BV_DIB on Nostr: https://m.primal.net/OJla.png BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB) Block: 881,640 ...
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 881,640
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 31Jan25
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: American Set to Be Released in Gaza / Germany Protests AfD Party / Ukrainian Drone Hits Russian Oil Pipeline / Black Boxes Recovered from DC Mid-Air Crash / Trump Threatens BRICS Over USD Competitor / El Salvador Eases Back on Bitcoin Plan / New BTC Miner ETF / Trumps Reaffirms Canada, Mexico Tariffs / Wrench Attackers Sentenced in UK / USDT Now on Bitcoin, Lightning Networks / Solo Miner Hits Reward
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $104,932, 37.38 oz Gold, .24 Median US House
24hr Hi: $106,418 / Lo: $103,912
Vol: $38B (Down 25%)
Mkt Cap: $2.07T (Even)
HashRate: 746 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 5 sats/vBtye (Up 66%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. American and father of youngest hostages among those due for release from Gaza Saturday: It named three men – Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon as the captives that would be freed in the latest round. Siegel, an Israeli-American citizen, was taken from his home in kibbutz Kfar Aza. His wife Aviva, who was kidnapped alongside him, was released in November 2023 as part of the short-lived ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. (CNN)
2. Germany: Mass protests after far-right AfD helps CDU/CSU: Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Germany on Thursday to protest the conservative Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) parties. The demonstrations came one day after chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz worked with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to push draft anti-immigration legislation through the lower house of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag. (DW)
3. A New Kind Of Ukrainian Drone May Have Blown Up A Major Russian Oil Pipeline: On Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, drones operated by the Ukrainian 14th UAV Regiment struck a pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline along the Russian-Belarusian border in Bryansk Oblast. The resulting blaze illuminated the night sky, burning hot enough to register on NASA’s fire-detecting satellites. “Judging by the fire, the strike was precise,” Estonian analyst WarTranslated noted. Ukraine already operates former civilian sport planes, modified for remote control, that can clutch 220-pound bombs to their bellies. (Forbes)
-US Events-
1. Black boxes recovered from American Airlines plane after collision with helicopter: The US NTSB has recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the AA CRJ700 plane that collided with a military helicopter in Washington DC, resulting in 67 deaths with no survivors. (GroundNews)
2. Trump's Tariff Threat to BRICS Over Dollar Use: Trump has publicly stated his intention to impose 100% tariffs on BRICS countries if they attempt to replace the U.S. dollar. This statement comes amidst reports that the BRICS nations, now including expanded membership, are exploring alternatives to the dollar in international trade. However, the Kremlin has responded by dismissing these threats, indicating no immediate plans for a common BRICS currency. (X) (AC-If Russia is denying seeking a USD alternative, this is in contradiction to over a year of announcements and agreements between BRICS nations with Russia at the forefront. BRICS certainly would seek an alternative, but the threat of severe tariffs could make the effort too costly. This might drive the effort to covert status.)
-Regulatory and Legal-
NSTR
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. El Salvador Complies With IMF Requirements: Bitcoin Legal Tender Status Withdrawn: The Bitcoin law reform was approved in a Congress controlled by President Nayib Bukele’s party. It removes bitcoin’s current legal tender status and makes its acceptance voluntary. The status of bitcoin as a unit of account was also modified, withdrawing provisions that allowed merchants to express prices in BTC. Salvadorans cannot pay their taxes using bitcoin from now on, as the article that made this possible was also removed in the reform. These changes were necessary to comply with the IMF requirements to grant the country a $1.4 billion credit facility. These funds will be leveraged to execute necessary payments and support Bukele’s economic reforms. (BitcoinCom) (AC-Responses and spin on social media are all over the place. The ideal of a full bitcoin standard must be balanced with the current finincial system that exists worldwide and a transition will necessarily take time. Support for El Salvador's bitcoin plan should continue as they negotiate existing obligations and threats.)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Grayscale Launches Bitcoin Miners ETF: Grayscale has launched a new ETF, the Grayscale Bitcoin Miners ETF (MNRS), providing exposure to Bitcoin mining companies. MNRS invests in firms from the Indxx Bitcoin Miners Index, focusing on those generating revenue from BTC mining activities. (Decrypt)
-Economic Indicators-
1. Dollar Holds Gains as Trump Reaffirms Tariffs: The dollar index held above 108 on Friday after rising for three straight sessions, as President Donald Trump reaffirmed plans to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Saturday, while a 10% tariff on China remains under consideration. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Manchester court sentences 7 for kidnapping, $124K crypto extortion: Seven UK gang members who kidnapped, tortured and extorted a cryptocurrency investor have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms. The victim was repeatedly targeted, assaulted and forced to transfer 100,000 pounds ($124,152) worth of cryptocurrency over several months. (CoinTelegraph) (AC- A strange tale of multiple wrench attacks on one target.)
-Technology and Science-
NSTR
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Tether’s USDT Is Coming to Bitcoin and the Lightning Network: USDT, the company’s dollar-backed stablecoin, will soon be fully functional across both Bitcoin’s base layer and the Lightning Network, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino announced onstage Thursday at a Bitcoin conference in El Salvador. “Today marks a new era for stablecoins,” Elizabeth Stark, CEO of Lightning Labs, said Thursday in a statement. Lightning Labs developed the protocol that will allow USDT to integrate with the Bitcoin network. (Decrypt) (AC-A possibly significant development that may not sit well with Bitcoin maxis, and may have outsized consequences which need more research to assess accurately.)
2. A Solo Miner With a Cheap Home Setup Earns $330,000 Mining Bitcoin: A solo miner using a cheap home machine managed to mine a block and earn 3.125 Bitcoin, valued at almost $330,000. The miner received additional hashrate support from a donation to fund open-source projects. (Decrypt)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 70/100 (Down 2 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
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Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report