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Bitcoin evangelist Joe Hall tells The Agenda why he thinks BTC will conquer the world

Bitcoin has a marketing problem, but journalist and BTC evangelist Joe Hall is doing his best to fix it.

“Bitcoin has such a marketing problem.” 

At least, that’s what came to mind for Bitcoin (BTC) advocate and Cointelegraph reporter Joe Hall when he was asked about the weaknesses and strengths of the popular cryptocurrency.

While not labeling himself a “Bitcoin maximalist,” Hall believes that most people — including crypto OGs — are shockingly unaware of what Bitcoin can do; and for this reason, he questions the necessity and future of most altcoin projects.

“They’re doing it with imperfect solutions that in the long term will rug-pull them or close enough to that. Because, let’s be honest, all of these crypto projects eventually collapse into Bitcoin, or they eventually collapse full stop. I mean, we saw enough of that last year. And, you know, in 10, 15, 20, maybe 40 years’ time, will Bitcoin still be running? 1,000%. Will Ethereum still be running? Question marks. And will the other 20-ish thousand crypto projects still be going strong? I’m pretty confident they won’t be.”

Hall proved his point by asking co-hosts Jonathan DeYoung and Ray Salmond to open up their Bitcoin Lightning wallets to accept the equivalent of $5 in satoshis. And after DeYoung downloaded the wallet and received the payment, both co-hosts were astonished at the speed of the transaction.

On Episode 13 of The Agenda podcast, Salmond and DeYoung spoke with Hall about his views on Bitcoin adoption and its “marketing problem,” his ultimate vision of how Bitcoin could eventually conquer the financial world, and how his experience as a Bitcoin evangelist has connected him with people all around the world.

It’s more than just money

Hall believes that Bitcoin is more than just money: It’s a revolution, a lifestyle, a binder of people and a builder of community.

Hall said:

“Bitcoin, to me, in my own words: It’s an expression of how we approach the world, I guess. I mean, it’s had an impact on me, in terms of my approach to people, to different cultures and in the way in which I interact with people — despite the fact that it is just a bunch of code on a screen. And because it’s rewired the way in which I look at the world and consider things, it’s taught me to be more skeptical and to not take things at face value. But it’s also delivered a lot of hope and a lot of sort of meaning to my existence that perhaps wasn’t there previously.”

Hall has elected to only live off Bitcoin for day-to-day expenses, excluding when he has to pay European Union taxes. As to why he is such a strong believer in the digital currency, Hall shared, “We can’t live in a world that is governed by growth at all costs when we have one finite, very precious planet.”

“Bitcoin, for me, it appeals to me because of the way that it flips that all on its head. You know, we have a deflationary currency, there’s only going to be 21 million, and we can rebuild our economic system off that in a way that raises all boats, not just the elite few. And it tackles things like the wealth gap and wealth inequality. It tackles things like the environment and the way in which, you know, Bitcoin mining could be this transition to using more and more renewable energies.”

To hear more from Hall’s conversation with The Agenda — including Hall’s future vision for Bitcoin and his fascination with the Lightning Network — listen to the full episode on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows!

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This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

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Bitcoin metrics to the moon: ATH for hash rate, daily transactions and Ordinals

While the Bitcoin hash rate briefly touches new highs, Bitcoin Ordinals contribute to daily transactions exceeding 500,000.

A lot of Bitcoin (BTC) miners just came online. The Bitcoin hash rate, or the total computing power of the Bitcoin blockchain, just soared to 439 exahashes per second (EH/s). Moreover, the number of transactions processed on the Bitcoin blockchain in one day exceeded 682,000, with over 300,000 Ordinals inscribed. 

The hashrate, in orange, soars to 439 EH/s. Source: timechainstats.

These milestones demonstrate the network's strength and stability, as well as the increasing adoption of Bitcoin for various use cases, all while the banking sector in the United States fractures.

The Bitcoin hash rate, a measure of the computational power dedicated to securing the blockchain, has reached an all-time high, signifying increased confidence in the network's security. The hash rate is a crucial indicator of the network's health, as a higher hash rate means more miners are participating, thus making the network more resistant to attacks.

The surge in hash rate reflects growing investments in mining infrastructure despite fluctuations in the price of Bitcoin. More and more territories and regions around the world are mining Bitcoin, with increasing amounts of renewable energy, allaying fears of centralization or environmental impacts that have shrouded Bitcoin mining in the past.

However, as Denver Bitcoin, a well-known Bitcoin miner with Upstream Data Inc, points out, the hash rate surge may be short-lived. It’s important to “Watch 1500-block to 5k-block avg time to get an understanding of true hashrate,” he shared in a tweet:

The hash rate may be temporarily surging–partly driven by a resurgence in the popularity of Bitcoin ordinal inscriptions. Bitcoin ordinals are unique, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) built on the Bitcoin network, each representing a distinct position in the Bitcoin blockchain. Each ordinal is “inscribed” on a Satoshi (the smallest denomination of a Bitcoin), and owners can prove digital ownership of their Sat.

Ordinals have gained traction among collectors, investors, and enthusiasts, offering a new way to engage with the Bitcoin ecosystem. Bitcoin ordinals fan Dan Held, for example, shares that altcoin advocates engage with Bitcoin for the first time due to their creation.

Ordinals reach 3 million.Source: Dune

The number of inscriptions in a 24-hour period exceeded 350,000 on May 1, as the total number of ordinals exceeded 3 million. Given that each ordinal inscription also counts as a transaction, the number of Bitcoin transactions has also soared.

Daily transactions reach 682,000. Source: timechainstats

As more people buy, sell, and trade Bitcoin ordinals, the number of daily transactions on the network has significantly increased to 682,000. The mempool, or the "waiting area" for incoming transactions before they are confirmed, is currently very busy. The cheapest transaction fee sits at 8 sat/vB, or about $0.30–way above its lows of 1 sat/vB. If users are looking to send money to wallets on the Bitcoin base chain, the costs are significantly higher than usual due to the surging number of ordinal inscriptions.

Related: ​​Bitcoin Ordinals community debates fix after inscription validation bug

For some, Bitcoin ordinals offer another role for the network that goes above its activities as a store of value and medium of exchange. For others, such as Dr. Adam Back, number 76 on Cointelegraph’s Top 100, ordinals are useless.

Cointelegraph Magazine: Bitcoin in Senegal: Why is this African country using BTC?

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2 reasons why Bitcoin Ordinals are ‘positive’ for the BTC: Grayscale

Ordinals have been a controversial topic within the Bitcoin community but crypto investment firm Grayscale says there’s two main reasons to be optimistic.

Bitcoin (BTC) Ordinals — also known by some as Bitcoin NFTs — could renew developer enthusiasm for Bitcoin and boost mining fees, according to cryptocurrency investment firm Grayscale.

In an April 27 “Market Byte” blog post, the firm suggested that Ordinals provide two key benefits to the growth and development of the Bitcoin ecosystem.

The first is a substantial increase in fees paid to miners, which has been seen since the launch of the protocol in January, according to Grayscale.

“The advent of ordinals has led to an increase in total fees paid to miners [...] which could potentially establish a sustainable baseline level of transaction fees to incentivize miners.”

Grayscale argued that this would ensure "continued network security throughout the lifetime of the Bitcoin network.”

As reported by Cointelegraph, in less than two months after its launch, more than $600,000 was paid to Bitcoin miners, solely as the result of fees generated by Ordinal inscriptions. As of the time of publication, that figure now exceeds the $6.5 million mark.

Fees spent on inscribing Ordinal NFTs on the Bitcoin blockchain. Source: Dune Analytics

The investment firm also believes that Ordinals and the “velocity of NFT adoption” could also attract new Bitcoin users and spark more development on the Bitcoin network. 

"We believe the emergence of ordinals is likely to promote a development-oriented community and culture in support of the Bitcoin network." 

On April 30, Ordinals reached a new record, with the number of daily inscriptions topping 300,000.

Around the same time, the number of Bitcoin transactions neared peaks not seen in a number of years, according to blockchain data firm IntoTheBlock.

Related: Magic Eden launches marketplace for Bitcoin Ordinals

The meteoric rise of Ordinals has been a controversial topic in the wider Bitcoin community, having been extensively criticized by Bitcoin maximalists for straying from the original purpose of Bitcoin as a peer-to-peer electronic currency and clogging up valuable block space.

One such critic is Blockstream CEO Adam Back, who has made a number of comments in which he declared Ordinals to be “useless,” and claimed that he is “more into Bitcoin as a currency.”

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The Bitcoin transition: How hodlers can become changemakers and drive adoption

“When you think about Bitcoin, it’s potentially the largest country or one of the largest countries today. But it’s digital and it’s spread out everywhere,” Jeff Booth told Cointelegraph.

If Bitcoin (BTC) were a country, it might be one of the biggest in the world. That’s according to Jeff Booth, general partner at Bitcoin venture fund Ego Death Capital and author of The Price of Tomorrow: Why Deflation is the Key to an Abundant Future. Cointelegraph spoke to Booth to better understand and visualize the Bitcoin movement’s state in 2023. 

Booth sat down to enjoy a pint and a chat about Bitcoin in Bedford, a small suburban town that has attracted Bitcoin advocates and key opinion leaders from all over the world. Booth commented on the emergence and resilience of the Bitcoin community and how people can get involved personally in the decade ahead.

Jeff Booth (right) speaks to Cointelegraph’s Joe Hall

Booth suggested that the Bitcoin community could usher in a fundamental change to the world if its members dedicated more of their time to the cause. He said that change could be spurred “if all of those people just said, I’m moving and spending more of my time in this to massively step-change the adoption rate.”

The Bitcoin hodlers — those that hold onto their Bitcoin in the hopes of the currency reaching mass adoption — are the backbone of Bitcoin. However, if more of those people could actively use their Bitcoin, the movement could pick up steam and reach its goal faster, Booth argues:

“It would be staggering if the people that were just holding as a hedge decided, I’m going to advance, I’m going to spend more time in the world I want to see and move their time and attention there. The world would move there. I saw it in myself.”

From simple steps like asking if merchants accept Bitcoin to businesses choosing to accept Bitcoin as a preferred means of exchange, there are certain moves that people can make to further the cause. In-person Bitcoin meetups also contribute. Booth commented on the impact of the Bitcoin-themed Real Bedford football team as a way to introduce Bitcoin to a wider audience:

“He’s [Peter McCormack] using this vehicle to advance a whole bunch of other stuff, which is really cool.“

Peter McCormack told Cointelegraph in a separate interview that the Bitcoin movement in 2023 covers far more than the currency: “It’s Nostr, it’s Bitcoin, it’s mainstream media lies, it is poor governance and regulation.” Nostr is a decentralized protocol championed by Bitcoin advocates. Nostr applications like Damus seek to compete with Twitter and other popular social media platforms.

Booth shared that there are more and more ways to use and engage with Bitcoin since his “initiation” into Bitcoin, sometimes referred to as taking the “orange pill.” The Canadian observes that the payments network; the Lightning Network, and Fedimint; a solution for shared custody, present more ways for Bitcoin enthusiasts to get stuck in. Moreover, a lot of engagement and interaction with these Bitcoin subsets takes place online:

“It’s amazing how many friends that I’ve actually never met, and I consider them close friends that over time you develop these relationships, these online relationships that you’ve never met.”

Booth added, “There is something about meeting in person and spending that time going deeper doing this, and there’s something about that that I don’t think can be replaced online.” Initiatives like McCormack’s in Bedford help bridge that gap and encourage Bitcoiners to engage with the local community.

Related: What security? Bitcoin enthusiast cracks known 12-word seed phrase in minutes

Plus, given that Bitcoiners are currently distributed across the globe, with communities popping up in Senegal, Guatemala and Vietnam, Booth sees potential for local network effects to develop.

“How many Bitcoiners are actually just holding it and are waiting?” he asked. 

If the hodlers and those “holding it [Bitcoin] as a hedge” decided to spend more time in the world they want to see, and move both their time and attention there, then, as Booth concludes: “The world would move there.“

This interview is part of an upcoming documentary about Bitcoin in Bedford shown on Cointelegraph’s YouTube channel. Subscribe here.

Cointelegraph Magazine: Bitcoin in Senegal: Why is this African country using BTC?

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What security? Bitcoin enthusiast cracks known 12-word seed phrase in minutes

If the words of a 12-word seed phrase are known, it’s deceptively easy to enter the wallet and sweep the funds.

A systems architect cracked a seed phrase and won a 100,000 Satoshi bounty, or 0.001 Bitcoin (BTC), worth $29, in just under half an hour. Cointelegraph spoke to Andrew Fraser in Boston, who underscored how critical it is to keep a Bitcoin wallet seed phrase secure and offline. 

A seed phrase or recovery phrase is a string of random words generated when a wallet is created that can access the wallet, similar to a master key. Fraser brute forced a 12-word seed phrase that Bitcoin educator “Wicked Bitcoin” shared on Twitter:

As shown, Wicked’s Tweet challenged users to decipher the correct order of the 12-word seed phrase.

"Anyone wants to try and brute force this 12-word seed phrase securing 100,000 sats? I’ll give you all 12 words but in no particular order. Standard derivation path m/84'/0'/0'…no fancy tricks. GL.”

It took just 25 minutes to unlock the 100,000 Satoshis–or just under $30. The incident serves as a timely reminder for Bitcoin users and crypto enthusiasts to take crypto security seriously.

Fraser cracked the code using BTCrecover, a software application available on GitHub. The software offers a range of tools that can determine seed phrases with missing or scrambled mnemonics and passphrase-cracking utilities. Over Twitter DMs, Fraser told Cointelegraph:

"My gaming GPU was able to determine the correct order of the seed phrase in about 25 minutes. Though a more capable system would do it much faster.”

He noted that anyone with a basic knowledge of running Python scripts, using the Windows command shell, and understanding the Bitcoin protocol–particularly BIP39 mnemonics– should be able to replicate his success.

Cointelegraph queried Fraser about the security of 12-word seed keys. Fraser explained they are "perfectly secure if the words remain unknown to an attacker or there is a passphrase '13th seed word' used in the derivation path of the wallet."

Moreover, he emphasized the superior security of 24-word seed keys.

"Even if an attacker knew the out of order words of your 24-word seed key, they would never stand a hope of discovering the correct seed.”

Fraser broke down the entropy calculations to explain the difference in security between the two types of seed keys. A 12-word seed has approximately 128 bits of entropy, while a 24-word seed boasts 256 bits. When an attacker knows the unordered words of a 12-word seed, there are only around half a billion possible combinations, which is relatively easy to test with a decent GPU. A 24-word seed, however, has roughly 6.24^24 possible combinations–and that's a lot of zeros. 

Related: The worst places to keep your crypto wallet seed phrase

Even the probability of an attacker cracking a 12-word seed phrase is borderline absurd. 24-word seed phrases may be superior, but as Wicked points out in a post-mortem to the seed phrase challenge; “it’s not going to be hacked tbh.”

Ultimately, it’s a timely reminder to readers to ensure seed phrases are never published or shared online. That means a seed phrase should not be stored in a password manager, a cloud storage solution, and they certainly should not be typed out into a phone. 

Fraser also stressed the importance of keeping seed keys secret and to take advantage of a passphrase that functions as part of the derivation path. As for the 100,000 Sats Fraser took home? Fraser tweeted that he spent them on dinner that night: Chicken Marsala. Talk about circular economy. 

Cointelegraph Magazine: Bitcoin in Senegal: Why is this African country using BTC?

XRP Skyrockets 280% as Ripple Rides ETF Surge and Regulatory Shifts

Global impact of a Bitcoin soccer club: Decentralize with Cointelegraph

Can a Bitcoin-boosted football club breathe life into a tired town in the United Kingdom? This week’s “Decentralize with Cointelegraph” podcast tours Bedford.

This week’s episode of the Decentralize with Cointelegraph podcast takes a deep dive into Bitcoin (BTC) in Bedford. A Bitcoiner from the English town near London is turning heads and raising his town’s profile after buying his local soccer club, Real Bedford.

Peter McCormack, who took the No. 38 spot on Cointelegraph’s 2023 Top 100, hosts a Bitcoin podcast and is an avid soccer fan. At the start of the soccer season in August 2022, he told Cointelegraph that winning the league would put Bedford on the Bitcoin map.

Cointelegraph's Joe Hall pitchside with Peter McCormack.

Nine months on, Real Bedford has fulfilled that promise. It won the United Kingdom’s South Midlands League and was promoted. However, has the move from the Bitcoin soccer club galvanized the locals or just grated on them? And how does running it work on the ground?

Cointelegraph traveled to Real Bedford’s final home game of the season to interview fans, locals and Bitcoin advocates from around the world to understand the whys and hows of the Bitcoin soccer club. From the club’s commentator to a Liberal Democrat councillor to well-known Bitcoin advocate Jeff Booth, this week’s podcast takes listeners on a whistlestop tour of Bedford.

Cointelegraph speaks with locals in the Bedford town center. 

An underdog story that explores themes of competition, community and Bitcoin awareness in the United Kingdom, it’s clear that Real Bedford has taken the Bitcoin community by storm.

Cointelegraph also caught up with McCormack pitchside during his What Bitcoin Did podcast live event to quibble about whether he was pursuing a personal passion project or the stakes were greater.

Moreover, with the price per Bitcoin still wallowing under $30,000, the production seeks to highlight that there is more than a speculative streak to the world’s largest cryptocurrency. McCormack explained:

“I think the thing about Bitcoin now is it’s not about Bitcoin. It’s Nostr, it’s Bitcoin, it’s mainstream media lies, it is poor governance and regulation.”

It’s not about “I’m going to get Bedford to buy Bitcoin,” he continued. He wants to be careful in curating the club’s image in the town,  and the Real Bedford website even has a blog post titled “Why you shouldn’t buy Bitcoin.”

The headline, however, is that this lower-league football team appears to be evolving into a bastion for Bitcoin adoption in the United Kingdom — listen to the Decentralize with Cointelegraph podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or your favorite platform to learn how.

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Judge orders YouTuber ‘BitBoy Crypto’ to appear and address alleged harassment

Ben Armstrong was ordered to appear in a Florida court to address allegations he threatened and harassed lawyers behind a class-action lawsuit against him and other crypto influencers.

A federal magistrate judge has signed an order requiring BitBoy Crypto YouTuber Ben Armstrong to appear in Florida as part of a status conference related to a lawsuit involving several crypto influencers.

In an April 12 filing in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Judge Melissa Damian ordered Armstrong and his counsel to appear on April 20 along with the legal team representing the influencers. According to the order, the conference was aimed at bringing awareness of “Armstrong’s harassment towards plaintiffs’ counsel.”

Armstrong, along with several other YouTubers, were named in a $1-billion lawsuit filed on March 15 for allegedly promoting “FTX crypto fraud without disclosing compensation.” Adam Moskowitz, representing plaintiff Edwin Garrison and others in the class-action lawsuit, has claimed that Armstrong harassed the legal team with “endless phone calls, tweets and emails,” voicemails “full of vulgarities,” and social media posts suggesting threats.

An April 5 filing showing cause for a hearing with Armstrong detailed “daily violent threats” by the YouTuber in addition to responses to emails with threats and insults before being served with process papers. The legal team also reported in a March 20 filing that one of Armstrong’s voicemails included the YouTuber allegedly threatening to surround Moskowitz’s home with protesters “24/7 day and night.”

“The scope of the attacks (including death threats), which examples are provided in those filings and which continue on a daily basis since, necessitated Undersigned Counsel to open an FBI investigation into Armstrong, as well as the investigation files by local police authorities for Plaintiffs’ counsel and their families,” said Moskowitz.

Twitter posts from Armstrong claimed the original lawsuit regarding disclosure of compensation from FTX had “absolutely no merit.” The crypto influencer is no stranger to online controversy, regularly insulting high-profile figures, including European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde and being generally dismissive of the class-action lawsuit.

Related: YouTube appoints Web3-friendly exec as new CEO

In August 2022, Armstrong filed a defamation suit against YouTuber Erling Mengshoel Jr. — also known as Atozy — in response to a video Mengshoel posted claiming that “This YouTuber scams his fans… Bitboy Crypto.” Armstrong dropped the lawsuit after Mengshoel raised more than $200,000 in a campaign for his defense in less than 24 hours.

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UK forms Bitcoin Policy org to boost BTC education and adoption

A Bitcoin-only policy organization in the United Kingdom seeks to steer a course for greater levels of Bitcoin adoption.

God save our gracious coin, long live the coin. A team of entrepreneurs, environmentalists and Bitcoin (BTC) advocates have assembled to back Bitcoin in Britain.

The Bitcoin Policy U.K. (BPUK) unites stakeholders, policymakers, environmentalists, tax specialists, Bitcoin experts and miners to “Unlock the potential of Bitcoin” in Britain, and explore how the decentralized currency’s burgeoning industry could benefit U.K. households, businesses, and communities.

The BPUK’s primary objectives are to drive investment, both generate and prepare students for the Bitcoin jobs of the future, raise awareness and education, while also exploring the use of wasted and stranded energy resources for Bitcoin mining.

Head of policy, Freddie New, told Cointelegraph that “The genesis of this project was the Bitcoin Collective Conference in Edinburgh.” The Bitcoin Collective conference was the U.K.’s largest Bitcoin conference, taking place in the autumn 2022.

Bitcoin advocates Natalie Brunell, Lawrence Lepard, Greg Foss and Jeff Booth on stage at the Bitcoin Collective in 2022. Source: Bitcoin Collective

New told Cointelegraph via email that most of the team had been working on Bitcoin advocacy in one way or another before the conference, "But coming together like this will enable us to formalize these efforts and focus on three key related areas." He continued:

“Getting clear and correct information on Bitcoin to policymakers and regulators, highlighting the environmental and sustainability benefits of the mining industry, and collating and providing educational resources for the next generation of Bitcoiners.”

Some of the advisers and board members are familiar to Cointelegraph readers. Author and journalist DecentraSuze, whose son recently introduced Bitcoin to the classroom, is a director, while Jordan Walker, co-founder of the UK Bitcoin Collective, and Mark Morton are advisers. Morton's Bitcoin mining company, Scilling Digital Mining, was featured in a recent Cointelegraph mini-documentary:

Walker told Cointelegraph that the BPUK is an important piece of the collective puzzle to drive Bitcoin education in the U.K.:

"It’s time for the UK to step up when it comes to embracing new technologies such as Bitcoin otherwise we risk getting left behind." 

New told Cointelegraph that the BPUK is not-for-profit. To operate, it hopes to raise funds through the community, tapping into the growing trend of funding projects with Satoshis, or small amounts of BTC, via the Lightning Network, a layer-2 instant payment solution built atop Bitcoin.

Part of the team’s mission is to locate and harness renewable, wasted, or stranded energy across the U.K., New explained. 

“We're working […] To identify potential sites for sustainable mining, and our aim is to develop some small mining installations to use as 'proof of concept' sites.

He continued with the plan: "We can then invite British policymakers to these sites so they can see mines in action and hopefully understand more about the industry's potential to mitigate vented methane, provide demand response for renewable grids, or simply act as a customer for energy that is otherwise wasted.”

The bagpiper procession that brought the Bitcoin Collective conference to a close. Source: YouTube 

The U.K. has burgeoning renewable energy sources but lacks in hash rate (a measure of the Bitcoin protocol’s security). According to the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance, the U.K. supports 0.23% of the global monthly hash rate, compared to the U.S.'s 37.84%.

This is partly due to electricity costs in the U.K. exceeding that of the U.S. and Asia, but also due to Bitcoin mining awareness, or a lack thereof in the U.K. Moreover, legacy media platforms have taken aim at the Bitcoin mining industry in recent years — the Guardian critiqued Bitcoin as "digital beef" instead of "digital gold."

A heat map of the monthly Bitcoin Mining hashrate. The U.K. is light orange, at 0.23%. Source: CCAF

The BPUK highlights that in light of the U.K.’s departure from the European Union, it could develop a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency regime separate from that of MiCA in Europe. The European Parliamentary Committee on Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA), may threaten Bitcoin mining on the continent

BPUK cofounder, Krista Edmunds, took inspiration from El Salvador’s decision to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021. Edmunds explained:

"The U.K. has an immense opportunity to become one of the first jurisdictions globally to embrace Bitcoin. We have seen what is possible in El Salvador, which is experiencing huge gains due to its forward-thinking approach to Bitcoin. The U.K. can secure a similar competitive advantage, and we hope to support the British people in making that happen."

On the governmental side, the policy group will have an opportunity to educate and inform. Lisa Cameron, a Member of Parliament and Chairperson of The Crypto and Digital Assets All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), told Cointelegraph in an interview last year: “We are on a learning curve and it’s just very, very important because the U.K. government has a policy vision that the U.K. will become an international hub of cryptocurrency and digital assets.” She added that there was some confusion surrounding Bitcoin, CBDCs and cryptocurrency. 

Cointelegraph's Joe Hall speaks to MP Lisa Cameron in Edinburgh.

As a Bitcoin-only organization, director New explains that, ultimately, the BPUK seeks to “make sure that Bitcoin is included in the government's proposals, if not at the front and center."

XRP Skyrockets 280% as Ripple Rides ETF Surge and Regulatory Shifts

Tattooing Bitcoin: Advocates wear cryptocurrency on their sleeve

Inked Bitcoin advocates explain privacy, risks and even the pains of getting a Bitcoin tattoo, a growing trend in the community.

Got Bitcoin ink? Many Bitcoin believers do. But what are the risks? What about privacy? And what happens if — one fateful day — Bitcoin crashes and burns to zero?

Cointelegraph spoke with Bitcoin (BTC) advocates to understand why they have permanently etched a Bitcoin logo, motif, equation or slogan onto their skin. They’ve shown permanent solidarity with the decentralized movement, expressing their support for the Bitcoin protocol and the values it represents.

Taihuttu's Bitcoin B tatto. Source Taihuttu.

Didi Taihuttu, father of the “Bitcoin family,” explained that he inked himself the moment he went “all in on Bitcoin as I thought it was a very important step in my life.” A familiar face among the crypto community, Taihuttu sold all of his family’s possessions and slept in a campsite while the price of Bitcoin was in the four-figure territory with the “B” etched on his arm.

He now travels the world evangelizing Bitcoin, with his forearm on full view:

“Bitcoin changed my way of thinking about the world and decentralizing it.”

Anita Posch, another globetrotting Bitcoin evangelist, has a lightning bolt tattooed on her forearm. In the Human B Bitcoin documentary film, she said she wouldn’t explain that the lightning bolt symbol (a nod to the Lightning Network) on her wrist is Bitcoin-related but added “Bitcoin is my life” in follow-up comments.

TatumTurnUp and Erik Dale have the Bitcoin supply formula on their skin. Source: Tatum

TatumTurnUP (not his real name), the host of the Bitcoin show “Between Two Asics,” explained that he got his tattoo of the BTC supply formula because “It’s what proves scarcity.”

“Monetary scarcity is something we’ve been deprived of until Bitcoin, and the fact I can write down what proves there will only ever be a certain amount of Bitcoin is a pretty big deal.”

The tattoo on his bicep is a common (but unfortunately not strictly accurate) formula for the supply of Bitcoin. He shared a warning with readers: “The bottom of the Sigma might be the most painful thing I ever experienced. Just a forewarning.”

But what about OpSec?

However, isn’t it risky to advertise one’s love of a digital currency on one’s skin? OpSec, or operational security, is a military term the internet has hijacked. Among the crypto community, it refers to the public sharing of identity or defining features. And a Bitcoin tattoo could put a literal target on one’s back. 

Erik Dale, whose tattoos are pictured in the above tweet, founded Norway’s “Northern Lightning” conference series. Dale told Cointelegraph he was aware of the implications. His tattoos are “Equations, no logos or tribal markers, for OpSec reasons.”

“Insiders should realize what they are, but not casual observers.”

Rikki, of content creators and investigators Bitcoin Explorers, joked, “We are not particularly concerned about bad opsec.” He added another Bitcoin tattoo to his collection during a giveaway in Guatemala. 

Bad OpSec can lead to doxing or the public reveal of people’s personal data. That’s why some Bitcoin advocates mask their online identities, using anonymous profiles on social media. Not so for Rikki and his partner Laura; they have their Bitcoin support on full view.

Rikki and Laura’s tattoos. “Stack Sats” means save Bitcoin. Source: Rikki.

