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A couple weeks later, here’s the full writeup from Guadalajara 🇲🇽

Hackalajara 2.0, Startup Day GDL, the builders, demos, and everything that came together over two packed back2back days building hacking on Bitcoin.

⚡️Check out the full recap from [BitcoinNews](https://x.com/BitcoinNewsCom)

⚡️We are dropping all the videos on the [PlebLab YT](https://www.youtube.com/@pleblab)

Hackalajara 2.0: PlebLab Startup Day Guadalajara Recap - Bitcoin News

![](https://m.stacker.news/154683)


We are dropping videos this week from last month Startup Day. You can see them ad free on [PlebTV ](https://plebtv.com/pleblab)where you can change the language and zap the video or just check them out at [YouTube.](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvxf1TpXqCAKwoM64p906iHY8qH1oQ1rl&si=sRsq_x92gOPc7AIy)


🤙 Will be dropping more this week.

![](https://m.stacker.news/154679)

![](https://m.stacker.news/154680)

![](https://m.stacker.news/154681)

![](https://m.stacker.news/154682)

PlebLab Startup Day Guadalajara ⚡️

![](https://m.stacker.news/153894)

Earlier this year during SXSW, we tried something a little different. We called it the [**AI Startup Rodeo**](https://aistartuprodeo.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), brought a bunch of builders together in Austin, and spent the day talking about what was starting to happen at the intersection of AI and Bitcoin. You can check out the [full playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvxf1TpXqCAIZlmwv-nP4bfoJhdljx8W9) on our [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@pleblab?sub_confirmation=1).

There were demos, conversations, people showing unfinished things, people comparing notes, and a lot of the kind of energy you only really get when a room is filled with people trying to make something work.

To be honest, we did not really know what to expect from the first one. The idea had started forming toward the end of 2025, when AI was moving incredibly fast, PlebLab had just moved out of our previous hackerspace, and a lot of us were experimenting with Bitcoin, Lightning, agents, and whatever else we could get our hands on. There was this feeling that these worlds were beginning to overlap, even if none of us could completely explain yet what that would look like.

We were originally talking with Capital Factory about hosting the Rodeo there, but that fell through, so we pivoted and ended up doing it at [TCEA](https://luma.com/jvi9l17h).

That uncertainty was probably my favorite part of the whole thing. When we reached out to some of the sponsors we normally work with, more than one of them basically told us nobody in Bitcoin wanted this, as they were focused on stablecoins and other L2’s. And to be fair, nobody really had the answers yet.

People were just building.

But inside the lab, and around Austin’s growing AI builder community, we kept seeing something that felt important, **payments were going to matter.** If software was becoming increasingly capable of acting on its own, eventually that software was going to need a way to pay, get paid, and move value without asking permission every time.

Bitcoin and Lightning already had some interesting properties for that world.

To our surprise, the first Rodeo worked. Not because we had figured everything out, but almost because we had not. It felt like a different kind of builder conference for Austin, built around people showing what they were actually working on instead of pretending the future was already settled.

So we are doing it again.

On **Friday, October 30th**, AI Startup Rodeo returns to downtown Austin at **Q Branch**, this time during **Austin Tech Week** and, conveniently, right before Halloween. 🎃⚡️🤠

Read the rest on [Substack.](https://pleblab.substack.com/p/ai-bitcoin-is-riding-again)

AI × Bitcoin Is Riding Again 🤠⚡️

![](https://m.stacker.news/153848)

Startup Day Keynote by Gustavo J. Flores Echaiz, CEO & Founder of Aureo | Startup Day Guadalajara 2026

A story about persistence, building with people you trust, and what it actually takes to turn years of working in Bitcoin into a company.

Gustavo J. Flores Echaiz, CEO and Founder of Aureo, takes the Startup Day Guadalajara stage to share the journey behind Aureo, from discovering Bitcoin more than a decade ago and building his first mining startup with friends in Canada, to organizing Bitcoin communities across Montreal, Querétaro, and Mexico City, and eventually building a Bitcoin company focused on the realities of living and doing business in Mexico.

Gustavo walks through the evolution from Verify to Swapido and ultimately Aureo, explaining how the team started by solving a problem they experienced themselves: earning in Bitcoin while needing a simple way to move between Bitcoin and Mexican pesos. He shares the lessons that came from building on Lightning, depending on outside infrastructure, rebuilding their own banking integrations, raising $1.1 million, and continuing to adapt the product as the company grew.

The keynote also looks at Aureo today, including its direct to wallet and direct to bank products, more than 1,500 signups, 10,000 transactions, and roughly 40 million pesos in volume. Gustavo also announces two new services from the Startup Day stage: a way to buy or sell real estate in Mexico using Bitcoin and the return of third party Bitcoin payouts to Mexican bank accounts.

