The history of Amex is super interesting. Another great video by FINAiUS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3C65eZuv1w&t=2467s

The 'Debasement Trade' has a nice ring to it.

#Gold actually sitting comfortably above $4,000 USD.

The Quantum Shadow: Why Bitcoin and Our Digital World Need Steady, Not Sudden, Safeguards In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, few ideas capture the imagination quite like quantum computing. It's the stuff of science fiction turned plausible reality—machines that don't just compute faster, but fundamentally rewrite the rules of what's computationally possible. Yet, amid the excitement, a quieter concern simmers: the potential vulnerability it poses to systems we've long taken for granted, including Bitcoin and the broader internet infrastructure that underpins our daily lives. This isn't about doomsday scenarios or overnight collapses. It's about recognizing a foreseeable challenge and preparing for it with the same deliberate foresight that has defined Bitcoin's resilience over 16 years. A recent post on X by Charles Edwards of Capriole Investments brought this into sharp focus, estimating that Satoshi Nakamoto's dormant 1.1 million Bitcoins—worth around $140 billion—could become targets for quantum decryption. https://x.com/caprioleio/status/1975356026791886987 His point isn't alarmism; it's a reminder of the incentives at play. As quantum hardware advances, so does the need for thoughtful evolution in our cryptographic foundations. Unpacking the Bitcoin Vulnerability At its core, Bitcoin's security rests on elliptic curve cryptography, a mathematical fortress that's held firm against classical computers. But quantum algorithms like Shor's could unravel these defenses by solving discrete logarithm problems in polynomial time—a feat that would take classical machines eons. The most exposed assets? Early Bitcoin addresses from 2009–2010, which used Pay-to-Public-Key (P2PK) formats. Here, public keys are plainly visible on the blockchain, inviting direct attacks once quantum thresholds are crossed. Roughly a quarter of all Bitcoin—about 4 million BTC, or half a trillion dollars—sits in such vulnerable forms. Satoshi's holdings, untouched since the network's dawn, exemplify this. A quantum machine with around 2,330 logical qubits could crack these keys in under a day, per current estimates - see cassiopeiaservicesltd.medium.com We're not there yet—Google's latest Willow chip clocks in at 105 qubits, and fault-tolerant systems remain years away according to Mckinsey. But progress is accelerating, with McKinsey dubbing 2025 the "Year of Quantum." Critics rightly note that most coins are safer in hashed formats like P2PKH, which only reveal keys upon spending. And dormant funds like Satoshi's stay hidden until moved. Still, the "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" strategy changes the calculus: adversaries could already be archiving blockchain data for future breaches. The U.S. Federal Reserve's October 2025 study on this very tactic underscores the privacy risks to distributed ledgers like Bitcoin. In game theory terms, a quiet heist—followed by discreet laundering—beats a noisy one every time. Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko echoed this urgency in September, warning of a "massive quantum threat" within five years and calling for Bitcoin upgrades by 2030. It's a legitimate risk, not because collapse is inevitable, but because inaction could erode the trust that makes Bitcoin more than just digital gold—it's a decentralized promise of immutability. Beyond Bitcoin: A Systemic Wake-Up Call Bitcoin isn't alone in this quantum crosshairs. The threat ripples across any system leaning on public-key cryptography, from RSA to ECC, which secures about 90% of internet traffic. Imagine a world where HTTPS handshakes crack like eggshells, exposing e-commerce, emails, and cloud data retroactively. The EU's Horizon program is already racing to "secure the internet as quantum threat looms," highlighting risks to VPNs, SSH protocols, and even critical utilities like power grids. A May 2025 ISACA report paints a sobering picture: quantum computing poses a "major cybersecurity risk," yet only a fraction of firms are prepared, with 95% lacking a roadmap. The U.S. Government Accountability Office warned in January that quantum could enable unauthorized access to sensitive systems, urging federal readiness. Microsoft's August announcement of its Quantum Safe Program signals corporate momentum, aiming for early adoption of post-quantum standards by 2026. The good news? We're not defenseless. Post-quantum cryptography—lattice-based algorithms like Dilithium or Falcon, now NIST-approved—offers robust alternatives. For Bitcoin, a soft fork could integrate these via proposals like BIP-340 (Schnorr signatures) or Taproot upgrades, shielding legacy addresses without disrupting the network. The crypto community has form here: we've weathered halvings, forks, and scalability debates with consensus-driven change. Broader infrastructure demands similar agility. Governments and firms should prioritize "crypto-agility"—systems that swap algorithms seamlessly. The SANS Emerging Threats Summit in June called this the "quantum revolution," urging defenses now to avoid reactive chaos later. Incentives align: quantum firms stand to gain from secure transitions, just as Edwards suggests they might eye Bitcoin's bounty. In our view, this isn't a threat to innovation but a catalyst for it. Bitcoin, born of cryptographic ingenuity, can lead by example—proposing a quantum-resistant BIP by 2026. For the internet at large, it's a call to invest in resilience, turning potential peril into enduring strength. Panic helps no one; preparation empowers all. As we stand on the cusp of this quantum era, let's choose steady hands over startled ones. The future of our digital trust depends on it.

