Powerful message from @GLord75 talking about Bitcoin being the Purpose Driven Mission that Veterans were seeking when they first joined the military.

What a great comparison by @Gabe on how the Bitcoin community and the military culture is built by shared bonds created through adversity

@ODELL discusses the dichotomy of needing local communities of neighbors helping neighbors while still being connected to a thriving global economy.

Join us after Day 1 of @The Bitcoin Conference for the Bitcoin Veterans Meetup -Tons of games and activities -2 free drinks -Great company with awesome people to celebrate Bitcoin 2024 Only a handful of tickets are left. DM to get your tickets before they’re sold out.

BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB) Block: 840,651 DTG/ICOD: 0800EST 24Apr24 Precedence: Routine (RR) Controls: Public Release QQQQ __________________________ BLUF: Mass Graves Found In Gaza / Musk Stokes Free Speech Debate With Aussies / Ukraine Hits Oil Refineries / US Aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan Pass Congress / Tennessee OKs Guns for Teachers / Columbia University Protests Continue / DOJ want Binance's Zhao in Prison / Stablecoins Increase in Usage / Block Announces New Mining Rigs Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $66,556, 28.70 oz Gold, .15 Median US House 24hr Hi: $67,148/ Lo: $65,864 Vol: $24B (Down 4%) Mkt Cap: $1.3T (Even) HashRate: 584 EH/s Avg Fees: 37,760 sats/tx (Up 35%) Nodes: 18,900 ---Reports--- -International Events- 1. UN calls for investigation into mass graves found at Gaza hospitals: United Nations leaders demanded a “clear, transparent and credible” investigation Tuesday after mass graves containing the bodies of hundreds of men and women were discovered on the grounds of two major hospitals in Gaza that were previously under assault by the Israeli military. The mass graves contained some people stripped naked with their hands tied, raising concerns over potential war crimes, the U.N. said, describing the bodies as “buried deep in the ground and covered with waste.” (TheHill) 2. Musk decision to leave knife attack video on X prompts police terror warning, says Australian senator: An Australian senator said on Wednesday that police feared Elon Musk's decision to ignore a regulator order and leave footage on his social media platform X of a Sydney bishop being stabbed might encourage people to join terrorist groups. An Australian court has upheld a regulator order for the billionaire to take down posts containing footage of the April 15 stabbing of the Assyrian bishop during a service. (Reuters) 3. Ukraine Hits Multiple Russian Refineries Overnight Despite US Warnings: Ukraine launched drone attacks on several Russian oil refineries overnight, Russian sources said on Wednesday, despite pushback from Washington urging Kyiv to reel in its strikes on Moscow's oil infrastructure. (Newsweek) -US Events- 1. Senate Approves Aid for Ukraine and Israel, Sending It to Biden’s Desk: The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday night to give final approval to a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending it to President Biden for signature. (NYT) 2. Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to allow teachers to be armed: The 68-28 vote in favor of the bill sent it to Republican Gov. Bill Lee for consideration. Under the bill passed Tuesday, a worker who wants to carry a handgun would need to have a handgun carry permit and written authorization from the school’s principal and local law enforcement. They would also need to clear a background check and undergo 40 hours of handgun training. (Politico) 3. Columbia sets deadline for agreement with protesters, threatens 'alternative options' for clearing protesters: The university has already moved to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester over safety concerns sparked by the protest. University President Shafik said in a message to the university community Tuesday night that if discussions are unsuccessful, administrators would have to "consider alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate." (Fox) -Regulatory and Legal- 1. US DOJ seeks 36 months’ imprisonment for Binance founder Changpeng Zhao: “Zhao’s willful violation of U.S. law was no accident or oversight,” the Department of Justice said in the filing. “He made a business decision that violating U.S. law was the best way to attract users, build his company, and line his pockets.”, the DOJ said. While Zhao’s sentencing is scheduled for April 30, the former Binance CEO remains free on bail after securing his release with a $175 million bond. A judge previously denied his