Coldcard MK4 NFC Spec Released

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Coldcard/firmware/master/docs/nfc-coldcard.md
archive: https://archive.ph/4Hwv2

Food and cash shortages spread as Kazakhstan throttles internet

- Many Kazakhs do their daily shopping with debit cards. These were often rendered useless by the outage because payment terminals depend on internet connections. By the end of the week, long lines were forming at ATM machines in Almaty, Nur-Sultan and Aktau as residents sought cash to procure staples.

- Nurserik Zholbarys, a resident of Nur-Sultan, told Eurasianet that he stood over 30 minutes in a line to withdraw 10,000 tenge ($23) from a SberBank ATM machine in Nur-Sultan’s fashionable Esyl district. This is the daily limit imposed on those who can find a working ATM: The National Bank suspended commercial bank services on January 6; some fear they will not be available again until the state of emergency is lifted.

https://eurasianet.org/food-and-cash-shortages-spread-as-kazakhstan-throttles-internet
archive: https://archive.ph/kaFKW

What is a BOLT?

- The BOLT acronym stands for: Basis of Lightning Technology. A BOLT is a set of rules that define the Lightning specification that is most used today and referred to as the Lightning Network. Most Lightning implementations follow the standards set by the BOLTs.

- Because the development of the Lightning network is distributed, there are multiple companies working on their independent implementations. Each one has to be compatible with others for the Lightning network to function as one network.

https://simplelightning.com/what-is-a-bolt-what-is-a-blip.html
archive: https://archive.ph/TgRIa

Bitcoin App Strike Launches In Argentina

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/bitcoin-app-strike-launches-in-argentina
archive: https://archive.ph/SGg56

Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund

https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/2022-January/019741.html
archive: https://archive.ph/F94Do

Bitcoin Optech #181

- an alternative proposal to slowly phase in full replace-by-fee
- series of meetings to review the proposed OP_CHECKTEMPLATEVERIFY soft fork
- Rust-Lightning v0.0.104

https://bitcoinops.org/en/newsletters/2022/01/12/
archive: https://archive.ph/QzFQA

Turks Pile Into Bitcoin and Tether to Escape Plunging Lira

https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/turks-pile-into-bitcoin-and-tether-to-escape-plunging-lira-11641982077
archive: https://archive.ph/U49YF

El Salvador: Amnesty International verifies use of Pegasus spyware for surveillance of journalists

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/01/el-salvador-pegasus-spyware-surveillance-journalists/
archive: https://archive.ph/EjrPd

https://citizenlab.ca/2022/01/project-torogoz-extensive-hacking-media-civil-society-el-salvador-pegasus-spyware/
archive: https://archive.ph/QivoA

UK Government plans publicity campaign to mobilize public opinion against encrypted communications with plans that include manipulative tactics

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/revealed-uk-government-publicity-blitz-to-undermine-privacy-encryption-1285453/
archive: https://archive.ph/GOGOt

BitMEX Group plans to acquire a 268-year-old German bank Bankhaus von der Heydt

https://blog.bitmex.com/bxm-operations-intends-purchase-german-bank-bankhaus-von-der-heydt/
archive: https://archive.ph/jaZ3y

Intel To Unveil Bitcoin-mining 'Bonanza Mine' Chip on February 23rd

- ultra-low-voltage energy-efficient bitcoin ASIC

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-to-unveil-bitcoin-mining-bonanza-mine-asic-at-chip-conference
archive: https://archive.ph/w9luxt

Bitcoin Optech #183

- legal defense fund for Bitcoin developers
- recent discussion about the proposed OP_CHECKTEMPLATEVERIFY soft fork
- changes to services and client software

https://bitcoinops.org/en/newsletters/2022/01/19/
archive: https://archive.ph/YMUBH

Taproot funds burned on the bitcoin blockchain

> I’m unsure if this output was an intentional test, or if the developer was unaware of how to build correct BIP340 public keys. Either way, I think it is prudent to put a warning out to the rest of the bitcoin developer ecosystem to be very careful that you are following BIP340, else your funds will be burned.

https://suredbits.com/taproot-funds-burned-on-the-bitcoin-blockchain/
archive: https://archive.ph/3FnzR

Suppressed By World Superpowers, Ethiopia Should Turn To Bitcoin

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/why-ethiopia-needs-bitcoin
archive: https://archive.ph/kDEbK

Bitcoin miner GRIID has already signed a purchase agreement with Intel for their upcoming bitcoin ASICs

- GRIID will be entitled to purchase at least one quarter of all Intel ASICs through May 2025

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/intel-closes-sale-for-its-upcoming-bitcoin-mining-chip
archive: https://archive.ph/4CbMF

Notable Software Releases this Week

- mempool v2.3.0: https://github.com/mempool/mempool/releases/tag/v2.3.0

- mercury wallet v0.5.9: https://github.com/layer2tech/mercury-wallet/releases/tag/v0.5.9

- onionshare v2.5: https://github.com/onionshare/onionshare/releases/tag/v2.5

- simple bitcoin wallet v2.4.27: https://github.com/btcontract/wallet/releases/tag/2.4.27

- lightning pool v0.5.4-alpha: https://github.com/lightninglabs/pool/releases/tag/v0.5.4-alpha

- umbrel v0.4.11: https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel/releases/tag/v0.4.11

- tdex v1.2.4: https://github.com/tdex-network/tdex-app/releases/tag/v1.2.4-build56

Lightning Focused Bitcoin Company Voltage Raises $6M In Seed Round

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/bitcoin-company-voltage-raises-6m
archive: https://archive.ph/j6eX1

You will soon be required to provide a selfie to a third-party identity verification company to access certain tools and applications on IRS.gov

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/20/irs-will-soon-require-a-selfie-to-access-some-of-its-online-tools.html
archive: https://archive.ph/33fGp