This seems like a pretty cool service
I am no longer part of Strike.
After 4+ years, the time has come to move on and contribute to Bitcoin in a different way.
My thanks goes out to all of you here who came from #Bitcoin Twitter! Support Strike and me have received from you over the years was instrumental in our success!
Twitter also helped me and nostr:npub1dmcd5wqd3yku05svp6xqk5gyywek4cgg0w3dk63tcu0rmjxnanns5xutjm connect and develop our relationship.
He followed the success of nostr:npub155m2k8ml8sqn8w4dhh689vdv0t2twa8dgvkpnzfggxf4wfughjsq2cdcvg, and over the years we began talking on coding, FOSS, teams, life...
Then in June 2019 Jack texted me and asked to help him take ln_zap to the next level:
> Unc, I'm looking to turn Zap into a startup and begin selling BTC over Lightning directly inside the wallet
Having a pre-seed startup for your full time job is always tough.
I considered doing it mainly because I wanted to see how Jack will grow as a person and entrepreneur. Like many in the Bitcoin community, I believed in him... and wanted to help him with my skills and experience.
Zap also already had a team of amazing FOSS contributors that I appreciated and wanted to know better.
Opportunity to work with Otto, Ole, mrfelton, Dylan, Korhal, Raph and Namson is what pushed me over the top and sealed commitment.
What followed was hardcore coding of backend that would provide additional APIs and run features Jack had in mind for Zap wallets on iOS, Android and Desktop.
By September we had the first version out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj9IMNAswSM
By the end of 2019 we have completely abstracted away the ability to pay lightning invoices.
This is when decision was made to go with completely new app, providing clean experience, focused on ease of lightning payments and UX.
Strike was born: https://jimmymow.medium.com/announcing-strike-by-zap-4f578c7c8984
6 months later, it was time to go with public... Strike BETA was released to everyone that wanted to download it.
https://jimmymow.medium.com/announcing-strike-public-beta-325877a79f87
Looking back, I couldn't be more proud on all the coding I've done on Strike.
Credit where credit is due - big part of that was mrfelton. Otto, Raph and Korhal as well.
Support these guys provided was critical for my coding commits streak of 2019, 2020 & 2021.
And not just them. I was lucky to be able to bring in more amazing engineers into Strike.
Kataklinger, Frank and Giancarlo who I hired for backend delivered big; so it was asked of me to help do the same across Engineering... and eventually whole company.
Thus in 2021 and 2022 I did more of what VP of Engineering traditionally does. There was still sporadic day to day coding, but I was focused on recruiting needed talent, structuring teams and setting up others for success.
In the end I've helped interview and hire over 80 people.
I'm especially proud of realization that I would repeat every single technical hire we've made.
To all that joined Strike over the years - thank you for the work you've done. It was privilege working together with you.
Finally, my focus in the last year was on ensuring that culture of Bitcoin is strong within Strike... and that Strike gives back to Bitcoin for the immense support it has received over the years.
In the process we started numerous partnerships and executed on several grants.
We were glad to give to organizations
https://twitter.com/unchainedcom/status/1636777955727753230
To individual contributors
https://twitter.com/Strike/status/1595185069538349056
To projects
https://twitter.com/jackmallers/status/1529204176101724161
And all that are working tirelessly every day to push Bitcoin forward.
We have also supported conferences like TabConf, AfroBitcoinOrg, TheBitcoinConf and meetups like ChiBitDevs.
In the end - I wish Strike all the best. It turned into the app that served as entry point into Bitcoin for many... and I hope it will get to do that for many more, across the globe!
Good luck! 🤙
Define "down".
Nationwide?
For how long?
Any reasons given?
Just Macedonia, or also neighbors?
Sounds a pretty big deal, given we are right in holiday season in Europe...
Vanlife: I was deciding between Volkswagen California and Mercedes Benz Marco Polo for my new van lifestyle. The difference was only subtle (1% towards California), but I'm glad, because California is supported by Comma.ai and thus has L2 self-driving capability similar to Tesla, including lane changes.
I wrote about van life post covid as part of new lifestyles in Cypherpunk visions and trends 2023-2025.
Van life is "vonu" - the faster you move, the more difficult it is for centralized systems to control you. It gives you independence from centralized grids (you have solar panels, right?), and a new perspective on life.
https://hackyourself.io/product/cypherpunk-visions-and-trends-2023-2025-ebook/
https://nostrcheck.me/media/public/nostrcheck.me_6501106776253967661690359629.webp
https://nostrcheck.me/media/public/nostrcheck.me_7736010261150554671690359641.webp
Just don't get yourself killed Tweeting at the SeLf-sTeEriNg wheel 😜
Pretty cool read on Elon and X
--------
To understand Musk's renewed obsession with X and focus on financial services, you REALLY need to understand the X/Confinity merger that became PayPal.
And, particularly, the Peter Thiel-led coup that kicked Musk out as CEO/Chief Strategist.
Here's how that happened. 1/
nostr:npub1rxysxnjkhrmqd3ey73dp9n5y5yvyzcs64acc9g0k2epcpwwyya4spvhnp8 telling the HonkHonk Story.
Question for Ben: were also the donations made through Lightning also seized?
Or only the on chain funds to the static address?
I still visit the Orb.
... To tell everybody waiting in line they are fucking morons
You mean the EUSSR?
Great. We've successfully built a second Cuba.
But without the rum to make it bearable
You should also learn to repair it, produce replacement parts, make fuel etc 🤫
Eastern Europeans have the clear advantage here; we've worked through this once before
They do cite the possibility to track "illicit" behavior such as track solen cars, speeding etc.
But generally they are quite open with the fact it's about data collection for its own sake and "behavioral guidance"
It's noteworthy, that this is technically not an EU institution, but a EU standards committee that's planning this.
To me, it's all the same though
Remember when they removed the tracking chip from Neo?
It's where we're going.
Although I wish it wouldn't even come that far. Like no one in the population is actually in favor of this shit, and democracy literally means "rule of the people" - so it shouldn't be possible that they get away with it.
Alas if i had 5 sats for every time I hear "shouldn't be", I'd be a bloody millionaire