@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

In much of the world, it is incredibly difficult to access U.S. dollars. Local currencies are often poorly managed and riddled with corruption. Billions of people demand a more reliable alternative. While the dollar has its own issues of corruption and mismanagement, it is widely regarded as superior to the fiat currencies it competes with globally. As a result, Tether has found massive success providing low cost, low friction access to dollars. Tether claims 400 million total users, is on track to add 200 million more this year, processes 8.1 million transactions daily, and facilitates $29 billion in daily transfers. Furthermore, their estimates suggest nearly 40% of users rely on it as a savings tool rather than just a transactional currency.

Tether’s rise has made the company a financial juggernaut. Last year alone, Tether raked in over $13 billion in profit, with a lean team of less than 100 employees. Their business model is elegantly simple: hold U.S. Treasuries and collect the interest. With over $113 billion in Treasuries, Tether has turned a straightforward concept into a profit machine.

Tether’s success has resulted in many competitors eager to claim a piece of the pie. This has triggered a massive venture capital grift cycle in USD tokens, with countless projects vying to dethrone Tether. Due to Tether’s entrenched network effect, these challengers face an uphill battle with little realistic chance of success. Most educated participants in the space likely recognize this reality but seem content to perpetuate the grift, hoping to cash out by dumping their equity positions on unsuspecting buyers before they realize the reality of the situation.

Historically, Tether’s greatest vulnerability has been U.S. government intervention. For over a decade, the company operated offshore with few allies in the U.S. establishment, making it a major target for regulatory action. That dynamic has shifted recently and Tether has seized the opportunity. By actively courting U.S. government support, Tether has fortified their position. This strategic move will likely cement their status as the dominant USD token for years to come.

While undeniably a great tool for the millions of users that rely on it, Tether is not without flaws. As a centralized, trusted third party, it holds the power to freeze or seize funds at its discretion. Corporate mismanagement or deliberate malpractice could also lead to massive losses at scale. In their goal of mitigating regulatory risk, Tether has deepened ties with law enforcement, mirroring some of the concerns of potential central bank digital currencies. In practice, Tether operates as a corporate CBDC alternative, collaborating with authorities to surveil and seize funds. The company proudly touts partnerships with leading surveillance firms and its own data reveals cooperation in over 1,000 law enforcement cases, with more than $2.5 billion in funds frozen.

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The global demand for Tether is undeniable and the company’s profitability reflects its unrivaled success. Tether is owned and operated by bitcoiners and will likely continue to push forward strategic goals that help the movement as a whole. Recent efforts to mitigate the threat of U.S. government enforcement will likely solidify their network effect and stifle meaningful adoption of rival USD tokens or CBDCs. Yet, for all their achievements, Tether is simply a worse form of money than bitcoin. Tether requires trust in a centralized entity, while bitcoin can be saved or spent without permission. Furthermore, Tether is tied to the value of the US Dollar which is designed to lose purchasing power over time, while bitcoin, as a truly scarce asset, is designed to increase in purchasing power with adoption. As people awaken to the risks of Tether’s control, and the benefits bitcoin provides, bitcoin adoption will likely surpass it.

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

Here’s a revised timeline of macro-level events from The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047 by Lionel Shriver, reimagined in a world where Bitcoin is adopted as a widely accepted form of money, altering the original narrative’s assumptions about currency collapse and economic control. In Shriver’s original story, the failure of Bitcoin is assumed amid the dominance of the bancor and the dollar’s collapse. Here, Bitcoin’s success reshapes the economic and societal trajectory, decentralizing power and challenging state-driven outcomes.

Part One: 2029–2032

• 2029 (Early Year)\ The United States faces economic strain as the dollar weakens against global shifts. However, Bitcoin, having gained traction emerges as a viable alternative. Unlike the original timeline, the bancor—a supranational currency backed by a coalition of nations—struggles to gain footing as Bitcoin’s decentralized adoption grows among individuals and businesses worldwide, undermining both the dollar and the bancor.

• 2029 (Mid-Year: The Great Renunciation)\ Treasury bonds lose value, and the government bans Bitcoin, labeling it a threat to sovereignty (mirroring the original bancor ban). However, a Bitcoin ban proves unenforceable—its decentralized nature thwarts confiscation efforts, unlike gold in the original story. Hyperinflation hits the dollar as the U.S. prints money, but Bitcoin’s fixed supply shields adopters from currency devaluation, creating a dual-economy split: dollar users suffer, while Bitcoin users thrive.

• 2029 (Late Year)\ Dollar-based inflation soars, emptying stores of goods priced in fiat currency. Meanwhile, Bitcoin transactions flourish in underground and online markets, stabilizing trade for those plugged into the bitcoin ecosystem. Traditional supply chains falter, but peer-to-peer Bitcoin networks enable local and international exchange, reducing scarcity for early adopters. The government’s gold confiscation fails to bolster the dollar, as Bitcoin’s rise renders gold less relevant.

• 2030–2031\ Crime spikes in dollar-dependent urban areas, but Bitcoin-friendly regions see less chaos, as digital wallets and smart contracts facilitate secure trade. The U.S. government doubles down on surveillance to crack down on bitcoin use. A cultural divide deepens: centralized authority weakens in Bitcoin-adopting communities, while dollar zones descend into lawlessness.

• 2032\ By this point, Bitcoin is de facto legal tender in parts of the U.S. and globally, especially in tech-savvy or libertarian-leaning regions. The federal government’s grip slips as tax collection in dollars plummets—Bitcoin’s traceability is low, and citizens evade fiat-based levies. Rural and urban Bitcoin hubs emerge, while the dollar economy remains fractured.

Time Jump: 2032–2047

• Over 15 years, Bitcoin solidifies as a global reserve currency, eroding centralized control. The U.S. government adapts, grudgingly integrating bitcoin into policy, though regional autonomy grows as Bitcoin empowers local economies.

Part Two: 2047

• 2047 (Early Year)\ The U.S. is a hybrid state: Bitcoin is legal tender alongside a diminished dollar. Taxes are lower, collected in BTC, reducing federal overreach. Bitcoin’s adoption has decentralized power nationwide. The bancor has faded, unable to compete with Bitcoin’s grassroots momentum.

• 2047 (Mid-Year)\ Travel and trade flow freely in Bitcoin zones, with no restrictive checkpoints. The dollar economy lingers in poorer areas, marked by decay, but Bitcoin’s dominance lifts overall prosperity, as its deflationary nature incentivizes saving and investment over consumption. Global supply chains rebound, powered by bitcoin enabled efficiency.

• 2047 (Late Year)\ The U.S. is a patchwork of semi-autonomous zones, united by Bitcoin’s universal acceptance rather than federal control. Resource scarcity persists due to past disruptions, but economic stability is higher than in Shriver’s original dystopia—Bitcoin’s success prevents the authoritarian slide, fostering a freer, if imperfect, society.

Key Differences

• Currency Dynamics: Bitcoin’s triumph prevents the bancor’s dominance and mitigates hyperinflation’s worst effects, offering a lifeline outside state control.
• Government Power: Centralized authority weakens as Bitcoin evades bans and taxation, shifting power to individuals and communities.
• Societal Outcome: Instead of a surveillance state, 2047 sees a decentralized, bitcoin driven world—less oppressive, though still stratified between Bitcoin haves and have-nots.

This reimagining assumes Bitcoin overcomes Shriver’s implied skepticism to become a robust, adopted currency by 2029, fundamentally altering the novel’s bleak trajectory.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

I'm sure some of you are already tired of the discussion around the H-1B visa program that was started on Christmas Eve by Vivek Ramaswamy and escalated by Elon Musk and others as the "Silicon Valley MAGA" coalition began putting forth legal immigration policy proposals for the incoming Trump administration. Core to their policy is the expansion of the H-1B visa program so that America can "recruit the best talent in the world" to come build the American economy.

Unfortunately, as it stands today - according to the Silicon Valley cognescenti, Americans are either a.) not smart enough to fulfill the roles necessary to enable the United States to maintain its lead as economic super power of the world or b.) expect too much in compensation for the available roles. At least this is my reading from the commentary I've seen over the last week.

What seems abundantly clear to me is that the framing put forth by "Silicon Valley MAGA" crew is disingenuous and self-serving. It has been clear for awhile now that the H-1B visa program is being systematically abused to bring in cheap labor from other countries to help drive down labor costs for companies across the spectrum. Not just Silicon Valley tech companies. The system has a loophole in it and it is being exploited. Bring people to the US via H-1B visas to complete work for you at lower costs and your company's financials are likely to be better off (assuming the work being done is productive and a value add to the company). Now, this isn't to say that everyone who is in the US via an H-1B visa is here because these companies want to exploit the loophole that gives them the ability to spend less on head count. However, based off the data from the database of the H-1B visa program it is abundantly clear that the system is being taken advantage of. Egregiously and at the expense of American workers, who are most certainly not (all) "subtarded".

Herein lies the crux of the problem; companies are abusing this program to get away from the problem of Americans demanding higher wages to maintain lives of dignity in a country run by a government that is chronically addicted to debt backed by a central bank that will print money ex-nihilo and at will to monetize that debt. Americans are then being scapegoated as either "lazy", "stupid" or "delusional about their worth in the work force". A classic straw man argument that avoids the root issue at hand; the money is broken and the broken money has created perverse incentives throughout the economy while also stripping Americans of the ability to properly save the value of their labor.

We live in a high velocity trash economy that rewards grift and waste while disincentivizing hard work that is meaningful to the quality of life of the Common Man. Everything has been hyper-financialized to the point that one of the only ways to make it ahead is to speculate on the flow of capital into certain asset classes, which is often determined by the whims of central planners. Another is to build or speculate on tech "innovations" that typically materialize in the form of attention zapping apps and widgets that help people temporarily forget they live in a high-velocity trash economy.

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and it is because they don't see a way out of the nihilistic rat race created (unknowingly to most) by the money printer.

The ability to print money out of nothing and throw it at everything creates misaligned incentives that result in the inability for the market to properly determine what is genuinely needed by the people instead of those who have learned how to game the broken system and its broken incentives.

One last point, I would be remiss not to acknowledge that many individuals in America aren't intellectually equipped to do some of the cutting edge work that may be necessary to produce the technologies and companies that will push the country forward. The high-velocity trash economy run on money printed out of nothing has completely corrupted the education system. People in the United States are literally dumber than they were five decades ago. That is a fact. But it is not only the fault of the American people themselves, but the corrupt system they have been born into that destroyed the education system with perverse incentives. And the overwhelming majority of the blame is on the system, not the people.

Even with that being said, the idea that we need to adopt a Tiger Mom mentality in the US - a culture of unrelenting devotion to studying STEM to the point that weekend sleepovers for kids are discouraged - is absolutely laughable and objectively un-American. There are plenty of incredibly intelligent, creative and driven young Americans who have contributed and will continue to contribute significantly to the American economy and they didn't need to shackle themselves to their desks to get that way. America isn't a country that was built by automatons. It's a country built by people who said, "Fuck you. Don't tell me what I can and cannot do. Watch this."

Despite the fact that a system has been erected that actively works against the average American system the American spirit lives on in the souls of many across the country. Miraculously. The American spirit is something that cannot simply be imported. It is ingrained in our culture. It is certainly beginning to dwindle as hope for a better future becomes more and more dim for the masses as the system works against them despite all their best efforts to succeed. It is imperative that we stoke the coals of the American spirit while it is still alive in those who are too stubborn to give up.

People need the ability to save their hard work in a money that cannot be debased. Opportunity cost needs to be reintroduced into the market so that things that actually add value and increase the quality of life for the Common Man are where hard money is allocated. And people need to start talking about the root of the problem more seriously instead of striking at branches with disingenuous straw man arguments.

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Final thought... Ready to go surfing.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

There was a bit of a rally in stock markets today, but this was a relief rally after taking a beating throughout the week. All eyes were on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell as he took the stage on Wednesday to announce the decisions made at the most recent FOMC meeting.

The market reacted negatively to another 0.25% cut from the Federal Reserve that many considered a "hawkish cut" due to the fact that Chairman Powell articulated that it is likely that there will be less rate cuts in 2025 than were previously expected. This is likely driven by the fact that inflation, as reported by the terribly inaccurate CPI, has been coming in higher than expectations. Signaling that the Fed does not, in fact, have inflation under control. Who could have seen that coming?

Here's how the US 10Y Treasury yield reacted to the announcement:

"Not great Bob!" The US 10Y Treasury yield is something that everyone should be paying attention to over the course of the next year. Since the Fed started cutting rates in September of this year, the 10Y yield has been acting anomalously compared to how it has acted historically after Fed interest rate decisions. Since September, the market has been calling the Fed's bluff on inflation and rates have been moving in the opposite direction compared to what would be expected if the Fed had things under control. The "hawkish cut" made on Wednesday is not a great sign. The Fed is being forced to recognize that it cut "too much too fast" before actually getting inflation under control.

One has to wonder why they made such aggressive moves in September. Why the need for a much more dovish stance as quickly as they moved? Do they see something behind the scenes of the banking system that makes them believe that another liquidity crisis was on the horizon and they needed to act to prevent yet another banking crisis? Now that it is clear that inflation isn't under control and if there really was a liquidity crisis on the horizon, what are the first two quarters of 2025 going to look like? Could we find ourselves in a situation where inflation is beginning to accelerate again, there is a liquidity crisis, and the Fed is forced to rush back ZIRP and QE only to further exacerbate inflation? Couple this potential scenario with the proposed economic policy from the incoming Trump administration and it isn't hard to see that we could be in for a period of economic pain.

One can only hope that the Fed and the incoming administration have the intestinal fortitude to let the market correct appropriately, reprice, clear out the bad assets and credit that exists in the system and let the cleanse happen relatively unperturbed. That has what has been desperately needed since 2008, arguably longer.

On that note, bitcoin is going through a bull market correction this week as well. Likely incited and/or exacerbated by the turmoil in traditional markets.

Many are proclaiming that the end of this bull market is here. Don't listen to those who have been hate tweeting bitcoin all the way up this year. They've been looking for a correction to bask in schadenfreude and confirm their biases. These types of corrections are to be expected when bitcoin runs by checks notes 100% over the course of less than three months. We're approaching the end of the year, which means that people are selling to prepare for taxes (which may be happening in the stock market as well). Add to this fact that long-term holders of bitcoin have taken the most profit they have since 2018 and it probably explains the recent pull back. Can't blame the long-term holders for seeing six-figure bitcoin and deciding to bolster their cash balances.

I couldn't be more bullish on bitcoin than I am right now. The fundamentals surrounding the market couldn't be more perfect. Despite what the Trump administration may have in store for us in terms of economic policy (I agree with most of the policies he has presented), I find it hard to believe that even he and the talented team of people he has surrounded himself with can overcome the momentum of the problems that have been building up in the system for the last 16-years.

The "find safety in sats" trade is going mainstream as the market becomes more familiar with bitcoin, its properties, and the fact that it is very unlikely that it is going to die. The fervor around bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset for nation states is only picking up. And if it catches on, we will enter territory for bitcoin that was considered utterly insane only a year ago.

On that note, Nic Carter made some buzz today with a piece he wrote for Bitcoin Magazine explaining why he believes a strategic bitcoin reserve is a bad idea for the US government.

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/politics/i-dont-support-a-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-and-neither-should-you

While I agree that the signal the US government could send by acquiring a bitcoin strategic reserve could be bad for the US treasuries market, I think it comes down to strategy. The Trump administration will have to think strategically about how they acquire their Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. If they ape in, it could send the wrong message and cause everyone to dump their treasuries, which are the most popular form of collateral in the global financial system. However, there are ways to acquire bitcoin slowly but surely from here into the future that ensure that the United States gets proper exposure to the asset to protect itself from the out-of-control debt problem while also providing itself with a way out of the problem. Many of these potential strategies were discussed in two recent episodes I recorded. One with Matthew Pines from the Bitcoin Policy Institute and another with Matthew Mežinskis from Porkopolis Economics. I highly recommend you all check those out (linked below).

https://youtu.be/xyyeEqFVjBY

https://youtu.be/6vgesP9LIXk

.---

Final thought...

I am the most locked in from a focus perspective while on flights. Even with two kids under 5. Merry Christmas, Freaks!

@ 472f440f:5669301e

The end of the first part of bitcoin's story has come to an end. Most of the story has yet to be written, but I feel confident in saying that reaching the $100,000 per bitcoin milestone is a clear demarcation between two distinct eras of bitcoin. Yes, we have hit the significant milestones of $1, $10, $100, $1,000, and $10,000 over the last fifteen years and they all felt significant. And they certainly were in their own right. However, hitting the "six figure" milestone feels a bit different.

One bitcoin is currently worth a respectable salary for an American citizen. Ten hunnid bands. Something that is impressive to the layman. This may not mean much to many who have been around bitcoin for some time. The idea of bitcoin hitting $100,000 was seen as a foregone conclusion for millions of people out there. Myself included. This price marker is simply an inevitability on the road to global reserve currency to us.

With that being said, it is important to put yourself in the shoes of those who have doubted bitcoin up to this point. For some reason or another, $100,000 bitcoin has been used as a price target that "will never be hit" for many of the naysayers.

"Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme."

"Tulips."

"Governments will ban it if it hits that point."

"It can't scale."

"It will be 51% attacked."

"No one will trust bitcoin."

"It can't be the world's money."

And yet, despite all of the kvetching from the haters over the years, here we are. Sitting above $100,000. Taking a short rest at the latest checkpoint en route to the peak of the mountain. We hovered right under $100,000 for a couple of weeks. Nominally, where we stand today is much closer to where we were last week compared to where we were six months ago. But for some reason the price tipping over $100,000 has catapulted bitcoin to a new playing field. Where bitcoin stood yesterday and where it found itself six months ago seem miles below where it is today. Crossing over the event horizon of six figures forces people to think of bitcoin in a different light. Almost as if we have entered another dimension.

The last year has been filled with a lead up to this crossing over of the event horizon.

Financial institutions that have derided bitcoin for well over a decade were forced to bend the knee and offer bitcoin exposure to their clients. The mere offering of that exposure has resulted in the most successful ETFs in the history of this particular investment vehicle.

Governments around the world have been forced to reckon with the fact that bitcoin is here to stay and that they need to act accordingly. Thanks to the first mover actions taken by El Salvador and Bhutan, which have nonchalantly decided to go all in on bitcoin, others have taken notice. Will that be publicly acknowledged by the bigger governments? Probably not. But you'd be naive to think that politicians in the US seeing two very small countries making such big bets on bitcoin didn't induce at least a little bit of FOMO. Once the bitcoin FOMO seed is planted it's hard to uproot.

Combine this with the fact that it has become rather cool to be privy to the fact that the world's governments have become egregiously addicted to debt and money printing, that inflation is pervasive and inescapable, and that censorship and Orwellian control tactics are on the rise and it is easy to see why more people are more receptive to the idea of bitcoin.

All that was needed to create an all out frenzy - a slingshot effect up the S Curve of adoption - was a psychological trigger. Bitcoin crossing over six figures.

Well, here we are. The tropes against bitcoin that have been trotted out over the last sixteen years no longer have as much bite as they did in many people's eyes. Sure, there will be some butt hurt nocoiners and totalitarians who continue to trot them out, but crossing the chasm of six figure bitcoin will have an order of magnitude more people thinking, "I hear what you're saying, but reality seems to be saying something completely different. And, if I'm being honest with myself, reality is making much more sense than your screeching."

Unstoppable peer-to-peer digital cash with a hard capped supply has been around since January 3rd, 2009. December 5th, 2024 will be the day that it cemented itself as something that cannot be ignored. Part I of the bitcoin story has been written. The end of the beginning is behind us. On to Part II: the rapid monetization of bitcoin, which will cement it as the reserve currency of the world.

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Final thought... I used some 2017-2020 era tactics to get into the writing mood tonight. 90210

@ 66675158:1b644430

I don't believe in "vibe coding" – it's just the newest Silicon Valley fad trying to give meaning to their latest favorite technology, LLMs. We've seen this pattern before with blockchain, when suddenly Non Fungible Tokens appeared, followed by Web3 startups promising to revolutionize everything from social media to supply chains. VCs couldn't throw money fast enough at anything with "decentralized" (in name only) in the pitch deck. Andreessen Horowitz launched billion-dollar crypto funds, while Y Combinator batches filled with blockchain startups promising to be "Uber for X, but on the blockchain."

The metaverse mania followed, with Meta betting its future on digital worlds where we'd supposedly hang out as legless avatars. Decentralized (in name only) autonomous organizations emerged as the next big thing – supposedly democratic internet communities that ended up being the next scam for quick money.

Then came the inevitable collapse. The FTX implosion in late 2022 revealed fraud, Luna/Terra's death spiral wiped out billions (including my ten thousand dollars), while Celsius and BlockFi froze customer assets before bankruptcy.

By 2023, crypto winter had fully set in. The SEC started aggressive enforcement actions, while users realized that blockchain technology had delivered almost no practical value despite a decade of promises.

Blockchain's promises tapped into fundamental human desires – decentralization resonated with a generation disillusioned by traditional institutions. Evangelists presented a utopian vision of freedom from centralized control. Perhaps most significantly, crypto offered a sense of meaning in an increasingly abstract world, making the clear signs of scams harder to notice.

The technology itself had failed to solve any real-world problems at scale. By 2024, the once-mighty crypto ecosystem had become a cautionary tale. Venture firms quietly scrubbed blockchain references from their websites while founders pivoted to AI and large language models.

---

Most reading this are likely fellow bitcoiners and nostr users who understand that Bitcoin is blockchain's only valid use case. But I shared that painful history because I believe the AI-hype cycle will follow the same trajectory.

Just like with blockchain, we're now seeing VCs who once couldn't stop talking about "Web3" falling over themselves to fund anything with "AI" in the pitch deck. The buzzwords have simply changed from "decentralized" to "intelligent."

"Vibe coding" is the perfect example – a trendy name for what is essentially just fuzzy instructions to LLMs. Developers who've spent years honing programming skills are now supposed to believe that "vibing" with an AI is somehow a legitimate methodology.

This might be controversial to some, but obvious to others:

Formal, context-free grammar will always remain essential for building precise systems, regardless of how advanced natural language technology becomes

The mathematical precision of programming languages provides a foundation that human language's ambiguity can never replace. Programming requires precision – languages, compilers, and processors operate on explicit instructions, not vibes. What "vibe coding" advocates miss is that beneath every AI-generated snippet lies the same deterministic rules that have always governed computation.

LLMs don't understand code in any meaningful sense—they've just ingested enormous datasets of human-written code and can predict patterns. When they "work," it's because they've seen similar patterns before, not because they comprehend the underlying logic.

This creates a dangerous dependency. Junior developers "vibing" with LLMs might get working code without understanding the fundamental principles. When something breaks in production, they'll lack the knowledge to fix it.

Even experienced developers can find themselves in treacherous territory when relying too heavily on LLM-generated code. What starts as a productivity boost can transform into a dependency crutch.

The real danger isn't just technical limitations, but the false confidence it instills. Developers begin to believe they understand systems they've merely instructed an AI to generate – fundamentally different from understanding code you've written yourself.

We're already seeing the warning signs: projects cobbled together with LLM-generated code that work initially but become maintenance nightmares when requirements change or edge cases emerge.

The venture capital money is flowing exactly as it did with blockchain. Anthropic raised billions, OpenAI is valued astronomically despite minimal revenue, and countless others are competing to build ever-larger models with vague promises. Every startup now claims to be "AI-powered" regardless of whether it makes sense.

Don't get me wrong—there's genuine innovation happening in AI research. But "vibe coding" isn't it. It's a marketing term designed to make fuzzy prompting sound revolutionary.

Cursor perfectly embodies this AI hype cycle. It's an AI-enhanced code editor built on VS Code that promises to revolutionize programming by letting you "chat with your codebase." Just like blockchain startups promised to "revolutionize" industries, Cursor promises to transform development by adding LLM capabilities.

Yes, Cursor can be genuinely helpful. It can explain unfamiliar code, suggest completions, and help debug simple issues. After trying it for just an hour, I found the autocomplete to be MAGICAL for simple refactoring and basic functionality.

But the marketing goes far beyond reality. The suggestion that you can simply describe what you want and get production-ready code is dangerously misleading. What you get are approximations with:

• Security vulnerabilities the model doesn't understand
• Edge cases it hasn't considered
• Performance implications it can't reason about
• Dependency conflicts it has no way to foresee

The most concerning aspect is how such tools are marketed to beginners as shortcuts around learning fundamentals. "Why spend years learning to code when you can just tell AI what you want?" This is reminiscent of how crypto was sold as a get-rich-quick scheme requiring no actual understanding.

When you "vibe code" with an AI, you're not eliminating complexity—you're outsourcing understanding to a black box. This creates developers who can prompt but not program, who can generate but not comprehend.

The real utility of LLMs in development is in augmenting existing workflows:

• Explaining unfamiliar codebases
• Generating boilerplate for well-understood patterns
• Suggesting implementations that a developer evaluates critically
• Assisting with documentation and testing

These uses involve the model as a subordinate assistant to a knowledgeable developer, not as a replacement for expertise. This is where the technology adds value—as a sophisticated tool in skilled hands.

Cursor is just a better hammer, not a replacement for understanding what you're building. The actual value emerges when used by developers who understand what happens beneath the abstractions. They can recognize when AI suggestions make sense and when they don't because they have the fundamental knowledge to evaluate output critically.

This is precisely where the "vibe coding" narrative falls apart.

@ bcb80417:14548905

President Donald Trump's recent policy initiatives have significantly impacted the cryptocurrency landscape, reflecting his administration's commitment to fostering innovation and positioning the United States as a global leader in digital assets.

A cornerstone of this approach is the aggressive deregulation agenda aimed at reversing many policies from the previous administration. Key areas of focus include slashing environmental regulations, easing bank oversight, and removing barriers to cryptocurrencies. The Environmental Protection Agency, for instance, announced 31 deregulatory actions in a single day, underscoring the breadth of these efforts. This push has led to rapid growth in the crypto industry, with increased investment and activity following the administration's moves to ease restrictions. citeturn0news10

In line with this deregulatory stance, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently hosted its inaugural public meeting of the crypto task force. Led by Republican SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, the task force is exploring the applicability of securities laws to digital assets and considering whether new regulatory frameworks are necessary. This initiative reflects a shift in regulatory approach under President Trump, who has pledged to reverse the previous administration's crackdown on crypto firms. citeturn0news11

Further demonstrating his support for the crypto industry, President Trump announced the inclusion of five cryptocurrencies—Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA)—into a proposed "crypto strategic reserve." This move led to significant price surges for these assets, highlighting the market's responsiveness to policy decisions. citeturn0search0

The administration's commitment extends to the development of stablecoins. World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture established by Donald Trump and his sons, plans to launch a stablecoin called USD1. This stablecoin will be entirely backed by U.S. treasuries, dollars, and cash equivalents, aiming to provide a reliable medium for cross-border transactions by sovereign investors and major institutions. The USD1 token will be issued on the Ethereum network and a blockchain developed by Binance. citeturn0news13

In the financial sector, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. is collaborating with Crypto.com to introduce "Made in America" exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focusing on digital assets and securities. This initiative aligns with President Trump's pro-cryptocurrency stance and his ambition to make the U.S. a global crypto hub. The ETFs, supported by Crypto.com, will feature a combination of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and are slated to launch later this year. citeturn0news12

These policy directions underscore President Trump's dedication to integrating cryptocurrencies into the national economic framework. By establishing strategic reserves, promoting stablecoins, and facilitating crypto-focused financial products, the administration aims to position the United States at the forefront of the digital asset revolution.

However, these initiatives are not without challenges. While deregulation has boosted investor confidence and stock prices, concerns arise regarding potential economic implications. The Federal Reserve warns that certain policies may lead to higher prices and adversely affect investment and growth. Additionally, the administrative and legal complexities of implementing widespread deregulation present further challenges, including potential staff cuts at agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and legal challenges to some of the administration's actions. citeturn0news10

In summary, President Trump's recent policies reflect a strategic embrace of cryptocurrencies, aiming to foster innovation, attract investment, and establish the United States as a leader in the digital asset space. While these efforts present opportunities for economic growth and technological advancement, they also necessitate careful consideration of regulatory and economic impacts to ensure balanced and sustainable development in the crypto sector.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

Uber seed investor and executive producer of the All In podcast Jason Calacanis has been publicly sounding the alarm bell about Microstrategy's bitcoin treasury strategy and the cheer leading exhibited by the company's CEO, Michael Saylor. Calacanis believes that Microstrategy's bitcoin acquisition techniques are a Ponzi scheme waiting to implode. Going as far as to question whether or not Microstrategy is the next FTX.

Earlier today, Jason spent a section of an episode of This Week in Startups to discuss his worries about MSTR's bitcoin treasury strategy, Saylor's overt pumping of the strategy, and the fact that there are other companies like Marathon Holdings beginning to deploy similar convertible debt strategies. While I can see how this can be unnerving for many, I do think there is a fundamental misunderstanding of what Microstrategy is doing. Last week I explained the strategy in a tweet, which I'll reiterate here:

Whether you like it or not, Saylor and Microstrategy have found a way to give pools of liquidity (particularly pools with mandates to allocate to fixed income) exposure to bitcoin’s volatility via convertible notes. The converts are performing better than any other fixed income product on the market.

Other investors have noticed this and have piled into MSTR as well understanding that demand for the converts will increase and enable Microstrategy to accumulate more bitcoin. Those investors feel comfortable with the premium to mNAV MSTR is trading at because they believe the demand for a high performing fixed income product will remain high and likely increase.

Microstrategy can continue doing this until viable competition comes to market because there is no one else offering this type of bitcoin return exposure to fixed income investors at scale. Another important detail, the convertible notes have a duration of 5 years or more while bitcoin’s lowest 4-year CAGR is 26% and its 50th percentile 4-year CAGR is 91%. If you think this will continue then this is a pretty safe bet for Microstrategy and the convertible note holders.

In a world were central banks and governments have gone mad with currency debasement and debt expansion it is pretty safe to assume that bitcoin adoption will not only continue but accelerate from here. What do I think about Microstrategy accumulating this much bitcoin? It makes me a bit uneasy but there’s nothing I can do to stop it and bitcoin will survive in the long run. Even if Microstrategy blows up somehow (I don’t think this is likely). Bitcoin was designed to be anti-fragile.

This is a classic case of “don’t hate the player, hate the game”. Or better yet, join the game. After all, the only winning move is to play.

Essentially, Michael Saylor is taking a long-term bet on bitcoin's continued adoption/monetization and trying to accumulate as much as possible by issuing convertible notes with a 4+ year duration, which should increase the likelihood that Microstrategy is in the black on their bitcoin buys over time as history has shown that anyone who holds bitcoin for more than four years has performed well. This should, in turn, be reflected in their stock price, which should increase alongside bitcoin and convert the debt they've accrued into newly issued shares of MSTR. Through the process, if the strategy is executed successfully, increasing the amount of bitcoin per share for MSTR shareholders. (This is the only metric shareholders should care about in my opinion.)

Yes, this may seem crazy to many and extremely risky to most, but that is the nature of free markets. Every company takes calculated risks in an attempt to increase shareholder value. Michael Saylor and company are betting on the fact that bitcoin will continue to be adopted and are utilizing pools of capital that don't have the ability to buy bitcoin directly, but want exposure to its volatility to achieve their goals. To me it looks like a perfectly symbiotic relationship. Microstrategy is able to accumulate more bitcoin and increase their bitcoin per share while fixed income investors are able to access a product that performs well above their benchmark due to the embedded volatility of the exposure to bitcoin Microstrategy provides.

This won't be a surprise to any of you freaks, but I think it's a pretty smart bet to make. Bitcoin is almost 16-years old. It has established itself as a reserve asset for individuals, companies and countries. A reserve asset that is completely detached from the whims of central planners, transparent, predictable, scarce, and can be transmitted over the Internet. Bitcoin is an idea whose time has come. And more people are beginning to recognize this.

This is one of the beautiful aspects of the public company convertible-note-to-bitcoin strategy that Microstrategy has deployed over the last few years. They are able to harness the benefits of forces that are external to their core business to provide shareholders with value. Michael Saylor could stop buying bitcoin tomorrow and it wouldn't affect bitcoin's adoption in the medium to long-term. He continues to buy bitcoin, and encourages others to do the same, because he recognizes this.

Bitcoin is the apex predator of treasury assets for every individual, company, non-profit or government. The assets competing to be treasury assets are all centrally controlled, easily manipulable, and quickly losing favor. Earlier today, Federal Reserve Board Governor Christopher Waller came out and admitted that inflation is kicking the Fed's ass. They cannot tame it.

Waller may posture by saying that "submission is inevitable", but that doesn't make it true. There is simply too much debt and not enough dollars. The annual interest expense on the US Federal debt is now larger than our spending on national defense. The Fed, whether it wants to admit it or not, is going to have to monetize that debt via the debasement of the dollar. If you are using dollars as a treasury asset it is very important that you understand this and react accordingly by adopting a bitcoin strategy. This is what Michael Saylor is trying to make his peers in public markets understand.

Sure, his marketing tactics may seem a bit uncouth to many and the way in which he's expressing his belief through Microstrategy's accumulation strategy may seem risky, but it's hard to argue that his core thesis is flawed. Especially when you consider the fact that bitcoin has officially climbed to the strata of being seriously considered as a treasury asset for the most powerful nation state in the world. I listen to the All In podcast quite frequently and genuinely like the show. It is a good way to gain perspective on how Silicon Valley investors view the world. If I were to give Jason any advice it would be to take a step back and to apply one of the most frequently discussed topics of the last on his show, the emergence of AI and the importance of everyone to incorporate AI into their businesses and workflows as quickly as possible before they get left behind. The same mental model applies to the emergence of bitcoin as a dominant reserve asset.

It is imperative that every individual, company and government adopts a bitcoin treasury strategy if they want to be able to succeed moving forward without the inherent resistance that is introduced from storing the fruit of your labor in a money or money-like asset that does not preserve purchasing power over time. Just because Saylor has recognized this, moved aggressively to effectuate his understanding via his company's balance sheet, and vociferously markets the strategy to others doesn't mean he's wrong. As I said in my tweet last week, I personally prefer to hold actual bitcoin. That doesn't mean that Microstrategy and others haven't honed in on something unique and legitimate given their circumstances and access to certain financial tools.

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Final thought... I apologize for the extended hiatus. I hit a hard wall of writer's block over the last month. I think the time away from the keyboard has been good for me and the quality of this rag moving forward.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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

@ aa8de34f:a6ffe696

19. März 2025

🔐 1. SHA-256 is Quantum-Resistant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🕵️♂️ 2.1 The Public Key Never Appears

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

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

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

🔄 3. Bitcoin Can Upgrade

Even if quantum computers eventually become a real threat:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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🔄 7. The Logarithmic Difficulty Adjustment Neutralizes Threats

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

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🔥 Final Verdict: Quantum Computers Are Too Slow for Bitcoin

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

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

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

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

@ 83279ad2:bd49240d

Test

@ a95c6243:d345522c

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

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

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

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

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

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

Digitalisierung ist der Schlüssel für Kontrolle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ d560dbc2:bbd59238

We’ve all been there: that one task sitting on your to-do list, staring at you like a disappointed parent, and yet you keep pushing it off for absolutely no good reason. It’s not even that hard, urgent, or complicated—but somehow, it’s been haunting you for days, weeks, or maybe even months. Why do we do this to ourselves?

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Why Do We Postpone Tasks for No Reason?

Procrastination is a sneaky beast. Even tasks that take 10 minutes, require minimal brainpower, and have no immediate deadline often get pushed aside. Here are some psychological reasons:

• Emotional Avoidance:
  Even if a task isn’t hard, a tiny emotional weight (like mild boredom or a vague “I don’t wanna”) can lead your brain to choose distractions—like scrolling through Instagram.

• Lack of Immediate Consequences:
  Without a pressing deadline, your brain tends to deprioritize the task, even if completing it would make you feel great.

• The Zeigarnik Effect:
  Unfinished tasks stick in our minds, creating mental tension. Ironically, that tension can make the task seem bigger and more daunting, encouraging further avoidance.

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My Own “No-Reason” Procrastination Story

Let’s be real—I’ve been postponing something trivial, like organizing my desk drawer, for weeks. It’s a simple task that takes about 15 minutes. There’s no deadline, no special skill required—yet every time I open the drawer, I see the chaos of old receipts, random cables, and a half-eaten pack of gum (don’t judge!) and think, “I’ll do it later.” It’s not that I’m busy—I’ve had plenty of time to rewatch my favorite sitcom for the third time. But ignoring it has become my default, and that messy drawer now occupies mental space far beyond its physical size.

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Why These Tasks Matter More Than We Think

Those little tasks we postpone might seem harmless, but they add up to create mental clutter. That messy desk drawer isn’t just a drawer—it’s a tiny stressor that pops into your head at the worst moments, disrupting your focus on important work or relaxation.

• Mental Clutter:
  Unfinished tasks can weigh on your mind, making it harder to focus on what truly matters.

• The Bigger Picture:
  Tasks like “reply to that email” or “schedule that doctor’s appointment” may seem minor, but avoiding them can lead to unnecessary stress and lost opportunities.

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How to Finally Tackle That Task

Here are a few strategies that have helped me break the cycle of “no-reason” procrastination:

1. The 20-Minute Rule (Thank You, Pomodoro!)

• Commit to 20 Minutes:
  Set a timer for just 20 minutes and start working on the task. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish once you begin.

• Example:
  For my desk drawer, I set a timer, got to work, and finished in 12 minutes. That small win made me feel like a productivity superhero.

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2. Pin It and Get a Nudge

• Use Reminders:
  Pin that nagging task (like “Organize desk drawer”) as your top priority for the day. A gentle reminder can help break the cycle of avoidance.

• Result:
  It’s like having a friend nudge you, “Hey, remember that thing you’ve been ignoring? Let’s do it now!”

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3. Make It Fun (Yes, Really!)

• Add a Reward:
  Turn the task into something enjoyable by setting a reward. Play your favorite music, and promise yourself a treat once you’re done.

• Example:
  For my desk drawer, I put on an upbeat playlist and treated myself to a piece of chocolate when finished. Suddenly, it wasn’t a chore—it became a mini dance party with a sweet reward.

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4. Celebrate the Win

• Acknowledge Completion:
  Once you finish, take a moment to celebrate—even if it’s just a mental high-five.

• Why It Matters:
  That sense of closure clears mental clutter and builds momentum for your next task.

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Let’s Share and Motivate Each Other

What’s that one task you’ve been postponing for no reason? Maybe it’s cleaning out your fridge, replying to a friend’s text, or finally hanging that picture frame that’s been leaning against the wall for months. Whatever it is, share your story in the comments! Let’s motivate each other to tackle these tasks and turn procrastination into progress.

Bonus points if you’ve got a funny reason for your procrastination (like, “I didn’t schedule that appointment because my doctor’s office has the worst hold music in history”).

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Ready to stop procrastinating? Let’s get real, take that first step, and clear that mental clutter—one small win at a time!

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@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon!

A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

So stay a while and listen.

🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨

🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/929299

@ a95c6243:d345522c

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Titelbild: Tag des Sieges]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a849beb6:b327e6d2

\ \ It was another historic week for both bitcoin and the Ten31 portfolio, as the world’s oldest, largest, most battle-tested cryptocurrency climbed to new all-time highs each day to close out the week just shy of the $100,000 mark. Along the way, bitcoin continued to accumulate institutional and regulatory wins, including the much-anticipated approval and launch of spot bitcoin ETF options and the appointment of several additional pro-bitcoin Presidential cabinet officials. The timing for this momentum was poetic, as this week marked the second anniversary of the pico-bottom of the 2022 bear market, a level that bitcoin has now hurdled to the tune of more than 6x despite the litany of bitcoin obituaries published at the time. The entirety of 2024 and especially the past month have further cemented our view that bitcoin is rapidly gaining a sense of legitimacy among institutions, fiduciaries, and governments, and we remain optimistic that this trend is set to accelerate even more into 2025.

Several Ten31 portfolio companies made exciting announcements this week that should serve to further entrench bitcoin’s institutional adoption. AnchorWatch, a first of its kind bitcoin insurance provider offering 1:1 coverage with its innovative use of bitcoin’s native properties, announced it has been designated a Lloyd’s of London Coverholder, giving the company unique, blue-chip status as it begins to write bitcoin insurance policies of up to $100 million per policy starting next month. Meanwhile, Battery Finance Founder and CEO Andrew Hohns appeared on CNBC to delve into the launch of Battery’s pioneering private credit strategy which fuses bitcoin and conventional tangible assets in a dual-collateralized structure that offers a compelling risk/return profile to both lenders and borrowers. Both companies are clearing a path for substantially greater bitcoin adoption in massive, untapped pools of capital, and Ten31 is proud to have served as lead investor for AnchorWatch’s Seed round and as exclusive capital partner for Battery.

As the world’s largest investor focused entirely on bitcoin, Ten31 has deployed nearly $150 million across two funds into more than 30 of the most promising and innovative companies in the ecosystem like AnchorWatch and Battery, and we expect 2025 to be the best year yet for both bitcoin and our portfolio. Ten31 will hold a first close for its third fund at the end of this year, and investors in that close will benefit from attractive incentives and a strong initial portfolio. Visit ten31.vc/funds to learn more and get in touch to discuss participating.\ \ Portfolio Company Spotlight 

Primal is a first of its kind application for the Nostr protocol that combines a client, caching service, analytics tools, and more to address several unmet needs in the nascent Nostr ecosystem. Through the combination of its sleek client application and its caching service (built on a completely open source stack), Primal seeks to offer an end-user experience as smooth and easy as that of legacy social media platforms like Twitter and eventually many other applications, unlocking the vast potential of Nostr for the next billion people. Primal also offers an integrated wallet (powered by Strike BLACK) that substantially reduces onboarding and UX frictions for both Nostr and the lightning network while highlighting bitcoin’s unique power as internet-native, open-source money. 

Selected Portfolio News

AnchorWatch announced it has achieved Llody’s Coverholder status, allowing the company to provide unique 1:1 bitcoin insurance offerings starting in December.\ \ Battery Finance Founder and CEO Andrew Hohns appeared on CNBC to delve into the company’s unique bitcoin-backed private credit strategy.

Primal launched version 2.0, a landmark update that adds a feed marketplace, robust advanced search capabilities, premium-tier offerings, and many more new features.

Debifi launched its new iOS app for Apple users seeking non-custodial bitcoin-collateralized loans.

Media

Strike Founder and CEO Jack Mallers joined Bloomberg TV to discuss the strong volumes the company has seen over the past year and the potential for a US bitcoin strategic reserve. 

Primal Founder and CEO Miljan Braticevic joined The Bitcoin Podcast to discuss the rollout of Primal 2.0 and the future of Nostr. 

Ten31 Managing Partner Marty Bent appeared on BlazeTV to discuss recent changes in the regulatory environment for bitcoin. 

Zaprite published a customer testimonial video highlighting the popularity of its offerings across the bitcoin ecosystem. 

Market Updates

Continuing its recent momentum, bitcoin reached another new all-time high this week, clocking in just below $100,000 on Friday. Bitcoin has now reached a market cap of nearly $2 trillion, putting it within 3% of the market caps of Amazon and Google. 

After receiving SEC and CFTC approval over the past month, long-awaited options on spot bitcoin ETFs were fully approved and launched this week. These options should help further expand bitcoin’s institutional liquidity profile, with potentially significant implications for price action over time.

The new derivatives showed strong performance out of the gate, with volumes on options for BlackRock’s IBIT reaching nearly $2 billion on just the first day of trading despite surprisingly tight position limits for the vehicles. 

Meanwhile, the underlying spot bitcoin ETF complex had yet another banner week, pulling in $3.4 billion in net inflows. 

New reports suggested President-elect Donald Trump’s social media company is in advanced talks to acquire crypto trading platform Bakkt, potentially the latest indication of the incoming administration’s stance toward the broader “crypto” ecosystem. 

On the macro front, US housing starts declined M/M again in October on persistently high mortgage rates and weather impacts. The metric remains well below pre-COVID levels. 

Pockets of the US commercial real estate market remain challenged, as the CEO of large Florida developer Related indicated that developers need further rate cuts “badly” to maintain project viability. 

US Manufacturing PMI increased slightly M/M, but has now been in contraction territory (<50) for well over two years.

The latest iteration of the University of Michigan’s popular consumer sentiment survey ticked up following this month’s election results, though so did five-year inflation expectations, which now sit comfortably north of 3%. 

Regulatory Update

After weeks of speculation, the incoming Trump administration appointed hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to head up the US Treasury. Like many of Trump’s cabinet selections so far, Bessent has been a public advocate for bitcoin. 

Trump also appointed Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick – another outspoken bitcoin bull – as Secretary of the Commerce Department. 

Meanwhile, the Trump team is reportedly considering creating a new “crypto czar” role to sit within the administration. While it’s unclear at this point what that role would entail, one report indicated that the administration’s broader “crypto council” is expected to move forward with plans for a strategic bitcoin reserve.

Various government lawyers suggested this week that the Trump administration is likely to be less aggressive in seeking adversarial enforcement actions against bitcoin and “crypto” in general, as regulatory bodies appear poised to shift resources and focus elsewhere. 

Other updates from the regulatory apparatus were also directionally positive for bitcoin, most notably FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg’s confirmation that he plans to resign from his post at the end of President Biden’s term. 

Many critics have alleged Gruenberg was an architect of “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” which has created banking headwinds for bitcoin companies over the past several years, so a change of leadership at the department is likely yet another positive for the space.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler also officially announced he plans to resign at the start of the new administration. Gensler has been the target of much ire from the broader “crypto” space, though we expect many projects outside bitcoin may continue to struggle with questions around the Howey Test.

Overseas, a Chinese court ruled that it is not illegal for individuals to hold cryptocurrency, even though the country is still ostensibly enforcing a ban on crypto transactions. 

Noteworthy

The incoming CEO of Charles Schwab – which administers over $9 trillion in client assets – suggested the platform is preparing to “get into” spot bitcoin offerings and that he “feels silly” for having waited this long. As this attitude becomes more common among traditional finance players, we continue to believe that the number of acquirers coming to market for bitcoin infrastructure capabilities will far outstrip the number of available high quality assets. 

BlackRock’s 2025 Thematic Outlook notes a “renewed sense of optimism” on bitcoin among the asset manager’s client base due to macro tailwinds and the improving regulatory environment. Elsewhere, BlackRock’s head of digital assets indicated the firm does not view bitcoin as a “risk-on” asset. 

MicroStrategy, which was a sub-$1 billion market cap company less than five years ago, briefly breached a $100 billion equity value this week as it continues to aggressively acquire bitcoin. The company now holds nearly 350,000 bitcoin on its balance sheet. 

Notably, Allianz SE, Germany’s largest insurer, spoke for 25% of MicroStrategy’s latest $3 billion convertible note offering this week, suggesting growing appetite for bitcoin proxy exposure among more restricted pools of capital. 

The ongoing meltdown of fintech middleware provider Synapse has left tens of thousands of customers with nearly 100% deposit haircuts as hundreds of millions in funds remain missing, the latest unfortunate case study in the fragility of much of the US’s legacy banking stack. 

Travel

• BitcoinMENA, Dec 9-10

• Nashville BitDevs, Dec 10

• Austin BitDevs, Dec 19

• Nashville Energy and Mining Summit, Jan 30

@ 472f440f:5669301e

All eyes are, unsurprisingly, on the US Presidential election. Tomorrow is the big day. I don't want to come off as preachy, however it is pretty clear to me that if you are an American citizen who cares about bitcoin and would like to live under an administration that is eager to embrace the industry as opposed to an administration that is actively hostile toward bitcoin there is only one candidate who deserves your vote; Donald J. Trump. I think he's a better candidate for other reasons, but if you've read this rag for long enough you probably already know what those are. Instead of writing a screed about why I am voting for Trump, let's highlight some things outside of the election that you should be paying attention to this week.

First up, there are two Treasury auctions; $42B of 10-Year notes tomorrow and $25B 30-Year bonds on Wednesday.

It will be interesting to see what the demand for these auctions is and how they affect rates. The long end of the yield curve has been pumping since the Fed's rate cut in the middle of September, which is the market signaling that it does not believe inflation has been appropriately tamed. Yields came down today, but as you can see from the charts things are trending in the wrong direction.

As the Treasury issues new debt at higher rates, the interest expense on that debt, naturally, drifts higher. If the long end of the yield curve doesn't come down aggressively over the course of the next year this is going to be a big problem. There are trillions of dollars worth of Treasury debt that needs the be rolled over in the next few years and it would be advantageous for the Treasury if that debt wasn't being rolled over with yields as high as they are. With the amount of debt the country has accrued in recent decades, every incremental dollar of debt that gets issued and/or rolled over at higher interest rates exacerbates the problem. We are approaching the territory of runaway exponentials, as evidenced by this chart. The growth slope gets steeper and steeper

This debt problem is the elephant in the room that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. The national debt hit $1.2T in early 1983. It then took 26 years to 10x from $1.2T to $12T in late 2009 and has only taken another 15 years to triple from there to $36T or 30x from the arbitrary base I picked out (Q1 1983).

With this in mind, keep an eye out for these auctions tomorrow and Wednesday, where rates end at the end of trading on Wednesday, and whether or not we officially push over $36T. Regardless of who wins the election tomorrow, this is a problem that needs to be confronted. Whether or not it can be solved at all is up for debate. I don't see how what can be done to reel in this runaway train at this point. However, at the very least, we should acknowledge that we're in the realm of exponentials and have people prepare accordingly by accumulating hard assets that cannot be debased (bitcoin).

The other thing to pay attention to is the FOMC meeting on Wednesday and the announcement of the results of the meeting on Thursday. Will Jerome and the other Fed board members to keep rates where they are, cut, or raise rates? Raising rates seems to be out of the question despite the fact that many believe it would be the most prudent move considering how the long end of the yield curve reacted to the 50bps cut in September. If they decide to cut rates, by how much will they cut them? Will they slow the pace with a 25bps cut or continue at the 50bps clip established in September?

We'll find toward the end of this week. Don't lose sight of these events while the world is enthralled with the elections in the US.

I don't know about you freaks, but I couldn't feel more fortunate that bitcoin exists at a time like this. Having access to a distributed peer-to-peer digital cash system with a fixed supply during a time of incredible political divisiveness and out-of-control runaway sovereign debt feels like a Godsend.

Stay sane out there.

Final thought...

We're going to win.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Titelbild: Pixabay]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

Over the last four years bitcoin has, among other things, established itself as an incredible corporate treasury asset that benefits those who adopt it as such. Microstrategy is the shining example of this theme going from a company that was hovering barely above a ~$1B market cap in mid-2020 to a ~$40B market cap company holding more than 1% of the 21,000,000 bitcoin that will ever exist. Microstrategy's success has emboldened a number of other publicly trader companies to follow suit. Bitcoin as a corporate treasury asset is well on its way to becoming a standard. If you run a business that doesn't hold bitcoin on its balance sheet you are doing yourself, your customers and your shareholders a disservice.

This is a trend that has its legs under it and will accelerate moving forward. A trend that I believe will emerge this cycle is incorporating bitcoin into real estate markets. Leon Wankum has been beating the drum about this for the last few years and I had the pleasure of sitting down with him this morning to record an episode of TFTC that will be published tomorrow morning. Leon is a real estate developer in Germany and he has made it his mission to educate and warn others in real estate about the demonetization of real estate that is under way due to the fact that bitcoin exists and it provides a far superior alternative.

These are pretty stark numbers. Nothing highlights the superior monetary properties of bitcoin better than looking at a chart of the average price of a home priced in USD v. bitcoin.

Since 2016: +46% in USD -99% in BTC

Since 2020: +34% in USD -70% in BTC

The funny thing is that an overwhelming majority of the individuals who make their living in real estate markets do not understand that this is happening to them. Many think they are doing exceptionally well all things considered. Sure, there may be a bit of a slow down and price retraction due to a couple of years of relatively elevated interest rates, but don't worry! The Fed is lowering rates again and the good times are about to start back up. Nothing could be further from the truth. This trend is going to continue unabated until bitcoin is fully monetized and those is the real estate industry, particularly real estate developers and those who lend capital to developers, should seriously take the time to understand what is happening to them.

