Susie Violet

Packed first day at Bitcoin MENA with discussions on sovereignty, Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, and how the UAE keeps pulling in talent and innovation by actually listening to people in the space. Wrapped it up with the Musqet team. nostr:nprofile1qqsxe3pztauhp3ttna9p0p9gthdmm6t4n83ktw5vse9ymyg9js4hygspgdmhxw309am8v6n9dgexkefnwam8y7tnw4jkxmpkxumk5dm9vdhhqetvd3crvvmwwemxyercv9jkyut5w4axvamddemh2er8w9jzummwd9hkuqgcwaehxw309ac8yetdd96k6tnswf5k6ctv9ehx2aqz3dsfs nostr:nprofile1qqs9n7lwwd5a7acnmwl6nw7mpzfvvt46j2fryc2udle8sldrsn9hwrcpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0qywhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytndw46xjmnewaskcmr9wshxxmmd9u0t3tqj nostr:nprofile1qqs24sp8syccmlyv84ldp9uwlxn7s922dw9wdjgskwjjksha26r4qqspzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0v5eq66 nostr:nprofile1qqsd7gqv4s60d743gfv8x4z09krv6zmn6x02sswcfsrt0ymshw3pfqcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0l48th4

Africa is showing the world what Bitcoin is actually for. At the African Bitcoin Conference in Mauritius, you see it up close. When banks fail and currencies collapse, people build their own solutions. Real innovation is happening in Africa while the Western world sleeps. My latest Forbes article: nostr:nprofile1qqs8t4ehcdrjgugzn3zgw6enp53gg2y2gfmekkg69m2d4gwxcpl04acpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0w3radp https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/12/05/africa-turns-to-bitcoin-for-real-financial-solutions/

Loved every second of Bitcoin Amsterdam. From KYC to mining to the satoshi quiz, the whole event was on fire. Huge respect to everyone who put it together. Bitcoin feels stronger than ever.

The cracks in the fiat system are becoming impossible to ignore. I spoke with Archie from nostr:nprofile1qqs2t6f6a78gyr9u02mmvgzls49c0tk5kjx976eslwlt5hyeusxu70cpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzvuq3samnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwwdhx7un59eek7cmfv9kqgpz9ey about why governments can’t print trust, how central banks are panicking as debt spirals deepen, and why Bitcoin is becoming the escape hatch for a world losing faith in money. We also disussed the new global order, hyperinflation, and the end of monetary privacy, and why Bitcoiners saw this collapse coming.... With a special guest appearance from Ozzy. Watch the full conversation on nostr:nprofile1qqsr7wsusu63u3qzm4evaadu43eydg4trvaw22l6u200gujjkl55ctcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduq3vamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwdehhxarj9e3xzmny6vj33p. https://youtu.be/GU8V_DBwz10

Had an amazing time in Prague and got to visit SatoshiLabs, home of Trezor and nostr:nprofile1qqsd54k9fd0xwjwkttgr3svkg7reftu5una95nhacg95nxq7fmzkdscpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujucm4wfex2mn59en8j6gpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnfdenx7gfsy44 . Recorded a brilliant pod with Marcel about Bitcoin Dada, Grafton about Vexl, and Efrat about her ‘You’re The Voice’ podcast. Always great hanging out with Isabella, a phenomenal freedom fighter and educator for Get Based, as dedicated as ever. It was a lovely surprise bumping into Nick Anthony from the Cato Institute. All these incredible people had one thing in common: Bitcoin as freedom money. Thank you to the Trezor team for being so welcoming and awesome. nostr:nprofile1qqsx5dvc2g3cmjgz4mgelwlk5p2ln2ljrsw23y2ar38z0agd7tefpkgpxdmhxue69uhkuamr9ec8y6tdv9kzumn9wshkxdrfvguxsvnjwvmrycntd4kxkdrhw5mk5cntduuh2em3vfhqz9rhwden5te0wfjkccte9ejxzmt4wvhxjmc9tfska nostr:npub1gunkavtrl32txueexz44el2l49rg0gv48pc6suadf7hwj852tuuqj3nudq nostr:nprofile1qqsw54ajtaa903sa0hgt7cjpzfz2tqxkwz0y9gsy9r7ns8ufa7xk8kcpzemhxue69uhk7unpdenk2urfd3kx2u3wdaexwqgswaehxw309ahx7um5wghxcctwvsuzk7tc

In 1994, Rwanda descended into one of the darkest chapters in modern history. Over a million people were killed while the world looked away. Anaïse Kanimba lost her biological parents in that genocide and was later adopted by Paul and Tatiana Rusesabagina, whose story inspired Hotel Rwanda. Her life is a living reminder of survival, silence, and the fight for freedom. In our conversation, she shares how in times of collapse money becomes a weapon and how Bitcoin can serve as a tool for freedom. You can watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/0e6Lz7IjacA

