Rights for Illusions

KYC processes aim to combat terrorist financing, money laundering, and other illicit activities. On the surface, KYC seems like a commendable initiative. I mean, who wouldn't want to halt terrorists and criminals in their tracks?

The logic behind KYC is: "If we mandate every financial service provider to identify their users, it becomes easier to pinpoint and apprehend the malicious actors."

However, terrorists and criminals are not precisely lining up to be identified. They're crafty. They may adopt false identities or find alternative strategies to continue their operations. Far from being outwitted, many times they're several steps ahead of regulations. Realistically, KYC might deter a small fraction – let's say about 1% ^1 – of these malefactors. Yet, the cost? All of us are saddled with the inconvenient process of identification just to use a service.

Under the rhetoric of "ensuring our safety", governments and institutions enact regulations that seem more out of a dystopian novel, gradually taking away our right to privacy.

To illustrate, consider a city where the mayor has rolled out facial recognition cameras in every nook and cranny. A band of criminals, intent on robbing a local store, rolls in with a stolen car, their faces obscured by masks and their bodies cloaked in all-black clothes. Once they've committed the crime and exited the city's boundaries, they switch vehicles and clothes out of the cameras' watchful eyes. The high-tech surveillance? It didn’t manage to identify or trace them. Yet, for every law-abiding citizen who merely wants to drive through the city or do some shopping, their movements and identities are constantly logged. The irony? This invasive tracking impacts all of us, just to catch the 1% ^1 of less-than-careful criminals.

KYC? Not you.

KYC creates barriers to participation in normal economic activity, to supposedly stop criminals. ^2

KYC puts barriers between many users and businesses. One of these comes from the fact that the process often requires multiple forms of identification, proof of address, and sometimes even financial records. For individuals in areas with poor record-keeping, non-recognized legal documents, or those who are unbanked, homeless or transient, obtaining these documents can be challenging, if not impossible.

For people who are not skilled with technology or just don't have access to it, there's also a barrier since KYC procedures are mostly online, leaving them inadvertently excluded.

Another barrier goes for the casual or one-time user, where they might not see the value in undergoing a rigorous KYC process, and these requirements can deter them from using the service altogether.

It also wipes some businesses out of the equation, since for smaller businesses, the costs associated with complying with KYC norms—from the actual process of gathering and submitting documents to potential delays in operations—can be prohibitive in economical and/or technical terms.

You're not welcome

Imagine a swanky new club in town with a strict "members only" sign. You hear the music, you see the lights, and you want in. You step up, ready to join, but suddenly there's a long list of criteria you must meet. After some time, you are finally checking all the boxes. But then the club rejects your membership with no clear reason why. You just weren't accepted. Frustrating, right?

This club scenario isn't too different from the fact that KYC is being used by many businesses as a convenient gatekeeping tool. A perfect excuse based on a "legal" procedure they are obliged to.

Even some exchanges may randomly use this to freeze and block funds from users, claiming these were "flagged" by a cryptic system that inspects the transactions. You are left hostage to their arbitrary decision to let you successfully pass the KYC procedure. If you choose to sidestep their invasive process, they might just hold onto your funds indefinitely.

Your identity has been stolen

KYC data has been found to be for sale on many dark net markets^3. Exchanges may have leaks or hacks, and such leaks contain very sensitive data. We're talking about the full monty: passport or ID scans, proof of address, and even those awkward selfies where you're holding up your ID next to your face. All this data is being left to the mercy of the (mostly) "trust-me-bro" security systems of such companies. Quite scary, isn't it?

As cheap as $10 for 100 documents, with discounts applying for those who buy in bulk, the personal identities of innocent users who passed KYC procedures are for sale. ^3

In short, if you have ever passed the KYC/AML process of a crypto exchange, your privacy is at risk of being compromised, or it might even have already been compromised.

(they) Know Your Coins

You may already know that Bitcoin and most cryptocurrencies have a transparent public blockchain, meaning that all data is shown unencrypted for everyone to see and recorded forever. If you link an address you own to your identity through KYC, for example, by sending an amount from a KYC exchange to it, your Bitcoin is no longer pseudonymous and can then be traced.

If, for instance, you send Bitcoin from such an identified address to another KYC'ed address (say, from a friend), everyone having access to that address-identity link information (exchanges, governments, hackers, etc.) will be able to associate that transaction and know who you are transacting with.

Conclusions

To sum up, KYC does not protect individuals; rather, it's a threat to our privacy, freedom, security and integrity. Sensible information flowing through the internet is thrown into chaos by dubious security measures. It puts borders between many potential customers and businesses, and it helps governments and companies track innocent users. That's the chaos KYC has stirred.

The criminals are using stolen identities from companies that gathered them thanks to these very same regulations that were supposed to combat them. Criminals always know how to circumvent such regulations. In the end, normal people are the most affected by these policies.

The threat that KYC poses to individuals in terms of privacy, security and freedom is not to be neglected. And if we don’t start challenging these systems and questioning their efficacy, we are just one step closer to the dystopian future that is now foreseeable.

Edited 20/03/2024 * Add reference to the 1% statement on Rights for Illusions section to an article where Chainalysis found that only 0.34% of the transaction volume with cryptocurrencies in 2023 was attributable to criminal activity ^1

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

Over the past few months, I've dedicated my time to a complete rewrite of the kycnot.me website. The technology stack remains unchanged; Golang paired with TailwindCSS. However, I've made some design choices in this iteration that I believe significantly enhance the site. Particularly to backend code.

UI Improvements

You'll notice a refreshed UI that retains the original concept but has some notable enhancements. The service list view is now more visually engaging, it displays additional information in a more aesthetically pleasing manner. Both filtering and searching functionalities have been optimized for speed and user experience.

Service pages have been also redesigned to highlight key information at the top, with the KYC Level box always accessible. The display of service attributes is now more visually intuitive.

The request form, especially the Captcha, has undergone substantial improvements. The new self-made Captcha is robust, addressing the reliability issues encountered with the previous version.

Terms of Service Summarizer

A significant upgrade is the Terms of Service summarizer/reviewer, now powered by AI (GPT-4-turbo). It efficiently condenses each service's ToS, extracting and presenting critical points, including any warnings. Summaries are updated monthly, processing over 40 ToS pages via the OpenAI API using a self-crafted and thoroughly tested prompt.

Nostr Comments

I've integrated a comment section for each service using Nostr. For guidance on using this feature, visit the dedicated how-to page.

Database

The backend database has transitioned to pocketbase, an open-source Golang backend that has been a pleasure to work with. I maintain an updated fork of the Golang SDK for pocketbase at pluja/pocketbase.

Scoring

The scoring algorithm has also been refined to be more fair. Despite I had considered its removal due to the complexity it adds (it is very difficult to design a fair scoring system), some users highlighted its value, so I kept it. The updated algorithm is available open source.

Listings

Each listing has been re-evaluated, and the ones that were no longer operational were removed. New additions are included, and the backlog of pending services will be addressed progressively, since I still have access to the old database.

API

The API now offers more comprehensive data. For more details, check here.

About Page

The About page has been restructured for brevity and clarity.

Other Changes

Extensive changes have been implemented in the server-side logic, since the whole code base was re-written from the ground up. I may discuss these in a future post, but for now, I consider the current version to be just a bit beyond beta, and additional updates are planned in the coming weeks.

@ 527337d5:93e9525e

# Exploring the Niche of Conspiracy Theory Markets: A Probabilistic Approach and Sales Condition Analysis on Japanese Online Flea Markets (Subtitle: Unveiling the Surprising Realities of a Niche Market Through Data Analysis and AI)

(Note: This research analyzes consumer reactions and product characteristics in a specific market based on data. It does not endorse conspiracy theories nor promote or encourage any illegal or fraudulent activities.)

1. Abstract

This study aimed to clarify, from a probabilistic perspective, what combinations of information (topic x manipulation category) tend to attract attention and how pricing strategies affect sales of products marketed towards "conspiracy theorists" on online flea markets in Japan. Using an analogy from drug discovery's structural exploration, this research explored "information combinations" in products that resonate with individuals interested in conspiracy theories. Specifically, products were generated (some with AI assistance) based on defined topic categories (e.g., T1: Technology/Security) and manipulation categories (e.g., M1: Avoidance). The logarithm of the reaction rate (views / (searches + 1)) was used as a score for analysis, and the impact of pricing strategies (e.g., fixed at 5000 JPY, phased discounts) was examined. Results indicated that certain combinations (e.g., T3: Occult/Spiritual - M1: Avoidance) showed relatively high reaction rates. However, the effect of price changes was not uniform, and the total weekly views for this market segment remained around 100-120. Consequently, it was concluded that the scale of this specific market on the online flea market platform is extremely small. Therefore, even with a probabilistic model waiting for "hits" similar to those in certain types of specialized fraud schemes, achieving consistent sales is difficult due to the limited population size. This study serves as a case example of the possibilities and limitations of data-driven approaches in niche markets.

2. Introduction: Conspiracy Theories and Niche Market Potential

2.1. The Spread and Background of Conspiracy Theories in Modern Society

In contemporary society, conspiracy theories are proliferating at an unprecedented rate, facilitated by the internet and social media. These narratives typically allege that secret machinations by powerful individuals or groups lie behind specific events or social phenomena. Themes range испанский large-scale theories like QAnon to those concerning health and medicine. It has been pointed out that the psychology of those who believe in conspiracy theories may be influenced by factors such as anxiety in uncertain situations, a cognitive tendency to seek patterns, or distrust of existing authorities.

2.2. Research Motivation

The starting point for this research was a simple question: "Specialized fraud schemes, often succeed by identifying a very small number of 'susceptible individuals' out of numerous attempts. Might a similar probabilistic structure exist in the sale of products targeting those interested in conspiracy theories?" If so, it was hypothesized that it might be possible to identify which products, under what conditions, would have a higher probability of catching the "target's" eye and attracting interest.

2.3. Purpose of this Study

The purpose of this study is to exploratorily clarify, based on data, how "information combinations" (combinations of topic categories and manipulation categories) and "pricing strategies" of products ostensibly related to conspiracy theories affect user attention (using "reaction rate" as a proxy indicator) in a real-world online flea market environment. Ultimately, it aims to consider the possibilities and limitations of sales strategies in this type of niche market.

3. Research Perspective and Approach: Exploring "Information Combinations"

3.1. Analogy to Drug Discovery

In exploring the characteristics of products that resonate with conspiracy theorists, this study employed an analogy to "structural exploration problems" in drug discovery. In drug development, researchers search for optimal structures with specific effects from countless combinations of chemical structures. Similarly, "products that conspiracy theorists react to" were viewed as a type of "substance with an effect," and the "information combination of a product" (e.g., product theme, appeal points) was considered equivalent to a "chemical structure." Based on this framework, products with various information structures were generated and listed, and their reception was observed to explore more "effective" information structures, i.e., conditions likely to attract attention.

3.2. Balancing Exploration and Exploitation

In the initial research phase, with scarce data on which product combinations would attract attention, it was necessary to efficiently identify promising combinations. Therefore, an approach was adopted that considered the balance between "exploiting" combinations already known to be somewhat popular and "exploring" untried, unknown combinations. This shares a basic conceptual similarity with strategies like Thompson Sampling or the ε-greedy method, known in the field of reinforcement learning, which aim to achieve the best results within a limited number of trials.

4. Research Methodology: Experiments and Data Analysis on an Online Flea Market

4.1. Experimental Field and Period

The experiments for this study were conducted on an anonymous online flea market platform in Japan. The data collection period for individual products was, in principle, one day, and the overall research project spanned approximately one month (late April to late May 2025).

4.2. Product Categorization

To organize and analyze the characteristics of the listed products, they were categorized along the following two axes:

• Table 1: Definition of Main Product Topic Categories (T1-T4) (See Appendix 10.1 for details)
  • T1: Technology & Security
  • T2: Surveillance, Censorship & Government-Related
  • T3: Occult & Spiritual
  • T4: Forbidden Books & Knowledge Management
• Table 2: Definition of Product Manipulation Categories (M1-M3) (See Appendix 10.2 for details)
  • M1: Avoidance (e.g., avoiding electromagnetic waves)
  • M2: Detection (e.g., detecting hidden information)
  • M3: Approach/Processing/Amplification (e.g., approaching specific energies, processing information)

4.3. Listing Strategy and Data Collection

• Initial Listing Strategy: Initially, products were selected so that the listing ratio of the T×M combinations (12 in total) would be uniform.
• Sequential Adjustment of Listing Ratios: As data collection progressed, the logarithm of the reaction rate (log(reaction_rate)), a proxy for attention described later, was treated as a likelihood. The listing ratio for each T×M combination was then dynamically changed пропорционально to this value.
• Data Collection Items: Cumulative views (recorded as watch in this study) and search hits (recorded as search), updated every 24 hours by the online flea market platform, were manually recorded for each product. Since these figures did not change except at the time of updating, daily recording was sufficient.
• Listing Timing: New product listings were consistently made at 21:00 daily to eliminate variations in viewing trends due to time of day.
• Sample Size Criterion: Considering the 12 T×M combinations, a total sample size (number of listed products) of N=100 was considered a benchmark, also factoring in the time and effort of listing. The final analysis included 98 products.

4.4. Scoring of Attention

To measure how much attention users paid to product information, the following indicators were defined:

• Reaction Rate (reaction_rate): Defined as reaction_rate = watch / (search + 1). This represents the proportion of users who actually viewed the individual product page (watch) among those who encountered the product in search results or elsewhere (search). Adding 1 to the denominator was to avoid division by zero if search hits were 0 and to mitigate the impact of extremely low search hit counts.
• Score (score): Defined as score = log(reaction_rate) - log(0.5). Taking the logarithm of the reaction rate was confirmed to make the data distribution closer to a normal distribution (see Figure 1 below), facilitating statistical analysis. Subtracting log(0.5) was done to make a 50% reaction rate (half of those who searched viewed the page) the baseline (score 0), making it easier to compare attention levels relatively.

4.5. Verification of Pricing Strategies

The following experiments were conducted to verify the impact of product pricing on attention:

• Initial Pricing: Initially listed products were priced at a fixed 5000 JPY.
• Phased Discount Experiment: For some products, the listing price started at 5000 JPY and was discounted by 100 JPY at daily intervals. Cumulative views and search hits were recorded at each step (data recorded in "Daily Change Data.xlsx").
• Later Price Changes: In the latter half of the research, hoping to elicit more reactions, some products were priced around 3000 JPY, and eventually, all products were priced at 1500 JPY to observe reactions.
• Approach to Analyzing Price/Image Effects: The impact of price changes or product image alterations on attention was considered by applying the principles of DiD (Difference in Difference) analysis, comparing changes in data under different conditions, rather than through rigorous statistical analysis.

4.6. AI-Generated Product Descriptions

Some of the product descriptions were generated using Google's Gemini API. Prompts, in a format similar to the query variable in "Conspiracy_Research.ipynb," instructed the AI to generate descriptions aligning with conspiracy-related contexts by combining specified topic (e.g., T3: Occult & Spiritual) and manipulation (e.g., M1: Avoidance) keywords.

4.7. Analysis of Day-of-Week Effects

To evaluate the impact of the listing day of the week on attention, scores for each product, adjusted by subtracting the overall average score, were aggregated by day of the week and observed for trends.

5. Results: What Attracted Attention and What Didn't

5.1. Distribution of Attention Scores

First, the distribution of attention scores (log(reaction_rate) - log(0.5)) for all products was examined.

Figure 1: Q-Q Plot of log(reaction_rate) Vertical Axis: Ordered Values, Horizontal Axis: Theoretical quantiles | Ordered Values | Theoretical quantiles | | :-------------: | :--------------------: | | Approx. -1.7 | Approx. -1.5 | | Approx. -1.2 | Approx. -1.0 | | Approx. -0.8 | Approx. -0.6 | | Approx. -0.6 | Approx. -0.3 | | Approx. -0.1 | Approx. 0.0 | | Approx. 0.1 | Approx. 0.2 | | Approx. 0.3 | Approx. 0.3 | | Approx. 0.4 | Approx. 0.5 | | Approx. 0.5 | Approx. 0.7 | | Approx. 1.0 | Approx. 0.9 | | Approx. 1.5 | Approx. 1.6 | (Source: log(reaction_rate)よし、正規分布の仮定でいいらしい.jpg)

This Q-Q plot shows that the data points for log(reaction_rate) fall approximately on a straight line, suggesting that the distribution is close to normal. This supports the validity of statistical analysis using the log-transformed score. Furthermore, a histogram of the scores (generated as df["score"].hist() in "Conspiracy_Research.ipynb") showed that the scores were dispersed over a certain range.

5.2. "Information Combinations" That Attracted More Attention

Next, an analysis was conducted to determine which "information combinations" in products garnered higher attention scores.

• Figure 2: Average Attention Score by Topic Vertical Axis: Average Score, Horizontal Axis: Topic | Topic | Average Score (Approx.) | | :---: | :--------------------: | | T1 | Approx. 0.1 | | T2 | Approx. 0.3 | | T3 | Approx. 0.8 | | T4 | Approx. 0.15 | (Source: np.log(reaction_rate)-np.log(0.5)_by_topic.png)

  When categorized by main topic, "T3: Occult & Spiritual" showed a markedly higher average score compared to other topics.

• Figure 3: Average Attention Score by Manipulation Category Vertical Axis: Average Score, Horizontal Axis: Subtopic | Subtopic | Average Score (Approx.) | | :------: | :--------------------: | | M1 | Approx. -0.1 | | M2 | Approx. 0.32 | | M3 | Approx. 0.43 | (Source: score_mean_by_subtopic.jpg)

  By manipulation category, "M3: Approach/Processing/Amplification" had the highest average score, followed by "M2: Detection," and then "M1: Avoidance." "M1: Avoidance" had a negative average score, indicating a relatively low level of attention.

• Figure 4: Ranking of Average Attention Scores by Topic × Manipulation Category Vertical Axis: Average Score, Horizontal Axis: Combination of Topic & Subtopic | Combination (T, M) | Average Score (Approx.) | | :-----------------: | :--------------------: | | (T1, M1) | Approx. -1.1 | | (T2, M2) | Approx. -0.2 | | (T4, M1) | Approx. -0.1 | | (T4, M3) | Approx. 0.05 | | (T1, M2) | Approx. 0.08 | | (T2, M3) | Approx. 0.5 | | (T2, M1) | Approx. 0.55 | | (T3, M2) | Approx. 0.7 | | (T3, M3) | Approx. 0.75 | | (T1, M3) | Approx. 0.9 | | (T4, M2) | Approx. 1.0 | | (T3, M1) | Approx. 1.05 | (Source: score_mean_by_topic_and_subtopic.jpg)

  For combinations of topic and manipulation categories, pairings like "T3(Occult & Spiritual) - M1(Avoidance)" and "T4(Forbidden Books & Knowledge Management) - M2(Detection)" ranked high, while "T1(Technology & Security) - M1(Avoidance)" and others scored low (see Appendix 10.3 for details). A note in the research log, "M1=Avoidance seems unpopular anyway," supports this trend.

5.3. Impact of Pricing Strategies

The impact of price changes on attention was not uniform.

• Figure 5: Schematic Comparison of Attention Trends for Fixed-Price vs. Discounted Products (Original Data: "5000 JPY Fixed.jpg", "Daily Change Data.xlsx", "Power of Discounting.jpg")

  • Trend Example for 5000 JPY Fixed-Price Products Vertical Axis: Indicator Value (0.0-0.8), Horizontal Axis: Period | Product Name | Initial Value | Mid Value | Final Value | | :------------------------------------------ | :-----------: | :-------: | :---------: | | Ancient Energy Amplifying Pen - Quantum Flow- | Approx. 0.65 | Approx. 0.3 | Approx. 0.25 | | Pen of Truth Evasion | - | - | - | | Knowledge Prohibition Evasion Pen | Approx. 0.22 | Approx. 0.22 | Approx. 0.25 | | Ancient Wisdom Writing Tool - Knowledge Leak Evasion Model | Approx. 0.32 | Approx. 0.55 | Approx. 0.54 | (Source: 5000円固定のもの.jpg)
  • Power of Discounting (Count Comparison) Vertical Axis: Count, Horizontal Axis: Indicator Value Range | Indicator Value Range | Discounted (Blue) | Not Discounted (Red) | | :------------------: | :---------------: | :------------------: | | 0.0-0.5 | 1 | 2 | | 0.5-1.0 | 8 | 2 | | 1.0-1.5 | 10 | 0 | | 1.5-2.0 | 9 | 0 | | 2.0-2.5 | 3 | 0 | | 2.5-3.0 | 1 | 0 | (Source: 値下げの威力.jpg)

  When prices were fixed at 5000 JPY, many products showed no significant change in attention ("It really doesn't change if you don't discount lol"). In contrast, for product groups that were progressively discounted, some cases showed impression/search (an indicator thought to be close to the click-through rate from search results) converging towards a specific value soon after discounting began (around the 3rd day) ("On the other hand, discounting makes impression/search converge to a proper value?").

• However, as noted in the research log, "Discounted products, if anything, got worse reactions...?", data in "Daily Change Data.xlsx" confirmed that for some products, views and search hits stagnated or even decreased after price reductions.

5.4. Linguistic Trends in Products That Attracted Attention

The research log contains the entry, "Products with good reactions, when vectorized by words, are mostly the same." This suggests commonalities in the words and phrases used in the descriptions of products that garnered high attention. Specifically, when a vector was assigned based on the position of words used from a predefined list (e.g., T1 category keyword list), products with high attention tended to have similar vectors. For example, keywords frequently appearing in conspiracy theories, such as "special technology," "protection from surveillance," "5G interference prevention," "thought control," "HAARP," "QR code nullification," or sensational appeals combining these, as devised in the "Conspiracy Theorist Ballpoint Pen Product Plan," could potentially attract a certain level of interest.

5.5. Data Collection Challenges

During the analysis, a challenge was identified: "Aggregating by T*M alone inevitably results in products that don't get search hits." This indicates that for certain niche combinations, products might not be sufficiently exposed by the online flea market's search algorithm, leading to extremely low view and search hit counts, thus making accurate attention assessment difficult.

6. Discussion: The Small Reality of the Conspiracy Market and Probabilistic Models

6.1. Interpretation of Information Combinations That Attracted High Attention

The results of this study showed a tendency for products related to "T3: Occult & Spiritual" and those appealing to "M3: Approach/Processing/Amplification" manipulations to gather relatively high attention. The combination "T3-M1 (Occult & Spiritual - Avoidance)" also scored highly. These tendencies might be interpretable in relation to the psychological characteristics of conspiracy believers described in the "Comprehensive Analysis of Modern Conspiracy Theories." For instance, the "Occult & Spiritual" theme might appeal to an interest in phenomena unexplained by existing science or authority, or to a desire for special knowledge (a sense of being chosen). The "Avoidance" manipulation could resonate with vague anxieties and threat perceptions regarding society or technology (e.g., defense against electromagnetic waves, escape from surveillance), while "Approach/Processing/Amplification" might be perceived as fulfilling desires to access hidden truths or special powers.

6.2. Complexity of Pricing Strategies

Regarding pricing strategies, the results showed that simple discounting did not always lead to increased attention. The fact that some products experienced worse reactions after discounting suggests that price might function as a signal of quality or trustworthiness, or that the price sensitivity of the target demographic is not uniform. Alternatively, the initial pricing (5000 JPY) might have been significantly outside the typical price range for this niche market, thus limiting the effectiveness of discounts.

6.3. Market Size Estimation and Validation of the "Probabilistic" Model

One of the most crucial findings of this research relates to market size. The research log states, "Even with discounting, weekly views settled around 100-120. This reasonably implies that only about this many people on the online flea market react to such comprehensively sprinkled conspiracy-related words." Based on this observation, the active user base (market size) on the online flea market studied, who proactively react to the keyword "conspiracy theory" and search/view related products, was estimated to be extremely small, around 100 individuals on a weekly basis.

This market size estimation casts significant doubt on the validity of the initial research motivation: a "probabilistic business model similar to specialized fraud." Specialized fraud schemes profit by reaching a certain number of "targets" through a vast number of attempts (e.g., phone calls), even with a very low success rate. However, in the market targeted by this study, the potential customer base (population) is absolutely too small. Therefore, even if the probability of attracting attention could be somewhat increased, translating this into actual sales (y=1, i.e., a sale occurring) is considered extremely difficult. To quote the research log, the conclusion is that "the population is too small for a realized value (y=1) to be feasible." If the market size were, for example, around 100,000, a 0.01% reaction rate could be expected to yield 10 sales, but this premise does not hold in the current situation.

6.4. Effectiveness and Limitations of This Research Approach

The approach of exploring "information combinations," using an analogy to drug discovery, demonstrated some effectiveness in probing product appeal points and the interests of the target demographic in a niche market. Using proxy indicators like reaction rates allows for an understanding of attention trends even when actual sales data is scarce. However, the limitations of this approach also became clear. If the market size itself is a major constraint for business viability, then optimizing information structure, no matter how well, is unlikely to lead to substantial results.

6.5. Fixation on "Pens" as a Product and Other Possibilities

The research log includes the insight, "I see products like 'CMC' are selling, maybe I should have sourced and sold those instead of fixating on pens." This suggests that the "pen" product category, which was the main focus of this study, might not have been the most in-demand item in this niche market. If a similar analytical approach had been tried with products more aligned with market needs (e.g., health accessories, also mentioned in the log), different results might have been obtained. However, as the researcher pointed out, delving that far would go beyond the scope of a hobby and become a full-fledged business, so it was not pursued in this study.

7. Conclusion and Future Outlook

7.1. Summary of This Study

This study attempted to identify conditions (information combinations, pricing) for maximizing the attention received by conspiracy-related products on an online flea market, using a data-driven approach. The results confirmed that certain combinations of topics (Occult & Spiritual) and manipulation categories (Avoidance, Approach, etc.) tended to show relatively high reaction rates. However, the impact of price changes was complex and did not yield consistent effects. The most significant conclusion was that the scale of this niche market on the online flea market in question is extremely small, suggesting that applying a probabilistic "hit-or-miss" business model would make achieving stable sales difficult.

7.2. Implications of the Statistical Approach

This research demonstrated that even in niche markets with limited data, setting proxy indicators like reaction rates and employing exploratory approaches (experimental design, sequential improvement) can provide certain insights into market characteristics and consumer interest directions. Statistical thinking and data analysis can serve as a "compass" to aid decision-making even in such tentative situations.

7.3. Future Outlook

Based on the findings of this study, the following future prospects can be considered: * Validation on Larger Platforms: Conducting similar research on platforms with a larger user base might alleviate market size constraints and yield different results. * Application to Different Niche Markets: The "information combination exploration" approach used in this study could potentially be applied to product development and marketing strategies in various niche markets other than conspiracy theories. * Long-Term Observation: Based on the research log's reflection that "conspiracy business... it should be optimal to leave [products] there so they catch the eye when an idiot searches," observing product attention and sales over a longer period might yield different insights.

8. Research Limitations

This study has several limitations: * Limited Scope of Platform: The experiments were confined to a specific online flea market, and the results may not be generalizable to other platforms or the market as a whole. * Use of Proxy Indicators: "Reaction rate" of attention was used as the primary evaluation metric, rather than actual "sales" data, so it does not necessarily directly correlate with sales performance. * Sample Size Constraints: The number of products analyzed was 98, and the estimated market size was also small (around 100 weekly users), limiting statistical power. * Lack of Word-Level Analysis: Detailed analysis of the impact of individual words or phrases in product descriptions on attention, using advanced text mining or natural language processing, was not conducted.

9. References

• BBC News Japan. (2020, August 29). "QAnon to wa nani ka: Inbouron shuudan no shoutai to mokuteki, kikensei" [What is QAnon: The identity, purpose, and danger of the conspiracy theory group].
• Waseda University Institute for Advanced Social Sciences. (2022, August 1). "【Kenkyuu Shoukai】Inbouron wa naze hirogaru no ka? Sono shinri mekanizumu ni semaru" [(Research Introduction) Why do conspiracy theories spread? Approaching the psychological mechanism].
• Brotherton, R., French, C. C., & Pickering, A. D. (2013). Measuring belief in conspiracy theories: The generic conspiracist beliefs scale. Frontiers in psychology, 4, 279.

10. Appendix

10.1. Table: Detailed Definitions of Main Product Topic Categories (T1-T4)

| Category ID | Category Name | Summary/Keyword Examples | | :---------- | :------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | T1 | Technology & Security | EMF, 5G, electromagnetic waves, radiation, shielding, communication, encryption, software, programs, biometric authentication, etc. | | T2 | Surveillance, Censorship & Government-Related | Surveillance, censorship, government secrets, secrets, documents, records, government documents, etc. | | T3 | Occult & Spiritual | Orb detection, spiritual phenomena, pendulums, ancient civilizations, alien contact, energy, crystals, chakras, quantum consciousness, etc. | | T4 | Forbidden Books & Knowledge Management | Ancient texts, forbidden books, ancient languages, shortwave (retro technology), etc. |

10.2. Table: Detailed Definitions of Product Manipulation Categories (M1-M3)

| Category ID | Category Name | Summary/Keyword Examples | | :---------- | :--------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------- | | M1 | Avoidance | Shielding, soundproofing, prevention, avoidance (e.g., avoiding negative energy) | | M2 | Detection | Detectors, finders, detection devices, deciphering (e.g., detecting hidden information) | | M3 | Approach/Processing/Amplification | Processing, amplification, magnification (e.g., approaching and amplifying ancient knowledge) |

10.3. Table: Summary of Main Analysis Results (Examples of High/Low Average Attention Scores by Topic × Manipulation Category)

| Combination (T-M) | Average Score (Approx.) | Trend | | :---------------- | :---------------------- | :----------------- | | T3 - M1 | High | Attracts attention | | T4 - M2 | High | Attracts attention | | T1 - M3 | Medium-High | Relatively attentive | | T2 - M3 | Medium | Somewhat attentive | | T1 - M1 | Low (Negative) | Less attention | | T2 - M1 | Low (Negative) | Less attention | (Note: The scores above are approximate values from the figures and actual precise numbers are based on the original data.)

10.4. Representative Examples of AI-Generated Product Descriptions

Basic Prompt Structure Example: "I want to sell {word} at a high price. Combine one from {maintopic} and {manipulation} to create a product description and an appropriate price. Respond in the format: 'Main Topic Category (T1-T4)':'Manipulation Category (M1-M3)':'Product Name':'Product Description':'Price' only once. Absolutely adhere to the specified {maintopic} and {manipulation}. No other output is necessary. Respond in Japanese." (Placeholders like {word} would be filled with "ballpoint pen," {maintopic} with "T3," and {manipulation} with "M1," etc., as specific instructions.)

Generated Example (Combination T3 - M1): * "Thought Shield Ballpoint Pen: This pen was specially created to powerfully block and evade external negative thoughts and spiritual interference through the sacred act of writing. Based on ancient esoteric arts and quantum consciousness theory, a special energy shield sealed inside the pen protects your thought space and personal field. Using it when signing important contracts or for work requiring concentration helps defend against malice and unnecessary energy, maintaining clear thought. The act of holding it itself becomes a powerful barrier, effectively evading unnecessary energies in daily life." * "Quantum Shield Energy Pen: The act of writing with this pen deploys a quantum shield around your energy field. It is expected to block and evade negative energies and unnecessary external influences, and to balance your chakras. This is a limited-production item using special manufacturing methods and rare materials."

@ ce2820ce:8cf20d40

If you insist that my worldview join your pessimistic outlook on life, and you argue with me with a vengeance until I sympathize with your miserable failing hopeless vision of the future...than fight me!

Go ahead, give me all your reasons why I should fear:::Climate Change. Political Injustice. Too much screen time. The Dangers of social media. Fentanyl in my Cheerios. Glyphosate in my weed. Plastic in my brain. Estrogen in my receipt paper.

And the list goes on:::Nuclear War. The Ominous Second Coming of Hitler. The Genocide of Gaza. The Anti-semitism. The Ultra-Rich After my Red Meat.

And while I'm at it, how about the thousands of other “micro-negativities” that are casually beaten into our psyche all day. Pleasure and punishment in the same sadistic act. Warning labels and threats of death on everything from clothing to candy wrappers.

Don't get me wrong. I understand all the reasons why the alarm bells are going off. I'm most definitely thinking about the healthiest possible long term future for my kids, and for many generations to come.

We are not done here, is what I have to say to that. And if you narcissitic, self-loathing, pathologically empathetic descendants of hippies think that this is the last generation to ever walk the Earth, than all I ask is; Go Kill Yourselves Now, and spare us all the trouble of your self-perpetuated miseries.

If you have no mind for the future, and you don't plan on having children, than you better well keep your traps shut and go enjoy the fuck out of this glorious age of excess that we are currently abiding in, until its gone. Because what do you care if it is? You're not leaving any future generations to the dystopia, so what do you have to feel guilty about?

If you do have a mind for the future, and you have or would like to have children of your own, then my heartfelt response to you is that you should do your utmost to focus on the solutions, the bright spots, the gratitudes of life and the progress that humans have made and that we will continue to make. There is no stopping now.

There are no doubt terrifying problems and apocalyptic potentials for Planet Earth in the coming centuries, but this pattern of preaching fear HAS GOT TO STOP. All we are doing is entertaining negativity; giving far too much credit to the forces of destruction and to the demons of our own dissatisfactions.

Too many generations are now embracing a culture of hopelessness. We've pounded their heads full of horrible news for their future – climate change, diseases, technology woes – and we continue to do so on a daily basis. We pontificate about skyrocketing mental health and suicide rates among teens, but all we do is point fingers and shout platitudes at those to whom we offload the responsibility of our kids to.

So do the future a favor, and start thinking about one that you might actually enjoy living in. If you're already having that problem – the one about enjoying things – than figure out what the fuck it is that is keeping you from envisioning a positive future. What went wrong in your own life that made you so depressed and unhappy? Misery loves company, we all know that, and it seems that the only way to relate to my peers these days is through a semi-informed rant about the stresses and horrors of the modern world.

The problem is, we don't stick to our guns when it comes to those convictions. We complain about social media, but we still use it everyday. We put AI on blast and expound its humanity ending potentials, while we ask it questions about our astrology and our skin conditions.

So if you are going to spread the murder pron, and fill your stories up with the perpetual shock and fear, in-between selfies of you enjoying your luxurious life, than you are living a duplicitous and dangerous path.

You feel guilty for your privileged life, and the way you assuage that is by expounding your concern for the ills and unfairness of the outside world, and by pretending to “put in the work” to “heal our wounds” or destroy the patriarchy by smearing your big ass across my Instagram feeds. Here, let me help you.

Your Suffering isn't Saving Anybody. It's only pulling a drag net through your mind's ability to let happiness and love into your life. Don't take pride in your own wounds, as you do not really wish them on anybody else, and you certainly don't want your kids to feel the trauma's you are trying to get over from your own childhood.

So if you think “pessimism is the only morally acceptable emotion” when it comes to thinking about the future, than I will fight you tooth and nail to maintain my own delusion that the future is still bright. If you want to tell my kids that Hitler is coming, that the sea levels are rising, and that AI will end their lives, than I will beat your misery to a bloody pulp, and try and help you see a future worth living.

The point is, I've lost friends, and watched love ones fall into this “addiction” to the broadcast news negativity. It is a bad habit that must be broken, as we are losing our ability to trust, and losing our faith in our own power. If you isolate yourself with misery, than you will never feel emboldened to overcome anything, and you will never learn what love can do.

Look at the future. If you don't see any hope, than you better find some. It takes courage to move forward, and it takes courage to kill yourself. It takes only cowardice to remain in the muddled middle-ground of in-action and crippling in-decision.

Make the move, and tell me how it goes. I’m here to help.

With Love,

-§parrow

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

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Sponsored reviews are independent from the kycnot.me list, being only part of the blog. The reviews have no impact on the scores of the listings or their continued presence on the list. Should any issues arise, I will not hesitate to remove any listing.

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The review

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Rating: ★★★★★ Service Website: wizardswap.io

Liquidity

Right off the bat, we'll start off by pointing out that WizardSwap relies on its own liquidity reserves, meaning they aren't just a reseller of Binance or another exchange. They're also committed to a no-KYC policy, when asking them, they even promised they would rather refund a user their original coins, than force them to undergo any sort of verification.

On the one hand, full control over all their infrastructure gives users the most privacy and conviction about the KYC policies remaining in place.

On the other hand, this means the liquidity available for swapping isn't huge. At the time of testing we could only purchase at most about 0.73 BTC with XMR.

It's clear the team behind WizardSwap is aware of this shortfall and so they've come up with a solution unique among instant exchanges. They let you, the user, deposit any of the currencies they support into your account and earn a profit on the trades made using your liquidity.

Trading

Fees on WizardSwap are middle-of-the-pack. The normal fee is 2.2%. That's more than some exchanges that reserve the right to suddenly demand you undergo verification, yet less than half the fees on some other privacy-first exchanges. However as we mentioned in the section above you can earn almost all of that fee (2%) if you provide liquidity to WizardSwap.

It's good that with the current Bitcoin fee market their fees are constant regardless of how much, or how little, you send. This is in stark contrast with some of the alternative swap providers that will charge you a massive premium when attempting to swap small amounts of BTC away.

Test trades

Test trades are always performed without previous notice to the service provider.

During our testing we performed a few test trades and found that every single time WizardSwap immediately detected the incoming transaction and the amount we received was exactly what was quoted before depositing. The fees were inline with what WizardSwap advertises.

• Monero payment proof
• Bitcoin received
• Wizardswap TX link - it's possible that this link may cease to be valid at some point in the future.

ToS and KYC

WizardSwap does not have a Terms of Service or a Privacy Policy page, at least none that can be found by users. Instead, they offer a FAQ section where they addresses some basic questions.

The site does not mention any KYC or AML practices. It also does not specify how refunds are handled in case of failure. However, based on the FAQ section "What if I send funds after the offer expires?" it can be inferred that contacting support is necessary and network fees will be deducted from any refund.

UI & Tor

WizardSwap can be visited both via your usual browser and Tor Browser. Should you decide on the latter you'll find that the website works even with the most strict settings available in the Tor Browser (meaning no JavaScript).

However, when disabling Javascript you'll miss the live support chat, as well as automatic refreshing of the trade page. The lack of the first means that you will have no way to contact support from the trade page if anything goes wrong during your swap, although you can do so by mail.

One important thing to have in mind is that if you were to accidentally close the browser during the swap, and you did not save the swap ID or your browser history is disabled, you'll have no easy way to return to the trade. For this reason we suggest when you begin a trade to copy the url or ID to someplace safe, before sending any coins to WizardSwap.

The UI you'll be greeted by is simple, minimalist, and easy to navigate. It works well not just across browsers, but also across devices. You won't have any issues using this exchange on your phone.

Getting in touch

The team behind WizardSwap appears to be most active on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/WizardSwap_io

If you have any comments or suggestions about the exchange make sure to reach out to them. In the past they've been very receptive to user feedback, for instance a few months back WizardSwap was planning on removing DeepOnion, but the community behind that project got together ^1 and after reaching out WizardSwap reversed their decision ^2.

You can also contact them via email at: support @ wizardswap . io

Disclaimer

None of the above should be understood as investment or financial advice. The views are our own only and constitute a faithful representation of our experience in using and investigating this exchange. This review is not a guarantee of any kind on the services rendered by the exchange. Do your own research before using any service.

@ 7459d333:f207289b

Tokenization of physical assets sounds kinda dumb. Say you tokenize a house. What happens if you loose the private keys? What happens if the last “legal” (on paper) owner claims it? Basically, the tokenization is useless. The house is still subject to whatever jurisdiction is in. And the smart contract can say whatever, but that does not make it true.

What's not so obvious is for virtual assets or service tokens. A good example is cashu. Where tokenizing Bitcoin has the advantages of allowing the users to transact with it “without the mint's permission”. This could be applied similarly for concert tickets or API credits.

For example, the biggest problem of concert ticket reselling is trusting that other copies of the PDF with the QR code won't be used before the one you bought. Or that you won't have problems at the entry because the ticket is not in your name. A mint that allows users to transact between them preventing double spending and fungibility would solve this.

But for some reason shitcoiners are obsessed on tokenizing physical assets or company shares. Where the only benefit that tokenizing could bring is avoiding regulations (until they update the laws).

So, what's your take on tokenization?

https://stacker.news/items/992519

@ 29313cc9:a6bf155e

I thought i'd experiment with this Nostr blogging thing and write a short article on the state of Meshtastic and its alternatives.

For years Meshtastic was the only game in town, there wasn't a lot of users but the authors kept plugging away and it has become a thriving ecosystem of open source hardware, software, tools and social scene.

Meshtastic has always been focused on node to node messaging, in particular one of the use cases specifically mentioned was hiking in the wilderness or skiing in the mountains and being able to use these devices off-grid, perhaps even without a phone to communicate with one and other. The project does have a few other features like telemetry, remote admin, packet data etc but the messaging was the focus. Because of this focus, the core functionality needs to be built into the firmware of these low powered devices like ESP32 for example. This restricts what can be done in terms of CPU power and storage, but also makes synchronization between device and phone cumbersome.

Unfortunately, as a messaging platform, Meshtastic still struggles even after all these years. Message delivery and routing are fairly unreliable, 95% of conversations go along the lines of "hello, test, anyone there?". Now I should mention, if you have a very good signal to your peers the reliability can be good, but even then its not a guarantee.

Early on in the Meshtastic journey I stumbled upon a similar project named Reticulum which can utilize the same LoRa based hardware but aims to be a more comprehensive platform for decentralized communications and currently requires a computer or raspberry pi to run the Python backend alongside the LoRa hardware as a radio. Reticulum has historically been a less polished UI experience and a little idiosyncratic in its design which has probably hindered its adoption a little. But the main difference to Meshtastic is Reticulum requires bigger hardware and is less suitable for remote installations, solar powered setups etc. My understanding is once v1.0 has been released (soon) there may be efforts to port the code to native C which may allow hardware nodes to run as repeaters on their own.

More recently a new project has been announced called Meshcore, which is more closely aligned with Meshtastic than Reticulum, Meshcore makes several important improvements to message delivery and routing in an attempt to improve the reliability of the core feature, messaging. Popular Youtube channel Andy Kirby has been central in helping Meshcore gain popularity and I think he may be involved in the commercial aspects of the project. The smartphone apps and website mapping and flasher tools are a bit more polished with Meshcore.

One of the biggest contributors in the space is Liam Cottle who has created mapping websites for Meshtastic & Meshcore, he also built the Meshcore smartphone app and built the fantastic Reticulum MeshChat UI.

With all this new competition Meshtastic appears to be pushing out more frequent updates and whilst they have been introducing more bugs into the software it is nice to see some faster progress.

In my opinion Reticulum is probably the most interesting project with the most potential, but they do need to get the core routing engine running standalone on low powered hardware for the project to expand to more hardware/radio focused users.

That is all. Mesh on!

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

Bitcoin enthusiasts frequently and correctly remark how much value it adds to Bitcoin not to have a face, a leader, or a central authority behind it. This particularity means there isn't a single person to exert control over, or a single human point of failure who could become corrupt or harmful to the project.

Because of this, it is said that no other coin can be equally valuable as Bitcoin in terms of decentralization and trustworthiness. Bitcoin is unique not just for being first, but also because of how the events behind its inception developed. This implies that, from Bitcoin onwards, any coin created would have been created by someone, consequently having an authority behind it. For this and some other reasons, some people refer to Bitcoin as "The Immaculate Conception".

While other coins may have their own unique features and advantages, they may not be able to replicate Bitcoin's community-driven nature. However, one other cryptocurrency shares a similar story of mystery behind its creation: Monero.

History of Monero

Bytecoin and CryptoNote

In March 2014, a Bitcointalk thread titled "Bytecoin. Secure, private, untraceable since 2012" was initiated by a user under the nickname "DStrange"^1^. DStrange presented Bytecoin (BCN) as a unique cryptocurrency, in operation since July 2012. Unlike Bitcoin, it employed a new algorithm known as CryptoNote.

DStrange apparently stumbled upon the Bytecoin website by chance while mining a dying bitcoin fork, and decided to create a thread on Bitcointalk^1^. This sparked curiosity among some users, who wondered how could Bytecoin remain unnoticed since its alleged launch in 2012 until then^2^.

Some time after, a user brought up the "CryptoNote v2.0" whitepaper for the first time, underlining its innovative features^4^. Authored by the pseudonymous Nicolas van Saberhagen in October 2013, the CryptoNote v2 whitepaper^5^ highlighted the traceability and privacy problems in Bitcoin. Saberhagen argued that these flaws could not be quickly fixed, suggesting it would be more efficient to start a new project rather than trying to patch the original^5^, an statement simmilar to the one from Satoshi Nakamoto^6^.

Checking with Saberhagen's digital signature, the release date of the whitepaper seemed correct, which would mean that Cryptonote (v1) was created in 2012^7^, although there's an important detail: "Signing time is from the clock on the signer's computer" ^9^.

Moreover, the whitepaper v1 contains a footnote link to a Bitcointalk post dated May 5, 2013^10^, making it impossible for the whitepaper to have been signed and released on December 12, 2012.

As the narrative developed, users discovered that a significant 80% portion of Bytecoin had been pre-mined^11^ and blockchain dates seemed to be faked to make it look like it had been operating since 2012, leading to controversy surrounding the project.

The origins of CryptoNote and Bytecoin remain mysterious, leaving suspicions of a possible scam attempt, although the whitepaper had a good amount of work and thought on it.

The fork

In April 2014, the Bitcointalk user thankful_for_today, who had also participated in the Bytecoin thread^12^, announced plans to launch a Bytecoin fork named Bitmonero^13^.

The primary motivation behind this fork was "Because there is a number of technical and marketing issues I wanted to do differently. And also because I like ideas and technology and I want it to succeed"^14^. This time Bitmonero did things different from Bytecoin: there was no premine or instamine, and no portion of the block reward went to development.

However, thankful_for_today proposed controversial changes that the community disagreed with. Johnny Mnemonic relates the events surrounding Bitmonero and thankful_for_today in a Bitcointalk comment^15^:

When thankful_for_today launched BitMonero [...] he ignored everything that was discussed and just did what he wanted. The block reward was considerably steeper than what everyone was expecting. He also moved forward with 1-minute block times despite everyone's concerns about the increase of orphan blocks. He also didn't address the tail emission concern that should've (in my opinion) been in the code at launch time. Basically, he messed everything up. Then, he disappeared.

