Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, recently speculated that Bitcoin could potentially reach valuations as high as $700,000 per BTC. This projection arises against the backdrop of intensifying concerns about currency debasement and global economic instability, positioning Bitcoin as a hedge against vulnerabilities in traditional financial systems. Fink’s remark was not an outright endorsement but rather a reflection on a recent meeting he had with a sovereign wealth fund. The fund sought advice on whether to allocate 2% or 5% of its investment portfolio to Bitcoin. According to Fink, if institutional adoption continues to grow and similar allocation strategies are embraced broadly, market…

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Ross Ulbricht, sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for creating the darknet market Silk Road, is free.

Ulbricht is a freedom fighter to some, and a dangerous criminal to others. The former know Ulbricht as described in Forbes, “a principled libertarian and cypherpunk in the same vein as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto”.

Ulbricht had a theory: that violent drug cartels would have no chance sustaining themselves in a free market environment where the state did not control the use of substances, as non-violent operations would simply outperform the violent ones based on demand.

Most who believe the latter, however, often base…

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The sounds of cannons and cheers fill the air as Tampa Bay’s famous Gasparilla Parade of Pirates begins, drawing a crowd of over 600,000 people. Among the colorful floats and pirate-themed fun, one float stands out— The world’s first Bitcoin Pirate ship proudly flying the Bitcoin Bay Foundation flag. For the first time ever, Bitcoin is part of this historic event, and Bitcoin Bay is once again making history.

As parade-goers stop by Bitcoin Bay’s tent along the parade route, they’re welcomed with food, drinks, and an invitation to learn more about this mission-driven organization. But how did Bitcoin Bay get here? How did a small group of Bitcoin fans grow into an organization…

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The next edition of bitcoin++ will be taking place February 19-22, 2025 at the ACATE Centro de Inovação in Florianópolis, Brazil. This edition of the conference is breaking from the usual narrowly focused topical structure(the last conference in Berlin focused exclusively on the subject of ecash), and is essentially going to be one big hackathon. 

Catering to developers, engineers, and innovators, the event promises to be a valuable experience both for veteran contributors in the space as well as developers looking to dip their toes into the Bitcoin ecosystem. 

What to Expect:

Workshops and Technical Sessions: Learn from top-tier professionals in the Bitcoin space. Sessions will cover… Read more on BitcoinMagazine

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In the world of decentralized networks, the battle lines are drawn not just between different blockchains but within the communities they spawn. Bitcoin, having weathered its own civil war, has emerged stronger, proving its resilience and commitment to the principles of decentralization, freedom, and Truth. Ethereum, on the other hand, is currently embroiled in internal strife, revealing a stark contrast in community ethos and…

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On January 22, 2025, the U.S. Bitcoin ETFs reported a significant overall net inflow of 6,719 BTC, substantially exceeding the 450 new bitcoins mined on that day. This represents a robust increase in market activity and investor interest, indicating a bullish sentiment in the Bitcoin ETF market.

Individual ETF performance varied. iShares Bitcoin Trust ($IBIT) led the pack with a net inflow of +6,208 BTC. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ($GBTC) saw a modest increase of +165 BTC, while Fidelity Bitcoin ETF ($FBTC) added +65 BTC. ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF ($ARKB) also recorded positive inflows of +80 BTC. Other ETFs with positive flows included VanEck Bitcoin Trust ($HODL) at +114 BTC, Purpose Bitcoin ETF ($BTC) at +208 BTC, and Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF ($EZBC) at +58 BTC.

However, some ETFs experienced outflows. Bitwise Bitcoin ETF ($BITB) saw a decrease of -164 BTC, and Bitcoin Trust ($BTCO) had a minor outflow of -15 BTC. Valkyrie Bitcoin Fund ($BRRR) remained neutral with no net change.

Disclaimer: Market capitalizations and data can vary in real-time. The information provided here is intended purely for educational purposes and should not, under any circumstances, be construed as financial advice.

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Tether (USDT) has emerged as the preferred currency for salary payments and savings on the European crypto banking platform Brighty throughout 2024. The latest “Crypto Earners’ Money Habits” report shows that USDt dominated crypto deposits with an astounding 85% share far surpassing other stablecoins like USD Coin which captured just 5%.

Remarkably USDt also secured a strong position as a savings asset with 33% of business-to-customer savings trailing only the euro. The prominence of USDt particularly in its TRC-20 form issued on the Tron blockchain is mainly due to its lower transaction fees. According to the report over 60% of USDt transactions on Brighty benefited from these reduced costs.

Despite potential regulatory challenges under the European Markets in Crypto-Assets framework Tether’s USDt continues to hold significant appeal among crypto users. The survey accompanying the report highlights that 70% of participants prefer using crypto for its lower fees signaling a robust future for USDt in digital transactions.

Yesterday, President Trump signed a full pardon for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. This was a tremendous victory for the Bitcoin (and Libertarian) movement.

It proved with some time, effort and political coordination, the Bitcoin network state, to borrow a term from Balaji Srinivasan, can facilitate real and important change via the highest levels of power at the nation-state level.

While we should surely take a moment to celebrate, we should also keep in mind others in the Bitcoin and broader crypto space are currently facing unfair sentencing and we should be acting on their behalf. These others include the developers of Samourai Wallet, who are currently wrongfully being charged with…

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