BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 889,667
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 27Mar2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Four US Soldiers Missing in Lithuania / US Lists Key Chinese Firms to Export Control / North Korea Send 3,000 More Troops / Appeals Court Uphold Deportation Hold / VA Sec Spars with CNN / DeFi-SEC Bill Heads to POTUS / Stablecoins Set to Disrupt Global Trade / Wyoming To Issue Own Stablecoin / Gamestop All-In on BTC Reserve, MSTR-Style / French Company Become BTC Reserve in EU / US Durable Goods Up, Stocks Down, UST Yields Up on Tariff War Moves / Canaan Mining Secures More Hash / How Much Bitcoin is Needed For Retirement?
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $87,054, 28.49 oz Gold, .20 Median US House
24hr Hi: $87,924 / Lo: $85,861
Vol: $26B (Down 11%)
Mkt Cap: $1.72T (Dwon 1%)
HashRate: 837 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 1 sats/vBtye (Down 94%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Search underway for 4 US Army soldiers missing in Lithuania: The search for four US soldiers who went missing during a training mission near Lithuania’s border with Belarus is ongoing, the US Army said Wednesday, after their armored vehicle was found submerged in a body of water. Emergency crews were digging into a swamp, which was drained after vehicle was discovered more than 5 meters down. (CNN)
2. US adds Chinese tech firms to its export control list, says they sought US knowhow for military use: China protested Wednesday after the U.S. added dozens of companies to its export control list, including more than 50 based in China that it says sought advanced knowhow in supercomputing, artificial intelligence and quantum technology for military purposes. Companies from Taiwan, Iran, Pakistan, South Africa and United Arab Emirates also were included in the roughly 80 companies added to the “entity list” of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. (AP)
3. North Korea sent 3,000 more troops to Russia: North Korea sent around 3,000 additional troops to Russia in January and February in continued support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, South Korea’s military said Thursday in its latest assessment. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea has also been sending more missiles, artillery equipment and ammunition to help Russia and that North Korea could increase its weapons supplies further depending on the war situation. North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 military personnel to fight in the war against Ukraine in its first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War, and the Joint Chiefs assessed that around 4,000 of them have been killed or wounded. (AP)
-US Events-
1. US appeals court upholds block on Trump deportation of some Venezuelans: On Wednesday, a split three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a March 15 order, barring the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador.
The order, issued by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, temporarily prohibited deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which the Trump administration invoked for the first time since World War II, based on a presidential proclamation that designated the Tren de Aragua gang as an invading force. (GroundNews)
2. VA Secretary Confronts CNN Over Veteran Coverage: During a live interview on CNN's 'The Source', VA Secretary Doug Collins engaged in a tense exchange with anchor Kaitlan Collins. The conversation, which took place on March 26, 2025, centered around allegations of hostility towards veterans by CNN, specifically mentioning a $5 million defamation suit in Florida. (CNN, X) (AC-The terse exchange highlights the hostility by the MSM towards the current administration.)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Resolution to kill IRS DeFi broker rule heads to Trump’s desk: US President Donald Trump is expected to sign off on a resolution undoing a rule that requires DeFi protocols to report to US tax authorities. (CoinTelegraph) (AC-Other reporting notes the Sen E. Warren surprisingly does not like the new law.)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. Crypto Fund Manager: This Is The 'Single Largest Arbitrage In Human History': Investors from both traditional finance and the crypto world are increasingly aligning on the view that stablecoins represent one of the most significant business opportunities in a generation. "My suspicion is if you went and asked everyone in the world and they could answer the question without fear of political persecution, I suspect five to seven billion of them would say U.S. dollars, and crypto rails are going to be the mechanism by which you do so, and so I think there's a massive opportunity to get stablecoins in the hands of billions of people.” Fund Manager Kyle Managi said. (ZeroHedge)
2. Wyoming moves to launch the first state-issued 'stable token' in July: Testing on the token will begin in the next few weeks and a launch date is set for July. The token is to be redeemable for $1 held in a trust by the state and is interchangeable with the term stablecoins, according to the commission's website. Funds from issuing the token would then be placed into a trust and "shall invest funds exclusively in cash, United States treasury bills securities." (TheBlock)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Gamestop Raising $1.3B to Advance Bitcoin Strategy, Echoing Michael Saylor's Blueprint: Gamestop is raising $1.3 billion to supercharge its bitcoin treasury strategy—despite holding $4.76 billion in cash—mirroring an aggressive, Microstrategy-style playbook. (BitcoinCom)
2. French Bitcoin Treasury Company Snaps up 580 BTC: The Blockchain Group, based in Puteaux, France, and listed on Euronext Growth Paris, announced March 26 that it acquired 580 BTC for about €47.3 million ($50.8 million). Alexandre Laizet, deputy CEO and director of bitcoin strategy at The Blockchain Group, describes the firm as “Europe’s First Bitcoin Treasury Company.” Laizet expressed his gratitude for Saylor, applauding his leadership in bitcoin strategy and acknowledging the influence of Metaplanet leaders like Dylan LeClair and Gerovich. (BitcoinCom)
-Economic Indicators-
1. U.S. Durable Goods Orders Surge Well Above Expectations in February: Orders for durable goods rose far above expectations in February, climbing 0.9 percent to $289.3 billion, according to the Commerce Department’s report released Wednesday. Economists had forecast a 1.0 percent decline, but instead, businesses continued to invest heavily in big-ticket items, particularly automobiles, computers, and machinery. (Breitbart)
2. Treasury Yields March Higher on Tariffs Concerns: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note rose about 6 bps to 4.39% on Thursday, its highest level in nearly a month, as traders assessed the escalating trade war and its potential economic impact. The Trump administration announced a 25% tariff on "all cars not made in the United States," set to take effect on April 2, while President Trump warned of imposing "far larger" tariffs on the EU and Canada if they coordinate efforts to counter US trade measures. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
NSTR
-Technology and Science-
NSTR
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Canaan Advances North American Mining Strategy via New Agreements: Canaan (Nasdaq: CAN) entered a three-year colocation agreement with Mawson Infrastructure Group affiliate Mawson Hosting LLC for a Midland, Pennsylvania, facility. A separate 24-month hosting agreement covers a site in Edna, Texas. Most of the 4.7 EH/s Hashrate increase is expected to be operational by Q2 2025, according to the announcement. (BitcoinCom)
2. Analyst Reveals How Much Bitcoin Is Needed for Retirement in the US: According to Miles Deutscher on X, approximately 30 Bitcoin units may be required to retire comfortably in the United States. This estimation is based on the current Bitcoin price and Carl Menger’s economic principles. Notably, these principles evaluate purchasing power and wealth sustainability. As of this writing, market data shows that Bitcoin was trading at approximately $86,620 per BTC. At this valuation, 30 BTC units would be worth around $2.6 million, a figure estimated as enough for retirement in the country. (CoinGape) (AC-Though 30 BTC may seem unattainable for many, the principles based on retirement are well-grounded and empirical. The assessment does not take into account the 61.3% 5-year CAGR however, revealing that much less BTC would be necessary based on individual retirement timelines.)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 40/100 (Down 7 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR:
@Bitcoin Veterans
Listen to us daily on X discuss the DIB and more: X Spaces, Bitcoin Veterans, 10amEST/7amPST
Watch us on YouTube and X Spaces: Tuesdays at 9pmEST/6pmPST
____________________
Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
NNNN
*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 891,927
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 11Apr2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: China Ups Tariffs to 125% / US-Iran Talks Today / Tourist Helo Crashes in Hudson, Family Killed / House Passes SAVE Act / Space Force Colonel Sacked for VP Vance Email / AZ Passes Bitcoin Home Miner Bill / Block Fined in NY for "Lax" KYC / BTC ETFs Continue Outflow / USD Index at 6-Year Low / UST Yields Up / Bitcoin HODLers Still Mostly Green / Oregon EV Agency Hacked / ChatGPT Remembers More / Ross to Speak at Vegas / New Bitcoin Life Insurance Startup Raises Money
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $82,092, 25.46 oz Gold, .19 Median US House
24hr Hi: $82,918 / Lo: $78,456
Vol: $46B (Down 32%)
Mkt Cap: $1.62T (Up 1%)
HashRate: 883 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 6 sats/vBtye (Up 100%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. China Hikes Tariffs On US Goods To 125%: China on Friday announced steep tariff hikes on U.S. imports, raising duties to as much as 125%, up from the previous level of 84%. Chinese exports to the U.S. are now facing tariffs as high as 145%. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the European Union to stand with the Asian country against what he described as American "bullying," (IBTimes)
Xi Jinping to visit Southeast Asia as tariff war spurs China to strengthen ties: Foreign ministry confirms the Chinese leader will tour Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia in what will be his first foreign visits of the year. (SCMP)
2. Ahead of Trump admin-Iran talks, new report says Iran nuclear threat rises to 'extreme danger': The possibility of Iran deciding to build nuclear weapons has been increased by the ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East, pitting Iran and its proxy forces against Israel and its allies, a conflict Iran is losing. The volatile security situation is now combined with the perception, if not the reality, that Iran is preparing to build nuclear weapons." (FOX)
-US Events-
1. Tourist helicopter crashes in Hudson River in New York City, all 6 on board killed: The New York Helicopters chartered chopper, which was carrying a pilot, two adults and three children, fell into the Hudson River by Lower Manhattan in New York City on Thursday afternoon. The five-person family was from Barcelona, Spain, two Spanish officials told ABC News. (ABC)
2. House Passes SAVE Act: Citizenship Proof Required for Voting: Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections. The bill directs states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. The bill passed with opposition from 208 Democrats. (X)
3. Space Force Colonel Relieved After Critical Email: Colonel Susan Meyers of the U.S. Space Force, stationed at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, was relieved of her command following an email she sent to base personnel. The email criticized Vice President JD Vance's visit and expressed concerns that the issues discussed did not reflect the situation at Pituffik. (SpaceComPR)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Arizona Bill Safeguarding Home-Based Bitcoin Miners Heads to Governor's Desk: Arizona's HB 2342 bill, passed by the state legislature, protects home-based Bitcoin miners and blockchain node operators from local zoning restrictions. The bill, defining "computational power" broadly, is part of Arizona's progressive stance on crypto adoption. (Decrypt)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. Block Inc faces $40 million fine for lax Bitcoin transactions oversight: Block Inc., the company behind Cash App and led by Jack Dorsey, has been fined $40 million by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). According to the NYDFS, the company’s compliance program did not detect or flag Bitcoin transactions linked to wallets associated with illicit or sanctioned activity unless certain thresholds were exceeded. Another area of concern was Block’s handling of transactions routed through crypto mixers, services that mask the origin and destination of funds, making them attractive to criminals. (CryptoSlate) (AC-This echoes the shakedown efforts by Nigeria with Binance.)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Spot bitcoin ETFs see sixth straight day of outflows as tariff tensions fuel flight to safe havens (TheBlock)
2. Over 85% Of Bitcoin Holders Still In Profit Despite Tariff-Driven Correction: Despite recent volatility, Bitcoin’s fundamentals remain strong. IntoTheBlock’s In/Out of the Money chart reveals that even during this week’s lows, over 85% of Bitcoin holders remained in profit. (BItcoinist)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US corporate bankruptcies rise to highest Q1 level since 2010: In the first quarter of 2025, 188 bankruptcies were filed, an increase from 139 filings in the same period of 2024, according to S&P Global. Notable companies that filed for bankruptcy include Nikola, Joann Fabrics, and Hooters, (GroundNews)
2. Dollar Slides to Three-Year Low: The dollar index fell over 1% to 99.2 on Friday, its lowest level in nearly three years, as investors continued to pull out of US assets. (TradingEconomics)