Piero Coen, the co-founder of Guatemala-based Osmo Wallet, told Cointelegraph that Bitcoin is a “counterculture movement, and getting a tattoo related to it is a way to show our commitment to this movement.”

“It’s like a badge of honor, showing that we are part of this group of ‘pirates’ who are challenging the traditional financial system and are convinced we’re going to change the world. “

Besides, for Rikki and Laura, much of their lives already permanently exists on camera. Rikki explained:

“We are Bitcoin content creators, and so we chose to give up our privacy years ago. Besides, there aren’t just the slightly paranoid, scheming, pessimistic, terra plat-prone Bitcoiners — there are also us, the good-looking, nice, fun, cool and sex-loving Bitcoiners!”

Laura put it even more succinctly in a recent tweet: 

For Tatum, another content creator and a recognizable face in the Bitcoin space, “Value is teaching people about Bitcoin and networking through it, so there’s a constant battle with opsec.”

“At the bottom of it, I am comfortable with my own security and what I do and do not share, but ‘WHY I love Bitcoin’ is always going to be shared.”

Tatum walks around Bitcoin conferences wearing a bulletproof vest in a jocular nod to operational security in the Bitcoin space.

Tatum interviewing guests in a security vest at Pacific Bitcoin 2022. Source: Tatum

But what if Bitcoin goes to zero? 

Unlike tweets, open letters or company creation, Bitcoin tattoos are tricky to delete. They require commitment. 

So what happens if the currency goes to zero, like many other failed projects from Terra to Celsius? Tatum explained, well, “sucks for me!”

“After I got it, I jokingly said, ‘Now I really hope it doesn’t go to zero or I’ll look like an idiot.’ But in reality, my tattoo is kind of why it never will go to zero. If one person finds value in Bitcoin, there’s only ever going to be so many. So they will have value.”

Billionaire Mike Novogratz’s tattoo of the failed Terra (LUNA) token is an eternal reminder of the headiness and hedonism accompanying crypto bull runs. The tattoo remains on Novogratz’s arm, while LUNA is worth next to nothing, and its creator, Do Kwon, might be facing jail time. Fortunately, Novogratz says he learned from the experience saying investing “requires humility.“

Dale explained he’s prepared to live with the tattoos on his wrists even if Bitcoin does fail. He’s committed until the very end: “If I’m wrong about this, I want to carry that reminder every day. And if not, I can’t imagine a prouder badge to wear for the rest of my days.” 

Related: Novogratz says LUNA tattoo is a constant reminder investing ‘requires humility’

For Taihuttu, it’s important to zoom out and focus on the bigger picture. Bitcoin is a long-term play:

“I believe that people who have tattoos from dollar signs or other fiat have a bigger chance of going to 0.”

He’s right; famous rappers and celebrities, including singer Kesha and actor Lena Dunham, have been inked with dollar sign tattoos. It’s unlikely that they were asked if the dollar would go to zero prior to sitting in the tattoo artist’s chair.

Kesha’s dollar sign tattoo. Source: popstartats.com

On a sober note, Taihuttu explained that regardless of the Bitcoin movement underway, the large tattoo on his forearm represents “an amazing 10 years of my and my family’s life since 2013, the year that I started mining Bitcoin.” And that’s more than enough reason to get Bitcoin ink.

XRP Skyrockets 280% as Ripple Rides ETF Surge and Regulatory Shifts

Mt Gox registration deadline pushed for another month

Mt. Gox creditors have another month to file for their claims as the registration deadline was pushed back by another month.

The registration dates for Mt. Gox creditors have been pushed back by another month. According to the announcement, the deadline has been pushed from March 10 to April 10, allowing creditors to file their claim for another month.

Along with the extension for the registration deadline, the distribution deadline has been pushed back by another month as well. The distribution of assets to creditors will now take place starting from Oct. 30 instead of Sept. 30. 

The official document cited various circumstances for the shift in deadlines such as the progress by rehabilitation creditors in respect of the Selection and Registration. Creditors have the option of a lump-sum payment, bank remittance, fund transfer service provider, or going through a cryptocurrency exchange or custodian.

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

XRP Skyrockets 280% as Ripple Rides ETF Surge and Regulatory Shifts