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Arry's Airdrop #11: USA Loves Bitcoin Mining and $BTFD 🇺🇸 The news in "Uptober" continues on and we're just getting past the halfway point this month. All eyes are of course on $BTFD (The new Bitcoin Futures ETF that was just approved by the SEC) - which is literally launching Tuesday, October 19th (the day you're reading this newsletter). Also, note, the ETF stock ticker symbol being "BTFD" cannot be anymore (hilariously) on point with the culture of the crypto-excited world. Expect all kinds of hype, positive energy, volatility (up and down) and more of this "Uptober" momentum to continue on. I'm bracing myself already. This is exciting and all - but let's take a big step back and look at reality. This evening, I had the privilege of being a guest speaker to Professor William Covington's Technology Law and Public Policy Clinic (University of Washington). At the end, Professor asked me what message I wanted to leave the students with as we wrapped up the class. I'd like to share the same messages with all of you that have joined me on this journey along the way - whether it was in one of the various meetup groups, the podcast, working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Cascadia Blockchain Council, or in one of my courses I teach:
 US Leads In Bitcoin Mining Since China’s Latest Crack Down China’s latest crackdown on bitcoin mining has resulted in virtually all of the bitcoin mining there to leave the country. Mining rig manufacturers have since turned their attention to new markets in North America and Asia to recover their losses. The US now runs the lion’s share of the global hash rate at 35.4%. Read more to learn how emerging global players are responding to this shift in light of upcoming climate talks in Glasgow. Why this matters: While a lot of folks and the media have looked at China's crack down on bitcoin and mining as negative, in the name of decentralization and watching the state of geo-political affairs globally, this has been positive for folks in the pro-Capitalist and pro-free markets world. We'll have to wait and see if the US is able to maintain its lead going forward. This is where policies, regulations, and clarity will matter. McDonald's China To Give Away 188 NFTs Despite the China crypto ban, McDonald’s China will give away 188 NFTs to celebrate its 31st anniversary. The “Big Mac Rubik’s Cube” NFTs were created in partnership with Cocafe (a digital asset creation agency) and are built on the Confluux public blockchain. CITIC Group (a state-owned investment company of the People’s Republic of China) owns the majority of McDonald’s China’s stake. Why this matters: Interestingly, McDonald’s decision to introduce NFTs seems to contradict the Chinese authority’s intent to completely ban all crypto operations in the country. Bitcoin Trading Volume Outperforms Top Stocks… By A LotRecent data shows Bitcoin’s average daily trading volume is nearly 4x higher(on average) than the top stocks Tesla (TSLA), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) between October 1st and 11th. The higher trading activity could indicate that more investors want to get involved in order to profit from the ongoing rally Bitcoin has been seeing in October, or eh hem, "Uptober". Investors may now be encouraged after BTC’s red September (aka "Rekt-ember") and are now looking to rotate funds into Bitcoin in light of its 20%+ gains so far this month. Why this matters: Folks are on the edge of their seats wondering if we'll hit new ATH (All Time Highs) on the price of Bitcoin/cryptocurrencies with the continued "Uptober" up-trend. Plus, remember, we also have $BTFD (newly highly anticipated Bitcoin Futures ETF) launching tomorrow.  DeFi Guides Your Grandparents Can Follow 👵🏻 DeFi (decentralized finance) is an exciting new investment category for adventurous blockchain bulls, but it's not without its complexity and nuance. If you want a comprehensive source for all things DeFi - broken down in plain English, then Let’s Do DeFi is one resource you’ll want to bookmark. It is updated regularly and includes:
Retire On The Blockchain with A Diverse Portfolio This is not investment advice. BUT... holding retirement funds in a traditional bank (in an IRA or 410(k)) for any significant period of time, leaves you exposed to mercurial monetary policy and government agendas. Thankfully, blockchain and crypto are providing a safe haven for savvy investors looking to preserve their wealth over time. By allocating a portion of your retirement funds into stablecoins held on the blockchain, you can earn up to 8.8% APY interest compared to less than 1% on your IRA accounts.  COMING UP:
Join my weekly AMA , every Friday, 12-1pm PSTBlockchain is a game changer as a powerful alternative technology to what most businesses use today. Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating. This meetup is all about focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. See you next week! – Arry (@ArryinSeattle)
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Arry's Airdrop #10: Welcome to Uptober 🚀 Hope your "Uptober" is going well and whatever bags you're holding are mooning. "Rektember" was certainly overfilled past the brim with news, highlights and lowlights I can't even begin to summarize without going over the top in this intentionally summarized newsletter to you. And less than a dozen days into "Uptober", we're already seeing all kinds of noise and signals - and it's certainly has been tricky picking the ones to pay attention to. I'd say if anything, take some time when the noise is high to take a step back to learn the fundamentals. Some ideas to start with (if you haven't already started down the rabbit hole):
