2026-04-08T18:33:49+02:00 https://nostr.ae EconWithNick https://nostr.ae/npub1n2m8jv38n27myhsrm36jvj94qmnh79qfwxt3lktnuq04s3dpk8kq2agflr https://m.primal.net/Iqgi.jpg https://m.primal.net/Iqgi.jpg https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsq5napdsy3ajwkxnwy6ckjzwdpx6dghlevtxar2w5a8a0xfd9cunqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c85k5np ECB board member Piero Cippollone has already given 9 speeches and 3 interviews on the digital euro this year. <br/><br/><br/>The ECB propaganda machine is in full swing.<br/><br/><br/><a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/</a> <br/> 2026-05-18T22:07:12+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsxwhjfdxlfnnnv09jgmsdjwwd8xehd0jffgdqf8ydctnartv3j88qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cat7z8c Interesting... The ECCU stresses that it wanted to run “not just conduct a pilot but to run a live deployment” with “real money” and “real users” in “real time.”<br/><br/>But the labels on this timeline call it a pilot again when it came to shutting down the CBDC. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/e2adcb005a6ac3449f8c31a893ce3a6b6646b0412ec2f085b9f7de7c657d3346.png"> 2026-05-05T02:51:12+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsp2zw044vldj6cw4xeg40w3w8zqyqmkj3hey6vu0vn9u8j9hy7guczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7csu9sfd In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs89wpd82tcga2zjsjuhydeh3hckw7m7rk8mev04wtzydv7gc65dhsstrpns'>nevent1q…rpns</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Fair play! 2026-04-29T13:50:55+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsprh2mvsffesnqgvngw6h2th5a3qv7asqrjf8pqux2nhjz4k5jy4qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cpwzstd In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsd549lv8wc9xw2vhdv5q00uuvfapz8gv4emrpwjp7nxfx2r7v6dcqpjuzan'>nevent1q…uzan</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Agreed. It&#39;s basically come to mean &#34;people I don&#39;t like&#34; 2026-04-29T13:49:50+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqswswlw9jl39grx0d0pa0u3tfr7yppehxwk7rq2m5v26gu4k9fn0rqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cxyy7mm The Deutsche Bundesbank says it needs a CBDC because Visa and Mastercard &#34;could be turned off upon instruction&#34; by the US government.<br/><br/>Sounds like what they really need is Bitcoin. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/a0ccfcd9d1934afd6e11e7f0a056a0e63c11b6ada330f9759dfb32c16089a5e5.png"> 2026-04-29T13:46:51+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs90jfzsrw8s5n76h0jpwycyug6asylpxvqh0fcucr46qay0ys5gjgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cszjk2l In a room full of law enforcement, I was the only person to raise my hand when former FinCEN director Bill Fox asked if anyone &#34;actually believes&#34; bad people deserve privacy. <br/><br/>I said I believe the Constitution applies to every American, and the Fourth Amendment provides the framework for breaking through the right to privacy when an investigation justifies it.<br/><br/>Sadly, that seemed to fall on deaf ears. 2026-04-27T16:10:11+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsqefsahuadke0tat9ul49r2qjykfq5k58xa94tq0hsfs6257ncvkgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cx496py In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfkja4vuhure66nxl0nkfan6dv8q0ez29lck4p2grdtuckul2d9zqpydmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtmedahxgetj94c8y6tnd5kjrs4g'>nevent1q…rs4g</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I’m with you 2026-04-15T17:47:39+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqspag2mfclq08faata56kxj62s4g8egew337pepjkwp6af43j8v4yszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cksnnpm In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqqqxxls0agn8twycre9tmguu47q7glx6g3yrnq039dd845f3c7rcpydmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtmedahxgetj94c8y6tnd5g5yw3g'>nevent1q…yw3g</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Preach 2026-04-15T17:47:18+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsr82jj6w0jgyzxyenleq00jtmyyyjrcam84069zx7jztv0wrx02wczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7ca9kpx0 Imagine every swipe of your card turning into a tax form.<br/><br/>That’s what happens when spending Bitcoin.<br/><br/>If you buy a coffee with Bitcoin, the government makes you pay capital gains taxes on top of sales taxes.<br/><br/>Spending Bitcoin daily can turn into 70 pages in tax filings. <br/><br/>It&#39;s time to put an end to this mess. <br/><br/><video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/5e7376d2b25c34972111785875fa406ac0a63859ca2d799a3e0f11e55b81086e.mp4"></video> 2026-04-15T14:48:50+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsty83n2kyx97mcr0whd947j09hvrs2daxarmxptse3l8zwdmwf3ygzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cf77xng In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsv3aa3q9sfzcr3u7nj94aat2ey2tqgzf2lp4k4qs2ejq2ua5mf7sg4xwm9k'>nevent1q…wm9k</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>They could do just about anything else and be a better net on society. Instead, they spend their days throwing up roadblocks for the people trying to better the world. 2026-04-08T15:36:08+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs9r3vh7nwy4z9m7d878knm32szc98cyl4zlm536yc5k38scc9aw2qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c90t0jz I&#39;m incredibly proud to announce the Activist Atlas. <br/><br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qythwumn8ghj7cnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uqzqe4a3lknty8j9x00qy50trt8s7fgne4fnfnqaql2m9874dmqdlghgm4j4w" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>Run with Bitcoin</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…4j4w</span>)</a></span> and I have noticed that connections between activists often fall apart in the chaos of this world. That means mistakes made get repeated and lessons learned go unheard. <br/><br/>That Activist Atlas will change that. It will be a digital platform that allows changemakers to stay connected, discover one another’s work, and coordinate year-round while introducing freedom technologies like Bitcoin for donations and Nostr for censorship-resistant communication.<br/><br/>A huge thank you goes to the <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyf8wumn8ghj7cnfw3ehgctrdvhxzursqythwumn8ghj7cmp9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetkqqs0rxy6jmt44guxkny8z4pkym9mxckqxfytygxuntjn6l80hj409sggjrzcm" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>HRF</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…rzcm</span>)</a></span> for making this possible. Their grant will support the launch and help us grow a global network of activists using freedom tech.<br/><br/>Stay tuned for more announcements soon. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/ebfa756b6f15ccdb9185886a6a8ad7ee6357bcd802748c72f4ccc6d0fc679e9b.png"> 2026-04-01T17:38:15+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsfttcwk9rlf86q5s97uyy4zj489zmucw7h0mrd4vhrz7p73l8xh5gzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cmmxj0e In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstej29z0w742qlg835tqq7jpvuewd3l8aurnf7rn8nvfvwk39galqwt4f5w'>nevent1q…4f5w</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>24 is my favorite, but yes. Preventing alternatives has been the driving force behind CBDCs for the longest time. 2026-04-01T15:47:11+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsx4a8jpxz908w04542tmr2gg4g2td0mut558wv86u6dhav746dpaqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cal94ct In other news that reads like an April Fool&#39;s joke but isn&#39;t...<br/><br/>The Federal Reserve has a closet with $1.4 million worth of laptops that were unaccounted for. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/854be40e5a3a54967ca1abfb7751ec9d839e67612bb2c159bf1cd0c96f621f17.png"> 2026-04-01T15:45:50+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsy609pedtrd82ufn5e6nchcyaaysvtkgj56p8ds9uv7nx67mtjh0czyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cfpeqrl No, this is not an April Fool&#39;s Day joke. This list really is everything policymakers claim a CBDC will do. <br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/6f044c5562ed212a774c73f91d99a08598fec1dc88459246af245cf4784773ea.png"> <br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/cbdcs-cant-give-you-everything-everywhere-all-once">https://www.cato.org/blog/cbdcs-cant-give-you-everything-everywhere-all-once</a> 2026-04-01T15:06:57+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs2g67ayuw7sd2ar5dmgmydzaj4saw407fjwhgrcyah0kp68kz5nkczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cqgxjfp What should be done about stablecoins? The Reserve Bank of India says governments need to promote CBDCs.