DIB 18 DEC 2024

BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 875,305
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 18Dec24
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: North Korean Soldiers Killed in Ukraine / Russia Arrests Uzbek in General’s Death / Twelve Dead at Georgia Ski Resort / GOP Calls for Liz Cheney Investigation / Continuing Resolution in Budget Battle / Ohio Introduces Bitcoin Reserve Bill / BPI Releases EO Template for Trump’s First Day / Email Campaign Helps Dislodge SEC Commissioner Crenshaw / El Salvador’s BTC Holdings Shine / BlackRock’s IBIT Most Successful ETF Launched / Fed Meets Today, Cut? / Coinbase Says Law Enforcement Requests Down / China Demos Mach 7 Drone, Also Launches First 10 Internet Satellites / New US Poll Says 1 in 5 Used Crypto

Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $104,924, 39.63 oz Gold, .24 Median US House
24hr Hi: $108,268 / Lo: $103,187
Vol: $78B (Even)
Mkt Cap: $2.07T (Down 2%)
HashRate: 790 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 6 sats/vBtye (Down 53%)
Nodes: 20,901

—Reports—
-International Events-
1. A couple hundred North Korean troops killed, wounded in battles with Ukrainian forces: The official didn’t provide details on exactly how many have been killed, but said the North Korean forces don’t appear to be battle-hardened, which contributes to the number of casualties they’ve had. The official was providing the first significant estimate of North Korean casualties, which comes several weeks after Ukraine announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. (AP)

2. Russia says it detains Uzbek citizen ‘recruited by Ukraine’ over killing of general: Kirillov, who was chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside his apartment building on Tuesday along with his assistant when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter went off. He is the most senior Russian military officer to be assassinated in Russia by Ukraine. (NYPost)

3. 12 people found dead inside restaurant at popular ski resort: Twelve people are dead at after their bodies were found inside a restaurant at a popular ski resort in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. Authorities said. authorities discovered that a power generator had been placed in a closed space within an indoor area of the resort near some bedrooms. Carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected. (ABC)

-US Events-
1. House GOP panel calls for Liz Cheney to be investigated for ‘criminal witness tampering’: A House Republican-led panel on Tuesday called for a federal criminal investigation of former Rep. Liz Cheney for possible “criminal witness tampering” with a star witness while serving as vice chairman of the since-disbanded House select committee that investigated the 2021 Capitol riot. “Evidence uncovered by the Subcommittee revealed that former Congresswoman Liz Cheney tampered with at least one witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, by secretly communicating with Hutchinson without Hutchinson’s attorney’s knowledge,” the report from chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) says. (NYpost)

2. ‘Shut It Down’ Trends On X As Congress Faces Backlash Over Shutdown Deal: Congressional leaders have unveiled a stopgap measure to avert a serious government shutdown with the deadline fast approaching. However, the move got widespread backlash on social media as “shut it down” was a top political trend on X Tuesday night through early Wednesday. (IBTimes)

-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Bill Introduced By Ohio State Lawmaker: Ohio State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township) introduced new legislation on December 17, 2024, aimed at authorizing the state treasury to invest in Bitcoin as part of its asset portfolio. Known as House Bill 703, the “Ohio Bitcoin Reserve Act” seeks to establish a dedicated BTC fund within the state treasury, providing the State Treasurer with the legal framework to purchase and hold BTC. The measure does not mandate any specific investment but opens the possibility for future allocation. (Bitcoinist)

2. Bitcoin Policy Institute Develops Executive Order Draft For Trump’s Strategic Reserve: A newly uncovered public document reveals that the Bitcoin Policy Institute, a research and advocacy group in the United States, has drafted an executive order that aims to designate Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. This proposed order is designed to take effect immediately upon being signed by President-elect Donald Trump on his first day in office. (Bitcoinist)

3. Stand with Crypto advocates flood Senate with 107,000 emails opposing SEC Crenshaw’s renomination: According to a statement on Tuesday, 52,000 Stand with Crypto advocates sent about 107,000 emails to U.S. senators. This comes as a vote in the Senate Banking Committee to renominate SEC Democratic Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw was scrapped for the second time in about a week. (TheBlock)

-Central Bank Digital Currencies/World Currencies-
1. El Salvador’s Bitcoin Holdings Cross $632 Million, Drawing Bukele’s Praise: Bukele proudly posted on social media that the Bitcoin portfolio of the South American country has soared by 134% to reach $632 million. The alpha cryptocurrency hit another milestone, a record-high of $106,488, boosting the value of El Salvador’s crypto holdings. (Bitcoinist)

-Institutional Concerns-
1. BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Reaches $36 Billion in Record-Breaking Inflows: BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF has become the most successful ETF launch in a decade with over $36 billion in inflows, surpassing all rivals and helping push total Bitcoin ETF assets above gold ETF holdings. (Blockonomi)

-Economic Indicators-
1. Fed Set To Cut Rates For 3rd Consecutive Time: The Fed is widely expected to announce another 25bps cut to the federal funds rate at its December 2024 meeting, marking the third consecutive reduction this year and bringing borrowing costs to the 4.25%-4.5% range. The meeting will be taking place this afternoon. (TradingEconomics)

-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Coinbase reveals 18% YoY drop in law enforcement requests: Outside the US, Coinbase experienced notable decreases in law enforcement requests from key markets. Requests declined significantly in Germany, the UK, and Spain, by 33%, 45%, and 35%, respectively. In contrast, Singapore stood out with a 221% increase in requests, jumping from 34 in 2023 to 109 this year. This signaled growing regulatory activity in the region as it emerged as a prominent crypto hub. (CryptoSlate)

-Technology and Science-
1. China Shows Off Mach 7 Hypersonic Drone, Launched From Near-Space Balloon: China has released a military propaganda video boasting its hypersonic weapon capabilities as the military arms race between global superpowers kicks into high gear. The MD-22 – the latest known model in the series – was first unveiled at the 2022 Zhuhai air show. The aircraft boasts a maximum range of 8,000km (4,971 miles) and can carry payloads of up to 600kg (1,323 pounds), delivering substantial strategic capabilities. (ZeroHedge)

2. China Guowang Megaconstellation Launches First 10 Internet Satellites to Orbit, Rivaling Starlink: This new network of internet-beaming satellites would deliver a new kind of wireless connection for the region, one that would rival the globally dominant service of SpaceX’s Starlink. China delivered the Guawong internet satellites 680 miles above the planet where it is now sitting in orbit, marking a landmark development for the country’s space programs. The plan for China’s megaconstellation looks to complete 13,000 satellites delivered to orbit to beam satellite internet connection to its regions. (TechTimes)

-Bitcoin Community-
1. 1 in 5 US voters traded, invested in or used crypto, says new poll: Data was released on Dec. 17 from the poll of 1,000 registered voters taken between Dec. 11 and Dec. 13 that found almost 40% of crypto-using respondents also made a purchase with it. “Crypto users are younger and have a larger minority base, highlighting crypto as a growing, diverse constituency for political support: 57% of crypto users have a favorable view of Donald Trump,” (CoinTelegraph)

-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 81/100 (Down 6 pts)

Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR

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Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report