Blockspace: AI & Bitcoin

James Check, Co-Founder of Check on Chain, joins us to talk about the current state of Bitcoin in 2026. James breaks down why Bitcoin decoupled from the wider market in late 2025, the massive sell-side pressure from long-term holders, and why on-chain metrics point to a bear market phase. We also explore the "extraordinary" nature of ETF flows, the quantum computing debate, and why gold and Bitcoin are ultimately the same trade. Subscribe to the newsletter! [https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com](https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com) Notes: * ETF outflows reached ~$6.5 billion * Realized Cap is currently trending lower * Bitcoin fair value is approx $90k Timestamps: 00:00 Start 03:25 Current state of the market 07:52 ETF vs. chain analytics 10:49 ETF outflows & price drivers 14:00 Retail ETF buyers 18:56 Whale selling? 20:37 Gold 25:34 4 yr cycle is crap 32:07 Good indicators 35:57 What's exciting in Bitcoin now? 40:58 Evolving views on Bitcoin - 👉CleanSpark, America’s Bitcoin Miner! 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. 👉 FBOX, Cooling for Bitcoin Mining and the AI Data Center Transformation FBOX is the global leader in cooling system manufacturing, with the #1 shipment volume of bitcoin mining containers worldwide. Not only powering for the strongest hashrate, their technology also helps mining infrastructure transform into AI data centers. Backed by the largest production scale on earth, global deployment capability, and a full range of cooling solutions, they are shaping the future of compute. 👉 Luxor, Leaders In Bitcoin Mining and Compute Power! Get game-changing mining results with Luxor Firmware. Boost hashrate, cut energy costs, protect your hardware, and maximize mining profits with LuxOS. Published twice weekly, “The Blockspace Pod” interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We break down the difference between bits and qubits, explain why Shor's algorithm threatens elliptic curve cryptography, and debate the fate of Satoshi's vulnerable coins. It’s a deep dive into encryption, timeline predictions, and the massive coordination challenge facing the Bitcoin network to upgrade before it's too late. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Satoshi has ~1M quantum vulnerable BTC. * 2-4 million total BTC are currently exposed. * 10-20% of supply is vulnerable to Shor's algo. * Breaking BTC needs ~4,000 logical qubits. * Google’s Willow chip has 105 physical qubits. * NIST finalized quantum standards in 2024. Timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:02 Overview 05:08 The Algorithm 10:59 Satoshi's Coins 13:09 How Long Do We Have? 15:18 Where Do We Stand? 17:22 Post Quantum Migration - 👋The Blockspace Pod 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

Subscribe to the Blockspace newsletter! Welcome back to The Blockspace Podcast! Today, Colin and Charlie give a temperature check on bitcoin mining stats, highlighting stats that show non-monetary transactions currently account for nearly 50% of all Bitcoin transactions. We also dig into Hut 8’s plans for a 500 MW data center in Illinois, the latest hiring spree at Cipher Mining, Riot’s updated compensation plan as they expand into AI, and MSCI’s decision to keep Strategy (MSTR) in its indices. Finally, for this week’s cry corner, Florida’s renewed attempt at a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.  Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Runes: 6.1M txs, 42% of volume last month * Hash price: $39/PH/day, fees near zero * Hut 8: 500MW, $4-5B site in Logan County, IL, pending zoning approval * Difficulty: 4 negative adjustments out of last 5 * Riot: Jason Chung in as CFO *Florida makes a second attempt at a strategic bitcoin reserve Timestamps 00:00 Start 02:37 Difficulty Report by Luxor 06:06 Hut 8 new data center 11:15 MSCI decision 13:26 Cipher adds Drew Armstrong, Lee Bratcher 18:07 Riot compensation changes, new CFO 22:33 Cry corner: Are SBRs back? 👉CleanSpark, America's Bitcoin Miner! 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. 👉 FBOX, Cooling for Bitcoin Mining and the AI Data Center Transformation FBOX is the global leader in cooling system manufacturing, with the #1 shipment volume of bitcoin mining containers worldwide. Not only powering for the strongest hashrate, their technology also helps mining infrastructure transform into AI data centers. Backed by the largest production scale on earth, global deployment capability, and a full range of cooling solutions, they are shaping the future of compute. 👉 Luxor, Leaders In Bitcoin Mining and Compute Power! Get game-changing mining results with Luxor Firmware. Boost hashrate, cut energy costs, protect your hardware, and maximize mining profits with LuxOS. Published twice weekly, "The Blockspace Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe to the Blockspace newsletter! Welcome back to The Blockspace Pod! Today, Brady Dale, author of the Front Stage Exit newsletter and former Axios reporter, joins us to talk about the state of bitcoin/crypto media. We break down the current landscape into a number of categories, including incumbents / newcomers, tradfi giants, research desks, alt crypto media, and more. Brady and the hosts critique the decline of leading outlets, the SEO tactics of a specific tradfi publication, and why the "discovery audience" strategy didn’t pan out. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Timestamps: 00:00 Start 03:21 Who is Brady? 08:02 Colin's take 15:17 Small But Deadly 23:04 Research Desks 28:31 TradFi Giants 35:13 Shuffling the Deck 44:03 Non-journalist Challengers 49:32 The Alternative to the Alternatives 56:08 Conferences 1:03:32 Brady's X Thread 👉CleanSpark, America's Bitcoin Miner! 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. 👉 FBOX, Cooling for Bitcoin Mining and the AI Data Center Transformation FBOX is the global leader in cooling system manufacturing, with the #1 shipment volume of bitcoin mining containers worldwide. Not only powering for the strongest hashrate, their technology also helps mining infrastructure transform into AI data centers. Backed by the largest production scale on earth, global deployment capability, and a full range of cooling solutions, they are shaping the future of compute. 👉 Luxor, Leaders In Bitcoin Mining and Compute Power! Get game-changing mining results with Luxor Firmware. Boost hashrate, cut energy costs, protect your hardware, and maximize mining profits with LuxOS. Published twice weekly, "The Blockspace Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie and Colin join us to talk about the existential risk of quantum computing. We break down Nick Carter's latest research, the timeline for a potential quantum break, and the 2 million Bitcoin currently at risk. We debate the ethics of "burning" Satoshi's coins to save the network, the technical challenges of forking to quantum-resistant signatures, and why the next big Bitcoin civil war might be fought over physics. Subscribe to the newsletter! [https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com](https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com) Notes: * 1-2 million BTC are quantum vulnerable * Satoshi holds ~$100 billion in Bitcoin * Legacy crypto banned by US Gov by 2035 * Elliptic curve break projected 2028-2033 * $500 billion sitting in vulnerable wallets Timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:16 Overview 06:26 Do we do anything? 08:48 Companies pumping quantum bags 19:18 Bitcoin as bug bounty 23:37 How to quantum proof Bitcoin? 26:14 BIP 360 35:48 Philosophy & chain splits - 👋The Blockspace Pod 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

