𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

2024 is almost upon us. Using my newfound ability to bring you the latest #Bitcoin news (see the quoted note below), I will highlight all the top news from each month of 2023.

My, how far Bitcoin has come in just 1 year!

Let’s start reviewing it. 👇

nostr:nevent1qqsx5wawmta5x67n7g5eyyzf9tpmgsnrdvdfl0tqjpz98yvl43l6k8gpp4mhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mqzyp05sxj22fyq6h38jccrhwragaeks9pp30yr8tskwxpj20ftayd77qcyqqqqqqgk35wce

𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 769699

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$16,617

January 2023 started with the 14th anniversary of Bitcoin’s Genesis Block!🎉

Later, Coinbase was fined $50 million by the New York State Department of Financial Services for not surveilling their users enough. Coinbase also promised to allocate another $50 million for tracking their users’ financial activity.💩

January also brought us bank runs that caused Silvergate Bank to lose over $700 million to cover $8.1 billion in withdrawals.💸

𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 774440

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$23,726

LocalBitcoins ended its decade-long journey to enhance financial inclusivity, urging users to withdraw their funds as it shut down services.📉

Wyoming passed a bill protecting citizens from having to disclose their Bitcoin private keys, a significant win for digital asset privacy.🛡️

BlueWallet announced the shutdown of its custodial Lightning Wallet, moving towards exclusively offering self-custody solutions.⚡

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 778643

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$23,629

El Salvador launched CUBO+, a six-month educational program aimed at producing proficient Bitcoin and Lightning Network developers through the Salvadoran university system.🇸🇻

Greenpeace's $5 million anti-proof-of-work campaign backfired spectacularly when the commissioned "Satoshi Skull" artwork, intended to criticize Bitcoin's environmental impact, became a celebrated piece within the Bitcoin community.🎨

The U.S. Government auctioned off 9,861 BTC seized from the Silk Road, with plans to liquidate an additional 41,490 BTC within the year.💰

𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 783311

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$28,452

El Salvador eliminated all taxes on technology innovations, and established a National Bitcoin Office, aiming to bolster the country's economic growth and global tech competitiveness.🇸🇻

The Bitcoin Beach Wallet rebranded to nostr:npub13ljnkd633c7maxatymv3y2fqq8vt3qk7j3tt0vytv90eztwgha9qmfcfhw, and announced its intentions to extend its services globally, with enhanced features for both individual users and merchants, including in-app Bitcoin education.🌐

Texas moved to curb Bitcoin mining activities as the state's Senate Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 1751, aiming to eliminate incentives for miners and limit their participation in certain grid programs.⚖️

𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 787615

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$28,073

Montana passed a new law that firmly protects the right to mine Bitcoin, and prohibits discriminatory rates and taxes against digital asset mining, while also recognizing digital assets as personal property.🏔️

Despite the proposed anti-Bitcoin mining bill SB 1751, Texas saw it fail to become law, while Bitcoin miners received a new tax incentive and continued to provide critical services to the state's grid.🏛️

BlueWallet's Custodial Lightning Wallet officially discontinued its custodial Lightning service on May 31st. This has since pushed users towards more self-sovereign Lightning wallets.⚡

The nostr:npub1tayp5jjjfqx4ufukxqamsl28wd5pggvteqe6u9n3svjn62lfr0hsp89l42 project commenced, aiming to deepen the understanding and adoption of Bitcoin's principles, technology, and impact.🧠

𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 792226

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$26,815

The SEC charged Binance and its founder, CZ, with securities law violations, accusing them of misleading investors and evading U.S. securities laws. The lawsuit also identified several coins as unregistered securities.🏛️

Coinbase also faced SEC charges for operating an unregistered securities exchange, brokerage, and clearing agency, and failing to register its crypto asset staking-as-a-service program.📉

Fedi introduced the first-ever Pop-Up Federation at the nostr:npub167n5w6cj2wseqtmk26zllc7n28uv9c4vw28k2kht206vnghe5a7stgzu3r Conference, showcasing a new way for conference attendees to use this new tool for Bitcoin scaling, and engage with the community.🚀

Prime Trust was placed into receivership after losing $82 million of customer funds, revealing significant liabilities and insolvency issues.💸

𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 796539

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$30,605

Kraken was ordered by a judge to hand over user information for those with trading volumes over $20k from 2016 to 2020 to the IRS, marking a significant moment for user privacy and regulatory oversight in the crypto space.🔍

