Greetings Bitcoiner,

Welcome to Issue #190 of Bitcoin Breakdown, where it’s OPSEC Wednesday special, followed by the latest Quick Bits snippets.

But first, today’s Top Stories:

• 🇸🇻 El Salvador Defies IMF, For Now

• 💦 $20M $BTC.X ( ▲ 2.35% ) Porn Star Heist Foiled

• 🇲🇽 Mexican Billionaire Goes All In On Bitcoin

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Mar 5, 2025

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

🇸🇻 El Salvador Defies IMF, For Now

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele is defying an IMF agreement forcing public funds to stop new purchases by July 2025 buy continuing to stack the sound money. The International Monetary Fund demands El Salvador halt its public sector bitcoin purchases as part of a $1.4B funding deal, aiming to improve transparency and mitigate perceived risk. It remains to be seen if Bukele’s bold defiance, underscoring the nation's enduring commitment to Bitcoin amid economic challenge, would persist after the IMF’s deadline. CCN

💦 $20M BTC Porn Star Heist Foiled 

OnlyFans star Amouranth was rocked when masked robbers targeted her flaunted $20M bitcoin stash. After being pistol-whipped, she posted a frantic SOS on X, then led the robbers into a trap, shooting one of them. She credits her husband's quick thinking and her own pistol skills for chasing them off and safeguarding her BTC. Don’t flaunt your stack, plebs. New York Post

🇲🇽 Mexican Billionaire Goes All In on Bitcoin 

Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas has gone all in on Bitcoin, increasing his exposure from a mere ten percent in 2020 to seventy percent today. He calls Bitcoin 'the hardest asset in the world' due to its fixed supply and robust growth potential. Salinas urges investors to dollar cost average for longterm gains. Cointelegraph

POLL

OPSEC FEATURE ARTICLE

Escape Big Tech: The Best Privacy-Focused Web Browsers

Mainstream browsers track every click, search, and scroll, turning user behavior and data into a profitable digital commodity.

Recent actions by Mozilla, a widely trusted company in the ecosystem responsible for the popular Firefox browser, prove that the fight is far from over.

This week we analyse the best alternative web browsers that aim to provide safer, more private browsing experiences aligned with the principles of an open and free internet.

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

QUICK BITS

• Standard Chartered says Trump’s Crypto Reserve plan places their bitcoin target of $500,000 by 2028 back in focus.

• IMF's strict loan conditions force El Salvador to doxx state-controlled BTC wallets while shuttering Bukele's Chivo service.

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claims President Trump will unveil Bitcoin reserve strategy at the upcoming White House Crypto Summit.

• Lutnick also says Bitcoin will be treated differently from altcoins in the US crypto reserve, providing distinct yet positive treatment for other digital tokens.

• Bitcoin Hashrate is at risk from a potential US-Canada trade conflict that may threaten access to low-cost energy along their border, putting up to 5% of global bitcoin mining power at risk.

• Belarus targets Bitcoin mining expansion, leveraging excess electricity and low energy costs under President Lukashenko's directive.

• Michael Saylor is set to attend the White House Digital Assets Summit hosted by the President this Friday.

• Blockstream secures billions to launch three funds, including two for bitcoin lending aimed at Bitcoin-backed loans and borrowing with US dollars as collateral.

• Foundation Devices CEO Zack Herbert says that the Trump administration is positioning Bitcoin as a key national asset, touting it to be the 'Fort Knox of the future'.

• Custodia Bank CEO Caitlin Long calls out the US government’s Bitcoin and crypto debanking inaction and outdated banking regulations, urging vital reforms.

• State Street forecasts Bitcoin ETFs to surpass precious metals as the third-largest US asset class by 2025, with BlackRock and Fidelity leading the market.

• 600 Russian Bitcoin mining firms register with the Russian Federal Tax Service to meet monthly energy and reporting requirements.

• SEC withdraws lawsuit against Kraken, reflecting the broader shift in US Bitcoin and crypto regulation under the Trump administration.

• US Bitcoin ATM network shrinks by 1,233 in early March as Senator Dick Durbin proposes fraud prevention legislation.

• US Congressmen Ritchie Torres and Tom Emmer form a bipartisan Congressional Crypto Caucus to mobilize support for Bitcoin and crypto legislation.

• North Korea’s Lazarus Group launders $1.04B stolen from Bybit via THORChain, while cybersecurity experts trace funds to potentially recover parts of them.

• Coinos Wallet alerts users on revoked NWC connection secrets due to a security leak, prompting updates via a new connection.

• Metaplanet makes yet another BTC purchase worth $43.9M, adding 497 more BTC to its 2,888 BTC holdings.

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