@ df478568:2a951e67

@ 6a6be47b:3e74e3e1

What’s up, frens? 🎬

How was your weekend? I hope you got a chance to rest and decompress, even just a little, and that you’re recharged for the new week! As for me, I spent some time catching up on movies.

🍿 On Saturday, I was scrolling through a Criterion list—some films I’d already seen, others just weren’t my vibe. But then I landed on David Cronenberg’s Scanners and thought, “Yep, this is it.”

For a moment, I honestly felt like I was watching The Toxic Avenger (and I love The Toxic Avenger). Though this movie, it was… okay, but honestly, I don’t think it’s one I’ll remember or recommend, hehe.

🍿 Next up was Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City. It was cute, just like all his other films. To be fair, I was expecting a bit more since some of my favorites are his—The Darjeeling Limited and Moonrise Kingdom are top-tier for me. I always find myself giggling at the dry humor and silliness with which his characters tackle tough topics like death, loss, coming of age, and family. I love how “strange” or totally ordinary situations spiral into something unique, sometimes with surprisingly insightful conclusions. Asteroid City had its moments, but it felt a bit slow-paced for my taste this time. Still, it’s a cute watch, and I love how sometimes the kids seem to have more sense than the adults!

🍿 On Sunday, I watched Perfect Strangers—the Spanish adaptation of the Italian film of the same name. Friends gather for a cozy dinner and decide to play a “harmless” game: reading all their messages and notifications aloud, and answering calls on speaker. What could possibly go wrong, right? If you’ve seen any of these movies—or want to—I’d love to hear your thoughts! It’s always fun to chat about movies (and books) with you all.

See you later, alligator! 🐊

Godspeed! 💓

https://stacker.news/items/1008008

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

This article was originally published on dev.to by satshacker.

Alright, you’ve built a useful and beautiful website, tool or app. However, monetization isn’t a priority and you’d rather keep the project free, ads-free and accessible?

Accepting donations would be an option, but how? A PayPal button? Stripe? Buymeacoffe? Patreon?

All of these services require a bank account and KYC verification, before you can send and receive donations – not very convenient.

If we only could send value over the internet, with just one click and without the need of a bank account…

Oh, hold on, that’s bitcoin. The decentralized protocol to send value across the globe. Money over TCP/IP.

In this article, we’ll learn how anyone can easily add a payment button or donation widget on a website or app.

Let’s get into it.

Introduction

Bitcoin is digital money that you can send and receive without the need for banks. While bitcoin is extremely secure, it’s not very fast. The maximum transactions per second (TPS) the network can handle is about 7. Obviously that’s not useful for daily payments or microtransactions.

If you’d like to dig deeper into how bitcoin works, a great read is “Mastering Bitcoin” by Andreas Antonopoulos.

Bitcoin vs Lightning

If you’d like to receive bitcoin donations “on-chain” all you need is a bitcoin wallet. You simply display your bitcoin address on your site and that’s it. You can receive donations.

It would look something like this; 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa

Instead of showing the actual bitcoin address, you can also turn it into a QR code.

However, this is not a recommended solution. Using static on-chain addresses has two major downsides. It lowers privacy for you and your donnors and it’s a UTXO disaster because many small incoming transactions could beocme hard to consolidate in the future.

For donations and small transactions, the Lightning Network is the better option. Lightning allows for instant settlement with fees only a fraction of a cent.

Similar to bitcoin, you have the choice between non-custodial and custodial wallets. This means, either you have full control over your money or the wallet provider has.

Option 1: Lightning Address

With the lightning address feature, you an easily receive donations to an email like address.

It looks like this: yourname@wallet.com

Many wallets support lightning addresses and make it easy to create one. Then, you simple add the address to your donation page and you’re ready to receive tips.

You can also add a link link as in lightning:yourname@wallet.com and compatible lightning wallets and browser wallets will detect the address.

How to get a Lightning Address Fast

Option 2: Lightning Donation Widgets

If you like to take it a step further, you can also create a more enhanced donation checkout flow. Of course you could programm something yourself, there are many open source libraries you can build upon. If you want a simple plug-and-play solution, here are a couple of options:

Name

Type

Registration

SatSale

Self-hosted

No KYC

BTCPay Server

Self-hosted

No KYC

Pay With Flash

Widget

Email

Geyser Fund

Widget

Email

The Giving Block

Hosted

KYC

OpenNode

Hosted

KYC

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SatSale (GitHub)

Lightweight, self-hosted Bitcoin/Lightning payment processor. No KYC.

Ideal for developers comfortable with server management. Simple to deploy, supports both on-chain and Lightning, and integrates with WooCommerce.

---

BTCPay Server

Powerful, open-source, self-hosted processor for Bitcoin and Lightning. No KYC.

Supports multiple currencies, advanced features, and full privacy. Requires technical setup and maintenance. Funds go directly to your wallet; great for those seeking full control.

---

Pay With Flash

Easiest for indie hackers. Add a donation widget with minimal code and no KYC. Payments go directly to your wallet for a 1.5% fee.

Setup Steps:

1. Sign up at PayWithFlash.com
2. Customize your widget in the dashboard
3. Embed the code:

1. Test to confirm functionality

Benefits:

• Minimal technical skills required
• Supports one-time or recurring donations
• Direct fund transfer, no intermediaries

---

Geyser Fund

Crowdfunding platform. Widget-based, connects to your wallet, email registration.Focused on Bitcoin crowdfunding, memberships and donations.

---

The Giving Block

Hosted, KYC required. Integrates with fiat and crypto, best for nonprofits or larger organizations.

---

OpenNode

Hosted, KYC required. Accept Bitcoin payments and donations; supports conversion to fiat, suitable for businesses and nonprofits.

---

Summary

• Fast, low-code setup: Use Pay With Flash or Geyser Fund.
• Privacy and control: Choose SatSale or BTCPay Server (requires technical skills).
• Managed, compliant solutions: The Giving Block or OpenNode.

Choose based on your technical comfort, privacy needs, and project scale.

I hope this article helped you. If you added bitcoin donations, share your link in the comments and I will send you a few satoshis maybe

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

A third of the bitcoins in circulation is now under the control of centralized entities, valued at $668 billion according to an analysis by Gemini.

A study conducted by Gemini in collaboration with Glassnode revealed that centralized actors currently hold 30.9% of bitcoin’s entire circulating supply.

These entities include national governments, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and publicly listed companies. Collectively, these players control 6.1 million BTC, equivalent to approximately $668 billion at current market prices. BlackRock alone holds around 665,635 BTC through its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF, representing over 3% of bitcoin’s total supply, with a value close to $73 billion.

Source: Gemini

The accumulation of bitcoin by such entities has grown by 924% over the past decade. This increase coincides with bitcoin’s price evolution, which has surged from under $1,000 to over $100,000 during the same period.

Analysts interpret this trend as further confirmation that institutions increasingly view bitcoin as a strategic store-of-value asset. According to the report, the correlation between the rise in institutional holdings and bitcoin’s price appreciation reinforces the case for the cryptocurrency’s mainstream adoption.

One key takeaway from the research concerns the predominant role of centralized exchanges within Bitcoin treasury holdings. These platforms hold about half of the total, although a significant portion of those funds actually belongs to retail clients and individual investors.

Government bitcoin treasuries display distinctive characteristics compared to other institutional holders. According to the study, sovereign wallets show infrequent movements and limited correlation with Bitcoin’s price cycles.

However, the amount of bitcoins held by these governments remains large enough to significantly influence the markets whenever sales or transfers occur, the report states. The governments of the United States, China, and the United Kingdom have acquired most of their bitcoins through legal actions (seizures) rather than direct market purchases. In contrast, El Salvador and Bhutan accumulate bitcoin through intentional and ongoing purchases. According to analysts, while the volumes involved are smaller, these strategic allocations signal a long-term commitment and bolster investor confidence, encouraging broader institutional participation and contributing to market stability.

The research concludes that with nearly a third of bitcoin’s circulating supply now held by centralized entities, the market has undergone a structural transformation toward institutional maturity. According to the authors of the report, this evolution has made price action more predictable and less vulnerable to the speculative extremes that characterized Bitcoin’s early years.

The post Report: centralized entities control 31% of bitcoin’s total supply appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

Marty's Bent

So much for that tariff hyperinflation.\ \ New inflation numbers came at 1.2% — way below the Fed’s target.\ \ For the 4th time in Trump’s 4 months.\ \ Yet not a word about easing from the fed. Who’s now moving the inflation goal-posts to 2026 or even 2027. pic.twitter.com/nwzSCABrbR

— Peter St Onge, Ph.D. (@profstonge) June 16, 2025

After months of pundits, politicians, and partisan hacks kvetching about the aggressive tariff regime put forth by the Trump administration, we're beginning to see some data tickle in that makes it seem as if the tariff strategy may actually be working. At the end of last week, inflation data hit the market cooler than expected. Some core components coming in below the Federal Reserve's 2% inflation target. Granted, the CPI is manipulated and may be underreporting actual inflation. However, if we're simply comparing the CPI to itself, it seems to be moving in the right direction if, like me, you don't like when prices consistently rise month on month, year on year, decade on decade.

On top of this, the amount of revenue that tariffs are bringing in is significant and rising quickly. In May, tariff revenue collected in the U.S. hit a record of $22.3 billion. In April, the U.S. government brought in $16.5 billion from tariffs, and collectively, since Trump took office, the government has brought in around $67.2 billion in tariff revenue. Tariffs now reflect 4% of the total federal revenue, which is up from an average of 2% over the last few years. If this trend keeps up, the idea that tariffs can replace income tax revenue in the United States seems to be validated. Even better, it seems that the increased inflation that many were warning about hasn't materialized yet. There could be a way to increase the revenue of the federal government without increasing taxes on American producers while keeping prices lower. This is a beautiful thing.

I don't think it's time to ring the bell and claim victory in regards to tariffs and inflation quite yet, but this is extremely encouraging and something that all of you should be monitoring closely in the months ahead. Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, I think we should all celebrate if the bold strategy of levying tariffs on the rest of the world to bring manufacturing home, while the government produces revenue via means that don't attack the income of individual citizens actually works out in the end.

It's crazy what pricing your life in Bitcoin does as you surf the internet. This newsletter was partly inspired by the video above from our good friend Peter St. Onge, but also because of this tweet I saw earlier today that priced the tariff revenue in bitcoin.

via The Kobeissi Letter

The Kobeissi Letter did not include the bitcoin denominations in its tweet. Our browser extension, Opportunity Cost, automatically injected it into the tweet so that I could understand how much revenue the government is bringing in in terms of Bitcoin. If they chose to use Bitcoin as a reserve asset.

It's crazy to think that at current bitcoin prices and if tariff revenue stays at the level it reached last month, the United States government could acquire a strategic reserve of 1 million bitcoin in less than five months. That really puts things into perspective, for me at least, about how much money is being thrown around the system both in the private markets and the public sector.

We are still extremely early in terms of bitcoin's adoption and monetization. Just looking at the tweet makes me want to tap somebody on the shoulder in the government and say, "Hey, look at this. If you sacrifice less than five months of tariff revenue and funnel that into bitcoin, you could have your strategic reserve by the end of the year. Before Thanksgiving even."

If tariff revenue continues to increase at the pace it has over the last couple of months, and the economy recovers, inflation isn't that bad, why not? Why not start building the strategic reserve with some of these revenues? A man can dream.

Washington's Bitcoin Awakening: From Crime Concerns to Strategic Asset

Ken Egan described a remarkable shift in how Washington views Bitcoin. Just a year ago, he recalls fighting defensive battles against basic misconceptions about criminal use and technical vulnerabilities. Today, policymakers ask sophisticated questions about Bitcoin's role in global monetary competition and national security strategy. Egan emphasized that discussions no longer waste time on "is it just for buying drugs" but instead focus on how Bitcoin can counter China's parallel financial systems and strengthen America's competitive position.

"There are people thinking, even the Department of Energy, some of whom will be at our conference, thinking really deeply about everything this ecosystem has to offer and how we can apply it to sort of a comprehensive national security strategy." - Ken Egan

Multiple government departments are now actively exploring Bitcoin's potential, Egan revealed. The Department of Defense examines mining for energy resilience, while the Department of Energy considers grid applications. Trump's executive order formally distinguished Bitcoin from other cryptocurrencies, signaling institutional recognition of its unique properties. This evolution from skepticism to strategic thinking represents a fundamental transformation in how America's policy establishment approaches Bitcoin.

Check out the full podcast here for more on institutional Bitcoin adoption, resistance money warnings, and bipartisan coalition building.

---

Headlines of the Day

France Eyes Bitcoin Mining to Use Excess Energy - via X

Truth Social Files for Bitcoin ETF - via X

French Firm Raises €9.7M to Expand Bitcoin Treasury - via X

China's DDC Enterprise Adds 38 BTC to Treasury - via X

Get our new STACK SATS hat - via tftcmerch.io

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Bitcoin’s Next Parabolic Move: Could Liquidity Lead the Way?

Is bitcoin’s next parabolic move starting? Global liquidity and business cycle indicators suggest it may be.

Read the latest report from Unchained and TechDev, analyzing how global M2 liquidity and the copper/gold ratio—two historically reliable macro indicators—are aligning once again to signal that a new bitcoin bull market may soon begin.

Download the report here

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Ten31, the largest bitcoin-focused investor, has deployed $150.00M across 30+ companies through three funds. I am a Managing Partner at Ten31 and am very proud of the work we are doing. Learn more at ten31.vc/invest.

---

Final thought...

The best way to start your Monday morning is for the brake system in your car to completely shit the bed and force you to sit on the side of the road for a tow truck for two hours.

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Download our free browser extension, Opportunity Cost: https://www.opportunitycost.app/ start thinking in SATS today.

Get this newsletter sent to your inbox daily: https://www.tftc.io/bitcoin-brief/

Subscribe to our YouTube channels and follow us on Nostr and X:

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

French authorities are intensifying their fight against kidnappings related to the digital asset sector with a new series of arrests.

French law enforcement has made further arrests in an investigation concerning a kidnapping case connected to the cryptocurrency world. According to the public broadcaster France 24, on June 11 several individuals suspected of involvement in the abduction of the father of a crypto entrepreneur were detained.

The case that drew international attention involves the father of an anonymous crypto entrepreneur, who was held captive for several days on an isolated property. The criminals, in their ransom demands, went as far as to cut off one of the victim’s fingers as a form of psychological pressure, demanding up to €7 million (about $8 million) for his release.

The rescue operation, carried out on May 3 by French special forces, led to the victim’s liberation and the arrest of five people on site. However, investigations uncovered a wider criminal network, resulting in new arrests, the exact number of which has not yet been disclosed by authorities.

French authorities did not limit their actions to national territory. On June 4, a man suspected to be a key figure behind the series of crypto kidnappings in France was arrested in Morocco.

The escalation of crypto kidnappings in 2025

Data shows an increase in crypto-related kidnappings in France and worldwide. The phenomenon has grown to such proportions that French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau convened an emergency meeting to address the issue.

Among the most notable cases of 2025 is the attempted daytime kidnapping of Pierre Noizat’s daughter and grandson. Noizat is the co-founder and CEO of the French exchange Paymium; the incident took place on May 13.

According to data from Jameson Lopp, co-founder of Casa, at least 29 personal attacks against cryptocurrency holders have been recorded in 2025 alone. If this trend continues, the annual total could surpass the 35 cases reported in 2024 and the 24 cases in 2023.

The post France: new arrests linked to crypto kidnappings appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 9f2b5b64:e811118f

1234

@ 9f2b5b64:e811118f

test propose 123

@ 04c3c1a5:a94cf83d

testest 123 456

789

@ 04c3c1a5:a94cf83d

testtest

123

@ 04c3c1a5:a94cf83d

testtesttest

@ 374ee93a:36623347

Chef's notes

A quick and easy recipe to help preserve your fresh strawberry harvest for months to come with the addition of vanilla to bring out that summer flavour.

Made with 20% extra fruit than standard supermarket jam. To make a reduced sugar version you can use Pomona's Pectin or accept runny jam ;)

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 10 mins
• 🍳 Cook time: 30 mins
• 🍽️ Servings: 5 jars

Ingredients

• 1.2kg fresh hulled strawberries
• 1kg golden cane sugar (can sub honey or maple syrup 1:1)
• 1 lemon
• 1 vanilla pod (or 1 tbspn extract)

Directions

1. Remove the green stalks from your strawberries and cut into quarters
2. Pare the lemon zest and reserve for another recipe (such as lemon curd, or cocktails!), chop roughly and add to a pan inside a small muslin bag)
3. Gently cook the strawberries and lemon together with a lid on the pan for 15-20 minutes, until the lemon pith softens
4. Squeeze the muslin bag to get as much pectin out as possiblem then add 1kg sugar to the miture and boil on high
5. The jam can be tested for set after approx 10 mins boiling, spoon a small amount onto a chilled plate and place in the freezer for 2 minutes. If the jam wrinkles when pushed with a spoon it is ready to pot into sterlised jars. If it still appears runny cook for a further 5 minutes and repeat testing

@ e1cde248:609c13b0

ในปี 1975 มหาวิทยาลัย Yale ได้ทำการศึกษาจากกลุ่มคนที่มีอายุตั้งแต่ 50 ปีจำนวน 660 คน ในหัวข้อ ความเห็นที่มีต่อ “การสูงวัยขึ้น(aging)”

กลุ่มที่หนึ่ง มีความเห็นและความเชื่อที่เป็นด้านบวก ทั้งในเรื่องสุขภาพ ความคิด ความคาดหวังที่ดี เมื่อแก่ตัวขึ้น

กลุ่มที่สอง มีความเห็นและความเชื่อที่เป็นด้านลบ ประมาณว่า “การออกกำลังกายไม่ได้ทำอะไรให้ดีขึ้นหรอก ยังไงก็ต้องป่วย ต้องตายอยู่ดี”

ปรากฎว่า เมื่อผ่านไป 23 ปี กลุ่มที่หนึ่งมีอายุขัยเฉลี่ยมากกว่ากลุ่มที่สอง ถึง 7.6 ปี ซึ่งเป็นตัวเลขที่แตกต่างกันมาก

การศึกษานี้ต้องการจะบอกอะไรกับเรา?

แน่นอนว่า ผลลัพธ์ทุกอย่าง เกิดขึ้นได้ จากการกระทำ เวลาที่เราวางแผนจะลงมือทำอะไร ล้วนแต่เริ่มต้นจาก การตั้งเป้าหมาย ทั้งสิ้น

แต่คำถามคือ เมื่อบรรลุเป้าหมายแล้ว ยังไงต่อ?

ข้อเสียอย่างหนึ่ง ของการตั้งเป้าหมายโดยมีรากฐานมาจากผลลัพธ์ที่ต้องการ คือ เรามีแนวโน้มที่จะ “หยุดทำ” เมื่อได้ผลลัพธ์ที่ต้องการแล้ว

ยกตัวอย่างเช่น การลดน้ำหนัก เราชอบมองเรื่องของการลดน้ำหนักเป็นเหมือน การจัดแคมเปญ โดยมีช่วงเวลาที่กำหนด และเมื่อบรรลุเป้าหมาย เราก็กลับมามีพฤติกรรมแบบเดิม ซึ่งทำให้น้ำหนักที่ลดลงไป กลับมา

James Clear ผู้เขียนหนังสือชื่อ Atomic Habits ได้กล่าวว่า แค่การวางแผน และลงมือทำ ไม่ได้นำมาซึ่งผลลัพธ์ที่ยั่งยืน

แต่สิ่งที่สำคัญกว่า ที่เราต้องทำคือ การกำหนดตัวตนของเราใหม่

เวลาที่เราต้องการลดน้ำหนัก 10 กิโล ให้เรามองลึกลงไปกว่าการวางแผนเรื่องการกิน และการออกกำลังกาย

แต่ให้ตั้งเป้าหมายว่า

“ต่อไปนี้ฉันจะเป็นคนที่ เลือกกินที่แต่ของที่มีประโยชน์ และจะออกกำลังกายสม่ำเสมอ” “ฉันไม่ใช่คนที่ชอบกินขนมและของที่มีน้ำตาลสูง” “ฉันเป็นนักกีฬาที่เข้มงวดต่อตารางฝึกซ้อม”

การกำหนดตัวตนของเราใหม่ เป็นเหมือนการปรับเปลี่ยน Mindset ถ้าเรา “โฟกัส” ลงไปที่แก่นของพฤติกรรมแล้ว “ผลลัพธ์” แบบที่เราต้องการจะมาเอง และยั่งยืนกว่า

การศึกษาของมหาวิทยาลัย Yale เป็นข้อพิสูจน์ของเรื่องนี้ได้อย่างดี เพราะกลุ่มคนที่มีความเชื่อที่เป็นด้านบวก จะให้ความสำคัญต่อการออกกำลังกายมากขึ้น หยุดกินเหล้า หยุดสูบบุหรี่ และใช้เวลาอยู่กับคนที่มีมุมมองเป็นบวกเหมือนกัน

เมื่อเราได้ติดสินใจแล้วว่า คนแบบไหนที่เราต้องการจะเป็น พฤติกรรมต่างๆในชีวิตประจำวันของเราจะค่อยๆ เปลี่ยนไป และจะยิ่งเห็นผลชัดเจนขึ้นเรื่อยๆในระยะยาว

เรา คือผลลัพธ์ของ สิ่งที่เราลงมือทำ

เรา คือผลลัพธ์ของ การตัดสินใจของเรา

@ bf47c19e:c3d2573b

27.08.2014

Originalni tekst na fee.org / Autor: Džefri A. Taker

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Oni koji se koriste delom Mizesa da bi osporili Bitkoin trebalo bi ponovo da razmisle.

Mnogi ljudi koji nikada nisu koristili Bitkoin posmatraju ga sa zbunjenošću. Zašto ovaj magični internet novac uopšte ima bilo kakvu vrednost? To je samo nekakva kompjuterska stvar koju je neko izmislio.

Uzmite u obzir kritike zlatoljubaca, koji su decenijama gurali ideju da čvrst novac mora biti podržan nečim stvarnim, čvrstim i vrednim samim po sebi.

Bitkoin ne ispunjava te uslove, zar ne?

Možda ipak ispunjava. Pogledajmo detaljnije.

Bitkoin se prvi put pojavio pre skoro šest godina kao mogući konkurent nacionalnom novcu kojim upravlja država. Beli papir Satošija Nakamota objavljen je 31. oktobra 2008. godine. Struktura i jezik ovog rada poslali su poruku: Ova valuta je za kompjuterske tehničare, a ne za ekonomiste niti za političke komentatore. Domet ovog rada je bio ograničen; početnici koji su ga čitali bili su zbunjeni.

Ali nedostatak interesovanja nije sprečio istoriju da ide napred. Dva meseca kasnije, oni koji su obraćali pažnju videli su pojavu Genesis bloka, prve grupe Bitkoina generisanih putem Nakamotovog koncepta distribuirane knjige (distributed ledger) koja je postojala na bilo kom kompjuterskom čvoru na svetu koji je želeo da je hostuje.

Ovde smo šest godina kasnije, a jedan Bitkoin vredi 500 američkih dolara, dok je njegova najviša vrednost bila 1.200 dolara po novčiću. Ovu valutu prihvata na hiljade institucija, kako onlajn, tako i oflajn. Njen platni sistem je veoma popularan u siromašnim zemljama koje nemaju razvijenu bankarsku infrastrukturu, ali i u razvijenim zemljama. Velike institucije – uključujući Federalne rezerve, OECD, Svetsku banku i velike investicione kuće – posvećuju mu pažnju sa dužnim poštovanjem.

Entuzijasti, koji se nalaze u svakoj zemlji, kažu da će njegova tržišna vrednost u budućnosti rasti jer je njegova ponuda strogo ograničena i pruža sistem koji je znatno superiorniji od državnog novca. Bitkoin se prenosi između pojedinaca bez posrednika. Razmena je gotovo besplatna. Ima predvidivu ponudu. Trajan je, zamenljiv i deljiv: sve su to ključne karakteristike novca. Stvara monetarni sistem koji ne zavisi od poverenja i identiteta, a mnogo manje od centralnih banaka i države. To je novi sistem za digitalno doba.

Teške pouke o čvrstom novcu

Onima koji su obrazovani u tradiciji 'čvrstog novca', cela ideja je predstavljala ozbiljan izazov. Govoreći o sebi, čitao sam o Bitkoinu dve godine pre nego što sam makar približno uspeo da ga razumem. Jednostavno, nešto u celoj toj ideji mi je smetalo. Ne možete stvoriti novac ni iz čega, a kamoli iz kompjuterskog koda. Zašto onda ima vrednost? Mora da nešto nije kako treba. Nismo očekivali da će se novac tako reformisati.

Tu je i problem: naša očekivanja. Trebalo je da posvetimo više pažnje teoriji porekla novca Ludviga fon Mizesa — ne onome što mislimo da je on napisao, već onome što je on zaista napisao.

Godine 1912. Mizes je objavio delo "Teorija novca i kredita". Kada je objavljeno na nemačkom, postiglo je ogroman uspeh u Evropi i prevedeno je na engleski jezik. Iako je obuhvatilo svaki aspekt novca, njegov ključni doprinos bio je u praćenju vrednosti i cene novca — i ne samo novca — sve do njegovog porekla. To jest, objasnio je kako novac formira svoju cenu u smislu dobara i usluga koje se njime mogu nabaviti. Kasnije je ovaj proces nazvao "teoremom regresije novca" i ispostavilo se da Bitkoin zadovoljava sve uslove te teoreme.

Mizesov učitelj, Karl Menger, demonstrirao je da sam novac potiče sa tržišta – a ne od države i ne od društvenog ugovora. On se postepeno pojavljuje dok monetarni preduzetnici traže idealan oblik robe za indirektnu razmenu. Umesto da neposredno vrše trampu, ljudi pribavljaju neko dobro ne da bi ga konzumirali, već da bi ga razmenili. To dobro postaje novac, najtržišnije dobro.

Ali Mizes je dodao da se vrednost novca prati unazad kroz vreme sve do njegove vrednosti kao robe koja je služila za trampu. Mizes je smatrao da je to jedini način na koji novac može imati vrednost.

"Teorija vrednosti novca kao takvog može pratiti objektivnu tržišnu vrednost novca kroz vreme samo do tačke kada njegova vrednost prestaje da bude vrednost kao novca i postaje isključivo vrednost kao robe... Ako se na ovaj način neprestano vraćamo sve dalje unazad, na kraju moramo doći do tačke gde više ne nalazimo nijednu komponentu u objektivnoj tržišnoj vrednosti novca koja proističe iz vrednovanja zasnovanih na funkciji novca kao opšteg sredstva razmene; gde vrednost novca nije ništa drugo do vrednost predmeta koji je koristan na neki drugi način osim kao novac... Pre nego što je postalo uobičajeno nabavljati robu na tržištu, ne za ličnu potrošnju, već jednostavno radi ponovne razmene za robu za kojom zaista postoji potreba, svakoj pojedinačnoj robi pripisivana je samo ona vrednost data subjektivnim vrednovanjem zasnovanom na njenoj direktnoj korisnosti."

Mizesovo objašnjenje rešilo je veliki problem koji je dugo zbunjivao ekonomiste. Radi se o nagađajućem istorijskom narativu, a ipak ima savršenog smisla. Da li bi so postala novac da je inače bila potpuno beskorisna? Da li bi dabrovo krzno dobilo monetarnu vrednost da nije bilo korisno kao odeća? Da li bi srebro ili zlato imali novčanu vrednost da isprva nisu imali vrednost kao roba? Odgovor u svim slučajevima monetarne istorije je jasno ne. Početna vrednost novca, pre nego što postane široko razmenjivano kao novac, potiče iz njegove direktne korisnosti. To je objašnjenje koje je demonstrirano kroz istorijsku rekonstrukciju. To je Mizesova teorema regresije novca.

Upotrebna vrednost Bitkoina

Na prvi pogled, Bitkoin deluje kao izuzetak. Ne možete koristiti Bitkoin ni za šta drugo osim kao novac. Ne može se nositi kao nakit. Ne možete od njega napraviti mašinu. Ne možete ga jesti, pa čak ni koristiti ga kao dekoraciju. Njegova vrednost se ostvaruje samo kao jedinica koja olakšava indirektnu razmenu. Pa ipak, Bitkoin je već novac. Koristi se svakodnevno. Razmene možete videti u realnom vremenu. To nije mit. Ta stvar je stvarna.

Može izgledati kao da smo prinuđeni da biramo. Da li je Mizes pogrešio? Možda moramo odbaciti celu njegovu teoriju. Ili je možda njegova poenta bila isključivo istorijska i nije primenjiva na budućnost digitalnog doba. Ili je možda njegova teorema regresije dokaz da je Bitkoin samo prazna manija bez snage da potraje jer se ne može svesti na svoju vrednost kao korisna roba.

Pa ipak, ne morate se pozivati na komplikovane monetarne teorije da biste razumeli osećaj uzbune koji okružuje Bitkoin. Mnogi ljudi, kao i ja, jednostavno osećaju nelagodu u vezi sa novcem koji nema nikakvu fizičku osnovu. Naravno, možete odštampati Bitkoin na komadu papira, ali posedovanje papira sa QR kodom ili javnim ključem nije dovoljno da ublaži taj osećaj nelagode.

Kako da rešimo ovaj problem? U svojoj glavi, zabavljao sam se ovim pitanjem više od godinu dana. Zbunjivalo me je. Pitao sam se da li je Mizesovo shvatanje primenjivo samo u preddigitalnom dobu. Pratio sam onlajn spekulacije da bi vrednost Bitkoina bila nula, da nema nacionalnih valuta u koje se konvertuje. Možda je potražnja za Bitkoinom prevazišla zahteve Mizesovog scenarija zbog očajničke potrebe za nečim drugačijim od dolara.

Vreme je prolazilo — i čitajući radove Konrada Grafa, Petera Šurde i Danijela Kraviša — rešenje je konačno samo stiglo. Preći ću odmah na stvar i otkriti ga: Bitkoin je i sistem plaćanja i novac. Sistem plaćanja je izvor vrednosti, dok obračunska jedinica samo izražava tu vrednost u smislu cene. Jedinstvo novca i plaćanja je njegova najneobičnija karakteristika i ona koju je većina komentatora imala poteškoća da shvati.

Navikli smo da razmišljamo o valuti kao o nečemu što je odvojeno od sistema plaćanja. Ovo razmišljanje je odraz istorijskih tehnoloških ograničenja. Postoji dolar i postoje kreditne kartice. Postoji evro i postoji PayPal. Postoji jen i postoje servisi za prenos novca. U svim ovim slučajevima, transfer novca se oslanja na pružaoce usluga koji predstavljaju treću stranu. Da biste ih koristili, potrebno je da uspostavite ono što se naziva „odnos poverenja“ (trust relationship) sa njima, što znači da institucija koja dogovara posao mora da vam veruje da ćete platiti.

Ovaj jaz između novca i plaćanja uvek je bio prisutan, osim u slučaju fizičke blizine. Ako ti dam dolar za parče pice, nema treće strane. Ali sistemi plaćanja, treće strane i odnosi poverenja postaju neophodni kada napustite geografsku blizinu. Tada kompanije poput Vise i institucije poput banaka postaju nezaobilazne. One su ta aplikacija koja omogućava monetarnom softveru da radi ono što želite.

Problem je u tome što sistemi plaćanja koje danas imamo nisu dostupni svakome. Zapravo, ogromna većina čovečanstva nema pristup takvim alatima, što je glavni razlog siromaštva u svetu. Oni koji su finansijski obespravljeni su ograničeni samo na lokalnu trgovinu i ne mogu proširiti svoje trgovinske odnose sa svetom.

Vodeći, ako ne i primarni, cilj nastanka Bitkoina bio je rešavanje ovog problema. Protokol je postavio sebi zadatak da poveže funkciju valute sa sistemom plaćanja. Te dve stvari su potpuno međusobno povezane u samoj strukturi koda. Ova veza je ono što čini Bitkoin drugačijim od bilo koje postojeće nacionalne valute i, zaista, bilo koje valute u istoriji.

Neka nam se sam Nakamoto obrati iz uvodnog sažetka svog belog papira. Zapazite koliko je platni sistem ključan za monetarni sistem koji je stvorio:

"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."

Ono što je veoma upečatljivo u ovom paragrafu je da se uopšte ne spominje sama valuta. Spominje se samo problem dvostruke potrošnje (odnosno, problem inflatornog stvaranja novca). Inovacija ovde je, čak i prema rečima njenog pronalazača, platna mreža, a ne novčić. Novčić ili digitalna jedinica samo izražava vrednost mreže. To je računovodstveni alat koji apsorbuje i prenosi vrednost mreže kroz vreme i prostor.

Ova mreža se naziva blokčejn. To je knjiga transakcija koja živi u digitalnom oblaku, distribuirana mreža i njeno funkcionisanje može posmatrati svako u bilo koje vreme. Pažljivo je nadgledaju svi korisnici. Omogućava prenos sigurnih i neponovljivih bitova informacija od jedne osobe do bilo koje druge osobe bilo gde u svetu, a ovi informacioni bitovi su zaštićeni digitalnim oblikom vlasništva. Ovo je ono što je Nakamoto nazvao „digitalnim potpisima“. Njegov izum knjige transakcija koja se nalazi na oblaku omogućava proveru vlasničkih prava bez oslanjanja na agenciju koja vrši ulogu treće strane od poverenja.

Blokčejn je rešio ono što je postalo poznato kao "problem vizantijskih generala". To je problem koordinacije akcija na velikom geografskom području u prisustvu potencijalno zlonamernih aktera. Budući da se generali razdvojeni prostorom moraju oslanjati na glasnike i to oslanjanje zahteva vreme i poverenje, nijedan general ne može biti apsolutno siguran da je drugi general primio i potvrdio poruku, a kamoli njenu tačnost.

Postavljanje knjige transakcija, kojoj svi imaju pristup, na Internet rešava ovaj problem. Knjiga transakcija beleži iznose, vremena i javne adrese svake transakcije. Informacije se dele širom sveta i stalno se ažuriraju. Knjiga transakcija garantuje integritet sistema i omogućava da valutna jedinica postane digitalni oblik imovine sa vlasništvom.

Kada ovo shvatite, možete videti da je suština vrednosti Bitkoin povezana sa njegovom integrisanom platnom mrežom. Ovde se pronalazi upotrebna vrednost na koju se Mizes poziva. Ona nije ugrađena u samu valutnu jedinicu, već u briljantan i inovativan platni sistem na kojem Bitkoin živi. Kada bi bilo moguće da se blokčejn nekako odvoji od Bitkoina (a to zaista nije moguće), vrednost valute bi odmah pala na nulu.

Dokaz koncepta

Da biste dalje razumeli kako se Mizesova teorija uklapa u Bitkoin, morate razumeti još jednu stvar u vezi sa istorijom kriptovalute. Na dan pokretanja (9. januar 2009.), vrednost Bitkoina bila je tačno nula. I tako je ostalo 10 meseci nakon pokretanja. Sve to vreme su se transakcije odvijale, ali tokom celog tog perioda vrednost nije bila iznad nule.

Prva objavljena cena Bitkoina pojavila se 5. oktobra 2009. Na ovoj menjačnici, 1 dolar je iznosio 1.309,03 Bitkoina (što su mnogi tada smatrali precenjenim). Drugim rečima, prva procena vrednosti Bitkoina bila je nešto više od jedne desetine penija. Da, da ste kupili Bitkoin u vrednosti od 100 dolara u to vreme i niste ih panično prodali, danas biste bili „polu-milijarder“.

Dakle, postavlja se pitanje: Šta se dogodilo između 9. januara i 5. oktobra 2009. godine, što je dovelo do toga da Bitkoin dobije tržišnu vrednost? Odgovor je da su trgovci, entuzijasti, preduzetnici i drugi isprobavali blokčejn. Želeli su da znaju da li funkcioniše. Da li je prenosio jedinice bez dvostruke potrošnje? Da li je sistem koji se oslanjao na dobrovoljnu računarsku snagu zaista bio dovoljan za verifikaciju i potvrđivanje transakcija? Da li bitkoini koji su dodeljeni kao nagrada završavaju tamo gde treba kao naknada za usluge verifikacije? I iznad svega, da li je ovaj novi sistem zaista uspeo da uradi ono što se činilo nemogućim – to jest, da prenosi bezbedne delove informacija zasnovanih na vlasničkim pravima kroz geografski prostor, bez posredovanja neke treće strane, već direktno između korisnika (peer-to-peer)?

Potrajalo je 10 meseci da se izgradi poverenje. Bilo je potrebno još 18 meseci dok Bitkoin nije dostigao paritet sa američkim dolarom. Ovu istoriju je ključno razumeti, pogotovo ako se oslanjate na teoriju porekla novca koja spekuliše o praistoriji novca, kao što to čini Misesova regresiona teorema. Bitkoin nije uvek bio novac koji ima vrednost. Nekada je bio čisto računovodstvena jedinica vezana za knjigu transakcija (ledger). Ova knjiga transakcija je pribavila ono što je Mises nazvao „upotrebnom vrednošću“. Svi uslovi teoreme su time zadovoljeni.

Zavšni obračun

Da ponovimo, ako neko kaže da se Bitkoin zasniva ni na čemu drugom osim na "običnoj magli", da ne može biti novac jer nema pravu istoriju kao istinska roba i, bez obzira da li je ta osoba početnik ili visoko obučeno ekonomista, morate istaći dve centralne tačke. Prvo, Bitkoin nije samostalna valuta već obračunska jedinica vezana za inovativnu platnu mrežu. Drugo, ova mreža, a samim tim i Bitkoin, svoju tržišnu vrednost stekla je isključivo kroz testiranje u realnom vremenu u tržišnom okruženju.

Drugim rečima, ako zanemarimo impresivne tehničke karakteristike, Bitkoin je prešao put baš kao i svaka druga valuta, od soli do zlata. Ljudi su smatrali da je platni sistem koristan, a vezana računovodstvena jedinica je bila prenosiva, deljiva, zamenljiva, trajna i retka.

Novac je rođen. Ovaj novac poseduje sve istorijski najbolje osobine novca, ali uključuje i bestežinsku i besprostornu platnu mrežu koja omogućava celom svetu da trguje bez potrebe za trećim stranama.

Ali primetite nešto što je izuzetno važno. Kod blokčejna se ne radi samo o novcu. Radi se o bilo kakvom prenosu informacija koji zahteva sigurnost, potvrđivanje i punu garanciju autentičnosti. Ovo se odnosi na ugovore i transakcije svih vrsta, sve obavljene direktno između stranaka (peer-to-peer). Zamislite svet bez trećih strana, uključujući i najopasniju treću stranu ikada stvorenu od strane čoveka: samu Državu. Zamislite tu budućnost i počećete da shvatate implikacije naše budućnosti u svojoj potpunosti.

Mises bi bio zapanjen i iznenađen Bitkoinom. Ali možda bi osećao i ponos što je njegova monetarna teorija, stara više od 100 godina, potvrđena i dobila novi život u 21. veku.

@ e1cde248:609c13b0

ในการกล่าวสุนทรพจน์หลักในงาน Bitcoin 2025 ไมเคิล เซย์เลอร์ (Michael Saylor) นักเคลื่อนไหวชื่อดังด้านบิตคอยน์และซีอีโอของบริษัท MicroStrategy ได้บรรยายหัวข้อที่ทรงพลังชื่อว่า "21 วิธีสู่ความมั่งคั่ง" เขาได้เสนอเส้นทางเชิงกลยุทธ์สำหรับบุคคลทั่วไป ครอบครัว และธุรกิจขนาดเล็ก ในการบรรลุความมั่งคั่งทางการเงินผ่านบิตคอยน์

ต่างจากคำพูดก่อนหน้าของเขาที่มุ่งเป้าไปที่สถาบันและรัฐบาล คำพูดนี้ถูกออกแบบมาสำหรับผู้คนทั้ง 8 พันล้านคน บนโลก โดยเน้นขั้นตอนปฏิบัติที่สามารถใช้บิตคอยน์เป็นทรัพย์สินเปลี่ยนชีวิตอย่างแท้จริง ด้านล่างนี้คือการสำรวจเชิงลึกใน 21 หลักการ ของเซย์เลอร์ ซึ่งเปรียบเสมือนพิมพ์เขียวในการสร้างความมั่งคั่งในยุคดิจิทัล:

1. ความชัดเจน (Clarity): เข้าใจบิตคอยน์ในฐานะทุนที่สมบูรณ์แบบ เซย์เลอร์เริ่มต้นด้วยแนวคิดเรื่อง “ความชัดเจน” โดยเน้นว่าบิตคอยน์คือ "ทุนที่ถูกออกแบบอย่างสมบูรณ์" ซึ่งไม่สามารถถูกทำลายหรือดัดแปลงได้ ความเข้าใจนี้เป็นพื้นฐานสำคัญในการยอมรับศักยภาพของบิตคอยน์ในฐานะรากฐานของความมั่งคั่ง

2. ความเชื่อมั่น (Conviction): ศรัทธาในศักยภาพการเติบโตเหนือกว่า เซย์เลอร์ยืนยันว่าบิตคอยน์ถูกออกแบบมาให้เติบโตเร็วกว่าสินทรัพย์ทั่วไป เช่น หุ้น ทองคำ หรืออสังหาริมทรัพย์ การมีความเชื่อมั่นอย่างแท้จริงเป็นสิ่งจำเป็นต่อการให้ความสำคัญกับบิตคอยน์เหนือการลงทุนแบบดั้งเดิม

3. ความกล้า (Courage): ยอมรับความเสี่ยงทางการเงินอย่างชาญฉลาด บิตคอยน์คือการยอมรับความเสี่ยงที่คำนวณได้อย่างชาญฉลาด ไม่ใช่ความกลัวหรือการพนัน ผู้ที่ "เติมเชื้อไฟ" ให้กับระบบนี้คือผู้ที่เปลี่ยนเงินเฟียตหรือสินทรัพย์ด้อยค่ามาเป็นบิตคอยน์

4. ความร่วมมือ (Cooperation): ผนึกกำลังในครอบครัวเพื่อความแข็งแกร่ง เมื่อครอบครัวร่วมมือกัน ศักยภาพในการสร้างความมั่งคั่งจะเพิ่มทวีคูณ เซย์เลอร์เสนอให้ครอบครัวผสานความสามารถและทรัพยากร เพื่อผลักดันกันและกันสู่อนาคตที่ดีกว่า

5. ความสามารถ (Capability): เชี่ยวชาญปัญญาประดิษฐ์ ในปี 2025 AI เป็นกุญแจสำคัญในการปลดล็อกโอกาสทางการเงินระดับสูง โดยที่บุคคลทั่วไปสามารถเข้าถึงคำแนะนำจากทนาย นักบัญชี หรือผู้เชี่ยวชาญ โดยไม่เสียค่าใช้จ่าย

6. การจัดวางโครงสร้าง (Composition): สร้างนิติบุคคลเพื่อป้องกันและขยายผล การตั้งบริษัท ทรัสต์ หรือโครงสร้างทางกฎหมาย เช่น IRA หรือ 401(k) คือวิธีเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพในการลงทุนบิตคอยน์อย่างปลอดภัยและถูกกฎหมาย

7. สัญชาติทางเศรษฐกิจ (Citizenship): เลือกฐานภาษีอย่างชาญฉลาด เลือกอยู่ในพื้นที่หรือประเทศที่เป็นมิตรกับบิตคอยน์ เช่น ฟลอริดา หรือประเทศอย่างสิงคโปร์ เพื่อลดภาระภาษีและเพิ่มเสถียรภาพระยะยาว

8. ความสุภาพ (Civility): เคารพโครงสร้างอำนาจ ไม่จำเป็นต้องล้มล้างระบบเก่า เพียงแค่รู้จักเคารพอำนาจและสร้างพันธมิตรในทางที่สร้างสรรค์เพื่อเดินหน้ากับบิตคอยน์ได้

9. การใช้บริษัท (Corporation): บริษัทคือเครื่องจักรสร้างความมั่งคั่ง บริษัทสามารถใช้ประโยชน์จากระบบการเงินและภาษีได้ดีกว่าปัจเจกบุคคล จึงควรจัดตั้งนิติบุคคลเพื่อลงทุนในบิตคอยน์อย่างจริงจัง

10. โฟกัส (Focus): อย่าหลงทาง อย่าวอกแวกไปกับธุรกิจเสี่ยงสูงหรือเหรียญอื่น ๆ เพราะบิตคอยน์มีประวัติผลตอบแทนสูงอย่างสม่ำเสมอ

11. การมีส่วนร่วม (Equity): ร่วมมือกับนักลงทุน ให้ผู้อื่นร่วมลงทุนในกิจการของคุณ เช่น หมอฟันอาจขายหุ้นบางส่วนของคลินิกเพื่อนำเงินไปลงทุนในบิตคอยน์

12. เครดิต (Credit): ใช้หนี้เป็นเครื่องมือ กู้เงินดอกเบี้ยต่ำและลงทุนในบิตคอยน์ที่มีแนวโน้มเติบโตสูง เพื่อทำกำไรจากส่วนต่างระหว่างดอกเบี้ยกับผลตอบแทน

13. การปฏิบัติตามกฎ (Compliance): ทำตามกฎหมาย สร้างบริษัทที่สอดคล้องกับกฎระเบียบเพื่อขยายเงินทุนได้อย่างมั่นคงและปลอดภัย

14. การระดมทุน (Capitalization): หาเงินลงทุนอย่างต่อเนื่อง ไม่ว่าจะจากการขายหุ้น หรือรีไฟแนนซ์ทรัพย์สินส่วนตัว ทุกโอกาสคือช่องทางในการระดมทุนและลงทุนต่อในบิตคอยน์

15. การสื่อสาร (Communication): โปร่งใสและจริงใจ การเปิดเผยแผนและเป้าหมายอย่างชัดเจนจะสร้างความไว้วางใจจากนักลงทุน พนักงาน และลูกค้า

16. ความมุ่งมั่น (Commitment): อยู่กับบิตคอยน์ ไม่หลงทาง หลีกเลี่ยงเหรียญอื่น ๆ หรือโปรเจกต์ที่ไม่มั่นคง ยึดมั่นในบิตคอยน์เพื่อเสถียรภาพระยะยาว

17. การลงมือทำ (Delivery): ลงมือจริงอย่างแม่นยำ ไม่ใช่แค่คิด แต่ต้องทำอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ สม่ำเสมอ และไม่ประมาท

18. การปรับตัว (Adaptation): พร้อมเปลี่ยนแปลงเมื่อจำเป็น ระบบใด ๆ ก็มีวันล้มเหลว การปรับตัวตามสถานการณ์คือสิ่งที่ทำให้ยืนหยัดได้ในระยะยาว

19. วิวัฒนาการ (Evolution): เติบโตจากจุดแข็ง ขยายธุรกิจจากสิ่งที่คุณเชี่ยวชาญ แทนที่จะพยายามเริ่มสิ่งใหม่จากศูนย์

20. การเผยแพร่ (Advocacy): เป็นกระบอกเสียงเพื่อเสรีภาพทางเศรษฐกิจ บอกต่อและสอนผู้อื่นให้เข้าใจบิตคอยน์ เพื่อขยายเครือข่ายแห่งความมั่งคั่ง

21. ความเอื้อเฟื้อ (Generosity): แบ่งปันความสำเร็จ การช่วยเหลือครอบครัว ชุมชน และพนักงาน ด้วยทรัพยากรที่คุณมี จะสร้างความสุขทั้งต่อตัวคุณและโลก

เซย์เลอร์จบท้ายด้วยคำของซาโตชิ นากาโมโตะว่า:

“มันอาจจะดีถ้ามี bitcoin ไว้บ้าง เผื่อว่ามันจะกลายเป็นสิ่งสำคัญในอนาคต”

หลังจาก 16 ปีแห่งการเติบโตและมูลค่าตลาดกว่า 2 ล้านล้านดอลลาร์ หลักการทั้ง 21 ข้อนี้คือพิมพ์เขียวแห่งเสรีภาพทางการเงิน ที่รวมเอาความชัดเจน ความกล้า และเครื่องมืออย่าง AI, การจัดตั้งบริษัท และเครดิต เข้าด้วยกัน เพื่อให้ทุกคนสามารถใช้บิตคอยน์สร้างอนาคตที่ดีกว่าได้

@ 88cc134b:5ae99079

small test

@ 624d01ef:f122bf4a

In his testimony at Meta's antitrust trial, Mark Zuckerberg confessed that social media has changed. He said it is over.

What does that mean?

In its heyday, social media connected people. People shared their lives - romantic updates, party and holiday pictures and what not. And the rest of us partook in it all. We liked, shared, poked. It was a place for friends to connect with friends.

But, now, fatigue has set in. We are no longer interested in the lives of other people. Dopamine stimulation lasts only so long. After that, everything gets jaded and boring. And that is precisely what has happened to traditional social media. No one cares about your holiday pictures any more or what you are doing at work or in your personal life. No one cares about your trendy new clothes or hairstyle. It has all gotten old.

It is incredible that traditional social media lasted almost two decades. But now it - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky, Mastodon - is all jaded.

Instead, people now want to share ideas and opinions, not their lives. I see a lot of that happening over at Nostr. People anonymously share their thoughts, opinions, ideas, their gripes and rants - anything but their personal lives. It is almost like we are returning to the heyday of the Internet - before Web 2.0, user-generated content, and social media took hold. When people anonymously shared thoughts, opinions, and ideas.

Nostr is ideal for that. Technology comes and goes in waves. So, one cannot be certain how long that charm of Nostr will survive. But, for now, Nostr is the future.

@ ecda4328:1278f072

⚡ TL;DR: Bitcoin Core is removing the 80-byte OP_RETURN relay limit — a policy, not consensus, change. It aligns with how miners already behave, but reduces node configurability.

Relay policy is policy — and what nodes don’t forward rarely gets mined. Spam resistance should come from fees and filters, not hardcoded caps.

Bitcoin runs on rules, not rulers. Let the market and nodes decide — not just Core.

Intro (for non-techies)

Bitcoin Core plans to remove a size limit on data stored in special transactions called OP_RETURN, but this is a policy change, not a consensus change.

What is OP_RETURN?

• OP_RETURN is a Bitcoin script opcode introduced in 2014 (Bitcoin Core 0.9.0) to allow small amounts of arbitrary data to be embedded in transactions.
• Crucially, it creates provably unspendable outputs, preventing UTXO set pollution.
• A default policy limit of 80 bytes was added to discourage non-payment data usage while still allowing basic use cases (e.g., hashes, commitments).

---

Historical Context: Why OP_RETURN Was Introduced (Bitcoin Core 0.9, March 2014)

When OP_RETURN was introduced in Bitcoin Core 0.9, it was not meant to encourage data storage on-chain. Instead, it was a harm-reduction feature:

“This change is not an endorsement of storing data in the blockchain. The OP_RETURN change creates a provably-prunable output, to avoid data storage schemes — some of which were already deployed — that were storing arbitrary data such as images as forever-unspendable TX outputs, bloating Bitcoin’s UTXO database.”