Simon Dixon says we’re now in the “Wall Street Attack Phase”, a period where traditional finance will do whatever it takes to get our bitcoin. The history of bitcoin has always been one of counterattacks, and this is just another chapter. Hal Finney imagined a future where banks would hold bitcoin as reserves and settle with each other using it, integrating rather than replacing the financial system. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stay alert to how easily integration can become capture. In this podcast, Simon issues a series of serious warnings: - Many underestimate what Wall Street is willing to do to take your bitcoin. Everyone’s going to go through some really hard lessons in the coordinated, engineered process to teach people they should have bitcoin in self custody. - People come in for Number Go Up technology and until they go through a disaster, they don’t realise that money you can own and money you can spend is the real utility. - The true utility of bitcoin is self custody. - There’s a crucial distinction between bitcoin in custody, bitcoin in self custody, and everything else in crypto. If you don’t figure that out over the next five years, you’ll end up in a Universal Basic Income surveillance state, an Orwellian nightmare where you get the vaccine or you get negative interest rates. Which side of that are you going to be on? Simon predicts that anyone who does it through Wall Street via ETFs, pensions or bitcoin backed loans will see a repeat of 2021. They will live through another elaborate scheme that ends with your bitcoin in their wallets and under their control. We will live in a two tier bitcoin system with Wall Street instruments on one side and bitcoin in self custody on the other. Self custody is ultra ultra important for people to figure out. My takeaway: This nostr:nprofile1qqs22afg9k7epyay82slkpap2mquwn9k0cmh3fxk2y8r4nr7wq6xapspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgqgjwaehxw309ac82unsd3jhqct89ejhxs4y4pn podcast with nostr:nprofile1qqs2t6f6a78gyr9u02mmvgzls49c0tk5kjx976eslwlt5hyeusxu70cpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzvuqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsjxfsmw could be one of the most important podcasts you listen to. Please don’t lose your way. Remember why bitcoin is special, it’s freedom money, not a Wall Street instrument. As Simon says, bitcoin is the opt out. It’s an exit from the system. Watch here: https://youtu.be/U8iQmr80HPM

The UK holds £5 billion in bitcoin, yet pushes digital IDs instead of considering a strategic bitcoin reserve. The divide isn’t left vs right, it’s freedom vs control. Read my latest Forbes article . https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/10/03/bitcoin-and-digital-id-show-the-uks-fight-over-freedom/

A $7 billion fraud trial starts in London on 29 September. Central to the case is the fate of 61,250 seized bitcoin, now under dispute. Chinese victims want their money back, while UK prosecutors focus on possession and transfer charges. The Telegraph tried to spin the bitcoin as a quick fix for the deficit, but the reality is far more complex. Read the full article here: https://decrypt.co/339934/7-billion-bitcoin-fraud-trial-begin-london-need-know-need-know

Great to join Joey Garcia, Alfonso Martel Seward and Ione Butler on The Roxom Report. We discussed UK and EU regulation, the barriers to growth, the role of the FCA, consumer harm, and the growing risks around privacy and surveillance. Important conversations that we need to have more of. ⚡️

Harvard economist Matthew Ferranti has published a peer reviewed study showing that central banks preparing for sanctions risk should hold more than just gold. His model demonstrates that adding Bitcoin to reserves strengthens resilience when access to traditional assets is threatened. For the first time, a peer reviewed economics journal is treating Bitcoin as a credible reserve asset rather than speculation. What took them so long? A reminder that money can be weaponised, while Bitcoin remains neutral, borderless, and open to everyone. At the Financial Times Digital Asset Summit, the UK’s Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Emma Reynolds said Bitcoin “isn’t for us.” Ferranti’s study shows why the government must start researching Bitcoin’s role in reserves. This is the kind of research nostr:nprofile1qqsp02kerjznyqgla3gujxw33dhr80lm7pvhp9vn8p2f2095afggdcgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduq3qamnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wwa5kuegy9xzud has consistently urged the Treasury and Parliament to conduct. Read the full paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261560625001688

Runaway US debt is on target to hit $40T by Christmas. In the UK, the Office for Budget Responsibility flags us as one of the most indebted advanced economies. As Reuters put it: “Britain’s economic problems are home-grown and a solution looks a long way off.” Inflation saves the state, Bitcoin saves you. https://obr.uk/box/the-uks-fiscal-position-in-international-context/ https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/britains-economic-woes-are-sadly-home-grown-2025-09-05/

