I’m joined by guests Rob Hamilton, Ben Carman & Rijndael to go through the list.

Listen on your favorite podcast app:

Quote of the Day

  • “Privacy is not a crime.”

Housekeeping

  • 00:01:16 Q shipping updates
  • 00:02:29 OpenSats receives $1M donation from the Reynolds Foundation [Blog post]
  • 00:02:57 Kanzure, Murch, Jonatack, Ruben, and Roasbeef added as BIP editors
  • 00:12:33 CAT, txhash, (some other stuff???) given BIP number
  • 00:12:01 We have an amazing newsletter on Substack

Vulnerability Disclosures

  • 00:13:33 Juice jacking attack [Mobile Hacker]
    • Demonstration shows a juice jacking attack using a Flipper Zero device to execute a script on an Android smartphone, installing malware without user interaction.
    • Attack methods include screen mirroring, HID attacks, and USB debugging.
    • Demonstrations show how easily devices can be compromised, emphasizing the importance of using personal charging equipment and enabling security features.
  • 00:15:32 BadUSB vulnerabiity [Hackaday]
    • Recent discovery highlights a new BadUSB attack vector using the Consumer Control specification of HID standard.
    • This attack method bypasses traditional defenses and has been tested on various devices, including ATMs.
    • Modern operating systems’ complexity and unused functionalities increase vulnerability to such attacks, underscoring the need for meticulous HID device filtering.
  • 00:17:57 FixedFloat announces another exploit [Twitter post]
    • The service experienced a second attack on April 1st, from the same hackers responsible for the February 16 incident (~$26M).
    • A vulnerability in a third-party service used by the company is discovered and exploited by hackers, leading to a $2.8M loss in the service’s liquidity funds.
  • OpenJS Foundation targeted in JavaScript project takeover [The Hacker News]
    • Security researchers uncover a potential takeover attempt of the OpenJS Foundation, reminiscent of an incident with XZ Utils.
  • 00:21:49 GitHub comments abused to push malware via Microsoft repo URLs [Bleeping Computer]
    • Files uploaded via GitHub comments retain their URLs, even if comments are deleted, making these links appear credible and connected to legitimate projects.
    • This security flaw is applicable to any public repository on GitHub.
  • 00:23:01 Apple issues notifications to iPhone users in 92 countries about potential spyware attacks [TechCrunch]
    • Ledger CTO @P3b7_ questions Apple’s compromise detection mechanism implemented to warn users.
  • 00:23:35 Braiins warns user not to update stock firmware to the latest version as Bitmain restricts installation of third-party firmwares [Notice]
  • 00:24:59 El Salvador: hacker group CiberInteligenciaSV publishes Chivo wallet ATM code [Atlas21]
    • Part of the source code and VPN credentials for the Chivo wallet ATM network were disclosed on a Telegram channel.
  • 00:25:26 Employees of telecommunications company T-Mobile, targeted by SIM swap scheme, receive text offers of $300 per SIM swap [The Mobile Report]
  • 00:25:58 Various Mining Pools have exactly the same template and custom transaction prioritization as AntPool
    • “Looking at the merkle branches that mining pools send to miners as part of stratum jobs, it’s clear that the BTCcom pool, Binance pool, Poolin, EMCD, Rawpool, and possibly Braiins* have exactly the same template and custom transaction prioritization as AntPool.” 0xB10C
    • 0xB10C observes that several mining pools, including BTCcom, Binance pool, Poolin, EMCD, Rawpool, and possibly Braiins, share the same block template and transaction prioritization method as AntPool.
    • These observations are based on the examination of merkle branches sent to miners in Stratum v1 jobs, which indicate uniformity across these pools in the construction of the merkle root.
    • 0xB10C highlights that, typically, these pools include a manually prioritized transaction in the first position after the coinbase transaction, contrasting with other pools that prioritize transactions with the highest fee rate.
    • Despite a significant number of mining pools potentially sharing a single custodian for their coinbase transactions, F2Pool diverges by creating its own unique block templates.
    • SigmaPool and SecPool also appear to operate under a single entity but use a template distinct from that of AntPool.
    • 0xB10C notes that some overlap in merkle branches among different pools is natural due to the inclusion of high-fee-rate transactions.
  • 00:33:52 Samourai Wallet Founders Arrested and Charged With Money Laundering [Coindesk]
    • Prosecutors are alleging Samourai Wallet laundered over $100 million in criminal proceeds.
    • According to a press release issued Wednesday, the pair developed, marketed and operated the mixer, which “facilitated more than $100 million in money laundering transactions from illegal dark web markets.”
    • Samourai overall facilitated around $2 billion in “unlawful transactions” between 2015 and the present, the release alleged. An accompanying indictment said this figure was calculated by converting the value of bitcoin laundered through the funds to U.S. dollars, based on bitcoin’s price “at the time of each transaction.”
    • The pair are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and five years, respectively.
    • Rodriguez was arrested on Wednesday morning and will be arraigned in Pennsylvania today or tomorrow, according to the press release. Hill, Samourai Wallet’s CTO, was arrested on Wednesday morning in Portugal and will be extradited to the U.S.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin Consensus Changes That Will Never Happen

