University of Washington student (isareksopuro) launched a free open-source map tracking 283 global data centers, including construction status, nearby power plants, and 729 AI bills.

Anthropic has launched Routines in Claude Code. Users can configure a prompt, repo, and connectors once, then let it run autonomously on schedules, API calls, or events like GitHub webhooks, all on Anthropic’s web infrastructure.

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Donald Trump flies to Beijing on May 14-15 for his first sit-down with Xi Jinping since last October's Busan summit. It will be the first presidential visit to China since Trump went in 2017 during his first term. The meeting was pushed from March because of the Iran war. Negotiators have reached "general agreement on the types of outcomes" but the agenda is narrow and trade-focused, not a broad reset. Three items dominate. Rare earths: China controls 70% of global production and the U.S. needs steady access, especially while fighting a mineral-intensive war. USTR Greer says the administration is "not looking for a massive confrontation" and wants to "ensure we can continue to get rare earths from the Chinese." A proposed Board of Trade: a managed-trade framework where both sides buy roughly equal value from each other to reduce the deficit without unilateral tariff swings. And Iran: Greer warned that Chinese involvement "harmful to U.S. interests" would complicate everything. U.S. tariffs on China currently average around 30%, down from a peak of 145% last April. China's retaliatory tariffs sit at 10%. The bilateral deficit narrowed by a third to $202 billion in 2025, but much of that trade rerouted through Vietnam and Taiwan. The asymmetry is notable. The U.S. wants stability and rare earths. China wants tariff relief and access to American tech. China's trade surplus hit $1 trillion last November. Its leverage may be stronger than it was a year ago.

Presidio Bitcoin published a detailed technical report assessing quantum computing's threat to bitcoin. The conclusion: bitcoin is not at immediate risk, but the window to prepare is measured in years, not decades. The core vulnerability is straightforward. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could run Shor's algorithm to derive private keys from exposed public keys. If a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) existed today, an estimated 6.5 million BTC, roughly a third of the total supply, would be immediately vulnerable to theft. Over two-thirds of that exposure, approximately 4.5 million BTC, comes from address reuse, much of it concentrated among a small number of large custodians operating that way for simplicity. That portion is reducible today without any protocol change, simply by rotating to fresh addresses. The remaining structural exposure includes 1.72 million BTC in legacy pay-to-pubkey (P2PK) outputs, most of which are presumed lost. Addresses that have never spent, where only a hash of the public key is visible on-chain, are not vulnerable at rest under current understanding. The timeline for CRQCs remains uncertain. Recent expert surveys place a 50% probability of cryptographically relevant machines emerging by 2030 to 2035, though significant hardware bottlenecks remain unproven at scale. Bitcoin's path forward involves deploying post-quantum signature schemes via soft fork. Developer attention is already visible: quantum-related discussion on Bitcoin's development mailing list has risen from roughly 5% of messages in 2024 to 50% in early 2026. Migration capacity is not the bottleneck. If 25% of block space were dedicated to migration, 90% of bitcoin's value could move in about four days.

Scott Bessent: “Banks were invented around Brenton Woods, which post World War II, it led to incredible prosperity across the world, so why can’t we do that again?”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that Germany’s aggressive green building rules, forcing families to spend tens of thousands of euros on heat pumps and insulation, triggered a voter backlash.

The US naval blockade on Iranian ports is now in its second day. CENTCOM deployed over 10,000 troops, warships, and aircraft to enforce the blockade, which went into effect at 10:00 AM ET on April 13. In the first 24 hours, six vessels were turned back and shipping data shows virtually no traffic entering or leaving Iranian ports. The blockade applies to ships from all nations heading to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian destinations are free to pass, a step back from Trump's initial threat to shut down the entire strait, which would have disrupted roughly 20% of global oil supply. The move came after ceasefire talks between VP Vance and Iranian representatives collapsed in under 24 hours. But even as the blockade tightens, CNN reports that US officials are already discussing details for a potential second round of in-person negotiations with Iran. The pattern is clear: escalate pressure, then offer a path back to the table. China has responded by curbing sulfuric acid exports starting in May. China is the world's largest exporter of sulfuric acid, and roughly 50% of global exports are used in phosphate fertilizers. The downstream implications for global food prices could take months to materialize but are significant. The US is leveraging its naval dominance to squeeze Iran's economy while keeping the broader shipping lane open. How long the blockade holds before one side blinks remains the central question.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent praises President Javier Milei’s economic policies in Argentina: "I want to congratulate you. Argentina has had a fantastic success, they are accumulating reserves every day and millions are escaping poverty." "The poorest and the youngest voted for Milei's government, the optimism is there."

The average cost to raise a child to age 18 in the U.S. is now $303,418 after taxes.

Kevin Hassett on Iran conflict: "Imagine if oil prices start going back down because the situation resolves itself somehow, then you could be looking at an inflation close to zero."

We lost Aaron Ingalls ((BTCAaron)) this weekend to brain cancer. He was a family man with three young children. While he was battling cancer Aaron and his wife started The Aaron Ingalls Foundation to help other families fighting the same battle. We pray for his soul and his family as they mourn his loss and celebrate his life. Cherish the time you have with loved ones. Rest easy, Double A.

North Korea is running a $1M/month operation where its workers use fake identities to get hired at tech companies and funnel crypto through Chinese bank accounts. Zachxbt just published the leaked server data proving all of it. 390 accounts. Chat logs. Forged documents. The server password was "123456." One anon with a cartoon avatar is doing more counterintelligence work than the FBI.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Fed should “wait and see” before cutting rates amid the Iran war. He called the current inflation surge transitory, per Semafor.

US and Iran are in discussions for a new round of direct, face-to-face talks aimed at securing a longer-term ceasefire. The previous negotiations in Islamabad, led by Vice President JD Vance, ended without a deal after 21 hours. Both sides are now open to reconvening, possibly again in Islamabad, before the current two-week ceasefire expires next week.

Bitcoin dips 5% and you cope with a Big Mac.

Today marks the 13th anniversary of the iconic Bitcoin Roller Coaster Guy GIF, created by artist (MarcusConnorNH).

If Iran is taking tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, stablecoins are the last thing they'd use. "The things people want from stablecoin payments are better suited for a centralized database. The future looks very different from what people think." - @JOHN ARNOLD

African Bitcoin builders gather in Ouagadougou for Lightning Developer Bootcamp (btcafriquefr). Running at Digital Business School Ouaga 2000, the bootcamp focuses on hands-on Lightning Network development.

Three days of bitcoin in New York starting Wednesday. (OPNEXT2026) Week. Conference, after-party at PubKey, and more. Code 'TFTC' saves 25%.

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