Real estate is the largest store of value asset in the world at the moment. The most common number that is thrown around for the total size of the market is $300 TRILLION. $300 TRILLION of wealth being stored in an asset that is illiquid, comes with maintenance costs, taxes, insurance premiums, and susceptible to extreme weather event, among other things. Compared to bitcoin - which is extremely liquid, saleable, divisible and hard to confiscate, real estate is a far superior asset to store your wealth in. This is something that I'm sure is well understood by many of you reading this letter.

What's less understood is the dynamics of the real estate development market over the last few years, which have been severely hindered by elevated interest rates. The higher interest rate environment coupled with the inflationary pressures that forced rates higher in the first place have put developers in a predicament; they have a higher cost of capital to start new projects with raw material prices that are still much higher than they were before the economic lock downs of 2020-2022. This has led to a scenario where it isn't advantageous to start new projects and the projects that broke ground in 2021-2023 are finding that they need to incur more debt to get their developments across the finish line.

Despite the fact that interest rates are on their way back down, it doesn't seem like the economics of these projects are going to materially improve in the short to medium-term as headline inflation begins to creep back up. Couple this with the fact that the jobs market is cratering while real wages struggle to keep up with inflation and many builders are going to find themselves in a situation where they do actually complete a development problem but their cash flow suffers because their customers can't afford the inflated rents that builders will have to charge to get a return on their outlaid capital. Many will be put in a situation where they are forced to be happy with lower rents (cash flow) or sit on the sidelines making no cash flow.

The post-1971 era that brought with it a booming real estate industry is suffering the same fate as the bond market; the generation bull market is over. Real estate prices may go up, but that will be nothing more than a mirage of wealth creation. The unit of account those prices are built on is in dollars, which are being debased at an accelerating rate. Developers, banks and borrowers need to de-risk their real estate exposure and, as Leon points out, bitcoin is the only way to do this in an effective way.

Moving forward developers will have to finance by dual collateralizing their debt with the real estate and bitcoin. In the graphic below Leon illustrates what this type of financing structure will look like. Instead of taking $10m of debt to finance a project and putting it all into materials, construction and marketing, a developer will take out a $10m loan, put $1m in bitcoin and the rest toward the development project. Over the course of the construction of the real estate project, bitcoin will sit in the credit structure and, if held for 4+ years, should increase significantly in value. Saving the builder from risk of default and providing him some optionality in terms of what he can do with the project once it's finished.

In this scenario downside risk is contained - a developer isn't pouring all of the cash into bitcoin at the beginning so the worst case scenario is that bitcoin goes to zero (highly unlikely) and they can eat the small loss and hope to make up with it via cash flows once a project is finished, while upside potential is enormous. Bitcoin is still monetizing and having exposure to the hardest monetary asset the world has ever while it's monetizing has proven to be massively beneficial.

We are still in the early days of bitcoin and this idea will likely seem absolutely insane to most Tradfi investors, but I strongly believe that developers, banks and end consumers who don't leverage this type of bitcoin structured credit will be cooked in the long-run. And those that take advantage of this type of structure first will be considered geniuses in 20 years.

There are many more nuanced benefits to this strategy; holding bitcoin allows landlords and management companies to weather ongoing maintenance costs throughout the years, those who take out mortgages dual collateralized with a house and bitcoin not only protect the equity value of their property but could see their equity values increase significantly more than others using vanilla mortgages, and builders who accumulate bitcoin in their treasuries will be able to use better raw materials when building, which leads to more valuable properties that cash flow for longer.

Again, it's going to take time for these types of structures to become commonplace in the market, but I firmly believe this cycle will be the cycle that these strategies get off the ground. In four to five years they will have a track record and after that it will be considered irresponsible not to finance real estate in this way. The banks will begin to demand it.

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Final thought... Sinus congestion sucks.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

As we sprint toward the 2024 US Presidential election the case for using bitcoin as an asset to store value for the long term has never been stronger. The insanity of the incumbent power structure is being laid bare and it is becoming impossible to ignore the headwinds that the Borg faces moving forward.

Yesterday morning and earlier today it became clear that inflation is rearing its head again. Not ideal for the soft landing Jerome Powell and Yellen are signaling to the markets after the first Fed Funds rate cut in years.

It seems like the yield curve predicted this earlier this week when it inverted after a temporary normalizing period after the Fed's rate cut. Futhermore, it is becoming glaringly obvious that running historically high fiscal deficits while interest rates were at multi-decade highs was a pretty bad idea. As James Lavish points out, the data from the CBO earlier this week shows that the US federal government is running a deficit that is 13% higher than it was last year. This is at a time when real wages are still depressed, inflation is still suffocating American consumers and the private sector job market for American citizens is cratering.

Speaking of the job market, the numbers that came in yesterday were worse than expected: The effect of Hurricane Helene should certainly be taken into consideration when looking at this jobs miss. However, even with the miss we know that these numbers have been under reported for years to make the economy seem healthier than it actually is. Even with Helene's effect taken into consideration this print will likely be revised higher 3-6 months from now.

All of this points to a breaking point. A breaking point for the economy and, more importantly, a breaking point for overall confidence in the US government and its ability to operate with any semblance of fiscal responsibility. The chart that Pierre Rochard shares in the tweet at the top of this letter is the only chart that matters for anyone attempting to gauge where we find ourselves on the path to bitcoin realizing its full potential.

There is $133 TRILLION worth of value sitting in global bond markets. Bitcoin is a far superior asset to store one's wealth in. Bond markets are beholden to the whims of the actors who issue those bonds. In the case of the US Treasury market, the largest bond market in the world, the US government. And as we have pointed out above, the US government is recklessly irresponsible when it comes to issuing debt with a complete inability to pay it back on the long-term. Inflation is up, the jobs market is cratering for the native born Americans who actually pay taxes, and the push toward a multi-polar geopolitical landscape is becoming more pronounced by the day. All of this points to a long-term weakening in demand for US treasuries.

The only way out of this mess is to overtly default on this debt or inflate it away. The latter will most certainly be the route that is taken, which positions bitcoin extremely well as people seek the confines of an asset that cannot be debased because it cannot be controlled by a central authority. The levels of sovereign debt in the world are staggering. Do not let the bitcoin price consolidation of the last six months lull you into a state of complacency. Even the results of the Presidential election won't have a material effect on these dynamics. Though, a Donald Trump presidency would certainly be preferable if you prefer to see relatively sane policy enacted that would provide you with time to find safety in bitcoin. But, in regards to this sovereign debt crisis, that is the only benefit you can hope for; more time to prepare. I'll leave you with some thoughts from Porter Stansberry:

"We are about to see the final destruction of the American experiment. Every economist knows this (see below) is correct; but nobody is going to tell you about it. I’ll summarize in plan English: We are fucked.

1. Debt is growing much faster than GD and interest expense is growing much faster than debt; and the real growth in entitlement spending hasn’t even begun yet.

2. Progressive taxation means nobody will ever vote for less spending + the combined size of government employees and dependents, there’s no way for America’s actual taxpayers (about 20m people) to ever win an election, so the spending won’t stop growing and, ironically, inflation will make demands for more spending to grow.

3. Inflation undermines both economic growth and social cohesion. The purple hair man-women weirdos are only the beginning; what comes next is scapegoating jews, blacks, immigrants and a huge increase in violence/domestic terror.

Get ready America. This election has nothing to do with what’s coming. And neither Trump nor Kamala can stop it.

Our experiment in freedom and self-government died in 1971 (when all restraint on government spending was abandoned with the gold standard.) You can only live at the expense of your neighbor until he runs out of money.

And that day is here."

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Final thought... I hope my tux still fits for this wedding. Enjoy your weekend, freaks.Use the code "TFTC" for 15% off

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Titelbild: Screenshot OffGuardian]

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

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Last night I had the pleasure of sitting down with Caitlin Long, Founder and CEO of Custodia - a fully reserved bank providing banking services to bitcoin companies, to discuss an affidavit written by Elaine Hetrick of Silvergate Bank. Elaine is the Chief Administrative Officer of Silvergate and wrote an affidavit, a sworn testimony subject to perjury, in which she detailed the events that led to Silvergate voluntarily winding down their business and returning deposits to their customers.

This affidavit is a bombshell because it confirms speculation that Silvergate was solvent in early 2023 and wasn't shut down because of bad risk management on behalf of the bank's management team, but instead was forced to shutter its doors because the Biden Administration, with strong influence from Senator Elizabeth Warren, forced Silvergate's hand because they didn't like that they were banking digital asset companies.

For those who are a bit fuzzy on the details of the narratives that were flying around Silvergate at the time, I'll jog your memory. FTX was a customer of Silvergate's at the time their Ponzi scheme unraveled. As FTX was blowing up, everyone and their mother was scrambling to get their money out of Silvergate because they assumed that since one of the bank's largest counterparties was going bust, the bank must be in trouble too. A sane decision. Especially considering the history of systemically non-important financial institutions this century.

Unless you were paying close attention during this time, you were likely under the impression that Silvergate was a typical fractionally reserved bank that was experiencing a run that led to its inevitable demise. The media made it seem this way. The regulators made it seem this way. And one pompous short seller made it seem this way. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Here are the most important parts of the affidavit:

Silvergate had stabilized, was able to make regulatory capital requirements, and had the capability to continue to serve its customers that had kept their deposits with Silvergate Bank.

Despite this, regulators decided to turn the pressure up and essentially gave Silvergate Bank, and Signature Bank as well, an ultimatum; drastically change your business models immediately by dropping your digital asset customer base or we'll shut you down. There were no hard numbers described in Elaine's testimony, but rumors are that the regulators wanted Silvergate to quickly shrink their exposure to digital asset-related clients to less than 15% of their capital base. At the time, Silvergate's customer base was made up almost entirely of digital asset companies (99.5% to be exact).

The regulators were asking Silvergate to do something that was quite literally impossible given the circumstances. Faced with an impossible task, on March 8th of 2023 Silvergate decided to voluntarily wind down their operations and return deposits back to their customers.

Let's be very clear here, Silvergate did not lose a single penny of customer deposits due to the run on their bank. Management, understanding the volatile nature of the digital asset markets, designed their risk management and capital allocation strategies in a way that would enable them to return dollars to any customer who requested them. And that's exactly what they did when customers came to request their money. They returned EVERY SINGLE PENNY.

This begs the question, "Why did they essentially force Silvergate to shut down?" They seemed to be running a very responsible operation after all. You'd think the regulators would applaud Silvergate's vigilance in risk management on behalf of their customer base. How many banks would have been able to do the same thing if put in the same situation? Probably not many.

The answer to this question is already well known throughout the industry, but Elaine Hetrick's testimony adds some hard evidence that makes it undeniable; Elizabeth Warren, the SEC, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve have been acting in concert to unconstitutionally and extrajudicially target the bitcoin and broader digital asset industry because they do not believe that it should exist. It is a threat to their power structure. The financial system, as it is designed today, gives those who would like to centrally plan the economy and micromanage the lives of American citizens a ton of power. Bitcoin is a threat to that power and they have to do everything in their power to prevent its proliferation.

The targeting of the industry was also confirmed by the aftermath of the NYDFS and FDIC uncharacteristically taking Signature Bank behind the woodshed in the evening of Sunday, March 20th, 2023, despite the fact that Barney Frank and others at the bank were convinced they could handle withdraws come market open the next day.

Signature Bank was ultimately sold to Flagstar Bank. However, they were forced to spin out their digital asset-related accounts before doing so.

This public signaling and sudden regulatory shift made clear that, at least as of the first quarter of 2023, the Federal Bank Regulatory Agencies would not tolerate banks with significant concentrations of digital asset customers, ultimately preventing Silvergate Bank from continuing its digital asset focused business model.

Pretty damning if you ask me. Also, very frustrating and most definitely illegal.

Elizabeth Warren and her gaggle of hall monitors across alphabet soup agencies and the Federal Reserve have been on one massive, unconstitutional, power trip for the last four years. They've besmirched bitcoin and those of us working hard to ensure that the United States of America leads the way forward as bitcoin adoption continues at every turn. Good people striving to make the world a better place.

No one is a better example of this than Alan Lane, the former CEO of Silvergate Bank. I consider Alan a friend and feel supremely confident when I say that he is one of the nicest and thoughtful people I have met in this industry. A man who followed his passion to bring legitimacy and much needed banking services to an industry that the incumbents refused to touch. And he did bring legitimacy. As I explained earlier, Alan and his team understood the volatile nature of the industry and built their firm in a way that took this volatility into account. Silvergate did not fail, they were forced to shut down by Elizabeth Warren and her acolytes at the regulatory agencies.

What's worse, Warren's vendetta against bitcoin and the digital asset industry incited the largest banking crisis this country had seen since 2008. Silvergate and Signature being taken behind the woodshed put everyone on their toes and bank runs started across the country. This led to the failure of First Republic, Silicon Valley Bank and a couple of smaller banks, forced the Fed to step in with their emergency BTFP program, and burdened taxpayers with $40B in FDIC costs that needed to be absorbed as a result. If it weren't for the bailouts things would have gotten completely out of control. All because Elizabeth Warren wants to live in a world in which we are forced to use CBDCs and unable to opt-in to bitcoin.

The euthanasia of Silvergate and Signature are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Chokepoint 2.0.

Caitlin Long and Custodia have been in a years long battle with the Federal Reserve to receive a Fed master account so that they can properly serve their customers. For those who are unaware, Custodia is a full-reserve bank that exist to serve bitcoin and digital asset businesses as well as other adjacent businesses like fintechs, banks and funds. Custodia is a chartered bank and special purpose depository institution that has built custody services so that customers can hold bitcoin within their bank accounts alongside their dollar accounts.

Like Silvergate and Signature, Custodia has been singled out and unlawfully denied a master account with the Fed because the Federal Reserve doesn't want a bank like Custodia to exist. Either because they worry about the ramifications of the introduction of a full-reserve bank into a system dominated by fractional-reserve banks or they simply do not want to see bitcoin succeed. If we're being honest, it's probably a combination of the two.

Despite what we, or anyone else, thinks about the potential effect a bank like Custodia could have on the market if it's granted a master account, the Fed's actions are unconstitutional in this case as well. This was made pretty clear (but yet to be determined by a court) in an amicus brief written by Paul Clement on behalf of Custodia earlier this Summer. The Fed is actively undermining the dual-banking system that was set up in this country to enable competition between state chartered banks and the Federal Reserve system.

In the case of Custodia, the Federal Reserve is exhibiting expansive discretionary power that it has never shown before. Custodia is a state chartered special purpose depository institution in the state of Wyoming. Historically, it would be trivial for this type of state chartered bank to get a master account with the Fed. But for whatever reason (we know the reason) the Fed has been denying Custodia their right to this account for a number of years. To the point where Custodia was forced to sue the Federal Reserve and take their case to the courts.

What's interesting about the saga of Custodia and the Fed is that it has forced Custodia's legal team to dig in and highlight where the Fed is overextending its reach and acting arbitrarily. In the amicus brief that was published in July of this year, Paul Clement argues that the way Federal Reserve Bank presidents are chosen is unconstitutional when you take into consideration the fact the these Fed branch presidents are unilaterally undermining state banking laws by denying master accounts.

If they are going to unilaterally undermine state banking laws they need to be appointed by the President or an official acting on behalf of the Executive Branch. Federal Reserve Bank presidents aren't appointed by the President of the United States or any official acting with the authority of the Executive Branch. Instead, they are appointed by their boards, which are controlled by the privately held commercial banks who own them. The Federal Reserve system is clearly acting unconstitutionally when they deny Custodia from being assigned a master account.

The people in power within the federal government and the Federal Reserve system are actively targeting the bitcoin and digital asset industry, acting extrajudicially and making a mockery of the rule of law in the United States. They are completely out of control and it is important that everyone who cares about the future of bitcoin in the United States and the future of the United States more broadly (even if you don't like bitcoin) speaks out and fights against these totalitarians as vehemently as possible. What they are doing is wrong. It's unconstitutional. And it is putting the future of our country at risk.

If the federal government, the regulators and the Federal Reserve do not get out of the way and let law abiding citizens build the businesses they want and associate with businesses they want, those businesses will go elsewhere and the United States will be set back generations as a result.

It's time to put these people in their place and let it be known that freedom will reign supreme in the Land of the Free. Fight!

Final thought... I promised Parker Lewis that I would do cross fit on Friday morning and I'm using today's final thought as an accountability tool.

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Die «moralische Weltordnung» – eine Art Astrologie. Friedrich Nietzsche

Das Treffen der BRICS-Staaten beim Gipfel im russischen Kasan war sicher nicht irgendein politisches Event. Gastgeber Wladimir Putin habe «Hof gehalten», sagen die Einen, China und Russland hätten ihre Vorstellung einer multipolaren Weltordnung zelebriert, schreiben Andere.

In jedem Fall zeigt die Anwesenheit von über 30 Delegationen aus der ganzen Welt, dass von einer geostrategischen Isolation Russlands wohl keine Rede sein kann. Darüber hinaus haben sowohl die Anreise von UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres als auch die Meldungen und Dementis bezüglich der Beitrittsbemühungen des NATO-Staats Türkei für etwas Aufsehen gesorgt.

Im Spannungsfeld geopolitischer und wirtschaftlicher Umbrüche zeigt die neue Allianz zunehmendes Selbstbewusstsein. In Sachen gemeinsamer Finanzpolitik schmiedet man interessante Pläne. Größere Unabhängigkeit von der US-dominierten Finanzordnung ist dabei ein wichtiges Ziel.

Beim BRICS-Wirtschaftsforum in Moskau, wenige Tage vor dem Gipfel, zählte ein nachhaltiges System für Finanzabrechnungen und Zahlungsdienste zu den vorrangigen Themen. Während dieses Treffens ging der russische Staatsfonds eine Partnerschaft mit dem Rechenzentrumsbetreiber BitRiver ein, um Bitcoin-Mining-Anlagen für die BRICS-Länder zu errichten.

Die Initiative könnte ein Schritt sein, Bitcoin und andere Kryptowährungen als Alternativen zu traditionellen Finanzsystemen zu etablieren. Das Projekt könnte dazu führen, dass die BRICS-Staaten den globalen Handel in Bitcoin abwickeln. Vor dem Hintergrund der Diskussionen über eine «BRICS-Währung» wäre dies eine Alternative zu dem ursprünglich angedachten Korb lokaler Währungen und zu goldgedeckten Währungen sowie eine mögliche Ergänzung zum Zahlungssystem BRICS Pay.

Dient der Bitcoin also der Entdollarisierung? Oder droht er inzwischen, zum Gegenstand geopolitischer Machtspielchen zu werden? Angesichts der globalen Vernetzungen ist es oft schwer zu durchschauen, «was eine Show ist und was im Hintergrund von anderen Strippenziehern insgeheim gesteuert wird». Sicher können Strukturen wie Bitcoin auch so genutzt werden, dass sie den Herrschenden dienlich sind. Aber die Grundeigenschaft des dezentralisierten, unzensierbaren Peer-to-Peer Zahlungsnetzwerks ist ihm schließlich nicht zu nehmen.

Wenn es nach der EZB oder dem IWF geht, dann scheint statt Instrumentalisierung momentan eher der Kampf gegen Kryptowährungen angesagt. Jürgen Schaaf, Senior Manager bei der Europäischen Zentralbank, hat jedenfalls dazu aufgerufen, Bitcoin «zu eliminieren». Der Internationale Währungsfonds forderte El Salvador, das Bitcoin 2021 als gesetzliches Zahlungsmittel eingeführt hat, kürzlich zu begrenzenden Maßnahmen gegen das Kryptogeld auf.

Dass die BRICS-Staaten ein freiheitliches Ansinnen im Kopf haben, wenn sie Kryptowährungen ins Spiel bringen, darf indes auch bezweifelt werden. Im Abschlussdokument bekennen sich die Gipfel-Teilnehmer ausdrücklich zur UN, ihren Programmen und ihrer «Agenda 2030». Ernst Wolff nennt das «eine Bankrotterklärung korrupter Politiker, die sich dem digital-finanziellen Komplex zu 100 Prozent unterwerfen».

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@ 472f440f:5669301e

While most of the world is focused on the lead up to the Presidential election here in the US and louder war drums being beat across the world, the number of bullish developments that are stacking up for bitcoin is increasing rapidly. These developments deserve the OG Marty's Bent smorgasbord treatments, so here are the things that have caught my attention over the last week in no particular order.

The First Ark Transactions on Bitcoin Mainnet

I had the pleasure of participating in a demo of Second's Ark protocol implementation. For those who are unaware, Ark is a new layer-two protocol solution for making off-chain bitcoin payments. Unlike the lightning network, Ark doesn't depend on liquidity channels to facilitate payments. Within the lightning network two counterparties share UTXOs within a channel to move sats back and forth, nodes connect to many different channels to create a network effect that increases the chance of payments getting routed successfully, and node operators manage their channel liquidity as channel imbalances emerge.

Ark is similar in the sense that it also leverages a shared UTXO model. However, instead of having one-to-one channels that come with liquidity management issues, Ark enables a large amount of individuals to share UTXOs, which are managed by an Ark Service Provider (ASP). The ASP is a central party within the protocol, but it is a central party that does not custody UTXOs. It only coordinates the transfer of sats between Ark "rounds". Users have the ability to unilaterally exit the second-layer protocol whenever they deem necessary by broadcasting a Virtual UTXO (vtxo) transaction.

This may seem daunting and complicated. All you need to know is that there is now an new way to make off-chain bitcoin payments that are fast and relatively cheap and it is possible today. As it stands today, Ark has some scaling limitations that can be solved if covenants get merged into the bitcoin protocol, which would significantly reduce the data requirements for signing this type of transaction.

It should also be noted that Ark isn't here to replace the lightning network. It can help serve different use cases and, at the same time, significantly improve the UX of the lightning network. Particularly channel management. The progression of the Ark protocol is a welcomed development. I look forward to following what's going on with Ark as the protocol matures.

The Kingdom of Bhutan is Stacking A LOT of Sats

We were made aware of the fact that the Kingdom of Bhutan, a small country in the Himalayas with a population less than 1,000,000 people, was mining bitcoin in early 2023 when their sovereign wealth fund was doxxed in the bankruptcy proceedings of BlockFi and Celsius. Don't look now, but Bhutan has been doxxed again, this time by the chain surveillance firm Arkham, which is reporting that the nation currently holds more than 13,000 bitcoin, which is nearly 1/3 of its GDP. Driven predominately by its mining operations, which have expanded significantly over the last two years in an attempt to monetize the country's excess hydroelectric power.

While we're not big fans of doxxing here at TFTC, we are fans of the game theory of bitcoin playing out in front of our eyes. And the Kingdom of Bhutan is a shining example of the game theory bitcoiners have been talking about for 15 years playing out perfectly.

Bitcoin is a very thorny topic for individuals at every layer of society. At the individual layer, people have to independently decide that bitcoin is a better money and they have to actively decide to store their wealth in it instead of other assets. For companies, the decision to use bitcoin as the preferred savings vehicle is even harder because most businesses have multiple stakeholders that need to align on a decision before making it. When you move up to the nation state level, the complexity of making the decision to add bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset gets even harder. Many more people and different branches of government need to agree and pass bills (in most cases) before bitcoin can ever make it into a nation's treasury asset mix.

It has long been said within bitcoin circles that individuals who have the ability to think independently, companies that have a lean corporate structure, and nation states with little to lose will be the first movers into bitcoin. And they will benefit massively over the long-run for being early.

If you're an individual reading this who is using bitcoin as their money of choice, you are one of these early movers. Microstrategy under Michael Saylor, who has the ability to make somewhat unilateral decisions due to the company's share structure, is an early move. And, Bhutan, a small nation in the Himalaya mountains with a sovereign wealth fund that seems to have the ability to take risk, is an early mover. With little to lose and greatness to gain, Bhutan is giving other small nation states the playbook for leap frogging the competition in the digital age. Stack a shit ton of bitcoin on the DL, hold on to it for a considerable amount of time, and wake up one day as an economic powerhouse.

The Fed Cuts Rates by 50 Basis Points

I'm sure all of you are well aware at this point. Last week the Federal Reserve made it's first rate cuts in over four years when it cut the fed funds target rate by 0.50% to 4.75-5.00%. With the economy reeling despite what the official government and mainstream narrative may try to make you believe, Jerome Powell and crew have decided it is time to ease up on their monetary policy.

Put another way, inflation is likely to come back with a vengeance as easy money begins to reenter the economy. To be clear, a lower fed funds rate doesn't technically necessitate that newly printed dollars enter the economy like they have over the last 15 years via operations like quantitative easing. However, one has to imagine that the Fed sees some sort of liquidity crisis on the horizon that requires them to begin cutting rates. And not only cutting, but cutting at a pace that was very low probability only a couple of months ago. The consensus in the middle of the Summer was that the Fed would begin lowering rates with a modest 25bps cut this month. They doubled that.

It's probably safe to assume that something is approaching a breaking point on the back end of the financial system. One only has to look at record high credit card debt, record low savings rates, the state of the job market for native born Americans, and the continued turn over of commercial real estate markets to see that not all is well in the American economy. Your Uncle Marty's spidey senses are signaling that a liquidity crunch is likely lurking around the corner. When it does rear its ugly head, you can expect quantitative easing to make a big come back.

When money printer goes brrr, bitcoin goes berserk.

It seems that the Treasury's move over the last 18-months of over-indexing on the front end of the curve during their auctions is already having an expansionary effect on M2 as it has officially entered expansion territory for the first time since 2022. Hold on to your butts, freaks.

Bitcoin's fundamentals are only getting stronger as time goes on. This is evidenced by continued improvement to the protocol stack via second layer protocols, continued adoption by reputable actors like the Kingdom of Bhutan, and the continued mismanagement of the fiat monetary system.

The price of bitcoin has been range bound since the Spring and it has lulled the market into a state of boredom. Enjoy the boring period while it lasts. All signs are pointing to a bitcoin bull run the likes of which the world hasn't seen before. There is a lot of tinder, it is extremely dry, and there are flame throwers on the horizon.

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Final thought... Nothing makes me happier than meeting someone who gets value from this newsletter or the podcasts in the wild. Love you, freaks.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

As I'm sure many of you are aware already, Israel executed an attack on thousands of Hezbollah members in Lebanon earlier today. At the moment, it looks like Israel successfully waged a supply chain attack on the pagers used by Hezbollah members. Intercepting the devices and placing highly explosive material on the batteries that could be triggered remotely by raising the temperature of the batteries.

To my knowledge, this is the first time an attack of this nature and of this scale has ever been waged. This is a very serious and dangerous precedent that should make anyone reading this think long and hard about the ramifications of the normalization of this type of warfare.

It's not clear to me yet whether this is exactly what happened, but this seems to be where all of the reports are pointing. And when you consider the scale of this operation, it is hard to think of alternative ways that this could have been achieved outside of corrupting the supply chain of this particular pager. Regardless, the die has been cast and remote detonation attacks in crowded civilian areas has been battle tested as an appropriate war tactic.

Not only does this set a terrible precedent for war, but it also begs the question; if they can do something like this with a relatively dumb pager, how much damage could they do with something like an iPhone? How vulnerable are the billions of people who hold smartphones in their pockets, or drive internet connected electric vehicles with lithium ion batteries? How trivial was it for Mossad to gain access to these devices and at what part of the supply chain? Now that this attack has been deemed to be "on the table" how long will it take before others begin to wage similar attacks?

War tactics and their costs are rapidly changing right before our eyes. The war between Russia and Ukraine is showing that low cost drones strapped with bombs can be very effective weapons that can do damage to military equipment worth anywhere between tens of millions to billions of dollars. The Houthi rebels have used cheap drones to completely disrupt the Suez Canal for the better part of a year. The world has only seen the tip of the iceberg in regards to how this type of technology can be used at scale to tip the leverage of power towards those with less financial resources, but a willingness to engage in kinetic conflict. Some of these drones are strapped with thermite flame throwers!

Now that new information has been brought to the market - you can turn pagers and (likely) cellular phones into a network of improvised explosive devices via a software push that increases the temperature of the devices' batteries - it is only a matter of time before others figure out how to do it and begin using these tactics themselves. War machines have never been easier and cheaper to deploy. In a world that is becoming increasingly fractured and angry, this is absolutely frightening. Asymmetric warfare as predicted in the Sovereign Individual is upon us.

As it relates to bitcoin hardware, these attacks highlight that an attack that has been long talked about in the industry but not yet exploited to the best of our knowledge is very real. Supply chain attacks, particularly on bitcoin signing devices that store private key information, have just been proven to be very possible by motivated state actors. If a nation state wanted to somehow "prove" that bitcoin is insecure or figure out a low effort way to do a mass confiscation of bitcoin all they have to do is successfully attack the supply chain of a hardware manufacturer, corrupt the devices, and let them flow to the hands of individuals who believe they are securing their bitcoin in the best way possible. The best way to mitigate this risk is to hold you bitcoin in a multi-sig wallet using a quorum of keys produced by different hardware produced by different manufacturers. Companies like Unchained make this process as seamless and possible and supply chain attacks like the one that was laid bare today highlight why these collaborative custody models are so important. Especially if you are holding a large amount of wealth in bitcoin.

This is a sad day for the world. I'll be praying for peace and sanity to prevail.

Final thought... That was a terrible loss by the Birds.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

TAPS SIGN

"There is no industry in the world that is more ruthlessly competitive than the bitcoin mining industry."

From any angle you cut it the bitcoin mining economic landscape is absolutely BRUTAL at the moment. Hashprice is sitting right above an all time low at $0.04/TH/day. Yesterday brought with it yet another new difficulty all time high. Competition for energy resources is as fierce as it has ever been as rack space continues to be tight in the United States and hoards of AI data centers move in to scoop up as much power as possible.

To make matters worse, with current economics it doesn't really make sense to buy bitcoin mining machines at their current prices. The pay back period on machines is absurd considering where we find ourselves in the market. Adam O from Upstream Data broke it down in a tweet earlier today.

As he says, it probably makes more sense to buy used machines than new machines right now if you are looking to make back your money on a reasonable timeline. The only reasons you would buy new hardware right now is if you believe the price is going to rip in the near term (risky bet), you think hashrate is going to come off the network (risky bet), or if you have obscenely low power costs (unlikely for most).

If you have machines plugged in or are thinking about plugging them in soon you better be running firmware that enables you to run your machines more efficiently to increase margins. With current economics, I would make the argument that it is incredibly irresponsible to be running your machines using stock firmware. Especially if you are operating a miner in the public markets or are a private miner backed by investors. It is a disservice to your shareholders. This is a strategy we have been deploying at Cathedra for years now and it has helped us to survive during these trying times in the mining industry and set us up to successfully complete a strategic merger with Kungsleden at an opportune time.

On that note, this is a trend you can expect to pick up over the next six months; mergers and acquisitions. We wrote earlier this year that M&A activity would pick up after the halving began to eat into the economics of mining businesses and that is exactly what is happening. We decided to move early at Cathedra to get ahead of the curve. Since then Cleanspark announced a merger with GRIID, Riot has initiated an attempted hostile takeover of Bitfarms, Bitfarms has entered an agreement to merge with Stronghold, and Terawulf has signaled that they are open to a merger if a particular deal makes sense. On top of this, Rhodium slipped into bankruptcy last month. As margins continue to be squeezed and companies get more desperate I expect this type of consolidation to accelerate.

All signs are pointing toward more pain in the world of mining in the near term. There is nothing outside of a face ripping rally in the price of bitcoin or some unforeseen event that knocks out a material amount of hashrate that will change this reality. Especially considering the fact that Bitmain announced a new hydro model that will produce 860 TH/s at ~13 J/TH! This will be the highest hashing, most energy efficient machine to ever hit the market by a considerable margin.

Once these machines hit the market (if they haven't already via Bitmain plugging them in, which could explain new difficulty all time highs despite terrible mining conditions) every other machine on the market is going to suffer economically.

To make matters worse for everyone struggling right now, savvy energy producers are beginning to understand the benefits bitcoin mining can bring to their operational stack. Japanese energy giant TEPCO is reportedly planning to scale up their mining operations after beginning pilots in late 2022. They want to utilize the excess energy produced by renewable sources to mine bitcoin. From what I can tell, they haven't scaled up significantly yet. However, it is reasonable to believe that they will scale up and other energy producers will take notice. Pushing the industry closer to its inevitable end state; vertical integration via energy producers who have the lowest cost of production.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. Keep hashing if you can.

Final thought...

The pets need protecting.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Auf der diesjährigen Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz geht es vor allem um die Ukraine. Protagonisten sind dabei zunächst die US-Amerikaner. Präsident Trump schockierte die Europäer kurz vorher durch ein Telefonat mit seinem Amtskollegen Wladimir Putin, während Vizepräsident Vance mit seiner Rede über Demokratie und Meinungsfreiheit für versteinerte Mienen und Empörung sorgte.

Die Bemühungen der Europäer um einen Frieden in der Ukraine halten sich, gelinde gesagt, in Grenzen. Größeres Augenmerk wird auf militärische Unterstützung, die Pflege von Feindbildern sowie Eskalation gelegt. Der deutsche Bundeskanzler Scholz reagierte auf die angekündigten Verhandlungen über einen möglichen Frieden für die Ukraine mit der Forderung nach noch höheren «Verteidigungsausgaben». Auch die amtierende Außenministerin Baerbock hatte vor der Münchner Konferenz klargestellt:

«Frieden wird es nur durch Stärke geben. (...) Bei Corona haben wir gesehen, zu was Europa fähig ist. Es braucht erneut Investitionen, die der historischen Wegmarke, vor der wir stehen, angemessen sind.»

Die Rüstungsindustrie freut sich in jedem Fall über weltweit steigende Militärausgaben. Die Kriege in der Ukraine und in Gaza tragen zu Rekordeinnahmen bei. Jetzt «winkt die Aussicht auf eine jahrelange große Nachrüstung in Europa», auch wenn der Ukraine-Krieg enden sollte, so hört man aus Finanzkreisen. In der Konsequenz kennt «die Aktie des deutschen Vorzeige-Rüstungskonzerns Rheinmetall in ihrem Anstieg offenbar gar keine Grenzen mehr». «Solche Friedensversprechen» wie das jetzige hätten in der Vergangenheit zu starken Kursverlusten geführt.

Für manche Leute sind Kriegswaffen und sonstige Rüstungsgüter Waren wie alle anderen, jedenfalls aus der Perspektive von Investoren oder Managern. Auch in diesem Bereich gibt es Startups und man spricht von Dingen wie innovativen Herangehensweisen, hocheffizienten Produktionsanlagen, skalierbaren Produktionstechniken und geringeren Stückkosten.

Wir lesen aktuell von Massenproduktion und gesteigerten Fertigungskapazitäten für Kriegsgerät. Der Motor solcher Dynamik und solchen Wachstums ist die Aufrüstung, die inzwischen permanent gefordert wird. Parallel wird die Bevölkerung verbal eingestimmt und auf Kriegstüchtigkeit getrimmt.

Das Rüstungs- und KI-Startup Helsing verkündete kürzlich eine «dezentrale Massenproduktion für den Ukrainekrieg». Mit dieser Expansion positioniere sich das Münchner Unternehmen als einer der weltweit führenden Hersteller von Kampfdrohnen. Der nächste «Meilenstein» steht auch bereits an: Man will eine Satellitenflotte im Weltraum aufbauen, zur Überwachung von Gefechtsfeldern und Truppenbewegungen.

Ebenfalls aus München stammt das als DefenseTech-Startup bezeichnete Unternehmen ARX Robotics. Kürzlich habe man in der Region die größte europäische Produktionsstätte für autonome Verteidigungssysteme eröffnet. Damit fahre man die Produktion von Militär-Robotern hoch. Diese Expansion diene auch der Lieferung der «größten Flotte unbemannter Bodensysteme westlicher Bauart» in die Ukraine.

Rüstung boomt und scheint ein Zukunftsmarkt zu sein. Die Hersteller und Vermarkter betonen, mit ihren Aktivitäten und Produkten solle die europäische Verteidigungsfähigkeit erhöht werden. Ihre Strategien sollten sogar «zum Schutz demokratischer Strukturen beitragen».

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Nur wenn wir aufeinander zugehen, haben wir die Chance \ auf Überwindung der gegenseitigen Ressentiments! \ Dr. med. dent. Jens Knipphals

In Wolfsburg sollte es kürzlich eine Gesprächsrunde von Kritikern der Corona-Politik mit Oberbürgermeister Dennis Weilmann und Vertretern der Stadtverwaltung geben. Der Zahnarzt und langjährige Maßnahmenkritiker Jens Knipphals hatte diese Einladung ins Rathaus erwirkt und publiziert. Seine Motivation:

«Ich möchte die Spaltung der Gesellschaft überwinden. Dazu ist eine umfassende Aufarbeitung der Corona-Krise in der Öffentlichkeit notwendig.»

Schon früher hatte Knipphals Antworten von den Kommunalpolitikern verlangt, zum Beispiel bei öffentlichen Bürgerfragestunden. Für das erwartete Treffen im Rathaus formulierte er Fragen wie: Warum wurden fachliche Argumente der Kritiker ignoriert? Weshalb wurde deren Ausgrenzung, Diskreditierung und Entmenschlichung nicht entgegengetreten? In welcher Form übernehmen Rat und Verwaltung in Wolfsburg persönlich Verantwortung für die erheblichen Folgen der politischen Corona-Krise?

Der Termin fand allerdings nicht statt – der Bürgermeister sagte ihn kurz vorher wieder ab. Knipphals bezeichnete Weilmann anschließend als Wiederholungstäter, da das Stadtoberhaupt bereits 2022 zu einem Runden Tisch in der Sache eingeladen hatte, den es dann nie gab. Gegenüber Multipolar erklärte der Arzt, Weilmann wolle scheinbar eine öffentliche Aufarbeitung mit allen Mitteln verhindern. Er selbst sei «inzwischen absolut desillusioniert» und die einzige Lösung sei, dass die Verantwortlichen gingen.

Die Aufarbeitung der Plandemie beginne bei jedem von uns selbst, sei aber letztlich eine gesamtgesellschaftliche Aufgabe, schreibt Peter Frey, der den «Fall Wolfsburg» auch in seinem Blog behandelt. Diese Aufgabe sei indes deutlich größer, als viele glaubten. Erfreulicherweise sei der öffentliche Informationsraum inzwischen größer, trotz der weiterhin unverfrorenen Desinformations-Kampagnen der etablierten Massenmedien.

Frey erinnert daran, dass Dennis Weilmann mitverantwortlich für gravierende Grundrechtseinschränkungen wie die 2021 eingeführten 2G-Regeln in der Wolfsburger Innenstadt zeichnet. Es sei naiv anzunehmen, dass ein Funktionär einzig im Interesse der Bürger handeln würde. Als früherer Dezernent des Amtes für Wirtschaft, Digitalisierung und Kultur der Autostadt kenne Weilmann zum Beispiel die Verknüpfung von Fördergeldern mit politischen Zielsetzungen gut.

Wolfsburg wurde damals zu einem Modellprojekt des Bundesministeriums des Innern (BMI) und war Finalist im Bitkom-Wettbewerb «Digitale Stadt». So habe rechtzeitig vor der Plandemie das Projekt «Smart City Wolfsburg» anlaufen können, das der Stadt «eine Vorreiterrolle für umfassende Vernetzung und Datenerfassung» aufgetragen habe, sagt Frey. Die Vereinten Nationen verkauften dann derartige «intelligente» Überwachungs- und Kontrollmaßnahmen ebenso als Rettung in der Not wie das Magazin Forbes im April 2020:

«Intelligente Städte können uns helfen, die Coronavirus-Pandemie zu bekämpfen. In einer wachsenden Zahl von Ländern tun die intelligenten Städte genau das. Regierungen und lokale Behörden nutzen Smart-City-Technologien, Sensoren und Daten, um die Kontakte von Menschen aufzuspüren, die mit dem Coronavirus infiziert sind. Gleichzeitig helfen die Smart Cities auch dabei, festzustellen, ob die Regeln der sozialen Distanzierung eingehalten werden.»

Offensichtlich gibt es viele Aspekte zu bedenken und zu durchleuten, wenn es um die Aufklärung und Aufarbeitung der sogenannten «Corona-Pandemie» und der verordneten Maßnahmen geht. Frustration und Desillusion sind angesichts der Realitäten absolut verständlich. Gerade deswegen sind Initiativen wie die von Jens Knipphals so bewundernswert und so wichtig – ebenso wie eine seiner Kernthesen: «Wir müssen aufeinander zugehen, da hilft alles nichts».

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ e5272de9:a16a102f

What is the Grapevine?

The Grapevine enables you and your community to identify who is the most trustworthy, and in what context, to curate content, facts, and information.

In this article we present an overview of the Grapevine Worldview, a visualization tool and control panel for the management of your grapevine.

How does the grapevine work?

The construction of a Grapevine Worldview can be broken down into the following steps:

Step 1. Decide what question you want to answer or the problem you want to solve. For example: curate a directory of nostr apps. The finished product will be a ranked list, G, of items that may be pubkeys or could be something else, e.g. products from an eCommerce site.

Step 2. Select whatever sources of raw data (usually from within nostr, but in theory, could come from outside nostr) that are both 1) available to you and 2) relevant to the question or problem. (See Table: Sources of Raw Data at [1].)

Step 3. Translate each data source into a format suitable for consumption by the grapevine through the process of interpretation (see [1]).

Step 4. Crunch the numbers using the GrapeRank equations. Each purple arrow in the Worldview represents a single iteration. If the arrow loops around in a circle, iterations repeat until convergence. The finished product will be a list G of items, ranked by GrapeRank score.

Step 5: Consume the list G in whatever way you see fit. If the product is a ranked list of pubkeys, it may be used to curate a feed or you may use it as part of the curation process within other Worldviews.

The Worldview is designed to give a big picture overview of the entire above process. In this post I will walk though a simple example of a hypothetical Grapevine Worldview, designed around the problem of how to curate a list of nostr apps.

Example Worldview: Curation of Nostr Apps

The Worldview in the above figure is designed for a specific purpose: to manage a list of nostr apps. [2]

Each node G on the worldview represents a table of items, each of which is associated with a contextual GrapeRank score, calculated using the GrapeRank algorithm. The blue nodes represent tables of pubkeys, and the grey node represents a list of non-pubkey items, in this case the list of nostr apps.

Each edge (purple arrow) is associated with an array R of ratings r, each of which must follow the Grapevine Ratings format. Each R is generated from raw ratings data that can be from any source, in any format. Multiple categories of data can be merged into a single dataset R. For each R, and for each category of raw data that contributes to R, an explicit Interpretation must be provided.

If we look from left to right in the above figure, we can see information processed through the following stages:

Stage 1: Follows and mutes (raw ratings data) is used to curate G_o: a table of pubkeys that are (probably) not bots or other bad actors

Stage 2: NIP-51 lists entitled "Nostr Devs" (raw data) is used to curate G_devs. Note that authors of these lists are filtered and weighted using G_o from the previous stage.

Stage 3: Content authored by G_devs is used to curate G_nostrApps, the list of Nost Apps.

The source of potential items to initialize the list G_nostrApps is unspecified in the worldview, but one possibility would be to make use of Nostr forms, as seen at formstr.

The content used to initialized R_nostrApps used in stage 3 is also left unspecified. One possibility would be to use NIP-32 labels to endorse submitted items as belonging / not belonging on the list. Anyone could submit labels, but only pubkeys represented in G_0 or G_devs will be given a voice, and that voice will be proportional to that pubkey's influence score. The relative thickness of the two purple arrows leading to the G_nostrApps node on the right tells us that nostr developers are given a louder voice in the final curation of G_nostrApps.

Values and choices of the end-user

The Grapevine Worldview places the values and choices of the end user center stage. These choices are manifest in several ways: * the choice of raw data: what is included, what data is available but ignored * the specifics of the interpretation of each category of raw data into a list R of individual ratings r * the overall topology of the Worldview, including the choices of which G's to incorporate * the demonstrated willingness to expend computational energy on any given aspects of the above. For now, the computational energy will be trivial. At some point, the energy expenditure will have a nontrivial cost.

Summary

The Grapevine Worldview is a visual overview and a control panel for the process leading up to the curation of some category of content by your grapevine. Construction of any given worldview includes decisions on who should be trusted to curate what. These decisions may or may not be the same from one end user to another.

Each user can manage multiple Worldviews, each one of which is purposed for the curation of a given G. And the output of one Worldview, G, can be consumed by a different Worldview.

Current efforts are directed at creating an open source library for the GrapeRank equations. Next step will be back end services that partner with relays and will enable generation of G_0, the Grapevine Network of "not-bot" pubkeys. We anticipate that future work will build out the front end control panel for Worldviews, including control panels for the interpretation of additional data sources and curation of lists like nostr apps as in the example above.

Notes

[1] https://njump.me / naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzpef89h53f0fsza2ugwdc3e54nfpun5nxfqclpy79r6w8nxsk5yp0qqxnzdejx5urzwp58qcrgdp4dutxqa

[2] Currently, various lists of nostr apps are maintained, e.g. at Awesome Nostr by (Aljaz Ceru?), or at nostrapps.com by (Karnage?).

