
Independent media since 2017
The future won’t wait for you.
The Commoner by Marty Bent. Money, markets, AI, energy and privacy, every weekday.
Free, every weekday. Unsubscribe anytime using the link in each newsletter. By subscribing you agree to our Terms and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. Read recent issues.


Heat Your Home With Bitcoin Mining: The 2026 Guide

The Bitaxe, Explained: The Open-Source Bitcoin Miner Anyone Can Run

Supermarket Freezers Are Becoming Cyberattack Targets
New refrigeration incidents across Europe follow October’s French supermarket attacks. Preparedness and aggressive security work can keep an intrusion from destroying food.
"Bitcoin is worse, is better, it's simple, it's stupid." @MartyBent and @JohnArnoldTen31 on Bitcoin's small attack surface.
Liquid Federation says bitcoin reserves are fully restored, with 1:1 BTC backing back in place for all LBTC. In its update, the Federation said it is "pleased to announce that the network's bitcoin reserves have been fully restored, reestablishing 1:1 BTC backing for all LBTC." BTC<>LBTC swaps came back several weeks ago. Users can move between Bitcoin and Liquid at a 1:1 rate through participating swap providers. The reserves are verifiable. Users running their own Liquid nodes can check the Proof of Reserves directly.
"The market is getting antsy about the mystery box." @JohnArnoldTen31 on Red October and the AI trade.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco and pitched a three-phase US plan: stabilization, recovery, transition. The plan includes boosting energy production and reconnecting Venezuela's financial sector. x.com/secscottbessen…
"It's not for you and me, it's for like just a few users to go out and generate like a hundred X value on, you know, pharma pipelines or weapons manufacturing or whatever." @JohnArnoldTen31 on who the AI frontier is really for.
"Which begs the question, how smart do these models need to be?" @MartyBent and @JohnArnoldTen31 on what all that AI training compute is for.

Blockstream moves another 300 BTC into Liquid, cutting the backing shortfall to 250 BTC.

North Korea calls the $6.3 billion Binance heist claims "nothing more than absurd fabrication." KCNA issued the denial on Nov. 3, about two days after the FBI named Pyongyang as responsible.
Samson Mow says another 300 BTC has moved to the Liquid Federation wallet, cutting the shortfall to 250 BTC. mempool.space/tx/2701150a160…
"One being you're looking at the IPO and the emergence of one of the most dominant franchises and institutions, institutions in the history of mankind." @JohnArnoldTen31 on the Anthropic S-1.
"Bankers are more than happy to come in and sell these strategies to people and charge large spreads." @MartyBent and @BaronKoch21 on Bitcoin yield strategies.
SEC staff updated its crypto FAQ to clarify the token taxonomy. Q 1.4 says participants in a broad-based governance system generally don't form a "central party" if they're unaffiliated and don't act in concert outside that system. x.com/milesjennings/…
"Bitcoin is worse, is better, it's simple, it's stupid." @MartyBent and @JohnArnoldTen31 on Bitcoin's small attack surface.
Liquid Federation says bitcoin reserves are fully restored, with 1:1 BTC backing back in place for all LBTC. In its update, the Federation said it is "pleased to announce that the network's bitcoin reserves have been fully restored, reestablishing 1:1 BTC backing for all LBTC." BTC<>LBTC swaps came back several weeks ago. Users can move between Bitcoin and Liquid at a 1:1 rate through participating swap providers. The reserves are verifiable. Users running their own Liquid nodes can check the Proof of Reserves directly.
"The market is getting antsy about the mystery box." @JohnArnoldTen31 on Red October and the AI trade.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco and pitched a three-phase US plan: stabilization, recovery, transition. The plan includes boosting energy production and reconnecting Venezuela's financial sector. x.com/secscottbessen…
"It's not for you and me, it's for like just a few users to go out and generate like a hundred X value on, you know, pharma pipelines or weapons manufacturing or whatever." @JohnArnoldTen31 on who the AI frontier is really for.
"Which begs the question, how smart do these models need to be?" @MartyBent and @JohnArnoldTen31 on what all that AI training compute is for.

Blockstream moves another 300 BTC into Liquid, cutting the backing shortfall to 250 BTC.

North Korea calls the $6.3 billion Binance heist claims "nothing more than absurd fabrication." KCNA issued the denial on Nov. 3, about two days after the FBI named Pyongyang as responsible.
Samson Mow says another 300 BTC has moved to the Liquid Federation wallet, cutting the shortfall to 250 BTC. mempool.space/tx/2701150a160…
"One being you're looking at the IPO and the emergence of one of the most dominant franchises and institutions, institutions in the history of mankind." @JohnArnoldTen31 on the Anthropic S-1.
"Bankers are more than happy to come in and sell these strategies to people and charge large spreads." @MartyBent and @BaronKoch21 on Bitcoin yield strategies.
SEC staff updated its crypto FAQ to clarify the token taxonomy. Q 1.4 says participants in a broad-based governance system generally don't form a "central party" if they're unaffiliated and don't act in concert outside that system. x.com/milesjennings/…
The Commoner
Marty's daily dispatch. The most-read issues of the last 30 days.

The Cost of Doing Business

No Hedge on Earth
Oct 20, 2026
The Banks Above the Law
Oct 16, 2026
AI Found the Bug. Then It Leaked
Oct 22, 2026Podcasts
The latest episodes. Watch right here, or wherever you listen.
The Round Table
The room is open.
Where Bitcoiners stop reading about the future and start building it — monthly AI-implementation calls, a vetted network of operators, and research that actually matters.
$100/ mo · or $1,000 / yr
Level up- Live AI implementation calls and workshops
- A vetted network of operators and builders — no tourists
- Research briefs when they matter, not on a treadmill
- An always-on private Discord
- Ad-free podcast with post-interview recaps
The Commoner
Truth for the Commoner, every weekday. Money, machines, and the people trying to control both.
Independent writing by Marty Bent at TFTC since 2017. Money, markets, AI, energy and privacy, delivered free to your inbox.
Free, every weekday. Unsubscribe anytime using the link in each newsletter. By subscribing you agree to our Terms and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. Read recent issues.