<br/><br/>He says CBDCs are superior... as long as you assume every other country also has a CBDC. <video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/297419d96af655808b4c79e0c957a029849fe4c71b7ef77cb895fd8371e9b86d.mp4"></video> 2026-03-30T16:47:38+02:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsgnlpfgdvfxl4s8nn7ghja4rgcmqaqzjwakg30qun8ysu33aldm6szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7caf8egq In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgg3xkc6wf836yg7hezjd8ncf43tht0ru6aavywmwms5cfplcdzrcprfmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtmkxyhsdger4c'>nevent1q…er4c</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Had similar happen but I learned I was flagged for suspicious activity. Can’t imagine what that means since I only used subreddits on diy synthesizers. Only reset option was full KYC so I just stopped using it 2026-03-26T20:10:59+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsd4p98r2fu2wa9amushnl26d9ehrw0wyxghnz23n5e27ax79zud2szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7czanjyq Well, that&#39;s sad. <br/><br/>I reached out to the ECB to ask about how they plan to use the digital euro for sanctions evasion. The ECB said they are unable to chat with me. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/digital-euro-sanctions-evasion">https://www.cato.org/blog/digital-euro-sanctions-evasion</a> 2026-03-25T15:32:13+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsrqqxsuzel2y8xsjlj7rj2xwllfa4k88yrwwd6xrmxdly97ys33fszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cdsvfvf &#34;The moment you onboard a customer, the clock starts ticking---not just toward periodic review, but toward every transaction, every change in behavior, every event that shifts risk.&#34; <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/d5582153fce50b2e01b0a62a16d363b494610ea2f71ef00962ff4a2580a08b65.jpg"> 2026-03-15T17:05:03+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqszhktzcjj60hqjtyj7prazgnctly3yxsthg7rdt7pcxc3nvvj3zjczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cy8wvax An important point to add here: Lagarde argues that the digital euro can be used to evade US sanctions. She describes the importance of individual sovereignty in this example, but the digital euro would _not_ provide individual sovereignty. <br/><br/>It&#39;s probably obvious to most folks on Nostr, but digital euro users would still be subject to EU control. So, sure. You might evade US sanctions, but you&#39;re not going to escape EU sanctions. <br/><br/>Big ups to <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qythwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnnw3skkete9ehx2ap0qyfhwumn8ghj7ur4wfcxcetsv9njuetn9uqzpkvxhzjgem6f2r7x9a7u9cxjwl99q46hkk488uy4nvsxt8n37l9vym2sp4" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>DireMunchkin</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…2sp4</span>)</a></span> for flagging this in the comments. <br/><blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzpx4k0yez0x4akf0q8hr4yeyt2ph80u2qjuvhrlvh8cqltpz6rv0vqy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq3wamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwwpexjmtpdshxuet59uq3kamnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wwdshg6r0v9exgetj9e3k7mf0qqsft3gff62zkapgz5t3d253lhvgf9n5nh4ee8gal7va2vss60tpftqxzu8r2" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">nevent1q…u8r2</a></span> </div> I'm surprised no one has noticed this... but the ECB is openly touting that the newest use case for the digital euro is sanctions evasion.<br/><br/>In an interview with the FT, Lagarde openly said the digital euro could be used to evade US sanctions.<br/><br/>Considering central bankers often label bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as tools for criminals to evade sanctions, this is rich. <br/><br/>In fact, Lagarde almost sounds like a bitcoiner when she talks about the need for _individuals_ to reclaim their financial sovereignty.<br/><br/>So forget financial inclusion, monetary policy, or any of the other popular items officials have proclaimed about CBDCs. <br/><br/>The digital euro is about sanctions evasion.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/digital-euro-sanctions-evasion">https://www.cato.org/blog/digital-euro-sanctions-evasion</a> </blockquote> 2026-03-08T03:09:38+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsvdaukd8flvamjmmcy9rt44tzhaqvaq78lndmeh6zhp06e3juek7qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cunsy7w In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2up0vk2xy2xwgfetc94328dwq39yecw6xthdadpgw0uvpy2el7vgprfmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtmkxyhsv3yfv8'>nevent1q…yfv8</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Ohhhhh, I see now. Thank you. <br/><br/>So both are true. EU sovereignty has been the driving push for the last year. However, in a new interview, Lagarde made a new argument for individual sovereignty in reaction to US sanctions. <br/><br/> <a href="https://youtu.be/13dPAZAET74?si=0TwFkjhJOKgguV39">https://youtu.be/13dPAZAET74?si=0TwFkjhJOKgguV39</a><br/><br/>Now, do I actually believe she cares about individual sovereignty for people like us? No. But that is the argument she made. <br/><br/>I’m with family right now but you raised a really important point: even though she says that, there’s still no individual sovereignty since the EU can target you with the digital euro. I’ll post a follow up soon 2026-03-07T19:45:45+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsxlcxvhdwr0hah888cuf9ndddlfjvh704ndf5glyu2t3ma3qvmflczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cve3fhp In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqswteys4u4usrtawr5j899uw4cfmy0fntuzfr23j7lm23q9ee8yhvgt430rl'>nevent1q…30rl</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I’m not following. Where are you saying should be “states”? 2026-03-07T08:23:32+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsft3gff62zkapgz5t3d253lhvgf9n5nh4ee8gal7va2vss60tpftqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cx2l782 I&#39;m surprised no one has noticed this... but the ECB is openly touting that the newest use case for the digital euro is sanctions evasion.<br/><br/>In an interview with the FT, Lagarde openly said the digital euro could be used to evade US sanctions.<br/><br/>Considering central bankers often label bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as tools for criminals to evade sanctions, this is rich. <br/><br/>In fact, Lagarde almost sounds like a bitcoiner when she talks about the need for _individuals_ to reclaim their financial sovereignty.<br/><br/>So forget financial inclusion, monetary policy, or any of the other popular items officials have proclaimed about CBDCs. <br/><br/>The digital euro is about sanctions evasion.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/digital-euro-sanctions-evasion">https://www.cato.org/blog/digital-euro-sanctions-evasion</a> 2026-03-06T16:29:15+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsrytwd4z8e325ek8xksgln8zw55umsufwm5vzfcwjtcq8yy2du2lczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cu3q72p Well, I guess that settles that. <video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/8706c684553b180cfff63e170f29cd1d442858b0ee13cebd185bbf64e9d0987f.mp4"></video> 2026-03-04T18:03:08+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsy8uanjd2vmd7pqv6c2rnve053j8f7esnpmang726gl6daw3jna9szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7clw7wqx Allow me to translate this ECB paper from academic to plain English:<br/><br/>&#39;We found that showing people government propaganda made them more likely to want the digital euro.&#39; <br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/b96bd6b00fa4ab33493126c8ccff5ca488c6b0d47af6638dd405b352e966da93.png"> 2026-03-02T16:22:15+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsyqj6laxusavt6023rdf538n2apvjvav23rvycua2ef9lygnq7hvqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cw4cmfe In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsy3a48thvk8fmdsyur2nyyfct5mtkrnz4ykn7ep6c2s6tywced0hgaev9t7'>nevent1q…v9t7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>One like = one prayer for central bankers 2026-03-02T03:12:17+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs27hyzzwpxxntjn8c9w6m80vm93sarv5k8857ghzh7wyl4rle2ktqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c5nak3q <br/>Forget financial inclusion, monetary policy, and modernization. Now, CBDCs are about preventing discrimination against central bank money.<br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/ab1197e9b39e0a154e53da71b239dc585b25ff8beda211dda110a041a3b1de62.png"> 2026-03-01T15:54:58+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs2lulat8c0lc73c8etys6ghs6rsjrf0eq0ler7hft6wdm9eu3qhsqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cu7uktm Your bank may soon call asking you to prove your citizenship if this executive order goes through.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/know-citizenship-says-trump-banks">https://www.cato.org/blog/know-citizenship-says-trump-banks</a> 2026-02-27T22:31:56+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsyt3g8d37fynlwsy5s7d6nelhgfe45ztvx4jd0h7dy9ugpwxw4efgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c8qf25r Bank of Albania governor says it is &#34;essential to remain aligned with European processes&#34; when asked if Albania will have a CBDC. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/a2a2d1046694664270a672a07473e6dcb9a64160658db0eb3ee2686406a64050.png"> <br/><br/>Learn more in the <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyf8wumn8ghj7cnfw3ehgctrdvhxzursqythwumn8ghj7cmp9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetkqqs0rxy6jmt44guxkny8z4pkym9mxckqxfytygxuntjn6l80hj409sggjrzcm" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>HRF</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…rzcm</span>)</a></span> CBDC Tracker. <a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home</a> 2026-02-26T15:38:41+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsf4up4quwjtu3qe7p7q2z02ap7mhr0dhpmqkj5pev3rc2378jxusszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c0dmcv5 It looks like Trump is joining Secretary Bessent in calling for more financial surveillance... <br/><br/>On the bright side, the freedom to transact without having to show your papers is why Bitcoin exists. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-administration-considers-action-requiring-banks-to-collect-citizenship-info-8e26f6d2">https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-administration-considers-action-requiring-banks-to-collect-citizenship-info-8e26f6d2</a> 2026-02-24T22:24:05+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs2ae2pv2np7j9rmwcll26dald5kt3tn4t6g9lz5lcl2u8svfl930szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cu3jt5f That&#39;s going to be a no from me. <br/><br/>Ironically, in making the case for greater state involvement, the CD Howe authors completely overlook that it was state regulation that caused the problems during America&#39;s free banking era. <br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/50759d2cd58a525dbe7576672c2fa323477169f7ee9b4980691cf5d5beff4e65.png"> 2026-02-24T22:07:14+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsptxhydgend2l567f3lg6yzjrj4uc6j85q40t4q33vjqaglufj48szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c26jcmd Interest payments have dominated the market structure debate. In the process, too few have really taken note of the financial surveillance buried in the bill.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/market-structure-brings-market-surveillance">https://www.cato.org/blog/market-structure-brings-market-surveillance</a> 2026-02-24T16:37:01+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqst0kr7q808m4e9dpcaget7ce547sd3cczkd03lfmwmdxlu5dyvuygzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c66s66h You&#39;d think someone previously convicted of misusing public funds would be more careful about this sort of thing... <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/2bb5ace436164f7917d3a33cda55a3564232529db9dc40373d74cf08b42ac202.png"> 2026-02-23T15:19:12+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsy0pjdg76hx7sl9zmup8zwje092yl2rq2aekxcvj0tnc5ql8v333qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7clhr44t For once, the ECB gets it right. Despite countless speeches saying a CBDC is needed for the euro&#39;s international role, it doesn&#39;t even make the list of important factors.<br/><br/>Sadly, this was probably just an oversight by the social media manager. But once in a while, you get shown the light.<br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/494d7f46f3e98e428e1d6b0ba370cc5eacf526f269b5b0cc31ada41423c4942f.png"> <br/><br/> 2026-02-22T16:21:59+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsv2d2pez64j5jgz5sz3tx6jwkc8dx8cnfdmt5w7cgtd6hy5eaggyczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c43u99s Under the Bank Secrecy Act, one of the most common reasons for filing a suspicious activity report (often abbreviated as SAR) is because someone deposited or withdrew nearly $10,000 in cash. That’s all it takes for you to get labeled as “suspicious” in an official report to the government.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/how-suspicious-activity-can-get-you-debanked">https://www.cato.org/blog/how-suspicious-activity-can-get-you-debanked</a> 2026-02-17T18:31:29+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsteej7ga2wvkyuekvaxlnecm5uee95mudz4uk0a9yv34shzyye5zczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c9cpaa3 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsrmsmr5zc3ahtc9s3eeyk63e8fm5ghncxpr35tnwxqvputxpwx3fcprdmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuumwdae8gtnnda3kjctv8g6nwxvxmh8'>nevent1q…xmh8</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Yeah, there are two sides and both drive me mad.<br/><br/>1) “we” to imply support without any actual polling <br/><br/>2) “we” to imply participation by people who did nothing 2026-02-16T04:53:28+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsfhlphjjfgxyndt3lekr2yqa2k8fvg5h8kgyj2uwsxmwpytwf2zegzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c6zwqhl Am I the only one who finds the royal we frustrating?<br/><br/>Every time I hear “we did this as a nation,” I find myself thinking “We? I had no part in that.” 2026-02-15T21:34:45+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsts0w23skt7mmnscu57zfhftjpmddgew6p95v66mef2mf0hpw66vqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c6vm69u In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9w0e9masp56wm2m6w3gjpvqh92hzlqx02femg8nwzwagr0mrk5ysprfmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuumpw35x7ctjv3jhytnrdaks82azzn'>nevent1q…azzn</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Oh weird, I could have sworn it was working when it went up. Thanks for flagging! 2026-02-15T18:28:19+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqswh3z0vjweysr6a86gjwzmthqfvqj9vs3uqu02w43yta47gm5w3mszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c3d7epk Roses are red,<br/>Violets are blue.<br/>Love should be private,<br/>And money should too. 2026-02-14T21:57:59+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsgkrsl8m7vc4fs8yfwjqfhv0zr58sj4u0hpj5u48pdqt6hm6rtjwgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c8c2vks In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0tpk4s4lqwnx8w7zht54jc530dv556e38xtzulgc3gshexwsg9mspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgkv70c9'>nevent1q…70c9</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Many such cases 2026-02-14T21:52:34+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqstpm9k73uwr6rtjclkaacquvlljl5ljqrw8gfw0jl9fcfq4zr602qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cvr937x In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstqqgzzcsu5ejmurysqrhqeq29jucea38dkxp7l5jxj670qkayxdcprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuumwdae8gtnnda3kjctvrrcvxu'>nevent1q…cvxu</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Ahhh so this is what politicians meant when they said “shadowy super coders” 2026-02-14T21:51:18+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs9h0a6nwcuwlpnwkuq33s5q8rdttmv83ud05drwr5ec9n4dsa38wqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cuwj24n After hearing opposition to the digital euro, MEP Lukas Sieper suggests that cash is only for criminals so the EU needs a CBDC. <video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/e0ecff7685043c055840e40a51a8b6ed24b3ed93e664c00c768523232845048e.mp4"></video> 2026-02-09T20:13:42+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs8jp3s6gxs5ghdnltdpwgewnwljf8trcp0nxuaajnd8y0pl9l4lvgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c3c97f5 LIVE NOW: ECB President Christine Lagarde says cash can&#39;t be used online so Europe needs a CBDC. <video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/c2aed3be57995c6cd96927055e20cfcee09c9775f8c29054f64dc945021b4306.mp4"></video> 2026-02-09T18:59:44+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqstcg3wvfyejkv4rxvjv46xgw4cv4mnlzujv5zl56cf9u04vxuffngzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7ceenrwf Update: The head of the Banque de France is stepping down. <br/><br/><a href="https://bankingbureau.substack.com/p/the-french-central-bank-is-wrong">https://bankingbureau.substack.com/p/the-french-central-bank-is-wrong</a> 2026-02-09T16:00:53+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqst0vw6r28madksv2tvl9gxzcn4ar032v5mgke9xp5w7rx43crrn6czyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7ch98zsj In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsffuw0sv978qjnt5gkzp8h06qrm90uvw06z0kpdqtlyh7yckn0ykqpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhg04h7vx'>nevent1q…h7vx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>That is the silver lining here. Maybe people seeing officials acting like children will make them realize that the government shouldn&#39;t have so much power. The might be too optimistic, but I&#39;m keeping my fingers crossed. 2026-02-08T02:21:13+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs0qk0442grn2pj32g566w8rx670qf8e50zfmwe0g67wr65gtujeaszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cgrpat7 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs980eqm0n6hmlh2glsquymf5dvh6pr3e4wgwt9j3kspy3dn4azlqs0mpnaa'>nevent1q…pnaa</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Fair play. 2026-02-08T02:19:52+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsvt9msjs4tgd7j3kje8pphayppx5hw8t6f4hlt9hrdq5la0dfasaczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cpu9qr2 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsp2sezxa7cm9ssd5m85d3q2qcl6ck4x0dduyxdsulccav64pn4p8s2lfahv'>nevent1q…fahv</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Me too. Or at least a stunt. I didn&#39;t realize they were actually going to go through with it. 2026-02-08T02:19:26+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsymwrgu8kyktha8afzax09pd07ghya73wk096k55k9z4zz6wmxy0szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c239dfj Apparently this is a hot take, but no party should be using gerrymandering to artificially draw lines and cut off voices of the other party. <br/><br/>Don’t say you value democracy if you support your party doing this. 2026-02-07T22:12:03+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsygha74xcut05zvhy4qe4udrsg83379aj7s02cm43emjmxdgz652qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7czjsads In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsxmdfwftrppjv3rpvhp6ka40zdu7pcz9ppmu44w7caewklluvm0esqglwrh'>nevent1q…lwrh</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>10/10 No notes 2026-02-06T22:43:45+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsywyld84xzusxh45x4n7c6uuz292lwz7yhhxsenfwp45qwmfk0qaqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cxhkttm There are two paths. Choose wisely.