Bitcoin technology is impressive for just how many fundamental problems with money it solves. One advantage of bitcoin that is often touted is that it provides for final settlement of transactions.

Final settlement means that, once a transaction is mined and enough subsequent transactions have been mined as well, it would take an infeasible amount of energy to go back and reverse the original transaction. There is a well-known guideline that a bitcoin transaction can be considered final if five additional blocks are then added to the timechain following the block containing the transaction.

(For technical readers: With today’s mining hash rate of about 585 exohashes per second, the…

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Miami-based Bitcoin startup TMRW has raised $1.3 million in pre-seed Funding to develop its social payments app powered by the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Maple VC led the funding round, and Bitcoin angel investors like Brad Mills joined the round.

TMRW aims to leverage the Lightning Network’s speed and low costs to enable cross-border peer-to-peer payments via Lightspark and ZeroHash. The app uses Universal Money Addresses, an open payment standard built on Lightning, to send fiat and Bitcoin instantly across borders.

This allows TMRW to facilitate fast, affordable remittances to regions like the Caribbean, where traditional providers charge high fees. Remittances are a major use case for…

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The notorious Mt. Gox exchange has made its first major Bitcoin transaction in weeks, shifting over $700 million worth of BTC to unknown wallets.

According to data tracked by Arkham Intelligence, Mt. Gox moved 12,000 BTC worth $709 million to one address and 1,265 BTC worth $75 million to another early Wednesday. The recipient addresses are unknown, sparking speculation that Mt. Gox could distribute more coins to creditors from its remaining Bitcoin hoard.

Mt. Gox owes billions to depositors affected by its massive 2014 hack. The exchange has been slowly reimbursing victims, putting selling pressure on markets this summer.  They have returned about 68% of lost user funds so far. But the…

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“The Bitcoin Standard” by Saifedean Ammous is a compelling exploration of the economic and historical principles underpinning Bitcoin, the world’s first decentralized digital currency.

Ammous takes readers on a journey through the history of money, from ancient to modern times, arguing that Bitcoin represents the most sound form of money ever created.

This book is not just about Bitcoin; it is a broader examination of what makes money valuable and how societies have evolved in their use of different monetary systems.

The Concept of Sound Money

At the heart of Ammous’s argument is the concept of sound money. Sound money refers to a monetary system that is…

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Norway sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest state pension fund, recently made headlines by significantly increasing its indirect exposure to bitcoin.

This development has sparked discussions about the growing integration of bitcoin into mainstream financial systems, even as experts debate whether this move was a deliberate strategy or an unintended consequence of broader investment practices.

Norway sovereign wealth fund, officially known as the Government Pension Fund of Norway (NBIM), is a financial powerhouse with assets under management totaling approximately $1.7 trillion.

This massive fund was established to reinvest the country’s considerable oil revenues…

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El Salvador is advancing its pioneering status in cryptocurrency by launching a Bitcoin education program for 80,000 government employees. The National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC) has developed an extensive 160-hour training session, segmented into seven modules. This initiative, led by Stacy Herbert, aims to enhance the strategic use of Bitcoin in public administration and reinforce the country’s Bitcoin-driven economic model.

Director Herbert emphasized the educational efforts as foundational to El Salvador’s long-term strategy in integrating Bitcoin into its economy and governance. This push for Bitcoin proficiency among civil servants is expected to amplify the benefits of El Salvador’s crypto policies, setting a robust example of innovative financial management.

Drawing international attention, Argentina has also begun collaborating with El Salvador to emulate its successful Bitcoin adoption strategy. This partnership underscores a growing trend of countries exploring digital currencies to strengthen their economic infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.

Company Name: River

Founders: Alexander Leishman

Date Founded: February 2019

Location of Headquarters: Columbus, OH

Amount of Bitcoin Held in Treasury: Proof of reserves launching soon

Number of Employees: 50

Website: https://river.com/

Public or Private? Private

How do you make a bitcoin-only brokerage profitable? The answer isn’t complicated.

You offer the highest quality services to as many people as possible for a good price.

This is the strategy Alexander Leishman and the team at River employ.

And River’s high-quality services largely hinge on staying true to what Leishman calls “the Bitcoin ethos,” at the core of which is the “not your keys, not your coins” philosophy.

“At River,…

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