Crypto Market Cap Swells to $2.1 Trillion as 'Uptober' Continues With ‘Rektember’ done and dusted, it appears that ‘Uptober' is officially here. Bitcoin’s historical month over month price action has continued this year with October seeing BTC punch through the $50k barrier. Bitcoin is now back over a $1T market cap (about half the total crypto market cap) up from $40,996 on September 29, to $57,538.85 at the time of writing on late night Monday, October 11th. Why this matters: "Rektember" to "Uptober", in these cycles of bulls and bears, it's important to remember that there's an incredibly rich history, especially in bitcoin that demonstrate the foundational fundamentals of this space. The third alt coin bull run we've seen is definitely fun. NFT parties attracting enthusiasts left and right is incredible. Don't forget, all of this was incepted almost 13 years ago (10/31/2008) with the Satoshi Nakamoto white paper. Here's a quick 12 minute video where on 10/06/2014 was a famous incursion now known as the "Slaying of the Bitcoin Bear Whale". Click this link to view. Yang Launches ‘Forward Party’ & Supports Bitcoin Andrew Yang, former Presidential Candidate and ex-member of the Democratic Party, announced this week that he’s starting a new political party, The Forward Party with the slogan, “Not left, not right, forward”. Yang tweeted: “[I’m a] Big proponent of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies generally - [I] want to allow fiat prices to go down as they should as things get more efficient instead of assuming the inflation model". See a summary of Yang’s thoughts on Bitcoin, and track this story as it develops. Why this matters: Something to note is the stance from the more "OG" Bitcoiners. Seemingly positive is that this national influencer, Yang is evangelizing Bitcoin, advocating it, and even seemingly helping educate the masses about the perils ahead for us in "fiat money". The problem to watch out for is that Yang will and currently has not been able to make sense of his prior advocacy of the UBI (universal basic income) and the true understanding of the economic institution driving bitcoin. It's something to watch to see IF and how he will be able to come to terms with this major difference in the fundamentals. SEC Green-Lights Volt Bitcoin Revolution ETF Volt Equity (California) filed SEC documents to launch a new type of exchange-traded fund with direct exposure to Bitcoin (Volt Bitcoin Industry Revolution ETF). According to their recent filing on Oct. 1, the Volt Crypto Industry Revolution and Tech ETF will track the performance of “Bitcoin Industry Revolution Companies” – publicly listed companies that either hold a majority of their net assets in bitcoin, like MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR), or that make a majority of their profits through mining or building mining equipment, like Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA). Why this matters: In the past, the SEC has been reluctant to approve any product that directly holds and tracks the performance of Bitcoin, so this news is in the line of bullish for American bitcoin supporters. Take note however, that a LOT of companies have applied for the elusive ETF that actually holds BTC. And MORE companies will continue to apply. The SEC is bound to approve at least one eventually. As a side note, there is already a Canadian ETF holding BTC. What's taking so long? Word on the street in a conspiracy theory kind of way is that until the US has created solid footing for itself on its specifically BTC strategy, the US will continue with its "regulation through enforcement" or "dodgy appearance" on the topic overall to continue to "buy more time" in the global market game theory underway. The U.S. government is powerful - don't underestimate it. It intends to continue to hold its #1 position for a very long time. As indicated in the above writeup, and if you've taken my recent course in the cohort that just graduated a little over a week ago, after over 5 years in this space studying, I'm of the current position that respect should be paid to the fundamentals, which come from understanding the culture, the economic institution, the monetary/fiscal policies, the protocol, and the network driving Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the oldest, most stable blockchain and cryptocurrency in the space with the largest network effect, of which all blockchains and cryptocurrencies were born. After a few years of studying, I'm still learning something new every single day and am continually humbled by how little I really know. I'll point to all the joy and positive rush many of us are experiencing in "Uptober" - and say take 12 minutes, and watch the "Slaying of the Bitcoin Bear Whale", especially if you didn't yet from above. Remember, history has a tendency to rhyme. COMING UP:
In case you didn't know, all AMAs with guests are recorded and posted on our podcast and YouTube show, Windshield Time. Here are some recent AMA videos:
Join my weekly AMA , every Friday, 12-1pm PSTBlockchain is a game changer as a powerful alternative technology to what most businesses use today. Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating. This meetup is all about focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. See you next week! – Arry (@ArryinSeattle)
Welcome to Arry's Airdrop #09!