3. US 10-Year Treasury Yield Posts Steep Weekly Rise: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note approached 4.5% before settling around 4.4% on Friday and is on track to post a nearly 43bps increase for the week, signaling Treasuries may be losing their safe-haven appeal. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Oregon’s environmental agency shuts down network after cyberattack: Officials at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) were forced to shut down the organization’s network following a cyberattack on Wednesday. (TheRecord)
-Technology and Science-
1. ChatGPT Memory Boost Is Here: Better Conversations, Improved Recall Now Available: OpenAI has announced via X that it is now rolling out an improved version of ChatGPT, which has received a "memory boost" that allows it to be remember past conversations better. According to OpenAI, the chatbot "can now reference all of your past chats," which in turn makes conversations better. (TechTimes) (AC-Pros and cons here. Centralized, detailed conversations are a major privacy risk.)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Ross Ulbricht to Speak at Bitcoin Conference Following Trump Pardon: Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, will speak at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, marking his first public appearance since his release from prison earlier this year. Ulbricht, who operated the Silk Road marketplace under the alias "Dread Pirate Roberts," was granted a presidential pardon by Donald Trump in January. (Decrypt)
2. Startup Raises $40 Million for Bitcoin Life Insurance Push: A startup raised $40 million in series A funding for life insurance and annuities denominated in bitcoin. The investment was led by Framework and Fulgur Ventures, with Wences Casares participating. The firm aims to help policyholders guard against inflation by keeping premiums and benefits in bitcoin. (Decrypt)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 25/100 (Down 11 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: @Bitcoin Veterans
Listen to us daily on X discuss the DIB and more: X Spaces, Bitcoin Veterans, 10amEST/7amPST
Watch us on YouTube and X Spaces: Tuesdays at 9pmEST/6pmPST
____________________
Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
NNNN
*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 891,496
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 08Apr2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Ukraine Troops in Another Russian Region / France Weighs in on Gaza / US to Meet With Iran / China-US Tariff War Escalates / SCOTUS Sides With Trump on Deportations / US Army Reenlists COVID Drops / Rumors of US at Bagram Air Base / SEC to Host Crypto Reps at Roundtable / Is Bretton Woods 2.0 Trump's Endgame? / CZ Tapped to Advise Pakistan / Q1 Rough on MSTR Balance Sheet / Bitcoin Did Well During Turmoil / High Volatility in Yesterday's Markets / Aussies Go After Pig Butchers / Dire Wolf Makes a Return / Apple Flies in iPhones / BTC Devs Look at Quantum Defenses
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $80,000, 26.54 oz Gold, .19 Median US House
24hr Hi: $81,119 / Lo: $75,793
Vol: $67B (Down 7%)
Mkt Cap: $1.58T (Up 5%)
HashRate: 921 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 4 sats/vBtye (Up 100%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Zelensky confirms for first time that Ukrainian troops active in Russia’s Belgorod region: Ukrainian troops remain in parts of the neighboring Russian region of Kursk eight months after a cross-border incursion, though Russian forces have recaptured much lost territory. “We continue active operations in the enemy’s border areas and this is absolutely justified. The war must return to where it came from. (CNN)
2. Hamas ‘must have no role’ in Gaza governance, says Macron in meeting with Sissi: French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that Hamas should play no part in governing Gaza while publicly backing the Egyptian-led Gaza reconstruction plan during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Macron threw his support behind the Gaza reconstruction plan unveiled by the Arab League in March, saluting Egypt’s “crucial work” and saying it “offers a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza.” (TimesOfIsrael)
3. Trump says US will deal 'directly' with Iran in high-level meeting on Saturday: "We have a very big meeting on Saturday, and we're dealing with them directly," Trump told reporters from the Oval Office while sitting next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Fox)
4. China Vows 'Fight To The End' As Trump Warns 50% More Tariffs: If the US insists on going its own way, China will fight it to the end," a spokesperson for Beijing's commerce ministry said on Tuesday, adding that Trump's threat "once again exposes the US's blackmailing nature". "If the US escalates its tariff measures, China will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests," the ministry said. (IBTimes)
-US Events-
1. Supreme Court Allows Trump Admin to Enforce Deportations of Gang Members Under Alien Enemies Act: The Supreme Court of the United States lifted a block from U.S. District Judges James Boasberg, which prevented the Trump administration from deporting suspected illegal alien gang members under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Per the outlet, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court justices found that “the migrants had improperly challenged their deportations in Washington, D.C.,” when they should have challenged them in Texas, “where they were being held” (Breitbart)
2. Army reenlists nearly two dozen soldiers ousted for refusing COVID-19 vaccine: The Army has reenlisted more than 23 soldiers discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, implementing President Donald Trump's order to rehire them and provide back pay. (GroundNews, AP)
3. Unverified Claims of U.S. Control Over Bagram Air Base: Recent social media posts have circulated claims that the United States has reassumed control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan at the request of the Taliban government. These claims suggest that several U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft have landed at the base, carrying military equipment and senior intelligence officials. However, there is no concrete evidence or official statements from either the U.S. or Taliban governments to confirm these reports. (X)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. SEC to host former legal rivals Coinbase, Cumberland DRW and Uniswap Labs at crypto roundtable: The upcoming event, titled "Between a Block and a Hard Place: Tailoring Regulation for Crypto Trading," is part of a series of roundtable discussions organized by the SEC's crypto task force meant to bring more clarity to crypto regulation. (TheBlock)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. VC Chamath Palihapitiya Predicts Bretton Woods 2.0 as Trade War Endgame: On social media, Palihapitiya declared that Trump will maintain these tariffs for a few weeks, allowing other countries to present proposals to end them for their exports. Nonetheless, Palihapitiya believes this wave of capitulation will embolden Trump, who will try to achieve something greater. What would follow is the establishment of a new world order a la Bretton Woods through the “Mar-a-Lago agreements,” focusing on securing the future of the U.S. as world hegemon. He states these agreements will be seen as a great bargain, negotiating favorable trade conditions and other elements with 80+ countries in one swoop. (BitcoinCom)
2. Pakistan's Crypto Council Taps Binance Founder CZ as Advisor: Binance co-founder CZ Zhao will advise Pakistan's Crypto Council to enhance crypto regulations, infrastructure, education, and adoption. The council aims to boost foreign investment and position Pakistan as the crypto capital of South Asia. (Decrypt)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Strategy's Bitcoin Holdings Down Nearly $6 Billion in Q1: Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, faces unrealized losses of $5.91 billion on Bitcoin holdings in the first quarter, potentially impacting future profitability. The company spent $7.7 billion on Bitcoin in Q1, with holdings unchanged at 528,185 Bitcoin worth $41.3 billion. (Decrypt)
-Economic Indicators-
1. Bitcoin weathers global tariff storm, suggesting safe-haven potential: “Bitcoin’s behavior in recent weeks reveals an important shift — while it remains sensitive to macro shocks, it’s starting to decouple from broader risk assets during moments of peak stress.” a Binance report said. (CryptoSlate)
2. Dow Tumbles For 3rd Day: US stocks closed mostly lower on Monday, as markets reacted to President Donald Trump's escalating trade war with China, including a threat to impose an additional 50% tariff if Beijing did not back down from its retaliatory measures. The S&P 500 fell 0.7%, the Dow Jones dropped 342 points in a wild session marked by record intraday swings, the Nasdaq 100 closed up 0.2% after earlier plunging over 3%. Volatility spiked across asset classes, with equities, Treasuries, and commodities all whipsawed by conflicting headlines, including speculation of a 90-day tariff pause, a rumor the White House quickly denied. (TradingEconomics)
3. US Small Business Sentiment Weaker than Expected: The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 3.3 points to 97.4 in March 2025, its lowest level since October 2024 and well below the market expectation of 101.3. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Crypto Scam: Australia Shuts Over 90 Companies Linked To Pig Butchering Schemes: Australia’s Securities and Investments Commission has sought the court’s approval to shut down 95 firms reportedly connected to crypto scams. The Federal Court of Australia signaled a green light to the securities watchdog to wind down the companies. (CoinGape)
-Technology and Science-
1. Scientists say they have resurrected the dire wolf: A species of wolf that died out some 12,500 years ago lives again as the “world’s first successfully de-extincted animal,” according to Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences. Colossal scientists have created three dire wolf pups by using ancient DNA, cloning and gene-editing technology to alter the genes of a gray wolf, the prehistoric dire wolf’s closest living relative, the company announced Monday. The result is essentially a hybrid species similar in appearance to its extinct forerunner. (CNN) (AC-Jurassic World anyone?)
2. Apple Reportedly Flies Planes of iPhones to the US From India, China to Avoid Trump's Tariffs: Apple and Tim Cook may have aligned themselves with President Donald J. Trump's good side, but it is still not enough as the company is now reportedly rushing to stockpile iPhone units from India and China. In the past few weeks, Apple has reportedly been flying planes full of iPhones from its Asian manufacturing plants to avoid facing the higher tariffs that the 47th POTUS is about to impose. (TechTimes)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Why Wait? Bitcoin Developer Proposes Plan to Fight Quantum Computing Threat: Bitcoin developers are proposing a Quantum-Resistant Address Migration Protocol to safeguard the cryptocurrency from potential quantum decryption threats. The protocol would require users to transition their Bitcoin to new, quantum-resistant addresses before a set deadline to protect against future attacks. (Decrypt)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 24/100 (Up 1 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 891,339
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 07Apr2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Global Markets Dump / Iran Militias in Iraq Consider Trump's Threats / Netanyahu at WH Today / 'Hands Off' Protest Nationwide / US Southern Storms Kill 17 / Budget Battle This Week in Congress / Brazil Can Now Take Crypto on Exchanges / Stablecoin Legislation in Congress / Russia Delays CBDC Rollout / Money Rolls Out of BTC ETFs / New Malware Targets Seed Phrases / Exploding Star May be Seen in Night Sky / Dorsey says Bitcoin SOV Not Enough
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $76,719, 25.17 oz Gold, .18 Median US House
24hr Hi: $82,765 / Lo: $74,436
Vol: $71B (Up 427%)
Mkt Cap: $1.52T (Down 7%)
HashRate: 903 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 2 sats/vBtye (Up 100%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Market Panic Mounts As World Scrambles To Temper Trump Tariffs: Global stock markets experienced significant declines, with Hong Kong's market seeing the largest drop at 13.2%, marking its biggest one-day fall since 1997. China's stock market also suffered, recording its worst single-day loss since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Other markets, including those in Taiwan, Japan, Italy, Singapore, and Sweden, also saw substantial decreases. Bitcoin is currently down 5%. (Various)
2. Iran-backed Iraqi militias consider disarming amid threats from Trump administration: Several powerful Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq are prepared to disarm for the first time to avert the threat of an escalating conflict with the US Trump administration, 10 senior commanders and Iraqi officials told Reuters. The commanders said their main ally and patron, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) military force, had given them its blessing to take whatever decisions they deemed necessary to avoid being drawn into a potentially ruinous conflict with the United States and Israel. (Reuters)
3. Trump, Netanyahu to meet at White House as Israel seeks tariff relief, discussions on Iran, Gaza hostages: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, with Washington’s recently imposed global tariffs set to be part of their talks. (Fox)
-US Events-
1. Nationwide 'Hands Off!' Protests Draw Over Half a Million Against Trump and Musk Policies: Over 1,200 protests organized by 150+ groups across all 50 states oppose Trump administration's federal worker firings, agency closures, and social program cuts. Thousands gather at National Mall and major cities with Elon Musk's DOGE department facing criticism. (GroundNews) (AC-The protest looked well-organized and funded, even if the purpose was to support big government.)
