RT Bri Teresi (@briteresi)Ep. 18 | Free the Money | How to Live Entirely on Crypto in 2026 with Joël Valenzuela@TheDesertLynx from @Dashpay joins me to break down what it really looks like to live entirely on crypto and why is becoming easier than ever. From getting paid in Bitcoin in 2015 to today’s evolving ecosystem, Joël explains how bill pay services, reloadable cards, QR payments, and platforms where users can lend, borrow, and earn yield are making crypto usable in everyday life.Beyond crypto, we exp ...

🚨NEW: U.S. SENATE VOTES TO BAN CBDCs UNTIL 2030The United States Senate has approved a housing bill that includes a ban on central bank digital currencies.The provision would block the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC until the end of 2030.Lawmakers added the measure late in the bill. Supporters say it protects financial privacy.Critics argue it could slow digital payment innovation. The bill now faces uncertainty in the House. ...

Core Insights - Foundry Digital plans to launch a mining pool for Zcash next month, targeting publicly traded companies and financial institutions that lack the infrastructure for validating Zcash transactions [1][2] - Zcash is considered an institutional-grade asset, playing a critical role in advancing financial privacy, according to Foundry's CEO [2] - The Zcash mining pool will offer tech support and reporting tools for participants, addressing compliance and counterparty risks [3][4] Company Strategy - Foundry's expansion into Zcash is driven by a market gap rather than current Bitcoin mining profitability, as many firms are shifting focus due to rising energy costs [4] - The Zcash pool will operate similarly to Foundry USA, which supports around 31% of Bitcoin's total hashrate and has mined approximately 4,150 Bitcoin worth $290 million in the past month [2][4] Market Context - Zcash's price was around $215, reflecting a 4.5% decrease over the past day, but it has surged over 600% in the past year [5] - Mining pools, including Foundry USA, Ocean, and Luxor, combine computing power from individual miners to enhance payout frequency and stability [5] Technical Aspects - Zcash utilizes a proof-of-work consensus mechanism, with new Zcash earned approximately every 75 seconds through complex calculations [6]

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 US Treasury reports to Congress that using Bitcoin and crypto privacy mixers are NOT unlawful:"Lawful users of digital assets may leverage mixers to enable financial privacy when transacting through public blockchains."Big win for privacy! 👏 https://t.co/l4kAMCAlhI ...

A March 2026 U.S. Treasury report to Congress says digital asset mixers can help protect financial privacy on public blockchains but are also frequently used by illicit actors to obscure funds. The report highlights threats such as DPRK hacks, fraud, and ransomware, while encouraging the use of technologies like AI and blockchain analytics to strengthen AML/CFT compliance. https://t.co/rOz6Xyd7m0 ...

Core Insights - Monero (XMR) reached a new all-time high of over $797, marking a more than 50% increase in value over the past week, making it one of the top performers in the cryptocurrency market [1] - The market capitalization of Monero surpassed $13 billion, placing it among the top 15 cryptocurrencies [1] Group 1: Demand for Financial Privacy - The primary catalyst for Monero's rally is the increasing demand for financial privacy, driven by stricter KYC and anti-money-laundering regulations that hinder anonymous transactions on most blockchains [2] - Users are increasingly seeking cryptocurrencies that conceal wallet balances, transaction amounts, and sender identities, with Monero being the largest and most established option in this category [2] Group 2: Regulatory Impact - Regulatory actions, such as Dubai's financial regulator prohibiting exchanges from listing or promoting privacy coins, have paradoxically fueled demand for Monero rather than suppressing it [3] - The European Union is also preparing regulations to ban anonymous crypto accounts and privacy tokens by 2027, which has led to a rush among investors to acquire privacy assets before access becomes restricted [3][4] Group 3: Market Dynamics - The turmoil within the Zcash ecosystem, including governance disputes and the exit of its core development team, has led to a capital rotation towards Monero, which is perceived as more decentralized [5] - This shift has contributed to Monero's breakout, as it cleared multi-year resistance levels, prompting systematic traders and momentum funds to participate in the upward movement [6]

Core Insights - Monero's price has surged to a new all-time high of $690, indicating a strong momentum in the market, although signs of overheating are emerging as gains outpace fundamentals [1] - Investor interest in Monero has significantly increased, driven by fear of missing out (FOMO), but historically high social engagement often precedes price reversals [2] - Monero's unique feature of financial privacy is becoming increasingly valued in a regulatory environment that emphasizes surveillance and monitoring [4] Market Dynamics - The Money Flow Index (MFI) has entered overbought territory for the first time since September 2025, indicating potential saturation in buying pressure [6] - Previous cycles show that overbought MFI conditions often lead to profit-taking phases, and with current prices at record highs, there is an increased incentive for holders to lock in gains [7] - Profit-taking behavior is likely to intensify as Monero approaches psychological price milestones, which could amplify downside volatility if selling occurs [8] Development and Sustainability - Monero's development activity has not kept pace with its price growth, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the asset [5] - The market's speculative nature may lead to corrections if ecosystem progress does not align with accelerated speculation [5] - The increasing regulatory scrutiny on cryptocurrencies highlights the importance of Monero's privacy features, which may attract users seeking censorship-resistant financial solutions [3][4]

The government hates financial privacy. For the last four years, that has been the only narrative that matters. We have seen developers arrested, code sanctioned, and privacy protocols treated like digital contraband.The message from the previous administration was crystal clear. If you want to transact privately, you must have something to hide. And if you have something to hide, you're probably a criminal.But then something impossible happened. >> That's impossible. Just a few days ago, on December 15th, ...

Financial Risk - Exposing a personal address used for basic transfers can reveal an individual's entire financial life to the recipient [1] - This exposure occurs when the same address is later used for trading and other payments [1] Security Concerns - Sharing an address for a simple transaction can inadvertently "dox" the individual, compromising their financial privacy [1]

I like Switzerland and agree that it was arguably an exception to the rule. But it isn’t anymore and hasn’t been for some time.It capitulated to Obama in 2009 on financial privacy, and so Swiss bank accounts don’t really exist. The Swiss (perhaps understandably) sanctioned Russia after 2022 and nuked the Credit Suisse bondholders, in violation of financial neutrality. That neutrality is now found only onchain.The country is also de facto a member of NATO and the EU, even if not de jure. And is moving toward ...