Happy October - this never-ending year in this pandemic seems to be flying by so quickly, and so much has happened already this year. Almost a blur. Personally, it was great to go check out Miami for the Bitcoin conference and see a lot of familiar faces (and meet new ones too). We've continued to build strong relationships with our policy makers here in Cascadia. I've met many new folks I'd call friends as we've been coordinating state by state (from FL to NY to MI to TX to CA and Cascadia), and with federal (especially the Blockchain Association) on better ways to collaborate in the name of blockchain/cryptocurrency advocacy. I created and launched another Blockchain & Crypto Fundamentals course. On the personal front, I'm pregnant with our third boy. Our eldest son started kindergarten and we even moved. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be on this journey with you and hope that we can find ways to support and serve you. What's my point? Let's not be strangers - please find me in our community Slack channel (it's an open Slack for anyone in the community). Shoot me a reply to this email and let's catch up. Feedback. Suggestions. Random friendly comment. Or just a simple hello. I'd love to hear from you.
Airdrop #09: @jack turned on Bitcoin tipping! ✨
A little over a week ago, in case anyone missed it, the tipping feature became enabled on Twitter ✨. Back in 2018-2019, this was one of those features I was wishing existed (not just on Twitter, but also Uber, grocery stores, gas stations, etc) - and now it does. I even considered going out and building a dApp (decentralized application) focused on the Bitcoin tipping scenario at one point. 
Twitter did it and went even further - enabling tipping to connect directly to other services like Venmo, CashApp, and more. A super positive note, Twitter does NOT take any cut of the transaction - they only connect. (Kudos to Twitter for not being yet another greedy middleman in people's transactions.)
See below for my screen (in-progress) as I went through and setup my mobile profile on Twitter. You can see that the user interface is very simple and easy to follow. Not scary at all. 
BTW - If you haven't setup your Bitcoin Strike account yet (the CEO is an OG, Jack Mallers) --- Join Strike and earn $5 (yay!) when you sign up and verify your account using my referral code 0VIFRV: https://invite.strike.me/0VIFRV. Remember, Strike uses the Lightning Network - faster cheaper BTC payments. It's what you'd use to send BTC to El Salvador or any country with Strike enabled, for free. Also remember the NFL football player, Russell Okung who demanded to get his wages paid in Bitcoin? They're doing that using Strike as well. One of the best ways to learn, is to try it out. Or as folks in this space say, "do your own research".
What's Strike, according to Strike? "Strike is the easiest way to send, spend, remit, and invest your money. Onboard in seconds and unlock the future of digital payments. Simply link a payment method, deposit funds, and let us take care of the rest. What do people use Strike for? Strike is used to buy and sell bitcoin, tip on the web, send and receive micropayments, remit money, and make payments with friends."
Why you should care. Here's a couple of reasons:
I closed out my Blockchain & Crypto Fundamentals cohort last week - it was bittersweet. I woke up Monday (October 4th) missing the class and holding myself back from writing them today. I wanted to share a couple of key presentations that really influenced me during my journey over the past several years. Actually in fact, I saw these live at the conference Russell Okung (yes the same NFL guy) hosted for us in LA back in 2019:
The waitlist has already been filling up quickly for my next "Blockchains & Cryptos Fundamentals" course. Get on the waitlist and get in-the-know. Standby, I'll be releasing a THREE DAY workshop version of this course for those that need an even more compressed and curated course.
COMING UP:
In case you didn't know, all AMAs with guests are recorded and posted on our podcast and YouTube show, Windshield Time. Here are the recent AMA videos:
Coming soon... I have to post the AMA with Jerry David Chan (OG Bitcoiner) and the TaxBit team shortly. Will share links as soon as they are ready. Join my weekly AMA , every Friday, 12-1pm PSTBlockchain is a game changer as a powerful alternative technology to what most businesses use today. Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating. This meetup is all about focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. See you next week! – Arry (@ArryinSeattle)
Welcome to Arry's Airdrop #08! Hi everyone, I hear the same theme again and again. And Again. The theme I keep hearing is the need for more educational content. There's a lot of great content out there. There's a lot of great creators out there. What's missing is the glue, the connections, the context, the history, the "why it matters" analysis to help bridge the OG tribal knowledge for the millions of newcomers discovering blockchain, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies every single day. You'll see even in the article related to Virgil Griffith, an Ethereum developer, who plead guilty to doing a presentation in North Korea back in 2019. There's so much context and history built into looking into this that most people simply do not have, or do not have the luxury of time to dig into. I just spent a few hours writing it down for you. Same goes for the other article noting Michael Saylor's stance on cryptocurrencies and securities. I did the best I could, as I ran out of hours and have to sleep now. I'd love your thoughts, ideas, volunteers for content, whatever it is on what we can do better to help you, help others, with this tribal knowledge. How do we share it faster? How do we share it more broadly? How do we make it more accessible? Dennis Rodman OK 🤠. Virgil Griffith NOT OK ☠️. Today, an idealistic young man and Ethereum developer named Virgil Griffith plead guilty to a now removed military-grade Munitions Act offense of talking about publicly available content on blockchain and cryptography, with North Korea. Here are some interesting data points, pulled out 1-by-1 for your easy consumption that are relevant to this landmark historical case:
