SATURDAY, JAN31
1. Death of bitcoin companies, 2. Colombian pensions, 3. Meta gets big power, 4. Greenhouse hashrate
Supported by Proto and Bitkey - a part of the Bitcoin ecosystem at Block, Inc.
1. death
The era of companies defining themselves strictly as "Bitcoin companies" has ended, argues Alex Bergeron (@bergealex4). Bitcoin has achieved mainstream legitimacy through spot ETFs, corporate balance sheets, and institutional adoption as a store of value, concluding the long fight for recognition. This victory shifts Bitcoin from an ideological battleground to one asset among many in diversified portfolios. Many former "Bitcoin-only" entities now integrate stablecoins and multi-asset features to meet user demands for payments, lending, and USD access. Cash App, for instance, recently announced stablecoin support alongside its Bitcoin focus, enabling faster, cheaper transfers. Major institutions like Visa, JPMorgan, Stripe, and PayPal pursue onchain integrations, often on non-Bitcoin networks for utility in speed and fees. This convergence expands opportunities for neutral financial infrastructure without requiring ideological purity. "The opportunity in front of us is bigger than anything the 'Bitcoin company' era could have produced," Bergeron writes.
-EDITOR·OP_DAILY SHARE TO X2. pensions
AFP Protección, Colombia's second-largest private pension fund manager, is set to introduce a carefully structured investment fund offering limited exposure to bitcoin, as confirmed by company president Juan David Correa in an interview with Valora Analitik. The offering targets only clients who undergo a personalized risk assessment and advisory process, ensuring alignment with their tolerance and goals. Bitcoin serves strictly as a diversification tool, comprising a small portion of voluntary pension accounts or customized portfolios rather than mandatory retirement savings. Correa emphasized this intent: “The most important element is diversification. Eligible clients will find a space for a percentage of their portfolio, if they so wish, to be exposed to this type of asset.” This measured step follows Skandia's earlier introduction of bitcoin in select portfolios, marking broader but restrained acceptance among major Colombian pension administrators managing substantial assets. With Protección overseeing roughly $55 billion for more than 8.5 million clients, the approach safeguards long-term stability while granting informed individuals greater choice in portfolio construction.
-EDITOR·OP_DAILY SHARE TO X3. big
Meta Platforms has secured landmark 20-year power purchase agreements with Vistra to obtain over 2.6 GW of zero-carbon nuclear energy from three existing plants, Perry (Ohio, 1,268 MW), Davis-Besse (Ohio, 908 MW), and Beaver Valley (Pennsylvania, 1,872 MW), with additional capacity from equipment upgrades adding to the grid starting late 2026 and reaching full output by 2034. These deals, part of broader commitments including TerraPower and Oklo, aim to unlock up to 6.6 GW by 2035 to fuel AI data centers like the Prometheus supercluster in Ohio, equivalent to powering roughly 5 million U.S. homes or six large reactors. The strategy addresses surging electricity demand from frontier AI while bolstering grid reliability and extending plant lifespans. "These projects add reliable and firm power to the grid, reinforce America’s nuclear supply chain, and support new and existing jobs," Meta stated in its announcement. This move signals a pragmatic push toward more self-reliant, carbon-free energy for tech companies seeking more sovereign AI compute.
-EDITOR·OP_DAILY SHARE TO X4. greenhouse
A pilot project in Manitoba, Canada, pairs Bitcoin mining with greenhouse agriculture to repurpose waste heat from mining operations as supplemental heating for crop production. Hardware manufacturer Canaan has deployed 360 liquid-cooled Avalon A1566HA-460T servers, totaling 3 MW capacity, in collaboration with Bitforest Investment at a tomato greenhouse facility. The 24-month proof-of-concept uses a closed-loop heat exchange system to capture up to 90% of the electricity consumed as high-temperature, preheating boiler intake and reducing reliance on conventional energy sources. As Zoltan Vardai reports in Cointelegraph, "Integrating Bitcoin mining with greenhouse agriculture offers a practical way to repurpose heat generated during the mining process." Liquid cooling enables more stable and higher-grade heat recovery compared with air-cooled systems, potentially cutting costs for both miners and farmers in cold climates while enhancing overall energy efficiency. This approach aligns mining infrastructure with local needs, positioning it as a contributor to regional energy systems rather than a standalone consumer. If successful, the model could scale to other northern agricultural areas, advancing practical waste-heat utilization more broadly.
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Insightful. The shift to utility-focused infrasructure, even non-Bitcoin, is a natural progression.