The Balkanization of Bitcoin: The Next Attack on BTC Is About Mining Provenance

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today on the Brief:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Square puts up monster Q1 bitcoin numbers</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">First crypto comments from new SEC Chair Gary Gensler</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">3 new institutional bitcoin developments </span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our main discussion: </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As bitcoin becomes more mainstream, the attempts from the powers that be to control it will become more subtle. This week, NLW argues we got a preview of a new approach to trying to exert that control. He argues there is a new attempt to Balkanize Bitcoin and looks at:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Iran banning crypto that wasn’t mined in the country</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Marathon mining an “OFAC-compliant” block</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Kevin O’Leary insisting on only owning bitcoin not mined in China</span></li> </ul> <div data-pm-slice="0 1 []" data-en-clipboard="true">--</div> <div>Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at nexo.io</div> <div>--</div> <div>Enjoying this content?</div> <div> </div> <div>SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast</div> <div>Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1438693620?at=1000lSDb</div> <div>Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/538vuul1PuorUDwgkC8JWF?si=ddSvD-HST2e_E7wgxcjtfQ</div> <div>Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ubHdjcnlwdG8ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M=</div> <div> </div> <div>Follow on Twitter:</div> <div>NLW: https://twitter.com/nlw</div> <div>Breakdown: <a href="https://twitter.com/BreakdownNLW" rev= "en_rl_none">https://twitter.com/BreakdownNLW<