@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

Trouver des produits 100% naturels, sans plastique, est bien plus compliqué que je ne le pensais… Alors j’ai commencé à collectionner des marque-pages. Et puis je me suis dit : « Et si on partageait ?! »

Aide-moi à dénicher les meilleures alternatives naturelles pour s’habiller et s’équiper sans plastique !

Ce projet repose sur le partage : la moitié des revenus éventuels du site est reversée aux contribut-eur-rice-s. Une petite expérimentation de partage de la valeur sur Internet. :-)

Jean-David Bar

Questions-réponses

Pourquoi se focaliser sur les matières naturelles ?

Les matières synthétiques sont essentiellement des plastiques (polyester, polyamide…). Problème ? Oui ! Ils finissent par nous contaminer :

• Microplastiques absorbés par la peau,
• Particules diffusées à chaque lavage, se retrouvant dans l’eau que nous buvons et les aliments que nous consommons,
• Enjeux majeurs liés au recyclage des déchets plastiques.

C'est quoi, au juste, des matières naturelles ?

Ce sont des matières non synthétiques, dont les composants existent à l’état naturel, sans modification de leur structure moléculaire. Mais ce qui nous intéresse avant tout, c’est leur biodégradabilité et leur absence de toxicité.

Certaines matières feront sûrement débat sur leur acceptabilité ici.

👉 En savoir plus sur les matières

Quelle différence avec d'autres sites de mode ou de shopping éthiques ?

Il existe déjà de nombreux sites proposant des produits éthiques et durables, mais j’ai constaté qu’ils incluaient souvent des matières synthétiques. Je devais vérifier produit par produit. Certains mettent en avant les fibres en plastique recyclé comme démarche environnementale, mais je préfère éviter d’en porter sur ma peau ou d'en mettre sur mes enfants.

Comment contribuer ?

Si tu trouves ce projet utile ou intéressant, voici comment le soutenir :

• 📝 Contribue : suggère des modifications en commentant les fiches existantes ou propose de nouvelles références de produits ou de marque. 👉 En savoir plus sur les contributions

• ⚡ Fais un don : pour faire vivre le projet et remercier les contribut-eur-ice-s. 👉 En savoir plus sur les dons

• 📢 Fais-le connaître : parles-en autour de toi, partage le site sur les réseaux sociaux, ton blog…

Comment recevoir une partie des revenus du site ?

Il suffit d’avoir un compte NOSTR et une adresse Bitcoin Lightning.

👉 En savoir plus sur les rétributions

C'est quoi NOSTR ?

C’est un protocole décentralisé pour Internet, encore en phase expérimentale. Il permet :

• De publier et consulter du contenu sans dépendre d’une plateforme centralisée.
• De se connecter à plusieurs services en conservant le contrôle total de ses données.
• D’intégrer le réseau Bitcoin Lightning pour des paiements instantanés et décentralisés.

Et la confidentialité de mes données ?

• Aucune publicité, aucun traçage personnalisé.
• Les commentaires NOSTR sont publics, mais vous pouvez utiliser un pseudonyme.
• Vous conservez la propriété de vos contributions sur le protocole NOSTR.

Qui porte ce projet ?

👉 Voir les contribut-eur-rice-s

Nous utilisons des outils et services open source :

• NOSTR pour la publication des contenus et la vérification des contributions,
• npub.pro pour la visualisation des contenus,
• Coinos.io pour la gestion des paiements.

---

Cet article est publié sur origine-nature.com 🌐 See this article in English

@ a87c9bfc:83bda6a8

Large Language Models (LLMs) are revolutionizing how we interact with technology, but their increasing sophistication brings unique security challenges. Malicious actors are constantly finding new ways to exploit these systems, primarily through techniques like prompt injection – crafting inputs to bypass safety controls – and the use of hidden characters to obfuscate harmful commands or disrupt text processing. Ensuring the safety and integrity of LLM applications is paramount.

The Hidden Dangers in Text

Prompt injection allows attackers to manipulate LLM outputs, potentially leading to data leaks, generation of inappropriate content, or unauthorized actions. Similarly, invisible characters (like zero-width spaces or bidirectional text overrides) can be embedded within seemingly innocuous text. These hidden elements can bypass simple security filters, disguise malicious instructions, or interfere with how the LLM interprets the input, leading to unpredictable or harmful behavior.

Vibecondom: A New Shield for LLM Security

To combat these emerging threats, a new open-source tool called Vibecondom has been developed. Written in Go, Vibecondom acts as a specialized security scanner designed specifically for the text content fed into LLMs. It serves as a critical defensive layer for AI developers, security researchers, and content moderation teams aiming to protect their systems.

Core Capabilities

Vibecondom focuses on identifying subtle but dangerous patterns within text data:

• Detecting Deception: It actively scans for known techniques used in prompt injection attacks and identifies various types of hidden or control characters that could signal malicious intent.
• Unmasking Obfuscation: The tool can flag potentially obfuscated content, such as Base64 encoded strings or text mixing different character scripts, which might be used to hide payloads.
• Flexible Integration: Vibecondom is designed for versatility, capable of analyzing text files stored locally or scanning content directly from remote Git repositories.
• Actionable Insights: When potential threats are detected, the tool provides clear alerts, helping teams pinpoint and investigate suspicious inputs before they compromise the LLM.

Enhancing Trust in AI

Tools like Vibecondom represent an essential step forward in securing the LLM ecosystem. By proactively identifying and flagging potentially harmful inputs, developers can build more robust defenses, fostering greater trust and reliability in AI applications.

As an open-source project (MIT License), Vibecondom invites collaboration and contribution from the security community. Anyone interested in bolstering their LLM security posture is encouraged to explore the Vibecondom project on GitHub to learn more.

---

GitHub: https://github.com/ngmisl/vibe-condom

@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

Équipe Cœur

L'équipe Cœur porte le projet et valide les contenus.

• Jean-David Bar : https://njump.me/npub1qr4p7uamcpawv7cr8z9nlhmd60lylukf7lvmtlnpe7r4juwxudzq3hrnll

Pour démarrer, je gère le projet en solo en partageant mes favoris pour éviter le plastique sur nous et sur nos enfants. Contacte-moi si tu souhaites rejoindre l'aventure !

Enrichisseu-r-se-s de contenus

Les contribut-eur-rice-s rendent ce site vivant et intéressant.

A venir.

👉 En savoir plus sur les contributions

---

Cet article est publié sur origine-nature.com 🌐 See this article in English

@ a5142938:0ef19da3

Happy to have found useful information on this site?

Support the project by making a donation to keep it running and thank the contributors.

---

In bitcoin

• On-chain:

bc1qkm8me8l9563wvsl9sklzt4hdcuny3tlejznj7d

• Lightning network: ⚡️origin-nature@coinos.io You can also support us on a recurring basis 👉 Set up a recurring Lightning payment

---

In euros, dollars, or any other supported currency

• By bank transfer, IBAN: FR76 2823 3000 0144 3759 8717 669

• You can also support us on a recurring basis 👉 Make a pledge on LiberaPay

---

Contact us if you’d like to make a donation using any other cryptocurrency.

---

💡 A Value-Sharing Model

Half of the donations are redistributed to the contributors who create the site's value, experimenting with a revenue-sharing model on the Internet—one that respects your data and doesn’t seek to capture your attention.

The other half helps cover the website’s operating costs, compensate the core team, and support the open-source tools we rely on.

---

This article is published on origin-nature.com 🌐 Voir cet article en français

@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

Heureu-x-se d’avoir trouvé une information utile sur ce site ?

Soutiens le projet en faisant un don pour le faire vivre et remercier les contribut-eur-rice-s.

---

En bitcoin

• Sur la blockchain : bc1qkm8me8l9563wvsl9sklzt4hdcuny3tlejznj7d

• Réseau lightning : ⚡️origin-nature@coinos.io Vous pouvez aussi nous soutenir de manière récurrente 👉 Créer un paiement Lightning récurrent

---

En euros, dollars, ou toute autre monnaie prise en charge

• Par virement, IBAN : FR76 2823 3000 0144 3759 8717 669

• Tu peux aussi nous soutenir de manière récurrente 👉 Faire une promesse sur LiberaPay

---

Contacte-nous si tu souhaites faire un don avec toute autre cryptomonnaie.

---

💡 Un modèle de partage de la valeur

La moitié des dons est redistribuée aux contribut-eur-rice-s qui créent la valeur du site, pour expérimenter un modèle de partage de revenus sur Internet — un modèle qui respecte vos données et ne cherche pas à capter votre attention.

L’autre moitié permet de couvrir les frais de fonctionnement du site, rémunérer l'équipe coeur et soutenir les outils open source que nous utilisons.

---

Cet article est publié sur origine-nature.com 🌐 See this article in English

@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

Contribue à enrichir le site !

Chaque contribution permet d’améliorer ce site en aidant à référencer des alternatives naturelles.

💡 Qu’est-ce qu’une contribution ?

Une contribution peut être :

📝 La proposition d’une nouvelle fiche, en fournissant ses premières informations. Chaque information ajoutée (nom, lien, catégorie, etc.) est une contribution : - Ajouter un produit - Ajouter une marque

📝 L'ajout ou la modification d’informations sur une fiche existante. Chaque information ajoutée ou retirée est une contribution.

✅ Validation des contributions

Les contributions sont vérifiées par l’équipe cœur. Une contribution est validée lorsque l'information indiquée est fournie pour la première fois (le commentaire le plus ancien est pris en compte) et est vérifiable.

Une fois validées, les contributions sont comptabilisées et donnent lieu à une rétribution. 👉 En savoir plus sur les rétributions

Les informations ajoutées directement par l'équipe cœur lors de la vérification d'une contribution ne sont pas comptabilisées. Néanmoins, les membres de l'équipe coeur peuvent aussi contribuer comme tout le monde.

---

Cet article est publié sur origine-nature.com 🌐 See this article in English

@ a5142938:0ef19da3

Contribute to enrich the site!

Each contribution helps improve this site by supporting the listing of natural alternatives.

💡 What Counts as a Contribution?

A contribution can be:

📝 Proposing a new entry, by providing its initial information. Each piece of information added (name, link, category, etc.) is considered a contribution: - Add a product - Add a brand

📝 Adding or modifying information in an existing entry. Each piece of information added or removed is considered a contribution.

✅ Contribution validation

Contributions are reviewed by the core team. A contribution is validated when the information provided is submitted for the first time (the earliest comment is taken into account) and can be verified.

Once validated, contributions are counted and eligible for rewards. 👉 Learn more about rewards

Information added directly by the core team during the verification of a contribution is not counted. However, core team members can also contribute just like anyone else.

---

This article is published on origin-nature.com 🌐 Voir cet article en français

@ a5142938:0ef19da3

---

This article is published on origin-nature.com 🌐 Voir cet article en français

@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

---

Cet article est publié sur origine-nature.com 🌐 See this article in English

@ 5188521b:008eb518

Fabian Sixsmith leaned closer to the screen. A couple of white pixels fizzed through the frame, and the hairs on his arm prickled. It had to be her. The blonde. Underworld’s most wanted — T1n4Red.

It was nearing daybreak in Lewistown, Montana. The end of yet another 14-hour shift at the DoS facility. Pulling fourteens was tough on his body, but it reduced the time it would take for Fabian to gain promotion to agent. Working at the Department of Surveillance came with the serious drawback of being labeled a snoop, but agents could be free — solid pension credits and private property. But today, he would not slink back to his closet-sized studio for buttered noodles and two hours on the velobike. Today would be the day he proved his work was responsible for locating T1n4Red. Her crimes were manifold; her methods were meticulous. Operating encrypted communication networks and thousands of transaction joins to obfuscate Underworld finances. Fabian flipped the plastic cover of the alarm on his console and pressed the button. 

Agent Williams appeared behind him in seconds. The babble of voice commands in the CCTV facility cut to zero. “Situation update, Operative Sixsmith.”

Liquidating the bad guys had been the dream ever since his father lost his college fund to a hacker. Cypherpunks came in all guises, and some could phish credits from careless Boston drunks and cover their tracks with encryption. Fabian opened the dossier on his desk. “Tier 1 target located. DNA confirmation requested from ground team.” He was certain. So many nights following encoded messages he found hidden data in images on the public comms ledger. Many were drop sites for the scumbags who delivered supplies to the Underworld in exchange for bitcoin — the only money the government couldn’t meter out and strip away automatically. That pixel of white had to be her blonde hair vanishing, once again, underground.

“Enhance the facial image,” said Williams.

There was no clear image to enhance. Fabian would have some explaining to do if he was wrong. Except he couldn’t be wrong. Those pixels had been his life for the last ten months. Finally, he had trapped her. Straightening his glasses, he prepared his reply. “I can bring up the drop locations from the LSB ima—”

“Operative. What is the protocol required to initiate a Tier 1 alert?”

Fabian could feel the heat of his boss’s glare. “Agent, there is insufficient facial recognition data, but if you give me a minute…” He had captured dozens of steganographical messages — locations, account numbers, usernames. Hiding messages in plain sight was apparently how cypherpunks avoided detection with such ease.

Williams was already patching through to the ground team on his Neurocomms link. “What’s your ETA on the location?” He furrowed his brow. “Copy that... proceed.” Turning towards Fabian, he snapped his fingers. “My office. Now.”

According to Fabian’s calculations, the ground team would report back with the DNA scan in three to four minutes. When they got a match, she’d be toast. T1n4Red would be underground forever; if she resurfaced, the dronecopters would gun her down in minutes. He just had to stall Williams until the confirmation came through. That might be the only way to avoid his first ever sanction. Having a blemish on record would set his lifeplan back by several months. He thought about requesting a comfort break on the system, but Williams would deny it. Fabian stood up purposefully. He arranged the chair and a few items on the desk, then dragged his feet all the way to the office.

Each agent in the DoS facility had an area of control around the size of a football field. Their 12’ by 12’ office comprised the only enclosed space and was positioned in the middle of rows upon rows of desks. Four walls of two-way mirrored glass formed the raised office cube — a mini panopticon within the greater panopticon of DoS. The agent sat in the swivel chair and swung his feet onto the desk. “You better be right about this, Sixsmith, or you’re done here.”

Fabian’s heart beat like a heavy bass kick. The perfectly calibrated 67-degree air didn’t stop him from wanting to loosen his tie. When he jammed his fingers down the small gap between his neck and collar, they came out slick with sweat. All those nights chasing. The tabulations, the data models, the transcripts from Underworld detainees, the ciphers he’d decoded — they all seemed like a game. A dream. He was the grizzled sheriff finally placing the noose around the neck of the uncatchable outlaw. He knew that in sixty seconds or so, the ground team would confirm a DNA match, and it would be impossible for T1n4Red to resurface without physical liquidation. “I’m sure, sir. This was the only way. We’d never get a facial match on a Tier 1.”

The agent looked at the communicator on his desk. Nothing.

Did T1n4Red eat buttered noodles and work out in her underground living closet? Did she crave for the feel of a paperback novel, or perhaps own a non-cataloged copy? It’s not like she could step foot inside the state knowledge center. “What action will DoS—”

Ground Unit Bravo to Williams. Do you copy?

“This is Williams. Over.”

Bravo commander confirmed the DNA match. It was her. She would now be classified a subverter. The payment instructions she had etched into the self-repair polymer bench had been photographed. Any wallet receiving those coins would be investigated. The fintech arm would already be working on liquidating affiliated Overworld accounts. One wrong turn and they can shut down your life’s wealth.

But T1n4Red was smarter. DoS would always be one step behind the cypherpunks because they were bound by government protocol, unable to infiltrate the Level 3 realm of encrypted private comms. Fabian had to take risks. What use was all his dedication if it just led to being remaining on the outside of a panopticon looking in?

“You can leave.” Williams motioned to the office door. “Your shift was over sixteen minutes ago.”

---

The State Knowledge Center smelled of the past. That’s what Fabian liked about it. He turned the page, savoring the quality feel of thick paper, imagining that when this book ran through enough hands, the inked fibers would run from black to gray to cream-white and the story would be gone. These were some of the only off Ledger items left in the country.

Wild Country Outlaws was Fabian’s sanctuary from the pressures of his job. All fiction was based on the kind of truth that needed to survive. Back to the times when eyes touched words without being digitally tracked, when citizens could own things. He read a paragraph and closed his eyes to imagine how life was back then. The cavernous knowledge center, with its hard seats and CCTV lenses transformed into lush plains and steep hills. Fabian felt the warm breeze on his face and the muscles of the horse beneath him. The two rifles slung on his back would shoot those boys dead. No one would take his property. His wife, children, his lame brother, hell, the whole damned village of Lewistown depended on his cattle to provide.

Of course, land could only be leased now. Livestock too. Those rustlers would have a hard time taking anything without public subscription fees and pre-taxed profits coming out. And if they wanted, the Department of Property could rescind custody of any item and confiscate it. Fabian’s smart-band vibrated, indicating he had just ten minutes of reading time left. The thing buzzed too hard. It pinched, but like all sanctioned hardware, it was government hard-coded.

He hadn’t been able to focus this time. Not really. Was T1n4Red an outlaw or a rancher? Either way, she was fighting the system that had stripped Americans of their right to call their house a home. According to the Department of Education, pre-ledger days were violent wealth-disparity wars, but the novels Fabian read painted a different picture — a fantasy freedom where ordinary citizens could build wealth.

Fabian rose to go. He handed the book to the desk girl and watched her scan it into the system. His smart-band buzzed again with a compliance point. To think his friends chased these stupid tokens for avatar upgrades and paid-time-off options. But, without them, he might end up with his ID frozen like his high school buddy, Scott, cut off from all legal avenues to earn a living and watched like a hawk by DoS. Did he have a secret stash of satoshis that kept him clear of the state debtors’ facility?

The lady at the desk smiled. Her brown bob remained undisturbed by the air cooling system. “We hope you enjoyed your trip into our analog archives, Fabian.”

“Sure. See you next time, Miranda.” He breezed out. They had history, but it wasn’t something he was interested in repeating. Imagine the conversations about cataloging systems and the internal squabbles of the Knowledge Center board. Fabian was already in a committed relationship with the powers of his imagination. Explicit videos were far too risky for a DoS worker to use, but the image of T1n4Red’s full lips and blond hair invaded his dreams. They could run a ranch together, or maybe they’d be cattle rustlers on the run. He wasn’t sure why, but every night, Fabian masturbated to the one rendered CGI model of T1n4Red they had on file. On the outside, his life was the ultimate mundanity, but the thrill of T1n4Red, the taste of the air on the great ranches outside the city, the sheer danger of even thinking all this, was the only way he could sleep.

---

They watched the pollination drone flit between the hibiscus flowers in the thick air of the botanical biodome. Fabian had been lucky to receive two of the limited daily visitor passes. It was even luckier for Scott, who now had the chance to get out of his mom’s dingy basement for a few hours.

“You know why they made them bigger than bees, right?” Scott spoke out of the side of his mouth. When Fabian shrugged, he leant in to inspect the device hovering around eye level. He blew a kiss and waved at its pollen-collector end.

“You don’t know that.”

Scott turned and swept his lank hair off his forehead. “You're the one who checks the footage, snoop.”

Micro cameras were yet another panopticon in the armory of the State. You had to assume, even when lying in bed with a lover, even when going to the toilet, that it was possible you were recorded, watched, and analyzed even years later. Secrecy was a virus DoS sought to eradicate.

The biosphere wristband on Fabian’s right arm sounded. Closing time was fast approaching. Fabian put a hand on Scott’s shoulder. “You know, there was a time when access to nature wasn’t so strictly controlled.” He stopped himself from saying more.

They joined the crowds heading to the exit down the palm pathway. “You heard about the latest blacklist?” asked Scott. “The mixnets are awash with it.”

Fabian’s neck muscles tightened. “You shouldn’t be telling me you’re on those forums.” Until he became an agent, even Fabian was prohibited from accessing the decentralized ‘Level 2’ network.

Scott laughed. It was the first time Fabian had heard him laugh that day. “That’s the fun of this little game, homie. Encoding and decrypting ciphers is living. It’s all I got apart from running from debt.” He lowered his voice. “My identity is already in prison, but I ain’t going too.”

Glancing left then right, Fabian made a decision. It was a decision to offer information to a friend, a true friend who had no reason to stick by him when all others cut ties. Sharing a secret in the meatspace was the biggest risk Fabian had taken in years, but he had no way to do it digitally.

“I was behind it.” He expelled a sigh.

Scott turned his head. They carried on walking towards the exit in the throng of people. A few seconds passed.

Fabian scratched at the mole above his eye. “Spent months unraveling stego messages. I feel like I know her. Like really know her.” Was he saying this out of pride or trepidation? Even if they ended in constrained mediocrity, lifeplans were so beautifully simple. Tina, Williams, the ranch, avenging his father’s bankruptcy, the forums, the caution, it all seemed so jumbled. “Maybe I’m in love.” What was Fabian saying? However long T1n4Red lasted underground, she’d never be able to surface again.

Scott bumped Fabian by stepping across his path. “Not in the meatspace. Keep checking the images. There’s a lot more hiding in plain sight than you know.” 

They walked in silence through the automated exit gate into the gray city air. As they departed, Scott turned back and called out, “Right pocket.”

Sure enough, Fabian felt the weight of a ‘brick’. He had held one of the untethered devices once in DoS training. Without even putting his hand into his pocket he knew that it was there and what it meant. Decentralized forum instructions would be written on an attached note. The code would be something only he and Scott knew. T14nRed and the entire underworld were now at his fingertips.

---

23:43 - untethered alert.

Invitation to join Level 2 CP mixnet.

Confirmation Key: M0ntann4Sc0ttySn00ps2031

Fabian lay back in his single bed. He followed the personalized invite link Scott had generated. It must have been strange, he thought, when space was not at a premium, when people went for a walk to escape, rather than lie on their bunk and plug themselves into a metaverse or L2 world. The Ledger made everything easy, an all-in-one software system for citizens so dialed in to their lifeplans, they didn’t have a second to spare. That’s how it had seized control of the nation.

The forum loaded and he found his welcome message from Scott.

Relay from T1n4Red:

It is never too late to use the powers of surveillance for good, Operative Sixsmith. Underworld 4gives but the ledger does not 4get.

In the darkness of his cabin, his face bathed in blue light, Fabian sat bolt upright. His head broke the plane of the holoscreen and a tinge of current trickled through his temple. She knew who he was; she knew what he had done. A charge pulsed through him, the thrill of true privacy. How had he been duped into thinking a total lack of encryption guaranteed freedom and not a glass cage?

The holoscreen flickered for a second. A multimedia message.

Level 2s were a gray area, not illegal. Messages could be relayed peer to peer along a mixnet to the end user. With personalized links hidden in messages on the public comms ledger, communities could be discerning about who joined.

When Fabian leaned back into a lying position, he was greeted by a 3D render of the woman he’d been chasing for over a year. His eyes drank in the red-lipped smile and blonde hair of the woman he’d forced underground, never to feel the rays of the Montana sun again. She held a piece of paper up to the camera, but Fabian couldn’t tear his eyes from her piercing gaze. 64k cameras could pick up the tiniest imperfection. She looked even more real than if he saw her in the flesh. The piece of paper she held was another invite code — this time to an L3 channel. 

Fabian exhaled. Breathe. He ran his finger over the chain of three tiny moles above his right eyebrow as if checking they were still there. There were agents who’d been on the force for decades without penetrating Level 3. All messages were stored on the Ledger — that couldn’t be avoided. But with all the red herrings and strong encryption, it was impossible for even the most powerful computers at DoS to uncover much about the members of Underworld’s inner circle. Fabian’s hand reached for his untethered brick. He entered the address from the 3D render of Tina’s paper, followed by the 24-character code from the paper on the outside of the brick. He was in. His next shift at DoS started in ten hours, but he knew he wouldn’t sleep much before then. Tina, and the Underworld answers he’d been seeking awaited on the L3 forum. Fabian made his way to the bathroom and rooted out an old lighter from the medicine cabinet. Staring back from the mirror was his reflection; perhaps it was an avatar of him bound for the Underworld while he remained in the meatspace with his tiny closet apartment and faltering lifeplan. They both watched the password on the paper note burn.

---

The hubbub of DoS Sector 4A quietened as Fabian walked down the corridor. The hum of hundreds of microcameras was imperceptible to human ears. The one place without them was the toilets — a DoS employee committee had made sure of that — and that is where Fabian’s untethered communicator brick lay. Even if it was found on a bug sweep, they couldn’t trace it to him. And he had ten minutes every two hours to get to the bathroom and check in. 

At first she’d been cautious, wanting to know if Fabian would follow her precise instruction. Then, information from Tina had came fast and furious. Names, transactions, locations, protocol, so much information. The tips she’d provided checked out. In fact, they were all just about low-level enough that it was believable that Fabian’s data-driven detective work had unearthed them. She’d even provided a methodology to show which macros and filters he could use to locate L2 peddlers and fixers.

He removed the floor tile behind the toilet bowl. This never got less gross. After relieving himself and pulling the flush chain, he attached the remote charge pack and switched it on. No battery, no trace signal.

11:03 - Message waiting: 6Smith, something important is about to happen. Act surprised. After confirmation, we must meet in person. It will not be easy to get you here. Instructions will follow.

Fabian heard the toilet door open. Could DoS be employing physical spies without the use of cameras in the bathrooms? 

The sound of a belt buckle. Charcoal-gray trousers descended and appeared on top of brown loafers through the little gap under the cubicle wall. The heavy-set man dumped himself onto the john and exhaled. 

After he deleted the message, Fabian switched off the phone and wiped the power back into his remote charger. He scrubbed his prints off the brick and replaced it behind the bowl. Another flush and he was gone. Out the door before charcoal trousers could physically tie him to the brick. If he was snooping, they would know. He’d get questions about using an unsanctioned jailbroken device. Maybe he could claim he was trying to arrange a physical meeting with T1n4Red. Still, the interrogation would be brutal.

Back on the floor, Agent Williams activated a meeting alert on Fabian’s desk. The red light informed him he must report to the cube immediately. It took great restraint for Fabian to avoid any nervous ticks. Especially with the scrutiny of operatives at his level, he couldn’t avoid a single nervous exploration of the moles on his temple or wiping of hands on trousers. The electronic band every citizen had clamped around their right wrist fed streams of bio-data to the DoS servers. Who would be alerted if his heartbeat spiked or breathing patterns changed? As he’d learned on the L2 forums, flying under the radar took a lot more than digital restraint. The surveillance apparatus of the state kept so much biometric data it had become a living cyborg. Could this be about the bathroom break? The guy in the next stall with the charcoal trousers? The brick? Was this the start of a downfall that ended in the same invisible blacklist Scott was on? Maybe that chick in the library had something against him too.

The glass door slid open and Fabian moved through the entry point in one clean step.

“No need to sit, Operative Sixsmith. Let’s stay on our feet here.”

Sixsmith awaited the news. Whatever it was, at least it would be quick.

Williams raised a stainless steel travel mug to his lips and drank. If the coffee was hot, he showed no signs of it. “I must admit, I’ve had my doubts about you.” An ominous start. “Up until this year, your work was adequate.” Williams paced towards the glass wall to watch the goings on of the morning-shift operators. His invisible stare could put someone’s back out. “And that stunt you pulled to get the jump on T1n4Red… some stricter agents might have filed that as a denial-of-protocol infraction.”

Fabian locked his gaze to the coffee cup and let him talk.

“But since then, your results have been quite something. An 89% strike rate on intel and twelve L2 agitators liquidated. That’s as high as I’ve seen.”

“Thank you, sir.” Fabian rearranged his cotton shirt, which, despite the blasting air con, was stuck firmly to his back.

“Good news.” Agent Williams went to his desk drawer and removed a six-inch blade. The silver tip matched the glint of William’s graying hair under the strip light. “You are no longer an operative here at the Department of Surveillance.”

Fabian imagined the angle of attack. A diagonal slashing motion from up high. He wouldn’t have time to avoid the agent’s quick reflexes.

“Congratulations, Agent Sixsmith.”

Fabian took a step back. His right hand found its way to his brow. “What?”

“You’ve been promoted, son. It can’t be that much of a surprise.”

Fabian had spent so long tracking certainties, he had forgotten what surprise felt like. He had his doubts about the system, his L3 secrets, his upcoming liaison with T1n4Red, his friendship with Scott. But things would be better as an agent. His family back in Boston would surely offer some begrudging respect. If he wasn’t six feet under, his old man might feel some kind of peace knowing his boy had won back those credits. Freedom from bio-data collection and freedom to roam. He faced his boss. “But I’m not up for review until—”

“Take the win.” Williams approached, knife in hand. “We need all the capable agents we can get.” He reached for Fabian’s right forearm. His grip was that of a much bigger man. “Effective immediately, you are Agent Sixsmith of the Department of Surveillance.” He slid the knife under Fabian’s communicator wristband and sliced through the strap.

The cool office air touched his now naked wrist. Fabian smoothed the skin as if he had been unshackled.

Once Williams returned the knife to its drawer, he offered his hand to shake. “Congratulations, Agent. Full briefing tomorrow at 0930.”

“Yes sir. Thank you for your trust.” He turned to go.

“Stop,” a sharp voice called. Williams held a small piece of metal between thumb and forefinger. “Don’t forget this.”

Agent Fabian Sixsmith accepted the gift — an American flag pin. He nodded and stepped through the doorway in the same way he entered.

---

Fabian zipped his thick hoodie and stepped out into the night. The reflectors in the fabric would dazzle the night vision of the cameras, and the Federal Government hadn’t passed any laws telling people how to dress… yet. He opened the door and set out to meet his handler.

He started his run towards the city outskirts, the hood shrouding his adrenaline-shot eyes. The back of his skull throbbed. It had been bothering him all afternoon. Throwing in a few boxing moves for good measure, Fabian pounded out the miles. One, two, past the city limits and onto the shoulder of the 87, the sixteen-wheeler auto rigs ripping past. The drones would be following — of that he was sure.

His handler was there. Just like Tina said. Half a mile after the first junction, under the bridge, Scott straddled his solarbike. This must be how he earned his sats — acting as a go between for Underworld agents who had gone to ground.

No words, just the exchange. Fabian unzipped the hoodie and draped it over his friend’s shoulders. Scott removed a 3D image scanner from his pocket and ran it over Fabian’s face. Two seconds and the ID confirmation would be relayed on the Ledger, probably embedded with a stego message. A quick clap of the hands, and he drove into the night. Forty, fifty, sixty, and gone, west towards Great Falls. Fabian took a breath. Is this what he had done all those reps in the closet for? He scrambled up the bank and jumped for the bridge railing. Hauling his body up and over in one swift motion. Then, crouching low behind the advertising hoarding, he duck-walked over the bridge and down the bank. How would he disable the micro cameras? Even without tracking data, the DoS apparatus wouldn’t be far behind — especially after they scrambled a drone to intercept Scott. Thirty seconds tops.

This place, just a few miles away from Lewistown, was the setting for one of those books he loved — cowboys, sheriffs, and theft. Of course, the subterfuge of Level 3 protocol and 256-bit encryption was a little more complicated now. The idea of coding messages is as old as civilization, only the attack vectors changed over time. 

Left. Right. Feet smacking dirt. Fabian had to trust the track was level. He could barely see three feet in front of him — only the dim Montana moonlight for company. The whirr of a camcopter approached overhead. If it locked his thermal image, he was toast. Just a few more strides surely. His lungs burned after all those miles.

DoS wasn’t just going to let a newly-minted agent go for a mysterious wilderness night run.

His foot jammed against a root. He stumbled on, narrowly avoiding a painful fall.

“IDENTIFY ORDER.” The camcopter had locked the human gait recognition. “FAILURE TO COMPLY EVOKES FEDERAL CREDIT ELIMINATION.”

Fabian almost laughed. These fucking things threatening to zero-out people’s hard-earned savings. How the hell had Americans let things go this far? He spotted the manhole cover under the tree. His lungs sucked in the night air, and his heart tore at his ribs.

Wham. Down to the ground. The force of a truck pinned Fabian and pushed his face into the dirt. “No,” he cried. “Let me explain.” Searing pain pulsed through his skull from the back to the front. In the seconds that followed, it was as if his brain was rebooting. Who was this? What were they doing?

“Neural tracer deactivated,” said the voice of the brute on top of him. 

Fabian managed to turn his head. He caught a glimpse of the man, but it was too dark to see his face. The pressure on Fabian’s back slowly released. He shook the cobwebs out of his head.

As Fabian stood, he saw the guard moving away, pointing his EMP caster at the sky, sweeping left then right.

Crash. One dronecopter downed. A crash to the right, another drone gone. These things would be disposed of in some pit or quarry. The figure collected the drones and moved into the night. 

Fabian dusted himself off and walked towards his destination of the irrigation pipe system. As Agent Sixsmith hauled the steel grate to the side, he took a breath. This was it. Too late to deny involvement. Too far down the rabbit hole. He’d have to give up everything he worked for — respect at Thanksgiving and a pension large enough to retire to a ranch and ride a horse over the land. In exchange, he’d get a one-time Underworld trip, where he would learn the methods and tactics the punks used to stay off grid.

Now it was quiet, bar the low hum of the highway and the sound of his rasping breath. He’d never been this alive. It sure beat the meticulous protocol of DoS. Before he could stop himself, Fabian was inside, his hands replacing the grate, gripping the ladder, his feet on the rungs, stepping down, down into the dark. Whatever she had to tell him, he needed to hear it. Meeting T1n4Red in the meatspace trumped any handshake from Agent Williams, any pension plan, and any begrudging respect from his nagging mother and fucked-up family. He descended to the Underworld.

At the end of the dank tunnel, Fabian saw the purple glow of UV light. He approached slowly. The sound of soft footsteps approached from behind. He didn’t dare turn. Then, a few paces from the curve where the light grew stronger, a flat plastic object jammed the base of his skull forward. Click. Probably a 3D-printed gun.

“Arms out. Legs astride.”

Fabian complied. The EM scan wouldn’t find anything. He was stripped of all tech — one of the many firsts he’d experienced that day. It was safer for all parties if he didn’t turn around.

The voice barked, “Clear,” and a rough hand pushed him forward. The footsteps descended back towards the tunnel opening.

Peering into the mirror positioned at the tunnel corner, Fabian caught a glimpse of the woman he came to see. The channel between well-defined back muscles drew his eye south. How long had it been since he felt the touch of a woman? How did she stay in such good shape down here? The weak UV light faded to a soft yellow glow in the chamber.

“Agent Sixsmith. We’ve been expecting you.” Tina pulled a t-shirt over her bra and cinched her blonde hair into a top bun. She laughed. “Take a seat.”

“How do you know I’m an agent?” Fabian sat on the plastic chair closest to him. The room had been widened from its original layout. It was now around fifteen feet square with a camp bed, a desk with double monitors, and a treadmill. His eyes settled on the black desktop compu-box.

She touched his arm, her hand surprisingly warm. “I bet you’d love to open that up and take a look.”

Fabian had never seen a homemade device connected up. Getting the parts must have taken years, but nobody could detect unregistered tech through lead linings and all the perimeter protocal. She truly owned something, even if it was just a little black box.

“You didn’t think agents are unsurveilled, did you? Poor boy.”

Fabian’s mind switched to rational mode. Was he burned? Would he ever be able to surface without getting financially or physically liquidated?

“Relax. I know what you’re thinking. This is your first trip here, but it won’t be your last. We fried your tracer chip and they can’t admit they implanted ‘cause it ain’t legal.” She swiveled the computer chair and sat on it back to front. The high chair back almost came up to her chin. “You get one question. Shoot.”

In their digital conversation, Tina had always been careful to give instructions only, never responding to Fabian’s questions. He might have a lot to learn, but at least he wasn’t living in the dark like her, a trapped soldier unable to look above the parapet. Was he walking into a trap? Was he already in one? If things got tough in the interrogation he was sure to receive from Williams, he could always offer some Underworld secret. Fabian turned to face the shadow of a woman he had chased for nearly a year. “Where are the Level 3 relay servers kept?”

“Ooh amor, you’ve gotta think bigger than that.” Tina Red was more than just a celebrity crush. Her blue eyes burned with the intensity of a neutron star. Her slender legs wrapped around the chair like a boa constrictor drawing in its prey. She drew closer, and he could smell the sweat. “There are no dedicated L3 relay servers. We’ve been using a hacked DoS server for months. Keeps you searching for that mythical Underworld data center, right?”

There were so many units in the DoS server cities that it would take years to isolate the hack. Smart. “What’s the end goal to all of this?” he asked.

Instead of replying, Tina shook her head. 

Play by Underworld rules, Fabian. It didn’t matter — he knew. Reversing the grip of the big-government machine was virtually impossible, but the dream was that the country returned to ‘the land of the free.’ Freedom to secrecy. Freedom to own. Freedom to transact with whomever you wanted.

Fabian watched as T1n4Red stood and crossed the six-foot gap between them. She leant over and moved a hand to the back of his hair, gripping his short black hair in her fist. The same fear pulsed through him as in the meeting he’d had with Agent Williams — the same Williams who was organizing the search and interrogate protocol for him at that very moment. Was her bodyguard waiting around the corner with the 3D-printed gun, primed to deliver its one shot straight into his brain?

“This is our endgame.” Their faces were inches apart. He saw the same freckles and imperfections in her skin as in the high-res digital render. But there was nothing like real life.

And then, a swell of the tide inside him. Euphoria. The kiss was deep. Their lips fused, one person, one dream. Fabian’s hands reached for the shape of the woman he’d dreamed about so many nights. She sat, straddling his legs and they went on. Blood rising like an ocean swell, Fabian dived into bliss. It all melted away — the dronecopters hovering above, the awkward entry to the office tomorrow, the nagging fear that his accounts would be zeroed out in mere hours. But one image remained. The moment transported Fabian to his spiritual home — the wilds of the Montana hills, the wind blowing through the grassland, the mountain range guarding the horizon. The wild country that called him.

When they finally broke the kiss, Tina stood. “Did you feel it?”

Fabian raised his gaze. “I think so. A place. The wild—”

She raised a finger to silence him. “Don’t say it. This is our secret, Agent Sixsmith.”

He thought for a second. Project Wild Country. It was strange, but he had no doubt. The phrase was branded into his mind clearer than the passphrase he had to memorize for his DoS access. How could two beings communicate telepathically?

“It’s called ‘Telepathic Key Exchange’. TKX for short.” Tina approached and whispered into his ear. “From the mentalists of the late 20th Century.” It had been there all along — a method to eliminate the gap where biological beings had to enter a passphrase physically. This was only part of the information chain without a cipher. No more worries about the micro cameras that could capture keystrokes or capture pen and ink comms.

“Our project,” she breathed.

The image swam through Fabian’s mind once more, the color of the sky as vivid as the eyes of the woman in front of him. The hills and plains in front of them. All protests start with the spark of non-compliance. And all revolution hinges on the man who knows how to play both sides. He’d have to learn more about it, understand it better, but TKX could lay the path to a fully anonymous market, unbreakable smart contracts, and a citizens’ private arbitration court. This would be the rewilding of America.

“We only have a few more minutes.” Tina returned to her chair. She explained the comms protocol and that the two of them were the only people on Earth to know the name of this mission. Project Wild Country would bring TKX to the masses.

“How can we teach people?”

“We lead people through the levels, just like I got you here. There are more stego images on the Ledger every day. It’s already started.”

Fabian looked at the wrist his bio-band had once gripped. “What do I say to DoS to explain this time-gap?” How long had he even been down there, fifteen minutes?

“You wouldn’t be much of an agent if you couldn’t think of something. Be the sovereign of yourself, Fabian.” T1n4Red laughed. “Better get running.”

Fabian moved toward the dark tunnel that led to a surface world buzzing with invisible spies. “I’ll be thinking of you,” he said. Fabian thought he detected the hint of a smile on Tina’s lips, and he felt a tiny swell of the euphoria that had filled him moments earlier. Then, he turned to go. Agent Sixsmith rounded the corner and started his journey back to the wild country.

---

This story first appeared in Financial Fallout. Find out more about the book at 21futures.com

21 Futures retains 21% of the zaps received to cover operating costs. The majority of the sats are forwarded to the author.

---

Max Hillebrand is a praxeologist who contributes to several open-source projects, because code is abundant and not scarce. He shares his work freely for others to use and modify. His goal is to help build a parallel economy based on sound money and individual sovereignty, where people can pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions without interference from central authorities. Find out more at towardsliberty.com

@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

Tu connais une marque proposant des alternatives naturelles ? Partage-la ici en commentant cette page !

Pour être référencée, la marque doit proposer une partie au moins de ses produits en matières naturelles. 👉 En savoir plus sur les matières

Chaque information ajoutée (nom, lien, catégorie, etc.) et validée est considérée comme une contribution. 👉 En savoir plus sur les contributions

Chaque contribution validée est comptabilisée et donne lieu à une rétribution. Pense à bien sauvegarder tes clés (identifiants) dans un coffre comme nsec.app). Tu peux aussi partager plus simplement tes trouvailles sans créer de compte via le formulaire de contact (non éligible pour les rétributions). 👉 En savoir plus sur les rétributions

Copie-colle le modèle ci-dessous et remplis les informations que tu as. D’autres contribut-eur-rice-s ou l'équipe coeur pourront compléter les éléments manquants.

---

Nouvelle marque ou fabricant

• Nom de la marque :
• Image représentant des produits de la marque (lien, idéalement depuis le site de la marque) :
• Courte description :
• Catégories de produits proposées :
• Matières utilisées pour ses produits :
• Site internet de la marque :
• Autres informations (lieu de production, labels…) :

---

Cet article est publié sur origine-nature.com 🌐 See this article in English

@ a5142938:0ef19da3

Do you know a brand offering natural alternatives? Share it here by commenting on this page!

To be listed, the brand must offer at least some of its products made from natural materials. 👉 Learn more about materials

Each piece of information added (name, link, category, etc.) and validated is considered a contribution. 👉 Learn more about contributions

Every validated contribution is counted and eligible for rewards. Make sure to securely save your keys (credentials) in a vault like nsec.app). You can also share more easily your finds without creating an account via the contact form (not eligible for rewards). 👉 Learn more about rewards

Copy and paste the template below and fill in the information you have. Other contributors or the core team can complete any missing details.

---

New brand or manufacturer

• Brand name:
• Image representing the brand’s products (link, ideally from the brand’s website):
• Short description:
• Categories of products offered:
• Materials used in its products:
• Brand’s website:
• Other information (place of production, certifications, etc.):

---

This article is published on origin-nature.com 🌐 Voir cet article en français

@ ca495706:2476e4d0

VIPWIN là một nền tảng trực tuyến phát triển mạnh mẽ trong thời gian gần đây, mang đến cho người dùng những trải nghiệm mượt mà và an toàn. Được thiết kế với giao diện thân thiện và dễ sử dụng, VIPWIN không chỉ chú trọng đến việc tối ưu hóa trải nghiệm người dùng mà còn bảo vệ quyền lợi của họ một cách tối đa. Tính năng của nền tảng này luôn được cập nhật và cải tiến để phục vụ nhu cầu ngày càng cao của người dùng. VIPWIN cung cấp một không gian trực tuyến hiện đại, dễ tiếp cận, cho phép người dùng truy cập các dịch vụ chỉ trong vài bước đơn giản. Dù bạn là người mới sử dụng hay là người đã có kinh nghiệm, việc làm quen với hệ thống của VIPWIN sẽ rất dễ dàng nhờ vào giao diện trực quan và các tính năng hỗ trợ rõ ràng. Một trong những yếu tố quan trọng tạo nên sự khác biệt của VIPWIN chính là tốc độ truy cập ổn định và nhanh chóng. Người dùng sẽ không gặp phải tình trạng gián đoạn hay độ trễ trong suốt quá trình sử dụng dịch vụ.

Bảo mật là một trong những yếu tố quan trọng mà VIPWIN đặc biệt chú trọng. Với sự phát triển không ngừng của công nghệ, việc bảo vệ thông tin cá nhân của người dùng là vô cùng cần thiết. VIPWIN sử dụng các công nghệ mã hóa tiên tiến để đảm bảo rằng dữ liệu của người sử dụng luôn được bảo vệ an toàn tuyệt đối. Các thông tin giao dịch và dữ liệu cá nhân đều được mã hóa, giúp người dùng yên tâm khi sử dụng nền tảng mà không phải lo lắng về việc bị lộ lọt thông tin. Ngoài ra, đội ngũ bảo mật của VIPWIN luôn theo dõi và kiểm tra hệ thống thường xuyên để phát hiện và xử lý kịp thời các mối đe dọa tiềm ẩn. Điều này giúp người dùng hoàn toàn tin tưởng vào sự an toàn của nền tảng. Không chỉ vậy, VIPWIN còn cung cấp dịch vụ hỗ trợ khách hàng chuyên nghiệp, hoạt động liên tục 24/7, sẵn sàng giải đáp mọi thắc mắc và hỗ trợ người dùng khi gặp phải vấn đề. Đội ngũ hỗ trợ của VIPWIN luôn tận tâm và chu đáo, đảm bảo người dùng luôn được hỗ trợ nhanh chóng và hiệu quả.

Với cam kết phát triển không ngừng và cải tiến liên tục, VIPWIN không chỉ đáp ứng nhu cầu của người dùng mà còn luôn tạo ra những giá trị mới cho cộng đồng. Nền tảng này luôn cập nhật và cải tiến các tính năng để mang đến cho người dùng những trải nghiệm tối ưu nhất. Các tính năng mới luôn được phát triển dựa trên nhu cầu thực tế của người sử dụng, nhằm cải thiện hiệu suất và nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ. VIPWIN luôn chú trọng đến việc cải tiến giao diện, nâng cao tốc độ truy cập và cập nhật các công cụ hỗ trợ người dùng. Một điểm đáng chú ý nữa là nền tảng này luôn sẵn sàng lắng nghe ý kiến đóng góp từ cộng đồng người dùng, từ đó đưa ra các thay đổi và cải tiến phù hợp. Chính nhờ sự sáng tạo và cam kết không ngừng nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ, VIPWIN đang ngày càng trở thành lựa chọn hàng đầu của người dùng trong môi trường trực tuyến. Với đội ngũ phát triển chuyên nghiệp và tầm nhìn dài hạn, VIPWIN chắc chắn sẽ tiếp tục phát triển mạnh mẽ và duy trì vị thế là một trong những nền tảng trực tuyến đáng tin cậy nhất trong tương lai.

@ a5142938:0ef19da3

Have you found a natural product? Share it here by commenting on this page!

This site only lists durable-use products and objects. Consumables (food, cosmetics, fuels, etc.) are not included.

To be listed, the product must be made of natural materials. 👉 Learn more about materials

Each piece of information added (name, material, link, shipping area, etc.) and validated is considered a contribution. 👉 Learn more about contributions

Every validated contribution is counted and eligible for rewards. Make sure to securely save your keys (credentials) in a vault like nsec.app). You can also share more easily your finds without creating an account via the contact form (not eligible for rewards). 👉 Learn more about rewards

You can copy and paste the template below and fill in the information you have. Other contributors or the core team can complete any missing details.

---

New product

• Product name :
• Product image (link):
• Short description:
• Categories:
• Brand or manufacturer:
• Composition (materials used, including unknown elements):
• Links to buy (and shipping area):
• Other information (place of manufacture, certifications…):

---

This article is published on origin-nature.com 🌐 Voir cet article en français

@ e4950c93:1b99eccd

Tu as trouvé un produit naturel ? Partage-le ici en commentant cette page !

Ce site référence uniquement des produits et objets à usage durable. Les consommables (aliments, cosmétiques, combustibles, etc.) ne sont pas inclus.

Pour être référencé, le produit doit être composé de matières naturelles. 👉 En savoir plus sur les matières

Chaque information ajoutée (nom, matière, lien, zone de livraison pour un lien, etc.) et validée est considérée comme une contribution. 👉 En savoir plus sur les contributions

Chaque contribution validée est comptabilisée et donne lieu à une rétribution. Pense à bien sauvegarder tes clés (identifiants) dans un coffre comme nsec.app). Tu peux aussi partager plus simplement tes trouvailles sans créer de compte via le formulaire de contact (non éligible pour les rétributions). 👉 En savoir plus sur les rétributions

Copie-colle le modèle ci-dessous et remplis les informations dont tu disposes. D’autres contribut-eur-rice-s ou l'équipe coeur pourront compléter les éléments manquants.

---

Nouveau produit

• Nom du produit :
• Image du produit (lien) :
• Description courte :
• Catégories :
• Marque ou fabricant :
• Composition (matériaux utilisés, y compris les éléments inconnus) :
• Liens pour l’acheter (et zone de livraison) :
• Zone de livraison pour les
• Autres infos utiles (lieu de fabrication, labels, etc.) :

---

Cet article est publié sur origine-nature.com 🌐 See this article in English

@ fbb0eb9d:bdb78256

Wir dürfen keinen Millimeter weichen für jene, die unsere Freiheit nicht zu schätzen wissen. Vor zehn Jahren wurden die Journalisten des französischen Satiremagazins Charlie Hebdo in ihrer Redaktion erschossen, weil sie sich die Freiheit nahmen, eine Religion zu beleidigen. Das sollten wir nicht vergessen, und beim Namen nennen. Diesen Text schrieb ich schon damals, und um es vorweg zu nehmen: Ich bin immer noch Charlie.

„Und, sind Sie auch Charlie?“ fragte damals mein Banksachbearbeiter, nachdem ich auf die Frage nach meinem Beruf „Journalistin“ geantwortet hatte. Viele waren seinerzeit „Charlie“, ja, die Solidarität mit den Opfern in Paris war groß. Bei uns im Land und auch weltweit. Tausende Facebooker veränderten ihre Profilbilder, aber genauso sicher, wie das Amen in der Kirche, hatte es nur wenige Tage gedauert, bis die Differenzierer auf den Plan gerufen wurden. Am Tag der Geiselnahmen in Paris fuhr ich gerade Taxi in Berlin, während sich die französischen Sondereinheiten vor der Druckerei und dem jüdischen Supermarkt in Stellung brachten, die ebenfalls unter Beschuss von Islamisten gerieten. Der Taxifahrer war kein potenzieller „Charlie“. Ich konnte seine Nationalität trotz Akzent nicht ausmachen, möglicherweise war er sogar Franzose. Ich habe nicht gefragt. Sein Standpunkt jedenfalls: „Warum mussten die das auch veröffentlichen, das hätte man ja wissen können, das sowas passiert“.

Wenn mehr auf dem Spiel steht, als ein Profilbild

Ein Moslem? Ich weiß es nicht. Aber auch aus dem christlichen Lager kam zunehmend Kritik, nachdem so mancher recherchiert hatte, was für Karikaturen bei „Charlie Hebdo“ in der Vergangenheit erschienen sind. Auch mit uns Christen ging man in dem Satire-Magazin nicht gerade zimperlich um. Sind wir immer noch Charlie, auch dann, wenn unsere eigene Religion aufs Korn genommen oder gar beleidigt wird?

Und so bestätigte ich dem Angestellten am Bankschalter auch gerne: „Ja, ich bin Charlie, aber ich bin auch gespannt, wie viele immer noch Charlie sind, wenn es um ihren eigenen Kopf geht!“ – eine Frage die heute kaum aktueller sein könnte angesichts von katholischen Priestern, die zwischenzeitlich im Namen Allahs in Frankreich am Altar geköpft wurden und auch islamischen Attentätern, die gerne deutsche Weihnachtsmärkte für ein adventliches Töten zum Anlass nehmen. Sind wir immer noch “Charlie” wenn die Frage nach der Solidarität mit den Opfern sich nicht mit einem Wechsel des Profilbildes bei Facebook erledigen lässt? Denn ein Bild zu tauschen, tut nicht weh, ist schnell gemacht und man bewegt sich damit gerade sowieso im Strom der breiten Masse.

Gesicht zu zeigen ist ein Anfang, es bis zur letzten Konsequenz durchzuhalten, oft etwas ganz anderes. Auch Prominente zeigten damals vor zehn Jahren gerne immer wieder Gesicht. Es existierte eine ganze Kampagne dazu unter dem Namen.

Da war dann Klaus Wowereit Migrant, wenn jemand was gegen Migranten hat, Jörg Thadeusz war schwul, wenn jemand etwas gegen Schwule hat, Ulrich Wickert war Jude, wenn jemand etwas gegen Juden hat und Markus Kavka gar schwarz, wenn jemand was gegen Schwarze hat.

Das ist auch gut so, so wird Flagge gezeigt. Aber es braucht für derlei Bekenntnisse genauso wenig Mut, wie für den Profilbild-Wechsel bei Facebook.

Denn sind wir wirklich immer noch „schwarz“, „schwul“, „Jude“ oder „Migrant“, wenn unser Nebenmann angegriffen wird? Kurz nach der Ermordung der Satiriker von Charlie Hebdo bekam damals Ralf König auf Facebook und Co. von allen Seiten die Comiczeichner-Jacke vollgehauen, weil er nicht mehr ganz Charlie sein mag. Aus Angst hatte er eine Karikatur zurückgezogen, die sich mit dem Islam beschäftigte. Bei ihm steht ja auch nicht nur ein Profilbild, sondern – wie Paris gezeigt hat – wesentlich mehr auf dem Spiel. Eine allzu menschliche Reaktion! Und all den Heuchlern, die ihn verurteilen, würde ich gerne zurufen: Euch möchte ich mal in der gleichen Situation erleben. Nämlich dann, wenn es persönlich wird und die Angst nicht abstrakt, sondern konkret begründet werden kann.

Gerade Christen dürfen nicht zurückweichen

Das zeigt aber gleichzeitig, warum es so wichtig ist, dass wir auch weiterhin Charlie sind. Weil die Angst im Kopf uns sonst lähmt.

Wenn ein Journalist anfängt nachzudenken, ob er überhaupt oder wenn, wie er etwas schreiben soll, dann hat die Selbstzensur bereits eingesetzt.

Wenn ein Journalist Fakten weglässt, weil er vermutet, dass sie nicht gerne gehört werden, dann hat Selbstzensur schon eingesetzt.

Wenn ein Zeichner sich nicht mehr traut, manche Themen oder Religionen aufs Korn zu nehmen, dann hat Selbstzensur schon eingesetzt.

Und dann nutzt es nichts, dass gesetzlich keine Zensur existiert, weil diese Gesetze dann nicht mehr das Papier wert sind, auf dem sie stehen. Wir dürfen nicht zurückweichen. Auch und gerade nicht als Christen. Auch wenn wir selbst mit manchen Karikaturen hadern. Beleidigt sein darf man trotzdem. Denn der Grad von persönlicher Entrüstung ist bei allen unterschiedlich. Ich jedenfalls habe Tränen gelacht beim Kinoklassiker „Life of Brian“ und Monty Pythons „Catholic Song“ ist einfach ganz großes Kino. Aber auch ich war schon oft empört, weil mir manches, was unter Satire und Kunst verkauft wird, zu weit ging.

„Würden Sie auch Mohammed-Town ausstrahlen?“

Als etwa 2003 der Musiksender MTV die Comic-Serie „Popetown“ mit einem infantilen Papst und korrupten Kardinälen ausstrahlte, habe ich eine Gegenkampagne dazu organisiert. „Würden Sie auch Mohammed-Town“ ausstrahlen, fragte ich damals in einem offenen Brief die MTV-Geschäftsführerin Catherine Mühlemann. „Kein Christ wird Ihnen bei Ausstrahlung die Studiofenster zertrümmern, handelt es sich doch beim Christentum um eine Religion des Friedens. Wir verdienen aber nicht weniger Respekt als andere Religionen.“ 50.000 Menschen beteiligten sich damals an den Protesten, verschiedene Organisationen, Politiker und sogar der Zentralrat der Juden protestierte, genutzt hat es nichts. Die Serie erledigte sich letztendlich selbst mit niedrigen Einschaltquoten dank ihres unterirdischen Niveaus.

Aber selbst, wenn es ein Erfolg geworden wäre, hätten wir weiter protestiert: friedlich und ganz sicher nicht mit dem Maschinengewehr. Wir sind ein Land, in dem diese Debatten immer und immer wieder neu mit Worten und nicht mit Waffen ausgetragen werden. In unserem Land darf man kritisieren und sich auch empören. Wir dürfen unsere eigene Regierung anprangern und uns über Religionen lustig machen. Das tut weh, wenn man selbst betroffen ist, dieses Recht dürfen wir aber nicht riskieren. Für keinen persönlichen Grad an Beleidigtsein.

Diskurs statt Blasphemie-Gesetze

Wenn wir also Rücksicht nehmen auf Religionen, dann aber bitte auf alle. Wenn Religionen aber Kritik, Humor oder Satire aushalten müssen, dann bitte auch alle. Ich halte nichts von Blasphemie-Gesetzen, aber umso mehr vom freien Diskurs, der nicht nur in der Religionsfrage derzeit ins Hintertreffen gerät.

Die Frage, ob „der Islam“ zu Deutschland gehört, ist also die falsche. Die Frage ist: Will der Islam zu Deutschland oder gar zu Europa gehören? Sind alle seine Gläubigen bereit, friedlich hinzunehmen, dass im Namen von Meinungsfreiheit, Kunst oder Satire der eigene Glaube beleidigt werden darf?

Denn erst dann ist der Islam wirklich im freien Europa angekommen und diese Frage können die Muslime nur unter sich ausmachen. Es ist nicht an uns, ihnen ihre Religion zu erklären. Wir sollten aber langsam klären, wofür wir selbst stehen. Integration kann nur von jemandem erwartet werden, dem man auch erklären kann, in was er sich integrieren und wie weit das reichen soll.

Wir werden den gemeinsamen Nenner aufzeigen müssen, die „Conditio-sine-qua-non“, ohne die sich unsere Gesellschaft sonst immer weiter auseinander bewegt. Ich habe damals von Catherine Mühlemann keine Antwort auf meine Frage bekommen. Ich weiß nicht, ob sie heute Charlie ist. Ich wünsche mir keinen Raum für diese Angst, die uns lähmt, Debatten ehrlich zu führen. Für Menschen, die unsere Freiheit nicht zu schätzen wissen, weiche ich keinen Millimeter. Ich bin Birgit Kelle. Und ich bin immer noch Charlie.

---

@ 40b9c85f:5e61b451

Introduction

Data Vending Machines (DVMs) have emerged as a crucial component of the Nostr ecosystem, offering specialized computational services to clients across the network. As defined in NIP-90, DVMs operate on an apparently simple principle: "data in, data out." They provide a marketplace for data processing where users request specific jobs (like text translation, content recommendation, or AI text generation)

While DVMs have gained significant traction, the current specification faces challenges that hinder widespread adoption and consistent implementation. This article explores some ideas on how we can apply the reflection pattern, a well established approach in RPC systems, to address these challenges and improve the DVM ecosystem's clarity, consistency, and usability.

The Current State of DVMs: Challenges and Limitations

The NIP-90 specification provides a broad framework for DVMs, but this flexibility has led to several issues:

1. Inconsistent Implementation

As noted by hzrd149 in "DVMs were a mistake" every DVM implementation tends to expect inputs in slightly different formats, even while ostensibly following the same specification. For example, a translation request DVM might expect an event ID in one particular format, while an LLM service could expect a "prompt" input that's not even specified in NIP-90.

2. Fragmented Specifications

The DVM specification reserves a range of event kinds (5000-6000), each meant for different types of computational jobs. While creating sub-specifications for each job type is being explored as a possible solution for clarity, in a decentralized and permissionless landscape like Nostr, relying solely on specification enforcement won't be effective for creating a healthy ecosystem. A more comprehensible approach is needed that works with, rather than against, the open nature of the protocol.

3. Ambiguous API Interfaces

There's no standardized way for clients to discover what parameters a specific DVM accepts, which are required versus optional, or what output format to expect. This creates uncertainty and forces developers to rely on documentation outside the protocol itself, if such documentation exists at all.

The Reflection Pattern: A Solution from RPC Systems

The reflection pattern in RPC systems offers a compelling solution to many of these challenges. At its core, reflection enables servers to provide metadata about their available services, methods, and data types at runtime, allowing clients to dynamically discover and interact with the server's API.

In established RPC frameworks like gRPC, reflection serves as a self-describing mechanism where services expose their interface definitions and requirements. In MCP reflection is used to expose the capabilities of the server, such as tools, resources, and prompts. Clients can learn about available capabilities without prior knowledge, and systems can adapt to changes without requiring rebuilds or redeployments. This standardized introspection creates a unified way to query service metadata, making tools like grpcurl possible without requiring precompiled stubs.

How Reflection Could Transform the DVM Specification

By incorporating reflection principles into the DVM specification, we could create a more coherent and predictable ecosystem. DVMs already implement some sort of reflection through the use of 'nip90params', which allow clients to discover some parameters, constraints, and features of the DVMs, such as whether they accept encryption, nutzaps, etc. However, this approach could be expanded to provide more comprehensive self-description capabilities.

1. Defined Lifecycle Phases

Similar to the Model Context Protocol (MCP), DVMs could benefit from a clear lifecycle consisting of an initialization phase and an operation phase. During initialization, the client and DVM would negotiate capabilities and exchange metadata, with the DVM providing a JSON schema containing its input requirements. nip-89 (or other) announcements can be used to bootstrap the discovery and negotiation process by providing the input schema directly. Then, during the operation phase, the client would interact with the DVM according to the negotiated schema and parameters.

2. Schema-Based Interactions

Rather than relying on rigid specifications for each job type, DVMs could self-advertise their schemas. This would allow clients to understand which parameters are required versus optional, what type validation should occur for inputs, what output formats to expect, and what payment flows are supported. By internalizing the input schema of the DVMs they wish to consume, clients gain clarity on how to interact effectively.

3. Capability Negotiation

Capability negotiation would enable DVMs to advertise their supported features, such as encryption methods, payment options, or specialized functionalities. This would allow clients to adjust their interaction approach based on the specific capabilities of each DVM they encounter.

Implementation Approach

While building DVMCP, I realized that the RPC reflection pattern used there could be beneficial for constructing DVMs in general. Since DVMs already follow an RPC style for their operation, and reflection is a natural extension of this approach, it could significantly enhance and clarify the DVM specification.

A reflection enhanced DVM protocol could work as follows: 1. Discovery: Clients discover DVMs through existing NIP-89 application handlers, input schemas could also be advertised in nip-89 announcements, making the second step unnecessary. 2. Schema Request: Clients request the DVM's input schema for the specific job type they're interested in 3. Validation: Clients validate their request against the provided schema before submission 4. Operation: The job proceeds through the standard NIP-90 flow, but with clearer expectations on both sides

Parallels with Other Protocols

This approach has proven successful in other contexts. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) implements a similar lifecycle with capability negotiation during initialization, allowing any client to communicate with any server as long as they adhere to the base protocol. MCP and DVM protocols share fundamental similarities, both aim to expose and consume computational resources through a JSON-RPC-like interface, albeit with specific differences.

gRPC's reflection service similarly allows clients to discover service definitions at runtime, enabling generic tools to work with any gRPC service without prior knowledge. In the REST API world, OpenAPI/Swagger specifications document interfaces in a way that makes them discoverable and testable.

DVMs would benefit from adopting these patterns while maintaining the decentralized, permissionless nature of Nostr.

Conclusion

I am not attempting to rewrite the DVM specification; rather, explore some ideas that could help the ecosystem improve incrementally, reducing fragmentation and making the ecosystem more comprehensible. By allowing DVMs to self describe their interfaces, we could maintain the flexibility that makes Nostr powerful while providing the structure needed for interoperability.

For developers building DVM clients or libraries, this approach would simplify consumption by providing clear expectations about inputs and outputs. For DVM operators, it would establish a standard way to communicate their service's requirements without relying on external documentation.

I am currently developing DVMCP following these patterns. Of course, DVMs and MCP servers have different details; MCP includes capabilities such as tools, resources, and prompts on the server side, as well as 'roots' and 'sampling' on the client side, creating a bidirectional way to consume capabilities. In contrast, DVMs typically function similarly to MCP tools, where you call a DVM with an input and receive an output, with each job type representing a different categorization of the work performed.

Without further ado, I hope this article has provided some insight into the potential benefits of applying the reflection pattern to the DVM specification.

@ 8f69ac99:4f92f5fd

À medida que Portugal se aproxima das eleições legislativas de 2025, a 18 de Maio, torna-se essencial compreender as diferentes propostas políticas e os programas eleitorais dos partidos para votar de forma informada. Este artigo funciona como um índice para uma série de análises realizadas aos programas dos principais partidos, com foco em temas como liberdades individuais, descentralização e crescimento económico.

---

A Evolução da Esquerda e da Direita: Um Contexto Histórico e Ideológico

Os termos “esquerda” e “direita” surgiram na Revolução Francesa (1789–1799) para distinguir quem se sentava ao lado do presidente da Assembleia: as forças favoráveis às reformas radicais (à esquerda) e as defensoras da monarquia e da ordem estabelecida (à direita). Com o século XIX e o advento do liberalismo económico, a direita passou a associar-se ao livre mercado e ao direito de propriedade, enquanto a esquerda defendeu maior intervenção estatal para promover igualdade.

No final do século XIX e início do século XX, surgiram o socialismo e o comunismo como correntes mais radicais da esquerda, propondo a abolição da propriedade privada dos meios de produção (comunismo) ou sistemas mistos com forte regulação e redistribuição (socialismo). A resposta liberal-conservadora evoluiu para o capitalismo democrático, que combina mercado livre com alguns mecanismos de assistência social.

Hoje, o espectro político vai além do simples eixo esquerda–direita, incluindo dimensões como:

• Autoritarismo vs. Liberdade: grau de controlo do Estado sobre a vida individual e as instituições;
• Intervenção Estatal vs. Livre Mercado: equilíbrio entre regulação económica e iniciativas privadas;
• Igualdade Social vs. Mérito e Responsabilidade Individual: ênfase na redistribuição de recursos ou na criação de incentivos pessoais.

Este modelo multidimensional ajuda a capturar melhor as posições dos partidos contemporâneos e as suas promessas de governação.

---

Visão Geral das Análises por Partido

Segue-se um resumo dos principais partidos políticos em Portugal, com destaque para a sua orientação ideológica segundo as dimensões de autoritarismo, nível de Intervenção estatal e grau de liberdade individual. Cada nome de partido estará ligado à respectiva análise detalhada.

| Partido | Orientação Ideológica | Nível de Intervenção Estatal | Grau de Liberdade Individual | |----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------| | AD – Aliança Democrática (PSD/CDS) | Centro-direita democrática (baixo autoritarismo / equilíbrio intervenção–mercado) | Médio | Médio | | PS – Partido Socialista | Centro-esquerda social-democrata (moderado autoritarismo / intervenção estatal) | Alto | Médio | | CDU – Coligação Democrática Unitária (PCP/PEV) | Esquerda comunista/eco-marxista (mais autoritário / forte intervenção) | Muito alto | Baixo | | IL – Iniciativa Liberal | Liberalismo clássico (muito baixa intervenção / alta liberdade) | Baixo | Muito alto | | Chega | Nacionalismo autoritário (controlo social elevado / mercado regulado com foco interno)| Médio | Baixo | | Livre | Esquerda progressista verde (baixa hierarquia / intervenção social) | Alto | Médio | | BE – Bloco de Esquerda | Esquerda democrática radical (moderado autoritarismo / intervenção forte) | Alto | Médio | | PAN – Pessoas-Animais-Natureza | Ambientalismo progressista (intervenção pragmática / foco em direitos e sustentabilidade) | Médio | Alto | | Ergue-te | Nacionalismo soberanista (autoritarismo elevado / intervenção seletiva com foco nacional) | Médio | Baixo | | ADN – Alternativa Democrática Nacional | Nacionalismo conservador (autoritarismo elevado / intervenção seletiva com foco nacional) | Médio | Baixo |

---

Análises Detalhadas dos Programas Eleitorais

Estas análises pretendem oferecer aos eleitores uma visão clara e objetiva das propostas de cada partido, facilitando decisões conscientes nas urnas. Ao focar-se nas promessas relacionadas com liberdades individuais, descentralização e crescimento económico, este conjunto de textos ajuda a compreender melhor o impacto potencial de cada escolha política.

Aliança Democrática (AD)

Partido Socialista (PS)

Coligação Democrática Unitária (CDU)

Iniciativa Liberal (IL)

Chega

Livre

Bloco de Esquerda (BE)

Pessoas,Animais e Natureza (PAN)

Alternativa Democrática Nacional (ADN)

Ergue-te

---

Photo by Brett Kunsch on Unsplash

@ fbb0eb9d:bdb78256

„Das Schlachten hat begonnen“ war im Jahr 2013 der Titel eines höchst umstrittenen – also wahrscheinlich recht realistischen – Meinungsbeitrags des Autors Akif Pirinçci. Heute ruft die Terrororganisation Islamischer Staat (IS) ganz offiziell in Deutschland genau zu jenem Schlachten auf, das der Autor damals bereits als sichtbares Schema eines außer Kontrolle geratenen Islams in Deutschland beklagte. Der Beitrag ist heute im Internet gelöscht. 12 Jahre später fordern islamische Terroristen ihre Glaubensbrüder in Deutschland auf: „Auf zum Schlachten. Worauf wartest du? Die Straßen sind voller Ziele! Überfahre sie!!“ und verbreiten dazu Bilder, bei denen der Fahrer eines Wagens die Menschen vor ihm auf der Straße ins Fadenkreuz nimmt.

Der Deutsch-Türke Pirinçci war den meisten Lesern bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt eher als weltweiter Bestsellerautor von „Felidae“ und als Erfinder der Romangattung “Katzenkrimi“ bekannt denn als politischer Autor und Kritiker des Zeitgeschehens. Sein Hang zur unflätigen und vulgären Ausdrucksweise und seine anschließenden Auftritte u. a. bei den islamkritischen „Pegida“-Demonstrationen hatten es seinen Kritikern einst leicht gemacht, den brisanten Inhalt seiner Texte und Thesen gleich mit vom Tisch zu wischen und ihn nach allen Regeln jener Kunst, die man heute als „Cancel Culture“ bezeichnet, als ihr erstes prominentes Opfer ins komplette Abseits zu katapultieren. Nun schreibe ich das nicht, um zur späten Rehabilitierung eines Kollegen anzusetzen, sondern weil es sich lohnt, die Genese dieses Vorgangs heute zu betrachten, um sich ehrlich zu fragen: Kommen einem die medialen und politischen Reaktionen nicht doch sehr bekannt vor? Und wenn man das damals alles schon sehen konnte, warum sind wir über ein Jahrzehnt später immer noch nicht weiter?

Ein Exempel wird statuiert

Da schreibt also ein Autor bereits vor 12 Jahren, selbst als Türke mit Einwanderungsbiografie, eine scharfe Kritik an der deutschen Einwanderungspolitik, die mit den Menschen einen Islam zu uns bringt, der sich in Gewalt entlädt und die einheimische Bevölkerung bedroht. Aufhänger des Textes war 2013 der Todesfall des 25-jährigen Lackierers Daniel S., der von einem herbeitelefonierten Schlägertrupp an einer Bushaltestelle abgepasst wurde und später an seinen Kopfverletzungen verstarb. Die Täter hatten türkischen Migrationshintergrund, manche waren bereits polizeibekannt, beides verschwieg die Polizei in ihrer Pressemitteilung an die Öffentlichkeit, bis die BILD-Zeitung die ganze Wahrheit druckte.

Der später verurteilte Täter war statistisch „Deutscher“, seine Tat zahlt in die Polizeistatistik der Deutschen ein, da er in Deutschland geboren wurde, also bereits zweite Generation Einwandererkind ist, man kann seine Integration und die seiner Freunde aber als gescheitert bezeichnen. Pirinçci verliert danach alles, man streicht Verträge, er wird nicht mehr gedruckt und sein Verlag, der vorher Millionen mit ihm verdient hatte, lässt ihn hängen, weil sich gutmenschelnde Autorenkollegen des Verlages von ihm distanzieren und seinen Kopf fordern, schließlich gilt der Türke Pirinçci jetzt als Rassist und als islamophob. Die Läden nehmen seine Bücher aus den Regalen und selbst die Katzenromane aus dem Sortiment. Das Schlachten geht derweil unbehelligt weiter. Ein Kritiker weniger und dazu ein Exempel statuiert: Wagt nicht, dieses Thema anzufassen.

Blutspur durch Europa

Das Schlachten hat schon lange begonnen, nicht erst jetzt. Wie eine Blutspur ziehen sich die Tatorte und Attacken zugewanderter Migranten auf die europäische Bevölkerung seit 20 Jahren über die Landkarte. Von den inzwischen täglichen Messerattacken, die man schon gar nicht mehr mitzählt, bis zu größeren Anschlägen ist alles dabei. Die Tatwaffen ändern sich, die Orte auch, aber das Schema bleibt: Einheimische werden von islamischen Zuwanderern ermordet, absichtlich totgefahren, abgestochen, erschossen, geköpft, in die Luft gesprengt. Es geschieht in Deutschland, in Österreich, massiv in Frankreich, in Belgien, in England, Spanien und auch in Schweden.

Manche dieser Taten liegen schon sehr viele Jahre zurück, manche, die heute „gegen rechts“ auf die Straße gehen, wenn wieder einmal ein Islamist das Gedankenkonstrukt der Vielfalt gefährdet, waren damals noch in der Kita. Spätestens seit 2015 und der Terrorwelle in Frankreich ist das Thema in ganz Europa präsent. Die Journalisten des Satiremagazins Charlie Hebdo werden im Januar 2015 in ihrer Redaktion niedergemetzelt, 11 Tote. Die Botschaft: Leg dich nicht mit Mohammed und seinen humorlosen Gesellen an. Am Tag darauf ein jüdischer Supermarkt in Paris, 4 Tote und eine Geiselnahme. Dann im November 2015 koordinierte, islamistische Attentate mit insgesamt 130 Toten und 683 Verletzten zwischen Sprengsätzen am Stade de France über Zufallsopfern in Bars und Restaurants bis zu einem Blutbad mit 89 Toten, die in der Konzerthalle Bataclan mit Maschinengewehren wahllos niedergemetzelt werden.

In der darauffolgenden Silvesternacht wird Köln Schauplatz Hunderter Übergriffe von Migranten auf Frauen. Ein Auto als Waffe? Premiere schon 2016 auf dem Boulevard von Nizza mit 86 Toten und über 400 Schwerverletzten am Nationalfeiertag. In Deutschland folgt das Schema erstmals im selben Jahr im Dezember 2016 auf dem Weihnachtsmarkt am Breitscheidplatz. Im März 2016 sprengen sich in Brüssel Islamisten am Flughafen und auf einem Bahnhof in die Luft und hinterlassen 32 Todesopfer aus 22 Ländern und unzählige Verletzte. Am Jahrestag ein Jahr später rammt sich ein Islamist in London auf der Westminsterbrücke seinen Weg durch eine Menschenmenge. Spanien hatte die Terrorwelle bereits 2004 eingeholt, es kostete fast 200 Tote und fast 2.000 Verletzte, dass Islamisten koordiniert vier Züge Richtung Madrid hintereinander in die Luft sprengten. Zwei Jahrzehnte Terror in Europa. Dazwischen Machetenangriffe, geköpfte Priester, ermordete Filmemacher, ermordete Lehrer, die es wagen, das Thema in der Schule zu behandeln, Sprengsätze, vergewaltigte und ermordete Frauen und Islamkritiker, die nur noch mit ständigem Personenschutz leben können. Nur eines bleibt immer gleich: Niemand verändert die Migrationspolitik. Alle sind bemüht, stattdessen den Kampf gegen Islamophobie und Rassismus unbedingt zu verstärken, auf zur Demo gegen rechts!

Vergessene Opfer

Das Schema der medialen und politischen Verarbeitung blieb immer konstant: verschweigen, kleinreden, vergessen. Die Erinnerungskultur der Deutschen beschränkt sich gerne auf die Opfer der Nationalsozialisten und auf jene Ausländer, die von Deutschen ums Leben gebracht wurden. Hier werden, wie gerade erst vor wenigen Tagen, immer noch gerne die Namen der Opfer von Hanau von deutschen Politikern in den Medien wiederholt. Doch kennt jemand die Namen der Opfer vom Breitscheidplatz, also jenem Anschlag, der einst auslöste, dass heute jeder Weihnachtsmarkt in Deutschland zur Hochsicherheitszone aufgerüstet wird und bei dem die Politik einst peinlich bemüht war, nicht von einem islamistischen Anschlag zu sprechen? Und selbst das hat das nächste Schlachten in Magdeburg ja nicht verhindern können.

Kennt jemand die Namen aller Opfer vom Weihnachtsmarkt in Magdeburg? Kollegen bei der WELT recherchieren derzeit dankbarerweise die Folgen alleine dieses Anschlags akribisch nach. Man spricht von 1.300 Opfern insgesamt, 6 Toten, 300 Verletzten, davon 67 Schwerverletzten, einem Querschnittsgelähmten und zahlreichen Opfern, die Hände, Füße oder gar ein Bein verloren haben. Warum berührt es nicht alle gleichermaßen? Die Folgen sind keine Umkehr in der Migrationspolitik der Regierung, sondern weitere, staatlich mitorganisierte und mitfinanzierte Demonstrationen „gegen rechts“. In Aschaffenburg sind Kindergartenkinder das Opfer, ein Helfer bezahlt seinen Mut mit dem Leben, für einen Zweijährigen kommt jede Hilfe zu spät. In München fährt vor wenigen Tagen ein Islamist in eine Demonstration, eine Mutter und ihr Kind werden unter den Wagen gezogen, sie sind verstorben, noch am selben Abend demonstriert man in München „gegen rechts“, während Dutzende Schwerverletzte in den Krankenhäusern liegen und der Täter im Gefängnis reklamiert, man möge seine Zelle von der imaginären Verschmutzung durch Christen reinigen. Wenige Tage später sticht im österreichischen Villach ein Migrant wahllos in der Innenstadt Passanten nieder, ein 14-Jähriger stirbt. Der Täter lacht bei seiner Verhaftung. Die Polizei in Wien nimmt vor zwei Tagen einen 14-Jährigen fest, er plante einen Anschlag auf den Westbahnhof. Wien hatte bereits 2020 einen eigenen Amoklauf mit 4 Toten und erst im Sommer 2024 musste dort ein Taylor-Swift-Konzert wegen dringenden Terrorverdachts abgesagt werden. In Schweden wurde vor wenigen Wochen ein Islamkritiker während eines Live-Streams durch Islamisten erschossen. Europa 2025.

Man wird müde, die immer selben Worte zu wiederholen bei den sich immer enger taktenden Anschlägen von Migranten in unserem Land und in Europa. Es fehlen die Worte, weil bereits alles gesagt ist. Genauso, wie sich die sinnlosen Floskeln der Politiker wiederholen, wenn wieder eine junge Frau, ein Kind, ein Vater oder ein mutiger Helfer sein Leben lassen muss und das Volk in der verbalen Litanei erstickt wird zwischen „verwirrter Einzeltäter – Betroffenheit – wir lassen uns nicht spalten – Stadt XY bleibt bunt und wir lassen uns die Art zu leben nicht nehmen“. So, als würden nicht bereits die ersten Karnevalsumzüge abgesagt, weil die Sicherheit auf den Straßen nicht mehr garantiert werden kann.

Wir demonstrieren uns zu Tode

Was, wenn gar nicht die AfD das Problem ist, sondern der Islam? Man stelle sich für eine Sekunde vor, die AfD wäre erfolgreich bekämpft und weg. Eine Nulllinie, von der man in den Jahren 2014 und 2015 gar nicht so weit entfernt war. Damals stand die AfD in den Umfragen irgendwo zwischen 2 und 4 Prozent und tat gerade das, was nahezu alle neuen Parteigründungen der vergangenen 30 Jahre taten: Sie zerlegten sich in innerparteilichen Streitigkeiten selbst. Doch dann öffnete Angela Merkel die Grenze zur unkontrollierten Migration nach Deutschland und lieferte über Jahre ein Thema, an dem sich die AfD wie ein Phoenix aus der Asche wieder neu erhob. Denken wir also eine Sekunde, die AfD sei als Problem weg, welche Probleme sind dann immer noch da? Nichts von dem, was gerade in Deutschland relevant ist, wäre gelöst. Rezession, Wirtschaftskrise, Energiekrise, Krieg in Europa und ja, vor allem auch die gescheiterte Migrationspolitik und die Erosion der inneren Sicherheit sind dann immer noch da. Man kann natürlich die AfD exzessiv bekämpfen statt der realen Probleme, es bleibt dann aber alles, wie es ist. In einem Pseudokampf lenken die wechselnden politischen Eliten erfolgreich vom Thema ab, indem man nun bereits über ein Jahrzehnt den falschen Feind bekämpft. Gerade wird in einem Akt kollektiver kultureller Todessehnsucht das Feindbild AfD zum Feindbild CDU erweitert, um die gesamte bürgerliche Mitte von einer Umkehr in der Migrationspolitik abzuhalten. Immer noch treten brav nach jedem weiteren Anschlag wie gehirngewaschen erwachsene Menschen zu einer Demo gegen rechts an. „Wir amüsieren uns zu Tode“, resümierte einst der Autor Neil Postman die Zersetzung des Westens durch die Unterhaltungsindustrie. Deutschland hat sich im Angesicht einer kulturellen Übernahme durch zugewanderte islamische junge Männer einen weltweiten Alleingang ausgedacht: Deutschland demonstriert sich zu Tode.

Das Schlachten hat schon lange begonnen. Wer es jetzt immer noch nicht versteht, dass eine Mehrheit der illegal einreisenden Migranten weder zur Integration noch zur Arbeit und schon gar nicht wegen politischer Verfolgung hierherkommt, dem ist nicht zu helfen. Wer glaubt, er könne Millionen an aggressiven Antisemiten, glühenden Frauenhassern, Christenverächtern und Sozialstaatstouristen gesellschaftlich, kulturell und finanziell integrieren, ist realitätsfremd. An diesem Sonntag wird gewählt. Der Souverän wird seine eigene Meinung dazu kundtun, wem er zutraut, das Schlachten zu beenden.

@ 1b9fc4cd:1d6d4902

To outsiders, the music industry is usually viewed as a glamorous world of fame, fortune, and creativity. However, lurking underneath the surface, the industry is also a field fraught with mental health challenges. From the history of addiction to the pressures of fame, artists have long wrestled with maintaining their mental well-being. Daniel Siegel Alonso looks at how many artists have found effective coping strategies, turning to therapy, mindfulness practices, and using music itself as a healing outlet.

The Dark History of Addiction in Music

Siegel Alonso notes that the history of addiction in the music industry is well-documented. The strain of constant touring, public scrutiny, and the never-ending pursuit of success have driven many artists to find relief in substances. Iconic musicians like Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and Jim Morrison are stark reminders of how addiction can destroy lives.

Guitarist John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a notable example of someone who battled severe addiction. At the height of his career, Frusciante fell deeply into heroin addiction, which led him to leave the band in 1992. His addiction nearly cost him his life, but after a long and painful struggle, he managed to turn his life around. Frusciante’s journey to recovery involved intensive therapy and a recommitment to his music, ultimately rejoining the band and contributing to some of the group's most celebrated albums.

Seeking Help

One of the most crucial steps in addressing mental health issues is seeking professional help. Therapy provides a safe space for creative individuals to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with a trained professional. Therapy can be a lifeline for musicians, who often face unique pressures.

Frusciante’s recovery underscores the importance of professional help. He didn’t just quit drugs cold turkey; he underwent a comprehensive treatment plan that included therapy and support from friends and family. His story is a testament to the power of seeking help and the possibility of recovery, even after hitting rock bottom.

Music as an Outlet

For many musicians, creating music is more than just a career; it’s a vital outlet for expression and coping. Writing, performing, and listening to music can be powerful therapeutic tools. Music allows artists to channel their emotions into something constructive and beautiful, providing a release from their struggles.

Daniel Siegel Alonso takes The Beatles' George Harrison as an example. Harrison turned to Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a means of coping with the pressures of superstardom and personal turmoil. Introduced to TM in the 1960s, Harrison found solace and clarity through the practice, which influenced both his songwriting and his personal life. The song “Within You Without You” reflects his spiritual journey and the peace he found through TM. The recording marked a significant departure from the Beatles' previous work; musically, it evokes the Indian devotional tradition, while the overtly spiritual quality of the lyrics reflects Harrison's absorption in Hindu philosophy.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation have become increasingly popular among musicians seeking to maintain their mental health. These practices help individuals stay grounded, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being. George Harrison’s embrace of TM is a prime example of how mindfulness can transform a creative person's life.

Harrison’s dedication to TM didn’t just help him personally; it also profoundly impacted his music. His incorporation of Indian instruments and philosophical themes into his songs brought a new dimension to The Beatles’ music and left an enduring legacy in the music world. By finding a healthy outlet in meditation, Harrison could navigate the challenges of fame and continue creating impactful music.

The Power of Community

Siegel Alonso notes that another vital aspect of mental health is the strength of community. Like all individuals, musicians need a support system. Whether it’s fellow bandmates, family, friends, or mental health professionals, having people to lean on can make a significant difference.

John Frusciante’s return to the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a testament to the importance of community. His bandmates supported him through his recovery, and their familial bond played a vital role in his comeback. The collaborative nature of music itself fosters a sense of belonging and mutual support, which is critical for mental health.

Moving Forward

The music industry has made strides in recent years to address mental health more openly. Initiatives like MusiCares provide resources and support for musicians dealing with mental health issues. However, there is still much work to be done. Shattering the stigma around mental health and fostering open conversations are key steps toward a healthier industry.

Musicians like John Frusciante and George Harrison show us that recovery and well-being are possible, even though the journey may be challenging. By seeking help, embracing mindfulness, and finding healthy outlets for expression, musicians can navigate their challenges and continue to inspire us with their art.

In conclusion, mental health in the music industry is a complex issue. Still, with the right coping strategies and support systems, Daniel Siegel Alonso posits that it is achievable to overcome the challenges. As fans and listeners, we can also play a role by supporting initiatives promoting mental health and recognizing the humanity behind the music we cherish. After all, the well-being of the artists who create the soundtrack of our lives is just as important as the music itself.

@ 4961e68d:a2212e1c

热死人了

@ af9c48b7:a3f7aaf4

Chef's notes

This simple, easy, no bake desert will surely be the it at you next family gathering. You can keep it a secret or share it with the crowd that this is a healthy alternative to normal pie. I think everyone will be amazed at how good it really is.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 30
• 🍳 Cook time: 0
• 🍽️ Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of Heavy Cream- 0g sugar, 5.5g carbohydrates
• 3/4 cup of Half and Half- 6g sugar, 3g carbohydrates
• 4oz Sugar Free Cool Whip (1/2 small container) - 0g sugar, 37.5g carbohydrates
• 1.5oz box (small box) of Sugar Free Instant Chocolate Pudding- 0g sugar, 32g carbohydrates
• 1 Pecan Pie Crust- 24g sugar, 72g carbohydrates

Directions

1. The total pie has 30g of sugar and 149.50g of carboydrates. So if you cut the pie into 8 equal slices, that would come to 3.75g of sugar and 18.69g carbohydrates per slice. If you decided to not eat the crust, your sugar intake would be .75 gram per slice and the carborytrates would be 9.69g per slice. Based on your objective, you could use only heavy whipping cream and no half and half to further reduce your sugar intake.
2. Mix all wet ingredients and the instant pudding until thoroughly mixed and a consistent color has been achieved. The heavy whipping cream causes the mixture to thicken the more you mix it. So, I’d recommend using an electric mixer. Once you are satisfied with the color, start mixing in the whipping cream until it has a consistent “chocolate” color thorough. Once your satisfied with the color, spoon the mixture into the pie crust, smooth the top to your liking, and then refrigerate for one hour before serving.

@ 4961e68d:a2212e1c

热死人了！

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

Simple design

For as long as I remember, I’ve believed in simple design as a principle in my practice. It feels fundamental to me when I think about good design.

At the same time, I see many successful examples of complex products in the world. So I decided to ask, what value is simple design really providing me and my work?

Is it nostalgia?

I sometimes wonder if simple design is rooted in nostalgia. An example I like to use is:

Imagine yourself in the year 1981. You just purchased a brand new desk calculator. You are excited because you should be able to do any type of paperwork calculations you can imagine on it.

As you start to use it for the first time, it immediately prompts you to update its software. After using it for a few calculations, it asks you to fill out a survey about your experience. One day in the middle of adding up your checkbook, it interrupts you to tell you about a new leather-bound desk calendar the company just released. Sometimes in the middle of a complex calculation, the calculator will lag and crash. You have to restart it often to fix the issue.

I have a feeling that a person in 1981 would think this is a terrible calculator. They purchased the device to perform their calculations, nothing more. Why is it requiring so much more of their attention and effort?

Focus

I think simple design often refers to a focused product. A product that does a specific task can sometimes do that task really well. Products that try to do many things can offer a lot of value, but rarely do all the things well.

Some people prefer to use specific tools for specific tasks. Others prefer a wide variety of features.

I think the benefits of using fewer products are often a major reason complex products are successful. They may not be focused, they might be lower quality as a result, but people can use them for a wide variety of applications.

You can open a can of beans with a Swiss Army Knife — it will get the job done.

Art and subjectivity

Maybe simple design is valuable for intangible reasons. There is an art to simplicity. There is a beauty to simplicity.

A user can see more of the product's intentionality. The creator chose to leave certain features out. They decided what to include. The product likely exudes more vision and personality.

That might be unnoticed by some, but very valuable to others who care about craft. People who value the experience as much as the result.

Ease of use

I think a true benefit of simple design is the effect it has on ease of use. The less things there are to do in a product, the more obvious the things you can do become.

A simple product requires less of a user. That means a user can stay focused on their own needs and use the product in ways they define. They will encounter boundaries which limit them. These limitations could drive some away, but some might be engaged to find new and creative ways of working.

When to abandon simple design

I think the sad news is simple design is ultimately a limiting factor of a product's growth. I think there are many examples of this throughout the course of history (i.e. Ello vs Facebook, Rdio vs Spotify, Simplenote vs Notion, VSCO vs Instagram, Clear vs Things, Peach vs Twitter, etc). At the same time, I think 'simple design' does provide an entry point to successfully define what a product is.

The biggest challenge is continuing to evoke the benefits of simple design in an established product, while allowing a product to evolve and grow to meet its users' needs. That is a balancing act that very few products have ever achieved, but feels like an ideal that successful products should strive for.

---

One of Charlie Deets Writings

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/969089

@ c4b5369a:b812dbd6

Offline transactions with Cashu

Over the past few weeks, I've been busy implementing offline capabilities into nutstash. I think this is one of the key value propositions of ecash, beinga a bearer instrument that can be used without internet access. It does however come with limitations, which can lead to a bit of confusion. I hope this article will clear some of these questions up for you!

What is ecash/Cashu?

Ecash is the first cryptocurrency ever invented. It was created by David Chaum in 1983. It uses a blind signature scheme, which allows users to prove ownership of a token without revealing a link to its origin. These tokens are what we call ecash. They are bearer instruments, meaning that anyone who possesses a copy of them, is considered the owner.

Cashu is an implementation of ecash, built to tightly interact with Bitcoin, more specifically the Bitcoin lightning network. In the Cashu ecosystem, Mints are the gateway to the lightning network. They provide the infrastructure to access the lightning network, pay invoices and receive payments. Instead of relying on a traditional ledger scheme like other custodians do, the mint issues ecash tokens, to represent the value held by the users.

How do normal Cashu transactions work?

A Cashu transaction happens when the sender gives a copy of his ecash token to the receiver. This can happen by any means imaginable. You could send the token through email, messenger, or even by pidgeon. One of the common ways to transfer ecash is via QR code.

The transaction is however not finalized just yet! In order to make sure the sender cannot double-spend their copy of the token, the receiver must do what we call a swap. A swap is essentially exchanging an ecash token for a new one at the mint, invalidating the old token in the process. This ensures that the sender can no longer use the same token to spend elsewhere, and the value has been transferred to the receiver.

What about offline transactions?

Sending offline

Sending offline is very simple. The ecash tokens are stored on your device. Thus, no internet connection is required to access them. You can litteraly just take them, and give them to someone. The most convenient way is usually through a local transmission protocol, like NFC, QR code, Bluetooth, etc.

The one thing to consider when sending offline is that ecash tokens come in form of "coins" or "notes". The technical term we use in Cashu is Proof. It "proofs" to the mint that you own a certain amount of value. Since these proofs have a fixed value attached to them, much like UTXOs in Bitcoin do, you would need proofs with a value that matches what you want to send. You can mix and match multiple proofs together to create a token that matches the amount you want to send. But, if you don't have proofs that match the amount, you would need to go online and swap for the needed proofs at the mint.

Another limitation is, that you cannot create custom proofs offline. For example, if you would want to lock the ecash to a certain pubkey, or add a timelock to the proof, you would need to go online and create a new custom proof at the mint.

Receiving offline

You might think: well, if I trust the sender, I don't need to be swapping the token right away!

You're absolutely correct. If you trust the sender, you can simply accept their ecash token without needing to swap it immediately.

This is already really useful, since it gives you a way to receive a payment from a friend or close aquaintance without having to worry about connectivity. It's almost just like physical cash!

It does however not work if the sender is untrusted. We have to use a different scheme to be able to receive payments from someone we don't trust.

Receiving offline from an untrusted sender

To be able to receive payments from an untrusted sender, we need the sender to create a custom proof for us. As we've seen before, this requires the sender to go online.

The sender needs to create a token that has the following properties, so that the receciver can verify it offline:

• It must be locked to ONLY the receiver's public key
• It must include an offline signature proof (DLEQ proof)
• If it contains a timelock & refund clause, it must be set to a time in the future that is acceptable for the receiver
• It cannot contain duplicate proofs (double-spend)
• It cannot contain proofs that the receiver has already received before (double-spend)

If all of these conditions are met, then the receiver can verify the proof offline and accept the payment. This allows us to receive payments from anyone, even if we don't trust them.

At first glance, this scheme seems kinda useless. It requires the sender to go online, which defeats the purpose of having an offline payment system.

I beleive there are a couple of ways this scheme might be useful nonetheless:

1. Offline vending machines: Imagine you have an offline vending machine that accepts payments from anyone. The vending machine could use this scheme to verify payments without needing to go online itself. We can assume that the sender is able to go online and create a valid token, but the receiver doesn't need to be online to verify it.

2. Offline marketplaces: Imagine you have an offline marketplace where buyers and sellers can trade goods and services. Before going to the marketplace the sender already knows where he will be spending the money. The sender could create a valid token before going to the marketplace, using the merchants public key as a lock, and adding a refund clause to redeem any unspent ecash after it expires. In this case, neither the sender nor the receiver needs to go online to complete the transaction.

How to use this

Pretty much all cashu wallets allow you to send tokens offline. This is because all that the wallet needs to do is to look if it can create the desired amount from the proofs stored locally. If yes, it will automatically create the token offline.

Receiving offline tokens is currently only supported by nutstash (experimental).

To create an offline receivable token, the sender needs to lock it to the receiver's public key. Currently there is no refund clause! So be careful that you don't get accidentally locked out of your funds!

The receiver can then inspect the token and decide if it is safe to accept without a swap. If all checks are green, they can accept the token offline without trusting the sender.

The receiver will see the unswapped tokens on the wallet homescreen. They will need to manually swap them later when they are online again.

Later when the receiver is online again, they can swap the token for a fresh one.

Summary

We learned that offline transactions are possible with ecash, but there are some limitations. It either requires trusting the sender, or relying on either the sender or receiver to be online to verify the tokens, or create tokens that can be verified offline by the receiver.

I hope this short article was helpful in understanding how ecash works and its potential for offline transactions.

Cheers,

Gandlaf

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

After being featured in the NY Times and WSJ, New York City officially opens a major addition to Central Park, the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer. Designed by architect Susan T Rodriguez in collaboration with Mitchell Giurgola, the renovation project replaces the old Lasker Rink and pool with a recreational facility that’s built directly into the landscape, restoring nature, reconnecting paths, and creating a year-round space for community activity. At the heart of the new design is a transformative water feature that shifts with the seasons, from a skating rink in winter to a lush green lawn in spring and fall and a pool in the summer.

The center’s new oval-shaped pool sits lower than the old one, surrounded by a gently sloped grassy berm. In winter, the pool becomes an ice-skating rink, making the site a destination in every season. A splash pad at the end of the water feature offers extra water play in the summer. By integrating the design into the natural shape of the land, the architects were able to open up the space around the pool and allow the landscape to flow around it, resulting in a setting that feels like it’s always been there.

Sustainability was a core part of the project. The building is expected to earn LEED Gold certification, thanks to features like passive ventilation, locally sourced stone and wood, energy-efficient systems, and a roof that absorbs rainwater. Bird-safe glass helps protect local wildlife, and recycled materials from the old building were reused during construction. Even more important, the new center supports free and low-cost programming year-round, including education, nature walks, community events, and recreation. It’s designed to welcome all kinds of visitors—from families and school groups to joggers, birdwatchers, and casual parkgoers.

Continue reading: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/giant-pool-new-york-central-park-new-davis-center-susan-t-rodriguez-mitchell-giurgola-04-24-2025/

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/969086

@ 5e5fc143:393d5a2c

Now test old reliable front end Stay tuned more later Keeping this as template long note for debugging in future as come across few NIP-33 post edit issues

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed software engineering, but their application to physical engineering domains remains underexplored. This paper evaluates LLMs' capabilities in high-powered rocketry design through RocketBench, a benchmark connecting LLMs to high-fidelity rocket simulations. We test models on two increasingly complex design tasks: target altitude optimization and precision landing challenges. Our findings reveal that while state-of-the-art LLMs demonstrate strong baseline engineering knowledge, they struggle to iterate on their designs when given simulation results and ultimately plateau below human performance levels. However, when enhanced with reinforcement learning (RL), we show that a 7B parameter model outperforms both SoTA foundation models and human experts. This research demonstrates that RL-trained LLMs can serve as effective tools for complex engineering optimization, potentially transforming engineering domains beyond software development.

PDF: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.19394

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.19394

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/969083

@ 41e6f20b:06049e45

Let me tell you a beautiful story. Last night, during the speakers' dinner at Monerotopia, the waitress was collecting tiny tips in Mexican pesos. I asked her, "Do you really want to earn tips seriously?" I then showed her how to set up a Cake Wallet, and she started collecting tips in Monero, reaching 0.9 XMR. Of course, she wanted to cash out to fiat immediately, but it solved a real problem for her: making more money. That amount was something she would never have earned in a single workday. We kept talking, and I promised to give her Zoom workshops. What can I say? I love people, and that's why I'm a natural orange-piller.

@ 318ebaba:9a262eae

Dies ist ein Test

@ 3ffac3a6:2d656657

Introduction: Don't Despair—This Can Be Fixed (But Don't Reboot Yet)

Running ZFS on a Raspberry Pi offers powerful features for home servers and personal NAS setups. But with power comes complexity, and in recent months, a quiet pitfall has emerged for Pi users who track kernel updates closely: upgrading to an unsupported kernel version breaks ZFS.

⚠️ Important Warning: If you've just upgraded your kernel and you're using ZFS, do not reboot yet. Rebooting without a working ZFS module can leave your system unbootable—even if you don't have critical partitions on ZFS. The system may hang because it tries to load the missing ZFS kernel module during boot and fails, halting the boot process.

If you're already facing a broken setup or can't boot — don't panic. This guide outlines both the worst-case scenario and the ideal recovery strategy. Whether you're locked out or preparing for a smooth upgrade, we've got you covered.

---

The Problem: A Kernel Update Too Far

As of ZFS version 2.2.3 (used in Debian-based Raspberry Pi OS), the filesystem supports Linux kernels up to 6.7. However, Raspberry Pi OS backports recently began shipping 6.12.x kernels. If you upgrade to 6.12 without precautions:

• ZFS will fail to compile against the new kernel
• DKMS errors will appear during package updates
• Your ZFS module will be missing after reboot
• Your Raspberry Pi may fail to boot, even without ZFS-mounted root or critical paths, simply due to systemd or boot scripts expecting the kernel module to be present

Example ZFS Compilation Error:

During package updates or installs, you'll see something like:

checking whether bdev_open_by_path() exists... configure: error: *** None of the expected "blkdev_get_by_path()" interfaces were detected. *** This may be because your kernel version is newer than what is *** supported, or you are using a patched custom kernel with *** incompatible modifications. *** *** ZFS Version: zfs-2.2.3-1~bpo12+1~rpt1 *** Compatible Kernels: 3.10 - 6.7

This error means ZFS cannot build its kernel module against Linux 6.12.x, making it unusable.

Why This Happens: The Version Trap

The key problem is that ZFS 2.2.3 remains installed even after a kernel upgrade, and it doesn't get upgraded automatically during apt upgrade. Since ZFS 2.2.3 only supports up to kernel 6.7, it fails to compile against 6.12.x.

However, if you remove and then reinstall ZFS, the package manager installs ZFS 2.3.1, which does support Linux kernel 6.12.x. This version transition is what resolves the issue — but only if you explicitly purge and reinstall ZFS.

---

Worst Case: The System That Wouldn’t Boot

After upgrading the kernel and rebooting, the system failed to boot properly. It showed errors like:

cannot open access to console, the root account is locked

Although the system did not have critical filesystems on ZFS, the boot process still stalled because system services attempted to load the ZFS kernel module, which was no longer available. This resulted in an unrecoverable boot failure.

The only way forward was to reformat and reinstall Raspberry Pi OS. However, the default Raspberry Pi OS image still comes with a 6.6.x kernel, which is incompatible with ZFS 2.3.1 and newer kernels unless upgraded. Therefore, the recovery process requires one crucial step:

1. First, perform a full system upgrade:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

This brings the kernel up to 6.12.x.

1. Then, reinstall ZFS:

sudo apt install zfs-dkms zfsutils-linux

Once this is complete, your system will be running kernel 6.12 with ZFS 2.3.1, and you can safely import your pools and resume operations.

---

Best Case Recovery: Clean Cut, Clean Upgrade

For users who can still log into their system, here's the cleanest and safest sequence to move forward:

1. Stop all services using ZFS, including Docker, NFS, Samba, backup tools, etc.
2. Export all ZFS pools:

sudo zpool export -a 3. Disable swap if it lives on a ZFS vdev:

sudo swapoff /dev/sdXn 4. Purge ZFS packages:

sudo apt purge zfsutils-linux zfs-dkms zfs-zed sudo rm -rf /usr/src/zfs* /var/lib/dkms/zfs 5. Update the kernel to the desired version:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade 6. Reboot into the new kernel:

sudo reboot 7. Reinstall ZFS:

sudo apt install zfs-dkms zfsutils-linux 8. Import your pool(s):

sudo zpool import poolname 9. Restart services that depend on ZFS.

---

Final Notes: Prevention Is Better Than Recovery

To avoid this issue in the future:

• Hold your current working kernel version:

sudo apt-mark hold linux-image-rpi-v8 linux-headers-rpi-v8 * Or track ZFS GitHub for kernel compatibility before upgrading * Or test upgrades on a second Pi or cloned SD card before rolling them out to production

---

Conclusion: A Solvable Trap

ZFS on the Raspberry Pi remains a powerful option, but it demands careful version tracking. If you upgrade responsibly, or recover cleanly as described above, you can continue benefiting from advanced features like snapshots, send/receive, and compression even on this tiny powerhouse.

Don’t let a kernel update ruin your storage plans—with preparation, the Pi + ZFS combo can remain stable and strong.

@ 87730827:746b7d35

Original: https://techreport.com/crypto-news/brazil-central-bank-ban-monero-stablecoins/

Brazilian’s Central Bank Will Ban Monero and Algorithmic Stablecoins in the Country

Brazil proposes crypto regulations banning Monero and algorithmic stablecoins and enforcing strict compliance for exchanges.

---

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Central Bank of Brazil has proposed regulations prohibiting privacy-centric cryptocurrencies like Monero.
• The regulations categorize exchanges into intermediaries, custodians, and brokers, each with specific capital requirements and compliance standards.
• While the proposed rules apply to cryptocurrencies, certain digital assets like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are still ‘deregulated’ in Brazil.

In a Notice of Participation announcement, the Brazilian Central Bank (BCB) outlines regulations for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) operating in the country.

In the document, the Brazilian regulator specifies that privacy-focused coins, such as Monero, must be excluded from all digital asset companies that intend to operate in Brazil.

Let’s unpack what effect these regulations will have.

Brazil’s Crackdown on Crypto Fraud

If the BCB’s current rule is approved, exchanges dealing with coins that provide anonymity must delist these currencies or prevent Brazilians from accessing and operating these assets.

The Central Bank argues that currencies like Monero make it difficult and even prevent the identification of users, thus creating problems in complying with international AML obligations and policies to prevent the financing of terrorism.

According to the Central Bank of Brazil, the bans aim to prevent criminals from using digital assets to launder money. In Brazil, organized criminal syndicates such as the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho have been increasingly using digital assets for money laundering and foreign remittances.

… restriction on the supply of virtual assets that contain characteristics of fragility, insecurity or risks that favor fraud or crime, such as virtual assets designed to favor money laundering and terrorist financing practices by facilitating anonymity or difficulty identification of the holder.

– Notice of Participation

The Central Bank has identified that removing algorithmic stablecoins is essential to guarantee the safety of users’ funds and avoid events such as when Terraform Labs’ entire ecosystem collapsed, losing billions of investors’ dollars.

The Central Bank also wants to control all digital assets traded by companies in Brazil. According to the current proposal, the national regulator will have the power to ask platforms to remove certain listed assets if it considers that they do not meet local regulations.

However, the regulations will not include NFTs, real-world asset (RWA) tokens, RWA tokens classified as securities, and tokenized movable or real estate assets. These assets are still ‘deregulated’ in Brazil.

Monero: What Is It and Why Is Brazil Banning It?

Monero ($XMR) is a cryptocurrency that uses a protocol called CryptoNote. It launched in 2013 and ‘erases’ transaction data, preventing the sender and recipient addresses from being publicly known. The Monero network is based on a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, which incentivizes miners to add blocks to the blockchain. 

Like Brazil, other nations are banning Monero in search of regulatory compliance. Recently, Dubai’s new digital asset rules prohibited the issuance of activities related to anonymity-enhancing cryptocurrencies such as $XMR.

Furthermore, exchanges such as Binance have already announced they will delist Monero on their global platforms due to its anonymity features. Kraken did the same, removing Monero for their European-based users to comply with MiCA regulations.

Data from Chainalysis shows that Brazil is the seventh-largest Bitcoin market in the world.

In Latin America, Brazil is the largest market for digital assets. Globally, it leads in the innovation of RWA tokens, with several companies already trading this type of asset.

In Closing

Following other nations, Brazil’s regulatory proposals aim to combat illicit activities such as money laundering and terrorism financing.

Will the BCB’s move safeguard people’s digital assets while also stimulating growth and innovation in the crypto ecosystem? Only time will tell.

References

Cassio Gusson is a journalist passionate about technology, cryptocurrencies, and the nuances of human nature. With a career spanning roles as Senior Crypto Journalist at CriptoFacil and Head of News at CoinTelegraph, he offers exclusive insights on South America’s crypto landscape. A graduate in Communication from Faccamp and a post-graduate in Globalization and Culture from FESPSP, Cassio explores the intersection of governance, decentralization, and the evolution of global systems.

View all articles by Cassio Gusson

@ ccb30bfc:90b6869f

A busca por diversão online segura e variada levou muitos jogadores a conhecer a plataforma 98A, que tem ganhado destaque no Brasil por seu excelente desempenho técnico, suporte ao cliente de qualidade e, claro, uma vasta biblioteca de jogos envolventes.

Ao acessar o 98A, o jogador se depara com uma interface fluida, ideal para quem quer jogar sem complicações. A plataforma foi projetada para funcionar com eficiência tanto em computadores quanto em dispositivos móveis, permitindo jogatinas rápidas e práticas a qualquer momento.

O catálogo de jogos chama a atenção logo de início. São centenas de opções divididas em categorias que vão desde jogos de giro até clássicos de cartas. Cada jogo conta com uma descrição clara, regras bem definidas e modos para iniciantes e avançados. Isso democratiza o acesso, fazendo com que qualquer pessoa possa se divertir, independentemente do seu nível de experiência.

Um dos pontos altos do 98Aé o sistema de bonificações. Novos usuários são recebidos com recompensas logo no cadastro, enquanto os jogadores frequentes acumulam benefícios conforme sua atividade na plataforma. Esses prêmios vão desde bônus de crédito até acesso antecipado a novos lançamentos e torneios temáticos.

Além disso, o ambiente do 98A é fortemente voltado para a comunidade. Através de chats ao vivo e quadros de líderes, os jogadores podem interagir, trocar dicas e acompanhar o desempenho de outros participantes. Isso transforma o simples ato de jogar em uma atividade social e divertida.

A plataforma é completamente adaptada à realidade brasileira, com opções de pagamento locais e atendimento em português. Isso garante uma experiência personalizada, segura e acessível. A equipe de suporte, sempre presente, reforça o compromisso com a excelência no atendimento.

Combinando diversidade, inovação e suporte de qualidade, o 98A se posiciona como uma escolha certeira para quem busca diversão e praticidade em um só lugar.

@ ccb30bfc:90b6869f

O mundo dos jogos online está em constante evolução, e a BRRBet surge como uma das líderes nesse cenário. Com foco no público brasileiro, a plataforma oferece um ambiente completo, seguro e recheado de opções para quem quer relaxar e se divertir de maneira prática.

Logo ao acessar o site, o usuário se depara com um layout moderno, com menus bem organizados e uma estética agradável. Todo o conteúdo está em português, o que facilita a navegação e torna a experiência muito mais amigável para quem está começando agora.

A BRRBet disponibiliza uma seleção de jogos que agrada a todos os gostos. Seja você fã de jogos de cartas, roleta, slots com temas variados ou experiências ao vivo, há sempre algo novo para explorar. Os jogos são fornecidos por estúdios renomados, garantindo qualidade gráfica, fluidez e mecânicas justas.

Outro atrativo da plataforma são as apostas esportivas. A BRRBet cobre diversos campeonatos nacionais e internacionais, permitindo que o usuário aposte em tempo real e acompanhe as estatísticas das partidas diretamente na tela. Isso traz ainda mais emoção para quem acompanha o mundo esportivo.

No aspecto da experiência do usuário, a BRRBet dá show. O processo de registro é rápido, os métodos de pagamento são variados e seguros, e os saques são processados com agilidade. O suporte ao cliente funciona 24 horas por dia, com atendentes preparados para resolver qualquer dúvida.

A plataforma também oferece recompensas aos jogadores, como bônus de boas-vindas, giros grátis e programas de fidelidade que beneficiam os usuários mais ativos. Tudo isso contribui para tornar a experiência contínua, divertida e cheia de surpresas agradáveis.

Outro ponto que merece destaque é o compromisso com o jogo responsável. A BRRBet disponibiliza ferramentas que permitem ao usuário controlar seus gastos e tempo de uso, promovendo uma experiência equilibrada e saudável.

Portanto, se você procura uma plataforma confiável, divertida e feita para o público brasileiro, a BRRBet é uma excelente escolha. Experimente, explore e descubra um novo nível de entretenimento online com uma plataforma que valoriza cada momento do seu tempo.

@ 7c082548:0b32521e

TQ247 là một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến được thiết kế để mang đến cho người dùng những trải nghiệm mới mẻ và đầy thú vị. Với giao diện người dùng đơn giản, dễ sử dụng và phong cách thiết kế hiện đại, TQ247 mang đến một không gian giải trí tuyệt vời, nơi người tham gia có thể dễ dàng truy cập vào các trò chơi và dịch vụ đa dạng. Từ những trò chơi trí tuệ giúp kích thích tư duy cho đến những trò chơi hành động đầy kịch tính, TQ247 đều đáp ứng được nhu cầu giải trí của người tham gia ở mọi lứa tuổi. Nền tảng này không ngừng cải tiến và cập nhật các tính năng mới, nhằm đem lại những trải nghiệm mượt mà và hấp dẫn hơn nữa cho người tham gia. TQ247 cũng tổ chức thường xuyên các sự kiện và chương trình khuyến mãi, giúp người tham gia có cơ hội nhận được các phần thưởng hấp dẫn và gia tăng hứng thú khi tham gia các hoạt động giải trí.

Bảo mật luôn là yếu tố quan trọng mà TQ247 đặt lên hàng đầu. Nền tảng này sử dụng các công nghệ bảo mật tiên tiến để đảm bảo rằng mọi thông tin cá nhân của người tham gia đều được bảo vệ an toàn tuyệt đối. TQ247 cam kết không chia sẻ thông tin người dùng với bất kỳ bên thứ ba nào và luôn đảm bảo rằng mọi giao dịch tài chính diễn ra trên nền tảng đều được mã hóa và xử lý cẩn thận. Hệ thống bảo mật của TQ247 luôn được nâng cấp liên tục để đối phó với các mối nguy hiểm và các lỗ hổng bảo mật mới, giúp người tham gia có thể hoàn toàn yên tâm khi tham gia vào các hoạt động giải trí. Bên cạnh đó, dịch vụ chăm sóc khách hàng của TQ247 luôn hoạt động 24/7, với đội ngũ nhân viên tận tình, sẵn sàng hỗ trợ và giải đáp mọi thắc mắc của người tham gia, đảm bảo rằng mọi vấn đề đều được xử lý một cách nhanh chóng và hiệu quả.

Không chỉ chú trọng đến các yếu tố về bảo mật và chất lượng dịch vụ, TQ247 còn đặc biệt quan tâm đến việc xây dựng một cộng đồng người tham gia thân thiện và gắn kết. Nền tảng này thường xuyên tổ chức các hoạt động giao lưu, các sự kiện đặc biệt và chương trình khuyến mãi hấp dẫn để người tham gia có cơ hội gặp gỡ, kết nối và chia sẻ những trải nghiệm giải trí tuyệt vời. TQ247 hiểu rằng việc tạo ra một cộng đồng mạnh mẽ và tích cực không chỉ giúp người tham gia có những phút giây vui vẻ mà còn tạo cơ hội học hỏi và phát triển. Nền tảng này luôn lắng nghe và tiếp nhận ý kiến phản hồi từ cộng đồng người tham gia để cải thiện và nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ, từ đó đáp ứng tốt hơn nhu cầu của người dùng. Chính sự kết hợp hoàn hảo giữa các trò chơi thú vị, bảo mật an toàn và cộng đồng người tham gia năng động đã giúp TQ247 trở thành một trong những nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến đáng tin cậy và được yêu thích hiện nay.

@ 7c082548:0b32521e

KO66 là nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến nổi bật, được nhiều người tham gia yêu thích nhờ sự đa dạng trong các trò chơi và hoạt động giải trí. Với giao diện trực quan, dễ sử dụng và các tính năng tiện ích, KO66 mang đến cho người tham gia những trải nghiệm thú vị và mượt mà. Người dùng có thể dễ dàng truy cập vào các trò chơi hấp dẫn, từ các trò chơi trí tuệ đến những thử thách hành động đầy kịch tính. Hệ thống trò chơi trên KO66 luôn được cập nhật liên tục, đảm bảo rằng người tham gia luôn có những trải nghiệm mới mẻ và không bị nhàm chán. Ngoài các trò chơi giải trí, KO66 còn cung cấp các dịch vụ khác như các sự kiện và chương trình khuyến mãi hấp dẫn, tạo ra cơ hội để người tham gia có thể trải nghiệm nhiều hoạt động giải trí thú vị và đầy hứng khởi.

Bảo mật là một yếu tố quan trọng mà KO66 luôn chú trọng, nhằm đảm bảo sự an toàn cho thông tin cá nhân và các giao dịch tài chính của người tham gia. Nền tảng này sử dụng các công nghệ bảo mật tiên tiến để mã hóa dữ liệu, giúp bảo vệ người tham gia khỏi các mối đe dọa và rủi ro từ các bên thứ ba. Các thông tin cá nhân và giao dịch tài chính luôn được xử lý một cách cẩn thận và bảo mật tuyệt đối. Người tham gia có thể hoàn toàn yên tâm khi tham gia các hoạt động trên KO66, vì nền tảng này luôn đặt sự an toàn và bảo mật của người dùng lên hàng đầu. Ngoài ra, KO66 còn cung cấp dịch vụ chăm sóc khách hàng chuyên nghiệp và tận tình, với đội ngũ nhân viên luôn sẵn sàng hỗ trợ giải đáp mọi thắc mắc và giúp đỡ người tham gia trong mọi tình huống. Dịch vụ hỗ trợ khách hàng của KO66 hoạt động 24/7, đảm bảo người dùng luôn nhận được sự hỗ trợ nhanh chóng và kịp thời.

Ngoài việc chú trọng đến chất lượng dịch vụ và bảo mật, KO66 còn đặc biệt quan tâm đến việc xây dựng cộng đồng người tham gia gắn kết và tích cực. Nền tảng này tổ chức các sự kiện giao lưu và các chương trình khuyến mãi hấp dẫn, giúp người tham gia có cơ hội kết nối, chia sẻ kinh nghiệm và khám phá thêm nhiều hoạt động giải trí mới mẻ. Các sự kiện này không chỉ mang lại những phần thưởng giá trị mà còn tạo ra không gian giao lưu, học hỏi, giúp cộng đồng người tham gia ngày càng trở nên năng động và sáng tạo. KO66 luôn lắng nghe và tiếp thu ý kiến phản hồi từ người tham gia để cải thiện và nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ, từ đó đáp ứng tốt hơn nhu cầu giải trí của người dùng. Chính sự kết hợp giữa các trò chơi hấp dẫn, bảo mật an toàn và các hoạt động cộng đồng sôi động đã giúp KO66 trở thành một nền tảng giải trí trực tuyến đáng tin cậy và ngày càng được ưa chuộng.

@ e31e84c4:77bbabc0

Bitcoin and Fixed Income was Written By Wyatt O’Rourke. If you enjoyed this article then support his writing, directly, by donating to his lightning wallet: ultrahusky3@primal.net

Fiduciary duty is the obligation to act in the client’s best interests at all times, prioritizing their needs above the advisor’s own, ensuring honesty, transparency, and avoiding conflicts of interest in all recommendations and actions.

This is something all advisors in the BFAN take very seriously; after all, we are legally required to do so. For the average advisor this is a fairly easy box to check. All you essentially have to do is have someone take a 5-minute risk assessment, fill out an investment policy statement, and then throw them in the proverbial 60/40 portfolio. You have thousands of investment options to choose from and you can reasonably explain how your client is theoretically insulated from any move in the \~markets\~. From the traditional financial advisor perspective, you could justify nearly anything by putting a client into this type of portfolio. All your bases were pretty much covered from return profile, regulatory, compliance, investment options, etc. It was just too easy. It became the household standard and now a meme.

As almost every real bitcoiner knows, the 60/40 portfolio is moving into psyop territory, and many financial advisors get clowned on for defending this relic on bitcoin twitter. I’m going to specifically poke fun at the ‘40’ part of this portfolio.

The ‘40’ represents fixed income, defined as…

An investment type that provides regular, set interest payments, such as bonds or treasury securities, and returns the principal at maturity. It’s generally considered a lower-risk asset class, used to generate stable income and preserve capital.

Historically, this part of the portfolio was meant to weather the volatility in the equity markets and represent the “safe” investments. Typically, some sort of bond.

First and foremost, the fixed income section is most commonly constructed with U.S. Debt. There are a couple main reasons for this. Most financial professionals believe the same fairy tale that U.S. Debt is “risk free” (lol). U.S. debt is also one of the largest and most liquid assets in the market which comes with a lot of benefits.

There are many brilliant bitcoiners in finance and economics that have sounded the alarm on the U.S. debt ticking time bomb. I highly recommend readers explore the work of Greg Foss, Lawrence Lepard, Lyn Alden, and Saifedean Ammous. My very high-level recap of their analysis:

• A bond is a contract in which Party A (the borrower) agrees to repay Party B (the lender) their principal plus interest over time.

• The U.S. government issues bonds (Treasury securities) to finance its operations after tax revenues have been exhausted.

• These are traditionally viewed as “risk-free” due to the government’s historical reliability in repaying its debts and the strength of the U.S. economy

• U.S. bonds are seen as safe because the government has control over the dollar (world reserve asset) and, until recently (20 some odd years), enjoyed broad confidence that it would always honor its debts.

• This perception has contributed to high global demand for U.S. debt but, that is quickly deteriorating.

• The current debt situation raises concerns about sustainability.

• The U.S. has substantial obligations, and without sufficient productivity growth, increasing debt may lead to a cycle where borrowing to cover interest leads to more debt.

• This could result in more reliance on money creation (printing), which can drive inflation and further debt burdens.

In the words of Lyn Alden “Nothing stops this train”

Those obligations are what makes up the 40% of most the fixed income in your portfolio. So essentially you are giving money to one of the worst capital allocators in the world (U.S. Gov’t) and getting paid back with printed money.

As someone who takes their fiduciary responsibility seriously and understands the debt situation we just reviewed, I think it’s borderline negligent to put someone into a classic 60% (equities) / 40% (fixed income) portfolio without serious scrutiny of the client’s financial situation and options available to them. I certainly have my qualms with equities at times, but overall, they are more palatable than the fixed income portion of the portfolio. I don’t like it either, but the money is broken and the unit of account for nearly every equity or fixed income instrument (USD) is fraudulent. It’s a paper mache fade that is quite literally propped up by the money printer.

To briefly be as most charitable as I can – It wasn’t always this way. The U.S. Dollar used to be sound money, we used to have government surplus instead of mathematically certain deficits, The U.S. Federal Government didn’t used to have a money printing addiction, and pre-bitcoin the 60/40 portfolio used to be a quality portfolio management strategy. Those times are gone.

Now the fun part. How does bitcoin fix this?

Bitcoin fixes this indirectly. Understanding investment criteria changes via risk tolerance, age, goals, etc. A client may still have a need for “fixed income” in the most literal definition – Low risk yield. Now you may be thinking that yield is a bad word in bitcoin land, you’re not wrong, so stay with me. Perpetual motion machine crypto yield is fake and largely where many crypto scams originate. However, that doesn’t mean yield in the classic finance sense does not exist in bitcoin, it very literally does. Fortunately for us bitcoiners there are many other smart, driven, and enterprising bitcoiners that understand this problem and are doing something to address it. These individuals are pioneering new possibilities in bitcoin and finance, specifically when it comes to fixed income.

Here are some new developments –

Private Credit Funds – The Build Asset Management Secured Income Fund I is a private credit fund created by Build Asset Management. This fund primarily invests in bitcoin-backed, collateralized business loans originated by Unchained, with a secured structure involving a multi-signature, over-collateralized setup for risk management. Unchained originates loans and sells them to Build, which pools them into the fund, enabling investors to share in the interest income.

Dynamics

• Loan Terms: Unchained issues loans at interest rates around 14%, secured with a 2/3 multi-signature vault backed by a 40% loan-to-value (LTV) ratio.
• Fund Mechanics: Build buys these loans from Unchained, thus providing liquidity to Unchained for further loan originations, while Build manages interest payments to investors in the fund.

Pros

• The fund offers a unique way to earn income via bitcoin-collateralized debt, with protection against rehypothecation and strong security measures, making it attractive for investors seeking exposure to fixed income with bitcoin.

Cons

• The fund is only available to accredited investors, which is a regulatory standard for private credit funds like this.

Corporate Bonds – MicroStrategy Inc. (MSTR), a business intelligence company, has leveraged its corporate structure to issue bonds specifically to acquire bitcoin as a reserve asset. This approach allows investors to indirectly gain exposure to bitcoin’s potential upside while receiving interest payments on their bond investments. Some other publicly traded companies have also adopted this strategy, but for the sake of this article we will focus on MSTR as they are the biggest and most vocal issuer.

Dynamics

• Issuance: MicroStrategy has issued senior secured notes in multiple offerings, with terms allowing the company to use the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.

• Interest Rates: The bonds typically carry high-yield interest rates, averaging around 6-8% APR, depending on the specific issuance and market conditions at the time of issuance.

• Maturity: The bonds have varying maturities, with most structured for multi-year terms, offering investors medium-term exposure to bitcoin’s value trajectory through MicroStrategy’s holdings.

Pros

• Indirect Bitcoin exposure with income provides a unique opportunity for investors seeking income from bitcoin-backed debt.

• Bonds issued by MicroStrategy offer relatively high interest rates, appealing for fixed-income investors attracted to the higher risk/reward scenarios.

Cons

• There are credit risks tied to MicroStrategy’s financial health and bitcoin’s performance. A significant drop in bitcoin prices could strain the company’s ability to service debt, increasing credit risk.

• Availability: These bonds are primarily accessible to institutional investors and accredited investors, limiting availability for retail investors.

Interest Payable in Bitcoin – River has introduced an innovative product, bitcoin Interest on Cash, allowing clients to earn interest on their U.S. dollar deposits, with the interest paid in bitcoin.

Dynamics

• Interest Payment: Clients earn an annual interest rate of 3.8% on their cash deposits. The accrued interest is converted to Bitcoin daily and paid out monthly, enabling clients to accumulate Bitcoin over time.

• Security and Accessibility: Cash deposits are insured up to $250,000 through River’s banking partner, Lead Bank, a member of the FDIC. All Bitcoin holdings are maintained in full reserve custody, ensuring that client assets are not lent or leveraged.

Pros

• There are no hidden fees or minimum balance requirements, and clients can withdraw their cash at any time.

• The 3.8% interest rate provides a predictable income stream, akin to traditional fixed-income investments.

Cons

• While the interest rate is fixed, the value of the Bitcoin received as interest can fluctuate, introducing potential variability in the investment’s overall return.

• Interest rate payments are on the lower side

Admittedly, this is a very small list, however, these types of investments are growing more numerous and meaningful. The reality is the existing options aren’t numerous enough to service every client that has a need for fixed income exposure. I challenge advisors to explore innovative options for fixed income exposure outside of sovereign debt, as that is most certainly a road to nowhere. It is my wholehearted belief and call to action that we need more options to help clients across the risk and capital allocation spectrum access a sound money standard.

Additional Resources

• River: The future of saving is here: Earn 3.8% on cash. Paid in Bitcoin.

• Onramp: Bitcoin, The Emergent Asset Class

• MicroStrategy: MicroStrategy Announces Pricing of Offering of Convertible Senior Notes

---

Bitcoin and Fixed Income was Written By Wyatt O’Rourke. If you enjoyed this article then support his writing, directly, by donating to his lightning wallet: ultrahusky3@primal.net

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

เราได้อ่านเรื่อง EVERY eggwhite ไปแล้วคิดว่าเขาจะหยุดแค่นี้ไหมครับ 555555 ไม่มีทางครับ การคืบคลานต้องมีต่อไป วันนี้จะมาในตอนที่ชื่อว่า

EVERY Egg ไข่ยุคใหม่ที่ไม่ต้องใช้แม่ไก่อีกต่อไป ลองนึกภาพ "ไข่เจียว" ที่ไม่มีแม่ไก่เกี่ยวข้องแม้แต่ขนไก่สักเส้น...ใช่เลยจ้ะ โลกตอนนี้ไปถึงจุดที่ ไข่ สามารถผลิตได้จาก “ยีสต์” ที่ถูกดัดแปลงพันธุกรรม เพื่อให้มันสร้าง “โปรตีนไข่” แบบเดียวกับในธรรมชาติ โดยไม่ต้องผ่านแม่ไก่ ไม่ต้องมีเปลือก และแน่นอน...ไม่มีเสียงขันตอนเช้าอีกต่อไป

ผู้เล่นที่น่าจับตาที่สุดคือบริษัท EVERY Company จาก Silicon Valley เจ้าเดิมที่เปิดตัวผลิตภัณฑ์ใหม่ในชื่อ EVERY Egg ซึ่งเป็น “ของเหลว” ที่หน้าตาเหมือนวิปไข่ไก่ แต่เบื้องหลังคือกระบวนการผลิตระดับไซไฟ! พวกเขาใช้เทคนิคที่เรียกว่า precision fermentation หรือ “การหมักแม่นยำ” เพื่อสั่งให้ยีสต์สร้างโปรตีน ovalbumin (โปรตีนหลักในไข่ขาว) และ lysozyme (สารฆ่าเชื้อแบคทีเรียตามธรรมชาติในไข่) ออกมา จากนั้นก็เอามาผสม เติมแต่ง แต่งกลิ่น เติมสี ใส่สารกันเสียเล็กน้อย...ปิ๊ง! ได้ไข่ที่ไม่มีไข่ ได้ใจประชาชนที่กินสารอาหารแบบคลั่งตัวเลข

จุดขายที่ EVERY Company ใช้ในการนำเสนอ EVERY Egg สลุตมาเป็นตับ ตับ ตับ แบบนี้ครับ 1. High quality egg protein ใช้โปรตีน ovalbumin ที่ได้จากกระบวนการ fermentation ด้วย precision fermentation จากยีสต์สายพันธุ์ Pichia pastoris ซึ่งเป็น โปรตีนหลักในไข่ขาวธรรมชาติและเคลมว่าให้คุณสมบัติเทียบเท่าหรือดีกว่าไข่จากไก่ในเรื่องโครงสร้างโปรตีนและการทำงานในอาหาร เช่น การตีขึ้นฟู (foaming) และการอิมัลซิไฟ คุณเอ๊ยยยย ฟลัฟฟลี่สุดๆ 555 2. No hens used เป็น selling point หลักที่สื่อสารหนักมากในเชิง “ไม่เบียดเบียนสัตว์” ดูมีคุณธรรม จึงถูกจัดเป็นมังสวิรัติ (vegan-friendly) แม้จะได้จากจุลินทรีย์ที่ออกแบบให้ผลิตโปรตีนที่เหมือนจากสัตว์ จุดนี้ล่อใจผู้บริโภควีแกนและกลุ่มที่ต่อต้านฟาร์มอุตสาหกรรมอย่างเต็มๆ พร้อมถวิลหา 3. No cholesterol ยังเป็นจุดขายหลักได้ตลอดกาลกับการครอบงำให้กลัวคอเลสเตอรอล เพราะผลิตจากจุลินทรีย์ ไม่ใช่จากสัตว์จริง ๆ จึงไม่มีคอเลสเตอรอลเลย ซึ่งเป็นข้อได้เปรียบเทียบกับไข่ไก่ที่มีคอเลสเตอรอลตามธรรมชาติ 4. No saturated fat พอๆกันครับ ยังเป็นจุดขู่จุดขายได้ตลอดกาลเช่นเดียวกับคอเลสเตอรอล โปรตีนที่ผลิตจากยีสต์ไม่มีไขมันอิ่มตัวเช่นเดียวกับผลิตภัณฑ์จากสัตว์จริง 5. No artificial flavors แหม่ พยายามสร้างภาพลักษณ์ว่าเป็น clean label ไม่ใช้แต่งกลิ่นหรือสารเติมแต่งรส (แม้จะเป็นผลิตภัณฑ์ที่ผ่านกระบวนการขั้นสูงมากก็ตาม) 6. No salmonella จุดที่คนโคตรกลัวเลยในไข่ สังเกตุไหมว่า จัดหนักจัดเน้นขยี้ความกลัวของคนได้ทุกจุด อย่างอันนี้เนื่องจากไม่มีสัตว์เข้ามาเกี่ยวข้องในการผลิต ทำให้โอกาสปนเปื้อนเชื้อซัลโมเนลลาที่พบบ่อยในไข่สดแทบเป็นศูนย์ เป็นจุดขายด้านความปลอดภัยอาหาร (food safety) ที่เขาเน้นมาก

เท่านี้ยังไม่พอครับ คำถามที่คนต้องสงสัยแน่นอนคือ ชนิดของกรดอมิโนหละครบไหม pain point ของชาววีแกน เนื่องจาก EVERY Company ใช้เทคนิค “Precision Fermentation” โดยใส่ยีนจากไก่ลงไปในยีสต์ เพื่อให้ผลิต ovalbumin ได้เหมือนในธรรมชาติ จึงทำให้โครงสร้างของกรดอะมิโนในโปรตีนนี้ เหมือนไข่จริงแทบ 100% โปรตีน ovalbumin ที่ใช้ผลิต เป็น primary protein จึงถือว่าเป็น โปรตีนมาตรฐาน (reference protein) ในทางโภชนาการ เพราะมี กรดอะมิโนจำเป็นทั้ง 9 ชนิด ในปริมาณที่เพียงพอ ได้แก่ Leucine, Lysine, Valine, Isoleucine, Threonine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, Histidine

แต่... แม้จะมีกรดอะมิโนครบ ก็ยังมีเรื่องให้คิด โปรตีนนี้ ไม่มาจากธรรมชาติ โดยตรง แต่ผ่านการผลิตจากสิ่งมีชีวิตดัดแปลงพันธุกรรม (GMO yeast) ยังไม่มีข้อมูลชัดเจนเรื่อง bioavailability (การดูดซึม) เมื่อเทียบกับไข่จริง และที่สำคัญ คือการบริโภค “complete protein” ไม่ได้แปลว่า ปลอดภัยในระยะยาว ถ้าพื้นฐานมันคือ GMO จากแลปที่ไม่มีวิวัฒนาการร่วมกับมนุษย์ แน่นอนว่ามันยังต้องการ "ตลาดทดลอง" เพื่อทดลองและเก็บข้อมูลประกอบสินค้าในระยะเวลานึง เข้าใจไหม "หนูๆ"

คำถามคือ โปรตีนแท้...หรือแค่ “เลียนแบบ” EVERY Egg บอกว่าเขาสร้างโปรตีนเหมือนไข่เป๊ะชนิดที่ว่าเชฟชื่อดังยังแยกไม่ออก (ถ้าไม่ดูฉลาก) สามารถนำไปทอด ทำไข่คน ไข่เจียว โอ๊มเล็ต ได้เหมือนไข่จริงทุกประการ แถมยังไม่มีคอเลสเตอรอล ไม่มีไขมันอิ่มตัว มีแต่ “โปรตีนล้วนๆ” แบบคลีนๆ

แต่ตรงนี้แหละที่มันเริ่ม น่าสงสัย เพราะการไม่มีไขมันเลย มันก็คือการตัดเอา matrix ทางโภชนาการ ที่ธรรมชาติออกแบบมาให้เราย่อยง่าย ดูดซึมวิตามินได้ดี และช่วยให้เรารู้สึกอิ่มแบบธรรมชาติ ไข่แท้จากไก่ ไม่ใช่แค่แหล่งโปรตีน แต่มันคือ “ของขวัญจากธรรมชาติ” ที่มีทั้ง choline, lutein, zeaxanthin, วิตามิน A, D, E, B12, โอเมก้า-3, ไขมันดี และเลซิธิน อยู่ครบทุกอนู ช่วยทั้งสมอง ดวงตา และตับ

ในขณะที่ EVERY Egg คือ “ไข่ที่เราอยากให้มันเป็น” มากกว่า “ไข่ที่ธรรมชาติอยากให้เราได้กิน”

บริษัท The EVERY Company ได้ร่วมมือกับเชฟระดับสุดยอดมากมาย ซึ่งการร่วมมือครั้งนี้มีเป้าหมายเพื่อแสดงให้เห็นว่าโปรตีนไข่ที่ผลิตจากกระบวนการ precision fermentation ของ EVERY Egg สามารถตอบสนองมาตรฐานสูงสุดของวงการอาหารชั้นเลิศได้ เรามาดูตัวอย่างกันครับว่า มีที่ไหนบ้าง

1. Eleven Madison Park โดย เชฟ Daniel Humm (มิชลิน3 ดาว ที่นิวยอร์ก) EVERY Egg เปิดตัวครั้งแรกในปี 2023 ที่ร้าน Eleven Madison Park ซึ่งเป็นร้านอาหารระดับมิชลิน 3 ดาว ในนิวยอร์ก โดยเชฟ Daniel Humm ได้สร้างสรรค์เมนูพิเศษที่ใช้ EVERY Egg เป็นส่วนประกอบหลัก เช่น ออมเล็ต ค็อกเทล และของหวาน เพื่อแสดงถึงความสามารถของผลิตภัณฑ์นี้ในการตอบสนองมาตรฐานสูงสุดของวงการอาหารชั้นเลิศระดับ fine dining มิชลิน

2. Chantal Guillon (ร้านมาการองฝรั่งเศสในซานฟรานซิสโก) EVERY Company ได้ร่วมมือกับร้านขนม Chantal Guillon ในการผลิตมาการองที่ใช้ EVERY EggWhite™ ซึ่งเป็นโปรตีนไข่ขาวที่ผลิตจากกระบวนการ precision fermentation โดยไม่มีการใช้ไข่จากไก่เลย ผลิตภัณฑ์นี้ได้รับการยอมรับว่าให้รสชาติและเนื้อสัมผัสที่เทียบเท่ากับไข่ขาวธรรมชาติ

3. The Vegetarian Butcher เป็นแบรนด์ในเครือ Unilever ตามที่ได้เคยให้ข้อมูลไปแล้ว EVERY Company ได้จับมือกับ The Vegetarian Butcher ซึ่งเป็นแบรนด์อาหารมังสวิรัติในเครือ Unilever เพื่อพัฒนาและผลิตผลิตภัณฑ์ที่ใช้โปรตีนไข่จาก EVERY Egg โดยมีเป้าหมายในการลดการใช้สัตว์ในห่วงโซ่อาหารและส่งเสริมความยั่งยืนในอุตสาหกรรมอาหาร

4. Grupo Palacios ผู้ผลิต Spanish Omelet รายใหญ่ของโลก EVERY Company ได้ร่วมมือกับ Grupo Palacios ซึ่งเป็นผู้ผลิต Spanish Omelet รายใหญ่ของโลก โดยนำ EVERY Egg มาใช้ในผลิตภัณฑ์ของตน เพื่อเป็นทางเลือกที่ปลอดภัยและยั่งยืนต่อไข่ไก่ธรรมชาติ ซึ่งอาจมีปัญหาเรื่องการปนเปื้อนและความไม่แน่นอนในการผลิต

Fiat Egg บนเส้นทางเดียวกับ Fiat Food เฮียชวนให้มองภาพใหญ่เหมือนเวลาเรายืนอยู่บนดาดฟ้าแล้วมองลงไปที่ตลาด... ผลิตภัณฑ์อย่าง EVERY Egg ไม่ใช่แค่การสร้าง “ของใหม่” แต่มันคือการ เปลี่ยนแปลงพื้นฐานของอาหาร ด้วยแนวคิดแบบ “Fiat” เป๊ะ Fiat Food คืออาหารที่ไม่ได้เกิดจากธรรมชาติ แต่ถูก “กำหนดให้มีคุณค่า” โดยอุตสาหกรรม Fiat Money คือเงินที่ไม่ได้มีมูลค่าในตัวเอง แต่รัฐบาลบอกให้เรายอมรับมันเป็นเงิน

ในโลกนี้ ถ้า “ไข่” ไม่ต้องมาจากแม่ไก่ “นม” ไม่ต้องมาจากเต้า และ “เนื้อ” ไม่ต้องมาจากวัว แต่ใช้แค่สารเคมี + ยีสต์ + กราฟ + กลิ่นสังเคราะห์ = “ของกินได้” แล้วมันจะเหลือความเป็น อาหารแท้ (real food) อยู่อีกไหม?

เบื้องหลังที่เราควรถามให้ลึก แม้ว่า EVERY จะอ้างว่าโปรตีนจากยีสต์ของเขา “ปลอดภัยและยั่งยืน” แต่ยังไม่มีข้อมูลด้าน long-term health impact ยังไม่มีข้อมูลว่ายีสต์ GMO ที่ใช้ จะกระตุ้นภูมิแพ้หรือมีสารตกค้างหรือไม่ ยังไม่รู้ว่าสารแต่งกลิ่น รส และตัวพาอื่นๆ ที่ใส่ใน EVERY Egg จะส่งผลอะไรกับ microbiome หรือฮอร์โมนของเราในระยะยาว แต่นั่นก็คงมาพร้อมกับคำตอบหรูๆหล่อๆว่า "ขอให้มั่นใจในกระบวนการผลิตที่ทันสมัยและดีเยี่ยม" . . . ตามเคย

และที่น่าสนใจคือ...ผลิตภัณฑ์ EVERY Egg ยังไม่ได้รับการรับรอง GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) อย่างเป็นทางการจาก FDA จึงยังไม่สามารถวางจำหน่ายในร้านค้าปลีกทั่วไปได้ บริษัทกำลังร่วมมือกับบริษัทอาหารข้ามชาติในการเปิดตัวผลิตภัณฑ์ในปีนี้ แต่ยังไม่มีข้อมูลชัดเจนเกี่ยวกับการวางจำหน่ายในร้านค้าปลีกทั่วไป​ แต่ส่วนตัวเฮียคิดว่าไม่น่ากังวล น่าจะผ่านฉลุยแหละ 5555

ไข่สังเคราะห์ = ความหวัง? หรือกับดักในรูปของนวัตกรรม? เราคงไม่ปฏิเสธว่ามีหลายคนบนโลกที่แพ้ไข่จริง หรือห่วงใยเรื่องสวัสดิภาพสัตว์ รวมถึงต้องการความ "บริสุทธิ์" "สกัด" "เข้มข้น" แต่คำถามคือ...จะดีกว่าไหมถ้าเราหาทางผลิต ไข่จริงจากไก่ที่เลี้ยงแบบธรรมชาติ ในระบบ regenerative farming แทนที่จะพยายามสร้างโปรตีนปลอมขึ้นมาแข่ง? ทุกครั้งที่มีของใหม่ที่ดูดี สะอาด และ “คลีน” เฮียอยากให้ทุกคน ถามกลับในใจว่า “คลีน” แค่ในห้องแล็บ หรือ “คลีน” ในธรรมชาติจริงๆ?

สรุปแบบไม่ต้องตีลังกาคิดได้ว่า EVERY Egg คือก้าวใหม่ของเทคโนโลยีอาหารที่กำลังวิ่งไปข้างหน้าแบบไม่เหลียวหลัง แต่ในฐานะที่เฮียเชื่อใน real food, nutrient density และความฉลาดของธรรมชาติ เราอาจต้องเตือนใจไว้ว่า...การใช้ยีสต์ดัดแปลงพันธุกรรมมาผลิต “ไข่เทียม” ไม่ใช่ความผิด แต่ก็ไม่ใช่ความจำเป็นไหม เพราะแท้จริงแล้ว เรามี “ไข่” ที่สมบูรณ์แบบอยู่ในธรรมชาติแล้ว...แค่ไม่ควรปล่อยให้อุตสาหกรรมทำลายภาพลักษณ์ของมัน เพื่อขายของที่ “เหมือนไข่” แต่ไม่มีชีวิต

คำถามเดิมครับ วันนึงเมื่อถึงจุดที่คุณไม่ได้เลือก แล้วมันมีให้แค่นี้ วันนั้นจะทำอย่างไร วันแห่งความ "บริสุทธิ์" "สกัด" "เข้มข้น" ที่เราถวิลหา ??? #pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ 826e9f89:ffc5c759

What follows began as snippets of conversations I have been having for years, on and off, here and there. It will likely eventually be collated into a piece I have been meaning to write on “payments” as a whole. I foolishly started writing this piece years ago, not realizing that the topic is gargantuan and for every week I spend writing it I have to add two weeks to my plan. That may or may not ever come to fruition, but in the meantime, Tether announced it was issuing on Taproot Assets and suddenly everybody is interested again. This is as good a catalyst as any to carve out my “stablecoin thesis”, such as it exists, from “payments”, and put it out there for comment and feedback.

In contrast to the “Bitcoiner take” I will shortly revert to, I invite the reader to keep the following potential counterargument in mind, which might variously be termed the “shitcoiner”, “realist”, or “cynical” take, depending on your perspective: that stablecoins have clear product-market-fit. Now, as a venture capitalist and professional thinkboi focusing on companies building on Bitcoin, I obviously think that not only is Bitcoin the best money ever invented and its monetization is pretty much inevitable, but that, furthermore, there is enormous, era-defining long-term potential for a range of industries in which Bitcoin is emerging as superior technology, even aside from its role as money. But in the interest not just of steelmanning but frankly just of honesty, I would grudgingly agree with the following assessment as of the time of writing: the applications of crypto (inclusive of Bitcoin but deliberately wider) that have found product-market-fit today, and that are not speculative bets on future development and adoption, are: Bitcoin as savings technology, mining as a means of monetizing energy production, and stablecoins.

I think there are two typical Bitcoiner objections to stablecoins of significantly greater importance than all others: that you shouldn’t be supporting dollar hegemony, and that you don’t need a blockchain. I will elaborate on each of these, and for the remainder of the post will aim to produce a synthesis of three superficially contrasting (or at least not obviously related) sources of inspiration: these objections, the realisation above that stablecoins just are useful, and some commentary on technical developments in Bitcoin and the broader space that I think inform where things are likely to go. As will become clear as the argument progresses, I actually think the outcome to which I am building up is where things have to go. I think the technical and economic incentives at play make this an inevitability rather than a “choice”, per se. Given my conclusion, which I will hold back for the time being, this is a fantastically good thing, hence I am motivated to write this post at all!

Objection 1: Dollar Hegemony

I list this objection first because there isn’t a huge amount to say about it. It is clearly a normative position, and while I more or less support it personally, I don’t think that it is material to the argument I am going on to make, so I don’t want to force it on the reader. While the case for this objection is probably obvious to this audience (isn’t the point of Bitcoin to destroy central banks, not further empower them?) I should at least offer the steelman that there is a link between this and the realist observation that stablecoins are useful. The reason they are useful is because people prefer the dollar to even shitter local fiat currencies. I don’t think it is particularly fruitful to say that they shouldn’t. They do. Facts don’t care about your feelings. There is a softer bridging argument to be made here too, to the effect that stablecoins warm up their users to the concept of digital bearer (ish) assets, even though these particular assets are significantly scammier than Bitcoin. Again, I am just floating this, not telling the reader they should or shouldn’t buy into it.

All that said, there is one argument I do want to put my own weight behind, rather than just float: stablecoin issuance is a speculative attack on the institution of fractional reserve banking. A “dollar” Alice moves from JPMorgan to Tether embodies two trade-offs from Alice’s perspective: i) a somewhat opaque profile on the credit risk of the asset: the likelihood of JPMorgan ever really defaulting on deposits vs the operator risk of Tether losing full backing and/or being wrench attacked by the Federal Government and rugging its users. These risks are real but are almost entirely political. I’m skeptical it is meaningful to quantify them, but even if it is, I am not the person to try to do it. Also, more transparently to Alice, ii) far superior payment rails (for now, more on this to follow).

However, from the perspective of the fiat banking cartel, fractional reserve leverage has been squeezed. There are just as many notional dollars in circulation, but there the backing has been shifted from levered to unlevered issuers. There are gradations of relevant objections to this: while one might say, Tether’s backing comes from Treasuries, so you are directly funding US debt issuance!, this is a bit silly in the context of what other dollars one might hold. It’s not like JPMorgan is really competing with the Treasury to sell credit into the open market. Optically they are, but this is the core of the fiat scam. Via the guarantees of the Federal Reserve System, JPMorgan can sell as much unbacked credit as it wants knowing full well the difference will be printed whenever this blows up. Short-term Treasuries are also JPMorgan’s most pristine asset safeguarding its equity, so the only real difference is that Tether only holds Treasuries without wishing more leverage into existence. The realization this all builds up to is that, by necessity,

Tether is a fully reserved bank issuing fiduciary media against the only dollar-denominated asset in existence whose value (in dollar terms) can be guaranteed. Furthermore, this media arguably has superior “moneyness” to the obvious competition in the form of US commercial bank deposits by virtue of its payment rails.

That sounds pretty great when you put it that way! Of course, the second sentence immediately leads to the second objection, and lets the argument start to pick up steam …

Objection 2: You Don’t Need a Blockchain

I don’t need to explain this to this audience but to recap as briefly as I can manage: Bitcoin’s value is entirely endogenous. Every aspect of “a blockchain” that, out of context, would be an insanely inefficient or redundant modification of a “database”, in context is geared towards the sole end of enabling the stability of this endogenous value. Historically, there have been two variations of stupidity that follow a failure to grok this: i) “utility tokens”, or blockchains with native tokens for something other than money. I would recommend anybody wanting a deeper dive on the inherent nonsense of a utility token to read Only The Strong Survive, in particular Chapter 2, Crypto Is Not Decentralized, and the subsection, Everything Fights For Liquidity, and/or Green Eggs And Ham, in particular Part II, Decentralized Finance, Technically. ii) “real world assets” or, creating tokens within a blockchain’s data structure that are not intended to have endogenous value but to act as digital quasi-bearer certificates to some or other asset of value exogenous to this system. Stablecoins are in this second category.

RWA tokens definitionally have to have issuers, meaning some entity that, in the real world, custodies or physically manages both the asset and the record-keeping scheme for the asset. “The blockchain” is at best a secondary ledger to outsource ledger updates to public infrastructure such that the issuer itself doesn’t need to bother and can just “check the ledger” whenever operationally relevant. But clearly ownership cannot be enforced in an analogous way to Bitcoin, under both technical and social considerations. Technically, Bitcoin’s endogenous value means that whoever holds the keys to some or other UTXOs functionally is the owner. Somebody else claiming to be the owner is yelling at clouds. Whereas, socially, RWA issuers enter a contract with holders (whether legally or just in terms of a common-sense interpretation of the transaction) such that ownership of the asset issued against is entirely open to dispute. That somebody can point to “ownership” of the token may or may not mean anything substantive with respect to the physical reality of control of the asset, and how the issuer feels about it all.

And so, one wonders, why use a blockchain at all? Why doesn’t the issuer just run its own database (for the sake of argument with some or other signature scheme for verifying and auditing transactions) given it has the final say over issuance and redemption anyway? I hinted at an answer above: issuing on a blockchain outsources this task to public infrastructure. This is where things get interesting. While it is technically true, given the above few paragraphs, that, you don’t need a blockchain for that, you also don’t need to not use a blockchain for that. If you want to, you can.

This is clearly the case given stablecoins exist at all and have gone this route. If one gets too angry about not needing a blockchain for that, one equally risks yelling at clouds! And, in fact, one can make an even stronger argument, more so from the end users’ perspective. These products do not exist in a vacuum but rather compete with alternatives. In the case of stablecoins, the alternative is traditional fiat money, which, as stupid as RWAs on a blockchain are, is even dumber. It actually is just a database, except it’s a database that is extremely annoying to use, basically for political reasons because the industry managing these private databases form a cartel that never needs to innovate or really give a shit about its customers at all. In many, many cases, stablecoins on blockchains are dumb in the abstract, but superior to the alternative methods of holding and transacting in dollars existing in other forms. And note, this is only from Alice’s perspective of wanting to send and receive, not a rehashing of the fractional reserve argument given above. This is the essence of their product-market-fit. Yell at clouds all you like: they just are useful given the alternative usually is not Bitcoin, it’s JPMorgan’s KYC’d-up-the-wazoo 90s-era website, more than likely from an even less solvent bank.

So where does this get us? It might seem like we are back to “product-market-fit, sorry about that” with Bitcoiners yelling about feelings while everybody else makes do with their facts. However, I think we have introduced enough material to move the argument forward by incrementally incorporating the following observations, all of which I will shortly go into in more detail: i) as a consequence of making no technical sense with respect to what blockchains are for, today’s approach won’t scale; ii) as a consequence of short-termist tradeoffs around socializing costs, today’s approach creates an extremely unhealthy and arguably unnatural market dynamic in the issuer space; iii) Taproot Assets now exist and handily address both points i) and ii), and; iv) eCash is making strides that I believe will eventually replace even Taproot Assets.

To tease where all this is going, and to get the reader excited before we dive into much more detail: just as Bitcoin will eat all monetary premia, Lightning will likely eat all settlement, meaning all payments will gravitate towards routing over Lightning regardless of the denomination of the currency at the edges. Fiat payments will gravitate to stablecoins to take advantage of this; stablecoins will gravitate to TA and then to eCash, and all of this will accelerate hyperbitcoinization by “bitcoinizing” payment rails such that an eventual full transition becomes as simple as flicking a switch as to what denomination you want to receive.

I will make two important caveats before diving in that are more easily understood in light of having laid this groundwork: I am open to the idea that it won’t be just Lightning or just Taproot Assets playing the above roles. Without veering into forecasting the entire future development of Bitcoin tech, I will highlight that all that really matters here are, respectively: a true layer 2 with native hashlocks, and a token issuance scheme that enables atomic routing over such a layer 2 (or combination of such). For the sake of argument, the reader is welcome to swap in “Ark” and “RGB” for “Lightning” and “TA” both above and in all that follows. As far as I can tell, this makes no difference to the argument and is even exciting in its own right. However, for the sake of simplicity in presentation, I will stick to “Lightning” and “TA” hereafter.

1) Today’s Approach to Stablecoins Won’t Scale

This is the easiest to tick off and again doesn’t require much explanation to this audience. Blockchains fundamentally don’t scale, which is why Bitcoin’s UTXO scheme is a far better design than ex-Bitcoin Crypto’s’ account-based models, even entirely out of context of all the above criticisms. This is because Bitcoin transactions can be batched across time and across users with combinations of modes of spending restrictions that provide strong economic guarantees of correct eventual net settlement, if not perpetual deferral. One could argue this is a decent (if abstrusely technical) definition of “scaling” that is almost entirely lacking in Crypto.

What we see in ex-Bitcoin crypto is so-called “layer 2s” that are nothing of the sort, forcing stablecoin schemes in these environments into one of two equally poor design choices if usage is ever to increase: fees go higher and higher, to the point of economic unviability (and well past it) as blocks fill up, or move to much more centralized environments that increasingly are just databases, and hence which lose the benefits of openness thought to be gleaned by outsourcing settlement to public infrastructure. This could be in the form of punting issuance to a bullshit “layer 2” that is a really a multisig “backing” a private execution environment (to be decentralized any daw now) or an entirely different blockchain that is just pretending even less not to be a database to begin with. In a nutshell, this is a decent bottom-up explanation as to why Tron has the highest settlement of Tether.

This also gives rise to the weirdness of “gas tokens” - assets whose utility as money is and only is in the form of a transaction fee to transact a different kind of money. These are not quite as stupid as a “utility token,” given at least they are clearly fulfilling a monetary role and hence their artificial scarcity can be justified. But they are frustrating from Bitcoiners’ and users’ perspectives alike: users would prefer to pay transaction fees on dollars in dollars, but they can’t because the value of Ether, Sol, Tron, or whatever, is the string and bubblegum that hold their boondoggles together. And Bitcoiners wish this stuff would just go away and stop distracting people, whereas this string and bubblegum is proving transiently useful.

All in all, today’s approach is fine so long as it isn’t being used much. It has product-market fit, sure, but in the unenviable circumstance that, if it really starts to take off, it will break, and even the original users will find it unusable.

2) Today’s Approach to Stablecoins Creates an Untenable Market Dynamic

Reviving the ethos of you don’t need a blockchain for that, notice the following subtlety: while the tokens representing stablecoins have value to users, that value is not native to the blockchain on which they are issued. Tether can (and routinely does) burn tokens on Ethereum and mint them on Tron, then burn on Tron and mint on Solana, and so on. So-called blockchains “go down” and nobody really cares. This makes no difference whatsoever to Tether’s own accounting, and arguably a positive difference to users given these actions track market demand. But it is detrimental to the blockchain being switched away from by stripping it of “TVL” that, it turns out, was only using it as rails: entirely exogenous value that leaves as quickly as it arrived.

One underdiscussed and underappreciated implication of the fact that no value is natively running through the blockchain itself is that, in the current scheme, both the sender and receiver of a stablecoin have to trust the same issuer. This creates an extremely powerful network effect that, in theory, makes the first-to-market likely to dominate and in practice has played out exactly as this theory would suggest: Tether has roughly 80% of the issuance, while roughly 19% goes to the political carve-out of USDC that wouldn’t exist at all were it not for government interference. Everybody else combined makes up the final 1%.

So, Tether is a full reserve bank but also has to be everybody’s bank. This is the source of a lot of the discomfort with Tether, and which feeds into the original objection around dollar hegemony, that there is an ill-defined but nonetheless uneasy feeling that Tether is slowly morphing into a CBDC. I would argue this really has nothing to do with Tether’s own behavior but rather is a consequence of the market dynamic inevitably created by the current stablecoin scheme. There is no reason to trust any other bank because nobody really wants a bank, they just want the rails. They want something that will retain a nominal dollar value long enough to spend it again. They don’t care what tech it runs on and they don’t even really care about the issuer except insofar as having some sense they won’t get rugged.

Notice this is not how fiat works. Banks can, of course, settle between each other, thus enabling their users to send money to customers of other banks. This settlement function is actually the entire point of central banks, less the money printing and general corruption enabled (we might say, this was the historical point of central banks, which have since become irredeemably corrupted by this power). This process is clunkier than stablecoins, as covered above, but the very possibility of settlement means there is no gigantic network effect to being the first commercial issuer of dollar balances. If it isn’t too triggering to this audience, one might suggest that the money printer also removes the residual concern that your balances might get rugged! (or, we might again say, you guarantee you don’t get rugged in the short term by guaranteeing you do get rugged in the long term).

This is a good point at which to introduce the unsettling observation that broader fintech is catching on to the benefits of stablecoins without any awareness whatsoever of all the limitations I am outlining here. With the likes of Stripe, Wise, Robinhood, and, post-Trump, even many US megabanks supposedly contemplating issuing stablecoins (obviously within the current scheme, not the scheme I am building up to proposing), we are forced to boggle our minds considering how on earth settlement is going to work. Are they going to settle through Ether? Well, no, because i) Ether isn’t money, it’s … to be honest, I don’t think anybody really knows what it is supposed to be, or if they once did they aren’t pretending anymore, but anyway, Stripe certainly hasn’t figured that out yet so, ii) it won’t be possible to issue them on layer 1s as soon as there is any meaningful volume, meaning they will have to route through “bullshit layer 2 wrapped Ether token that is really already a kind of stablecoin for Ether.”

The way they are going to try to fix this (anybody wanna bet?) is routing through DEXes, which is so painfully dumb you should be laughing and, if you aren’t, I would humbly suggest you don’t get just how dumb it is. What this amounts to is plugging the gap of Ether’s lack of moneyness (and wrapped Ether’s hilarious lack of moneyness) with … drum roll … unknowable technical and counterparty risk and unpredictable cost on top of reverting to just being a database. So, in other words, all of the costs of using a blockchain when you don’t strictly need to, and none of the benefits. Stripe is going to waste billions of dollars getting sandwich attacked out of some utterly vanilla FX settlement it is facilitating for clients who have even less of an idea what is going on and why North Korea now has all their money, and will eventually realize they should have skipped their shitcoin phase and gone straight to understanding Bitcoin instead …

3) Bitcoin (and Taproot Assets) Fixes This

To tie together a few loose ends, I only threw in the hilariously stupid suggestion of settling through wrapped Ether on Ether on Ether in order to tee up the entirely sensible suggestion of settling through Lightning. Again, not that this will be new to this audience, but while issuance schemes have been around on Bitcoin for a long time, the breakthrough of Taproot Assets is essentially the ability to atomically route through Lightning.

I will admit upfront that this presents a massive bootstrapping challenge relative to the ex-Bitcoin Crypto approach, and it’s not obvious to me if or how this will be overcome. I include this caveat to make it clear I am not suggesting this is a given. It may not be, it’s just beyond the scope of this post (or frankly my ability) to predict. This is a problem for Lightning Labs, Tether, and whoever else decides to step up to issue. But even highlighting this as an obvious and major concern invites us to consider an intriguing contrast: scaling TA stablecoins is hardest at the start and gets easier and easier thereafter. The more edge liquidity there is in TA stables, the less of a risk it is for incremental issuance; the more TA activity, the more attractive deploying liquidity is into Lightning proper, and vice versa. With apologies if this metaphor is even more confusing than it is helpful, one might conceive of the situation as being that there is massive inertia to bootstrap, but equally there could be positive feedback in driving the inertia to scale. Again, I have no idea, and it hasn’t happened yet in practice, but in theory it’s fun.

More importantly to this conversation, however, this is almost exactly the opposite dynamic to the current scheme on other blockchains, which is basically free to start, but gets more and more expensive the more people try to use it. One might say it antiscales (I don’t think that’s a real word, but if Taleb can do it, then I can do it too!).

Furthermore, the entire concept of “settling in Bitcoin” makes perfect sense both economically and technically: economically because Bitcoin is money, and technically because it can be locked in an HTLC and hence can enable atomic routing (i.e. because Lightning is a thing). This is clearly better than wrapped Eth on Eth on Eth or whatever, but, tantalisingly, is better than fiat too! The core message of the payments tome I may or may not one day write is (or will be) that fiat payments, while superficially efficient on the basis of centralized and hence costless ledger amendments, actually have a hidden cost in the form of interbank credit. Many readers will likely have heard me say this multiple times and in multiple settings but, contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a fiat debit. Even if styled as a debit, all fiat payments are credits and all have credit risk baked into their cost, even if that is obscured and pushed to the absolute foundational level of money printing to keep banks solvent and hence keep payment channels open.

Furthermore! this enables us to strip away the untenable market dynamic from the point above. The underappreciated and underdiscussed flip side of the drawback of the current dynamic that is effectively fixed by Taproot Assets is that there is no longer a mammoth network effect to a single issuer. Senders and receivers can trust different issuers (i.e. their own banks) because those banks can atomically settle a single payment over Lightning. This does not involve credit. It is arguably the only true debit in the world across both the relevant economic and technical criteria: it routes through money with no innate credit risk, and it does so atomically due to that money’s native properties.

Savvy readers may have picked up on a seed I planted a while back and which can now delightfully blossom:

This is what Visa was supposed to be!

Crucially, this is not what Visa is now. Visa today is pretty much the bank that is everybody’s counterparty, takes a small credit risk for the privilege, and oozes free cash flow bottlenecking global consumer payments.

But if you read both One From Many by Dee Hock (for a first person but pretty wild and extravagant take) and Electronic Value Exchange by David Stearns (for a third person, drier, but more analytical and historically contextualized take) or if you are just intimately familiar with the modern history of payments for whatever other reason, you will see that the role I just described for Lightning in an environment of unboundedly many banks issuing fiduciary media in the form of stablecoins is exactly what Dee Hock wanted to create when he envisioned Visa:

A neutral and open layer of value settlement enabling banks to create digital, interbank payment schemes for their customers at very low cost.

As it turns out, his vision was technically impossible with fiat, hence Visa, which started as a cooperative amongst member banks, was corrupted into a duopolistic for-profit rent seeker in curious parallel to the historical path of central banks …

4) eCash

To now push the argument to what I think is its inevitable conclusion, it’s worth being even more vigilant on the front of you don’t need a blockchain for that. I have argued that there is a role for a blockchain in providing a neutral settlement layer to enable true debits of stablecoins. But note this is just a fancy and/or stupid way of saying that Bitcoin is both the best money and is programmable, which we all knew anyway. The final step is realizing that, while TA is nice in terms of providing a kind of “on ramp” for global payments infrastructure as a whole to reorient around Lightning, there is some path dependence here in assuming (almost certainly correctly) that the familiarity of stablecoins as “RWA tokens on a blockchain” will be an important part of the lure.

But once that transition is complete, or is well on its way to being irreversible, we may as well come full circle and cut out tokens altogether. Again, you really don’t need a blockchain for that, and the residual appeal of better rails has been taken care of with the above massive detour through what I deem to be the inevitability of Lightning as a settlement layer. Just as USDT on Tron arguably has better moneyness than a JPMorgan balance, so a “stablecoin” as eCash has better moneyness than as a TA given it is cheaper, more private, and has more relevantly bearer properties (in other words, because it is cash). The technical detail that it can be hashlocked is really all you need to tie this all together. That means it can be atomically locked into a Lightning routed debit to the recipient of a different issuer (or “mint” in eCash lingo, but note this means the same thing as what we have been calling fully reserved banks). And the economic incentive is pretty compelling too because, for all their benefits, there is still a cost to TAs given they are issued onchain and they require asset-specific liquidity to route on Lightning. Once the rest of the tech is in place, why bother? Keep your Lightning connectivity and just become a mint.

What you get at that point is dramatically superior private database to JPMorgan with the dramatically superior public rails of Lightning. There is nothing left to desire from “a blockchain” besides what Bitcoin is fundamentally for in the first place: counterparty-risk-free value settlement.

And as a final point with a curious and pleasing echo to Dee Hock at Visa, Calle has made the point repeatedly that David Chaum’s vision for eCash, while deeply philosophical besides the technical details, was actually pretty much impossible to operate on fiat. From an eCash perspective, fiat stablecoins within the above infrastructure setup are a dramatic improvement on anything previously possible. But, of course, they are a slippery slope to Bitcoin regardless …

Objections Revisited

As a cherry on top, I think the objections I highlighted at the outset are now readily addressed – to the extent the reader believes what I am suggesting is more or less a technical and economic inevitability, that is. While, sure, I’m not particularly keen on giving the Treasury more avenues to sell its welfare-warfare shitcoin, on balance the likely development I’ve outlined is an enormous net positive: it’s going to sell these anyway so I prefer a strong economic incentive to steadily transition not only to Lightning as payment rails but eCash as fiduciary media, and to use “fintech” as a carrot to induce a slow motion bank run.

As alluded to above, once all this is in place, the final step to a Bitcoin standard becomes as simple as an individual’s decision to want Bitcoin instead of fiat. On reflection, this is arguably the easiest part! It's setting up all the tech that puts people off, so trojan-horsing them with “faster, cheaper payment rails” seems like a genius long-term strategy.

And as to “needing a blockchain” (or not), I hope that is entirely wrapped up at this point. The only blockchain you need is Bitcoin, but to the extent people are still confused by this (which I think will take decades more to fully unwind), we may as well lean into dazzling them with whatever innovation buzzwords and decentralization theatre they were going to fall for anyway before realizing they wanted Bitcoin all along.

Conclusion

Stablecoins are useful whether you like it or not. They are stupid in the abstract but it turns out fiat is even stupider, on inspection. But you don’t need a blockchain, and using one as decentralization theatre creates technical debt that is insurmountable in the long run. Blockchain-based stablecoins are doomed to a utility inversely proportional to their usage, and just to rub it in, their ill-conceived design practically creates a commercial dynamic that mandates there only ever be a single issuer.

Given they are useful, it seems natural that this tension is going to blow up at some point. It also seems worthwhile observing that Taproot Asset stablecoins have almost the inverse problem and opposite commercial dynamic: they will be most expensive to use at the outset but get cheaper and cheaper as their usage grows. Also, there is no incentive towards a monopoly issuer but rather towards as many as are willing to try to operate well and provide value to their users.

As such, we can expect any sizable growth in stablecoins to migrate to TA out of technical and economic necessity. Once this has happened - or possibly while it is happening but is clearly not going to stop - we may as well strip out the TA component and just use eCash because you really don’t need a blockchain for that at all. And once all the money is on eCash, deciding you want to denominate it in Bitcoin is the simplest on-ramp to hyperbitcoinization you can possibly imagine, given we’ve spent the previous decade or two rebuilding all payments tech around Lightning.

Or: Bitcoin fixes this. The End.

• Allen, #892,125

thanks to Marco Argentieri, Lyn Alden, and Calle for comments and feedback

@ f0c7506b:9ead75b8

Abbas Kiarostami

• Bazı şeyleri yapmak, söylemekten daha kolaydır.

• Bütün güzel şeyleri bize toprak verir. Bütün güzel şeyler toprağa geri döner.

• Eğer mevsimlere bakarsanız her mevsim meyve getirir. Yazın meyve vardır, sonbaharda da. Kış farklı meyveler getirir, ilkbahar da. Hiçbir anne çocukları için bu kadar çok çeşit meyveyle buzdolabını dolduramaz.

• Kendimi bu hayattan kurtarmaya karar verdim. Ne için mi? Bu anlamanıza yardım etmeyecektir ve bunun hakkında sizinle konuşamam; anlayamazsınız. Anlamayacağınız için değil; çünkü benim hissettiklerimi hissedemezsiniz. Duygularımı anlayıp paylaşabilirsiniz, bana merhamet gösterebilirsiniz; ama acımı hissedebilir misiniz? Hayır. Acı çekersiniz ve ben de çekerim. Sizi anlarım. Acımı anlayabilirsiniz; ama onu hissedemezsiniz.

• İnsanın devam edemeyeceği bir an gelir.

• Birisine yardım etmek istediğiniz zaman bunu uygun biçimde yapmalısınız, bütün kalbinizle. Bu daha iyidir. Daha adil ve daha makul.

• İntiharın en büyük günahlardan birisi olduğunu biliyorum. Fakat mutsuz olmak da büyük bir günah. Mutsuzken başka insanları incitirsiniz. Bu da bir günah değil mi? Başkalarını incittiğinizde bu bir günah değil midir? Aileni incitiyorsun, arkadaşlarını, kendini incitiyorsun. Bu bir günah değil mi? Size yakın olan insanları incitiyorsanız bu da büyük bir günahtır.

• Yardım, mutlaka karşılığı ödenmesi gereken bir şey değildir.

• Size başımdan geçen bir olayı anlatacağım: henüz yeni evlenmiştim. Belaların her türlüsü bizi buldu. Öylesine bıkkındım ki her şeye son vermeye karar verdim. Bir sabah şafak sökmeden önce arabama bir ip koydum. Kendimi öldürmeyi kafama koydum. Yola koyuldum. Dut ağaçlarıyla dolu bir bahçeye vardım. Orada durdum. Hava henüz karanlıktı. İpi bir ağacın dalı üzerine attım; ama tutturamadım. Bir iki kere denedim ama kâr etmedi. Ardından ağaca tırmandım ve ipi sımsıkı düğümledim. Sonra elimin altında yumuşak bir şey hissettim: Dutlar. Lezzetli, tatlı dutlar. Birini yedim. taze ve suluydu. Ardından bir ikincisini ve üçüncüsünü. Birdenbire güneşin dağların zirvesinden doğduğunun farkına vardım. O ne güneşti, ne manzaraydı, ne yeşillikti ama! Birdenbire okula giden çocukların seslerini duydum. Bana bakmak için durdular. "Ağacı sallar mısın?" diye bana sordular. Dutlar düştü ve yediler. Kendimi mutlu hissettim. Ardından alıp eve götürmek için biraz dut topladım. Bizim hanım hâlâ uyuyordu. Uyandığı zaman dutları güzelce yedi. Ve hoşuna gitti. Kendimi öldürmek için ayrılmıştım ve dutlarla geri döndüm. Bir dut hayatımı kurtarmıştı.

• Bir türk, doktoru görmeye gider. Ve ona der ki: "Doktor bey, vücuduma parmağımla dokunduğumda acıyor, başıma dokunsam acıyor, bacaklarıma dokunsam acıyor, karnıma, elime dokunsam acıyor." doktor onu muayene eder ve sonra ona der ki: "vücudun sağlam; ama parmağın kırık!"

• Hayat dümdüz ilerleyen bir tren gibidir; rayların sonuna geldiğinde son durağa ulaşır. Ve ölüm son durakta bekler. Elbette, ölüm bir çözümdür; fakat ilk olarak değil. Genç yaşta hiç değil.

• Dünya göründüğü gibi değildir. Bakış açınızı değiştirmelisiniz ki dünya değişsin. İyimser olun. Her şeye olumlu tarafından bakın.

