I’m joined by guests Bumi, Vivek & Guy Swann to go through the list.

Listen on your favorite podcast app:

Housekeeping

  • 00:02:02 Vivek joins Coinkite
  • 00:02:07 Coinkite workshops at Bitcoin Park (Bitcoin Commons coming)
  • 00:02:14 COLDCARD + TAPSIGNER now available at Bitcoin Park
  • 00:02:20 COLDCARD Q1 reservation date revealed (around Q4) - Make sure you reserve!
  • 00:02:36 SATSCHIP for artists 50% off
  • 00:02:41 checkmsg.org updated
  • 00:02:48 Coinkite gift cards now available on Oshi app [Website/iOS/Android]
  • 00:02:52 Nunchuk partnership announcement

Software Releases & Project Updates

Hacks & vulnerability disclosures

Bitcoin

  • 00:05:13 Specter Desktop v2.0.0
    • Refined user interface respecting the design of the original layout.
    • Ability to connect to the Bitcoin network via public Electrum servers (Spectrum Plugin).
    • The new feature allows users to connect to the Bitcoin network via public Electrum servers of reputable companies and projects (electrum.emzy.de or electrum.blockstream.info).
    • Tor connectivity for all outgoing network traffic including Electrum traffic.
    • Many bugfixes and performance improvements.
    • Feels lighter, faster and more responsive. Download binaries shrunk significantly in size.
  • 00:10:52 Liana v0.3: hot and Advancing!
    • A small release which brings some fixes as well as the possibility to use Liana as a “hot wallet”.
    • Features:
    • Hot keys: users can now generate and sign with keys that are stored on the device. It is recommended to be only used for testing for now.
    • GUI: It is now possible to use multiple signing device of the same type without having to first connect one then the other.
  • 00:12:00 Zeus v0.7.3
    • QRCodeScanner: import QR code images from gallery
    • Biometrics login
    • Channels: view pending and closed
    • Channels: force close channel timer display
    • Fast node switching
    • LNURL-auth: LNDHub: compatibility mode for Alby and BlueWallet
  • 00:18:48 Nunchuk iOS v1.9.22 / Android v1.9.27
    • New setting item for hiding the wallet balance
    • New setting item to add a wallet PIN/password
    • QR progress indicator
    • QR flows refactored to be vendor-agnostic
  • 00:19:23 BTC Pay Server v1.8.0
    • Custom checkout forms
    • Lightning NFC plugin becoming core
    • Labeling addresses
    • Rehauled Notifications icon set
    • Enhanced store branding
    • Checkout has copy addresses back
    • New keypad view
    • Keypad POS tracks values individually
    • Shipping with plugin NIP-05: Verify your Nostr account with your BTCPay Server
    • BTCPay Server X Coinjoin
  • 00:26:57 MyNode v0.3.11
    • Improve hybrid-mode LND config
    • Increase electrs address limits
    • Add option to reset custom Bitcoin version
    • Add CLI command to stop dynamic apps
    • Improved mempool re-install
    • Add pass and apparmor packages to help docker issues
  • 00:30:48 Keeper 1.0.2
    • Buy bitcoin directly into cold storage (or in a hot wallet)
    • Seamless integration with Ramp (low fee)
    • Buying available in 150+ countries and 35 US states
    • Recreate Vault with a BSMS file (Output Descriptor already supported)
    • QR autofocus and scanning improvements
  • 00:31:44 Robosats v0.4.1-alpha
    • Swap orders are now more descriptive. The order details and the maker form are explicit about the Sats you will send or receive via LN or Onchain.
    • Android app now handles well all bad requests to the coordinator
    • Clicking “Confirm fiat sent” on chat now requires a double confirmation
  • 00:33:15 Orange Pill App v1.1.5
    • You can now copy #nostr pubkeys.
  • 00:39:21 Blockstream Green Android v4.0.0
    • Allow logins with multisig and singlesig wallets, bitcoin and liquid accounts with a unique PIN.
    • New Hardware Wallet Onboarding UI;
    • Lock Jade on session logout.