Is this how freedom ends in the UK? The UK’s latest “crypto AML rules” slash ownership disclosures from 25% to 10%, pulling more people into disclosure regimes and expanding banking surveillance. https://financialregulation.linklaters.com/post/102l2qm/uk-drafts-changes-to-money-laundering-regulations https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proposed-amendments-to-the-money-laundering-regulations-draft-si-and-policy-note/the-draft-money-laundering-and-terrorist-financing-amendment-and-miscellaneous-provision-regulations-2025-policy-note These measures are framed as fighting crime. But similar rules in tradfi have existed for years and haven’t stopped fraud or money laundering. What they do create are honeypots of personal data, risks for law-abiding people, and deeper state oversight. This is about normalising authoritarian tools, not AML or safety. Decades of KYC and financial surveillance show how control creeps in rule by rule. That same authoritarian logic already governs speech, from the Online Safety Bill to Graham Linehan’s Heathrow detention over tweets. And now digital IDs are back on the table, linking finance, identity and turning everyday access into a system of control. Add in programmable money and street surveillance, and you have a panopticon, a 1984 scenario darker than Orwell imagined. https://99bitcoins.com/news/bitcoin-btc/new-uk-crypto-aml-rules-target-ownership-banking-and-trusts/ The UK has offically sleepwalked into authoritarianism.

The long predicted supply crunch on Bitcoin could be just around the corner. Businesses are buying four times more BTC per day than miners produce. Around 7.6% of the total supply is gone forever. The pressure on liquidity is building. https://coindesk.com/markets/2025/08/30/businesses-are-absorbing-bitcoin-at-4x-the-rate-it-is-mined-according-to-river-s-research Bitwise is forecasting a 1.3 million dollar Bitcoin as institutional giants prepare to deploy trillions. ETF inflows hit $440 million in a single week. https://news.bitcoin.com/bitwise-forecasts-1-3m-bitcoin-as-institutional-giants-could-deploy-5-trillion/ Eric Trump recently said there is no question Bitcoin will hit one million dollars in the coming years. He pointed to soaring demand from nation states, corporates and ultra wealthy families. https://reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/eric-trump-sees-bitcoin-hitting-1-million-praises-china-cryptocurrency-role-2025-08-29/ (Paradoxically, he is knee deep in his shitcoining phase, while seeming to understand Bitcoin’s fundamentals.) Global adoption is accelerating, supply is tightening, and institutional demand is surging. The alignment of adoption, infrastructure, institutional capital and urgency is becoming impossible to ignore. How much longer until the UK wakes up?

Bitcoin mining is essential energy infrastructure. Hut 8, named after Alan Turing's WWII codebreaking hut, has rebranded to American Bitcoin and plans to start trading on Nasdaq after merging with Gryphon Digital Mining. They will no longer be a pure Bitcoin miner. They plan to become an energy and compute infrastructure operator, expanding into AI hosting, flexible grid partnerships, and advanced computing markets. The Trump family involvement brings mainstream attention, some positive, some polarising. What remains constant is that Bitcoin itself is neutral, independent of politics or branding. For once, Bitcoin is in the headlines for the right reasons. Read the full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/american-bitcoin-backed-by-trump-sons-aims-start-trading-september-2025-08-28/ As Eric (probably never) said, ‘1 bitcoin = 1 bitcoin.’

Energy bills are climbing again in the UK while billions are being paid out in curtailment costs. Flexible load solutions that could help stabilise the grid are being ignored. According to the Financial Times, in the 2024–25 financial year. NESO spent £2.7 billion in total balancing costs in 2024–25, with wind curtailment a major contributor. This curtailment happened because the grid could not handle the excess electricity. https://ft.com/content/221d5b5d-ae51-4a6c-8516-b3b906d3ff89 Recent coverage paints a clear picture. YahooFinance and CoinDesk report on Hut 8’s efforts to monetise energy assets, showing how miners are aligning with the energy sector to provide stability and unlock new revenue streams. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hut-8-maps-path-monetization-131011324.html https://coindesk.com/markets/2025/08/27/hut-8-maps-path-to-monetization-of-energy-assets-as-bitcoin-mining-carve-out-nears-benchmark Our UK briefing paper at nostr:nprofile1qqsp02kerjznyqgla3gujxw33dhr80lm7pvhp9vn8p2f2095afggdcgpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuamfdejszrthwden5te0dehhxtnvdakqz2r55r shows exactly how Bitcoin mining could do the same here. Flexible load can absorb excess renewable generation, reduce curtailment costs, and lower bills for households and businesses. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/aea8e937-fd18-400f-afd9-c3513112c757/downloads/d3850229-208c-4385-9b86-2e82fd55cc6c/UK%20Power%20Grid%20Bitcoin%20Mining%20as%20a%20Demand%20Side%20.pdf The UK energy crisis is not going away. It is time to stop ignoring solutions that are already working elsewhere. H/t to Progressive Bitcoin UK for today’s newspaper headlines.