2. US Storms, 'Devastating' Flooding Death Toll Climbs To 17: Flood warnings remain in effect, particularly in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama, according to forecasters. Tennessee has been the hardest hit, with 10 deaths recorded in the western part of the state. (Breitbart)
3. Johnson faces fraught week as House takes up Trump budget blueprint: A handful of conservatives have explicitly said they plan to vote against the Senate’s budget resolution, which sets up Trump’s legislative agenda of tax cuts, border funding and energy policy. (TheHill)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Cryptocurrency Assets Are Now Legally Seizable in Brazil: In a historic decision, the National High Court of Brazil decided that when funds are not available for seizure in the banking system, judges can directly send letters to cryptocurrency exchanges to investigate if debtors have crypto and seize it. (BitcoinCom) (AC-Legislation like this may justSta push self-custody adoption.)
2. Stablecoin bill advances in Senate: After years of uncertainty, stablecoin regulation is finally gaining momentum on Capitol Hill. Three competing bills—the GENIUS Act, the STABLE Act, and an unnamed proposal from Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)—are vying to define the future of digital dollars in the U.S. This long-overdue push for clear rules could determine whether stablecoins could become a mainstream financial tool or remain stuck in regulatory limbo. (CryptoSlate)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. Russia’s CBDC Delay and Its Impact on Global Cryptocurrency Regulation and Financial Innovation: The CBDC launch in Russia has been officially delayed until mid-2026. The Bank of Russia had initially planned to roll out the CBDC for mass use by July 2025, but various technical challenges and implementation concerns have forced a significant delay in the project’s timeline. (WatcherGuru)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Spot bitcoin ETFs see nearly $100 million in net outflows as stocks tumble on Trump’s tariff news: Spot bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. saw $99.86 million leave the products on Thursday, reversing the previous day’s inflows of $220.76 million. (TheBlock)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US Futures Drop as Market Rout Deepens: US stock futures plunged on Monday, extending the market rout to a third consecutive session as the White House continued push for aggressive tariffs on major trading partners despite the selloff. Dow and S&P 500 futures declined around 4%, while Nasdaq 100 futures dropped another 5%. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. PoisonSeed Exploits CRM Accounts to Launch Cryptocurrency Seed Phrase Poisoning Attacks: A malicious campaign dubbed PoisonSeed is leveraging compromised credentials associated with customer relationship management (CRM) tools and bulk email providers to send spam messages containing cryptocurrency seed phrases in an attempt to drain victims' digital wallets. Targets of PoisonSeed include enterprise organizations and individuals outside the cryptocurrency industry. Crypto companies like Coinbase and Ledger, and bulk email providers such as Mailchimp, SendGrid, Hubspot, Mailgun, and Zoho are among the targeted crypto companies. (HackerNews) (AC- Never let your seed phrase become digitized-no photos, notes, or inputted onto any device.)
-Technology and Science-
1. Blaze star to explode in a dazzling display visible to the naked eye from Earth despite being 3,000 lightyears away: A rare celestial event is about to dazzle the night sky. The Blaze Star, or T Coronae Borealis, located 3,000 lightyears away, is on the verge of a powerful explosion. Visible as brightly as Polaris, this once-in-80-years event could occur anytime. To witness it, look towards the Corona Borealis constellation between Arcturus and Vega. (EconomicTimes)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Jack Dorsey: Bitcoin Can Fail If Only Used As Digital Gold, Store of Value: Twitter founder and Block Inc. CEO Jack Dorsey has recently shared his thoughts on why Bitcoin would fail if pursued only as a store of value of “digital gold”. Although BTC is often seen as a hedge to the equity market, it has largely moved in tandem with it and is still considered a risk-ON asset considering volatility. Dorsey believes that it’s high time that BTC enters mainstream financial payments. (CoinGape)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 23/100 (Down 5 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 890,877
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 04Apr2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: South Korea President Removed From Office / IDF Advances Hamas Operations / China Retaliates with 34% Tariff / DIRNSA Fired / Fauci's Wife Fired From NIH / Anti-CBDC Bill Moves Forward / Money Flows Out of BTC ETFs, Stocks, USTs Down on Tariffs / Bitcoin Companies Get Funded / Senators to Look Increase USSS Ability to Prosecute Digital Asset Crimes / Wrench Attack Nets $50M / AI Sucking Up All Data / BTC Miners Drop
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $82,406, 26.47 oz Gold, .19 Median US House
24hr Hi: $84,696 / Lo: $81,282
Vol: $41B (Down 22%)
Mkt Cap: $1.63T (Down 1%)
HashRate: 850 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 1 sats/vBtye (Down 86%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. South Korean court removes impeached President Yoon from office: South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has been removed from office over his brief martial law declaration last December that saw troops deployed to the National Assembly. Yoon is due to stand trial on insurrection charges in relation to the emergency declaration that sparked massive protests and threw the U.S. ally into political turmoil before he rescinded it. His supporters swarmed the streets of the South Korean capital Seoul and video from the scene showed a heavy police presence as the court's verdict was delivered. (Axios)
2. IDF widens ground operation in northern Gaza, kills senior Hamas official in Lebanon: The IDF said that so far, troops have killed several terror operatives and destroyed infrastructure, including a Hamas command center. Israel had issued sweeping evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza ahead of ground operations. The UN humanitarian office said around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since the ceasefire with Hamas fell apart last month. (TimesOfIsrael)
3. China to impose 34% retaliatory tariff on all goods imported from the U.S.: China will impose a reciprocal 34% tariff on all imports from the United States starting April 10. China stated that this action violates WTO rules and undermines multilateral trade systems. The country indicated that there may be a phased retaliation, reserving stronger actions for potential escalation. (GroundNews)
-US Events-
1. National Security Agency Director Gen. Haugh fired, civilian deputy director reassigned: The Trump administration fired National Security Agency Director Gen. Timothy Haugh and civilian Deputy Director Wendy Noble. Haugh also served as commander of the U.S. Cyber Command – a position from which he was also dismissed. Noble was reassigned to serve in the office of the undersecretary of defense for intelligence. An undisclosed number of NSC employees were dismissed on Thursday, but Trump has said Loomer was not involved in those firings. (Fox) (AC-For context, Laura Loomer met with Trump yesterday, allegedly giving him a list of officials not 'supporting' the MAGA movement. There were a number of firings following this meeting, indicating a limited purge of non-loyalists.)
2. RFK Jr. Fires Fauci’s Wife Christine Grady from NIH Bioethics Department: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has fired Anthony Fauci’s wife, Christine Grady, from her post heading up the National Institutes of Health Clinical Centers’ bioethics department. (Breitbart)
-Regulatory and Legal-
NSTR
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. US House Committee Votes to Move Forward on Anti-CBDC Bill: Minnesota Republicans’ Anti-CBDC Act passes key committee, aiming to curb federal surveillance through digital currencies. (Decrypt)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Spot bitcoin ETFs see nearly $100 million in net outflows as stocks tumble on Trump’s tariff news: U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds logged $99.86 million in net outflows Thursday, as the U.S. stock market tumbled following Trump's tariff announcement. Grayscale's GBTC led the outflows with $60.2 million, followed by Bitwise BITB's outflows of $44.19 million and Fidelity FBTC's $23.27 million. (TheBlock)
2. Bitcoin-native startups see funding boost despite overall capital decline in 2024: The report highlighted that the number of unique Bitcoin-native companies funded rose 27.5% on a yearly basis, while the number of individual transactions grew 31.8%. TVP defined a “Bitcoin-native” company as one founded on the principle that Bitcoin serves as a foundational global monetary asset and digital cash, with business models aligned to the Bitcoin protocol stack. This emerging category includes startups building infrastructure, applications, and services that leverage the base Bitcoin network or related layers. (CryptoSlate) (AC-Interesting study on startups committed to Bitcoin 'Unit of Account' and 'Medium of Exchange' methods.)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US 10-Year Treasury Yield Tumbles to 6-Month Low: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note dropped by as much as 16 basis points to 3.89%, its lowest level in six months, after China retaliated against US tariffs. China’s finance ministry announced a 34% tariff on all US imports starting April 10, in response to recent US tariffs imposed by President Trump. (TradingEconomics)
2. US Stocks Suffer Sharp Declines Amid Tariff Concerns: US equities faced their steepest decline in over two years on Thursday, as major stock indexes suffered sharp losses. The S&P 500 plunged 4.8%, erasing roughly $2 trillion in market value, marking its largest drop since 2020. The Dow fell nearly 1,680 points, while the Nasdaq dropped 5.9%. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Lawmakers seek to close loophole limiting Secret Service investigations into cyber laundering: U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said the Secret Service works with the Treasury Department, DOJ and other law enforcement to investigate cybercrimes but are hampered by rules that limit their jurisdiction over unlicensed money transmitting businesses. The reintroduced Combatting Money Laundering in Cyber Crime Act would update current laws to authorize the Secret Service to investigate all new forms of criminal activity involving digital assets. (TheRecord)
2. A Thriller Gone Real: Alleged Scammer Kidnapped by Fake Police, Loses $50 Million: An individual wanted by Interpol, lost $50 million in a kidnapping that involved drugs, fake police officers, and a daring escape in Brazil. Rodrigo Perez was kidnapped on March 24 by fake police officers who kept him drugged and handcuffed to a bed for five days. Perez’s kidnapping marks an increase in the prevalence of $5 wrench attack cases in the crypto industry.(BitcoinCom) (AC-A tale too long for the DIB, but another interesting wrench attack.)
