• Ritabrata Santra, an engineer focused on energy tech, shares his experience of buying his first bitcoin in 2016.
• He explains the energy trilemma and how bitcoin mining is at the center of solving it.
• Innovative monetization of stranded or excess energy resources will create positive economic opportunities and drive bitcoin mining’s growth.

My Introduction To Bitcoin

I bought my first bitcoin in 2016 when I was a college sophomore living in the U.S. After reading an article about it, I was intrigued by its value proposition and decided to purchase one off Coinbase for $1,500 – but two months later, when I got an internship in Germany, I sold it for a ticket to Berlin. Little did I know that six months later one Bitcoin would be worth around $16000!

The Energy Trilemma and Bitcoin

Living in the U.S., I noticed how reliable access to electricity impacted health, knowledge and opportunity – something many developing countries lack today. We often waste gas (and emit carbon dioxide) without creating any economic value because we don’t have the necessary technology to transport it where it’s needed most. This is known as the energy trilemma – balancing energy reliability, affordability and sustainability – which is one of our biggest challenges this lifetime. That’s why bitcoin mining sits at the center of solving this problem: capturing wasted economic potential from excess energy resources to accelerate renewable development.

When Harry Met (Stranded) Sally

Innovative monetization of stranded or excess energy resources will create positive economic opportunities and drive bitcoin mining’s growth – no matter how carbon-intensive the source may be. Every producer has to deal with stranded assets like wind turbines or solar installations that can’t be utilized fully due to low demand; fortunately these technologies can now generate revenue from crypto-mining activities like bitcoin instead!

A Potential Solution?

Crypto-miners are constantly looking for new sources of power – so much so that there has been an increase in companies offering services specifically aimed at them such as blockchain hosting providers who help miners find cheap electricity sources near them . There are also projects aiming at utilizing idle/stranded renewable capacity with blockchain based distributed systems through what is called ‘proof-of-resource’ protocol; this could help incentivize producers while providing clean power to miners all over the world!

Final Thoughts

By enabling innovative monetization strategies for otherwise stranded assets, cryptocurrency mining can play a major role in solving the global energy trilemma while providing new opportunities for those looking to get involved with renewable energies as well as digital asset investments!

• Bitcoin multisig wallets provide an extra layer of security when storing digital assets.
• Collaborative custody wallets involve the use of a third party to manage one of your private keys, while self-custody wallets involve managing all private keys yourself.
• Different types of multisig wallets have their own advantages and disadvantages depending on the user’s needs.

What are Multisig Wallets?

Bitcoin multisig wallets are security tools that provide an additional layer of protection when storing digital assets. They allow users to split their private keys among different parties so that no single entity can access the funds without permission from other parties involved. This added security measure is especially useful in cases where multiple people need access to a wallet, or if one person wants to protect themselves from potential theft or loss due to human error.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Multisig wallets come with both advantages and disadvantages depending on the user’s needs. For example, collaborative custody wallets involve using a third party to manage one of your private keys, which can be convenient but may require KYC procedures for customers and limit geographical availability. On the other hand, self-custody wallets let you manage all your private keys yourself but require tech-savviness for optimal security measures like DIY devices that generate their own secure keys without leaving any trace behind them.

Types of Multisig Wallets

The most common type of multisig wallet is 2-out-of-3 key management which requires two out of three signatures in order for funds to be accessed or moved out from the wallet. Other popular types include m-of-n, wherein any number (m) out of a larger set (n) need to sign off on a transaction before it is approved; and nLockTime, which allows specific transactions to become available only at certain times in the future or after certain conditions have been met.

Best Multisig Wallets

When choosing a multisig wallet it is important consider both collaborative custody options as well as self-custody options depending on personal preferences and needs for convenience versus privacy and cost savings versus tech savviness in setting up secure hardware solutions like DIY devices that generate their own secure keys without leaving any trace behind them. Some popular collaborative multisig wallet options include Casa and BitGo, while some popular self-custody options include Electrum Wallet and Armory Wallet..

Conclusion

Multisig wallets are great tools for providing better security when storing digital assets by splitting up private keys among multiple parties or generating their own secure keys with DIY devices without leaving any trace behind them. The right option will depend on individual preferences regarding convenience versus privacy as well as cost savings versus tech savviness in setting up secure hardware solutions like DIY devices that generate their own secure keys without leaving any trace behind them

• U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer recently introduced a bill called the “CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act” which would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC directly to anyone.
• The bill aims to prevent the creation of a CBDC due to the various issues that could arise as a result of its implementation, such as privacy concerns and individual sovereignty issues.
• Several Representatives involved in the bill have voiced their support, emphasizing that any digital version of the dollar must uphold American values and prevent the development of a dangerous surveillance tool.