— Bitcoin Core 0.9 Release Notes (March 2014)

Before OP_RETURN, users were already embedding data in fake outputs, which polluted the UTXO set (the set of unspent coins all full nodes track in memory).

OP_RETURN allowed data to be embedded in a provably unspendable output, which:

• Makes the output prunable, improving node performance

• Avoids permanently bloating the UTXO set

• Encouraged safer practices while still discouraging large-scale non-financial data storage

The 80-byte cap was a policy deterrent, not a consensus limit — large OP_RETURNs were discouraged, not invalid.

🔹 What does that mean?

• The fundamental rules of Bitcoin — like the 4 MB block size limit — are not changing.
• This change only affects how the Bitcoin Core software relays certain types of data transactions, not what it considers valid in a block.

🔹 What is changing?

• Bitcoin Core will stop enforcing an 80-byte size limit on OP_RETURN data, allowing larger metadata transactions to be shared between nodes.
• Miners already include such transactions using custom policy settings.

---

🧘‍♂️ Why Bitcoiners Don’t Need to Panic

• ✅ No risk of a chain split: This doesn’t touch Bitcoin’s consensus rules — everyone still agrees on what makes a valid block.
• ✅ Block size stays the same (\~4 MB): This ensures that blockchain growth remains limited and sustainable.
• ✅ Alternative options exist: If you prefer the old limits, you can run Bitcoin Knots, which still enforces them.

Bottom line:

This is a software configuration change, not a change to Bitcoin’s fundamental rules. If you're using Bitcoin to store value or make payments, nothing about that has changed.
Bitcoin still enforces a ~100k virtual byte (kvB) standardness limit for most transactions (equivalent to 400,000 weight units), which helps mitigate spam and DoS attacks. For witness-heavy transactions, this can approach ~400kB in serialized size.

---

Common Uses of OP_RETURN

• Timestamping documents
• Cross-chain anchoring (e.g., merge-mined sidechains)
• Asset issuance (e.g., Omni/Tether)
• Notarization and digital certificates
• Commitment schemes for external protocols (e.g., Citrea)

Note: Ordinal inscriptions and Stamps use witness data or fake outputs, not OP_RETURN.

---

The Change (PR #32359)

• Bitcoin Core developers proposed removing the 80-byte OP_RETURN size cap.
• The change also deprecates the -datacarrier and -datacarriersize options, with removal planned in future versions. This reflects an effort to consolidate node behavior and improve interoperability, though it reduces user-configurable relay control.
• Larger OP_RETURN transactions would now be relayed and mined by default.

---

Why Remove the Limit? (Arguments For)

1. The cap is ineffective: Easily bypassed via:

2. Multi-output/multisig scripts

3. Witness data
4. Private miner APIs (e.g., MARA Slipstream)
5. Perverse incentives: Drives users to harmful alternatives that pollute the UTXO set.
6. Cleaner data: Encourages proper use of OP_RETURN rather than misusing spendable outputs. OP_RETURN outputs are prunable and do not enter the UTXO set — this is the cleanest way to embed data without long-term storage burdens.
7. Aligns with mining reality: Miners already include larger OP_RETURN transactions if their policies allow it.
8. Fee market is sufficient: Block size (4MB) + fee pressure limits abuse naturally.
9. Improves relay consistency: Nodes and miners share policy, improving block propagation and mempool estimation. While standardness rules don't prevent non-standard transactions from being mined, they raise the cost, delay inclusion, and reduce miner incentives — effectively discouraging misuse.
10. Reduces miner centralization: Some argue removing the limit spreads fee opportunities more evenly across miners. Others caution it may disadvantage miners who choose not to include such transactions — potentially reducing diversity. (i.e. purist miners (e.g., Ocean) may become less competitive if spam volume and revenue increases.)
11. Improves block relay performance: Removing artificial limits leads to fewer compact block reconstruction failures, reducing latency and making the network more resilient.
12. Enables better metaprotocol support: Clean OP_RETURN usage helps future protocols (e.g. Citrea, tokens, cross-chain anchoring) embed structured data safely without abusing spendable outputs.

---

Why Oppose the Change? (Arguments Against)

1. Encourages non-monetary use: Seen as shifting Bitcoin toward data storage.
2. Spam and bloat: Fear of more data-heavy protocols (e.g., inscriptions, stamps, NFTs) and “junk” data.
3. Undermines Bitcoin’s monetary purpose: Viewed as deviating from “sound money” principles.

   Some argue that Bitcoin should remain minimal, focusing solely on censorship-resistant money — not general-purpose data storage.

4. Governance concerns:

5. Allegations of irregular PR handling

6. Claims of GitHub bans and manipulation

7. Some have noted that the change was poorly communicated — the initial feedback round may have been missed by the wider community, causing tension once the PR was submitted more formally.

8. Community dissent: Change was pushed despite vocal opposition from notable Bitcoiners and developers.

Note: “Inscriptions” technically refer to a specific Tapscript pattern used in Ordinals. Other methods like Stamps use different — and often more harmful — techniques.

Why this matters: Stamps are more harmful than inscriptions or OP_RETURN because they trick the network into storing data as if it were real, spendable bitcoin — permanently bloating the UTXO set, increasing node costs, and degrading performance

1. Weakens mempool-level spam resistance: Critics argue that filters play a vital role in making spam expensive and harder to propagate. Without such deterrents, spammers can bypass node filtering entirely via direct submission services (e.g., MARA Slipstream), further empowering large mining pools.

While miners are free to include any valid transaction in blocks, network-wide filters still raise the cost of abuse and protect the mempool from being flooded — as noted by Matt Hill (Start9): “Filters can’t stop every attack, but they deter most and raise the cost of success. We should be adding filters, not removing them. All filters should be configurable. Power to the nodes.”

---

The Role of Configuration Options

• Previously, miners could set:

• -datacarrier=1 to allow OP_RETURN

• -datacarriersize=X to raise the limit
• Many private miners already raised these limits and mine such transactions.
• Deprecating user-level control (e.g., -datacarrier, -datacarriersize) has sparked concerns about diminishing node sovereignty — even if such options had little practical impact in today's mining landscape.

---

Policy vs. Consensus: Why the 80-Byte Limit Causes Relay Inconsistency

• The OP_RETURN size limit is a policy rule—not a consensus rule.
• Miners/nodes can already mine/accept large OP_RETURN txs, and all nodes must still accept blocks containing them if they are valid under consensus rules (block size < 4MB).
• This causes inconsistency between what gets relayed and what gets mined.

Today, many nodes won’t relay OP_RETURN transactions over 80 bytes, while miners using custom settings may still mine them. This creates an inconsistency: transactions not visible to most of the network can still end up in blocks. Removing the limit aligns what nodes relay with what miners accept, making mempools more consistent, block propagation faster, and fee estimates more reliable.

Some argue that removing the OP_RETURN cap weakens Bitcoin's built-in spam defenses. As Luke Dashjr noted, spam filters work collectively and are distinct from censorship — a block can always include any valid tx, but mempool filters help keep spam out before it gets that far.

Only ~30 non-standard OP_RETURN transactions have been mined out of 7 million in 2024, showing that standardness rules were a strong deterrent in practice.

---

Bitcoin Knots: A Protest Client

Bitcoin Knots (maintained by Luke Dashjr) retains the old 80-byte policy by default — in fact, it sets an even stricter default of 40 bytes for -datacarriersize. After the PR surfaced, some users switched to Knots as a protest.

According to Matthew R. Kratter, Bitcoin Knots briefly surpassed Core 29.0 in node count during early 2025 — but this spike appears to have been driven more by timing mismatches between release cycles and a coordinated protest campaign, rather than a durable shift in user adoption. In fact, most Bitcoin nodes today still run older versions of Core. As of May 2025, Core 28.1.0 alone accounts for over 21% of nodes, while Core 29.0.0 sits below 6%, and Knots 20250305 trails at just over 6% — suggesting that the majority of the network remains on pre-29 Core versions rather than switching to Knots en masse.

---

Implications

• Bitcoin Governance: Highlights tension over who steers Bitcoin—developers, miners, users?
• Network Fragmentation: Policy divergence leads to inconsistent mempool contents and complicates block propagation across nodes.
• Market-driven moderation: Supporters argue fee markets, not hard-coded caps, should regulate block usage.
• User Sovereignty: Running alternative clients (like Knots) is a check against centralization of development control.

---

Final Thoughts

This debate isn’t just about a technical tweak — it cuts to the heart of Bitcoin’s design: what it is for, who controls it, and how we preserve its neutrality: What is Bitcoin for? Who decides how it evolves? And how do we protect user sovereignty?

Removing the OP_RETURN limit appears to be a technically sound cleanup that brings Core’s policy in line with how miners already operate. It improves relay consistency and encourages clean, prunable data over harmful workarounds. But it also reduces node configurability by deprecating -datacarriersize, and introduces new tradeoffs around block space usage, fee pressure, and miner incentives.

What nodes don’t relay rarely gets mined — and that’s why relay policy is policy.

While blocks are still capped at 4 MiB and consensus remains unchanged, this change underscores a deeper truth: Bitcoin's integrity depends not just on code correctness, but on who gets to shape that code and how.

If miners continue favoring pay-to-prioritize services (e.g., MARA Slipstream) over standard mempool flows, the removal of the cap may not reduce centralization as hoped. Instead, it may highlight the incentive distortions created by mining pool dominance — a more urgent challenge than OP_RETURN usage itself.

As Matthew Kratter noted:

“It's not that spam filters caused mining pool centralization — it's the reverse. Centralized pools make spam profitable.”

Ultimately, Bitcoiners must wrestle with the root problem: How do we decentralize transaction selection in a world where relay policy, miner behavior, and mempool visibility are increasingly shaped by a handful of large actors?

The answer isn’t to freeze innovation or block all non-monetary use. It’s to protect choice.

👉 Run your own full node. Customize your policy. Choose your client. This is where Bitcoin's sovereignty lies — and where its future will be decided.

---

Refs

• PR: Remove arbitrary limits on OP_Return (datacarrier) outputs #32359
• mailing list: Relax OP_RETURN standardness restrictions
• youtube: Bitcoin Core Removes The Mask - by Matthew R. Kratter
• gist: Retiring the 80-Byte OP_RETURN Limit
• Bitcoin Knots
• PR: Deprecate datacarrier options without removing them #32406
• Q&A Compilation on OP_RETURN Policy Change (Stacker News) — curated answers to common concerns and misconceptions from the community debate
• youtube: Bitcoin Spam and Mining Pool Centralization - by Matthew R. Kratter

---

🙏 Acknowledgements

Special thanks to @hodlinator for insightful and technically grounded feedback on:

• The distinction between policy vs. consensus rules
• Correcting OP_RETURN use case misconceptions (e.g., RSK, Lightning, inscriptions)
• Emphasizing the ongoing role of transaction size limits for DoS mitigation
• Clarifying miner centralization risks and block propagation realities
• Improving phrasing around metaprotocols and node impact

Thanks also to ShiShi21m for surfacing the historical context from Bitcoin Core 0.9 — highlighting that OP_RETURN was originally introduced as a harm-reduction measure, not an endorsement of on-chain data storage.

Thanks to @murchandamus for technical corrections on Bitcoin Knots defaults and transaction size limits.

Additional thanks to all those who participated in the discussion — including critics — whose questions and objections helped clarify and refine key points.A detailed breakdown of the recent debate around Bitcoin Core’s proposed policy change to OP_RETURN — and why it’s less dramatic than some fear.

---

TL;DR

Removing the 80-byte OP_RETURN limit is a mempool policy cleanup, not a consensus rule change. It reduces UTXO bloat, improves relay consistency, and doesn’t affect Bitcoin’s monetary properties or block size limits.

---

What Is OP_RETURN?

OP_RETURN is a Bitcoin script opcode introduced in 2014 (Bitcoin Core 0.9.0) to allow small amounts of arbitrary data to be embedded in transactions. Crucially, it creates provably unspendable outputs, preventing UTXO set pollution.

A default policy limit of 80 bytes was added to discourage non-payment data usage while still allowing basic use cases (e.g., hashes, commitments).

---

Why Was OP_RETURN Added? (Bitcoin Core 0.9, March 2014)

When OP_RETURN was introduced, it wasn’t to promote on-chain data — it was a harm-reduction tool:

“This change is not an endorsement of storing data in the blockchain... [It] creates a provably-prunable output, to avoid data storage schemes... storing arbitrary data... bloating Bitcoin’s UTXO database.” — Bitcoin Core 0.9 Release Notes

Before that, users embedded data in fake outputs, bloating the UTXO set and degrading node performance.

OP_RETURN made those outputs prunable and cleaner, though it imposed an 80-byte policy cap — not a consensus rule.

---

What’s Actually Changing?

Bitcoin Core PR #32359 proposes:

• Removing the 80-byte policy limit on OP_RETURN data
• Removing the -datacarrier and -datacarriersize configuration options
• Default behavior will now relay (and mine) larger OP_RETURNs

⚠️ This is not a consensus change. Blocks stay limited to \~4MB. No rules about block validity are altered.

---

Why It’s Not a Big Deal

• ✅ Consensus stays the same: No risk of chain splits
• ✅ Block size stays capped (\~4MB)
• ✅ You can still run Bitcoin Knots if you prefer stricter policies
• ✅ Transaction size limit (\~100KB) remains for DoS protection

Bottom line: This is a configuration tweak to improve consistency between nodes and miners.

---

Common Uses of OP_RETURN

• Timestamping
• Cross-chain anchoring (e.g., merge-mined sidechains)
• Asset issuance (e.g., Omni/Tether)
• Notarization and commitments
• Metadata for protocols like Citrea

📝 In contrast, Ordinal inscriptions use witness data; Stamps use fake outputs — not OP_RETURN.

---

Arguments For Removing the Limit

1. The limit is ineffective — easily bypassed via witness/multisig/fake outputs
2. Cleaner data paths — prevents UTXO bloat from “Stamp”-style tricks
3. Reflects mining reality — miners already include these transactions
4. Improves relay/mempool consistency
5. Avoids centralization risks — removes miner advantages from custom policies
6. Enables metaprotocols — safely embed structured metadata without abusing Bitcoin’s core design

---

Arguments Against Removing the Limit

1. Risk of encouraging non-monetary use
2. Fears of "spam" or NFT-like inscriptions
3. Concerns over governance process
4. Perceived erosion of Bitcoin’s monetary purity

🧠 Note: The 80-byte cap was policy, not consensus. Removing it doesn’t allow anything that wasn’t already valid on-chain.

---

Policy vs. Consensus

• Policy rules affect relay and mempool behavior
• Consensus rules affect what blocks are considered valid

Large OP_RETURNs are already valid. The inconsistency is that many nodes don’t relay them, while miners do include them. This change aligns relay with mining, improving propagation and fee estimation.

---

Bitcoin Knots: A Protest Client

Bitcoin Knots (maintained by Luke Dashjr) retains the old 80-byte policy. After the PR surfaced, some users switched to Knots as a protest.

According to Matthew R. Kratter, Bitcoin Knots briefly surpassed Core 29.0 in node count during early 2025 — but this spike appears to have been driven more by timing mismatches between release cycles and a coordinated protest campaign, rather than a durable shift in user adoption. In fact, most Bitcoin nodes today still run older versions of Core. As of May 2025, Core 28.1.0 alone accounts for over 21% of nodes, while Core 29.0.0 sits below 6%, and Knots 20250305 trails at just over 6% — suggesting that the majority of the network remains on pre-29 Core versions rather than switching to Knots en masse.

---

Broader Implications

• 🛠️ Highlights tensions between devs, miners, and users over governance
• 🧭 Shows how non-consensus rules can impact perceived neutrality
• 🧪 Sparks renewed focus on tooling (e.g., ASMap, better banlists, relay filtering)
• 🔐 Reaffirms user sovereignty through client diversity

---

Final Thoughts

Removing the OP_RETURN limit aligns Bitcoin Core’s policy with reality — what’s already getting mined — while cleaning up harmful workarounds.

It won’t break Bitcoin.

But it does surface deeper tensions about Bitcoin’s purpose, evolution, and who ultimately decides what gets built and accepted.

---

References

• PR: Remove arbitrary limits on OP_RETURN #32359
• PR: Deprecate datacarrier options #32406
• Mailing list: Relax OP_RETURN standardness restrictions
• Gist with full community discussion
• Bitcoin Knots
• Kratter video: Bitcoin Core Removes the Mask

---

🙏 Acknowledgements

Thanks to @hodlinator, ShiShi21m, and many others in the community for their thoughtful insights, corrections, and spirited discussion.

---

Based on the original GitHub Gist: Bitcoin OP_RETURN Controversy: Complete Summary

@ 2cde0e02:180a96b9

pen & ink; monochromized

https://stacker.news/items/1007644

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Treasury Secretary Bessent foresees a promising future for stablecoins pegged to the US dollar.

During a US Senate hearing held on June 11, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the market for US dollar-backed stablecoins has the potential to surpass the $2 trillion mark within the next three years.

“I believe that stablecoin legislation backed by U.S. treasuries or T-bills will create a market that will expand U.S. dollar usage via these stablecoins all around the world,” the government official stated.

Bessent reiterated the administration’s commitment to strengthening the dollar’s status through USD-denominated stablecoins.

GENIUS Act gains ground

The legislative process received a boost after the Senate voted to advance the stablecoin bill, moving it closer to a final vote. The GENIUS Act, once approved, will establish strict requirements for the stable digital currency sector.

The bill mandates that stablecoins must be fully backed by US dollars or assets with equivalent liquidity (Treasuries). It also requires annual audits for issuers with a market capitalization exceeding $50 billion and includes specific provisions regarding the issuance of these cryptocurrencies abroad.

Stablecoins and the financial system

The stablecoin sector is drawing increasing interest from banking institutions. Bank of America is preparing to launch its own stablecoin, while Circle — issuer of USDC — went public this month, with shares surging 235% on its first trading day.

Currently, US dollar-pegged stablecoins account for over 96% of the entire stable digital currency market.

The post Stablecoins: market could reach $2 trillion by 2028, says Bessent appeared first on Atlas21.

@ a19caaa8:88985eaf

NostrをXのように使い始めて3か月が経った。最初は「ぷ　プロトコル？　ブロックチェーン？サーバー？　そもそも、ギットハブって？？」って謎だらけで、それでも利用できてしまうから「使えちゃって大丈夫かな」とすら思っていたけど、いちユーザーながら少しずつわかることが増えてきたから、この3か月間で覚えたこととかできるようになったことを、備忘録も兼ねてまとめてみる。といっても過去ツイ（便宜上）を集めてきただけだけど。初心を忘れたくない！！

---

• PCで始めて、スマホは後だったんだろうな nostr:note1q8t0spfhg9dc4h590jedd00a5pag5j44tv0vzu55004q8qjw7fkscecvkz

• iPhoneからNostore(拡張機能(NIP-??))を使ってSafariでlumilumiにログイン nostr:note1egt7y4a8wulu6kex40z0zqtgls0r9ups0q4npyrlmgd3f2swrcysrskp42 nostr:note15gjqzpnevft2h6ywlz2hzacsk6emlna5lwechcpwkx5n6fq8gs9qprfh6v ↑Damusをdisるな
  nostr:note1cn4aspxthcysjgwhyd3wwr6slsz57anwn2ep3th05lpa0yag6xrqm8x3lh やかましい　※用語解説：Nostrクライアントなどの名前です

• Nostore: 拡張機能(の、説明のscrapbox)
• nostter: https://nostter.app/about
• damus(for iOS): https://damus.io/
• lumilumi: https://lumilumi.app/about
• Rabbit(拡張機能必須): https://rabbit.syusui.net/

---

• 出会い nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzqv33pxtldvmmdntqhv269r56zjadmhalpp660h3yc6gj8gxpuexvqyxhwumn8ghj77tpvf6jumt9qyghwumn8ghj7u3wddhk56tjvyhxjmcpp4mhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mqqyz9k4uamtpsy9rtfh4dpxez0n8vr7tufttz5x5v9j5vd3t76kapjwxk245u nostr:note10e6flvadpyfshtnplfnc83dunzjrgl4fl0uzrw70xt3ulf0nv2yqm4qjfa nostr:note1wwchrc7vz8fcp2jrknms5ascup9eux9fkd89jxhqy6d46mkr06ssmgrjhk ↓続き

• 3sats (zap)(NIP-?? kind:??) nostr:nevent1qqsw9sfvmaqy6ngvl98drg93e7sy08kfu2y4tuyj8m2mleftvcx5mqc8uyq3m nostr:note1zzs7qfemq7qaekxv0qjea24t6k4kvlla0m9lusep2ce38tef8gjqfgv7zu nostr:nevent1qqsz8m0c5drajst00x92uc8pjwxa40nd5hmzxu4vn3yhuzjkaqmk4fqa4lvkl nostr:note106n902n66lsfxck4fsu9dqkwmelnp06qqx96nzyqvp89c9v28apqzjcflw (急な意思表示)

  たゃ仕事中に熟考

• nostr:note1fj5mmtsk0nh0e23hez2dm4unweklrypm6s6n9ajwaug574dg7pqq8phvav nostr:note1wk0ugra9pyv0y0rmpql6sjgsavu634x53f4v4jztqluq02awxwhql8d8mf nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzq2aj4wlutzft00dg77x4x6pdjy7vnfzxk30pry5lpy6a3l0uks9aqyxhwumn8ghj77tpvf6jumt9qqsyt4yh934z6fd324z5hljwlx74nndfwetu04lnu8wcj0pkhkqlppqwpsmue ⚡3satsくれました

• ステータス　NIP-??kind:30315 nostr:note1p836vncvcxfvkqmpggxzf53q6kywxn443w2hytydr7pdvrca835s83nd2u nostr:nevent1qqsdu2mf3d5am8hpjj432yf0qmpfxuwy50pv9rx6q7pryz0axnj44dg0d7auc nostr:nevent1qqsyaypjm0a99g7626r28ct97jhjvt4kk4vyv63fphdz8guhsdtevsg4yvvhr nostr:nevent1qqswea28tdayxe67axzxmwjfc4jq664phrep82zhveg8f5c0nfd06mgwt0taw
  nostr:nevent1qqsqkt8pgpchqphgvv8hd6lxfv4ylx3xtu76x2psj7asm6z846amy3c3w2s2z nostr:note1657tlek0uulr5xa3jqc2sj2l0lm24q79m0984xhm9tnzyy9nsrksynxl6y みんなやさしすぎる　おｋじゃないねん　みんなありがとうございます
• バッジ　kind:?? nostr:nevent1qqst45zcjha92jy0raun59lm05haw24rpjpw6njae93qfyasgxppmjchuq2c0 nostr:nevent1qqstvtx67c74xztstc9hze62h25saycr2ktrkwknevkhy8glzf0g78sqge3fu こいつbotなんヤバい
  nostr:nevent1qqsv6k54yysjdrfpxxtlxhfuh56mhslx63xwfncfvvg8a8vug4az4vstjyey6 nostr:nevent1qqspgur97rvwtry6t9nc6gjm9p8taw2563u3lgqn4p32e2gmqe30xxqwz9d90 nostr:note15shchwfllja7k9nd428a7ts7xf0ggefwllk7rv6qq3guuztjvcfs80pe03
• カスタム絵文字(いっぱいある)(kind10030(使うやつ),kind30030(仕切り板みたいな)) nostr:note16qkqfhezksjxrkk5z4vca8qs42fr8z9awvny39fytl73gty64nrs738g7c nostr:note1xrrer5ayqg3meskga2uc9m2x0lg2dglr3dkaf3qukpjtftysn96qdq7uda nostr:note156fyw2e4w8f0cmu6xmkj7k7f39yh8zw4pq2q90l9llmtefmtu0ds6743zm nostr:note1zz288585z68a0xlm9pc6y4s48ghfdl8hg6zkfmslaj2k9v0nscpsae8m95 nostr:note17tcfuxu8h3ss3rzjpx3zwwnucqdpramnh0yd5j4vj3ee65dleyxqfhcwk7 nostr:note1tu8d06kyw9a4s7xrsu723xmu24f2y34shd6qzn9wpa2jz5ddcu5sa5nvpq
• ネームタグ？　kind:?? nostr:note1ck3h58hjm6z00xcxu6fmm2raujrzy8t5ajc7p76pwafl6e0ffdvqh3k07t
• ピン留め　kind:?? nostr:note18dfzlgaf4ugkxs5209556p53gl67d8hfkutvtm7qnprjlfnavf0sr98k2h nostr:note1mnz5xlu0wnrh2rhjucjmzv2p9ta6xm5e0hhg2p8kyhe2dkgul3qs09h98h
• リスト？　NIP-?? kind:30000 nostr:note1ug7lcgjpkac57a9wd27rjqwymv5cwczmuc4ezg5wweuzrxgwhddqzp3mwz nostr:note126ahjdpmy6alv7mfm5x0yupyty03w3knlwf03cyypguguqjwrxqqyk7ysp
• 長文投稿　kind30023(これ)NIP-?? nostr:note1qzt4xpwv63tac460ha2am9xfdys4l0p34g8q93tqyp8dckgf6lkqkrua73 nostr:note1cx6w82s6p735n765y5rurzu038qkly03t7pcf4u8r6z6yucgf8qspsnkt4
• Suno(上記音楽生成AI)が出力した曲の耳コピ nostr:note12pry99d4z8w3cnpzy46xlg2kpudzj09jpv4vjxt62l54gt4v8dqsvlwyxl
• Damusへのリンク共有？ nostr:note1y2uzgxz89lnnzqgj0ndj43qan34wv4cvx56srgzghezt07jc6g6qukddry nostr:note1hcnndcrmwjulzt07t4aelraptr7zyhjuf8ut3vg293j06fwn7fgqae0w0y
• 警告？　NIP-?? nostr:note1w6djak9hknd84ryz389jctrmx39eqm2xvwv97k4sk2m2c0akvmysuny8p4
• emoji kitchen (先述のnostterからすぐできます！他もできるかも) nostr:note1k5s6x4hglqwzqghajpl8r7g7t9q8t6uzv2cx92q26tkjcj8hm6rq8elxfu nostr:note1ue575wzjvun0zy4wg2lfv6unrcxnzd688980eur9mulak3msxqgsf2rw72 nostr:note1246rg8v3gvwpwhu5tgzdf2e8cwn77q65gkjt7yhyyqchcchpsduq6mrex7
• kind7のkind5 nostr:note1fwtplut4pshq55790rrf328gxqglrx2m77wkxhsfrpajrnxjnvkqwvlf7w 無事外せたというか、全部lumilumiでできることがわかったんだけど、その記録が見当たらなかった
• ハッシュタグ　NIP-?? kind:?? nostr:note13lfdgatre3v5hnxcst0hkcgm8guzlavu6vyxez6n4s09jl7setlsfq3fcf nostr:note1dllf6795ttv0sft4rlclf7zerfpher23z3ga26kyn9yfafffncls3z5n42

---

kind30023用クライアントまとめ

（拡張機能を使わずに使用した所感）
* makimono：署名方法→秘密鍵×/nsec.app〇　表示→編集画面で表示確認可、njumpとlumilumiのnaddrリンクあり　NIP-21→対応　kind5（削除）→流せない　kind30024→多分、流せない

• habla：署名方法→なし（秘密鍵ログインできない。nsec.appもなんか入れない（読み込みから進まない）。）read only　表示→シンプルだけど文字がデカい　nip-21→対応

• yakihonnne：署名方法→秘密鍵〇/nsec.app→試してない　kind30023の編集ができない（読み込みから進まない）。NIP-21試してない。

• flycat：署名方法→秘密鍵〇/nsec.app試してない　kind1も流せる　NIP-21→非対応　kind30024→Draftがあるけど、kind30024を流しているわけでは無さそう。キャッシュクリアして再ログインすると残ってない。　kind5→流せない。

• tagayasu：署名方法：秘密鍵×/ncec.app×/拡張機能のみ？（画像↓参照）　でも、なんか、全部できる。kind5も流せる。kind30024も。

※NIP-21はこうやって引用元のツイートを表示するルール（※ルールっていうとニュアンス違うくて！ちゃぴに聞こう↓） さすがちゃぴ。

まとめ

| クライアント | 署名方法 | NIP-21 | 備考 | |--------------|-----------|--------|------| | makimono | 秘密鍵× / nsec.app〇 | 対応 | 編集画面で表示確認可。njump・lumilumiのnaddrリンクあり。kind5（削除）は送信不可。kind30024（下書き）も多分送信不可。 | | flycat | 秘密鍵〇 / nsec.app未確認 | 非対応 | kind1も送信可。kind5は送信不可。Draft機能はあるけどkind30024ではなさそう（キャッシュ消すと消える）。 | | habla | 秘密鍵× / nsec.app× | 対応 | nsec.appのBunkerURLの読み込みが進まない。使うとしたら表示確認。シンプルだけど文字が大きい。 | | yakihonnne | 秘密鍵〇 / nsec.app未確認 | 不明 | kind30023の編集が読み込みで止まる。NIP-21対応は未確認。 | | tagayasu | 秘密鍵× / nsec.app×（拡張機能のみ？） | 不明 | 拡張ログインさえあれば全部できる。kind5・kind30024も送信可能。 |

• 未確認を埋めたいひとはコピペしてご自身でkind30023をお流しくださいませね🙏

---

今のたゃが言えるのはこんなとこかなー！！！ 穴（NIPとかkindとか未試行とか）、いつかは埋めたいけど、いつか、かな…。
別にこれが仕事に繋がるとかじゃないけど、たゃ生（人生のたゃバージョン）がより良い（好い）ものになったことは確か！
一旦ここまで！
終

@ e0a24c5c:fa44b1e7

Am 13. Juni 2025 hat der offene Krieg Israels gegen den Iran begonnen, ein Krieg, der, wie schon der Krieg in Gaza, dazu führen dürfte, dass unsere Politik die Unterstützung Israels verstärkt zur deutschen Staatsräson erklären und Israel (mittels neuer "Sondervermögen"?) jetzt nochmals verstärkt mit Waffen beliefern wird.

Die Unterstützung Israels zur deutschen Staatsräson zu erklären, ist eine – historisch zwar verständliche – heute aber radikal auch Israel zerstörende und extrem verfassungswidrige und rassistische Position. Weil sie finster die Nicht-Unterstützung der Palästinenser, bzw. die stillschweigende Gewährung der Vernichtung der Bevölkerung in Gaza im Schlagschatten führt.

Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar! Und der Schutz von Würde und Leben des Menschen ist die einzig legitime deutsche Staatsräson – unabhängig davon, ob dieser Mensch Jude, Palästinenser, Ukrainer, Russe, Chinese oder sonst wer ist.

In Deutschland wird durch die einseitige Positionierung auf die "Unterstützung Israels" ein Bürgerkrieg herauf beschworen. Antisemitismus und Terrorgefahr in Deutschland werden extrem verstärk. Und in Israel wird schon durch den maßlosen Rachefeldzug in Gaza und jetzt durch den entfachten Krieg mit dem Iran, aufs tiefste jede Möglichkeit für eine friedliche Koexistenz im palästinensisch-arabischen Raum zerstört.

Einen Freund zu unterstützen heißt nicht, ihm die Mittel zu menschenverachtenden Rachefeldzügen und zur moralischen und physischen Selbstzerstörung zu liefern, sondern ihn – im Sinne des Grundgesetzes Artikel 1, Absatz 2 – selbst in Krisensituationen auf den Weg von Achtung und Schutz der unveräußerlichen Menschenrechte zu verpflichten.

Außenpolitik im Sinne des Grundgesetzes kann nur Politik zum Schutz der Menschenwürde und nicht Politik für oder gegen Staaten, für oder gegen Religionsgemeinschaften, für oder gegen Völker und Volksgruppen, für oder gegen Rassen und so weiter sein.

Dass sich die Deutsche Politik in keinerlei Weise mehr an das Grundgesetz gebunden fühlt,

- weder bezüglich Israels

- noch auch bezüglich Russlands (wo es ebenfalls nicht um den Schutz von Menschenrechten, sondern - auf Kosten der Ukraine (!) - um einen Regime-Change in Russland und um Rüstungsgeschäfte geht),

- erst recht auch hier nicht mehr im Inland (wo die Freiheitsrechte nicht mehr als unmittelbar geltendes Recht und als unantastbare Grundlage der gesamten Politik gelten, sondern nur noch - in alter Feudalmanier - gnadenvoll von oben an "systemtreue" Bürger als Belohnung für parteigenehmes Verhalten ausgeliehen werden) …

kurz: dass die deutsche Politik sämtliche positiven Errungenschaften Deutschlands nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg aushöhlt und zerstört, sowohl die moralisch-politischen als auch die wirtschaftlichen, geistigen, kulturellen und sozialen, ist deutliches Zeichen ihres Zusammenbruchs und nimmt ihr jegliche Legitimation.

Wir DÜRFEN da als Volk nicht einfach zusehen!

Da wir als Volk geknebelt und aus den politischen Entscheidungen völlig herausgehalten sind, bleibt uns nur der Weg, die Politik im Sinne eines "Great Reset von unten" selber in die Hand zu nehmen.

Der Weg dazu wird auf www.unsere-verfassung.de gewiesen

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Lightspark introduces a layer 2 for instant payments, stablecoins and interoperability with Lightning.

Spark is an open-source layer 2 protocol developed by Lightspark, designed to offer instant low-cost payments without the need for intermediaries. It allows the creation of wallets and applications that interact directly with the Bitcoin and Lightning networks. The company’s stated goal is to transform Bitcoin into a true global digital currency, solving the scalability limitations of the base layer.

Lightspark, a company led by David Marcus (former PayPal and former Facebook), officially launched Spark in beta version on April 29, 2025. Developers can already use Spark’s SDKs (Wallet and Issuer) to build self-custodial wallets compatible with Lightning and tokens (such as stablecoins) native to the Bitcoin network.

How it works

Spark adopts a statechain-based approach, allowing the transfer of ownership of a UTXO off-chain between different users without using the main blockchain, thus reducing costs and transaction times. Instead of executing an on-chain transaction that physically moves the asset, users acquire signing rights or control over a key that represents a bitcoin UTXO. Transfers occur through a chain of signatures and a mechanism that allows subsequent transactions to overwrite previous ones, ensuring that neither the user nor the service provider (Spark Service Provider, SSP) can lose funds during the operation.

Spark is designed to be fully interoperable with LN, supporting not only bitcoin transactions, but also stablecoins and other tokenized assets. SSPs facilitate Lightning payments by accepting funds on Spark and converting them into Lightning transactions or vice versa, eliminating the need for users to manage nodes or worry about channel liquidity. For example, a user can pay an LN invoice with a stablecoin on Spark, with the SSP converting the stablecoin to BTC in the background and sending the funds to the recipient.

Shared signature model (multisig 2-of-2)

Unlike the LN trust model, which is based on peer-to-peer bidirectional channels with smart contract logic, Spark involves a coordinating entity, the “Spark Service Provider” (SSP). This shifts part of the risk from channel liquidity management to trust in operators who sign off-chain transactions. The SSP’s task is to sign “blindly” (blindly) on behalf of the user, which means the SSP does not see the content of the signature and does not even know if it is signing a Bitcoin transaction or something else.

Bitcoin deposited on Spark always remains under the user’s control. When a user sends funds to Spark, they are initially transferred to a statechain. Once funds are on the statechain, payments on the Spark network occur instantly and at near-zero costs.

At the heart of Spark’s security is the use of a shared signature scheme, specifically a multisig 2-of-2 model. This means that two keys are required to authorize a transaction, and the user always holds one. When users deposit funds on Spark, they send them to a multisig address. Here, they maintain control of their funds and can perform a unilateral exit without the need to interact with other parties.

Each payment is enabled by a Spark Service Provider (SSP), which must co-authorize the transaction together with the user for it to be valid and successful.

Although the network is currently managed only by Lightspark and another operator (Flashnet), users do not risk losing funds even if these operators stopped cooperating. In fact, Spark offers the possibility to unilaterally force the return of bitcoin to the mainnet at any time. Users can exit Spark in two ways: through a cooperative exit (cheaper and faster) or a unilateral exit (slower, but possible in case of malfunction or loss of trust). Lightspark has declared its intention to add more operators in the future to increase decentralization.

Fee structure

Regarding fees, transactions within the Spark network are zero fee. The only fees users will have to bear are Bitcoin’s on-chain fees for depositing or withdrawing funds from Spark. Additionally, transferring bitcoin from Spark to LN involves a 0.25% fee plus routing fees. Conversely, a transaction from LN to Spark costs 0.15%.

The native LRC20 token protocol

Introduced in the summer of 2024, LRC20 is a token issuance protocol designed to be compatible with both Bitcoin’s mainnet and LN. Anyone can issue an LRC20 token. The protocol also supports freeze and burn operations, giving the original issuing wallet the power to freeze tokens at any address, preventing transactions until unlocked. LRC20 is primarily designed for issuing stablecoins and regulated assets.

After thoroughly testing it, the Lightspark team decided to run the LRC20 protocol natively on Spark, to enable token issuance on the network.

Ecosystem and partnerships

The birth of Spark has immediately attracted the interest of other Bitcoin projects. Among the various partnerships established, the multisig wallet Theya has integrated Spark to offer its users simpler and faster bitcoin and stablecoin payments.

Last May, Breez announced a new implementation of the Breez SDK based on Spark, which allows developers to integrate Lightning payments directly into their apps through Spark. As part of this collaboration, Breez will also act as a Spark Service Provider, helping to expand the ecosystem. According to the two companies, this partnership will provide developers with new Bitcoin-native tools for use cases such as streaming payments, international remittances and micro-payments for AI.

The post Spark: the layer 2 launched by Lightspark appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 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

---

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

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

@ 6fef351a:2a884204

Was für eine Woche!

Die Hitze hatte Deutschland und den DACH-Raum in den letzten Tagen fest im Griff – 33 Grad zeigte das Thermometer am Samstag bei mir an. Und nicht nur die Temperaturen steigen: Auch die Nachrichtenlage wirkt aufgeheizt. Neue Kriegsherde. Neue Rüstungsausgaben. Neue Sorgen.

Ich wäre nicht ehrlich, würde ich behaupten, dass mich das alles unberührt lässt. Ich mache mir Gedanken – über die Zukunft, über die geopolitische Lage und die möglichen Auswirkungen auf unser gesellschaftliches Miteinander. Aber anders als früher fühle ich mich nicht mehr machtlos.

Seit Bitcoin hat sich viel verändert: Ich spüre mehr Handlungsspielraum. Und durch meine Arbeit – durch diesen Newsletter, den Podcast, die Gespräche – habe ich das Gefühl, einen kleinen Beitrag zu leisten und ein Angebot zu machen: für mehr Souveränität, mehr Selbstbestimmung, mehr Sicherheit. Und das ist sehr erfüllend.

Mit diesem Gefühl gelingt es, trotz der Nachrichtenlage, ein Lächeln und den Frohsinn zu bewahren. (Sagt man eigentlich noch Frohsinn? Falls nicht: Ich bin ganz klar für die Wiedereinführung. Ganz tolles Wort!)

MEINE HEART WORDS DER WOCHE

1. Eine Wiederentdeckung

Vor ein paar Tagen bin ich auf einen Artikel von Gigi gestoßen – einem der klügsten Köpfe im Bitcoin-Space, bekannt seit den frühen Tagen. Der Text stammt aus dem Jahr 2018 und behandelt den Energieverbrauch von Bitcoin. Seine Gedanken wirken auch heute noch erstaunlich aktuell. Ich schätze seinen Stil sehr – durchdacht, klar, nahbar. Einige seiner Beiträge sind inzwischen auch auf Deutsch erschienen.

Umso erschütternder ist es, zu sehen, dass selbst Menschen wie Gigi mit Depressionen ringen oder schwere familiäre Verluste erleiden. Vor Kurzem hat er öffentlich gemacht, dass sein Vater sich das Leben genommen hat – auch darüber schreibt er offen.

Wer Gigi einmal beweglich und in Farbe erleben möchte, findet ihn in meiner Lieblings-Bitcoin-Doku Human B. Ich habe sie mehrfach gesehen – sie hebt die Stimmung und gibt Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft.

2. Ein Gespräch

Am Donnerstag war ich zu Gast im Podcast von Stefanie Tschupp, Finanzpsychologin aus der Schweiz. Sie war übrigens die erste Person, die mir jemals öffentlich die Frage stellte: „Und – besitzt du schon einen ganzen Bitcoin?“ Das muss am Schweizer Temperament liegen 😉

Stefanie hat kluge, durchdachte Fragen gestellt – und ich glaube, unser Gespräch ist besonders spannend für Menschen, die bisher wenig oder gar keinen Kontakt zu Bitcoin hatten.

Mich freut es jedes Mal, wenn Frauen oder Menschen aus der klassischen Finanzwelt beginnen, sich für Bitcoin zu öffnen. Und ich bin zuversichtlich: Diese Entwicklung steht erst am Anfang.

3. Eine Lotto-Maschine

Zum Vatertag habe ich meinem Vater einen NerdAxe Gamma geschenkt – ein kleines Gerät, das im Mini-Format echtes Bitcoin-Mining betreibt. Die Chance, damit einen Block zu finden (und aktuell 3,125 Bitcoin zu erhalten), ist zwar winzig – aber aufs Jahr gerechnet immer noch größer, als beim Lotto fünf Richtige samt Superzahl zu treffen. So wird Bitcoin plötzlich greifbar – und zieht vielleicht sogar ins Wohnzimmer der Familie ein. Meine Mutter war übrigens noch begeisterter als mein Vater. Kein Wunder – sie hört schließlich meinen Podcast 😉

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Eine Werbung

Falls du dir auch einen NerdAxe zulegen möchtest: Mit dem Code NICOLE erhältst du 5 % Rabatt und unterstützt damit meine Arbeit – und ein junges Bitcoin-Unternehmen aus Deutschland. Die Jungs von Nerdminer.de sind großartig und bauen mit viel Liebe zum Detail.

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4. Ein Störgeräusch

Frank Thelen – Unternehmer, Investor und bekannt aus Die Höhle der Löwen – hat in einem Interview mit der BILD-Zeitung über Bitcoin gesprochen. Leider waren seine Aussagen weder sachlich noch korrekt – und ernteten prompt scharfe Kritik aus der Bitcoin-Community. Viele seiner Argumente gelten längst als widerlegt. Der Fall zeigt einmal mehr, wie wichtig es ist, sich bei komplexen Themen wie Bitcoin selbst ein Bild zu machen – statt sich auf prominente Stimmen zu verlassen.

5. Ein Zitat

Technik ist einfach nicht meine Stärke und auch nicht mein Interesse. Aber Freiheit ist mein Interesse und deswegen musste ich mich mit der Technik auseinandersetzen. Und es geht wirklich, auch wenn man keine Lust hat! – Anastasia Umrik

Anastasia ist eine starke und beeindruckende Frau. Kaum jemand, dem ich im echten Leben begegnet bin, hat mich so sehr inspiriert wie sie.

Diese Woche war Anastasia zu Gast bei LFO live, dem neuen Streaming-Format von Les Femmes Orange, und hat ihre Bitcoin-Geschichte erzählt.

Trotz technischer Schwierigkeiten – am Ende fiel sogar der Google-Server aus – ist unser Gespräch erhalten geblieben. Zum Glück! Du findest es auf YouTube.

Bitcoin selbst hatte übrigens seit 2013 keinen Ausfall mehr – und gilt heute als das sicherste Netzwerk der Welt. Sicherer als die Systeme großer Tech-Giganten wie Google, Microsoft oder Amazon.

Danke fürs Lesen! Wenn dir dieser Beitrag gefallen hat, leite ihn gerne weiter oder antworte mir. Dein Feedback hilft, diesen Newsletter besser zu machen.

Hab einen schönen Sonntag oder eine schöne Woche – ganz egal, wann du diese Worte liest.

Nicole ❤️

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Ich bin Nicole, Wirtschaftsmathematikerin und Ex-Angestellte aus dem Schwarzwald. Meinen Job als Data Analystin habe ich an den Nagel gehängt, um über Bitcoin aufzuklären – weil es alles auf den Kopf gestellt hat.

Heute sehe ich die Welt mit neuen Augen.

Heart Money – das ist mein Newsletter zum gleichnamigen Podcast auf YouTube. Es geht um hartes Geld. Und um das Geld des Herzens.

Ich schreibe über Bitcoin, Gesellschaft und das, was mich bewegt.

Hier teile ich Gedanken, Anregungen, Videos und Fundstücke rund um eine Technologie, die uns ermutigt, wieder Verantwortung zu übernehmen – für uns selbst und für die Zukunft.

Sonntags auf Substack, montags auf NOSTR.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Carl Rickertsen completely exits his position in Strategy as insiders sell $864 million worth of stock.

As reported by Protos, Carl Rickertsen, a member of Strategy’s board of directors, has fully liquidated his entire shareholding for over $10 million.

Rickertsen’s decision to completely exit his Strategy position marks a sharp shift from his previous investment stance. In 2022, the executive had shown confidence in the company by investing $700,000 in MSTR shares.

On June 13, 2022, Rickertsen purchased $608,000 worth of MSTR stock at $152 per share. Since then, the stock has rallied 152%. However, by 2023, the director had already sold half of his 4,000-share position.

Rickertsen’s approach to managing his holdings has become increasingly aggressive in recent years. Since joining the board in 2019, he has adopted a strategy of immediately liquidating any stock options received.

One example of this tactic occurred on June 2, when he acquired and sold 26,390 MSTR shares on the same day.

As of June 5 this year, Rickertsen reported zero vested Strategy shares, marking the end of his equity involvement with the company.

Rickertsen’s situation is not an isolated case within Strategy. Data from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reveals a controversial picture. According to information gathered by secform4.com, over the past five years, total insider sales have exceeded purchases by $864 million. This imbalance in insider transactions could raise questions about executives’ confidence in the company’s future.

The post Strategy director liquidates all his MSTR shares appeared first on Atlas21.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The new communication protocol aims to improve the industry with measurable advantages in terms of efficiency and security.

A new study conducted by Hashlabs, in collaboration with the SRI (Stratum V2 Reference Implementation) team and figures like Matt Corallo, Alejandro De La Torre and others reveals how the Stratum V2 protocol can increase miner profitability compared to the current Stratum V1 standard, used for over a decade.

Speaking to Atlas21, Gabriele Vernetti, Stratum V2 maintainer, declared:

“This first case study demonstrates how much Stratum V2 can help miners as well, securing and increasing their profits, in addition to the rest of the network. It’s just a first study aimed at demonstrating how decentralization can be aligned with the profit dynamics typical of the mining sector.

In the future we will also focus on the benefits for mining pool operators, who can benefit from the protocol’s efficiency to lower their operating costs (such as those for bandwidth used by their servers).

The feedback has been very positive: this first study was a joint work with various market players, including miners and mining pool operators. As SRI we want to continue working together with the entire community as done in this case, becoming a reference point for all actors interested in innovating the Bitcoin mining field”.

The research, based on controlled tests with two identical ASIC S19k Pro, with stock firmware, demonstrates that Stratum V2 can increase net profits by up to 7.4%. For an industry that often operates with 10% margins, this could represent a substantial competitive advantage.

The V2 protocol reduces various inefficiencies that plague the current system. The latency in block switching, that is the waiting time created when a miner must change block template after a new block has been mined on the network, goes from 325 milliseconds to just 1.42 milliseconds, a speed 228 times higher. This translates to about 4.9 hours of completely wasted hash power less per year.

Another problem of modern mining concerns “stale shares” – proofs of work that arrive too late to be remunerated, often due to network latency or inefficient communication. However, not all stale shares depend on inefficiency problems. On average, about 2% are rejected for expected reasons, such as when the share doesn’t reach the minimum difficulty required by the pool. This value is considered normal in the sector. The remaining 98%, instead, is caused by avoidable delays. With Stratum V1, miners lose between 0.1% and 0.2% of their computing power this way. Stratum V2 with Job Declaration completely eliminates this waste, provided that the miner and the pool node have the same level of connectivity. This step could translate into a net profit increase of up to 2% by fully adopting Stratum V2 with Job Declaration.

In the Stratum V2 protocol, the Job Declaration Client (JDC) is software that allows miners to receive mining jobs directly from their local Bitcoin node, that is the block templates to work on. The JDC communicates directly with the miner’s local node, receiving updated data for new block construction and immediately sending them to the mining software via Stratum V2. This allows miners to receive jobs in real time from their own node, without having to wait for them from the pool, reducing latency and the risk of working on obsolete jobs. Furthermore, if the pool allows it, miners can build custom templates choosing which transactions to include in the block.

The research also highlights an often overlooked aspect: the loss of transaction fees. With the Stratum V1 protocol, miners lose about 0.75% of potential fees for each block due to the delay in receiving new jobs. Considering that about 52,560 blocks are mined each year, this loss per block adds up to a total of about 74 bitcoins per year, equivalent to over $8 million at current prices.

Beyond economic advantages, Stratum V2 solves a critical vulnerability of the current system: hashrate hijacking. The V1 protocol doesn’t encrypt communications, allowing attackers to intercept and steal up to 2% of computing power without the miner noticing. The new protocol eliminates this risk through end-to-end encryption and authentication.

According to the study, by reducing latency, optimizing share sending and improving security, Stratum V2 enables a potential net profit increase of 7.4%, derived exclusively from technical improvements.

The post Stratum V2 increases profits by 7.4%: “The study shows that profit and decentralization can coexist”, says Vernetti, SV2 maintainer appeared first on Atlas21.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

French lawmakers are proposing Bitcoin mining as a solution to optimize the national electricity system and make use of surplus energy.

A group of French parliamentarians has introduced an amendment that could turn the country into a European hub for Bitcoin mining, strategically leveraging its energy production capacity.

The legislative proposal aims to assess how mining could be integrated into the French energy system — the largest in Europe — to optimize the management of electricity produced by nuclear power plants.

The amendment to the law on “National Programming and Regulatory Simplification in the Energy Sector” calls on the government to conduct a thorough evaluation of the potential of Bitcoin mining. The initiative represents a pragmatic approach to addressing the issue of excess energy, a key topic for France’s nuclear industry.

France’s energy system, powered by nuclear for over 70% of its needs, often generates electricity surpluses that require efficient management. The proponents of the proposal see mining as an ideal solution to absorb this excess, transforming a potential waste into an economic resource.

The operational flexibility of mining farms offers a unique competitive advantage: machines can be quickly turned on and off based on production and consumption peaks, dynamically adapting to the needs of the electrical grid. This feature makes them particularly suitable for installation near power plants, even in the most remote areas of the country.

The parliamentary proposal highlights how mining could contribute to the revitalization of abandoned industrial sites, creating new opportunities for economic development under the supervision of public authorities.

Lawmakers emphasize the various benefits of this strategy: reducing negative pricing in wholesale markets, relieving the workload on nuclear plants by avoiding frequent modulation cycles that accelerate equipment wear, and absorbing surplus energy that would otherwise go to waste.

The French Association for the Development of Digital Assets (ADAN) collaborated in drafting the amendment, contributing technical expertise and industrial insight to the project. The organization emphasized how low-carbon Bitcoin mining could help strengthen the resilience of the national electricity grid.

The parliamentary report notes that mining in France could represent “an activity tailored to the constraints of the electrical system, absorbing surplus energy and reducing environmental impact” by using power that would otherwise be lost.

The post France considers Bitcoin mining: parliamentary proposal for managing nuclear energy appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 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.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Russian authorities uncover 95 Bitcoin mining machines hidden inside a truck stealing electricity from a village.

Law enforcement in the Republic of Buryatia has uncovered an illegal Bitcoin mining operation concealed inside a KamAZ truck. The clandestine facility was siphoning off electricity meant for the local population.

According to the national news agency TASS, the discovery was made during a routine inspection of power lines in the Pribaikalsky district, where inspectors identified an unauthorized connection to a 10-kilovolt line — enough to power an entire village. The criminal operation showed a high level of organization, with sophisticated equipment hidden inside an apparently innocuous transport vehicle.

Source: Babr Mash

Inside the commercial truck, authorities found a fully operational mining center equipped with 95 machines and a portable transformer station. The technical setup suggested careful planning, designed to maximize bitcoin production while minimizing the risk of detection.

Two individuals suspected of involvement in the illegal activity managed to escape in an SUV before law enforcement arrived.

Impact of illegal mining on the local power grid

Buryatenergo, a regional unit of Rosseti Siberia, stressed how unauthorized connections severely compromise the stability of the local power grid. Consequences include voltage drops, overloads, and potential blackouts that disproportionately affect rural communities, already vulnerable in terms of energy access.

The illegal siphoning of electricity for mining creates a domino effect across the entire electrical infrastructure, causing service disruptions for legitimate users and increasing maintenance costs for grid operators.

Government restrictions on mining

The Russian government has implemented various restrictions on cryptocurrency mining in several regions of the country. In Buryatia, mining is banned from November 15 to March 15 due to seasonal energy shortages. Only companies registered in specific districts such as Severo-Baikalsky and Muisky are allowed to operate outside this period.

Federal restrictions were further tightened in December 2024, when Russia announced a ban on mining during peak energy months in multiple regions, including Dagestan, Chechnya, and parts of eastern Ukraine under Russian control. Since April, a total ban has been in effect in the southern region of Irkutsk.

Despite these restrictions, some Russian companies continue to operate legally in the sector. BitRiver, one of the country’s leading operators, takes advantage of the region’s low-cost energy, having launched its first and largest facility in 2019 in the city of Bratsk.

The post Illegal mining: clandestine operation discovered in a KamAZ truck in Russia appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 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.

@ 3c7dc2c5:805642a8

🧠Quote(s) of the week:

"Bitcoin trades 168 hours a week. Every other asset trades 35 hours at best (and less on holidays). This is the most magical, transparent, and hard-working [asset] in history. I’m in awe watching Bitcoin trade at 9:30 pm on a Saturday. You could liquidate $100 million worth, any hour of any day, and maybe take a 3% haircut. This is extremely high-bandwidth price discovery." —Michael Saylor https://i.ibb.co/LXCm3Kp8/Gshl-Ixas-Awezk3.png

🧡Bitcoin news🧡

13 years ago the block subsidy was 50 BTC. 13 years from now it will be 0.39 BTC.

On the 2nd of June:

➡️Hong Kong’s Reitar Logitech files to acquire $1.5B in Bitcoin, becoming the latest firm to join the Bitcoin treasury trend. The logistics and real estate company says the move strengthens its financial foundation as it scales its global tech platform.

➡️Bitcoin's global hashrate has reached a new all-time high, with data from Hashrate Index showing a 7-day simple moving average peak of 943 EH/s. https://i.ibb.co/3yR2ZZ0w/Gsahm-VXMAA1m-Ol.png

➡️(K)now (Y)our (C)ustomer is nothing but Stealth Mass Surveillance. What 95% of regulations cost versus return in one picture? https://i.ibb.co/Q3CLzF7j/Gsb20g-Pb-IAABy4-L.jpg

➡️Norwegian Block Exchange becomes the first publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company in Norway.' - Simply Bitcoin

➡️Poland just elected pro-Bitcoin Presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki. “Poland should be a birthplace of innovation rather than regulation.”

➡️NYC Mayor Eric Adams: “You all mocked me, ‘You’re taking your first 3 paychecks in #Bitcoin, what’s wrong with you?’ Now you wish you would have done.”

➡️Strategy plans to launch an IPO for 2.5M shares of its 10% Series A 'Stride' Preferred Stock (STRD), with proceeds going toward general corporate use and Bitcoin acquisition. Dividends are non-cumulative and paid only if declared.

Bit Paine: 'Remember: the entire fiat system is just various forms and layers of debt with different issuers all backed by an “asset,” (itself just a base layer of sovereign debt) that can and will be printed into oblivion. MSTR is just recapitulating this system but with a fixed supply underlying, meaning that in real terms anything it issues will benefit from the dilution of the fiat base layer and hence outperform (wildly) any fiat debt. No matter your institutional mandate, it makes no sense to hold debt whose base layer can be unilaterally demonetized when you can hold debt backed by a fixed supply underlying commodity that goes up forever.'

On the 3rd of June:

➡️Tether sends 37,229 Bitcoin worth almost $4 billion in total to Jack Maller's Twenty-One Capital

➡️El Salvador is running a full Bitcoin node!

➡️Canadian construction engineering company SolarBank adopts a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve "As the adoption of Bitcoin continues to grow, SolarBank believes that establishing a Bitcoin treasury strategy taps into a growing sector that is seeing increasing adoption."

➡️Willy Woo: "Who are the idiots who are selling when institutions and sovereigns are racing to buy billions in BTC?" This chart sheds light. The big whales >10k BTC have been selling since 2017. "They're stupid!" Most of those coins were bought between $0-$700 and held 8-16 years.' https://i.ibb.co/xKctV3Tf/Gsid236as-AAXPl-D.jpg

Selling at 20,000% profit is generally not a bad move.

➡️'South Korea just elected a pro-Bitcoin President who promised to legalize spot Bitcoin ETFs and scrap unfair regulation.' -Bitcoin Archive

➡️The average US investor owns 0.3% of their net worth in Bitcoin.

https://i.ibb.co/5WtFH9LM/Gsfoem-Tb0-AEfo-Ds.jpg

We are so damnn early.

➡️MARA mined 950 Bitcoin worth over $100 MILLION in May. They HODLed all of it.

➡️Bitcoin for Corporations: "Metaplanet just became Japan’s most traded stock — topping the charts in both value and volume:

➤ 170M shares traded

➤ ¥222B ($1.51B) value traded

This is what a Bitcoin strategy looks like in motion."

➡️'The Blockchain Group acquires 624 BTC for €60.2 million, nearly doubling their stack. They are now holding a total of 1,471 BTC with a BTC Yield of 1,097.6% YTD.' -Bitcoin News

➡️Publicly traded company K33 buys 10 Bitcoin for SEK 10 million for its balance sheet.

➡️California Assembly passes a bill to allow the state to receive payments in Bitcoin and digital currencies. It passed 68-0 and now heads to the Senate.

But hold up...

Bitcoin held on exchanges for +3 years will be transferred to the state of California under a law passed by the Assembly.

Not your keys…

➡️Adam Back invests $2.1 million into Swedish Bitcoin treasury company H100.

On the 4th of June:

➡️Daniel Batten: 'A large Bitcoin mining operation uses < 1/3 of the water of an average US family, and 0.0006% of the water a typical Gold mine uses.' https://i.ibb.co/TxNWSkHg/Gsn-VIjh-XQAEECOh.jpg

➡️And there it is: for JPMorgan, Bitcoin is now "safe collateral" JP Morgan will now offer loans backed by Bitcoin ETFs.

https://i.ibb.co/cXX0hKBK/Gsn-C5-B8-Wg-AA2e3i.png

Bent the knee. Wall Street realizes that Bitcoin is pristine collateral. Liquid 24/7/365 globally.

➡️Spanish coffee chain Vanadi Coffee to purchase $1.1 billion Bitcoin for its treasury reserve.

Disclaimer: This sounds great but it's not the whole story.

Pledditor: 'You mean a coffee shop chain founded just 4 years ago, only has 6 locations, and every year it has operated has suffered millions of dollars of net losses? They have 1975 Instagram followers. They have 149 Facebook followers. They have 48 X followers. But remember guys, you are investing in a "COFFEE GIANT"

So where does the $1.1B come from?

'The same way it came for Metaplanet (and all these other penny stocks) Get a bunch of high follower Bitcoin X accounts to hype your ticker (usually Bitcoin Magazine, Vivek, Pete Rizzo, etc), start up an "Irresponsibly Long ___" group, then dump a shitload of stock on the plebs.'

I have said it before...

Bitcoin treasury companies won't prevent another bear market; they’re the reason it’ll happen again this cycle.

➡️Public company Semler Scientific purchases an additional 185 Bitcoin for $20 million.

➡️Wicked: Imagine how rekt people would get if we went from $200k back down to $58k next bear market. The funny thing is that’d only be a 71% pullback, the smallest bear market pullback ever.

https://i.ibb.co/DfFtFZnP/Gsnr-U-3-Xo-AAJy-Kq.jpg

➡️Fidelty: An increasing number of institutions are leveraging Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. And as understanding of the asset deepens, interest continues to grow. See what may be driving the shift: Source: https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/research-and-insights/adding-bitcoin-corporate-treasury?ccsource=owned_social_btc_corp_treasury_june_x

➡️Solo Bitcoin miner solves block 899,826, earning 3.151 BTC ( $330K). A solo miner rented a massive amount of hashrate on @NiceHashMining and successfully mined a Bitcoin block solo on CKpool, claiming the full reward alone.

➡️Romania's national postal service, Poșta Română, launches a pilot program by installing its first Bitcoin ATM at a Tulcea branch, partnering with Bitcoin Romania (BTR Exchange), the country's leading cryptocurrency exchange.

On the 6th of June:

➡️Mononaut: 'With a weight of only 5723 units, block 899998 was the second lightest non-empty block of this halving epoch.'

➡️'UK-listed gold miner Bluebird Mining Ventures announces strategy to convert gold mining income into Bitcoin. A gold mining company will become the first UK-listed company to implement a Strategic Bitcoin Treasury' - Bitcoin News

➡️Phoenix Wallet: Phoenix 2.6.1 now supports NFC for sending and receiving. Works on Android and iOS. (NFC received on iOS is only due to Apple restrictions)

➡️Man from Germany fails to declare 24 words when crossing the border – nothing happens.

https://i.ibb.co/21W5qVks/Gswdghd-Xw-AA7-SH6.png

➡️Know Labs, Inc. to become a Bitcoin Treasury Strategy company starting with 1,000 BTC. Funny isn't it? Even former Ripple executive, Greg Kidd, is choosing to fill their company treasuries with bitcoin—not XRP.

➡️Bitcoin Successfully Mines the 900,000th Block! https://x.com/i/status/1930973314475815120

➡️Trump Media's latest S-3 filing officially adopts a Bitcoin treasury strategy. - Registers up to $12B in new securities to buy BTC - Adds to $2.44B already raised - Mentions “Bitcoin” 362 times (vs. once in prior S-3)

➡️Bitcoin News: Metaplanet just issued ¥855B ($5.4B) in moving-strike warrants to buy more Bitcoin, Japan’s largest equity issuance of its kind ever. It’s the first above-market pricing in Japan's history, defying the usual 8–10% discount.

➡️ Uber CEO tells Bloomberg Bitcoin is a proven store of value and that it is exploring crypto payments.

➡️Agricultural commodity trading company Davis Commodities will buy $4.5 million Bitcoin for their reserves, calling it "digital gold.

➡️Fidelity: As digital assets evolve, bitcoin’s potential as a store of value sets it apart from other cryptocurrencies. “Coin Report: Bitcoin” outlines why the asset’s design, scarcity, and decentralized nature help make it distinct—and where its future opportunities may lie. Read now: https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/research-and-insights/coin-report-bitcoin-btc?ccsource=owned_social_btc_report_june_x

➡️Japanese public company Remixpoint announces it bought 44.8 #Bitcoin worth $4.7 million

On the 8th of June:

➡️Wicked: Bitcoin has been running for 6,000 days and it’s already spent 60 of them, 1% of its life, closing above $100k. https://i.ibb.co/kVyrjR7v/Gs4uy-MIW8-AAOl-A.jpg

On the 9th of June:

➡️Australia’s ABC News reports on how Bitcoin adoption is bringing financial freedom and greater safety to Kibera, one of Africa’s largest slums in Kenya.

➡️ IBIT just blew through $70b and is now the fastest ETF to ever hit that mark in only 341 days, which is 5x faster than the old record held by GLD of 1,691 days. https://i.ibb.co/DfKbwhjG/Gt-Ar6-Eq-X0-AAzrl5.png

Credit chart JackiWang17 on X

➡️Japanese fashion brand ANAP plans to buy and hold over 1,000 Bitcoin by August 2025.

➡️South Korean President to introduce legislation this week to allow big banks to adopt Bitcoin.

➡️Wicked: Bitcoin's now 3x larger than the top 9 shitcoins combined. https://i.ibb.co/LDQKsGHM/Gt-AJy-D6-X0-AA7-PIY.jpg

💸Traditional Finance / Macro:

On the 3rd of May:

👉🏽'Hedge funds are still not buying the Magnificent 7: Hedge funds’ long/short ratio on Magnificent 7 stocks is now at its lowest level in 5 years, per Goldman Sachs. This is even lower than at the 2022 bear market bottom. Furthermore, their exposure to Magnificent 7 stocks is now down -50% over the last year. Meanwhile, hedge funds have bought US information technology stocks for 3 consecutive weeks. This occurred after the sector had been net sold in 10 of the previous 12 weeks. Retail has led the recent rebound.' -TKL

On the 6th of June:

👉🏽If you net out the Mag 7 from the S&P 500, the remaining 493 stocks have barely gone anywhere in over a decade (comparatively speaking). Chart: Goldman Sachs https://i.ibb.co/s9LmVBL8/Gsx53k6-W8-AAM2xr.jpg

🏦Banks:

On the 21st of May: 👉🏽No News

🌎Macro/Geopolitics:

'The reality is that the US soft defaults on its debt every day through structural inflation (the perpetual debasement of the US dollar). In other words, the Treasury pays you back dollars that are worth far less than what you lent to them. A soft default.' This is also valid for Europe.

On top of that, the richest man in the world is publicly arguing with the president of the United States about America’s solvency. Consider buying bitcoin.

So far regarding Trump: - didn't audit the Gold - didn't stop the wars - didn't reduce the deficit/debt/budget - didn't form a Bitcoin reserve - didn't release the Epstein files

Anyway, consider buying Bitcoin.

On the 2nd of June:

👉🏽'The Bank of Japan just racked up a record ¥28.6 trillion in bond losses That’s three times bigger than last year! This isn’t just Japan’s problem. It’s a screaming red alert for global markets.' - StockMarket News

TKL: " Japanese equity funds posted a record $11.8 billion in net outflows last week. This brought the 4-week moving average of outflows to $4.0 billion, an all-time high. Investors’ concerns over rapidly rising long-dated Japanese government bond yields were behind the outflows. Additionally, investors withdrew $5.1 billion from US stock funds. All while global equity funds saw $9.5 billion in net outflows, the most this year. Investors are taking profits after a sharp market recovery."

👉🏽The money printer is back on. US M2 just hit a new all-time high at $21.86T. Liquidity is flowing back into the system.

https://i.ibb.co/fGdx5kmt/Gsd-Jn-R9-XUAAUAO2.jpg

Recession odds have just dropped by 70% to 30% That’s the steepest decline in 65 years without a recession actually happening. Forget everything about a recession when M2 is moving up. Simple as that.

👉🏽$698 billion worth of homes are for sale in the United States, a new all-time high. Rajat Soni: 'The price of a house should be 0.01 BTC right now The housing market is way overpriced in terms of Bitcoin Interest rates or real estate prices will have to fall for these these homes actually to be sold.'

👉🏽The US Dollar is worth 8.9% less than it was at the beginning of the year.

👉🏽Argentina's economy grew 8% year-over-year in April 2025, the highest in the Western world!

On the 3rd of June:

👉🏽Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" bans all 50 states from regulating AI for 10 years, centralizes control at the federal level, and integrates AI systems into key federal agencies. https://i.ibb.co/Q7t14q7M/Gse-V2f-YWUAAyb-Py.png

👉🏽 ZeroHedge: 'Total US debt is now $37.5 trillion (accrued). The $36.2 trillion actual is just the ceiling set by the debt limit which will be revised to $40 trillion in August/September.'

👉🏽A million seconds ago was May 23rd

A billion seconds ago was 1993

A trillion seconds ago was 30,000 B.C.

The US national debt is now rising by $1 Trillion every 180 days.

👉🏽NATO pushes European members to increase ground-based air defense systems five-fold — Bloomberg

👉🏽Global Markets Investor: 'This is incredible how European markets have outperformed the US this year. Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria have grown their market capitalization by 44%, 36%, and 33%, respectively. Next are Hungary, Spain, Luxembourg, Greece, and Germany. The US has been flat.'

https://i.ibb.co/TMwrLnB0/Gsiu-KWYXEAAto-U1.jpg

This is one of the WORST years for the US stock market in history: The S&P 500 has UNDERperformed World stocks excluding the US by 12 percentage points year-to-date, the most in 32 YEARS. This is even worse than during the Great Financial Crisis.

👉🏽Bravos Research: 'M2 money supply is now expanding at 4.4% After reaching its deepest contraction in 65 years This is quite constructive for the stock market.' https://i.ibb.co/hFCRgFhr/Gsht-Kgk-Xw-AAy-PFq.jpg

On the 4th of June:

👉🏽“The $1.06 trillion unrealized loss in 2024 was ‘modestly higher’ than the $948.4 billion paper loss seen in 2023.” https://i.ibb.co/Pvm7zVWy/Gsj-9-OWs-AAvwp-F.jpg

Probably nothing. What’s a trillion between friends…

Currently, the US is spending $1,200 trillion per year on interest payments (dark line). If everything were financed at the current interest rate, the cost would exceed $1,500 trillion per year (green). https://i.ibb.co/mCpYtwVW/Gsm-H6-Mr-Xc-AAqd-F5.png

Note: The national debt is $36,9 trillion.

👉🏽Global debt is gigantic: Debt-to-GDP is above 100% in 6 of 7 G7 nations, and is still rising. Japan: ~250% Italy, the US, France, the UK, and Canada: all near or above 100%.

For 5 of 7 G7 economies, debt is set to surge further by 2030. Now debt is a problem but the main question would be...what will the productivity be in 2030?

On the 5th of June:

👉🏽 The United States Treasury just bought back $10 Billion of its own debt, the largest Treasury buyback in history.

Buying back your own debt with printed money. That's what happens just before fiat money goes to die (eventually). Eventually, nobody wants that worthless debt anymore, eventually!

Context by EndGame Macro:

💰 $10 Billion Buyback: The Treasury’s Silent Signal

On June 3, 2025, the U.S. Treasury quietly executed the largest debt buyback in American history, repurchasing $10 billion in short- and medium-term bonds. At first glance, it looked routine. But under the surface, this was a stealth intervention aimed at calming a system under increasing strain. This wasn’t just liquidity smoothing. It was strategic triage.

🧾 What Happened

Buyback Size: $10B (a record)

Debt Offered: $22.87B — more than double what was accepted

Target Maturities: July 2025 to May 2027

Issues Accepted: 22 of 40 eligible

Settlement: June 4, 2025

That huge offer volume isn’t just noise—it’s a warning sign that institutional players are under pressure.

🚨 What the Buyback Really Signaled

1. A Quiet Circuit Breaker The buyback focused on maturities clustered around a $9 trillion rollover wall over the next 12 months. Without announcing it, the Treasury effectively tripped a circuit breaker to reduce near-term funding stress.
2. QE Without the Label This wasn’t the Fed. No balance sheet expansion. But by retiring debt ahead of maturity and shrinking market float, the effect mirrored QE—without the political baggage.
3. Institutions Are Feeling the Squeeze A staggering $22.87 billion in offers points to constraints at banks, funds, or foreign reserve desks. The Treasury didn’t save everyone—just enough to relieve pressure quietly.

🎯 Strategic Motivation

This wasn’t about boosting confidence. It was about managing two threats: Maturity Wall Risk: Avoiding auction failures as short-term debt piles up in 2025–2026. Yield Curve Stability: Preventing disorderly spikes by quietly absorbing supply. This move avoided triggering headlines—while containing the fire under the hood.

🧠 Echoes from History

This buyback fits into a lineage of quiet but powerful interventions: Operation Twist (1961) – Rebalancing maturity without QE branding. BoE Gilt Crisis (2022) – Targeted long-end intervention to save pensions. Belgium’s Shadow QE (2014) – U.S. debt absorbed off-balance-sheet during geopolitical tension. Each move relied on subtlety and intent—not optics.

🧩 What the Market Heard

Primary Dealers: Help exists—but it’s selective and discretionary.

Foreign Holders: Exit in order—or risk exclusion.

Money Markets: Relief, not resolution.

❗ Where the Logic Cracks

If this was routine: Why buy back below par? Why accept only 44% of the offered debt? Why deploy this now and not earlier? Each of these points to deeper stress than officials are openly admitting.

🔒 High-Conviction Takeaway

This buyback was a preemptive stabilization maneuver, not a stimulus. With over $9 trillion in short-term debt set to roll, foreign participation weakening, and institutional selling pressure rising, the Treasury acted before fractures became visible. The line wasn’t drawn to show strength. It was drawn behind the market—to stop a collapse.

🕵️‍♂️ Known Unknowns

Who were the biggest sellers—and what’s pressuring them? Was this coordinated with the Fed or global reserve desks? Is this a one-off event—or the start of a multi-phase liquidity campaign? The silence is strategic—but the signal is loud.

👉🏽Joe Consorti: 'Congress refuses to cut spending. So we must "grow our way out" of the deficit. That would take 39 years of 5% nominal GDP growth, or 22 years at 10%. In other words, 2-4 decades of explosive growth just to break even. We can't "grow our way out". We'll print our way out.'

👉🏽ZeroHedge: And just like that, the "climate crisis" is gone https://i.ibb.co/GQ76Z79P/Gsr3uus-XEAAjuv6.png

Don't get me wrong and with all respect to my environmentalist friends, but the “Crisis” never existed. A big part of the push has been marketing dollars/euros and media spin, let's face it.

Why do I think that? How do you think we will grow out of the Global Debt problem? One word: PRODUCTIVITY.

How can we manage that? They (Governments/Central Banks) need AI data farms. What do data farms need?

Electricity, water, energy.

Because Big Tech and AI need energy -- wherever they can find it -- climate change as a cause is finished. It was all virtue signaling. And remember the climate didn’t cool, it just stopped polling well. The scariest part of the “climate crisis” becoming out-of-vogue with the left is that it'll likely be replaced by something equally absurd and artificially manufactured.

On the 6th of June

👉🏽 'The US economy adds 139,000 jobs in May, above expectations of 126,000. The unemployment rate was 4.2%, in line with expectations of 4.2%. The April jobs number was revised down from 177,000 to 147,000. The headline numbers continue to exceed expectations.' - TKL

Surprise, surprise…

March jobs revised: 185K 120K (-65k)

April jobs revised: 177K 147K (-30k)

13 of the L16 have been revised lower.

Just to make it even worse, this is something I have shared multiple times in 2024. The number of year-over-year private job gains in 2024 was likely overstated by a MASSIVE 907,000 jobs, according to BLS data released Wednesday. This comes as the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data covering 97% of employers showed a private payroll growth rate of 0.6% for December 2024. This is 50% lower than the 1.2% growth rate initially reported in the monthly non-farm payroll (NFP) reports. To put this differently, there was a 907,000 gap between NFP data and QCEW data in 2024. This means jobs were likely overstated by an average of 75,583 PER MONTH in 2024.

👉🏽Opinion: Milei reduced government spending by 30% and achieved a surplus in only 1 month. His popularity didn't fall, it rose. Don't tell me fiscal discipline isn't popular with the general public. It's just unpopular to the powerful special interests that control DC or Brussels.

👉🏽'In the current fiscal year, the U.S. government already spent $4,159 billion. This is for the first 7 months and the fiscal year ends in September. The latest available data is as of April. The already accrued deficit amounts to over $1 trillion: $1,049 billion.

You can see in the chart how net interest expense has become the #2 largest spending category at $579 billion (for 7 months) after social security ($907 billion) and even exceeded national defense ($536 billion), health ($555 billion), and Medicare ($550 billion). The deficit is 34% of total receipts! (1049/3110) In other words: the U.S. government spent 34% more than it took in.

The last full fiscal year ended in September 2024. In that fiscal year, we spent $1.13 trillion on interest expenses. After only the first 7 months of fiscal year 2025 ending in September, they are already at $776 billion. This means we'll likely touch $1.3 trillion this fiscal year!' - AJ https://i.ibb.co/RTLTZPn1/Gsxv-Tso-Xc-AAZs-Zo.jpg

On the 7th of June:

👉🏽 The EU Commission paid climate "NGOs" for questionable lobbying with money from German taxpayers and wanted to keep it secret. https://i.ibb.co/zH6J41Zq/Gsz-Lu-F9-Xg-AAZttn.jpg Now read the above statement again and after that read the following bit:

👉🏽EU TRIES TO LECTURE EL SALVADOR - BUKELE BODYSLAMS BACK Source: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/el-salvador-statement-spokesperson-foreign-agents-law-and-recent-developments_en

The Diplomatic Service of the European: "El Salvador: The EU regrets the adoption of the Foreign Agents Law, which risks restricting civil society and runs counter to international obligations. Recent arrests of human rights defenders raise further concerns."

The EU’s sanctimonious finger-wagging at El Salvador reeks of hypocrisy. Brussels lectures sovereign nations on “civil society” while funneling billions into globalist NGOs that undermine national sovereignty. The institution that attacks liberty, freedom, democracy, and free speech in the name of a neosocialist woke ideology wants to lecture other countries on how they defend against their constant meddling and aggression. They are a bunch of unelected bureaucrats, accountable to no one, representing no one. Classic!

Supporting this further, let’s have a look how the EU is increasingly positioning itself as a technocratic regulator of personal freedom:

'The EU – the one that:

•wants to monitor every Bitcoin transaction through MiCA & DAC-8 •would love to ban non-custodial wallets

•is planning a chat control law that would make even China blush

•is considering a wealth register to digitally track every cent of your retirement savings

•restricts cash withdrawals in some member states •is testing CBDCs with expiration dates and spending limits

•and is preparing the digital euro as a full-blown control tool

…this EU is now complaining about human rights violations in El Salvador – a country whose government enjoys one of the highest approval ratings in the world. Over 85% support for President Bukele. Show me a single Western leader who even comes close to that.' - Bitcoin Hotel

Great reply by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele: 'EU: El Salvador regrets that a bloc which is aging, overregulated, energy-dependent, tech-lagging, and led by unelected bureaucrats still insists on lecturing the rest of the world.'

👉🏽Sam Callahan: Alternative title: 73% of bonds in the world trading at less than the rate of debasement https://i.ibb.co/Y4qMvh0T/Gs7-Ry-WMAABf49.jpg

On the 8th of June:

👉🏽'US existing home sales dropped -3.1% year-over-year to an annualized 4.0 million in April, the lowest for any April since 2009. Month-over-month, home sales fell 0.5%, well below expectations of a +2.0% increase. The decline was driven by the West and Northeast regions. Sales in the South were flat, while in the Midwest improved slightly. Meanwhile, existing home inventory rose +21%, to 1.45 million, the most for any April since 2020, per ZeroHedge. Despite that, the median sales price increased +1.8% year-over-year to $414,000, a record for April. Homebuyer demand is weak and prices are still rising.' -TKL

On the 9th of June:

👉🏽Jeroen Blokland: '- China bought more gold in May. -China has been buying even more gold through ‘unofficial’ channels. - China's gold reserves today are low compared to those of the US and European countries -China is determined to move away from US dollar hegemony - China’s ambition to move away from the US dollar will only have strengthened because of the Trump tariff war - China has to acknowledge that few countries, companies, and households want to hold the Yuan So what will China be doing for years to come?'

No surprise central banks are avoiding sovereign debt and adding gold.

👉🏽TKL: Gold is on fire: Gold's share of global reserves reached 23% in Q2 2025, the highest level in 30 years. Over the last 6 years, the percentage has DOUBLED. At the same time, the US Dollar's share of international reserves has declined 10 percentage points, to 44%, the lowest since 1993. By comparison, the Euro's share has decreased 2 percentage points, to 16%, the lowest in 22 years. Gold is quickly replacing fiat currencies as a reserve currency.

🎁If you have made it this far, I would like to give you a little gift:

Lysander: "Lyn Alden gave one of the clearest breakdowns of why the U.S. is on an unstoppable fiscal path—and why Bitcoin matters more than ever because of it.

Lyn Alden walks through the numbers behind the federal deficit, interest expenses, Social Security, and the structural changes that happened post-2008. The short version? We’re in a new era. One where the government can’t slow down even if it wants to.

Her phrase: “Nothing stops this train.” Not because of ideology, but because of math—and human nature.

This isn’t hyperinflation doom-talk. It’s a sober look at what happens when a system built on ever-growing debt reaches its limits—and why Bitcoin, with its fixed supply and transparent rules, is the opposite of that system.

If you haven’t seen it, this is a must watch. Pure signal! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giuzcd4oxIk

Credit: I have used multiple sources!

My savings account: Bitcoin The tool I recommend for setting up a Bitcoin savings plan: PocketBitcoin especially suited for beginners or people who want to invest in Bitcoin with an automated investment plan once a week or monthly.

Use the code SE3997

Get your Bitcoin out of exchanges. Save them on a hardware wallet, run your own node...be your own bank. Not your keys, not your coins. It's that simple. ⠀ ⠀

⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

Do you think this post is helpful to you?

If so, please share it and support my work with a zap.

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⭐ Many thanks⭐

Felipe - Bitcoin Friday!

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@ 88cc134b:5ae99079

content

@ 2b24a1fa:17750f64

Der Münchner Pianist und "Musikdurchdringer" Jürgen Plich stellt jeden Dienstag um 20 Uhr große klassische Musik vor. Er teilt seine Hör- und Spielerfahrung und seine persönliche Sicht auf die Meisterwerke. Er spielt selbst besondere, unbekannte Aufnahmen, erklärt, warum die Musik so und nicht anders klingt und hat eine Menge aus dem Leben der Komponisten zu erzählen.

https://soundcloud.com/radiomuenchen/eine-stunde-klassik-liebesfreud-und-liebesleid?

Sonntags um 10 Uhr in der Wiederholung.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The Brazilian government has abolished the Bitcoin tax exemption for small investors and introduced a flat 17.5% tax rate on all crypto capital gains.

Brazil has officially ended the tax-free period for small digital asset investors, introducing a flat 17.5% rate on all profits from cryptocurrency sales. The decision was formalized through Provisional Measure 1303, part of the government’s strategy to increase tax revenues from financial markets.

Until now, Brazilian residents selling up to 35,000 Brazilian reais (around $6,300) in cryptocurrencies per month were completely exempt from income tax. Profits exceeding this threshold were subject to progressive taxation, starting at 15% and reaching up to 22.5% for amounts over 30 million reais.

The new flat rate, which took effect on June 12, removes all exemptions and applies uniformly to every investor, regardless of the size of their transactions, according to local outlet Portal do Bitcoin.

While small-scale investors will now face a higher tax burden, high-net-worth individuals might actually benefit. Under the previous system, large transactions were taxed between 17.5% and 22.5%. With the new flat 17.5% rate, many high-profile investors will see their effective tax liability reduced.

Under the new rules, taxes will be calculated quarterly, with investors allowed to offset losses from the previous five quarters. However, starting in 2026, the time frame for claiming losses will be shortened.

Last March, Brazilian lawmakers also proposed a bill allowing employers to partially pay workers in cryptocurrency. According to the draft, crypto payments could not exceed 50% of an employee’s salary.

Full payment in cryptocurrencies would only be allowed for foreign workers or contractors, and only under specific conditions set by the Brazilian Central Bank. The bill prohibits full crypto payment for standard employees.

The post Brazil scraps crypto tax exemption: new 17.5% flat tax appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 2b24a1fa:17750f64

Wo läßt es sich trefflicher plaudern als am Küchentisch. Es muß ja nicht unbedingt der eigene sein. Hauptsache, es sitzen vergnügte Menschen reinen Herzens daran, wie zum Beispiel die Herren Helmut Schleich und Franz Esser.

https://soundcloud.com/radiomuenchen/karlspreis-katzeklo-am-kuchentisch-mit-schleich-esser?

@ 2b24a1fa:17750f64

All diese politischen Themen! Dauernd schreit einer lauter als der andere, um DIE WAHRHEIT über Geschehnisse zu verkünden, bei denen er allermeist gar nicht anwesend war. Längst spüren wir, dass die übermäßige Beschäftigung mit dem Außen nicht gut tut und weder zur Ruhe, noch zum inneren Frieden beiträgt. Bei Radio München wird es ab 20. Juni eine neue Sendereihe geben, mit dem Titel „Böttchers innere Reisen“, hier soll der Fokus mehr auf das Seelenheil in unheilen Zeiten gehen, oder heißt es unheilige Zeiten?

https://soundcloud.com/radiomuenchen/innere-reisen-mit-jens-bottcher-ein-interview-von-andreas-geltinger?

Jens Böttcher, ist Musiker, Schriftsteller und Lebensberater, ausgezeichnet mit dem Kulturpreis „Blauer Löwe“ und dem renommierten Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. In seinem Gesprächsformat namens Licht.Spiel.Haus, zu dem er immer wieder interessante Gäste einlädt, spricht er, wie auch in seinen Büchern und Liedtexten, vom Scheitern, vom Leiden, vom Aufstehen, von der Freude und von der Liebe … und dass alles irgendwie zusammenhängt in unserem Leben, das er als spirituelle Reise begreift.

Unser Autor Andreas Geltinger stellt uns heute unseren neuen Kollegen Jens Böttcher im Rahmen eines Interview vor.

@ 5d085290:0edc3292

You Are navigating city streets or tackling off-road trails, fuel economy is a critical factor for SUV buyers — and this model delivers. According to recent updates, the Nissan Xterra 2025 release date is expected later this year, bringing with it a balance of power and practicality. Drivers across the UAE can expect mileage figures that compete with the best in its class, and you can explore full regional insights in the 2025 Nissan Xterra mileage in UAE guide. The SUV is estimated to deliver between 12–16 km/l depending on road conditions, which is a solid figure for a full-size adventure-ready vehicle. Compared to the previous model, efficiency has been boosted with smarter engine tuning — read more in the Nissan Xterra 2024 vs 2025 comparison. Designed for UAE conditions, it includes fuel-saving features like eco-driving modes and advanced gear ratios. This makes the 2025 Xterra not just a capable off-roader, but also a smart choice for daily commutes.

@ 2b24a1fa:17750f64

„Die Technologie neigt dazu, alle Attribute des religiösen Denkens, der magischen und animistischen Vernunft und des künstlerischen Schaffens sich allein einzuverleiben. Es ist noch nicht lange her, als angenommen wurde, das künstliche Objekt entferne den Menschen von der Welt. Heute ist es keine Frage der Entfernung mehr, sondern die Frage einer möglichen Verschmelzung, da die Welt selbst dazu neigt, künstlich zu werden.“

https://soundcloud.com/radiomuenchen/die-terrestrische-gemeinschaft-ein-buch-von-achille-mbembe?

\ Das schreibt Achille Mbembe, Historiker und Politikwissenschaftler aus Kamerun, in seinem Buch „Die terrestrische Gemeinschaft. Technik, Animismus und die Erde als Utopie“. Inspiration und Hoffnung findet der Autor in Afrika. Jenem Kontinent, den unsere – je nach Blickwinkel westliche oder nördliche – Zivilisation gerne reduziert auf Schlagwörter wie Krieg, Hunger, Despotie, Überbevölkerung und Aberglaube. In den alten Stammeskulturen findet Mbembe eine ganz andere Haltung, ein ganz anderes Verständnis der Welt. Das könnte uns helfen, die Natur nicht als Feind zu betrachten, den es zu bezwingen gilt, sondern als Ort, an dem alles mit allem verbunden ist und niemand sich zum Herrscher aufschwingen kann, ohne den anderen und letztlich auch sich selbst zu schaden:\ „Dieser Gemeinschaft der Erde entspricht die grundlegende Universalität aller ihrer Bewohner. Weder die menschlichen Personen noch die anderen Wesen zusammengenommen sind die Eigentümer der Erde. Sie sind dort Erdenbürger, insofern sie alle in den Genuss eines unbestreitbaren Platzes auf ihr kommen.“\ Unser Autor Jonny Rieder hat Mbembes Buch gelesen und darüber nachgedacht.

Sprecher: Ulrich Allroggen

Bild: Verlag Matthes & Seitz Berlin / Dirk Lebahn

@ 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.

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

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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.

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

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Im September starten wir an der Freien Akademie für Medien & Journalismus eine Veranstaltungsreihe im Vorderen Bayerischen Wald und laden alle ein, live dabei zu sein, wenn Menschen interviewt werden, die etwas zu sagen und spannende Geschichten zu erzählen haben. Nach etwa einer Stunde werden die Kameras ausgeschaltet, sodass genug Raum bleibt für Fragen, für das Kennenlernen, für den Austausch mit Gleichgesinnten.

Die ersten Gäste ab dem 8. September: Jürgen Fliege, Joana Cotar, Gerd Reuther und Gabriele Gysi. Es gibt eine zweite Gesprächsreihe, die am 13. Oktober mit Jörg Bernig startet. Die Aufzeichnungen beginnen jeweils um 18 Uhr in einer Gaststätte im Raum Sankt Englmar. Wer eine weitere Anreise hat: Die Gegend ist wunderschön, lädt zum Entspannen ein (Wandern, hervorragende Gastronomie, Unterkünfte für jeden Geldbeutel) und verfügt über alles, was das Urlauberherz begehrt. Organistorisches und Anmeldung

8. September 2025: Jürgen Fliege – Glaube, Kirche, Hoffnung

Eine Talkshow im Ersten, präsentiert von einem Pastor, der alles mitbringt, was man braucht, um Menschen zu gewinnen: Einen besseren Werbeträger hätte sich die evangelische Kirche nicht wünschen können. Jürgen Fliege war von 1994 bis 2005 Stammgast in den Wohnzimmern und ist trotzdem oder gerade deshalb schon damals immer wieder in Konflikt geraten mit Amtsträgern aller Art. Ab 2020 hat er sich in Sachen Corona öffentlich klar positioniert und dabei auch auf die Bibel verwiesen.

9. September 2025: Joana Cotar – Acht Jahre Bundestag. Wie weiter mit der Demokratie?

Ganz stimmt das mit den acht Jahren nicht: Die zweite Legislaturperiode ist vor der Zeit zu Ende gegangen. Joana Cotar wurde zweimal über die AfD-Landesliste in Hessen in den Bundestag gewählt, war dabei 2021 auch als Spitzenkandidatin im Gespräch und zwei Jahre im Bundesvorstand. Ende 2022 hat sie Partei und Fraktion verlassen, im Parlament aber weitergemacht und immer wieder den Finger in die Wunde gelegt, wenn es um das Parteiensystem ging oder um den Spielraum der Volksvertreter.

10. September 2025: Gerd Reuther – Tatort Vergangenheit

Gerd Reuther hat sich als Medizinaufklärer ohne Tabus einen Namen gemacht – ein Radiologe, der an drei Kliniken Chefarzt war, dann aber mit 55 aufgehört hat. Sein Buch „Der betrogene Patient“ war 2017 ein Bestseller. Danach hat er die Geschichte der Medizin gegen den Strich gebürstet („Heilung Nebensache“) und in „Hauptsache Panik“ die europäische Seuchengeschichte demontiert. Jetzt nimmt er sich unsere gesamte Geschichte vor und stellt von den Römern bis in die Neuzeit unser „Wissen“ über die Vergangenheit in Frage.

11. September 2025: Gabriele Gysi – Gibt es noch eine deutsche Frage?

Niemand kann das besser beantworten als diese Künstlerin, Spross einer Politikerfamilie und Zeitzeugin für alle drei deutschen Nachkriegsstaaten – für die DDR sowieso, nach ihrer Ausreise 1984 aber auch für die alte Bundesrepublik und dann natürlich für die neue, wo sie unter anderem Chefdramaturgin der Berliner Volksbühne war. Gabriele Gysi sagt: Solange wir keine gesamtdeutsche Geschichte haben, bleibt die große Frage offen.

Michael Meyen: Videos

Freie Akademie für Medien & Journalismus

Unterstützen

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

Trump Media & Technology Group is targeting the digital asset market by registering a Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF) with NYSE Arca.

On June 16, Truth Social — a company controlled by Trump Media & Technology Group — officially submitted documentation for a Bitcoin and Ethereum-based Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

NEW: Trump's Truth Social has filed for a dual Bitcoin & Ethereum ETF. pic.twitter.com/a5iZtrtUyk

— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) June 16, 2025

This initiative would allow the social media platform to diversify its operations by entering the digital asset sector through these financial products.

The filing proposes a trust structure that would directly hold bitcoin and ether, with 75% of the fund’s assets invested in bitcoin and 25% in ether.

The Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF will have Yorkville America Digital as the fund’s sponsor, while custody of the digital assets will be entrusted to the Crypto.com exchange.

The choice of NYSE Arca as the listing venue for the fund is no coincidence: this market already hosts several cryptocurrency-linked ETFs and offers the necessary technological infrastructure to manage these financial instruments.

Trump Media & Technology Group’s move aligns with a broader trend in which public companies are increasingly integrating Bitcoin and other digital assets into their corporate treasuries.

Devin Nunes, CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, stated:

“Trump Media’s vision is to aggressively enhance our offerings and capabilities, which includes holding bitcoin in our corporate treasury.”

The final approval of the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF will depend on the outcome of the regulatory review process at the SEC, which must assess the product’s compliance with current regulations on exchange-traded funds and cryptocurrency investments.

The post Truth Social files for Bitcoin-Ethereum ETF appeared first on Atlas21.

@ 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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@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

In today’s digital era, access to financial services remains a privilege for many. Bitcoinization – the mass adoption of Bitcoin as a payment medium and store of value – represents a unique opportunity to democratize access to financial services (Read this article Can the Lightning Network Lead to “Hyperbitcoinization”? to know more about Bitcoinization). Telecommunications carriers occupy a strategic position in this transformation, especially in regions where traditional internet access is limited. However, this aspect remains largely unexplored. This article seeks to examine how these companies can catalyze this financial revolution by analyzing the Machankura case and the technical possibilities within current communication infrastructures.

The Success Sotry of Machankura

The Machankura project (8333.mobi) emerged to address a common challenge in various African regions: financial exclusion due to limited internet access. Created by South African developer Kgothatso Ngako, the service utilizes the USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) protocol, supported by virtually all mobile phones, to facilitate Bitcoin transactions via 2G and 3G cellular networks.

Machankura – derived from South African slang for “money” – functions as a custodial Bitcoin wallet. Through the USSD protocol, users can access the service by dialing short codes (*123*456789#, for example) or sending SMS messages to specific numbers. When the server receives the code or message, an interactive session between the parties (server-user) begins. This enables users to create Bitcoin wallets associated with their phone numbers, protected by multi-digit PINs.

Once registered, users receive a Lightning address (example: 1234567890@8333.mobi) that can be used to receive Bitcoin from anyone worldwide. Users can also customize this address to a preferred username, further enhancing privacy.

Currently, Machankura is available in nine African countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, and Malawi. The creator’s objective is to expand the service to all countries across the African continent in the coming years.

Why Lightning network? Please read this article Lightning Network vs. Traditional Bitcoin Transactions.

The Technical Foundations of Machankura’s Success – USSD

As mentioned, USSD is a protocol embedded in mobile networks and available on virtually all cellular devices. This choice proved crucial for the Machankura project, given that in Africa, more than half of phones sold are not smartphones. Additionally, this protocol offers critical technical advantages:

• Operates without requiring internet access, functioning in areas with poor connectivity.
• Universal compatibility with any mobile phone, including the most basic models.
• Provides real-time interactivity between users and the system.
• Features an intuitive interface already utilized for banking services, customer support, and self-service applications

These advantages have enabled Bitcoin to become accessible to a significant portion of the region’s population, with over 15,000 users, according to the Machankura project creator.

USSD and Connectivity Challenges

The primary technical limitation of USSD manifests in high-connectivity environments (4G, 5G, or higher). As established by the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project, organization for standardization of mobile networks), the protocol must be recognized by newer generations of cellular networks. However, this recognition requires a procedure known as inter-technology fallback. For instance, if a user is connected to a 5G network and streaming music, when accessing a USSD service, their connection will downgrade to a 3G (or 2G) network, inevitably interrupting media streaming execution.

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS): The Evolution in Telecommunications Services

The solution to connectivity issues with USSD resides within the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), a subsystem within the standardized architecture of newer cellular networks (from fourth generation onwards). Its objective is to unify access and provision of multimedia services across both mobile and fixed networks. These services include:

• Voice services – such as Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi)
• Video services – such as Video over LTE  (ViLTE) and Video over WiFi (ViWiFi)
• Videoconferencing
• Instant messaging
• Streaming media
• Emergency services
• Interoperability between legacy networks

The New Era: USSI (USSD over IP)

USSI (USSD over IP) represents the solution for service continuity across 4G, 5G, and future networks when utilizing USSD services. This new protocol enhances service quality, increases simultaneous session capacity, provides additional features for recent devices, improves session security, and enables operation without requiring fallback procedures.

Strategic Opportunities for Carriers

Institutional Bitcoin adoption is already established, with integration into portfolios of mining companies, exchanges, automobile manufacturers (Tesla), investment funds (BlackRock), financial institutions (Galaxy Digital Holdings), technology companies (including MicroStrategy, MercadoLibre, and Brazilian Meliúz), and even nations such as El Salvador, the United States, and China.

With robust, secure, and extensive infrastructure, telecommunications carriers can implement complex and advanced Bitcoin-based financial services, demystifying its use and stimulating adoption. Strategic partnerships with exchanges and fintechs enhance integrated solutions for entrepreneurs and consumers, such as integration with Lightning Network nodes to enable rapid, low-cost transactions between IoT devices, machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, and point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

The competitive advantages of this approach include

• New Revenue Streams: Companies can collect fees from simple transactions and provide advanced financial services such as loans, insurance, and investments.
• Customer Retention: By offering innovative services, they can reduce customer churn.
• Vanguard Strategy: Strategic positioning in an emerging high-capitalization market

The Future of Bitcoinization in Telecommunications

The success of the Machankura project unequivocally demonstrates the potential of telecommunications as transformative agents in the mass adoption of Bitcoin. As the Bitcoin ecosystem consolidates and expands, it is essential that we recognize this opportunity not merely as a new business vertical but as an important step toward strategic positioning at the forefront of a global economic transformation.

Given the extensive reach of existing infrastructure, these carriers can become the primary catalyst for transforming the lives of the unbanked in an unprecedented manner. As we have seen, Bitcoin is no longer just a trend; it is a reality. The natural consequence of this reality is bitcoinization, and we have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this emerging paradigm.

@ 90c656ff:9383fd4e

The history of Bitcoin is marked by symbolic milestones that represent not only the technical evolution of the digital currency but also its journey toward economic and political legitimacy. In this article, we revisit some of the most iconic moments that have defined Bitcoin’s adoption from its first use in a simple transaction to its recognition as an official currency by sovereign nations.

The Most Expensive Pizza in History

On May 22, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz made history by paying 10,000 BTC for two pizzas. At the time, this amount was worth about $40. Today, those same coins would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, making it the most expensive meal ever recorded. More than a curiosity, this transaction marked the first time Bitcoin was used in a real commercial exchange, proving its potential as a payment method.

Silk Road and the Dark Side of Early Adoption

Although controversial, Bitcoin’s use on the Silk Road marketplace demonstrated to the world that the digital currency was functional as a large-scale medium of exchange. The platform operated between 2011 and 2013 and acted as a catalyst for the development of infrastructure around BTC, despite the negative impact it had on the cryptocurrency’s public image.

Mt. Gox and the First Major Crisis

In 2014, the exchange Mt. Gox—responsible for about 70% of all Bitcoin transactions at the time—declared bankruptcy after losing approximately 850,000 BTC. The scandal shook confidence in the ecosystem but also triggered a period of maturation, driving the pursuit of better security practices, regulatory frameworks, and professionalization within the industry.

El Salvador and Official Recognition

In September 2021, El Salvador became the first country to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender. The measure, championed by President Nayib Bukele, was met with enthusiasm by Bitcoin advocates and skepticism by international financial institutions. El Salvador’s experiment placed Bitcoin at the center of the geopolitical debate and set a precedent for other nations to consider following the same path.

In summary, each of these moments represents a distinct phase in Bitcoin’s evolution—from experimentation to institutional adoption. By revisiting these iconic cases, we gain a deeper understanding not only of Bitcoin’s technical progress but also of how its narrative has become embedded in contemporary financial history. If the pizza purchase symbolized BTC’s practical birth, the official recognition by entire nations suggests a future where digital currency could play a leading role in new forms of global economic organization.

Thank you very much for reading this far. I hope everything is well with you, and sending a big hug from your favorite Bitcoiner maximalist from Madeira. Long live freedom!

@ bd982176:8b2599a7

Bitcoin Pizza Day at Kimbo: A Memorable Event with Lessons Learned

On May 22nd, Bitcoin Babies hosted a lively Bitcoin Pizza Day celebration in Kimbo, honoring the historical milestone when Laszlo Hanyecz purchased two pizzas with 10,000 BTC back in 2010. Our aim was to bring the spirit of Bitcoin to the local community, share the excitement of Bitcoin adoption, and of course — enjoy some great pizza!

We had been preparing for the event for weeks. Our team held several productive meetings beforehand, discussing logistics, assigning roles, and ensuring everyone was on the same page. These planning sessions filled us with confidence, and as the day approached, we were eager to see everything come together.

While the event presented a few unexpected challenges, it ultimately turned out to be a vibrant, educational, and inspiring experience for everyone involved.

One hurdle we faced was a delay in receiving the payment receipt for the pizzas, which caused a late start in serving. Technical issues also impacted our Lightning wallet transactions, slowing down payments and extending wait times. Still, the use of Bitcoin’s Lightning Network sparked interest and curiosity among many attendees, providing a real-time look at this powerful technology.

