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Blockspace: Ark Labs Raises $5.2M, CleanSpark on BTC Price, Luxor's Mining Outlook, and the IRS New Crypto Form

Mar 14, 2026
Alex B, founder at Ark Labs driving Arc and Arcade to add programmable finance to Bitcoin. Jamie Gill runs Luxor’s ASIC brokerage desk, focused on secondary markets and fleet refresh. Alex Bloom from Two Prime covers institutional lending behavior. They discuss Ark Labs’ $5.2M raise, miner markets and logistics, institutional lending risks, Bitcoin price moves, and the IRS 1099-DA controversy.
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ANECDOTE

Arcade Started As A Prototype Wallet

  • Alex B described Arcade as a prototype wallet turned first commercial product built on Arc.
  • He recounted partnering with Bolts for Lightning swaps instead of building Lightning in-house to separate duties and improve security.
INSIGHT

Price Moves Look Like Flow Imbalances Not A Clear Safe Haven

  • Recent BTC price moves (+10% in five days) may reflect ETF flows and stretched buying rather than a clean flight-to-safety.
  • Rory and Alex Bloom called the market a 'beach ball' with flows intermittently lifting price while macro risks persist.
ADVICE

Avoid Relying On Unstable DeFi Funding For Long Loans

  • Expect institutional lending to slow when Bitcoin prices fall and watch counterparty sourcing of funds (DeFi) for liquidity risk.
  • Alex Bloom warned lenders using open-term DeFi capital face run risk if rates spike or funds get pulled.
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