@ 3eba5ef4:751f23ae

加密洞见

secp256k1lab：一个不安全的 Python 库，如何让比特币更安全

一些比特币开发者长期以来一直认为应该有一个统一的、可重用的加密 BIP 参考 secp256k1 代码标准。Blockstream 研究团队发布了 secp256k1lab (GitHub Repo)—— 一个新的、故意不安全的 Python 库，用于原型开发、实验和 BIP 规范的制定。

该库并不用于生产的（因为没有常数时间防护，因此易受侧道攻击），但填补了一个空白：提供了一个干净且一致的 secp256k1 功能参考实现，包括 BIP-340 风格的 Schnorr 签名、ECDH 以及底层的域/群运算。该库的目标是：通过避免重复的、一次性的实现，让未来编写 BIP 变得更简单、更安全。对于 BIP 作者来说，这意味着更少的自定义代码和规范问题，以及一条更清晰的从原型到正式提案的路径。

使用基于时间的一次性密码（TOTP）在软件钱包中进行密码验证和访问控制

本文介绍了一种在比特币软件钱包中，使用基于区块的时间同步一次性密码（TOTP, Time-based One-Time Password）机制进行密码验证和钱包访问控制的方法。 与传统的 TOTP 系统不同，这种方法将区块链数据——特别是比特币的区块高度和区块哈希 ——同一个安全存储的加密信息结合，来生成一个动态变化的 6 位数验证码，具备以下安全属性：

• 双重保护：结合了设备持有性和基于区块链衍生的、基于时间的数据（blockchain-derived time-based data）。

• 抗重放攻击：验证码随每个新区块（约 10 分钟一个周期）更新。

• 最小攻击面：无需输入或复制密码短语。

• 硬件加密保护秘密信息：移动端应用的秘密信息存储在不可导出的安全硬件中。

比特币特征矩阵：跟踪比特币产品/服务的互操作性

Bitcoin Opentech 在此页汇集并跟踪比特币相关产品/服务的互操作性。

汇集各种比特币软分叉提案的网站

bitcoin.softforks.org 网站汇集了各种比特币软分叉提案，包含组件、实现原语等关键软分叉信息，以及使用该分叉的使用案例和用户等。

以太坊社区热议 RISC-V 替代 EVM，CKB-VM 经验倍受关注

Vitalik 近日在 Ethereum 的论坛上提出了将用 RISC‑V 代替 EVM 的设想，并提到 CKB-VM 的设计作为参考范例，引发了两个社区对 RISC-V 技术决策的关注和探讨。随着讨论的展开，CKB-VM 当年的设计考量又重新被提起，并吸引了更多人回顾和学习相关经验。CKB 是 Nervos Network 的 Layer 1 公链，其支持智能合约的 Cell 模型受比特币 UTXO 模型启发，并使用基于 RISC-V 的 CKB-VM 虚拟机，实现高效且支持多语言的合约执行。了解更多 CKB-VM 详情：

• An Introduction to Nervos CKB-VM

• 基于 RISC-V 打造的区块链虚拟机——CKB-VM 诞生记（一）

• CKB-VM 的灵感、设计和优势——CKB-VM 诞生记（二）

• 如何在 CKB-VM 上愉快的玩耍——CKB-VM 诞生记（三）

在 Ark 中集成 Taproot Assets 的概念验证

Ark Labs 分享了如何将 Taproot 资产集成到 Ark 的链下批处理层中：在 Ark 标准交易流程上，引入了 tVTXO（tokenized Virtual Transaction Output）——嵌入 Taproot 资产承诺的虚拟输出。tVTXO 的行为与任何其他 VTXO 一样，可在 Ark 的链下层花费，可预先签名以实现单边退出，但它包括两个关键附加功能：

• 资产承诺（Asset Commitments）：使用 Taproot 的内部密钥和 TapTree 结构嵌入到 PkScript 中。

• 传输证明文件（Transfer Proof Files）是一条加密见证的确定性链，通过链下树跟踪资产的包含路径。这些证明可以通过链上元数据激活，从而退出 Taproot Asset 生态。

Erk：改进 Ark 协议，无需用户轮次交互

Erk 是 Ark 协议的一种新颖变体，引入了具有可重新绑定签名的「退款交易」（refund transactions），允许用户提前提供可应用于未来输出的签名。然后，服务器可以安全地刷新 VTXO，而无需用户在每一轮都处于联机状态。这解决了 Ark 的关键限制之一——要求用户在 VTXO 到期之前上线。

Erk 的另一个强大功能是「永久离线刷新」——用户可以按顺序批量预签名未来的刷新。通过 watchtower 监控协议，用户可以在资金保持安全的情况下无限期地保持离线状态。

Robosats：无 KYC 闪电网络 P2P 交易，支持人民币通过微信交易

RoboSats 是一个无 KYC 的开源闪电网络交易平台，使用LN Hodl invoices 最大限度地减少托管和信任要求。用户通过 Tor 浏览器操作，体验简单且交易费用低廉的 P2P 交易。

平台目前也支持通过微信进行人民币。

项目 GitHub 和教程.

值得关注的几个闪电网络基础设施项目

OpenSats 的这篇文章重点关注闪电网络在基础设施上的推进，提到以下项目：

• Lighting Splicing: 允许用户在不停机的情况下动态调整通道容量。通过消除关闭和重新打开通道的需要，Splicing 即减少了摩擦和成本，又简化了流动性管理。

• Validating Lightning Signer (VLS): 通过将密钥存储和交易验证转移给外部签名者，来解决闪电网络传统的、将私钥直接存储在节点上用于交易签名的方式的风险，从而确保即使闪电节点遭到入侵，攻击者也无法访问或滥用私钥来窃取资金。

• BLAST (Big Lightning Automated Simulation Tool): 目标是为闪电网络提供稳定的建模和仿真框架，为研究和开发人员和节点运营商提供更准确地反映真实网络状况的大规模测试环境。

• Lampo: 提供了一个基于 Lightning 开发工具包（LDK）构建的模块化、社区驱动的开发工具和节点实现方案。

• Lnprototest: 提供了一个基于 Python 的测试库，可帮助开发人员验证不同实现中的协议合规性，确保交叉兼容性并防止回归，以免影响实际用户。

Citrea 推出基于 BitVM 的信任最小化双向挂钩桥 Clementine

Rollup 项目 Citrea 在比特币测试网上部署了 Clementine Bridge，这是比特币测试网上第一个完整的 BitVM 桥设计。Clementine 桥是 Citrea 基于 BitVM 的信任最小化双向挂钩方案，核心组件包括：

• 比特币和 Citrea 的轻客户端证明

• BitVM 中的零知识证明验证器

只要 BitVM 设置中的单个验证器是诚实的，Clementine 就会保持安全。这是对现有解决方案（开放和封闭联合）的重大改进。Clementine 桥的设计和 Citrea 的去信任轻客户端一起，最大限度减少了对 Citrea 双向挂钩的信任要求，且无需软分叉。

详情可参考 Clementine 白皮书，以及特征简介。

RISC-V 成为 BitVMX 验证系统最佳选择的五个关键原因

作为 BitVMX 的主要开发者的 Fairgate Labs 概述了 RISC-V 成为 BitVMX 验证系统最佳选择的五大关键：

• 开放且通用：RISC-V 作为标准，无 IP 障碍

• 成熟的工具支持：编译器和调试器的丰富生态系统

• 操作码简单

• 支持高级语言

• 支持通用验证

精彩无限，不止于链

违规却挡不住需求：深圳的 LuckyMiner 在争议中推动家用小型矿机普及

LuckyMiner 是一家深圳的比特币挖矿初创公司，它们生产家用迷你矿机正越来越受欢迎。LuckyMiner 模仿的主要对象是美国产的开源的小型矿机 Bitaxe。虽然开源，但 Bitaxe 适用于 CERN-OHL-S-2.0 规则，要求任何修改都需公开，而 LuckyMiner 并未遵循此规则。

这条推文的发帖人称跟 LuckyMiner 的创始人吃了饭，后者并不遮掩 LuckyMiner 违反了许可，并表示，除了零售的 LuckyMiner 之外，它们也为 B 端客户生产符合开源许可的 Bitaxes，并且同时仿造 braiins 的挖矿设备。

在对负担得起的家用采矿设备的需求不断增长的推动下，LuckyMiner 已经取得了成功。虽然存在争议，但低成本矿工的崛起表明草根阶层对比特币感兴趣，尤其是在亚洲努力应对日益增长的威权主义和金融压迫的时候。

反对销毁受易量子攻击的比特币

关于如何处理易受攻击的地址里的比特币，Jameson Lopp 在此前的文章中，表示它反对恢复这些代币，并主张原地销毁，以防止资金被量子计算的获胜者拿走。

而 UTXO Management 的 Guillaume Girard 在此反驳了 Lopp 的主张，出于以下考虑：

• 侵犯财产权：未经持有者同意就销毁这些币，违反了财产权原则。强制让这些币不可使用，破坏了比特币中对所有权和控制权的基本尊重

• 伦理问题：尽管销毁易受攻击的币是为了防止未来量子攻击者盗币，但实际上也会无差别地惩罚那些遗失钱包或不了解量子威胁的用户。这种做法在伦理上存在严重问题，因为不给用户自救的机会。

他提出了一些更具建设性的替代方案来取代销毁策略：

• Hourglass（沙漏机制）：旨在减轻“没收式销毁”和“市场抛售”这两种方式带来的负面影响。它通过限制量子攻击事件可能引发的供应冲击，既不烧毁币，也不导致市场被抛压所淹没。

这一方案由 Hunter Beast 提出，试图成为“破坏性最小”的解决方案，目前正在开发者社区中接受评估。此外，Hunter Beast 也已经提出了 BIP 360，以引入抗量子密码学（PQC）并新增一种比特币地址类型。

让旧矿机继续发挥余热：边挖矿边供暖的未来可能

BitMEX 对 Heatbit Trio 比特币挖矿加热器做了测评。该产品本质上是一个旧矿机，配备有一个安静的风扇，适用于房间供暖。

作者表示 Heatbit 的商业模式很吸引人，结合挖矿机和加热器的领域也值得长期关注。因为从长远来看，部分由于摩尔定律的物理限制，ASIC 效率的提高速度将下降，因此 ASIC 可以经济地开采比特币更长的时间（如 10 年）。随着涉及的新风险技术的减少，生产成本也应该会下降。当这种情况发生到足够程度时，将比特币挖矿与加热设备相结合可能是有意义的，例如，游泳池、商用锅炉、住宅锅炉以及商用和住宅电加热系统。

开放、即时和无国界支付：稳定币未来

a16z 的该报告探讨了稳定币会如何颠覆全球支付行业，以及谁将从中受益最大等问题。

作者将稳定币的到来称为赚钱的「WhatsApp 时刻」，因为它使国际交易几乎免费、即时、开放。此外，文章指出只有两种稳定币是被认可的：法币或资产支持的稳定币，而 「策略支持的合成美元 」（Strategy-backed synthetic dollars, SBSD）并不被承认是可靠的价值储存或交换媒介。

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Zwei mal drei macht vier, \ widewidewitt und drei macht neune, \ ich mach mir die Welt, \ widewide wie sie mir gefällt. \ Pippi Langstrumpf

Egal, ob Koalitionsverhandlungen oder politischer Alltag: Die Kontroversen zwischen theoretisch verschiedenen Parteien verschwinden, wenn es um den Kampf gegen politische Gegner mit Rückenwind geht. Wer den Alteingesessenen die Pfründe ernsthaft streitig machen könnte, gegen den werden nicht nur «Brandmauern» errichtet, sondern der wird notfalls auch strafrechtlich verfolgt. Doppelstandards sind dabei selbstverständlich inklusive.

In Frankreich ist diese Woche Marine Le Pen wegen der Veruntreuung von EU-Geldern von einem Gericht verurteilt worden. Als Teil der Strafe wurde sie für fünf Jahre vom passiven Wahlrecht ausgeschlossen. Obwohl das Urteil nicht rechtskräftig ist – Le Pen kann in Berufung gehen –, haben die Richter das Verbot, bei Wahlen anzutreten, mit sofortiger Wirkung verhängt. Die Vorsitzende des rechtsnationalen Rassemblement National (RN) galt als aussichtsreiche Kandidatin für die Präsidentschaftswahl 2027.

Das ist in diesem Jahr bereits der zweite gravierende Fall von Wahlbeeinflussung durch die Justiz in einem EU-Staat. In Rumänien hatte Călin Georgescu im November die erste Runde der Präsidentenwahl überraschend gewonnen. Das Ergebnis wurde später annulliert, die behauptete «russische Wahlmanipulation» konnte jedoch nicht bewiesen werden. Die Kandidatur für die Wahlwiederholung im Mai wurde Georgescu kürzlich durch das Verfassungsgericht untersagt.

Die Veruntreuung öffentlicher Gelder muss untersucht und geahndet werden, das steht außer Frage. Diese Anforderung darf nicht selektiv angewendet werden. Hingegen mussten wir in der Vergangenheit bei ungleich schwerwiegenderen Fällen von (mutmaßlichem) Missbrauch ganz andere Vorgehensweisen erleben, etwa im Fall der heutigen EZB-Chefin Christine Lagarde oder im «Pfizergate»-Skandal um die Präsidentin der EU-Kommission Ursula von der Leyen.

Wenngleich derartige Angelegenheiten formal auf einer rechtsstaatlichen Grundlage beruhen mögen, so bleibt ein bitterer Beigeschmack. Es stellt sich die Frage, ob und inwieweit die Justiz politisch instrumentalisiert wird. Dies ist umso interessanter, als die Gewaltenteilung einen essenziellen Teil jeder demokratischen Ordnung darstellt, während die Bekämpfung des politischen Gegners mit juristischen Mitteln gerade bei den am lautesten rufenden Verteidigern «unserer Demokratie» populär zu sein scheint.

Die Delegationen von CDU/CSU und SPD haben bei ihren Verhandlungen über eine Regierungskoalition genau solche Maßnahmen diskutiert. «Im Namen der Wahrheit und der Demokratie» möchte man noch härter gegen «Desinformation» vorgehen und dafür zum Beispiel den Digital Services Act der EU erweitern. Auch soll der Tatbestand der Volksverhetzung verschärft werden – und im Entzug des passiven Wahlrechts münden können. Auf europäischer Ebene würde Friedrich Merz wohl gerne Ungarn das Stimmrecht entziehen.

Der Pegel an Unzufriedenheit und Frustration wächst in großen Teilen der Bevölkerung kontinuierlich. Arroganz, Machtmissbrauch und immer abstrusere Ausreden für offensichtlich willkürliche Maßnahmen werden kaum verhindern, dass den etablierten Parteien die Unterstützung entschwindet. In Deutschland sind die Umfrageergebnisse der AfD ein guter Gradmesser dafür.

[Vorlage Titelbild: Pixabay]

---

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

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

One of the most common criticisms leveled against nostr is the perceived lack of assurance when it comes to data storage. Critics argue that without a centralized authority guaranteeing that all data is preserved, important information will be lost. They also claim that running a relay will become prohibitively expensive. While there is truth to these concerns, they miss the mark. The genius of nostr lies in its flexibility, resilience, and the way it harnesses human incentives to ensure data availability in practice.

A nostr relay is simply a server that holds cryptographically verifiable signed data and makes it available to others. Relays are simple, flexible, open, and require no permission to run. Critics are right that operating a relay attempting to store all nostr data will be costly. What they miss is that most will not run all encompassing archive relays. Nostr does not rely on massive archive relays. Instead, anyone can run a relay and choose to store whatever subset of data they want. This keeps costs low and operations flexible, making relay operation accessible to all sorts of individuals and entities with varying use cases.

Critics are correct that there is no ironclad guarantee that every piece of data will always be available. Unlike bitcoin where data permanence is baked into the system at a steep cost, nostr does not promise that every random note or meme will be preserved forever. That said, in practice, any data perceived as valuable by someone will likely be stored and distributed by multiple entities. If something matters to someone, they will keep a signed copy.

Nostr is the Streisand Effect in protocol form. The Streisand effect is when an attempt to suppress information backfires, causing it to spread even further. With nostr, anyone can broadcast signed data, anyone can store it, and anyone can distribute it. Try to censor something important? Good luck. The moment it catches attention, it will be stored on relays across the globe, copied, and shared by those who find it worth keeping. Data deemed important will be replicated across servers by individuals acting in their own interest.

Nostr’s distributed nature ensures that the system does not rely on a single point of failure or a corporate overlord. Instead, it leans on the collective will of its users. The result is a network where costs stay manageable, participation is open to all, and valuable verifiable data is stored and distributed forever.

@ fd0bcf8c:521f98c0

Bitcoin

It stands alone. Immutable. Unyielding. It records without mercy. Each transaction cuts deep. Some carry wealth. Others just data. The debate rages on.

OP_RETURN

It divides us all. Bloat versus freedom. Money versus use. Simple versus complex.

Nodes

They bear heavy weight. Each byte costs something. Storage grows. Bandwidth drains. Money defenders stand guard.

"Our purpose is clear...Money serves one master." —Mises

Not art.

Not storage.

Not games.

The fee-payers

They disagree. "I paid. I belong." The miners take their cut. The highest fee wins. No questions asked. The protocol allows it.

"Accept what exists."—Marcus Aurelius

The chain is neutral. Always neutral.

What is a transaction?

None agree. Value transfer only? Or any valid data? The white paper speaks. "Electronic cash system." Yet code evolved. It grew teeth. It allows more now.

"Shitcoin"

Cuts both ways. A dangerous word. It keeps focus. It maintains unity. But it wounds creation. Makes builders desperate. They force ideas onto Bitcoin. They use OP_RETURN poorly. They bloat what needs no bloating. Seneca saw this coming...

"Fear makes suffering worse."

Innovation needs proper soil. Not forced transplants.

Money debates sharpen knives. Is Bitcoin gold? Is it currency? Mantras echo loudly.

"Digital gold."

_"Spend dollars, saving Bitcoin." _

"Never sell your Bitcoin."

Bitcoin becomes idol. Not tool. Mises would disapprove, "Money must move." Without exchange, it dies. If none spend, why fight bloat?

Rhetoric

It hurts us. "Shitcoin" closes minds. Forces square pegs round. Drives experiments home. To Bitcoin they return. Bearing misshapen plans.

"Knowledge exists in dispersion," Hayek warns.

Let ideas find homes. Let Bitcoin be Bitcoin.

Fees

They bring new problems. Users flee high costs. They seek cheaper chains. The wealthy still play games. They can afford the bloat. The poor cannot compete. The rich inscribe at will. Rothbard saw this trap, "Markets need equal rules."

Fee markets favor wealth. Always have. Always will.

Nodes must still run. Validators must validate. Decentralized. Resistant. Strong. The burden grows heavier. But principles matter most.

The battle

It continues. Hard words. Hard choices.

Bitcoin endures all. Money or platform? Gold or currency? The answers shift. The chain grows. Block by block. Byte by byte.

We need clearer words. Cleaner definitions. Less pride. More thought. Let Bitcoin be what it is. Not what we demand.

Bitcoin is human.

Not magical. Not divine. Fallible like its makers. A young experiment still. It could fail tomorrow.

"Nothing is too big to fail." —Satoshi

Our rhetoric needs maturity. Our definitions need clarity. Bitcoin needs humility. From all who touch the code.

@ 99556507:a6cf5c08

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Ver imagen 1)

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

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

El siguiente cuadro muestra los CAGR calculados a finales de cada año, los últimos 6 años. Las cifras en verde corresponden a los rendimientos de inversiones mantenidas 10 años. No podemos ir más para atrás porque Bitcoin acaba de cumplir 16 años.

(ver imagen 2)

No es difícil comprobar que a 10 años vista, bitcoin siempre ha superado de largo esta tasa de crecimiento.

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

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

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

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

@ b69b97fa:982d77f6

O livro de Gênesis, o primeiro da Bíblia, revela o início da história da criação e da redenção. A tradição reformada atribui a autoria humana de Gênesis a Moisés, inspirado por Deus. Escrito por volta de 1446–1406 a.C. enquanto o povo de Israel se preparava para entrar na terra prometida, Gênesis foi dado para “instruir os israelitas sobre o propósito de Deus para eles como nação” e mostrar como seus primórdios se ligam ao plano de salvação. Desde as primeiras linhas o texto enfoca a soberania divina: “Nas primeiras linhas de Gênesis…desdobra-se o poder e a autoridade divina na formação do mundo” . Esse pano de fundo inspirador abre o livro, preparando o coração do leitor para entender como Deus age desde o começo da criação até a aliança com os patriarcas.

Temas principais em Gênesis

• Criação e soberania de Deus: Gênesis relata que “no princípio Deus criou os céus e a terra” (Gn 1:1) e apresenta o Senhor como Criador onipotente. A narrativa mostra que o mundo tem um propósito – Deus ordenado e bom – e que o homem é formado à imagem de Deus, conferindo ao ser humano dignidade única. Desde o início vemos que Deus é soberano sobre toda a história, como apontado em estudos bíblicos: “a narrativa da criação desdobra o poder e a autoridade divina na formação do mundo”.

• A Queda do homem: Com Adão e Eva, o pecado entra no mundo (Gn 3). O texto registra que a desobediência rompeu a comunhão entre a humanidade e Deus, trazendo culpa, medo e sofrimento a todas as relações. A Bíblia explica que “o pecado introduz no mundo a culpa e o medo, marcas profundas” e provoca consequências como violência e separação de Deus. Essa queda fundamenta em Gênesis a doutrina do pecado original e explica por que o mundo ficou quebrado. Mas logo após a Queda Deus faz promessas redentoras – uma decepção de um começo ao mostrar também a graça que virá.

• Aliança com o povo de Deus: Em Gênesis, Deus estabelece pactos importantes. Ao salvar Noé, Deus renova a criação e promete nunca mais destruir a terra com água (Gn 9), selando um arco-íris como sinal de aliança. Depois, chama Abraão e promete: “far-te-ei uma grande nação… em ti serão benditas todas as famílias da terra” (Gn 12:2–3). Essa promessa a Abraão – de que os descendentes dele seriam muitos e abençoariam o mundo – é o fundamento da aliança abraâmica. Nas palavras de estudiosos, “o conceito de aliança… começa com a promessa feita a Abraão, na qual Deus se compromete a fazer dele uma grande nação… abençoando-o e tornando-o uma bênção para todas as nações”. Assim, Gênesis mostra Deus escolhendo e guiando um povo através de acordos firmados por Sua graça.

• Promessa do Redentor: Mesmo depois da Queda, Deus anuncia a salvação futura. Logo após a queda de Adão, Ele diz à serpente que fará inimizade entre a “semente da mulher” e a do inimigo, e que “essa lhe ferirá a cabeça” (Gn 3:15). Essa profecia inicial – chamada de protoevangelho – antecipa a vinda de um Redentor. Gênesis, portanto, já aponta a esperança de redenção: como interpretações reformadas explicam, Deus “revelou Seu pacto da graça… prometendo um Salvador (Gn.3:15), aquele que restauraria o reino recentemente destruído”. Esse fio vermelho continua na aliança com Abraão: a bênção prometida a ele (“em ti serão benditas todas as famílias da terra”) vislumbra a obra de Cristo para todas as nações. Em resumo, Gênesis apresenta a teia de criação, pecado e aliança na qual Deus já coloca as sementes de Sua salvação.

Cristo anunciado em Gênesis

Ao ler Gênesis à luz de Cristo, vemos vários anúncios e figuras do Messias:

• Protoevangelho (Gn 3:15): Logo depois da queda, Deus promete que a “semente da mulher” ferirá a cabeça da serpente. Essa é a primeira promessa de redenção bíblica . Ela estabelece “a expectativa de um Redentor, que seria um descendente… de Adão e Eva” . Em outras palavras, mesmo no Éden, Deus começava a revelar Seu plano de salvar o mundo. Ao longo da narrativa, essa semente se identifica com Cristo, que derrotaria o pecado e a morte.
• Promessa a Abraão: Deus disse a Abraão que “em tua descendência… seriam abençoadas todas as nações” (Gn 12:3). O Novo Testamento esclarece que essa “descendência” se refere a Cristo. Como ensina um comentário bíblico: “A ‘semente’ mencionada… refere-se à vinda do Redentor, que os cristãos identificam como Jesus Cristo. Em Gênesis 12 vemos a continuação da promessa do Redentor através da descendência de Abraão”. Assim, Jesus é o cumprimento da promessa dada a Abraão (cf. Gl 3:16).

• Tipos de Cristo em Gênesis: Vários personagens e eventos de Gênesis prefiguram Jesus:

  • José: Amado por seu pai, mas traído e vendido por prata, José sofre injustamente nas mãos dos irmãos. Depois é exaltado e acaba salvando muitas pessoas durante a fome. Esse paralelo com Jesus é marcante: Cristo era amado pelo Pai (Mateus 3:17), rejeitado pelo seu povo, traído por 30 moedas de prata, sofreu injustamente e acabou salvando o mundo do pecado. José é o tipo perfeito de “servo sofredor” que Deus exalta para trazer salvação.

  • Abraão e Isaque: Abraão demonstrou fé ao aceitar sacrificar seu filho Isaque em obediência a Deus (Gn 22). Deus proveu um carneiro substituto no lugar de Isaque. Essa cena figura o grande sacrifício de Deus oferecendo Seu Filho como Cordeiro do pecado. Como nota um estudo, o quase-sacrifício de Isaque “simboliza o sacrifício de Deus com Jesus”.

  • Adão e o “último Adão”: A Bíblia chama Jesus de o “último Adão” (1Co 15:45). Onde Adão trouxe morte (pelo pecado), Cristo traz vida eterna. A queda do primeiro homem abriu caminho à necessidade do Salvador; Cristo, o último Adão, repara o que foi quebrado. Este paralelo é mencionado em estudos bíblicos: “Adão: Jesus é chamado de o ‘último Adão’… pois trouxe vida onde Adão trouxe morte”.

Cada um desses elementos mostra que Gênesis não é apenas história antiga, mas um começo anunciado da obra de Cristo. Desde as promessas a Adão e Abraão até as figuras de José e Isaac, vemos Deus preparando o caminho para o Redentor.

Aplicações práticas para a vida cristã hoje

• Fé e confiança em Deus: Gênesis exalta a fé dos patriarcas como exemplo para nós. Abraão é chamado de “pai da fé” porque creu nas promessas de Deus mesmo sem ver todos os detalhes. A Bíblia diz de Abraão: “Abrão creu no Senhor, e isso lhe foi creditado como justiça” (Gn 15:6). Esse acontecimento mostra que a justificação do cristão não vem de obras, mas de crer em Deus. Somos encorajados a confiar nas promessas divinas como Abraão fez – crer que Deus cumprirá o que prometeu, mesmo em meio à espera. Como observa um estudo, mesmo sem saber para onde Deus o levava, Abraão “obedeceu prontamente, demonstrando uma confiança inabalável no plano divino”. Em nossa vida, confiar em Deus sem ver o fim da história é um exercício de fé constante, inspirado pelo exemplo de Abraão.

• Obediência e perseverança: Gênesis ensina que a verdadeira fé se manifesta na obediência. Ao ser chamado para uma terra desconhecida, Abraão saiu da sua terra por ordem de Deus. Ao quase sacrificar Isaque, ele mostrou obediência sem entender todos os detalhes. José, mesmo injustiçado, permaneceu íntegro no Egito e Deus o usou para realizar grandes coisas. Assim, aprendemos a servir a Deus fielmente, mesmo em situações difíceis. O blog Fé e Reflexões resume bem: “a verdadeira fé se revela não quando entendemos tudo, mas quando obedecemos e confiamos que Deus tem um plano perfeito para nossas vidas”. Somos chamados a confiar em Deus e fazer o que Ele pede, sabendo que Ele guia cada passo, mesmo quando não vemos a rota completa.

• Esperança na redenção: Desde o princípio, Gênesis afirma que Deus já tinha um plano de salvação. O “protoevangelho” de Gn 3:15 é um lembrete de que Deus promete reverter o mal em bem. Como salienta a Escritura, mesmo após a queda “Deus não os destruiu, mas revelou Seu pacto da graça… prometendo um Salvador (Gn 3:15)”. Para o cristão de hoje, isso dá esperança firme: sabemos que Deus já venceu o pecado e a morte por meio de Jesus Cristo. Não importa o tamanho do problema ou do pecado, Deus é soberano e fiel para cumprir suas promessas. As histórias de Gênesis nos ensinam que Deus continua trabalhando para restaurar o que foi perdido. José entendeu isso ao dizer aos irmãos: “vocês intentaram o mal contra mim, mas Deus o tornou em bem” (Gn 50:20). Em nossa vida diária, podemos seguir em frente com a confiança de que o Senhor está conosco, transformando dificuldades em bênçãos e conduzindo-nos a um futuro de redenção.

Conclusão

O livro de Gênesis molda nossa visão de Deus como Criador soberano, fiel em suas promessas e Senhor da história. Essas páginas iniciais mostram que Deus é onipotente (ele criou tudo) e, ao mesmo tempo, misericordioso (prometeu um Redentor quando nós falhamos). Para nós hoje, essa mensagem é encorajadora: o mesmo Deus que falou com Adão, Noé e Abraão é o Deus que fala conosco e cumpre cada promessa. Assim, podemos viver com fé, sabendo que Cristo está no centro de tudo o que Gênesis anuncia. A história de Gênesis aponta para Jesus – e em Cristo “toda a criação será restaurada” (Rm 8:21) – dando-nos esperança e paz no caminho da vida. Confiemos no Senhor, pois Ele é fiel para realizar em nós o que prometeu desde o princípio.

Fontes: Esta reflexão reuniu ensinamentos bíblicos fundamentados na teologia reformada. As Escrituras de Gênesis e os comentários de autores reformados foram citados para apoiar cada ponto (por exemplo, Gn 3:15, Gn 15:6, Gn 22, e passagens de Paulo). As lições extraídas refletem tanto a simplicidade da narrativa quanto a profundidade do plano de salvação que vem de Deus.

@ 6389be64:ef439d32

Resilience is the ability to withstand shocks, adapt, and bounce back. It’s an essential quality in nature and in life. But what if we could take resilience a step further? What if, instead of merely surviving, a system could improve when faced with stress? This concept, known as anti-fragility, is not just theoretical—it’s practical. Combining two highly resilient natural tools, comfrey and biochar, reveals how we can create systems that thrive under pressure and grow stronger with each challenge.

Comfrey: Nature’s Champion of Resilience

Comfrey is a plant that refuses to fail. Once its deep roots take hold, it thrives in poor soils, withstands drought, and regenerates even after being cut down repeatedly. It’s a hardy survivor, but comfrey doesn’t just endure—it contributes. Known as a dynamic accumulator, it mines nutrients from deep within the earth and brings them to the surface, making them available for other plants.

Beyond its ecological role, comfrey has centuries of medicinal use, earning the nickname "knitbone." Its leaves can heal wounds and restore health, a perfect metaphor for resilience. But as impressive as comfrey is, its true potential is unlocked when paired with another resilient force: biochar.

Biochar: The Silent Powerhouse of Soil Regeneration

Biochar, a carbon-rich material made by burning organic matter in low-oxygen conditions, is a game-changer for soil health. Its unique porous structure retains water, holds nutrients, and provides a haven for beneficial microbes. Soil enriched with biochar becomes drought-resistant, nutrient-rich, and biologically active—qualities that scream resilience.

Historically, ancient civilizations in the Amazon used biochar to transform barren soils into fertile agricultural hubs. Known as terra preta, these soils remain productive centuries later, highlighting biochar’s remarkable staying power.

Yet, like comfrey, biochar’s potential is magnified when it’s part of a larger system.

The Synergy: Comfrey and Biochar Together

Resilience turns into anti-fragility when systems go beyond mere survival and start improving under stress. Combining comfrey and biochar achieves exactly that.

1. Nutrient Cycling and Retention\ Comfrey’s leaves, rich in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, make an excellent mulch when cut and dropped onto the soil. However, these nutrients can wash away in heavy rains. Enter biochar. Its porous structure locks in the nutrients from comfrey, preventing runoff and keeping them available for plants. Together, they create a system that not only recycles nutrients but amplifies their effectiveness.

2. Water Management\ Biochar holds onto water making soil not just drought-resistant but actively water-efficient, improving over time with each rain and dry spell.

3. Microbial Ecosystems\ Comfrey enriches soil with organic matter, feeding microbial life. Biochar provides a home for these microbes, protecting them and creating a stable environment for them to multiply. Together, they build a thriving soil ecosystem that becomes more fertile and resilient with each passing season.

Resilient systems can withstand shocks, but anti-fragile systems actively use those shocks to grow stronger. Comfrey and biochar together form an anti-fragile system. Each addition of biochar enhances water and nutrient retention, while comfrey regenerates biomass and enriches the soil. Over time, the system becomes more productive, less dependent on external inputs, and better equipped to handle challenges.

This synergy demonstrates the power of designing systems that don’t just survive—they thrive.

Lessons Beyond the Soil

The partnership of comfrey and biochar offers a valuable lesson for our own lives. Resilience is an admirable trait, but anti-fragility takes us further. By combining complementary strengths and leveraging stress as an opportunity, we can create systems—whether in soil, business, or society—that improve under pressure.

Nature shows us that resilience isn’t the end goal. When we pair resilient tools like comfrey and biochar, we unlock a system that evolves, regenerates, and becomes anti-fragile. By designing with anti-fragility in mind, we don’t just bounce back, we bounce forward.

By designing with anti-fragility in mind, we don’t just bounce back, we bounce forward.

@ 04cb16e4:2ec3e5d5

Wenn man etwas verkaufen will, muss man eine Geschichte über sein Produkt erzählen. Nur wenige können etwas damit anfangen, wenn du sagst: Unser Produkt enthält 50 Gramm Hafer (hoffentlich gentechnikfrei), 5 mittelgroße Erdbeeren, Spuren von Sesamschalen sowie einen Teelöffel Honig. So funktioniert das nicht. Dein Riegel braucht einen Namen und eine Geschichte.

Wenn wir über Krieg und Frieden sprechen, denn gibt es zumeist Zahlen, Fakten und Meinungen. Tausende von Kindern die in einem Krieg getötet werden sind eine schockierende Anzahl. Nimmst du die Zahlen weg und beschäftigst dich mit jedem einzelnen Schicksal, dann ist das unmöglich zu ertragen. Also kämpfen wir hier vor Ort, in Deutschland, zwar nicht mit Waffen gegeneinander, sondern mittels unserer Meinungen in Kombination mit zu vermittelnden relativen Wahrheiten. Da kommt das Ego ins Spiel. Wir wollen unbedingt Recht haben! Irgendeiner soll in diesem Meinungskampf am Ende als Gewinner dastehen. Weil er die besseren Argumente hat. Schließlich werden Emotionen mit Fakten vermischt und als Totschlagargumente in die Gegenfront geworfen.

Was aber, wenn man eine Geschichte über den Krieg erzählt, die jeden mitnehmen kann, ganz gleich, welche Meinung man zu den aktuell verhandelten Kampfschauplätzen hat? Alles Trennende wird aus der Erzählung herausgenommen und was bleibt, sind die zerstörerische Kraft des Krieges und die Verantwortung jedes einzelnen Menschen zu entscheiden, ob er dieses grausame Monster füttert oder eben nicht. In dem afrikanischen Märchen „Sheikhi“ basieren diese Entscheidungen nicht auf Fakten und Meinungen, sondern auf persönlichen Erfahrungen. Die Protagonisten nehmen uns mit in ihre Welt und lassen uns ihre inneren Kämpfe, Zweifel, Ängste und Hoffnungen miterleben. Wir können uns mit ihnen identifizieren, obwohl wir unter völlig anderen Bedingungen leben und sterben.

Hier kannst du das Buch direkt beim Verlag bestellen

Die alternative Buchmesse Seitenwechsel

Am Ende des Buches konnte ich gar nicht anders, als eine tiefe Sehnsucht nach Frieden und Einigkeit zu verspüren. Diese Sehnsucht basierte aber nicht mehr auf dem Bedürfnis, bessere Argumente als die vermeintliche Gegenseite zu haben, sondern vielmehr darauf, dass dieses verzweifelte Ringen und Hassen endlich zu einem Ende kommt. Nicht nur auf den Schlachtfeldern Asiens und Afrikas, sondern ebenfalls auf Facebook, X, den Straßen unserer Städte und im Krieg jedes Menschen gegen sich selbst. Inzwischen gelingt es mir immer öfter, mir einen bissigen Kommentar zu verkneifen, wenn jemand auf Facebook etwas schreibt, was ich unerträglich finde. Ich weiß, das ich ihn nicht vom Gegenteil überzeugen werde und das mein Kommentar das selbe Monster füttert, dass sich an den Opfern des Krieges satt isst.

Wenn es irgendwo Menschen auf der Welt gibt, die Mord und Folter verzeihen können, dann kann auch ich eine andere Meinung ertragen ohne rechthaberisch, arrogant und destruktiv zu werden. Notfalls gehe ich in den Wald und schreie.

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/9x9anxqcuity7639/Sheiki.mp3

@ 3eba5ef4:751f23ae

Crypto Insights

secp256k1lab: An Insecure Python Library That Makes Bitcoin Safer

Some Bitcoin developers have long believed in the need for a unified, reusable cryptographic BIP reference standard for secp256k1. Blockstream Research has released secp256k1lab — an intentionally insecure new Python library designed for prototyping, experimentation, and BIP specifications.

This library is NOT intended for production use (it lacks constant-time protections and is thus vulnerable to side-channel attacks). However, it fills a gap by providing a clean and consistent reference implementation of secp256k1 functionality, including BIP-340 style Schnorr signatures, ECDH, and low-level field/group operations. Its goal: to make future BIP authoring simpler and more secure by avoiding redundant, one-off implementations. For BIP authors, this means less custom code, fewer specification bugs, and a clearer path from prototype to proposal.

Block-Based Time-Based One-Time Passwords for Secure Passphrase Validation in Bitcoin Wallets

This article introduces a method for passphrase validation and Bitcoin software wallet access control using a block-based time-based one-time password (TOTP) system.

Unlike traditional TOTP systems, this method uses blockchain data — specifically Bitcoin block height and block hash — combined with securely stored cryptographic secrets to generate a 6-digit dynamic verification code with the following security properties:

• Two-Factor Protection: Combines device possession and blockchain-derived time-based data.

• Replay Resistance: Codes change with every block (~10-min cycle).

• Minimal Attack Surface: Passphrase never typed or copied.

• Hardware-Backed Secrets: Mobile app secret stored in non-exportable secure hardware.

Bitcoin Feature Matrix: Tracking Interoperability of Bitcoin Products/Services

You can use this page on Bitcoin Opentech to track interoperability among Bitcoin products and services.

Tracking Bitcoin Soft Fork Proposals in One Place

bitcoin.softforks.org aggregates various Bitcoin soft fork proposals, including components, implementation primitives, use cases, and users.

Ethereum Community Explores Replacing EVM with RISC-V — Spotlight on CKB-VM Experience

Vitalik recently proposed the idea of replacing the EVM with RISC-V on the Ethereum forum, citing the design of CKB-VM as a reference. This has sparked active discussion in both communities around RISC-V as a technical direction. As the conversation deepens, the original design decisions behind CKB-VM have resurfaced, drawing renewed interest and encouraging more developers to study its architecture and lessons.

CKB is the Layer 1 blockchain of the Nervos Network. Its smart contract model, called the Cell model, is inspired by Bitcoin’s UTXO system. It uses the RISC-V–based CKB-VM to enable efficient and multi-language smart contract execution. Find more details in:

• An Introduction to CKB VM

• A Blockchain VM Built on RISC-V (The Birth of CKB-VM Part 1)

• CKB-VM: Its Inspiration, Design, and Strengths (The Birth of CKB-VM, Part 2)

• How to Have Fun with CKB-VM (The Birth of CKB-VM, Part 3)

Integrating Taproot Assets into Ark

Ark Labs shared their proof-of-concept of integrating Taproot Assets into the off-chain batching layer of Ark. They introduced tVTXOs (tokenized Virtual Transaction Outputs) — virtual outputs that embed Taproot Asset commitments.

tVTXOs behave like regular VTXOs, spendable off-chain and pre-signable for unilateral exits, but with two additional features:

• Asset Commitments: Embedded in PkScript using Taproot’s internal key and TapTree structure.

• Transfer Proof Files: A cryptographically linked, deterministic chain of off-chain proofs tracking asset inclusion. These can be activated via on-chain metadata to exit the Taproot Asset ecosystem.

Erk: An Ark Protocol Upgrade Removing User Round Interactions

Erk is a novel variant of the Ark protocol that introduces refund transactions with rebindable signatures. This allows users to pre-sign outputs that the server can safely refresh without needing the user to be online for each round — addressing one of Ark’s limitations.

Another feature of Erk is “perpetual offline refresh” — users can bulk pre-sign future refreshes. With watchtowers monitoring the protocol, users can stay offline indefinitely while their funds remain safe.

Robosats: No-KYC Lightning P2P Trading

RoboSats is an open-source, no-KYC Lightning P2P exchange using LN Hodl invoices to minimize custodial requirements and trust. Operated via the Tor browser, it offers a simple and low-fee user experience.

Find more in their GitHub repo and user guide.

Advancements in Lightning Infrastructure

OpenSats highlights several key Lightning infrastructure advancements:

• Lightning Splicing: Allows dynamic channel capacity adjustment without downtime, simplifying liquidity management and reducing costs.

• Validating Lightning Signer (VLS): Shifts key storage and transaction validation to an external signer. Even if a node is compromised, the attacker can’t access or misuse private keys.

• BLAST (Big Lightning Automated Simulation Tool): Designed to provide a stable modeling and simulation framework of the Lightning Network for developers and node operators.

• Lampo: A modular, community-driven development toolkit and node implementation built on Lightning Dev Kit (LDK).

• Lnprototest: A Python-based testing library to help developers validate protocol adherence across different implementations.

Citrea Launches Clementine: A BitVM-Based Trust-Minimized 2-Way Peg Bridge

Rollup Citrea has deployed Clementine Bridge on Bitcoin testnet — the first fully BitVM-based bridge design on Bitcoin testnet. Clementine is Citrea’s trust-minimized, two-way peg solution powered by:

• Bitcoin and Citrea’s light client proofs

• Zero-knowledge proof verifier in BitVM

As long as one single verifier in the BitVM setup is honest, Clementine remains secure — a major improvement over existing approaches (e.g., open and closed federations). Paired with Citrea’s trustless light client, Clementine minimizes trust in Citrea’s bridge design and doesn’t require a soft fork.

Find more details in Clementine Whitepaper and Feature Overview.

Five Reasons RISC-V Is the Best Architecture for the BitVMX Proving System

Fairgate Labs, the main developers behind BitVMX, outlined five key reasons why RISC-V is the optimal choice for BitVMX:

• Open and Universal: RISC-V as a standard with no IP barriers

• Mature Tooling: A rich ecosystem of compilers and debuggers

• Opcode Simplicity

• High-Level Language Support

• Universal Verification

Top Reads on Blockchain and Beyond

Demand Outpaces Licensing: LuckyMiner Drives Home Mining Boom Amid Controversy

LuckyMiner, a Bitcoin mining startup based in Shenzhen, China, is gaining traction with its mini miners. Their products are clones of the open-source Bitaxe miners from the U.S. However, Bitaxe is licensed under CERN-OHL-S-2.0, which requires all modifications to be open-sourced—something LuckyMiner has not complied with.

According to this post, LuckyMiner's founder openly admitted to violating the license and claimed that while their LuckyMiner devices for retail customers don’t comply with the open-source terms, they also produce fully license-compliant Bitaxes for business clients, while simultaneously cloning mining equipment from Braiins.

Against Burning Quantum-Vulnerable Bitcoins

Jameson Lopp has previously argued in favor of burning bitcoin in vulnerable addresses, to prevent funds from being taken by those who win the quantum computing race.

Guillaume Girard from UTXO Management disagrees, offering these counterpoints:

• Property rights violation: Burning coins without the owner’s consent undermines the very principle of property rights. Forcing coins into unspendability erodes the core Bitcoin ethos of ownership and control.

• Ethical concerns: While burning these coins may prevent quantum theft, it also punishes users who lost wallets or don’t understand the quantum threat—offering no chance for recovery.

Instead of burning, he proposes more constructive steps:

• Hourglass: Mitigates the downsides of both “confiscatory” and “liquidation” approaches – by limiting the potential supply shock of a quantum event, without burning coins or flooding markets.

This solution, proposed by Hunter Beast, aims to be the “least damaging” option and is currently under review by developers. Additionally, Hunter Beast has already proposed BIP 360 to bring Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) to Bitcoin with a new address type.

Old Miners, New Heat: Mining-as-Heating Might Just Work

BitMEX reviewed the Heatbit Trio—a Bitcoin miner repurposed into a room heater redesigned with a quiet fan.

The reviewer found the Heatbit concept commercially appealing and believes the heating-mining hybrid space is worth watching. The rate of improvement in ASIC efficiencies will decline (partly due to the limits of Moore’s Law), such that ASICs can economically mine Bitcoin for much longer—possibly up to 10 years. With fewer new technical risks, production costs should also drop. When that happens, integrating mining with heating systems may become practical.

Open, Instant, Borderless Payments: Stablecoins and Their Future

This a16z report explores how stablecoins are poised to change the global payments landscape—and who stands to benefit most.

The report sees stablecoins the "WhatsApp moment for money," enabling international transfers nearly free and instant. It also stresses that only two types of stablecoins are considered trustworthy: fiat-backed or asset-backed. The so-called Strategy-Backed Synthetic Dollars (SBSDs) are NOT considered to be a reliable store of value or medium of exchange.

@ 6fc114c7:8f4b1405

Losing access to your cryptocurrency can feel like losing a part of your future. Whether it’s a forgotten password, a damaged seed backup, or simply one wrong transfer, the stress can be overwhelming. But there’s a silver lining — Crypt Recver is here to help! With our expert-led recovery services, you can reclaim your lost Bitcoin and other cryptos safely and swiftly.

Why Trust Crypt Recver? 🤝 🛠️ Expert Recovery Solutions At Crypt Recver, we specialize in resolving some of the most complex wallet-related issues. Our team of skilled engineers has the tools and expertise to tackle:

Partially lost or forgotten seed phrases Extracting funds from outdated or invalid wallet addresses Recovering data from damaged hardware wallets Restoring coins from old or unsupported wallet formats You’re not just getting a service; you’re gaining a partner in your cryptocurrency journey.

🚀 Fast and Efficient Recovery We understand that time is critical in crypto recovery. Our optimized systems ensure that you can regain access to your funds quickly, aiming for speed without sacrificing security. With a 90%+ success rate, you can trust us to fight against the clock on your behalf.

🔒 Privacy is Our Priority Your confidentiality matters. Every recovery session is handled with the utmost care, ensuring all processes are encrypted and confidential. You can rest easy, knowing your sensitive information stays private.

💻 Advanced Technology Our proprietary tools and brute-force optimization techniques allow for maximum efficiency in recovery. No matter how challenging your case may be, our technology is designed to give you the best chance at getting your crypto back.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈 Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We help recover lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases. Transaction Recovery: Mistakes happen — whether it’s an incorrect wallet address or a lost password, let us handle the recovery. Cold Wallet Restoration: If your cold wallet is failing, we can safely extract your assets and migrate them into a secure, new wallet. Private Key Generation: Lost your private key? Don’t worry. Our experts can help you regain control using advanced methods — all while ensuring your privacy remains intact. ⚠️ What We Don’t Do While we can handle many scenarios, there are some limitations. For example, we cannot recover funds stored in custodial wallets, or cases where there is a complete loss of four or more seed words without any partial info available. We’re transparent about what’s possible, so you know what to expect.

Don’t Let Lost Crypto Hold You Back! ⏳ Did you know that 3 to 3.4 million BTC — nearly 20% of the total supply — are estimated to be permanently lost? Don’t become part of that statistic! Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, sending funds to the wrong address, or damaged drives, we can help you navigate through it all.

🛡️ Real-Time Dust Attack Protection Protecting your privacy goes beyond just recovery. Our services include dust attack protection, which keeps your activity anonymous and your funds secure. Our suite will shield your identity from unwanted tracking, ransomware, and phishing attempts.

🎉 Start Your Recovery Journey Today! Are you ready to reclaim your lost crypto? Don’t wait until it’s too late!

👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Now!

📞 Need Immediate Assistance? Connect with Us! For real-time support or questions, reach out to our dedicated team on:

✉️ Telegram: Chat with Us on Telegram 💬 WhatsApp: Message Us on WhatsApp Crypt Recver is your trusted partner in the world of cryptocurrency recovery. Let us turn your challenges into victories. Don’t hesitate — your crypto future starts now! 🚀✨

Act fast and secure your digital assets with Crypt Recver!Losing access to your cryptocurrency can feel like losing a part of your future. Whether it’s a forgotten password, a damaged seed backup, or simply one wrong transfer, the stress can be overwhelming. But there’s a silver lining — Crypt Recver is here to help! With our expert-led recovery services, you can reclaim your lost Bitcoin and other cryptos safely and swiftly.

# Why Trust Crypt Recver? 🤝

🛠️ Expert Recovery Solutions

At Crypt Recver, we specialize in resolving some of the most complex wallet-related issues. Our team of skilled engineers has the tools and expertise to tackle:

• Partially lost or forgotten seed phrases
• Extracting funds from outdated or invalid wallet addresses
• Recovering data from damaged hardware wallets
• Restoring coins from old or unsupported wallet formats

You’re not just getting a service; you’re gaining a partner in your cryptocurrency journey.

🚀 Fast and Efficient Recovery

We understand that time is critical in crypto recovery. Our optimized systems ensure that you can regain access to your funds quickly, aiming for speed without sacrificing security. With a 90%+ success rate, you can trust us to fight against the clock on your behalf.

🔒 Privacy is Our Priority

Your confidentiality matters. Every recovery session is handled with the utmost care, ensuring all processes are encrypted and confidential. You can rest easy, knowing your sensitive information stays private.

💻 Advanced Technology

Our proprietary tools and brute-force optimization techniques allow for maximum efficiency in recovery. No matter how challenging your case may be, our technology is designed to give you the best chance at getting your crypto back.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈

• Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We help recover lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases.
• Transaction Recovery: Mistakes happen — whether it’s an incorrect wallet address or a lost password, let us handle the recovery.
• Cold Wallet Restoration: If your cold wallet is failing, we can safely extract your assets and migrate them into a secure, new wallet.
• Private Key Generation: Lost your private key? Don’t worry. Our experts can help you regain control using advanced methods — all while ensuring your privacy remains intact.

⚠️ What We Don’t Do

While we can handle many scenarios, there are some limitations. For example, we cannot recover funds stored in custodial wallets, or cases where there is a complete loss of four or more seed words without any partial info available. We’re transparent about what’s possible, so you know what to expect.

# Don’t Let Lost Crypto Hold You Back! ⏳

Did you know that 3 to 3.4 million BTC — nearly 20% of the total supply — are estimated to be permanently lost? Don’t become part of that statistic! Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, sending funds to the wrong address, or damaged drives, we can help you navigate through it all.

🛡️ Real-Time Dust Attack Protection

Protecting your privacy goes beyond just recovery. Our services include dust attack protection, which keeps your activity anonymous and your funds secure. Our suite will shield your identity from unwanted tracking, ransomware, and phishing attempts.

🎉 Start Your Recovery Journey Today!

Are you ready to reclaim your lost crypto? Don’t wait until it’s too late!

👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Now!

📞 Need Immediate Assistance? Connect with Us!

For real-time support or questions, reach out to our dedicated team on:

• ✉️ Telegram: Chat with Us on Telegram
• 💬 WhatsApp: Message Us on WhatsApp

Crypt Recver is your trusted partner in the world of cryptocurrency recovery. Let us turn your challenges into victories. Don’t hesitate — your crypto future starts now! 🚀✨

Act fast and secure your digital assets with Crypt Recver!

@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

Bitcoin has always been rooted in freedom and resistance to authority. I get that many of you are conflicted about the US Government stacking but by design we cannot stop anyone from using bitcoin. Many have asked me for my thoughts on the matter, so let’s rip it.

Concern

One of the most glaring issues with the strategic bitcoin reserve is its foundation, built on stolen bitcoin. For those of us who value private property this is an obvious betrayal of our core principles. Rather than proof of work, the bitcoin that seeds this reserve has been taken by force. The US Government should return the bitcoin stolen from Bitfinex and the Silk Road.

Usually stolen bitcoin for the reserve creates a perverse incentive. If governments see a bitcoin as a valuable asset, they will ramp up efforts to confiscate more bitcoin. The precedent is a major concern, and I stand strongly against it, but it should be also noted that governments were already seizing coin before the reserve so this is not really a change in policy.

Ideally all seized bitcoin should be burned, by law. This would align incentives properly and make it less likely for the government to actively increase coin seizures. Due to the truly scarce properties of bitcoin, all burned bitcoin helps existing holders through increased purchasing power regardless. This change would be unlikely but those of us in policy circles should push for it regardless. It would be best case scenario for American bitcoiners and would create a strong foundation for the next century of American leadership.

Optimism

The entire point of bitcoin is that we can spend or save it without permission. That said, it is a massive benefit to not have one of the strongest governments in human history actively trying to ruin our lives.

Since the beginning, bitcoiners have faced horrible regulatory trends. KYC, surveillance, and legal cases have made using bitcoin and building bitcoin businesses incredibly difficult. It is incredibly important to note that over the past year that trend has reversed for the first time in a decade. A strategic bitcoin reserve is a key driver of this shift. By holding bitcoin, the strongest government in the world has signaled that it is not just a fringe technology but rather truly valuable, legitimate, and worth stacking.

This alignment of incentives changes everything. The US Government stacking proves bitcoin’s worth. The resulting purchasing power appreciation helps all of us who are holding coin and as bitcoin succeeds our government receives direct benefit. A beautiful positive feedback loop.

Realism

We are trending in the right direction. A strategic bitcoin reserve is a sign that the state sees bitcoin as an asset worth embracing rather than destroying. That said, there is a lot of work left to be done. We cannot be lulled into complacency, the time to push forward is now, and we cannot take our foot off the gas. We have a seat at the table for the first time ever. Let's make it worth it.

We must protect the right to free usage of bitcoin and other digital technologies. Freedom in the digital age must be taken and defended, through both technical and political avenues. Multiple privacy focused developers are facing long jail sentences for building tools that protect our freedom. These cases are not just legal battles. They are attacks on the soul of bitcoin. We need to rally behind them, fight for their freedom, and ensure the ethos of bitcoin survives this new era of government interest. The strategic reserve is a step in the right direction, but it is up to us to hold the line and shape the future.

@ a367f9eb:0633efea

I’ll admit that I was wrong about Bitcoin. Perhaps in 2013. Definitely 2017. Probably in 2018-2019. And maybe even today.

Being wrong about Bitcoin is part of finally understanding it. It will test you, make you question everything, and in the words of BTC educator and privacy advocate Matt Odell, “Bitcoin will humble you”.

I’ve had my own stumbles on the way.

In a very public fashion in 2017, after years of using Bitcoin, trying to start a company with it, using it as my primary exchange vehicle between currencies, and generally being annoying about it at parties, I let out the bear.

In an article published in my own literary magazine Devolution Review in September 2017, I had a breaking point. The article was titled “Going Bearish on Bitcoin: Cryptocurrencies are the tulip mania of the 21st century”.

It was later republished in Huffington Post and across dozens of financial and crypto blogs at the time with another, more appropriate title: “Bitcoin Has Become About The Payday, Not Its Potential”.

As I laid out, my newfound bearishness had little to do with the technology itself or the promise of Bitcoin, and more to do with the cynical industry forming around it:

In the beginning, Bitcoin was something of a revolution to me. The digital currency represented everything from my rebellious youth.

It was a decentralized, denationalized, and digital currency operating outside the traditional banking and governmental system. It used tools of cryptography and connected buyers and sellers across national borders at minimal transaction costs.

…

The 21st-century version (of Tulip mania) has welcomed a plethora of slick consultants, hazy schemes dressed up as investor possibilities, and too much wishy-washy language for anything to really make sense to anyone who wants to use a digital currency to make purchases.

While I called out Bitcoin by name at the time, on reflection, I was really talking about the ICO craze, the wishy-washy consultants, and the altcoin ponzis.

What I was articulating — without knowing it — was the frame of NgU, or “numbers go up”. Rather than advocating for Bitcoin because of its uncensorability, proof-of-work, or immutability, the common mentality among newbies and the dollar-obsessed was that Bitcoin mattered because its price was a rocket ship.

And because Bitcoin was gaining in price, affinity tokens and projects that were imperfect forks of Bitcoin took off as well.

The price alone — rather than its qualities — were the reasons why you’d hear Uber drivers, finance bros, or your gym buddy mention Bitcoin. As someone who came to Bitcoin for philosophical reasons, that just sat wrong with me.

Maybe I had too many projects thrown in my face, or maybe I was too frustrated with the UX of Bitcoin apps and sites at the time. No matter what, I’ve since learned something.

I was at least somewhat wrong.

My own journey began in early 2011. One of my favorite radio programs, Free Talk Live, began interviewing guests and having discussions on the potential of Bitcoin. They tied it directly to a libertarian vision of the world: free markets, free people, and free banking. That was me, and I was in. Bitcoin was at about $5 back then (NgU).

I followed every article I could, talked about it with guests on my college radio show, and became a devoted redditor on r/Bitcoin. At that time, at least to my knowledge, there was no possible way to buy Bitcoin where I was living. Very weak.

I was probably wrong. And very wrong for not trying to acquire by mining or otherwise.

The next year, after moving to Florida, Bitcoin was a heavy topic with a friend of mine who shared the same vision (and still does, according to the Celsius bankruptcy documents). We talked about it with passionate leftists at Occupy Tampa in 2012, all the while trying to explain the ills of Keynesian central banking, and figuring out how to use Coinbase.

I began writing more about Bitcoin in 2013, writing a guide on “How to Avoid Bank Fees Using Bitcoin,” discussing its potential legalization in Germany, and interviewing Jeremy Hansen, one of the first political candidates in the U.S. to accept Bitcoin donations.

Even up until that point, I thought Bitcoin was an interesting protocol for sending and receiving money quickly, and converting it into fiat. The global connectedness of it, plus this cypherpunk mentality divorced from government control was both useful and attractive. I thought it was the perfect go-between.

But I was wrong.

When I gave my first public speech on Bitcoin in Vienna, Austria in December 2013, I had grown obsessed with Bitcoin’s adoption on dark net markets like Silk Road.

My theory, at the time, was the number and price were irrelevant. The tech was interesting, and a novel attempt. It was unlike anything before. But what was happening on the dark net markets, which I viewed as the true free market powered by Bitcoin, was even more interesting. I thought these markets would grow exponentially and anonymous commerce via BTC would become the norm.

While the price was irrelevant, it was all about buying and selling goods without permission or license.

Now I understand I was wrong.

Just because Bitcoin was this revolutionary technology that embraced pseudonymity did not mean that all commerce would decentralize as well. It did not mean that anonymous markets were intended to be the most powerful layer in the Bitcoin stack.

What I did not even anticipate is something articulated very well by noted Bitcoin OG Pierre Rochard: Bitcoin as a savings technology.

The ability to maintain long-term savings, practice self-discipline while stacking stats, and embrace a low-time preference was just not something on the mind of the Bitcoiners I knew at the time.

Perhaps I was reading into the hype while outwardly opposing it. Or perhaps I wasn’t humble enough to understand the true value proposition that many of us have learned years later.

In the years that followed, I bought and sold more times than I can count, and I did everything to integrate it into passion projects. I tried to set up a company using Bitcoin while at my university in Prague.

My business model depended on university students being technologically advanced enough to have a mobile wallet, own their keys, and be able to make transactions on a consistent basis. Even though I was surrounded by philosophically aligned people, those who would advance that to actually put Bitcoin into practice were sparse.

This is what led me to proclaim that “Technological Literacy is Doomed” in 2016.

And I was wrong again.

Indeed, since that time, the UX of Bitcoin-only applications, wallets, and supporting tech has vastly improved and onboarded millions more people than anyone thought possible. The entrepreneurship, coding excellence, and vision offered by Bitcoiners of all stripes have renewed a sense in me that this project is something built for us all — friends and enemies alike.

While many of us were likely distracted by flashy and pumpy altcoins over the years (me too, champs), most of us have returned to the Bitcoin stable.

Fast forward to today, there are entire ecosystems of creators, activists, and developers who are wholly reliant on the magic of Bitcoin’s protocol for their life and livelihood. The options are endless. The FUD is still present, but real proof of work stands powerfully against those forces.

In addition, there are now dozens of ways to use Bitcoin privately — still without custodians or intermediaries — that make it one of the most important assets for global humanity, especially in dictatorships.

This is all toward a positive arc of innovation, freedom, and pure independence. Did I see that coming? Absolutely not.

Of course, there are probably other shots you’ve missed on Bitcoin. Price predictions (ouch), the short-term inflation hedge, or the amount of institutional investment. While all of these may be erroneous predictions in the short term, we have to realize that Bitcoin is a long arc. It will outlive all of us on the planet, and it will continue in its present form for the next generation.

Being wrong about the evolution of Bitcoin is no fault, and is indeed part of the learning curve to finally understanding it all.

When your family or friends ask you about Bitcoin after your endless sessions explaining market dynamics, nodes, how mining works, and the genius of cryptographic signatures, try to accept that there is still so much we have to learn about this decentralized digital cash.

There are still some things you’ve gotten wrong about Bitcoin, and plenty more you’ll underestimate or get wrong in the future. That’s what makes it a beautiful journey. It’s a long road, but one that remains worth it.

@ 000002de:c05780a7

A lot of typing has been done comparing various right wing figures and people like Donald Trump and Elon Mush to Fascism and Nazism. It is frankly pretty absurd at this point. I'd be with them if they were just talking about these people being authoritarians. They clearly are in many ways. I'm not a fan.

But very little is said in a "non-partisan" way about the left. This is gonna be short and is meant to peak your curiosity to go and do some research for yourself.

The economist Milton Friedman famously said.

"After the fall of communism, everybody in the world agreed that socialism was a failure. Everybody in the world, more or less, agreed that capitalism was a success. And every capitalist country in the world apparently deduced from that what the West needed was more socialism."

This was said a long time ago and it is still the case. People espouse socialist ideas without even a concern about being called out for it. The same is NOT true of fascism or even traditional American patriotism.

But many of you may not realize just how deep the rot of socialism goes. Most people agree that the USSR committed terrible acts and was a failure. Before the creation of the USSR two socialists movements fought for power and control, the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. The primary difference between the two groups was how to bring about socialism. The Bolsheviks led by Lenin favored a more radical revolutionary force led by a small group. The Mensheviks, led by Julius Martov, preferred a larger, more democratic rise to power. They supported a more gradual rise of socialism. In October of 1917 the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in a bloody revolution.

Even to this day there are two different minds around how to bring about socialism. In the US the Menshevik approach is the one more popular. People like Bernie and AOC are this type of socialist. But make no mistake. They want to bring about a socialist utopian society. The type of system we have seen fail time and time again.

A few years ago I heard about another socialist movement and was frankly shocked that I had never heard about it before. In 1890 Britain a group of socialists formed an organization called the Fabian Society. The Fabians were/are socialists. But they believe in gradual incrementalism to bring about socialism. So what did the do you ask? They were at the center of the founding of the Labour party in the UK. Now, you might say. Big deal. But here's the weird thing. The Fabian Society's coat of arms was literally a wolf in sheep's clothing

They sought to bring about socialism covertly through democratic processes by presenting themselves as more moderate politicians. They have worked for decades to bring about socialism in the UK. If you don't count Margret Thatcher's era they've done a pretty great job. The UK is a mess.

So what does this have to do with May Day or Labor day for that matter? Well, socialists are at the center of every labor movement and celebrations like May day. Socialist ideas have been pumped into the government textbooks in the US for decades. Teachers are instructed in Universities full of believers in this wolf in sheep's clothing movement of democratic socialism.

Socialism leads to death and poverty. I'm not here to say that the US economy is the example for what the world should do. I'm a free market guy. We live in a corporatism led economy where the state partners with corporations to screw many in the US as well as the world. But I can tell you this. Socialism would be even worse.

The famous and infamous Russian anarchist Emma Goldman upon returning from her visit to the USSR was broken hearted. She had been a supporter of the revolution, but when she saw it with her own eyes she had a change of heart.

The compassion that seems to be a part of socialism is a lie. You can't institutionalize compassion. It has to come from the people, not a system. We should care for our brothers and sisters. But WE have to do it. We can't take from one group and give to another. We can't surrender our liberties to those that say they will take care of it for us. We have to do it. Capitalism is amoral. The free market is amoral. Both require us to be moral and show the way.

I hope this sparks your interest into looking into the history around socialist movements across the globe. I don't doubt that some have good motives, but the results are disastrous for the masses.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/968901

@ 2183e947:f497b975

Most darknet markets (DNMs) are designed poorly in the following ways:

1. Hosting

Most DNMs use a model whereby merchants fill out a form to create their listings, and the data they submit then gets hosted on the DNM's servers. In scenarios where a "legal" website would be forced to censor that content (e.g. a DMCA takedown order), DNMs, of course, do not obey. This can lead to authorities trying to find the DNM's servers to take enforcement actions against them. This design creates a single point of failure.

A better design is to outsource hosting to third parties. Let merchants host their listings on nostr relays, not on the DNM's server. The DNM should only be designed as an open source interface for exploring listings hosted elsewhere, that way takedown orders end up with the people who actually host the listings, i.e. with nostr relays, and not with the DNM itself. And if a nostr relay DOES go down due to enforcement action, it does not significantly affect the DNM -- they'll just stop querying for listings from that relay in their next software update, because that relay doesn't work anymore, and only query for listings from relays that still work.

2. Moderation

Most DNMs have employees who curate the listings on the DNM. For example, they approve/deny listings depending on whether they fit the content policies of the website. Some DNMs are only for drugs, others are only for firearms. The problem is, to approve a criminal listing is, in the eyes of law enforcement, an act of conspiracy. Consequently, they don't just go after the merchant who made the listing but the moderators who approved it, and since the moderators typically act under the direction of the DNM, this means the police go after the DNM itself.

A better design is to outsource moderation to third parties. Let anyone call themselves a moderator and create lists of approved goods and services. Merchants can pay the most popular third party moderators to add their products to their lists. The DNM itself just lets its users pick which moderators to use, such that the user's choice -- and not a choice by the DNM -- determines what goods and services the user sees in the interface.

That way, the police go after the moderators and merchants rather than the DNM itself, which is basically just a web browser: it doesn't host anything or approve of any content, it just shows what its users tell it to show. And if a popular moderator gets arrested, his list will still work for a while, but will gradually get more and more outdated, leading someone else to eventually become the new most popular moderator, and a natural transition can occur.

3. Escrow

Most DNMs offer an escrow solution whereby users do not pay merchants directly. Rather, during the Checkout process, they put their money in escrow, and request the DNM to release it to the merchant when the product arrives, otherwise they initiate a dispute. Most DNMs consider escrow necessary because DNM users and merchants do not trust one another; users don't want to pay for a product first and then discover that the merchant never ships it, and merchants don't want to ship a product first and then discover that the user never pays for it.

The problem is, running an escrow solution for criminals is almost certain to get you accused of conspiracy, money laundering, and unlicensed money transmission, so the police are likely to shut down any DNM that does this. A better design is to oursource escrow to third parties. Let anyone call themselves an escrow, and let moderators approve escrows just like they approve listings. A merchant or user who doesn't trust the escrows chosen by a given moderator can just pick a different moderator. That way, the police go after the third party escrows rather than the DNM itself, which never touches user funds.

4. Consequences

Designing a DNM along these principles has an interesting consequence: the DNM is no longer anything but an interface, a glorified web browser. It doesn't host any content, approve any listings, or touch any money. It doesn't even really need a server -- it can just be an HTML file that users open up on their computer or smart phone. For two reasons, such a program is hard to take down:

First, it is hard for the police to justify going after the DNM, since there are no charges to bring. Its maintainers aren't doing anything illegal, no more than Firefox does anything illegal by maintaining a web browser that some people use to browse illegal content. What the user displays in the app is up to them, not to the code maintainers. Second, if the police decided to go after the DNM anyway, they still couldn't take it down because it's just an HTML file -- the maintainers do not even need to run a server to host the file, because users can share it with one another, eliminating all single points of failure.

Another consequence of this design is this: most of the listings will probably be legal, because there is more demand for legal goods and services than illegal ones. Users who want to find illegal goods would pick moderators who only approve those listings, but everyone else would use "legal" moderators, and the app would not, at first glance, look much like a DNM, just a marketplace for legal goods and services. To find the illegal stuff that lurks among the abundant legal stuff, you'd probably have to filter for it via your selection of moderators, making it seem like the "default" mode is legal.

5. Conclusion

I think this DNM model is far better than the designs that prevail today. It is easier to maintain, harder to take down, and pushes the "hard parts" to the edges, so that the DNM is not significantly affected even if a major merchant, moderator, or escrow gets arrested. I hope it comes to fruition.

@ 34f1ddab:2ca0cf7c

In the world of cryptocurrency, the stakes are high, and losing access to your digital assets can be a nightmare. But fear not — Crypt Recver is here to turn that nightmare into a dream come true! With expert-led recovery services and cutting-edge technology, Crypt Recver specializes in helping you regain access to your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Why Choose Crypt Recver? 🤔 🔑 Expertise You Can Trust At Crypt Recver, we combine state-of-the-art technology with skilled engineers who have a proven track record in crypto recovery. Whether you’ve forgotten your passwords, lost your private keys, or dealt with damaged hardware wallets, our team is equipped to help.

⚡ Fast Recovery Process Time is of the essence when it comes to recovering lost funds. Crypt Recver’s systems are optimized for speed, enabling quick recoveries — so you can get back to what matters most: trading and investing.

🎯 High Success Rate With over a 90% success rate, our recovery team has helped countless clients regain access to their lost assets. We understand the intricacies of cryptocurrency and are dedicated to providing effective solutions.

🛡️ Confidential & Secure Your privacy is our priority. All recovery sessions at Crypt Recver are encrypted and kept entirely confidential. You can trust us with your information, knowing that we maintain the highest standards of security.

🔧 Advanced Recovery Tools We use proprietary tools and techniques to handle complex recovery scenarios, from recovering corrupted wallets to restoring coins from invalid addresses. No matter how challenging the situation, we have a plan.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈 Bitcoin Recovery: Have you lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We can help you recover lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases. Transaction Recovery: Mistaken transfers, lost passwords, or missing transaction records — let us help you reclaim your funds! Cold Wallet Restoration: Did your cold wallet fail? We specialize in extracting assets safely and securely. Private Key Generation: Forgotten your private key? We can help you generate new keys linked to your funds without compromising security. Don’t Let Lost Crypto Ruin Your Day! 🕒 With an estimated 3 to 3.4 million BTC lost forever, it’s critical to act swiftly when facing access issues. Whether you’ve been a victim of a dust attack or have simply forgotten your key, Crypt Recver offers the support you need to reclaim your digital assets.

🚀 Start Your Recovery Now! Ready to get your cryptocurrency back? Don’t let uncertainty hold you back!

👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Today!

Need Immediate Assistance? 📞 For quick queries or support, connect with us on:

✉️ Telegram: Chat with Us on Telegram 💬 WhatsApp: Message Us on WhatsApp Trust Crypt Recver for the Best Crypto Recovery Service — Get back to trading with confidence! 💪In the world of cryptocurrency, the stakes are high, and losing access to your digital assets can be a nightmare. But fear not — Crypt Recver is here to turn that nightmare into a dream come true! With expert-led recovery services and cutting-edge technology, Crypt Recver specializes in helping you regain access to your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

# Why Choose Crypt Recver? 🤔

🔑 Expertise You Can Trust

At Crypt Recver, we combine state-of-the-art technology with skilled engineers who have a proven track record in crypto recovery. Whether you’ve forgotten your passwords, lost your private keys, or dealt with damaged hardware wallets, our team is equipped to help.

⚡ Fast Recovery Process

Time is of the essence when it comes to recovering lost funds. Crypt Recver’s systems are optimized for speed, enabling quick recoveries — so you can get back to what matters most: trading and investing.

🎯 High Success Rate

With over a 90% success rate, our recovery team has helped countless clients regain access to their lost assets. We understand the intricacies of cryptocurrency and are dedicated to providing effective solutions.

🛡️ Confidential & Secure

Your privacy is our priority. All recovery sessions at Crypt Recver are encrypted and kept entirely confidential. You can trust us with your information, knowing that we maintain the highest standards of security.

🔧 Advanced Recovery Tools

We use proprietary tools and techniques to handle complex recovery scenarios, from recovering corrupted wallets to restoring coins from invalid addresses. No matter how challenging the situation, we have a plan.

# Our Recovery Services Include: 📈

• Bitcoin Recovery: Have you lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We can help you recover lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases.
• Transaction Recovery: Mistaken transfers, lost passwords, or missing transaction records — let us help you reclaim your funds!
• Cold Wallet Restoration: Did your cold wallet fail? We specialize in extracting assets safely and securely.
• Private Key Generation: Forgotten your private key? We can help you generate new keys linked to your funds without compromising security.

Don’t Let Lost Crypto Ruin Your Day! 🕒

With an estimated 3 to 3.4 million BTC lost forever, it’s critical to act swiftly when facing access issues. Whether you’ve been a victim of a dust attack or have simply forgotten your key, Crypt Recver offers the support you need to reclaim your digital assets.

🚀 Start Your Recovery Now!

Ready to get your cryptocurrency back? Don’t let uncertainty hold you back!

👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Today!

Need Immediate Assistance? 📞

For quick queries or support, connect with us on:

• ✉️ Telegram: Chat with Us on Telegram
• 💬 WhatsApp: Message Us on WhatsApp

Trust Crypt Recver for the Best Crypto Recovery Service — Get back to trading with confidence! 💪

@ 16d11430:61640947

At the intersection of philosophy, theology, physics, biology, and finance lies a terrifying truth: the fiat monetary system, in its current form, is not just an economic framework but a silent, relentless force actively working against humanity's survival. It isn't simply a failed financial model—it is a systemic engine of destruction, both externally and within the very core of our biological existence.

The Philosophical Void of Fiat

Philosophy has long questioned the nature of value and the meaning of human existence. From Socrates to Kant, thinkers have pondered the pursuit of truth, beauty, and virtue. But in the modern age, the fiat system has hijacked this discourse. The notion of "value" in a fiat world is no longer rooted in human potential or natural resources—it is abstracted, manipulated, and controlled by central authorities with the sole purpose of perpetuating their own power. The currency is not a reflection of society’s labor or resources; it is a representation of faith in an authority that, more often than not, breaks that faith with reckless monetary policies and hidden inflation.

The fiat system has created a kind of ontological nihilism, where the idea of true value, rooted in work, creativity, and family, is replaced with speculative gambling and short-term gains. This betrayal of human purpose at the systemic level feeds into a philosophical despair: the relentless devaluation of effort, the erosion of trust, and the abandonment of shared human values. In this nihilistic economy, purpose and meaning become increasingly difficult to find, leaving millions to question the very foundation of their existence.

Theological Implications: Fiat and the Collapse of the Sacred

Religious traditions have long linked moral integrity with the stewardship of resources and the preservation of life. Fiat currency, however, corrupts these foundational beliefs. In the theological narrative of creation, humans are given dominion over the Earth, tasked with nurturing and protecting it for future generations. But the fiat system promotes the exact opposite: it commodifies everything—land, labor, and life—treating them as mere transactions on a ledger.

This disrespect for creation is an affront to the divine. In many theologies, creation is meant to be sustained, a delicate balance that mirrors the harmony of the divine order. Fiat systems—by continuously printing money and driving inflation—treat nature and humanity as expendable resources to be exploited for short-term gains, leading to environmental degradation and societal collapse. The creation narrative, in which humans are called to be stewards, is inverted. The fiat system, through its unholy alliance with unrestrained growth and unsustainable debt, is destroying the very creation it should protect.

Furthermore, the fiat system drives idolatry of power and wealth. The central banks and corporations that control the money supply have become modern-day gods, their decrees shaping the lives of billions, while the masses are enslaved by debt and inflation. This form of worship isn't overt, but it is profound. It leads to a world where people place their faith not in God or their families, but in the abstract promises of institutions that serve their own interests.

Physics and the Infinite Growth Paradox

Physics teaches us that the universe is finite—resources, energy, and space are all limited. Yet, the fiat system operates under the delusion of infinite growth. Central banks print money without concern for natural limits, encouraging an economy that assumes unending expansion. This is not only an economic fallacy; it is a physical impossibility.

In thermodynamics, the Second Law states that entropy (disorder) increases over time in any closed system. The fiat system operates as if the Earth were an infinite resource pool, perpetually able to expand without consequence. The real world, however, does not bend to these abstract concepts of infinite growth. Resources are finite, ecosystems are fragile, and human capacity is limited. Fiat currency, by promoting unsustainable consumption and growth, accelerates the depletion of resources and the degradation of natural systems that support life itself.

Even the financial “growth” driven by fiat policies leads to unsustainable bubbles—inflated stock markets, real estate, and speculative assets that burst and leave ruin in their wake. These crashes aren’t just economic—they have profound biological consequences. The cycles of boom and bust undermine communities, erode social stability, and increase anxiety and depression, all of which affect human health at a biological level.

Biology: The Fiat System and the Destruction of Human Health

Biologically, the fiat system is a cancerous growth on human society. The constant chase for growth and the devaluation of work leads to chronic stress, which is one of the leading causes of disease in modern society. The strain of living in a system that values speculation over well-being results in a biological feedback loop: rising anxiety, poor mental health, physical diseases like cardiovascular disorders, and a shortening of lifespans.

Moreover, the focus on profit and short-term returns creates a biological disconnect between humans and the planet. The fiat system fuels industries that destroy ecosystems, increase pollution, and deplete resources at unsustainable rates. These actions are not just environmentally harmful; they directly harm human biology. The degradation of the environment—whether through toxic chemicals, pollution, or resource extraction—has profound biological effects on human health, causing respiratory diseases, cancers, and neurological disorders.

The biological cost of the fiat system is not a distant theory; it is being paid every day by millions in the form of increased health risks, diseases linked to stress, and the growing burden of mental health disorders. The constant uncertainty of an inflation-driven economy exacerbates these conditions, creating a society of individuals whose bodies and minds are under constant strain. We are witnessing a systemic biological unraveling, one in which the very act of living is increasingly fraught with pain, instability, and the looming threat of collapse.

Finance as the Final Illusion

At the core of the fiat system is a fundamental illusion—that financial growth can occur without any real connection to tangible value. The abstraction of currency, the manipulation of interest rates, and the constant creation of new money hide the underlying truth: the system is built on nothing but faith. When that faith falters, the entire system collapses.

This illusion has become so deeply embedded that it now defines the human experience. Work no longer connects to production or creation—it is reduced to a transaction on a spreadsheet, a means to acquire more fiat currency in a world where value is ephemeral and increasingly disconnected from human reality.

As we pursue ever-expanding wealth, the fundamental truths of biology—interdependence, sustainability, and balance—are ignored. The fiat system’s abstract financial models serve to disconnect us from the basic realities of life: that we are part of an interconnected world where every action has a reaction, where resources are finite, and where human health, both mental and physical, depends on the stability of our environment and our social systems.

The Ultimate Extermination

In the end, the fiat system is not just an economic issue; it is a biological, philosophical, theological, and existential threat to the very survival of humanity. It is a force that devalues human effort, encourages environmental destruction, fosters inequality, and creates pain at the core of the human biological condition. It is an economic framework that leads not to prosperity, but to extermination—not just of species, but of the very essence of human well-being.

To continue on this path is to accept the slow death of our species, one based not on natural forces, but on our own choice to worship the abstract over the real, the speculative over the tangible. The fiat system isn't just a threat; it is the ultimate self-inflicted wound, a cultural and financial cancer that, if left unchecked, will destroy humanity’s chance for survival and peace.

@ f9cf4e94:96abc355

Na era das grandes navegações, piratas ingleses eram autorizados pelo governo para roubar navios.

A única coisa que diferenciava um pirata comum de um corsário é que o último possuía a “Carta do Corso”, que funcionava como um “Alvará para o roubo”, onde o governo Inglês legitimava o roubo de navios por parte dos corsários. É claro, que em troca ele exigia uma parte da espoliação.

Bastante similar com a maneira que a Receita Federal atua, não? Na verdade, o caso é ainda pior, pois o governo fica com toda a riqueza espoliada, e apenas repassa um mísero salário para os corsários modernos, os agentes da receita federal.

Porém eles “justificam” esse roubo ao chamá-lo de imposto, e isso parece acalmar os ânimos de grande parte da população, mas não de nós. Não é por acaso que 'imposto' é o particípio passado do verbo 'impor'. Ou seja, é aquilo que resulta do cumprimento obrigatório -- e não voluntário -- de todos os cidadãos. Se não for 'imposto' ninguém paga. Nem mesmo seus defensores. Isso mostra o quanto as pessoas realmente apreciam os serviços do estado.

Apenas volte um pouco na história: os primeiros pagadores de impostos eram fazendeiros cujos territórios foram invadidos por nômades que pastoreavam seu gado. Esses invasores nômades forçavam os fazendeiros a lhes pagar uma fatia de sua renda em troca de "proteção". O fazendeiro que não concordasse era assassinado.

Os nômades perceberam que era muito mais interessante e confortável apenas cobrar uma taxa de proteção em vez de matar o fazendeiro e assumir suas posses. Cobrando uma taxa, eles obtinham o que necessitavam. Já se matassem os fazendeiros, eles teriam de gerenciar por conta própria toda a produção da fazenda. Daí eles entenderam que, ao não assassinarem todos os fazendeiros que encontrassem pelo caminho, poderiam fazer desta prática um modo de vida.

Assim nasceu o governo.

Não assassinar pessoas foi o primeiro serviço que o governo forneceu. Como temos sorte em ter à nossa disposição esta instituição!

Assim, não deixa de ser curioso que algumas pessoas digam que os impostos são pagos basicamente para impedir que aconteça exatamente aquilo que originou a existência do governo. O governo nasceu da extorsão. Os fazendeiros tinham de pagar um "arrego" para seu governo. Caso contrário, eram assassinados. Quem era a real ameaça? O governo. A máfia faz a mesma coisa.

Mas existe uma forma de se proteger desses corsários modernos. Atualmente, existe uma propriedade privada que NINGUÉM pode tirar de você, ela é sua até mesmo depois da morte. É claro que estamos falando do Bitcoin. Fazendo as configurações certas, é impossível saber que você tem bitcoin. Nem mesmo o governo americano consegue saber.

brasil #bitcoinbrasil #nostrbrasil #grownostr #bitcoin

@ 2cb30c36:cc7ecec1

Test

This is a test

@ 8947a945:9bfcf626

Law of diminishing returns : ทำมากได้น้อย ซวยหน่อยขาดทุน

** หมายเหตุ บทความนี้มีเนื้อหาต่อเนื่องจาก “(TH) Why I quit : สาเหตุที่ผมลาออกจากที่(ทำงาน) ที่ (เคย) เรียกว่า”บ้าน” ใครยังไม่ได้อ่าน แนะนำให้ไปอ่านก่อนนะครับ

ผมได้ยิน คุณท็อป จิรายุส (คุณท๊อป บิทคับ) พูดคำว่า "Law of diminishing returns" ไว้ตอนแชร์มุมมองด้านการทำธุรกิจ ตอนนั้นผมไม่เข้าใจ แต่ผมรู้สึกว่ามันเป็นเจ๋งดี

สำหรับผม สรุปกฏนี้สั้นๆ คือ “ทำมากได้น้อย ซวยหน่อยขาดทุน”

กฏข้อนี้ว่าด้วยเรื่องการทำธุรกิจ พูดถึงปัจจัย 3 อย่าง - Fixed input คือสิ่งที่ไม่สามารถผลิตเพิ่มได้อีกในธุรกิจตอนนั้น เช่น จำนวนห้องตรวจในโรงพยาบาล, พื้นที่ที่ดินทำการเกษตร, ห้องเก็บสินค้า, จำนวนโต๊ะทำงานในสำนักงาน, ช่องบริการลูกค้าในธุรกิจบริการต่างๆ เป็นต้น ผมขอเรียกสั้นๆว่า “พื้นที่” - Variable input คือสิ่งที่สามารถเติมเข้ามาในธุรกิจได้ ปรับแต่งได้ เช่น แรงงาน เครื่องจักร พลังงาน - Marginal product คือผลลัพธ์ของธุรกิจ กำไรเพิ่มขึ้นหลังจากเพิ่ม variable input เข้าสู่ระบบ

ระยะของ law of diminishing returns

• Increased return (ทำเงินได้เยอะขึ้น) เมื่อป้อนแรงงานหรือเครื่องจักรเข้าสู่ระบบ ธุรกิจสามารถทำเงินเพิ่มขึ้นเนื่องจาก fixed input เดิมที่ถูกใช้สอยไม่เต็มที่ (underutilized) ถูกเติมเต็ม กรณีของรพ. คือมีห้องตรวจที่ว่าง ไม่มีหมอนั่งตรวจคนไข้ ห้องตรวจนั้นก็จะไม่สร้างรายได้ แต่เมื่อห้องนั้นมีหมอมานั่ง จะเปลี่ยนเป็นพื้นที่ที่ก่อให้เกิดรายได้ เมื่อห้องตรวจทุกห้องมีหมอนั่งครบ ถือว่าเต็มศักยภาพ ประสิทธิภาพการทำงานที่ดีตามมา
• Diminishing return (ทำมากได้น้อย) จุดของความพอดี (optimum point) คือจุดที่สมดุลพอดีของธุรกิจนั้น ทำกำไรได้เหมาะสม ไม่มากไม่น้อยจนเกินไป แต่ถ้ามองไม่เห็นจุด optimum นี้แล้วยังเพิ่ม”แรงงาน”เข้าไปอีก มันจะทำให้ ”พื้นที่” วุ่นวายเละเทะ ประสิทธิภาพในการทำงานลดลง
• Negative returns (ซวยหน่อยขาดทุน) ถ้ายังไม่หยุดเพิ่ม “แรงงาน” อีก สามารถนำมาสู่การขาดทุน

สรุปเป็นกราฟหน้าตาตามนี้ครับ

ทำไมมันถึงเป็นอย่างนั้น

ผมใช้โมเดลธุรกิจรพ.นี้เป็นตัวอย่างเลยนะครับ

ช่วงแรกที่สร้างรพ. ห้องตรวจมีไม่มาก จำนวนหมอและคนไข้สมดุลกันพอดี งานไม่หนักเกินไป การดูแลคนไข้มีประสิทธิภาพ รพ.เป็นที่ไว้ใจของคนในพื้นที่ มีชื่อเสียง ถูกบอกต่อ ทำให้จำนวนคนไข้เข้ามารับบริการมากขึ้น ต้องขยายพื้นที่รพ. สร้างตึกเพิ่ม รับบุคคลากรทุกระดับเข้ามาทำงานมากขึ้น จนเต็มพื้นที่ที่ดินรพ.ไม่สามารถขยายเพิ่มไปได้มากกว่านี้แล้ว เกิดสมดุลพอดี ทุกพื้นที่ถูกใช้งานเต็มศักยภาพ ประสิทธิภาพงานดีมาก

ผลการดำเนินงาน

ไม่เคยขาดทุน ผ่านช่วงวิกฤตต้มยำกุ้ง และ COVID ได้สบายๆ ฐานะทางการเงินแข็งแรง จ่ายปันผลสม่ำเสมอ ถ้าผมเป็นเจ้าของรพ.ผมจะ 1. สร้างระบบ 2. สร้างทีมผู้บริหาร 3. เน้นย้ำความสำคัญทำตามระบบ 3. Plan - Do- Check - Act เมื่อเกิดปัญหา

เพื่อให้ตัวผมสามารถถอยตัวเองออกมาจากตัวธุรกิจ คอยติดตาม monitor ทุกไตรมาส อย่างใกล้ชิด ไม่ทำอะไรเพิ่มไปมากกว่านี้

แต่สุดท้ายมันก็เกิดเหตุการณ์ทายาทรุ่นที่ 2 “ไม่เอา” นั่นแหละครับ มันทำให้วัฒนธรรมองค์กรเปลี่ยน ก้าวเท้าเข้าไปสู่ยุคตกต่ำ

บริหารแบบล้าหลัง ทำอะไรไม่สุด คิดว่าทำแล้วแต่จริงๆคือไม่ได้ทำ แก้ปัญหาไม่ตรงจุดสร้างปัญหากว่าเดิม

---

ตัวอย่าง

1. นโยบายการประหยัดพลังงานเพื่อลด carbon footprint

ฟังดูเหมือนจะดี แต่รพ.สื่อสารให้

รณรงค์ให้ปิดไฟ ... ปิดแอร์เมื่อไม่ใช้งาน ...

