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By EZ in Weekly Digest —

Block 886042: Important News of the Week

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

Block 886042: Important News of the Week
Source: bitbo.io
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News

  • The IMF board approved a $1.4 billion loan to El Salvador with further Bitcoin restrictions. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive board approved a $1.4 billion loan for El Salvador on the condition that the country will further restrict the government's Bitcoin-related economic activities, including transactions and purchases of bitcoin.
  • Tropic Square TROPIC01 open-source secure element samples now available. Tropic Square, a startup backed by SatoshiLabs—the company behind Trezor signing devices—has unveiled its pre-production samples ahead of the mass production and market launch of their open-source TROPIC01 secure element, designed for use in Bitcoin hardware.
  • The U.S. House Committee advanced a joint resolution to eliminate the IRS's broker rules for decentralized 'front-end services.' The Ways and Means Committee voted 26-16 to nullify the IRS's midnight rulemaking requiring decentralized trading platforms offering 'front-end services' to track and report customer information. The proposal needs majority approval in both the House and Senate, plus the President's signature, to become final. The matter moves to the overall House next.
  • The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency started releasing some of the stopped ASICs. According to a report by Blockspace.Media, some industry players started receiving some of their seized Asian Bitcoin mining ASICs following increased industry lobbying efforts led by Senator Cynthia Lummis and the ties with the Trump administration.
  • Tether failed to secure an interim anti-suit injunction against Swan Bitcoin in the UK. The company's request for an injunction to stop Swan's case against six former employees was denied. Judge Bright dismissed concerns about exposing proprietary details, stating Swan was unlikely to misuse any information from the proceedings.
    • Tether filed a lawsuit against Swan Bitcoin in January for alleged contract breaches. Previously, Swan had launched a legal challenge in the United States, accusing former employees of stealing trade secrets and moving operations to Proton Management.
    • In the UK lawsuit, Tether also reportedly alleges that Swan had raised money from Ripple Labs without its knowledge, a claim denied by Swan's CEO Cory Klippsten.
  • OKX will pay a $505 million settlement over unlicensed money transmitting charges. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that the company will pay $84 million in penalties and approximately $421 million in forfeited fees earned from U.S. customers because it did not secure the proper license to operate as a money transmitter.
  • Bybit's CEO said the exchange has filled the gap in its ETH reserves following a record $1.4 billion hack, adding that the platform will publish an audited proof of reserves report for full transparency.
  • U.S. SEC drops high-profile 'crypto' cases. In a notable regulatory pivot, the agency closed its investigations into Coinbase, Gemini, Uniswap, Robinhood Metamask, OpenSea, Richard Heart.
"The offer and sale of meme coins does not involve an investment in an enterprise nor is it undertaken with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others," said the agency, adding that fraudulent conduct related to the offer and sale of meme coins may still be subject to enforcement action.
    • Additionally, the agency issued a statement on meme coins, clarifying that most of them are not considered securities.
  • Texas moves toward a strategic Bitcoin reserve. The Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee unanimously approved the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SB 21) bill with a 9-0 vote. The bill now advances to the state Senate for further discussion.
  • Oklahoma’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act (HB 1203) moves to the House floor. If passed, HB 1203 would enable the Oklahoma State Treasurer to invest public funds in digital assets with a market cap over $500 billion in the past year.
    • Montana, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wyoming have recently rejected similar proposals yet there are still 25 Bitcoin-related reserve bills under consideration across 18 U.S. states. So far, Utah's HB0230 is most likely to be passed first.
Source: BitcoinLaws.io
  • Strategy buys 20,356 BTC for $1.9 billion. The firm now holds 499,096 BTC acquired for about $33 billion, with an average purchase price of about $66,357 per coin.
  • Metaplanet buys additional 135 BTC. The company now holds 2,235 coins purchased for approximately $182 million. The firm aims to hold 10,000 BTC by the end of 2025 and 21,000 BTC by the end of 2026.
  • Fold added 10 more bitcoin to its corporate treasury. “Fold remains dedicated to integrating bitcoin into our business and treasury strategy,” said Will Reeves, CEO of Fold. The company now holds well over 1,000 BTC on its balance sheet.
  • MARA's revenues grew by 69% to $656.4 million in 2024. The largest publicly traded miner by market cap increased its energized hash rate by 115% year over year to 53.2 EH/s. MARA mined 9,430 BTC last year, down 27% from 2023. As of December 31, 2024, the company held 44,893 coins.
