Bitcoin Review Podcast BR088 - AnchorWatch, Bitkey, Krux, Primal, Proton Wallet, Kagi, Debifi, Namecheap $73M bitcoin revenue + MORE ft. Livera, Rijndael & Ben
I’m joined by guests Stephan Livera, Rijndael & Ben Carman to go through the list.
Housekeeping
00:05:29 Bitcoin Black Friday
00:06:05 AnchorWatch gains Lloyd’s of London Coverholder status [Business Wire]
Starting December 2024, it will offer insured bitcoin custody solutions backed by Lloyd’s syndicates, allowing coverage of up to $100M per customer.
Its proprietary Trident Vault integrates advanced security features with 1-to-1 insured custody, addressing theft, fraud, and catastrophic risks for retail and institutional investors.
Urgent Vulnerability Disclosures
00:10:25 Krux releases security fix for AES-CBC encryption flaw [Github]
Issue #477 revealed camera-captured entropy wasn’t properly utilized in AES-CBC encryption, reducing its intended security strength. This affected backups stored on flash drives, SD cards, and encrypted QR codes by users who switched from the default AES-ECB mode.
Affected users are recommended install the latest update to resolve the issue. After updating, they should recreate all backups to apply the corrected encryption and restore full security.
Bitcoin
Software Releases & Project Updates
00:16:05 bitcoin-script-hints: A magical neovim plugin for Bitcoin Script by Taproot Wizards
News & Noteworthy
Business & Finance
Leading domain registrars Namecheap surpasses $73M in bitcoin revenue since its 2020 BTCPay integration [BTCPay Blog]
Bitcoin (Cont.)
Software Releases & Project Updates
00:17:14 BDK v0.30.0
This release bumps the MSRV to 1.63.0 and updates the rusqlite dependency version to 0.31 to be aligned with the upcoming 1.0.0 release. These changes will prepare projects for migrating wallet data to the 1.0.0 version of BDK.
00:17:38 BTCPay Server v2.0.3
“If you are using Boltcards, we advise you to update to this release.”
New features:
Greenfield: Histograms: Add Lightning data and API endpoints
Greenfield: Add image upload for app items
00:19:53 Nunchuk Desktop v1.9.40 / Android v1.9.54
Support Coldcard as inheritance key
Option to Send all remaining for batch transactions
00:20:20 Proton Wallet Update
Adds Replace-By-Fee (RBF), to speed up the confirmation speed of transactions
00:23:58 Bitcoin Keeper
00:24:40 Nix Bitcoin v0.0.115
bitcoind: 27.1 -> 28.0
clboss: 0.13.3 -> 0.14.0
electrs: 0.10.5 -> 0.10.6
trustedcoin: 0.8.2 -> 2024-11-1
The lnd module’s ExecStartPost script is now extensible with custom scripts
00:25:09 Krux v24.11.0
Tamper Check Flash Hash and Tamper Check Code (Experimental): the feature verifies the integrity of the device’s flash memory by generating a unique tamper indicator that relies on hash properties
Add Flash Map: an auxiliary tool that allows users to visualize the regions of the device’s memory that are empty
Add Japanese Translation
BIP85: Allow Export Base64 Passwords
Vulnerability Fix: Block Import of Python Modules from SD Card
Add Compatibility to Partial Text Mnemonic QR Codes
Add Multi-keypad Position Indicator
Add Computer simulator for WonderMV device
Krux Ethos: Guidelines have been created to assist with decision-making regarding the Krux project’s interactions
00:26:49 RoboSats v0.7.3
Websockets now working on Android app: this enables instant chat and Nostr order book features
First external coordinator now available: you can now see @lnp2pBot orders on RoboSats UI
Better display coordinator info on the Create Order form
Charts now depend on selected currency
00:26:57 Bitkey App v2024.73.0
Now see Coinbase offers alongside other partner exchanges when you sell bitcoin.
