The Bitcoin Minimalist Week 10
The Bitcoin Minimalist Week 10
Rates and pressure is growing, while Bitcoin development chugs along
This week:
UN wants lower rates
Strike raises more capital
Swan acquires Specter Solutions
Lightning dev wants to take down Monero
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News
UN Calls Central Banks To Lower Interest Rates
After massive market declines and increased interest rates, the UN is concerned that increased rates will cause a global recession. They have asked the FED and other central banks to lower interest rates. The point of increasing the interest rates was to dampen inflation, but there have been outsized effects in emerging markets.
Lightning Payments Startup Strike Raises $80M
Strike announced an $80 million raise led by Ten31, targeting Visa and their “Monopolistic, Anti-American” dominance of the credit card industry. Strike allows for the swap of USD and lightning instantly without needing payment processors like Visa, Mastercard, and SWIFT, eliminating fees.
Swan Acquires Specter Solutions
Swan announced the acquisition of Specter Solutions, a self-custody firm focusing on privacy and FOSS bitcoin custody security. They allow users to easily set up multi-sig wallets and other self-custody solutions. This is a big move for Swan, considering they don’t have a custody solution for entry-level users.
Fiatjaf Applies For A Grant To Take Down Monero
@Fiatjaf, a developer, has proposed the funding of attacks on other networks to expose a vulnerability he discovered. He is currently looking for funding.
“If any giant organization wants to spend money to ensure Bitcoin's success, I believe the best use of your money is now to fund attacks against Ethereum and Monero.”
Price
This week, Bitcoin spiked to $20,000, signaling the 4th week of sideways price action. This price action is well known in the bear market. Rates have been putting downward pressure on risk assets, while bitcoin has gone sideways.
The market is calling the FED’s bluff as the UN has asked them to stop raising rates. If the rate hikes stop and more money expansion proceeds, we may see another cycle of risk assets increasing in price, with bitcoin following.
Bitcoin Short-Term Holder cost basis crossed below the Long Term Holder Basis, marking what has historically been seen as bottoming events. This is not an exact science but has been correct in every boom cycle.
Tweets
Comparing Inflation By Country
Treasury: “Bitcoin Threatens Financial System”
Cambridge Shows Energy Consumption Of Mining
Demand Response Bitcoin Mining in Kenya
What to read
Bitcoin Is Digital Scarcity
- Der Gigi
Hello Taro: Building the (Tap)Root of the World's Financial Network with Bitcoin