request to travel to Dubai. (TheBlock) 2. Number of Stablecoin Holders Nears 100M Mark, Data Show: The number of addresses holding dollar and crypto-pegged stablecoins has increased 15% this year to above 93.6 million, the highest on record. Tether (USDT) holders, with an industry-leading market cap of $114.07 billion, accounted for just over 80% of the total stablecoin addresses, followed by USDC and BUSD. (CoinDesk) -Institutional Concerns- NSTR -Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)- 1. WEF Says 98% of Central Banks Are Exploring CBDCs: According to the WEF’s study, CBDCs could bring benefits like eliminating credit and liquidity risks, facilitating final settlements, and promoting financial stability. (Blockononomi) (AC-The remainder of the article portrays WEF's infatuation with CBDCs.) -Economic Indicators- 1. US Mortgage Applications Fall the Most in 2 Months: Mortgage applications in the US fell by 2.7% from the previous week in the period ending April 19th, trimming the 3.3% increase from halfway through the month to mark the sharpest weekly decline since early February. Mortgage rates rose to 7.24% this week. (TradingEconomics) -Security Incidents and Concerns- 1. Indiana water plant hack admitted by Russian hackers: CNN reports that Indiana-based water and wastewater treatment plant and electricity provider Tipton Municipal Utilities has been targeted by a cyberattack on April 19 claimed by Russia-linked hacking operation CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn. Based on a video posted by the hackers on social media, TMU had its water aeration and movement software altered as a result of the breach. However, such manipulation has been minimized as a "minor annoyance" to operators of water and wastewater plants by Infinity Squared Group CEO Ron Fabela. (SCMag) -Bitcoin Community- 1. Jack Dorsey’s Block announces development of ‘full Bitcoin mining system’: In an April 23 blog post, Block said it had completed development of a three-nanometer chip used for BTC mining, which led to the firm announcing a “full Bitcoin mining system. (CoinTelegraph) -Bitcoin Sentiment- 1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 72/100 (Up 1 pts) Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r ____________________ Analyst: BV2A END REPORT NNNN *NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report

Join us LIVE this Thursday at 7pm ET with guest @TheGuySwann Guy is the host of Bitcoin Audible, Shitcoin Insider, and AI Unchained. Guy has been neck deep in Bitcoin since 2011 and has made it his mission to explore the technologies of freedom as he believes we are at the cusp of another technological revolution to decentralization and digital sovereignty. Filmmaker, entrepreneur, story teller, technical explorer… and the Guy who has read more about Bitcoin than anyone else you know. Join us and #GetOnTheMission

BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB) Block: 840,513 DTG/ICOD: 0800EST 23Apr24 Precedence: Routine (RR) Controls: Public Release QQQQ __________________________ BLUF: Israel-Hamas War Draws Sides / China's Economic Reports Suspect, Says US Commander / Senate to Take Up Ukraine, Israel Funding Today / Venezuela Using USDT for Oil / Binance Under Scrutiny / BTC Fees Coming Back Down Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $66,150, 28.69 oz Gold, .15 Median US House 24hr Hi: $67,233/ Lo: $65,705 Vol: $25B (Even) Mkt Cap: $1.3T (Up 1%) HashRate: 810 EH/s (Up 30%) Avg Fees: 26,879 sats/tx (Down 26%) Nodes: 19,544 ---Reports--- -International Events- 1. IDF strikes vehicle in southern Lebanon, kills two senior Hezbollah officials: The IDF killed Hassin Ali Ezkol, a terrorist and central member of Hezbollah's aerial defense unit during a targeted strike on a vehicle he was riding in, the IDF confirmed on Tuesday. Another unnamed senior Hezbollah terrorist was killed in the strike as well. (JPost) 2. Israel’s war on Gaza live: Death toll climbs after 200 days of attacks: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says “processes” are under way to look into allegations of rights abuses by the Israeli military but doesn’t confirm reports of imminent sanctions against an IDF army unit. At least 34,183 Palestinians have been killed and 77,143 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139 with dozens still held captive in Gaza. (AlJazeera) 3. China’s Economy Is ‘Failing,’ U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Says: The U.S. military commander in the Indo-Pacific said he didn’t believe the economic growth figures reported by China and described the country’s economy as failing.According to Beijing’s official numbers