-Technology and Science-
1. Wikimedia Complains About AI Bots Scraping as It Strains Servers, Causing Bandwidth to Surge by 50%: AI bots that are scraping data from their platforms have already caused a significant strain to their servers, and while many organic users still head to their websites for information, bots make up the majority. (TechTimes) (AC-Interesting developments at AI and LLMs platforms scrape data, storing it other places. The data shift could have important ramifications.)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Bitcoin Mining Stocks Fall Hard as Trump Tariffs Rattle Investors: Shares of top U.S. Bitcoin mining companies dropped between 6-8% following President Trump's announcement of global tariffs. The tariffs, including a 10% baseline and 34% on Chinese imports, could impact companies relying on Chinese ASIC manufacturers. (Decrypt)
2. Bitcoin hashrate hits record 972 EH/s as US miners capture 30% of market (CryptoSlate)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 28/100 (Up 3 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 890,703
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 03Apr2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Hungary Withdraws From ICC / Israel Air Strikes Throughout Syria / Tariff Trade War Ignites / WA Roofing Company Raided by ICE / New LA Homeless Tax Confounds / WH Says 'Not so fast" on Elon Departure / FTX Bankruptcy Court Says 'No KYC, No Refund' / Anti-CBDC Bill Passes US Committee / JPMorgan Says Gold Still the Hedge King / Bitcoin, Stocks, Bonds All Dislike Tariffs / Rise in Job Cuts Due to DOGE / X Data Breach of Most Users / North Korea Infiltrates EU Crypto Industry / New Camera in Orbit Sees Far
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $82,859, 26.87 oz Gold, .19 Median US House
24hr Hi: $88,466 / Lo: $82,182
Vol: $54B (Up 95%)
Mkt Cap: $1.64T (Down 2%)
HashRate: 836 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 6 sats/vBtye (Up 500%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Hungary says it is withdrawing from ICC as Israeli leader visits: Hungary's government has decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, it said on Thursday, shortly after Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, sought under an ICC arrest warrant, arrived in the country for a state visit. (Reuters)
2. In Warning To Turkey, Israel Strikes Several Bases Across Syria: Israel on Tuesday carried out several major airstrikes on Syria, including targeting the capital of Damascus, according to state agency SANA. Since Bashar al-Assad's ouster on December 8, Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes on army bases, weapons storehouses, and alleged chemical weapons sites. The timing of these fresh strikes is interesting especially given Turkey's growing closeness to the new Jolani regime. (ZeroHedge)
3. Trump Sparks Trade War With Sweeping Global Tariffs: US President Donald Trump ignited a potentially ruinous trade war Wednesday as he slapped sweeping 10 percent tariffs on imports from around the world and harsh additional levies on key trading partners. "For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike," Trump said. said that he was "very kind" and so was only imposing half the amount that the "worst offenders" taxed US exports. For the rest, Trump said he would impose a "baseline" tariff of 10 percent, including another key ally, Britain. (IBTimes) (AC-Do research before coming to a conclusion on this one-it is a nuanced issue.)
-US Events-
1. Immigration officials raid Washington state roofing company and arrest over 3 dozen people: ICE agents arrested 37 individuals at Mt. Baker Roofing in Bellingham on Wednesday.Authorities enforced immigration law, leading to the arrests for misrepresentation of immigration status. Owner Mark Kuske said federal actions targeting workers harm small businesses like his roofing company. (GroundNews) (AC-Shot across the bow for small businesses using illegal labor, this may effect many trades/industries throughout the US.)
2. Shock for L.A. Consumers as ‘Homeless Tax’ — Which They Voted for — Takes Effect: Consumers in Los Angeles County were shocked Tuesday as a new quarter-percent sales tax, ostensibly to raise funds for services for the homeless, went into effect following a referendum in November. L.A. residents recently learned that $2.3 billion spent on homeless services in Los Angeles had been unaccounted for — and the money had come from the same sales taxes that referendums like Measure A had been designed to fund. Two cities in the county, Lancaster and Palmdale, are now paying a sales tax of 11.25% — the highest in the U.S. (Breitbart) (AC-Funny, not funny.)
3. White House Responds to Report Elon Musk 'Will Leave Soon': White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded on social media platform X.
“This ‘scoop’ is garbage,” she wrote. Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete. (WesternJournal)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. FTX bankruptcy team rejects claims from non-compliant creditors amid KYC crackdown: Bankrupt FTX has received court approval to reject creditor claims from users who failed to begin the Know Your Customer (KYC) process before March 3, 2025. He added that the exchange could disqualify up to $655 million in claims under $50,000 and around $1.9 billion in more significant claims if users fail to submit KYC documents. (CryptoSlate) (AC-This situation reminds us of the bitcoin maxim, 'Not your keys, not your coins'.
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. Reintroduced anti-CBDC bill passes US House Financial Services Committee: The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act (H.R. 1919) passed voting in the U.S. House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, with 27 in favor and 22 opposed. The bill, introduced by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., aims to prevent the use of central bank digital currency for monetary policy and prohibit Federal Reserve banks from offering products and services directly to an individual. (TheBlock) (AC-There is still a lot of wiggle room for a nation-run digital currency.)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. JPMorgan says bitcoin's 'digital gold' narrative is under pressure, highlights gold's strength in debasement trade: "Bitcoin's volatility and correlation with equities raises questions over its 'digital gold' narrative," JPMorgan analysts said. "Looking forward, we see gold continuing to rise as the major beneficiary of the debasement trade." (TheBlock)
-Economic Indicators-
1. Trump’s Tariffs Erase $74B From Bitcoin’s Market Cap in Under an Hour: Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs send shockwaves through financial markets, triggering a $74 billion Bitcoin market cap drop, $2.5 trillion erased from the S&P 500, and $220 million in crypto liquidations. The Dow Jones futures plunge 1,100 points, while the Nasdaq 100 drops 900 points, marking one of the worst pre-market performances in recent history as investors scramble to reassess risk exposure. (BitcoinSensus)
2. US Job Cuts Hit Fresh 2020-Highs on DOGE Layoffs: US employers announced 275.240K job cuts in March 2025, the highest value since May 2020, compared to 172.017K in February. March 2025 figure is the third-highest monthly total ever recorded. “Job cut announcements were dominated last month by DOGE plans to eliminate positions in the federal government. (TradingEconomics)
3. US 10-Year Treasury Yield Falls as Tariffs Heightened Growth Concerns: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.08% on Thursday, its lowest level since mid-October, as President Trump’s latest reciprocal tariff announcement triggered a broad flight to safety. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Massive X Data Breach Exposes Information on 200 Million Users: A hacker named ThinkingOne exposed a 34GB file containing data of 201 million X users, combining information from a recent 2025 breach with email addresses from a 2023 leak. The breach allegedly originated from a disgruntled employee during mass layoffs. The leaked data includes user IDs, full names, locations, email addresses, follower counts, and profile data. While no passwords or payment information were exposed, the breach raises serious identity theft and impersonation risks for affected users. (GroundNews)
2. Google Uncovers North Korean Infiltration in European Crypto Firms: North Korean-linked IT workers have reportedly expanded their operations beyond the United States, targeting crypto, blockchain and web development projects in the United Kingdom and Europe, according to a new report from Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG). These individuals, operating under false identities, have allegedly embedded themselves into remote crypto, blockchain-related positions in order to generate revenue for the North Korean regime. (Bitcoinist)
-Technology and Science-
1. NASA’s SPHEREx Takes First Images, Preps to Study Millions of Galaxies: NASA’s SPHEREx (short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) has turned on its detectors for the first time in space. Initial images from the observatory, which launched March 11, confirm that all systems are working as expected. (NASA)
-Bitcoin Community-
NSTR
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 25/100 (Up Down 19 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 890,543
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 02Apr2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: WHO Hurting for Money / China's Xi Blocks Panama Port Sale / Russia Shuts Down Kazakhstan Oil Pipeline / Liberal Wins WI Court Seat / Tariffs Announced Today / Blackrock Approved for ETP in EU / USG to Announce Crypto Holdings / Circle Under Fire During IPO / Signal App Has Human Weakness / EU Want Encryption Keys and New FBI-like Powers / Starliner Flight Was Precarious / Coal Use Down With Bitcoin Miners / Are Hardware Wallets Keeping Bitcoin Adoption Down?
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $84,539, 27.12 oz Gold, .20 Median US House
24hr Hi: $85,487 / Lo: $82,550
Vol: $28B (Up 1%)
Mkt Cap: $1.67T (Up 1%)
HashRate: 830 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 1 sats/vBtye (Down 50%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. WHO Facing $2.5-bn Gap Even After Slashing Budget: As the United Nations health agency has been bracing for the planned full US withdrawal next January, it has gradually shrunk its two-year budget for 2026-2027 from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion. (IBTimes)
2. China Blocks Panama Canal Port Sale — Report Claims Xi Jinping Infuriated by Deal Sought Without His Approval: Chinese antitrust regulators on Friday blocked a deal by the Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison conglomerate to sell two ports along the Panama Canal to a consortium led by investment giant BlackRock. (Breitbart)
3. Russia Halts Large Chunk Of Kazakhstan's Oil Export Capacity: Russia has ordered shut two of the three moorings of the main oil export terminal on the Black Sea handling Kazakhstan’s oil exports, which could seriously disrupt Kazakh crude shipments if the suspension lasts more than a few days. The port handles most of Kazakhstan’s crude exports from giant oilfields in Kazakhstan operated by international oil firms, including U.S. supermajor Chevron. (ZeroHedge)
-US Events-
1. Liberal candidate wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race in blow to Trump, Musk: Susan Crawford won the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, defeating Brad Schimel, which maintains the 4-3 liberal majority on the court. Over $90 million was spent by the candidates and their allies during the race, making it one of the most expensive court races in U.S. History. Crawford's campaign received support from Planned Parenthood and emphasized Schimel's anti-abortion stance. Elon Musk and groups he funded contributed over $21 million to the election effort. (GroundNews)
2. Trump’s tariff strategy: Boost US production, reduce trade imbalances: Using economic pressure to force the world’s manufacturers to set up shop in the United States, President Trump hopes to slash the roughly $1.2 trillion annual trade deficit, boost national self-sufficiency, raise federal revenues, and unleash a jobs boom. On Wednesday, which he calls “Liberation Day,” he’s due to announce his reciprocal tariffs – taxing imported goods at levels that, the administration says, are equivalent to trade barriers that other nations impose on the U.S. (CSM)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. BlackRock approved to offer crypto services in UK, expanding digital asset footprint: BlackRock's FCA approval restricts operations to ETP support, significantly narrowing its crypto asset activities. (CryptoSlate)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. US Government To Unveil Crypto Holdings: The US Government is expected to unveil its Bitcoin and altcoin holdings this week. The audit will bring clarity to the government's plan to include XRP, SOL & ADA to crypto reserves. The move could also expose the government's reserve management strategies. (CoinGape)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Circle holds just 73 BTC, raising questions about its Bitcoin commitment amid $5 billion valuation: Circle’s crypto holdings show a surprising underweight position in Bitcoin and Ethereum. As of Dec. 31, 2024, the company held just 73 BTC, valued at roughly $6.78 million, and 1,746 ETH, worth about $5.82 million. These figures are notably small, especially compared to Tether’s 92,000 BTC, worth approximately $7.64 billion. (CryptoSlate) (AC-Circle is conducting an IPO, which is opening it up to disclosures and the resultant critical analysis.)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US Futures Steady as Markets Brace for Trump Tariffs: US stock futures held steady on Wednesday as investors awaited the implementation of President Donald Trump’s reciprocal and other tariffs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly assured lawmakers that the new tariffs would act as a “cap,” allowing countries to take measures to reduce them. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Secure Messaging Apps Are Not as Safe as You Think, Says NSA: The NSA's latest alert, prompted by Google's Threat Intelligence Group, highlighted that Russia's GRU had influenced Ukrainian officials to provide access to their Signal accounts. This was not a result of Signal or other messaging apps' vulnerability, but resulted from users' behavior. The NSA's warning was stern. Users should alter their messaging settings to prevent such an occurrence. The first weak link is the Linked Devices. This option synchronizes your messages from more than one device. Take some time to review and unlink any unknown devices in your app's settings to avoid unauthorized use. Another one is the Group invite links, which are convenient for adding new members, but can share sensitive conversations with the wrong users. Signal provides disabling group links under group settings. (TechTimes) (AC-Conduct a security self-audit often to find these threat openings. Close them immediately!)
2. European Commission takes aim at end-to-end encryption and proposes Europol become an EU FBI: Among its aims is establishing Europol as “a truly operational police agency to reinforce support to Member States,” something potentially comparable to the U.S. FBI, with a role “in investigating cross-border, large-scale, and complex cases posing a serious threat to the internal security of the Union.” Alongside the new Europol, the Commission said it would create roadmaps regarding both the “lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement” and on encryption. (TheRecord) (AC-Centralization of power will continue in the EU until crisis hits hard.)