A wave of globally coordinated legislation is reshaping the digital landscape, with far-reaching consequences for individual rights, online freedom, and personal privacy. Countries across the world are introducing or expanding digital identification schemes, internet censorship powers, and the ability to ban people from the internet—often without usual judicial oversight. This trend, long exemplified by China, is now advancing rapidly in Western democracies like the UK, Canada, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. ### UK: Digital Identification Goes Mainstream The United Kingdom has begun rolling out a mandatory digital ID system. By the next general election, every citizen will need a digital ID to legally work, and public agencies are increasingly requiring digital credentials to access services[1][11][12]. Officially, this is to boost efficiency and security, but critics point out that it establishes a national infrastructure for continuous surveillance and potential exclusion from everyday activities[2][3]. The UK’s Data (Use and Access) Act allows the government to regulate identity providers, collect data across agencies, and enforce usage of smartphone-based digital ID apps[3]. While the government claims the system won’t become compulsory “for everything,” the pressure to enroll is growing as more sectors—like alcohol sales, employment, and housing—adopt these digital checks[1][3]. Critics warn these changes can threaten privacy, enable state overreach, and limit personal autonomy[2]. ### Canada: Online Harms Laws and “Warrantless” Internet Bans Canada too is at the forefront with legislation targeting both digital identity and online speech. The controversial Online Harms Act (Bill C-63) establishes nationwide rules for policing expression online, forcing platforms to pro-actively remove a wide range of content deemed harmful or hateful—without requiring a court order or transparent judicial process[13][14][15][16]. Even more worrying for civil liberties advocates, recent cybersecurity proposals (Bill C-8) allow federal authorities to order telecoms to cut off any individual’s internet access, all without a warrant or court review. Appeals can only occur after the fact, and often bureaucrats—not judges—decide who should be disconnected from society’s digital infrastructure[17][18]. Expanded lawful access bills (like Bill C-2) institutionalize new warrantless surveillance powers, embedding them in unrelated laws with little debate[19][20]. ### China: The Longstanding Model for Digital Control China remains the world’s clearest and most extreme case: all citizens must use a state-issued digital ID to engage with public services, social media, or financial transactions[4][5][21][10]. The latest “Cyberspace ID”—rolled out in 2025—removes any possibility of online anonymity[5][21]. All these data points converge in the national social credit system, where both online and real-world behaviors are tracked, scored, and sanctioned. A low score can mean being banned from travel, blocked from buying property, or losing internet access entirely—sometimes for sharing dissent or questioning government policy[22][5]. ### The European Union: Digital Identity Wallets Roll Out Not to be outdone, the European Union this year finalized regulations requiring every member state to recognize a European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet by 2026[6][9][23]. These wallets can bundle eID, health data, academic records, and more, and must be accepted by both governments and major digital platforms. While the EU frames this as empowering and privacy-respecting, the legal infrastructure for continent-wide control and surveillance is being laid down—potentially available for future expansion or misuse[6][9]. ### Australia: Formalizing the Digital ID System Australia is finalizing accreditation rules for public and private digital identity providers under its new Digital ID Act[7][24][25]. Uptake remains voluntary for now, but regulatory powers are expanding, with social media age-verification and ID-matching proposals under review[26]. The proposed system seeks to ensure protection against data breaches and misuse, but growing integration with essential services could pave the way for a de facto compulsory national ID system[7][25]. ### New Zealand: Trust Framework and Social Media Restrictions New Zealand’s new Digital Identity Services Trust Framework will be fully implemented by mid-2025, promising privacy by design and “opt-in” participation[8][27]. However, related proposals to ban teenagers under 16 from social media and expand online age verification would require widespread digital ID usage, raising concerns about biometric data collection, the centralization of sensitive information, and the potential for broader exclusion[28][29]. ### A Global Pattern—And Growing Concerns - The technical and legal infrastructure for digital identification and access control is appearing simultaneously across diverse regimes—democratic and authoritarian[5][7][9][8]. - While each country claims to be “different,” all are converging toward tying real-world identity to digital life, increasing central oversight, and laying new foundations for online censorship or exclusion[5][9][7][8]. - The trend