Why you should care: Plenty of reasons why you should care:
Lesson? The government, especially the U.S. government is powerful. When the government says no, do not go to said country, don't take it lightly. When the government places an enemy country on the OFAC list, be extremely careful as it is going to be nearly impossible to be compliant AND travel to the enemy country. It's very unfortunate that Virgil Griffith, a seemingly nice well-intentioned guy his someone who will now be in Federal Prison, for the next 5-6 years (at least it's with a reduced sentence for pleading guilty). Cryptocurrencies are likely securities. Bitcoiner and influencer, Michael Saylor was recently interviewed by Raoul Pal. The big meat in the interview was that Michael Saylor says he agrees with Gary Gensler (head of the SEC in the U.S.) that most cryptocurrencies/tokens are securities, at least according to the Howey test. Why does this matter? Michael Saylor, a very influential Bitcoiner agreeing with Gary Gensler is a bit of an ironic picture. Bitcoin has historically had anarcho-capitalistic roots. Think cypherpunks. Libertarians. Then Gary Gensler, the securities laws. Think especially the Howey Test which was created long ago in 1933-1934 and its old prehistorical way to test in order to determine whether or not something is a security. AND, accredited investor laws haven't changed much either since 1982, are viewed as generally limiting the common person from taking advantage of financial products and services that only the elite investor takes advantage of every day. These laws need revisiting, especially today in the day of digital. Now we have access to investments like NFTs, yet most people cannot invest in a private company (or maybe even cryptocurrencies eventually) unless you are of accredited status. Maybe the U.S. should revisit our accreditation laws? Maybe embrace more tests to give access to more folks to investment products? Who are we protecting - the elite or the common person? As you know, savings will not help a person become wealthy anymore - the only way to wealth is investing now. I've been immersed in the blockchain and crypto space for about 5+ years and I still feel like I'm just a beginner in so many ways. Even the above highlighted news articles that I write about requires a lot of context and knowledge - whether it be on the history or simple definitions. Here's a resource I put together over a couple of years, and have been maintaining for another couple of years thanks to crowdsourcing and the community. You may have noticed that there are multiple definitions for almost every term in this space - so consolidating as best as possible one version of the truth was the focus of the "Global Super Blockchain Glossary". I'll hope you'll be able to use it as a resource for yourself, and if you find any definitions or words that are incorrect/missing/needs updates, please help keep it up to date so others can benefit.
AND whether you’re into blockchain for technological innovation or looking to trade crypto, it all starts with the fundamentals. Fundamentals are everything to do with the theory, the context, the history and the "why it matters". The waitlist has already been filling up quickly for my next "Blockchains & Cryptos Fundamentals" course. Get on the waitlist and get in-the-know. Standby, I'll be releasing a THREE DAY version of this course for those that need an even more compressed and curated course. COMING UP:
In case you didn't know, all AMAs with guests are recorded and posted on our podcast and YouTube show, Windshield Time. Recent AMA's with Jennifer Mace (Crypto Tax), and Hong Fang (CEO of Okcoin) have been posted! Join my weekly AMA every Friday, 12-1pm PST Blockchain is a game changer as a powerful alternative technology to what most businesses use today. Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating. This meetup is all about focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. See you next week! – Arry (@ArryinSeattle) P.S. Like this post? Get it weekly in your inbox by signing up to get the email here: eepurl.com/hD2tND
Welcome to Arry's Airdrop #07! Hi All, One key theme I keep hearing over and over again, especially this past week is the need for more educational content. There's a lot of amazing content out there (along with a lot of bad misinformation, too). What I aim to do a better job of, is to not just find these great resources, but to also SHARE with others all of the knowledge that I am learning every, single day. That's why I'm doing all that I can to help share the knowledge that I've been lucky enough to have acquired all these years, with you. I'm sharing the highlights with you. I hope you'll pass it on, and share with others too. That's how we can build a better future, together. Evergrande panicked the market today. Today, the China Evergrande news crisis sent shockwaves throughout both the crypto and stock markets - it was a bloody Monday. Some would say perhaps quite a few cryptos and equities were on sale. What's going on with the Evergrande story? China Evergrande Group is the world’s most indebted property real estate developer, whose financial woes have quickly become everyone's business. They have monumental debt that they cannot repay to the order of over $300 billion. Evergrande is also on the hook for 1.6 million apartments and tens of thousands owed to their own employees. Evergrande is a grand catastrophe. Failure is right round the corner whether it be through a complete restructuring or total liquidation of the company. And this one company, the China Evergrande Group may become today's Lehman Brothers cascading into causing a global credit crunch, and demolishing any confidence in Chinese investments. In the end, it may leave us with even greater global catastrophic effects. Remember the Lehman Brothers? The Lehman bankruptcy filing was the largest in U.S. history. It is believed that their bankruptcy was the first critical domino to fall that led to global markets crashing in the global financial crisis of 2007-2008. Why you should care about the significance of Evergrande: Couple big reasons why you should care - here are a few.