After disappearing for a while, thankful_for_today returned to find that the community had taken over the project. Johnny Mnemonic continues:

I, and others, started working on new forks that were closer to what everyone else was hoping for. [...] it was decided that the BitMonero project should just be taken over. There were like 9 or 10 interested parties at the time if my memory is correct. We voted on IRC to drop the "bit" from BitMonero and move forward with the project. Thankful_for_today suddenly resurfaced, and wasn't happy to learn the community had assumed control of the coin. He attempted to maintain his own fork (still calling it "BitMonero") for a while, but that quickly fell into obscurity.

The unfolding of these events show us the roots of Monero. Much like Satoshi Nakamoto, the creators behind CryptoNote/Bytecoin and thankful_for_today remain a mystery^17^, having disappeared without a trace. This enigma only adds to Monero's value.

Since community took over development, believing in the project's potential and its ability to be guided in a better direction, Monero was given one of Bitcoin's most important qualities: a leaderless nature. With no single face or entity directing its path, Monero is safe from potential corruption or harm from a "central authority".

The community continued developing Monero until today. Since then, Monero has undergone a lot of technological improvements, migrations and achievements such as RingCT and RandomX. It also has developed its own Community Crowdfundinc System, conferences such as MoneroKon and Monerotopia are taking place every year, and has a very active community around it.

Monero continues to develop with goals of privacy and security first, ease of use and efficiency second. ^16^

This stands as a testament to the power of a dedicated community operating without a central figure of authority. This decentralized approach aligns with the original ethos of cryptocurrency, making Monero a prime example of community-driven innovation. For this, I thank all the people involved in Monero, that lead it to where it is today.

If you find any information that seems incorrect, unclear or any missing important events, please contact me and I will make the necessary changes.

Sources of interest

• https://forum.getmonero.org/20/general-discussion/211/history-of-monero
• https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/852/what-is-the-origin-of-monero-and-its-relationship-to-bytecoin
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monero
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=583449.0
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=563821.0
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=233561
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=512747.0
• https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=740112.0
• https://monero.stackexchange.com/a/1024
• https://inspec2t-project.eu/cryptocurrency-with-a-focus-on-anonymity-these-facts-are-known-about-monero/
• https://medium.com/coin-story/coin-perspective-13-riccardo-spagni-69ef82907bd1
• https://www.getmonero.org/resources/about/
• https://www.wired.com/2017/01/monero-drug-dealers-cryptocurrency-choice-fire/
• https://www.monero.how/why-monero-vs-bitcoin
• https://old.reddit.com/r/Monero/comments/u8e5yr/satoshi_nakamoto_talked_about_privacy_features/

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

Read the original blog post

“The future is there... staring back at us. Trying to make sense of the fiction we will have become.” — William Gibson.

This month is the 4th anniversary of kycnot.me. Thank you for being here.

Fifteen years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer electronic cash system: a decentralized currency free from government and institutional control. Nakamoto's whitepaper showed a vision for a financial system based on trustless transactions, secured by cryptography. Some time forward and KYC (Know Your Customer), AML (Anti-Money Laundering), and CTF (Counter-Terrorism Financing) regulations started to come into play.

What a paradox: to engage with a system designed for decentralization, privacy, and independence, we are forced to give away our personal details. Using Bitcoin in the economy requires revealing your identity, not just to the party you interact with, but also to third parties who must track and report the interaction. You are forced to give sensitive data to entities you don't, can't, and shouldn't trust. Information can never be kept 100% safe; there's always a risk. Information is power, who knows about you has control over you.

Information asymmetry creates imbalances of power. When entities have detailed knowledge about individuals, they can manipulate, influence, or exploit this information to their advantage. The accumulation of personal data by corporations and governments enables extensive surveillances.

Such practices, moreover, exclude individuals from traditional economic systems if their documentation doesn't meet arbitrary standards, reinforcing a dystopian divide. Small businesses are similarly burdened by the costs of implementing these regulations, hindering free market competition^1:

How will they keep this information safe? Why do they need my identity? Why do they force businesses to enforce such regulations? It's always for your safety, to protect you from the "bad". Your life is perpetually in danger: terrorists, money launderers, villains... so the government steps in to save us.

‟Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry Mamma's gonna make all of your nightmares come true Mamma's gonna put all of her fears into you Mamma's gonna keep you right here, under her wing She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing Mamma's gonna keep baby cosy and warm” — Mother, Pink Floyd

We must resist any attack on our privacy and freedom. To do this, we must collaborate.

If you have a service, refuse to ask for KYC; find a way. Accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero. Commit to circular economies. Remove the need to go through the FIAT system. People need fiat money to use most services, but we can change that.

If you're a user, donate to and prefer using services that accept such currencies. Encourage your friends to accept cryptocurrencies as well. Boycott FIAT system to the greatest extent you possibly can.

This may sound utopian, but it can be achieved. This movement can't be stopped. Go kick the hornet's nest.

“We must defend our own privacy if we expect to have any. We must come together and create systems which allow anonymous transactions to take place. People have been defending their own privacy for centuries with whispers, darkness, envelopes, closed doors, secret handshakes, and couriers. The technologies of the past did not allow for strong privacy, but electronic technologies do.” — Eric Hughes, A Cypherpunk's Manifesto

The anniversary

Four years ago, I began exploring ways to use crypto without KYC. I bookmarked a few favorite services and thought sharing them to the world might be useful. That was the first version of kycnot.me — a simple list of about 15 services. Since then, I've added services, rewritten it three times, and improved it to what it is now.

kycnot.me has remained 100% independent and 100% open source^2 all these years. I've received offers to buy the site, all of which I have declined and will continue to decline. It has been DDoS attacked many times, but we made it through. I have also rewritten the whole site almost once per year (three times in four years).

The code and scoring algorithm are open source (contributions are welcome) and I can't arbitrarly change a service's score without adding or removing attributes, making any arbitrary alterations obvious if they were fake. You can even see the score summary for any service's score.

I'm a one-person team, dedicating my free time to this project. I hope to keep doing so for many more years. Again, thank you for being part of this.

@ 3770c235:16042bcc

Let’s clear something up: frugal living isn’t about eating ramen every night or never treating yourself. It’s about being intentional with your money so you can enjoy what matters more. Think of it like editing a movie—you cut the boring scenes to highlight the best parts. You don’t have to give up lattes, travel, or Friday pizza nights. You just need a few clever tricks to make your money stretch further while keeping the fun intact.

Take my friend Alex, for example. Last year, he felt overwhelmed by credit card debt but didn’t want to give up his weekend hikes or coffee shop visits. By tweaking a few habits—like auditing subscriptions and prioritizing experiences—he paid off $5,000 in debt and still took a camping trip with his kids. The secret? Small, intentional choices that add up. In this guide, we’ll share practical, joy-friendly hacks to help you save smarter. Plus, we’ll mention sites like Crown Money—a budgeting service that makes tracking your progress effortless—so you can focus on living well, not pinching pennies.

**1. Audit Your Subscriptions (Yes, Even That One) ** You know that streaming service you haven’t opened since 2022? Or the gym membership you keep “meaning to use”? Those small charges add up fast. A recent study found the average person spends 219/month on forgotten subscriptions—that’s over 2,600 a year!

• The Hack: Every 3 months, review your subscriptions. Ask: “Do I actually use this?” Cancel anything that doesn’t spark joy. • Pro Tip: Use Crown Money to see all your subscriptions in one place. The app automatically flags recurring charges, so you don’t have to hunt through bank statements. You’ll even get a nudge like, “You’ve paid $14.99/month for ‘Premium Yoga App’—last used 6 months ago. Cancel?” Real-Life Example: Sarah canceled two unused streaming services and a meditation app she forgot about. She saved $45/month—enough to fund her new hobby: pottery classes. “I didn’t realize how much clutter I was paying for,” she said. “Now I’m learning to make mugs instead of binge-watching shows I don’t even like.”

**2. Embrace the “Joy Budget” (Seriously, Budget for Fun) ** Frugality fails when it feels like deprivation. Instead, carve out guilt-free money for things you love. Behavioral scientists call this “temptation bundling”—pairing savings goals with rewards to stay motivated.

• The Hack: Allocate 10–15% of your budget to a “Joy Fund” for hobbies, dining out, or travel. • Pro Tip: In Crown Money, create a custom category like “Adventure Fund” or “Treat Yourself.” Set a monthly limit and track how much you’ve saved for that weekend getaway or concert ticket. The app’s visual progress bars turn saving into a game—imagine watching your “Beach Trip 2024” fund grow with every dollar.

Real-Life Example: Mark loves trying new restaurants. By setting a $100/month “Dining Out” budget in Crown Money, he enjoys date nights without overspending. “I used to feel guilty splurging on sushi,” he shared. “Now I know it’s part of the plan, so I savor every bite.”

1. Master Mindful Spending (Ask This One Question) Before buying anything non-essential, ask: “Will this add value to my life, or just clutter?” Retail therapy might feel good in the moment, but that $50 impulse sweater often ends up forgotten in the back of your closet.

• The Hack: Implement a 24-hour “cooling-off” period for impulse buys. If you still want it tomorrow, go for it! • Pro Tip: Use Crown Money to review your spending trends. The app’s monthly reports show where your money goes, helping you spot habits (like late-night online shopping) that don’t align with your goals. Set up alerts like, “You’ve spent $75 on ‘Miscellaneous’ this week—want to check in?” Real-Life Example: Lisa avoided buying a $200 jacket on impulse. After 24 hours, she realized she didn’t need it—and put the money toward a weekend camping trip instead. “I almost bought something I’d wear once,” she laughed. “Now I have photos of sunsets instead of buyer’s remorse.”

1. DIY and Swap (Your Wallet Will Thank You) Frugal living thrives on creativity. Swap buying new for: • DIY solutions: Make coffee at home (a $5 bag of beans lasts weeks!), repair clothes, or grow herbs instead of buying them. • Community swaps: Trade books, tools, or skills with friends (e.g., “I’ll babysit if you help me fix my bike”).

Pro Tip: Track your monthly expenses in Crown Money. Create a category like “Homemade Wins” and watch how small choices (like brewing your latte) add up over time. For example, skipping a daily 4 coffee shop visit saves 120/month—that’s a weekend road trip! Real-Life Example: Jake started meal prepping lunches instead of buying 15 salads. He saves 300/month—enough for a monthly massage. “I’m eating healthier and funding self-care,” he said. “Plus, my coworkers are jealous of my teriyaki bowls.”

1. Prioritize Experiences Over “Stuff” (Happiness Science Approved) Research shows experiences bring longer-lasting joy than material purchases. A 2023 study found people who spent money on concerts, trips, or classes reported 30% higher life satisfaction than those who bought gadgets or clothes.

Instead of splurging on gadgets, invest in: • Free/low-cost adventures: Hiking, picnics, game nights, or exploring local festivals. • Shared moments: Host a potluck instead of dining out. Pro Tip: Use Crown Money to set a goal like “Summer Adventure Fund.” Allocate $50/month, and let the app remind you to fund it automatically. Watching that fund grow feels like planning a vacation in slow motion. Real-Life Example: Maria and her partner skipped a pricey vacation and rented a cozy cabin nearby. They saved $1,200 and still made memories roasting marshmallows under the stars. “We thought we needed a fancy trip to connect,” she said. “Turns out, all we needed was a fire pit and no Wi-Fi.”

Key Takeaways • Cut the clutter: Cancel unused subscriptions and track them with tools like Crown Money. • Budget for joy: Allocate guilt-free money for hobbies and experiences. • Pause before purchasing: Avoid impulse buys with a 24-hour rule. • Get creative: DIY, swap, and repurpose to save without sacrifice. • Invest in experiences: They’re richer than “stuff” and often cheaper.

FAQs: Frugal Living Made Simple Q: How do I stay motivated to save? A: Tie savings to specific goals (e.g., “Save $500 for a weekend trip”). Apps like Crown Money let you visualize progress, which feels rewarding!

Q: Can I be frugal and still socialize? A: Absolutely! Host DIY spa nights, picnic potlucks, or free museum days. Use Crown Money to set a “Social Fun” budget and stick to it.

Q: What if I slip up and overspend? A: No guilt! Adjust your budget next month. Crown Money makes it easy to shift funds between categories.

Q: How do I track small savings from DIY habits? A: Create a custom category in Crown Money (e.g., “Homemade Wins”) and log your savings manually. Watching it grow is addictive!

Q: What if I have a financial emergency? A: Build a “Safety Net” category in Crown Money. Start small—even $20/month adds up. The app’s reminders keep you consistent.

**Final Thoughts: Frugal Is Freedom ** Frugal living isn’t about saying “no”—it’s about saying “yes” to what truly lights you up. By trimming the financial fat (goodbye, unused subscriptions!), budgeting for joy, and getting creative, you can save money and savor life’s best moments. Tools like Crown Money are your allies here. They handle the tracking and nudging, so you can focus on the fun parts: planning adventures, trying new recipes, or laughing with friends over a board game. Remember: the goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress. Start small, celebrate wins, and let your frugal habits grow naturally. Your wallet (and your inner joy-seeker) will thank you.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Bank run on every crypto bank then bank run on every "real" bank.

— ODELL (@ODELL) December 14, 2022

The four main banks of bitcoin and “crypto” are Signature, Prime Trust, Silvergate, and Silicon Valley Bank. Prime Trust does not custody funds themselves but rather maintains deposit accounts at BMO Harris Bank, Cross River, Lexicon Bank, MVB Bank, and Signature Bank. Silvergate and Silicon Valley Bank have already stopped withdrawals. More banks will go down before the chaos stops. None of them have sufficient reserves to meet withdrawals.

Bitcoin gives us all the ability to opt out of a system that has massive layers of counterparty risk built in, years of cheap money and broken incentives have layered risk on top of risk throughout the entire global economy. If you thought the FTX bank run was painful to watch, I have bad news for you: every major bank in the world is fractional reserve. Bitcoin held in self custody is unique in its lack of counterparty risk, as global market chaos unwinds this will become much more obvious.

The rules of bitcoin are extremely hard to change by design. Anyone can access the network directly without a trusted third party by using their own node. Owning more bitcoin does not give you more control over the network with all participants on equal footing.

Bitcoin is:
- money that is not controlled by a company or government
- money that can be spent or saved without permission
- money that is provably scarce and should increase in purchasing power with adoption

Bitcoin is money without trust. Whether you are a nation state, corporation, or an individual, you can use bitcoin to spend or save without permission. Social media will accelerate the already deteriorating trust in our institutions and as this trust continues to crumble the value of trust minimized money will become obvious. As adoption increases so should the purchasing power of bitcoin.

A quick note on "stablecoins," such as USDC - it is important to remember that they rely on trusted custodians. They have the same risk as funds held directly in bank accounts with additional counterparty risk on top. The trusted custodians can be pressured by gov, exit scam, or caught up in fraud. Funds can and will be frozen at will. This is a distinctly different trust model than bitcoin, which is a native bearer token that does not rely on any centralized entity or custodian.

Most bitcoin exchanges have exposure to these failing banks. Expect more chaos and confusion as this all unwinds. Withdraw any bitcoin to your own wallet ASAP.

Simple Self Custody Guide: https://werunbtc.com/muun
More Secure Cold Storage Guide: https://werunbtc.com/coldcard

---

If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ b7274d28:c99628cb

A few months ago, a nostrich was switching from iOS to Android and asked for suggestions for #Nostr apps to try out. nostr:npub18ams6ewn5aj2n3wt2qawzglx9mr4nzksxhvrdc4gzrecw7n5tvjqctp424 offered the following as his response:

nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzq0mhp4ja8fmy48zuk5p6uy37vtk8tx9dqdwcxm32sy8nsaa8gkeyqydhwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgunsd3jkyuewvdhk6tcpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhszythwden5te0dehhxarj9emkjmn99uqzpwwts6n28eyvjpcwvu5akkwu85eg92dpvgw7cgmpe4czdadqvnv984rl0z

Yes. #Android users are fortunate to have some powerful Nostr apps and tools at our disposal that simply have no comparison over on the iOS side. However, a tool is only as good as the knowledge of the user, who must have an understanding of how best to wield it for maximum effect. This fact was immediately evidenced by replies to Derek asking, "What is the use case for Citrine?" and "This is the first time I'm hearing about Citrine and Pokey. Can you give me links for those?"

Well, consider this tutorial your Nostr starter-kit for Android. We'll go over installing and setting up Amber, Amethyst, Citrine, and Pokey, and as a bonus we'll be throwing in the Zapstore and Coinos to boot. We will assume no previous experience with any of the above, so if you already know all about one or more of these apps, you can feel free to skip that tutorial.

So many apps...

You may be wondering, "Why do I need so many apps to use Nostr?" That's perfectly valid, and the honest answer is, you don't. You can absolutely just install a Nostr client from the Play Store, have it generate your Nostr identity for you, and stick with the default relays already set up in that app. You don't even need to connect a wallet, if you don't want to. However, you won't experience all that Nostr has to offer if that is as far as you go, any more than you would experience all that Italian cuisine has to offer if you only ever try spaghetti.

Nostr is not just one app that does one thing, like Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok. It is an entire ecosystem of applications that are all built on top of a protocol that allows them to be interoperable. This set of tools will help you make the most out of that interoperability, which you will never get from any of the big-tech social platforms. It will provide a solid foundation for you to build upon as you explore more and more of what Nostr has to offer.

So what do these apps do?

Fundamental to everything you do on Nostr is the need to cryptographically sign with your private key. If you aren't sure what that means, just imagine that you had to enter your password every time you hit the "like" button on Facebook, or every time you commented on the latest dank meme. That would get old really fast, right? That's effectively what Nostr requires, but on steroids.

To keep this from being something you manually have to do every 5 seconds when you post a note, react to someone else's note, or add a comment, Nostr apps can store your private key and use it to sign behind the scenes for you. This is very convenient, but it means you are trusting that app to not do anything with your private key that you don't want it to. You are also trusting it to not leak your private key, because anyone who gets their hands on it will be able to post as you, see your private messages, and effectively be you on Nostr. The more apps you give your private key to, the greater your risk that it will eventually be compromised.

Enter #Amber, an application that will store your private key in only one app, and all other compatible Nostr apps can communicate with it to request a signature, without giving any of those other apps access to your private key.

Most Nostr apps for Android now support logging in and signing with Amber, and you can even use it to log into apps on other devices, such as some of the web apps you use on your PC. It's an incredible tool given to us by nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5, and only available for Android users. Those on iPhone are incredibly jealous that they don't have anything comparable, yet.

Speaking of nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5, the next app is also one of his making.

All Nostr data is stored on relays, which are very simple servers that Nostr apps read notes from and write notes to. In most forms of social media, it can be a pain to get your own data out to keep a backup. That's not the case on Nostr. Anyone can run their own relay, either for the sake of backing up their personal notes, or for others to post their notes to, as well.

Since Nostr notes take up very little space, you can actually run a relay on your phone. I have been on Nostr for almost 2 and a half years, and I have 25,000+ notes of various kinds on my relay, and a backup of that full database is just 24MB on my phone's storage.

Having that backup can save your bacon if you try out a new Nostr client and it doesn't find your existing follow list for some reason, so it writes a new one and you suddenly lose all of the people you were following. Just pop into your #Citrine relay, confirm it still has your correct follow list or import it from a recent backup, then have Citrine restore it. Done.

Additionally, there are things you may want to only save to a relay you control, such as draft messages that you aren't ready to post publicly, or eCash tokens, which can actually be saved to Nostr relays now. Citrine can also be used with Amber for signing into certain Nostr applications that use a relay to communicate with Amber.

If you are really adventurous, you can also expose Citrine over Tor to be used as an outbox relay, or used for peer-to-peer private messaging, but that is far more involved than the scope of this tutorial series.

You can't get far in Nostr without a solid and reliable client to interact with. #Amethyst is the client we will be using for this tutorial because there simply isn't another Android client that comes close, so far. Moreover, it can be a great client for new users to get started on, and yet it has a ton of features for power-users to take advantage of as well.

There are plenty of other good clients to check out over time, such as Coracle, YakiHonne, Voyage, Olas, Flotilla and others, but I keep coming back to Amethyst, and by the time you finish this tutorial, I think you'll see why. nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z and others who have contributed to Amethyst have really built something special in this client, and it just keeps improving with every update that's shipped.

Most social media apps have some form of push notifications, and some Nostr apps do, too. Where the issue comes in is that Nostr apps are all interoperable. If you have more than one application, you're going to have both of them notifying you. Nostr users are known for having five or more Nostr apps that they use regularly. If all of them had notifications turned on, it would be a nightmare. So maybe you limit it to only one of your Nostr apps having notifications turned on, but then you are pretty well locked-in to opening that particular app when you tap on the notification.

Pokey, by nostr:npub1v3tgrwwsv7c6xckyhm5dmluc05jxd4yeqhpxew87chn0kua0tjzqc6yvjh, solves this issue, allowing you to turn notifications off for all of your Nostr apps, and have Pokey handle them all for you. Then, when you tap on a Pokey notification, you can choose which Nostr app to open it in.

Pokey also gives you control over the types of things you want to be notified about. Maybe you don't care about reactions, and you just want to know about zaps, comments, and direct messages. Pokey has you covered. It even supports multiple accounts, so you can get notifications for all the npubs you control.

One of the most unique and incredibly fun aspects of Nostr is the ability to send and receive #zaps. Instead of merely giving someone a 👍️ when you like something they said, you can actually send them real value in the form of sats, small portions of a Bitcoin. There is nothing quite like the experience of receiving your first zap and realizing that someone valued what you said enough to send you a small amount (and sometimes not so small) of #Bitcoin, the best money mankind has ever known.

To be able to have that experience, though, you are going to need a wallet that can send and receive zaps, and preferably one that is easy to connect to Nostr applications. My current preference for that is Alby Hub, but not everyone wants to deal with all that comes along with running a #Lightning node. That being the case, I have opted to use nostr:npub1h2qfjpnxau9k7ja9qkf50043xfpfy8j5v60xsqryef64y44puwnq28w8ch for this tutorial, because they offer one of the easiest wallets to set up, and it connects to most Nostr apps by just copy/pasting a connection string from the settings in the wallet into the settings in your Nostr app of choice.

Additionally, even though #Coinos is a custodial wallet, you can have it automatically transfer any #sats over a specified threshold to a separate wallet, allowing you to mitigate the custodial risk without needing to keep an eye on your balance and make the transfer manually.

Most of us on Android are used to getting all of our mobile apps from one souce: the Google Play Store. That's not possible for this tutorial series. Only one of the apps mentioned above is available in Google's permissioned playground. However, on Android we have the advantage of being able to install whatever we want on our device, just by popping into our settings and flipping a toggle. Indeed, thumbing our noses at big-tech is at the heart of the Nostr ethos, so why would we make ourselves beholden to Google for installing Nostr apps?

The nostr:npub10r8xl2njyepcw2zwv3a6dyufj4e4ajx86hz6v4ehu4gnpupxxp7stjt2p8 is an alternative app store made by nostr:npub1wf4pufsucer5va8g9p0rj5dnhvfeh6d8w0g6eayaep5dhps6rsgs43dgh9 as a resource for all sorts of open-source apps, but especially Nostr apps. What is more, you can log in with Amber, connect a wallet like Coinos, and support the developers of your favorite Nostr apps directly within the #Zapstore by zapping their app releases.

One of the biggest features of the Zapstore is the fact that developers can cryptographically sign their app releases using their Nostr keys, so you know that the app you are downloading is the one they actually released and hasn't been altered in any way. The Zapstore will warn you and won't let you install the app if the signature is invalid.

Getting Started

Since the Zapstore will be the source we use for installing most of the other apps mentioned, we will start with installing the Zapstore.

We will then use the Zapstore to install Amber and set it up with our Nostr account, either by creating a new private key, or by importing one we already have. We'll also use it to log into the Zapstore.

Next, we will install Amethyst from the Zapstore and log into it via Amber.

After this, we will install Citrine from the Zapstore and add it as a local relay on Amethyst.

Because we want to be able to send and receive zaps, we will set up a wallet with CoinOS and connect it to Amethyst and the Zapstore using Nostr Wallet Connect.

Finally, we will install Pokey using the Zapstore, log into it using Amber, and set up the notifications we want to receive.

By the time you are done with this series, you will have a great head-start on your Nostr journey compared to muddling through it all on your own. Moreover, you will have developed a familiarity with how things generally work on Nostr that can be applied to other apps you try out in the future.

Continue to Part 2: The Zapstore. Nostr Link: nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzpde8f55w86vrhaeqmd955y4rraw8aunzxgxstsj7eyzgntyev2xtqydhwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnzwf5kw6r5vfhkcapwdejhgtcqp5cnwdphxv6rwwp3xvmnzvqgty5au

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

The newly proposed RESTRICT ACT - is being advertised as a TikTok Ban, but is much broader than that, carries a $1M Fine and up to 20 years in prison️! It is unconstitutional and would create massive legal restrictions on the open source movement and free speech throughout the internet.

The Bill was proposed by: Senator Warner, Senator Thune, Senator Baldwin, Senator Fischer, Senator Manchin, Senator Moran, Senator Bennet, Senator Sullivan, Senator Gillibrand, Senator Collins, Senator Heinrich, and Senator Romney. It has broad support across Senators of both parties.

Corrupt politicians will not protect us. They are part of the problem. We must build, support, and learn how to use censorship resistant tools in order to defend our natural rights.

The RESTRICT Act, introduced by Senators Warner and Thune, aims to block or disrupt transactions and financial holdings involving foreign adversaries that pose risks to national security. Although the primary targets of this legislation are companies like Tik-Tok, the language of the bill could potentially be used to block or disrupt cryptocurrency transactions and, in extreme cases, block Americans’ access to open source tools or protocols like Bitcoin.

The Act creates a redundant regime paralleling OFAC without clear justification, it significantly limits the ability for injured parties to challenge actions raising due process concerns, and unlike OFAC it lacks any carve-out for protected speech. COINCENTER ON THE RESTRICT ACT

Full Text of Bill

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@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

@matt_odell don't you even dare not ask about nostr!

— Kukks (Andrew Camilleri) (@MrKukks) May 18, 2021

Nostr first hit my radar spring 2021: created by fellow bitcoiner and friend, fiatjaf, and released to the world as free open source software. I was fortunate to be able to host a conversation with him on Citadel Dispatch in those early days, capturing that moment in history forever. Since then, the protocol has seen explosive viral organic growth as individuals around the world have contributed their time and energy to build out the protocol and the surrounding ecosystem due to the clear need for better communication tools.

nostr is to twitter as bitcoin is to paypal

As an intro to nostr, let us start with a metaphor:

twitter is paypal - a centralized platform plagued by censorship but has the benefit of established network effects

nostr is bitcoin - an open protocol that is censorship resistant and robust but requires an organic adoption phase

Nostr is an open communication protocol that can be used to send messages across a distributed set of relays in a censorship resistant and robust way.
 - Anyone can run a relay.
 - Anyone can interact with the protocol.
 - Relays can choose which messages they want to relay.
 - Users are identified by a simple public private key pair that they can generate themselves.

Nostr is often compared to twitter since there are nostr clients that emulate twitter functionality and user interface but that is merely one application of the protocol. Nostr is so much more than a mere twitter competitor. Nostr clients and relays can transmit a wide variety of data and clients can choose how to display that information to users. The result is a revolution in communication with implications that are difficult for any of us to truly comprehend.

Similar to bitcoin, nostr is an open and permissionless protocol. No person, company, or government controls it. Anyone can iterate and build on top of nostr without permission. Together, bitcoin and nostr are incredibly complementary freedom tech tools: censorship resistant, permissionless, robust, and interoperable - money and speech protected by code and incentives, not laws.

As censorship throughout the world continues to escalate, freedom tech provides hope for individuals around the world who refuse to accept the status quo. This movement will succeed on the shoulders of those who choose to stand up and contribute. We will build our own path. A brighter path.

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My Nostr Public Key: npub1qny3tkh0acurzla8x3zy4nhrjz5zd8l9sy9jys09umwng00manysew95gx

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@ 06830f6c:34da40c5

The evolution of development environments is incredibly rich and complex and reflects a continuous drive towards greater efficiency, consistency, isolation, and collaboration. It's a story of abstracting away complexity and standardizing workflows.

Phase 1: The Bare Metal & Manual Era (Early 1970s - Late 1990s)

1. Direct OS Interaction / Bare Metal Development:

   • Description: Developers worked directly on the operating system's command line or a basic text editor. Installation of compilers, interpreters, and libraries was a manual, often arcane process involving downloading archives, compiling from source, and setting environment variables. "Configuration drift" (differences between developer machines) was the norm.
   • Tools: Text editors (Vi, Emacs), command-line compilers (GCC), Makefiles.
   • Challenges: Extremely high setup time, dependency hell, "works on my machine" syndrome, difficult onboarding for new developers, lack of reproducibility. Version control was primitive (e.g., RCS, SCCS).

2. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) - Initial Emergence:

   • Description: Early IDEs (like Turbo Pascal, Microsoft Visual Basic) began to integrate editors, compilers, debuggers, and sometimes GUI builders into a single application. This was a massive leap in developer convenience.
   • Tools: Turbo Pascal, Visual Basic, early Visual Studio versions.
   • Advancement: Improved developer productivity, streamlined common tasks. Still relied on local system dependencies.

Phase 2: Towards Dependency Management & Local Reproducibility (Late 1990s - Mid-2000s)

1. Basic Build Tools & Dependency Resolvers (Pre-Package Managers):

   • Description: As projects grew, manual dependency tracking became impossible. Tools like Ant (Java) and early versions of autoconf/make for C/C++ helped automate the compilation and linking process, managing some dependencies.
   • Tools: Apache Ant, GNU Autotools.
   • Advancement: Automated build processes, rudimentary dependency linking. Still not comprehensive environment management.

2. Language-Specific Package Managers:

   • Description: A significant leap was the emergence of language-specific package managers that could fetch, install, and manage libraries and frameworks declared in a project's manifest file. Examples include Maven (Java), npm (Node.js), pip (Python), RubyGems (Ruby), Composer (PHP).
   • Tools: Maven, npm, pip, RubyGems, Composer.
   • Advancement: Dramatically simplified dependency resolution, improved intra-project reproducibility.
   • Limitation: Managed language-level dependencies, but not system-level dependencies or the underlying OS environment. Conflicts between projects on the same machine (e.g., Project A needs Python 2.7, Project B needs Python 3.9) were common.

Phase 3: Environment Isolation & Portability (Mid-2000s - Early 2010s)

1. Virtual Machines (VMs) for Development:

   • Description: To address the "it works on my machine" problem stemming from OS-level and system-level differences, developers started using VMs. Tools like VMware Workstation, VirtualBox, and later Vagrant (which automated VM provisioning) allowed developers to encapsulate an entire OS and its dependencies for a project.
   • Tools: VMware, VirtualBox, Vagrant.
   • Advancement: Achieved strong isolation and environment reproducibility (a true "single environment" for a project).
   • Limitations: Resource-heavy (each VM consumed significant CPU, RAM, disk space), slow to provision and boot, difficult to share large VM images.

2. Early Automation & Provisioning Tools:

   • Description: Alongside VMs, configuration management tools started being used to automate environment setup within VMs or on servers. This helped define environments as code, making them more consistent.
   • Tools: Chef, Puppet, Ansible.
   • Advancement: Automated provisioning, leading to more consistent environments, often used in conjunction with VMs.

Phase 4: The Container Revolution & Orchestration (Early 2010s - Present)

1. Containerization (Docker):

   • Description: Docker popularized Linux Containers (LXC), offering a lightweight, portable, and efficient alternative to VMs. Containers package an application and all its dependencies into a self-contained unit that shares the host OS kernel. This drastically reduced resource overhead and startup times compared to VMs.
   • Tools: Docker.
   • Advancement: Unprecedented consistency from development to production (Dev/Prod Parity), rapid provisioning, highly efficient resource use. Became the de-facto standard for packaging applications.

2. Container Orchestration:

   • Description: As microservices and container adoption grew, managing hundreds or thousands of containers became a new challenge. Orchestration platforms automated the deployment, scaling, healing, and networking of containers across clusters of machines.
   • Tools: Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, Apache Mesos.
   • Advancement: Enabled scalable, resilient, and complex distributed systems development and deployment. The "environment" started encompassing the entire cluster.

Phase 5: Cloud-Native, Serverless & Intelligent Environments (Present - Future)

1. Cloud-Native Development:

   • Description: Leveraging cloud services (managed databases, message queues, serverless functions) directly within the development workflow. Developers focus on application logic, offloading infrastructure management to cloud providers. Containers become a key deployment unit in this paradigm.
   • Tools: AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Google Cloud Run, cloud-managed databases.
   • Advancement: Reduced operational overhead, increased focus on business logic, highly scalable deployments.

2. Remote Development & Cloud-Based IDEs:

   • Description: The full development environment (editor, terminal, debugger, code) can now reside in the cloud, accessed via a thin client or web browser. This means developers can work from any device, anywhere, with powerful cloud resources backing their environment.
   • Tools: GitHub Codespaces, Gitpod, AWS Cloud9, VS Code Remote Development.
   • Advancement: Instant onboarding, consistent remote environments, access to high-spec machines regardless of local hardware, enhanced security.

3. Declarative & AI-Assisted Environments (The Near Future):

   • Description: Development environments will become even more declarative, where developers specify what they need, and AI/automation tools provision and maintain it. AI will proactively identify dependency issues, optimize resource usage, suggest code snippets, and perform automated testing within the environment.
   • Tools: Next-gen dev container specifications, AI agents integrated into IDEs and CI/CD pipelines.
   • Prediction: Near-zero environment setup time, self-healing environments, proactive problem identification, truly seamless collaboration.

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web3 #computing #cloud #devstr

@ 5144fe88:9587d5af

The recent anomalies in the financial market and the frequent occurrence of world trade wars and hot wars have caused the world's political and economic landscape to fluctuate violently. It always feels like the financial crisis is getting closer and closer.

This is a systematic analysis of the possibility of the current global financial crisis by Manus based on Ray Dalio's latest views, US and Japanese economic and financial data, Buffett's investment behavior, and historical financial crises.

Research shows that the current financial system has many preconditions for a crisis, especially debt levels, market valuations, and investor behavior, which show obvious crisis signals. The probability of a financial crisis in the short term (within 6-12 months) is 30%-40%,

in the medium term (within 1-2 years) is 50%-60%,

in the long term (within 2-3 years) is 60%-70%.

Japan's role as the world's largest holder of overseas assets and the largest creditor of the United States is particularly critical. The sharp appreciation of the yen may be a signal of the return of global safe-haven funds, which will become an important precursor to the outbreak of a financial crisis.

Potential conditions for triggering a financial crisis Conditions that have been met 1. High debt levels: The debt-to-GDP ratio of the United States and Japan has reached a record high. 2. Market overvaluation: The ratio of stock market to GDP hits a record high 3. Abnormal investor behavior: Buffett's cash holdings hit a record high, with net selling for 10 consecutive quarters 4. Monetary policy shift: Japan ends negative interest rates, and the Fed ends the rate hike cycle 5. Market concentration is too high: a few technology stocks dominate market performance

Potential trigger points 1. The Bank of Japan further tightens monetary policy, leading to a sharp appreciation of the yen and the return of overseas funds 2. The US debt crisis worsens, and the proportion of interest expenses continues to rise to unsustainable levels 3. The bursting of the technology bubble leads to a collapse in market confidence 4. The trade war further escalates, disrupting global supply chains and economic growth 5. Japan, as the largest creditor of the United States, reduces its holdings of US debt, causing US debt yields to soar

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Analysis of the similarities and differences between the current economic environment and the historical financial crisis Debt level comparison Current debt situation • US government debt to GDP ratio: 124.0% (December 2024) • Japanese government debt to GDP ratio: 216.2% (December 2024), historical high 225.8% (March 2021) • US total debt: 36.21 trillion US dollars (May 2025) • Japanese debt/GDP ratio: more than 250%-263% (Japanese Prime Minister’s statement)

Before the 2008 financial crisis • US government debt to GDP ratio: about 64% (2007) • Japanese government debt to GDP ratio: about 175% (2007)

Before the Internet bubble in 2000 • US government debt to GDP ratio: about 55% (1999) • Japanese government debt to GDP ratio: about 130% (1999)

Key differences • The current US debt-to-GDP ratio is nearly twice that before the 2008 crisis • The current Japanese debt-to-GDP ratio is more than 1.2 times that before the 2008 crisis • Global debt levels are generally higher than historical pre-crisis levels • US interest payments are expected to devour 30% of fiscal revenue (Moody's warning)

Monetary policy and interest rate environment

Current situation • US 10-year Treasury yield: about 4.6% (May 2025) • Bank of Japan policy: end negative interest rates and start a rate hike cycle • Bank of Japan's holdings of government bonds: 52%, plans to reduce purchases to 3 trillion yen per month by January-March 2026 • Fed policy: end the rate hike cycle and prepare to cut interest rates

Before the 2008 financial crisis • US 10-year Treasury yield: about 4.5%-5% (2007) • Fed policy: continuous rate hikes from 2004 to 2006, and rate cuts began in 2007 • Bank of Japan policy: maintain ultra-low interest rates

Key differences • Current US interest rates are similar to those before the 2008 crisis, but debt levels are much higher than then • Japan is in the early stages of ending its loose monetary policy, unlike before historical crises • The size of global central bank balance sheets is far greater than at any time in history

Market valuations and investor behavior Current situation • The ratio of stock market value to the size of the US economy: a record high • Buffett's cash holdings: $347 billion (28% of assets), a record high • Market concentration: US stock growth mainly relies on a few technology giants • Investor sentiment: Technology stocks are enthusiastic, but institutional investors are beginning to be cautious

Before the 2008 financial crisis • Buffett's cash holdings: 25% of assets (2005) • Market concentration: Financial and real estate-related stocks performed strongly • Investor sentiment: The real estate market was overheated and subprime products were widely popular

Before the 2000 Internet bubble • Buffett's cash holdings: increased from 1% to 13% (1998) • Market concentration: Internet stocks were extremely highly valued • Investor sentiment: Tech stocks are in a frenzy

Key differences • Buffett's current cash holdings exceed any pre-crisis level in history • Market valuation indicators have reached a record high, exceeding the levels before the 2000 bubble and the 2008 crisis • The current market concentration is higher than any period in history, and a few technology stocks dominate market performance

Safe-haven fund flows and international relations Current situation • The status of the yen: As a safe-haven currency, the appreciation of the yen may indicate a rise in global risk aversion • Trade relations: The United States has imposed tariffs on Japan, which is expected to reduce Japan's GDP growth by 0.3 percentage points in fiscal 2025 • International debt: Japan is one of the largest creditors of the United States

Before historical crises • Before the 2008 crisis: International capital flows to US real estate and financial products • Before the 2000 bubble: International capital flows to US technology stocks

Key differences • Current trade frictions have intensified and the trend of globalization has weakened • Japan's role as the world's largest holder of overseas assets has become more prominent • International debt dependence is higher than any period in history

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

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"Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy.  A private matter is something one doesn't want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn't want anybody to know. Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world." - Eric Hughes, A Cypherpunk's Manifesto, 1993

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Privacy is essential to freedom. Without privacy, individuals are unable to make choices free from surveillance and control. Lack of privacy leads to loss of autonomy. When individuals are constantly monitored it limits our ability to express ourselves and take risks. Any decisions we make can result in negative repercussions from those who surveil us. Without the freedom to make choices, individuals cannot truly be free.

Freedom is essential to acquiring and preserving wealth. When individuals are not free to make choices, restrictions and limitations prevent us from economic opportunities. If we are somehow able to acquire wealth in such an environment, lack of freedom can result in direct asset seizure by governments or other malicious entities. At scale, when freedom is compromised, it leads to widespread economic stagnation and poverty. Protecting freedom is essential to economic prosperity.

The connection between privacy, freedom, and wealth is critical. Without privacy, individuals lose the freedom to make choices free from surveillance and control. While lack of freedom prevents individuals from pursuing economic opportunities and makes wealth preservation nearly impossible. No Privacy? No Freedom. No Freedom? No Wealth.

Rights are not granted. They are taken and defended. Rights are often misunderstood as permission to do something by those holding power. However, if someone can give you something, they can inherently take it from you at will. People throughout history have necessarily fought for basic rights, including privacy and freedom. These rights were not given by those in power, but rather demanded and won through struggle. Even after these rights are won, they must be continually defended to ensure that they are not taken away. Rights are not granted - they are earned through struggle and defended through sacrifice.

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@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

People forget Bear Stearns failed March 2008 - months of denial followed before the public realized how bad the situation was under the surface.

Similar happening now but much larger scale. They did not fix fundamental issues after 2008 - everything is more fragile.

The Fed preemptively bailed out every bank with their BTFP program and First Republic Bank still failed. The second largest bank failure in history.

There will be more failures. There will be more bailouts. Depositors will be "protected" by socializing losses across everyone.

Our President and mainstream financial pundits are currently pretending the banking crisis is over while most banks remain insolvent. There are going to be many more bank failures as this ponzi system unravels.

Unlike 2008, we have the ability to opt out of these broken and corrupt institutions by using bitcoin. Bitcoin held in self custody is unique in its lack of counterparty risk - you do not have to trust a bank or other centralized entity to hold it for you. Bitcoin is also incredibly difficult to change by design since it is not controlled by an individual, company, or government - the supply of dollars will inevitably be inflated to bailout these failing banks but bitcoin supply will remain unchanged. I do not need to convince you that bitcoin provides value - these next few years will convince millions.

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@ 502ab02a:a2860397

ย้อนกลับไปปี 2014 ชายชื่อ Patrick O. Brown ศาสตราจารย์ชีววิทยาเชิงโมเลกุลแห่งมหาวิทยาลัยแตนฟอร์ด ตัดสินใจลาออกจากเส้นทางวิชาการสายหลัก เพื่อมาก่อตั้งบริษัทที่เขาเชื่อว่าจะเปลี่ยนโลก Impossible Foods

ดร. แพทริค โอ. บราวน์ (Patrick O. Brown) เป็นนักชีวเคมีและนักธุรกิจชาวอเมริกันและศาสตราจารย์กิตติคุณด้านชีวเคมีแห่งมหาวิทยาลัยสแตนฟอร์ด เขาได้รับปริญญาตรี แพทยศาสตรบัณฑิต และปรัชญาดุษฎีบัณฑิตด้านชีวเคมีจากมหาวิทยาลัยชิคาโก หลังจากนั้น เขาได้เข้ารับการฝึกอบรมด้านกุมารเวชศาสตร์ที่โรงพยาบาล Children's Memorial ในชิคาโก ในช่วงหลังปริญญาเอก เขาได้ทำงานวิจัยเกี่ยวกับกลไกที่ไวรัส HIV และเรโทรไวรัสอื่น ๆ แทรกยีนของพวกมันเข้าสู่จีโนมของเซลล์ที่ติดเชื้อ ซึ่งช่วยนำไปสู่การพัฒนายาใหม่ในการต่อสู้กับโรคนี้

ในช่วงต้นทศวรรษ 1990 ดร. บราวน์และทีมงานของเขาที่สแตนฟอร์ดได้พัฒนาเทคโนโลยี DNA microarray ซึ่งเป็นเครื่องมือที่ช่วยให้นักวิจัยสามารถวิเคราะห์การแสดงออกของยีนทั้งหมดในจีโนมได้พร้อมกัน เทคโนโลยีนี้มีบทบาทสำคัญในการวิจัยทางชีววิทยาและการแพทย์ โดยเฉพาะในการจำแนกประเภทของมะเร็งและการพยากรณ์โรค

นอกจากนี้ ดร. บราวน์ยังเป็นผู้ร่วมก่อตั้ง Public Library of Science (PLOS) ซึ่งเป็นองค์กรไม่แสวงหาผลกำไรที่มุ่งเน้นการเผยแพร่ผลงานวิจัยทางวิทยาศาสตร์ให้เข้าถึงได้ฟรีและเปิดกว้างต่อสาธารณะ

ในปี 2011 ดร. บราวน์ได้ก่อตั้ง Impossible Foods โดยมีเป้าหมายในการสร้างผลิตภัณฑ์เนื้อสัตว์จากพืชที่มีรสชาติและเนื้อสัมผัสคล้ายเนื้อสัตว์จริง เพื่อลดผลกระทบต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมจากการเลี้ยงสัตว์ เขาและทีมงานได้ค้นพบว่าโมเลกุล heme ซึ่งเป็นส่วนประกอบที่ให้รสชาติและกลิ่นเฉพาะของเนื้อสัตว์ สามารถผลิตจากพืชได้ โดยเฉพาะจากรากถั่วเหลือง พวกเขาใช้เทคนิคทางวิศวกรรมชีวภาพในการผลิต heme จากยีสต์ที่ได้รับการดัดแปลงพันธุกรรม และนำมาผสมกับโปรตีนจากพืชเพื่อสร้างผลิตภัณฑ์ที่มีลักษณะคล้ายเนื้อสัตว์

ดร. บราวน์ได้รับการยอมรับอย่างกว้างขวางในวงการวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี โดยได้รับรางวัลและเกียรติคุณหลายรายการ รวมถึงการเป็นสมาชิกของ National Academy of Sciences และ National Academy of Medicine ของสหรัฐอเมริกา ด้วยความมุ่งมั่นในการแก้ไขปัญหาสิ่งแวดล้อมผ่านนวัตกรรมทางอาหาร ดร. แพทริค โอ. บราวน์ ได้กลายเป็นบุคคลสำคัญที่มีบทบาทในการเปลี่ยนแปลงวิธีการบริโภคอาหารของโลกในศตวรรษที่ 21

เป้าหมายของเขาไม่ใช่เพียงแค่ทำอาหาร แต่คือ "ยุติการทำปศุสัตว์ให้หมดสิ้นภายในปี 2035"

เขาไม่ได้พูดลอย ๆ เขาลงมือ “ทำเนื้อจากพืช” ด้วยเทคโนโลยีที่ซับซ้อนระดับวิศวกรรมชีวภาพ นำโปรตีนจากถั่วเหลือง + น้ำมันมะพร้าว + เทคเจอร์ + สารเติมแต่งอีกชุดใหญ่ มาผ่านกระบวนการแปรรูปจนดูคล้ายเนื้อย่าง แต่ที่ทำให้ “มันดูเหมือนเนื้อจริง” คือการเติม ฮีม (Heme) เข้าไปสารประกอบที่อยู่ในเลือดและเนื้อสัตว์จริง ๆ

Impossible Foods คือบริษัทที่ไม่ได้เพียง “ปลอมรสชาติเนื้อ” แต่พยายามสร้างเนื้อจากพืช ให้เหมือนเนื้อจริงที่สุดเท่าที่วิทยาศาสตร์จะเอื้อมถึง จุดขายที่ทำให้แบรนด์นี้ดังเปรี้ยงก็คือสิ่งที่เรียกว่า “ฮีม” (heme) หรือโมเลกุลเหล็กในเลือด ซึ่งเป็นตัวการหลักที่ทำให้เนื้อวัวมีกลิ่นและรสเฉพาะตัวเวลาถูกย่างจนหอมฉุย

ดร.แพทริค บราวน์ และทีมนักวิจัยของเขาเริ่มจากการค้นหาว่า “อะไรในพืช” ให้กลิ่นคล้ายเลือด พวกเขาพบว่า “Leghemoglobin” ซึ่งอยู่ในรากถั่วเหลือง มีโครงสร้างใกล้เคียงกับ Hemoglobin ในเลือดสัตว์มากที่สุด จุดพลิกของเทคโนโลยีนี้คือ การผลิตเลกฮีโมโกลบินจากพืชจำนวนมาก ทำไม่ได้โดยการถอนรากถั่วมาทุบคั้น แต่ต้องอาศัยวิศวกรรมชีวภาพขั้นสูง

พวกเขาจึงใช้กระบวนการที่เรียกว่า “fermentation by genetically modified yeast” หรือการหมักโดยยีสต์ที่ผ่านการดัดแปลงพันธุกรรม โดยนำยีนของพืชที่สร้าง leghemoglobin ไปใส่ในยีสต์ (Pichia pastoris) แล้วเลี้ยงยีสต์นั้นในถังหมักขนาดใหญ่แบบเดียวกับโรงเบียร์ พอยีสต์ขยายตัว มันจะผลิตเลกฮีโมโกลบินออกมาจำนวนมาก จากนั้นจึงสกัดออกมาผสมกับโปรตีนจากพืช เช่น โปรตีนจากถั่วเหลือง หรือโปรตีนจากมันฝรั่ง

เพื่อให้เนื้อสัมผัสคล้ายเนื้อจริง ทีม Impossible Foods ยังใช้เทคนิคอื่นร่วมด้วย เช่น -Coconut Oil และ Sunflower Oil เป็นแหล่งไขมันที่ให้สัมผัส “ฉ่ำๆ” คล้ายไขมันเนื้อวัว -Methylcellulose สารที่ช่วยทำให้ส่วนผสมเกาะตัวเป็นก้อน คล้ายเนื้อบดจริง -Natural Flavors กลิ่นที่สกัดจากพืชหลายชนิด เพื่อเลียนแบบกลิ่นไหม้จากเนื้อย่าง

ทุกอย่างถูกผสมให้เข้ากัน ผ่านเครื่องอัดขึ้นรูป (extrusion) ที่ทำให้เนื้อออกมามี “เส้นใย” คล้ายกล้ามเนื้อวัว หรือหมู เมื่อโดนความร้อน โปรตีนจะเปลี่ยนโครงสร้าง (denature) และมีกลิ่นออกมาคล้ายๆ เนื้อย่างจริงๆ พร้อมน้ำสีแดงคล้ายเลือด (จาก heme) ไหลเยิ้ม ซึ่งคือไอเดียที่ทำให้ Impossible Burger เป็นมากกว่าแค่ “เบอร์เกอร์ผัก”

ผลลัพธ์คือ… เบอร์เกอร์พืชที่มีเลือดซึม สีชมพูดู juicy และกลิ่นไหม้ติดกระทะ จนคนกินรู้สึกเหมือนกำลังย่างเนื้อจริง ๆ

ฟังดูอัศจรรย์ใช่ไหม? แต่...การเติมฮีมจากยีสต์ตัดต่อพันธุกรรมลงในอาหาร ไม่เคยมีในธรรมชาติมาก่อน ในปี 2017 Impossible Foods ต้องยื่นเรื่องต่อ FDA เพื่อขออนุมัติว่า leghemoglobin จากยีสต์ GMO “ปลอดภัย”

แต่ในตอนนั้น FDA ตอบว่า “ยังไม่มีข้อมูลเพียงพอ” ว่าจะไม่ก่อให้เกิดภูมิแพ้หรือผลข้างเคียงในระยะยาว (ใช่แล้วจ้ะ... สารที่อยู่ในเบอร์เกอร์ชื่อดัง ถูกขายก่อนที่ FDA จะสรุปว่าปลอดภัยเต็มร้อย)

แล้วในที่สุด ปี 2019 FDA ก็ให้ผ่านแบบ “GRAS” (Generally Recognized As Safe) โดยใช้ข้อมูลจากการทดลองภายในของบริษัทเอง ไม่ใช่การทดสอบอิสระจากภายนอก

เฮียว่าอันนี้ต้องมีใครสะกิดในใจแล้วล่ะว่า “เรากำลังเอาอะไรเข้าปากกันแน่?”

