New focus in 2026 TL;DR: This year I'll be spending less time on FUD fighting, more time coaching other Bitcoiners. If history is anything to go by, this should mean more impact. Why? It's not a stepping down, but a stepping up to my true calling. Having done this once before in another ecosystem, I'm confident history will rhyme. 20 years and 11 days ago, my father passed away from cancer. Days later I was at his funeral as person after person recounted the impact that he'd had on their lives as a coach, and teacher. At the time I was running a Bioinformatics company I'd started - an excellent thing to do, BUT ... it wasn't MY calling. Some people’s calling is to carve a new path from their parents. Mine had always been to follow, as a coach and teacher. But I'd avoided that because Dad was so good at it, I feared living in his shadow. But at his funeral something changed: I saw my two futures: the initially comfortable but ultimately regret-filled future if I didn't pivot ... and the initially harder yet fulfilling one where I did. Within 9 months I'd told my board I would be leaving, and recruited my own replacement. I helped the company achieve escape velocity. But the incoming CEO guided it to the moon, setting the company up for its eventual exit. Today, history repeats. Last year, after three years of voluntary advocacy, I partnered with MARA on a special assignment, part of which involved intensively shifting the Bitcoin mining narrative by taking the truth directly to influential outsiders. This assignment is about to come to a successful end (see chart below). Their help meant I had the time to rebut over 102 articles, write 61 Letters to authors of those articles and meet with 162 Regulators & Policymakers to present Bitcoin's ESG merits. Many publications have now changed their editorial policy on Bitcoin mining to be nuanced and positive - something unthinkable just a couple of years prior. Thanks all who made this possible, including the hitherto unheralded player in this: MARA I'd never intended to run my Bioinformatics company for more than a few years. I co-foundered it because I saw a chance to make a difference. And it did. Our software has been used to further our understanding of the evolution of each major new virus of the last 20 years. I share this next parts as a reassurance ... and a reminder. When we do what is our true calling, we tend to have the biggest impact. I was running a single company, but as a coach I was able to coach more than 60 founders of tech companies, particularly “deeptech” companies. I helped multiple ideas that were stuck in Universities turn into companies, and helped multiple companies attract capital and exit. One government entity wrote to me to say "[you have] helped us transform the research community [of New Zealand] at all levels." I also never intended to do Bitcoin Mining FUD fighting for more than a few years. In 2026 it's again time to follow my calling. I will be coaching more Bitcoin leaders, builders and educators. The work has started with some great Bitcoiners creating some great results for our ecosystem, including these:

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Daniel Batten (@DSBatten) on X

This year, I spent more time coaching an increasing number of Bitcoiners. Their achievements included - launching India’s first Bitcoin-only fun...

If you are a builder or leader in Bitcoin and you're interested in just having a chat about what coaching looks like, reach out. If you want to do more effective Bitcoin FUD-fighting (in any area) - let me know. As part of paying it forward, I’ll run a 90-min seminar in 2 weeks that distills 3 years of changing the minds of skeptics. And if you want to do DIY FUD-fighting from a strong evidential basis: here are the latest, most up-to-date resources: 1. The nine most common Bitcoin mining myths debunked:

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Common Bitcoin Energy Misconceptions

2. The receipts for the 22 papers, 8 independent reports and 30+ media articles showing Bitcoin's environmental benefits.

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Daniel Batten (@DSBatten) on X

The Changing Narrative on Bitcoin Mining

3. How Bitcoin mining keeps energy prices low

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The 5 Ways Bitcoin Mining Keeps Energy Prices Low

4. Keynote: Bitcoin and the Death of Energy (The video people most often tell me changed their minds on the subject):

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Daniel Batten (@DSBatten) on X

For years, Bitcoin's energy was much maligned. This was based on deeply flawed and now debunked research. Now, the tide has turned in the scienti...

And above all else, when you hear the whisper of your calling: listen. This doesn't mean be reckless. Finish what you are doing, move from success to success - but listen. The degree of your trepidation you feel is generally proportional to the size of your victory on the other side. PS: I’ll still be posting inspiring stories (and data) on Bitcoin mining. I won't be doing daily seek-and-destroy on all Bitcoin mining FUD, and the constant behind-the-scenes letter-writing. I will coach those who pick up this work...and many other Bitcoiners doing great things for Bitcoin too I hope.

The whole "Bitcoin uses too much energy" myth was built on an utterly false premise that environmentalists advocate for less energy use across industries. Not true! Very few people believe that industries should "use less energy". The ones who do believe this are known as degrowthers, and do not represent the majority of the environmental movement. The consensus view within mainstream environmental science and policymaking holds that labeling any large energy user as automatically harmful is reductive because it ignores critical factors: The Energy Source: Emissions from 1 kWh of coal power and 1 kWh of wind or nuclear power are vastly different. The consensus focuses on decarbonizing the supply. The Value and Flexibility of Demand: As discussed previously, some large loads (like certain industrial processes or data centers) can be highly flexible. This demand-side flexibility is a key asset for integrating variable renewables like wind and solar into the grid, a cornerstone of the mainstream transition plan. Technological and Efficiency Gains: The consensus argues that innovation driven by economic activity can lead to "dematerialization", using fewer resources and less energy to produce the same or greater value. Bitcoin mining, precisely because of its high (flexible) energy use, has been shown in multiple peer-reviewed studies to offer a number of decarbonization benefits that are extremely appealing to both environmentalists and grid operators. These benefits include grid stabilization (Rudd et al), methane mitigation (Sechrest et al), obviation of gas peaker plants (Bruno et al), and accelerating the renewable energy transition (Lal et al, 2023). Bitcoin mining is only able to offer those benefits due to its high and flexible energy consumption pattern. Source:

The Changing Narrative on Bitcoin Mining

What

It is for this reason that a number of leading sustainability periodicals have in the last year come out in favor of Bitcoin mining’s environmental benefits. Further, a whitepaper by Rhodes et al concluded that flexible load centers (aka: Bitcoin mining) allows grid operators to build out the grid using renewable energy, whereas inflexible load centers (AI Inference datacenters) encourage the proliferation of fossil fuel based power on the grid.

Bitcoin mining balances grids, mitigates methane, prevents wasted energy and promotes sustainable energy as a byproduct of economic necessity Once you grok how this works, you graduate to informed Bitcoin mining critic: you realize Bitcoin mining doesn't use enough energy

What do 2025 Bitcoin skeptics in 2025 have in common with 1995 Internet skeptics: They've never used it I still remember in 1995 trying to persuade my Dept of English professors to let me do my thesis on this newfangled thing called "The Internet". None of them had used it. But they all had an opinion about it. And they were all happy to tell me why my research proposal was risky and reckless, and why the Internet itself wouldn't amount to much. Fast forward to 2025, same vibes. Plenty of Bitcoin skeptics, plenty of people calling it reckless and risky. Once again, not one of them has used it, let alone researched it. Back in 1995, it turned out that the opinion of one 20-something student who had studied and used The Internet was more informed than a team of college professors who hadn't. Same is true today, the opinion of a Gen-Z who has studied and used Bitcoin is more informed than a team of economists, journalists, or financial advisors who haven't

Influence is achieved through clarity, not hyperbole

Starting something new: In 2025, I coached a number of Bitcoiners. Their achievements included - launching India’s first Bitcoin-only fund (done) - getting investment from Ego-death Capital for new Bitcoin company (done) - launching a Bitcoin Policy Institute for their country (done) - turning around their Bitcoin mining company (done) - launching a Bitcoin hedgefund, attracting wholesale investment (done) - influencing nation state leaders on how to acquire Bitcoin tax-neutrally (in progress) After some reflection, I've realized the best way I can contribute to mission Bitcoin is by helping more Bitcoiners to reach their potential through coaching. They can do so much more than I can alone! I've found group coaching is the most effective way to help founders, builders and educators reach escape velocity. That way people get both the right coaching, support and inspiration. Simply put: when you’re part of a group of your peers who inspire you by their example - your own game surges ahead. So I've committed to running a special year-long group in 2026. If you'd like to see if you're a fit for the group or you know someone who is (or both), reach out!

Ok, a very specific post today. Our list of potential landfill sites for bitcoin mining is growing! If you have experience in bitcoin mining where you were stranded energy harvesting, are looking for Loan finance, can finance 1/4 of the project yourself and are interested in the way low cost energy from landfill-gas sets you up for the next two halvings, we’d like to hear from you. If that’s you, you can fill out this form so we can start the process of DD.

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Summary of Commercial BTC Mining Experience