U.S. Congressman Introduces Bill Prohibiting Federal Reserve From Issuing CBDC

U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN) has introduced a bill that would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC directly to anyone. Titled the “CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act,” this proposed legislation details that “Except as specifically authorized under this Act, a Federal Reserve bank may not offer products or services directly to an individual, or maintain an account on behalf of an individual, or issue a central bank digital currency directly to an individual.” Rep. Emmer explained in his tweet announcing the bill that it is meant to uphold American values by preventing any potential development of a dangerous surveillance tool through any digital version of the U.S dollar..

The Purpose Of The Bill

This proposed legislation aims to stem any future creation of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), due to numerous issues many see present if such were implemented by the Federal Reserve System, including moral and ideological opposition as well as technical limitations that could stand in its way even before it is put into action. In addition, Rep Emmer Tweeted about his motivations for introducing this legislation: “Any digital version of our [U.S.] dollar must uphold our American values of privacy, individual sovereignty, and free market competitiveness.”

Support For The Bill

Several Representatives involved in this proposed legislation have voiced their support for it in various statements released following its introduction into Congress; Rep Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) released one saying he was “Proud to join forces with Rep Emmer on legislation to keep Fed from issuing Central Bank Digital Currency”. He further emphasized how important it was not allow unelected bureaucrats driving us towards authoritarianism through such policies” and how they need instead be focused on their core mission – stable prices and maximum employment – not tracking our transactions indefinitely” . Similarly Rep Andy Biggs (R-AZ) also reinforced these points saying “The Fed should be focused on its core mission… not tracking our transactions indefinitely” . Together these statements show strong support for this proposed legislation from all sides .

Potential Issues With A CBDC

Various Bitcoin Magazine articles have warned against potential dangers posed by central bank digital currencies like privacy concerns and implications for individual sovereignty; pieces like “The Dangerous Implications Of Central Bank Digital Currencies” , “Central Bank Digital Currencies: A Technocratic Fallacy” and “The US Central Bank Digital Currency Narrative Is A Fantasy” explain why so many are opposed to creating such an entity at all costs – showing just how serious people are taking certain issues surrounding CBDCs .

Conclusion

Overall this proposed legislation seeks to ensure no central bank digital currencies are created by prohibiting governing bodies like Federal Open Market Committee from using them in monetary policy while also upholding American values such as privacy and preventing any development towards an authoritarian surveillance state .

Zion Launches App for Web5 Decentralized Social Network

• Miami-based startup Zion has launched a new version of its app providing access to the Web5 decentralized social network, alongside the raising of $6 million in a funding round led by XBTO Humla Ventures.
• The Zion protocol is designed to allow creators to own their communities while users have control over their online identity and is based on Block’s Web5 standards and the Bitcoin Lightning Network.
• According to the release, Zion’s v2 app has a waiting list of over 60,000 users and a valuation of $53 million.

Key Features of Zion Protocol

The new app provides a “universal standard for social data exchange” based on “decentralized identities, communities and social content” and “interoperable peer-to-peer relationships.” Its features include a decentralized identifier system, decentralized web nodes and a Bitcoin Lightning wallet.

Growth of Zion

Zion claims to have already served over 3,000 creators, while processing more than 120,000 transactions between creators and fans using Lightning. Founder and CEO Justin Rezvani said that the company’s business model was “based on giving you a product that you can use to build your audience, that you can own and monetize”. The aim is for Zion to be “the last platform you ever have to build an audience on”.

Investors

The latest round of funding was backed by a range of investors including footballer Aaron Rodgers and motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Greg Carson, managing partner at XBTO Humla Ventures said the team at Zion combined “a deep understanding of creator communities and scalable peer-based content technology” with a Lightning payments network making it “a unique and exciting investment for the ecosystem”.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine’s parent company is an investor in Zion.

Stronghold Digital Mining and WhiteHawk Finance LLC Partnership

• Stronghold Digital Mining has announced ratifications to their original credit agreement with WhiteHawk Finance LLC.
• Stronghold has entered a new two year contract with Foundry Digital, replacing their previous temporary contract.
• The changes to the credit agreement are designed to provide Stronghold with significantly enhanced liquidity and financial flexibility.

Amended Credit Agreement

The amended credit agreement includes terms such as: no mandatory principal amortization payments until July 2024; principal repayment through cash sweep; option to pay interest in kind for up to six months; elimination of all leverage covenants before Q3 2024; reduced minimum liquidity covenants; and no dilution. Greg Beard, co-chairman and chief executive officer of Stronghold commented that they are “appreciative of WhiteHawk’s continued partnership as we manage through the volatility in Bitcoin and power markets”.

