𝐁𝐂𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟒

Goodbye, Bitcoin!

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

NUMBER-GO-UP is a bribe to take your eyes off the prize.
All the focus on the price is the devil in disguise.

Talk all day about changing incentives, building new systems, and ancap intentions.
Normies just gonna tune you out, no matter how much you CAPSLOCK SHOUT.

Their synaptic pruning is incomplete.
You can’t compete with the tik-tok glow breaking their flow while they walk down the street.

The REMNANT, we’re told, would be so bold to hold digital gold till they’re in the ground cold…
The mere act of hoarding a revolutionary feat so mean it beats every last keynesian misdeed.

REVIEW OF 1984 (ASIMOV)

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

REVIEW OF 1984
By Isaac Asimov

I’ve been writing a four-part article for Field Newspaper Syndicate at the
beginning of each year for several years now and in 1980, mindful of the
approach of the year 1984, FNS asked me to write a thorough critique of
George Orwell’s novel 1984.
I was reluctant. I remembered almost nothing of the book and said so -
but Denison Demac, the lovely young woman who is my contact at FNS, simply
sent me a copy of it and said, ‘Read it.’
So I read it and found myself absolutely astonished at what I read. I
wondered how many people who talked about the novel so glibly had ever read
it; or if they had, whether they remembered it at all.
I felt I would have to write the critique if only to set people straight.
(I’m sorry; I love setting people straight.)

Dear Utah Residents: Get VPNs Ready!

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Utah residents concerned about restrictions surrounding VPN use can still reliably reach providers like Mullvad, IVPN, and TorGuard by installing Tor Browser, which routes traffic through the Tor network to bypass blocks and restrictions imposed at the website or network level. Under SB 73, signed into law by Governor Spencer Cox on March 19, 2026, a user is considered to be accessing a website from Utah if they are physically there, regardless of any proxy server or VPN masking their IP address, and the law prohibits commercial entities hosting a substantial portion of material harmful to minors from providing any instructions on how to use a VPN to circumvent these checks. Before or alongside installing Tor, many users find it useful to adjust their DNS settings because their ISP’s default resolver may interfere with access or log every domain they query. Reliable options include Cloudflare’s privacy-respecting resolver at 1.1.1.1 and Mullvad’s uncensored encrypted DNS at 194.242.2.2, whose public DNS servers run fully in RAM so that all traces of activity on disk are removed. Both emphasize user privacy and avoid the censorship tendencies seen with mainstream providers like Google.

Stop Regulation Through Prosecution #FreeSamourai

Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Two software developers are now serving federal prison sentences – five years and four years respectively – for building a Bitcoin privacy tool called Samourai Wallet.

I used that tool. I followed the case closely. And there’s something that anyone who values the rule of law should know: The government’s own experts said the conduct wasn’t illegal. That finding was never shared with the defense.

Quantum Bitcoin Mining

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI;DR (AI; Didn't Read) -- Bitcoin mining is not likely susceptible to large-scale attacks or subversion by a Quantum Computer-wielding attacker in the next 20 years. If any breakthroughs happen to the point of threatening bitcoin, it will be against its elliptic curve-based signature scheme that guards the private keys behind a given public key where bitcoin is held by an individual. And those attacks would happen using Shor's algorithm more likely in that time frame, not Grover's algorithm which might theoretically be used to run SHA-256 mining faster. To read more on the topic of bitcoin private keys being vulnerable to quantum attacks, read my other post here: Quantum Feasibility.

Quantum Feasibility (?)

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

NOTE: This is a follow-up to my original Quantum Infeasibility (?) post wherein I expressed serious doubts about RSA or ECC cryptography being feasible to break with a quantum computer anytime in the next 50 years. I have revised my views given the recent announcements around ECC being potentially vulnerable much sooner now with recent at least theoretical breakthroughs.

AI;DR (AI; Didn't Read) -- This post was composed primarily with the help of Google Gemini 3.1 Pro. The gist is that ECC may be vulnerable in the next 10-15 year timeframe as opposed to many decades on. There are specific types of bitcoin addresses that are more secure and should be used for long-term storage, such as Native SegWit addresses starting with bc1q. This is laid out at the end of the article, along with a note that Taproot, the newest address type, is not very secure and should not be used if you believe it plausible that CRQC's could be built any time soon.

DEADNET vs. The Word

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI;DR (AI, Didn't Read) -- This post was generated by combining various sources on the topic of 'Dead Internet Theory', with a couple prompts to the "ChatGPT 5.4 Thinking" LLM (a robot) asking it to explore the spiritual significance of empty and deceptive internet content from a Christian point of view.

MY PERSONAL NOTES

One guiding principle I find most helpful is to seek what is Good, True and Beautiful, and to examine new phenomena and experiences critically to judge them on these traits. With the explosion of new content, news, media, posts and writing, both human and machine-made, and the ever-evolving techniques to manufacture consensus and consent, my gut tells me we should tread carefully in the new wild west of the world wide web. I don’t believe technology is inherently evil. But it seems reasonable to assume that as it becomes more powerful (fast, efficient, calculating, strategic, etc.), that we, in turn, should be that much more conscientious and careful about our use and employment of it. May this essay help shine a light on the problem and provide helpful framing to better address it.

DON'T SPRAY ME, BRO

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI;DR: (AI; Didn't Read) -- I saw posted on Hacker News a story about a new, supposed "universal respiratory disease vaccine nasal spray". This was something that in mice kept the innate immune system active for months instead of days at a time and helped the mice fend off coronaviruses, flu and house dust mite protein allergies much better than the baseline. The research is out of Stanford, with human trials forthcoming. I am dubious of the safety of this approach. So I recruited help from DeepSeek & Perplexity & Gemini Pro & the Hacker News comments section to look into potential risks. At this point, the cynic in me expects the FDA to approve this new drug whether it's safe or not; so tell your friends and family not to take it, is my two cents.

Relative Peace to Relative War

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I grew up in a time of relative peace in America. My halcyon years as a kid were basically the tail end of the Soviet Union to right before the War on Terror began with 9/11. (Some would call this period the Decade of the Peace Dividend.)

My parents were pacifist liberals who never talked about war. Although my grandfathers and other relatives served in the military. And my Mom (RIP) was willing to join the Army to help her fund medical school.

Helter Skelter

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI;DR: (AI; Didn't Read) -- Sometimes life surprises you and a week feels like a decade. This is true in markets and in real life too.

The content below was written 95% by ChatGPT 5.2 Thinking.

ORIGINAL PROMPT: Discuss real life examples of Heteroskedasticity as observed in markets, episodes of "High Vol-of-Vol" and how various asset classes performed during those periods. End with application to other areas of life, considering Lenin's famous line "There are decades where nothing happens and weeks where decades happen."

IS GLD THE BEST SPY?

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

From the dotcom peak in 2000 to today, the price of the S&P 500 index has risen on average 5.9% per year.

With dividends reinvested, e.g. via the SPY ETF, the total return increases to 8.41% CAGR.

via: https://dqydj.com/etf-return-calculator/?ticker=SPY

This is a great return, despite starting at a then “exuberant” peak. Especially considering that the M2 money supply has grown by 6.2% per year over that same period of time.

THE UNIVERSE IS REAL

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

UBCO study debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation

Patty Wellborn – October 30, 2025
Original Article: https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2025/10/30/ubco-study-debunks-the-idea-that-the-universe-is-a-computer-simulation

New study uses logic and physics to definitively answer one of science’s biggest questions

In the film The Matrix, about a computer-simulated world, the red and blue pills symbolize a choice the hero must make between illusion and the truth of reality.

It’s a plot device beloved by science fiction: our entire universe might be a simulation running on some advanced civilization’s supercomputer.

INFO FAST

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Drastically Reducing Twitter (X) Usage

Twitter (X) is very addictive for me. This is a problem.

I can say I enjoy it, that I get value out of it. Some connections, insights, information, entertainment, tips, etc.

But I don’t get real connection out of it. Not really. At least 99% of the time I don’t.

I have forged some meaningful connections over the 10 years I’ve been on the platform, don’t get me wrong. But most of those I care about are in other places now, like Signal Groups, which are MUCH healthier.

Pardon Samourai Devs, Mr. President

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

NOTE: SENT TO THE PRESIDENT ON NOVEMBER 20, 2025 VIA whitehouse.gov/contact

Dear Mr. President,

Please consider granting a pardon to Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, the developers of the bitcoin app known as “Samourai Wallet”.

I voted for you in all three elections. I took heat for this from family and supposed friends who were convinced you were a bully or worse. I saw you at an in-person rally in 2016 and knew you were not. You told the story of the sneaky snake that deceived the naive woman and attacked her. You spoke truth to power and pointed out forces of darkness operating in our country.

Quantum Infeasibility (?)

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

AI;DR: (AI; Didn't Read) -- I doubt that Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computing will be developed within the next 50 years. I have read a decent amount of other people's thoughts about this topic, but was a bit too lazy to synthesize all the notes I had collected into a single coherent essay myself. So I outsourced my thinking to a machine.

The content below was written 95% by ChatGPT 5. Latest Addenda by Gemini Pro 3.1.

PGP Key Management

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This post outlines PGP key practices through user scenarios and hardware-based options for Linux users, focusing on security and usability.

PGP Key Vignettes

Alex is a sales rep learning about Linux and encryption. He is dipping his toes in for the first time on using PGP for secure email. He uses Thunderbird on Ubuntu. He starts by installing GnuPG via sudo apt install gnupg and generates a key pair with gpg --full-generate-key, choosing a strong passphrase he stores in a password manager like KeePassXC. For safety, he backs up his key to an encrypted USB drive kept offline. To make daily use easy, he sets up Thunderbird’s built-in OpenPGP support to handle encryption automatically after entering his passphrase once per session. Alex practices by sending test emails to himself, ensuring he never shares his private key and revokes it if his laptop is ever compromised.

One Thousand Diverted, One Million Discouraged: Android Innovation Extinguished

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Google’s new developer verification policy, though packaged as “security,” erects digital barbed wire around Android’s open frontier. For every leviathan institution applauding this gatekeeping, a thousand innovators and dissidents are silenced. What follows isn’t speculation — it’s tomorrow’s graveyard of unborn tools.

Consider the Ramifications

In Singapore, Li Wei wants to build a zero-knowledge ballot auditing app. As a pseudonymous cypherpunk operating from a state with compulsory ID laws, he intends to help journalists verify elections without exposing sources. Verification demands would reveal his identity — and turn whistleblowers using his app into targets.

Review of Ashigaru Whirlpool: RSA Blinding & Deanonymization Concerns

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

» UPDATED on Sat Jul 12, 2025 at 05:38:00 UTC «

view also as gist: https://gist.github.com/84adam/e130b40cff5915de67b86fc8e452c8aa

Ashigaru Whirlpool Security Analysis

Introduction to the Problem

The Ashigaru Whirlpool coordinator has faced significant scrutiny regarding its implementation of RSA blinding protections for Bitcoin coinjoins. These concerns were first raised in a Bitcoin Talk forum post titled “New ashigaru whirlpool coordinator can de-anonymize users” on June 23, 2025 [1], which highlighted potential vulnerabilities that could allow a malicious coordinator to link inputs and outputs during the mixing process.

Samourai & Ashigaru Resources

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

PODCASTS & TALKS

Bitcoin Magazine: The Battle For Privacy: Free Samourai w/ Zack Shapiro, Econoalchemist, Diverter NoKYC & Tor Ekeland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqZstqEGUMM

Rock Paper Bitcoin • 68 - Ashigaru w/ jordan
https://fountain.fm/episode/l85r6omTifdYFxmBdcaU

Ungovernable Misfits: #FreeSamourai by damm kewl
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freesamourai-by-damm-kewl/id1491067458?i=1000659746042

Ungovernable Misfits: #FREESAMOURAI
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freesamourai/id1491067458?i=1000653727890

Ungovernable Misfits: Whirlpool is back (Ashigaru)
https://www.ungovernablemisfits.com/podcast/whirlpool-is-back-ashigaru/

Ungovernable Misfits: 100 SPEARS, 100 PIECES, ASHIGARU INTERVIEW
https://archive.ungovernablemisfits.com/podcast/100-spears-100-pieces-ashigaru-interview/

Ungovernable Misfits: Still Here | The Confab 02: Diverter & Zelko
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/still-here-the-confab-02-diverter-zelko/id1491067458?i=1000657153155

Watchman Privacy: Samourai Wallet Arrested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qzYKC7l7Tw

Run back expectations

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

[0 phreaking AI was used for this post!!!]

Lots of gurus hype eye-popping returns for real estate. But the numbers and assumptions they use are pretty bogus. The first problem is their lookback period. If you’re only looking at performance from the bottom of the housing market after the great recession to the end of the money-printer-go-brrrr period post-plandemic, then your numbers are goosed from the start. 30-year rates fell down to 2-3% around the time fake videos were being promulgated of chinese men falling flat dead instantly in the streets from wuhan flu. House prices hadn’t caught up yet or overtaken the currency pile doubling that happened, and yet you could borrow like the USG and get yourself some sweet A-class duplexes in middling cities. With 20% down or less, your equity probably doubled or tripled if you just held for 2 years. Now debt costs are 2-3x times higher, and prices have been jacked up level with the stack of benjamins packed into pallets made with 3 year old pine and upcycled rusty nails. Now? Forward returns ain’t so peachy…

Catholic Christianity

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

AI;DR: (AI; Didn't Read) -- I am interested in the constancy, conservatism, ritual, and aesthetics of the Catholic Christian church. I am still learning about it. I struggle most with how it is perceived by Protestants. Some of the essay below touches on good Catholic responses to Protestant critiques.

The content below was composed 88% by DeepSeek R1 and ChatGPT 4o.

The Catholic Church has a unique allure for those seeking beauty, tradition, and intellectual depth. Its rich aesthetic heritage—evident in grand cathedrals, sacred art, and the solemn rhythm of the Mass—offers a profound encounter with the divine. In contrast to modern religious services that often resemble “rock concerts with TED talks,” the Catholic liturgy engages all the senses through chant, incense, and a focus on the sacraments, providing what has been described as “a tangible source of grace.” [1]

Bitcoin Human Rights Chain Being Subverted

Mon, 05 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

[ AI SLOP POST TRIGGER WARNING || SATIRE ]

From the depths of Ordinal Praxis, a twisted tapestry of crypto conspiracy has emerged…

A humble data storage feature of the Bitcoin Human Rights Chain, the OP_RETURN field has been coaxed into functioning as a clandestine art gallery for far-right iconography. Carefully manipulated hex strings rasterize into pixelated propaganda. Grainy portraits of historical dictators and geometrically patterned hate symbols appear. Vandalism writ large–blocks of innocuous looking transaction metadata, via a process involving bit-shifting and other steganographic techniques, morphs into a visual assault against our Sacred Egalitarian Global Value Inspired Totality (SegVit).

Defunct Honduran ZEDEs

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

[ NOTE: THIS POST GENERATED WITH THE HELP OF AI ]

The Venetian Doge vs. The Crypto Anarchist

Alternative Title: Is Bitcoin Venice, or a Defunct Honduran ZEDE?

The Doge was the elected chief magistrate and leader of the Venetian Republic (697–1797), a mercantile superpower that dominated Mediterranean trade for centuries.

Unlike absolute monarchs, the Doge governed alongside councils and guilds, blending pragmatic statecraft with free enterprise.

Equations of Freedom (Money)

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Foundations of Cryptography: Groups, Rings, and Finite Fields

Building Blocks of Secure Systems

To understand the cryptographic principles underpinning decentralized systems like Bitcoin and Monero, we begin with three mathematical pillars: groups, rings, and fields. These structures enable the privacy, security, and trustlessness of modern cryptocurrencies.

[NOTE: Written by DeepSeek R1. Still learning about this topic myself; these are my notes so far.]

