Greetings Bitcoiner,

Welcome to Issue #148 of Bitcoin Breakdown, where we’re rounding up the most talked-about developments in the Bitcoin-only space from the past weekend with our Quick Bits and Quick Media sections.

But first, today’s Top Stories:

• 🕵️ No, The US Govt Hasn't Liquidated 69,000 Silk Road BTC (Yet)

• 💰 Meta Shareholder Urges Zuck to Buy BTC

• 🔥 New Hampshire & North Dakota Push for a State BTC Reserve

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TODAY’S TOP STORIES

🕵️ No, The US Govt Hasn't Liquidated 69,000 Silk Road BTC (Yet)

All our peer outlets and bears last week roared in unison when frantically reporting on a Dec 30 court ruling that gave the US the green light to offload 69K BTC seized from Silk Road. This caused widespread confusion and shaved 1.5% off BTC's price in minutes. On-chain data, however, confirms the coins are still in Uncle Sam's wallet. Protos

💰 Meta Shareholder Urges Zuck to Buy BTC

A Meta shareholder wants the company to convert some of its $72B cash into BTC. Ethan Peck argues Bitcoin is an inflation hedge and would boost shareholder value, citing BlackRock’s 2% BTC allocation as an example. Maybe Zuck naming one of his dogs ‘Bitcoin’ might be more fortuitous than we thought… BitHub News

🔥 New Hampshire & North Dakota Push for a State BTC Reserve

Two new bills in these states aim to stash BTC to strengthen their coffers. Supporters say it's all about Bitcoin, and they're keen to avoid political friction. State-level action ramps up the push for a formidable US BTC reserve. Cointelegraph

POLL

QUICK BITS

• Michael Saylor posts Bitcoin tracker on Sunday for the 10th consecutive week, signaling an impending Bitcoin purchase.

• MicroStrategy acquires 2,530 BTC at $95,972 each the next day, taking its total holdings to 450,000 BTC worth $28.2B.

• Arkham reveals BlackRock amassed $50B in BTC in 2024 but now reduces holdings amid record ETF outflows.

• Meta CEO Zuckerberg reveals CIA can bypass WhatsApp encryption by accessing user devices, highlighting government surveillance and digital privacy concerns.

• Hacked data from location tracking company Gravy Analytics reveals that thousands of widely used apps—including dating, gaming, and religious apps—have been unknowingly exposing users' location data via the advertising ecosystem.

• Bitcoin exchange reserves hit a near 7-year low as hedge funds scoop up BTC during the dip, pointing to a potential supply shock-driven rally.

• Bitcoin mining giant MARA calls on shareholders to vote on a proposal to increase its total authorized shares for issuance from 500M to 800M.

• Tether executives are reportedly spending large amounts of money on luxurious El Salvador real estate and becoming El Salvadorian citizens. 

• Heritage Distilling becomes the first publicly traded spirits company to adopt Bitcoin for payments and treasury, embracing sound money in its business model.

• Mises Wire reports money supply growth accelerates, hitting a 27-month high, signaling potential economic impacts and renewed inflation concerns as the Fed intervenes.

• NYDIG warns Bitcoin and crypto reforms under the Trump administration may face delays as key officials and priorities take shape.

• Russia liquidates $95M in Bitcoin seized from Infraud hacker group-linked investigator, sparking legal challenges and potential market volatility.

• Delaware Attorney General warns residents about rising BTC ATM scams causing $111M in losses in 2023 and highlights key safety tips to prevent fraud.

• Indian exchange Mudrex pauses withdrawals until Jan. 28, citing compliance upgrades, triggering community backlash and raising concerns in India.

• Bybit halts trading in India temporarily as regulatory pressures mount, allowing users to withdraw funds while resolving licensing issues.

• The Finney Freedom Prize for the 2012-2016 era goes to Pieter Wuille and Gregory Maxwell for their contributions to Bitcoin usability, scalability, and privacy.

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QUICK MEDIA

• Arthur Hayes explains why Bitcoin will hit $1M, driven by global money printing, accelerated institutional adoption, and Bitcoin’s capped supply, arguing that volatility, often seen as a drawback, is actually one of Bitcoin’s most compelling strengths (Jan 13 | 12:42 min watch).

• Bloomberg releases new mini-doc on how Trump learned to love Bitcoin, raising concerns about regulatory challenges and potential ‘risks’ (Jan 10 | 9:03 min watch).

• Dr Jack Kruse and Robert Breedlove explore the profound global financial influence of the Rothschild family, tracing their role in historical events like the Battle of Waterloo and the establishment of the Federal Reserve, and argue that Bitcoin symbolizes a contemporary push for personal sovereignty in opposition to centralized power structures (Jan 12 | 19:44 min watch).

• Fran Finney, wife of late cypherpunk and Bitcoin legend Hal Finney, says she hopes the next phase of Bitcoin adoption will see more women joining the movement (Jan 11 | 0:38 min watch).

• Joe Bryan, creator of the viral 'What's the Problem?' documentary, warns that the global economy is running on borrowed time due to money printing (Jan 11 | 0:46 min watch).

• Matthew Kratter of Bitcoin University discusses the engineering trade-offs of making Bitcoin faster and more private, highlighting why changes are difficult and why this is a feature, not a bug (Jan 11 | 11:16 min watch).

• Max Keiser highlights the global recognition of Bitcoin as the future world reserve currency in an appearance on RT (Jan 10 | 0:46 min watch).

• Artist Lucho Poletti unveils ‘Bank Runners,’ a collection of 1777 animated digital banknotes, celebrating Bitcoin as a revolutionary monetary system and chronicles Poletti's transition from traditional banking to full-time Bitcoin art (Jan 11 | 0:58 min watch).

• CNBC warns that Bitcoin ETF arrival may lead to increased correlation with traditional markets, challenging its independence (Jan 12 | 3:42 min watch).

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