<br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/9209cfc2d10a6cb644a5c1bce369cb34300aea8b3bc5901432b7001e5d79e6ae.jpg"> <blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/nevent1qqsdft85wjrsj84qepnxht0yh876drs0t3zqdfv6pauytq58yeezhpgpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgs9s752" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">nevent1q…s752</a></span> </div> Responding to my work, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says, "I don't read the Cato Institute, but I do believe in financial surveillance" <br/><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nz06pPayjE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nz06pPayjE</a> </blockquote> 2026-02-05T18:24:48+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsdft85wjrsj84qepnxht0yh876drs0t3zqdfv6pauytq58yeezhpgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c8jcqcn Responding to my work, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says, &#34;I don&#39;t read the Cato Institute, but I do believe in financial surveillance&#34; <br/><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nz06pPayjE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nz06pPayjE</a> 2026-02-05T16:38:31+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsqk9x6vcdjh4cvm8s3syena479ua66c3e6xl2h7d78wu3pvs4yq3szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7ca9x3t8 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgyek4v6dxps98dwk7wc3kpz5dvjvcrayxnug3v0mvckarf867d6g7mt6qe'>nevent1q…t6qe</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Oh it can be… <br/><video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/0f4389679182af604d0e6b2a7f194a248487e6b10d75b673c8cf400a06a12adb.mov"></video> 2026-02-05T15:05:01+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsdmellg0se9r4v652rjdxymdurxggxajzzzg5hfcelv0khk56mnjczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c5ecxn2 Live Now🔴: Christine Lagarde of the ECB says it is “vital” to “rapidly adopt” the digital euro.<br/><video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/0f4389679182af604d0e6b2a7f194a248487e6b10d75b673c8cf400a06a12adb.mov"></video> 2026-02-05T15:04:04+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqstc7s79hfc93y3ak0xjmef89nqqe2rs7y3v5t6cg2fnx97vxr9cvqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cex8c8a I guess it shouldn&#39;t be surprising that two members of Congress who tried to create a CBDC also oppose strengthening financial privacy.<br/><br/>Get the full break down in <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qqs9wsu887m90qrxeug5p2wnrcmglddtsjlc4dys0uh62rgw442u0sqnadkaf" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>therage</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…dkaf</span>)</a></span> <br/><br/><a href="https://www.therage.co/rep-lynch-bank-secrecy-act/">https://www.therage.co/rep-lynch-bank-secrecy-act/</a> 2026-02-05T14:43:11+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs8uszyl9qhzvlrg99g3z29u0xxjazjy88qcmrfuf7vt5lphlyz7fgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7ctyskun Ratio the White House side quest: Complete. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/7f864f7329dbf057f038d23402538951b77e6c9f825ce01bff07a8dc651a2506.png"> 2026-02-03T19:27:48+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqstjahmcg9wvv6z3vl57rxvakpav5c5zzkl3y352g5p2ntk753a6aczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c5f3572 There is nothing better than seeing a problem and deciding to fix it. Massive respect to <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qqs97fvnqj0gdq96uuds45dtcrva3qmfvdvy20gjuqp94eerx86v5cguukkyd" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>DADA HUB</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…kkyd</span>)</a></span>. Another great addition to the CCN 2025 top 100. <br/><br/>Remember, folks: You can just do things. <br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/cd965db8b4d4072be63990e35c14c62db6bcca9bba14937b009c3df431d6f757.png"> <br/><br/><a href="https://www.ccn.com/top-101-in-crypto/ivan-on-tech-and-lorraine-marcel/">https://www.ccn.com/top-101-in-crypto/ivan-on-tech-and-lorraine-marcel/</a> 2026-02-03T18:03:43+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsts5ujlpmeqgxhvvqv2c6k4g98jlxdwysntnsfgmnaayk0sgs56qgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cwl0eld In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9vha6hc4y4llwghspc3d7nv84n5x9vnlzvamsukl585cxvq0j4rspz3mhxue69uhkummnw3ezummcw3ezuer9wcl84jm4'>nevent1q…4jm4</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I do have a problem with being too polite sometimes lol 2026-01-30T18:51:04+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs8wvl9af9lp2tujtn4e9hhnm0er4zcrmjvtacppngaf7y8l7cj9rczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cpvklmp Step 1: Campaign against CBDCs<br/><br/>Step 2: Become President and issue an EO against CBDCs<br/><br/>Step 3: Nominate the one pro-CBDC candidate, Kevin Warsh, for Federal Reserve Chair? <br/><br/>Trump really is the president of contradictions. <br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/352eef4d33164ec76834b1535ee47178be07ebfb5ae17e5b8ab06e6843af52e5.jpg"> 2026-01-30T13:39:39+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsxmyv53jf05jlfvvk2pyqyeucnfukfc83qg3r2jvh527hw3q7zzggzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cwj7m4r Apologies all. I normally limit my Substack posts to one a week, but I managed to send two... at the exact same time. I&#39;ll hold off on any posts next week.<br/><br/><a href="https://bankingbureau.substack.com">https://bankingbureau.substack.com</a> 2026-01-28T15:58:51+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsp5259whee85l3n4rryf7tljl33v6u6h8pcy3l8j7ehjxm38gdydszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cuw2tyz In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsrzyxq5xr6u3243ykqxy7ard9qp78r2ytg7m7a2nmz36llc6mpd0stmquhx'>nevent1q…quhx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I saw you already linked to the HRF CBDC Tracker (Merci!). Please do feel free to pull as much as you want from it as you make updates. In addition to the Eurozone and the CBDC 101 pages you linked, I also have a page dedicated to what the Banque de France is up to. <br/><br/>(Note: I&#39;m about to roll out updates on the economic data snapshots, so that&#39;s a bit dated. However, everything else is up to date.) <br/><br/><a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/currency/france">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/currency/france</a> 2026-01-28T15:14:18+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsdcd4qq7ml6k6cg8qhfqznajx3pe63nqz93tl9wx9guuhd0n0e83szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c6jjpdy Ignorant about economic history?<br/>Biased against Bitcoin? <br/>Fond of making proclamations without research?<br/><br/><br/>Congratulations. You can lead a central bank.<br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/french-central-bank-wrong">https://www.cato.org/blog/french-central-bank-wrong</a><br/> 2026-01-27T18:42:48+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsvlakwa7dkzs0l4pjnepp404sdv4awyremks80hjgvtdvj36kyx6qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c9u8k4z In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0mxm5xawecdmjhyeecq7wha0ascx9wuyksjdaupg957kcjeddvtqpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhghcrznf'>nevent1q…rznf</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I had not seen this site before. This is great! 2026-01-27T15:17:07+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsygk6p75e8q2fhs7qevt8wj7d7evcjraeez582peaj2v2dc797vsczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c3nhvjy In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2dapdwgv2xugzjvh0kr5w8lrvyntsuj6t4s0xrryvjvqlj380csq32a6q4'>nevent1q…a6q4</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I do agree that someone is this thread isn&#39;t making sense 2026-01-27T15:14:00+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqszwp44w48xcqa704tazr20ae6cj05zcrvqu2zyjsuekwqa7apa9tqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cupfknw In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfz2u7tgtvqqw59gqx3egnth0a0vz787fcrxp49wfjq56ef9uqkqspr9mhxue69uhk2umsv4kxsmewva5hy6twduhx7un89uq2h0pa'>nevent1q…h0pa</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Darn. I thought it was open, but I guess I had a one-time link. I got you. I&#39;ll cross-post it to my Substack later this week, too, so it&#39;s available for all. <br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/0853a3c7571290dcc130d944ee321ca665e72fabaff452b3627903b2f8d3e1c6.png"> <br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/74e45caaf65f9cfdd5d41a3a667df5fe2d050ff0dbfd0d0be79191edcbd714f3.png"> 2026-01-26T17:50:26+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsz84wnuslqxcphysdzfwj5gzdjsuvqakqm22ku5vxptxyj30epy5gzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c7uq4e4 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsrp3l6alqcjasarjvlf6pyp396gxvmr2a992hlkdx5qczg2qufpmgygmv7r'>nevent1q…mv7r</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Resorting to ad hominem without addressing questions speaks volumes. 