The documentary "Social Media Is Broken. Can We Fix It?", with nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m, was published. It explores the potential of Nostr as a decentralized alternative to current social media platforms, and focuses on its implications for user autonomy and free speech.📽️

Kuwait's Capital Markets Authority imposed a complete ban on Bitcoin payments, investment, and mining to comply with AML standards set by the Financial Action Task Force.🚫

𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 801042

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$29,595

nostr:npub15klkdfx9sh3y096a5jf895rcvkmkzvly2fm9dgxq6huqhp9576jsav4m73 partnered with the nostr:npub1zhqcda52mrvcc0vkwegwsp5xtpk6l6x5kqx85f06tu9lw5h6xx0scch0dw to facilitate Bitcoin donations for dissidents and NGOs using nostr:npub155m2k8ml8sqn8w4dhh689vdv0t2twa8dgvkpnzfggxf4wfughjsq2cdcvg.💪

Argentina's then-candidate for president, Javier Milei, vowed to shut down the central bank, drawing inspiration from El Salvador's Bitcoin model.🇦🇷

Grayscale won its appeal against the SEC, opening the door for Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds, and transforming the investment landscape for businesses and other wealthy entities seeking to get Bitcoin exposure.📈

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 805565

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$25,814

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) voted to implement new fair value accounting rules for Bitcoin, enhancing financial transparency for companies holding digital assets.📊

El Salvador announced plans to introduce Bitcoin education in all public schools in 2024, aiming to broaden financial literacy nationwide.🇸🇻

nostr:npub1tftc33ttam85wraffce62cgtvvjrmttquqlv6a0agtfm5nl4vues82xar5 and BitGo partnered to establish the USA's first Bitcoin-only trust company, focusing on secure, regulatory-compliant custody solutions.🏦

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 809993

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$27,991

Volcano Energy partnered with Luxor to launch El Salvador's first Bitcoin mining pool, Lava Pool, leveraging the country's geothermal energy and contributing a portion of its net income to the Salvadoran government.🌋

The BitVM whitepaper was published, introducing a novel way to create virtual machines on Bitcoin. It’s designed to enhance Bitcoin’s capabilities and smart contract functionalities.📄

Bitcoin's whitepaper celebrated its 15th anniversary, marking a decade and a half since Satoshi Nakamoto introduced the revolutionary digital currency to the world.🎉

𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 814651

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$35,421

Javier Milei, an anarcho-capitalist, secured a victory in Argentina's presidential race, promising radical reforms and a closure of the central bank.🇦🇷

CZ agreed to plead guilty and step down as CEO of Binance in a $4.3 billion settlement with the DOJ, marking a significant shift in the crypto exchange's leadership, and in how they respond to regulatory pressures.🏛️

Eligius Pool relaunched as OCEAN Pool, raising $6.2M in seed funding to establish a non-custodial Bitcoin mining pool that promotes greater decentralization and transparency in the mining process.🌊

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸: 819105

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲: ~$38,682

Nayib Bukele stepped down as El Salvador's President to run for a second term, signaling continued dedication to his political and economic vision for the country.🇸🇻

Argentina repealed forced legal tender laws, confirming that debts can now be settled in Bitcoin, marking a significant shift towards Bitcoin’s acceptance as money.🇦🇷

Bitcoin's price witnessed an impressive ~157% increase since the beginning of the year, highlighting its growing appeal and resilience as an investment.📈

The team at nostr:npub1tayp5jjjfqx4ufukxqamsl28wd5pggvteqe6u9n3svjn62lfr0hsp89l42 published their first annual report, which delves into the intersection of Bitcoin and AI, and explores the potential for bitcoin-centric AI tools to drive innovation and efficiency in the Bitcoin ecosystem.🤖

nostr:nevent1qqsgpyl6r2szcnkr5nrldhkzesnskwearm5yuff4jkww00cy8062sscpp4mhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mqzyp05sxj22fyq6h38jccrhwragaeks9pp30yr8tskwxpj20ftayd77qcyqqqqqqggvyff0

Which brings us back to today!

2023 was quite the rollercoaster ride, wasn’t it? From exchanges getting sued, to the victory for freedom in Argentina, to the creation of yours truly, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹!

And yet, we can probably expect 2024 to be even 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 eventful!

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲🤙 and 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲🔄 this, and 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸🔖 it for next year!

Know any other noteworthy #Bitcoin-related news from 2023?

Share it in the 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀⬇️

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰!