🇹🇭 This week we have been getting out and about around Bangkok. There are tons of meetups and you can easily do something new and interesting every day. Below are a few of the things that we got up to this week.

• Benjakitti park walkabout - this is a fabulous park to visit any time but especially in the late afternoon when it is a bit cooler and the sun is beginning to set. It is a huge park with a lake and fountains and cartoon-style pedalos (very popular). Next to the lake there are two other parts to the park: one is a forrest (very nice) with smaller trees (4-7m tall) and the other part is wild-style area with waterways and lilly ponds and an elevated sky-walk. We joined a meetup with about 35 others from Asoke station. Recommended and they tell me it is nice to go in the evenings when the sky-walk is lit. There are also pickleball courts that are free to use and you can get a game with whoever is there!
• Bitcoin Satoshi Square - this is the regular Monday evening Bitcoiner meetup. You always meet some interesting people at these meetings and this time was no exception. Next week they celebrate their 10th anniversary here in Bangkok. Of course we will do that in a nearby Bangkok Sky-bar!
• Chatuchak Bike ride - took the MRT out to Chatuchak Park to meet up with with 20 or so people from all over the world for walk through the park and then cycling around, followed with a most interesting coffee and chat. Chatuchak Park is yet another surprise find - I knew the part near the market (it's OK but uninteresting); there is a whole other side of the park that I had never known about and this was a great way to explore it.
• BKK dev morning - midweek I joined this meetup of developers and digital nomads at one of the nearby co-working spaces. Once you work out how to get up to the 40th floor (hint: Skyzone lift) the space is nice to work and they have a handy cafe with coffee and snacks. You will get to meet an interesting cross-section of developers, digital nomads, entrepreneurs and remote workers. I used my morning there to write this newsletter - time well spent!

Coming up soon are bike rides in Ko Kret, Bang Kachao and Ayutthaya as well as a return visit to Chatuchak Park. So - what are you doing?

Declaration of the week

Another one that has been in my queue for a while. I am so happy that I pulled this one out and read it this week - you should read it too. You will be amazed.

Written in 1996, every word of this rings so true and is absolutely relevant today. Also noteworthy is that John wrote this in Davos, Switzerland, exactly where the Empire held their annual meeting 15-19 January - more on that next week.

And then listen as Max reads it to you and then discusses it in depth with Robert.

Read and listen to the above and then make your own informed decision. If you are in any way uncomfortable with your government and their perpetual waring, currency devaluation and the corruption of the so-called democratic process, not to mention all the other nonsense and destructive policies that they are enforcing - realise this:

More in this issue

• Photo memories - Benjakitti and Chatuchak parks
• Project Updates - Scaling: Covenants and Cashu
• Plenty of useful links - don't say nobody told you!
• Closing out - The Matrix Unveiled - Jason's analysis

🛠️ Project Updates

The following are updates from some projects that I am following, supporting and collaborating with. What are you doing?

Bitcoin Scaling - Lightning, Fedimint, Cashu and Liquid

It is important that we have options for scaling bitcoin and there are at least four for which development is well progressed and already available to benefit from. Listen here as Lyn discusses the need and these options with Peter straight talking on the problems and solutions that we are building:

After that I recommend you listen to this great interview of Max by Gabriel. So much of this resonates to me and you should establish your own informed position. A key point that he concludes on is that bitcoin core developers should not get distracted into covenant discussions while on-chain privacy on bitcoin remains weak - I tend to agree.

My view: The current crop of L2 solutions are working and have plenty of runway ahead - let them run and prove themselves before doing more in this area on bitcoin core. Instead, upgrading on-chain privacy is the more important issue for core developers to be working on.

Also consider carefully his somewhat controversial position that Monero (XMR) is yet another Bitcoin L2 solution when used in combination with Atomic Swaps - this too makes good, pragmatic sense.

In similar vein, the Aqua wallet that we talked about last week is yet another example of pragmatically using the scaling technology that we have available today (Liquid) rather than pushing for risky changes to Bitcoin Core. I am actively testing this.

So, what do you think? Talk to me!

Covenants - do we really need them (now)?