2026-01-26T16:13:47+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqszflpkketf4j2rgeeld3mg964gpc88qlsxqsfgvyn74myahgse5gszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7crjy2cs In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsy6fxkudk7xdpe9jwhtf57gmaz69eh97que2hrf0f4537jlkna0lglkayxs'>nevent1q…ayxs</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>inb4 &#34;many such cases&#34; 2026-01-26T16:13:01+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsy6fxkudk7xdpe9jwhtf57gmaz69eh97que2hrf0f4537jlkna0lgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cy56um6 A big thanks goes out to the FT for publishing my CBDC critique.<br/><br/>TL;DR: It seems 70 economists don&#39;t understand economics. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b498c21a-ffda-4cc1-9079-a0f758bfb810">https://www.ft.com/content/b498c21a-ffda-4cc1-9079-a0f758bfb810</a> 2026-01-26T16:12:41+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqstnv8d8h8vhscc69pusaxf00sae5pu4cwlsmvx6pgwcx2w88rukrqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cwyagw9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2nzldjfdtkps3fv2l4q4t44gaxwm7lvhse5l5jd6t6f6khwsrnqgdjg6w5'>nevent1q…g6w5</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Are you suggesting that CBDCs will fix shrinkflation? 2026-01-26T15:52:34+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsynw3d3kcnvc7dymem5h6ajqcy3tx24u8g0pxpemjh8gfq30t6d8gzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cynwz75 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsva5pjy69dvwntjw84zrmdnkum0tc6z4c0ppt0druat0pwa0fprks62sh5t'>nevent1q…sh5t</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Me: &#34;Europeans will be forced to use the digital euro.&#34;<br/><br/>You: &#34;They might force the use upon everyone, but don&#39;t spread false news.&#34;<br/><br/>So sure, it&#39;s not verbatim if that&#39;s the hill you want to die on. However, you directly acknowledge what I posted is true and then label me &#34;false news&#34; for quoting the central bank. <br/><br/>One of us is ngmi, but I&#39;m pretty sure it&#39;s the one who claims to be creating a &#34;refuge from centralized systems&#34; while defending CBDCs. <blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzpzafy4s95fhr47eex588d440fcm7jxc706p5u0afz825d78pelgaqqsva5pjy69dvwntjw84zrmdnkum0tc6z4c0ppt0druat0pwa0fprks04hrrf" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">nevent1q…hrrf</a></span> </div> You can't read if you think I said *exactly* what you said. <br/><br/>You're ngmi. <br/><br/> </blockquote> 2026-01-26T15:49:45+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs2d6luldj745k5p7m07sfj24tdt3g9j7ecyaq6h7tpf9d60h7fm0gzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c3g7wcv In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9qzr7828qldyxjrlt9kfmth70n3l9tz5yfkhcrmjcpaqm8tv27ycrf3wx2'>nevent1q…3wx2</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>You accuse me of misinformation and then repeat exactly what I said. 2026-01-26T15:17:43+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqst7vexn8787qzae7lrg7g2zvxkz57gdzj0pjqsm5qzczgpza3p70gzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cluj2y4 The ECB says concerns about CBDCs are &#34;disinformation&#34; and &#34;nonsense.&#34;<br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/480032690b26d2428607cf746745a0c64f3b3709b35d710bbac2be377803cf2f.png"> 2026-01-26T15:15:25+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqswgqde97cz2xdppl7x59clvudtee4nmqt3upxfgcvjghjamlw3ucczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cm94fcy The ECB isn&#39;t hiding it. Europeans will be forced to use the digital euro. <br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/e924bde25544239f5579a7c5e6517c6b9f88fbb066f8d944c505bf56d93b1061.png"> 2026-01-26T14:50:43+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsr5aqvdmgvtal8auh9t48mzyz37cvsa998nryxlzqk3809gp3j7nczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c0ecgjg We&#39;ve all seen Brian Armstrong set the record straight at the World Economic Forum when the Banque de France governor said he doesn&#39;t trust the company running bitcoin. <br/><br/>But did you know that&#39;s not the only thing the governor got wrong?<br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/french-central-bank-wrong">https://www.cato.org/blog/french-central-bank-wrong</a><br/><br/>Villeroy de Galhau also tried to appeal to history by pointing to the experience of free banking in the United States. He described this era as suffering from “many crises of confidence.”<br/><br/><br/>He did so in an attempt to undermine trust in private money, but the only trust undermined here should be that in governments. <br/><br/>What he didn’t say is that crises occurred during this period in large part because of the laws and regulations in place that made banks unstable.<br/><br/>My colleague, George Selgin, has gone to great lengths to correct this record. The general public may be forgiven for not knowing this history, but central bankers have no excuse.<br/><br/>Villeroy de Galhau then said gold was a “sovereign asset” governed by the state. However, this claim is similarly misleading. The use of gold as money predates legal tender laws.<br/><br/>Villeroy de Galhau took this opportunity to also say that CBDCs are the next evolution of money. If CBDCs are an “evolution” of anything, they reflect the evolution of state control over monetary systems—not a natural progression arising from the market.<br/><br/>Turning away from the forum, Villeroy de Galhau also mentioned his support for CBDCs in his “New Year’s address.”<br/><br/>Curiously, he said, “2026 will see the first central bank digital currency.” Taken as written, this statement is wrong.<br/><br/>The first CBDC was arguably created in 1992. That project died, but CBDCs have seen a resurgence.<br/><br/>China, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Russia, The Bahamas, and others have all launched CBDCs in one form or another.<br/><br/>So, in the first 21 days of 2026, the Banque de France governor managed to get it wrong on Bitcoin, US history, gold, and CBDCs. <br/><br/>That track record is almost as bad as central banks managing inflation.<br/> 2026-01-23T15:23:50+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqstkfnd7x8hr2lkht6rasrdxardfagpw25v66r4vd8plyqdwzpc36szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cw5zxpq In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvx9ea8ge8y3puml2h0ylv3r3k25z0kx279ns87aa7ae8rlvx6nqsw08tzl'>nevent1q…8tzl</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Thank you for this! I&#39;ve been struggling with getting vibe-coded plugins out of the testing environment and into the real world. 2026-01-21T15:32:19+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsflugdx5cg7cr6ez7hq293hxaj960sad3aj6r4hcy2kyz3ylxes5czyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cjnydme Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau: Central banks are more democratic and independent than &#34;private issuers of bitcoin.&#34;<br/><br/>Brian Armstrong: &#34;In the sense that central banks have independence, Bitcoin is even more independent. There&#39;s [no one] who controls it.&#34;<br/><br/><video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/f825bf6b04f8dfbf5a334f2f41c9ddd28226bd319c91d0bc56817d2d3d334902.mp4"></video> 2026-01-21T15:20:24+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs0mwylp693v6gfzta83y3ru7fv9h4cp3s4q45zzfg4yzajkumac4szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c8wq6yn Correction: 70 economists, not 68. <br/><blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzpx4k0yez0x4akf0q8hr4yeyt2ph80u2qjuvhrlvh8cqltpz6rv0vqy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq3wamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwwpexjmtpdshxuet59uq3kamnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wwdshg6r0v9exgetj9e3k7mf0qqs0mjn0tff7jg6ef00mnpead3ah0kmp2d6cuacxz3l5nrtjzcx9u7serucc7" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">nevent1q…ucc7</a></span> </div> 68 economists have come out of the woodwork calling for the ECB to launch a CBDC. <br/><br/>I guess this is a good reminder that just because a lot of people say something doesn’t mean it’s right. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/0b6949efd6aedcdd8b4daece6d262dde4f3f9aab01318dc7eb9b56967a1f7286.png"> <br/><br/>This letter is particularly troubling, though. I say that because their argument lacks an understanding of both central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and economic history.<br/><br/>The economists claim that a CBDC like the digital euro would be “an essential safeguard of European sovereignty, stability, and resilience.” <a href="https://sustainablefinancelab.nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/506/2026/01/The-Digital-Euro-Let-te-public-interest-prevail.pdf">https://sustainablefinancelab.nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/506/2026/01/The-Digital-Euro-Let-te-public-interest-prevail.pdf</a><br/><br/>Setting aside their lack of evidence to back the claim, where has this been true in practice?