I don't understand how the 80-byte limit on OP_RETURN is more arbitrary than any of Bitcoin's other standards. Why halving every 210k blocks? Why supply capped at ~21M? Why diff. adjustment every 2 weeks? Why average 10 minute block time? Why 4MB effective block size? Etc. Taken separately, they can all be construed as arbitrary, but together they make up an extraordinarily resilient and elegant network with only one truly non-arbitrary standard: Follow the standards of the network to have your transaction included in the next available block, or be rejected. So my opinion: I like our standards. They work. I'd be loath to fuck with them more than we already have. Which is already a bit more than I would have liked, TBH. Ps' I'm not a dev and this is my first venture into these debates.

Bitcoiners et al, I need help, urgently! I'm on the highway outside Barcelona with my family (wife, three daughters, dog). We were planning to get a hotel last minute, but it turns out it's all booked out (1100€ for a hostel 😬). We can sleep on/in anything and will be gone by early morning, but we need a roof over our head. If you have/know anything that can help us out, we can offer some sats and our eternal gratitude. Even if you don't, please share this post to reach more eyes (you can undo it in a few hours) 🙏 It's a Hail Mary, but you've never let me down before, so I'm giving it a shot. DMs are open, please reach out 🧡

HODLing the right woman will make you richer than Bitcoin ever can.

I am as proud to be European as I am ashamed of our rulers. Who can relate?

Last night, Queen Elisabeth II and I flew to Ukraine on a sofa and ended up being ambushed by a squad of toddlers. But don't worry, we were both rescued by Anna Kournikova. The 1999 version 🥳 Anyway, today I celebrate 20 days with no weed and 14 days with no tobacco. The dreams are crazy, but thanks to our amazing support group I've muddled through. Now everything is so much better. 100% worth it 😎 My psychological cravings have been broken. I no longer have any urge to smoke after food, or even at bedtime. I manage physical cravings with CBD gummies and nicotine pouches when needed. Which is less and less every day. So if you weren't sure about joining us before, here is your 2nd chance. I promise you we are as awkward as you are. You'll fit right in. Dump that shit and DM me today. Let the world learn what you're really capable of 🙌

I just had the pleasure of testing a brand new JADEPLUS hardware wallet (courtesy of @Blockstream) and I'm deeply impressed. The setup was such a breeze that my 11 year old daughter was able to complete it in less than 15 minutes, unassisted. Including 2FA multisig. We then set up watch-only credentials so my wife and I can track the kids' accounts with ease through the Green wallet app. Yet I was really struck by the versatility. Power-users will find this device as satisfying as your grandma will. Without any clutter. The solid buttons, big beautiful screen, and stable connection are also big improvements from my experience with the original JADE. If I can find a drawback it's that one of the buttons, while solid, was less responsive than the others, causing minor navigation errors. Bravo to the @Blockstream team. 9/10 would recommend. https://store.blockstream.com/?code=eurodale

What Putin has done to Ukraine is cynical and cruel and entirely in line with Russian interests. What Trump is doing to Ukraine is cynical and cruel and entirely in line with American interests. What the EU wants to do to Ukraine is cynical and cruel and entirely in line with European interests.

"Won't this just give Putin a huge window to delay talks until he has well and truly won the war?" I think we should assume that Trump and Putin already made a deal on Ukraine: Russia gets the east, the US gets the rest. This explains why Europe has no seat at the table. This explains why Russian troops have barely moved in February, coming to a near halt in the past two weeks. This explains why Trump wants the minerals deal before the peace, guaranteeing US dominance over rump-Ukraine. And this explains the spectacle at the White House and this act of apparent sabotage: Trump promised to get Zelensky to the table, or force his replacement.

It's exactly what you think. Why would anyone do this?

NATO’s a relic, the UN's creaking, the EU’s wobbling—and your country might be next. History doesn't care about feelings. Feudal lords also babbled about honor as cannons leveled their castles. The Catholic Church after the Reformation? Reduced to a shadow. Ancien Régime? Headless. Post-WWI empires? Dust piles. Adapt or vanish. Always been that way. Change eats denial for breakfast.

Hunters in the snow, 460 years later.

If the EU was a beer.

Norwegian PM sits down with Bill Gates to warn against Elon Musk interfering in other countries. You can't make this shit up.

Even if you stack 1$ of bitcoin every minute for the rest of your life you'll probably never own one.

The Reformation already proved that experts and institutions can't compete against regular people with access to the source material. But they won't go down without a fight this time either!

National media and politicians need to come to terms with the reality of a global public sphere. Bans and inquisitions will be no more successful than they were against the printing press. So can we please skip that stage this time? 🙏

Maybe this isn't my year either.

Homemade Chocolate Bit Cookies by Lykke and Lucy are back for the fourth year running, and asked me to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! 🎇 Find them every month at the world's oldest Bitcoin Meetup in Berlin, and hopefully at @Bitcoin FilmFest and @BTC Prague again 🧡

Only 3% of Norwegians want the current PM Jonas Gahr Støre to continue after the 2025 election. That has to be some kind of record?

That warm feeling in your cheeks is your face getting ready to melt.