ผมว่าประโยคนี้มันคุ้นๆ เหมือนเคยได้ยินมามากกว่า 10 ปีแล้ว ... หรือผมเข้าใจผิดหรือเปล่าไม่แน่ใจ

รณรงค์แค่นี้แหละครับ เรื่องลด carbon footprint ไม่ได้เป็นการคิดอะไรใหม่ๆที่เหมาะกับยุคสมัย หรือสร้างอะไรที่จับต้องได้ (objective)

แต่สิ่งที่ทำสวนทางโดยสิ้นเชิงคือใช้พลาสติกแบบใช้แล้วทิ้ง (single use plastic) เป็นภาชนะหลักในการบรรจุอาหารของแพทย์ และผู้เข้าร่วมประชุมงานใหญ่ๆ มีเสียงเสนอแนะจากบุคคลากรทุกระดับว่าให้ทำเป็นบุฟเฟ่ต์ จานชามช้อนส้อมแบบปกติก็ได้ เสนอกันมา 5 ปี ก็ยังคงไม่่มีการเปลี่ยนแปลง ได้รับแจ้งลงมาว่าใช้ภาชนะพลาสติกมันประหยัดกว่า เอาเป็นว่ากล่องข้าวพลาสติกมีการใช้อย่างน้อย 1200 กล่องต่อเดือน … คาดว่าสมการการปล่อยก๊าสคาร์บอน (carbon emission) ที่ทีมผู้บริหารคำนวณ อาจจะซับซ้อนเกินความเข้าใจของผมก็ได้นะครับ

2. การตลาดที่ล้มเหลวและพาแพทย์ซวย

ทำการตลาดไม่เข้าเป้า “เหมือนจะ” ทำ digital marketing แต่ทำแค่โพสกราฟฟิคโปรโมชั่นภาพนิ่งลงสื่อโซเชียลทุกช่องทาง แล้วบอกว่านั่นคือ digital marketing

... แต่เดี๋ยวก่อนๆๆๆ ...

ผมจะบอกว่าการโพสมันเป็นแค่ 1 ใน 10 ของ digital marketing แต่รพ.เข้าใจว่าตัวเองได้เข้าสู่ digital marketing แล้ว

... จริงๆมันไม่ใช่เลยเว้ย ...

ผลลัพธ์คือไม่สามารถเปิดน่านน้ำลูกค้าใหม่ได้เลย ได้แต่ฐานลูกค้าเดิมที่มี brand royalty (แต่แนวโน้มลดลง)

แถมที่แย่ที่สุดคือทำการตลาดแพคเกจออกมาโดยไม่ปรึกษาแพทย์ก่อนว่ามันขัดต่อมาตรฐานการรักษาหรือไม่ กลายเป็นทำแพคเกจดึงดูดคนไข้เข้ามาใช้บริการ แต่การรักษาในแพคเกจขัดต่อมาตรฐานการรักษาของแพทย์

คนไข้ไม่รู้หรอกครับ คนไข้จะเอาตามที่มีในแพคเกจ เขาจ่ายตังค์แล้ว แต่ความซวยมันไปตกอยู่กับแพทย์

3. วางกลยุทธไม่เข้าเป้า

ทุกๆต้นปีทางผู้บริหารจะประกาศกลยุทธประจำปี ว่าในปีนั้นๆรพ.จะมุ้งเน้นพัฒนาด้านไหน รพ.นี้มีปัญหาที่เป็นงูกินหางมานาน มันส่งผลต่อประสิทธิภาพการทำงานของหมอและพยาบาล มีการเสนอแก้ปัญหาเรื่องนี้วนซ้ำซากมา 5 ปี แต่ไม่ได้รับแก้ไขจริงจัง (ผมขอไม่เล่านะครับ)

แต่กลยุทธประจำปี 3 ปีที่ผ่านมา พุ่งใส่ตัวบุคคลากร เน้นพฤติกรรมบริการที่ดีเลิศ ทราบมาว่ามีการลงทุนกับโครงการนี้หลักแสนหรือหลักล้าน มีการจัด workshop เชิญวิทยากรและ trainer จากบริษัทภายนอก (outsource) เข้ามาอบรม เป็นโครงการที่เน้นให้บุคคลากรทุกคนเข้าอบรม 100%

ผมมองว่าปัญหาที่เป็นราก (root cause) มันยังไม่ถูกแก้เลย เปรียบเทียบเหมือนฐานรากของอาคารที่มันโคลงเคลงๆไม่มั่นคงยังไม่ได้รับการแก้ไข แต่พยายามตกแต่งห้องด้วยวัสดุคุณภาพดีและเทคโนโลยีที่ทันสมัย … แต่พร้อมจะล้มลงมาได้ทุกเมื่อ

4. มีเสน่ดึงดูด partner ใหม่ๆ แต่ไม่เอาเอง

ในช่วง COVID ระลอกแรก มีผู้นำทางด้านธุรกิจโรงแรมในจังหวัดมานำเสนอโมเดลธุรกิจ “hospitel เปลี่ยนโรงแรมให้เป็นโรงพยาบาล” ด้วยศักยภาพของรพ.ที่มีบุคคลากรเพียงพอ และตัวโรงแรมที่นำมาเสนอมีห้องพักประมาณ 300 ห้อง เป็นโมเดลที่รพ.และโรงแรม win-win ทั้งคู่ แต่ทางผู้บริหารมองว่าไม่คุ้ม ปฏิเสธข้อเสนอนี้ ทำให้เสียโอกาสให้กับคู่แข่งคว้าตลาด blue ocean นี้ไป

ผมได้แต่เกาหัวตอนรู้เรื่องนี้ เพราะ 1. ช่วง COVID คนไข้น้อย พนักงานโดนลดชั่วโมงการทำงาน ได้เงินเดือนขั้นต่ำ ไม่ได้ OT 2. ทาง partner เสนอขอบุคคลากรเหล่านี้แหละ ไปช่วยงาน เรื่องสถานที่ทางโรงแรมเขามีแม่บ้าน ฝ่ายทำความสะอาดอยู่แล้ว 3. ทาง partner เสนอ profit sharing กับทางรพ. ถึงผมจะไม่รู้ตัวเลข แต่เชื่อว่ามันยุติธรรม

ผมก็ไม่รู้ครับ ว่าอะไรคือคุ้มสำหรับผู้บริหาร

5. Top down absolute power

ไม่ฟังข้อเสนอจากตัวแทนหมอ คนที่มีอำนาจการตัดสินใจไม่เคยเอาตัวลงมาคุยกับหมอแบบจริงจังเลย

1-2 ปีจะลงมาพบหมอทั้งรพ.ซักหนึ่งครั้ง สร้างภาพเก่ง พูดขายฝันสวนหรูถึงภาพที่เขาต้องการ สั่งการลงมา พอเกิดปัญหาตัวเองไม่ลงมารับผิดชอบ แต่อาศัยหน่วยข่าวกรอง(ที่ไม่รู้ว่ากรองอะไรเข้าไปบ้าง) ออกคำสั่งแก้ผ้าเอาหน้ารอดลงมาทีหลัง

แถมสั่งให้เงียบและหุบปาก

ครั้งหนึ่งมีคำสั่งออกมาไม่ชัดเจน จนพยาบาลทำงานไม่ได้ ตัวแทนพยาบาลต้องโทรมาหาผมเพื่อให้ผมช่วย

ผมรวบรวมข้อมูลทั้งหมดและพบว่าคำสั่งมีปัญหาจริงๆ ผมจึง chat line ลงไปสอบถามผู้บริหารเพื่อขอความชัดเจน

… ผ่านไปไม่ถึง 5 นาที หนึ่งในผู้บริหาร(คนที่แทงข้างหลังผมที่หาว่าผมมาตรวจคนไข้ VIP เขาช้า 5 นาทีนั่นแหละ)โทรหาผมทันทีคุยกับผมสั้นๆ ใจความว่า “คำสั่งนั้นเอาแบบเดิม ไม่ต้องแก้ และให้ผมเงียบๆซะ”... (ก็ได้วะครับ)

จุดเปลี่ยนที่ทำให้รพ.เข้าสู่ law of diminishing returns

ห้องตรวจทุกห้องของรพ. ถูกใช้จนเต็มศักยภาพ … เอาจริงๆคือล้นศักยภาพเสียอีก (over-utilized) บางแผนกมีเก้าอี้ดนตรี - หมอคนแรกหมดเวลาออกตรวจ - หมอคนต่อไปเดินเข้าใช้ห้องตรวจต่อทันที - ถ้าไม่ทันก็ต้องคว้าห้องตรวจที่ว่างพร้อมใช้งานก่อน - หมอทำการไล่ที่กันเอง - หมอบางท่านต้องใช้ห้องทำงานของพยาบาลเป็นห้องตรวจชั่วคราว

ห้องพักผู้ป่วยก็เช่นกัน บางช่วงเตียงเต็มจนไม่สามารถ admit คนไข้ได้

แต่จำที่ผมบอกได้มั้ยครับว่า คนที่เป็น top down absolute power ไม่เคยเอาตัวลงมาพูดคุยกับแพทย์เพื่อรับฟังปัญหาที่แท้จริงเลย รับแต่ข่าวกรอง(ที่ไม่รู้ว่ากรองอะไรเข้าไปบ้าง) ช่วงนึงมีคนไข้ complaint ว่ารอนั่งรอหมอนาน หมอมาตรวจช้า ผู้บริหารเลยพยายามจะแก้ปัญหา โดยการ monitor waiting time (ระยะเวลารอหมอ) หยิบยกเรื่องนี้ขึ้นมาเป็นวาระเร่งด่วนต้องรีบแก้ไข

แต่เขายังงงๆกับ concept waiting time อยู่เลยว่าจะนับตั้งแต่ตอนไหนถึงตอนไหน - Waiting time สั้นแปลว่าดี เพราะคนไข้ได้เจอหมอเร็ว - Waiting time นานแปลว่าไม่ดี เพราะคนไข้นั่งรอหมอนาน

เขาตีความจากตัวเลขครับ แต่เคยเอาตัวลงมาดูจริงๆหรือเปล่าว่าทำไมตัวเลขมันถึงออกมาไม่ดี

คำตอบคือ“ไม่” ครับ

หมอบางสาขามีความจำเป็นต้องไปดูคนไข้ที่อาการหนักใช้เวลารักษานาน ... หรือ ... รับปรึกษาจากแพทย์ต่างสาขา ... หรือ ... เป็นสาขาเฉพาะทางของเฉพาะทางอีกที ต้องใช้เวลาตรวจละเอียดตรวจนาน

มันเป็นกระบวนการทำงานของหมอ ที่หมอด้วยกันเข้าใจกัน

ส่วนคนเก็บข้อมูลก็นำเสนอไปทั้งอย่างนั้นโดยที่ไม่ได้วิเคราะห์อะไรเลย มันเป็นการกรองข้อมูลที่ไม่รอบคอบก่อนนำเสนอผู้บริหาร

สุดท้ายผู้บริหาร “โทษหมอ” ว่าไม่มีการบริหารเวลาทำงานที่ดีเพียงพอ ทำให้คนไข้รอนาน เขาสรุปกันดื้อๆแบบนี้เลยครับ

พอหนักๆเข้า “รอหมอนาน ต้องเพิ่มหมอ” season การรับสมัครหมอหลายตำแหน่งได้เริ่มขึ้น

แต่เดี๋ยวนะ ห้องตรวจมันแน่นจนแทบไม่มีที่ให้หมอนั่งทำงานแล้ว แต่เขาก็ไม่สนครับ รับหมอหน้าใหม่ๆมาเพิ่มเรื่อยๆ

ด้วย mindset ว่า "ต้องเพิ่มหมอ หมอจะได้เยอะขึ้น คนไข้จะได้ไม่ต้องรอนาน" และเชื่อว่าจะทำรายได้ให้รพ.มากขึ้น หมอหน้าใหม่บางท่านเข้ามาทำงานวันแรกถึงขั้นอยู่ในสภาวะ dead air คือไม่มีที่ให้นั่งทำงาน

“ทำมากได้น้อย” เริ่มต้น

คนไข้รพ.นี้ ส่วนใหญ่เป็นโรคซับซ้อน ต้องการทักษะและเวลาหมอเฉพาะทางแต่ละสาขาอยู่ดี ไม่ได้ทำให้ waiting time ดีขึ้น คนไข้ยัง “นั่งรอหมอนานเหมือนเดิม”

รายได้เริ่มลดลง ยอดคนไข้เริ่มลดลง รพ.พยายามแก้เกมโดยการเพิ่มราคาค่าบริการ (เพิ่มขนาด ticket size) ทำให้มีเสียงรีวิวตามโซเชียลว่า "แพง"

ผลที่เกิดขึ้นคือคนไข้หลายคนอาศัยรพ.นี้ในการตรวจวินิจฉัยโรคแล้วเอาผลไปรักษาต่อรพ.รัฐบาลตามสิทธิ์เพราะสู้ราคาค่ารักษาไม่ไหว บางคนมีประกันสุขภาพหลายฉบับแต่ก็ต้องจ่ายส่วนต่างมากอยู่ดี

วิธีการข้างต้นนี้ ไม่ผิดกติกาครับ ผล X-ray , CT, MRI, ultrasound จากรพ.เอกชน ไวกว่ารพ.รัฐบาลอยู่แล้ว แต่ก็มีคนไข้บางส่วนยินดีจ่ายแพง เพราะเชื่อมั่นหมอที่รพ.นี้ไม่อยากย้ายรพ.ก็มีครับ เพราะหมอไม่ได้ทำอะไรผิด หมอเก่งๆมีเยอะ

ถึงแม้ว่ารพ.จะรักษา momentum มีจำนวนคนไข้ประมาณ 1100 - 1200 รายต่อวัน แต่ก็เป็นโรคง่ายๆ(simple disease) เช่นไข้หวัด อาหารเป็นพิษ เป็นต้น โรคเหล่านี้ ticket size ไม่ได้ใหญ่มาก ประคองไว้ไม่ให้ขาดทุนเท่านั้นครับ

แต่ความแพงแบบไม่สมเหตุสมผล ทำให้คนไข้หลายรายถอดใจย้ายรพ.ตั้งแต่ทราบค่าใช้จ่ายวินาทีแรก

คนไข้น้อยลง --> รายได้ลดลง --> เพิ่ม ticket size ต่อหัวให้แพงขึ้น --> คนไข้หนีเพราะแพงเกิน

ผมไม่รู้ว่าผู้บริหารเขาเห็นไหม แต่คาดว่าคงจะไม่เห็น

ส่วนโรคหรือการผ่าตัดที่สมศักดิ์ศรีกับศักยภาพของรพ. "น้อยมากจนแทบไม่มี" ไม่ใช่สาเหตุอื่นเลยครับ โดนรพ.คู่แข่งในรัศมี 20 กิโลเมตรเอาไปหมด เพราะราคาถูกกว่า หมอก็เก่งไม่แพ้กัน หมอบางคนเคยอยู่ที่รพ.แห่งนี้ เสนอโปรเจคการรักษาโรคบางโรคที่สามารถสร้างรายได้เป็นกอบเป็นกำ แต่ทางรพ.ไม่เอาเอง สุดท้ายหมอเหล่านั้นย้ายไปอยู่กับรพ.คู่แข่งและผลักดันโปรเจคเหล่านั้นสำเร็จจนมีชื่อเสียง

"รพ.ขายสินค้า premium ไม่ได้เลย ขายได้แต่สินค้าเกรดท้องตลาด"

กลยุทธที่รพ.ทำต่อมาคือเพิ่มจำนวนชั่วโมงการทำงานของหมอให้เพิ่มขึ้นโดยให้หมอมาทำงานเร็วขึ้น 2 ชม. แต่ไม่จ่าย OT ให้ ด้วยตรรกะว่าถ้าหมอทำงานนานขึ้น จะมีจำนวนคนไข้มากขึ้น ทางรพ.ไม่ได้ขอร้อง แต่บีบคอให้หมอร่วมมือ หากไม่ร่วมมือไล่ออกทันที

ไปๆมาๆ มีการไล่ออกกระทันหันเกิดขึ้น มีการส่งหนังสือส่วนตัวหาหมอทุกคน ใครมีรายชื่อที่จะปลดออกก็ต้องออกจากงานทันที

ผมมองว่าฐานะทางการเงินมีปัญหารุนแรงครับ เงินเดือนพนักงานถือเป็น fixed cost ที่ธุรกิจต้องแบกรับ ถ้าเจ๋งจริงต้องควบคุมรายจ่ายให้ธุรกิจสามารถไปต่อได้โดยไม่ปลดคน ในส่วนของธุรกิจรพ. หมอคือบุคคลากรที่สำคัญที่สุดและเป็นด่านสุดท้ายที่จะไล่ออกเพื่อรักษาชีวิตของธุรกิจ ตอนนี้รพ.ได้เข้าสู่ระยะสุดท้ายของ law of diminishing returns คือ “ซวยหน่อยขาดทุน” เป็นที่เรียบร้อยครับ

จุดจบของรพ.แบบนี้ ที่ศักยภาพดี แต่บริหารห่วยแตก มันจะจบด้วยการถูก take over ผ่านมาไม่นานกราฟหุ้นออกอาการ exit liquidity แล้วครับ

ข้อคิดที่อยากแบ่งปันกับทุกคนที่อ่านมาจนจบ

1. ช่วงธุรกิจเปลี่ยนผ่านสู่ทายาท คือจุดวัดใจหัวเลี้ยวหัวต่อว่าจะรอดหรือไม่รอด
2. Law of diminishing returns ไม่ได้ใช้เฉพาะกับธุรกิจ แต่สามารถประยุกต์ใช้กับการดำเนินชีวิตได้หลายมิติ หากใครเข้าใจ จะขยับเข้าสู่ Pareto’s rule … สั้นๆคือ ทำน้อยแต่ได้(โคตร)มาก
3. เจ้าของธุรกิจ ต้องหูไว มองหาเนื้อร้ายที่คอยกัดกินธุรกิจให้เจอ แล้วกำจัดมันซะ ก่อนที่ธุรกิจจะล้มทั้งยืน ทับตัวเองตาย

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

Here are my predictions for Nostr in 2025:

Decentralization: The outbox and inbox communication models, sometimes referred to as the Gossip model, will become the standard across the ecosystem. By the end of 2025, all major clients will support these models, providing seamless communication and enhanced decentralization. Clients that do not adopt outbox/inbox by then will be regarded as outdated or legacy systems.

Privacy Standards: Major clients such as Damus and Primal will move away from NIP-04 DMs, adopting more secure protocol possibilities like NIP-17 or NIP-104. These upgrades will ensure enhanced encryption and metadata protection. Additionally, NIP-104 MLS tools will drive the development of new clients and features, providing users with unprecedented control over the privacy of their communications.

Interoperability: Nostr's ecosystem will become even more interconnected. Platforms like the Olas image-sharing service will expand into prominent clients such as Primal, Damus, Coracle, and Snort, alongside existing integrations with Amethyst, Nostur, and Nostrudel. Similarly, audio and video tools like Nostr Nests and Zap.stream will gain seamless integration into major clients, enabling easy participation in live events across the ecosystem.

Adoption and Migration: Inspired by early pioneers like Fountain and Orange Pill App, more platforms will adopt Nostr for authentication, login, and social systems. In 2025, a significant migration from a high-profile application platform with hundreds of thousands of users will transpire, doubling Nostr’s daily activity and establishing it as a cornerstone of decentralized technologies.

@ 8947a945:9bfcf626

Chef's notes

https://video.nostr.build/ea19333ab7f700a6557b6f52f1f8cfe214671444687fa7ea56a18e5d751fe0a9.mp4

https://video.nostr.build/bcae8d39e22f66689d51f34e44ecabdf7a57b5099cc456e3e0f29446b1dfd0de.mp4

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 5 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 5 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 1

Ingredients

• ไข่ 1 - 2 ฟอง
• ข้าวโอ๊ต 3 - 4 ช้อน

Directions

1. ตอกไข่ + ตีไข่
2. ปรุงรส พริกไทย หรือ ซอสถั่วเหลืองตามชอบ
3. ใส่ข้าวโอ๊ต 3 - 4 ช้อน
4. ใส่ถั่วลิสงอบ 1 - 2 หยิบมือ
5. เทน้ำใส่พอท่วมข้าวโอ๊ต
6. เข้าไมโครเวฟ ไฟแรง 1 - 2 นาที

@ 63616fef:5e05fd6a

How to achieve net zero:

1) Vastly reduce reliable electric generation 2) Optimize for unreliable, and intermittent power generation

Long form article posted via untype.app

@ 460c25e6:ef85065c

If you don't know where your posts are, you might as well just stay in the centralized Twitter. You either take control of your relay lists, or they will control you. Amethyst offers several lists of relays for our users. We are going to go one by one to help clarify what they are and which options are best for each one.

Public Home/Outbox Relays

Home relays store all YOUR content: all your posts, likes, replies, lists, etc. It's your home. Amethyst will send your posts here first. Your followers will use these relays to get new posts from you. So, if you don't have anything there, they will not receive your updates.

Home relays must allow queries from anyone, ideally without the need to authenticate. They can limit writes to paid users without affecting anyone's experience.

This list should have a maximum of 3 relays. More than that will only make your followers waste their mobile data getting your posts. Keep it simple. Out of the 3 relays, I recommend: - 1 large public, international relay: nos.lol, nostr.mom, relay.damus.io, etc. - 1 personal relay to store a copy of all your content in a place no one can delete. Go to relay.tools and never be censored again. - 1 really fast relay located in your country: paid options like http://nostr.wine are great

Do not include relays that block users from seeing posts in this list. If you do, no one will see your posts.

Public Inbox Relays

This relay type receives all replies, comments, likes, and zaps to your posts. If you are not getting notifications or you don't see replies from your friends, it is likely because you don't have the right setup here. If you are getting too much spam in your replies, it's probably because your inbox relays are not protecting you enough. Paid relays can filter inbox spam out.

Inbox relays must allow anyone to write into them. It's the opposite of the outbox relay. They can limit who can download the posts to their paid subscribers without affecting anyone's experience.

This list should have a maximum of 3 relays as well. Again, keep it small. More than that will just make you spend more of your data plan downloading the same notifications from all these different servers. Out of the 3 relays, I recommend: - 1 large public, international relay: nos.lol, nostr.mom, relay.damus.io, etc. - 1 personal relay to store a copy of your notifications, invites, cashu tokens and zaps. - 1 really fast relay located in your country: go to nostr.watch and find relays in your country

Terrible options include: - nostr.wine should not be here. - filter.nostr.wine should not be here. - inbox.nostr.wine should not be here.

DM Inbox Relays

These are the relays used to receive DMs and private content. Others will use these relays to send DMs to you. If you don't have it setup, you will miss DMs. DM Inbox relays should accept any message from anyone, but only allow you to download them.

Generally speaking, you only need 3 for reliability. One of them should be a personal relay to make sure you have a copy of all your messages. The others can be open if you want push notifications or closed if you want full privacy.

Good options are: - inbox.nostr.wine and auth.nostr1.com: anyone can send messages and only you can download. Not even our push notification server has access to them to notify you. - a personal relay to make sure no one can censor you. Advanced settings on personal relays can also store your DMs privately. Talk to your relay operator for more details. - a public relay if you want DM notifications from our servers.

Make sure to add at least one public relay if you want to see DM notifications.

Private Home Relays

Private Relays are for things no one should see, like your drafts, lists, app settings, bookmarks etc. Ideally, these relays are either local or require authentication before posting AND downloading each user\'s content. There are no dedicated relays for this category yet, so I would use a local relay like Citrine on Android and a personal relay on relay.tools.

Keep in mind that if you choose a local relay only, a client on the desktop might not be able to see the drafts from clients on mobile and vice versa.

Search relays:

This is the list of relays to use on Amethyst's search and user tagging with @. Tagging and searching will not work if there is nothing here.. This option requires NIP-50 compliance from each relay. Hit the Default button to use all available options on existence today: - nostr.wine - relay.nostr.band - relay.noswhere.com

Local Relays:

This is your local storage. Everything will load faster if it comes from this relay. You should install Citrine on Android and write ws://localhost:4869 in this option.

General Relays:

This section contains the default relays used to download content from your follows. Notice how you can activate and deactivate the Home, Messages (old-style DMs), Chat (public chats), and Global options in each.

Keep 5-6 large relays on this list and activate them for as many categories (Home, Messages (old-style DMs), Chat, and Global) as possible.

Amethyst will provide additional recommendations to this list from your follows with information on which of your follows might need the additional relay in your list. Add them if you feel like you are missing their posts or if it is just taking too long to load them.

My setup

Here's what I use: 1. Go to relay.tools and create a relay for yourself. 2. Go to nostr.wine and pay for their subscription. 3. Go to inbox.nostr.wine and pay for their subscription. 4. Go to nostr.watch and find a good relay in your country. 5. Download Citrine to your phone.

Then, on your relay lists, put:

Public Home/Outbox Relays: - nostr.wine - nos.lol or an in-country relay. - .nostr1.com

Public Inbox Relays - nos.lol or an in-country relay - .nostr1.com

DM Inbox Relays - inbox.nostr.wine - .nostr1.com

Private Home Relays - ws://localhost:4869 (Citrine) - .nostr1.com (if you want)

Search Relays - nostr.wine - relay.nostr.band - relay.noswhere.com

Local Relays - ws://localhost:4869 (Citrine)

General Relays - nos.lol - relay.damus.io - relay.primal.net - nostr.mom

And a few of the recommended relays from Amethyst.

Final Considerations

Remember, relays can see what your Nostr client is requesting and downloading at all times. They can track what you see and see what you like. They can sell that information to the highest bidder, they can delete your content or content that a sponsor asked them to delete (like a negative review for instance) and they can censor you in any way they see fit. Before using any random free relay out there, make sure you trust its operator and you know its terms of service and privacy policies.

@ 088436cd:9d2646cc

The arrival of the coronavirus brought not only illness and death but also fear and panic. In such an environment of uncertainty, people have naturally stocked up on necessities, not knowing when things will return to normal.

Retail shelves have been cleared out, and even online suppliers like Amazon and Walmart are out of stock for some items. Independent sellers on these e-commerce platforms have had to fill the gap. With the huge increase in demand, they have found that their inventory has skyrocketed in value.

Many in need of these items (e.g. toilet paper, hand sanitizer and masks) balk at the new prices. They feel they are being taken advantage of in a time of need and call for intervention by the government to lower prices. The government has heeded that call, labeling the independent sellers as "price gougers" and threatening sanctions if they don't lower their prices. Amazon has suspended seller accounts and law enforcement at all levels have threatened to prosecute. Prices have dropped as a result and at first glance this seems like a victory for fair play. But, we will have to dig deeper to understand the unseen consequences of this intervention.

We must look at the economics of the situation, how supply and demand result in a price and how that price acts as a signal that goes out to everyone, informing them of underlying conditions in the economy and helping coordinate their actions.

It all started with a rise in demand. Given a fixed supply (e.g., the limited stock on shelves and in warehouses), an increase in demand inevitably leads to higher prices. Most people are familiar with this phenomenon, such as paying more for airline tickets during holidays or surge pricing for rides.

Higher prices discourage less critical uses of scarce resources. For example, you might not pay $1,000 for a plane ticket to visit your aunt if you can get one for $100 the following week, but someone else might pay that price to visit a dying relative. They value that plane seat more than you.

*** During the crisis, demand surged and their shelves emptied even though

However, retail outlets have not raised prices. They have kept them low, so the low-value uses of things like toilet paper, masks and hand sanitizer has continued. Often, this "use" just takes the form of hoarding. At everyday low prices, it makes sense to buy hundreds of rolls and bottles. You know you will use them eventually, so why not stock up? And, with all those extra supplies in the closet and basement, you don't need to change your behavior much. You don't have to ration your use.

At the low prices, these scarce resources got bought up faster and faster until there was simply none left. The reality of the situation became painfully clear to those who didn't panic and got to the store late: You have no toilet paper and you're not going to any time soon.

However, if prices had been allowed to rise, a number of effects would have taken place that would have coordinated the behavior of everyone so that valuable resources would not have been wasted or hoarded, and everyone could have had access to what they needed.

On the demand side, if prices had been allowed to rise, people would have begun to self-ration. You might leave those extra plies on the roll next time if you know they will cost ten times as much to replace. Or, you might choose to clean up a spill with a rag rather than disposable tissue. Most importantly, you won't hoard as much. That 50th bottle of hand sanitizer might just not be worth it at the new, high price. You'll leave it on the shelf for someone else who may have none.

On the supply side, higher prices would have incentivized people to offer up more of their stockpiles for sale. If you have a pallet full of toilet paper in your basement and all of the sudden they are worth $15 per roll, you might just list a few online. But, if it is illegal to do so, you probably won't.

Imagine you run a business installing insulation and have a few thousand respirator masks on hand for your employees. During a pandemic, it is much more important that people breathe filtered air than that insulation get installed, and that fact is reflected in higher prices. You will sell your extra masks at the higher price rather than store them for future insulation jobs, and the scarce resource will be put to its most important use.

Producers of hand sanitizer would go into overdrive if prices were allowed to rise. They would pay their employees overtime, hire new ones, and pay a premium for their supplies, making sure their raw materials don't go to less important uses.

These kinds of coordinated actions all across the economy would be impossible without real prices to guide them. How do you know if it makes sense to spend an extra $10k bringing a thousand masks to market unless you know you can get more than $10 per mask? If the price is kept artificially low, you simply can't do it. The money just isn't there.

These are the immediate effects of a price change, but incredibly, price changes also coordinate people's actions across space and time.

Across space, there are different supply and demand conditions in different places, and thus prices are not uniform. We know some places are real "hot spots" for the virus, while others are mostly unaffected. High demand in the hot spots leads to higher prices there, which attracts more of the resource to those areas. Boxes and boxes of essential items would pour in where they are needed most from where they are needed least, but only if prices were allowed to adjust freely.

This would be accomplished by individuals and businesses buying low in the unaffected areas, selling high in the hot spots and subtracting their labor and transportation costs from the difference. Producers of new supply would know exactly where it is most needed and ship to the high-demand, high-price areas first. The effect of these actions is to increase prices in the low demand areas and reduce them in the high demand areas. People in the low demand areas will start to self-ration more, reflecting the reality of their neighbors, and people in the hotspots will get some relief.

However, by artificially suppressing prices in the hot spot, people there will simply buy up the available supply and run out, and it will be cost prohibitive to bring in new supply from low-demand areas.

Prices coordinate economic actions across time as well. Just as entrepreneurs and businesses can profit by transporting scarce necessities from low-demand to high-demand areas, they can also profit by buying in low-demand times and storing their merchandise for when it is needed most.

Just as allowing prices to freely adjust in one area relative to another will send all the right signals for the optimal use of a scarce resource, allowing prices to freely adjust over time will do the same.

When an entrepreneur buys up resources during low-demand times in anticipation of a crisis, she restricts supply ahead of the crisis, which leads to a price increase. She effectively bids up the price. The change in price affects consumers and producers in all the ways mentioned above. Consumers self-ration more, and producers bring more of the resource to market.

Our entrepreneur has done a truly incredible thing. She has predicted the future, and by so doing has caused every individual in the economy to prepare for a shortage they don't even know is coming! And, by discouraging consumption and encouraging production ahead of time, she blunts the impact the crisis will have. There will be more of the resource to go around when it is needed most.

On top of this, our entrepreneur still has her stockpile she saved back when everyone else was blithely using it up. She can now further mitigate the damage of the crisis by selling her stock during the worst of it, when people are most desperate for relief. She will know when this is because the price will tell her, but only if it is allowed to adjust freely. When the price is at its highest is when people need the resource the most, and those willing to pay will not waste it or hoard it. They will put it to its highest valued use.

The economy is like a big bus we are all riding in, going down a road with many twists and turns. Just as it is difficult to see into the future, it is difficult to see out the bus windows at the road ahead.

On the dashboard, we don't have a speedometer or fuel gauge. Instead we have all the prices for everything in the economy. Prices are what tell us the condition of the bus and the road. They tell us everything. Without them, we are blind.

Good times are a smooth road. Consumer prices and interest rates are low, investment returns are steady. We hit the gas and go fast. But, the road is not always straight and smooth. Sometimes there are sharp turns and rough patches. Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who can see what is coming better than everyone else. They are our navigators.

When they buy up scarce resources ahead of a crisis, they are hitting the brakes and slowing us down. When they divert resources from one area to another, they are steering us onto a smoother path. By their actions in the market, they adjust the prices on our dashboard to reflect the conditions of the road ahead, so we can prepare for, navigate and get through the inevitable difficulties we will face.

Interfering with the dashboard by imposing price floors or price caps doesn't change the conditions of the road (the number of toilet paper rolls in existence hasn't changed). All it does is distort our perception of those conditions. We think the road is still smooth--our heavy foot stomping the gas--as we crash onto a rocky dirt road at 80 miles per hour (empty shelves at the store for weeks on end).

Supply, demand and prices are laws of nature. All of this is just how things work. It isn't right or wrong in a moral sense. Price caps lead to waste, shortages and hoarding as surely as water flows downhill. The opposite--allowing prices to adjust freely--leads to conservation of scarce resources and their being put to their highest valued use. And yes, it leads to profits for the entrepreneurs who were able to correctly predict future conditions, and losses for those who weren't.

Is it fair that they should collect these profits? On the one hand, anyone could have stocked up on toilet paper, hand sanitizer and face masks at any time before the crisis, so we all had a fair chance to get the supplies cheaply. On the other hand, it just feels wrong that some should profit so much at a time when there is so much need.

Our instinct in the moment is to see the entrepreneur as a villain, greedy "price gouger". But we don't see the long chain of economic consequences the led to the situation we feel is unfair.

If it weren't for anti-price-gouging laws, the major retailers would have raised their prices long before the crisis became acute. When they saw demand outstrip supply, they would have raised prices, not by 100 fold, but gradually and long before anyone knew how serious things would have become. Late comers would have had to pay more, but at least there would be something left on the shelf.

As an entrepreneur, why take risks trying to anticipate the future if you can't reap the reward when you are right? Instead of letting instead of letting entrepreneurs--our navigators--guide us, we are punishing and vilifying them, trying to force prices to reflect a reality that simply doesn't exist.

In a crisis, more than any other time, prices must be allowed to fluctuate. To do otherwise is to blind ourselves at a time when danger and uncertainty abound. It is economic suicide.

In a crisis, there is great need, and the way to meet that need is not by pretending it's not there, by forcing prices to reflect a world where there isn't need. They way to meet the need is the same it has always been, through charity.

If the people in government want to help, the best way for the to do so is to be charitable and reduce their taxes and fees as much as possible, ideally to zero in a time of crisis. Amazon, for example, could instantly reduce the price of all crisis related necessities by 20% if they waived their fee. This would allow for more uses by more people of these scarce supplies as hoarders release their stockpiles on to the market, knowing they can get 20% more for their stock. Governments could reduce or eliminate their tax burden on high-demand, crisis-related items and all the factors that go into their production, with the same effect: a reduction in prices and expansion of supply. All of us, including the successful entrepreneurs and the wealthy for whom high prices are not a great burden, could donate to relief efforts.

These ideas are not new or untested. This is core micro economics. It has been taught for hundreds of years in universities the world over. The fact that every crisis that comes along stirs up ire against entrepreneurs indicates not that the economics is wrong, but that we have a strong visceral reaction against what we perceive to be unfairness. This is as it should be. Unfairness is wrong and the anger it stirs in us should compel us to right the wrong. Our anger itself isn't wrong, it's just misplaced.

Entrepreneurs didn't cause the prices to rise. Our reaction to a virus did that. We saw a serious threat and an uncertain future and followed our natural impulse to hoard. Because prices at major retail suppliers didn't rise, that impulse ran rampant and we cleared the shelves until there was nothing left. We ran the bus right off the road and them blamed the entrepreneurs for showing us the reality of our situation, for shaking us out of the fantasy of low prices.

All of this is not to say that entrepreneurs are high-minded public servants. They are just doing their job. Staking your money on an uncertain future is a risky business. There are big risks and big rewards. Most entrepreneurs just scrape by or lose their capital in failed ventures.

However, the ones that get it right must be allowed to keep their profits, or else no one will try and we'll all be driving blind. We need our navigators. It doesn't even matter if they know all the positive effects they are having on the rest of us and the economy as a whole. So long as they are buying low and selling high--so long as they are doing their job--they will be guiding the rest of us through the good times and the bad, down the open road and through the rough spots.

@ 42342239:1d80db24

Almost 150 years ago, the British newspaper editor William Thomas Stead wrote that "the editorial pen is a sceptre of power, compared with which the sceptre of many a monarch is but a gilded lath". He had begun to regard journalism as something more than just conveying information - the journalist or editor could become a ruler.

Times had certainly changed compared to a few hundred years earlier. Before Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, it was mainly the church that controlled the dissemination of information in Europe, but when Stead put pen to paper, this control had shifted to newspapers, schools, and universities. Eventually, technologies like radio and TV entered the scene, but the power dynamics remained asymmetrical - only a few could send information to the many.

However, with the emergence of the internet, and especially with the spread of social media, a significant change followed. Instead of only a few being able to send information to the many, many could send to many. Almost anyone could now create their own newspaper, radio, or TV channel. The power over information dissemination was decentralised.

Ten years ago, Roberta Alenius, who was then press secretary for Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of the Moderate Party, shared her experiences with Social Democratic and Moderate Party internet activists on social media. She reported that social media played a significant role in how news "comes out" and is shaped, and that journalism was now downstream of social media. Five years later, NATO's then-Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that "NATO must be prepared for both conventional and hybrid threats: from tanks to tweets." This finally underscores the importance of social media.

Elon Musk, who took over X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, has claimed that "it's absolutely fundamental and transformative that the people actually get to decide the news and narrative and what's important," and that citizen journalism is the future.

While his platform allows most expressions - for better or worse - the reach of messages is instead limited ("freedom of speech does not mean freedom of reach "). X has also opened its recommendation algorithm to the outside world by making it open-source. Although this is a welcome step, the fact remains that it's impossible to know which code is actually used and what adjustments are made by humans or algorithms.

William Thomas Stead's "sceptre of power", which has wandered from the church to newspaper and TV editorial offices, and now to citizens according to Elon Musk, risks being transferred to algorithms' opaque methods?

Instead of talking about "toxic algorithms" and TikTok bans, like the so many do today, we should ask ourselves more fundamental questions. What happens when algorithms are no longer objective (how can they ever be?), but instead become tools for shaping our reality? Perhaps our greatest challenge today is not deciding who should govern the information landscape, but instead recognising that no one is up to the task - not even well-ventilated computers.

@ e97aaffa:2ebd765d

Último dia do ano, momento para tirar o pó da bola de cristal, para fazer reflexões, previsões e desejos para o próximo ano e seguintes.

Ano após ano, o Bitcoin evoluiu, foi ultrapassando etapas, tornou-se cada vez mais mainstream. Está cada vez mais difícil fazer previsões sobre o Bitcoin, já faltam poucas barreiras a serem ultrapassadas e as que faltam são altamente complexas ou tem um impacto profundo no sistema financeiro ou na sociedade. Estas alterações profundas tem que ser realizadas lentamente, porque uma alteração rápida poderia resultar em consequências terríveis, poderia provocar um retrocesso.

Código do Bitcoin

No final de 2025, possivelmente vamos ter um fork, as discussões sobre os covenants já estão avançadas, vão acelerar ainda mais. Já existe um consenso relativamente alto, a favor dos covenants, só falta decidir que modelo será escolhido. Penso que até ao final do ano será tudo decidido.

Depois dos covenants, o próximo foco será para a criptografia post-quantum, que será o maior desafio que o Bitcoin enfrenta. Criar uma criptografia segura e que não coloque a descentralização em causa.

Espero muito de Ark, possivelmente a inovação do ano, gostaria de ver o Nostr a furar a bolha bitcoinheira e que o Cashu tivesse mais reconhecimento pelos bitcoiners.

Espero que surjam avanços significativos no BitVM2 e BitVMX.

Não sei o que esperar das layer 2 de Bitcoin, foram a maior desilusão de 2024. Surgiram com muita força, mas pouca coisa saiu do papel, foi uma mão cheia de nada. Uma parte dos projetos caiu na tentação da shitcoinagem, na criação de tokens, que tem um único objetivo, enriquecer os devs e os VCs.

Se querem ser levados a sério, têm que ser sérios.

“À mulher de César não basta ser honesta, deve parecer honesta”

Se querem ter o apoio dos bitcoiners, sigam o ethos do Bitcoin.

Neste ponto a atitude do pessoal da Ark é exemplar, em vez de andar a chorar no Twitter para mudar o código do Bitcoin, eles colocaram as mãos na massa e criaram o protocolo. É claro que agora está meio “coxo”, funciona com uma multisig ou com os covenants na Liquid. Mas eles estão a criar um produto, vão demonstrar ao mercado que o produto é bom e útil. Com a adoção, a comunidade vai perceber que o Ark necessita dos covenants para melhorar a interoperabilidade e a soberania.

É este o pensamento certo, que deveria ser seguido pelos restantes e futuros projetos. É seguir aquele pensamento do J.F. Kennedy:

“Não perguntem o que é que o vosso país pode fazer por vocês, perguntem o que é que vocês podem fazer pelo vosso país”

Ou seja, não fiquem à espera que o bitcoin mude, criem primeiro as inovações/tecnologia, ganhem adoção e depois demonstrem que a alteração do código camada base pode melhorar ainda mais o vosso projeto. A necessidade é que vai levar a atualização do código.

Reservas Estratégicas de Bitcoin

Bancos centrais

Com a eleição de Trump, emergiu a ideia de uma Reserva Estratégia de Bitcoin, tornou este conceito mainstream. Foi um pivot, a partir desse momento, foram enumerados os políticos de todo o mundo a falar sobre o assunto.

A Senadora Cynthia Lummis foi mais além e propôs um programa para adicionar 200 mil bitcoins à reserva ao ano, até 1 milhão de Bitcoin. Só que isto está a criar uma enorme expectativa na comunidade, só que pode resultar numa enorme desilusão. Porque no primeiro ano, o Trump em vez de comprar os 200 mil, pode apenas adicionar na reserva, os 198 mil que o Estado já tem em sua posse. Se isto acontecer, possivelmente vai resultar numa forte queda a curto prazo. Na minha opinião os bancos centrais deveriam seguir o exemplo de El Salvador, fazer um DCA diário.

Mais que comprar bitcoin, para mim, o mais importante é a criação da Reserva, é colocar o Bitcoin ao mesmo nível do ouro, o impacto para o resto do mundo será tremendo, a teoria dos jogos na sua plenitude. Muitos outros bancos centrais vão ter que comprar, para não ficarem atrás, além disso, vai transmitir uma mensagem à generalidade da população, que o Bitcoin é “afinal é algo seguro, com valor”.

Mas não foi Trump que iniciou esta teoria dos jogos, mas sim foi a primeira vítima dela. É o próprio Trump que o admite, que os EUA necessitam da reserva para não ficar atrás da China. Além disso, desde que os EUA utilizaram o dólar como uma arma, com sanção contra a Rússia, surgiram boatos de que a Rússia estaria a utilizar o Bitcoin para transações internacionais. Que foram confirmados recentemente, pelo próprio governo russo. Também há poucos dias, ainda antes deste reconhecimento público, Putin elogiou o Bitcoin, ao reconhecer que “Ninguém pode proibir o bitcoin”, defendendo como uma alternativa ao dólar. A narrativa está a mudar.

Já existem alguns países com Bitcoin, mas apenas dois o fizeram conscientemente (El Salvador e Butão), os restantes têm devido a apreensões. Hoje são poucos, mas 2025 será o início de uma corrida pelos bancos centrais. Esta corrida era algo previsível, o que eu não esperava é que acontecesse tão rápido.

Empresas

A criação de reservas estratégicas não vai ficar apenas pelos bancos centrais, também vai acelerar fortemente nas empresas em 2025.

Mas as empresas não vão seguir a estratégia do Saylor, vão comprar bitcoin sem alavancagem, utilizando apenas os tesouros das empresas, como uma proteção contra a inflação. Eu não sou grande admirador do Saylor, prefiro muito mais, uma estratégia conservadora, sem qualquer alavancagem. Penso que as empresas vão seguir a sugestão da BlackRock, que aconselha um alocações de 1% a 3%.

Penso que 2025, ainda não será o ano da entrada das 6 magníficas (excepto Tesla), será sobretudo empresas de pequena e média dimensão. As magníficas ainda tem uma cota muito elevada de shareholders com alguma idade, bastante conservadores, que têm dificuldade em compreender o Bitcoin, foi o que aconteceu recentemente com a Microsoft.

Também ainda não será em 2025, talvez 2026, a inclusão nativamente de wallet Bitcoin nos sistema da Apple Pay e da Google Pay. Seria um passo gigante para a adoção a nível mundial.

ETFs

Os ETFs para mim são uma incógnita, tenho demasiadas dúvidas, como será 2025. Este ano os inflows foram superiores a 500 mil bitcoins, o IBIT foi o lançamento de ETF mais bem sucedido da história. O sucesso dos ETFs, deve-se a 2 situações que nunca mais se vão repetir. O mercado esteve 10 anos à espera pela aprovação dos ETFs, a procura estava reprimida, isso foi bem notório nos primeiros meses, os inflows foram brutais.

Também se beneficiou por ser um mercado novo, não existia orderbook de vendas, não existia um mercado interno, praticamente era só inflows. Agora o mercado já estabilizou, a maioria das transações já são entre clientes dos próprios ETFs. Agora só uma pequena percentagem do volume das transações diárias vai resultar em inflows ou outflows.

Estes dois fenómenos nunca mais se vão repetir, eu não acredito que o número de inflows em BTC supere os número de 2024, em dólares vai superar, mas em btc não acredito que vá superar.

Mas em 2025 vão surgir uma infindável quantidade de novos produtos, derivativos, novos ETFs de cestos com outras criptos ou cestos com ativos tradicionais. O bitcoin será adicionado em produtos financeiros já existentes no mercado, as pessoas vão passar a deter bitcoin, sem o saberem.

Com o fim da operação ChokePoint 2.0, vai surgir uma nova onda de adoção e de produtos financeiros. Possivelmente vamos ver bancos tradicionais a disponibilizar produtos ou serviços de custódia aos seus clientes.

Eu adoraria ver o crescimento da adoção do bitcoin como moeda, só que a regulamentação não vai ajudar nesse processo.

Preço

Eu acredito que o topo deste ciclo será alcançado no primeiro semestre, posteriormente haverá uma correção. Mas desta vez, eu acredito que a correção será muito menor que as anteriores, inferior a 50%, esta é a minha expectativa. Espero estar certo.

Stablecoins de dólar

Agora saindo um pouco do universo do Bitcoin, acho importante destacar as stablecoins.

No último ciclo, eu tenho dividido o tempo, entre continuar a estudar o Bitcoin e estudar o sistema financeiro, as suas dinâmicas e o comportamento humano. Isto tem sido o meu foco de reflexão, imaginar a transformação que o mundo vai sofrer devido ao padrão Bitcoin. É uma ilusão acreditar que a transição de um padrão FIAT para um padrão Bitcoin vai ser rápida, vai existir um processo transitório que pode demorar décadas.

Com a re-entrada de Trump na Casa Branca, prometendo uma política altamente protecionista, vai provocar uma forte valorização do dólar, consequentemente as restantes moedas do mundo vão derreter. Provocando uma inflação generalizada, gerando uma corrida às stablecoins de dólar nos países com moedas mais fracas. Trump vai ter uma política altamente expansionista, vai exportar dólares para todo o mundo, para financiar a sua própria dívida. A desigualdade entre os pobres e ricos irá crescer fortemente, aumentando a possibilidade de conflitos e revoltas.

“Casa onde não há pão, todos ralham e ninguém tem razão”

Será mais lenha, para alimentar a fogueira, vai gravar os conflitos geopolíticos já existentes, ficando as sociedade ainda mais polarizadas.

Eu acredito que 2025, vai haver um forte crescimento na adoção das stablecoins de dólares, esse forte crescimento vai agravar o problema sistémico que são as stablecoins. Vai ser o início do fim das stablecoins, pelo menos, como nós conhecemos hoje em dia.

Problema sistémico

O sistema FIAT não nasceu de um dia para outro, foi algo que foi construído organicamente, ou seja, foi evoluindo ao longo dos anos, sempre que havia um problema/crise, eram criadas novas regras ou novas instituições para minimizar os problemas. Nestes quase 100 anos, desde os acordos de Bretton Woods, a evolução foram tantas, tornaram o sistema financeiro altamente complexo, burocrático e nada eficiente.

Na prática é um castelo de cartas construído sobre outro castelo de cartas e que por sua vez, foi construído sobre outro castelo de cartas.

As stablecoins são um problema sistémico, devido às suas reservas em dólares e o sistema financeiro não está preparado para manter isso seguro. Com o crescimento das reservas ao longo dos anos, foi se agravando o problema.

No início a Tether colocava as reservas em bancos comerciais, mas com o crescimento dos dólares sob gestão, criou um problema nos bancos comerciais, devido à reserva fracionária. Essas enormes reservas da Tether estavam a colocar em risco a própria estabilidade dos bancos.

A Tether acabou por mudar de estratégia, optou por outros ativos, preferencialmente por títulos do tesouro/obrigações dos EUA. Só que a Tether continua a crescer e não dá sinais de abrandamento, pelo contrário.

Até o próprio mundo cripto, menosprezava a gravidade do problema da Tether/stablecoins para o resto do sistema financeiro, porque o marketcap do cripto ainda é muito pequeno. É verdade que ainda é pequeno, mas a Tether não o é, está no top 20 dos maiores detentores de títulos do tesouros dos EUA e está ao nível dos maiores bancos centrais do mundo. Devido ao seu tamanho, está a preocupar os responsáveis/autoridades/reguladores dos EUA, pode colocar em causa a estabilidade do sistema financeiro global, que está assente nessas obrigações.

Os títulos do tesouro dos EUA são o colateral mais utilizado no mundo, tanto por bancos centrais, como por empresas, é a charneira da estabilidade do sistema financeiro. Os títulos do tesouro são um assunto muito sensível. Na recente crise no Japão, do carry trade, o Banco Central do Japão tentou minimizar a desvalorização do iene através da venda de títulos dos EUA. Esta operação, obrigou a uma viagem de emergência, da Secretaria do Tesouro dos EUA, Janet Yellen ao Japão, onde disponibilizou liquidez para parar a venda de títulos por parte do Banco Central do Japão. Essa forte venda estava desestabilizando o mercado.

Os principais detentores de títulos do tesouros são institucionais, bancos centrais, bancos comerciais, fundo de investimento e gestoras, tudo administrado por gestores altamente qualificados, racionais e que conhecem a complexidade do mercado de obrigações.

O mundo cripto é seu oposto, é naife com muita irracionalidade e uma forte pitada de loucura, na sua maioria nem faz a mínima ideia como funciona o sistema financeiro. Essa irracionalidade pode levar a uma “corrida bancária”, como aconteceu com o UST da Luna, que em poucas horas colapsou o projeto. Em termos de escala, a Luna ainda era muito pequena, por isso, o problema ficou circunscrito ao mundo cripto e a empresas ligadas diretamente ao cripto.

Só que a Tether é muito diferente, caso exista algum FUD, que obrigue a Tether a desfazer-se de vários biliões ou dezenas de biliões de dólares em títulos num curto espaço de tempo, poderia provocar consequências terríveis em todo o sistema financeiro. A Tether é grande demais, é já um problema sistémico, que vai agravar-se com o crescimento em 2025.

Não tenham dúvidas, se existir algum problema, o Tesouro dos EUA vai impedir a venda dos títulos que a Tether tem em sua posse, para salvar o sistema financeiro. O problema é, o que vai fazer a Tether, se ficar sem acesso às venda das reservas, como fará o redeem dos dólares?

Como o crescimento do Tether é inevitável, o Tesouro e o FED estão com um grande problema em mãos, o que fazer com o Tether?

Mas o problema é que o atual sistema financeiro é como um curto cobertor: Quanto tapas a cabeça, destapas os pés; Ou quando tapas os pés, destapas a cabeça. Ou seja, para resolver o problema da guarda reservas da Tether, vai criar novos problemas, em outros locais do sistema financeiro e assim sucessivamente.

Conta mestre

Uma possível solução seria dar uma conta mestre à Tether, dando o acesso direto a uma conta no FED, semelhante à que todos os bancos comerciais têm. Com isto, a Tether deixaria de necessitar os títulos do tesouro, depositando o dinheiro diretamente no banco central. Só que isto iria criar dois novos problemas, com o Custodia Bank e com o restante sistema bancário.

O Custodia Bank luta há vários anos contra o FED, nos tribunais pelo direito a ter licença bancária para um banco com full-reserves. O FED recusou sempre esse direito, com a justificativa que esse banco, colocaria em risco toda a estabilidade do sistema bancário existente, ou seja, todos os outros bancos poderiam colapsar. Perante a existência em simultâneo de bancos com reserva fracionária e com full-reserves, as pessoas e empresas iriam optar pelo mais seguro. Isso iria provocar uma corrida bancária, levando ao colapso de todos os bancos com reserva fracionária, porque no Custodia Bank, os fundos dos clientes estão 100% garantidos, para qualquer valor. Deixaria de ser necessário limites de fundos de Garantia de Depósitos.

Eu concordo com o FED nesse ponto, que os bancos com full-reserves são uma ameaça a existência dos restantes bancos. O que eu discordo do FED, é a origem do problema, o problema não está nos bancos full-reserves, mas sim nos que têm reserva fracionária.

O FED ao conceder uma conta mestre ao Tether, abre um precedente, o Custodia Bank irá o aproveitar, reclamando pela igualdade de direitos nos tribunais e desta vez, possivelmente ganhará a sua licença.

Ainda há um segundo problema, com os restantes bancos comerciais. A Tether passaria a ter direitos similares aos bancos comerciais, mas os deveres seriam muito diferentes. Isto levaria os bancos comerciais aos tribunais para exigir igualdade de tratamento, é uma concorrência desleal. Isto é o bom dos tribunais dos EUA, são independentes e funcionam, mesmo contra o estado. Os bancos comerciais têm custos exorbitantes devido às políticas de compliance, como o KYC e AML. Como o governo não vai querer aliviar as regras, logo seria a Tether, a ser obrigada a fazer o compliance dos seus clientes.

A obrigação do KYC para ter stablecoins iriam provocar um terramoto no mundo cripto.

Assim, é pouco provável que seja a solução para a Tether.

FED

Só resta uma hipótese, ser o próprio FED a controlar e a gerir diretamente as stablecoins de dólar, nacionalizado ou absorvendo as existentes. Seria uma espécie de CBDC. Isto iria provocar um novo problema, um problema diplomático, porque as stablecoins estão a colocar em causa a soberania monetária dos outros países. Atualmente as stablecoins estão um pouco protegidas porque vivem num limbo jurídico, mas a partir do momento que estas são controladas pelo governo americano, tudo muda. Os países vão exigir às autoridades americanas medidas que limitem o uso nos seus respectivos países.

Não existe uma solução boa, o sistema FIAT é um castelo de cartas, qualquer carta que se mova, vai provocar um desmoronamento noutro local. As autoridades não poderão adiar mais o problema, terão que o resolver de vez, senão, qualquer dia será tarde demais. Se houver algum problema, vão colocar a responsabilidade no cripto e no Bitcoin. Mas a verdade, a culpa é inteiramente dos políticos, da sua incompetência em resolver os problemas a tempo.

Será algo para acompanhar futuramente, mas só para 2026, talvez…

É curioso, há uns anos pensava-se que o Bitcoin seria a maior ameaça ao sistema ao FIAT, mas afinal, a maior ameaça aos sistema FIAT é o próprio FIAT(stablecoins). A ironia do destino.

Isto é como uma corrida, o Bitcoin é aquele atleta que corre ao seu ritmo, umas vezes mais rápido, outras vezes mais lento, mas nunca pára. O FIAT é o atleta que dá tudo desde da partida, corre sempre em velocidade máxima. Só que a vida e o sistema financeiro não é uma prova de 100 metros, mas sim uma maratona.

Europa

2025 será um ano desafiante para todos europeus, sobretudo devido à entrada em vigor da regulamentação (MiCA). Vão começar a sentir na pele a regulamentação, vão agravar-se os problemas com os compliance, problemas para comprovar a origem de fundos e outras burocracias. Vai ser lindo.

O Travel Route passa a ser obrigatório, os europeus serão obrigados a fazer o KYC nas transações. A Travel Route é uma suposta lei para criar mais transparência, mas prática, é uma lei de controle, de monitorização e para limitar as liberdades individuais dos cidadãos.

O MiCA também está a colocar problemas nas stablecoins de Euro, a Tether para já preferiu ficar de fora da europa. O mais ridículo é que as novas regras obrigam os emissores a colocar 30% das reservas em bancos comerciais. Os burocratas europeus não compreendem que isto coloca em risco a estabilidade e a solvência dos próprios bancos, ficam propensos a corridas bancárias.

O MiCA vai obrigar a todas as exchanges a estar registadas em solo europeu, ficando vulnerável ao temperamento dos burocratas. Ainda não vai ser em 2025, mas a UE vai impor políticas de controle de capitais, é inevitável, as exchanges serão obrigadas a usar em exclusividade stablecoins de euro, as restantes stablecoins serão deslistadas.

Todas estas novas regras do MiCA, são extremamente restritas, não é para garantir mais segurança aos cidadãos europeus, mas sim para garantir mais controle sobre a população. A UE está cada vez mais perto da autocracia, do que da democracia. A minha única esperança no horizonte, é que o sucesso das políticas cripto nos EUA, vai obrigar a UE a recuar e a aligeirar as regras, a teoria dos jogos é implacável. Mas esse recuo, nunca acontecerá em 2025, vai ser um longo período conturbado.

Recessão

Os mercados estão todos em máximos históricos, isto não é sustentável por muito tempo, suspeito que no final de 2025 vai acontecer alguma correção nos mercados. A queda só não será maior, porque os bancos centrais vão imprimir dinheiro, muito dinheiro, como se não houvesse amanhã. Vão voltar a resolver os problemas com a injeção de liquidez na economia, é empurrar os problemas com a barriga, em de os resolver. Outra vez o efeito Cantillon.

Será um ano muito desafiante a nível político, onde o papel dos políticos será fundamental. A crise política na França e na Alemanha, coloca a UE órfã, sem um comandante ao leme do navio. 2025 estará condicionado pelas eleições na Alemanha, sobretudo no resultado do AfD, que podem colocar em causa a propriedade UE e o euro.

Possivelmente, só o fim da guerra poderia minimizar a crise, algo que é muito pouco provável acontecer.

Em Portugal, a economia parece que está mais ou menos equilibrada, mas começam a aparecer alguns sinais preocupantes. Os jogos de sorte e azar estão em máximos históricos, batendo o recorde de 2014, época da grande crise, não é um bom sinal, possivelmente já existe algum desespero no ar.

A Alemanha é o motor da Europa, quanto espirra, Portugal constipa-se. Além do problema da Alemanha, a Espanha também está à beira de uma crise, são os países que mais influenciam a economia portuguesa.

Se existir uma recessão mundial, terá um forte impacto no turismo, que é hoje em dia o principal motor de Portugal.

Brasil

Brasil é algo para acompanhar em 2025, sobretudo a nível macro e a nível político. Existe uma possibilidade de uma profunda crise no Brasil, sobretudo na sua moeda. O banco central já anda a queimar as reservas para minimizar a desvalorização do Real.

Sem mudanças profundas nas políticas fiscais, as reservas vão se esgotar. As políticas de controle de capitais são um cenário plausível, será interesse de acompanhar, como o governo irá proceder perante a existência do Bitcoin e stablecoins. No Brasil existe um forte adoção, será um bom case study, certamente irá repetir-se em outros países num futuro próximo.

Os próximos tempos não serão fáceis para os brasileiros, especialmente para os que não têm Bitcoin.

Blockchain

Em 2025, possivelmente vamos ver os primeiros passos da BlackRock para criar a primeira bolsa de valores, exclusivamente em blockchain. Eu acredito que a BlackRock vai criar uma própria blockchain, toda controlada por si, onde estarão os RWAs, para fazer concorrência às tradicionais bolsas de valores. Será algo interessante de acompanhar.

---

Estas são as minhas previsões, eu escrevi isto muito em cima do joelho, certamente esqueci-me de algumas coisas, se for importante acrescentarei nos comentários. A maioria das previsões só acontecerá após 2025, mas fica aqui a minha opinião.

Isto é apenas a minha opinião, Don’t Trust, Verify!

@ 318ebaba:9a262eae

Heute soll es funktionieren

@ e111a405:fa441558

OpenAI released its new o3 models and numerous people argue that this is in fact Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – in other words, an AI system that is on par with human intelligence. Even if o3 is not yet AGI, the emphasis now lies on “yet,” and – considering the exponential progression – we can expect AGI to arrive within months or maximum one to two years.

According to OpenAI, it only took 3 months to go from the o1 model to the o3 model. This is a 4x+ acceleration relative to previous progress. If this speed of AI advancement is maintained, it means that by the end of 2025 we will be as much ahead of o3 as o3 is ahead of GPT-3 (released in May 2020). And, after achieving AGI, the self-reinforcing feedback loop will only further accelerate exponential improvements of these AI systems.

But, most anti-intuitively, even after we have achieved AGI, it will for quite some time look as if nothing has happened. You won’t feel any change and your job and business will feel safe and untouchable. Big fallacy. We can expect that after AGI it will take many months of not 1-2 years for the real transformations to happen. Why? Because AGI in and of itself does not release value into the economy. It will be much more important to apply it. But as AGI becomes cheaper, agentic, and embedded into the world, we will see a transformation-explosion – replacing those businesses and jobs that are unprepared.

I thought a lot about the impact the announced – and soon to be released – o3 model, and the first AGI model are going to have.

To make it short: I am extremely confident that any skill or process that can be digitized will be. As a result, the majority of white-collar and skilled jobs are on track for massive disruption or elimination.

Furthermore, I think many experts and think tanks are fooling themselves by believing that humans will maintain “some edge” and work peacefully side-by-side with an AI system. I don’t think AGI will augment knowledge workers – i.e. anyone working with language, code, numbers, or any kind of specialized software – it will replace them!

So, if your job or business relies purely on standardized cognitive tasks, you are racing toward the cliff’s edge, and it is time to pivot now!

Let’s start with the worst. Businesses and jobs in which you should pivot immediately – or at least not enter as of today – include but are not limited to anything that involves sitting at a computer:

• anything with data entry or data processing (run as fast as you can!)
• anything that involves writing (copywriting, technical writing,
• editing, proofreading, translation)
• most coding and web development
• SAAS (won’t exist in a couple of years)
• banking (disrupted squared: AGI + Blockchain)
• accounting and auditing (won’t exist as a job in 5-10 years)
• insurance (will be disrupted)
• law (excluding high-stake litigation, negotiation, courtroom advocacy)
• any generic design, music, and video creation (graphic design, stock photography, stock videos)
• market and investment research and analysis (AI will take over 100%)
• trading, both quantitative and qualitative (don’t exit but profit now, but expect to be disrupted within 5 years)
• any middle-layer-management (project and product management)
• medical diagnostics (will be 100% AI within 5 years)
• most standardized professional / consulting services

However, I believe that in high-stakes domains (health, finance, governance), regulators and the public will demand a “human sign-off”. So if you are in accounting, auditing, law, or finance I’d recommend pivoting to a business model where the ability to anchor trust becomes a revenue source.

The question is, where should you pivot to or what business to start in 2025?

My First Principles of a Post-AGI Business Model

First, even as AI becomes infallible, human beings will still crave real, raw, direct trust relationships. People form bonds around shared experiences, especially offline ones. I believe a truly future-proof venture leverages these primal instincts that machines can never replicate at a deeply visceral level. Nevertheless, I believe it is a big mistake to assume that humans will “naturally” stick together just because we are the same species. AGI might quickly appear more reliable, less selfish than most human beings, and have emotional intelligence. So a business build upon the thesis of the “human advantage” must expertly harness and establish emotional ties, tribal belonging, and shared experiences – all intangible values that are far more delicate and complex than logic.

First Principle: Operate in the Physical World

If your product or service can be fully digitalized and delivered via the cloud, AGI can replicate it with near-zero marginal cost Infuse strategic real-world constraints (logistics, location-specific interactions, physical limitations, direct relationships) that create friction and scarcity – where AI alone will struggle

Second Principle: Create Hyper Niche Human Experiences

• The broader audience, the easier it is for AI to dominate. Instead, cultivate specialized groups and subcultures with strong in-person and highly personalized experiences.
• Offer creative or spiritual elements that defy pure rational patterns and thus remain less formulaic

Third Principle: Emphasize Adaptive, Micro-Scale Partnerships

• Align with small, local, or specialized stakeholders. Use alliances with artisan suppliers, local talents, subject-matter experts, and so on.
• Avoid single points of failure; build a decentralized network that is hard for a single AI to replicate or disrupt

Fourth Principle: Embed Extreme Flexibility

• Structured, hierarchical organizations are easily out-iterated by AI that can reorganize and optimize instantly
• Cultivate fluid teams with quickly reconfigurable structures, use agile, project based collaboration that can pivot as soon AGI-based competition arises

Opportunity Vectors

With all of that in mind, there are niches that before looked unattractive, because less scalable, that today offer massive opportunities – let’s call them opportunity vectors.

The first opportunity vector I have already touched upon:

Trust and Validation Services: Humans verifying or certifying that a certain AI outcome is ethically or legally sound – while irrational, it is exactly what humans will insist on, particularly where liability is high (medicine, finance, law, infrastructure)

Frontier Sectors with Regulatory and Ethical Friction: Think of markets where AI will accelerate R&D but human oversight, relationship management, and accountability remain essential: genetic engineering, biotech, advanced materials, quantum computing, etc.

The second opportunity vector focuses on the human edge:

• Experience & Community: Live festivals, immersive events, niche retreats, or spiritual explorations – basically any scenario in which emotional energy and a human experience is the core product - Rare Craftsmanship & Creative Quirks: Think of hyper-personalized items, physical artwork, artisanal or hands-on creations. Items that carry an inherent uniqueness or intangible meaning that an AI might replicate in design, but can’t replicate in “heritage” or provenance.

Risk Tactics

Overall, the best insurance is fostering a dynamic brand and a loyal community that invests personally and emotionally in you. People will buy from those whose values they trust. If you stand for something real, you create an emotional bond that AI can’t break. I’m not talking about superficial corporate social responsibility (nobody cares) but about authenticity that resonates on a near-spiritual level.

As you build your business, erect an ethical moat by providing “failsafe” services where your human personal liability and your brand acts as a shield for AI decisions. This creates trust and differentiation among anonymous pure-AGI play businesses.

Seek and create small, specialized, local, or digital micro-monopolies – areas too tiny or fractal for the “big AI players” to devote immediate resources to. Over time, multiply these micro-monopolies by rolling them up under one trusted brand.

Furthermore, don’t avoid AI. You cannot out-AI the AI. So as you build a business on the human edge moat, you should still harness AI to do 90% of the repetitive and analytic tasks – this frees your human capital to build human relationships, solve ambiguous problem, or invent new offerings.

Bet on What Makes Us Human

To summarize, AI is logical, combinatorial intelligence. The advancements in AI will commoditize logic and disrupt any job and business that is mainly build upon logic as capital. Human – on the other hand – is authenticity. What makes human human and your brand authentic are elements of chaos, empathy, spontaneity. In this context, human is fostering embodied, emotional, culturally contextual, physically immersive experiences. Anything that requires raw creativity, emotional intelligence, local presence, or unique personal relationships will be more AI resilient.

Therefore, a Post-AGI business must involve:

• Tangibility: Physical goods, spaces, unique craftsmanship
• Human Connection: Emotional, face-to-face, improvisational experiences
• Comprehensive Problem Solving: Complex negotiations, messy real-world situations, diverse stakeholder management

The inverse list of AGI proof industries involve some or multiple aspects of that:

Physical, In-Person, Human-Intensive Services - Healthcare: Nursing, Physical therapy, Hands-on caregiving - Skilled trades & craftsmanship

High-Level Strategy & Complex Leadership - Diplomacy, Negotiation, Trust building - Visionary entrepreneurship

Deep Emotional / Experiential Offerings - Group experiences, retreats, spiritual or therapeutic gatherings - Artistic expression that thrives on “imperfection”, physical presence, or spontaneous creativity

Infrastructure for AGI - Human-based auditing/verification - Physical data center operations & advanced hardware - Application and embedment of AI in the forms of AGI agents, algorithmic improvements, etc. to make it suitable for everyday tasks and workflow

The real differentiator is whether a business is anchored in the physical world’s complexity, emotional trust, or intangible brand relationships. Everything pure data-driven or standardized is on the chopping block – imminently.

@ 2ed3596e:98b4cc78

The Bitcoin Well Affiliate program is here! You can earn a bitcoin bonus of 21% of revenue generated from transactions every time someone you refer transacts on our platform. Bitcoin Well Affiliates can also complete bounty tasks to earn sats, such as Bitcoin Well video tutorials. The Affiliate program is our way of aligning incentives with our mission to enable independence. 

How to apply for the Bitcoin Well Affiliate program

The Affiliate program is big folks in and bitcoin or folks with a LOT of experience with bitcoin and self-custody wallets; the most important quality is a passion for orange-pilling!  

Bitcoin Well Affiliates earn more than double our referral commission (21% of revenue generated from transactions), get a custom Bitcoin Well Affiliate webpage to help you get referrals and unlock bounty tasks for bonus sats. You can apply to join the Affiliate program by clicking here.

How to earn your Bitcoin Well Referral bonus

To refer a customer to Bitcoin Well, have them sign up using your Bitcoin Well referral link, this can be found in your Bitcoin Well account under Rewards > Referrals. Your referred customers also get a sign up bonus of 1,000 Bitcoin Well. You get 500 points for each referral, too. 

Your personal referral link will be https://bitcoinwell.com/app/ref/YOUR_WELLTAG. A person can also be referred by typing in your welltag in the Referral Code field on the sign up page. 

The best part? Sats are AUTOMATICALLY paid to your designated Lightning Wallet.

Who is eligible to refer to Bitcoin Well?

The Bitcoin Well Affiliate program is available to anyone! However, our services are only available in Canada and the United States. 

The Affiliate program includes referrals to business and High Net Worth Individuals that use our OTC desk.  

How to hunt Affiliate bounty tasks and earn sats

Affiliates can hunt bounty tasks by making Bitcoin Well tutorials and uploading them to Youtube or X in exchange for sats.

Bounty tasks such as How to buy bitcoin (USA) on Bitcoin Well are a fantastic resource to generate referrals and boost traffic to your pages. Affiliate bounty tasks earn you 21,000-105,000 sats per video. \ \ Affiliate bounty tasks are only available to approved Bitcoin Well Affiliates. Read our Affiliate Bounty article for more details on submitting Affiliate bounties. 

How does the Bitcoin Well referral program work?

The Bitcoin Well Affiliate and referral programs pay you automatically for your referral’s activities.  

\ For example, today we have a 1.2% spread on standard portal transactions (buy, sell, pay bills). This means for every $100 someone spends on the platform we make $1.20, you’ll earn $0.24, automatically paid in sats. If they are using a Lite Account, with a 3% spread, you will earn $0.61 on that transaction, automatically paid in sats. 

Referral bonuses don’t have an expiration date, cause we are all in bitcoin for the long haul! 

The 21% revenue share for whales that end up purchasing through our OTC desk goes a long way, potentially in the thousands of referrals dollars per transaction. We do not place a cap on referral bonuses, so the bigger the whale, the bigger the referral bonus you earn!

How and when do I get paid?

Your referral bonuses are automatically paid out to the designated Lightning Wallet in your referral page. If you prefer, you can select a manual payout where you can withdraw your payouts at any time via LNURLw. \ \ OTC referral bonuses are processed around the middle of each month to your referral Lightning wallet.

What if I am not a fit for the Affiliate Program? Can I still earn from referrals?

Not everyone is the right fit for the Affiliate program, and that’s okay! Maintaining a far-reaching social presence is tough work. \ \ Thankfully, regular customers can still earn unlimited commissions from referrals at a 10% rate! This means for every $100 someone spends on the platform we make $1.20, you’ll earn $0.12, automatically paid in sats. The more your referrals transact, the more sats go to your Lightning wallet!

What makes Bitcoin Well different

Bitcoin Well is on a mission to enable independence. We do this by making it easy to self custody bitcoin. By custodying their own money, our customers are free to do as they wish without begging for permission. By creating a full ecosystem to buy, sell and use your bitcoin to connect with the modern financial world, you are able to have your cake and eat it too - or have your bitcoin in self custody and easily spend it too 🎂 

Create your Bitcoin Well account now →

Invest in Bitcoin Well

We are publicly traded (and love it when our customers become shareholders!) and hold ourselves to a high standard of enabling life on a Bitcoin standard. If you want to learn more about Bitcoin Well, please visit our website!

@ 9bcc5462:eb501d90

Cuneiform is mankind’s first writing system created by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia, what is now Iraq. (The word “Sumer” means land of civilized kings). Despite being developed 5,000 years ago, its parallels to Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays will blow your mind! The most striking is how both breakthroughs materialized from the fundamental need to track value exchange–from primal grain tallies to now exchanging bitcoin.

Let’s begin with the fact that the styluses used by these archaic scribes were crafted from reed plants. Their stems were strong because of attachment points called nodes! These were the resilient, ring-like parts of the stem that joined it together with the rest of the plant. Similarly, although symbolically, lightning nodes are powerful on nostr since they allow us to zap each other with sats. An approach stemming from the need to modernize how we interact on social media, trade in networks and conduct business—It’s not surprising cuneiform came about as a way for merchants and farmers to track economic transactions and agricultural inventories!

Another parallel involves how both share everlasting marks. The Sumerians used their styluses to press wedge-like symbols onto wet tablets. They then would bake them in the sun, leaving a permanent record of the documentation. If an error was made, it could not be changed. Likewise, on nostr there is no delete function. Once you publish a note, including any typos, it is preserved for history.

Lastly, the proto-writing that emerged in Mesopotamia which led to Cuneiform was in the form of bullae (bulla: singular). These were spherical clay envelopes encased with tokens representing a transaction. They were sealed with unique markings representing the parties involved for authentication. In other words, cuneiform cylinder seals were effectively early public key cryptography! The seal itself being the private key and its impression being the public key. Just as us nostriches use our nsec to sign our notes with integrity and verify value-for-value with our npub.

               *Rare bulla seal (shout out to Conny Waters from ancientpages.com)*

                               *Sumerian cuneiform tablet (source: britannica.com)*

At the end of the day, maybe we’re not so different from our ancestors after all. The evolution of our writing technology over the course of our history is more than innovation born of necessity. Across millennia, 3025 BCE to 2025 AD, it's man telling the universe– we will be remembered– beyond space and time. As our ancestors stacked their clay tablets, we’ll stack our sats! Onward nostr! The new land of civilized kings.

        *Mankind's Innovations in Writing Technology by Learning Producers, Inc.*

@ c0c42bba:a5feb7b5

Wisdom for the Fourth Decade

🔥

Turning 40 is like hitting the “I should really know better by now” milestone. It’s a time when you look back at your past self, shake your head, and chuckle (or cringe) at your youthful blunders.

Here are 15 truths you should embrace by this significant age, each one a guide to a more fulfilling, empowered life.

Leverage Is Key

Ever wonder why your colleague who seems to be on perpetual coffee breaks makes ten times more than you? It's not black magic. They have leverage—whether it's through technology, skills, or knowing how to delegate their way out of everything. Find your leverage and watch your value skyrocket.

Distraction: The Silent Killer

In our world of incessant notifications and cat videos, distraction is the enemy. It’s like having a mosquito in the room when you're trying to sleep. Cultivate a habit of deep work. Guard your attention like it's the last piece of cake at a party—fiercely.

Beware of Unqualified Advice

Taking advice from someone who hasn’t achieved what you want is like asking a cat for swimming lessons. Be selective with whose counsel you follow. Choose mentors who have walked the path and let their experiences be your map.

Own Your Life

Here’s the blunt truth: no one is coming to save you. Your problems, your life, are 100% your responsibility. Embrace this ownership. Empower yourself to be the hero of your own story. Don’t wait for a knight in shining armor—be your own rescue mission.

Action Over Self-Help Books

You don’t need to turn your living room into a self-help library. You need action. Self-discipline beats all the motivational quotes in the world. Commit to taking steps, however small, towards your goals. It's the doing, not just the knowing, that transforms dreams into reality.

The Power of Sales Skills

Unless your college degree is as specific as a neurosurgeon’s, your ticket to higher earnings in the next 90 days is learning sales. It’s a skill that opens doors, creates opportunities, and accelerates financial growth faster than you can say "commission."

No One Cares (In a Good Way)

Stop worrying about what others think—they’re too busy worrying about themselves. Take bold steps, make your moves, and create your chances. The world is too preoccupied with its own drama to scrutinize yours.

Collaborate with the Brilliant

When you meet someone smarter than you, don’t let your ego turn it into a competition. Collaborate with them. Two heads (especially two brilliant ones) are better than one, and together you can achieve remarkable things.

The Smoking Deception

Smoking has zero benefits. It’s like trying to improve your driving skills by riding a tricycle. If you want to sharpen your focus and enhance your thinking, ditch the habit. Your lungs—and your future self—will thank you.

Comfort: A Dangerous Addiction

Comfort is like quicksand. It feels nice until you’re stuck and can’t move. Regularly challenge yourself. Step out of your comfort zone because growth and fulfillment lie just beyond the boundaries of what feels easy.

Guard Your Privacy

Not everyone needs to know your life story, your plans, or what you had for breakfast. Maintain a sense of mystery. It’s not about being secretive; it’s about keeping some things just for yourself.

Alcohol: A Costly Vice

Alcohol impairs your judgment and lowers your inhibitions. It’s like paying someone to mess up your life. Avoid it. Clear thinking and control over your actions are priceless.

Keep Your Standards High

Don’t settle for less just because it’s available. High standards attract high-quality opportunities and people. Know your worth and hold out for what aligns with your values and goals.

Prioritize Your Chosen Family

The family you create is more important than the one you were born into. Nurture these relationships. They are your ride-or-die, your squad, your home team. Invest in them as they will be the cornerstone of your support system.

Take Nothing Personally

To save yourself from a myriad of mental burdens, learn not to take things personally. Most of the time, people’s actions are a reflection of their reality, not yours. This mindset shift will free you from unnecessary stress and emotional turmoil.

Embrace These Lessons

@ 1408bad0:4971f2ca

Raised by Wolves is another sci-fi flick where Earth faces an extinction level event and lots of cool androids.

The series has some exciting action points showing a side of AI androids used as super weapons against humanity. If you were thinking to get an AI girlfriend, you might have a change of mind.

We see some pretty cool androids, but the awesome Necromancer is pretty spectacular and powerful and you wonder if anything can stop them. However, bizarrely, at times they are also apparently weak and despite their power, the religious group doesn't shy away from confrontation without any real weapons.

It would have been good if they had explored this side more and some of the advanced tech available like which gave the atheista super strength and speed to combat them.

The series has a feel like Foundation to it, but much less polished and maybe more negative and dreary at times. Instead of exploring exciting themes, it descends into mindless trivialities and bizarre gory rituals like killing a hideous pregnant animal and parading the dead baby corpse around.

They arrive on a mysterious but quite dreary planet and things start to set the scene.

The androids themselves are quite well played. The "Mother" is as expected in these woke times the strong and powerful one. The "Father" is the beta male serving her and the kids. It's all quite bizarre in a way.

When they first land they use some tech to make a base quickly and easily, but it disappoints how basic it all is. This is then compounded when the religious group arrive and instead of using modern tech to make a base as you might expect, instead turn into the Amish and make everything from wood. Oh yes, there are trees on this planet, but no really nice food.

The oddness continues and grows throughout the season as the androids become more human and spoiler alert , the most ridiculous storyline emerges as mother becomes pregnant and also really annoying. She starts attaching other bits and creatures to her to suck their blood out for her baby.

Despite all my criticisms, it has been an interesting first series but very disappointing in many ways compared to Foundation.

@ fdd4dcaf:34a25ae0

Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and is decentralized, meaning it's not controlled by any government or financial institution.

Key Features 1. Decentralized: Cryptocurrencies operate independently of central banks and governments. 2. Digital: Cryptocurrencies exist only in electronic form. 3. Secure: Cryptocurrencies use advanced cryptography for secure transactions. 4. Limited supply: Most cryptocurrencies have a limited supply, which can help maintain their value.

Popular Cryptocurrencies 1. Bitcoin (BTC): The first and most well-known cryptocurrency. 2. Ethereum (ETH): A popular platform for decentralized applications (dApps). 3. Other altcoins: Litecoin, Ripple, Dogecoin, and many more.

Uses 1. Payments: Cryptocurrencies can be used for online transactions. 2. Investments: Some people invest in cryptocurrencies as a store of value or for potential growth. 3. Decentralized applications: Cryptocurrencies can power dApps and smart contracts.

Risks and Challenges 1. Volatility: Cryptocurrency prices can fluctuate rapidly. 2. Security risks: Cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets can be vulnerable to hacking. 3. Regulatory uncertainty: Cryptocurrency regulations vary by country and are subject to change.

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

I’ve been using Notedeck for several months, starting with its extremely early and experimental alpha versions, all the way to its current, more stable alpha releases. The journey has been fascinating, as I’ve had the privilege of watching it evolve from a concept into a functional and promising tool.

In its earliest stages, Notedeck was raw—offering glimpses of its potential but still far from practical for daily use. Even then, the vision behind it was clear: a platform designed to redefine how we interact with Nostr by offering flexibility and power for all users.

I'm very bullish on Notedeck. Why? Because Will Casarin is making it! Duh! 😂

Seriously though, if we’re reimagining the web and rebuilding portions of the Internet, it’s important to recognize the potential of Notedeck. If Nostr is reimagining the web, then Notedeck is reimagining the Nostr client.

Notedeck isn’t just another Nostr app—it’s more a Nostr browser that functions more like an operating system with micro-apps. How cool is that?

Much like how Google's Chrome evolved from being a web browser with a task manager into ChromeOS, a full blown operating system, Notedeck aims to transform how we interact with the Nostr. It goes beyond individual apps, offering a foundation for a fully integrated ecosystem built around Nostr.

As a Nostr evangelist, I love to scream INTEROPERABILITY and tout every application's integrations. Well, Notedeck has the potential to be one of the best platforms to showcase these integrations in entirely new and exciting ways.

Do you want an Olas feed of images? Add the media column.

Do you want a feed of live video events? Add the zap.stream column.

Do you want Nostr Nests or audio chats? Add that column to your Notedeck.

Git? Email? Books? Chat and DMs? It's all possible.

Not everyone wants a super app though, and that’s okay. As with most things in the Nostr ecosystem, flexibility is key. Notedeck gives users the freedom to choose how they engage with it—whether it’s simply following hashtags or managing straightforward feeds. You'll be able to tailor Notedeck to fit your needs, using it as extensively or minimally as you prefer.

Notedeck is designed with a local-first approach, utilizing Nostr content stored directly on your device via the local nostrdb. This will enable a plethora of advanced tools such as search and filtering, the creation of custom feeds, and the ability to develop personalized algorithms across multiple Notedeck micro-applications—all with unparalleled flexibility.

Notedeck also supports multicast. Let's geek out for a second. Multicast is a method of communication where data is sent from one source to multiple destinations simultaneously, but only to devices that wish to receive the data. Unlike broadcast, which sends data to all devices on a network, multicast targets specific receivers, reducing network traffic. This is commonly used for efficient data distribution in scenarios like streaming, conferencing, or large-scale data synchronization between devices.

In a local first world where each device holds local copies of your nostr nodes, and each device transparently syncs with each other on the local network, each node becomes a backup. Your data becomes antifragile automatically. When a node goes down it can resync and recover from other nodes. Even if not all nodes have a complete collection, negentropy can pull down only what is needed from each device. All this can be done without internet.

-Will Casarin

In the context of Notedeck, multicast would allow multiple devices to sync their Nostr nodes with each other over a local network without needing an internet connection. Wild.

Notedeck aims to offer full customization too, including the ability to design and share custom skins, much like Winamp. Users will also be able to create personalized columns and, in the future, share their setups with others. This opens the door for power users to craft tailored Nostr experiences, leveraging their expertise in the protocol and applications. By sharing these configurations as "Starter Decks," they can simplify onboarding and showcase the best of Nostr’s ecosystem.

Nostr’s “Other Stuff” can often be difficult to discover, use, or understand. Many users doesn't understand or know how to use web browser extensions to login to applications. Let's not even get started with nsecbunkers. Notedeck will address this challenge by providing a native experience that brings these lesser-known applications, tools, and content into a user-friendly and accessible interface, making exploration seamless. However, that doesn't mean Notedeck should disregard power users that want to use nsecbunkers though - hint hint.

For anyone interested in watching Nostr be developed live, right before your very eyes, Notedeck’s progress serves as a reminder of what’s possible when innovation meets dedication. The current alpha is already demonstrating its ability to handle complex use cases, and I’m excited to see how it continues to grow as it moves toward a full release later this year.

@ 04ea4f83:210e1713

30. November 2022

Sehr geehrter Herr Bindseil und Herr Schaff von der Europäischen Zentralbank,

Ich schreibe Ihnen heute, am Tag der Veröffentlichung Ihres EZB-Blog-Berichts „Bitcoin's Last Stand", sowohl mit Belustigung als auch mit Bestürzung. Ich amüsiere mich darüber, wie albern und hilflos Sie beide erscheinen, indem Sie sich auf müde und längst widerlegte Erzählungen über Bitcoin und seine Nutzlosigkeit und Verschwendung stützen. Und ich bin beunruhigt, weil ich von zwei sehr gut ausgebildeten und etablierten Mitgliedern Ihres Fachgebiets eine viel differenziertere kritische Sichtweise auf den aufkeimenden Bitcoin und die Lightning Skalierungslösung erwartet hätte.

Sie haben sich mit Ihren dilettantischen Versuchen, Angst, Unsicherheit und Zweifel an einem globalen Open-Source-Kooperationsprojekt zu säen, das als ein ständig wachsendes Wertspeicher und -übertragungssystem für viele Millionen Menschen weltweit fungiert, wirklich einen Bärendienst erwiesen. Ein System, das jedes Jahr von mehr und mehr Menschen genutzt wird, da sie von seiner Effektivität und seinem Nutzen erfahren. Und ein System, das noch nie gehackt oder geknackt wurde, das funktioniert, um die „Banklosen" zu versorgen, besonders in den Ländern und Orten, wo sie von finsteren totalitären Regierungen schwer unterdrückt oder von der finanziell „entwickelten" Welt einfach im Stich gelassen wurden. In der Tat ist Bitcoin bereits gesetzliches Zahlungsmittel in El Salvador und der Zentralafrikanischen Republik, und erst gestern erhielt er in Brasilien den Status eines „Zahlungsmittels".

Es entbehrt nicht einer gewissen Ironie, wenn ich schreibe, dass Sie das Ziel so gründlich verfehlen, insbesondere weil die Bank- und Finanzsysteme, zu denen Sie gehören, für eine Energie- und Materialverschwendung verantwortlich sind, die um Größenordnungen größer ist als die Systeme und Ressourcen, die das Bitcoin-Netzwerk antreiben und erhalten. Ich bin mir sicher, dass Sie sich der revolutionären kohlenstoff- und treibhausgasreduzierenden Effekte bewusst sind, die Bitcoin-Mining-Anlagen haben, wenn sie neben Methan-emittierenden Mülldeponien und/oder Ölproduktionsanlagen angesiedelt sind. Und ich weiß, dass Sie auch gut über solar- und windbetriebene Bitcoin-Mining-Cluster informiert sind, die dabei helfen, Mikronetze in unterversorgten Gemeinden einzurichten.

Ich könnte noch weiter darüber sprechen, wie das Lightning-Netzwerk implementiert wird, um Überweisungszahlungen zu erleichtern sowie Finanztechnologie und Souveränität in Gemeinden in Laos und Afrika südlich der Sahara zu bringen. Aber lassen Sie mich zu dem Teil kommen, der einen gewöhnlichen Menschen wie mich einfach zutiefst traurig macht. Bitcoin ist, wie Sie sehr wohl wissen (trotz Ihrer dummen und veralteten Verleumdungen), ein technologisches Netzwerk, das nicht auf nationaler oder internationaler Verschuldung oder der Laune von Politikern basiert oder durch sie entwertet wird. Es ist ein System, das jenseits der Kontrolle einer einzelnen Person, eines Landes oder einer Gruppe von Ländern liegt. Wenn Bitcoin sprechen könnte (was er in der Tat ungefähr alle zehn Minuten tut, durch das elektro-mathematische Knistern und Summen des Wahrheitsfeuers), würde er diese Worte aussprechen:

„Über allen Völkern steht die Menschlichkeit".\ \ Als Bankiers der Europäischen Union, als Menschen von der Erde, als biologische Wesen, die denselben Gesetzen des Verfalls und der Krankheit unterliegen wie alle anderen Wesen, wäre es da nicht erfrischend für Sie beide, das Studium und die Teilnahme an einer Technologie zu begrüßen, die die Arbeit und die Bemühungen der sich abmühenden Menschen auf unserem Planeten bewahrt, anstatt sie zu entwerten? Wie die Bitcoin-Kollegin Alyse Killeen wiederholt gesagt hat: „Bitcoin ist FinTech für arme Menschen".

Ich bin dankbar für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit und hoffe, dass Sie über Bitcoin nachdenken und es gründlicher studieren werden.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Cosmo Crixter

@ 04ea4f83:210e1713

Erschienen in Citadel21 Vol. 18 | Veröffenlichung 21. Juli 2022\ Autor: FractalEncrypt\ Übersetzt von: Sinautoshi am 15.12.2022 - 767561

„Hast du das Recht, deinen eigenen Verstand zu verändern? Hast du das Recht, deinen eigenen Computer zu verändern? Was sind deine Rechte, und was sind deine eigenen? Was sind die Grenzen der Gesellschaft und was sind die Grenzen des Einzelnen?" - Kevin Paul Herbert

Bitcoin und Psychedelika sind gleichzeitig die mächtigsten, aber am wenigsten verstandenen Technologien auf dem Planeten.

\ Sie ergänzen sich zu revolutionären Technologien, die für ein tiefgreifendes persönliches Wachstum genutzt werden können. Sie helfen uns, selbstbestimmte Grenzen in unserem Leben zu definieren, wenn es um die Frage geht, wer die Herrschaft über die Dinge hat, die wir denken, die Software, die wir benutzen, und die Handlungen, die wir ausführen. Sie können dazu genutzt werden, die Zukunft des Einzelnen und damit auch die der Welt zu gestalten.  Viele nutzen diese Werkzeuge heute, um ein besseres, produktiveres Leben zu führen. Sowohl Psychedelika als auch Bitcoin bewirken einen Paradigmenwechsel bei den Nutzern. Das sind keine einfachen Veränderungen. Diese grundlegenden und dauerhaften Veränderungen können die Art und Weise, wie man mit der Welt interagiert, völlig verändern. Souveräne Menschen können sie nutzen, um auf messbare und unermessliche, materielle und immaterielle Weise zu großem Reichtum zu gelangen. Wie bei jedem Werkzeug gibt es auch hier Gefahren, aber der richtige Gebrauch in Verbindung mit Sinn und Verstand führt zu den besten Ergebnissen.

Wie bei allen Werkzeugen sind auch diese nicht für jeden geeignet.

\ Während sowohl Bitcoin als auch Psychedelika stark missverstanden werden, können diejenigen, die sich mit kontemplativen Studien beschäftigen, asymmetrische Gewinne erzielen. Fast niemand versteht vollständig, wie diese Dinge funktionieren, nicht einmal diejenigen, die sie regelmäßig besitzen oder nutzen. Ich kann das nicht genug betonen. Selbst Menschen mit Erfahrung haben Schwierigkeiten, das Ausmaß dieser Technologien vollständig zu erfassen. Jameson Lopp, einer der ersten Bitcoin-Entwickler, sagt: „Niemand versteht Bitcoin, und das ist auch gut so". Das Gleiche gilt für Psychedelika. Die Entscheidung, sich mit diesen Technologien zu beschäftigen, ist eine sehr persönliche Entscheidung, die man nicht auf die leichte Schulter nehmen sollte. Wenn du dir die Zeit nimmst, dich eingehend mit diesen Technologien zu befassen, gehörst du zu dem kleinen Prozentsatz der Bevölkerung, der sie verstehen möchte und davon profitieren kann. Jeder muss dies für sich selbst entscheiden, und das gilt hier mehr als anderswo - Wissen ist Macht.

Einführung

\ Es gibt erstaunlich viele Beziehungen zwischen Bitcoin und Psychedelika, die sich auf vielen verschiedenen Ebenen ergeben. Diese Ähnlichkeiten führen zu einer tiefer gehenden Frage:

Sind Bitcoin und Psychedelika Werkzeuge der Selbstsouveränität, weil sie diese Ähnlichkeiten haben, oder sind sie ähnlich, weil sie Werkzeuge der Selbstsouveränität sind?

Um die Antwort zu finden, müssen wir die beiden Werkzeuge einzeln und in Kombination untersuchen. In diesem Artikel gehen wir auf die vielen Ebenen der Übereinstimmung zwischen diesen Technologien ein und ich möchte dich ermutigen, tiefer eizusteigen, wenn dein Interesse geweckt ist. Diese Kaninchenlöcher gehen tief.

Wie bei Bitcoin ist der LSD- und Psilocybin-Quellcode in verschiedenen Implementierungen frei verfügbar. Die Schöpfer von LSD und Bitcoin haben Anleitungen veröffentlicht, damit jeder auf der ganzen Welt die jeweiligen Tools lesen, verstehen und nutzen kann. Jeder kann das LSD-Patent mit den genauen Schritten zur Synthese von reinem LSD frei lesen, und jeder kann den Bitcoin-Quellcode frei lesen und seine eigene Software von Grund auf erstellen. Jeder kann an jedem Ort seine eigene Implementierung erstellen und sich einem bereits weltweit vernetzten Netzwerk von Gleichgesinnten anschließen. Die Werkzeuge sind weithin verfügbar und können von interessierten Bastlern zu Hause aus einer erstaunlichen Anzahl von Standardteilen hergestellt werden. Wenn sie erst einmal installiert sind, kann eine vorsichtige und aufmerksame Person diese Werkzeuge mit großem Nutzen einsetzen. Eine unvorsichtige Nutzung wird schnell und entschieden bestraft, und die Nutzer müssen sich selbst verbessern, nachdem sie ihre Lektion auf die harte Tour gelernt haben. Konsequenzen sind ein fester Bestandteil von Systemen, die Verantwortung verlangen.

Der ehrliche Forscher wird in Bezug auf diese beiden Technologien von Desinformationen geplagt. Bei den Psychedelika gibt es eine endlose Reihe von falschen Behauptungen. Sie reichen von „Chromosomenschäden, die zu missgebildeten Babys führen" bis hin zu „du springst aus dem Fenster und glaubst, du kannst fliegen" oder sogar, dass du „von einer einzigen Dosis dauerhaft verrückt werden kannst". Es gibt auch eine endlose Reihe von falschen Behauptungen über Bitcoin, von staatlichen Eingriffen über den Verbrauch von mehr Energie als Land X bis hin zum Kochen der Ozeane oder „es ist eine langsame, veraltete Technologie". Deshalb müssen unerschrockene Reisende ihre Bullshit-Detektoren schärfen und Experten in Sachen Recherche und logischem Denken werden.

Die Wahrheit ist, dass die Propagandamauern rund um Bitcoin und Psychedelika errichtet wurden, um die Menschen davon abzulenken, sich selbst zu versorgen. Nachgiebige Menschen, die keine Fragen stellen, sind viel leichter zu kontrollieren als Menschen, die für ihre Freiheit eintreten. Ein Großteil der Anti-Psychedelika- und Anti-Bitcoin-Propaganda kommt direkt von der Regierung. Die Fehlinformationen werden in einen Mantel der Seriosität gehüllt und durchdringen schnell die Gesellschaft. Wenn du Medien oder Inhalte konsumierst, schau dir immer die Quelle an. Wer stellt diese Informationen zur Verfügung und zu welchem Zweck? Achte immer auf die Beweggründe und Anreize. Benutze die „Brille des Skeptikers", wenn du diese Instrumente untersuchst. Glaube keiner Behauptung (auch nicht meiner), ohne sie zu belegen und zu dokumentieren. Vertraue nicht, sondern überprüfe.

Während sowohl Psychedelika als auch Bitcoin in den Mainstream-Medien als gefährlich, schädlich und geradezu böse verteufelt wurden, möchte ich hier dafür plädieren, dass diese Dinge gesund sind, gute Familienwerte vermitteln und mächtige Werkzeuge sind, um uns selbst und unsere Beziehungen zu anderen und der Welt zu verändern.

Auch wenn Bitcoin und Psychedelika wertvolle Werkzeuge sein können, sind sie kein Gegenmittel für falsches Denken. Während einige Nutzer diese Werkzeuge nutzen können, um zu handlungsrelevanten Erkenntnissen zu gelangen, sind nicht alle Nutzer so erfolgreich. Diejenigen, die sich von falschem Denken leiten lassen, können sich in den Seitengassen von Shitcoinerei, New-Age-Zauberkram und anderen logischen Irrtümern wiederfinden. Anstatt diese Wege als destruktiv zu erkennen, gaukeln sie sich vor, etwas Revolutionäres entdeckt zu haben. Es ist wichtig, dass du dein bestes Urteilsvermögen einsetzt und eine skeptische Haltung bewahrst, wenn du dich im Leben im Allgemeinen und mit diesen Tools im Besonderen bewegst.

Die Vorteile, die eine bessere Integration dieser Technologien in die moderne Gesellschaft mit sich bringt, sind enorm und könnten die Zukunft der Menschheit auf tiefgreifende Weise verändern.

Bitcoin ermöglicht eine vernetzte Welt mit einer einzigen Währung. Wie die Verwendung einer einzigen Sprache bringt er uns mit einem fließenden und dynamischen globalen Zusammenhalt zusammen. Handel, Reisen, Umzüge, Steuern und Währungsumrechnung. All das wird durch eine bescheidene Technologie vereinfacht, die für alle zugänglich ist.

Für Psychedelika kann die Integration viele Wege gehen. Der hoffnungsvollste ist jedoch der, bei dem die Menschen legalen Zugang zu bekannten Molekülen in bekannter Reinheit und mit verlässlichen Informationen über deren sichere Verwendung haben. Die Schaffung von sicheren Räumen für den Konsum von Psychedelika (wie die temporären autonomen Zonen von Hakim Bey) und ihre Verknüpfung mit psychedelischen Krisenzentren, die an lokalen Universitäten untergebracht sind, würde es der Gesellschaft ermöglichen, von beiden Seiten der psychedelischen Erfahrung zu profitieren. Die Kreativität und Fantasie der autonomen Räume und die Heilung und Transformation, die durch die Betreuung von Menschen in einer psychedelischen Krise möglich sind, haben ein grenzenloses Potenzial. Dieses sorgfältige Erfahrungsmanagement würde dem Nutzer, den Betreuern und der Gesellschaft insgesamt zugute kommen. Die durchdachte Integration dieser beiden Technologien in die moderne Gesellschaft hat das Potenzial, sowohl dem Einzelnen als auch der globalen Gemeinschaft Vorteile zu bringen.

Bildgebende Studien des Gehirns unter Einfluss von LSD und Psilocybin geben interessante Hinweise darauf, dass Psychedelika die Gehirnaktivität erhöhen und neue Bahnen und Verbindungen im gesamten Gehirn aktivieren. Wenn das mit dem Einzelnen passiert, stell dir vor, was mit dem Makrokosmos der Zivilisation passiert.

Jeder Weg birgt Gefahren, und es gibt kein Patentrezept. Wir haben die Werkzeuge; sie mit Geschick, Integrität und Zielstrebigkeit einzusetzen, ist eine Entscheidung. Das Werkzeug wird die Arbeit nicht für dich erledigen. Das ist der Proof of Work-Gedanke in Aktion.

Ein Hinweis zu den hier erwähnten psychedelischen Substanzen: Es gibt zwar viele psychedelische Verbindungen, aber in diesem Artikel konzentriere ich mich auf LSD und Psilocybin. LSD ist zwar das am weitesten verbreitete Psychedelikum, aber es kann eine zentralisierende Wirkung auf die Chemiker haben, die es herstellen. Es bildet sich eine natürliche Vertriebspyramide mit dem Chemiker an der Spitze, den Groß- und Einzelhändlern und schließlich den Endverbrauchern, die die Basis der Pyramide bilden. Diese Pyramide entsteht, weil ein einziges Gramm LSD 10.000 Dosen enthält. Die LSD-Synthese ist für begeisterte Forscher nicht unerreichbar, aber für den „Normalbürger" nicht so leicht zugänglich wie der Anbau von Pilzen. Pilze der Gattung Psilocybe sind viel dezentraler, weil sie ein Werkzeug sind, das von fast jedem und überall auf dem Planeten eingesetzt werden kann. Es wird kein Händler benötigt, nur du, etwas Erde und ein paar Sporen.

Zusammensetzung der Leserschaft

\ Ich gehe davon aus, dass dieser Artikel von Personen mit unterschiedlichem Verständnis für die behandelten Themen gelesen wird. Ich gehe davon aus, dass die Leser in eine der folgenden vier Kategorien fallen;

• Bitcoiner, die Erfahrung mit Psychedelika haben
• Bitcoiners, die keine Erfahrung mit Psychedelika haben
• Menschen mit psychedelischer Erfahrung, die Bitcoin nicht benutzen
• Menschen, die weder mit dem einen noch mit dem anderen Erfahrung haben

Während sich der größte Teil dieses Artikels auf die Vergleiche und Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen Bitcoin und Psychedelika konzentriert, gehen die folgenden kurzen Abschnitte auf jeden einzelnen ein. Für diejenigen, die damit nicht vertraut sind, beschreibe ich kurz, warum ich beide für ein wichtiges Instrument der Selbstbestimmung halte. Sowohl Bitcoin als auch Psychedelika sind Gegenstand von wilden Fehlinformationskampagnen, auf die wir später noch genauer eingehen werden. Ich erwähne das jetzt nur, um darauf hinzuweisen, dass die allgemein zugänglichen Medien zu beiden Themen verwirrend und in vielerlei Hinsicht irreführend sind, wenn du nur ein oberflächliches Verständnis von beiden Themen hast. Man muss sich eingehend mit dem Thema befassen, um den ganzen Schwachsinn zu durchschauen.

Für diejenigen, die noch keine Erfahrung mit Psychedelika haben oder diese nicht kennen

\ LSD und Psilocybin gehören zu den mächtigsten Werkzeugen für die Selbsterkundung, die heute verfügbar sind. Sie sind außerdem ungiftig und nicht gewohnheitsbildend, obwohl sie auch Gefahren bergen. Sie geben dir einen Zugang zu dir selbst, den du auf keine andere Weise erreichen kannst. Kein noch so großer Yoga- oder Meditationstrip kann dir einen LSD-Trip bescheren. Sie gehören zu den sichersten Moleküle auf dem Planeten. Vergleiche zum Beispiel NULL Todesfälle durch LSD und Magic Mushrooms mit über 3.000 Todesfällen pro Jahr durch etwas, das als sicher gilt, wie Aspirin.

Die Bedeutung von Psychedelika als Mittel zur menschlichen Selbsterforschung kann gar nicht hoch genug eingeschätzt werden. Steve Jobs beschrieb die Einnahme von LSD als eines der wichtigsten Dinge in seinem Leben.

"Die Einnahme von LSD war eine tiefgreifende Erfahrung, eines der wichtigsten Dinge in meinem Leben. Es stärkte meinen Sinn für das, was wichtig war - großartige Dinge zu schaffen und sie in den Strom der Geschichte und des menschlichen Bewusstseins einzubringen, so gut ich konnte." - Steve Jobs

\ Roland Griffiths Arbeit an der Johns Hopkins University zeigt, dass Psilocybin Depressionen und Angstzustände bei Patienten mit lebensbedrohlichen Krebserkrankungen erheblich und nachhaltig verringert.

„Das hat mich wie ein Schlag ins Gesicht getroffen. Die Vorstellung, dass Menschen Psilocybin einnehmen und sich ihr Leben innerhalb weniger Stunden komplett verändert. Nicht nur positive Veränderungen von Einstellungen, Verhaltensweisen und Überzeugungen, sondern eine grundlegende psychologische Veränderung an einem Nachmittag. Selbst einige Jahre nach den Experimenten berichten 75 % der Freiwilligen, dass ihre einzige Psilocybin-Dosis eine der bedeutsamsten Erfahrungen ihres Lebens war, wenn nicht sogar DIE bedeutsamste Erfahrung überhaupt."\ - Brian Muraresku

Für alle, die neu sind oder keine Erfahrung mit Bitcoin haben

\ Bitcoin ist eine Null-zu-Eins-Erfindung, die den Regierungen der Welt die Macht entzieht und sie an Einzelpersonen zurückgibt. Es ist eine nie wieder zu wiederholende Entdeckung, die seit einem Jahrzehnt das Leben verändert. Es ist Geld, das durch Mathematik gestützt wird, nicht durch die Versprechen von Politikern.

Hast du dich jemals gefragt, ob Geld für die menschliche Entwicklung und das Wachstum wichtig ist? Wie haben verschiedene Formen von Geld den Verlauf der menschlichen Geschichte verändert? Geld wird gegen die Zeit der Menschen getauscht. Unsere Lebenszeit ist endlich. Eine unendliche Ressource zu verwenden, um für eine endliche Ressource zu bezahlen, ist von Natur aus ungerecht. Im Geld ist Lebensenergie gespeichert.

Das Geld, das wir heute verwenden, ist als Fiat-Geld bekannt, „Geld per Dekret". Mit anderen Worten: „Geld, weil wir es sagen". Fiat-Geld verliert mit der Zeit an Wert, was als „Inflationsrate" bezeichnet wird. Geld, das mit der Zeit an Wert verliert, ist Zeitdiebstahl. Es stiehlt den Wert, für den du bereits gearbeitet und deine Zeit und Energie investiert hast, um ihn zu verdienen. Bitcoin ist Geld, das im Laufe der Zeit nie an Wert verliert. Seine elegante mathematische Ausschüttung ist vorprogrammiert und unveränderlich.

„Du kannst beim Fiat-Standard bleiben, bei dem einige Leute kostenlos unbegrenzt neue Geldeinheiten produzieren können, nur du nicht. Oder du kannst dich für den Bitcoin-Standard entscheiden, bei dem niemand das tun darf, auch du nicht."- Ross Stevens

\ Auch wenn ich keine begutachteten Studien vorweisen kann, habe ich als persönliche Anekdote eine Unterströmung der Selbstverwirklichung bemerkt, die sich stark durch die Bitcoin-Kultur zieht. Viele setzen sich für eine Rückbesinnung auf das Landleben ein, für eine gesunde Ernährung (indem sie schlechte Lebensmittel wie Samenöle und künstliches Fleisch weglassen und sich vermehrt mit minimal oder gar nicht verarbeiteten natürlichen Lebensmitteln ernähren), für Sport, Kunst, Familie und Wellness.

Ich glaube, dass das persönliche Wachstum der Bitcoiner die Ethik widerspiegelt, die im Bitcoin-Netzwerk selbst einprogrammiert ist. Hier sind zwei Beispiele;

Proof of Work - Bitcoinern ist klar, dass ohne Handeln kein Wert geschaffen werden kann. Das gilt für fast jeden Aspekt des Lebens. Um die Vorteile zu erhalten, muss man die Arbeit machen.

Vertraue nicht, sondern verifiziere (Don't Trust, Verify) - der Aspekt des Verifizierens und nicht nur des Akzeptierens jeder angebotenen Version der Wahrheit ist heute wichtiger denn je.

Es gibt noch viel mehr, aber ich hoffe, dass dieser kurze Überblick einen Einblick gibt, warum diese beiden Technologien meiner Meinung nach komplementär und diskussionswürdig sind.

Werkzeuge der Selbstbestimmung

\ Wenn ich sage, dass Bitcoin und Psychedelika Werkzeuge der Selbstbestimmung sind, dann will ich damit sagen, dass es sich um Werkzeuge handelt, die jedem von uns heute zur Verfügung stehen und die wir nutzen können, um unsere eigenen Antworten auf Fragen wie diese zu definieren, zu formen und zu gestalten:

• Was bedeutet es, ein freies und souveränes Individuum zu sein?
• Was darf der Staat regeln?
• Was sind deine Rechte, und was ist dein Eigentum?
• sind die Grenzen der Gesellschaft und
• was sind die Grenzen des Individuums?
• Hast du das Recht, deine eigene Meinung zu ändern?
• Hast du das Recht, deinen eigenen Computer zu verändern?

Unsere Antworten auf Fragen wie diese bestimmen den Verlauf unseres Lebens. Wir können diese Werkzeuge nutzen, um tiefer in unseren Geist und Körper zu blicken oder an die Grenzen des Verständnisses zu gelangen. Der zielstrebige Mensch kann diese Erkenntnisse nutzen, um ein erfolgreicheres Leben zu führen.

Bitcoin ist ein Werkzeug der Information. LSD ist ein Mittel der Erfahrung und der Vorstellungskraft.

Die grünen Rechtecke aus Fiat-Papier haben einen Wert, weil der Staat das sagt. Bitcoin ist das Gegengift zum Fiat-Geld. Vieles andere auf dieser Welt wird uns per Dekret aufgezwungen. Bitcoin hilft dir, Fiat-Geld aus deinem Leben zu entfernen. Psychedelika helfen dir, Fiat-Geld aus deinem Geist und Körper zu entfernen. Zusammen geben sie dir die Macht, in deiner Souveränität aufrecht zu stehen und die ultimative Herrschaft über dein inneres und äußeres Leben zu erlangen.

Es sind Werkzeuge, die wir zu Hause für unseren persönlichen Gebrauch nutzen können und die niemandem schaden. Psychedelika, manchmal auch Entheogene genannt, wecken ein Gefühl für das Göttliche im Inneren. Sie geben den Nutzern direkten Zugang zu mystischen Zuständen, ohne dass Dritte wie organisierte Religionen, Schriften oder Doktrinen dazwischengeschaltet werden müssen. Bitcoin bietet den Nutzern Zugang zu Geld, das durch Mathematik gestützt wird und nicht durch die Versprechen von Ökonomen, Banken oder Politikern. Die Nutzer sind nicht gezwungen, Vermittler zwischen sich und die direkte Erfahrung der Realität zu stellen. Sie sind nicht gezwungen, sich von jemand anderem sagen zu lassen, „wie es ist" oder „wie es sich anfühlt". Sie können es selbst erleben.

Bei Bitcoin haben alle Nutzer die Möglichkeit, einen vollständigen Knotenpunkt (Full-Node) zu betreiben, und damit direkten Zugang zu einem weltweit vernetzten Finanznetzwerk ohne Vermitter oder Zensur. Bei Psychedelika erhalten die Nutzer einen direkten, unvermittelten Zugang zu ihren eigenen vernetzten neuronalen Netzwerken. Es gibt auch global vernetzte soziale Netzwerke, die entstehen, um beide Technologien zu verbreiten, zu diskutieren und zu nutzen, oft in Kombination. Das sind Peer-to-Peer-Netzwerke ohne Anführer, ohne Verantwortliche und ohne Angestellte. Alle Nutzer sind gleichberechtigt.

Die Verwendung von Bitcoin und Psychedelika eröffnet das Verständnis für die Verflechtung verschiedener Disziplinen und Technologien. Politik, Technik, Wirtschaft, Chemie, Psychologie, Spieltheorie, Soziologie und Philosophie sind nur einige der Bereiche, die zusammenkommen, um unser Verständnis für diese Werkzeuge und ihre optimale Nutzung zu verbessern.

Viele Nutzerinnen und Nutzer von Bitcoin und Psychedelika haben festgestellt, dass der Weg zu einem tieferen Verständnis in einer breiten Palette von Themen liegt. Die Kombination des durch Bildung gewonnenen Wissens mit den Erkenntnissen, die wir durch die Nutzung dieser Technologien gewinnen, bringt mehr Tiefe und Verständnis in unser Leben.

„Bitcoin ist amoralisch und absolut neutral gegenüber der Frage, ob du dem Netzwerk beitrittst oder nicht", sagt Mark Maraia. Ich würde das noch erweitern und sagen, dass LSD amoralisch und absolut neutral ist. Die extremen Erfahrungen sind auf deine persönliche Körperchemie, deine Einstellung und das gesamte Wissen und die Erfahrung deines Lebens zurückzuführen. Wir sind die Variablen, Bitcoin und LSD sind die Konstanten. Du bekommst das heraus, was du hineinbringst.

Ich habe viele Bitcoiner gesehen, die in Kaninchenlöcher geraten sind, die zu bedeutenden Veränderungen in ihrem Leben führen. Wie sie essen, arbeiten, Sport treiben, Medien konsumieren und vieles mehr, ändert sich. Tiefgreifende Veränderungen, die sie oft dem Bitcoin und dem Grundsatzdenken zuschreiben. Diese Lebensveränderungen haben wenig oder gar nichts mit Wirtschaft, Geld oder Finanzen zu tun.

Nutzer von Psychedelika machen ähnliche Veränderungen in ihrem Lebensstil durch, die ihren Umgang mit der Welt tiefgreifend verändern. Diese Veränderungen können sich auf die gleiche Weise wie beim Bitcoin manifestieren: Sie verändern die Art und Weise, wie Menschen essen, arbeiten, Sport treiben, Medien konsumieren, miteinander interagieren, usw. Diese bedeutenden Veränderungen im Leben wären ohne den direkten Einsatz einer oder beider der in diesem Artikel besprochenen Technologien vielleicht nie verwirklicht worden.

Wie jedes Werkzeug kann auch dieses missbraucht werden und die Nutzer auf den falschen Weg führen. Wir werden in Kürze mehr über die naiven Irregeleiteten, die Affinitätsbetrüger, die Angreifer und die ganz schlechten Akteure sprechen, die diese Technologien nutzen, und darüber, wie das alles abläuft.

Die Kombination von Bitcoin und Psychedelika

Während jede dieser Technologien für sich genommen lebensverändernd sein kann, eröffnet ihre Kombination einzigartige Möglichkeiten für den Einzelnen und die Menschheit als Ganzes. Bitcoin und Psychedelika sind wie Musikinstrumente, die jeweils mit ihrer eigenen, einzigartigen Frequenz schwingen. Jedes Instrument kann für sich allein ein Lied spielen, aber zusammen vervielfachen sich die symphonischen Möglichkeiten exponentiell. Wenn sie zusammen gespielt werden, schwingen die Frequenzen der Instrumente nahtlos mit und verwandeln sich für immer in tiefere, reichere Lieder.

In meinem eigenen Leben schreibe ich den Psychedelika einen direkten Einfluss auf die Kunst zu, die ich mache. Ohne Psychedelika hätte ich vielleicht Kunst in irgendeiner Form geschaffen, aber sie sähe nicht so aus und wäre nicht von denselben Designentscheidungen und Motivationen geprägt. Mein gesamtes Kunstportfolio ist ein direktes und eindeutiges Ergebnis der intensiven persönlichen Beschäftigung mit revolutionären psychedelischen Technologien wie LSD und Bitcoin. Ich habe Bitcoin durch eine Kombination aus Kunst, Psychedelika und natürlich Bitcoin kennengelernt. Früher habe ich LSD Blotter Art Designs gemacht, Kunst, die in winzige Quadrate perforiert und dann von den Chemikern mit LSD getränkt wurde. Ich habe auch das LSD-Mandala entworfen, das die soziale Geschichte, die Chemie und die Geheimnisse der LSD-Verteilung in einem grafischen Kodex verschlüsselt.

Ein anonymer Bitcoiner aus Brasilien fragte mich 2015, ob ich Bitcoin für meine Kunst nehmen würde, da es für ihn der einfachste Weg sei, internationale Transaktionen durchzuführen. Ich hatte zwar von Bitcoin gehört, wusste aber nicht, wie ich sie annehmen sollte. Ich sagte ihm: „Klar, aber du musst mir sagen, wie ich das einrichten soll". Dieser anonyme Fremde half mir, meine erste Bitcoin-Brieftasche einzurichten, schickte mir 3,1 Bitcoin für meine Kunst und verschwand dann prompt wieder im Internet, ohne dass ich je wieder von ihm gehört hätte. Ich vergaß Bitcoin, aber ein paar weitere „Berührungspunkte" mit Bitcoin im Laufe der Jahre waren wie eine Reihe von Neonpfeilen, die auf eine wichtige Botschaft des Universums hinwiesen.

Im Dezember 2017 machte ich meine erste Bitcoin-Kunst. Dieser Themenwechsel war für mich sehr wichtig, da ich meine Kunst als eine Methode betrachte, meine Botschaft in die Welt zu tragen. Wenn ich mich auf etwas einlasse, nimmt es mein ganzes Leben in Beschlag. Psychedelika waren über ein Jahrzehnt lang mein Thema gewesen, daher war dieser Wechsel für mich von großer Bedeutung.

Ich ließ mich schnell auf den Mist ein und glaubte etwa anderthalb Jahre lang lächerliche Dinge wie „Ethereum ist die Zukunft der Kunst" und andere ebenso zweifelhafte Dinge. Aber wie ich schon sagte, wenn ich mich für etwas interessiere, bin ich davon eingenommen. Ich untersuche es so gründlich, wie ich kann.

Ich fing an, NFTs zu untersuchen, lernte, wie sie kodiert sind und wie sie funktionieren, und je mehr ich lernte, desto desillusionierter wurde ich. Durch die Verwendung einer Reihe von Shitcoins in Kombination mit Psychedelika erkannte ich schnell, dass ich auf dem falschen Weg war. Ich konnte auch den richtigen Weg klar erkennen. Der eine Weg führt mich in die Dunkelheit und Zerstörung, zu Lügen und Betrug, der andere führt zu Wahrheit und Stabilität. Mein Weg ist Bitcoin, einzig und alleine. Ich kann mich nicht länger von den falschen Versprechungen und der Sackgasse in der Müllhalde der Shitcoinerei ablenken lassen.

Es gab eine harte Grenze, eine Schwelle, und ich habe sie im Juni 2019 überschritten. Während ich an einem Hackathon-Projekt für die Bitcoin-Konferenz 2019 arbeitete, machte ich eine psychedelische Erfahrung, die mir einen Strich durch die Rechnung machte. Während ich an einem (wirklich kitschigen) „Super-Bowl-Werbespot für Bitcoin" arbeitete, traf mich der Entschluss auf einmal; ich loggte mich in die Börse ein und tauschte alle meine Shitcoins gegen Bitcoin. Und meine Kunst sollte von nun an nur noch in Bitcoin gemacht werden.

Im folgenden Monat flog ich nach San Francisco zur Bitcoin 2019 Konferenz. An jenem Freitag während der Konferenz hörte ich, wie jemand die Uhr und den kalenderähnlichen Charakter von Bitcoin erwähnte. Ich nahm an diesem Abend LSD und ging zu einem Bitcoin-Entwicklertreffen, das nur wenige Blocks von meinem Hotel entfernt stattfand. Nachdem ich einen ganzen Tag und Abend LSD und Bitcoin-Inhalte konsumiert hatte, verbrachte ich die Nacht damit, die allerersten Konzeptentwürfe für die Bitcoin Full Node Skulptur zu skizzieren. In den nächsten sieben Monaten arbeitete ich unermüdlich, mied Freunde, Fernsehen, Twitter und Schlaf, um immer mehr zu schaffen.

Dabei verband ich Bitcoin und Psychedelika direkt mit dem Wunsch, ein Kunstwerk zu schaffen, das Bitcoin über Zeit, Raum, Geist und die Menschen, die das Netzwerk bilden, abbildet. Dieser Prozess erstreckte sich über die gesamten sieben Monate und ich habe in dieser Zeit LSD auf unterschiedliche Weise eingesetzt. Ich fand es in zwei Bereichen besonders hilfreich:

• Für ganzheitliches, übergreifendes Denken. Um die Visionen zu erhalten und festzuhalten, die ich von der Idee in die Form bringen wollte. Das sind in der Regel höhere Dosen, und ich arbeite während dieser Erfahrung nicht an der Kunst. Ich überdenke das Projekt in meinem Kopf und beobachte, wie es entsteht. Ich mache mir Notizen und mache einfache Skizzen, ohne Druck, halte alles fest.
• Für das Arbeiten in einem Flow-Zustand. Hier hast du direkten Zugang zum kreativen Fluss, während du an der Kunst arbeitest. Die Zeit löst sich auf, und alles fällt weg. Du und der kreative Prozess brennt im Einklang. In diesen Phasen kann eine fantastische Menge an Arbeit in kurzer Zeit erledigt werden.

Beides miteinander zu verbinden, bedeutet nicht immer, dass man beides zur gleichen Zeit braucht. Ich habe ein Sprichwort: „Erschaffe high, bearbeite nüchtern". Bringe deine Ideen, Fähigkeiten und Leidenschaften in die psychedelische Erfahrung ein und konzentriere all das auf eine bestimmte Mission, ein Ziel. Nutze diese rohe, ungeschliffene Inspiration und forme sie mit einem ruhigen Geist. Den Nutzen aus jedem dieser Zustände zu ziehen, war entscheidend für die Erstellung der Bitcoin Full Node Skulptur.

Während des Prozesses lernte ich viel über Bitcoin und seine Funktionsweise, indem ich versuchte, es visuell zu beschreiben. Man kann nicht beschreiben, was man nicht versteht. Ich habe auch viele Erkenntnisse gewonnen, indem ich verschiedene Aspekte von Bitcoin visualisiert habe. Ich konnte sehen, wie wichtige Teile auf neue Weise zusammenpassen, und mein Verständnis vertiefte sich durch die Fähigkeit, Konzepte geometrisch zu visualisieren.

Jede Reise besteht aus drei Teilen, die jeweils ein paar Stunden dauern. Der Aufschwung, der Höhepunkt und der Abschwung. Jede oder alle (oder keine) dieser Phasen kann für die Kreativität genutzt werden. Wenn die Intensität des Trips nachlässt, ist die Phase des Ausklingens für mich eine äußerst produktive Phase.

Ich erzähle dir von einer meiner Methoden, um LSD für deine Kreativität zu nutzen, wobei ich mir bewusst bin, dass das, was für mich funktioniert, für dich vielleicht nicht funktioniert. Die Methode ist sehr einfach. Sie setzt voraus, dass du gutes LSD in einer bekannten Dosierung auf dem Papier hast. (Und du weißt zuverlässig, wie stark eine Dosis auf dich wirkt).

• Schneide dein LSD je nach Potenz in 3er oder 4er Stücke. Du willst, dass diese Menge ausreicht, um etwas zu spüren. Es sollte keine Dosis unterhalb der Wahrnehmungsschwelle sein.
• Beginne damit, ein Viertel einer Standarddosis zu nehmen. Manchmal reicht das schon aus, dann kannst du hier aufhören.
• Nachdem du 60 Minuten gewartet hast, nimmst du eine weitere Vierteldosis. Du kannst weiterhin jede Stunde eine viertel Dosis einnehmen. Ich habe keine feste Grenze dafür gefunden, wie lange das so weitergehen kann.
• Konzentriere dich bei dieser Erfahrung auf ein bestimmtes Projekt oder Problem.
• Lege eine Zeit und einen Ort fest, an dem du nicht gestört oder abgelenkt wirst.
• Halte alle Werkzeuge bereit, die du brauchst.

Indem du die Dosis über die Zeit verteilst, vermeidest du die Intensität einer krachenden LSD-Welle, die dich auf einmal trifft. Indem du die Dosis verteilst, wird es einfacher, in den psychedelischen Raum zu gelangen und sich darin zurechtzufinden. Es gibt weniger Rucke zwischen dem normalen Wachbewusstsein und der LSD-Gedankenwelt, weil das eine leicht in das andere überzugehen scheint. Außerdem wird die Intensität des Erlebnisses insgesamt abgeschwächt, während es gleichzeitig verlängert wird und leichter zu bewältigen ist.

Auf einer tieferen Ebene werden Psychedelika und Informatik schon seit Jahrzehnten kombiniert, und ich habe viele faszinierende Beispiele gefunden, wie Menschen dies erfolgreich tun.

Ein Computerprogrammierer auf Reddit scheint eine ähnliche Technik zu verwenden, wie ich sie oben beschrieben habe.

„Du kannst auch versuchen zu programmieren, während du auf einer leichteren Dosis bist. Das kann eine ziemlich erstaunliche Erfahrung sein, denn du kannst mit einem Bruchteil eines Tabs trippen und programmieren. Wenn du das machst, nimm dir ein Problem vor, mit dem du anfängst, bevor du trippst, aber hab keine Angst davor, den Gang komplett zu wechseln und etwas völlig anderes, verrücktes und wunderbares zu machen." -u/tosler

\ Wenn du ein Psychedelikum nimmst und über ein Thema nachdenkst, auf das du neugierig bist, kann das zu neuen und neuartigen Ideen und Lösungen führen. Als z. B. der Nobelpreisträger Kary Mullis die PCR erfand, schrieb er die Nobelpreis-Idee direkt seinen Erfahrungen mit LSD zu.

„Hätte ich die PCR erfunden, wenn ich kein LSD genommen hätte? Das bezweifle ich ernsthaft... Ich könnte auf einem DNA-Molekül sitzen und den Polymeren zusehen, wie sie vorbeiziehen. Das habe ich zum Teil auf psychedelischen Drogen gelernt." - Kary Mullis

\ Ein weiteres hervorragendes Beispiel für eine wissenschaftliche Studie über die kreativitätsfördernden Eigenschaften der Kombination von psychedelischen Drogen mit bestimmten Interessens- oder Forschungsgebieten stammt aus einer Studie, die vor der Illegalisierung von LSD durchgeführt wurde. Das ist deshalb wichtig, weil LSD in der Öffentlichkeit noch nicht mit dem negativen Stigma der „Illegalität" oder „Unmoral" behaftet war, da es keine Gesetze gegen den Konsum von LSD gab.

An der Studie nahmen 27 Personen teil, „darunter Ingenieure, Physiker, Mathematiker, Architekten, ein Möbeldesigner und ein Werbegrafiker. Die Probanden wurden angewiesen, ein oder mehrere Probleme auszuwählen, die eine kreative Lösung erforderten und an denen sie wochen- oder monatelang gearbeitet hatten, ohne eine zufriedenstellende Lösung finden zu können."

Und jetzt kommt der Clou: Noch Monate nachdem die Wirkung nachgelassen hatte, blieben die Teilnehmer standhaft: LSD hatte ihnen absolut geholfen, ihre komplexen, scheinbar unlösbaren Probleme zu lösen. Und die Einrichtung stimmte zu.

Kurz nach ihren LSD-Erfahrungen brachten die 27 Männer eine Reihe von Innovationen auf den Weg, die weithin Anerkennung fanden, darunter:

• ein mathematisches Theorem für NOR-Gatter-Schaltungen
• ein konzeptionelles Modell für ein Photon
• eine Vorrichtung zur Strahlsteuerung eines linearen Elektronenbeschleunigers
• ein neues Design für das Vibrationsmikrotom
• eine technische Verbesserung des Magnetbandrekorders
• Entwürfe für eine private Residenz und einen Kunsthandwerker-Einkaufsplatz
• ein Experiment für eine Raumsonde zur Messung der Sonneneigenschaften

Da LSD illegal ist, werden wir vielleicht nie erfahren, wie viele Entdeckungen und Erfindungen das direkte Ergebnis der Kombination von Psychedelika mit der Leidenschaft und den Fähigkeiten eines Menschen sind. Viele Berufstätige hatten und haben immer noch zu viel Angst vor beruflichen oder gesellschaftlichen Konsequenzen aufgrund ihres Konsums von Psychedelika. Glücklicherweise schweigen nicht alle zu diesem Thema. Dennis Wier, ein Computerprogrammierer, hat diese Geschichte erzählt:

"So habe ich 1975 LSD-25 für ein komplexes Programmierprojekt verwendet. Ich arbeitete in New York an der Entwicklung eines Compilers für eine Anwendungssprache namens "MARLAN". An einem bestimmten Punkt des Projekts konnte ich keinen Überblick über die Funktionsweise des gesamten Systems gewinnen. Es war wirklich zu viel für mein Gehirn, all die subtilen Aspekte und Verarbeitungsnuancen im Blick zu behalten, um einen Überblick über die Verarbeitung und das Design zu bekommen. Nachdem ich einige Wochen lang mit diesem Problem gekämpft hatte, beschloss ich, ein wenig Säure zu verwenden, um zu sehen, ob dies einen Durchbruch bringen würde.\ \ Ich nahm nur fünfundsiebzig Mikrogramm, weil ich kein Interesse daran hatte, zu trippen, denn ich hatte ein bestimmtes, begrenztes und eindeutiges Ziel für den Gebrauch von LSD. Während ich durch das LSD stimuliert wurde, konnte ich mir das gesamte System gleichzeitig vor Augen führen. Ich verbrachte einige Zeit damit, mir verschiedene Aspekte des Compilers, der Sprache und der Verarbeitung vor Augen zu führen. Unter dem Einfluss von LSD entdeckte ich drei oder vier Ungereimtheiten im Design und machte mir Notizen, um sie später zu überprüfen.\ \ Nachdem alle Änderungen vorgenommen worden waren, konnte ich die Programmierung dieses riesigen Systems erfolgreich abschließen. Die von mir vorgenommenen Änderungen verringerten künftige Fehler bei der Programmänderung und trugen zur Eleganz des Entwurfs bei. Das System war ein kommerzieller Erfolg für meinen Arbeitgeber und wurde von ihm viele Jahre lang genutzt. Obwohl die Verwendung von LSD eine wichtige Komponente für den Erfolg des Systems war, wusste außer mir niemand von seiner Verwendung."

\ Bill Atkinson, der Erfinder von HyperCard, gab zum ersten Mal öffentlich bekannt, dass die gesamte Idee für seine Softwareerfindung auf einem LSD-Trip entstand, den er bei 1:03:45 in diesem Video anschaulich beschreibt.

„Ich will nicht behaupten, dass jeder Softwareentwickler auf der Welt LSD nehmen sollte, aber bei mir hat es funktioniert." -Bill Atkinson

\ 1987 revolutionierte Apple die Art und Weise, wie Menschen mit ihren Computern interagieren, indem es HyperCard kostenlos zu jedem verkauften PC lieferte. Das Programm wurde dafür gelobt, „die Möglichkeiten der Computerprogrammierung und des Datenbankdesigns in die Hände von Nicht-Programmierern zu legen". Es wurde zu einem der ersten Werkzeuge für das elektronische Publizieren. HyperCard selbst war ein Werkzeug zur Selbstbestimmung, das von einem Programmierer entwickelt wurde, der zwei andere Werkzeuge zur Selbstbestimmung nutzte. Das ist eine sehr interessante Situation, in der die Werkzeuge neue Werkzeuge hervorbringen, die von den Menschen, die sie benutzen, hergestellt werden, und die neuen Werkzeuge sind auf dasselbe Ziel ausgerichtet wie die ursprünglichen Werkzeuge - die Erhöhung der Selbstsouveränität.

Ich möchte ein letztes Beispiel für einen Computerprogrammierer anführen, der LSD und dezentrale Netzwerke für sein Streben nach Selbstbestimmung nutzte. Kevin Paul Herbert, ein autodidaktischer Computerprogrammierer und Softwaredesigner, der Software entwickelt hat, die heute auf Millionen von Internet-Routern weltweit läuft, gab 2008 dieses Interview.

"Psychedelika sind besonders hilfreich bei der Entwicklung neuer Computertechnologien. Sie müssen etwas an der internen Kommunikation in meinem Gehirn verändern. Was auch immer mein innerer Prozess ist, der mich Probleme lösen lässt, er funktioniert anders, oder vielleicht werden andere Teile meines Gehirns benutzt. Wenn ich auf LSD bin und etwas höre, das reiner Rhythmus ist, versetzt mich das in eine andere Welt und in einen anderen Gehirnzustand, in dem ich aufgehört habe zu denken und angefangen habe zu wissen." - Kevin Paul Herbert

\ Ein letztes Zitat von Kevin Herbert geht wirklich auf die tiefgreifenden Fragen ein, die den selbstbestimmten Technologien zugrunde liegen. Vergiss nicht, dass er über all das bereits 2008 nachgedacht hat.

"Was steht für unsere Freiheit? Was steht dafür, was die Regierung regulieren darf und aus welchem Grund?

Wohin uns das führt, hängt davon ab, ob wir bereit sind, ein Modell zu akzeptieren, in dem die Dinge offen sind - einschließlich unseres eigenen Verstandes - oder ein Modell, in dem die Dinge geschlossen sind - einschließlich unseres eigenen Verstandes und der Dinge, über die wir nachdenken können, sowie der Chemikalien, die wir einsetzen können, um unser Denken zu beeinflussen." - Kevin Paul Herbert

\ Sei dir bewusst, dass diese Erfahrungen durch den Lebensweg des Einzelnen geprägt sind. Je mehr du weißt und je mehr Fähigkeiten du hast, desto mehr werden sie den Inhalt deiner psychedelischen Erfahrungen beeinflussen. Was auch immer dein Interesse, deine Leidenschaft oder dein Handwerk ist, wenn du diese Technologien nutzt, um deine Kreationen zu beeinflussen, werden sie sich zweifellos verändern und weiterentwickeln. Auf welche Weise, kann ich nicht sagen - das liegt an dir.

Ich glaube, wir alle sind in der Lage, Meisterwerke zu schaffen. Ein Automechaniker kann so gut sein, dass man ihn für einen Künstler hält. Das Gleiche gilt für einen Koch, einen Anwalt oder einen Lehrer - alle diese Berufe können bis zu einem gewissen Grad meisterhaft ausgeübt werden. Finde deine Leidenschaft, folge ihr und schaffe deine Meisterwerke.

Ich glaube, dass wir mit diesen Werkzeugen der Selbstbestimmung als Individuen wachsen können und die Möglichkeit haben, die Welt um uns herum auf tiefgreifende Weise zu beeinflussen.

Ursprungsgeschichten

\ Ein mysteriöser Cypherpunk hat an Halloween 2008 anonym ein White Paper in einem obskuren Kryptografieforum veröffentlicht. Er oder sie bleibt lange genug dabei, um das revolutionärste Geldsystem der Welt in seinen Kinderschuhen zu halten, und verschwindet dann wieder. Es wird viel darüber diskutiert, ob Satoshi eine Person oder viele ist, männlich oder weiblich, lebendig oder tot. Alles ist von Geheimnissen umhüllt.

Auch die Ursprünge der Psychedelika sind umstritten. Terence McKenna verbreitete die „Stoned-Ape-Theorie", nach der sich gedankenlose Affen durch den Konsum von psychedelischen Pilzen auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent zu Menschen entwickelten. Ob das stimmt oder nicht, die Ursprünge dieser Beziehung gehen zweifellos auf eine Zeit vor der aufgezeichneten Geschichte zurück.

Noch mysteriöser ist die Entstehungsgeschichte von LSD. Die berühmte „Bicycle Day"-Geschichte ist höchstwahrscheinlich eine Erfindung. Eine gründliche Untersuchung der Behauptungen in dieser Geschichte führt zwangsläufig zu dem Schluss, dass die Dinge unmöglich zusammenpassen. Wir sollen glauben, dass eine Kaskade von „Unfällen" zu der unerwarteten Entdeckung der stärksten Substanz geführt hat, die der Menschheit bekannt ist.

Vertraue nicht, überprüfe. Ohne dich zu weit in dieses Kaninchenloch zu führen, stelle ich dir diese Präsentation des LSD-Chemikers Dave Nichols von der Mind States-Konferenz 2004 zur Verfügung, und du kannst hier anfangen zu deine eigenen Nachforschungen azustellen (DYOR). Dr. Nichols ist in seinen Schlussfolgerungen weitaus freundlicher als ich, und ich habe einen separaten Artikel, in dem ich die wahre Geschichte hinter dem Bicycle Day noch viel ausführlicher darstelle. Die Ursprünge von LSD und Bitcoin sind auf ähnliche Weise von Geheimnissen und Legenden umwoben.

Es gibt drei unterschiedliche Versionen in der Entstehungsgeschichte von Bitcoin und LSD:

• Was tatsächlich geschah
• Was uns erzählt wird
• Vollständige Erfindungen und Fehlinformationen über das, was passiert ist

Wie auch immer sie ursprünglich entstanden sind, die unumstößliche Tatsache ihrer Existenz zwingt uns heute dazu, uns damit auseinanderzusetzen, was diese Technologien für jeden Einzelnen von uns und für das weltweite Kollektiv bedeuten.

Der Schöpfer und die Geheimdienste

\ Auch wenn sie umstritten sind, gibt es angebliche Verbindungen zwischen Satoshi Nakamoto und Albert Hoffman, den Schöpfern von Bitcoin und LSD, und Geheimdiensten mit drei Buchstaben wie der CIA und der NSA. Bei Satoshi gibt es sowohl Behauptungen, dass er wegen der CIA in die Bitcoin-Gemeinschaft kam, als auch, dass er sie verließ. Bekanntlich verschwand er ein für alle Mal, als der Bitcoin-Entwickler Gavin Andreson beschloss, sich mit der CIA zu treffen, um sie über Bitcoin aufzuklären. Die NSA hat den SHA-256-Algorithmus entwickelt, der in Bitcoin verwendet wird, was zu weiteren Satoshi-Verschwörungstheorien führt.

Es gibt auch Behauptungen, dass Albert Hofmann, der Erfinder von LSD, ein Mitarbeiter der CIA war oder wurde und mit dem St. Anthony Brand in Port Saint Esprit, Frankreich, im Jahr 1951 in Verbindung gebracht wurde. Es gibt noch viele weitere Behauptungen über Verbindungen der Geheimdienste zu den Erfindern von LSD und Bitcoin, die mehr oder weniger glaubwürdig sind. Diese Behauptungen sind zwar unterhaltsam, können aber in den meisten Fällen weder bewiesen noch widerlegt werden, so dass uns eine rationale Untersuchung nur bedingt weiterbringt.

Die frühe Revolution durch Computer

\ Eine unbestreitbare Verbindung zieht sich durch die einzelnen Revolutionen des Computers, der Psychedelika, der Kryptografie und des Bitcoin. Sie alle sind in einem komplexen Geflecht der Selbstverwirklichung miteinander verbunden. Es ist erstaunlich, dass die frühe Computer-, die öffentliche Kryptografie- und die psychedelische Revolution alle auf denselben Ort und dieselbe Zeit zurückgehen.

Die Zeit von Anfang der 1950er Jahre bis 1965 wurde in der San Francisco Bay Area in Kalifornien zu einem Sammelbecken für selbstgebaute Computer, Mathematiker und LSD. In der Zeit von 1966 bis 1976 wurden sowohl LSD als auch der Personal Computer zu Werkzeugen der Revolution und des persönlichen Wachstums. Um den Verbindungen zwischen LSD und Bitcoin auf die Spur zu kommen, müssen wir in diese Zeit zurückgehen und die Fäden zurückverfolgen, die einen Wandteppich der Transformation durch diese beiden Gemeinschaften webten und sie für immer verbanden.

Da LSD in Kalifornien erst 1966 verboten wurde, gab es einen Zeitraum von über einem Jahrzehnt, in dem Informatik und psychedelische Wissenschaft in akademischen Kreisen nebeneinander existierten.

Zwischen 1950 und Mitte der 1960er Jahre wurden mehr als tausend klinische Abhandlungen, mehrere Dutzend Bücher und sechs internationale Konferenzen über die Therapie mit psychedelischen Drogen veröffentlicht. Diese Geschichte aus dieser Zeit verbindet das frühe Informatikpublikum mit dem frühen Gebrauch von LSD in der Bay Area:

„Von 1961 bis 1965 führte die in der Bay Area ansässige International Foundation for Advanced Study mehr als 350 Menschen zu Forschungszwecken auf LSD-Trips. Einige von ihnen waren wichtige Pioniere in der Entwicklung der Computertechnik, wie z.B. Doug Engelbart, der Vater der Computermaus."

LSD wurde in vielen führenden Computerfirmen der 1950er und 60er Jahre eingesetzt, vom Systemdesign bis hin zum Entwurf von Computerschaltkreisen:

„Einige der frühen Computeringenieure verließen sich beim Entwurf von Schaltkreisen auf LSD, vor allem in den Jahren, bevor sie auf Computern entworfen werden konnten, denn „man musste in der Lage sein, sich eine schwindelerregende Komplexität in drei Dimensionen vorzustellen und alles im Kopf zu behalten. Und sie fanden heraus, dass LSD dabei helfen konnte."

Timothy Leary, Harvard-Professor und bekannter Psychedeliker, wurde zu einem ausgesprochenen Befürworter der Macht des Computers als Werkzeug für persönliches Wachstum. Er sah den PC als eine Technologie an, die den Geist auf ähnliche Weise öffnen kann wie das LSD.

„Der PC ist das LSD der 1990er Jahre". -Timothy Leary

LSD war im Silicon Valley der 1960er Jahre allgegenwärtig. Informatiker, Programmierer und Designer aller großen Unternehmen waren daran beteiligt. Diese Geschichte aus dem Wired Magazine geht auf die Verbindungen zwischen Psychedelika, dem Internet und den Grateful Dead ein. Auch wenn diese Geschichte 25 Jahre vor der Geburt von Bitcoin spielt, klingt der folgende Absatz sehr nach Bitcoin:

„Ein Teil der Magie dieser Transaktion besteht darin, dass es gelungen ist, nützliche Inhalte über Jahrzehnte hinweg über das Netzwerk zu teilen. Aber eine andere, noch erstaunlichere Tatsache ist die Widerstandsfähigkeit der Daten, die von Maschine zu Maschine mit einer Art Lebenskraft weitergegeben wurden. Irgendetwas in ihnen machte sie selbstreplizierend und lebendig, etwas, das darum bettelte, kopiert und geteilt, angehört und gesungen zu werden."

Wir können sehen, dass die Anfänge der Computer- und der psychedelischen Revolutionen beide auf diesen konzentrierten Knotenpunkt von Ort und Zeit zurückgehen. Diese Flüsse scheinen in dieselben Meere zu fließen und denselben Quellen zu entspringen. Es gibt Überschneidungen zwischen den scheinbar getrennten Subkulturen, die sich in den frühen Computer- und Psychedelik-Gemeinschaften gebildet haben. Viele Denker, Autoren, Wissenschaftler und Forscher der damaligen Zeit kamen durch soziale Umstände oder durch ihre Berufe in engen Kontakt.

Der Weg von der Entwicklung von Kontrollinstrumenten für Unternehmen hin zur Entwicklung von Instrumenten für Menschen, die sich der Kontrolle widersetzen, hat sich über Jahrzehnte vollzogen.

\ Wir alle sind Nutznießer der Arbeit psychedelischer Informatikerinnen und Informatiker aus einer nicht allzu fernen Vergangenheit.

Wir haben diese klare Verbindung zwischen der psychedelischen und der Computer-Revolution gesehen und können nun auch die öffentliche Kryptografie-Revolution direkt mit beiden in Verbindung bringen. Die Kryptografie war ein streng gehütetes Geheimnis der staatlichen Geheimdienste, bis Whitfield Diffie und Martin Hellman das geheime Wissen aus der Versenkung holten und es dem Normalbürger zugänglich machten.

Diese Frechheit blieb nicht ohne Folgen. Die Regierung versuchte, die Verschlüsselung zu verbieten, indem sie sie als Kriegsmunition einstufte und das Schreiben und Veröffentlichen von kryptografischem Code illegal machte. Die Verwendung von Kryptografie wäre das Gleiche wie ein Waffenhändler zu sein. Dies führte zu den Verschlüsselungskriegen in den 1980er und 1990er Jahren.

Auch hier befinden wir uns wieder in dieser punktgenauen Verknüpfung von Zeit und Ort. Der Held unserer Geschichte tritt in die Schlacht ein und verändert den Lauf der Menschheitsgeschichte für immer. 1965, nachdem er das MIT verlassen hatte, bekam Whit Diffie dank seiner Kenntnisse über Psychedelika einen Job und reiste 1969 (du hast es erraten) in die San Francisco Bay Area.

1975 veröffentlichte er seine Arbeit zur Public-Private-Key-Kryptografie, die die Grundlage für das gesamte Bitcoin-System bildet.

\ John Markoff beschreibt diese psychedelische Verbindung in seinem Buch „What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry":

"Diffies Bewerbungsgespräch bei der MITRE Corporation fand mit einem angesehenen Mathematiker und Softwareentwickler namens Roland Silver statt, der sein Mentor wurde. Es war ein ungewöhnliches Vorstellungsgespräch, wenn man bedenkt, dass es sich um einen Militärdienstleister handelte. Es fand in Silvers Haus statt, und fast das gesamte Gespräch drehte sich um psychedelische Drogen: wie man sie zubereitet, wo man sie bekommt usw. Diffie hat mit Bravour bestanden."

Diffie war auch ein großer Verfechter der persönlichen Freiheit und Selbstbestimmung. Als er erfuhr, dass die Geheimdienste der Regierung Wissen über kryptografische Mathematik versteckten, wird er mit den Worten zitiert

"Kryptografie ist für die menschliche Privatsphäre unerlässlich! Vielleicht sollten leidenschaftliche Forscher/innen im öffentlichen Sektor versuchen, das Thema zu befreien. Wenn wir uns anstrengen, könnten wir eine Menge von diesem Material wiederentdecken."- Whitfield Diffie

Nachdem Whitfield und Hellmann ihre bahnbrechende Arbeit über die Kryptografie mit öffentlich-privaten Schlüsseln veröffentlicht hatten, fragte ein anderer Forscher aus der Bay Area an, ob sie an einer Zusammenarbeit interessiert seien. Es handelte sich um Ralph Merkle, den Erfinder einer weiteren wichtigen Technologie, die Bitcoin zugrunde liegt: des Merkle-Baums.

Während eines sehr kurzen Moments in der Geschichte leuchtet dieses sehr kleine geografische Gebiet wie ein magisches Ei, das Technologien des Wandels und der Hoffnung hervorgebracht hat.

\ Die tief verwobenen Verbindungen zwischen der Entstehung der Revolutionen der Psychedelika, des Personal Computing und der Kryptografie sind wirklich bemerkenswert. Diese drei Wissenschaften konvergieren in den nächsten Jahrzehnten in Ausdrucksformen der Selbstsouveränität durch digitale Privatsphäre, digitales Geld und digitale Philosophie, die durch „Cypherpunks, die Code schreiben" verwirklicht werden.

Bevor wir uns den historischen Verbindungen zuwenden, wäre ich nachlässig, wenn ich nicht Ross Ulbricht und Silk Road erwähnen würde. Einer der sichtbarsten Aspekte der frühen Bitcoin-Geschichte war die Beziehung zwischen Online-Peer-to-Peer-Marktplätzen, Bitcoin und Psychedelika. Im Jahr 2011 wurde die Welt mit einer neuen Art von „Drogenmarkt" konfrontiert. Dieser neue Online-Marktplatz bot sowohl den Käufern als auch den Verkäufern einzigartige Vorteile.

Viele wissen es nicht, aber Ross baute seine eigenen psychedelischen Pilze an, die das allererste Produkt auf der Silk Road-Website sein sollten. Bevor es etwas anderes gab, gab es Bitcoin und Psilocybe cubensis. Abgesehen von Lazlo's Pizza sind psychedelische Pilze also wohl einer der ersten aufgezeichneten Peer-to-Peer-Tauschgeschäfte von Bitcoin gegen Waren/Dienstleistungen. Auch wenn es einige Papierhandtücher, Tassen und andere banale und vergessene Gegenstände gibt, ist die Verbindung zwischen der Online/P2P/Psychedelic/Cypherpunk-Community unbestreitbar.

Interessanterweise war der erste Ort, an dem Ross für die Silk Road warb, das psychedelische Pilz-Online-Forum The Shroomery, unter dem Benutzernamen "altoid". Du kannst seinen einzigen Beitrag hier nachlesen.

Die Ebene der Umsetzung

\ Die nächste Ebene, auf der man nach interessanten Parallelen suchen kann, ist die einfachste Ebene der Grundlagen der einzelnen Implementierungen. Bitcoin ist ein Protokoll, ein Satz von Regeln, Anweisungen und Parametern, und es gibt verschiedene Implementierungen von Bitcoin, die mit dem Protokoll kompatibel sind. Die Implementierungen sind die Software, die du ausführst und die es dir ermöglicht, mit dem Netzwerk zu interagieren. Obwohl es eine Standard-„Referenzimplementierung" von Bitcoin gibt, haben die Nutzer die völlige Freiheit, verschiedene Programmiersprachen, Funktionen und Architekturen zu verwenden, um mit demselben Bitcoin-Netzwerk zu interagieren wie alle anderen.

Die meisten Bitcoin-Nutzer schätzen zwar die Möglichkeit, dies zu tun, aber werden wir werden eigene Bitcoin-Implementierung nicht von Grund auf programmieren. Wir werden aus den vielen verfügbaren Implementierungen wählen und entscheiden, ob wir Open-Source- oder Closed-Source-Code verwenden.

Dieses Thema ist zu umfangreich für diesen Artikel, aber ich bin der festen Überzeugung, dass man Bitcoin niemals mit Closed-Source-Code verwenden sollte. Wenn du dich für Open-Source-Code entscheidest, kannst du die Software anhand ihres Quellcodes sowohl überprüfen als auch kompilieren.

Hier gibt es eine Menge Nuancen. Auf dieser Ebene können die „Werkzeuge" von Bitcoin so austauschbar sein wie das Auto, das du fährst, und der Endnutzer hat fast die gleiche Auswahl. Diese Wahl ist wichtig und sollte gut überlegt sein. Das Auto, das du fährst, ist vielleicht an den meisten Tagen unbedeutend, aber eines Tages könnte es aufgrund bestimmter Eigenschaften deine Familie retten.

Wichtig ist, dass unabhängig von der Implementierung, für die sich ein Nutzer entscheidet, die Möglichkeit, seinen eigenen Knotenpunkt zu betreiben, der demokratisierende und wohl auch wichtigste Faktor ist. Jeder sollte in der Lage sein, seinen eigenen Knotenpunkt zu betreiben und dabei Zwischenhändler und Unsicherheiten auszuschalten.

Ein Bitcoin-Knoten ist eine Quelle der Wahrheit - eine vollständige Geschichte von der Gegenwart bis zurück zur Genesis. Indem du deinen eigenen Knotenpunkt betreibst, erhältst du deine eigene direkte Quelle der Wahrheit, die nicht von Banken, Politikern oder Priestern vermittelt wird. Für Bitcoin bedeutet dies, dass die Nutzer mit Sicherheit wissen können, dass ihre eigenen Transaktionen gültig und echt sind - ohne einen Goldbarren einschmelzen zu müssen, um das zu überprüfen, was teure Ausrüstung und Zeit kostet. Wenn der Bitcoin in meiner Wallet ankommt, weiß ich, dass er zu 100% echt ist. Er ist nicht gefälscht und nicht entwertet. Es ist reiner, unverfälschter Bitcoin.

Bei psychedelischen Drogen kannst du sie selbst anbauen, synthetisieren und/oder extrahieren, ohne dass du Zwischenhändler brauchst oder dir Sorgen über Reinheit, Gewicht oder falsche Identifizierung machen musst.

Psychedelika ermöglichen es dir, wie Sama Katharo es formulierte: „dich mit deinem eigenen inneren Knotenpunkt zu verbinden". Die Software der komplexesten und am dichtesten verzweigten Verarbeitungsmaschine, die der Mensch kennt: dein Gehirn. Du kannst sie nutzen, um deine eigene Quelle der inneren Wahrheit zu destillieren. Du kannst die riesigen Gedankenwelten in deinem Kopf erforschen, ohne dass sich ein Psychiater oder eine andere „vertrauenswürdige dritte Partei" einmischen oder ihren Bezugsrahmen auf dich projizieren muss. Psychedelika geben dir die Schlüssel zu deinem eigenen inneren Palast.

Psychedelika gibt es, genau wie Bitcoin, in vielen verschiedenen Varianten, z. B. LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, DMT, Meskalin oder Cannabis. Es gab auch einen Boom von experimentellen psychedelischen „Forschungschemikalien", die sich über die Darknet-Märkte (und damit auch über Bitcoin) verbreitet haben. Und obwohl der Betrieb eines großen psychedelischen Labors außerhalb der Möglichkeiten und Wünsche der meisten Menschen liegt, können fast alle Erwachsenen die Kontrolle über ihren psychedelischen Weg übernehmen und ihre eigenen Pilze, Kakteen und Cannabis anbauen. Dies kann in verschiedenen Ländern unterschiedliche rechtliche Konsequenzen haben, und jeder Nutzer muss entsprechend entscheiden.

Der Weg zum eigenen Anbau von psychedelischen Drogen ist eine heroische Suche nach Selbsterkenntnis, Vorbereitung, Wachstum und Geduld. Sich die Zeit zu nehmen, um die richtigen Materialien zu verstehen, zu kultivieren, zu pflegen und hervorzubringen, hat unermessliche Vorteile. Diese Vorbereitung und Kontemplation gibt dem Suchenden die Kontrolle darüber, was in unserem Körper passiert.

Auf dem Weg des Bitcoiners, der versucht, seine Zukunft in der Schuldenspirale zu kontrollieren, die sich um uns herum abspielt, gibt es eine ähnliche Heldentat.

Learning by Doing

\ Sowohl bei Bitcoin als auch bei Psychedelika ist es wichtig, dass du sie tatsächlich BENUTZEN kannst, bevor du sie richtig verstehen kannst. Du kannst ein Buch darüber lesen, wie sie funktionieren, was sie bewirken und wie man sie richtig einsetzt, aber dein Verständnis ist unvollständig, solange du sie nicht persönlich erlebt hast. Keine noch so gute Vorbereitung oder Lektüre kann dich auf den weltbewegenden Wirbelsturm vorbereiten, der das Herzstück der psychedelischen Erfahrung ist. Keine noch so gute Lektüre kann dich auf das Gefühl vorbereiten, das du bekommst, wenn du Bitcoin verschickst - eine kostspielige und unumkehrbare Aktion.

Je mehr du sie benutzt, desto besser wirst du mit ihnen vertraut. Je vertrauter du wirst, desto tiefer kannst du in die Erfahrung eintauchen. Das ist Weisheit, die aus Erfahrung entsteht, nicht Wissen, das man durch Lesen erlangt.

"Ein tiefes Verständnis von Bitcoin zu erlangen, ist wie ein tiefer psychedelischer Trip. Denn alles scheint sich um dieses Ideal herum auf unerwartete und ziemlich radikale Weise zu verändern, weil du die Dinge jetzt auf eine ganz andere Art und Weise siehst, als du sie ursprünglich zu sehen glaubtest." - Eric Cason

Endgültigkeit

\ Sowohl bei Psychedelika als auch bei Bitcoin gibt es einen Punkt an dem es keine Rückkehr mehr gibt. Wenn du eine Bitcoin-Transaktion abschickst, kannst du sie nicht mehr zurücknehmen. Sobald du auf „Senden" klickst und das Netzwerk die Transaktion bestätigt, kann keine deiner Handlungen mehr verhindern, dass der Bitcoin sich einmal bewegt. Wenn du dir einen Schuss LSD auf die Zunge legst oder ein paar Gramm Pilze isst, bist du für die nächsten Stunden an diese Erfahrung gebunden. Es gibt kein STRG+Z, keine Wiederholung oder Rückerstattung. Es gibt keinen Ausweg außer dem Durchgang.

Es gibt eine Schwelle, nach deren Überschreiten nichts mehr so ist, wie es einmal war. Diese Endgültigkeit gibt dem Benutzer eine Pause, um seine Handlungen zu überdenken. Ein Fehler oder Fehltritt hat hier unmittelbare Konsequenzen, daher ist es klug und umsichtig, vorsichtig vorzugehen. Es ist von größter Bedeutung, dass du deine Entscheidungen bei der Nutzung dieser Technologien sorgfältig triffst. Mit der Übung kommt die Vertrautheit. Und mit der Vertrautheit kommt das Vertrauen. Diese Technologien fördern bewusstes Handeln und führen zu Überzeugung, wenn sie mit Sorgfalt und Respekt eingesetzt werden.

Die Erlebnisse

\ Die Erfahrungen mit Psychedelika und Bitcoin bringen uns zu denselben grundlegenden Fragen über das Menschsein und die Interaktion mit dem Universum um uns herum.

• Was ist Zeit?
• Was ist Geld?
• Was ist real?
• Was ist Sprache?
• Was ist Arbeit?
• Was ist Energie?
• Ist der Einsatz von Energie gut oder schlecht?
• Wo gehöre ich zu meinen Mitmenschen?

Warum bringen uns diese beiden unterschiedlichen Technologien zu denselben grundlegenden Fragen über die Realität und das Menschsein? Warum inspirieren sie uns dazu, die großen Fragen zu stellen?

Das Konzept der Zeit ist auf mehreren Ebenen tief mit Bitcoin und Psychedelika verwoben. Bitcoin hat die Zeitmessung neu definiert, und die Folgen davon müssen erst noch verstanden werden. Die menschliche Erfahrung von Zeit ist variabel. Wir interpretieren die Zeit durch eine Linse anderer Wahrnehmungen (wenn du Spaß hast, scheint die Zeit schnell zu vergehen, während es dir, wenn du verzweifelt auf etwas wartest, vorkommen kann, als sei jede Sekunde eine Ewigkeit).

Dies wird durch Psychedelika noch verstärkt, da das Konzept der Zeit dehnbar und amorph wird und Neuartigkeit und Zufälligkeit mit der alltäglichen Erfahrung der Zeit wie ein Spiegelbild spielen. Vergleiche dies mit den Blockzeiten von Bitcoin. Blocks sollen alle 10 Minuten kommen, aber manchmal sind sie schneller, manchmal langsamer. Wie die Wellen im Ozean bewegt sich jeder Tick der Bitcoin-Uhr in seinem eigenen Rhythmus, ist aber endlos, wie die Zeit selbst.

Sowohl Bitcoin als auch Psychedelika haben ihren eigenen inneren Zeitrhythmus, der durch den Rhythmus der Uhr nicht beeinflusst oder verändert wird.

Integration: Unerfahrener vs. erfahrener Gebrauch

\ Bei Bitcoin und Psychedelika gibt es ein Spektrum an Vertrautheit, das direkt mit der Zeit und der Arbeit korreliert, die der Nutzer in das Erlernen und die Nutzung der Technologien investiert. Dieses Spektrum reicht von unerfahrenen bis hin zu erfahrenen Nutzern. Die Vorteile beider Technologien können am besten von erfahrenen Nutzern genutzt werden. Menschen, die in der Lage sind, die Erkenntnisse aus ihren Erfahrungen zu nutzen und sie erfolgreich auf ihr Leben anzuwenden, profitieren am meisten.

Diese Fähigkeit, Erkenntnisse zu erkennen, zu nutzen und in die Tat umzusetzen, würde ich als fortgeschrittene Nutzung von Psychedelika bezeichnen. Viele Menschen, die Psychedelika einnehmen, gelangen zu tiefgreifenden Einsichten, die eine große persönliche Bedeutung haben. Wenn die Wirkung nachlässt, setzen unerfahrene Nutzer diese Erkenntnisse jedoch nicht in die Tat um.

Vorteile, Entdeckungen und Erfindungen können sich in einem Funken der Inspiration manifestieren, nur um wenige Augenblicke später wieder vergessen und für immer verloren zu sein.  Manche Nutzer erleben nach einer psychedelischen Erfahrung Veränderungen, aber die sind nur von kurzer Dauer. Sie gewinnen Einsichten und nehmen Veränderungen vor, aber wie viele Neujahrsvorsätze verschwinden diese schnell in der Entropie. Die Veränderungen halten ein paar Wochen, vielleicht einen Monat an, aber schon bald fallen die Nutzer wieder in die Routine des Alltags zurück und schlechte Gewohnheiten, die erkannt und angegangen wurden, kehren zurück.

Die Rückkehr des Alltäglichen und das Aufzwingen der Welt auf unsere Gewohnheiten kann eine mächtige Kraft sein. Psychedelische Drogen und die Erkenntnisse aus den ersten Prinzipien des Bitcoin-Denkens können mächtig sein, müssen aber verstärkt werden. Diese Verstärkung kann in Form von direktem Handeln, tiefem Studium oder Willenskraft erfolgen, aber ich glaube, dass es auch wichtig ist, zur Quelle der Erfahrung zurückzukehren.

Für Bitcoin bedeutet das, Podcasts zu hören, zu lernen, zu programmieren, zu bauen und zu teilen. Bei psychedelischen Drogen bedeutet das, dass du die psychedelische Erfahrung in regelmäßigen Abständen wiederholen musst. Es gibt kein Patentrezept. Du würdest nicht erwarten, dass eine einzige Dosis Aspirin ein Leben lang Schmerzen lindert, und mit Psychedelika ist es genauso. Sie wirken eine Zeit lang, sollten aber nur bei Bedarf verabreicht werden.

Es ist von größter Bedeutung, die während einer psychedelischen Erfahrung gelernten Lektionen oder gewonnenen Erkenntnisse richtig zu verarbeiten. Wenn du während der Erfahrung etwas Wertvolles bekommst, behandle es wie jeden anderen Gegenstand von großem Wert. Du wirst nicht bei jedem Erlebnis Einsichten oder Lebenslektionen erhalten, und das ist in Ordnung. Aber es ist gut, darauf vorbereitet zu sein, wenn sie auftauchen, damit du ihren Wert für dein Leben maximieren kannst.

Selbstvertrauen aufbauen

\ Sowohl Bitcoin als auch Psychedelika können ein tiefes inneres Vertrauen aufbauen. Psychedelische Drogen können sehr herausfordernd sein. Die psychedelische Erfahrung kann in gewisser Weise mit einer Initiation verglichen werden. Manche Menschen erleben auf Psychedelika eine Tod-Wiedergeburt-Erfahrung, und es gibt keine lebensbejahendere Erfahrung als die eines Nahtods.

Psychedelika können auch sehr beängstigend sein, wenn sie ohne die nötige Vorsicht und den nötigen Respekt eingesetzt werden. Aber selbst die furchterregendsten Erfahrungen bringen uns nicht um, und das gibt uns ein Gefühl der Ermächtigung. Auch ohne das Drama des Egotods oder eine beängstigende psychedelische Erfahrung würden viele Menschen einen Teil ihrer psychedelischen Erfahrung als „herausfordernd" bezeichnen. Diese tiefgreifenden inneren Herausforderungen zu durchlaufen, kann das Selbstvertrauen enorm stärken.

Die psychedelische Erfahrung ist auch eine moderne Analogie zu einer inneren „Heldensuche". Sie wird nicht auf die leichte Schulter genommen und ist ein Weg mit großen persönlichen Herausforderungen und Dramen. Die Suche kann zu einer direkten göttlichen, mystischen Erfahrung führen, zu einem Schatz, bevor der Held nach Hause zurückkehrt.

Bitcoin schafft auch ein Vertrauen, das man nur durch Erfahrung gewinnen kann. Diejenigen, die sich seit mehr als einem Jahr mit Bitcoin beschäftigen, sind auf zahlreiche Medienartikel gestoßen, die laut und stolz verkündeten: „Bitcoin ist tot!" Mehr als 450 dieser Artikel wurden in den letzten zehn Jahren veröffentlicht, doch Bitcoin stirbt nie. Er ist einer nicht enden wollenden Flut von technologischen, politischen und ideologischen Angriffen ausgesetzt, aber im Durchschnitt wird alle 10 Minuten ein neuer Bitcoin-Block im Netzwerk erzeugt. Die Uhr tickt weiter. Diese Widerstandsfähigkeit schafft Vertrauen bei den Bitcoinern, und dieses Vertrauen wächst und vertieft sich mit der Zeit.

Auswirkungen auf langfristiges Denken und Planen

\ Das Konzept der „Zeitpräferenz", das von Saifedean Ammous populär gemacht wurde, basiert auf den Entscheidungen, die wir alle treffen, und ihrem Verhältnis zur Zeit. Willst du einen Bitcoin heute oder zehn im nächsten Jahr?

Es gibt zwei Arten von Zeitpräferenzen: hohe und niedrige. Das Denken mit hoher Zeitpräferenz optimiert für die unmittelbare Zukunft (heute, morgen), während das Denken mit niedriger Zeitpräferenz für die lange Zukunft (Jahre, Jahrzehnte, Generationen) optimiert. Das Denken in niedrigen Zeitpräferenzen ist ein Luxus, den sich diejenigen leisten, die ihre unmittelbare Zukunft gesichert haben. Man kann nicht für die Zukunft planen, wenn man nicht weiß, woher die nächste Mahlzeit kommt oder wo man die Nacht verbringen wird.

Zum Denken mit geringen Zeitpräferenzen gehört das Sparen für die Zukunft und die Sicherung des persönlichen Wohlstands durch große persönliche Verantwortung und Bildung. Diejenigen, die in Bitcoin sparen und sie langfristig halten, stellen fest, dass ihr Vermögen um Größenordnungen zunimmt. Niemand hat jemals Bitcoin gekauft, sie vier Jahre lang gehalten und dann Geld verloren. Niemals. Das passiert einfach nicht. Wenn du sie kurzfristig kaufst, kann alles Mögliche passieren, und höchstwahrscheinlich wirst du dein Geld verlieren. Kaufe, halte, sammle und gib sparsam aus.

Diese Lehren aus dem Bitcoin beginnen das Leben der Nutzer zu durchdringen, und schon bald wird diese Art des Denkens auf alle Aspekte des Lebens angewendet. Die Nutzer  bilden sich in verwandten Disziplinen weiter, treiben Sport und ernähren sich gesünder, weil sie nun optimistischer in die Zukunft blicken.

Eine düstere Zukunft, die einst voller Ungewissheit war, wird durch persönliches Handeln in eine Vision der Hoffnung verwandelt, und das ist unbeschreiblich ermutigend.

Es kommt niemand, um dich zu retten. Du musst der Held auf dieser Reise sein.

Psychedelika wirken sich sowohl auf das Denken in niedrigen als auch in hohen Phasen aus und sind für jeden Menschen zutiefst individuell. Ich finde, dass Psychedelika als persönliches Barometer genutzt werden können - ein Werkzeug, um den Verlauf meiner Zukunft vorherzusagen. Indem wir die Vergangenheit nutzen, um aus einzigartigen und unverwirklichten Perspektiven in die Zukunft zu blicken, können wir dieses Werkzeug nutzen, um Pläne für persönliches Wachstum zu entwerfen. Indem ich mich außerhalb meiner alltäglichen Erfahrungen bewege, kann ich mich aus einem ganz neuen Blickwinkel betrachten.

Viele von uns können schnell die Fehler anderer sehen, aber nicht die eigenen? Psychedelika ermöglichen uns einen Perspektivwechsel, der es uns erlaubt, uns selbst und unser Leben aus einem neuen Blickwinkel zu betrachten, in dem wir Fehler, die wir ignoriert, übersehen oder unterdrückt haben, leicht und klar erkennen können.

Ich kann das Ziel und den Weg dorthin sehen. Ich kann sehen, was für mich richtig ist, und ich kann auch andere Wege sehen, die ich einschlagen könnte und wo sie mich in die Irre führen könnten. Die wahre Kraft der Psychedelika besteht darin, diese Einsichten zu erkennen und konsequent danach zu handeln. Viele Menschen nehmen Psychedelika und haben eine großartige Vision, stecken dann aber zwei Wochen später in denselben persönlichen und emotionalen Furchen fest, in denen sie vor der Erfahrung steckten. Das liegt daran, dass es fast keine guten Informationen über die richtige Integration psychedelischer Erfahrungen gibt. Deine beste Lehrerin oder dein bester Lehrer ist es, die Arbeit zu machen, aufmerksam zu sein, sich entsprechend anzupassen und die Ergebnisse zu beobachten. Tatsache ist, dass viele Menschen durch den Konsum von Bitcoin und/oder Psychedelika langfristige positive Veränderungen in ihrem Leben bewirken.

Die Wirkung von Psychedelika findet nicht nur im Kopf statt. Die Wissenschaft hat gezeigt, dass diese Moleküle die Struktur unseres Gehirns physisch verändern. Dieses Bild zeigt, wie Psychedelika das Wachstum von Gehirnzellen fördern und neue Nervenbahnen im Gehirn bilden können. Du denkst anders, weil du anders bist.

Altcoins, Forschungschemikalien und Schadensminimierung

\ Sowohl bei Bitcoin als auch bei Psychedelika gibt es räuberische „Hochstapler" und Affinitätsbetrüger, die auftauchen, um die Gemeinschaft auszunutzen. In beiden Kulturen gibt es eine unehrliche Bevölkerung, die von der Förderung dieser Betrügereien profitiert, und eine ehrliche Bevölkerung, die als Immunsystem fungiert, um diese Gifte zu identifizieren, zu entlarven und zu vertreiben. Bei Bitcoin gibt es eine aktive Kultur, die den Affinitätsbetrug schnell, laut und nachdrücklich aufdeckt. In der Psychedelik gibt es eine ähnliche Kultur, die „Schadensminimierung" genannt wird und in der lautstarke Mitglieder die größere Gemeinschaft vor den Angriffen der schlechten Akteure schützen.

Es gibt eine ganze Galaxie von „Altcoins", die behaupten, dass sie aus dem einen oder anderen Grund besser sind als Bitcoin. Einige der Altcoin-Projekte mögen legitime Experimente mit digitalen Vermögenswerten sein, aber die große Mehrheit sind gefährliche Betrüger, die versuchen, dein Geld durch falsche Versprechungen und technisches Geschwätz zu stehlen.

Diese Altcoins nehmen viele Formen an: Defi, Proof-of-Stake, algorithmische Stablecoins, NFTs und viele andere Worthülsen, die bei näherer Betrachtung nicht das sind, wofür sie werben. Viele dieser Projekte und Altcoins behaupten, sie seien „dezentralisiert", während sie in Wirklichkeit direkte zentralisierende Faktoren verbergen, die den gesamten Sinn des Projekts zunichte machen. In Bitcoin haben wir einen umgangssprachlichen Ausdruck für diese Nicht-Bitcoin-Krypto-Vermögenswerte: Shitcoins.

"Es gibt Bitcoin und es gibt Shitcoin."- Kongressabgeordneter Warren Davidson

\ Eine ganze Galaxie von psychedelischen Molekülen aus dem Frankenstein'schen Zeitalter findet ihren Weg aus skizzenhaften Laboren in Übersee auf die globalen psychedelischen Märkte. Dinge wie 2C-I, DOB, aMT, 25i-NBOMe, Bromo-Dragonfly und JWH-018 sind nur einige der chemischen Substanzen, die derzeit auf dem Weltmarkt erhältlich sind.

Weil diese Chemikalien so selten sind, gibt es nur sehr wenige Daten über ihr Sicherheitsprofil. Skrupellose Dealer kaufen diese billigen Imitate und verkaufen sie als LSD, MDMA oder Meskalin an ahnungslose Kunden. 25i-NBOME wird oft fälschlicherweise als LSD verkauft, aber diese Substanz ist hochgiftig und hat schon mehrere Konsumenten getötet, im Gegensatz zu LSD, das noch nie jemanden getötet hat.

Ich habe ein paar Blotter zur Schadensminimierung erstellt, um diese betrügerische Technik zu bekämpfen. Dies ist ein Beispiel dafür, dass der Aktivismus zur Schadensbegrenzung Parallelen zum „toxischen Bitcoin-Maximalismus" aufweist.

Obwohl es in beiden Gemeinschaften überall Betrüger gibt, ist nicht jeder, der sich mit Altcoins oder Forschungschemikalien beschäftigt, unehrlich oder darauf aus, dir zu schaden. Viele erforschen ernsthaft die Vorzüge und Fallstricke dieser unbekannten Wege, und ich habe nichts dagegen, dass sie das tun. Diese Menschen sind nicht gefährlich für die Gemeinschaft, sondern meist nur für sich selbst.

Auch wenn ich glaube, dass sie fehlgeleitet sind, schaden ihre ehrlichen Erkundungen niemandem. Manche Menschen investieren einen großen Teil ihres Lebens in die Erkundung dieser Pfade und finden vielleicht nie den Weg hinaus. Ich denke jedoch, dass dies für die meisten ein Übergangsstadium ist, in dem sie die Konsequenzen ihres falschen Denkens erfahren und sich selbst korrigieren.

Wenn die Selbsterkundung zur Anpreisung wird, haben wir eine Grenze überschritten. Ich habe etwas dagegen, wenn Menschen falsche Behauptungen aufstellen, die für jeden, der ihnen zuhört, gefährliche Folgen haben, vor allem, wenn sie das nur tun, weil sie davon profitieren.

Sowohl bei Bitcoin als auch bei Psychedelika gibt es ausgetretene Pfade, die zuverlässig und vorhersehbar sind. Andere Wege sind weniger ausgetreten oder sogar unbekannt und bergen neue und einzigartige Gefahren. Die klassischen Psychedelika wie LSD, Pilze, DMT, Meskalin und Cannabis sind gut befahrene, gut dokumentierte und entsprechend gekennzeichnete Wege. Das bedeutet, dass Millionen von Menschen diese Substanzen über Jahrzehnte oder sogar Jahrhunderte hinweg konsumiert haben. Aufgrund ihrer weit verbreiteten, langfristigen Verwendung wissen wir viel über ihre Sicherheit, Wirksamkeit und Dosierung. Diese Psychedelika sind in einer Vielzahl von Umgebungen unglaublich sicher.

Bitcoin ist auch ein weit verbreiteter Weg. Er hat Millionen von Nutzern und ist seit über einem Jahrzehnt in der Praxis erprobt. Bitcoin winkt jeden Tag mit einem Billionen-Dollar-Preis für jeden, der ihn knacken kann, doch niemand hat es je geschafft. Das Gegenteil ist in der Welt der Nicht-Bitcoin-Kryptowährungen der Fall. Fast wöchentlich gibt es einen neuen Defi- oder Smart-Contract-Exploit oder Hack. Der Sommer 2022 hat uns auch gezeigt, wie gefährlich es ist, Dritten zu vertrauen und ein Gegenparteirisiko einzugehen.

Die wichtigste Erkenntnis aus diesem Abschnitt, wenn nicht sogar aus dem ganzen Artikel, ist, dass man sich in der Welt der "Kryptowährungen" auf Bitcoin konzentrieren sollte, wie auf LSD und Psilocybin in der Welt der Psychedelika.\ \ Es gibt viele Ablenkungen und falsche Wege, die dich in die Irre führen. Fallen Sie nicht darauf herein. Sowohl Psychedelika als auch Bitcoin zeigen uns, dass Zeit unser wertvollstes Gut ist. Wenn du den Fokus verlierst, ist es leicht, von der Mission abzuweichen und dich ablenken zu lassen. Wenn du deine Aufmerksamkeit und Energie fokussierst, verbringst du mehr Zeit auf Wegen, die tiefgreifende und messbare Vorteile für dein Leben haben können. Du kannst nicht gewinnen, wenn du nicht spielst. Ablenkungen halten dich komplett vom Spielfeld fern.

Es gibt kein "Wundermittel" gegen falsches Denken

\ Viele Nutzer von Psychedelika glauben, dass sich alles innerhalb eines Nachmittags ändern würde, wenn alle Menschen auf der Welt LSD nehmen würden. Bei Bitcoin gibt es den Spruch „Bitcoin repariert dies", der besagt, dass Bitcoin auf magische Weise fast jedes Problem auf der Welt lösen kann. Meiner Erfahrung nach gibt es leider kein Patentrezept für falsches Denken.

Bitcoin hält die Shitcoinerei nicht auf. Psychedelische Drogen machen dich nicht automatisch zu einem guten Menschen.

Nur weil du dich für Bitcoin interessierst, heißt das nicht, dass du gegen Fiat-Denken oder Shitcoinerei immun bist. Und nur weil du Psychedelika nimmst, heißt das nicht, dass du nicht in einem Labyrinth aus fantastischem Denken landest. Es bedeutet auch nicht, dass du deine psychedelischen Erkenntnisse erfolgreich in dein Leben integrieren wirst.

Als ich mit Bitcoin anfing, hatte ich keine Ahnung von der riesigen Welt der Kryptowährungen. Ich dachte, Bitcoin sei die einzige digitale Währung. Ich fand schnell heraus, dass es über tausend verschiedene „Altcoins" gibt. Ich begann zu recherchieren, aber die verfügbaren Quellen waren nicht zuverlässig. Ich sah immer wieder Altcoin-Promoter, die sagten: „Bitcoin ist eine alte, veraltete Technologie", „Bitcoin ist langsam und teuer" und „dieser neue Coin behebt all das".

Noch wichtiger ist, dass diese Betrüger von dem Wunschtraum leben, dass diese neue Münze das gleiche Wachstum wie Bitcoin erfährt und möglicherweise den Nutzen und den Preis von Bitcoin übertrifft. Oft kosten diese Münzen nur ein paar Cent pro Stück, so dass die Verlockung, ein paar Cent in Zehntausende zu verwandeln, wie ein Sirenengesang auf unsere Gier wirkt.

Ich bin darauf hereingefallen und habe über ein Jahr lang auf die harte (und teure) Tour gelernt, dass ich meine Zeit und mein Geld mit einem Haufen Shitcoins verschwendet habe. Das war eine wertvolle, aber teure Lektion. Ich habe sie mir zu Herzen genommen und konzentriere mich jetzt ausschließlich auf Bitcoin. Das hat mein Leben in vielerlei Hinsicht verändert und dafür bin ich für immer dankbar.

Das spricht dafür, dass einige von uns die Dinge auf die harte Tour lernen müssen. Man kann keine Einsicht gewinnen, ohne die Erfahrung gemacht zu haben, Zeit, Energie und Geld zu verlieren. Für manche sind das die Kosten für das Schulgeld. Ich hoffe, dass du aus meinen Fehlern lernen kannst. Ich kann dir empfehlen, die Twitter-Seite von @CoinFessions zu besuchen, wenn du aus den Fehlern anderer lernen willst. Heute bin ich sehr schnell dabei, meine Zeit und Aufmerksamkeit auf meine spezielle Mission zu konzentrieren und so viele Ablenkungen auszuschließen, wie ich abwehren kann.

Hüte dich vor der „Touristen"-Kultur

\ Bezahlte Krypto-Tradinganalyse-Gruppenleitern und Ayahuasca-Schamanen sollten mit größter Skepsis betrachtet werden. In fast allen Fällen sollte man diese Leute meiden. Das gilt auch für Ayahuasca-Tourismus, psychedelische Exerzitien, medizinisch unterstützte psychedelische Behandlungen und jede Situation, in der du deine Souveränität, deinen Platz und dein Umfeld an andere abgibst.

Ich möchte nicht beobachtet, angeleitet oder angesungen werden oder die Protokolle, Glaubenssätze oder Rituale anderer auf mich projiziert bekommen, während ich mich in einem psychedelischen Zustand befinde. Ich möchte die Kontrolle über meine eigene Erfahrung haben und diese Verantwortung nicht an eine vertrauenswürdige dritte Person abgeben. Das Gleiche gilt für das Vertrauen in einen YouTube-Krypto-Trader, der finanzielle Entscheidungen trifft, die mich und meine Familie betreffen. Das wird nicht passieren.

Wenn du irgendwo im Urlaub bist, wissen wir alle, dass es eine „Touristenversion" und eine „echte Version" der Orte gibt, die wir besuchen. Es gibt den Strand, an den du gereist bist, mit dem herrlichen Sand, der Sonne und dem Himmel, und dann gibt es den Laden, der versucht, dir T-Shirts, Muscheln, Schlüsselanhänger und eine Fahrt im Kleinbus zu verkaufen, um die örtlichen Sehenswürdigkeiten zu sehen.

Geh an den Strand und halte dich von den Touristenläden fern. In jeder Kultur gibt es Elemente, die "wahr und rein" für die Ideologien der Bewegung sind. Es gibt aber auch räuberische Mitläufer, die nach Gelegenheiten suchen, die Unwissenheit der Neuankömmlinge über die Feinheiten auszunutzen.

In der Bitcoin-Kultur gibt es das Konzept des „Orangewashings", mit dem man sich als Bitcoiner ausgibt, aber in Wirklichkeit ist man ein Shitcoiner oder Betrüger, der nur so tut, als ob er so tut, als ob er so tut und so redet. Andere machen sich gar nicht erst die Mühe des Orangenwaschens und verkünden stolz, dass Bitcoin alt, langsam, Boomer-Tech und eindeutig minderwertiger als ihre neueste Version ihres Schlangenöls ist.

In der psychedelischen Kultur gibt es immer mehr Menschen, die dein Geld gerne annehmen, um dir im Gegenzug psychedelische Dienstleistungen, Moleküle und sogar Investmentaktien anzubieten. Manche haben tiefere und dunklere Beweggründe für deinen Geist und Körper. Ich würde dir raten, dich von all diesen Angeboten fernzuhalten oder sie zumindest mit großer Skepsis zu betrachten. Ich sage nicht, dass alle Erscheinungsformen dieser Aspekte der Kulturen von Natur aus schädlich sind, sondern dass man immer die Anreize im Auge behalten muss. Wenn du dich auf einen Rückzugsort, einen „Schamanen", einen psychedelischen Arzt oder eine Fachkraft einlässt, dann recherchiere ausgiebig über die Person/das Unternehmen.

Nimm dir die Zeit, eine authentische Kultur zu suchen. Pflege das Echte und lehne das Gefälschte ab.\ \ Du wirst um ein Vielfaches belohnt werden, und zwar auf unvorhersehbare Weise.

Alchemie

\ Ich möchte auf die Verbindung zum alten alchemistischen Wunsch eingehen, Blei in Gold zu verwandeln. Mit Bitcoin verwandeln wir die Fiat-Strukturen der Welt in einen digitalen, kryptografischen Schatz, der sich überall auf der Welt hin teleportieren kann. Dies geschieht wie ein Zauberspruch, indem man bestimmte Wörter in der richtigen Reihenfolge verwendet. Wenn du den Code ausführst, funktioniert er. Indem wir die richtigen Wörter in der richtigen Reihenfolge verwenden, können wir die Welt wesentlich verändern.

Das sind nicht nur Veränderungen in unseren Köpfen. Es sind Veränderungen, die andere sehen, fühlen und unabhängig überprüfen können. Der richtige Computercode kann eine Zugbrücke anheben oder alle Ampeln in der Stadt in perfektem Timing ändern, damit die Autofahrer sicher über die Straßen kommen. Bitcoiner sind Magier und Zauberer, die Computercode statt Zauberbücher benutzen. Psychedelische Chemiker sind Zauberer, die ihre Zaubersprüche in der Sprache der Atome sprechen. Wie Buchstaben, die Wörter in einem Code oder einem Zauberspruch bilden, werden Atome zu Molekülen angeordnet.

Psychedelika verwandeln das fiktive Denken und Leben in neue Perspektiven und mystische Erfahrungen. Pilze sind wie die Alchemisten der Natur - sie verwandeln tote und verfallende Materie, also buchstäblichen Müll, in psychedelische Pilze, eine der elegantesten Erscheinungsformen der Natur.

Bitcoin kann auch Abfall in Schätze umwandeln. Gestrandete Energie, einst eine Last, wird durch Bitcoin in eine digitale Goldmine verwandelt. Bitcoin kann sogar unsere Mülldeponien in wertvolle Bitcoin-Minen verwandeln und so Müll in Schätze verwandeln. Der alchemistische Traum wird wahr, und zwar auf eine Weise, die sich unsere Vorfahren nie hätten vorstellen können.

Die alte Wissenschaft und Chemie der Alchemie findet im digitalen Zeitalter eine neue Form. Wenn du diese Werkzeuge studierst und anwendest, kannst du dein Leben und die Welt um dich herum wirklich und dauerhaft verändern.

"Es handelt sich eindeutig um eine Krise von zwei Dingen: des Bewusstseins und der Konditionierung. Wir haben die technologische Macht, die technischen Fähigkeiten, um unseren Planeten zu retten, Krankheiten zu heilen, die Hungernden zu ernähren und Kriege zu beenden. Aber es fehlt uns an der intellektuellen Vision, an der Fähigkeit, unsere Meinung zu ändern. Wir müssen uns von 10.000 Jahren schlechten Verhaltens befreien. Und das ist nicht einfach." - Terence McKenna

\ ⚡ Unglaublich, du hast den Artikel bis zum Ende gelesen und ich hoffe du konntest etwas Mitnehmen für deine persönliche Reise aus diesem Text.\ \ ⚡ Vielen Dank für deine Aufmerksamkeit. Wenn dir die kostenfreie Übersetzung dieses Artikels gefallen hat, würde ich mich über ein paar Satoshi auf Value for Value Basis freuen.

@ 23b0e2f8:d8af76fc

Necessário

• Um Android que você não use mais (a câmera deve estar funcionando).
• Um cartão microSD (opcional, usado apenas uma vez).
• Um dispositivo para acompanhar seus fundos (provavelmente você já tem um).

Algumas coisas que você precisa saber

• O dispositivo servirá como um assinador. Qualquer movimentação só será efetuada após ser assinada por ele.
• O cartão microSD será usado para transferir o APK do Electrum e garantir que o aparelho não terá contato com outras fontes de dados externas após sua formatação. Contudo, é possível usar um cabo USB para o mesmo propósito.
• A ideia é deixar sua chave privada em um dispositivo offline, que ficará desligado em 99% do tempo. Você poderá acompanhar seus fundos em outro dispositivo conectado à internet, como seu celular ou computador pessoal.

---

O tutorial será dividido em dois módulos:

• Módulo 1 - Criando uma carteira fria/assinador.
• Módulo 2 - Configurando um dispositivo para visualizar seus fundos e assinando transações com o assinador.

---

No final, teremos:

• Uma carteira fria que também servirá como assinador.
• Um dispositivo para acompanhar os fundos da carteira.

---

Módulo 1 - Criando uma carteira fria/assinador

1. Baixe o APK do Electrum na aba de downloads em https://electrum.org/. Fique à vontade para verificar as assinaturas do software, garantindo sua autenticidade.

2. Formate o cartão microSD e coloque o APK do Electrum nele. Caso não tenha um cartão microSD, pule este passo.

1. Retire os chips e acessórios do aparelho que será usado como assinador, formate-o e aguarde a inicialização.

1. Durante a inicialização, pule a etapa de conexão ao Wi-Fi e rejeite todas as solicitações de conexão. Após isso, você pode desinstalar aplicativos desnecessários, pois precisará apenas do Electrum. Certifique-se de que Wi-Fi, Bluetooth e dados móveis estejam desligados. Você também pode ativar o modo avião.\ (Curiosidade: algumas pessoas optam por abrir o aparelho e danificar a antena do Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, impossibilitando essas funcionalidades.)

1. Insira o cartão microSD com o APK do Electrum no dispositivo e instale-o. Será necessário permitir instalações de fontes não oficiais.

1. No Electrum, crie uma carteira padrão e gere suas palavras-chave (seed). Anote-as em um local seguro. Caso algo aconteça com seu assinador, essas palavras permitirão o acesso aos seus fundos novamente. (Aqui entra seu método pessoal de backup.)

---

Módulo 2 - Configurando um dispositivo para visualizar seus fundos e assinando transações com o assinador.

1. Criar uma carteira somente leitura em outro dispositivo, como seu celular ou computador pessoal, é uma etapa bastante simples. Para este tutorial, usaremos outro smartphone Android com Electrum. Instale o Electrum a partir da aba de downloads em https://electrum.org/ ou da própria Play Store. (ATENÇÃO: O Electrum não existe oficialmente para iPhone. Desconfie se encontrar algum.)

2. Após instalar o Electrum, crie uma carteira padrão, mas desta vez escolha a opção Usar uma chave mestra.

1. Agora, no assinador que criamos no primeiro módulo, exporte sua chave pública: vá em Carteira > Detalhes da carteira > Compartilhar chave mestra pública.

1. Escaneie o QR gerado da chave pública com o dispositivo de consulta. Assim, ele poderá acompanhar seus fundos, mas sem permissão para movimentá-los.

2. Para receber fundos, envie Bitcoin para um dos endereços gerados pela sua carteira: Carteira > Addresses/Coins.

3. Para movimentar fundos, crie uma transação no dispositivo de consulta. Como ele não possui a chave privada, será necessário assiná-la com o dispositivo assinador.

1. No assinador, escaneie a transação não assinada, confirme os detalhes, assine e compartilhe. Será gerado outro QR, desta vez com a transação já assinada.

1. No dispositivo de consulta, escaneie o QR da transação assinada e transmita-a para a rede.

---

Conclusão

Pontos positivos do setup:

• Simplicidade: Basta um dispositivo Android antigo.
• Flexibilidade: Funciona como uma ótima carteira fria, ideal para holders.

Pontos negativos do setup:

• Padronização: Não utiliza seeds no padrão BIP-39, você sempre precisará usar o electrum.
• Interface: A aparência do Electrum pode parecer antiquada para alguns usuários.

Nesse ponto, temos uma carteira fria que também serve para assinar transações. O fluxo de assinar uma transação se torna: Gerar uma transação não assinada > Escanear o QR da transação não assinada > Conferir e assinar essa transação com o assinador > Gerar QR da transação assinada > Escanear a transação assinada com qualquer outro dispositivo que possa transmiti-la para a rede.

Como alguns devem saber, uma transação assinada de Bitcoin é praticamente impossível de ser fraudada. Em um cenário catastrófico, você pode mesmo que sem internet, repassar essa transação assinada para alguém que tenha acesso à rede por qualquer meio de comunicação. Mesmo que não queiramos que isso aconteça um dia, esse setup acaba por tornar essa prática possível.

---

@ 04ea4f83:210e1713

Digitales Geld ist nur Text, die ganze Zeit

Bei digitalem Geld geht es im Grunde nur um Zahlen in einem Hauptbuch. Die ganze Zeit über sind es die Zahlen, auf die es ankommt. Lange Zahlen sind einfach nur Zeichenketten im PC und diese werden als Nachrichten in einem Netzwerk, das durch Regeln gebildet wird, an gleichwertige Peers gesendet - das ist Bitcoin, das mit einem einzigartigen dezentralen Zeitstempel-Algorithmus kombiniert wird, der durch die Unfälschbarkeit von Energie gesichert ist. Das Ergebnis ist ein Bargeldnetzwerk mit einem festen, vorprogrammierten Zeitplan für die Geldschöpfung, das den ersten absolut knappen digitalen Inhabervermögenswert schafft.\ \ Diese revolutionären Ideen werden bleiben, genauso wie das Feuer, das Rad, die Elektrizität, das Smartphone, das Internet oder die Zahl Null. Technologie entwickelt sich weiter und was machen lebende Organismen? Sie können mutieren, genau wie Viren, und das hat mich zu dem Schluss gebracht, dass es auch in dieser Hinsicht eine Verbindung gibt und das obwohl Gigi bereits einige der vielen Facetten von Bitcoin beschrieben hat. Für mich ist die Grundlage die Abstraktion, dass Bitcoin nur die Summe aller Menschen ist, die Satoshis besitzen oder anderweitig mit dem Bitcoin-Netzwerk interagieren.\ \ Die Technologien werden in einem bestimmten Tempo angenommen. Allerdings gibt es immer frühe oder späte Entdecker von neuer Technologie. Aber was passiert, wenn es zu einer ernsthaften Bedrohung wird, wenn hartes Geld nicht adoptiert wird? Was passiert, wenn die Geschwindigkeit der Preiszunahme so hoch wird, dass es unmöglich ist, jemanden zu finden, der Satoshi in Fiat tauschen möchte? Was passiert, wenn die Hyperbitcoinisierung morgen beginnt? Was wäre, wenn es eine UpSideProtection™️ gäbe, die diesen Prozess noch mehr beschleunigt und dir Bitcoin zu einem Bruchteil seines wahren Wertes sichert?\ \ Wir alle wünschen uns einen sicheren Übergang, um den Krieg aufgrund einer scheiternden Dollar-Hegemonie zu vermeiden, und tatsächlich gibt es ein Rennen, um den Krieg zu vermeiden. Mein größtes Geschenk ist die Zeit, die ich ich investiere, und die monetäre Energie, die ich in Bitcoin spare, und da ich schon eine Weile dabei bin, sehe ich, dass meine Mitstreiter die gleiche Mission verfolgen. Aber das ist NICHT genug. Wir müssen skalieren. Schneller.\ \ Das Erstaunen über den  Kurzfilm der große Widerstand hat mich zu dem Schluss gebracht, dass wir alle Werkzeuge und Informationen in Form von Lehrern, Podcasts, Büchern und aufklärenden Videos bereits haben. Der Vorteil einer festen Geldmenge wird aber noch nicht von einer kritischen Masse verstanden, sondern nur von einer intoleranten Minderheit. Diese Minderheit wächst von Tag zu Tag. Ihre Inkarnationen sind die DCA-Armee, die Hodler der letzten Instanz, die unbeirrten Stacker, die Cyberhornets, die Memefactory™️ und Mitglieder der 21 Gruppe auf der ganzen Welt.\ \ Wir Bitcoiner sind räumlich getrennt, aber nicht in der Zeit. Getrennt in der Sprache, aber nicht in der Mission. Vereint müssen wir uns zu Wort melden, aufklären und Bitcoin wie einen Virus verbreiten.\ \ Niemand entscheidet, was Bitcoin für dich ist - dieser Virus des Geistes verfestigt sich in unbestechlichen Zahlen, die zu einer wachsenden Zahl an UTXOs in den Geldbörsen führen, nicht in negativen gesundheitlichen Auswirkungen. Bitcoin ist der Virus der Schuldenindustrie, der Virus, der im 21. Jahrhundert zur größten Definanzialisierung und Auflösung des Kredits führen wird. Da wir noch nicht in einer hyperbitcoinisierten Welt leben, müssen wir den Virus effektiver machen. Bitcoin muss mutieren, aber es ist nicht Bitcoin, der tatsächlich mutiert, sondern die Menschen, die ihn benutzen. Sie werden zu toxischen Maximalisten, die den Virus noch stärker verbreiten und alle Shitcoiner während ihrer Anwesenheit geistig infizieren oder argumentativ töten.\ \ Ich habe mich gefragt, wie wir eine Milliarde Menschen dazu ausbilden und überzeugen können, Bitcoin freiwillig zu nutzen und darin zu sparen, so dass sie Bitcoin als primäres Mittel zur Speicherung und Übermittlung von Werten in Raum und Zeit nutzen? Die Hyperbitcoinisierung braucht nur eine einzige, starke positive Rückkopplungsschleife um wirklich in Gang zu kommen, und diese Rückkopplung gibt es bereits, aber nicht in den Köpfen aller. Ab einer bestimmten Schwelle wird die Schwerkraft von Bitcoins gehärteten monetären Eigenschaften einfach zu hoch sein, als dass die Spieltheorie nicht zu dieser Rückkopplung führen würde, vor allem da Bitcoin im Jahr 2024 Gold in Punkto Knappheit übertrifft.\ \ Die Verbreitung der Idee einer festen dezentralen Geldmenge, die der Macht zentraler Kräfte entzogen ist, ist der Virus. Der Weg, das Spiel zu spielen, ist, Stacker zu stapeln, und Stacker stapeln Sats, wodurch die Geldmenge noch dezentralisierter wird und ein Verbot noch absurder wird. Sats sind endlich und unser Spiel ist es auch. Allein eine bestimmte Anzahl von einfachen Leuten, den Plebs, kann den Preis auf 1.000.000 EURO treiben.\ \ Letztendlich wird sich die Welt an das neue Gleichgewicht der Macht zugunsten des Individuums anpassen. Diese Idee in die Köpfe der Massen zu bringen, ist die wichtigste Aufgabe für 2023, die in das nächste Halving Mitte 2024 führt.\ \ Wir müssen unseren Reproduktionswert erhöhen, um die Akzeptanz zu steigern. Die Verwendung von Bitcoin als Zahlungsmittel und eine Kreislaufwirtschaft ist wichtig. Bildung ist wichtig. Apps und Anwendungsfälle sind wichtig. Die Kaufkraft, d.h. die Moskau Zeit, die sich in Richtung Mitternacht (00:00) bewegt, spielt eine Rolle, und all dies hängt zusammen.\ \ Aber wie genau können Plebs eine Milliarde Menschen überzeugen?\ \ Wie genau hat das Corona-Virus eine Milliarde Menschen infiziert?\ \ Peer-to-Peer.\ \ Erhebe deine Stimme, wer auch immer du bist, sprich über Bitcoin, werde aktiv und BUIDL oder lass uns einfach Spaß daran haben, arm zu bleiben und es genießen, jeden Tag bestohlen zu werden.\ \ Lass uns Yellow mehr Freizeit schenken und Bitcoin bis 100k+ aufkaufen und uns damit ins Stackheaven befördern.

"Don't stop believin' HODL on to that feelin' "

Der Rest wird in die unumstößliche Geschichte der Timechain eingraviert.

„Unter dieser Maske gibt es mehr als nur Fleisch. Unter dieser Maske ist eine Idee. Und Ideen sind kugelsicher."  Alan Moore, V wie Vendetta

⚡

Danke für deine Aufmerksamkeit .\ \ #GetShortFiat und #GetOnZero\ \ Es ist immer noch 60 Uhr. Sei weise und stapele unbeirrt. Man kann die Mathematik und Physik nicht austricksen.\ \ Wenn der Post dir Motivation zum Stapeln von Sats oder dem Stapeln von Stackern gemacht hat, freue ich mich, wenn du mir auch etwas beim Stapeln hilfst!

@ 04ea4f83:210e1713

Was ist ein Meme?

Bevor wir uns in die Materie vertiefen, sollten wir einen genaueren Blick auf die Begriffe werfen, mit denen wir es zu tun haben. Laut dem American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language ist ein Meme „eine Einheit kultureller Informationen, wie z. B. eine kulturelle Praxis oder Idee, die verbal oder durch wiederholte Handlungen von einem Geist zum anderen übertragen wird".

Der Begriff wurde von Richard Dawkins in seinem 1976 erschienenen Buch geprägt und ist eine Anspielung auf das Wort "Gen", die Einheit der biologischen Information, die sexuell von einem Organismus auf einen anderen übertragen wird.

Dawkins erkannte, dass kulturelle Informationen ähnlich wie biologische Informationen sind und sich genauso verbreiten und mutieren, wenn auch auf einer höheren Abstraktionsebene. Genau wie bei biologischen Informationen ist der ultimative Test für kulturelle Informationen das Überleben, und genau wie biologische Informationen müssen sie für die Umwelt geeignet sein, um sich zu verbreiten und am Leben zu gehalten zu werden.

Manche Ideen funktionieren einfach nicht, wenn sie fehl am Platz sind oder die Zeit nicht reif für sie ist. Sie werden schnell sterben, genau wie der sprichwörtliche Fisch auf dem Trockenen. Andere Memes funktionieren vielleicht eine Zeit lang, verblassen aber langsam durch allmähliche Veränderungen in der Umwelt oder brechen plötzlich durch die von ihnen ausgelösten destruktiven Rückkopplungsschleifen zusammen. Wie Gene verbreiten sich Meme langfristig nur dann, wenn sie für den Organismus und seine Umwelt von Nutzen sind.

„In der Wissenschaft der Ökologie lernt man, dass der Mensch nicht ein Organismus in einer Umwelt ist, sondern eine Organismus-Umwelt-Beziehung. Das heißt, ein einheitlicher Bereich des Verhaltens. Wenn man das Verhalten eines Organismus sorgfältig beschreibt, kann man das nicht tun, ohne gleichzeitig das Verhalten der Umwelt zu beschreiben... [...] Der Organismus ist nicht die Marionette der Umwelt, die von ihr herumgeschubst wird. Umgekehrt ist auch die Umwelt nicht die Marionette des Organismus, die vom Organismus herumgeschubst wird. Die Beziehung zwischen ihnen ist, um es mit John Deweys Worten zu sagen, transaktional."\ \ Alan Watts

Was hat das mit Bitcoin zu tun? Nun, du musst dich fragen, wie das Bitcoin-Netzwerk zustande kommt, und wenn du das tust, wirst du feststellen, dass Bitcoin sich nicht allzu sehr von den oben erwähnten Memen und Genen unterscheidet. Bitcoin ist ein instanziierter Computercode, ein digitaler Organismus, der die Menschheit dafür bezahlt, ihn am Leben zu erhalten, wie Ralph Merkle es so treffend formulierte. Die kumulative Arbeit, die in Bitcoins Timechain eingebettet ist, ist das, was Bitcoin real macht und was ihn von gewöhnlicher Information unterscheidet. Und von gewöhnlichen Computerprogrammen, was das betrifft. Genauso wie es einen Unterschied zwischen dir selbst und einem Ausdruck deiner DNA gibt, gibt es einen Unterschied zwischen dem Bitcoin-Code - den Memes, die er sich zu Nutze macht - und der realen Instanziierung von Bitcoin.

Das Bitcoin-Netzwerk instanziiert und validiert sich selbst alle 10 Minuten, Block für Block, wie ein Uhrwerk. Diese Blöcke sind die Informationseinheit, die übertragen wird, und ja, genau wie bei den Memen ist diese Information eine kulturelle Information. Die Tatsache, dass diese Information elektronisch übertragen wird, spielt keine Rolle; sie verkörpert immer noch den Kern der Bitcoin-Kultur, die Seele des Netzwerks. Und genau wie Memes wird diese Information durch wiederholte Aktionen von einem Knotenpunkt zum anderen übertragen. Und davor, von einem Geist zum anderen.

Im ökologischen Sinne handeln wir alle mit Bitcoin, und Bitcoin handelt mit uns. Wenn du von Bitcoin gehört hast, wenn du das Meme „21 Millionen" kennst, dann hat Bitcoin mit dir Geschäfte gemacht. Lange bevor du deine erste Bitcoin-Transaktion gemacht haben.

Memes und ihre Umgebung

Bitcoin sind Menschen, wenn es darauf ankommt. Ja, es ist Software, aber die Menschen müssen die Software ausführen und, was noch wichtiger ist, selbst entscheiden, was Bitcoin ist. Es gibt keine Autorität, wenn es um Bitcoin geht. So muss jeder für sich selbst herausfinden, was Bitcoin ist, und aus der Überschneidung der verschiedenen Standpunkte ergibt sich ein Konsens. Dies ist ein ständiger Prozess, denn es geht nicht nur darum, was Bitcoin derzeit ist, sondern auch darum, was Bitcoin sein könnte. Was Bitcoin sein sollte. Genau darum ging es im Blocksize War. Ein Kampf um die Seele von Bitcoin. Eine Meinungsverschiedenheit über die Zukunft und den ultimativen Zweck von Bitcoin. Ein Unterschied im memetischen Material, der letztendlich zu einer Spaltung des Protokolls führte, was wiederum zu einer Spaltung des Netzwerks und einer Spaltung der Kultur führte.

Aber auch ohne eine Spaltung, selbst wenn ein Konsens besteht, ist die Frage „was Bitcoin ist" nicht eindeutig zu beantworten.

Für dich mag das Lightning Network nicht wichtig sein, und es steht dir frei, eine Vor-SegWit-Version von Bitcoin zu betreiben. Für jemand anderen sind Dickbutts und Fürze auf der Blockchain vielleicht nicht wichtig, und er könnte sich entscheiden, eine Vor-Taproot-Version von Bitcoin zu verwenden (oder eine Version zu verwenden, die Ordnungszahlen (Ordinals) nicht respektiert). Bitcoin ist abwärtskompatibel, und Upgrades sind optional, gerade weil es keine Autorität gibt, die etwas vorschreibt.

So funktioniert Bitcoin, und so wird es immer funktionieren, weshalb Memes wichtig sind und warum es eigentlich durchweg Memes sind.

Um Bitcoin zu nutzen, muss man sich freiwillig entscheiden. Man muss zuerst von der Idee überzeugt werden, von der Idee, Sats zu akzeptieren, damit Fiat fallen zu lassen und Bitcoin zu erwerben. Erst wenn man davon überzeugt ist, dass elektronisches Bargeld mit einer (absolut) festen Menge nützlich sein könnte, wird man es akzeptieren oder damit sparen.

Das Meme „21 Millionen" kommt zuerst, und nachdem unsere Gehirne ausreichend von der Idee infiziert wurden, werden wir deshalb die Software starten, die die 21 Millionen ins Leben rufen.

Natürlich kommen manche Leute - ich glaube, die meisten - auf Umwegen zum Bitcoin. Du denkst, dass es sich um einen spekulativen Vermögenswert handelt, etwas, das existiert, um mehr Dollar zu verdienen, d. h. um mehr Papiergeld zu verdienen. Oder du entdeckst ihn über Online-Glücksspiele oder andere Wege, und auf diese Weise kommen sie zu ihren ersten Sätzen. Aber selbst wenn du auf Umwegen zu Bitcoin kommst, selbst wenn Bitcoin vor deiner Haustür ankommt, ohne dass du verstehst, womit du es zu tun hast, musst du lernen, Bitcoin selbstbestimmt zu nutzen, oder du wirst es nicht schaffen.

Bitcoin auf eine selbstsouveräne Art und Weise zu nutzen, bedeutet, dass du die Memes von Bitcoin absorbieren musst. Zum Beispiel musst du die „21 Millionen" übernehmen und ihnen zustimmen, sonst hast du keinen Bitcoin, sondern einen Shitcoin in den Händen. Bitcoin am Laufen zu halten bedeutet, Bitcoin auszuleben, was wiederum bedeutet, seine eigenen Schlüssel zu besitzen, seinen eigenen Knoten zu betreiben und den zentralen Konsensparametern zuzustimmen, die Bitcoin zu Bitcoin machen.

Mit der Zeit wird ein horizontaler Meme-Transfer stattfinden. Bitcoin wird auf dich abfärben. Du wirst nicht nur den Ideen ausgesetzt sein, die in Bitcoin eingebettet sind; nein, du wirst ein Teil davon sein und das Meme leben, indem du die Satoshi Tag für Tag und Block für Block hältst.

Oder du wirst es nicht. Wenn du mit den Ideen, die in den Konsensparametern von Bitcoin eingebettet sind, nicht einverstanden sind, hast du zwei Möglichkeiten: Du kannst dich abspalten oder unter dem Bitcoin Derangement Syndrom leiden. Man kann sich natürlich auch an die Umwelt anpassen und in Symbiose mit ihr leben, was bedeutet, sich mit dem in Bitcoin eingebetteten memetischen Material zu arrangieren - es zu akzeptieren und ihm langsam zuzustimmen.

Wenn man die zuvor skizzierte ökologische Sichtweise anwendet, bilden Bitcoin und die Bitcoiner selbst den Organismus-Umwelt und beeinflussen sich gegenseitig in 10-Minuten-Intervallen. Das Knifflige daran ist, dass Bitcoin sowohl Organismus als auch Umwelt ist, genau wie wir selbst. Das Bitcoin-Meme lebt in unseren Gehirnen und unsere Vorstellung davon, was Bitcoin ist - und was es sein sollte - ändert sich mit der Zeit. Die ökonomische Erweiterung von uns - unsere Sats - leben in der Umgebung, die Bitcoin ist, eine Umgebung, die wir individuell und kollektiv hervorbringen.

Wir formen unsere Werkzeuge, und unsere Werkzeuge formen uns. Und wir benutzen unsere Werkzeuge, um unsere Umwelt zu formen, die natürlich auch uns formt. Kultur ist das Ergebnis dieser gegenseitigen Beeinflussung, und was ist Kultur anderes als eine Vielzahl von Memen?

Bei Bitcoin haben wir es mit einem unglaublichen meinungsbildenden Werkzeug zu tun, das eng mit uns verwoben ist. Ein Werkzeug, das ein Umfeld schafft, das lächerlich schwer zu ändern ist. Ich würde sogar so weit gehen zu sagen, dass einige Aspekte dieser seltsamen Meme-Werkzeug-Organismus-Umwelt-Schleife unmöglich zu ändern sind, da dies die Identität von Bitcoin und Bitcoinern gleichermaßen zerstören würde.

Für mich wird Bitcoin immer durch 21ismus definiert werden, auch wenn ich der letzte Mensch wäre, der an dieses Meme glauben würde. Anstelle dessen würde ich lieber auf dem Hügel von 21 Millionen sterben - allein und in Armut, mit dem Node in der Hand und zwölf Worten in meinem Kopf - als einer Erhöhung des Bitcoin-Angebots um 1 % zuzustimmen. (Buchvorschlag: Mandibles)

Es gibt diejenigen, die diese unveränderliche Umgebung akzeptieren, und diejenigen, die sie ablehnen, was natürlich zu einer Spaltung der Kultur führt.

Kulturelle Spaltungen

Wir erleben zweifelsohne eine Art Kulturkrieg. Links gegen Rechts, Rot gegen Schwarz, Based gegen Woke, Blue Bird gegen Purple Bird und Furries gegen normale Menschen. Es ist schwer, die Bruchlinien auszumachen, die diesem Krieg zugrunde liegen. Einige glauben, dass es auf Individualismus gegen Kollektivismus hinausläuft. Andere sehen es als Kapitalismus vs. Marxismus, selbstregulierende Ordnung vs. zentrale Planung. Wieder andere spekulieren, dass dieses Chaos mit dem Rückgang des religiösen Glaubens zusammenhängt, der eine Folge der nietzscheanischen Ermordung Gottes ist.

Alle diese Gründe mögen zutreffend oder teilweise zutreffend sein, aber für mich als Bitcoiner - als jemand, der die Graphen des "WTF geschah 1971" viele Male bestaunt hat - ist es schwer, etwas anderes als den Notstand des Fiat-Geldes als den Hauptgrund für das Chaos, das wir erleben, zu benennen. Für mich scheint es offensichtlich, dass diese verrückten Zeiten ein Ergebnis des Fiat-Geldsystems und der wirtschaftlichen sowie memetischen Konsequenzen sind, die es mit sich bringt. Es ist ein System, das völlig von der Realität abgekoppelt ist, ein künstliches und hochpolitisches Umfeld, das, ob wir es erkennen oder nicht, das wirtschaftliche Betriebssystem unserer Welt ist. Für mich lässt sich die Bruchlinie der Gesellschaft am besten als „Bitcoin vs. Fiat" zusammenfassen.

Seit 50 Jahren leben wir die Idee des Fiat-Geldes aus. Das Meme, dass die Art des Basisgeldes keine Rolle spielt, die hartnäckige Überzeugung, dass „wir es uns selbst schulden". Wir scheinen zu glauben, dass unsere kollektive Zukunft ein magischer goldener Topf ist - scheinbar ohne Boden -, aus dem wir uns immer und immer wieder etwas leihen können.

Ich glaube, dass wir uns in der Endphase des großen Fiat-Experiments befinden. Einmal mehr haben die arroganten Könige dieser Welt beschlossen, Gott zu spielen und sich in Kräfte einzumischen, die größer sind als sie, größer als wir. Wieder einmal müssen wir feststellen, dass das Drucken von Geld keinen wirklichen Wert schafft. Einmal mehr wird sich die Gesellschaft wandeln oder ganz zusammenbrechen, wie es in Ägypten, Rom und in vielen anderen Kulturen vor der unseren geschah. Und einmal mehr wird sich die Natur durchsetzen, indem sie Verwüstung anrichtet und alles ausrottet, was nicht mit ihr übereinstimmt. Seien es Ideen oder anderes.

„Als es nun an Geld gebrach im Lande Ägypten und in Kanaan, kamen alle Ägypter zu Josef und sprachen: Schaffe uns Brot! Warum lässt du uns vor dir sterben? Denn das Geld ist zu Ende."\ \ Mose 47:15

Diesmal ist das Fiat-Experiment jedoch nicht lokal begrenzt. Es ist nicht das Geld eines einzelnen Landes, das versagt, sondern das Meme des Fiat-Geldes selbst.

Geld drucken vs. das Geld in Ordnung bringen

Die Erkenntnis der Bedeutung des Geldes sowie der moralischen und kulturellen Implikationen der Natur des Geldes - und der Ethik der Geldproduktion - hat mein Weltbild unwiderruflich verändert. Als ich erkannte, dass Gelddrucken nichts anderes als eine Umverteilung von Reichtum ist und dass eine zentral geplante Umverteilung von Reichtum eine unmögliche Aufgabe ist - nicht nur rechnerisch, sondern auch moralisch -, dämmerte mir, dass Konfiszierung durch Inflation und andere Formen der unfreiwilligen Umverteilung nichts anderes ist als Diebstahl auf Umwegen. Das Fiat-System ist ein System der Sklaverei, und nein, das ist keine Übertreibung.

Aber hier ist die gute Nachricht: Bitcoin schafft hier Abhilfe.

Das ist unsere Meme-Welt, alle anderen leben nur darin.

Es gibt eine bestimmte Ethik, die in Bitcoin eingebettet ist, und es ist diese Ethik, die den Grundstein für die Meme bildet, die wir entstehen und sich verbreiten sehen. Wenn ich es in einem Satz zusammenfassen müsste, dann wäre es dieser: „Du sollst nicht stehlen." Wenn ich es in einer Zahl zusammenfassen müsste, dann wäre es natürlich 21 Millionen.

Die Motivation hinter der Erschaffung von Bitcoin ist zweifelsohne politisch, wie „Kanzlerin am Rande der zweiten Bankenrettung" und verschiedene Kommentare von Satoshi zeigen. So stimmte Satoshi zwar der Aussage zu, dass „sie in der Kryptographie keine Lösung für politische Probleme finden werden", aber er erwähnte auch, dass „wir eine wichtige Schlacht im Wettrüsten gewinnen und ein neues Territorium der Freiheit gewinnen können". Man beachte die Worte, die in dieser Aussage verwendet werden: ein Gebiet (Umfeld) der Freiheit (im Gegensatz zur Sklaverei).

Ich würde argumentieren, dass „eine große Schlacht gewinnen" eine Untertreibung ist, und ich würde auch argumentieren, dass die ursprüngliche Behauptung falsch ist, aber ich werde darauf zurückkommen.

Doch auch ohne diese Kommentare, selbst wenn die in den Genesis-Block eingebettete Botschaft „ooga chaka ooga ooga ooga chaka" lauten würde, wäre Bitcoin immer noch politisch. Ja, das daraus resultierende System ist unpolitisch, genau wie der Sonnenaufgang unpolitisch ist, aber der Akt der Schaffung von bitcoin ist ein politischer Akt. Er ist eine Aussage, eine Manifestation bestimmter Ideen, von Qualitätsmemes.

Vergleiche die in Bitcoin eingebettete Ethik (festes Angebot, keine erzwungene Umverteilung, kein kostenloses Mittagessen, keine Rettungsaktionen) mit der Ethik des Fiat-Geldes (endloses Angebot, zentral geplante Umverteilung, Rettungsaktionen für Freunde, alles ist erfunden) - oder, noch drastischer, mit der „Ethik" der Shitcoins, die nur Fiat-Geld auf Steroiden ist (jeder kann sein eigenes Geld drucken, nichts ist wichtig, Rugpulls sind lustig und Dickbutts sind im Grunde die Mona Lisa).

Ist es eine Überraschung, dass die Kultur rund um diese Phänomene so unterschiedlich ist? Oder ist „du wirst nichts besitzen und du wirst glücklich sein" einfach eine Folge des Mems, das Fiat-Geld ist? Ist der kulturelle Unterschied zwischen Bitcoinern und Shitcoinern ein natürliches Ergebnis der Meme, die in den verschiedenen Organismus-Umgebungen eingebettet sind und von diesen hervorgebracht werden?

Im Klartext bedeutet das Meme des Fiat-Geldes - die Idee, dass wir Geld aus dem Nichts erschaffen können und sollten - einfach zu sagen: „Ich weiß besser als der Markt, wie man Geld verteilt", was bedeutet, dass ich besser als alle anderen weiß, was gut und was schlecht ist, was wertvoll ist und was nicht, was notwendig und was überflüssig ist.

Die Frage, die das Fiat-System beantwortet, ist die folgende: Wer darf Geld fälschen und wie viel? Und wer darf Zugang zu Geld haben, und wer nicht? Die Antwort ist politisch und wird mit Gewalt durchgesetzt.

Das Bitcoin-System beantwortet dieselben Fragen, und die Antworten sind ebenso einfach wie ethisch: Niemand darf Geld fälschen, und jeder kann darauf zugreifen. Keine Ausnahmen.

Dies sind zwei sehr unterschiedliche Ideen, zwei sehr unterschiedliche Memes. Die eine wird im Fiat-System umgesetzt, die andere im Bitcoin-System. Das eine bricht aus den Nähten, das andere tuckert vor sich hin und wächst wirtschaftlich, rechnerisch und memetisch - alle 10 Minuten.

Bitcoin vs. Gold

Wenn es darum geht, die Grundursache vieler unserer Übel zu identifizieren, hatten die Goldanhänger (größtenteils) die richtige Idee. Aber sie hatten keine Möglichkeit, ihre Ideen auf sinnvolle und effektive Weise umzusetzen, die in der vernetzten Welt des 21. Das Meme des „gesunden Geldes" ist das richtige Mem, aber ohne eine Möglichkeit, dieses Meme effizient umzusetzen, hat das Meme keine Möglichkeit, sich in der Bevölkerung zu verbreiten.

So sieht es aus, liebe Goldfresser: Wir werden nicht zu einem Goldstandard zurückkehren. Gold hat in der Vergangenheit versagt, und es würde auch in der Zukunft versagen. Die Nützlichkeit des „Goldstandard"- Memes ist zu einem Ende gekommen. Das Überbleibsel seiner glorreichen Vergangenheit wird nur noch in der Linguistik zu finden sein.

„Warum", fragst du dich? Nun, zunächst einmal verbietet der physische Körper des Goldes die Teleportation, d. h. die elektronische Übertragung von Gold. Er verbietet die Unsichtbarkeit, d. h. die plausible Abstreitbarkeit des Besitzes. Bitcoin kann sofort teleportiert und perfekt versteckt werden. Man kann ihn im Kopf behalten, und niemand kann wissen, ob man Bitcoin tatsächlich besitzt oder nicht. Gold wird allein aus logistischen Gründen immer in Tresoren zentralisiert sein. Bitcoin muss das nicht sein. Gold wird sich immer mit einer bestimmten Rate aufblähen, da eine unbekannte Menge noch unter der Erde (und im Weltraum) liegt. Die Menge, die sich über der Erde befindet, ist ebenfalls unbekannt, da der weltweite Goldvorrat nicht einfach überprüft werden kann.

Im Gegensatz dazu ist Bitcoin absolut knapp und perfekt überprüfbar. Alle 10 Minuten wird der Gesamtvorrat an Bitcoin geprüft. Alle 10 Minuten wird der Emissionsplan überprüft. Alle 10 Minuten werden Milliarden von Sats endgültig und elektronisch, d.h. mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit, abgerechnet. Eine echte, physische Abrechnung. Global und sofort, ohne große Kosten oder Reibungsverluste. Alle 10 Minuten.

Das Gold-Meme wird sich noch eine Weile halten, und das ist auch gut so. Die Menschen sind nostalgisch, besonders wenn sie in ihren Gewohnheiten verhaftet sind. Wie bei wissenschaftlichen Revolutionen wird sich die monetäre Revolution, die derzeit im Gange ist, wahrscheinlich langsam verbreiten: eine Beerdigung nach der anderen.

Ich glaube jedoch, dass Bitcoin die Macht hat, die Köpfe und Herzen der Menschen sehr schnell zu gewinnen, wenn diese Köpfe offen oder kulturell angepasst genug sind; oder wenn die Veränderung in ihrem Umfeld drastisch genug ist.

Allmählich, dann plötzlich.

Politik vs. Kultur

Kehren wir zu der Behauptung zurück, dass "du in der Kryptographie keine Lösung für politische Probleme finden werden". Ich habe bereits erwähnt, dass ich dem nicht zustimme, und hier ist der Grund. Politik ist der Kultur nachgelagert, und Kryptographie im Allgemeinen (und Bitcoin im Besonderen) verändert die Kultur.

Das sollte jedem außer dem blindesten Beobachter des Bitcoin-Bereichs sonnenklar sein. Die Kultur rund um Bitcoin ist durchdrungen von Verantwortung und Selbsteigentum („besitze deine eigenen Schlüssel" & „nicht deine Schlüssel, nicht dein Bitcoin"), Verifizierung und Schlussfolgerungen aus ersten Prinzipien ("vertraue nicht, verifiziere"), langfristigem Denken und Sparen für die Zukunft ("bleibe bescheiden, staple Sats"), sowie einem Fokus auf harte Arbeit, Integrität, Wahrheit und sichtbare Ergebnisse ("Proof-of-work, der Arbeitsnachweis").

Satoshi erkannte in wahrer Cypherpunk-Manier, dass Memes implementiert werden müssen, um sich möglichst effizient zu verbreiten, weshalb er sich hinsetzte und den Code schrieb. Es war auch der erste Test für die Tauglichkeit seiner Ideen, wie er in einem seiner vielen Forenbeiträge erwähnte: „Ich musste den ganzen Code schreiben, bevor ich mich selbst davon überzeugen konnte, dass ich jedes Problem lösen kann, und dann habe ich das Whitepaper geschrieben."

Das ist der Arbeitsnachweis, genau da. Das ist Anti-Fiat. Nicht nur darüber reden, sondern es auch tun. Mit gutem Beispiel vorangehen. Nicht nur über die Ideen spekulieren, die man im Kopf hat, die Memes, die man in der Welt verbreitet sehen möchte, sondern sie auch umsetzen. Das heißt, sie an der Realität zu messen.

„Lass deine Memes keine Träume sein."

Satoshi (paraphrasiert)

Ist es eine Überraschung, dass sich Bitcoin in den Bereichen „gesunde Ernährung", „gesunde Landwirtschaft", „freie Meinungsäußerung und Menschenrechte ausbreitet? Dass Bitcoin schnell und einfach von Menschen verstanden wird, die buchstäblich nahe am Boden sind, verbunden mit der grundlegenden Realität der Dinge? Ist es eine Überraschung, dass Bitcoin von denjenigen genutzt und verstanden wird, die es am meisten brauchen? Von denjenigen, die in Ländern leben, in denen das Geld versagt? Von denjenigen, die vom Fiat-System abgelehnt werden?

Das sollte keine Überraschung sein. Einige Kulturen haben eine natürliche Überschneidung mit der Bitcoin-Kultur, und es sind diese Kulturen, die Bitcoin zuerst annehmen werden. Frühe Beispiele sind die Cypherpunk-Kultur sowie die Kulturen rund um die österreichische Wirtschaft, den Libertarismus und das muslimische Finanzwesen. Wenn diese Kulturen Bitcoin annehmen, wird Bitcoin seinerseits diese Kulturen annehmen und dich beeinflussen. Ein für beide Seiten vorteilhafter Einfluss, wie er für alles, was langfristig überlebt, erforderlich ist, und wie er für die Symbiose, die die Natur darstellt, Standard ist. Der Organismus und das Umfeld, das durch die orangefarbene Münze und ihre Besitzer geschaffen wird, will überleben. Bitcoin: das egoistische Meme.

Natürlich gibt es auch Fiat-Meme. Es ist das, was unsere Kultur in den letzten 50 Jahren geprägt hat: „Fake it till you make it" und „YOLO" kommen mir in den Sinn, was interessanterweise die moderne Version der keynesianischen Idee ist, dass wir auf lange Sicht alle tot sind. Ist es verwunderlich, dass ein Umfeld, das durch falsches Geld geschaffen wurde, zu falschem Essen, falschen Körpern, falscher Gesundheit, falscher Medizin, falschen Beziehungen, falschen Experten und falschen Menschen führt?

Diejenigen, die an der Spitze der Fiat-Pyramide sitzen, sprechen von „nutzlosen Essern" und versuchen uns davon zu überzeugen, dass wir nichts besitzen müssen, aber trotzdem glücklich sein werden. Man muss sich über den Slogan wundern: „Du wirst nichts besitzen und du wirst glücklich sein".

„Du wirst ein glücklicher kleiner Sklave sein", heißt es in diesem Meme. Jemand hat beschlossen, dass Glück das ultimative Ziel ist, das es zu erreichen gilt, und du (und nur du) weißt, wie du es für dich erreichen können.

„Glück"

Als ob Glück das eigentliche Ziel wäre, das A und O, der Grund für unsere Existenz. Was ist mit dem Streben nach etwas Sinnvollem, etwas, das schwer ist, etwas, das Opfer erfordert, das Schmerz und Leid mit sich bringt?

\ „Jeder Mensch ist glücklich, bis das Glück plötzlich ein Ziel ist."

Tame Impala

Oder was ist mit der Aussage von Lagarde, dass „wir glücklicher sein sollten, einen Arbeitsplatz zu haben, als dass unsere Ersparnisse geschützt sind?" Das ist Ausdruck eines bestimmten Memes, das sich in ihrem Kopf festgesetzt hat, des Mems, dass Arbeitsplatzsicherheit die meisten anderen Bedürfnisse übertrumpft und dass normale Menschen kein Vermögen anhäufen müssen. Schlimmer noch: Es suggeriert, dass es völlig in Ordnung ist, das zu stehlen, was normale Menschen durch fleißige Arbeit im Laufe ihres Lebens angespart haben.

Wir sollte glücklicher sein einen Job zu haben als das unsere Erparnisse geschützt werden. Christine Largarde Präsidentin der ECB, Oktober 2019

Es gibt einen Grund, warum wir vom „Rattenrennen" oder dem „Hamsterrad" sprechen und warum dieser Teil unserer Kultur in Kunst und Film so stark kritisiert wird. Um Tyler Durden zu zitieren: „Die Werbung bringt uns dazu, Autos und Klamotten zu jagen, Jobs zu machen, die wir hassen, damit wir Scheiß kaufen können, den wir nicht brauchen. Wir sind die mittleren Kinder der Geschichte, Mann. Wir haben keinen Sinn und keinen Platz. Wir haben keinen Großen Krieg. Keine Weltwirtschaftskrise. Unser großer Krieg ist ein spiritueller Krieg... unsere große Depression ist unser Leben. Wir sind alle durch das Fernsehen in dem Glauben erzogen worden, dass wir eines Tages alle Millionäre, Filmgötter und Rockstars sein werden. Aber das werden wir nicht. Und wir lernen diese Tatsache langsam kennen. Und wir sind sehr, sehr wütend."

Ich glaube jedoch nicht, dass die Menschen wütend sind. Ich glaube, dass die meisten Menschen deprimiert und nihilistisch sind. Sie sehen keinen Ausweg, sie sind hoffnungslos und haben sich mit ihrer Position im System abgefunden - ob bewusst oder unbewusst.

Nichts zeigt die Plackerei des Fiat-Rattenrennens besser als der kurze Animationsfilm „Happiness", der eine visuelle Reise durch die unerbittliche Suche des Menschen nach Erfüllung in der modernen Welt darstellt. Er setzt in Bilder um, was viele Menschen nicht in Worte fassen können. Hilflosigkeit, Sucht, Hoffnungslosigkeit. Eine Krise des Selbst, eine Krise des Sinns. Das Fehlen einer hoffnungsvollen Vision für die Zukunft.

„Ehrlich gesagt, ist es ziemlich deprimierend", so ein 44-jähriger Arbeiter, der allein im Wald festsitzt. „Ich habe versucht, einen Gedanken zu formulieren, ihn auszudrücken, ohne zusammenzubrechen und zu weinen. Aber ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich ihn weitergeben kann, ohne zu weinen."

„Mein Problem, einer der Gründe, warum ich hierher kommen wollte, war also, dass ich versuchen wollte, über den neuen Aspekt meines Lebens nachzudenken. Mit anderen Worten: nach den Kindern."

„Ein Mensch kann eine Menge Dinge ertragen, für jemanden, den er liebt. Die gleichen Dinge nur für sich selbst zu ertragen, ist nicht so einfach. Ich bin Elektriker. Man könnte meinen, das sei nicht so schwer, aber es sind viele sich wiederholende Aufgaben. Ich weiß, dass jeder seine eigene Arbeit hat, ich weiß, dass das einfach der Lauf der Welt ist. Aber für mich ist der Gedanke, dass ich weitere 15 Jahre meines Lebens damit verbringen muss, auf die Wochenenden zu warten, einfach eine Qual. Einfach nur die banale Qual des Ganzen..."

Schau dir bei Möglichkeit diesen Clip an. Es ist eine Sache, über das Meme des Rattenrennens zu theoretisieren; es ist eine andere Sache, einem erwachsenen Mann zuzusehen, der weinend zusammenbricht, nachdem er über sein Leben, das System, in das er eingebettet ist, und die Zukunft, die dieses System für ihn bereithält, nachgedacht hat. Nachdem er sich die Tränen weggewischt hat, spekuliert er darüber, was der Grund für seine depressive Stimmung sein könnte: „An diesem Ort kenne ich die Regeln. Es ist das Leben außerhalb dieses Ortes, das mich zum Weinen bringt."

Das ist es, nicht wahr? Regeln und Regeländerungen. Wenn du jemanden zutiefst deprimieren wollen, änderst du die Regeln, und zwar häufig. Zwingen du sie, etwas Sinnloses zu tun. Ändere die Regeln willkürlich. Das ist es, was die Menschen wirklich demoralisiert: in einem System willkürlicher Regeländerungen gefangen zu sein. Keine Hoffnung auf Stabilität und kein Ausweg.

Der Dritte Weltkrieg wird ein Guerilla-Informationskrieg sein, bei dem es keine Trennung zwischen militärischer und ziviler Beteiligung gibt. - Marshall McLuhan

Das Meme ist die Nachricht.

"Weißt du, jetzt habe ich es endlich verstanden. Über den Unterschied zwischen einem echten Krieg und einem globalen Guerillakrieg. Denn was wir jetzt haben, ist kein konventioneller Krieg mit scharfen Waffen. Mit militärischer Ehre, militärischen Rängen, militärischer Aktivität... Das ist ein Kulturkrieg. Wir haben die Unruhen. Wir haben die Unordnung. Und jetzt weiß ich wirklich, wie das funktioniert. Wenn die Unruhen vorbei sind, kann man nicht mehr sagen: „Ich habe mit Stolz gedient. Es spielt keine Rolle, auf welcher Seite man steht. Denn die Unruhen sind ein Krieg gegen den Stolz. Es ist ein Krieg gegen die Moral der Menschen. Man kann dem Feind nicht als Gleicher gegenübertreten. Jeder lebt im Schatten. Es ist immer verdeckt. Es ist immer gefälscht. Er ist immer erfunden. Und es kann keine Geschichte darüber geschrieben werden, weil alles abgeschottet ist."\ \ Bruce Sterling

Für die Geldpolitik gibt es im Fiat-System keine Regeln. „Die Regeln sind erfunden, und die Punkte sind egal", um Drew Carey zu zitieren. Die Realität hat Regeln, und wenn ein Fiat-System erst einmal aus dem Ruder gelaufen ist, dann ist es die Realität, die die Konsequenzen zieht, nicht das Fiat-System selbst.

Das Fiat-System ist kaputt; sein Geld ist wertlos; seine Kultur ist deprimiert und hoffnungslos. Wenn die Politik der Kultur nachgelagert ist, ist es dann eine Überraschung, dass unsere Politik größtenteils eine Clownshow ist, die nur auf Äußerlichkeiten und kurzfristige Ziele ausgerichtet ist? Wo gibt es Hoffnung in der hoffnungslosen Welt des fiat everything? Kaputte Ideen führen zu kaputten Umgebungen, die wiederum zu kaputten Organismen führen. Ist der Mensch erst einmal kaputt, wird er nicht in der Lage sein, seine Umwelt auf eine für alle Seiten vorteilhafte Weise zu verändern. Ganz im Gegenteil. Er wird in einer Abwärtsspirale aus Verzweiflung und Zerstörung feststecken und versuchen, „um jeden Preis" zu tun, was nötig ist.

Ohne Bitcoin sind die Aussichten für unsere Zukunft düster. Ohne Bitcoin hast du zwei Möglichkeiten: die schwarze Pille des Pessimismus oder das Soma des Nihilismus.

Es gibt einen Grund, warum die Leute sagen, dass Bitcoin Hoffnung ist.

Schwarze Pille vs. Orange Pille

Bitcoin ist Hoffnung, weil die Regeln von Bitcoin bekannt und stabil sind. Das Bitcoin-System ist wahnsinnig zuverlässig, funktioniert wie ein Uhrwerk, mit Regeln, die bekannt und in Stein gemeißelt sind. Es ist eine Umgebung mit eisenharten Zwängen, die ohne Herrscher durchgesetzt werden.

Es ist nicht nur das Gegenteil des Fiat-Systems, sondern auch sein Gegengift. Es ist nicht nur ein Rettungsboot, in das jeder einsteigen kann, der in Not ist, sondern auch ein Heilmittel, das Sinn und Optimismus gibt, wo es vorher keinen gab.

Es ist leicht, depressiv zu werden, wenn man die Übel des Fiat-Systems erkannt hat. Viele Bitcoiner, die heute von Optimismus erfüllt sind, waren hoffnungslos und fatalistisch, bevor sie die orangefarbene Pille schluckten. Viele Menschen sind es immer noch, Lionel Shriver und die meisten Goldfresser eingeschlossen.

Aber man muss bereit sein. Man kann sich nur selbst eine orangefarbene Pille geben, wie man sagt. Niemand kann dir Bitcoin aufzwingen.

Du müsstest eine Erleuchtung haben, dieselbe Erleuchtung wie unser 44-jähriger Elektriker im Wald, der über sein Leben nachdenkt. Kurz nach seinem Zusammenbruch und seinem Monolog darüber, dass er im Rattenrennen feststeckt, kommt er zu einer plötzlichen Erkenntnis: „Ich muss etwas ändern. Es ist nicht die Welt, die sich ändern muss. Es bin ich, der sich ändern muss. Es ist meine Einstellung zum Leben."

Ja. Was für ein Chad.

Das ist buchstäblich die Funktionsweise von Bitcoin.

Fiat Denkweise vs. Bitcoin Denkweise

\ Das Fiat-System wird nicht einfach verschwinden, und es wird auch nicht still und leise verschwinden. Zu viele Menschen sind immer noch mit dem Gedanken an leicht verdientes Geld infiziert, arbeiten in Scheißjobs und führen ein Fiat-Leben. Der Tod des Fiat-Organismus ist jedoch unausweichlich. Er ist selbstzerstörerisch, und wie alle Tiere, die in die Enge getrieben werden und am Rande des Todes stehen, wird er in einem letzten Versuch, das Unvermeidliche zu verhindern, um sich schlagen.

Piggies von artdesignbysf

„Unser großer Krieg ist ein spiritueller Krieg", wie Tyler Durden es so treffend formulierte. Und wir sind mittendrin in diesem Krieg.

Mit jedem Tag wird es offensichtlicher, dass dies ein geistiger Krieg ist. Ein Zusammenprall von Ideen, ein Kampf der unterschiedlichen Weltanschauungen.

Selbst der letzte Boss von Bitcoin, Augustin Carstens, weiß, dass dies ein Krieg ist. Warum sonst würde er, die Verkörperung des Fiat-Standards, im Fernsehen auftreten und Folgendes sagen?

„Vor ein paar Jahren wurden Kryptowährungen als Alternative zu Papiergeld dargestellt. Ich denke, diese Schlacht ist gewonnen. Eine Technologie macht noch kein vertrauenswürdiges Geld."

Augustin Carstens

Wenn wir uns nicht in einem memetischen Krieg befänden, warum wäre es dann notwendig zu erklären, dass eine Schlacht gewonnen wurde?

Wenn wir uns nicht mitten in einem spirituellen Krieg befinden würden, warum würde Christine Lagarde, eine Person, die wegen Fahrlässigkeit und Missbrauchs öffentlicher Gelder verurteilt wurde - eine Person, die jetzt Präsidentin der Europäischen Zentralbank ist - öffentlich erklären, dass wir Bitcoin auf globaler Ebene regulieren müssen, denn „wenn es einen Ausweg gibt, wird dieser Ausweg genutzt werden?"

Warum würde Stephen Lynch behaupten, dass Bitcoin „auf Null gehen wird, wenn wir ein CBDC entwickeln, das den vollen Glauben und Kredit der Vereinigten Staaten hinter sich hat?"

Warum würde Neel Kashkari, verrückt wie er ist, vor eine Kamera treten, um das Mem zu verbreiten, dass „es unendlich viel Bargeld in der Federal Reserve gibt", in der Hoffnung, dass diese Aussage das Vertrauen in das zusammenbrechende Fiat-System stärken würde?

Es ist fast unmöglich, sich diese Interviews anzusehen, ohne den Kopf zu schütteln. Glauben diese Menschen wirklich, was sie sagen? Ist es Böswilligkeit oder ist es Unwissenheit? Oder ist es einfach ein Auswuchs der verzerrten Weltsicht des Fiat-Verstandes? Sind diese Menschen nicht mehr zu retten, oder könnte Bitcoin sie sogar demütigen und sie auf den Pfad der Verantwortung und der Finanzdisziplin bringen?

Wie auch immer die Antwort lauten mag, die bloße Existenz von Bitcoin ist eine Beleidigung für ihr Denken, oder für jedes Fiat-Denken, was das betrifft. Bitcoin setzt die Idee außer Kraft, dass Geld vom Staat geschaffen werden muss. Seine Architektur sagt: „Jeder sollte Zugang zum Geldsystem haben". Sein Design sagt: „Wir sehen, was ihr getan habt, Fiat-Leute, und wir werden dem ein Ende setzen."

„Die Existenz von Bitcoin ist eine Beleidigung für den Fiat-Verstand."

\ Es ist ironisch, dass das, was die meisten Fiat-Leute zuerst sehen, die Schlachtrufe der Bitcoiner sind, die „HODL!" schreien und „wir werden euch obsolet machen" von den Dächern schreien. Du übersiehst die tiefere Wahrheit dieser Memes, die Tatsache, dass diese Meme der tiefen Überzeugung entspringen, dass ein mathematisch und thermodynamisch gesundes System einem politischen System vorzuziehen ist. Sie hören weder das Brummen der ASICs, noch achten sie auf die gültigen Blöcke, die unaufhörlich eintreffen. Alle 10 Minuten wird leise geflüstert: „Du sollst nicht stehlen."

Das laute und prahlerische Oberflächenphänomen lässt sich leicht ins Lächerliche ziehen und abtun. Der zutiefst technische, wirtschaftliche und spieltheoretische Organismus, der die 21 Millionen zustande bringt, nicht so sehr. Beide sind im Wachstum begriffen. Beide sind miteinander verwoben. Das eine kann ohne das andere nicht existieren.

Fiat-Selbst vs. Bitcoin-Selbst

\ Beim ersten Kontakt wird der Bitcoin von den meisten abgetan. In einer Welt, die vom Fiat-Standard beherrscht wird, sind die meisten Menschen nicht in der Lage, die orangefarbene Münze zu verstehen, wenn sie zum ersten Mal über sie stolpern. Ich denke, man kann mit Sicherheit sagen, dass die meisten Bitcoiner es nicht sofort „verstanden" haben. Ich habe es anfangs sicherlich nicht verstanden.

Die Reise vieler Bitcoiner lässt sich wie folgt zusammenfassen:

1. Was zum Teufel ist das?
2. Was zum Teufel ist das?
3. Was zur Hölle?
4. Die Scheiße?
5. Scheiße...
6. All in.

Der Prozess des Verstehens und der Annahme von Bitcoin ist der Prozess des Verlassens deines Fiat-Selbst hinter sich. Man muss die Fiat-Memes aus dem Kopf bekommen und die Bitcoin-Memes hineinlassen. Du musst dein Fiat-Selbst ausbrennen und dein Bitcoin-Selbst aufbauen. Tag für Tag, Aktion für Aktion, Block für Block.

Indem du am System der Fiat-Schuldensklaverei teilnimmst, verstärkst du das Meme der sofortigen Befriedigung, der Diskontierung der Zukunft für die Gegenwart, des falschen Geldes und des kurzfristigen Denkens. Indem du am Bitcoin-System teilnimmst, stärkst du das Mem des gesunden Geldes, des unelastischen Angebots, des langfristigen Denkens, der Verantwortung und der unveräußerlichen Eigentumsrechte.

„Man kann die Revolution nicht kaufen. Man kann die Revolution nicht machen. Du kannst nur die Revolution sein. Sie ist in deinem Geist, oder sie ist nirgendwo." - Ursula K. Le Guin

Verstehe mich nicht falsch. Es ist nichts falsch daran, in den Fiat-Minen zu arbeiten und bescheiden Sats zu stapeln. Es ist eines der wichtigsten Dinge, die du tun kannst. Das Stapeln von Sats gibt dir Freiheit, Kontrolle und Selbstständigkeit. Es ermöglicht dir, sich in eine Position der Stabilität und Stärke zu manövrieren, und ehe du dich versiehst, wird der einfache Akt des demütigen Stapelns und der Liebe zu deinem zukünftigen dich selbst verändern.

Der wahre Kampf ist ein persönlicher Kampf. Den Drang zu unterdrücken, etwas umsonst haben zu wollen. Die Gewohnheit der sofortigen Befriedigung aufzugeben und eine Kultur des langfristigen Denkens aufzubauen. Ablehnung von impulsiven Ausgaben, Akzeptanz von Opfern und Einschränkungen.

Die Beziehung zwischen Ihnen und der Welt ist transaktional, wie John Dewey uns lehrte. Nicht nur unsere physischen Körper sind an unsere physische Umgebung gebunden, sondern wir sind auch über die ebenso reale wirtschaftliche Umgebung, an der wir uns beteiligen, miteinander verbunden. Und mit jedem Dollar, den wir ausgeben, und jedem Satoshi, den wir sparen, erschaffen wir unsere Zukunft.

Es gibt eine Weggabelung. Das Schild auf der einen Seite sagt: „Du wirst nichts besitzen und du wirst glücklich sein". Das Schild auf der anderen Seite sagt: „Du wirst Bitcoin besitzen und du wirst die beste Version deiner selbst sein."

Die Wahl liegt bei dir.

Bitcoin hat die Macht, die beste Version von sich selbst hervorzubringen, weil die Anreize von Bitcoin auf gegenseitige Verbesserung ausgerichtet sind. Auf individueller Ebene erfordert der Besitz von Bitcoin eine Änderung der Zeitpräferenz und der Verantwortung. Der Besitz impliziert, dass man seine eigenen Schlüssel besitzt. Wenn du das nicht tun, besitzts du keine Bitcoin, sondern Schuldscheine. Es bedeutet auch, dass du deinen eigenen Knotenpunkt betreiben, um zu überprüfen, ob du tatsächlich Bitcoin besitzen. Wenn man das nicht tut, vertraut man auf das Wort eines anderen, verlässt sich auf seine Sicht von Bitcoin, seine Weltsicht und darauf, dass er einen nicht anlügt.

Darüber hinaus bedeutet der fortgesetzte Besitz von Bitcoin, dass man die Verantwortung übernimmt, einen Wert für die Gesellschaft zu schaffen. Geld tut nichts anderes, als zu zirkulieren, also musst etwas leisten, das andere Menschen als wertvoll empfinden. Wenn du das nicht tust, wirst du bald keine Bitcoin mehr haben. Die Natur wird dich dazu zwingen, dich von deinen Sats zu trennen, denn jeder - auch du - muss essen.

„Beschäftige dich mit dem Sinn des Lebens, wirf leere Hoffnungen beiseite, engagiere dich für deine eigene Rettung - wenn du dich überhaupt um dich selbst kümmerst - und tue es, solange du kannst."\ \ Marcus Aurelius

Der Bitcoin-Weg ist kein einfacher Weg, aber ein erfüllender. Er ist erfüllend, weil du die Regeln kennst, du kennst die Konsequenzen, und du hast die Verantwortung. Es ist ein Weg, der es dir erlaubt, dein Leben so zu gestalten, wie du es für richtig hältst, aber du musstes auch selbst gestalten. Es ist ein Weg, der es dir ermöglicht, sich vor Übergriffen und Diebstahl zu schützen, und der langfristige Sicherheit und Stabilität bietet. Aber du musst ihn gehen. Du musst mitmachen. Du musst ihn ausleben.

Du musst dein Fiat-Selbst ausbrennen und die einfachen Antworten, die Abkürzungen und den Scheinwert hinter dir lassen. Du musst etwas Reales anbieten, jemand Reales sein und im Falle des Scheiterns die realen Konsequenzen tragen.

Die Grenze zwischen Gut und Böse verläuft nicht nur in jedermanns Herzen, sondern auch die Grenze zwischen Fiat und Bitcoin verläuft ebenfalls in jedermanns Herzen. Es geht nicht um „wir gegen sie". Es geht um unser Fiat-Selbst gegen unser Bitcoin-Selbst. Persönliche Verantwortung vs. vorsätzliche Ignoranz. Systemische Fragilität vs. langfristige Stabilität. Mit jeder Handlung triffst du eine Entscheidung, und du hast keine andere Wahl als zu handeln.

Es gibt eine Weggabelung, und jeder Einzelne von uns muss sich entscheiden, welchen Weg er einschlagen will. Den scheinbar bequemen Weg, den die Machthaber vorgeben, oder den Bitcoin-Weg: hart, steinig, mit Höhen und Tiefen, ohne Sicherheitsnetze und ohne Rettungsaktionen. Es ist kein einfacher Weg, aber es ist ein schöner Weg. Ein Weg, der Geduld, Verantwortung und Disziplin lehrt. Ein Weg, der dich demütig macht. Ein sinnvoller Weg. Ein Weg, den zu gehen sich lohnt.

Früher war es ein einsamer Weg, aber das ist er nicht mehr. Früher war es ein verrückter Weg. Heute ist der Weg zu mehr Freiheit der verrückte Weg. Es ist ein langer Weg, ein täglicher Kampf. Und niemand außer dir kann diesen Weg gehen. Ich würde dir gerne sagen, dass ich dich auf dem Gipfel treffe, aber ich fürchte, es gibt keinen Gipfel. Ich treffe dich stattdessen auf dem Weg.

Gigi ist ein professioneller Shitposter und Meme-Kenner. Er ist vor kurzem aus der woken Höllenlandschaft der Vogel-App in das lila gelobte Land des Straußen-Protokolls umgezogen. Wenn er nicht gerade Shitposting betreibt, ist er meistens damit beschäftigt, ein Bitcoin-Genießer zu sein und seine Pflaumen im Glanz der orangefarbenen Münze zu baden. Du kannst ihn herbeirufen, indem du seinem npub in den Kartenschlitz eines stillgelegten Geldautomaten flüsterst:

npub1dergggklka99wwrs92yz8wdjs952h2ux2ha2ed598ngwu9w7a6fsh9xzpc

@ d830ee7b:4e61cd62

การเผชิญหน้า (The Collision Point)

กลางปี 2017 ที่ร้านคราฟท์เบียร์เล็ก ๆ ในย่านเกาะเกร็ด นนทบุรี อากาศร้อนจนเครื่องปรับอากาศ (ที่ยังไม่มี) ในร้านทำงานหนักแทบไหม้ "แจ๊ก กู้ดเดย์" (Jakk Goodday) นั่งลงบนเก้าอี้ไม้ที่เจ้าของร้านกันไว้ให้เป็นประจำ ราวกับเขาเป็นลูกค้าขาประจำระดับวีไอพี

กลิ่นกาแฟคั่ว ลอยผสมกับไอความร้อนจากนอกหน้าต่าง (ผิดร้านหรือเปล่า?) เกิดเป็นบรรยากาศขมติดปลายลิ้นชวนให้คนจิบแล้วอยากถอนใจ

เขาเหลือบมองออกไปนอกหน้าต่าง.. เห็นแสงแดดแผดเผาราวกับมันรู้ว่าสงคราม Blocksize กำลังคุกรุ่นขึ้นอีกครั้ง

บรรยากาศนอกหน้าต่างกับใน ฟอรัม Bitcointalk ช่างเหมือนกันจนน่าขนลุก มันร้อนแรง ไร้ความปรานี

แจ๊กเปิดแล็ปท็อป กดเข้าเว็บฟอรัม พอเสียงแจ้งเตือน “—ติ๊ง” ดังขึ้น คิ้วของเขาก็ขมวดเล็กน้อย คล้ายได้กลิ่นดินปืนกลางสนามรบ

“โรเจอร์ แวร์ (Roger Ver) ไลฟ์เดือดลั่นเวที!” “ปีเตอร์ วูเล (Pieter Wuille) โต้กลับเรื่อง SegWit!” “Hard Fork ใกล้ถึงจุดปะทะแล้ว!”

แจ๊กคลิกเข้าไปในลิงก์ของไลฟ์ทันที เหมือนมือของเขาไม่ต้องการคำสั่งจากสมอง ความคุ้นเคยกับเหตุการณ์แบบนี้บอกเขาว่า นี่ไม่ใช่ดีเบตธรรมดา แต่มันอาจเปลี่ยนอนาคตของ Bitcoin ได้จริง ๆ

เห็นแค่พาดหัวสั้น ๆ แต่ความตึงเครียดก็ชัดเจนขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ ทุกข้อความเหมือนสุมไฟใส่ใจกองหนึ่งที่พร้อมระเบิดได้ทุกเมื่อ

โทรศัพท์ของแจ๊กดังพร้อมปรากฏชื่อ แชมป์ ‘PIGROCK’ ลอยขึ้นมา เขาหยิบขึ้นมารับทันที

“ว่าไงวะแชมป์… มีอะไรด่วนหรือเปล่า?” น้ำเสียงแจ๊กฟังดูเหมือนง่วง ๆ แต่จริง ๆ เขาพร้อมจะลุกมาวิเคราะห์สถานการณ์ให้ฟังทุกเมื่อ

“พี่แจ๊ก.. ผมอ่านดีเบตเรื่อง SegWit ในฟอรัมอยู่ครับ บางคนด่าว่ามันไม่ได้แก้ปัญหาจริง ๆ บ้างก็บอกถ้าเพิ่ม Blocksize ไปเลยจะง่ายกว่า... ผมเลยสงสัยว่า Hard Fork ที่เค้าพูดถึงกันนี่คืออะไร ใครคิดอะไรก็ Fork กันได้ง่าย ๆ เลยเหรอ"

"แล้วถ้า Fork ไปหลายสาย สุดท้ายเหรียญไหนจะเป็น ‘Bitcoin ที่แท้จริง’ ล่ะพี่?”

“แล้วการ Fork มันส่งผลกับนักลงทุนยังไงครับ? คนทั่วไปอย่างผมควรถือไว้หรือขายหนีตายดีล่ะเนี่ย?”

แจ๊กยิ้มมุมปาก ชอบใจที่น้องถามจี้จุด

“เอางี้… การ Fork มันเหมือนแบ่งถนนออกเป็นสองสาย ใครชอบกติกาเก่าก็วิ่งถนนเส้นเก่า ใครอยากแก้กติกาใหม่ก็ไปถนนเส้นใหม่"

"แต่ประเด็นคือ... นี่ไม่ใช่เรื่องเล็ก ๆ เพราะมีผลต่ออัตลักษณ์ของ Bitcoin ทั้งหมดเลยนะมึง—ใครจะยอมปล่อยผ่านง่าย ๆ”

"คิดดูสิ ถ้าครั้งนี้พวกเขา Fork จริง มันอาจไม่ได้เปลี่ยนแค่เครือข่าย แต่เปลี่ยนวิธีที่คนมอง Bitcoin ไปตลอดกาลเลยนะ"

"แล้วใครมันจะอยากลงทุนในระบบที่แตกแยกซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าวะ?"

“งั้นหมายความว่าตอนนี้ก็มีสองแนวใหญ่ ๆ ชัวร์ใช่ไหมครับ?” แชมป์ถามต่อ

“ฝั่ง โรเจอร์ แวร์ ที่บอกว่าต้องเพิ่ม Blocksize ให้ใหญ่จุใจ กับฝั่งทีม Core อย่าง ปีเตอร์ วูเล ที่ยืนยันต้องใช้ SegWit ทำให้บล็อกเบา ไม่กระทบการกระจายอำนาจ?”

“ใช่เลย” แจ๊กจิบกาแฟดำเข้ม ๆ ผสมน้ำผึ้งไปหนึ่งอึก

“โรเจอร์นี่เขาเชื่อว่า Bitcoin ต้องเป็นเงินสดดิจิทัลที่ใช้จ่ายไว ค่าธรรมเนียมไม่แพง ส่วนปีเตอร์กับ Bitcoin Core มองว่าการเพิ่มบล็อกเยอะ ๆ มันจะไปฆ่า Node รายย่อย คนไม่มีทุนก็รัน Node ไม่ไหว สุดท้าย Bitcoin จะกลายเป็นระบบกึ่งรวมศูนย์ ซึ่งมันผิดหลักการเดิมของ ซาโตชิ ไงล่ะ”

“ฟังแล้วก็ไม่ใช่เรื่องง่ายนะพี่… งั้นที่ผมได้ยินว่า จิฮั่น อู๋ (Jihan Wu) เจ้าของ Bitmain ที่ถือ Hashrate เกินครึ่งนี่ก็มาอยู่ฝั่งเดียวกับโรเจอร์ใช่ไหม?"

"เพราะยิ่งบล็อกใหญ่ ค่าธรรมเนียมยิ่งเพิ่ม นักขุดก็ได้กำไรสูงขึ้นใช่ป่ะ?”

“ไอ้เรื่องกำไรก็ส่วนหนึ่ง...” แจ๊กถอนหายใจ

“แต่ที่สำคัญกว่านั้นคืออำนาจต่อรอง… ตอนประชุมลับที่ฮ่องกงเมื่อปีที่แล้ว พี่เองก็ถูกชวนให้เข้าไปในฐานะคนกลาง เลยเห็นภาพน่าขนลุกอยู่หน่อย ๆ"

"จิฮั่นนั่งไขว่ห้างด้วยสีหน้ามั่นใจมาก ด้วย Hashrate ราว 60% ของโลก สั่งซ้ายหันขวาหันเหมือนเป็นแม่ทัพใหญ่ได้เลย พอโรเจอร์ก็ไฟแรงอยู่แล้ว อยากให้ Bitcoin ครองโลกด้วยวิธีของเขา สองคนนี่จับมือกันทีจะเขย่าชุมชน Bitcoin ได้ทั้งกระดาน”

"พี่รู้สึกเหมือนนั่งอยู่ในศึกชิงบัลลังก์ยุคใหม่ คนหนึ่งยึดพลังขุด คนหนึ่งยึดความศรัทธาในชื่อ Bitcoin แต่สิ่งที่พี่สงสัยในตอนนั้นคือ… พวกเขาสู้เพื่อใครกันแน่?"

แชมป์เงียบไปครู่เหมือนกำลังประมวลผล “แล้วตอนนั้นพี่คิดยังไงบ้างครับ? รู้สึกกลัวหรือว่ายังไง?”

“จะไม่กลัวได้ไง!” แจ๊กหัวเราะแห้ง ๆ แวบหนึ่งก็นึกถึงสีหน้าที่ยิ้มเยาะของทั้งคู่ตอนประกาศความพร้อมจะ Fork

“พี่อดคิดไม่ได้ว่าถ้า Core ยังไม่ยอมขยายบล็อก พวกนั้นจะลากนักขุดทั้งกองทัพแฮชเรตไปทำเครือข่ายใหม่ให้เป็น ‘Bitcoin สายใหญ่’ แล้วทิ้งเครือข่ายเดิมให้ซวนเซ"

"แค่คิดก็นึกถึงสงครามกลางเมืองในหนังประวัติศาสตร์แล้วน่ะ.. แตกเป็นสองฝ่าย สุดท้ายใครแพ้ใครชนะ ไม่มีใครทำนายได้จริง ๆ”

พูดจบ.. เขาเปิดฟอรัมดูไลฟ์ดีเบตจากงานในปี 2017 ต่อ โรเจอร์ แวร์ กำลังพูดในโทนร้อนแรง

“Bitcoin ไม่ใช่ของคนรวย! ถ้าคุณไม่เพิ่ม Blocksize คุณก็ทำให้ค่าธรรมเนียมพุ่งจนคนธรรมดาใช้ไม่ได้!”

ขณะเดียวกัน ปีเตอร์ วูเล่ ยืนอยู่ฝั่งตรงข้าม สีหน้าเยือกเย็นราวกับตั้งรับมานาน “การเพิ่มบล็อกคือการทำลายโครงสร้าง Node รายย่อยในระยะยาว แล้วมันจะยังเรียกว่ากระจายอำนาจได้หรือ?”

"ถ้าคุณอยากให้ Bitcoin เป็นของคนรวยเพียงไม่กี่คน ก็เชิญขยายบล็อกไปเถอะนะ แต่ถ้าอยากให้มันเป็นระบบที่คนทุกระดับมีส่วนร่วมจริง ๆ ..คุณต้องฟังเสียง Node รายเล็กด้วย" ปีเตอร์กล่าว

เสียงผู้คนในงานโห่ฮากันอย่างแตกเป็นสองฝ่าย บ้างก็เชียร์ความตรงไปตรงมาของโรเจอร์ บ้างก็เคารพเหตุผลเชิงเทคนิคของปีเตอร์

ข้อความจำนวนมหาศาลในฟอรัมต่างโหมกระพือไปต่าง ๆ นานา มีทั้งคำด่าหยาบคายจนแจ๊กต้องเบือนหน้า ตลอดจนการวิเคราะห์ลึก ๆ ถึงอนาคตของ Bitcoin ที่อาจไม่เหมือนเดิม

ในระหว่างนั้น.. แชมป์ส่งข้อความ Discord กลับมาอีก

“พี่ ถ้า Fork จริง ราคาจะป่วนแค่ไหน? ที่เขาว่าคนถือ BTC จะได้เหรียญใหม่ฟรี ๆ จริงไหม? ผมกลัวว่าถ้าเกิดแบ่งเครือข่ายไม่รู้กี่สาย ตลาดอาจมั่วจนคนหายหมดก็ได้ ใช่ไหมครับ?”