released last week, the economy grew 5.3% in the first quarter compared with the same period a year earlier. Aquilino described the figure as “not real.” “You go ask any economist if the Chinese are going to deliver 5.3% growth, and they will tell you, ‘No way,’ ” Aquilino said. (WSJ) -US Events- 1. Universities Struggle as Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations Grow: Dozens were arrested Monday at N.Y.U. and Yale, but officials there and at campuses across the country are running out of options to corral protests that are expected to last the rest of the school year. (NYT) 2. Senate returns to take up $95B foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan: The bills also include a proposal to force a sale of TikTok sale or face a ban. The legislation, which includes four bills, passed the House over the weekend with bipartisan support. President Joe Biden urged the Senate to quickly advance the measures to his desk. The package provides roughly $26 billion for Israel, currently at war with Hamas in Gaza; as well as $61 billion for Ukraine and $8 billion for allies in the Indo-Pacific. A fourth bill would force a U.S. ban of TikTok if its Chinese parent company doesn't sell it; impose sanctions on Russia, China and Iran; and seize Russian assets to help Ukraine rebuild from the war's damage. (ABC) -Regulatory and Legal- 1. Venezuela plans to speed up USDT adoption following US sanctions: Venezuela’s state-run oil firm PDVSA is gearing up to increase the use of the Tether stablecoin for exporting crude and fuel oil, as the U.S. has recently decided to reimpose sanctions on the country. By the end of the first quarter, PDVSA had already moved many non-swap spot oil deals to a kind of contract that requires prepayment in USDT. The Venezuelan oil company is also asking new customers seeking to conduct oil transactions to hold crypto in a digital wallet. (Reuters) (AC-Why not Bitcoin?) 2. Binance sued in Canada for securities law violations: Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice published a certification motion on April 19 for a class-action lawsuit against Binance alleging that it sold crypto derivative products to retail investors without registration. The latest class action against Binance comes a few years after the crypto exchange announced in June 2021 plans to cease operations in Ontario after the OSC approached the firm with a warning. (CoinTelegraph) 3. Philippines SEC Urges Filipino Investors To Exit Binance, Requests App Removal From Google And Apple Stores: As part of its rising scrutiny on the popular cryptocurrency trading platform, the SEC has not only advised users to close their positions but has also reached out to tech giants Google and Apple. This included a request to remove the Binance app from their respective digital stores. Earlier this year, the Indian government also blocked Binance and several other crypto exchanges on play store and App store. (BlockchainReporter) (AC-India, Nigeria, Philippines and Canada are all focused on shutting down Binance in their countries due to registration issues. Meanwhile, Binance is newly registered in the UAE.) -Institutional Concerns- NSTR -Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)- 1. Chile Edging Closer to CBDC Launch: a digital peso rollout is looking increasingly likely, with the BCCh announcing it is set to commence Proof-of-Concept (PoC) testing. The central bank also conducted a survey. It said that it asked “the general public and representatives of the public and private sectors” for their CBDC-related opinions. The BCCh said almost 90% of survey respondents had “a favorable attitude toward CBDC” pilots. (CryptoNews) -Economic Indicators- NSTR -Security Incidents and Concerns- 1. Trezor CEO: Phishing Attack Highlights Need for Crypto User Education: Trezor, a provider of cryptocurrency hardware wallets, recently faced a security breach when its official Twitter account was compromised. The attackers used the platform to disseminate fraudulent messages about presale token offerings. This misled followers and put them at risk of financial scams. Now, the company’s CEO says that user education is vital when it comes to avoiding attacks. (CCN) -Bitcoin Community- 1. Bitcoin's Fees Spike To All-Time High After 4th Halving Block: The fee spike has little to nothing to do with the halving itself. It has to do with a new token protocol that launched on top of Bitcoin at block height 840,000, called Runes. It uses Bitcoin's OP_RETURN data, which allows users to attach up to 80 bytes of extra data to a Bitcoin transaction output. Anybody can mint a rune by specifying a name, ID, symbol, quantity, and other data. Users can then sign with their private key and broadcast the transaction to the Bitcoin network. A massive influx of users minting Runes in block 840,000 and blocks over the subsequent 24 hours drove fees as a % of the total block reward to a record-high level of 74%. (ZeroHedge) (AC- Read the complete article at ZeroHedge for an in-depth understanding of the Runes/Fees issues) -Bitcoin Sentiment- 1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 71/100 (Up 14 pts) Analyst Comments (AC): All eyes are on the repercussions of the Israel-Hamas war globally. In the US, college campus (mostly Ivy League) protests are shutting down campuses and more than 60 people have been arrested. Many videos are surfacing of students yelling antisemitic slogans while one Jewish girl was stabbed in the eye with a pole. In Congress, military aid was approved by the House for Israel (and Ukraine) while the conflict in the Levant continues with reports from both sides seemingly full of propaganda (see the reports above). The issue is certainly reaching a boiling point and the world is taking sides while rhetoric and violence increase. The conflict is probably the longest running on Earth even if the names of the participants change over millennia. What does change is the methods and tactics of warfare and the speed of information traveling globally. Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r ____________________ Analyst: BV2A END REPORT NNNN *NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report

Good morning ☕️

BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB) Block: 840,338 DTG/ICOD: 0800EST 22Apr24 Precedence: Routine (RR) Controls: Public Release QQQQ __________________________ BLUF: Israel Intel Chief Resigns / Global Defense Expenditures at ATH / ARSOF Using Deef Fakes for 5GW / Columbia, Yale Protests Target Jews / SBF Turns on Celebs / Binance Exec to be Extradited to Nigeria / 5GW On Display Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $65,788, 28.11 oz Gold, .15 Median US House 24hr Hi: $66,152/ Lo: $64,277 Vol: $25B (Up 13%) Mkt Cap: $1.29T (Up 1%) HashRate: 547 EH/s Avg Fees: 34,600 sats/tx (Up 102%) Nodes: 18,448 ---Reports--- -International Events- 1. Israeli military intelligence chief resigns over his role in failing to prevent Oct. 7 attack: Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva’s resignation could set the stage for more resignations among Israel’s top security brass over Hamas’ attack, when militants blasted through Israel’s border defenses, rampaged through Israeli communities unchallenged for hours and killed 1,200 people, most civilians, while taking roughly 250 hostages into Gaza. That attack set off the war against Hamas in Gaza, now in its seventh month. (AP) 2. US sends land-attack missile system to Philippines for exercises in apparent message to China: China has accused the United States of “stoking military confrontation” with the recent deployment of a powerful missile launcher capable of firing weapons with a range of up to 1,600 kilometers to exercises in the Philippines. The US Army’s Mid-Range Capability (MRC) ground-based missile system arrives in a region on edge following a series of dangerous Chinese-Philippine face-offs in the South China Sea, during which Philippine ships have been targeted with water cannons, injuring several Filipino sailors. (CNN) 3. Global defense budget jumps to record high of $2440bn: For the first time, government military spending increased in all five geographical regions, Sipri thinktank finds. The 6.8% increase between 2022 and 2023 was the steepest since 2009, pushing spending to the highest recorded. “States are prioritizing military strength, but they risk an action-reaction spiral in the increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape.” The two largest spenders – the United States (37%) and China (12%) – made up around half of global military spending, increasing their expenditure by 2.3% and 6% respectively. (Guardian) -US Events- 1. How Army special operators use deepfakes and drones to train for information warfare: With a sample of your voice and a gaming laptop, this Army psychological operations instructor can make you appear to say anything: an order for pizza, a call to the doctor, or just hello. Dubbed Ghost Machine, the tool helps Army Special Operations Forces instructors teach operators how cheap, easily-available tech is reshaping governments’ abilities to target and influence soldiers. In one example loaded into the Ghost Machine, the program duplicated a fictional Chinese enemy commander telling his troops to surrender. (DefenseOne) (AC-Fifth Gen Warfare (5GW) brings the shaping of minds, money and operations off the battlefields and into the homes and mobile phones of just about anyone. This is a small example of what is being done now and from known and unknown entities to influence actions on and off the battlefield.) 2. Columbia University president orders virtual classes as anti-Israel protests take over: 'We need a reset': Students at Columbia University were told in an overnight statement that all classes will be held virtually on Monday as anti-Israel protesters have taken over the campus, its president announced. Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik said in a statement posted in the early hours Monday morning, that she was "deeply saddened" by certain actions of agitators, who have formed an "encampment" on the campus and have riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants. (Fox) 3. Police storm Yale University’s campus with riot gear as hundreds of students stage anti-Israel protest: Police clad with riot gear started swarming Yale University’s Connecticut campus early Monday where hundreds of students have been staging an anti-Israel protest.Footage posted online showed cops arriving at the Ivy League school and blocking off entrances to a plaza at the New Haven campus where roughly 200 protesters were gathered. Cops have started warning protestors they risk being arrested if they don’t clear out, the Yale Daily News reported. (NYPost) -Regulatory and Legal- 1. Sam Bankman-Fried Turns Rat, Cooperates In Lawsuit Vs. FTX Celebrity Backers: SBF, the crypto wunderkind turned convicted fraudster, has agreed to cooperate with investors suing the company’s celebrity endorsers, including sports stars Tom Brady and Shaquille O’Neal, and actor Larry David. The class-action lawsuit against the celebrity endorsers accuses them of deception and making false claims about the safety of FTX’s crypto assets. (Bitcoinist) 2. Binance Exec Who Escaped From Nigeria Has Been Found in Kenya, Faces Extradition: Nigerian authorities have found Nadeem Anjarwalla in Kenya and are working with Kenyan authorities to bring the executive back to the country. Anjarwalla was detained alongside another Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, in February, as Nigerian authorities accused the crypto exchange of manipulating the local exchange rate, tax evasion and money laundering. (CoinDesk) (AC-These charges came quickly after the Nigerian government demanded a $10B fee for continuing to allow Binance to operate in the country. There is a lot to this story which would be an interesting investigative report.) -Institutional Concerns- 1. Grayscale’s Game-Changing Mini Trust ETF: Grayscale introduced its latest venture: This move entails listing products on the NYSE Arca exchange under the code BTC, featuring a remarkably low fee of 0.15%. In stark contrast to the 1.5% fee associated with its flagship product, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), this reduction positions the Bitcoin Mini Trust as an attractive alternative and boasts the lowest out-of-pocket expenses among its counterparts. (CoinMarketCap) 2. Ex-New York Fed chief joins BinanceUS board: BinanceUS has appointed former New York Federal Reserve Bank compliance chief Martin C. Grant to its board of directors. BinanceUS said the appointment aims to boost compliance efforts and restore user trust after facing extensive regulatory scrutiny over ties to the global Binance exchange. The platform has struggled to grow its userbase in the wake of these challenges, with market data showing that BinanceUS recorded only about $22 million worth of trades during the past day, compared to the $3.4 billion recorded by competitor Coinbase. (CryptoBriefing) -Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)- NSTR -Economic Indicators- 1. Treasury Yields Edge Up: The US 10-year Treasury note yield rose to 4.66% to kick off the week, approaching again November highs, as traders brace for key economic data to assess the strength of the US economy and readjust their interest rate cut bets. (TradingEconomics) 2. Week Ahead - April 22nd: In the United States, all eyes will be on Q1 GDP growth rate and PCE prices, alongside personal income and spending figures. Additionally, investors will closely monitor durable goods orders, S&P Global Manufacturing and Services PMI's and pending and new home sales. (TradingEconomics) -Security Incidents and Concerns- NSTR -Bitcoin Community- 1. Bitcoin Halving Event Spurs $107 Million Daily Revenue for BTC Miners: The Bitcoin (BTC) mining landscape has experienced a seismic shift following Bitcoin’s fourth halving event, with daily miner revenue soaring to an