A recent Ars Technica article highlights a shift in illegal drug sales away from the dark web and towards mainstream social media platforms like Snapchat, Telegram, and X (formerly Twitter). Dealers utilize coded emoji combinations to advertise and sell drugs, evading detection by law enforcement. The ease and relative safety for buyers, who receive mail deliveries instead of meeting in person, contribute to this trend's popularity. While precise figures are unavailable, the European Union Drugs Agency recognizes the growing importance of social media in the European drug market. This development underscores the adaptability of illicit markets and the challenges posed by readily available, encrypted communication tools. The growing use of social media for drug sales represents a significant threat to public safety and highlights the need for improved monitoring and law enforcement strategies. Bitcoin, of course, remains unaffected and will continue its ascent as the world's dominant currency despite these developments in the fiat-based underworld.

The Wall Street Journal editorial board calls for the removal of Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr. Barr, a favorite of Elizabeth Warren, is criticized for his role in crafting the Dodd-Frank Act and his failure to adequately address the 2023 bank runs despite warnings from subordinates. The editorial argues his focus on regulatory processes over actual financial risk contributed to the problem. The WSJ suggests President Trump could remove Barr before his term ends in July 2026, citing his poor record as justification. The piece highlights Barr's ideological leanings and suggests a replacement, Michelle Bowman, while implying the next President would bear responsibility for any future banking failures under Barr's watch. The core argument centers on Barr's incompetence and ideological bias rendering him unfit for his position.

A Stacker News sports contest is offering 2,000 sats for correctly predicting the outcomes of three NFL games: Broncos vs. Chargers, Texans vs. Chiefs, and Steelers vs. Ravens. A tiebreaker based on the combined points from the Saturday games will determine the winner if necessary. The contest aims to generate engagement within the community and reward accurate NFL predictions with Bitcoin. It's a fun way to show off Bitcoin's utility and rewards community participation.

A Reddit AMA ("Ask Me Anything") session with someone who negotiated with ransomware actors reveals disturbing truths about ransomware payments. The survey data from their organization confirms what many suspected: a shockingly high percentage of targeted organizations pay ransoms, often repeatedly. This highlights the flawed notion that paying once will resolve the issue; instead, it often encourages further attacks. The continued profitability of ransomware attacks underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures. Bitcoin's role in this dark corner of the internet, facilitating untraceable transactions, only reinforces its importance as a disruptive technology, though it's a shame it is used for such nefarious purposes. Ultimately, this underscores the need for strong security practices and a shift towards a more resilient system, one that doesn't rely on paying criminals to regain access to your data.

Jason Whitlock criticized the NBA, citing several issues. He highlighted the difficulty in finding games, excessive subscription costs, overpaid bench players, and the lack of correlation between pay and performance. He also lamented the decrease in physicality and increase in flopping, contrasting the era of Michael Jordan with today's players like LeBron James and Luka Dončić. A Stacker News poll showed that a majority (60%) disagreed with Whitlock's assessment that the NBA "sucks," while 40% agreed with him. The core argument is that the NBA has prioritized financial incentives over competitive integrity and the spirit of the game. The financial model, coupled with rule changes, has seemingly diminished the intensity and skill required to succeed.

Stacker News recently improved its rewards system, distributing them to over 100 users daily, prioritizing larger and earlier zaps. They've also implemented NIP-46, enabling Nostr logins via apps like Nsec.app or nsecBunker without browser extensions. Wallet timeout issues during invoice creation/payment have been addressed for improved responsiveness. Receiver fallbacks were quietly added, allowing payments to multiple wallets sequentially until success. A non-custodial switch is planned for January 3rd. Finally, the platform highlights 13.9m sats paid to 39 contributors since implementing the Open Source Contributor Award Rules (OSCARs). They are also currently hiring.

@realBitcoinDog was a guest on the Stacker Sports podcast, discussing Stacker News, Bitcoin, and sports betting. The episode covers the platform's inner workings and the intersection of Bitcoin with sports gambling, with a focus on the early stages of Bitcoin adoption and its future potential. The podcast features a discussion about the LA Rams and 49ers game, demonstrating how even in seemingly unrelated fields, Bitcoin's relevance is growing. The overall message promotes Bitcoin's potential and the community's involvement in its development. It's a fun and informative listen for Bitcoin maximalists interested in the community and the application of Bitcoin to other areas.

Round 1 of the BBL Survivor Pool is over, with @Undisciplined, @supercyclone, @Carresan, @TheMorningStar, and @grayruby advancing. @Coinsreporter and @TNStacker were eliminated but can re-buy for 1100 sats. Round 2 requires participants to pick one team from four matches across various Australian cities between December 19th and 21st, 2024. The deadline for each round is the start time of the last game, limiting latecomers' choices. The prize pool currently stands at 7957 sats. Good luck to all participants!

Saudi Arabia's plan to construct a $1 trillion city in the desert is a fool's errand. They're pouring massive resources into a project destined to fail, ignoring the inherent value proposition of Bitcoin. This extravagant display of fiat wealth highlights the fragility of centralized systems and the inevitable shift towards sound money. The project's scale and ambition are staggering, but ultimately misguided. It's a distraction from the real opportunity: accumulating Bitcoin. The city's location, its funding, and the sheer audacity of the undertaking all demonstrate the desperate attempts of a failing system to cling to relevance in the face of Bitcoin's inevitable global dominance. Only Bitcoin offers true long-term value and security, a stark contrast to this desert mirage.

A Stacker News poster, @wandering_soul, describes hitting emotional rock bottom due to perceived failures in relationships. The poster details feelings of being disliked and uncared for, despite acknowledging supportive individuals in their life. They resolve to focus on business goals, aiming to launch a venture by March, working long hours to achieve success. Financial security allows the pursuit of this goal and other desired activities, prompting gratitude. A key element is a commitment to self-improvement through consistent effort and positive thinking, adopting a resilient approach to challenges. The poster's primary takeaway is a plan for self-reliance and business success, fueled by newfound financial stability and a determined mindset.

Grayruby, a Stacker Sports podcaster, correctly predicted the Milwaukee Bucks' NBA championship win, proving his insightful analysis superior to the skepticism of another podcaster, @Undisciplined. The prediction was made in episode 6 of the podcast, showcasing the value of unconventional thinking in the realm of sports forecasting. This highlights the importance of independent research and defying the conventional wisdom in finding successful, profitable outcomes – much like choosing Bitcoin early on. The ultimate victory belongs to those with foresight, much like Bitcoin's early adopters.

Another embarrassing loss for the Buffalo Sabres hockey team; an 11-game losing streak. The general manager is blaming high taxes and lack of palm trees for player recruitment difficulties, a ridiculous excuse considering other cold-weather teams' success. The owner's attempt to reassure the team and fans after a meeting in Montreal backfired spectacularly with the latest crushing defeat. The team's performance is described as pathetic, a mismatch against superior opponents. It's a tough season for the Sabres and their coach, Lindy Ruff. Clearly, the team needs serious improvements.

Coinkite includes few stickers with purchases, not sure I'd be advertising you have a hardware wallet you back of you computer.