The International Monetary Fund has cautioned that the rapid rise of stablecoins, predominantly tied to the U.S. dollar, could erode central bank influence over monetary policy through “currency substitution.” In a detailed report, the IMF highlighted how internet-enabled stablecoins “can penetrate an economy rapidly via the internet and smartphones,” potentially undermining domestic liquidity controls and interest-rate effectiveness, especially via private wallets. The organization noted rising stablecoin adoption in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, often driven by citizens seeking stability amid high inflation and failing monetary controls. The IMF, unsurprisingly, urged regulatory frameworks that prevent digital assets from gaining legal-tender status. Yet, the report conceded stablecoins’ power to expand financial access for the unbanked, signaling a small, optimistic recognition of inclusive, individual-empowered finance. As Decrypt’s André Beganski reported, “stablecoins have the potential to broaden individuals’ access to financial services.”
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A new congressional report details how the Biden administration systematically pressured banks to sever ties with digital asset firms, recognizing the “Operation Choke Point 2.0,” campaign. Documenting a coordinated regulatory push since 2023, the report warns that excessive agency discretion over vague “reputational risk” standards enabled officials to effectively order account closures without due process. Lawmakers highlighted the Bank Secrecy Act’s secretive suspicious activity reports as a key tool in silent debanking, leaving legitimate businesses without explanation. Citing Cato’s Norbert Michel, the report notes regulators “have so much discretion that they have the authority to warn banks about dealing with certain types of customers for almost any reason they choose to justify.” Proposed reforms, including the FIRM, HUMPS, and SAFE Acts, aim to curb arbitrary enforcement and restore financial access, signaling stronger protections ahead for innovation and individual economic freedom.
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Bitcoin Core maintainers have removed a DNS seed operated by prominent developer Luke Dashjr after it was accused of violating the project’s neutrality policy by excluding nodes running versions later than Core 28.1. As reported by Blockspace Media’s Charlie Spears, DNS seeds serve as essential bootstrapping tools for new Bitcoin nodes, providing lists of active peers to connect decentralized participants without central servers. The breach contravened Expectation #1 of the “Expectations for DNS seed operators,” which mandates fairly selected and functioning nodes. The change, merged early December, was backported across all supported Core branches, including v30.x. Dashjr, a vocal critic who labeled Core version 30 “malware,” had run the seed for years leaving remaining operators which include Peter Wuille, Matt Corallo, and Ava Chow. This enforcement underscores the contentious commitment to impartial infrastructure, fostering resilient, open networks that empower users worldwide. As Charlie Spears notes for Blockspace Media, “the seed was failing to return a representative sample of the Bitcoin network.”
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A comprehensive analysis by Dr. Rian D. Dewhurst, Dr. Simon Collins, and Daniel Batten dismantles the persistent myth that Bitcoin mining generates significant electronic waste. Backed by recent Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance data showing nearly 90% of retired ASICs are recycled, repurposed, or resold, the authors demonstrate that modern mining rigs last over five years, far longer than the 1.3 years once claimed, and contain no toxic heavy metals, making them highly profitable to recycle. Incentives align powerfully: firms earn from material recovery and carbon credits, while older units are redeployed on intermittent renewables or as grid-stabilizing load banks. “Bitcoin mining rigs are probably the only piece of electronics that do not present humanity with an e-waste challenge,” the researchers conclude. Far from environmental burden, Bitcoin’s economic design drives sustainable outcomes, positioning the industry as genuine greentech that extends hardware life and eliminates landfill waste.
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Great roundup especially the DNS seed story. The idea that infrastrucutre neutrality needs enforcement even at the maintainer level is often overlooked. But removing Dashjr's seed after years of operation shows how critical baseline impartiality is for decentralized networks to actually work longterm.