There is a LOT of discussion currently around covenants and how these could unleash all sorts of scaling possibilities for underlying bitcoin. This is absolutely the best introduction and explainer of what all these types of covenants might do or enable. Listen and learn.

And then dig into the details in this most useful Wiki:

My takeaways from all of this:

• changing Bitcoin Core is hard and rightly so - we need to be immensely careful to avoid unintended consequences
• as Max points out above, there are more important things to solve first - specifically on-chain privacy for example with signature aggregation (as is done in Monero). This could bring not just privacy benefits to bitcoin but also scalability increase.
• let the current L2 solutions run and bloom - they can prove themselves and this will help prioritise any further updates that are really necessary to Bitcoin Core.

Cashu is hitting it out of the park

I am running testing and Cashu and some parts have been developed here in Thailand. For me this is a great scaling option and it brings superb privacy to transactions. It has similarity with Fedimint (being a simpler setup) and this is allowing Calle (the lead developer) to develop all sorts of useful technologies that will be applicable Fedimint and other systems - eg Mint Proof of Liabilities.

Calle has pointed out this fascinating document from the past - read and learn.

🔗 Links for your edification

The following are links from my NetNewswire feeds - learn, enjoy and share.

One nation under blackmail

You likely want to inform yourself about the corruption around FTX - as such it should be no surprise to you the DOJ decided not to investigate anything about illegal political donations.

A former partner of Farmington State Bank, the tiny rural bank embroiled in the FTX scandal, is now building the rails for CBDCs in the Middle East and beyond. Their recent activities may finally reveal the true motives behind Sam Bankman-Fried’s and his allies’ use of Farmington, with major implications for the coming Digital Dollar.

As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth is, or claiming they have the answer, is likely leading you astray, for one reason or another. Stay Vigilant.

Elsewhere in East Asia

This is a most interesting assessment of the recent Taiwan Election and the subsequent happenings. As Lei points out this would seem to offer mainland Chinese an interesting blue print and it has grabbed the attention of mainland Chinese. There are also lessons to be learned for other elections including (especially) US, not to mention UK etc. She also suggests that there is now an opportunity for the “One China” narrative will be brought to an end.

Of course - a peaceful outcome is not what western propaganda channels wish to hear which is why you likely have heard nothing about this on your Mainstream.

Meanwhile - in the UK

A study cited in the UK press found that the excess deaths are primarily due to circulatory issues, not COVID. Thanks to the work of John Beaudoin, we know the COVID vaccine caused circulatory deaths.

And this is apparently the best that the UK can do - if you are not disgusted by your government and the corruption that is going on - I cannot help you.

James reminds us that it is time for everyone to speak up and reject the nonsense.

Not to mention this overreach by the European Parliament. Can you see any justification for this other than to hide evidence of crimes against humanity and to avoid public accountability?

Meanwhile - here in Thailand

At last truth starts to get out here too - of course they understate the harms and risks but with so many people waking up it cannot be ignored any more. This is just a "limited hangout".

Meanwhile in Ireland - it gets even worse

The Irish government’s proposed "hate speech" regulations are the single biggest threat facing free speech in Ireland today. Helen McEntee’s legislation threatens to criminalise individual citizens for the mere possession of material deemed to be offensive, even if they had no intention of sharing it with others if they cannot prove this to be the case. This innocent until proven guilty framework is fundamentally incompatible with the principles of our democracy.

If you do nothing and this goes through in Ireland - it will come to other countries too - Ireland is just a testing ground.

🤔 Closing Thoughts

I have highlighted many times the predictive programming and subliminal messages that are hidden (in plain sight) in The Matrix. Imagine my delight when Jason recently did his own analysis. He specifically avoids discussing all the analyses that you will find on the internet and focuses on his own original analysis and links with his body of research.

Click below to listen and learn as Jason goes through 26 clips from the movie and for each one he gives his insights and how they link with and support (or are supported by) the Archaix thesis.

So - what do you think? Had you spotted any of these or are they all new insights?

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No one can be told what The Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.
- Morpheus to Neo in The Matrix

Any questions or anything else? Feel free to comment below!
You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

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