It’s the ultimate teacher.
Curiosity whispers.
Pain screams.
BREAKING #NEWS
$20M ransom. Refused.
Now shitcoins casino #Coinbase faces a $400M fallout.
Insiders sold out.
Phishing links.
Stolen data.
Trust? gone.
This wasn’t a hack.
It was infiltration.
Customer support agents bribed to leak user info.
Still think your #Bitcoin are safe on an exchange?
Centralized = compromised.
Bitcoin = self-custody.
Every time.
GM #Nostr
I don’t think the price bumped because people understood bitcoin.
Great analogy
The machine can’t be reformed Jeff. It must be unplugged.
Most people think Bitcoin governance is decentralized. It’s not.
Here's the uncomfortable truth:
You don’t need 51% of miners to change Bitcoin.
You just need 5 Core maintainers and a network of node operators who click “update” without reading.
That’s not decentralization.
That’s blind trust in a gatekeeping elite.
Here is how.
Bitcoin's 51% hashpower rule protects against double-spends, not protocol changes.
Changing the rules requires consensus. but in practice, consensus often follows the code, not the other way around.
When Core maintainers approve a change, it propagates silently.
Most node operators don’t audit code.
They trust.
They comply.
Exampl: #OPRETURN
Core removed the 80-byte limit with almost no discussion.
Thousands of nodes implemented it automatically.
Most had no idea what changed.
That quiet change triggered a silent revolt:
#Knots node usage surged 137% as informed operators rejected Core’s move.
But let’s be real:
That’s a small, technical elite.
Most #node runners are flying blind.
This creates a hidden centralization vector:
#Core devs don’t just write code. they decide which changes even get considered.
If they don’t approve it, it doesn’t reach the network.
They control what’s ‘acceptable’ and that shapes Bitcoin’s future more than most realize.
They decide which changes are “reasonable.”
And that shapes Bitcoin’s future. far more than people admit.
This isn’t about malice.
It’s about structure.
Complexity creates dependence.
And dependence creates power.
#Bitcoin’ s biggest centralization risk isn’t hashpower.
It’s the silent authority of trusted code maintainers (of the most dominated node sotwares out there) and the myth that decentralization protects us from that.
This is the real issue to me.
Centralization of Bitcoin Clients and Core Developers. The weakest and most underestimated point of attack to the Bitcoin Network.
I wrote extensively about it more than one year ago. See here:
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/bitcoin-decentralization-and-where-to-find-it
Saved it to read later
Thoughts? 🤷 #bitcoin
nostr:npub1rxysxnjkhrmqd3ey73dp9n5y5yvyzcs64acc9g0k2epcpwwyya4spvhnp8
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nostr:npub1fjjgfy22ufp5ge2egqgagjxqwwzfk7c4wzchzuwvje6h9klv8wtqy6k8jn
nostr:npub1heqkxm37d5h7n8sx2gqdez5sxnu39qrylhxnnd66dxpu4e2ufyysdkkx28
nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m
#knots #grownostr #core
nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq36amnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wvf5hgcm0d9hx2u3wwdhkx6tpdshsqgy4xcdzks4zds3t4sakk6aych9vf5mfqm4se7ucy6rgr3z6xqw9rqdwmzvs post contains a critical oversight in conflating contributors with maintainers (most of the world has the same misconception or wrong perception as well). Bitcoin Core currently has just 5 maintainers with commit access (Hennadii Stepanov, Michael Ford, Andrew Chow, Marco Falke, and Gloria Zhao [just two years ago Gloria told me they were eight contributors then.]), not the "40 regular contributors" mentioned. This distinction matters profoundly for decentralization.
The maintainer exodus is concerning - Wladimir van der Laan (lead for 9+ years), Samuel Dobson, and Jonas Schnelli have all departed. These maintainers serve as gatekeepers with actual power to merge code, while contributors merely propose changes. This is a topic rarely discussed because the core of Core is not something you want the world to know about regarding their politics, risks, and threats. That's the main maintenance garage for the only workable money vehicle in human history.
Both Core and Knots ultimately represent centralized decision-making structures:Core with its 5-person bottleneck and Knots with its single-developer approach. The recent OP_RETURN controversy perfectly illustrates this tension, with Core's removal of the 80b limit triggering a 137% surge in Knots nodes (from 674 to 1,890 nostr:nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7cnjvghxjme0qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcqyr7at68k4cxms9a7pdca5gzf3svqd95d3fj9j4vuyj0nyta8x3j2whad7ya nostr:nprofile1qythwumn8ghj7ct5d3shxtnwdaehgu3wd3skuep0qyt8wumn8ghj7ct4w35zumn0wd68yvfwvdhk6tcqyp60l3gucvq4pnmekm9nzmf6zh8nx24jngu0aj0tfp9tz4gad5v9v94ulq2 nostr:nprofile1qyvhwue69uhkyat8d4skutndva6hjtnwv46r5dpcxsuqz9nhwden5te0vfjhgcfwdehhxarjd9kzucmpd5qzqxvfqd89dw8kqmrjfaz6zt8gfggcg93p4tm3s2slv4jrszuugfmt74rjkj ) as users actively choose which monetary values they want preserved.
While Bitcoin Core currently benefits from nostr:nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmvqyehwumn8ghj7mnhvvh8qunfd4skctnwv46z7ctewe4xcetfd3khsvrpdsmk5vnsw96rydr3v4jrz73hvyu8xqpqsg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q8dzj6n 's principled funding (providing over 60% of its $8.4 million annual development budget), this centralized patronage model fundamentally contradicts Bitcoin's sovereign design and creates vulnerability to future influence shifts. The passionate debates between Bitcoin Core and Knots supporters may appear toxic to outsiders, but these confrontations serve as essential alarm bells that educate the ecosystem about threats to Bitcoin's monetary properties.
This is Bitcoin's true governance at work. While development teams may act as centralized decision-makers, ultimate power rests with individual Bitcoiners who collectively determine which vision prevails through their choice of software. Every node operator independently decides which implementation best preserves the monetary properties they value - whether that's #Core 's more permissive approach or #Knots ' stricter filters against non-monetary uses. This symbiotic relationship between Bitcoin and its most principled defenders ensures long-term resilience against changes that might compromise its fundamental value proposition. demonstrating that #Bitcoin needs sound money maximalists, imo, as much as maxis need Bitcoin to preserve the world's only truly sound money.
« Yeah, but that’s not normal. »
Exactly.
Normal is broke, tired, and asking for permission.
If that’s your dream,
go be normal.
If you want better, do better.
Get better.
GM #Nostr
Welcome to Europe in general and France in specific.
What do billionaires know that you don’t?
• Paul Tudor Jones: legendary hedge fund manager who called the 1987 crashm now holds $160M+ in Bitcoin via BlackRock’s ETF.
• Tesla and SpaceX? Sitting on $1.3 billion worth.
• Tim Draper: early backer of Tesla, and Skype; predicts $250K BTC this year, and maybe $3M long term.
Not bad company, right?
Now add:
• Stanley Druckenmiller: $4B hedge fund icon; calls Bitcoin a better store of value than gold.
• Ray Dalio: founder of the world’s biggest hedge fund; says Bitcoin is “one hell of an invention.”
• Bill Miller: value investing legend; once had half his net worth in BTC.
• Ricardo Salinas Pliego: Mexican billionaire; calls Bitcoin “the new gold” and tells people to buy it.
No, not every billionaire is in.
But the ones who saw tech revolutions coming before everyone else?
They are.
#Bitcoin isn’t a trade anymore. It’s a migration.
From fiat. From inflation. From fraud.
Do you think you have enough Bitcoin?
Let that sink in.
And of course, GM #Nostr !
A ceasefire means nothing when a foreign aggressor operates with impunity. Israel bombed Lebanon 855 times during a so-called 60days cease fire, killed 43 civilians, raided homes, abducted people, and bulldozed entire villages. This wasn’t self-defense—it was the violent destruction of life, liberty, and private property.
No free people tolerate this. A sovereign nation has the absolute right to defend its land, its homes, and its citizens. The moment you allow foreign forces to violate your borders without consequence, you are no longer sovereign—you are occupied.
#Israel ’s campaign of destruction wasn’t just about military targets. It was about erasing #Lebanon ’s ability to stand on its own. They tore down homes, stole land, and reduced Naqoura to rubble—because a dependent, broken nation is easier to control.
#nostr freedom thoughts.
YES. SUPPLY VS. DEMAND.
YET HOW FAST WOULD IT BE BOUGHT FOR IS THE REAL Q.
YET READ THIS
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Cairo P2P Meetup: A Conversation About Sound Ideas
Something’s brewing in Cairo. If you’re into systems that stand the test of time, preserving value, and connecting with like-minded people who appreciate sound economics, this is for you.
We’re hosting an informal, casual gathering to talk stacking, building and networking. No buzzwords, no formalities. Just good people, fresh perspectives, and a solid conversation over drinks and snacks.
When: End of Dec
Where: Cairo, details upon RSVP
If you know, you know. If you’re curious, join. DM for details.
🟣HOW I ORANGE-PILL BARBERS:
🔸 Fee: $25. I hand him $20 and say, “I don’t have the right change, but I can pay you $10 in #Bitcoin. It’s fast, easy, and way better than cash.”
🔸 He looks hesitant. I reassure him:
• “You don’t need an ID, a picture, or anything complicated. Give me 2 minutes, and I’ll show you.”
🔸 I guide him to download BlueWallet, Aqua, or Blink.
• 1 minute later, the app is ready. I send the payment and explain what’s happening as the Bitcoin lands in his wallet.
By now, he’s curious. “What else can I do with this?”
• I explain the seed phrase, custody, and how he can attract more customers.
• “Bitcoiners will love paying you directly.”
Then it happens:
🔸 Half the time, he notices the Lightning icon. I grab my phone, send him an instant tip on Lightning, and his face lights up when he sees how fast it is.
Suddenly, the conversation shifts. He’s asking more questions, excited to learn.
Every barber, every chance, every conversation—it matters.
NEVER STOP ORANGE-PILLING. NEVER STOP TRYING.
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What are your🍊pilling techniques?
I’ll go first! Best way to orange pill a writer is to onboard them on #Nostr before talking #Bitcoin .
