BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 896,819
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 15May2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: Putin Skips Ukraine Talks / Pakistan-India Ceasefire Tenuous / Last Hamas US Hostage Goes Home / House Ag Bill Tightens SNAP Requirements / DBI Gabbard Fires Politicized Intel Officers / Crypto P2P Exempt From Remittance Tax / Largest Online Marketplace Haowang Shut Down / Ukraine Looks at Strategic Bitcoin Reserve / Mastercard Picks Up Crypto Payments / Spy Devices Found on Chinese Solar Units in US / Tether's New Decentralyzed AI Will Transact in BTC and USDT / Solar Flares Impact Some Comms / Most UK Bitcoiners HODL
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $102,382, 32.18 oz Gold, .24 Median US House
24hr Hi: $104,303 / Lo: $101,540
Volume: $45 (Down 12%)
Mkt Cap: $2.03T (Down 1%)
HashRate: 855 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 4 sats/vBtye (Up 100%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. Putin to skip Ukraine talks as confusion swirls in Turkey: Ukraine and Russia may hold talks in Turkey today but there is confusion over who, if anyone, will attend. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin won’t be taking part, despite calling the talks himself. Kyiv and Moscow are not known to have held direct talks at any level since soon after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (CNN)
2. Pakistan Commits to India Ceasefire but Vows Response to Aggression: Pakistan reiterated its commitment to a ceasefire with India but warned of retaliation if attacked, amid ongoing tensions. The statement follows recent hostilities and a ceasefire agreement, with both nations expelling diplomats. (Reuters)
3. Last U.S. Hostage in Gaza Is Reunited With Parents: ‘We Never Lost Hope’: Edan Alexander was 19 when he left New Jersey to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Edan Alexander was kept hostage underground for 583 days in the tunnels beneath Gaza. After he was released on Monday evening, he stood in a plain white room on an Israeli military base as his mother rushed in. (NYTimes)
-US Events-
1. House GOP Agriculture bill advances out of committee: The legislation directs states to cover a portion of SNAP benefit costs, narrows eligibility requirements for the program, and aims to prevent the federal government from being able to increase monthly benefits in the future. Work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents would also tighten under the plan. (TheHill) (AC-Not sure why SNAP issues are included in an agriculture bill.)
2. DNI Gabbard fires two senior intelligence officials focused on assessing threats to US: Gabbard fired Mike Collins, the acting chair, and his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof, on Tuesday. The dismissals come as Gabbard has vowed to root out what she has described as politicization of the intelligence community, and launched a war on leaks to the media that critics say is hollowing out the intelligence community of needed expertise from experienced professionals. (CNN)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Crypto P2P Transfers Dodge 5% Remittance Fee in New Tax Plan Proposal: The newly proposed 5% remittance tax, tucked into the House’s “Big Beautiful” tax reform bill, could have significant implications for cryptocurrency holders in America. One of the bill’s most controversial additions is the proposed 5% remittance tax, which has major implications for cryptocurrency users. While the tax applies to traditional remittance providers like PayPal and MoneyGram, it exempts peer-to-peer crypto transactions—a loophole that could boost digital asset adoption. (BItcoinSensus)
2. World's largest illicit online marketplace Haowang shuts down after Telegram intervention: Haowang Guarantee, a Telegram-based illicit marketplace and money laundering channel, announced its closure earlier this week. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said Haowang was the largest-ever illicit online marketplace, processing over $27 billion in USDT transactions. (TheBlock)
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. Ukraine plans first-of-its-kind Bitcoin reserves with reported support from Binance: According to Ukrainian media outlet Incrypted, Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zhelezniak confirmed that a draft law is being developed to support the initiative. (CryptoSlate)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Mastercard Teams With MoonPay in Latest Stablecoin Tie-Up: A new partnership between Mastercard and a crypto company, MoonPay, will enable users and businesses to conduct transactions using stablecoins globally. The collaboration leverages infrastructure from Iron, a stablecoin payment firm acquired by MoonPay. Despite regulatory uncertainties, card networks are increasingly embracing stablecoin technology for various financial applications. (Decrypt)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US 10-Year Yield Holds Advance: The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note held steady around 4.53% on Thursday, maintaining recent gains as easing global trade tensions dampened demand for safe-haven assets. (TradingEconomics)
2. Nasdaq Rises on Chip Rally: US stocks ended mixed on Wednesday as investors weighed evolving trade policies and recent strength in the tech sector. The S&P 500 added 0.1% after erasing its losses for the year, while the Dow slipped 89 points and the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.7%, boosted by gains in major chipmakers. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Concerns-
1. U.S. Engineers Find ‘Rogue Communication Devices’ in Chinese Solar Panels: U.S. engineers have discovered mysterious, undocumented communication devices lurking in some Chinese-made solar power inverters and batteries. “The rogue components provide additional, undocumented communication channels that could allow firewalls to be circumvented remotely, with potentially catastrophic consequences,” said Reuters’ sources. (Reuters)
-Technology and Science-
1. Meet 'QVAC': Tether’s Decentralized AI God in Your Pocket: Stablecoin giant Tether's new QVAC AI platform takes aim at Big Tech and lets agents run independently, transacting in Bitcoin and USDT. Tether says AI developed using its QVAC framework can run entirely on user devices and claims its QVAC architecture is designed to support trillions of AI agents. The company will release an open-source software development kit later this year. (Decrypt)
2. Blackouts Around The World As X Class Solar Flare Hits Earth: Three solar flares have erupted from sunspot region 4087 since yesterday. The latest was the largest of the year so far. "Flares of this magnitude are not frequent," they note, adding "users of high frequency (HF) radio signals may experience temporary degradation or complete loss of signal on much of the sunlit side of Earth." (IFLScience)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Most UK Bitcoin Holders Have Never Sold: The 2024 UK Customer Report by CoinCorner reveals that 51% of customers have never sold their Bitcoin, opting for small, frequent purchases and larger sales during price surges. Demographics challenge stereotypes, with 56% of users aged 35-54, and London leading in user count and transaction volume. (BitcoinMag)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 70/100 (Down 3 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
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Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report