*Recorded live on the Main Stage at PlebLab Startup Day Guadalajara 2026 at Ciudad Creativa Digital in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.* [*Subscribe to PlebLab YouTube*](https://www.youtube.com/@pleblab?sub_confirmation=1) *for more videos from Startup Day coming out soonish!*

Gustavo J. Flores Echaiz, CEO, Founder of Aureo | Startup Day Guadalajara 2026

![](https://m.stacker.news/152307)

Kicks off next week! Use code `STACKER` to save [21% on your ticket!](https://pay.zaprite.com/pl_59O2ifDv3y)

@Car will be streaming live from GDL next week for SNL. If your in Texas, flights are lowest out of San Antonio, will also be doing Hackalajara 2.0 on Thursday at the GDL Bitcoin hackerspace called Stacker Space.

Our friend Gustavo will be doing the keynote this year! You might know him from Bitcoin Optech Podcast, but he also runs one of the Bitcoin exchanges in Mexico.

![](https://m.stacker.news/152305)

The afterparty will be at a local establishment that is ran by bitcoiners who take bitcoin for Pizza and Beer, how cool is that!
![](https://m.stacker.news/152306)

⚡️See ya there Stackers!

⚡️ Startup Day Guadalajara - August 20–21, 2026

builders

![](https://m.stacker.news/123823)

Stablecoins are having a real moment, and it makes sense. This is infrastructure maturing, not some magic overnight reset.

@Roy at [Breez](https://breez.technology/) put it [plainly](https://blog.breez.technology/stablecoins-evolution-not-a-revolution-cc120bce9cde), _“They’ve grown from practically nothing at the turn of the decade to a market cap in the mid-12 digits and monthly transaction volumes in excess of $1 trillion. Citigroup expects the aggregate stablecoin market cap to hit around [$2 trillion](https://www.citigroup.com/rcs/citigpa/storage/public/GPS_Report_Stablecoins_2030.pdf) by the end of the decade.”_

That’s the macro story.

And if you’re building in AI right now, you’ve felt the other side of that story too.


The capital moats have already formed around the most crowded AI sectors.

As a founder, trying to break into a brigade of “good enough” clones can feel like running through the walls of Troy in the dead of night.

The gates are unguarded, the courtyard is packed, and every path looks like it’s already been staked a claim.

The concepts are new, but the expectations are brutal.

You’re asked to ship, differentiate, and find product fast inside a market that moves quicker than it can monetize.  

And as capital moves downstream from pure infrastructure into 2026, the pressure shifts from “can you build it” to “can you turn it into real revenue with real customers” on terrain that still feels artificial and unsettled.

That can sound like bad news.

But at PlebLab we believe that it’s usually the opposite.

Because the main gate is where everyone is fighting, and the edges are where builders actually win.

Real innovation doesn’t announce itself from the center of the city.  
It shows up in the blind spots, always shows itself around the edges, the places that are unclaimed.

Because here’s the shift a lot of people still haven’t internalized...

Read the rest at [Pulse/PlebLab](https://pulse.pleblab.dev/p/3af5a61e-e591-48cc-9060-7a2a68100f94)

The AI Lightning Layer: Bringing Clarity to Complexity

![](https://m.stacker.news/121369)

At PlebLab, we get to see builders ship stuff every week out of the hackerspace. 

What are you building this week?

It can be small or big
• a Lightning idea or side project
• a new feature for your startup
• a script or tool to scratch your own itch
• a landing page, pitch deck, or prototype
• maintenance, refactors, or docs you’ve been dodging

Drop a comment with:
• What you’re building
• Why it matters (for you, users, or Bitcoin)
• What “done” looks like


What Are You Building This Week? - Week of Dec 10th, 2025

![](https://m.stacker.news/120558)

At the early stage, metrics are not about building a fancy dashboard.

They’re about answering three simple questions:

- Is the thing growing, even a little, every week?
- Is sats flow starting to look like a system, not a one-off tip?
- Most importantly is this a product that people actually love?

Everything else is just different camera angles on those three questions.

This post is a guide for PlebLab Startup School teams past and future:

- the few numbers that actually matter
- how to think about “benchmarks” without LARPing
- and most importantly how to wire all of this into a Bitcoin / Lightning reality candidly

At the end, I will point you to a Markdown file with the actual PlebLab Investor Update template you can remix and or copy to ship every month to us.

Read more at [pulse.pleblab.dev](https://pulse.pleblab.dev/)

PlebLab Investor Update: The Magic of Compound Growth

![](https://m.stacker.news/120379)

At PlebLab, we get to see builders ship stuff every week out of the hackerspace. Feels like a good time to open that energy up here too.

What are you building this week?

It can be small or big
• a Lightning idea or side project
• a new feature for your startup
• a script or tool to scratch your own itch
• a landing page, pitch deck, or prototype
• maintenance, refactors, or docs you’ve been dodging

Drop a comment with:
• What you’re building
• Why it matters (for you, users, or Bitcoin)
• What “done” looks like

What Are You Building This Week?

![](https://m.stacker.news/118063)

[Bitcoin Builders Club](https://x.com/BTCBuildersClub) is your monthly hangout in Austin, Texas, for devs, hackers, and founders come together to share ideas, demo projects, and explore the cutting edge of what's possible. Whether hacking on Bitcoin Lightning, developing open-source tools, or launching your next startup, this is your space to build in public, connect with peers, and get real-time feedback from a community of open-source creators.

​Every month, expect Austin-style hospitality featuring homestyle food prepared by a local chef, cold drinks, and vibrant conversations with fellow hackers, builders, and founders dedicated to pushing bitcoin innovation forward in Austin.

------------

## What to Expect:

Start BBC: 6:15 PM
Car will discuss community updates and other Austin Bitcoin scene happenings.

Networking, Food & Hack & Tell: 6:20 PM
Meet friends as everyone pours in and gets settled before the main event. Homestyle food and cold drinks will be provided by Chef Johnny Ochoa. Eat, drink, and enjoy while catching some Hack & Tell updates from local builders.

## ~Builders updates:

1. [Lightswap Video Update:](https://stacker.news/items/1284962)
2. [When Women Build, Freedom Follows: Meet the Hackers of Hack4Freedom - ⚡️ Eventoo](https://stacker.news/items/1282783)
3. [Looking for feedback on our new Bitcoin business website - thanks!](https://stacker.news/items/1278578)
4. [Plunda adds Bonds](https://stacker.news/items/1277974)
5. [Update 10/06/25 | ZatoBox: language migration, ZatoLink beta, and HRF submission](https://stacker.news/items/1249473)
6. [Proposal for Improving Wallet of Satoshi](https://stacker.news/items/1239637)

## ​Builder Fireside Chat: 7:00 – 8:15 PM

![](https://m.stacker.news/118065)

With Zach from [Trammell Venture Partners.](https://tvp.fund) A founder first session linking Bitcoin builder culture with business execution.

Topics include:

• TVP’s Bitcoin native thesis and evaluation checklist
• Pre seed trends and what great looks like at day zero
• Portfolio takeaways where focus, product truth, and early revenue created momentum

We wrap with open Q&A and a room wide discussion.

Late to the party? Come on in. There’s still plenty of time for any questions, conversations, and meeting good people building on Bitcoin.

------------

## Event Sponsors

![](https://m.stacker.news/118066)

[Capital Factory](https://capitalfactory.com/)
Austin's Center of Gravity for Entrepreneurs. Learn. Work. Accelerate.

[PlebLab](https://pleblab.dev)
Supporting thousands of builders shaping Bitcoin’s future. Hackerspace & Community Accelerator for the Bitcoin Era in Austin, Texas since 2021.

Austin // Bitcoin Builders Club: November 17th, 2025

Lightswap Video Update

![](https://m.stacker.news/116984)

## The next wave of Bitcoin meetups will be different:)

The next wave of Bitcoin meetups isn’t cheering candles, it’s shipping products.

From Austin to SF to Miami and Vancouver, builder-driven meetups are flipping the script: less “wen moon,” more “here’s what I’m building, try to break it.”

### Why this shift matters

Builder meetups:

• Turn spectators into contributors  
• Connect designers, devs, founders, and operators around real problems  
• Prioritize code, product, and users over speculation  
• Create surface area for actual companies, open-source tools, and jobs  

This is how Bitcoin escapes echo chambers and becomes infrastructure.

### Builder hubs leading the way

**Austin – Bitcoin Builder ATX ([@BTCBuildersClub](https://x.com/BTCBuildersClub))**  
Monthly hangout in the heart of the startup scene where devs, hackers, and founders demo, get feedback, and iterate in public.  
Site: [bitcoinbuilderatx.com](https://bitcoinbuilderatx.com)

**Miami – ₿uilder Miami ([@BuilderMiami](https://x.com/BuilderMiami))**  
Sessions centered on product, design, and AI-powered workflows for builders using Bitcoin rails.  
Site: [buildermiami.xyz](https://buildermiami.xyz)

**San Francisco – ₿uilder SF ([@bBuilderSF](https://x.com/bBuilderSF))**  
GitHub-first energy. Collaborative, code-forward, focused on real-world Bitcoin tools.  
Repo: [github.com/BitcoinBuilderSF](https://github.com/BitcoinBuilderSF)

**Vancouver – Bitcoin Builder Vancouver ([@BitcoinBuilderVan](https://x.com/BitcoinBuilderVan))**  
Monthly meetup focused on product, design, and AI tools for those building on Bitcoin.  
Site: [bitcoinbuildervan.com](https://bitcoinbuildervan.com)


### Call to action

If there’s a Builder meetup near you, show up.  
If there isn’t one yet, that’s your signal to start it. ⚡️



Bitcoin Builder Meetups - The next wave of Bitcoin meetups will be different!

