Greetings Bitcoiner,

Welcome to Issue #196 of Bitcoin Breakdown, where it’s OPSEC Wednesday special, followed by the latest Quick Bits snippets.

But first, today’s Top Stories:

• 😱 EU Freaks Out Over The US Embracing Bitcoin, Cites ‘Monetary Sovereignty’ Meltdown

• 🇺🇸 US Senators and Congressman Propose One Million $BTC.X ( ▲ 2.35% ) Reserve

• 🔍️ Bitwise Launches Bitcoin Standard ETF Tracking 21 Major BTC-Holding Companies

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Mar 12, 2025

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

😱 EU Freaks Out Over The US Embracing Bitcoin, Cites ‘Monetary Sovereignty’ Meltdown

Eurozone finance ministers are clutching their pearls over the US government's embrace of Bitcoin and crypto under President Donald Trump, fearing it could impact Europe's financial stability. They worry about the potential threat to the euro's sovereignty with the rise of dollar-denominated stablecoins. The European Stability Mechanism insists the only way to stop America’s stablecoin ‘invasion’ is to rush out their beloved European Central Bank's digital euro project even more urgently. All the while, Bitcoin continues its unfettered global consolidation. Reuters

🇺🇸 US Senator and Congressman Propose One Million BTC Reserve

Senator Cynthia Lummis reintroduced The BITCOIN Act at the ‘Bitcoin for America’ summit yesterday, which would ensure that President Trump’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve cannot be overturned by executive order by the next president. Meanwhile, Rep. Nick Begich, with six co-sponsors backing the initiative, introduced a House bill to acquire 1M BTC to be held for at least 20 years and create secure vaults operated by the Treasury. Asset manager VanEck estimates this could offset around $21T of US national debt by 2049. Bitcoin Magazine

🔍️ Bitwise Launches Bitcoin Standard ETF Tracking 21 Major BTC-Holding Companies

Bitwise's new exchange-traded fund, ticker OWNB, lets investors bet on companies holding over 1,000 BTC. With over 70 companies now holding bitcoin, Strategy is the top asset, followed by miners like MARA, CleanSpark, and Riot Platforms. Bitwise President Teddy Fusaro highlighted the growing trend of companies adding bitcoin to their balance sheets. Bitwise's move reflects the increasing corporate adoption of Bitcoin, boosted by Bitcoin-friendly policies under President Donald Trump. The Block

POLL

OPSEC FEATURE ARTICLE

Apple’s Encryption Crisis Expose 5 Private Photo Storage Solutions That Will Safeguard Your Memories

Apple’s enhanced iCloud encryption has drawn scrutiny from certain state-level authorities, reflecting ongoing tensions between big tech privacy measures and government demands.

Combined with Google’s extensive scanning practices, this conflict underscores the need for truly private alternatives.

This week we cover 5 such solutions to safeguard your personal photos through end-to-end encryption, giving you full control of your data without sacrificing convenience.

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

QUICK BITS

• Braiins, a Bitcoin mining pool, reaches the milestone of 1,000 daily payouts on the Lightning Network, showcasing Lightning's potential for scalable and efficient mining payouts.

• Arkham Intelligence tracks 930M BTC move from Mt. Gox addresses, signaling imminent distributions to creditors and sparking renewed selling pressure concerns.

• Another solo miner adds a block to the Bitcoin blockchain with a Bitaxe machine, earning the full $263,000 reward.

• Puerto Rico resident faces a $10,000 daily fine for defying a court order to surrender almost 120 BTC, worth $9.7M, to the US government.

• Cayman Islands Monetary Authority implements licensing rules for Bitcoin and crypto firms, requiring digital asset custody and trading platforms to obtain a license, effective April 1.

• Anthony Pompliano, Bitcoiner and VC, suggests that President Trump is crashing asset prices to force the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.

• Texas introduces a bill proposing a $250M digital asset reserve for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, with a $10M cap for local governments.

• Center for Political Accountability report finds that Bitcoin and crypto firms spent over $134M on 2024 US elections.

• OKX is being investigated by EU regulators for potential MiCA violations after its tools were allegedly used to launder funds from Bybit's $1.5B hack.

• Cantor Fitzgerald expands Bitcoin financing services, partnering with Anchorage Digital and Copper.co to offer enhanced custody and collateral management for institutional investors.

• Bitdeer successfully tests SEAL03 Bitcoin mining chip with 9.7J/TH energy efficiency, set for mass production in H2 2025.

• Metaplanet adds 162 BTC to its treasury, bringing its total holdings to 3,050 BTC and aims to expand holdings to 10,000 BTC by the end of this year.

• Coinbase Derivatives platform introduces 24/7 bitcoin futures trading for US clients.

• Clearstream, subsidiary of third-largest stock market in Europe Deutsche Börse, launches a Bitcoin and crypto custody service for institutional clients.

• BBVA, Spain's second-largest bank by assets held, receives regulatory approval to offer Bitcoin trading services to its clients in the EU.

• Taproot Wizards launches public auction for 2,121 limited-edition Bitcoin Ordinals NFTs, featuring 0.2 BTC initial tranche and Dutch auction pricing.

• New research shows that Silicon Valley Bank's collapse was driven by venture capital and crypto customers, not Operation Chokepoint 2.0.

• Murad, former Bitcoin Maxi turned memecoin evangelist, faces a $40M loss on his portfolio of memecoins.

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