BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 892,380
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 14Apr2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: China Halts Rare Earth Exports / US-Iran to Meet Again / Palm Sunday Missile Attack Kills 30+ in Ukraine / PA Governor House Lit on Fire / Chinese National Arrested by ICE for Spying / Bukele Meets Trump Today / Sen Lummis Say SBR Would Cut Debt in Half / Metaplanet, MSTR Buy the Dip / Imports, Exports Drop, Can Bitcoin Help? / Real ID Mandate Begins, Starts Debate / AI Uses a Lot of Power / Samson Mow Say Nation-States Adopting Bitcoin
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $84,980, 26.31 oz Gold, .20 Median US House
24hr Hi: $85,449 / Lo: $83,027
Vol: $31B (Up 8%)
Mkt Cap: $1.68T (up 1%)
HashRate: 903 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 2 sats/vBtye (Down 66%)
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. US-China Trade War: Beijing Halts Rare Earth Exports, Affecting Global Tech, Auto, Defense Sectors: China has abruptly suspended exports of critical rare earth minerals and high-powered magnets—materials vital to the global tech, automotive, aerospace, and military industries. China dominates the global rare earth market, producing nearly 90% of the world's supply of these 17 essential elements. (IBTimes)
2. Trump team holds 'constructive' face-to-face nuclear talks with Iran, will meet again next weekend: The meeting between U.S. Special Envoy Steven Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was the first face-to-face exchange since President Donald Trump returned to office. The talks took place on the outskirts of Oman’s capital, Muscat, and lasted just over two hours. "Iran either has to talk or get their nuclear facilities bombed," a senior fellow at the Lexington Institute said. (Fox)
3. More than 30 Ukrainians killed by Russian ballistics in Palm Sunday strike: Two Russian ballistic missiles struck the city of Sumy at around 10:15 a.m., according to Ukrainian officials. Images from the city show a building blasted to rubble, vehicles on fire in a street and several bodies on the ground. An initial investigation determined at least 32 people were killed in the attack, the Prosecutor General's Office said. At least 84 others were injured, including 10 children. (Fox)
-US Events-
1. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Reveals Arsonist ‘Set Fire’ to Governor’s Mansion: “Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg,” Shapiro wrote. “The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were evacuated from the Residence safely by Pennsylvania State Police and assisted by Capitol Police. Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished.” (Breitbart) (AC-A suspect is now is custody.)
2. Chinese National Convicted of Acting as Spy for China Arrested by ICE Agents: Ming Xi Zhang, the owner of Ya Ya Noodles in Montgomery Township, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 24, 2025, following his conviction for acting as an unregistered agent for China. (GroundNews)
3. El Salvador President Meets Trump: Economic and Crypto Talks: El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has arrived in the United States for a meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump, scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025. Discussions are anticipated to revolve around economic collaboration, including topics like cryptocurrencies, due to Bukele's known advocacy for Bitcoin. The meeting underscores a significant diplomatic engagement between the two leaders. (X)
-Regulatory and Legal-
NSTR
-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. Holding 1M BTC Would Cut US Debt in Half, Says Senator Lummis: She says this is based on the best modeling available if you hold Bitcoin for 20 years. (BitcoinSensus)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Metaplanet Boosts Bitcoin Holdings to 4,525 BTC, $MSTR has acquired 3,459 BTC for ~$285.8 million and holds 531,644 $BTC acquired for ~$35.92 billion at ~$67,556 per bitcoin. (Decrypt, X)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US imports crater 64%, exports 30% as trade war opens path to Hyper Bitcoinization: The broader implications for the US economy extend beyond logistics. Tariff shocks create friction across credit, inventory, and pricing cycles, amplifying uncertainty in ways difficult to hedge through traditional instruments. In scenarios where fiat-based systems experience frequent or unpredictable distortions, asset holders may explore Bitcoin as a reserve option to mitigate currency politicization. While still volatile in spot terms, Bitcoin offers a deterministic monetary policy and a final settlement layer, both of which appeal during periods of high counterparty risk. The economic logic for Bitcoinization strengthens not from hype but breakdown, as predictable systems encounter political variability with compounding costs. (CryptoSlate) (AC-Although somewhat speculative in assessment, the logic is sound and expected by most studied Bitcoiners.)
2. US 10-Year Yield Holds Near 4.5%: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note hovered just below 4.5% on Monday, holding steady after last week's sharp rise driven by mounting concerns over the potential economic fallout from President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. REAL ID Requirement Sparks Debate on Security vs. Privacy: Starting May 7th, 2025, U.S. citizens will need a REAL ID to board domestic flights or access certain federal facilities, following an announcement by Secretary Kristi Noem of Homeland Security. The REAL ID Act, originally recommended post-9/11, aims to enhance security by making identification harder to forge. Public reaction varies, with some citizens expressing concerns over privacy and governmental overreach, while others see it as a necessary measure for safety or have had no issues obtaining the ID. (X)
-Technology and Science-
1. AI's Dirty Secret: Artificial Intelligence Is Fueling a Global Energy Crisis, Says IEA: The rise of artificial intelligence is igniting more than just innovation—it's triggering a dramatic spike in world energy use. A groundbreaking report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) says energy consumption from data centers, those running AI included, will double within the next five years. By 2030, they will account for an eye-watering 3% of global electricity. AI alone may be the cause of more than half that surge. (TechTimes) (AC-This sounds very familiar.)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. JAN3 CEO Samson Mow: Adoption Is Accelerating, US Purchases to Ramp up This Year: Mow believes that the adoption process of bitcoin by nation-states is imminent, declaring that it might even start this year. If you look at everything that’s happening in the world today, the timeline is rapidly accelerating. It is just a matter of time before legislation turns into active buy pressure.” he assessed. “They actually need to be buying this year; it is not about what they want, it’s about necessity,” Mow concluded. (BitcoinCom) (AC-The term "adoption" in his context appears not to means as a P2P medium of exchange as most understand it, but rather as a nation-state store of value. The difference is
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 31/100 (Up 6 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): All indications are pointing to a 'coiled up' demand for Bitcoin with uncertainty rising from global economic disarray. After a price consolidation phase and a demonstration of some relative stability, the political, economic, and social channels for renewed fundamental interest in Bitcoin as a SOV and global MOE are gaining momentum. The probabilities of increased demand of Bitcoin are high at the present.
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Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report