Bitcoin Veterans on Nostr: BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB) Block: 875,008 DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 17Dec24 ...
BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 875,008
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 17Dec24
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Russian Chemical Weapons Chief Assassinated / Shakeup in Canadian Cabinet / WI School Shooter Identified / Judge Won't Dismiss Trump Case / Debanking Issue Headed to Congress / DOJ Recovers Bitcoin in Fraud Case / Euro MP Calls for Bitcoin Reserve, Not CBDC / Yellen Goes After Chinese Banks Supporting Russia / Companies Rush to Buy Bitcoin / Argentina Does U-Turn / Saylor Likens Bitcoin to Manhattan Real Estate / Some Want to Rename Sats to Bitcoin
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $107,517, 40.55 oz Gold, .25 Median US House
24hr Hi: $107,780 / Lo: $103,322
Vol: $77B (Up 14%)
Mkt Cap: $2.12T (Up 3%)
HashRate: 784 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 13 sats/vBtye (Up 81%)
Nodes: 20,609
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Ukraine assassinates Russian chemical weapons chief in Moscow bombing: Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov, commander of the nuclear, biological and chemical forces of the Russian army, died in a blast as he was heading out of a residential block in Moscow, the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement. An explosive device was hidden in an electric scooter parked nearby. Kirillov’s aide also died in the attack. (Politico)
2. Freeland Resigns, Is Trudeau Next? Exit Odds Surge in Betting Markets: The halls of Canadian Parliament have been buzzing with turmoil following the resignation of Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s finance minister and deputy prime minister. Adding fuel to the fire, speculation is mounting among Polymarket bettors and the general public that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might also step down as the fallout continues. (BitcoinCom)
-US Events-
1. Police identify 15-year-old female student as Wisconsin Christian school shooter: A 15-year-old girl killed two students and wounded six more at a private Christian school in the US state of Wisconsin. Police said the schoolgirl was at Abundant Life's school before she opened fire and was found dead at the scene. (BBC, Various)
2. Judge in Trump's hush money case denies bid to toss out guilty verdict: Merchan handed down the decision after he also denied Trump's argument that he's already protected by presidential immunity because of his election win. "This court does not agree," he wrote. (NBC)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Crypto’s ‘debanking’ debate is headed to Capitol Hill next year: Debanking or derisking? Which is it when a crypto venture or founder is dropped by a bank? That’s the big question for the new Congress after being sworn in on January 3rd. Statements made this month by influential lawmakers Senator Tim Scott and Representative French Hill signal the debate is just getting started. (DLNews)
2. US government recovers $3.5 million in Bitcoin to reimburse cyber fraud victims: On Dec. 16, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the recovery of 32.68 BTC, valued at over $3.5 million, stolen in a December 2023 cyber fraud case. According to the DOJ, the BTC was obtained through a BEC scheme targeting a real estate company. Fraudsters infiltrated the company’s system and issued fraudulent wire transfer instructions, siphoning over $1 million. (CryptoSlate)
-Central Bank Digital Currencies/World Currencies-
1. ‘No to CBDC, yes to Bitcoin’ — European MP calls for EU BTC reserve: European lawmaker Sarah Knafo called on the European Union to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve while rejecting the proposed adoption of the “digital euro,” a central bank digital currency (CBDC) under development by the European Central Bank (ECB). The lawmaker said that it’s time to stop “totalitarian temptations” by the ECB, calling for a shift from regulatory overreach in crypto to adopting the decentralized nature of Bitcoin. (CoinTelegraph)
2. Russian Settlements Face Another Blow: U.S. Treasury Hints at Sanctions Against Chinese Banks: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently referred to the possibility of enacting sanctions against Chinese banks as the U.S. prepares to deepen its measures to weaken the Russian economy. This could affect trade settlements between Russia and China, which have already suffered due to previous measures. (BItcoinCom)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. In the past 24 hours MicroStrategy, Riot Platforms, Semler Scientific, MetaPlanet and several more well knowns companies have bought significant amounts of Bitcoin as part of their Bitcoin Reserve Strategy. (Various) (AC-We seem to have reached a point that individual reporting on companies buying Bitcoin is getting taxing. Companies, institutions and nation-states are all realizing the benefits of Bitcoin as a store of value in a Keynesian world.)