  • 00:56:32 CATVM childrens book released

Software Releases & Project Updates

  • 1:13:01 Bitcoin Core v27.0
    • libbitcoinconsensus: deprecated library that will be removed for v28
    • mempool.dat compatibility: the mempool.dat file created by -persistmempool or the savemempool RPC will be written in a new format
    • P2P and network changes:
      • BIP324 v2 transport now enabled by default
      • Manual connection options (-connect, -addnode and -seednode) will now follow -v2transport to connect with v2 by default
      • Network-adjusted time has been removed from consensus code, now replaced with (unadjusted) system time
    • Mempool Policy Changes: Opt-in Topologically Restricted Until Confirmation (TRUC) Transactions policy is available for use on test networks when -acceptnonstdtxn=1 is set
    • External Signing: Support for external signing on Windows has been (temporarily) disabled
    • Updated RPCs: the addnode RPC now follows the -v2transport option (now on by default, see above) for making connections
    • Build System:
      • C++20 capable compiler is now required to build Bitcoin Core
      • MacOS releases are configured to use the hardened runtime libraries
    • Wallet:
      • The CoinGrinder coin selection algorithm has been introduced to mitigate unnecessary large input sets and lower transaction costs at high feerates
      • The Branch And Bound coin selection algorithm will be disabled when the subtract fee from outputs feature is used
      • If the birth time of a descriptor is detected to be later than the first transaction involving that descriptor, the birth time will be reset to the earlier time
    • Pruning: When pruning during initial block download, more blocks will be pruned at each flush in order to speed up the syncing of such nodes
  • 1:15:40 Sparrow Wallet
  • v1.8.6
    • Improvements to the Search Wallet dialog:
      • Allow label editing
      • Add copy context menu to Date/Address/Output column
      • Support searching on multiple addresses, txids and UTXOs in a search phrase separated by spaces
      • Make the the dialog non-modal (can interact with wallet window) but allow only a single instance
      • Add a button to export the search results in a CSV
    • Add Show All Wallets Summary to show the balance of all open wallets, along with a combined balance chart
    • Add the Mix Selected button to the UTXOs tab of the Postmix account in desktop and terminal
    • Add wallet import for the Samourai backup export file
  • v1.8.5
    • Implement the Samourai Whirlpool 1.0.6 client using the decentralized Soroban network
    • Add Restart in (different) Home Folder to the Tools menu
    • Indicate if disconnected on startup
    • Add New Wallet, Open Wallet and Import Wallet hyperlinks to the background text shown when no tabs are open
    • Add a button to display the SeedQR for a seed on the seed display dialog
    • Support cookie authentication for Tor control port
    • Use UNIX sockets in Sparrow Home for instance checks and message passing
    • Set the default derivation for BIP39 and xprv imports to the current keystore derivation
    • Keep any existing seeds with matching fingerprints when changing a wallet’s output descriptor, rederiving the xpub if necessary
    • Supporting importing labels from an Electrum history CSV using the Import Wallet > Wallet Labels function
  • 1:26:15 BDK v1.0.0-alpha.9
    • Update dependencies: rust-bitcoin to v0.31.0 and rust-miniscript to v11.0.0
    • Wrap transactions as Arc<Transaction> in TxGraph
    • Introduce proptesting, starting with CheckPoint::range
  • 1:28:01 Umbrel v1.1.0
    • Terminal: Execute custom commands in umbrelOS or within an app from ‘Advanced settings’ in the Settings menu
    • umbrelOS Beta Program: Enroll to gain early access to new features
    • Start, stop, and troubleshoot apps directly from their right-click menu on the home screen
    • When an app is updating, its progress is now displayed within the app icon, making it easier to see update status at a glance
  • 1:28:34 Raspiblitz v1.11.0
    • RaspberryPi5 tested & enabling NVMe PCIe Hats
    • BTCPay Server PostgreSQL database backup and restore options
    • Reset option for the self-signed TLS certificate
    • WebUI: Electrum Connect Screen
  • 1:29:09 Bisq2 v2.0.3
    • Allow buyers who make their own offers to decide the trade price
    • Make the process more consistent for sellers to acquire reputation
    • Ability to add most-used market as favourite
  • 1:29:12 Ledger app-bitcoin-new v2.2.2
    • Taproot miniscript: now recognizes if a key is provably unspendable, labeling it on-screen as ‘dummy’ during registration
    • Message signing: will now show the full text of the message, instead of its hash
  • 1:30:27 COLDCARD Q and Mk4 codebases merged
  • 1:31:34 Blockstream Green QT v2.0.4
    • BIP39 passphrase login
    • Handle external BIP21 payment on macOS and Windows
    • Support signing message with software wallet
  • 1:31:51 Labelbase v2.1.0
    • New extension: Attachments
      • Attach files and images to your labels
      • Only available for self-hosted Labelbase instances
    • PDF and Image viewer
    • Show a “background task activity indicator” on labels while they are being verified using Electrum
    • Custom Electrum config for Testnet labelbases
  • 1:32:15 Blue Wallet
    • v6.6.2
      • Slide up animation for FloatButton
    • v6.6.1
      • Do not start analytics native code if disabled
      • Allow user to cancel reminder in case they are not ready to decide
      • SSL connection to Widget calls
  • 1:32:42 Bitcoin Keeper v1.2.3
    • Fee Insights with detailed analysis
    • Multiple mediums possible for any signer
    • Ability to hide and delete wallets/vaults
  • 1:32:54 Wasabi Wallet v2.0.7
    • New user interface
    • Trezor Safe 3 support
    • Full RBF detection
  • 1:33:18 10101
    • v2.2.1
      • Forward SubmitOrderErrors from app to coordinator
    • v2.2.0
      • Generate own step payout function
      • feat: Add collab liquidation
      • Clarify payout function test
      • Reintroduce position resizing
      • Add trader_pnl to trade_params table
  • 1:33:26 AgoraDesk v1.1.34
    • Add ad filtering to the trader screen
    • Add an icon for recent notifications
  • 1:33:31 SwissBitcoinPay v2.0.8
    • Allow to enter amount in sats and other currencies
    • Reduced QR size to M
    • Invoice’s QR to M
  • 1:33:38 Plebwork Release
    • View transaction history from dashboard
    • Group invoices and receipts in one place
    • New account settings page
    • Link to view public profile
    • Reply to specific messages
  • 1:33:40 Bull Bitcoin Fee Multiple [Blog post]
    • Technical indicator representing current bitcoin network fees in comparison to historical averages
  • 1:33:51 Kraken Wallet [Announced]
    • Open-source, multi-chain wallet on iOS and Android with no client side tracking