  • Bitcoin miner TeraWulf sees 102% year-over-year revenue growth. The firm's full-year revenue rose 102% to $140.1 million from $69.2 million in 2023, driven by increased Bitcoin production and higher prices. As of December 31, the company held 1,801 BTC.
  • Vinteum has awarded a grant to LND developer Pins. Pins has become the fifth Vinteum grantee and will focus on improving invoicing features in LND and supporting blinded payment paths, enhancing error handling and feedback mechanisms, as well as code review.
  • VanEck has donated $50,000 to Brink. The funds will support open-source Bitcoin development efforts.
  • BIP 3 has been merged. It proposes new guidelines for the preparation of Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs) and policies relating to the publication of BIPs. If adopted, it would replace BIP 2.
  • Simple Proof raised a pre-seed round led by ego death capital and Wolf. The investment will speed up the development of Simple Proof's Immutable Proof service, which uses Bitcoin's Timechain and the OpenTimestamps protocol to create permanent, tamper-proof digital file records.
  • Metamask confirms it will add Bitcoin-native support this year. The popular 'crypto' wallet said that it plans to launch full Bitcoin support in the third quarter of this year.
  • Custodial Lightning wallet LifPay temporarily suspends operations. As part of the wind-down process for the wallets, LifPay users are urged to withdraw their bitcoin within the next 60 days by submitting a withdrawal request.
"After thorough evaluation and in aligned with regulatory requirements, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend LifPay’s operations," said the project.
  • Onramp and Arch have launched a bitcoin-backed lending service, offering bitcoin-collateralized loans. This service allows borrowers to use their bitcoin holdings as collateral while receiving cash or stablecoins in return.
  • Nigeria introduces Digital Asset Transaction tax. Nigerian officials plan to amend digital asset regulations to tax transactions and boost state revenues. The Nigerian SEC is reviewing a framework to tax transactions on regulated exchanges to extract more value from the growing digital asset sector.
  • European states continue race to enable encryption backdoors. European policymakers continue to advance various proposals and regulations that could severely compromise the privacy and security of European citizens.
    • A new French law amendment would require encrypted services to provide law enforcement access within 72 hours, with non-compliance fines of €1.5 million for individuals and 2% of global turnover for companies.
    • Meanwhile, in Sweden, the government is pushing for encrypted messaging apps like Signal to implement similar E2EE backdoors, which could become law as soon as March 2026.
    • Member countries of the European Union are still attempting to discover a 'viable' way to implement chat control. The EU working group will continue to negotiate the issue in March.
Source: PatrickBreyer.de
  • Apple has pulled end-to-end iCloud encryption in the UK and removed over 135,000 'non-compliant' apps from the EU App Store. Apple iCloud backups can no longer be end-to-end encrypted in the UK, while all apps without a verified trader status and contact information have been removed from the EU App Store to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
  • Mozilla deletes the promise to never sell personal data. Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox browser, deleted a promise to never sell users' personal data, prompting user concerns. The company is now trying to reassure users that its privacy approach remains unchanged.
  • The GitVenom campaign uses GitHub repositories to deploy malware targeting Bitcoin wallets. According to a report by Kaspersky, threat actors have created hundreds of 'legitimately appearing' repositories on GitHub that contain fake projects with malicious code aimed at stealing cryptocurrency. Be aware.
  • Blockstream opens applications for Lugano Research Hub grants. The grants are open for builders seeking to develop on Lightning or Liquid, and come with a 10,000 CHF sponsorship for founders and small startup teams to set up and live in Lugano.
  • The Satoshi Papers Symposium be hosted on UATX campus on April 16, 2025. The University of Austin (UATX) has partnered with the Texas Bitcoin Foundation (TBF), Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), Unchained, and Strive Asset Management to host the Satoshi Papers Symposium, an academic conference celebrating the launch of the TBF’s first book, The Satoshi Papers: Reflections on Political Economy after Bitcoin.
  • Baltic Honeybadger 2025 are now on sale. The "most OG Bitcoin conference" is set to take place on August 9-10, 2025 in Riga, Latvia.
  • BitCare Forum 2025 is an Italian Bitcoin conference taking place in Brescia on May 10. Check out its website here.
  • Learning Bitcoin conference is set to take place in Vancouver, Canada on August 16-17, 2025. It is a Bitcoin education conference for individual, families, and businesses. Click here to learn more.
  • Bitcoin++ Freedom+Privacy Edition will take place in Riga, Latvia, on August 7-8, 2025. This will happen right before The Baltic Honeybadger 2025 conference. Get your tickets here.

