Greetings Bitcoiner,

Welcome to Issue #174 of Bitcoin Breakdown, where it’s OPSEC Wednesday special, followed by the latest Quick Bits snippets.

But first, today’s Top Stories:

• 🫂 Institutions Scramble as BTC Supply Tightens

• 🏦 No Digital Dollar Under Powell

• 🇵🇱 Poland Snubs BTC, Others Look On

TOGETHER WITH BITCOIN MINIMALIST*

*You can also advertise with us here.

Feb 12, 2025

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

🫂 Institutions Scramble as BTC Supply Tightens

Bitwise Asset Management highlights that individual holders control 69.4% of the total supply of 21M BTC, leaving only 5.7% to mine while OTC markets are running dry. ‘If companies and governments want to buy bitcoin, they’ll largely have to buy it from individuals who are willing to sell.’ Large buyers like Strategy and BlackRock may soon be forced to pay premium prices on exchanges. As adoption grows, institutions risk fueling a supply shock while determined HODLers solidify their BTC-holding dominance. BeInCrypto

🏦 No Digital Dollar Under Powell

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell firmly declares that, under his leadership, the US will not pursue a central bank digital currency, aligning with the current Trump administration’s growing pro-Bitcoin and pro-freedom sentiment. Backed by Trump's recent executive order banning CBDCs, Powell insists that private-sector innovation leads the way. Recently, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller also expressed skepticism about the necessity of a CBDC in the US payment system, reiterating his 2021 stance that he has yet to hear a compelling reason for its adoption. CryptoSlate

🇵🇱 Poland Snubs BTC, Others Look On

In a stern press conference, Polish Central ank president Adam Glapiński declared a firm 'no' to BTC reserves, preferring gold over 'risky' assets, which he says helped the bank’s reserves increase in value by 22% last year. The remarks come a week after the Czech Central Bank approved a proposal to study the possibility of investing in BTC. Across the Atlantic, the US eyes a strategic BTC reserve and multiple states weigh their own stacks, signaling a growing global shift. Decrypt

POLL

OPSEC FEATURE ARTICLE

Shocking Ways Your Old Data Can Haunt You: Expert Tips to Wipe Your Digital Footprint for Good

Data security is critical as cybercriminals constantly devise new tactics to access sensitive information.

In this week’s feature article, we explore why secure data disposal is essential, highlight the risks of improper disposal, and offer best practices to protect your digital footprint from creation to destruction.

Get instant access to this special feature by becoming a premium supporter here.

QUICK BITS

• President Trump issues a directive to end penny production amid rising minting costs.

• Another solo Bitcoin miner secures a 3.125 BTC reward worth $300K.

• Kidnapped crypto trader facing a €30K ransom demand attempts escape from 30-foot balcony in Spain, breaking his ankles in the process.

• Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, projects Bitcoin adoption to reach several billion people by 2030, driven by ETF growth and institutional investment.

• North Carolina lawmakers pass bill to allocate 10% of state funds to buy BTC and crypto, marking the state as the 20th US jurisdiction adopting Bitcoin reserves.

• PlanB, a Bitcoin market analyst, suggests that BTC gains occur in red periods around halvings, with the current red period lasting until October 2025.

• Ancient Bitcoin Whale moves 14,000 BTC worth $1.4B as price consolidates near $100K, signaling potential volatility spike in coming days.

• Central African Republic’s CAR memecoin plummets 95% after launch, raising concerns over its credibility.

• Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino predicts quantum computing will enable hackers to steal BTC from lost wallets, highlighting the need for quantum-resistant security solutions.

• Balaji Srinivasan, a Bitcoin advocate and author of 'The Network State', backs Ron Paul's Fed chair nomination, with Elon Musk's support for the same, sparking renewed calls for 'Ending the Fed'.

• Klarna, a Swedish 'BNPL' fintech with 85M users and $100B in annual transactions, explores Bitcoin and crypto integration ahead of a potential US IPO.

• KULR Technology Group acquires additional 100 BTC for $10M, bringing total holdings to 610 BTC as part of its Bitcoin treasury strategy.

• Kieran, developer of Nostr clients Zap.stream and Snort.social, announces significant data loss of NIP5 domains and a 10M+ sats Bitcoin wallet, commits to ensuring recovery for users.

• Binance and the US SEC request a 60-day stay in their legal battle, potentially signaling a shift in Bitcoin and crypto enforcement under Trump’s policy.

• Binance moves $8B off its proof-of-reserves, raising concerns over regulatory settlements, Bitcoin and crypto Investments, and business expansion strategies.

• Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor blocks BestChange, Russia's largest Bitcoin and crypto aggregator due to new regulations on Bitcoin Mining and crypto operations.

• James Howells, man who lost a £600M Bitcoin fortune in a Welsh landfill, explores purchasing the site after Newport City Council denies his search request.

• Diamond Hands partners with Blockstream to advance Bitcoin in Japan, with the goal of fostering infrastructure development, expanding enterprise partnerships, and driving the growth of the local Bitcoin ecosystem.

• Gumi Inc, a Japanese gamemaker, purchases $6.6M worth of BTC and stakes in Babylon protocol.

• AI Firms dominate Bitcoin and crypto companies in a number of Super Bowl 2025 Ads, signaling a shift in popular interest.

MEME OF THE DAY

Tackle your credit card debt by paying 0% interest until 2026

Reduce interest: 0% intro APR helps lower debt costs.
Stay debt-free: Designed for managing debt, not adding.
Top picks: Expert-selected cards for debt reduction.

Learn How To Apply Now

Thank you for reading!

If you received it from a friend and would like to subscribe, you can do so here:

Until our next transmission,

P.S. Looking to start your own newsletter? Use this link to sign up for beehiiv and get a 30-day free trial plus a 20% discount.

Support independent Bitcoin content and consider leaving a Lightning tip:

[email protected]