Blockspace: AI & Bitcoin

BITCOIN SEASON 2: Inside Bitcoin’s Darknet MarketsSub-title (150 characters or so)We’re exploring darknet markets, from their history with the Silk Road to how they function today. Bitcoin vs. Monero usage, exit scams, and why these markets look like they're stuck in 2004 despite handling billions in transactions.Body (300 characters or so)You're listening to Bitcoin Season 2. Subscribe to the newsletter, trusted by over 7,000 Bitcoiners: https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.comColin and Charlie dive into the seedy underbelly of cryptocurrency—darknet markets. From the early days of the Farmers Market to the infamous Silk Road and beyond, they explore how these marketplaces function, why they initially struggled without Bitcoin, and the recent shift from Monero back to Bitcoin following exchange delistings. With $2 billion in annual volume yet surprisingly flat growth, they examine the robust review systems, exit scams, and why these sites stubbornly maintain their 2004-era aesthetics.Disclaimer: This episode discusses drugs and illegal activities for informational purposes only.Follow our guests: @cbspears @asilayhodling @btcszn2Notes:- Darknet markets processed ~$2-3.5B annually- Farmers Market (2006) had only 3,000 users- Silk Road processed $182M from 100,000 users- Market volume remained flat despite crypto growth- Monero losing popularity after exchange delistings- Kraken darknet market: ~$800M volume in 2024Check out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start01:50 Chainalysis Darknet Market Report05:15 Farmer's Market14:27 After Silk Road16:11 Arch16:42 Rise of Monero23:38 Quality control29:24 Exit scams-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gabriel Shipton, film producer and brother of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, joins us alongside Brian Locklin from Ordinals to discuss Project Spartacus. This ambitious initiative aims to permanently archive the Afghan War Logs on Bitcoin's blockchain through ordinals technology, creating an uncensorable repository of historically significant information. They explore how Bitcoin offers unique censorship resistance, the technical challenges they've overcome, and the potential for Bitcoin to serve as a powerful publishing platform for journalists and freedom advocates.Follow our guests: @GabrielShipton @ordinalsbot @bruffstarNotes:- Project archives 76,000+ Afghan War Logs on Bitcoin- Julian Assange was imprisoned for 14 years- War Logs were previously unavailable at times- Julian is free but restricted by plea deal- Bitcoin enabled Wikileaks to survive debanking- Ordinals offer new censorship-resistant archiveCheck out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start01:25 Project Spartacus03:18 Before Assange was released06:36 Ordinalsbot involvement09:45   Arch10:17 New financial model for publishing15:42 Breaking new ground for Ordinals18:32 Censorship resistant platforms23:07 Recent wins & losses29:38 Wrap up-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dive into GameStop's surprising announcement to raise $1.3 billion in convertible notes, potentially to buy Bitcoin. The hosts explore how this connects to the 2021 meme stock saga that gave GameStop its massive cash position, Ryan Cohen's relationship with Michael Saylor, and whether this Bitcoin strategy is a life raft for a retail gaming business in decline. With GameStop's revenue dropping from $8.5B to $3.8B over eight years, is this a smart pivot or just vibe investing?Notes:- GameStop announces $1.3B convertible note offering- Revenue declined from $8.5B to $3.8B in 8 years- Company has $4.76B cash on balance sheet- Cash position largely from 2021 meme stock frenzy- Zero debt after paying off all loans- Saylor posted photo with Ryan Cohen: "Team Bitcoin"Check out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start00:28 GameStop enters the chat02:05 GME be buying07:58 Roaring Kitty Redux10:43 Financials13:25   Arch13:56 Business evolution20:14 Volatility trade25:28 Not a crazy pivot30:22 BTC makes an honest market or not...-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder and CEO of StarkWare, joins us to discuss how StarkNet plans to settle on both Ethereum and Bitcoin. We dive into the technical details of zero-knowledge proofs, the importance of OP_CAT for Bitcoin's future, and the fascinating Collider Script approach to covenants. Eli shares his concerns about Bitcoin ossification, explaining why without scaling solutions, Bitcoin risks becoming a "Rolex" - an asset only accessible to the wealthy. We also explore quantum computing threats and potential solutions for securing Bitcoin's future.Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.comNotes:- StarkWare has over 200 team members- OP_CAT is the "greenest" covenant proposal- Quantum threats require ZK-based solutions- Collider Script enables covenants at high cost- Bitcoin fees prevent mass adoption- Bitcoin needs soft forks to avoid ossification00:00 Start01:09 Starkware background04:38 Bringing ZK tech to Bitcoin07:53 What is a "unified" layer 2?09:21 Why use Starknet?11:33 Posting proofs on-chain13:26 OP_CAT16:55 Collider script19:35 Arch20:09 SHA1 collisions?22:43 Brute forcing covenants into Bitcoin24:53 fear of soft fork27:59 Quantum32:16 Possible quantum futures34:26 Why ZK_Starks for Satoshi's coins??38:16 Confiscation vs network protection43:18 Self custody future-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump makes a pivot from Bitcoin to stablecoins in his latest policy statements. Reality check: stablecoins now account for over 50% of all crypto settlement volume, with Tether becoming the 7th largest holder of US Treasuries globally. We break down how stablecoins are being used in emerging markets, why Tron dominates the stablecoin landscape despite centralization concerns, and what this means for Bitcoin's relationship with the traditional financial system.Notes:- Tether is 7th largest buyer of US treasuries globally- Stablecoins now 50% of all crypto settlement volume- Tether holds $113 billion in treasuries- Tron handles ~40% of stablecoin transactions- Tether earns ~$4 billion yearly on Treasury yields- Trump now promoting stablecoins for dollar dominanceCheck out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start00:34 Trump video03:09 Reaction06:53 Tether buying treasuries11:08 Other stablecoins17:35 Arch Network18:05 The Tether Eye of Sauron20:10 Who's using stablecoins22:18 Where are stablecoins traded?26:31 Volume of all crypto transactions compared32:33 A realistic view-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Todd joins us to talk about Bitcoin's technical evolution, discussing terminology like "blockchain" vs "timechain," and revealing flaws in Satoshi's original design. Peter dives deep into mining economics, explaining the risks of block withholding attacks, the problems with activation mechanisms for soft forks, and controversial funding models like demurrage. Despite surviving significant challenges, Bitcoin faces ongoing security concerns as block rewards diminish, requiring creative solutions to ensure mining remains economically viable long-term.Notes:- Block withholding attacks remain an unsolved risk- Mining rewards currently ~0.5% tax on Bitcoin savings- Bitcoin difficulty algorithm relies on halving events- Miners have ~24-30% hash power can disrupt network- Transaction fees alone insufficient for mining economics- Demurrage could stabilize mining revenue long-termCheck out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start02:03 Timechain not a good word04:28 White paper terminology09:17 Difficulty11:35 Price vs hashrate12:53 Block withholding attack21:08 Arch Network21:40 Risks of a block withholding attack26:50 Soft forks31:01 BIP 8 & BIP 934:12 Signaling for soft forks35:51 Nodes vs miners38:04 Transaction IDs43:22 OP_NEXT44:14 Solving soft fork activation48:50 Are drivechains dumb?50:44 Miner centralization56:54 WTF is demurrage?1:01:18 Tail emission1:07:04 ETH mansion1:09:47 Ordinals-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Kimmell joins us to evaluate the Lightning Network's decade long journey. We break down Lightning using simple analogies (bar tabs and abacuses!), trace its historical development through Bitcoin's scaling debates, and try to assess its successes and disappointments. While Lightning functions technically and has achieved notable adoption milestones, the we discuss why user experience remains challenging and if we can address persistent issues like channel liquidity management and offline reception problems.-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-Notes- Lightning whitepaper published in 2015 (decade ago)- Three softforks enabled Lightning functionality- Trump used Lightning for burger purchase on camera- Many Lightning wallet providers have shut down- Channel liquidity management remains a major UX issue- Binance and major exchanges now support LightningCheck out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start02:17 What is the Lightning Network?08:50 History of Lightning21:34 Web326:35 Arch Network27:07 New use cases30:05 Lightning successes37:49 Lightning failures41:30 OP_NEXT48:06 UX challenges👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Janusz is meeting Solana degens where they’re at by building a product that helps them stack bitcoin during their regular Solana use. “Lemon Drop” is the first product release in Janusz’s recent Bitcoin pivot and builds towards his bigger goal: increasing Bitcoin privacy through increasing Bitcoin’s anonymity set. Also: activating a Bitcoin soft fork?Notes:• How Lemon Drop works• Privacy on Bitcoin• Open Source vs Product focused development• A soft fork activation?Check out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start01:02 Anon payments03:17 Pivot on Layers project05:39 Lemondrop10:13 Inspiration12:45 Arch Network13:17 Building the team16:52 Wrapped BTC20:36 Bitcoin Layers project25:51 Soft fork activation client32:26 Advocating for specific covenants37:11 Privacy projects42:43 Privacy adoption-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Bitcoin Season 2. Subscribe to the newsletter, trusted by over 7,000 Bitcoiners: https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.comWe break down the 2024 River Financial Report. What countries are buying? Which funds are buying? What does the average Bitcoin user look like? And what the heck is up with Lightning these days?Notes:• Lightning mixed: up & down• ETFs are buying individuals Bitcoin• Sovereigns are starting to but BTC• Good vs Bad changes to Bitcoin in 2024Check out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps00:00 Intro Bitcoin Season 2 Writers Room00:22 Institutions Are Buying All Your Bitcoin02:42 How ETFs & Institutions Are Changing Bitcoin05:35 MicroStrategy’s Massive Bitcoin Holdings09:45 Arch Network10:16 Nation States12:03 Nation-States & Governments Holding Bitcoin16:26 Bitcoin’s Bull Case How Early Are We22:27 ETFs & The 2024 Bitcoin Bull Market26:50 The State of the Bitcoin Lightning Network39:00 Stablecoins Adoption & Bitcoin’s Use Cases42:03 Bitcoin Protocol Upgrades & Future Development-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot has happened since our last conversation with Hunter just 3 months ago. The Bitcoin developer mailing list has been popping off and now everyone’s talking about Quantum Bitcoin. But what’s changed? What new debates have kicked off & what are their implications? And should we confiscate Satoshi’s coins if they get quantum hacked?Notes:• Should we steal Satoshi’s coins?• Does quantum need a block size increase?• Which bitcoin is most vulnerable?• Has the “best” solution changed in the past 6 months?Check out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Controversial Bitcoin Proposal02:03 Bitcoin’s Quantum Security Threat05:01 How Quantum Computers Could Steal Bitcoin08:07 The Debate on Locking Satoshi’s Coins12:24 Bitcoin Censorship vs. Core Values19:53 Arch Network20:27 Preparing Bitcoin for a Quantum Future29:23 Evaluating Quantum-Resistant Cryptography36:14 Block Size Weight & Transaction Discounts Explained44:41 Security Implications for Bitcoin Miners52:40 Conclusion & How to Get Involved  -👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices