Grassroots adoption starts with small steps, like integrating Bitcoin into your business.
A payment terminal that offers both Bitcoin and fiat is a powerful tool. Even if most people don’t use it right away, simply seeing Bitcoin at the point of sale creates an important touchpoint, one that can spark curiosity and, over time, lead to greater interest and adoption.
Businesses have the power to plant that seed, with help from nostr:npub1musqetp57matzsjcwd2y7tvxe59h85v74pqasnqxk7fhpwazzjpseyv5kr nostr:npub1q7ky4k857h0gx6d4e2t84dsrgms6yg6x93wexk8c2hy8f0efs3tq2lu8h4
As a wise man once said (Chris from nostr:npub1nqt6hg6k78la4uj0c0yc44s28t8nkgaaee7rdnrr0vszlul4wwdszsfpug):
"Normalise, don’t evangelise."
nostr:note12ppvyehcq83xc02y95v2xtahf5h6djely8wz6l2w638u20t8a33qtyw0ey
From Barcelona's bustling streets to France's rich art history and London's music scene, creators are using bitcoin as both a medium and a muse.
My latest piece in Forbes featuring nostr:npub1h5cmp8kys9dkzysv4wha3wuzruadalhtj82zyznscsx6fkw2efysje0yp0 nostr:npub1ynfk3s2qaend2knwq7hry2qdxglxxvch03jksjc7stk4ancq6vtshlf3np nostr:npub1hqxvtu58ayh8fn6q6zy3l0gvf9vqm4gcg0glmk88lr2s99ntsdfskajsch nostr:npub1hvqhft3p5m9vrg9fez62cm4lmftvu5tqtsc4kxpyju9uya0hywdq3ny4jq nostr:npub1yul83qxn35u607er3m7039t6rddj06qezfagfqlfw4qk5z5slrfqu8ncdu #Bitcoin
Donald Trump assumes office with plans to make the U.S. the bitcoin mining capital, causing concerns about centralization, institutional control, and bitcoin potentially becoming a tool of statecraft, weakening its censorship resistance.
My latest piece in Forbes.
Interesting timing from the Royal Mint.
Orwell’s 'Big Brother' £2 coin will be released on 15 January, with a Bitcoin vs. Gold piece also coming out this month.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England has just announced plans to begin the design phase of a digital pound CBDC.
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/report/2025/blueprint-framework-design-note
Even stranger, when I contacted the designer of the 'Big Brother is Watching You' coin for comment, the Royal Mint declined on their behalf.
What’s going on?
royalmint.com//
https://www.royalmint.com//invest/discover/gold-market/bitcoin-v-gold/
nostr:note1rzszurdvyh6tt870e6sry4dlx3jg5ngne6yxeqfhp32t7nh3ec6q6ly5c8
Orwell’s 1984 warned us about this. Surveillance is everywhere, privacy is being destroyed, and CBDCs are the final boss.
The £2 coin quoting ‘Big Brother is Watching You’—is this a tribute, or are they laughing at us?
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/george-orwell-coin-royal-mint-1984-animal-farm-b1204371.html
🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: The BBC cannot be held accountable for misinformation.
No right to appeal, no transparency, and the regulator is just another dead end.
For those following the case, here’s an analysis of the BBC’s Stage 2 response, highlighting systemic flaws in how they address inaccuracies:
1/ Conflict of Interest Not Addressed
Flaw: BBC failed to disclose Alex de Vries' affiliation with the Dutch Central Bank, which has a vested interest in undermining Bitcoin.
Impact: Readers lack full context to assess de Vries' credibility.
2/Reliance on a Discredited Source
Flaw: Heavily relied on Alex de Vries' commentary, which has been debunked in peer-reviewed critiques.
Impact: Treated de Vries' work as credible research, perpetuating misinformation.
3/ Failure to Independently Fact-Check
Flaw: Cited similar reporting from other outlets, neglecting their responsibility as a public broadcaster to verify claims independently.
Impact: Undermines the BBC’s editorial standards and trustworthiness.
4/ Freedom of Information Request - Refusal
Flaw: Refused to disclose the fact-checking process under the FOI Act.