-Technology and Science-
1. Starliner’s flight to the space station was far wilder than most of us thought: As it flew up toward the International Space Station last summer, the Starliner spacecraft lost four thrusters. A NASA astronaut, Butch Wilmore, had to take manual control of the vehicle. But as Starliner's thrusters failed, Wilmore lost the ability to move the spacecraft in the direction he wanted to go. (Arstechnica) (AC-A dramatic read that may end up as a movie, though Boeing may squash it.)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Bitcoin Mining’s Energy Shift: Coal Use Drops While Renewables Rise: Coal energy usage, which once made up 63% of Bitcoin’s mining energy in 2011, has now dropped dramatically to just 20% in 2024. This transition comes amid growing concerns over environmental impact and increasing pressure for sustainable mining practices. (Bitcoinist)
2. Hardware Wallets: Bitcoin’s Biggest Adoption Barrier: There are roughly half a billion crypto users around the world and, at the most generous estimate, only 2.5% are using hardware wallets. Hardware wallets’ underlying technology is essentially unchanged from the days when their primary utility was as a secure, offline keysafe. It’s the same with UX, with users still expected to write down their seed words and then squint at a tiny screen every time they want to approve a transaction. Hardware wallets’ continued reliance on closed, proprietary systems is not just a security nightmare: it’s also terrible for Bitcoin innovation and adoption. (BitcoinMag) (AC-Editorials usually don't make the DIB, but there are relevant facts in this article to Bitcoiners to consider and debate.)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 44/100 (Up 10 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 890,391
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 1Apr2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: China Circles Taiwan / Hamas Spokesman Call to Arms Worldwide / Three of Four Missing Soldier Bodies Found / Milei Releases Nazi Docs / WI Court Election Today / States Cases Against Coinbase Dropped / CA Amendment May Protect Digital Asset Rights / Tether Buys More BTC / Tariff Day Weighs on Markets / Darknet Move Back to Bitcoin / ChatGPT Sees Spike / Brazilians Like Crypto / MIT Freedom Tech /
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $84,008, 26.79 oz Gold, .19 Median US House
24hr Hi: $83,476 / Lo: $81,725
Vol: $28B (Up 32%)
Mkt Cap: $1.66T (Up 2%)
HashRate: 831 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 2 sats/vBtye (Down 88%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Chinese military launches large-scale drills around Taiwan: The Chinese military announced large-scale drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan on Tuesday that include an aircraft carrier battle group, as it again warned the self-ruled island democracy against seeking formal independence. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it had tracked 19 Chinese navy vessels in the waters surrounding the island in a 24-hour period from 6 a.m. (AP)
2. Hamas Issues Call To Arms Against Displacement As Israel Orders New Evacuations: A senior Hamas official urged supporters worldwide on Monday to take up weapons and fight plans to displace Gaza's people, as Israel issued a sweeping evacuation order in the territory's south, stepping up its renewed offensive. "In the face of this sinister plan -- one that combines massacres with starvation -- anyone who can bear arms, anywhere in the world, must take action," Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement Monday. "Do not withhold an explosive, a bullet, a knife, or a stone. Let everyone break their silence." (IBTimes)
3. Bodies of three out of four US soldiers whose vehicle was submerged in Lithuania are recovered: The four soldiers were assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia. Their identities are being until their families are notified. Search and recovery operations continue to find the fourth soldier, the statement said. (CNN)
4. Milei Releases Documents on Nazis in Argentina: Argentinian President Javier Milei has ordered the release of documents related to Nazis who fled to Argentina after World War II. These documents have sparked discussions and claims on social media that Adolf Hitler escaped to Argentina and lived there until the mid-1960s. (X)
-US Events-
1. Wisconsin Supreme Court Election: Schimel vs. Crawford: The Wisconsin Supreme Court election, taking place on April 1st, features candidates Brad Schimel and Susan Crawford. Recent polls indicate a close race, with Crawford at 50.8% and Schimel at 49.2%. The outcome of this election could influence the redistricting of congressional seats in Wisconsin, which may have implications for the control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Both candidates have been actively campaigning, with endorsements and calls for voter turnout being highlighted on social media platforms. (X)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Kentucky, South Carolina, and Vermont Have Now All Dismissed Lawsuits Against Coinbase: Kentucky has joined South Carolina and Vermont in dropping its lawsuit against Coinbase over staking services, citing violations of state securities laws. The move follows a trend of states retracting enforcement actions against the exchange, with seven states still pursuing legal action. (Decrypt)
2. California’s Amended Digital Assets Act Would Protect Crypto Payments, Self-Custody: Introduced on Friday, the new amendment from Democrat assembly member Avelino Valencia renames the bill as the Digital Assets Act. Its main focus is on authorizing individuals and businesses within California to accept cryptocurrencies as payment for goods and services, as well as in payments between private individuals. The amendment also prohibits “public entities from prohibiting, restricting, or imposing any requirements on that use,” while also preventing the state of California from imposing taxes on the use of crypto as payment for goods and services. (Decrypt)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
NSTR
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Tether bought 8,888 bitcoin in Q1, bringing its total holdings to $7.8 billion — the sixth largest in a single wallet: Stablecoin issuer Tether purchased an additional 8,888 bitcoin in the first quarter of 2025 for about $735 million, bringing its total holdings to 92,646 BTC, worth roughly $7.8 billion at current prices. (TheBlock)
-Economic Indicators-
1. Dollar Holds Steady Ahead of Fresh Tariffs: The US dollar index hovered around 104 on Tuesday, trading sideways as investors awaited the implementation of President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs to gain clarity on the economic outlook. Uncertainty persists regarding the scope of the levies, as Trump has indicated they will apply broadly to all countries, while reports suggest he is urging advisors to take a more aggressive trade stance. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. It's Back to Bitcoin for Darknet Markets After Monero's Binance Delisting: Chainalysis: Darknet markets are returning to bitcoin as their primary cryptocurrency after privacy-focused coin monero was delisted from major exchanges including Binance. Only some 0.14% of all crypto transactions, or about $50 billion, involve illicit activity. (CoinDesk)
2. Firefox fixes flaw similar to Chrome zero-day used against Russian organizations: Mozilla has patched a critical security flaw in its Firefox browser, just days after Google addressed a similar vulnerability that had been exploited as a zero-day in espionage attacks against Russian organizations. The Firefox flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-2857, allows attackers to escape the browser’s sandbox protections and gain broader system access. (TheRecord)
-Technology and Science-
1. OpenAI Celebrates ChatGPT Earning 1M Users in Only an Hour—Is It Because of AI Image Generation: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has shared a new post via X which details the latest milestone that the company is currently celebrating for ChatGPT, particularly as the chatbot platform saw one million users sign up in only an hour. The latest ChatGPT feature allows users to create AI-generated images directly from their prompts. (TechTimes)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. More Brazilians Invest in Cryptocurrency Than in Dollars, Gold and Stocks: The survey, commissioned by Coinbase and Hashdex, found that while savings accounts were Brazil’s most used investment instrument, cryptocurrency was more popular than other options, including stocks and gold, among Brazilians. (BitcoinCom)
2. The MIT Bitcoin Expo 2025: Freedom Tech: The MIT Bitcoin Club—a passionate coalition of students, alumni, researchers, and community members—presents the 12th annual MIT Bitcoin Expo (April 5–6, 2025), a landmark event exploring how Bitcoin and freedom technologies empower individuals worldwide. (BitcoinMag)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 34/100 (Even)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 889,521
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 26Mar2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Palestinians Protest Against Hamas / Russia, Ukraine Agree on Black Sea / US SECDEF Meets Philippine Leadership / Trump EO Mandates Proof of Citizenship for Voting / Trump Advisor Waltz Takes Responsibility for Chat Snafu / SEC Sets Roundtables for Crypto Talks / Congress to Vote on Dropping Broker Rule for De-Fi Firms / NC to Vote on Bitcoin Reserves / StableCoin Use Up / GameStop Adopts Bitcoin / Chinese Hackers in Telecoms for Years / USG Looks to Starlink for Rural Areas / Zambia Bitcoin Mine Pairs Well with Stranded Hydro Power
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $88,058, 29.05 oz Gold, .20 Median US House
24hr Hi: $88,542 / Lo: $86,997
Vol: $28B (Down 12%)
Mkt Cap: $1.74T (Up 1%)
HashRate: 842 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 13 sats/vBtye (Up 325%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza protest against Hamas after conflict resumes: Hundreds of Palestinians have protested in northern Gaza to demand an end to war and chanting "Hamas out," social media posts showed, in a rare public show of opposition to the militant group that sparked the latest war with its October 7, 2023 raid on Israel. (Reuters)
2. Russia, Ukraine agree to truce at sea and ban on energy attacks: The United States has reached agreements with both Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe navigation and eliminate the use of force in the Black Sea, according to statements from the White House. While naval hostilities may cease, the agreement does not end the ongoing land conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing the need for a durable peace. (GroundNews)
3. Pentagon chief to visit Philippines for security talks: Hegseth will be in Manila on March 28-29 to meet his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Talks will touch on increasingly assertive actions by Beijing in the South China Sea and “more significant support” to Philippine security forces by the Trump administration. (DefenseNews)
-US Events-
1. Trump Signs Executive Order Mandating Proof Of Citizenship In Major Election Overhaul: U.S. President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, signed an executive order that would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship at the polls and seeks to block states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The order also seeks to reduce federal funding for states that do not comply with the new rules, a release from White House said. (IBTimes)
2. Trump Advisor Waltz Takes Responsibility For Yemen Chat Leak: National Security Advisor Mike Waltz accepted "full responsibility" for mistakenly adding Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat discussing strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, as reported by Fox News. Waltz indicated that an investigation into the information leak is ongoing, and he emphasized that some of the "best technical minds" are involved. (GroundNews)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. SEC's Crypto Task Force to Hold More Roundtables for Clearer Industry Regulations: The SEC's Crypto Task Force will host four roundtables on crypto regulation from April to June to create clearer rules for the industry. Commissioner Hester Peirce leads the task force to understand current regulatory issues and potential solutions. (Decrypt)
2. Congress moves to overturn IRS broker rule targeting DeFi platforms, potential Trump signing on March 28: The US Senate is preparing to hold a final vote on March 27 to nullify the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) broker reporting rule for DeFi operators. If approved, the resolution could be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk as early as March 28 for signing. (CryptoSlate)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. North Carolina bills would add crypto to state’s retirement system: North Carolina lawmakers have introduced twin bills in the House and Senate which could see up to 5% of crypto assets allocated to state retirement funds. (CoinTelegraph)
2. USDC stablecoin supply surpasses all-time high, topping $60 billion market cap: Circle’s USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin has surpassed a market cap of $60 billion, its record high. The overall market cap for stablecoins has also reached new highs, exceeding $230 billion. (TheBlock)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. GameStop Adds Bitcoin to Treasury: GameStop has announced the inclusion of Bitcoin in its treasury reserve assets, a decision that has led to a significant increase in its stock price during pre-market trading. With approximately $4.75 billion in cash, GameStop's move positions it as the second-largest publicly-listed company holder of Bitcoin, following Strategy. (Various)
-Economic Indicators-
1. S&P 500, Nasdaq Rise for 3rd Day: The S&P 500 rose 0.1% on Tuesday, and the Nasdaq gained 0.5%, marking their third consecutive session of gains. The Dow Jones remained flat as investors weighed the impact of looming tariffs and economic uncertainty. (TradingEconomics)
2. US Home Prices Rise at Faster Pace in January: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index in the U.S. rose 4.7% year-on-year in January, up from 4.5% in December, but falling short of the expected 4.8% increase. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Chinese Hackers Breach Asian Telecom, Remain Undetected for Over 4 Years: A major telecommunications company located in Asia was allegedly breached by Chinese state-sponsored hackers who spent over four years inside its systems, according to a new report from incident response firm Sygnia. The cybersecurity company is tracking the activity under the name Weaver Ant, describing the threat actor as stealthy and highly persistent. The name of the telecom provider was not disclosed. (HackerNews)
-Technology and Science-
1. US Commerce Secretary: Prioritize Starlink in Rural Areas, Satellite Internet Over Broadband: The current United States Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, has recently spoken to leaders of the government's rural broadband initiative. Here, he urged them to "prioritize" Starlink. (TechTimes)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Bitcoin in the bush - the crypto mine in remote Zambia: We're in the far north-western tip of Zambia near the border with the DRC, and of all the bitcoin mines I've visited - this one is the strangest. Philip's mine is plugged directly into a hydro-electric power plant that channels some of the Zambezi's torrent through enormous turbines to generate continuous, clean electricity. More importantly for bitcoin mining - it's cheap. The power plant provides power for around 15,000 people in the local area but was a economic loss until Bitcoiners set up shop. (BBC) (AC-Great article on the benefits of bitcoin mining on stranded electricity areas.)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 47/100 (Up 1 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 889,364
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 25Mar2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Ukraine Talks Resume / Two Journalists Killed in Gaza / 'Moonies' Church Ordered Closed in Japan / NatSec Officials Accidentally Add Liberal Journalist to Signal Chat / Dr. Susan Monarez Nominated for CDC Director / US Crypto Czar Meets With UAE / New KY Law Protects Self-Custody / Binance Insider Fired Over Pre-Trading / Tornado Cash Free From US Sanctions / Blackrock BTC ETP Opens in EU / Bitcoin Stocks Up / MSTR Over 500K BTC / Stocks Up / 23andMe Data Up for Grabs / Carbon Molecules Found on Mars / Bitcoin Whales on the Move
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $87,267, 28.90 oz Gold, .20 Median US House
24hr Hi: $88,758 / Lo: $86,346
Vol: $32B (Up 47%)
Mkt Cap: $1.73T (Even)
HashRate: 834 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 4 sats/vBtye (Up 25%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. US, Ukraine Officials In New Saudi Talks, No Breakthrough With Russia: Washington and Kyiv held brief talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a day after hours of US-Russia negotiations on halting the fighting in Ukraine ended without any breakthroughs announced. (IBTimess)
2. Two Journalists Killed in Gaza Strikes: Two journalists, Hossam Shabat from Al Jazeera and Mohammad Mansour from Palestine Today, were killed in separate Israeli attacks in Gaza on March 24, 2025. The attacks come amidst a renewed offensive in the region, with Shabat and Mansour reportedly targeted while covering the conflict. (X)
3. A court orders the dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan: A court ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan, upholding a government request for a revocation spurred by the investigation into the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Tokyo District Court’s revocation of the church’s legal status means it will lose its tax-exempt privilege and must liquidate its assets. (CNN)
-US Events-
1. Trump Officials Accidentally Add Journalist to Signal Chat on Yemen Strikes: An American reporter was accidentally included in a group chat discussing airstrikes on Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis by officials in Donald Trump's government, including US Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, noted that many celebrated the strikes with messages like 'good job' and 'God bless.' The White House confirmed the incident and stated they are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain, according to National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes. Goldberg was aware of the strikes two hours before they occurred, indicating a breach in communication protocol. (GroundNews)
2. Dr. Susan Monarez Nominated for CDC Director Role: Dr. Susan Monarez has been nominated by President Trump to serve as the next Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Her appointment has stirred controversy among some groups advocating for different public health leadership, such as those supporting Dr. Joseph Ladapo. (X)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. White House Crypto Czar Meets UAE Leader: White House crypto czar David Sacks met UAE leadership to discuss digital currency’s disruptive impact, signaling potential global policy shifts and deepening strategic financial alliances. Bringing together a senior U.S. technology policymaker and one of the Gulf region’s primary decision-makers, the session highlighted an emerging pattern of bilateral engagement around complex digital ecosystems. (BitcoinCom)
2. New Kentucky Law Secures Bitcoin and Ethereum Self-Custody Rights: House Bill 701 in Kentucky provides enhanced protections for individuals who self-custody Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, ensuring full control over private keys. The unanimous support from the House and Senate reflects the state's commitment to safeguarding crypto rights. (Decrypt)
3. Binance suspends staff, bans market maker to tackle insider trading and manipulation: On March 25, Binance Wallet confirmed the suspension of an employee who engaged in front-running trades using privileged information. The individual previously held a business development role at BNB Chain, which granted them access to sensitive details, including upcoming token launches. (CryptoSlate)
4. US Treasury Removes Tornado Cash From OFAC Sanctions List: The Department of Treasury has lifted Sanctions on Tornado Cash, the Ethereum based smart contract mixer, following a series of legal defeats and administrative challenges. (BitcoinMag)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
NSTR
-Institutional Concerns-
1. BlackRock Will List Its First Crypto ETP in Europe With Reduced Fee: BlackRock, the asset manager of the largest U.S. spot bitcoin ETF, will launch its first crypto ETP in Europe. (CoinDesk)
2. Strategy, Coinbase Shares Surge Alongside Bitcoin Mining Firms as Markets Rebound: On Monday, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) saw a more than 10% increase in share price, closing at $335.72, while Coinbase rose by 7% to $203. Bitcoin mining companies like CleanSpark, Riot Platforms, and MARA Holdings also experienced significant gains. (Decrypt)
3. Strategy Bitcoin Holdings Exceed 500,000 Coins After Recent Stock Sales: Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, disclosed holding over 500,000 Bitcoin valued at $44.2 billion after recent stock sales. The company bought Bitcoin at an average price of $84,500 per coin, slightly higher than previous purchases. (Decrypt) (AC-One half of Satoshi's stack...)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US Futures Steady After Strong Rally: US stock futures held steady on Tuesday following a strong rally in major indices, fueled by hopes that the Trump administration may take a more targeted approach to tariffs. On Monday, the Dow climbed 1.42%, the S&P 500 jumped 1.76%, and the Nasdaq surged 2.27%.(TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. 23andMe files for bankruptcy, putting customers’ genetic data at risk: The genetic testing company 23andMe has begun Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, alarming regulators and privacy advocates who are warning customers to delete genetic information retained by the company. (TheRecord)
-Technology and Science-
1. Largest Carbon Molecules Found on Mars Build The Case For Ancient Life: Chains of up to a dozen carbon atoms have been detected in what appears to have been an ancient lakebed on Mars, contributing to a growing library of compounds that could be a vital clue about the history of life on the red planet. The finding was made by a sampling instrument on NASA's Curiosity rover, with an international team confirming the results in a laboratory here on Earth. (ScienceAlert)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Massive Bitcoin whale buys $200M in BTC, another wakes up after 8 years: A massive Bitcoin whale wallet holding has just added $200 million worth of Bitcoin to its position after selling over 11,400 Bitcoin over the last few months. Data shared by the firm shows the whale holds over 15,000 Bitcoin in its wallet, worth over $1.3 billion, at current prices. Another Bitcoin whale has woken up after eight years of dormancy, moving over 3,000 Bitcoin, worth $250 million, in one transaction on March 22. (CoinTelegraph)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 46/100 (Up 1 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): Although uncertainty still exists in global geopolitics, it seems that markets and investors are beginning to rationalize the actions of the Trump administration, which have stirred up turmoil for the last few months.
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 886,422
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 05Mar2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Arab States Adopt Alternative Gaza Plan / Houthis Now 'Foreign Terrorist' / China Plans 7.2% Defense Increase / HK Billionaire to Sell Panama Canal Ports to BlackRock / Trump Speech to Congress Ignites / IRS May Fire Half of Staff / Peter Schiff Calls for Investigation / WH to Host Crypto Summit Friday / Five Options for US to Build an SBR / US Business Optimism, Stocks, Yields Down / Multi-Sig Wallet Led to ByBit Hack / Chinese Say Quantum Computing Breakthrough Takes Lead / Bukele-IMF Needs a Rap Battle / Tariff War Could Hit US Hashrate
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $89,704, 30.83 oz Gold, .21 Median US House
24hr Hi: $90,933 / Lo: $81,529
Vol: $63B (Down 13%)
Mkt Cap: $1.77T (Up 8%)
HashRate: 796 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 1 sats/vBtye (Down 80%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Arab states adopt Egyptian alternative to Trump's 'Gaza Riviera': Arab leaders adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza on Tuesday that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave, in contrast to U.S. President Donald Trump's"Middle East Riviera" vision. The major questions that need to be answered about Gaza's future are who will run the enclave and which countries will provide the billions of dollars needed for reconstruction. (Reuters) (AC-Details matter in this situation and there are none.)
2. US designates Yemen’s Houthis as ‘foreign terrorist’ organization: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the department had restored the designation, which carries with it sanctions and penalties for anyone providing “material support” for the group. (AlJazerra)
3. China will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year: Tensions with the U.S., Taiwan, Japan and neighbors who have overlapping claims to the crucial South China Sea are seen as driving spending on increasingly high-tech military technologies. Those include stealth fighters, the country’s three — soon to be four — aircraft carriers, and a broad expansion of its nuclear arsenal. (AP)
4. Hong Kong billionaire to sell Panama Canal ports to US firm: A Hong Kong-based company has agreed to sell most of its stake in two key ports on the Panama Canal to a group led by US investment firm BlackRock. Through a subsidiary, CK Hutchison Holding operates ports at the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean entrances to the canal. It said Tuesday that it would sell its interests as part of a deal worth $22.8bn. (AC-BlackRock?)
-US Events-
1. Tariffs, Elon Musk, Ukraine: Key Takeaways From Donald Trump's First Congress Address: Trump reiterated that his tariffs will push through even as some countries have said they will definitely retaliate. Trump also announced reciprocal tariffs, including on India, China, the European Union, and Brazil. He once again called for Greenland and the Panama Canal to be placed under US control. He praised Elon Musk's 'hard work' and claimed that 'everybody' in Congress appreciates the Tesla CEO's efforts. Ukraine and Zelensky were briefly mentioned following last week's Oval Office drama. (IBTimes)
2. IRS drafting plans to slash as much as half of its 90,000-person workforce leaving agency ‘dysfunctional": The federal tax collector employs roughly 90,000 workers total across the United States, according to the latest IRS data. People of color make up 56% of the IRS workforce, and women represent 65%. Already, roughly 7,000 probationary IRS employees with roughly one year or less of service were laid off from the organization in February. (PBS)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Schiff Demands Investigation Into Trump’s Crypto Reserve ‘Announcement,' Citing Insider Trading Concerns: Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff is calling for a Congressional investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump’s two Truth Social posts, which he claims were part of a “pump and dump scheme.” (BitcoinCom)
2. White House Prepares for its First Crypto Summit. Here's What to Expect: The White House is preparing for its first crypto summit, with industry leaders like Michael Saylor and Brian Armstrong confirmed to attend. The summit replaces Trump's abandoned crypto council due to industry infighting and overwhelming demand for seats. (Decrypt)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. 5 Aggressive Strategies Trump Could Use to Build a Colossal Federal BTC Reserve: The U.S. government could rapidly build a strategic bitcoin reserve under the Trump administration through five key methods: seizing assets, accepting tax payments, purchasing directly, selling federal assets for BTC, and borrowing bitcoin via loans or bonds. (BitcoinCom) (AC-Interesting option analysis)
-Institutional Concerns-
NSTR
-Economic Indicators-
1. US Economic Optimism Index Falls to 5-Month Low: The RealClearMarkets/TIPP Economic Optimism Index in the US fell to 49.8 in March 2025 from 52.0 in February, the lowest in five months and missing market expectations of 53.1. (TradingEconomics)
2. US 10-Year Treasury Yield at Over 4-Month Lows: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.13% on Tuesday, a level not seen since late October, as the escalating trade war raised further concerns about the economic impact of the new trade policies. (TradingEconomics)
3. US Stocks Extend Losses on Tariffs: US stocks were lower on Tuesday, with the three major averages falling more than 1%, extending significant losses from the previous session, as the escalating trade war triggered a flight to safety, raising further concerns about the economic impact of the new trade policies. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Multisig cold wallets: How secure are they really?: In February 2025, the Bybit exchange lost $1.5 billion worth of Ether. Here’s how the attack happened: Bybit used a 3-of-5 multisig cold wallet, meaning any three authorized signatures were needed to move funds. Attackers breached the infrastructure of a third-party wallet provider (SafeWallet). They compromised a developer’s device at SafeWallet, injecting malicious code that altered the multisig signing process. Bybit’s security team approved transactions that appeared legitimate, but in reality, the funds were redirected to hacker-controlled addresses. (CoinTelegraph) (AC-The article gives a good primer on multi-sig and the risks involved, for longer reading.)
-Technology and Science-
1. Chinese Quantum Computer Surpasses Supercomputers by 15 Orders of Magnitude: Chinese scientists unveiled Zuchongzhi-3, a 105-qubit quantum computer that processes tasks quadrillion times faster than traditional supercomputers. Announced Monday, it outperforms Google's latest results by 6 orders of magnitude, marking a significant leap in quantum supremacy. This advancement positions China at the forefront of quantum computing, with potential applications in quantum error correction, entanglement, and chemistry. The system's high-fidelity performance and advanced architecture represent a crucial step toward practical quantum computing applications.(GroundNews)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Bukele Dismisses IMF Terms, Vows El Salvador's Bitcoin Strategy 'Won't Stop': "'This all stops in April.' This all stops in June.' This all stops in December.' No, it's not stopping," Bukele wrote Tuesday in a post on X. The new rules set by the IMF's March 2025 country report this week, seek to establish a "continuous quantitative performance criteria" with a "ceiling of 0" on government Bitcoin purchases. (Decrypt) (Ac-The incongruity of the IMF 'demand' and Bukele's continued purchasing has watchers a bit confused, but the media surrounding the issue may have some consequences on Bukele or the IMF. The heavy-handedness of the IMF may come under world scrutiny or it may end up denying El Salvador continued credit lines. TBD)
2. Bitcoin Hashrate At Risk? US Trade War Could Hit 5% Mining Power: Bitcoin faces significant uncertainty as the trade war between the US and Canada could disrupt mining operations. Miners in the US Northeast face a significant risk should Ontario curtail or halt electricity exports. According to Maloney, more than 300 megawatts (and possibly up to 500 MW) of Bitcoin mining capacity is located along the New York–Canada border, accounting for “between 2.5% and 5% of global hashrate.” (Bitcoinist)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 20/100 (Up 5 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: 
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 884, 317
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 18Feb2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: US-Russia Begin Ukraine Talks / USARSOF in Mexico / 4th Air Accident in 3 Weeks / Education Dept. Cuts DEI / Social Security Payments Scrutinized / SEC Under DOGE Microscope / Russia Says SWIFT Dying / Odds For a US Gold Audit Increase / Milei Under Fire for Memecoin Support / Grok-3 is Out
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $96,220, 32.97 oz Gold, .22 Median US House
24hr Hi: $97,032 / Lo: $95,118
Vol: $28B (Up 23%)
Mkt Cap: $1.90T (Even)
HashRate: 820 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 3 sats/vBtye (Up 200%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. US and Russia begin Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia - without Ukraine: Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff starting today. (IndependentUK)
2. Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft conducting multiple SIGINT operations along the US-Mexico border and in international waters off southern Baja California—areas controlled by heavily armed drug cartels—the Mexican Senate Commission has approved the deployment of US Special Forces operators to the country for "training missions." US Army's 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Berets are already conducting training exercises at a naval facility in Campeche, a Mexican port city on the Gulf of Mexico. (ZeroHedge)
3. Delta jet flips upside down while landing at Toronto airport; all 80 on board survive: A Delta Air Lines jet flipped on its roof while landing Monday at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, but all 80 people on board survived and those hurt had relatively minor injuries, the airport’s chief executive said. The crash was the fourth major aviation accident in North America in the past three weeks. (WPBF)
-US Events-
1. U.S. Department of Education Cuts Over $600 Million in Divisive Teacher Training Grants: The U.S. Department of Education today announced it has terminated over $600 million in grants to institutions and nonprofits that were using taxpayer funds to train teachers and education agencies on divisive ideologies. Training materials included inappropriate and unnecessary topics such as Critical Race Theory; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); social justice activism; “anti-racism”; and instruction on white privilege and white supremacy. (DeptofEd)
2. Acting Social Security head resigns over DOGE access of recipient information: Acting Commissioner Michelle King’s departure from the agency over the weekend - after more than 30 years of service - was initiated after King refused to provide DOGE staffers at the SSA with access to sensitive information. The White House has replaced her as acting commissioner with Leland Dudek, who currently works at the SSA. (WashingtonTimes) (AC-Other reporting highlights gross discrepancies in SSA recipients, such as 395M eligible recipients, when the US population is only 335M., as well as tens of millions of actual recipients over the age of 120.)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. DOGE Set to Review SEC Operations Following Recent Lawsuit: The SEC recently sued Musk for allegedly underpaying Twitter stock investors by $150 million, leading to Musk calling the SEC a “totally broken organization”. Democrats, including Rep. Maxine Waters, have expressed concerns about DOGE accessing sensitive SEC data, particularly the Consolidated Audit Trail. The White House states Trump won’t allow conflicts of interest, and Musk has committed to recusing himself from potential conflicts. (Blockonomi)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. Russia Declares SWIFT 'Dying' as Crypto Reshapes Finance: Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets said "From my point of view, SWIFT is dying, it is already a backward technology. The development of digital technologies and crypto-instruments will lead to the fact that the settlement system will be built differently." (BitcoinCom)
2. Polymarket bets on Fort Knox audit as reserve debate heats up: Polymarket introduced two Fort Knox prediction markets on Feb. 17, with one betting on whether the DOGE would audit Fort Knox by May 2025 and the other predicting the outcomes of such an audit. At the time of writing, Polymarket’s betting odds that the audit will take place by the end of April stood at 56%. (CoinTelegraph)
-Institutional Concerns-
NSTR
-Economic Indicators-
1. US 10-Year Yield Rises on Hawkish Fed Remarks: The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note climbed above 4.5% on Tuesday, halting a two-day decline, as Federal Reserve officials agreed that the central bank should not rush cutting interest rate further as the focus remains on curbing inflation. (TradiningEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Milei says he didn't intend to promote Solana-based LIBRA token, few Argentines lost money: Argentina President Javier Milei said he didn't intend to persuade people to buy the LIBRA memecoin, and he only meant to "spread the word," according to Bloomberg. The Argentine president quickly faced scrutiny after he appeared to promote the token on X last Friday. Milei faces fraud charges over his involvement raising awareness for the Solana-based memecoin. (TheBlock) (AC-Shitcoining is bad for you, even if you're a President.)
-Technology and Science-
1. Elon Musk Unveils Grok-3, the “Smartest AI on Earth”: Specifically, Grok-3 has “more than 10 times” the computing power of its predecessor, and it outperforms OpenAI, Gemini, and DeepSeek models in math, science, and programming tasks. (BitcoinSensus)
-Bitcoin Community-
NSTR
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 47/100 (Down 4 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r
Listen to us daily on X discuss the DIB and more: X Spaces, Bitcoin Veterans, 10amEST/7amPST
Watch us on YouTube and X Spaces: Tuesdays at 9pmEST/6pmPST
____________________
Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
NNNN
*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 883,434
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 12Feb2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Canada's 13 Premiers in DC to Fight Tariffs / UN Staff In Yemen Kidnapped / US Citizen Returned From Russian Prison / Judge Blocks DOGE Access to DOE Student Data / Sen. Lee Says US Privateers an Option / Fed Powell 'Struck' at De-Banking / Crypto Advocate Now CFTC Head / Goldman Sachs Buying BTC ETFs / Fed in No Rush to Cut Rates / Stocks Mixed / Quantum Startup Gets $230M / Fold Has New BTC Rewards Card / British Man Who Lost 7500 BTC May Buy Landfill / Solo Miner Hits Jackpot
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $96,555, 33.44 oz Gold, .22 Median US House
24hr Hi: $97,870 / Lo: $94,875
Vol: $36B (Up 16%)
Mkt Cap: $1.91T (Down 1%)
HashRate: 809 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 2 sats/vBtye (Even)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Canada’s 13 premiers in Washington on mission to push back Trump’s tariff threats: Canada’s premiers are in Washington today to meet with lawmakers, business groups and lobbyists in a joint effort to push back on U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans for devastating duties. It is the first time all 13 premiers have travelled to the American capital together. The president signed executive orders Monday to impose 25 per cent levies on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, including Canadian products, starting March 12. (CityNewsCA)
2. UN suspends operations in Yemen’s Houthi stronghold after staff detained: The United Nations has temporarily paused all operations in Yemen’s Saada region after Houthi authorities detained eight more of its staff, a UN spokesman said. Seven UN agencies currently operate in Saada – a Houthi stronghold in Yemen’s north – including the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization and the children’s agency UNICEF. The Houthis, who did not immediately acknowledge the UN’s decision, have detained dozens of UN staff since 2021, and the group had at least 24 people in detention before the latest arrests. (AlJazeera) (AC-It seems strange for the UN to be so embedded in Yemen while the Houthi continue to attack ships in the Red Sea and lob missiles on Israel.)
-US Events-
1. Marc Fogel Returns to U.S., Meets Trump After Release from Russia: Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia for over three years on drug charges, has been released and returned to the U.S. His return was facilitated by negotiations led by President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Fogel expressed his gratitude to Trump and others involved in his release during an emotional meeting at the White House. (X) (AC-Two days ago, this headline from NBC: 'Russia says U.S. relations are on brink of collapse'. It does not look like it.)
2. Judge sides with UC students, blocks DOGE from Education Department loan data: A federal judge ordered Elon Musk’s DOGE team to not access student financial aid data. Concern over DOGE actions grew this week after education researchers and industry groups reported that more than 169 contracts and $900 million in spending were cut from the department’s Institute of Education Sciences. (LATimes)
3. Sen. Mike Lee: Constitution Empowers Congress to Tap American ‘Pirates’ to Fight Cartels: The Constitution authorizes Congress in Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 to “grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal,” Lee said. As Marlow (Breitbart) opened the discussion with Lee, he noted letters of marque would be “a really creative tool” that could “weaken the drug cartels.” How many drug lords expect to contend with a civilian fleet of de facto “pirate ships” flying both American flags and Trump-Vance 2024 MAGA flags chasing them in the Gulf of America? Imagine that, while bands of American cowboys with shotguns, AR-15s, and pistols are patrolling the U.S.-Mexican border, with bands of former Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, Force Recon Marines, and Air Force Combat Controllers who are bored with their civilian jobs moving unseen in search of foreign hostile actors. (Breitbart) (AC-Certainly a provocative article, but not beyond the scope of possibility.)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Fed 'Struck' by De-Banking Surge—Powell Promises a Fresh Look: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified before the Senate Banking Committee on Feb. 11, where Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) challenged him over the central bank’s handling of digital assets and its responsiveness to congressional oversight. He noted that in response to previous hearings, the Fed had already removed certain policies from its manual. Despite Powell’s assurances, Lummis and other lawmakers remained skeptical, continuing to push for stricter oversight and increased transparency. (BitcoinCom)
2. Donald Trump taps crypto advocate a16z’s Brian Quintenz for CFTC leadership: Donald Trump has reportedly selected Brian Quintenz, the current Head of Policy at a16z Crypto, to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Notably, a16z is a major crypto-focused venture capital firm and was a major financial force in the 2024 election, contributing $47 million to Fairshake and other political organizations. The crypto industry has long advocated for CFTC oversight, arguing that it would offer a more innovation-friendly regulatory approach than the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). (CryptoSlate)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
NSTR
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Goldman Sachs Boosts Bitcoin ETF Holdings by 120% in Q4: Goldman Sachs has significantly increased its Bitcoin ETF holdings, now totaling $1.57 billion, with a 121.1% rise from the previous quarter. The bank's largest exposure is in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, holding 24.07 million shares worth $1.27 billion. (Decrypt)
-Economic Indicators-
1. Powell Reaffirms That Fed Is In No Rush to Cut Rates: Fed Chair Powell reaffirmed in the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress that, with the Fed’s policy stance now significantly less restrictive and the economy remaining strong, there is no urgency to adjust the federal funds rate. (TradingEconomics)
2. US Stocks Struggle on Powell Remarks and Tariffs: US stocks faced a mixed session on Tuesday as investors weighed Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s cautious stance on interest rates and President Trump’s new 25% tariffs, which fueled concerns over a potential trade war. The S&P 500 was mostly muted, the Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.3%, and the Dow gained 0.3%. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
NSTR
-Technology and Science-
1. Quantum computing company lands $230M in funding: QuEra Computing announced it has completed a funding round exceeding $230 million, with investments from Google's Quantum AI and SoftBank Vision Fund, among others. The startup plans to use the funding to develop fault-tolerant quantum computing technology and aims to build a useful fully-quantum computer in the next three to five years. (GroundNews)
2. Fold Launches Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card: “This has been one of the most highly requested products,” Mitch Port, General Manager for Credit and Loans at Fold, told Bitcoin Magazine. “The majority of users like to spend on credit and earn in bitcoin.” Rewards for the card will vary depending on Fold membership level, generally 1.5 to 2%. (BitcoinMag)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Man in Search of Lost Bitcoin Fortune Wants to Buy the Landfill Where He Swears It’s Buried: James Howells, a British IT worker who mined himself a sizable fortune of the cryptocurrency before accidentally throwing away the hard drive he stored the key on, is mulling buying the entire stretch of land where he suspects the drive to be buried just so he can try to dig it up. (Gizmodo) (AC-7500 BTC!)
2. Solo miner snags Bitcoin block reward worth $300K: Bitcoin miner Marshall Long said in a Feb. 10 X post that the miner was using an implementation of the CKPOOL but said they didn’t “seem to be from CKPOOL directly.” He speculated the lucky miner might have used a Bitaxe. (CoinTelegraph)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 46/100 (Down 1 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): With all the lawsuits piling up against the Trump administration, it seems we are in a bull market for constitutional lawyers.
Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r
Listen to us daily on X discuss the DIB and more: X Spaces, Bitcoin Veterans, 10amEST/7amPST
Watch us on YouTube and X Spaces: Tuesdays at 9pmEST/6pmPST
____________________
Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 882,714
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 07Feb2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Trump Meets Japanese PM / Baltic States Break From Russian Energy Grid / Trump Announces Middle-Class Tax Plan / Russ Vought Confirmed for OMB Lead / Commuter Plane Missing in Alaska / Canadian Busted for Hiding 450 BTC / SEC Looks at In-Kind Redemption for ETFs / Czech Republic Drops Bitcoin Cap Gains / US Fed Governor Likes Stablecoins for USD / 16 of 50 States Exploring BTC SBRs / Whales Taking Bitcoin Off Exchanges / Jobs Report Today / US Bill Seeks to 'Deep Six' DeepSeek / DOGE Wants AI for GSA / Wall Street Looks to Put Real-World Assets on New Blockchain / Cleanspark Crushing it on BTC Mining
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $98,151, 34.13 oz Gold, .23 Median US House
24hr Hi: $98,910 / Lo: $95,707
Vol: $46B (Up 2%)
Mkt Cap: $1.93T (Down 1%)
HashRate: 840 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 3 sats/vBtye (Down 25%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Trump to meet Japan's Ishiba as China trade war simmers: U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the first time on Friday as two allies wary of China's rise work to boost business and security ties while an escalating trade war threatens to rupture the global economy. Japan is especially trade-dependent: it is a major exporter and counts on imports for much of its food and natural resources, and many of its firms are deeply invested in and reliant on China. Japanese officials are wary of possible efforts by Beijing to court the U.S. president with promises of cooperation on key global issues, including trade. (Reuters)
2. Russia’s Baltic neighbors are breaking away from its power grid — and they’re braced for retaliation: The Baltic counties of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are bracing themselves for possible cyberattacks this weekend as they complete their long-awaited decoupling from Russia’s power grid. (CNBC)
-US Events-
1. Trump's Ambitious Tax Relief for Middle Class Announced: The Trump administration has announced a new tax proposal aimed at providing significant tax relief for middle-class Americans. Key features include no taxes on tips, Social Security for seniors, and overtime pay, alongside renewing the Trump Tax Cuts from 2017. The plan also involves adjusting the SALT cap, ending tax breaks for billionaire sports team owners, closing the carried interest loophole, and proposing tax cuts for 'Made in America' products. This proposal is described as potentially the largest tax cut in history for middle-class working Americans, though economic analyses vary on its impact across different income groups. (X, Various)
2. The Senate confirmed Russ Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget with a 53-47 vote, following a lengthy delay by Democrats who expressed concerns about his potential influence over federal operations and employees. (GroundNews)
3. Bering Air Flight Missing Near Nome, Alaska: A Bering Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, carrying 9 passengers and 1 pilot, disappeared from radar during its flight from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska. The incident occurred on February 6, 2025, prompting immediate search and rescue operations despite challenging weather conditions. (X, Various)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Canadian Businessman Sentenced to 41 Months in U.S. Prison for Hiding 450 BTC: Firoz Patel’s sentencing relates to 450 bitcoins he failed to disclose in a 2020 trial. Officials accused Patel of not informing the U.S. District Court of these Bitcoin holdings after he was convicted and sentenced to 36 months for operating Payza, an unlicensed cryptocurrency payment processing platform. (BitcoinCom) (AC-A lesson in Bitcoin OPSEC management. The article shows how exchanges are who gave him up to authorities.)
2. SEC Reviews BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF In-Kind Redemption Proposal: BlackRock has proposed allowing in-kind redemptions for its Bitcoin ETF, which would let authorized participants receive actual Bitcoin instead of cash when redeeming shares – SEC is now reviewing this proposal. This change would only affect authorized participants (large financial institutions), not retail investors. (Blockonomi)
3. Czech Republic exempts Bitcoin from capital gains tax after three years: Czech President Petr Pavel signed a historic bill on Feb. 6 that exempts Bitcoin from capital gains taxes if held for at least three years. The Czech parliament unanimously approved the measure in December last year, reflecting a commitment to align with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. (CryptoSlate)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. Fed’s Waller backs regulated stablecoins to boost US dollar’s global dominance: Federal Reserve Bank Governor Christopher Waller says he supports the adoption of stablecoins with clear rules and regulations because it will likely cement the US dollar’s status as a reserve currency. (CoinTelegraph) (AC-Maintaining USD hegemony requires a move into digital assets. CBDCs and stablecoins are the primary options for fiat-minded, American regulators. The third option of a bitcoin-backed USD is not an option they'd consider right now.)
2. A Third of All US States Now Exploring Bitcoin, Crypto for Public Funds: Out of 50 U.S. states, 16 have ongoing legislative considerations and varying statuses. Utah stands out as the state closest to a potential implementation. Its bill would authorize the allocation of 5% to "qualifying digital assets." (Decrypt)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Bitcoin Worth $1.6B Leave Exchanges in Biggest Bullish Outflow Since April: "Whales are buying this dip," Dragosch said on X, referring to the large outflow of coins. Investors typically take direct custody of coins when planning to hold them for the long term. Hence, a large outflow of exchanges is taken to represent bullish sentiment. (CoinDesk) (AC-Price in USD is not the only indicator of demand.)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US 10-Year Yield Holds Steady: The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note remained steady around 4.45% on Friday, as investors awaited the highly anticipated monthly jobs report, which could influence the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy outlook. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Lawmakers push for DeepSeek ban from federal devices over China concerns: Two lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek from any federal devices. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) unveiled the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act” on Thursday to address security concerns about DeepSeek since it emerged as a powerful, low-cost alternative to U.S.-made AI tools like ChatGPT. (TheRecord)
-Technology and Science-
1. DOGE Reportedly Building Custom Chatbot GSAi – Will Elon Musk Replace GSA Staffers With AI?: One of the priorities for the initiative is to boost productivity for roughly 12,000 employees with the GSA, a unit tasked with management of office buildings, contracts, and IT infrastructure across the federal government. DOGE is also hoping that GSAi can be used to analyze huge data around contract and procurement. (IBTimes)
2. Wall Street Giants Back New Blockchain for Tokenizing Real-World Assets: Ondo Chain, a new blockchain for tokenizing real-world assets, was announced with support from Wall Street giants. The President Trump-backed World Liberty Financial project purchased $470,000 worth of ONDO tokens. Top asset managers like Franklin Templeton and Google Cloud are design advisors for the chain. (Decrypt) (AC-Looking into the future, this type of project will become a reality. How and who are the questions to be answered.)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. CleanSpark reports $162.3 million in quarterly revenue: 'Why buy bitcoin at current prices when we can mine it for $34,000?' CleanSpark is one of the industry’s “pure-play” miners, preferring to focus on Bitcoin rather than diversify into the AI data center hosting opportunities explored by many of its rivals. (TheBlock)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 44/100 (Down 10 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r
Listen to us daily on X discuss the DIB and more: X Spaces, Bitcoin Veterans, 10amEST/7amPST
Watch us on YouTube and X Spaces: Tuesdays at 9pmEST/6pmPST
____________________
Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report