What governments brand as "financial inclusion" is little more than a facade. From Vietnam's sweeping bank account crackdowns and India's emerging tool for digital censorship to Christine Lagarde's push to fast-track oversight and sidestep democratic hurdles, world leaders are hurtling toward a nightmarish cashless regime. In this newest Financial Freedom Report, they break down how this escalating tide of monitoring might just drive millions straight into Bitcoin's arms. Financial Freedom Report #91

Human Rights Foundation

Financial Freedom Report #91

Good morning, readers! In Vietnam, the central bank deactivated more than 86 million bank accounts on Sept. 1, erasing nearly half the country’s ...

Does layered self-custody truly hold up as secure amid skyrocketing Bitcoin transaction fees, or are we all just muddling through a hazy zone of partial trust and uneasy trade-offs? Shinobi's piece peels back the curtain on the unspoken realities of what it really takes to stake your on-chain ownership—and exposes how the divide between custodial and non-custodial setups is far more ambiguous than we'd prefer to acknowledge. The Cost Of Self Custody: TANSTAAFL The cost of an on-chain transaction is an inescapable variable in the cost of self custody, even for off-chain layers.

Bitcoin Magazine

The Cost Of Self Custody: TANSTAAFL

The cost of an on-chain transaction is an inescapable variable in the cost of self custody, even for off-chain layers.

Discreet Log Contracts (DLC)

Stacker News

Discreet Log Contracts (DLC) \ stacker news

🎲 Discreet Log Contracts (DLC) DLCs allow parties to place bets directly on Bitcoin. Let's say there are three people involved: Alice* & *Bob** ...

Fintech payment systems are straight-up dinosaur tech, just like those clunky camcorders stubbornly wielded by folks who can't bear to part with their vintage relics.

And you keep convincing yourself that the USD fiat currency is the world's greatest store of value.🤔

🇺🇸 Billionaire Jack Dorsey says "Bitcoin is not crypto.", @jack I have been saying this since 2011!

Discord's data leak exposes 70.000 users

Ted Law Firm

Discord Data Breach 2025: What Happened and Why It Matters

Discord’s 2025 data breach hit 70,000 users, leaking government IDs, email addresses, and personal data from a third-party vendor.

View every third-party form as a potential security risk: disclose only the essentials, obscure confidential info, and select verification options that avoid long-term data storage.

The Fastest Horse in the Race Wins the Payment 'No one uses lightning' - There is more to the store. Lightning will win at the end

The Fastest Horse in the Race Wins the Payment

'No one uses lightning' - There is more to the store. Lightning will win at the end

The article examines the Lightning Network's remarkable progress and argues that its exceptional speed will ultimately lead to its dominance. That said, I wouldn't entirely dismiss the upcoming L2 alternatives, though they largely depend on Lightning as a shared foundation—essentially positioning them as L3 layers. One key oversight in the piece is the prevalence of custodial setups across much of the Lightning ecosystem, alongside persistent routing challenges in the non-custodial portions.

Spondulix is a Lightning Network ATM designed for exchanging traditional currency for Bitcoin. It's not evident whether it supports the reverse transaction—swapping Bitcoin back for fiat—which I'd value more highly in nations reliant on cash, especially those grappling with rampant inflation. Standard Bitcoin kiosks are now commonplace in low-income areas, yet it's disappointing that the cheaper fees of Lightning-based transfers remain underutilized. That said, the economic advantages ought to propel demand for devices like this, and I'm optimistic they'll gain wider adoption over time. https://satosys.tech/bitcoin-p2p-trading-interface/

Not Your Node, Not Your Bitcoin: Why Knots Matters Now A guide for regular Bitcoiners who care about keeping Bitcoin as money, not a hard drive

Not Your Node, Not Your Bitcoin: Why Knots Matters Now

A guide for regular Bitcoiners who care about keeping Bitcoin as money, not a hard drive

GM #plebchain, stay humble, keep stacking bits/sats, embody these virtues: — Courage — Justice — Temperance — Wisdom Think for yourself and strive to be a sage. On this Monday, begin the week with steadfast clarity, letting wisdom shape your choices and temperance guide your actions.

MuSig explained Simply

Stacker News

MuSig Explained Simply \ stacker news

MuSig explained Simply MuSig is a protocol for aggregating public keys and Schnorr signatures. It allows multiple participants (A and B) to jointly...

María Corina Machado Calls Bitcoin A “Lifeline” - Nobel Peace Prize: Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Calls Bitcoin a “Lifeline” in Exclusive Interview

Bitcoin Magazine

Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Calls Bitcoin A “Lifeline” In Exclusive Interview

María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader, discusses Bitcoin as a "vital means of resistance" for Venezuelans suffering from hyperinflati...

This handy tool converts a Lightning Network invoice into a printable, easy-to-read paper version that embeds the original LN details. It could prove especially valuable for individuals seeking Lightning payments from companies or businesses, and I anticipate such utilities gaining traction as Bitcoin transactions grow in popularity. Bullish Invoice

bullishInvoice

Lightning Network: Enabling Seamless Value Exchange In this insightful piece, Roy Scheinfeld from Breez explores the remarkable velocity and widespread accessibility of the Lightning Network, positioning it as a universal bridge among diverse Layer 2 protocols like Ark, Liquid, and Cashu. At its heart, the essay contends that this efficient value transmission mechanism unleashes economic potential in ways reminiscent of how the internet has liberated the flow of information. The key proposition is that Bitcoin's frictionless value movement empowers resources to permeate even the most overlooked or peripheral spaces, thereby activating the distinctive innovations and contributions these areas hold. It's an inspiring read that paints a bright picture of Bitcoin's expansive possibilities ahead. The Utility of Bitcoin: Moving Value Like Information Being able to transmit value like information, as fast as a text message, has profound implications for society. Bitcoin unlocks that.

Bitcoin Magazine

The Utility Of Bitcoin: Moving Value Like Information

Being able to transmit value like information, as fast as a text message, has profound implications for society. Bitcoin unlocks that.

List of technical people against relaxing the op_return filter

GitHub

GitHub - supertestnet/list_of_technical_people_against_relaxing_the_op_return_filter: List of technical people against relaxing the op_return filter

List of technical people against relaxing the op_return filter - supertestnet/list_of_technical_people_against_relaxing_the_op_return_filter

The Silent Coup: How Stablecoins and the GENIUS Act Are Reshaping Global Finance

The Silent Coup: How Stablecoins and the GENIUS Act Are Reshaping Global Finance

In a rapidly evolving financial landscape, where digital assets are challenging centuries-old monetary systems, a “silent coup” is underway.

GM #plebchain, stay humble, keep stacking bits/sats, embody these virtues: — Courage — Justice — Temperance — Wisdom Think for yourself and strive to be a sage. On this Monday, meet the week's dawn with steadfast resolve, letting courage and justice anchor your actions in pursuit of a virtuous life.

Afghanistan Reconnected After 48-Hour Taliban Internet Blackout Taliban enforced nationwide blackout in Afghanistan, halting internet, mobile access, banking, and digital infrastructure.

Reclaim The Net

Afghanistan Reconnected After 48-Hour Taliban Internet Blackout

Taliban enforced nationwide blackout in Afghanistan, halting internet, mobile access, banking, and digital infrastructure.

The power of governments to instantly sever millions from their funds, information, and connections highlights why bearer assets like Bitcoin are essential. Real sovereignty demands controlling value and knowledge in forms that no regime can confiscate or censor.