DIB 29 AUG 2024

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BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 858,959
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 29Aug24
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ

BLUF: Hong Kong Journalists Jailed / Durov Released on Bail, Faces Charges / Hostage Rescued in Gaza / Venezuelan Gangs on Video With Firearms in Colorado / FBI Releases New Pics in Trump Shooting / New Video of Pelosi After Jan 6 / Binance Under Fire for Seizing Palestinian Funds / BIS Warns Banks on Bitcoin / CISA Warns on Iranian Hacking / SpaceX Grounded by FAA / New AI Model on a Blockchain / Coinbase Exchange Now Using AI

Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $60,247, 24.85 oz Gold, .14 Median US House
24hr Hi: $60,174 / Lo: $57,890
Vol: $34B (Down 21%)
Mkt Cap: $1.19T (Even)
HashRate: 613 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 5 sats/vBtye (Up 18%)
Nodes: 19,394

—Reports—
-International Events-

  1. HK journalists found guilty in landmark sedition case: Two journalists who led a pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong have been found guilty of sedition. Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, two editors at the now-defunct Stand News media outlet, could now face a maximum jail term of two years. This is the first sedition case against journalists in Hong Kong since the territory’s handover from Britain to China in 1997. Stand News was among the last openly pro-democratic publications until its closure in December 2021, when more than 200 police officers were sent to raid the publication’s office. (BBC) (AC-“Freedom of the Press” is not common worldwide.)
  2. Telegram founder Pavel Durov released from police custody to face questioning after arrest in France: The French magistrate issued six preliminary criminal charges against Durov for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the app, and the tech executive — who posted bail of €5 million to avoid jail — is not permitted to leave France. He will also remain under judicial supervision and be required to check in with police twice weekly. (NYPost/RollingStone)
  3. Rescued hostage in Gaza said kept in total darkness during captivity, showered once a month: 52-year-old Bedouin father of 11 Farhan al-Qadi was left alone two weeks ago after captors heard IDF drills; tunnel was rigged with explosives to prevent him escaping. (TImesOfIsrael)

-US Events-

  1. Alleged Video Of Armed Venezuelan Gang Taking Over A Colorado Apartment Surfaces: A video allegedly showing a Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, taking over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado has surfaced on social media, sparking concerns over sanctuary policies. The Denver Police Department said in a statement Wednesday that it was “not aware” of any Denver apartment buildings being taken over by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. (TimesNow/Fox31) (AC-There is conflicting reports on this issue, but the video still seems to exist showing what appears to be gang members going door-to-door with weapons.)
  2. FBI releases photos from Trump rally shooting including improvised explosives and gun: An FBI update on the shooting at a Trump rally included new photographs of a gun and backpack recovered in the investigation, as well as improvised explosive devices found in the car belonging to suspect Thomas Crooks. The agency also told reporters Wednesday that investigators still had not determined a motive for the Trump shooting. (TheBlaze)
  3. Pelosi calls Trump ‘domestic enemy’ in new Jan 6 footage: In the hours after Donald Trump’s supporters breached the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, Nancy Pelosi, the then-Democratic House Speaker, referred to the then-president as a “domestic enemy”, according to newly released video. “I just feel sick what he did to the Capitol and to the country today,” she said in the back of an SUV in the early hours of 7 January. “He’s going to pay a price for that.” (BBC)
  4. Supreme Court Rejects Biden Administration’s Request To Revive Student Loan Debt Relief Plan: The policy, known as the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, was finalized by the Education Department in July 2023. It came just a month after the Supreme Court ruled that the administration did not have the authority to implement President Joe Biden’s earlier student loan forgiveness program. (IBTimes)

-Regulatory and Legal-

  1. Did Binance Seize ‘All’ Palestinian Assets Upon Israeli Army’s Request?: When asked by Cointelegraph to confirm or deny the reports, Binance said “there have been some incorrect statements” around the issue. “Only a small number of user accounts, linked to illicit funds, were blocked from transacting,” the crypto exchange titan said. A spokesperson said Binance complies with “internationally accepted sanctions legislation, just like any other financial institution.” Meanwhile, a Boycot Binance effort has taken off on social media and is announcing at least $2.6B of Bitcoin have been taken off Binance in the last 24 hours, which has not been confirmed. (IBTimes/X)
  2. Banks Using Permissionless Blockchains Face Increased Risk of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, Says BIS: The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, a part of the Bank for International Settlements, has identified multiple risks that banks face when transacting on permissionless blockchains. These risks include money laundering, terrorism financing, operations and security, governance, legal issues, settlement finality, and compliance. The committee emphasizes the need for new risk management strategies and safeguards to address these risks, as current practices are still in development and untested under stress. (Decrypt) (AC-World bank targeting ‘permissionless blockchain, AKA Bitcoin.)

-Central Bank Digital Currencies-
NSTR

-Institutional Concerns-

  1. Bitcoin ETFs Experience $105.3 Million Exodus as BTC Dips 2%: Investor caution grows as Bitcoin ETFs face $105.3 million in outflows, highlighting short-term market uncertainty amid a price dip. (DailyCoin)

-Economic Indicators-

  1. Nasdaq 100 Futures Fall as Nvidia Disappoints: Nasdaq 100 futures dropped as much as 1.4% on Thursday as investors reacted to Nvidia’s latest earnings report. Nvidia shares tumbled about 7% in extended trading even after the AI chipmaker topped revenue and earnings expectations, as the firm’s sales outlook for the current quarter failed to excite investors. (TradingEconomics)
  2. US 10-Year Yield Steadies Ahead of Key Data: The US 10-year Treasury yield steadied around 3.84% on Thursday as investors braced for key US economic data that could influence the outlook for Federal Reserve monetary policy. (TradingEconomics)

-Security Incidents and Concerns-

  1. U.S. Agencies Warn of Iranian Hacking Group’s Ongoing Ransomware Attacks: U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence agencies have called out an Iranian hacking group for breaching multiple organizations across the country and coordinating with affiliates to deliver ransomware. Targets of the attacks include education, finance, healthcare, and defense sectors, as well as local government entities in the U.S., with intrusions also reported in Israel, Azerbaijan, and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) to pilfer sensitive data. (HackerNews)

-Technology and Science-

  1. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 grounded ahead of historic Polaris Dawn mission: The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets on Wednesday after a booster failed to land upright and exploded following the successful launch of Starlink satellites. (Axios)
  2. Fully Onchain AI Model Deployed on Internet Computer (ICP) Blockchain: Decideai, a Web3 company focused on creating artificial intelligence (AI)-based large language models (LLMs), has deployed its GPT-2 LLM fully onchain via the Internet Computer (ICP) blockchain. This development leverages ICP’s capabilities to support complex, compute-intensive applications, allowing Web3 developers to build, train, and improve specialized LLMs. The project aims to enhance AI training and deployment by moving away from centralized AI development practices, promoting interoperable, transparent, and secure AI systems across various blockchain ecosystems. (BitcoinCom)

-Bitcoin Community-

  1. Coinbase hopes AI to reduce frequency of exchange’s outages: On August 26, Coinbase announced that it has “developed and deployed a machine learning model that predicts spikes in user traffic and automatically scales databases, preventing downtime and increasing platform efficiency.” (CoinGeek)

-Bitcoin Sentiment-

  1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 29/100 (Down 1 pts)

Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR

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

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