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Over the last couple of months I've been wondering whether to spend more of 2026 working on Bitcoin narrative-shifting, advising Bitcoin companies or coaching. My attention has been evenly split between the three this year. After a couple of months I worked out that the biggest impact I can have is by coaching others. That's my life's work, and what gives me the most joy (these two tend to go together). Even the narrative shifting I helped with around Bitcoin mining was just to prove to myself what works so I could better coach that to others. Having coached for about 15 years, it's also quite familiar to me, and I can't think of a group of people that I'd rather help than Bitcoiners who are building a better future for us all. It's also given me time to work out that the right peer-group is one of the strongest ways to bring out the best in people. So here's something I wrote a couple of days ago to start to let the world what I'll be doing. It's focused on quite a specific type of person who in the past I've tended to do my best work with. Here goes ... Is this you? You have completed some high impact missions already. Your involvement with Bitcoin is another example of you seeing the future, and taking aligned action. Now you're doing the most impactful things you can for Bitcoin. Like any parent feels, you want to make sure you are being your best, to the mission you have brought into the world The challenge: Having been successful before, it is tempting to think "I can do this myself". Maybe you can. But that's also not the point. Maybe in the past you used a strategy of burning the candle at both ends, which will no longer work with your current life circumstances. Perhaps you were successful, but you lost something valuable on the way - your connection to your kids, spouse or a close friend, or a part of you that you put on hold (and it still is?). Perhaps you compromised on your vision at some key point In each case, our past successes leave clues. They invite us and prod us to evolve. Introspection is the first step. But it's only the first step, because the gravity of our past habits and actions, good and bad, is strong. Overcoming this requires a new, stronger gravity This gravity is your new tribe: a group of people just like you who share not only a commitment to their own crazy-big vision, but a commitment to the fulfilment of yours. They walk ahead, and in their light, you see your own potential and your own vision more clearly No surprise that the people in this group tend to become friends for life How it works: Every week, you, me, and your tribe meet together. We share wins, learn new skills, rewire old ways of doing things, and find paths around obstacles. As a natural consequence of doing this, everyone's inspiration levels go up, ensuring that your mission becomes like Bitcoin itself: backed by a mountain of energy. Everyone in the group also meets in Costa Rica once a year in person, and I'm there for 1:1 calls where there's a need for a deep dive on a specific challenge or event. Who am I: You and I probably share a lot in common. I've built companies/investment funds outside of Bitcoin, discovered Bitcoin and took action and now am doing the most impactful things I know how to do within Bitcoin's ecosystem. People have told me I've helped turn around the narrative on Bitcoin and energy, paving the way for more institutional adoption My real calling though is as a guide to others pursuing their mission I was neither a natural leader nor a natural communicator. As a result, missions I cared about would fall short. I had to learn how to bring out the best in myself first, so that I could help bring out the best in others. I now do that for Bitcoiners Over the years I've learnt to help others turn their blindspots into strengths. Combined with the power of the group, complete shifts from each person become the most likely outcome If this is you, let's chat.

What's the biggest determinant of how you start 2026? How you end 2025. Here's why... If you end 2025 by gradually slowing down, deferring, delaying then you'll begin 2026 dealing with the things you deferred from last year, enjoying the fruits of the habits you didn't cultivate in 2025, and beginning from a static start. If you give 100% til the finish line, cultivate new habits now, complete old actions now, initiate new ideas now, then break 100% when on break (no email, no work related activities), then you'll return fully rested, with new initiatives already in place, with energy and with momentum created from the previous year. Not theory: I've been coaching people for 15 years, and I noticed that this behavior made a big difference As my coach often reminded me when I was about to do something non-excellent "the genesis of the thing becomes the thing" How you start 2026 becomes 2026. The seeds of success for next year are being planted right now, with the habits you form, the actions you don't defer, the help you enlist. You cannot slow your way into momentum You cannot mediocre your way into excellence You cannot 50% your way into 100%

Newsletter is out, with some Bitcoin adoption reveals.

Alpha is what happens backstage

Last week’s panel was good … but what we talked about backstage was 10-100x better! Based on these conversations, in this newsletter I’ll be...

192 progressive organizations who wrote the group coalition letter opposing Senate Crypto Legislation just got schooled by a Kenyan Millennial

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To the 192 organizations who wrote the group coalition letter opposing Senate Crypto Legislation I am writing because I believe we share the same ...

During our @bitcoinmenaconf panel on Nation State Adoption, Bitcoin mining came up many times, both from @PrincFilip1 (Prince Filip of Serbia) and @Bilalbinsaqib (Pakistan's Minister of State for Crypto) as the frictionless way for Nations to acquire Bitcoin Probably nothing

Just in: Bitcoin mining venture opens on 20MW solar facility behind the grid. “We take renewable energy that would otherwise go to waste” Research suggests Bitcoin mining can cut the ROI on solar facilities from 8.1 to 3.5 years, so great to see more of this occurring. https://www.mrt.com/business/article/ector-bitcoin-solar-mine-21237619.php

Was great to moderate this panel with Prince Filip, Abdullah and Bilil (leading Pakistan’s bitcoin adoption strategy) who shared some new insights about nation state adoption. I invited them to talk about the challenges as well as the wins.

The potential hyperbitcoinization path that no one is talking about, but which could be the furthest advanced already. View quoted note →

Harvard now has $443Million in BTC exposure They also have a Sustainable Investing Team that capital allocations must pass through They wouldn't have been able to acquire Bitcoin 'til 2024 The changed energy narrative means a raft of new institutions can now purchase Bitcoin

Sustainability magazines just keep on reporting positively on bitcoin mining

More than half the energy used to mine Bitcoin last year was sustainable - Sustainability Online

This trend was in play already, but 2025 was about hastening the retreat Actions: - Negative articles on Bitcoin and energy rebutted: 102 - Letters to authors of those articles: 57 - Letters to researchers who published inaccurate data on Bitcoin mining: 3 - Regulators & Policymakers presented with Bitcoin pro-ESG narrative: 162 Results: - Media outlets still publishing Bitcoin&energy FUD: 5 (down from 41 in 2024) - Retractions of inaccurate articles: 5 - Media who changed their Bitcoin editorial policy: 3

History will likely remember Paul Krugman not as a Nobel economist, but as the guy who said the most important tech of the century was worthless. Twice.

A lot of people in their 40s and 50s realize at some point that the rules they used to create success in their 20s either no longer apply or no longer work (or both) This video is for you!