Our pizza chefs encountered some delays and equipment issues that required quick thinking and problem-solving from the team. Meanwhile, the turnout exceeded our expectations, which — though exciting — led to some confusion in managing orders and coordinating among team members.

Yet despite the pressure, what truly stood out was the community’s enthusiasm and our team’s resilience. Most importantly, we were able to educate a significant number of people about Bitcoin — what it is, how it works, and how it can positively impact lives. While we may not have reached everyone as deeply as we had hoped, many attendees walked away with new knowledge and curiosity sparked.

One last-minute complication was seeking permission from the area chief on the same day as the event. Although it added stress, it was a valuable reminder of the importance of early and clear communication with local authorities.

Looking ahead to next year, we’re excited to implement the lessons learned. We’ll secure permissions well in advance, test all technical tools thoroughly, and work even more closely with vendors to ensure smooth logistics. We’ll also set up clearer systems for order handling and team coordination to prevent overload and confusion.

Most importantly, we’ll maintain a strong focus on our mission: not just selling pizza but sharing the promise and potential of Bitcoin with our community. By creating space for both enjoyment and education, we’ll ensure that everyone leaves inspired.

Bitcoin Pizza Day at Kimbo in 2025 was a meaningful experience. We’re proud of what we accomplished, grateful for the lessons learned, and determined to make next year’s celebration even more impactful and memorable.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

This article was originally published on dev.to by satshacker.

Alright, you’ve built a useful and beautiful website, tool or app. However, monetization isn’t a priority and you’d rather keep the project free, ads-free and accessible?

Accepting donations would be an option, but how? A PayPal button? Stripe? Buymeacoffe? Patreon?

All of these services require a bank account and KYC verification, before you can send and receive donations – not very convenient.

If we only could send value over the internet, with just one click and without the need of a bank account…

Oh, hold on, that’s bitcoin. The decentralized protocol to send value across the globe. Money over TCP/IP.

In this article, we’ll learn how anyone can easily add a payment button or donation widget on a website or app.

Let’s get into it.

Introduction

Bitcoin is digital money that you can send and receive without the need for banks. While bitcoin is extremely secure, it’s not very fast. The maximum transactions per second (TPS) the network can handle is about 7. Obviously that’s not useful for daily payments or microtransactions.

If you’d like to dig deeper into how bitcoin works, a great read is “Mastering Bitcoin” by Andreas Antonopoulos.

Bitcoin vs Lightning

If you’d like to receive bitcoin donations “on-chain” all you need is a bitcoin wallet. You simply display your bitcoin address on your site and that’s it. You can receive donations.

It would look something like this; 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa

Instead of showing the actual bitcoin address, you can also turn it into a QR code.

However, this is not a recommended solution. Using static on-chain addresses has two major downsides. It lowers privacy for you and your donnors and it’s a UTXO disaster because many small incoming transactions could beocme hard to consolidate in the future.

For donations and small transactions, the Lightning Network is the better option. Lightning allows for instant settlement with fees only a fraction of a cent.

Similar to bitcoin, you have the choice between non-custodial and custodial wallets. This means, either you have full control over your money or the wallet provider has.

Option 1: Lightning Address

With the lightning address feature, you an easily receive donations to an email like address.

It looks like this: yourname@wallet.com

Many wallets support lightning addresses and make it easy to create one. Then, you simple add the address to your donation page and you’re ready to receive tips.

You can also add a link link as in lightning:yourname@wallet.com and compatible lightning wallets and browser wallets will detect the address.

How to get a Lightning Address Fast

Option 2: Lightning Donation Widgets

If you like to take it a step further, you can also create a more enhanced donation checkout flow. Of course you could programm something yourself, there are many open source libraries you can build upon. If you want a simple plug-and-play solution, here are a couple of options:

Name

Type

Registration

SatSale

Self-hosted

No KYC

BTCPay Server

Self-hosted

No KYC

Pay With Flash

Widget

Email

Geyser Fund

Widget

Email

The Giving Block

Hosted

KYC

OpenNode

Hosted

KYC

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SatSale (GitHub)

Lightweight, self-hosted Bitcoin/Lightning payment processor. No KYC.

Ideal for developers comfortable with server management. Simple to deploy, supports both on-chain and Lightning, and integrates with WooCommerce.

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BTCPay Server

Powerful, open-source, self-hosted processor for Bitcoin and Lightning. No KYC.

Supports multiple currencies, advanced features, and full privacy. Requires technical setup and maintenance. Funds go directly to your wallet; great for those seeking full control.

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Pay With Flash

Easiest for indie hackers. Add a donation widget with minimal code and no KYC. Payments go directly to your wallet for a 1.5% fee.

Setup Steps:

1. Sign up at PayWithFlash.com
2. Customize your widget in the dashboard
3. Embed the code:

1. Test to confirm functionality

Benefits:

• Minimal technical skills required
• Supports one-time or recurring donations
• Direct fund transfer, no intermediaries

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Geyser Fund

Crowdfunding platform. Widget-based, connects to your wallet, email registration.Focused on Bitcoin crowdfunding, memberships and donations.

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The Giving Block

Hosted, KYC required. Integrates with fiat and crypto, best for nonprofits or larger organizations.

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OpenNode

Hosted, KYC required. Accept Bitcoin payments and donations; supports conversion to fiat, suitable for businesses and nonprofits.

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Summary

• Fast, low-code setup: Use Pay With Flash or Geyser Fund.
• Privacy and control: Choose SatSale or BTCPay Server (requires technical skills).
• Managed, compliant solutions: The Giving Block or OpenNode.

Choose based on your technical comfort, privacy needs, and project scale.

I hope this article helped you. If you added bitcoin donations, share your link in the comments and I will send you a few satoshis maybe

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Coinbase Announces Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card, Offering up to 4% BTC Back on Everything

Coinbase is launching its first-ever branded credit card in partnership with American Express, set to roll out this fall. Called the Coinbase One Card, it will be available only to U.S. members of Coinbase One, the platform’s monthly subscription service. The card will offer 2% to 4% back in Bitcoin on everyday purchases, along with access to American Express perks.  

JUST IN: Coinbase launches credit card allowing users to earn up to 4% bitcoin back on every purchase pic.twitter.com/d6pdNZV4pi

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 12, 2025

This is a first-of-its-kind product for Coinbase, which previously only offered a prepaid debit card with Visa in 2020. 

“We see real potential in the combination of Coinbase and crypto with the powerful backing of American Express, and what the card offers is an excellent mix of what customers are looking for right now,” said Will Stredwick, head of American Express global network services, during the Coinbase State of Crypto Summit in New York.

The card is part of a larger push by Coinbase to expand its subscription-based services. Coinbase One costs $29.99/month and includes zero trading fees, higher staking rewards, and customer support perks. The company also announced a cheaper version—Coinbase Basic—for $4.99/month or $49.99/year, which includes fewer features.

Coinbase’s subscription business is growing fast. It brought in $698.1 million in Q1 2025, compared to $1.26 billion in trading revenue. According to William Blair analyst Andrew Jeffrey, this kind of recurring revenue is a big reason why long-term investors are sticking with the stock.

Launched in 2023, Coinbase One now has over a million members. The company has been steadily growing its ecosystem with products like its Base developer platform and a self-custody wallet. 

The company has long positioned Bitcoin at the center of its strategy—offering BTC custody services to institutions, supporting Bitcoin ETFs, integrating Bitcoin rewards into its products, and actively advocating for Bitcoin-friendly regulation in Washington. Coinbase also supports Bitcoin development directly through funding grants and engineering support. As the largest publicly traded crypto exchange in the U.S., Coinbase continues to frame Bitcoin not just as an asset, but as the foundation of its long-term vision.

This post Coinbase Announces Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card, Offering up to 4% BTC Back on Everything first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

@ 2c564b98:5c6444b0

© unsplash

Dieser Beitrag von Laura und Phillip aus dem FOERBICO Team erschien zuerst auf dem Theologie-Blog y-nachten.

Alle reden von OER - was ist das eigentlich?

Offene Vorlesungsreihen auf YouTube, Podcasts, Blogs, Podiumsdiskussionen und die Beteiligung an Wikipedia-Einträgen machen deutlich, dass sich das Geschehen an Hochschulen zunehmend öffnet, um mit einer interessierten Öffentlichkeit transparent zu kommunizieren sowie Diskurse breiter zugänglich zu machen (vgl. Mößle, Pirker 2024). Für viele wirkt aber gerade die wissenschaftliche Theologie wie eine Disziplin für Expert:innen, geprägt von antiken Sprachen, dogmatischen Gerüsten und traditionsgebundenen Denken, das ein hohes Maß an Vorwissen erfordert. Doch muss die Theologie wirklich so fern und unverständlich wirken? Die Open-Science-Bewegung zielt auf Transparenz und Nachvollziehbarkeit und fordert Wissenschaftler:innen sowie Akteur:innen aus Politik, Wirtschaft und Kultur dazu auf, zum Austausch beizutragen und den wissenschaftlichen Dialog im Sinne einer Demokratisierung des Wissens mitzugestalten (vgl. Siegfried, Scherp, Linek, Flieger 2024). Hierbei kommt den Open Educational Resources, kurz OER, eine bedeutsame Rolle zu. OER sind frei zugängliche Bildungsmaterialien, die in unterschiedlichen Formaten und Medien vorliegen können. Sie stehen unter einer offenen Lizenz, die es ermöglicht, sie kostenlos zu nutzen, zu verändern und mit oder ohne Änderungen weiterzugeben, mit wenigen oder gar keinen Einschränkungen. Ob einzelne Arbeitsblätter, komplette Lehrbücher, Onlinekurse, Videos oder Podcasts, solange sie offen, d.h. mit CC-Lizenzen versehen sind, gelten sie als OER. Ziel ist es, Bildung für alle zugänglicher und flexibler zu machen (vgl. UNESCO 2019). OER unterscheiden sich von kostenlosen Materialien durch die rechtssichere Möglichkeit der Bearbeitung und Weiterverbreitung, vgl. exemplarisch die OER-Lizensierung bei (Pirner 2024). Dies ermöglicht sowohl Lehrenden die Anpassung der Lehrmaterialien an ihre Zielgruppe als auch Lernenden die Bearbeitung der Materialien für sich und ihre Lerngruppe.

OER braucht Praxis! Open Educational Practice

OER allein führen jedoch nicht zu einer Bildungsreform. Eine partizipative Lehr- und Lernkultur ist notwendig und es bedarf einer gewissen Haltung und Praxis, damit OER entstehen und weiterentwickelt werden können, die sog. Open Educational Practices (OEP). Die Definition von (Cronin 2017, 4) gibt einen guten Einblick, um was es sich dabei handelt. OEP sind:

»collaborative practices that include the creation, use, and reuse of OER, as well as pedagogical practices employing participatory technologies and social networks for interaction, peer-learning, knowledge creation, and empowerment of learners« .

OEP sind also kollaborative Praktiken, die rund um OER stattfinden und den Prozess der OER-Erstellung und Bearbeitung von Anfang an mitbestimmen. Besonders wichtig sind dabei soziale Netzwerke und Communities. Diese können Lernende, Lehrende, Expert:innen oder Fächergruppen umfassen, die sich austauschen, OER weiterentwickeln und sich gegenseitig motivieren, neue Ansätze zu erproben.

Third Mission an Hochschulen: Über die Grenzen hinaus

Unter dem Schlagwort Third Mission, also der dritten Mission von Hochschule neben Forschung und Lehre, stehen die zentralen Fragen: Wie kann sich Hochschule für die Gesellschaft öffnen? Und wie lässt sich der Austausch zwischen Wissenschaft und Öffentlichkeit fördern? Hierbei tritt die Hochschule in wechselseitige Interaktion mit der Gesellschaft und ist offen für Erwartungen, Herausforderungen und Fragen, die an sie gerichtet werden. Im Sinne der wissenschaftlichen Weiterbildung gehört es auch zur Third Mission, Lernaktivitäten zu entwickeln, die Fähigkeiten und Kompetenzen in persönlicher, gesellschaftlicher oder beruflicher Perspektive erhöhen (vgl. Roessler 2015). Aus der Perspektive theologischer Hochschullehre lässt sich dieser Aspekt besonders fruchtbar mit OER und OEP verknüpfen und kann die Third Mission sogar weiterentwickeln. Denn Theologie lebt nicht nur vom reinen Wissenstransfer, sondern auch von der dialogischen Auseinandersetzung und der gemeinsamen Suche. Hierfür ist eine Kultur der Partizipation ein Gamechanger. Denn OER bietet mehr als nur den offenen Zugang zu Materialien. Es schafft Bewusstsein für Lizensierungen und ermöglicht eine Kultur des Teilens. So könnte zum Beispiel eine Vorlesung aus dem Theologiestudium nicht nur öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, sondern – im Sinne von OER – auch zur Weiterverarbeitung und Anpassung einladen. Damit hätten Kirchengemeinden, Bildungseinrichtungen oder interreligiöse Dialogkreise Zugang zu Materialien und könnten sie für ihren Kontext anpassen, mit ihrem Wissen, ihren Erfahrungen und Erkenntnisgewinnen weiterentwickeln und wiederum mit anderen teilen. Theologie ist in ihrem Kern auf Dialog auslegt, sei es mit anderen Disziplinen, Religionen oder der Gesellschaft. OER und OEP fördern diese Lehr- und Lernkultur, in der Menschen miteinander in Beziehung treten, Wissen teilen und sich gegenseitig inspirieren können. Dies entspricht nicht nur dem Kerngedanken der Third Mission, sondern auch der theologischen Grundhaltung, dass Erkenntnis vor allem im Dialog wächst.

Fürchtet euch nicht! Gehet hinaus und teilet!

Offene Bildungsressourcen bieten zwar viele Chancen, doch ihre Nutzung bringt auch Herausforderungen und gewisse Ängste mit sich. In Fachgesprächen und Interviews wird deutlich, dass die Idee von OER zwar sympathisch ist, aber auch Bedenken hervorruft. Das größte Hindernis sind rechtliche Unsicherheiten, insbesondere bei der Verwendung von Bildern, Musiksequenzen oder auch Texten Dritter. Die Klärung dieser Fragen ist oft zeitaufwendig und erfordert etwas Lust, sich reinzudenken. Es gibt auch Anlaufstellen, an die man sich bei konkreten Fragen wenden kann, z.B. bei OERInfo; Irights; Twillo oder ORCA.nrw. Bei eigenen Forschungsergebnissen oder selbst erstelltem Material, sind diese Bedenken hingegen weniger relevant. Zudem muss nicht sofort alles als OER veröffentlicht werden. Ein schrittweiser Einstieg mit einzelnen Elementen kann bereits einen Beitrag leisten. Je mehr offen lizenzierte Inhalte existieren, desto leichter wird es, rechtssichere OER zu erstellen. Ein weiteres häufig geäußertes Bedenken ist der potenzielle Missbrauch von offenem Material. Die Möglichkeit zur Bearbeitung oder Neuzusammenstellung birgt das Risiko von Verfremdungen oder Verfälschungen. Doch Erfahrung mit OER-Communities zeigen, dass die Inhalte meist verantwortungsvoll genutzt werden. Zudem kann eine vollständige Kontrolle über die Verwendung von Wissen nie gewährleistet werden. Dies gilt nicht nur für OER, sondern für alle öffentlichen Inhalte.

Theologie sollte nicht hinter verschlossenen Türen stattfinden, sondern im offenen Austausch mit der Gesellschaft. OER bieten die Chance, theologisches Wissen zugänglich zu machen und neu mit der Gesellschaft in Diskurs zu treten. Theologie-Treiben sollte kein einseitiger Prozess sein, sondern ein gemeinsames Lernen, Wagen und Gestalten. Dabei spielt auch der Gedanke der Freigiebigkeit eine Rolle: Bildung sollte geteilt, verbreitet und möglichst vielen Menschen zugänglich gemacht werden. OER können ein neuer Impuls sein, um Barrieren zu überwinden und theologische Erkenntnisse mit der Lebenswelt der Menschen zu verbinden.

@ 99556507:a6cf5c08

El paradigma del trabajador común aceptado en nuestra era es trabajar duro durante 40 años por un salario para tener derecho a una jubilación los últimos 20 o con suerte 25 años de vida.

Pero ¿es ésto lo más rentable? ¿Hay otras alternativas?

Vamos a ponernos en la piel de un asalariado o un autónomo que ha cotizado durante 30 años por la base máxima y está a una década todavía de poder jubilarse. ¿Le conviene trabajar esa década para tener derecho a la pensión estatal? ¿O es una estafa?

Hagamos números: La cotización máxima del autónomo o la del empresario a cuenta del trabajador hoy en día es de 1.472€/mes, 12 pagas al año, o 17.664€/año. En 10 años, y considerando una inflación del 4% anual, pagará 202.075€ en cotizaciones sociales.

El cotizante que haya pagado esto durante toda su vida laboral tiene derecho a la jubilación máxima, que hoy es de 3.267€/ mes, 14 pagas al año, o 45.746,40€/año. Si pensamos que la esperanza de vida en España es de 83 años y se tiene derecho a la jubilación a los 67, significa que un pensionista medio recibirá la pensión durante 16 años. Pero vamos a a hacer las cuentas para Matusalén, el pensionista pesadilla para el gobierno y las aseguradoras, que llegará a cumplir los 92 años, recibiendo la pensión durante 25 años.

Asumamos que el gobierno, que necesita imperiosamente los votos de los 7 millones de pensionistas, seguirá revalorizando las pensiones con el IPC oficial, es decir, a una media del 4% anual.

Matusalén se jubilará a los 67 y recibirá a lo largo de sus 25 años de pensionista la cantidad de 1.905.000€(1), de los cuales tendrá que pagar alrededor de un 28% de impuestos.

[(1) 45.746,40*(1-1,0425)/(1-1.04)] = 1.905.150

Es decir, Matusalén pagará 202.000€ en total a lo largo de 10 años para recibir 1.905.000€ distribuidos durante los siguientes 25. Parece un buen negocio, ¿no?

Pero, y si Matusalén, que es una persona cabal y ahorradora, ha ido haciendo una hucha durante sus 30 años de vida laboral a razón de 1000€ al mes, de manera que ahora ya dispone de esos 202.075€ necesarios para pagar sus cotizaciones hasta la edad de jubilación, y además le sobran 160.000€ para sus gastos la próxima década, a razón de 16.000€/año, que deberían de ser suficiente para vivir, puesto que esta cantidad es justo el salario mínimo interprofesional actual. ¿Le merece la pena seguir trabajando o puede plantearse dejar de hacerlo y usar esos ahorros para pagar sus cotizaciones de los siguientes 10 años, y tener derecho a la jubilación cuando cumpla 67 años?

O ya puestos a hacer cuentas, dado que tiene un capital disponible de 202.000€ en el banco, ¿podría pensar en alguna inversión alternativa que revalorizara su dinero de manera que mejorase las prestaciones de su jubilación (los 1.905.000€ calculados antes)?

Aquí es donde sale a jugar la fórmula del interés compuesto: Cf = Ci * (1+Rn), donde: Cf: capital final (queremos llegar a 1.905.000€) Ci: capital inicial (los 202.075€ de Matu) R: tasa de interés anual (CAGR) n: numero de años de la inversión (10)

¿Qué crecimiento anual compuesto (CAGR) necesitaría Matu para obtener el total de lo que nos daría su pensión tras 25 años, pero en tan solo 10 años, de manera que pudiera disponer de todo ese capital incluso antes de jubilarse? Haciendo las cuentas, R = (Cf/Ci-1)(1/n) = 23.09 %

Por si has llegado hasta aquí pero te has perdido por el camino, acabamos de concluir que una persona que invierta hoy 202.075€ en un producto que rente un 23,09% anual, obtendrá 1.905.000€ en 10 años, el equivalente a toda su jubilación.

Pues esto parece incluso mejor que la alternativa anterior, ¿no? Pero claro, hay que encontrar un producto que garantice esta rentabilidad sostenida durante una década. ¿Qué podría ser? A esta alturas, si sigues por aquí, ya habrás podido intuir por dónde van los tiros. Lo único que ha garantizado esta revalorización hasta la fecha es #bitcoin.

Éste el el cuadro del CAGR de Bitcoin tabulado por años. Se lee de la siguiente manera: A finales de 2024, la columna "CAGR 2024" da el CAGR (rendimiento anual compuesto) para la diferencia de años entre 2024 y el año de la cifra que estemos mirando. Por ejemplo, el CAGR a 31/12/2024 de una inversión realizada el 31/12/2023, es decir de 1 año, es del 276,92%. Si la inversión se realizó el 31/12/2016, el CAGR 8 años después, a final de 2024, es del 78,22% ANUAL

(Ver imagen 1)

El tío Matusalén está buscando algo que le dé un mínimo del 23,09% anual, ¿recordáis?. Pues da igual cuándo haya invertido y cuánto tiempo mantenga la inversión. BTC siempre supera ese umbral, por mucho.

"Ya Manolito, pero estás mirando rendimientos desde finales de 2024, cuando Bitcoin hizo un precio máximo histórico. Esto no asegura que haya ocurrido esto cada año, ¿no?"

El siguiente cuadro muestra los CAGR calculados a finales de cada año, los últimos 6 años. Las cifras El siguiente cuadro muestra los CAGR calculados a finales de cada año, los últimos 6 años. Las cifras en verde corresponden a los rendimientos de inversiones mantenidas 10 años. No podemos ir más para atrás porque Bitcoin acaba de cumplir 16 años. Las cifras en amarillo son inversiones mantenidas 5 años. El peor de los casos es elegir un período de 4 años para la inversión, y aún así el rendimiento medio en este intervalo de tiempo los últimos 6 períodos de 6 años es del 38,30%.

(ver imagen 2)

No es difícil comprobar que a 10 años vista, bitcoin siempre ha superado de largo la tasa de crecimiento del 23,09% necesaria para el caso de Matusalén.

*Consideraciones fiscales ** La pensión máxima devenga impuestos sobre la base de rentas del trabajo a razón del 28% anual, mientras que las inversiones tributan a un máximo del 26% sobre la base de las rentas de capital, suponiendo que se recupere todo el mismo año. Si se distribuyen los rendimientos plurianualmente, ese 26% puede reducirse entono al 21%, suponiendo otro 7% anual de ventaja neta sobre la pensión. En el caso particular de Matusalén, los 45.746,40€ anuales de su pensión tributarían íntegros al 28%, por lo que los 1.905.150 se quedarían netos en 823.435,20€ al cabo de 25 años. Si hubiese optado por invertir los 202.075€ en Bitcoin, y suponiendo que la rentabilidad obtenida es solo la necesaria para conseguir los 1.905.150€, tributaría al 26% sobre la ganancia si decide convertirlos en € de una vez, es decir, pagaría 26%(1.905.150-202.075)=442,800€, con lo que le quedarían netos 1.462.350€. Si decide por el contrario vender solo bitcoins cada año por valor de 45,746€, y suponiendo que mantienen el mismo valor en € durante los 25 años, pagaría el 21% sobre la plusvalía, es decir 357.645€ a lo largo de los 25 años por lo que le habrá quedado neto 1.547.504€.

Resumiendo: Renta neta con la pensión estatal tras 25 años: 823.435€ Renta neta con el plan de inversión en bitcoin, con rescate en una vez, el año 0: 1.462.350€ Renta neta con el plan de inversión en bitcoin, con rescate a lo largo de 25 años: 1.547.504€

Hay que recordar que todo el ejercicio está realizado para el mejor caso del pensionista estatal, que vivirá muy por encima de la media. Cualquier número de años inferior mejorará la rentabilidad del plan de bitcoin respecto al estatal.

Conclusión: Al bueno de Matu más le vale comprar bitcoins hoy mismo con ese dinero ahorrado. No solamente no necesitará una pensión sino que lo más probable es que sus ahorros valgan 5 veces más que lo que conseguiría de pensionista, pero 25 años antes.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

The Coinbase Lightning Network is Coinbase’s implementation of Bitcoin’s Lightning Network technology, launched in partnership with Lightspark in April 2024. This innovative solution allows users to send, receive, and pay with bitcoin instantly and cheaply directly from their Coinbase accounts.

Think of the Coinbase Lightning Network as the express lane of bitcoin transactions. While regular bitcoin transfers can take 10-60 minutes and cost several dollars in fees, Lightning Network transactions on Coinbase complete in seconds with fees typically under a cent.

Key Benefits of Coinbase Lightning Network:

• Instant transfers: Transactions complete in seconds, not hours
• Ultra-low fees: 0.2% processing fee vs. traditional network fees
• Global reach: Send bitcoin anywhere in the world instantly
• Cost efficiency: 20 times cheaper than traditional credit card fees

Coinbase Lightning Network vs Regular Bitcoin Transfers

Understanding the difference between Coinbase Lightning Network and regular bitcoin transfers is crucial for choosing the right method:

Feature

Coinbase Lightning Network

Regular Bitcoin Transfer

Speed

Instant (seconds)

10-60 minutes

Fees

0.2% + minimal network fee

$5-50+ depending on network

Best for

Small to medium amounts

Large amounts, long-term storage

Availability

24/7 instant

Subject to network congestion

The Coinbase Lightning Network processes transactions “off-chain,” creating payment channels that settle later on the main Bitcoin blockchain, resulting in dramatically faster and cheaper transactions.

How to Send Bitcoin Using Coinbase Lightning Network

Sending Bitcoin through Coinbase’s Lightning option is incredibly straightforward. Follow these step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Access Your Coinbase Account

1. Sign in to your Coinbase account via web browser or mobile app
2. Ensure you have bitcoin (BTC) in your account balance
3. Navigate to your portfolio and locate your bitcoin holdings

Step 2: Initiate the Lightning Transfer

1. Click “Transfer” then select “Send crypto”
2. Choose bitcoin (BTC) as your asset
3. Enter the amount you wish to send
4. Select Lightning Network as your transfer method

Step 3: Add Recipient Information

1. Obtain the Lightning Network invoice from your recipient
2. Paste the invoice into the recipient field
3. The Coinbase Lightning Network will automatically detect and validate the invoice
4. Review the transaction details carefully

Step 4: Complete the Transaction

1. Verify the amount and recipient information
2. Click “Send” to initiate the transfer
3. Your Coinbase Lightning Network transaction will complete within seconds
4. Both you and the recipient will receive confirmation notifications

How to Receive Bitcoin via Coinbase Lightning Network

Receiving Bitcoin through Coinbase’s Lightning option requires generating a Lightning invoice. Here’s your complete guide:

Step 1: Generate a Lightning Invoice

1. Log into your Coinbase account
2. Navigate to “Transfer” then “Receive crypto”
3. Select Bitcoin (BTC) as the asset you wish to receive
4. Choose “Lightning Network” as your receiving method

Step 2: Create Your Invoice

1. Enter the specific amount you want to receive (required for Lightning)
2. Add an optional description or memo
3. Click “Generate Invoice”
4. Your Lightning Network invoice will appear as both a QR code and text string

Step 3: Share Your Invoice

1. Copy the Lightning invoice text or share the QR code
2. Send this information to the person sending you Bitcoin
3. Remember: Lightning invoices expire after 72 hours
4. Generate a new invoice if the original expires

Step 4: Receive Your Bitcoin

1. Once the sender pays your invoice, you’ll receive instant notification
2. The bitcoin will appear in your Coinbase account immediately
3. No waiting for blockchain confirmations required with Coinbase Lightning Network

Coinbase Lightning Network Fees and Limits

Understanding the fee structure of Coinbase Lightning Network helps you make informed decisions:

• Processing Fee: 0.2% of the transfer amount
• Network Fee: Minimal (typically fractions of a cent)
• Minimum Amount: Varies by region, typically $0.1- 5
• Maximum Amount: Subject to your account limits and Lightning Network capacity

The Coinbase Lightning Network offers significant savings compared to traditional bitcoin transfers, especially for smaller amounts under $1,000.

Troubleshooting Common Coinbase Lightning Network Issues

Even with the user-friendly Coinbase Lightning Network, you might encounter some challenges:

Invoice Expired Error

• Solution: Generate a fresh Lightning invoice
• Prevention: Complete transactions promptly after generating invoices

Transaction Failed

• Cause: Insufficient Lightning Network liquidity or routing issues
• Solution: Try again in a few minutes or use smaller amounts

Can’t Find Lightning Option

• Check: Ensure Lightning is available in your region
• Verify: Update your Coinbase app to the latest version

Address Whitelist Issues

• Problem: Lightning invoices may not work with address whitelisting enabled
• Solution: Temporarily disable whitelisting or contact Coinbase support

The Coinbase Lightning Network transforms bitcoin from a store of value into a practical, everyday payment method. With instant transactions, minimal fees, and user-friendly implementation, it’s never been easier to send and receive bitcoin.

@ 2c564b98:5c6444b0

Welcome to Nostr: A Decentralized Future

Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays) is a simple, open protocol that enables global, decentralized, and censorship-resistant social media.

Why Nostr?

Traditional social media platforms have several problems:

1. Centralized Control - A single company controls your data
2. Censorship - Content can be removed at will
3. Data Lock-in - Hard to move your social graph

Nostr solves these problems through:

• Decentralization - No single point of control
• Cryptographic Signatures - You own your identity
• Relay Network - Multiple servers ensure availability

How It Works

javascript // Simple example of creating a Nostr event const event = { kind: 1, // Text note content: "Hello, Nostr!", tags: [], created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) };

Getting Started

To start using Nostr:

1. Generate your keys (public/private keypair)
2. Choose a client (web, mobile, or desktop)
3. Connect to relays
4. Start publishing!

Long-Form Content on Nostr

This post itself is an example of long-form content on Nostr, using:

• NIP-23 standard for long-form content
• Markdown formatting for rich text
• Metadata for better organization

Join the Revolution

Nostr represents a fundamental shift in how we think about social media and online identity. By giving users control over their data and identity, it creates a more open and resilient internet.

---

This post was published using nostr-publisher - a simple tool for publishing long-form content to Nostr.

@ e5de992e:4a95ef85

The Innovator's Algorithm: A Deep Dive into Elon Musk's First Principles Thinking

Introduction

In the landscape of modern industry, progress often appears as a steady, predictable march forward. Companies refine their products, optimize their processes, and achieve incremental gains. Yet, periodically, an individual or an organization emerges that does not simply take the next step, but redefines the path entirely. They achieve non-linear breakthroughs that leave competitors years, or even decades, behind. Elon Musk, through ventures like SpaceX and Tesla, has become the modern archetype of this kind of innovator, repeatedly solving problems long considered impossible or impossibly expensive, from mass-market electric vehicles to affordable, reusable rockets.
The question that naturally arises is: how? Is it a matter of unique genius, unlimited resources, or sheer luck? The evidence suggests something more fundamental and, crucially, more systematic. The engine driving these revolutionary leaps is a mental model known as First Principles Thinking.
This is not a new concept, but its application by Musk has thrust it into the spotlight as a powerful tool for innovation. At its core, first principles thinking is a method of deconstruction and reconstruction. It involves a conscious rejection of the most common form of human reasoning—reasoning by analogy—where we do things because they are like things that have been done before. Instead, it demands that we break down a problem into its most fundamental, irreducible truths—the "first principles"—and reason up from that solid foundation to create entirely new solutions.
This report provides a comprehensive and actionable deconstruction of this powerful mental model. The analysis will journey from its ancient philosophical roots to its modern application in the high-stakes worlds of aerospace and automotive manufacturing. It will offer detailed, data-driven case studies of how first principles thinking has been deployed at SpaceX and Tesla to shatter industry dogma. Finally, it will synthesize these lessons into a practical, step-by-step framework, equipping leaders, entrepreneurs, and ambitious professionals with a blueprint to apply this innovator's algorithm to their own most significant challenges.

Section 1: Deconstructing the Idea: The Philosophical and Scientific Origins

To fully grasp the power of first principles thinking, one must understand that it is not a modern business-school fad or a Silicon Valley buzzword. It is a rigorous method of inquiry with a rich intellectual lineage stretching back over two millennia, used by many of history's most profound thinkers, from Aristotle to Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Its power lies in its timeless, disciplined approach to establishing true knowledge.

1.1 The Search for the Archê: From Ancient Greece to Modern Physics

The origins of this mental model lie in the philosophical inquiries of ancient Greece. Philosophers like Thales, Anaximander, and Heraclitus were engaged in a search for the archê—a Greek term meaning the "first principle," "origin," or "ultimate underlying substance" from which everything else is derived. They sought to understand the world not by accepting myths or surface appearances, but by identifying the most fundamental reality that could explain everything else.
This ancient quest for foundational truths laid the groundwork for a systematic approach to knowledge that would be formalized and championed by one of history's greatest thinkers.

1.2 Aristotle's Blueprint: Knowledge from Primary Causes

It was the Greek philosopher Aristotle who first popularized and structured the concept of first principles. He defined a first principle as “the first basis from which a thing is known”—a foundational proposition or assumption that is self-evident and cannot be deduced from any other proposition. For Aristotle, true scientific knowledge, or episteme, was not possible without understanding these primary causes. In his Metaphysics, he wrote, "in every systematic inquiry...knowledge and science result from acquiring knowledge of these; for we think we know something just in case we acquire knowledge of the primary causes, the primary first principles, all the way to the elements".
The common modern interpretation of first principles thinking as simply "breaking a problem down" is a significant oversimplification of the Aristotelian method. Aristotle provided a more structured framework for this deconstruction through his concept of the Four Causes, a diagnostic tool for understanding the fundamental nature of any object or problem :

1. The Material Cause: What is it made of? This refers to the physical matter or raw materials from which something is composed. For a statue, it is the marble; for a rocket, it is the aerospace-grade aluminum alloys.
2. The Formal Cause: What is its form, essence, or design? This is the pattern or blueprint that shapes the material. For the statue, it is the figure the sculptor carves; for a battery, it is the specific cell architecture.
3. The Efficient Cause: What agent or process brings it into being? This is the primary source of the change or creation. It is the sculptor's hands and tools, or the automated assembly line in a factory.
4. The Final Cause: What is its purpose or end goal (telos)? This is the ultimate reason for its existence. The statue's purpose might be aesthetic beauty; the rocket's purpose is to achieve affordable access to space.

By analyzing a problem through these four causal lenses, one moves beyond simple deconstruction into a comprehensive causal analysis. This framework provides a far more robust method for identifying the true, fundamental components of a problem, which, as will be shown, maps directly onto how modern innovators like Musk approach complex challenges.

1.3 The Scientific Revolution: From Philosophy to Physics

The thread of first principles thinking runs directly from Aristotle through the Scientific Revolution. Thinkers like René Descartes, the 17th-century French philosopher and scientist, embraced this approach through his method of "Cartesian Doubt." Descartes resolved to "systematically doubt everything he could possibly doubt until he was left with what he saw as purely indubitable truths". His famous conclusion, "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"), was his first principle—the one truth he could not doubt, from which he could begin to reconstruct knowledge.
This method had a profound impact on the development of the modern scientific method, which is fundamentally a first-principles approach. Science does not advance by simply accepting existing theories as dogma. It advances by testing hypotheses against empirical evidence and reasoning up from the foundational, established laws of nature.
This brings us to why Elon Musk often describes his approach as a "physics way of looking at the world". This is not a casual metaphor; it is a literal description of his methodology. Physics seeks to understand reality by identifying the most fundamental, non-negotiable laws (like gravity, conservation of energy, and the speed of light) and using them as the axioms from which to build models of the universe. When a model (like Newtonian mechanics) is found to be incomplete, physicists do not just tweak it; they develop a new model (like Einstein's relativity) from more fundamental principles that better explains reality.
Musk applies this same intellectual rigor to business and engineering. He views an industry's "best practices" and conventional wisdom as a flawed model of reality. His goal is to discard that model, identify the fundamental truths of the situation—the "laws of physics" for that particular problem, which might be the commodity cost of raw materials or the physical limits of a manufacturing process—and build a new, more effective solution from that foundation. This is why the method is so disruptive: it treats business challenges with the same intellectual honesty and rigor that a physicist applies to understanding the cosmos.

Section 2: The Cognitive Fork in the Road: First Principles vs. Reasoning by Analogy

To fully appreciate the power of first principles thinking, one must understand its opposite: reasoning by analogy. This is the default mode of human cognition, the well-worn path our minds naturally follow. First principles thinking is the conscious, deliberate choice to leave that path and forge a new one, a decision that requires significant mental effort but unlocks vastly different outcomes.

2.1 The Path of Least Resistance: Why We Reason by Analogy

Reasoning by analogy means making decisions and solving problems by looking for a precedent. As Musk explains, it means "copying what other people do with slight variations". We do something because it is like something else that was done, or it is what everyone else is doing.
This cognitive shortcut is not a flaw; it is a feature of an efficient brain. Our minds have evolved to conserve energy, and re-deriving every solution from scratch every day would be mentally exhausting. Analogy allows us to navigate the world quickly by leveraging the accumulated knowledge and experience of others. However, while this efficiency is useful for most daily tasks, it becomes a severe limitation when the goal is not just to function, but to innovate.
The distinction between these two modes of thought is powerfully illustrated by several metaphors found in the works of thinkers who study this topic :

• The Chef vs. The Cook: The cook reasons by analogy. They follow a recipe, a pre-existing solution, to create something that has been made before. Their knowledge is effective but fragile; if the recipe is lost, the cook is "screwed". The chef, in contrast, reasons from first principles. They understand the fundamental properties of ingredients, the chemistry of heat, and the principles of flavor combination. They can invent new recipes because they possess true, foundational knowledge.
• The Coach vs. The Play-Stealer: The play-stealer reasons by analogy. They copy plays from other teams, running them without a deep understanding of their design. The coach reasons from first principles. They understand the rules of the game, the physics of motion, and the specific capabilities of their players. They design novel plays from this foundational knowledge. When a play fails, the play-stealer is lost, but the coach understands why it failed and can adjust it, because they designed it from its core components.

In both cases, the analogical thinker is dependent on the work of others, while the first-principles thinker is capable of generating original solutions.

2.2 The Traps of Analogical Thinking

Relying on analogy as the primary tool for solving complex problems creates several cognitive traps that stifle innovation.
Trap 1: Optimizing Form Over Function Reasoning by analogy often leads us to optimize the existing form of a solution, rather than rethinking its essential function. A powerful example of this is the rolling suitcase. For thousands of years, humans had bags (form) and wheels (form), yet the rolling suitcase was not invented until 1970. For centuries, innovation focused on making better bags (new materials, zippers, more pockets), optimizing the existing form. The breakthrough came only when Bernard Sadow, observing a worker rolling a heavy machine on a wheeled skid, shifted his focus from the form ("a better bag") to the function ("a better way to move belongings").
A similar modern example is the perennial question, "Where are the flying cars?". This question reveals a fixation on a specific form (a car that flies) while completely overlooking that the function (personal air transportation) has been solved, just in a different form (airplanes). Analogical thinking gets stuck on the car, while first principles thinking focuses on the flying.
Trap 2: The Prison of Dogma and Convention Analogy is the mechanism by which dogma and convention are perpetuated. Phrases like "we do it this way because it's how it's always been done" are the hallmark of analogical reasoning. This mode of thought prevents us from questioning the shared beliefs that underpin our industries and societies. As thinkers like Shane Parrish of Farnam Street note, everything that is not an immutable law of nature—from the value of money to the existence of national borders—is ultimately just a shared belief. Analogy reinforces these beliefs, while first principles thinking gives us permission to question them.
Trap 3: The Illusion of Progress Reasoning by analogy is the engine of incremental improvement. It allows for continuous, linear progress within the boundaries of an existing vision. However, it rarely, if ever, leads to breakthrough innovation. It sets a company on a trajectory of making a slightly better version of what already exists. As author James Clear puts it, without first principles, "you spend your time making small improvements to a bicycle rather than a snowmobile". The trajectory is different from the very beginning.

2.3 First Principles as the Escape Route

First principles thinking is the conscious and disciplined act of escaping these cognitive traps. It requires abandoning our allegiance to previous forms and inherited conventions. It forces a shift in focus from "how can we make this existing thing 10% better?" to the more fundamental questions: "What are we actually trying to accomplish? What is the functional outcome we seek? And what is the most direct, physically possible way to achieve it?" By starting from this clean slate, built only on a foundation of verified truths, we open up a new, unconstrained solution space where true innovation can occur.

Section 3: Case Study I - The SpaceX Revolution: Deconstructing the Cost of Reaching for the Stars

Perhaps no example better illustrates the raw, disruptive power of first principles thinking than the story of SpaceX. By applying this mental model to an industry ossified by decades of convention and cost-plus government contracting, Elon Musk did not just create a new rocket company; he fundamentally altered humanity's economic relationship with space.

3.1 The "Impossible" Problem: The Astronomical Cost of Rockets

The story begins in 2002. After selling PayPal, Musk turned his attention to his goal of making humanity a multi-planetary species, starting with a mission to Mars. His initial plan was not to build rockets, but to buy them. However, after inquiries in the United States and Russia, he discovered that the cost was astronomical, with prices as high as $65 million for a single launch. The aerospace industry operated on a deeply entrenched assumption: rockets are, and always will be, incredibly expensive.
The prevailing analogy governing the industry was that rockets were like ammunition—complex, high-performance machines designed for a single, fiery use before being discarded. This dogma had gone largely unchallenged for half a century, leading to a culture of inefficiency and a lack of financial incentive to innovate on cost.

3.2 Applying the "Physics Framework": Deconstructing the Rocket

Faced with this "impossible" price tag, Musk did not try to negotiate a 10% discount or find a slightly cheaper supplier. He rejected the analogy and instead applied his "physics framework". He began a first principles deconstruction of the rocket, starting with Aristotle's Material Cause. He asked the simple, foundational question: "What is a rocket made of?".
The answer was not some unobtainable, magical substance. It was a list of industrial commodities: aerospace-grade aluminum alloys, titanium, copper, and carbon fiber. His next step was to determine the cost of these materials on the open commodity market. The result of this analysis was the critical insight that ignited the SpaceX revolution: the raw material cost of a rocket was only about 2% of the typical sale price.
This single data point was transformative. It proved that the high cost of rockets was not a fundamental truth of physics or economics. It was a man-made artifact, a consequence of the industry's Efficient Cause—the accumulated inefficiencies of bloated supply chains, legacy manufacturing processes, and cost-plus contracting models that rewarded complexity rather than simplicity. The discovery that 98% of the cost was not in the "what" but in the "how" revealed the true problem to be solved: inefficiency.

3.3 Rebuilding from the Ground Up: Vertical Integration and Reusability

With the fundamental problem identified, the solution path became clear. The strategy had to be about attacking the 98% inefficiency gap. This led to two core strategic pillars for SpaceX, both direct consequences of first principles thinking.
The Logic of Vertical Integration: If the exorbitant cost was embedded in the traditional aerospace supply chain, the only way to escape it was to build a new one. This led to SpaceX's strategy of extreme vertical integration. By designing and manufacturing over 70-90% of its rocket components in-house, SpaceX could control the entire process, re-engineer it for efficiency, and bypass the layers of middlemen and legacy contractors that defined the old way of doing business.
The Reusability Revolution: The most radical innovation was to challenge the foundational analogy of the expendable rocket. Musk asked the quintessential first principles question: "Why can't rockets be reused?". Reasoning by analogy provided a simple answer: because it's too hard; NASA and the Soviet Union never achieved it, so it must be nearly impossible. But reasoning from the first principles of physics and engineering provided a different answer: while difficult, there was no law of physics preventing a rocket from taking off and landing again. It was a solvable engineering challenge. This led to the decade-long development of the Falcon 9, the first orbital-class rocket capable of landing its first stage for rapid reuse, a feat that has fundamentally changed the economics of spaceflight.

3.4 The Staggering Results: Quantifying the Disruption

The impact of this first-principles-driven approach is not theoretical; it is starkly visible in the numbers. The cost of access to space has plummeted, creating a paradigm shift in the industry.
Table 1: The Economics of Space Access - A Comparative Analysis

| Launch System | Operator | Era | Cost per Launch (Approx. USD) | Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (kg) | Cost per kg to LEO (Approx. USD) | | :---- | :---- | :---- | :---- | :---- | :---- | | Space Shuttle | NASA | 1981-2011 | $1.5 Billion | 27,500 | $54,500 | | Delta IV Heavy | ULA | 2004-2024 | $400 Million | 28,790 | $13,900 | | Ariane 5 | Arianespace | 1996-2023 | $200 Million | 21,000 | $9,500 | | Falcon 9 (Reusable) | SpaceX | 2015-Present | $67 Million | 17,500 | $3,800 | | Falcon 9 (Expended) | SpaceX | 2015-Present | $90 Million | 22,800 | $3,950 | | Starship (Target) | SpaceX | Future | $10 Million (Target) | 150,000 | \<$100 (Target) |

Sources:
The data in Table 1 reveals the scale of the disruption. Prior to SpaceX, launch costs had remained stubbornly high for decades, with the Space Shuttle costing over $54,000 per kilogram to orbit. SpaceX's Falcon 9 reduced that cost by a factor of nearly 20. With Starship, the company's next-generation fully reusable vehicle, the target is a further reduction of more than 100-fold, potentially driving the cost below $100 per kilogram. This is not incremental improvement. This is a complete re-writing of the rules of an industry, born directly from the process of deconstructing a problem to its fundamental truths and reasoning up from there.

Section 4: Case Study II - The Tesla Disruption: Rebuilding the Automobile from the Atom Up

The application of first principles thinking within Musk's ventures did not stop at the edge of space. At Tesla, the same mental model has been systematically applied to disrupt the century-old automotive industry, first by deconstructing the economics of the electric vehicle's most critical component, and now by deconstructing the very process of manufacturing itself. This demonstrates a clear evolution in the application of the framework, moving from a single component to an entire system of production.

4.1 Part A: The Battery Cost Problem

When Tesla began its mission to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy, it faced a monumental obstacle: the prohibitive cost of lithium-ion batteries. The prevailing analogy in the automotive and electronics industries was simple and seemingly unbreakable: "Battery packs are expensive, and they always will be".
The Prevailing Analogy: Industry experts and analysts pointed to the historical cost, which hovered around $600 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and projected only slow, incremental improvements. This single data point was the foundation of the argument that affordable, long-range electric vehicles were not commercially viable for the mass market.
Musk's Deconstruction: Mirroring his approach at SpaceX, Musk rejected the industry's top-down price and instead began a bottom-up analysis from first principles. He asked the fundamental question of Material Cause: "What are the material constituents of the batteries?". He publicly listed the core components: cobalt, nickel, aluminum, carbon (for the anode), lithium, polymers for the separator, and a steel can for the cell housing.
The Commodity Market Truth: The next step was to price these raw materials on the commodity markets, such as the London Metal Exchange. This analysis revealed a staggering discrepancy. The fundamental cost of the raw materials required to make a battery was not $600/kWh, but closer to $80/kWh.
Table 2: Deconstructing the Battery - Market Price vs. Material Truth (Illustrative)

| Component Material | Function | Illustrative Material Cost per kWh (USD) | | :---- | :---- | :---- | | Nickel | Cathode Material | $25 | | Graphite (Carbon) | Anode Material | $10 | | Lithium | Charge Carrier | $15 | | Cobalt | Cathode Stabilizer | $8 | | Aluminum | Cathode Conductor / Casing | $5 | | Copper | Anode Conductor | $7 | | Polymers & Electrolyte | Separator & Ion Transport | $5 | | Steel Can & Assembly | Housing & Manufacturing Overhead | $5 | | Sum of Material & Basic Processing Costs | | \~$80 | | Historical Industry Price (c. 2012) | | \~$600 | | The "Inefficiency Gap" | | \~$520 |

Note: The costs in this table are illustrative, based on public statements by Musk and general market conditions around 2012 to demonstrate the principle of the analysis. Actual costs vary with chemistry and market fluctuations. Sources:
The conclusion from this analysis was identical to the one for rockets: the high cost was not a law of physics, but an artifact of inefficient processes. As Musk stated, "Clearly you just need to think of clever ways to take those materials and combine them into the shape of a battery cell, and you can have batteries that are much, much cheaper than anyone realizes". This insight drove Tesla's massive investment in battery R\&D and manufacturing, leading to innovations in the Formal Cause (the design of the larger, tabless 4680 cell) and the Efficient Cause (pioneering a more efficient dry-electrode manufacturing process) to systematically attack the "inefficiency gap" and drive down costs.

4.2 Part B: The Factory as the Product - The "Unboxed" Revolution

Having applied first principles to the car's key components, Tesla is now applying the same thinking to the entire system of production. The new guiding principle is that the factory itself is the ultimate product, and that the "machine that builds the machine" must be designed for maximum physical efficiency.
Deconstructing the Assembly Line: The target for deconstruction is the century-old automotive assembly line, an invention of Henry Ford that has become the unquestioned analogy for mass manufacturing. A first principles analysis reveals its fundamental limitation: it is a linear, sequential process. A car body moves down a line, and parts are added one after another. This creates a physical bottleneck; only a limited number of people or robots can work on a five-meter-long object at any given time, limiting the speed and density of the operation.
The "Unboxed" Solution: Tesla's proposed solution, known as the "Unboxed Process" or Global Automotive Modular Evolution (GAME), is a complete reconstruction of the manufacturing process from the ground up.

• Core Idea: Instead of building a car body and moving it down a line, the new method involves building the car in large, separate modules—such as the front body, rear body, structural battery pack, and side panels—in parallel sub-assembly lines. These fully completed and even painted modules only come together for final assembly at the very end.
• Enabling Technology: This radical rethinking of the Efficient Cause is made possible by a corresponding innovation in the Material and Formal Causes: "giga-casting." Tesla uses enormous high-pressure die-casting machines to produce huge sections of the car's underbody as a single piece. This one innovation eliminates hundreds of individual stamped metal parts and the complex welding and joining processes they required.
• The Result: This parallel process allows more people and robots to work on the vehicle simultaneously in an open, accessible space before it is "boxed" up. Tesla projects this will reduce manufacturing costs by as much as 50% and shrink the required factory footprint by over 40%. It represents a step-change in operator density and space-time efficiency, moving car manufacturing closer to the efficiency of assembling consumer electronics like Lego blocks.

This journey from deconstructing a battery to deconstructing a factory shows a powerful co-evolution. The first principles analysis of vehicle structure identified part-count and assembly complexity as a primary inefficiency. This created the demand for a new technology—giga-casting—to solve that fundamental problem. The existence of giga-casting, in turn, enabled a completely new and more efficient manufacturing process—the unboxed factory. This demonstrates a virtuous cycle where first principles thinking drives technological innovation, which then unlocks the possibility for even more radical process innovation.