Bitkey introduces an inheritance feature, enabling users to designate a single beneficiary for simplified fund transfer after their passing. A 6-month waiting period safeguards against fraudulent or accidental claims. [Blog post]
Beneficiaries must set up a Bitkey wallet to receive funds, but cannot view the benefactor’s wallet details. Owners retain control over beneficiary changes.
00:31:07 RewindBitcoin v1.1.3
Enhancements:
Emergency Addresses are now pre-filled by default, with contextual help provided
The app is now more resilient: it operates independently, even if backend services are unavailable or the backend goes offline
Robustness to Network Errors:
Automated and reasonable retries for network failures
Improved handling of Electrum node disconnections
Friendly, actionable error messages for poor connectivity
Optimized timeouts for better performance in weak network conditions
Avoids unnecessary network usage while the app is in the background and resumes seamlessly when restored to the foreground
00:35:15 Umbrel v1.3.0
Swappable apps: You can now choose which Bitcoin node app you want to run: Bitcoin Node, Bitcoin Knots, or Libre Relay, and select your preferred Electrum server app: Electrs, Fulcrum, or ElectrumX.
Cloudflare DNS: Enable Cloudflare DNS for improved reliability, or disable it to inherit DNS settings from your router.
Add Factory Reset option
00:35:32 ESP-Miner v2.4.0
Re-worked how we publish artifacts when releasing new builds
Use the same espressif/idf release for github and vscode
Add OLED Bitaxe logo screen
Add all in one factory file script
Replace default address with a prompt
Add info for check on update
00:35:36 Boltz boltz-web-app v1.5.1
Disable EVM connect button for invalid pairs
Loading spinner when fetching signer balance
Add RSK to mainnet config
Project spotlight
00:35:43 Wallet Dev Kit (WDK) by Tether: a multi asset cryptocurrency wallet library in JavaScript. [Documentation]
“An open-source, self-custodial toolkit for developers to create Bitcoin and USD₮ wallets for humans, AI and robots”
00:35:51 ScriptLab: Uncomplicating Bitcoin Script: Learn and Code Scripts with blocks [Github]
Script Lab allows users to create Bitcoin scripts through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface or by generating basic scripts via chat
00:36:04 Mempal: A Bitcoin mempool monitoring and notification app for Android. [Github]
“Mempal is a Bitcoin monitoring app that allows users to effortlessly track real-time fee rates and mempool depth for smarter transaction management.”
00:36:44 Debifi: A Bitcoin-backed lending platform providing institutional-grade liquidity
Debifi App Update
Add support for Coldcard
Now available on the App Store
00:37:41 Dart-bip85 package: A Flutter binding for the rust-bip85 which is an updated version of the original rust-bip85. [Repository]
00:37:45 Descriptors Go: An experimental Go library to handle Bitcoin output descriptors, including miniscript and tapminiscript. [Github]
00:37:47 tick-tock-tui: A TUI app to handle Bitcoin data provided by Mempool: fees, blocks and price converter. [Github]
00:37:56 Awesome-bitcoin-guide: The Ultimate Bitcoin Guide: Secure, Private, and Informed Usage, by iAnonymous3000 [Github]
Comprehensive Bitcoin guide focusing on operational security, wallet management, privacy best practices, and risk mitigation
00:38:30 BitAxe HAS Dashboard: A Home Assistant dashboard for BitAxe Miners [Github]
“This dashboard brings all your BitAxe miners and Satoshi Radio pool stats together in one clean, informative interface.”
00:38:39 Radpool: Syndicated Mining Pool
Radpool introduces a syndicated design, using Mining Service Providers (MSPs) to decentralize bitcoin mining and reduce transaction censorship risks.
00:38:43 Satadelica: A trippy Bitcoin price visualiser [Github]
Updates real-time Bitcoin metrics like price, block height and hashrate, and allow users to visualize market movements through ‘trippy’ graphics and tools.
