RABBIT HOLE RECAP #370: THE GREATEST BITCOIN MINER OF ALL TIME
- block releases proto mining open source and modular mining rig https://proto.xyz
- treasury secretary scott bessent says SBR is around 125k btc, does not intend to buy more, will focus on confiscation https://x.com/TFTC21/status/1956013601741005172
- US Producer Prices Rise by Most in Three Years on Services https://archive.is/xzohV
- Polymarket: Fed decision in September? https://polymarket.com/event/fed-decision-in-september
- Bolivia | Banks Limit Withdrawals as Digital Asset Usage and Inflation Climb
In Bolivia, where annual inflation has reached 25% and banks have been limiting withdrawal of US dollars to $100 a week, Bloomberg reports that Bolivians are turning to Bitcoin and digital assets as alternatives to the boliviano. “I’m not the only one using Bitcoin,” Christopher Salas, a coffee vendor in La Paz, said. “There’s a barbershop over there and a gym that also accepts satoshis.” For Salas, Bitcoin is both a hedge and a protest: “a way to preserve the value of my savings, but also a way to go against the system, against bureaucracy.” Bolivia’s hybrid authoritarian regime lifted a decade-long ban on digital assets in 2024. Since then, the volume of digital asset payments has grown more than fivefold to nearly $300 million in the first half of 2025. The University of San Andres allegedly pays its international faculty in Bitcoin. Carlos Neira, co-founder of Colombian wallet provider Meru, reports a staggering 6,600% increase in Bolivian users since the ban was lifted. FinancialFreedomReport.org
- Founder of SimpleX on why he is not implementing MLS https://www.poberezkin.com/posts/2025-08-12-mls-the-naked-king-of-end-to-end-encryption.html
- Signal boss: ‘disturbing’ laws show the UK doesn’t understand tech https://archive.is/BtZD0
- Location tracking based on photos https://archive.is/YjaYy + https://x.com/heinenbros/status/1941943605343785219
- American Hodl vlogs on nostr https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqs9gs5rrya4f3zql67yzemwmkehm96d7cxwakypjelp4xayqa36a2ctlx4zp
0:00 - Intro
2:35 - Block Rig
14:46 - Monero attacks
23:24 - Bessent's stealing your coins
27:29 - PPI
32:50 - Polymarket fed decision
36:53 - HRF Story of the Week
52:09 - Poberezkin MLS blog
56:14 - Ark mainnet
1:00:40 - Signal boss calls out UK
1:01:57 - AI Surveillance
1:06:46 - HODL v-logging on Nostr
1:10:46 - Boosts
1:17:11 - Stoneridge
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1:19:18
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1:19:18
RABBIT HOLE RECAP #369: BITCOIN IS GOING MUCH HIGHER
- Tornado Cash CoFounder Roman Storm Found Guilty of Unlicensed Money Transmission Conspiracy https://www.therage.co/roman-storm-trial-split-verdict-tornado-cash/
- SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce Slams Bank Secrecy Act https://www.therage.co/sec-commissioner-hester-pierce-slams-bank-secrecy-act/
- OpenSats Impact Report: Developer Libraries https://opensats.org/blog/advancements-in-developer-libraries
- Strike Business Bill Pay https://x.com/jackmallers/status/1952758452259889155
- Strike loans live in Missouri https://x.com/Strike/status/1953101356568305773
- SLNT Now Accepting Bitcoin https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqszqm64sqkrp6jn64zsxwz8y7vjkavgt4jjujlc3mmpeh3l2rzxy4gfrttf5
- EU Chat Control Coming in October https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/chat-control-eu-proposal-scan-all-private-messages-gains-momentum
- Burma | Invasive Cybersecurity Law Comes into Full Effect
In January, this newsletter reported on a repressive cybersecurity law enacted by the military junta in Burma that empowers officials with sweeping controls over digital spaces. Last week, that law came into full effect. It criminalizes the use of VPNs, mandates that platforms store and hand over user data to officials upon request, and allows authorities to shut down Internet access at will. It also empowers regime-aligned law enforcement with the absolute authority to check citizens’ phones on the street. Penalties include up to six months in prison for sharing posts deemed “misinformation” or for using encrypted apps (like VPNs) to access information. Reports have already surfaced of police extorting bribes from people at checkpoints for having VPNs or “illegal social media” like X, Facebook, or YouTube on their phones. The law poses immediate threats to journalists and activists critical of the military regime or using privacy tools. Amid the junta’s effort to stage a sham election to expand militarized control, this deepens Burma’s retreat from civic freedoms and shrinks the already fragile space for independent voices and the free flow of information. FinancialFreedomReport.org
- OpenAI GPT-OSS 120B https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqsw9z858hlpxkyc2h2kza9svqzu38hprs45pn334uprecggfw3gqtgpwwskw
- Primal iOS 2.3.56 https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqswmxlw8tdt7k375a0qvutdfx3pagd3lu8khxhyycjy3z7qpj5t9ssrpej07
0:00 - Intro
2:35 - Higher
6:50 - Dashboard
12:02 - Roman Storm found guilty
25:54 - SEC commissioner slams BSA
31:38 - EU chat control
36:50 - Ministry of Truth
40:11 - OpenSats
44:01 - Strike announcements
48:25 - Boosts
52:09 - HRF Story of the Week
55:25 - SLNT accepts bitcoin
1:10:10 - Maple GPT-OSS
1:26:48 - Primal update
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1:32:49
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1:32:49
RABBIT HOLE RECAP #368: NO PRIVACY? NO FREEDOM.
- Samourai Wallet Developers Plead Guilty To Unlicensed Money Transmission https://www.therage.co/samourai-wallet-developers-plead-guilty-to-unlicensed-money-transmission/
- Tornado Cash Verdict Expected Today https://www.therage.co/the-storm-jurys-dilemma-was-crime-the-goal-all-along/
- Spotify users told to prove their age under new rules https://www.the-independent.com/tech/spotify-age-checks-verification-b2798937.html
- YouTube's new AI age verification is coming soon — here's what's going to change https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/youtubes-new-ai-age-verification-is-coming-soon-heres-whats-going-to-change
- X Implements Age Checking Measures To Align With New Laws https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-formerly-twitter-adds-new-age-verification-measures/754024/ + https://x.com/globalaffairs/status/1927697128219947132
- Trump blasts Powell after Fed votes to keep interest rates steady https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5429281-donald-trump-jerome-powell-interest-rates/
- The President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets Releases Recommendations to Strengthen American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology https://www.whitehouse.gov/crypto/ + nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzquq0mq9wdrsqnmf6jly595nxud0c5j3zd3cf4hzr0tck4wxstfunqqsg4vv7vhcmspkl2uetkme8pyx9thgyskmjg2q3una2hh0n9xdyr7sqyhcj0
-Fold and Blackhawk Network Bring Bitcoin to Major U.S. Digital Retail Platforms https://investor.foldapp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fold-and-blackhawk-network-bring-bitcoin-major-us-digital-retail
- AnchorWatch has officially completed its SOC 2 Type 1 audit https://x.com/anchorwatch/status/1950579169877791173
- El Salvador | New Insights Reveal Bitcoin Deception
A new detail buried in an IMF progress report casts doubt on El Salvador’s claim that it is “buying one Bitcoin a day.” According to the IMF, “increases in Bitcoin holdings in the Strategic Reserve Fund reflect the consolidation of Bitcoin across various government-owned wallets.” This suggests that President Nayib Bukele’s progressively authoritarian government may be reshuffling existing Bitcoin holdings from undisclosed wallets rather than accumulating new Bitcoin. A letter signed by two of El Salvador’s top finance officials also confirmed the state has not bought Bitcoin since February 2025. The revelation comes after El Salvador secured a $1.4 billion IMF loan, which required the government to scale back key parts of its Bitcoin policy, including ending tax payments in Bitcoin, phasing out the Chivo wallet, and making private sector acceptance voluntary. While Bukele continues to tout Bitcoin as part of El Salvador’s identity, the disconnect between official actions and public messaging calls into question transparency and credibility. FinancialFreedomReport.org
- Bitchat 1.2.0 iOS and bitchat android 0.8.1 https://github.com/permissionlesstech/bitchat-android/releases/tag/0.8.1
- MSTR Earnings Today
0:00 - Intro
2:35 - Welcome back to Car Talk
10:31 - Zora
18:28 - Dashboard
20:39 - Samourai
34:28 - Age verification
46:50 - Gaza story and psyops
50:25 - Patriot Act extension and dead internet
1:08:13 - Fold + Blackhawk
1:11:11 - AnchorWatch SOC 2 Audit
1:13:22 - Simplicity Liquid
1:20:00 - peer-observer
1:24:46 - HRF Story of the Week
1:27:44 - Bitchat
1:38:05 - Paper bitcoin news
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1:43:08
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1:43:08
RABBIT HOLE RECAP #367: FIRST BITCOIN COMPANY IN THE S&P 500
- block gets added to s&p 500 https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/07/23/jack-dorsey-block-square-sp-500-index-fund/
- mstr shareholders get restless as saylor adds STRC https://www.strategy.com/press/strc-ipo-launch_07-21-2025
- the most important mstr chart https://x.com/ten31funds/status/1948402290328576454
- supercycle? https://primal.net/e/nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzqpxfzhdwlm3cx9l6wdzyft8w8y9gy607tqgtyfq7tekaxs7lhmxfqqsw88tm4ppzdh9hv36ujuhdvm5u9yghdte33cvh756qdhw3mcn0ktg25z8rg
- Hungary | Enacts Repressive Digital Asset Law
Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s increasingly authoritarian rule, passed one of the strictest digital asset legislations in Europe. Starting July 1, individuals trading digital assets on unauthorized platforms could face prison sentences of up to five years. And “providing unauthorized crypto asset exchange services” could land you up to eight years. “The legislation’s broad language and lack of implementation guidelines have created a legal gray area where previously legal activities could now result in criminal prosecution,” Forbes reports. Digital asset exchange Revolut has already halted services for its 2 million Hungarian users, “temporarily” freezing accounts with no timeline for restoring services. The legislation is problematic because it criminalizes basic financial activities, such as buying and selling Bitcoin, while not providing a legal or compliant way to do so. It limits individuals from storing value outside traditional banking. It also eliminates an option for people who might use Bitcoin to protect their savings, support dissenting causes, or escape financial surveillance. FinancialFreedomReport.org
- blosstr launches easy video mirroring to nostr https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqsqg253stgfyvuanm9chgcukhjd5wjsxqk74rkpqag7utr5rs9aptg3u3v57
- post quantum signatures https://groups.google.com/g/bitcoindev/c/wKizvPUfO7w?pli=1
0:00 - Intro
2:35 - Mempool bets and crypto rappers
13:38 - Base app
36:02 - Trump Epstein
52:18 - Block S&P 500
1:04:58 - Strategy stock
1:15:33 - Self custody
1:29:17 - HRF Story of the Week
1:32:38 - CLARITY Act update
1:37:55 - Blosstr
1:50:45 - Post quantum and hard forks
2:09:03 - Final riffing
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2:13:37
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2:13:37
RABBIT HOLE RECAP #366: CHAIRMAN ON THE BRINK OF GETTING FIRED
- open: https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqsf4w3w7gt0equdq9mmv6gysntzk3yysdaduus52fvjm4fjuypzatgep6q4q- trump to fire fed chair powell? https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/16/politics/jerome-powell-donald-trump-firing- UK 30 year debt hits 5.5% https://x.com/atlaspulse/status/1945764226296873310?s=61https://x.com/atlaspulse/status/1945764226296873310?s=61- dollar’s worst year since 1986 https://x.com/tftc21/status/1945849218351890660- BTC Held By The US Marshal Service https://www.therage.co/btc-held-by-the-us-marshal-service/- Senator Warren speaking nonsense https://x.com/WatcherGuru/status/1945667844219277644- Cantor $5B Bitcoin Treasury SPAC with Adam Back https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250717734598/en/Bitcoin-Standard-Treasury-Company-to-go-Public-Through-Business-Combination-with-Cantor-Equity-Partners-I-Inc.- Brazil | $100M PIX Payment System Hack
FinancialFreedomReport.org- maple ai max https://blog.trymaple.ai/meet-maple-ai-max-the-most-powerful-private-ai-plan-yet/ - bitchat to add cashu wallet https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqs0lzk99pcy67vhgfks336fm8z4mv34hj7w4g4j9t40qea0e58hckq6mspze- white noise v0.1.2 https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqs9k8j50vwn9euc9nwvmw9ungflyuevz968j0g9rzea4v20f9skx5cslgaah- new nostr bot https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqs8k8cwgy3cxnrv05sawrkkyq32h23s0hfy7jzf87sm0ddg2jnhyrq7c2zxm- vertex v2 https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqsgqjmt6rwlf33c2lzy6fyeqjknacmgk70tdfapnmd9slqpfpyflmct6dpng- xAI launches grok sex bot and announces DoD contract https://www.ai.mil/Latest/News-Press/PR-View/Article/4242822/cdao-announces-partnerships-with-frontier-ai-companies-to-address-national-secu/0:00 - Intro
2:35 - Paper Bitcoin Summer
10:04 - Coldplay affair
12:15 - Dashboard
16:45 - Trump firing Powell?
29:39 - UK gilt market
39:02 - Dollar's worst year
41:14 - BTC held by US Marshals
46:50 - Grok Waifu
1:00:22 - Liz Warren
1:19:06 - BSTR
1:29:32 - CLARITY Act passes
1:31:35 - HRF Story of the Week
1:39:44 - Trezor quantum
1:43:45 - Lummis bullying Powell & Boosts
1:46:14 - GENIUS Act passes
1:48:52 - Software updates
2:02:36 - xAI defence contract
2:04:19 - Cloud seedingShoutout to our sponsors:Coinkitehttps://coinkite.com/Bitkeyhttps://bitkey.world/Stakworkhttps://stakwork.ai/Follow Marty Bent:Twitterhttps://twitter.com/martybentNostrhttps://primal.net/martyNewsletterhttps://tftc.io/martys-bent/Podcasthttps://tftc.io/podcasts/Follow Odell:Nostrhttps://primal.net/odellNewsletterhttps://discreetlog.com/Podcasthttps://citadeldispatch.com/
Netherlands