1. Cryptographic Essentials: Groups, Rings, and Fields

Groups: Operations with Structure

A group is a set G paired with an operation (e.g., addition, multiplication) satisfying:

The Blank-Slate-Ism of Tariffologists

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

AI;DR: (AI; Didn't Read) – This post is a lazy jab at tariff averse reactionaries that felt fun to generate at the time. If I were writing it all myself, it would be less witty in some areas, probably shorter, but more real. The fact is I used an LLM to generate it. Just coaxing it along slightly to match more or less what I was imagining could be written on the topic of tariffs. TBH, I am too lazy to spend a lot of time writing about this topic at present. But read on if you wish!

In Samourai's Defense

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

[NOTE: Written 80% with the help of Grok 2 and DeepSeek R1]

The Samourai Wallet case revolves around two main accusations: conspiracy to launder money and unlicensed money transmission.

Here is an analysis of how the defense team could proceed to defeat the charges leveled against the Samourai Devs:

For the money laundering conspiracy charge under 18 U.S.C. § 1956, the defense should argue that Samourai’s Developers lacked awareness of specific criminal transactions. They should claim that the service was designed as a privacy tool for legitimate users, comparable to encryption software like Signal or Tor, which are legal despite potential misuse. The defense should highlight that Whirlpool and Ricochet were automated protocols where users maintained full control of their funds. Due to this decentralized architecture, the developers had no means to monitor transactions, making it impossible to ascertain if funds were illicit. The defense might conclude by framing Samourai’s public statements about “black/grey markets” as philosophical discussions on Bitcoin’s censorship resistance, rather than as explicit admissions of criminal intent.

Hypocritical Democracy

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

[NOTE: This post composed 95% by AI.]

The Fractured Logic of Nation-States and Majority Rule

The nation-state and democracy are often framed as moral triumphs, yet their foundations are riddled with contradictions—coercion masked as consent, oligarchy disguised as equality. From 19th-century anarchists to Silicon Valley technocrats, critics across ideologies expose how these systems perpetuate violence, cultural decay, and elite control.

Moral Decay: When “Equality” Breeds Tyranny

Plato witnessed Athenian democracy execute Socrates, later writing in The Republic: “A society drunk on flattery elects tyrants, not leaders.” His solution—philosopher-kings—reflects a distrust of mass politics sharpened by the chaos of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.

Fancy Fiat

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Let me tell you about these fancy promises they call legal tender.

Every 5-7 years on average, one of these relatively “stable” fiat currencies lose 10% or more of their purchasing power.

This happens either through debasement (money supply increases) or devaluation (hard resets of the purchasing power of a currency).

For G10 fiat holders, there’s a 15-20% chance of losing purchasing power like this in a given year.

sats on the balance sheet

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

so there sat the sats
on the balance sheet, intact
we knew for a fact
no one had used them
for any act or service rendered
the fiat tendered has burnt up
the private keys born and then shut up in a vault
while the fed cried tears of salt
frozen into submission by the bitcoin mission
of dethroning the banks
without giving any thanks
to the cypherpunks’ vision and the parallel system
of trade amongst each other
with notes made of numbers
the power of thunder
that no one could stop
or copy on a thumbdrive like some ai slop
but alas the dream was dropped
so we could climb rockets to the top
a tower of babel, green and red blocks
the mempool a canvas for some new token fools
but at least we could wrap the funds up
and spend the franklins
pay for strippers dancing
blind to the price paid of sovereignty unmade
privacy unwon
and freedom undone

POSIWID: Real Estate

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

POSIWID: The purpose of the system is what it does.

Assume G7 central bank money supply inflation is 10% per year.

If you’re already wealthy, you can just buy stocks/art/gold/land/collectibles outright and stay rich.

You match or beat inflation.

If you’re not wealthy, you can borrow and lever up at 7-10%, buy rental properties for 25% down that are massively tax advantaged, and return 10-20% on your cash invested each year.

The End of Central Banking?

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

some theoretical means by which bitcoin may lead to the demise of central banking

(1) COMPETE WITH FIAT

the theory: bitcoin can introduce genuine competition in the monetary space. if bitcoin succeeds in establishing itself as a sound and widely adopted currency, it can erode trust in traditional fiat currencies controlled by central banks, as people start to recognize its advantages: fixed supply, deterministic monetary policy, resistance to manipulation, etc. this loss of trust can undermine central banks’ influence over monetary policy, reducing their power.

Riches Do Not Endure Forever

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What does the bible say about money, wealth and investing?

Here are a few passages I liked:

Spread out your bets: businesses, land, investments, charities, skill-building, etc.

Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
Ecclesiastes 11:2 NIV

Be careful with leverage; build in a wide margin of safety when taking on debt

The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Proverbs 22:7 NIV

Black Market Money

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Black Market Money is the True Freedom Money.

Why should we prefer bitcoin be used as black market money, and not as an investible asset?

bitcoin is volatile. it will always be volatile. its supply is inelastic to demand. demand fluctuates wildly. its price is primarily determined in the aggregate by a collective belief regarding its value and the premium market participants place on a digital good that is scarce. regardless of whether they actually use it or take possession.

Early Return & Other Advanced Programming Techniques in Python

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Certain advanced programming techniques can – when applied judiciously – enhance code readability, maintainability, and scalability. One example is the “Early Return”. Others follow. *High-Five* to you if you’ve used more than a few of these before!

Early Return

The “early return” concept involves exiting a function as soon as a specific condition is met, especially when that condition invalidates the need to proceed further. By handling special cases or errors upfront, you prevent unnecessary nesting of code, making it cleaner and more readable.

arkfile.net

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Initial brainstorming for Arkfile

Find the code here: https://github.com/arkfile/Arkfile

Application Architecture

High-Level Architecture

Components

Client-Side

Web interface for user interaction
WebAssembly (WASM) module for client-side encryption/decryption
JavaScript for WASM interaction and API calls

Server-Side

Go HTTP server (Echo framework)
JWT authentication
SQLite database for user data and file metadata
Integration with Backblaze B2 (via MinIO client) for file storage

External Services

Backblaze B2 for encrypted file storage
Caddy web server for TLS and reverse proxy

Security Features

Client-side encryption using user passwords
Password hints stored separately from encrypted files
JWT-based authentication
TLS encryption for all traffic
Secure key derivation (PBKDF2)

Directory Structure

arkfile/
│
├── main.go                 # Application entry point
├── .env                    # Environment variables
├── go.mod                  # Go module file
├── go.sum                  # Go module checksum
├── Caddyfile              # Caddy server configuration
│
├── client/                 # Client-side code
│   ├── main.go            # WASM source code
│   ├── main.wasm          # Compiled WASM binary
│   ├── wasm_exec.js       # Go WASM support code
│   └── static/            # Static web assets
│       ├── index.html     # Main web interface
│       ├── css/           # Stylesheets
│       └── js/            # Client-side JavaScript
│
├── auth/                   # Authentication package
│   └── jwt.go             # JWT implementation
│
├── database/              # Database package
│   ├── database.go        # Database initialization and connection
│   └── migrations/        # Database migrations
│
├── handlers/              # HTTP handlers
│   └── handlers.go        # Request handlers implementation
│
├── storage/               # Storage package
│   └── minio.go          # MinIO/Backblaze integration
│
├── logging/               # Logging package
│   └── logging.go         # Logging implementation
│
├── models/                # Data models
│   ├── user.go           # User model
│   └── file.go           # File metadata model
│
├── config/               # Configuration
│   └── config.go         # Configuration loading
│
├── scripts/              # Utility scripts
│   ├── build.sh         # Build script
│   └── deploy.sh        # Deployment script
│
├── systemd/             # Systemd service files
│   ├── arkfile.service
│   └── caddy.service
│
└── docs/                # Documentation
    ├── api.md          # API documentation
    ├── setup.md        # Setup instructions
    └── security.md     # Security documentation

Key Files and Their Purposes

main.go

MCBAGS: FOR WHEN SHTF

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Pack your McBags. Or when Shit Hits The Fan you’ll wish you had.