 Let's look in contrast at Bitcoin:
Bitcoin is a bearer instrument held by HODLers and made up with cold-hearted code. It's a protocol for money. Yes, in theory, Bitcoin companies could also get into financial trouble if they too over-leverage or mishandle their finances (like Evergrande, and the banks). Bitcoin's uptime as a network and protocol is one of the best, if not THE BEST uptime in history.
There's absolutely nothing like it as an asset class, a network, a protocol, and technology. Bitcoin is a huge contrast to Evergrande and the Lehman Brothers stories of our world. I've been immersed in the blockchain and crypto space for about 5 years now, and I still feel like I'm just a beginner in so many ways. I learn every day from the content creators that share regularly. I learn from talking to others in the meetups, AMA recordings for the podcast, and even talking to my husband who's in the space. If you aren't already, there are a few human gems of knowledge I've discovered recently, that are very worth following:
Whether you’re into blockchain for technological innovation or looking to trade crypto, it all starts with the fundamentals. Waitlist has already been filling up quickly for my next "Blockchains & Cryptos Fundamentals" course. Get on the waitlist and get in-the-know. Standby, I'll be releasing a THREE-DAY version of this course for those that need an even more synthesized course. COMING UP:
Join my weekly AMA every Friday, 12-1pm PST Blockchain is a game changer as a powerful alternative technology to what most businesses use today. Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating. This meetup is all about focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. See you next week! – Arry (@ArryinSeattle) P.S. Like this post? Get it weekly in your inbox by signing up to get the email here: eepurl.com/hD2tND
Welcome to Arry's Airdrop #06! Hi All, The recent headlines of the past week plus the flurry of back-to-school activities across the country remind us of how important the human-to-human community relationships are in each of our lives. Life in a pandemic hasn't been a cake ride either, no matter what side of the line you're on or state you live in. There's a lot of misinformation everywhere, and that misinformation is driving policies that affect all of us - whether you are a crypto HODL-er or not. Let's get back to basics, old school, follow the politicians that represent us in local, state, and federal government. Let's talk to each other using the telephone. Let's learn each other's names and get to know our neighbors. Let's even know the name of our friendly neighborhood mailman. Watch the drafts of legislation being drafted and proposed. Talk about what we hear with our neighbors, other parents in our children's schools, and acquaintances in our communities. This is the only way we'll combat misinformation and policies created from misinformation. Let's say no to politics or malevolent advertisers. Real people talking to real people. Coinbase versus the SEC The biggest news with the biggest potential impact to the overall industry happened last week with headlines, "The SEC has told us it wants to sue us over Lend. We don't know why." Coinbase has been working on launching its latest lending product, "Lend" and was proactively working with the SEC to iron out any potential issues ahead of its launch. Seemingly looking like "all in a good day's work", when they were surprised by the SEC's threat. Why you should care: Many reasons why you should care - here are a few.
Walmart Litecoin fake news Tsk Tsk. The news reported a fake partnership between Walmart and Litecoin. Walmart later confirmed that no partnership exists. And as happens with fake news, again, crypto prices soared, then crashed back to reality. The fake press release was the result of an overly eager social media member who tweeted about the partnership, then a fraudulent user account created a press release on GlobalNewswire. As with anything in the media and especially online, approach everything you hear, see or read with a bit of cynicism and disbelief, sprinkled with a little paranoia. Information (and misinformation) moves very quickly in the digital world, and often resources we assume are reliable, can easily be fooled too. WIth the recent El Salvador news and the kickoff of a cohort on Monday the 13th for my course, I'm reminded again and again that everything in this space all starts with the fundamentals, and that means understanding the grandpa of the whole space (the cryptocurrency, the network, the protocol): Bitcoin. It is now also known as "boomer-coin" as a joke from some of the more jaded participants.
Whether you’re into blockchain for technological innovation or looking to trade crypto, it all starts with the fundamentals. Waitlist has already been filling up quickly for my next "Blockchains & Cryptos Fundamentals" course. Get on the waitlist and get in-the-know. I'll also be releasing a THREE-DAY version of this course for those that need an even more synthesized course. Coming Up:
Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating. We have seen their meteoric rise over the past couple of years. This meetup is all about focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. See you next week! – Arry (@ArryinSeattle) P.S. Like this post? Get it weekly in your inbox by signing up to get the email here: eepurl.com/hD2tND
Welcome to Arry's Airdrop #05! Hi All, Calling all policy makers! This week’s crypto headlines make is clear that now is the time to equip yourself for the imminent flood of important issues, debates, regulations and investigations that are on the horizon for policy makers that interface with the global crypto and blockchain industry. Whether you’re into blockchain for technological innovation or looking to trade crypto, it all starts with fundamentals, and without a doubt that means understanding the grandpa of the whole space: Bitcoin. My Blockchains & Cryptos Fundamentals Course starts in less than 1 week! Seats are now more than 80% sold out. Use the code AIRDROP10 to get 10% off until the final application deadline tonight, September 7th, at 11:59PM PST. Sign up before this session fills up. Bitcoin Achievement Level Unlocked September 7th Bitcoiners have been talking about this milestone for years. It's finally here.Bitcoin is a legal sovereign currency. El Salvador made the first move in the global game theory being the first nation to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele even doubled down by purchasing yet another 200 bitcoins recently - which means, El Salvador now holds 400 bitcoins, worth nearly $21mm at this point in time. Today, Tuesday September 7th, 2021, all eyes globally are on El Salvador as they pioneer the adoption of Bitcoin nationally. Every El Salvadorian will receive $30 in BTC. Why you should care: To celebrate this momentous milestone, people globally will also be participating in purchasing $30 in BTC (or $300, or $3,000, or $30,000, etc...) in true global communal support. Crypto traders say, Bitcoin will go into a true price discovery phase after this date. In terms of game theory, what other nations will join the ranks of El Salvador? What if the other 150 nations around the world do the same, ahead of the comfortable top G20 nations like the US, Germany, France, China, and South Korea? Game on! Crypto Recognition And Regulation Heats Up Cryptocurrencies are now recognized under commercial law in Texas. Two crypto related bills were passed by both chambers in the state legislature in May, and signed into law in June by Greg Abbott (Governor). The laws came into effect on September 1. Lee Bratchner, President of Texas Blockchain Council said that H.B. 4474 helps to better define the security interests for different cryptocurrencies in order to allow institutional investors to get involved with sizable investments. Nice job, Texas! Buy Bitcoin From Your Bank In Oklahoma Vast Bank, an independent bank based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has recently become the first bank in the United States with Federal Reserve charter and FDIC insurance to offer Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency services. The bank’s new Crypto Banking service is available via a user-friendly mobile application which simplifies the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies directly with bank accounts, according to their press release issued on August 25th. Reminder, whether you're into blockchain, distributed ledger technology, or looking to trade crypto/digital assets, it all starts with the fundamentals, and that means understanding the grandpa of the whole space (the cryptocurrency, the network, the protocol): Bitcoin.
Coming up:
Join my weekly AMA every Friday, 12-1pm PST Blockchain is a game changer as a powerful alternative technology to what most businesses use today. Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating. We have seen their rise over the past couple of years. This meet up is all about focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. See you next week! – Arry (@ArryinSeattle) P.S. Like this post? Get it weekly in your inbox by signing up to get the email here: eepurl.com/hD2tND
Welcome to Arry's AirDrop #04 Hi All, This week the political and economic signals have created an exciting chorus of support for the world's eyes and ears to focus on. I’ve summarized some of the big stories below, check them out, and if you have any questions, just hit ‘reply’, I’d love to chat more. Curious what to expect from my Blockchains & Cryptos Fundamentals course? I’ve boiled down the 6 major learning outcomes this 3-week hyper-curated course offers. Once you’ve completed it, you will:
If you want training and support to achieve these outcomes, class starts in just 2 weeks. Seats are now 60% sold out. Last week’s 15% off early bird discount code for newsletter subscribers is good until midnight tonight (August 31st at 11:59pm PST). Use the code AIRDROP15 to get 15% off. AIRDROP10 will get you 10% off until the final application deadline of September 7th, at 11:59PM PST. Sign up before this cohort is full! More Signs That Crypto Is Going Mainstream VISA purchased the CryptoPunk 7610 NFT for 49.5 ETH or ~$140k US and published a white paper to help businesses understand how they can help to integrate and transact NFTs into their platforms. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele announced that the country’s official Bitcoin wallet (called Chico) will be available for download on September 7th. Users who download it will receive $30 in BTC during the setup process. Microsoft recently won patent rights to build a distributed ledger (basically a blockchain) to allow its millions of users to create and manage crypto tokens. PayPal will allow customers in the United Kingdom to access cryptocurrencies. U.K. residents will be able to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies. This is PayPal’s first expansion of crypto services outside of the United States. A new survey by Deloitte suggests that crypto could replace USD in half a decade. Financial services companies expect to heavily rely on blockchain in the very close future, according to the lead analyst, “The foundation of banking has been fundamentally outlived. Financial services industry players must redefine themselves and find innovative ways to create economic growth in the future of money.” OnlyFans Debacle Exposes Highly Politicized Banking System OnlyFans’ decision (now reversed) to ban porn reveals the arbitrary power of banks to delist products they don’t like. The Department of Justice (DoJ), in conjunction with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), realized in 2012 they could exert pressure on politically disfavored industries while professing to eliminate fraud. The ‘Operation Choke Point’ initiative was devised to threaten banks with expensive and reputation-damaging investigations and subpoenas if they failed to coerce payment processors servicing industries in question by cutting them off. This approach was and remains legally questionable. Through Choke Point, the DoJ and FDIC essentially deputized banks and turned them into an enforcement arm of the government. Summary: This story is not about porn as an industry, for better or worse. The real story here is how the mechanics of control work to manipulate businesses when governments and banks collaborate. OnlyFans should be a potent reminder: You simply never know when you’ll be on the receiving end of the stick. Plug Into Our Community The WTIA Cascadia Blockchain Council helps blockchain companies reach their full potential and serves as subject matter experts and a collective voice to better advocate for constructive public policy, educates key stakeholders and investors. The Cascadia Blockchain Council Slack group is a place for all of the above to network, connect and share resources, and we are accepting new members (for free!) New to crypto? Start with Bitcoin knowledge basics, I’ve put together a simple, straightforward guide on where to buy Bitcoin (BTC) here. Check out Gradually Then Suddenly, an amazing series of essays to understand the context and history behind Bitcoin written by Parker Lewis. Join my weekly AMA every Friday, 12-1pm PST Blockchain is a game changer as a powerful alternative technology to what most businesses use today. Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating, as we have seen their rise over the past couple of years. This meet up is all about authentically focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. Coming up:
– Arry @ArryinSeattle P.S. Like this post? Get it weekly in your inbox by signing up to get the email here: eepurl.com/hD2tND
Welcome to Arry's AirDrop #03 Listen to my newsletter here: https://youtu.be/8k2qYTVf1e8 Seats are going fast for my Blockchains & Cryptos Fundamentals Course. Here's what a recent former student had to say about it: If you're interested in the fundamentals of blockchain, then this course is great. Having taken the intensive version (full time 12 week bootcamp) from Arry, I believe that this condensed 3-week class is going to deliver the needed information very effectively. With Arry as an instructor, it'll be a breeze to finish such a course and stay engaged. I know firsthand that this is what makes Arry an awesome instructor. 💪🏼 – Ahmed Khoj, Previous Student (January - April 2021) The early bird 15% discount code exclusive to newsletter subscribers is good until August 31st at 11:59pm PST. Use the code AIRDROP15 to get 15% off. Sign up now before this cohort is full. Coinbase gets board OK to add $500 million in crypto to balance Coinbase, the world's first publicly traded crypto exchange ($COIN), announced it will be adding $500M in cryptoassets to its balance sheet, and investing 10% of its profits moving forward in crypto. Based on quarterly earnings disclosure, that means, last quarter they would have bought $160 million worth. So this represents an investment of roughly $600 million to $1 billion per year. Why this is significant: This decision required executives to receive board approval. This move makes Coinbase the first publicly traded company to hold Ether (ETH) on their balance sheet. No wonder the crypto prices nudged up this past week, with bitcoin hovering near $50,000 now. Walmart hiring crypto expert to develop digital currency strategy According to a recent LinkedIn job advertisement, Walmart is hiring a cryptocurrency product leader. The ad describes the person the company is looking for as a “visionary leader,” responsible for developing the Digital Currency strategy. The company is hiring an expert in Digital Currencies/Cryptocurrency and Blockchain to drive the vision for the product and capabilities roadmap and to identify crypto related investment and partnerships. Interesting note: Walmart’s job ad was spotted weeks after rumors that Amazon could make a big entrance into the crypto market and listed its own related position for a Digital Currency and Blockchain Lead. The battle of the ecommerce giants continues onward. Words, words, words Do you know what a ‘nonce’ is? If you had done a quick CTRL-F of the Blockchain Super Glossary, you’d know!  Blockchain can be an intimidating space with jargon and language that is so loaded, it seems to take at least four years and a diploma to unpack. Shortcut the degree by extracting insights from our 40 page (and growing!) crowd-maintained, consolidated Blockchain Super Glossary. Read it, use it, update it, and share it! Join my weekly AMA every Friday, 12-1pm PST Blockchain is a game changer as a powerful alternative technology to what most businesses use today. Cryptocurrencies and other kinds of digital tokens are fascinating, as we have seen their rise over the past couple of years. This meet up is all about focusing our time on global impactful topics, not just crypto-fluffery. Join us if you want to get into real authentic discussions about what really matters in the blockchain space and have some actual FUN while we're at it, via the Blockchain Underground. Coming up:
