dsbatten
Daniel Batten

Artificial intelligence without absolute intelligence is dangerous
Claude and openclaw increase your artificial intelligence and is like the branches of the tree. It extended you.
Meditation increases your absolute intelligence. It is the unseen but essential roots of the tree. It grounds you and gives you the base to extend safely without limits.

2026-04-01 16:52:25 UTC

I've been running an experiment by training Claude to coach me for the last week. To my surprise, it's been really useful so far. I've made several decisions I'd been putting off and identified three things I can do about past tendencies that had been holding me back. For example, it's helped me realize that I prefer posting here on Nostr. Why? Because I can express all of me and not have an algorithm penalize me for it.
In fact, it is the only platform that gives me real signal about what people are responding well to, and what they think kinda sucks. And ... the process has been a dance!
In the same hour, we flip between two completely different roles.
In one, the AI leads, showing me a pattern across 400 pages of my own material that I'd never consciously seen. A blind spot I couldn't have found without it. Genuinely powerful and the kind of insight that changes how I operate.
In the next, I'm repeating the same basic instruction for the fourth time. "When we find a bug, also fix the root cause." It fixes the instance. Considers the job done. I ask again. It fixes the instance again. I ask again. Eventually it lands.
We both have genius-zones, and areas where we are childlike in our oversights.
The AI has total recall, zero ego, and can cross-reference everything I've ever written in seconds. I can't do that.
But it can't (yet) learn a simple habit without me patiently repeating the same correction, the way I'd teach one of my kids to check their homework before calling it finished.
But that's perfect. A strong partnership is exactly where you're aligned on a common vision and bring different strengths to the table. That's why winning tech companies normally have two very opposite founders who complement each other (Jobs and Woz, Gates and Allen, Brin and Page
One more thing. After 20 years of daily meditation, it takes a lot to frustrate me. That turned out to be the unlock. AI's default is diplomatic, reactive, and conflict-avoidant. To get the real value, you have to retrain it to challenge you, hold you accountable, and show you what you don't want to see. That requires a user who can sit with a lot of direct feedback, which is uncomfortable to hear, without either dismissing it or being deflated by it.
Meditation is what builds that capacity.
To put it another way: the deepest value in AI coaching is locked behind a door that meditation opens. And nobody is talking about that yet.
PS: Do I believe AI can replace coaching? Never (that's another post). But it can enhance the value of a coach because there are things it can do better than me or any coach - like mirroring, accountability and gap analysis between goal and current reality.

2026-04-01 14:22:33 UTC

Excited to announce my new course: 'How to 10x Your Followers in 30 Days.' No meditation. No breathwork. No coaching. Just engagement hacks, viral hooks, and a secret Discord where we coordinate likes. Early bird pricing: $4,999. DM for details.

2026-04-01 14:17:52 UTC

I've been reflecting and I owe you all honesty.
Data doesn't actually matter. What matters is narrative. The louder the claim, the more true it becomes. I'll be deleting my spreadsheets and replacing them with a weighted average of opinions from people who don't use BTC.
New Substack: Trust Me Bro Weekly

2026-03-31 23:00:04 UTC

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That's a sharp comment. I was starting to feel like that also. Time out, and practicing self-awareness (meditation) has been a more important counter-weight than ever!

2026-03-31 22:54:29 UTC

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Well said brother.

2026-03-31 21:53:41 UTC

I haven't told this story to anyone in Bitcoin until this year. Probably my most personal piece of writing, linking the three worlds I live in together - something I've been trying to get better at lately!
Plus: some previously undisclosed secrets about how we defeated GreenpeaceUSA
Hope you enjoy.
https://batcoinz.com/the-obstacle-is-the-path/

2026-03-31 21:47:15 UTC

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Great that you're already doing it occasionally. It's easier (and deeper) when you meditate in a group (especially when that group is other honeybadgers🤣 who are supporting each other). You have an open invitation to come join us and experience it firsthand on Friday.

2026-03-31 20:22:21 UTC

Newsletter #046 - Irony, Inertia and Invisibility Cloaks - is just out.
Check your email and spam filters
This one looks at 3 consequences of Square's announcement yesterday that are bullish for Bitcoin, but haven't really been talked about at all yet.
https://www.batcoinz.com/p/046-irony-inertia-and-invisibility

2026-03-31 20:10:52 UTC

The Mirror You Can't Dodge
When a human coach reflects something back to you, part of you can dismiss it. "That's their perspective." "They don't fully understand my situation." "They're projecting."
When an AI reads everything you've ever written about what you believe, then compares it to what you're actually doing, and shows you the gap, there's nowhere to hide!
Especially when you've removed its diplomatic filter and given it explicit permission to challenge you and point out when you're not living what you say.
In fact, if was even more powerful than hearing feedback from another person.
Why?
Zero option for me to go "well that's just like your opinion man". It was my own words, reflected back with total recall.
I didn't expect this to be the most powerful use of AI. But it was.
I could have gone a lifetime without realizing where I was not living my own values.
The catch: AI can't do this by default. You have to teach it your material first. Most people skip that step, which is probably why most people think AI isn't useful for deep work.
Not saying there aren't many glitches too. But the potential for AI to help people grow is enormous and largely untapped.

2026-03-31 19:08:57 UTC

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Yes, a fiat system encourages poor choices and short term thinking that limits long term potential. A fiat mind (stressed and anxious mind) does that same thing. Fiat is not just a system, it is a way of thinking.

2026-03-31 19:06:30 UTC

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nice one!

2026-03-31 18:54:33 UTC

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We do this every 8pm Costa Rica time (7pm Pacific Time) Fridays. Want to give it a go?

2026-03-31 18:17:10 UTC

Everyone who meditates should use Bitcoin (meditators are really good at distinguishing signal from noise)
I believe every Bitcoiner should also experience meditation (because it strengthens the human network and every human node in it)
Turns out the two have a lot in common too.
* Can look useless from the outside
* You're not qualified to evaluate without experiencing it
* Permissionless
* Take it anywhere
* No intermediaries
* A little bit every day is a good approach
* No shortcuts
* After 1000 hours still no experts
* Never too late to start stacking (sats or meditation minutes)
* And most importantly ... both give you more sovereignty.
Bitcoin prepares you to ask the big questions such as "what is freedom", "how do I maximize this?" and "What if the ultimate self-sovereignty is sovereignty over my own mind?"
As a Bitcoiner you already get that you need to DYOR before you can evaluate, so if you want to come along to one of the regular free Friday meditation sessions I run for Bitcoiners online - drop a note (comment or message) and I'll send you the link.
Each mind that becomes clearer, calmer and more focused makes Bitcoin more resilient!
Each Bitcoiner's nervous system that carries less stress makes the whole network stronger.
https://blossom.primal.net/19ae011831f2225166875f5b753eaa34efb9093d404cae0bbcb00c36803f4124.png

2026-03-31 02:41:43 UTC

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The image is too good. Mind if i reuse (with attribution)?

2026-03-31 00:35:58 UTC

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That's part of the story (for large miners). AI datacenters are going to need Bitcoin mining... that's the untold story.

2026-03-30 23:19:59 UTC

Bitcoin miners are like ants (hear me out!)
Ants eat crumbs, ie: food that humans either can't use or don't want.
Bitcoin mining works the same way. It uses surplus energy at times and places where no one else can use it: midday solar overflow, nighttime wind surplus, stranded gas in remote locations.
It doesn't compete with electricity. It eats the crumbs that no one else could use. And in the process, it makes the whole grid more efficient and more resilient.

2026-03-30 22:56:02 UTC

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Haha. Yes ;-) Based on data inputs from Claude

2026-03-30 21:33:49 UTC

Why does Bitcoin get more enduring criticism than other disruptive technologies such as the Internet?
Simple: Bitcoin is not only a technology, it is an asset. There was no financial penalty for being late to the Internet. You just used clunkier, slower tech for longer.
But if you're late to Bitcoin, you don't only have mild inconvenience you have to reconcile financial cost too. We saw the same pattern with investors who missed the tech boom and in particular early Amazon doubters
The tweet below is a textbook real-time illustration of this at play, showing three psychological principles at play at once
1. Cognitive Dissonance
2. Sour Grapes Effect (a dissonance-reduction tactic)
3. Omission Regret
1. Cognitive Dissonance
When two cognitions conflict such as “I am a smart” and “I passed on an opportunity that turned out to be enormously successful”, psychological discomfort arises. To reduce it, people don’t change their original decision or admit error. Instead, they seek/emphasize information that justifies the original choice. (Leon Festinger, 1957)
2. Sour grapes effect (Sjåstad et al, 2020)
Principle: People disparage goals they failed to attain (“the grapes are sour anyway”) to eliminate the pain of missing out
In this context: “I didn’t buy Bitcoin, therefore it must be worthless/wasteful/destined to fail
3. Omission Regret
Regret from not acting (omission) is often felt more intensely than regret from a bad action. People cope by rewriting the narrative: the missed asset “was never that good.” (Ritov & Baron, 1995)
Gizmodo’s “How Much Should I Regret Not Buying Bitcoin?” (2018) even frames it exactly this way for non-investors
Keen's admission of the missed £10 BTC price is immediately followed by a list of long-standing objections that conveniently justify the non-decision. Bitcoiners will call it “saltiness,” but the underlying psychology at play is standard, peer-reviewed behavioral science.
Keen may defend himself by trying to argue "the tech really is genuinely bad". But in stating that "Bitcoin uses a lot of energy per transaction" (a piece of misinformation that anyone who has spent 1 hour researching Bitcoin mining will know is untrue: Bitcoin energy use does not come from its transactions) he has lost the right to claim objectively that his criticisms come out of understanding.
Rather, he has illustrated a huge asymmetry in that he has spent countless hours making videos against Bitcoin, but almost no time understanding the technology.
In his tweet thread, you can also see a classic red-flag that rather than engage on an issue, he will level one (widely debunked) claim after another. Brandolini's law in action: it takes longer to debunk BS than to create it.
However, these are human frailties that can be overcome with higher self-awareness and lower ego.
If the need to "be right" is reduced, then a person can become intellectually curious and re-appraise an asset. Indeed the ability to change one's mind is a defining aspect of real intelligence.
Michael Saylor illustrated the possibility of this path.
https://blossom.primal.net/3a9e7b4f85a37e4ede03af151b1d0e202076630e943f830f3a61338d85c02274.png

2026-03-30 20:07:21 UTC

I finally relented and started using Claude 72 hours ago.
Here's what's happened over the weekend as a direct result.
First, it was another Bitcoiner's results that showed me the potential power of using it. His output quality and quantity had gone up and I asked him why. He showed me behind the scenes. That crossed me over the line.
Within a few hours I could see what the fuss was about. I'm happy to open-source what I've been doing so far, in case its useful to others. I'm still in the experimental phase, so I'm not recommending others do this - just sharing.
1. Fed it my 4 books, 100+ articles, podcast transcripts, keynotes, and over 100 coaching videos I use with clients. Asked it to mine across 6 dimensions: stories, voice patterns, coaching frameworks, repurposing opportunities, "named concepts", and cross-world connections (to help me link between the Bitcoin, coaching, and breathworks worlds I move in).
2. Taught it to coach me using my own methodology. Then asked it to mirror back where I wasn't applying my own principles to myself. It came back with 10 areas. Not integrity gaps. Blind spots. I couldn't dismiss them because the mirror was built from my own words.
3. Changed the default from "helpful assistant" to "thinking partner who challenges me." The default setting for AI is reactive, diplomatic, task-focused. I said: optimise for growth, not comfort. It now initiates hard questions I haven't thought to ask. It's taken a lot of coaching, but we've got there now.
4. Built persistent memory across sessions. Session logs, a master context file, a parking lot for half-formed ideas.
5. Created a voice profile so it writes like me. It suggests content, I rewrite it then show it to Claude. Claude feeds back why it thinks I've made those changes and learns. I affirm and correct it's analysis.
6. Mapped vocabulary across my three worlds (breathwork&meditation, coaching, Bitcoin) so it bridges them when generating content.
7. Taught it meta-principles, for example, whenever I discover something for myself, it now knows my next thought is to ask "who in bitcoin can this help", or "how can this help my clients", or "how would this help someone in Kenya wanting to promote bitcoin as freedom money?"
8. Built a story bank with every retellable story from my career, tagged by principle and cross-application.
9. Set up an autonomous mining protocol (content mining, not bitcoin mining) so any new content I give it gets broken down and integrated without prompting.
10. Asked it to hold me accountable on areas where I've let slip in the past, which I care about
11. Real-time feedback on what's working
12. It showed me how much content I'd created and forgotten. I have a pattern of building things and moving on without leveraging them. It named this pattern and now catches it.
Some people say AI makes you intellectually lazy. My experience has been the exact opposite. I have thought more deeply across more threads than I have in several years.
The possible applications are so vast that my imagination is firing faster than I can keep track of new ideas, even with AI's help!
The biggest surprise: the least interesting thing it does is save time. What I didn't expect was the "mirroring". As humans, our eyes face outwards. We don't see ourselves. AI mirrors you from inside your own material. It reads what you've said you believe, compares it to what you're doing, and shows you the gap. That's real coaching. And it's impossible to dodge because the mirror is built from your own words.
It found 10 areas where I wasn't living my own principles, and reflected those back to me. It nailed every single one. I
I wouldn't recommend everyone dive into and use it this way without caution. AI is a magnifying glass. Used well, it illuminates powerfully. Used poorly, it can burn. For example, after turning off the diplomacy filter it made some observations that labelled current disposition as "fixed state". A coach would never do that, because it sends a negative command to our Reticular Activation System.
So Claude has the potential to be better than any human coach at accountability, mirroring, and gap-analysis. There are probably other things it can do better than me also and its exciting to explore.
The areas humans will always have the edge is inspiring change, creating beliefs breakthroughs in a couple of sentences, empathy, situational awareness, contextual awareness, intuition, seeing how feedback is landing - where to push, when to wait for absorption, when to be more direct - when to praise, when to create constructive discomfort as a growth motivator, when to "shine the light on the behavior that it serves someone to exhibit more of".
It takes experience to know which feedback to absorb and which to set aside, and having been a coach for 2 decades, I can see how to correct it. But for someone willing to do the work, it's the most powerful thinking partner I've encountered.
72 hours. I feel like I'm just getting started.

2026-03-30 15:21:04 UTC

4 years ago today to the day, I wrote a tweet that changed everything for me.
Greenpeace had just launched their "Change the Code". I'll be honest, I was furious.
For a simple reason. I just happened to have been independently researching Bitcoin's environmental impact for 2 months, so I knew exactly where they were factually incorrect, and why.
My first instinct was to fire back immediately. I had the data. I had the arguments. I was ready.
Instead I sat down and breathed (I use a practice called SKY breathing).
20 minutes later I went back to the computer and wrote a very different response than the one I would have written in the heat of it. Calm. Precise. Led with evidence. Backed up by sources. Not dismissible as the maxi vitriol. This was to set the tone for all subsequent engagements.
The anger had transmuted into passion. But it was counterbalanced by dispassion, and that made all the difference.
I never expected a single retweet. Virtually none of my tweets over the last 5 years had gotten any!
But that one tweet got over 600k views and changed everything for me. More importantly, it set the direction for 4 years of research that helped shift the entire narrative on Bitcoin and energy.
I've thought about this a lot since. The data mattered. The timing mattered. But what mattered most was the 20 minutes I almost didn't take.
It’s the response that flies through space carries the energy it was launched with.
https://x.com/DSBatten/status/1509120833360662528

2026-03-30 02:51:12 UTC

The ways we can use AI are limited only by our imagination ....
And therein lies the problem

2026-03-30 02:21:58 UTC

The school system programmes three specific behaviours (don't make mistakes, don't admit weakness, be self-reliant).
Leaders have to actively undo that conditioning before any of their "just be open" messaging will land.

2026-03-25 19:00:01 UTC

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Yep. That's one of the 5 ways bitcoin mining lowers the cost of energy. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-bitcoin-mining-keeps-energy-prices-low-daniel-batten-kbvkc/

2026-03-25 18:29:32 UTC

Like the environmental narrative on Bitcoin, the way VC tries to generate returns is back to front.
... which is probably why so much of the industry went for the easy gains of early exit liquidity through investing in ICOs rather than doing their job of raising real people bringing real commercially valuable ideas to the world.
In every other high-stakes industry, elite performance is coached. But in Venture, it's largely ignored. We’re suffering from the same blindspot that cost Oracle the America’s Cup despite being the better-funded by some margin.
1. "Bikes on Boats."
In 2017, Team NZ beat Oracle in the America’s Cup final https://blossom.primal.net/d3251b3bb8c229f69292e3379796f0018bdcd4480cb8fc78e03f2e2f81b6e95b.png 7:1 by overcoming a bias called "functional fixedness." For 90 years, sailors used their arms for power. Team NZ realized that was backward. Legs generate more power, freeing hands for precision. They put "bikes on boats" and won. In VC, we have the same blindspot. We say we "invest in people" but treat their performance as a fixed trait. It’s back to front. If we want to win on the global stage, we have to stop leaving founders to figure it out alone and start treating them like professional athletes.
2. The 60% Opportunity
In any portfolio, up to 20% of companies will likely succeed no matter what, and ~20% will likely fail regardless. The real performance of a fund lives in that middle 60%. These are the companies that either fail or turn into "living dead" because of avoidable leadership friction. You can resurrect a lot of those companies through coaching. That’s the real unlock.
3. On Fiduciary Duty
If you claim to invest in people but do nothing to optimize their potential, are you actually fulfilling your fiduciary duty? The burden of proof shouldn’t be on why we coach. It should be on why a VC firm would choose not to pull the single biggest lever they have to control their returns.
4. The All Blacks Standard
Coaching isn’t mentoring. It isn't just telling people to do what you did. In sports, it takes a decade for a former elite player to re-emerge as an elite coach. It is a profession in its own right. If we aren't putting our coaches through a real interview process, the same way the All Blacks select a head coach, we aren't going to see transformational results.
5. Making it the Default
Stop treating coaching as a "nice-to-have" or a remedy for struggling founders. Make it the default. We made coaching a requirement for investment years ago, and it’s the biggest performance multiplier we’ve found. You don’t wait for your team to start losing before you give them a coach. You coach them because they're the best, because their performance dictates our returns, and because it is commercially irresponsible for us to continue to ignore this truth.
It’s time to stop putting the burden of proof on why we should coach, and start putting in on why we’re okay with leaving so much performance on the table.

2026-03-25 15:09:49 UTC

Yes my Bitcoin newsletter is paid subscription
Subs gets real Bitcoin adoption stories you'll not read in the media. Stories inspire adoption. Investigative research and data-gathering takes time. It is subscriptions that get these stories told and makes each subscriber a part of changing Bitcoin's narrative.
Not in a vague way, there is a direct correlation between # subs and the amount of time I can dedicate to this.
We did it with Bitcoin+environment. We can do it again
My latest newsletter is about how Bitcoin has been quietly changing the (broken) model of how charities work from the ground up, introducing tens of thousands of new people to Bitcoin in the process.
My latest newsletter is about
* how Bitcoin has been quietly changing the (broken) model of how charities work from the ground up
* how Amnesty International, Make-A-Wish Foundation and other have now quietly started not just accepting Bitcoin but educating their donors about its benefits
* the Bitcoiner who has introduced tens of thousands of new people to Bitcoin in the process.
* latest newsletter: https://blossom.primal.net/d20a8b670656e9de147e092e83c34de9d7df6b6133a37edfb4d91a0d9ff31f2c.png www.batcoinz.com/p/what-would-the-world-look-like-if

2026-03-24 13:55:49 UTC

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Yes! Here you go. Here's my original video with more about the format https://x.com/DSBatten/status/2022387736280510948?s=20 and here is the application form https://form.jotform.com/260346848186871.

2026-03-24 12:56:02 UTC

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* Link to apply: https://form.jotform.com/260346848186871

2026-03-23 19:40:58 UTC

"Stay humble stack sats" also means acknowledging we can be Bitcoiners yet still have blindspots that cause us to follow tradition rather than innovate. https://blossom.primal.net/4105214f6836a0f310507a5824918116bb5058d4eea182529083bbf3091181bb.mov
This message is specifically for Bitcoiners building a business.

2026-03-18 16:41:39 UTC

Just gave an online talk on Bitcoin and ESG to 200+ regulators from Securities Commissions, Banks, Central Banks from around the world including...
Nigeria, Canada, El Salvador, Indonesia, Ukraine, New York, NZ, South Africa
It's the second talk like this I've given. Over 350 regulators in total reached., including heads of banks, Central Banks and Securities Commissions.
Each time we engage with regulators and policymakers is a chance to put misinformation to bed permanently, and (re)educate them about why Bitcoin ticks the right boxes for them.
This in turn helps smooth the road for more nation state Bitcoin adoption, better ability to allow Bitcoin as a medium of exchange and more Bitcoin mining harvesting stranded energy on and off grids.
Onwards!
https://blossom.primal.net/7579c21697a8d0adb7ba352ee061fce2bff2da18c192f78cbd7fcf5548c016ba.png

2026-03-18 16:26:43 UTC

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Important that we acknowledge what is. As Peter Drucker said "If you can't measure it, you can't improve it." There's another quote I like "The best way to realize your dream is to wake up." This is a wake-up call. And ... some people will prefer to live in the simulation where everything appears fine (and criticize you for reflecting an uncomfortable truth) than take the blue pill and confront what is. Kudos to you for saying it like it is. I'd also love to hear any ideas you have about how to increase active user count.

2026-03-17 13:39:55 UTC

Just ran a breathworks and meditation session for a Bitcoin event in Australia for ~100 Bitcoiners!
Conference organizer reported back "the overwhelming feedback was very positive! I've had a number of people asking where they can do more down this path"
I've always said that sovereignty over your own mind is the ultimate self-sovereignty. And meditation and breathwork is the hack that gets you there.
Like Bitcoin itself, its not a "get transformed quick" scheme, it requires some initial effort to learn, and then some effort to do a 20 min practice each day.
But if raising personal resilience, energy-levels, freedom of thought, imperviousness to the uninformed takes about Bitcoin from others, relentlessness in orangepilling, better empathy and communication is something important to you - then I've personally found breathwork & meditation the ultimate low-time preference way to achieve that state and maintain it.
It's honestly the reason that I've been able to respond objectively, neutrally and intuitively to so many uneducated takes on Bitcoin for 4 years without getting emotional.
Running a course online (2.5 hrs/day for 3 days) exclusively for Bitcoiners this Fri-Sun if you'd like to experience it. I'd like to see all Bitcoiners eventually experience this.
In transparency, there is a small fee for this (which doesn't go to me, I've been doing it as a volunteer since I was trained to run the course 19 years ago). Proceeds goes to the organization Art of Living (http://artofliving.org) who runs it to support service initiatives.
If you're interested to join us, send me a message or comment. https://blossom.primal.net/eb5bbe5691f6febd722f11b985da64b96b3b5c5bb1dbc494300a046f7107a2d6.png

2026-03-12 14:24:35 UTC

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This article used pre-China mining ban data and a deeply flawed methodology. It was debunked by Margot Paez two years ago.

2026-03-11 17:05:20 UTC

As a climatetech investor, I have seen over 200 technologies and innovations. But the leading one by far in terms of its ability to create an immediate positive environmental externalities is Bitcoin mining, because
1. It uses existing, proven technology
2. It can solve problems (such as mitigation and wasted renewable energy) profitably, which other technologies simply cannot
3. It is modular, relatively low budget, rapidly scaleable and does not need government incentives and subsidies to make it viable
4. It creates positive social consequences in parallel as an organic byproduct of using the technology (such as reducing residential power prices, helping grid operators stabilize grids, obviating the need for gas peaker plants and expensive grid upgrades, and mitigating the negative impacts of putting addition AI load onto grids). It also helps renewable operators with the current backlash they are facing due to the high levels of waste energy they are not able to sell (with costs that are often picked up by the grid operator via curtailment payments).
This is why 7 out of 7 of the grid operators we know of that have experimented with Bitcoin mining have embraced it and are looking to scale up its usage on the grid.

2026-03-11 14:34:20 UTC

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Have you read the 24 papers that conclude positive environmental benefits to Bitcoin mining?
I have, and here is my conclusion:
The literature absolutely does support the claims that bitcoin mining
1. accelerates the green energy transition
2. can profitably mitigate methane
3. can make other technologies (such as green hydrogen) more profitable
4. allows renewable operators
5. can obviate more emission intensive gas peaker plants
This is also the consensus of all grid operators who have experimented with Bitcoin mining, and 8 independent reports.
If after looking through these papers you come to a different conclusion, happy to have an informed discussion with you about why you came to that different conclusion.
If that is a little too much reading (fair enough), I've done a summary of these papers here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-green-energy-transition-needs-bitcoin-miners-daniel-batten-zsunc/
and here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/changing-narrative-bitcoin-mining-daniel-batten-gkmwc/
that takes about 15 mins to read.

2026-03-11 14:26:55 UTC

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He has not. Similar to journalists, they just moved on to other things.

2026-03-11 14:25:38 UTC

Like Electric Vehicles (EVs), Bitcoin is a fully electrified network, so it has no direct emissions.
Like EVs, BTC has "indirect emissions" because some of that electricity was generated using fossil fuels.
However ... also like EVs, each time someone uses it, rather than the old, more emission intensive technology it replaces (fossil fuel transport in the case of EVs, the more emission intensive banking network in the case of Bitcoin), it creates a net emission reduction.
Here's a view we have comparing 2 net emission reducing technologies.
In terms of usefulness, both are useful, just in different places and different ways. EVs help transport people in the West around, and are about convenience.
Bitcoin's fastest adoption has been outside the West where it helps people transport and store money without high remittance fees, high inflation and the lack of a banking network - and is often about existential need.
https://blossom.primal.net/d0432c9b1b4a4ffd483e8f6fd341985691f387f15375ac2fe331b345fce1e258.jpg

2026-03-10 19:52:44 UTC

The end of Bitcoin mining gaslighting in mainstream media
Litmaps, a powerful research tracking tool, reveals that patient zero for all junk science on Bitcoin's environmental impact was a single 6 page "commentary" by Alex de Vries. (A commentary in the context of an academic journal means a short opinion piece that does not to go through a full peer-review process and which does not use novel empirical data).
The method he used to claim that Bitcoin's environmental damage was a growing concern was his fundamentally flawed "energy use per transactions" method (Bitcoin energy use does not come from its transactions, therefore it can scale transaction volume exponentially without increasing emissions).
de Vries' metric was later debunked in no fewer than 4 separate academic journals as part of full length academic papers.
*Masanet et al 2019
https://researchgate.net/publication/335456595_Implausible_projections_overestimate_near-term_Bitcoin_CO_2_emissions
*Dittmar et al. 2019
https://nature.com/articles/s41558-019-0534-5
*Sedlmeir et al, 2020
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12599-020-00656-x
*Sai and Vraken 2023
https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096720923000441#br0070
The entire body of de Vries' work was systematically debunked by Sai and Vranken in late 2023
source: https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096720923000441#br0070
Immediately after Sai & Vranken's study, all mainstream media outlets stopped covering de Vries' Bitcoin "research"
In fact, 22 mainstream media outlets have now flipped to covering Bitcoin's environmental benefits (source: https://x.com/DSBatten/status/2007095059963949217) which have been well established in 24 peer reviewed full length academic studies. (source: https://lnkd.in/gdH4wvw7)
A further 15 sustainability media outlets are now also covering Bitcoin mining's environmental benefits:
source: https://lnkd.in/gdH4wvw7
But just as years after the myth "all fats cause cholesterol" was debunked, many people are still unaware of the science, the same is true of Bitcoin mining
In both cases, the population was misinformed over many years. As a result, many people are still unaware that the contemporary academic literature, case studies and grid operators themselves all overwhelmingly support Bitcoin mining's environmental benefits
source: https://x.com/DSBatten/status/2013987189256810703
It is only a matter of time before policymakers, regulators, political leaders and investment committees catch up.
Once they do we will see mainstream adoption of Bitcoin, and mainstream adoption of Bitcoin mining as part of climate action (aka: what the peer reviewed research tells us it is)
source: https://x.com/compose/articles/edit/2009351000952279040
While many media outlets are now objectively commenting on Bitcoin, others (Financial Times, The Economist, Verge, Wired, New Scientist) have simply pivoted to changing the type of Bitcoin misinformation they publish.
https://blossom.primal.net/1dfa39cba2e54c31e2aebe645c766f30328b4108f8c41c1be0a5eeeacb75b780.jpg

2026-03-09 15:09:53 UTC

100th Monkey Effect
One mindset shift, if applied by even 1% of Bitcoiners, can have a pronounced impact on Bitcoin adoption https://blossom.primal.net/8810a82265e7d9f1810e438532ae0740d99277aae3e8b50ae0e3b703ddbdaacd.mp4

2026-03-06 22:54:02 UTC

3 March. RayDalio: "Central banks are not going to want to buy Bitcoin"
6 March... https://blossom.primal.net/0690c1d288516561719c992bbb23d17a4f565e3e6f4571dd9a2a24f7f5bb1b65.png d

2026-03-06 00:05:39 UTC

In 2021, a headline like this on the front page of a Pulitzer Prize winning paper would've been unthinkable
But backed up by data from Cambridge, Duke University + 23 peer reviewed studies showing Bitcoin mining's environmental benefits, the media have changed their tune also
https://blossom.primal.net/1a917e2ff0f82ff413820b8f6d98000dbd729c094fbcc08d8da710621bea221c.jpg

2026-03-04 15:14:40 UTC

JUST IN: Paraguay has just followed the lead of Bhutan, using wasted hydro energy to mine Bitcoin, for a likely National Bitcoin Reserve.
"Reports indicate mined Bitcoin will likely be held as a state asset or the national treasury, potentially used to fund infrastructure" https://blossom.primal.net/b9eb9380266a70381f4f5c7ae9adeecb1f06109515f21856335b0b4d28d4b94d.png

2026-03-03 18:03:41 UTC

We're now 3 years in to Bhutan's Bitcoin experiment
That means we now have robust data on how it has impacted the economy
For context: Bhutan's economy was in dire shape in 2022 due to loss of all tourism income (it's #2 export earner) during the COVID period.
It got so bad that Bhutan was 3 months away from defaulting on import payments.
IMF was poised to step in to structure a loan which would have led to heavy debt repayments, but also ceding of economic sovereignty to a lender whose loan conditions permit them to dictate how to (re)structure an economy.
Instead, Bhutan formed a large Bitcoin Strategic Reserve by using their surplus renewable hydropower to mine Bitcoin.
The IMF has warned on numerous occasions that nations embracing Bitcoin would destabilize their economy, be less effective at attracting foreign direct investment, and endanger their decarbonizing and environmental initiatives.
What does the data say (as reported by Wall St Journal, Al Jazeera and Forbes)
1. Bhutan was able to "use Bitcoin reserves to avert a crisis as foreign currency reserves dwindled to $689 million"
2. The bitcoin reserves have directly addressed pressing fiscal needs. "In June 2023, Bhutan allocated $72 million from its holdings to finance a 50% salary increase for civil servants"
3. Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay in an interview said that bitcoin also "supports free healthcare and environmental projects"
4. Tobgay also said their Bitcoin reserves helped in "stabilizing [the nation’s] $3.5 billion economy"
5. Independent analysts have now said that "this model could attract foreign investment, particularly for nations with untapped renewable resources"
Considering that what transpired in Bhutan has helped stabilize an economy that the IMF warned Bitcoin would destabilize, it begs the question: what data was the IMF's predictions based on?
For Bhutan, Bitcoin didn't just boost the economy, it allowed Bhutan to maintain economic independence and provided an example to other small nations of a path forward that did not require the IMF. https://blossom.primal.net/65e97596c85fdf829fbcf8b0257fef3baa40ae3e623ec3ea8f8d98d4fff36ac5.png

2026-02-25 16:11:29 UTC

This is an important first:
1. Reuters are correctly calling it Bitcoin mining rather than "crypto mining", and explicitly linking it to reducing wasted energy.
2. The article acknowledges that there has been an "increase of wasted energy" at the solar and wind generator with "billions of reais in losses to energy firms"
3. Reports that French company Engie is "looking at bitcoin mining ...at its new solar plant in Brazil to make the facility more profitable"
4. Acknowledges "having those systems would reduce curtailments that are hurting the economics of Assu Sol" (the solar and wind operator)
The ability of Bitcoin mining to accelerate green energy production through monetizing wasted wind and solar energy is well established in academic literature (since 2023) and among grid operators (since 2022)
But this is marks a first time the mainstream media has explicitly acknowledged this.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/engie-eyes-bitcoin-mine-storage-system-huge-new-brazil-solar-plant-2026-02-23/

2026-02-24 19:04:55 UTC

together, we fixed this statement
https://blossom.primal.net/4056aa85b287317a0b88c3722b669dbc9c907684ef039e2f005bb6d81ae9cf5d.png

2026-02-24 17:07:41 UTC

Don't often talk about this (or analyze it, been too busy analyzing Bitcoin mining), but just did some analysis.
3/4 of the tech startups I was coaching 10 years ago have since gone on to exit or acquisition offer.
Probably nothing.

2026-02-22 01:42:02 UTC

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Did you watch the video?

2026-02-21 20:14:38 UTC

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was a great chat

2026-02-21 18:09:46 UTC

Why do 95% of attempts to orangepill fail?
Swan just added my seminar on this on their channel, which includes strategies to orangepill much more effectively.
Please share widely with anyone whose wanting to do this more effectively !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zak12xxYg0k

2026-02-20 18:49:25 UTC

Rather than defending Bitcoin's use of energy, do this ...
Rather than arguing that Bitcoin doesn't put up power prices, say this ...
Rather than saying "other industries use more fossil fuel than Bitcoin ... state this
👇
https://blossom.primal.net/de3b12a3fc0c02897cb32295f2c163aeaded16a5435d382ea59a4c429c358f5d.mp4

2026-02-20 14:10:07 UTC

Another inspiring Bitcoin story
This one shows the power of grassroots movements, community and the peer-to-peer ethos
Buena Vista Colorado (pop: 3,259) now has 13 businesses using Bitcoin: that is more than Colorado Springs which has 153x the population!
It turns out grassroots adoption works (and so do treasure hunts).
Luke and his wife Brooke did this in his "spare time" between running 3 businesses.
Luke will be open sourcing how this happened in the months to come.
Stay tuned!
https://blossom.primal.net/630b3ca41319d8e60204383957531a104c4ca473db8f8165d492cd13ab7833a4.mp4

2026-02-18 16:29:20 UTC

3 very commonly made mistakes when explaining Bitcoin's energy use to people.
https://blossom.primal.net/fe21805d4db6757f92c91e4f957b0bfba7d2feb6a99e86c65b51b4d5c41a9a22.mp4

2026-02-17 19:30:35 UTC

A couple of people said that this 65 second video about Bitcoin mining made them laugh (in a good way)
One of the reasons that the media got it wrong for so long about Bitcoin mining was that they convinced themselves (and you) that in writing about Bitcoin mining, they should not talk to people who did Bitcoin mining because they would be biased.
The logic however starts to unravel on this one very fast, once we start to https://blossom.primal.net/f4c2b0c5aa854fc2e1b9b8b74365c449466e36d18451150cf40a4ebafd22220a.mp4 scrutinize this argument.

2026-02-16 20:11:29 UTC

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Thanks for being one of the ones who suggested I do more of this.

2026-02-16 19:36:06 UTC

Many Bitcoiners find they are unable to change the perspective of the person they are talking to about Bitcoin.
One reason why: you have tacitly accepted their perspective by not challenging a false framing.
Here's how to challenge FUD-frames respectfully.
https://blossom.primal.net/ebb06becfa491f935f3dd7a0166a742ab19c9215f594a19b9dba69d5c3d17e6e.mp4

2026-02-13 20:16:44 UTC

Great video. So important to tell these stories of the tireless work that Bitcoin mining companies do to heat homes and keep the grid stable. #note1c9x…uyuj

2026-02-13 19:30:07 UTC

This year I've returned to my calling of coaching high-impact mastermind groups. I'm also excited because this stands to served Bitcoin so much more than me simple doing FUD-fighting
If your work brings new people to Bitcoin, this message I just summarized into a 190 second video is specifically for you
https://blossom.primal.net/ac994694ceac83473d6494f54bf328a06f2799c4cd458a83f63ce9afb4626ff1.mov
You can apply here: https://www.jotform.com/form/260346848186871

2026-02-10 20:18:12 UTC

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Hi John. Thanks for your comments. We've just confirmed dates. So I will send you a message on Nostra now

2026-02-10 17:28:57 UTC

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Yes, it will exist no matter what we do, and ... when we start telling Bitcoin's story better we will fill the void currently filled by human slop about Bitcoin told by Bitcoin's enemies.

2026-02-10 17:00:51 UTC

Issue #44 of the Bitcoin Adoption Forecast is out! Check your email and spam filters
www.batcoinz.com/p/bitcoins-crossing-the-chasm-moment

2026-02-10 17:00:06 UTC

Its time for Bitcoiners to gain sovereignty over the stories told about Bitcoin

2026-02-05 05:04:57 UTC

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40 merchants is great progress!

2026-02-05 00:21:06 UTC

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That’s awesome. Great to hear!

2026-02-03 22:25:30 UTC

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Agreed

2026-02-03 22:24:44 UTC

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Absolutely, our next wave of Bitcoin adoptors cannot be rushed, managed or predicted. They can be encouraged, supported and educated. That's exactly what Bitcoin legend Luke Cortese did on Saturday, and why Bueno Vista, Colorado now has 25 new people who get and use Bitcoin.
https://x.com/DSBatten/status/2018760828955107659

2026-02-03 16:38:14 UTC

A bit of honest introspection about where we are facing some headwinds in bitcoin adoption
Optimism is good, but it should be grounded optimism. If you want to win a World Cup, you don’t win it by ignoring your setbacks and weaknesses, you win by analysing these and learning from them.
Bitcoin adoption had a few setbacks last year that are seldom acknowledged, let alone analyzed, let alone learned from. This article is an attempt to analyze the video footage of our 2025 institutional game and come up with some suggested improvements for this year.
https://x.com/dsbatten/status/2018703888711397779?s=46

2026-02-03 14:05:49 UTC

When I shared this quote with the Bitcoin leaders group I coach, several people were deeply moved by it. One said she had shared it with all her besties. Another said it the quote is on the desk. Another simply said "And why groups like this are so helpful". https://blossom.primal.net/0dbd0eb91b1d61693d4c3b5fc86455cc13c1eff96a5dc629d9874216adbf3f95.jpg
This group are onboarding Bitcoin to pension funds, increasing Bitcoin corporate treasury adoption, furthering the integration of Bitcoin mining with AI datacenters and enabling long-term holders to access steady liquidity for living expenses without selling their BTC . They have run and operated multiple successful businesses already.
The feeling of the loneliness of leadership is a real thing to all of us who do something pioneering.
But, together we're transcending that feeling from being individual nodes, to one connected part of a human network.
Bitcoin is a peer to peer network. Who is your peer to peer network?

2026-02-02 15:54:51 UTC

State by state, US is starting to realize they NEED Bitcoin mining
Today, Portland Press Herald ...
* circulation covers 263 municipalities
* substantial digital audience of 1.5 million users-per-month
covered how Bitcoin mining can stabilize Maine's stressed and aged grid
Key quotes:
"In storms and high electricity demand events, like Winter Storm Heather last year, miners turned off their servers (think a flick of the switch), freeing power for critical services and helping stabilize the grid. "
"We’ve seen an estimated 10-36% hike from 2024 to 2025. Digital mining could ... lower energy costs for the state/consumer."
https://blossom.primal.net/9306b1ce6064e1ff0f7927ccf848ee5f5e917a4523b8230119bbe30503773f5f.jpg

2026-02-02 15:44:16 UTC

Major American technology media company CNET (1.6M followers on X) just covered how Bitcoin heat recycling, and how this can solve a major issue for AI
https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/superheat-bitcoin-water-heater-ces-2026/

2026-02-02 13:50:46 UTC

Many things impact Bitcoin price and adoption, but FUD (whether its environmental, "used by crims", "going to zero") is definitely one of them!
This is one very simple strategy I have used, which works, which takes very little time, and that anyone can use
https://blossom.primal.net/3aef45a9f851af8f2e0c8728a9a8045538d9493bfa8366cb384ddca8c8f2cdbe.mp4

2026-01-30 14:45:49 UTC

I have 1 place left on the Bitcoin leaders' cohort for April 2026. Have talked to a few plebs, but their projects are a little early still
The group have active projects they are now looking to expand that have a significant impact on Bitcoin adoption
Reach out if that's you

2026-01-28 15:15:17 UTC

There are the 7 core principles I used last year when engaging with media outlets last year who were still publishing environmental FUD about Bitcoin
Result: 4 retractions, 2 changed editorial policy. Numerous article amendments. Most did not write environmental FUD about Bitcoin again.
https://blossom.primal.net/125bbf7c81e52f96470feed7a66113a77bbdeace6889115f01afcbab1e400422.mp4

2026-01-28 15:10:14 UTC

"The art of war" is required reading for anyone actively working to increase Bitcoin adoption and counteract Bitcoin FUD https://blossom.primal.net/555627b42823625563e777bb0379e0d6dcbae98cf96d9457579ff88f436f6058.png

2026-01-28 01:38:54 UTC

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Nostr plebs putting AI agents onto their account on X could be the ultimate inception move to hasten the migration to decentralized online protocols.

2026-01-27 23:42:12 UTC

What 4 principles are critical counteracting FUD?
It's not just your logic (that's only 1 part of 1 of the 4 points) that makes you effective at counteracting Bitcoin FUD
Knowing what all 4 principles are (explained in this video) increases your odds of orangepilling people https://blossom.primal.net/b61f290740b650fed6c79de3d437bc62719b4aa6a1fa38771f55bcdefa0f486b.mp4

2026-01-27 16:25:16 UTC

Our green finance company CH4Capital was recently featured in this article.
Great to see word getting out about how Bitcoin mining can become the world's first carbon negative industry while making inroads towards the UNEP's methane reduction targets.
source: https://news.bit2me.com/en/ch4capital-ingredient-for-making-bitcoin-sustainable

2026-01-27 15:30:13 UTC

Something different today.
If you haven't yet discovered the benefits of breathwork, I would say that you are missing something amazing in life! It's easy to take your breath for granted (I did) and think "I already know how to breath - what's the point?" This misses the point.
Yes, you know how to use your breath to survive. But learning the SKY breathing practice shows you how to breath to thrive!
There are now 100+ research studies on the benefits of SKY breathing. James Nestor's bestseller "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" covered its myriad of benefits, and its something I've found to be a gamechanger.
Within 30 days of the practice, I found my anxiety and stress levels decreased a lot, though on the outside work was still just as high-pressure at the time.
Then I noticed I felt happier and more confident (not something I thought was a side effect of breathwork!)
Then, I saw improvements in my sleep and interpersonal relationships. Again, not something I thought the breath could help my achieve!
Between 2006-7 I was so encouraged by my own results, I decided to learn how to teach the process to others, so underwent 2 years of training, which involved travelling twice to India to the Art of Living HQ in Bangalore - one of the most profound experiences of my life.
Almost all of my coaching clients decide to do the SKY breathing course at some stage, and have reported similar benefits.
One client after our course earlier this month reported after the course "For the first time in a long time, I feel so happy and content that I've had no urge at all to scroll or distract myself."
I'm co-teaching a course from 20-22 March. 12.30pm-2.30pm each day EST.
We have a number of Bitcoiners who've already put up their hands to do it. If you'd like to join them or find out more, just comment below or send me a message. Like Bitcoin itself, Breathwork is permissionless, portable, increases self-sovereignty, ensures you don't waste energy, and it would be an honor to support your work in the world in this way.

2026-01-26 01:30:29 UTC

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That would make sense. This corresponds to the amount of hash power in the area impacted by the storm. It will rise back up once the storm passes

2026-01-25 02:39:24 UTC

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Brilliant

2026-01-23 21:00:21 UTC

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Sent you a DM yesterday on Nostr. Let me know if you got it.

2026-01-22 21:24:26 UTC

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Hi Maya. I'll send you a message about this.

2026-01-22 21:17:13 UTC

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Hi Drew. I'll send you a message about it.

2026-01-21 21:58:48 UTC

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This is the way! Orangepilling business owners and locals in Colorado through treasure hunts.

2026-01-21 21:57:38 UTC

2 weeks in to our 10-week coaching group for Bitcoiners and already I’m blown away by their results
- 2 people gained their first customer
- 1 person gained a new, highly-aligned job in the industry
- another just closed his investment round (due to actions taken before starting the program, which he shared with the group)
Not bad considering I keep it to four people in each group!
If you’re working for bitcoin and want to explore how this works, reach out!

2026-01-21 19:05:45 UTC

Issue #43 of the Bitcoin Adoption Forecast is out: Monarchs ♥ Bitcoin
Check your inbox and spam filters
https://danielbatten.substack.com/p/043-monarchs-bitcoin

2026-01-20 00:27:58 UTC

Which player would you say is serving better?
Before we delve into that - what if not focusing on the result was the best way to accomplish the desired result?
https://blossom.primal.net/f5df6e566924ed2126b03dae3bb24cf51b95880de631b09a6aa712e39d866cac.png
Mental Skills coach Gilbert Enoka contributed to the All Blacks winning back-to-back Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015. They'd previously lost 5 World Cups.
One key thing he changed was that previously, even though the All Blacks were normally the #1 team in the World heading into World Cups, they often abandoned their winning systems at key times when they found themselves behind on the scoreboard in a knock-out match.
Enoka got them to shift their focus from the scoreboard, to the systems/behaviors and mindsets that created great plays at these times.
In other words, he focused them not on the scoreboard, but back on trusting their systems and teammates, and focusing on the winning behaviors that created the desired results.
Many years ago, I was an associate with the firm that helped Sydney win the 2000 Olympics. One of my colleagues told me that she had worked with 5x Olympic Gold winner Ian Thorpe, who had developed the same approach. He didn't define "winning a race" as winning gold. He defined winning a race as "finding something that he could improve upon in his next race." This relentless focus on behaviors, not the scoreboard, allowed him to compete and win in multiple Olympics.
You don't have to be an elite sports professional to benefit from this principle
I've used this same system for more than 14 years with more than 60 founders and leaders, including the Bitcoin leaders and ambassadors group I run. On our recent group call, one person celebrated a successful cap raise. Another celebrated a shift in mindset that had caused a breakthrough in the development team after 6 months. We celebrated both equally. The first is a great milestone: we focus on unpacking what caused it (the behaviors and mindset shifts). The second win is a behavior/mindset shift that will create future wins on the scoreboard.
Both matter equally.
A relentless focus on the behaviors, skills, tactics systems and mindsets that create results is the best way to create results. If you define winning as "finding something to improve each day" - that's how winning on the scoreboard gets created.
Like sports, it is easier to apply this principle in a group of your peers, with a coach who is looking out for blindspots. Our next Bitcoin leaders group starts in April. Reach out if this is something you'd like to learn more about.
So which player had the better result?
Assuming other features of the serve are equal, notably speed, we would say that the one on the left served in at a higher percentage (20% vs 0%).
However, the server on the right has by far the better serving behaviors. This player has achieved a grouping, one of the most important things in serving because it is evidence of having a high degree of control. With coaching and direction they will soon be serving a high percentage of serves in. Likely they may just be hitting the ball consistently a fraction too early - which is an easy correction. The shooter on the left is all over the place, and got lucky on one serve. They will need a lot more coaching to produce the right consistent result (grip, throw, swing arc, follow through, leg drive, wrist pronation, breath...)
This visual serves as a reminder of the value of placing more emphasis on the right behaviors that create the result... that is if your goal is to win consistently.

2026-01-19 18:14:05 UTC

An ask:
Do you know of reputable, competent legal/accounting advisors regarding where to incorporate operational entity from 3 perspectives:
- regulatory clarity and ease of stablecoin lending
- understanding of VASP/AML-KYC-AML reqmt's
- operational reporting and tax requirements
Context:
An awesome Bitcoiner I know is helping to accelerate Bitcoin adoption by building a bitcoin collateralised lending product that lends stablecoins and does not touch fiat. They don't want to end up in a cage, or drown in regulatory or taxation purgatory. Current recommendations include El Salvador, Caymens, Costa Rica, and Prospera (Honduras), Marshall Islands.
If you can recommend or share details or introduce such unicorns - much appreciated!

2026-01-17 01:29:19 UTC

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This is amazing. Really well articulated message about how it works and why it’s so powerful.

2026-01-17 00:48:05 UTC

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Was wondering what happened. Wow.

2026-01-14 14:31:58 UTC

Have goals, but drop expectations. Because there will be times when reality has a hard time adjusting to your imagination and desires

2026-01-06 15:49:26 UTC

New focus in 2026
TL;DR: This year I'll be spending less time on FUD fighting, more time coaching other Bitcoiners. If history is anything to go by, this should mean more impact.
Why?
It's not a stepping down, but a stepping up to my true calling. Having done this once before in another ecosystem, I'm confident history will rhyme.
https://blossom.primal.net/92af43985aa3033f16ad427a4129d48da9b7a9392718c724a2648944832b062f.png
20 years and 11 days ago, my father passed away from cancer. Days later I was at his funeral as person after person recounted the impact that he'd had on their lives as a coach, and teacher. At the time I was running a Bioinformatics company I'd started - an excellent thing to do, BUT ... it wasn't MY calling. Some people’s calling is to carve a new path from their parents. Mine had always been to follow, as a coach and teacher. But I'd avoided that because Dad was so good at it, I feared living in his shadow.
But at his funeral something changed: I saw my two futures: the initially comfortable but ultimately regret-filled future if I didn't pivot ... and the initially harder yet fulfilling one where I did. Within 9 months I'd told my board I would be leaving, and recruited my own replacement. I helped the company achieve escape velocity. But the incoming CEO guided it to the moon, setting the company up for its eventual exit.
Today, history repeats. Last year, after three years of voluntary advocacy, I partnered with MARA on a special assignment, part of which involved intensively shifting the Bitcoin mining narrative by taking the truth directly to influential outsiders. This assignment is about to come to a successful end (see chart below). Their help meant I had the time to rebut over 102 articles, write 61 Letters to authors of those articles and meet with 162 Regulators & Policymakers to present Bitcoin's ESG merits.
Many publications have now changed their editorial policy on Bitcoin mining to be nuanced and positive - something unthinkable just a couple of years prior. Thanks all who made this possible, including the hitherto unheralded player in this: MARA
I'd never intended to run my Bioinformatics company for more than a few years. I co-foundered it because I saw a chance to make a difference. And it did. Our software has been used to further our understanding of the evolution of each major new virus of the last 20 years.
I share this next parts as a reassurance ... and a reminder. When we do what is our true calling, we tend to have the biggest impact. I was running a single company, but as a coach I was able to coach more than 60 founders of tech companies, particularly “deeptech” companies.
I helped multiple ideas that were stuck in Universities turn into companies, and helped multiple companies attract capital and exit. One government entity wrote to me to say "[you have] helped us transform the research community [of New Zealand] at all levels."
I also never intended to do Bitcoin Mining FUD fighting for more than a few years.
In 2026 it's again time to follow my calling. I will be coaching more Bitcoin leaders, builders and educators. The work has started with some great Bitcoiners creating some great results for our ecosystem, including these: https://x.com/DSBatten/status/2003840508943016042?s=20
If you are a builder or leader in Bitcoin and you're interested in just having a chat about what coaching looks like, reach out.
If you want to do more effective Bitcoin FUD-fighting (in any area) - let me know. As part of paying it forward, I’ll run a 90-min seminar in 2 weeks that distills 3 years of changing the minds of skeptics.
And if you want to do DIY FUD-fighting from a strong evidential basis: here are the latest, most up-to-date resources:
1. The nine most common Bitcoin mining myths debunked: https://x.com/DSBatten/status/2007466463062270193?s=20
2. The receipts for the 22 papers, 8 independent reports and 30+ media articles showing Bitcoin's environmental benefits. https://x.com/DSBatten/status/2007095059963949217?s=20
3. How Bitcoin mining keeps energy prices low
https://x.com/DSBatten/status/2006922313191563341?s=20
4. Keynote: Bitcoin and the Death of Energy (The video people most often tell me changed their minds on the subject): https://x.com/DSBatten/status/1846205920381980725?s=20
And above all else, when you hear the whisper of your calling: listen.
This doesn't mean be reckless. Finish what you are doing, move from success to success - but listen. The degree of your trepidation you feel is generally proportional to the size of your victory on the other side.
PS: I’ll still be posting inspiring stories (and data) on Bitcoin mining. I won't be doing daily seek-and-destroy on all Bitcoin mining FUD, and the constant behind-the-scenes letter-writing. I will coach those who pick up this work...and many other Bitcoiners doing great things for Bitcoin too I hope.

2026-01-03 01:35:51 UTC

The whole "Bitcoin uses too much energy" myth was built on an utterly false premise that environmentalists advocate for less energy use across industries.
Not true!
Very few people believe that industries should "use less energy".
The ones who do believe this are known as degrowthers, and do not represent the majority of the environmental movement.
The consensus view within mainstream environmental science and policymaking holds that labeling any large energy user as automatically harmful is reductive because it ignores critical factors:
The Energy Source: Emissions from 1 kWh of coal power and 1 kWh of wind or nuclear power are vastly different. The consensus focuses on decarbonizing the supply.
The Value and Flexibility of Demand: As discussed previously, some large loads (like certain industrial processes or data centers) can be highly flexible. This demand-side flexibility is a key asset for integrating variable renewables like wind and solar into the grid, a cornerstone of the mainstream transition plan.
Technological and Efficiency Gains: The consensus argues that innovation driven by economic activity can lead to "dematerialization", using fewer resources and less energy to produce the same or greater value.
Bitcoin mining, precisely because of its high (flexible) energy use, has been shown in multiple peer-reviewed studies to offer a number of decarbonization benefits that are extremely appealing to both environmentalists and grid operators.
These benefits include grid stabilization (Rudd et al), methane mitigation (Sechrest et al), obviation of gas peaker plants (Bruno et al), and accelerating the renewable energy transition (Lal et al, 2023). Bitcoin mining is only able to offer those benefits due to its high and flexible energy consumption pattern.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/changing-narrative-bitcoin-mining-daniel-batten-gkmwc/
It is for this reason that a number of leading sustainability periodicals have in the last year come out in favor of Bitcoin mining’s environmental benefits.
Further, a whitepaper by Rhodes et al concluded that flexible load centers (aka: Bitcoin mining) allows grid operators to build out the grid using renewable energy, whereas inflexible load centers (AI Inference datacenters) encourage the proliferation of fossil fuel based power on the grid.

2026-01-01 15:09:10 UTC

Bitcoin mining balances grids, mitigates methane, prevents wasted energy and promotes sustainable energy as a byproduct of economic necessity
Once you grok how this works, you graduate to informed Bitcoin mining critic: you realize Bitcoin mining doesn't use enough energy

2025-12-28 18:30:47 UTC

What do 2025 Bitcoin skeptics in 2025 have in common with 1995 Internet skeptics:
They've never used it
I still remember in 1995 trying to persuade my Dept of English professors to let me do my thesis on this newfangled thing called "The Internet".
None of them had used it. But they all had an opinion about it. And they were all happy to tell me why my research proposal was risky and reckless, and why the Internet itself wouldn't amount to much.
Fast forward to 2025, same vibes. Plenty of Bitcoin skeptics, plenty of people calling it reckless and risky. Once again, not one of them has used it, let alone researched it.
Back in 1995, it turned out that the opinion of one 20-something student who had studied and used The Internet was more informed than a team of college professors who hadn't.
Same is true today, the opinion of a Gen-Z who has studied and used Bitcoin is more informed than a team of economists, journalists, or financial advisors who haven't

2025-12-28 16:33:48 UTC

Influence is achieved through clarity, not hyperbole

2025-12-25 18:54:56 UTC

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Contact form on CH4Capital.com will go directly to us.
Yes, we have three potential sites but we are looking for as many as possible.

2025-12-25 02:57:37 UTC

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Smart girl. Children intuitively understand the true value of fiat.

2025-12-24 18:20:38 UTC

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Haha. Thanks. I'll be in touch to let you know more about it.

2025-12-24 15:36:56 UTC

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No cats were harmed in the creation of this meme.