accelerates in response to crises (terrorism, pandemics, social unrest), with broad powers enacted “temporarily” but rarely rolled back. These developments pose urgent questions: Can digital ID, online censorship, and warrantless bans remain tools of safety, or do they create systems of unprecedented social control? History—especially in China—suggests the latter. As new models come online in the West and allied nations, the world edges closer to a future where access to the digital realm, and full membership in society, can be switched on or off at the discretion of the state[5][7][9][8][1][17][11][18][6][7][8]. Public vigilance, transparency, and energetic debate will be crucial—before the choice to opt out is gone for good. Sources [1] New digital ID scheme to be rolled out across UK https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-digital-id-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-across-uk [2] Is 2025 the Year of Digital ID in the UK? https://www.juniperresearch.com/resources/blog/is-2025-the-year-of-digital-id-in-the-uk/ [3] UK digital identity legislation passes another important ... https://enablingdigitalidentity.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/20/uk-digital-identity-legislation-passes-another-important-milestone/ [4] China Social Credit System Explained - How It Works [2025] https://joinhorizons.com/china-social-credit-system-explained/ [5] China's national digital ID launch. Simple, safe and private ... https://mobileecosystemforum.com/2025/07/15/chinas-national-digital-id-launch-simple-safe-and-private-or-a-dystopian-nightmare/ [6] The European Digital Identity (EUDI) Regulation https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/european-digital-identity-eudi-regulation-new-era-antoine-fusilier-eoufe [7] Digital ID Rules Consultation https://www.finance.gov.au/about-us/news/2025/digital-id-rules-consultation [8] Updated Digital Identity rules to bring safer, more secure ... https://www.dia.govt.nz/press.nsf/d77da9b523f12931cc256ac5000d19b6/819d0d6338ab4f91cc258ccf00017c12!OpenDocument [9] European Digital Identity (EUDI) Regulation https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eudi-regulation [10] China's new digital identity system boosts the government's ... https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/07/18/in-china-a-new-digital-identity-has-increased-the-government-s-control-over-citizens-online-activities_6743473_4.html [11] New digital ID will be mandatory to work in the UK https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn832y43ql5o [12] Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-introduce-mandatory-digital-id-cards-2025-09-26/ [13] Bill C-63: An Act to enact the Online Harms Act, to amend ... https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/charter-charte/c63.html [14] Proposed Bill to address Online Harms https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/online-harms.html [15] Survey of Online Harms in Canada 2025 https://dais.ca/reports/survey-of-online-harms-in-canada-2025/ [16] Canada's Online Harms Bill is Dead (Again) https://techpolicy.press/canadas-online-harms-bill-is-dead-again-three-questions-to-consider-for-the-next-round [17] Canadian bill would strip internet access from 'specified ... https://nationalpost.com/opinion/canadian-bill-would-strip-internet-access-from-specified-persons [18] Government needs to fix dangerous flaws in federal ... https://ccla.org/privacy/fix-dangerous-flaws-in-federal-cybersecurity-proposal/ [19] Privacy At Risk: Government Buries Lawful Access ... https://www.michaelgeist.ca/2025/06/privacy-at-risk-government-buries-lawful-access-provisions-in-new-border-bill/ [20] Bill C-2 FAQ: Explaining Canada's Dangerous New ... https://openmedia.org/article/item/bill-c-2-faq-explaining-canadas-dangerous-new-surveillance-law [21] China's giant new gamble with digital IDs https://www.economist.com/china/2025/07/01/chinas-giant-new-gamble-with-digital-ids [22] China's Social Credit System Raises Stakes for Dishonest ... https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-social-credit-system-dishonest-consequences-2025/ [23] New round of EU Digital Identity Wallet implementing ... https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/sites/spaces/EUDIGITALIDENTITYWALLET/pages/909706465/New+round+of+EU+Digital+Identity+Wallet+implementing+regulations+adopted [24] Digital ID | Digital ID System https://www.digitalidsystem.gov.au [25] 2025 Digital ID Rules and Accreditation Rules consultation https://www.digitalidsystem.gov.au/have-your-say/2025-digital-id-rules-and-accreditation-rules-consultation [26] Social Media Minimum Age – Fact sheet https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/social-media-minimum-age-and-age-assurance-trial-fact-sheet-july-2025.pdf [27] Trust Framework for Digital Identity Rules - dia.govt.nz https://www.dia.govt.nz/Trust-Framework-for-Digital-Identity-Rules [28] Privacy Commissioner's submission to the Education and ... https://www.privacy.org.nz/assets/DOCUMENTS/Submissions/2025-07-31-Submission-to-select-committee-on-online-harm-to-young-people-A1097517-A1107242.pdf [29] The Digital and Social Media ban – June 2025 https://shellockconsulting.co.nz/the-digital-and-social-media-ban-june-2025/

