BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 875,592
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 20Dec24
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: Bitcoin on Sale for Christmas / Russia Hit Kyiv With Hypersonic Missiles / Mass Stabbing at Croatia School / US Diplomats in Syria / US Government Shutdown Looms Tonight / Shooter Luigi Charged / Biden, Harris Rush Back to White House / Hawk Tuah Sued / Russia Say BRICs Payment System Exists / BTC ETFs Bleed / Blackrock BTC Explainer Video Shakes Up / Russia Hold Fed Rate at 21% / Stocks Skittish / Hut8 Buys More BTC / Judge Shuts Down Craig Wright
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $93,665, 36.13 oz Gold, .22 Median US House
24hr Hi: $102,748 / Lo: $92,175
Vol: $119B (Up 24%)
Mkt Cap: $1.86T (Down 8%)
HashRate: 774 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 6 sats/vBtye (Down 40%)
Nodes: 20,664
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. One killed in Kyiv as Russian missile attack targets Ukraine’s capital: At least one person has been killed and seven wounded after a Russian missile attack targeted Ukraine’s capital. The attack on Friday morning also damaged buildings across Kyiv and sparked fires in some, according to the head of Kyiv’s military administration, Serhiy Popko. ussia launched eight missiles on Kyiv, Popko said, adding that it used hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and Iskander/KN-23 ballistic missiles to carry out the attack. (AlJazeera)
2. 7-year-old girl killed, 6 other people wounded in stabbing attack at school in Croatia, police say: Croatia's Interior Ministry said the attacker was 19 years old. Local media reported the attacker was a former student at the school. (CBS)
3. US diplomats in Syria to meet new authorities: US diplomats are in the Syrian capital Damascus where they plan to meet representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group now in charge but which Washington still designates as a terrorist organization. This is the first formal American diplomatic appearance in Damascus in more than a decade. (BBC)
-US Events-
1. Government shutdown looms: The House rejected another paired-down bill yesterday in a 174-235 vote, well below the two-thirds majority needed, sending lawmakers back into negotiations. Yesterday’s 116-page bill was hastily created after President-elect Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk threw an unexpected wrench into negotiations with their vocal disapproval of a 1,500-page bipartisan bill released earlier this week. (NBC)
2. U.S. Files Murder Charge Against Mangione That Could Bring Death Penalty: Federal authorities filed a total of four counts against Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare. (NYTimes)
3. Biden and Harris Rush Back to White House: On Thursday, December 20, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris canceled her trip to Los Angeles and returned to Washington, D.C. President Joe Biden, who was initially expected to remain in Delaware for the Christmas holiday, also cut his stay short to return to the White House. The reasons for these sudden schedule changes have not been officially disclosed, sparking various speculations among the public and on social media. (X)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Tornado Cash Dev Wants Charges Dropped Because Sanctions Deemed Illegal: Roman Storm, co-founder of crypto-mixing platform Tornado Cash, hopes to have charges against him dropped after sanctions against his software were dropped. (Decrypt)
2. Hawk Tuah Meme Coin Creators Hit With Lawsuit After Disastrous Launch: Burwick Law has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of investors in the Hawk Tuah meme coin, which plummeted 93% in value shortly after launch. The lawsuit names 12 American plaintiffs collectively claiming damages exceeding $151,000. (Decrypt) (AC-Education comes in many ways)
-Central Bank Digital Currencies/World Currencies-
1. Russian Official Declares BRICS Payment System a Real Alternative to US Dollar: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has affirmed that plans to establish a BRICS payment system are tangible and progressing, describing them as “not hypothetical.” In an interview with the Tass Analytical Center on Tuesday, Ryabkov reflected on Russia’s role during its BRICS chairmanship, emphasizing that the initiative is both real and actionable. When asked about the feasibility of such a payment system among BRICS nations, he stated: "Not only it exists. It is not hypothetical." (BitcoinCom)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Spot Bitcoin ETFs See Record Withdrawals as CME Futures Premium Signals Weaker Demand: The exchange-traded funds lost a record $671.9 million as bitcoin extended post-Fed losses below $100,000. (CoinDesk)
2. Why BlackRock’s Bitcoin explainer is raising alarm bells: BlackRock is caught in the eye of a storm from the Bitcoin community after it let out a suspicious line in a three minute Bitcoin explainer. In the video, the narrator describes one of BItcoin’s core aspects, its 21 million fixed supply, as a hard-coded rule. Yet a subtle disclaimer at the bottom caught Bitcoiners’ attention. “There is no guarantee that Bitcoin’s 21 million supply cap will not be changed,” read the subtitle. Bitcoiners baulked. (DLNews) (AC-Legal jargon and disclaimers have always had a dampening effect on the financial industry, and this is no different. Of course anything CAN happen, and large institutions know to protect against lawsuits, but casting doubt on the 21M max is laughable to those who study bitcoin.)
-Economic Indicators-
1. Russia holds interest rates in surprise break to hiking cycle: Russia’s central bank kept its key interest rate at 21 per cent on Friday, in a surprise halt to its hawkish quest to tame inflation. The central bank’s governor Eliva Nabiullina has in recent months faced mounting criticism from the country’s officials and oligarchs, who claim her policies have stifled business. (FT)
2. Bitcoin Drops to $92,118 as Crypto Economy Shrinks by Nearly 12%: Market gurus point to a mix of economic jitters and a dip in investor confidence as the culprits behind this slump. Even though bitcoin is meant to be free from central control, it’s still swayed by worldwide economic vibes, echoing the general market mood. (BitcoinCom)
3. US Futures Fall Sharply: Stock futures in the US moved lower on Friday, with contracts on the S&P 500 futures falling 0.7%, the Nasdaq 100 sinking 1.3% and the Dow Jones losing about 190 points, following a lackluster session the day before. Investors are growing increasingly uneasy after the House failed to approve a Trump-backed funding plan to extend government operations for three months and suspend the debt ceiling for two years. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
NSTR
-Technology and Science-
1. Invasive 'Murder Hornets' Eradicated In US After 5 Years, Agriculture Officials Say: The northern giant hornet, dubbed the “murder hornet” for its aggressive nature and potentially deadly sting, has been eradicated from the United States five years after it was first identified in the country, officials announced on Dec. 18. (ZeroHedge) (AC-It's the 'how' that makes one wonder.)
-Bitcoin Community-
1. Hut 8 Mining Acquires Additional 990 Bitcoin, Total Holdings Exceed $1 Billion: Mining company Hut 8 has purchased 990 Bitcoin for $100 million, pushing its total holdings above $1 billion and placing it among the top 10 corporate Bitcoin holders globally. (Blockonomi)
2. Craig Wright Found in Contempt for Claiming to Be Satoshi Nakamoto, Again: Craig Wright, ruled not to be Satoshi Nakamoto, was found in contempt for claiming to be Nakamoto and suing in Nakamoto's name. High Court Judge Mellor suspended a two-year sentence if Wright refrains from further lawsuits. (Decrypt)
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 74/100 (Down 1 pts)
Analyst Comments (AC): Bitcoin hodlers realize that this is a great chance to scoop up cheap satoshis, before game theory drives institutional demand and the precarious nature of global fiat debt system begins to unwind. This is not financial advice as we are a bunch of veterans on a bitcoin mission, but opportunity knocks and then walks.
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Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report