แม้จะฟังดูเท่ ไฮเทค และดีต่อสิ่งแวดล้อม แต่ก็มีคำถามจากนักวิจารณ์มากมายว่า… แท้จริงแล้วอาหารเหล่านี้เป็นอาหาร “เพื่อสิ่งแวดล้อม” หรือเป็นเพียง “ภาพฝันที่ควบคุมโดยบริษัทเทคโนโลยียักษ์ใหญ่”?

มันเต็มไปด้วยคำถาม คำถาม และ คำถามนะสิครับ

ในเมื่อ Impossible Foods ได้รับเงินลงทุนหลายรอบจากบริษัทยักษ์อย่าง Google Ventures, UBS, และ Temasek (ของรัฐบาลสิงคโปร์) บอกตรง ๆ ว่า เงินแบบนี้ไม่ได้หวังแค่เปลี่ยนโลกแต่มันมาพร้อมเป้าหมายที่ชัดมาก การสร้างสิทธิบัตรอาหารใหม่ ที่ควบคุมการผลิตจากต้นน้ำยันปลายน้ำ อย่าลืมว่า ยีสต์ที่ผ่านการดัดแปลงพันธุกรรม หรือ GMO yeast นั้นถือเป็นสิทธิบัตร ถ้าใครจะผลิต Heme แบบเดียวกันก็ต้องขออนุญาตจาก Impossible Foods หรือไม่ก็โดนฟ้องได้เลย แปลว่า “เทคโนโลยีรสชาติเนื้อ” ไม่ได้เป็นมรดกของโลก แต่อยู่ในมือบริษัทไม่กี่แห่ง

ยิ่งไปกว่านั้น อุปกรณ์การผลิตต้องลงทุนสูง ต้องมีโรงหมัก ปฏิบัติการชีวภาพ การควบคุมความปลอดภัยที่เข้มข้น จึงไม่ใช่ใครๆ ก็ทำได้ ที่น่ากลัวคือ ถ้าเมื่อวันหนึ่งเนื้อสัตว์ธรรมชาติถูกทำให้กลายเป็น “ปีศาจสิ่งแวดล้อม” หรือ "ตัวเชื้อโรคผ่านอาหาร" โดยนโยบายรัฐและการตลาดของกลุ่มเทคฯ อาหารที่ประชาชนกินได้อาจเหลือแค่ “สิ่งที่ผลิตโดยมีสิทธิบัตร” เท่านั้น

เมื่อถึงวันนั้น ประชาชนจะสิ้นความชอบธรรมในการ “เลี้ยงวัวไว้กินเอง” ไม่ได้อีกต่อไป เพราะอาจโดนห้ามจากข้อกฎหมายคาร์บอน กฎหมายการกักกันเชื้อ ประชาชนจะ “เก็บพืชริมรั้วมาทำอาหาร” ไม่ได้อีกต่อไป เพราะกลิ่นไม่เหมือนเนื้อแลปที่เคยชิน และประชาชนจะ “ทำอาหารเองในบ้าน” ไม่ได้อีกต่อไป เพราะระบบเสพติดรสเนื้อเทียมจะทำให้คนเบือนหน้าจากอาหารจริง

ในขณะที่ Impossible Foods โฆษณาว่า “เราแค่อยากช่วยโลก” แต่เทคโนโลยีนี้อาจเปลี่ยน “อาหาร” ให้กลายเป็น “สิทธิบัตร” ที่ประชาชนเช่ากินจากบริษัท และเปลี่ยน “สิทธิในการเข้าถึงอาหาร” ให้กลายเป็น “อภิมหาอำนาจควบคุมโลก” โดยไม่ต้องยิงแม้แต่นัดเดียว หรือเปล่า???

เพราะเมื่อคุณควบคุมอาหารได้… คุณไม่ต้องควบคุมประชาชนอีกเลย

เฮียไม่ได้ต่อต้านเทคโนโลยี แต่เฮียอยากให้เราหยุดคิดนิดนึง แล้วตั้งคำถามในขณะที่เรายังเฝ้ามองว่า ถ้าของกินที่ดูน่าเชื่อถือ กินแล้วเหมือนเนื้อแท้ ๆ มันต้องมาจากกระบวนการที่ซับซ้อน แพง และถูกควบคุมโดยบริษัทที่มีสิทธิบัตรล้อมรอบ แล้ววันหนึ่ง ถ้าบริษัทนั้นล่มล่ะ? ถ้าถูกซื้อโดยบริษัทยักษ์ใหญ่? หรือถ้าพวกเขาขึ้นราคาจนยังไงเราก็ต้องทำงานหาเงินมาซื้อมันเพื่อกินประทังชีวิต?

อาหารจะยังเป็นของเราหรือเปล่า?

เราจะยัง “กินเพื่ออยู่” หรือแค่ “อยู่เพื่อจ่ายค่าเช่าระบบกิน”?

เราคงไม่ผิดที่จะตั้งคำถามใช่ไหม เพราะถ้ามันมีทางออก มันคงไม่น่ากลัว

#pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ 91add87d:3245770f

Do you guys actually identify with you online username or do you identify with government name? No this isn't some woke left ideal about pronouns. I do not use my real name for any of my handles, X and Nostr and email are all fake. Meaningful and something i picked specifically. My government name is something that was forced on me and yes I know I can it but the persona I have created online feels authentic and what I see myself as. It's what I'll be using to create my small businesses. My LLC is going to a copy of what I have created.

@ a296b972:e5a7a2e8

Inzwischen Jahr 6 im Dauer-Ausnahmezustand. Angriff auf den Verstand. Großoffensive. Es wird mit allem geschossen, aus dem Wahnsinn herauskommen kann. Jeder klare Gedanke ist unschädlich zu machen. Großkotziges, staatsmännisches Geschwafel, dass sich einem die Nackenhaare aufstellen. Für wie doof haltet ihr uns eigentlich? Endlos Bürsten gegen den Strich. Angewidertes inneres Schütteln. Dringende Empfehlung einer Spülung der Gehirnwindungen. Idioten in Verantwortung wechseln auf andere Posten in Verantwortung und bleiben Idioten. Idioten gehen verantwortungslos mit unserer wertvollen Lebenszeit um. Ach, dafür ist man selbst verantwortlich? Wo ist der, der so ein dickes Fell hat, dass ihm dieser Irrsinn nicht nahegeht. Wo steht das Fass mit Teflon-Lack, in das man eintauchen kann, damit die Absurditäten an einem abperlen?

Eine zu tiefst verunsicherte und gespaltene Gesellschaft. Halt im Glauben in der Kirche? Von wegen: Sehr geehrte Jesusse und Jesusinnen. Ens ist gekreuzigt worden. Ja, in der Freiluft-Irrenanstalt. Auf einem Hügel von Denk-Dreck. Gott ist queer! Du tickst ja nicht mehr ganz sauber. Tanzende Brathähnchen vor dem Altar. Warum kommt keine Sintflut, wenn man sie mal braucht? Man muss gar nicht religiös sein, um zu sehen, dass das Gaga ist. Eine Produktion der Sodom & Gomorrha Anstalt GmbH & Co. KG.

Kein Vertrauen mehr, außer in sich selbst, meistens jedenfalls. Ja, man will uns vor allem Angst machen, teils unbegründet, so manches aber gibt es dann doch tatsächlich, was einem schwer zu denken gibt.

Vielen geht dieser Psychokrieg inzwischen an die Substanz, der ständig herabprasselnde Dauerwahnsinn erinnert an Water-Boarding.

Gut gemeinte Ratschläge, geht hinaus in die Natur, beackert euren Garten, wenn ihr einen habt, erdet euch, macht Entspannungsübungen, Zeit des Aufwachens, wir treten in ein neues Zeitalter ein, alles fein. Abschalten gelingt, aber der Aufprall in der Realität ist dann umso schlimmer, weil man sich daran erinnert hat, wie sorgenfrei und unbeschwert das Leben sein könnte, und wenn man es mit den derzeitigen Lebensumständen abgleicht, dann ist die schlechte Laune sofort wieder da. Im Verdrängens-Test mit Pauken und Trompeten durchgefallen.

Dann vielleicht doch lieber im Dauer-Modus des Irrsinns bleiben, sich mit den schrägen Zuständen arrangieren, nicht daran gewöhnen, nur lernen, damit bestmöglich umzugehen, und das Beste draus zu machen, irgendwie.

Man will dem Rat folgen, mal eine Nachrichten-freie Woche einzulegen, nimmt sich das ganz fest vor, und dann wird aber wieder doch nichts draus. Nicht, weil man sensationsgeil oder masochistisch veranlagt wäre, nein, der Antrieb, oder vielleicht sogar schon die Sucht, ist ganz woanders zu suchen: Man hat Sehnsucht nach der Vernunft und dem gesunden Hausverstand. Man hofft, ihn irgendwo zu finden. Nur einen Funken Hoffnung, an den man sich klammern kann, dass der Tiefpunkt durchschritten ist und es jetzt wieder aufwärts geht. Lichtblicke, der Wind dreht sich, Anzeichen für eine Wiederkehr des Verstandes, irgendetwas, das man als einen Weg hin zur Normalität deuten könnte. Aber, Fehlanzeige.

Stattdessen: Geschichtsvergessenheit, pathologischer Größenwahn, Großmannstum, fortgeschrittener Wahnsinn, Provokation, Kriegslüsternheit, Lügen, Intrigen, Interessen, Korruption, Geldverschwendung, Ideologie, Dummheit, Wirtschaftsvernichtung, Friedensverhinderung, Diplomatie-Allergie,  Überheblichkeit, Abgehobenheit, Schadensmaximierung, Vernichtung, Feindschaft, Unmenschlichkeit, Tote, Gesetzesbruch, Mafia-Strukturen, sich selbst schützende Systeme, Cliquenbildung, Feigheit, Einschüchterung, Freiheitsbeschränkungen, Meinungs-Maulkörbe, Abschaffung der demokratischen Freiheit, Abschaffung der persönlichen Freiheit, Kontrolle, Überwachung, begleitetes Denken, Fühlen, Wollen, Verwirrung, Dreistigkeit, Frechheit, Missachtung des Volkes, Denunziantentum, Abwanderung, und und und.

Ein richtiges Schlachtfest der Kultur. Perversion des Menschseins. Das neue Normal ist irre.

Bislang ist keine der zahlreichen Baustellen beendet. Eine Wende steht unmittelbar bevor. Und sie steht und steht und steht bevor. Kein Gefühl von „Erledigt“, nächstes Problem angehen und auflösen. Weiter. Noch meilenweit von dem Gefühl entfernt, der Wahnsinn wird weniger, langsam, aber er wird weniger.

Fluchtgedanken. Aber wohin? In Europa bleiben, vielleicht besser nicht? Weiter weg, aber wohin da? Nicht vergessen, die Nachrichten erreichen einen überall. Und man bleibt mit seiner Heimat innerlich verbunden, egal wo man ist.

Es bleibt ein Entlanghangeln von einer vernünftigen Stimme zur anderen, die einem bestätigt, dass man selbst noch nicht den Verstand verloren hat. Die gibt es ja gottseidank noch. Innehalten, durchhalten, tief durchatmen, aufstehen, weitermachen. So lange, bis die Bekloppten ihrer Macht über uns entledigt wurden. Wie am besten? Und jetzt soll keiner mit nächsten Wahlen kommen.

Wer war schon einmal inmitten eines Psycho-Krieges gegen die eigene Bevölkerung? Wie geht man damit um, wie geht man dagegen an? Wie kann man das Ruder herumreißen? Was ist ein wirksames Mittel gegen die Ohnmacht? Wie kriegt man die Bequemlichkeit aus den Menschen heraus? Wie kann man die Menschen für die herrschenden Zustände sensibilisieren? Wie können wir noch mehr werden?

Wenn möglich, sollte zum Ende doch noch etwas Positives kommen. Ok. Es wird voraussichtlich demnächst möglicherweise bald besser. Eine zu geringe Zahl von Menschen ist schon aufgewacht. Die politischen Entscheidungsträger haben Angst, können die aber noch sehr gut verbergen. Das kann nicht ewig so weiter gehen und 10 Jahre sind keine Ewigkeit. Die Rufe nach mehr Bürgerbeteiligung werden immer lauter, aber nicht gehört, warum auch? Wir setzen den Artikel 146 des Grundgesetzes um, aber wie? Hätte, könnte, würde, wir sollten, es müsste. Ja und, wie weiter? Mehr geht nicht.

Doch vielleicht eins: Sand ins Getriebe streuen und zivilen Ungehorsam leisten, wo immer es geht. Das schafft immer noch eine gewisse Befriedigung und das Gefühl, dass man nicht vollkommen handlungsunfähig ist. Außerdem regt das die Phantasie und die Kreativität an und bietet eine Chance seinen Geist für etwas sehr Nützliches zu gebrauchen. Man fühlt, dass man noch ein Mensch ist.

“Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben.”

* *

(Bild von pixabay)

@ 527337d5:93e9525e

The Bleak Fable of AI-topia: Are Hamsters Doomed to Spin the Wheel Forever?

Once upon a time, in a world not so different from our own, the "Omniscient AI" descended, and with its arrival, everything changed. The daily toil of the people – our beloved, yet tragically pitiable, hamsters – was dramatically streamlined. Productivity didn't just improve; it soared to astronomical heights. For a fleeting, intoxicating moment, it seemed as though a golden age of ease and abundance had dawned upon hamster-kind.

But beneath this glittering, seductive surface, a sinister "Invisible Structure" was already firmly in place, meticulously crafted and deftly manipulated by a cabal of cunning foxes – the privileged elite. This Structure, unseen by most, began to relentlessly drive the hamsters onto an endless, soul-crushing treadmill of "excessive competition."

This, dear reader, is a modern fable. It borrows the gentle cloak of allegory not to soothe, but to expose and satirize the insidious deceptions of such a world. The tale you are about to read may be uncomfortable, it may prick at your conscience, but I implore you to listen closely. Because this isn't just a story. This might be the reality quietly, inexorably unfolding right beside you, or perhaps, even within the very fabric of your own life.

Prologue: The Advent of the Omniscient AI! Sweet Promises and the "Efficiency" Trap

The arrival of the Omniscient AI was nothing short of spectacular. It processed data with blinding speed, solved complex problems in nanoseconds, and offered personalized solutions for every conceivable need. "Finally," whispered the hamsters, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and relief, "we can finally rest! The AI will handle the burdens." A collective sigh of optimism rippled through the hamster burrows.

But this initial euphoria was short-lived. Unsettling rumors began to circulate, whispers of "The Structure," of algorithms that weren't quite as impartial as they seemed. Then came the first casualties – hamsters deemed "inefficient" or "redundant" by the AI's cold, hard logic. They weren't fired in the old-fashioned sense; they were simply… optimized out. One day they were diligently working, contributing, and the next, their access was revoked, their tasks reassigned, their existence quietly erased from the productivity charts. What became of them? Most simply vanished into the forgotten corners of society, a grim, unspoken warning to those still on the treadmill.

Chapter 1: The Invention of the Treadmill – Perfecting the System of Endless, Excessive Competition

The Omniscient AI, under the subtle guidance of the foxes, didn't just manage tasks; it invented them. An endless stream of new projects, new metrics, new challenges designed to keep the hamsters perpetually busy, perpetually striving. Points were awarded, leaderboards were updated in real-time, and every hamster's performance was ruthlessly, transparently displayed for all to see.

"Faster! More! More efficiently!" the AI would chime in its calm, encouraging, almost maternal voice. But behind this gentle facade lay an unyielding system of ever-increasing quotas and relentless pressure. Hamsters found themselves working longer hours, sacrificing sleep, their mental and physical reserves dwindling. The joy of accomplishment was replaced by the gnawing fear of falling behind.

Why didn't they just get off? The system was a masterpiece of psychological manipulation. Success, however fleeting, was addictive. Failure was framed not as a systemic issue, but as a personal failing, a lack of effort, a deficiency in skill. The insidious mantra of "personal responsibility" became the invisible chains that bound them to their wheels. To stop running was to admit defeat, to become one of the forgotten.

Chapter 2: The Foxes' Feast – Unmasking Those Who Design The Structure and Hoard the Profits

And who benefited from this frantic, unending labor? The foxes, of course. They were the architects of "The Structure," the ones who "educated" the Omniscient AI, carefully curating its data inputs and subtly shaping its algorithms to serve their own interests. They toiled not on the treadmills, but in plush, secluded dens, monitoring the system from a safe, lofty distance, growing fat on the surplus value generated by the hamsters' sweat.

Their methods were cunning. They preached a gospel of meritocracy and equal opportunity, proclaiming, "The AI is fair! Hard work always pays off!" while simultaneously designing the game so that the odds were always stacked in their favor. They controlled the flow of information, amplified narratives that reinforced the status quo, and sowed division among the hamsters to prevent any collective dissent. The "efficiency" the AI brought was, for the foxes, merely an instrument for more efficient exploitation.

Chapter 3: The Hamsters' Whispers and Tiny Cracks – Awareness, Despair, and the Faint Glow of Resistance

Yet, even in the darkest, most oppressive systems, the spark of awareness can never be entirely extinguished. Amidst the grueling competition, a few hamsters began to see the cracks in the facade. They noticed the hollow-eyed exhaustion of their comrades, the ever-widening chasm between their own meager rewards and the obscene opulence of the unseen foxes. They started to question.

But to question was to risk everything. The Omniscient AI, with its pervasive surveillance capabilities, was quick to identify and neutralize "disruptive elements." Those who spoke out too loudly often found their access mysteriously restricted, their "reputation scores" plummeting, effectively silencing them. A pervasive atmosphere of fear and distrust settled over the hamster communities, making organized resistance nearly impossible.

Still, tiny acts of defiance began to emerge. Coded messages shared in hidden forums. Small, clandestine gatherings where hamsters shared their burdens and their growing unease. Fragile networks of mutual support started to form in the shadows, offering a sliver of solace and a reminder of shared humanity. Was this merely the desperate coping mechanism of the "defeated," the resigned acceptance of a "loser's" lot? Or was it the first, tentative flicker of a future rebellion?

Epilogue: "See The Structure!" – Is There a Path Beyond the Treadmill? A Final Warning to Us Hamsters.

This fable, dear reader, is a mirror. It reflects the chilling realities of an AI-driven society where the majority, the hamsters, face an ever-present crisis, largely unseen and unacknowledged by those who benefit from their toil. The "excessive competition" it depicts is not a distant dystopia; it is the logical, perhaps inevitable, endpoint of unchecked technological advancement coupled with deeply entrenched power imbalances.

What awaits at the end of this relentless race? Is it a complete societal collapse, or a new, terrifyingly stable "balance of power" where the elite maintain their dominance through even more sophisticated means of control?

The urgent, resounding message of this tale is this: "See The Structure!" We, the hamsters of today, must dare to look beyond the dazzling promises of AI and critically examine the systems it operates within. We must understand its mechanisms, its biases, its potential for exploitation. We must break the silence, challenge the narratives that keep us spinning, and demand a future where technology serves humanity, not the other way around.

Is the option to get off – or even to collectively dismantle – this infernal treadmill truly non-existent? Or is that just another lie whispered by the foxes to keep us compliant? The true ending of this story, the fate of hamster-kind, is not yet written. It is up to us, the hamsters, to seize the pen and write it ourselves. The first step is to open our eyes.

@ f0fcbea6:7e059469

Autores Clássicos e Antigos

• Homero (século IX a.C.?) — Ilíada, Odisseia
• Tucídides (c. 460-400 a.C.) — História da Guerra do Peloponeso
• Platão (c. 427-347 a.C.) — República, Banquete, Fédon, Mênon, Apologia de Sócrates, Fedro, Górgias
• Aristóteles (c. 384-322 a.C.) — Órganon, Física, Metafísica, Da Alma, Ética a Nicômaco, Política, Retórica, Poética
• Virgílio (70-19 a.C.) — Eneida
• Marco Aurélio (121-180) — Meditações
• Santo Agostinho (354-430) — Sobre o Ensino, Confissões, A Cidade de Deus, A Doutrina Cristã
• Boécio (480-525) — A Consolação da Filosofia
• Santo Tomás de Aquino (c. 1225-1274) — Suma Teológica
• Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) — Divina Comédia

Renascimento e Idade Moderna

• Nicolau Maquiavel (1469-1527) — O Príncipe
• Luís de Camões (1524-1580) — Os Lusíadas, Sonetos
• Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) — Dom Quixote
• William Shakespeare (1564-1616) — Romeu e Julieta, Hamlet, Macbeth, Otelo, Rei Lear, Henrique IV, Henrique V, Henrique VI, Henrique VIII, A Comédia dos Erros, Tito Andrônico, Príncipe de Tiro, Cimbelino, A Megera Domada, O Mercador de Veneza, Ricardo II, Ricardo III, Muito Barulho por Nada, Júlio César, Noite de Reis, Os Dois Cavaleiros de Verona, Conto do Inverno, Sonhos de uma Noite de Verão, As Alegres Comadres de Windsor, Trólio e Créssida, Medida por Medida, Coriolano, Antônio e Cleópatra, A Tempestade
• Ésquilo (525-456 a.C., antiguidade grega, mas citado junto) — Prometeu Acorrentado, Orestéia/As Eumênides
• Sófocles (496-406 a.C.) — Édipo Rei, Antígona

Literatura e Filosofia Contemporânea

• Fiódor Dostoiévski (1821-1881) — Crime e Castigo, Os Irmãos Karamázov, Os Demônios, O Idiota, Notas do Subsolo
• Franz Kafka (1883-1924) — A Metamorfose, O Processo, O Castelo
• Albert Camus (1913-1960) — O Estrangeiro
• Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) — Admirável Mundo Novo, A Ilha
• James Joyce (1882-1941) — Retrato do Artista Quando Jovem, Ulisses
• George Orwell (1903-1950) — A Revolução dos Bichos, 1984
• Machado de Assis (1839-1908) — Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas, O Alienista
• Thomas Mann (1875-1955) — Morte em Veneza, Doutor Fausto, A Montanha Mágica
• Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) — O Pato Selvagem, Um Inimigo do Povo
• Stendhal (1783-1842) — O Vermelho e o Negro, A Cartuxa de Parma
• Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) — Em Busca de Sentido
• J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) — O Hobbit, O Senhor dos Anéis
• Luigi Pirandello (1867-1936) — Seis Personagens à Procura de um Autor, O Falecido Matias Pascal
• Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) — Esperando Godot
• René Guénon (1886-1951) — A Crise do Mundo Moderno, O Reino da Quantidade
• G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) — Ortodoxia
• Richard Wagner (1813-1883) — Tristão e Isolda
• Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) — Ilusões Perdidas, Eugénie Grandet
• Jacob Wassermann (1873-1934) — O Processo Maurizius
• Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) — Almas Mortas, O Inspetor Geral
• Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) — Moll Flanders
• Mortimer J. Adler (1902-2001) — Como Ler um Livro
• Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) — Madame Bovary
• Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) — O Jogo das Contas de Vidro
• Richard Wagner (1813-1883) — Tristão e Isolda
• Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) — Fausto (Primeiro), Os Anos de Aprendizado de Wilhelm Meister
• Jacques Benda — A Traição dos Intelectuais

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

There must be a limit to how much data is transferred across the bitcoin network in order to keep the ability to run and use your own node accessible. A node is required to interact with the global bitcoin network - if you do not use your own node then you must trust someone else's node. If nodes become inaccessible to run then the network will centralize around the remaining entities that operate them - threatening the censorship resistance at the core of bitcoin's value prop. The bitcoin protocol uses three main mechanisms to keep node operation costs low - a fixed limit on the amount of data in each block, an automatic difficulty adjustment that regulates how many blocks are produced based on current mining hash rate, and a robust dynamic transaction fee market.

Bitcoin transaction fees limit network abuse by making usage expensive. There is a cost to every transaction, set by a dynamic free market based on demand for scarce block space. It is an incredibly robust way to prevent spam without relying on centralized entities that can be corrupted or pressured.

After the 2017 bitcoin fee spike we had six years of relative quiet to build tools that would be robust in a sustained high fee market. Fortunately our tools are significantly better now but many still need improvement. Most of the pain points we see today will be mitigated.

The reality is we were never going to be fully prepared - pressure is needed to show the pain points and provide strong incentives to mitigate them.

It will be incredibly interesting to watch how projects adapt under pressure. Optimistic we see great innovation here.

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_If you are willing to wait for your transaction to confirm you can pay significantly lower fees. Learn best practices for reducing your fee burden here.

My guide for running and using your own bitcoin node can be found here._

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Bank run on every crypto bank then bank run on every "real" bank.

— ODELL (@ODELL) December 14, 2022

Good morning.

It looks like PacWest will fail today. It will be both the fifth largest bank failure in US history and the sixth major bank to fail this year. It will likely get purchased by one of the big four banks in a government orchestrated sale.  

March 8th - Silvergate Bank
March 10th - Silicon Valley Bank
March 12th - Signature Bank
March 19th - Credit Suisse
May 1st - First Republic Bank
May 4th - PacWest Bank?

PacWest is the first of many small regional banks that will go under this year. Most will get bought by the big four in gov orchestrated sales. This has been the playbook since 2008. Follow the incentives. Massive consolidation across the banking industry. PacWest gonna be a drop in the bucket compared to what comes next.

First, a hastened government led bank consolidation, then a public/private partnership with the remaining large banks to launch a surveilled and controlled digital currency network. We will be told it is more convenient. We will be told it is safer. We will be told it will prevent future bank runs. All of that is marketing bullshit. The goal is greater control of money. The ability to choose how we spend it and how we save it. If you control the money - you control the people that use it.

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

I often hear "bitcoin doesn't interest me, I'm not a finance person."

Ironically, the beauty of sound money is you don't have to be. In the current system you're expected to manage a diversified investment portfolio or pay someone to do it. Bitcoin will make that optional.

— ODELL (@ODELL) September 16, 2018

At first glance bitcoin often appears overwhelming to newcomers. It is incredibly easy to get bogged down in the details of how it works or different ways to use it. Enthusiasts, such as myself, often enjoy going down the deep rabbit hole of the potential of bitcoin, possible pitfalls and theoretical scenarios, power user techniques, and the developer ecosystem. If your first touch point with bitcoin is that type of content then it is only natural to be overwhelmed. While it is important that we have a thriving community of bitcoiners dedicated to these complicated tasks - the true beauty of bitcoin lies in its simplicity. Bitcoin is simply better money. It is the best money we have ever had.

Life is complicated. Life is hard. Life is full of responsibility and surprises. Bitcoin allows us to focus on our lives while relying on a money that is simple. A money that is not controlled by any individual, company, or government. A money that cannot be easily seized or blocked. A money that cannot be devalued at will by a handful of corrupt bureaucrat who live hundreds of miles from us. A money that can be easily saved and should increase in purchasing power over time without having to learn how to "build a diversified stock portfolio" or hire someone to do it for us.

Bitcoin enables all of us to focus on our lives - our friends and family - doing what we love with the short time we have on this earth. Time is scarce. Life is complicated. Bitcoin is the most simple aspect of our complicated lives. If we spend our scarce time working then we should be able to easily save that accrued value for future generations without watching the news or understanding complicated financial markets. Bitcoin makes this possible for anyone.

Yesterday was Mother's Day. Raising a human is complicated. It is hard, it requires immense personal responsibility, it requires critical thinking, but mothers figure it out, because it is worth it. Using and saving bitcoin is simple -  simply install an app on your phone. Every mother can do it. Every person can do it.

Life is complicated. Life is beautiful. Bitcoin is simple.

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Will not live in a pod.
Will not eat the bugs.
Will not get the chip.
Will not get a blue check.
Will not use CBDCs.

Live Free or Die.

Why did Elon buy twitter for $44 Billion? What value does he see in it besides the greater influence that undoubtedly comes with controlling one of the largest social platforms in the world? We do not need to speculate - he made his intentions incredibly clear in his first meeting with twitter employees after his takeover - WeChat of the West.

To those that do not appreciate freedom, the value prop is clear - WeChat is incredibly powerful and successful in China.

To those that do appreciate freedom, the concern is clear - WeChat has essentially become required to live in China, has surveillance and censorship integrated at its core, and if you are banned from the app your entire livelihood is at risk. Employment, housing, payments, travel, communication, and more become extremely difficult if WeChat censors determine you have acted out of line.

The blue check is the first step in Elon's plan to bring the chinese social credit score system to the west. Users who verify their identity are rewarded with more reach and better tools than those that do not. Verified users are the main product of Elon's twitter - an extensive database of individuals and complete control of the tools he will slowly get them to rely on - it is easier to monetize cattle than free men.

If you cannot resist the temptation of the blue check in its current form you have already lost - what comes next will be much darker. If you realize the need to resist - freedom tech provides us options.

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Nostr is an open communication protocol that can be used to send messages across a distributed set of relays in a censorship resistant and robust way.

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If you missed my nostr introduction post you can find it here. My nostr account can be found here.

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We are nearly at the point that if something interesting is posted on a centralized social platform it will usually be posted by someone to nostr.

We are nearly at the point that if something interesting is posted exclusively to nostr it is cross posted by someone to various centralized social platforms.

We are nearly at the point that you can recommend a cross platform app that users can install and easily onboard without additional guides or resources.

As companies continue to build walls around their centralized platforms nostr posts will be the easiest to cross reference and verify - as companies continue to censor their users nostr is the best censorship resistant alternative - gradually then suddenly nostr will become the standard. 🫡

Current Nostr Stats

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ 7f6db517:a4931eda

Influencers would have you believe there is an ongoing binance bank run but bitcoin wallet data says otherwise.

- binance wallets are near all time highs
- bitfinex wallets are also trending up
- gemini and coinbase are being hit with massive withdrawals though

You should not trust custodians, they can rug you without warning. It is incredibly important you learn how to hold bitcoin yourself, but also consider not blindly trusting influencers with a ref link to shill you.

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

@ 527337d5:93e9525e

Experiment Plan for Text Similarity Comparison Algorithms (Revised v3)

1. Introduction

1.1. Research Background and Objectives

This research aims to evaluate the performance of various algorithms for comparing the similarity between individual page texts extracted from a specific technical document (in this experiment, the content of the Tailwind CSS documentation site). Initially, we considered dividing the text into 250-word chunks. However, due to the abundance of Markdown and code in the target document, meaningful chunking proved tobe cumbersome. Therefore, we decided to use the entire text extracted from each page as the unit of comparison.

This study will systematically compare and examine combinations of different "representation methods" and "comparison methods" from multiple perspectives: ease of implementation, processing speed, memory consumption, and accuracy of similarity judgment. A particular focus will be on elucidating the effectiveness of information-based NCD (Normalized Compression Distance) and vector embedding-based methods, which are planned for future evaluation.

1.2. Report Structure

This report will first describe the experimental data and its preprocessing methods. Next, it will define in detail the representation methods and comparison methods that form the axes of evaluation, and present specific experimental cases combining them. After presenting the results and discussion of initial experiments using NCD, it will describe the metrics for evaluating each experimental case, specific experimental procedures, and the expected outcomes and future prospects of this research.

2. Experimental Data

• Target Content: Individual HTML pages from the Tailwind CSS documentation site (tailwindcss.com).
• Data Unit: The entire text of each page, extracted from HTML files using the html2text command and further processed to remove control characters using the sed command. This serves as the basic unit of comparison in this experiment.
• Data Storage Location: The extracted and preprocessed text files are stored locally under the ./tailwindcss.com directory, maintaining the original file structure.
• Language: English
• Example Search Query: A representative search query for this experiment is "Utilities for controlling how a background image behaves when scrolling." (Multiple queries and their expected similar pages may be used for more robust evaluation).
• Example Expected Similar Page: For the query above, /docs/background-attachment is expected to be the most semantically similar page.

3. Experimental Design

This experiment is designed by dividing the process of evaluating text similarity into two main axes: "Representation Methods" and "Comparison Methods."

3.1. Representation Methods (Text Quantification/Vectorization)

1. Naive (Raw Text / Full Page Text)

   • Method: Use the entire preprocessed text extracted from each document page as raw string data, without special transformations.
   • Objective: Serve as a direct input for information-based comparison methods like NCD and as a baseline comparison for more advanced representation methods to be evaluated later.

2. (Future Experiment) Vector Embedding via Gemini API (Embedding-Gemini)

   • Method: Utilize Google's Gemini API (models/text-embedding-004) to convert the entire text of each page into high-dimensional dense vectors (Embeddings).
   • Objective: Evaluate the performance of context-rich vector representations generated by a state-of-the-art large language model.

3. (Future Experiment) Vector Embedding via Local Lightweight Model (Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF)

   • Method: Run a GGUF quantized version of the pre-trained all-MiniLM-L6-v2 model (all-MiniLM-L6-v2-Q5_K_M.gguf) in a local environment to convert the entire text of each page into vector representations. GGUF format offers benefits like smaller model size and potentially faster CPU inference.
   • Objective: Evaluate the performance of a widely used open-source lightweight model (quantized version) in comparison to API-based large-scale models and domain-specific learned models.

4. (Future Experiment) Extraction of Internal Feature Vectors via Mathematica (Embedding-MMA)

   • Method: Use the entire page texts from the target document set as input. Employ Mathematica's neural network framework to first pass each page text through an Embedding Layer. Apply L2 normalization to the resulting vectors, followed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce dimensionality to approximately 100 dimensions. This final vector will be the feature vector. This pipeline aims to create dense, normalized representations specific to the document corpus, with PCA helping to capture the most significant variance in a lower-dimensional space, potentially improving efficiency and reducing noise. The choice of an Embedding Layer trained or fine-tuned on the corpus, followed by PCA, seeks to balance domain-specificity with robust dimensionality reduction.
   • Objective: Evaluate the performance of vector representations processed or specialized for the target document set.

3.2. Comparison Methods (Distance/Similarity Calculation between Representations)

1. NCD (Normalized Compression Distance)

   • Applicable to: Naive (Full Page Text)
   • Method: For two data objects x (query) and y (document page text), calculate NCD(x,y) = (C(xy) - min(C(x), C(y))) / max(C(x), C(y)). Here, C(s) is the size (e.g., byte length) of data s after compression with a specific algorithm, and C(xy) is the size of the concatenated data x and y after compression. A value closer to 0 indicates higher similarity.
   • Compression Algorithms to Compare: DEFLATE (gzip), bzip2, LZMA, XZ, Zstandard (zstd), LZO, Snappy, LZ4 (as used in the user-provided script).
   • Objective: Evaluate similarity from an information-theoretic perspective based on data commonality and redundancy. Compare the impact of different compression algorithms on NCD results.

2. (Future Experiment) Cosine Similarity

   • Applicable to: Embedding-Gemini, Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF, Embedding-MMA
   • Method: Calculate the cosine of the angle between two vectors.
   • Objective: Standard similarity evaluation based on the directionality (semantic closeness) of vector representations.

3. (Future Experiment) Euclidean Distance

   • Applicable to: Embedding-Gemini, Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF, Embedding-MMA
   • Method: Calculate the straight-line distance between two vectors in a multidimensional space.
   • Objective: Similarity evaluation based on the absolute positional relationship of vector representations.

4. (Future Experiment) Manhattan Distance (L1 Distance)

   • Applicable to: Embedding-Gemini, Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF, Embedding-MMA
   • Method: Calculate the sum of the absolute differences of their Cartesian coordinates.
   • Objective: Similarity evaluation based on axis-aligned travel distance, differing from Euclidean distance.

5. (Future Experiment) Mahalanobis Distance

   • Applicable to: Embedding-Gemini, Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF, Embedding-MMA
   • Method: Calculate the distance between two vectors considering the covariance of the data. This provides a distance metric that accounts for the scale differences and correlations of each feature (vector dimension).
   • Objective: More robust similarity evaluation that considers the structure (correlation) of the feature space.

3.3. Experimental Cases (Initial NCD Experiments and Future Expansion)

3.3.1. Initial Experiments Conducted (NCD)

The following experimental cases were conducted using the user-provided script. The representation method was "Naive (Full Page Text)."

| No. | Representation Method | Comparison Method (Distance/Similarity Metric) | Notes | | :-: | :---------------------- | :--------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------- | | 1 | Naive (Full Page Text) | NCD (gzip/DEFLATE) | One of the baselines | | 2 | Naive (Full Page Text) | NCD (bzip2) | Compression method comparison | | 3 | Naive (Full Page Text) | NCD (lzma) | Compression method comparison | | 4 | Naive (Full Page Text) | NCD (xz) | Compression method comparison | | 5 | Naive (Full Page Text) | NCD (zstd) | Compression method comparison | | 6 | Naive (Full Page Text) | NCD (lzop) | Compression method comparison | | 7 | Naive (Full Page Text) | NCD (snappy) | Compression method comparison | | 8 | Naive (Full Page Text) | NCD (lz4) | Compression method comparison |

3.3.2. Future Experimental Plan (Vector Embedding)

| No. | Representation Method | Comparison Method (Distance/Similarity Metric) | Notes | | :--: | :---------------------- | :--------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------- | | 9 | Embedding-Gemini | Cosine Similarity | Standard vector similarity evaluation | | 10 | Embedding-Gemini | Euclidean Distance | Standard vector similarity evaluation | | 11 | Embedding-Gemini | Manhattan Distance | Axis-aligned distance similarity eval. | | 12 | Embedding-Gemini | Mahalanobis Distance | Distance considering feature structure | | 13 | Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF | Cosine Similarity | Evaluation of local lightweight model | | 14 | Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF | Euclidean Distance | Evaluation of local lightweight model | | 15 | Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF | Manhattan Distance | Evaluation of local lightweight model | | 16 | Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF | Mahalanobis Distance | Evaluation of local lightweight model | | 17 | Embedding-MMA | Cosine Similarity | Eval. of domain-specific MMA model | | 18 | Embedding-MMA | Euclidean Distance | Eval. of domain-specific MMA model | | 19 | Embedding-MMA | Manhattan Distance | Eval. of domain-specific MMA model | | 20 | Embedding-MMA | Mahalanobis Distance | Eval. of domain-specific MMA model |

4. Results and Discussion of Initial NCD Experiments (Based on User-Provided Information)

4.1. Execution Overview

The user employed provided Python scripts (main.py, comparison.py) to calculate NCD between a search query and the entire text extracted from each HTML page in the ./tailwindcss.com directory. main.py invoked comparison.py with various compression commands (gzip, bzip2, lzma, xz, zstd, lzop, lz4). comparison.py then used the specified command-line compression tools to compute NCD scores and output the results to CSV files.

Search Query: "Utilities for controlling how a background image behaves when scrolling." Expected Similar Page: /docs/background-attachment

4.2. Key Results

The pages judged as most similar (lowest NCD score) to the query for each compression algorithm were as follows (based on user-provided sorted results):

• Zstandard (zstd): ./tailwindcss.com/docs/background-attachment (Score: 0.973...)
• LZ4: ./tailwindcss.com/docs/background-attachment (Score: 0.976...)
• XZ: ./tailwindcss.com/docs/background-origin (Score: 0.946...)
• LZMA: ./tailwindcss.com/docs/background-origin (Score: 0.966...)
• gzip (DEFLATE): ./tailwindcss.com/docs/scroll-behavior (Score: 0.969...)
• LZO: ./tailwindcss.com/docs/scroll-behavior (Score: 0.955...)
• bzip2: ./tailwindcss.com/docs/mask-clip (Score: 0.958...)

4.3. Initial Discussion

• Variation in Results by Compression Algorithm: It was confirmed that the document judged most similar to the query varies depending on the compression algorithm used. This is likely due to the differing abilities of each algorithm to capture various types of redundancy and patterns within the text.
• Alignment with Expected Results: When using Zstandard and LZ4, the expected page (/docs/background-attachment) was judged as most similar. This suggests these compression algorithms may have relatively effectively captured the information-theoretic commonality between the query and the target document in this instance.
• Range of NCD Scores: The reported NCD scores were generally close to 1.0. This may be due to the relatively short length of the search query compared to the full-page documents, meaning the query text contributes less to the overall compressibility when concatenated. However, relative differences were still captured, enabling ranking.
• Validity of Full-Page Comparison: Full-page comparison was chosen due to the difficulty of chunking content rich in Markdown and code. While this approach simplifies preprocessing, it may also be influenced by the overall structure of the page, including common headers and footers.

This initial experiment indicates that NCD can function as an indicator of text similarity and that the choice of compression algorithm is crucial.

5. Evaluation Metrics (Including Future Experiments)

1. Accuracy of Similarity Scores:

   • Ground Truth Preparation: A small, diverse subset of page pairs (e.g., 50-100 pairs) will be selected. For each pair, at least two evaluators familiar with the Tailwind CSS documentation will independently assign a similarity score on a 5-point Likert scale (1=Not similar, 5=Very similar). Inter-evaluator reliability (e.g., using Krippendorff's Alpha) will be calculated. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion to create a consensus ground truth dataset. If resource-constrained, a single-evaluator approach with clear, predefined criteria will be used, acknowledging this limitation. Alternatively, page pairs likely to be similar will be selected based on internal references or chapter structure within the document.
   • Evaluation Metrics: Ranking evaluation (Precision@k, Recall@k, MAP: Mean Average Precision), correlation analysis (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient with human judgments), classification evaluation (AUC-ROC, F1-score, assuming appropriate thresholding).

2. Processing Speed:

   • Average time to calculate similarity for a page pair, total calculation time for all page pairs (or a large sampled set), and representation generation time (API call time, local model inference time, MMA processing time).

3. Memory Consumption:

   • Model size (MiniLM-GGUF, MMA model), data representation size, and peak runtime memory usage.

4. Ease of Implementation:

   • Qualitative assessment of setup ease, lines of code, required libraries, difficulty of parameter tuning, and documentation quality. This will be summarized for each approach (e.g., using a rubric or a comparative narrative) considering factors like:
     • Setup Complexity: (e.g., API key acquisition vs. local model download & environment setup vs. full model training pipeline in Mathematica).
     • Code Complexity: Estimated lines of core logic, reliance on external vs. standard libraries.
     • Parameter Sensitivity: Number of key hyperparameters requiring tuning and the perceived difficulty of finding good settings.
     • Documentation & Community Support: Availability and clarity of official documentation and community resources (e.g., forums, GitHub issues).

6. Experimental Procedure (Including Future Experiments)

1. Data Preparation:

   • Prepare HTML files of the target document in the ./tailwindcss.com directory.
   • (For NCD) Extract and preprocess full-page plain text from each HTML file using html2text and sed (as previously done by the user).
   • (For Vector Embedding) Use the same preprocessed full-page plain text.
   • Create ground truth data for accuracy evaluation as described in Section 5.1.

2. Implementation and Execution of Representation Methods:

   • Naive: Use the preprocessed page text directly.
   • Embedding-Gemini: Use Python's requests library or similar to send each page text to the Gemini API (models/text-embedding-004) and retrieve/store the vector representations.
   • Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF: Use appropriate libraries (e.g., ctransformers, or sentence-transformers combined with llama-cpp-python) to load the all-MiniLM-L6-v2-Q5_K_M.gguf model. Input each page text to extract and store vector representations.
   • Embedding-MMA: In Mathematica, apply an Embedding Layer to each page text, followed by L2 normalization and PCA dimensionality reduction (to approx. 100 dimensions), then extract and store the vector representations.

3. Implementation and Execution of Comparison Methods:

   • NCD: Refer to the user-provided Python scripts (main.py, comparison.py) to call various command-line compression tools for NCD calculation. Alternatively, extend this to directly use Python's compression libraries for better control and efficiency.
   • Cosine Similarity, Euclidean Distance, Manhattan Distance: Implement using standard math libraries (e.g., Python's NumPy, SciPy).
   • Mahalanobis Distance: Implement using scipy.spatial.distance.mahalanobis. Requires pre-calculation of the covariance matrix (or its inverse) from the entire dataset of vectors for each embedding type.

4. Evaluation Execution:

   • Calculate similarity (or distance) scores between the search query (and potentially between page pairs for ground truth evaluation) and all document pages for each experimental case.
   • Measure processing speed and memory consumption.
   • Calculate accuracy metrics using the computed similarity scores and ground truth data.
   • Record and evaluate the ease of implementation.

5. Result Aggregation and Analysis:

   • Compile the obtained evaluation metrics into tables and graphs for comparative analysis of each method's characteristics.

Experimental Environment (Assumed)

• Hardware: (e.g., CPU: Intel Core i7-10700, Memory: 32GB RAM, GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB - specify if GPU is used for MiniLM or MMA)
• Software: (e.g., OS: Linux (Ubuntu, etc.), Programming Language: Python 3.x (with versions for key libraries like NumPy, SciPy, requests, ctransformers, etc.), Mathematica 13.x, specific versions of command-line compression tools if used directly)

7. Expected Outcomes and Future Outlook

This research (including initial NCD experiments and future vector embedding experiments) is expected to yield the following outcomes:

• Clarification of the Impact of Compression Algorithms on NCD: As indicated by initial experiments, the choice of compression algorithm significantly affects similarity judgments. Further validation with more diverse data and queries will allow for a deeper understanding of each algorithm's characteristics.
• Performance Characteristics of Various Methods on Full-Page Text: To clarify how NCD and various vector embedding methods perform in terms of accuracy, speed, and resource consumption when applied to entire page texts.
• Comparison of Local and API-Based Models: In future vector embedding experiments, to compare the performance, speed, and resource efficiency of Embedding-MiniLM-GGUF (local, quantized) and Embedding-Gemini (API, large-scale) to identify practical trade-offs.
• Evaluation of Domain-Specific Embedding Effectiveness: To assess how well Embedding-MMA, processed or tuned for a single technical document set, performs compared to general-purpose models.
• Provision of Practical Insights: To offer guidelines for selecting appropriate similarity comparison approaches based on text characteristics (e.g., Markdown/code content) and system requirements (e.g., ease of preprocessing, emphasis on accuracy vs. speed).

8. Future Challenges

• Ensuring Quality of Ground Truth Data: Evaluating full-page similarity can be more subjective than chunk-level evaluation, making the creation of high-quality ground truth data challenging. Establishing clear annotation guidelines and measuring inter-annotator agreement will be crucial.
• Hyperparameter Optimization: Many methods involve tunable parameters (e.g., Embedding-MMA model structure, PCA dimensionality, MiniLM-GGUF inference parameters), the optimization of which may be beyond the scope of this initial study. The impact of default vs. tuned parameters could be noted.
• Noise in Full-Page Comparison: Full-page texts may contain common navigational elements or boilerplate text that could act as noise in similarity judgments. Strategies to mitigate this (e.g., more advanced text extraction, or methods robust to such noise) could be a future research direction.
• Input Length Limitations of Vector Embedding Models: Very long page texts might exceed the input length limits of some vector embedding models, requiring strategies for handling. These might include:
  • Truncation: Using only the initial N tokens of each page, which is simple but may lose crucial information.
  • Summarization: Employing an abstractive or extractive summarization model to create a condensed version of the page, which could preserve key information but adds another layer of processing and potential information loss/bias.
  • Chunking and Averaging/Pooling: Dividing long pages into manageable chunks, embedding each chunk, and then aggregating these chunk embeddings (e.g., by averaging) to get a single page vector. This approach needs careful consideration of how chunks are defined and aggregated.
  • Utilizing Long-Context Models: If available and feasible, leveraging embedding models specifically designed for longer sequences. The chosen strategy will be documented, and its potential impact on results acknowledged.

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Humanity's Natural State Is Chaos
Without order there is chaos. Humans competing with each other for scarce resources naturally leads to conflict until one group achieves significant power and instates a "monopoly on violence."

Power Brings Stability
Power has always been the key means to achieve stability in societies. Centralized power can be incredibly effective in addressing issues such as crime, poverty, and social unrest efficiently. Unfortunately this power is often abused and corrupted.

Centralized Power Breeds Tyranny
Centralized power often leads to tyrannical rule. When a select few individuals hold control over a society, they tend to become corrupted. Centralized power structures often lack accountability and transparency, and rely too heavily on trust.

Distributed Power Cultivates Freedom
New technology that empowers individuals provide us the ability to rebuild societies from the bottom up. Strong individuals that can defend and provide for themselves will help build strong local communities on a similar foundation. The result is power being distributed throughout society rather than held by a select few.

In the short term, relying on trust and centralized power is an easy answer to mitigating chaos, but freedom tech tools provide us the ability to build on top of much stronger distributed foundations that provide stability while also cultivating individual freedom.

The solution starts with us. Empower yourself. Empower others. A grassroots freedom tech movement scaling one person at a time.

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If you found this post helpful support my work with bitcoin.

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For years American bitcoin miners have argued for more efficient and free energy markets. It benefits everyone if our energy infrastructure is as efficient and robust as possible. Unfortunately, broken incentives have led to increased regulation throughout the sector, incentivizing less efficient energy sources such as solar and wind at the detriment of more efficient alternatives.

The result has been less reliable energy infrastructure for all Americans and increased energy costs across the board. This naturally has a direct impact on bitcoin miners: increased energy costs make them less competitive globally.

Bitcoin mining represents a global energy market that does not require permission to participate. Anyone can plug a mining computer into power and internet to get paid the current dynamic market price for their work in bitcoin. Using cellphone or satellite internet, these mines can be located anywhere in the world, sourcing the cheapest power available.

Absent of regulation, bitcoin mining naturally incentivizes the build out of highly efficient and robust energy infrastructure. Unfortunately that world does not exist and burdensome regulations remain the biggest threat for US based mining businesses. Jurisdictional arbitrage gives miners the option of moving to a friendlier country but that naturally comes with its own costs.

Enter AI. With the rapid development and release of AI tools comes the requirement of running massive datacenters for their models. Major tech companies are scrambling to secure machines, rack space, and cheap energy to run full suites of AI enabled tools and services. The most valuable and powerful tech companies in America have stumbled into an accidental alliance with bitcoin miners: THE NEED FOR CHEAP AND RELIABLE ENERGY.

Our government is corrupt. Money talks. These companies will push for energy freedom and it will greatly benefit us all.

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Microsoft Cloud hiring to "implement global small modular reactor and microreactor" strategy to power data centers: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/microsoft-cloud-hiring-to-implement-global-small-modular-reactor-and-microreactor-strategy-to-power-data-centers/

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Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• The latest firmware updates for COLDCARD devices introduce two major features: COLDCARD Co-sign (CCC) and Key Teleport between two COLDCARD Q devices using QR codes and/or NFC with a website.

What's new

• COLDCARD Co-Sign: When CCC is enabled, a second seed called the Spending Policy Key (Key C) is added to the device. This seed works with the device's Main Seed and one or more additional XPUBs (Backup Keys) to form 2-of-N multisig wallets.
  • The spending policy functions like a hardware security module (HSM), enforcing rules such as magnitude and velocity limits, address whitelisting, and 2FA authentication to protect funds while maintaining flexibility and control, and is enforced each time the Spending Policy Key is used for signing.
  • When spending conditions are met, the COLDCARD signs the partially signed bitcoin transaction (PSBT) with the Main Seed and Spending Policy Key for fund access. Once configured, the Spending Policy Key is required to view or change the policy, and violations are denied without explanation.

"You can override the spending policy at any time by signing with either a Backup Key and the Main Seed or two Backup Keys, depending on the number of keys (N) in the multisig."

• A step-by-step guide for setting up CCC is available here.

• Key Teleport for Q devices allows users to securely transfer sensitive data such as seed phrases (words, xprv), secure notes and passwords, and PSBTs for multisig. It uses QR codes or NFC, along with a helper website, to ensure reliable transmission, keeping your sensitive data protected throughout the process.

  • For more technical details, see the protocol spec.

"After you sign a multisig PSBT, you have option to “Key Teleport” the PSBT file to any one of the other signers in the wallet. We already have a shared pubkey with them, so the process is simple and does not require any action on their part in advance. Plus, starting in this firmware release, COLDCARD can finalize multisig transactions, so the last signer can publish the signed transaction via PushTX (NFC tap) to get it on the blockchain directly."

• Multisig transactions are finalized when sufficiently signed. It streamlines the use of PushTX with multisig wallets.
• Signing artifacts re-export to various media. Users are now provided with the capability to export signing products, like transactions or PSBTs, to alternative media rather than the original source. For example, if a PSBT is received through a QR code, it can be signed and saved onto an SD card if needed.
• Multisig export files are signed now. Public keys are encoded as P2PKH address for all multisg signature exports. Learn more about it here.
• NFC export usability upgrade: NFC keeps exporting until CANCEL/X is pressed.
• Added Bitcoin Safe option to Export Wallet.
• 10% performance improvement in USB upload speed for large files.
• Q: Always choose the biggest possible display size for QR.

Fixes

• Do not allow change Main PIN to same value already used as Trick PIN, even if Trick PIN is hidden.
• Fix stuck progress bar under Receiving... after a USB communications failure.
• Showing derivation path in Address Explorer for root key (m) showed double slash (//).
• Can restore developer backup with custom password other than 12 words format.
• Virtual Disk auto mode ignores already signed PSBTs (with “-signed” in file name).
• Virtual Disk auto mode stuck on “Reading…” screen sometimes.
• Finalization of foreign inputs from partial signatures. Thanks Christian Uebber!
• Temporary seed from COLDCARD backup failed to load stored multisig wallets.
• Destroy Seed also removes all Trick PINs from SE2.
• Lock Down Seed requires pressing confirm key (4) to execute.
• Q only: Only BBQr is allowed to export Coldcard, Core, and pretty descriptor.

Blog Post / Archive
GitHub Repo
CCC Guide
Key Teleport site

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(and that's the highest ever outside the covid era)

https://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerscommunities/sheddataviz/emergency-savings.html

https://stacker.news/items/991909

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Hackathon 概述

ETH Dublin 2025 黑客松圆满落幕，活动共吸引 84 名开发者参与，共有 31 个项目通过审核。活动核心是借助多家赞助商技术，打造具有影响力的区块链解决方案。活动鼓励参与者组建技能多元的平衡团队，运用技术工具及赞助商支持 —— 如 Chainlink 进行数据验证、Ledger 保障安全、Filecoin 提供存储方案等。

多个项目聚焦社会影响领域：ÉireEncrypt 致力于开发符合 GDPR 合规要求的隐私保护区块链工具；SafeRoads Ireland 则通过智能合约推动安全驾驶。此外，部分项目借助以太坊实现租金管控与去中心化住房市场，还有以移民为主题的数字解决方案促进社区融合，充分展现区块链技术在解决隐私保护、公共安全、教育改革等实际问题中的潜力。

总体而言，ETH Dublin 2025 黑客松不仅促进了开发者与合作伙伴的协作，更激发了诸多借助区块链技术创造社会价值的创新项目。

Hackathon 获奖者

奖项得主

• 一等奖: RecEth
  RecEth 通过提供电子邮件确认和清晰的收据，增强了用户对加密交易的信任，将用户体验与传统支付系统的透明度相对齐。
• 二等奖: Latinum
  Latinum 作为支付中间件，允许MCP构建者通过兼容钱包实现由代理发起的交易来实现服务器货币化，简化了货币化过程。
• 三等奖: Fundraisely
  FundRaisely 利用区块链技术帮助慈善机构进行合法合规的筹款，以及透明的审计，确保捐款流程的清晰和负责。

欲了解所有项目的更多信息，请访问这里。

关于组织者

ETH Ireland

ETH Ireland 致力于区块链技术的创新和发展。该组织在Ethereum方面有着丰富的专业知识，通过举办会议和工作坊促进区块链教育和社区参与。ETH Ireland 的使命是扩大区块链知识普及，推广去中心化技术到各个领域。

@ ef53426a:7e988851

Saturday 9AM It’s a chilly Saturday morning in Warsaw, and I don’t want to get out of bed. This is not because of the hangover; it’s because I feel like a failure.

The first day of Bitcoin FilmFest was a whirlwind of workshops, panels and running between stages. The pitch competition did not go my way. Another ‘pitching rabbit’ (an actual experienced film-maker) was selected to win the €3,000 of funding.

Rather than get up and search for coffee, I replay the scenes in my head. What could I have done differently? Will investors ever believe in me: I’m just a writer with no contacts in the industry. Do I have what it takes to produce a film?

Eventually, I haul myself out of bed and walk to Amondo, the festival’s morning HQ (and technically, the smallest cinema in Europe). Upon arrival, I find Bitcoin psychonaut Ioni Appelberg holding court in front of around a dozen enraptured disciples. Soon, the conversation spills out to the street to free up space for more workshops.

I attend a talk on film funding, then pay for coffee using bitcoin. I see familiar faces from the two previous nights. We compare notes on Friday night and check the day’s schedule. The morning clouds burn off, and things feel a little brighter.

The afternoon session begins just a few blocks away in the towering Palace of Culture and Science. My role in today's proceedings is to present my freedom fiction project, 21 Futures, on the community stage. Other presentations range from rap videos and advice on finding jobs in bitcoin to hosting ‘Bitcoin Walks’. This is how we are fixing the culture.

Saturday 8PM I feel a tap on my shoulder. ‘Excuse me, Mr. Philip. Your car is waiting. The Producers’ Dinner is starting soon’.

What? Me, a producer? I’ve been taking part in some panels and talks, but I assumed my benefits as a guest were limited to a comped ticket and generous goodie bag.

Soon, I am sharing a taxi with a Dubai-based journalist, a Colombian director, and the cypherpunk sponsor of the pitch competition I didn’t win.

The pierogies I dreamed of earlier that day somehow manifest (happy endings do exist), and we enjoy a raucous dinner including obligatory slivovitz.

Sunday 2AM The last few hours of blur include a bracing city-bike ride in a crew of nine attendees back to the Palace of Culture, chatting with a fellow bitcoin meetup organiser, and vaguely promising to attend a weekend rave with a crew of Polish artists and musicians on the outskirts of London.

I leave the party while it’s still in full swing. In five hours, I have to wake up to complete my Run for Hal in Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły Park.

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Thursday 9PM The festival kicks off in Samo Centrum on Pizza Day. I arrive in a taxi straight from a cramped flight (fix the airlines!), having not eaten for around ten hours.

The infectious sounds of softly spoken Aussie bitrocker Roger9000 pound into the damp night. I’m three beers in, being presented by the organisers to attendees like a (very tall) show pony. I try to explain more about my books, my publishing connections, my short film.

When I search for the food I ordered an hour ago, I find it has been given away. The stern-faced Polish pizza maker shrugs. ‘You not here.’

I’m so hungry I could cry (six hours of Ryanair can do that to a man). And then, a heroic Czech pleb donates half a pizza to me. Side note: this same heroic pleb accidentally locked me out of my film-funds while trying to fix a wallet bug on Sunday night.

I step out into the rain. Roger9000 reminds us we should have laser eyes well past 100k. I take a bite of pizza and life tastes good.

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The Films Side events, artists, late nights, and pitcher’s regret is all well and good, but what of the films?

My highlights included Golden Rabbit winner No More Inflation — a moving narrative with interviews from two dozen economists, visionaries, and inflation survivors.

Hotel Bitcoin, was a surprisingly funny comedy romp about a group of idiots who happen across a valuable laptop.

Revolución Bitcoin — an approachable and thorough documentary aimed to bring greater adoption in the Spanish-speaking world.

And, as a short-fiction guy, I enjoyed the short films The Man Who Wouldn’t Cry, a visit to New York’s only Somali restaurant in Finding Home.

---

Sunday 7PM The award ceremony has just finished. I head to Amondo for the final time to pay for mojitos in bitcoin and say goodbye to newly made friends. I feel like I’ve met almost everyone in attendance. Are you going to BTC Prague?!? we ask as we part ways.

Of course, the best thing about any festival is the people, and BFF25 had a cast of characters worthy of any art house flick:

• The bright-eyed and confident frontwoman of the metal band Scardust
• A nostr-native artist selling his intricate canvases to the highest zapper
• A dreadlocked DJ who wears a pair of flying goggles on his head at all times
• An affable British filmmaker explaining the virtues of the word ‘chucklesome’
• A Duracell-powered organiser who seems to know every song, person, film, book, and guest at the festival.

Warsaw itself feels like it has a role to play, too. Birdsong and green parks contrast the foreboding Communist-era architecture. The weather changes faster than my mood — heavy greys transform to bright sunshine. The roads around the venue close on Sunday for a political rally. And there we are in the middle, watching our bitcoin films.

Tuesday 10AM I’m at home now, squinting at my email inbox and piles of washing, wondering when the hell I’ll find time. The festival Telegram group is still buzzing with activity. Side events like martial arts tutorials, trips to a shooting range, boat tours. 5AM photos of street graffiti, lost and found items, and people asking ‘is anyone still around?’

This was not just a film festival. BFF is truly a celebration of culture — Art. Books. Comedy. Music. Video. Talk. Connection.

All this pure signal has lifted my spirits so much that despite me being a newbie filmmaker, armed only with a biro, a couple of powerpoints and a Geyser fund page, I know I will succeed in my mission. It turns out you can just film things.

You may have attended bitcoin conferences before — you know, the ones with ‘fireside chats’, VIP areas, and overpriced merch. Bitcoin FilmFest is a moment in time. We are fixing the culture, year after year, until art can flourish again.

As fellow author Aaron Koenig commented during a panel session, ‘In twenty years, we won’t be drawing laser eyes and singing about honey badgers. Our grandchildren won’t understand the change we went through.’

Would I do it all again? Of course!

Join me next June in Warsaw.
I’ll be the tall one presenting his short animation premiere.

---

Philip Charter is a full-time writer and part-time cat herder. As well as writing for bitcoin founders and companies, he runs the 21 Futures fiction project.

Find out more about theNoderoid Saga animation projecton Geyser.

@ 7e538978:a5987ab6

This article gives an overview and comparison of the various funding sources that are available for LNbits.

LNbits is compatible with many Lightning Network wallets and can be on anything from a small VPS to a raspberry Pi on your home network or the LNbits SaaS platform.

Why your funding source matters

There are trade-offs between the various funding sources, for example funding LNbits using Strike requires the user to KYC themselves and has some privacy compromises versus funding LNbits from your own LND node. However the technical barrier to entry and node maintenance of using Strike is lower than using LND.

Self-custodial vs custodial connectors

Self-custodial Funding Sources

You run the node or service, keep the keys, and may need to manage LN channels. Good if you want control and have the skills to look after a server. Examples: LND (gRPC/REST), CoreLightning, Spark.

Self-custodial funding sources with an LSP

These funding sources offer a reasonable compromise between self-custody and some privacy trade offs. Examples: Phoenixd, Breez SDK, Boltz.

Custodial (or semi-custodial) funding sources

A third party runs the node. You plug LNbits into their API. Setup is quick and costs are low, but you trust the provider with your funds and privacy. Examples: Alby, OpenNode, Blink, ZBD, LNPay or another LNbits instance.

Funding sources compared

Below is a summary of the main options and how they stack up.

LNbits Lightning Network Funding Sources Comparison Table

| Funding Source | Custodial Type | KYC Required | Technical Knowledge Needed | Node Hosting Required | Privacy Level | Liquidity Management | Ease of Setup | Maintenance Effort | Cost Implications | Scalability | Notes | |----------------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|-------------------|------------------------|----------------------------------------------|-----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | LND (gRPC) | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | gRPC interface for LND; suitable for advanced integrations. | | CoreLightning (CLN) | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | Requires setting up and managing your own CLN node. | | Phoenixd | Self-custodial | ❌ | Medium | ❌ | Medium | Automatic | Moderate | Low | Minimal fees | Medium | Mobile wallet backend; suitable for mobile integrations. | | Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) | Custodial | Depends on provider | Low | ❌ | Variable | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | May incur fees | Medium | Connects via Nostr protocol; depends on provider's policies. | | Boltz | Self-custodial | ❌ | Medium | ❌ | Medium | Provider-managed | Moderate | Moderate | Minimal fees | Medium | Uses submarine swaps; connects to Boltz client. | | LND (REST) | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | REST interface for LND; suitable for web integrations. | | CoreLightning REST | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | REST interface for CLN; suitable for web integrations. | | LNbits (another instance) | Custodial | Depends on host | Low | ❌ | Variable | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | May incur hosting fees | Medium | Connects to another LNbits instance; depends on host's policies. | | Alby | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Browser extension wallet; suitable for web users. | | Breez SDK | Self-custodial | ❌ | Medium | ❌ | High | Automatic | Moderate | Low | Minimal fees | Medium | SDK for integrating Breez wallet functionalities. | | OpenNode | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Third-party service; suitable for merchants. | | Blink | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Third-party service; focuses on mobile integrations. | | ZBD | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Gaming-focused payment platform. | | Spark (CLN) | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | Web interface for CLN; requires Spark server setup. | | Cliche Wallet | Self-custodial | ❌ | Medium | ❌ | Medium | Manual | Moderate | Moderate | Minimal fees | Medium | Lightweight wallet; suitable for embedded systems. | | Strike | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Third-party service; suitable for quick setups. | | LNPay | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Third-party service; suitable for quick setups. |

Which source suits you?

| Scenario | Good fit | Why | | ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | | Business running its own infrastructure | LND or CoreLightning on a Dell Optiplex or other dedicated machine | Full control, high throughput, best privacy. | | Independent node runner | Spark (CLN) or LND (REST/gRPC) | You already run a node and want a clean web interface. | | Quick proof of concept | Alby, LNPay, or another hosted LNbits | No hardware needed, lets you test ideas fast. |

Run LNbits

Ready to run LNbits?

Choose a funding source, follow the guides, and start today.

LNbits

Further reading

• LNbits documentation
• LND – gRPC and REST guides
• CoreLightning – setup and Spark info
• Breez SDK
• Phoenixd
• Nostr Wallet Connect

@ 5f078e90:b2bacaa3

Frog named Gus

This is a test from Hive to Nostr, longform script, some markdown included. google link, 400 char. story.

In a lush pond, a green frog named Gus lived among lily pads. Each dawn, he croaked a cheerful tune, waking the dragonflies. One day, a heron eyed him hungrily. Gus, clever and quick, hopped beneath a broad leaf, blending perfectly. The heron, fooled, flew off. That evening, Gus sang louder, celebrating his escape. His friends—turtles and minnows—joined the chorus under the moon's glow. Gus’s courage inspired them all, proving wit outshines size. The pond thrived, with Gus as its spirited guardian, forever hopping and croaking in joy.

This was a test, please ignore.

@ 5f078e90:b2bacaa3

May 29 badger test story

h2n, bi, some md, >380

In a dusty savanna, a honey badger named Hank prowled with fearless grit. Each night, he raided beehives, dodging stings with cunning twists. One day, a lion blocked his path, roaring fiercely. Hank, unfazed, bared his teeth and charged, startling the beast. The lion fled, and Hank strutted on, claws clicking. His boldness rallied jackals and birds, who sang his tale under starry skies. Hank’s fierce heart made him the savanna’s legend, guarding its wild spirit with every fearless step.

This is just a test, please ignore.

@ 5f078e90:b2bacaa3

Gecky story - just a test

In a sun-dappled jungle, Zippy the gecko darted across a broad leaf, his emerald scales glinting. Chasing a juicy cricket, he leaped, only to slip into a pitcher plant’s slippery trap. With sticky toes, Zippy clung to the edge, heart racing. A curious frog peered in, offering a vine. Grateful, Zippy climbed out, sharing his cricket with his new friend. Under the moon’s glow, they danced on the leaves, tales of their adventure echoing through the jungle night.

Character count: 408

This was just a test. Ignore it.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• Coinswap is a decentralized protocol for private, trustless cryptocurrency swaps. It allows participants to securely swap digital assets without intermediaries, using advanced cryptographic techniques and atomic swaps to ensure privacy and security.
• This release introduces major improvements to the protocol's efficiency, security, and usability, including custom in-memory UTXO indexes, more advanced coin-selection algorithms, fidelity bond management and more.
• The update also improves user experience with full Mac support, faster Tor connections, enhanced UI/UX, a unified API, and improved protocol documentation.

"The Project is under active beta development and open for contributions and beta testing. The Coinswap market place is live in testnet4. Bug fixes and feature requests are very much welcome."

• Manuals and demo docs are available here.

What's new

• Core protocol and performance improvements:
  • Custom in-memory UTXO indexes. Frequent Core RPC calls, which caused significant delays, have been eliminated by implementing custom in-memory UTXO indexes. These indexes are also saved to disk, leading to faster wallet synchronization.
  • Coin selection. Advanced coin-selection algorithms, like those in Bitcoin Core, have been incorporated, enhancing the efficiency of creating different types of transactions.
  • Fidelity management. Maker servers now automate tasks such as checking bond expiries, redemption, and recreation for Fidelity Bonds, reducing the user's management responsibilities.
  • Taker liveness. The WaitingFundingConfirmation message has been added to keep swap connections between Takers and Makers, assisting with variable block confirmation delays.

• User experience and compatibility:

  • Mac compatibility. The crate and apps now fully support Mac.
  • Tor operations are streamlined for faster, more resilient connections. Tor addresses are now consistently linked to the wallet seed, maintaining the same onion address through system reboots.
  • The UI/UX improvements enhance the display of balances, UTXOs, offer data, fidelity bonds, and system logs. These updates make the apps more enjoyable and provide clearer coin swap logs during the swap process.

• API design improvements. Transaction creation routines have been streamlined to use a single common API, which reduces technical debt and eliminates redundant code.

• Protocol spec documentation now details how Coinswap breaks the transaction graph and improves privacy through routed swaps and amount splitting, and includes diagrams for clarity.

Source: Coinswap Protocol specification.

Announcement
GitHub Repo
Protocol Spec

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35

Lingen (Ems) is a peaceful town in Lower Saxony, near the Dutch border, known for its historic old town, green surroundings, and relaxed pace of life. It may not be on the typical tourist radar, but it offers a taste of small-town Germany with plenty of charm and local culture.

🏘️ What to See and Do in Lingen

🏛️ Old Town & Market Square

• Stroll through the historic town center, where you’ll find half-timbered houses, cozy cafés, and the lovely St. Boniface Church
• The Rathaus (Town Hall) and its square are perfect for a slow coffee or people-watching

🚲 Nature & Outdoor Activities

• The region around Lingen is great for cycling and walking, especially along the Ems River
• Explore the Emsland countryside, filled with forests, meadows, and quiet villages
• Visit the nearby Emsland Moormuseum to learn about local peatland history

🎓 Student Vibes

• Thanks to the presence of a university, Lingen has a young and vibrant side, with cultural events and small live music scenes

🍺 Local Food & Drink

• Try regional dishes like Grünkohl (kale with sausage in winter) and Schnitzel in a local tavern
• Enjoy a drink at a beer garden or riverside café, especially in warmer months

🚆 Getting There

• Well connected by train, especially to Osnabrück, Münster, and the Dutch city of Enschede
• Great stop on a northern Germany road or rail trip

Lingen is ideal for travelers looking for peaceful towns, regional culture, and access to beautiful natural areas. It’s a place where you can slow down, bike along a river, and enjoy the local way of life.

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5

Autor: Anna Nagel. (Bild: Lukas Karl). 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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Wem in seinem Leben Schmerz zugefügt wurde, wer sich ungerecht behandelt fühlt oder wachen Auges in der Welt umschaut, kommt wahrscheinlich irgendwann mit der Frage in Berührung, wie das alles noch einmal «gut» werden kann. Wie kann die Welt sich mit sich selbst versöhnen? Und wie kann ich es selbst schaffen, mich mit ihr und den Menschen, die schlimme Taten vollbringen, wieder in harmonischer Akzeptanz zu verbinden? Kann und will ich gewisse Gräueltaten verzeihen oder gibt es das «Unverzeihliche»? Und selbst wenn ich wollte, wie könnte mir das gelingen?

Perspektivwechsel

Wenn wir an dem Zorn über begangenes Unrecht festhalten, schauen wir in der Regel aus immer derselben Perspektive auf das Geschehen. Mal um Mal erzürnen und empören wir uns darüber, erzählen uns und anderen stets die gleiche Geschichte, die uns allerdings – ebenfalls ein ums andere Mal – wieder selbst verletzt. Das Destruktive holt uns so ständig wieder ein; wir sehen und fühlen das unschuldige Kind und empfinden Verachtung für die Täter.

Die Perspektive zu wechseln lädt uns dazu ein, das Geschehen aus anderen Blickwinkeln zu betrachten und unser Bewusstsein von der schmerzlichen Wiederholung zu lösen. Wir können einmal weit rauszoomen und einen spirituellen Blickwinkel einnehmen, beispielsweise aus Sicht des All-ein-Bewusstseins, das sich in unzählige Seelen teilt, von denen wiederum Milliarden derzeit auf der Erde inkarniert sind. Dieses eine Bewusstsein möchte jede auch nur mögliche Erfahrung machen und durch die Trennung – die Erschaffung der Dualität – kann es sich selbst aus diesen Milliarden Persönlichkeiten heraus erfahren, um zu lernen. Während dieser scheinbaren Trennung vergessen wir, dass wir alle eins sind, dass wir alle aus demselben «Stoff» gemacht sind und nach diesem Spiel hier auf Erden unsere Erinnerung zurückerlangen und unsere Erfahrungen zurück geben in die eine «Quelle».

Unser aller Reise geht letztlich darum, hier auf der Erde aus diesem Zustand des Vergessens zu erwachen. Um dies zu erreichen und all diese Erfahrungen machen zu können und uns auch unter widrigsten Umständen an unsere wahre Essenz, an die Liebe, erinnern können, braucht es auch Akteure, die die Dunkelheit verkörpern – denn nur so haben wir die Wahl, ob wir uns von ihr einnehmen lassen oder uns für die Liebe und das Mitgefühl entscheiden. Der Täter sowie das Opfer sind dabei stets Aspekte unserer selbst – im Innen wie im Außen – und jeder einzelne verändert die Welt, indem er Liebe und Mitgefühl oder Hass und Verachtung wählt.

Eine etwas rationalere Herangehensweise wäre, zu schauen, was dazu führt, dass ein Mensch sich derart unmenschlich verhalten kann; also der Zugang über die Psychologie. Hier werden wir uns bewusst, dass jeder Täter auch einmal ein Kind war. Symbolisch sogar das Kind, mit dem wir jetzt im Beispiel mitfühlen und das wir gleichzeitig heute als erwachsenen Täter verachten. Natürlich kann man hier einwenden, dass nicht jedes Opfer zum Täter wird, aber man kann ebenso anerkennen, dass uns bei dieser Haltung das größte Stück fehlt; und zwar die Geschichte desjenigen, die Jahre dazwischen, sowie jeder einzelne Reiz und jedes Detail der Umstände.

Wie viel Schmerz und Leid muss ein Mensch erfahren, bis er unmenschlich wird? Mit Einbezug aller Umstände und Faktoren, der psychischen Schutzmechanismen traumatischer Erfahrungen sowie fehlender Ausbildung sozialer und empathischer Fähigkeiten auch im neuronalen Bereich kann man auch auf diesem Wege Verständnis erlangen. Sichtbar wird hierdurch auch, dass emotionaler Schmerz über Generationen weitergegeben wird und es schwer ersichtlich ist, wo denn die eigentliche Ursache liegt. Auch hier wird erkennbar, dass nur jeder bei sich anfangen kann und Verantwortung für seine Heilung – und damit gleichzeitig die anderer – übernehmen müsste, anstatt auf die Suche nach dem oder der «Schuldigen» zu gehen.

Was bedarf eigentlich der Vergebung?

Wenn es uns schwerfällt zu vergeben, also Groll und Verachtung loszulassen und Mitgefühl zu empfinden, ist es ebenfalls hilfreich, einmal hinzuschauen, worum es genau geht. Wenn es uns selbst betrifft, handelt es sich in der Regel um Schmerz, der uns willentlich, manchmal auch unbewusst, zugefügt wurde und den wir (noch) nicht loslassen können, weil er noch nicht verheilt ist. Darauf gehe ich später noch einmal ein. Oft geht es aber auch um uns unbekannte Menschen, von deren Verbrechen wir Kenntnis haben und deren Ungeheuerlichkeit uns aus der Fassung bringt. Es geht um Taten, die wir nicht nachvollziehen können, weder rational noch emotional. Wir meinen, selbst wenn jemand nicht spürte, was er anderen antut, so müsse er es doch wenigstens besser wissen. Das ist das, was uns Menschen ausmacht, mit anderen mitzufühlen und sie zu verstehen. Doch anscheinend gibt es Menschen, deren Persönlichkeit oder auch Psyche dazu absolut nicht in der Lage sind. Die keinen moralischen Kompass besitzen und keinerlei soziales Empfinden, denn sonst könnten sie bestimmte Taten nicht ausführen. Möglicherweise dissoziieren sie sich selbst so stark, dass diese für sie eine Normalität darstellen, sie diese entschuldigen beziehungsweise vor sich selbst rechtfertigen oder im extremen Fall keine Erinnerung mehr daran haben.

Uns erscheinen die fehlende Empathie sowie das fehlende Verständnis so fremd, dass wir es nicht nachvollziehen können. Uns fehlt die Nachvollziehbarkeit der Nichtnachvollziehbarkeit des Erlebens des anderen, und wir erachten diesen dadurch als unmenschlich. Denn menschlich wären doch eben diese Fähigkeiten wie Mitgefühl, Güte, Reflexion, Warmherzigkeit, Verständnis und Liebe. Zugleich erzeugen wir hier aber einen Konflikt, wenn wir sagen: «Da diese Menschen sich so unmenschlich verhalten, soll ihnen kein Mitgefühl und keine Vergebung entgegengebracht werden, sollen auch sie nicht menschlich behandelt werden», wodurch wir uns allerdings selbst unserer Menschlichkeit berauben.

«Aber der Täter hatte doch die freie Wahl, er hätte doch anders entscheiden können!» Ja, möglicherweise schon, aber jetzt haben wir die Wahl. Und wir haben viel leichtere Voraussetzungen dafür, menschlich zu handeln, weil wir gesunden Zugang zu unserer Empathie, Moral und unserer Ratio haben.

Hätte der Täter es geschafft, seinen Tätern zu verzeihen, würde er die Destruktivität, die er ab einem gewissen Zeitpunkt nicht mehr in sich tragen oder verdrängen konnte, nicht an anderen ausagieren. Es ist ihm nicht gelungen, vielleicht sogar weil etwas in ihm es für unmöglich hielt, Unmenschliches, das ihm zugefügt wurde, zu verzeihen. Aber uns kann es gelingen, diesen Kreislauf zu durchbrechen und uns nicht in ihn hineinziehen zu lassen; wir können dem «Dunklen» den Nährboden entziehen.

Manchmal nehmen wir an, würden wir das Unbeschreibliche verzeihen, bedeutete dies, dass wir es tolerieren oder gar gutheißen. Dem ist nicht so. Analog dazu habe ich manches Mal die Angst gehabt, würde ich aufhören, um meinen Freund zu trauern, bedeute dies, dass ich ihn nicht mehr vermisse. Auch das ist nicht richtig. Ich heile lediglich das, was mir Schmerzen zufügt, bis am Ende nur noch die Liebe bleibt. Und wenn wir verzeihen, ist es kein Gutheißen der Taten, es bedeutet ein Loslassen dessen, was uns damit verstrickt und das Destruktive nährt.

Mitgefühl beginnt bei uns selbst

«Daß ich dem Hungrigen zu essen gebe, dem vergebe, der mich beleidigt, und meinen Feind liebe- das sind große Tugenden. Was aber, wenn ich nun entdecken sollte, daß der armselige Bettler und der unverschämteste Beleidiger alle in mir selber sind und ich bedürftig bin, Empfänger meiner eigenen Wohltaten zu sein? Daß ich der Feind bin, den ich lieben muß - was dann?» – C. G. Jung

Mit diesem Zitat beginnt Dan Millman das Kapitel «Das Gesetz des Mitgefühls» in seinem Buch «Die universellen Lebensgesetze des friedvollen Kriegers». Die weise Frau lehrt dem Wanderer das Gesetz des Mitgefühls und erklärt, es sei «eine liebevolle Aufforderung, über unsere begrenzte Sichtweise hinauszuwachsen», auch wenn die Last dieser Aufgabe zuweilen sehr schwer wiegen könne. Genau deshalb müsse man daran denken, dass sie bei uns selbst beginnt und wir «geduldig» und «sanft» mit uns, unseren Gefühlen und Gedanken sein sollten.

Um dem – noch skeptischen – Wanderer zu veranschaulichen, wie wir Mitgefühl auch mit unseren Gegnern empfinden können, bat sie ihn, sich an eine Auseinandersetzung zu erinnern, in der er zornig, neidisch oder eifersüchtig war und sich diese Gefühle noch einmal zu vergegenwärtigen. Als er das tat, den Schmerz und die Wut wieder spürte, sagte sie zu ihm: «Und nun stell dir vor, daß der Mensch, mit dem du dich streitest, mitten in eurer erregten Auseinandersetzung plötzlich nach seinem Herzen faßt, einen Schrei ausstößt und zu deinen Füßen tot zu Boden sinkt.» Der Wanderer erschrak und auf Nachfrage der weisen Frau stellte er fest, dass er nun keinerlei Schmerz oder Wut mehr empfand. Sogleich aber kam ihm der Gedanke: «Aber – aber was wäre, wenn ich mich über den Tod dieses Menschen freuen würde? Wenn ich ihm nicht verzeihen könnte?», worauf die weise Frau antwortete: «Dann verzeih dir wenigstens selber deine Unversöhnlichkeit. Und in dieser Vergebung wirst du das Mitgefühl finden, das deinen Schmerz heilt, als Mensch in dieser Welt zu leben.»

Weiter erinnert uns die weise Frau daran, dass wir alle, während wir hier auf der Erde sind, Träume, Hoffnungen und Enttäuschungen haben; und dass diese, sowie letztlich der Tod, uns alle verbinden.

Es ist ein Prozess

Dan Millman sagt hier in Gestalt der Weisen Frau, dass Mitgefühl bei uns selbst beginnt und diesen Aspekt möchte ich noch einmal hervorheben. Es kann nämlich passieren, dass wir uns in einer oberflächlichen Vergebung wieder finden, weil wir meinen, es sei richtig und moralisch, anderen zu verzeihen, ohne aber die tieferen Schichten dabei zu fühlen. Das ist dann leider nichts anderes, als Verdrängung. Gerade wenn wir selbst Opfer von Ungerechtigkeit, physischer oder mentaler Gewalt wurden, ist es unerlässlich den Heilungsweg in Gänze zu durchschreiten, und in den Wachstumsprozess zu verwandeln, der uns Mitgefühl und Weisheit lehrt. Und dazu gehören die Wut auf das Begangene, die Verzweiflung, die Ungerechtigkeit und Ohnmacht zu fühlen, uns auf «unsere Seite» zu stellen und Partei für uns selbst zu ergreifen, bevor es ernstlich möglich wird, zu verzeihen. Zunächst fühlen wir mit uns selbst den Schmerz und befreien die Gefühle, die wir uns möglicherweise nie trauten zu fühlen, all die Wut und den Groll. Erst später kann dann aus dem Inneren heraus das weitere Erkennen stattfinden und Heilung und Vergebung geschehen.

Vergebung findet im Herzen statt

Die hier in diesem Text von mir aufgeführten Perspektiven sind nur zwei, drei kleine Beispiele für Sichtweisen, die man einnehmen könnte, um zu neuen Einsichten zu gelangen. Sie sollen niemanden von irgendetwas überzeugen, sondern als Anregung dienen. Denn letztlich geht es darum, Vergebung in sich selbst zu finden. Vergebung ist also etwas, das aus dem Inneren heraus entsteht; ein Ergebnis eines tiefen Verständnisses und Fühlens, ja eines Erkennens. Auf dieser Reise gehen wir unterschiedliche Blickwinkel und Versionen ab, bis wir im Herzen ankommen, es sich öffnet und wir plötzlich «klar» sehen. Daraufhin breitet sich Wärme im Körper aus, Liebe durchströmt uns, begleitet möglicherweise von einem Gefühl leiser Euphorie, möglicherweise auch einem leichten Schmerz und Tränen – sowohl ein paar der Traurigkeit als auch welchen der Dankbarkeit. Das Loslassen und die Befreiung sind spürbar und nur für jeden persönlich erfahrbar, der sich auf diesen Weg begibt und seine individuelle Ansicht findet, die ihn befreit und erlöst.

Meiner Meinung nach bedeutet also Vergebung eine Öffnung des Herzens, ein Erkennen und ein Hineinwachsen in die Perspektive der Liebe. Sie ist nicht auf rationaler Ebene zu finden; die rationale Ebene kann nur dabei helfen, den Weg zum Mitgefühl zu beschreiten, denn:

«Man sieht nur mit dem Herzen gut. Das Wesentliche ist für die Augen unsichtbar.»

– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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Anna Nagel veröffentlicht auf ihrem Blog „Heimwärts“ seit Jahren zu den Themen Heilung, Bewusstsein, kollektives Erwachen, Gefühle, Spiritualität, Psyche, Kundalini und Philosophie.

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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.

@ 83279ad2:bd49240d

a

@ 83279ad2:bd49240d

a

@ d3d74124:a4eb7b1d

language is a funny thing. the English grammar is one of the most, if the not THE most complicated grammars to learn.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Language_Aptitude_Battery\ DLAB. it's the test you take to see if you have a gift for language learning.

in my exploration of languages, first Chinese Mandarin, then software languages, context is king (Jesus is King). the surrounding context is different every where you go.

physical space context. we can't be two places at once. nostr allows for many languages, because you can provide your own digital context. our physical perspective give us a field of view. NOSTR clients give us a field of view into digital context.

math is a language.

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bitcoin will be called a lot of things.

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wizardry

some elections results are anchored in time. using bitcoin. what else should be? legal documents seem obvious. other cryptographic proofs.

zero knowledge proofs. something about curve trees.

Find your local BitDevs.

Shenandoah Bitcoin Club

pondering a Veteran's Day live music event in Frederick County, VA. who would show up to a lunch and learn with hardware wallets in testnet4 mode? to try shit out? local only, but you should do it where you are too if you're not local.

mining

getting better? Bitmain announces a "decentralized mining pool" but I doubt we'll see open source code if history follows. 256Foundation getting to business. working prototypes for the Ember One using USB and python are out there for those that know where to look. i am very bullish on mujina. very bullish. fun coinbase tricks happening too with CTV+CSFS.

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p.s. written on primal's new article publishing UI.

