Week in BTX: Friday March 4, 2022
Not your keys, not your coins. Get your Bitcoin off exchanges and into self custody.
As western based crypto exchanges respond to numerous government requests to blacklist customers from certain countries close to home and abroad…..a friendly reminder that not your keys, not your coins. Get your Bitcoin off exchanges and into self custody.
Not familiar with self custody? Get with Austin based Unchained Capital and sign up for their concierge onboarding like I did. No, they are not a sponsor, but they are the best in the business, and Texans to the core.
While you are at it, go ahead and set up a Bitcoin IRA too. No time like today to secure your financial future.
Pro Bitcoin Governor Greg Abbott handily defeated his Republican primary opponents and faces off with Democrat Beto O'Rourke in the general election in November 2022. Beto’s stance on Bitcoin remains to be seen.
Pro Bitcoin Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian advances to the Republican primary runoff election on May 1st, 2022.
General
Two MSM narratives are battling it out re Russia & Ukraine.
Russia is potentially using Bitcoin and crypto to evade sanctions.
Ukraine verifiably is raising millions in Bitcoin to fund its defense.
Austin Bitcoin accelerator Pleb Lab’s Lighting Escrow ⚡️ was accepted into the first cohort of the Tim Draper Bitcoin Studio. Lighting Escrow is currently in beta, finished version launching in Q3 2022.
Friendly competition is good: “Oklahoma, a smaller yet similar state with significant energy resources, a well-established oil and gas industry, cheap electricity, and local governments eagerly looking to attract investment and jobs. These characteristics and others could position Oklahoma to become a bitcoin mining hotbed in 2022 and beyond.”
Talent manager and media executive Scooter Braun (of Taylor Swift infamy) sold a lakefront Austin mansion for $18.5 million in Bitcoin — representing the largest cryptocurrency real estate deal in Texas history and among the largest in the country.
Public Policy/Politics/Regulatory
File under you can’t make this sh*t up: Congressman Van Taylor (R-Plano), who received backing from national crypto SuperPACs, self imploded and withdrew from the Republican runoff election after failing to receive 50% of the vote, due to an 11th hour disclosure of an affair with the infamous “ISIS bride.”
Pro Bitcoin Milam County Judge Steve Young lost the Republican primary election to challenger Bill Whitmire by 146 votes (3.5%). Judge Young was a huge proponent of the development, jobs and growth that Bitcoin miners like RIOT/Whinstone are bringing to rural Milam county. Bill Whitmire’s stance on Bitcoin remains to be seen.
Some Bitcoin twitter talking heads are upset at Senator Ted Cruz for “politicizing Bitcoin” during his speech at CPAC for saying that “China recently banned bitcoin because they can’t control it, which is the exact same reason Elizabeth Warren hates bitcoin.”
Senator Ted Cruz met with Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary and had a “fascinating discussion” on the future of Bitcoin and crypto.
Mining
The Beaumont Enterprise dives into Bitcoin mining, but fails to interview the hometown boys at Giga Energy……we are still early.
RIOT/Whinstone’s Rockdale, Texas facility now has over 10,000 S19j Pro Antminers hashing away using immersion cooling.
RIOT/Whinstone produced 436 BTC in February 2022 and as of February 28, 2022, Riot held approximately 5,783 BTC, all produced by the company’s self-mining operations. Riot currently has a deployed fleet of approximately 38,310 miners, with a hash rate capacity of 3.9 exahash per second.
Fox 29 San Antonio profiled RIOT/Whinstone’s Rockdale, Texas facility, “In the town of Rockdale, Texas a modern-day gold rush is booming.”
Argo Blockchain is refurbishing the community pool in Spur, Texas in Dickens County, the home of their under construction 200 megawatt Bitcoin mining facility.
Digital Wildcatters is bringing Bitcoin Mining to the Energy Capital of the World.
Empower will be the first bitcoin mining event with a focus on energy — bringing together energy, mining, finance, and other professionals in the city that powers the world. We are shutting down the streets in Houston for an iconic two-day event at 8th Wonder Brewery, where you will get to learn and network with energy producers, capital groups, miners, and other builders in the space.
Use code BTC-NEWS to get $50 off your purchase at checkout.
Events
Midland Bitcoin Genesis Meetup March 10 (Genesis
San Antonio Bitcoin Genesis Meetup March 10
SATSxSW events March 10-20, 2022 in Austin around SXSW
Pleb Labs Hackathon March 12-13 in Austin around SXSW
Austin BitDevs March 17, 2022
Digital Wildcatter’s Energy + Bitcoin Mining Conference March 30-31, 2022 in Houston ($50 of tickets with code BTC-NEWS)
Bitcoin 2022 Conference April 6-9, 2022 in Miami (10% off with code TEXAS10)
Austin Bitcoin Club April 7, 2022
Consensus June 10-12, 2022 in Austin
BitBlockParty June 10, 2022 during Consensus in Austin
Coin Center Annual Dinner June 10, 2022 during Consensus in Austin
BitBlockBoom August 25-28, 2022, in Austin
Texas Blockchain Summit November 18, 2022 in Austin SAVE THE DATE
LinkedIn says Bitcoin and crypto job postings grew 395% in 2021: 3x the tech industry. Have a Bitcoin related job you want to promote? Reach out!
Jobs
Rhodium is hiring 7 positions in Austin and Temple.
Satoshi Energy is hiring 5 positions in Austin.
Argo Blockchain is hiring Security Guards, Blockchain Mining Technicians, Facility Cooling Engineers and Facility Electrical Engineers for its west Texas facility.
Compute North is hiring Field Technicians in Grandbury
RIOT is hiring 7 positions in Austin, including Associate General Counsel.
Okcoin is hiring 4 positions based in Austin.
Poolin is hiring maintenance technicians and journeyman electricians in west Texas and corporate positions in Austin
Unchained Capital is hiring for 16 positions based in Austin & Dallas.
Lancium LLC is hiring for 6 position based in The Woodlands.
NYDIG is hiring 5 roles in the Houston area.
Compass Mining is hiring 1 position in Austin
The Blockchain Association’s job board shows 63 Texas based jobs.
People on the Move
Send me your career news!
Bitcoin Citadel
The 478 acre Winans Creek Ranch is on the market for about 158 Bitcoin and features large secluded grassland pastures, hilltops that offer long-range stunning views, and plentiful native hardwoods. Located in the "Heart of the Hill Country" the ranch is home to an abundance of native and exotic wildlife including axis, whitetail, turkey, and other native wildlife that thrive in the Bandera County area.
To Ponder While You Wander
“What is money? is a question that economists have pondered for centuries, but the blocking of Russia’s central-bank reserves has revived its relevance for the world’s biggest nations—particularly China. In a world in which accumulating foreign assets is seen as risky, military and economic blocs are set to drift farther apart. After Moscow attacked Ukraine last week, the U.S. and its allies shut off the Russian central bank’s access to most of its $630 billion of foreign reserves. Weaponizing the monetary system against a Group-of-20 country will have lasting repercussions.” - Wall Street Journal ($)