Project spotlight

  • 1:34:23 Safety Net by Wizard Sardines: An optional disaster recovery service for Liana [Announcement]
    • Last-resort security feature for the Liana wallet, adding a custodian key that activates only after all personal recovery options are exhausted.
    • Develops a marketplace for custodians to provide these keys.
  • 1:37:54 Sentrum: rust Daemon that monitors watch-only bitcoin wallets [Github]
    • Sends notifications in different channels: ntfy push notifications, email, telegram, nostr, arbitrary command and more.
  • 1:38:04 zkCoins: Novel blockchain design with strong privacy and scalability properties [Twitter post]
    • A payment system with strong privacy and scalability, combining a client-side validation protocol with validity proofs.
    • The system minimizes the blockchain’s role to a simple list of commitments (seals), moving most transaction verification processes off-chain.
    • Proposes an account-based model instead of the traditional UTXO system, reducing memory requirements.
  • 1:38:11 ismyhc announces Basio, a free Bitcoin statistics app “themed in your favorite retro styled watch of the past” [Nostr note]
  • 1:38:24 TxPusher, a conditional transaction broadcasting tool Website
    • Adds Bull Bitcoin Fee Multiple as one of the possible transaction trigger [Announcement]
  • 1:38:37 Launch of Satoshi7B: “the world’s most ‘based’ LLM” [Announcement]
  • 1:39:44 SafeMiner: hardware design project focused on enhancing safety for Bitcoin mining operations [Announcement]
    • “The Design incorporates fire detection and automatic shutdown to ensure the safety of miners” [Github]
    • Plans to adapt the design for popular Bitcoin miners (Antminer S19, S21 and T21)