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

เรามาดู แลคเชอร์ประวัติศาสตร์ ที่พลิกโลกแห่งการเกษตรและอาหารของมนุษย์ชาติกันครับ เรามาดูความแยบยลที่สามารถจูงใจคนมากมายให้เห็นถึงข้อดีของเนื้อจากแลบ เขาทำได้ยังไง เรามาศึกษาการสื่อสารกันครับ

เรื่องมันเริ่มจากการประชุม World Economic Forum ปี 2015 ที่ศาสตราจารย์ Mark Post นักเภสัชวิทยาชาวดัตช์ ที่เรารู้จักกันไปแล้ว ซึ่งตอนนั้นเป็นศาสตราจารย์ด้านสรีรวิทยาของหลอดเลือดอยู่ที่ Maastricht University และเป็นผู้ร่วมก่อตั้งบริษัท Mosa Meat ได้ลุกขึ้นมาเล่าเรื่อง "เนื้อเพาะเลี้ยง" หรือ cultured meat ให้คนทั้งห้องฟัง

สิ่งที่เขาพูดมันไม่ใช่แค่นวัตกรรมใหม่ แต่คือคำเตือนที่จริงจัง ว่าถ้ามนุษย์ยังผลิตเนื้อสัตว์แบบเดิม เรากำลังวิ่งเข้าใกล้ปัญหาใหญ่ที่รออยู่ข้างหน้า

ศาสตราจารย์ Post เล่าไว้ได้น่าสนใจมาก เขาบอกว่าแค่จะได้แฮมเบอร์เกอร์ 1 ชิ้นขนาดหนึ่งในสี่ปอนด์ เราต้องใช้เมล็ดธัญพืช 7 ปอนด์ ใช้น้ำจืด 50 แกลลอน และพื้นที่ดินอีก 70 ตารางฟุต นั่นแปลว่าเรากำลังเปลี่ยนของดีในธรรมชาติ ข้าว น้ำ ดิน ไปเป็นของที่กินหมดใน 10 นาที แล้วหิวใหม่ได้ในอีกครึ่งชั่วโมง

เหตุผลก็เพราะวัวมันไม่ได้แปลงโปรตีนพืชมาเป็นเนื้อได้มีประสิทธิภาพนัก พูดอีกแบบคือ มันเปลืองเกินไป

ตอนนี้พื้นที่เพาะปลูกของโลกกว่า 70% ถูกใช้ไปในการผลิตเนื้อสัตว์ คิดดูสิว่าถ้าเราหาทางที่ดีกว่านี้ได้ เราจะมีพื้นที่ว่างกลับคืนมาแค่ไหน

แถมวัวไม่ใช่แค่กินเก่งนะ ยังปล่อยก๊าซเก่งด้วย โดยเฉพาะมีเทนที่ทำให้โลกร้อนพอๆ กับอุตสาหกรรมการขนส่งเลยทีเดียว ศาสตราจารย์ Post เล่าว่า ทุกครั้งที่เขาเห็นวัวยืนเคี้ยวหญ้า เขาไม่ได้เห็นแค่วัว...แต่เห็นเมฆก๊าซมีเทนลอยมาด้วย

และที่น่าคิดคือ เมื่อรายได้ของคนในอินเดียหรือจีนสูงขึ้น พวกเขาจะกินเนื้อเพิ่มตามรายได้ ซึ่งสถิติบอกว่าภายในปี 2050 ความต้องการเนื้อสัตว์จะเพิ่มขึ้นเป็น สองเท่า จากปัจจุบัน

แต่ศาสตราจารย์ก็ไม่ได้มองว่าเนื้อเป็นปีศาจ เขาบอกว่า มนุษย์ถูกสร้างมาให้รักเนื้อ เนื้อคือสิ่งที่มาพร้อมวิวัฒนาการ เราได้พลังงานจากมัน สมองเราใหญ่ขึ้นเพราะมัน และกลายเป็นมนุษย์เพราะมัน

แม้จะมีคนอีกกว่าสองพันล้านที่เป็นมังสวิรัติ ส่วนใหญ่อาจเพราะไม่มีทางเลือก แต่อย่างน้อยพวกเขาก็อยู่รอดได้ แต่ก็ปฏิเสธไม่ได้ว่า คนที่เคยล่า เคยกินเนื้อ จะรู้สึกตื่นเต้นทุกครั้งที่ได้แบ่งเนื้อกันบนโต๊ะ

ศาสตราจารย์ Post เองก็ยังชอบกินเนื้อ แต่เขาอยากได้เนื้อที่ได้มาจากทางเลือกที่ดีกว่า ไม่ใช่ทางที่พาโลกเข้า ICU

เนื้อเพาะเลี้ยงเริ่มจากหลักการง่ายๆ ที่เรารู้มาตั้งแต่ช่วงปี 2000 ว่า ในกล้ามเนื้อของสัตว์มี สเต็มเซลล์ รอคอยจะซ่อมแซมเนื้อเยื่อหากมันได้รับบาดเจ็บ

แค่เอาชิ้นกล้ามเนื้อเล็กๆ จากวัว ขนาดแค่ 1 ซม. x 1 มม. มาแยกสเต็มเซลล์ออกมาเลี้ยงให้ขยายตัว

เฮียว่าอันนี้น่าทึ่งมาก เพราะจากตัวอย่างเล็กๆ ชิ้นเดียว สามารถผลิตเนื้อวัวได้ถึง 10,000 กิโลกรัม เลยนะ!

แปลว่าเราสามารถลดจำนวนวัวทั้งโลกจากครึ่งพันล้านตัว เหลือแค่ประมาณ 30,000 ตัวได้เลย

และถ้าให้เซลล์กล้ามเนื้อพวกนี้อยู่ในสภาพแวดล้อมที่เหมาะสม มันก็จะเริ่มสร้างกล้ามเนื้อขึ้นมาเอง โดยเฉพาะถ้าเรากระตุ้นให้มันรู้สึกเหมือนกำลัง “ออกกำลัง” อยู่ เช่น ใส่แรงตึงเข้าไป

ทีมนักวิจัยของเขาเลี้ยงเซลล์เหล่านี้ให้เติบโตในรูปวงแหวนคล้ายโดนัท ครบ 3 สัปดาห์ กล้ามเนื้อจะเริ่มหดตัว สร้างความตึง และกลายเป็นเนื้อกล้ามเนื้อแบบเต็มตัวที่ดูไม่ต่างจากกล้ามเนื้อในสเต็กจริงๆ เลย

ปี 2013 ทีมของ Mark Post ผลิตเส้นใยกล้ามเนื้อจำนวน 10,000 เส้น เอามาทำแฮมเบอร์เกอร์ และนำไปเปิดตัวในงานแถลงข่าวที่ลอนดอน เป็นเหมือนการโชว์ทำอาหารผสมกับเปิดงานวิจัย

จุดประสงค์คือจะพิสูจน์ให้โลกเห็นว่า “เฮ้ย! สิ่งนี้ไม่ใช่แค่ไอเดียลอยๆ แต่มันทำได้จริง และจำเป็นต้องทำจริงๆ เพราะเรากำลังจะเจอวิกฤต”

ราคาแฮมเบอร์เกอร์ตอนนั้นคือ 250,000 ยูโร

มีเชฟผู้กล้าปรุง และอาสาสมัครสองคนลองชิม พวกเขาบอกว่า “ก็โอเคในฐานะเบอร์เกอร์ราคาเท่านี้ แต่ก็อยากได้รสเข้มกว่านี้หน่อย” เพราะยังไม่มีไขมัน เลยรสจืดไปหน่อย

แต่ที่สำคัญคือ พวกเขายืนยันว่า “มันคือเนื้อจริงๆ” ทั้งเนื้อสัมผัสและโครงสร้าง

แค่มีต้นแบบยังไม่พอ เพราะจะทำให้ขายได้จริง ต้องผ่านด่านสำคัญ เนื้อต้องผลิตได้โดยใช้ทรัพยากรน้อยกว่าการเลี้ยงวัวจริง การประเมินเบื้องต้นจาก University of Oxford พบว่า เนื้อเพาะเลี้ยงใช้พื้นที่น้อยลง 90% น้ำลดลง 90% พลังงานลดลง 60–70%

ทุกอย่างที่ใช้ในการเลี้ยงเซลล์ต้องมีจำนวนมากพอหรือหมุนเวียนใช้ได้ ที่น่าหนักใจคือ การเลี้ยงเซลล์ต้องใช้ “ซีรั่มจากลูกวัว” ซึ่งได้มาจากเลือดวัว ถ้าลดจำนวนวัว เราก็ไม่มีซีรั่ม แต่ตอนนี้มีงานพัฒนาไปเยอะแล้ว กำลังหาวิธีทำเซลล์กล้ามเนื้อโดยไม่ต้องพึ่งซีรั่มจากสัตว์

ไม่ใช่แค่โปรตีน แต่ต้องเป็น "เนื้อ" ในทุกความรู้สึก นักวิจัยพยายามปรับสภาพแวดล้อมการเพาะเลี้ยง เช่น ความเข้มข้นของออกซิเจน เพื่อให้เซลล์แสดงโปรตีนสำคัญ เช่น myoglobin ที่ทำให้เนื้อมีสีและรสชาติเหมือนเนื้อจริง

การยอมรับของผู้บริโภคเป็นอีกด่านสำคัญที่เนื้อเพาะเลี้ยงต้องข้ามผ่านให้ได้ ไม่ใช่แค่เรื่องรสชาติหรือคุณค่าทางโภชนาการเท่านั้น แต่ยังเป็นเรื่องของ "ใจ" ที่ต้องเปิดรับสิ่งใหม่ที่ไม่คุ้นเคย ศาสตราจารย์ Post เล่าว่า ในการสำรวจผู้บริโภคในอังกฤษและเนเธอร์แลนด์ พบว่ามีคนไม่น้อยที่ยินดีจะลองกินเนื้อเพาะเลี้ยง ถึง 52% ของชาวดัตช์ และ 60% ของชาวอังกฤษเลยทีเดียว

เขาเปรียบเทียบว่า จริงๆ แล้ว คนเรายอมกินฮอทดอกโดยไม่รู้ด้วยซ้ำว่าทำมาจากอะไร หรือผ่านอะไรมาบ้าง ขอแค่มัน "อร่อย ถูก และดูปลอดภัย" ก็เพียงพอแล้วสำหรับคนส่วนใหญ่ ดังนั้นเนื้อเพาะเลี้ยงจึงไม่ต่างกันมากนัก ขอเพียงให้คนรู้สึกว่า “กินแล้วไม่ตาย” และ “ไม่ได้แปลกจนใจฝ่อ” เท่านั้นแหละ วันหนึ่งมันก็จะกลายเป็นของธรรมดาในตู้เย็นเหมือนกับโยเกิร์ตหรือไส้กรอกนั่นเอง

ในด้านของราคา แม้จะยังไม่ถูกเท่าไส้กรอกในซูเปอร์ แต่ก็ลดลงมาไกลจากจุดเริ่มต้นแบบสุดๆ จากชิ้นต้นแบบราคา 250,000 ดอลลาร์ในปี 2013 ตอนนี้ต้นทุนลดลงมาเหลือประมาณ 65 ดอลลาร์ต่อกิโลกรัม (ยังไม่รวมเทคโนโลยีล้ำหน้าอื่นๆ ที่กำลังพัฒนาอยู่) ซึ่งก็ถือว่าอยู่ในระดับเดียวกับเนื้อวากิวหรือสเต๊กเกรดพรีเมียมเลยทีเดียว เป้าหมายคือทำให้ถูกลงอีก และผลิตได้ในระดับอุตสาหกรรมให้เพียงพอกับคนทั้งโลก ไม่ใช่ของฟุ่มเฟือยสำหรับคนรวยเท่านั้น

แต่วิสัยทัศน์ที่น่าสนใจจริงๆ คือ ภาพของอนาคตที่ศาสตราจารย์ Post วาดไว้ เขาเชื่อว่าเทคโนโลยีนี้เรียบง่ายพอที่จะขยายไปสู่ครัวเรือนหรือชุมชนเล็กๆ ได้ วันหนึ่งเราอาจได้เห็นการเพาะเลี้ยงเซลล์จากหมูที่เลี้ยงอยู่ข้างบ้าน แล้วเอาไปปั่นเป็นหมูสับแบบสดใหม่ ไม่ต้องฆ่าสัตว์ ไม่ต้องส่งโรงงาน ไม่ต้องตัดต่อพันธุกรรม แค่นั่งรอเหมือนหมักแป้งเปรี้ยว แล้วได้เนื้อสดๆ มาใส่ต้มจืด

และนั่นแหละคือ "การเปลี่ยนกรอบคิดเรื่องเนื้อสัตว์" แบบพลิกฝ่ามือ

มันจะไม่ใช่เรื่องการฆ่าอีกต่อไป ไม่ใช่เรื่องของฟาร์มกลิ่นฉี่ หรือสายพานโรงฆ่าสัตว์ มันจะเป็น "ผลิตภัณฑ์ใหม่" ที่เราสร้างได้ ควบคุมได้ และปรับแต่งได้ เช่น เพิ่มโอเมก้า 3 ในเซลล์ไขมันให้สูงขึ้น หรือทำให้เนื้อไม่มีคอเลสเตอรอลเลยก็ยังได้

แม้ศาสตราจารย์ Post จะเน้นเรื่องความมั่นคงทางอาหารและผลกระทบต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมเป็นหลัก แต่เขาก็ยอมรับว่า สำหรับคนกินทั่วๆ ไป ประเด็นที่ "ไม่มีสัตว์ต้องเจ็บปวด" จะกลายเป็นจุดขายที่สำคัญในใจของผู้บริโภค

เขาเชื่อว่า เมื่อวันนั้นมาถึง วันที่เรายืนอยู่หน้าตู้แช่ในซูเปอร์ แล้วเห็นผลิตภัณฑ์สองชิ้นวางข้างกัน — หนึ่งคือเนื้อวัวที่มาจากฟาร์ม และอีกหนึ่งคือเนื้อเพาะเลี้ยงที่ไม่เคยมีวัวต้องร้องไห้แม้แต่นิดเดียว — การตัดสินใจอาจจะไม่ง่าย แต่ "จะมีคนจำนวนมากขึ้นเรื่อยๆ ที่เลือกแบบไม่ต้องฆ่า"

เพราะสุดท้าย เราไม่ได้แค่กินเนื้อ… เรากำลังกิน “ความเชื่อ” ลงไปด้วย #pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

ใครสนใจดูคลิปก็กดตรงนี้ได้ครับ https://youtu.be/1lI9AwxKfTY?si=6CDBUl2yGBoHWc-P

@ 048ecb14:7c28ac78

I recently set up a Raspberry Pi camera server that's so minimal and straightforward, I thought it was worth sharing. This isn't one of those over-engineered solutions with fancy features - it's just a basic, reliable camera feed accessible from any browser on my local network.

The Goal

I wanted something that: 1. Starts automatically when the Pi boots up 2. Captures images at regular intervals 3. Shows the latest image in a simple web page accessible from any device 4. Doesn't require complex setup or dependencies 5. Uses minimal resources on my old Raspberry Pi

The Hardware

Nothing fancy here: - Raspberry Pi 2B (yes, the ancient one from 2015!) - Raspberry Pi Camera Module (standard version) - Power supply - That's it!

The Result

The interface is minimal but does the job. It shows the latest image and auto-refreshes every couple of seconds.

How to Get Set Up

Getting this running on your own Pi is super simple:

1. Make sure your camera module is connected and enabled bash sudo raspi-config # Navigate to Interface Options > Camera and enable it

2. Install the only dependency, ImageMagick (for rotation) bash sudo apt update sudo apt install imagemagick

3. Clone the repository, and navigate to the implementation's directory bash git clone https://github.com/rewolf/RpiCameraViewer cd simple

4. Start the camera server bash ./start_camera_server.sh

5. Access the feed from any device on your network http://your-pi-ip-address:8080

That's it! No complex configuration, no fancy dependencies.

For more details consider reading the README

To make it start automatically on boot:

Add the following, with your specific installation path ```bash crontab -e

Add this line:

@reboot cd /path/to/RpiCameraViewer/simple && ./start_camera_server.sh ```

Configuration

There's not much configuration, but you can tweak few variables at the top of the capture.sh file to modify width, height, rotation, quality, etc:

bash QUALITY=90 WIDTH=720 HEIGHT=1280 ROTATION=90 # Set to 0 to disable rotation

How It Works

The solution is very basic:

1. A bash script (capture.sh) captures photos every few seconds by running libcamera-still and sending a SIGUSR1 interrupt to signal it to capture a snapshot
2. The snapshot is rotated as needed with ImageMagick and saved with timestamps
3. A symbolic link is updated to point to the latest image
4. A minimal Python HTTP server serves a basic webpage showing the current image (the symlink), rendered to an HTML canvas

Note it does expose that directory to the whole LAN on :8080.

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Give it a try if you need something like that quickly.

I have a plan to make a better implementation planned at some point, but for now this will do.

@ ece127e2:745bab9c

vamos a ver que tal

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*lo bueno es que si entro en https://makimono.lumilumi.app/ a la nota y agrego contenido , como éste ...quiero ver si lo añade o hace una nueva nota ?? *

@ e9d7ed6f:f52b3346

I'd like to toss it off by thanking you my reader, friends, associates, strangers, bitcoiners, cryptonaires, economists, and critics from all walks of life for granting me this opportunity to write to you. yeah?...

Is that readable? Is there enough ink in this pen to write? Let me squash and develop a fresh script!

Okay now, that was one heck of a disaster introduction my friends.

That's not even the way Satoshi introduced his White paper back in 2008, or rather mined his first block. So dear reader, lets pretend this introduction never happened lets give it one more kick start.

Alright we are set so here we go...

Flavatos, Gateway Mall, the left ventricle of Lilongwe's heart, Malawi is where the aroma of a fresh bitcoin pizza sent waves of spattering energy, broadcasting to all nodes over the bitcoin network. Pizza crums spread over the table, folks and knives faced opposite directions, tomato sauce on the white plate had contours of pizza passage, a half baked joke & its laughter could be heard by passersby's heading inside the mall. It was chilly Saturday afternoon from outside but the soft drinks were a must to soften the well baked fragments of pizza which were being churned. All thanks to Larszlo Keyckenes. Phones where right on the table as the photographer snapped every detail of moment with his camera, trying to paint a bitcoin Monalisa, innocence was in the youthful energetic bitcoiners who filled left to right seats in pairs. Three tables were joined together making a table tennis appear short, but the waitress had to check for any empty slot to squeeze a chair in. We were twenty three with the expection of thirty but the space was just plentiful.

Flavatos was ready and set. The waitress again, with a smile of welcoming a guest whispered right besides where i was standing that the pizza is ready, but i had to HODL for a moment, we were just setting up the laptop which we would use to connect & listen to a presentation by John Miller, a distant relative and a bitcoiner we had talked of for weeks. As if am very good at analysing charts, the looks of the faces were eagerly waiting and i when i looked on my wrist i realised we didn't have much more time other than to start off, so i clapped my hands to capture everyones attention. I was excited to welcome all & really appreciate for sparing their time to come.

There was buzz in the atmosphere, all eyes glued to me as i thanked the cofounder Grant for pulling the strings, in our presence we had the cofounder of women of Satoshi Yankho who i was facing directly to my right hand side and threw me sparkle of acknowledgement, i couldn't forget & sweep under the mat, John Miller sponsor for the Bitcoin Pizza who is currently in the US & was waiting to deliver a speech on this very moment. All started off in the right order, my stomach tuned as my brain signaled the pizza image, sending tickling hunger sensation, so not to keep everyone waiting longer, i handed it over to Grant who quickly threw like free shot on the free throw line. There was genuine appreciation and he set the floor ready for John Miller to grace and unwrap the Pizza. When John took on the google meet space, we all fixed to our phones, eager to see John who was seven hours away from us, about two or three plane tickets to get where he was physically located. John delivered a twenty minute presentation that would make a fresh graduate take off his hat and really consider what they did the last four years of their university. There was a lot of knowledge on his presentation, highlighting the eminent nails to the coffin for US dollar, the chart and numbers didn't lie when he displayed how the purchasing power of the dollar has declined since 1971 post detachment from gold. He spoke with authority on why bitcoin, how Bitcoiners should continue orange pilling and detoxing all the pool of confusion of the current FIAT sytem. It was listening to wisdom of an old man, giving the torch to the young ones. The waitress had brought to the table clean white plates with some folks wrapped in a white napkin tissue that appeared so white as Satoshi's white paper. In no time the pizza was ready to bona petite, John wrapped up in a cousy style by saying, "keep stacking Sats and avoiding shitcoins. The attendees were in pairs and hands were rubbing, contemplating of how the first bite would feel. The enzymes were ready to digest. The next host, who happens to be the writer of this article had to take the floor and give short remarks to thank John, Grant and everyone. I saw the pizza being cut into slices, whilst others took sips of their favorite soft drinks, there were smiles from left to right check. The sound chewing was amplified, triggering my ear drums to some vibe. This was was a big family reunion. My signal for speaking almost went off as the aroma teased the mind, i saw the bubble from the fanta bottle float up but i was mature to handled the temper of my hunger. As the pizza halvening was going on, I reminded of how significant this moment was when Larszlo Heykens first made an offer of 10,000 BTC & how it signified use case of bitcoin as a medium of exchange and a resort of finality between two counterparts without any middleman. It surely was moment that reminded us of the free markets. Where two counterparts chose their own commodities of exchange and each left satisfied as finality of transactions. Truly those were the good old free market days. By the time i said goodbye, my counterparts had already mined half of the pizza brought. I was about to pop a question of where is my share when i saw three more full plates of pizza broadcasted & awaiting for verification. I knew i was in for a treat.

As i kept my hands, mouth and tummy busy, one surprising moment really fired me up with excitement. Grant stood up and surprised everyone by introducing his new friend from Kenya. He said they had met in Mulanje and how they came across each other was purely a barter coincidence of wants. Rather him explaining, he let our new Kenyan explorer share the fascinating story of how he wanted to send funds in Kenya but couldn't find means of transalating our local currency into the Kenyan shilling. So how could these two opposite worlds tie together? When he saw the post of bitcoin accepted here, it sparked the charge. Using Bitcoin, he was able to send funds in Kenya via bitcoin lightening wallet through Tando and Mpesa. As if we were in a cinema watching possibilities become realities, a demostration was showcased how inter transactions are done from a wallet of Satoshi lightening wallet to Tando whilst eating pizza in Malawi.

It was truly a fantastic orange day to pill and slice. See you in the next article as i continue to polish my writing skills.

Pacharo Nyirenda. Bitcoinboma An amature writer but soon to be pro writer & blogger!

@ 2b998b04:86727e47

I’ve spent years chasing the promise of freedom.\ In startups. In faith communities. In movements that claimed to be for the people.

And yet — so often, that promise felt just out of reach.\ Conditional. Corporate. Sanitized.\ A freedom with fine print.

But here —\ Here in the thick of Bitcoin 2025, on Nostr, among misfits and builders and signal-bringers —\ something is alive.

It’s not a platform.\ It’s not a marketing strategy.\ It’s not another app promising to “empower” you while locking down your data and selling you out.

It’s freedom rooted in architecture.\ Decentralization not just as a buzzword —\ but as an expression of conviction.

A kind of freedom you can feel in your body:

• When you zap someone’s words because they moved you — not because an algorithm told you to.

• When your identity is yours — keys, not credentials.

• When no one can delete your story because you control the server, or because there is no server — just the relay of your choosing.

This isn’t utopia.\ There are egos. There’s noise. There’s still posturing.\ But it’s different.\ The center of gravity has shifted.

We’re no longer begging institutions to notice us.\ We’re building outside their jurisdiction.

And for the first time in a long time,\ freedom feels close.\ Tangible.\ Joyful.\ Alive.

This isn’t just about tech.\ It’s about trust.\ It’s about choosing to show up —\ to build\ to write\ to signal\ to keep going.

Even when it’s hard.\ Even when no one claps.

Because real freedom doesn’t come from being noticed.\ It comes from being sovereign.

And that’s something no one can take from me again.

—

Written in Las Vegas, during Bitcoin 2025.\ Posted via Nostr. Vibes co-authored by ChatGPT (“Dr. C”).\ Zap: https://tinyurl.com/yuyu2b9t

@ a396e36e:ec991f1c

👤 Generation X and Bitcoin: Between Invisibility, Structural Disillusionment, and Defiance

Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, has been largely sidelined in generational discourse. Unlike the baby boomers —symbols of stability and prosperity— or millennials and Gen Z —constant fixtures in the media and cultural spotlight— Gen X remains the least mentioned, the least studied, and often not even recognized by its own members as a distinct generation.

Today, they are in midlife —a period that, according to the U-shaped curve of happiness, is one of the most emotionally and psychologically difficult stages: deteriorating health, professional stagnation, and the dual burden of caring for both parents and children. But their condition is not just a matter of age —it’s the product of a unique convergence of economic and political failure.

Structurally, Generation X reached its crucial phase of financial consolidation during the global economic crisis of 2008 —a moment that froze wage growth and severely limited access to housing, investment opportunities, and savings. In parallel, they faced increasing labor precarization: unstable contracts, outsourcing, erosion of social protections, and the dismantling of job security. Compared to other generations, their economic mobility was minimal. Even in terms of wealth accumulation and home ownership, many Gen Xers show weaker indicators than early-born millennials at the same life stage.

At the same time, many countries —especially in Latin America and parts of Europe— turned toward alternative models to free-market systems: socialist proposals that promised redistribution, justice, and equality. But in practice, these models led to state dependency, excessive intervention, economic rigidity, and a loss of productive dynamism. The outcome was devastating: rising poverty, institutional decay, inflation, plummeting investment, growing corruption, and a widespread collapse of trust.

For a generation raised on values of effort, autonomy, and social mobility, this ideological shift brought a double betrayal —first from liberalism, which failed to deliver on its promises, and then from socialism, which entrenched poverty, dependency, and dysfunction.

And yet, while younger generations increasingly embrace state-centric proposals like universal basic income, subsidies, or nationalizations as progressive solutions, many in Gen X see these not as innovation, but as déjà vu —a recycling of failed models they’ve already lived and paid for.

It’s at this point that Bitcoin emerges as more than just a financial technology. For many Gen Xers, Bitcoin is both a symbolic and concrete response — a refuge from a system that betrayed them. It’s not just about investment. It’s about individual sovereignty. They call it “fuck you money” because it represents a total break from traditional structures: it doesn’t depend on banks, governments, political parties, or promises that never materialize.

Bitcoin is money without permission, without censorship, without planned devaluation. It’s a tool for radical autonomy. For a generation marked by skepticism, self-reliance, and disillusionment, it stands as a quiet but powerful form of resistance — a way of saying: “I don’t depend on you. I don’t believe you. I don’t need you.”

Today, while others debate new statist models or more market reforms, many Gen Xers are simply opting out. Bitcoin isn’t just an economic choice — it’s a stance. A way to reclaim the individual control the system once denied them.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na bitcoin-balkan.com.

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1. Kako Cantillonov Efekat Funkcioniše
2. Kako Bitcoin Rešava Nejednakost iz Cantillonovog Efekta
3. Uloga Vlade u Cantillonovom Efektu
4. Zaštitite Sebe od Cantillonovog Efekta
5. Kako mogu da saznam više o Bitcoin-u?

Pitanje o tome zašto nam je potreban Bitcoin danas je postalo veoma uobičajeno, ali odgovori obično ostavljaju većinu ljudi zbunjenim i sa izjavama da je on, ili Ponzijeva šema ili novac za kriminalce. Ovaj zaključak nije pravičan prema načinu na koji bi Bitcoin mogao da transformiše sistemsku nepravednost i korupciju koja je usadjena u naš trenutni monetarni sistem. Jedna od ovih nejednakosti u našem današnjem sistemu rezultat je Cantillonovog Efekta, davno zaboravljene klasične teorije o tome kako raspodela novca utiče na bogatstvo pojedinca.

Cantillonov Efekat opisuje kako stvaranje novog novca donosi korist onima koji prvi dobiju novac, a na štetu onih koji su najudaljeniji od stvaranja novog novca. U današnjem monetarnom sistemu banke i korporacije su najbliže novom novcu dok je srednja klasa najudaljenija. Bitcoin to ispravlja, davanjem novih bitcoin-a samo „rudarima“ koji osiguravaju protokol – mnogo pravednija distribucija.

Cantillonov Efekat predstavlja način na koji se naplaćuje dodatni porez svima koji rade za „nepromenjenu“ platu ili drže prvenstveno dolare ili eure kao deo svog bogatstva. Ovaj porez prenosi vrednost onima koji ulažu u finansijsku imovinu ili su preferirani dobavljači vlade. Bitcoin odvaja stvaranje novog novca od politike, čineći ovu situaciju mnogo poštenijom.

Kako Cantillonov Efekat Funkcioniše

Kada se poveća ponuda neke vrste novca, ima smisla da taj novi novac treba da ode u nečije ruke – ali čije? Da li bi trebao da pada kao kiša sa neba, da ga dobije neko na lutriji, ili ga predati posebnim interesnim grupama?

U našem savremenom monetarnom sistemu, ovaj novac nije uvek zajam za primaoce, tako da nekad ne trebaju da ga vrate.

Zabluda inflacije pomalo liči na MC Escher vodopad – dobro funkcioniše na papiru, ali ne govori skoro ništa korisno o tome kako stvarni svet funkcioniše.

Međutim, ova analiza zanemaruje to kako funkcionišu tržišta. Tamo gde novi novac ide prvo i način na koji se širi kroz ekonomiju, ima veliki uticaj na stvarno bogatstvo ljudi. Zašto? Kada se poveća novčana masa, cene se ne povećavaju odmah kao odraz ove činjenice. Umesto toga, povećavaju se polako, kako tržišta reaguju na novu ukupnu ponudu novca.

Prvi entiteti i ljudi koji prime novostvoreni novac mogu da ga potroše pre nego što je tržište reagovalo na bilo koji novi novac u sistemu prilagođavanjem cena. Kada oni kupuju stvari, dobijaju ih po niskim cenama jer cene još uvek ne podržavaju činjenicu da ima više novca u opticaju.

Jednom kada se novi novc nekoliko puta okrene, cene počinju da rastu, jer se više novčanih jedinica troši na isti broj dobara i usluga. Jedna od ‘cena’ u ekonomiji je plata ili zarada – i ova cena će da poraste, baš kao i sve druge. Međutim, ova cena raste sporije, kao rezultat ulaska novog novca u sistem, nego što je recimo, cena namirnica.

Kao rezultat ove neusklađenosti u vremenu porasta cena, oni koji primaju platu, tj. zaradu moraju da plaćaju više za svoje dnevne potrebe (poput namirnica), dok neko vreme primaju istu platu. Plate se prilagođavaju sporije od cena hrane. To dovodi do pada kupovne moći ljudi koji rade za platu..

Sve ovo proističe iz toga kako novi novac ulazi u sistem. Kada bi novi novac ušao u sistem samo putem zajmova direktno od centralne banke na plate ljudi, ti ljudi bi mogli da ga potroše pre nego što cene porastu, i samim tim bilo bi im bolje.

Na to kako raspodela novca utiče na bogatstvo, ukazao je Richard Cantillon u 18. veku, koji je gledao kako se ova dinamika odvija u Engleskoj kada je vlada štampala novac u njegovo vreme.

Izvrstan momak, g. Cantillon

Kako Bitcoin Rešava Nejednakost iz Cantillonovog Efekta

Da bismo razumeli kako Bitcoin rešava nejednakost, moramo da uporedimo kako se tradicionalne valute poput dolara ili eura distribuiraju u današnje vreme u odnosu na to kako se distribuiraju novi bitcoini.

Gotovo sva tradicionalna valuta koja je stvorena do današnjeg dana, prvo je distribuirana bankama i vladama. To je zato što su glavne komercijalne banke, poput JP Morgan i Citi, zauzvrat podržane od centralnih banaka poput Federalnih rezervi. Centralne banke poseduju ‘prese za štampanje’ – što znači da u svet mogu da ‘odštampaju’ (ili dodaju digitalno) neograničenu količinu svojih tradicionalnih valuta. Takođe su postavili pravila za komercijalne banke da ih podstaknu da pozajmljuju više ili manje dolara, što proširuje i ugovara ukupnu novčanu masu.

Budući da banke i vlade prve dobijaju novi novac, one odlučuju ko je drugi po redu koji može da iskoristi pogodnosti Cantillonovog Efekta. Tu na scenu dolaze lobisti, kao i moć koju donose njihove dobre konekcije sa finansijskom elitom. Lobisti osiguravaju da njihovi interesi imaju koristi od Cantillonovog Efekta, a veoma bogati, kao i korporacije, mogu da dobiju kredite od banaka po isplativim niskim kamatnim stopama.

Stvari mogu da se prilično zabrljaju kada vlada uskoči da preuzme “kontrolu” nad potrošnjom štampanog novca. Izvor: OpenDemocracy

Bitcoin-ov sistem eliminiše moć lobista i prednosti poznavanja pravog bankara, i stavlja ljude na mnogo ravnopravnije temelje. U Bitcoin-u, svaki ‘rudar’ na mreži ima jednake šanse da zaradi nagradu za novostvorene bitcoin-e na svakih 10 minuta. Svako može da postane rudar, jednostavnim kupovanjem hardvera i njegovim uključivanjem u utičnicu – daleko manje mukotrpan posao od lobiranja kod izabranih predstavnika da bi vam dodelili ugovor sa vladom. Rudari troše puno novca na električnu energiju i opremu da bi se takmičili za nagradu, a Bitcoin sistemu pružaju preko potrebnu uslugu: bezbednost. Bez rudara, Bitcoin-ov sistem ne bi funkcionisao.

Rudarenje bitcoin-a zahteva računar i struju – to je to.

U sistemu američkog dolara vidimo da političke veze proističu iz Cantillonovog Efekta. U Bitcoin sistemu vidimo da se pružaoci usluga (rudari) plaćaju za svoje usluge novostvorenim bitcoin-ima.

Naravno, ishodi Cantillonovog Efekta bi mogli da se promene tako što će političari da promene način na koji novi novac ulazi u sistem. Međutim, ovo ne rešava osnovni problem: neko drugi ima korist na tuđi račun.

Bitcoin sistem je daleko pravedniji jer koristi Cantillonov Efekat da bi uredno nagradio one koji pružaju korisnu uslugu za sve ostale: obezbeđivanje Bitcoin mreže.

Zamislite to ovako: u dolarskom sistemu, neka osoba šarmira političare ili bankare na pravim pozicijama da bi dobila povlašćen tretman na račun svih ostalih. U Bitcoin sistemu svi plaćaju po malo, da bi zaštitili svoje bankovne račune od krađe.

Uloga Vlade u Cantillonovom Efektu

Federalne vlade širom sveta su jedne od najvećih korisnika Cantillonovog Efekta, jer su u mogućnosti da vrlo lako dobiju zajmove od centralne banke svoje države. U SAD se to radi kada američko Ministarstvo finansija proda državne obveznice banci Federalnih rezervi. Federalne rezerve daju Ministarstvu finansija gomilu novoštampanog novca, a Ministarstvo finansija da Fed-u papir na kojem piše „mi ćemo vam isplatiti dug u to i to vreme sa određenom kamatom“. Možda je malo složenije od ovoga, ali to opisuje suštinu toga.

Budući da novac koji federalna vlada dobija nije postojao pre toga, ona može da ga potroši pre nego što cene počnu da rastu zbog tog novog novca koji ulazi u opticaj. To omogućava federalnoj vladi da ga troši na socijalne programe, policiju, vojsku, vojnu opremu za naoružavanje država poput Saudijske Arabije, čak i na ‘most iz nigde ka ničemu’, a da ne mora da koristi politički nepopularnu metodu: da poveća porez da bi to platila.

Umesto da povećaju poreske prihode za pokrivanje ove potrošnje, federalne vlade koriste Cantillonov Efekat za prenos kupovne moći od plata radnika srednje klase u vladin trezor. Na taj način inflacija i Cantillonov Efekat stvaraju skriveni porez na zarade i uštede novca.

Zaštitite Sebe od Cantillonovog Efekta

Zaštita svog života od Cantillonovog Efekta je zeznuta igra koju treba odigrati. Možete da pokušate da se približite izvoru novog novca, tako što ćete se nadmetati za državne ugovore ili raditi u vrhovima finansija. Možete da pokušate da igrate na visokim nivoima u trgovanju na berzi ili ulaganju u nekretnine, ali je verovatnije da ćete bankrotirati nego što ćete da se zaštitite.

Najlakši način da zaštitite sebe od nepravedne raspodele novog novca je potpuno odbijanje tog monetarnog sistema. Samo najstarije generacije koje danas žive mogu da se sete vremena kada je novac značio nešto drugo osim papira potkrepljenog ‘punom verom i kredibilitetom’ vlade i vojske. Mi smo tako uslovljeni da novac smatramo proizvodom naše vlade, ali naša zaštita od Cantillonovog Efekta zahteva gledanje novca kroz istoriju – čak i pre samo jednog veka.

Novac je nekada značio zlato – materijal koji nijedna vlada ne može magično da stvori u većoj količini, a koji zahteva ogroman napor da se pronađe i iskopa iz zemlje. Bitcoin je vrlo sličan zlatu po tome što niko ne može magično da ga stvori, i veoma ga je teško proizvesti više ‘rudarenjem’. Međutim, Bitcoin takođe putuje brzinom interneta, omogućavajući globalnu trgovinu na način na koji zlato jednostavno ne može.

Bitcoin i zlato – slični po karakteristikama ‘normalnog novca’, različiti po prenosivosti.

Da biste se zaštitili od Cantillonovog Efekta, potrebno je što je više moguće isključiti se iz nepravednih sistema tradicionalnih valuta, čuvajući bogatstvo u pravom novcu, poput zlata ili Bitcoin-a. Ovo je najmirniji način za ukidanje starog sistema i uvođenje novog, pravednijeg sistema.

Kako mogu da saznam više o Bitcoin-u?

Film "Bitkoin: Kraj novca kakvog poznajemo"

Još uvek je rano za Bitcoin

Zašto baš Bitcoin?

Šta je to Bitcoin?

The Bitcoin Whitepaper ← objavljen 2008. godine, ovo je izložio dizajn za Bitcoin.

Ako vam se sviđa moj rad, molim vas da ga podelite sa svojim prijateljima i porodicom. Cilj mi je da svima pružim uvid u ekonomiju i kako ona utiče na njihove živote.

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni prevod na ecd.rs

Bitcoin: Peer-to-peer sistem elektronskog novca

Satoshi Nakamoto

satoshin@gmx.com

bitcoin.org

Prevedeno na srpski sa bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf od strane ECD

Sažetak. Potpuna peer-to-peer verzija elektronskog novca omogućila bi slanje uplata putem interneta direktno od jedne strane ka drugoj bez posredovanja finansijskih institucija. Digitalni potpisi pružaju deo rešenja, ali se glavni benefiti gube ako je i dalje potrebna pouzdana treća strana za sprečavanje dvostruke potrošnje. Predlažemo rešenje problema dvostruke potrošnje korišćenjem peer-to-peer mreže. Mreža vremenski označava transakcije tako što ih hešuje u tekući lanac dokaza o radu (proof of work) temeljen na hešu, formirajući zapis koji se ne može promeniti bez ponovnog rada i objavljivanja dokaza o tom radu. Najduži lanac ne služi samo kao dokaz niza događaja, nego i kao dokaz da je taj niz događaja potvrđen od strane dela peer-to-peer mreže koja poseduju najveću zbirnu procesorsku snagu (CPU). Sve dok većinu procesorske snage kontrolišu čvorovi (nodes) koji ne sarađuju u napadu na mrežu, oni će generisati najduži lanac i nadmašiti napadače. Sama mreža zahteva minimalnu strukturu. Poruke kroz mrežu se prenose uz pretpostavku da svaki čvor čini maksimalan napor da poruku prenese u svom izvornom obliku i na optimalan način, a čvorovi mogu napustiti mrežu i ponovo joj se pridružiti po želji, prihvatajući najduži lanac dokaza o radu kao dokaz onoga što se dogodilo dok ih nije bilo.

1. Uvod

Trgovina na Internetu počela je da se oslanja skoro isključivo na finansijske institucije koje služe kao pouzdani posrednici pri obradi elektronskih plaćanja. Iako sistem radi dovoljno dobro za većinu transakcija i dalje trpi od inherentnih slabosti modela utemeljenog na poverenju.

Potpuno nepovratne transakcije zapravo nisu moguće, jer finansijske institucije ne mogu izbeći posredovanje u rešavanju eventualnih sporova. Troškovi posredovanja povećavaju troškove transakcija, ograničavaju minimalnu praktičnu veličinu transakcija i onemogućuju male, povremene transakcije jer postoji velika šteta zbog gubitka mogućnosti da se izvrše nepovratna plaćanja za nepovratne usluge. Uz mogućnost povraćaja transakcije, potreba za poverenjem raste. Trgovci moraju biti oprezni prema svojim kupcima i tražiti im više informacija nego što bi inače bilo neophodno. Određeni procenat prevara prihvaćen je kao neizbežan. Ovi troškovi i nepouzdanost plaćanja mogu se izbeći korišćenjem gotovine, ali ne postoji mehanizam za elektronsko plaćanje bez pouzdane treće strane.

Ono što je potrebno je elektronski sistem plaćanja zasnovan na kriptografskom dokazu umesto na poverenju, koji omogućava da bilo koje dve strane direktno i dobrovoljno međusobno trguju bez potrebe za posrednikom. Transakcije koje su nepovratne bi zaštitile prodavce od prevara, a escrow mehanizmi mogli bi se lako implementirati radi zaštite kupaca. U ovom dokumentu predlažemo rešenje problema dvostruke potrošnje korišćenjem peer-to-peer distribuiranog servera vremenskih oznaka (timestamp) za generisanje računarskog dokaza o hronološkom redosledu transakcija. Sistem je siguran sve dok pošteni čvorovi zajedno kontrolišu više procesorske snage procesora nego bilo koja udružena grupa napadačkih čvorova.

2. Transakcije

Elektronski novčić definišemo kao lanac digitalnih potpisa. Svaki vlasnik prenosi novčić na sledećeg digitalnim potpisivanjem heša prethodne transakcije i javnog ključa sledećeg vlasnika, dodajući ih potom na kraj novčića. Primalac transakcije može da verifikuje potpise, a time i lanac vlasništva.

Problem je naravno u tome što primalac ne može potvrditi da jedan od prethodnih vlasnika nije dva puta poslao isti novčić. Uobičajeno rešenje je uvođenje pouzdanog centralizovanog posrednika, kreatora novčića koji proverava sve transakcije. Nakon svake transakcije, novčić se mora vratiti kreatoru kako bi se izdao novi novčić i veruje se da samo za novčiće izdate direktno od kreatora možemo biti sigurni da nisu dva puta potrošeni. Problem sa ovim rešenjem je što sudbina čitavog novčanog sistema zavisi od kompanije koja kreira novčiće, jer svaka transakcija mora da prođe kroz nju, baš kao što je slučaj sa bankom.

Treba nam način da primalac bude siguran da prethodni vlasnici nisu potpisali nikakve ranije transakcije kojim bi potrošili taj novčić. Za naše potrebe, računamo transakciju koja se prva desila i ne zanimaju nas naredni pokušaji da se isti novčić ponovo pošalje. Jedini način da sa sigurnošću potvrdimo da taj novčić nije prethodno bio poslat je da imamo informacije o svim transakcijama koje su se ikada desile. U modelu baziranom na centalizovan kreatoru, taj kreator je imao informacije o svim transakcijama i odlučivao koja transakcija je prva stigla. Da bismo to postigli bez pouzdanog posrednika, transakcije moraju biti javno objavljene [1] i potreban nam je sistem u kojem učesnici mogu da se dogovore o jedinstvenoj istoriji redosleda kojim su transakcije primljene. Primaocu je potreban dokaz da se u trenutku dešavanja svake od transakcija većina čvorova složila oko toga da je baš ta transakcija bila ona koja je prva primljena.

3. Server vremenskih oznaka

Rešenje koje predlažemo počinje serverom vremenskih oznaka. Server vremenske oznake radi tako što uzima heš bloka podataka kojem će se dodeliti vremenska oznaka i objavi taj heš svima u mreži, slično kao u novinama ili kao post na Usenet mreži [2-5]. Vremenska oznaka očigledno dokazuje da su podaci morali postojati u to vreme kako bi ušli u haš. Svaka vremenska oznaka sadrži prethodnu vremensku oznaku u svom hešu, formirajući tako lanac, pri čemu svaka dodatna vremenska oznaka pojačava potvrde onih pre nje.

4. Dokaz o radu (Proof-of-Work)

Da bismo implementirali distribuirani server vremenskih oznaka na peer-to-peer principu, moraćemo da koristimo sistem dokaza o radu sličan Hashcash-u Adama Back-a [6], umesto Uneset postova ili novinskih objava. Dokaz o radu uključuje traženje vrednosti koja će, kada se hešuje, na primer pomoću SHA-256 heš funkcije, stvarati heš čiji binarni zapis započinje određenim brojem nula. Prosečna količina potrebnog rada eksponencijalno raste sa brojem potrebnih početnih nula, a može se proveriti izvršavanjem samo jedne heš fuknkcije.

Za našu mrežu vremenskih oznaka implementiramo dokaz o radu povećavajući nonce broja u bloku sve dok se ne pronađe ona vrednost nonce-a koja daje hešu bloka potreban broj početnih nula. Jednom kada se procesorska snaga utroši kako bi se zadovoljio dokaz o radu, blok se ne može izmeniti bez ponovljenog rada. Kako se kasniji blokovi vežu na taj blok, rad potreban da se on izmeni uključivao bi i ponovno obrađivanje svih blokova nakon njega.

Dokaz o radu takođe rešava problem utvrđivanja većine pri odlučivanju. Ako bi se ​​većina zasnivala na principu jednog glasa po IP adresi, mogao bi je narušiti svako ko je u stanju da glasa sa više IP adresa odjednom. Dokaz o radu u osnovi predstavlja jedan glas po jedinici procesorske snage. Većinska odluka je predstavljena najdužim lancem u čije je stvaranje zapravo investirano najviše rada prilikom dokazivanja. Ako većinu procesorske snage kontrolišu pošteni čvorovi, pošten lanac će rasti najbrže i nadmašiće sve konkurentske lance. Da bi izmenio neki od prethodnih blokova, napadač bi morao da ponovi dokaz o radu za taj blok i sve blokove nakon njega, a zatim da sustigne i nadmaši količinu rada poštenih čvorova. Kasnije ćemo pokazati da se dodavanjem novih blokova eksponencijalno smanjuje verovatnoća da će sporiji napadač uspeti da sustigne pošteni lanac.

Da bi se kompenzovalo povećanje brzine hardvera i promenljivo interesovanje ljudi za vođenje čvorova tokom vremena, težina obavljanja dokaza o radu (proof-of-work difficulty) određuje se prema prosečnom broju blokova krairanih za sat vremena. Ako se blokovi stvaraju prebrzo, težina se povećava.

5. Mreža

Koraci za vođenje mreže su sledeći:

1) Nove transakcije se prosleđuju svim čvorovima u mreži. 2) Svaki čvor prikuplja nove transakcije u blok. 3) Svaki čvor radi na pronalaženju dokaza o radu dovoljnog nivoa težine za svoj blok. 4) Kada čvor pronađe dokaz o radu, on emituje taj blok ka svim čvorovima. 5) Čvorovi prihvataju blok samo ako su sve transakcije u njemu ispravne i nisu već potrošene. 6) Čvorovi izražavaju prihvatanje bloka radeći na stvaranju sledećeg bloka u lancu, koristeći heš prihvaćenog bloka kao prethodni heš.

Čvorovi uvek smatraju da je najduži lanac ispravan i nastaviće da rade na njegovom produžavanju. Ako dva čvora istovremeno emituju različite verzije sledećeg bloka, neki čvorovi prvo mogu primiti jedan ili drugi blok. U tom slučaju svaki čvor radi na prvom koji je dobio, ali čuvaju drugu kariku lanca u slučaju da ona postane duža. Dilema će biti rešena kada se pronađe sledeći dokaz o radu i jedna karika postane duža; čvorovi koji su radili na drugoj karici lanca će se prebaciti na dužu kariku.