@ ff517fbf:fde1561b

ビットコインが「最強の担保」と言われる理由

ビットコインは「デジタルゴールド」とも呼ばれることがありますが、実はローンの担保としても最強だと言われています。その理由を、他の資産（株式、不動産、金など）と比較しながら見てみましょう。

• 流動性と即時性：ビットコインは24時間365日世界中で取引されているため、非常に流動性が高い資産です。売買がすぐにできて価格も常に明確なので、担保評価がしやすく、お金を貸す側・借りる側双方に安心感を与えます。一方、株式や不動産は市場が営業時間内しか動かず、現金化にも時間がかかります。不動産は売却に数ヶ月かかることもありますし、金（ゴールド）は現物を保管・輸送する手間があります。ビットコインならネット上で即座に担保設定・解除ができるのです。

• 分割性と柔軟性：ビットコインは小数点以下8桁まで分割可能（1億分の1が最小単位の「サトシ」）なので、必要な額だけ正確に担保に充てることができます。他方、土地や建物を一部だけ担保に入れることは難しいですし、株式も1株未満の細かい調整はできません。ビットコインなら価値の微調整が容易で、担保として柔軟に扱えるのです。

• 管理のしやすさ（マルチシグによる信頼性）：HodlHodlのLendでは、ビットコイン担保は2-of-3のマルチシグ契約で管理されます。これは「借り手・貸し手・プラットフォーム」の3者それぞれが鍵を持ち、2つの鍵の同意がないとビットコインを動かせない仕組みです。このため、誰か一人が勝手に担保を持ち逃げすることができず、第三者（HodlHodl）も単独ではコインを移動できません。ビットコインだからこそ実現できる非中央集権で安全な担保管理であり、株式や不動産を担保にする場合のように銀行や証券会社といった仲介業者に頼る必要がありません。

• 国境を越えた利用：ビットコインはインターネットがつながる所なら世界中どこでも送受信できます。このため、日本にいながら海外の相手とでもローン契約が可能です。たとえば日本の方がビットコインを担保にドル建てのステーブルコインを借り、それを日本円に換えて使うこともできます（為替リスクには注意ですが…）。不動産を海外の人と直接やり取りするのは現実的に難しいですが、ビットコインならグローバルに担保が活用できるのです。

• 希少性と価値の上昇期待：ビットコインは発行上限が決まっており（2100万BTCまで）、時間とともに新規供給が減っていきます。過去の長期的な価格推移を見ると、短期的な変動は激しいものの数年〜十年のスパンでは上昇傾向にあります。一方、法定通貨建ての資産（債券や株式など）はインフレの影響で実質価値が目減りすることがあります。ビットコインは長期保有すれば価値が上がりやすい特性があるため、「今手放したくない資産」として担保に向いています。実際、HodlHodlのチームは「ビットコインはスーパーカCollateral（超優秀な担保）だ」と述べています。

こうした理由から、ビットコインは現時点で考えうる中でも最良の担保資産と考えられています。株や不動産のように書類手続きや名義変更をしなくても、ビットコインならブロックチェーン上の契約でシンプルに担保設定ができる――この手軽さと信頼性が大きな魅力です。

匿名&プライバシー重視：KYC不要のP2Pレンディングのメリット

HodlHodlのLend最大の特徴の一つは、本人確認（KYC）が一切不要だという点です。日本の多くの金融サービスでは口座開設時に運転免許証やマイナンバー提出など煩雑な手続きが必要ですが、Lendではメールアドレスでアカウント登録するだけでOK。これは「匿名性・プライバシー」を重視する人にとって非常に相性が良いポイントです。

• 個人情報を晒さなくて良い安心感：日本では昔から「人に迷惑をかけない」「目立たない」ことが美徳とされ、特にお金の話は他人に知られたくないと考える人が多いですよね。Lendは匿名で利用できるため、借金をすることを周囲に知られたくない人でも安心です。銀行からローンを借りるときのように収入証明や保証人を用意する必要もなく、誰にも知られずひっそりと資金調達ができます。

• ノー・チェック＆ノー・ペーパー：貸し借りにあたって信用審査や過去の借入履歴チェックがありません 。極端な話、今まで金融履歴が全く無い人や、銀行に相手にされないような人でも、ビットコインさえ持っていればお金を借りられるのです。書類のやり取りが無いので手続きもスピーディーです。「印鑑証明や収入証明を揃えて…」という面倒とは無縁で、ネット上でクリックして契約が完結します。

• プライバシーの保護：個人情報を提出しないということは、情報漏洩のリスクも無いということです。近年、日本でも個人情報の流出事件が相次いでおり、不安に感じる方も多いでしょう。Lendではアカウント登録時にメールアドレスとパスワード以外何も求められません。財務情報や身元情報がどこかに蓄積される心配がないのは、大きな安心材料です。

• 国や機関から干渉されにくい：匿名であるということは、極端に言えば誰にも利用を知られないということです。たとえば「ローンを借りると住宅ローンの審査に響くかな…」とか「副業の資金調達を会社に知られたくないな…」といった心配も、匿名のP2Pローンなら不要です。借りたお金の使い道も自由ですし、何より利用自体が自分だけの秘密にできるのは、日本人にとって心理的ハードルを下げてくれるでしょう。

このように、ノーKYC（本人確認なし） のP2Pレンディングは、日本のようにプライバシーや控えめさを重んじる文化圏でも利用しやすいサービスと言えます。実際、HodlHodlのLendは「地理的・規制的な制限がなく、世界中の誰もが利用できる純粋なP2P市場」とされています。日本に居ながらグローバルな貸し借りができ、しかも身元明かさずに済む――これは画期的ですね。

Borrow編：HodlHodlのLendでビットコインを担保にお金を借りる方法

それでは具体的に、HodlHodlのLendでどのようにビットコイン担保のローンを借りるのか、手順を追って説明します。初心者でも迷わないよう、シンプルなステップにまとめました。

1. アカウント登録 (Sign up)

まずはHodlHodlのLendサイトにアクセスし、無料のアカウントを作成します。必要なのはメールアドレスとパスワードだけです。登録後、確認メールが届くのでリンクをクリックして認証すれば準備完了。これでプラットフォーム上でオファー（契約希望）を閲覧・作成できるようになります。

※HodlHodlは日本語には対応していませんが、英語のシンプルなUIです。Google翻訳などを使っても良いでしょう。

2. 借りたい条件のオファーを探す or 作成

ログインしたら、「To Borrow（借りる）」のメニューから現在出ている貸し手のオファー一覧を見てみましょう。オファーには借入希望額（例：$1000相当のUSDT）、期間（例：3ヶ月）、金利（例：5%）やLTV（担保価値比率、例：60%）などの条件が書かれています。自分の希望に合うものがあれば選んで詳細画面へ進みます。条件に合うオファーが見つからない場合は、自分で「○○ USDTを△ヶ月、金利○%で借りたい」という借り手オファーを新規作成することも可能です。

用語補足：LTV（ローン・トゥ・バリュー）とはローン額に対する担保価値の割合です。たとえばLTV50%なら、借りたい額の2倍の価値のビットコインを担保に入れる必要があります。LTVは貸し手が設定しており、一般に30%〜70%程度の範囲でオファーが出ています。低いLTVほど借り手は多くのBTC担保が必要ですが、その分だけ貸し手にとって安全なローンとなります。

3. 契約成立とマルチシグ担保のデポジット

借り手・貸し手双方が条件に合意すると契約成立です。HodlHodlプラットフォーム上で自動的に専用のマルチシグ・エスクロー用ビットコインアドレス（担保保管先アドレス）が生成されます。次に、借り手であるあなたは自分のウォレットからビットコインをそのエスクローアドレスに送金します。

• 📌ポイント：マルチシグで安心 – 上述の通り、このエスクロー用アドレスのコインを動かすには3者中2者の署名が必要です。あなた（借り手）は常にそのうちの1つの鍵を保有しています。つまり、自分が承認しない限り担保BTCが勝手に引き出されることはないのでご安心ください。

ビットコインの入金がブロックチェーン上で所定の承認（通常数ブロック程度）を得ると、担保デポジット完了です。これで契約は有効化され、次のステップへ進みます。

4. 貸し手から資金（ステーブルコイン）を受け取る

担保のロックが確認できると、今度は貸し手がローン金額の送金を行います。Lendで借りられるのは主にステーブルコインです。ステーブルコインとは、米ドルなど法定通貨の価値に連動するよう設計された仮想通貨で、USDTやUSDC、DAIといった種類があります。借り手は契約時に受取用のステーブルコインアドレス（自分のウォレットアドレス）を指定しますので、貸し手はそのアドレス宛に契約どおりの額を送金します。例えばUSDTを借りる契約なら、貸し手からあなたのUSDTウォレットにUSDTが送られてきます。

これで晴れて、あなた（借り手）は希望のステーブルコインを手にすることができました！ あなたのビットコインは担保としてロックされていますが、期限までに返済すれば取り戻せますので、しばしのお別れです。借りたステーブルコインは自由に使えますので、後述する活用例を参考に有効活用しましょう。

5. 返済（リペイメント）

契約期間中は基本的に何もする必要はありません（途中で追加担保や一部返済を行うことも可能ですが、初心者向け記事では割愛します）。期間が満了するまでに、借りたステーブルコイン＋利息を貸し手に返済します。返済も、貸し手の指定するウォレットアドレスにステーブルコインを送金する形で行われます。

• 利息の計算：利息は契約時に決めた率で発生します。例えば年利10%で6ヶ月間$1000を借りたなら、利息は単純計算で$50（＝$1000×10%×0.5年）です。契約によっては「期間全体で○%」と定める場合もありますが、プラットフォーム上で年率（APR）換算が表示されます。

期間内であれば任意のタイミングで早期返済することも可能です。返済期限より早く全額返せば、利息もその日数分だけで済みます（※ただし契約によります。事前に契約条件を確認してください）。HodlHodlでは分割返済にも対応しており、例えば月ごとに少しずつ返して最後に完済することもできます。

6. ビットコイン担保の解除（返却）

貸し手があなたからの返済受領を確認すると、プラットフォーム上で契約終了の手続きを行います。マルチシグの担保アドレスからあなたのビットコインを解放（返却）する署名を貸し手とプラットフォームが行い、あなたの元のウォレットにビットコインが送られます。こうして無事に担保のBTCが戻ってくれば、一連のローン取引は完了です🎉。

もし返済が滞った場合はどうなるのでしょうか？その場合、契約で定められた猶予期間やマージンコール（追加担保のお願い）を経た後、担保のビットコインが強制的に貸し手に渡されて契約終了（清算）となります。担保額が未返済額を上回っていれば、差額は借り手に返ってきます。つまり、返せなかったとしても借り手が担保以上の損をすることはありませんが、大切なビットコインを失ってしまう結果にはなるので注意しましょう。

Borrow（借りる）側のまとめ：ビットコインさえあれば、あとの手続きは非常に簡単です。借入までの流れをもう一度簡潔にまとめると：

1. メールアドレスでLendに登録
2. 借入オファーを探すor作成してマッチング
3. マルチシグ契約が自動生成・BTC担保を自分で入金
4. 貸し手からステーブルコインを受領
5. 期限までにステーブルコイン＋利息を返済
6. ビットコイン担保が自分のウォレットに戻る

第三者の仲介なしに、ネット上でこれだけのことが完結するのは驚きですよね。HodlHodlは「あなたの条件、あなたの鍵、あなたのコイン」と銘打っており、自分の望む条件で・自分が鍵を管理し・自分の資産を動かせるプラットフォームであることを強調しています。

Lend編：HodlHodlのプラットフォームでお金を貸してみよう

次は逆に、自分が貸し手（Lender）となってステーブルコインを貸し出し、利息収入を得る方法です。銀行に預けても超低金利のこのご時世、手持ちの資金をうまく運用したい方にとってP2Pレンディングは魅力的な選択肢になりえます。HodlHodlのLendなら、これもまた簡単な手順で始められます。

基本的な流れは先ほどの「Borrow編」と鏡写しになっています。

1. アカウント登録

借り手と同様、まずはHodlHodlに登録します（すでに借り手として登録済みなら同じアカウントで貸し手にもなれます）。メールアドレスだけでOK、もちろん貸し手側もKYC不要です。

2. 貸出オファーの確認 or 作成

ログイン後、「To Lend（貸す）」メニューから現在の借り手募集一覧を見ます。各オファーには希望額・期間・支払い利率・LTVなど条件が表示されています。「この条件なら貸してもいいかな」という案件があれば選択しましょう。もし自分の希望する利回りや期間が合わない場合は、自分で貸し手オファーを作成することも可能です。「○○ USDTまで、最長△ヶ月、最低利息◻◻%で貸せます」といった条件を提示できます。プラットフォーム上ではユーザーがお互いに条件を提示しあってマッチングする仕組みなので、金利や期間もすべてユーザー自身が自由に設定できます。

3. マッチングと契約開始

あなたの提示した条件で借りたい人が現れたら契約成立です（逆に誰かの借入オファーに応じる形なら、その時点で成立）。システムがマルチシグの担保用BTCアドレスを生成し、借り手がそこへビットコインをデポジットします。借り手からのBTC入金が確認できるまで、貸し手であるあなたは資金を送る必要はありません。担保が確保されたのを見届けてから次に進みます。

4. 資金（ステーブルコイン）の送金

借り手の担保ロックが完了したら、契約で定めたステーブルコインを借り手へ送金します。送金先アドレスは契約詳細画面に表示されます（借り手が指定済み）。例えばUSDCを貸す契約なら、相手のUSDCアドレスに約束の額を送ります。ここで送金した金額がローンの principal（元本）となり、後ほど利息とともに返ってくるわけです。

無事に相手に届けば、あとは契約期間終了まで待つだけです。あなたは担保のBTCに対して鍵を1つ持っている状態なので、万一トラブルが起きた場合でも担保を引き出す権利を部分的に持っています（詳しくは次ステップ）。

5. 返済の受領

契約期間が終わると、借り手があなたにステーブルコインを返済してくるはずです。約束どおり元本＋利息を受け取ったら、それを確認してプラットフォーム上で「返済完了」を操作します。すると担保のビットコインがマルチシグから解放され、借り手に返却されます。これで貸し手としてのあなたは利息分の収益を獲得できました。お疲れ様です！

もし借り手が返済しなかった場合どうなるでしょうか？その場合、所定の猶予期間やマージンコール通知の後、担保のビットコインがあなた（貸し手）に渡されることになります。具体的には、LTVが90%に達するか返済期日から24時間以上滞納が続くと強制清算となり、担保BTCからあなたの貸付相当額が充当されます。担保が十分であれば元本と利息はカバーされ、余剰があれば借り手に返還されます。つまり貸し手側はかなり手厚く保護されており、返済を受け取れない場合でも担保で穴埋めされる仕組みです。

6. 収益を管理・再投資

受け取ったステーブルコイン（元本＋利息）は再度プラットフォームで貸し出しても良いですし、他の用途に使ってもOKです。年利に換算するとだいたい10%前後の利回りになる案件が多く見られます。条件次第では更に高い利率の契約も可能ですが、その分借り手が見つかりにくかったりリスク（担保不足のリスク）が高まる可能性もあります。ご自身のリスク許容度に合わせて運用しましょう。

Lend（貸す）側のまとめ：

• HodlHodlに登録（メールアドレスのみ）
• 貸出オファーを提示 or 借り手募集に応じる
• 契約成立後、借り手がBTC担保を入金
• 貸し手（自分）がステーブルコインを送金
• 期限まで待ち、借り手から元本＋利息を受領
• 担保BTCを返却し、利息収入を得る

銀行預金では考えられないような利息収入を得られるのが魅力ですが、その裏でビットコイン価格変動リスクも担っています。大暴落が起きて担保評価額が急落すると、清算時に元本を割るリスクもゼロではありません（LTV設定とマージンコール制度で極力保護されまますが）。リスクとリターンを理解した上で、小額から試すことをおすすめします。

ステーブルコインの活用：お金持ちは借金で生活する？

ここまで、ビットコインを手放さずにステーブルコインを手に入れる方法を見てきました。それでは、借りたステーブルコインは具体的に何に使えるのでしょうか？いくつか例を挙げてみましょう。

• 日常の出費に充当：ビットコイン投資家の中には「生活費はすべて借りたお金で賄い、自分のBTCはガチホ（売らずに長期保有）する」という方針の人もいます。例えば毎月の家賃や食費をステーブルコインのローンで支払い(これについても今後詳しく解説していきます)、ビットコインは一切使わないというイメージです。こうすれば、手持ちのBTCを売らずに済むので将来の値上がり益を逃しません。また日本では仮想通貨を売却すると雑所得として高率の税金がかかりますが、ローンで得たお金は借入金なので課税対象になりません（※将来的な税務計算は自己責任で行ってください）。つまり、ビットコインを売却して現金化する代わりにローンを使うことで、節税と資産温存のメリットが得られる可能性があります。

• 投資・資産運用に回す：借りた資金をさらに別の投資に活用することもできます。例えば有望な株式や不動産に投資したり、あるいは他の仮想通貨を買うこともできます。極端な例では、ビットコインを担保にUSDTを借りて、そのUSDTでまた別の仮想通貨を買い、それを運用益で返済する…といった戦略も理論上は可能です。ただし、借りたお金での投機はハイリスクなので慎重に！手堅い使い道としては、事業資金に充てるのも良いでしょう。例えば小さなオンラインビジネスを始めるための元手にしたり、新しい資格取得のための学費にするなど、自分への投資に使えば将来的なリターンでローンを返しつつ利益を上げることが期待できます。

• 急な支払いへの備え：人生何があるか分かりません。医療費や冠婚葬祭など急に現金が必要になる場面もあります。そんなとき、ビットコインをすぐ売ってしまうのは惜しい…という場合にローンで一時的にしのぐことができます。後で落ち着いてから返済すれば、大事なBTCを手放さずにピンチを乗り切れます。言わばデジタル質屋のような感覚で、ビットコインを預けてお金を工面し、後で買い戻す（返済する）イメージですね。日本でも昔から「質屋」で着物や宝石を預けてお金を借りる文化がありましたが、HodlHodl Lendはビットコイン版の質屋とも言えるでしょう。

• 市場の機会を逃さない：仮想通貨市場は変動が激しく、「今これを買いたいのに現金が無い！」というチャンスもあるでしょう。例えば「ビットコインが急落したから買い増したいが、現金が足りない」という場合、手持ちBTCを担保にしてステーブルコインを借り、その急落で安く買い増しする、といった動きもできます。そして後日価格が戻したところで返済すれば、差益を得つつBTC保有枚数も増やせるかもしれません。このようにローンを戦略的に使えば、市場の好機を掴む資金余力を生み出すことができます。ただしハイリスクな手法でもあるため、上級者向けではあります。

ここで覚えておきたいのは、「お金持ちは借金との付き合い方が上手い」という点です。日本では借金にネガティブな印象を持つ人も多いですが、世界的な資産家や大企業はしばしばあえて借金をして手元資金を他に活用しています。アメリカのベストセラー『金持ち父さん貧乏父さん』で有名なロバート・キヨサキ氏も「富裕層は他人のお金（借金）を利用してさらに富を築く」と強調しています。例えば彼は借金で高級車を買い、不動産投資にも借入を活用したそう (金持ちは貧乏人より借金が多い | 「金持ち父さん 貧乏父さん」日本オフィシャルサイト)❤️。借金を味方につけて資産運用すれば、自分の持ち出し資金を抑えつつ豊かな生活を実現できる可能性があります。

もちろん無計画な借金は禁物ですが、ローンを上手に使うことは決して悪いことではなく、むしろ経済的戦略として有効なのです。ビットコイン担保ローンはその新しい選択肢として、「お金にお金に働いてもらう」感覚を身につけるきっかけになるかもしれません。

高い金利でもローンを利用するのはなぜ？その理由と戦略

Lendのプラットフォームで提示される金利は、年利換算で見ると10〜15%程度が一つの目安 です。中にはそれ以上の利率の契約もあります。日本の銀行ローン（金利数％以下）と比べるとかなり高利に思えますが、それでも多くの人がこのサービスを利用してローンを組んでいます。なぜ高い利息を支払ってまで借りる価値があるのでしょうか？最後に、その理由と利用者の戦略について考えてみましょう。

• (1) ビットコインの期待リターンが高い：借り手にとって一番の動機は、「ビットコインは将来もっと値上がりするはずだから、多少利息を払っても売りたくない」というものです。例えば年利15%で$1000借りると一年後に$1150返す必要がありますが、もしビットコイン価格がその間に15%以上上昇すれば、利息分を差し引いても得をする計算になります。過去のビットコイン相場は年率ベースで大きく成長した年も多く、強気のホルダーほど利息より値上がり益を優先する傾向があります。「金利よりビットコインの価値上昇のほうが大きい」という自信が、高金利を払ってでも借りる動機になっているのです。

• (2) 課税や手数料の回避：先ほど述べたように、日本ではビットコインを売却すると高額の税金が発生する可能性があります。仮に30%〜50%の税金がかかるのであれば、年利10%前後のローンで済ませたほうがトクだという判断も成り立ちます。また、取引所で売却するときのスプレッドや出金手数料なども考えると、売却コストを回避する手段としてローンを選ぶ人もいます。要するに「売るくらいなら借りた方がマシ」という考え方ですね。

• (3) 自由と速さを優先：従来の金融機関からお金を借りるには時間がかかりますし、使途にも制限があることが多いです（事業資金なのか生活費なのか、といった審査があります）。それに対してHodlHodlのP2Pローンは使い道自由・即日資金調達が可能です。利息が高めでも「今すぐ○○がしたい」「明日までに現金が要る」といったニーズには代えられません。特に仮想通貨業界はスピード命ですから、チャンスを逃さないために高コストでも素早く借りるという選択が生まれます。

• (4) 借金＝時間を買うこと：あるユーザーの言葉を借りれば、「借金をすることは未来の時間を先取りすること」でもあります。例えば住宅ローンがあるからこそ若い世代でもマイホームに住めますし、事業ローンがあるからこそ企業は成長の機会を掴めます。ビットコイン担保ローンも同じで、「今はお金が無いけど将来増やすアテはある。だから今借りてしまおう」というケースもあるでしょう。将来の収入や資産増加を見込んで、時間を味方につけるためにあえて借金をするのです。日本語では「借金してでも◯◯する」という表現がありますが、前向きな借金は将来への投資とも言えるでしょう。

• (5) 非中央集権への支持：もう一つ見逃せないのは、HodlHodlのようなプラットフォームを利用する理由に思想的な支持があります。つまり「銀行や政府に頼らないお金の流れを実現したい」「ビットコインのエコシステムを活性化させたい」というビットコイナーたちです。多少コストが高くても、理念に共感して使っているケースもあります。匿名で自由にお金を借りられる世界を体験することで、金融システムの新たな可能性を感じているのです。

以上のように、高い金利にも関わらずローンを利用するのは明確なメリットや戦略があるからなのです。もちろん全ての人に当てはまるわけではありません。ビットコイン価格が下落局面ではリスクも伴いますし、利息分だけ損になる場合もあります。しかし、それらを理解した上で「自分のお金を働かせる」「資産を手放さずレバレッジを利かせる」手段として活用している人々が増えてきています。

最後に、HodlHodlの公式ブログの一文をご紹介します。

“私たちはビットコインこそがスーパーカ collateral（超優秀な担保）であり、利回りを得るために使うのではなく、それを担保に資金を借りるために使われるべきだと考えています" (The lending is dead, long live the lending | by Hodl Hodl | Hodl Hodl | Medium)。

ビットコイン時代の新しいお金の借り方・貸し方であるP2Pローン。最初は難しく感じるかもしれませんが、仕組みを理解すればとてもシンプルで強力なツールです。日本ではまだ馴染みが薄いかもしれませんが、匿名性を好み、コツコツ資産を増やすのが得意な人にこそフィットするサービスかもしれません。ぜひ少額から試し、自分なりの活用法を見つけてみてください。きっと新たな発見があるはずです。

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もしビットコイン担保のP2Pローンなどについてもっと深く知りたい、あるいは個別に相談してみたいと思えば、どうぞお気軽にご連絡ください。1対1のコンサルティングも承っています。

サービスには決まった料金はありませんが、ご相談を通じて「役に立った」と思い、お悩みや疑問を解決できたと感じていただけたら、「3つのT」でのご支援（Value for Value）をぜひご検討ください：

• 時間（Time）：この記事をSNSなどでシェアしていただくこと。
• 才能（Talent）：コメントや補足情報などを通じて知識を共有していただくこと。
• 宝（Treasure）：世界で最も健全なお金、ビットコインの最小単位「sats」でのご支援。

もちろん、支援の有無にかかわらず、お力になれればとても嬉しいです。 では、また次回！

@ 06830f6c:34da40c5

Once upon a time their lived a young man in a lost village, I'm just kidding with you, I'm testing my blog entries on my domain. SITE

Navigate to Blogs tab and screenshot this. @ me for a chance to get zapped ⚡. I won't say how many sats, so you are not doing it due to the incentive but to help me test the domain functionality.

Love ✌️

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Im Augenblick wird mit größter Intensität, großer Umsicht \ das deutsche Volk belogen. \ Olaf Scholz im FAZ-Interview

Online-Wahlen stärken die Demokratie, sind sicher, und 61 Prozent der Wahlberechtigten sprechen sich für deren Einführung in Deutschland aus. Das zumindest behauptet eine aktuelle Umfrage, die auch über die Agentur Reuters Verbreitung in den Medien gefunden hat. Demnach würden außerdem 45 Prozent der Nichtwähler bei der Bundestagswahl ihre Stimme abgeben, wenn sie dies zum Beispiel von Ihrem PC, Tablet oder Smartphone aus machen könnten.

Die telefonische Umfrage unter gut 1000 wahlberechtigten Personen sei repräsentativ, behauptet der Auftraggeber – der Digitalverband Bitkom. Dieser präsentiert sich als eingetragener Verein mit einer beeindruckenden Liste von Mitgliedern, die Software und IT-Dienstleistungen anbieten. Erklärtes Vereinsziel ist es, «Deutschland zu einem führenden Digitalstandort zu machen und die digitale Transformation der deutschen Wirtschaft und Verwaltung voranzutreiben».

Durchgeführt hat die Befragung die Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH, also alles in der Familie. Die gleiche Erhebung hatte der Verband übrigens 2021 schon einmal durchgeführt. Damals sprachen sich angeblich sogar 63 Prozent für ein derartiges «Demokratie-Update» aus – die Tendenz ist demgemäß fallend. Dennoch orakelt mancher, der Gang zur Wahlurne gelte bereits als veraltet.

Die spanische Privat-Uni mit Globalisten-Touch, IE University, berichtete Ende letzten Jahres in ihrer Studie «European Tech Insights», 67 Prozent der Europäer befürchteten, dass Hacker Wahlergebnisse verfälschen könnten. Mehr als 30 Prozent der Befragten glaubten, dass künstliche Intelligenz (KI) bereits Wahlentscheidungen beeinflusst habe. Trotzdem würden angeblich 34 Prozent der unter 35-Jährigen einer KI-gesteuerten App vertrauen, um in ihrem Namen für politische Kandidaten zu stimmen.

Wie dauerhaft wird wohl das Ergebnis der kommenden Bundestagswahl sein? Diese Frage stellt sich angesichts der aktuellen Entwicklung der Migrations-Debatte und der (vorübergehend) bröckelnden «Brandmauer» gegen die AfD. Das «Zustrombegrenzungsgesetz» der Union hat das Parlament heute Nachmittag überraschenderweise abgelehnt. Dennoch muss man wohl kein ausgesprochener Pessimist sein, um zu befürchten, dass die Entscheidungen der Bürger von den selbsternannten Verteidigern der Demokratie künftig vielleicht nicht respektiert werden, weil sie nicht gefallen.

Bundesweit wird jetzt zu «Brandmauer-Demos» aufgerufen, die CDU gerät unter Druck und es wird von Übergriffen auf Parteibüros und Drohungen gegen Mitarbeiter berichtet. Sicherheitsbehörden warnen vor Eskalationen, die Polizei sei «für ein mögliches erhöhtes Aufkommen von Straftaten gegenüber Politikern und gegen Parteigebäude sensibilisiert».

Der Vorwand «unzulässiger Einflussnahme» auf Politik und Wahlen wird als Argument schon seit einiger Zeit aufgebaut. Der Manipulation schuldig befunden wird neben Putin und Trump auch Elon Musk, was lustigerweise ausgerechnet Bill Gates gerade noch einmal bekräftigt und als «völlig irre» bezeichnet hat. Man stelle sich die Diskussionen um die Gültigkeit von Wahlergebnissen vor, wenn es Online-Verfahren zur Stimmabgabe gäbe. In der Schweiz wird «E-Voting» seit einigen Jahren getestet, aber wohl bisher mit wenig Erfolg.

Die politische Brandstiftung der letzten Jahre zahlt sich immer mehr aus. Anstatt dringende Probleme der Menschen zu lösen – zu denen auch in Deutschland die weit verbreitete Armut zählt –, hat die Politik konsequent polarisiert und sich auf Ausgrenzung und Verhöhnung großer Teile der Bevölkerung konzentriert. Basierend auf Ideologie und Lügen werden abweichende Stimmen unterdrückt und kriminalisiert, nicht nur und nicht erst in diesem Augenblick. Die nächsten Wochen dürften ausgesprochen spannend werden.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ e5272de9:a16a102f

The Grapevine is designed to digest raw data, no matter where you can find it. This is made possible through the process of interpretation.

Interpretation: the process of converting a source of raw data into a format suitable for consumption by the grapevine algorithm

format of Grapevine ratings

The Grapevine is designed to take as input a list of ratings that follow a specialized format, which we will refer to as Grapevine ratings.

Each rating must contain the following 4 to 6 fields: - rater - ratee - score - confidence - context (optional) - rating type (optional)

rater

The author of the rating. Often will be a pubkey or an npub, but could be username, etc.

ratee

The person, place, or thing being rated. This could be a pubkey, an event id or naddr, or a simple string, e.g. the title of a movie.

score

usually a number, but could be a boolean, an item on a list, etc.

confidence

a number between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 and 100 percent) that represents the confidence of the rater in the score. For example: If Alice rates Bob as highly skilled in some context, and this is based on working with him for many years, she may rate him 9/10 with a confidence of 0.9 (90 percent). On the other hand, suppose she considers him worthy of a 9/10 rating, but this is based on only one brief interaction. In this case, she may rate him 9/10 but with a confidence of 0.05 (5 percent).

context

a string. This may be omitted from the table if every rating in the table or dataset is of the same context (as may often be the case).

rating type

a string that indicates the type of rating: 5 star, true or false, etc. This may be omitted from the table if every rating in the table or dataset is of the same rating type (as may often be the case).

Example interpretation: follows and mutes

A good way to bootstrap a list of nostr users minus the bots, scams, and other bad actors is to make use of the follows and mutes lists, as is done at brainstorm.

The interpretation of a follow is the following Grapevine Rating: - rater: pk_Alice - ratee: pk_Bob - score: 1 - confidence: 0.05

The interpretation of a mute is the following Grapevine Rating: - rater: pk_Alice - ratee: pk_Charlie - score: 0 - confidence: 0.1

Grapevine Ratings Tables

A list of ratings may be referred to as a Grapevine Ratings Table or a Grapevine Ratings Dataset (if in some non-table format, such as an object).

In the below example, the rating type (0 to 5 stars) and context (item quality) columns are the same for each row in the table and so are omitted.

| rater | ratee | score | confidence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | pk_Alice | item1 | 4 | 0.5 | | pk_Bob | item1 | 5 | 0.9 | | pk_Alice | item2 | 0 | 0.1 |

Sources of Raw Data

| Some Suggested Sources of Raw Data | | --- | | follows, mutes, zaps | | kind 1 and long form notes | | NIP-51 lists | | kind 7 reactions | | NIP-32 labels | | NIP-58 badges | | nostr forms (e.g. see formstr) |

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Menschen tun alles, egal wie absurd, \ um ihrer eigenen Seele nicht zu begegnen. \ Carl Gustav Jung

«Extremer Reichtum ist eine Gefahr für die Demokratie», sagen über die Hälfte der knapp 3000 befragten Millionäre aus G20-Staaten laut einer Umfrage der «Patriotic Millionaires». Ferner stellte dieser Zusammenschluss wohlhabender US-Amerikaner fest, dass 63 Prozent jener Millionäre den Einfluss von Superreichen auf US-Präsident Trump als Bedrohung für die globale Stabilität ansehen.

Diese Besorgnis haben 370 Millionäre und Milliardäre am Dienstag auch den in Davos beim WEF konzentrierten Privilegierten aus aller Welt übermittelt. In einem offenen Brief forderten sie die «gewählten Führer» auf, die Superreichen – also sie selbst – zu besteuern, um «die zersetzenden Auswirkungen des extremen Reichtums auf unsere Demokratien und die Gesellschaft zu bekämpfen». Zum Beispiel kontrolliere eine handvoll extrem reicher Menschen die Medien, beeinflusse die Rechtssysteme in unzulässiger Weise und verwandele Recht in Unrecht.

Schon 2019 beanstandete der bekannte Historiker und Schriftsteller Ruthger Bregman an einer WEF-Podiumsdiskussion die Steuervermeidung der Superreichen. Die elitäre Veranstaltung bezeichnete er als «Feuerwehr-Konferenz, bei der man nicht über Löschwasser sprechen darf.» Daraufhin erhielt Bregman keine Einladungen nach Davos mehr. Auf seine Aussagen machte der Schweizer Aktivist Alec Gagneux aufmerksam, der sich seit Jahrzehnten kritisch mit dem WEF befasst. Ihm wurde kürzlich der Zutritt zu einem dreiteiligen Kurs über das WEF an der Volkshochschule Region Brugg verwehrt.

Nun ist die Erkenntnis, dass mit Geld politischer Einfluss einhergeht, alles andere als neu. Und extremer Reichtum macht die Sache nicht wirklich besser. Trotzdem hat man über Initiativen wie Patriotic Millionaires oder Taxmenow bisher eher selten etwas gehört, obwohl es sie schon lange gibt. Auch scheint es kein Problem, wenn ein Herr Gates fast im Alleingang versucht, globale Gesundheits-, Klima-, Ernährungs- oder Bevölkerungspolitik zu betreiben – im Gegenteil. Im Jahr, als der Milliardär Donald Trump zum zweiten Mal ins Weiße Haus einzieht, ist das Echo in den Gesinnungsmedien dagegen enorm – und uniform, wer hätte das gedacht.

Der neue US-Präsident hat jedoch «Davos geerdet», wie Achgut es nannte. In seiner kurzen Rede beim Weltwirtschaftsforum verteidigte er seine Politik und stellte klar, er habe schlicht eine «Revolution des gesunden Menschenverstands» begonnen. Mit deutlichen Worten sprach er unter anderem von ersten Maßnahmen gegen den «Green New Scam», und von einem «Erlass, der jegliche staatliche Zensur beendet»:

«Unsere Regierung wird die Äußerungen unserer eigenen Bürger nicht mehr als Fehlinformation oder Desinformation bezeichnen, was die Lieblingswörter von Zensoren und derer sind, die den freien Austausch von Ideen und, offen gesagt, den Fortschritt verhindern wollen.»

Wie der «Trumpismus» letztlich einzuordnen ist, muss jeder für sich selbst entscheiden. Skepsis ist definitiv angebracht, denn «einer von uns» sind weder der Präsident noch seine auserwählten Teammitglieder. Ob sie irgendeinen Sumpf trockenlegen oder Staatsverbrechen aufdecken werden oder was aus WHO- und Klimaverträgen wird, bleibt abzuwarten.

Das WHO-Dekret fordert jedenfalls die Übertragung der Gelder auf «glaubwürdige Partner», die die Aktivitäten übernehmen könnten. Zufällig scheint mit «Impfguru» Bill Gates ein weiterer Harris-Unterstützer kürzlich das Lager gewechselt zu haben: Nach einem gemeinsamen Abendessen zeigte er sich «beeindruckt» von Trumps Interesse an der globalen Gesundheit.

Mit dem Projekt «Stargate» sind weitere dunkle Wolken am Erwartungshorizont der Fangemeinde aufgezogen. Trump hat dieses Joint Venture zwischen den Konzernen OpenAI, Oracle, und SoftBank als das «größte KI-Infrastrukturprojekt der Geschichte» angekündigt. Der Stein des Anstoßes: Oracle-CEO Larry Ellison, der auch Fan von KI-gestützter Echtzeit-Überwachung ist, sieht einen weiteren potenziellen Einsatz der künstlichen Intelligenz. Sie könne dazu dienen, Krebserkrankungen zu erkennen und individuelle mRNA-«Impfstoffe» zur Behandlung innerhalb von 48 Stunden zu entwickeln.

Warum bitte sollten sich diese superreichen «Eliten» ins eigene Fleisch schneiden und direkt entgegen ihren eigenen Interessen handeln? Weil sie Menschenfreunde, sogenannte Philanthropen sind? Oder vielleicht, weil sie ein schlechtes Gewissen haben und ihre Schuld kompensieren müssen? Deswegen jedenfalls brauchen «Linke» laut Robert Willacker, einem deutschen Politikberater mit brasilianischen Wurzeln, rechte Parteien – ein ebenso überraschender wie humorvoller Erklärungsansatz.

Wenn eine Krähe der anderen kein Auge aushackt, dann tut sie das sich selbst noch weniger an. Dass Millionäre ernsthaft ihre eigene Besteuerung fordern oder Machteliten ihren eigenen Einfluss zugunsten anderer einschränken würden, halte ich für sehr unwahrscheinlich. So etwas glaube ich erst, wenn zum Beispiel die Rüstungsindustrie sich um Friedensverhandlungen bemüht, die Pharmalobby sich gegen institutionalisierte Korruption einsetzt, Zentralbanken ihre CBDC-Pläne für Bitcoin opfern oder der ÖRR die Abschaffung der Rundfunkgebühren fordert.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 30ceb64e:7f08bdf5

Hey Freaks,

RUNSTR is a motion tracking app built on top of nostr. The project is built by TheWildHustle and TheNostrDev Team. The project has been tinkered with for about 3 months, but development has picked up and its goals and direction have become much clearer.

In a previous post I mentioned that RUNSTR was looking to become a Nike Run Club or Strava competitor, offering users an open source community and privacy focused alternative to the centralized silos that we've become used to.

I normally ramble incoherently.....even in writing, but this is my attempt to communicate the project's goals and direction as we move forward.

This is where the project is now:

Core Features

• Run Tracker: Uses an algorithm which adjusts to your phone's location permissions and stores the data on your phone locally
• Stats: Stored locally on your phone with a basic profile screen so users can monitor calories burned during runs
• Nostr Feed: Made up of kind1 notes that contain #RUNSTR and other running related hashtags
• Music: Brought to you via a wavlake API, enabling your wavlake playlists and liked songs to be seen and played in the app

Current Roadmap

• Bugs and small improvements: Fixing known issues within the client
• zap.store release: Launching a bug bounty program after release
• Clubs: Enabling running organizations to create territories for events, challenges, rewards and competition
• Testflight: Opening up the app to iOS users (currently Android only)
• Modes: Adding functionality to switch between Running, Walking, or Cycling modes

Future Roadmap

• Requested Features: Implementing features requested by club managers to support virtual events and challenges
• Blossom: Giving power users the ability to upload their data to personal blossom servers
• NIP28: Making clubs interoperable with other group chat clients like 0xchat, Keychat, and Chachi Chat
• DVM's: Creating multiple feeds based on movement mode (e.g., Walking mode shows walkstr feed)
• NIP101e: Allowing users to create run records and store them on nostr relays
• Calories over relays: Using NIP89-like functionality for users to save calorie data on relays for use in other applications
• NIP60: Implementing automatic wallet creation for users to zap and get zapped within the app

In Conclusion

I've just barely begun this thing and it'll be an up and down journey trying to push it into existence. I think RUNSTR has the potential to highlight the other things that nostr has going for it, demonstrating the protocol's interoperability, flexing its permissionless identity piece, and offering an experience that gives users a glimpse into what is possible when shipping into a new paradigm. Although we build into an environment that often offers no solutions, you'd have to be a crazy person not to try.

https://github.com/HealthNoteLabs/Runstr/releases/tag/feed-0.1.0-20250329-210157

@ 50de492c:0a8871de

{"title":"test","description":"","imageUrl":"https://i.nostr.build/Xo67.png"}

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Die grauenvollste Aussicht ist die der Technokratie – \ einer kontrollierenden Herrschaft, \ die durch verstümmelte und verstümmelnde Geister ausgeübt wird. \ Ernst Jünger

«Davos ist nicht mehr sexy», das Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) mache Davos kaputt, diese Aussagen eines Einheimischen las ich kürzlich in der Handelszeitung. Während sich einige vor Ort enorm an der «teuersten Gewerbeausstellung der Welt» bereicherten, würden die negativen Begleiterscheinungen wie Wohnungsnot und Niedergang der lokalen Wirtschaft immer deutlicher.

Nächsten Montag beginnt in dem Schweizer Bergdorf erneut ein Jahrestreffen dieses elitären Clubs der Konzerne, bei dem man mit hochrangigen Politikern aus aller Welt und ausgewählten Vertretern der Systemmedien zusammenhocken wird. Wie bereits in den vergangenen vier Jahren wird die Präsidentin der EU-Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Begleitung von Klaus Schwab ihre Grundsatzansprache halten.

Der deutsche WEF-Gründer hatte bei dieser Gelegenheit immer höchst lobende Worte für seine Landsmännin: 2021 erklärte er sich «stolz, dass Europa wieder unter Ihrer Führung steht» und 2022 fand er es bemerkenswert, was sie erreicht habe angesichts des «erstaunlichen Wandels», den die Welt in den vorangegangenen zwei Jahren erlebt habe; es gebe nun einen «neuen europäischen Geist».

Von der Leyens Handeln während der sogenannten Corona-«Pandemie» lobte Schwab damals bereits ebenso, wie es diese Woche das Karlspreis-Direktorium tat, als man der Beschuldigten im Fall Pfizergate die diesjährige internationale Auszeichnung «für Verdienste um die europäische Einigung» verlieh. Außerdem habe sie die EU nicht nur gegen den «Aggressor Russland», sondern auch gegen die «innere Bedrohung durch Rassisten und Demagogen» sowie gegen den Klimawandel verteidigt.

Jene Herausforderungen durch «Krisen epochalen Ausmaßes» werden indes aus dem Umfeld des WEF nicht nur herbeigeredet – wie man alljährlich zur Zeit des Davoser Treffens im Global Risks Report nachlesen kann, der zusammen mit dem Versicherungskonzern Zurich erstellt wird. Seit die Globalisten 2020/21 in der Praxis gesehen haben, wie gut eine konzertierte und konsequente Angst-Kampagne funktionieren kann, geht es Schlag auf Schlag. Sie setzen alles daran, Schwabs goldenes Zeitfenster des «Great Reset» zu nutzen.

Ziel dieses «großen Umbruchs» ist die totale Kontrolle der Technokraten über die Menschen unter dem Deckmantel einer globalen Gesundheitsfürsorge. Wie aber könnte man so etwas erreichen? Ein Mittel dazu ist die «kreative Zerstörung». Weitere unabdingbare Werkzeug sind die Einbindung, ja Gleichschaltung der Medien und der Justiz.

Ein «Great Mental Reset» sei die Voraussetzung dafür, dass ein Großteil der Menschen Einschränkungen und Manipulationen wie durch die Corona-Maßnahmen praktisch kritik- und widerstandslos hinnehme, sagt der Mediziner und Molekulargenetiker Michael Nehls. Er meint damit eine regelrechte Umprogrammierung des Gehirns, wodurch nach und nach unsere Individualität und unser soziales Bewusstsein eliminiert und durch unreflektierten Konformismus ersetzt werden.

Der aktuelle Zustand unserer Gesellschaften ist auch für den Schweizer Rechtsanwalt Philipp Kruse alarmierend. Durch den Umgang mit der «Pandemie» sieht er die Grundlagen von Recht und Vernunft erschüttert, die Rechtsstaatlichkeit stehe auf dem Prüfstand. Seiner dringenden Mahnung an alle Bürger, die Prinzipien von Recht und Freiheit zu verteidigen, kann ich mich nur anschließen.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Ich begann, Social Media aufzubauen, \ um den Menschen eine Stimme zu geben. \ Mark Zuckerberg

Sind euch auch die Tränen gekommen, als ihr Mark Zuckerbergs Wendehals-Deklaration bezüglich der Meinungsfreiheit auf seinen Portalen gehört habt? Rührend, oder? Während er früher die offensichtliche Zensur leugnete und später die Regierung Biden dafür verantwortlich machte, will er nun angeblich «die Zensur auf unseren Plattformen drastisch reduzieren».

«Purer Opportunismus» ob des anstehenden Regierungswechsels wäre als Klassifizierung viel zu kurz gegriffen. Der jetzige Schachzug des Meta-Chefs ist genauso Teil einer kühl kalkulierten Business-Strategie, wie es die 180 Grad umgekehrte Praxis vorher war. Social Media sind ein höchst lukratives Geschäft. Hinzu kommt vielleicht noch ein bisschen verkorkstes Ego, weil derartig viel Einfluss und Geld sicher auch auf die Psyche schlagen. Verständlich.

«Es ist an der Zeit, zu unseren Wurzeln der freien Meinungsäußerung auf Facebook und Instagram zurückzukehren. Ich begann, Social Media aufzubauen, um den Menschen eine Stimme zu geben», sagte Zuckerberg.

Welche Wurzeln? Hat der Mann vergessen, dass er von der Überwachung, dem Ausspionieren und dem Ausverkauf sämtlicher Daten und digitaler Spuren sowie der Manipulation seiner «Kunden» lebt? Das ist knallharter Kommerz, nichts anderes. Um freie Meinungsäußerung geht es bei diesem Geschäft ganz sicher nicht, und das war auch noch nie so. Die Wurzeln von Facebook liegen in einem Projekt des US-Militärs mit dem Namen «LifeLog». Dessen Ziel war es, «ein digitales Protokoll vom Leben eines Menschen zu erstellen».

Der Richtungswechsel kommt allerdings nicht überraschend. Schon Anfang Dezember hatte Meta-Präsident Nick Clegg von «zu hoher Fehlerquote bei der Moderation» von Inhalten gesprochen. Bei der Gelegenheit erwähnte er auch, dass Mark sehr daran interessiert sei, eine aktive Rolle in den Debatten über eine amerikanische Führungsrolle im technologischen Bereich zu spielen.

Während Milliardärskollege und Big Tech-Konkurrent Elon Musk bereits seinen Posten in der kommenden Trump-Regierung in Aussicht hat, möchte Zuckerberg also nicht nur seine Haut retten – Trump hatte ihn einmal einen «Feind des Volkes» genannt und ihm lebenslange Haft angedroht –, sondern am liebsten auch mitspielen. KI-Berater ist wohl die gewünschte Funktion, wie man nach einem Treffen Trump-Zuckerberg hörte. An seine Verhaftung dachte vermutlich auch ein weiterer Multimilliardär mit eigener Social Media-Plattform, Pavel Durov, als er Zuckerberg jetzt kritisierte und gleichzeitig warnte.

Politik und Systemmedien drehen jedenfalls durch – was zu viel ist, ist zu viel. Etwas weniger Zensur und mehr Meinungsfreiheit würden die Freiheit der Bürger schwächen und seien potenziell vernichtend für die Menschenrechte. Zuckerberg setze mit dem neuen Kurs die Demokratie aufs Spiel, das sei eine «Einladung zum nächsten Völkermord», ernsthaft. Die Frage sei, ob sich die EU gegen Musk und Zuckerberg behaupten könne, Brüssel müsse jedenfalls hart durchgreifen.

Auch um die Faktenchecker macht man sich Sorgen. Für die deutsche Nachrichtenagentur dpa und die «Experten» von Correctiv, die (noch) Partner für Fact-Checking-Aktivitäten von Facebook sind, sei das ein «lukratives Geschäftsmodell». Aber möglicherweise werden die Inhalte ohne diese vermeintlichen Korrektoren ja sogar besser. Anders als Meta wollen jedoch Scholz, Faeser und die Tagesschau keine Fehler zugeben und zum Beispiel Correctiv-Falschaussagen einräumen.

Bei derlei dramatischen Befürchtungen wundert es nicht, dass der öffentliche Plausch auf X zwischen Elon Musk und AfD-Chefin Alice Weidel von 150 EU-Beamten überwacht wurde, falls es irgendwelche Rechtsverstöße geben sollte, die man ihnen ankreiden könnte. Auch der Deutsche Bundestag war wachsam. Gefunden haben dürften sie nichts. Das Ganze war eher eine Show, viel Wind wurde gemacht, aber letztlich gab es nichts als heiße Luft.

Das Anbiedern bei Donald Trump ist indes gerade in Mode. Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) tut das auch, denn sie fürchtet um Spenden von über einer Milliarde Dollar. Eventuell könnte ja Elon Musk auch hier künftig aushelfen und der Organisation sowie deren größtem privaten Förderer, Bill Gates, etwas unter die Arme greifen. Nachdem Musks KI-Projekt xAI kürzlich von BlackRock & Co. sechs Milliarden eingestrichen hat, geht da vielleicht etwas.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

I had the pleasure of sitting back down with Will Reeves, Founder and CEO of Fold, on TFTC last week to discuss Fold's journey from a startup to (soon to be) a publicly listed company. I particularly liked this conversation because it was a great lens into the grit it takes to run a successful bitcoin company.

https://fountain.fm/episode/1FrspxmpK5bsoReGx73n

Building a successful company is extremely hard in its own right. Building a successful bitcoin company is significantly harder considering the fact that you're building a company in parallel with a nascent and volatile monetary asset that is monetizing in real time. Bitcoin adoption comes in waves. People flood in when the price is ripping and fade out when the price corrects and goes into a multi-year bear market before the tide comes back in. This means that your potential user base is expanding and contracting more than it would be in other industries. As a company you need to be able to absorb the incoming waves of new adopters and then capture and retain the users who stick around for the bear market.

To do this correctly, a founder and their team needs to thread many needles. First, can you assemble a team that can actually build something? Second, can you bring a product to market that people actually use because it provides value to them? Third, can you stick out against the crowd? So on and so forth. One of the most important aspects of building a bitcoin company during bitcoin's monetization phase is timing. There are many great ideas that people have in terms of companies, products and tools that can built using bitcoin. There are sci-fi futures that can be built today on bitcoin if people really wanted to.

The problem that arises is that adoption and understanding of bitcoin are at a point where, even though a functional product could be brought to market, it won't be adopted by a large number of people because there 1.) aren't enough people who would understand how to use it and 2.) for the people who do understand how to use it and could benefit from it, the universe of people they can interact with using that product is minuscule.

Timing is everything. And I think Fold nailed the timing of their product. Allowing people to passively stack sats by offering a product that enables them to go about their daily spending and get sats back instead of cash back rewards is a great first-touch bitcoin experience. Once Fold found their sticky user base and perfected their sats back experience, they began expanding their product offering to provide their users with more bitcoin services. Buy/sell bitcoin in-app, bill pay for sats back, and more. They'll eventually roll out a credit card and additional financial services. Start simple, provide something of value, nail the timing and then expand from there. That seems to be the recipe.

For any founders in the space reading this, I highly recommend you listen to the episode. Particularly for the advice Will gives about knowing when to sprint on product and when to lean into growth. Bear markets are for building and bull markets are for casting the widest net possible and capturing as many new users as possible.

At Ten31 we are extremely proud to back Fold and a number of other companies in the bitcoin space that understand the intricacies described above. We work with some of the best founders in the world. Founders who know how to eat glass with the best of them. Bitcoin can be a cruel mistress and no one knows that more intimately than the founders building bitcoin companies.

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Final thought...

The NFL having a week 1 game in Brazil should get Roger Godell fired.

Enjoy your weekend, freaks.

@ 3514ac1b:cf164691

About Me

@ 3514ac1b:cf164691

Hi this is me ,Erna . i am testing this Habla news . i have been trying using this but got no luck . always disconnect and no content .

Hopefully this one will work .

BREAKING NEWS : Vance uses Greenland visit to slam Denmark , as Trump escalates rhetoric .

https://wapo.st/4c6YkhO

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Was du bist hängt von drei Faktoren ab: \ Was du geerbt hast, \ was deine Umgebung aus dir machte \ und was du in freier Wahl \ aus deiner Umgebung und deinem Erbe gemacht hast. \ Aldous Huxley

Das brave Mitmachen und Mitlaufen in einem vorgegebenen, recht engen Rahmen ist gewiss nicht neu, hat aber gerade wieder mal Konjunktur. Dies kann man deutlich beobachten, eigentlich egal, in welchem gesellschaftlichen Bereich man sich umschaut. Individualität ist nur soweit angesagt, wie sie in ein bestimmtes Schema von «Diversität» passt, und Freiheit verkommt zur Worthülse – nicht erst durch ein gewisses Buch einer gewissen ehemaligen Regierungschefin.

Erklärungsansätze für solche Entwicklungen sind bekannt, und praktisch alle haben etwas mit Massenpsychologie zu tun. Der Herdentrieb, also der Trieb der Menschen, sich – zum Beispiel aus Unsicherheit oder Bequemlichkeit – lieber der Masse anzuschließen als selbstständig zu denken und zu handeln, ist einer der Erklärungsversuche. Andere drehen sich um Macht, Propaganda, Druck und Angst, also den gezielten Einsatz psychologischer Herrschaftsinstrumente.

Aber wollen die Menschen überhaupt Freiheit? Durch Gespräche im privaten Umfeld bin ich diesbezüglich in der letzten Zeit etwas skeptisch geworden. Um die Jahreswende philosophiert man ja gerne ein wenig über das Erlebte und über die Erwartungen für die Zukunft. Dabei hatte ich hin und wieder den Eindruck, die totalitären Anwandlungen unserer «Repräsentanten» kämen manchen Leuten gerade recht.

«Desinformation» ist so ein brisantes Thema. Davor müsse man die Menschen doch schützen, hörte ich. Jemand müsse doch zum Beispiel diese ganzen merkwürdigen Inhalte in den Social Media filtern – zur Ukraine, zum Klima, zu Gesundheitsthemen oder zur Migration. Viele wüssten ja gar nicht einzuschätzen, was richtig und was falsch ist, sie bräuchten eine Führung.

Freiheit bedingt Eigenverantwortung, ohne Zweifel. Eventuell ist es einigen tatsächlich zu anspruchsvoll, die Verantwortung für das eigene Tun und Lassen zu übernehmen. Oder die persönliche Freiheit wird nicht als ausreichend wertvolles Gut angesehen, um sich dafür anzustrengen. In dem Fall wäre die mangelnde Selbstbestimmung wohl das kleinere Übel. Allerdings fehlt dann gemäß Aldous Huxley ein Teil der Persönlichkeit. Letztlich ist natürlich alles eine Frage der Abwägung.

Sind viele Menschen möglicherweise schon so «eingenordet», dass freiheitliche Ambitionen gar nicht für eine ganze Gruppe, ein Kollektiv, verfolgt werden können? Solche Gedanken kamen mir auch, als ich mir kürzlich diverse Talks beim viertägigen Hacker-Kongress des Chaos Computer Clubs (38C3) anschaute. Ich war nicht nur überrascht, sondern reichlich erschreckt angesichts der in weiten Teilen mainstream-geformten Inhalte, mit denen ein dankbares Publikum beglückt wurde. Wo ich allgemein hellere Köpfe erwartet hatte, fand ich Konformismus und enthusiastisch untermauerte Narrative.

Gibt es vielleicht so etwas wie eine Herdenimmunität gegen Indoktrination? Ich denke, ja, zumindest eine gestärkte Widerstandsfähigkeit. Was wir brauchen, sind etwas gesunder Menschenverstand, offene Informationskanäle und der Mut, sich freier auch zwischen den Herden zu bewegen. Sie tun das bereits, aber sagen Sie es auch dieses Jahr ruhig weiter.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 3514ac1b:cf164691

Cryptographic Identity (CI): An Overview

Definition of Cryptographic Identity

Cryptographic identity refers to a digital identity that is secured and verified using cryptographic techniques. It allows individuals to prove their identity online without relying on centralized authorities.

Background of Cryptographic Identity

Historical Context

• Traditional identity systems rely on centralized authorities (governments, companies)
• Digital identities historically tied to platforms and services
• Rise of public-key cryptography enabled self-sovereign identity concepts
• Blockchain and decentralized systems accelerated development

Technical Foundations

• Based on public-key cryptography (asymmetric encryption)
• Uses key pairs: private keys (secret) and public keys (shareable)
• Digital signatures provide authentication and non-repudiation
• Cryptographic proofs verify identity claims without revealing sensitive data

Importance of Cryptographic Identity

Privacy Benefits

• Users control their personal information
• Selective disclosure of identity attributes
• Reduced vulnerability to mass data breaches
• Protection against surveillance and tracking

Security Advantages

• Not dependent on password security
• Resistant to impersonation attacks
• Verifiable without trusted third parties
• Reduces centralized points of failure

Practical Applications

• Censorship-resistant communication
• Self-sovereign finance and transactions
• Decentralized social networking
• Cross-platform reputation systems
• Digital signatures for legal documents

Building Cryptographic Identity with Nostr

Understanding Nostr Protocol

Core Concepts

• Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays)
• Simple, open protocol for censorship-resistant global networks
• Event-based architecture with relays distributing signed messages
• Uses NIP standards (Nostr Implementation Possibilities)

Key Components

• Public/private keypairs as identity foundation
• Relays for message distribution
• Events (signed JSON objects) as the basic unit of data
• Clients that interface with users and relays

Implementation Steps

Step 1: Generate Keypair

• Use cryptographic libraries to generate secure keypair
• Private key must be kept secure (password managers, hardware wallets)
• Public key becomes your identifier on the network

Step 2: Set Up Client

• Choose from existing Nostr clients or build custom implementation
• Connect to multiple relays for redundancy
• Configure identity preferences and metadata

Step 3: Publish Profile Information

• Create and sign kind 0 event with profile metadata
• Include displayable information (name, picture, description)
• Publish to connected relays

Step 4: Verification and Linking

• Cross-verify identity with other platforms (Twitter, GitHub)
• Use NIP-05 identifier for human-readable identity
• Consider NIP-07 for browser extension integration

Advanced Identity Features

Reputation Building

• Consistent posting builds recognition
• Accumulate follows and reactions
• Establish connections with well-known identities

Multi-device Management

• Secure private key backup strategies
• Consider key sharing across devices
• Explore NIP-26 delegated event signing

Recovery Mechanisms

• Implement social recovery options
• Consider multisig approaches
• Document recovery procedures

Challenges and Considerations

Key Management

• Private key loss means identity loss
• Balance security with convenience
• Consider hardware security modules for high-value identities

Adoption Barriers

• Technical complexity for average users
• Network effects and critical mass
• Integration with existing systems

Future Developments

• Zero-knowledge proofs for enhanced privacy
• Standardization efforts across protocols
• Integration with legal identity frameworks

@ 472f440f:5669301e

https://x.com/parkeralewis/status/1831746160781938947 Here's a startling chart from an American staple, Walgreens. The convenience store and pharmacy chain has seen its stock price plummet by more than 67% this year and by more than 90% from its all time high, which was reached in 2015.