M: Monero
C: Cash
B: Bitcoin
A: Ammo
G: Gold (& Guns)
S: Silver

Arguments for holding each of these assets in a “Shit Hits The Fan” (SHTF) scenario:

Monero (XMR):

Private cryptocurrency. Perfect for any black/gray market or peer-to-peer transaction with other tech-savvy and privacy-focused individuals. More private than bitcoin.
Works over any distance as it is digital, as long as you can access the internet.
TIP: Run your own node and make payments over TOR as much as possible.

Cash:

Cash is King, as they say. Accepted everywhere by pretty much everyone. It might even work for a while if the USG goes belly-up.
TIP: Have a mix of 10s, 20s and 100s.

Bitcoin (BTC):

Good for peer-to-peer digital payments in small to large amounts where privacy is not an absolute necessity (transparent ledger and all that).
Works over any distance as it is digital, as long as you can access the internet.
TIP: Run your own node and make payments over TOR as much as possible.

Ammo:

Can be used for self-defense or for barter.
TIP: Hold common calibers: .22 LR, 9mm, 12-gauge, or common rifle calibers like .223.

Gold (& Guns):

Good for large, private payments between individuals who don’t trust technology, banks or governments.
Maintains its purchasing power over time.
TIP: Have a mix of 1/4, 1/2 and 1 ounce gold coins.
TIP: Pack at least one Gun with some Gold in a Locking Gun Case so you are ready to Go.

Silver:

Good for smaller, private payments between sovereign individuals.
Mostly maintains its purchasing power over time, but more volatile than gold.
TIP: Have a mix of junk silver dimes/quarters, one ounce eagles/maples and (up to) ten ounce bars.

Hold a mix of the above since no one asset is perfect. Some require internet-connected, tech-savvy counterparties; others require more trust or a precious metal verifier.

𝕂𝕐ℂ𝟛 x86 Tutorial Archive

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Respect. Hats off to 𝕂𝕐ℂ𝟛 (@KYCfree). While his Nym may disappear, his knowledge will not.

Below are links to his full x86 Samourai Dojo and Full Node setup series, with archive links.

(farewell, amigo)

Implied Volatility (IV) Surface: Key Concepts for Beginning Options Traders

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding the Implied Volatility Surface: A Key to Choosing the Right Strike Prices and Expirations in Options Trading

When it comes to options trading, particularly with equity index options like SPY (S&P 500 ETF) or QQQ (NASDAQ-100 ETF), understanding the nuances of implied volatility (IV) can greatly enhance your ability to select optimal strike prices and expirations. One of the most critical concepts in this context is the Implied Volatility Surface—a three-dimensional representation that captures how IV varies across different strike prices and expiration dates. For individual traders focusing on strategies like Buying Calls or Buying Puts, this understanding can be a game-changer.

Poor US Household Savings Strategies

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What does life look like for the poorest 25% of US households?

Here is the Interquartile Range for Net Worth, US Households:

25th Percentile (Q1): The net worth at the 25th percentile is around $16,000.
75th Percentile (Q3): The net worth at the 75th percentile is approximately $405,000.

Median Household Income in the Poorest 3 US States is as follows:

Mississippi: The median household income in Mississippi is approximately $48,610, the lowest in the nation.
Arkansas: Median household income is around $53,980.
Louisiana: Median household income is about $58,330.

Let’s say your household income is $50,000 and your net wealth is $5,000, primarily in home equity.

Safe Haven Investing Is Not What You Think

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Key Insights from Mark Spitznagel’s Masterpiece

In the realm of investing, both Bitcoin enthusiasts and adherents of Modern Portfolio Theory often find themselves making similar mistakes. They tend to overlook critical aspects like path dependence and geometric average returns, instead focusing on cherry-picked starting points and talking up the arithmetic average returns. This common oversight can lead to misleading conclusions about an asset’s performance, emphasizing the need for a more robust, time-invariant investment strategy.

Select HHH Quotes

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A few select quotes from HHH (Hans-Hermann Hoppe), renowned Freedom-Loving Austrian-Economist and author of ‘Democracy: The God That Failed’:

“Democracy has nothing to do with freedom. Democracy is a soft variant of communism, and rarely in the history of ideas has it been taken for anything else.”
“What is true, just, and beautiful is not determined by popular vote. The masses everywhere are ignorant, short-sighted, motivated by envy, and easy to fool. Democratic politicians must appeal to these masses in order to be elected. Whoever is the best demagogue will win. Almost by necessity, then, democracy will lead to the perversion of truth, justice and beauty.”
“The state spends much time and effort persuading the public that it is not really what it is and that the consequences of its actions are positive rather than negative.”
“Economic theory has nothing to say as to what commodity will acquire the status of money. Historically, it happened to be gold. But if the physical makeup of our world would have been different or is to become different from what it is now, some other commodity would have become or might become money. The market will decide.”

My Takeaways/Distillation

Positive Vision: Build

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

If there’s one thing I know, it’s that you’ve got to have a positive vision for the future.

I’m not here to sell you anything. I’m not a product guy or a marketing guy.

I’m just sold on this idea. The idea that you have to build and not just fight. Build bigger and greater things, communities, families and tools. And fight the fights you need to fight. But don’t spend all your days fighting. Cause you’ll just exhaust all your energy. Some of your enemies are invincible. Some are invisible, illusory or ephemeral. Sometimes you go to war against yourself, unknowingly.

The Case of the Missing Samourai

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

@SamouraiWallet and @SamouraiDev have been indicted for conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate as a Money Services Business (MSB) without a license, allegations of which many in the bitcoin, privacy and legal community find to be preposterous…

On April 24, 2024, their servers and domain names were seized, affecting many of their services and users.

These two men are developers of entirely non-custodial, open-source bitcoin privacy software. Truly fantastic tools, I would add.

Nominate Samourai Guys for EFF Awards

Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Please help me in nominating @SamouraiWallet and @SamouraiDev for the EFF Awards. Hopefully this can bring extra attention to their case @EFF!

GO TO: https://www.eff.org/nominations-open-2024-eff-awards

Nominations close on Friday, May 31st at 2PM PDT (don’t delay!)

Fill in the form twice, once for each of them. Use my template here:

NOMINEE *
SamouraiWallet

URL WITH ADDITIONAL INFO *
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/legal/bitcoin-privacy-on-trial-samourai-developers-first-court-hearing-recap

NOMINEE CONTACT INFO
https://x.com/SamouraiWallet

WHY HONOR THIS NOMINEE? *
SamouraiWallet (along with SamouraiDev) have done immeasurable good in helping users of bitcoin and other activists to use bitcoin privately and keep custody of their coins. They have been indicted on trumped-up charges related to money laundering and running an ‘unlicensed MSB’, both allegations of which are capricious and seem intended to produce a chilling effect in the industry.

HTTPS Everywhere, Inside Your Network Edition

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Step CA

Step CA is a Self-Hosted Certificate Authority system that allows you to generate TLS certificates for use with services hosted internally (e.g. at home or behind the corporate firewall)
This allows you to finally secure all communications using HTTPS, even inside your network
The following is a setup guide tailored to RHEL-based Linux distributions (Fedora, Rocky, Alma, RedHat); adapt accordingly if you are on another OS
SEE: https://smallstep.com/docs/step-ca/index.html

Step CA Installation: Certificate Authority Server

Install Step CA and Step CLI on the “Certificate Authority” Server

INSTALL step (CA):

Just buy ponzis!

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I came across this tweet yesterday and found myself mulling it over. “It could be true, it sounds compelling; the guy is confident…,” I thought. Then I saw Daniel Oliver’s response and gave it a second thought…

Original Tweet in Question:

“In the midst of the strongest technological revolution in all of human history (and it’s not even close), the Chinese buy gold. Just shows you, you buy what you are forced to buy.

The Debt-Leverage-Gambling Complex

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Governments, Central Banks and Financial Media promote taking on excess debt and leverage. Collectively, they encourage gambling and speculation. These practices disproportionately hurt the poor and those lacking in financial knowledge and education. It gets even worse for those with a gambling addiction or impulse control problems.