Vulnerability Disclosures
00:39:16 Nearest neighbor attack: exploiting nearby Wi-Fi for covert access [Volexity]
Russian APT GruesomeLarch’s novel Wi-Fi breach: The group leveraged nearby networks to infiltrate a Ukrainian-focused organization’s systems. Proximity was key in this “Nearest Neighbor Attack,” bypassing MFA-protected services by exploiting Wi-Fi credentials.
00:39:27 New Ghost Tap attack exploits NFC mobile payments for fraud [Bleeping Computer]
The Ghost Tap attack exploits stolen credit card data and NFC technology to commit scalable financial fraud through global networks of money mules.
Attackers use banking malware and phishing to obtain payment credentials, relaying NFC card details remotely via servers.
00:39:38 Leaked documents reveal Graykey, a phone unlocking tool, provides only partial access to iPhones running iOS 18 and 18.0.1, including the iPhone 12 through iPhone 16 series. [404Media]
Graykey’s capabilities with Android devices vary, with limited access on newer Pixel phones unless unlocked at least once, highlighting challenges due to the range of Android manufacturers.
00:40:38 OverSecured researchers discover seven vulnerabilities in Android and Google Pixel devices, affecting millions of users worldwide.[Oversecured]
Vulnerabilities allow unprivileged apps to access geolocation and grant VPN bypass privileges, posing significant security risks. Other issues include arbitrary file theft via WebView, incorrect Bluetooth permission checks, and HTML injection vulnerabilities, all of which have been fixed by Google.
00:41:03 Apple urgently patches vulnerabilities affecting macOS and iOS, including CVE-2024-44308 (arbitrary code execution) and CVE-2024-44309 (cross-site scripting). [Security Week]
The flaws involve JavaScriptCore and WebKit, primarily targeting Intel-based macOS devices. Apple advises immediate updates to macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 and iOS versions.
00:41:32 Decades-old security flaws in Ubuntu’s Needrestart Package [The Hacker News]
Researchers discover local privilege escalation vulnerabilities in Ubuntu’s needrestart package, installed since version 21.04. Exploits allow attackers to gain root access via manipulated environment variables like PYTHONPATH and RUBYLIB.
00:41:48 Chinese man arrested in Bangkok for operating, from a van, a 3km-range SMS blaster targeting populated areas, sending one million phishing messages per hour [Twitter post]
D-Link discontinues legacy routers over remote code execution flaw [Bleeping Computer]
D-Link urges users to replace DSR-150 and DSR-250 VPN routers due to an unfixed remote code execution vulnerability. The issue affects all hardware and firmware versions, with no patch planned.
00:42:28 Five dollar wrench attack:
A gym trainer in Mira Road, Mumbai, was robbed of ~$56,000 by an eight-member gang during a USDT cryptocurrency deal. [LatestLy]
Privacy & Other Related Bitcoin Projects
Software Releases & Project Updates
00:42:53 SimpleX
Flux - the second pre-configured operator in the app to improve metadata privacy
Improved chat navigation (Android/desktop apps):
Open chat on the first unread message
Jump to quoted messages anywhere in the conversation
Edge-to-edge interface with translucent toolbars*
Reachable UI in desktop apps - greatly reduces risks to send a message to a wrong chat accidentally
Conversation and settings toolbars moved to the bottom with reachable UI*
Don’t ask passcode/biometric to open your chat profiles (only required to add/delete)
Better stability of iOS notifications delivery
Android and desktop apps
00:43:06 Signal
Introduces Call Links and enables users to share unique meeting URLs for quick access to calls without forming group chats. Admin controls and reusable links improve flexibility for recurring meetings.
Project spotlight
00:43:28 DeFlock: An open-source crowdsourced project mapping Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) around the world
The project aims to raise public awareness about the widespread use of ALPRs, the privacy implications, and the extent of surveillance networks.
Lightning + L2+
Project spotlight
00:43:56 Phoenix Server Lightning Wallet: An open-source wallet built on top of phoenixd [Github]
This project is a Lightning wallet interface built on top of Phoenixd server designed for Umbrel Server and Start9
It lets you easily manage your phoenixd transactions and leverage the power of Phoenixd for your Bitcoin Lightning wallet needs
00:44:32 Cashu Brrr: Cashu ecash money printer [Github]
Print your own ecash notes using either ecash from the same mint or Lightning
00:45:08 SING4SATS: Karaoke: A web client which allows users to request songs to be added to the queue, leveraging LNURL and Fedimod [Github]
Software Releases & Project Updates
00:45:44 Primal v2.0.21
Updates:
New tab: READS
New tab: EXPLORE
Feed Marketplace
Advanced Search
Launch Primal Premium: obtain a Primal name and Nostr tools for power users for $7 per month.
00:47:27 LND v0.18.4rc1
The main channel state machine and database now allow for processing and storing custom Taproot script leaves, allowing the implementation of custom channel types
A new
protocol.simple-taproot-overlay-chansconfiguration item/CLI flag was added to turn on custom channel functionalityCompatibility with bitcoind v28.0 was ensured by updating the version the CI pipeline is running against
Performance Improvements: A new method AssertTxnsNotInMempool has been added to lntest package to allow batch exclusion check in itest
00:48:05 Cashu Development Kit v0.5.0
This release included support with NUT-17 websockets for the mint as well as many bug fixes and improvements.
Add description to
MintQuoteBolt11RequestAdd description to
mint_quoteAdd
amountandfee_paidtoMeltedAdd
from_proofsonMeltedAdd unit on
PaymentResponseAdd description for mint quote
Add cache to some endpoints
Add Proofs trait
Wallet verifies keyset id when first fetching keys
NUT18 payment request support
Add
Wallet::get_proofs_withMint NUT-17 Websocket support
00:48:36 Phoenix Wallet v2.4.3
Redesigned the screen for sending payments: The contacts list and a free-form text input are now displayed first, instead of trying to open the scanner immediately. A button to read QR codes on images stored on disk has also been added.
Photos can now be attached to contacts (Android): You can also use an image from your device’s gallery. Photos are stored in the app private folder. Note that on iOS this feature was added in a previous version.
00:48:47 Zeus
Wallet v0.9.3-beta1
Channel reserve display
Bitcoin denominated amounts: display with spaces
ZEUS Pay: UX improvements
Zeus Pay Update
All payments will incur no fee for the receiver (previously 2.5-10% depending on amount)
The minimum amount receivable has been lowered to 1 satoshi (previously 10 satoshis)
Zeus introduces Zeus White: White glove node management, point of sale, and integrated enterprise solutions for businesses [Announcement]
00:49:56 Nutstash v2.0.1
New re-build
Multi-mint selection
Wallet Backup
New Ui
Integrated Nostr DM
Contact list
Zap contacts
00:49:59 Nutshell v0.16.3
Mint:
bolt11 invoices with different units on the same mint now settle externally via the Lightning network
Turn on multipath payments (MPP) by default for LND and CLN
NUT-06: Signal alternative URLs to reach the mint from using
.envvarMINT_INFO_URLS
Wallet:
Store Lightning invoices in new melt and mint quote tables
Sort outputs by amount to mitigate transaction amount privacy leaks
00:50:07 Fountain v1.1.8
Add and upvote tracks in the queue
Support the artist currently playing
Post in the live chat
Save tracks to your library
Listen to Fountain Radio on other apps
Artist Takeovers: Artists can now take control of the music and host a listening party or an AMA
Add prompt to share to Nostr after creating a clip
Add OPML file explorer
00:50:10 Breez SDK v0.6.4 - Native (Greenlight Implementation)
Improve sync performance by moving to an incremental sync
Improve trampoline payments reliability and fix fees passed to the trampoline node
Add list_swaps API
Auto recover network connections after hibernation
Stability fixes for trampoline payments
Ride-The-Lightning v0.15.4
Improve authentication logic for clearer error handling and validation during login and password reset processes
Refine application settings handling to ensure stricter validation of access keys
00:50:14 Lnp2pBot v0.11.1
Show the previous Status to DISPUTE in dispute message for solvers
Add MWK currency
Add community stats
00:50:17 BoardWalk Update
Add support for Cashu payment requests
Add ability to request and send payments for specific amounts
All users now have a reusable ecash address to receive payments
Use dollars or bitcoin. Perfect for point of sale or tips
00:50:19 Geyser November second release
Heroes Hall of Fame: a page that highlights the top projects and heroes driving Bitcoin adoption
Ambassadors: users can spread awareness of Bitcoin initiatives and earn recognition for their contributions
Hero Link: a unique link for users to share projects and earn points as ambassadors
Hero Card: a card displaying user rankings and impact across creator, contributor, and ambassador roles
Better Profile Stats: updated profiles now show detailed stats and rankings across all hero categories
00:50:20 Aqua Wallet v0.2.5 - Make AQUA Great Again
Phase 1 of UI refresh with new AQUA logo and colors
Watch-Only Wallet export for Bitcoin and Liquid
Add UTXO filtering to prevent errors when sending back-to-back Lowball transactions
Add second guard to prevent double-pay issue with Boltz sends
00:50:47 Clams Remote v2.5.0
Add BIP353 support
Nostr
Project spotlight
00:50:52 NDK Mobile: A React Native/Expo implementation of NDK (Nostr Development Kit) that provides a complete toolkit for building Nostr applications on mobile platforms. [Github]
Features:
Multiple signer implementations (NIP-07, NIP-46, Private Key)
SQLite-based caching for offline support
Subscription management with automatic reconnection
React Native and Expo compatibility
React hooks for easy state management
NDK Mobile is the library behind Olas and the (upcoming) Honeypot wallet
00:50:55 Olas: An Instagram-like client for iOS and Android [Announcement]
“Olas 0.1 provides a feed of videos (like those on flare/highlighter/zap.stream), picture events (kind:20, a new kind that no client had implemented yet) and the classical short notes with images attached we are all used to.” [TestFlight]
chachi.chat: A relay-based group chat client for the web [Gitea]
“NIP-29 allows creating groups that can be read by anyone or only authenticated users. These groups can be open to new members or require explicit approval from the group admins.” [Note]
00:51:26 Knox: A command-line Nostr bunker built with Deno. [Gitlab]
“Knox is a new Nostr bunker CLI for running a NIP-46 remote signer and granting credentials to members of your team”
00:51:32 Nostraut: Automate anything - on nostr
Nostraut is a platform designed to automate interactions on Nostr (schedule an event, receive notifications about events, and automatically react to events)
00:51:35 ezdvm: Simple DVM python implementation [Github]
Easily run any python code behind a DVM on Nostr. Just pick a kind (for basic text-to-text use 5050) and put the code you want to run in the
do_work()function. Then run the DVM.
00:51:40 Futr: A cross-platform nostr client app written in haskell and qt5 [Github]
00:51:45 Nosey: Nosey is a search app for nostr. Focus on supporting features similar to Twitter search directives. [Github]
00:51:49 nos2x for Firefox: nostr signer extension for Firefox [Github]
A fork from nos2x by Fiatjaf, focused on Firefox and related browsers.
