"They wanted to amputate my limbs because they thought I had 2.5 million bitcoins." This is the story of a Canadian moderator of a crypto forum who, along with his family, was forced to move continuously from one Airbnb to another to escape criminals who wanted to kidnap him and seize his alleged Bitcoin holdings. The incident began on November 4, and now the attackers are under house arrest. This case adds to a long list of threats to the safety of cryptocurrency holders. According to monitoring by developer Jameson Lopp, at least 181 incidents of robberies, kidnappings, and murders related to the crypto world have been recorded since 2014. Atlas21's article ⬇️

Atlas21

Attempted Bitcoin kidnapping in Canada: crypto forum moderator forced into hiding

Forced to go into hiding with his family after threats of torture to extort Bitcoin. The kidnappers believed he owned

🚨JP Morgan doubles down on Bitcoin: increasingly a hedge against inflation, political instability, and public deficits. According to a report by the investment bank, Bitcoin and gold are playing an increasingly significant role in traditional investor portfolios. The reasons: - Rising geopolitical instability since 2022; - Concerns about long-term inflation; - Worries over high public deficits in major global economies. Atlas21's article:

Atlas21

JPMorgan: “Bitcoin is becoming an important part of traditional portfolios”

JPMorgan analysts reveal growing demand for safe-haven assets like Bitcoin and gold amid geopolitical uncertainty and inflation. According to a

MINING - Ethiopia is converting surplus energy from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) into a source of wealth through Bitcoin mining. According to data reported by The Africa Report, this activity is generating 18% of national revenue. Over the past year, mining investments exceeding $1 billion have surpassed profits from energy exports to neighboring countries. Ethiopia has already signed agreements with 25 mining companies, generating over $55 million in revenue in the last ten months. This success is also attributable to the country’s extremely competitive electricity rates, at around 3.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, among the lowest worldwide.

Atlas21

Ethiopia transforms hydroelectric power into Bitcoin: mining generates 18% of national revenue

Africa's largest dam becomes a strategic hub for Bitcoin mining, attracting international investments and opening new economic prospects for the

BITCOIN - On December 26, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba clarified the government’s position, emphasizing that Bitcoin remains outside the regulatory framework for national currency reserves. According to Coinpost, the volatility of digital assets is the main obstacle to their integration into the country’s financial strategies. In contrast, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has introduced a project to transform Phuket into a testing ground for using Bitcoin as a payment method for tourists. According to the Bangkok Post, the initiative aims to make the popular tourist destination a hub for digital payments, with the goal of attracting tech-savvy visitors and stimulating the local economy.

Atlas21

Japan says no to a strategic reserve, Thailand considers Bitcoin as a payment method

While the Japanese government maintains a cautious stance on Bitcoin, Thailand is considering a pilot project to boost its economy.

BITCOIN - Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has confirmed that Russian companies are conducting international transactions in Bitcoin, thanks to new legislative measures. This move follows the sanctions imposed by the West after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which severely limited Russia’s ability to make international payments. In an interview broadcast on Russia 24, Siluanov stated: "We can pay for the delivery of goods with digital financial assets. It is also possible to use Bitcoin, which we mined here in the Russian Federation, within the experimental regime. Such transactions are already occurring. We believe they should be expanded and developed further. I am confident this will happen next year.”

Atlas21

Russia relies on Bitcoin to bypass Western sanctions

The new regulatory framework developed by Moscow facilitates international cryptocurrency payments for the country’s businesses. Finance Minister...

LEARN - What is Liquid Network? Liquid Network is Bitcoin’s leading sidechain. What it is, how it works, and which wallets are compatible in the Atlas21's deep dive. Link to the article:

Atlas21

What is Liquid Network?

Liquid Network is Bitcoin's leading sidechain: what it is, how it works, and which wallets are compatible. Launched by Blockstream

BITCOIN - The Russian government has approved a plan to regulate Bitcoin mining, introducing a total ban in 10 regions of the country starting January 1, 2025. The measure will remain in effect until March 15, 2031. According to the TASS news agency, the ban will fully apply to regions such as Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya, and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Republics, as well as the other partially occupied regions in Ukraine of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. The regulation will affect both mining pool operations and individual (solo-mining) activities. The three Siberian regions—Irkutsk, Buryatia, and Zabaikalsky—will only face seasonal restrictions during peaks in winter energy consumption. In 2025, these restrictions will apply from January 1 to March 15, then extend from November 15 to March 15 in subsequent years.

