DIB 26 MAR 2025

BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 889,521
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 26Mar2025
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: Palestinians Protest Against Hamas / Russia, Ukraine Agree on Black Sea / US SECDEF Meets Philippine Leadership / Trump EO Mandates Proof of Citizenship for Voting / Trump Advisor Waltz Takes Responsibility for Chat Snafu / SEC Sets Roundtables for Crypto Talks / Congress to Vote on Dropping Broker Rule for De-Fi Firms / NC to Vote on Bitcoin Reserves / StableCoin Use Up / GameStop Adopts Bitcoin / Chinese Hackers in Telecoms for Years / USG Looks to Starlink for Rural Areas / Zambia Bitcoin Mine Pairs Well with Stranded Hydro Power

Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $88,058, 29.05 oz Gold, .20 Median US House
24hr Hi: $88,542 / Lo: $86,997
Vol: $28B (Down 12%)
Mkt Cap: $1.74T (Up 1%)
HashRate: 842 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 13 sats/vBtye (Up 325%)

—Reports—
-International Events-
1. Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza protest against Hamas after conflict resumes: Hundreds of Palestinians have protested in northern Gaza to demand an end to war and chanting “Hamas out,” social media posts showed, in a rare public show of opposition to the militant group that sparked the latest war with its October 7, 2023 raid on Israel. (Reuters)

2. Russia, Ukraine agree to truce at sea and ban on energy attacks: The United States has reached agreements with both Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe navigation and eliminate the use of force in the Black Sea, according to statements from the White House. While naval hostilities may cease, the agreement does not end the ongoing land conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing the need for a durable peace. (GroundNews)

3. Pentagon chief to visit Philippines for security talks: Hegseth will be in Manila on March 28-29 to meet his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Talks will touch on increasingly assertive actions by Beijing in the South China Sea and “more significant support” to Philippine security forces by the Trump administration. (DefenseNews)

-US Events-
1. Trump Signs Executive Order Mandating Proof Of Citizenship In Major Election Overhaul: U.S. President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, signed an executive order that would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship at the polls and seeks to block states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The order also seeks to reduce federal funding for states that do not comply with the new rules, a release from White House said. (IBTimes)

2. Trump Advisor Waltz Takes Responsibility For Yemen Chat Leak: National Security Advisor Mike Waltz accepted “full responsibility” for mistakenly adding Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat discussing strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, as reported by Fox News. Waltz indicated that an investigation into the information leak is ongoing, and he emphasized that some of the “best technical minds” are involved. (GroundNews)

-Regulatory and Legal-
1. SEC’s Crypto Task Force to Hold More Roundtables for Clearer Industry Regulations: The SEC’s Crypto Task Force will host four roundtables on crypto regulation from April to June to create clearer rules for the industry. Commissioner Hester Peirce leads the task force to understand current regulatory issues and potential solutions. (Decrypt)

2. Congress moves to overturn IRS broker rule targeting DeFi platforms, potential Trump signing on March 28: The US Senate is preparing to hold a final vote on March 27 to nullify the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) broker reporting rule for DeFi operators. If approved, the resolution could be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk as early as March 28 for signing. (CryptoSlate)

-CBDCs/World Currencies/Strategic Reserves-
1. North Carolina bills would add crypto to state’s retirement system: North Carolina lawmakers have introduced twin bills in the House and Senate which could see up to 5% of crypto assets allocated to state retirement funds. (CoinTelegraph)

2. USDC stablecoin supply surpasses all-time high, topping $60 billion market cap: Circle’s USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin has surpassed a market cap of $60 billion, its record high. The overall market cap for stablecoins has also reached new highs, exceeding $230 billion. (TheBlock)

-Institutional Concerns-
1. GameStop Adds Bitcoin to Treasury: GameStop has announced the inclusion of Bitcoin in its treasury reserve assets, a decision that has led to a significant increase in its stock price during pre-market trading. With approximately $4.75 billion in cash, GameStop’s move positions it as the second-largest publicly-listed company holder of Bitcoin, following Strategy. (Various)

-Economic Indicators-
1. S&P 500, Nasdaq Rise for 3rd Day: The S&P 500 rose 0.1% on Tuesday, and the Nasdaq gained 0.5%, marking their third consecutive session of gains. The Dow Jones remained flat as investors weighed the impact of looming tariffs and economic uncertainty. (TradingEconomics)

2. US Home Prices Rise at Faster Pace in January: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index in the U.S. rose 4.7% year-on-year in January, up from 4.5% in December, but falling short of the expected 4.8% increase. (TradingEconomics)

-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Chinese Hackers Breach Asian Telecom, Remain Undetected for Over 4 Years: A major telecommunications company located in Asia was allegedly breached by Chinese state-sponsored hackers who spent over four years inside its systems, according to a new report from incident response firm Sygnia. The cybersecurity company is tracking the activity under the name Weaver Ant, describing the threat actor as stealthy and highly persistent. The name of the telecom provider was not disclosed. (HackerNews)

-Technology and Science-
1. US Commerce Secretary: Prioritize Starlink in Rural Areas, Satellite Internet Over Broadband: The current United States Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, has recently spoken to leaders of the government’s rural broadband initiative. Here, he urged them to “prioritize” Starlink. (TechTimes)

-Bitcoin Community-
1. Bitcoin in the bush – the crypto mine in remote Zambia: We’re in the far north-western tip of Zambia near the border with the DRC, and of all the bitcoin mines I’ve visited – this one is the strangest. Philip’s mine is plugged directly into a hydro-electric power plant that channels some of the Zambezi’s torrent through enormous turbines to generate continuous, clean electricity. More importantly for bitcoin mining – it’s cheap. The power plant provides power for around 15,000 people in the local area but was a economic loss until Bitcoiners set up shop. (BBC) (AC-Great article on the benefits of bitcoin mining on stranded electricity areas.)

-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 47/100 (Up 1 pts)

Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR

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