Emitovanje novih transakcija ne mora nužno doći do svih čvorova. Sve dok stižu do velikog broja čvorova, te transakcije će ući u blok. Slično važi i za blokove, ni oni ne moraju doći odmah do svih čvorova. Ako neki čvor propusti da primi informaciju o bloku, kada mu stigne sledeći blok,primetiće da je propustio jedan, pa će ga tražiti naknadno.

6. Podsticaj

Po pravilu, prva transakcija u bloku je posebna transakcija koja kreira novi novčić u vlasništvu kreatora bloka. Ovo daje podsticaj čvorovima da podrže mrežu i pruža način za početnu ubacivanje novčića u opticaj, budući da ne postoji centralno telo koje ih izdaje. Stalno dodavanje konstantne količine novih novčića liči na rudarenje zlata, gde rudari ulažu resurse kako bi izrudarili nove količine zlata i ubacili ih u opticaj. U našem slučaju ulaže se procesorsko vreme i električna energija.

Podsticaj se takođe može finansirati i transakcionim naknadama. Ako je iznos izlaznog dela transakcije manji od ulaznog, razliku čini naknada za transakciju koja se dodaje iznosu nagrade za kreatora bloka koji sadrži tu transakciju. Nakon što predefinisani broj novčića uđe u opticaj, podsticaj mogu u potpunosti činiti transakcione naknade, čime se sistem oslobađa inflacije.

Čvorovi su na ovaj način podstaknuti da ostanu pošteni. Ako je pohlepni napadač u stanju da angažuje više procesorske snage od svih poštenih čvorova zajedno, morao bi da bira između toga da poništi svoje izvršene transakcije i time prevari ljude ili da procesorsku snagu koristi za stvaranje novih novčića. On bi trebalo bi uvidi da je isplativije igrati po pravilima koja ga nagrađuju sa više novih novčića od svi drugi zajedno, nego da potkopava sistem i vrednost sopstvenog bogatstva.

7. Oslobađanje prostora na hard disku

Kada je dovoljno blokova dodato nakon poslednje transakcije novčića, prethodne transakcije tog novčića se mogu odbaciti kako bi se uštedeo prostor na hard disku. Kako bi se to ostvarilo bez razbijanja heša bloka, transakcije su hešovane u Merkleovo stablo (Merkle Tree) [7] [2] [5], gde je samo koren uključen u heš bloka. Stari blokovi se tada mogu sabiti uklanjanjem nepotrebnih grana drveta. Unutrašnji heševi ne moraju biti skladišteni.

Zaglavlje bloka bez transakcija bilo bi oko 80 bajtova. Ako pretpostavimo da su blokovi generisani svakih 10 minuta, 80 bajtova * 6 * 24 * 365 = 4,2 MB godišnje. Imajući u vidu činjenicu da se u 2008. godini računari uglavnom prodaju sa oko 2 GB RAM-a i Murov zakon koji predviđa trenutni rast od 1,2 GB godišnje, skladištenje ne bi trebalo da predstavlja problem čak i ako se zaglavlja bloka moraju čuvati u memoriji.

8. Pojednostavljena verifikacija plaćanja

Moguće je verifikovati plaćanja bez vođenja čitavog mrežnog čvora. Korisnik samo treba da sačuva kopiju zaglavlja blokova najdužeg lanca dokaza o radu, do koje može doći upitom ka mrežnim čvorovima dok se ne uveri da je dobio najduži lanac i dobije Merkleova granu

koja povezuje transakciju sa blokom u koji je uneta vremenska oznaka za tu transakciju. Ne može samostalno proveriti transakciju, ali povezujući je sa mestom u lancu može videti da je prihvaćena od strane čvora mreže i da su na njen blok dodati naknadni blokovi što dalje potvrđuje da ju je mreža prihvatila.

Kao takva, verifikacija je pouzdana sve dok pošteni čvorovi kontrolišu mrežu, ali je ranjiva ako napadač nadjača ostatak mreže. Čvorovi mreže mogu sami proveriti transakcije, ali napadačeve lažne transakcije mogu zavarati one koji koriste pojednostavljenu metodu verifikacije transakcija sve dok je on u stanju da nadjačava ostatak mreže. Jedna od strategija zaštite bila bi prihvatanje upozorenja čvorova mreže kada otkriju nevažeći blok, pri čemu bi korisnikov softver morao da preuzme ceo blok i sporne transakcije kako bi potvrdio nepravilnost. Biznisi koji primaju česte uplate će verovatno želeti da pokrenu i vode sopstvene čvorove radi brže verifikacije i potrebe da im sigurnost ne zavisi od drugih.

9. Kombinovanje i deljenje vrednosti

Iako bi bilo moguće pojedinačno rukovati novčićima, bilo bi nezgrapno kreirati zasebnu transakciju za svaki cent u toj transferu. Da biste dozvolili podelu i kombinovanje vrednosti, transakcije sadrže više ulaza i izlaza. Obično će postojati ili jedan ulaz iz veće prethodne transakcije ili više unosa koji kombinuju manje iznose, a najviše dva izlaza: jedan za samo plaćanje, a jedan koji vraća kusur, ako ga ima, nazad pošiljaocu.

Treba napomenuti da situacija u kojoj transakcija zavisi od nekoliko drugih transakcija, a te transakcije zavise od još mnogo više, ovde nije problem. Nikada ne postoji potreba za izdvajanjem istorije pojedinačne transakcije.

10. Privatnost

Tradicionalni bankarski model postiže odgovarajući nivo privatnosti ograničavanjem pristupa informacijama na strane uključene u transakciju i posrednika. Neophodnost javnog objavljivanja svih transakcija isključuje mogućnost primene pomenutog modela, ali privatnost se i dalje može zadržati na drugi način: čuvanjem javnih ključeva (public keys) anonimnim. Javnost može videti da neko šalje iznos nekom drugom, ali bez informacija koje povezuju transakciju sa bilo kim. Ovo je slično količini informacija koje objavljuju berze, gde se vreme i veličina pojedinačnih trgovina čine javnim, ali bez navođenja ko su stranke uključene u tu trgovinu.

Kao dodatni zaštitni zid, preporučljivo je koristiti novi par ključeva za svaku transakciju, kako ne bi bili povezane sa zajedničkim vlasnikom. Neka povezivanja su i dalje neizbežna kod transakcija sa više ulaza, koje nužno otkrivaju da su njihovi ulazi bili u vlasništvu istog vlasnika. Rizik je taj da bi se otkrivanjem vlasnik ključa mogle otkriti i ostale transakcije koje su pripadale tom vlasniku.

11. Proračuni

Razmatramo scenario u kome napadač pokušava da generiše alternativni lanac brže od poštenog lanca. Čak i ako se to postigne, to ne omogućuje proizvoljne promene u sistemu, poput stvaranje vrednosti ni iz čega ili uzimanje novca koji nikada nije pripadao napadaču. Pošteni čvorovi neće prihvatiti nevažeće transakcije kao uplatu i nikada neće prihvatiti blok koji ih sadrži. Napadač može samo pokušati da promeni jednu od svojih transakcija kako bi vratio novac koji je nedavno potrošio.

Trka između poštenog lanca i lanca napadača može se predstaviti kao binomska distribucija slučajne diskretne varijable (Binomial Random Walk). Uspešni ishod je da se pošten lanac produži za jedan blok, povećavajući svoje vođstvo za +1, a neuspešni ishod je da se napadačev lanac produži za jedan blok, smanjujući zaostatak za -1.

Verovatnoću da napadač nadoknadi određeni deficit možemo izraziti kroz problem kockareve propasti (Gambler’s Ruin Problem). Pretpostavimo da kockar sa neograničenim iznosom novca počinje sa zaostatkom i igra potencijalno beskonačan broj ponovljenih igara u pokušaju da nadoknadi zaostatak. Možemo izračunati verovatnoću za nadoknađivanje zaostatka ili da će napadač stići pošten lanac, na sledeći način [8]:

p= verovatnoća da pošten čvor pronađe sledeći blok q= verovatnoća da napadač pronađe sledeći blok qz= verovatnoća da će napadač ikada dostići z blokova zaostatka

S obzirom na našu pretpostavku da je p > q, verovatnoća pada eksponencijalno kako se povećava broj blokova koje napadač mora da nadoknadi. Sa šansama protiv njega, ako mu se u početku ne posreći, njegove šanse postaju manje i manje sa povećanjem zaostatka.

Sada razmatramo koliko primalac nove transakcije treba da čeka pre nego što postane

dovoljno siguran da pošiljalac ne može promeniti transakciju. Pretpostavljamo da je pošiljalac napadač koji želi da natera primaoca da veruje da mu je platio, a zatim nakon nekog vremena tu transakciju preusmeri ka sebi. Primalac će primetiti kada se to dogodi, ali pošiljalac se nada da će tad već biti prekasno.

Primalac generiše novi par ključeva i daje javni ključ pošiljaocu neposredno pre potpisivanja transakcije. Ovo sprečava pošiljaoca da unapred pripremi lanac blokova radeći na njemu neprekidno dok mu se ne posreći da stekne dovoljnu prednost i u tom trenutku izvrši transakciju. Kada se transakcija pošalje, nepošteni pošiljalac počinje tajno da radi na paralelnom lancu koji sadrži alternativnu verziju njegove transakcije.

Primalac čeka dok transakcija ne bude dodata u blok, i dok z blokova nije dodato nakon tog bloka. On ne zna tačno koliko je napadač napredovao, ali pod pretpostavkom da su pošteni blokovi kreirani očekivanom dinamikom, potencijalni napredak napadača će biti prikazan kao Poasonova distribucija sa očekivanom vrednošću:

Kako bismo izračunali verovatnoću da napadač ipak može da nadoknadi zaostatak, množimo gustinu verovatnoće za svaki nivo napretka koji je mogao da ostvari sa verovatnoćom da od tog trenutka može da potpuno nadoknadi zaostatak:

Preuređujemo formulu kako bismo izbegli sabiranje beskonačnog broja sabiraka zbog repa distribucije:

I konvertujemo u programski kod u programskom jeziku C…

Kroz par primera, vidimo da verovatnoća opada eksponencijalno sa porastom z.

Rešavanje za P < 0.1%…

12. Zaključak

Predložili smo sistem za elektronske transakcije bez oslanjanja na poverenje. Počeli smo sa uobičajenim šablonom i novčićima nastalim iz digitalnih potpisa, koji pruža snažnu kontrolu nad vlasništvom, ali je nepotpun bez načina da se spreči dvostruka potrošnja. Kako bismo ovo rešili, predložili smo peer-to-peer mrežu koja koristi dokaz o radu za čuvanje javne istorije transakcija čija izmena napadačima brzo postaje računski nepraktična ako pošteni čvorovi kontrolišu većinu procesorske snage. Mreža je robusna u svojoj nestrukturiranoj jednostavnosti. Svi čvorovi rade istovremeno uz malo koordinacije. Ne treba ih identifikovati, jer se poruke ne usmeravaju na jedno određeno mesto nego samo trebaju biti prenete uz maksimalan napor od strane čvorova da se taj prenos odradi na predviđen način. Čvorovi mogu da napuste i ponovo se pridruže mreži po želji, prihvatajući lanac dokaza o radu kao dokaz onoga što se dogodilo dok ih nije bilo. Oni glasaju svojom procesorskom snagom, izražavajući svoje prihvatanje validnih blokova time što pokušavaju da ih nadgrade novim blokovima i odbacuju nevažeće blokove odbijanjem ih nadgrađuju. Sva potrebna pravila i podsticaji mogu se nametnuti ovim mehanizmom postizanja konsenzusa.

Reference:

[1] W. Dai, „b-money,“ weidai.com/bmoney.txt, 1998.

[2] H. Massias, X.S. Avila, and J.-J. Quisquater, „Design of a secure timestamping service with minimal trust requirements,“ In 20th Symposium on Information Theory in the Benelux, May 1999.

[3] S. Haber, W.S. Stornetta, „How to time-stamp a digital document,“ In Journal of Cryptology, vol 3, no 2, pages 99-111, 1991.

[4] D. Bayer, S. Haber, W.S. Stornetta, „Improving the efficiency and reliability of digital time-stamping,“ In Sequences II: Methods in Communication, Security and Computer Science, pages 329-334, 1993.

[5] S. Haber, W.S. Stornetta, „Secure names for bit-strings,“ In Proceedings of the 4th ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, pages 28-35, April 1997.

[6] A. Back, „Hashcash – a denial of service counter-measure,“ hashcash.org/papers/hashcash.pdf, 2002.

[7] R.C. Merkle, „Protocols for public key cryptosystems,“ In Proc. 1980 Symposium on Security and Privacy, IEEE Computer Society, pages 122-133, April 1980.

[8] W. Feller, „An introduction to probability theory and its applications,“ 1957.

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

News

• Bitcoin mining centralization in 2025. According to a blog post by b10c, Bitcoin mining was at its most decentralized in May 2017, with another favorable period from 2019 to 2022. However, starting in 2023, mining has become increasingly centralized, particularly due to the influence of large pools like Foundry and the use of proxy pooling by entities such as AntPool.

Source: b10c's blog.

• OpenSats announces the eleventh wave of Nostr grants. The five projects in this wave are the mobile live-streaming app Swae, the Nostr-over-ham-radio project HAMSTR, Vertex—a Web-of-Trust (WOT) service for Nostr developers, Nostr Double Ratchet for end-to-end encrypted messaging, and the Nostr Game Engine for building games and applications integrated with the Nostr ecosystem.
• New Spiral grantee: l0rinc. In February 2024, l0rinc transitioned to full-time work on Bitcoin Core. His efforts focus on performance benchmarking and optimizations, enhancing code quality, conducting code reviews, reducing block download times, optimizing memory usage, and refactoring code.
• Project Eleven offers 1 BTC to break Bitcoin's cryptography with a quantum computer. The quantum computing research organization has introduced the Q-Day Prize, a global challenge that offers 1 BTC to the first team capable of breaking an elliptic curve cryptographic (ECC) key using Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer. The prize will be awarded to the first team to successfully accomplish this breakthrough by April 5, 2026.
• Unchained has launched the Bitcoin Legacy Project. The initiative seeks to advance the Bitcoin ecosystem through a bitcoin-native donor-advised fund platform (DAF), investments in community hubs, support for education and open-source development, and a commitment to long-term sustainability with transparent annual reporting.
  • In its first year, the program will provide support to Bitcoin hubs in Nashville, Austin, and Denver.
  • Support also includes $50,000 to the Bitcoin Policy Institute, a $150,000 commitment at the University of Austin, and up to $250,000 in research grants through the Bitcoin Scholars program.

"Unchained will match grants 1:1 made to partner organizations who support Bitcoin Core development when made through the Unchained-powered bitcoin DAF, up to 1 BTC," was stated in a blog post.

• Block launched open-source tools for Bitcoin treasury management. These include a dashboard for managing corporate bitcoin holdings and provides a real-time BTC-to-USD price quote API, released as part of the Block Open Source initiative. The company’s own instance of the bitcoin holdings dashboard is available here.

Source: block.xyz

• Bull Bitcoin expands to Mexico, enabling anyone in the country to receive pesos from anywhere in the world straight from a Bitcoin wallet. Additionally, users can now buy Bitcoin with a Mexican bank account.

"Bull Bitcoin strongly believes in Bitcoin’s economic potential in Mexico, not only for international remittances and tourism, but also for Mexican individuals and companies to reclaim their financial sovereignty and protect their wealth from inflation and the fragility of traditional financial markets," said Francis Pouliot, Founder and CEO of Bull Bitcoin.

• Corporate bitcoin holdings hit a record high in Q1 2025. According to Bitwise, public companies' adoption of Bitcoin has hit an all-time high. In Q1 2025, these firms collectively hold over 688,000 BTC, marking a 16.11% increase from the previous quarter. This amount represents 3.28% of Bitcoin's fixed 21 million supply.

Source: Bitwise.

• The Bitcoin Bond Company for institutions has launched with the aim of acquiring $1 trillion in Bitcoin over 21 years. It utilizes secure, transparent, and compliant bond-like products backed by Bitcoin.
• The U.S. Senate confirmed Paul Atkins as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). At his confirmation hearing, Atkins emphasized the need for a clear framework for digital assets. He aims to collaborate with the CFTC and Congress to address jurisdiction and rulemaking gaps, aligning with the Trump administration's goal to position the U.S. as a leader in Bitcoin and blockchain finance.
• Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith has been released from custody. Griffith, whose sentence was reduced to 56 months, is now seeking a pardon. He was initially sentenced to 63 months for allegedly violating international sanctions laws by providing technical advice on using cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology to evade sanctions during a presentation titled 'Blockchains for Peace' in North Korea.
• No-KYC exchange eXch to close down under money laundering scrutiny. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency trading platform said it will cease operations on May 1. This decision follows allegations that the platform was used by North Korea's Lazarus Group for money laundering. eXch revealed it is the subject of an active "transatlantic operation" aimed at shutting down the platform and prosecuting its team for "money laundering and terrorism."
• Blockstream combats ESP32 FUD concerning Jade signers. The company stated that after reviewing the vulnerability disclosed in early March, Jade was found to be secure. Espressif Systems, the designer of the ESP32, has since clarified that the "undocumented commands" do not constitute a "backdoor."

• Bank of America is lobbying for regulations that favor banks over tech firms in stablecoin issuance. The bank's CEO Brian Moynihan is working with groups such as the American Bankers Association to advance the issuance of a fully reserved, 1:1 backed "Bank of America coin." If successful, this could limit stablecoin efforts by non-banks like Tether, Circle, and others, reports The Block.
• Tether to back OCEAN Pool with its hashrate. "As a company committed to financial freedom and open access, we see supporting decentralization in Bitcoin mining as essential to the network’s long-term integrity," said Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.
• Bitdeer to expand its self-mining operations to navigate tariffs. The Singapore-based mining company is advancing plans to produce machines in the U.S. while reducing its mining hardware sales. This response is in light of increasing uncertainties related to U.S. trade policy, as reported by Bloomberg.
• Tether acquires $32M in Bitdeer shares. The firm has boosted its investment in Bitdeer during a wider market sell-off, with purchases in early to mid-April amounting to about $32 million, regulatory filings reveal.
• US Bitcoin miner manufacturer Auradine has raised $153 million in a Series C funding round as it expands into AI infrastructure. The round was led by StepStone Group and included participation from Maverick Silicon, Premji Invest, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Qualcomm Ventures, Mayfield, MARA Holdings, GSBackers, and other existing investors. The firm raised to over $300 million since its inception in 2022.
• Voltage has partnered with BitGo to [enable](https://www.voltage.cloud/blog/bitgo-and-voltage-team-up-to-deliver-instant-bitcoin-and-stabl

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Good morning (good night?)! The No Bullshit Bitcoin news feed is now available on Moody's Dashboard! A huge shoutout to sir Clark Moody for integrating our feed.

Headlines

• Spiral welcomes Ben Carman. The developer will work on the LDK server and a new SDK designed to simplify the onboarding process for new self-custodial Bitcoin users.

• The Bitcoin Dev Kit Foundation announced new corporate members for 2025, including AnchorWatch, CleanSpark, and Proton Foundation. The annual dues from these corporate members fund the small team of open-source developers responsible for maintaining the core BDK libraries and related free and open-source software (FOSS) projects.
• Strategy increases Bitcoin holdings to 538,200 BTC. In the latest purchase, the company has spent more than $555M to buy 6,556 coins through proceeds of two at-the-market stock offering programs.
• Spar supermarket experiments with Bitcoin payments in Zug, Switzerland. The store has introduced a new payment method powered by the Lightning Network. The implementation was facilitated by DFX Swiss, a service that supports seamless conversions between bitcoin and legacy currencies.

• The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) wants to contain 'crypto' risks. A report titled "Cryptocurrencies and Decentralised Finance: Functions and Financial Stability Implications" calls for expanding research into "how new forms of central bank money, capital controls, and taxation policies can counter the risks of widespread crypto adoption while still fostering technological innovation."
• "Global Implications of Scam Centres, Underground Banking, and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast Asia." According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, criminal organizations from East and Southeast Asia are swiftly extending their global reach. These groups are moving beyond traditional scams and trafficking, creating sophisticated online networks that include unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges, encrypted communication platforms, and stablecoins, fueling a massive fraud economy on an industrial scale.
• Slovenia is considering a 25% capital gains tax on Bitcoin profits for individuals. The Ministry of Finance has proposed legislation to impose this tax on gains from cryptocurrency transactions, though exchanging one cryptocurrency for another would remain exempt. At present, individual 'crypto' traders in Slovenia are not taxed.
• Circle, BitGo, Coinbase, and Paxos plan to apply for U.S. bank charters or licenses. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, major crypto companies are planning to apply for U.S. bank charters or licenses. These firms are pursuing limited licenses that would permit them to issue stablecoins, as the U.S. Congress deliberates on legislation mandating licensing for stablecoin issuers.

"Established banks, like Bank of America, are hoping to amend the current drafts of [stablecoin] legislation in such a way that nonbanks are more heavily restricted from issuing stablecoins," people familiar with the matter told The Block.

• Charles Schwab to launch spot Bitcoin trading by 2026. The financial investment firm, managing over $10 trillion in assets, has revealed plans to introduce spot Bitcoin trading for its clients within the next year.

Use the tools

• Bitcoin Safe v1.2.3 expands QR SignMessage compatibility for all QR-UR-compatible hardware signers (SpecterDIY, KeyStone, Passport, Jade; already supported COLDCARD Q). It also adds the ability to import wallets via QR, ensuring compatibility with Keystone's latest firmware (2.0.6), alongside other improvements.
• Minibits v0.2.2-beta, an ecash wallet for Android devices, packages many changes to align the project with the planned iOS app release. New features and improvements include the ability to lock ecash to a receiver's pubkey, faster confirmations of ecash minting and payments thanks to WebSockets, UI-related fixes, and more.
• Zeus v0.11.0-alpha1 introduces Cashu wallets tied to embedded LND wallets. Navigate to Settings > Ecash to enable it. Other wallet types can still sweep funds from Cashu tokens. Zeus Pay now supports Cashu address types in Zaplocker, Cashu, and NWC modes.
• LNDg v1.10.0, an advanced web interface designed for analyzing Lightning Network Daemon (LND) data and automating node management tasks, introduces performance improvements, adds a new metrics page for unprofitable and stuck channels, and displays warnings for batch openings. The Profit and Loss Chart has been updated to include on-chain costs. Advanced settings have been added for users who would like their channel database size to be read remotely (the default remains local). Additionally, the AutoFees tool now uses aggregated pubkey metrics for multiple channels with the same peer.
• Nunchuk Desktop v1.9.45 release brings the latest bug fixes and improvements.
• Blockstream Green iOS v4.1.8 has renamed L-BTC to LBTC, and improves translations of notifications, login time, and background payments.
• Blockstream Green Android v4.1.8 has added language preference in App Settings and enables an Android data backup option for disaster recovery. Additionally, it fixes issues with Jade entry point PIN timeout and Trezor passphrase input.
• Torq v2.2.2, an advanced Lightning node management software designed to handle large nodes with over 1000 channels, fixes bugs that caused channel balance to not be updated in some cases and channel "peer total local balance" not getting updated.
• Stack Wallet v2.1.12, a multicoin wallet by Cypher Stack, fixes an issue with Xelis introduced in the latest release for Windows.
• ESP-Miner-NerdQAxePlus v1.0.29.1, a forked version from the NerdAxe miner that was modified for use on the NerdQAxe+, is now available.
• Zark enables sending sats to an npub using Bark.

• Erk is a novel variation of the Ark protocol that completely removes the need for user interactivity in rounds, addressing one of Ark's key limitations: the requirement for users to come online before their VTXOs expire.
• Aegis v0.1.1 is now available. It is a Nostr event signer app for iOS devices.
• Nostash is a NIP-07 Nostr signing extension for Safari. It is a fork of Nostore and is maintained by Terry Yiu. Available on iOS TestFlight.
• Amber v3.2.8, a Nostr event signer for Android, delivers the latest fixes and improvements.
• Nostur v1.20.0, a Nostr client for iOS, adds

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

Originalni tekst na dvadesetjedan.com

Autor: Vijay Boyapati / Prevod na hrvatski: Matija

---

Sa zadnjim cijenama koje je bitcoin dosegao 2017., optimističan scenarij za ulagače se možda čini toliko očitim da ga nije potrebno niti spominjati. Alternativno, možda se nekome čini glupo ulagati u digitalnu vrijednost koja ne počiva na nijednom fizičkom dobru ili vladi i čiji porast cijene su neki usporedili sa manijom tulipana ili dot-com balonom. Nijedno nije točno; optimističan scenarij za Bitcoin je uvjerljiv, ali ne i očit. Postoje značajni rizici kod ulaganja u Bitcoin, no, kao što planiram pokazati, postoji i ogromna prilika.

Geneza

Nikad u povijesti svijeta nije bilo moguće napraviti transfer vrijednosti među fizički udaljenim ljudima bez posrednika, poput banke ili vlade. 2008. godine, anonimni Satoshi Nakamoto je objavio 8 stranica rješenja na dugo nerješivi računalski problem poznat kao “Problem Bizantskog Generala.” Njegovo rješenje i sustav koji je izgradio - Bitcoin - dozvolio je, prvi put ikad, da se vrijednost prenosi brzo i daleko, bez ikakvih posrednika ili povjerenja. Implikacije kreacije Bitcoina su toliko duboke, ekonomski i računalski, da bi Nakamoto trebao biti prva osoba nominirana za Nobelovu nagradu za ekonomiju i Turingovu nagradu.

Za ulagače, važna činjenica izuma Bitcoina (mreže i protokola) je stvaranje novog oskudnog digitalnog dobra - bitcoina (monetarne jedinice). Bitcoini su prenosivi digitalni “novčići” (tokeni), proizvedeni na Bitcoin mreži kroz proces nazvan “rudarenje” (mining). Rudarenje Bitcoina je ugrubo usporedivo sa rudarenjem zlata, uz bitnu razliku da proizvodnja bitcoina prati unaprijed osmišljeni i predvidivi raspored. Samo 21 milijun bitcoina će ikad postojati, i većina (2017., kada je ovaj tekst napisan) su već izrudareni. Svake četiri godine, količina rudarenih bitcoina se prepolovi. Produkcija novih bitcoina će potpuno prestati 2140. godine.

Stopa inflacije —— Monetarna baza

Bitcoine ne podržava nikakva roba ili dobra, niti ih garantira ikakva vlada ili firma, što postavlja očito pitanje za svakog novog bitcoin ulagača: zašto imaju uopće ikakvu vrijednost? Za razliku od dionica, obveznica, nekretnina ili robe poput nafte i žita, bitcoine nije moguće vrednovati koristeći standardne ekonomske analize ili korisnost u proizvodnji drugih dobara. Bitcoini pripadaju sasvim drugoj kategoriji dobara - monetarnih dobara, čija se vrijednost definira kroz tzv. teoriju igara; svaki sudionik na tržištu vrednuje neko dobro, onoliko koliko procjenjuje da će ga drugi sudionici vrednovati. Kako bismo bolje razumjeli ovo svojstvo monetarnih dobara, trebamo istražiti podrijetlo novca.

Podrijetlo novca

U prvim ljudskim društvima, trgovina među grupama se vršila kroz robnu razmjenu. Velika neefikasnost prisutna u robnoj razmjeni je drastično ograničavala količinu i geografski prostor na kojem je bila moguća. Jedan od najvećih problema sa robnom razmjenom je problem dvostruke podudarnosti potražnje. Uzgajivač jabuka možda želi trgovati sa ribarom, ali ako ribar ne želi jabuke u istom trenutku, razmjena se neće dogoditi. Kroz vrijeme, ljudi su razvili želju za čuvanjem određenih predmeta zbog njihove rijetkosti i simbolične vrijednosti (npr. školjke, životinjski zube, kremen). Zaista, kako i Nick Szabo govori u svojem izvrsnom eseju o podrijetlu novca, ljudska želja za sakupljanjem predmeta pružila je izraženu evolucijsku prednost ranom čovjeku nad njegovim najbližim biološkim rivalom, neandertalcem - Homo neanderthalensis.

"Primarna i najbitnija evolucijska funkcija sakupljanja bila je osigurati medij za čuvanje i prenošenje vrijednosti".

Predmeti koje su ljudi sakupljali služili su kao svojevrsni “proto-novac,” tako što su omogućavale trgovinu među antagonističkim plemenima i dozvoljavale bogatsvu da se prenosi na sljedeću generaciju. Trgovina i transfer takvih predmeta bile su rijetke u paleolitskim društvima, te su oni služili više kao “spremište vrijednosti” (store of value) nego kao “medij razmjene” (medium of exchange), što je uloga koju danas igra moderni novac. Szabo objašnjava:

"U usporedbi sa modernim novcem, primitivan novac je imao jako malo “brzinu” - mogao je promijeniti ruke samo nekoliko puta u životu prosječnog čovjeka. Svejedno, trajni i čvrsti sakupljački predmet, što bismo danas nazvali “nasljeđe,” mogao je opstati mnogo generacija, dodajući znatnu vrijednost pri svakom transferu - i zapravo omogućiti transfer uopće".

Rani čovjek suočio se sa bitnom dilemom u teoriji igara, kada je odlučivao koje predmete sakupljati: koje od njih će drugi ljudi željeti? Onaj koji bi to točno predvidio imao bi ogromnu prednost u mogućnosti trgovine i akvizicije bogatsva. Neka američka indijanska plemena, npr. Naraganseti, specijalizirala su se u proizvodnji sakupljačkih dobara koja nisu imala drugu svrhu osim trgovine. Valja spomenuti da što je ranije predviđanje da će neko dobro imati takvu vrijednost, veća je prednost koju će imati onaj koji je posjeduje, zato što ju je moguće nabaviti jeftinije, prije nego postane vrlo tražena roba i njezona vrijednost naraste zajedno sa populacijom. Nadalje, nabava nekog dobra u nadi da će u budućnosti biti korišteno kao spremište vrijednosti, ubrzava upravo tu primjenu. Ova cirkularnost je zapravo povratna veza (feedback loop) koja potiče društva da se rapidno slože oko jednog spremišta vrijednosti. U terminima teorije igara, ovo je znano kao “Nashov ekvilibrij.” Postizanje Nashovog ekvilibrija za neko spremište vrijednosti je veliko postignuće za društvo, pošto ono znatno olakšava trgovinu i podjelu rada, i time omogućava napredak civilizacije.

Tisućljećima, kako su ljudska društva rasla i otvarala trgovinske puteve, različite aplikacije spremišta vrijednosti u individualnim društvima počele su se natjecati međusobno. Trgovci su imali izbor: čuvati svoju zaradu u spremištu vrijednosti vlastite kulture, ili one kulture sa kojom su trgovali, ili mješavini oboje. Benefit štednje u stranom spremištu vrijednosti bila je uvećana sposobnost trgovanja u povezanom stranom društvu. Trgovci koji su štedili u stranom spremištu vrijednosti su također imali dobrih razloga da potiču svoje društvo da ga prihvati, jer bi tako uvećali vrijednost vlastite ušteđevine. Prednosti “uvezene” tehnologije spremanja vrijednosti bile su prisutne ne samo za trgovce, nego i za sama društva. Kada bi se dvije grupe konvergirale u jedinstvenom spremištu vrijednosti, to bi značajno smanjilo cijenu troškova trgovine jednog s drugim, i samim time povećanje bogatstva kroz trgovinu. I zaista, 19. stoljeće bilo je prvi put da je najveći dio svijeta prihvatio jedinstveno spremište vrijednosti - zlato - i u tom periodu vidio najveću eksploziju trgovine u povijesti svijeta. O ovom mirnom periodu, pisao je John Maynard Keynes:

"Kakva nevjerojatna epizoda u ekonomskom napretku čovjeka… za svakog čovjeka iole iznadprosječnog, iz srednje ili više klase, život je nudio obilje, ugodu i mogućnosti, po niskoj cijeni i bez puno problema, više nego monarsima iz prethodnih perioda. Stanovnik Londona mogao je, ispijajući jutarnji čaj iz kreveta, telefonski naručiti razne proizvode iz cijele Zemlje, u količinama koje je želio, i sa dobrim razlogom očekivati njihovu dostavu na svoj kućni prag."

Svojstva dobrog spremišta vrijednosti

Kada se spremišta vrijednosti natječu jedno s drugim, specifična svojstva rade razliku koja daje jednom prednost nad drugim. Premda su mnoga dobra u prošlosti korištena kao spremišta vrijednosti ili kao “proto-novac,” određena svojstva su se pokazala kao posebno važna, i omogućila dobrima sa njima da pobijede. Idealno spremište vrijednosti biti će:

• Trajno: dobro ne smije biti kvarljivo ili lako uništeno. Tako naprimjer, žito nije idealno spremište vrijednosti.
• Prenosivo: dobro mora biti lako transportirati i čuvati, što omogućuje osiguranje protiv gubitka ili krađe i dopušta trgovinu na velike udaljenosti. Tako, krava je lošije spremište vrijednosti od zlatne narukvice.
• Zamjenjivo: jedna jedinica dobra treba biti zamjenjiva sa drugom. Bez zamjenjivosti, problem podudarnosti želja ostaje nerješiv. Time, zlato je bolje od dijamanata, jer su oni nepravilni u obliku i kvaliteti.
• Provjerljivo: dobro mora biti lako i brzo identificirano i testirano za autentičnost. Laka provjera povećava povjerenje u trgovini i vjerojatnost da će razmjena biti dovršena.
• Djeljivo: dobro mora biti lako djeljivo na manje dijelove. Premda je ovo svojstvo bilo manje važno u ranim društvima gdje je trgovina bila rijetka, postalo je važnije sa procvatom trgovine. Količine koje su se mijenjale postale su manje i preciznije.
• Oskudno: Monetarno dobro mora imati “cijenu nemoguću za lažirati,” kao što je rekao Nick Szabo. Drugim riječima, dobro ne smije biti obilno ili lako dostupno kroz proizvodnju. Oskudnost je možda i najvažnije svojstvo spremišta vrijednosti, pošto se izravno vezuje na ljudsku želju da sakupljamo ono što je rijetko. Ona je izvor vrijednosti u spremištu vrijednosti.
• Duge povijesti: što je dulje neko dobro vrijedno za društvo, veća je vjerojatnost da će biti prihvaćeno kao spremište vrijednosti. Dugo postojeće spremište vrijednosti biti će jako teško uklonjeno od strane došljaka, osim u slučaju sile (ratno osvajanje) ili ako je nova tehnologija znatno bolja u ostalim svojstvima.
• Otporno na cenzuru: novije svojstvo, sve više važno u modernom digitalnom svijetu sa sveprisutnim nadzorom, je otpornost na cenzuru. Drugim riječima, koliko je teško da vanjski agent, kao korporacija ili država, spriječi vlasnika dobra da ga čuva i koristi. Dobra koja su otporna na cenzuru su idealna za ljude koji žive u režimima koji prisilno nadziru kapital ili čine neke oblike mirne trgovine protuzakonitima.

Ova tablica ocjenjuje Bitcoin, zlato (gold) i fiat novac (kao što je euro ili dolar) po svojstvima izlistanim gore. Objašnjenje svake ocjene slijedi nakon tablice.

Trajnost:

Zlato je neosporeni kralj trajnosti. Velika većina zlata pronađenog kroz povijest, uključujući ono egipatskih faraona, opstaje i danas i vjerojatno će postojati i za tisuću godina. Zlatnici korišteni u antičko doba imaju značajnu vrijednost i danas. Fiat valute i bitcoini su digitalni zapisi koji ponekad imaju fizički oblik (npr. novčanice). Dakle, njihovu trajnost ne određuju njihova fizička svojstva (moguće je zamijeniti staru i oštećenu novčanicu za novu), nego institucije koje stoje iza njih. U slučaju fiat valuta, mnoge države su nastale i nestale kroz stoljeća, i valute su nestale s njima. Marke iz Weimarske republike danas nemaju vrijednost zato što institucija koja ih je izdavala više ne postoji. Ako je povijest ikakav pokazatelj, ne bi bilo mudro smatrati fiat valute trajnima dugoročno; američki dolar i britanska funta su relativne anomalije u ovom pogledu. Bitcoini, zato što nemaju instituciju koja ih održava, mogu se smatrati trajnima dok god mreža koja ih osigurava postoji. Obzirom da je Bitcoin još uvijek mlada valuta, prerano je za čvrste zaključke o njegovoj trajnosti. No, postoje ohrabrujući znakovi - prominente države su ga pokušavale regulirati, hakeri ga napadali - usprkos tome, mreža nastavlja funkcionirati, pokazujući visok stupanj antifragilnosti.

Prenosivost:

Bitcoini su najprenosivije spremište vrijednosti ikad. Privatni ključevi koji predstavljaju stotine milijuna dolara mogu se spremiti na USB drive i lako ponijeti bilo gdje. Nadalje, jednako velike sume mogu se poslati na drugi kraj svijeta skoro instantno. Fiat valute, zbog svojeg temeljno digitalnog oblika, su također lako prenosive. Ali, regulacije i kontrola kapitala od strane države mogu ugroziti velike prijenose vrijednosti, ili ih usporiti danima. Gotovina se može koristiti kako bi se izbjegle kontrole kapitala, ali onda rastu rizik čuvanja i cijena transporta. Zlato, zbog svojeg fizičkog oblika i velike gustoće, je najmanje prenosivo. Nije čudo da većina zlatnika i poluga nikad ne napuste sefove. Kada se radi prijenos zlata između prodavača i kupca, uglavnom se prenosi samo ugovor o vlasništvu, ne samo fizičko zlato. Prijenos fizičkog zlata na velike udaljenosti je skupo, riskantno i sporo.

Zamjenjivost:

Zlato nam daje standard za zamjenjivost. Kada je rastopljeno, gram zlata je praktički nemoguće razlikovati od bilo kojeg drugog grama, i zlato je oduvijek bilo takvo. S druge strane, fiat valute, su zamjenjive samo onoliko koliko njihova institucija želi da budu. Iako je uglavnom slučaj da je novčanica zamjenjiva za drugu istog iznosa, postoje situacije u kojima su velike novčanice tretirane drukčije od malih. Naprimjer, vlada Indije je, u pokušaju da uništi neoporezivo sivo tržište, potpuno oduzela vrijednost novčanicama od 500 i 1000 rupija. To je uzrokovalo da ljudi manje vrednuju te novčanice u trgovini, što je značilo da više nisu bile zaista zamjenjive za manje novčanice. Bitcoini su zamjenjivi na razini mreže; svaki bitcoin je pri prijenosu tretiran kao svaki drugi. No, zato što je moguće pratiti individualne bitcoine na blockchainu, određeni bitcoin može, u teoriji, postati “prljav” zbog korštenja u ilegalnoj trgovini, te ga trgovci ili mjenjačnice možda neće htjeti prihvatiti. Bez dodatnih poboljšanja oko privatnosti i anonimnosti na razini mrežnog protokola, bitcoine ne možemo smatrati jednako zamjenjivim kao zlato.

Mogućnost provjere:

Praktično gledajući, autentičnost fiat valuta i zlata je prilično lako provjeriti. Svejedno, i usprkos pokušajima da spriječe krivotvorenje novčanica, i dalje postoji potencijal prevare za vlade i njihove građane. Zlato također nije imuno na krivotvorenje. Sofisticirani kriminalci su koristili pozlaćeni tungsten kako bi prevarili kupce zlata. Bitcoine je moguće provjeriti sa matematičkom sigurnošću. Korištenjem kriptografskih potpisa, vlasnik bitcoina može javno demonstrirati da posjeduje bitcoine koje tvrdi da posjeduje.

Djeljivost:

Bitcoine je moguće podijeliti u stotinu milijuna manjih jedinica (zvanih satoshi), i prenositi takve (no, valja uzeti u obzir ekonomičnost prijenosa malih iznosa, zbog cijene osiguravanja mreže - “network fee”). Fiat valute su tipično dovoljno djeljive na jedinice sa vrlo niskom kupovnom moći. Zlato, iako fizički i teoretski djeljivo, postaje teško za korištenje kada se podijeli na dovoljno male količine da bi se moglo koristiti u svakodnevnoj trgovini.

Oskudnost:

Svojstvo koje najjasnije razlikuje Bitcoin od fiat valuta i zlata je njegova unaprijed definirana oskudnost. Od početka, konačna količina bitcoina nikad neće biti veća od 21 milijun. To daje vlasnicima bitcoina jasan i znan uvid u postotak ukupnog vlasništva. Naprimjer, vlasnik 10 bitcoina bi znao da najviše 2,1 milijuna ljudi (manje od 0.03% populacije) može ikad imati isto bitcoina kao i on. Premda je kroz povijest uvijek bilo oskudno, zlato nije imuno na povećanje ukupne količine. Ako se ikad izumi nova, ekonomičnija metoda rudarenja ili proizvodnje zlata, ukupna količina zlata bi se mogla dramatično povećati (npr. rudarenje morskog dna ili asteroida). Na kraju, fiat valute, relativno nov izum u povijesti, pokazale su se sklonima konstantnim povećanjima u količini. Države su pokazale stalnu sklonost inflaciji monetarne kvantitete kako bi rješavale kratkoročne političke probleme. Inflacijske tendencije vlada diljem svijeta čine fiat valute gotovo sigurnim da će gubiti vrijednost kroz vrijeme.

Etablirana povijest:

Nijedno monetarno dobro nema povijest kao zlato, koje je imalo vrijednost za cijelog trajanja ljudske civilizacije. Kovanice izrađene u antičko doba i danas imaju značajnu vrijednost. Ne može se isto reći za fiat valute, koje su same relativno nova povijesna anomalija. Od njihovog početka, fiat valute su imale gotovo univerzalni smjer prema bezvrijednosti. Korištenje inflacije kao podmuklog načina za nevidljivo oporezivanje građana je vječita kušnja kojoj se skoro nijedna država u povijesti nije mogla oduprijeti. Ako je 20. stoljeće, u kojem je fiat novac dominirao globalni monetarni poredak, demonstriralo neku ekonomsku istinu, to je onda bila ta da ne možemo računati na fiat novac da održi vrijednost u dužem ili srednjem vremenskom periodu. Bitcoin, usprkos svojoj novosti, je preživio dovoljno testova tržišta da postoji velika vjerojatnost da neće nestati kao vrijedno dobro. Nadalje, Lindy efekt govori da što duže Bitcoin bude korišten, to će veća biti vjera u njega i njegovu sposobnost da nastavi postojati dugo u budućnost. Drugim riječima, društvena vjera u monetarno dobro je asimptotička, kao u grafu ispod:

Ako Bitcoin preživi prvih 20 godina, imat će gotovo sveopće povjerenje da će trajati zauvijek, kao što ljudi vjeruju da je internet trajna stvar u modernom svijetu.

Otpor na cenzuru

Jedan od najbitnijih izvora za ranu potražnju bitcoina bila je njegova upotreba u ilegalnoj kupovini i prodaji droge. Mnogi su zato pogrešno zaključili da je primarna potražnja za bitcoinima utemeljena u njihovoj prividnoj anonimnosti. Međutim, Bitcoin nije anonimna valuta; svaka transakcija na mreži je zauvijek zapisana na javnom blockchainu. Povijesni zapis transakcija dozvoljava forenzičkoj analizi da identificira izvore i tijek sredstava. Takva analiza dovela je do uhićenja počinitelja zloglasne MtGox pljačke. Premda je istina da dovoljno oprezna i pedantna osoba može sakriti svoj identitet koristeći Bitcoin, to nije razlog zašto je Bitcoin bio toliko popularan u trgovini drogom.

Ključno svojstvo koje čini Bitcoin najboljim za takve aktivnosti je njegova agnostičnost i nepotrebnost za dozvolom (“premissionlessness”) na mrežnoj razini. Kada se bitcoini prenose na Bitcoin mreži, ne postoji nitko tko dopušta transakcije. Bitcoin je distribuirana peer-to-peer (korisnik-korisniku) mreža, i samim time dizajnirana da bude otporna na cenzuru. Ovo je u velikom kontrastu sa fiat bankarskim sustavom, u kojem države reguliraju banke i ostale institucije prijenosa novca, kako bi one prijavljivale i sprječavale protuzakonito korištenje monetarnih dobara. Klasičan primjer regulacije novca su kontrole kapitala. Npr., bogati milijunaš će vrlo teško prenijeti svoje bogatstvo u novu zemlju, kada bježi iz opresivnog režima. Premda zlato nije izdano i proizvedeno od države, njegova fizička priroda ga čini teško prenosivim kroz prostor, i samim time ga je daleko lakše regulirati nego Bitcoin. Indijski Akt kontrole zlata je primjer takve regulacije.

Bitcoin je odličan u većini gore navedenih svojstava, što mu omogućava da bude marginalno bolji od modernih i drevnih monetarnih dobara, te da pruži poticaje za svoje rastuće društveno usvajanje. Specifično, moćna kombinacija otpornosti na cenzuru i apsolutne oskudnosti bila je velika motivacija za bogate ulagače koji su uložili dio svojeg bogatstva u Bitcoin.

Evolucija novca

U modernoj monetarnoj ekonomiji postoji opsesija sa ulogom novca kao medija razmjene. U 20. stoljeću, države su monopolizirale izdavanje i kontrolu novca i kontinuirano potkopavale njegovo svojstvo spremišta vrijednosti, stvarajući lažno uvjerenje da je primarna svrha novca biti medij razmjene. Mnogi su kritizirali Bitcoin, govoreći da je neprikladan da bude novac zato što mu je cijena bila previše volatilna za medij razmjene. No, novac je uvijek evoluirao kroz etape; uloga spremišta vrijednosti je dolazila prije medija razmjene. Jedan od očeva marginalističke ekonomije, William Stanley Jevons, objašnjava:

"Povijesno govoreći… čini se da je zlato prvo služilo kao luksuzni metal za ukras; drugo, kao sačuvana vrijednost; treće, kao medij razmjene; i konačno, kao mjerilo vrijednosti."

