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Joss
c301e0c44e5809b89ae6e4a98c28dd8ddb650a533283aae43283f4bd88d11082
Payments expert and Bitcoin / Lightning advocate based in the UK.

More fiat architecture - only 23 years old and they are demolishing the heart of this acclaimed Norman Forster building .#asknostr

Presumably that is the progeny of an illicit liaison between a croissant and doughnut? Sounds so wrong and yet I feel compelled to try one. I'd love to see how they would go down in France.

Just tried to buy a chisel in my local store and found it had a security lock on it. Apparently they are dangerous weapons. #asknostr

https://blossom.primal.net/a3cd81938b8ef2b63c906b1fbb69aeaae19ece5cee3381f50c808b5d2d5be6d2

GM. Where will it lead today?

#asknostr

“Treating all privacy-oriented digital assets as suspect would be akin to banning locks because criminals might hide behind closed doors.”

Electric Coin Company CEO Josh Swihart

#asknostr

FROM CARTWHEELS TO STABLECOINS

I've just been clearing out some of my father's old belongings and I came across this well travelled coin (see picture). It turns out to be a copper "cartwheel". In the 18th century, Britain faced a coinage crisis. The Royal Mint’s copper coin production couldn’t keep pace with industrial growth, leaving workers unpaid and commerce strained. Enter private mints, which issued copper tokens—dubbed “cartwheels” for their size and weight—to fill the gap. These tokens, often minted by merchants and industrialists, were backed by local trust and redeemable for goods, services or one-penny coins minted by the Royal Mint.

Fast-forward to the 21st century, and stablecoins like Tether (USDT) echo this innovation, addressing modern gaps in financial systems with privately issued digital currencies. Like 18th-century cartwheels, stablecoins emerged from necessity. Where copper tokens countered coin shortages, stablecoins tackle inefficiencies in global finance—high fees, slow transfers, and currency volatility. Tether, launched in 2014, is pegged to the US dollar, aiming for stability akin to the trust-based value of copper tokens. Both rely on issuer credibility; cartwheels depended on merchants’ reputations, while Tether’s value hinges on it's underlying reserves, with controversies over transparency mirroring historical skepticism of private mints.

Cartwheels circulated locally, accepted by communities familiar with issuers, much like stablecoins thrive within the crypto ecosystem, enabling fast, low-cost transactions across borders. Both have faced regulatory scrutiny. In 1814, the British government banned private tokens, fearing counterfeiting and loss of monetary control, eventually issuing official coins.

Similarly, regulators today question stablecoins’ stability and potential for systemic risk, with calls for oversight growing as Tether’s market cap exceeds $160 billion in 2025. The parallels are striking; both cartwheels and stablecoins democratised finance, bypassing centralised bottlenecks, but inviting distrust and regulatory pushback. The US GENIUS Act (2025) and EU’s MiCA (2024) impose strict reserve and transparency rules, threatening Tether’s market access with potential delistings (e.g., EU exchanges by March 2025).

While cartwheels faded with state intervention, Tether’s and other stablecoin future likely hinges on increased regulatory compliance. Innovation thrives in gaps, but lasting success demands trust, transparency, and typically, great regulatory adherence.

#asknostr

Had same problem and ended up leaving it there. Revilut is only good for sending filthy fiat to crypto friendly banks like Xapo exchanges

#asknostr tempting to suggest an orange themed note

Beautiful....where?

Replying to Avatar Coffee ☕

🌐🗞️ #FrontPage Headlines

[ World unfolds 📰 ]

https://frontpage.npub.pro/

#PlebChain | #Press

⚡ #zap to show this is relevant, means everything 😄

I couldn't help but notice the text in red. Perfectly sums up the state of the good old UK. "We need more cops to manage the criminals we are letting out of jail early."

So Farage thinks it's a good idea to trust the Bank of England with a UK Bitcoin reserve. I would sooner put my cat in charge.

#asknostr

Replying to Avatar mike

...cue the sound of roaring kittens

I think being a bitcoiner and not running a node is a little like being an adult who refuses to vote but insists on whining about the state of the roads/schools/fill in the blank. Well, in my limited technical capacity I started to whine about Op Return.

So today seems like a good day in a soggy UK to install my newly arrived Umbrel Home.

I vote for ....Bitcoin Knots.

#asknostr

GM! They say you should never look inside a woman's handbag. This is my wife's. nostr:npub1dz0f37yrfyhn6s3hc2j5xff9w0mqv49gg6we6v4le5eg8h27rvqqzudzul