Advancements in Bitcoin Mining and Decentralization

This chapter explores key advancements in Bitcoin mining, focusing on the push for decentralized practices and the significance of a major mining pool's milestone. It also discusses improvements in mining hardware, the contrast between proof of work and proof of stake mechanisms, and their implications for the Bitcoin security model.

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- block releases proto mining open source and modular mining rig https://proto.xyz

- treasury secretary scott bessent says SBR is around 125k btc, does not intend to buy more, will focus on confiscation https://x.com/TFTC21/status/1956013601741005172

- US Producer Prices Rise by Most in Three Years on Services https://archive.is/xzohV

- Polymarket: Fed decision in September? https://polymarket.com/event/fed-decision-in-september

- Bolivia | Banks Limit Withdrawals as Digital Asset Usage and Inflation Climb

In Bolivia, where annual inflation has reached 25% and banks have been limiting withdrawal of US dollars to $100 a week, Bloomberg reports that Bolivians are turning to Bitcoin and digital assets as alternatives to the boliviano. “I’m not the only one using Bitcoin,” Christopher Salas, a coffee vendor in La Paz, said. “There’s a barbershop over there and a gym that also accepts satoshis.” For Salas, Bitcoin is both a hedge and a protest: “a way to preserve the value of my savings, but also a way to go against the system, against bureaucracy.” Bolivia’s hybrid authoritarian regime lifted a decade-long ban on digital assets in 2024. Since then, the volume of digital asset payments has grown more than fivefold to nearly $300 million in the first half of 2025. The University of San Andres allegedly pays its international faculty in Bitcoin. Carlos Neira, co-founder of Colombian wallet provider Meru, reports a staggering 6,600% increase in Bolivian users since the ban was lifted. FinancialFreedomReport.org

- Founder of SimpleX on why he is not implementing MLS https://www.poberezkin.com/posts/2025-08-12-mls-the-naked-king-of-end-to-end-encryption.html

- Signal boss: ‘disturbing’ laws show the UK doesn’t understand tech https://archive.is/BtZD0

- Location tracking based on photos https://archive.is/YjaYy + https://x.com/heinenbros/status/1941943605343785219

- American Hodl vlogs on nostr https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqs9gs5rrya4f3zql67yzemwmkehm96d7cxwakypjelp4xayqa36a2ctlx4zp

0:00 - Intro

2:35 - Block Rig

14:46 - Monero attacks

23:24 - Bessent's stealing your coins

27:29 - PPI

32:50 - Polymarket fed decision

36:53 - HRF Story of the Week

52:09 - Poberezkin MLS blog