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By EZ in Weekly Digest —

Block 884070: Important News of the Week

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

Block 884070: Important News of the Week
Source: bitbo.io
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Nearly a thousand blocks later, it's time for another weekly digest. Hope you had a good week. We raised 40,482 sats from 14 contributors last week—thank you for your kind words and support. The top contributors were:

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News

  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection broadens crackdown on Asian ASICs. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is seizing Bitcoin mining ASICs, and the crackdown now includes machines from MicroBT and Canaan, following the initial stoppage of Bitmain’s Antminer S21 and T21 models last year. One letter from the agency, seen by Blockspace.Media, states that the miners were "seized and subject to forfeiture" under 19 USC 1595a(c)(2)(A) for involving unauthorized communication devices, interfering radio frequency equipment, and "equipment that is not FCC approved or compliant with the agency’s rules."
  • UK orders Apple to create backdoor for encrypted iCloud accounts worldwide. Apple has received a secret order from the UK Home Secretary's office requiring the company to provide access to any user data protected by its Advanced Data Protection for iCloud. Apple might withdraw support for Advanced Data Protection for iCloud in the UK instead of installing a backdoor.
"The British government’s undisclosed order, issued last month, requires blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, not merely assistance in cracking a specific account, and has no known precedent in major democracies," reports The Washington Post.
Source: John Scott-Railton.
  • Tornado Cash developer updates:
    • Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm is petitioning the US Supreme Court to block an order requiring him to reveal his defense strategy to the Government, reports The Rage.
    • Meanwhile, Alexey Pertsev was released from pretrial detention on Friday in the Netherlands under the condition of electronic monitoring. Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in the Netherlands for writing open-source privacy code on Ethereum last year. His defense has filed an appeal.
  • Ex-operator of the BTC-e exchange to be released to Russia in a swap for a U.S. citizen. Alexander Vinnik, the former operator of the BTC-e exchange, is being released to Russia following a prison exchange arranged by President Donald Trump for an American teacher. Convicted in France for money laundering and sentenced to five years, Vinnik was held in Greece until 2022, when extradited to the U.S. for further charges.
  • Brink renewed grants to eight Bitcoin Core engineers: Michael Ford, Gloria Zhao, Hennadii Stepanov, Sebastian Falbesoner, Niklas Gögge, Stéphan Vuylsteke, Fabian Jahr, and Marco De Leon.
"If you're curious about the work these engineers are doing, we have a detailed annual report in the works," said Mike Schmidt, co-founder and Executive Director at Brink.
  • Milei backs away from LIBRA memecoin after insiders pocket $4.4B. Argentina's president, Javier Milei, withdrew a tweet promoting the Libra memecoin. The coin's market cap surged to $4.4 billion but then dropped over 95%. Milei's deleted tweet claimed Libra was aimed at boosting Argentina's economy and included a Solana contract address for the token.
  • Trump picks former Bitfury executive Jonathan Gould to lead the OCC. Previously, Gould was chief legal officer at Bitcoin technology firm Bitfury and previously served as senior deputy comptroller and chief counsel at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which regulates and supervises the national banks and federal savings associations. 
  • The Czech Republic enacts a law to exempt bitcoin hodlers from paying taxes on long term capital gains. The country's President Petr Pavel signed a bill exempting crypto users from paying taxes on Bitcoin and other digital assets held for three years or longer. Additionally, transactions up to CZK 100,000 (~$4,136) per year will not need to be reported to tax authorities.
  • Trump Media to launch Bitcoin ETF this year. Donald Trump's media company, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), announced plans to launch three ETFs under the Truth.Fi brand, including Truth.Fi Bitcoin Plus ETF, Truth.Fi Made in America ETF, and Truthi Energy Independence ETF.
  • The highway workers’ union of Wyoming to add bitcoin to its balance sheet. The Wyoming Highway Patrol Association (WHPA) has reportedly launched the "Get Off Zero" initiative in partnership with Proof of Workforce.
  • Strategy (ex-MicroStrategy) purchased 7,633 BTC. The recently rebranded firm increased its bitcoin holdings to 478,740 BTC with the purchase of $742.4 million worth of coins.
  • Kurl Technology Group increased bitcoin holdings to 610 BTC. The latest purchases were made at a weighted average price of $103,905 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.
  • Texas university announces a $5 million Bitcoin investment fund. The University of Austin launched a $5 million Bitcoin investment fund within its $200 million endowment. The investment strategy includes a minimum holding period of five years.
  • UK man who lost 8000 BTC in a landfill now wants to buy it. "I have discussed this option recently with investment partners and it is very much on the table," said James Howells, who has been pursuing the lost hard drive for over a decade. The local authorities are planning to close the landfill in the 2025-26 financial year.
  • Galoy launches Lana to power Bitcoin collateralize lending for community banks. Lana assists community and challenger banks, Galoy's primary focus, by enabling Bitcoin-secured loans for a diverse customer base. It integrates seamlessly with core banking systems, cryptocurrency custodians, and exchanges, ensuring compatibility with the existing banking ecosystem.
  • Fold launched its bitcoin rewards credit card in partnership with Visa. Cardholders can access a suite of financial services through the Fold app, including zero-fee Bitcoin trades and exclusive bonuses from partner merchants. The app offers FDIC-insured transactional accounts and insured Bitcoin custody. Card rewards vary by Fold membership level.
  • Bringin launched its Bringin debit card. The regulated offering enables users to convert bitcoin from a base chain or Lightning wallet to a virtual Visa debit card usable wherever Visa is accepted.
  • LQWD plans to expand stablecoin capabilities following Tether's integration with Lightning Network. The Lightning infrastructure firm said the development is targeted to be completed by the end of the month or shortly thereafter.
  • Unbank partners with Voltage to bring Lightning payments to 40,000 locations. "This collaboration marks a major milestone in mainstream Bitcoin adoption, allowing Unbank users to buy and sell Bitcoin with debit cards or cash at ATMs, retail counters, and through the Unbank app. By integrating Voltage’s enterprise-grade Lightning Network infrastructure, Unbank is now able to deliver instant, seamless transactions with minimal fees, improving the overall experience for users," Voltage said in a blog post.
  • iOS v18.3.1 update fixes security flaw used in sophisticated attacks. Apple states that the update patches an actively exploited security flaw in the USB Restricted Mode feature, which requires periodic device unlocking to use USB data connections through the Lightning or USB-C port.
  • Bitcoin Film Fest 2025 to take place on May 22-25 in Warsaw, Poland. The event dedicated to Bitcoin films and culture. Get your tickets here.
  • The MIT Bitcoin Expo 2025 is scheduled for April 5-6, 2025, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The 12th edition of the event will focus on how Bitcoin and freedom technologies can serve as tools for empowerment and economic sovereignty. Get your tickets here.
  • Ghana Lightning Development Bootcamp is set to take place on April 9-12, 2025. Secure your spot here.
  • Bitcoin Dada Devs Cohort 2 applications are now open. "We’re calling on all African female developers looking to break into Bitcoin development and join a supportive community to grow, learn, and thrive," said the organizers. Interested participants can sign up using this link.
  • Bitcoin Policy Summit 2025 is set to take place on June 25th, 2025. The event will be held in the heart of Washington, DC at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Click here to express your interest in attending the summit.

Updates and releases

  • Proton Wallet, a self-custodial and end-to-end encrypted Bitcoin-only wallet by Proton, is now available on iOS, Android, and the web after a successful early access program.
  • LND v0.18.5-beta is a minor release includes important bug fixes for AMP invoices, interactions with external software for normal invoices, fee bump transactions, performance improvements for Postgres backends, and UX improvements for custom channels.
  • COLDCARD Mk4 v5.4.1 and Q v1.3.1 firmware have been released, featuring new message signing capabilities, Delta Mode enhancements, address display changes, and numerous other improvements.
  • Sparrow Wallet v2.1.2 is a bug fix release that addresses an issue with transaction file loading and fixes signing on older Ledger devices.
  • Wasabi Wallet v2.5.1 introduces configurable providers for fee rate estimations and exchange rates, along with multiple quality of life improvements, and separate backend and coordinator packages for Linux, simplifying the process for community members to run a backend or coordinator.
  • Bitcoin Keeper v2.0.1 introduces a new app redesign for a simplified user experience, adds Miniscript integration with BitBox02, COLDCARD, Tapsigner, Jade, Ledger, and Keeper Mobile Key, enables in-app concierge ticket support for all users, implements COLDCARD Q QR support, and includes a variety of other improvements.
    • Keeper Desktop v0.2.0, a companion desktop app for the Keeper mobile app, has also been released. It comes with support for Miniscript with BitBox02, COLDCARD, Jade, and Ledger, and implements support for the BitBox02 pairing code.
  • Aqua Wallet v0.2.7 adds more swap and customization options, along with the ability to set a passcode for the app.
  • ZEUS wallet v0.9.6 is the latest stable bug fix release for the project.
    • ZEUS wallet v0.10.0-alpha2 is now available for testing. It brings channel renewals, Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) client support, developer tools view, and chantools: sweepremoteclosed.
  • Chantools v0.13.6, a tool with helper functions for rescuing funds locked in LND channels, comes with the ability to add commit points for ancient channels of LNBIG.
  • Alby Go v1.9.0 can now display notifications for payments sent and received via a connected Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) wallet, and it can scan/pay 0-amount invoices.
  • Alby Hub is now available on Unraid systems, a NAS personal cloud servers, thanks to the integration from open-source contributors.
  • Peach Bitcoin app v0.5.3 fixes dark mode issues, removes Firebase Analytics, increases the fund multiple limit, and adds a warning to never share your seed phrase.
  • BlueWallet v7.1.0 added support for importing minikeys (e.g. Casascius coins, Satori coins) and includes fixes for ScanQR UI, signing exported PSBTs in COLDCARD, and more.
  • Bitkit Wallet v1.0.9 includes a "fee weather widget" and an integrated Bitcoin-to-fiat calculator.
  • LNbits v1.0 is now in the final testing phase.
"5 years and 8.5k commits later and we are almost out of beta! As we enter this final phase, we’ve set up a community testing server at v1.lnbits.com, where you can try out extensions and explore the latest updates, and help us identify and squish last few bugs," announced Ben Arc.
  • Blockstream Green iOS v4.1.6 updates the Green Development Kit (GDK) to v0.74.3, and improves support reporting.
  • Boltz Backend v3.9.1 adds custom fees and limits based on referrals, RSK swap fixes, fixes for CLN Xpay plugin payment failures, and Lightning network information API.
  • Boltz Client v2.3.9 is a patch release that addresses a websocket reconnect issue.
  • UTXOracle, a free and open-source tool for decentralized bitcoin price discovery, is back with a v8 upgrade. It is a program you download and run on the same machine as your Bitcoin node. It connects only to your node, not external sources, to get the bitcoin price. The latest version now supports price estimation up to $500k and filters out non-financial transactions. A video for conceptual understanding of UTXOracle is available here.
  • Bisq v1.9.19, a client for a secure, private and decentralized bitcoin P2P exchange network, is now available. This version now produces exclusively low-R signatures from wallet keys, adds a new option in PhoneNumberValidator to enforce exact number of digits, improves Russian translation and adds "Faster Payments System (SBP)" for Russian Ruble, implements BitcoinCoreSeedListDiscovery method, improves resync handling, and more.
    • Bisq v2.1.6 is now available for testing. It comes with the latest fixes and improvements.
  • Bitcoin Inquisition v28.1, a signet full node designed for experimenting with proposed soft forks and other major protocol changes, is a minor release that includes the bug fixes included in Bitcoin Core 28.1 and support for ephemeral dust.
  • Ginger Wallet v2.0.16 has been released with a Buy Bitcoin integration, coinjoin selector improvements, performance optimizations, and more.

NOTE: Ginger Wallet screens all coinjoin input transactions with a chain surveillance partner company.

  • Nunchuk Android v1.9.62 delivers support for Android15 and fixes an ANR issue for Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite.
  • Mempal v1.5.2, a mempool monitoring app for Android, adds a welcome screen with quick tips, as well as hashrate and difficulty adjustments to the dashboard.
  • Multisigbackup.com provides an easy way for someone to encrypt and inscribe their k-of-n descriptor, so it can always be recovered with k seeds. All sensitive data (master fingerprints, xpubs) is stripped from the descriptor and encrypted so that it can’t be decrypted without k of the xpubs.
  • Elements v23.2.6, an open source, sidechain-capable blockchain platform, providing access to features such as Confidential Transactions and Issued Assets, is now available.
  • Blockstream Explorer API has been relaunched and is moving to open beta. It offers a scalable HTTP REST API for Bitcoin mainnet, testnet and the Liquid Network, with an Electrum JSON-RPC service coming soon. Built on the open-source Esplora technology, it now features simplified onboarding, enhanced infrastructure, and more robust support.
"Start harnessing the power of the new Blockstream Explorer today. Visit blockstream.info/explorer-api to apply for the open beta and gain instant access. With our free tier, which includes 30 days of free usage for testing, exploring the API is risk-free, empowering your projects without financial commitment," said the firm.
0:00
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  • Fountain App v1.1.16 now includes the ability to watch Nostr livestreams and live chats, along with a storage manager for freeing up device storage to ensure optimal performance.
  • The latest Plebeian.market updates include zaps on profiles, NWC validation, support for videos as images on products, and numerous fixes and UI/UX improvements.
  • DVMCP by Gzuuus is a a bridge implementation that connects Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers to Nostr's Data Vending Machine (DVM) ecosystem. Learn more about it here.
  • Nsite.cloud aims to provide a simple webfront where users can deploy, edit and clone existing Nsites. Learn more about the state of the project here.
  • Samiz is a work-in-progress project aiming to allow users to create a Bluetooth mesh with their Android device to use Nostr without accessing the internet.
  • Freeflow v0.1.1, a TikTok-like app built on the Nostr protocol, now supports login with Amber Signer on Android devices.
  • Minibits v0.2.0-beta is a maintenance and bug fix release with many upgrades and improvements.
Be aware. The real website of the Ashigaru project can be found here.
  • Cashu Dev Kit (CDK) v0.7.0 is now available.
  • KeyChat App v1.26.8 has been released with the latest bug fixes and enhancements.
  • Nostr0 is a web app for searching and visualizing Nostr events using npubs. Users can filter events by date and view details such as images, videos, and associated links.
  • Coracle v0.6.0 is now available. This version adds support for kind-20 (Olas) image events, the implementation of Nstart for onboarding new users, and note scheduling via DVMs. Additionally, it comes with support for Tor/local relays.
  • Coop v0.1.0-alpha, a Nostr direct message client for desktop devices, is now available. This alpha release has been fully rewritten in Rust and comes with basic NIP-17 chat functionality, login via Nostr Connect, a lightweight UI with tab support and split layouts, and more.
Source: reya
  • Roz is a notary implementation for Nostr events.
  • Primal v2.1 delivers Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) support for Primal Wallet and web app, along with various feed improvements and Legend Cards.
  • Flotilla v0.2.11, a progressive web app (PWA) for Discord-like Nostr relay-based communities, added an in-app signup flow on iOS and support for profile deletion.
  • Cashu Dev Kit (CDK) v0.7.1 has been released with the ability to set custom derivation paths in the mint builder.
  • bullishNuts v2.0.5 introduces the ability to send cashu tokens as 🥜 emoji.
"Just tap 'Copy Emoji' when sending ecash and you’ll get some encoded nuts. The app only supports this emoji when sending (as it should). Other emojis are supported when receiving though," said the developer.
  • PlebDevs, a developer education platform built on the Nostr protocol and Lightning, implemented multi-account linking.
  • Immortal v0.0.9, a scalable and high-performance Nostr relay, improves security with event ID validation and ensures gift wrap events are accessible only to intended recipients, enhancing reliability and safety.
  • Algo Relay v0.1.5 uupdate lays the foundation for individual users to control their own algorithm without running a personal relay.
  • Team Relay v0.2.0, a Nostr relay for teams, brings ability to offer Blossom server for teams, and utilizes faster database engines.
  • Wallet relay is a specialized, high-performance relay for wallet service providers to process money events, including NWC and Cashu wallet events. It's built on the Khatru framework.
  • RelayDiscovery.com is a Nostr relay that specializes in serving relay kind Nostr notes to make it easier for clients to implement the outbox model.
"The goal of this service is to make it easier for clients to implement the Outbox model by having a reliable relay to find any pubkey's relay settings. It pulls notes from many large relays and can be written to directly as well," said uxto the webmaster.
  • TheBullishBitcoiner released txTree, an app that uses the mempool API to visualize a Bitcoin transaction and its history.
  • bullishNWC v0.0.7 by The Bullish ₿itcoiner is a Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) wallet and a progressive web app (PWA) aimed at creating a simple, streamlined interface to manage multiple connections.
  • Wavlake v1.1.3-16, a value-for-value music streaming app for iOS and Android, is the latest beta release that fixes the Amber listening status bug for Android users, improves the inbox feed, adds a Nostr event provider, fixes comments, and more.
  • SATOSH.EE, a Bitcoin-based site for gift cards, discounts, and rewarding Loyalty Program, is back online following a security issue during which 81,000 sats were drained from its Rewards pool.
  • AditBoard is a USB adapter for Bitmain hashboards. It's based on the RaspberryPi RP2040 and is designed to work with the upcoming Bitcart USB or standalone with a PC. AntHat is a HAT for a RaspberryPi to control Antminer fans and PSU.
Source: skot9000
  • Braiins open-sourced its BCB 100 mining control board.
  • Obscura VPN is now available on macOS. It is the first provably private VPN that cannot log your network activity by design and outsmarts network filters for enhanced censorship resistance.
  • Kagi, a privacy search engine, implemented Privacy Pass, an authentication protocol that allows clients to authenticate to Kagi servers in a way that verifies the client has the right to access its services but does not reveal the identity of the connecting client.
  • Tails v6.12 is now available. It brings several important security fixes.
  • Arti v1.4.0, a next-generation Tor client in Rust, features a new RPC interface, replacing C Tor's control port with many improvements. It includes preparatory work for relay support, bug fixes, and progress towards onion service DoS resistance.
  • Tor Browser v14.0.6 is now available. This version includes a fix to the crash issue found on older versions of macOS.
  • CalyxOS v6.4.0 rolls out Android 15 support for Google Pixel series from 6 to 9.
  • GrapheneOS v2025021100 has been released with the latest fixes and improvements.

Guides and research

  • Bitcoin Optech #341 newsletter summarizes ongoing discussions about probabilistic payments, shares additional opinions on ephemeral anchor scripts for the Lightning Network, provides statistics on evictions from the Bitcoin Core orphan pool, and announces an updated draft for a revised BIP process.
  • HRF's Financial Freedom Report #61 is now available.
  • Breez and 1A1z released a report on Bitcoin payments. It reveals that over 650 million people now have access to Bitcoin payments and includes case studies from global businesses such as Pick n Pay in Africa, Mercari in Japan, and Mondo Convenienza in Italy.
  • Expatriotic has published a guide on how to start using the Ashigaru wallet.
  • OpenSecret has shared a technical primer on how its team built a confidential compute developer platform leveraging secure enclaves.
  • Adam Jonas has put together a blog post on Bitcoin CoreDev reflections in 2024/2025.
  • The latest Nostr Weekly Review report by Nomishka Dilshan is now available.
  • Satochip has shared a quick video guide on how to use Satochip with Sparrow Wallet.
Read the full essay here.
  • Bitvocation published a Bitcoin Job Market update for January 2025.
  • The latest edition of the Lightning Labs newsletter is now available, covering some of the latest developments of the Lightning network and companies building on Lightning.
  • Bitcoin Design Newsletter #71 is here, delivering the latest events, notes, and updates for designers in Bitcoin.
  • The Reorg is a new podcast by The Satoshi Nakamoto Institute (SNI) that offers deep dives into the archives of the institute.
  • Alex Bosworth wrote a blog post explaining how MuSig2 is powering liquidity in Lightning Loop.
  • Learn how to effortlessly integrate self-custodial bitcoin payments into your app using the Breez SDK here.
  • AJ Towns published a Bitcoin Forking Guide, advocating the approach of consensus before consensus.
  • Loïc Morel made a tutorial for setting up a watch-only wallet on mobile using the Blockstream Green app.
  • Alby put together a comparison of custodial Bitcoin Lightning wallets.

Mining stats

  • Hashrate go brrr. The average (7-day SMA) hashrate of the Bitcoin network is currently at ~832 EH/s.
  • The next difficulty adjustment is expected in less than 1,000 blocks, or approximately 6 days.

Lightning stats

  • The capacity of the Lightning network has dropped by 210 BTC this week, per amboss.space stats.
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