Privacy Software

Software Releases & Project Updates

  • 1:39:55 SimpleX
    • v5.7.0-beta.2
      • Quantum resistant encryption will be enabled in all direct chats by default
      • Sort group members list by role, with owners and admins first
      • forward messages to contacts and groups and save messages to Private notes
      • Better connectivity and reduced traffic on bad networks
      • Android, desktop: select sound source during the call
      • Desktop: use sound from system source when sharing screen in calls
      • Reduce battery usage when network is unavailable
      • Add call sounds when connecting audio and video calls
      • More reliable file delivery
    • v5.6.1
      • Stabilise iOS notifications
      • Reduce memory usage

Lightning + L2+

Software Releases & Project Updates

  • 1:40:00 Mutiny Node
    • v0.6.6
      • Move device lock out of NodeManager
      • Stop NodeManager separately
      • Longer ping timeout fork of LDK
      • Use correct initial sync AtomicBool
    • v0.6.5
      • Remove unused wasm functions
      • Move bitcoin price fetching to MutinyWallet
      • Update fedimint gateway cache before setting
    • v0.6.4
      • Better setup for new profiles
      • More safely handle invalid NWC events
      • Update contact’s last_used when receiving dms
      • Use compute_opening_fee function from LSPS crate
      • Replace instant dependency with web-time
      • Implement deleting federation recommendations
      • Set min lightning amount to 1 if LSPS
      • Update LDK for to fix inflight updates issue
  • 1:41:03 Mutiny StartOS
    • v0.6.5
      • Better DM handling
    • v0.6.3
      • Improved performance
      • Update to fedimint v0.3.0
      • Display proper commit hash in settings
  • lnbits v0.12.5
    • Simplify description in i18n
    • feat: add check_invalid_payments command
    • feat: add commands delete-wallet, delete-wallet-payment and verbose option
    • feat: add mark-payment-pending command
    • feat: remove --auto-fix option from check-payments
    • feat: improve on api structure, add openapi tags
  • 1:41:51 Phoenix
    • Android/iOS v2.2.2
      • Update fee estimation for on-the-fly channel
      • ios: Support for importing localised seed
      • ios: Fix for background reception payment
    • Phoenixd v0.1.4
      • Do not add linux target on aarch64 architectures
      • Replace --max-absolute-fee by --max-mining-fee
  • 1:42:06 Nutshell v0.15.3
    • Wallet:
      • Allow checking pending invoices
      • Restore wallet now restores tokens for all mint keysets
      • Request Mint Refactor
    • Mint:
      • Recover pending melts at startup
      • Refactor: remove output.id optional
      • Migrate duplicate keysets to db
  • 1:42:13 Zeus
    • v0.9.0-alpha1 [Community sponsors announcement]
      • Watch-only account import (xpub)
      • HWW/Signing device support: Coldcard Q, SeedSigner, Passport Foundation, etc
      • Batch channel opens
      • Batch on-chain transactions
      • Close channels to external addresses
    • v0.8.4-beta1
      • Ability to select wallet/node on start-up
      • Currency conversion: Silver (XAG) + Gold (XAU)
      • Password page: improve layout
      • Add ability to select node on start-up
      • LSP: ensure node is configured before attempting connection to LSP
  • 1:42:40 Alby js-sdk v3.5.0
    • Subscribe to NIP-47 notifications
    • Add NWC sign message method
    • Read supported notification types from wallet service info notifications tag
  • 1:42:44 Aqua Wallet v0.1.50
    • Rework send workflow
    • Add sending to LNURL Pay and Lightning addresses
    • Add support for BIP21 unified QR codes
    • Add automatic refund and claim transaction with submarine swaps using native rust library
    • USDt is still a default asset but removable in Settings
    • Improve restore wallet workflow
    • Add support for AQUA to AQUA lightning payments
    • Enable Biometrics for auth
  • 1:42:47 eNuts v0.4.0-beta
    • Add support for bech32 lnurl encoding/decoding allowing to scan/paste lnurls
    • Add loading indicator while a mint is being added
    • Show pending lightning invoices in history
    • Improve android and ios conditional rendering
  • 1:43:00 Fountain v1.0.12
    • Improved layout and larger font sizes
    • Total supporters added to show pages
    • Support value added to episode, track & album pages
    • Tap to see all supporters & filter by time range
    • Show notes or descriptions added to all pages
    • Clips tab added to show & episode pages
    • Sort & filter options to show pages
    • Search your entire library and filter by content type
    • Set library as default primary tab (Premium only)
  • 1:43:04 BoltzExchange
    • boltz-web-app
      • v1.3.4
        • QR code icon depending on asset
      • v1.3.3
        • dynamic config
        • add user feedback to copy button
        • prevent refunding to lockup address
        • switch assets based on input
        • localized BTC denomination separator
    • boltz-backend v3.5.0 - In Bloom
      • referral API v2
      • sanity check mpay invoice
      • address filter
      • batched normal swap claims
      • cooperative Submarine claim transactions
      • API V2 EVM contract data
      • get reverse swap lockup transaction endpoint
      • cooperative EVM refunds
      • magic BIP-21 routing hints
      • Liquid claim covenant
      • invoice expiry check
  • 1:43:10 Loop v0.28.1
    • instantout:
      • add custom address to send funds to
      • add addr to send funds to
      • export value and expiry
    • swapclientserver: add listinstantouts
    • cmd: add listinstantouts cmd
    • loopdb: make sqlite sync for extra durability
    • Send loop out prepay over selected outgoing chan set