Software Releases & Project Updates
Damus
Add Damus Share sheet action
Add new easy to use video controls for full screen video
Add Edit, Share, and Tap-gesture in Profile pic image viewer
Add Apple translation popovers for notes for iOS 17.4+ and macOS 14.4+
Allow multiple images to be uploaded at the same time
Add support for pasting images from the clipboard to the post composer
Add NDB search functionality to the universe view
New TestFlight available, with the following features:
Improved video controls
Stability improvements to video support
New image share options on the full screen carousel
Hashtag suggestions
YakiHonne Update
Mobile:
Adjust your home feed with what interests you the most
Home suggestion box can be enabled and disabled
Profile preview can be enabled and disabled
Replies can be previewed and highlighted directly
Articles, videos and curations can be quoted inside notes for more exposure
Add the ability to link connected wallet to your profile for zaps receiving
Web:
Connected threads: A refined notes thread makes following entire discussions more intuitive
Users can now personalize their home feed by selecting their top interests
Replies can now be previewed directly from the note card, without needing to open the full note
Wallets can now be linked to your account directly from the wallet page
Drafts for notes and replies are now saved, allowing easy edits later
The suggestions box on the home page can now be hidden
Articles, videos and curations can now be quoted and shared as notes
Flotilla v0.1.0
Remove nip05 login, use nostrconnect instead
Add types file
Add notification badges
Add checked store and set data
Pokey
Oxchat v1.4.1
Optimize video player UI with support for landscape mode
Add audio configuration in settings
Enable copying of ecash tokens from ecash messages
Support for media deletion
Zapstore v0.1.6
Performance: Background loading, remove deprecated
Allow sending system info and error report
Add Deeplink signer param support
Grain v0.2.0
Separate YAML Files for Blacklists and Whitelists: Moved the blacklist and whitelist configurations out of the main config.yml and into their own separate YAML files
Backup Relay Support: Introduced a new feature to configure a backup relay.
Support for Nostr Mutelists: Introduced the ability to consider one or multiple pubkeys’ nostr mutelists as blacklists
Configurable Time Constraints: Added new configurations to reject events based on their
created_attimestamps
OpenLibrarian v0.1.3
Add second round of testing (up to 77% coverage)
Separate features & updates section
Add privacy policy
Include alternative secondary API for pulling book covers based on isbn
Nostr-PHP v1.5.1
Support for PHP 8.4
Add id property to Subscription class
Update example snippets
AllowDynamicProperty in Filter class
00:52:00 GifBuddy Update
Add your own gifs with uploads
Load more gifs to find what you want
Faster gif loading
Less memory intensive on the server
Boosts
00:52:30 Thanks to everyone who streamed sats, and shoutout to our top boosters:
[🏆 TOP BOOSTER] @Chris (5,000 sats) “Is there a technical limitation that prevents Coldcard Q from being able to type a note, and export it encrypted with a deterministic encryption key, so that it can only be decrypted on another Q with the same seed AND same passphrase? Thanks!”
@podconf (500 sats) “THIS PODCAST IS NONCOMPLIANT”
@btconboard (300 sats) “Liana is massively underrated”
Bitcoin Optech Newsletter
Highlights from recent Bitcoin Optech Newsletters
Pluggable channel factories: ZmnSCPxj posted to Delving Bitcoin a proposal to make a small set of changes to the BOLT specification to allow existing LN software to manage LN-Penalty payment channels within a channel factory using a software plugin.
Signet activity report: Anthony Towns posted to Delving Bitcoin a summary of activity on the default signet related to proposed soft forks available through Bitcoin Inquisition.
Update to LNHANCE proposal: Moonsettler posted to Delving Bitcoin and also the Bitcoin-Dev mailing list a proposal for a new opcode, OP_PAIRCOMMIT, to be added to the LNHANCE soft fork proposal that includes OP_CHECKTEMPLATEVERIFY and OP_CHECKSIGFROMSTACK.
Covenants based on grinding rather than consensus changes: Ethan Heilman posted to the Bitcoin-Dev mailing list the summary of a paper he coauthored with Victor Kolobov, Avihu Levy, and Andrew Poelstra.
MAD-based offchain payment resolution (OPR) protocol: John Law posted to Delving Bitcoin the description of a micropayment protocol that requires both participants to contribute funds to a bond that can be effectively destroyed at any time by either participant.
Papers about IP-layer censorship of LN payments: Charmaine Ndolo posted to Delving Bitcoin summaries of two recent papers about reducing the privacy of LN payments and potentially censoring them.
News & Noteworthy (cont.)
Bitcoin
00:55:05 Chaincode Labs launches the 2025 edition of its BOSS (Bitcoin Open-Source Software) program, a free, three-month program focused on Bitcoin and Lightning open-source software development [Website]
The program runs from January to April 2025. Applications close on December 31, 2024.
Lightning + L2+
DLC Markets has transitioned from signet to mainnet, offering a secure, non-custodial Bitcoin derivatives platform. [Blog post]
Using Discreet Log Contracts and innovative features like Rust-based oracles and WebAssembly, it improves OTC trading efficiency.
Boltz integrates Rootstock swaps with the Lightning Network, enabling users to seamlessly move funds between the two networks. [Announcement]
Nostr
Business & Finance
00:57:06 Block, Inc. announces Proto, a suite of bitcoin mining products and services aimed at decentralizing hardware supply and enhancing network resiliency [Press release]
Its focus spans ASIC chips, mining rigs, and developer tools for diverse applications like home mining and energy reuse.
00:57:11 Casa introduces Casa Enterprise, a specialized product designed to help businesses securely manage their bitcoin treasuries through self-custody solutions. [Blog post]
00:57:30 Swan Bitcoin sues former legal firm for conflict of interest in Tether case [The Mining Pod]
Swan Bitcoin files a lawsuit against its former legal firm, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, alleging breach of fiduciary duty and attorney malpractice. Swan claims Gibson Dunn created a conflict of interest by representing Tether in a competing case.
Tradfi
00:57:46 Revolut’s cryptocurrency exchange, Revolut X, expands to 30 European countries after successful UK launch. [Coin Desk]
00:57:58 Private investment firm, Newmarket Capital, launches Battery Finance: Bitcoin-collateralized loan strategy. CEO explains bitcoin-backed private credit strategy on CNBC
Funding
00:58:06 OpenSats announces:
Long-term support for m1sterc001guy for his continued contributions to the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Third wave of education grants, dedicated to advancing Bitcoin literacy and community development across the globe:
BTC Map
Yes Bitcoin Haiti
Entropy Bitcoin Education
Bitcoin 4all
Doubling down on Nostr, with additional grants to:
Damus
Gossip
nostr.build
nostr-sdk-ios
ngit & gitworkshop
nostr-relay (-nestjs, -tray)
Nostrocket
DVMDash
Mining
00:58:12 Russia bans winter digital currency mining in Siberia, North Caucasus, and occupied Ukraine to address energy shortages [The Moscow Times]
The ban affects specific areas from December 1, 2024, to March 15, 2025, with annual restrictions in Siberia until 2031 and total bans in other regions.
Privacy
00:58:40 U.S. Congress critiques Tornado Cash and urges for stricter regulations [The Rage]
Seven U.S. Congress members urge the Treasury to finalize regulations on cryptocurrency mixers like Tornado Cash, citing misuse for laundering, terrorism, and sanctions evasion.
00:58:44 Chinese government employees with access to vast surveillance systems are profiting by selling citizen data to private brokers [Wired]
Brokers resell information ranging from phone numbers and bank details to encrypted passwords. Researchers reveal that even restrictions on accessing officials’ data are easily bypassed.
00:59:20 Mullvad VPN cancels remaining PayPal subscriptions in order to reduce stored customers’ data and aligns with privacy-focused policy. [Announcement]
Users can still make one-time payments, including via PayPal, and will receive a notification from PayPal but retain unused account time.