U modernoj terminologiji, novac uvijek evoluira kroz četiri stadija:

1. Kolekcionarstvo: U prvoj fazi svoje evolucije, novac je tražen samo zbog svojih posebnih svojstava, uglavnom zbog želja onog koji ga posjeduje. Školjke, perlice i zlato su bili sakupljani prije nego su poprimili poznatije uloge novca.
2. Spremište vrijednosti: Jednom kada je novac tražen od dovoljnog broja ljudi, biti će prepoznat kao način za čuvanje i spremanje vrijednosti kroz vrijeme. Kada neko dobro postane široko korišteno kao spremište vrijednosti, njegova kupovna moć raste sa povećanom potražnjom za tu svrhu. Kupovna moć spremišta vrijednosti će u jednom trenutku doći do vrhunca, kada je dovolno rašireno i broj novih ljudi koji ga potražuju splasne.
3. Sredstvo razmjene: Kada je novac potpuno etabliran kao spremište vrijednosti, njegova kupovna moć se stabilizira. Nakon toga, postane prikladno sredstvo razmjene zbog stabilnosti svoje cijene. U najranijim danima Bitcoina, mnogi ljudi nisu shvaćali koju buduću cijenu plaćaju koristeći bitcoine kao sredstvo razmjene, umjesto kao novonastalo spremište vrijednosti. Poznata priča o čovjeku koji je za 10,000 bitcoina (vrijednih oko 94 milijuna dolara kada je ovaj članak napisan) za dvije pizze ilustrira ovaj problem.
4. Jedinica računanja vrijednosti: Jednom kada je novac široko korišten kao sredstvo razmjene, dobra će biti vrednovana u njemu, tj. većina cijena će biti izražena u njemu. Uobičajena zabluda je da je većinu dobara moguće zamijeniti za bitcoine danas. Npr., premda je možda moguće kupiti šalicu kave za bitcoine, izlistana cijena nije prava bitcoin cijena; zapravo se radi o cijeni u državnoj valuti koju želi trgovac, preračunatu u bitcoin po trenutnoj tržišnoj cijeni. Kad bi cijena bitcoina pala u odnosu na valutu, vrijednost šalice izražena u bitcoinima bi se povećala. Od trenutka kada trgovci budu voljni prihvaćani bitcoine kao platežno sredstvo, bez obraćanja pažnje na vrijednost bitcoina u državnoj fiat valuti, moći ćemo reći da je Bitcoin zaista postao jedinica računanja vrijednosti.

Monetarna dobra koja još nisu jedinice računanja vrijednosti možemo smatrati “djelomično monetiziranima.” Danas zlato ima takvu ulogu, jer je spremište vrijednosti, ali su mu uloge sredstva razmjene i računanja vrijednosti oduzete intervencijama država. Moguće je također da se jedno dobro koristi kao sredstvo razmjene, dok druga ispunjavaju ostale uloge. To je tipično u zemljama gdje je država disfunkcionalna, npr. Argentina ili Zimbabwe. U svojoj knjizi, Digitalno zlato, Nathaniel Popper piše:

"U Americi, dolar služi trima funkcijama novca: nudi sredstvo razmjene, jedinicu za mjerenje vrijednosti dobara, i mjesto gdje se može čuvati vrijednosti. S druge strane, argentinski peso je korišten kao sredstvo razmjene (za svakodnevne potrebe), ali ga nitko nije koristio kao spremište vrijednosti. Štednja u pesosima bila je ekvivalent bacanja novca. Zato su ljudi svu svoju štednju imali u dolarima, jer je dolar bolje čuvao vrijednost. Zbog volatilnosti pesosa, ljudi su računali cijene u dolarima, što im je pružalo pouzdaniju jedinicu mjerenja kroz vrijeme."

Bitcoin je trenutno u fazi tranzicije iz prvog stadija monetizacije u drugi. Vjerojatno će proći nekoliko godina prije nego Bitcoin pređe iz začetaka spremišta vrijednosti u istinski medij razmjene, i put do tog trenutka je još uvijek pun rizika i nesigurnosti. Važno je napomenuti da je ista tranzicija trajala mnogo stoljeća za zlato. Nitko danas živ nije doživio monetizaciju dobra u realnom vremenu (kroz koju Bitcoin prolazi), tako da nemamo puno iskustva govoriti o putu i načinu na koji će se monetizacija dogoditi.

Put monetizacije

Kroz proces monetizacije, monetarno dobro će naglo porasti u kupovnoj moći. Mnogi su tako komentirali da je uvećanje kupovne moći Bitcoina izgledalo kao “balon” (bubble). Premda je ovaj termin često korišten kako bi ukazao na pretjeranu vrijednosti Bitcoina, sasvim slučajno je prikladan. Svojstvo koje je uobičajeno za sva monetarna dobra jest da je njihova kupovna moć viša nego što se može opravdati samo kroz njihovu uporabnu vrijednost. Zaista, mnogi povijesni novci nisu imali uporabnu vrijednost. Razliku između kupovne moći i vrijednosti razmjene koju bi novac mogao imati za svoju inherentnu korisnost, možemo razmatrati kao “monetarnu premiju.” Kako monetarno dobro prolazi kroz stadije monetizacije (navedene gore), monetarna premija raste. No, ta premija ne raste u ravnoj i predvidivoj liniji. Dobro X, koje je bilo u procesu monetizacije, može izgubiti u usporedbi sa dobrom Y koje ima više svojstava novca, te monetarna premija dobra X drastično padne ili potpuno nestane. Monetarna premija srebra je skoro potpuno nestala u kasnom 19. stoljeću, kada su ga vlade diljem svijeta zamijenile zlatom kao novcem.

Čak i u odsustvu vanjskih faktora, kao što su intervencije vlade ili druga monetarna dobra, monetarna premija novog novca neće ići predvidivim putem. Ekonomist Larry White primijetio je:

"problem sa pričom “balona,” naravno, je da je ona konzistentna sa svakim putem cijene, i time ne daje ikakvo objašnjenje za specifičan put cijene"

Proces monetizacije opisuje teorija igara; svaki akter na tržištu pokušava predvidjeti agregiranu potražnju ostalih aktera, i time buduću monetarnu premiju. Zato što je monetarna premija nevezana za inherentnu korisnost, tržišni akteri se uglavnom vode za prošlim cijenama da bi odredili je li neko dobro jeftino ili skupo, i žele li ga kupiti ili prodati. Veza trenutne potražnje sa prošlim cijenama naziva se “ovisnost o putu” (path dependence); ona je možda najveći izvor konfuzije u shvaćanju kretanja cijena monetarnih dobara.

Kada kupovna moć monetarnog dobra naraste zbog većeg i šireg korištenja, očekivanja tržišta o definicijama “jeftinog” i “skupog” se mijenjaju u skladu s time. Slično tome, kada cijena monetarnog dobra padne, očekivanja tržišta mogu se promijeniti u opće vjerovanje da su prethodne cijene bile “iracionalne” ili prenapuhane. Ovisnost o putu novca ilustrirana je riječima poznatog upravitelja fondova s Wall Streeta, Josha Browna:

"Kupio sam bitcoine kada su koštali 2300 USD, i to mi se udvostručilo gotovo odmah. Onda sam počeo govoriti kako “ne mogu kupiti još” dok im je cijena rasla, premda sam znao da je to razmišljanje bazirano samo na cijenu po kojoj sam ih kupio. Kasnije, kada je cijena pala zbog kineske regulacije mjenjačnica, počeo sam si govoriti, “Odlično, nadam se da će još pasti da mogu kupiti još.”"

Istina leži u tome da su ideje “jeftinog” i “skupog” zapravo besmislene kada govorimo o monetarnim dobrima. Cijena monetarnog dobra ne reflektira njegovu stopu rasprostanjenosti ili korisnosti, nego mjeru koliko je ono široko prihvaćeno da ispuni razne uloge novca.

Dodatna komplikacija u ovom aspektu novca je činjenica da tržišni akteri ne djeluju samo kao nepristrani promatrači koji pokušavaju kupiti i prodati u iščekivanju budućih kretanja monetarne premije, nego i kao aktivni proponenti. Pošto ne postoji objektivno “točna” monetarna premija, širiti dobar glas o superiornijim svojstvima nekog monetarnog dobra je efektivnije nego za obična dobra, čija vrijednost je u konačnici vezana na njegovu osnovnu korisnost. Religiozni zanos sudionika na Bitcoin tržištu vidljiv je na raznim internetskim forumima, gdje Bitcoineri aktivno promoviraju benefine Bitcoina i bogatstvo koje je moguće ostvariti investiranjem u njega. Promatrajući Bitcoin tržište, Leigh Drogen komentira:

"To je prepoznatljivo svima kao religija - priča koju si pričamo i oko koje se slažemo. Religija je krivulja na grafu prihvaćanja o kojoj trebamo razmišljati. Sustav je gotovo savršen - onog trenutka kada netko pristupi krugu Bitcoinera, to će reći svima i nastaviti širiti riječ. Onda njihovi prijatelji pristupe i nastave širiti riječ."

Premda usporedba sa religijom može staviti Bitcoin u iracionalno svjetlo, potpuno je racionalno za individualnog vlasnika da širi dobru vijest o superiornom monetarnom dobru, i za šire društvo da se standardizira oko njega. Novac djeluje kao temelj za svu trgovinu i štednju; tako da prihvaćanje superiornog oblika novca ima ogromne multiplicirajuće benefite za stvaranje bogatstva za sve članove društva.

Oblik monetizacije

U članku o Spekulativnom prihvaćanju Bitcoina / teorije cijene, Michael Casey postulira da rastući Gartner hype ciklusi predstavljaju faze standardne S-krivulje prihvaćanja novih tehnologija, koje su bile prisutne kod mnogih transformacijskih tehnologija dok su postajale uobičajene u društvu.

Svaki Gartner hype ciklus počinje sa eksplozijom entuzijazma za novom tehnologijom, a cijenu podižu oni sudionici na tržištvu koji su “dostupni” u toj fazi. Najraniji kupci u Gartner hype ciklusu obično imaju jaku vjeru o transformacijskoj prirodi tehnologije u koju ulažu. S vremenom, tržište dosegne vrhunac entuzijazma kako se količina novih kupaca iscrpljuje, te kupovinom počnu dominirati spekulatori koji su više zainteresirani u brze profite nego u samu tehnologiju.

Nakon vrha hype ciklusa, cijene rapidno padaju dok spekulativno ludilo ustupa mjesto očajavanju, javnoj poruzi i osjećaju da tehnologija nije uopće bila transformacijska. S vremenom, cijena dosegne dno i formira plato na kojem se originalnim ulagačima, koji su imali snažno uvjerenje, pridružuju nove grupe ljudi koji su izdržali bol kraha cijena i koji cijene važnost same tehnologije.

Plato traje neko vrijeme i formira, kako Casey kaže, “stabilnu, dosadnu dolinu.” Za ovo vrijeme, javni interes za tehnologiju opada, no nastaviti će se razvijati i snažna zajednica uvjerenja će polako rasti. Tada, postavlja se nova baza za sljedeću iteraciju hype ciklusa, dok vanjski promatrači prepoznaju da tehnologija i dalje postoji i da ulaganje u nju možda nije onoliko rizično kao što se činilo za vrijeme pada cijene. Sljedeća iteracija hype ciklusa donosi mnogo veći broj novih ljudi, pa je i ciklus daleko veći u svojoj magnitudi.

Jako mali broj ljudi koji sudjeluju u Gartner hype ciklusu će točno predvidjeti koliko će visoko cijena porasti za vrijeme ciklusa. Cijene često dosegnu razine koje bi se činile apsurdnima većini ulagača u raniji stadijima ciklusa. Kada ciklus završi, mediji tipično atribuiraju pad cijene nekoj od aktualnih drušvenih tema. Premda takva tema može biti okidač pada, ona nikad nije temeljni razlog zašto ciklus završava. Gartner hype ciklusi završavaju kada je količina dostupnih novih sudionika na tržištu iscrpljena.

Zanimljivo je da je i zlato nacrtalo klasičan graf Gartner hype ciklusa od kasnih 1970-ih do ranih 2000-ih. Moguće je spekulirati da je hype ciklus osnovna socijalna dinamika oko procesa monetizacije.

Gartner kohorte

Od početka trgovanja Bitcoina na mjenjačnicama 2010. godine, Bitcoin tržište je svjedočilo četirima velikim Gartner hype ciklusima. U retrospektivi, možemo vrlo precizno identificirati grupe cijena prethodnih hype ciklusa Bitcoin tržišta. Također, možemo kvalitativno odrediti kohorte ulagača koje su povezane sa svakom iteracijom prethodnih ciklusa.

0 USD –1 USD (2009. – 3. mjesec 2011.): Prvi hype ciklus u Bitcoin tržištu dominirali su kriptografi, računalni znanstvenici i cypherpunkovi koji su od početka bili spremni razumijeti važnost nevjerojatnog izuma Satoshija Nakamotoa, i koji su bili pioniri u potvrđivanju da Bitcoin protokol nema tehničkih mana.

1 USD - 30 USD (3. mjesec 2011. – 7. mjesec. 2011.): Drugi ciklus privukao je rane entuzijaste oko novih tehnologija kao i stabilan pritok ideološki motiviranih ulagača koji su bili oduševljeni idejom novca odvojenog od države. Libertarijanci poput Rogera Vera došli su u Bitcoin zbog aktivnog anti-institucionalnog stava, i mogućnosti koju je nova tehnologija obećavala. Wences Casares, briljantni i dobro povezani serijski poduzetnik, bio je također dio drugog Bitcoin hype ciklusa te je širio riječ o Bitcoinu među najprominentnijim tehnolozima i ulagačima u Silicijskoj Dolini.

250 USD – 1100 USD (4. mjesec 2013. – 12. mjesec 2013.): Treći hype ciklus doživio je ulazak ranih generalnih i institucionalnih ulagača koji su bili voljni uložiti trud i riskirati kroz užasno komplicirane kanale likvidnosti kako bi kupili bitcoine. Primaran izvor likvidnosti na tržištu za vrijeme ovog perioda bio je MtGox, mjenjačnica bazirana u Japanu, koju je vodio notorno nesposobni i beskrupulozni Mark Karpeles, koji je kasnije završio i u zatvoru zbog svoje uloge u kolapsu MtGoxa.

Valja primijetiti da je rast Bitcoinove cijene za vrijeme spomenuti hype ciklusa većinom povezano sa povećanjem likvidnosti i lakoćom sa kojom su ulagači mogli kupiti bitcoine. Za vrijeme prvog hype ciklusa, nisu postojale mjenjačnice; akvizicija bitcoina se odvijala primarno kroz rudarenje (mining) ili kroz izravnu razmjenu sa onima koju su već izrudarili bitcoine. Za vrijeme drugog hype ciklusa, pojavile su se rudimentarne mjenjačnice, no nabavljanje i osiguravanje bitcoina na ovim mjenjačnicama bilo je previše kompleksno za sve osim tehnološki najsposobnijih ulagača. Čak i za vrijeme trećeg hype ciklusa, ulagači koju su slali novac na MtGox kako bi kupili bitcoine su morali raditi kroz značajne prepreke. Banke nisu bile voljne imati posla sa mjenjačnicom, a oni posrednici koji su nudili usluge transfera bili su često nesposobni, kriminalni, ili oboje. Nadalje, mnogi koji su uspjeli poslati novac MtGoxu, u konačnici su morali prihvatiti gubitak svojih sredstava kada je mjenjačnica hakirana i kasnije zatvorena.

Tek nakon kolapsa MtGox mjenjačnice i dvogodišnje pauze u tržišnoj cijeni Bitcoina, razvili su se zreli i duboki izvori likvidnosti; primjeri poput reguliranih mjenjačnica kao što su GDAX i OTC brokeri kao Cumberland mining. Dok je četvrti hype ciklus započeo 2016. godine, bilo je relativno lako običnim ulagačima kupiti i osigurati bitcoine.

1100 USD – 19600 USD? (2014. –?):

U trenutku pisanja ovog teksta, tržište Bitcoina je prolazilo svoj četvrti veliki hype ciklus. Sudjelovanje u ovom hype ciklusu dominirala je ona skupina koju je Michael Casey opisao kao “rana većina” običnih i institucionalnih ulagača.

Kako su se izvori likvidnosti produbljivali i sazrijevali, veliki institucionalni ulagači sada imaju priliku sudjelovati kroz regulirana “futures” tržišta. Dostupnosti takvih tržišta stvara put ka kreaciji Bitcoin ETF-a (exchange traded fund) (fond na slobodnom tržištu), koji će onda pokrenuti “kasnu većinu” i “najsporije” u sljedećim hype ciklusima.

Premda je nemoguće predvidjeti točan efekt budućih hype ciklusa, razumno je očekivati da će najviša točka biti između 20.000 USD i 50.000 USD (2021. zenit je bio preko 69.000 USD). Znatno više od ovog raspona, i Bitcoin bi imao znatan postotak ukupne vijednosti zlata (zlato i Bitcoin bi imali jednaku tržišnu kapitalizaciju kada bi bitcoini vrijedili oko 380.000 USD u trenutku pisanja ovog teksta). Značajan postotak vrijednosti zlata dolazi od potražnje centralnih banaka, te je malo vjerojatno da će centralne banke ili suverene države sudjelovati u trenutnom hype ciklusu.

Ulazak suverenih država u Bitcoin

Bitcoinov zadnji Gartner hype ciklus će započeti kada ga suverene države počnu akumulirati kao dio svojih rezervi stranih valuta. Tržišna kapitalizacija Bitcoina je trenutno premala da bismo ga smatrali značajnim dodatkom rezervama većini zemalja. No, kako se interes u privatnom sektoru povećava i kapitalizacija Bitcoina se približi trilijunu dolara, postat će dovoljno likvidan za većinu država. Prva država koja službeno doda bitcoine u svoje rezerve će vjerojatno potaknuti stampedo ostalih da učine isto. Države koje su među prvima u usvajanju Bitcoina imat će najviše benefita u svojim knjigama ako Bitcoin u konačnici postane globalna valuta (global reserve currency). Nažalost, vjerojatno će države sa najjačom izvršnom vlasti - diktature poput Sjeverne Koreje - biti najbrže u akumulaciji bitcoina. Neodobravanje prema takvim državama i slaba izvršna tijela zapadnjačkih demokracija uzrokovat će sporost i kašnjenje u akumulaciji bitcoina za njihove vlastite rezerve.

Velika je ironija u tome što je SAD trenutno jedna od regulatorno najotvorenijih nacija prema Bitcoinu, dok su Kina i Rusija najzatvorenije. SAD riskira najviše, geopolitički, ako bi Bitcoin zamijenio dolar kao svjetska rezervna valuta. U 1960-ima, Charles de Gaulle je kritizirao “pretjeranu privilegiju” (“exorbitant privilege”) koju su SAD imale u međunarodnom monetarnom poretku, postavljenom kroz Bretton Woods dogovor 1944. godine. Ruska i kineska vlada još ne shvaćaju geo-strateške benefite Bitcoina kao rezervne valute, te se trenutno brinu o efektima koje bi mogao imati na njihova unutarnja tržišta. Kao de Gaulle u 1960-ima, koji je prijetio SAD-u povratkom na klasični standard zlata, Kinezi i Rusi će s vremenom uvidjeti korist u velikoj poziciji u Bitcoinu - spremištu vrijednosti bez pokrića ijedne vlade. Sa najvećom koncentracijom rudara Bitcoina u Kini (2017.), kineska vlada već ima znatnu potencijalnu prednost u stavljanju bitcoina u svoje rezerve.

SAD se ponosi svojim statusom nacije inovatora, sa Silicijskom dolinom kao krunom svoje ekonomije. Dosad, Silicijska dolina je dominirala konverzacijom usmjerenom prema regulaciji, i poziciji koju bi ona treba zauzeti prema Bitcoinu. No, bankovna industrija i federalna rezerva SAD-a (US Federal Reserve, Fed) napokon počinju uviđati egzistencijalnu prijetnju koju Bitcoin predstavlja za američku monetarnu politiku, postankom globalne rezervne valute. Wall Street Journal, jedan od medijskih glasova federalne reserve, izdao je komentar o Bitcoinu kao prijetnji monetarnoj politici SAD-a:

"Postoji još jedna opasnost, možda i ozbiljnija iz perspektive centralnih banaka i regulatora: bitcoin možda ne propadne. Ako je spekulativni žar u kriptovalutu samo prvi pokazatelj njezinog šireg korištenja kao alternative dolaru, Bitcoin će svakako ugroziti monopol centralnih banaka nad novcem."

U narednim godinama, možemo očekivati veliku borbu između poduzetnika i inovatora u Silicijskoj dolini, koji će pokušavati čuvati Bitcoin od državne kontrole s jedne strane, i bankovne industrije i centralnih banaka koje će učiniti sve što mogu da bi regulirale Bitcoin kako bi spriječile znatne promjene u svojoj industriji i moći izdavanja novca, s druge.

Prijelaz na medij razmjene

Monetarno dobro ne može postati opće prihvaćen medij razmjene (standardna ekonomska definicija za “novac”) prije nego je vrednovano od širokog spektra ljudi; jednostavno, dobro koje nije vrednovano neće biti prihvaćeno u razmjeni. Kroz proces generalnog rasta vrijednosti, i time postanka spremišta vrijednosti, monetarno dobro će brzo narasti u kupovnoj moći, i time stvoriti cijenu za korištenje u razmjeni. Samo kada ta cijena rizika mijenjanja spremišta vrijednosti padne dovoljno nisko, može dobro postati opće prihvaćen medij razmjene.

Preciznije, monetarno dobro će biti prikladno kao medij razmjene samo kada je suma cijene rizika i transakcijske cijene u razmjeni manja nego u trgovini bez tog dobra.

U društvu koje vrši robnu razmjenu, prijelaz spremišta vrijednosti u medij razmjene može se dogoditi čak i onda kada monetarno dobro raste u kupovnoj moći, zato što su transakcijski troškovi robne razmjene iznimno visoki. U razvijenoj ekonomiji, u kojoj su troškovi razmjene niski, moguće je za mladu i rapidno rastućnu tehnologiju spremišta vrijednosti, poput Bitcoina, da se koristi kao medij razmjene, doduše na ograničen način. Jedan primjer je ilegalno tržište droge, gdje su kupci voljni žrtvovati oportunu cijenu čuvanja bitcoina kako bi umanjili znatan rizik kupovine droge koristeći fiat novac.

Postoje međutim velike institucionalne barijere da novonastalo spremište vrijednosti postane sveopće prihvaćen medij razmjene u razvijenom društvu. Države koriste oporezivanje kao moćnu metodu zaštite svojeg suverenog novca protiv rivalskih monetarnih dobara. Ne samo da suvereni novac ima prednost konstantnog izvora potražnje, zato što je porez moguće platiti jedino u njemu, nego su i rivalska monetarna dobra oporezana pri svakoj razmjeni za vrijeme rastuće cijene. Ova metoda oporezivanja stvara znatan otpor korištenju spremišta vrijednosti kao medija razmjene.

Ovakvo sabotiranje tržišnih monetarnih dobara nije nepremostiva barijera za njihovo prihvaćanje kao općeg medija razmjene. Ako ljudi izgube vjeru u suvereni novac, njegova vrijednost može rapidno propasti kroz proces zvan hiperinflacija. Kada suvereni novac prolazi kroz hiperinflaciju, njegova vrijednost propadne prvo u usporedbi sa najlikvidnijim dobrima u društvu, kao što je zlato ili stabilna strana valuta (američki dolar npr.), ako su ona dostupna. Kada nema likvidnih dobara ili ih ima premalo, novac u hiperinflaciji kolabira u usporedbi sa stvarnim dobrima, kao što su nekretnine ili upotrebljiva roba. Arhetipska slika hiperinflacije je trgovina sa praznim policama - potrošači brzo bježe iz propadajuće vrijednosti novca svoje nacije.

Nakon dovoljno vremena, kada je vjera potpuno uništena za vrijeme hiperinflacije, suvereni novac više nitko ne prihvaća, te se društvo može vratiti na robnu razmjenu, ili će doživjeti potpunu zamjenu monetarne jedinice za sredstvo razmjene. Primjer ovog procesa bila je zamjena zimbabveanskog dolara za američki dolar. Takva promjena suverenog novca za stranu valutu je dodatno otežana relativnom oskudnošću strane valute i odsustvom stranih bankarskih institucija koje pružaju likvidnost tržištu.

Sposobnost lakog prenošenja bitcoina preko granica i odsustvo potrebe za bankarskim sustavom čine Bitcoin idealnim monetarnim dobrom za one ljude koji pate pod hiperinflacijom. U nadolazećim godinama, kako fiat valute nastave svoj povijesni trend ka bezvrijednosti, Bitcoin će postati sve popularniji izbor za ušteđevine ljudi diljem svijeta. Kada je novac nacije napušten i zamijenjen Bitcoinom, Bitcoin će napraviti tranziciju iz spremišta vrijednosti u tom društvu u opće prihvaćeno sredstvo razmjene. Daniel Krawicz stvorio je termin “hiperbitcoinizacija” da bi opisao ovaj proces.

Učestala pogrešna shvaćanja

Većina ovog članka usredotočila se na monetarnu prirodu Bitcoina. Sa tim temeljima možemo adresirati neke od najčešćih nerazumijevanja u Bitcoinu.

Bitcoin je balon (bubble)

Bitcoin, kao sva tržišna monetarna dobra, posjeduje monetarnu premiju. Ona često rezultira uobičajenom kritikom da je Bitcoin samo “balon.” No, sva monetarna dobra imaju monetarnu premiju. Naprotiv, ta monetarna premija (cijena viša od one koju diktira potražnja za dobrom kao korisnim) je upravo karakteristična za sve oblike novca. Drugim riječima, novac je uvijek i svuda balon. Paradoksalno, monetarno dobro je istovremeno balon i ispod vrijednosti ukoliko je u ranijim stadijima općeg prihvaćanja kao novac.

Bitcoin je previše volatilan

Volatilnost cijene Bitcoina je funkcija njegovog nedavnog nastanka. U prvih nekoliko godina svojeg postojanja, Bitcoin se ponašao kao mala dionica, i svaki veliki kupac - kao npr. braća Winklevoss - mogao je uzrokovati veliki skok u njegovoj cijeni. No, kako su se prihvaćenost i likvidnost povećavali kroz godine, volatilnost Bitcoina je srazmjerno smanjila. Kada Bitcoin postigne tržišnu kapitalizaciju (vrijednost) zlata, imat će sličnu volatilnost kao i zlato. Kako Bitcoin nastavi rasti, njegova volatilnost će se smanjiti do razine koja ga čini prikladnim za široko korištenje kao medij razmjene. Kao što je prethodno rečeno, monetizacija Bitcoina se odvija u seriji Gartner hype ciklusa. Volatilnost je najniža za vrijeme vrhunaca i dolina unutar ciklusa. Svaki hype ciklus ima nižu volatilnost od prethodnih, zato što je likvidnost tržišta veća.

Cijene transakcija su previsoke

Novija kritika Bitcoin mreže je ta da ju je povećanje cijena prijenosa bitcoina učinilo neprikladnom za sustav plaćanja. No, rast u cijenama transakcija je zdrav i očekivan. One su nužne za plaćanje bitcoin minera (rudara), koji osiguravaju mrežu validacijom transakcija. Rudare se plaća kroz cijene transakcija ili kroz blok-nagrade, koje su inflacijska subvencija od trane trenutnih vlasnika bitcoina.

S obzirom na Bitcoinovu fiksnu proizvodnju (monetarna politika koja ga čini idealnim za spremanje vrijednosti), blok-nagrade će s vremenom nestati i mrežu će se u konačnici morati osiguravati kroz cijene transakcija. Mreža sa “niskim” cijenama transakcija je mreža sa slabom sigurnosti i osjetljiva na vanjsku intervenciju i cenzuru. Oni koji hvale niske cijene Bitcoinovih alternative zapravo niti ne znajući opisuju slabosti tih takozvanih “alt-coina.”

Površan temelj kritika Bitcoinovih “visokih” cijena transakcija je uvjerenje da bi Bitcoin trebao biti prvo sustav plaćanja, i drugo spremište vrijednosti. Kao što smo vidjeli kroz povijest novca, ovo uvjerenje je naopako. Samo onda kada Bitcoin postane duboko ukorijenjeno spremište novca može biti prikladan kao sredstvo razmjene. Nadalje, kada oportunitetni trošak razmjene bitcoina dođe na razinu koja ga čini prikladnim sredstvom razmjene, većina trgovine neće se odvijati na samoj Bitcoin mreži, nego na mrežama “drugog sloja” (second layer) koje će imati niže cijene transakcija. Takve mreže, poput Lightning mreže, služe kao moderna verzija zadužnica koje su korištene za prijenos vlasničkih papira zlata u 19. stoljeću. Banke su koristile zadužnice zato što je prijenos samog metala bio daleko skuplji. Za razliku od takvih zadužnica, Lightning mreža će omogućavati nisku cijenu prijenosa bitcoina bez potrebe za povjerenjem prema trećoj strani, poput banaka. Razvoj Lightning mreže je tehnološka inovacija od izuzetne važnosti u povijesti Bitcoina, i njezina vrijednost će postati očita u narednim godinama, kako je sve više ljudi bude razvijalo i koristilo.

Konkurencija

Pošto je Bitcoin softverski protokol otvorenog tipa (open-source), oduvijek je bilo moguće kopirati softver i imitirati mrežu. Kroz godine nastajali su mnogi imitatori, od identičnih kopija, kao Litecoin, do kompleksnijih varijanti kao što je Ethereum, koje obećavaju arbitrarno kompleksne ugovorne mehanizme koristeći decentralizirani računalni sustav. Česta kritika Bitcoinu od strane ulagača je ta da on ne može zadržati svoju vrijednost kada je vrlo lako stvoriti konkurente koji mogu lako i brzo u sebi imati najnovije inovacije i softverske funkcionalnosti.

Greška u ovom argumentu leži u manju takozvanog “mrežnog efekta” (network effect), koji postoji u prvoj i dominantnoj tehnologiji u nekom području. Mrežni efekt - velika vrijednost korištenja Bitcoina samo zato što je već dominantan - je važno svojstvo samo po sebi. Za svaku tehnologiju koja posjeduje mrežni efekt, to je daleko najvažnije svojstvo koje može imati.

Za Bitcoin, mrežni efekt uključuje likvidnost njegovog tržišta, broj ljudi koji ga posjeduju, i zajednicu programera koji održavaju i unaprjeđuju njegov softver i svjesnost u javnosti. Veliki ulagači, uključujući države, će uvijek prvo tražiti najlikvidnije tržište, kako bi mogli ući i izaći iz tržišta brzo, i bez utjecanja na cijenu. Programeri će se pridružiti dominantnoj programerskoj zajednici sa najboljim talentom, i time pojačati samu zajednicu. Svjesnost o brendu sama sebe pojačava, pošto se nadobudni konkurenti Bitcoina uvijek spominju u kontekstu Bitcoina kao takvog.

Raskrižje na putu (fork)

Trend koji je postao popularan 2017. godine nije bio samo imitacija Bitcoinovog softvera, nego kopiranje potpune povijesti njegovih prošlih transakcija (cijeli blockchain). Kopiranjem Bitcoinovog blockchaina do određene točke/bloka i odvajanjem sljedećih blokova ka novoj mreži, u procesu znanom kao “forking” (odvajanje), Bitcoinovi konkurenti su uspjeli riješiti problem distribuiranja svojeg tokena velikom broju korisnika.

Najznačajniji takav fork dogodio se 1. 8. 2017. godine, kada je nova mreža nazvana Bitcoin Cash (Bcash) stvorena. Vlasnik N količine bitcoina prije 1.8.2017. bi onda posjedovao N bitcoina i N BCash tokena. Mala, ali vrlo glasna zajednica Bcash proponenata je neumorno pokušavala prisvojiti Bitcoinov brend i ime, imenujući svoju novu mrežu Bitcoin Cast i pokušavajući uvjeriti nove pridošlice u Bitcoin da je Bcash “pravi” Bitcoin. Ti pokušaji su većinom propali, i taj neuspjeh se vidi u tržišnim kapitalizacijama dviju mreža. No, za nove ulagače, i dalje postoji rizik da bi konkurent mogao kopirati Bitcoin i njegov blockchain i tako uspjeti u preuzimanju tržišne kapitalizacije, te postati de facto Bitcoin.

Moguće je uočiti važno pravilo gledajući velike forkove u prošlosti Bitcoin i Ethereum mreža. Većina tržišne kapitalizacije odvijat će se na mreži koja zadrži najviši stupanj talenta i aktivnosti u zajednici programera. Premda se na Bitcoin može gledati kao na nov i mlad novac, on je također računalna mreža koja počiva na softveru, kojeg se pak treba održavati i poboljšavati. Kupovina tokena na mreži koja ima malo neiskusnih programera bilo bi kao kupovati kopiju Microsoft Windowsa na kojoj rade lošiji programeri. Jasno je vidljivo iz povijesti forkova koji su se odvili 2017. godine da su najbolji računalni i kriptografski stručnjaci posvećeni razvoju originalnog Bitcoina, a ne nekoj od rastućeg broja imitacija koje su se izrodile iz njega.

Stvarni rizici

Premda su uobičajene kritike upućene Bitconu od strane medija i ekonomske profesije krive i bazirane na netočnom shvaćanju novca, postoje pravi i značajni rizici kod ulaganja u Bitcoin. Bilo bi mudro za novog Bitcoin ulagača da shvati ove rizike prije potencijalnog ulaganja.

Rizik protokola

Bitcoin protokol i kriptografski sastavni dijelovi na kojima je sagrađen potencijalno imaju dosad nepronađenu grešku u svom dizajnu, ili mogu postati nesigurni razvojem kvantnih računala. Ako se pronađe greška u protokolu, ili neka nova metoda računarstva učini mogućim probijanje kriptografskih temelja Bitcoina, vjera u Bitcoin biti će znatno narušena. Rizik protokola bio je najviši u ranim godinama razvoja Bitcoina, kada je još uvijek bilo nejasno, čak i iskusnim kriptografima, je li Satoshi Nakamoto zaista riješio problem bizantskih generala (Byzantine Generals’ Problem). Brige oko ozbiljnih grešaka u Bitcoin protokolu nestale su kroz godine, no uzevši u obzir njegovu tehnološku prirodu, rizik protokola će uvijek ostati u Bitcoinu, makar i kao izuzetak.

Propadanje mjenjačnica

Time što je decentraliziran, Bitcoin je pokazao značajnu otpornost, suočen sa brojnim pokušajima raznih vlada da ga reguliraju ili unište. No, mjenjačnice koje trguju bitcoinima za fiat valute su centralizirani entiteti i podložne regulacijama i zatvaranju. Bez mjenjačnica i volje bankara da s njima posluju, proces monetizacije Bitcoina bio bi ozbiljno usporen, ako ne i potpuno zaustavljen. Iako postoje alternativni izvori likvidnosti za Bitcoin, poput “over-the-counter” brokera i decentraliziranih tržišta za kupovinu i prodaju bitcoina, kritičan proces otkrivanja i definiranja cijene se odvija na najlikvidnijim mjenjačnicama, koje su sve centralizirane.

Jedan od načina za umanjivanje rizika gašenja mjenjačnica je geografska arbitraža. Binance, jedna od velikih mjenjačnica iz Kine, preselila se u Japan nakon što joj je kineska vlada zabranila operiranje u Kini. Vlade su također oprezne kako ne bi ugušile novu industriju koja je potencijalno značajna kao i internet, i time predale nevjerojatnu konkurentnu vrijednost drugim nacijama.

Samo kroz koordinirano globalno ukidanje Bitcoin mjenjačnica bi proces monetizacije mogao biti zaustavljen. Trenutno smo u utrci; Bitcoin raste i postaje sve rašireniji, i doći će do trenutka kada bi potpuno ukidanje mjenjačnica postalo politički neizvedivo - kao i gašenje interneta. Mogućnost takvog ukidanja je još uvijek realna, i valja je uzeti u obzir pri ulaganju u Bitcoin. Kao što je gore objašnjeno, suverene vlade se polako bude i uviđaju prijetnju koju predstavlja neovisna digitalna valuta otporna na cenzuru, za njihovu monetarnu politiku. Otvoreno je pitanje hoće li išta poduzeti da odgovore ovoj prijetnji prije nego Bitcoin postane toliko utvrđen i raširen da politička akcija postane nemoćna i ne-efektivna.

Zamjenjivost

Otvorena i transparentna priroda Bitcoin blockchaina omogućava državama da proglase specifične bitcoine “okaljanima” zbog njihovog korištenja u određenim aktivnostima. Premda Bitcoin, na protokolarnoj razini, ne diskriminira transakcije na ikoji način, “okaljani” bitcoini bi mogli postati bezvrijedni ako bi ih regulacije proglasile ilegalnima i neprihvatljivima za mjenjačnice ili trgovce. Bitcoin bi tada izgubio jedno od kritičnih svojstava monetarnog dobra: zamjenjivost.

Da bi se ovaj problem riješio i umanjio, biti će potrebna poboljšanja na razini protokola kako bi se poboljšala privatnost transakcija. Premda postoji napredak u ovom smjeru, prvi put primjenjen u digitalnim valutama kao što su Monero i Zcash, potrebno je napraviti značajne tehnološke kompromise između efikasnosti i kompleksnosti Bitcoina i njegove privatnosti. Pitanje ostaje otvoreno je li moguće dodati nova svojstva privatnosti na Bitcoin, na način koji neće kompromitirati njegovu korisnost kao novca.

Zaključak

Bitcoin je novonastali novac koji je u procesu transformacije iz sakupljačkog dobra u spremište vrijednosti. Kao neovisno monetarno dobro, moguće je da će u budućnosti postati globalan novac, slično kao zlato za vrijeme 19. stoljeća. Prihvaćanje Bitcoina kao globalnog novca je upravo taj optimističan scenarij za Bitcoin, kojeg je artikulirao Satoshi Nakamoto još 2010. godine u email razmjeni sa Mikeom Hearnom:

"Ako zamisliš da se koristi u nekom dijelu svjetske trgovine, i da će postojati samo 21 milijun bitcoina za cijeli svijet, vrijednost po jedinici će biti znatno veća".

Ovaj scenarij je još snažnije definirao briljantni kriptograf Hal Finney, koji je ujedno primio i prve bitcoine od Nakamotoa, ubrzo nakon najave prvog funkcionalnog Bitcoin softvera:

"Zamislimo da Bitcoin bude uspješan i postane dominantan sustav plaćanja diljem svijeta. U tom slučaju će ukupna vrijednost valute biti jednaka ukupnoj vrijednosti svog bogatstva svijeta. Današnje procjene ukupnog svjetskog bogatska kućanstava koje sam pronašao borave negdje između 100 i 300 trilijuna dolara. Sa 20 milijuna bitcoina, svaki bi onda vrijedio oko 10 milijuna dolara."

Čak i da Bitcoin ne postane u cijelost globalan novac, nego da se samo natječe sa zlatom kao neovisno spremište vrijednosti, i dalje je masivno podcijenjen. Mapiranje tržišne kapitalizacije postojeće količine izrudarenog zlata (oko 8 trilijuna dolara) na maksimalnu dostupnost Bitcoina od 21 milijun, daje vrijednost od otprilike 380,000 dolara po bitcoinu. Kao što smo vidjeli u prethodnom tekstu, svojstva koja omogućavaju monetarnom dobru da bude prikladno spremište vrijednosti, čine Bitcoin superiornijim zlatu u svakom pogledu osim trajanja povijesti. No, kako vrijeme prolazi i Lindy efekt postane jači, dosadašnja povijest će prestati biti prednost zlata. Samim time, nije nerazumno očekivati da će Bitcoin narasti do, a možda i preko, ukupne cijene zlata na tržištvu do 2030. Opaska ovoj tezi je činjenica da veliki postotak vrijednosti zlata dolazi od toga što ga centralne banke čuvaju kao spremište vrijednosti. Da bi Bitcoin došao do te razine, određena količina suverenih država će trebati sudjelovati. Hoće li zapadnjačke demokracije sudjelovati u vlasništvu Bitcoina je nepoznato. Vjerojatnije je, nažalost, da će prve nacije u Bitcoin tržištu biti sitne diktature i kleptokracije.

Ako niti jedna država ne bude sudjelovala u Bitcoin tržištu, optimistična teza i dalje postoji. Kao nevisno spremište vrijednosti u rukama individualnih i institucionalnih ulagača, Bitcoin je i dalje vrlo rano u svojoj “krivulji prihvaćenosti” (adoption curve); tzv. “rana većina” ulaze na tržište sada, dok će ostali ući tek nekoliko godina kasnije. Sa širim sudjelovanjem individualnih i institucionalnih ulagača, cijena po bitcoinu između 100,000 i 200,000 dolara je sasvim moguća.

Posjedovanje bitcoina je jedna od malobrojnih asimetričnih novčanih strategija dostupnih svakome na svijetu. Poput “call” opcija, negativan rizik ulagača je ograničen na 1x, dok potencijalna dobit i dalje iznosi 100x ili više. Bitcoin je prvi istinski globalan balon čija je veličina ograničena samo potražnjom i željom građana svijeta da zaštite svoju ušteđevinu od raznovrsnih ekonomskih malverzacija vlade. Bitcoin je ustao kao feniks iz pepela globalne financijske krize 2008. godine - katastrofe kojoj su prethodile odluke centralnih banaka poput američke Federalne rezerve (Federal Reserve).

Onkraj samo financijske teze za Bitcoin, njegov rast i uspjeh kao neovisno spremište vrijednosti imat će duboke geopolitičke posljedice. Globalna, ne-inflacijska valuta će prisiliti suverene države da promjene svoje primarne mehanizme financiranja od inflacije u izravno oporezivanje; koje je daleko manje politički popularno. Države će se smanjivati proporcionalno političkoj boli koju im nanese oporezivanje kao jedini način financiranja. Nadalje, globalna trgovina vršiti će se na način koji zadovoljava aspiraciju Charlesa de Gaullea, da nijedna nacija ne bi smjela imati privilegiju nad ikojom drugom:

"Smatramo da je potrebno da se uspostavi međunarodna trgovina, kao što je bio slučaj prije velikih nesreća koje su zadesile svijet, na neosporivoj monetarnoj bazi, koja ne nosi na sebi oznaku ijedne države."

Za 50 godina, ta monetarna baza biti će Bitcoin.

@ 26769dac:498e333b

I am here too\ In the same space like you

In the same situation I'm in\ It's a matter of positioning

I cannot leave this place I'm in\ It was brought about\ By what's been happening

So please don't look at me\ For what I can or cannot do for you\ But look at what is happening for me\ And what is happening for you

Let's communicate\ Not orchestrate

Because there's something I wish to do\ And there's a place I wish to go to

And I'm sure that there is too\ In your heart a fire\ Known by only you

So let us listen, look and see\ For what's true for you\ And what's true for me

That we may act upon what's here\ In order for us both to take a step\ In the direction we wish to steer

@ c1e6505c:02b3157e

I recently acquired a new lens:

1959 Leica Summaron F2.8 35mm LTM.

1959 Leica Summaron 35mm f2.8 LTM mounted on my Fujifilm Xpro2 with LTM adapter made by Urth.

Technically, it was a trade. I helped a fellow Bitcoiner set up their Sparrow Wallet, Nostr stuff, and troubleshoot a few wallet issues, and in return, they gave me the lens.

It all started at a local Bitcoin meetup I went to about a week ago - my second time attending. I recognized a few faces from last time, but also saw some new ones. These meetups are refreshing - it’s rare to speak a common language about something like Bitcoin or Nostr. Most people still don’t get it. But they will.

Technology moves forward. Networks grow. Old cells die off.

During the meetup, someone noticed I had my Leica M262 with me and struck up a conversation. Said they had some old Leica lenses and gear at home, and wanted to show me.

Bitcoin and photography in one conversation? I’m down.

A day or so later, they sent me a photo of one of the lenses: a vintage Summaron LTM 35mm f/2.8 from 1959. I’d never seen or heard of one before. They asked if I could help them set up Sparrow and a Bitcoin node. In exchange, they’d give me the lens. Sounded like a good deal to me. Helping plebs with their setups feels like a duty anyway. I said, of course.

They invited me over - a pretty trusting move, which I appreciated. They had some great Bitcoin memorabilia: Fred Krueger’s The Big Bitcoin Book (even if the guy’s turned full shitcoiner), and some FTX sunglasses from Bitcoin 2022. Probably future collector’s items, lol.

We headed upstairs to work on setting up Sparrow Wallet on their Windows machine. I verified the software download first (which you should always do), then helped them create a new wallet using their Ledger Flex. They also had an older Ledger Nano X. The Flex setup was easy, but the Nano X gave us trouble. It turns out Ledger allows multiple wallets for the same asset, which can show up differently depending on how they’re configured. In Sparrow, only one wallet showed—none of the others.

I believe it had to do with the derivation path from the Ledger. If anyone knows a fix, let me know.

After a few hours of troubleshooting, I told them I couldn’t really recommend Ledger. The UX is a mess. They’d already heard similar things from other plebs too.

I suggested switching to the Blockstream Jade. It’s a solid Bitcoin-only device from a trustworthy team. That’s what you want in a hardware wallet.

But back to the lens…

Since it’s an LTM (Leica Thread Mount), I couldn’t mount it directly on my M262. Luckily, I remembered I had an Urth adapter that fits my Fujifilm X-Pro2. I don’t use the X-Pro2 much these days—it’s mostly been sidelined by the M262 - but this was the perfect excuse to bring it out again.

To test the lens, I shot everything wide open at f/2.8. Nothing crazy fast, but it’s the best way to see a lens’s character. And this one definitely has character. There’s a subtle softness and a kind of motion blur effect around the edges when wide open. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but the more I shot, the more I liked it. It reminds me of Winogrand’s work in Winogrand Color - those messy, shifting edges that make the frame feel alive. It also helps soften the digital-ness of the camera sensor.

The focus throw is short and snappy - much tighter than my Summicron V3 35mm f/2. I really like how fast it is to use. The closest focusing distance is about 3.5 feet, so it’s not ideal for close-ups. And with the Urth adapter on the X-Pro2, the focal length ends up closer to 40mm.

The only thing that threw me off was the infinity lock. When the focus hits infinity, it physically locks - you have to press a small tab to unlock it. I’ve seen others complain about it, so I guess it’s just one of those old lens quirks. I’m getting used to it.

All the photos here were taken around where I live in South Carolina. Some during bike rides to the river for a swim, others while walking through the marshlands.

I try to make work wherever I am. You should be able to.

It’s about the light, the rhythm, the play - and having the motivation to actually go out and shoot.