Updates and releases

  • Sparrow Wallet v2.1.3 is here. It comes with OneKey hardware wallet support, expanded wallet labels (BIP329) export, and some remaining Lark integration fixes, among other things.
  • Lark v1.1.0, a command-line application for interacting with USB hardware wallets in Bitcoin-related functions, comes with support for OneKey hardware signers, enhances integrations with major Bitcoin hardware devices, and delivers various bug fixes.
  • umbrelOS v1.4 is now available. It comes with a brand new file manager that turns Umbrel into a full-blown home cloud. This release also includes support for external storage devices (USB) on Umbrel Home, various bug fixes, and performance improvements.
  • Bitcoin Keeper v2.0.2 now supports External Key and Specter DIY signing devices for Miniscript vaults, introduces a redesigned manage subscription screen, improves COLDCARD NFC integration, and more.
  • Satochip v0.14-0.2 (Beta), an open-source javacard applet implementing a cryptocurrency signing device with full BIP32/BIP39 support, brings Schnorr signature support for Taproot that can used with Sparrow-Satochip wallet, and Schnorr signature support for Nostr that can be tested using a pysatochip v0.15.3 command line interface.
  • Bit.Spenda is a no-KYC Bitcoin payments app for paying fiat merchants via fiat rails in Ghana.
  • Blockstream Green iOS v4.1.7 updates translations and adds a language preference option in the app settings.
  • Nunchuk launched a new and improved end-to-end encrypted group wallet and chat, utilizing Output Descriptors to derive a single, shared encryption key for the group.
  • COLDCARD EDGE firmware v6.3.5X for Mk4 and Q devices is now available for testing. It supports origin-less extended keys in multisig and miniscript descriptors and disallows static internal keys.
  • Unchained now supports native SegWit addresses. New vaults now use SegWit addresses by default, and existing vaults can be upgraded.
  • Bitkey launched inheritance feature which focuses on super simple setup and comes with built-in protection against unauthorized claims.
  • Some of the latest updates to Theya mobile modular multisig app (currently available on iOS) include custom permissions for collaborative key management, multi-currency support, and AirGap mode for the Foundation Passport device.
  • Dana wallet v0.4.1, a mobile silent payments wallet for Android, is now available.
  • Kyoto v0.9.0, a simple, memory-conservative, and private Bitcoin client for developers to build wallet applications, introduces log level optimization for release builds and enables configuring a custom DNS resolver.
  • Bitcoin QR is a zero-dependency, zero-framework HTML web component designed to help developers create stylish QR codes for Bitcoin on-chain, Lightning, and unified BIP-21 payments.
  • BDK v0.30.2 is a patch release that fixes a crash occurring when syncing wallets with over 10,000 UTXOs.

NOTE: "The bdk library is now deprecated and replaced by bdk_wallet. All projects should migrate to bdk_wallet 1.0.0 or newer as soon as possible. For migration instructions see the "Book of BDK" chapter on "Migrating from 0.x"."