The combination of the COVID lock downs and the lax laws around theft that followed were materially detrimental to Walgreens business. The crux of their problem at the moment, however, is a double whammy of those disruptions in their business coupled with the "higher for longer" interest rate policy from the Fed over the last couple of years. As Tuur points out in the tweet above, Walgreens has $34B in debt, which means they definitely have significant interest rate payments they need to make on a monthly basis. Tuur also points out that Walgreens has very little cash compared to their debt obligations. Let's take a look at their balance sheet as of May of this year.

Less than $1B in cash for $34B debt with $67.56B in total liabilities. Even worse, their cash balance was drained by more than 27% over the course of the year between May 2023 and May 2024. As you may notice their total assets fell by more than 15% over the same period. This is because Walgreens understands the dire financial straits it finds itself in and has begun shutting down thousands of their locations across the country.

The recent efforts of Walgreens to sell off their assets to raise cash to pay down their debts seem to be completely ineffective as their cash balance is falling faster than their total assets, which is falling 7x faster than their total liabilities. These numbers are most definitely going to get worse as cascading sell pressure in commercial real estate markets (which is the bucket that Walgreens locations fall into) drive down the value of their assets. Leaving them with less cash to pay down their debts as time goes on. To make matters worse, it puts the institutions that lent money to Walgreens in a terrible position. How many commercial and investment banks has Walgreens tapped to fund their operations with expensive debt? How exposed to Walgreens is any individual lender? Could a default on some or all of their loans catch these financial institutions off sides? If it isn't Walgreens that pushes them off sides, how many more bad borrowers would it take to push them off sides?

As our good friend Parker Lewis points out, the only way the hemorrhaging can be stopped is if the Federal Reserve and Federal Government step in with bail outs in the form of massive liquidity injections via quantitative easing and other emergency measures. On top of this, the Fed and the Federal Government find themselves in a classic catch-22. If they let Walgreens fall into bankruptcy it could set off a domino effect that could exacerbate inflation. Riteaid, a similar retail convenience store and pharmacy chain, filed for bankruptcy last October and is still wading its way through that process. Part of that process has been shuttering many of their storefronts. One has to imagine that since Walgreens and Riteaid are having these problems, some of their other competitors must be feeling the pain as well. If enough of these convenience stores, which tens of millions of Americans depend on for everyday goods, find themselves in a position where they have to shut down their stores it could lead to a supply crunch. People will obviously not be able to get their goods from Riteaid or Walgreens and will flee to alternatives, exacerbating the stress on their supplies, which will drive prices higher.

This is a catch-22 because the only way to avoid this mad dash for consumer goods in the midst of a convenience store Armageddon is to re-introduce ZIRP and flood the market with freshly printed dollars, which will drive prices up as well.

Talk about a rock and a hard place. You better get yourself some bitcoin.

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Final thought... Zach Bryan radio crushes.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Heute möchte ich ein Gedicht mit euch teilen. Es handelt sich um eine Ballade des österreichischen Lyrikers Johann Gabriel Seidl aus dem 19. Jahrhundert. Mir sind diese Worte fest in Erinnerung, da meine Mutter sie perfekt rezitieren konnte, auch als die Kräfte schon langsam schwanden.

Dem originalen Titel «Die Uhr» habe ich für mich immer das Wort «innere» hinzugefügt. Denn der Zeitmesser – hier vermutliche eine Taschenuhr – symbolisiert zwar in dem Kontext das damalige Zeitempfinden und die Umbrüche durch die industrielle Revolution, sozusagen den Zeitgeist und das moderne Leben. Aber der Autor setzt sich philosophisch mit der Zeit auseinander und gibt seinem Werk auch eine klar spirituelle Dimension.

Das Ticken der Uhr und die Momente des Glücks und der Trauer stehen sinnbildlich für das unaufhaltsame Fortschreiten und die Vergänglichkeit des Lebens. Insofern könnte man bei der Uhr auch an eine Sonnenuhr denken. Der Rhythmus der Ereignisse passt uns vielleicht nicht immer in den Kram.

Was den Takt pocht, ist durchaus auch das Herz, unser «inneres Uhrwerk». Wenn dieses Meisterwerk einmal stillsteht, ist es unweigerlich um uns geschehen. Hoffentlich können wir dann dankbar sagen: «Ich habe mein Bestes gegeben.»

Ich trage, wo ich gehe, stets eine Uhr bei mir; \ Wieviel es geschlagen habe, genau seh ich an ihr. \ Es ist ein großer Meister, der künstlich ihr Werk gefügt, \ Wenngleich ihr Gang nicht immer dem törichten Wunsche genügt.

Ich wollte, sie wäre rascher gegangen an manchem Tag; \ Ich wollte, sie hätte manchmal verzögert den raschen Schlag. \ In meinen Leiden und Freuden, in Sturm und in der Ruh, \ Was immer geschah im Leben, sie pochte den Takt dazu.

Sie schlug am Sarge des Vaters, sie schlug an des Freundes Bahr, \ Sie schlug am Morgen der Liebe, sie schlug am Traualtar. \ Sie schlug an der Wiege des Kindes, sie schlägt, will's Gott, noch oft, \ Wenn bessere Tage kommen, wie meine Seele es hofft.

Und ward sie auch einmal träger, und drohte zu stocken ihr Lauf, \ So zog der Meister immer großmütig sie wieder auf. \ Doch stände sie einmal stille, dann wär's um sie geschehn, \ Kein andrer, als der sie fügte, bringt die Zerstörte zum Gehn.

Dann müßt ich zum Meister wandern, der wohnt am Ende wohl weit, \ Wohl draußen, jenseits der Erde, wohl dort in der Ewigkeit! \ Dann gäb ich sie ihm zurücke mit dankbar kindlichem Flehn: \ Sieh, Herr, ich hab nichts verdorben, sie blieb von selber stehn.

Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804-1875)

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35

Pula, located at the southern tip of Istria, is a city where ancient Roman ruins meet stunning Adriatic beaches. Known for its well-preserved amphitheater, charming old town, and crystal-clear waters, Pula offers a perfect blend of history, culture, and relaxation.

🏛️ Top Things to See & Do in Pula

1️⃣ Pula Arena (Roman Amphitheater) 🏟️

• One of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters in the world, built in the 1st century.
• Used for gladiator fights, now a venue for concerts & film festivals.
• Climb to the top for stunning sea views.

2️⃣ Explore Pula’s Old Town 🏡

• Wander through cobbled streets, past Venetian, Roman, and Austro-Hungarian architecture.
• Visit the Arch of the Sergii (a 2,000-year-old Roman triumphal arch).
• Enjoy a drink in Forum Square, home to the Temple of Augustus.

3️⃣ Relax at Pula’s Beaches 🏖️

• Hawaiian Beach (Havajska Plaža): Turquoise waters & cliffs for jumping.
• Ambrela Beach: A Blue Flag beach with calm waters, great for families.
• Pješčana Uvala: A sandy beach, rare for Croatia!

4️⃣ Cape Kamenjak Nature Park 🌿

• A wild and rugged coastline with hidden coves and crystal-clear water.
• Great for cliff jumping, kayaking, and biking.
• Located 30 minutes south of Pula.

5️⃣ Visit Brijuni National Park 🏝️

• A group of 14 islands, once Tito’s private retreat.
• Features Roman ruins, a safari park, and cycling trails.
• Accessible via boat from Fazana (15 min from Pula).

6️⃣ Try Istrian Cuisine 🍽️

• Fuži with truffles – Istria is famous for white & black truffles.
• Istrian prosciutto & cheese – Perfect with local Malvazija wine.
• Fresh seafood – Try grilled squid or buzara-style mussels.

🚗 How to Get to Pula

✈️ By Air: Pula Airport (PUY) has flights from major European cities.
🚘 By Car:
- From Zagreb: ~3 hours (270 km)
- From Ljubljana (Slovenia): ~2.5 hours (160 km)
🚌 By Bus: Regular buses connect Pula with Rovinj, Rijeka, Zagreb, and Trieste (Italy).
🚢 By Ferry: Seasonal ferries run from Venice and Zadar.

💡 Tips for Visiting Pula

✅ Best time to visit? May–September for warm weather & festivals 🌞
✅ Book Arena event tickets in advance – Summer concerts sell out fast 🎶
✅ Try local wines – Istrian Malvazija (white) and Teran (red) are excellent 🍷
✅ Explore nearby towns – Rovinj & Motovun make great day trips 🏡
✅ Cash is useful – Some small shops & markets prefer cash 💶

@ 472f440f:5669301e

For the last few months many people in bitcoin, myself included, have been focused on bitcoin's role as a macroeconomic asset. Bitcoin as a strategic reserve for the US government. Bitcoin as a strategic treasury asset for corporations. Bitcoin as a geopolitical hedge in a world that is trending toward a multi-polar power dynamic. This is where the focus has been. And for good reason. These trends will ultimately have a material effect on the price of bitcoin if they pick up steam.

However, with all of the focus on bitcoin as a strategic asset I think a couple of technical developments and trends have been overlooked. Particularly in the realm of second layer privacy. I'll touch on two of them in this letter; BOLT 12 invoices and the progression of ecash.

Yesterday afternoon the Strike (a company Ten31 is very proud to be backing) team released a blog post that detailed their journey to implementing BOLT 12 offers in their product stack. For those who are unaware of BOLT 12 and why it is important, in short, it is an upgrade to the lightning network that would make receiving bitcoin on the lightning network more private while also significantly improving the user experience. The current standard for invoicing people via the lightning network is BOLT 11, which forces users to create a unique invoice every time they want to receive bitcoin and comes with privacy tradeoffs for the party receiving bitcoin.

BOLT 12 brings with it route blinding which allows a receiver to publish a lightning offer to the network without revealing their node's public key. It also brings with it onion messaging, which allows users of the lightning network to communicate without a dependence on HTTP, which can be censored by a motivated state actor. On top of this, it enables users to create a static invoice that can be paid multiple times by multiple people. Think of a band putting their Venmo or Cash App QR code next to their tip jar on the stage. They'll be able to add a private lightning invoice their audience can pay to now.

https://strike.me/blog/bolt12-offers/

As it stands right now, Strike has only enabled BOLT 12 offers and there is work to do at the protocol layer of lightning and the different implementations of that protocol to get the full benefits of BOLT 12, but this is material progress that gets us closer to a significantly better user experience on the lightning network. If you read Strike's blog post you'll come to appreciate the collaboration between the teams working on these implementations and the companies implementing the protocol that is necessary to get these features live. Shout out to everyone who worked on this. Everyone who uses the lightning network will be better off when BOLT 12 is fully implemented.

Moving on. Earlier today the founder of the BTCPay Server open source project, Nicolas Dorier, published a blog post outlining his thoughts on how ecash has the potential to solve problems that many have tried to solve by launching their own blockchains in the past. The problem with trying to "blockchain the world" is that blockchains are very inefficient and only really work for one application; enabling a peer-to-peer digital cash system with no trusted third parties (i.e., bitcoin). However, the ultimate goals of the thousands of blockchain projects that spun up in bitcoin's wake are desirable. Cheap, private and instant transactions. The ability to trivially spin up private money tokens suited for very particular use cases. Overall great UX that makes it easy for people to realize the benefits of "blockchain technology".

The problem that has existed to date is that you don't need a blockchain for all of these things. In fact, having a blockchain for these things proves to be detrimental to their ultimate goals. Instead, what people really need is a protocol that gives you the granular control, privacy, instantaneous transactions and UX that anchors to bitcoin. This is exactly what Chaumian Mints bring to the bitcoin stack.

This is something that we've been screaming about for more than seven years in this rag. Now with ecash protocols like Cashu and Fedimint maturing, gaining traction and bringing products to market that highlight the power and flexibility of ecash systems, people are beginning to see the promise. It is only a matter of time before more and more people begin to realize this potential.

Another benefit of ecash protocols is the fact that they are siloed from each other. Ecash mints are permissionless; any one person or group of people can spin them up, offer their preferred services and maintain (or fail to maintain) their mints. The failure of one mint is not a systemic risk to other mints. This is very different from token projects that are spun up on blockchains. The last ten years have proven that individual token projects can prove to be systemic problems for individual blockchains (i.e., The DAO token on Ethereum). Being able to silo mints is the only way to ensure that the utility of ecash overall is actually scalable and robust.

Don't get so distracted by the bitcoin macro talk that you miss out on the incredible technical developments happening on top of and adjacent to bitcoin.

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Final thought... Vibes are high.

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

This UX research has been redacted by @iqra from the Bitcoin.Design community, and shared for review and feedback! Don't be shy, share your thoughts.

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1️⃣ Introduction

Project Overview

📌 Product: BlueWallet (Bitcoin Wallet) 📌 Goal: Improve onboarding flow and enhance accessibility for a better user experience. 📌 Role: UX Designer 📌 Tools Used: Figma, Notion

Why This Case Study?

🔹 BlueWallet is a self-custodial Bitcoin wallet, but users struggle with onboarding due to unclear instructions. 🔹 Accessibility issues (low contrast, small fonts) create barriers for visually impaired users. 🔹 Competitors like Trust Wallet and MetaMask offer better-guided onboarding.

This case study presents UX/UI improvements to make BlueWallet more intuitive and inclusive.

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2️⃣ Problem Statement: Why BlueWalletʼs Onboarding Needs Improvement

🔹 Current Challenges:

1️⃣ Onboarding Complexity - BlueWallet lacks step-by-step guidance, leaving users confused about wallet creation and security.

2️⃣ No Educational Introduction - Users land directly on the wallet screen with no explanation of private keys, recovery phrases, or transactions. 3️⃣ Transaction Flow Issues - Similar-looking "Send" and "Receive" buttons cause confusion. 4️⃣ Poor Accessibility - Small fonts and low contrast make navigation difficult.

🔍 Impact on Users:

Higher drop-off rates due to frustration during onboarding. Security risks as users skip key wallet setup steps. Limited accessibility for users with visual impairments.

📌 Competitive Gap:

Unlike competitors (Trust Wallet, MetaMask), BlueWallet does not offer: ✅ A guided onboarding process ✅ Security education during setup ✅ Intuitive transaction flow

Somehow, this wallet has much better UI than the BlueWallet Bitcoin wallet.

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3️⃣ User Research & Competitive Analysis

User Testing Findings

🔹 Conducted usability testing with 5 users onboarding for the first time. 🔹 Key Findings: ✅ 3 out of 5 users felt lost due to missing explanations. ✅ 60% had trouble distinguishing transaction buttons. ✅ 80% found the text difficult to read due to low contrast.

Competitive Analysis

We compared BlueWallet with top crypto wallets:

| Wallet | Onboarding UX | Security Guidance | Accessibility Features | |---|---|---|---| | BlueWallet | ❌ No guided onboarding | ❌ Minimal explanation | ❌ Low contrast, small fonts | | Trust Wallet | ✅ Step-by-step setup | ✅ Security best practices | ✅ High contrast UI | | MetaMask | ✅ Interactive tutorial | ✅ Private key education | ✅ Clear transaction buttons |

📌 Key Insight: BlueWallet lacks guided setup and accessibility enhancements, making it harder for beginners.

📌 User Persona

To better understand the users facing onboarding challenges, I developed a persona based on research and usability testing.

🔹 Persona 1: Alex Carter (Bitcoin Beginner & Investor)

👤 Profile: - Age: 28 - Occupation: Freelance Digital Marketer - Tech Knowledge: Moderate - Familiar with online transactions, new to Bitcoin) - Pain Points: - Finds Bitcoin wallets confusing. - - Doesnʼt understand seed phrases & security features. - - Worried about losing funds due to a lack of clarity in transactions.

📌 Needs: ✅ A simple, guided wallet setup. ✅ Clear explanations of security terms (without jargon). ✅ Easy-to-locate Send/Receive buttons.

📌 Persona Usage in Case Study: - Helps define who we are designing for. - Guides design decisions by focusing on user needs.

🔹 Persona 2: Sarah Mitchell (Accessibility Advocate & Tech Enthusiast)

👤 Profile: - Age: 35 - Occupation: UX Researcher & Accessibility Consultant - Tech Knowledge: High (Uses Bitcoin but struggles with accessibility barriers)

📌 Pain Points: ❌ Struggles with small font sizes & low contrast. ❌ Finds the UI difficult to navigate with a screen reader. ❌ Confused by identical-looking transaction buttons.

📌 Needs: ✅ A high-contrast UI that meets WCAG accessibility standards. ✅ Larger fonts & scalable UI elements for better readability. ✅ Keyboard & screen reader-friendly navigation for seamless interaction.

📌 Why This Persona Matters: - Represents users with visual impairments who rely on accessible design. - Ensures the design accommodates inclusive UX principles.

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4️⃣ UX/UI Solutions & Design Improvements

📌 Before (Current Issues)

❌ Users land directly on the wallet screen with no instructions. ❌ "Send" & "Receive" buttons look identical , causing transaction confusion. ❌ Small fonts & low contrast reduce readability.

✅ After (Proposed Fixes)

✅ Step-by-step onboarding explaining wallet creation, security, and transactions. ✅ Visually distinct transaction buttons (color and icon changes). ✅ WCAG-compliant text contrast & larger fonts for better readability.

1️⃣ Redesigned Onboarding Flow

✅ Added a progress indicator so users see where they are in setup. ✅ Used plain, non-technical language to explain wallet creation & security. ✅ Introduced a "Learn More" button to educate users on security.

2️⃣ Accessibility Enhancements

✅ Increased contrast ratio for better text readability. ✅ Used larger fonts & scalable UI elements. ✅ Ensured screen reader compatibility (VoiceOver & TalkBack support).

3️⃣ Transaction Flow Optimization

✅ Redesigned "Send" & "Receive" buttons for clear distinction. ✅ Added clearer icons & tooltips for transaction steps.

5️⃣ Wireframes & Design Improvements:

🔹 Welcome Screen (First Screen When User Opens Wallet)

📌 Goal: Give a brief introduction & set user expectations

✅ App logo + short tagline (e.g., "Secure, Simple, Self-Custody Bitcoin Wallet") ✅ 1-2 line explanation of what BlueWallet is (e.g., "Your gateway to managing Bitcoin securely.") ✅ "Get Started" button → Le ads to next step: Wallet Setup ✅ "Already have a wallet?" → Import option

🔹 Example UI Elements: - BlueWallet Logo - Title: "Welcome to BlueWallet" - Subtitle: "Easily store, send, and receive Bitcoin." - CTA: "Get Started" (Primary) | "Import Wallet" (Secondary)

🔹 Screen 2: Choose Wallet Type (New or Import)

📌 Goal: Let users decide how to proceed

✅ Two clear options: - Create a New Wallet (For first-time users) - Import Existing Wallet (For users with a backup phrase) ✅ Brief explanation of each option 🔹 Example UI Elements: - Title: "How do you want to start?" - Buttons:** "Create New Wallet" | "Import Wallet"

🔹 Screen 3: Security & Seed Phrase Setup (Critical Step)

📌 Goal: Educate users about wallet security & backups

✅ Explain why seed phrases are important ✅ Clear step-by-step instructions on writing down & storing the phrase ✅ Warning: "If you lose your recovery phrase, you lose access to your wallet." ✅ CTA: "Generate Seed Phrase" → Next step

🔹 Example UI Elements: - Title: "Secure Your Wallet" - Subtitle: "Your seed phrase is the key to your Bitcoin. Keep it safe!" - Button: "Generate Seed Phrase"

🔹 Screen 4: Seed Phrase Display & Confirmation

📌 Goal: Ensure users write down the phrase correctly

✅ Display 12- or 24-word seed phrase ✅ “I have written it downˮ checkbox before proceeding ✅ Next screen: Verify seed phrase (drag & drop, re-enter some words)

🔹 Example UI Elements: - Title: "Write Down Your Seed Phrase" - List of 12/24 Words (Hidden by Default) - Checkbox: "I have safely stored my phrase" - Button: "Continue"

🔹 Screen 5: Wallet Ready! (Final Step)

📌 Goal: Confirm setup & guide users on next actions

✅ Success message ("Your wallet is ready!") ✅ Encourage first action: - “Receive Bitcoinˮ → Show wallet address - “Send Bitcoinˮ → Walkthrough on making transactions

✅ Short explainer: Where to find the Send/Receive buttons

🔹 Example UI Elements: - Title: "You're All Set!" - Subtitle: "Start using BlueWallet now." - Buttons: "Receive Bitcoin" | "View Wallet"

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5️⃣ Prototype & User Testing Results

🔹 Created an interactive prototype in Figma to test the new experience. 🔹 User Testing Results: ✅ 40% faster onboarding completion time. ✅ 90% of users found transaction buttons clearer. 🔹 User Feedback: ✅ “Now I understand the security steps clearly.ˮ ✅ “The buttons are easier to find and use.ˮ

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6️⃣ Why This Matters: Key Takeaways

📌 Impact of These UX/UI Changes: ✅ Reduced user frustration by providing a step-by-step onboarding guide. ✅ Improved accessibility , making the wallet usable for all. ✅ More intuitive transactions , reducing errors.

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7️⃣ Direct link to figma file and Prototype

Figma file: https://www.figma.com/design/EPb4gVgAMEgF5GBDdtt81Z/Blue-Wallet-UI- Improvements?node-id=0-1&t=Y2ni1SfvuQQnoB7s-1

Prototype: https://www.figma.com/proto/EPb4gVgAMEgF5GBDdtt81Z/Blue-Wallet-UI- Improvements?node-id=1-2&p=f&t=FndTJQNCE7nEIa84-1&scaling=scale- down&content-scaling=fixed&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node- id=1%3A2&show-proto-sidebar=1

Original PDF available from here

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/928822

@ 8671a6e5:f88194d1

A flash of inspiration

Sometimes the mind takes you to strange places. The other day, I stumbled across Madonna’s “Vogue” video, you know “strike a pose” and all that jazz, and it got me thinking. Not about her music (which, let’s be honest, hasn’t aged as gracefully as her PR team might hope), but about Michael Saylor and Bitcoin.

Bear with me here, there’s a connection there. Madonna built an empire and her iconic name on catchy tunes and reinvention, even if her catalog feels a bit thin these days. Saylor? He’s doing something similar—taking an old act, dusting it off, and teaching it a new trick. Only instead of a microphone, he’s wielding Bitcoin, and Wall Street’s playing the role of the music industry, propping up the star despite a shaky back catalog (his initial business software).

Old school meets new moves

Think of Saylor as that veteran artist who’s been around for a few decades and think of bitcoin as a new style of music, a genre or a gimmick that’s popular with the kids. Old music stars sooner or later pick up on that, and even bring people in to do a cross-over song, a mix or god forbid, a duet.

MicroStrategy, his software company, was never a top hit scoring machine. More of a album full of B-sides that faded into obscurity (for those who don’t know, look up what a B-side song was). But then he stumbled onto Bitcoin, the shiny new genre that’s got the attention and attracted people because of the underlying asset (our tunes are here to stay).

It’s not just a pivot; it’s a reinvention. Like an aging pop star learning to rap, Saylor’s taken his old-school business and remixed it into something attracting a decent audience at conferences for example. Like Madonna or the former Prince fulling arenas. He’s voguing alright; with bold moves, big loans, the support of his own music industry and a spotlight for his (sometimes Madonna lyrics like) ramblings.

The Saylor trick: a ray of light on bitcoin

Here’s the play: Saylor’s turned MicroStrategy into a Bitcoin hoarding machine. Forget software licenses; his game is borrowing billions—through corporate bonds and stock sales, only to buy and hold Bitcoin. Bitcoin will outshine gold, bonds, even the S&P 500, Saylor says. It’s a gamble, an honorable one if you’re a bitcoiner, but it’s dressed up as a vision, and it’s got a self-fulfilling prophecy in it. Not only that, such a prophecy can only fully come to fruition if he’s not the only buyer of last resort of any significance. A music industry isn’t a real industry if there was only Madonna dancing on stage as the only mainstream artist.

We had Prince, Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars or Dua Lipa and hundreds of other artists over time, vying for your money, attention span, and streaming minutes. The more Strategy buys, the more the Bitcoin crowd cheers, the higher the price climbs, and the more attention he gets. Speaking gigs, headlines, cult status—it’s a win-win, at least on paper. Strike the pose, indeed.

The McDonald’s trick: value under the surface

It’s not the first time Michael Saylro remixes a tape from another artist so to speak. Let’s pivot to McDonald’s for a second, because there’s a parallel here. You think Big Macs when you think McDonald’s, but their real value hustle is actually real estate.

They own prime land, lease it to franchisees, and rake in rent—billions of it. The burgers? Just a tasty front for a property empire. Saylor’s pulling a similar move, but instead of buildings, his asset is Bitcoin. MicroStrategy’s software gig is the fries on the side — nice to have, but not the main course. He’s borrowing against the future value of BTC, betting it’ll keep climbing, just like McDonald’s banks on steady foot traffic and picking strategic (pun intended) locations. The difference? McDonald’s has a fallback if real estate tanks. Saylor’s all-in on bitcoin. (So far so good, if there’s one thing to go all-in on, it’s bitcoin anyway). That on itself is not an issue. But it’s important to know that the “location” is the asset for some while bitcoin is the “asset” for Strategy. Mc Donald’s assets are easy to spot: there are restaurants all over the place. Madonna’s concerts are also easy to spot: they sell out arenas left and right. Strategy’s bitcoin asset is less easy to spot, as we can’t see them, neither can we verify them. More on that later.

The hybrid star: Madonna meets McDonald’s

So, picture this: Saylor’s a cross between Madonna and a fast-food landlord. He’s the aging music icon who’s learned a flashy new dance, but underneath the glitter, he’s running a McDonald’s-style value play. It’s brilliant, in a way. Bitcoin’s scarcity fuels the hype, and his borrowing keeps the show on the road. Madonna’s legacy still sells records her name holds value, and McDonald’s can lean on its food business and brand, if the property game stumbles they can easily pivot back to basics and earn like they’ve always done on selling food and franchise income/licensing. Saylor? His software arm’s is rather dismal. If Bitcoin falters, there’s no encore that can him.a flash of inspiration

Sometimes the mind takes you to strange places. The other day, I stumbled across Madonna’s “Vogue” video, you know “strike a pose” and all that jazz, and it got me thinking. Not about her music (which, let’s be honest, hasn’t aged as gracefully as her PR team might hope), but about Michael Saylor and Bitcoin.\ \ Bear with me here, there’s a connection there. Madonna built an empire and her iconic name on catchy tunes and reinvention, even if her catalog feels a bit thin these days.\ Saylor? He’s doing something similar—taking an old act, dusting it off, and teaching it a new trick. Only instead of a microphone, he’s wielding Bitcoin, and Wall Street’s playing the role of the music industry, propping up the star despite a shaky back catalog (his initial business software).

Old school meets new moves

Think of Saylor as that veteran artist who’s been around for a few decades and think of bitcoin as a new style of music, a genre or a gimmick that’s popular with the kids. Old music stars sooner or later pick up on that, and even bring people in to do a cross-over song, a mix or god forbid, a duet.

MicroStrategy, his software company, was never a top hit scoring machine. More of a album full of B-sides that faded into obscurity (for those who don’t know, look up what a B-side song was).\ But then he stumbled onto Bitcoin, the shiny new genre that’s got the attention and attracted people because of the underlying asset (our tunes are here to stay).\ \ It’s not just a pivot; it’s a reinvention. Like an aging pop star learning to rap, Saylor’s taken his old-school business and remixed it into something attracting a decent audience at conferences for example. Like Madonna or the former Prince fulling arenas.\ He’s voguing alright; with bold moves, big loans, the support of his own music industry and a spotlight for his (sometimes Madonna lyrics like) ramblings.

*The Saylor trick: a ray of light on bitcoin* \ Here’s the play: Saylor’s turned MicroStrategy into a Bitcoin hoarding machine. Forget software licenses; his game is borrowing billions—through corporate bonds and stock sales, only to buy and hold Bitcoin. Bitcoin will outshine gold, bonds, even the S&P 500, Saylor says.\ It’s a gamble, an honorable one if you’re a bitcoiner, but it’s dressed up as a vision, and it’s got a self-fulfilling prophecy in it. Not only that, such a prophecy can only fully come to fruition if he’s not the only buyer of last resort of any significance. A music industry isn’t a real industry if there was only Madonna dancing on stage as the only mainstream artist.\ \ We had Prince, Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars or Dua Lipa and hundreds of other artists over time, vying for your money, attention span, and streaming minutes.\ The more Strategy buys, the more the Bitcoin crowd cheers, the higher the price climbs, and the more attention he gets. Speaking gigs, headlines, cult status—it’s a win-win, at least on paper. Strike the pose, indeed.

*The McDonald’s trick: value under the surface* \ It’s not the first time Michael Saylro remixes a tape from another artist so to speak.\ Let’s pivot to McDonald’s for a second, because there’s a parallel here. You think Big Macs when you think McDonald’s, but their real value hustle is actually real estate.

They own prime land, lease it to franchisees, and rake in rent—billions of it. The burgers? Just a tasty front for a property empire. Saylor’s pulling a similar move, but instead of buildings, his asset is Bitcoin.\ MicroStrategy’s software gig is the fries on the side — nice to have, but not the main course. He’s borrowing against the future value of BTC, betting it’ll keep climbing, just like McDonald’s banks on steady foot traffic and picking strategic (pun intended) locations.\ The difference? McDonald’s has a fallback if real estate tanks. Saylor’s all-in on bitcoin. (So far so good, if there’s one thing to go all-in on, it’s bitcoin anyway). That on itself is not an issue. But it’s important to know that the “location” is the asset for some while bitcoin is the “asset” for Strategy.\ Mc Donald’s assets are easy to spot: there are restaurants all over the place. Madonna’s concerts are also easy to spot: they sell out arenas left and right.\ Strategy’s bitcoin asset is less easy to spot, as we can’t see them, neither can we verify them. More on that later.

The hybrid star: Madonna meets McDonald’s

So, picture this: Saylor’s a cross between Madonna and a fast-food landlord. He’s the aging music icon who’s learned a flashy new dance, but underneath the glitter, he’s running a McDonald’s-style value play.\ It’s brilliant, in a way. Bitcoin’s scarcity fuels the hype, and his borrowing keeps the show on the road.\ Madonna’s legacy still sells records her name holds value, and McDonald’s can lean on its food business and brand, if the property game stumbles they can easily pivot back to basics and earn like they’ve always done on selling food and franchise income/licensing.\ Saylor? His software arm’s is rather dismal. If Bitcoin falters, there’s no encore that can him.

The music’s made in-house

Michael Saylor’s strategy with Strategy, is a bold, all-in bet on Bitcoin as the ultimate store of value. Essentially combining what Mc Donald’s does with the strong believe in bitcoin’s future (and fueling that believe with the fitting rhetoric).

It works like this: Since August 2020, Saylor’s company has been buying up more and more Bitcoin, making it their main asset instead of traditional cash or investments, and by March 2025, they own 506,137 BTC—worth about $42.8 billion (at $84,000 per Bitcoin). This, after spending $33.7 billion to buy it over time (DCA), including a massive 218887 BTC purchase late 2024 for $20.5 billion, giving them over 2.41% of all Bitcoin ever to exist (way more than companies like Marathon, Coinbase, Tesla or Riot).

To pull this off, they’ve borrowed heavily: owing $7.2 billion, mostly to Wall Street investors through special IOUs1 called convertible notes, which don’t need to be paid back until 2027, through 2029. These can either be settled with cash or swapped for Strategy stock. (there lies one of the main issues in my opinion, as the main asset’s price in USD is directly impacting the stock price of MSTR). A small example of this repeated correlation happened on March 28, 2025 when Strategy’s stock (MSTR) dropped 10.8% from $324.59 to $289.41, which was mirroring Bitcoin’s move down from $85,000 to $82,000 earlier.

This debt they have can be called “risky” by any stretch, with a high leverage rate of 39-40%, meaning they’ve borrowed a big chunk compared to what they own outright, but here’s the genius of it: they don’t have to sell their Bitcoin if its price drops, and they can refinance (borrow more later) to keep the dance going. As long as they find investors willing to bet on the later bitcoin price surge, but more importantly, as long as the song is liked by the new audience. If Michael Saylor is our “Madonna”, then there’s still not Taylor Swift or Rihanna in sight.

The creditors (big players, not banks) win if Bitcoin soars, as Strategy’s huge stash (potentially 2.9%+ of the market) nets them massive profits, or even if it crashes, they’re still in the game with other ways to make profit (not on bitcoin), since they can afford the risk. If someone is willing to bet 4 to 8 billion dollars, they’re probably not spooked by losing it all. More so, these Wall Streat people in the correct entourage, can probably afford such a gamble, and can stomach to lose it all if something goes horribly wrong as well, instead of risking being left out of a growing market. But since they’re probably the same people steering and “owning” the USD market anyway, they’re just conquering positions in a new market. The fact that they’re not real bitcoin-ethos people, but just “suits” in finance, can make the suspicious bitcoiners watching all of this unfold, even more uneasy.

So, Strategy sits on $44 billion in Bitcoin with just $7.2 billion in debt, voguing confidently. And Saylor’s betting the song never gets old, he’ll do the B-sides and re-mastering his old albums if necessary, but if Bitcoin’s value ever fades (for whatever reason), the real question is how long they can keep striking poses before the music stops. Remember: all money (fiat, gold, silver, bitcoin, nicely made papers) is a matter of trust.

As I have trust in bitcoin itself, but not so much in Strategy, I’ve take some precautions. I've started my own sort of "Strategy crash fund", with fiat money that only will come into action when strategy is done. The crash that we'll see after that goes down, will be such a tremendous opportunity, that I'll pour in some more fiat, gladly, and that will be the exact moment I will actually “sell all my chairs” (from Saylor’s well-known quote).

Purchases

Strategy’s Bitcoin purchases, don’t seem to jolt the market much either, no matter the size of the order. They always have the same sound: “it’s OTC, it doesn’t impact the market that much”.

Still, it’s strange to see: no one has ever come forward to tell anyone “I’ve sold 15000 bitcoin from my old stack to Saylor”, neither do we see any clear evidence and on-chain moves.

Take their first buy in August 2020 for example. Totaling 21454 BTC for $250 million at $11,652 per BTC; Bitcoin sat at $11,500 to $11,700 so barely moved, inching to $12,000 weeks later due to broader trends.

Same story in December 2020 with 29646 BTC for $650 million, there, the price hopped from $19,000 to $23,000, but a bull market was already raging. Fast forward to February 2021 (19452 BTC, for $1.026 billion (!)), March 2024 (9245 BTC, $623 million), November 2024 (55500 BTC, $5.4 billion), and March 2025 (6911 BTC, $584.1 million)

Bitcoin wobbled 2-15%, but always in line with existing momentum, not Strategy’s announcements. Their biggest buy, for a total of $5.4 billion (!) is just 0.3% of Bitcoin’s $1.7 trillion market cap, it’s too small to register as a blip even. But compared to the liquidity on the market and the “availability” on the OTC market, it should. More so, OTC bitcoin is announced as “for sale” somehow. A person with +25000 bitcoin is not standing on the side of the street yelling “hey man, wanna buy some bitcoin?”. There are specialized firms doing that for them, and making these available. This date is also used by some insiders and people who know this very small market (there aren’t that many bitcoiners sitting on such an amount after 2024 I guess). Data from Binance OTC, Coinspaid, kraken OTC, is highly private of course, but still, anything being sold over there, to Strategy or anyone else, would take larger amounts off the open market and the OTC market, making a price impact, certainly withing 2 years, as Bitcoin mining companies sit on an average buffer of 6 months depending on market conditions.

Strategy funds all of this by selling shares (diluting the pool big-time) or issuing convertible notes, and while SEC filings make faking these buys near-impossible. And even if Saylor is the Bitcoin version of Bernie Madoff, he could get away with it, if enough people "in the know" are willing to support this way of infesting (and investing in) the bitcoin economy. This would have to be a clear orchestrated attack on bitcoin, purely on the financial level then.

I don't believe this to be the case, but mathematically we have to take it into account as a very slight possibility.

After all, a company like "WorldCom"2 managed to scam their way out of different audits for years, until the scheme got bust and a enormous amount of investors lost their money after their CEO went to jail3 for exchange fraud.

I believe this could be the case with Strategy, but I give it a 3% chance (this might be low, but it's there, we can't outright dismiss the possibility).

Water in the wine

Strategy has also massively diluted its stock to fund Bitcoin buys, jumping from 10 million shares in 2020 to about 285 million by March 2025—a 2,750% increase, this happened after raising $4.25 billion from 2020 onwards and $20 billion of their $42 billion "21/21 Plan" by early 2025.

After the 10-for-1 stock split in August 2024, the number of MSTR shares grew from 16.5 million in 2023 to 284898 by end of 2024, a 1625% rise !!!. Add to that about 275 million more shares added in total (including 120 million in 2024 alone) and 1.975 million extra in March 2025 for $592.6 million.

So more and more tap water is poured in the wine, and it means each share’s ownership slice shrinks as new shares flood in, mostly via "at-the-market" sales and convertible note conversions. This is partly offset by share splits, but still, the rise in the number of stock is significant, and a big factor in evaluating MSTR.

In December 2024, they proposed hiking authorized shares to 10.33 billion (plus 1 billion preferred), approved in January 2025, setting the stage for even more if they keep selling.

The trend is clear: relentless selling. They might say “we never sell bitcoin”, but the same doesn’t count for their shares… which derive their value from bitcoin’s fiat price. So shareholders are betting on Bitcoin’s rise to offset the watering down of the share they hold. The more you think of it, the more ludicrous it sounds. It’s a loop of trust where the stock itself can only thrive if the company itself is an active, useful middleman. And so far, it’s only doing so for other Wall street companies, the biggest holders of MSTR shares:

Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock, Capital International Investors, Jane Street Group, Susquehanna International Group

This on itself is also “normal” of course. In the flow of things. Like every aspect by itself in the whole Strategy setup is just normal. But combining all the factors makes it look a bit more… suspicious to me.

Supporting bitcoin ?

The real head-scratcher comes next: their secrecy and lack of community involvement. Strategy claims to hold 506137 BTC, likely cold-stored with partners like BitGo or Coinbase Custody, but no public wallet addresses back these claims up. Odd for a firm swearing never to sell.

There’s also the real risk that these partners are partly selling paper bitcoin (bitcoin they don't hold the keys to, or "promised" bitcoin) to Strategy, and that they just assume everything is audited and OK.

We can't estimate that, since we don't have any public MicroStrategy addresses or other ways to look at their holdings. This is for security reasons apparently, which raises another question: If they for example would show 300k+ BTC on-chain as proof, it’d boost trust, yet they don’t, hinting at a bigger play — maybe as a Wall Street-backed buyer of last resort for a new asset class.

Also Strategy’s software business and bitcoin “apps” (like the super simple Lightning email integration, and an on-chain digital ID system) is underwhelming to say the least (I literally know people that code such stuff on a free afternoon while they’re cooking dinner).

Their very minimal software innovation for the Bitcoin space, with basic Lightning features and an on-chain ID system, failing their their valuation as a 'Bitcoin company' in my opinion. More so, their business is ignoring the other innovation that would help bitcoin thrive. This is kind of a red flag for me. Why would a company sitting on +500 k bitcoin be hesitant about supporting the bitcoin eco-system more actively? They sure have the funds to do so, right? And they also have the right insights, info and spirit. Yet, they don’t.

They don’t fund developers for open-source projects, or Bitcoin’s growth in general (not publicly at least). So Saylor shines in talks, hyping Bitcoin’s future and Strategy’s stock, but it’s all the self fulfilling prophecy.

No grants, no real support for the community they lean on. It’s like they’re dancing to Bitcoin’s mixtape, raking in the spotlight, while giving little back. All the while some extremely needed projects lack funding, and most software companies in bitcoin who wish to innovate are begging and scraping funds together, in order to stay afloat. Something’s not ok with that. I can’t understand a company with that much power and money being part of this movement and loving bitcoin, while not actively supporting the development or the maintainers of the bitcoin software. (and yes, to keep their independence it’s best to keep it that way, that’s also an argument, but even then, giving out a grant to anyone that’s crucial in this industry, might help the whole ecosystem).

The show must go on—for now

The whole Strategy setup feels more and more like a performance to me. Saylor’s the star, doing the moves and Wall Street’s the record label, and we’re the audience, captivated by the spectacle and paying to see the show on occasion.

The suits keep funding him (free money, IOUs), just like the music industry props up a fading diva with a limited repertoire or drags a new star from her home studio on YouTube into the spotlights. H Saylor’s 21/21 Plan to the amount of $42 billion to snatch up more Bitcoin can be a grand finale that’s dazzling while the lights stay on.

Prediction: the music stops eventually

Here’s my take: Bitcoin will keep rising over a long period of time, and Saylor’s gambit will look like a genius move, until it doesn’t. All it takes is one big shot in Wall Street to find another shiny toy to play with, or another play to get their money working. The billions they’ve invested, will come back eventually, and if it doesn’t, it will mean the world has changed in their advantage as well in another way. Some people cannot lose, no matter what. Saylor’s now part of that, doing their bidding and doing his part for educating the other businesses.

He’s the only big buyer of last resort in this game so far. No one else is piling in with billions like he is. When the hype cools or the debt catches up, he’s got no real business to fall back on. The software? A relic. The Bitcoin bet can save him if the time is right, we’ll see about that. Time is his enemy not ally, and it always wins in the end. The pose can only hold so long. You can’t keep scoring free fiat, without either die on low valuation and dilution, or without at least 20 other Strategy-grade businesses jumping in to take their piece of the pie. So far, surprisingly, none of these two things happen. He keeps getting free fiat from Wall Street investors, and no other Saylor stands up. This can’t last forever. One of the two will happen by end of 2025.

Curtain call

Saylor’s a fascinating watch, a mix of investor-backed bravado, brains, and borrowed billions. Is it a masterstroke or a bitcoin version of Worldcom? I’m not sure. In any case, I would only invest in MSTR myself if the company has a real added value for bitcoin development and the bitcoin ecosystem. They could be the engine, the spirit, the core of bitcoin. Yet they’re just doing the poses. Let your body move to the rhythm.

AVB

If you like : tip here / other writings

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOU

2 https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/audit_and_advisory_services/about/news/2021/worldcom_scandal.php

3 https://content.next.westlaw.com/Document/Ic6b4dd91644311dbbe1cf2d29fe2afe6/View/FullText.html?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)#:\~:text=Rep.-,6,Criminal%20ChargesThe music’s made in-house

Michael Saylor’s strategy with Strategy, is a bold, all-in bet on Bitcoin as the ultimate store of value. Essentially combining what Mc Donald’s does with the strong believe in bitcoin’s future (and fueling that believe with the fitting rhetoric).\ \ It works like this: Since August 2020, Saylor’s company has been buying up more and more Bitcoin, making it their main asset instead of traditional cash or investments, and by March 2025, they own 506,137 BTC—worth about $42.8 billion (at $84,000 per Bitcoin).\ This, after spending $33.7 billion to buy it over time (DCA), including a massive 218887 BTC purchase late 2024 for $20.5 billion, giving them over 2.41% of all Bitcoin ever to exist (way more than companies like Marathon, Coinbase, Tesla or Riot).\ \ To pull this off, they’ve borrowed heavily: owing $7.2 billion, mostly to Wall Street investors through special IOUs1 called convertible notes, which don’t need to be paid back until 2027, through 2029. These can either be settled with cash or swapped for Strategy stock. (there lies one of the main issues in my opinion, as the main asset’s price in USD is directly impacting the stock price of MSTR).\ A small example of this repeated correlation happened on March 28, 2025 when Strategy’s stock (MSTR) dropped 10.8% from $324.59 to $289.41, which was mirroring Bitcoin’s move down from $85,000 to $82,000 earlier.

This debt they have can be called “risky” by any stretch, with a high leverage rate of 39-40%, meaning they’ve borrowed a big chunk compared to what they own outright, but here’s the genius of it: they don’t have to sell their Bitcoin if its price drops, and they can refinance (borrow more later) to keep the dance going. As long as they find investors willing to bet on the later bitcoin price surge, but more importantly, as long as the song is liked by the new audience. If Michael Saylor is our “Madonna”, then there’s still not Taylor Swift or Rihanna in sight.

The creditors (big players, not banks) win if Bitcoin soars, as Strategy’s huge stash (potentially 2.9%+ of the market) nets them massive profits, or even if it crashes, they’re still in the game with other ways to make profit (not on bitcoin), since they can afford the risk. If someone is willing to bet 4 to 8 billion dollars, they’re probably not spooked by losing it all. More so, these Wall Streat people in the correct entourage, can probably afford such a gamble, and can stomach to lose it all if something goes horribly wrong as well, instead of risking being left out of a growing market. But since they’re probably the same people steering and “owning” the USD market anyway, they’re just conquering positions in a new market. The fact that they’re not real bitcoin-ethos people, but just “suits” in finance, can make the suspicious bitcoiners watching all of this unfold, even more uneasy.\ \ So, Strategy sits on $44 billion in Bitcoin with just $7.2 billion in debt, voguing confidently. And Saylor’s betting the song never gets old, he’ll do the B-sides and re-mastering his old albums if necessary, but if Bitcoin’s value ever fades (for whatever reason), the real question is how long they can keep striking poses before the music stops. Remember: all money (fiat, gold, silver, bitcoin, nicely made papers) is a matter of trust.

As I have trust in bitcoin itself, but not so much in Strategy, I’ve take some precautions.\ I've started my own sort of "Strategy crash fund", with fiat money that only will come into action when strategy is done. The crash that we'll see after that goes down, will be such a tremendous opportunity, that I'll pour in some more fiat, gladly, and that will be the exact moment I will actually “sell all my chairs” (from Saylor’s well-known quote).

Purchases

Strategy’s Bitcoin purchases, don’t seem to jolt the market much either, no matter the size of the order. They always have the same sound: “it’s OTC, it doesn’t impact the market that much”.\ \ Still, it’s strange to see: no one has ever come forward to tell anyone “I’ve sold 15000 bitcoin from my old stack to Saylor”, neither do we see any clear evidence and on-chain moves.\ \ Take their first buy in August 2020 for example. Totaling 21454 BTC for $250 million at $11,652 per BTC; Bitcoin sat at $11,500 to $11,700 so barely moved, inching to $12,000 weeks later due to broader trends.

Same story in December 2020 with 29646 BTC for $650 million, there, the price hopped from $19,000 to $23,000, but a bull market was already raging.\ Fast forward to February 2021 (19452 BTC, for $1.026 billion (!)), March 2024 (9245 BTC, $623 million), November 2024 (55500 BTC, $5.4 billion), and March 2025 (6911 BTC, $584.1 million)\ \ Bitcoin wobbled 2-15%, but always in line with existing momentum, not Strategy’s announcements. Their biggest buy, for a total of $5.4 billion (!) is just 0.3% of Bitcoin’s $1.7 trillion market cap, it’s too small to register as a blip even. But compared to the liquidity on the market and the “availability” on the OTC market, it should.\ More so, OTC bitcoin is announced as “for sale” somehow. A person with +25000 bitcoin is not standing on the side of the street yelling “hey man, wanna buy some bitcoin?”. There are specialized firms doing that for them, and making these available. This date is also used by some insiders and people who know this very small market (there aren’t that many bitcoiners sitting on such an amount after 2024 I guess). Data from Binance OTC, Coinspaid, kraken OTC, is highly private of course, but still, anything being sold over there, to Strategy or anyone else, would take larger amounts off the open market and the OTC market, making a price impact, certainly withing 2 years, as Bitcoin mining companies sit on an average buffer of 6 months depending on market conditions.\ \ Strategy funds all of this by selling shares (diluting the pool big-time) or issuing convertible notes, and while SEC filings make faking these buys near-impossible. And even if Saylor is the Bitcoin version of Bernie Madoff, he could get away with it, if enough people "in the know" are willing to support this way of infesting (and investing in) the bitcoin economy. This would have to be a clear orchestrated attack on bitcoin, purely on the financial level then.

I don't believe this to be the case, but mathematically we have to take it into account as a very slight possibility.

After all, a company like "WorldCom"2 managed to scam their way out of different audits for years, until the scheme got bust and a enormous amount of investors lost their money after their CEO went to jail3 for exchange fraud.

I believe this could be the case with Strategy, but I give it a 3% chance (this might be low, but it's there, we can't outright dismiss the possibility).

Water in the wine

Strategy has also massively diluted its stock to fund Bitcoin buys, jumping from 10 million shares in 2020 to about 285 million by March 2025—a 2,750% increase, this happened after raising $4.25 billion from 2020 onwards and $20 billion of their $42 billion "21/21 Plan" by early 2025.\ \ After the 10-for-1 stock split in August 2024, the number of MSTR shares grew from 16.5 million in 2023 to 284898 by end of 2024, a 1625% rise !!!. Add to that about 275 million more shares added in total (including 120 million in 2024 alone) and 1.975 million extra in March 2025 for $592.6 million.\ \ So more and more tap water is poured in the wine, and it means each share’s ownership slice shrinks as new shares flood in, mostly via "at-the-market" sales and convertible note conversions.\ This is partly offset by share splits, but still, the rise in the number of stock is significant, and a big factor in evaluating MSTR.\ \ In December 2024, they proposed hiking authorized shares to 10.33 billion (plus 1 billion preferred), approved in January 2025, setting the stage for even more if they keep selling.\ \ The trend is clear: relentless selling.\ They might say “we never sell bitcoin”, but the same doesn’t count for their shares… which derive their value from bitcoin’s fiat price.\ So shareholders are betting on Bitcoin’s rise to offset the watering down of the share they hold. The more you think of it, the more ludicrous it sounds. It’s a loop of trust where the stock itself can only thrive if the company itself is an active, useful middleman.\ And so far, it’s only doing so for other Wall street companies, the biggest holders of MSTR shares:

Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock, Capital International Investors, Jane Street Group, Susquehanna International Group\ \ This on itself is also “normal” of course. In the flow of things.\ Like every aspect by itself in the whole Strategy setup is just normal. But combining all the factors makes it look a bit more… suspicious to me.

Supporting bitcoin ?

The real head-scratcher comes next: their secrecy and lack of community involvement.\ Strategy claims to hold 506137 BTC, likely cold-stored with partners like BitGo or Coinbase Custody, but no public wallet addresses back these claims up. Odd for a firm swearing never to sell.

There’s also the real risk that these partners are partly selling paper bitcoin (bitcoin they don't hold the keys to, or "promised" bitcoin) to Strategy, and that they just assume everything is audited and OK.

We can't estimate that, since we don't have any public MicroStrategy addresses or other ways to look at their holdings. This is for security reasons apparently, which raises another question:\ If they for example would show 300k+ BTC on-chain as proof, it’d boost trust, yet they don’t, hinting at a bigger play — maybe as a Wall Street-backed buyer of last resort for a new asset class.

Also Strategy’s software business and bitcoin “apps” (like the super simple Lightning email integration, and an on-chain digital ID system) is underwhelming to say the least (I literally know people that code such stuff on a free afternoon while they’re cooking dinner).

Their very minimal software innovation for the Bitcoin space, with basic Lightning features and an on-chain ID system, failing their their valuation as a 'Bitcoin company' in my opinion. More so, their business is ignoring the other innovation that would help bitcoin thrive. This is kind of a red flag for me.\ Why would a company sitting on +500 k bitcoin be hesitant about supporting the bitcoin eco-system more actively? They sure have the funds to do so, right? And they also have the right insights, info and spirit.\ Yet, they don’t.\ \ They don’t fund developers for open-source projects, or Bitcoin’s growth in general (not publicly at least). So Saylor shines in talks, hyping Bitcoin’s future and Strategy’s stock, but it’s all the self fulfilling prophecy.\ \ No grants, no real support for the community they lean on.\ It’s like they’re dancing to Bitcoin’s mixtape, raking in the spotlight, while giving little back. All the while some extremely needed projects lack funding, and most software companies in bitcoin who wish to innovate are begging and scraping funds together, in order to stay afloat.\ Something’s not ok with that.\ I can’t understand a company with that much power and money being part of this movement and loving bitcoin, while not actively supporting the development or the maintainers of the bitcoin software. (and yes, to keep their independence it’s best to keep it that way, that’s also an argument, but even then, giving out a grant to anyone that’s crucial in this industry, might help the whole ecosystem).