Trump’s battle with the Fed is escalating, now heading for a court battle over Lisa Cook’s dismissal. The FT says this could undermine the Fed’s independence and push up inflation. But the idea of independence is nonsense. The Fed has long answered to political and financial interests, printing trillions, driving up asset prices, eroding purchasing power, and bailing out Wall Street. Trump has clashed with Powell for years over rates. This fight is another reminder that Bitcoin is the exit. A rules based monetary network that no politician or banker can manipulate. All roads lead to Bitcoin. Read the full article here: https://www.ft.com/content/a05b579a-6839-473f-8aa7-65b81e4ff5ee

Bitcoin on the balance sheet can be a superpower, or a potential slow motion disaster. The difference isn't the price of bitcoin, it's the model. Some companies build disciplined, transparent treasury models that will stand the test of time. Others will chase hype, relying on leverage and share dilution while mistaking noise for signal. Many sit somewhere in between, combining elements of both approaches. This recent FT piece on Bitcoin treasury companies makes some fair points but misses the real nuance. It opens with a nod to Charles Ponzi and blurs Bitcoin with the broader crypto world (quelle surprise), overlooking Bitcoin’s fundamentally different monetary principles. This framing leads to shallow conclusions, lumping disciplined treasury strategies together with speculative frenzy. Look at what Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, has become. Once a software firm, it now exists primarily to accumulate Bitcoin. That "infinite money glitch", issuing equity for Bitcoin, works for them because they are disciplined and capital rich. Swapping soft money for hard money is an obvious move for any company. It's a rational move in a free market, but in my view, businesses built solely around holding bitcoin, without a solid underlying business, are far from ideal. Beyond Strategy, some companies build a narrative around Bitcoin, raise significant capital, and drive aggressive marketing to ride the wave of rapidly rising valuations. They may claim a profitable history, and sometimes that is true, but much of the growth comes from momentum rather than proven fundamentals. This model can work if execution matches ambition and risk is managed well. When the underlying business is not the core driver and Bitcoin is the main attraction, the lack of discipline, resources, or long term credibility leaves these companies speculative and highly exposed to shifts in market confidence. There will be companies that get it right, solving real problems with a strong risk framework. In a space surrounded by so much hype, it is up to investors and observers to do their own due diligence to understand which strategies are built to last. The media often misses this distinction. Money alone doesn't equal sustainability. Bitcoin on the balance sheet can be transformative when it is done with substance and discipline. When it is just noise, it risks collapsing under its own weight and dragging the conversation with it. And while the FCA continues to force many of us in the UK into proxies, I must admit that watching MicroStrategy's performance has been incredible. It saved my portfolio. Some companies will stand the test of time because they are solving real problems with sustainable models. Others will fade when the hype dries up. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next bear market. Investors will need to do their homework, as not all bitcoin treasury companies are the same. But hey, at least the FT is starting to notice what's going on. We can't expect them to make a complete 180 turn on Bitcoin overnight. Read the full article here: https://www.ft.com/content/478ea5bc-ea18-44f7-9da1-602ebe283fca

We are witnessing a great wealth transfer. Money is transforming faster than governments can react. The old financial system is cracking, and the new one is taking shape. Bitcoin is quietly becoming the unofficial global reserve currency. As trillions in wealth change hands over the next two decades, younger generations inheriting these portfolios are reallocating into scarce, borderless assets. Xapo Bank estimates that between $160 and $225 billion will flow into bitcoin through this wealth transfer. At the same time, stablecoins are rewriting how money moves. Often programmable in ways that traditional money is not, they settle around the clock and are pegged to dollars, yuan, or other national currencies. With a new U.S. legal framework now in place, adoption is accelerating as banks and institutions integrate tokenised cash for faster and cheaper settlement. Globally, the race to build parallel systems is underway. China, supported by some BRICS members and regional partners, is developing yuan backed stablecoins and advancing state backed digital currency rails through Project mBridge. These tokens will change how capital flows across borders. This is what a global monetary reset looks like. Bitcoin is emerging as the anchor of a new financial system. Stablecoins are becoming programmable, instantly settled cash. Major banks and institutions are developing their own digital tokens for faster settlement. State tokens are carving out trade lanes in a multipolar financial system. Together, these changes are transforming how money works, how it moves, and how global finance is shaped. The upgrade of money is no longer coming. It is already here, and everything, one way or another, is bleeding into bitcoin. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/china-considering-yuan-backed-stablecoins-boost-global-currency-usage-sources-2025-08-21/ https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/08/20/the-great-wealth-transfer-could-see-more-than-usd200b-flow-into-bitcoin-xapo-bank

Another solo Bitcoin miner has hit a block, with #910,440 reportedly earning around $371,000 through CKpool. This adds to a series of rare solo wins seen in 2025. These stories show that solo miners have a chance to succeed and serve as a reminder that Bitcoin remains open to anyone, reflecting the ongoing promise of decentralised mining. Read the full article here: https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/bitcoin-solo-miner-scores-dollar371k-block-reward-against-all-odds