Bitcoin Alpha: Weekly Review
Week 15 – 2025
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1. Joe Bryan: Bitcoin is national security infrastructure
In What Bitcoin Did, former DoD official Joe Bryan lays out the case for Bitcoin as strategic energy and financial infrastructure.
He argues the U.S. should support mining, diversify reserve assets, and embrace Bitcoin as a check against authoritarian capital controls.
Bryan isn’t just bullish—he’s calling for a doctrine shift:
“Bitcoin strengthens U.S. energy security and economic sovereignty.”
(h/t What Bitcoin Did – The Case for Bitcoin w/ Joe Bryan)
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2. Dan Gould: PayJoin is underrated and underused
Dan explains how PayJoin increases privacy by making regular-looking Bitcoin transactions that actually include a contribution from both sender and receiver.
It breaks deterministic chain analysis and is already supported by tools like JoinMarket and BTCPay Server, but lacks adoption.
Dan calls on developers and merchants to integrate PayJoin now—it’s low lift, high privacy.
(h/t Citadel Dispatch – Dan Gould: PayJoin)
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3. Jack Mallers: The market collapse explained
In a fiery breakdown, Jack ties this week’s asset meltdown to the Fed’s inability to hike rates in a debt-soaked world.
Bitcoin dropped briefly but rebounded faster than stocks. Why?
Because it’s not dependent on earnings, bailouts, or politics—it’s just math.
“This is why we build Strike. Bitcoin is the exit.”
(h/t Money Matters – Live: Bitcoin & Market Collapse with Jack Mallers)
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4. Rabbit Hole Recap: Bitcoin outperforms, again
RHR dug into Bitcoin’s resilience as global markets flailed.
They noted:
• Bitcoin fell less than the S&P during the tariff shock.
• Mining decentralization is accelerating.
• Open-source tools like Stratum V2 are gaining traction.
Marty and Matt:
“Bitcoin doesn’t panic—it settles.”
(h/t Rabbit Hole Recap #352 – Bitcoin Trumps Tariffs)
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5. Michael Goldstein: Education must outlast the hype
In Bitcoin Park, Goldstein says we should focus less on memes and more on long-term, low-time-preference education.
He advocates for resources that can be referenced 100 years from now—like the Nakamoto Institute archives.
“Bitcoin isn’t about price. It’s about principles.”
(h/t Bitcoin Park – Education for the Next 100 Years)
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6. Lyn Alden: Sound money is deflationary by design
In Saving in Bitcoin, Lyn compares fiat’s inflationary nature (which forces risk-taking) to Bitcoin’s scarcity (which rewards patience).
She sees Bitcoin as the bridge between an over-leveraged world and a future of sustainable capital allocation.
“Bitcoin is the only major asset where deflation is a feature, not a bug.”
(h/t The Bitcoin Podcast – Broken Money w/ Lyn Alden)
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7. Becca Rubenfeld: Insuring your Bitcoin is growing up
In Coin Stories, Becca outlines how AnchorWatch offers regulated, multi-sig-based Bitcoin insurance.
As institutional custody expands, insurance is key to unlocking treasuries, trusts, and enterprise balance sheets.
“Bitcoin needs the same infrastructure as any institutional-grade asset.”
(h/t Coin Stories – Becca Rubenfeld: Insuring Your Bitcoin)
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8. Lawrence Lepard: The Big Print is inevitable
Lepard warns that massive money printing is coming as governments try to keep servicing debt.
He argues Bitcoin will be the lifeboat as every fiat currency is forced into debasement.
“Sound money is coming—either through policy or collapse.”
(h/t What Bitcoin Did – The Big Print is Coming w/ Lawrence Lepard)
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9. MIT Bitcoin Expo: Freedom tech isn’t optional
This keynote emphasized the role of Bitcoin infrastructure—wallets, nodes, Lightning, decentralized storage—as tools for liberty.
Amid censorship and surveillance, Bitcoin is positioning itself as the digital backbone of free society.
(h/t Citadel Dispatch – MIT Bitcoin Expo: Supporting Freedom Tech)
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10. Pierre Rochard: Bitcoin is uncompromising truth
In his 21 in 21 segment, Pierre reminds us that Bitcoin’s most radical feature isn’t its price—it’s verifiability.
Anyone can audit the supply. No gatekeepers. No trust required.
“Bitcoin is truth—digitally encoded.”
(h/t 21 in 21 – Pierre Rochard)
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11. Niftynei: Keep Bitcoin weird, open, and useful
In her rapid-fire 21 in 21 episode, Niftynei talks dev-first infrastructure:
• Her advocacy for Replace-by-Fee-Rate.
• Why Lightning mempool changes matter.
• How building international dev communities (e.g. Bitcoin++ events) is key to resilience.
“Use it. Build with it. Make it better.”
(h/t 21 in 21 – Niftynei)
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12. Natalie Brunell’s News Block: Everything is changing—fast
This week’s News Block was packed:
• Markets tanked on Trump tariffs.
• China retaliated, threatening rare earth exports.
• Gold was exempt, sparking speculation about reserve restructuring.
• Fidelity launched a no-fee Bitcoin IRA.
• Treasury Sec. Bessent predicted a “new Bretton Woods.”
The conclusion? Bitcoin isn’t just a hedge—it’s becoming a new base layer for capital.
“Bitcoin is resilience in a world full of hidden risks.”
(h/t Coin Stories – News Block: Global Markets Tank on Trump Tariffs)
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Week 15 confirmed what many of us already believe: Bitcoin isn’t a bet. It’s the response. The rails are laid, the narrative is shifting, and the exit door is wide open.
Stay humble. Stack Sats. Pura Vida.
Date: April 17, 2025
Bitcoin Block Height: 892,600
Current Bitcoin Price: $83,994.23
Satoshis per U.S. Dollar: 1,191