Protocol
Bitcoin Core #30239: Introduces a standard for ephemeral dust outputs, enabling zero-fee transactions with dust outputs to be included in the mempool. [Merged]
Bitcoin Core #30930: Introduces a new peer services column in the netinfo command and an “outonly” filter to display only outgoing connections. [Merged]
Bitcoin Core #30592: Removes the option to disable full Replace-by-Fee (RBF) and revert to opt-in RBF [Merged]
Core Lightning #6980: introduces a
splicecommand that supports either a JSON payload or a splice script. This command facilitates complex splicing actions and combines multiple channel operations into a single transaction. [Merged]LDK #3283: Support paying directly to Human Readable Names using bLIP 32: introduces compatibility with BIP353 by enabling Bitcoin payments to use DNS-based human-readable addresses. [Merged]
NIP #1578: nip46: simple public key login using kind:10046 [Open]
NIP #1605: Kind-scoped follow: A way of following one or multiple kinds that are of interest [Open]
NIP #1587: Time-ordered event ids: Implementing temporal locality in primary keys, inspired by UUIDv7, increases the database efficiency by reducing memory usage and data rearrangement. [Draft]
Cryptography
1:00:59 Two mathematicians discovered an elliptic curve of rank 29, breaking an 18-year-old record. This rank measures the complexity of rational points on the curve. [Quanta Magazine]
Their finding highlights unresolved debates in mathematics, including whether there is an upper limit to elliptic curve rank, which remains unproven.
Government & Political
Shanghai’s Songjiang People’s Court clarifies that personal ownership of bitcoin is legal in China under property laws, despite restrictions on commercial activities. [South China Morning Post]
Polish Presidential candidate Sławomir Mentzen commits to establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve if elected in 2025. [Twitter post]
Pennsylvania is considering a bill, the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act, which would allow the state to invest up to 10% of its $7 billion treasury in Bitcoin. [Atlas21]
U.S. SEC Chair Gary Gensler announces his resignation, effective January 20, 2025, after serving since 2021. [Twitter post]
Five-year sentence for Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein following $3.6 billion (120,000 units) bitcoin theft [Press release]
Federal agents raid Polymarket CEO’s home, seizing electronic devices. Polymarket is under DOJ scrutiny for allegedly allowing U.S. users to access its platform despite prior restrictions. [CoinDesk]
Events
1:01:22 SATS’N’FACTS: Bitcoin Technical Unconference
First edition conference diving into Scalability, Mining, Payments, Infrastructure, and much more.
February 8—10, 2025 in Chiang Mai, Thailand
1:01:26 Hackalajara: Guadalajara’s first bitcoin-focused hackathon
November 29-December 1, 2025 in Guadalajara, Mexico
1:01:39 Bengaluru BITDEVS: BitDevs Summit
Day-long gathering of Bitcoin and open-source contributors showcasing their cutting-edge work in panels, demos, and talks.
November 30, 2024 in Bangalore, India
Reads
1:01:46 Here’s a list of our top recently published reads:
High Risk, Low Reward, by Tony Giorgio [Blog post]
Boost Your Bitcoin Node Sync With UTXO Snapshots, by Jameson Lopp [Blog post]
Bitcoin Core’s Loss of Focus, by Jamesob [Twitter post]
Analysis of the Crypto Policy Landscape Following the Elections, by Coin Center [Blog post]
How decentralized is Bluesky really? by Christine Lemmer-Webber [Blog post]
Bitcoin Dev Project’s guide on how to sign a MuSig transaction [Guide]
Does Sovereign Default Risk Explain Cryptocurrency Adoption? International Evidence from Mobile Apps [Research paper]
Bitcoin Under Volatile Block Rewards: How Mempool Statistics Can Influence Bitcoin Mining [Research paper]
Episode submission ideas
We’re looking for ideas for interesting panel conversations. To send Bitcoin related questions, just go to bitcoin.review and follow the contact links at the bottom of the page.
Get in touch with the pod
Nostr & LN ⚡nvk@nvk.org (not an email!)