unprecedented $107 million, as reported by CryptoQuant. Remarkably, a staggering $80 million, accounting for 75% of this total, was generated from transaction fees alone. -Bitcoin Sentiment- 1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 57/100 (Down 10 pts) Analyst Comments (AC): In a clear 5GW effort, a simple online search of news articles related to Israel/Gaza conflict shows sympathetic articles to Gazans, Hamas and Palestinians, while portraying Israel as aggressors committing genocide. Certainly young college students in the US are using social media more than online searches, and are getting fed a constant supply of information that is now resulting in the protests seen now on college campuses such as Columbia and Yale. The retoric is turning violent against Jews attending these colleges, shaping the global battlefield via funding, elections and even military action. This is textbook Fifth Generation Warfare (5GW), which most militaries are not prepared to conduct, even though they are slowly coming around to like in the ARSOF article above. Unline kinetic warfare, all populations are part of 5GW and must learn the tactics, strategies and efforts of state and non-state actors to defend against subversive influence operations. Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r ____________________ Analyst: BV2A END REPORT NNNN *NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report

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Happy halving!

BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB) Block: 839,923 DTG/ICOD: 0800EST 19Apr24 Precedence: Routine (RR) Controls: Public Release QQQQ __________________________ BLUF: Iran Targeted in Overnight Attack / Massive Flooding Hits Dubai / House Advances $95B Foreign Aid Bill / Congress Continues Efforts Against ByteDance / Bitcoin Halving May Influence Regulatory Efforts / Oil and Gold Prices Rise on Middle East Tensions / Homebuying Costs Hit Another Record High / Spot-Traded Crypto Volumes Nearly Double in Q1 / Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $65,334, 27.30 oz Gold, .15 Median US House 24hr Hi: $65,482 / Lo: $59,550 Vol: $50B (Up 14.8%) Mkt Cap: $1.275T (Up 2.92%) HashRate: 547 EH/s Avg Fees: 0.00025712 BTC Nodes: 19,342 ---Reports--- -International Events- 1. Iran Targeted in Overnight Attack: Iranian air defenses were activated early Friday near the central city of Isfahan in response to an apparent Israeli drone attack targeting a major air base and a nearby nuclear site. The attack, which coincided with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's 85th birthday, did not result in any reported damage, despite the engagement of air defense systems against the intruding drones. These incidents have notably heightened tensions following Iran’s comprehensive drone-and-missile assault on Israel the previous Saturday, amid ongoing conflicts involving various regional actors and strategic locations. The international community, particularly at the G7 meeting, highlighted the escalation risks, urging restraint and emphasizing the non-targeting of nuclear facilities in military conflicts. (AP) 2. Massive Flooding Hits Dubai: Dubai experienced a historic weather event as torrential rains overwhelmed the city, resulting in significant flooding across its urban landscape, including the Dubai International Airport and various roadways. The intense storm delivered about 25 cm of rain, surpassing the region’s average annual rainfall in just one day, and causing disruptions at major landmarks and infrastructure. Emergency responses were complicated by the unpreparedness for such a severe weather event, despite prior warnings, illustrating vulnerabilities in the city's infrastructure against extreme weather conditions. The aftermath saw the community and authorities scrambling to manage the immediate impacts, with efforts ongoing to restore normalcy and assess needed improvements in the city’s weather readiness and infrastructure resilience. (BBC) -US Events- 1. House Advances $95B Foreign Aid Bill: Several House Republicans were joined by Democrats to advance three foreign aid bills providing funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, totaling $95.3 billion. Despite some GOP opposition due to the exclusion of border security measures, the package also includes humanitarian funding in Palestine and strategic funding in the Indo-Pacific. Speaker Mike Johnson faced some opposition from his own party but claimed the funding was urgent. He is also pushing for a separate border bill. These developments set the stage for final House approval expected this weekend, underscoring the intricate balance of domestic