– Arry @ArryinSeattle P.S. Like this post? Get it weekly in your inbox by signing up to get the email here: eepurl.com/hD2tND
To all the builders, innovators, investors, policy makers, and warriors interested in joining the digital evolution: We need your attention, discipline, and resources pointed towards 'unsexy' work to build solidarity across the industry – and world – around the definitions, guidelines, education, frameworks and standards that govern the blockchain industry. An alliance across these key fronts will galvanize the industry and accelerate adoption. I meet regularly with councils, associations, and coalitions across the US and the world, and this is the key work that I hear a huge need for every day. We saw the implications of this unmet need in the Infrastructure bill recently passed by the Senate. We need more resources and continued effort to forge a strong and unified crypto and blockchain support system. Please make sure you or your company does its part in supporting the pioneering efforts to build our digital future. Let me know if you or your company is interested in engaging more on this. Early Bird Discount 🐥 My brand new in-depth deep dive into blockchain and cryptocurrency launches in just under a month. I’m excited to share what you can expect when you sign up for the course. At the end of the 3 week "Blockchains & Cryptos Fundamentals" course, you’ll be less likely to be fooled by crypto scams and shills, because you’ll understand the history, theory and best practices to safely invest and explore crypto. Crypto and the blockchain industry is fast-moving and growing. At the end of the course you’ll also know where to go in the future to get trusted information and how to stay on top of developments. Sign up before spots are gone. As a thank you, I’m offering an early bird community discount exclusively to newsletter subscribers. Use the code AIRDROP20 to get 20% off until August 24th at 11:59pm PST. U.S. Senate Passed The Anti-Crypto Bill–Now What? The infrastructure bill currently contains no amendments to the problematic provisions forcing crypto brokers to complete KYC procedures and follow strict tax reporting rules. Although the Senate has passed the bill, there may still be a little glimmer of hope for the crypto sector as the House of Representatives has to vote on the bill. Contact your House Representative to voice your support in stopping the bill from being passed as is. Of course, a "Plan B" is in the works as well. More to come on that. The silver-lining of the anti-crypto bill drama? Bitcoin fans have shown up as a political force. "Crypto is more than an industry. There is an entire network of individuals building & supporting those networks. That has turned out to be an incredibly organised community.” -- Kristin Smith, Blockchain Association Largest Hack in Crypto History Has A Twist Ending The Polygon network, a Layer 2 blockchain protocol that interoperates with Ethereum but without the high gas fees, was hacked last week. The attacker syphoned more than $600M worth of crypto. In a surprising turn of events, shortly after, the ‘White Hat’ attacker returned all $611 million stolen funds and left some public messages embedded in blocks on the Ethereum network. Click here to see the hacker’s messages outlining his motivations and goals. Very interesting. The Polygon team confirmed that almost all of the funds have been recovered, except for $33 million worth USDT stablecoins frozen by the Tether foundation. In an on-chain message, the team offered the hacker a $500,000 as a thank you for exposing a security bug. WTF Happened in 1971? Gradually Then Suddenly, a series of essays to understand the context and history behind Bitcoin by Parker Lewis. In 1971, the U.S. went off the gold standard. See the impacts of what happened when the U.S. dollar became fiat money. Local Bitcoiner, Vijay Boyapati has published his essay on “The Bullish Case for Bitcoin”. Support him by checking out his book for $21 USD. (21 is NOT a coincidence). Coming up:
What would you like to see more of in this newsletter? Hit ‘reply’ and let me know. See you next week! – Arry @ArryinSeattle P.S. Like this post? Get it weekly in your inbox by signing up to get the email here: eepurl.com/hD2tND
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The AirdropAbout Airdrop:
This newsletter is a way to provide a reliable and trustworthy resource for my friends, colleagues, and fellow crypto, DeFi, NFT, and blockchain nerds, and to distribute knowledge, experience, and connections. Subscribe via the button above! BTW, I host a weekly AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Fridays, 12-1pm PST. You can sign up on meetup.com under the Blockchain Underground. If you want to learn more in a small cohort based environment via a super curated synthesized 3-day Blockchain Crypto Fundamentals Workshop, apply here: https://maven.com/yuv-dojang/blockchain-crypto. Author:Arry is the Chair of the Cascadia Blockchain Council, a group supported by the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), the largest US tech association representing technology companies from Oregon to British Columbia. She is also the co-organizer for the States' Assn for Blockchain and was one of the early pioneers that completed a $32m tokensale in an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) back in 2017. She founded the Cascadia Blockchain Council in 2018 and has been an avid educator, advocate, investor, and innovator in the space since 2016. Archives
October 2021
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