Atlas21

Russia: Bitcoin mining banned in 10 regions for six years

From 2025 to 2031, a total ban will be imposed in several areas, while key regions like Irkutsk will face

BITCOIN - ThunderStack, a company specializing in RGB & Lightning Network infrastructure, has secured a funding round from various industry players, including Tether Investments, Fulgur Ventures, and Astroid Venture Studio. The investment amount has not been disclosed. The funding will be used to develop infrastructure for RGB, a protocol on Bitcoin that leverages the Lightning Network. RGB enables the implementation of smart contracts, stablecoins, and tokens while maintaining high levels of privacy and security. A distinctive feature of RGB is its use of the client-side validation model, as explained by Renat Skitsan, CEO of ThunderStack: “RGB enables Bitcoin-native, Turing-complete smart contracts with even better privacy than Bitcoin itself, all without altering the protocol or requiring a hard fork.”

Atlas21

Fulgur Ventures and Tether invest in a company dedicated to RGB development

ThunderStack attracts investments to facilitate the development of applications on the RGB protocol. ThunderStack, a company specializing in RGB &

CRYPTO - “Money launderers particularly target entities located in countries considered high-risk by FATF and/or lacking anti-money laundering legislation, as well as those authorized in cooperative jurisdictions that fail to fully implement regulations.” This is according to a new document from the Bank of Italy outlining the techniques used by individuals seeking to obscure the origins of illicit funds. Money launderers specifically look for platforms that operate without conducting Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, making it more challenging for regulatory authorities and law enforcement to identify users. In this context, the Bank of Italy raises specific concerns about services it defines as “crime-as-a-service.” One example cited is the website kycnot[.]me, which provides an updated list of P2P platforms operating without KYC checks.

Atlas21

Bank of Italy: P2P services are criminal

A document from the institution labels services that allow buying and selling Bitcoin without identification as "crime-as-a-service," specifically ...

BITCOIN - Marathon Digital Holdings is showcasing how heat generated from mining activities can become a valuable resource for the community. On December 20, the company announced that the heat produced by its operations is currently warming approximately 80,000 homes in Finland. The project, which began in June with a pilot program serving 11,000 homes in the Satakunta region, quickly expanded to reach an additional 67,000 residents. The system uses district heating technology, which distributes heat through an underground network of pipes, converting what was once waste into a resource for the city.

Atlas21

Marathon heats 80,000 Finnish homes with Bitcoin mining heat

The U.S.-based company turns mining-generated heat into an energy resource, highlighting the industry's sustainability. Marathon Digital Holdi...

CRYPTO - Michael Saylor, president of MicroStrategy, has presented a proposal to reshape U.S. policy on digital assets under a future Trump administration. The framework aims to shape the future of cryptocurrencies in the United States. His proposal includes a strategic Bitcoin reserve that could generate between $16 trillion and $81 trillion for the U.S. Treasury, enough to partially or completely eliminate the national debt. The details of the framework proposed by Saylor in the article.

Atlas21

Saylor presents crypto framework to guide the Trump administration

The president of MicroStrategy outlines a strategy to transform the U.S. into the global leader in the digital asset economy.

BITCOIN - Australian computer scientist Craig Wright has been sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspension by the UK High Court. This means Wright will only serve the sentence if he violates court orders during this period. The sentence was handed down by Judge James Edward Mellor after Wright breached a previous court order by filing a £911 billion and 50 million lawsuit against Bitcoin developers and the company Square last October. During the hearing, Judge Mellor emphasized the unequivocal nature of Wright’s violations, ordering him to immediately withdraw his latest legal action.

Atlas21

UK court: Craig Wright given suspended one-year sentence for contempt of court

The sentence follows repeated violations of a court order prohibiting him from claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto and filing lawsuits

BITCOIN - A Chinese automotive services company is emerging as one of the largest Bitcoin miners in the world. Cango Inc., listed on the New York Stock Exchange, made a strategic acquisition that propels it to third place in global hashrate. According to a press release from November 15, the company acquired 32 EH/s worth of ASIC Antminers from Bitmain, representing about 4% of the total Bitcoin network hashrate, for $256 million. Additionally, Cango plans to acquire another 18 EH/s from Golden TechGen, a company controlled by former Bitmain CFO Max Hua, bringing its total capacity to 50 EH/s, aligning it with mining company Marathon Digital Holdings. The deal, which will be financed through the issuance of $144 million in common stock, is expected to close by March 31, 2025.

Atlas21

Chinese automotive company becomes the third-largest player in mining: 363.9 bitcoins mined in November

Cango, a Chinese automotive company listed on the NYSE, acquires mining power equivalent to 4% of the Bitcoin network, challenging

BITCOIN - The government of El Salvador has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain $1.4 billion in financing over the next 40 months, in exchange for amendments to the Bitcoin Law. Among the main changes, the acceptance of Bitcoin by merchants will become voluntary, no longer mandatory as stipulated by Article 7 in 2021 when El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt the cryptocurrency as legal tender. However, while the law formally required the acceptance of Bitcoin as legal tender, this provision was never fully enforced in practice. The government will also scale back its involvement with the state wallet, Chivo, and limit public sector economic activities related to Bitcoin.

Atlas21

El Salvador: agreement with the IMF to amend the Bitcoin Law

The Central American country secures a $1.4 billion loan in exchange for revisions to the Bitcoin Law. The government of

BITCOIN - On December 17, the Bitcoin Policy Institute introduced a draft executive order for the Trump administration aimed at updating the US strategic reserve system by incorporating Bitcoin into the nation’s assets. The document recognizes Bitcoin as a digital asset comparable to gold, characterized by decentralization and a fixed supply. The executive order mandates consolidating government-held Bitcoin within seven days of its signing, prohibits its sale, and requires implementing a Bitcoin acquisition program within 60 days. The acquisition program outlines the purchase of at least $21 billion worth of Bitcoin.

Atlas21

Bitcoin on the list of US strategic reserves: the Bitcoin Policy Institute’s proposal for Trump

A plan to include Bitcoin among the nation's strategic assets, to be implemented on the first day of the new

LEARN - Guide to using a Lightning Network wallet LN wallets are software applications that allow users to interact not only with the on-chain layer but also with the Lightning Network protocol. They enable sending and receiving payments in seconds, with instant settlement and low fees. Link to the complete guide of Atlas21:

Atlas21

Guide to using a Lightning Network wallet

How to use wallets that enable instant transactions via the Lightning Network. LN wallets are software applications that allow users

BITCOIN - During a speech at the European Parliament, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sarah Knafo proposed creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the European Union while simultaneously rejecting the European Central Bank’s (ECB) digital euro project. In her address, Knafo criticized the EU’s approach to digital assets, describing it as overly focused on regulation and taxation at the expense of innovation. The lawmaker stated: “It is time to change the paradigm. It is time to protect our people from inflation and the poor economic choices of our states. It is time to say no to the totalitarian temptations of the European Central Bank, which wants to impose a digital euro entirely in its hands.”

Atlas21

EU: French lawmaker proposes a strategic Bitcoin reserve

MEP Sarah Knafo opposes the digital euro and pushes for Bitcoin adoption. During a speech at the European Parliament, French

CRYPTO - On December 16, FTX, the exchange that failed in 2022, announced that its fund distribution plan for creditors will take effect on January 3, 2025, with the first repayments expected within the following 60 days. The company plans to distribute approximately $16 billion to creditors. The initial distribution will involve users with claims of $50,000 or less, representing about 90% of all creditors. To receive any payment, customers must register through the FTX Customer Portal. To manage the distribution, FTX will rely on two partners: Kraken and BitGo. Kraken already has experience in a similar role, having managed repayments for Mt. Gox creditors.

Atlas21

FTX: repayment plan for customers kicks off via Kraken and BitGo

Starting January 3, 2025, the distribution of funds to creditors of the exchange that collapsed in 2022 will begin. On

BITCOIN - Japan could join the growing number of nations considering the establishment of a national Bitcoin reserve. The proposal comes from lawmaker Satoshi Hamada, who raised the issue on December 11 before the Japanese House of Councillors, suggesting the “conversion of part of the country’s foreign exchange reserves into cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.” The initiative aligns with an international trend, as several countries, including the United States, Russia, and Brazil, are already exploring similar strategies.

Atlas21

Japan: evaluation of a strategic Bitcoin reserve requested

Lawmaker Satoshi Hamada proposes following the example of initiatives by the USA, Russia, and Brazil in adopting Bitcoin as a

BITCOIN - An investor from Austin, Texas, has been sentenced to two years in prison for deliberately underreporting capital gains from the sale of $3.7 million worth of Bitcoin. This case marks the first criminal conviction in the U.S. for tax evasion exclusively related to cryptocurrencies. Frank Richard Ahlgren III, an early investor in the cryptocurrency market, filed false tax returns between 2017 and 2019. According to court documents, Ahlgren had purchased 1,366 bitcoins on Coinbase in 2015, later selling 640 in October 2017 and using the proceeds to purchase a home in Park City, Utah.

Atlas21

First tax evasion conviction in the U.S. for Bitcoin: two years in prison

A Texas investor concealed $3.7 million in Bitcoin profits, setting a precedent in U.S. jurisdiction. An investor from Austin, Texas,