Impact: Lacks transparency, raising concerns about their editorial process.
5/ Inadequate Responses to Evidence
Flaw: Avoided addressing detailed rebuttals from the Digital Asset Research Institute (@dari_org).
Key Issues Ignored:
-Misrepresentation of Bitcoin’s energy metrics.
-Failure to consider efficiencies from the Lightning Network.
-Overreliance on outdated methodologies.
-Exclusion of peer-reviewed studies on Bitcoin’s benefits.
Impact: Demonstrates a lack of impartiality.
6/ Breach of Editorial Standards
The BBC violated their own guidelines in three areas:
Accuracy: Relied on discredited sources without fact-checking.
Impartiality: Omitted conflicts of interest and rebuttals, creating bias.
Transparency: Refused to disclose their fact-checking process.
7/ Avoidance of Accountability
Flaw: Avoided engaging with evidence and arguments presented in Stage 1 & 2 complaints.
Impact: Resistance to accountability makes it difficult to challenge inaccuracies.
Summary of the Process Challenges
The BBC’s reliance on flawed justifications, refusal to address rebuttals, and lack of transparency demonstrate systemic shortcomings:
1. Failed to retract or correct misleading content.
2. Ignored conflicts of interest.
3. Failed to adhere to accuracy, impartiality, and transparency standards.
Full Stage 2 response attached.
This process began on 5 December 2023, and over a year later, we are here with no resolution.
This is a clear institutional failure undermining public trust in a taxpayer-funded organisation. The BBC must be held accountable for inaccuracies in their reporting.
The BBC must be defunded.
Full X thread and history here:
https://x.com/decentrasuze/status/1877730630403838011
An additional update.
At 11:53 AM on today (10 January 2024), I received a response from the Executive Complaints Unit, confirming this was their final decision.
Then, just 13 minutes later, at 12:06 PM, another email from the BBC stated that they couldn’t respond to my complaint within their normal timeframe and it might take an additional 20 working days.
It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: The BBC cannot be held accountable for misinformation.
No right to appeal, no transparency, and the regulator is just another dead end.
For those following the case, here’s an analysis of the BBC’s Stage 2 response, highlighting systemic flaws in how they address inaccuracies:
1/ Conflict of Interest Not Addressed
Flaw: BBC failed to disclose Alex de Vries' affiliation with the Dutch Central Bank, which has a vested interest in undermining Bitcoin.
Impact: Readers lack full context to assess de Vries' credibility.
2/Reliance on a Discredited Source
Flaw: Heavily relied on Alex de Vries' commentary, which has been debunked in peer-reviewed critiques.
Impact: Treated de Vries' work as credible research, perpetuating misinformation.
3/ Failure to Independently Fact-Check
Flaw: Cited similar reporting from other outlets, neglecting their responsibility as a public broadcaster to verify claims independently.
Impact: Undermines the BBC’s editorial standards and trustworthiness.
4/ Freedom of Information Request - Refusal
Flaw: Refused to disclose the fact-checking process under the FOI Act.
Impact: Lacks transparency, raising concerns about their editorial process.
5/ Inadequate Responses to Evidence
Flaw: Avoided addressing detailed rebuttals from the Digital Asset Research Institute (@dari_org).
Key Issues Ignored:
-Misrepresentation of Bitcoin’s energy metrics.
-Failure to consider efficiencies from the Lightning Network.
-Overreliance on outdated methodologies.
-Exclusion of peer-reviewed studies on Bitcoin’s benefits.
Impact: Demonstrates a lack of impartiality.
6/ Breach of Editorial Standards
The BBC violated their own guidelines in three areas:
Accuracy: Relied on discredited sources without fact-checking.
Impartiality: Omitted conflicts of interest and rebuttals, creating bias.
Transparency: Refused to disclose their fact-checking process.
7/ Avoidance of Accountability
Flaw: Avoided engaging with evidence and arguments presented in Stage 1 & 2 complaints.
Impact: Resistance to accountability makes it difficult to challenge inaccuracies.