Lightning

  • 00:40:25 Alby v1.28.0 🏃‍♂️ Orion and the Running Man
    • outgoing transactions screen
    • show raw Nostr JSON event data on signing screen
    • backup reminder for nostr key
    • make permissions account specific
    • back button in send sats screen (not prompt)
    • add substack battery
    • add big warning before removing the Nostr key
    • add hold invoice to lnd webln.request
    • improve TOR connection setup
    • support finnish, czech, danish languages
  • 00:50:01 LDK Roadmap
    • Several features are underway such as LDK Node, BOLT 12, Anchor Outputs, Async Payments, VSS, Taproot, and more. Other projects will start soon or need contributors
    • VSS (Versioned Storage Service) addresses two problems and will be split into two development phases. First, it offers a cloud backup for encrypted LN state and other wallet data. Second, VSS will enable support for multi-device access to the same wallet.
    • LDK devs provided feedback to the Taproot protocol spec and are close to finalizing simple Taproot channels.
    • The async payments proposal will substantially improve the mobile wallet user experience by allowing people to receive payments under any conditions. Work will be broken down into two phases; async receive and async send.
    • Other 2023 projects include PTLCs, dual-funded channels, splicing, anchor outputs, and BOLT 12. Over time more async support will be added throughout the LDK API. Potential future projects include additional language bindings, custom scripts, and dynamic commitments.
  • 00:52:58 Bitcoin Tribe (formerly Hexa Wallet) v2.1.4
    • Hexa wallet is now Bitcoin Tribe
    • The app is much more simplified in terms of the backend code as well as different functionalities
    • Features include: Gift Sats, Lightning Account, batch send etc
    • The wallet has 12 word seed-phrase based backup
    • Connect your own node
  • 00:54:04 Rust Lightning v0.0.114
    • Faster Async BOLT12 Retries
  • 00:54:18 lnbits Yvette
    • Extensions
    • ALL extensions have been removed.
    • Only LNbits core is installed and extensions are fetched from their own repos and installed as needed.
    • Extension manifests added via Admin UI populate Manage Extensions.
    • LNbits org & LNbits Inc maintain a manifest of vetted extensions, which is included with all installs
    • Clean/format code base
  • 00:55:25 Core Lightning v23.02 CBDC Backing Layer
    • Experimental support for peer storage of backup data
    • Updates experimental support for dual funding and offers.
    • Periodic pruning of channels now keeps track of them as ‘zombies.’ This behavior is in line with the lightning specification but results in fewer nodes and channels listed by listnodes/listpeers. These channels will resume as soon as the missing side broadcasts a recent channel update.
  • 00:58:15 Fountain v0.6.5
    • Nostr Zaps: Fountain 0.6.5 adds support for Nostr NIP-05 and NIP-57 so that you can receive zaps to your Fountain wallet!
    • Revamped the style of the videos
  • 01:01:04 LND v0.16.0
    • lnd will now properly prioritize sending out gossip updates generated locally to all connected peers, regardless of their current gossip sync query status.
    • lnd will now attempt to rebroadcast unconfirmed transactions with each passing block the transaction hasn’t been confirmed. This complements the existing behavior where all unconfirmed transactions are rebroadcast on start up.
  • 01:03:45 Wallet of Satoshi iOS v2.1.2
    • “We have completed a ground-up rebuild of the app but have retained the look and feel you know and love.”
  • 01:04:42 Breez liquidity partnerships

Nostr

  • 01:11:25 Damus
    • v1.1.0-10
    • Truncate large posts and add a show more button
    • Private Zaps
    • v1.2.0-3
    • Add additional info to recommended relay view
    • Add shaka animation
    • Add option to disable image animation
    • Add additional warning when deleting account
    • Threads now load instantly and are cached
  • 01:11:45 Nosotros
    • v0.3.1.6-alpha
    • Sign events with latest Bitcoin block: Now users can enable in the configuration view to include the latest Bitcoin block ID and height as metadata of all their events
    • v0.3.1.5-alpha
    • Contact’s relays connection: Included a 3rd step in the login process where the list of public relays of user’s contacts is fetched. After connecting to user’s relays, Nostros will find contacts out of the range and look for those with a presence closer to the median, avoiding crowded relays and centralization.
    • New Relays page: The relays page now includes filters, the option to tag a relay as “Paid relay” and a list of contact’s relays.
    • v0.3.1.4-alpha
    • Multiple image preview and images gallery
    • v0.3.1.3-alpha
    • Better login experience: The login process has been spitted into 2 steps, including re-connecting to user’s relay list
    • Push my relay list: Now the users can manually push to the network their relay list so can be recovered after login or in other compatible clients NIP-65
    • v0.3.1.0-alpha
    • Mute Threads
    • Now users can mute threads and stop receiving notifications under one specific Note.
  • 01:11:53 Primal.net Nostr Client Launch
    • nostr caching service
    • trending content
    • explore nostr
  • 01:12:18 Nostore - Safe Nostr key storage
    • Keep your private keys private across all Nostr spaces
    • Manage multiple Nostr profiles
    • Use fine-grained permissions to share as much or as little data as you want
    • See a full history of all of your Nostr events
  • 01:12:29 Gossip - A desktop client for Nostr

Boosts

  • 01:13:57 Thanks to everyone who streamed sats, and shoutout to our top boosters:
    • @apemithrandir (7,777 sats X2) “Craig calling out NVK on his QR code fork ROFL”, “nvk only wants ndk so much because it sounds like his nym!”
    • @hiro (4,000 sats) “I forgot to boost”
    • @teejem (2,121 sats) “Thanks for making release notes easy to digest!”
    • @bloggingbitcoin (2,100 sats) “Thank you for making the blog bounty. I am now using my markdown skills to write my blog on Nostr”
    • @kepford (1000 sats) “Great show. So bullish!”

Project spotlight

  • 01:14:52 Cashu redeem app [Announcement]
    • Paste a Cashu token you’ve encountered on the web and redeem it directly to your Lightning wallet
    • Built in couple of hours by a new dev w/ Cashu libs. No backend, everything in browser! By @superphatarrow
  • 01:17:38 Blogstack - A blogging site for nostr
  • 01:18:23 Zaplife - Counts and display all the Zaps sent in the last 4 hours
  • 01:18:31 Amethyst: Nostr client for Android
  • 01:18:35 LNnodeinsight launched Sats4stats, which allows lighting node operators to exchange data for sats
  • 01:18:47 LNCal: Get booked and paid in Bitcoin
    • Share the link to your public calendar 🗓 so that people can schedule you and pay you in Bitcoin.
  • 01:19:22 BitcoinSearch.xyz is a recently-launched search engine for Bitcoin technical documentation and discussions. It was used to quickly find several of the sources linked in this newsletter, a vast improvement over other more laborious methods we’ve previously used. Contributions to its code are welcome. Source
  • 01:19:32 Bitcoin Jungle
    • Helping bring the Bitcoin ecosystem to Costa Rica. The Bitcoin Jungle wallet app is wallet built on top of the Bitcoin and Lightning Networks. Based on a similar model as BitcoinBeach, it uses the Banking-As-A-Service infrastructure from Galoy.
  • 01:21:48 BitcoinEvents.org

Bitcoin Optech Newsletter

  • 01:22:22 240
    • Notable code and documentation change: Bitcoin Core #25943 adds a parameter to the sendrawtransaction RPC to limit the amount of funds burned per output. If the transaction contains an output whose script is heuristically deemed to be unspendable (one with an OP_RETURN, an invalid opcode, or exceeding the maximum script size) and whose value is greater than maxburnamount, it will not be submitted to the mempool. By default, the amount is set to zero, protecting users from unintentionally burning funds.
  • 01:23:21 241
    • News: Alternative design for OP_VAULT: Greg Sanders posted to the Bitcoin-Dev mailing list an alternative design for providing the features of the OP_VAULT/OP_UNVAULT proposal (see Newsletter #234). His alternative would add three opcodes instead of two.

News & Noteworthy

Good reads

Innovation

  • 01:33:13 Block: Helping customers move between fiat and bitcoin
    • Block article discusses plans to partner with exchanges to improve on/off ramp experience and releases first look of what they expect the UI to look like.
    • They also announced their goal of having partnerships in retail and distribution, and payment partnerships such as point of sale and payroll.
  • 01:33:25 Jack Dorsey’s Block Announces Mining Development Kit
    • The company has also begun developing their own bitcoin mining semiconductor chips. (“These purpose-built application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are the leading way bitcoin is mined today and will serve as the foundation for a full suite of bitcoin mining products intended to increase the pace of innovation in bitcoin mining.”)
    • “The intention behind the MDK is to provide developers with a suite of tools to help unlock creativity and innovation in bitcoin mining hardware”.
  • 01:33:42 Wallet Interfaces/APIs

Lightning & L2

  • 01:35:16 Jack Dorsey announces new LSP, c=. Announcement
  • 01:35:28 Voltage introduces Flow 2.0: A New LSP Focused On Just-in-time Liquidity
  • 01:35:41 BoltObserver announced support for Core Lightning in LiquidOps product
    • Now supporting both major implementations.
    • This gives them insight into their node operations, liquidity, and reachability.
    • Register on bolt.observer beta (still free till end of the month) to check out our offerings.
  • 01:35:47 The book Mastering the Lightning Network by Andreas Antonopoulos, Olaoluwa Osuntokun and Rene Pickhardt is now free. (Creative Commons CC BY-SA license)

Mining

  • 01:36:08 First nuclear-powered Bitcoin mine goes online in Pennsylvania. [Bitcoin Magazine]
    • The mining facility, derives its energy wholly from the 2.5 GW Susquehanna nuclear generation station in Pennsylvania.
    • The full operation will amount to 50 MW and 1.9 EH/s, with an option for Terawulf to add an additional 50 MW of bitcoin mining capacity, “which the Company plans to deploy in future phases,”.
    • “The Nautilus nuclear-powered mining facility benefits from what is arguably the lowest cost power in the sector, just $0.02/kWh for a term of five years,” Prager commented.