Project spotlight

  • 1:43:17 lnaddrd: A self-hosted server to provide yourself with a Lightning Address [Github]
    • No third parties: generates invoices from a remote LND instance
  • 1:43:22 Fewsats: monetize your files, data and APIs using the L402 protocol [Github]
    • Upload and host your files behind a paywall, making them globally accessible to anyone using an L402-compatible client.
  • 1:43:26 pyl402: Python client and tools for the Lightning Network L402 protocol [Website]
    • Python package is designed to handle HTTP requests with integrated payment functionality, specifically focusing on the Lightning Network protocol L402.
    • Automatic handling of HTTP 402 Payment Required responses [Github]
  • 1:45:00 Constellation, a Layer 3 protocol to enhance Lightning Network [Delving Bitcoin]
    • The protocol employs a federated security model supported by ROAST, a protocol enhancing FROST to generate Schnorr signatures compatible with BIP 340.

Nostr

Software Releases & Project Updates

  • 1:45:39 NDK v2.8 [Note]
    • Optimistic signature-verification
    • Web worker signature verification
    • Dexie cache adapter improvements
    • Thread rendering improvement
  • 1:45:43 rust-nostr v0.30.0
    • Added:
      • Add support to nostrdb storage backend
      • nostr: add NIP32 support
      • cli: add command to serve Nostr Connect signer
    • Changed:
      • Adapted NIP46 to last changes
      • nostr: allow to parse public key from NIP21 uri with PublicKey::parse
      • nostr: allow to parse event ID from NIP21 uri with EventId::parse
      • nostr: construct GenericTagValue based on SingleLetterTag in deserialize_generic_tags
      • nostr: set UnsignedEvent ID as optional
      • sdk: improve proxy options
      • pool: allow to disable RelayLimits
      • signer: re-work nip46 module
      • nwc: avoid to open and close subscription for every request
      • nwc: allow to customize requests timeout
  • 1:45:46 Primal
    • iOS v1.5.2
      • Public bookmarks
      • Video downloads
      • Search by note id
      • Expanded note context menu
      • Outbox model improvements
    • Android v0.97.3
      • Public Bookmarks
      • Profile QR code screen facelift
      • Outbox model improvements
    • Web app v0.104.0
      • Bookmarks
      • Lightning invoices in feeds & DMs
      • Outbox model improvements
  • 1:47:34 Damus latest TestFlight for Purple members [Note]
    • Video player improvements: full-screen, seek and AirPlay support
    • Improve video cache
    • Add relay features
    • Improve switch between clients (Primal-Damus)
  • 1:47:40 Amethyst
    • v0.86.5
      • Enables Mutiny Wallet NWC
      • Removes the use of DM relays to find events due to private inbox settings
      • Adds vertical scrolling on the Zap page for collaborators
      • Avoids decrypting existing Nostr events just to add the relay into the relay list
      • Calculates hash in the IO thread from Compose’s scope
    • v0.86.3
      • Migrates to the new, faster Markdown Parser
      • Adds Note previews on Markdown
      • Adds Custom hashtag icons to Markdown
      • Adds URL preview boxes to Markdown
      • Moves parsing and saving an embed event to the IO thread
      • Improves the secondary button design of the encrypted nsec backup page
  • 1:47:41 Nostur v1.13.0
    • Bookmark color categories
    • Authenticate to relays (NIP-42)
    • Don’t autoload images if there is an NSFW tag
    • Login with nostr (NIP-97)
  • 1:47:44 nos.social
    • v0.1.11-240
      • Add support for uploading videos when composing a note
      • Update Discover tab navigation bar to match new design
    • v0.1.8
      • Update dark theme colors for card backgrounds, primary texts, and secondary texts
      • Add new UI for replying to messages that allows attaching images and setting an expiration date
  • 1:47:46 Gossip v0.10.0
    • Nostr Connect signer: gossip can now serve as your private key bunker using NIP-46
    • Whitelist support for relays: optionally gossip can refuse to connect or authenticate to relays until you approve (or deny) such connections
    • SpamSafe: when enabled, gossip will not fetch replies from people you don’t follow except from relays that you designate as SpamSafe
    • Load More: add Load More button
    • Advertising your relay list now automatically selects relays to advertise to
    • Improve Onboarding Wizard
  • 1:47:47 linktr-nostr v.0.1.6
    • Add nip-46 as login method
      • Connect using a trusted bunker
      • Ability to use both connection strings and nostr addresses with oauth flow
  • 1:47:48 Mostro
    • v0.11.5
      • Allow cross platform compilation
    • v0.11.4
      • Add check on min sats allowed in a new order
      • Solvers should take disputes before operate
    • v0.11.3
      • Admin add solver doc
      • Added custom expire time of orders
      • User rating ack message carries the rating back
    • v0.11.2
      • Send solver pubkey to both parties
      • Limit size of messages
      • Changing routing fee rules
      • Allow admin actions to be done by solvers
      • Makers can’t take own orders

Project spotlight

  • 1:47:56 Blossom: Blobs stored simply on mediaservers [Github]
    • “Blossom is a spec for a set of HTTP endpoints that allow users to store blobs of data on publicly accessible servers”
    • “Blossom uses nostr public/private keys for identities. Users are expected to sign authorization events to prove their identity when interacting with servers”

Boosts

  • 1:51:21 Thanks to everyone who streamed sats, and shoutout to our top boosters:
    • [🏆 TOP BOOSTER] @vake (5,000 sats) “Bitcoin is boring and nothing happens.”
    • @qxotk (4,224 sats) “sleep walking on grass and listening to this pod”
    • @jcdenton (2,100 sats) “thanks for the signal, listened to the end đŸ«Ąâ€
    • @dubravko (1,630 sats) “This is my boost to celebrate still thinking 50 minutes in, making it to the software review. Also, big fan of Harry since 2020, keep on keepin’ on. đŸ€  Yee haw.”
    • @cantillionaire (1,000 sats) “merge Fridge Apple!”
    • @michaelmatulef (210 sats) “Love the conversations you have on here. Thanks gentlemen đŸ»â€

Bitcoin Optech Newsletter

  • 299
    • Weak blocks proof-of-concept implementation
      • Greg Sanders posted to Delving Bitcoin about using weak blocks to improve compact block relay, particularly in the presence of divergent policies for transaction relay and mining.
      • A weak block (or near block) is a block with insufficient proof-of-work to become the next block on the blockchain but which otherwise has a valid structure and set of valid transactions.
      • Sanders proposes using weak block relay, following Bitcoin Core’s compact block relay which reduces the bandwidth required to relay a block by over 99%.
    • BIP editors update: Bryan “Kanzure” Bishop, Jon Atack, Mark “Murch” Erhardt, Olaoluwa “Roasbeef” Osuntokun, and Ruben Somsen were added) as BIP editors
  • 298
    • Analysis of cluster mempool’s performance in bitcoin transactions (2023), findings:
      • The cluster mempool node accepted 0.01% more transactions
      • RBF differences were negligible
      • Cluster mempool was just as good for miners as legacy transaction selection
  • 297
    • DSL for experimenting with contracts
      • Kulpreet Singh is developing a domain-specific language (DSL) for Bitcoin, aiming to simplify specifying operations within contract protocols.
    • Updating BIP2
      • Tim Ruffing proposes updates to BIP2, addressing several issues in the current process: editorial evaluation and discretion, licensing and community feedback.
    • Discussion about resetting and modifying testnet
      • Previous testnet versions were restarted after testnet coins began to hold economic value, making them scarce for free testing.
      • Jameson Lopp cites evidence of similar problems reoccurring, including block flooding from exploitation of the difficulty adjustment algorithm.
      • Discussions occur regarding potential testnet modifications, though some see ongoing issues as beneficial for testing scenarios.

News & Noteworthy

Bitcoin

  • 1:52:57 Nunchuk Announces Finney
    • Bitcoin wallet specifically for families
    • No third-party dependencies for holding backup keys
  • Usage Scenarios:
    • Individual control: One person, one key
    • Centralized control by a majority owner
    • Blind co-signer for private transaction approval
    • Observer role with view-only access
  • Features:
    • Multi-signature options: 2-of-3 or 3-of-5 configurations
    • Regular checks on key health to ensure functionality
    • Compatibility with over 10 types of hardware keys
    • Privacy features including disappearing messages for secure communications
  • 1:53:31 LND node operators advised not to upgrade to bitcoind 27 [Roasbeef Twitter post]
    • Stricter validation rules in “sendrawtransaction” of Bitcoind 27 cause transaction broadcast failures when connected to an LND node.
    • LND v0.17.5-beta has since been released to resolve this compatibility issue [PR #8664]
  • 1:53:36 MiPrimerBitcoin launches the 2024 edition of their 10-week education program [Announcement]
  • 1:53:42 Craig Wright Discontinues Tulip Trading Case in Major Win for Bitcoin Developers [Bitcoin Defense]

Lightning

  • 1:54:02 Zaprite introduces the Mutiny connection [Blog post]
    • Mutiny+ users can generate invoices and payment links through Zaprite
  • 1:54:05 Voltage integrates Mutinynet for enhanced Bitcoin application testing [Blog post]
    • The integration allows developers to easily configure and use Mutinynet within the Voltage platform, improving the transition from testing to production.
  • 1:54:36 Braiins introduces Lightning payouts, instant daily payouts with no minimum or fees [Announcement]
  • 1:54:43 Blockstream launches Liquid Wallet Kit (beta testing phase) [Blog post]
    • Aims to simplify the development of Liquid wallet applications [Github]

Business & Finance

  • Release of tbDEX v1.0, an open source liquidity and trust protocol [Blog post]
    • Offers features for financial institutions, wallet applications, and credential issuers, facilitating transactions and compliance with regulations.
  • Strike expands to Europe [Jack Mallers Announcement]

Hyperbitconization

  • Azteco vouchers now available in 190 countries [Bitcoin Magazine]
  • Block lets Square merchants convert a part of their daily sales to bitcoin
    • Block, the company behind Square, Cash App and other services, announced a new program today allowing merchants using Square’s solutions to convert a percentage of their daily sales to bitcoin.
    • The feature, rolling out in the U.S. starting today, will transfer 1-10% of Square sellers’ daily sales to their personal Cash App account. This amount will convert into bitcoin at the end of the day. Merchants will receive a confirmation of the conversion when the transaction is complete.
    • Block said that the bitcoin conversion feature will be available to all sole proprietors or single-member LLCs in the coming months. The company takes a 1% cut from every conversion made by the seller. Merchants can send bitcoin to other wallets or sell them at any time from their Cash App account.

Funding

  • 1:55:09 OpenSats grants long-term support to three nostr developers:
    • Hrzd149 to enhance noStrudel with nostr nests support and expand Blossom with blossom-drive for file hosting. [Blog post]
    • Stuart Bowman to continue work on the Satelite Earth stack; enhancing community self-reliance, improving relay system diversity and functionality. [Blog post]
    • Pablof7z to work on niche relays, event database synchronization, localized flows and client discoverability, amongst other. [Blog post]
  • 1:55:22 The Human Rights Foundation establishes the Finney Freedom Prize for the next 33 halving era [Blog post]
    • The prize recognizes individuals advancing Bitcoin and human rights, awarding a physical prize and 1 bitcoin per halving period.
  • 1:55:26 Neutronpay secures $1.5 million in funding for Lightning Network expansion in Southeast Asia [Blog post]

Mining

  • Analysis of mining centralization in AntPool and Bitmain operations [Twitter post]
    • AntPool and Bitmain would operate as a “pool of pools,” contributing to mining centralization, as reported by 0xB10C.
    • The report reveals that several mining pools, including BTCcom pool, Binance pool, Poolin, EMCD, Rawpool, and possibly Braiins, use identical block templates and custom transaction prioritization as AntPool.
  • Block announces 3nm bitcoin mining chip [Announcement]
    • Reveals the completion of a 3nm Bitcoin mining chip and is nearing the full design tapeout with a major global semiconductor foundry.
    • The company is also developing a complete Bitcoin mining system, aiming to innovate and support new mining system form factors and use cases.
  • 1:55:34 Ocean announces the whitepaper of their TIDES payout system [Announcement]
    • “This can be implemented by any pool and sets a new standard for transparency and fidelity for miners wishing to verify their rewards.”
  • Riot Platforms energizes new Corsicana facility, in Navarro County, Texas [Announcement]
    • The facility aims to become the world’s largest Bitcoin mining facility with a total capacity of 1 GW upon full development.
  • Bitcoin ASIC manufacturer Auradine completes $80M Series B funding [Press release]

Privacy

  • DuckDuckGo launches a new 3-in-1 subscription service called ‘Privacy Pro’ [Announcement]
    • The service includes a VPN, a personal data removal service and an identity theft restoration solution.
  • Proton launches Dark Web Monitoring [Blog post]
    • Service scanning for credential leaks on the dark web, for paid subscribers
  • US internal revenue services (IRS) issues a draft form for cryptocurrency brokers to report information about their clients and transactions on their platforms [Twitter post]
  • US Senate reauthorizes FISA surveillance program, avoiding expiration [The Guardian]
  • US court rules suspects can be compelled to unlock phones with biometrics [Arstechnica]
    • The court compares the compelled use of a biometric to unlock a phone to non-testimonial procedures like blood draws or fingerprinting during booking, requiring no “cognitive exertion.”
  • Personal data of 5 million Salvadoran citizens exposed [Daily Dark Web]
    • “the leaked data consists of 5,129,518 high-definition photos without watermarks, each labeled with the individual’s “DUI” identification number
 names, last names, dates of birth, telephone numbers, email addresses, and residential addresses.”
  • World-Check database leak: 5.3 million KYC records to be released [Tech Crunch]
    • The database is used for “know your customer” checks to screen potential clients for financial risks and criminal ties.
    • The data breach occurred at a Singapore-based firm with access to the database, not directly from the London Stock Exchange Group which owns World-Check.

Protocol

  • Bitcoin Core #29850 [merged]
    • Limits the maximum number of IP addresses accepted from an individual DNS seed to 32 per query
    • Aims to prevent a scenario where a new node might connect primarily to peers from a single, potentially malicious seed, which could isolate it from the honest network.
    • By equalizing the number of IP addresses received from each seed, the update enhances network diversity and reduces vulnerability to eclipse attacks.

Government & Political

  • 1:58:00 FBI probed Atlanta 2022 CoreDev event linked to Luke Dashjr’s BTC hack [The Block]
    • Mike Schmidt, co-founder at Brink and organiser of the event, announced that he had received a subpoena from the FBI
    • Publicly available information was provided, including GitHub usernames, public first and last names and email addresses
  • Norwegian government to further regulate data center operation [Coin Desk]
    • The proposed telecoms act mandates registration for data center operators to provide detailed information about their operations
  • Paraguay reconsiders mining ban [No Bullshit Bitcoin]
    • Lawmakers are exploring the possibility of selling surplus energy to bitcoin miners instead of to neighboring countries [Twitter post]
  • Swiss activists push for Bitcoin inclusion in national reserves [Market Watch]
    • Yves BennaĂŻm initiates a campaign to amend the Swiss constitution, aiming to mandate the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to hold part of its reserves in bitcoin

Events

  • India Bitcoin Conference
    • “The most important Bitcoin gathering of builders, innovators, and businesses in the Indian Subcontinent.”
    • September 20-22, 2024 in Goa, India
  • Africa Bitcoin Conference
    • “Designing Africa of Tomorrow”
    • December 9-11, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya
  • Sovereign Engineering Cohort
    • Aims to foster innovation through intensive two-month sessions of hacking, building, and mentorship, focused on creating applications and services for a self-sovereign future.
    • SEC-02: May 6 to June 28 2024 in Madeira, Portugal

Reads

  • Here’s a list of our top recently published reads:

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

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