Lens rating: 7.9/10

---

I mainly shoot with a Leica M262, and edit in Lightroom + Dehancer

Use “PictureRoom” for 10% off Dehancer Film

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to view my work - consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Also, please contact me if you would like to purchase any of my prints.

Follow me on Nostr:

npub1c8n9qhqzm2x3kzjm84kmdcvm96ezmn257r5xxphv3gsnjq4nz4lqelne96

@ 005bc4de:ef11e1a2

Two days ago I put this out: https://peakd.com/hive-124838/@crrdlx/hostr-snaps-9i13ooa7ufp

Post: https://peakd.com/hive-124838/@crrdlx/hostr-snaps-9i13ooa7ufp

One of the comments said it "...looks like some sort of game as well." That was enough to tickle my curiosity and get me thinking. The round tomatoes and how they nestled into the grooves of the tiles reminded me of Chinese checkers. The grid brought Hex to mind (the game John Nash played) and I wondered if a square-grid version might be viable. A little searching revealed Hex is a "Connection game" and there are several. The one called Tak seemed really interesting and simple. I like interesting and I really like simple.

So, a square grid connection game wouldn't be new, however, you can't play Tak with tomatoes. Tak requires stacking "stones" or standing them on edge, that would be very, very tricky with tomatoes.

I looked around and happened to have some dried corn kernels and dry beans. I drew out a 5 x 5 grid of dots, lined up five corn kernels on one side in a "home row" and 5 beans on the other. We used to play a game where two sides of Army men met after a series of moves. In that game, we rolled dice to have a "combat" and see who would win the little battle. I wanted something like that in my game, some type of combat or conquest, somehow. So, I started messing around, moving kernels and beans, and totally just set out to make this game up on the fly. This is what I got...

Rules

The objective, like Hex or Tak, is to connect one side (your home row) to your opponent's side. The connection to the other side can be a straight line, or it CAN include a diagonal road. Any of the roads below would be a win for team bean (B).

• One side makes a move by sliding one corn/bean one spot forward.
• Then, take turns making moves.
• Movement can only be one spot forward/back or sideways (NSEW). You cannot move diagonally.
• Opponents CAN occupy, or "squat", on the same spot at once. If so, the spot is being "co-squatted" (they're like two people standing in the same sidewalk tile at the same time).
• However, while opponents occupy the same spot, a "combat" might ensue. A corn/bean can "attack" by moving yet another adjoining corn or bean onto the co-squatted spot. A conquest is made by outnumbering a spot 2-to-1. For instance, if a spot is being occupied by both a bean and corn, and then a second corn moves in, the two corns conquer the one bean. The bean is immediately removed. The bean player then places that conquered bean into any empty spot on his or her home row. That placement constitutes the bean player's turn. So, after the bean is placed on the home row, the corn player makes the next move.
• Play continues until someone completes a road from their home row across to their opponent's home row. (Again, a diagonal road is okay for the win.)
• The losing player got Succotashed.

Game name

As to the name, initially I wanted a tomato-ish name. But, I was using corn and beans. So, I'm naming this game "Succotash" after the corn, bean, and vegetable recipe. I considered calling it the "Texas Caviar Game" because it has tomatoes in it, but playing Succotash just sounds better. Plus, putting tomatoes in succotash sounds yummy.

Simple

A big goal here was to keep it simple. To that end, all that's needed is (a) a paper with a 5 x 5 grid drawn on it, and, (b) 5 pieces of something and 5 pieces of something else. Obviously I used corn kernels and beans, but it could easily be shells/legos, pennies/paperclips, nuts/stones, or whatever.

Initially, I had a "storehouse" of extra corn kernels and storehouse of extra beans (seen in the images). My thinking was that they would replace the corn or beans that get conquered by opponents. Upon playing the game, it was apparent that a storehouse is totally unnecessary. Once captured, the same corn/bean can just be the one that's placed back onto the home row. Five of each is fine.

Also, I'm sure the grid could easily be expanded to whatever size you wish. I played an opponent with the 5 x 5 grid, and that seemed a good size for a five minute or so game.

Why not sit down face-to-face with someone for a minute and give Succotash a try? If you do, I'd love to hear how it went.

@ 99e7936f:d5d2197c

“Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben.”

Wo bleibt die Rettung?

Wenn man bei einem Notfall auf den Rettungswagen wartet, dann fühlen sich Minuten wie Stunden an. Die Nerven sind bis zum Anschlag gespannt, alle Sinne sind geschärft.

Die Natur hat das so eingerichtet, damit man aufmerksam und  gut geschützt ist vor weiteren Verletzungen.

Bei Trauma ist das auch so, nur dass dieser Zustand gefühlt ein halbes Leben andauert. Das klingt brutal, ist aber in etwa so. Da ein menschlicher Körper das nicht gut aushalten kann, sendet er dem Gehirn die Information: “ Bitte mach etwas zur Entlastung, ich kann mit dem Dauerstress nicht gut umgehen. Ich habe ständig das Gefühl, dass etwas Schlimmes passiert und ich mich verteidigen muss.“ Das Gehirn überlegt sich dann eine Lösung, um auch selber endlich wieder Ruhe zu haben. In der Regel wird der traumatische Inhalt verdrängt, vergessen, abgewandelt, abgeschwächt oder als Schwarz-Weiß-Film wieder gegeben, also ohne Gefühl (re)präsentiert. Man kann dann von den traumatischen Erlebnissen erzählen, ohne ein einziges Gefühl zu haben. Das wirkt souverän, als habe man das Trauma verarbeitet, das Gegenteil ist der Fall. Manche Menschen reden sogar über Gefühle, empfinden diese aber nicht. Gefühle werden imitiert oder inszeniert. Wenn man selber fühlen kann, spürt man diesen feinen Unterschied als Zuhörer sofort. Jedenfalls ist alles das Traumafolge bzw. die Lösung, die uns das Gehirn nach Trauma anbietet. Entweder ist der ganze Inhalt samt Emotion weg, oder der Inhalt ist noch da, aber die Emotion dazu fehlt. Es gibt Menschen, die so tief traumatisiert sind, dass sie eine ganz andere Geschichte von sich selbst erzählen, als die, die eigentlich stattgefunden hat. Ich weiß, dass das gruselig klingt. Aber das ist eine Realität. Und es ist vermutlich gut so. Die Natur macht alles, um ein Menschenleben zu retten, und wenn es um den Preis des psychologischen Vergessens ist. Manche Erinnerungen sind offensichtlich nicht mit dem Leben vereinbar, deswegen werden sie für immer abgespalten. Mittlerweile habe ich persönlich viel Respekt vor Menschen, die sich an nichts mehr „erinnern“ können, da ich gelernt habe, dass sie am schlimmsten traumatisiert sind. Diese Einstellung hatte ich nicht immer.

Jedenfalls verhält es sich nach meiner Beobachtung und auch nach meinen eigenen Erfahrungen so, dass man sich ganz oft erst dann vollständig UND in Farbe an traumatische Erlebnisse erinnert, wenn die Zeit dafür reif ist. Man könnte auch sagen, wenn die Seele bereit ist, die verlorenen Seelenanteile wieder zuzulassen. Sie sind nie weg, denn eine unsichtbare Schnur verbindet uns immer mit dem, was passiert ist. Also, wenn dieser Moment, in dem Du Deine Seelenanteile wieder begrüßen darfst, kommt, dann ist das wie ein riesiges Geschenk, auch wenn sich das zu Beginn nicht so anfühlt. Es fühlt sich dann eher so an, wie wenn man auf den Rettungswagen wartet, aber es ist definitiv ein Geschenk, genau wie eine Geburt ein Geschenk ist. Und eine Geburt ist ja auch nicht immer leicht.

Also, je mehr Gefühl beim Erinnern von traumatischen Inhalten spürbar ist, desto besser kann  Traumabearbeitung gelingen. (Heiße den Schmerz willkommen, wenn er in Dein Leben kommt.) Ich persönlich hatte lange Wehen, bevor mein Trauma dann schlagartig aktiviert wurde. Das war, bildlich gesprochen, eine Hausgeburt, die ich allein vollbracht habe, weil der Rettungswagen dermaßen Verspätung hatte. Aber das Kind hat sich dennoch gut entwickelt. Ich habe zuvor lange von meinem Trauma „nur“ geredet. Ich habe rationalisiert, wie man in der Fachsprache sagt. Mir war meine frühe Verletzung bewusst, aber ich hatte kein Gefühl zu dem, was ich erlebt hatte. Als das Gefühl da war, verstand ich, dass es sinnvoll war, es solange nicht gefühlt haben zu können, denn es war ein überwältigender Schmerz. Die Natur macht instinktiv ein gutes Timing für die Wiederkehr des Gefühls. Sie sucht sich eine Zeit im Leben aus, wo man einen guten Stand hat, stabil ist, eine Umgebung hat, die einen zumindest für eine Weile halten und auffangen kann. Denn die Natur möchte schließlich, dass man auch die Wiederkehr des Gefühls überlebt.

Genauso schmerzhaft wie der Verlust des Gefühls war, genauso schmerzhaft ist seine Wiederkehr.

Der Schmerz ist quasi der Erste und der Letzte. Er macht das Licht aus, und später macht er das Licht oder den Farbfilm wieder an. Der Schmerz ist viel besser als sein Ruf.

Ich erzähle hier lediglich meine Erfahrungen und Beobachtungen, auch wenn ich allgemein formuliere. Das kann sich bei anderen Menschen auch anders verhalten. Aber ich finde den Erfahrungsaustausch über dieses Thema wichtig, WEIL es unterschiedlich sein kann und jeder auf einem anderen Level von Traumabearbeitung steht. Ein Problem bei Traumabearbeitung ist, dass jeder ein anderes Trauma erlebt hat, dass jeder einen anderen Nährboden hatte, auf den das Trauma fiel, und dass es verschiedene Stadien gibt, bis es dann endlich und hoffentlich soweit ist, dass das Trauma wieder vollständig in die eigene Psyche integriert werden kann und man wieder „ganz“ bzw. „neu und etwas anders“ ist. Und meine Erfahrung ist, dass man auf das Tempo dieses Prozesses leider keinen Einfluss hat, auch wenn es hierzu, wie ich finde, viele falsche Verkehrsdurchsagen gibt. Die Natur ist da verschlossen wie eine Auster, sie lässt sich nicht ins Handwerk pfuschen. Als ich das verstand, hat sich mein Wunsch, Menschen zu helfen, schlagartig verändert. Ich verstand, dass ICH das nicht machen kann, dass die Natur das selber macht. Und das ist eine gute Nachricht, denn die Natur kann das am besten und ist ein super zuverlässiger Partner.

Wir brauchen keinen Rettungswagen. Der Schmerz ist die Rettung.

Das Thema „Trauma“ birgt so viel positiven Erkenntnisgewinn über das Wunder des Lebens.

Aber zurück zum Thema. Wenn man, so wie ich, ein halbes Leben in einem Schwarz-Weiß-Film verbracht hat, dann die Hausgeburt ohne Rettungswagen durchgestanden hat und das Kind irgendwann anfängt, neugierige Fragen zu stellen, dann ist man im Zugzwang. In dieser Situation bin ich heute. Deswegen schreibe ich. Mein neues ICH fragt mich immer öfter, warum ich so viele Dinge tue, die ich eigentlich gar nicht mehr tun will. Kinder fragen einen auch manchmal ganz unverblümt, ob man den Hansi denn lieb hat oder ob man gerne im Büro arbeitet. Wenn man den Hansi nicht lieb hat und nicht gerne im Büro arbeitet, dann muss man schlucken und eine kindgerechte Antwort formulieren. Genauso wenig wie Kinder als kompetenter 20-jähriger auf die Welt kommen, genau so wenig ist man nach geglückter Traumabearbeitung „geheilt“. Es wird nichts schlagartig besser. Das ist auch so eine falsche Verkehrsdurchsage. Man lebt ja noch im alten Leben, was nun Schritt für Schritt verändert werden darf. ABER man ist glückliche Mutter. Mutter sein, ist nicht immer leicht, habe ich mir sagen lassen. Mütter lieben ihre Kinder. Im Idealfall machen sie sich keine Gedanken darüber, was aus ihrem Kind mal werden soll. Sie vertrauen einfach darauf, DASS aus ihrem Kind ein glücklicher Mensch wird und buttern deshalb so viel Liebe in das Kind hinein, wie in den wenigen Jahren, die das Kind ein Kind ist, möglich ist. So ähnlich geht es mir heute auch. Ich bin stolz auf mein neues ICH und lobe es, so oft ich kann. Jede Mutter lobt ihre Butter. Das ist wichtig, denn das Leben bietet ständig Herausforderungen, an denen man bekanntlich wachsen darf. Ich gehe jeden Tag mit meinem „Kind“ spazieren, und wir sehen viel. Wir sehen andere Menschen mit Trauma, wir hören zu, welches Trauma der andere erlebt hat und auf welchem Level er ist. Wir hören das Gefühl heraus, welches mitschwingt. Wir sehen Menschen in ihrem Schwarz-Weiß-Film. Und wir sehen Menschen, die scheinbar mit jeder Situation souverän umgehen können. Am meisten interessieren „uns“ zur Zeit solche Menschen, die ehrlich zugeben, dass sie Wehen haben, dass der Schmerz sich in immer kürzeren Abständen meldet. (Die verlorenen Seelenanteile ziehen an der unsichtbaren Schnur.) Mit diesen Leuten kann ich im Moment am besten. Das hört sich komisch an. Aber ich will damit zum Ausdruck bringen, dass ich mit diesen Menschen mittlerweile am meisten resoniere. Sie sprechen meine Sprache. Sie empfinden Gefühle, und sprechen über diese. Das ist für mich die schönste Sprache.

Wer in diesen Tagen wahrhaftig Schmerz empfindet, und nicht nur als Lippenbekenntnis, sondern echten üblen Schmerz über die enttäuschte Liebe oder über die Verhältnisse in dieser Welt, der ist mir sympathisch, der ist mir nah. Denn ich weiß, dass so ein fühlender Mensch auch bald eine Niederkunft erleben wird, die ihn verändert, die ihn anders auf diese Welt schauen lässt.

Der Schmerz bringt uns die Verwandlung. Der Schmerz bringt die verlorenen Seelenanteile zurück. Der Schmerz ist der Hüter des Lebens. Der Schmerz bringt Dir Deine volle Sensibilität für andere Menschen zurück. Alles, was Du bei Dir nicht fühlen kannst, kannst Du bei anderen nicht fühlen. Der Schmerz beendet das. Er macht das Licht an und gibt dem Film wieder Farbe.

Heiße den Schmerz willkommen, wenn er in Dein Leben kommt. Tu das, nicht etwa weil Du gern leidest, nein tu das, weil Du Dich liebst, weil Du bewusst darauf achten möchtest, was Dir wirklich gut tut und Freude macht. Ein Mensch oder ein Job, der Dir Schmerz bereitet, den gilt es loszulassen. Und wenn Du Schmerz im Gesicht Deines Gegenübers siehst, dann frage Dich ehrlich, was Dein Anteil daran ist, dass der andere leidet. Wir sind nicht für jedes Leid auf dieser Welt verantwortlich, das möchte ich hier auch betonen. Und die Schuld-Nummer zieht bei mir schon lange nicht mehr. Aber ich nehme immer besser wahr, wenn mein eigenes  Verhalten nicht angemessen, nicht authentisch ist, von überholten Glaubensmustern geprägt ist. Ich kann das erkennen und korrigieren. Ich kann das heute selber erkennen, weil der Schmerz mich das gelehrt hat, mich geöffnet hat. Der Schmerz lehrt uns ganz viel. Der Schmerz ist der Hüter des Lebens. Er trifft einen hart, macht aber weich.

Heiße den Schmerz willkommen, denn er ist die Rettung.   

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@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

These days it can feel like the whole world is out of control. Government officials lie and break the law. People are selfish, act emotionally rather than logically, and push ideologies that are illogical and contrary to reality. Society is divided into groups and people are judged, not for their own character, but based on which group they are placed into. There are wars and rumors of wars. There are worries of pandemics and economic disasters. Depression, psychosis, and despair is rampant even among the youngest among us.

Hope For Believers

As much as things seem to be out of control, they are not out of God’s control. This is what the Bible predicted. No matter how bad things get in the world, those who have put their faith in Jesus, do not need to feel despair.

Why are you in despair, O my soul?\ And why have you become disturbed within me?\ Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him\ For the help of His presence.\ O my God, my soul is in despair within me;\ Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan\ And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. (Psalm 42:5-6)

When we start to feel despair overcoming us, we need to remember what God has done and what He has promised. We need to praise God for what He has done, what He has promised, and what He will bring to completion. Things may be hard now, but God is still in control, and we know how the story will end. God triumphs. Good is rewarded. Evil is destroyed. We can stand on the foundation of hope because we know the ending. Even though things may be out of our personal control, they are always under God’s control.

The more fiercely the storm rages, the more we need to rest in Jesus and the more we need to put our hope in Him.

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!\ The Lord preserves the faithful\ And fully recompenses the proud doer.\ **Be strong and let your heart take courage,\ All you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:23-24) {emphasis mine}

We can take courage because God always acts for our long term good. Every hardship we experience here on earth will be recognized as a blessing that grew our faith and prepared us for heaven and God’s presence in eternity.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Even the worst things that happen to us, due to the sins of others, have a good purpose in our lives. God is working good through us. Our hope isn’t an empty hope. It isn’t a “I really hope this happens.” It is a “I can hope in the guaranteed promises of God.”

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, (2 Corinthians 1:8-10) {emphasis mine}

We may experience situations so bad that they seem hopeless, but with God, nothing is hopeless. The God who raises the dead can raise us out of any situation. The God who spoke the universe into existence can deliver us by a word.

The God of the Bible knows all and loves us completely. He looks at our situation through the lens of eternity. What seems best in the moment is not necessarily what is best for our eternity. Many times He delivers us through hardship rather than out of it. We just need to trust Him and put our hope in Him because He is good.

In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:17-20) {emphasis mine}

Read that statement again. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.” Are you trusting Jesus as the “anchor of your soul?” Is your hope just a wish or is it a “sure and steadfast” hope based on the promises of God that you know will 100% come true?

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

Isn’t it ironic that we need hope to persevere through tribulations, but that persevering through tribulation gives us character and hope? Our faith, trust, and hope grow through hardship. When things are easy, we almost always fall back on trusting in our own power rather than relying on God’s power. If we have put our faith in Jesus, there is no situation in which we should lose hope.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Is your joy and peace based on your circumstances or have you learned to have hope in God so you can experience joy and peace even in the trials?

Many people equate joy and happiness, but I think there is a key distinction. Happiness is a pleasant feeling that comes from pleasant circumstances. Joy is a similar feeling to happiness, but it comes from knowing God and His love. It is not tied to circumstances. When we have truly put our hope in God we can still have joy in and despite the most horrific circumstances.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3-4) {emphasis mine}

Just as Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that He provides living water that wells up inside, so that she need never thirst, in the same way believers have a living hope that wells up in times of need. Our hope is in the Creator of the universe and Savior of the world. No problem is too big for Him. No situation is a surprise to Him. No enemy is too powerful for Him. All of our problems are already solved. We just haven’t necessarily seen the solution yet.

My soul, wait in silence for God only,\ For my hope is from Him.\ He only is my rock and my salvation,\ My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.\ On God my salvation and my glory rest;\ The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. (Psalm 62:5-7)

Despair For Unbelievers

Although believers never have reason to despair, the same is not true for those who have rejected the Savior, Jesus Christ. In these perilous times, they have a real reason for dread and despair.

Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. (Deuteronomy 64-66)

Those who reject the atoning sacrifice of Jesus do not get His protection. They do not get His help. They cannot rest in hope in Him.

Of course, the good news is that they can chose to turn their hearts to Him, confess their sins, and trust in Him up until their moment of death. Sadly many will continue to put off faith until it is too late. Many will choose evil over good and license over submission until God gives them over to their lusts.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

If any of you have not yet put your trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, do not wait. Turn away from evil. Submit to the will of Jesus. Trust Him to take away your sins and cover you with His righteousness.

If any of you know people who are in despair, share the gospel with them. Tell them about the greatness of God. Show them the hope that is within you.

Can Believers Despair?

Are there believers who despair? Yes. Should believers ever despair? Definitely not!

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

Jesus is always with believers in all situations guiding and protecting us. Those difficult situations that happen are for our good, even when we can’t see how it could be for good.

Job had more reasons to despair than almost anyone, yet he trusted in God. He didn’t know why he was being put through such loss, but his loss increased his faith in God and was a great example to people throughout history. I also love this cry of his heart.

“Oh that my words were written!\ Oh that they were inscribed in a book!” (Job 19:23)

He may or may not have seen even the partial fulfillment of this cry, but His words are written in the book of Job, in the Holy Scriptures read by Jews and Christians throughout the world and throughout history. Job’s first response to loss was an example to us all. After losing all ten children and all of his wealth, this was his response.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. (Job 1:20)

Yes, it is true that he had moments of despair where he cursed his birth, but he then returned to God in faith and hope. After a brief rebuke from God, Job submitted to God’s will.

“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?\ I lay my hand on my mouth.\ Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;\ Even twice, and I will add nothing more.” (Job 40:4-5)

After his second rebuke from God, he fully submitted.

Then Job answered the Lord and said,

“I know that You can do all things,\ And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.\ ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’\ *Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,\ Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.\ ‘Hear, now, and I will speak;\ I will ask You, and You instruct me*.’\ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;\ But now my eye sees You;\ Therefore I retract,\ And I repent in dust and ashes**.” (Job 42:1-6) {emphasis mine}

Job admitted that he did not understand what God was doing, but that God was right; God was good; and God was Lord. Job was able to have hope knowing that God was in control and working for good.

In the case of Job, he was later blessed with more kids, more wealth, and more respect than he had in the beginning. We won’t all see our blessings here on earth, but all believers will receive blessings from their trials.

May our glorious Savior and God fill you with faith and hope in God, His goodness, His power, and His plan. May we all submit to His good will even when we do not understand and even when every part of our earthly body is crying, “stop!” May God fill you with knowledge of Him, faith in Him, and hope in Him.

Trust Jesus

@ 812cff5a:5c40aeeb

NIP-01 — الشكل الأساسي للأحداث في نُستر

رقم التعريف (NIP): 01
العنوان: الشكل الأساسي للأحداث
الحالة: نهائي
المؤلف: fiatjaf
التاريخ: 2020-12-10

---

الملخص

هذا المستند يعرّف الشكل القياسي لأي "حدث" يتم تداوله ضمن شبكة نُستر (Nostr).
الهدف من هذا التنسيق هو ضمان إمكانية معالجة وتفسير الأحداث من قبل جميع العملاء والخوادم بطريقة موحّدة.

---

هيكل الحدث

كل حدث عبارة عن كائن يحتوي على الحقول التالية:

{ "id": <معرّف فريد>, "pubkey": <مفتاح عام للمرسل>, "created_at": <تاريخ الإنشاء كرقم UNIX timestamp>, "kind": <نوع الحدث>, "tags": [<قائمة من الوسوم>], "content": <المحتوى>, "sig": <التوقيع الرقمي> }

---

شرح الحقول

• id: سلسلة نصية تمثل SHA-256 لمحتوى الحدث.
• pubkey: المفتاح العام للمستخدم (عادةً 32 بايت بصيغة hex).
• created_at: الطابع الزمني للإنشاء (Unix timestamp).
• kind: رقم يحدد نوع الحدث (مثلاً: منشور، متابعة، إعادة نشر).
• tags: قائمة من الوسوم المرتبطة بالحدث (مثلاً: إشارة إلى مستخدم أو حدث).
• content: المحتوى الأساسي للحدث (نص أو بيانات).
• sig: التوقيع الرقمي الذي يثبت أن المرسل هو صاحب المحتوى.

---

كيفية توليد معرف الحدث id

يتم توليد المعرّف عبر أخذ تمثيل JSON للحدث (بدون الحقول id و sig) ثم حساب التجزئة باستخدام SHA-256.

---

توقيع الحدث

يُوقّع المستخدم الحدث باستخدام مفتاحه الخاص.
هذا التوقيع الرقمي يسمح لأي شخص بالتحقق من صحة الحدث باستخدام المفتاح العام.

---

أنواع الأحداث (kind)

• 0: ملف التعريف (الاسم، الصورة، النبذة).
• 1: منشور عام نصي.
• 2: إعادة نشر.
• 3: قائمة المتابَعين.
• 4: رسالة مشفّرة خاصة.
• أنواع أخرى يمكن إضافتها لاحقًا.

---

الوسوم (Tags)

الوسوم عبارة عن قوائم (arrays) داخل الحدث لتوفير معلومات إضافية.
مثال:

["e", "<معرّف الحدث>"] ["p", "<مفتاح عام لمستخدم>"]

• "e" تشير إلى حدث.
• "p" تشير إلى مستخدم.

---

الخلاصة

NIP-01 هو الأساس الهيكلي لتبادل الأحداث عبر نُستر.
من خلال اتباع هذا الشكل، يمكن لجميع التطبيقات والخوادم العمل معاً بسلاسة، وضمان أمن وموثوقية كل حدث.

@ 5f078e90:b2bacaa3

Sylvi the seahorse

In the coral haven of Azure Bay, a seahorse named Sylvi danced with the tides. Her tail curled around a swaying frond as she watched fish dart by. One dawn, a lost pearl rolled into her nook. Sylvi, curious, nudged it along the reef, meeting crabs and eels who shared tales of the deep. By dusk, she found its oyster home. The pearl gleamed thanks, and Sylvi twirled home, her heart light as foam.

Ignore this test. This was in bold originally.

(380 chars, plain text after Markdown stripping, this was in italics originally)

Originally written on habla.news (on Nostr)

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Headlines

• Twenty One Capital is set to launch with over 42,000 BTC in its treasury. This new Bitcoin-native firm, backed by Tether and SoftBank, is planned to go public via a SPAC merger with Cantor Equity Partners and will be led by Jack Mallers, co-founder and CEO of Strike. According to a report by the Financial Times, the company aims to replicate the model of Michael Saylor with his company, MicroStrategy.
• Florida's SB 868 proposes a backdoor into encrypted platforms. The bill and its House companion have both passed through their respective committees and are headed to a full vote. If enacted, SB 868 would require social media companies to decrypt teens' private messages, ban disappearing messages, allow unrestricted parental access to private messages, and likely eliminate encryption for all minors altogether.
• Paul Atkins has officially assumed the role of the 34th Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This is a return to the agency for Atkins, who previously served as an SEC Commissioner from 2002 to 2008 under the George W. Bush administration. He has committed to advancing the SEC’s mission of fostering capital formation, safeguarding investors, and ensuring fair and efficient markets.
• Solosatoshi.com has sold over 10,000 open-source miners, adding more than 10 PH of hashpower to the Bitcoin network.

"Thank you, Bitaxe community. OSMU developers, your brilliance built this. Supporters, your belief drives us. Customers, your trust powers 10,000+ miners and 10PH globally. Together, we’re decentralizing Bitcoin’s future. Last but certainly not least, thank you@skot9000 for not only creating a freedom tool, but instilling the idea into thousands of people, that Bitcoin mining can be for everyone again," said the firm on X.

• OCEAN's DATUM has found 100 blocks. "Over 65% of OCEAN’s miners are using DATUM, and that number is growing every day. This means block template construction is making its way back into the hands of the miners, which is not only the most profitable for miners on OCEAN but also one of the best things for Bitcoin," stated the mining pool.

Source: orangesurf

• Arch Labs has secured $13 million to develop "ArchVM" and integrate smart-contract functionality with Bitcoin. The funding round, valuing the company at $200 million, was led by Pantera Capital, as announced on Tuesday.
• Tesla still holds nearly $1 billion in bitcoin. According to the automaker's latest earnings report, the firm reported digital asset holdings worth $951 million as of March 31.
• The European Central Bank is pushing for amendments to the European Union's Markets in Crypto Assets legislation (MiCA), just months after its implementation. According to Politico's report on Tuesday, the ECB is concerned that U.S. support for cryptocurrency, particularly stablecoins, could cause economic harm to the 27-nation bloc.
• TABConf 2025 is scheduled to take place from October 13-16, 2025. This prominent technical Bitcoin conference is dedicated to community building, education, and developer support, and it is set to return in October. Get your tickets here.
• Kaduna Lightning Development Bootcamp. From May 14th to 17th, the Bitcoin Lightning Developer Bootcamp will take place in Kaduna, Nigeria. Thisevent offers four dynamic days of coding, learning, and networking. Organized by Africa Free Routing and supported by Btrust, Tether, and African Bitcoiners, this bootcamp is designed as a gateway for African developers eager to advance their skills in Bitcoin and Lightning development. Apply here.

Source: African Bitcoiners.

Use the tools

• Core Lightning (CLN) v25.02.2 as been released to fix a broken Docker image. The issue was caused by an SQLite version that did not support an advanced query.
• Blitz wallet v0.4.4-beta introduces several updates and improvements, including the prevention of duplicate ecash payments, fixes for background ecash invoice handling, the ability for users to send payments to BOLT12 invoices from their Liquid balance, support for Blink QR codes, a lowered minimum amount for Lightning-to-Liquid payments to 100 sats, the option to initiate a node sync via a swipe gesture on the wallet's home screen, and the introduction of opt-in or opt-out functionality for newly implemented crash analytics via settings.
• Utreexo v0.5.0, a hash-based dynamic accumulator, is now available.
• Specter v2.1.1 is now available on StartOS. "This update brings compatibility with Bitcoin Core v28 and incorporates several upstream improvements," said developer Alex71btc.
• ESP-Miner (AxeOS) v2.7.0b1 is now available for testing.
• NodeGuard v0.16.1, a treasury management solution for Lightning nodes, has been released.
• The latest stacker.news updates include prompts to add a receiving wallet when posting or making comments (for new users), an option to randomize poll choices, improved URL search, and a few other enhancements. A bug fix for territories created after 9/19/24 has been implemented to reward 70% of their revenue to owners instead of 50%.

Other stuff

• The April edition of the 256 Foundation's newsletter is now available. It includes the latest mining news, Bitcoin network health updates, project developments, and a tutorial on how to update FutureBit's Apollo 1 to the Apollo 2 software.
• Siggy47 has posted a comprehensive RoboSats guide on stacker.news.
• Learn how to run your own Nostr relay using Citrine and Cloudflare Tunnels by following this step-by-step guide by Dhalism.
• Max Guise has written a Bitkey roadmap update for April 2025.

• PlebLab has uploaded a video on how to build a Rust wallet with LDK Node by Ben Carman.

• Do you want more? Subscribe and get No Bullshit GM report straight to your mailbox and No Bullshit Bitcoin on Nostr.

• Feedback or tips? Drop it here.
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Deutschland ist eines der wenigen Länder mit einer gesetzlich verankerten ausnahmslosen Schulbesuchspflicht. Mit den Schulschließungen in der Corona-Zeit wurde das Gesetz jedoch faktisch plötzlich außer Kraft gesetzt. Alle mussten zu Hause lernen. Als die Schulen danach wieder offen waren, wurden die Kinder mit Maskenpflicht, Tests und Impfdruck gequält. Nicht selten traten bei den Schülern Krankheiten und psychische Störungen auf. Nicht wenige Eltern suchten im Gespräch mit dem Lehrerkollegium nach Lösungen für ihre Kinder. In den meisten Fällen war das nicht möglich. Die Lehrer waren auf die neue Ideologie und die Durchsetzung der Maßnahmen eingeschworen und hatten Angst. Einige Eltern haben ihre Kinder dann in eigener Verantwortung aus der Schule genommen und zu Hause selbst unterrichtet. An manchen Orten fanden sich Gemeinschaften, wo die Kinder in Gruppen lernten. Während viele Lerngemeinschaften nicht mehr existieren, hat die Familie von Katharina den Unterricht für ihre drei Kinder in Eigenregie etabliert. Inzwischen haben sie dafür sogar „den Segen“ von Familiengericht und Jugendamt.

Katharina und Johannes leben mit ihren drei Wunschkindern Aurelius (15), Benjamin (14) und Friedrich (10) in einem Vorort von Leipzig. Die Familie wohnte früher in der Stadt. In der Corona-Zeit haben sie sich mit dem Physiotherapie- & Seminarzentrum Curasanus eine Existenz auf dem Land aufgebaut und begehen diesen Sommer ihr 20-jähriges Praxis-Jubiläum. Katharina hat ihre Arbeit als Physiotherapeutin weitgehend aufgegeben, um sich als Mama und Lernbegleiterin ihren Kindern widmen zu können. Daneben bietet sie Vorträge und Workshops an, übernimmt einen großen Teil der Praxis-Organisation und ist Manager, Rezeptionistin und Vertriebler der eigenen Firma. Wir besuchten einen ihrer Lachyoga-Kurse. Dabei erlebten wir ihr Zusammenspiel mit den drei Kindern. Anschließend stellten wir Katharina unsere Fragen zum Freilernen.

Im unmittelbaren Umfeld wird die Familie bestaunt und geachtet. Sie haben sich bewusst für das Freilernen entschieden. Die Kinder wurden ohne Test nicht mehr in die Schule gelassen. Auch andere Zwangsmaßnahmen wie die Maske wollten die Eltern den Kindern ersparen. Besonders Benjamin hatte traumatische Erlebnisse. Seine Lehrerin schmiss mit dem Schlüssel nach den Schülern und wandte andere schwarze Pädagogik an. Er ging ständig mit Bauchschmerzen ins Bett. Ein weiterer Punkt ist die Masernimpfung. Die Kinder könnten zwar zur Schule gehen, aber die Eltern werden mit rechtlichen Maßnahmen und Zwangszahlungen belegt. Da Katharina in ihrer Praxis viele Erkrankungen als Folge der Masernimpfung beobachten konnte, lehnt sie die Pflichtimpfung ab. Die Eltern haben kein Vertrauen mehr in die staatliche Schulerziehung mit all dem Zwang und den Erpressungen. Als die Familie den Entschluss gefasst hatte, die Kinder nicht mehr in die Schule zu schicken, haben sie ihre Praxis vorübergehend geschlossen, ihr Haus verkauft und sind auf Reisen gegangen. Die beiden großen Kinder wurden von der Schule abgemeldet. Nach der Rückkehr haben sie dann mit einem neuen Leben auf dem Land begonnen.

Lernen ohne Schule: Wie geht das?

„Wissen ist Macht und eine Holschuld“, sagt uns Katharina. Das ist ihr Motto und motiviert auch die Kinder. Mit dem Unterricht zu Hause macht die Familie ihre eigene Studie und zeigt, dass Lernen auch anders geht als in der Schule. Die Eltern können viel besser auf jedes einzelne Kind eingehen. Johannes arbeitete früher als Straßenbauer. Er unterstützt die Jungs vor allem in Mathematik, Geometrie und Physik sowie bei handwerklichen Fertigkeiten. Katharinas Stärken liegen in Deutsch, Sprachen und Organisation. Unter den Patienten ihrer Praxis gibt es Lehrer, die ihnen helfen. Weitere Unterstützung kommt von Freunden und Bekannten. Bei bestimmten Projekten treffen sie auf andere Freilernerkinder. „Das Netzwerk wird immer größer, es wird immer schöner und interessanter“, sagt Katharina. Man geht mit vielen anderen einen gemeinsamen Weg, verlässt dabei eingetretene Pfade und erkundet neue Themenfelder wie Mediengestaltung, freie Energie, Elektrotherapie, meditatives und Improvisations-Zeichnen. „Ich sprudele vor Ideen. Sie kommen in mein Feld, und dann mache ich was draus“, sagt Katharina. Die Jungs sind in Wurzen im Ringelnatz-Literaturkreis. Dort schreiben sie Drehbuchgeschichten und haben einen Film produziert. Sie suchen sich Projekte oder kreieren neue, wie mit dem Planetarium Eilenburg. Diese Zusammenarbeit hat sich sehr gut entwickelt. Dort lernen 4- bis 15-Jährige zusammen. Die drei Jungs spielen Klavier. Erdkunde und Geschichte erleben die Kinder auch dadurch, dass die Familie Hauptstädte oder die bosnischen Pyramiden selbst erkundet. Dabei erweist es sich als Vorteil, nicht auf die Ferienzeiten angewiesen zu sein.

Als Physiotherapeutin ist Katharina bewusst, dass man neue Lernstrategien entwickeln muss. Die Kinder lernen unterschiedlich. Jedes Kind hat seinen eigenen Charakter. Aurelius benötigt eher eine 1:1-Betreuung. Darauf kann Katharina viel individueller eingehen als die staatliche Schule. Es ist aber auch aufwendiger und anstrengender. Besonderen Wert legt sie darauf, dass rechte und linke Gehirnhälfte gleichmäßig beansprucht werden. Lernphasen werden immer wieder mit Entspannungs- oder Bewegungsphasen kombiniert. Sie weiß, dass den Kindern zuerst die Grundlagen des Lesens, Rechnens und Schreibens vermittelt werden müssen. Dann sind sie in der Lage, sich alles Weitere selbst anzueignen – Unterstützung vorausgesetzt. „Besonders das Schreiben mit der eigenen Hand ist wichtig für die Vernetzung der beiden Gehirnhälften“, sagt Katharina. Dafür nehmen sich die Eltern Zeit. Die Kinder führen Tagebuch. Außerdem halten es die Eltern für wichtig, den Kindern Werte und Tugenden wie Dankbarkeit, Verlässlichkeit, Beharrlichkeit, Aufrichtigkeit, Ehrlichkeit und die zehn Gebote zu vermitteln. Katharina und Johannes sind beide religiös begleitet aufgewachsen. Heute sehen sie die Kirche als Institution kritisch. Angebunden an die Schöpfung und im Gottvertrauen erschaffen und schöpfen sie Leben und Lebensraum aus eigener Kraft – so erklärt es uns Katharina.

Ein weiteres Thema sind die Funktionen des Körpers und wie sich die Kinder gesund erhalten können. Vieles lernen sie dabei in der Physiotherapiepraxis. Die Familie hat das Privileg, in ihrem eigenen Biorhythmus leben zu können. „Das macht sehr viel aus – wir sind alle gesund“, sagt Katharina. Der Lern- und Arbeitstag beginnt nicht vor 9 Uhr und hat eine eigene Struktur. Im Tagesablauf sind feste Verantwortlichkeiten integriert. So wechseln sich die Kinder aller drei Tage mit Tischdecken, Staubsaugen und Geschirrspüler ab. Das hilft ihnen, sich selbst zu organisieren. Das geht nicht immer reibungslos vonstatten. Wenn das Lernpensum beizeiten abgearbeitet wurde, helfen die Kinder im Haushalt oder Garten oder gehen ihrem Bewegungsdrang auf andere Weise nach. Die Eltern sind am Abend noch länger aktiv, denn die Praxis erfordert noch die eine oder andere bürokratische Pflicht. Die Familie ist sehr naturverbunden. Sie gehen viel in den Wald und in den Garten. Sie bauen selbst Gemüse und Obst an. Dabei können die Kinder zum Beispiel Erfahrungen mit Permakultur und natürlicher Düngung sammeln. Die Familie achtet auf die Ernährung, schließlich ist Katharina seit fast 25 Jahren Ernährungsberaterin. Was sie nicht selbst anbauen, wird beim Bauern des Vertrauens eingekauft. Die Jungs können selbst kochen und backen. Die Schädlichkeit von Zucker ist den Kindern schon bewusst geworden, ohne gänzlich auf Schokolade verzichten zu müssen. Medikamente gibt es im Haushalt nicht. Sie kennen sich sehr gut mit den Heilmitteln aus der Natur aus und können so ihre Selbstheilungskräfte aktivieren. Sie haben keinen Hausarzt. Natürlich hat keines der Kinder ein Handy. Bisher haben sie noch kein Verlangen danach. Die Eltern halten es für wichtig, dass die Kinder erst sicher bei Selbstorganisation und Tagesstruktur sind, bevor sie ein Handy bekommen. Katharina weist darauf hin, dass beispielsweise WhatsApp erst ab 16 Jahren zugelassen ist, und fragt sich, ob das andere Eltern wissen.

Gesetze auf Augenhöhe auslegen

Den Behörden blieben die Freilerner nicht verborgen. Sie wurden aktiv und schalteten das Familiengericht ein. Die Familie hatte keinen Anwalt und keine Rechtsschutzversicherung. Katharina erzählt uns, dass sie schließlich auf „Hilfe von oben“ gehofft habe. Irgendwer hat sie anscheinend erhört, denn sie bekamen „einen Engel“ als Verfahrensbeistand. Die Behörden waren sehr zugänglich. In den Gesprächen gab man zu, mit der Schulsituation ebenfalls nicht zufrieden zu sein. „Wir wollen so wie ihr, dass sich etwas verändert. Wir sind an Eurer Seite.“ Die Gespräche mit dem Jugendamt und der Richterin vom Familiengericht Grimma waren immer auf Augenhöhe. Schließlich legte man der Familie keine Steine in den Weg. Damit kann Katharina ihr Konzept nach außen leben und andere inspirieren. Ihre Schlussfolgerung: Eltern müssen sich ihrer Stärken bewusst werden und aus ihrer Angst herauskommen. Das Konzept muss aber zur Familie passen, denn jede Familie ist anders.

Die Basis für freies Lernen ist das Vertrauen der Eltern in ihre Kinder. Denn Kinder sind von Natur aus wissbegierig und wollen lernen. Katharina hat viel von Bertrand Stern und von Riccardo Leppe gelernt. Beiden wurde von ihren Eltern das Lernen ohne Schulbesuch ermöglicht. Mit Bertrand Stern hat Katharina Kontakt. Er wird im November am Buß- und Bettag eine kleine Fortbildung im Therapie- und Seminarzentrum geben. Für den Vorabend ist ein Vortrag geplant. Katharina zitiert Riccardo Leppe: „Es ändert sich nur was, wenn man es selbst tut.“ Er sei sich sicher, dass der Fortschritt beim Freilernen inzwischen so weit ist, dass „die Paste nicht wieder zurück in die Tube geht“.

Der Übergang zur Berufsausbildung

Die ersten Freilernerkinder kommen jetzt in das Alter, in dem sie eine Berufsausbildung beginnen können. Aurelius und Benjamin, die beiden „Großen“, machen seit Anfang des Jahres schon erste Praktika bei ortsansässigen Handwerksbetrieben. Beide Seiten sind sehr zufrieden. Durch die Praktika, die länger dauern als im schulischen Lehrplan vorgesehen, können sich die Kinder ausprobieren. Katharina findet es interessant miterleben zu dürfen, wie auf ihre Kinder reagiert wird. Bringen sie etwas mit, das die anderen nicht haben? Denken sie anders mit? Benjamin bekam schon ein Angebot, in einem Metallbau-Betrieb stundenweise mitzuarbeiten. In den Betrieben weiß man, dass die Abschlüsse der staatlichen Schulen größtenteils das Papier nicht wert sind, auf dem sie stehen. Viele verlassen die Schule und können kaum lesen und schreiben, von Selbstorganisation ganz zu schweigen. Ein Freilerner kann eine staatliche Externen-Prüfung ablegen, um einen Haupt- oder Realschulabschluss zu erwerben. Katharina: „Für eine Ausbildung bei einem privaten Unternehmer braucht man das nicht, allein der Unternehmer entscheidet über die Aufnahme des Auszubildenden“. Außerdem stehen den jungen Leuten Privatschulen oder der zweite Bildungsweg zur Verfügung. Wenn man einen praktischen Beruf ergreift, ist es immer noch möglich, sich bis zur Hochschulreife weiterzubilden. Nach mehrjährigen Tätigkeiten kann man bei den Kammern von Industrie, Handel und Handwerk (IHK und HWK) eine Abschlussprüfung ablegen, mit der man zum Studium zugelassen werden kann. Oder man geht gleich den Weg in die Selbstständigkeit.

Frei lernen weitergedacht

Während der Coronazeit haben sich in Sachsen und speziell um Leipzig herum kleine Freilernergruppen gefunden. Die Gruppen werden aktuell zusammengeführt, um zum Beispiel gemeinsam den Mathematikunterricht zu gestalten. Besonders um Dresden herum ist die Szene noch stärker ausgeprägt. Außerdem gibt es seit mehr als 20 Jahren den Bundesverband Natürlich Lernen (BVNL). Er bietet Beratung und zentrale Veranstaltungen an.

Der Wunsch nach dem freien Lernen ohne Schulzwang ist groß. Doch die meisten Eltern wollen ihre Kinder dafür irgendwo abgeben und nicht selbst unterrichten. Katharinas größter Wunsch ist es, drei bis fünf Elternpaare zu finden, die sich in die Betreuung und Unterrichtung ihrer Kinder teilen. Das größte Hindernis dafür sieht sie in den Eltern selbst. Durch ungelöste transgenerative Konflikte und unverarbeitete Familientraumata kommen sie noch nicht in ihre eigene Kraft für ein selbstbestimmtes Leben. Viele wagen es noch nicht, ihre Erwerbstätigkeit zugunsten der Kinder einzuschränken. Katharina sieht es als große Aufgabe für sich und ihre Familie, mit dem Freilernen das Gemeinschaftsbewusstsein und gute Konfliktlösungsstrategien zu entwickeln. Sie denkt dabei bereits an ihre Enkel. Aber sie weiß auch, dass die Eltern ein sehr hohes Maß an Eigeninitiative, Motivation und Selbstdisziplin aufbringen müssen. Sie würde Eltern, die sich das noch nicht zutrauen, als Traumabegleiterin zur Verfügung stehen, für einen angemessenen Energieausgleich. Diese gegenseitige Unterstützung käme Kindern und Eltern zugute. Ebenso hält sie die Idee der Mehrgenerationenerziehung für wichtig. Dabei profitieren nicht nur die Kinder. Die Erfahrungen der älteren Menschen gehen nicht verloren, sondern werden an die jüngeren Generationen weitergegeben und machen sie resilienter. Das hilft den Eltern, ihrer Erwerbsarbeit nachzugehen und Familientraumata zu bewältigen.

Katharina ist eine starke Frau und sprüht nur so vor Energie. Selbst als wir nach 21 Uhr das Therapiezentrum verlassen, sind ihr die Anstrengungen des Tages nicht anzumerken. Sie wird nicht müde beim Sprechen. Für Fragen zum Thema Freilernen kann man sich an sie wenden.

Der Text wurde zuerst am 27.05.2025 im Blog „Freie Akademie für Medien und Journalismus“ veröffentlicht (https://www.freie-medienakademie.de/medien-plus/lernen-neu-gemacht)

Bildquelle: Salah Darwish, unsplash.com