The show must go on—for now

The whole Strategy setup feels more and more like a performance to me. Saylor’s the star, doing the moves and Wall Street’s the record label, and we’re the audience, captivated by the spectacle and paying to see the show on occasion.\ \ The suits keep funding him (free money, IOUs), just like the music industry props up a fading diva with a limited repertoire or drags a new star from her home studio on YouTube into the spotlights. H\ Saylor’s 21/21 Plan to the amount of $42 billion to snatch up more Bitcoin can be a grand finale that’s dazzling while the lights stay on.

Prediction: the music stops eventually

Here’s my take: Bitcoin will keep rising over a long period of time, and Saylor’s gambit will look like a genius move, until it doesn’t. All it takes is one big shot in Wall Street to find another shiny toy to play with, or another play to get their money working. The billions they’ve invested, will come back eventually, and if it doesn’t, it will mean the world has changed in their advantage as well in another way. Some people cannot lose, no matter what. Saylor’s now part of that, doing their bidding and doing his part for educating the other businesses.\ \ He’s the only big buyer of last resort in this game so far. No one else is piling in with billions like he is. When the hype cools or the debt catches up, he’s got no real business to fall back on. The software? A relic. The Bitcoin bet can save him if the time is right, we’ll see about that.\ Time is his enemy not ally, and it always wins in the end. The pose can only hold so long. You can’t keep scoring free fiat, without either die on low valuation and dilution, or without at least 20 other Strategy-grade businesses jumping in to take their piece of the pie.\ So far, surprisingly, none of these two things happen.\ He keeps getting free fiat from Wall Street investors, and no other Saylor stands up.\ This can’t last forever. One of the two will happen by end of 2025.\ \ Curtain call

Saylor’s a fascinating watch, a mix of investor-backed bravado, brains, and borrowed billions.\ Is it a masterstroke or a bitcoin version of Worldcom?\ I’m not sure. In any case, I would only invest in MSTR myself if the company has a real added value for bitcoin development and the bitcoin ecosystem. They could be the engine, the spirit, the core of bitcoin.\ Yet they’re just doing the poses.\ Let your body move to the rhythm.

AVB

If you like : tip here / other writings

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOU

2 https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/audit_and_advisory_services/about/news/2021/worldcom_scandal.php

3

https://content.next.westlaw.com/Document/Ic6b4dd91644311dbbe1cf2d29fe2afe6/View/FullText.html?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)#:\~:text=Rep.-,6,Criminal%20Charges

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Falls du beim Lesen des Titels dieses Newsletters unwillkürlich an positive Neuigkeiten aus dem globalen polit-medialen Irrenhaus oder gar aus dem wirtschaftlichen Umfeld gedacht hast, darf ich dich beglückwünschen. Diese Assoziation ist sehr löblich, denn sie weist dich als unverbesserlichen Optimisten aus. Leider muss ich dich diesbezüglich aber enttäuschen. Es geht hier um ein anderes Thema, allerdings sehr wohl ein positives, wie ich finde.

Heute ist ein ganz besonderer Tag: die Wintersonnenwende. Genau gesagt hat heute morgen um 10:20 Uhr Mitteleuropäischer Zeit (MEZ) auf der Nordhalbkugel unseres Planeten der astronomische Winter begonnen. Was daran so außergewöhnlich ist? Der kürzeste Tag des Jahres war gestern, seit heute werden die Tage bereits wieder länger! Wir werden also jetzt jeden Tag ein wenig mehr Licht haben.

Für mich ist dieses Ereignis immer wieder etwas kurios: Es beginnt der Winter, aber die Tage werden länger. Das erscheint mir zunächst wie ein Widerspruch, denn meine spontanen Assoziationen zum Winter sind doch eher Kälte und Dunkelheit, relativ zumindest. Umso erfreulicher ist der emotionale Effekt, wenn dann langsam die Erkenntnis durchsickert: Ab jetzt wird es schon wieder heller!

Natürlich ist es kalt im Winter, mancherorts mehr als anderswo. Vielleicht jedoch nicht mehr lange, wenn man den Klimahysterikern glauben wollte. Mindestens letztes Jahr hat Väterchen Frost allerdings gleich zu Beginn seiner Saison – und passenderweise während des globalen Überhitzungsgipfels in Dubai – nochmal richtig mit der Faust auf den Tisch gehauen. Schnee- und Eischaos sind ja eigentlich in der Agenda bereits nicht mehr vorgesehen. Deswegen war man in Deutschland vermutlich in vorauseilendem Gehorsam schon nicht mehr darauf vorbereitet und wurde glatt lahmgelegt.

Aber ich schweife ab. Die Aussicht auf nach und nach mehr Licht und damit auch Wärme stimmt mich froh. Den Zusammenhang zwischen beidem merkt man in Andalusien sehr deutlich. Hier, wo die Häuser im Winter arg auskühlen, geht man zum Aufwärmen raus auf die Straße oder auf den Balkon. Die Sonne hat auch im Winter eine erfreuliche Kraft. Und da ist jede Minute Gold wert.

Außerdem ist mir vor Jahren so richtig klar geworden, warum mir das südliche Klima so sehr gefällt. Das liegt nämlich nicht nur an der Sonne als solcher, oder der Wärme – das liegt vor allem am Licht. Ohne Licht keine Farben, das ist der ebenso simple wie gewaltige Unterschied zwischen einem deprimierenden matschgraubraunen Winter und einem fröhlichen bunten. Ein großes Stück Lebensqualität.

Mir gefällt aber auch die Symbolik dieses Tages: Licht aus der Dunkelheit, ein Wendepunkt, ein Neuanfang, neue Möglichkeiten, Übergang zu neuer Aktivität. In der winterlichen Stille keimt bereits neue Lebendigkeit. Und zwar in einem Zyklus, das wird immer wieder so geschehen. Ich nehme das gern als ein Stück Motivation, es macht mir Hoffnung und gibt mir Energie.

Übrigens ist parallel am heutigen Tag auf der südlichen Halbkugel Sommeranfang. Genau im entgegengesetzten Rhythmus, sich ergänzend, wie Yin und Yang. Das alles liegt an der Schrägstellung der Erdachse, die ist nämlich um 23,4º zur Umlaufbahn um die Sonne geneigt. Wir erinnern uns, gell?

Insofern bleibt eindeutig festzuhalten, dass “schräg sein” ein willkommener, wichtiger und positiver Wert ist. Mit anderen Worten: auch ungewöhnlich, eigenartig, untypisch, wunderlich, kauzig, … ja sogar irre, spinnert oder gar “quer” ist in Ordnung. Das schließt das Denken mit ein.

In diesem Sinne wünsche ich euch allen urige Weihnachtstage!

---

Dieser Beitrag ist letztes Jahr in meiner Denkbar erschienen.

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

• Once activated, "Accept From Any Mint” is the default setting. This is the easiest way to get started, let's the user start acceptance Cashu ecash just out of the box.
• If someone does want to be selective, they can choose “Accept From Trusted Mints,” and that brings up a field where they can add specific mint URLs they trust.
• “Find a Mint” section on the right with a button links directly to bitcoinmints.com, already filtered for Cashu mints, so users can easily browse options.
• Mint info modal shows mint technical details stuff from the NUT06 spec. Since this is geared towards the more technical users I left the field names and NUT number as-is instead of trying to make it more semantic.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/928800

@ e5272de9:a16a102f

The GrapeRank algorithm, like the PageRank algorithm, takes as input a graph, composed of nodes and edges, and composes "importance" scores for each node based on the topology of the graph. This equation is currently implemented at brainstorm and uses follows and mutes to calculate a trust score G (also called an "influence" score) in the range [0, 1] for each user in your nostr network.

This is the GrapeRank equation:

• G, c, and r in this equation are each scalars in the interval [0, 1]
• G represents the grapevine score (also called the "influence") of v, as seen from the vantage point of o
• r represents the average rating of v by o's grapevine
• c represents the degree of confidence in the average rating r
• the subscript always represents the thing (user, product, etc) being evaluated
• the superscript always represents the "observer," the point of reference from which we view and interpret the world

This is the same equation in expanded format:

• The grapevine score of v on the left, G_v, is weighted using the grapevine score (but of each w) on the right, G_w
• These calculations are iterated until all G values converge
• r^o_v (the right half) is the weighted average
• c^o_v (the left half) is the confidence in that weighted average
• The r^w_v are the ratings being averaged together; they are inferred from follows and mutes by interpreting a follow as a score of 1 (probably not a bot), a mute as a score of 0 (probably a bot)
• The c^w_r are the confidences in the r^w_v; a follow is interpreted to have a confidence of 5 percent, a mute to have a confidence of 10 percent. (These are adjustable settings at brainstorm.)
• The sum over G * c, which appears twice in the above equation, is called the "input" and is an unbounded, nonnegative scalar which represents "the amount of trusted input" that goes into the calculation
• The formula is designed so that as the input (the number of ratings from trusted sources) increases to infinity, the confidence c^o_v approaches 1 (100 percent) asymptotically. This map from input onto confidence, which employs a nonlinear equation, is necessary to ensure that G remains within the [0, 1] interval even as input increases to infinity.
• alpha is a nonnegative scalar value that determines how "quickly" the confidence c^o_v approaches 1 (100 percent) as trusted input increases. Decreasing the value for alpha makes the equation more "rigorous" because it will take more trusted input to achieve any given degree of confidence. (Alpha is another user-adjustable setting at brainstorm.)

To perform the above calculations: 1. For the "seed" user (the observer o, i.e. the logged-in user), fix average, confidence, and G (influence) to unity. These values will not change. 2. For all other users, initialize average, confidence, and influence scores to zero. 3. Iterate through all users to calculate average, confidence, and influence scores. In the first iteration, the follows of the logged-in users will obtain nonzero scores. In the second iteration, their follows will obtain nonzero scores. And so on. 4. Continue iteration until all values converge.

Intuition tells us that convergence is guaranteed by the requirement that for each rating, the rating and its associated confidence are scalar values between 0 and 1. G will therefore also always also be a number between 0 and 1. Not shown: at brainstorm and in general recommended practice, the above equation also employs a scalar value between 0 and 1 called the "attenuation factor," defaulted at 0.8 but adjustable by the user, which causes influence scores G^o_v to diminish as the number of hops between o and v increases.

Intended usage

G is designed to be used as a weight when calculating weighted averages, tallying votes, etc. It is highly effective at eliminating bots without turning into a popularity contest.

Interpretation

G^o_v is a recommendation, to you by your grapevine, that reflects in numerical form how much "attention" you should pay to pubkey v in the given context (if a context is given).

• G^o_v = 0 means that pubkey v is not worthy of your attention, because v is probably a bot
• G^o_v = 1 means that pubkey v is worthy of your full attention, because b is probably not a bot
• Values between 0 and 1 mean the grapevine isn't absolutely certain one way or another, whether because of scant information (some follows by trusted sources, but not many) or conflicting information (combination of follows and mutes)

Note that if a bad actor spins up a large number of bots and uses them to follow himself, those follows will be completely ignored, because those bots will have a zero trust score G.

Change of context

The set of ratings r can be generated from any data source, regardless of format. By selecting different ratings datasets, we can generate grapevine scores to reflect different contexts. Example: collect emoji reactions to content on Topic X and infer a fire emoji as a rating of 2, rocket as a 3, thumb down as a 0, etc. The resulting G, which will take values between 0 and 3, is now interpreted to apply only to Topic X.

Compact notation

The above equation can be written more succinctly:

where G represents the baseline grapevine score, and R represents the dataset generated from follows and mutes.

Note that we can use a different G on the left versus on the right:

The same relationship can be expressed using arrow notation:

The above relationship in arrow notation should be read to mean that the set of scores G_a are calculated using dataset R which has been authored exclusively by members represented by G_b. In other words, the ratings R are weighted using the set of scores G_b.

Note that the dataset R is generated via interpretation of preexisting content. We can use any content that we can find. There is no requirement or expectation that users will necessarily generate ratings in a format convenient for input into the grapevine. The process of "interpretation" takes care of that, by "translating" existing data into a format suitable for use by the grapevine.

Note also that grapevine scores G may refer to anything in any context: trust scores for users, quality scores for products, etc.

Concerns about convergence

If the G_a and G_b represent the same context (G_a = G_b), the relationship is said to be "recursive," and calculations are iterated until they converge.

If G_a != G_b, the relationship is not recursive, and a single iteration through each pubkey is all that is needed. This means that we can allow G_a and / or G_b to be greater than 1 with no need to worry about convergence.

Worldviews

Arrow notation allows us to link trust calculations in chains:

A graph of grapevine scores G_i linked via arrow notation is called a worldview.

For example, consider the following worldview: * G_a is the baseline nostr trust score, as described above, intended to separate bots from real users * G_b is a label applied to nostr users, intended as a label for bitcoiners (as opposed to nocoiners or shitcoiners) * G_c is a quality score applied to hardware wallets

The purpose of the above worldview is so that I can get a ranked list of hardware wallets and I can be reasonably sure that the list is curated by bitcoiners whose instincts on this topic I value more highly than the general population.

Worldviews can contain any desired number of nodes, connected by any desired number of arrows, and so can be as complex as desired.

Obviously, the construction of a worldview reflects the value system of the person who uses it, with the above worldview offered as a reflection of maximalist values and beliefs. Worldviews can be codified and submitted to the wider community. One's grapevine can even be used to select individuals who should be trusted to edit or construct worldviews.

Computational cost

The methods described above are expected to be too time consuming and computationally expensive to do all of them on the fly on the front end. Notably, the ones that are recursive. Non-recursive computations, however, can be done on the front end, provided recursive calculations have been done ahead of time and are readily available. It is anticipated that the value added by well-crafted worldviews will more than justify the requisite costs.

@ 30b99916:3cc6e3fe

btcpayserver #lightning #lnd #powershell

BTCpayAPI now supports file upload

I'm continuing to add functionality to BTCpay and BTCpayAPI which is using REST Api(s) to manage my BTCPAY server and LND cloud instance. It is nice to have this just running locally on my home Linux desktop.

