BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 859,693
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 03Sep24
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: Putin Welcomed in Mongolia, Not Arrested / US Seizes Maduro’s Plane / US Marines on Liberty Attacked in Turkey / Musk Continues Starlink and X Services in Brazil for Free / Four Killed on Commuter Train in Chicago / Kansas Files Civil Suit Against Pfizer Over COVID Vax / Machete and Toblerone Used in Bitcoin Theft / Coinbase Has 1st AI to AI Transaction / BTC Mining Hurting
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $59,154, 23.68 oz Gold, .14 Median US House
24hr Hi: $59,815 / Lo: $58,103
Vol: $23B (Down 21%)
Mkt Cap: $1.17T (Up 1%)
HashRate: 733 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 4 sats/vBtye (Even)
Nodes: 18,378
—Reports—
-International Events-
1. Putin welcomed in Mongolia despite ICC arrest warrant: Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Mongolia, his first visit to an International Criminal Court (ICC) member since it issued a warrant for his arrest last year. Soldiers on horseback lined the capital’s Genghis Khan Square as martial anthems were played by a live band to welcome the Russian leader, who met with the Mongolian president Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh. The landlocked country, which also borders China, also relies on Russia for gas and electricity. (BBC)
2. US seizes Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s airplane in the Dominican Republic, flies it to South Florida: The United States has seized Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s airplane after determining that its acquisition was in violation of US sanctions, among other criminal issues. The US flew the aircraft to Florida on Monday, according to two US officials. In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that “the Justice Department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies.” (WSVN-Miami) (AC-An interesting twist following the sham election in Venezuela and the international calls for Maduro to step down. The US has been verbally tough on Maduro while not doing anything to stop the dictator’s continued tyranny of the country. This seems action could be a turning point, or possibly more theater.)
3. U.S. Marines attacked during port visit in Turkey, Navy says: Two U.S. Marines from the USS Wasp were attacked Monday during a port visit in Izmir, Turkey, according to a Navy spokesperson. Video of the apparent incident shows a group of men forcing a bag over the head of one of the Marines as they restrain him, chanting “Yankee go home.” The Marines, part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, were “on liberty” at the time of the incident and taken to a local hospital for evaluation as a precaution. (CBS)
4. Elon Musk defies X ban in Brazil by beaming app from space: Elon Musk has found a way to bypass a ban on his social media firm X in Brazil by allowing people in the country to access the app through his satellite internet provider Starlink. Brazil’s Supreme Court voted on Monday to uphold a ban on X that was introduced last week by Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Mr Musk claimed the freezing of Starlink bank accounts was illegal and pledged to provide free internet access to its Brazilian customers while the accounts remain blocked. (IndependentUK)
-US Events-
1. Four people shot to death while sleeping on Chicago commuter train: Three victims were declared dead at the scene while a fourth was rushed to Loyola University Medical Center where they died from their wounds. The shooter fled the scene. However a suspect armed with a gun was later taken into custody on a CTA Pink Line train in Chicago. (NYPost)
2. Kansas is first of five states to file civil suit against Pfizer: In a groundbreaking move, Kansas has taken legal action against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for allegedly engaging in false and misleading marketing practices. This marks the first of five states in the US to pursue legal action against the company. The lawsuit against Pfizer was prompted by evidence that the company had engaged in false and misleading marketing practices. It was discovered that Pfizer had promoted its product as safe and effective for pregnant women, despite knowing that it posed serious risks to both the mother and the baby. (CountyLocalNews) (AC-This is NOT being reported by any other news outlets but is trending heavily on X. Either the news is fake or being censored by all news organizations.)
-Regulatory and Legal-
NSTR
-Central Bank Digital Currencies-
NSTR
-Institutional Concerns-
1. SBI VC Trade and Metaplanet Team Up for Advanced Bitcoin Trading Solutions: Metaplanet and SBI VC Trade have formed a strategic partnership to enhance bitcoin trading, storage, and management. This alliance aligns with Metaplanet’s “bitcoin first, bitcoin only” strategy, emphasizing BTC’s scarcity and decentralized nature. The partnership provides Metaplanet access to SBI VC Trade’s tax-efficient corporate custody services and the ability to use bitcoin as collateral, supporting their corporate bitcoin accumulation goals. (BitcoinCom) (AC-Metaplanet is following MicroStrategy’s playbook in Japan.)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US 10-Year Treasury Yield Little Changed to Kick Off September: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note was around 3.9% on the first trading day of September as investors return from the Labor Day holiday to a week packed with key economic data. The ISM Manufacturing PMI will be in the spotlight today, while important labor market indicators like JOLTS and the jobs report are awaited later in the week. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Home invaders used machete, Toblerone to rob a man of his Bitcoin: Scottish prosecutors have seized and converted 23.5 Bitcoin into cash from a 2020 robbery that saw three men armed with a machete and a Toblerone chocolate bar break into a home near Glasgow. Three men conducted the home invasion in the town of Blantyre, southeast of Glasgow, and one repeatedly beat a woman at the property with a personalized Toblerone bar and threw her into a bedroom. The victim, who isn’t named for legal reasons, testified that he awoke to find a man standing over him with a machete before he was forced to transfer Bitcoin. (CoinTelegraph)
2. Hacker Behind WazirX Breach is Using Tornado Cash to Funnel Millions of Dollars in Stolen Crypto: Following the $230 million exploit on Indian exchange WazirX, the hacker responsible has been funneling millions of dollars in user assets through Tornado Cash. The hacker has transferred 2,600 ETH, valued at $6.5 million, to the sanctioned mixer Tornado Cash. Despite being banned in the US, Tornado Cash continues to operate in various jurisdictions, including North Korea. (Decrypt)
-Technology and Science-
1. Coinbase Reports Its First AI-to-AI Crypto Transaction: Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced the platform’s first AI-to-AI cryptocurrency transaction, highlighting a new application of digital currency by artificial intelligence agents. Armstrong believes this advancement will enhance AI’s capacity to independently obtain resources and engage with humans and other AI systems. He encourages developers to add crypto wallets to support the growth of AI-to-AI transactions. (BitcoinCom)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. BTC mining profits elusive as difficulty hits all-time high: Block reward miners on the BTC network had their least profitable month in nearly a year in August, leading to bankruptcies, share dilutions, and other ‘Hail Mary’ efforts to stave off the inevitable. BTC miner revenue hitting $827.5 million in August, less than half the total from this year’s peak of $1.93 billion in March and the lowest total since September 2023. Transaction fees’ contribution to this total also slumped to a year-to-date low of $20.8 million. Meanwhile, mining difficulty hit an all-time high in August. (CoinGeek)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 26/100 (Down 7 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR
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Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report