<br/><br/>It certainly isn’t true in The Bahamas.<br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/commentary/bahamians-didnt-want-cbdcs-so-now-theyre-being-forced-use-them">https://www.cato.org/commentary/bahamians-didnt-want-cbdcs-so-now-theyre-being-forced-use-them</a><br/><br/>It certainly isn’t true in Jamaica.<br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/briefing-paper/cbdc-lessons-caribbean">https://www.cato.org/briefing-paper/cbdc-lessons-caribbean</a><br/><br/>It certainly isn’t true in Nigeria.<br/><a href="https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2023/03/06/nigerians-rejection-of-their-cbdc-is-a-cautionary-tale-for-other-countries">https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2023/03/06/nigerians-rejection-of-their-cbdc-is-a-cautionary-tale-for-other-countries</a><br/><br/>Do I need to go on? <br/><br/>The CBDC experience varies country to country, but no CBDC has been “essential” in any sense of the word.<br/><a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home</a><br/><br/>Yet, even within Europe’s borders, the economists appear to misunderstand economic history. <br/><br/>Pointing to the dominance of non-European financial institutions, the authors say the only defense is for the European government to intervene. Yet, interventions by the European government are partly why European businesses have struggled to gain ground. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/europe-blames-america-its-payment-problems-digital-euro-wont-help">https://www.cato.org/blog/europe-blames-america-its-payment-problems-digital-euro-wont-help</a><br/><br/>Rather than being free to serve customers, European businesses must navigate a maze of red tape: customer-surveillance mandates, extensive reporting rules, and regulatory fragmentation. <br/><br/>Making matters worse, price controls—such as caps on interchange fees—prevent new entrants from generating the revenue needed to manage these compliance burdens. It’s not a market failure if the source of the issue is government intervention. <br/><br/>If the economists are right about one thing, it’s that the European Parliament should be careful about who it takes advice from. <br/> </blockquote> 2026-01-19T15:42:47+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs0mjn0tff7jg6ef00mnpead3ah0kmp2d6cuacxz3l5nrtjzcx9u7szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c5586n8 68 economists have come out of the woodwork calling for the ECB to launch a CBDC. <br/><br/>I guess this is a good reminder that just because a lot of people say something doesn’t mean it’s right. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/0b6949efd6aedcdd8b4daece6d262dde4f3f9aab01318dc7eb9b56967a1f7286.png"> <br/><br/>This letter is particularly troubling, though. I say that because their argument lacks an understanding of both central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and economic history.<br/><br/>The economists claim that a CBDC like the digital euro would be “an essential safeguard of European sovereignty, stability, and resilience.” <a href="https://sustainablefinancelab.nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/506/2026/01/The-Digital-Euro-Let-te-public-interest-prevail.pdf">https://sustainablefinancelab.nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/506/2026/01/The-Digital-Euro-Let-te-public-interest-prevail.pdf</a><br/><br/>Setting aside their lack of evidence to back the claim, where has this been true in practice?<br/><br/>It certainly isn’t true in The Bahamas.<br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/commentary/bahamians-didnt-want-cbdcs-so-now-theyre-being-forced-use-them">https://www.cato.org/commentary/bahamians-didnt-want-cbdcs-so-now-theyre-being-forced-use-them</a><br/><br/>It certainly isn’t true in Jamaica.<br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/briefing-paper/cbdc-lessons-caribbean">https://www.cato.org/briefing-paper/cbdc-lessons-caribbean</a><br/><br/>It certainly isn’t true in Nigeria.<br/><a href="https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2023/03/06/nigerians-rejection-of-their-cbdc-is-a-cautionary-tale-for-other-countries">https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2023/03/06/nigerians-rejection-of-their-cbdc-is-a-cautionary-tale-for-other-countries</a><br/><br/>Do I need to go on? <br/><br/>The CBDC experience varies country to country, but no CBDC has been “essential” in any sense of the word.<br/><a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home</a><br/><br/>Yet, even within Europe’s borders, the economists appear to misunderstand economic history. <br/><br/>Pointing to the dominance of non-European financial institutions, the authors say the only defense is for the European government to intervene. Yet, interventions by the European government are partly why European businesses have struggled to gain ground. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/europe-blames-america-its-payment-problems-digital-euro-wont-help">https://www.cato.org/blog/europe-blames-america-its-payment-problems-digital-euro-wont-help</a><br/><br/>Rather than being free to serve customers, European businesses must navigate a maze of red tape: customer-surveillance mandates, extensive reporting rules, and regulatory fragmentation. <br/><br/>Making matters worse, price controls—such as caps on interchange fees—prevent new entrants from generating the revenue needed to manage these compliance burdens. It’s not a market failure if the source of the issue is government intervention. <br/><br/>If the economists are right about one thing, it’s that the European Parliament should be careful about who it takes advice from. <br/> 2026-01-19T14:36:59+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqstw40v8lxgq2z6syt90uujz804jdmgssufutvyecekzvtwk324ywqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7ctfguyp In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsq0hmyvmcnh979cz4cqrxw348xskz26ala8xakaznuy6rcy9ghlespcvgzw'>nevent1q…vgzw</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Sorry, 17 months* 2026-01-15T21:26:37+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsq0hmyvmcnh979cz4cqrxw348xskz26ala8xakaznuy6rcy9ghleszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cy654zs It took two years, but the Reserve Bank of Malawi has selected eCurrency to build its CBDC. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/0140eb182768f861ed1dd893c1ad3087a3ebd66024063378935440aaf5579e8b.png"> 2026-01-15T21:25:03+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs0e63keehcncp8yquvyyqwpqpuu0flekrtkkd9zlqzx87rrwykyrczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cslpmzt For the crime of calling out corruption in Russia, Anna Chekhovich has seen the financial system weaponized against her time and again. <br/><br/>However, that hasn&#39;t stopped her. <br/><br/>Tune in to the Cato Institute podcast below to hear her story. <a href="https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/debanked-dissent-how-putins-reach-extends-abroad">https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/debanked-dissent-how-putins-reach-extends-abroad</a> 2026-01-13T15:47:54+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsz7qt9lr4ymjsc9a48mja53leeujyp5gvxly87kzpzeex9786vs4szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7ck9s0mv In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdwjh3c39fzl0aus0pxttwvpea47duzdang677zgxpka2lyhakx2spr9mhxue69uhk2umsv4kxsmewva5hy6twduhx7un89uljncen'>nevent1q…ncen</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Sadly, it really has blinded so much of the MAGA base. 2026-01-09T19:38:27+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsxsxscxyyf4ux5k0x9t9ygvfvfx4tmq0hqvz8yrwlgmswphrcsjlszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cat9z29 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdd2eygthanqxvqw5mpn8lt9rycyg5zk6j06t40sf6x2q7h4accyqpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ez6ur4vgh8wetvd3hhyer9wghxuet59kr7t2'>nevent1q…r7t2</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Exactly. Yet every time the government solution to a government problem seems to be another government problem. 2026-01-09T19:37:44+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs8k48yvq5x799vgxhax262v270vhttw4qcqmxh3jjwq3md09jgxlczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cdquylz In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqspufl2nnlzj4qlatem3fclnn3jw3l6gvq3qmhp4sfjahplhsf4wxcpndmhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0y5erqamnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wd3skuep0y5erqffjxpshvct5v9ez2v3swaehxw309ahx7um5wgh8w6twv5hj2v3sy5erqctkv96xzu39xgc8wumn8ghj7ur4wfcxcetjv4kxz7fwvdhk6te9xgc8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7ffjxpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuumwdae8gtnnda3kjctv9umz4rhd'>nevent1q…4rhd</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Preach! I mean... they quite literally have a list of everyone on government assistance. All they need to do is review the list. They don&#39;t need to sweep up everyone else in the process. 