The Bitcoin - Gold trade is Wall Street's hot new trade. https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/bitcoin-perps-cryptocurrency-trading-leverage-238e53ff https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-gold-jump-stocks-dip-151338209.html

⚠️ **The Global Censorship Machine: Mike Benz Reveals What's Really Happening Online** ⚠️ In this powerful new episode of **The Winston Marshall Show**, Winston Marshall sits down with **Mike Benz**, a former U.S. State Department official and leading critic of what he calls the "Censorship Industrial Complex." Benz explains how recent laws like the EU’s Digital Services Act and the UK’s Online Safety Act are being used to drive global censorship—affecting not just Europeans, but everyone online. **Global Coordination:** He details the international web of NGOs and government agencies (often funded by the U.S. or UK) using AI and massive data to flag, throttle, or silence speech—even across borders. **Impact on Free Speech:** Benz breaks down how American and European regulators use the threat of massive fines and compliance requirements to control tech platforms—and why this means speech anywhere in the world can be subject to foreign censorship demands. **The Role of Elon Musk:** The interview covers how major changes to Twitter/X under Elon Musk dealt a blow to the censorship machine—by cutting off data access crucial for AI-based moderation. **Why This Matters** The episode makes a compelling case that these new digital censorship regimes are some of the most significant and underreported threats to free speech and democracy in the West today. **Why it’s significant** As Benz puts it, the machinery being built today has unprecedented power to decide what people worldwide can see and say online. The result is a creeping, industrial-scale censorship system—one that affects not just the fringes, but the public square itself. 👉 **Watch here:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZlnIO5kqJc If you care about civil liberties and the future of open discourse, this interview is a must-watch.

The market cap of NVIDIA (yellow line) has surpassed the entire Canadian stock market (white line) over the past 5 years, reaching $4.59 trillion compared to Canada’s $3.93 trillion as of October 1, 2025.

In 2025, the "Magnificent 7" (Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta, and Tesla) have contributed about 60% of the S&P 500's overall gains year-to-date.

Unveiling Paragon’s iOS Mercenary Spyware: Journalists Targeted in Europe In a major breakthrough for digital security research, Citizen Lab has released a comprehensive forensic analysis proving that journalists in Europe have been targeted by Paragon’s “Graphite” iOS mercenary spyware. This revelation shines a harsh spotlight on the evolving threat landscape faced by members of the press, and the concerning accountability gap around commercial spyware deployments. Key Findings Citizen Lab’s investigation presents the first high-confidence forensic confirmation connecting Paragon’s spyware with attacks on specific journalists. Two cases are documented in detail: one involving a prominent European journalist (whose identity remains protected) and another targeting Italian reporter Ciro Pellegrino. In both instances, the vector was a sophisticated, zero-click iMessage exploit, delivered by an account identified as “ATTACKER1.” The attack was meticulously crafted to leave no visible trace for the victims—a chilling demonstration of modern mercenary spyware capability. After the attack was discovered, Apple patched the exploited vulnerability (CVE-2025-43200) with the release of iOS 18.3.1, but the damage had already been done. The report links the two cases back to the same Paragon operator, suggesting a coordinated campaign against journalists. Case Details: Journalists in the Crosshairs The European journalist’s device was found to communicate with a Paragon spyware server hosted by EDIS Global in early 2025. Ciro Pellegrino of Fanpage.it was similarly targeted by the same attacker, following a prior failed attempt against his colleague Francesco Cancellato—something that points to a pattern of newsroom targeting. The cases add up to three confirmed European journalists targeted by Paragon spyware, though only two are backed by forensic evidence. The Italian Government Connection Official statements from the Italian government confirm that Paragon’s spyware has been used in certain cases, but stonewall on specific details regarding the identities of those targeted. Paragon, for its part, has offered investigative assistance, claiming its contract was “unilaterally terminated,” but this was denied by Italian authorities citing national security implications. Broader Implications: Accountability and Risk The forensic evidence underscores how readily commercial spyware can be deployed against the very people charged with holding power accountable. The absence of clear answers or transparency from the involved governments heightens risks for journalists and human rights defenders. The report warns that, in Europe, journalists who receive digital threat notifications should assume they are at risk, and take advantage of expert support networks such as Access Now or Amnesty’s Security Lab. Responsible Research and Ethics Citizen Lab conducted its research in accordance with University of Toronto’s research ethics protocols. While the Lab cannot offer individual support, it encourages those at risk to seek help from specialized organizations. Conclusion The Citizen Lab report serves as both a wake-up call and a blueprint for how digital threat investigations can bring clarity to targeted spyware campaigns. As surveillance technology grows more advanced, independent research remains vital for protecting press freedom and exposing the hidden actors behind digital attacks. Read the full Citizen Lab article here: https://citizenlab.ca/2025/06/first-forensic-confirmation-of-paragons-ios-mercenary-spyware-finds-journalists-targeted/ #iOSExploit #ZeroClick #Surveillance #Spyware #CyberThreats #HumanRights