  • Utreexo v0.3.3 has been released.
  • Phoenixd (Server) v0.5.0 packages a major rework of the internal payments database, addresses issues with Linux native builds, and fixes a memory leak in the TCP reconnection logic. It also includes a rolling log file, a new --seed-path configuration option, and the ability to look up outgoing payments by payment hash.
  • Lightning-kmp v1.9.0, an implementation of the Lightning Network in Kotlin, is now available.
  • Flash Wallet beta (not to be confused with the Flash app by Dread) is now available for testing. It is a self-custodial Lightning and Liquid wallet for merchants, built with Breez SDK. Upcoming features include offline transactions, point-of-sale tools, and automated payments.
"While we address common LN attack vectors, v0.13 isn’t a full production release yet. We recommend using it on testnet or with limited funds until you’re comfortable it covers your use case," said the project.
  • Validating Lightning Signer v0.13.0, a library and reference implementation for a signer module to secure Lightning nodes, delivers a fresh wave of improvements designed to enhance configuration, boost security, and streamline core functionalities.
  • Coinos.io is now available as a native Android app. "We're currently seeking internal testers to help us get into the Google Play Store as well. If you're willing to help with that, please join the testing program here," said the developers.
  • Fountain app v1.1.17 is now available on iOS and Android. This version rebuilds the authentication flows, addressing issues with accessing the app.
  • Orange Pill App integrated a Lightning wallet for fast and low-cost transactions.
Orange Pill App Wallet.
  • SideSwap v1.7.0, a Liquid Network wallet offering a convenient way to hold, send, receive, and swap assets on the Liquid Network, introduces a next-generation Swap Engine. This enables a suite of advanced features, including asset-to-asset swaps, market orders, instant swap orders executed as market orders, and much more.
  • B2P Central, an aggregator of Bitcoin peer-to-peer offers, now allows users to create subscriptions and receive new offers matching their criteria by email or Nostr.
  • Boltz Web App v1.6.2 brings additional transaction broadcasts via public APIs, adds integrations for Tropykus and Speed Wallet, and other improvements.
  • Fedimint v0.6.0 has been released with many updates and improvements. Notably, this version enables on-chain deposits for end users as interacting with the on-chain wallet is no longer considered to be in 'expert-only' mode.
  • Ark v0.5.0 protocol update introduces branch-only signing sessions and connector trees. There will probably be a blog post explaining what it all means sometime later.
    • Ark Labs also unveiled Coinflip, a proof-of-concept for exploring multiparty contracts on Ark. Learn how to use it here.
  • Ditto v1.2, a Nostr server for building resilient communities online, comes with a revamped onboarding experience, enhanced community features, advanced search and translation, zap splits, a database overhaul, and performance improvements.
    • Upcoming updates for Ditto include public groups (NIP-29) support, Cashu Nutzaps, and post streaks.
  • TollGate, a project that enables WiFi routers to accept bitcoin payments for internet access, now has a beautiful website.
  • Frostr a simple t-of-n remote signing and key rotation protocol for Nostr, powered by FROST. Contributors, testers, and reviewers are welcome to test it, identify vulnerabilities, and provide feedback.
  • Iris.to implemented double ratchet messaging. It hides message metadata and keeps users' past and future message history safe in case main Nostr private key is compromised. A Typescript library of the implementation is available.
"Thanks to Human Rights Foundation for supporting the project!" said Martti Malmi.
  • Mostro v0.13.2, a Lightning Network peer-to-peer exchange platform on Nostr, is out with the latest fixes and improvements.
  • Mostro mobile app v1.0.0-alpha+4 is now available for testing on both Android and iOS.
  • Coop v0.1.3-alpha, a Nostr direct message client for desktop, is a hotfix release that shows all chats from unknown contacts, improves startup loading speeds, and more.
  • Primal iOS v2.1.26 delivers improved feeds, deep linking for threads, articles, and profiles, as well as bug fixes and stability improvements.
  • Coracle v0.6.6 now shows complete website/LNURL, scans images for sensitive content, implements stricter muting on feeds, and fixes list editing.
  • KeyChat app v1.27.2+6328 is a bug fix release that adds a safe area to the browser page to prevent the bottom input area from being hidden, displays relay status when a message fails to send, and changes the color of Cashu buttons.
  • NostrDVM v1.1.2, a framework for building and running NIP-90 Nostr DVMs in Python, is a bug fix release addressing the absence of extra_tags.
  • Amber v3.2.3 adds a translation string for the sign_message method, logs when encryption/decryption fails, and includes some fixes.
  • Grain v0.3.0, a Nostr relay implementation written in Go, introduces Nostr login and profile page, allowing users to manage their relay data, experimental user sync functionality for syncing user events from their outboxes, and bug fixes and related improvements.
  • Algo Relay v0.2 comes with the ability for users to log in with Nostr and adjust their own algorithms, as well as observe the data the algorithm uses to make your feed.
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  • HAMSTR by Liberty Farmer enables fully off-grid Nostr communication over ham radio, allowing clients with no internet access to interact with Nostr relays through a server with internet connectivity.
  • Nostr.world by Vertex provides the most reliable and fastest search of Nostr profiles.
  • Plebeian.Market added step-by-step instructions for new users, smarter dashboard tools, and enhanced social sharing functions, alongside some bug fixes.
  • Corny Chat v2025.02, an open-source audio space built on Jam that integrates Nostr and Lightning, added room indicators for active rooms, new admin tools, support for permanent rooms, and more.
  • CowBolt app beta is now available for testing. This app is for splitting costs and bills using Bitcoin on-chain, Lightning, Liquid, and USDT. It also includes a team chat feature.
  • Questforsats.com is a geocaching app for hiding and finding hidden bitcoin.
  • Reorg Calculator by The Bitcoin Dev Project computes the probability that an attacker with a given percentage of the total network hashrate could successfully reorganize z blocks.
  • Atlas21 launched a Bitcoin State Adoption Tracker. It shows new legislative proposals and the status of existing ones, the number of BTC held by major countries, the stance of local central banks, and the latest news from key nations.
  • Saving Satoshi v1.10.5, an interactive science fiction story and technical game for developers of all ages who want to learn how Bitcoin works, has been released with chapter 10 improvements and includes an add_entry for NIP-05 support.
  • Parman launched ParmaDrive, an encrypted data storage device integrated with Parmanode Bitcoin node.
  • NerNos a compact, energy-efficient expansion board that transforms NerdMiners into ASIC miners capable of 80–130 GH/s while consuming just 7–8W of power and running off a simple USB-C connection.
  • NerdQAxe firmware v1.0.26 is now available. It includes NerdHaxe Gamma support, improved web UI connection stability, a Global Stats screen, and more.
  • Unleashed.chat is now dataMachine.ai, highlighting the project's focus on becoming a fully-fledged AI playground rather than just a chatbot.
  • SimpleX Chat v6.3.0-beta.6 is now available for testing. This version comes with improved link previews and UX fixes.
  • ObscuraVPN v1.118 ships with a major protocol rework to get around more firewall situations and includes WireGuard Key caching with rotation to make connecting faster and more reliable.
  • GrapheneOS v2025022700 release adds an opt-in GrapheneOS network location client for location detection based on nearby Wi-Fi networks using a local trilateration algorithm run on the device. It fetches a list of nearby Wi-Fi networks from Apple's location service either directly or through a GrapheneOS proxy.
  • Rdsys v1.0 by the Tor Project has been released. It is a distribution system for circumvention proxies and related resources.
"We now consider Rdsys stable, but our work is far from finished. We are committed to improving Rdsys and fixing issues as they arise, and to adapting quickly to censors' evolving tactics," said the project.

Guides and research

Source: River.
  • Blockstream published a report on the risks of expressive smart contracts, recapping the lessons from the latest Bybit Ethereum exploit.
  • 0xtr compiled a list of Nostr relays exposed as onion services.
  • Matthew Mezinskis shared the latest Base Money Update #27.
  • Super Testnet published a video on how to build your own Coinpool.
  • BTC Sessions published a new Bitcoin home mining tutorial with Bitaxe.
  • Click here to view all projects presented at the Bitcoin++ Hackathon at Floripa 2025.
  • nAuth by Tim Bouma is a decentralized two party authentication and secure transmittal protocol.
  • Ben Arc shared a video on how to receive LNbits server notifications over the Nostr protocol.
  • There's also a tutorial for creating a fresh LNbits install with Phoenixd on a VPS. Until LNbits v1.0 is released, you can test it with LNbits v1.0.0-rc8.

Mining stats

  • Bitcoin mining difficulty adjusted down to 110.57T. The network's hashrate (7-day SMA) is currently at ~793 EH/s.

Lightning stats

  • The capacity of the Lightning network declined by almost 200 BTC this week. There are also 300 fewer channels on the network.
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