Greetings Bitcoiner,

Welcome to Issue #245 of Bitcoin Breakdown, where we’re bringing you your end-of-week Bitcoin Digest featuring all the need-to-know Quick Bits snippets and Quick Media.

But first, today’s Top Stories:

• 🏦 OCC Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Banks & $BTC.X ( ▲ 0.48% )

• 🛡️ Taiwan Mulls Bitcoin Shield from Currency Chaos

• ⛏️ Arizona Strikes Bitcoin Gold with Unclaimed Assets!

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May 9, 2025

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

🏦 OCC Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Banks & Bitcoin

The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has officially allowed banks to handle customer Bitcoin and crypto assets, covering trading and custody. Acting Comptroller Rodney Hood hailed this as a 'transformation', with 50M Americans already holding Bitcoin or crypto. This landmark decision, celebrated by industry leaders, empowers banks to fully engage with Bitcoin services and even outsource them, signaling a major regulatory step towards mainstream integration and financial freedom. Cointelegraph

🛡️ Taiwan Mulls Bitcoin Shield from Currency Chaos

Taiwanese officials are exploring adding bitcoin to its national reserves, a move championed by legislator Ju-Chun Ko after discussions with JAN3’s Samson Mow. Concerned by New Taiwan Dollar instability and over-reliance on the US dollar, Ko advocates for BTC to bolster financial resilience. This potential diversification, drawing parallels with initiatives in a growing number of US states, will enhance Taiwan’s monetary sovereignty amid global economic pressures. BTC Times

⛏️ Arizona Strikes Bitcoin Gold with Unclaimed Assets!

Arizona is now the second US state to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, funding it with profits from unclaimed property. This move, signed into law by Governor Hobbs, aims to combat inflation and modernize public finances without new taxes. The initiative allows Arizona to stack sats and even offers native BTC redemption for lost bitcoin. It’s a pioneering step towards sound money and fiscal responsibility, turning confiscated assets into digital gold for a brighter financial future. Bitcoin Magazine

POLL #245

PREVIOUS POLL RESULTS

QUICK BITS

• Bitcoin whales accumulated 81,338 BTC as paperhand retail investor activity declined sharply after price went below $100K for a few weeks.

• Alpen Labs introduces the Bitcoin Dollar, a BTC-backed stablecoin built on ZK rollups.

• Dormant Bitcoin wallet from 12 years ago moves 3422 BTC worth $324M to a new address.

• Reuters reports that bitcoin is rising as an alternative asset as markets challenge US exceptionalism amid Trump's trade war and dollar weakness.

• LockBit ransomware gang suffers breach, leaking 60,000 Bitcoin wallets and internal data, exposing cybercriminal operations and affiliate networks.

• Bhutan’s tourism department partners with Binance Pay and DK Bank to launch a payment system for tourists looking to pay with Bitcoin or crypto.

• Xapo Bank CEO highlights rising investor confidence for Bitcoin-backed loans, viewing them as an 'obvious next step' driven by institutional adoption.

• Steak 'n Shake, an American fast food chain, starts accepting BTC payments nationwide from May 16.

• Basel's stringent capital requirements impose hurdles on growing Bitcoin interest from banks as it makes Bitcoin holdings economically inefficient for them.

• Michael Saylor urges Microsoft to ditch bonds and buy BTC to avoid destroying capital.

• Luxor Technology, a mining company, warns Russia could dominate Bitcoin mining if Trump's tariffs fully impact US supply chains.

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QUICK MEDIA

• Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike, announces 'Strike Lending', an offering that aims to enable users access their Bitcoin wealth without having to sell (May 6 | 17:36 min watch).

• A heated debate on Bitcoin Core’s OP_RETURN return limit at the Bitcoin++ Mempool edition conference pits Peter Todd and Shinobi, who advocate for uncapping it for technical efficiency, against Chris Guida and Bitcoin Mechanic, who prioritize Bitcoin as money over platform functionality (May 8 | 59:17 min watch).

• Michael Saylor delivers a keynote address at the Bitcoin for Corporations 2025 conference, making a case that Bitcoin is not just an asset but the Apex capital strategy for companies seeking long-term growth, durability, and relevance in the AI age (May 7 | 65:08 min watch).

• Southern Bitcoiner, a Bitcoin educator, walks you through removing Core on your Start9 server, installing Knots, and verifying that your Sparrow Wallet stays connected throughout the process. (May 5 | 4:53 min watch).

• Matt Cole, CEO of Strive Asset Management, speaking at the Bitcoin for Corporations 2025 conference, announces his company's entry in the Bitcoin treasury space and outlines their strategy for accumulating BTC (May 8 | 14:21 min watch).

• Adam Livingston, author of 'The Great Harvest', praises Strive Asset Management's recently announced Bitcoin accumulation strategy that involves involving tax-deferred exchanges, strategic acquisitions, and leverage platforms (May 8 | 12:19 min watch).

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