BitcoinBrabant

Is this an attempt to capture bitcoin? Like an attempt to control and centralize the internet? Your thoughts?

In Europe there is a lot of competition. As it should be. We’re very happy to see an ever growing choice of shops. If one fails the other ones will just pickup demand. We were the first with Bitaxes, now there are dozens if not over 100 shops that sell bitaxes. We were distributing all Dutch translated books, now you can find them in the average book shop and the biggest distributor of books is taking care of it. We were the first to start selling @FOUNDATIONdvcs and were asked by @SatsVault to take over his shop, as it was too much at that time. We are moving in waves, are not depending on anyone. Have 0 debt. And have no plan of ever selling the business. Sovereignty in self, what to sell, deletion of data is key. We keep on fighting with shippers to be able to ship anonymously, though we see some worrisome directions. On the positive side, data protection is starting to live more with the shippers as the first EU shipper has implemented 2FA if you have an account. We keep on shipping without account manually, without API’s, no data leakage. We hope to be able to persist. Competitors clearly focus more on a fluid user experience, with direct WhatsApp customer service, Shopify (that’s where the ledger hack happened FYI) use and many other details with regards to privacy that we do differently. It simply shows in the amount of anon mailadresses and postal boxes being used for orders. We start to see more opened packages by customs, especially to Spain. Curious what the next years are going to bring. We are prepared to just deliver hardware for self built signers and miners in case it becomes truly difficult.

We’re running out of sealbags. People across Europe are ordering sealbags like there is no tomorrow. Seal bags are used to safely secure your backup words / seed QR or signing device / hardware wallet. You can directly see the seal bag is secure and intact, and therefore you know for sure nobody is in possession of your backup or device. The smaller Seal Bag (130mm x 230mm) fits - Bitcoin Brabant Seedword & SeedQR paper - All signing devices without box or protection - All backup plates (seedfan, seedsafe & tinyseed) without box. The larger Seal Bag (260mm x 350mm) fits - nostr:npub1s0vtkgej33n7ec4d7ycxmwt78up8hpfa30d0yfksrshq7t82mchqynpq6j Passport with packaging - nostr:npub19canpmsgykwumm43uxmp0l5sernavvnrf87mau9a6xnjfx6ajjhsh9qj29 Q with casing - nostr:npub1jg552aulj07skd6e7y2hu0vl5g8nl5jvfw8jhn6jpjk0vjd0waksvl6n8n Jade plus in box - Seedfan package in box https://bitcoinbrabant.com/product-categorie/opslag/

We consistently convert fiat to bitcoin. We receive dirty euro and make sure we have as little as possible on our (unfortunately) necessary business bank account. When we hit “the bulls will wait at 108” we were extra ready to deplete the fiat business accounts to zero 😂

Plebs tell us to post more often, so we can actually help plebs find us so they can learn to stack sats sovereignly. There. GM. https://bitcoinbrabant.com

If you spend bitcoin for stock of nostr:npub19canpmsgykwumm43uxmp0l5sernavvnrf87mau9a6xnjfx6ajjhsh9qj29 nostr:npub1s0vtkgej33n7ec4d7ycxmwt78up8hpfa30d0yfksrshq7t82mchqynpq6j nostr:npub17tyke9lkgxd98ruyeul6wt3pj3s9uxzgp9hxu5tsenjmweue6sqq4y3mgl nostr:npub1tg779rlap8t4qm8lpgn89k7mr7pkxpaulupp0nq5faywr8h28llsj3cxmt etc and people paid that bitcoin. But also some people buy these devices with fiat, which is directly converted into bitcoin. But after taxes and stock capacity holding you are nett losing bitcoin. Are you doing something positive for bitcoin? Some say you should take a fiat loan, because running it on bitcoin doesn’t make sense. But we’re using bitcoin fully, so what is better?

We run both knots and core We run “economic” nodes We support both sides of the debate We run a DATUM server where we create our own templates with bitcoin core Bitcoin will get even stronger once libbitcoin fully releases

Our shop (with multiple orders per day) is categorized on popularity. In the self custody category the most popular items are mostly backup related. The most obscure one, our seedsafe, on the last page with only celestial bodies, is the most obscure. Nobody knows what the heck that is. And cameras can’t scan the thing. Extreme Cypherpunk 😂 It’s all trade offs. Seedfan, easy to engrave easy to scan the seedqr Tiny seed, obscure but scannable, most use it in multisig Seedsafe, obscure and difficult to translate, no camera can scan te seed at once Seedhammer backup plates for the pro multisig heroes But off course our most sold product remains the thick seedpaper with the seal bags. Because why would you put a 3/5 on steel if you can just write them down and throw them in a sealbag. (Most still prefer steel) https://bitcoinbrabant.com/product/seedsafe/

We sent 15 portals nostr:npub1n3h6vcu0vj4jw70m8p457vk3uq44zz0jc5r6d09chtks6xxyu0gq9s2j0t to el Salvador. Now we receive an additional customs and export brokerage fee of €93,76…. While we already paid €90,29 for the shipping. We made sure we would be paying for the fees, but shipping anywhere on the planet is becoming more cumbersome and costly by the day…

What is the best setup to secure your bitcoin?

A lot has been going on with regards to open source mining United. We’ve received the email attached and so will have most of the other shops where you can buy your bitaxe. As we are known to be transparant and want to share this with the plebs we’re publishing the email we received here. Because we have now received $5 per bitaxe gamma and Supra made in the US we want our clients to have the same opportunity. Via our web form on our website you can send us your order confirmation number in combination with your lightning address. (Please use lnurl/umo(uniform money address/bolt12) and we’ll send you the $5 back. Please do it within a week, just as we had a week for it to respond. The reason we can’t reach out to you is because we don’t save any data when you order with us.

We just finished assembling ten more nodes. Pre Packing them. For the plebs that want to connect to the bitcoin and lightning network in a sovereign fashion. https://video.nostr.build/94a542a6eecc45614577b8d22f51191dd21edb6deafc0b4fb56f041a5d47a54c.mp4

Poll for the plebs: Currently 5698 followers are following a small freedom facilitating company called @bitcoinbrabant. The amount of people buying freedom enabling devices is growing. Once it becomes clear that only bitcoin can supply freedom anywhere on the planet, this account most likely grows. The responsibility for us as a family company grows along. For survival decentralization is key. We have been working since #700.000. It seems that help is on its way to keep the supply of freedom going for a long time. This can only be done with deeply trusted people in the bitcoin space. We won’t stop building and as you noticed, we’re focusing more and more on bitcoin security. The mining opportunities in the Netherlands are looking bleaker by the day. Most of our clients are still running their operations but renewed calculations with the increased tax, higher electricity cost and heavy subsidies on alternatives just don’t make any sense. Our last dozens of requests we calculated were only viable at extreme bitcoin prices and significant drops in electricity price. As most of our market for bitcoin security and hobby mining is not the Netherlands anymore but broad EU, we will push further on helping people secure their bitcoin. Curious what the followers think:

11 orders. Average order size >300.000 sats. Supplying freedom and sovereignty. Bitcoin Brabant nostr:npub17tyke9lkgxd98ruyeul6wt3pj3s9uxzgp9hxu5tsenjmweue6sqq4y3mgl DIY nostr:npub19canpmsgykwumm43uxmp0l5sernavvnrf87mau9a6xnjfx6ajjhsh9qj29 MK4 in anonymous envelope via handwritten local letterbox shipment Multiple nostr:npub1jg552aulj07skd6e7y2hu0vl5g8nl5jvfw8jhn6jpjk0vjd0waksvl6n8n Jade A bitcoinbrabant sovereign node A silent bitaxe Multiple bitaxe gamma’s A three pack opendimes And a lot of nostr:npub1h5cmp8kys9dkzysv4wha3wuzruadalhtj82zyznscsx6fkw2efysje0yp0 stickers Super cheap seal bags and some gimmicks for the larger orders.

Today we helped someone with a multisig 2/3 setup who stressed out a bit. Lost one signer with the backup. Typed in the wrong PIN code 3 times on a nostr:npub1jg552aulj07skd6e7y2hu0vl5g8nl5jvfw8jhn6jpjk0vjd0waksvl6n8n Jade (wiped). The backup didn’t work out. First the descriptor was in perfect shape in nostr:npub1cvqlzvmjercdn0ypsmv8f7j9lge6ahsnueh5rparh53wuswftv4q49yjt3 and backed up as a bsms on the cloud. We decided to use the Nunchuk instance that had the keys ready for signing. One key and backup were in perfect shape and we could directly sign off on the transaction. The backup was put into one of our nostr:npub19canpmsgykwumm43uxmp0l5sernavvnrf87mau9a6xnjfx6ajjhsh9qj29 Qs as its the easiest to quickly do a checksum test. And the checksum didn’t match the last word on the backup. 😓 Going through the dots of the backup plate one by one we found a mistake. A four punch was marked as a one and therefore the wrong word was taken from the bip39 list. We filled in the 24 words and still there was a checksum mismatch. We went through the dots and numbers once again, no mistake there. Then we took the translation table of the numbers and found a wrong word with a number. We inputted that word and the checksum was correct (the funny part is, the word was rigid, it made us 😂). We signed the 2/3. Even if you think your setup is secure and redundant, every setup has trade offs. There is no optimal setup. This setup turned out to be just about right, oof size large.

It’s time to dump bitaxe prices. We were already the cheapest, bringing hash to plebs. Now we’re going below cost price to clear out. 10% discount on everything bitaxe. With code “bitaxe”. https://bitcoinbrabant.com/product-categorie/bitaxe/

Many bitcoiners are leaving the Netherlands. Did you know when you can prove you live outside of the EU, and can show proof at the customs, you can actually ask you VAT (21%) back on your purchase? For more info check: https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/bldcontentnl/belastingdienst/zakelijk/btw/zakendoen_met_het_buitenland/zakendoen_buiten_de_eu/btw_berekenen/btw_berekenen_bij_export_van_goederen_naar_niet_eu_landen/export_door_particulier_die_buiten_de_eu_woont#:~:text=Uw%20klanten%20kunnen%20de%20betaalde%20btw%20onder%20voorwaarden,na%20afloop%20van%20de%20maand%20van%20de%20aankoop

Noderunners will inherit the earth pin. Limited edition "Noderunners will inherit the earth pin". 6000 sats of every pin has gone to support the Noderunners. The Noderunners, a group of dedicated Bitcoiners from the Netherlands/Flanders region, have been honoring fellow full node operators by knighting them as honorary members of the Noderunners. These exceptional individuals are awarded “Shield pins” at conferences and meetups. By purchasing the “Noderunners Will Inherit the Earth Pin,” you’re directly supporting our mission to recognize and celebrate those who contribute to Bitcoin’s success. Why Support? We understand that running a full validating economic node requires time and effort. We also recognize the hard work put into developing software, creating podcasts, writing books, producing artwork, composing music, and tirelessly educating friends and family about Bitcoin. To all you dedicated plebs out there: We see you, and we appreciate your efforts! The Shield Pin: An Exclusive Honor The coveted Shield pin cannot be bought – it can only be earned. If we identify you as a full node operator, especially if you contribute to the Bitcoin ecosystem in additional ways, a Noderunner might knight you as an honorary member. How You Can Help? If you appreciate the efforts, please consider purchasing the “Noderunners Will Inherit the Earth Pin.” Your support enables the Noderunners to continue the initiative and honor those who strengthen the Bitcoin network. Thank you for supporting the Noderunners and the broader Bitcoin community!

More and more people across the Netherlands are using the anonymous shipping (with stamps) option via the mailbox. There is a risk involved as there is no tracking and the postman these days are known for not doing their job well lately. The issue with the nostr:npub19canpmsgykwumm43uxmp0l5sernavvnrf87mau9a6xnjfx6ajjhsh9qj29 Q is that it is ~a mm to thick to get into the Dutch mailbox. We have to carefully push it through and then check if the package wrap (thinnest plastic we could find) is still intact in combination with the stamps. We manually write down your address on the package and stick physical stamps and bring it to a postbox. We don’t add a return destination, so it’s fully untraceable to us. We delete your data a couple days after shipment, as always. With the coldcard MK4s it’s much easier to ship, even multiple, fully anonymously. Wish more manufacturers took this local anonymous shipping option into account. We specifically designed nostr:npub17tyke9lkgxd98ruyeul6wt3pj3s9uxzgp9hxu5tsenjmweue6sqq4y3mgl packaging for this. Most orders are from broader Europe and we see more and more “ship to service point” requests. Doing this to Denmark and Sweden is easy with DHL. Doing this towards more southern countries in EU this is still a mess. As we manually input every shipping order, to preserve your data (business shipping accounts can be accessed by almost any employee and there’s no 2FA). And off course we don’t ship under our name and always with anonymous packaging. People think the European Union is open transport of goods and people, but it is not. Some of our packages we ship are opened by customs. This is a painful, time consuming and sometimes costly matter. It has took us years to optimize for privacy, but we’ve recently had a request to supply a copy of the ID of an order. Apparently the person was Russian and the shipping company reached out. We forwarded the email (as we delete a few days after shipment) if there are any issues with the international shipments like this one. The customer did not have an issue sharing a copy of his ID with the shipping company. Also in the Netherlands with PostNL, the local biggest shipper, packages going to a package point you have to use your digital ID to open the locker. What the hell is happening in EU? Will we not be able to ship anything anonymously anymore soon? What are your thoughts about this?

When polls on nostr? Bet there’s more engagement here than on dead x