2026-01-09T19:36:40+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsgrmktgntf3et06xuv9us7zg2nrhktm8qn0e0cw6pgz2xprxv6z9szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cmgysux Secretary Scott Bessent is building a legacy of financial surveillance and control. The announcement that he is stopping Americans from sending their money abroad and increasing surveillance under the Bank Secrecy Act should be condemned. <br/><br/>Yet, it should be no surprise. <video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://blossom.primal.net/e23d7989b86e04fcd3c8037999595811678e6845f3cf4a8d1dd82a21c5027843.mp4"></video> <br/><br/>Yet, it should be no surprise. It was only just last year that Secretary Bessent increased financial surveillance to target transactions as little as $200. After being sued for this violation of fundamental freedoms, he responded by expanding surveillance to cover even more Americans. <br/><br/>This playbook has been used time after time. When the Bank Secrecy Act was first passed, Congress claimed Americans were hiding money in Swiss bank accounts. Then it was expanded to fight the war on drugs. Then it was expanded again for the war on terror. Now it seems it’s the war on fraud. <br/><br/>Fighting crime is a worthy endeavor. However, we cannot sacrifice the freedoms that make America great in the process. 2026-01-09T15:18:18+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsrhv0tl0360em6afymu6pgpy83efk7qa2lalp330dzd56ryqpj85gzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cczq44r With my new report on debanking out, I decided to sit down with <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgqgdwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkcqpqy2st7rp54277hyd2usw6shy3kxprnmpvhkezmldp7vhl7hp920aqdm72g6" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>AnnaChekhovich</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…72g6</span>)</a></span> to talk about her experience being debanked.<br/><br/>Anna&#39;s case serves as a cautionary tale about how authoritarians can reach beyond their borders. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/debanked-dissent-how-putins-reach-extends-abroad">https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/debanked-dissent-how-putins-reach-extends-abroad</a> 2026-01-08T17:47:34+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsy3zs84na9zxs7z24wv7mkyjtd22keffs8fh95ut579c0s4n33tgczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c9m6ntp My newest Cato Institute report is out now and breaks down what you (and Congress) need to know about debanking. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/understanding-debanking-evaluating-governmental-operational-political-religious">https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/understanding-debanking-evaluating-governmental-operational-political-religious</a><br/><br/> 2026-01-08T15:02:57+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs9ve0zpre8atcazxpss8e7x3ltgww3fmqape6zkk3q2aj2tevvsmgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cch9e43 This is your reminder that you can just do things. 2026-01-07T17:35:20+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsgq47xw5lvck67605utj5rtsce2hcajhcdkwmr2n7ek2lfnedqpagzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cr8mjyh Bulgaria is officially part of the Eurozone. With the end of the lev, Bulgaria now falls under the ECB when it comes to CBDC developments. <br/><br/><br/><a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/</a> <br/> 2026-01-01T17:48:46+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs2z0xvpxug56ujjkudaa7s7e2c9m5g884p5m8crt6fsfu35wycfgszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c5dm0s4 <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyf8wumn8ghj7cnfw3ehgctrdvhxzursqythwumn8ghj7cmp9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetkqqs0rxy6jmt44guxkny8z4pkym9mxckqxfytygxuntjn6l80hj409sggjrzcm" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>HRF</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…rzcm</span>)</a></span> asked me to share one of my favorite freedom tech projects. Here&#39;s what I had to say about <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmvqyvhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytn6v43x2er9v5hxxmr0w4jqqgx62mz5khn8f8t945pccxty0pu5472wf7j6fm7uyz6fnq0ya3txcvkl3f4a" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>vexl</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…3f4a</span>)</a></span> <br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/7f351e955f82be880024ec69fe8188f94eebd4621e126485716a12db88005150.png"> <br/><br/>While I was limited to just one, I also have to give shout-outs to Skot building Bitaxe, <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpzemhxue69uhks6tnwshxummnw3ezumrpdejz7qpq2rv5lskctqxxs2c8rf2zlzc7xx3qpvzs3w4etgemauy9thegr43sugh36r" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>calle</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…h36r</span>)</a></span> building Cashu, and many more.<br/><br/>The policy front may be depressing at times, but the people building solutions on the ground give me hope. <br/><br/>See what everyone else on the HRF Freedom Tech Team had to say here. <a href="https://hrf.org/latest/top-15-freedom-tech-projects-of-2025/">https://hrf.org/latest/top-15-freedom-tech-projects-of-2025/</a> 2026-01-01T17:24:22+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsq3ean57fgdaaz53zaj76nl4pz9ztkdalkpd55f23l52zyt39uxqczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7csn98u0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2jkl4h4kgl4yxt96xvezjhmsz86880fgctze8fwadqzrd78mdkas5ul0kn'>nevent1q…l0kn</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>From an efficiency standpoint, I think I&#39;d rather it be AI. However, the jump cuts suggest it was pre-recorded. <a href="https://youtu.be/P-u78U8u-3I?si=ruNuAbezhrmIsQl9">https://youtu.be/P-u78U8u-3I?si=ruNuAbezhrmIsQl9</a> 2025-12-26T18:16:02+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqswtmja9g5a2nzhx2x4qtxm8ekzdk5hf7skq4qcfv395mmtgxhh82gzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cvwz7da I guess there are no days off. The latest in ECB CBDC marketing is a Christmas post from president Christine Lagarde. <br/><br/>To be honest, I would have preferred coal, but here we are... so let me put down the eggnog and break down what&#39;s happening here. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/2069da3df3f2b5e44efdc5887eac0a9244f5adb14d98a10df24eb0372d39bbc5.png"> <br/><br/>As she noted, the EU Governing Council has given the green light for the digital euro (the ECB&#39;s CBDC). In short, the Council said that the digital euro should work both online and offline, have holding limits, allow a &#34;high degree of privacy&#34; while still being AML/KYC compliant, and be free for consumers to use.<br/><br/>This green light from the council does not mean, however, that the digital euro will be launched. Now it&#39;s up to the European Parliament to weigh in.<br/><br/>Sadly, though, this process might appear democratic from the outside, but it&#39;s really just a formality. It&#39;s unlikely that Parliament will alter the course.<br/><br/>As <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgqgdwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkcqpqdg6es53r3hys9tk3n7aldgz4lx4ly8qu4zg468zwyl6smuhjjrvsm58xhx" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>efenigson</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…8xhx</span>)</a></span> noted on X, the ECB is just waiting for the Parliament&#39;s rubber stamp to move forward.<br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/e582f7723aaed84a03e98a4eb6f6e35e133aa0906dc907da62e58588db0de2fd.png"> <br/><br/>As CBDC marketing ramps up, it&#39;s important to be vigiliant (even on holidays). <br/><br/>As I&#39;ve noted repeatedly, the ECB&#39;s marketing campaign borders on false advertising when it comes to claims about competition and freedom.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/digital-euro-isnt-about-freedom">https://www.cato.org/blog/digital-euro-isnt-about-freedom</a><br/><br/>2026 is going to be an eventful year on the CBDC front. And as always, you can find out everything you need to know in the <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyf8wumn8ghj7cnfw3ehgctrdvhxzursqythwumn8ghj7cmp9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetkqqs0rxy6jmt44guxkny8z4pkym9mxckqxfytygxuntjn6l80hj409sggjrzcm" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>HRF</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…rzcm</span>)</a></span> CBDC Tracker.<br/><br/><a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home</a> 2025-12-25T17:53:42+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsgnjju6rm2p2nt6qlhyce9zuq23jq4lhshlztcdafvsrg24x75psczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7chf60qu If you want to give yourself a gift this Christmas, follow <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/npub1key55ax33gkl50uqemvl4khrtqrhzm7wzpc7fhseutt5ddkcwcrqgxlt3h" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>PUBKEY</span> (<span class="italic">npub1key…lt3h</span>)</a></span> and <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qqsd54k9fd0xwjwkttgr3svkg7reftu5una95nhacg95nxq7fmzkdscpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnfdenx7qgkwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3ezucnpdejqk9kul9" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>vexl</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…kul9</span>)</a></span>.<br/><br/>Hands down the best organization accounts in the game if financial freedom banter is your thing. And if it isn’t, it should be… so follow them anyway. 2025-12-25T16:17:29+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsx3p363uy234lkwces38znd2mcpe2gxhc9e2tkwdwq7zrw9vlkqrszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cjm2ah3 Ironically, &#34;CBDCs do not serve a purpose&#34; is what I&#39;ve been saying for years. <br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/ab115a474d22827dffa8e238e2e2809ef1d564790bdc510230de156fdbfefe7a.png"> 2025-12-15T18:33:16+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsvprnv49pamqe0glely38kxlkcc84hjk0t6287cruvjavp0au20qqzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cm4wr72 Apparently, I crossed the line? Aurore Lalucq is officially the first government official to block me on social media.<br/><br/>I was following her for 11 minutes before I got the error card.<br/><blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzpx4k0yez0x4akf0q8hr4yeyt2ph80u2qjuvhrlvh8cqltpz6rv0vqydhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnnv96xsmmpwfjx2u3wvdhk6tcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qyfhwumn8ghj7ur4wfcxcetsv9njuetn9uqzp4xe5m2drnrpx5aqlyn0sgu358t5sfhvhsesefx0uey5z90mrc5k0zj4lv" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">nevent1q…j4lv</a></span> </div> Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but saying "anyone who opposes the digital euro" is effectively an enemy of the state does not exactly inspire confidence that the CBDC won't be abused. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/c9e6c86448734a946f72f51c0121ad53f79facab00bae9206357e8175a52cde2.png"> </blockquote> 2025-12-12T23:24:08+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsdfkdx6nguccf48g8eymuz8ydp6ayzdm9uxvx2fnlxf9q3t7c799szyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cypqrtl Maybe I&#39;m old-fashioned, but saying &#34;anyone who opposes the digital euro&#34; is effectively an enemy of the state does not exactly inspire confidence that the CBDC won&#39;t be abused. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/c9e6c86448734a946f72f51c0121ad53f79facab00bae9206357e8175a52cde2.png"> 2025-12-12T17:46:45+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsdgsyf6cgdz3lrehm6clm9g9eeqecsytv44dk5jxnvvdurkk23hvszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cuen2ml Some good news on the CBDC front!<br/><br/>Norway has joined the growing list of countries saying no to CBDC. <a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/</a> 2025-12-11T19:24:26+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsvhnfz5xay3p2uw3rszjs0y733w3mpwpxa2qtzlay54wmvxjayfrczyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cz093xu After reading more than 300 pages of congressional transcripts from 1968-1970, I finally found the first instance in which someone said the Bank Secrecy Act would harm financial privacy. <br/><br/>Clifford Sommer (American Bankers Association) urged Congress to reconsider what it was doing. Not a single witness before him (albeit, all government officials) seemed to be concerned about the Fourth Amendment or people&#39;s privacy. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/7246c761c6cba46c18f515a7fee5da75c01a3981018f92cfdd1f55ab1a058170.png"> 2025-12-08T15:51:16+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs22zyzzmeztgxmh6grcmk3rksk49g9jh7252707q6ckpfa5s3wfkgzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7cfdr744 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsqn422csh9nn0qqvlrxrdm70pv2gu9q5fflr8tj0mhzfj99e8ey9sprdmhxue69uhkvet9v3ejumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtmzv4h8x9a36ay'>nevent1q…36ay</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I&#39;m confused. Are you telling me to get out of here? 2025-12-08T15:35:40+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqsq6nsu3e95zw8t8upmj873qr8g26ymvvx9m7v5332v2skvc8y8qfszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c0vz6zr The New York Times points to the absence of interest payments on stablecoins as a negative. Yet, what it doesn&#39;t point out here is that it was _Congress_ that prohibited stablecoins from doing that.<br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/26c42384988ad45f69e758ee418c1ae0989f011a9f071632d68094f30dd02a40.png"> 2025-12-08T15:34:28+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs03qla204dfdfs6pc3d3z3yk97vscsec7fffte76texkh408kgf4qzyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7ca0mzxx Congratulations to <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyx8wumn8ghj7cnjvghxjmcpz4mhxue69uhk2er9dchxummnw3ezumrpdejqqgqux8xd5fcfl3k0tkc2pvy8xcf7y4jxcj55gauald0g6m9me5hwrs2xw9y4" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>ayelen</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…w9y4</span>)</a></span>, <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qqszvwvcmwhas4rvwrwgj8gqddg3kmr5nn9tf6gta7xl6glvu6aeq4qde3re3" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>ZacG</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…3re3</span>)</a></span>, <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyg8wumn8ghj7nn0wd68ytnhd9hx2qg4waehxw309ajkgetw9ehx7um5wghxcctwvsqzpsnz9jgkmxusuy9grv46v7cehh7966lzdsjh2mglnyxn0pwwzdsmyyrj62" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>ck</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…rj62</span>)</a></span>, <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qythwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnxd46zuamf0ghxy6t6qy28wumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytn00p68ytnyv4mqqgzccaq65ccv9k3454480sws2wqepz73q5z0m5kckslhyhh6d533jc25xncl" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>gladstein</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…xncl</span>)</a></span>, and the whole <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyf8wumn8ghj7cnfw3ehgctrdvhxzursqythwumn8ghj7cmp9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetkqqs0rxy6jmt44guxkny8z4pkym9mxckqxfytygxuntjn6l80hj409sggjrzcm" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>HRF</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…rzcm</span>)</a></span> team on 100 editions of the Financial Freedom Report.<br/><br/>If you&#39;re not signed up, this is one of the few newsletters I read from top to bottom. <br/><br/><br/><a href="https://hrf.org/program/financial-freedom/financial-freedom-reports/">https://hrf.org/program/financial-freedom/financial-freedom-reports/</a> <br/> 2025-12-05T15:56:03+01:00 https://nostr.ae/nevent1qqs2y7f7n2pplsvlz36nduf9cgc6u76j7z7whzfwytl3h8yzd36nzjszyzdtv7fjy7dtmvj7q0w82fjgk5rwwlc5p9cew87ew0sp7kz95xc7c0hpxev Finally, on the last day of the Africa Bitcoin Conference, I&#39;ve saved the worst CBDC experience in Africa for last: Nigeria.<br/><br/>In the words of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the CBDC experience has not been a &#34;rosy story.&#34;<br/><br/>The central bank launched the eNaira in 2021, and it&#39;s basically been downhill since then. <br/><br/> <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/0e703f2ae628cc1eaec7b482afa8b0b070cf430d54db1de994861af25fbed996.png"> <br/><br/>Initial adoption was stuck at just 0.5 percent. The central bank lowered the requirements for access and introduced discounts in response, but people still preferred cash over the CBDC.<br/><br/>With adoption still struggling, Central Bank of Nigeria deputy governor Kingsley Obiora said that all the eNaira needs is a “a little push from the government.”<br/><br/>That&#39;s when the central bank suddenly announced it was taking cash out of circulation. After lines turned to protests and then riots, the central bank described the eNaira as a &#34;success&#34; after adoption went from 0.5% to 6%. <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2023/03/06/nigerians-rejection-of-their-cbdc-is-a-cautionary-tale-for-other-countries">https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2023/03/06/nigerians-rejection-of-their-cbdc-is-a-cautionary-tale-for-other-countries</a><br/><br/>Even the IMF admit the CBDC has largely been a failure. In a 2023 study, the IMF found that 98.5 percent of the wallets issued have never been used. <br/><br/>And that&#39;s to say nothing of all the complaints on the app stores. <a href="https://x.com/EconWithNick/status/1942230482995048751?s=20">https://x.com/EconWithNick/status/1942230482995048751?s=20</a><br/><br/>The eNaira has largely fallen apart at this point. Speaking in Ghana a few weeks ago, one Central Bank of Nigeria official said that Nigerians were not interested in the CBDC, the central bank was not prepared to be a retail bank, and the market was already providing solutions.<br/><br/>I&#39;ve only just skimmed the surface, so be sure to check out the <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/nprofile1qyf8wumn8ghj7cnfw3ehgctrdvhxzursqythwumn8ghj7cmp9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetkqqs0rxy6jmt44guxkny8z4pkym9mxckqxfytygxuntjn6l80hj409sggjrzcm" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>HRF</span> (<span class="italic">nprofile…rzcm</span>)</a></span> CBDC Tracker to learn more about what&#39;s happening in Africa, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. <a href="https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home">https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/home</a> 2025-12-05T15:42:51+01:00