Charlie and Colin join us to talk about the major plot beats for 2026. They cover the looming silver supply deficit, why Bitcoin hash rate might see its slowest growth years, and the supply chain breaks threatening AI data centers. Plus, they discuss the "538 moment" for prediction markets, big banks launching Bitcoin lending, and the AI content takeover. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * Silver up 140% over the past year. * Gold up roughly 65% over the year. * 580M oz silver deficit from 2010-2015. * Poly Market had $21.5B volume last year. * 2025 Hash rate increased by 32%. * AI Data centers need 1.5 tons of silver. Timestamps: 00:00 Start 02:44 Silver & Gold 09:53 Prediction Markets 17:45 Bitcoin Hashprice Falls 22:55 AI Bubble 27:01 Bitcoin Lending 33:01 AI Slop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blockspace Boys — Charlie, Colin, and Will — join us to count down the most impactful and wildest stories of the year. They dive deep into the ICE raid on a Texas Bitcoin mine, the end of Operation Chokepoint 2.0, and the industry-wide pivot to AI and HPC. We also discuss Trump’s tariffs causing miner panic, the "Treasury Narrative" bust, and the legendary $8 billion whale sale. Plus, don't miss the saga of the Bitcoin Puppet race car. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * ICE raided Texas mine; seized guns/workers * Operation Chokepoint 2.0 Conspiracy * Miners paying $2-3.5M for chartered jets * OG Whale sold $8B Bitcoin via Galaxy Timestamps: 00:00 Start 02:11 Ice Raids Bitcoin Facility 10:21 Mining co-loction deals 16:13 Operation Chokepoint 2.0 25:05 ASIC imports 33:48 The Rush to Avoid Tariffs 39:22 80k Bitcoin on the Move 46:22 Bitcoin Treasury Narrative - 👋The Blockspace Pod 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

Ryan Gentry, CEO of Bitcoin Infrastructure Acquisition Corp (BIXI), joins us to talk about taking a Bitcoin company public via SPAC. We dive into his journey from aerospace engineering to Lightning Labs, and why so many engineers flock to Bitcoin. Ryan breaks down the current state of Bitcoin infrastructure, the massive opportunity in Bitcoin lending, and how Lightning Network integrates with new side systems. We also discuss why the "burden of proof" has shifted to the no-coiners in traditional finance. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * IPO oversubscribed, upsized to $220 million  * BTC Lending very attractive * Square used by 28% of US merchants Timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:31 Ryan intro 07:12 Aerospace Bitcoin Mafia 09:29 What is Bitcoin Acquisition Infrastructure Corp? 13:06 Target company count? 14:10 SPAC vs Index investing 17:28 Areas of industry focus? 21:25 Bitcoin's evolution as asset 26:33 L2s & Lightning 29:13 Side Systems 33:41 AI agents & payments 36:04 Investor technical understanding 👋The Blockspace Pod 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

Today, we break down the controversial "CAT" proposal by Claire Ostrom. This idea suggests snapshotting and burning UTXOs associated with Ordinals and Stamps to curb spam. We analyze the technical flaws, the failed game theory, and why seizing user coins—even "dirty" ones—sets a dangerous precedent for Bitcoin censorship and on-chain confiscation. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * CAT burns UTXOs under a specific threshold * 100 million inscriptions are likely junk * Proposal is a soft fork consensus change Timestamps: 00:00 Start 06:16 BIP text 08:20 Burning Bitcoin UTXOs 11:55 non-monetary UTXO? WTF? 13:10 BIP process 16:43 Coinjoined Chris' thread 21:14 Game theory 23:08 hard price floor - 👋The Blockspace Podcast 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

Today, we unpack the "underwhelming" 2025 bull market. Was $126k really the top? We dive into the data showing Bitcoin's 4-year ROI is virtually indistinguishable from the S&P 500 and Gold. We also break down Meltem Demirors’ viral thread on why "Proof of Stake was a mistake", how TradFi revenue has officially flipped DeFi, and why the meme coin supercycle left retail investors empty-handed. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com Notes: * BTC 4yr ROI: 12% vs Gold 10% * TradFi Rev $9.1B vs DeFi $9B * BTC Range: $70k-$100k for 2 yrs * '21 Inflation Adj Peak: $84k * BTC Down 2.6% in 12 Months * 2025 Bitcoin Top: $126k Timestamps: 00:00 Start 02:02 Have you seen my bull run? 10:05 Meltem's Thread 16:26 Maker DAO 24:37 Proof of Mistake - 👋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