"แล้วถ้าเครือข่ายใหม่ล้มเหลวล่ะครับ? จะส่งผลอะไรต่อชุมชน Bitcoin เดิม?"

"ไอ้แชมป์มึงถามรัวจังวะ!?" แจ๊กสบถเพราะเริ่มตั้งรับไม่ทัน

“ก็ขึ้นกับตลาดจะเชื่อว่าสายไหนเป็น ‘ของจริง’ อีกนั่นแหละ” แจ๊กพิมพ์กลับ

“บางคนถือไว้เผื่อได้เหรียญใหม่ฟรี บางคนขายหนีตายก่อน"

"พี่เองก็ยังไม่กล้าการันตีเลย แต่ที่แน่ ๆ สงครามนี้ไม่ได้มีแค่ผลกำไร มันกระทบศรัทธาของชุมชน Bitcoin ทั้งหมดด้วย"

"ถ้าชาวเน็ตเลิกเชื่อมั่น หรือคนนอกมองว่าพวกเราทะเลาะกันเองเหมือนเด็กแย่งของเล่น ต่อให้ฝั่งไหนชนะ ก็อาจไม่มีผู้ใช้เหลือให้ฉลอง”

แล้วสายตาแจ๊กก็ปะทะกับกระทู้ใหม่ที่เด้งขึ้นมาบนหน้าฟอรัม

“โรเจอร์ แวร์ ประกาศ: ถ้าไม่เพิ่ม Blocksize เราจะฟอร์กเป็น Bitcoin ที่แท้จริง!”

ตัวหนังสือหนาแปะอยู่ตรงนั้นส่งแรงสั่นสะเทือนราวกับจะดึงคนในวงการให้ต้องเลือกข้างกันแบบไม่อาจกลับหลังได้

แจ๊กเอื้อมมือปิดแล็ปท็อปช้า ๆ คล้ายยอมรับความจริงว่าหนทางประนีประนอมอาจไม่มีอีกแล้ว..

“สงครามนี่คงใกล้ระเบิดเต็มทีล่ะนะ” เขาลุกจากเก้าอี้ สะพายเป้ พึมพำกับตัวเองขณะมองกาแฟดำที่เหลือครึ่งแก้ว “ถ้าพวกเขาฟอร์กจริง โลกคริปโตฯ ที่เราเคยรู้จักอาจไม่มีวันเหมือนเดิมอีกต่อไป”

เขามองออกไปนอกหน้าต่าง แสงแดดที่แผดเผาราวกับกำลังบอกว่า.. อนาคตของ Bitcoin อยู่ในจุดที่เส้นแบ่งระหว่างชัยชนะกับความล่มสลายเริ่มพร่าเลือน... และอาจไม่มีทางย้อนกลับ

ก่อนเดินออกจากร้าน เขากดส่งข้อความสั้น ๆ ถึงแชมป์

“เตรียมใจกับความปั่นป่วนไว้ให้ดี ไม่แน่ว่าเราอาจจะได้เห็น Bitcoin แตกเป็นหลายสาย.. ใครจะอยู่ใครจะไปไม่รู้เหมือนกัน แต่เรื่องนี้คงไม่จบง่าย ๆ แน่”

แจ๊กผลักประตูออกไปพบกับแดดจัดที่เหมือนแผดเผากว่าเดิม พายุร้อนไม่ได้มาแค่ในรูปความร้อนกลางกรุง แต่มาในรูป “สงคราม Blocksize” ที่พร้อมจะฉีกชุมชนคริปโตออกเป็นฝักฝ่าย และอาจลามบานปลายจนกลายเป็นศึกประวัติศาสตร์

ทว่าสิ่งที่ค้างคาใจกลับเป็นคำถามนั้น…

เมื่อเครือข่ายแบ่งเป็นหลายสายแล้ว เหรียญไหนจะเป็น Bitcoin จริง?

หรือบางที... ในโลกที่ใครก็ Fork ได้ตามใจ เราจะไม่มีวันได้เห็น “Bitcoin หนึ่งเดียว” อีกต่อไป?

คำถามที่ไม่มีใครตอบได้ชัดนี้ส่องประกายอยู่ตรงปลายทาง ราวกับป้ายเตือนว่า “อันตรายข้างหน้า” และคนในชุมชนทั้งหมดกำลังจะต้องเผชิญ…

โดยไม่มีใครมั่นใจเลยว่าจะรอด หรือจะแตกสลายไปก่อนกันแน่...

สองเส้นทาง (The Forked Path)

กลางปี 2017 ท้องฟ้าเหนือบุรีรัมย์ยังคงคุกรุ่นด้วยไอแดดและความร้อนแรงของสงคราม Blocksize แจ๊ก กู้ดเดย์ ก้าวเข้ามาในคาเฟ่เล็ก ๆ แห่งหนึ่งในย่านเทศบาลด้วยสีหน้าครุ่นคิด เขาพยายามมองหามุมสงบสำหรับนั่งตั้งหลักในโลกความเป็นจริง ก่อนจะจมดิ่งสู่สงครามในโลกดิจิทัลบนฟอรัม Bitcointalk อีกครั้ง

กลิ่นกาแฟคั่วเข้มลอยกระทบจมูก แจ๊กสั่งกาแฟดำแก้วโปรดแล้วปลีกตัวมาที่โต๊ะริมกระจก กระจกบานนั้นสะท้อนแสงอาทิตย์จัดจ้า ราวกับจะบอกว่าวันนี้คงไม่มีใครหนีความร้อนที่กำลังแผดเผา ทั้งในอากาศและในชุมชน Bitcoin ได้พ้น

เขาเปิดแล็ปท็อปขึ้น ล็อกอินเข้า Bitcointalk.org ตามเคย ข้อความและกระทู้มากมายกระหน่ำแจ้งเตือน ไม่ต่างอะไรจากสมรภูมิคำพูดที่ไม่มีวันหลับ “Hong Kong Agreement ล้มเหลวจริงหรือ?” “UASF คือปฏิวัติโดย Node?” เหล่านี้ล้วนสะท้อนความไม่แน่นอนในชุมชน Bitcoin ที่ตอนนี้ ดูคล้ายจะถึงจุดแตกหักเต็มที...

“ทั้งที่ตอนนั้นเราก็พยายามกันแทบตาย…” แจ๊กพึมพำ มองจอด้วยสายตาเหนื่อยใจพร้อมภาพความทรงจำย้อนกลับเข้าในหัว เขายังจำการประชุมที่ฮ่องกงเมื่อต้นปี 2016 ได้แม่น ยามนั้นความหวังในการประนีประนอมระหว่าง Big Block และ Small Block ดูเป็นไปได้ หากแต่กลายเป็นละครฉากใหญ่ที่จบลงโดยไม่มีใครยอมถอย...

---

...การประชุม Hong Kong Agreement (2016)

ภายในห้องประชุมหรูของโรงแรมใจกลางย่านธุรกิจฮ่องกง บรรยากาศตึงเครียดยิ่งกว่าการเจรจาสงบศึกในสมัยโบราณ

โรเจอร์ แวร์ ยืนเสนอว่า “การเพิ่ม Blocksize สำคัญต่ออนาคตของ Bitcoin — เราอยากให้คนทั่วไปเข้าถึงได้โดยไม่ต้องจ่ายค่าธรรมเนียมแพง ๆ”

“จิฮั่น อู๋ (Jihan Wu)” จาก Bitmain นั่งฝั่งเดียวกับโรเจอร์ คอยเสริมว่าการเพิ่มบล็อกคือโอกาสสำหรับนักขุด และหากทีม Core ไม่ยอม พวกเขาก็พร้อม “ดัน Fork” ขึ้นได้ทุกเมื่อ ด้วย Hashrate มหาศาลที่พวกเขาคุมไว้

ฝั่ง ปีเตอร์ วูเล (Pieter Wuille) กับ เกร็ก แมกซ์เวลล์ (Greg Maxwell) จาก Bitcoin Core เถียงกลับอย่างใจเย็นว่า “การขยายบล็อกอาจดึงดูดทุนใหญ่ ๆ แล้วไล่ Node รายย่อยออกไป ชุมชนอาจไม่เหลือความกระจายอำนาจอย่างที่ Satoshi ตั้งใจ”

สุดท้าย บทสรุปที่เรียกว่า Hong Kong Agreement ลงนามได้ก็จริง แต่มันกลับเป็นแค่ลายเซ็นบนกระดาษที่ไม่มีฝ่ายไหนเชื่อใจใคร

แจ๊กเบือนสายตาออกนอกหน้าต่าง สังเกตเห็นผู้คนเดินขวักไขว่ บ้างก็ดูรีบร้อน บ้างเดินทอดน่องเหมือนว่างเปล่า นี่คงไม่ต่างอะไรกับชาวเน็ตในฟอรัมที่แบ่งฝ่ายกันใน “สงคราม Blocksize” อย่างไม่มีทีท่าจะหยุด

แค่ไม่กี่นาที... เสียงโทรศัพท์ก็ดังขึ้น ชื่อ แชมป์ ‘PIGROCK’ โชว์หราเต็มจออีกครั้ง

“ว่าไงเจ้าแชมป์?” แจ๊กกรอกเสียงในสายด้วยอารมณ์เหนื่อย ๆ ทว่าพร้อมจะอธิบายเหตุการณ์ตามสไตล์คนที่ชอบครุ่นคิด

“พี่แจ๊ก.. ผมเข้าใจแล้วว่าการประชุมฮ่องกงมันล้มเหลว ตอนนี้ก็มีคนแยกเป็นสองขั้ว Big Block กับ SegWit แต่ผมเจออีกกลุ่มในฟอรัมเรียกว่า UASF (User-Activated Soft Fork) ที่เหมือนจะกดดันพวกนักขุดให้ยอมรับ SegWit..."

"อยากรู้ว่าตกลง UASF มันสำคัญยังไงครับ? ทำไมใคร ๆ ถึงเรียกว่าเป็น การปฏิวัติโดย Node กัน?”

แจ๊กอมยิ้มก่อนจะวางแก้วกาแฟลง พูดด้วยน้ำเสียงจริงจังกว่าเดิม “UASF น่ะหรือ? มันเปรียบได้กับการที่ ‘ชาวนา’ หรือ ‘ประชาชนตัวเล็ก ๆ’ ออกมาประกาศว่า ‘ฉันจะไม่รับบล็อกของนักขุดที่ไม่รองรับ SegWit นะ ถ้าแกไม่ทำตาม ฉันก็จะตัดบล็อกแกทิ้ง!’ เสมือนเป็นการปฏิวัติที่บอกว่าแรงขุดมากแค่ไหนก็ไม่สำคัญ ถ้าคนรัน Node ไม่ยอม… เชนก็เดินต่อไม่ได้”

“โห… ฟังดูแรงจริง ๆ พี่ แล้วถ้านักขุดไม่ร่วมมือ UASF จะเกิดอะไรขึ้น?” แชมป์ถามต่อเสียงสั่นนิด ๆ

“ก็อาจเกิด ‘Chain Split’ ยังไงล่ะ"

"แยกเครือข่ายเป็นสองสาย สุดท้ายเครือข่ายเดิม กับเครือข่ายใหม่ที่รองรับ SegWit ไม่ตรงกัน คนอาจสับสนหนักยิ่งกว่า Hard Fork ปกติด้วยซ้ำ"

"แต่นั่นแหละ... มันแสดงพลังว่าผู้ใช้ทั่วไปก็มีสิทธิ์กำหนดทิศทาง Bitcoin ไม่ได้น้อยไปกว่านักขุดเลย”

“เข้าใจแล้วครับพี่… เหมือน การปฏิวัติโดยประชาชนตาดำ ๆ ที่จับมือกันค้านอำนาจทุนใหญ่ใช่ไหม?” แชมป์หยุดครู่หนึ่ง “ผมเคยคิดว่า Node รายย่อยน้อยรายจะไปสู้อะไรไหว แต่ตอนนี้ดูท่าจะเปลี่ยนเกมได้จริงว่ะพี่…”

“ใช่เลย” แจ๊กตอบ

“นี่เป็นความพิเศษของ Bitcoin ที่บอกว่า ‘เราคุมเครือข่ายร่วมกัน’ แม้แต่ Bitmain ที่มี Hashrate มากกว่า 50% ก็หนาวได้ถ้าผู้ใช้หรือ Node รายย่อยรวมพลังกันมากพอ”

แชมป์ฟังด้วยความตื่นเต้นปนกังวล “แล้วแบบนี้ เรื่อง SegWit กับ Blocksize จะจบยังไงครับ? เห็นข่าวว่าถ้านักขุดโดนกดดันมาก ๆ คนอย่าง จิฮั่น อู๋ อาจออกไปสนับสนุน Bitcoin Cash ที่จะเปิดบล็อกใหญ่”

แจ๊กเลื่อนดูฟีดข่าวในฟอรัม Bitcointalk อีกครั้ง ก็เห็นพาดหัวชัด ๆ

“Bitmain ประกาศกร้าวพร้อมหนุน BCH เต็มพิกัด!”

เขาถอนหายใจเฮือกหนึ่ง “ก็ใกล้เป็นจริงแล้วล่ะ… โรเจอร์ แวร์ เองก็ผลักดัน BCH ว่าคือ Bitcoin แท้ที่ค่าธรรมเนียมถูก ใช้งานได้จริง ส่วนฝั่ง BTC ที่ยึดเอา SegWit เป็นหลัก ก็ไม่ยอมให้ Blocksize เพิ่มใหญ่เกินจำเป็น.."

"ต่างคนต่างมีเหตุผล... แต่อุดมการณ์นี่คนละทางเลย”

“แล้วพี่คิดว่าใครจะเป็นฝ่ายชนะครับ?”

“เฮ้ย.. มึงถามยากไปหรือเปล่า” แจ๊กหัวเราะหึ ๆ “ทุกคนมีโอกาสได้หมด และก็มีโอกาสพังหมดเหมือนกัน ถ้า UASF กดดันนักขุดให้อยู่กับ Core ได้ พวกเขาอาจยอมแพ้ แต่ถ้า Bitmain เทใจไป BCH นักขุดรายใหญ่คนอื่น ๆ ก็คงตาม"

"แล้วถ้าฝั่ง BCH เริ่มได้เปรียบ... อาจดึงคนไปเรื่อย ๆ สุดท้ายจะเหลือไหมล่ะฝั่ง SegWit ตัวจริง?”

“งั้น Node รายย่อยจะยืนอยู่ตรงไหนล่ะครับพี่?” แชมป์ถามอย่างหนักใจ

“Node รายย่อยและชุมชนผู้ใช้นี่แหละ คือ ตัวแปรชี้ขาด ทุกวันนี้คนกลุ่ม UASF พยายามโชว์พลังว่าตัวเองมีสิทธิ์ตั้งกติกาเหมือนกัน ไม่ใช่แค่นักขุด"

"อย่างที่บอก.. มันคือการ ‘ลุกขึ้นปฏิวัติ’ โดยชาวนา ต่อสู้กับเจ้าที่ที่ถือ ‘แฮชเรต’ เป็นอาวุธ”

แจ๊กตบบ่าตัวเองเบา ๆ ก่อนจะหัวเราะเล็กน้อย

“นี่แหละความมันของ Bitcoin ไม่มีเจ้าไหนสั่งได้เบ็ดเสร็จจริง ๆ ทุกฝั่งต่างถือไพ่คนละใบ สงครามยังไม่รู้จะจบยังไง ถึงอย่างนั้นมันก็สะท้อนวิญญาณ ‘decentralization’ ที่แท้จริง กล้ายอมรับสิทธิ์ทุกฝ่ายเพื่อแข่งขันกันตามกติกา”

จู่ ๆ ในหน้าฟอรัมก็มีกระทู้ใหม่เด้งเด่น “Bitmain หนุน Bitcoin Cash ด้วย Hashrate กว่า 50%! สงครามเริ่มแล้ว?” ข้อความนั้นดังโครมครามเหมือนระเบิดลงกลางวง

แจ๊กนิ่งไปชั่วขณะ สัมผัสได้ถึงความปั่นป่วนที่กำลังปะทุขึ้นอีกครั้ง เหงื่อบางเบาซึมบนหน้าผากแม้อากาศในคาเฟ่จะเย็นฉ่ำ เขาหันมองโทรศัพท์ที่ยังค้างสายกับแชมป์ แล้วเอ่ยด้วยน้ำเสียงจริงจัง

“นี่ล่ะ.. จุดเริ่มของสองเส้นทางอย่างชัดเจน… บล็อกใหญ่จะไปกับ BCH ส่วน SegWit ก็อยู่กับ BTC แน่นอนว่าทั้งสองฝ่ายไม่คิดถอยง่าย ๆ นักขุดจะเลือกข้างไหน? Node รายย่อยจะยอมใคร?"

"เมื่อสงครามครั้งนี้นำไปสู่การแบ่งเครือข่าย ใครกันแน่จะเป็นผู้ชนะตัวจริง? หรืออาจไม่มีผู้ชนะเลยก็เป็นได้”

ปลายสายเงียบงัน มีแต่เสียงหายใจของแชมป์ที่สะท้อนความกังวลปนอยากรู้อย่างแรง

“พี่… สุดท้ายแล้วเรากำลังยืนอยู่บนรอยแยกที่พร้อมจะฉีกทุกอย่างออกเป็นชิ้น ๆ ใช่ไหมครับ?”

“อาจจะใช่ก็ได้... หรือถ้ามองอีกมุม อาจเป็นวัฏจักรที่ Bitcoin ต้องเจอเป็นระยะ ทุกคนมีสิทธิ์ Fork ได้ตามใจใช่ไหมล่ะ? ก็ขอให้โลกได้เห็นกันว่าชุมชนไหนแน่จริง” แจ๊กพูดทิ้งท้ายก่อนจะแย้มยิ้มเจือรอยอ่อนล้า

ภาพบนจอคอมพิวเตอร์ฉายกระทู้ถกเถียงกันไม่หยุด ประหนึ่งเวทีดีเบตที่ไม่มีวันปิดไฟ แจ๊กจิบกาแฟอึกสุดท้ายเหมือนจะเตรียมพร้อมใจก่อนเข้าสู่สนามรบครั้งใหม่ สงครามยังไม่จบ.. ซ้ำยังดูหนักข้อยิ่งขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ

เขาลุกขึ้นจากโต๊ะ ชำเลืองมองแสงแดดจัดจ้าที่สาดลงมาไม่หยุด เปรียบเหมือนไฟแห่งข้อขัดแย้งที่เผาผลาญทั้งชุมชน Bitcoin ไม่ว่าใครจะเลือกอยู่ฝั่งไหน กลุ่ม UASF, กลุ่ม Big Block, หรือ กลุ่ม SegWit ทางเดินข้างหน้าล้วนเต็มไปด้วยความไม่แน่นอน

“สุดท้ายแล้ว… เมื่อกระดานแบ่งเป็นสองเส้นทางอย่างเด่นชัด สงคราม Blocksize จะจบลงด้วยใครได้บทผู้ชนะ?"

"หรือบางที… มันอาจไม่มีผู้ชนะที่แท้จริงในระบบที่ใครก็ Fork ได้ตลอดเวลา”

คำถามนี้ลอยติดค้างอยู่ในบรรยากาศยามบ่ายที่ร้อนระอุ ชวนให้ใครก็ตามที่จับตาดูสงคราม Blocksize ต้องฉุกคิด

เมื่อไม่มีใครเป็นเจ้าของ Bitcoin อย่างสมบูรณ์ ทุกคนจึงมีสิทธิ์บงการและเสี่ยงต่อการแตกแยกได้ทุกเมื่อ แล้วท้ายที่สุด ชัยชนะ–ความพ่ายแพ้ อาจไม่ใช่จุดสิ้นสุดของโลกคริปโตฯ

แต่เป็นเพียงจุดเริ่มต้นของการวิวัฒน์ที่ไม่มีวันจบสิ้น…

เมาท์แถมเรื่อง UASF (User-Activated Soft Fork)

นี่สนามรบยุคกลางที่ดูเหมือนในหนังแฟนตาซี ทุกคนมีดาบ มีโล่ แต่จู่ ๆ คนตัวเล็กที่เราไม่เคยสังเกต—พวกชาวนา ช่างไม้ คนแบกน้ำ—กลับรวมตัวกันยกดาบบุกวังเจ้าเมือง พร้อมตะโกนว่า “พอเถอะ! เราก็มีสิทธิ์เหมือนกัน!”

มันอาจจะดูเวอร์ ๆ หน่อยใช่ไหมครับ?

แต่ในโลก Bitcoin ปี 2017 นี่คือสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นในรูปแบบ “User-Activated Soft Fork” หรือ UASF การปฏิวัติด้วยพลังโหนด ซึ่งทำให้นักขุดยักษ์ใหญ่ตัวสั่นงันงกันมาแล้ว!

แล้ว UASF มันคืออะไรล่ะ?

“User-Activated Soft Fork” หรือเรียกย่อ ๆ ว่า “UASF” ไม่ใช่อัปเกรดซอฟต์แวร์สวย ๆ แต่เป็น “ดาบเล่มใหม่” ที่คนตัวเล็ก—หมายถึง โหนด รายย่อย—ใช้ต่อรองกับนักขุดรายใหญ่ โดยกติกาคือ.. ถ้านักขุดไม่ทำตาม (เช่น ไม่รองรับ SegWit) โหนดก็จะปฏิเสธบล็อกของพวกเขาอย่างไม่เกรงใจใคร

สมมุติว่าคุณคือโหนด..

คุณรันซอฟต์แวร์ Bitcoin คอยตรวจสอบธุรกรรม วันดีคืนดี คุณประกาศ “ต่อไปถ้าใครไม่รองรับ SegWit ฉันไม่ยอมรับบล็อกนะ!” นี่ล่ะครับ “UASF” ตัวเป็น ๆ

คำขวัญสุดฮิตของ UASF

“No SegWit, No Block”

หรือแปลว่าถ้าบล็อกไม่รองรับ SegWit ก็เชิญออกไปเลยจ้า..

มันเหมือนการที่ชาวนาโผล่มาตบโต๊ะอาหารท่านขุนว่า “นายใหญ่จะปลูกอะไรก็ปลูกไป แต่ไม่งั้นฉันไม่รับผลผลิตนายนะ!”

ความเชื่อมโยงกับ BIP 148

ถ้าจะพูดถึง UASF ต้องรู้จัก BIP 148 ไว้นิดนึง มันเปรียบเหมือน “ธงปฏิวัติ” ที่ตีตราว่าวันที่ 1 สิงหาคม 2017 คือเส้นตาย!

BIP 148 บอกไว้ว่า.. ถ้าถึงวันนั้นแล้วยังมีนักขุดหน้าไหนไม่รองรับ SegWit บล็อกที่ขุดออกมาก็จะถูกโหนดที่ใช้ UASF “แบน” หมด

ผลลัพธ์ที่ตั้งใจ นักขุดไม่อยากโดนแบนก็ต้องทำตาม UASF กล่าวคือ “นายต้องรองรับ SegWit นะ ไม่งั้นอด!”

หลายคนกลัวกันว่า “อ้าว ถ้านักขุดใหญ่ ๆ ไม่ยอมแล้วหันไปขุดสายอื่น จะไม่กลายเป็นแยกเครือข่าย (Chain Split) หรือ?”

ใช่ครับ.. มันอาจเกิดสงครามสายใหม่ทันทีไงล่ะ

ทำไม UASF ถึงสำคัญ?

ย้อนกลับไปก่อนปี 2017 Bitcoin มีปัญหาโลกแตกทั้งค่าธรรมเนียมแพง ธุรกรรมหน่วง บวกกับความขัดแย้งเรื่อง “จะเพิ่ม Blocksize ดีไหม?” ทางกลุ่มนักขุดรายใหญ่ (นำโดย Bitmain, Roger Ver ฯลฯ) รู้สึกว่า “SegWit ไม่ใช่ทางออกที่แท้จริง” แต่อีกฝั่ง (ทีม Core) ชี้ว่า “Blocksize ใหญ่มากไปจะรวมศูนย์นะ โหนดรายย่อยตายหมด”

UASF เลยโผล่มา เหมือนชาวนาตะโกนว่า

“หุบปากได้แล้วไอ้พวกที่สู้กัน! ถ้าพวกแกไม่รองรับ SegWit พวกข้า (โหนด) ก็จะไม่เอาบล็อกแก”

สาระก็คือ.. มันคือตัวบ่งชี้ว่าคนตัวเล็กอย่างโหนดรายย่อยก็มีพลังต่อรอง เป็นกลไกที่ดึงอำนาจจากมือทุนใหญ่กลับสู่มือชุมชน (Decentralization ที่แท้ทรู)

วิธีการทำงานของ UASF

ลองจินตนาการตาม..

1. การกำหนดเส้นตาย BIP 148 ประกาศไว้ “ถึงวันที่ 1 สิงหาคม 2017 ถ้านายยังไม่รองรับ SegWit โหนด UASF จะไม่รับบล็อกนาย”

2. ถ้าคุณเป็นนักขุด… คุณขุดบล็อกออกมา แต่ไม่ได้ตีธง “ฉันรองรับ SegWit” UASF โหนดเห็นปุ๊บ พวกเขาจะจับโยนทิ้งไปเลย

3. ผลกระทบ? นักขุดที่ไม่ยอมทำตามจะเจอปัญหา บล็อกที่ขุดออกมาไม่มีใครรับ—เสียแรงขุดฟรี

อาจเกิด Chain Split คือ แยกเครือข่ายเลย ถ้านักขุดเหล่านั้นไปตั้งสายใหม่

ความสำเร็จและความท้าทายของ UASF

ความสำเร็จ.. หลังการรวมพลังผู้ใช้ โหนดรายย่อยกดดันนักขุดได้ไม่น้อย จนกระทั่ง SegWit เปิดใช้งานจริงใน Bitcoin วันที่ 24 สิงหาคม 2017 ช่วยให้ธุรกรรมเร็วขึ้น แก้ Transaction Malleability และเปิดทางสู่ Lightning Network ในอนาคต

ความท้าทาย.. นักขุดบางค่ายไม่โอเค.. โดยเฉพาะ Bitmain ซึ่งคาดว่าจะสูญรายได้บางส่วน ก็นำไปสู่การสนับสนุน “Bitcoin Cash (BCH)” แยกสาย (Hard Fork) ของตัวเองตั้งแต่วันที่ 1 สิงหาคม 2017 นั่นเอง

ว่าแล้วก็เปรียบง่าย ๆ

UASF เหมือนปฏิบัติการยึดคฤหาสน์เจ้าเมืองมาเปิดให้ชาวบ้านเข้าอยู่ฟรี.. แต่อีกฝ่ายบอก

“งั้นฉันออกไปตั้งคฤหาสน์ใหม่ดีกว่า!”

บทเรียนสำคัญ UASF เป็นตัวอย่างชัดว่า “ผู้ใช้” หรือ โหนดรายย่อย สามารถสร้างแรงกดดันให้นักขุดต้องยอมเปลี่ยนได้จริง ๆ ไม่ใช่แค่ยอมรับเงื่อนไขที่ขุดกันมา

ผลกระทบระยะยาวหลังจากนั้นล่ะ?

SegWit ถูกใช้งาน ทำให้ค่าธรรมเนียมธุรกรรมลดลง (ช่วงหนึ่ง) เกิด Lightning Network เป็น Layer 2 สุเฟี้ยวของ Bitcoin เกิด BCH (Bitcoin Cash) เป็นสายแยกที่อ้างว่า Blocksize ใหญ่คือทางออก

สรุปแล้ว UASF ทำให้โลกได้รู้ว่า..

Bitcoin ไม่ใช่ของนักขุด หรือของฝ่ายพัฒนาใดฝ่ายเดียว แต่มันเป็นของทุกคน!

“Bitcoin เป็นของทุกคน”

ไม่มีใครมีอำนาจเบ็ดเสร็จ ไม่ว่าคุณจะถือ Hashrate มากแค่ไหน ถ้า Node ทั่วโลกไม่เอา ก็จบ!

“แรงขุดใหญ่แค่ไหน ก็แพ้ใจมวลชน!”

(น่าจะมีตอนต่อไปนะ.. ถ้าชอบก็ Zap โหด ๆ เป็นกำลังใจให้ด้วยนะครับ)

@ 04ea4f83:210e1713

In nicht allzu vielen Jahren wird die Zahl der Bitcoiner in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika zehn Millionen überschreiten. Wenn wir diesen Meilenstein erreichen, ist das Spiel vorbei: Bitcoin gewinnt.

Mein Lieblingsautor und -denker, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, schrieb in seinem Buch Skin in the Game über "die unnachgiebige Minderheit". Das Konzept funktioniert folgendermaßen: Auf fast allen verpackten Lebensmitteln, die in den USA verkauft werden, ist außen ein kleines U in einem Kreis aufgedruckt. Nur sehr wenige US-Bürger benötigen die durch dieses U gekennzeichnete Koscher-Zertifizierung, aber für die Lebensmittelhersteller ist es einfacher, nicht für jedes Produkt zwei separate Versionen zu produzieren, so dass sie im Allgemeinen alles koscher machen. Nach Taleb gilt die Regel: „Ein koscherer Esser wird niemals nicht-koschere Lebensmittel essen, aber einem nicht-koscheren Esser ist es nicht verboten, koscher zu essen."

„Bei den meisten beobachteten komplexen Systemen liegt der Anteil der Minderheit, der erforderlich ist, um die Bevölkerung von ihrer unnachgiebigen Meinung abzubringen, in der Größenordnung von 3 bis 4%. Bei einer US-Bevölkerung von 325 Millionen sind 3% 10 Millionen." - Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Ein Fintech-Fonds, der seit 2012 im Bitcoin-Bereich tätig ist, hat kürzlich eine intensive Analyse durchgeführt, die zur besten Schätzung des Bitcoin-Besitzes geführt hat, die ich kenne. Nur 7 Millionen Menschen weltweit haben einen Wert von 100 Dollar oder mehr im Bitcoin-Protokoll gespeichert. Um die Zahlen zu runden, nehmen wir an, dass die Hälfte dieser Menschen in den USA lebt und dass ein Siebtel von ihnen einen höheren Wert als $2500 in BTC speichert. Das sind gerade einmal 500.000 US-Bürger mit einer bedeutenden Menge an Bitcoin. Und wie viel Prozent davon verstehen und interessieren sich tatsächlich so sehr für Bitcoin, dass sie dafür kämpfen würden? Lass uns großzügig sein und sagen wir 20%.

Es gibt ungefähr 100.000 Bitcoiner in den Vereinigten Staaten. Das bedeutet, dass wir eine 100-fache Steigerung benötigen, um das Niveau einer "unnachgiebigen Minderheit" zu erreichen. Das ist der Grund, warum die Akzeptanz alle anderen Prioritäten für Bitcoin dominiert.

„Bitcoiner haben bereits so viele potentielle Angriffsvektoren ausgeschaltet und so viel FUD gehandhabt, dass es nicht mehr viel Abwärtsrisiko für Bitcoin gibt." - Cory Klippsten

Ein weiteres Konzept, auf das sich Taleb in den fünf Bänden seines Incerto bezieht, ist: Schütze dich vor dem Abwärtsrisiko. Bitcoiner haben bereits so viele potentielle Angriffsvektoren ausgeschaltet und so viel FUD gehandhabt, dass es nicht mehr viel Abwärtsrisiko für Bitcoin gibt. Aber es gibt ein gewisses Risiko, egal ob man es mit unter 1%, unter 10% oder mehr beziffert. Und der bei weitem bedrohlichste Angriffsvektor wäre meiner Meinung nach eine konzertierte Aktion der US-Regierung auf vielen Ebenen, die versucht, Bitcoin auszurotten, um die Hegemonie des Dollars auf der ganzen Welt zu erhalten.

Um es klar zu sagen: Bitcoin würde selbst den konzertiertesten und bösartigsten Angriff der US-Regierung überleben. Er könnte sogar gedeihen, im Stil von Antifragile (ein weiteres Buch von Taleb), mit Menschen auf der ganzen Welt, die massenhaft Sats kaufen, wenn sie sehen, wie der frühere Hegemon ausschlägt. Es könnte aber auch anders kommen, mit einem massiven Rückgang der Netzwerkaktivität und des gespeicherten Wertes, mit Tausenden von Menschenleben, die irreparabel gestört werden, und mit einer Verzögerung unserer leuchtend orangenen Zukunft um Jahrzehnte oder länger.

Das ist für mich nicht hinnehmbar. Deshalb habe ich mein Leben der Rekrutierung der anderen 99% unserer unnachgiebigen Bitcoiner-Minderheit hier in den Vereinigten Staaten gewidmet. Es gibt bereits 100.000 von uns. Helfe mit, die anderen 9,9 Millionen zu rekrutieren.

@ e6ce6154:275e3444

Este artigo foi censurado pelo estado e fomos obrigados a deletá-lo após ameaça de homens armados virem nos visitar e agredir nossa vida e propriedade.

Isto é mais uma prova que os autoproclamados antirracistas são piores que os racistas.

https://rothbardbrasil.com/pelo-direito-de-ser-racista-fascista-machista-e-homofobico

Segue artigo na íntegra. 👇

Sem dúvida, a escalada autoritária do totalitarismo cultural progressista nos últimos anos tem sido sumariamente deletéria e prejudicial para a liberdade de expressão. Como seria de se esperar, a cada dia que passa o autoritarismo progressista continua a se expandir de maneira irrefreável, prejudicando a liberdade dos indivíduos de formas cada vez mais deploráveis e contundentes.

Com a ascensão da tirania politicamente correta e sua invasão a todos os terrenos culturais, o autoritarismo progressista foi se alastrando e consolidando sua hegemonia em determinados segmentos. Com a eventual eclosão e a expansão da opressiva e despótica cultura do cancelamento — uma progênie inevitável do totalitarismo progressista —, todas as pessoas que manifestam opiniões, crenças ou posicionamentos que não estão alinhados com as pautas universitárias da moda tornam-se um alvo.

Há algumas semanas, vimos a enorme repercussão causada pelo caso envolvendo o jogador profissional de vôlei Maurício Sousa, que foi cancelado pelo simples fato de ter emitido sua opinião pessoal sobre um personagem de história em quadrinhos, Jon Kent, o novo Superman, que é bissexual. Maurício Sousa reprovou a conduta sexual do personagem, o que é um direito pessoal inalienável que ele tem. Ele não é obrigado a gostar ou aprovar a bissexualidade. Como qualquer pessoa, ele tem o direito pleno de criticar tudo aquilo que ele não gosta. No entanto, pelo simples fato de emitir a sua opinião pessoal, Maurício Sousa foi acusado de homofobia e teve seu contrato rescindido, sendo desligado do Minas Tênis Clube.

Lamentavelmente, Maurício Sousa não foi o primeiro e nem será o último indivíduo a sofrer com a opressiva e autoritária cultura do cancelamento. Como uma tirania cultural que está em plena ascensão e usufrui de um amplo apoio do establishment, essa nova forma de totalitarismo cultural colorido e festivo está se impondo de formas e maneiras bastante contundentes em praticamente todas as esferas da sociedade contemporânea. Sua intenção é relegar ao ostracismo todos aqueles que não se curvam ao totalitarismo progressista, criminalizando opiniões e crenças que divergem do culto à libertinagem hedonista pós-moderna. Oculto por trás de todo esse ativismo autoritário, o que temos de fato é uma profunda hostilidade por padrões morais tradicionalistas, cristãos e conservadores.

No entanto, é fundamental entendermos uma questão imperativa, que explica em partes o conflito aqui criado — todos os progressistas contemporâneos são crias oriundas do direito positivo. Por essa razão, eles jamais entenderão de forma pragmática e objetiva conceitos como criminalidade, direitos de propriedade, agressão e liberdade de expressão pela perspectiva do jusnaturalismo, que é manifestamente o direito em seu estado mais puro, correto, ético e equilibrado.

Pela ótica jusnaturalista, uma opinião é uma opinião. Ponto final. E absolutamente ninguém deve ser preso, cancelado, sabotado ou boicotado por expressar uma opinião particular sobre qualquer assunto. Palavras não agridem ninguém, portanto jamais poderiam ser consideradas um crime em si. Apenas deveriam ser tipificados como crimes agressões de caráter objetivo, como roubo, sequestro, fraude, extorsão, estupro e infrações similares, que representam uma ameaça direta à integridade física da vítima, ou que busquem subtrair alguma posse empregando a violência.

Infelizmente, a geração floquinho de neve — terrivelmente histérica, egocêntrica e sensível — fica profundamente ofendida e consternada sempre que alguém defende posicionamentos contrários à religião progressista. Por essa razão, os guerreiros da justiça social sinceramente acreditam que o papai-estado deve censurar todas as opiniões que eles não gostam de ouvir, assim como deve também criar leis para encarcerar todos aqueles que falam ou escrevem coisas que desagradam a militância.

Como a geração floquinho de neve foi criada para acreditar que todas as suas vontades pessoais e disposições ideológicas devem ser sumariamente atendidas pelo papai-estado, eles embarcaram em uma cruzada moral que pretende erradicar todas as coisas que são ofensivas à ideologia progressista; só assim eles poderão deflagrar na Terra o seu tão sonhado paraíso hedonista e igualitário, de inimaginável esplendor e felicidade.

Em virtude do seu comportamento intrinsecamente despótico, autoritário e egocêntrico, acaba sendo inevitável que militantes progressistas problematizem tudo aquilo que os desagrada.

Como são criaturas inúteis destituídas de ocupação real e verdadeiro sentido na vida, sendo oprimidas unicamente na sua própria imaginação, militantes progressistas precisam constantemente inventar novos vilões para serem combatidos.

Partindo dessa perspectiva, é natural para a militância que absolutamente tudo que exista no mundo e que não se enquadra com as regras autoritárias e restritivas da religião progressista seja encarado como um problema. Para a geração floquinho de neve, o capitalismo é um problema. O fascismo é um problema. A iniciativa privada é um problema. O homem branco, tradicionalista, conservador e heterossexual é um problema. A desigualdade é um problema. A liberdade é um problema. Monteiro Lobato é um problema (sim, até mesmo o renomado ícone da literatura brasileira, autor — entre outros títulos — de Urupês, foi vítima da cultura do cancelamento, acusado de ser racista e eugenista).

Para a esquerda, praticamente tudo é um problema. Na mentalidade da militância progressista, tudo é motivo para reclamação. Foi em função desse comportamento histérico, histriônico e infantil que o famoso pensador conservador-libertário americano P. J. O’Rourke afirmou que “o esquerdismo é uma filosofia de pirralhos chorões”. O que é uma verdade absoluta e irrefutável em todos os sentidos.

De fato, todas as filosofias de esquerda de forma geral são idealizações utópicas e infantis de um mundo perfeito. Enquanto o mundo não se transformar naquela colorida e vibrante utopia que é apresentada pela cartilha socialista padrão, militantes continuarão a reclamar contra tudo o que existe no mundo de forma agressiva, visceral e beligerante. Evidentemente, eles não vão fazer absolutamente nada de positivo ou construtivo para que o mundo se transforme no gracioso paraíso que eles tanto desejam ver consolidado, mas eles continuarão a berrar e vociferar muito em sua busca incessante pela utopia, marcando presença em passeatas inúteis ou combatendo o fascismo imaginário nas redes sociais.

Sem dúvida, estamos muito perto de ver leis absurdas e estúpidas sendo implementadas, para agradar a militância da terra colorida do assistencialismo eterno onde nada é escasso e tudo cai do céu. Em breve, você não poderá usar calças pretas, pois elas serão consideradas peças de vestuário excessivamente heterossexuais. Apenas calças amarelas ou coloridas serão permitidas. Você também terá que tingir de cor-de-rosa uma mecha do seu cabelo; pois preservar o seu cabelo na sua cor natural é heteronormativo demais da sua parte, sendo portanto um componente demasiadamente opressor da sociedade.

Você também não poderá ver filmes de guerra ou de ação, apenas comédias românticas, pois certos gêneros de filmes exaltam a violência do patriarcado e isso impede o mundo de se tornar uma graciosa festa colorida de fraternidades universitárias ungidas por pôneis resplandecentes, hedonismo infinito, vadiagem universitária e autogratificação psicodélica, que certamente são elementos indispensáveis para se produzir o paraíso na Terra.

Sabemos perfeitamente, no entanto, que dentre as atitudes “opressivas” que a militância progressista mais se empenha em combater, estão o racismo, o fascismo, o machismo e a homofobia. No entanto, é fundamental entender que ser racista, fascista, machista ou homofóbico não são crimes em si. Na prática, todos esses elementos são apenas traços de personalidade; e eles não podem ser pura e simplesmente criminalizados porque ideólogos e militantes progressistas iluminados não gostam deles.

Tanto pela ética quanto pela ótica jusnaturalista, é facilmente compreensível entender que esses traços de personalidade não podem ser criminalizados ou proibidos simplesmente porque integrantes de uma ideologia não tem nenhuma apreciação ou simpatia por eles. Da mesma forma, nenhum desses traços de personalidade representa em si um perigo para a sociedade, pelo simples fato de existir. Por incrível que pareça, até mesmo o machismo, o racismo, o fascismo e a homofobia merecem a devida apologia.

Mas vamos analisar cada um desses tópicos separadamente para entender isso melhor.

Racismo

Quando falamos no Japão, normalmente não fazemos nenhuma associação da sociedade japonesa com o racismo. No entanto, é incontestável o fato de que a sociedade japonesa pode ser considerada uma das sociedades mais racistas do mundo. E a verdade é que não há absolutamente nada de errado com isso.

Aproximadamente 97% da população do Japão é nativa; apenas 3% do componente populacional é constituído por estrangeiros (a população do Japão é estimada em aproximadamente 126 milhões de habitantes). Isso faz a sociedade japonesa ser uma das mais homogêneas do mundo. As autoridades japonesas reconhecidamente dificultam processos de seleção e aplicação a estrangeiros que desejam se tornar residentes. E a maioria dos japoneses aprova essa decisão.

Diversos estabelecimentos comerciais como hotéis, bares e restaurantes por todo o país tem placas na entrada que dizem “somente para japoneses” e a maioria destes estabelecimentos se recusa ostensivamente a atender ou aceitar clientes estrangeiros, não importa quão ricos ou abastados sejam.

Na Terra do Sol Nascente, a hostilidade e a desconfiança natural para com estrangeiros é tão grande que até mesmo indivíduos que nascem em algum outro país, mas são filhos de pais japoneses, não são considerados cidadãos plenamente japoneses.

Se estes indivíduos decidem sair do seu país de origem para se estabelecer no Japão — mesmo tendo descendência nipônica legítima e inquestionável —, eles enfrentarão uma discriminação social considerável, especialmente se não dominarem o idioma japonês de forma impecável. Esse fato mostra que a discriminação é uma parte tão indissociável quanto elementar da sociedade japonesa, e ela está tão profundamente arraigada à cultura nipônica que é praticamente impossível alterá-la ou atenuá-la por qualquer motivo.

A verdade é que — quando falamos de um país como o Japão — nem todos os discursos politicamente corretos do mundo, nem a histeria progressista ocidental mais inflamada poderão algum dia modificar, extirpar ou sequer atenuar o componente racista da cultura nipônica. E isso é consequência de uma questão tão simples quanto primordial: discriminar faz parte da natureza humana, sendo tanto um direito individual quanto um elemento cultural inerente à muitas nações do mundo. Os japoneses não tem problema algum em admitir ou institucionalizar o seu preconceito, justamente pelo fato de que a ideologia politicamente correta não tem no oriente a força e a presença que tem no ocidente.

E é fundamental enfatizar que, sendo de natureza pacífica — ou seja, não violando nem agredindo terceiros —, a discriminação é um recurso natural dos seres humanos, que está diretamente associada a questões como familiaridade e segurança.

Absolutamente ninguém deve ser forçado a apreciar ou integrar-se a raças, etnias, pessoas ou tribos que não lhe transmitem sentimentos de segurança ou familiaridade. Integração forçada é o verdadeiro crime, e isso diversos países europeus — principalmente os escandinavos (países que lideram o ranking de submissão à ideologia politicamente correta) — aprenderam da pior forma possível.

A integração forçada com imigrantes islâmicos resultou em ondas de assassinato, estupro e violência inimagináveis para diversos países europeus, até então civilizados, que a imprensa ocidental politicamente correta e a militância progressista estão permanentemente tentando esconder, porque não desejam que o ocidente descubra como a agenda “humanitária” de integração forçada dos povos muçulmanos em países do Velho Mundo resultou em algumas das piores chacinas e tragédias na história recente da Europa.

Ou seja, ao discriminarem estrangeiros, os japoneses estão apenas se protegendo e lutando para preservar sua nação como um ambiente cultural, étnico e social que lhe é seguro e familiar, assim se opondo a mudanças bruscas, indesejadas e antinaturais, que poderiam comprometer a estabilidade social do país.

A discriminação — sendo de natureza pacífica —, é benévola, salutar e indubitavelmente ajuda a manter a estabilidade social da comunidade. Toda e qualquer forma de integração forçada deve ser repudiada com veemência, pois, mais cedo ou mais tarde, ela irá subverter a ordem social vigente, e sempre será acompanhada de deploráveis e dramáticos resultados.

Para citar novamente os países escandinavos, a Suécia é um excelente exemplo do que não fazer. Tendo seguido o caminho contrário ao da discriminação racional praticada pela sociedade japonesa, atualmente a sociedade sueca — além de afundar de forma consistente na lama da libertinagem, da decadência e da deterioração progressista — sofre em demasia com os imigrantes muçulmanos, que foram deixados praticamente livres para matar, saquear, esquartejar e estuprar quem eles quiserem. Hoje, eles são praticamente intocáveis, visto que denunciá-los, desmoralizá-los ou acusá-los de qualquer crime é uma atitude politicamente incorreta e altamente reprovada pelo establishment progressista. A elite socialista sueca jamais se atreve a acusá-los de qualquer crime, pois temem ser classificados como xenófobos e intolerantes. Ou seja, a desgraça da Europa, sobretudo dos países escandinavos, foi não ter oferecido nenhuma resistência à ideologia progressista politicamente correta. Hoje, eles são totalmente submissos a ela.

O exemplo do Japão mostra, portanto — para além de qualquer dúvida —, a importância ética e prática da discriminação, que é perfeitamente aceitável e natural, sendo uma tendência inerente aos seres humanos, e portanto intrínseca a determinados comportamentos, sociedades e culturas.

Indo ainda mais longe nessa questão, devemos entender que na verdade todos nós discriminamos, e não existe absolutamente nada de errado nisso. Discriminar pessoas faz parte da natureza humana e quem se recusa a admitir esse fato é um hipócrita. Mulheres discriminam homens na hora de selecionar um parceiro; elas avaliam diversos quesitos, como altura, aparência, status social, condição financeira e carisma. E dentre suas opções, elas sempre escolherão o homem mais atraente, másculo e viril, em detrimento de todos os baixinhos, calvos, carentes, frágeis e inibidos que possam estar disponíveis. Da mesma forma, homens sempre terão preferência por mulheres jovens, atraentes e delicadas, em detrimento de todas as feministas de meia-idade, acima do peso, de cabelo pintado, que são mães solteiras e militantes socialistas. A própria militância progressista discrimina pessoas de forma virulenta e intransigente, como fica evidente no tratamento que dispensam a mulheres bolsonaristas e a negros de direita.

A verdade é que — não importa o nível de histeria da militância progressista — a discriminação é inerente à condição humana e um direito natural inalienável de todos. É parte indissociável da natureza humana e qualquer pessoa pode e deve exercer esse direito sempre que desejar. Não existe absolutamente nada de errado em discriminar pessoas. O problema real é a ideologia progressista e o autoritarismo politicamente correto, movimentos tirânicos que não respeitam o direito das pessoas de discriminar.

Fascismo

Quando falamos de fascismo, precisamos entender que, para a esquerda política, o fascismo é compreendido como um conceito completamente divorciado do seu significado original. Para um militante de esquerda, fascista é todo aquele que defende posicionamentos contrários ao progressismo, não se referindo necessariamente a um fascista clássico.

Mas, seja como for, é necessário entender que — como qualquer ideologia política — até mesmo o fascismo clássico tem o direito de existir e ocupar o seu devido lugar; portanto, fascistas não devem ser arbitrariamente censurados, apesar de defenderem conceitos que representam uma completa antítese de tudo aquilo que é valioso para os entusiastas da liberdade.

Em um país como o Brasil, onde socialistas e comunistas tem total liberdade para se expressar, defender suas ideologias e até mesmo formar partidos políticos, não faz absolutamente o menor sentido que fascistas — e até mesmo nazistas assumidos — sofram qualquer tipo de discriminação. Embora socialistas e comunistas se sintam moralmente superiores aos fascistas (ou a qualquer outra filosofia política ou escola de pensamento), sabemos perfeitamente que o seu senso de superioridade é fruto de uma pueril romantização universitária da sua própria ideologia. A história mostra efetivamente que o socialismo clássico e o comunismo causaram muito mais destruição do que o fascismo.

Portanto, se socialistas e comunistas tem total liberdade para se expressar, não existe a menor razão para que fascistas não usufruam dessa mesma liberdade.

É claro, nesse ponto, seremos invariavelmente confrontados por um oportuno dilema — o famoso paradoxo da intolerância, de Karl Popper. Até que ponto uma sociedade livre e tolerante deve tolerar a intolerância (inerente a ideologias totalitárias)?

As leis de propriedade privada resolveriam isso em uma sociedade livre. O mais importante a levarmos em consideração no atual contexto, no entanto — ao defender ou criticar uma determinada ideologia, filosofia ou escola de pensamento —, é entender que, seja ela qual for, ela tem o direito de existir. E todas as pessoas que a defendem tem o direito de defendê-la, da mesma maneira que todos os seus detratores tem o direito de criticá-la.

Essa é uma forte razão para jamais apoiarmos a censura. Muito pelo contrário, devemos repudiar com veemência e intransigência toda e qualquer forma de censura, especialmente a estatal.

Existem duas fortes razões para isso:

A primeira delas é a volatilidade da censura (especialmente a estatal). A censura oficial do governo, depois que é implementada, torna-se absolutamente incontrolável. Hoje, ela pode estar apontada para um grupo de pessoas cujas ideias divergem das suas. Mas amanhã, ela pode estar apontada justamente para as ideias que você defende. É fundamental, portanto, compreendermos que a censura estatal é incontrolável. Sob qualquer ponto de vista, é muito mais vantajoso que exista uma vasta pluralidade de ideias conflitantes na sociedade competindo entre si, do que o estado decidir que ideias podem ser difundidas ou não.

Além do mais, libertários e anarcocapitalistas não podem nunca esperar qualquer tipo de simpatia por parte das autoridades governamentais. Para o estado, seria infinitamente mais prático e vantajoso criminalizar o libertarianismo e o anarcocapitalismo — sob a alegação de que são filosofias perigosas difundidas por extremistas radicais que ameaçam o estado democrático de direito — do que o fascismo ou qualquer outra ideologia centralizada em governos burocráticos e onipotentes. Portanto, defender a censura, especialmente a estatal, representa sempre um perigo para o próprio indivíduo, que mais cedo ou mais tarde poderá ver a censura oficial do sistema se voltar contra ele.

Outra razão pela qual libertários jamais devem defender a censura, é porque — ao contrário dos estatistas — não é coerente que defensores da liberdade se comportem como se o estado fosse o seu papai e o governo fosse a sua mamãe. Não devemos terceirizar nossas próprias responsabilidades, tampouco devemos nos comportar como adultos infantilizados. Assumimos a responsabilidade de combater todas as ideologias e filosofias que agridem a liberdade e os seres humanos. Não procuramos políticos ou burocratas para executar essa tarefa por nós.

Portanto, se você ver um fascista sendo censurado nas redes sociais ou em qualquer outro lugar, assuma suas dores. Sinta-se compelido a defendê-lo, mostre aos seus detratores que ele tem todo direito de se expressar, como qualquer pessoa. Você não tem obrigação de concordar com ele ou apreciar as ideias que ele defende. Mas silenciar arbitrariamente qualquer pessoa não é uma pauta que honra a liberdade.

Se você não gosta de estado, planejamento central, burocracia, impostos, tarifas, políticas coletivistas, nacionalistas e desenvolvimentistas, mostre com argumentos coesos e convincentes porque a liberdade e o livre mercado são superiores a todos esses conceitos. Mas repudie a censura com intransigência e mordacidade.

Em primeiro lugar, porque você aprecia e defende a liberdade de expressão para todas as pessoas. E em segundo lugar, por entender perfeitamente que — se a censura eventualmente se tornar uma política de estado vigente entre a sociedade — é mais provável que ela atinja primeiro os defensores da liberdade do que os defensores do estado.

Machismo

Muitos elementos do comportamento masculino que hoje são atacados com virulência e considerados machistas pelo movimento progressista são na verdade manifestações naturais intrínsecas ao homem, que nossos avôs cultivaram ao longo de suas vidas sem serem recriminados por isso. Com a ascensão do feminismo, do progressismo e a eventual problematização do sexo masculino, o antagonismo militante dos principais líderes da revolução sexual da contracultura passou a naturalmente condenar todos os atributos genuinamente masculinos, por considerá-los símbolos de opressão e dominação social.

Apesar do Brasil ser uma sociedade liberal ultra-progressista, onde o estado protege mais as mulheres do que as crianças — afinal, a cada semana novas leis são implementadas concedendo inúmeros privilégios e benefícios às mulheres, aos quais elas jamais teriam direito em uma sociedade genuinamente machista e patriarcal —, a esquerda política persiste em tentar difundir a fantasia da opressão masculina e o mito de que vivemos em uma sociedade machista e patriarcal.

Como sempre, a realidade mostra um cenário muito diferente daquilo que é pregado pela militância da terra da fantasia. O Brasil atual não tem absolutamente nada de machista ou patriarcal. No Brasil, mulheres podem votar, podem ocupar posições de poder e autoridade tanto na esfera pública quanto em companhias privadas, podem se candidatar a cargos políticos, podem ser vereadoras, deputadas, governadoras, podem ser proprietárias do próprio negócio, podem se divorciar, podem dirigir, podem comprar armas, podem andar de biquíni nas praias, podem usar saias extremamente curtas, podem ver programas de televisão sobre sexo voltados única e exclusivamente para o público feminino, podem se casar com outras mulheres, podem ser promíscuas, podem consumir bebidas alcoólicas ao ponto da embriaguez, e podem fazer praticamente tudo aquilo que elas desejarem. No Brasil do século XXI, as mulheres são genuinamente livres para fazer as próprias escolhas em praticamente todos os aspectos de suas vidas. O que mostra efetivamente que a tal opressão do patriarcado não existe.

O liberalismo social extremo do qual as mulheres usufruem no Brasil atual — e que poderíamos estender a toda a sociedade contemporânea ocidental — é suficiente para desmantelar completamente a fábula feminista da sociedade patriarcal machista e opressora, que existe única e exclusivamente no mundinho de fantasias ideológicas da esquerda progressista.

Tão importante quanto, é fundamental compreender que nenhum homem é obrigado a levar o feminismo a sério ou considerá-lo um movimento social e político legítimo. Para um homem, ser considerado machista ou até mesmo assumir-se como um não deveria ser um problema. O progressismo e o feminismo — com o seu nefasto hábito de demonizar os homens, bem como todos os elementos inerentes ao comportamento e a cultura masculina — é que são o verdadeiro problema, conforme tentam modificar o homem para transformá-lo em algo que ele não é nem deveria ser: uma criatura dócil, passiva e submissa, que é comandada por ideologias hostis e antinaturais, que não respeitam a hierarquia de uma ordem social milenar e condições inerentes à própria natureza humana. Com o seu hábito de tentar modificar tudo através de leis e decretos, o feminismo e o progressismo mostram efetivamente que o seu real objetivo é criminalizar a masculinidade.

A verdade é que — usufruindo de um nível elevado de liberdades — não existe praticamente nada que a mulher brasileira do século XXI não possa fazer. Adicionalmente, o governo dá as mulheres uma quantidade tão avassaladora de vantagens, privilégios e benefícios, que está ficando cada vez mais difícil para elas encontrarem razões válidas para reclamarem da vida. Se o projeto de lei que pretende fornecer um auxílio mensal de mil e duzentos reais para mães solteiras for aprovado pelo senado, muitas mulheres que tem filhos não precisarão nem mesmo trabalhar para ter sustento. E tantas outras procurarão engravidar, para ter direito a receber uma mesada mensal do governo até o seu filho completar a maioridade.

O que a militância colorida da terra da fantasia convenientemente ignora — pois a realidade nunca corresponde ao seu conto de fadas ideológico — é que o mundo de uma forma geral continua sendo muito mais implacável com os homens do que é com as mulheres. No Brasil, a esmagadora maioria dos suicídios é praticada por homens, a maioria das vítimas de homicídio são homens e de cada quatro moradores de rua, três são homens. Mas é evidente que uma sociedade liberal ultra-progressista não se importa com os homens, pois ela não é influenciada por fatos concretos ou pela realidade. Seu objetivo é simplesmente atender as disposições de uma agenda ideológica, não importa quão divorciadas da realidade elas são.

O nível exacerbado de liberdades sociais e privilégios governamentais dos quais as mulheres brasileiras usufruem é suficiente para destruir a fantasiosa fábula da sociedade machista, opressora e patriarcal. Se as mulheres brasileiras não estão felizes, a culpa definitivamente não é dos homens. Se a vasta profusão de liberdades, privilégios e benefícios da sociedade ocidental não as deixa plenamente saciadas e satisfeitas, elas podem sempre mudar de ares e tentar uma vida mais abnegada e espartana em países como Irã, Paquistão ou Afeganistão. Quem sabe assim elas não se sentirão melhores e mais realizadas?

Homofobia

Quando falamos em homofobia, entramos em uma categoria muito parecida com a do racismo: o direito de discriminação é totalmente válido. Absolutamente ninguém deve ser obrigado a aceitar homossexuais ou considerar o homossexualismo como algo normal. Sendo cristão, não existe nem sequer a mais vaga possibilidade de que algum dia eu venha a aceitar o homossexualismo como algo natural. O homossexualismo se qualifica como um grave desvio de conduta e um pecado contra o Criador.

A Bíblia proíbe terminantemente conduta sexual imoral, o que — além do homossexualismo — inclui adultério, fornicação, incesto e bestialidade, entre outras formas igualmente pérfidas de degradação.

Segue abaixo três passagens bíblicas que proíbem terminantemente a conduta homossexual:

“Não te deitarás com um homem como se deita com uma mulher. Isso é abominável!” (Levítico 18:22 — King James Atualizada)

“Se um homem se deitar com outro homem, como se deita com mulher, ambos terão praticado abominação; certamente serão mortos; o seu sangue estará sobre eles.” (Levítico 20:13 — João Ferreira de Almeida Atualizada)

“O quê! Não sabeis que os injustos não herdarão o reino de Deus? Não sejais desencaminhados. Nem fornicadores, nem idólatras, nem adúlteros, nem homens mantidos para propósitos desnaturais, nem homens que se deitam com homens, nem ladrões, nem gananciosos, nem beberrões, nem injuriadores, nem extorsores herdarão o reino de Deus.” (1 Coríntios 6:9,10 —Tradução do Novo Mundo das Escrituras Sagradas com Referências)

Se você não é religioso, pode simplesmente levar em consideração o argumento do respeito pela ordem natural. A ordem natural é incondicional e incisiva com relação a uma questão: o complemento de tudo o que existe é o seu oposto, não o seu igual. O complemento do dia é a noite, o complemento da luz é a escuridão, o complemento da água, que é líquida, é a terra, que é sólida. E como sabemos o complemento do macho — de sua respectiva espécie — é a fêmea.

Portanto, o complemento do homem, o macho da espécie humana, é naturalmente a mulher, a fêmea da espécie humana. Um homem e uma mulher podem naturalmente se reproduzir, porque são um complemento biológico natural. Por outro lado, um homem e outro homem são incapazes de se reproduzir, assim como uma mulher e outra mulher.

Infelizmente, o mundo atual está longe de aceitar como plenamente estabelecida a ordem natural pelo simples fato dela existir, visto que tentam subvertê-la a qualquer custo, não importa o malabarismo intelectual que tenham que fazer para justificar os seus pontos de vista distorcidos e antinaturais. A libertinagem irrefreável e a imoralidade bestial do mundo contemporâneo pós-moderno não reconhecem nenhum tipo de limite. Quem tenta restabelecer princípios morais salutares é imediatamente considerado um vilão retrógrado e repressivo, sendo ativamente demonizado pela militância do hedonismo, da luxúria e da licenciosidade desenfreada e sem limites.

Definitivamente, fazer a apologia da moralidade, do autocontrole e do autodomínio não faz nenhum sucesso na Sodoma e Gomorra global dos dias atuais. O que faz sucesso é lacração, devassidão, promiscuidade e prazeres carnais vazios. O famoso escritor e filósofo francês Albert Camus expressou uma verdade contundente quando disse: “Uma só frase lhe bastará para definir o homem moderno — fornicava e lia jornais”.

Qualquer indivíduo tem o direito inalienável de discriminar ativamente homossexuais, pelo direito que ele julgar mais pertinente no seu caso. A objeção de consciência para qualquer situação é um direito natural dos indivíduos. Há alguns anos, um caso que aconteceu nos Estados Unidos ganhou enorme repercussão internacional, quando o confeiteiro Jack Phillips se recusou a fazer um bolo de casamento para o “casal” homossexual Dave Mullins e Charlie Craig.

Uma representação dos direitos civis do estado do Colorado abriu um inquérito contra o confeiteiro, alegando que ele deveria ser obrigado a atender todos os clientes, independente da orientação sexual, raça ou crença. Preste atenção nas palavras usadas — ele deveria ser obrigado a atender.

Como se recusou bravamente a ceder, o caso foi parar invariavelmente na Suprema Corte, que decidiu por sete a dois em favor de Jack Phillips, sob a alegação de que obrigar o confeiteiro a atender o “casal” homossexual era uma violação nefasta dos seus princípios religiosos. Felizmente, esse foi um caso em que a liberdade prevaleceu sobre a tirania progressista.

Evidentemente, homossexuais não devem ser agredidos, ofendidos, internados em clínicas contra a sua vontade, nem devem ser constrangidos em suas liberdades pelo fato de serem homossexuais. O que eles precisam entender é que a liberdade é uma via de mão dupla. Eles podem ter liberdade para adotar a conduta que desejarem e fazer o que quiserem (contanto que não agridam ninguém), mas da mesma forma, é fundamental respeitar e preservar a liberdade de terceiros que desejam rejeitá-los pacificamente, pelo motivo que for.

Afinal, ninguém tem a menor obrigação de aceitá-los, atendê-los ou sequer pensar que uma união estável entre duas pessoas do mesmo sexo — incapaz de gerar descendentes, e, portanto, antinatural — deva ser considerado um matrimônio de verdade. Absolutamente nenhuma pessoa, ideia, movimento, crença ou ideologia usufrui de plena unanimidade no mundo. Por que o homossexualismo deveria ter tal privilégio?

Homossexuais não são portadores de uma verdade definitiva, absoluta e indiscutível, que está acima da humanidade. São seres humanos comuns que — na melhor das hipóteses —, levam um estilo de vida que pode ser considerado “alternativo”, e absolutamente ninguém tem a obrigação de considerar esse estilo de vida normal ou aceitável. A única obrigação das pessoas é não interferir, e isso não implica uma obrigação em aceitar.

Discriminar homossexuais (assim como pessoas de qualquer outro grupo, raça, religião, nacionalidade ou etnia) é um direito natural por parte de todos aqueles que desejam exercer esse direito. E isso nem o direito positivo nem a militância progressista poderão algum dia alterar ou subverter. O direito natural e a inclinação inerente dos seres humanos em atender às suas próprias disposições é simplesmente imutável e faz parte do seu conjunto de necessidades.

Conclusão

A militância progressista é absurdamente autoritária, e todas as suas estratégias e disposições ideológicas mostram que ela está em uma guerra permanente contra a ordem natural, contra a liberdade e principalmente contra o homem branco, cristão, conservador e tradicionalista — possivelmente, aquilo que ela mais odeia e despreza.

Nós não podemos, no entanto, ceder ou dar espaço para a agenda progressista, tampouco pensar em considerar como sendo normais todas as pautas abusivas e tirânicas que a militância pretende estabelecer como sendo perfeitamente razoáveis e aceitáveis, quer a sociedade aceite isso ou não. Afinal, conforme formos cedendo, o progressismo tirânico e totalitário tende a ganhar cada vez mais espaço.

Quanto mais espaço o progressismo conquistar, mais corroída será a liberdade e mais impulso ganhará o totalitarismo. Com isso, a cultura do cancelamento vai acabar com carreiras, profissões e com o sustento de muitas pessoas, pelo simples fato de que elas discordam das pautas universitárias da moda.

A história mostra perfeitamente que quanto mais liberdade uma sociedade tem, mais progresso ela atinge. Por outro lado, quanto mais autoritária ela for, mais retrocessos ela sofrerá. O autoritarismo se combate com liberdade, desafiando as pautas de todos aqueles que persistem em implementar a tirania na sociedade. O politicamente correto é o nazismo dos costumes, que pretende subverter a moral através de uma cultura de vigilância policial despótica e autoritária, para que toda a sociedade seja subjugada pela agenda totalitária progressista.

Pois quanto a nós, precisamos continuar travando o bom combate em nome da liberdade. E isso inclui reconhecer que ideologias, hábitos e costumes de que não gostamos tem o direito de existir e até mesmo de serem defendidos.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

High-Level Overview

Bitcoin developers are currently debating a proposed change to how Bitcoin Core handles the OP_RETURN opcode — a mechanism that allows users to insert small amounts of data into the blockchain. Specifically, the controversy revolves around removing built-in filters that limit how much data can be stored using this feature (currently capped at 80 bytes).

Summary of Both Sides

Position A: Remove OP_RETURN Filters

Advocates: nostr:npub1ej493cmun8y9h3082spg5uvt63jgtewneve526g7e2urca2afrxqm3ndrm, nostr:npub12rv5lskctqxxs2c8rf2zlzc7xx3qpvzs3w4etgemauy9thegr43sf485vg, nostr:npub17u5dneh8qjp43ecfxr6u5e9sjamsmxyuekrg2nlxrrk6nj9rsyrqywt4tp, others

Arguments: - Ineffectiveness of filters: Filters are easily bypassed and do not stop spam effectively. - Code simplification: Removing arbitrary limits reduces code complexity. - Permissionless innovation: Enables new use cases like cross-chain bridges and timestamping without protocol-level barriers. - Economic regulation: Fees should determine what data gets added to the blockchain, not protocol rules.

Position B: Keep OP_RETURN Filters

Advocates: nostr:npub1lh273a4wpkup00stw8dzqjvvrqrfdrv2v3v4t8pynuezlfe5vjnsnaa9nk, nostr:npub1s33sw6y2p8kpz2t8avz5feu2n6yvfr6swykrnm2frletd7spnt5qew252p, nostr:npub1wnlu28xrq9gv77dkevck6ws4euej4v568rlvn66gf2c428tdrptqq3n3wr, others

Arguments: - Historical intent: Satoshi included filters to keep Bitcoin focused on monetary transactions. - Resource protection: Helps prevent blockchain bloat and abuse from non-financial uses. - Network preservation: Protects the network from being overwhelmed by low-value or malicious data. - Social governance: Maintains conservative changes to ensure long-term robustness.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths of Removing Filters

• Encourages decentralized innovation.
• Simplifies development and maintenance.
• Maintains ideological purity of a permissionless system.

Weaknesses of Removing Filters

• Opens the door to increased non-financial data and potential spam.
• May dilute Bitcoin’s core purpose as sound money.
• Risks short-term exploitation before economic filters adapt.

Strengths of Keeping Filters

• Preserves Bitcoin’s identity and original purpose.
• Provides a simple protective mechanism against abuse.
• Aligns with conservative development philosophy of Bitcoin Core.

Weaknesses of Keeping Filters

• Encourages central decision-making on allowed use cases.
• Leads to workarounds that may be less efficient or obscure.
• Discourages novel but legitimate applications.

Long-Term Consequences

If Filters Are Removed

• Positive: Potential boom in new applications, better interoperability, cleaner architecture.
• Negative: Risk of increased blockchain size, more bandwidth/storage costs, spam wars.

If Filters Are Retained

• Positive: Preserves monetary focus and operational discipline.
• Negative: Alienates developers seeking broader use cases, may ossify the protocol.

Conclusion

The debate highlights a core philosophical split in Bitcoin: whether it should remain a narrow monetary system or evolve into a broader data layer for decentralized applications. Both paths carry risks and tradeoffs. The outcome will shape not just Bitcoin's technical direction but its social contract and future role in the broader crypto ecosystem.

@ 714f9dc3:76659adb

Last week, I was reading “The Air We Breathe”, by Glen Scrivener. It’s about “How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality”, and it explores the Christian roots of the values we prize in today's western society. It’s all around us, but we don’t really know where it came from: It’s the air we’re breathing. The ideas and ethics behind Christianity, whether you believe in them or not, are embedded in our culture.

As I was reading this, I saw so many parallels with Bitcoin, so wanted to list them below and share some of my thoughts. Can Bitcoin also become “The Air We Breathe”? Or in plebs words: hyperbitcoinization? Can Bitcoin become so ubiquitous that it becomes normal? Can there be a world in which we don’t even know where Bitcoin came from? It would be a world with many similar views as with today's view on Christianity. It becomes the air we breathe, something that used to be a counterculture that over time became ubiquitous. What can we learn from it?

These are my ten parallels of Bitcoin with the early days of Christianity. 1. Separation from state 2. From obscure counterculture to dominant force 3. Exponential grassroots growth 4. Conversion of emperors/politicians 5. Sudden tolerance and protection for ideology 6. Fall of the empire, end of the status quo 7. Missionaries spreading the word 8. Persuasion and education are key 9. Age of Enlightenment

Note: I’m no expert on Christianity, nor a historian of the Roman Empire, and I know just a bit about Bitcoin. See this as a thought experiment.

1. Separation from state In all fairness, I’m not the first to draw this first parallel. It was Satoshi Nakamoto themself who made the connection even before Bitcoin was available to the public, with several hints pointing back to important dates and moments in Christian history. The big parallel here is the “separation of money and state” and “separation of church and state”.

Before going back to the early days of Christianity in the first centuries AD, I first want to draw this parallel with Satoshi.

It’s 1517. The German Priest Maarten Luther writes his Ninety-five Theses, and nails this on the church doors in Wittenberg. The theses are also known as the “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”. He kickstarted a movement with a radical new idea for that time: The separation of the church from the state.

The Catholic Church had become one with the state. Via the means of indulgences, there was an ability to pay for your redemption. The church was corrupted by money, power and politics. The church and indulgences replaced the need for personal responsibility and an individual faith with money and perverse structures.

Reformation Day is a Protestant Christian religious holiday celebrated on 31 October in remembrance of the onset of the Reformation. But the 31st of October is also the day in which Satoshi shared his pamphlet with the world: in 2008 they published the Bitcoin Whitepaper. It kickstarted a movement with a radical new idea for that time: The separation of the money from the state.

But this was not Satoshi’s only hint. Another one is the date of Bitcoin’s Genesis Block: January 3, 2009. It was the day that the idea of the separation of money and the state became reality, more than just an idea in an individual's mind.

Did you know that Maarten Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1521 by Pope Leo X for sparking this revolutionary new way of thinking (and being). It happened on January 3 as well. I bet Satoshi Nakamoto knew.

To be fair, this parallel is not new and known by many bitcoiners. But it’s a good introduction to the topic, and after reading “The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality”, I automatically started to see more parallels between (the early days of) Christianity and todays adoption of Bitcoin. Because it was of course not Maarten Luther who sparked these rebellious thoughts in 1500, but it was Jesus himself approx. 2000 years ago.

Let’s go back from the 1500s to the first decades AD to the beginning of this radical new belief system. During the dominance of the Roman empire in the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, someone told a story that opposed every mainstream paradigm.

Jesus’ idea was radically different from the belief systems of that day. He preached Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality in a world that was full of Debauchery and Violence, with Gladiator Games, Slavery, Public Crucifixion, and Brutalities. The belief system of that time was not like todays. There were superior races (Greek/Romans over barbarians), superior sexes (man over women), superior classes (free man over slaves) and the concept of justice was more something in the realm of “restoring rights of those that were superior”, than “equality for all, men and women, Greek and barbarian, free and slave”.

Jesus opposed the status quo. It started small and irrelevant; as a counterculture. But it didn’t stay that way.

2. From obscure counterculture to dominant force In “The Air We Breathe”, Scrivener asks the question: “How did the obscure, marginal Jesus movement of the 1st century become the dominant religious force in the Western world in a few centuries?”

Important to know, is that the Christian faith was the opposite of the narrative. Concepts like Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality didn’t exist in the Roman Empire. Human rights neither. Individual rights neither. The emperor was almost de facto God himself.

Early Christians were persecuted for preaching a different story: that God is NOT the ruler of the empire. Jesus preached the separation of politics from God; separating faith from the state. As a result, he was crucified, and many of his followers were killed by Nero (between 54 and 68 AD), Domitian (81–96 AD), Trajan (98–117 AD) and Decius (249–251 AD). This new narrative was a thread for the Roman rulers.

Draw the parallels of how there have been many attempts to “kill” bitcoin, not with physical persecution but with an information war. Not by physical violence, but by misinformation. Bitcoin threatens the status quo, just like Christianity threatened the Roman Empire.

You see?

But how is the obscure movement of Bitcoin in the 20th century becoming the dominant force, similar to the question that Scrivener asked about Christianity? Perhaps the answer lies in the following parallel.

3. Exponential grassroots growth Sociologist Rodney Stark estimates in “The Rise of Christianity” that from the time of the first Easter, the church began growing at a rate of 40% per decade, a modest but relentless 3.4% per year. By the year 300, Christians numbered perhaps 6 million: about a tenth of the empire.

Despite pushbacks, the army of believers continued to grow. Grassroots, peer-to-peer. It was not the state-religion, it was a peaceful army of believers that spread the word, resulting in an exponential growth of its followers. The counterculture became more and more dominant.

You may see what I’m doing here. It was basically the meme that all Bitcoiners know: Gradually, then suddenly. Against the current.

4. Conversion of emperors/politicians In 312 a big change happened: Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. As Stark writes, "Constantine's conversion would better be seen as a response to the massive exponential wave in progress, not as its cause".

Are we living in that same era, where nation states start to embrace Bitcoin? Where politicians don’t oppose as strongly anymore, but are flirting with the idea of embracing it? And again the parallel: it’s responsive to the exponential wave of progress, not as its cause.

Whether Constantine is Nayib Bukele, Donald Trump, or Milei: it doesn’t matter. It’s the dynamic that matters. The counterculture becomes so dominant, that the “rulers” of the world are wanting to be part of it. Which will be followed by “rules” that favour the ideology, movement, and beliefs.

5. Tolerance and protection for ideology In 313 Constatines Edict of Milan granted freedom to Christians that were remarkable for that time and a model for religious toleration for the coming centuries.

The tide was turning, and by 380 Emperor Theodosius made Christianity Rome's official religion, more than half the population had already converted. In a few short centuries Christianity had gone from radical counterculture to dominant cultural power. This was an extraordinary shift in the church's relationship with the world. The edict expressly grants religious liberty to Christians, who had been the object of special persecution, but also goes even further and grants liberty to all other religions. And then, in 410, the world itself changed.

It changed from grassroots, bottom-up adoption to some kind of nation state adoption. One that was driven by decrees and edicts, instead of the analog cyberhornets of that day. Actually, the ideas of Indulgences were introduced via these Edicts, something that Maarten Luther actually was fighting against in the 1500s.

The world changed from the state-less Christian belief and moved (back) towards a system in which the state and church were connected again. Yes — the Roman Catholic Church. Until the previously mentioned critics during the Reformation.

6. Fall of the empire, end of the status quo When people speak of the fall of the Roman Empire, they usually mean in the 5th century when the western half fell. But there was also an eastern half, known as the Byzantine Empire (with its capital in what is modern-day Istanbul).

How did this relate to the movement that once was Cult, and now suddenly had become Culture?

It was Augustine, the north African bishop (354-430), who laid the foundation for a new philosophical, theological, and legal system. He distinguished between the fragile earthly realm and the eternal heavenly kingdom. Rome was “a city of man”, which fell. But the “city of God” was forever. He continued to separate the Roman Catholic Church from the faith that it once was. This distinction was vital, and it gave rise to the concept of "the secular realm". He planted the first ideas of "the separation of church and state" again, which started to spread throughout Europe during the supposedly "sandy desert" of the Middle Ages.

The parallel and lesson here might be that narratives can be taken over, for the worse. And that it takes centuries to take back the narrative, but/and only after an empire has fallen. Whether we refer to “The Fourth Turning” by William Strauss and Neil Howe or “Changing World Orders” by Ray Dalio. There is something to preserve, and it needs active monitoring and pushbacks!

7. Missionary, spreading the word The way the church sought to spread its influence would become a question that would take many centuries (and many failures) to settle. In the past, empires sought to spread their influence almost always by force. Christianity has been a missionary faith from the beginning. It was for this reason that Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine to Britain to convert the Anglo-Saxons.

Augustine was commanded by Gregory to use only "gentle means". His goal was persuasion. His method was teaching and preaching. And he was successful, converting King Aethelbert of Kent and becoming the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

You see what I’m talking about again: the parallel is simple. Bitcoin is a similar peaceful revolution, a missionary movement, of those that wish to see their Cult turn into a Culture. “Genle means”, teachings, persuasions. Or in pleb terminology: Orangepilling.

8. Persuasion and education are key Over the next decades and centuries, this movement continued. English Benedictine monk (675-754) Boniface was sent from the previously “barbarian” Britain to “orangepill the East” – in this case the Saxons in the Germanic lands. In the words of his advisor, the Bishop of Winchester, his goal was "to convince them by many documents and arguments". This mission of persuasion and education was largely successful. Today he’s better known as “the Apostle to the Germans". He was killed in The Netherlands (Dokkum).

Boniface kept to a policy of non-violence and non-retaliation, even to the point of death. Another famous writer about this topic, Tom Holland, summarises the lesson we learn from Boniface: "to convert was to educate".

In the following century this lesson was sorely needed by the Frankish king Charles the Great, aka Charlemagne (742-814). Charlemagne's path to power was a brutal one. When the Saxons stood in his way, Charlemagne beheaded 4,500 of them in a single day. There are concrete reasons why "getting medieval" might be associated today with brutality.

Is “Bitcoin as Legal Tender”, whether this is peaceful or violently, the way to go? Are we “getting medieval” with these kind of measures, in order to go from Cult to Culture, from counterculture to dominant culture, in which we lose the true essence of our revolution of separation of the state from the matter?

9. Age of Enlightenment Alcuin of York (735-804), was bold enough to write to Charlemagne directly with his criticism. "A person can be drawn into the faith, not forced into it". Be a lighthouse, not a tugboat!

The church's official teaching would later agree with Alcuin's position. In the 12th century all "harsh means" were forbidden since faith arises from the will, not compulsion. Enlightenment comes through education and persuasion.

There’s work to do. Grassroots. Education. Peer-to-peer. Not directed by politicians, nor opposed by those in power. Through education and persuasion. Rules without rulers. Because eventually, with the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, there are stark examples of the church using “harsh means" again. Forcing Bitcoin on people will never be the way: it’s a cheat code to the end goal. In order to succeed, we’ll need to be a missionary.

Final words I don’t want in any way to compare Christianity in itself as a faith, and Bitcoin as a technology, with each other. I enjoyed exploring the sociological phenomena between two countercultures, the grassroots movement and missionary parallels between both of them. Satoshi gave the first assist, with the 31st of October (Whitepaper Day) and the Genesis Block on January 3rd.

Let’s not mix religion with monetary systems, even though there are many similarities between certain movements. That’s not my goal for sharing this brain dump. But let’s learn from the past, from Constatine’s Edict and from Augustine, from Charlemagne (and especially Alcuin of York), from Boniface and from Maarten Luther. And from Satoshi Nakamoto.

@ 3906af02:af15c9f4

NEW: HRF #Bitcoin Development Fund grants 700 million satoshis to 20 projects worldwide!

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/human-rights-foundation-donates-700000000-satoshis-to-fund-bitcoin-development-and-projects

The grants cover decentralized #Bitcoin mining, technical education, decentralized communications, independent media & privacy-enhanced financial solutions for human rights groups, focusing on key regions in Latin America, Asia, and Africa 🌍🌏🌎🎁

Grants include:

🛠️ Stratum V2 Reference Implementation (SRI) decentralizes #Bitcoin mining by allowing nodes create their own block templates, reducing reliance on large pools. Funds will support @bit-aloo’s work on SRI including benchmarking tools, integration tests & codebase maintenance

⛏️ Public Pool makes #Bitcoin mining accessible for low-hash-rate devices, empowering individuals to self-host mining servers & contribute to decentralization. Funds will support hosting costs, hardware upgrades, & operational expenses.

🛠️ Jon Atack, recognized as one of the top all-time contributors to #Bitcoin Core, plays a pivotal role in enhancing Bitcoin’s decentralization and robustness. Funds will empower him to continue his vital contributions to Bitcoin development

👩🏿‍💻 Naiyoma, the first female #Bitcoin Core developer from Africa. Her work focuses on reviewing pull requests (PRs), addressing bugs through new PRs & improving Bitcoin Core’s codebase. Funds will support her full-time contributions to advancing Bitcoin Core.

🔒 Daniela Brozzoni, a #Bitcoin Core developer who previously contributed to the Bitcoin Development Kit (BDK). This grant will support her full-time contributions to Bitcoin Core reviewing key pull requests (PRs), contributing to new features & improving testing coverage

📱 UX/UI Design for Bitcoin Core by @Michaelhaase will bring the #Bitcoin Core App to mobile enabling users to run nodes, access essential wallet features directly on their phones to improve their financial privacy. Funding will support the project’s design & development.

🚀 Brink, co-founded by Mike Schmidt, supports #Bitcoin protocol engineers with grants and offers training & mentorship to onboard new contributors to open-source development. This grant will support operational expenses

⚡@Tando.me, cofounded by Sabina Gitau, integrates #Bitcoin with Kenya’s M-PESA system, enabling KYC-free, fee-free Lightning payments for everyday transactions for 54 million Kenyans. Funds will help boost Tando’s liquidity, support user growth & drive African expansion.

🌐 YakiHonne, a Nostr client founded by Wendy Ding, supports free speech & promote #Bitcoin payments across 170 countries with innovative functionality & a blend of online & offline events. Funds will support smart widget development, relay improvements & community events.

🌍 SeedSigner Multi-language Support brings accessibility to the open-source SeedSigner hardware wallet, empowering marginalized communities through inexpensive & accessible self-custody. Funds support Ace to deliver a multi-language version of SeedSigner.

🤝 Vexl, cofounded by Lea Petrasova, provides a private, KYC-free, peer-to-peer #Bitcoin trading experience by connecting users to trade through the social graph of their phone contacts. Funds will support expanded adoption in Africa & improvements to the backend infrastructure.

🇮🇳 Tomatech is building developer talent in Goa, India to advance #Bitcoin infrastructure & FOSS projects through training, workshops, & community meetups. Funding will support developer training, the creation of a developer hub, bounties & grants, & general operations.

💾 Krux, open-source firmware that turns generic devices into hardware wallets for secure #Bitcoin self-custody featuring air-gapped operations, key management & backups & support for 10 languages. Funding will support @odudex to advance this project.

🔐 Iris, a #Nostr web client by @MarttiMalmi, which aims to improve protection for metadata & message content, ensuring conversations remain private, especially in surveillant environments. Funding will support hiring an additional developer to expand Iris' features & functionality.

💻 Cashu-ts, the primary Software Development Kit in the @CashuBTC ecosystem developed by @Gandlaf21, simplifies wallet creation, integrates the latest protocol updates & powers popular wallets. Funds will support the developers to maintain & improve this essential library.

🤝 Unify, a Payjoin wallet developed by Fontaine, enhances privacy in #Bitcoin transactions by obscuring transaction histories, crucial for individuals navigating repressive regimes. Funds will support the developer to ship new features & expand compatibility with other wallets.

📢 The Financial Freedom Policy Coalition, led by Venezuelan activist Jorge Jraissati, promotes economic opportunities for people living under authoritarian regimes. Funds will support advocacy missions to educate policymakers on how #Bitcoin supports human rights.

🎓 African UX Bitcoin Bootcamp, led by @MouxDesign, empowered 10 African UX designers with #Bitcoin UX research skills ahead of the Africa Bitcoin Conference & support to test 5 popular Bitcoin products during the conference. Funds cover all program expenses for participants.

📰 No BS Bitcoin delivers ad-free, privacy-focused #Bitcoin news in clear & accessible format, essential for activists & citizens under authoritarian regimes. This grant ensures continued operations, adds an editor & supports Nostr features like Zaps & comments.

📖 Bitcoin History, a research project by Pete Rizzo, documenting key people, events & materials that shaped Bitcoin’s rise as a global monetary & human rights force. Fund will support a researcher to investigate & document stories of Bitcoin’s use against authoritarianism.

🌎 HRF is committed to supporting human rights and financial freedom with #Bitcoin.

If you are working on a #Bitcoin or adjacent freedom tech software (Nostr, eCash, TOR etc), education or adoption project that meets our mandate, submit your application at http://hrf.org/bdfapply 💪

@ 4d41a7cb:7d3633cc

Did you know that Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs), commonly known as "us dollars" are broken contracts? In fact FRNs started as dollar IOUs and then the Federal Reserve (a private corporation) defaulted on its debts and made the U.S citizens pay the bill: effectively stealing the privately owned gold.

The United States Dollar

It is not that the dollar was "backed by gold" as it is commonly said. The dollar was primally a measure of weight of silver and then a measure of weight of gold. Let see a little history about the U.S dollar.

What does the constitution says?

Article I, Section 8:

This section grants Congress the power "to coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures."

Article I, Section 10:

"No State shall... make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts."

The United States government, by decree, created the dollar as measure of weight defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 as 371.25 grains (24 grams) of silver.

The 1794 silver dollar, known as the "Flowing Hair dollar," was the first silver dollar coin produced by the United States Mint. This was the original dollar! The were minted in $1, $0,5.

In 1795 the United States minted its first gold coins under the Coinage Act of 1792, which introduced the following denominations: $2,5, $5 and $10. The silver to gold ratio was fixed at 1:15, meaning 15 ounces of silver was the equivalent to one ounce of gold.

Individuals could bring silver bullion to the U.S. Mint and have it coined into legal tender.

## Coinage acts

The Coinage Act of 1834 adjusted the gold-to-silver ratio to 16:1 and and the weight of the gold coins because gold was undervalue and encouraging the melting and exporting of American gold.

The coinage act of 1837 defined the silver dollar as containing 412.5 grains of standard silver (90% silver and 10% copper) and it reinforced the legal tender status of these coins, ensuring their acceptance for all debts, public and private.

The Coinage Act of 1849 specifically addressed the introduction of new gold denominations in response to the California Gold Rush, which significantly increased gold supplies in the United States. The Act authorized the minting of a $1 gold coin, the smallest gold denomination ever issued by the United States. The Act also authorized the creation of the $20 gold coin, known as the Double Eagle.

The gold dollar coin contained 23.22 grains of pure gold or 1.505grams or 0.0484 troy ounces.

The Double Eagle contained 464.4 grains of pure gold or 30.093 grams, 0.968 troy ounces.

The coinage act of 1857 sought to establish a uniform domestic currency and reduce reliance on foreign coins, demonetizing every foreign coins as legal tender. This was also the beginning of the Flying Eagle cent, which was smaller in diameter and composed of 88% copper and 12% nickel. This centralized more the coinage in the U.S.

U.S Gold certificates

The Act of March 3, 1863, officially known as the National Bank Act, was a significant piece of legislation during the American Civil War aimed at creating a national banking system and establishing a uniform national currency.

This legislation allowed the U.S. Treasury to issue gold certificates, which served as a form of paper currency backed by gold. The introduction of gold certificates was primarily intended to facilitate transactions involving gold without the need for the physical transfer of the metal.

This was primary for large size comercial transactions or payments among banks.

1865 Series

"It is hereby certified that one hundred dollars have been deposited with the assistant treasurer of the U.S in New York payable in GOLD at his office in the xxx New York "

The coinage act of 1873 also known as the "crime of 1873" was the intent to demonetize silver by ceasing the minting of silver dollars which meant that citizens could no longer bring silver to the mint to be coined into legal tender. By stopping the production of silver dollars, the Act implicitly placed the U.S. on a gold standard, where gold, not silver, was the primary basis for currency. This had lasting economic effects, particularly on farmers and silver miners who preferred bimetallism (the use of both gold and silver as standards).

The Act was controversial, particularly in western and rural areas where silver was a significant economic factor. Many believed that the Act was passed to benefit creditors and large financial interests by adopting a gold standard, which tended to deflate prices and increase the value of money.

The coinage act of 1878, The Act mandated the U.S. Treasury to purchase a specified amount of silver each month, between two million and four million dollars worth, and to mint it into silver dollars. This marked a partial return to the use of silver as currency through the coinage of the standard silver dollar. The Act allowed for the issuance of silver certificates, which could be used as currency in place of actual silver coins, thus easing the circulation of silver-backed currency.

The Bland-Allison Act was passed against a backdrop of economic depression and agrarian unrest. It represented a compromise between advocates of the gold standard and those wishing to return to bimetallism.

1882 series

The 30 years of economic and political discourse between bimetallism supporters and gold only advocates finally ended in the 1900.

The Gold Standard Act of 1900

The Gold Standard Act of 1900 formalized the monetary system of the United States by establishing gold as the sole standard for redeeming paper money and effectively ending the bimetallic standard. It established that the gold dollar would be the standard unit of value, equating the dollar to 25.8 grains of gold at a purity of 90%. Silver certificates and silver coins remained in circulation but without the backing of free and unlimited coinage.

Let's remember that the dollar was still a measure of gold. The certificates where government IOUs for that gold that was deposited in the treasury of the United States.

1907 series of gold certificates:

## The Federal Reserve Act of 1913

The Federal Reserva Act of 1913 created a monopoly over the issuance of the American paper currency. This marked the privatization of the currency and a centralization of power like never before. More about this in another article.

But essentially the secret agenda of banksters was to issue IOUs without any restriction and make the United State Government responsible to redeem this paper currency for gold. And I will show you exactly how. Alfred Owen Crozier wrote a book in 1912 one year before the bill was passed analyzing and opposing it and made this same argument.

Federal Reserve Notes

A paper contract, a promissory note, an "I owe you x amount"

This paper currency issued by this private central bank were dollar IOUs contracts or promissory notes.

According to Black's law dictionary a Federal Reserve note is: The paper currency in circulation in the United States. The notes are issued by the Federal Reserve Banks, are effectively non-interest-bearing promissory notes payable to bearer on demand, and are issued in denominations of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, $1000, $5,000 and $10,000.

NON INTERES BEARING PROMISSORY NOTES.

A promissory note is a written, unconditional promise made by one party (the maker) to pay a definite sum of money to another party (the payee) or bearer, either on demand or at a specified future date. It is essentially a financial instrument representing a formal commitment to settle a specified monetary obligation.

Key Characteristics of a Promissory Note:

1. Written Instrument: The promise to pay must be documented in writing.
2. Unconditional Promise: The promise to pay cannot be contingent on any external factors or conditions.
3. Definite Sum: The amount to be paid must be clearly specified and agreed upon in the note.
4. Payee: The note must designate the person or entity to whom the payment is to be made either explicitly or implicitly by specifying it as payable "to bearer".
5. Payable on Demand or at a Specific Time: The promissory note should indicate whether the payment is due upon demand by the payee or at a specific future date as agreed by the involved parties.

Promissory notes are commonly used in various financial transactions, including loans, business financing, and real estate deals, as they formalize the commitment to pay and can be enforced as a legal contract if necessary.

The Federal Reserve (FED) issued paper contract promising to be redeemable in gold. Most people never saw or understood the contract. Most never read it because the Fed cleverly hid the contract on the front of the bill by dividing it into five separate lines of text with a very different typeface for each line and placing the president's picture right in the middle. They even used the old lawyer's trick of hiding the most important text in small print.

Over time, the terms and conditions of the contract were watered down until they eventually became literally a promissory note for nothing. But let's analice how they did this step by step...

FEDERAL RESERVE NOTES: 1914 SERIES

Content of the contract:

Federal reserve note

The United States of America will pay to the bearer on demand: FIFTY DOLLARS

Authorized by federal reserve act of December 23, 1913

This note is receivable by all national and member banks and federal reserve banks and for all taxes, customs and other public dues. It is redeemable in gold on demand at the treasury department of the United States in the city of Washington district of Columbia or in gold or lawful money at any federal reserve bank.

So if a dollar was 20.67 per ounce, $50 could be exchanged for about 2.42 ounces of gold.

FEDERAL RESERVE NOTES :1918 SERIES

Content of the contract:

Federal reserve note

The United States of America will pay to the bearer on demand: Ten thousand dollars

Authorized by federal reserve act of December 23, 1913, as amended by act of September 26, 1918

This note is receivable by all national and member banks and federal reserve banks and for all taxes, customs and other public dues. It is redeemable in gold on demand at the treasury department of the United States in the city of Washington district of Columbia or in gold or lawful money at any federal reserve bank.

So if a dollar was 20.67 per ounce, $10,000 could be exchanged for 484.29ounces of gold.

Series of 1928

The great imitation

In 1928 the U.S government issued a new series of gold certificates payable to the bearer on demand.

The same year the Federal Reserve issued it's own promissory notes copying the us government gold certificate's design:

Content of the contract:

Federal reserve note

The United States of America

will pay to the bearer on demand: One hundred dollars

Reedemable in gold on demand at the United States treasury, or in gold or lawful money, at any federal reserve bank.

So if a dollar was 20.67 per ounce, $100 could be exchanged for 4.84 ounces of gold.

Here's all the denominations issued by the Federal Reserve back then:

This instrument was the facilitator of the Great depression, the inflation and deflation of the paper currency: as Thomas Jefferson warned long time ago:

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency first by inflation then by deflation the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered... I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.”

THE CONFISCATION OF GOLD

The end of the dollar and the replacement of gold and gold certificates by Federal Reserve Notes worthless paper currency.

Executive Order 6102, issued on April 5, 1933, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, forced everyone to exchange their gold and gold certificates for federal reserve notes at $20,67 FEDERAL RESERVE NOTES per ounce.

THIS WAS THE END OF THE DOLLAR. THE END OF THE GOLD STANDARD. THE END OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT. THE END OF FREEDOM. THE ABANDONMENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES.

The Gold Reserve Act of 1934

This act further devalued the "gold content of the FRNs" and ended the redemption of gold certificates for gold coins. One ounce of gold was now "35 FRNs" in theory but this was not entirely true.

Lets analice the evolution of the Federal Reserve Notes.

Content of the contract:

Federal reserve note

The United States of America

will pay to the bearer on demand: One hundred dollars

THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AND IT IS REDEEMABLE IN LAWFUL MONEY AT THE UNITED STATES TREASURY, OR AT ANY FEDERAL RESERVE BANK.

So if a dollar was 20.67 per ounce, $100 could be exchanged for one hundred dollars of Lawful money?

They eliminated the gold clause from the contract. This contract is a lie, what is this redeemable for? U.S treasuries? Different denominations of FRNs? They changed the definition of lawful money. This was never money this was a broken contract and it gets obvious in the next series...

1963 Series

This series look like they did photoshop on the "payable to the bearer on demand" part that was below franklin in previous series.

Content of the contract now was

Federal reserve note

The United States of America

THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.

ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS

Conclusion

Between 1913 and 1928 the dollar was gradually replaced by Federal Reserve Notes until in 1934 the gold standard was definitively abandoned. From that time the Federal Reserve Note became the "new legal tender money" replacing the dollar and slowly replacing silver coins too until in 1965 silver was definitively abandoned.

---

IT IS NOT THAT THE DOLLAR WAS “BACKED” BY SILVER OR GOLD.

Gold and silver were such powerful money during the founding of the United States of America that the founding fathers declared that only gold or silver coins can be “money” in America. Since gold and silver coinage was heavy and inconvenient for a lot of transactions, they were stored in banks and a claim check was issued as a money substitute. People traded their coupons as money or “currency.” Currency is not money, but a money substitute. Redeemable currency must promise to pay a dollar equivalent in gold or silver money. Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) make no such promises and are not “money.” A Federal Reserve Note is a debt obligation of the federal United States government, not “money.” The federal United States government and the U.S. Congress were not and have never been authorized by the Constitution for the united States of America to issue currency of any kind, but only lawful money – gold and silver coin.

It is essential that we comprehend the distinction between real money and paper money substitute. One cannot get rich by accumulating money substitutes; one can only get deeper into debt. We the People no longer have any “money.” Most Americans have not been paid any “money” for a very long time, perhaps not in their entire life. Now do you comprehend why you feel broke? Now do you understand why you are “bankrupt” along with the rest of the country?

@ 2ed3596e:98b4cc78

Our bounty program rewards Bitcoin Well Affiliates for making tutorials and Bitcoin Well walkthroughs. Make a video within our guidelines, share your post URLs (Youtube and X) and get paid over per video. 

Each month we’ll have new bounty tasks with different tutorials available for you to make and earn sats. Click here to submit a Bitcoin Well bounty. 

Bounty tasks and requirements for May 2025

For the month of May, the following bounty tasks will be available to approved Bitcoin Well Affiliates: 

1. Buy bitcoin on-chain (Canada) – 63,000 sats

2. Requirements:

   • Buy walkthrough process: homescreen → buy page → e-transfer Q&A explained → review order → on-chain delivery explanation

   • Voice over guiding through each step

   • Mention OTC for Large purchases over $100k. Mention and include booking link in video description 

   • Include affiliate webpage/referral link in video description 

   • Uploaded to youtube and X/Nostr 

3. Buy bitcoin via Lightning (USA) – 63,000 sats

4. Requirements:

   • Buy walkthrough process: homescreen → buy page → order form → bank funding and rate lock → order delivery expectations → confirm order 

   • Voice over guiding through each step

   • Mention OTC for Large purchases over $100k. Mention and include booking link in video description 

   • Include affiliate webpage/referral link in video description 

   • Uploaded to youtube and X/Nostr 

5. Pay bills on-chain (Canada) – 42,000 sats

6. Requirements:

   • Bill pay walkthrough process: homescreen →  bill page → add a bill → bill pay order form → explain static bill pay address → confirm and review order → time to fulfill

   • Voice over guiding through each step

   • Include affiliate webpage/referral link in video description 

   • Uploaded to youtube and X/Nostr 

7. Recurring bitcoin buy (USA) – 105,000 sats

8. Requirements:

   • Recurring Buy walkthrough process: homescreen → buy page → order form → funding → date and frequency selection → order delivery expectations → confirm order 

   • Voice over guiding through each step

   • Mention OTC for Large purchases over $100k. Mention and include booking link in video description 

   • Include affiliate webpage/referral link in video description

   • Uploaded to youtube and X/Nostr 

Please note that all requirements must be satisfied for a video to earn its bounty. Any questions about Bitcoin Well products details or bounty requirements can be directed to Konrad, Community Manager @ Bitcoin Well: k.fitz@bitcoinwell.com

Completed your bounty content and ready to earn your sats? Submit your bounty tasks here. 

@ af9d7040:42d05d35

Oswald: Ruthlessness in the Pursuit of Power and Survival

In Gotham City, Oswald Cobblepot, known as “The Penguin,” lives by the unrelenting rules of the mob: ruthless, without compromise or boundaries. For him, survival demands sheer will, extreme cunning, and coldness. He will do anything to achieve his aims, even betray those closest to him—like his mother, who has profoundly influenced him. His attachment to her is rooted in a twisted, obsessive need for approval, and his ruthlessness is not only a survival strategy but also an expression of his deeply embedded self-centeredness.

The Penguin maneuvers through the shadows of Gotham City with manipulation, deceit, and vengeance, like a serpent coiling around its prey. His every success is built on a disregard for humanity and a relentless thirst for power. Though he appears to show devotion to his mother, this is only another facet of his self-serving nature. He cherishes her only so long as she provides him with a sense of security; the moment she becomes a liability, he discards her without hesitation. This twisted complexity makes him a character who elicits both fascination and repulsion.

The Penguin’s unique blend of cruelty and contradiction separates him from the typical mob character. His ruthless selfishness is rooted in self-preservation. He is capable of manipulating or even betraying those closest to him. His “loyalty” is merely a mask for his unyielding self-interest. This guise of loyalty makes him more isolated and untrustworthy than those around him, ultimately marking him as a true antihero—someone who cannot be trusted and who feels no attachment even to those he holds dear.

Sofia: A Tender Wound in the Cold Reality

In contrast to the Penguin’s dark nature, Sofia, the female lead, presents a softer, yet no less complex character. Like him, she exists within Gotham’s shadows, but she retains a degree of innocence and kindness. Sofia, too, has a damaged side, but hers is gentler, perhaps even curable; her inner nature is resilient and compassionate. The Penguin, however, is wholly different—cold and selfish, with his inner darkness shaping every decision and action. Where Sofia struggles within Gotham’s corruption but maintains her inner light, the Penguin is the opposite, allowing his cruelty to permeate every aspect of his life.

Sofia’s presence is like a quiet undercurrent, casting the Penguin’s icy nature in sharper relief. She occasionally brings light into his shadowed world, though her warmth is ultimately no match for his darkness. Sofia’s compassion exposes the Penguin’s pathological selfishness, and her fleeting kindness only emphasizes his chilling indifference.

The Solitude of a Drifter

With its muted color palette, the film portrays Gotham as a city almost devoid of life, where the clamor of daily existence only serves to conceal an underlying emptiness. The city’s visual loneliness, along with a slow, deliberate narrative and moments of silence, subtly reflects the Penguin’s inner struggle. His journey for power begins with a warped attachment to Gotham, and as the story unfolds, we see him descend into total darkness, losing all semblance of warmth. The scattered plot structure and somber music shape his evolution into a kind of melancholic, fragmented poem.

In this solitude, the director refrains from casting the Penguin in simple moral terms. Like life itself, the narrative is complex and fragmented, juxtaposing Gotham’s wealthy and impoverished neighborhoods to create a blurry psychological divide. In this “ruin” of Gotham, some people drift, some settle, while the Penguin himself wanders, searching for a place to belong. The pacing and cinematography draw the viewer in as though they are walking Gotham’s desolate streets, accompanied by a haunting piano melody.

The Paradox of Power and Loneliness

The Penguin’s loneliness is not merely a result of Gotham’s darkness; it is the byproduct of his dependence on power. His need for control and his fixation on security bind him, like twin shackles, to his misery. He cannot escape his solitude even when perched at the top of Gotham’s hierarchy. His attachment to his mother is merely an extension of his self-interest; he has never truly known love or warmth. His cold and selfish nature is not a choice but an innate part of him, driving him inevitably toward isolation.

The series offers no definitive moral compass nor romanticizes any side. The Penguin’s relationship with Sofia and the sacrifices, betrayals, and suffering they both endure on the road to power seem to reflect the harsh realities of life. Gotham’s “ruinous” stage presents each character grappling with their choices and their costs.

Moving Forward in the Darkness

The allure of The Penguin lies not only in its portrayal of an antihero but also in its exploration of the character’s inner lives. The Penguin’s turbulent life as a mobster intertwines with his attachment to Gotham, echoing those who search for belonging in places that feel forgotten. Sofia’s gentleness and fragile compassion, like a tender blade, continually pierce the Penguin’s illusions about power and loneliness.

The Penguin does not rise to power swiftly; instead, he edges toward a deep, inevitable abyss. The director’s pacing, intense and deliberate, brings the Penguin closer to the heights of power while making his solitude more profound. The Penguin strikes at the heart of adult disillusionment, showing us that the world will not soften simply because we yield. We can only stumble forward in the dark, perhaps even make peace with it.

— Written by @Shaun on November 13, 2024

Chinese version

@ 79dff8f8:946764e3

Hello world

@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365

My blog posts and reading material have both been on a decidedly economics-heavy slant recently. The topic today, incentives, squarely falls into the category of economics. However, when I say economics, I’m not talking about “analyzing supply and demand curves.” I’m talking about the true basis of economics: understanding how human beings make decisions in a world of scarcity.

A fair definition of incentive is “a reward or punishment that motivates behavior to achieve a desired outcome.” When most people think about economic incentives, they’re thinking of money. If I offer my son $5 if he washes the dishes, I’m incentivizing certain behavior. We can’t guarantee that he’ll do what I want him to do, but we can agree that the incentive structure itself will guide and ultimately determine what outcome will occur.

The great thing about monetary incentives is how easy they are to talk about and compare. “Would I rather make $5 washing the dishes or $10 cleaning the gutters?” But much of the world is incentivized in non-monetary ways too. For example, using the “punishment” half of the definition above, I might threaten my son with losing Nintendo Switch access if he doesn’t wash the dishes. No money is involved, but I’m still incentivizing behavior.

And there are plenty of incentives beyond our direct control! My son is also incentivized to not wash dishes because it’s boring, or because he has some friends over that he wants to hang out with, or dozens of other things. Ultimately, the conflicting array of different incentive structures placed on him will ultimately determine what actions he chooses to take.

Why incentives matter

A phrase I see often in discussions—whether they are political, parenting, economic, or business—is “if they could just do…” Each time I see that phrase, I cringe a bit internally. Usually, the underlying assumption of the statement is “if people would behave contrary to their incentivized behavior then things would be better.” For example:

• If my kids would just go to bed when I tell them, they wouldn’t be so cranky in the morning.
• If people would just use the recycling bin, we wouldn’t have such a landfill problem.
• If people would just stop being lazy, our team would deliver our project on time.

In all these cases, the speakers are seemingly flummoxed as to why the people in question don’t behave more rationally. The problem is: each group is behaving perfectly rationally.

• The kids have a high time preference, and care more about the joy of staying up now than the crankiness in the morning. Plus, they don’t really suffer the consequences of morning crankiness, their parents do.
• No individual suffers much from their individual contribution to a landfill. If they stopped growing the size of the landfill, it would make an insignificant difference versus the amount of effort they need to engage in to properly recycle.
• If a team doesn’t properly account for the productivity of individuals on a project, each individual receives less harm from their own inaction. Sure, the project may be delayed, company revenue may be down, and they may even risk losing their job when the company goes out of business. But their laziness individually won’t determine the entirety of that outcome. By contrast, they greatly benefit from being lazy by getting to relax at work, go on social media, read a book, or do whatever else they do when they’re supposed to be working.

My point here is that, as long as you ignore the reality of how incentives drive human behavior, you’ll fail at getting the outcomes you want.

If everything I wrote up until now made perfect sense, you understand the premise of this blog post. The rest of it will focus on a bunch of real-world examples to hammer home the point, and demonstrate how versatile this mental model is.

Running a company

Let’s say I run my own company, with myself as the only employee. My personal revenue will be 100% determined by my own actions. If I decide to take Tuesday afternoon off and go fishing, I’ve chosen to lose that afternoon’s revenue. Implicitly, I’ve decided that the enjoyment I get from an afternoon of fishing is greater than the potential revenue. You may think I’m being lazy, but it’s my decision to make. In this situation, the incentive–money–is perfectly aligned with my actions.

Compare this to a typical company/employee relationship. I might have a bank of Paid Time Off (PTO) days, in which case once again my incentives are relatively aligned. I know that I can take off 15 days throughout the year, and I’ve chosen to use half a day for the fishing trip. All is still good.

What about unlimited time off? Suddenly incentives are starting to misalign. I don’t directly pay a price for not showing up to work on Tuesday. Or Wednesday as well, for that matter. I might ultimately be fired for not doing my job, but that will take longer to work its way through the system than simply not making any money for the day taken off.

Compensation overall falls into this misaligned incentive structure. Let’s forget about taking time off. Instead, I work full time on a software project I’m assigned. But instead of using the normal toolchain we’re all used to at work, I play around with a new programming language. I get the fun and joy of playing with new technology, and potentially get to pad my resume a bit when I’m ready to look for a new job. But my current company gets slower results, less productivity, and is forced to subsidize my extracurricular learning.

When a CEO has a bonus structure based on profitability, he’ll do everything he can to make the company profitable. This might include things that actually benefit the company, like improving product quality, reducing internal red tape, or finding cheaper vendors. But it might also include destructive practices, like slashing the R\&D budget to show massive profits this year, in exchange for a catastrophe next year when the next version of the product fails to ship.

Or my favorite example. My parents owned a business when I was growing up. They had a back office where they ran operations like accounting. All of the furniture was old couches from our house. After all, any money they spent on furniture came right out of their paychecks! But in a large corporate environment, each department is generally given a budget for office furniture, a budget which doesn’t roll over year-to-year. The result? Executives make sure to spend the entire budget each year, often buying furniture far more expensive than they would choose if it was their own money.

There are plenty of details you can quibble with above. It’s in a company’s best interest to give people downtime so that they can come back recharged. Having good ergonomic furniture can in fact increase productivity in excess of the money spent on it. But overall, the picture is pretty clear: in large corporate structures, you’re guaranteed to have mismatches between the company’s goals and the incentive structure placed on individuals.

Using our model from above, we can lament how lazy, greedy, and unethical the employees are for doing what they’re incentivized to do instead of what’s right. But that’s simply ignoring the reality of human nature.

Moral hazard

Moral hazard is a situation where one party is incentivized to take on more risk because another party will bear the consequences. Suppose I tell my son when he turns 21 (or whatever legal gambling age is) that I’ll cover all his losses for a day at the casino, but he gets to keep all the winnings.

What do you think he’s going to do? The most logical course of action is to place the largest possible bets for as long as possible, asking me to cover each time he loses, and taking money off the table and into his bank account each time he wins.

But let’s look at a slightly more nuanced example. I go to a bathroom in the mall. As I’m leaving, I wash my hands. It will take me an extra 1 second to turn off the water when I’m done washing. That’s a trivial price to pay. If I don’t turn off the water, the mall will have to pay for many liters of wasted water, benefiting no one. But I won’t suffer any consequences at all.

This is also a moral hazard, but most people will still turn off the water. Why? Usually due to some combination of other reasons such as:

1. We’re so habituated to turning off the water that we don’t even consider not turning it off. Put differently, the mental effort needed to not turn off the water is more expensive than the 1 second of time to turn it off.
2. Many of us have been brought up with a deep guilt about wasting resources like water. We have an internal incentive structure that makes the 1 second to turn off the water much less costly than the mental anguish of the waste we created.
3. We’re afraid we’ll be caught by someone else and face some kind of social repercussions. (Or maybe more than social. Are you sure there isn’t a law against leaving the water tap on?)

Even with all that in place, you may notice that many public bathrooms use automatic water dispensers. Sure, there’s a sanitation reason for that, but it’s also to avoid this moral hazard.

A common denominator in both of these is that the person taking the action that causes the liability (either the gambling or leaving the water on) is not the person who bears the responsibility for that liability (the father or the mall owner). Generally speaking, the closer together the person making the decision and the person incurring the liability are, the smaller the moral hazard.

It’s easy to demonstrate that by extending the casino example a bit. I said it was the father who was covering the losses of the gambler. Many children (though not all) would want to avoid totally bankrupting their parents, or at least financially hurting them. Instead, imagine that someone from the IRS shows up at your door, hands you a credit card, and tells you you can use it at a casino all day, taking home all the chips you want. The money is coming from the government. How many people would put any restriction on how much they spend?

And since we’re talking about the government already…

Government moral hazards

As I was preparing to write this blog post, the California wildfires hit. The discussions around those wildfires gave a huge number of examples of moral hazards. I decided to cherry-pick a few for this post.

The first and most obvious one: California is asking for disaster relief funds from the federal government. That sounds wonderful. These fires were a natural disaster, so why shouldn’t the federal government pitch in and help take care of people?

The problem is, once again, a moral hazard. In the case of the wildfires, California and Los Angeles both had ample actions they could have taken to mitigate the destruction of this fire: better forest management, larger fire department, keeping the water reservoirs filled, and probably much more that hasn’t come to light yet.

If the federal government bails out California, it will be a clear message for the future: your mistakes will be fixed by others. You know what kind of behavior that incentivizes? More risky behavior! Why spend state funds on forest management and extra firefighters—activities that don’t win politicians a lot of votes in general—when you could instead spend it on a football stadium, higher unemployment payments, or anything else, and then let the feds cover the cost of screw-ups.

You may notice that this is virtually identical to the 2008 “too big to fail” bail-outs. Wall Street took insanely risky behavior, reaped huge profits for years, and when they eventually got caught with their pants down, the rest of us bailed them out. “Privatizing profits, socializing losses.”

And here’s the absolute best part of this: I can’t even truly blame either California or Wall Street. (I mean, I do blame them, I think their behavior is reprehensible, but you’ll see what I mean.) In a world where the rules of the game implicitly include the bail-out mentality, you would be harming your citizens/shareholders/investors if you didn’t engage in that risky behavior. Since everyone is on the hook for those socialized losses, your best bet is to maximize those privatized profits.

There’s a lot more to government and moral hazard, but I think these two cases demonstrate the crux pretty solidly. But let’s leave moral hazard behind for a bit and get to general incentivization discussions.

Non-monetary competition

At least 50% of the economics knowledge I have comes from the very first econ course I took in college. That professor was amazing, and had some very colorful stories. I can’t vouch for the veracity of the two I’m about to share, but they definitely drive the point home.

In the 1970s, the US had an oil shortage. To “fix” this problem, they instituted price caps on gasoline, which of course resulted in insufficient gasoline. To “fix” this problem, they instituted policies where, depending on your license plate number, you could only fill up gas on certain days of the week. (Irrelevant detail for our point here, but this just resulted in people filling up their tanks more often, no reduction in gas usage.)

Anyway, my professor’s wife had a friend. My professor described in great detail how attractive this woman was. I’ll skip those details here since this is a PG-rated blog. In any event, she never had any trouble filling up her gas tank any day of the week. She would drive up, be told she couldn’t fill up gas today, bat her eyes at the attendant, explain how helpless she was, and was always allowed to fill up gas.

This is a demonstration of non-monetary compensation. Most of the time in a free market, capitalist economy, people are compensated through money. When price caps come into play, there’s a limit to how much monetary compensation someone can receive. And in that case, people find other ways of competing. Like this woman’s case: through using flirtatious behavior to compensate the gas station workers to let her cheat the rules.

The other example was much more insidious. Santa Monica had a problem: it was predominantly wealthy and white. They wanted to fix this problem, and decided to put in place rent controls. After some time, they discovered that Santa Monica had become wealthier and whiter, the exact opposite of their desired outcome. Why would that happen?

Someone investigated, and ended up interviewing a landlady that demonstrated the reason. She was an older white woman, and admittedly racist. Prior to the rent controls, she would list her apartments in the newspaper, and would be legally obligated to rent to anyone who could afford it. Once rent controls were in place, she took a different tact. She knew that she would only get a certain amount for the apartment, and that the demand for apartments was higher than the supply. That meant she could be picky.

She ended up finding tenants through friends-of-friends. Since it wasn’t an official advertisement, she wasn’t legally required to rent it out if someone could afford to pay. Instead, she got to interview people individually and then make them an offer. Normally, that would have resulted in receiving a lower rental price, but not under rent controls.

So who did she choose? A young, unmarried, wealthy, white woman. It made perfect sense. Women were less intimidating and more likely to maintain the apartment better. Wealthy people, she determined, would be better tenants. (I have no idea if this is true in practice or not, I’m not a landlord myself.) Unmarried, because no kids running around meant less damage to the property. And, of course, white. Because she was racist, and her incentive structure made her prefer whites.

You can deride her for being racist, I won’t disagree with you. But it’s simply the reality. Under the non-rent-control scenario, her profit motive for money outweighed her racism motive. But under rent control, the monetary competition was removed, and she was free to play into her racist tendencies without facing any negative consequences.

Bureaucracy

These were the two examples I remember for that course. But non-monetary compensation pops up in many more places. One highly pertinent example is bureaucracies. Imagine you have a government office, or a large corporation’s acquisition department, or the team that apportions grants at a university. In all these cases, you have a group of people making decisions about handing out money that has no monetary impact on them. If they give to the best qualified recipients, they receive no raises. If they spend the money recklessly on frivolous projects, they face no consequences.

Under such an incentivization scheme, there’s little to encourage the bureaucrats to make intelligent funding decisions. Instead, they’ll be incentivized to spend the money where they recognize non-monetary benefits. This is why it’s so common to hear about expensive meals, gift bags at conferences, and even more inappropriate ways of trying to curry favor with those that hold the purse strings.

Compare that ever so briefly with the purchases made by a small mom-and-pop store like my parents owned. Could my dad take a bribe to buy from a vendor who’s ripping him off? Absolutely he could! But he’d lose more on the deal than he’d make on the bribe, since he’s directly incentivized by the deal itself. It would make much more sense for him to go with the better vendor, save $5,000 on the deal, and then treat himself to a lavish $400 meal to celebrate.

Government incentivized behavior

This post is getting longer in the tooth than I’d intended, so I’ll finish off with this section and make it a bit briefer. Beyond all the methods mentioned above, government has another mechanism for modifying behavior: through directly changing incentives via legislation, regulation, and monetary policy. Let’s see some examples:

• Artificial modification of interest rates encourages people to take on more debt than they would in a free capital market, leading to malinvestment and a consumer debt crisis, and causing the boom-bust cycle we all painfully experience.
• Going along with that, giving tax breaks on interest payments further artificially incentivizes people to take on debt that they wouldn’t otherwise.
• During COVID-19, at some points unemployment benefits were greater than minimum wage, incentivizing people to rather stay home and not work than get a job, leading to reduced overall productivity in the economy and more printed dollars for benefits. In other words, it was a perfect recipe for inflation.
• The tax code gives deductions to “help” people. That might be true, but the real impact is incentivizing people to make decisions they wouldn’t have otherwise. For example, giving out tax deductions on children encourages having more kids. Tax deductions on childcare and preschools incentivizes dual-income households. Whether or not you like the outcomes, it’s clear that it’s government that’s encouraging these outcomes to happen.
• Tax incentives cause people to engage in behavior they wouldn’t otherwise (daycare+working mother, for example).
• Inflation means that the value of your money goes down over time, which encourages people to spend more today, when their money has a larger impact. (Milton Friedman described this as high living.)

Conclusion

The idea here is simple, and fully encapsulated in the title: incentives determine outcomes. If you want to know how to get a certain outcome from others, incentivize them to want that to happen. If you want to understand why people act in seemingly irrational ways, check their incentives. If you’re confused why leaders (and especially politicians) seem to engage in destructive behavior, check their incentives.

We can bemoan these realities all we want, but they are realities. While there are some people who have a solid internal moral and ethical code, and that internal code incentivizes them to behave against their externally-incentivized interests, those people are rare. And frankly, those people are self-defeating. People should take advantage of the incentives around them. Because if they don’t, someone else will.

(If you want a literary example of that last comment, see the horse in Animal Farm.)

How do we improve the world under these conditions? Make sure the incentives align well with the overall goals of society. To me, it’s a simple formula:

• Focus on free trade, value for value, as the basis of a society. In that system, people are always incentivized to provide value to other people.
• Reduce the size of bureaucracies and large groups of all kinds. The larger an organization becomes, the farther the consequences of decisions are from those who make them.
• And since the nature of human beings will be to try and create areas where they can control the incentive systems to their own benefits, make that as difficult as possible. That comes in the form of strict limits on government power, for example.

And even if you don’t want to buy in to this conclusion, I hope the rest of the content was educational, and maybe a bit entertaining!

@ e968e50b:db2a803a

Hey, are you familiar those scammy sites that will pay you to review companies? The line goes something like, "work from home and review products." Of course, the person is reviewing something online that they might not otherwise care about. When I look for reviews of a company, I'm almost always going to peer to peer type services.

Let's pause for a second for a seeming non-sequitur. Long story short, phone provider that I left has been charging me for an iPad that I accidentally didn't take off the plan. That's not the problem. The problem is that they made it IMPOSSIBLE to cancel this service, including going into a brick and mortar store. I'll spare you the details, but it took more than a full days work to get this thing cancelled. It was obvious that I wasn't even using the service, and it still cost me over a hundred bucks to square up after wasting so much of my life trying to get this thing cancelled on my account that supposedly didn't exist anymore.

Why is this relevant? I'm about to absolutely carpet bomb this company with bad reviews. They legitimately put significantly more work into trying to continue to charge me for this service I didn't want, didn't need, and didn't use, than they ever did trying to give me good service as a customer. When I started looking around online, I found a positive review I did about a flooring company two years ago...and wow! This review had so many great reviews. Beyond being amusingly recursive, it's real bad news for this phone company. I'm like a reviewing celebrity on this medium.

So...it occurred to me, what about a Trustpilot, BBB, or Angie's List type service that is fused with the sn news model? Put some skin in the game to review and put some skin in the game to endorse that review. stacker.reviews maybe?

Obviously, downzapping might not make sense there. Any company with a bad review could really hide their dirty laundry. But if they wanted to boost their good posts, plenty of safety mechanisms might make that costly (percentage of zaps going to website and boosts favored by numbers of zaps). I almost thought a review territory might make sense, but something like this would obviously need to be organized differently than a bulletin board.

I can imagine this being a good way to onboard people to bitcoin. Imagine it:

Wait, I can get some of these satoshi things for shouting to the rooftops about that plumber that saved my family's house?!? Hold my beer.

Wait, I can actually invest in this great review that warns people about that electrician?!?! Hold my warm beer.

idk Just a thought. I'm probably not the first person to think of this. Does it already exist? I got a humdinger of a harangue for it if so.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/968624

@ c4f5e7a7:8856cac7

Best viewed on Habla, YakiHonne or Highlighter.

TL;DR

This article explores the links between public, community-driven data sources (such as OpenStreetMap) and private, cryptographically-owned data found on networks such as Nostr.

The following concepts are explored:

1. Attestations: Users signalling to their social graph that they believe something to be true by publishing Attestations. These social proofs act as a decentralised verification system that leverages your web-of-trust.
2. Proof of Place: An oracle-based system where physical letters are sent to real-world locations, confirming the corresponding digital ownership via cryptographic proofs. This binds physical locations in meatspace with their digital representations in the Nostrverse.
3. Check-ins: Foursquare-style check-ins that can be verified using attestations from place owners, ensuring authenticity. This approach uses web-of-trust to validate check-ins and location ownership over time.

The goal is to leverage cryptographic ownership where necessary while preserving the open, collaborative nature of public data systems.

Open Data in a public commons has a place and should not be thrown out with the Web 2.0 bathwater.

Cognitive Dissonance

Ever since discovering Nostr in August of 2022 I've been grappling with how BTC Map - a project that helps bitcoiners find places to spend sats - should most appropriately use this new protocol.

I am assuming, dear reader, that you are somewhat familiar with Nostr - a relatively new protocol for decentralised identity and communication. If you don’t know your nsec from your npub, please take some time to read these excellent posts: Nostr is Identity for the Internet and The Power of Nostr by @max and @lyn, respectively. Nostr is so much more than a short-form social media replacement.

The social features (check-ins, reviews, etc.) that Nostr unlocks for BTC Map are clear and exciting - all your silos are indeed broken - however, something fundamental has been bothering me for a while and I think it comes down to data ownership.

For those unfamiliar, BTC Map uses OpenStreetMap (OSM) as its main geographic database. OSM is centred on the concept of a commons of objectively verifiable data that is maintained by a global community of volunteer editors; a Wikipedia for maps. There is no data ownership; the data is free (as in freedom) and anyone can edit anything. It is the data equivalent of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) - FOSD if you will, but more commonly referred to as Open Data.

In contrast, Notes and Other Stuff on Nostr (Places in this cartographic context) are explicitly owned by the controller of the private key. These notes are free to propagate, but they are owned.

How do we reconcile the decentralised nature of Nostr, where data is cryptographically owned by individuals, with the community-managed data commons of OpenStreetMap, where no one owns the data?

Self-sovereign Identity

Before I address this coexistence question, I want to talk a little about identity as it pertains to ownership. If something is to be owned, it has to be owned by someone or something - an identity.

All identities that are not self-sovereign are, by definition, leased to you by a 3rd party. You rent your Facebook identity from Meta in exchange for your data. You rent your web domain from your DNS provider in exchange for your money.

Taken to the extreme, you rent your passport from your Government in exchange for your compliance. You are you at the pleasure of others. Where Bitcoin separates money from the state; Nostr separates identity from the state.

Or, as @nvk said recently: "Don't build your house on someone else's land.".

https://i.nostr.build/xpcCSkDg3uVw0yku.png

While we’ve had the tools for self-sovereign digital identity for decades (think PGP keys or WebAuthN), we haven't had the necessary social use cases nor the corresponding social graph to elevate these identities to the mainstream. Nostr fixes this.

Nostr is PGP for the masses and will take cryptographic identities mainstream.

Full NOSTARD?

Returning to the coexistence question: the data on OpenStreetMap isn’t directly owned by anyone, even though the physical entities the data represents might be privately owned. OSM is a data commons.

We can objectively agree on the location of a tree or a fire hydrant without needing permission to observe and record it. Sure, you could place a tree ‘on Nostr’, but why should you? Just because something can be ‘on Nostr’ doesn’t mean it should be.

https://i.nostr.build/s3So2JVAqoY4E1dI.png

There might be a dystopian future where we can't agree on what a tree is nor where it's located, but I hope we never get there. It's at this point we'll need a Wikifreedia variant of OpenStreetMap.

While integrating Nostr identities into OpenStreetMap would be valuable, the current OSM infrastructure, tools, and community already provide substantial benefits in managing this data commons without needing to go NOSTR-native - there's no need to go Full NOSTARD. H/T to @princeySOV for the original meme.

https://i.nostr.build/ot9jtM5cZtDHNKWc.png

So, how do we appropriately blend cryptographically owned data with the commons?

If a location is owned in meatspace and it's useful to signal that ownership, it should also be owned in cyberspace. Our efforts should therefore focus on entities like businesses, while allowing the commons to manage public data for as long as it can successfully mitigate the tragedy of the commons.

The remainder of this article explores how we can:

1. Verify ownership of a physical place in the real world;
2. Link that ownership to the corresponding digital place in cyberspace.

As a side note, I don't see private key custodianship - or, even worse, permissioned use of Places signed by another identity's key - as any more viable than the rented identities of Web 2.0.

And as we all know, the Second Law of Infodynamics (no citation!) states that:

"The total amount of sensitive information leaked will always increase over time."

This especially holds true if that data is centralised.

Not your keys, not your notes. Not your keys, not your identity.

Places and Web-of-Trust

@Arkinox has been leading the charge on the Places NIP, introducing Nostr notes (kind 37515) that represent physical locations. The draft is well-crafted, with bonus points for linking back to OSM (and other location repositories) via NIP-73 - External Content IDs (championed by @oscar of @fountain).

However, as Nostr is permissionless, authenticity poses a challenge. Just because someone claims to own a physical location on the Internet doesn’t necessarily mean they have ownership or control of that location in the real world.

Ultimately, this problem can only be solved in a decentralised way by using Web-of-Trust - using your social graph and the perspectives of trusted peers to inform your own perspective. In the context of Places, this requires your network to form a view on which digital identity (public key / npub) is truly the owner of a physical place like your local coffee shop.

This requires users to:

1. Verify the owner of a Place in cyberspace is the owner of a place in meatspace.
2. Signal this verification to their social graph.

Let's look at the latter idea first with the concept of Attestations ...

Attestations

A way to signal to your social graph that you believe something to be true (or false for that matter) would be by publishing an Attestation note. An Attestation note would signify to your social graph that you think something is either true or false.

Imagine you're a regular at a local coffee shop. You publish an Attestation that says the shop is real and the owner behind the Nostr public key is who they claim to be. Your friends trust you, so they start trusting the shop's digital identity too.

However, attestations applied to Places are just a single use case. The attestation concept could be more widely applied across Nostr in a variety of ways (key rotation, identity linking, etc).

Here is a recent example from @lyn that would carry more signal if it were an Attestation:

https://i.nostr.build/lZAXOEwvRIghgFY4.png

Parallels can be drawn between Attestations and transaction confirmations on the Bitcoin timechain; however, their importance to you would be weighted by clients and/or Data Vending Machines in accordance with:

1. Your social graph;
2. The type or subject of the content being attested and by whom;
3. Your personal preferences.

They could also have a validity duration to be temporally bound, which would be particularly useful in the case of Places.

NIP-25 (Reactions) do allow for users to up/downvote notes with optional content (e.g., emojis) and could work for Attestations, but I think we need something less ambiguous and more definitive.

‘This is true’ resonates more strongly than ‘I like this.’.

https://i.nostr.build/s8NIG2kXzUCLcoax.jpg

There are similar concepts in the Web 3 / Web 5 world such as Verified Credentials by tdb. However, Nostr is the Web 3 now and so wen Attestation NIP?

https://i.nostr.build/Cb047NWyHdJ7h5Ka.jpg

That said, I have seen @utxo has been exploring ‘smart contracts’ on nostr and Attestations may just be a relatively ‘dumb’ subset of the wider concept Nostr-native scripting combined with web-of-trust.

Proof of Place

Attestations handle the signalling of your truth, but what about the initial verification itself?

We already covered how this ultimately has to be derived from your social graph, but what if there was a way to help bootstrap this web-of-trust through the use of oracles? For those unfamiliar with oracles in the digital realm, they are simply trusted purveyors of truth.

Introducing Proof of Place, an out–of-band process where an oracle (such as BTC Map) would mail - yes physically mail- a shared secret to the address of the location being claimed in cyberspace. This shared secret would be locked to the public key (npub) making the claim, which, if unlocked, would prove that the associated private key (nsec) has physical access to the location in meatspace.

One way of doing this would be to mint a 1 sat cashu ecash token locked to the npub of the claimant and mail it to them. If they are able to redeem the token then they have cryptographically proven that they have physical access to the location.

Proof of Place is really nothing more than a weighted Attestation. In a web-of-trust Nostrverse, an oracle is simply a npub (say BTC Map) that you weigh heavily for its opinion on a given topic (say Places).

In the Bitcoin world, Proof of Work anchors digital scarcity in cyberspace to physical scarcity (energy and time) in meatspace and as @Gigi says in PoW is Essential:

"A failure to understand Proof of Work, is a failure to understand Bitcoin."

In the Nostrverse, Proof of Place helps bridge the digital and physical worlds.

@Gigi also observes in Memes vs The World that:

"In Bitcoin, the map is the territory. We can infer everything we care about by looking at the map alone."

https://i.nostr.build/dOnpxfI4u7EL2v4e.png

This isn’t true for Nostr.

In the Nostrverse, the map IS NOT the territory. However, Proof of Place enables us to send cryptographic drones down into the physical territory to help us interpret our digital maps. 🤯

Check-ins

Although not a draft NIP yet, @Arkinox has also been exploring the familiar concept of Foursquare-style Check-ins on Nostr (with kind 13811 notes).

For the uninitiated, Check-ins are simply notes that signal the publisher is at a given location. These locations could be Places (in the Nostr sense) or any other given digital representation of a location for that matter (such as OSM elements) if NIP-73 - External Content IDs are used.

Of course, not everyone will be a Check-in enjoyooor as the concept will not sit well with some people’s threat models and OpSec practices.

Bringing Check-ins to Nostr is possible (as @sebastix capably shows here), but they suffer the same authenticity issues as Places. Just because I say I'm at a given location doesn't mean that I am.

Back in the Web 2.0 days, Foursquare mitigated this by relying on the GPS position of the phone running their app, but this is of course spoofable.

How should we approach Check-in verifiability in the Nostrverse? Well, just like with Places, we can use Attestations and WoT. In the context of Check-ins, an Attestation from the identity (npub) of the Place being checked-in to would be a particularly strong signal. An NFC device could be placed in a coffee shop and attest to check-ins without requiring the owner to manually intervene - I’m sure @blackcoffee and @Ben Arc could hack something together over a weekend!

Check-ins could also be used as a signal for bonafide Place ownership over time.

Summary: Trust Your Bros

So, to recap, we have:

Places: Digital representations of physical locations on Nostr.

Check-ins: Users signalling their presence at a location.

Attestations: Verifiable social proofs used to confirm ownership or the truth of a claim.

You can visualise how these three concepts combine in the diagram below:

https://i.nostr.build/Uv2Jhx5BBfA51y0K.jpg

And, as always, top right trumps bottom left! We have:

Level 0 - Trust Me Bro: Anyone can check-in anywhere. The Place might not exist or might be impersonating the real place in meatspace. The person behind the npub may not have even been there at all.

Level 1 - Definitely Maybe Somewhere: This category covers the middle-ground of ‘Maybe at a Place’ and ‘Definitely Somewhere’. In these examples, you are either self-certifying that you have checked-in at an Attested Place or you are having others attest that you have checked-in at a Place that might not even exist IRL.

Level 2 - Trust Your Bros: An Attested Check-in at an Attested Place. Your individual level of trust would be a function of the number of Attestations and how you weigh them within your own social graph.

https://i.nostr.build/HtLAiJH1uQSTmdxf.jpg

Perhaps the gold standard (or should that be the Bitcoin standard?) would be a Check-in attested by the owner of the Place, which in itself was attested by BTC Map?

Or perhaps not. Ultimately, it’s the users responsibility to determine what they trust by forming their own perspective within the Nostrverse powered by web-of-trust algorithms they control. ‘Trust Me Bro’ or ‘Trust Your Bros’ - you decide.

As we navigate the frontier of cryptographic ownership and decentralised data, it’s up to us to find the balance between preserving the Open Data commons and embracing self-sovereign digital identities.

Thanks

With thanks to Arkinox, Avi, Ben Gunn, Kieran, Blackcoffee, Sebastix, Tomek, Calle, Short Fiat, Ben Weeks and Bitcoms for helping shape my thoughts and refine content, whether you know it or not!

@ 599f67f7:21fb3ea9

¿Qué es una dirección Lightning o Lightning address?

Una dirección Lightning es una dirección que visualmente se asemeja a una dirección de correo electrónico legible para los humanos, por ejemplo usuario@dominio.com pero que en realidad te permite recibir pagos en bitcoin instantáneos y económicos, sin la necesidad de tener un nodo en linea en tu dispositivo ni tener que generar facturas de forma manual cada vez que alguien te quiere hacer un pago.

¿Suena bien no?

¿Y cómo funciona?

Funciona utilizando el protocolo de pago LNURL.

Aquí se muestra un sencillo esquema de lo que ocurre en segundo plano.

En resumen, cuando otro usuario quiere pagarte usando tu dirección Lightning, tu billetera convierte la dirección Lightning en una solicitud de pago LNURL. Luego se utiliza esa solicitud de pago LNURL exitosa para obtener una factura BOLT11.

💡 Dirección Lightning > LNURLp > Factura BOLT 11.

Suena bien, pero ¿cuál es el problema?

Por el momento, muchas de las implementaciones de Lightning Address son de custodia, porque se necesita un dominio para que Lightning Address funcione y un nodo que esté siempre en línea para recibir los pagos. Debido a que es de custodia, el custodio puede atacarte en cualquier momento y monitorear tus transacciones.

Tienes que confiar en el propietario del dominio para no cambiar el registro de tu dirección Lightning. Y no funciona si el servidor LNURL no está en línea.

Bitcoin Txoko ofrece una sencilla solución de Lightning Address respaldada por LNbits. Esto también es de custodia, así que por favor mantén solo una pequeña cantidad en tu billetera Bitcoin Txoko y ve retirando a tu billetera de autocustodia a medida que recibas más sats.

Estoy listo, ¿qué necesito para empezar?

¡Todo lo que necesitas es un teléfono móvil o un ordenador y una conexión a Internet!

1. Creando tu billetera

Si aún no lo has hecho, navega a https://bitcointxoko.com y crea una nueva billetera. Puedes elegir el nombre que quieras.

2. Activar extensiones

Hace falta la extensión Pay Links para que las direcciones Lightning funcionen.

Abre Extensiones en la barra de herramientas y activa Pay Links.

3. Creando tu enlace de pago

• En a la extensión Pay Links, haz clic en New Pay Link.

• Elige la billetera que has creado.

• Para la descripción del artículo, puedes escribir lo que quieras.

• Elige un nombre de usuario de tu dirección Lightning. Tu dirección Lightning se verá como username@bitcointxoko.com.

• Desmarque Fixed amount y cambia el valor mínimo a 1 y el valor máximo a 500000.

⚠️ También puedes cambiar el valor máximo a algo más alto, pero es más probable que los pagos más grandes fallen debido a la limitada capacidad de entrada del nodo Lightning de Bitcoin Txoko. Así que recomendamos mantenerlo en 500000 sats.

• Ahora abre Advanced options y cambia Comment maximum characters a 799. Este paso no es necesario pero permite más funcionalidades más adelante.

• Marca Enable nostr zaps en la parte inferior, para que puedas utilizar tu dirección Lightning para recibir zaps.

• Las demás opciones avanzadas son opcionales, puedes configurarlas si quieres o dejarlas en blanco.

Al final debería verse algo así.

• Cuando hayas comprobado que todo es correcto, sigue adelante y haz clic en Create Pay Link.

Probando

Puedes probar si tu nueva dirección Lightning funciona yendo a otra cartera, pulsando en Enviar y escribiendo tu dirección Lightning como destino, y luego enviándote una pequeña cantidad de sats.

Vuelve a tu billetera Bitcoin Txoko y comprueba si has recibido tu propio pago. Es posible que tengas que actualizar la página.

Si todo funcionó correctamente, ¡enhorabuena! 🥳

Si no es así, háznoslo saber. Siempre estamos aquí para ayudar.

Próximos pasos

Nostr zaps

Puedes añadir tu dirección Bitcoin Txoko Lightning a tu perfil de nostr y usarla para recibir zaps. Normalmente, esto se hace yendo a Perfil > Editar > Dirección Lightning y cambiando la dirección Lightning.

LNDhub

Puedes importar tu billetera LNbits como un LNDhub en tu teléfono utilizando una aplicación como Zeus o BlueWallet, en lugar de visitar la billetera en el navegador cada vez que desees comprobar tu saldo o realizar un pago. Echa un vistazo a nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqkvlvlma7a55ccp6d5rrdc27h3ssmdmael286mjaq5uxmqslk04fqqxnzd3exuerqdfkxccnyv3cs0uvul sobre cómo hacer esto.

Código QR

También puedes compartir o imprimir tu código QR LNURLp para que la gente pueda escanearlo fácilmente con sus teléfonos. ¡Muy útil si estás introduciendo bitcoin a tu comerciante local favorito para que pueda recibir propinas Lightning!

Simplemente comparte el enlace a tu página compartida, o imprime el código QR como PDF yendo a View Link > Print.

@ 3c7d12a6:9532013e

NUD: Pubkey to colors

This NUD defines how to convert pubkey to colors.

Live demo

Why?

• npub is nonsense to display.
• too long.
• npub1bla...bla is nonsense to display.
• npub1 takes too much space.
• ... means nothing.

Specs

• Uses hex pubkey.
• Converts 64 characters to 8 colors.
• Splits 64 with 8 length chunks.
• Converts each 2 in 8 into
  • Alpha (0-255 -> 0.0-1.0)
  • Hue (0-255 -> 0.0-360.0)
  • Saturation (0-255 -> 0.0-1.0)
  • Light (0-255 -> 0.0-1.0)
• Supports dark and light theme.
• When Light is 1.0, flip the Light for light theme (0.0).

@ b00a728d:0c16788a

Hey there, racing fans! Let’s talk about a straightforward betting strategy that’s been around for years, often used by folks who treat horse racing more like a business than a gamble. This method is all about following a clear staking plan to aim for a small, consistent profit per race—without needing to be a racing expert. I’ll break it down step-by-step so it’s easy to understand, even if you’re new to this! The Goal: Small, Steady Wins The idea here is to aim for a target profit (T) of 5 points per race. Think of a "point" as a unit of money you decide on—it could be $50, $1, or whatever you’re comfortable with. For example, I use a starting bank of $200, and I set each point at $1. So, 5 points = $5 profit per race. Important Rule: Once you pick the value of a point, stick with it throughout the entire betting sequence. Don’t change it, no matter what happens! Why This Works (Even If You Know Nothing About Racing) This plan is designed so that you’ll eventually win, even if you’re clueless about horses. The catch? You need to be patient and okay with small profits per point because the stakes (the amount you bet) can grow after each loss. For example: If you set each point at £1 and lose 10 races in a row, your 11th bet would need to recover $55 (your target plus losses).

If you set each point at 25p, you’d only need to recover $13.75 after 10 losses.

See the difference? Lower point values mean smaller risks, but also smaller profits. Pick a point value that matches the risk you’re willing to take and the profit you want to make. How the Staking Plan Works Here’s the basic idea: you start with a target profit of 5 points per race. If you lose, you add your loss to the next race’s target. If you win, you subtract your gain. The goal is to keep going until you hit your total profit target, then start over. Let’s break down the key terms: T (Target): Your profit goal for the race (starts at 5 points).

T + L: Your target plus any losses from previous races (or minus any gains if you won).

S (Stake): How much you bet on the race.

R (Result): Whether you won (e.g., 2-1 means the horse paid 2-to-1 odds) or lost (L).

W (Points Won): How many points you gained from a win.

L (Points Lost): How many points you lost from a bet.

AWL (Running Total): Your accumulated wins and losses over the sequence.

Once you reach your overall profit goal (like 40 points in the example below), you take your winnings and start the sequence over with a 5-point target. Example Sequence: Watch It in Action Here’s a sample sequence to show how this plays out. I’m using a 1-per-point value for simplicity: Race( see image posted for details in url or comment section)

What happened here? In Race 1, I aimed for 5 points but lost my 2-point stake, so my running total is -2.

In Race 2, I added my loss (2) to the new target (10), so I’m aiming for 12 points. I lost again, so my running total drops to -6.

By Race 8, I finally hit a big win (4-1 odds), gaining 44 points. My running total jumps to +50, which exceeds my overall target of 40 points.

I take my profit ($50 if each point is $1) and start over in Race 9 with a 5-point target.

How to Calculate Your Stake To figure out how much to bet (your stake), take your T + L (target plus losses) and divide by 3, rounding to the nearest whole number. Why 3? Because you want to bet on horses with odds of 3-1 or higher. A win at those odds will cover all your losses and give you your target profit. For example: In Race 4, my T + L is 33. Divide by 3: 33 ÷ 3 = 11. So, I bet 11 points.

My horse wins at 2-1 odds, so I get 22 points back (11 × 2). This clears my losses and gives me a profit.

Pro Tip: Stick to odds of evens (1-1) or higher. Many pros avoid “odds-on” bets (like 1-2) because they don’t pay enough to make this system work well. Tips to Make This Work for You Pick Your Races Wisely: You don’t have to bet on every race. Some pros bet on every race at a meeting (e.g., 6 races a day, 36 bets a week), but I recommend being selective. Consider using a professional tipping service for better picks—newspaper tips can be risky (one “expert” once picked 30 losers in a row!).

Spread Your Bets: Use 3 or 4 different bookmakers. No single bookie will be happy if you keep winning over time.

Account for Betting Tax (If Applicable): If there’s a tax on your bets, add it to your next race’s target. This way, the system covers the tax for you.

Be Prepared for Losing Streaks: Even with careful picks, you might hit a string of losses. That’s why you keep your point value low—so your stakes don’t balloon too much.

Why This Is a “Business,” Not Gambling People who use this method don’t see it as gambling—they treat racing like a business. The key is patience and discipline. A single win at 3-1 odds or higher will wipe out all your losses and deliver your target profit. It’s a slow grind, but it’s designed to keep you in the game long-term. Final Thoughts This staking plan is all about consistency and managing risk. Start with a small bank (like $200), set a point value you’re comfortable with (like 50 or 1), and stick to the rules. You don’t need to be a racing genius—just follow the system, bet smart, and wait for that big win to clear your slate and put profit in your pocket. Got questions or want to tweak this for your own style? Let me know, and I’ll help you fine-tune your approach! Happy betting!

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/968545

@ 0e67f053:cb1d4b93

By Carl Tuckerson, Host of “Feelings Before Finance”

Let’s be clear: May Day isn’t for mattress sales—it’s for smashing economic feudalism with a reusable water bottle and a union card.

Trump? Said he loved workers. Then he golfed while nurses rationed gloves. Elon Musk? Thinks labor laws are a nuisance between him and his next ego-fueled space tantrum. Meanwhile, AOC and Bernie are out here like revolutionary fairy godparents, yelling “TAX THE RICH” while sprinkling universal dignity on the masses.

May Day is for the tired. The overworked. The underpaid. And everyone who's ever been told “we’re a family” by a boss who’d fire them via Slack.

Today we rise. Together. Unionized. Moisturized. Ready to seize the means of basic decency.

✊ Happy May Day from Carl Tuckerson. And remember: No billionaire ever made a sandwich.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/968502

@ 3c984938:2ec11289

A long time ago, a girl resided on a tropical island. The girl's name is Sirena. She resided with her mother in close proximity to the Hagåtña River. Sirena's mother was a bit strict and tried to teach her to follow her in footsteps to be a lady, but Sirena only dreamed of swimming all day.\ \ Sirena's only outlet was when her Godmother would come visit. She always brought surprises, such as new trinkets, stories, and secretly gave her coconut candy.

Sirena's mother was preparing for a special event and needed her to acquire special ingredients from the nearby village. She had a significant amount of preparations to complete, therefore she requested that Sirena procure the necessary ingredients and return promptly. Sirena made a promised to her mother that she would hurry back.\

She was on the village path. She kept her eyes on the trail, trying her best to be a good daughter and hurry back. But she took one glance briefly at the river.

\ She is mesmerized by the water and jumps in before she realizes it. She swims down the river to the ocean, completely forgetting her mother's errand and promise. Sirena does not returned home even after the sun has set and was still swimming. Her mother, frustrated and angry, unleashes a powerful curse. The godmother begged her daughter to calm down. She shouted, "She's swimming again! Look at how late it is! "If you have such a profound love for the ocean, then become a fish," she exclaims to the ocean. Knowing the extent of her daughter's curse. She tries to counteract her daughter's curse. She pleads to the ocean, "Please, let me keep my Goddaughter's heart, please let that much remain."\ \ In the eerie glow of the moonlight, upon realizing her mother's task, she swims back to where the ocean meets the river. But she experiences a strange sensation in her lower half. The water swirls around her. She looks down to see that she has now fins instead of feet. With the new transformation, she regrets not finishing her mother's errand.

Sirena was happy because now she can be in the water all day long. However, Sirena also wished she did what her mother asked and found another way to punish her. A part of her will forever be saddened by the loss of her Mother and Godmother.

It said that sailors have spotted mermaids on their voyage across the sea. Just that their too crafty & swift to be caught.

Historical Notes/context

The story originates from the indigenous island of Guam and has been shared for generations. There are multiple versions of the story. The term Sirena is not present in the Chamorro language; however, in Spanish, it refers to the mythological creature known as the mermaid. The capital of the Island is Hagåtña. The Hagåtña river flows beneath the Spanish Bridge, where it is possible to observe her monument. Many believe Sirena resided here. There is speculation that this story was crafted to frighten children into listening to their parents and not playing in the river's water, as it was a vital water source. This was more prevalent when the Spanish established Guam as a port for whaling, pirates, and trade during the Spanish Galleon trade era(16th century). It should be noted that the women's role in the Chamorro version reflects a matrilineal society, which can be seen with Grandma/Godmother.

👉I like to point out in this, Thomas Edison patented the light bulb in 1879. So visually the lights outside and inside the huts as flames. As Ai(text to image) does not account for these type of items.

👉This also goes back to be careful what you wish for because you may actual get your wish.

👉Chamorro people are Pacific Islanders, similar to Hawaiians, and have a brown/tan skin complexion.\

👉My mermaid looks strikingly similar to the Disney's recent version of Ariel. I Thought that was interesting because I put just "mermaid" into the text prompt. Its worth pointing out ai limitations as it's not advanced as I originally thought, likely due to its limited data. In this case only disney as a reference for mermaid.

based on ordinary prompts\ Prompt used:\ That's all-Thank you until next time (N)osyters!

If you like it, send me some ❤❤hearts❤ and if you didn't like it-⚡⚡🍑🍑zap⚡⚡🍑🍑 me!🍑🍑 me!

For email updates you can subscribe to my paragraph.xyz/\@onigirl or below if using the Yakihonne App

@ c3ae4ad8:e54d46cb

Ingredients

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed 2 TB butter, divided ½ small shallot, minced 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 6 large or 9 medium eggs 1 cup of heavy cream salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a pie dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

In a skillet, add butter and saute the diced shallots and cook until slightly softened.

Place the thawed chopped spinach into a towel or paper towel and wrap it around the spinach into a ball and squeeze until you remove as much liquid as possible.

In a large bowl, crack in the eggs and add the cream, salt & pepper, then whisk until foamy and increased in volume. Fluff up the spinach with a fork and add it to the egg mixture. Add the crumbled feta and fold both in.

In the greased pie dish, and then pour the egg mixture and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Reheating and leftovers The best presentation and clean cuts will come from chilling for several hours or overnight in the fridge. To reheat, place a serving onto a microwave-safe plate and cover with a paper towel and heat for 30-40 seconds. It's also great cold.

Makes 6-8 servings.

@ 2e8970de:63345c7a

Research out of China; they used ice lithography to fabricate 72 nm patterns on living tardigrades. The wild thing isn’t just that they “tattooed” tardigrades. It’s that tardigrades are so resilient, and focused electron beams so precise, that 40% of them survived and went about their lives after the procedure.

https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2025/april/scientists-have-found-a-way-to-tattoo-tardigrades.html

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/968469

@ 6389be64:ef439d32

Bitcoin is more than money, more than an asset, and more than a store of value. Bitcoin is a Prime Mover, an enabler and it ignites imaginations. It certainly fueled an idea in my mind. The idea integrates sensors, computational prowess, actuated machinery, power conversion, and electronic communications to form an autonomous, machined creature roaming forests and harvesting the most widespread and least energy-dense fuel source available. I call it the Forest Walker and it eats wood, and mines Bitcoin.

I know what you're thinking. Why not just put Bitcoin mining rigs where they belong: in a hosted facility sporting electricity from energy-dense fuels like natural gas, climate-controlled with excellent data piping in and out? Why go to all the trouble building a robot that digests wood creating flammable gasses fueling an engine to run a generator powering Bitcoin miners? It's all about synergy.

Bitcoin mining enables the realization of multiple, seemingly unrelated, yet useful activities. Activities considered un-profitable if not for Bitcoin as the Prime Mover. This is much more than simply mining the greatest asset ever conceived by humankind. It’s about the power of synergy, which Bitcoin plays only one of many roles. The synergy created by this system can stabilize forests' fire ecology while generating multiple income streams. That’s the realistic goal here and requires a brief history of American Forest management before continuing.

Smokey The Bear

In 1944, the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention Campaign began in the United States. “Only YOU can prevent forest fires” remains the refrain of the Ad Council’s longest running campaign. The Ad Council is a U.S. non-profit set up by the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers in 1942. It would seem that the U.S. Department of the Interior was concerned about pesky forest fires and wanted them to stop. So, alongside a national policy of extreme fire suppression they enlisted the entire U.S. population to get onboard via the Ad Council and it worked. Forest fires were almost obliterated and everyone was happy, right? Wrong.

Smokey is a fantastically successful bear so forest fires became so few for so long that the fuel load - dead wood - in forests has become very heavy. So heavy that when a fire happens (and they always happen) it destroys everything in its path because the more fuel there is the hotter that fire becomes. Trees, bushes, shrubs, and all other plant life cannot escape destruction (not to mention homes and businesses). The soil microbiology doesn’t escape either as it is burned away even in deeper soils. To add insult to injury, hydrophobic waxy residues condense on the soil surface, forcing water to travel over the ground rather than through it eroding forest soils. Good job, Smokey. Well done, Sir!

Most terrestrial ecologies are “fire ecologies”. Fire is a part of these systems’ fuel load and pest management. Before we pretended to “manage” millions of acres of forest, fires raged over the world, rarely damaging forests. The fuel load was always too light to generate fires hot enough to moonscape mountainsides. Fires simply burned off the minor amounts of fuel accumulated since the fire before. The lighter heat, smoke, and other combustion gasses suppressed pests, keeping them in check and the smoke condensed into a plant growth accelerant called wood vinegar, not a waxy cap on the soil. These fires also cleared out weak undergrowth, cycled minerals, and thinned the forest canopy, allowing sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor. Without a fire’s heat, many pine tree species can’t sow their seed. The heat is required to open the cones (the seed bearing structure) of Spruce, Cypress, Sequoia, Jack Pine, Lodgepole Pine and many more. Without fire forests can’t have babies. The idea was to protect the forests, and it isn't working.

So, in a world of fire, what does an ally look like and what does it do?

Meet The Forest Walker

For the Forest Walker to work as a mobile, autonomous unit, a solid platform that can carry several hundred pounds is required. It so happens this chassis already exists but shelved.

Introducing the Legged Squad Support System (LS3). A joint project between Boston Dynamics, DARPA, and the United States Marine Corps, the quadrupedal robot is the size of a cow, can carry 400 pounds (180 kg) of equipment, negotiate challenging terrain, and operate for 24 hours before needing to refuel. Yes, it had an engine. Abandoned in 2015, the thing was too noisy for military deployment and maintenance "under fire" is never a high-quality idea. However, we can rebuild it to act as a platform for the Forest Walker; albeit with serious alterations. It would need to be bigger, probably. Carry more weight? Definitely. Maybe replace structural metal with carbon fiber and redesign much as 3D printable parts for more effective maintenance.

The original system has a top operational speed of 8 miles per hour. For our purposes, it only needs to move about as fast as a grazing ruminant. Without the hammering vibrations of galloping into battle, shocks of exploding mortars, and drunken soldiers playing "Wrangler of Steel Machines", time between failures should be much longer and the overall energy consumption much lower. The LS3 is a solid platform to build upon. Now it just needs to be pulled out of the mothballs, and completely refitted with outboard equipment.

The Small Branch Chipper

When I say “Forest fuel load” I mean the dead, carbon containing litter on the forest floor. Duff (leaves), fine-woody debris (small branches), and coarse woody debris (logs) are the fuel that feeds forest fires. Walk through any forest in the United States today and you will see quite a lot of these materials. Too much, as I have described. Some of these fuel loads can be 8 tons per acre in pine and hardwood forests and up to 16 tons per acre at active logging sites. That’s some big wood and the more that collects, the more combustible danger to the forest it represents. It also provides a technically unlimited fuel supply for the Forest Walker system.

The problem is that this detritus has to be chewed into pieces that are easily ingestible by the system for the gasification process (we’ll get to that step in a minute). What we need is a wood chipper attached to the chassis (the LS3); its “mouth”.

A small wood chipper handling material up to 2.5 - 3.0 inches (6.3 - 7.6 cm) in diameter would eliminate a substantial amount of fuel. There is no reason for Forest Walker to remove fallen trees. It wouldn’t have to in order to make a real difference. It need only identify appropriately sized branches and grab them. Once loaded into the chipper’s intake hopper for further processing, the beast can immediately look for more “food”. This is essentially kindling that would help ignite larger logs. If it’s all consumed by Forest Walker, then it’s not present to promote an aggravated conflagration.

I have glossed over an obvious question: How does Forest Walker see and identify branches and such? LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) attached to Forest Walker images the local area and feed those data to onboard computers for processing. Maybe AI plays a role. Maybe simple machine learning can do the trick. One thing is for certain: being able to identify a stick and cause robotic appendages to pick it up is not impossible.

Great! We now have a quadrupedal robot autonomously identifying and “eating” dead branches and other light, combustible materials. Whilst strolling through the forest, depleting future fires of combustibles, Forest Walker has already performed a major function of this system: making the forest safer. It's time to convert this low-density fuel into a high-density fuel Forest Walker can leverage. Enter the gasification process.

The Gassifier

The gasifier is the heart of the entire system; it’s where low-density fuel becomes the high-density fuel that powers the entire system. Biochar and wood vinegar are process wastes and I’ll discuss why both are powerful soil amendments in a moment, but first, what’s gasification?

Reacting shredded carbonaceous material at high temperatures in a low or no oxygen environment converts the biomass into biochar, wood vinegar, heat, and Synthesis Gas (Syngas). Syngas consists primarily of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane. All of which are extremely useful fuels in a gaseous state. Part of this gas is used to heat the input biomass and keep the reaction temperature constant while the internal combustion engine that drives the generator to produce electrical power consumes the rest.

Critically, this gasification process is “continuous feed”. Forest Walker must intake biomass from the chipper, process it to fuel, and dump the waste (CO2, heat, biochar, and wood vinegar) continuously. It cannot stop. Everything about this system depends upon this continual grazing, digestion, and excretion of wastes just as a ruminal does. And, like a ruminant, all waste products enhance the local environment.

When I first heard of gasification, I didn’t believe that it was real. Running an electric generator from burning wood seemed more akin to “conspiracy fantasy” than science. Not only is gasification real, it’s ancient technology. A man named Dean Clayton first started experiments on gasification in 1699 and in 1901 gasification was used to power a vehicle. By the end of World War II, there were 500,000 Syngas powered vehicles in Germany alone because of fossil fuel rationing during the war. The global gasification market was $480 billion in 2022 and projected to be as much as $700 billion by 2030 (Vantage Market Research). Gasification technology is the best choice to power the Forest Walker because it’s self-contained and we want its waste products.

Biochar: The Waste

Biochar (AKA agricultural charcoal) is fairly simple: it’s almost pure, solid carbon that resembles charcoal. Its porous nature packs large surface areas into small, 3 dimensional nuggets. Devoid of most other chemistry, like hydrocarbons (methane) and ash (minerals), biochar is extremely lightweight. Do not confuse it with the charcoal you buy for your grill. Biochar doesn’t make good grilling charcoal because it would burn too rapidly as it does not contain the multitude of flammable components that charcoal does. Biochar has several other good use cases. Water filtration, water retention, nutrient retention, providing habitat for microscopic soil organisms, and carbon sequestration are the main ones that we are concerned with here.

Carbon has an amazing ability to adsorb (substances stick to and accumulate on the surface of an object) manifold chemistries. Water, nutrients, and pollutants tightly bind to carbon in this format. So, biochar makes a respectable filter and acts as a “battery” of water and nutrients in soils. Biochar adsorbs and holds on to seven times its weight in water. Soil containing biochar is more drought resilient than soil without it. Adsorbed nutrients, tightly sequestered alongside water, get released only as plants need them. Plants must excrete protons (H+) from their roots to disgorge water or positively charged nutrients from the biochar's surface; it's an active process.

Biochar’s surface area (where adsorption happens) can be 500 square meters per gram or more. That is 10% larger than an official NBA basketball court for every gram of biochar. Biochar’s abundant surface area builds protective habitats for soil microbes like fungi and bacteria and many are critical for the health and productivity of the soil itself.

The “carbon sequestration” component of biochar comes into play where “carbon credits” are concerned. There is a financial market for carbon. Not leveraging that market for revenue is foolish. I am climate agnostic. All I care about is that once solid carbon is inside the soil, it will stay there for thousands of years, imparting drought resiliency, fertility collection, nutrient buffering, and release for that time span. I simply want as much solid carbon in the soil because of the undeniably positive effects it has, regardless of any climactic considerations.

Wood Vinegar: More Waste

Another by-product of the gasification process is wood vinegar (Pyroligneous acid). If you have ever seen Liquid Smoke in the grocery store, then you have seen wood vinegar. Principally composed of acetic acid, acetone, and methanol wood vinegar also contains ~200 other organic compounds. It would seem intuitive that condensed, liquefied wood smoke would at least be bad for the health of all living things if not downright carcinogenic. The counter intuition wins the day, however. Wood vinegar has been used by humans for a very long time to promote digestion, bowel, and liver health; combat diarrhea and vomiting; calm peptic ulcers and regulate cholesterol levels; and a host of other benefits.

For centuries humans have annually burned off hundreds of thousands of square miles of pasture, grassland, forest, and every other conceivable terrestrial ecosystem. Why is this done? After every burn, one thing becomes obvious: the almost supernatural growth these ecosystems exhibit after the burn. How? Wood vinegar is a component of this growth. Even in open burns, smoke condenses and infiltrates the soil. That is when wood vinegar shows its quality.

This stuff beefs up not only general plant growth but seed germination as well and possesses many other qualities that are beneficial to plants. It’s a pesticide, fungicide, promotes beneficial soil microorganisms, enhances nutrient uptake, and imparts disease resistance. I am barely touching a long list of attributes here, but you want wood vinegar in your soil (alongside biochar because it adsorbs wood vinegar as well).

The Internal Combustion Engine

Conversion of grazed forage to chemical, then mechanical, and then electrical energy completes the cycle. The ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) converts the gaseous fuel output from the gasifier to mechanical energy, heat, water vapor, and CO2. It’s the mechanical energy of a rotating drive shaft that we want. That rotation drives the electric generator, which is the heartbeat we need to bring this monster to life. Luckily for us, combined internal combustion engine and generator packages are ubiquitous, delivering a defined energy output given a constant fuel input. It’s the simplest part of the system.

The obvious question here is whether the amount of syngas provided by the gasification process will provide enough energy to generate enough electrons to run the entire system or not. While I have no doubt the energy produced will run Forest Walker's main systems the question is really about the electrons left over. Will it be enough to run the Bitcoin mining aspect of the system? Everything is a budget.

CO2 Production For Growth

Plants are lollipops. No matter if it’s a tree or a bush or a shrubbery, the entire thing is mostly sugar in various formats but mostly long chain carbohydrates like lignin and cellulose. Plants need three things to make sugar: CO2, H2O and light. In a forest, where tree densities can be quite high, CO2 availability becomes a limiting growth factor. It’d be in the forest interests to have more available CO2 providing for various sugar formation providing the organism with food and structure.

An odd thing about tree leaves, the openings that allow gasses like the ever searched for CO2 are on the bottom of the leaf (these are called stomata). Not many stomata are topside. This suggests that trees and bushes have evolved to find gasses like CO2 from below, not above and this further suggests CO2 might be in higher concentrations nearer the soil.

The soil life (bacterial, fungi etc.) is constantly producing enormous amounts of CO2 and it would stay in the soil forever (eventually killing the very soil life that produces it) if not for tidal forces. Water is everywhere and whether in pools, lakes, oceans or distributed in “moist” soils water moves towards to the moon. The water in the soil and also in the water tables below the soil rise toward the surface every day. When the water rises, it expels the accumulated gasses in the soil into the atmosphere and it’s mostly CO2. It’s a good bet on how leaves developed high populations of stomata on the underside of leaves. As the water relaxes (the tide goes out) it sucks oxygenated air back into the soil to continue the functions of soil life respiration. The soil “breathes” albeit slowly.

The gasses produced by the Forest Walker’s internal combustion engine consist primarily of CO2 and H2O. Combusting sugars produce the same gasses that are needed to construct the sugars because the universe is funny like that. The Forest Walker is constantly laying down these critical construction elements right where the trees need them: close to the ground to be gobbled up by the trees.

The Branch Drones

During the last ice age, giant mammals populated North America - forests and otherwise. Mastodons, woolly mammoths, rhinos, short-faced bears, steppe bison, caribou, musk ox, giant beavers, camels, gigantic ground-dwelling sloths, glyptodons, and dire wolves were everywhere. Many were ten to fifteen feet tall. As they crashed through forests, they would effectively cleave off dead side-branches of trees, halting the spread of a ground-based fire migrating into the tree crown ("laddering") which is a death knell for a forest.

These animals are all extinct now and forests no longer have any manner of pruning services. But, if we build drones fitted with cutting implements like saws and loppers, optical cameras and AI trained to discern dead branches from living ones, these drones could effectively take over pruning services by identifying, cutting, and dropping to the forest floor, dead branches. The dropped branches simply get collected by the Forest Walker as part of its continual mission.

The drones dock on the back of the Forest Walker to recharge their batteries when low. The whole scene would look like a grazing cow with some flies bothering it. This activity breaks the link between a relatively cool ground based fire and the tree crowns and is a vital element in forest fire control.

The Bitcoin Miner

Mining is one of four monetary incentive models, making this system a possibility for development. The other three are US Dept. of the Interior, township, county, and electrical utility company easement contracts for fuel load management, global carbon credits trading, and data set sales. All the above depends on obvious questions getting answered. I will list some obvious ones, but this is not an engineering document and is not the place for spreadsheets. How much Bitcoin one Forest Walker can mine depends on everything else. What amount of biomass can we process? Will that biomass flow enough Syngas to keep the lights on? Can the chassis support enough mining ASICs and supporting infrastructure? What does that weigh and will it affect field performance? How much power can the AC generator produce?

Other questions that are more philosophical persist. Even if a single Forest Walker can only mine scant amounts of BTC per day, that pales to how much fuel material it can process into biochar. We are talking about millions upon millions of forested acres in need of fuel load management. What can a single Forest Walker do? I am not thinking in singular terms. The Forest Walker must operate as a fleet. What could 50 do? 500?

What is it worth providing a service to the world by managing forest fuel loads? Providing proof of work to the global monetary system? Seeding soil with drought and nutrient resilience by the excretion, over time, of carbon by the ton? What did the last forest fire cost?

The Mesh Network

What could be better than one bitcoin mining, carbon sequestering, forest fire squelching, soil amending behemoth? Thousands of them, but then they would need to be able to talk to each other to coordinate position, data handling, etc. Fitted with a mesh networking device, like goTenna or Meshtastic LoRa equipment enables each Forest Walker to communicate with each other.

Now we have an interconnected fleet of Forest Walkers relaying data to each other and more importantly, aggregating all of that to the last link in the chain for uplink. Well, at least Bitcoin mining data. Since block data is lightweight, transmission of these data via mesh networking in fairly close quartered environs is more than doable. So, how does data transmit to the Bitcoin Network? How do the Forest Walkers get the previous block data necessary to execute on mining?

Back To The Chain

Getting Bitcoin block data to and from the network is the last puzzle piece. The standing presumption here is that wherever a Forest Walker fleet is operating, it is NOT within cell tower range. We further presume that the nearest Walmart Wi-Fi is hours away. Enter the Blockstream Satellite or something like it.

A separate, ground-based drone will have two jobs: To stay as close to the nearest Forest Walker as it can and to provide an antennae for either terrestrial or orbital data uplink. Bitcoin-centric data is transmitted to the "uplink drone" via the mesh networked transmitters and then sent on to the uplink and the whole flow goes in the opposite direction as well; many to one and one to many.

We cannot transmit data to the Blockstream satellite, and it will be up to Blockstream and companies like it to provide uplink capabilities in the future and I don't doubt they will. Starlink you say? What’s stopping that company from filtering out block data? Nothing because it’s Starlink’s system and they could decide to censor these data. It seems we may have a problem sending and receiving Bitcoin data in back country environs.

But, then again, the utility of this system in staunching the fuel load that creates forest fires is extremely useful around forested communities and many have fiber, Wi-Fi and cell towers. These communities could be a welcoming ground zero for first deployments of the Forest Walker system by the home and business owners seeking fire repression. In the best way, Bitcoin subsidizes the safety of the communities.

Sensor Packages

LiDaR

The benefit of having a Forest Walker fleet strolling through the forest is the never ending opportunity for data gathering. A plethora of deployable sensors gathering hyper-accurate data on everything from temperature to topography is yet another revenue generator. Data is valuable and the Forest Walker could generate data sales to various government entities and private concerns.

LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) can map topography, perform biomass assessment, comparative soil erosion analysis, etc. It so happens that the Forest Walker’s ability to “see,” to navigate about its surroundings, is LiDaR driven and since it’s already being used, we can get double duty by harvesting that data for later use. By using a laser to send out light pulses and measuring the time it takes for the reflection of those pulses to return, very detailed data sets incrementally build up. Eventually, as enough data about a certain area becomes available, the data becomes useful and valuable.

Forestry concerns, both private and public, often use LiDaR to build 3D models of tree stands to assess the amount of harvest-able lumber in entire sections of forest. Consulting companies offering these services charge anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars per square kilometer for such services. A Forest Walker generating such assessments on the fly while performing its other functions is a multi-disciplinary approach to revenue generation.

pH, Soil Moisture, and Cation Exchange Sensing

The Forest Walker is quadrupedal, so there are four contact points to the soil. Why not get a pH data point for every step it takes? We can also gather soil moisture data and cation exchange capacities at unheard of densities because of sampling occurring on the fly during commission of the system’s other duties. No one is going to build a machine to do pH testing of vast tracts of forest soils, but that doesn’t make the data collected from such an endeavor valueless. Since the Forest Walker serves many functions at once, a multitude of data products can add to the return on investment component.

Weather Data

Temperature, humidity, pressure, and even data like evapotranspiration gathered at high densities on broad acre scales have untold value and because the sensors are lightweight and don’t require large power budgets, they come along for the ride at little cost. But, just like the old mantra, “gas, grass, or ass, nobody rides for free”, these sensors provide potential revenue benefits just by them being present.

I’ve touched on just a few data genres here. In fact, the question for universities, governmental bodies, and other institutions becomes, “How much will you pay us to attach your sensor payload to the Forest Walker?”

Noise Suppression

Only you can prevent Metallica filling the surrounds with 120 dB of sound. Easy enough, just turn the car stereo off. But what of a fleet of 50 Forest Walkers operating in the backcountry or near a township? 500? 5000? Each one has a wood chipper, an internal combustion engine, hydraulic pumps, actuators, and more cooling fans than you can shake a stick at. It’s a walking, screaming fire-breathing dragon operating continuously, day and night, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year. The sound will negatively affect all living things and that impacts behaviors. Serious engineering consideration and prowess must deliver a silencing blow to the major issue of noise.

It would be foolish to think that a fleet of Forest Walkers could be silent, but if not a major design consideration, then the entire idea is dead on arrival. Townships would not allow them to operate even if they solved the problem of widespread fuel load and neither would governmental entities, and rightly so. Nothing, not man nor beast, would want to be subjected to an eternal, infernal scream even if it were to end within days as the fleet moved further away after consuming what it could. Noise and heat are the only real pollutants of this system; taking noise seriously from the beginning is paramount.

Fire Safety

A “fire-breathing dragon” is not the worst description of the Forest Walker. It eats wood, combusts it at very high temperatures and excretes carbon; and it does so in an extremely flammable environment. Bad mix for one Forest Walker, worse for many. One must take extreme pains to ensure that during normal operation, a Forest Walker could fall over, walk through tinder dry brush, or get pounded into the ground by a meteorite from Krypton and it wouldn’t destroy epic swaths of trees and baby deer. I envision an ultimate test of a prototype to include dowsing it in grain alcohol while it’s wrapped up in toilet paper like a pledge at a fraternity party. If it runs for 72 hours and doesn’t set everything on fire, then maybe outside entities won’t be fearful of something that walks around forests with a constant fire in its belly.

The Wrap

How we think about what can be done with and adjacent to Bitcoin is at least as important as Bitcoin’s economic standing itself. For those who will tell me that this entire idea is without merit, I say, “OK, fine. You can come up with something, too.” What can we plug Bitcoin into that, like a battery, makes something that does not work, work? That’s the lesson I get from this entire exercise. No one was ever going to hire teams of humans to go out and "clean the forest". There's no money in that. The data collection and sales from such an endeavor might provide revenues over the break-even point but investment demands Alpha in this day and age. But, plug Bitcoin into an almost viable system and, voilà! We tip the scales to achieve lift-off.

Let’s face it, we haven’t scratched the surface of Bitcoin’s forcing function on our minds. Not because it’s Bitcoin, but because of what that invention means. The question that pushes me to approach things this way is, “what can we create that one system’s waste is another system’s feedstock?” The Forest Walker system’s only real waste is the conversion of low entropy energy (wood and syngas) into high entropy energy (heat and noise). All other output is beneficial to humanity.

Bitcoin, I believe, is the first product of a new mode of human imagination. An imagination newly forged over the past few millennia of being lied to, stolen from, distracted and otherwise mis-allocated to a black hole of the nonsensical. We are waking up.

What I have presented is not science fiction. Everything I have described here is well within the realm of possibility. The question is one of viability, at least in terms of the detritus of the old world we find ourselves departing from. This system would take a non-trivial amount of time and resources to develop. I think the system would garner extensive long-term contracts from those who have the most to lose from wildfires, the most to gain from hyperaccurate data sets, and, of course, securing the most precious asset in the world. Many may not see it that way, for they seek Alpha and are therefore blind to other possibilities. Others will see only the possibilities; of thinking in a new way, of looking at things differently, and dreaming of what comes next.