DIB JAN 15 2025

BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 879,363
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 15Jan25
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: South Korean President Arrested / Ukraine Fires US Missiles Far into Russia / NATO Announces New Mission to Stop Cable Sabotage / President Biden Says Goodbye / Hegseth Grilled by Congress, Holds Steady / Trump Announces New External Revenue Service in US / Rep. Emmer Appointed Vice-Chair of New Digital Asset Subcommittee / Russia and Myanmar Drop USD in Trade / USDC Usage Up / Bitcoin Outperforms Crypto Hedge Funds / PPI Rises Less / Musk Sued by SEC Over Twitter Buy / TikToc To Cease in US on Sunday / Tether Sues Swan

Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $97.189, 36.12 oz Gold, .23 Median US House
24hr Hi: $97,650 / Lo: $95,330
Vol: $50B (Down 21%)
Mkt Cap: $1.92T (Up 1%)
HashRate: 796 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 7 sats/vBtye (Down 14%)
Nodes: 21,176

—Reports—
-International Events-
1. South Korea’s impeached president arrested: South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested at his presidential residence on Wednesday morning local time following an hours-long standoff. It’s the first time an incumbent president has been detained in South Korea and marks the second attempt by anti-corruption investigators to arrest him for questioning related to his brief martial law declaration last month that triggered protests and shocked allies. South Korean police are investigating Yoon for possible insurrection in connection with his declaration that saw him impeached and suspended from presidential duties. Yoon could face life in prison or the death penalty if he were charged and convicted of the offenses he’s accused of as presidential immunity doesn’t extend to insurrection or treason in South Korea. (Axios)

2. Ukraine fires US, British missiles into Russia, launches one of largest drone attacks so far: Russia’s military on Tuesday said it would retaliate against Ukraine after Kyiv attacked Russian regions by firing six US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles, six UK-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles and launching one of the biggest drone attacks to date. Russia’s defence ministry said it had shot down all of the Western missiles fired by Ukraine at the Bryansk region, as well as 146 drones outside the war zone. It said two more Storm Shadows had been shot down over the Black Sea. (CNN)

3. NATO launches ‘Baltic Sentry’ to increase critical infrastructure security: NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte announced the launch of a new military activity by NATO to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure. “Baltic Sentry” will enhance NATO’s military presence in the Baltic Sea and improve Allies’ ability to respond to destabilizing acts. “Baltic Sentry” will involve a range of assets, including frigates and maritime patrol aircraft. The Secretary General also announced the deployment of new technologies, including a small fleet of naval drones, and highlighted that NATO will work with Allies to integrate national surveillance assets – all to improve the ability to protect critical undersea infrastructure and respond if required. (NatoHQ)

-US Events-
1. President Biden releases farewell letter, says it’s been ‘privilege of my life to serve this nation’: “Today, we have the strongest economy in the world and have created a record 16.6 million new jobs. Wages are up. Inflation continues to come down,” he added ahead of a speech tonight from the Oval Office. (Fox)

2. Pete Hegseth faces grilling from Democrats at confirmation hearing as GOP senators voice support: Republican senators defended his nomination, arguing his status as an outsider and combat veteran make him well-suited to take the reins of the Pentagon and its workforce of 3 million people. The GOP majority in the Senate could vote to confirm Hegseth soon after Trump takes office next week. Democrats grilled Hegseth about his past comments that women should not serve in combat roles in the military. (CBS)

3. Trump Announces ‘External Revenue Service’ To Collect Tariffs And Foreign Revenue: In a social media post, Trump shared that the “External Revenue Service” will officially launch on his presidential inauguration day, Jan. 20, 2025. He criticized the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), asserting that Americans have been overtaxed for years. “We will begin charging those that make money off of us with Trade, and they will start paying, FINALLY, their fair share,” he added. (IBTimes)

-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Rep. Tom Emmer has been appointed vice chairman of the House Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence, signaling a focus on digital assets regulation and innovation. The committee oversees the development of cryptos, financial technologies, and AI in financial services. Sen Lummis was previously named chairman. (Decrypt)

-Central Bank Digital Currencies/World Currencies-
1. Russia and Myanmar Discuss National Currency Payment System: Russia and Myanmar are advancing plans to conduct mutual trade using their domestic currencies, the kyat and the ruble. This move aims to enhance bilateral trade and reduce dependency on traditional financial systems dominated by Western powers. This initiative aligns with a broader global effort to reduce reliance on the dollar. (BitcoinCom)

2. USDC Circulation Grew 78% in 2024, But Still Lags Behind Tether: USDC circulation grew 78% year-over-year, reaching more than 500 million end-users worldwide. Monthly transaction volume surpassed $1 trillion in November 2024, with total all-time transaction volume exceeding $20 trillion. (Decrypt) (AC-Though not Bitcoin-related, stablecoins are viewed and used by many in global trade due to the continued economic leadership of the USD. USDT has recently had twice the volume traded as BTC, for example.)

-Institutional Concerns-
1. Bitcoin Outperformed Crypto Hedge Funds in 2024: Hedge funds focused on cryptocurrencies delivered double-digit returns in 2024. The hedge funds achieved returns of up to 40%. However, this paled in comparison to bitcoin‘s 120% return over the same period. (BItcoinCom)

-Economic Indicators-
1. US Producer Prices Rise Less Than Expected: Factory gate prices in the US increased 0.2% mom in December 2024, below 0.4% in November which was the biggest gain in five months, and compared to forecasts of 0.3%. Prices of goods went up 0.6%, led by a 9.7% rise in gasoline. Prices for residential electric power, meats, motor vehicles, gas fuels, and fresh fruits also increased. (TradingEconomics)

-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. FBI Deletes PlugX Malware from 4,250 Hacked Computers in Multi-Month Operation: The U.S. DoJ on Tuesday disclosed that a court-authorized operation allowed the FBI to delete PlugX malware from over 4,250 infected computers as part of a “multi-month law enforcement operation.” PlugX, also known as Korplug, is a remote access trojan (RAT) widely used by threat actors associated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), allowing for information theft and remote control of compromised devices. (HackerNews)

-Technology and Science-
1. Elon Musk sued by SEC over delayed disclosures of Twitter stock purchases: The agency’s lawsuit alleges that as a result, “Musk [was able] to continue purchasing shares at artificially low prices, allowing him to underpay by at least $150 million for shares he purchased after his beneficial ownership report was due.” The lawsuit, filed in D.C. federal court, claims that while Musk needed to file by March 22, 2022, he did not do so until April 4, 2022. At market close on that day, Twitter’s stock price increased 27% compared to the prior day’s close. The SEC alleges that between March 22 and April 4, Musk purchased more than $500M additional Twitter shares. (SeekingAlpha)

2. TikTok US Operations to Cease Sunday Amid Ban: TikTok is set to cease operations in the United States on Sunday, January 19, due to a looming ban. This decision comes despite an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for an extension. TikTok users in the U.S. will no longer be able to use the app, even if already installed. The move has led to increased downloads of Xiaohongshu, another Chinese social media app, as an alternative. Speculations also suggest China might consider selling TikTok’s U.S. operations, though reports of a potential sale to Elon Musk have been denied. (X)

-Bitcoin Community-
1. Tether files lawsuit against Swan Bitcoin over joint venture dispute: Stablecoin issuer Tether has filed a lawsuit against Bitcoin financial services company Swan Bitcoin, accusing the firm of “significant breaches” in their agreements. The case filed in the High Court of England and Wales escalates an ongoing legal battle between the two companies. (CoinTelegraph)

-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 70/100 (Up 7 pts)

Analyst Comments (AC): NSTR

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