Adoption

  • 01:36:17 Local public transport temporarily accepts Bitcoin lightning payments in Sweden
    • “When I try paying with swish aka our digital id wallet which is the standard. It gives me the option to use Blue Wallet. And it shows a real Lightning invoice!” Tweet by @Stromens
    • Stopped working hours later after Stromens contacted the company to inquire. (Possible feature in development not intended for release.) Tweet
  • 01:36:25 Check Splitting App “Settle Up” Adds Lightning Support as beta feature Announcement
    • You can enter expenses and settle debts in sats using web app.
    • Click on the debt and select Bitcoin lightning payment. You can send Bitcoin to any Settle Up user, no need to know their bitcoin address!
    • Scan the QR code with your favorite #lightning wallet app and the amount will be sent. The recipient will then receive a push notification and an email about this. They will have 3 days to claim it in their lightning wallet.
    • If they don’t claim it in time, the sender will get the bitcoin back automatically.
  • 01:36:31 Xapo becomes the first bank to offer #LightningNetwork payments, through partnership with @Lightspark. Announcement
  • 01:36:36 Baseball Fans Can Now Instantly Receive Bitcoin After Perth Heat’s Most Exciting Plays [Bitcoin Magazine]
    • The Perth Heat, the Australian Baseball League’s most successful baseball team, has announced a new partnership that rewards fans in bitcoin every time a player from Perth Heat steals a base or hits a home run.
    • The partnership with Bitrefill, Wallet of Satoshi and IBEX will allow fans to “Steal Sats” by scanning a QR code displayed on the game stream or on the team’s social media channels when a player makes an impressive play.
    • Fans will receive their reward instantly after scanning the code with a Lightning-enabled wallet.

Funding

  • 01:36:44 Geyser Grants Round 2 winners have been announced (30 projects) Announcement
  • 01:36:58 Swiss Bitcoin App Relai Raises $4.5 Million Led By Jeff Booth’s Ego Death Capital [Bitcoin Magazine]
    • The funding will be used to expand the platform’s retail Bitcoin on-ramp in Europe, add zero-fee trading, support for Lightning and more.
    • Relai, a Swiss non-custodial bitcoin platform, has announced a $4.5 million funding round led by Ego Death Capital.
    • Ego Death Capital general partner Andi Pitt will be joining Relai’s board

Finance

  • 01:37:07 Traditional Finance Meltdown, Bitcoin Boom!
    • HSBC, Nationwide Banks Crack Down On Bitcoin And Crypto Access [Bitcoin Magazine]
    • Nationwide and HSBC are the latest U.K. banking giants to impose new limits on their customer’s cryptocurrency purchases
    • “Nationwide is applying daily limits of ÂŁ5,000 ($5,965) on debit-card purchases of cryptoassets, the building society informed customers on Wednesday, while its credit cards can no longer be used to buy crypto.
    • HSBC said it barred customers from making crypto purchases via its credit cards from last month”. HSBC states that the decision is due to alleged financial risk to customers.
    • Bitcoin Surges Past $24,000 As U.S. Sees Major Banks Fail [[Bitcoin Magazine] (https://bitcoinmagazine.com/markets/bitcoin-surges-past-24000-as-major-banks-fail)]
    • The bitcoin price rocketing to $24,000 amidst the banking crisis is reflecting the world’s need for a sound money alternative.
    • U.S. Treasury Department Proposes 30% Excise Tax on Crypto Mining Firms [Coindesk]
    • A provision in the department’s “Greenbook,” its list of tax proposals and explanations for the U.S. President’s budget proposal, would create a phased-in excise tax based on the costs of the electricity used in crypto mining.
    • These companies would also be required to report how much electricity they use and what type of power was tapped. The tax would be phased in over the next three years, increasing 10% each year.

Events

Audience Questions

  • 01:38:40 Question for Bumi: According to Alby Buzz, “Alby builds on the same infrastructure interface as BlueWallet, namely LndHub”. Now that LndHub is sunsetting, how with this affect Alby and what do users need to be aware of?

Shoutouts

Episode submission ideas

  • We’re looking for ideas for interesting panel conversations. To send Bitcoin related questions, just go to bitcoin.review and follow the contact links at the bottom of the page.

Get in touch with the pod

Did I get anything wrong above? Help me correct it producer@coinkite.com