Blockspace: AI & Bitcoin

Get your tickets to OPNEXT 2026 before prices increase! Join us on April 16 in NYC for technical discussions, investor talks, and intimate conversation with the brightest minds in Bitcoin. Welcome back to The Blockspace Podcast! Today, Marty Bent joins us to talk about the legislative "horse trading" behind-the-scenes with the PARITY and CLARITY Acts and why Bitcoin de minimis tax exemptions are being sidelined for stablecoins. Plus, Jameson Lopp breaks down the creeping influence of AI agents on our digital security, and Alex Pruden of Project Eleven touches on the looming technical challenge of quantum computing on Bitcoin’s cryptography. We also cover Bitdeer’s 180MW AI expansion in Norway, Elizabeth Warren's latest attacks on Bitmain, and how Cash App is enabling default Bitcoin payments for millions of US merchants. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Bitdeer targeting Dec 2026 for 180MW Norway AI data center. * 55.62% of Bitcoin holders are currently in profit. * BTC Realized losses are the worst since 2023. * Cash App enables BTC payments for millions. * PARITY Act draft excludes BTC tax exemptions. * Operation Red Sunset: fact or fiction? Timestamps: 00:00 Start 03:10 Square terminals accept Bitcoin by default 07:17 BTC holders in loss 13:43 Marty Bent 31:19 Jameson Lopp 50:18 Alex Pruden 1:05:12  Bitdeer building AI data center Norway 1:10:45 Warren targets Bitmain as security threat 👉CleanSpark CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) is a market-leading data center developer with a proven track record of success. We own a portfolio of power, land, and data centers across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin, energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our infrastructure to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by producing a global emerging critical resource – compute – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world. 👉Luxor, Blockspace's preferred mining pool Bitcoin mining revenue changes every day. Difficulty adjusts. Fees move. Prices shift. And that makes it hard to plan. Luxor Pool’s Fixed Payouts let miners lock in revenue at a guaranteed daily rate for up to 18 months. According to Hashrate Index, miners who used rolling fixed payout strategies since the last halving have outperformed FPPS mining by up to 15 percent. Fixed Payouts give you predictable daily revenue, so you can plan, budget, and grow with confidence. With Luxor, uncertainty is optional. Learn more at luxor.tech/mining Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get your tickets to OPNEXT 2026 before prices increase! Join us on April 16 in NYC for technical discussions, investor talks, and intimate conversation with the brightest minds in Bitcoin. Welcome back to The Blockspace Podcast! Today, Hut 8 CEO Asher Genoot, Luxor Head of Financial Services Matt Williams, and Bitcoin Policy Institute Head of Government Affairs Ken Egan join us to respectively talk about the latest in Hut 8’s AI expansion, the regulatory battle over stablecoin rewards in the CLARITY Act, and Luxor’s new energy and financing offerings for AI operators. Plus, for news, we dive deep into why Marathon Digital is selling BTC to retire debt, how Coinbase and Better Homes and Finance secured a historic mortgage win with Fannie Mae-approved crypto-backed home loans, and why markets are backsliding going into the weekend. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Next difficulty adjustment expected at +4.5%. * MARA sold 15,133 BTC ($1.1B) to retire $1B in debt. * Fannie Mae rubberstamps crypto-backed mortgages from Coinbase/Better Homes. * CLARITY Act nearing finish line Timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:19 Difficulty Report by Hashrate Index 04:58 CLARITY Act update 31:39 Asher Genoot, HUT8 44:49 Matt Williams, Luxor 1:01:07 MARA selling BTC 1:22:13 Market update = bad :( 👉CleanSpark CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) is a market-leading data center developer with a proven track record of success. We own a portfolio of power, land, and data centers across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin, energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our infrastructure to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by producing a global emerging critical resource – compute – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world. 👉Luxor, Blockspace's preferred mining pool Bitcoin mining revenue changes every day. Difficulty adjusts. Fees move. Prices shift. And that makes it hard to plan. Luxor Pool’s Fixed Payouts let miners lock in revenue at a guaranteed daily rate for up to 18 months. According to Hashrate Index, miners who used rolling fixed payout strategies since the last halving have outperformed FPPS mining by up to 15 percent. Fixed Payouts give you predictable daily revenue, so you can plan, budget, and grow with confidence. With Luxor, uncertainty is optional. Learn more at luxor.tech/mining Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get your tickets to OPNEXT 2026 before prices increase! Join us on April 16 in NYC for technical discussions, investor talks, and intimate conversation with the brightest minds in Bitcoin. Welcome back to The Blockspace Podcast! Today, Jay Patel, Founder of Lygos Finance, joins us to talk about tremors in private credit markets and how they might affect bitcoin-backed credit markets, and Blockspace podcaster Gwart hops on to discuss crypto’s year of soul-searching. We also dive into Tether’s first-ever audit, why the banks beat crypto in the latest draft of the CLARITY Act, and the emergence of a new Bitcoin client. Finally, we break down the incredible story of the unlikely hiding place for an Irish Drug dealer’s bitcoin stash. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: • Tether seeks first Big Four audit vs Circle. • Banks beat crypto in CLARITY Act. • Irish authorities seized 500 BTC from dealer. • Private credit faces risks as Blue Owl, others alter redemptions. • New Bitcoin client makes the “conservative case” for BTC Timestamps: 00:00 Start 02:35 Tether audit 16:30 CLARITY Act update 28:44 Gwart 47:07 Jay Patel from Lygos on Private Credit 1:02:18 New Bitcoin software client 1:12:10 Irish weed dealer's BTC gets seized 👉CleanSpark CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) is a market-leading data center developer with a proven track record of success. We own a portfolio of power, land, and data centers across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin, energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our infrastructure to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by producing a global emerging critical resource – compute – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world. 👉Luxor, Blockspace's preferred mining pool Bitcoin mining revenue changes every day. Difficulty adjusts. Fees move. Prices shift. And that makes it hard to plan. Luxor Pool’s Fixed Payouts let miners lock in revenue at a guaranteed daily rate for up to 18 months. According to Hashrate Index, miners who used rolling fixed payout strategies since the last halving have outperformed FPPS mining by up to 15 percent. Fixed Payouts give you predictable daily revenue, so you can plan, budget, and grow with confidence. With Luxor, uncertainty is optional. Learn more at luxor.tech/mining Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Gentry, CEO of Bitcoin Infrastructure Corp and creator of 402index.io, is a Lightning and machine-payments builder. He discusses machine-to-machine payments using Lightning and the evolution of L402. The conversation also covers recent crypto layoffs, the macro picture driving Fed hawkishness, and Strategy’s massive $44B stock filing.

Get your tickets to OPNEXT 2026 before prices increase! Join us on April 16 in NYC for technical discussions, investor talks, and intimate conversation with the brightest minds in Bitcoin. Welcome back to The Blockspace Podcast! Today, Aydin Kilic, CEO of HIVE Digital Technologies, joins us to talk about the company’s AI shift, and Bitcoin developer Portland Hodl joins us to discuss how AI is disrupting the software engineering industry. We also break down Nasdaq's SEC approval for tokenized equity trading, and the upcoming Netflix series on the FTX collapse produced by the Obamas, and an update on the CLARITY Act.  Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Bitcoin difficulty drops by 7.23%. * Hashrate down over 100 EH/s recently. * HIVE BC site targeting 12.5MW by 2027. * Grace Blackwell GPUs earn $60M/year per 5MW. * Nasdaq cleared to offer tokenized trading * Coinbase opens perpetual futures trading to non-US users * CLARITY Act could advance to Senate floor next month Timestamps: 00:00 Start 02:29 Difficulty Report By Hashrate Index 13:11 Netflix FTX adaptation 19:30 Portland Hodl 32:19 SEC approves Nasdaq for tokenized securities 37:36 Morgan Stanley ETF 40:31 Aydin Kilic - CEO at HIVE 1:06:15 Bitcoin Bugle & Maxi Madness 1:15:12 CLARITY Act update 👉CleanSpark CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) is a market-leading data center developer with a proven track record of success. We own a portfolio of power, land, and data centers across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin, energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our infrastructure to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by producing a global emerging critical resource – compute – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world. 👉Luxor, Blockspace's preferred mining pool Bitcoin mining revenue changes every day. Difficulty adjusts. Fees move. Prices shift. And that makes it hard to plan. Luxor Pool’s Fixed Payouts let miners lock in revenue at a guaranteed daily rate for up to 18 months. According to Hashrate Index, miners who used rolling fixed payout strategies since the last halving have outperformed FPPS mining by up to 15 percent. Fixed Payouts give you predictable daily revenue, so you can plan, budget, and grow with confidence. With Luxor, uncertainty is optional. Learn more at luxor.tech/mining Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Francis Corvino, of Lygos Finance joins us to talk about the Blockfills bankruptcy filing, their $145M in unsecured claims, and why the 2022 "hangover" is still claiming victims today. We also dive into Kraken’s decision to delay its public offering, the SEC’s long-awaited guidance on token offerings, and the meteoric rise of Circle’s stock following Clarity Act talks. Finally, we warn you about the sophisticated Lazarus Group phishing campaign that hit Bitrefill and targeted seasoned developers. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Kraken delayed IPO due to market conditions. * Blockfills: $145M in unsecured claims reported. * Lazarus Group hack targeted Bitrefill via Telegram. Timestamps: 00:00 Start 03:33 Kraken IPO delay 12:06 Lygos Finance on Bitfills 26:09 SEC clarity on crypto assets 34:59 Vanity Fair hit piece 47:44 Ledn & the Bitcoin loan market 1:02:42 Cathedra on HPC & mining 👉CleanSpark CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) is a market-leading data center developer with a proven track record of success. We own a portfolio of power, land, and data centers across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin, energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our infrastructure to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by producing a global emerging critical resource – compute – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world. 👉Luxor, Blockspace's preferred mining pool Bitcoin mining revenue changes every day. Difficulty adjusts. Fees move. Prices shift. And that makes it hard to plan. Luxor Pool’s Fixed Payouts let miners lock in revenue at a guaranteed daily rate for up to 18 months. According to Hashrate Index, miners who used rolling fixed payout strategies since the last halving have outperformed FPPS mining by up to 15 percent. Fixed Payouts give you predictable daily revenue, so you can plan, budget, and grow with confidence. With Luxor, uncertainty is optional. Learn more at luxor.tech/mining Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Valentin Rousseau, Hashlabs analyst who ranks countries for Bitcoin mining. Danny Plainview, OP_NET co-founder explaining the OpNet smart contract protocol. Chad Masters, OP_NET co-founder discussing the $5M raise and Bitcoin-native smart contract vision. They discuss OP_NET’s technical choices and developer momentum. They also cover the best and worst mining jurisdictions and recent industry turmoil around Blockfills and policy moves.

Alex B, Arc Labs ecosystem lead, builds programmable finance on Bitcoin with Arcade and Arc protocol. Rory Murray, CleanSpark executive, covers Bitcoin market structure and operational strategy under volatility. Jamie Gill from Luxor, ASIC brokerage lead, discusses secondary ASIC demand, firmware efficiency gains, and logistics impacts from geopolitical events. They dive into fundraising, mining outlooks, market behavior, and a new IRS crypto form.

Get your tickets to OPNEXT 2026 before prices increase! Join us on April 16 in NYC for technical discussions, investor talks, and intimate conversation with the brightest minds in Bitcoin. Welcome back to The Blockspace Podcast! Today, Nazar Khan, CTO of TeraWulf, joins us to talk about the company's expansion into AI and HPC. We dive deep into their new sites in Kentucky and Maryland, the strategy behind repurposing brownfield industrial infrastructure, and why battery storage is the key to grid reliability. Nazar explains the transition from bitcoin mining to AI loads and how TeraWulf plans for its bitcoin mining fleet amid the AI expansion. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Targeting 480MW capacity in Kentucky by H2 2027. * Maryland site to feature 1GW load and generation. * 500MW battery storage planned for Maryland campus. * Targeting energy availability in MD by 2028-2029. Timestamps: 00:00 Start 04:07 Kentucky site 06:33 Maryland site 08:25 Redundant power 10:13 Battery storage 13:40 New generation 14:49 Tenants for sites 17:08 Brownfield sites 19:28 Lake Mariner & Abernathy sites 24:28 Geopolitical concerns 27:49 Managing a power plant 33:55 168 megawatts 40:55 Local pushback on new data centers 48:21 Bitcoin mining future 👉CleanSpark CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) is a market-leading data center developer with a proven track record of success. We own a portfolio of power, land, and data centers across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin, energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our infrastructure to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by producing a global emerging critical resource – compute – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world. 👉Luxor, Blockspace's preferred mining pool Bitcoin mining revenue changes every day. Difficulty adjusts. Fees move. Prices shift. And that makes it hard to plan. Luxor Pool’s Fixed Payouts let miners lock in revenue at a guaranteed daily rate for up to 18 months. According to Hashrate Index, miners who used rolling fixed payout strategies since the last halving have outperformed FPPS mining by up to 15 percent. Fixed Payouts give you predictable daily revenue, so you can plan, budget, and grow with confidence. With Luxor, uncertainty is optional. Learn more at luxor.tech/mining Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liang Wang, VP of Canaan and ASIC/mining executive, discusses Canaan’s Texas acquisitions and rapid 60.9% ASIC sales growth. He covers using stranded energy, behind-the-meter pilots for heat reuse, North American expansion, China’s regulatory landscape, and how AI demand is reshaping chip supply and mining economics.