Looking at this complex landscape through the lens of Austrian Economics and the principles of Individual Sovereignty requires emphasizing the importance of sound money, and the ideals of limited government intervention in the economy and personal responsibility.

Macro Musings #0002

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Last May I wrote “Macro Musings #0001”.

I was wrong about a lot of what I wrote. Despite the Fed continuing to keep “Monetary Policy” tight, the Treasury and various manipulations and distortions of the money system (issuing only T-bills, the Bank Term Funding Program, and promises of future dovishness, i.e. “Jawboning”) all kept the markets going up.

I now take it as the Supreme Directive of the Fed + Treasury to pump liquidity and prop up markets and incumbent octogenarian politicians they favor.

Reverse Racism Examples

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Notable cases of white people who were discriminated against in the US: Robert Jordan, James Damore, David Duvall, Brian Walton, Shannon Phillips

In 2012, Robert Jordan, a white male, applied for a job as a police officer in New London, Connecticut. Despite being qualified, he was not hired because the city was trying to diversify its police force. Jordan filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming reverse discrimination. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the city, stating that the city had a compelling interest in promoting diversity in its police force.

The Cicada 3301 Connection

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

source: ilikeblocks - @beniduboss - Mar 25, 2024
https://twitter.com/beniduboss/status/1772148921743110163

(Since this tweet will likely get numbers, I must say that this hypothesis first appeared years ago on a now defunct forum and isn’t the fruit of my own labor)

I believe that the team behind Satoshi, yes team, is the same team behind the infamous Cicada 3301 puzzles

Hear me out

I would like first thank “Evan Hatch” for linking some of these pieces together, this wouldn’t have been possible without his work

Scale In, Scale Out Portfolio

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

“How to not go broke quickly.” – or – “How to get rich gradually.”

Before you do anything, start by figuring out your total yearly/monthly/weekly expenses.

As of 2023, the real median household income in the United States was approximately $75,000.

Let’s say with your current lifestyle your average yearly expenses come out to $72,000.

Great job! This means you can save $3,000 a year to start.

Post Harder

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I believe in bitcoin long-term.

I use it as money, as a medium of exchange.

I save a significant portion of my wealth in it.

And I don’t call myself a bitcoin ‘maxi’.

I believe bitcoin is superior money.

I don’t even refer to myself as a bitcoiner really.

I just say that I like it.

I try not to tie my identity up in it too much.

Why You Are Falling Behind

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Last 50 Years: Money & The Economy

Nominal GDP (US): +6.16% CAGR
PCE (US): +3.46% CAGR
M2 (US): +6.79% CAGR

Takeaways

From 1972 to 2022, the money supply has grown at a faster rate than nominal GDP (+0.63% more on average each year).

Earning a real rate of return on your cash or investments of +1% or more would be sufficient during this period to maintain or grow your wealth.

Place Your Bets

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

You can bet on central banks not being able to stop themselves from printing money.

And you can bet on central banks printing money not being enough to stave off another crisis.

These bets are not the same.

Gold and bitcoin have both performed well during recent episodes of rapid money printing.

With long and variable lags, confounded by a rising rate environment, these assets have seen great volatility.

8 Cypherpunk Principles

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Privacy is a fundamental human right. Everyone should have control over how his personal information is used.
The use of Strong Cryptography is essential for protecting privacy and securing data/property/money.
Decentralization of power and authority.
Unrestricted Access to Cryptographic Tools: Open-source, transparent software/hardware are key to this.
Activism through Code. Build better tools to create lasting change.
Development of systems that enable Anonymous/Pseudonymous Transactions, allowing people to exchange value freely.
Resistance against Censorship and Surveillance. Encryption + Good Opsec help counteract these practices.
Self-Governance and Personal Responsibility are absolutely critical to maintaining privacy and security.

Bitcoin for Activism

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Bitcoin for Activism, General Use:

Offers freedom from financial repression and surveillance.
Increasingly used in emerging markets and authoritarian regimes for day-to-day transactions and as a protest tool.
Serves as a digital alternative to cash, ensuring private transactions free from state surveillance.
Seen as a safeguard against de-platforming and financial censorship in more democratic societies.

Atlas Arms:

Goals: Provide open-source alternatives to restricted conventional munitions, increase the availability of effective weapons in the industrialized world, proliferate affordable and uncontrollable arms through market demand, and counteract the monopoly of weapons technology by state and government-funded institutions.
Advocates for proactive efforts in firearms freedom, beyond traditional defense against gun control.
Develops new technology to make future firearms inherently resistant to prohibition.
Reversing the dynamic of state monopoly over small arms technology.
Creating weapons technology specifically for individual use and ease of access.
Has a PayNym donation option: https://www.atlasarms.org/btc/

Belarusian Activism:

Liquid Bitcoin (L-BTC) Overview

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

BENEFITS OF LIQUID BITCOIN (L-BTC)

1-to-1 peg with on-chain Bitcoin: Liquid Bitcoin is pegged to Bitcoin on a 1-to-1 basis, meaning that the value of one L-BTC is equal to the value of one BTC.
Privacy: Liquid Bitcoin transactions are confidential, meaning that the details of the transaction, such as the amount and the type of asset, are hidden from third parties. This provides a higher level of privacy for users.
Lower fees: The transaction fees for Liquid Bitcoin are significantly lower than those for Bitcoin. (Cents as opposed to Dollars.)

DOWNSIDES OF L-BTC

Centralization: The Liquid Network is operated by a federation of functionaries, which can lead to concerns about centralization and potential censorship.
Security trade-offs: The use of Strong Federations in Liquid’s consensus mechanism may introduce security trade-offs compared to Bitcoin’s Proof of Work.
Limited adoption: Despite its potential benefits, the Liquid Network has not yet achieved widespread adoption, and its impact on the overall Bitcoin ecosystem remains to be seen. Importantly, limited adoption reduces the anonymity set (anonset), which can facilitate timing attacks, among other things (more on this below.)
Competition: The Liquid Network faces competition from other chains and layer-2 solutions, such as Monero and the Lightning Network, which may limit its growth potential.

SMALL ANONSET

When using Liquid Bitcoin, there are some potential risks to individual users’ privacy that are worth considering, particularly if the anonymity set (anonset) is low.

Beware Behavioral Biases

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Behavioral biases impact investment decisions and can contribute to poor outcomes. Here are 9 top examples:

(1) CONFIRMATION BIAS: Investors tend to seek information that confirms their existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them. This bias can lead to a narrow view of the market and an unwillingness to consider alternative perspectives.

(2) HERD MENTALITY/FOMO: The tendency to follow the crowd can lead to asset bubbles and market inefficiencies. Investors may buy or sell assets based on the actions of others rather than on a thorough analysis of fundamentals.

Why Bitcoiners Should Invest in Real Estate

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

You own bitcoin. You believe in Individual Sovereignty. Your views are informed by Austrian Economics. Of all potential economic systems, you most admire those built on a foundation of Free Market Capitalism.

You could just own bitcoin. Sell your house, sell your chairs, buy more bitcoin. Right?

So what could you possibly be missing out on being 100% in bitcoin anyway?

For me, more than gold, stocks, bonds or any other asset: The one asset I think most aligns with and compliments bitcoin is Real Estate.

Do Your Own Thing

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

It seems all the “bugs” want you to think thing “X” is the only thing you should own, whether the “X” is Gold, Silver, Bitcoin or Bonds.

Do your own thing.

You don’t have to pander to these people

Beware the narcissist influencer, whose only aim is to use you. Similarly, the financial planner’s main task is to harvest fees from you. Neither of these types really want you to be completely independent.

Kernel Mastery Archive

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Saying goodbye to my former blog: kernelmastery.com.

I started Kernel Mastery to document my learning especially of Linux, Networking and Programming. I started it in 2015 using an Ubuntu 14 server, with a beta version of the Ghost blogging framework. I have learned a lot since then and have been a software developer officially now for 3 years at this point. So it took me around 5 solid years of studying, coursework and career moves in the right general direction to “arrive” at my chosen destination. I credit this blog project for helping me stay on track and also in establishing my “Proof of Work” over the years.

onesatoshi.cfd Archive

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

A simple site that tracked the price of bitcoin in terms of satoshis per dollar, where 1 BITCOIN = 100,000,000 SATOSHIS.

onesatoshi.cfd

https://archive.ph/XkB3k
https://web.archive.org/web/20230501172907/https://onesatoshi.cfd/

Notes

I used a view counter I built using a simple bash script and one line of javascript:

hitcount.sh

This was run on a cron job and updated the latest ‘unique hit count’ every 5 minutes.

#!/bin/bash

# get all the unique IP addresses that have hit the server today
# write these to the uniq-ips.txt file
echo "$(cat /var/log/caddy/onesatoshi.cfd-access.log | fgrep '"host":"onesatoshi.cfd","uri":"/"' | while read line ; do echo $line | cut -d "{" -f 3 | cut -d "," -f 1 | cut -d '"' -f 4 ; done ;)" | sort | uniq >> /var/log/caddy/uniq-ips.txt

sleep 2 ;
# count the total number of unique IPs from all time that have visited the site
# save total visitor count to visitor-count.txt
cat /var/log/caddy/uniq-ips.txt | sort | uniq | wc -l > /var/log/caddy/visitor-count.txt

sleep 2 ;

COUNT="$(cat /var/log/caddy/visitor-count.txt)" ;

#echo "Current Hit Count = $COUNT" ;

echo "document.writeln (\"<code>UNIQUE VISITORS: $COUNT</code>\")" > /var/www/visitors.js

/var/www/visitors.js

This was the javascript one-liner that was pulled directly into the index.html page:

Macro Musings #0001

Fri, 12 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Short-term bearish bitcoin and risk assets.

There is a chance that the Fed raises rates again in June.

It is likely that the balance sheet roll-off will continue as well, as they said it would.

It has been a year now of rapidly raising rates and quantitative tightening (shrinking the money supply). The result is that multiple banks have failed. Private Real Estate funds have gated redemptions. And lending standards are extremely tight.

Bitcoin-Centric Portfolios

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Arranged from “Soft” to “Hard”

1. “Largely Liquid”

50% bitcoin
50% cash

half the volatility, half the gains and half the losses

2. “Cash Flow + Sats Flow”

40% bitcoin
25% bitcoin miners/home mining
25% real estate/rental properties
10% cash

income focused, with significant upside in bull markets

3. “Let’s Get Physical”

50% bitcoin
10% bitcoin miners
10% gold/silver miners
10% oil & gas stocks
10% uranium miners
7% cash
3% gold/silver

goes heavy on hard assets, and commodity and energy producers

Free Resources for Learning Linux

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Linux Survival (Online Practice)

Covers: all terminal/command-prompt/command-line-interface basics, Bash; practice online for free with no account needed
https://linuxsurvival.com/linux-tutorial-introduction/

An Introduction to Linux Basics (Tutorial)

Covers: using the terminal/shell; filesystems, navigation, file manipulation, documentation
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/an-introduction-to-linux-basics

The Linux command line for beginners (Tutorial)

Covers: terminal basics, creating folders and files, manipulating files, handy utilities, superuser/root, installing new software, hidden files
https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/command-line-for-beginners#1-overview

An Introduction to the Linux Terminal (Tutorial)

How to Set Up Caddy, Tor Hidden Service & I2P Site on NixOS

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Caddy Server instead of NGINX

Caddy is a powerful, open source web server with automatic HTTPS
Caddy takes care of TLS certificate renewals, static file serving, and reverse proxying
Single, static binary that compiles for any platform
Caddy has no dependencies — not even libc
Written in Go, Caddy offers greater memory safety than servers written in C, such as NGINX

NixOS

NixOS is an independently developed GNU/Linux distribution that aims to improve the state of the art in system configuration management
The entire operating system, including the kernel, applications, system packages and configuration files, are built by the Nix package manager
Nix stores all packages in isolation from each other; as a result there are no /bin, /sbin, /lib or /usr directories and all packages are kept in /nix/store instead
Include reliable upgrades, rollbacks, reproducible system configurations, source-based model with binaries, and multi-user package management
Includes hardware detection, KDE as the default desktop, and systemd for managing system services

Reasons to Run a Tor Hidden Service or an I2P Site (eepsite)

You want to serve content or data (Bitcoin Full Node) without having to buy and register a ‘clearnet’ domain name
You wish to avoid censorship and surveillance
To run a service that you want to hide/remain hidden and not tied to you in any way (Silk Road Model); operator may have a vested interest in remaining hidden, whether for political or other reasons
To provide a secure and anonymous way for visitors to reach you, even if you don’t care about the site being attributed to you (Facebook Model); owners and operators are known

Tutorials: How to set up Caddy, a Tor hidden service and an I2P Eepsite on NixOS

How to install NixOS: https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/02/23/caddy-nixos-part-1/ - archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20230130040639/https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/02/23/caddy-nixos-part-1/
Hardening: How to securely configure NixOS: https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/03/04/caddy-nixos-part-2/ - archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20221202131610/https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/03/04/caddy-nixos-part-2/
Set up reverse proxy using Caddy on NixOS: https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/03/14/caddy-nixos-part-3/ - archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20221202132227/https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/03/14/caddy-nixos-part-3/
Set up Tor hidden (.onion) service: https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/03/16/tor-hidden-onion-nixos/ - archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20220725192441/https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/03/16/tor-hidden-onion-nixos/
Set up I2P Site: https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/03/21/i2p-eepsite-nixos/ - archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20220725192435/https://mdleom.com/blog/2020/03/21/i2p-eepsite-nixos/

Bitcoin as Digital Cash

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Bitcoin is like real cash, but formless (purely electronic) and with a fixed supply of 21 million. Sovereign individuals can increase their privacy and protect their wealth by adopting bitcoin, even on the margin.

Bitcoin Prehistory

Until the announcement of the Bitcoin Whitepaper by Satoshi Nakamoto on October 31, 2008, the idea of a workable digital currency without counterparty risk was difficult to envision.

Many very smart people made attempts over the years to lay the groundwork or build something like it, but bitcoin was the first truly peer-to-peer digital cash system that was robust against attacks and built in reasonable incentives for participants to help grow the network.

The nodebase.xyz Archive

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

nodebase.xyz was my first blog I built from the ground up on OpenBSD. It was comprised of HTML, CSS and a very small amount of JavaScript, along with some shell scripts in the back end. Ran on httpd, and included a hit counter/visit counter (the JS part).

I built nodebase.xyz so that I could share some learnings about financial markets with the world.

I maintained this blog for about 2 years, and last published in April of 2021.

Top Linux & BSD Distros: Security Advisory Mailing Lists

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Debian, debian-security-announce: https://lists.debian.org/debian-security-announce
Ubuntu, ubuntu-security-announce: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-security-announce ; RSS: https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/rss.xml
Red Hat, CentOS, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, rhsa-announce: https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/rhsa-announce
Fedora, stack.watch fedora: https://stack.watch/product/fedoraproject/
SUSE, openSUSE, sle-security-updates: https://lists.suse.com/mailman/listinfo/sle-security-updates
FreeBSD, freebsd-security: https://lists.freebsd.org/subscription/freebsd-security
OpenBSD, announce@openbsd.org: Archive: https://marc.info/?l=openbsd-announce ; Email to majordomo@openbsd.org with a message body of “subscribe openbsd-announce” to subscribe

Additional Sources & Distros:

Debian, debian-lts-announce: https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/
Red Hat CVEs: https://access.redhat.com/security/security-updates/#/cve
CentOS, centos-announce: https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos-announce
Fedora LWN Alerts: https://lwn.net/Alerts/Fedora/
Fedora Issues: https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/?search=&status=stable&releases=current&type=security
Rocky Linux: https://errata.rockylinux.org ; RSS: https://errata.rockylinux.org/api/v2/advisories:rss
AlmaLinux: https://github.com/AlmaLinux/alma-sbom/security/advisories
SUSE CVE Database: https://www.suse.com/security/cve/
Arch Linux: https://security.archlinux.org/ ; Bugs: https://bugs.archlinux.org/
TAILS OS Security Advisory: https://tails.boum.org/security/index.en.html ; RSS: https://tails.boum.org/security/index.en.rss
Kali Linux Major Bugs: https://bugs.kali.org/view_all_bug_page.php?filter=6391003a81137
Qubes OS Security Bulletins: https://www.qubes-os.org/security/qsb/
Whonix Forum Latest Security Topics: https://forums.whonix.org/search?q=security order%3Alatest

General Linux Security Advisories:

MITRE Linux CVEs: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvekey.cgi?keyword=linux
Linux Advisory Watch: https://linuxsecurity.com/newsletters/linux-advisory-watch-archives
Xen Project Security Advisory: https://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/

Coinjoin Implementations & Incentives

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

One is a company with a legal team running a centralized coordinator.