Section 5: Your Blueprint for First Principles Thinking: A Practical Guide

Understanding the philosophy and seeing its effects in high-profile case studies is inspiring, but the true value of a mental model lies in its application. First principles thinking is not an esoteric art reserved for billionaire entrepreneurs; it is a disciplined, systematic process that can be learned and applied to any significant challenge, professional or personal. The goal is to move from passively accepting the world "as is" to actively imagining it "as it could be," constrained only by fundamental, evidence-based truths.
This section synthesizes the various practical methodologies described by practitioners and analysts into a single, robust, four-step framework for deconstruction and reconstruction.

5.1 The Four-Step Framework for Deconstruction and Reconstruction

This framework is an algorithm for converting unexamined assumptions into innovative solutions built on a foundation of truth.
Step 1: Identify and Isolate the Problem & Your Assumptions Before you can deconstruct a problem, you must define it with precision and make your implicit beliefs about it explicit.

• Pinpoint the Problem: Clearly articulate the specific challenge you are trying to solve. Vague problem statements lead to vague solutions. Be sharp and focused. For example, instead of "I want to be more successful," a better problem statement is "I need to increase my project's user acquisition by 50% in the next six months".
• List Your Assumptions: This is the most critical part of the first step. List every assumption, convention, and "best practice" you hold about the problem. Ask yourself: What do I believe to be true about this situation? Why do I believe it? What does my industry or community accept as gospel? For example, if the problem is growing a business, an assumption might be, "Growing my business will require a large marketing budget". The goal is to create a comprehensive inventory of the beliefs that are currently constraining your thinking.

Step 2: Deconstruct to Fundamental Truths with Rigorous Questioning This is the analytical core of the process, where you systematically test the validity of the assumptions you listed in Step 1. The goal is to break the problem down until you are left with only irreducible, evidence-based components—the first principles. Two powerful techniques are central to this step.

• Technique A: Socratic Questioning This disciplined, systematic questioning process, named after the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, is designed to uncover truths, reveal underlying assumptions, and separate knowledge from ignorance. It is a dialogue with yourself or your team, guided by a series of probing questions :
• Clarifying Your Thinking: What exactly do I mean by [concept]? Why do I think this is important?
• Challenging Assumptions: How do I know this is true? What if I thought the opposite? What if this assumption is no longer valid?
• Looking for Evidence: What is the source for this belief? How can I back this up with data? Is this a universal fact or a shared opinion?
• Considering Alternative Perspectives: What might others think? How would an expert in a different field view this? How do I know I am correct?
• Examining Consequences and Implications: What are the consequences if I am wrong? What are the logical implications of this belief?
• Questioning the Original Question: Why did I ask that question in the first place? Was it the right question to ask?
• Technique B: The Five Whys This technique, popularized by the Toyota Production System, is a simpler, more intuitive method for drilling down to the root cause of a problem. It mirrors the relentless curiosity of a child. You start with your problem and ask "Why?" repeatedly until you can no longer provide a factual answer. That final, unanswerable point often reveals the true, fundamental issue.
• Example: Declining Sales Revenue
  1. Problem: Sales revenue declined last quarter. Why?
  2. Answer 1: Because our customer acquisition rate dropped. Why?
  3. Answer 2: Because our website traffic has decreased. Why?
  4. Answer 3: Because our search engine ranking for key terms has fallen. Why?
  5. Answer 4: Because a competitor has published more comprehensive, helpful content that now outranks ours. Why?
  6. Answer 5: Because our content strategy has not adapted to meet the evolving needs and search intent of our target audience. This process peels back the layers of symptoms to reveal the root cause, which is a strategic issue with content, not just a tactical sales problem.

Step 3: Rebuild Your Approach from a New Foundation Once you have broken the problem down to its fundamental truths, the final step is to reconstruct a solution from these new building blocks, free from the constraints of your original assumptions.

• Focus on Function: Begin by stating the core function you are trying to achieve. Ignore the form of previous solutions. In the sales example, the function is not "to run more ads" but "to provide the most valuable information to our target audience to attract and convert them."
• Brainstorm from Scratch: Working from your newly established first principles, generate novel solutions. How can you achieve the desired function in the most direct and effective way? This is the stage for creativity and "out-of-the-box" thinking.
• Combine and Synthesize: Look for opportunities to combine ideas and components from different domains, just as the snowmobile was conceived by combining parts from a bicycle, a tank, and a boat.

Step 4: Implement, Test, and Iterate (The Role of Failure) A solution derived from first principles is, by its nature, a new theory about how to solve a problem. Like any scientific theory, it must be tested against reality.

• Frame as an Experiment: Treat the implementation of your new solution not as a final deployment, but as an experiment designed to test a hypothesis. This reframes the entire endeavor and manages expectations.
• Embrace Failure as Data: In this framework, failure is not an endpoint or a mark of defeat; it is a critical form of data collection. When an experiment fails, it provides invaluable information about how your reconstructed model deviates from reality. It is the feedback loop that allows you to refine your understanding of the first principles and iterate on your solution.
• Cultivate a "Fail-Fast, Learn-Fast" Culture: This contrasts sharply with an analogical system, where failure is often seen as a deviation to be punished. In a first-principles-driven system, the goal is to accelerate the rate of learning by accelerating the rate of (controlled) failure. This iterative process of building, testing, failing, and learning is what ultimately leads to a robust and revolutionary solution. The implementation and testing phase is not merely a follow-on activity; it is the crucial verification mechanism for the entire thinking process.

Section 6: The Innovator's Edge and Its Burdens: A Nuanced View

Adopting first principles thinking offers a profound competitive advantage, but it is not a panacea. It is a mentally demanding and often difficult process, fraught with its own unique challenges and risks. Acknowledging both the immense benefits and the significant burdens is essential for its successful application.

6.1 The Benefits: Why It's Worth the Effort

The reasons to undertake this cognitively expensive process are compelling, as they offer rewards that are often non-linear and transformative.

• Unlocking True Innovation: This is the most significant benefit. First principles thinking is the most reliable path from making incremental improvements on existing ideas to generating genuine, breakthrough solutions. It allows individuals and organizations to move from linear to non-linear results, creating entirely new categories or fundamentally reshaping existing ones.
• Developing a Defensible Moat: Solutions built from a unique understanding of fundamental truths are inherently difficult for competitors to copy. A competitor reasoning by analogy will only see the surface-level product or strategy; they will not understand the deep, first-principles reasoning that led to its creation, making their attempts to replicate it shallow and ineffective.
• Achieving Unparalleled Clarity and Efficiency: By stripping away the noise of convention, historical baggage, and flawed assumptions, this method allows a thinker to focus on the true root cause of a problem. This prevents wasted time, energy, and resources on addressing mere symptoms, leading to more direct and efficient strategies.
• Thinking for Yourself: Ultimately, reasoning from first principles is one of the best ways to learn how to think for yourself. It breaks the dependency on the ideas and frameworks of others, fostering intellectual independence and the confidence to tackle problems that have never been solved before.

6.2 The Burdens: The Challenges and Risks of Thinking from Scratch

Despite its power, first principles thinking is difficult and comes with significant risks that must be managed.

• High Cognitive Load: As Musk and others have noted, it takes far more mental energy and time to reason from first principles than to reason by analogy. It is a deliberate, slow, and analytical process that is not practical or necessary for every decision.
• The Expertise Paradox: This is perhaps the central challenge of applying the method effectively. On one hand, it requires deep domain expertise to correctly identify the true, fundamental principles of a complex field. A novice attempting to deconstruct a problem in particle physics or automotive engineering without sufficient knowledge is likely to arrive at naive and incorrect conclusions. On the other hand, that very expertise can be a trap, creating dogma and blind spots that prevent the expert from questioning the conventions of their own field. The solution to this paradox lies in cultivating a "beginner's mind" while possessing expert knowledge, or in building teams with diverse perspectives that can challenge the expert's ingrained assumptions.
• The Risk of Overconfidence: Successfully deconstructing a problem and arriving at a contrarian conclusion through what feels like impeccable logic can lead to a dangerous sense of overconfidence. This is especially risky if the analysis has missed a single, crucial piece of information that the "experts" knew all along. The history of innovation is littered with individuals who were certain they had reinvented the wheel, only to discover their reasoning was flawed.
• The "Wrong Set of True Principles" Failure: The most subtle and pernicious failure mode occurs when the reasoning process is logically sound and every base axiom used is, in fact, true. Failure can still occur if the thinker has selected the wrong set of true principles to build their argument upon. For example, one could build a perfectly logical business model based on the true principles of user engagement and viral growth, only to find it fails because it ignored the more relevant (and equally true) principles of unit economics. The elegance of a logical argument is no substitute for its utility in the real world. This highlights a critical point: the ultimate arbiter of a first-principles analysis is not its internal logical consistency, but its effectiveness when tested against reality.

Conclusion: Answering Your Challenge

First principles thinking is more than a problem-solving technique; it is a disciplined and rigorous mindset for engaging with reality. It represents the fundamental difference between following a map created by others and learning to read the terrain to draw your own. The former is a process of analogy, efficient and reliable on well-trodden paths. The latter is a process of deconstruction and discovery, demanding but essential for navigating uncharted territory and finding new destinations.
The case studies of SpaceX and Tesla are not just stories of entrepreneurial success; they are powerful demonstrations of this mental algorithm in action. At SpaceX, deconstructing the cost of a rocket to its raw materials revealed that 98% of the price was not a physical necessity but a human-created inefficiency, paving the way for the revolution of reusability. At Tesla, the same process exposed the gap between the market price of batteries and their fundamental material cost, unlocking the path to the mass-market electric vehicle. Now, with the "unboxed" manufacturing concept, this thinking is being applied to the factory itself, treating the century-old assembly line as just another assumption to be questioned and rebuilt from the ground up.
This brings us to the ultimate application of this framework: using it to address your own most significant challenges. The prompt for deeper learning asks: “What are the fundamental truths behind my biggest challenge today, and how can I rebuild my strategy from scratch like Elon Musk would?”
To answer this question is to begin the first principles process yourself.
Start by isolating your biggest challenge—be it a business goal, a career path, or a personal ambition. Then, apply the first step of the framework: identify and list every single assumption you hold about it. What are the "rules" you believe are unbreakable? What is the conventional wisdom you have accepted without question?

• "To have a secure career, I must follow a traditional corporate path."
• "My industry has always operated this way, so it must continue to do so."
• "I don't have enough capital/time/experience to pursue my real goal."
• "This problem is too complex to be solved."

These are the analogies and dogmas that define the boundaries of your current thinking. The next step is to take each one and subject it to the rigorous questioning of the Socratic method or the Five Whys. How do you know it's true? What is the evidence? What if the opposite were true? Deconstruct these beliefs until you are left only with what you can prove to be a fundamental, unshakeable truth.
From that new, solid foundation of truth, you can begin to rebuild. You can construct a new strategy, a new path, a new solution—one that is not constrained by the inherited limitations of others, but is based on what is actually possible.
The process is difficult. It requires more mental energy than simply following the crowd. It demands intellectual honesty and the courage to discard long-held beliefs. But it is this very process that separates incremental improvement from non-linear breakthroughs. The first step to thinking like an innovator is not to conjure a brilliant idea out of thin air, but to have the courage to fundamentally question what you already believe to be true. In doing so, you can begin to see the world not just as it is, but as it could be.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

Why are Stripe Alternatives are growing like mushrooms? When it comes to online payment processing, Stripe has long dominated the conversation.

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Table of Contents

• Why Consider Stripe Alternatives?
• The Complete List of Stripe Alternatives
• Additional Notable Mentions
• How to Choose the Right Stripe Alternative
• Conclusion

Why Consider Stripe Alternatives?

Before diving into our comprehensive list, it’s worth understanding why businesses are exploring alternatives to Stripe. While Stripe offers robust features and excellent developer tools, some businesses face challenges with pricing transparency, limited global coverage, or specific industry requirements that Stripe doesn’t fully address.

The Complete List of Stripe Alternatives

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Recurly offers dynamic subscription management platform, excelling in churn management and data insights for subscription growth. It’s the only proven platform that expands and protects your recurring revenue with subscription management, recurring billing, and payments orchestration.

11. Braintree – PayPal’s Enterprise Solution

Braintree (by PayPal) provides a versatile global payments platform, integrating multiple payment methods with a focus on conversion and security. It delivers end-to-end checkout experiences for businesses, offering single-touch payments and mobile optimization.

12. PayKickstart – Modern Commerce Platform

PayKickstart offers a modern commerce platform for online billing and affiliates, focusing on revenue maximization and churn minimization. It’s the most complete checkout, recurring billing, affiliate management, and retention solution with global capabilities.

13. PayPro Global – Full-Service E-commerce

PayPro Global offers a full-service eCommerce solution for selling software and SaaS, focusing on global payments, tax compliance, and customer support. It provides flexible solutions with over 70 payment methods and great support for software companies.

14. Shopify Payments – E-commerce Integration

Integrated with Shopify, this service is ideal for SMBs in eCommerce, offering a seamless shopping cart and payment experience. It’s the simplest way to accept online payments, automatically set up for major methods with no fees for some payment types.

15. Square – Versatile POS and Payment Solutions

Square provides versatile POS and payment solutions for small businesses with a strong focus on retail and mobile payments. Forbes Advisor notes it as one of the top alternatives for businesses needing both online and offline payment capabilities.

16. Zoho Billing – Integrated Business Solution

Zoho Billing is an online recurring billing and subscription management solution, ideal for small and medium-sized businesses seeking professional invoice creation, time and expense tracking, and improved cash flow management. Zoho isn’t just competing for stripe alternatives, they offer a ton of other products and services.

17. WePay – Chase Company Integration

WePay, a Chase company, provides integrated payment solutions for ISVs and SaaS companies with customizable payment solutions. It’s designed for platforms like marketplaces and small business tools, offering seamless user experience and fraud protection.

18. QuickBooks Payments – SMB Accounting Integration

This service provides seamless accounting and payment solutions for SMBs and SaaS businesses, featuring real-time tracking and automated bookkeeping. It lets small businesses accept payments online from anywhere with easy integration into QuickBooks accounting.

19. Mangopay – Marketplace Payment Infrastructure

Mangopay offers a modular payment infrastructure for marketplaces and platforms, emphasizing flexibility, global payouts, and AI-powered anti-fraud. It uses flexible wallets built to orchestrate fund flows and monetize payment experiences.

20. Coinbase Commerce – Cryptocurrency Payments

Coinbase Commerce enables businesses to accept payments from around the world using cryptocurrency. It offers instant settlement, low fees, and broad asset support, making it easy for merchants to accept digital currency payments globally.

21. BTCPay Server – Open-Source Bitcoin Processor

BTCPay Server is a self-hosted, open-source cryptocurrency payment processor with 0% fees and no third-party involvement. It’s secure, private, censorship-resistant, and completely free for businesses wanting full control over their Bitcoin payments.

22. Lago – Open-Source Billing Alternative

Lago is an open-source alternative to Stripe Billing and Chargebee, specializing in billing and metering in one place for usage-b

@ 2c564b98:5c6444b0

My First Nostr Long-Form Post

This is a test of long-form content publishing on Nostr using the NIP-23 standard.

What is Nostr?

Nostr is a simple, open protocol that enables global, decentralized, and censorship-resistant social media.

Features of This Post

• Written in Markdown
• Tagged appropriately
• Includes metadata
• Published to multiple relays

Code Example

javascript console.log("Hello, Nostr!");

Conclusion

This demonstrates how easy it is to publish long-form content to Nostr!

---

Published using nostr-publisher

@ 70c48e4b:00ce3ccb

Hello all :)

Something pretty exciting just happened in the world of decentralized tech.

A new social network project called Nostria successfully wrapped up its pre-seed funding round. It raised the funds through Angor, a crowdfunding platform built on Bitcoin and Nostr that aligns perfectly with the project’s decentralized mission.This post is all about what Nostria is doing, why it matters, and how Angor made it all possible.

What is Nostria?

nostr:npub16x7nxvehx0wvgy0sa6ynkw9c2ghuph3z0ll5t8veq3xwm8n9tqds6ka44x is a social network app that’s built to make the Nostr protocol easy to use. If you're not familiar with Nostr, it's an open protocol for decentralized social networking. It gives users more control and privacy, without relying on big platforms.

Nostria makes all that feel less like a tech experiment and more like a real social network. The app is simple, elegant, and beginner-friendly. It is available across iOS, Android, and web so you can jump in from anywhere.

Think of it as the easiest way to start using Nostr without needing to understand all the technical stuff under the hood.

https://www.nostria.app/assets/screenshots/nostria-01.jpg

The Problem Nostria is Solving:

One of the challenges Nostr faces right now is scaling. The network relies on relays to pass messages around, but many of these are centralized and getting overloaded. That creates serious bottlenecks and makes the whole experience less reliable. Just to give you an idea:

• Damus relay has around 646,000 users
• Nos relay has 601,000 users
• Snort sits at 417,000 users

When so many users depend on just a few relays, it puts a huge strain on the system and limits how far the network can grow.

Nostria’s Clever Fix

Nostria introduces a smarter way to scale Nostr without losing its decentralized core. Instead of relying on a few overloaded relays, it uses:

• Regionally deployed Discovery Relays – Think of these as local hubs placed in different parts of the world. When users connect, they are matched with a nearby relay, which keeps things faster and spreads the traffic out so no single relay gets overwhelmed.

• Pooled User Relays – Instead of each person depending on just one relay, users are connected through a shared pool. This means messages are sent and received more efficiently, especially when more people join the network.

All of this happens behind the scenes. The app keeps things simple and intuitive, with automation that handles the complexity for you. Whether you're posting, reading, or connecting with others, the experience stays smooth.

Nostria has bold ambitions. Here’s what they’re going for:

• A goal of 1 million daily active users
• Competing with platforms like Bluesky, Mastodon, and even X (formerly Twitter)
• A long-term plan to support both free and premium services to drive adoption

As of now, the Nostr network as a whole has:

• 15,000 daily active users
• 42.7 million total users
• 552 million total events

So the market is already there. It just needs the right tools to grow.

https://www.nostria.app/assets/screenshots/nostria-02.jpg

Meet the Team

Nostria is led by nostr:npub1zl3g38a6qypp6py2z07shggg45cu8qex992xpss7d8zrl28mu52s4cjajh, a software engineer with deep experience in distributed systems. He has been involved with the Nostr protocol since its early days in 2021 and is deeply passionate about decentralization and open-source tech.

https://www.nostria.app/assets/team/sondre.jpg

He’s joined by nostr:npub1e0krp2gr3l5nfd2jw2cydh68adxjpmcqdhs2e0jxkrqd4crwt4dslwrk0k, a thoughtful full-stack developer focused on simplicity and sovereignty, and nostr:npub10c4sn723akd7fqegfe6xntpq43p86vnyvv7j2ryaq8jzvhyea4pq72c5ul, a junior dev who’s already contributed to open source and is finishing up her studies.

https://www.nostria.app/assets/team/kosta.jpg https://www.nostria.app/assets/team/lu.jpg

The Funding Round

To bring Nostria to life, the team aimed to raise $30,000 during their pre-seed round. This funding would help them:

• Complete their MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
• Deploy global infrastructure
• Start building their user base
• Get ready for a full Seed round in late 2025

How Angor Helped?

Angor is a decentralized crowdfunding platform built on Bitcoin and the Nostr protocol. It’s designed exactly for projects like this. The team at Nostria launched their campaign on Angor between May 12 and May 31, and it was a success.

What made the campaign stand out?

1. The whole process was decentralized and transparent.
2. Backers could fund the project directly, without intermediaries.
3. Nostria aligned perfectly with Angor’s vision of empowering projects that push decentralization forward.

The campaign served as both a fundraiser and a real-world example of how decentralized infrastructure can power decentralized ideas. And it worked.

Inside the Funding Terms

As part of this funding round, Nostria offered contributors a post-money SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity). This is a modern, flexible way for startups to raise money early without the complexity of traditional equity rounds.

In simple terms:

•Investors contributed funds now, and in return, they will receive equity in Nostria during a future priced equity round. When Nostria raises its next round, most likely a Seed round, then those SAFE contributions will convert into actual shares.

•The SAFE includes a valuation cap, which sets a maximum company valuation for conversion. This guarantees that early backers receive shares at a better rate than future investors. While the exact cap isn't publicly listed, this feature ensures early supporters are rewarded for their trust.

•There is no interest or maturity date, which is a major benefit over traditional convertible notes. There’s no ticking clock or repayment obligation. Investors simply wait until the next funding event.

•The SAFE also features a Most Favored Nation (MFN) clause. This ensures that if the company issues another SAFE later with better terms, early investors will automatically receive the same improved terms. It’s designed to keep things transparent and equitable.

•Jurisdiction and legal terms: While the full legal text isn’t included in the note, SAFEs typically specify the legal jurisdiction governing the agreement. Nostria’s approach suggests a commitment to following standard legal frameworks, further underlining their seriousness and professionalism.

You can read Nostria’s public SAFE summary here: nostr:npub16x7nxvehx0wvgy0sa6ynkw9c2ghuph3z0ll5t8veq3xwm8n9tqds6ka44x

And you can view the full campaign hosted on Angor here: https://hub.angor.io/project/angor1qwdgxjuzhjykgpn5q8p3l2q9vyrgqdlrkfp5sjr

By sharing these details openly, the team added a strong layer of transparency and trust to the entire campaign. It is a clear signal that they are building something serious and thoughtful, with long-term commitment and care instead of shortcuts.

What’s Next?

With the funding secured, Nostria is sprinting ahead. The roadmap includes:

• June: Deploying media and relay servers
• July: Adding premium features and full cross-platform support
• August: Growing the user base and preparing for the next funding round

If all goes well, Nostria is on track to become one of the most accessible and user-friendly Nostr based platforms out there. With a clear roadmap and a team focused on long-term decentralization, the journey is just getting started...

Got an idea of your own? You can launch your project on Angor, just like Nostria did, and start your own funding round with the support of a like-minded community.

Thanks for reading. See y’all next week with another story from the world of open, decentralized innovation. Ciao

@ e5de992e:4a95ef85

Stop Chasing Goals, Start Building Systems: The Mindset Shift That Unlocks Sustainable Success

We’ve all been there. Fired up with a new resolution, a bold ambition, a tantalizing goal shimmering on the horizon. "I want to get 1,000 new customers." "I'm going to lose 20 pounds." "This is the year I finally write that novel." We pour our energy into the chase, fueled by visions of a triumphant finish line. But more often than not, this pursuit leads to a familiar cycle of burnout, frustration, and the dispiriting feeling of falling short.
What if the finish line is the problem? What if the relentless focus on a fixed outcome is the very thing holding us back?
This is the core of a powerful mindset shift championed by thinkers like Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, and embodied in the relentless innovation of entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. The alternative? Think in systems, not goals. This approach liberates you from the all-or-nothing pressure of a single target and instead focuses on building repeatable processes that generate progress, foster resilience, and compound results over time.
Instead of the goal to “get 1,000 customers,” you design a system: “Publish one valuable blog post every day to drive inbound leads.” The former is a destination; the latter is a continuous engine. And in the long game of life and business, it’s the quality of your engine that matters most.

The Hidden Pitfalls of a "Goals-Only" Mindset

At first glance, shunning goals feels counterintuitive. They provide direction, after all. But as James Clear, bestselling author of Atomic Habits, points out, a myopic focus on goals has several inherent flaws:

• Winners and Losers Share the Same Goals: Every Olympian wants to win gold. Every startup founder wants to be a unicorn. If successful and unsuccessful people share the same goals, then the goal itself cannot be the differentiating factor. The true differentiator is the consistent system of training, practice, and improvement that the winner implements.
• Goals Are a Fleeting Moment of Change: Imagine you’ve worked for months to clean a cluttered room. You achieve the goal, and for a moment, it’s a triumph. But if you haven’t changed the underlying system of accumulating and not tidying, the clutter will inevitably return. As Clear says, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
• Goals Restrict Your Happiness: The goal-oriented mindset operates on a "deferred happiness" model: "I'll be happy when I reach my sales target." or "I'll be satisfied when I get that promotion." This creates a perpetual state of pre-success failure. By contrast, a systems-based approach allows for satisfaction every time you execute your system. You wrote your daily blog post? That's a win. You did your 30 minutes of exercise? A victory. You're no longer waiting for permission to feel good about your efforts.
• Goals Can Undermine Long-Term Progress: What happens after you cross the finish line? For many marathon runners, the weeks after the race are a void, as the singular goal that drove them is now gone. A system, however, is infinite. A system of "being a person who runs regularly" has no end date. It encourages continuous engagement and improvement, long after a specific milestone is passed.

The Unrivaled Power of Systems: Consistency, Adaptability, and Compounding Progress

So, what does it mean to "think in systems"? A system is a process, a habit, a routine that you control and that you can perform consistently. It's the architecture of your ambition.
Scott Adams famously articulated this distinction on his blog. He didn’t have a goal to become a syndicated cartoonist. Instead, he built a system: he would draw and write every single day. This system, this relentless practice, not only honed his skills but also generated a constant stream of output that dramatically increased his odds of success. "Goals are for losers," he provocatively wrote. "Systems are for winners."
The beauty of this approach lies in its key benefits:

• It Reduces Burnout: Chasing a distant, high-stakes goal is mentally and emotionally taxing. Every day you haven't achieved it can feel like a failure. A system, however, focuses your energy on the immediate, controllable present. Did you follow your process today? If so, you succeeded. This reframing is a powerful antidote to burnout.
• It Creates Sustainable Habits: Systems are the fertile ground from which habits grow. By focusing on a daily or weekly process—writing 500 words, making 10 sales calls, meditating for 10 minutes—you are laying down the neurological pathways for these actions to become automatic. The system is the scaffolding for the habit.
• It Increases Adaptability and Long-Term Results: A rigid goal can shatter in the face of unexpected change. What if the market shifts and your initial customer acquisition target becomes irrelevant? A person fixated on the goal might be lost. A person with a system of "consistently creating valuable content and engaging with my community" can pivot. Their engine is still running, and they can direct its power toward new opportunities. This adaptability is crucial for long-term relevance and success.

Systems Thinking in Action: Lessons from the Titans of Industry

This isn't just a theory for personal development; it's the operating manual for some of the most successful enterprises in modern history.
Jeff Bezos and the Amazon Machine: Amazon is a breathtaking collection of interlocking systems. A prime example is the "Day 1" philosophy. Bezos has long advocated that Amazon must always operate with the urgency, customer-centricity, and inventive spirit of a startup on its very first day. This isn't a goal; it's a cultural system designed to ward off the complacency that often comes with success. From the "two-pizza teams" designed to keep innovation agile to the institutionalized practice of "working backwards" from a customer's needs, Amazon is a testament to the power of systemic thinking.
Elon Musk and First Principles: When Elon Musk set out to build rockets, he didn't have the goal of "making cheaper rockets." He employed a system of thinking known as "first principles." Instead of accepting the high cost of existing rockets, he asked, "What are the fundamental material components of a rocket?" By breaking down the problem to its physical truths and rebuilding from there, SpaceX was able to create a far more efficient and cost-effective system of manufacturing and launch. This first-principles approach is Musk's system for tackling seemingly insurmountable problems, and he has applied it across his ventures, from Tesla's battery technology to Neuralink's brain-computer interfaces.

Your Turn: How to Redesign Your Goals into Powerful Systems

The shift from goals to systems is a practical one that you can begin implementing today. The key is to reframe your desired outcome as a consistent process that you can control.
Here’s a look at how to transform common goals into robust systems:

| Instead of this Goal... | Build this System... | | :---- | :---- | | "Get 1,000 customers." | "Publish one valuable blog post every weekday to drive inbound leads and spend 30 minutes daily engaging with potential customers on social media." | | "Lose 20 pounds." | "Focus on eating whole foods for every meal and engage in 30 minutes of enjoyable physical activity five times a week." | | "Write a bestselling novel." | "Write 500 words every morning before checking email and read one book in my genre every two weeks." | | "Become fluent in Spanish." | "Complete one lesson on a language app every day during my commute and have a 15-minute conversation with a language partner twice a week." | | "Raise $1 million in funding." | "Identify and reach out to five potential investors every single day and refine my pitch deck for one hour each week based on feedback." |

Now, it's time for you to reflect. Look at the ambitions currently driving you. Ask yourself:
“How can I redesign my current goals into daily or weekly systems that deliver value regardless of the outcome?”
By shifting your focus from the distant prize to the daily process, you are not giving up on your ambitions. On the contrary, you are building a more reliable, resilient, and ultimately more powerful path to achieving them. You are trading the anxiety of the chase for the quiet confidence of the craftsman. You are playing the long game.
Stop waiting for the finish line to feel successful. Build a system, execute it with consistency, and start winning today.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

In a quiet corner of the world, bitcoin mining operations in Africa are turning electricity into digital currency and in the process, redefining how value is created.

At its core, bitcoin mining involves validating transaction information before adding new blocks to the Bitcoin blockchain by competing to solve a cryptographic puzzle that meets a specific criterion.

Globally, mining plays a key role in keeping the blockchain decentralized and secure. The system depends on miners to verify and record transactions, mainly to prevent a problem called double spending, the digital version of using the same money twice.

To understand this better, imagine Charles sends $5 to Amanda. With physical cash, Amanda can trust the note is real and hasn’t been used elsewhere. But with digital currency, copying data is easy, so how can she be sure that the same $5 wasn’t sent to someone else too? That’s the exact problem Bitcoin mining helps solve.

In recent years, Africa has started to draw attention in this space, positioning itself as a key hub in global bitcoin mining. While there may be less than 2 million bitcoin left to be mined from the total 21 million supply, the rise of mining operations in Africa has sparked excitement, creating new jobs and drawing in foreign capital.

Although some countries still grapple with power shortages and the energy demands of mining, many citizens view bitcoin as a more stable store of value and a safeguard against the volatility of their local currencies.

At the same time, Africa’s wealth of hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal resources makes the continent one of the most promising regions for cost-effective and sustainable mining.

What Makes a Large-Scale Bitcoin Mining Operation in Africa?

It all starts with difficulty. Bitcoin mining isn’t just about solving a puzzle, it’s about solving one that keeps getting harder. Mining difficulty refers to how much computational work is needed to generate a number lower than the target hash.

This difficulty automatically adjusts every 2,016 blocks (about every two weeks), depending on how quickly miners solved the previous batch. If mining is fast and efficient, the network increases the difficulty; if miners drop off and block times slow, it reduces it, all to maintain a consistent block production time of roughly 10 minutes.

The significance of mining difficulty lies in the increased demands it places on mining operations. As difficulty rises, miners require more powerful hardware, cost-effective energy sources, advanced infrastructure, and substantial financial investment. These requirements distinguish large-scale mining operations from smaller, casual miners.

In short, it’s the difficulty of mining that births the need for large facilities, massive energy inputs, industrial-grade hardware, and significant financial investment, the very traits that define a “large” bitcoin mining operation.

This leads us to the 4 key factors that define large Bitcoin mining operations in Africa, each one a direct response to the growing demands of the network:

1. Facility size and infrastructure:

The physical size of a mining facility is a direct reflection of its capacity to house mining equipment and support systems. Larger operations typically have thousands of mining rigs installed, supported by extensive infrastructure such as advanced cooling systems and stable power supplies.

These are critical to ensure that the equipment runs continuously and efficiently, given the intense heat and electricity demands of mining.

While it is possible to mine Bitcoin using desktop computers or gaming rigs by joining mining pools, these setups are limited in profitability. Mining pools distribute rewards based on the computational power contributed, meaning small or less efficient machines earn only modest returns.

To compete effectively, mining operations invest in specialized hardware known as Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) miners. These machines are far more powerful and energy-efficient than regular computers but require significant capital investment, with prices ranging from $4,000 to $12,000 per rig depending on their performance.

Large-scale operations typically deploy hundreds or thousands of these ASIC miners, which necessitates the large facilities and sophisticated infrastructure mentioned earlier. In this way, the size of the facility and the sophistication of the mining equipment are tightly linked, together defining the overall scale and capability of a bitcoin mining operation.

2. Hashrate contribution:

Hashrate refers to the computational power used to mine and process transactions on the Bitcoin network. A higher hashrate indicates a more significant contribution to the network’s security and transaction processing.

Large mining operations often possess substantial hashrate, measured in exa hashes per second (EH/s). For instance, as of July 2024, the Bitcoin network’s hashrate was approximately 733.41 EH/s.

3. Energy consumption and power source:

Bitcoin mining is energy-intensive. The total energy consumption of the Bitcoin network has been estimated at 175.87 terawatt-hours annually, comparable to the power consumption of Poland. Large mining operations often seek locations with access to cheap and reliable energy sources, such as hydroelectric, solar, or wind power, to reduce operational costs and environmental impact.

4. Financial banking and investor interest:

Significant financial investment is required to establish and maintain large-scale mining operations. This includes the cost of mining hardware, facility construction, energy procurement, and operational expenses. Companies with substantial financial backing can invest in cutting-edge technology and infrastructure, enhancing their mining capabilities. 

Overview of Bitcoin Mining in Africa

Africa is beginning to carve out its share of the global Bitcoin mining market, which was valued at $2.45 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $8.24 billion by 2034. 

As Bitcoin’s value continues to rise, countries across the continent are positioning themselves to benefit, many by tapping into abundant renewable energy sources and taking advantage of regulatory ambiguity or excess energy production. 

Ethiopia currently leads the continent in Bitcoin mining activity, with around 2.5% of the global hashrate reportedly coming from operations powered entirely by renewable energy. 

This energy mismatch has attracted major miners from China and other regions, who see an opportunity to monetize surplus electricity. Ethiopia’s success showcases how renewable energy and mining can coexist sustainably while contributing meaningfully to state revenue. 

Kenya follows closely behind. As the top geothermal energy producer in Africa, with an installed capacity of 863 MW, the country is using its energy advantage to support sustainable mining. 

Nigeria is emerging as a serious contender. While not yet dominant, its large population, increasing tech engagement, and growing interest in using flared gas for mining signal potential for expansion. Nigeria’s complex but evolving regulatory landscape also leaves room for further mining developments as the government explores clearer crypto frameworks.

Malawi represents a more localized model of Bitcoin mining. By converting rainfall-powered microgrids into revenue-generating infrastructure, Malawi shows how small-scale mining can play a powerful role in community development and rural electrification.

In Libya, Bitcoin mining is technically illegal, but that hasn’t stopped it. Despite the ban, underground mining continues to thrive thanks to heavily subsidized electricity. In 2021, Libyan miners accounted for an estimated 0.6% of the global Bitcoin production, the highest in both the Arab world and Africa at the time. Today, mining reportedly consumes around 2% of the country’s electricity, even as it operates in the shadows.

Angola rounds out the list with limited public data but notable potential. The country struggles with energy inefficiencies, losing nearly 40% of its hydroelectric power during transmission. Some reports suggest Bitcoin miners are beginning to capitalize on this otherwise stranded energy, though large-scale operations are yet to surface.

What unites these countries is a shared set of conditions: untapped or mismanaged energy resources, an openness or gray area in regulation, and the growing understanding that Bitcoin mining can serve as a financial incentive to build and stabilize decentralized energy systems. 

Whether through massive hydroelectric projects or rural microgrids, Bitcoin mining is emerging as both an energy monetization strategy and a bridge to infrastructure development across Africa.

Profiles of the Largest Bitcoin Mining Operations in Africa

1. BitCluster (Ethiopia)

As of 2024, Bitcoin mining in Africa is largely concentrated in

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5

Autor: Tina Marie. 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 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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Solange wir mit uns selbst im Krieg stehen, bleibt der Ruf nach Weltfrieden hohl.\ Ein Text über Selbstoptimierung, innere Leere – und die Möglichkeit, Frieden dort zu beginnen,\ wo wir ihn am wenigsten suchen: im eigenen Körper.

Es beginnt oft leise.\ Mit dem Wunsch, mehr aus sich zu machen.\ Dich zu entwickeln, Dich zu verbessern, das Beste aus Deinem Leben herauszuholen.

Manche nennen es Wachstum.\ Doch oft wird daraus etwas anderes:\ Ein ständiger Druck, ein inneres Getriebensein.\ Ein subtiler Krieg gegen alles, was noch nicht „gut genug“ ist.

Vielleicht kennst Du das auch:\ Du funktionierst, erreichst viel, bist stark.\ Aber tief innen wächst eine Leere.\ Eine Erschöpfung, die nicht vom Tun kommt –\ sondern vom dauerhaften Versuch, Dich selbst zu übertreffen.

„Wer nach außen schaut, träumt. Wer nach innen blickt, erwacht.“\ – C.G. Jung

Was wäre, wenn Du gar nicht „mehr“ sein musst?\ Wenn in der Akzeptanz dessen, was jetzt in Dir lebt, bereits alles enthalten ist?\ Was, wenn Frieden genau dort beginnt,\ wo Du aufhörst, Dich selbst ständig neu zu optimieren?

„Du kannst nicht tief in Dein Herz hinabtauchen,\ wenn Du versuchst, das Wasser mit Gewalt klar zu machen.“\ – Virginia Woolf

Wir leben in einer Welt, die das Laute feiert –\ die Schnelligkeit, die Disziplin, den Aufstieg.\ Aber was geht dabei verloren?

Wie oft passen wir uns an –\ an Bilder, an Formate, an Erwartungen,\ bis wir kaum noch wissen, was in uns wirklich lebt?

Statt authentischer Individualität\ formt sich ein konformer Einheitsbrei:\ angepasst, glatt, kontrolliert – aber leer.

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DIE FRIEDENSTAUBE FLIEGT AUCH IN IHR POSTFACH!

Hier können Sie die Friedenstaube abonnieren und bekommen die Artikel zugesandt, vorerst für alle kostenfrei, wir starten gänzlich ohne Paywall. (Die Bezahlabos fangen erst zu laufen an, wenn ein Monetarisierungskonzept für die Inhalte steht). Sie wollen der Genossenschaft beitreten oder uns unterstützen? Mehr Infos hier oder am Ende des Textes.

Sie schreiben und haben etwas zum Frieden zu sagen? Melden Sie sich gerne: friedenstaube\@pareto.space

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Perfektion ist eine Illusion.\ Sie wird genährt durch Ideale, die nie wirklich unsere waren.\ Was wir sehen, sind Körper, die nach den Maßgaben digitaler Vorbilder geformt wurden –\ glattgezogen, modelliert, mit immer gleichen Proportionen, gleichen Posen,\ gleichen Michelin-Männchen-Lippen.\ Einheitsästhetik statt Echtheit.

Und wir fragen uns:\ Was macht uns wirklich reich?\ Was erfüllt uns – jenseits von Normkörpern, Klickzahlen und Anerkennung im Außen?

Wann hast Du zuletzt gespürt,\ dass Du nicht schöner, sondern nur echter sein musst?

Die Lehren von Neville Goddard erinnern daran:\ Was wir in uns tragen – an Bildern, Gefühlen, innerer Wahrheit – formt unsere Realität.\ Frieden entsteht nicht im Außen.\ Er entsteht in uns –\ wenn wir aufhören, uns zu überfordern,\ und beginnen, uns zu halten.

„Glauben ist fühlbares Wissen aus der Tiefe des Seins.“\ – Neville Goddard

Vielleicht ist die wichtigste Friedensarbeit heute nicht laut.\ Nicht strategisch. Nicht politisch.\ Sondern verkörpert.\ Spürbar.\ Verwurzelt im Menschsein.

„Der wahre Friede beginnt, wenn wir aufhören, gegen uns selbst zu kämpfen.“\ – unbekannt

Ein Mensch, der sich selbst nicht länger bekämpft,\ verändert die Welt.\ Nicht durch Argumente, sondern durch seine stille Gegenwart.\ Durch das, was mitschwingt, wenn jemand in sich selbst angekommen ist.

Vielleicht fliegt genau deshalb eines Tages eine Taube los.\ Nicht als Bild, sondern als natürliche Folge von gelebtem Frieden.\ Mit einem Olivenzweig im Schnabel –\ nicht getragen aus Pflicht, sondern aus Kraft.\ Ein leiser Flug, der sichtbar macht,\ was möglich wird,\ wenn wir in uns selbst aufhören, Krieg zu führen.

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Tina Marie begleitet Menschen auf dem Weg aus dem inneren Kampf.\ Nach mehreren Ausbildungen – unter anderem als High Performance Coach (nach Brendon Burchard) und als Heroic Optimize Coach (nach Brian Johnson) – erkannte sie,\ dass das Streben nach Perfektion oft mehr erschöpft als befreit.\ Heute arbeitet sie mit Körperbewusstsein, innerer Präsenzarbeit und den Lehren Neville Goddards – als Einladung, Frieden zu verkörpern. Tina1031\@protonmail.com

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LASSEN SIE DER FRIEDENSTAUBE FLÜGEL WACHSEN!

In Kürze folgt eine Mail an alle Genossenschafter, danke für die Geduld!

Hier können Sie die Friedenstaube abonnieren und bekommen die Artikel zugesandt.

Schon jetzt können Sie uns unterstützen:

• Für 50 CHF/EURO bekommen Sie ein Jahresabo der Friedenstaube.
• Für 120 CHF/EURO bekommen Sie ein Jahresabo und ein T-Shirt/Hoodie mit der Friedenstaube.
• Für 500 CHF/EURO werden Sie Förderer und bekommen ein lebenslanges Abo sowie ein T-Shirt/Hoodie mit der Friedenstaube.
• Ab 1000 CHF werden Sie Genossenschafter der Friedenstaube mit Stimmrecht (und bekommen lebenslanges Abo, T-Shirt/Hoodie).

Für Einzahlungen in CHF (Betreff: Friedenstaube):

Für Einzahlungen in Euro:

Milosz Matuschek

IBAN DE 53710520500000814137

BYLADEM1TST

Sparkasse Traunstein-Trostberg

Betreff: Friedenstaube

Wenn Sie auf anderem Wege beitragen wollen, schreiben Sie die Friedenstaube an: friedenstaube@pareto.space

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Sie sind noch nicht auf Nostr and wollen die volle Erfahrung machen (liken, kommentieren etc.)? Zappen können Sie den Autor auch ohne Nostr-Profil! Erstellen Sie sich einen Account auf Start. Weitere Onboarding-Leitfäden gibt es im Pareto-Wiki.

@ 6a14b203:2e99b880

My First Nostr Long-Form Post

This is a test of long-form content publishing on Nostr using the NIP-23 standard.

What is Nostr?

Nostr is a simple, open protocol that enables global, decentralized, and censorship-resistant social media.

Features of This Post

• Written in Markdown
• Tagged appropriately
• Includes metadata
• Published to multiple relays

Code Example

javascript console.log("Hello, Nostr!");

Conclusion

This demonstrates how easy it is to publish long-form content to Nostr!

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Published using nostr-publisher

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

The Barcelona Cyphers Conference (BCC8333), the city’s first biggest bitcoin-themed event, transforms a historic building in the central born district of the Catalan capital into a hub for bitcoin enthusiasts and cypherpunks. Named after the port bitcoin nodes use to sync the timechain (8333), this inaugural event delivers high-signal discussions and practical applications of decentralized technology, uniting over 100 attendees from Spain, Europe, and beyond.

Venue and Atmosphere

Set in a 17th-century palace that doubles as a flamenco venue, Palau Dalmases blends historical elegance with a creative, almost rebellious vibe. The unique setting fosters deep conversations, hands-on workshops, and genuine connections, prioritizing substance over spectacle. The spectacular courtyard serves as a lively backdrop for collaboration and sparking chats that resonates with the event’s freedom/privacy-oriented ethos.

Lightning Network Integration

BCC8333 embedds Bitcoin’s Lightning Network (LN) into its core, emphasizing privacy and scalable technology. Two on-site bars accept LN payments for drinks, demonstrating fast, low-cost bitcoin transactions in action.

But the usage of Lightning Network extends beyond just ‘refreshments’. 

·       Chain Duel: This simple yet engaging game has many BCC8333 participants send sats via LN to enter, compete, and have fun for the two days of the event. A large-screen tournament on the main stage amplifies the excitement, showcasing one more practical case for LN in the bitcoin ecosystem with a nice bounty, i.e. winners claiming the collected sats.

·       Thematic sessions and practical workshops on wallets, vending machines, and Nostr highlight LN’s role in bitcoin adoption, while touching on the importance of privacy vs. scalable transactions.

While the overall adoption in Barcelona’s local establishments outside the venue remains rather limited, attendees find a nearby street with vivid graffiti dedicated to bitcoin, and in a practical way, whenever possible, swap sats for fiat among themselves when direct payments aren’t possible.

Selected Highlights

The agenda balances intense sessions with networking breaks, ensuring space for reflection and collaboration. Some of the key sessions include: 

·       Future of Private Transactions (English, Max Hillebrand).

·       Miniscripts Roundtable (English, Edouard from Liana, Landabaso from Rewind, Francesco from BitVault, Yuri da Silva from Great Wall).

·       Sovereign Hardware Tools (English, Wesatoshi).

·       Debate: Future of Lightning (Spanish, mixed attendees).

·       Op_return Debate (English, Peter Todd, Unhosted Marcellus, Lunaticoin).

Recordings from the main stage and additional coverage by Juan Cienfuegos, host of the BitCorner Podcast, will soon be available online (X: @BCC833, @TheJuanSC).

Why BCC8333 Stood Out

·       Local Maxis: vibrant and well-organized approach shines through, with local bitcoiners as organizers of the event (Spanish and expats) bringing their best PoW to the table.

·       Focused Discussions: Free of hype and influencers, BCC8333 prioritizes signal over noise, diving into critical topics like privacy, nodes, wallets, P2P tools, decentralized mining, and Nostr. 

·       Community Vibe: The smaller crowd enables authentic connections, fostering a tight-knit community of freedom-tech enthusiasts committed to sovereignty.

BCC8333 is a powerful testament to the cypherpunk spirit, blending bitcoin and privacy to fuel innovation. From LN-powered interactions to thought-provoking talks, the event underscores the strength of a community dedicated to building decentralized solutions. Congratulations to the organizers, contributors, volunteers, and attendees for making this conference a standout moment in the year’s lineup of bitcoin-themed events.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

Flash, the all-in-one Bitcoin payment platform, just launched Flash Invoicing. The first invoicing tool for Bitcoin that is completely free, non-custodial, KYC-free, and fully integrated into a comprehensive bitcoin business suite.

Freelancers, contractors and independent workers can now send professional bitcoin invoices with 0% platform fees, no identity verification, and no third-party custody — a first in the Bitcoin ecosystem.

According to Deel, crypto payments to freelancers grew 10x in 2023, with bitcoin remaining the most-used currency. But despite this surge, the tools available for invoicing remain outdated.

Most freelancers still paste Bitcoin addresses into PDF footers or emails, hoping their client sends the right amount. Others use custodial platforms that charge high fees and require full identity verification.

“We’ve seen too many people paste BTC addresses into documents and call it invoicing,” said Pierre Corbin, CEO of Flash.

“It’s messy, reduces privacy and very inconvenient both for payee and payer.”, he explains.

Most Bitcoin invoicing tools charge a percentage per transaction — or lock users into subscription plans. That means freelancers lose a portion of every invoice just for the privilege of getting paid.

The other option is host open-source invoicing tools or use a google sheet template. While the former requires a hardware investment, the latter lacks functionality. Flash Invoicing is aiming to provide a better solution to address the invoicing needs for modern businesses and freelancers.

“Freelancers work hard enough. The last thing they need is a platform skimming off their earnings,” said Pierre.

“That’s why we dropped our fee from 1.5% to 0% — and launched the first invoicing tool that’s truly free, without compromising on privacy or control.”

“As a freelancer myself, I love using the Flash invoicing feature. It keeps all my clients in one place, allows me to easily edit invoices and track payments. Much more professional than sending a lightning address in the footer of a PDF invoice.” — Ada, freelancer & Flash user

Whether you’re a solo designer in Nairobi, a Web3 developer in Buenos Aires, or a consultant billing startups in Berlin, Flash Invoicing gives you a way to accept Bitcoin — without giving up control, privacy, or revenue.

And because it’s fully integrated with the broader Flash suite, freelancers can easily scale from invoicing to setting up stores, receiving donations, or gating premium content.

About Flash

Flash is the only non-custodial, KYC-free Bitcoin payment platform built for freelancers, creators, and businesses. With tools for invoicing, donations, stores, and POS, Flash gives users full control over how they earn and operate in Bitcoin — with no fees and no middlemen.

Learn more on www.paywithflash.com

@ 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.

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

That’s exactly what Simplified Privacy VPN is offering: a new kind of privacy tool that feels more like spinning up a secure, disposable virtual browser than using a traditional VPN.

Most of us know what a VPN is: it hides your IP address, encrypts your traffic, and gives you a bit more control over your privacy online. But what if you could go way beyond that—without setting up a complicated system, running a full virtual machine, or revealing anything about yourself?

What Makes It Different?

When I tried it myself, I realized this wasn’t just another VPN. It didn’t just route my traffic—it gave me access to a completely separate browsing environment. Imagine logging into a private, anonymous machine in the cloud, one that:

• Has its own browser and system settings
• Can’t see your personal files, history, or identity
• Randomizes details like screen size and timezone
• Leaves no trace once you’re done

This isn’t just hiding your IP—it’s giving you a fresh, secure web session that’s disconnected from your actual device.

Simplified Privacy VPN: The Lightning-Powered Twist

Here’s where it gets even cooler for us in the Lightning world: access costs just $1 in bitcoin via the Lightning Network.

You send a few sats, and within seconds you get access to a private browser session that lasts for a full month. Want a different profile or setup? Just pay another dollar and spin up a new one—no account, no email, no friction.

You can create as many instances as you like, each with its own identity. This is microtransaction-based privacy in action—exactly the kind of innovation Lightning enables.

Excellent Support, Secure Channels

I also tested their support team with a couple of questions—one technical issue and one feature request. Support is offered through secure, privacy-respecting channels, including Session chat. Responses were fast, friendly, and helpful. Even more impressive: my feature request was implemented not long after I sent it in.

In a space where many privacy tools leave you to figure things out on your own, this kind of responsive support makes a big difference.

Why This Matters

For journalists, activists, developers, or just regular folks who don’t want Big Tech watching their every move, this setup is a game-changer:

• More realistic protection than just using incognito mode or a VPN
• No need to trust the website, since this system isolates the browser to its own filesystem
• No need to trust the app, since it doesn’t require root access or your system password.
• Instant access with no signup or personal info
• Perfect match for Lightning’s low-cost, no-middleman model

One Note of Caution

While the system is impressive and genuinely different from anything I’ve seen, the project is still early and niche. The website and team aren’t as well-known as major VPN providers. So use it like any experimental tool—test it, learn from it, but don’t put all your trust in one basket yet.

Final Thoughts

In a world where online tracking is getting creepier and centralized control is tightening, SimplifiedPrivacy.com is pushing in the opposite direction: easy, user-controlled privacy with zero setup and lightning-fast access.