-Economic Indicators-
1. Argentina’s economy exits recession in milestone for Javier Milei: Argentina has come out of a deep recession in a major victory for the country’s unorthodox President Javier Milei, who has spent the past year enacting sweeping — and painful — reforms in Latin America’s third-largest economy. Gross domestic product grew 3.9% in the July-to-September quarter compared with the previous three months. (CNN)
2. Nasdaq Closes at Record High: The S&P 500 gained 0.4% on Monday, closing just shy of its record high, while the Nasdaq 100 advanced 1.3%, surpassing the 22,000 mark for the first time as tech stocks propelled the market ahead of a crucial Federal Reserve meeting this week. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. NoviSpy Spyware Installed on Journalist's Phone After Unlocking It With Cellebrite Tool: A Serbian journalist had his phone first unlocked by a Cellebrite tool and subsequently compromised by a previously undocumented spyware codenamed NoviSpy, according to a new report published by Amnesty International. "NoviSpy allows for capturing sensitive personal data from a target's phone after infection and provides the ability to turn on the phone's microphone or camera remotely," the company said in an 87-page technical report. (HackerNews)
-Technology and Science-
NSTR
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Bitcoin As ‘Cyber Manhattan’: Michael Saylor Stands Firm On BTC’s Value As Top Investment: "I would have bought Manhattan 100 years ago, 200 years ago, every year for the past 300 years. You pay a little bit more than the person who bought Manhattan before you, but it’s always a good investment to invest in the economic capital of the free world." Saylor said yesterday. (Bitcoinist)
2. John Carvalho Wants to Get Rid of ‘Sats’: John Carvalho, CEO of Bitcoin software company Synonym wants to do away with the idea of “satoshis” or “sats” – the smallest units of bitcoin (BTC). Each bitcoin is made up of 100 million sats and Carvalho thinks such a representation causes confusion among users and results in unnecessary cognitive overhead. Carvalho’s solution – which he dutifully outlined in a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) last week – is to simply rename the smallest units of the cryptocurrency to “bitcoin.” (BitcoinCom)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 87/100 (Up 4 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r
____________________
Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
NNNN
*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report
Block: 875,008
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 17Dec24
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
__________________________
BLUF: Russian Chemical Weapons Chief Assassinated / Shakeup in Canadian Cabinet / WI School Shooter Identified / Judge Won't Dismiss Trump Case / Debanking Issue Headed to Congress / DOJ Recovers Bitcoin in Fraud Case / Euro MP Calls for Bitcoin Reserve, Not CBDC / Yellen Goes After Chinese Banks Supporting Russia / Companies Rush to Buy Bitcoin / Argentina Does U-Turn / Saylor Likens Bitcoin to Manhattan Real Estate / Some Want to Rename Sats to Bitcoin
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $107,517, 40.55 oz Gold, .25 Median US House
24hr Hi: $107,780 / Lo: $103,322
Vol: $77B (Up 14%)
Mkt Cap: $2.12T (Up 3%)
HashRate: 784 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 13 sats/vBtye (Up 81%)
Nodes: 20,609
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Ukraine assassinates Russian chemical weapons chief in Moscow bombing: Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov, commander of the nuclear, biological and chemical forces of the Russian army, died in a blast as he was heading out of a residential block in Moscow, the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement. An explosive device was hidden in an electric scooter parked nearby. Kirillov’s aide also died in the attack. (Politico)
2. Freeland Resigns, Is Trudeau Next? Exit Odds Surge in Betting Markets: The halls of Canadian Parliament have been buzzing with turmoil following the resignation of Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s finance minister and deputy prime minister. Adding fuel to the fire, speculation is mounting among Polymarket bettors and the general public that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might also step down as the fallout continues. (BitcoinCom)
-US Events-
1. Police identify 15-year-old female student as Wisconsin Christian school shooter: A 15-year-old girl killed two students and wounded six more at a private Christian school in the US state of Wisconsin. Police said the schoolgirl was at Abundant Life's school before she opened fire and was found dead at the scene. (BBC, Various)
2. Judge in Trump's hush money case denies bid to toss out guilty verdict: Merchan handed down the decision after he also denied Trump's argument that he's already protected by presidential immunity because of his election win. "This court does not agree," he wrote. (NBC)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Crypto’s ‘debanking’ debate is headed to Capitol Hill next year: Debanking or derisking? Which is it when a crypto venture or founder is dropped by a bank? That’s the big question for the new Congress after being sworn in on January 3rd. Statements made this month by influential lawmakers Senator Tim Scott and Representative French Hill signal the debate is just getting started. (DLNews)
2. US government recovers $3.5 million in Bitcoin to reimburse cyber fraud victims: On Dec. 16, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the recovery of 32.68 BTC, valued at over $3.5 million, stolen in a December 2023 cyber fraud case. According to the DOJ, the BTC was obtained through a BEC scheme targeting a real estate company. Fraudsters infiltrated the company’s system and issued fraudulent wire transfer instructions, siphoning over $1 million. (CryptoSlate)
-Central Bank Digital Currencies/World Currencies-
1. ‘No to CBDC, yes to Bitcoin’ — European MP calls for EU BTC reserve: European lawmaker Sarah Knafo called on the European Union to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve while rejecting the proposed adoption of the “digital euro,” a central bank digital currency (CBDC) under development by the European Central Bank (ECB). The lawmaker said that it’s time to stop “totalitarian temptations” by the ECB, calling for a shift from regulatory overreach in crypto to adopting the decentralized nature of Bitcoin. (CoinTelegraph)
2. Russian Settlements Face Another Blow: U.S. Treasury Hints at Sanctions Against Chinese Banks: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently referred to the possibility of enacting sanctions against Chinese banks as the U.S. prepares to deepen its measures to weaken the Russian economy. This could affect trade settlements between Russia and China, which have already suffered due to previous measures. (BItcoinCom)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. In the past 24 hours MicroStrategy, Riot Platforms, Semler Scientific, MetaPlanet and several more well knowns companies have bought significant amounts of Bitcoin as part of their Bitcoin Reserve Strategy. (Various) (AC-We seem to have reached a point that individual reporting on companies buying Bitcoin is getting taxing. Companies, institutions and nation-states are all realizing the benefits of Bitcoin as a store of value in a Keynesian world.)
-Economic Indicators-
1. Argentina’s economy exits recession in milestone for Javier Milei: Argentina has come out of a deep recession in a major victory for the country’s unorthodox President Javier Milei, who has spent the past year enacting sweeping — and painful — reforms in Latin America’s third-largest economy. Gross domestic product grew 3.9% in the July-to-September quarter compared with the previous three months. (CNN)
2. Nasdaq Closes at Record High: The S&P 500 gained 0.4% on Monday, closing just shy of its record high, while the Nasdaq 100 advanced 1.3%, surpassing the 22,000 mark for the first time as tech stocks propelled the market ahead of a crucial Federal Reserve meeting this week. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. NoviSpy Spyware Installed on Journalist's Phone After Unlocking It With Cellebrite Tool: A Serbian journalist had his phone first unlocked by a Cellebrite tool and subsequently compromised by a previously undocumented spyware codenamed NoviSpy, according to a new report published by Amnesty International. "NoviSpy allows for capturing sensitive personal data from a target's phone after infection and provides the ability to turn on the phone's microphone or camera remotely," the company said in an 87-page technical report. (HackerNews)
-Technology and Science-
NSTR
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Bitcoin As ‘Cyber Manhattan’: Michael Saylor Stands Firm On BTC’s Value As Top Investment: "I would have bought Manhattan 100 years ago, 200 years ago, every year for the past 300 years. You pay a little bit more than the person who bought Manhattan before you, but it’s always a good investment to invest in the economic capital of the free world." Saylor said yesterday. (Bitcoinist)
2. John Carvalho Wants to Get Rid of ‘Sats’: John Carvalho, CEO of Bitcoin software company Synonym wants to do away with the idea of “satoshis” or “sats” – the smallest units of bitcoin (BTC). Each bitcoin is made up of 100 million sats and Carvalho thinks such a representation causes confusion among users and results in unnecessary cognitive overhead. Carvalho’s solution – which he dutifully outlined in a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) last week – is to simply rename the smallest units of the cryptocurrency to “bitcoin.” (BitcoinCom)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 87/100 (Up 4 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r
____________________
Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
NNNN
*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report