Mike Solana’s feature in Pirate Wires profiles the founding and mission of General Matter, a nuclear enrichment startup co-led by Scott Nolan and Lee Robinson, now leasing the shuttered Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky. Once the backbone of U.S. enrichment, Paducah closed in 2013, leaving America dependent on foreign (often Russian) uranium. General Matter aims to restore domestic capacity for low-enriched Uranium (LEU) and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), critical for large reactors, small modular reactors, and microreactors. Solana notes this revival defies decades of industrial decline, aided by recent bipartisan federal funding and local readiness. “If I don’t step up… that’s morally wrong,” Nolan said of his decision to found the company. With engineering-heavy staffing, proximity to conversion facilities, and DOE alignment, General Matter’s project signals a turning point for U.S. energy security and the push for resilient, domestic power infrastructure.
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Adamant Research’s latest report, by Tuur Demeester, argues Bitcoin is entering a “stage of quiet strength” with rising conviction, sound fundamentals, and growing institutional participation, projecting a potential 4–10x appreciation toward $500,000. On-chain data shows 70% of Bitcoin unmoved for over a year, signaling strong holder conviction. The report advises focusing exclusively on Bitcoin as the foundational “internet of money” protocol, citing its unmatched security, scalability via the Lightning Network, and adaptability through upgrades like Taproot. Nation-state adoption, led by the U.S. under pro-Bitcoin policy shifts, and surging corporate treasury allocations are seen as key catalysts. While risks such as personal hacks, custodial confiscation, or regulatory clampdowns remain, Adamant notes the macro environment, marked by inflation, bond market weakness, and real estate headwinds, creates a powerful tailwind. “Understand the money, understand the world,” Demeester writes.
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MIT Technology Review’s Grace Huckins details how advances in model compression and optimization now let users run capable large language models directly on laptops, and even smartphones, without expensive GPUs. Local LLMs appeal to those seeking privacy, stability, and independence from major AI providers, which often train models on user data and modify systems without notice. Running models locally offers consistent behavior, greater control, and a hands-on way to understand AI limitations, though with reduced performance compared with cloud-hosted systems. Tools like Ollama (command-line) and LM Studio (GUI) make setup accessible, allowing users to download models from Hugging Face and tailor choices to their device’s RAM—roughly 1 GB per billion parameters. Smaller models, such as Meta’s Llama 3.2 1B, can even run on phones. As Huckins notes, for enthusiasts like Simon Willison, “it’s so much fun,” and potentially a means to safeguard use against surveillance.
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Tornado Cash, a decentralized privacy protocol, has become a legal flashpoint over the intersection of financial privacy and sanctions. As William Jones notes for the Bitcoin Policy Institute, the platform once processed $400–$550 million monthly, with illicit flows peaking at ~40% before U.S. Treasury sanctions in August 2022 triggered an 85% volume drop. Prosecutors alleged $7 billion in laundering, including by North Korea’s Lazarus Group, but sanctions also drove legitimate usage down more sharply, increasing the proportion of criminal activity. In March 2025, the new administration lifted sanctions, spurring a rapid return of privacy advocates, legal defense donations, and a near-doubling of the associated token’s value. The Storm trial’s mixed verdict underscores unresolved constitutional questions about code as speech. Jones argues that privacy-preserving finance “is not inherently suspicious” and, if paired with targeted enforcement, could bolster U.S. economic leadership in the digital asset era.
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