Here is the code that implements this functionality.

``` "Uploadfile" {

$apislug = "api/v1/files"

$filepath = Split-Path $options

$filename = Split-Path $options -Leaf

CONST

$CODEPAGE = "iso-8859-1" # alternatives are ASCII, UTF-8

Read file byte-by-byte

$fileBin = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($options)

Convert byte-array to string

$enc = [System.Text.Encoding]::GetEncoding($CODEPAGE) $fileEnc = $enc.GetString($fileBin)

We need a boundary (something random() will do best)

$boundary = [System.Guid]::NewGuid().ToString() $LF = "rn" $bodyLines = ( "--$boundary", "Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="$fileName"", "Content-Type: application/octet-stream$LF", $fileEnc, "--$boundary--$LF" ) -join $LF

$URI = $BTCPayCfg.BTCpayApi.GreenApi.url + $apislug $apiKeyToken = 'token ' + $script:BTCPAY_API $headers = @{'Authorization'=$apiKeyToken}

return Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $uri -Method Post -Headers $headers -ContentType "multipart/form-data; boundary="$boundary"" -Body $bodyLines

} ``` Here is the revision history since my last article.

Version Date Whom Notes ======= ========== ======== ===================================================== 0.1.4 03/28/2025 cadayton Added UploadFile method to upload a file to the BTCpay server 0.1.3 03/27/2025 cadayton Added GetFiles returns listing of files uploaded to BTCpay server 0.1.2 03/19/2025 cadayton ForwardingHistory new parameter "total_fees" tallys mfees for events returned 0.1.1 03/18/2025 cadayton ForwardingHistory now support additional parameters 0.1.0 03/15/2025 cadayton initial release. The inspiration for this logic was adapted from weipah . One wouldn't think uploading a single file wouldn't require this much coding. The Greenfield's REST Api documentation for this end point wasn't very helpful.

In my book, good end-user documentation of one's code is just as important as the code itself. I believe documentation is usually lacking on most projects because the effort of doing so is almost equal to the effort of writing the code. It is also the least fun part about writing code.

The job is not done until the paper work has been completed. :)

https://btcpayserver.sytes.net

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Das Betriebsklima ist das einzige Klima, \ das du selbst bestimmen kannst. \ Anonym

Eine Strategie zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel hat das deutsche Bundeskabinett diese Woche beschlossen. Da «Wetterextreme wie die immer häufiger auftretenden Hitzewellen und Starkregenereignisse» oft desaströse Auswirkungen auf Mensch und Umwelt hätten, werde eine Anpassung an die Folgen des Klimawandels immer wichtiger. «Klimaanpassungsstrategie» nennt die Regierung das.

Für die «Vorsorge vor Klimafolgen» habe man nun erstmals klare Ziele und messbare Kennzahlen festgelegt. So sei der Erfolg überprüfbar, und das solle zu einer schnelleren Bewältigung der Folgen führen. Dass sich hinter dem Begriff Klimafolgen nicht Folgen des Klimas, sondern wohl «Folgen der globalen Erwärmung» verbergen, erklärt den Interessierten die Wikipedia. Dabei ist das mit der Erwärmung ja bekanntermaßen so eine Sache.

Die Zunahme schwerer Unwetterereignisse habe gezeigt, so das Ministerium, wie wichtig eine frühzeitige und effektive Warnung der Bevölkerung sei. Daher solle es eine deutliche Anhebung der Nutzerzahlen der sogenannten Nina-Warn-App geben.

Die ARD spurt wie gewohnt und setzt die Botschaft zielsicher um. Der Artikel beginnt folgendermaßen:

«Die Flut im Ahrtal war ein Schock für das ganze Land. Um künftig besser gegen Extremwetter gewappnet zu sein, hat die Bundesregierung eine neue Strategie zur Klimaanpassung beschlossen. Die Warn-App Nina spielt eine zentrale Rolle. Der Bund will die Menschen in Deutschland besser vor Extremwetter-Ereignissen warnen und dafür die Reichweite der Warn-App Nina deutlich erhöhen.»

Die Kommunen würden bei ihren «Klimaanpassungsmaßnahmen» vom Zentrum KlimaAnpassung unterstützt, schreibt das Umweltministerium. Mit dessen Aufbau wurden das Deutsche Institut für Urbanistik gGmbH, welches sich stark für Smart City-Projekte engagiert, und die Adelphi Consult GmbH beauftragt.

Adelphi beschreibt sich selbst als «Europas führender Think-and-Do-Tank und eine unabhängige Beratung für Klima, Umwelt und Entwicklung». Sie seien «global vernetzte Strateg*innen und weltverbessernde Berater*innen» und als «Vorreiter der sozial-ökologischen Transformation» sei man mit dem Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitspreis ausgezeichnet worden, welcher sich an den Zielen der Agenda 2030 orientiere.

Über die Warn-App mit dem niedlichen Namen Nina, die möglichst jeder auf seinem Smartphone installieren soll, informiert das Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe (BBK). Gewarnt wird nicht nur vor Extrem-Wetterereignissen, sondern zum Beispiel auch vor Waffengewalt und Angriffen, Strom- und anderen Versorgungsausfällen oder Krankheitserregern. Wenn man die Kategorie Gefahreninformation wählt, erhält man eine Dosis von ungefähr zwei Benachrichtigungen pro Woche.

Beim BBK erfahren wir auch einiges über die empfohlenen Systemeinstellungen für Nina. Der Benutzer möge zum Beispiel den Zugriff auf die Standortdaten «immer zulassen», und zwar mit aktivierter Funktion «genauen Standort verwenden». Die Datennutzung solle unbeschränkt sein, auch im Hintergrund. Außerdem sei die uneingeschränkte Akkunutzung zu aktivieren, der Energiesparmodus auszuschalten und das Stoppen der App-Aktivität bei Nichtnutzung zu unterbinden.

Dass man so dramatische Ereignisse wie damals im Ahrtal auch anders bewerten kann als Regierungen und Systemmedien, hat meine Kollegin Wiltrud Schwetje anhand der Tragödie im spanischen Valencia gezeigt. Das Stichwort «Agenda 2030» taucht dabei in einem Kontext auf, der wenig mit Nachhaltigkeitspreisen zu tun hat.

---

Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Die Ungerechtigkeit ist uns nur in dem Falle angenehm,\ dass wir Vorteile aus ihr ziehen;\ in jedem andern hegt man den Wunsch,\ dass der Unschuldige in Schutz genommen werde.\ Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Politiker beteuern jederzeit, nur das Beste für die Bevölkerung zu wollen – nicht von ihr. Auch die zahlreichen unsäglichen «Corona-Maßnahmen» waren angeblich zu unserem Schutz notwendig, vor allem wegen der «besonders vulnerablen Personen». Daher mussten alle möglichen Restriktionen zwangsweise und unter Umgehung der Parlamente verordnet werden.

Inzwischen hat sich immer deutlicher herausgestellt, dass viele jener «Schutzmaßnahmen» den gegenteiligen Effekt hatten, sie haben den Menschen und den Gesellschaften enorm geschadet. Nicht nur haben die experimentellen Geninjektionen – wie erwartet – massive Nebenwirkungen, sondern Maskentragen schadet der Psyche und der Entwicklung (nicht nur unserer Kinder) und «Lockdowns und Zensur haben Menschen getötet».

Eine der wichtigsten Waffen unserer «Beschützer» ist die Spaltung der Gesellschaft. Die tiefen Gräben, die Politiker, Lobbyisten und Leitmedien praktisch weltweit ausgehoben haben, funktionieren leider nahezu in Perfektion. Von ihren persönlichen Erfahrungen als Kritikerin der Maßnahmen berichtete kürzlich eine Schweizerin im Interview mit Transition News. Sie sei schwer enttäuscht und verspüre bis heute eine Hemmschwelle und ein seltsames Unwohlsein im Umgang mit «Geimpften».

Menschen, die aufrichtig andere schützen wollten, werden von einer eindeutig politischen Justiz verfolgt, verhaftet und angeklagt. Dazu zählen viele Ärzte, darunter Heinrich Habig, Bianca Witzschel und Walter Weber. Über den aktuell laufenden Prozess gegen Dr. Weber hat Transition News mehrfach berichtet (z.B. hier und hier). Auch der Selbstschutz durch Verweigerung der Zwangs-Covid-«Impfung» bewahrt nicht vor dem Knast, wie Bundeswehrsoldaten wie Alexander Bittner erfahren mussten.

Die eigentlich Kriminellen schützen sich derweil erfolgreich selber, nämlich vor der Verantwortung. Die «Impf»-Kampagne war «das größte Verbrechen gegen die Menschheit». Trotzdem stellt man sich in den USA gerade die Frage, ob der scheidende Präsident Joe Biden nach seinem Sohn Hunter möglicherweise auch Anthony Fauci begnadigen wird – in diesem Fall sogar präventiv. Gibt es überhaupt noch einen Rest Glaubwürdigkeit, den Biden verspielen könnte?

Der Gedanke, den ehemaligen wissenschaftlichen Chefberater des US-Präsidenten und Direktor des National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) vorsorglich mit einem Schutzschild zu versehen, dürfte mit der vergangenen Präsidentschaftswahl zu tun haben. Gleich mehrere Personalentscheidungen des designierten Präsidenten Donald Trump lassen Leute wie Fauci erneut in den Fokus rücken.

Das Buch «The Real Anthony Fauci» des nominierten US-Gesundheitsministers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. erschien 2021 und dreht sich um die Machenschaften der Pharma-Lobby in der öffentlichen Gesundheit. Das Vorwort zur rumänischen Ausgabe des Buches schrieb übrigens Călin Georgescu, der Überraschungssieger der ersten Wahlrunde der aktuellen Präsidentschaftswahlen in Rumänien. Vielleicht erklärt diese Verbindung einen Teil der Panik im Wertewesten.

In Rumänien selber gab es gerade einen Paukenschlag: Das bisherige Ergebnis wurde heute durch das Verfassungsgericht annuliert und die für Sonntag angesetzte Stichwahl kurzfristig abgesagt – wegen angeblicher «aggressiver russischer Einmischung». Thomas Oysmüller merkt dazu an, damit sei jetzt in der EU das Tabu gebrochen, Wahlen zu verbieten, bevor sie etwas ändern können.

Unsere Empörung angesichts der Historie von Maßnahmen, die die Falschen beschützen und für die meisten von Nachteil sind, müsste enorm sein. Die Frage ist, was wir damit machen. Wir sollten nach vorne schauen und unsere Energie clever einsetzen. Abgesehen von der Umgehung von jeglichem «Schutz vor Desinformation und Hassrede» (sprich: Zensur) wird es unsere wichtigste Aufgabe sein, Gräben zu überwinden.

---

Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 42c85a20:14afbc38

Back when Twitter was censoring free speech nostr looked like the only alternative where people would migrate and grow the network; however, now that X is open to free thinking, the perfect storm to enable nostr to grow has been quelled.

How will the nostr universe ever expand unless people in the main stream "centralized" social medias see the light? The illusion of free speech on X is dangerous as people blindly give their trust that the rug will not be pulled; and willingly remain under a tyrannical system.

Perhaps there is some other utility which nostr would be useful for vs just another version of twillter; like exit polls for elections which could fail safe the integrity of voting; or community BBS (bulletin boards) where the people can connect with their neighbours without giving up their real address or identity.

When the main stream social medias' fail again; the next time they break the trust of the people, we must be ready to replace them; we must think outside the box now and build those decentralized utilities now.

@ ff517fbf:fde1561b

はじめに：なぜKYCなしP2P取引か

ビットコインは元々、ピア・ツー・ピア（P2P）の電子通貨システムとして設計されました。サトシ・ナカモトのビットコイン白書でも、「信頼ではなく暗号学的証明に基づく電子決済システム」によって、第三者を介さずに当事者同士が直接取引できることが必要だと述べられています。つまり、本来ビットコインは銀行などの仲介者なしで個人同士が直接送金・売買できる社会的意義を持っているのです。

しかし現在、多くの暗号資産取引所では規制上の理由からKYC（本人確認）手続きが求められ、個人情報の提出が必要です。KYCはユーザーのプライバシー喪失やデータ漏洩リスクにつながりかねず、また口座凍結や資金没収といった中央集権的管理のリスクもあります。経済的にも、第三者を介することで手数料が高くなったり、地域によっては銀行や政府の制限でビットコインの購入が困難になる場合もあります。

こうした背景からノンKYCのP2P取引プラットフォームを利用するメリットは大きいです。例えば HodlHodl(@npub1yul83qxn35u607er3m7039t6rddj06qezfagfqlfw4qk5z5slrfqu8ncdu) は、匿名で世界中のユーザーと直接ビットコインを売買できるグローバルなP2Pマーケットプレイスです。HodlHodlではユーザー同士が直接取引し、サイト運営側はビットコインを一切預かりません。取引はマルチシグエスクロー(2-of-3の多重署名契約)で安全に管理され、取引手数料も最大0.5%と低く抑えられています。プライバシーとセキュリティを確保しながら、銀行口座や身分証なしでビットコインを売買できるため、社会的にも経済的にも大きな意義があります。

本チュートリアルでは、HodlHodlを使ってビットコインを購入・販売する具体的な手順を分かりやすく解説します。また、HodlHodlの安全性（マルチシグエスクローによる非中央集権型の管理）や、他のプラットフォームにはない特徴（本人確認不要、ユーザー自身による鍵の管理、APIやレンディングサービスの活用など）についても説明します。P2P取引に不慣れで不安を感じている方にも安心してご利用いただけるよう、丁寧で親しみやすい言葉で案内していきます。

HodlHodlの基本準備

アカウント登録： HodlHodlの利用を開始するには、まず無料のアカウント登録を行います。必要なのはメールアドレスとパスワードだけで、ユーザー名や身分証の提出は不要です。登録後に届く確認メール内のリンクをクリックすれば、すぐに取引を始められます。

ビットコインウォレットの用意： HodlHodlは取引の際にユーザー自身のビットコインウォレットを使用するノンカストディアル方式です。プラットフォーム上にウォレットは用意されていないため、事前に自分のビットコインウォレットを準備してください。例えばモバイルウォレットやハードウェアウォレットなど、自分だけが秘密鍵を管理できるウォレットを用意しましょう。買い手の場合は購入したビットコインを受け取るウォレットが必要になり、売り手の場合は売却するビットコインを自身のウォレットからエスクローに送金する必要があります。

ビットコインを購入する方法（Buy BTC）

それでは、HodlHodlでビットコインを購入（Buy） する手順を見ていきましょう。以下では、日本円（JPY）を銀行振込で支払ってビットコインを買う例を想定して説明しますが、基本的な流れは他の通貨や支払い方法でも同じです。

1. 「Buy BTC」をクリックする: HodlHodlにログインし、画面上部のヘッダー左側にある「Buy BTC」ボタンをクリックします。これにより、現在出ているビットコイン売り注文（オファー）の一覧ページに移動します。

2. 検索フィルターの設定: オファー一覧ページでは、自分の希望条件でオファーを絞り込むことができます。国、法定通貨、取引タイプ、支払い方法、金額などのフィルター項目があります。例えば日本で銀行振込により購入したい場合、「Country（国）」をJapan、「Currency（通貨）」をJPY、「Payment method（支払い方法）」を Bank Transfer 銀行振込に設定します（他の項目は必要に応じて指定します）。フィルターは任意ですが、自分に合った支払い方法や金額範囲のオファーを探すのに役立ちます。

3. オファーを選ぶ: フィルターを適用すると、条件に合致する売り手のオファー一覧が表示されます。各オファーにはレート（価格）、取引可能額範囲、支払い方法、売り手の評価などが記載されています。希望に合うオファーが見つかったら、そのオファーの詳細をクリックします。例えば「1 BTC = 〇〇JPY」のようなレートで、自分が購入したい額に対応できるオファーを選びましょう。初めて取引する場合は、評価の高い売り手や少額からの取引を選ぶと安心です。

1. 購入量と受取アドレスの入力: オファーをクリックすると、取引の詳細入力画面になります。ここで購入したいビットコインの量を入力します（ビットコイン量あるいは法定通貨換算額のどちらでも入力可能です）。多くの場合、最低・最大取引額が決まっているので、その範囲内で入力してください。また、ビットコインの受取先アドレスを求められます。これは購入後にビットコインを受け取る自分のウォレットアドレスです。アカウントの設定で事前に登録したアドレスがあれば自動で表示されますが、都度指定することも可能です。さらに、支払い方法が複数指定されているオファーでは希望の支払い方法を選択します（例：銀行振込の中でも特定の銀行を指定できる場合があります）。最後に、取引相手（売り手）への伝達メッセージ欄があれば、必要に応じてコメントを記入します。入力が完了したら内容を確認し、「Create contract（契約作成）」 的なボタンを押して取引を開始します。

2. エスクローアドレスの生成: 契約が作成されると、取引画面上にエスクロー（第三者保管用マルチシグアドレス）を生成するための手順が表示されます。ここで 「Generate escrow（エスクロー生成）」 ボタンをクリックし、プラットフォームに登録したペイメントパスワード（支払い用パスワード）を入力します。ペイメントパスワードはHodlHodlで取引の署名に使われる特別なパスワードで、初回取引時に設定しておく必要があります。正しく入力すると、この取引専用のビットコインエスクローアドレスが自動生成されます。あとは売り手がそのエスクローアドレスにビットコインを入金するのを待ちます。画面上に「waiting for deposit（入金待ち）」等のステータスが表示されるので、しばらく待機してください。売り手が約束のビットコイン額をエスクローに送金し、一定のブロック承認（Confirmations）が得られると、取引ステータスが自動で更新されます。

3. エスクロー入金の確認: ビットコインがマルチシグエスクローにロックされ、取引ステータスが「In progress（進行中）」や「Deposited（入金済み）」といった表示に変わったことを必ず確認します。ステータス表示とブロックチェーン上の確認回数が条件を満たしたら、支払いを実行しても安全な状態であることを意味します（エスクローにロックされたビットコインは売り手単独では動かせません。取引ページには売り手が指定した支払い詳細（銀行口座情報など）が記載されていますので、その指示に従って売り手へ法定通貨の支払い（振込）を行います。例えば銀行振込の場合、指定された口座にJPYを送金します。この段階では、必ず取引ページを開いたままにしておきましょう。 支払いが完了したら、取引ページ上の「I’ve sent the payment（送金完了）」ボタンをクリックして、売り手に支払い実行済みであることを通知します。併せて、チャット機能で支払い完了の旨を伝えると良いでしょう。

4. 売り手によるビットコインのリリース: 買い手からの支払いが完了すると、売り手は自分の銀行口座等を確認して入金を検証します。売り手が入金を確認したら、取引ページ上で 「Release Bitcoin（ビットコインをリリース）」 ボタンを押し、ペイメントパスワードを入力してエスクローからビットコインを開放します。これにより、エスクロー上のビットコインが買い手の指定アドレス（先ほど入力した受取用ウォレットアドレス）に送信されます。売り手がビットコインをリリースすると取引ステータスが「Released（解放済み）」に変わり、まもなくブロックチェーン上で買い手のウォレットにビットコイン着金が確認できるでしょう。

5. 取引完了: ビットコインが無事自分のウォレットに届けば取引完了です。取引ページには「Completed（完了）」などのステータスが表示され、双方がお互いを評価できるようになります。初めてのP2P購入、お疲れさまでした！ 🎉

💡 重要な注意事項（買い手向け）: エスクローにビットコインがロックされる前に代金を支払ってはいけません。必ず取引ステータスが「Deposited」や「In progress」になるのを確認してから支払いを実行してください。また、取引には売り手が入金を確認してからビットコインをリリースするまでの制限時間（Payment window）が設定されています。時間内に支払いが完了しないと取引が自動キャンセルされる場合がありますのでご注意ください。困ったことがあれば、取引ページのチャットで相手に連絡することもできます。万一、支払いを送ったのに売り手がビットコインをリリースしない場合は、支払い期限が過ぎてからディスピュート（紛争解決手続き） を開始することも可能です。

ビットコインを販売する方法（Sell BTC）

次に、HodlHodlでビットコインを販売（Sell） する手順を説明します。基本的な流れは購入時と似ていますが、立場が逆になる点（自分がビットコインをエスクローに預け、買い手からの支払いを待つ点）に注意してください。以下では、日本で銀行振込によりJPYを受け取ってビットコインを売る場合を例に解説します。

1. 「Sell BTC」をクリックする: HodlHodlにログイン後、画面上部左側の「Sell BTC」ボタンをクリックします。これで現在出ているビットコイン買い注文（買い手のオファー）一覧ページに移動します。

2. 検索フィルターの設定: 買い手オファー一覧から、自分が対応可能な条件のオファーを探します。フィルター項目はBuyの場合と同様で、国、通貨、支払いタイプ、支払い方法、金額などを指定できます。日本円での銀行振込を希望する買い手を探す場合、国をJapan、通貨をJPY、支払い方法をBank Transferに設定して検索します。

3. オファーを選ぶ: 条件に合致する買い手のオファーが一覧表示されるので、希望に合うものをクリックします。各オファーには買い手が希望するレートや取引限度額、支払い方法、買い手の評価などが記載されています。有利なレートかつ信頼できそうな相手を選びましょう。初取引で不安な場合は、小額で高評価の買い手から始めるとよいです。

4. 売却量と受取情報の入力: オファー詳細画面で、売却したいビットコイン量を入力します（または必要な法定通貨額）。オファーごとに最低・最大額が設定されているので範囲内で入力してください。続いてビットコインの受取アドレス欄がありますが、これは取引完了時に買い手がビットコインを受け取るアドレスです。売り手である自分が入力する必要は基本的になく、買い手側が受取先を指定するか、既に買い手のダッシュボード設定で決まっています。次に、受け取りたい支払い方法が複数記載されている場合は希望の方法を選択します（例えば「Bank Transfer」の中でも特定の銀行名など）。コメント欄があれば取引相手（買い手）へのメッセージを任意で入力します。内容を確認し問題なければ 「Create contract（契約作成）」 ボタンを押して取引を開始します。

5. エスクローアドレスの生成: 契約が作成されると、エスクロー用のビットコインアドレスを生成する段階に進みます。ここで 「Generate escrow」 ボタンをクリックし、ペイメントパスワードを入力します（買い手の手順と同様）。これにより、この取引専用のマルチシグエスクローアドレスが発行されます。次に 自分（売り手）が売却予定のビットコインをエスクローアドレスに送金 します。取引画面上に正確なBTC額と対応するQRコードが表示されるので、自分のウォレットからそのアドレスへ送金してください。送金したら 「I’ve sent the funds（送金完了）」 ボタンを押してビットコインをエスクローに預けたことを通知します。

1. エスクローへのビットコインロック: ビットコインを送金するとブロックチェーン上で一定回数の承認（Confirmations）を経て、エスクローにロックされます。取引ステータスが「In progress（進行中）」や「Deposited」に変わり、買い手は安心して支払いを行える状態になります。あとは買い手からの法定通貨支払いを待ちます。取引画面で支払い期限（Payment window）内に買い手が支払いを完了し、「支払い送信済み」のボタンを押すとステータスが「Paid（支払い済み）」に変わります。

2. 支払いの受領確認: ステータスが「Paid」になったら、買い手が送金を完了したことを意味します。すぐに自分の銀行口座など該当の支払い方法で入金を確認しましょう。金額が全額正しく受け取れたことを確認できたら、取引ページ上で 「Release deposit（デポジットを解放）」 ボタンをクリックし、ペイメントパスワードを入力してエスクローのビットコインを開放します。これにより、エスクローにロックされていたビットコインが買い手に送付されます。

3. 取引完了: ビットコインをリリースすれば取引完了。ステータスが「Completed」に変わり、買い手は間もなく自分のウォレットでビットコインを受け取るでしょう。最後にお互いを評価して取引終了となります。初めてのP2P売却、お疲れさまでした！ 🎉

💡 重要な注意事項（売り手向け）: 支払いを受け取る前にビットコインをエスクローから**絶対にリリースしないでください。買い手からの入金を自分の銀行口座等で確実に確認できてから、ビットコインを解放するようにしましょう。また、もしビットコインをエスクローに送金した後で買い手から支払いが行われず期限切れ（Payment window経過）になった場合、取引をキャンセルしてエスクローのビットコインを自分に返還することができます。取引中は常に取引相手とのチャットで連絡を取り合い、不明点を確認するよう心がけましょう。

HodlHodlの安全性：マルチシグと非カストディアル設計

● マルチシグエスクローによる資金保護: HodlHodl最大の特徴は、2-of-3のマルチシグエスクロー(multisignature escrow)によって取引資金を保護している点です。取引が成立すると、自動的に3つの秘密鍵が関与するビットコインアドレスが生成されます。この3つの鍵のうち2つの署名があれば資金を動かせる仕組みになっており、鍵の配分は「売り手」「買い手」「HodlHodl運営」の三者にそれぞれ1つです。取引中、ビットコインはブロックチェーン上のエスクローアドレスにロックされ、双方の合意なしには動かせまん。つまり、売り手は買い手の同意なしにビットコインを引き出すことはできず、逆に買い手も売り手の協力なしにビットコインを入手することはできません。両者が取引を完了すれば売り手+買い手の2署名でリリースが可能となり、万一トラブルが起きた場合にはHodlHodl運営が仲裁役として（買い手または売り手の一方と協力し）2署名目を提供することで不正を防ぎます。このようにマルチシグ契約によって、詐欺や持ち逃げのリスクを最小限に抑え、安全かつ公平な取引が実現されています。

● 非カストディアル（ユーザー主導の資金管理）: HodlHodlは取引プラットフォームでありながら、ユーザー資金を一切預からないという非カストディアル設計を貫いています。取引中のビットコインは常にマルチシグエスクローにあり、HodlHodl運営が単独で動かすことはできません。これはつまり、中央集権的な取引所とは異なり、HodlHodlがハッキング被害に遭ってもユーザーのビットコインが盗まれる心配がないことを意味します。またプラットフォームが万一ダウンしたりサービス提供を停止した場合でも、当事者間で2つの鍵さえあればエスクローのビットコインを取り戻すことが可能です（※この場合やや技術的な手順が必要になりますが、HodlHodlが完全に消失するケースでも資金はブロックチェーン上に安全に存在し続けます）。HodlHodl運営は3つの鍵のうち1つを保有するのみで、しかもそれは紛争時の仲裁に使うためのものです。通常の取引では運営が介在することなく、ユーザー同士で完結します。以上のように、HodlHodlはカストディアルな第三者を排除し、利用者自身が資金と取引の主導権を握るというビットコイン本来の精神に沿った安全設計となっています。

● 評判システムと取引履歴: HodlHodlでは、各ユーザーに公開の評価（Rating）と取引履歴が紐づいています。取引を完了するごとに互いにレビューを残せるため、他ユーザーの信頼度を事前に知ることができます。初めて取引する相手がどんな評価を受けているか、過去の取引回数や成功率などの情報を確認することで、怪しい相手を避けることが可能です。特に初心者のうちは評価の高い相手を選ぶ、もしくは身近に信頼できるユーザーがいればトラスト機能（他のP2Pプラットフォームでの実績を証明する仕組みや信用できるユーザーをお気に入り登録する機能）を活用すると良いでしょう。

● 二要素認証(2FA)と信頼できる端末: アカウントの不正アクセス対策として、HodlHodlは二段階認証(2FA)のオプションを提供しています。AuthyやGoogle Authenticatorと連携し、一度設定すればログイン時にパスワードに加え6桁のコード入力が求められるようになります。これにより、万一パスワードが漏洩しても本人のデバイスがなければログインできず、アカウントを保護できます。またTrusted Devices（信頼できる端末）機能を有効にすると、新しいデバイスからログインしようとした際にメール確認が必要となり、ユーザーの許可なく不審な端末からアクセスされるのを防ぎます。初心者の方でも、アカウント登録後は設定画面から2FAや信頼できる端末機能を有効化しておくことを強くおすすめします。

● ディスピュート（紛争解決）機能: 万が一取引相手との間でトラブルが発生した場合（例：買い手は支払ったと主張しているが売り手が確認できない等）、HodlHodlのプラットフォーム上でディスピュート（紛争）を開始することができます。ディスピュートが発生すると、HodlHodlのサポートチームが両者から事情を聞き、中立的な立場で問題解決に当たります。必要に応じて前述の運営のマルチシグ鍵を用いて適切な側にビットコインをリリースするなど、公平な裁定が行われます。ディスピュートは最終手段ではありますが、万一の場合の安心材料として覚えておいてください。

以上のように、HodlHodlは技術的・制度的な多層防御によってユーザーの資金と取引の安全を確保しています。他のユーザーの評価を確認する、取引手順を順守する（エスクロー未成立での送禁止等、アカウントのセキュリティ設定を有効にするといったユーザー自身の注意もあわせて心掛ければ、P2P取引でも安心してビットコインを利用できるでしょう。

HodlHodlの特徴：他プラットフォームとの違い

最後に、HodlHodlが他のビットコイン取引サービスと比べて優れている点、特徴的な点を整理します。初めて利用する際の不安解消にもつながるポイントです。

• 🌐 KYC不要の匿名取引: HodlHodl最大の特徴は、本人確認（KYC）なしでビットコイン取引ができる点です。メールアドレスさえあれば世界中誰でも利用開始でき、パスポートや身分証の提出は一切求められません。これはプライバシー保護の面で大きな利点ですし、取引履歴が本人名義に紐付かないため将来的な資産没収や口座凍結のリスクも低減します。規制が厳しい地域のユーザーや銀行口座を持てない人々でも、HodlHodlならビットコイン経済に参加しやすくなっています。

• 🔐 ユーザーが鍵を管理する非中央集権型取引: 前述の通り、HodlHodlはノンカストディアルなP2P取引所であり、ユーザー自身が資産の鍵を管理します。取引ごとにマルチシグのエスクローが生成され、利用者はその一方の鍵を保持します。そのため「取引所にビットコインを預けっぱなしにしていたらハッキングで失った」といった事態が起こりません。常に自身のウォレットから直接取引を行うため、ビットコインの自主管理の原則**が守られています。中央集権的な管理者がいない分、自分で秘密鍵を安全に保管する責任は伴いますが、その分だけ第三者リスクが排除された公平な環境と言えます。

• 💱 世界中の通貨と多様な決済方法に対応: HodlHodlはグローバルなプラットフォームであり、世界中のあらゆる法定通貨 で取引できます。現在100を超える国の通貨と地域が利用されており、取引に使える決済方法も100種類以上と非常に豊富です。銀行振込やオンライン決済サービスはもちろん、現金の対面受け渡しやギフトカード、電子マネー、モバイル送金、さらには商品と交換などユニークな方法までユーザーが自由にオファーを作成できます。これにより、自分の利用しやすい手段で取引相手を見つけられる柔軟性があります。他のプラットフォームだと対応通貨や決済手段が限定されがちですが、HodlHodlでは*「自分の条件でオファーを作成できる」 の強みです。

• 💰 低い手数料と透明な料金体系: HodlHodlの取引手数料は一律0.5%（買い手と売り手で折半で各0.25%ずつ負担）と比較的低コストです。しかも手数料は取引成立時にビットコイン額から自動控除される仕組みで、隠れたコストがありません。さらに紹介プログラムを利用すると0.45%に割引されるなどの優遇もあります。入出金に伴う手数料も基本的に存在せず、各自が使うウォレットの送金手数料以外に余計な負担はありません。他の取引所でありがちな「出金手数料が高額」「スプレッドが不透明」といった心配もなく、明朗会計でユーザーに優しい料金体系です。

• 🤝 初心者に優しいインターフェース: P2P取引というと難しそうな印象を持たれるかもしれませんが、HodlHodlのサイトはシンプルで直感的なインターフェースになっています​。必要な操作は「Buy BTC / Sell BTC」ボタンから進んでフォームに入力していくだけで、画面の指示に沿って進めれば迷うことは少ないでしょう。サイトは現在ウェブブラウザ経由で利用しますが、スマートフォンのブラウザからでも見やすく設計されています。専用アプリはありませんが、その分アップデート時にもすぐ全員が最新機能を利用できます（ダウンロード不要で常に最新版が提供されるメリットです。また、取引画面にはリアルタイムのチャット機能があり、相手ユーザーと直接コミュニケーションを取れるため安心です。困ったときは相手に質問したり状況を確認できるので、言葉の壁がある場合でも定型文や翻訳を活用して意思疎通できます。

• 🛠 API提供による拡張性: HodlHodlは上級ユーザーや開発者向けに**公式APIを提供しています。APIを利用すると、自分のプログラムからHodlHodl上のオファー取得や契約作成、ステータス更新などを自動化することが可能です。例えば、マーケットメーカーとしてレートを自動調整したり、他のサービスと連携して複数のP2P取引所のオファーを比較表示する、といった応用ができます。APIキーはプロフィール設定から発行でき、ドキュメントも公開されているため高度な取引戦略を実装したいユーザーには魅力的な機能です。PaxfulやLocalBitcoinsなど一部他サービスでもAPIは提供されていますが、HodlHodlのAPIはエスクロー操作まで含め包括的にサポートしている点で強力です。

• 💳 ビットコインレンディングサービス: HodlHodlは現物取引だけでなく、ビットコイン担保のレンディング（貸借）プラットフォームも運営しています。サイト上部の「P2P Lending（レンディング）」からアクセスでき、ビットコインを担保にUSDTなど他の暗号資産を借りたり、あるいは逆に他の人に貸し出して利息収入を得ることができます。技術的には取引プラットフォームと同じマルチシグエスクロー方式を用いており、借り手がビットコインを担保としてエスクローにロックし、貸し手が安定通貨を送金することでローン契約が成立します。期間満了時に借り手が返済すればビットコイン担保が戻り、返済不能（延滞や価格変動での清算）の場合は貸し手に担保が渡る仕組みです。驚くべきことに、このレンディングサービスでも一切KYCは要求されません。短期のビットコイン活用や利息収入を得たいニーズに応えるユニークなサービスであり、HodlHodlを使いこなせば「ビットコインを売買するだけでなく、借りたり貸したりする」といった金融活用も可能になります。P2P Lendingについては、今後別のチュートリアルで詳しく説明します。

• 🧪 テストネットで練習可能: 「いきなり本番は不安…」という方向けに、HodlHodlはテストネット版サイトも提供しています。TESTNETでは、本物のビットコインではなくテスト用のビットコイン（signet**ネットワークのBTC）を使って、実際の取引手順を練習できます。架空の資金でHodlHodlの操作感を試せるため、初心者はまずテストネットで売買の流れをシミュレーションしてみると良いでしょう。十分に慣れてから本番取引に移行すれば、落ち着いて対処できます。テストネットBTCは各種ファウンセット（蛇口サイト hhtestnet.com）から無料でもらうことができ、HodlHodlのテスト環境で練習するのに役立ちます。

以上がHodlHodlの主な特徴と利点です。匿名性・安全性・使いやすさを兼ね備えたHodlHodlは、まさに「ビットコインをネイティブにP2P利用する」ための理想的なプラットフォームと言えるでしょう。初めは不安もあるかもしれませんが、本チュートリアルで説明した手順に沿って取引を行えば、きっとその手軽さと利便性に驚くはずです。ぜひHodlHodlでのP2P取引に挑戦してみてください。自分自身でビットコインを扱う経験を通じて、ビットコインの真の価値である「個人が金融の主導権を握ること」を実感できるでしょう🚀

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もしビットコインのP2P取引やHodlHodlなどについてもっと深く知りたい、あるいは個別に相談してみたいと思えば、どうぞお気軽にご連絡ください。1対1のコンサルも承っています。

サービスには決まった料金はありませんが、ご相談を通じて「役に立った」と思い、お悩みや疑問を解決できたと感じていただけたら、「3つのT」でのご支援（Value for Value）をぜひご検討ください：

• 時間（Time）：この記事をSNSなどでシェアしていただくこと。
• 才能（Talent）：コメントや補足情報などを通じて知識を共有していただくこと。
• 宝（Treasure）：世界で最も健全なお金、ビットコインの最小単位「sats」でのご支援。

もちろん、支援の有無にかかわらず、お力になれればとても嬉しいです。 では、また次回！

参考資料

• Bitcoin Whitepaper - Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic
• HodlHodl公式サイト - Welcome to Hodl ([P2P BITCOIN TRADING platform]
• HodlHodlヘルプセンター - How to buy Bitcoin / How to sell Bitcoin
• HodlHodlヘルプセンター - Why is trading on Hodl Hodl secure
• HodlHodl FAQ - Why should I use HodlHodl、How secure is trading on HodlHodl
• HodlHodl Medium - Hodl Hodl’s API release
• HodlHodl Lend FAQ - What is Lend a ([Earn Highest Returns on Your Crypto Investment - Lend at Hodl Hodl]
• ZoneBitcoin - Hodl Hodl: Tutorial on the anonymous and KYC-free P2P platform
• など

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Konsum ist Therapie.
Wolfgang Joop

Umweltbewusstes Verhalten und verantwortungsvoller Konsum zeugen durchaus von einer wünschenswerten Einstellung. Ob man deswegen allerdings einen grünen statt eines schwarzen Freitags braucht, darf getrost bezweifelt werden – zumal es sich um manipulatorische Konzepte handelt. Wie in der politischen Landschaft sind auch hier die Etiketten irgendwas zwischen nichtssagend und trügerisch.

Heute ist also wieder mal «Black Friday», falls Sie es noch nicht mitbekommen haben sollten. Eigentlich haben wir ja eher schon eine ganze «Black Week», der dann oft auch noch ein «Cyber Monday» folgt. Die Werbebranche wird nicht müde, immer neue Anlässe zu erfinden oder zu importieren, um uns zum Konsumieren zu bewegen. Und sie ist damit sehr erfolgreich.

Warum fallen wir auf derartige Werbetricks herein und kaufen im Zweifelsfall Dinge oder Mengen, die wir sicher nicht brauchen? Pure Psychologie, würde ich sagen. Rabattschilder triggern etwas in uns, was den Verstand in Stand-by versetzt. Zusätzlich beeinflussen uns alle möglichen emotionalen Reize und animieren uns zum Schnäppchenkauf.

Gedankenlosigkeit und Maßlosigkeit können besonders bei der Ernährung zu ernsten Problemen führen. Erst kürzlich hat mir ein Bekannter nach einer USA-Reise erzählt, dass es dort offenbar nicht unüblich ist, schon zum ausgiebigen Frühstück in einem Restaurant wenigstens einen Liter Cola zu trinken. Gerne auch mehr, um das Gratis-Nachfüllen des Bechers auszunutzen.

Kritik am schwarzen Freitag und dem unnötigen Konsum kommt oft von Umweltschützern. Neben Ressourcenverschwendung, hohem Energieverbrauch und wachsenden Müllbergen durch eine zunehmende Wegwerfmentalität kommt dabei in der Regel auch die «Klimakrise» auf den Tisch.

Die EU-Kommission lancierte 2015 den Begriff «Green Friday» im Kontext der überarbeiteten Rechtsvorschriften zur Kennzeichnung der Energieeffizienz von Elektrogeräten. Sie nutzte die Gelegenheit kurz vor dem damaligen schwarzen Freitag und vor der UN-Klimakonferenz COP21, bei der das Pariser Abkommen unterzeichnet werden sollte.

Heute wird ein grüner Freitag oft im Zusammenhang mit der Forderung nach «nachhaltigem Konsum» benutzt. Derweil ist die Europäische Union schon weit in ihr Geschäftsmodell des «Green New Deal» verstrickt. In ihrer Propaganda zum Klimawandel verspricht sie tatsächlich «Unterstützung der Menschen und Regionen, die von immer häufigeren Extremwetter-Ereignissen betroffen sind». Was wohl die Menschen in der Region um Valencia dazu sagen?

Ganz im Sinne des Great Reset propagierten die Vereinten Nationen seit Ende 2020 eine «grüne Erholung von Covid-19, um den Klimawandel zu verlangsamen». Der UN-Umweltbericht sah in dem Jahr einen Schwerpunkt auf dem Verbraucherverhalten. Änderungen des Konsumverhaltens des Einzelnen könnten dazu beitragen, den Klimaschutz zu stärken, hieß es dort.

Der Begriff «Schwarzer Freitag» wurde in den USA nicht erstmals für Einkäufe nach Thanksgiving verwendet – wie oft angenommen –, sondern für eine Finanzkrise. Jedoch nicht für den Börsencrash von 1929, sondern bereits für den Zusammenbruch des US-Goldmarktes im September 1869. Seitdem mussten die Menschen weltweit so einige schwarze Tage erleben.

Kürzlich sind die britischen Aufsichtsbehörden weiter von ihrer Zurückhaltung nach dem letzten großen Finanzcrash von 2008 abgerückt. Sie haben Regeln für den Bankensektor gelockert, womit sie «verantwortungsvolle Risikobereitschaft» unterstützen wollen. Man würde sicher zu schwarz sehen, wenn man hier ein grünes Wunder befürchten würde.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 472f440f:5669301e

nostr:note1x82zkl9knpkgk07wlhycex6una0zjscgcafzaq2pfjfq6h3tz8jqr0em9m

A lot of the problems the US is suffering from today stem from the fact that we've been managed by a political class that is economically illiterate for decades.

"Debt is only money we owe ourselves."

"We need to pass this $2 Trillion spending bill to drive down prices."

"We need to phase out reliable energy generation in favor of unreliable renewables."

"Nuclear energy is bad so we can't build anymore reactors."

"We need to bail out the banks that introduced systemic risks into our economy or the world will devolve into chaos."

"We need to lock down the economy and print trillions of dollars to pay people for staying home from work while we flatten the curve."

"A prolonged zero interest rate environment will stoke economic growth with no long-term effects."

"We need to ship all of our manufacturing over seas so that we can flood the world with dollars, make the USD the reserve currency of the world, and lower prices at home. Good middle class jobs be damned."

The list goes on and on.

The ramifications of these compounding economically illiterate policies has left the country, and the world at large, in an extremely vulnerable position. We are sitting on more than $35 TRILLION of debt on the national balance sheet with another $220 TRILLION in off balance sheet liabilities in the form of Social Security, Medicare, Medicade and other handouts the government has promised to make in the future. And, worse yet, many policies, particularly spending bills that pack in new regulations, have indirectly eroded individual freedoms.

The annual military budget increases the war machine and the military industrial complex, which then use the money they've been allocated to lobby for laws like the Patriot Act. Completely obliterating the fourth amendment in an effort to "protect the country from terrorism". I sit here and shudder at the thought of how much money has been wasted on programs like the TSA and the additional lost economic productivity that comes with people idiotically taking off their shoes and standing in a radioactive tube with their hands up while some mouth breather who couldn't guard a Pixie cup from a three year old yells at you. Let alone the potential economic activity and partnerships that are blown up with the bombs we drop using money we don't have.

The mad dash to "nEt ZeRo EmIsSiOnS" also brings along with it inflationary pressures that result in increased economic stress for the Common Man while restricting his freedoms. Nothing makes this clearer than the Orwellian "Inflation Reduction Act" that forced net zero energy transitions policies through a bill. The policies limit the options individual Americans and corporations have when it comes to utilizing the energy sources they deem most economically viable at any given point in time. An over subsidization of wind and solar and a demonization of oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear has introduced economic imbalances that are leading to a capital misallocation of epic proportions. This has, in turn, led to less reliable energy systems and overall higher energy costs.

And now the incumbent administration, now headed by Kamala Harris, is pushing for an unrealized capital gains tax that is sure to scare tens of billions of dollars worth of capital outside of the borders of the US. We touched on it when it was originally being floated last week. However, at the time it seemed like the campaign was floating a litmus test to gauge how it would be received if it became an official policy. Today it became clear that this will be an official policy if Harris gets into office and garners the necessary votes to push it through.

What's worse is the fact that one of her lead economic advisors, Bharat Rama, joined CNBC this morning to not only confirm that this is the official policy stance of the Harris campaign, but to say that people should be okay with this because they already pay an "unrealized gain tax" in the form of property taxes. Not only is it not true that property taxes are technically not unrealized gain taxes, but it's also horrible framing. Property taxes are one of the most reviled taxes that people have to pay after income taxes. No one likes paying property taxes. Especially when they look at the laughable public schooling system that they fund.

Doubling down on failed policy seems to be the modus operandi of Kamala Harris and the Marxists on her team. An unrealized gains tax is nothing more than asset confiscation by a corrupt government that has completely lost control of its finances. It will destroy the wealth of the nation. "But it will only affect people who have more than $100M. Stop talking about this, it won't affect you at all! You poor rich wannabe."

People who have attained hundreds of millions of dollars have done so because they are smart. (Most of them at least.) And they worked extremely hard to build businesses to acquire their wealth. If you think they are stupid enough to stand by and let the government swoop in and confiscate that wealth, I have a bitcoin privacy fork to sell you. They will move their money out of the country on November 6th and the Harris administration will be forced to begin lowering the threshold of who has to pay unrealized gains taxes.

$50m

$25m

$10m

$1m

$100k

They will not stop doubling down on their incompetence. These people should be laughed out of polite society and marooned on an island for floating policy as potentially dangerous to the US economy as this unrealized tax is.

This is why we bitcoin. Bitcoin gives people the ability to store their wealth in an asset that is extremely hard to confiscate if secured properly. Bitcoin gives you leverage from which to fight back against this type of overt Marxism.

---

Final thought... It is abnormally humid on my village by the sea for a late August day.

@ e5272de9:a16a102f

One of the highlights for me at the first day of nostriga nostriga was a panel discussion on web of trust with @Stuart Bowman, @Pip the social graph guy, @PABLOF7z, @hzrd149, and @ODELL. This to me is one of the most important topics in all of freedom tech, so I'd like to write up a few thoughts I had while they're still fresh on my mind, most of which revolve around the calculation of trust scores. Apologies if it's a bit long winded, don't seem to have the time to make it shorter.

What do we use for raw data?

There has been and on again, off again discussion during my time working in nostr over the sources of data that we should be using to calculate trust. In my mind we can think of the raw data as existing on a spectrum between two extremes. On one extreme, we have what I call proxy indicators of trust: follows, mutes, zaps, reactions, etc. People don't create this content with trust scores in mind, but we can and do use them as imperfect proxy indicators nontheless. And on the other extreme we have what I call explicit trust attestations, exemplified by the proposed NIP-77, authored by Lez, the heart and soul of which is that a fully explicit contextual trust attestation should have 3 fields: a context, a score, and a confidence. You fill in these fields, you say what you mean, and you mean what you say, leaving as little room for interpretation as possible. And then there is data that's in between these two extremes. A five star rating for a host on a couchsurfing platform or a vendor on an ecommerce site? A "superfollow" option in addition to a follow? These lie somewhere on the spectrum between proxy indicators on one end and explicit attestations of trust on the other.

During the panel today, Pablo and pippellia expressed the opinion that explicit trust attestations are not the way to go. Two reasons that I recall: first, that no one wants to put an exact number to trust; and second, that no one will update those numbers even if their assessment changes. These critiques have some merit to them. But I believe they miss the bigger picture.

The bigger picture

In the real world, there are two ways I can communicate trust: I can SHOW you, or I can TELL you. I can demonstrate trust through the actions that I take, such as following someone, or I can just straight up tell you that I trust someone in some context.

So here's the question: on nostr, which is the correct method to communicate trust? Proxy indicators, or explicit attestations? Do we SHOW or do we TELL?

My view is that we don't have to pick. We have to use all relevant and available raw data across the entire spectrum from one extreme to the other.

Each of these two options has its advantages and its disadvantages. The advantage of proxy indicators is that users issue them freely and easily, the result being that we are awash in a sea of data. The primary disadvantage of proxy indicators is that they often don't mean what we want them to mean. If Alice follows Bob, does that mean she trusts him? Maybe. Or maybe not. More often not. And what about context? Do we have any way of knowing?

So we use proxy indicators as a trust indicators because ... if it's the best or maybe even the only data we have, what else are we gonna do?

To do better, I argue that we need to give users more options when it comes to issuing explicit indicators of trust. But of course they're not going to do that without a reason. So to give them a reason, we have to figure out ahead of time how we're going to use the data once it's available. We have to know how to incorporate explicit trust indicators into our web of trust calculations. For the sake of argument, let's assume that we have a large dataset of proxy trust indicators (SHOW ME data) plus a small but nontrivial dataset with explicit trust attestations (TELL ME data). What we want to do is to pool all available relevant data together when we calculate trust scores. But how exactly do we do that? Which brings me to my next topic.

The calculation of trust scores

How are we even calculating the "web of trust scores" that we see today? Wikifreedia, Coracle, and a growing list of other clients have such scores. I wish I had seen more discussion in today's panel about HOW these calculation are performed. To the best of my knowledge, most clients use the same or a similar method: fetch my follows; fetch Bob's followers; calculate the set of users who are in both sets; and count up how many you get. Sometimes adjustments are made, usually a ding based on mutes. But usually, that's it. That's the WoT score.

I'll call this the "legacy WoT score" since it is basically the state of the art in nostr. The legacy WoT score can be a useful way to eliminate bots and bad actors. But it has a few disadvantages: it is, arguably, a bit of a popularity contest. It cannot see more than two hops away on your social graph. It's not very useful to new users who haven't yet built up their follows. And it's not clear how to use it to differentiate trust in different contexts.

It seems strange to me that so many clients use this single method to calculate WoT scores, but with relatively little discussion on the merits of this method as opposed to other methods. Or whether other methods even exist, for that matter.

Indeed, I believe there is another method to calculate trust scores that in most circumstances will turn out to be much more meaningful and useful. For the sake of this article, I will call this the "Grapevine WoT score" to distinguish it from the legacy WoT score. (Elsewhere I have used the phrase "influence score" in place of "Grapevine WoT score.")

The Grapevine method is (currently) based on follows and mutes, but calculated using a method entirely distinct from the legacy method, detailed here (where it is called simply the "influence score"). The Grapevine method has several advantages over the legacy method, but one in particular on the topic of SHOW versus TELL: the Grapevine method can take multiple distinct classes of data following distinct formats and pool them together, synthesizing and distilling them into a single Grapevine WoT score. By choosing different datasets, different scores corresponding to different contexts can be generated.

The future

So here's my prediction on how the future will play out. 1. The Grapevine method of trust score calculation is going to rely -- at first -- primarily on proxy indicators of trust (follows, mutes, zaps, reactions, etc) -- SHOW ME data -- because that’s the data that’s available to us in large quantities. 2. These contextual Grapevine scores will turn out to be surprisingly useful. 3. People will learn to game the scores by changing their behavior. 5. Consumers of trust data will gradually discover that SHOW ME data is becoming less and less reliable. 6. Authors of raw trust data will gradually learn that if they want their voices to be heard, they will need to communicate trust more explicitly. In ways that are harder to game. They will begin to move the needle ever so gradually towards TELL ME data. 7. Over time, larger datasets of TELL ME data will be available for input into Grapevine WoT scores. 8. As SHOW ME data becomes less reliable, and TELL ME data becomes more available, contextual Grapevine WoT scores will become more fine grained in terms of context and more reliable.

Of course, none of this will happen unless and until we start calculating Grapevine WoT scores and putting them to good use. To that end, several of us are working on the generation of these scores at brainSToRm. Right now, it's a slog to download the data to the browser. But we're working on improving the UX. And if you make it through the slog, you can export a NIP-51 list of the top-scoring pubkeys, minus the ones you're already following, and use them at clients like Amethyst or Coracle to generate a feed of content coming from the most highly "trusted" users whom you're not already following. A feed that is CUSTOMIZED by YOUR Grapevine.

So there you have it, my defense of explicit trust attestations.

@ 83279ad2:bd49240d

test

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Und plötzlich weißt du:
Es ist Zeit, etwas Neues zu beginnen
und dem Zauber des Anfangs zu vertrauen.
Meister Eckhart

Schwarz, rot, gold leuchtet es im Kopf des Newsletters der deutschen Bundesregierung, der mir freitags ins Postfach flattert. Rot, gelb und grün werden daneben sicher noch lange vielzitierte Farben sein, auch wenn diese nie geleuchtet haben. Die Ampel hat sich gerade selber den Stecker gezogen – und hinterlässt einen wirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Trümmerhaufen.

Mit einem bemerkenswerten Timing hat die deutsche Regierungskoalition am Tag des «Comebacks» von Donald Trump in den USA endlich ihr Scheitern besiegelt. Während der eine seinen Sieg bei den Präsidentschaftswahlen feierte, erwachten die anderen jäh aus ihrer Selbsthypnose rund um Harris-Hype und Trump-Panik – mit teils erschreckenden Auswüchsen. Seit Mittwoch werden die Geschicke Deutschlands nun von einer rot-grünen Minderheitsregierung «geleitet» und man steuert auf Neuwahlen zu.

Das Kindergarten-Gehabe um zwei konkurrierende Wirtschaftsgipfel letzte Woche war bereits bezeichnend. In einem Strategiepapier gestand Finanzminister Lindner außerdem den «Absturz Deutschlands» ein und offenbarte, dass die wirtschaftlichen Probleme teilweise von der Ampel-Politik «vorsätzlich herbeigeführt» worden seien.

Lindner und weitere FDP-Minister wurden also vom Bundeskanzler entlassen. Verkehrs- und Digitalminister Wissing trat flugs aus der FDP aus; deshalb darf er nicht nur im Amt bleiben, sondern hat zusätzlich noch das Justizministerium übernommen. Und mit Jörg Kukies habe Scholz «seinen Lieblingsbock zum Obergärtner», sprich: Finanzminister befördert, meint Norbert Häring.

Es gebe keine Vertrauensbasis für die weitere Zusammenarbeit mit der FDP, hatte der Kanzler erklärt, Lindner habe zu oft sein Vertrauen gebrochen. Am 15. Januar 2025 werde er daher im Bundestag die Vertrauensfrage stellen, was ggf. den Weg für vorgezogene Neuwahlen freimachen würde.

Apropos Vertrauen: Über die Hälfte der Bundesbürger glauben, dass sie ihre Meinung nicht frei sagen können. Das ging erst kürzlich aus dem diesjährigen «Freiheitsindex» hervor, einer Studie, die die Wechselwirkung zwischen Berichterstattung der Medien und subjektivem Freiheitsempfinden der Bürger misst. «Beim Vertrauen in Staat und Medien zerreißt es uns gerade», kommentierte dies der Leiter des Schweizer Unternehmens Media Tenor, das die Untersuchung zusammen mit dem Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach durchführt.

«Die absolute Mehrheit hat absolut die Nase voll», titelte die Bild angesichts des «Ampel-Showdowns». Die Mehrheit wolle Neuwahlen und die Grünen sollten zuerst gehen, lasen wir dort.

Dass «Insolvenzminister» Robert Habeck heute seine Kandidatur für das Kanzleramt verkündet hat, kann nur als Teil der politmedialen Realitätsverweigerung verstanden werden. Wer allerdings denke, schlimmer als in Zeiten der Ampel könne es nicht mehr werden, sei reichlich optimistisch, schrieb Uwe Froschauer bei Manova. Und er kenne Friedrich Merz schlecht, der sich schon jetzt rhetorisch auf seine Rolle als oberster Feldherr Deutschlands vorbereite.

Was also tun? Der Schweizer Verein «Losdemokratie» will eine Volksinitiative lancieren, um die Bestimmung von Parlamentsmitgliedern per Los einzuführen. Das Losverfahren sorge für mehr Demokratie, denn als Alternative zum Wahlverfahren garantiere es eine breitere Beteiligung und repräsentativere Parlamente. Ob das ein Weg ist, sei dahingestellt.

In jedem Fall wird es notwendig sein, unsere Bemühungen um Freiheit und Selbstbestimmung zu verstärken. Mehr Unabhängigkeit von staatlichen und zentralen Institutionen – also die Suche nach dezentralen Lösungsansätzen – gehört dabei sicher zu den Möglichkeiten. Das gilt sowohl für jede/n Einzelne/n als auch für Entitäten wie die alternativen Medien.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ 30b99916:3cc6e3fe

Chef's Notes

My mom worked as a waitress for a excellent Chinese restaurant. For years she tried to get this receipt without success and finally after the owner retired he gave her the receipt.

Previously posted this receipt on Zap.Cooking but now wanting to keep all my long-form notes in Obsidian and publish to Nostr using the nostr-writer plug-in.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 20 to 30 minutes
• 🍳 Cook time: 1 to 2 Hours depending on amount of spare ribs
• 🍽️ Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 Quart Dole Pineapple Juice
• 1 Pint Dole Crushed Pineapple
• 1 Pint Dole Tidbits Pineapple
• 1 TS Dried Mustard
• 32 Oz Brown sugar or add to taste
• 1 Cup Red Wine
• 2 TS Corn Starch
• 1 or 2 lbs Pork or Beef spare ribs
• Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Bring water to boil in 8 qt stock pot
3. Cut spare ribs and add to boiling water in stock pot
4. Boil spare ribs for 20 to 30 minutes to remove excess fat
5. Drain spare ribs and place onto cookie sheet
6. Base spare ribs with a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce
7. Place based spare ribs on cookie sheet and place into oven for 60 minutes.
8. Place first 6 ingredients into stock pot and bring to boil while CONTINUOUSLY stirring
9. Add corn starch to 2 cups of water and mix to create thickening agent
10. Add thickening agent incrementally to Sweet & Sour sauce for desired thickness
11. Reduce heat to low while CONTINUOUSLY stirring.
12. Remove spare ribs from oven and place into Sweet & Sour sauce.
13. Place stock pot into oven and cook until done. 1 to 2 hours.

Bon Appétit

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Es ist besser, ein Licht zu entzünden, als auf die Dunkelheit zu schimpfen. Konfuzius

Die Bemühungen um Aufarbeitung der sogenannten Corona-Pandemie, um Aufklärung der Hintergründe, Benennung von Verantwortlichkeiten und das Ziehen von Konsequenzen sind durchaus nicht eingeschlafen. Das Interesse daran ist unter den gegebenen Umständen vielleicht nicht sonderlich groß, aber es ist vorhanden.

Der sächsische Landtag hat gestern die Einsetzung eines Untersuchungsausschusses zur Corona-Politik beschlossen. In einer Sondersitzung erhielt ein entsprechender Antrag der AfD-Fraktion die ausreichende Zustimmung, auch von einigen Abgeordneten des BSW.

In den Niederlanden wird Bill Gates vor Gericht erscheinen müssen. Sieben durch die Covid-«Impfstoffe» geschädigte Personen hatten Klage eingereicht. Sie werfen unter anderem Gates, Pfizer-Chef Bourla und dem niederländischen Staat vor, sie hätten gewusst, dass diese Präparate weder sicher noch wirksam sind.

Mit den mRNA-«Impfstoffen» von Pfizer/BioNTech befasst sich auch ein neues Buch. Darin werden die Erkenntnisse von Ärzten und Wissenschaftlern aus der Analyse interner Dokumente über die klinischen Studien der Covid-Injektion präsentiert. Es handelt sich um jene in den USA freigeklagten Papiere, die die Arzneimittelbehörde (Food and Drug Administration, FDA) 75 Jahre unter Verschluss halten wollte.

Ebenfalls Wissenschaftler und Ärzte, aber auch andere Experten organisieren als Verbundnetzwerk Corona-Solution kostenfreie Online-Konferenzen. Ihr Ziel ist es, «wissenschaftlich, demokratisch und friedlich» über Impfstoffe und Behandlungsprotokolle gegen SARS-CoV-2 aufzuklären und die Diskriminierung von Ungeimpften zu stoppen. Gestern fand eine weitere Konferenz statt. Ihr Thema: «Corona und modRNA: Von Toten, Lebenden und Physik lernen».

Aufgrund des Digital Services Acts (DSA) der Europäischen Union sei das Risiko groß, dass ihre Arbeit als «Fake-News» bezeichnet würde, so das Netzwerk. Staatlich unerwünschte wissenschaftliche Aufklärung müsse sich passende Kanäle zur Veröffentlichung suchen. Ihre Live-Streams seien deshalb zum Beispiel nicht auf YouTube zu finden.

Der vielfältige Einsatz für Aufklärung und Aufarbeitung wird sich nicht stummschalten lassen. Nicht einmal der Zensurmeister der EU, Deutschland, wird so etwas erreichen. Die frisch aktivierten «Trusted Flagger» dürften allerdings künftige Siege beim «Denunzianten-Wettbewerb» im Kontext des DSA zusätzlich absichern.

Wo sind die Grenzen der Meinungsfreiheit? Sicher gibt es sie. Aber die ideologische Gleichstellung von illegalen mit unerwünschten Äußerungen verfolgt offensichtlich eher das Ziel, ein derart elementares demokratisches Grundrecht möglichst weitgehend auszuhebeln. Vorwürfe wie «Hassrede», «Delegitimierung des Staates» oder «Volksverhetzung» werden heute inflationär verwendet, um Systemkritik zu unterbinden. Gegen solche Bestrebungen gilt es, sich zu wehren.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 30b99916:3cc6e3fe

---

---

Chef's Notes

My mom worked as a waitress for a excellent Chinese restaurant. For years she tried to get this receipt without success and finally after the owner retired he gave her the receipt.

Previously posted this receipt on Zap.Cooking but now wanting to keep all my long-form notes in Obsidian and publish to Nostr using the nostr-writer plug-in.

---

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 20 to 30 minutes
• 🍳 Cook time: 1 to 2 Hours depending on amount of spare ribs
• 🍽️ Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 Quart Dole Pineapple Juice
• 1 Pint Dole Crushed Pineapple
• 1 Pint Dole Tidbits Pineapple
• 1 TS Dried Mustard
• 32 Oz Brown sugar or add to taste
• 1 Cup Red Wine
• 2 TS Corn Starch
• 1 or 2 lbs Pork or Beef spare ribs
• Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Bring water to boil in 8 qt stock pot
3. Cut spare ribs and add to boiling water in stock pot
4. Boil spare ribs for 20 to 30 minutes to remove excess fat
5. Drain spare ribs and place onto cookie sheet
6. Base spare ribs with a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce
7. Place based spare ribs on cookie sheet and place into oven for 60 minutes.
8. Place first 6 ingredients into stock pot and bring to boil while CONTINUOUSLY stirring
9. Add corn starch to 2 cups of water and mix to create thickening agent
10. Add thickening agent incrementally to Sweet & Sour sauce for desired thickness
11. Reduce heat to low while CONTINUOUSLY stirring.
12. Remove spare ribs from oven and place into Sweet & Sour sauce.
13. Place stock pot into oven and cook until done. 1 to 2 hours.

Bon Appétit

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum dritten Geburtstag, liebe Denk Bar! Wieso zum dritten? Das war doch 2022 und jetzt sind wir im Jahr 2024, oder? Ja, das ist schon richtig, aber bei Geburtstagen erinnere ich mich immer auch an meinen Vater, und der behauptete oft, der erste sei ja schließlich der Tag der Geburt selber und den müsse man natürlich mitzählen. Wo er recht hat, hat er nunmal recht. Konsequenterweise wird also heute dieser Blog an seinem dritten Geburtstag zwei Jahre alt.

Das ist ein Grund zum Feiern, wie ich finde. Einerseits ganz einfach, weil es dafür gar nicht genug Gründe geben kann. «Das Leben sind zwei Tage», lautet ein gängiger Ausdruck hier in Andalusien. In der Tat könnte es so sein, auch wenn wir uns im Alltag oft genug von der Routine vereinnahmen lassen.

Seit dem Start der Denk Bar vor zwei Jahren ist unglaublich viel passiert. Ebenso wie die zweieinhalb Jahre davor, und all jenes war letztlich auch der Auslöser dafür, dass ich begann, öffentlich zu schreiben. Damals notierte ich:

«Seit einigen Jahren erscheint unser öffentliches Umfeld immer fragwürdiger, widersprüchlicher und manchmal schier unglaublich - jede Menge Anlass für eigene Recherchen und Gedanken, ganz einfach mit einer Portion gesundem Menschenverstand.»

Wir erleben den sogenannten «großen Umbruch», einen globalen Coup, den skrupellose Egoisten clever eingefädelt haben und seit ein paar Jahren knallhart – aber nett verpackt – durchziehen, um buchstäblich alles nach ihrem Gusto umzukrempeln. Die Gelegenheit ist ja angeblich günstig und muss genutzt werden.

Nie hätte ich mir träumen lassen, dass ich so etwas jemals miterleben müsste. Die Bosheit, mit der ganz offensichtlich gegen die eigene Bevölkerung gearbeitet wird, war früher für mich unvorstellbar. Mein (Rest-) Vertrauen in alle möglichen Bereiche wie Politik, Wissenschaft, Justiz, Medien oder Kirche ist praktisch komplett zerstört. Einen «inneren Totalschaden» hatte ich mal für unsere Gesellschaften diagnostiziert.

Was mich vielleicht am meisten erschreckt, ist zum einen das Niveau der Gleichschaltung, das weltweit erreicht werden konnte, und zum anderen die praktisch totale Spaltung der Gesellschaft. Haben wir das tatsächlich mit uns machen lassen?? Unfassbar! Aber das Werkzeug «Angst» ist sehr mächtig und funktioniert bis heute.

Zum Glück passieren auch positive Dinge und neue Perspektiven öffnen sich. Für viele Menschen waren und sind die Entwicklungen der letzten Jahre ein Augenöffner. Sie sehen «Querdenken» als das, was es ist: eine Tugend.

Auch die immer ernsteren Zensurbemühungen sind letztlich nur ein Zeichen der Schwäche, wo Argumente fehlen. Sie werden nicht verhindern, dass wir unsere Meinung äußern, unbequeme Fragen stellen und dass die Wahrheit peu à peu ans Licht kommt. Es gibt immer Mittel und Wege, auch für uns.

---

Danke, dass du diesen Weg mit mir weitergehst!

@ 30b99916:3cc6e3fe

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---

Chef's Notes

My mom worked as a waitress for a excellent Chinese restaurant. For years she tried to get this receipt without success and finally after the owner retired he gave her the receipt.

Previously posted this receipt on Zap.Cooking but now wanting to keep all my long-form notes in Obsidian and publish to Nostr using the nostr-writer plug-in.

---

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 20 to 30 minutes
• 🍳 Cook time: 1 to 2 Hours depending on amount of spare ribs
• 🍽️ Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 Quart Dole Pineapple Juice
• 1 Pint Dole Crushed Pineapple
• 1 Pint Dole Tidbits Pineapple
• 1 TS Dried Mustard
• 32 Oz Brown sugar or add to taste
• 1 Cup Red Wine
• 2 TS Corn Starch
• 1 or 2 lbs Pork or Beef spare ribs
• Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Bring water to boil in 8 qt stock pot
3. Cut spare ribs and add to boiling water in stock pot
4. Boil spare ribs for 20 to 30 minutes to remove excess fat
5. Drain spare ribs and place onto cookie sheet
6. Base spare ribs with a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce
7. Place based spare ribs on cookie sheet and place into oven for 60 minutes.
8. Place first 6 ingredients into stock pot and bring to boil while CONTINUOUSLY stirring
9. Add corn starch to 2 cups of water and mix to create thickening agent
10. Add thickening agent incrementally to Sweet & Sour sauce for desired thickness
11. Reduce heat to low while CONTINUOUSLY stirring.
12. Remove spare ribs from oven and place into Sweet & Sour sauce.
13. Place stock pot into oven and cook until done. 1 to 2 hours.

Bon Appétit

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Ein Lämmchen löschte an einem Bache seinen Durst. Fern von ihm, aber näher der Quelle, tat ein Wolf das gleiche. Kaum erblickte er das Lämmchen, so schrie er:

"Warum trübst du mir das Wasser, das ich trinken will?"

"Wie wäre das möglich", erwiderte schüchtern das Lämmchen, "ich stehe hier unten und du so weit oben; das Wasser fließt ja von dir zu mir; glaube mir, es kam mir nie in den Sinn, dir etwas Böses zu tun!"

"Ei, sieh doch! Du machst es gerade, wie dein Vater vor sechs Monaten; ich erinnere mich noch sehr wohl, daß auch du dabei warst, aber glücklich entkamst, als ich ihm für sein Schmähen das Fell abzog!"

"Ach, Herr!" flehte das zitternde Lämmchen, "ich bin ja erst vier Wochen alt und kannte meinen Vater gar nicht, so lange ist er schon tot; wie soll ich denn für ihn büßen."

"Du Unverschämter!" so endigt der Wolf mit erheuchelter Wut, indem er die Zähne fletschte. "Tot oder nicht tot, weiß ich doch, daß euer ganzes Geschlecht mich hasset, und dafür muß ich mich rächen."

Ohne weitere Umstände zu machen, zerriß er das Lämmchen und verschlang es.

Das Gewissen regt sich selbst bei dem größten Bösewichte; er sucht doch nach Vorwand, um dasselbe damit bei Begehung seiner Schlechtigkeiten zu beschwichtigen.

Quelle: https://eden.one/fabeln-aesop-das-lamm-und-der-wolf

@ 5ffb8e1b:255b6735

As a fellow Nostrich you might have noticed some of my #arlist posts. It is my effort to curate artists that are active on Nostr and make it easier for other users to find content that they are interested in.

By now I have posted six or seven posts mentioning close to fifty artists, the problem so far is that it's only a list of handles and it is up to reader to click on each in order to find out what are the artist behind the names all about. Now I am going to start creating blog posts with a few artists mentioned in each, with short descriptions of their work and an image or to.

I would love to have some more automated mode of curation but I still couldn't figure out what is a good way for it. I've looked at Listr, Primal custom feeds and Yakihonne curations but none seem to enable me to make a list of npubs that is then turned into a feed that I could publicly share for others to views. Any advice on how to achieve this is VERY welcome !

And now lets get to the first batch of artists I want to share with you.

Eugene Gorbachenko

nostr:npub1082uhnrnxu7v0gesfl78uzj3r89a8ds2gj3dvuvjnw5qlz4a7udqwrqdnd Artist from Ukrain creating amazing realistic watercolor paintings. He is very active on Nostr but is very unnoticed for some stange reason. Make sure to repost the painting that you liked the most to help other Nostr users to discover his great art.

Siritravelsketch

nostr:npub14lqzjhfvdc9psgxzznq8xys8pfq8p4fqsvtr6llyzraq90u9m8fqevhssu a a lovely lady from Thailand making architecture from all around the world spring alive in her ink skethes. Dynamic lines gives it a dreamy magical feel, sometimes supported by soft watercolor strokes takes you to a ferytale layer of reality.

BureuGewas

nostr:npub1k78qzy2s9ap4klshnu9tcmmcnr3msvvaeza94epsgptr7jce6p9sa2ggp4 a a master of the clasic oil painting. From traditional still life to modern day subjects his paintings makes you feel the textures and light of the scene more intense then reality itself.

You can see that I'm no art critic, but I am trying my best. If anyone else is interested to join me in this curration adventure feel free to reach out !

With love, Agi Choote

@ 592295cf:413a0db9

The journey starts from the links in this article nostr-quick-start-guide

Starting from these links building a simple path should not cover everything, because impossible.

Today I saw that Verbiricha in his workshop on his channel used nstart, but then I distracted And I didn't see how he did it.

---

Go to nstart.me and read: Each user is identified by a cryptographic keypair Public key, Private key (is a lot of stuff)

You can insert a nickname and go, the nickname is not unique

there is a email backup things interesting, but a little boring, i try to generate an email

doesn't even require a strong password ok.

I received the email, great, it shows me the nsec encrypted in clear,

Send a copy of the file with a password, which contains the password encrypted key I know and I know it's a tongue dump.

Multi signer bunker

That's stuff, let's see what he says.

They live the private key and send it to servers and you can recompose it to login at a site of the protocol nostr. If one of these servers goes offline you have the private key that you downloaded first and then reactivate a bunker. All very complicated. But if one of the servers goes offline, how can I remake the split? Maybe he's still testing.

Nobody tells you where these bunkers are.

Okay I have a string that is my bunker (buker://), I downloaded it, easy no, now will tell me which client accepts the bunker.. .

Follow someone before you start?

Is a cluster of 5 people Snowden, Micheal Dilger, jb55, Fiatjaf, Dianele.

I choice Snowden profile, or you can select multiple profiles, extra wild.

Now select 5 clients

Coracle, Chachi, Olas, Nostur, Jumble

The first is Coracle

Login, ok I try to post a note and signing your note the spin does not end.

Maybe the bunker is diffective.

Let's try Chachi

Simpler than Coracle, it has a type login that says bunker. see if I can post

It worked, cool, I managed to post in a group.

Olas is an app but also a website, but on the website requires an extension, which I do not have with this account.

If I download an app how do I pass the bunker on the phone, is it still a password, a qrcode, a qrcode + password, something like that, but many start from the phone so maybe it's easy for them. I try to download it and see if it allows me to connect with a bunker.

Okay I used private-qrcode and it worked, I couldn't do it directly from Olas because it didn't have permissions and the qrcode was < encrypted, so I went to the same site and had the bunker copied and glued on Olas

Ok then I saw that there was the qrcode image of the bunker for apps lol moment

Ok, I liked it, I can say it's a victory.

Looks like none of Snowden's followers are Olas's lover, maybe the smart pack has to predict a photographer or something like that.

Okay I managed to post on Olas, so it works, Expiration time is broken.

As for Nostur, I don't have an ios device so I'm going to another one.

Login with Jumble, it works is a web app

I took almost an hour to do the whole route.

But this was just one link there are two more

Extensions nostr NIP-07

The true path is nip-07-browser-extensions | nostr.net

There are 19 links, maybe there are too many?

I mention the most famous, or active at the moment

1. Aka-profiles: Aka-profiles

Alby I don't know if it's a route to recommend

1. Blockcore Blockcore wallet

2. Nos2x Nos2x

3. Nos2xfox (fork for firefox) Nos2xfox

Nostore is (archived, read-only)

1. Nostrame Nostrame

2. Nowser per IOS Nowser

3. One key (was tricky) One key

Another half hour to search all sites

Nostrapps

Here you can make paths

Then nstart selects Coracle, Chachi, Olas,Nostur and Jumble

Good apps might be Amethyst, 0xchat, Yakihonne, Primal, Damus

for IOS maybe: Primal, Olas, Damus, Nostur, Nos-Social, Nostrmo

On the site there are some categories, I select some with the respective apps

Let's see the categories

Go to Nostrapps and read:

Microbbloging: Primal

Streaming: Zap stream

Blogging: Yakihonne

Group chat: Chachi

Community: Flotilla

Tools: Form *

Discovery: Zapstore (even if it is not in this catrgory)

Direct Message: 0xchat

@ 0b65f96a:7fda4c8f

Es gibt Bibliotheken voll Literatur zur „Kunst“ der Kriegsführung. Dies hier ist ein Beitrag zu den Bibliotheken der Kunst Frieden zu führen. Denn Frieden ist nicht die Abwesenheit von Krieg. Sondern eine mindestens ebenso intensive Aktivität. Worin genau besteht sie aber? Ich glaube darin, weder nach der einen noch nach der anderen Seite vom Hochseil zu fallen. Denn vom Hochseil kann man immer nach zwei Seiten fallen. Das ist dann auch schon die Kernherausforderung: Gleichgewichthalten!

Es scheint zunächst ein ganz äußerlicher Auftrag. Es gibt immer und wird immer widerstreitende Interessen geben. Allerdings ist das nur die äußerste Zwiebelschale. Denn wenn wir die Sache etwas mit Abstand von uns selbst betrachten, werden wir in uns hinein verwiesen: Frieden kann nur von innen nach außen gestiftet werden. Wenn wir das Hochseil in uns suchen, was finden wir dann? – Zweifels ohne, wissen wir von uns, dass wir nicht jeden Tag unser bestes Selbst sind. Würde es sich nicht lohnen etwas genauer über die Möglichkeit nach zwei Seiten vom Hochseil zu fallen nachzudenken, zugunsten der eigenen Balancierfähigkeit?

Wir sind daran gewöhnt zu denken dem Guten steht das Böse gegenüber. Daraus ziehen ja alle Western und Martial Arts Streifen ihren Plot: Der Gute bringt den Bösen um die Ecke und damit hat wieder mal das Gute gesiegt. Wir bewerten das „um die Ecke bringen“ unterschiedlich, je nach dem, von wem es kommt.

Ich möchte einen neuen Gedanken vorschlagen über unser Inneres, über Gut und Böse nachzudenken. Denn, wie gesagt, vom Hochseil kann man nach zwei Seiten fallen. Und es hat immer drastische Wirkung. Wo kommen wir also hin, wenn wir sagen: Frieden ist immer ein Gleichgewichtszustand, ergo eine Zeit der Mitte?

Sagen wir Toleranz ist ein erstrebenswertes Ideal. Dann würden wir sicher sagen Engstirnigkeit ist das Gegenteil davon und alles andere als Wünschenswert. Ja, so ist es gewiss. Und es bleibt hinzuzufügen, auch Beliebigkeit ist das Gegenteil von Toleranz. Denn es gibt eine Grenze, wo Toleranz nicht mehr Toleranz ist, sondern Beliebigkeit, ein „alles ist möglich“. Ähnlich können wir es für Großzügigkeit denken: Großzügigkeit ist ein erstrebenswertes Ideal. Ihr Gegenteil ist Geiz. Ihr anderes Gegenteil die Verschwendung. Oder Mut. Mut ist ein erstrebenswertes Ideal. Feigheit sein Gegenteil. Sein anderes Gegenteil ist Leichtsinn. Mit andern Worten: Das Ideal wird immer zum Hochseil. Und wir können immer nach zwei Seiten von ihm fallen. Wenn wir diesem Gedanken folgen, kommen wir weg von der Gut-Böse-Dualität. Und stattdessen zur Frage nach dem Gleichgewicht. Zur Frage nach der Mittezeit.

Natürlich steht es uns frei all das zu denken. Oder auch nicht zu denken. Denn selbstverständlich ist es möglich es nicht zu denken und bei einer Dualitätsvorstellung festhängen zu bleiben. Es wird uns nur nicht helfen Frieden zu denken und in Frieden zu handeln. Wenn wir wollen können wir durch das Aufspannen einer Trinität einen neuen Raum eröffnen und betreten. In ihm wird Frieden aktiv führbar, denn er wird eine Gleichgewichtssituation in uns selbst! – Nicht eine, sich einander gegenüberstehender äußerer Mächte!

Gehen wir noch einen Schritt weiter in unserer Betrachtung, können wir feststellen, dass es durchaus einen Unterschied macht nach welcher Seite wir runter fallen. Denn auf der einen Seite ist es immer eine Verengung: Engstirnigkeit, Geiz, Feigheit in unseren Beispielen. Auf der anderen ist es immer eine Zersplitterung oder Versprühung. In unseren Beispielen Beliebigkeit, Verschwendung und Leichtsinn. Und das erstrebenswerte ist eben immer die Mitte, das von uns ständig aktualisierte Gleichgewicht.

Das interessante ist, wo diese Mitte liegt, lässt sich niemals statisch festlegen. Sie ist immer dynamisch. Denn sie kann zu unterschiedlichen Momenten an unterschiedlicher Stelle liegen. Es ist immer ein Ich, das sich in Geistesgegenwart neu ausbalanciert. Und darum ist Frieden so schwer. Wir werden ihn niemals „haben“, sondern ihm immer entgegen gehen.

Der Kriegsruf ist nichts anderes, als ein Versuch von denen, die vom Hochseil gefallen sind, uns auch herunter zu kicken.

Netter Versuch. Wird aber nichts!

In der Nussschale: Die Dualität auflösen in die Trinität der balancierenden Mitte zwischen der Geste der Versteinerung und der Geste des Zerstäubens oder Zersplitterns. Die dynamische Qualität der Mitte bemerken. Oder, tun wir es nicht, ist das gleich der erste Anstoß, der uns wieder zum Wackeln bringt. Und des Ich´s gewahr werden, das balanciert. Frieden führen ist eine Kunst.

---

Patric I. Vogt, geb. 1968 in Mainz. Autor von „Zukunft beginnt im Kopf Ein Debattenbeitrag zur Kernsanierung von Rechtsstaat und Demokratie“. Lebt als freischaffender Künstler, Lehrer und Unternehmer. Über drei Jahrzehnte Beschäftigung mit dem Ideenfeld soziale #Dreigliederung und Anthroposophie. Moderation und Mediation von sozialen Prozessen und Organisationsentwicklung. Staatlich ungeprüft, abgesehen von den Fahrerlaubnissen zu Land und zu Wasser. Motto: Gedanken werden Worte, werden Taten! www.perspektivenwechsel.social

---

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5

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Autor: Thomas Eisinger. Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben. Sie finden alle Texte der Friedenstaube und weitere Texte zum Thema Frieden hier.**

---

Und genau dafür wirst auch du gedrillt werden: Menschen zu jagen und töten. Unbekannte, die auch nicht wissen, was sie hier tun. Oder Unschuldige, die nicht rechtzeitig fliehen konnten. Einfach töten. Alle. Ohne zu fragen. Denn das ist deine Aufgabe, Soldat: Töte Menschen!

Egal, was du vorher warst, Heizungsmonteur, KFZ-Mechaniker, Veganer, Marketingmanager, Friseur, Verkäufer, Kindergärtner: Es ist egal. Jetzt musst du töten. Denn du hast mitgemacht. Entweder, weil du es nicht ernst genommen hast, weil du dich nie für Politik interessiert hast. Oder weil du gedacht hast, das alles betrifft dich nicht. Weil du gedacht hast, Wahlen könnten etwas verändern. Oder weil du immer das Maul gehalten hast, damit dich keiner als «Rechter» bezeichnet. Egal. Jetzt musst du töten. Das ist das Spiel.

Ja, es ist ein Spiel. Grausam, abartig, menschenverachtend. Dennoch hat es Regeln: Diejenigen, die das Spiel beginnen, müssen niemals selbst auf das Schlachtfeld. Das ist die erste Regel. Ihre Söhne auch nicht, nicht die Söhne der anderen Politiker, nicht die der EU-Abgeordneten, nicht die der Parteibonzen. Auch nicht die der Banker, der Vorstandsvorsitzenden, der Chefredakteure. Denn alle wissen, wie man das Spiel spielt. Nur du nicht.

Du bist einfach eine Figur auf dem Spielfeld, die es verpasst hat, NEIN zu sagen, als noch Gelegenheit war. Jetzt bist du verwandelt worden in eine menschliche Drohne. Wenn sie sagen: töte!, dann tötest du. Denken kannst du, wenn alles vorbei ist. Falls du je wieder nach Hause kommst. Vielleicht sogar mit beiden Beinen und beiden Armen. Vielleicht auch nicht. Egal. Wer hätte Mitleid mit einer Spielfigur?

Nein, du musst töten. Das ist deine Aufgabe. Sie sagen es nun schon seit Monaten, warum glaubst du es nicht? Sie meinen es ernst. Wenn du den Brief in Händen hältst ist es zu spät. Es gilt dann das Notstandsrecht und keiner kann mehr verweigern. Da hättest du dich vorher drum kümmern müssen. Oder auf eine Demo gehen. Oder laut und mit klarer Stimme in jedem Gespräch den Wahnsinn anprangern. Hast du aber nicht.

Jetzt musst du töten oder du wirst getötet. Das ist das Spiel. Du hättest selbst denken können. Hast du aber nicht. Hast deine Zeit mit sinnlosen Videos vertan, Netflix geguckt und hast Influencerinnen geliked. Die müssen nicht an die Front. Aber du. Morgen, wenn du aufstehst, die Uniform anziehst und rausgehst, dann wirst du Befehle ausführen oder erschossen werden. Also wirst du Menschen töten. Dein Leben wird nie wieder so sein, wie zuvor. Dein Schmerz, deine Schuld, dein Leid: sie gehen ein in die unendliche Reihe der Soldaten, die seit Jahrhunderten dasselbe Schicksal erlitten. Deren Schreie noch immer durch den ewigen Raum hallen. Deren Opfer von den Herren des Spiels mit einem Lächeln entgegengenommen wurde. Deren Gliedmaßen auf den Schlachtfeldern liegen geblieben waren. Zum Dank erhielten sie eine Medaille. Ein Stück Blech für den rechten Arm, einen Grabstein für den Vater, den Bruder, den Sohn. Für das Vaterland. Für Europa. Für die Demokratie. Der Hohn tropft aus jedem Politikerwort, doch die Menschen glauben noch immer die uralte Geschichte von Freund und Feind, von Gut und Böse.

