By EZ in Weekly Digest — Oct 13, 2024

Block 865474: Important News of the Week

News. Updates. Research. Stats. Everything Important You Need to Know.

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News

New security advisories affecting Bitcoin Core versions before v25.0. Bitcoin Core developer Niklas Gögge posted to the Bitcoin Dev mailing list to announce public disclosure of three vulnerabilities affecting Bitcoin Core clients prior to v25.0.
- Disclosed vulnerabilities include a blocktxn remote node crash (CVE-2024-35202), an issue with mutated blocks hindering block propagation, and a node communication issue due to inv-to-send sets growing too large. Read more about them here.
Public disclosure of btcd FindAndDelete bug (CVE-2024-38365). Antoine Poinsot posted to Delving Bitcoin to disclose a critical vulnerability affecting btcd bitcoin full node implementation clients prior to version 0.24.2. It allows virtually anyone to fork off vulnerable btcd nodes at virtually no cost with a standard transaction due to incorrectly implemented consensus rules for legacy signature verification.
- The issue was patched in btcd v0.24.2, released in June earlier this year. Btcd node runners should update to this version ASAP.
2140 Foundation launched to support open-source Bitcoin development. Co-founded by Bitcoin developers Josie Baker and Ruben Somsen, 2140 is on a mission is to onboard aspiring protocol contributors and provide protocol veterans with long-term stability. Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has provided an initial multi-year grant to bootstrap the non-profit's efforts.
Senator Lee introduced the Saving Privacy Act. Utah Senator Mike Lee has introduced the Saving Privacy Act, officially titled "a bill to amend the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to preserve the confidentiality of certain records, and for other purposes." The bill aims to reduce financial surveillance within the US banking system, reports The Rage.
IRS sued for taxing block rewards again. Tezos staker Josh Jarrett has initiated a new lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, aiming to challenge the rule that token rewards are to be treated as income when earned. He is being assisted by Coin Center.

"Mining gold isn’t a taxable event, and mining a bitcoin is no different," argues the Washington D.C-based think tank.

UAE exempted bitcoin transactions from VAT. The United Arab Emirates has exempted bitcoin and altcoin transactions from value-added tax (VAT), effective November 15th. This change is retroactive to January 1st, 2018, removing the previous 5% fee on transfers and conversions.
IMF continues to pressure El Salvador over Bitcoin adoption. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has again urged El Salvador to reduce its reliance on Bitcoin.

"What we have recommended is a narrowing of the scope of the bitcoin law, strengthening the regulatory framework and oversight of the bitcoin ecosystem, and limiting public sector exposure to bitcoin," said the IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack.

WEF: 'Tough' US regulation is "positive for the industry." The latest World Economic Forum report reviews digital asset regulation in nine regions, noting varied perceptions of the US's strict anti-illicit finance measures, reports The Rage.

US judge approved alternative victim notification for Bitfinex hack. A recent government filing indicates that Bitfinex might be the only entity entitled to restitution for the 2016 hack that led to the theft of around 120,000 BTC. US authorities managed to retrieve 94,643 BTC linked to the hack in February 2022.
- In related news, federal prosecutors want Heather 'Razzlekhan' Morgan to spend 18 months in prison for her role in the hack.
0.34% of cryptocurrency transactions potentially linked to crime. Crypto Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) reports that cash continues to be the dominant means in criminal activities globally.

Irish police is 'holding onto' ~5500 BTC it can't access. Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) has been unable to access the coins 'seized' from a drug dealer back in 2020. A 53-year-old who set up the wallets claims that a case containing seed phrases was lost following a break-in at his home, as well as a clear-out of the property following his arrest.
Bitmain launched the ANTMINER S21+ series. The Antminer S21+ Hyd. is said to deliver a hash rate of 319 TH/s and an efficiency of 15 J/TH. The S21+ model promises 216 TH/s with a power efficiency of 16.5 J/TH. Shipping is expected to begin in Q1/Q2 of 2025.

Ethiopian hashrate goes brrr. "Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) confirmed their support for the industry and noted that there are currently 600MW of operational miners, with several hundred more MW expected to be energized this year," wrote Ethan Vera of Luxor Tehnology.
The first non-custodial Bitcoin off-ramp platform in Mexico. Swapido partnered with The Bitcoin Company to launch a solution that lets users sell their BTC over the Lightning Network and receive pesos directly in Mexican bank accounts. The service is available worldwide, with the exception of the US and sanctioned countries.
Bitkey partnered with Robinhood. BitKey users in the US can now leverage their Robinhood accounts to directly purchase and transfer cryptocurrencies to cold storage without leaving the BitKey interface. Other supported exchanges include Cash App, Coinbase, and MoonPay.
Joltz partnered with Blockstream. "You can now earn Bitcoin back on all successful referrals when you join the Blockstream Affiliate Program; payouts are distributed seamlessly over the Lightning Network," announced the company. You can become a Blockstream affiliate here.
Coinbase enabled sending to Taproot addresses. The platform's users can now make bitcoin payments to Taproot addresses. The update addresses a long-standing gap since Taproot's activation in November 2021.

Telegram wallet app now supports evidence collection. "Wallet will carefully review each law enforcement request and cooperate on a case-by-case basis to disclose information, in accordance with its internal policies and applicable laws. All communications and requests must be fully verified," states the project's updated FAQ page.
Google Play Store to distribute third-party app stores. A federal judge has ordered Google to allow third-party app stores onto the Google Play Store, as part of a nationwide injunction stemming from Epic Games' antitrust victory. The injunction takes effect November 1, with Google granted up to eight months to comply fully.
X resumes services in Brazil after complying with court orders. Brazil's Supreme Court allowed X to operate again in the country after the social media platform started adhering to court decisions, a stark reversal from the stance its owner Elon Musk had initially promised to defy.
Archive.org hack leaked data on roughly 31 million users. Have I Been Pwnd reports that archive.org was hacked last month, exposing 31 million records including email addresses, screen names, and bcrypt-hashed passwords.

Personal information of over 77,000 Fidelity Investment customers exposed. The breach reportedly occurred between August 17 and August 19. The company has yet to clarify what personal information was stolen, besides names and other personal identifiers. However, it added that "this incident did not involve any access to your Fidelity account(s)."
Russia banned Discord. The country's internet watchdog, Roskomnadzor, announced that access to Discord was restricted "to prevent the use of the messenger for terrorist and extremist purposes, recruitment of citizens to commit them, sale of drugs, and in connection with the posting of illegal information."
Bitcoin Amsterdam 2024 took place this week. Here's a link to day 1 and day 2 recordings (agenda is here). You can rewatch specific talks on the Bitcoin Magazine YouTube channel.
Bitcoin ++ ecash edition took place in Berlin. You can find all the talks and workshops here.

Updates and releases

Bitcoin Core v28.0 is here. Highlights include support for testnet4, opportunistic 1-parent-1-child (1p1c) package relay, default relay of opt-in TRUC and pay-to-anchor transactions, limited package RBF relay, and full-RBF by default. It also adds default parameters for assumeUTXO, enabling the loadtxoutset RPC to use a UTXO set downloaded outside the Bitcoin network.

Samourai Dojo v1.26.0 has been released with a variety of dependency updates and optimizations. It updates Bitcoin Core to v28, thus supporting testnet4. This version also adds support for Snowflake bridges in Tor.
Stack Duo v1.2.3 includes tweaks and changes for FROST implementation and connection to ElectrumX, thus enhancing the app's stability.
Simple Bitcoin Wallet v2.6 drops hardware wallet, built-in Tor, and LNURL support.
Bitkey App v2024.70.0 renames Mobile Pay to Transfer without hardware and removes its daily limits.
Envoy v1.8.3-beta is now available for testing. It expands the Buy bitcoin feature to all 50 US states, bolsters Tor connection stability, and refines the wallet's UI.

Peach Bitcoin App v0.5.0 (255) includes a fix for devices running Android 14 that were unable to open the share dialog.
Utreexo v0.2.0 is the latest release for a hash based dynamic accumulator based on a Merkle forest.
MicroBolt v2.0, a DIY Bitcoin and Lightning node for all kind of computers, is out. It includes new features such as a firewall and reverse proxy, a mempool Bitcoin explorer, a Nostr relay and web app, and more.
- Check out all the latest additions here or get started with your own node here.
Bitcoin Inquisition v28.0, a fork of Bitcoin Core v28, is now available. It includes 'heretical activation' of BIP-118 (ANYPREVOUT), BIP-119 (CHECKTEMPLATEVERIFY), and BIN-24-1 (BIP 347, OP_CAT). Additionally, it packages an 'evalscript' subcommand for bitcoin-util that can be used to test script opcodes.
Phoenix Wallet v2.4.0 and Server v0.4.0 released. "There are some minor UI differences, but no functional change. The fee schedule is unchanged. This new protocol will allow for even more on-chain efficiency in the future, stay tuned," said the project.
BitKit Wallet v1.0.5 now allows users to open channels to nodes beyond Synonym's LSP Blocktank. This also enables BitKit users in the USA and Canada to enjoy seamless Lightning Network transactions by connecting to alternative nodes.
Zeus Wallet v0.9.1-beta2 is available for testing. It fixes a bug with default inbound fees, disables blinded paths, AMP, and Route Hints for receives, and adds a back button to the lock screen when using the app in Point-of-Sale mode.
Blitz Wallet Android v0.3.0-beta is here. It adds support for push notifications, as well as bug fixes for issues introduced with Liquid Wallet Kit (LWK) integration.
- Blitz Wallet iOS (beta) is now available for testing, too. Find the TestFlight download link here.

Alby Hub v1.10.2 is a hotfix release that introduces app store detail pages to improve instructions on connecting your hub, as well as several other bug fixes.
Alby Go v1.6.2 fixes the 'white screen of death' issue.
Boltz Web App v1.4.2 comes with enhanced embed parameters, improved swap history list, and more.
Boltz Client v2.1.7 includes some fixes for read-only wallets, a new RPC for listing wallet transactions, and expanded LND connection possibilities.
CLBOSS v0.14.0 is the latest update for the automated Core Lightning (CLN) node manager.
Simplicity is now available on Liquid Testnet. "On October 9th, we activated Simplicity on Liquid testnet. This is a massive milestone for the community and represents many years of development, marking the evolution of Simplicity from a research-driven experiment to a fully-fledged language with real-world usability," said Blockstream in a blog post.

"Over the next few weeks, we will release some supporting tooling and documentation to help people get started playing with Simfony and Simplicity," added the developers.

YOPAKI iOS app has been launched. It is a beginner-friendly, non-custodial Bitcoin wallet powered by Breez SDK. It offers new users automated channel management, resources to learn about Bitcoin (powered by Jippi), and the ability to earn free sats by playing the Mexican game, Lotería.

ShockWallet v0.0.14-beta now incorporates NIP-68 and includes several miscellaneous fixes.
An API for creating BIP-353 usernames, Twelve Cash v1.0.1-beta is out, offering users the ability to pay for their own username along with a few other changes.
StashPay, a Bitcoin wallet designed for freelancers and nomads, launched its website. Users can download the latest iOS TestFlight version there.
Version 0.73.2 of GDK is out, with Python wheels for Linux and Mac platforms now published to PyPI. Future releases will support other platforms.

Coracle v0.4.12 is a smaller bug fix release for the Nostr web and Android client with custom feeds and web-of-trust content recommendations.
Lume v4.3.0, a Nostr client for macOS and Windows 11, adds support for multiple follow and interest sets (NIP-51), allows event deletion (NIP-09), improves search performance, and more.
Voyage v0.15.0 comes with NIP-22 comment support and some UI improvements.
hodlbod introduced Flotilla, a WIP nostr client modeled after Discord. Check out the developer preview here.
Super Testnet made an NWC Tester for testing NWC strings to identify what they are and what they can do.
Relay Wizard v0.3.0 alpha 3 adds support for nostr-rs-relay, masks private key input, improves error log styling, and more.
Nostr media management tool Nostr.build now comes with a Flux text-image generator for Creator and Advanced accounts, introduces Credits-based referral system, and increased free upload size to 69 MB.
Mostro project has added project documentation to its site. It is available in English and Spanish.

Braiins Toolbox v24.09 makes free batch management update publicly available.
Tor Browser v13.5.7 is now available from the Tor Browser download page and distribution directory.
- Tor Browser v14.0a9 includes a variety of security updates.
Tails v6.8 introduces the ability to repair file system when unlocking from the Welcome Screen.

Tails v6.8.1 is an emergency release to fix a critical security vulnerability in Tor Browser.
CalyxOS v5.12.0 is a partial October security update for Pixel 6 and newer devices.
GrapheneOS v2024100800 is an early October security update for the privacy and security-focused mobile operating system.

Guides and research

Bitcoin Optech #324 delivers an overview of the latest disclosed vulnerabilities affecting btcd and Bitcoin Core clients before v25.
- It also includes a comprehensive guide for wallets employing Bitcoin Core v28 policies, written by Gregory Sanders.
Bitcoin PIPEs: Covenants and ZKPs on the Bitcoin Without Soft Fork paper explores Bitcoin scaling with zero-knowledge proofs.
Decoding Bitcoin provides a free and open-source, interactive, and exercise-first approach to learn Bitcoin development.
Vincenzo Palazzo published an article on the importance of lnprototest, a Lightning BOLT Protocol Test Framework.
Check out this piece on how geopolitics can alter digital infrastructure by Gareth Edwards.
If you're interested in learning how to use the Portal hardware wallet with Nunchuk, you can check this quick tutorial here.
ODELL shared a talk on Why Nostr Matters in Ten Minutes. Watch it here.

Mining stats

Bitcoin mining difficulty increased by 4.12% this week. It currently reaches 92.05T, nearing its all-time high of 92.67T set a month ago.
The network's hashrate (7-day SMA) is currently at ~666 EH/s.

Lightning stats

The capacity of the Lightning Network is currently at 5,273 BTC. There are over 18,100 active nodes on the network, as well as 47,780 channels.

Nostr stats

The Nostr protocol added over 3,000 new users last week, according to primal.net. There are over 30,000 weekly active users, according to nostr.band stats.