Summary of the Process Challenges
The BBC’s reliance on flawed justifications, refusal to address rebuttals, and lack of transparency demonstrate systemic shortcomings:
1. Failed to retract or correct misleading content.
2. Ignored conflicts of interest.
3. Failed to adhere to accuracy, impartiality, and transparency standards.
Full Stage 2 response attached.
This process began on 5 December 2023, and over a year later, we are here with no resolution.
This is a clear institutional failure undermining public trust in a taxpayer-funded organisation. The BBC must be held accountable for inaccuracies in their reporting.
The BBC must be defunded.
Full X thread and history here:
https://x.com/decentrasuze/status/1877730630403838011
From nostr:npub1wl39ydk5rpecvtrzhq67afl9ykn2ty2xdxdkfmyan0rss3f3ma5sndznlx:
The Crypto Asset Reporting Framework – what does this mean for Bitcoin in the UK?
How will it affect your personal safety and security if it’s implemented as planned?
We have today released a research paper and delivered this to HMRC with commentary on recommended changes to the draft legislation.
What’s being proposed? Under the Crypto Asset Reporting Framework or CARF, it’s proposed that tax authorities worldwide will gather and have access to information on cryptocurrency transactions, allegedly to combat tax evasion and ensure compliance with tax laws.
What’s wrong with it? The amount of personal and transaction data that will be gathered and shared is truly staggering. This won’t just be shared with your domestic tax authorities, but with others across the globe. It will include your name, address, date of birth, amount of Bitcoin held or sold or transferred. This is a highly dangerous level of intrusion into your personal and private life, particularly given the increasing frequency of data breaches (examples in our paper) and also the risk of violent physical attacks against Bitcoiners whose details are leaked to or obtained by bad actors. Additionally, the UK’s new draft regulations fail to make clear that none of these reporting requirements will fall upon the developers of free and open source software, as such persons cannot be in a position to comply.
How should it be changed? We recommend two simple changes – that the information being gathered on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency users is severely limited and in a way proportionate to the high risk of personal harm, and that the regulation clarifies that it cannot and shall not apply to the developers of free and open source software.
More details on our Substack👇
https://bitcoinpolicyuk.substack.com/p/the-cryptoasset-service-providers
🔥
It depends on the jurisdiction. Different countries have varying thresholds and rules for KYC.
The FATF Travel Rule, now applied to bitcoin, requires extensive KYC data sharing, causing serious concerns about privacy, financial freedom, and personal safety.
My latest Forbes article featuring nostr:npub1mznweuxrjm423au6gjtlaxmhmjthvv69ru72t335ugyxtygkv3as8q6mak.
Energy = Money
Energy drives productivity. This chart shows how higher energy use per capita leads to greater GDP.
Countries like the UK that are trying to cut electricity use risk stalling growth.
Bitcoin turns energy into value, making it a driver of innovation and economic resilience in an energy-powered world. ⚡️
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/maps-and-charts/correlation-of-per-capita-energy
Obfuscation, it’s what Central Bankers do best!
All is not as it seems in Blighty… and yes much trouble lies ahead nostr:npub1hwgw0uznr49t4gullpgfz4m5xnakl5a0l88m3k382xv7ys0tfmlsd503sg
🎯
Transparency in banking should be a requirement, not a choice. The Bank of England’s decision to hide bailout details raises serious concerns about accountability and risks further eroding trust in our institutions.
Could this signal more trouble ahead for the UK?
Bitcoin is moving from a niche investment to a geopolitical asset. Governments and central banks worldwide are considering adding bitcoin to their reserves, potentially reshaping the monetary order.
Read more in my latest piece in Forbes.
I’m proud to be included alongside so many remarkable women in the Bitcoin space in this nostr:npub1t8a7uumfmam38kal4xaakzyjccht4y5jxfs4cmlj0p768pxtwu8skh56yu article by nostr:npub1dnzzyhmewrzkh862z7z2shwmhh5htx0rvkagepj2fkgst9ptwg3qj4x52h.
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/takes/the-women-in-bitcoin-that-cointelegraph-forgot
The talent in the space is mind-blowing.