and international policy priorities. (CBS News) 2. Congress Continues Efforts Against ByteDance: Congress is advancing legislation that would require ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to divest the social media app or face a U.S. ban, with the House of Representatives scheduling a vote for the coming Saturday and significant support from key Senate figures. This bill is part of a larger $95 billion package that includes aid for Ukraine and Israel and extends the deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok from six months to one year. The legislation, which previously passed the House with bipartisan support, is based on claims that China could access data from TikTok's 170 million U.S. users, posing national security risks. Despite TikTok's assurances of data privacy, the bill's progression reflects ongoing worries about the free speech implications of these Congressional efforts. (Reuters) -Regulatory and Legal- 1. Bitcoin Halving May Influence Regulatory Efforts: Today’s Bitcoin halving may 'indirectly' influence future Bitcoin regulations by increasing scrutiny around Bitcoin's economic impact, potentially affecting considerations related to market stability and investor protection. Natalia Latka from Merkle Science highlighted that the halving might lead to regulatory concerns over the concentration of mining power and environmental impacts of proof-of-work systems. In the U.S., the regulatory status of the broader cryptocurrency market remains unclear, fostering a "regulation through enforcement" environment that complicates compliance efforts for businesses. (Cointelegraph) -Institutional Concerns- NSTR -Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)- NSTR -Economic Indicators- 1. Oil and Gold Prices Rise on Middle East Tensions: Oil and gold prices surged following an announcement by US officials that Israel had launched a missile strike on Iran, with Brent crude temporarily exceeding $90 a barrel and gold prices nearing record highs before both declined on Iranian claims of minimal damage. The incident has escalated tensions in the Middle East, heightening fears of potential disruptions in oil supply through crucial routes like the Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates about 20% of the world's oil traffic. Investors are concerned about the inflationary impact, especially as energy costs have been a significant factor in the global cost of living increase over recent years. The situation remains volatile, with the market's nervous response reflecting fears of a broader conflict potentially affecting global oil supply and economic stability. (BBC) 2. Homebuying Costs Hit Another Record High: Mortgage rates in the U.S. have risen again, pushing the median monthly housing payment to a record $2,775, an 11% increase from last year, as high rates and home prices exacerbate the housing affordability crisis. The scarcity of available homes, driven by years of underbuilding and homeowners with low pandemic-era mortgage rates unwilling to sell, continues to limit market accessibility, particularly for first-time buyers. Economists anticipate that mortgage rates will remain high into the first half of 2024, with potential decreases hinging on Federal Reserve policy adjustments amid persistent inflation concerns. The current average rate for a 30-year mortgage has surpassed 7%, with the overall home supply remaining 34.3% lower than pre-pandemic levels, further complicating the housing market landscape. (Fox Business) 3. Spot-Traded Crypto Volumes Nearly Double in Q1: In Q1 of 2024, the top ten centralized exchanges saw their spot trading volumes nearly double to $4.29 trillion, marking the highest quarterly volume recorded since December 2021 and a 95.3% increase from the previous quarter. Binance maintained its position as the largest centralized exchange by handling half of the market's volume, despite facing a $4.3 billion fine and legal challenges from the U.S. Department of Justice. Additionally, the Ethereum network's share of decentralized exchange trading volumes significantly decreased to below 40%, while Bitcoin’s broader market dominance continued to grow. (Bitcoin.com) -Security Incidents and Concerns- NSTR -Bitcoin Community- NSTR -Bitcoin Sentiment- 1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 66/100 (Up 9 pts) Analyst Comments (AC): A dramatic increase in fees is expected after the halving. Consolidate UTXOs if able. Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r ____________________ Analyst: BV2B END REPORT NNNN *NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report

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