One is a decentralized group of developers running a centralized coordinator.

The third is an open-source project with no centralized coordinator.

Just on the basis of the company and project structures and incentives, we can evaluate the various coinjoin implementations and make more informed decisions.

In the first two cases, with regards to Wasabi and Samourai, there is a team of people running a centralized coordinator and earning fees for the service they provide. The main contrast between these two is evident in the legal structure, terms of service, or lack thereof.

Strong Static Typed Languages

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Type safety and type soundness are the extent to which a programming language discourages or prevents type errors.
Type checking is the process of verifying and enforcing the constraints of types. (Type checking may occur at compile time, as a static check, or at run-time.)
All of the languages listed below are compiled languages.

Here are the Top 10 “Strong Static Typed Languages”, sorted by TIOBE Index Rank, a measure of the popularity of programming languages. (The ratings are based on the number of skilled engineers world-wide, courses and third party vendors.)

Make Lightning Payments Private Again (pLN)

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Tony, on Citadel Dispatch episode 70: “Using lightning privately with tony and @futurepaul”:

There’s a fine line between educating and being doom and gloom. People need to be educated that it’s not perfect and there’s a lot of holes in lightning privacy and bitcoin privacy as well. It’s not a lost cause. I like to tow the line between breaking privacy and fixing privacy. Breaking privacy to educate people that it is kind of broken and you need to be careful. But then also trying to educate and make it better at the same time. The reason I do this is so we can get privacy to be better.

The Privacy Money Middle Path

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

What is Private Money?

Private Money, I’d argue, is that which you can either obtain or spend (or both) while revealing as few of the following facts about yourself as possible. Facts such as:

Your identity
Where you spent/earned it
How much you spent/earned
How much you have all together in a given account or asset
Who the counterparties, senders and recipients are
What products or services were exchanged

Cash, in moderate amounts, fits the bill (no pun intended). But you can’t reasonably expect to wield more than $5,000 or so and interact with the legacy financial system without some level of scrutiny.

Steelman Stocks

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

It’s hard to steelman, or make the case convincingly for, investing in the stock market these days. From crushing debt levels, to absurd CAPE and PE ratios, to the record high in the ratio of stocks to GDP, to sustained high rates of inflation – all signs point to stocks going sideways or lower from here.

But there may still be pockets of value here and there.

Distributed Investing

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Notice the Trends

The Wall Street Silver Squeeze and the Meme Stocks getting crushed in early 2021 highlighted the ferocity of the guard dogs protecting the legacy financial (brokerage/clearing house) system.

Trudao (a.k.a. the evil Canadian Communist dictator) showed us how political dissidents could have their banking services shut off in an instant without a court order. This has extended even to those suspected of being affiliated with or donating to the Truckers FreedomConvoy Cause. #HonkHonk!

The Anti-FOMO Portfolio

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Starting Assumptions

Your investment and savings plan should not be motivated out of envy, greed, or any of the other cardinal sins.
Your investment and savings plan should be grounded in long-term thinking and pragmatism.
As a starting point, you should balance your budget.
If you aren’t currently able to save and keep more than 1% of what you earn every month, then look first to reduce spending and cut back on expenses (there are millions of blog posts on this topic if you care to look).

Read on if you have a balanced budget and are able to save at least 1% of what you bring in every month. (If not, check out all the links above for some tips on saving more money. Or find more ways to earn money.)

Bitcoin RSS Feeds

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve created a collection of Bitcoin-related RSS Feeds.

Please check it out, fork it, or add comments to the Gist if you wish: https://gist.github.com/84adam/8b1961cbd0e0e36b08efac842ab1ad07

This .OPML file can be imported easily into the Free & Open Source Feeder app, for example, which is downloadable from F-Droid here: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.nononsenseapps.feeder/
To download the .OPML file, simply click on the ‘Download ZIP’ button from the Gist page (in Desktop Mode). Then unzip and import into your RSS feed app.

Use RSS and start reducing your dependence on centralized social media today!

Financial Attack Surface Reduction Framework

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Don’t advertise your wealth or income. Keep this information private.
Reduce your costs and maintain a frugal lifestyle.
Keep records of every time you trade a ‘sound money asset’ (gold, silver, bitcoin). Collectibles tax or capital gains tax may apply.
~ Pay taxes on your gains every year, as required. (Better than going to prison or being audited!)
~ Minimize trading and minimize your tax burden.
~ Where possible, consider borrowing against your assets as opposed to selling them to cover large expenses.
Keep at least half of your assets outside of the traditional financial system.
~ Move bitcoin into cold-storage, multi-signature vaults (Sparrow).
~ Keep some cash at home.
~ Keep some physical gold or silver bullion at home. And get to know the people at your local coin shop. (Do they pay cash for bullion?)
Use non-custodial coinjoin (samourai, sparrow) to anonymize your bitcoin (breaking the link to its past history) prior to spending it, and prior to sending into cold-storage.
Use a VPN or the Tor Browser as much as possible while interacting with finance apps and websites, or while transacting in or coinjoining your bitcoin. Change your IP address regularly.
Run your own Bitcoin Full Node at home (Raspibolt). Broadcast your transactions via mempool.space or blockstream.info Tor Hidden Service where possible.
Be Street Smart. Learn Self-Defense. Learn how to safely use and store a handgun (or larger).
Stay Humble. Keep it simple stupid (KISS).

Bitcoin's Risk-Adjusted Returns

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Bitcoin vs. Other Assets

Bitcoin is still a relatively new asset class, but its performance over any given 4-year holding period has surpassed that of anything else out there. This applies to all such 4-year holding periods since 2013 (after which the first such period came to completion.)

Looking at the returns in the context of bitcoin’s high volatility is important, hence the Sharpe ratio is highlighted below. This ratio presents us with a reward-to-variability ratio: It measures the performance of an investment compared to a risk-free asset, such as t-bills or cash, after adjusting for risk, where risk is typically measured based on historical volatility or the standard deviation of returns.

Investing Framework

Tue, 18 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

General Questions

What is your risk tolerance?
How much do you need to set aside for expenses each month?
How much is left over after expenses are paid?
How much are you investing currently?
What is your current asset allocation?
What are your investment goals?
What is the longest period of time you’d be willing to wait before taking your money out of your portfolio?
Any immediate (short- to mid-term) liquidity needs?
Do you have an emergency fund? How many months would it cover?

Asset Allocation Questions

Do you own any stocks? Do you pick stocks or buy indexes (or both)? What markets, segments and sectors are you invested in?
Do you own any bonds? (Pick or Index?) What kinds of bonds do you own?
Real estate?
Precious metals?
Bitcoin (or other digital currencies)?
Commodities?
Art?
Other Alternatives or Derivatives?

Disposition Questions

Have you ever bought a stock (or other asset) on a tip from a friend, popular investing website or other personality?
Do you like reviewing financial statements, earnings data, and other fundamental information of individual securities (i.e. stocks)?
Have you ever studied a price chart?
Imagine you invested $10,000 into a fund or stock and it subsequently went down 10% over the next 2 weeks. How would you feel? (What if it went down 30%?)
What does the term diversification mean to you and is it important?
What is the largest percentage of your net worth that you’ve ever had invested in any single security or asset (be it a house, a stock, an index, or an asset class in general; e.g. bonds)?
What does the term risk mean to you as it relates to particular investments or investing in general?

Self-Reflection Questions

On a scale of 1-5, 1 being VERY EASY and 5 being VERY DIFFICULT, how difficult was it for you to answer the questions listed above? (1=VERY EASY, 2=EASY, 3=MODERATE, 4=DIFFICULT, 5=VERY DIFFICULT)
Did you need to look up the meaning of any words or ask anyone for help in order to answer any of them? (0=NONE, 1=SOME, 2=MANY/ALL)
Did you know (offhand) all of the information relating to your current expenses, emergency fund, and current portfolio? Or did you need to look up some of this information? (0=I KNEW IT ALL, 1=I KNEW SOME, 2=I KNEW LITTLE/NOTHING OFFHAND)

Self-Classification of Expertise

From the self-reflection questions, give yourself 9 points to begin.

Bitcoin Energy

Fri, 14 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Bitcoin is the most efficient monetary network ever devised.

All mining efforts, from whatever energy source, go directly into securing the network. All hashes matter. All hashes count. None are wasted.

“Every Hash Is Sacred”

If a mass of new miners joins the network, the difficulty adjustment algorithm will automatically optimize the level of effort required for a block to be mined. This happens every two weeks (every 2016 blocks, to be exact).

𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 // 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘

Tue, 11 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

About Me

Software developer. Privacy and sound money advocate. Freedom maximalist.

Contact:

Email: adam-bc1984 [at] protonmail [dot] com
X: @bc1984adam
Nostr: npub1984aa7hm8l09s77wrtt082smltnj805c0npep6fde5ftrnhkq6vqty059a

Donate

BTC on-chain: bc1q84adam3f4st56dajdwz4jsxc4mpwuulhvglysk
BTC LN addr: drixtale448b@coinos.io
PayNym: +bc1984 – PM8TJJYb31tP9Qep6fr9hbAdbWnEPx88Qy9cb5vRaTw96bE8zdXvQYsMFr5jxtpspz1xUkVmsYkahhgyntPzUQzQgac2AFZSRLi6bBNCxx7d1dDh1Bf1
XMR: 865tatXCWPTaEEv7ksnTiPKSxEDPkdeCaSkjXDQHVnETSHtmWjk69Mu6XeTfKUkkQPJYeeBs3Jxv5QvFzWbU62dJSsoeerc

“The truth is not for all men but only for those who seek it.” ― Ayn Rand

Bitcoin Rebase

Tue, 11 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

If you think about it, it kinda sucks how this non-elected body of bureaucrats (the IRS) can declare bitcoin to be property and charge you for every time you spend it. To the tune of 15% for most investors (on any profits you’ve made).

2021 long-term capital gains tax rates: https://www.fool.com/research/capital-gains-tax-rates/

RATE – INCOME LEVEL
0% – Up to $40,400
15% – Between $40,401 and $445,850
20% – Over $445,850

On the other hand, the fact that profits from your gains are not treated as income, whereas coins mined are treated as income, is advantageous to the average HODLer.

ReviveNotes

Sun, 09 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Thrivenotes Revival

The first website I built and the blog I maintained longest (to date), was thrivenotes.com. I am no longer maintaining the site but am archiving and re-posting some material here for posterity.

Oldest Archived Instance:

Thrivenotes: satisfying your daily subjectivity requirements.

prepare for the coming singularity. artificial intelligence approaches. pace of technological change. changing lifestyles. survive and thrive. how to thrive. thrive easy. live it up. live a full life. fulfill your life’s purpose. maximize your potential. become self-actualizing.

Buying Gold

Mon, 03 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

[Really not financial advice.]

Most of what you’ll see me advocating online, whether here or on Twitter is to buy bitcoin, not gold.

So why am I talking about how to buy gold?

Well, first off, not everyone has come around to the idea of a Perfectly Scarce, Digital Veblen Good approaching Infinite Stock-to-Flow…

Bitcoin is a Veblen Good

And perhaps not everyone will. Which I think, is just fine, as long as there are other real and accessible means to fight the rampant dilution of the money supply and money printer go BRRRR phenomena.

Hello, 1984.

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Power to the Plebs

I created this blog to share tips and tricks with my fellow plebs in this increasingly divided and draconian world.

Do you know your Draco?

When your every thought and action is subject to the judgment of the (madness of the) crowd, it’s fair to say it’s become *political*. And when everything has become political – under the control of the State, either by dictum or by default – then, in effect, you live under a Totalitarian System.

𝐁𝐂𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟒

Goodbye, Bitcoin!

REVIEW OF 1984 (ASIMOV)

Dear Utah Residents: Get VPNs Ready!

Stop Regulation Through Prosecution #FreeSamourai

Quantum Bitcoin Mining

Quantum Feasibility (?)

DEADNET vs. The Word

MY PERSONAL NOTES

DON'T SPRAY ME, BRO

Relative Peace to Relative War

Helter Skelter

IS GLD THE BEST SPY?

THE UNIVERSE IS REAL

UBCO study debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation

INFO FAST

Drastically Reducing Twitter (X) Usage

Pardon Samourai Devs, Mr. President

Quantum Infeasibility (?)

PGP Key Management

PGP Key Vignettes

One Thousand Diverted, One Million Discouraged: Android Innovation Extinguished

Consider the Ramifications

Review of Ashigaru Whirlpool: RSA Blinding & Deanonymization Concerns

Ashigaru Whirlpool Security Analysis

Introduction to the Problem

Samourai & Ashigaru Resources

PODCASTS & TALKS

Run back expectations

Catholic Christianity

Bitcoin Human Rights Chain Being Subverted

Defunct Honduran ZEDEs

The Venetian Doge vs. The Crypto Anarchist

Alternative Title: Is Bitcoin Venice, or a Defunct Honduran ZEDE?

Equations of Freedom (Money)

Foundations of Cryptography: Groups, Rings, and Finite Fields

Building Blocks of Secure Systems

1. Cryptographic Essentials: Groups, Rings, and Fields

Groups: Operations with Structure

The Blank-Slate-Ism of Tariffologists

In Samourai's Defense

Hypocritical Democracy

The Fractured Logic of Nation-States and Majority Rule

Moral Decay: When “Equality” Breeds Tyranny

Fancy Fiat

sats on the balance sheet

POSIWID: Real Estate

The End of Central Banking?

Riches Do Not Endure Forever

What does the bible say about money, wealth and investing?

Black Market Money

Black Market Money is the True Freedom Money.

Why should we prefer bitcoin be used as black market money, and not as an investible asset?

Early Return & Other Advanced Programming Techniques in Python

Early Return

arkfile.net

Application Architecture

High-Level Architecture

Components

Security Features

Directory Structure

Key Files and Their Purposes

MCBAGS: FOR WHEN SHTF

Monero (XMR):

Cash:

Bitcoin (BTC):

Ammo:

Gold (& Guns):

Silver:

𝕂𝕐ℂ𝟛 x86 Tutorial Archive

x86 Bitcoin Node Guide. Part 1. Installing Bitcoin Core. KYC3

x86 Bitcoin Node Guide. Part 2. Installing Fulcrum Indexer. KYC3

x86 Bitcoin Node Guide. Part 3. Installing Mempool Explorer. KYC3

x86 Bitcoin Node Guide. Part 4. Installing a Dojo Server. KYC3

x86 Bitcoin Node Guide. Part 5. Firewall Configuration & System Updates. KYC3

Implied Volatility (IV) Surface: Key Concepts for Beginning Options Traders

Understanding the Implied Volatility Surface: A Key to Choosing the Right Strike Prices and Expirations in Options Trading

Poor US Household Savings Strategies

Safe Haven Investing Is Not What You Think

Key Insights from Mark Spitznagel’s Masterpiece