Greetings Bitcoiner,

Welcome to Issue #142 of the Bitcoin Breakdown newsletter, where we’re celebrating Bitcoin’s 16th Birthday! 🎉

Sixteen years ago yesterday—January 3rd, 2009—the Genesis Block was mined, sparking an unprecedented revolution in money and sovereignty.

Today is also the final twice-weekly issue before this newsletter transitions into a daily schedule beginning on Tuesday, January 7.

Wishing you wealth, health, and all the gains in 2025! 🚀

TOGETHER WITH BLOCKSTREAM*

Blockstream Unveils Brand New Jade Plus Self-Custody Wallet on Bitcoin's 16th Birthday

Blockstream has released its new Jade Hardware Wallet, Jade Plus, featuring an improved screen that’s 66% larger and 20% brighter.

The wallet also boasts a refined design with button-based navigation that is easier and more intuitive.

Air-gapped firmware and signing are now possible with Jade Plus via USB-C drives or SD cards.

Connecting the Jade Plus to Blockstream Green also verifies that Blockstream manufactured it.

This launch includes FREE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.

Additionally, you can get 10% off by using the code BITCOINBREAKDOWN at checkout.

*You can also advertise with us here.

QUICK BITS

• Bitcoin turns 16 as investors scoop up $1B BTC in 48 hours.

• Bitcoin's hash rate reaches an all-time high on its 16th birthday.

• Bitcoin sees its lowest exchange deposits since 2016, signaling bullish trends.

• Rumors suggest 𝕏 money's imminent launch amid software leaks, igniting discussions on Bitcoin or crypto integration and state licensing approvals.

• Strike, Jack Mallers' Bitcoin-only exchange and wallet, now abides by the Travel Rule, forcing users to share sender and receiver info for BTC transfers in the EU and UK.

• Kraken kicks off users from the platform for indicating that they might invest more than 10% in BTC this year, labeling the asset as ‘high-risk.’

• Tangem Wallet, a ‘hardware’ wallet manufacturer is under scrutiny for a critical bug that exposed user seed phrases via email, affecting a limited number of users.

• Robinhood ties its $8 BTC giveaway to a pricey gold subscription, requiring subscribers to pay $55 annually or lose their ‘reward.’

• UK bank declines Bitcoin payment for real estate purchase.

• Blockstream launches Jade Plus, a revolutionary hardware wallet for secure Bitcoin self-custody, celebrating Bitcoin's 16th anniversary and commemorating Bitcoin Genesis Day (get 10% off with code: BITCOINBREAKDOWN at checkout!).

• Dennis Porter, habitual announcer of stuff, announces at Michael Saylor's $100K New Year's Eve Bitcoin Party that a US state buying BTC in 4 months is ‘near guaranteed.’

• US dominates global Bitcoin hashrate as Foundry USA and MARA Pool collectively mine >38%, while hashrate dominance continues to be pseudonymous and geographically distributed due to the nature of Bitcoin mining.

• Michael Saylor meets Eric Trump to advise on Bitcoin policy, as Saylor proposes a digital asset framework to strengthen the US dollar (thereby missing the whole point of Bitcoin).

• Russian Bitcoin miners to turn to renewable energy to bypass upcoming regional bans and climate neutrality demands.

• Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance receives a proposal to explore Bitcoin as a legal asset and establish a strategic reserve to enhance economic resilience.

• Metaplanet CEO suggests Japan and Asian nations would mimic Trump's strategic Bitcoin reserve initiative, which would accelerate global adoption.

• Switzerland launches a proposal to amend its constitution to require the Swiss National Bank to hold Bitcoin as part of its monetary reserves alongside gold.

• Bitcoin’s blockchain size grows from 537.9 GB to 626.5 GB in 2024.

• Australian house prices plummet to 5.1 BTC (from 9.3 BTC last quarter) as Bitcoin's surge continues to transform the real estate landscape globally.

• IRS grants temporary relief on Bitcoin and crypto cost-basis method, postponing default to the ‘First In, First Out’ method for calculating capital gains tax until 2025.

• CoinMetrics report estimates that the Bitcoin network transferred nearly $7T of value in 2024, adjusted for change outputs.

• Hackers exploit LinkedIn to scam Bitcoin and crypto professionals with fake job offers and malware distribution.

• Russia enacts a law requiring banks and merchants to adopt the digital ruble, shaking up the financial sector.

• Marathon Digital clocks impressive 168% Bitcoin hashrate growth, raising questions about the potential recovery of MARA stock.

• Galaxy Digital predicts that 5 countries will announce they have adopted Bitcoin as a reserve asset in 2025.

• Michael Saylor posts a poll on 𝕏 with 39.4% of participants opting for the highest return prediction of 38% for Bitcoin over the next 21 years.

• BlackRock transfers 100,000 BTC, valued at over $1B, to undisclosed wallets, suggesting a focus on security rather than preparing for a sale, indicating a long-term investment strategy.

• Morgan Stanley mulls adding Bitcoin and crypto trading to its E-Trade online brokerage platform, potentially bringing it to millions more users.

• JAN3 raises $5M in funding to enhance AQUA Wallet and drive Bitcoin adoption in underserved markets for greater financial access.

• Fold, Inc. announces up to $30M convertible note financing backed by BTC.

• MARA CEO says retail investors should buy BTC and ‘forget about it.’

• Hong Kong lawmaker urges the city-state’s government to consider integrating Bitcoin into its fiscal reserves.

• Bitcoin's popularity on 𝕏 surges with 65% growth in 2024, fueled by market events and ETF approvals.

• Boltz exchange, a tool for non-custodial swaps between Bitcoin layers, introduces Boltz pro, which lets users earn BTC by providing liquidity.

• NYDIG, a Bitcoin financial services company, expands Bitcoin-backed lending with float financing, unlocking liquidity for BTC holders and driving institutional adoption.

• Australia's Bitcoin ATM count grows for 29 months straight and now stands at 3.5% of the global total.

• Bitwise, an asset management company, proposes an ETF focused on companies with significant BTC holdings.

• Wintermute analyst predicts more corporates will boost Bitcoin and crypto demand in 2025 by adopting the MicroStrategy bitcoin strategy.

• National Bank of Cambodia allows stablecoins but keeps bitcoin banned, blocking major Bitcoin and crypto exchanges.

• El Salvador now holds over 6,000 BTC in reserves, valued at $569M at the time of writing.

• BlackRock's IBIT ETF sets a record for the fastest growth in assets under management and speed to market milestones.

• Tether bolsters BTC reserves with a $700M transfer, now holding 82,983 BTC.

• MicroStrategy acquires 2,138 BTC for $209M, increasing its total to 446,400 BTC in 2024.

• Franklin Templeton, an asset management company, forecasts global expansion of Bitcoin reserves in 2025, with interest from Hong Kong and Germany.

• Africa now contributes 3% of global bitcoin mining hashrate with renewables, led by Ethiopia's 2.5% share.

• Genius Group, an education technology company based in Singapore, boosts its BTC holdings by 50% to $30M, now owning 319.4 BTC.

• ProShares, an ETF issuing company, files for SEC approval of Bitcoin-denominated ETFs tracking S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, and gold using futures.

• Hive Digital, a Bitcoin mining company, relocates its headquarters to Texas, expecting pro-Bitcoin policies from Trump's upcoming administration.

• China enforces stricter forex rules requiring banks to monitor identities, fund sources, and trade frequencies to curb illegal cross-border transactions made with Bitcoin and crypto.

POLL

ANOTHER NEWSLETTER TO CHECK OUT*

*You can find more here.

QUICK MEDIA

• Adama Now celebrates the anniversary of Bitcoin's Genesis Block with an animated history that brilliantly captures the excitement and volatility of the scene (Jan 3 | 2:09 min watch).

• The Orange Pill Jam Project releases a deliciously irreverent song that critiques the idiocy of sh!tcoiners and crypto scams, emphasizing that ‘Bitcoin is not crypto’ and advocating for liberation from central banks (Jan 3 | 5:29 min watch).

• The Human Rights Foundation highlights Bitcoin’s growing global utility in 2025 with a short commemorative video that debunks claims of its uselessness (Jan 1 | 2:41 min watch).

• Strike celebrates 15 years of Bitcoin's transformative impact with a short tribute video acknowledging the role of Bitcoin contributors, core developers, node runners, and plebs (Jan 1 | 2:08 min watch).

• Blockstream, a Bitcoin infrastructure company, publishes a video paying tribute to the Lightning Network's progress so far in making Bitcoin a scalable, faster payment system (Dec 29 | 1:47 min watch).

• Blockstream releases a feature video of its new Jade Plus hardware wallet, which enhances self-custody with a larger display, intuitive controls, improved security features, and future-proofing for your Bitcoin stack (Jan 3 | 0:37 min watch).

• Max Keiser, in an interview with RT, highlights the enduring value of long-term Bitcoin holding compared to the depreciation of fiat money (Dec 28 | 2:38 min watch).

• Andy Kirby, a tech enthusiast, provides a beginner-friendly guide to setting up and using Reticulum and RNode, enabling wireless, off-grid communication without the internet, making it easy to stay connected anywhere (Dec 29 | 21:31 min watch).

• Michael Saylor says in an appearance on Bloomberg that he has engaged with numerous members of the incoming administration but remains tight-lipped on specifics (Dec 31 | 0:56 min watch).

MEME BREAK

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Until our next transmission,

Naiw

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