\ Wer nicht aufwachen will, muss töten. Du. Nicht am Bildschirm. In der echten Welt. Wo man nicht auf Replay drücken kann. Wo man den Gegner nicht nach links oder rechts swipen kann, denn er ist echt, real, lebendig. Noch. Entweder er oder du. Jetzt ist es zu spät für Entscheidungen. Kannst du es spüren? Die Work-Life-Balance wird zur Kill-or-be-killed-Balance. Es gibt kein Entrinnen. Denn du hast mitgemacht. Schweigen ist Zustimmung. Sich-nicht-drumkümmern ist Zustimmung. Kriegsparteien zu wählen ist noch mehr Zustimmung.

Heute.

Heute lässt sich noch etwas ändern.

Es hat nichts zu tun mit rechts oder links. Nur mit Menschlichkeit versus Hass, Macht und dem ganz großen Geld. Das sind die Gründe, für die du töten oder sterben musst.

Wie entscheidest du dich?

---

Thomas Eisinger ist Schriftsteller. Zuletzt erschien der Roman "Hinter der Zukunft". Mehr zum Autor hier.

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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).

---

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):

Bildschirmfoto 2025-03-27 um 09.53.46

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: milosz@pareto.space

---

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.

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

"THE NATURE OF BITCOIN IS SUCH THAT ONCE VERSION 0.1 WAS RELEASED, THE CORE DESIGN WAS SET IN STONE FOR THE REST OF ITS LIFETIME." <sub>- SATOSHI NAKAMOTO</sub>

"Reborn" is inspired by my Bitcoin journey and the many other people whose lives have been changed by Bitcoin. I’ve carved the hand in the “Gyan Mudra” or the “Mudra of Wisdom or Knowledge,” with an Opendime grasped between thumb and index finger alluding to the pursuit of Bitcoin knowledge. The hand emerges from rough, choppy water, and I've set the hand against an archway, through which, the copper leaf hints at the bright orange future made possible by Bitcoin.

Materials: Carrara Marble, Copper leaf, Opendime

Dimensions: 6" x 9" x 13"

Price: $30,000 or BTC equivalent

Enquire: https://www.vonbitcoin.com/available-works

X: https://x.com/BVBTC/status/1894463357316419960/photo/1

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/928510

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5

---

Autor: Dr. Daniele Ganser. Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben. Sie finden alle Texte der Friedenstaube und weitere Texte zum Thema Frieden hier.**

---

Der Frieden ist mir eine Herzensangelegenheit. Daher halte ich seit über 20 Jahren Vorträge zu den Themen Krieg und Frieden. Bisher sind es schon mehr als 1000 Vorträge. Manchmal gibt es Widerstand oder schlechte Presse, aber ich mache einfach weiter. Zudem schreibe ich Bücher, gebe Interviews und habe eine Online-Community, wo ich über Zoom Fragen der Mitglieder beantworte. Mein Ziel ist immer dasselbe: Die Friedensbewegung zu stärken.

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rlSE4CYR_U

---

Auszug aus der Einleitung "Imperium USA":

"In meiner Forschung orientiere ich mich an folgenden drei Prinzipien: UNO- Gewaltverbot, Achtsamkeit und Menschheitsfamilie. Das UNO-Gewaltverbot wurde 1945 erlassen und verbietet die Androhung oder Anwendung von Gewalt in der internationalen Politik. Es ist leider in Vergessenheit geraten, und viele Menschen haben noch nie davon gehört. Daher erwähne ich es oft in meinen Büchern und Vorträgen, weil es ein ganz wichtiges Instrument der Friedensbewegung ist. Auch das Prinzip Achtsamkeit ist für die Friedensbewegung ein Juwel.

Denn zu oft schon wurden wir Menschen durch Kriegspropaganda getäuscht und verwirrt. Doch das wäre nicht nötig. Wenn wir durch Achtsamkeit lernen, unsere eigenen Gedanken und Gefühle aus einer ruhigen Distanz zu beobachten, stärken wir unsere Klarheit. Wir müssen nicht alles glauben, was uns von den Medien erzählt wird. Durch Achtsamkeit erkennen wir, dass wir nicht unsere Gedanken und Gefühle sind, sondern das klare Bewusstsein, in dem sie aufsteigen und wie Wolken auch wieder vergehen.

Besonders wichtig ist mir auch das Prinzip Menschheitsfamilie. Denn leider ist es in der Geschichte immer wieder vorgekommen, dass wir als Menschheitsfamilie einzelne Mitglieder ausgeschlossen und getötet haben. Wir haben uns entlang von Nationalität, Religion, Hautfarbe, Geschlecht und Einkommen gespalten und abgewertet. Bei der Hexenverfolgung wurden Frauen der »Zauberei« beschuldigt, aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen und verbrannt. Bei den Indianerkriegen wurden Indianer als »Wilde« aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen, vertrieben und getötet. Beim Sklavenhandel wurden Afrikaner als »Tiere« aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen, diffamiert und ausgebeutet. Im Zweiten Weltkrieg wurden Juden als »lebensunwert« aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen und in Konzentrationslagern vergast.

Im Vietnamkrieg wurden Vietnamesen von US-Soldaten als »Termiten« bezeichnet, aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen und mit Napalm bombardiert. Im sogenannten »Krieg gegen den Terror« wurden Afghanen als »Terroristen« bezeichnet, aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen und getötet. Das sich wiederholende Muster ist deutlich: Das Prinzip Menschheitsfamilie wird verletzt, indem eine Gruppe aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen, abgewertet und dann getötet wird. Natürlich sehen wir alleganz unterschiedlich aus. Auch bezüglich Glaube, Nationalität, Ausbildung, Sprache und Einkommen sind wir nicht gleich und werden es nie sein.

Doch das ist noch kein Grund, Gewalt einzusetzen. »Wir haben in der Welt ganz sicher ein Problem mit Feindseligkeiten, die außer Kontrolle geraten. Der Mensch ist geradezu ein Spezialist darin, andere auszugrenzen«, erklärt der holländische Zoologe Frans de Waal. »Der Mensch dämonisiert Menschen anderer Nationalität oder Religion, erzeugt Ängste und Wut. Diese Gruppen nennen wir dann schnell Unmenschen oder Tiere. Schon ist es leicht, die Unmenschen zu eliminieren, weil man kein Mitgefühl mehr mit ihnen haben muss.«

Im April 2004 wurde publik, dass US- Soldaten im irakischen Abu-Ghraib- Gefängnis Iraker gefoltert hatten. Die US- Kriegspropaganda hatte den US- Soldaten eingetrichtert, die Iraker seien schlechte Menschen, dadurch wurden sie aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen. Das hatte konkrete Folgen. Die US- Soldatin Lynndie England führte in Abu-Ghraib einen nackten irakischen Gefangenen an einer Hundeleine durchs Gefängnis. Ein anderer irakischer Gefangener musste mit schwarzer Kapuze auf einer Kiste balancieren, während an seinem Körper Drähte befestigt waren.

Ihm wurde von den US- Soldaten angedroht, dass ihm tödliche Stromschläge zugefügt würden, wenn er von der Kiste fiele. »Für Europa waren die Horrorbilder aus Sex, Folter und Erniedrigung schlichtweg ein Schock«, kommentierte Die Welt. Der Abu- Ghraib- Skandal zeigte drastisch, was passieren kann, wenn die Menschen einer ganzen Nation, in diesem Falle die Iraker, aus der Menschheitsfamilie ausgeschlossen werden.

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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.

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Man darf angesichts dieser Gewalt und Brutalität nicht zu dem Schluss kommen, dass wir Menschen nicht fähig sind, friedlich zusammenzuleben. Wir können es sehr wohl und tun es jeden Tag, an Millionen verschiedenen Orten. »Lassen sie uns zunächst unsere Haltung gegenüber dem Frieden selbst überprüfen. Zu viele von uns halten ihn für unmöglich", erklärte US-Präsident John F. Kennedy in einer seiner Reden.

»Zu viele von uns halten ihn für nicht zu verwirklichen. Aber das ist ein gefährlicher, defätistischer Glaube. Er führt zu der Schlussfolgerung, dass der Krieg unvermeidlich ist, dass die Menschheit zum Untergang verurteilt ist, dass wir uns in der Gewalt von Kräften befinden, die wir nicht kontrollieren können.«

Doch dies stimmt nicht, das wusste auch Kennedy. »Unsere Probleme sind von Menschen geschaffen, deshalb können sie auch von Menschen gelöst werden. Die Größe, die der menschliche Geist erreichen kann, bestimmt der Mensch selbst.«

Auch außerhalb der USA haben inspirierende Persönlichkeiten die Friedensbewegung geprägt. In Indien hat der Rechtsanwalt und Pazifist Mahatma Gandhi, der für mich ein großes Vorbild ist, immer wieder das Prinzip Menschheitsfamilie betont. »Die ganze Menschheit ist eine Familie«, sagte Gandhi. Er setzte bei seinem Protest stets auf einen gelassenen und freundlichen Ton, frei von Wut und Hass. Trotz ihres brutalen Vorgehens bezeichnete Gandhi weder die indische Polizei noch die indische Regierung oder die britische Kolonialmacht als Feinde. »Ich betrachte niemanden als meinen Feind«, erklärte Gandhi. »Alle sind meine Freunde. Ich möchte aufklären und die Herzen verändern.«

Ich bin fest davon überzeugt, dass die Friedensbewegung im 21. Jahrhundert stärker wird, wenn sie sich an den Prinzipen Menschheitsfamilie, Achtsamkeit und UNO- Gewaltverbot orientiert. Die Spaltung nach Nation, Partei, Religion, Hautfarbe, Geschlecht, Schulabschluss oder Einkommen sollte im 21. Jahrhundert durch die Einsicht ersetzt werden, dass alle Menschen zur Menschheitsfamilie gehören. Sie als Leserin und Leser gehören zur Menschheitsfamilie, egal wo Sie diesen Text lesen und unabhängig davon, was Ihre Geschichte ist. Und ich als Autor gehöreauch zur Menschheitsfamilie, ebenso wie alle Personen, die in der Menschheitsgeschichte auftauchen, Opfer wie Täter. Zusammen sollten wir lernen, uns nicht zu töten, weil alles Leben heilig ist und weil wir auf einer sehr tiefen Ebene alle miteinander verbunden sind."

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Dr. Daniele Ganser, geboren 1972, ist Schweizer Historiker und Friedensforscher. Er leitet das unabhängige Swiss Institute for Peace and Energy Research (SIPER) in Münchenstein bei Basel in der Schweiz. Die aktuellen Vorträge von Dr. Daniele Ganser finden Sie hier. Am 12. April halten Daniele Ganser und Dirk Pohlmann bei Basel einen Vortrag über den Fall Herrhausen (nur 200 Tickets). Bestellen können Sie hier.

Das Buch können Sie hier bestellen.

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Milosz Matuschek

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Wenn Sie auf anderem Wege beitragen wollen, schreiben Sie die Friedenstaube an: milosz@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.

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ในยุคดิจิทัลที่การสื่อสารมีบทบาทสำคัญต่อชีวิตประจำวัน เทคโนโลยี Cell Broadcast ได้กลายเป็นหนึ่งในเครื่องมือที่ทรงพลังสำหรับการแจ้งเตือนฉุกเฉิน ไม่ว่าจะเป็นภัยพิบัติหรือเหตุการณ์สำคัญที่ต้องแจ้งให้ประชาชนทราบอย่างทันท่วงที ⏳💡

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📌 Cell Broadcast คืออะไร ?

Cell Broadcast (CB) เป็นเทคโนโลยีที่ใช้ส่งข้อความกระจายสัญญาณผ่านเครือข่ายโทรศัพท์มือถือ 🏗📶 โดยแตกต่างจาก SMS ตรงที่สามารถส่งข้อความถึงผู้ใช้จำนวนมากได้พร้อมกัน โดยไม่ต้องทราบหมายเลขโทรศัพท์ ของผู้รับ 📲💨

ข้อความ CB สามารถส่งถึงอุปกรณ์ที่รองรับในเครือข่ายมือถือที่เปิดใช้งานอยู่ภายในช่วงเวลาสั้น ๆ ⏱ และ ไม่ทำให้เครือข่ายล่ม

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✨ ข้อดีของ Cell Broadcast ✨

✅ ส่งข้อความรวดเร็ว – แจ้งเตือนได้ภายในไม่กี่วินาที แม้ในกรณีฉุกเฉิน ⚡🚀

✅ ไม่ต้องใช้หมายเลขโทรศัพท์ – กระจายสัญญาณไปยังอุปกรณ์ทุกเครื่องที่อยู่ในพื้นที่เป้าหมายได้โดยตรง 📡

✅ รองรับหลายภาษา – สามารถตั้งค่าการแจ้งเตือนให้เหมาะสมกับประชากรในแต่ละพื้นที่ 🌍🗣

✅ ไม่ทำให้เครือข่ายหนาแน่น – ต่างจาก SMS หรือการโทรจำนวนมากที่อาจทำให้เครือข่ายล่ม 📵❌

✅ ทำงานได้แม้ไม่มีอินเทอร์เน็ต – สามารถแจ้งเตือนในกรณีที่โซเชียลมีเดียหรืออินเทอร์เน็ตใช้งานไม่ได้ 🌐🚫

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🌍 การใช้งาน Cell Broadcast ทั่วโลก

🔹 สหรัฐอเมริกา – ใช้ระบบ Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) เพื่อแจ้งเตือนเหตุการณ์ฉุกเฉิน เช่น พายุเฮอริเคน 🌀🌪

🔹 ญี่ปุ่น – ใช้ระบบ Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) เพื่อแจ้งเตือนแผ่นดินไหวล่วงหน้า ⛩🌏

🔹 สหภาพยุโรป – มีนโยบายให้ประเทศสมาชิกใช้ Public Warning System ผ่าน Cell Broadcast 📢🏛

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🤔 ทำไมประเทศที่ยังไม่มีระบบนี้ควรนำมาใช้ ?

หลายประเทศ รวมถึง ประเทศไทย ยังไม่มีการใช้ Cell Broadcast อย่างแพร่หลาย ทั้งที่เป็นเทคโนโลยีที่สามารถช่วยชีวิตผู้คนได้อย่างมหาศาล 🚑 หากเกิดภัยพิบัติ เช่น น้ำท่วม แผ่นดินไหว สึนามิ หรือไฟป่า 🔥🌊 Cell Broadcast สามารถส่งการแจ้งเตือนไปยังทุกคนในพื้นที่เสี่ยงได้ทันที ลดความสูญเสียและเพิ่มโอกาสรอดชีวิตได้มากขึ้น

🔸 ความแม่นยำสูง – สามารถส่งแจ้งเตือนไปยังพื้นที่ที่ได้รับผลกระทบโดยตรง ทำให้ประชาชนสามารถเตรียมตัวรับมือได้ดีกว่า

🔸 ไม่มีปัญหาความล่าช้า – ต่างจากการแจ้งเตือนผ่าน SMS หรือโซเชียลมีเดียที่อาจล่าช้าหรือไม่ได้รับข้อความเลยหากเครือข่ายล่ม

🔸 เป็นมาตรฐานสากล – หลายประเทศพัฒนาแล้วมีระบบนี้ใช้งานอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ ประเทศที่ยังไม่มีควรนำมาใช้เพื่อให้สามารถจัดการภัยพิบัติได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ

🔸 ประหยัดต้นทุนในระยะยาว – ลดความเสียหายทางเศรษฐกิจจากภัยพิบัติ เพราะประชาชนได้รับการแจ้งเตือนล่วงหน้า ทำให้สามารถอพยพหรือป้องกันความเสียหายได้

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🔮 อนาคตของ Cell Broadcast

ในอนาคต Cell Broadcast อาจถูกนำมาใช้ร่วมกับ ปัญญาประดิษฐ์ (AI) 🤖 และ Internet of Things (IoT) 🌐 เพื่อเพิ่มความแม่นยำและปรับแต่งการแจ้งเตือนได้ดียิ่งขึ้น 🎯💡

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📌 ปล.

Cell Broadcast เป็นเทคโนโลยีแจ้งเตือนที่ทรงพลังและมีบทบาทสำคัญในการช่วยชีวิตผู้คน 🚑 ด้วยความสามารถในการส่งข้อความได้อย่างรวดเร็ว ครอบคลุมพื้นที่กว้าง และไม่ต้องพึ่งพาอินเทอร์เน็ต จึงเป็นหนึ่งในเครื่องมือสำคัญสำหรับการบริหารจัดการภัยพิบัติในปัจจุบันและอนาคต 🔥

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CellBroadcast #แจ้งเตือนภัย #เทคโนโลยีสื่อสาร #ภัยพิบัติ #เครือข่ายมือถือ #การสื่อสารฉุกเฉิน #เตือนภัยล่วงหน้า

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originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/928470

@ bdf3f01a:d9c40970

Abstract:

This paper presents a rigorous and critical examination of the Winter Vigil of XLII.II at Sapelo, a pivotal rite within the Lowcountry Freehold that serves as both an initiation into communal responsibility and a symbolic enactment of the Compact’s moral tenets. This analysis interrogates the ritual’s structure, emphasizing its role in perpetuating a resilient sociocultural order amid external collapse. Through a multidisciplinary approach combining historiographical analysis, cultural anthropology, and sociocultural theory, this study elucidates the Vigil’s function as a mechanism for moral continuity, thereby situating it within the broader discourse of post-collapse societal stabilization. The implications of this study underscore the profound interconnectedness between ritual practice and the formation of resilient communal identities.

Introduction:

The Winter Vigil of XLII.II at Sapelo occupies a fundamental position in the cultural historiography of the Lowcountry Freehold. As contemporary scholars, it is imperative to approach this tradition not merely as an artifact of ritualistic antiquity but as a dynamic process of cultural preservation. The Freehold’s commitment to integrating tradition with pragmatism, especially through the stewardship of The Veil, constitutes a critical adaptive strategy that sustained sociopolitical coherence through epochs of external fragmentation. This study aims to critically examine the Vigil as both a symbolic and practical reinforcement of the Compact’s ethos, with particular attention to how this ritual facilitated intergenerational continuity of moral and social values, ultimately shaping the robust communal identity that defines contemporary Freehold society.

The Veil as Cultural Custodian:

The Veil, emerging from the post-collapse adaptation of preexisting religious and cultural practices, evolved into a matriarchal order central to maintaining the Freehold’s ethical architecture. This evolution was characterized not by rigid preservation but by adaptive synthesis, wherein ceremonial gravitas was merged with pragmatic domestic guidance. The Veil functioned as a moral custodian, particularly within the familial sphere, where its influence was most profoundly exercised. Veilmother Cordelia’s role during the Winter Vigil exemplifies this dual function of leadership and philosophical stewardship, as her guidance articulated not only the ritual's procedural elements but also the embedded moral philosophy that would shape the initiates' worldview.

Ritual Dynamics and Symbolism:

The Winter Vigil is fundamentally an enactment of moral endurance, wherein the initiate’s voluntary approach to the brazier represents an acceptance of communal responsibility through individual fortitude. The design of the ritual deliberately positions physical endurance as a metaphor for moral resilience, encapsulating the Freehold’s conviction that true strength is inherently silent and steadfast. As the initiate moves toward the brazier, kneeling in proximity to the flame, the act becomes a performative affirmation of the Compact’s call for measured, principled strength rather than ostentatious assertion. The structured progression from the outer circle to the brazier symbolizes a journey from collective dependency to personal sovereignty, reflecting the Compact's ethos that leadership is merited through tested perseverance.

The Copper Plate Rite:

The Copper Plate Rite, integral to the Vigil, embodies the transformative philosophy of the Freehold. The heated copper plate, inscribed with the flame symbol and lifted from ashes, is held aloft despite discomfort, symbolizing the embrace of hardship as an essential component of sovereignty. The fleeting burn, leaving a transient mark, underscores the philosophical assertion that genuine resilience is born of confronting and integrating suffering, rather than circumventing it. This rite functions not merely as a test of physical tolerance but as a pedagogical imprinting of the Freehold’s ethos—an allegory of death and rebirth integral to personal and communal maturation.

Symbolic Implications and Societal Continuity:

The deliberate imposition of discomfort during the Vigil underscores a fundamental tenet of Freehold philosophy: suffering, when purposefully endured, refines the individual and, by extension, fortifies the community. The Copper Plate Rite exemplifies the doctrine that hardship, when faced with deliberate resolve, engenders moral clarity. This paradigm of voluntary suffering as a crucible for leadership remains a cornerstone of the Freehold’s ideological framework, fostering a collective ethos rooted in patient perseverance rather than impulsive dominance. Furthermore, the initiation rite serves as a microcosm of the Freehold's broader sociocultural ethos, where personal sacrifice is inextricably linked to communal stability.

Interpretive Analysis:

Current historiographical interpretations often err by neglecting the interconnectedness of the Vigil with broader sociopolitical dynamics. By isolating the rite as a mere ceremonial endurance, scholars risk overlooking its function as a structured pedagogical tool for inculcating moral resilience. This study posits that the Vigil, far from being a vestigial tradition, actively cultivated a pragmatic ethic of endurance that proved crucial in the Freehold’s sustained sociocultural coherence. This coherence, rooted in ritual reinforcement of moral tenets, enabled the Freehold to navigate existential threats without succumbing to internal decay.

Cultural and Societal Implications:

The enduring significance of the Winter Vigil lies in its dual function as both a rite of passage and a communal reaffirmation of the Freehold’s meritocratic principles. By fostering individual accountability within a collective moral framework, the Vigil reinforced the Compact’s foundational premise that leadership is merited through demonstrated resilience. The integration of personal trial into communal identity formation exemplifies how the Freehold maintained its internal stability despite external societal fragmentation. This ritual, therefore, is not merely commemorative but constitutive of the Freehold's enduring cultural legacy.

Conclusion:

The Winter Vigil of XLII.II at Sapelo remains a paradigmatic example of ritual as a vehicle for social continuity within the Lowcountry Freehold. Its deliberate amalgamation of symbolic endurance with moral instruction illustrates the Freehold’s adaptive strategy of embedding philosophical imperatives within lived tradition. As modern scholars, it is incumbent upon us to engage with these practices not merely as remnants of a bygone era but as foundational elements that cultivated the durable sociocultural ethos underpinning our current stability.

References:

1. Vance, C. (Epoch LII). "The Compact and Cultural Continuity: An Oral History." Archive of Freehold Studies, Emberwell Hall.

2. Harlowe, E. (Epoch LX). "The Flamekeepers: Guardians of Tradition." Journal of Sociocultural Persistence, Vol. 22, pp. 45-72.

3. Morgan, T. (Epoch LXV). "Endurance Through Ritual: The Role of The Veil in Cultural Preservation." Lowcountry Academic Press.

4. Cordelia, V. (Epoch XLII). "Reflections on the Flame: An Instructional Account." Collected Teachings of The Veil.

5. Emberwell Institute (Epoch XC). "The Evolution of Freehold Rites: From Custom to Philosophy." Advanced Studies in Cultural Integration.

## Title: Ritual as Continuity: An Analysis of the Winter Vigil of XLII.II at Sapelo

### Epoch XLII - Circle of Maidens

#### Abstract:

This paper presents a rigorous and critical examination of the Winter Vigil of XLII.II at Sapelo, a pivotal rite within the Lowcountry Freehold that serves as both an initiation into communal responsibility and a symbolic enactment of the Compact’s moral tenets. This analysis interrogates the ritual’s structure, emphasizing its role in perpetuating a resilient sociocultural order amid external collapse. Through a multidisciplinary approach combining historiographical analysis, cultural anthropology, and sociocultural theory, this study elucidates the Vigil’s function as a mechanism for moral continuity, thereby situating it within the broader discourse of post-collapse societal stabilization. The implications of this study underscore the profound interconnectedness between ritual practice and the formation of resilient communal identities.

#### Introduction:

The Winter Vigil of XLII.II at Sapelo occupies a fundamental position in the cultural historiography of the Lowcountry Freehold. As contemporary scholars, it is imperative to approach this tradition not merely as an artifact of ritualistic antiquity but as a dynamic process of cultural preservation. The Freehold’s commitment to integrating tradition with pragmatism, especially through the stewardship of The Veil, constitutes a critical adaptive strategy that sustained sociopolitical coherence through epochs of external fragmentation. This study aims to critically examine the Vigil as both a symbolic and practical reinforcement of the Compact’s ethos, with particular attention to how this ritual facilitated intergenerational continuity of moral and social values, ultimately shaping the robust communal identity that defines contemporary Freehold society.

#### The Veil as Cultural Custodian:

The Veil, emerging from the post-collapse adaptation of preexisting religious and cultural practices, evolved into a matriarchal order central to maintaining the Freehold’s ethical architecture. This evolution was characterized not by rigid preservation but by adaptive synthesis, wherein ceremonial gravitas was merged with pragmatic domestic guidance. The Veil functioned as a moral custodian, particularly within the familial sphere, where its influence was most profoundly exercised. Veilmother Cordelia’s role during the Winter Vigil exemplifies this dual function of leadership and philosophical stewardship, as her guidance articulated not only the ritual's procedural elements but also the embedded moral philosophy that would shape the initiates' worldview.

#### Ritual Dynamics and Symbolism:

The Winter Vigil is fundamentally an enactment of moral endurance, wherein the initiate’s voluntary approach to the brazier represents an acceptance of communal responsibility through individual fortitude. The design of the ritual deliberately positions physical endurance as a metaphor for moral resilience, encapsulating the Freehold’s conviction that true strength is inherently silent and steadfast. As the initiate moves toward the brazier, kneeling in proximity to the flame, the act becomes a performative affirmation of the Compact’s call for measured, principled strength rather than ostentatious assertion. The structured progression from the outer circle to the brazier symbolizes a journey from collective dependency to personal sovereignty, reflecting the Compact's ethos that leadership is merited through tested perseverance.

#### The Copper Plate Rite:

The Copper Plate Rite, integral to the Vigil, embodies the transformative philosophy of the Freehold. The heated copper plate, inscribed with the flame symbol and lifted from ashes, is held aloft despite discomfort, symbolizing the embrace of hardship as an essential component of sovereignty. The fleeting burn, leaving a transient mark, underscores the philosophical assertion that genuine resilience is born of confronting and integrating suffering, rather than circumventing it. This rite functions not merely as a test of physical tolerance but as a pedagogical imprinting of the Freehold’s ethos—an allegory of death and rebirth integral to personal and communal maturation.

#### Symbolic Implications and Societal Continuity:

The deliberate imposition of discomfort during the Vigil underscores a fundamental tenet of Freehold philosophy: suffering, when purposefully endured, refines the individual and, by extension, fortifies the community. The Copper Plate Rite exemplifies the doctrine that hardship, when faced with deliberate resolve, engenders moral clarity. This paradigm of voluntary suffering as a crucible for leadership remains a cornerstone of the Freehold’s ideological framework, fostering a collective ethos rooted in patient perseverance rather than impulsive dominance. Furthermore, the initiation rite serves as a microcosm of the Freehold's broader sociocultural ethos, where personal sacrifice is inextricably linked to communal stability.

#### Interpretive Analysis:

Current historiographical interpretations often err by neglecting the interconnectedness of the Vigil with broader sociopolitical dynamics. By isolating the rite as a mere ceremonial endurance, scholars risk overlooking its function as a structured pedagogical tool for inculcating moral resilience. This study posits that the Vigil, far from being a vestigial tradition, actively cultivated a pragmatic ethic of endurance that proved crucial in the Freehold’s sustained sociocultural coherence. This coherence, rooted in ritual reinforcement of moral tenets, enabled the Freehold to navigate existential threats without succumbing to internal decay.

#### Cultural and Societal Implications:

The enduring significance of the Winter Vigil lies in its dual function as both a rite of passage and a communal reaffirmation of the Freehold’s meritocratic principles. By fostering individual accountability within a collective moral framework, the Vigil reinforced the Compact’s foundational premise that leadership is merited through demonstrated resilience. The integration of personal trial into communal identity formation exemplifies how the Freehold maintained its internal stability despite external societal fragmentation. This ritual, therefore, is not merely commemorative but constitutive of the Freehold's enduring cultural legacy.

#### Conclusion:

The Winter Vigil of XLII.II at Sapelo remains a paradigmatic example of ritual as a vehicle for social continuity within the Lowcountry Freehold. Its deliberate amalgamation of symbolic endurance with moral instruction illustrates the Freehold’s adaptive strategy of embedding philosophical imperatives within lived tradition. As modern scholars, it is incumbent upon us to engage with these practices not merely as remnants of a bygone era but as foundational elements that cultivated the durable sociocultural ethos underpinning our current stability.

#### References:

1. Vance, C. (Epoch LII). "The Compact and Cultural Continuity: An Oral History." Archive of Freehold Studies, Emberwell Hall.
2. Harlowe, E. (Epoch LX). "The Flamekeepers: Guardians of Tradition." Journal of Sociocultural Persistence, Vol. 22, pp. 45-72.
3. Morgan, T. (Epoch LXV). "Endurance Through Ritual: The Role of The Veil in Cultural Preservation." Lowcountry Academic Press.
4. Cordelia, V. (Epoch XLII). "Reflections on the Flame: An Instructional Account." Collected Teachings of The Veil.
5. Emberwell Institute (Epoch XC). "The Evolution of Freehold Rites: From Custom to Philosophy." Advanced Studies in Cultural Integration.

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

YakiHonne: I'm excited to be joined by our guest Piccolo—thank you very much for being here. Before we dive in, I'd like to briefly introduce YakiHonne. YakiHonne is a decentralized media client built on the Nostr protocol, leveraging technology to enable freedom of speech. It empowers creators to fully own their voice and assets while offering innovative tools such as Smart widget , Verified Notes, and support for long-form content. Today, we’re not just discussing YakiHonne, but also diving into your community. Piccolo, could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your community?

Piccolo:Hi, I'm Piccolo. I run BO฿ Space in Bangkok, and we also have a satellite location called the BO฿ Space corner in Chiang Mai, thanks to the Bitcoin Learning Center. Piccolo:Regarding my background，I originally came from corporate finance and investment banking. I was in that field for about 20 years, with the last 15 spent running my own firm in corporate finance advisory alongside a couple of partners. We eventually sold the advisory business in 2015, took a short break, and in 2016, I ended up launching a fintech company, which is still operational today. The company specializes in equity crowdfunding and is licensed by the SEC in Thailand. Piccolo:I first bought Bitcoin a few years before truly understanding it, initially thinking it was a scam that would eventually collapse. However, in 2017, the block size wars demonstrated the protocol’s strong resistance to attacks on decentralization, which deeply impacted me. By late 2018 or early 2019, I started to really grasp Bitcoin and kept learning. Then, in mid-2022, after having fully fallen down the Bitcoin rabbit hole, I founded BO฿ Space. It was right after COVID, and since the fintech had scaled down, there was extra space. We started by hosting meetups and technical workshops for people who were interested. Piccolo:In the early years, we had various groups come by—like the team from BDK (Bitcoin Development Kit), who held workshops. The people behind the Bitcoin Beach Wallet, which later became Blink, also visited. So, BO฿ Space initially functioned as a meetup and technical workshop space. Eventually, we launched the BOB Builders Residency program, which was a lot of fun. We secured grant funding for developers under different cohort themes, so that they can collaborate and co-work for a few months. So far, we have completed three cohorts.

YakiHonne:How did your community get started, and what did you do to attract new members in the beginning?

Piccolo:The initial members came through word of mouth and invitations that I sent out. I reached out to an initial group of Bitcoiners here in the city who I believed were strong maximalists or Bitcoin-only supporters, back when that was still a thing. I sent out 21 invitations and had our first meetup with 21 people, most of whom I had interacted with online, though some in person during the COVID years. From there, it spread by word of mouth, and of course, through Twitter and meetup.com. So, I would say that word of mouth remains the main method of growth. Additionally, when people come through Bangkok and are looking for a Bitcoin-only meetup, there really isn't one available. I believe there are a couple now—maybe two or three—but when we started, there weren’t any, especially not a dedicated Bitcoin-only space. I think we may still be the only one in Bangkok. So yeah, word of mouth was definitely the main way we grew. Bitcoiners tend to share their finds when they meet like-minded people.

YakiHonne:Didn’t you have people in your community who initially thought Bitcoin was a scam, like you did, or face similar issues?

Piccolo:Yes, it still happens, especially when the price of Bitcoin rises. Newcomers still join, and some of them believe Bitcoin might be a scam. However, this has become less frequent. The main reason is that when people come to BO฿ Space, they know it’s a Bitcoin-only meetup. We generally don’t discuss the price; instead, we focus on other aspects of Bitcoin, as there are many interesting developments in the space.

YakiHonne:What advice would you give to someone looking to start or grow a Bitcoin-focused community in today’s world? Considering the current landscape, much like your own experience, what guidance would you offer?

Piccolo:It sounds simple, but just do it. When it comes to community building, you don’t necessarily need a physical space. Community is about people coming together, right? Two people can start a community, then three, four, and so on. Meetups can happen anywhere—your favorite bar, a restaurant, a friend’s garage, or wherever. So, just do it, but make sure you have more than one person, otherwise, how can you build a community? Once you have more than one person, word of mouth will spread. And as you develop a core group—let’s say more than five people—that’s when I think the community can truly sustain itself.

YakiHonne:I know you’ve mentioned the technical side of your community, but I’ll ask anyway—does your community engage with the technical or non-technical aspects of Bitcoin? Or perhaps, is there a blend of both?

Piccolo:I would say both. It really depends on the monthly themes of our meetups. For example, February was focused on Asian communities in Bitcoin. During that month, community leaders came in to give presentations and discuss their work in places like Indonesia, India, and more recently, someone from HRF (Human Rights Foundation) talked about Bitcoin’s use case in Myanmar. Then, in December, we had a very technical month—Mining Month. It was led by our Cohort 3 residents, where we discussed Stratum V2 and had a demo on it. We also examined the Loki board hardware, and Zack took apart the S19, looking at different ways to repurpose the power supply unit, among other things. So, it’s a mix of both, depending on the theme for that month. Some months are very technical, while others are more community-focused and less technical.

YakiHonne:What advice would you give to a technically inclined individual or organization looking to contribute meaningfully to the Bitcoin ecosystem?

Piccolo:For technically inclined individuals, I would suggest identifying your favorite open-source project in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Start from Bitcoin Core and explore different layers, such as Lightning or e-cash, and other open-source projects. As for technically inclined organizations, if you're integrating Bitcoin into your business, I would say, first, make sure you have people within your organization who truly understand Bitcoin. Build a capable team first, and then, depending on the part of the Bitcoin ecosystem you’re involved in—whether it’s custody services, Lightning payments, layer 2, or something like Cashu or Ark—find your niche. From there, your team will work with you to discover ways to contribute. But until you build that capability, organizations are a bit different from individuals in this space.

YakiHonne:How do you see the world of Bitcoin communities evolving as technology matures, particularly in areas like scalability, privacy, and adaptability with other systems?

Piccolo:That's an interesting question. If we think about the future of Bitcoin communities, I believe they may eventually disappear as technology matures. Once Bitcoin scales to a point where it integrates seamlessly with other payment systems, becoming part of the everyday norm, the need for dedicated communities will diminish. It’s similar to how we no longer have meetups about refrigerators or iPhones, even though they are technologies we use every day. As Bitcoin matures, it will likely reach that level of ubiquity. There might still be occasional meetups or forums, but they will be more about specific knowledge, use cases, and tools, rather than a community dedicated to introducing others to the technology itself. However, this is a long way off. Bitcoin is still relatively small compared to the global fiat financial system, despite the growth we want to see. So, it will take a long time before we reach that stage.

YakiHonne:It’s something I hadn’t considered before, and it’s quite insightful. Moving to our last question actually which I find very interesting is the government around you for or against bitcoin and how has That affected the community.

Piccolo:In my opinion, on a general level, the government is more supportive than opposed to Bitcoin. The Thai government classifies Bitcoin as a digital asset, almost like digital gold. In that sense, they want to tax capital gains and regulate it. They also have a regulatory framework for it, known as the Digital Asset Regulatory Sandbox, where you can test various things, mainly coins and tokens. It's unfortunate, but that’s how it is. However, our government, especially the regulatory bodies, are open to innovation. They recognize that Bitcoin is different, but they still view blockchain and tokens as useful technologies, which is somewhat misguided. So, in that sense, it’s more support than opposition. A couple of years ago, there was a circular discouraging the use of Bitcoin as a payment currency, mainly because they can't control its monetary policy. And they’re right—Bitcoin can’t be controlled by anyone; there’re the protocol and the rules, and everyone follows them, unless there’s a hard fork, which is a different matter. So, in that regard, Bitcoin is definitely categorized as a digital asset by the government, and that’s where it stands. Piccolo:People who come to BO฿ Space to learn about Bitcoin are often influenced by the government from the point of price movements; especially when government support moves the price up. But they usually only visit once or twice, especially if they’re not deep into the Bitcoin rabbit hole. They often get disappointed because, at BO฿ Space, we rarely discuss the price—maybe once a year, and that’s just after the meetup when people are having drinks. So, in that sense, I’d say the government currently doesn’t really hurt or help the community either way. People will go down the rabbit hole at their own pace. And if you're not a Bitcoiner and you come to a BO฿ Space meetup with a crypto focus, you might be surprised by the approach we take.

YakiHonne:Thank you, Piccolo, for your time and insights. It’s been a pleasure speaking with you. Your perspective on the evolution of Bitcoin communities was eye-opening. It's clear that your deep understanding of Bitcoin is invaluable. I'm sure our readers will appreciate your insights. Once again, thank you, Piccolo. I look forward to seeing the continued growth of BO฿ Space and Bitcoin adoption.

@ 2183e947:f497b975

Today I was invited to participate in the private beta of a new social media protocol called Pubky, designed by a bitcoin company called Synonym with the goal of being better than existing social media platforms. As a heavy nostr user, I thought I'd write up a comparison.

I can't tell you how to create your own accounts because it was made very clear that only some of the software is currently open source, and how this will all work is still a bit up in the air. The code that is open source can be found here: https://github.com/pubky -- and the most important repo there seems to be this one: https://github.com/pubky/pubky-core

You can also learn more about Pubky here: https://pubky.org/

That said, I used my invite code to create a pubky account and it seemed very similar to onboarding to nostr. I generated a private key, backed up 12 words, and the onboarding website gave me a public key.

Then I logged into a web-based client and it looked a lot like twitter. I saw a feed for posts by other users and saw options to reply to posts and give reactions, which, I saw, included hearts, thumbs up, and other emojis.

Then I investigated a bit deeper to see how much it was like nostr. I opened up my developer console and navigated to my networking tab, where, if this was nostr, I would expect to see queries to relays for posts. Here, though, I saw one query that seemed to be repeated on a loop, which went to a single server and provided it with my pubkey. That single query (well, a series of identical queries to the same server) seemed to return all posts that showed up on my feed. So I infer that the server "knows" what posts to show me (perhaps it has some sort of algorithm, though the marketing material says it does not use algorithms) and the query was on a loop so that if any new posts came in that the server thinks I might want to see, it can add them to my feed.

Then I checked what happens when I create a post. I did so and looked at what happened in my networking tab. If this was nostr, I would expect to see multiple copies of a signed messaged get sent to a bunch of relays. Here, though, I saw one message get sent to the same server that was populating my feed, and that message was not signed, it was a plaintext copy of my message.

I happened to be in a group chat with John Carvalho at the time, who is associated with pubky. I asked him what was going on, and he said that pubky is based around three types of servers: homeservers, DHT servers, and indexer servers. The homeserver is where you create posts and where you query for posts to show on your feed. DHT servers are used for censorship resistance: each user creates an entry on a DHT server saying what homeserver they use, and these entries are signed by their key.

As for indexers, I think those are supposed to speed up the use of the DHT servers. From what I could tell, indexers query DHT servers to find out what homeservers people use. When you query a homeserver for posts, it is supposed to reach out to indexer servers to find out the homeservers of people whose posts the homeserver decided to show you, and then query those homeservers for those posts. I believe they decided not to look up what homeservers people use directly on DHT servers directly because DHT servers are kind of slow, due to having to store and search through all sorts of non-social-media content, whereas indexers only store a simple db that maps each user's pubkey to their homeserver, so they are faster.

Based on all of this info, it seems like, to populate your feed, this is the series of steps:

• you tell your homeserver your pubkey
• it uses some sort of algorithm to decide whose posts to show you
• then looks up the homeservers used by those people on an indexer server
• then it fetches posts from their homeservers
• then your client displays them to you

To create a post, this is the series of steps:

• you tell your homeserver what you want to say to the world
• it stores that message in plaintext and merely asserts that it came from you (it's not signed)
• other people can find out what you said by querying for your posts on your homeserver

Since posts on homeservers are not signed, I asked John what prevents a homeserver from just making up stuff and claiming I said it. He said nothing stops them from doing that, and if you are using a homeserver that starts acting up in that manner, what you should do is start using a new homeserver and update your DHT record to point at your new homeserver instead of the old one. Then, indexers should update their db to show where your new homeserver is, and the homeservers of people who "follow" you should stop pulling content from your old homeserver and start pulling it from your new one. If their homeserver is misbehaving too, I'm not sure what would happen. Maybe it could refuse to show them the content you've posted on your new homeserver, keeping making up fake content on your behalf that you've never posted, and maybe the people you follow would never learn you're being impersonated or have moved to a new homeserver.

John also clarified that there is not currently any tooling for migrating user content from one homeserver to another. If pubky gets popular and a big homeserver starts misbehaving, users will probably need such a tool. But these are early days, so there aren't that many homeservers, and the ones that exist seem to be pretty trusted.

Anyway, those are my initial thoughts on Pubky. Learn more here: https://pubky.org/

@ df06d21e:2b23058f

Imagine a Living Civilization—a new way to see our world. It starts with the Universe’s pillars: Matter, the stuff we’re made of; Energy, the flow that drives us; Physics, the rules we play by; and Chemistry, the complexity that builds us. We know these well. But civilization? That’s our creation—and although it has been described in so many different ways over the years I thought it was time for something new. Civilization has its own pillars, systems that I call the pillars of the Metaverse: Capital, Information, Innovation, and Trust.

Capital is how we measure value. Not just money, but everything that matters: skills, we call that Human Capital; ecosystems, that’s Natural Capital; infrastructure, Public Capital; relationships, Social Capital. Picture a farmer swapping Bitcoin sats for seeds—not fiat debt—or tracking soil health alongside his wallet. Capital is a system, a system of measurement.

Information is how we verify truth. Think IPFS, a network holding real data—climate stats, farming fixes—open to all, not locked up by some corporate gatekeeper. Information is a system of verification.

Innovation is about generating solutions. On GitHub, coders worldwide crank out tools—Nostr clients, solar apps—shared freely, not patented for profit. Innovation is our system of generation.

And Trust—it’s coordination. Nostr’s decentralized threads let communities set trade rules, split resources—governance from the ground up, no overlords required. Trust is our system of coordination.

Right now we’re stuck in debt-based systems—and they’re failing us. Take fiat currency—central banks print it, slashing your purchasing power. Our dollar buys less every year; savings erode while the elite stack their gains. It’s a scam, Bitcoiners know it—fiat’s the real Ponzi bleeding us dry. Capital gets twisted—firms hoard Bitcoin for fiat pumps, not real wealth; governments chase GDP while forests die and skills sit idle. Information is buried—our media spits out spin, our corporations lock truth in silos. Innovation is stalled—debt props up corporate patents, not open wins. Trust is gone—our governance systems consist of top-down control that splits us apart, left to right, top to bottom. Debt just measures scarcity—money borrowed, nature trashed, bonds frayed—and it’s crushing the pillars.

Wealth-based systems promise to turn that around. Bitcoin’s sound money is just the start—sats hold value, not inflate it away. Real capital measures what sustains us—sats fund a cooperative's water pump, not a vault; they track skills taught, land healed, ties rebuilt. Real Information opens up—IPFS logs show ‘biochar boosted yield 20%’, verified by us, not suits. Real Innovation flows—GitHub devs build Lightning hubs, wealth spreads. Real Trust binds us together—Nostr chats align us, no central puppeteer. Wealth based systems strengthen the pillars of the Metaverse, it doesn’t erode them.

We needed a new framing. A new vision of what was, what is, and what could be. We have one. This is real. This is the world we are building. Bitcoin is live, Nostr is growing, IPFS and GitHub are humming. We can see Debt teetering; while real wealth is rising. So, hodlers, maxis, plebs—everyone—what does a true wealth-based system look like? How can we measure Capital beyond fiat’s con job? Bitcoin’s the rock, but it’s just the beginning. How do we build on this, expand it, and transform everything as we build something entirely new?

@ 3e6e0735:9e95c8a2

https://i.nostr.build/lanoHI3p2aCKRZlV.png

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why Bitcoin still feels so misunderstood. Not just by the media or the IMF — that part’s predictable. But even inside our own circles, something's missing.

We say it’s money. We say it’s freedom. We say it’s code. And it is. But when you really zoom out, past the price and the politics, it’s something more radical than we usually admit.

Bitcoin is a shift in how power moves. And what we do with that power now actually matters.

The noise outside

Let’s start with the obvious: the media still doesn’t get it. Every other headline is either a death knell or a celebration depending on the price that day. No context. No nuance. No understanding of what we’re building.

You’ve seen the headlines: - “Bitcoin is crashing again.” - “Crypto bros are killing the planet.” - “The IMF warns: Bitcoin adoption is dangerous.”

Yeah? Dangerous to what?

The system they control. The levers they pull. The old game where the house always wins.

That’s why they’re afraid. Not because Bitcoin is volatile, but because it doesn’t ask permission.

This isn’t about panic — it’s about patterns

I’m not saying there’s a conspiracy. But there is inertia. Institutions protect themselves. Systems reinforce themselves. They were never going to roll out the red carpet for an open, borderless network that replaces their function.

So the IMF calls it a threat. Central banks scramble to launch CBDCs. And journalists keep writing the same shallow takes while ignoring the real story.

Meanwhile, we’re still here. Still building. Still holding. Still running nodes.

Bitcoin isn’t perfect. But it’s honest. It doesn’t bend to popularity or political pressure. It enforces rules with math, not people. And that’s exactly why it works.

Even we miss it sometimes

Here’s the part that really hit me recently: even within Bitcoin, we often undersell what this is.

We talk about savings. Inflation. Fiat debasement. All real, all important.

But what about the broader layer? What about governance? Energy? Communication? Defense?

Jason Lowery’s book Softwar lit that fuse for me again. Not because it’s flawless — it’s not. But because he reframed the game.

Bitcoin isn’t a new weapon. It’s the end of weapons-as-power.

Proof-of-work, in Lowery’s view, is a form of peaceful negotiation. A deterrent against coercion. A way to shift from kinetic violence to computational resolution.

Most people — even many Bitcoiners — haven’t fully absorbed that.

It’s not about militarizing the network. It’s about demilitarizing the world through energy expenditure that replaces human conflict.

Let’s be clear: this doesn’t mean Bitcoin will be used this way. It means it can. And that opens up a few possible futures:

• Scenario A: Smaller nations adopt Bitcoin infrastructure as a shield — a deterrent and neutral layer to build sovereignty
• Scenario B: Superpowers attack mining and self-custody, escalating regulatory capture and fragmenting the open protocol into corporate silos
• Scenario C: Bitcoin becomes the boring backend of legacy finance, its edge neutered by ETFs and custody-as-a-service

Which one wins depends on what we build — and who steps up.

Then I found Maya

I came across Maya Parbhoe’s campaign by accident. One of those late-night rabbit holes where Bitcoin Twitter turns into a global map.

She’s running for president of Suriname. She’s a Bitcoiner. And she’s not just tweeting about it — she’s building an entire political platform around it.

No central bank. Bitcoin as legal tender. Full fiscal transparency. Open-source government.

Yeah. You read that right. Not just open-source software — open-source statehood.

Her father was murdered after exposing corruption. That’s not a talking point. That’s real-life consequence. And instead of running away from systems, she’s choosing to redesign one.

That’s maximalism. Not in ideology. In action.

The El Salvador experiment — and evolution

When El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021, it lit up our feeds. It was bold. Unprecedented. A true first.

But not without flaws.

The rollout was fast. Chivo wallet was centralized. Adoption stalled in rural areas. Transparency was thin. And despite the brave move, the state’s underlying structure remained top-down.

Bukele played offense, but the protocol was wrapped in traditional power.

Maya is doing it differently. Her approach is grassroots-forward. Open-source by design. Focused on education, transparency, and modular state-building — not just mandates.

She’s not using Bitcoin to prop up state power. She’s using it to distribute it.

Maximalism is evolving

Look, I get it. The memes are fun. The laser eyes. The beefsteak meetups. The HODL culture.

But there’s something else growing here. Something a little quieter, a little deeper: - People running nodes to protect civil liberties - Communities using Lightning for real commerce - Builders forging tools for self-sovereign identity - Leaders like Maya testing what Bitcoin can look like as public infrastructure

This is happening. In real time. It’s messy and fragile and still small. But it’s happening.

Let’s also stay honest:

Maximalism has its risks. Dogma can blind us. Toxicity can push people away. And if we’re not careful, we’ll replace one centralization with another — just wearing different memes.

We need less purity, more principles. Less hype, more clarity. That’s the kind of maximalism Maya embodies.

What now?

Maya doesn’t have a VC fund or an ad agency. She has a message, a mission, and the courage to put Bitcoin on the ballot.

If that resonates, help her. Not just by donating — though here’s the link:

https://geyser.fund/project/maya2025

But by sharing. Writing. Talking. Translating. Connecting.

Bitcoin is still early. But it’s not abstract anymore.

This isn’t just theory.

It’s a protocol, sure. But now, maybe it’s a presidency too.

https://i.nostr.build/0luYy8ojK7gkxsuL.png

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35

Preko is a charming seaside town on Ugljan Island, just a short ferry ride from Zadar. Known for its beautiful beaches, relaxed atmosphere, and stunning views of the Adriatic, it's the perfect place to experience authentic Dalmatian island life.

🌊 Top Things to See & Do in Preko

1️⃣ Swim at Jaz Beach 🏖️

• A Blue Flag beach with clear turquoise waters and soft pebbles.
• Ideal for families thanks to its shallow waters.
• Nearby cafés and restaurants make it a great spot to spend the day.

2️⃣ Visit the Islet of Galevac 🏝️

• A tiny island just 80 meters from Preko, reachable by swimming or a short boat ride.
• Home to a 15th-century Franciscan monastery, surrounded by lush greenery.
• A peaceful retreat, perfect for relaxation.

3️⃣ Hike to St. Michael’s Fortress (Sv. Mihovil) 🏰

• A medieval fortress from the 13th century with breathtaking panoramic views.
• Overlooks Zadar, Kornati Islands, and the Adriatic Sea.
• A 1-hour scenic hike from Preko or accessible by bike or car.

4️⃣ Explore the Local Taverns & Seafood Restaurants 🍽️

• Try fresh seafood, octopus salad, and Dalmatian peka (slow-cooked meat & vegetables).
• Best spots: Konoba Roko (authentic seafood) & Vile Dalmacija (beachfront dining).

5️⃣ Rent a Bike or Scooter 🚲

• Explore Ugljan Island’s olive groves, hidden coves, and coastal paths.
• Visit nearby villages like Kali and Kukljica for more local charm.

6️⃣ Take a Day Trip to Zadar ⛵

• Just 25 minutes by ferry, Zadar offers historic landmarks, the Sea Organ, and Roman ruins.
• Perfect for a cultural excursion before returning to the peaceful island.

🚗 How to Get to Preko

🚢 By Ferry:
- From Zadar: Regular ferries (Jadrolinija) take ~25 minutes.
🚘 By Car:
- If driving, take the ferry from Zadar to Preko and explore the island.
🚴 By Bike:
- Many visitors rent bikes to explore Ugljan Island’s coastal roads.

💡 Tips for Visiting Preko

✅ Best time to visit? May–September for warm weather & swimming 🌞
✅ Ferry schedules – Check times in advance, especially in the off-season ⏳
✅ Bring cash – Some smaller taverns and cafés may not accept cards 💰
✅ Stay for sunset – The views over Zadar from Preko’s waterfront are stunning 🌅

Would you like hotel recommendations, hidden beaches, or other island activities? 😊

@ fe9e99a0:5123e9a8

What’s happening?

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35

Krka National Park, located in central Dalmatia, is one of Croatia’s most breathtaking natural wonders. Famous for its stunning waterfalls, crystal-clear lakes, and lush forests, the park is a must-visit for nature lovers. Unlike Plitvice Lakes, Krka allows swimming in certain areas, making it a perfect summer escape.

🌊 Top Things to See & Do in Krka National Park

1️⃣ Skradinski Buk Waterfall 💦

• The largest and most famous waterfall in the park, with cascading pools and wooden walkways.
• You used to be able to swim here, but since 2021, swimming is no longer allowed.
• Perfect for photography and picnics.

2️⃣ Roški Slap Waterfall 🌿

• A less crowded but equally beautiful series of waterfalls.
• Known for its "necklace" of small cascades leading into the main fall.
• Nearby Mlinica, a restored watermill, shows traditional Croatian life.

3️⃣ Visovac Island & Monastery 🏝️

• A tiny island in the middle of the Krka River, home to a Franciscan monastery from the 15th century.
• Accessible by boat tour from Skradinski Buk or Roški Slap.
• A peaceful, scenic spot with stunning views of the lake.

4️⃣ Krka Monastery 🏛️

• A Serbian Orthodox monastery hidden deep in the park.
• Built on ancient Roman catacombs, which you can explore.
• A quiet, spiritual place, often overlooked by tourists.

5️⃣ Hike & Walk the Nature Trails 🥾

• The park has several well-marked trails through forests, waterfalls, and lakes.
• Wooden walkways allow easy access to the main sights.
• Wildlife spotting: Look out for otters, turtles, and over 200 bird species!

6️⃣ Swim at Skradin Beach 🏖️

• While you can’t swim at Skradinski Buk anymore, Skradin Beach, just outside the park, is a great spot for a dip.
• Kayaking and boat tours available.

🚗 How to Get to Krka National Park

✈️ By Air: The nearest airport is Split (SPU), 1 hour away.
🚘 By Car:
- Split to Krka: ~1 hour (85 km)
- Zadar to Krka: ~1 hour (75 km)
- Dubrovnik to Krka: ~3.5 hours (280 km)
🚌 By Bus: Direct buses from Split, Zadar, and Šibenik to the park’s entrances.
🚢 By Boat: From Skradin, you can take a boat ride into the park.

💡 Tips for Visiting Krka National Park

✅ Best time to visit? Spring & early autumn (April–June, September–October) – Fewer crowds & mild weather 🍃
✅ Start early! Arrive before 10 AM to avoid crowds, especially in summer ☀️
✅ Bring water & snacks – Limited food options inside the park 🍎
✅ Wear comfy shoes – Wooden walkways & trails can be slippery 👟
✅ Take a boat tour – The best way to see Visovac Island & hidden spots ⛵
✅ Buy tickets online – Save time at the entrance 🎟️

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

It's Finally here Stackers!

It's Friday!

We're about to kick off our weekends with some feel good tracks.

Let's get the party started. Bring me those Feel Good tracks.

Let's get it!

https://youtu.be/r1ATFedwjnk?si=tPtLac6ExYZCx3Ez

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/928119

@ 3c389c8f:7a2eff7f

There is a new web being built on Nostr. At it's core, is a social experience paralleled by no other decentralized protocol. Nostr not only solves the problems of siloed relationships, third-party identity ownership, and algorithmic content control; it makes possible a ubiquitous social network across almost anything imaginable. User controlled identity, open data, and verifiable social graphs allow us to redefine trust on the web. We can interact with each other and online content in ways that have previously only been pipedreams. Nostr is not just social media, it is the web made social.

Interoperability

The client/relay relationship on Nostr allows for almost endless data exchange between various apps, clients, relays, and users. If any two things are willing to speak the same sub-protocol(s) within Nostr, they can exchange data. Making a friend list enables that list to be used in any other place that chooses to make it available. Creating a relay to serve an algorithmic social feed makes that feed viewable in any client that displays social feeds. Health data held by a patient can be shared with any care provider, verified by their system, and vice versa. This is the point where I have to acknowledge my own tech-deaf limitations and direct you towards nostr.com for more information.

Data Resiliency

I prefer to use the term resiliency here, because its really a mix of data redundancy and self-managed data that creates broad availability. Relays may host 10, 20, 30+ copies of your notes in different locations, but you also have no assurance that those relays will hosts those notes forever. An individual operating their own relay, while also connecting to the wider network, ensures resiliency in events such that wide swaths of the network should disappear or collude against an individual. The simplicity of relay management makes it possible for nearly anyone to make sure that they have a way to convey their messages to their individual network, whether that be close contacts, an audience, or one individual. This resiliency doesn't just apply to typical speech, it applies to any data intended to be shared amongst humans and machines alike.

Pseudonymity and Anonymity

With privacy encroachment from corporations, advertisers, and governments reaching all time highs, the need for identity protecting tools is also on the rise. Nostr utilizes public key encryption for its identity system. As there is no central entity to "verify" you, there is no need to expose any personal identifiable information to any Nostr app, client, or relay. You can protect your personal identity by simply choosing not to expose it. Your reputation will build as you interact with others on the Nostr network. Your social capital can speak for itself. (As with everything else, utilizing a VPN is recommended.)

Identity and Provability

No one can stop an impersonator from trying to hijack an identity. With Nostr, you CAN prove that you are you, though, which is basically the same as saying "that person is not me" Every note you write, every action you take, is cryptographically signed by your private key. As long as you maintain control of that key, you can prove what you did or did not do.

Censorship Resistance

If you have read our Relay Rundown then you probably get the idea. If not here's the tl;dr: Many small, lightweight relays make up Nostr's distribution system. They are simple enough that anyone can run one. They are redundant enough that you can be almost certain your content exists somewhere. If that is not peace of mind enough, you can run your own with ease. Censorship resistance isn't counting on one company, man, or server to protect what you say. It is taking control of your speech. Nostr makes it easy.

Freedom of Mind and Association

Nostr eliminates the need for company run algorithms that high-jack your attention to feed the advertising industry. You are free to choose your social media experience. Nostr's DVMs, curations, and conversation-centered relays offer discovery mechanisms run by any number of providers. That could be an individual, a company, a group, or you. Many clients incorporate different ways of engaging with these corporate algorithm alternatives. You can also choose to keep a purely chronological feed of the the things and people you follow. Exploring Nostr through its many apps opens up a the freedom to choose what and how you feed your mind.

When we are able to explore, we end up surrounding ourselves with people who share our interests & hobbies. We find friends. This creates distance between ideologies and stark beliefs that often are used as the basis for the term "being in a bubble". Instead of bubbling off, an infinitely open space of thoughts and ideas allows for groups to gather naturally. In this way, we can choose not to block ourselves off from opposing views but to simply distance ourselves from them.

Nostr's relay system also allows for the opposite. Tight-knit communities can create a space for its members to socialize and exchange information with minimal interference from any outside influence. By setting up their own relays with strict rules, the members can utilize one identity to interact within a community or across the broader social network.

@ 0d6c8388:46488a33

Huge thank you to OpenSats for the grant to work on Hypernote this year! I thought I'd take this opportunity to try and share my thought processes for Hypernote. If this all sounds very dense or irrelevant to you I'm sorry!

===

How can the ideas of "hypermedia" benefit nostr? That's the goal of hypernote. To take the best ideas from "hypertext" and "hypercard" and "hypermedia systems" and apply them to nostr in a specifically nostr-ey way.

1. What do we mean by hypermedia

A hypermedia document embeds the methods of interaction (links, forms, and buttons are the most well-known hypermedia controls) within the document itself. It's including the how with the what.

This is how the old web worked. An HTML page was delivered to the web browser, and it included in it a link or perhaps a form that could be submitted to obtain a new, different HTML page. This is how the whole web worked early on! Forums and GeoCities and eBay and MySpace and Yahoo! and Amazon and Google all emerged inside this paradigm.

A web browser in this paradigm was a "thin" client which rendered the "thick" application defined in the HTML (and, implicitly, was defined by the server that would serve that HTML).

Contrast this with modern app development, where the what is usually delivered in the form of JSON, and then HTML combined with JavaScript (React, Svelte, Angular, Vue, etc.) is devised to render that JSON as a meaningful piece of hypermedia within the actual browser, the how.

The browser remains a "thin" client in this scenario, but now the application is delivered in two stages: a client application of HTML and JavaScript, and then the actual JSON data that will hydrate that "application".

(Aside: it's interesting how much "thicker" the browser has had to become to support this newer paradigm!)

Nostr was obviously built in line with the modern paradigm: nostr "clients" (written in React or Svelte or as mobile apps) define the how of reading and creating nostr events, while nostr events themselves (JSON data) simply describe the what.

And so the goal with Hypernote is to square this circle somehow: nostr currently delivers JSON what, how do we deliver the how with nostr as well. Is that even possible?

2. Hypernote's design assumptions

Hypernote assumes that hypermedia over nostr is a good idea! I'm expecting some joyful renaissance of app expression similar to that of the web once we figure out how to express applications in a truly "nostr" way.

Hypernote was also deeply inspired by HTMX, so it assumes that building web apps in the HTMX style is a good idea. The HTMX insight is that instead of shipping rich scripting along with your app, you could simply make HTML a tiny bit more expressive and get 95% of what most apps need. HTMX's additions to the HTML language are designed to be as minimal and composable as possible, and Hypernote should have the same aims.

Hypernote also assumes that the "design" of nostr will remain fluid and anarchic for years to come. There will be no "canonical" list of "required" NIPs that we'll have "consensus" on in order to build stable UIs on top of. Hypernote will need to be built responsive to nostr's moods and seasons, rather than one holy spec.

Hypernote likes the nak command line tool. Hypernote likes markdown. Hypernote likes Tailwind CSS. Hypernote likes SolidJS. Hypernote likes cold brew coffee. Hypernote is, to be perfectly honest, my aesthetic preferences applied to my perception of an opportunity in the nostr ecosystem.

3. "What's a hypernote?"

Great question. I'm still figuring this out. Everything right now is subject to change in order to make sure hypernote serves its intended purpose.

But here's where things currently stand:

A hypernote is a flat list of "Hypernote Elements". A Hypernote Element is composed of:

1. CONTENT. Static or dynamic content. (the what)
2. LOGIC. Filters and events (the how)
3. STYLE. Optional, inline style information specific to this element's content.

In the most basic example of a hypernote story, here's a lone "edit me" in the middle of the canvas:

{ "id": "fb4aaed4-bf95-4353-a5e1-0bb64525c08f", "type": "text", "text": "edit me", "x": 540, "y": 960, "size": "md", "color": "black" }

As you can see, it has no logic, but it does have some content (the text "edit me") and style (the position, size, and color).

Here's a "sticker" that displays a note:

{ "id": "2cd1ef51-3356-408d-b10d-2502cbb8014e", "type": "sticker", "stickerType": "note", "filter": { "kinds": [ 1 ], "ids": [ "92de77507a361ab2e20385d98ff00565aaf3f80cf2b6d89c0343e08166fed931" ], "limit": 1 }, "accessors": [ "content", "pubkey", "created_at" ], "x": 540, "y": 960, "associatedData": {} }

As you can see, it's kind of a mess! The content and styling and underdeveloped for this "sticker", but at least it demonstrates some "logic": a nostr filter for getting its data.

Here's another sticker, this one displays a form that the user can interact with to SEND a note. Very hyper of us!

{ "id": "42240d75-e998-4067-b8fa-9ee096365663", "type": "sticker", "stickerType": "prompt", "filter": {}, "accessors": [], "x": 540, "y": 960, "associatedData": { "promptText": "What's your favorite color?" }, "methods": { "comment": { "description": "comment", "eventTemplate": { "kind": 1111, "content": "${content}", "tags": [ [ "E", "${eventId}", "", "${pubkey}" ], [ "K", "${eventKind}" ], [ "P", "${pubkey}" ], [ "e", "${eventId}", "", "${pubkey}" ], [ "k", "${eventKind}" ], [ "p", "${pubkey}" ] ] } } } }

It's also a mess, but it demos the other part of "logic": methods which produce new events.

This is the total surface of hypernote, ideally! Static or dynamic content, simple inline styles, and logic for fetching and producing events.

I'm calling it "logic" but it's purposfully not a whole scripting language. At most we'll have some sort of jq-like language for destructing the relevant piece of data we want.

My ideal syntax for a hypernote as a developer will look something like

```foo.hypernote Nak-like logic

Markdown-like content

CSS-like styles ```

But with JSON as the compile target, this can just be my own preference, there can be other (likely better!) ways of authoring this content, such as a Hypernote Stories GUI.

The end

I know this is all still vague but I wanted to get some ideas out in the wild so people understand the through line of my different Hypernote experiments. I want to get the right amount of "expressivity" in Hypernote before it gets locked down into one spec. My hunch is it can be VERY expressive while remaining simple and also while not needing a whole scripting language bolted onto it. If I can't pull it off I'll let you know.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

In an audacious display of confidence, Bitcoin traders have recently committed $20 million to a $200K call option, a move that has reignited discussions about the cryptocurrency's potential and the broader market's appetite for risk. This development is set against a backdrop of increasing activity within the cryptocurrency options market, particularly on platforms like Deribit, where total open interest in Bitcoin options has reached unprecedented levels. This article explores the nuances of this strategic wager, examines the resurgence of investor enthusiasm, and contemplates the future implications for Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market at large.

Table of Contents

• A Surge in Market Activity

• The Bold Bet on Bitcoin's Future

• Implications of the $200K Call Option

  • Increased Market Volatility

  • Renewed Investor Confidence

  • Speculative Interest and Market Dynamics

• Looking Ahead: Bitcoin's Market Prospects

• Conclusion

• FAQs

A Surge in Market Activity

The cryptocurrency options market has experienced a significant uptick in activity, with Bitcoin and Ethereum options achieving record-breaking open interest figures. On Deribit, Bitcoin options open interest has soared to a staggering $20.4 billion, eclipsing the previous high of $14.36 billion seen in October 2021. Concurrently, Ethereum options open interest has also reached a historic peak of $11.66 billion. This pronounced increase in market activity is indicative of a growing interest among traders to either hedge their positions against potential price fluctuations or to speculate on the future price movements of these leading cryptocurrencies. The surge in options trading volume reflects a broader trend of maturation within the cryptocurrency market, as sophisticated financial instruments become increasingly utilized by a diverse array of market participants, from individual investors to large institutional players.

The Bold Bet on Bitcoin's Future

The decision by traders to allocate $20 million to a $200K call option for Bitcoin represents a significant vote of confidence in the cryptocurrency's future price trajectory. This high-stakes gamble suggests that a segment of the market is not only optimistic about Bitcoin's potential to breach the $200,000 threshold but is also willing to back this belief with substantial financial commitment. Such a move is emblematic of the "animal spirits" returning to the cryptocurrency market—a term coined by economist John Maynard Keynes to describe the instinctive human emotion that drives consumer confidence and investment decisions. This resurgence of speculative fervor and risk-taking behavior is a testament to the enduring allure of Bitcoin as an asset class that continues to captivate the imagination of investors, despite its history of volatility and regulatory challenges.

Implications of the $200K Call Option

The substantial investment in the $200K call option carries several implications for the Bitcoin market and the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem:

Increased Market Volatility

The focus on high strike price options could introduce heightened volatility into the Bitcoin market. As traders position themselves to capitalize on potential price movements, the market may witness more pronounced fluctuations. This environment of increased volatility underscores the speculative nature of cryptocurrency trading and the high-risk, high-reward strategies employed by some market participants. It also highlights the need for investors to approach the market with caution, armed with a thorough understanding of the underlying risks and a clear investment strategy.

Renewed Investor Confidence

The bold wager on the $200K call option reflects a significant resurgence in investor confidence in Bitcoin's long-term prospects. Following periods of market downturns and regulatory uncertainty, this move signals a renewed conviction in the fundamental value proposition of Bitcoin as a pioneering digital asset. It represents a collective belief in the cryptocurrency's ability to not only recover from past setbacks but to chart new territories in terms of price and market capitalization. This renewed investor confidence may serve as a catalyst for further investment in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, potentially driving up prices and encouraging more widespread adoption.

Speculative Interest and Market Dynamics

The commitment to the $200K call option highlights the continued influence of speculative interest on the cryptocurrency market's dynamics. It illustrates how speculation, driven by the prospect of outsized returns, remains a central force shaping market trends and price trajectories. This speculative interest, while contributing to market liquidity and price discovery, also introduces an element of unpredictability. It underscores the complex interplay between market sentiment, investor behavior, and external economic factors that collectively determine the direction of the cryptocurrency market.

Looking Ahead: Bitcoin's Market Prospects

The strategic bet on the $200K call option, amidst a backdrop of increasing options market activity, paints a complex picture of Bitcoin's future. While the move signals optimism and a willingness among investors to engage in high-risk speculation, it also raises questions about the sustainability of such bullish sentiment. As Bitcoin continues to navigate the evolving landscape of digital finance, the interplay between speculative interest, regulatory developments, and technological advancements will be critical in shaping its future trajectory. The cryptocurrency market's inherent volatility and unpredictability necessitate a cautious approach from investors, emphasizing the importance of risk management and long-term strategic planning.

Conclusion

Bitcoin's latest foray into high-stakes speculation, marked by the $20 million lock on the $200K call option, is a vivid illustration of the cryptocurrency's enduring appeal and the market's appetite for risk. This development not only reflects a bullish outlook on Bitcoin's price potential but also signals a broader resurgence of investor enthusiasm and speculative activity within the cryptocurrency market. As we look to the future, the outcomes of such bold moves will undoubtedly influence the trajectory of Bitcoin and the digital asset landscape at large. Whether Bitcoin will reach the lofty heights of $200,000 remains to be seen, but its journey there will be closely watched by traders, investors, and regulators alike, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of speculative markets and the evolving role of cryptocurrencies in the global financial ecosystem.

FAQs

What does locking $20 million in a $200K call option mean for Bitcoin? Locking $20 million in a $200K call option indicates that traders are betting a significant amount of money on Bitcoin reaching or surpassing $200,000. It reflects a bullish outlook on Bitcoin's future price and a resurgence of speculative interest in the cryptocurrency market.

How does the surge in Bitcoin options market activity affect the cryptocurrency? The surge in Bitcoin options market activity, with record open interest, increases market liquidity and can lead to heightened volatility. It also signifies growing interest and participation in the cryptocurrency market, potentially influencing Bitcoin's price dynamics.

What are the implications of increased market volatility for Bitcoin investors? Increased market volatility can lead to larger price swings, presenting both opportunities and risks for investors. While it may offer the potential for higher returns, it also increases the risk of losses. Investors should approach the market with caution and consider their risk tolerance and investment strategy.

Why are investors optimistic about Bitcoin reaching $200,000? Investors' optimism about Bitcoin reaching $200,000 stems from factors such as the cryptocurrency's past performance, the upcoming Bitcoin halving event, increasing institutional adoption, and favorable macroeconomic conditions. These factors contribute to a bullish sentiment in the market.

What role do institutional investors play in the current Bitcoin market trend? Institutional investors play a significant role in the current Bitcoin market trend by bringing in substantial capital, lending credibility to the market, and influencing price movements. Their participation is seen as a sign of maturity and stability in the cryptocurrency market.

That's all for today

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@ bf95e1a4:ebdcc848

This is a part of the Bitcoin Infinity Academy course on Knut Svanholm's book Bitcoin: Sovereignty Through Mathematics. For more information, check out our Geyser page!

Financial Atheism

“Don’t trust, verify” is a common saying amongst bitcoiners that represents a sound attitude towards not only Bitcoin but all human power structures. In order to understand Bitcoin, one must admit that everything in society is man-made. Every civilization, every religion, every constitution, and every law is a product of human imagination. It wasn’t until as late as the 17th century that the scientific method started to become the dominant practice for describing how the world actually worked. Peer-to-peer review and repeated testing of a hypothesis are still quite recent human practices. Before this, we were basically just guessing and trusting authorities to a large extent. We still do this today, and despite our progress over the last couple of centuries, we still have a long way to go. Our brains are hardwired to follow the leader of the pack. The human brain is born with a plethora of cognitive biases pre-installed, and we have to work very hard to overcome them. We evolved to survive in relatively small groups, and our brains are thus not really made for seeing the bigger picture. Bitcoin’s proof-of-work algorithm is constructed in such a way that it is easy to verify that computational power was sacrificed in order to approve a block of transactions and claim its reward. In this way, no trust in any authority is required as it is relatively trivial to test the validity of a block and the transactions it contains. This is nothing short of a complete reimagining of how human society ought to be governed. The beauty of mathematics governs the Bitcoin system. Everything that ever happens in Bitcoin is open and verifiable to everyone, even to those who are not yet using it.

After the tragic events of 9/11 in 2001, Sam Harris started writing his book The End of Faith, which happened to be released around the same time as Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion, Daniel Dennett's Breaking the Spell, and Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. These books kick-started what, in hindsight, has often been referred to as the new atheist movement, even though there has arguably never been anything new about atheism. Atheism must almost certainly have preceded religion since religious ideas require the person holding the idea to believe a certain doctrine or story. Atheism is nothing but the rejection of ways to describe the world that are not verifiable by experimentation. A fly on the wall is probably an atheist by this definition of the word. Atheism is often accused of being just another set of beliefs, but the word itself describes what it is much better — a lack of belief in theistic ideas. It is not a code of conduct or set of rules to live your life by; it is simply the rejection of that which cannot be scientifically verified. Many people, religious people, in particular, have a hard time grasping this. If you believe that a supernatural entity created everything in everyone's life, you might not be too comfortable with a word that describes a complete rejection of what you believe created everything, including the very atheist that the word describes. The amount of different religious worldviews that exist is probably equal to the sum of all religious people on the planet, but all world views that reject these superstitious beliefs require but one word. Atheism is not the opposite of religion but is simply the lack of it.

In 2008, another sub-culture movement of unbelief was born. Let’s call it Financial Atheism — the rejection of unverifiable value claims. With the invention of Bitcoin, a way of rejecting fraudulent expressions of a token’s value was born. Those of us fortunate enough to have been born in secular countries all enjoy not having the ideas of religious demagogues dictating our lives on a daily basis. We can choose which ideas to believe in and which to reject. What we still have very limited means of choosing, however, are the ways in which we express value to each other. We’re told to use a system in which we all have a certain number of value tokens assigned to our name, either as a number on a screen or as digits on paper notes. We all live in the collective hallucination that these numbers are somehow legit and that their authenticity is not to be questioned.

A Bitcoin balance assigned to a certain Bitcoin address might seem just as questionable to a layman, but if you have a basic understanding of the hashing algorithms and game theory behind it, it’s not. At the time of writing, the hash of the latest block on the Bitcoin blockchain begins with eighteen zeros in a row. These zeros represent the Proof of Work that ensures that this block is valid and that every transaction in it actually happened. If you can grasp the concept of a hashing algorithm, and if you have an intuition about mathematics, you realize the gargantuan amount of calculating effort that went into finding this particular hash. It is simply mind-blowing. To forge a false version of a hash beginning with eighteen zeros just wouldn’t be economically viable. Of course, you can never actually know that a 51% attack or some other attempt at corrupting the blockchain hasn’t occurred, but you can know that such an attack would require more than half of the network acting against their own economic interest. Bitcoin is not something to believe in. You don’t need to trust any authority because you can validate the plausibility of its authenticity yourself. It’s the financial equivalent of atheism or unbelief. Satoshi wasn’t Jesus. Satoshi was Brian of Nazareth, telling his followers to think for themselves.

The first law of thermodynamics, also known as the Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system. The second law states that the entropy of any isolated system always increases, and the third law states that the entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero. In the Bitcoin network, participants known as miners compete for new Bitcoin in a lottery with very fixed rules. The more hashing power (computing power) a miner contributes to the network, the higher his chances of winning the block reward, a specific amount of Bitcoin that is halved every four years. The difficulty of this lottery - in other words, the miner’s chance of winning it — is re-calibrated every 2016th block so that the average time it takes to find the next block is always roughly ten minutes. What this system produces is absolute scarcity; the amount of Bitcoin in existence at any moment in time is always predictable. The more time that passes, the slower the rate of coin issuance and the block reward slowly approaches zero. By the time it does, around the year 2140, the individual miner’s incentive to mine for a reward will, at least theoretically, have been replaced by an incentive to collect transaction fees from the participants of the network. Even now, the sum of all fees make up a non-trivial part of the miners’ revenue. Yet from a user’s point of view the fees are still very low, and as the network scales up using Layer 2 solutions such as the Lightning Network, they’re expected to remain low for quite a long time ahead.

Absolute scarcity is a concept that mankind has never encountered before. Arguably, this makes it the first man-made concept to ever be directly linked to the laws of physics. Everything anyone does requires a certain amount of energy. The very word doing implies that some kind of movement, some type of energy expenditure, needs to occur. As mentioned earlier, how we value things is entirely subjective. Different actions are of different value to different people. How we value different things is also inevitably linked to the supply of those things. Had the trapped-under-ice winter diver mentioned in chapter one been equipped with a scuba tank, he probably wouldn't have thought of his next breath as such a precious thing. The price a person is willing to pay for a good — in other words, the sum of one or more person’s actions — can be derived from two basic variables: The highly subjective demand for the good and the always-constrained-by-time-and-space supply of that same good. Note that if supply is sufficiently limited, there only needs to be a minimal amount of demand for a good for its price to increase.

One could argue that no one needs Bitcoin and that, therefore, Bitcoin would have no intrinsic value. One could also argue that there’s no such thing as intrinsic value since demand is always subjective. In any case, there will always be a cost to mine Bitcoin, and the more mining power in the network, the higher that cost. This cost, ensured by the Bitcoin network’s Proof-Of-Work algorithm, is probably as close to a pure energy cost as the price of a human activity will ever get. Once the mining rig is in place, a simple conversion process follows — energy in, scarce token out. Should the cost of production exceed the current price of the token, the miner can just choose not to sell, thereby limiting the supply of Bitcoin in circulation even more and eventually selling them for other goods whenever he sees fit. In this sense, Bitcoin is a battery. Perhaps the best battery ever invented.

Storing and moving electrical energy around has always been costly and wasteful. Bitcoin offers a way of converting energy into a small part of a specific number. A mathematical battery, if you will. It is important to remember that it does not convert energy into value directly, but rather electricity into digital scarcity — digital scarcity that can be used to express value. Energy cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system, as the first law of thermodynamics clearly states. Bitcoin can express how much energy was sacrificed in order to acquire a share of the total sum. You can also acquire Bitcoin by buying it rather than mining it, but in doing so, you also spend energy. You somehow acquired the money with which you bought the Bitcoin. You, or someone else, sacrificed time and energy somewhere. Bitcoin lets you express that you see that there’s a connection between value and scarcity by letting you sacrifice effort to claim a part of the total sum.

The excitement we so-called "Bitcoin Maximalists" feel about Bitcoin does not come primarily from the enormous gains that those who hopped early onto the freight train have been blessed with. Nor is it because we’re “in it for the technology,” as can often be heard from opponents. Those of us who preach the near-divinity of this invention do so above all because we see the philosophical impacts of absolute scarcity in a commodity. The idea of a functioning solution to the double-spending problem in computerized money is an achievement that simply can’t be ignored. By solving the double-spending problem, Satoshi also made counterfeiting impossible, which in turn makes artificial inflation impossible. The world-changing potential of this invention cannot be understated. Not in the long run.

The more you think about it, the more the thought won’t give you any peace of mind. If this experiment works, if it’s real, it will take civilization to the next level. What we don’t know is how long this will take. Right now, debates in the Bitcoin space are about Bitcoin’s functionality as a medium of exchange and its potential as a good store of value. We might be missing the point. We cannot possibly know if a type of monetary token for which you’re completely responsible, with no third-party protection, will ever become a preferred medium of exchange for most transactions. Nor can we know if the price of Bitcoin will follow the hype-cycle path that we all want it to follow so that it can become the store of value that most maximalists claim it already is. Maybe we’ve been focused on the wrong things all along. Maybe Bitcoin’s greatest strength is in its functionality as a unit of account. After all, this is all that Bitcoin does. If you own 21 Bitcoin, you own one-millionth of the world's first absolutely scarce commodity. This might not make you rich overnight, but it just might have something to do with the opportunities available to your great-great-grandchildren.

Throughout history, whenever a prehistoric human tribe invented ceremonial burial, that tribe began to expand rapidly. Why? Because as soon as you invent belief in an afterlife, you also introduce the idea of self-sacrifice on a larger scale. People who held these beliefs were much easier for a despot to manipulate and send into battle with neighboring tribes. Religious leaders can use people’s fears and superstitions to have them commit all sorts of atrocities to their fellow man, and they still do so today. Belief in a “greater good” can be the most destructive idea that can pop up in a human mind. The Nazis of World War II Germany believed that exterminating Jews was for the “greater good” of their nation’s gene pool. Belief in noble causes often comes with unintended side effects, which can have disastrous consequences.

Religious leaders, political leaders, and other power-hungry sociopaths are responsible for the greatest crimes against humanity ever committed — namely, wars. Europeans often question the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects the right to bear arms, whenever a tragic school shooting occurs on the other side of the Atlantic. What everyone seems to forget is that less than a hundred years ago, Europe was at war with itself because its citizens had given too much power to their so-called leaders. The Nazis came to power in a democracy — never forget that. Our individual rights weren’t given to us by our leaders; we were born with them. Our leaders can’t give us anything; they can only force us to behave in certain ways. If we truly want to be in charge of our lives, we need to find the tools necessary to circumvent the bullshit ourselves.

About the Bitcoin Infinity Academy

The Bitcoin Infinity Academy is an educational project built around Knut Svanholm’s books about Bitcoin and Austrian Economics. Each week, a whole chapter from one of the books is released for free on Highlighter, accompanied by a video in which Knut and Luke de Wolf discuss that chapter’s ideas. You can join the discussions by signing up for one of the courses on our Geyser page. Signed books, monthly calls, and lots of other benefits are also available.

@ e97aaffa:2ebd765d

Nos últimos anos, tornei-me num acérrimo crítico do Euro, sobretudo da política monetária altamente expansionista realizada pelo Banco Central Europeu (BCE). Apesar de ser crítico, eu não desejo que Portugal volte a ter moeda própria.

No seguimento gráfico, é a variação do IPC de Portugal nos últimos 60 anos:

No gráfico inclui os momentos históricos, para uma melhor interpretação dos dados.

O Índice de Preços ao Consumidor (IPC) é usado para observar tendências de inflação. É calculado com base no preço médio necessário para comprar um conjunto de bens de consumo e serviços num país, comparando com períodos anteriores.

É uma ferramenta utilizada para calcular a perda de poder de compra, mas é uma métrica que é facilmente manipulada em prol dos interesses dos governos.

Análise histórica

No período marcelista, houve uma crescente inflação, devido a fatores, como os elevados custos da guerra e o fim dos acordos de Bretton Woods contribuíram para isso. Terminando com uma inflação superior a 13%.

Da Revolta dos Cravos (1974) até à adesão da CEE (atual União Europeia, UE), nos primeiros anos foram conturbados a nível político, mesmo após conquistar alguma estabilidade, em termos de política monetária foi um descalabro, com inflação entre 12% a 30% ao ano. Foi o pior momento na era moderna.

Com a entrada da CEE, Portugal ainda manteve a independência monetária, mas devido à entrada de muitos milhões de fundos europeus, essências para construir infraestrutura e desenvolver o país. Isto permitiu crescer e modernizar o país, gastando pouco dinheiro próprio, reduzindo a necessidade da expansão monetária e claro a inflação baixou.

Depois com a adesão ao Tratado de Maastricht, em 1991, onde estabeleceu as bases para a criação da União Económica e Monetária, que culminou na criação da moeda única europeia, o Euro. As bases eram bastante restritivas, os políticos portugueses foram obrigados a manter uma inflação baixa. Portugal perdeu a independência monetária em 1999, com a entrada em vigor da nova moeda, foi estabelecida a taxa de conversão entre escudos e euros, tendo o valor de 1 euro sido fixado em 200,482 escudos. A Euro entrou em vigor em 1999, mas o papel-moeda só entrou em circulação em 2002.

Assim, desde a criação até 2020, a inflação foi sempre abaixo de 5% ao ano, tendo um longo período abaixo dos 3%.

A chegada da pandemia, foi um descalabro no BCE, a expansão monetária foi exponencial, resultando numa forte subida no IPC, quase 8% em 2022, algo que não acontecia há 30 anos.

Conclusão

Apesar dos últimos anos, a política monetária do BCE tem sido péssima, mesmo assim continua a ser muito melhor, se esta fosse efetuada em exclusividade por portugueses, não tenho quaisquer dúvidas disso. O passado demonstra isso, se voltarmos a ser independentes monetariamente, será desastroso, vamos virar rapidamente, a Venezuela da Europa.

Até temos boas reservas de ouro, mas mesmo assim não são suficientes, mesmo que se inclua outros ativos para permitir a criação de uma moeda lastreada, ela apenas duraria até à primeira crise. É inevitável, somos um país demasiado socialista.

A solução não é voltar ao escudo, mas sim o BCE deixar de imprimir dinheiro, como se não houvesse amanhã ou então optar por uma moeda total livre, sem intromissão de políticos.

O BCE vai parar de expandir a moeda?

Claro que não, eles estão encurralados, a expansão monetária é a única solução para elevada dívida soberana dos estados. A única certeza que eu tenho, a expansão do BCE, será sempre inferior ao do Banco de Portugal, se este estivesse o botão da impressão à sua disposição. Por volta dos 5% é muito mau, mas voltar para a casa dos 15% seria péssimo, esse seria o nosso destino.

É muito triste ter esta conclusão, isto é demonstrativo da falta de competência dos políticos e governantes portugueses e o povo também tem uma certa culpa. Por serem poucos exigentes em relação à qualidade dos políticos que elegem e por acreditar que existem almoços grátis.

Bitcoin fixes this

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

Bitcoin.design community is organizing another Designathon, from May 4-18. Let's get creative with bitcoin together. More to come very soon.

The first edition was a bursting success! the website still there https://events.bitcoin.design, and here their previous announcement.

Look forward for this to happen!

Spread the voice:

N: https://njump.me/nevent1qqsv9w8p93tadlnyx0rkhexj5l48l... X: https://x.com/bitcoin_design/status/1905547407405768927

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/927650

@ 2b24a1fa:17750f64

Der Deutsche Bundestag wurde neu gewählt. Für einige Abgeordnete und Regierungsmitglieder heißt es Time to Say Goodbye. Abschied ist ein scharfes Schwert.

https://soundcloud.com/radiomuenchen/nachruf-2-olaf-der-zeitenwender

Auch bei Radio München werden Trennungs- und Verlassenheitsgefühle getriggert. Umso mehr, wenn es sich nicht nur um duselige Allerweltsliebe handelt, sondern um den Abgang großer Helden. Sie bezahlten ihren todesmutigen und fast ehrenamtlichen Einsatz nicht mit dem Leben, jedoch mit der einen oder anderen Falte in Hemd oder Bluse, manchmal sogar im Gesicht. Was bleibt? Eine bescheidene Pension? Ein lausig bezahlter Manager-Job in einem Konzern? Wir wollen jedenfalls nicht, dass diese Volkshelden vom Zahn der Zeit abgenagt, vergessen werden und setzen ihnen deshalb ein bescheidenes akustisches, aber nachhaltiges Denkmal. Hören Sie die kleine satirische Reihe „Nachrufe“ von unserem Autor Jonny Rieder.\ Folge 2: Olaf der Zeitenwender

Sprecher: Karsten Troyke

Bild: Markus Mitterer für Radio München

Radio München\ www.radiomuenchen.net/​\ @radiomuenchen\ www.facebook.com/radiomuenchen\ www.instagram.com/radio_muenchen/\ twitter.com/RadioMuenchen

Radio München ist eine gemeinnützige Unternehmung.\ Wir freuen uns, wenn Sie unsere Arbeit unterstützen.

GLS-Bank\ IBAN: DE65 4306 0967 8217 9867 00\ BIC: GENODEM1GLS

@ 2b24a1fa:17750f64

Zwischen Überzeugungsarbeit und Propaganda verläuft ein schmaler Grad. Aber so oder so: Wer die subtileren Werkzeuge hat und vor allem die Mittel um Menschen zu kaufen, die diese dann anwenden, hat eindeutig die besseren Karten.

https://soundcloud.com/radiomuenchen/unterwanderter-journalismus-oder-der-mediale-deep-state-wankt-von-milosz-matuschekcolor=ffd400

Dass die Bevölkerung nun wissen will, mit welchen Mitteln sie auf welche Weise beeinflusst werden soll, ist selbstverständlich. Wie nuanciert diese Beeinflussung stattfinden kann, darauf haben uns unsere Hörer beim letzten Beitrag von Milosz Matuschek: „Die ersten Köpfe rollen“ gestoßen. Es ging um die staatliche amerikanische Behörde für internationale Entwicklungshilfe USAID. Matuschek schrieb: „Man liest was von AID im Namen und denkt, was man denken soll: klingt nach Bob Geldof, barmherzigen Schwestern und “Brot für die Welt”.“ Man hatte das nicht nur optisch wahrgenommen, nein, diese Behörde wurde hierzulande, in allen Medien US AID genannt, was unsere Sprecherin Sabrina Khalil übernahm. Dass die United States Agency for International Development in USA so nicht gesprochen wird, schrieben uns gleich mehrere aufmerksame Hörer. Es ist sicherlich keine Paranoia darüber nachzudenken, ob die Bedeutung unserer Sprache, unserer Wörter bis hin zur Aussprache im Fokus der Manipulation steht. Dafür wird sehr viel Geld locker gemacht und unter anderem in die Medien gepumpt.

Hören Sie heute den zweiten Teil der Reihe „Die Corona-Connection“ mit dem Titel: „Der mediale Deep State wankt“. Sprecherin: Sabrina Khalil.

Das freie Medienprojekt Pareto kann übrigens Unterstützung gebrauchen, dafür wurde ein Crowdfunding auf Geyser gestartet, wo man mit Bitcoin/Lightning-Spenden helfen kann. Und für Spenden auf dem klassischen Weg finden Sie die entsprechende Bankverbindung auf der Homepage pareto.space/de.

Nachzulesen unter: www.freischwebende-intelligenz.org/p/unter…mediale

Foto: Gleichschaltung - sie melden exakt den gleichen Wortlaut.

@ 7d33ba57:1b82db35

Girona, one of Catalonia’s most charming cities, is a perfect mix of history, culture, and gastronomy. Famous for its well-preserved medieval old town, colorful houses along the Onyar River, and Game of Thrones filming locations, Girona is a must-visit destination in northern Spain.

🏰 Top Things to See & Do in Girona

1️⃣ Girona Cathedral (Catedral de Santa Maria) ⛪

• One of Spain’s most impressive cathedrals, with the widest Gothic nave in the world.
• Famous as the Great Sept of Baelor in Game of Thrones.
• Climb the steps for a breathtaking city view.

2️⃣ Walk the Medieval Walls (Passeig de la Muralla) 🏰

• Offers panoramic views of Girona and the surrounding countryside.
• A great way to see the city from above and explore its medieval history.

3️⃣ The Colorful Houses of the Onyar River 🌉

• Girona’s most iconic view, with brightly colored houses reflecting on the river.
• Best viewed from the Pont de les Peixateries Velles, designed by Gustave Eiffel.

4️⃣ Explore the Jewish Quarter (El Call) 🏡

• One of Europe’s best-preserved Jewish quarters, with narrow, medieval streets.
• Visit the Museum of Jewish History to learn about Girona’s Jewish heritage.

5️⃣ Arab Baths (Banys Àrabs) 🏛️

• A 12th-century Romanesque bathhouse, inspired by Moorish architecture.
• Features a beautiful central dome with columns.

6️⃣ Game of Thrones Filming Locations 🎬

• Walk in the footsteps of Arya Stark through the city’s winding streets.
• Visit the steps of the cathedral, the Jewish Quarter, and Arab Baths, all featured in the series.

7️⃣ Eat at a Michelin-Starred Restaurant 🍽️

• Girona is home to El Celler de Can Roca, a 3-Michelin-star restaurant, ranked among the best in the world.
• Try local Catalan dishes like "suquet de peix" (fish stew) and botifarra (Catalan sausage).

🚗 How to Get to Girona

✈️ By Air: Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO) is 20 min away, with budget flights from Europe.
🚆 By Train: High-speed AVE trains connect Barcelona (38 min), Madrid (3.5 hrs), and Paris (5.5 hrs).
🚘 By Car: 1 hr from Barcelona, 40 min from Figueres (Dalí Museum).
🚌 By Bus: Direct buses from Barcelona and the Costa Brava.

💡 Tips for Visiting Girona

✅ Best time to visit? Spring & autumn (April–June & September–October) for pleasant weather. 🌤️
✅ Wear comfortable shoes – The old town is hilly with cobblestone streets. 👟
✅ Try xuixo – A delicious cream-filled pastry, unique to Girona. 🥐
✅ Visit early for Game of Thrones spots – They get crowded during the day! 🎥
✅ Take a day trip – Explore nearby Costa Brava beaches or Figueres (Dalí Museum). 🏖️

@ a60e79e0:1e0e6813

This is a long form note of a post that lives on my Nostr educational website Hello Nostr.

When most people stumble across Nostr, they see is as a 'decentralized social media alternative' — something akin to Twitter (X), but free from corporate control. But the full name, "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays", gives a clue that there’s more to it than just posting short messages. The 'notes' part is easy to grasp because it forms almost everyone's first touch point with the protocol. But the 'other stuff'? That’s where Nostr really gets exciting. The 'other stuff' is all the creative and experimental things people are building on Nostr, beyond simple text based notes.

Every action on Nostr is an event, a like, a post, a profile update, or even a payment. The 'Kind' is what specifies the purpose of each event. Kinds are the building blocks of how information is categorized and processed on the network, and the most popular become part of higher lever specification guidelines known as Nostr Implementation Possibility - NIP. A NIP is a document that defines how something in Nostr should work, including the rules, standards, or features. NIPs define the type of 'other stuff' that be published and displayed by different styles of client to meet different purposes.

Nostr isn’t locked into a single purpose. It’s a foundation for whatever 'other stuff' you can dream up.

Types of Other Stuff

The 'other stuff' name is intentionally vague. Why? Because the possibilities of what can fall under this category are quite literally limitless. In the short time since Nostr's inception, the number of sub-categories that have been built on top of the Nostr's open protocol is mind bending. Here are a few examples:

1. Long-Form Content: Think blog posts or articles. NIP-23.
2. Private Messaging: Encrypted chats between users. NIP-04.
3. Communities: Group chats or forums like Reddit. NIP-72
4. Marketplaces: People listing stuff for sale, payable with zaps. NIP-15
5. Zaps: Value transfer over the Lightning Network. NIP57

Popular 'Other Stuff' Clients

Here's a short list of some of the most recent and popular apps and clients that branch outside of the traditional micro-blogging use case and leverage the openness, and interoperability that Nostr can provide.

Blogging (Long Form Content)

• Habla - Web app for Nostr based blogs
• Highlighter - Web app that enables users to highlight, store and share content

Group Chats

• Chachi Chat - Relay-based (NIP-29) group chat client
• 0xchat - Mobile based secure chat
• Flotilla - Web based chat app built for self-hosted communities
• Nostr Nests - Web app for audio chats
• White Noise - Mobile based secure chat

Marketplaces

• Shopstr - Permissionless marketplace for web
• Plebeian Market - Permissionless marketplace for web
• LNBits Market - Permissionless marketplace for your node
• Mostro - Nostr based Bitcoin P2P Marketplace

Photo/Video

• Olas - An Intragram like client
• Freeflow - A TikTok like client

Music

• Fountain - Podcast app with Nostr features
• Wavlake - A music app supporting the value-for-value ecosystem

Livestreaming

• Zap.stream - Nostr native live streams

Misc

• Wikifreedia - Nostr based Wikipedia alternative
• Wikistr - Nostr based Wikipedia alternative
• Pollerama - Nostr based polls
• Zap Store - The app store powered by your social graph

The 'other stuff' in Nostr is what makes it special. It’s not just about replacing Twitter or Facebook, it’s about building a decentralized ecosystem where anything from private chats to marketplaces can thrive. The beauty of Nostr is that it’s a flexible foundation. Developers can dream up new ideas and build them into clients, and the relays just keep humming along, passing the data around. It’s still early days, so expect the 'other stuff' to grow wilder and weirder over time!

You can explore the evergrowing 'other stuff' ecosystem at NostrApps.com, Nostr.net and Awesome Nostr.

@ 45c41f21:c5446b7a

“区块链行业究竟是在做什么？”——这个问题我到现在还没有想得很清楚。谈论起来可以说很多东西，“确权”、“让每一个比特都有了稀缺性”、“数字黄金”、“点对点支付”，但是具体到了行业落地，又容易陷入“赌场”这个有点乌烟瘴气的现实。

但我想有一点是比较明确的，那就是区块链行业肯定是一个围绕资产的行业。这些资产又跟传统的资产很不一样，最简单的特征是它们都是一个个的代币，通过自动化和可验证的代码铸造、控制，我们可以统称为链上资产。从比特币、以太坊到现在，这中间不管过去了多少不同的周期和浪潮，核心不变的都是出现新一轮受追捧的资产。

既然区块链是关于链上资产的行业，那么最重要的是未来会出现什么新的资产，有什么样的新资产会上链。要回答这个问题，又要我们回过头去看看，从行业诞生至今，区块链留下了哪些有意义的、没意义的，有价值的、没价值的资产。

因此，有必要讨论一下链上资产的分类。

链上资产的种类很多，但总体上我觉得可以按满足需求的不同，做一些功能性的划分。同时，抛开去中心化、抗审查等等大词，链上资产与传统资产最重要的区别可以认为是安全性的来源。传统资产在传统的社会系统和金融系统中产生，而链上资产是通过可验证代码控制的，所以它的安全性的依赖很清晰，要比现实世界简单很多。

在不同的区块链系统中，使用不同的技术（比如POW/POS），设置不同的规则，拥有不同的治理机制，都会影响安全性。“安全性”和“满足什么样的需求”之间既不是正交的，也不是完全耦合的。在不同层级的安全性之下，可能都会出现满足某一类相同需求的产品，用户使用哪种产品，只取决于自己的风险偏好。另一方面，有些需求只可能在某些特定的安全性保障下才能得到满足，比如跨国际的全球化的抗通胀价值存储。

这篇文章只讨论一些比较简单的分类，可以假设在不同的安全性保障下，每个分类都有可能出现对应的产品。有些安全性是产品内生功能的一部分，有些则完全不影响。同时，这些分类也完全是主观的看法，不一定正确，我所希望的是引发更多对资产进行讨论。

核心资产（高安全性、强需求支撑）

1. 比特币（BTC）
   • 核心价值：全球化抗通胀、抗审查的“数字黄金”。
   • 长期逻辑：全球法币超发背景下，BTC作为去中心化硬通货的需求不可替代。

这是整个行业最重要的资产。也是整个行业最核心的东西。在这个定位下，只会有一个赢者通吃。其他试图竞争的都很难生存下来。它对安全性的要求也是最高的。

经过验证的资产分类

这部分的资产可以认为是行业诞生至今，已经经过验证的、满足某真实需求、会长期存在的资产。

1. 代表优质项目的资产（股票/ICO代币/治理代币等）
   • 核心价值：类似于传统金融世界里的一级市场和二级市场。所谓的“优质”也不一定需要真实落地，可能是叙事/故事驱动，也可能有真实的现金流，但重要的是它能在市场上吸引人买卖。
   • 关键指标：团队是否持续营销和建设？生态是否增长？项目是否解决实际问题？
2. DeFi 资产
   • 核心价值：链上金融系统的“基础设施工具”。
   • 需求来源：对套利、链上资产理财的需求会永远存在。
3. Meme币
   • 核心价值：营销驱动+投机需求的结合体。
   • 长期存在性：人性对暴富故事的追逐不会消失（如Pump.fun、SHIB）。
4. 稳定币
   • 核心价值：加密货币世界的“支付货币”。
   • 需求刚性：交易媒介、避险工具、跨境支付（如USDT、USDC）。

在不同的安全性保障下，上面这些资产大部分都会有对应的产品。

比如稳定币在安全性上可以有中心化的 USDT ，也有去中心化的算法稳定币。理论上，安全性对稳定币是非常重要的。但现实中，“流动性”可能才是给用户传达“这东西到底安不安全“的产品特点，也是比较主要的竞争点。

Meme 则完全不需要安全性，所以对创业者来说在哪里做都差不多。哪里用户更多就适合去哪里。有时，安全性反而是它的阻碍。DeFi 的话，因人而异。安全性高低是否影响用户使用，完全取决于用户自己的风险偏好。

还未经过验证的资产（需求可能存在）

• NFT（收藏品）？ 艺术、身份标识、游戏道具的数字化载体，但流动性差、炒作属性也不见得有 Meme 这么强。会长期存在吗？打个问号。
• DAO（准入/治理代币）？ 去中心化组织的准入权/管理权通证，依赖 DAO 本身的价值和实际治理参与度决定的价值。DeFi DAO 可能是唯一一个有点发展的方向，其他还非常不成熟，有待验证。
• RWA（真实世界资产代币化）？ 房产、债券等上链，需要解决法律合规与链下资产映射问题。不确定。
• 社交/游戏/内容资产 用户数据所有权货币化，还没有像样的有一些用户的产品，就更不用提形成规模经济了。
• AI 相关的资产？ 是一个变数。如果未来会有成千上万的 AI 智能体与人类共存，链上是承载他们经济系统最合适的基础设施，这里会产生什么新的资产类型？值得期待。

这里面的资产类型，很多还没有找到真实的需求，至少没有经过验证。所以长期来看它们会是区块链行业的方向吗，需要打很多问号。既然需求本身没有得到验证，那么谈安全性对它们的影响，就更加无从谈起了。

当然，这里其实还有一个更有意思的部分，可以多聊一些。也就是共同知识（法律/合同/规则/代码）这一类资产。

在应用层，共同知识尚未有代币化的尝试，也难以对其具体价值做定量分析。但如果要说有的实践，以太坊通过交易收取 gas 费和 CKB 通过 Cell 存储状态收取“押金”算是一种在底层的 generalize 的尝试。这种尝试是定量的，可验证的。

以太坊的问题是经济模型不 make sense 导致状态爆炸，ckb 相比是更简单、更明确的。但这里的问题变成了，公链需要通过区块空间的竞争来展示这一种需求是否真的成立。区块空间越紧张，需求就越大。同时安全性越高，对共同知识的保障就越强，也会体现区块空间的价值。

但另一方面，是否有开发者在上面开发应用，会更大的影响这一点。因此开发工具、开发者生态在现阶段可能更重要。

最后

写到这里，发现很多资产似乎又是老生常谈。但从满足需求和安全性两个角度来思考，算是追本溯源的尝试。现在我们面临的处境是，问题还是老的问题，答案是否有新的答案，期待更多讨论。

@ 05cdefcd:550cc264

The crypto world is full of buzzwords. One that I keep on hearing: “Bitcoin is its own asset class”.

While I have always been sympathetic to that view, I’ve always failed to understand the true meaning behind that statement.

Although I consider Bitcoin to be the prime innovation within the digital asset sector, my primary response has always been: How can bitcoin (BTC), a single asset, represent an entire asset class? Isn’t it Bitcoin and other digital assets that make up an asset class called crypto?

Well, I increasingly believe that most of crypto is just noise. Sure, it’s volatile noise that is predominately interesting for very sophisticated hedge funds, market makers or prop traders that are sophisticated enough to extract alpha – but it’s noise nonetheless and has no part to play in a long-term only portfolio of private retail investors (of which most of us are).

Over multiple market cycles, nearly all altcoins underperform Bitcoin when measured in BTC terms. Source: Tradingview

Aha-Moment: Bitcoin keeps on giving

Still, how can Bitcoin, as a standalone asset, make up an entire asset class? The “aha-moment” to answer this question recently came to me in a Less Noise More Signal interview I did with James Van Straten, senior analyst at Coindesk.

Let me paraphrase him here: “You can’t simply recreate the same ETF as BlackRock. To succeed in the Bitcoin space, new and innovative approaches are needed. This is where understanding Bitcoin not just as a single asset, but as an entire asset class, becomes essential. There are countless ways to build upon Bitcoin’s foundation—varied iterations that go beyond just holding the asset. This is precisely where the emergence of the Bitcoin-linked stock market is taking shape—and it's already underway.”

And this is actually coming to fruition as we speak. Just in the last few days, we saw several products launch in that regard.

Obviously, MicroStrategy (now Strategy) is the pioneer of this. The company now owns 506,137 BTC, and while they’ll keep on buying more, they have also inspired many other companies to follow suit.

In fact, there are now already over 70 companies that have adopted Strategy’s Bitcoin playbook. One of the latest companies to buy Bitcoin for their corporate treasury is Rumble. The YouTube competitor just announced their first Bitcoin purchase for $17 million.

Also, the gaming zombie company GameStop just announced to raise money to buy BTC for their corporate treasury.

Gamestop to make BTC their hurdle rate. Source: X

ETF on Bitcoin companies

Given this proliferation of Bitcoin Treasury companies, it was only a matter of time before a financial product tracking these would emerge.

The popular crypto index fund provider Bitwise Investments has just launched this very product called the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Corporations ETF (OWNB).

The ETF tracks Bitcoin Treasury companies with over 1,000 BTC on their balance sheet. These companies invest in Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset to protect the $5 trillion in low-yield cash that companies in the US commonly sit on.

These are the top 10 holdings of OWNB. Source: Ownbetf

ETF on Bitcoin companies’ convertible bonds

Another instrument that fits seamlessly into the range of Bitcoin-linked stock market products is the REX Bitcoin Corporate Treasury Convertible Bond ETF (BMAX). The ETF provides exposure to the many different convertible bonds issued by companies that are actively moving onto a Bitcoin standard.

Convertible bonds are a valuable financing tool for companies looking to raise capital for Bitcoin purchases. Their strong demand is driven by the unique combination of equity-like upside and debt-like downside protection they offer.

For example, MicroStrategy's convertible bonds, in particular, have shown exceptional performance. For instance, MicroStrategy's 2031 bonds has shown a price rise of 101% over a one-year period, vastly outperforming MicroStrategy share (at 53%), Bitcoin (at 25%) and the ICE BofA U.S. Convertible Index (at 10%). The latter is the benchmark index for convertible bond funds, tracking the performance of U.S. dollar-denominated convertible securities in the U.S. market.

The chart shows a comparison of ICE BofA U.S. Convertible Index, the Bloomberg Bitcoin index (BTC price), MicroStrategy share (MSTR), and MicroStrategy bond (0.875%, March 15 203). The convertible bond has been outperforming massively. Source: Bloomberg

While the BMAX ETF faces challenges such as double taxation, which significantly reduces investor returns (explained in more detail here), it is likely that future products will emerge that address and improve upon these issues.

Bitcoin yield products

The demand for a yield on Bitcoin has increased tremendously. Consequently, respective products have emerged.

Bitcoin yield products aim to generate alpha by capitalizing on volatility, market inefficiencies, and fragmentation within cryptocurrency markets. The objective is to achieve uncorrelated returns denominated in Bitcoin (BTC), with attractive risk-adjusted performance. Returns are derived exclusively from asset selection and trading strategies, eliminating reliance on directional market moves.

Key strategies employed by these funds include:

• Statistical Arbitrage: Exploits short-term pricing discrepancies between closely related financial instruments—for instance, between Bitcoin and traditional assets, or Bitcoin and other digital assets. Traders utilize statistical models and historical price relationships to identify temporary inefficiencies.
• Futures Basis Arbitrage: Captures profits from differences between the spot price of Bitcoin and its futures contracts. Traders simultaneously buy or sell Bitcoin on spot markets and enter opposite positions in futures markets, benefiting as the prices converge.
• Funding Arbitrage: Generates returns by taking advantage of variations in Bitcoin funding rates across different markets or exchanges. Funding rates are periodic payments exchanged between long and short positions in perpetual futures contracts, allowing traders to profit from discrepancies without significant directional exposure.
• Volatility/Option Arbitrage: Seeks profits from differences between implied volatility (reflected in Bitcoin options prices) and expected realized volatility. Traders identify mispriced volatility in options related to Bitcoin or Bitcoin-linked equities, such as MSTR, and position accordingly to benefit from volatility normalization.
• Market Making: Involves continuously providing liquidity by simultaneously quoting bid (buy) and ask (sell) prices for Bitcoin. Market makers profit primarily through capturing the spread between these prices, thereby enhancing market efficiency and earning consistent returns.
• Liquidity Provision in DeFi Markets: Consists of depositing Bitcoin (usually as Wrapped BTC) into decentralized finance (DeFi) liquidity pools such as those on Uniswap, Curve, or Balancer. Liquidity providers earn fees paid by traders who execute swaps within these decentralized exchanges, creating steady yield opportunities.

Notable products currently available in this segment include the Syz Capital BTC Alpha Fund offered by Syz Capital and the Forteus Crypto Alpha Fund by Forteus.

BTC-denominated share class

A Bitcoin-denominated share class refers to a specialized investment fund category in which share values, subscriptions (fund deposits), redemptions (fund withdrawals), and performance metrics are expressed entirely in Bitcoin (BTC), rather than in traditional fiat currencies such as USD or EUR.

Increasingly, both individual investors and institutions are adopting Bitcoin as their preferred benchmark—or "Bitcoin hurdle rate"—meaning that investment performance is evaluated directly against Bitcoin’s own price movements.

These Bitcoin-denominated share classes are designed specifically for investors seeking to preserve and grow their wealth in Bitcoin terms, rather than conventional fiat currencies. As a result, investors reduce their exposure to fiat-related risks. Furthermore, if Bitcoin outperforms fiat currencies, investors holding BTC-denominated shares will experience enhanced returns relative to traditional fiat-denominated investment classes.

X: https://x.com/pahueg

Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lessnoisemoresignalpodcast

Book: https://academy.saifedean.com/product/the-bitcoin-enlightenment-hardcover/

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

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originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/927569