BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)

Block: 897,549

DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 20May2025

Precedence: Routine (RR)

Controls: Public Release

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BLUF: Ukraine Talks Still in Play / French Want Army Deployed in Cities / US Rep. McIver Charged With Assault / SCOTUS OKs Trump's TPS Revocation for Venezuelans / GENIUS Act Moves Forward / New SEC IG Targets Crypto Fraud / Circle Wants to be Sold / Wrench Attacks in Africa Up, Coinbase Hacked for Customer's Addresses / Trump Signs Deepfake Law

Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $105,056, 32.47 oz Gold, .24 Median US House

24hr Hi: $106,814 / Lo: $102,161

Volume: $55B (Down 14%)

Mkt Cap: $2.08T (Up 2%)

HashRate: 856 EH/s

Avg Fee Rate: 3 sats/vBtye (Up 50%)

---Reports---

-International Events-

1. Trump Announces Immediate Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks: Following a two-hour call with Putin, Trump stated that Russia and Ukraine would begin immediate peace negotiations, with the Vatican offered as a potential venue by the Pope. (Reuters)

2. 80% Of French Women Want The Army Deployed In French Cities To Protect Them: Due to France’s drug trafficking crisis, a large majority of French are in favor of the army being deployed into disadvantaged neighborhoods in problematic neighborhoods in France, including 80 percent of women. France has seen an incredible 86 percent increase in sexual violence in the last 10 years, with mass immigration fueling this trend. (ZeroHedge)

-US Events-

1. Rep. LaMonica McIver Charged with Assault, Impeding Law Enforcement Officials at ICE Detention Center: Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) was charged with assaulting, resisting, and impeding law enforcement officers during a riot at Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. DHS Secretary Noem wrote in a post on X. “No one is above the law. If any person, regardless of political party, influence or status, assaults a law enforcement officer as we witnessed Congresswoman McIver do, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” (Breitbart)

2. Supreme Court allows Trump to revoke protected status for thousands of Venezuelans: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday to allow the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for around 350,000 Venezuelans living in the United States. (GroundNews)

-Regulatory and Legal-

1. Senate advances a major crypto regulation bill (GENIUS) on a bipartisan vote: The Senate voted 66-32 on Monday to advance bipartisan legislation regulating stablecoins in the U.S. Negotiators won Democratic support by strengthening rules on foreign issuers, boosting enforcement, banning tech giants from issuing stablecoins, and adding ethics rules preventing lawmakers from issuing stablecoins. (GroundNews)

2. SEC’s new interim watchdog Katherine Reilly to target crypto fraud as top priority: Katherine Reilly assumed the role of Acting Inspector General at the U.S. SEC on May 20. In the most recent “Inspector General’s Statement on the SEC’s Management and Performance Challenges” issued in October 2024, Reilly named crypto-related fraud among the agency’s four central obstacles. (CryptoSlate)

-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-

NSTR

-Institutional Concerns-

1. Circle Has 'Informal Talks' Over $5B Sale to Coinbase or Ripple: Circle, the stablecoin issuer behind USDC, has reportedly engaged in "informal talks" to sell itself to Coinbase or Ripple, seeking at least $5 billion, as an alternative to an IPO. Coinbase and Ripple have both shown interest in acquiring Circle, with Ripple offering $4-5 billion in XRP and cash. (Decrypt)

2. Bitcoin ETFs post strongest inflow since May 2 as investor demand returns: Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $667.4 million in inflows on May 19, the second-largest single-day inflow this month, marking a four-day streak of net positive flows. (CryptoSlate)

-Economic Indicators-

1. Treasury Yields Stabilize: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note held steady around 4.43% on Tuesday, after a volatile session on Monday during which the benchmark briefly touched a one-month high. (TradingEconomics)

-Security Concerns-

1. Crypto Abduction Threat Spreads to Africa; Ugandan Founder Targeted: The founder of the Ugandan blockchain and crypto education institution Mitroplus Labs was abducted by armed criminals posing as law enforcement. The criminals demanded $500,000 and access to the founder’s cryptocurrency wallets. (BitcoinCom) (AC-Wrench attacks are becoming a weekly story now.)

2. Coinbase data leak could put users in physical danger: A recent data breach at crypto exchange Coinbase has raised concerns about user safety after hackers gained access to sensitive information, including home addresses. While no passwords, private keys or account funds were exposed, cybercriminals reportedly bribed overseas customer service contractors to access internal systems. This allowed them to steal personal data that could be used in social engineering scams or even physical extortion attempts. (CoinTelegraph) (AC-Not good.)

-Technology and Science-

1. Trump Signs Law Criminalizing Non-Consensual Sharing Online of Intimate Images, Deepfakes: The Take It Down Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump, criminalizes non-consensual online publication of intimate images, including deepfakes, and requires tech platforms to remove such content within 48 hours. First Lady Melania Trump praised the law as a victory for protecting children. (Decrypt)

-Bitcoin Community-

NSTR

-Bitcoin Sentiment-

1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 71/100 (Up 1 pts)

Analyst Comments (AC): It's obvious bitcoin and crypto holders are being targeted globally for 'wrench attacks' more frequently. Act today to protect your identity, holdings, home and loved ones. Build deceptive wallets and use multi-sig where possible. Use your 2A rights.