CoinDesk Podcast Network

California Governor Gavin Newsom has teased a new memecoin aimed at challenging Donald Trump's influence in the crypto space. This bold political move sparks discussions about the intersection of politics and cryptocurrency. The podcast also touches on Galaxy Digital's decision to tokenize its stock, highlighting the innovative shifts in equity markets and the impacts of regulatory changes. Tune in for insights into privacy and the evolving landscape of blockchain technology!

Ed and Tim delve into the explosive growth of Bitcoin treasury companies, spotlighting MicroStrategy's stellar performance amid market volatility. They discuss why traditional valuation metrics fall short and explore the competitive landscape of treasury strategies. The conversation shifts to mining companies losing their narrative edge and the significance of capturing market sentiment. Anticipation builds for their upcoming Bitcoin Treasuries Unconference in NYC, underscoring community engagement and innovation in this evolving sector.

David LaValle unveils the impact of spot bitcoin and ether ETFs as a pivotal moment in the crypto landscape. He discusses the promising future of cryptocurrency ETFs and evolving market sentiments. The introduction of Midnight's Glacier Drop offers a fresh approach to token distribution, aiming to build an inclusive community for the Midnight network. This innovative distribution method seeks to enhance diversity while bridging traditional finance and cryptocurrency, setting the stage for a new era of investment opportunities.

Gold prices have soared to a historic $3,500 an ounce, driven by expectations of Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts and economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, Bitcoin remains stable despite significant corporate acquisitions. The discussion highlights the ongoing challenges in DeFi and the efforts of a Trump-backed project trying to regain investor trust. Can Bitcoin catch up with the momentum of gold? It's a vibrant exploration of the evolving crypto landscape and the implications for both assets.

James McAvity, CEO of Cormint and a seasoned Bitcoin miner, dives deep into the unsettling realities of Bitcoin's low transaction fees, which currently make up only 2% of mining revenue. He raises alarms about the sustainability of this model as block rewards halve every four years. The conversation underscores the implications for miner profitability and the overall Bitcoin ecosystem, calling for potential protocol updates. McAvity also highlights the emotional journey of miners navigating these challenging times.

Discover the UAE's secret $700 million Bitcoin mining operation and its advanced technology tailored for the desert. Explore the U.S. government's groundbreaking move to publish macroeconomic data on blockchains using Chainlink. Delve into Tether's strategic return to Bitcoin, highlighting its integration with the RGB protocol. The discussion also reveals fascinating insights into nation-state mining strategies and the quirky characters behind these developments.

In this lively discussion, Eric Trump highlights China's remarkable impact on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. He asserts that the U.S. and China are at the forefront of the digital finance revolution. The conversation also dives into Chainlink's innovative partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce to enhance blockchain integration with economic data. Listeners can expect insights into the evolving crypto landscape and the pivotal U.S.-China dynamic.

Charlie Spears, a keen observer of the crypto landscape, joins the discussion to unpack significant developments in Bitcoin mining. He shares insights on American Bitcoin's upcoming public debut and the rumored $102 million investment by IREN for expanding its GPU fleet. They dive into the surprising 300 EH/s glitch reported by Ocean Pool, and examine the current trends in hashrate and mining difficulty. This lively conversation offers a snapshot of the rapidly evolving world of cryptocurrency mining.

Satsie from PayJoin Foundation explains why Bitcoin isn't anonymous, covers essential privacy tools like address management, VPNs, and running nodes, plus discusses PayJoin batching and silent payments for better on-chain privacy. Satsie, board member of PayJoin Foundation joins us to talk about Bitcoin privacy fundamentals. We cover why Bitcoin isn't anonymous, essential privacy practices like avoiding address reuse and hardware wallet shipping risks, the importance of running your own node, and advanced tools like PayJoin transaction batching and silent payments for enhanced on-chain privacy. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com **Notes:** • Bitcoin requires KYC through exchanges • Address reuse is "really, really bad"  • Hardware wallets shipped to homes create risk • PayJoin needs 5% network adoption minimum • Node sync takes "couple days" currently • Silent payments require blockchain scanning Timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:24 Who is Satsie? 04:24 How private is Bitcoin? 06:06 Privacy is hard 07:58 Basic BTC privacy techniques 10:50 VPNs 11:57 Running a node 15:13 You are using somebody's node 17:28 What is Payjoin? 19:59 When would we use Payjoin? 21:10 Payjoin adoption 22:45 Multi-party Payjoin 23:54 Silent Payments 27:16 Current US privacy regulations 29:00 Soft forks 31:06 Resources - 👋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

Bitcoin transaction fees have collapsed to near-zero levels despite BTC hitting new highs. Will Owens from Galaxy Digital breaks down the data showing "free blocks" and what this means for miners and the network's long-term sustainability. Will Owens from Galaxy Digital joins us to talk about Bitcoin's shocking transaction fee collapse. Despite BTC ripping to new all-time highs, fees have fallen to historic lows with "free blocks" becoming common. We dive deep into the data showing how custodial adoption and speculative activity moving to other chains is creating a miner revenue crisis. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com **NOTES:** • Bitcoin fees at all-time lows despite $120K price • "Free blocks" with 1 sat/vB fees now common • Miners losing 15-20% potential revenue from fees   • 1.5M Bitcoin vulnerable to quantum attacks • Hash price hit $35/TH all-time low recently • Coinbase custodies over 1 million Bitcoin Timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:05 Are fees important? 09:09 Free Block 10:37 Do miners care? 13:24 OP_RETURN 18:38 OP_RETURN & Bitcoin Core 21:34 Wallet type - 👋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