Foundry Digital Agreement

The new Foundry agreement applies to the same Bitcoin mining fleet of approximately 4,500 miners with total hash rate capacity of approximately 420 PH/s and average efficiency of approximately 35 J/TH. The terms of the two year contract include a hosting fee based on the realized net cost of power at the Company’s Panther Creek Plant plus 10%, calculated on a monthly basis. In addition, Foundry will participate in profit generated from selling power to the grid when miners are curtailed.

Comments from Greg Beard

Greg Beard mentioned that they were “excited to continue to partner with Foundry with this new long-term agreement”, which offers certainty around keeping miners installed and is a natural pathway to fill a portion of their open miner slots capable of supporting approximately 4 EH/s of miners utilizing self-generated power.

< h2 >Conclusion
This article outlines recent announcements from Stronghold Digital Mining related to their partnership with WhiteHawk Finance LLC and their new two year contract with Foundry Digital. The changes made under this partnership provide Stronghold with enhanced liquidity and financial flexibility while offering stability for future mining operations.

• Luxor Technologies has launched the first request-for-quote (RFQ) platform for buying and selling Bitcoin mining hardware.
• It will create a more liquid and easy to use marketplace for ASICs, improving price discovery and increasing liquidity in the secondary market.
• The platform will offer major flexibility to buyers, allowing them to specify orders by quantity, condition, model type, location and more.

Luxor Launches First ASIC RFQ Platform

Luxor Technologies has announced the launch of the first ever request-for-quote (RFQ) platform for buying and selling Bitcoin mining hardware. The goal of this new platform is to maximize market transparency and access.

What is an RFQ?

An RFQ is a marketplace where users can create orders (requests) for specific items. Luxor’s double-sided RFQ allows both buyers and sellers to create requests for Bitcoin mining ASICs – specialized machines specifically built to mine bitcoin – using an open-bid system. This system will improve price discovery and increase liquidity in the secondary market.

Benefits of Luxor’s Platform

The Luxor platform offers major flexibility to buyers, allowing them to specify orders by quantity, condition, model type, location and more. In addition to this, sellers will be able to mix-and-match models from different manufacturers in their orders. The auction-style bidding process offered by Luxor also benefits sellers and brokers as they are able to leverage it to increase their deal flow and facilitate more transactions with transparent fees based on volume.

How It Improves Transparency

Prior to this market, ASIC traders have struggled with a fragmented and opaque over-the-counter market; however, Luxor’s RFQ platform creates a more liquid and easy to use marketplace that improves transparency while allowing for easier access and more precise market pricing.

Getting Started With Luxor

Bitcoiners interested in learning more about Luxor’s RFQ can visit the website or contact the company at: sales@luxor.tech

Summary

• Strike has announced that it is now an integrated partner with Fiserv, parent company of Clover.
• This integration enables merchants to accept payments over the Lightning Network using any source.
• The 90-day trial period will measure the speed and cost of facilitating transactions using the new integration.

Strike Partners with Fiserv and Launches Pilot Integration with Clover

Strike CEO Jack Mallers has taken to Twitter to announce that Strike is now an integrated partner with payments giant Fiserv, parent company of Clover. Subsequently, Strike has launched a pilot integration with Clover allowing merchants to accept bitcoin over the Lightning Network.

Lightning Payments Open for Any Source

According to his announcement, the integration is not limited to Strike. Instead, merchants will be able to accept Lightning payments from any source — “From Cash App to a node over Tor. If it can make a Lightning payment, you can use it,” Mallers stated on Twitter.

90-Day Trial Period

Mallers clarified that this rollout is part of a 90-day trial period, which will involve measuring the speed and cost of facilitating transactions using the new integration. In addition to that, the amount of business that integrating Lightning brings to merchants will be closely monitored. After the pilot, Strike aims to enter the Clover app store, and afterwards, direct integration into Clover. This would enable Lightning by default for all Clover merchants, putting it right next to card networks like Visa and MasterCard. “Ultimately, these payment giants want to see Lightning in action,” Mallers said on Twitter. “They want to feel it, touch it, and see people use it. An open, instant

• ZEBEDEE and VIKER have announced the launch of two new Bitcoin games – Bitcoin Chess and Bitcoin Scratch.
• Players can earn small amounts of Bitcoin by playing these games through a revenue share model.
• The two gaming firms are already silently preparing for their next launch, which will add a well-known franchise to their portfolio.

ZEBEDEE & VIKER Launch Two New Bitcoin Games

ZEBEDEE, a bitcoin-powered payment processing system for the gaming industry, and VIKER, a mobile games studio pioneering in the play-to-earn space, have announced the launch of two additional games in their repertoire of Bitcoin titles. Bitcoin Chess (iOS and Android) and Bitcoin Scratch (iOS and Android) are both available now on the two respective app stores.

Earn Small Amounts Of Bitcoin Through Revenue Share Model

The firms have previously paired up and released other bitcoin-powered games including Sudoku and Solitaire. While Bitcoin Chess is pretty self-explanatory, in terms of how the company can sustainably provide bitcoin to players who play the game – essentially, players receive a revenue share from the game meaning VIKER splits what they’re earning from the game with the player. This creates a more engaging experience for players leading to better retention and ultimately makes the game more profitable despite the revenue share where players earn a few cents per session which is what makes this concept sustainable.

Why Choose To Work With ZEBEDEE?

Dan Beasley, co-founder of VIKER stated why they would choose to work with ZEBEDEE and implement their payments platform saying that “Ultimately implementing rewards with ZEBEDEE’s platform isn’t about players earning money it’s about creating a more interesting and fun experience.” Ben Cousens Chief Strategy Officer at ZEBEDEE explained that they weren’t necessarily trying to focus on bitcoiners as their sole audience explaining that “These games have a massive global audience that mostly doesn’t care about bitcoin.”

Preparing For Next Launch

According to the release,the two gaming firms are already silently preparing for their next launch which they promise will be “even more impactful as they will be adding the first very well known franchise to their portfolio.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, ZEBEDEE & VIKER have launched 2 new bitcoin powered games –Bitcoin Chess & Bitcoin Scratch– where users can earn small amounts of money through revenue sharing models if they win certain combos on cards or playing chess. They plan to release another title soon featuring an established franchise making this even more impactful than before!

• Julia is a German expat who moved to Portugal when she was 19 and has been living there ever since.
• She has built up a community in her local area, including a growing Bitcoin meetup.
• Julia operates a homestead that feeds her family, which requires a high upfront investment and low time preference.

Julia is a German expat who has called Southern Portugal her home for over 20 years. She arrived in Portugal when she was 19 and looking for an opportunity to travel. After taking a job for three months, the opportunity for a full-time job presented itself and she decided to resettle there. Her parents and brothers soon followed her, leaving Germany and settling in Portugal.

Julia has since built a community in her local area, including a growing Bitcoin meetup. She is passionate about the subject and has seen the potential of the digital currency and its potential to change the world. Julia is also an advocate for homesteading, and operates a homestead that feeds her family. It is a labor of love, as it requires a high upfront investment and low time preference. However, the rewards are worth it, as Julia is able to provide her family with fresh, organic food.

Julia is an example of how one can build a life and community in a foreign country. She has taken risks, but has reaped the rewards of doing so. She is passionate about Bitcoin and homesteading, and is an example of how these two topics can be combined to create something truly special.

– The Plan ₿ foundation recently announced a map showcasing the hundreds of merchants across Lugano, Switzerland that accept bitcoin.
– The Plan ₿ foundation has taken steps to make bitcoin a de-facto legal tender in the city, and recently partnered with GoCrypto to onboard multiple merchants to accept bitcoin.
– This initiative serves as an example of various jurisdictions vying for the business of Bitcoiners and Bitcoin companies.

Lugano, Switzerland has become a haven for those looking to live entirely on bitcoin. Through the efforts of the Plan ₿ foundation, the city has taken steps to make bitcoin a de-facto legal tender, as well as attract wealth, smart minds and opportunities.

The foundation recently took to Twitter to announce a new map which showcases the hundreds of merchants across the city that accept bitcoin. “Now you can live in Lugano just using Bitcoin!” the tweet read. “Find out all you need to enjoy your stay in Lugano through the map with all Lugano’s Plan ₿ merchants.”

The map includes merchants offering a variety of goods and services, from food and drinks to art and fashion, jewelry, cars, watches, tattoos, real-estate and even municipal taxes. This makes it possible for visitors and residents alike to “pay with Bitcoin for…so much more!”

In July 2022, the Plan ₿ foundation hosted the Plan ₿ Summer School, an educational opportunity for those looking to learn more about bitcoin and businesses. The school featured expert speakers including the likes of Blockstream CEO Adam Back.

Most recently, the Plan ₿ foundation partnered with GoCrypto to onboard multiple merchants to accept bitcoin, including McDonald’s and various art galleries. The foundation predicted it would serve over 2,500 customers using bitcoin by the end of the year.

The Plan ₿ initiative serves as a great example of the various jurisdictions vying for the business of Bitcoiners and Bitcoin companies. This is seen in examples like Lugano, as well as that of Madeira, Bitcoin Beach and several others. As the bitcoin ecosystem grows, it is likely that we will see more initiatives like this, pushing for greater adoption and acceptance of bitcoin as a legitimate form of payment.