If you’ve got a dollar and a need for a little online invisibility, this might be one of the best ways to spend your sats.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

Michael Goldstein, aka Bitstein, presents a sweeping philosophical and economic case for going “all in” on Bitcoin, arguing that unlike fiat, which distorts capital formation and fuels short-term thinking, Bitcoin fosters low time preference, meaningful saving, and long-term societal flourishing. At the heart of his thesis is “hodling for good”—a triple-layered idea encompassing permanence, purpose, and the pursuit of higher values like truth, beauty, and legacy. Drawing on thinkers like Aristotle, Hoppe, and Josef Pieper, Goldstein redefines leisure as contemplation, a vital practice in aligning capital with one’s deepest ideals. He urges Bitcoiners to think beyond mere wealth accumulation and consider how their sats can fund enduring institutions, art, and architecture that reflect a moral vision of the future.

Best Quotes

“Let BlackRock buy the houses, and you keep the sats.”

“We're not hodling just for the sake of hodling. There is a purpose to it.”

“Fiat money shortens your time horizon… you can never rest.”

“Savings precedes capital accumulation. You can’t build unless you’ve saved.”

“You're increasing the marginal value of everyone else’s Bitcoin.”

“True leisure is contemplation—the pursuit of the highest good.”

“What is Bitcoin for if not to make the conditions for magnificent acts of creation possible?”

“Bitcoin itself will last forever. Your stack might not. What will outlast your coins?”

“Only a whale can be magnificent.”

“The market will sell you all the crack you want. It’s up to you to demand beauty.”

Conclusion

This episode is a call to reimagine Bitcoin as more than a financial revolution—it’s a blueprint for civilizational renewal. Michael Goldstein reframes hodling as an act of moral stewardship, urging Bitcoiners to lower their time preference, build lasting institutions, and pursue truth, beauty, and legacy—not to escape the world, but to rebuild it on sound foundations.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Michael’s BBB presentation Hodl for Good
07:27 - Austrian principles on capital
15:40 - Fiat distorts the economic process
23:34 - Bitkey
24:29 - Hodl for Good triple entendre
29:52 - Bitcoin benefits everyone
39:05 - Unchained
40:14 - Leisure theory of value
52:15 - Heightening life
1:15:48 - Breaking from the chase makes room for magnificence
1:32:32 - Nakamoto Institute’s mission

Transcript

(00:00) Fiat money is by its nature a disturbance. If money is being continually produced, especially at an uncertain rate, these uh policies are really just redistribution of wealth. Most are looking for number to go up post hyper bitcoinization. The rate of growth of bitcoin would be more reflective of the growth of the economy as a whole.
(00:23) Ultimately, capital requires knowledge because it requires knowing there is something that you can add to the structures of production to lengthen it in some way that will take time but allow you to have more in the future than you would today. Let Black Rockck buy the houses and you keep the sats, not the other way around.
(00:41) You wait until later for Larry Frink to try to sell you a [Music] mansion. And we're live just like that. Just like that. 3:30 on a Friday, Memorial Day weekend. It's a good good good way to end the week and start the holiday weekend. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you for having me here. Thank you for coming. I wore this hat specifically because I think it's I think it's very apppropo uh to the conversation we're going to have which is I hope an extension of the presentation you gave at Bitblock Boom Huddle for good. You were working on
(01:24) that for many weeks leading up to uh the conference and explaining how you were structuring it. I think it's a very important topic to discuss now as the Bitcoin price is hitting new all-time highs and people are trying to understand what am I doing with Bitcoin? Like you have you have the different sort of factions within Bitcoin.
(01:47) Uh get on a Bitcoin standard, get on zero, spend as much Bitcoin as possible. You have the sailors of the world are saying buy Bitcoin, never sell, die with your Bitcoin. And I think you do a really good job in that presentation. And I just think your understanding overall of Bitcoin is incredible to put everything into context. It's not either or.
(02:07) It really depends on what you want to accomplish. Yeah, it's definitely there there is no actual one-sizefits-all um for I mean nearly anything in this world. So um yeah, I mean first of all I mean there was it was the first conference talk I had given in maybe five years. I think the one prior to that uh was um bit block boom 2019 which was my meme talk which uh has uh become infamous and notorious.
(02:43) So uh there was also a lot of like high expectations uh you know rockstar dev uh has has treated that you know uh that that talk with a lot of reference. a lot of people have enjoyed it and he was expecting this one to be, you know, the greatest one ever, which is a little bit of a little bit of a uh a burden to live up to those kinds of standards.
(03:08) Um, but you know, because I don't give a lot of talks. Um, you know, I I I like to uh try to bring ideas that might even be ideas that are common. So, something like hodling, we all talk about it constantly. uh but try to bring it from a little bit of a different angle and try to give um a little bit of uh new light to it.
(03:31) I alsove I've I've always enjoyed kind of coming at things from a third angle. Um whenever there's, you know, there's there's all these little debates that we have in in Bitcoin and sometimes it's nice to try to uh step out of it and look at it a little more uh kind of objectively and find ways of understanding it that incorporate the truths of of all of them.
(03:58) uh you know cuz I think we should always be kind of as much as possible after ultimate truth. Um so with this one um yeah I was kind of finding that that sort of golden mean. So uh um yeah and I actually I think about that a lot is uh you know Aristotle has his his concept of the golden mean. So it's like any any virtue is sort of between two vices um because you can you can always you can always take something too far.
(04:27) So you're you're always trying to find that right balance. Um so someone who is uh courageous you know uh one of the vices uh on one side is being basically reckless. I I can't remember what word he would use. Uh but effectively being reckless and just wanting to put yourself in danger for no other reason than just you know the thrill of it.
(04:50) Um and then on the other side you would just have cowardice which is like you're unwilling to put yourself um at any risk at any time. Um, and courage is right there in the middle where it's understanding when is the right time uh to put your put yourself, you know, in in the face of danger um and take it on. And so um in some sense this this was kind of me uh in in some ways like I'm obviously a partisan of hodling.
(05:20) Um, I've for, you know, a long time now talked about the, um, why huddling is good, why people do it, why we should expect it. Um, but still trying to find that that sort of golden mean of like yes, huddle, but also what are we hodling for? And it's not we're we're not hodddling just merely for the sake of hodddling.
(05:45) There there is a a purpose to it. And we should think about that. And that would also help us think more about um what are the benefits of of spending, when should we spend, why should we spend, what should we spend on um to actually give light to that sort of side of the debate. Um so that was that was what I was kind of trying to trying to get into.
(06:09) Um, as well as also just uh at the same time despite all the talk of hodling, there's always this perennial uh there's always this perennial dislike of hodlers because we're treated as uh as if um we're just free riding the network or we're just greedy or you know any of these things. And I wanted to show how uh huddling does serve a real economic purpose.
(06:36) Um, and it does benefit the individual, but it also does uh it it has actual real social um benefits as well beyond merely the individual. Um, so I wanted to give that sort of defense of hodling as well to look at it from um a a broader position than just merely I'm trying to get rich. Um uh because even the person who uh that is all they want to do um just like you know your your pure number grow up go up moonboy even that behavior has positive ramifications on on the economy.
(07:14) And while we might look at them and have uh judgments about their particular choices for them as an individual, we shouldn't discount that uh their actions are having positive positive effects for the rest of the economy. Yeah. So, let's dive into that just not even in the context of Bitcoin because I think you did a great job of this in the presentation.
(07:36) just you've done a good job of this consistently throughout the years that I've known you. Just from like a first principles Austrian economics perspective, what is the idea around capital accumulation, low time preference and deployment of that capital like what what like getting getting into like the nitty-gritty and then applying it to Bitcoin? Yeah, it's it's a big question and um in many ways I mean I I even I barely scratched the surface.
(08:05) uh I I can't claim to have read uh all the volumes of Bombber works, you know, capital and interest and and stuff like that. Um but I think there's some some sort of basic concepts that we can look at that we can uh draw a lot out. Um the first uh I guess let's write that. So repeat so like capital time preference. Yeah. Well, I guess getting more broad like why sav

@ 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

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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.

@ 9ca447d2:fbf5a36d

Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), the company behind Truth Social, has received approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding its plan to raise and use $2.3 billion to build a big bitcoin treasury.

TMTG’s plan was declared effective by the SEC

This is a big and controversial move by the media company tied to U.S. President Donald Trump. The plan involves converting part of its corporate assets into bitcoin—similar to what companies like Strategy have done.

TMTG filed a Form S-3 with the SEC on June 6. The form allows public companies to register securities for resale. A week later, the SEC “declared effective” the filing and TMTG can now use the money raised from previous deals to buy bitcoin.

According to the filings, the company raised $2.3 billion from the resale of about 56 million equity shares and 29 million shares of convertible notes. Almost 50 institutional investors participated in the raise.

This is “one of the largest bitcoin treasury deals for a public company,” TMTG said in a press release.

TMTG’s CEO, Devin Nunes, said this is part of a bigger plan to grow the company beyond social media and into the fintech space.

“We are quickly developing our fintech brand, social media platform, and streaming service and accumulating a Bitcoin treasury to support the Patriot Economy,” said Nunes.

The funds will be managed through TMTG’s fintech arm, Truth.Fi, and the company will store its bitcoin with its trusted custodians Crypto.com and Anchorage Digital.

Nunes also said this is a way to protect the company from financial discrimination, stating the bitcoin treasury will allow the company to defend itself “against harassment and discrimination by financial institutions.”

This seems to be more than just a business decision, and more like a political move.

Trump Media’s bitcoin push comes at a time when U.S. digital asset regulation is unclear. By moving into digital assets, TMTG signals a bold break from traditional financial norms and aligns itself with Bitcoin-friendly audiences.

American institutions are recognizing bitcoin as a safe haven asset, so maybe media and political groups will start to explore the asset further.

Trump Media isn’t stopping at a bitcoin treasury. They filed paperwork to create a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) called the Truth Social Bitcoin ETF. If approved, this ETF will give traditional investors another way to get exposure to bitcoin’s price.

Again, Crypto.com will be the exclusive custodian for this ETF.

One of the investors in the bitcoin treasury is Don Wilson, founder of DRW Investments. His firm put in $100 million. Some are wondering if there’s a conflict of interest since his digital asset trading firm, Cumberland, just had a case dropped by the SEC.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

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I'm launching a new service review section on this blog in collaboration with OrangeFren. These reviews are sponsored, yet the sponsorship does not influence the outcome of the evaluations. Reviews are done in advance, then, the service provider has the discretion to approve publication without modifications.

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.

---

The review

WizardSwap is an instant exchange centred around privacy coins. It was launched in 2020 making it old enough to have weathered the 2021 bull run and the subsequent bearish year.

| Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Tor-friendly | Limited liquidity | | Guarantee of no KYC | Overly simplistic design | | Earn by providing liquidity | |

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.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

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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/

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

The OP_RETURN Debate has recently caused a stir within the bitcoin community. Bitcoin stands as a groundbreaking peer-to-peer currency, engineered for financial sovereignty and unshackled from centralized control, embodying Satoshi Nakamoto’s visionary design of a trustless monetary system.

Introduced in 2009, it leverages proof-of-work and a decentralized network of nodes to enable individuals to transact freely, free from the influence of banks or governments. This design prioritizes the integrity of money as a store of value and medium of exchange, reflecting Nakamoto’s intent to create a resilient alternative to fiat currencies.

For over a decade, bitcoin has thrived as a beacon of economic autonomy, drawing adherents who value its unalterable rules and global accessibility.

Yet, as of June 14, 2025, the ongoing OP_RETURN debate has emerged as a critical juncture, challenging bitcoin’s core identity. OP_RETURN, a script opcode introduced in 2014 to embed up to 80 bytes of data in transactions, was designed to reduce UTXO bloat from earlier data-stuffing practices.

However, recent proposals, such as Peter Todd’s pull request #32359, to expand this limit—potentially up to the 1MB block size—have sparked intense discussion. This controversy pits the purity of bitcoin’s monetary purpose against a push for data-driven experimentation, such as timestamping, NFTs, and Ordinals, which leverage the blockchain for purposes beyond financial transactions.

At the heart of this debate lies a fundamental tension: whether bitcoin should remain a specialized ledger for value transfer or evolve into a general-purpose data platform.

Proponents argue that expanding OP_RETURN could streamline development and enable innovative use cases, such as sidechains, while critics warn it risks diluting bitcoin’s focus, increasing node costs, and eroding its decentralized ethos.

This clash echoes past scaling disputes, like the 2017 block size wars, and underscores the delicate balance between adapting to new demands and preserving the principles that define bitcoin’s strength. As of June 14, 2025, the community appears divided, with developers like Todd and Luke Dashjr advocating opposing views, and the outcome poised to shape bitcoin’s future trajectory.

For those guided by bitcoin’s original vision of sovereignty and minimalism, this debate is more than technical—it’s philosophical. The push to expand OP_RETURN raises questions about the integrity of the network, the role of individual node operators, and the risk of centralization through data-heavy use.

As the discussion unfolds, it forces a reckoning: will bitcoin stay true to its roots as sound money, or will it embrace experimentation that critics argue could compromise its foundational values? This article explores these tensions, offering a perspective rooted in bitcoin’s essence and the principles of its staunchest defenders.

Background on OP_RETURN

OP_RETURN emerged as a script opcode in 2014, designed to allow the inclusion of up to 80 bytes of arbitrary data within unspendable transaction outputs on the Bitcoin blockchain. This innovation addressed the inefficiencies of earlier data-stuffing methods, which cluttered the UTXO set (a database of spendable coins) and increased the computational burden on nodes.

By providing a controlled way to embed data—marking it as unspendable—OP_RETURN aimed to balance the network’s functionality with its primary role as a monetary ledger, reflecting bitcoin’s focus on efficiency and scalability.

Historically, OP_RETURN has been used for practical purposes like timestamping documents and limited data storage, serving as a lightweight tool for decentralized proof-of-existence. However, in recent years, particularly by June 14, 2025, its use has increasingly shifted toward innovative but data-intensive applications like Ordinals and NFTs.

These developments, often achieved through workarounds such as inscribing data in SegWit fields or layered protocols, have pushed the boundaries of the 80-byte limit, transforming Bitcoin into a platform for digital collectibles and other use cases. This shift has sparked debate about whether such applications align with or undermine Bitcoin’s original intent as a peer-to-peer currency.

The Proposed Update

One of the most notable proposals in the OP_RETURN debate, as of June 14, 2025, is a pull request attributed to Peter Todd (#32359), which suggests removing the existing 80-byte cap on data embedded via OP_RETURN.

This change would potentially allow data payloads to expand up to the full 1MB block size limit, significantly increasing capacity for embedding information directly into bitcoin transactions. Introduced to address evolving use cases and technical inefficiencies, the proposal has gained traction among some developers who see it to enhance the protocol’s flexibility, leveraging Bitcoin’s existing infrastructure.

Arguments in favor of this update highlight several benefits. Proponents argue that removing the cap would simplify bitcoin’s codebase by eliminating the need for workarounds, such as multi-signature schemes or excessive transaction outputs, that currently clutter the UTXO set (a database of spendable coins).

Additionally, it could reduce network strain caused by these inefficient methods, potentially improving performance. Another key point is the potential to enable sidechain innovations, allowing bitcoin to serve as a foundation for layered solutions that enhance scalability and support new applications, all while keeping data within the blockchain’s secure framework.

However, the proposal faces strong counterarguments rooted in bitcoin’s monetary focus. Critics contend that lifting the 80-byte limit risks transforming bitcoin into a general-purpose data ledger, diluting its primary role as a peer-to-peer currency and store of value.

This shift could lead to blockchain bloat—potentially adding significant storage demands annually—raising resource requirements for node operators and possibly excluding smaller participants, thus threatening decentralization.

While some argue modern hardware can handle larger blocks, critics warn that even small increases burden low-resource nodes, clashing with the minimalist vision of Satoshi Nakamoto and purists like Giacomo Zucco, who argue that data storage is better suited to alternative blockchains or off-chain solutions.

Giacomo Zucco, a leading voice in the bitcoin community, champions the notion that bitcoin’s strength derives from its decentralization and censorship resistance, safeguarded by a minimal, secure protocol built on proof-of-work. Like Zucco, Nakamoto’s whitepaper emphasizes a lean system focused on financial transactions, empowering individual node operators to enforce consensus rules and prevent any single entity—be it a miner, developer, or corporation—from dictating its direction.

Expanding OP_RETURN undermines this vision by inviting bloat, which could raise node operational costs and centralize control among well-funded data users. This shift risks turning bitcoin into a platform for data-intensive applications like NFTs or Ordinals, rather than a robust financial network.

Zucco and other purists would likely argue that proof-of-work and the fee market should prioritize financial transactions, reflecting bitcoin’s original intent as a currency and store of value, while data storage belongs on second layers or alternative chains.

Preserving this focus is essential to maintaining the decentralized soul that defines bitcoin’s essence, a principle that node operators must uphold to honor its founding ethos.

Community Divide and Risks

The OP_RETURN debate has exposed a deep divide within the bitcoin community, particularly among developers and users, as of mid-June 2025. On one side, figures like Peter Todd and Antoine Poinsot support expanding the OP_RETURN limit to 4MB in Bitcoin Core’s version 30, set for release in October 2025, arguing it aligns with miner practices and reduces harmful workarounds.

In contrast, developers like Luke Dashjr argue that such changes dilute bitcoin’s monetary purpose, promoting Bitcoin Knots—a fork of Bitcoin Core with stricter filters, defaulting to a 40-byte OP_RETURN limit—as a countermeasure.

This split extends to users, with Bitcoin Knots nodes surging from 2% to 11% by June 2025, signaling a preference for a leaner blockchain, while others embrace the flexibility of larger data capacities, highlighting growing tension over the network’s future direction.

This division carries significant risks that could undermine bitcoin’s accessibility, a cornerstone of its decentralized ethos. Expanding OP_RETURN could lead to fee spikes as data-heavy transactions compete for block space, disproportionately burdening smaller users and node operators with limited resources.

Proponents argue that fee markets and prunable OP_RETURN outputs will regulate data use, but critics warn that spikes could still exclude low-resource participants. Node fragmentation is another concern, as differing mempool policies between Knots and Bitcoin Core nodes could disrupt transaction relay, weakening the unified network that secures Bitcoin.

While the change avoids a hard fork by adjusting mempool policy rather than consensus rules, it risks eroding trust in Bitcoin Core’s governance, reminiscent of the 2017 block size wars that fractured the community. Such tensions could weaken Bitcoin’s security and trustless environment, posing a critical challenge to its long-term viability.

Preserving Bitcoin’s Essence

@ b1ddb4d7:471244e7

The Present Ecosystem It Is Not Just Calls

The role of telecommunications carriers has long since evolved beyond that of simple call connectors. Currently, they serve as actual digital centers that penetrate practically every facet of our interconnected lives. With more than 5.7 billion mobile service subscribers and 4.7 billion mobile internet users worldwide (roughly 58% of the global population), telecommunications are the foundation of the digital economy. It is anticipated that by 2030, this figure will rise to an astounding 5.5 billion mobile internet users, or 64% of the world’s population.

A variety of connectivity options are available in the current telecommunications ecosystem, ranging from home fiber optics to 5th generation of mobile networks, which is expected to be adopted globally by 57% by 2030, creating roughly 5.3 billion connections. Collaborations with streaming services that provide on-demand entertainment.

Current Telecom Ecosystem

From fiber optics to 5G technology, telecommunications companies have focused on diversifying global connectivity. By 2030, they are expected to reach 57% global adoption, resulting in around 5.3 billion connections.

There are partnerships with streaming platforms that have transformed carriers into true content gateways. This has helped the explosive growth of data traffic, which reached the mark of 26.53 exabytes per month in 2018.

These companies are offering some personalized business services, such as IoT, security and cloud solutions.

Furthermore, many carriers already provide basic financial services like mobile payments and device financing. This last one is the perfect starting point for a further revolution: the integration of Bitcoin into the telecom ecosystem.

Telecommunications and Bitcoin: A Perfect Match

Carriers’ use of Bitcoin is a radical rethinking of the business-customer relationship, not merely a new mode of payment. Here is how this new ecosystem could work:

• Customer Experience and Infrastructure – Before implementing Bitcoin, an carrier must build the necessary infrastructure. This entails creating mechanisms that may not only receive cryptocurrency payments but alsoIf companies want to lessen their exposure to volatility, they can automatically convert Bitcoin to fiat money. Companies can also easily integrate with current invoicing systems and provide a more straightforward user experience.

  Imagine launching the app for your carrier, scanning a QR code, and having your bill paid or your monthly plan renewed in a matter of seconds. Without waiting for business days, without banking middlemen, and without exorbitant costs.

• Bringing in New Segments – In addition to making life easier for current clients, Bitcoin’s acceptance draws in entirely new demographics:

  Those that appreciate innovation and wish to back trailblazing businesses are known as technology enthusiasts.
  Advocates for privacy: Customers who favor transactions that need less personal information to be shared
  Global clientele are tourists from other countries who can pay for services without worrying about regional restrictions or exchange rates.

  Carrier might develop targeted marketing, such as “early access to new devices for customers who use cryptocurrencies” or “10% discount on data top-ups when paid with Bitcoin,” to attract these demographics.

Ongoing Innovation: What Will Happen After Bitcoin?

When businesses embrace Bitcoin and fully utilize blockchain technology, the real revolution will take place. This strategy creates opportunities for developments like:

• Creative Smart Contracts – Smart contracts are self-executing, blockchain-based programs that eliminate middlemen and automate processes. This could be interpreted by carriers as:
  • Instant service activation – Your Bitcoin payment has been validated and your international data package is activated automatically even before you land at the airport.Contracts that automatically expire at the designated time eliminate the need for a constant call to the call center.
  • Simplified termination – Mini-smart contracts enable family members to automatically transfer excess mobile data.

This was recently illustrated by the Japanese carrier Rakuten Mobile, which unveiled a system that enables users to temporarily increase their bandwidth through smart contracts for a few hours (for instance, to broadcast live events) without modifying their primary plan.

• Creative Partnerships in the World Ecosystem – The carriers are able to establish strategic alliances with:
  • Fintech companies that specialize in bitcoin to create integrated digital wallets.
  • Startups creating telecom-specific decentralized applications (DApps).
  • Academic institutions will investigate novel applications of blockchain technology in the telecommunications sector.

Given that the market is dominated by industry titans like China Mobile (794 million subscribers in 2023), Verizon (US$ 133.97 billion in 2023), and AT&T (US$ 161.5 billion in revenue in 2022), these partnerships have the potential to accelerate disruptive innovations that benefit the entire telecommunications ecosystem.

Reimagining the Customer Relationship with New Business Models

The incorporation of Bitcoin enables the investigation of business ideas that were before unfeasible:

• Microtransactions: Only Paying for the Things You Use – Processing fees in the traditional financial system make it impossible to charge tiny sums. This issue is resolved by Bitcoin, particularly via the Lightning Network, which permits:
  • Payment per call second (think of paying R$0.001 per second for just the actual usage)
  • – Acquiring small data packages (e.g., 500MB for a single movie)
  • – Immediate access to high-quality WiFi networks at cafes or airports, with just the time spent connecting being charged,

The startup Althea Network, which enables communities to establish their own internet networks where users automatically pay for each byte consumed, is already testing this idea. The trend of increasing video traffic, which currently makes up 70% of all mobile data traffic and is predicted to reach 80% by 2028, is well aligned with this strategy.

• Loyalty Initiatives on the Blockchain: Conventional point systems have little transparency and are hard to use. A method based on blockchain can:

Make loyalty tokens that are equivalent to actual digital money.
Permit customer exchanges (you can trade or sell points you won’t use).
Form more extensive alliances wherein other businesses accept the carrier tokens.

A system where users earn blockchain-based “T-points” tokens that can be turned into modest amounts of Bitcoin or swapped for other services is already being tested by South Korean carrier SK Telecom. In South Korea, one of the top markets for the adoption of 5G worldwide, this kind of innovation is especially pertinent.

Obstacles and Realistic Implementation Considerations

Despite the vast potential, there are important issues that must be resolved:

• Evolutionary Regulation – Countries’ cryptocurrency regulations differ greatly from one another and are always evolving. Carriers will require:
  • Maintain specialized teams to keep an eye on regulatory developments, work with authorities to help create reasonable regulations, and create adaptable systems that can evolve to meet new needs.
  • This strategy is crucial in light of the fact that the telecom industry is already dealing with a lot of regulatory pressure in different jurisdictions, as demonstrated by the Canadian government’s recent initiatives to encourage more access to MVNOs (mobile virtual network carriers) in 2023.
  • Please read this to undertand how Governors don’t  do anything to help you.
• Financial Management and Volatility – One difficulty is the volatility of Bitcoin pricing. In order to reduce hazards, carriers can:
  • Convert a portion of payments into fiat money automatically.
    Employ hedge services to guard against sharp swings.
    Provide dynamic prices that change based on the state of the market.
  • Given that international carriers oversee yearly earnings in the hundreds of billions of dollars, these tactics are particularly pertinent.
• Education of Consumers – Many customers are still confused about cryptocurrencies. Strategies that work include:
  • The carrier app’s simplified instructional
  • Committed assistance for Bitcoin transactions
  • Rewards for initial cryptocurrency purchases

With more than 5.7 billion mobile consumers worldwide, this educational initiative has the potential to significantly accelerate the widespread acceptance of cryptocurrencies.

Now is the time for deep digital transformation

Telecommunications companies that incorporate blockchain and Bitcoin into their ecosystem are doing more than simply introducing a new payment method; they are putting themselves at the vanguard of a significant digital revolution that will keep up with the industry’s explosive growth, which is expected to reach US$ 1.3 trillion globally by 2028.

The ability to innovate services, draw in creative clients, and open up new markets will be available to those that welcome this shift, which the conventional model would not allow. In order to prepare the infrastructure for this revolution, more than 300 commercial 5G networks will be operational globally beginning in 2024, marking the beginning of this shift.

As customers, we may anticipate more individualized, open, and effective services. Our civilization is progressing toward a telecommunications infrastructure that is fully suited to the digital era and capable of handling the enormous amount of data traffic

@ 726e789c:197726c2

{ "id": "id-1750023454416-5oavlpy", "name": "Gottesbild und künstliche Intelligenz", "description": "", "authors": [ "Joachim Happel" ], "summary": "### Intention\nDie Lehrkraft möchte eine Unterrichtsstunde in der 11. Klasse zum Thema 'Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz' gestalten. Ziel ist es, die Schülerinnen und Schüler dazu zu befähigen, eigene Gottesvorstellungen zu entwickeln, diese mit biblischen Gottesbildern zu vergleichen, und die lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder im Kontext technischer Entwicklungen zu reflektieren. Dabei sollen sie auch religionskritische Perspektiven und ethische Fragen im Zusammenhang mit KI erarbeiten.\n\n### Assoziationen\n\nDie wichtigsten Fachbegriffe und Themen sind \"Gottesbild\" und \"Künstliche Intelligenz\" im Kontext des Religionsunterrichts.\n\n### Kompetenzen\n\n- SuS stellen eigene Gottesvorstellungen dar und vergleichen sie mit biblischen Gottesvorstellungen. Inhaltsbereich: \"Die Frage nach Gott\".\n- SuS erörtern die verschiedenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen in ihrer Lebenswelt. Inhaltsbereich: \"Christliche Antworten auf die Gottesfrage\".\n- SuS beurteilen religionskritische Entwürfe hinsichtlich ihrer Überzeugungskraft im Kontext der Diskussion über Gottesbilder. Inhaltsbereich: \"Christliche Antworten auf die Gottesfrage\".\n- SuS deuten die biblische Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen. Inhaltsbereich: \"Der Mensch in christlicher Perspektive\".\n\naus: Lehrplan NRW - Evangelische Religion, Jahrgangsstufe 11\n\n### Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz im Religionsunterricht\n\nDas Thema 'Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz' bietet die Möglichkeit, zentrale Fragen nach Gott und Mensch in der heutigen technologischen Gesellschaft zu reflektieren. Dabei können Schülerinnen und Schüler eigene Vorstellungen von Gott entwickeln, sie mit biblischen Gottesbildern vergleichen und die ethischen, gesellschaftlichen und philosophischen Implikationen moderner KI-Technologien diskutieren. Besonders geeignet ist die Verbindung von biblischer Rede vom Menschen als Gottes Ebenbild mit aktuellen Diskussionen um Geschöpflichkeit, Kreativität und Verantwortung im Zusammenhang mit KI. Diese Herangehensweise fördert die kritische Reflexion und die Entwicklung eigener Glaubens- und Gottesvorstellungen, während sie gleichzeitig die ethischen Dimensionen der technologischen Entwicklung in den Fokus rückt.", "backgroundColor": "#bbf7d0", "customStyle": "", "columns": [ { "id": "id-1750021978851-vf7abwh", "name": "Materialien", "color": "color-gradient-1", "cards": [ { "id": "id-1750021978851-my9mqug", "heading": "Zusammenfassung für die didaktische Aufbereitung: Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz im Religionsunterricht", "content": "Das Thema 'Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz' bietet die Möglichkeit, zentrale Fragen nach Gott und Mensch in der heutigen technologischen Gesellschaft zu reflektieren. Dabei können Schülerinnen und Schüler eigene Vorstellungen von Gott entwickeln, sie mit biblischen Gottesbildern vergleichen und die ethischen, gesellschaftlichen und philosophischen Implikationen moderner KI-Technologien diskutieren. Besonders geeignet ist die Verbindung von biblischer Rede vom Menschen als Gottes Ebenbild mit aktuellen Diskussionen um Geschöpflichkeit, Kreativität und Verantwortung im Zusammenhang mit KI. Diese Herangehensweise fördert die kritische Reflexion und die Entwicklung eigener Glaubens- und Gottesvorstellungen, während sie gleichzeitig die ethischen Dimensionen der technologischen Entwicklung in den Fokus rückt.", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "", "url": "Synthese basierend auf Relpaed-Tool-Ergebnissen", "labels": "", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750021978851-x33rwqz", "heading": "Virtuelle und interreligiöse Zugänge zum Gottesbild", "content": "\"Der Einsatz virtueller Realitäten kann dazu beitragen, religiöse Vorstellungen auf innovative Weise erfahrbar zu machen.\" (Klara Pišonić, Virtual Reality, kirchengeschichtsdidaktisch)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "", "url": "https://www.die-bibel.de/ressourcen/redirect/slug/virtual-reality-kirchengeschichtsdidaktisch", "labels": "", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750021978851-8ayid4u", "heading": "Religionspsychologische Perspektiven auf Gottesbilder", "content": "\"Religionspsychologische Zugänge können wichtige Anknüpfungspunkte bieten, um die persönlichen Vorstellungen von Gott im Zusammenhang mit gesellschaftlichen und technischen Entwicklungen zu verstehen.\" (Constantin Klein, Religionspsychologie)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "", "url": "https://www.die-bibel.de/ressourcen/redirect/slug/religionspsychologie", "labels": "", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750021978851-zzecyqf", "heading": "Interreligiöses Lernen und Dialog der Religionen", "content": "\"Der Dialog zwischen Religionen schärft das Verständnis für unterschiedliche Gottesbilder und eröffnet neue Perspektiven, auch im Kontext moderner ethischer Fragen rund um Künstliche Intelligenz.\" (Monika Tautz, Interreligiöses Lernen)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "", "url": "https://www.die-bibel.de/ressourcen/redirect/slug/interreligioeses-lernen", "labels": "", "inactive": false } ] }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-wy47anx", "name": "Material Fragmente", "color": "color-gradient-1", "cards": [ { "id": "id-1750022132843-pd6b0qh", "heading": "Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "content": "Das Dokument ist hervorragend geeignet, um das Thema 'Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz' zu behandeln, da es vielfältige didaktische Bausteine für die ethische und anthropologische Auseinandersetzung mit KI bietet und explizit theologische Perspektiven einbezieht.", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-3ysegds", "heading": "KI im Alltag: Chancen und Gefahren von Pflegerobotern", "content": "Aufgabenstellung: Stelle dir vor, deine pflegebedürftige Großmutter lebt in einem Pflegeheim, in dem zunehmend Roboter einfache Aufgaben übernehmen und als Ansprechpartner dienen. Du bist schockiert und möchtest dir ein genaueres Bild machen. (Absatz: Thematische Hinführung, Baustein 1: KI – was verbirgt sich dahinter?)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein ermöglicht einen lebensweltnahen Einstieg in das komplexe Thema KI, indem er eine konkrete, emotional relevante Situation aufgreift. Er bereitet die Reflexion über ethische Implikationen von KI vor, die später mit Gottes- und Menschenbildern verknüpft werden kann.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert die Wahrnehmung und Beschreibung ethischer Herausforderungen durch KI. Ermöglicht erste, spontane Äußerungen zu eigenen Vorstellungen und Meinungen.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Im Einstieg zur Aktivierung von Vorwissen und zur emotionalen Annäherung an das Thema. Die SuS können in einem kurzen Brainstorming oder einer stillen Minute ihre ersten Gedanken und Gefühle zu dieser Situation sammeln.\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (Reflexion), anschließend Plenum für spontane Äußerungen.\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Einstieg", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-d2g6bz2", "heading": "Was ist KI? Sammeln von Alltagsbeispielen und Positionierung", "content": "Methode: Nach der anfänglichen Konfrontation mit dem Pflegeroboter-Szenario überlegen die Schülerinnen (Think-Pair-Share), in welchen Bereichen KI heute schon vorkommt. Gemeinsam wird im Plenum eine Mindmap erstellt. Anschließend positionieren sich die Lernenden auf einer Linie (Chancen vs. Gefahren) zu diesen Entwicklungen und erläutern ihre Position im Unterrichtsgespräch. Zur Begriffsbestimmung kann ein Informationstext (M1) oder ein kurzer Lehrervortrag genutzt werden. (Absatz: Baustein 1: KI – was verbirgt sich dahinter?, S. 24)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein schafft ein grundlegendes Verständnis für den Begriff KI und seine Präsenz im Alltag der SuS. Die Positionierung zu Chancen und Gefahren leitet die ethische Reflexion ein und ermöglicht die Verknüpfung mit unterschiedlichen Menschen- und Gottesbildern.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert die Wahrnehmung und Beschreibung ethischer Herausforderungen durch KI. Ermöglicht das Darstellen eigener Vorstellungen und das Erörtern von Konsequenzen in der Lebenswelt.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Im Einstieg zur Begriffsklärung und im Übergang zur Erarbeitung ethischer Fragen. Die SuS könnten Beispiele wie Sprachassistenten, personalisierte Werbung, autonomes Fahren oder Gesichtserkennung nennen. Bei der Positionierung auf der Linie könnten sie begründen, warum sie z.B. autonomes Fahren eher als Chance (mehr Sicherheit) oder Gefahr (Kontrollverlust) sehen.\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Think-Pair-Share (Einzel-, Partnerarbeit), Plenum (Mindmap, Unterrichtsgespräch).\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Einstieg, Erarbeitung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-bwjpm1a", "heading": "Ethische Herausforderungen der KI: Gruppenpuzzle zu Anwendungsfeldern", "content": "Aufgabenstellung: Bildet bis zu fünf Gruppen und bearbeitet jeweils eine der folgenden herausfordernden Entwicklungen im Bereich der KI anhand eines Infotextes mit Arbeitsaufträgen (M2a-e): Pflegeroboter, autonome Waffensysteme, automatische Bewerbungssoftware, KI in der Schule, Steuerungscomputer im Verkehr. Präsentiert eure Ergebnisse im Gruppenpuzzle oder Plenum, um ein ethisches Problembewusstsein zu schaffen. (Absatz: Baustein 1, S. 24)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein ermöglicht eine vertiefte Auseinandersetzung mit konkreten ethischen Dilemmata, die durch KI entstehen. Die Diskussion dieser Problemfelder ist essentiell für die spätere Reflexion über Gottes- und Menschenbilder und deren lebenspraktische Konsequenzen.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert die Wahrnehmung und Beschreibung ethischer Fragestellungen. Ermöglicht das sachgemäße Erschließen themenrelevanter Texte und die argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit anthropologisch-ethischen Aspekten.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Erarbeitung neuer Inhalte und zur Schaffung eines Problembewusstseins. Die SuS könnten sich mit Fragen auseinandersetzen wie: \"Welche Verantwortung tragen Entwickler autonomer Waffensysteme?\" oder \"Inwiefern beeinflusst automatische Bewerbungssoftware Chancengleichheit?\".\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Gruppenarbeit (Expertengruppen), Gruppenpuzzle oder Plenum (Präsentation der Ergebnisse). Es kann auch auf die \"Schritte ethischer Urteilsbildung\" zurückgegriffen werden.\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-rmmqjg6", "heading": "Videoanalyse: „K.O. durch KI? Keine Angst vor schlauen Maschinen!“ (Leschs Kosmos)", "content": "Video: Einsatz der Dokumentation „K.O. durch KI? Keine Angst vor schlauen Maschinen!“ mit Prof. Harald Lesch (28.05.2019, 29 Min.). Die Dokumentation greift in kurzen, anschaulichen Sequenzen verschiedene KI-Entwicklungen auf und diskutiert diese: Autonomes Fahren, Deep Learning (Medizin), Algorithmen (Bewerbungssoftware), intelligente Roboter (Katastrophenfall), Roboworld (Mensch-Maschine-Verhältnis), Schlussmoderation (Unterschied Mensch-Maschine). (Absatz: Baustein 1, S. 24, Punkt 3)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Das Video bietet eine anschauliche und wissenschaftlich fundierte Einführung in verschiedene KI-Anwendungsfelder und ethische Fragestellungen. Es kann als Impuls dienen, um die Diskussion über Gottes- und Menschenbilder im Kontext von KI zu vertiefen und religionskritische Entwürfe zu beurteilen.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert die Wahrnehmung ethischer Fragestellungen. Unterstützt die argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit anthropologisch-ethischen Aspekten durch die Bereitstellung von Hintergrundinformationen und Diskussionsansätzen.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Vertiefung der bereits erarbeiteten Themen oder als alternativer Einstieg in spezifische KI-Bereiche. Die Lehrkraft kann gezielt Sequenzen auswählen und mit Arbeitsaufträgen versehen, z.B. \"Fasst die Argumente Pro und Contra zum autonomen Fahren zusammen und diskutiert, welche ethischen Prinzipien hier relevant sind.\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Plenum (gemeinsames Schauen), Partner- oder Kleingruppenarbeit (Analyse von Sequenzen), Unterrichtsgespräch.\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-11qwb31", "heading": "Science-Fiction-Filme: KI, Bewusstsein und menschliche Beziehungen", "content": "Lernmedium: Analyse von Science-Fiction-Filmen wie \"Ex Machina\" (UK, 2015), \"I, Robot\" (USA, 2004) und \"Her\" (USA, 2013). Schülergruppen präsentieren, wie diese Filme das Thema KI aufgreifen (z.B. Roboter, die menschliche Qualitäten entwickeln; Beziehung zu lernfähigem Betriebssystem). Anschließend werden die in den Filmen aufgeworfenen anthropologisch-ethischen Fragen (Können Maschinen Bewusstsein/Gefühle haben? Können digitale Systeme menschliche Partner ersetzen?) in der Lerngruppe vertieft. (Absatz: Baustein 2: Künstliche Intelligenz in Filmen, S. 24)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Filme bieten einen niedrigschwelligen Zugang zu komplexen philosophischen und ethischen Fragen rund um KI, Bewusstsein und menschliche Identität. Dies ermöglicht eine kreative Auseinandersetzung mit verschiedenen Menschenbildern und deren Implikationen für das Gottesbild.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Darstellen eigener Gottesvorstellungen im Kontext moderner Technologie und das Erörtern von Gottes- und Menschenbildern hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen. Unterstützt die argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit anthropologisch-ethischen Aspekten.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Als Erarbeitungs- oder Vertiefungsphase. Die SuS könnten in Gruppenarbeit die Filme analysieren und Präsentationen vorbereiten. Diskussionsfragen könnten sein: \"Was macht den Menschen menschlich im Vergleich zu einer KI?\" oder \"Verändert die Möglichkeit, eine Beziehung zu einer KI aufzubauen, unser Verständnis von Liebe und Partnerschaft?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Gruppenarbeit (Filmanalyse, Präsentation), Plenum (Diskussion).\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-0zmqiuo", "heading": "Biblische Schöpfungserzählung und die Frage nach dem Gegenüber (Replika)", "content": "Textquelle: Thematisierung des Chatbots „Replika“ als aktuelles Beispiel für einen digitalen Sozialkontakt (Werbung: „Wenn du traurig bist oder Angst hast oder einfach jemanden zum Reden brauchst, ist dein Replika für dich da – 24/7“). Als spannender biblischer Bezugspunkt dient die Schöpfungserzählung in Gen 2, in der der Mensch unter den Tieren kein adäquates Gegenüber findet und Gott ihm daraufhin einen menschlichen Partner schafft. Die Unterscheidung zwischen Echo- und Resonanzbeziehungen (Hartmut Rosa) kann zur vertieften Auseinandersetzung genutzt werden (M3). (Absatz: Baustein 2, S. 24, Punkt 5)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein stellt eine direkte Verbindung zwischen der biblischen Schöpfungserzählung (Gottesbild, Menschenbild als Ebenbild Gottes) und der modernen Entwicklung von KI (Chatbots) her. Er ermöglicht die Reflexion über die Einzigartigkeit des Menschen und die Qualität menschlicher Beziehungen im Vergleich zu KI-Interaktionen.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Deuten der biblischen Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen. Unterstützt das Erörtern verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder und die argumentative Auseinandersetzung.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Vertiefung der anthropologischen Fragen. Die SuS könnten diskutieren: \"Was unterscheidet eine Beziehung zu einem Menschen von einer Beziehung zu einem Chatbot?\" oder \"Inwiefern fordert die Existenz von Chatbots unser Verständnis von 'Gegenüber' und 'Ebenbild Gottes' heraus?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Partnerarbeit (Diskussion der Replika-Werbung), Plenum (Vergleich mit Gen 2 und Rosa-Konzept).\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Vertiefung, Transfer", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-eljz9b2", "heading": "Können Maschinen Bewusstsein besitzen? Der Turing-Test", "content": "Methode: Anknüpfend an den Film \"Ex Machina\" wird eine Szene (9:50 bis 14:32) gezeigt, in der Caleb die Aufgabe erhält, zu testen, ob die Roboterfrau Ava ein Bewusstsein besitzt. Eindrücke und Überlegungen zur Szene, zur Darstellung der Charaktere und zur Möglichkeit einer Bewusstwerdung von Maschinen werden gesammelt. Die Lehrkraft gibt ggf. Hinweise zum sog. „Turing-Test“. (Absatz: Baustein 3: Können „intelligente“ Maschinen menschlich werden?, S. 25)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein greift eine zentrale philosophische Frage im Kontext von KI auf: die des Bewusstseins. Durch die Verknüpfung mit dem Turing-Test wird eine konkrete Methode zur Diskussion angeboten, die zur Reflexion über die Grenzen von Maschinen und die Einzigartigkeit menschlichen Bewusstseins anregt. Dies ist direkt relevant für die Diskussion von Gottes- und Menschenbildern.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Erörtern verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder und die argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit anthropologisch-ethischen Aspekten.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Im Erarbeitungs- oder Vertiefungsteil. Nach dem Zeigen der Szene könnten die SuS in Kleingruppen diskutieren: \"Was versteht man unter Bewusstsein? Kann eine Maschine Bewusstsein haben? Welche Kriterien würden wir anwenden, um dies zu beurteilen?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Plenum (Sammeln von Eindrücken), Kleingruppenarbeit (Diskussion), Lehrervortrag (Erklärung Turing-Test).\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-ggkzdhv", "heading": "Das Gedankenexperiment „Mary“: Subjektives Erleben vs. Physiologie", "content": "Textquelle: Vertiefung durch das philosophische Gedankenexperiment „Mary“ (Frank Jackson), das von Caleb Ava in der vierten Sitzung in \"Ex Machina\" erzählt wird. Das Experiment versucht zu zeigen, dass subjektives Erleben nicht mit messbaren neurophysiologischen Vorgängen identifiziert werden kann. Näheres zum Experiment, seiner Bedeutung im Film und der unterrichtlichen Umsetzung im Download: M4. (Absatz: Baustein 3, S. 25)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Das Gedankenexperiment \"Mary\" ist ein hervorragendes Instrument, um die Grenzen eines rein materialistischen Menschenbildes aufzuzeigen und die Bedeutung des subjektiven Erlebens zu betonen. Dies ist entscheidend für die Auseinandersetzung mit der Frage nach dem menschlichen \"Ebenbild Gottes\" und der Abgrenzung von KI.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Erörtern verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder und das Deuten der biblischen Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes. Unterstützt die argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit philosophischen und anthropologischen Aspekten.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Vertiefung der Diskussion über Bewusstsein und menschliche Einzigartigkeit. Die SuS könnten den Text zu M4 lesen und in Partnerarbeit diskutieren: \"Was ist das Kernproblem, das Marys Experiment aufwirft? Inwiefern ist dieses Problem relevant für die Diskussion über KI und menschliches Bewusstsein?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Partnerarbeit (Textanalyse), Plenum (Diskussion und Austausch).\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-0i321ar", "heading": "Der Mensch als Ebenbild Gottes: Unterschied zu digitalen Systemen (Charbonnier)", "content": "Textquelle: Klärungsversuch zur Frage nach Mensch und Maschine durch den Text des Theologen Ralph Charbonnier (M5). Der Autor zeigt, dass digitale Systeme (z.B. Roboter) „nicht lernen, (sich) entscheiden, handeln und vertrauenswürdig sind“. Die vorgeschlagene Aufgabenstellung nimmt auch theologische Perspektiven auf den Menschen („Ebenbild Gottes“) mit in den Blick. Alternativ kann M6 genutzt werden (sprachlich einfacherer Text). (Absatz: Baustein 3, S. 25)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein bietet eine explizit theologische Perspektive auf den Unterschied zwischen Mensch und Maschine, insbesondere im Hinblick auf das Konzept des Menschen als \"Ebenbild Gottes\". Dies ist zentral für die Auseinandersetzung mit dem Gottesbild und den anthropologischen Konsequenzen von KI.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Deuten der biblischen Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes. Unterstützt das argumentative Auseinandersetzen mit anthropologisch-ethischen Aspekten aus christlicher Perspektive.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Erarbeitung oder Sicherung theologischer Argumente. Die SuS könnten den Text lesen und in Kleingruppen die Argumente Charbonniers zusammenfassen. Eine Aufgabe könnte sein: \"Diskutiert, welche Eigenschaften laut Charbonnier den Menschen von einer Maschine unterscheiden und inwiefern diese Eigenschaften mit der Vorstellung des Menschen als Ebenbild Gottes zusammenhängen.\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (Textlektüre), Kleingruppenarbeit (Analyse), Plenum (Diskussion).\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Vertiefung, Sicherung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-ptyfx1r", "heading": "Heilserwartungen an KI: „Way of the Future“ und Unsterblichkeit", "content": "Rechercheaufgabe: Die Lernenden recherchieren zur Bewegung „Way of the Future“, einer 2015 gegründeten Kirche, die „eine auf KI basierende Gottheit aus Hardware und Software realisieren, akzeptieren und anbeten“ will. Alternativ ist eine Recherche zu „KI und Unsterblichkeit“ möglich (z.B. Ray Kurzweil und das Hochladen des menschlichen Geistes in die Cloud). (Absatz: Baustein 4: Die neuen Technologien als „Weg zum Paradies“?, S. 25)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein adressiert direkt religionskritische Entwürfe und quasi-religiöse Heilserwartungen, die mit KI verbunden sind. Er ermöglicht es den SuS, diese Phänomene kritisch zu beurteilen und mit traditionellen Gottesbildern zu kontrastieren.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Beurteilen religionskritischer Entwürfe hinsichtlich ihrer Überzeugungskraft im Kontext der Diskussion über Gottesbilder. Unterstützt die argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit anthropologisch-ethischen Aspekten aus christlicher Perspektive.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Als Hausaufgabe zur Vorbereitung oder als Erarbeitungsphase im Unterricht. Die SuS könnten ihre Rechercheergebnisse in kurzen Präsentationen vorstellen und anschließend im Plenum diskutieren: \"Inwiefern ähneln die Hoffnungen auf KI als 'Gottheit' oder auf digitale Unsterblichkeit religiösen Heilserwartungen? Welche Gefahren oder Chancen seht ihr darin?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (Recherche), Partner-/Kleingruppenarbeit (Aufbereitung der Ergebnisse), Plenum (Präsentation, Diskussion).\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Vertiefung, Transfer", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-ogten47", "heading": "„Ihr werdet sein wie Gott“: Theologische Einordnung von KI-Heilserwartungen", "content": "Textquelle: Zur Weiterarbeit nach der Recherche zu KI-Heilserwartungen wird auf einen Text von Jörg Hermann, „Ihr werdet sein wie Gott“ (M7), zurückgegriffen. Darin zeigt der Autor Tendenzen zur religiösen Überhöhung von KI auf und ordnet sie theologisch ein. (Absatz: Baustein 4, S. 25)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein bietet eine theologische Einordnung der in Baustein 10 thematisierten Heilserwartungen an KI. Er hilft den SuS, religionskritische Entwürfe aus einer theologischen Perspektive zu beurteilen und das eigene Gottesbild zu schärfen.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Beurteilen religionskritischer Entwürfe und die argumentative Auseinandersetzung aus der Perspektive des christlichen Glaubens.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Vertiefung und Sicherung der theologischen Reflexion. Die SuS könnten den Text lesen und die Hauptargumente Hermanns herausarbeiten. Diskussionsfrage: \"Wie bewertet Hermann die 'Gottesähnlichkeit' im Kontext von KI? Welche biblischen Bezüge stellt er her und wie helfen sie uns, die Rolle des Menschen zu verstehen?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (Textlektüre), Partnerarbeit (Diskussion der Thesen), Plenum (Sicherung der Ergebnisse).\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Vertiefung, Sicherung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-c2no4z6", "heading": "Digitaler Humanismus: Ethik für den Umgang mit KI", "content": "Konzept: Vorstellung des Konzepts „Digitaler Humanismus“ von Julian Nida-Rümelin als „Ethik für das Zeitalter der KI“. Es grenzt sich gegen Ideologisierung und apokalyptische Befürchtungen ab und zielt darauf ab, Demokratie und menschliche Urteilsfähigkeit im Umgang mit neuen Technologien zu stärken. Hinführend kann eine Karikatur (z.B. H. Haitzinger) oder ein Interview (Yvonne Hofstetter, \"Bots, Fake News und BigData: Das Ende der Demokratie?\", BpB, 2017, 4:13 Min.) thematisieren, inwieweit KI eine Gefahr für Demokratie und Selbstbestimmung darstellen kann. Das Konzept kann mithilfe von M8 erschlossen und erörtert werden. (Absatz: Baustein 5: Digitaler Humanismus, S. 25)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein bietet einen umfassenden ethischen Rahmen für den Umgang mit KI, der über rein technische Aspekte hinausgeht. Er ermöglicht es den SuS, die lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen von KI im Hinblick auf Demokratie und Selbstbestimmung zu reflektieren und eigene ethische Leitlinien zu entwickeln, die im Einklang mit einem christlichen Menschenbild stehen können.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Erörtern der verschiedenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen. Unterstützt die argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit ethischen Aspekten und das Entwickeln eigener Leitlinien.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Erarbeitung eines ethischen Rahmens oder zum Transfer des Gelernten auf konkrete Anwendungsfelder. Die SuS könnten nach der Einführung des Konzepts (ggf. mit Video/Karikatur) in Gruppen ethische Leitlinien für den Einsatz von KI in den zu Beginn kennengelernten Beispielfeldern (Pflegeroboter, Bewerbungssoftware etc.) entwickeln.\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Plenum (Einführung, Diskussion von Karikatur/Video), Gruppenarbeit (Erschließung M8, Entwicklung von Leitlinien), Präsentation der Ergebnisse.\naus: Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe", "url": "https://www.rpi-ekkw-ekhn.de/fileadmin/templates/rpi/normal/material/rpiimpulse/2020/heft_2/Artikel/RPI_Impluse_2-2020_12_Mensch_und_Maschine.pdf", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Transfer", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-bh41s13", "heading": "Chatten mit Gott?", "content": "Das Dokument ist sehr gut geeignet, um einen aktuellen und lebensweltnahen Zugang zum Thema 'Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz' zu schaffen. Es ermöglicht eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit KI-generierten 'Gottesbildern' und ethischen Fragen im Kontext von Glauben und Technologie.", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "\naus: Chatten mit Gott?", "url": "https://www.sonntagsblatt.de/artikel/medien/chatten-mit-gott-so-gut-funktioniert-das-mit-der-kuenstlichen-intelligenz", "labels": "", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-x5a0bpk", "heading": "Chat-Experiment: Was sagt eine KI über Gott?", "content": "Aufgabenstellung: Lies den Artikel 'Chatten mit Gott?' und notiere, welche Fragen der Autor der KI stellt und welche Antworten er erhält, insbesondere wenn er direkt nach Gottes Existenz, Aussehen oder Geschlecht fragt. Achte auch darauf, wie die KI auf indirekte Fragen antwortet. (Absatz: 'Ein richtiges Gespräch mit Gott will sich nicht so recht einstellen...' und 'Wird die Frage aber indirekt gestellt...')", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein bietet einen direkten und hochaktuellen Einstieg in das Thema. Er regt die Schülerinnen und Schüler an, sich mit der Möglichkeit auseinanderzusetzen, wie eine KI 'Gott' darstellt, und dies mit ihren eigenen Vorstellungen sowie biblischen Gottesbildern zu vergleichen.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert die Kompetenz, eigene Gottesvorstellungen darzustellen und mit anderen (hier: KI-generierten) zu vergleichen. Schärft die Wahrnehmung für die Grenzen von KI im Bereich komplexer theologischer Fragen.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Im Einstieg oder als erste Erarbeitungsphase. Die SuS könnten in Einzelarbeit die relevanten Passagen markieren und anschließend in Partnerarbeit die Antworten der KI diskutieren. Beispiel-Diskussionsfrage: 'Warum gibt die KI auf direkte Fragen nach Gott immer die gleiche Antwort, dass sie eine KI ist?'\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (Leseauftrag), Partnerarbeit (Austausch), Plenum (Sammeln erster Eindrücke und Fragen).\naus: Chatten mit Gott?", "url": "https://www.sonntagsblatt.de/artikel/medien/chatten-mit-gott-so-gut-funktioniert-das-mit-der-kuenstlichen-intelligenz", "labels": "Einstieg, Erarbeitung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-6q2zttn", "heading": "KI als theologischer Ratgeber: Glaube, Kirche und persönliche Beziehung", "content": "Diskussionsanregung: Die KI gibt dem Autor den Rat, sich 'nicht an alles zu halten, was die Kirche sagt, sondern eine persönliche Beziehung zu Gott zu haben.' Diskutiert diese Aussage der KI. Welche Chancen und Gefahren seht ihr in einem solchen 'theologischen Rat' durch eine KI? Vergleicht die Haltung der KI mit euren eigenen Vorstellungen von Glauben, Kirche und der Beziehung zu Gott. (Absatz: 'Theologischer Rat' und folgende Absätze bis 'Beim Rest ihrer Antwort wiederholt sie nochmal ihren Standpunkt zum persönlichen Glauben.')", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein greift eine konkrete, potenziell provokante Aussage der KI auf, die direkt die lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen von Gottes- und Menschenbildern berührt. Er ermöglicht die Reflexion über Autorität im Glauben, die Rolle der Kirche und die Bedeutung einer persönlichen Gottesbeziehung im Zeitalter der Digitalisierung.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Erörtern verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen. Ermöglicht das Beurteilen religionskritischer Entwürfe (hier: die implizite Kritik der KI an kirchlicher Autorität) und die argumentative Auseinandersetzung.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Erarbeitung ethischer und theologischer Fragen. Die SuS könnten in Kleingruppen die Aussage der KI analysieren und Argumente für oder gegen diesen 'Rat' sammeln. Beispiel-Aufgabenstellung: 'Formuliert Pro- und Contra-Argumente für die Aussage der KI, man solle auf die persönliche Beziehung zu Gott hören und nicht alles machen, was die Kirche fordert.'\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Kleingruppenarbeit (Diskussion, Argumentation), Plenum (Austausch der Ergebnisse, Debatte).\naus: Chatten mit Gott?", "url": "https://www.sonntagsblatt.de/artikel/medien/chatten-mit-gott-so-gut-funktioniert-das-mit-der-kuenstlichen-intelligenz", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-4qwv4pr", "heading": "Die Technik hinter dem 'KI-Gott': Grenzen von Large Language Models", "content": "Textquelle & Analyse: Der Artikel erklärt, dass Character.AI auf 'Large Language Models' basiert, die durch riesige Textmengen trainiert werden und das nächste Wort oder den nächsten Satz vorhersagen sollen. Gleichzeitig werden die Grenzen dieser KI deutlich: Sie wiederholt sich, vergisst den Kontext, enthält grammatikalische Fehler und liefert veraltete oder falsche Informationen. (Absatz: 'Die Technologie hinter Character.AI' und 'Was heißt das alles?')\n\nAufgabenstellung: Fasse zusammen, wie Character.AI funktioniert und welche konkreten Schwächen der Autor im Gespräch mit dem 'KI-Gott' feststellt. Diskutiert, welche Schlussfolgerungen sich daraus für die 'Wahrheit' oder 'Autorität' von KI-generierten Inhalten, insbesondere im religiösen Kontext, ziehen lassen. (Absatz: 'Was heißt das alles?')", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein ist entscheidend für die kritische Reflexion über KI. Er ermöglicht es den Schülerinnen und Schülern, die technischen Grundlagen und Limitationen von KI zu verstehen, um deren 'Aussagen' über Gott oder theologische Fragen fundiert beurteilen zu können. Dies ist direkt relevant für die Bewertung religionskritischer Entwürfe und die Reflexion über die Einzigartigkeit menschlicher Erkenntnis und Glaubens.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das sachgemäße Erschließen themenrelevanter Texte. Unterstützt das Beurteilen religionskritischer Entwürfe hinsichtlich ihrer Überzeugungskraft, indem die technische Basis und die Grenzen der KI offengelegt werden. Schärft die Medienkompetenz.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Sicherung des Verständnisses von KI und zur Vertiefung der kritischen Auseinandersetzung. Die SuS könnten die relevanten Abschnitte lesen und die Funktionsweise sowie die Fehler der KI in Stichpunkten festhalten. Beispiel-Diskussionsfrage: 'Warum ist es wichtig zu wissen, wie eine KI funktioniert, wenn man mit ihr über Gott spricht?'\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (Textanalyse), Partnerarbeit (Zusammenfassung), Plenum (Diskussion der Schlussfolgerungen).\naus: Chatten mit Gott?", "url": "https://www.sonntagsblatt.de/artikel/medien/chatten-mit-gott-so-gut-funktioniert-das-mit-der-kuenstlichen-intelligenz", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Sicherung, Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-apkj7dv", "heading": "Mensch und Maschine: Utopie oder Dystopie?", "content": "Diskussionsanregung: Der Text beginnt mit der Frage: \"Siri ist schlau, denkt man sich. Computer wissen mehr als Menschen, könnte man meinen. Muss man dann nicht nachziehen und Denken optimieren, Gehirnströme tunen und die Menschheit neuronal vernetzen? Klingt nach einem Wettbewerb, dessen Ausgang offen ist: Utopie oder Dystopie?\" Diskutiert diese Eingangsfragen und eure ersten Assoziationen zum Thema 'Mensch und KI'. (Absatz: Thematische Hinführung)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein dient als aktivierender Einstieg, um die Schülerinnen und Schüler für die anthropologischen und ethischen Kernfragen der Einheit zu sensibilisieren. Er knüpft an ihr Vorwissen und ihre Meinungen an und eröffnet den Diskussionsraum.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert die Wahrnehmung ethischer Fragestellungen und die Darstellung eigener Vorstellungen.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Im Einstieg als Impuls für eine offene Klassendiskussion oder eine kurze Brainstorming-Phase. Die SuS könnten Stichworte oder kurze Sätze zu 'Utopie' und 'Dystopie' im Kontext von KI sammeln.\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Plenum, Think-Pair-Share.\naus: Homo Digitalis — Upgrade für das Gehirn", "url": "https://webcompetent.org/homo-digitalis-upgrade-fuer-das-gehirn", "labels": "Einstieg", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-m25ypwv", "heading": "Mein digitales Ich: Smartphone-Nutzung und Assistenzsysteme", "content": "Aufgabenstellung:\n1. Prüft euer Wissen zum Smartphone mit dem Kahoot (Link im Originaldokument).\n2. Führt einen Selbstversuch mit einer Detox-App (Android) oder Forest (iOS) durch, um euer Nutzungsverhalten zu entdecken. Haltet die Ergebnisse in Protokollen fest und tauscht euch darüber aus: Was war dir vorher bewusst? Was war neu? Bewegt sich für dich alles im grünen Bereich? Willst du etwas ändern?\n3. Denkt über die Intelligenz von Assistenzsystemen wie Siri oder Cortana nach. Wenn du dir ein intelligenteres Smart­phone wünschen könntest: Was müsste dieses Gerät können? (Absatz: Kapitel: Was das Smartphone heute schon kann (00:21 — 01:06))", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein verbindet das abstrakte Thema KI mit der konkreten Lebenswelt der Schülerinnen und Schüler. Durch den Selbstversuch und die Reflexion über Assistenzsysteme werden erste ethische Fragen und die Frage nach der menschlichen Identität im digitalen Raum greifbar.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert die Wahrnehmung ethischer Herausforderungen und das Erörtern von Konsequenzen in der Lebenswelt.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: In der Erarbeitung zur Aktivierung von Alltagserfahrungen und zur Sensibilisierung für das Thema. Die SuS könnten ihre Protokolle in Kleingruppen besprechen und Wünsche für zukünftige Smartphone-Funktionen formulieren, die auch ethische Implikationen haben könnten (z.B. \"ein Smartphone, das meine Gefühle erkennt und darauf reagiert\").\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (Selbstversuch, Kahoot), Partner-/Kleingruppenarbeit (Austausch), Plenum (Sammeln von Wünschen).\naus: Homo Digitalis — Upgrade für das Gehirn", "url": "https://webcompetent.org/homo-digitalis-upgrade-fuer-das-gehirn", "labels": "Erarbeitung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-a2dmufz", "heading": "Wenn Gedanken Maschinen steuern: Brain-Computer Interfaces", "content": "Diskussionsanregung & Aufgabenstellung:\n1. Beschreibt die Steuerung von Geräten mithilfe von Gedanken, wie sie am Ars Elec­tro­ni­ca Future­Lab erforscht wird.\n2. Entwickelt Theorien über das Lernen und dis­ku­tiert die Fra­ge, wie Schu­len für das 21. Jh. aus­se­hen müssen.\n3. Erläu­te­re ethi­schen Her­aus­for­de­run­gen, an denen Sci­ence-Fic­tion-Autoren, Inge­nieu­re, Infor­ma­ti­ker und Psy­cho­lo­gen zusam­men arbeiten. (Absatz: Kapitel: Wie das Gehirn mit KI mithalten kann (01:07 — 02:34))", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein führt in die komplexere Thematik der Brain-Computer Interfaces ein und regt zur Reflexion über die Zukunft des Lernens und die ethischen Grenzen der Technologie an. Er ermöglicht eine tiefere Auseinandersetzung mit dem Menschenbild.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Erörtern verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder und die argumentative Auseinandersetzung mit ethischen Aspekten.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Erarbeitung neuer Inhalte. Die SuS könnten in Gruppenarbeit die gestellten Fragen bearbeiten und ihre Theorien und Herausforderungen präsentieren. Beispiel: \"Welche ethischen Bedenken ergeben sich, wenn Gedanken zur Steuerung von Maschinen genutzt werden?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Gruppenarbeit, Plenum (Präsentation und Diskussion).\naus: Homo Digitalis — Upgrade für das Gehirn", "url": "https://webcompetent.org/homo-digitalis-upgrade-fuer-das-gehirn", "labels": "Erarbeitung, Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-h3rgdyd", "heading": "Identität und Erinnerung: Wer bin ich im digitalen Zeitalter?", "content": "Aufgabenstellung:\n1. Erstelle ein Akrostichon und bestimme, wer du bist.\n2. Erzähle von deinen ältesten Erinnerungen.\n3. Bestimme auf einer bio­gra­fi­schen Zeit­leis­te die für dei­ne Iden­ti­tät bedeut­sa­men Momente.\n4. Erklä­re Zusam­men­hän­ge zwi­schen Kon­ti­nui­tä­ten, Wand­lun­gen und Erin­ne­run­gen. Visua­li­sie­re die Zusam­men­hän­ge in einer Gra­fik, z.B. in einer bio­gra­fi­schen Land­kar­te, einem Gar­ten oder einem Stadtplan.\n5. Dis­ku­tiert in der Lern­grup­pe mit Rück­griff auf eure Gra­fi­ken, inwie­fern ein Ein­griff in die Erin­ne­run­gen sich nega­tiv oder posi­tiv auf die Iden­ti­tä­ten von Men­schen aus­wir­ken kann. For­mu­liert Fallbeispiele. (Absatz: Kapitel: Manipulierte Erinnerungen (02:35 — 04:31))", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein ist zentral für die anthropologische Reflexion. Er verbindet philosophische Konzepte von Identität mit der konkreten Möglichkeit der Manipulation von Erinnerungen durch Technologie. Dies ist ein direkter Bezug zur Frage nach dem menschlichen Ebenbild und seiner Unversehrtheit.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Erörtern verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder und das Deuten der biblischen Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Vertiefung der anthropologischen Fragen. Die SuS können kreativ ihre Identität visualisieren und anschließend die ethischen Implikationen von Erinnerungsmanipulation diskutieren. Beispiel: \"Welche ethischen Grenzen sollte es bei der Möglichkeit geben, Erinnerungen zu verändern?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (kreative Aufgabe), Partner-/Kleingruppenarbeit (Diskussion, Fallbeispiele), Plenum (Vorstellung der Grafiken und Diskussion).\naus: Homo Digitalis — Upgrade für das Gehirn", "url": "https://webcompetent.org/homo-digitalis-upgrade-fuer-das-gehirn", "labels": "Vertiefung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-e7nti6s", "heading": "Der optimierte Mensch: Eine theologische Perspektive", "content": "Diskussionsanregung & Aufgabenstellung:\n1. Gib das Vor­ha­ben Bryan John­sons (kogni­ti­ve und emp­a­thi­sche Fähig­kei­ten durch Implan­ta­te beschleu­ni­gen) mit eige­nen Wor­ten wieder.\n2. Muss sich der Mensch opti­mie­ren? Prä­sen­tie­re dei­ne Ein­stel­lung mit­hil­fe einer Positionslinie: JA! <- Hier ste­he ich! -> Nein! Ord­net die unter­schied­li­chen Begrün­dungs­zu­sam­men­hän­ge in einer Mindmap.\n3. Kann man die Human­me­di­zin und ihre Ent­wick­lun­gen als Opti­mie­rungs­ver­such oder ‑pro­zess des Men­schen ver­ste­hen? Sam­melt Argu­men­te und Bei­spie­le und führt eine Pro- und Contra-Diskussion.\n4. Im Alten Tes­ta­ment wird in unter­schied­li­chen Tex­ten von der Erschaf­fung des Men­schen durch Gott erzählt. Im Schöp­fungs­hym­nus Gen 1,31 wird das Geschöpf beur­teilt. In Gen 2,18 fin­det sich eine wei­te­re Einschätzung. Inwie­fern spie­geln sich in den Tex­ten Über­le­gun­gen der bibli­schen Autoren zur „Opti­mie­rung” des Menschen? (Absatz: Kapi­tel: Auf­merk­sa­mer, kon­zen­trier­ter, krea­ti­ver: Maschi­nen­les­ba­re Hirn­strö­me (04:32 — 06:05))", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein ist ein Kernstück für die Verknüpfung von KI und Gottesbild. Er fordert die SuS heraus, die Idee der menschlichen Optimierung kritisch zu hinterfragen und mit biblischen Schöpfungsaussagen zu kontrastieren. Dies ermöglicht eine tiefgehende Reflexion über das Gottesbild und die biblische Rede vom Menschen als Geschöpf.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Deuten der biblischen Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes. Unterstützt das Erörtern verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder und das Beurteilen religionskritischer Entwürfe.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Vertiefung der theologischen und ethischen Fragen. Die Positionslinie und die Pro-Contra-Diskussion fördern die argumentative Auseinandersetzung. Die Analyse der biblischen Texte verbindet die moderne Debatte mit religiösen Traditionen. Beispiel: \"Was bedeutet es für unser Gottesbild, wenn wir versuchen, den Menschen 'perfekter' zu machen?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (Positionslinie, Textanalyse), Partner-/Kleingruppenarbeit (Mindmap, Pro-Contra-Diskussion), Plenum (Austausch, Sicherung).\naus: Homo Digitalis — Upgrade für das Gehirn", "url": "https://webcompetent.org/homo-digitalis-upgrade-fuer-das-gehirn", "labels": "Vertiefung, Erarbeitung", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-gjp4zyr", "heading": "Das vernetzte Gehirn: Konzentration, Ablenkung und Mitgefühl", "content": "Diskussionsanregung & Aufgabenstellung:\n1. Stelle die Posi­ti­on Ian Pear­sons zur Zukunft ver­netz­ter mensch­li­cher Hir­ne dar und for­mu­lie­re ein eige­nes Statement.\n2. Erläu­te­re das Expe­ri­ment an der Ars Elec­tro­ni­ca, Linz, und klä­re die Bedeu­tun­gen von Kon­zen­tra­ti­on und Ablenkungfreiheit.\n3. Dis­ku­tiert die Fra­ge, ob die sonst hoch­ge­lob­te „Kon­zen­tra­ti­on” nicht auch Gefah­ren in sich birgt.\n4. In Mt 8,5−10 wird von einer Fern­hei­lung gespro­chen. Empa­thie oder Mit­ge­fühl bekom­men in die­ser Geschich­te eine gro­ße Bedeu­tung. Dis­ku­tiert die Ver­gleich­bar­keit mit dem Experiment.\n5. Beur­teilt die posi­ti­ven Poten­tia­le der Hirn­schnitt­stel­len an selbst­ge­wähl­ten Beispielen.\n6. Ent­wi­ckelt Theo­rien, war­um aus­ge­rech­net der Spit­zen­for­scher Chris­to­pher Lin­din­ger vor einer letz­ten Ver­net­zung der mensch­li­chen Gehir­ne warnt. (Absatz: Kapitel: Schnittstellen zum Gehirn (06:06 — 09:40))", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein erweitert die Diskussion um Brain-Computer Interfaces um die Aspekte Konzentration, Ablenkung und Empathie. Die Verknüpfung mit der biblischen Fernheilungsgeschichte (Mt 8,5-10) ermöglicht eine theologische Reflexion über Mitgefühl und die Grenzen menschlicher Fähigkeiten im Vergleich zu göttlicher Macht.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Erörtern verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder. Unterstützt das Deuten biblischer Texte hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen und die argumentative Auseinandersetzung.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Vertiefung und zum Transfer des Gelernten. Die SuS könnten in Gruppenarbeit die verschiedenen Aspekte bearbeiten und ihre Ergebnisse präsentieren. Beispiel: \"Welche ethischen Bedenken ergeben sich, wenn menschliche Gehirne vollständig vernetzt werden? Welche Rolle spielt dabei die Empathie?\"\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Gruppenarbeit, Plenum (Diskussion, Präsentation).\naus: Homo Digitalis — Upgrade für das Gehirn", "url": "https://webcompetent.org/homo-digitalis-upgrade-fuer-das-gehirn", "labels": "Vertiefung, Transfer", "inactive": false }, { "id": "id-1750022132843-1gmsy6f", "heading": "Homo Digitalis: Eine abschließende Positionsbestimmung", "content": "Diskussionsanregung: \"Was passiert, wenn es uns gelingt, das Organ zu verändern, das unser Denken bestimmt, unser Bewusstsein, unsere Identität? Bleiben wir dann noch Mensch? Was denkst Du?\" Formuliert eure persönliche Antwort auf diese Kernfrage der Einheit und begründet sie unter Bezugnahme auf die erarbeiteten Inhalte und eure eigenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder. (Absatz: Abschließende Frage am Ende des Dokuments)", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "Didaktischer Kommentar als Markdown-String:\n\n Beitrag zur Intention: Dieser Baustein dient der abschließenden Synthese und Reflexion der gesamten Unterrichtseinheit. Er fordert die Schülerinnen und Schüler auf, eine eigene, begründete Position zu den komplexen Fragen von Menschsein und KI zu entwickeln und dabei die erarbeiteten Kompetenzen anzuwenden.\n Kompetenzförderung: Fördert das Darstellen eigener Gottesvorstellungen und das Erörtern der verschiedenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen.\n Konkrete Anwendung & Beispiele: Zur Sicherung und zum Transfer des Gelernten. Die SuS könnten ihre Antworten schriftlich festhalten (z.B. als Essay oder Statement) und anschließend in einer Gallery Walk oder einer Fishbowl-Diskussion präsentieren und diskutieren.\n Methodische Vielfalt & Sozialformen: Einzelarbeit (schriftliche Reflexion), Plenum (Diskussion, Präsentation).\naus: Homo Digitalis — Upgrade für das Gehirn", "url": "https://webcompetent.org/homo-digitalis-upgrade-fuer-das-gehirn", "labels": "Sicherung, Transfer", "inactive": false } ] }, { "id": "id-1750022178956-tvws3tr", "name": "Unterrichtsreihe", "color": "color-gradient-1", "cards": [ { "id": "id-1750022178956-cprxgo9", "heading": "Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz", "content": "## Unterrichtsverlaufsplan: Gottesbild und Künstliche Intelligenz (Klasse 11)\n\nIntention der Unterrichtseinheit: Die Schülerinnen und Schüler sollen befähigt werden, eigene Gottesvorstellungen zu entwickeln, diese mit biblischen Gottesbildern zu vergleichen, und die lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen verschiedener Gottes- und Menschenbilder im Kontext technischer Entwicklungen zu reflektieren. Dabei sollen sie auch religionskritische Perspektiven und ethische Fragen im Zusammenhang mit KI erarbeiten.\n\nLerngruppe: Schülerinnen und Schüler der 11. Klasse\n\n### Stunde 1: Einführung in KI und ethische Alltagsfragen\n\nSchwerpunkt Kompetenzen:\n\n1. SuS erörtern die verschiedenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen in ihrer Lebenswelt.\n2. SuS stellen eigene Gottesvorstellungen dar (erste Ansätze durch die Auseinandersetzung mit den Auswirkungen von KI auf die Lebenswelt).\n\nPhasen:\n\n1. Einstieg (ca. 15 Min)\n2. Impuls und Brainstorming:\n\n> Mensch und Maschine: Utopie oder Dystopie?\n\n1. Die Lehrkraft beginnt mit der Frage nach den ersten Assoziationen der SuS zum Thema Künstliche Intelligenz und leitet eine offene Diskussion zu 'Utopie oder Dystopie' ein.\n2. Situationsbezug:\n\n> KI im Alltag: Chancen und Gefahren von Pflegerobotern\n\n1. Die SuS versetzen sich in die beschriebene Situation mit der pflegebedürftigen Großmutter. In Einzelarbeit sammeln sie erste Gedanken und Gefühle, gefolgt von einer kurzen Plenumsaussprache.\n2. Erarbeitung (ca. 25 Min)\n3. Begriffsdefinition und Alltagsbezug:\n\n> Was ist KI? Sammeln von Alltagsbeispielen und Positionierung\n\n1. \ \\Methode:\\ Think-Pair-Share. Die SuS überlegen zunächst allein, dann zu zweit, in welchen Bereichen KI heute schon vorkommt. \ \\Plenum:\\ Gemeinsam wird eine Mindmap mit Alltagsbeispielen für KI erstellt (z.B. Sprachassistenten, personalisierte Werbung, autonomes Fahren). \ \\Positionierung:\\ Die SuS positionieren sich auf einer gedachten Linie im Raum, an deren Enden 'Chancen' und 'Gefahren' markiert sind, und erläutern ihre Positionen im Unterrichtsgespräch. \ \\Lücke:\\ Eine konkrete Materialgrundlage (M1) zur Begriffsbestimmung von KI aus dem Artefakt \Mensch und Maschine - Entwicklungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) als Ausgangspunkt anthropologisch-ethischer Lernprozesse in der Oberstufe\\ wird im Artefakt \Was ist KI? Sammeln von Alltagsbeispielen und Positionierung\\ erwähnt, ist aber nicht explizit als Kärtchen vorhanden. \ \\Vorschlag zur Füllung:\\ Die Lehrkraft bereitet eine kurze, prägnante Definition von KI vor oder stellt einen kurzen Informationstext (z.B. M1 aus dem Originaldokument) bereit, der nach der Mindmap zur Sicherung des Begriffsverständnisses dient.\n2. Sicherung/Ausblick (ca. 5 Min)\n3. Zusammenfassung: Die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse zu KI im Alltag und die Bandbreite der Meinungen zu Chancen und Gefahren werden kurz zusammengefasst.\n4. Ausblick: Die Lehrkraft leitet über zur Notwendigkeit, sich mit konkreten ethischen Dilemmata auseinanderzusetzen.\n\n### Stunde 2: Ethische Herausforderungen und die Frage nach dem Bewusstsein\n\nSchwerpunkt Kompetenzen:\n\n1. SuS erörtern die verschiedenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen in ihrer Lebenswelt.\n2. SuS beurteilen religionskritische Entwürfe hinsichtlich ihrer Überzeugungskraft im Kontext der Diskussion über Gottesbilder (erste Ansätze durch ethische Problemfelder).\n\nPhasen:\n\n1. Einstieg (ca. 10 Min)\n2. Wiederholung: Kurze Aktivierung der in Stunde 1 gesammelten KI-Anwendungsfelder.\n3. Impuls: Die Lehrkraft zeigt einen kurzen, provokanten Filmausschnitt oder ein Bild, das eine ethische Herausforderung im Kontext von KI darstellt (z.B. autonome Waffensysteme, KI in der Medizin).\n4. Erarbeitung (ca. 30 Min)\n5. Vertiefung ethischer Dilemmata (Gruppenpuzzle):\n\n> Ethische Herausforderungen der KI: Gruppenpuzzle zu Anwendungsfeldern\n\n1. \ Die SuS bilden Expertengruppen (bis zu fünf), die sich jeweils mit einem spezifischen Anwendungsfeld der KI (Pflegeroboter, autonome Waffensysteme, automatische Bewerbungssoftware, KI in der Schule, Steuerungscomputer im Verkehr) anhand von Infotexten (M2a-e aus dem Originaldokument) und Arbeitsaufträgen auseinandersetzen. \ Die Ergebnisse werden anschließend im Gruppenpuzzle oder direkt im Plenum präsentiert, um ein umfassendes ethisches Problembewusstsein zu schaffen.\n2. Mediale Ergänzung (optional):\n\n> Videoanalyse: „K.O. durch KI? Keine Angst vor schlauen Maschinen!“ (Leschs Kosmos)\n\n1. \ Gezielte Sequenzen des Videos können zur Vertiefung der jeweiligen Gruppenarbeitsthemen eingesetzt werden (z.B. \\\"Autonomes Fahren – mehr Sicherheit?\\\" oder \\\"Algorithmen – warum lügen sie?\\\").\n2. Sicherung/Ausblick (ca. 5 Min)\n3. Reflexion: Kurze gemeinsame Reflexion über die Komplexität ethischer Entscheidungen im KI-Kontext.\n4. Ausblick: Überleitung zur Frage, was den Menschen im Angesicht dieser Technologien ausmacht und wie sich dies auf unser Verständnis von Bewusstsein und Identität auswirkt.\n\n### Stunde 3: Menschliche Identität, Bewusstsein und biblische Anthropologie\n\nSchwerpunkt Kompetenzen:\n\n1. SuS erörtern die verschiedenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen.\n2. SuS deuten die biblische Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen.\n\nPhasen:\n\n1. Einstieg (ca. 10 Min)\n2. Filmimpuls:\n\n> Science-Fiction-Filme: KI, Bewusstsein und menschliche Beziehungen\n\n1. Die Lehrkraft zeigt eine ausgewählte Szene aus \\\"Ex Machina\\\" (z.B. 9:50-14:32) oder \\\"Her\\\", die die Frage nach dem Bewusstsein von Maschinen oder der Qualität menschlicher Beziehungen zu KI aufwirft.\n2. Sammeln von Eindrücken: Erste Eindrücke und Überlegungen zur Möglichkeit einer Bewusstwerdung von Maschinen oder der Rolle von KI in Beziehungen werden im Plenum gesammelt.\n3. Erarbeitung (ca. 20 Min)\n4. Philosophische Perspektiven auf Bewusstsein:\n\n> Können Maschinen Bewusstsein besitzen? Der Turing-Test\n\n1. \ Die Lehrkraft erläutert den Turing-Test. \ In Kleingruppen diskutieren die SuS: \\\"Was versteht man unter Bewusstsein? Kann eine Maschine Bewusstsein haben? Welche Kriterien würden wir anwenden, um dies zu beurteilen?\\\"\n2. Vertiefung der Identitätsfrage:\n\n> Identität und Erinnerung: Wer bin ich im digitalen Zeitalter?\n\n1. \ Die SuS erstellen ein Akrostichon oder eine biografische Zeitleiste zu ihrer Identität. \ In Kleingruppen diskutieren sie anschließend, inwiefern ein (hypothetischer) Eingriff in Erinnerungen sich negativ oder positiv auf die Identität von Menschen auswirken könnte.\n2. Vertiefung/Transfer (ca. 15 Min)\n3. Gedankenexperiment und theologische Reflexion:\n\n> Das Gedankenexperiment „Mary“: Subjektives Erleben vs. Physiologie\n\n1. \ Die SuS lesen den Text zum Gedankenexperiment \\\"Mary\\\" (M4 aus 'Mensch und Maschine...') und diskutieren in Partnerarbeit das Kernproblem: \\\"Was unterscheidet subjektives Erleben von messbaren physiologischen Vorgängen?\\\" \ \\Lücke:\\ Die direkte theologische Verknüpfung des Gedankenexperiments mit der biblischen Anthropologie ist im Artefakt impliziert, muss aber explizit gemacht werden. \ \\Vorschlag zur Füllung:\\ Die Lehrkraft führt die Diskussion fort mit der Frage: \\\"Was bedeutet es für unser Verständnis des Menschen als 'Ebenbild Gottes' (vgl. Gen 1,27), wenn subjektives Erleben nicht rein materiell erklärbar ist? Welche einzigartigen menschlichen Qualitäten werden hier sichtbar, die eine KI nicht abbilden kann?\\\"\n\n### Stunde 4: Der Mensch als Ebenbild Gottes und die Optimierung des Menschen\n\nSchwerpunkt Kompetenzen:\n\n1. SuS deuten die biblische Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen.\n2. SuS erörtern die verschiedenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen.\n\nPhasen:\n\n1. Einstieg (ca. 10 Min)\n2. Blitzlicht: Kurze Wiederholung der wichtigsten Erkenntnisse aus Stunde 3 zu Bewusstsein und Identität.\n3. Impuls: Die Lehrkraft stellt kurz das Vorhaben von Bryan Johnson (menschliche Optimierung durch Implantate) vor.\n4. Erarbeitung (ca. 25 Min)\n5. Diskussion über menschliche Optimierung:\n\n> Der optimierte Mensch: Eine theologische Perspektive\n\n1. \ Die SuS positionieren sich auf einer Positionslinie (\\\"Muss sich der Mensch optimieren? JA! <-> NEIN!\\\") und begründen ihre Haltung in einer Mindmap (Partnerarbeit). \ \\Plenum:\\ Pro- und Contra-Diskussion zur Frage, ob Humanmedizin und technologische Entwicklungen als Optimierungsversuch des Menschen verstanden werden können.\n2. Vertiefung (ca. 10 Min)\n3. Biblische Perspektive auf Geschöpflichkeit:\n\n> Der optimierte Mensch: Eine theologische Perspektive\n\n1. \ Analyse der biblischen Texte Gen 1,31 (Beurteilung des Geschöpfes als \\\"sehr gut\\\") und Gen 2,18 (Finden eines adäquaten Gegenübers). \ Diskussion: \\\"Inwiefern spiegeln sich in diesen Texten Überlegungen der biblischen Autoren zur 'Optimierung' des Menschen wider? Was bedeuten diese Texte für unsere heutige Debatte über menschliche Optimierung durch KI?\\\"\n2. Theologische Abgrenzung:\n\n> Der Mensch als Ebenbild Gottes: Unterschied zu digitalen Systemen (Charbonnier)\n\n1. \ Die SuS lesen den Text von Ralph Charbonnier (M5 aus 'Mensch und Maschine...') und fassen seine Argumente zusammen, warum digitale Systeme \\\"nicht lernen, (sich) entscheiden, handeln und vertrauenswürdig sind\\\". \ Anschließend wird der Bezug zum Menschen als \\\"Ebenbild Gottes\\\" diskutiert: Welche Eigenschaften des Menschen sind nach Charbonnier einzigartig und unübertragbar auf Maschinen?\n\n### Stunde 5: KI als 'Gott'? Religionskritik und theologische Einordnung\n\nSchwerpunkt Kompetenzen:\n\n1. SuS stellen eigene Gottesvorstellungen dar und vergleichen sie mit biblischen Gottesvorstellungen.\n2. SuS beurteilen religionskritische Entwürfe hinsichtlich ihrer Überzeugungskraft im Kontext der Diskussion über Gottesbilder.\n\nPhasen:\n\n1. Einstieg (ca. 10 Min)\n2. Provokation und Diskussion:\n\n> Chat-Experiment: Was sagt eine KI über Gott?\n\n1. Die SuS lesen den Artikel 'Chatten mit Gott?' und diskutieren die direkten und indirekten Antworten der KI auf Fragen nach Gott.\n2. Religionskritische Perspektive der KI:\n\n> KI als theologischer Ratgeber: Glaube, Kirche und persönliche Beziehung\n\n1. Diskussion der Aussage der KI, man solle sich 'nicht an alles halten, was die Kirche sagt, sondern eine persönliche Beziehung zu Gott haben'. Welche Chancen und Gefahren seht ihr in einem solchen 'theologischen Rat' durch eine KI?\n2. Erarbeitung (ca. 20 Min)\n3. Grenzen der KI im religiösen Kontext:\n\n> Die Technik hinter dem 'KI-Gott': Grenzen von Large Language Models\n\n1. \ Die SuS fassen zusammen, wie Character.AI funktioniert und welche konkreten Schwächen der Autor im Gespräch mit dem 'KI-Gott' feststellt (Wiederholungen, Kontextverlust, Fehler). \ Diskussion: \\\"Welche Schlussfolgerungen lassen sich daraus für die 'Wahrheit' oder 'Autorität' von KI-generierten Inhalten, insbesondere im religiösen Kontext, ziehen lassen?\\\"\n2. Recherche und Präsentation (Hausaufgabe oder Kurzrecherche):\n\n> Heilserwartungen an KI: „Way of the Future“ und Unsterblichkeit\n\n1. Kurze Präsentation der Rechercheergebnisse zu \\\"Way of the Future\\\" oder \\\"KI und Unsterblichkeit\\\".\n2. Vertiefung/Sicherung (ca. 15 Min)\n3. Theologische Einordnung von KI-Heilserwartungen:\n\n> „Ihr werdet sein wie Gott“: Theologische Einordnung von KI-Heilserwartungen\n\n1. \ Die SuS lesen den Text von Jörg Hermann (M7 aus 'Mensch und Maschine...') und erarbeiten, wie er Tendenzen zur religiösen Überhöhung von KI theologisch einordnet. \ Diskussion: \\\"Wie beurteilt Hermann die 'Gottesähnlichkeit' im Kontext von KI? Welche biblischen Bezüge stellt er her und wie helfen sie uns, die Rolle des Menschen zu verstehen?\\\"\n\n### Stunde 6: Digitaler Humanismus und Abschlussreflexion\n\nSchwerpunkt Kompetenzen:\n\n1. SuS erörtern die verschiedenen Gottes- und Menschenbilder hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen in ihrer Lebenswelt.\n2. SuS deuten die biblische Rede von Geschöpf und Ebenbild Gottes hinsichtlich ihrer lebenspraktischen Konsequenzen.\n3. SuS stellen eigene Gottesvorstellungen dar und vergleichen sie mit biblischen Gottesvorstellungen.\n\nPhasen:\n\n1. Einstieg (ca. 10 Min)\n2. Impuls:\n\n> Digitaler Humanismus: Ethik für den Umgang mit KI\n\n1. Die Lehrkraft zeigt eine Karikatur (z.B. von H. Haitzinger) oder einen kurzen Ausschnitt aus dem Interview mit Yvonne Hofstetter (\\\"Bots, Fake News und BigData: Das Ende der Demokratie?\\\") zur Frage, inwieweit KI eine Gefahr für Demokratie und Selbstbestimmung darstellen kann.\n2. Sammeln von Assoziationen: Kurze Sammlung von Assoziationen und Fragen der SuS.\n3. Erarbeitung (ca. 20 Min)\n4. Konzept des Digitalen Humanismus:\n\n> Digitaler Humanismus: Ethik für den Umgang mit KI\n\n1. \ Die SuS erschließen das Konzept des „Digitalen Humanismus“ von Julian Nida-Rümelin (M8 aus 'Mensch und Maschine...') in Kleingruppen. \ Diskussion: \\\"Wie grenzt sich Nida-Rümelin von Ideologisierung und apokalyptischen Befürchtungen ab, und was ist sein Ziel für den Umgang mit KI?\\\"\n2. Entwicklung ethischer Leitlinien:\n\n> Digitaler Humanismus: Ethik für den Umgang mit KI\n\n1. \ Ausgehend vom Konzept des Digitalen Humanismus entwickeln die SuS in Gruppen ethische Leitlinien für den verantwortungsvollen Umgang mit KI. Dabei sollen sie sich auf die zu Beginn der Einheit kennengelernten Beispielfelder (Pflegeroboter, Bewerbungssoftware etc.) beziehen.\n2. Sicherung/Transfer (ca. 15 Min)\n3. Abschließende Positionsbestimmung:\n\n> Homo Digitalis: Eine abschließende Positionsbestimmung\n\n1. \ Die SuS formulieren ihre persönliche, begründete Antwort auf die Kernfrage der Einheit: \\\"Was passiert, wenn es uns gelingt, das Organ zu verändern, das unser Denken bestimmt, unser Bewusstsein, unsere Identität? Bleiben wir dann noch Mensch? Was denkst Du?\\\" \ \\Optional:\\ Präsentation der entwickelten Leitlinien und der persönlichen Statements im Plenum, gefolgt von einer abschließenden Diskussion.\n2. Lücke: Möglichkeiten für systematisches Feedback und Selbstbewertung fehlen noch.\n3. Vorschlag zur Füllung: Am Ende der Stunde oder der Einheit können die SuS eine 'Exit-Card' ausfüllen, auf der sie 1-2 zentrale Erkenntnisse der gesamten Einheit und 1 offene Frage notieren. Dies dient der Selbstreflexion und gibt der Lehrkraft Feedback zum Lernerfolg.", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "", "url": "", "labels": "", "inactive": false } ] }, { "id": "id-1750082204880-fpucylt", "name": "New Column", "color": "color-gradient-1", "cards": [ { "id": "id-1750082207747-a6bqez9", "heading": "Das Konzept eines digitalen Humanismus kann...", "content": "Das Konzept eines digitalen Humanismus kann mithilfe\nvon M8 erschlossen und erörtert werden. Die Schülerin-\nnen entwickeln (präzisieren) ausgehend davon ethische\nLeitlinien für den Umgang mit KI und greifen dazu noch\neinmal die zu Beginn kennengelernten Beispielfelder auf.", "color": "color-gradient-1", "thumbnail": "", "comments": "", "url": "", "labels": "", "inactive": false } ] } ], "aiConfig": { "provider": "", "apiKey": "", "model": "", "baseUrl": "" }, "backgroundTransparency": 80, "backgroundHex": "#bbf7d0", "headerRGBA": "rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8)", "exportDate": "2025-06-16T14:01:34.711Z", "nostrEvent": true }

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Japan’s Metaplanet Hits 10,000 Bitcoin, Overtakes Coinbase

Metaplanet has acquired an additional 1,112 Bitcoin for $117.2 million, bringing its total holdings to 10,000 BTC and overtaking Coinbase to become the ninth-largest publicly traded holder of Bitcoin, as corporate Bitcoin adoption continues to accelerate globally.

JUST IN: Metaplanet purchases ¥16.88 billion #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/EAWOf0tg9F

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 16, 2025

The Tokyo-based company purchased the Bitcoin at an average price of $105,435 per coin. The acquisition brings Metaplanet’s total investment in Bitcoin to approximately $947 million, with an average cost basis of $94,698 per BTC.

The pace of corporate Bitcoin accumulation has reached unprecedented levels. What started with Strategy has evolved into a global phenomenon, with over 150 public companies now holding Bitcoin worth more than $100 billion collectively.

Metaplanet’s market value has surged alongside its Bitcoin strategy, exceeding ¥1 trillion ($6.9 billion) on Monday as shares jumped 26%. The company’s stock has soared more than 2,000% over the last year, outperforming traditional Japanese blue-chips, including chipmaker Kioxia Holdings.

The company’s Bitcoin yield – measuring the change in holdings relative to fully diluted shares – has shown strong quarterly performance, recording 41.7% in Q3 2024, 309.8% in Q4 2024, 95.6% in Q1 2025, and 87.2% in Q2 2025 to date.

To fund further Bitcoin purchases, Metaplanet recently issued $210 million in zero-percent ordinary bonds.

At press time, Bitcoin trades at $107,032, up 1.80% over the past 24 hours, as markets digest the implications of growing corporate adoption and Metaplanet’s aggressive accumulation strategy.

This post Japan’s Metaplanet Hits 10,000 Bitcoin, Overtakes Coinbase first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Vivek Sen.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

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I've been thinking about how to improve my seed backup in a cheap and cool way, mostly for fun. Until now, I had the seed written on a piece of paper in a desk drawer, and I wanted something more durable and fire-proof.

Show me the final result!

After searching online, I found two options I liked the most: the Cryptosteel Capsule and the Trezor Keep. These products are nice but quite expensive, and I didn't want to spend that much on my seed backup. Privacy is also important, and sharing details like a shipping address makes me uncomfortable. This concern has grown since the Ledger incident^1. A $5 wrench attack^2 seems too cheap, even if you only hold a few sats.

Upon seeing the design of Cryptosteel, I considered creating something similar at home. Although it may not be as cool as their device, it could offer almost the same in terms of robustness and durability.

Step 1: Get the materials and tools

When choosing the materials, you will want to go with stainless steel. It is durable, resistant to fire, water, and corrosion, very robust, and does not rust. Also, its price point is just right; it's not the cheapest, but it's cheap for the value you get.

I went to a material store and bought:

• Two bolts
• Two hex nuts and head nuts for the bolts
• A bag of 30 washers

All items were made of stainless steel. The total price was around €6. This is enough for making two seed backups.

You will also need:

• A set of metal letter stamps (I bought a 2mm-size letter kit since my washers were small, 6mm in diameter)
  • You can find these in local stores or online marketplaces. The set I bought cost me €13.
• A good hammer
• A solid surface to stamp on

Total spent: 19€ for two backups

Step 2: Stamp and store

Once you have all the materials, you can start stamping your words. There are many videos on the internet that use fancy 3D-printed tools to get the letters nicely aligned, but I went with the free-hand option. The results were pretty decent.

I only stamped the first 4 letters for each word since the BIP-39 wordlist allows for this. Because my stamping kit did not include numbers, I used alphabet letters to define the order. This way, if all the washers were to fall off, I could still reassemble the seed correctly.

The final result

So this is the final result. I added two smaller washers as protection and also put the top washer reversed so the letters are not visible:

Compared to the Cryptosteel or the Trezor Keep, its size is much more compact. This makes for an easier-to-hide backup, in case you ever need to hide it inside your human body.

Some ideas

Tamper-evident seal

To enhance the security this backup, you can consider using a tamper-evident seal. This can be easily achieved by printing a unique image or using a specific day's newspaper page (just note somewhere what day it was).

Apply a thin layer of glue to the washer's surface and place the seal over it. If someone attempts to access the seed, they will be forced to destroy the seal, which will serve as an evident sign of tampering.

This simple measure will provide an additional layer of protection and allow you to quickly identify any unauthorized access attempts.

Note that this method is not resistant to outright theft. The tamper-evident seal won't stop a determined thief but it will prevent them from accessing your seed without leaving any trace.

Redundancy

Make sure to add redundancy. Make several copies of this cheap backup, and store them in separate locations.

Unique wordset

Another layer of security could be to implement your own custom mnemonic dictionary. However, this approach has the risk of permanently losing access to your funds if not implemented correctly.

If done properly, you could potentially end up with a highly secure backup, as no one else would be able to derive the seed phrase from it. To create your custom dictionary, assign a unique number from 1 to 2048 to a word of your choice. Maybe you could use a book, and index the first 2048 unique words that appear. Make sure to store this book and even get a couple copies of it (digitally and phisically).

This self-curated set of words will serve as your personal BIP-39 dictionary. When you need to translate between your custom dictionary and the official BIP-39 wordlist, simply use the index number to find the corresponding word in either list.

Never write the idex or words on your computer (Do not use Ctr+F)

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kycnot.me features a somewhat hidden tool that some users may not be aware of. Every month, an automated job crawls every listed service's Terms of Service (ToS) and FAQ pages and conducts an AI-driven analysis, generating a comprehensive overview that highlights key points related to KYC and user privacy.

Here's an example: Changenow's Tos Review

Why?

ToS pages typically contain a lot of complicated text. Since the first versions of kycnot.me, I have tried to provide users a comprehensive overview of what can be found in such documents. This automated method keeps the information up-to-date every month, which was one of the main challenges with manual updates.

A significant part of the time I invest in investigating a service for kycnot.me involves reading the ToS and looking for any clauses that might indicate aggressive KYC practices or privacy concerns. For the past four years, I performed this task manually. However, with advancements in language models, this process can now be somewhat automated. I still manually review the ToS for a quick check and regularly verify the AI’s findings. However, over the past three months, this automated method has proven to be quite reliable.

Having a quick ToS overview section allows users to avoid reading the entire ToS page. Instead, you can quickly read the important points that are grouped, summarized, and referenced, making it easier and faster to understand the key information.

Limitations

This method has a key limitation: JS-generated pages. For this reason, I was using Playwright in my crawler implementation. I plan to make a release addressing this issue in the future. There are also sites that don't have ToS/FAQ pages, but these sites already include a warning in that section.

Another issue is false positives. Although not very common, sometimes the AI might incorrectly interpret something harmless as harmful. Such errors become apparent upon reading; it's clear when something marked as bad should not be categorized as such. I manually review these cases regularly, checking for anything that seems off and then removing any inaccuracies.

Overall, the automation provides great results.

How?

There have been several iterations of this tool. Initially, I started with GPT-3.5, but the results were not good in any way. It made up many things, and important thigs were lost on large ToS pages. I then switched to GPT-4 Turbo, but it was expensive. Eventually, I settled on Claude 3 Sonnet, which provides a quality compromise between GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 Turbo at a more reasonable price, while allowing a generous 200K token context window.

I designed a prompt, which is open source^1, that has been tweaked many times and will surely be adjusted further in the future.

For the ToS scraping part, I initially wrote a scraper API using Playwright^2, but I replaced it with Jina AI Reader^3, which works quite well and is designed for this task.

Non-conflictive ToS

All services have a dropdown in the ToS section called "Non-conflictive ToS Reviews." These are the reviews that the AI flagged as not needing a user warning. I still provide these because I think they may be interesting to read.

Feedback and contributing

You can give me feedback on this tool, or share any inaccuraties by either opening an issue on Codeberg^4 or by contacting me ^5.

You can contribute with pull requests, which are always welcome, or you can support this project with any of the listed ways.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Smarter Web Company Raises £29.3M to Grow Bitcoin Holdings

The Smarter Web Company, a UK-based web design and digital services firm, has raised £29.3 million in a new funding round to support its Bitcoin treasury strategy.

JUST IN: Publicly traded The Smarter Web Company raised £29.3M (~$37.1M) to buy more #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/n5k7XlLvie

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 16, 2025

The raise was completed through an accelerated bookbuild and a subscription with institutional investors. Shares were priced at £1.80 each, matching the closing bid on Friday, June 13. That price is more than double the company’s last fundraising round. 

“The Smarter Web Company is pleased to announce the successful completion of an Accelerated Bookbuild to institutional investors through Tennyson Securities and Peterhouse Capital Limited. A Subscription with Qualified Investors has also been completed, the company said. 

In total, more than 16.2 million new shares were issued—15.4 million through the bookbuild and about 854,000 through the subscription. 

With a high level of demand the Bookbuild and Subscription has raised approximately £29.3 million, well above the stated minimum of £15 million, through the issue of a total of 16,297,627 new ordinary shares of £0.001 each at £1.80 per share. The Offer Price was at the closing bid price on Friday 13 June 2025,” the company said. 

The raise comes just three days after the company revealed it had purchased 74.27 more Bitcoin for £5.98 million, bringing its total Bitcoin holdings to 242.34 BTC. Its average cost basis now sits at £78,793 per Bitcoin. 

“The Company believes that Bitcoin forms a core part of the future of the global financial system,” it said in both filings.  

Smarter Web started building its Bitcoin treasury strategy in 2023. 

“Since 2023 The Smarter Web Company has adopted a policy of accepting payment in Bitcoin. The Company is pioneering the adoption of a Bitcoin Treasury Policy into its strategy.” 

The strategy was officially formalized in April, 2025 with the launch of its “10 Year Plan,” seeing Bitcoin play a key role in its financial structure. 

Admission of the new shares is expected around June 19, after which the company’s total shares in issue will rise to over 220 million. 

With this raise, Smarter Web continues to stand out as one of the few UK-listed companies actively building a corporate Bitcoin treasury. 

This post Smarter Web Company Raises £29.3M to Grow Bitcoin Holdings first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

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These reviews are sponsored, yet the sponsorship does not influence the outcome of the evaluations. 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. Reviews are in collaboration with Orangefren.

The review

Swapter.io is an all-purpose instant exchange. They entered the scene in the depths of the bear market about 2 years ago in June of 2022.

| Pros | Cons | | --------------- | ---------------------------------- | | Low fees | Shotgun KYC with opaque triggers | | Large liquidity | Relies on 3rd party liquidity | | Works over Tor | Front-end not synced with back-end | | Pretty UI | |

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Service Website: swapter.io

⚠️ There is an ongoing issue with this service: read more on Reddit.

Test Trades

During our testing we performed a trade from XMR to LTC, and then back to XMR.

Our first trade had the ID of: mpUitpGemhN8jjNAjQuo6EvQ. We were promised 0.8 LTC for sending 0.5 XMR, before we sent the Monero. When the Monero arrived we were sent 0.799 LTC.

On the return journey we performed trade with ID: yaCRb5pYcRKAZcBqg0AzEGYg. This time we were promised 0.4815 XMR for sending 0.799 LTC. After Litecoin arrived we were sent 0.4765 XMR.

As such we saw a discrepancy of ~0.1% in the first trade and ~1% in the second trade. Considering those trades were floating we determine the estimates presented in the UI to be highly accurate and honest.

Of course Swapter could've been imposing a large fee on their estimates, but we checked their estimates against CoinGecko and found the difference to be equivalent to a fee of just over 0.5%. Perfectly in line with other swapping services.

Trading

Swapter supports BTC, LTC, XMR and well over a thousand other coins. Sadly they don't support the Lightning Network. For the myriad of currencies they deal with they provide massive upper limits. You could exchange tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of dollars worth of cryptocurrency in a single trade (although we wouldn't recommend it).

The flip side to this is that Swapter relies on 3rd party liquidity. Aside from the large liqudity this also benefits the user insofar as it allows for very low fees. However, it also comes with a negative - the 3rd party gets to see all your trades. Unfortunately Swapter opted not to share where they source their liquidity in their Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.

KYC & AML policies

Swapter reserves the right to require its users to provide their full name, their date of birth, their address and government-issued ID. A practice known as "shotgun KYC". This should not happen often - in our testing it never did - however it's not clear when exactly it could happen. The AML & KYC policy provided on Swapter's website simply states they will put your trade on hold if their "risk scoring system [deems it] as suspicious".

Worse yet, if they determine that "any of the information [the] customer provided is incorrect, false, outdated, or incomplete" then Swapter may decide to terminate all of the services they provide to the user. What exactly would happen to their funds in such a case remains unclear.

The only clarity we get is that the Swapter policy outlines a designated 3rd party that will verify the information provided by the user. The third party's name is Sum & Substance Ltd, also simply known as samsub and available at sumsub.com

It's understandable that some exchanges will decide on a policy of this sort, especially when they rely on external liquidity, but we would prefer more clarity be given. When exactly is a trade suspicious?

Tor

We were pleased to discover Swapter works over Tor. However, they do not provide a Tor mirror, nor do they work without JavaScript. Additionally, we found that some small features, such as the live chat, did not work over Tor. Fortunately, other means of contacting their support are still available.

UI

We have found the Swapter UI to be very modern, straightforward and simple to use. It's available in 4 languages (English, French, Dutch and Russian), although we're unable to vouch for the quality of some of those, the ones that we used seemed perfectly serviceable.

Our only issue with the UI was that it claims the funds have been sent following the trade, when in reality it seems to take the backend a minute or so to actually broadcast the transaction.

Getting in touch

Swapter's team has a chat on their website, a support email address and a support Telegram. Their social media presence in most active on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter).

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.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Leading OnChain Comms Agency Melrose PR Joins Decentralized Gentleman’s Club with Rare Pepe Inscription on Bitcoin

LOS ANGELES, CA — Melrose PR, the leading onchain communications agency, officially joins Decentralized Gentlemen Club (DGC) with the minting of a rare Pepe inscription on the Bitcoin blockchain. The Decentralized Gentlemen Club (DGC) will be the biggest collection on Bitcoin when complete at 3GB, which is twice as large as the next biggest collection. DGC is a Bitcoin-themed, meme-culture movement that champions decentralization, style, and storytelling. Each member is immortalized as a custom, tuxedo-clad Pepe — a digital gentleman inscribed as a massive, one-of-a-kind Ordinal on the Bitcoin blockchain. Melrose PR’s symbolic mint is a wizard frog (wearing a bowtie) representation of Melrose PR CEO Kelley Weaver.

“At Melrose, we believe in Bitcoin, not just as a technology powering the future of finance, but also as a foundation for community,” said CEO Kelley Weaver. “This is why we’re delighted to join DGC with our Pepe inscription and be part of a community of meme lords, pioneers, and visionaries who value elegance, independence, and on-chain legacy.”

Since 2016, Melrose has represented some of the most innovative projects across Bitcoin infrastructure, crypto-native venture capital, blockchain-AI convergence, and Web3 networks. Their addition to DGC signals the importance of narrative in the next wave of Bitcoin culture.

“Kelley’s wizard inscription is more than just art—it’s an eternal membership,” said Mr. Bitcoin Beast, spokesperson for the Decentralized Gentlemen Club. “She understands that great storytelling isn’t optional. It’s essential. And there’s no better pepe wizard to help tell the tale of this movement.”

Melrose’s inscription in the DGC collection features Kelley Weaver in full arcane regalia, casting spells of signal over noise, clarity over confusion, and truth over trend. The JPEG, weighing in at 388 kilobytes, stands among the largest onchain artworks in Bitcoin history.

As the biggest Ordinals collection ever attempted, DGC is pushing the technical boundaries of what can be inscribed on Bitcoin. 2500 pieces have been minted so far out of the total 10,000. To join the DGC movement, you can mint your own Degent and submit the inscription ID to the DGC Telegram or you can buy a verified DGC Ordinal at Magic Eden: https://magiceden.us/ordinals/marketplace/degentclub

About the Decentralized Gentlemen Club

The Decentralized Gentlemen Club is a 10,000-piece Bitcoin Ordinal collection featuring tuxedoed Pepe-style frogs immortalized as large-inscription art. Each Gentleman represents a unique membership in the emergent cultural layer of Bitcoin—combining elegance, satire, and self-sovereignty. Get your forever Degent at https://degent.club

About Melrose PR

Melrose PR is a leading onchain communications firm focused on delivering the highest quality results for bitcoin and crypto companies. Founded in 2016, Melrose PR is known for its strategic approach based on intimate knowledge of the unique crypto media landscape. The agency’s relationships across mainstream business, finance, tech, and crypto outlets form the foundation for the team’s success in meeting and exceeding their clients’ goals.

---

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored press release. Readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence before acting on any information presented in this article.

This post Leading OnChain Comms Agency Melrose PR Joins Decentralized Gentleman’s Club with Rare Pepe Inscription on Bitcoin first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Melrose.

@ 39cc53c9:27168656

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“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.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Canadian Company Universal Digital Launches Bitcoin Treasury Strategy

Universal Digital Inc. (CSE: LFG) has announced it has launched a Bitcoin Treasury Strategy as a core pillar of its capital allocation framework, beginning with the divestment of altcoin holdings to accumulate Bitcoin under a new reserve model.

“Our Bitcoin Treasury Strategy marks a deliberate shift in how we manage capital – by holding Bitcoin as a long-term treasury asset, we aim to enhance balance sheet strength and align with the evolving global financial landscape,” said the CEO of the Company Tim Chan. “The framework we’ve established with GFA enables us to explore extending this model to Asia, where digital assets are gaining traction among public companies and institutional investors.”

The strategy is designed to increase long term net asset value while aligning Universal Digital with the broader global shift toward institutional adoption of BTC. The Company sees Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset and intends to implement the strategy in a transparent and phased manner.

Universal Digital plans to work with publicly traded companies across Asia to introduce Bitcoin treasury models. Eastern Asia, led by markets such as Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, accounted for 8.9% of global on-chain crypto transaction volume between July 2023 and June 2024, according to the press release.

“Universal Digital’s and its management’s experience with the crypto and Bitcoin treasury combined with our expertise on the Japanese markets makes us a strong team,” stated Gen Matsuda, CEO of Ground Financial Advisory Co. “I look forward to working closely with Universal Digital to introduce bitcoin reserve model to Japanese listed companies.”

As part of its expansion into Asia, Universal Digital signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 12, 2025, with Ground Financial Advisory Co., a Tokyo stock exchange listed financial and technology group. The partnership aims to develop Bitcoin based corporate finance models for the Japanese market.

Under the MOU, the companies will jointly explore: 

• Implementing Bitcoin reserve models for publicly listed companies in Japan.
• Designing capital raising instruments such as warrants and market-based offerings to support Bitcoin acquisitions.
• Strengthening frameworks for digital asset governance, investor relations, and secure custody.

This collaboration may also extend to joint investments in public companies, the creation of blockchain-enabled corporate structures, and projects that integrate Bitcoin with cultural intellectual property and Web3-driven consumer ecosystems, according to the release. The agreement was signed on an arm’s length basis, with no related party interests between Universal Digital and GFA.

This post Canadian Company Universal Digital Launches Bitcoin Treasury Strategy first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

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Bitcoin Magazine

Canadian Company Universal Digital Launches Bitcoin Treasury Strategy

Universal Digital Inc. (CSE: LFG) has announced it has launched a Bitcoin Treasury Strategy as a core pillar of its capital allocation framework, beginning with the divestment of altcoin holdings to accumulate Bitcoin under a new reserve model.

“Our Bitcoin Treasury Strategy marks a deliberate shift in how we manage capital – by holding Bitcoin as a long-term treasury asset, we aim to enhance balance sheet strength and align with the evolving global financial landscape,” said the CEO of the Company Tim Chan. “The framework we’ve established with GFA enables us to explore extending this model to Asia, where digital assets are gaining traction among public companies and institutional investors.”

The strategy is designed to increase long term net asset value while aligning Universal Digital with the broader global shift toward institutional adoption of BTC. The Company sees Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset and intends to implement the strategy in a transparent and phased manner.

Universal Digital plans to work with publicly traded companies across Asia to introduce Bitcoin treasury models. Eastern Asia, led by markets such as Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, accounted for 8.9% of global on-chain crypto transaction volume between July 2023 and June 2024, according to the press release.

“Universal Digital’s and its management’s experience with the crypto and Bitcoin treasury combined with our expertise on the Japanese markets makes us a strong team,” stated Gen Matsuda, CEO of Ground Financial Advisory Co. “I look forward to working closely with Universal Digital to introduce bitcoin reserve model to Japanese listed companies.”

As part of its expansion into Asia, Universal Digital signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 12, 2025, with Ground Financial Advisory Co., a Tokyo stock exchange listed financial and technology group. The partnership aims to develop Bitcoin based corporate finance models for the Japanese market.

Under the MOU, the companies will jointly explore: 

• Implementing Bitcoin reserve models for publicly listed companies in Japan.
• Designing capital raising instruments such as warrants and market-based offerings to support Bitcoin acquisitions.
• Strengthening frameworks for digital asset governance, investor relations, and secure custody.

This collaboration may also extend to joint investments in public companies, the creation of blockchain-enabled corporate structures, and projects that integrate Bitcoin with cultural intellectual property and Web3-driven consumer ecosystems, according to the release. The agreement was signed on an arm’s length basis, with no related party interests between Universal Digital and GFA.

This post Canadian Company Universal Digital Launches Bitcoin Treasury Strategy first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

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https://stacker.news/items/1007600

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Bitcoin Magazine

Strategy Acquires 10,100 BTC, Surpasses 592,000 Bitcoin in Holdings 

Michael Saylor’s Strategy announces it has purchased an additional 10,100 BTC for approximately $1.05 billion, raising its total holdings to 592,100 BTC acquired at an average cost of $70,666 per Bitcoin.

BREAKING: STRATEGY BUYS ANOTHER 10,100 #BITCOIN pic.twitter.com/TZ6nosWenr

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 16, 2025

Strategy added another 10,100 Bitcoin to its treasury between June 9 and June 15, 2025, according to a Form 8-K filed Monday with the SEC. The company spent approximately $1.05 billion on the latest allocation, paying an average price of $104,080 per Bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses. 

This brings Strategy’s total holdings to 592,100 BTC, acquired at a cumulative cost of $41.84 billion, or an average price of $70,666 per Bitcoin, solidifying its status as the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.

The recent allocation was financed through multiple capital raises. Strategy tapped its STRK and STRF at-the-market offerings, and completed a $979.7 million public offering of STRD, its 10.00% Series A Perpetual Stride Preferred Stock, on June 10.

“The Bitcoin purchases were made using proceeds from the STRK ATM, STRF ATM, and STRD Offering,” the company stated.

In addition to the purchase, Strategy reported a 19.1% BTC yield year-to-date in 2025, reflecting the strength of its long-term bitcoin investment thesis. 

This latest acquisition follows a series of steady purchases throughout 2024 and early 2025. Strategy has continued to scale its position quarter over quarter, using capital market tools to accumulate Bitcoin as part of its strategy.

“Strategy continues to execute on its commitment to the Bitcoin standard,” the company stated in its filing. 

The company continues to emphasize transparency around its holdings. Its website, strategy.com, hosts a Bitcoin Dashboard that is regularly updated with BTC purchase details, securities activity, and performance metrics in compliance with Regulation FD.

Strategy’s move comes during increasing institutional adoption of Bitcoin in 2025. The company’s acquisition strategy and consistent messaging have made it a leader for corporate engagement with the digital asset. 

With its most recent buy, Strategy now holds over 592,000 Bitcoin, a significant portion of the asset’s fixed 21 million supply—showing its view of Bitcoin not just as an investment, but as a core component of its financial strategy.  

This post Strategy Acquires 10,100 BTC, Surpasses 592,000 Bitcoin in Holdings  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

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Silent.link is an anonymous eSIM provider. They offer pay-as-you-go roaming in 160+ countries.

Pros

• Anonymous
• Private payment options
• High performance
• Global availability

Cons

• Need to select the right networks sometimes
• Latency
• Data and incoming SMS & call only

Rating

★★★★★

Service website

Silent.link

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eSIMs replace traditional, physical SIM cards, if you have a fairly new phone, odds are it supports them. Since most people change their mobile carrier very rarely, the most common use case for these new eSIMs is their use in travel. Although their use as a piece of a larger OPSEC puzzle to improve privacy when using the internet from your phone is increasingly popular too.

Silent.link is not the only eSIM provider out there. Yet, they’re so unique that even Twitter’s (now X) founder Jack Dorsey recommends them.

Let’s start off with a quick explanation of how Silent.link works and what pay-as-you-go means. Most other eSIM providers will sell you packages of GBs with an expiration date. For instance imagine you’re visiting France then going to the UK after a few months. With other providers you might buy a 10GB in France package valid for 7 days, then after some months a 10GB in the UK package also valid for 7 days. You likely won’t use up the full package in either country and the remaining capacity will be voided as the package expires.

Silent.link’s pay-as-you-go is different. There are no geographic packages. There are no expiration dates. You simply have a balance denominated in USD and are charged as you use up the data according to the pricing of whichever local carrier you’re connecting via.

Preparing for the same trips from the example above you’d simply top-up your Silent.link balance with $10. Then you’d use Silent.link in France paying $1.33/GB, you’d only be charged for the exact amount used, then you’d go to the UK and pay $1.54/GB from the balance you had left over from France. It doesn’t matter how much time passes between the trips, because Silent.link balances don’t expire. If you have a balance left over you can use it on a future trip, or simply use it up in your home country.

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Pros

Anonymity

Silent.link is anonymous. Most other eSIM providers require some form of identification. This can be a traditional, full KYC, procedure involving your ID or passport numbers or, as seemingly innocent, as verifying your phone number with your main carrier. Regardless, a link between the eSIM you bought online and your identity is established.

In some countries you’ll be able to pick up a traditional SIM (or the new eSIM) from a local carrier without undergoing this verification. This can still be a hassle though. You’ll need to look up the laws before travelling, you’ll need to find a local store selling them, you’ll need to decide how you’ll pay privately, etc. And that’s the best case, that’s assuming the country you want to get the SIM in allows you to buy one anonymously.

Private payment methods

Silent.link only accepts cryptocurrency and according to their stats, most payments are made with Bitcoin (either onchain or using the Lightning Network) or with Monero. As such paying anonymously is not a problem. The use a self-hosted instance of BTCPay Server to process payments and operate their own LN node. The entire checkout process can be completed over Tor.

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Cons

Network selection

Although you can skip the hassle of buying a new eSIM every time you travel it’s a good idea to look up the pricing of different mobile networks in the country you’re going to. The differences can be trivial, but can also be 100x. If a specific mobile network offers a much better deal, you’ll probably want to dive into your phone’s settings to make sure it only connects to that network.

High prices for some regions

Second issue can be that, especially for poorer countries, Silent.link might not have the best prices. For instance if you travel to Angola you’ll end up paying $155.44/GB. But if you search around for other providers you’ll find eSIM that offer much lower prices for that same country.

Data & incoming SMS & calls only

These eSIMs are either data-only or only offer data and inbound sms and calls. You can’t use Silent.link eSIMs to send texts or make phone calls.

Latency

For most use-cases this shouldn’t matter, but the way roaming works is that when you’re abroad your data is first sent to your home country then sent out into the internet from there. For instance if you’re a Brit on holiday in Spain wherever you open up a website your phone communicates with the Spanish network who forwards the request to your home network in the UK and only there does the request start going towards the website you’re trying to load. The response takes the same path in reverse.

The home network for the Silent.link eSIMs is Poland. To take an extreme (antipodal) example, if you’re in Chile loading a Chilean website your request will go to Poland then back from Poland to the website’s server in Chile, then the response will go from Chile to Poland to you (in Chile). All those trips add latency. In our testing, done during the recent OrangeFren.com meetup in Istanbul, the difference was an additional 73ms. The bandwidth, however, was exceptional, easily surpassing 100 Mbps.

This latency issue isn’t unique to Silent.link, other eSIM providers usually suffer from it too, though their home network may be better suited for your latency needs. If you need the best latency we recommend a SIM from a local provider (or WiFi).

This proxy behaviour isn’t all negative however. It may potentially allow you to circumvent censorship or geoblocking if you’re trying to access resources available from Poland, but unavailable elsewhere.

Besides Istanbul one of the countries we also tested Silent.link in was Northern Cyprus. This territory is mostly unrecognized. It’s a country that, depending on who you ask, is or isn’t real. Despite this unresolved geopolitical status Silent.link performed without any issues.

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Installation

If you decide to give Silent.link a try, you'll need to select if you want a data-only plan or a plan with inbound SMS & calling, once you complete the payment simply scan the QR code on the order confirmation page with your phone. Make sure to save the url of that order confirmation page somewhere! You will need it to top up your eSIM and check your remaining balance.

Getting in touch

The preferred way of contacting Silent.link's support is using the website's built-in chat function. Alternative methods include X (formerly Twitter), Matrix and email.

Their support is online from 09:00 - 21:00 UTC although even when testing outside of those hours we got a reply within a minute.

NOTE: These reviews are sponsored, yet the sponsorship does not influence the outcome of the evaluations. 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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Bitcoin Magazine

Strategy Acquires 10,100 BTC, Surpasses 592,000 Bitcoin in Holdings 

Michael Saylor’s Strategy announces it has purchased an additional 10,100 BTC for approximately $1.05 billion, raising its total holdings to 592,100 BTC acquired at an average cost of $70,666 per Bitcoin.

BREAKING: STRATEGY BUYS ANOTHER 10,100 #BITCOIN pic.twitter.com/TZ6nosWenr

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 16, 2025

Strategy added another 10,100 Bitcoin to its treasury between June 9 and June 15, 2025, according to a Form 8-K filed Monday with the SEC. The company spent approximately $1.05 billion on the latest allocation, paying an average price of $104,080 per Bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses. 

This brings Strategy’s total holdings to 592,100 BTC, acquired at a cumulative cost of $41.84 billion, or an average price of $70,666 per Bitcoin, solidifying its status as the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.

The recent allocation was financed through multiple capital raises. Strategy tapped its STRK and STRF at-the-market offerings, and completed a $979.7 million public offering of STRD, its 10.00% Series A Perpetual Stride Preferred Stock, on June 10.

“The Bitcoin purchases were made using proceeds from the STRK ATM, STRF ATM, and STRD Offering,” the company stated.

In addition to the purchase, Strategy reported a 19.1% BTC yield year-to-date in 2025, reflecting the strength of its long-term bitcoin investment thesis. 

This latest acquisition follows a series of steady purchases throughout 2024 and early 2025. Strategy has continued to scale its position quarter over quarter, using capital market tools to accumulate Bitcoin as part of its strategy.

“Strategy continues to execute on its commitment to the Bitcoin standard,” the company stated in its filing. 

The company continues to emphasize transparency around its holdings. Its website, strategy.com, hosts a Bitcoin Dashboard that is regularly updated with BTC purchase details, securities activity, and performance metrics in compliance with Regulation FD.

Strategy’s move comes during increasing institutional adoption of Bitcoin in 2025. The company’s acquisition strategy and consistent messaging have made it a leader for corporate engagement with the digital asset. 

With its most recent buy, Strategy now holds over 592,000 Bitcoin, a significant portion of the asset’s fixed 21 million supply—showing its view of Bitcoin not just as an investment, but as a core component of its financial strategy.  

This post Strategy Acquires 10,100 BTC, Surpasses 592,000 Bitcoin in Holdings  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

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Bitcoin Magazine

Senator Hagerty’s Vision Beyond The GENIUS Act: Make Tennessee A Hub For Bitcoin Mining

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) has been in the headlines as of late as the GENIUS Act (S. 1582), a bill for which he was the primary sponsor, moves closer to passing in the U.S. Senate.

The GENIUS Act is a bill that, if enacted into law, would create a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins so that the technology can be more widely adopted. (While some Bitcoin enthusiasts may not like this, they should still pay attention to the language in the bill, as it could have an impact on U.S. citizens’ ability to use Bitcoin wallets privately.)

However, stablecoins aren’t the only thing on Senator Hagerty’s mind.

He’s also thinking about how to best produce and harness energy in Tennessee to use it for Bitcoin mining and AI compute.

He shared his vision on this topic with me in an interview I conducted with him at Bitcoin 2025:

Tennessee As A Hub For Bitcoin Mining and AI Compute

“We have an opportunity before us to be in the very lead,” Senator Hagerty told Bitcoin Magazine in regard to building nuclear facilities that can be used to produce energy for Bitcoin mining and AI processing.

“The largest utility in the world is the Tennessee Valley Authority — certainly the largest one in America — and I think we’ve got a unique opportunity here to move forward and become the energy hub of America,” he added.

“[We should] see more and more not only mining operations, but if you think about what Elon Musk is doing in Memphis with xAI, the data centers, the opportunities with artificial intelligence — there are many, many things that are going to happen in Tennessee.”

The Senator added that he believes the state can also strike partnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Tech as it works to become a more friendly destination for Bitcoin miners and data centers.

“We’ve got great opportunities [from] Memphis all the way across the state,” said Senator Hagerty.

Hagerty’s Call For Bipartisanship

Whether it’s working toward stablecoin legislation or crafting regulation that will enable industries like Bitcoin mining and data centers to thrive in the United States, Senator Hagerty believes these efforts should be inherently bipartisan.

“[These are] bipartisan — or nonpartisan issue[s] — frankly,” said the Senator.

“If you care about the competitiveness of America — if you want to see innovation happen on our shores rather than being pushed overseas — then you’re going to support what we’re trying to do in terms of putting a regulatory framework in place that will deliver certainty, that will create an ecosystem here in America that will allow these companies to thrive,” he added.

“It’s not just the stablecoin legislation I’m putting forward or what may happen with Bitcoin or other technologies like that. It’s the overall blockchain technology that’s going to help advance America beyond the 21st century. We need to stay in the lead. We can stay in the lead.”

This post Senator Hagerty’s Vision Beyond The GENIUS Act: Make Tennessee A Hub For Bitcoin Mining first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Frank Corva.

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Bitcoin Magazine

Senator Hagerty’s Vision Beyond The GENIUS Act: Make Tennessee A Hub For Bitcoin Mining

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) has been in the headlines as of late as the GENIUS Act (S. 1582), a bill for which he was the primary sponsor, moves closer to passing in the U.S. Senate.

The GENIUS Act is a bill that, if enacted into law, would create a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins so that the technology can be more widely adopted. (While some Bitcoin enthusiasts may not like this, they should still pay attention to the language in the bill, as it could have an impact on U.S. citizens’ ability to use Bitcoin wallets privately.)

However, stablecoins aren’t the only thing on Senator Hagerty’s mind.

He’s also thinking about how to best produce and harness energy in Tennessee to use it for Bitcoin mining and AI compute.

He shared his vision on this topic with me in an interview I conducted with him at Bitcoin 2025:

Tennessee As A Hub For Bitcoin Mining and AI Compute

“We have an opportunity before us to be in the very lead,” Senator Hagerty told Bitcoin Magazine in regard to building nuclear facilities that can be used to produce energy for Bitcoin mining and AI processing.

“The largest utility in the world is the Tennessee Valley Authority — certainly the largest one in America — and I think we’ve got a unique opportunity here to move forward and become the energy hub of America,” he added.

“[We should] see more and more not only mining operations, but if you think about what Elon Musk is doing in Memphis with xAI, the data centers, the opportunities with artificial intelligence — there are many, many things that are going to happen in Tennessee.”

The Senator added that he believes the state can also strike partnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Tech as it works to become a more friendly destination for Bitcoin miners and data centers.

“We’ve got great opportunities [from] Memphis all the way across the state,” said Senator Hagerty.

Hagerty’s Call For Bipartisanship

Whether it’s working toward stablecoin legislation or crafting regulation that will enable industries like Bitcoin mining and data centers to thrive in the United States, Senator Hagerty believes these efforts should be inherently bipartisan.

“[These are] bipartisan — or nonpartisan issue[s] — frankly,” said the Senator.

“If you care about the competitiveness of America — if you want to see innovation happen on our shores rather than being pushed overseas — then you’re going to support what we’re trying to do in terms of putting a regulatory framework in place that will deliver certainty, that will create an ecosystem here in America that will allow these companies to thrive,” he added.

“It’s not just the stablecoin legislation I’m putting forward or what may happen with Bitcoin or other technologies like that. It’s the overall blockchain technology that’s going to help advance America beyond the 21st century. We need to stay in the lead. We can stay in the lead.”

This post Senator Hagerty’s Vision Beyond The GENIUS Act: Make Tennessee A Hub For Bitcoin Mining first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Frank Corva.

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Bitcoin Magazine

Michael Saylor and Pakistan’s Crypto Minister Bilal Talk Bitcoin and Global Investment

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and State Minister of Crypto Bilal Bin Saqib, held a conversation recently with the Executive Chairman and CEO of Strategy, Michael Saylor, about Bitcoin and its potential role in Pakistan’s economy.

BREAKING: Pakistan’s Finance Minister and State Minister on Crypto Bilal just talked with Michael Saylor about #Bitcoin

Nation States are here pic.twitter.com/aa5tM5kKbY

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 15, 2025

Saylor highlighted the critical role of trust and leadership in attracting global capital, citing his own journey of turning a $400 million investment into a $40 billion market backed position through Bitcoin.

“Today, I will stay in touch with Bilal,” he said. “Pakistan has many brilliant people and a lot of people to do business with you. My company had less than $400 million to invest, but the markets gave me $40 billion because they trust us. And so the most important thing is leadership, intellectual leadership and that they trust you.”

Saylor further emphasized that trust and clarity of vision are what drive global capital flows.

“If the world trusts you and they hear your words, and you speak particularly, the capital and the capability will flow to Pakistan,” said Saylor. “It’s there, it wants to find a home and that’s what happened with our company. Our success is because we were clear and committed. And once the market decides who the leader is. They get behind the leader and they send their money to you. And I think they’d do it to Pakistan too. You have the most important thing, which is you have a commitment and a will and clarity here. So, I look forward to working with you.”

The new stance is a stark change for Pakistan, which had previously banned Bitcoin trading in 2018. On March 20, Bilal Bin Saqib told Bloomberg that Pakistan was planning to legalize Bitcoin and try to implement a regulatory framework to attract investors.

“Pakistan is done sitting on the sidelines,” said Saqib. “We want to attract international investment because Pakistan is a low-cost, high-growth market with 60% of the population under 30… Trump is making crypto a national priority, and every country, including Pakistan, will have to follow suit.”

During the 2025 Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, Saqib announced that Pakistan was creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve.

“Today, I will announce that the Pakistan government is setting up their own government led Bitcoin strategic reserve… and this wallet, the national Bitcoin wallet,” said Saqib. “It’s not for speculation or hype. We will be holding this Bitcoin and we will never ever sell them.”

This post Michael Saylor and Pakistan’s Crypto Minister Bilal Talk Bitcoin and Global Investment first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

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After almost 3 months of work, we've completed the redesign of kycnot.me. More modern and with many new features.

Privacy remains the foundation - everything still works with JavaScript disabled. If you enable JS, you will get some nice-to-have features like lazy loading and smoother page transitions, but nothing essential requires it.

User Accounts

We've introduced user accounts that require zero personal information:

• Secret user tokens - no email, no phone number, no personal data
• Randomly generated usernames for default privacy and fairness
• Karma system that rewards contributions and unlocks features: custom display names, profile pictures, and more.

Reviews and Community Discussions

On the previous sites, I was using third party open source tools for the comments and discussions. This time, I've built my own from scratch, fully integrated into the site, without JavaScript requirements.

Everyone can share their experiences and help others make informed decisions:

• Ratings: Comments can have a 1-5 star rating attached. You can have one rating per service and it will affect the overall user score.
• Discussions: These are normal comments, you can add them on any listed service.

Comment Moderation

I was strugling to keep up with moderation on the old site. For this, we've implemented an AI-powered moderation system that:

• Auto-approves legitimate comments instantly
• Flags suspicious content for human review
• Keeps discussions valuable by minimizing spam

The AI still can mark comments for human review, but most comments will get approved automatically by this system. The AI also makes summaries of the comments to help you understand the overall sentiment of the community.

Powerful Search & Filtering

Finding exactly what you need is now easier:

• Advanced filtering system with many parameters. You can even filter by attributes to pinpoint services with specific features.

The results are dynamic and shuffle services with identical scores for fairness.

See all listings

Listings are now added as 'Community Contributed' by default. This means that you can still find them in the search results, but they will be clearly marked as such.

Updated Scoring System

New dual-score approach provides more nuanced service evaluations:

• Privacy Score: Measures how well a service protects your personal information and data

• Trust Score: Assesses reliability, security, and overall reputation

• Combined into a weighted Overall Score for quick comparisons

• Completely transparent and open source calculation algorithm. No manual tweaking or hidden factors.

AI-Powered Terms of Service Analysis

Basically, a TLDR summary for Terms of Service:

• Automated system extracts the most important points from complex ToS documents
• Clear summaries
• Updated monthly to catch any changes

The ToS document is hashed and only will be updated if there are any changes.

Service Events and Timelines

Track the complete history of any service, on each service page you can see the timeline of events. There are two types of events:

• Automatic events: Created by the system whenever something about a service changes, like its description, supported currencies, attributes, verification status…
• Manual events: Added by admins when there’s important news, such as a service going offline, being hacked, acquired, shut down, or other major updates.

There is also a global timeline view available at /events

Notification System

Since we now have user accounts, we built a notifiaction system so you can stay informed about anything:

• Notifications for comment replies and status changes
• Watch any comment to get notified for new replies.
• Subscribe to services to monitor events and updates
• Notification customization.

Coming soon: Third-party privacy-preserving notifications integration with Telegram, Ntfy.sh, webhooks...

Service Suggestions

Anyone with an account can suggest a new service via the suggestion form. After submitting, you'll receive a tracking page where you can follow the status of your suggestion and communicate directly with admins.

All new suggestions start as "unlisted" — they won't appear in search results until reviewed. Our team checks each submission to ensure it's not spam or inappropriate. If similar services already exist, you'll be shown possible duplicates and can choose to submit your suggestion as an edit instead.

You can always check the progress of your suggestion, respond to moderator questions, and see when it goes live, everything will also be notified to your account. This process ensures high-quality listings and a collaborative approach to building the directory.

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These are some of the main features we already have, but there are many more small changes and improvements that you will find when using the site.

What's Next?

This is just the beginning. We will be constantly working to improve KYCnot.me and add more features that help you preserve your privacy.

Remember: True financial freedom requires the right to privacy. Stay KYC-free!

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Read the original blog post

Jump straight to the rules

Getting services and paying with cryptocurrencies comes with some risks that every user must understand. However, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce them.

The risks

Transactions are Irreversible

Cryptocurrency transactions are final and irreversible. Once you hit send, there's no chargeback option, no bank to call, and no dispute resolution (unless the recipient voluntarily returns your funds). This creates opportunities for bad actors to exploit.

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Shotgun KYC

One of the most predatory practices in the crypto space is Shotgun KYC (classified as level 3 on KYCnot.me). Here's how it typically unfolds:

1. You send your cryptocurrency to a service
2. After receiving your funds, they suddenly claim your coins are "dirty" or flagged
3. They hold your funds hostage, demanding extensive documentation
4. Even after compliance, they may continue requesting more information indefinitely until you can't no longer provide what they are requesting
5. Your funds remain frozen with no guarantee of release

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Transaction Scanning

Most crypto services use blockchain analysis to scan your coins' transaction history, assigning risk scores based on past associations. A low score doesn't mean you did anything wrong, you could have unknowingly received "tainted" coins from a simple P2P trade, inheriting a history that wasn't your fault.

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Other Concerns

• Limited Support: Many services operate with very small teams or even just a single person, offering minimal customer service. Even established services may ignore customer complaints or disputes.
• Exit Scams: A service that was apparently trustworthy and processing orders can disappear overnight, taking users' funds with them.
• No Regulatory Recourse: Very limited legal protections compared to traditional financial services

The rules

Rule #1: Batch Your Amounts

Avoid sending a large amount in a single transaction, instead, divide your trades into smaller batches. If something goes wrong with one batch, you haven't lost everything. Always remember that crypto transactions are final and irreversible.

Some services scam users selectively: they process smaller transactions normally to build trust, then freeze larger amounts when they detect high-value transfers.

Yes, batching means paying more fees, but it's almost always worth paying the extra rather than losing your entire amount to a scam or frozen trade.

A surprising number of people report losing significant funds in a single, large transaction. Start small, build confidence through successful transactions, and always maintain reasonable batch sizes even with "trusted" services.

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Rule #2: Record Everything

When problems arise, services tend to mysteriously "lose" records, delete order pages, or even deny entire conversations. Keeping good records become very valuable against fraud and negligence.

Take screenshots and save them until you are satisfied with the service:

• Ensure timestamps are visible when possible
• Capture full pages, not just portions
• Make sure the URL is always visible

You can also use websites like archive.is to take snapshots of each step of the process, or use the Single File browser extension to snapshot the entire site in a single html file. This extension will preserve exact page appearance, includes all embedded content and is easy to share and store. For email conversations, exporting the raw .eml file is best, as it retains all the original headers and metadata.

Make sure to keep all the blockchain evidence, such as transaction IDs and wallet addresses.

Remember: If it's not documented, it didn't happen in the eyes of dispute resolution. Make documentation a habit. This will grant you evidence for contacting support if there was an issue, and in the event of being scammed, effectively reporting the scam to the community.

---

Rule #3: Do Your Own Research

A quick investigation before operating with a service can save you from costly mistakes and frozen funds.

For service reviews, a starting point can be KYCnot.me. It's also wise to check popular forums like BitcoinTalk, TrustPilot, or Reddit. To search on specific sites, you can use site keyword on any search engine, for example, this shows all mentions of "Bisq" on BitcoinTalk.

If you are about to use a service without existing reviews, you're taking a risk, but you could help others by documenting it. Write a detailed review and add supporting evidence to increase your credibility. Your feedback will help building a knowledge base that protects the community from bad actors and unreliable services. Leaving reviews on KYCnot.me is very easy and does not require any personal data.

Spend at least five minutes researching any new service before sending funds. This small time investment can reveal crucial information about reliability, processing times, and potential issues.

---

Rule #4: Ask for AML Checks

Most services will offer you a free AML score check before sending your funds, but they rarely advertise this. If you're dealing with a service known for freezing funds, requesting a pre-transaction AML check can save you from having your cryptocurrency held hostage.

Simply contact the service's support before sending any funds and explain your situation:

"I'd like to use your service but want to avoid KYC. Can you perform an AML check on my transaction before I send the funds?"

This check should always be free, if they ask for payment, consider it a red flag.

Never send funds to a third party to get an AML check. To prepare for the check, it's best to consolidate the funds into a single address in your own wallet. Then, you only need to share that public address for the analysis. Your funds should never leave your possession.

DIY AML Checking Options

You can also run these checks yourself using services like AMLBot (paid service) or the free AML scanners available in Blockchair's dApps section. These tools analyze your transaction history and provide risk scores based on various algorithms.

However, different AML services use different algorithms and metrics, so you might get varying risk scores for the same transaction. As you see in the image above, one service would flag your coins as medium-risk while another considers them clean. So to be 100% sure, it is always better to ask the service you want to interact with for the pre-trade AML check rather than checking it yourself.

Taking a few minutes to request an AML check can prevent problems like the permanent loss of your funds. A service that respects your privacy will have no problem with this reasonable request.

---

Rule #5: Seek fungibility

To protect yourself from arbitrary fund freezing and "dirty coin" accusations, simply use privacy coins whenever possible. While transparent blockchains expose your entire transaction history to scrutiny, privacy coins make these predatory scanning practices completely useless.

Traditional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum operate on transparent blockchains where every transaction is publicly visible forever. This means not all coins are treated equally. A Bitcoin you received might be worth less than another Bitcoin simply because of its transaction history, even when you had nothing to do with that history.

Even if you try to break the history with mixers or coinjoins, you are leaving patterns that will also taint the coins. Once they are marked as "tainted" by blockchain analysis, that reputation follows them indefinitely, you can even be penalized for transactions that occurred years before you owned the cryptocurrency, creating an unfair system of inherited blame.

Monero's privacy-by-default architecture makes transaction scanning impossible. Legitimate services that respect user privacy usually welcome privacy coins. Services that discriminate against privacy coins often have ulterior motives.

Using privacy coins is often simpler because you don't need to worry about coin history or risk scores. So, any chance you get to use a privacy coin such as Monero, just do it.

Conclusion

Even by following all these rules, you're still assuming a certain level of risk. However, by following these simple safety measures, you will dramatically reduce your exposure to scams, fund freezes, and predatory practices. And, if a problem occurs, having good evidence is your best defense. Records like screenshots and transaction histories are essential for resolving disputes and reporting scams to protect others.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Trump Media Files to Launch Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF 

Trump Media & Technology Group has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, B.T.

The ETF will directly hold Bitcoin and Ether, with an initial allocation of 75% Bitcoin and 25% Ether. Shares of the fund will be offered to investors to track the performance of these assets and are expected to trade on NYSE Arca once approved. 

JUST IN: Registration statement for Trump Media's Bitcoin Treasury deal was declared effective by the SEC pic.twitter.com/PFyy44qXxH

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 13, 2025

Crypto.com has been selected as the exclusive custodian, prime execution agent, staking, and liquidity provider for the ETF. Yorkville America Digital, LLC is the sponsor of the fund.

According to the company’s announcement, “The launch of the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF is pending effectiveness of the Registration Statement as well as approval of a Form 19b-4 filing with the SEC.” 

The fund is structured as a Nevada business trust. Shares will be issued and redeemed in blocks of 10,000 by authorized participants, with cash used for creation and redemption. The ETF may offer in-kind transactions in the future, pending additional regulatory approval. 

Trump Media acknowledged, “A registration statement relating to the Shares has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. The Shares may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.” 

The ETF is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which typically governs mutual funds and traditional ETFs by imposing rules on investor protections, disclosures, and fund operations. Because the ETF holds Bitcoin and Ether directly rather than securities, it qualifies as a grantor trust and is exempt from these requirements. 

The ETF filing also reflects Trump Media’s strategy to establish a presence in the digital asset space beyond social media and streaming. With the development of its financial services arm, Truth.Fi, the company is clearly positioning itself to compete in the growing digital asset space.  

If approved, the Truth Social ETF would give investors a direct, regulated path into both Bitcoin and Ether through one fund. As Trump Media expands its presence in financial services, the move signals a clear intention to compete in the space. 

This post Trump Media Files to Launch Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

@ a396e36e:ec991f1c

🎯 The Invisible Hands Behind Bitcoin: How Market Makers Quietly Control the Price If you’ve ever looked at the Bitcoin chart and thought, “This makes no sense” — you’re right. What looks like chaos is often orchestrated. While the crypto world celebrates decentralization and “free markets,” the reality is murkier. Behind many of Bitcoin’s wild swings are market makers, whales, and even exchanges themselves, subtly (or not so subtly) steering the price.

This isn’t a conspiracy theory. It’s a pattern. And it’s been happening for over a decade.

🧰 Classic Manipulation Tactics Let’s start with the usual suspects:

Spoofing: Fake buy or sell orders create false demand or panic. In 2017, an anonymous whale nicknamed Spoofy manipulated Bitfinex’s order books with massive spoof orders. No one knows who he was — but traders tracked his behavior for months.

Wash Trading: Exchanges faking volume by buying and selling to themselves. Bitwise reported in 2019 that 95% of crypto trading volume was fake. Yes, 95%.

Pump-and-Dump Schemes: Coordinated social hype, then a rug pull. Still common in altcoins, but BTC isn't immune.

Bear Raids: Dumping thousands of BTC to trigger cascading liquidations. In 2019, one 5,000 BTC market sell on Bitstamp led to $250M in liquidations on BitMEX.

Front-Running: Exchanges or insiders trading ahead of big orders — an invisible tax on every retail move.

🕳️ Down the Rabbit Hole: Advanced and Hidden Tactics What you don’t see is even worse.

Stop-Loss Hunting: Price pushed to obvious stop zones, liquidating small traders, then bouncing.

Long/Short Squeezes: Whales deliberately cause liquidation cascades by leveraging market structure.

Cross-Exchange Price Engineering: Manipulate BTC price on a small exchange that affects global indices.

Fake News & FUD Campaigns: Twitter rumors. Telegram raids. Even fake press releases.

Exchange Collusion or Insider Trading: Who polices the exchanges when they are the ones trading?

🐳 Case Studies That Should Scare You Mt. Gox Bots (2013): “Willy” and “Markus” bought BTC with fake money. Pushed price from $150 to $1,000.

Tether & Bitfinex (2017): Academic research shows newly printed USDT was used systematically to buy dips — possibly inflating BTC’s rally to $20k.

Upbit (Korea): Prosecuted for $226B in fake trades.

Operation Token Mirrors (2024): FBI sting revealed market makers offering wash-trading and pump services as a business.

🧠 This Isn’t Just Theory — Regulators Know It Too The SEC refused to approve a spot BTC ETF for years, citing manipulation risk.

The CFTC and DOJ have brought spoofing and wash trading cases — and are still investigating.

The EU’s MiCA law now treats crypto market abuse the same as securities fraud.

💣 And Retail? You're the Exit Liquidity While whales dump, retail buys the dip.

In both the Terra-LUNA crash (May 2022) and FTX collapse (Nov 2022), blockchain data showed whales exiting while small holders were buying. The net result? Whales got out. You got rekt.

Bitcoin’s volatility isn’t just “the market doing its thing.” Often, it’s someone making you believe it’s safe — until it isn’t.

🔍 The Good News: It’s Getting Harder to Hide Nasdaq’s SMARTS surveillance system is now used by major exchanges.

Proof-of-Reserves audits are more common post-FTX.

Whale alerts and on-chain tools let savvy traders track big moves.

EU regulations (MiCA) now criminalize manipulation across Europe.

But until enforcement is global and airtight, Bitcoin remains manipulable. The game is still tilted — and the house usually wins.

🧭 Final Thought: Don’t Be Naïve Bitcoin is powerful. It’s freedom tech. But its price is not pure. It’s not just a function of adoption and demand. It’s shaped, poked, prodded, and occasionally hijacked by entities with deeper pockets, faster bots, and better information than you.

Until transparency, regulation, and decentralization catch up, every trader should assume one thing:

The market is rigged — but sometimes you can still play the game.

@ f0fd6902:a2fbaaab

Round 1 In Austria is now officially ON !! Head over to our website and sign up for the first 3 events of the 2025 season. The season will kick off at the ski resort of Axamer-Lizum, 20 minutes from the town of Innsbruck in Austria. This will be a very high speed course, with decent surface that will test riders’ nerves. There are two big straights both culminating in two big hairpin turns. The track is wide where drafting and overtaking opportunities will be plenty. The event race village will be located at the top of the hill in the big car park of the ski resort, where there will be food, drinks and toilets available. Accommodation will also be provided at the resort, making this will be a compact event set up, with the start line a kilometre or so down the road which can be accessed by car, skate or on foot.

TRACK INFO: Round 1 in Austria is now officially ON !! Head over to our website and sign up for the first 3 events of the 2025 season. The course runs down Hoadlstraße, the access road to the Axamer Lizum ski resort, the largest ski resort near Innsbruck. The course starts, about 1 kilometer from the ski resort, on a steep, straight section. After building up speed there is a long right hand sweeper bringing the racers to the first of three hairpins. The course will finish 3 kilometers later shortly after the final hairpin. Length: 3.3 kilometers Hairpins: 3 Average Grade: 9.2% Steepest Grade: 21.8% https://maps.app.goo.gl/cuQaAbie7zH2Zhjn7

Full Event :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHWnaQHcH74&ab_channel=WDSC

Results Women and Men in Stand up & Streetluge :

Link WDSC: https://worlddownhillskateboardingchampionship.com/

https://stacker.news/items/1007568

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Michael Saylor and Pakistan’s Crypto Minister Bilal Talk Bitcoin and Global Investment

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and State Minister of Crypto Bilal Bin Saqib, held a conversation recently with the Executive Chairman and CEO of Strategy, Michael Saylor, about Bitcoin and its potential role in Pakistan’s economy.

BREAKING: Pakistan’s Finance Minister and State Minister on Crypto Bilal just talked with Michael Saylor about #Bitcoin

Nation States are here pic.twitter.com/aa5tM5kKbY

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 15, 2025

Saylor highlighted the critical role of trust and leadership in attracting global capital, citing his own journey of turning a $400 million investment into a $40 billion market backed position through Bitcoin.

“Today, I will stay in touch with Bilal,” he said. “Pakistan has many brilliant people and a lot of people to do business with you. My company had less than $400 million to invest, but the markets gave me $40 billion because they trust us. And so the most important thing is leadership, intellectual leadership and that they trust you.”

Saylor further emphasized that trust and clarity of vision are what drive global capital flows.

“If the world trusts you and they hear your words, and you speak particularly, the capital and the capability will flow to Pakistan,” said Saylor. “It’s there, it wants to find a home and that’s what happened with our company. Our success is because we were clear and committed. And once the market decides who the leader is. They get behind the leader and they send their money to you. And I think they’d do it to Pakistan too. You have the most important thing, which is you have a commitment and a will and clarity here. So, I look forward to working with you.”

The new stance is a stark change for Pakistan, which had previously banned Bitcoin trading in 2018. On March 20, Bilal Bin Saqib told Bloomberg that Pakistan was planning to legalize Bitcoin and try to implement a regulatory framework to attract investors.

“Pakistan is done sitting on the sidelines,” said Saqib. “We want to attract international investment because Pakistan is a low-cost, high-growth market with 60% of the population under 30… Trump is making crypto a national priority, and every country, including Pakistan, will have to follow suit.”

During the 2025 Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, Saqib announced that Pakistan was creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve.

“Today, I will announce that the Pakistan government is setting up their own government led Bitcoin strategic reserve… and this wallet, the national Bitcoin wallet,” said Saqib. “It’s not for speculation or hype. We will be holding this Bitcoin and we will never ever sell them.”

This post Michael Saylor and Pakistan’s Crypto Minister Bilal Talk Bitcoin and Global Investment first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Trump Media Files to Launch Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF 

Trump Media & Technology Group has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, B.T.

The ETF will directly hold Bitcoin and Ether, with an initial allocation of 75% Bitcoin and 25% Ether. Shares of the fund will be offered to investors to track the performance of these assets and are expected to trade on NYSE Arca once approved. 

JUST IN: Registration statement for Trump Media's Bitcoin Treasury deal was declared effective by the SEC pic.twitter.com/PFyy44qXxH

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 13, 2025

Crypto.com has been selected as the exclusive custodian, prime execution agent, staking, and liquidity provider for the ETF. Yorkville America Digital, LLC is the sponsor of the fund.

According to the company’s announcement, “The launch of the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF is pending effectiveness of the Registration Statement as well as approval of a Form 19b-4 filing with the SEC.” 

The fund is structured as a Nevada business trust. Shares will be issued and redeemed in blocks of 10,000 by authorized participants, with cash used for creation and redemption. The ETF may offer in-kind transactions in the future, pending additional regulatory approval. 

Trump Media acknowledged, “A registration statement relating to the Shares has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. The Shares may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.” 

The ETF is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which typically governs mutual funds and traditional ETFs by imposing rules on investor protections, disclosures, and fund operations. Because the ETF holds Bitcoin and Ether directly rather than securities, it qualifies as a grantor trust and is exempt from these requirements. 

The ETF filing also reflects Trump Media’s strategy to establish a presence in the digital asset space beyond social media and streaming. With the development of its financial services arm, Truth.Fi, the company is clearly positioning itself to compete in the growing digital asset space.  

If approved, the Truth Social ETF would give investors a direct, regulated path into both Bitcoin and Ether through one fund. As Trump Media expands its presence in financial services, the move signals a clear intention to compete in the space. 

This post Trump Media Files to Launch Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Jenna Montgomery.

@ 5d4b6c8d:8a1c1ee3

Today wasn't great from a ~HealthAndFitness perspective: poor sleep, junk food, no fast. At least I did get a decent amount of activity and take a cold shower.

How did other stackers fare on Father's Day?

https://stacker.news/items/1007373