BTC Daily Intelligence Bulletin (DIB)
Block: 880,208
DTG/ICOD: 1200Z 21Jan25
Precedence: Routine (RR)
Controls: Public Release
QQQQ
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BLUF: Trump Inaugurated, Starts EO Marathon / South Korean President Yoon In Court / Taliban-US Prisoner Exchange / Houthis Say Will Target Only Israeli Ships Now / Jan 6th Prisoners Pardoned / Rubio Approved For SECSTATE / CBP Officer Shot, Killed in VT / Winter Storm Blankets South / Trump Ghosts Crypto, Bitcoin on 1st Day / Vivek Bows Out of DOGE / Trump MemeCoins Crash / Rumble Buys 1st Bitcoin / TradFi Markets Unsteady / CIA Analyst Guilty of Passing Data / TikToc Alive, For Now
Market Data: Price: 1 BTC= $104,742, 38.16 oz Gold, .24 Median US House
24hr Hi: $107,965 / Lo: $100,103
Vol: $103B (Down 9%)
Mkt Cap: $2.07T (Down 2%)
HashRate: 779 EH/s
Avg Fee Rate: 5 sats/vBtye (Down 62%)
Nodes: 21,469
---Reports---
-International Events-
1. South Korea's Yoon defends actions at impeachment hearing over martial law decree: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended on Tuesday a Constitutional Court hearing of his impeachment trial where he denied ordering military commanders to drag lawmakers out of parliament during his short-lived bid to impose martial law. His lawyers outlined arguments in defence of Yoon's martial law declaration, saying it was meant to sound the alarm over abuses committed by the opposition Democratic Party. (Reuters)
2. Afghan Taliban Government Announces Prisoner Swap With US: The Taliban government said Tuesday it had released American citizens from prison in return for an Afghan fighter held in the United States, in a deal brokered by Qatar. The family of US citizen Ryan Corbett, who was detained by the Taliban in 2022, confirmed he was released and expressed "overwhelming gratitude" that he was coming home. US media named William McKenty as the second American detainee, noting little was known about what he was doing in Afghanistan and that his family had asked the US government for privacy in his case. (IBTimes)
3. Yemen’s Houthis signal they’ll now limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to Israeli ships: Yemen’s Houthi rebels signaled Monday they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed. (AP)
-US Events-
1. Supporters Rally Outside D.C. Jail After Trump Pardons J6ers: Demonstrators rally outside the Central Detention Facility, also known as the D.C. Jail, after President Donald Trump pardoned and commuted thousands sentences of participants in the January 6 Capitol riot. (Breitbart) (AC-There are a large number of executive orders signed by President Trump, many of which has significant ramifications globally.
2. First Trump Cabinet Pick Approved: Senate Confirms Marco Rubio as Secretary of State: The U.S. Senate confirmed Rubio in a 99-0 vote, with his former colleagues voicing no opposition to the appointment. (Breitbart)
3. US Border Patrol agent killed in Vermont traffic stop: The DHS said that a Border Patrol agent was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Coventry, Vermont on Monday at 3:15 p.m. Coventry is near the U.S.-Canada border. During the traffic stop, two suspects were in the car. Officials confirmed that one of the suspects was dead. (Fox)
4. Dangerous 'rare winter storm' hits Gulf Coast as it braces for historic snowfall: "A bitterly cold airmass will remain in place for much of the South and eastern U.S. over the next couple of days," the National Weather Service said early Tuesday in a forecast as it advised the public about the prospect of heavy snow, freezing rain and a “significant winter storm.” (NBC)
-Regulatory and Legal-
1. Crypto Absent from President Trump's First Day Executive Orders: President Donald Trump's second term began without any mention of crypto in his inaugural speech or executive actions, disappointing the community. Despite expectations, he did not address key issues like a Bitcoin reserve or the SEC's rule "SAB 121." The absence of immediate action has left the crypto industry in limbo, with market optimism dampened by the president's silence. (Decrypt)
2. Vivek Ramaswamy exits DOGE role as Elon Musk takes control: Ramaswamy announced this in a Jan. 20 post on X, stating that he would no longer co-lead DOGE, a department focused on streamlining US government operations. Observers believe Ramaswamy may be preparing to launch a gubernatorial campaign, although he has yet to confirm these reports. (CryptoSlate)
-Central Bank Digital Currencies/World Currencies-
1. Trump Meme Coins Crash Following US Presidential Inauguration: First Lady Melania Trump’s newly launched meme coin, Melania Meme (MELANIA), has fallen more than 60% from its debut high. MELANIA now sits with a market cap of $625.5 million, per CoinGecko data. At the same time, Donald Trump’s meme coin, Official Trump (TRUMP), also took a sharp hit, falling 43% to $45 from a peak of $73.43 earlier in the week. Billed as a collectible and entertainment token, the project’s FAQ noted it is “not a financial instrument or investment.” (Decrypt) (AC-Don't shitcoin.)
-Institutional Concerns-
1. Rumble Makes First Bitcoin Purchase As Part of $20 Million Strategy: In the short X post, Pavlovski said, “On Friday, Rumble $RUM made its first-ever purchase of bitcoin. It won’t be the last.” (BitcoinCom)
-Economic Indicators-
1. US Futures Point to Gains at the Open, Trump Eyed: US stock futures edged higher on Tuesday, with contracts on the three major indexes gaining about 0.4% as traders prepared for Donald Trump’s second administration. On his first day in office yesterday, Trump took several steps to advance his agenda but refrained from immediately imposing tariffs, as many had anticipated. However, he later indicated plans to introduce a 25% levy on Mexico and Canada while avoiding mention of China. (TradingEconomics)
-Security Incidents and Concerns-
1. Ex-CIA Analyst Pleads Guilty to Sharing Top-Secret Data: Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). He was charged with two counts of unlawfully transmitting NDI in November 2024 following his arrest. Multiple reports from Axios and CNN revealed around that time that the release was linked to Israel's plans to attack Iran. (HackerNews
-Technology and Science-
1. Trump has tossed TikTok a lifeline. But China’s not happy : Trump issued a 45-day pause in the TikToc ban, but in China, where TikTok’s parent company is based, the reception has been less positive, largely because Trump has suggested he could require the company to give up a 50% stake to avert a shutdown and suggested tariffs on Chinese goods could hinge on whether Beijing approves a potential future deal. (CNN)
-Bitcoin Community-
NSTR
-Bitcoin Sentiment-
1. Fear(0)/Greed(100) Index: 76/100 (Even)
Analyst Comments (AC): There are a large number of executive orders signed by President Trump, many of which has significant ramifications globally. As many as 200 more are expected to be signed over the next few days. We will give updates on the most significant ones as information continues to flow.
Follow us on NOSTR: npub1qktts9naunvjdwsktq5xjdhwh539xt4x0mqj4yxq0q9dvm03ljvs6sms0r
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Analyst: BV2A
END REPORT
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*NSTR-Nothing Significant To Report
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