Fueling Bitcoin Innovation & Austin’s Bitcoin Revolution: Car on PlebLab Mission

_Sharing this Early Days episode early with the ~builders crew. It goes world wide tomorrow at noon. Muzz has been in the PL corner since we got into Bitcoin. LV is an investor in PlebLab. Muzz is also one of the ecosystem’s most candid voices. Honest takes are rare in VC; like it or not he brings them. We recorded this about two months ago. - Car_

--- 

E A R L Y D A Y S with Muzz of Lightning Ventures

![](https://m.stacker.news/110132)

---

# Summary

In this episode, Car talks with Muzz of Lightning Ventures about the real mechanics of funding Bitcoin startups. Muzz traces his path from early Bitcoin ATM experiments to running the world’s largest Bitcoin angel investing network, then breaks down what investors look for, how consistent updates change outcomes, and why Bitcoin founders are unusually resilient. He also introduces Thunder Funder, an equity crowdfunding platform built for Bitcoin companies, and maps the growing community, capital, and playbooks available to builders. Whether you are writing your first investor update or exploring your first check, this conversation delivers clear, usable advice for Bitcoin founders.

---

https://streamable.com/l/pakzwo/mp4-mobile.mp4

Chapters:

03:29 Building A Bitcoin Only Syndicate
06:32 The Importance of Investor Updates and Communication
09:27 Challenges of Raising Capital in the Bitcoin Space
12:27 Comparing Bitcoin and Traditional Investment Models
15:30 The Unique Resilience of Bitcoin Founders
18:25 Understanding the Hurdles of Bitcoin Investments
24:23 Navigating the VC Landscape in Bitcoin
30:35 Future Plans for PL Startup School
35:10 Building a Bitcoin Company
39:41 The Austin Bitcoin Scene
40:40 Thunder Funder: Equity Crowdfunding for Bitcoin Startups
44:36 Lessons Learned Navigating the Crowdfunding Landscape
48:18 Changes in Accreditation and Regulation
54:35 The Evolution of Lightning Ventures


Learn more about *Lightning Ventures*: https://ltng.ventures

---

# Listen + Support Early Days

🌳 LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/earlydays21
🟡 Fountain: https://fountain.fm/show/r6iQml5mSq3a2gmsRxex
🟠 PlebTV: https://www.plebtv.com/PLvxf1TpXqCAID5M_k5VkwrURU2M8YYGpZ/5bRR8UEUckY

---



E A R L Y D A Y S with Muzz of Lightning Ventures

![](https://m.stacker.news/109333)

Bitcoin Builders Club is your monthly hangout in Austin, Texas, for devs, hackers, and founders come together to share ideas, demo projects, and explore the cutting edge of what's possible. Whether hacking on Bitcoin Lightning, developing open-source tools, or launching your next startup, this is your space to build in public, connect with peers, and get real-time feedback from a community of open-source creators.

Learn more about Jimmy Song:
https://programmingbitcoin.com

Follow Jimmy Song on Twitter:
https://x.com/jimmysong

Follow Jimmy Song on Nostr:
https://primal.net/jimmysong

Bitcoin Builders Club - Jimmy Song | BBC #3

Stacker Saloon

saloon

Fractional Sales Lead (Sponsorships) - Bitcoiner Job (Part-Time)

@PlebLab's bio

updated for you siggy! will add more in the future

![Early Days with Solo Satoshi](https://m.stacker.news/97072)

# Summary

In this episode of *Early Days*, Car sits down with Matt of Solo Satoshi to discuss the rise of Bitaxe and its impact on home mining. They explore the possibilities of home mining, the importance of decentralization, and how community support fuels resilience when building a Bitcoin business.

https://streamable.com/l/ou19o1/mp4.mp4

# Chapters

- **02:43** – Bitaxe Open Source Movement  
- **03:49** – Creating Solo Satoshi  
- **17:01** – Differentiating in the Bitaxe Market  
- **24:37** – The Sovereign Bitcoin Stack  
- **30:31** – Bitaxe Operations and Challenges  
- **42:04** – Home Mining Competition  
- **51:49** – Importance of Integrity  
- **01:02:04** – The Evolution of Bitcoin Adoption  
- **01:12:43** – Plans for Solo Satoshi  

# Learn More

- Follow Matt on [X](https://x.com/MattSoloSatoshi)  
- Follow Solo Satoshi on [X](https://x.com/SoloSatoshi)  
- Learn more about [Solo Satoshi](https://www.solosatoshi.com)  
- Explore [Bitaxe Open Source](https://bitaxe.org)


E A R L Y D A Y S with Matt of Solo Satoshi

_had the idea of getting Kilian on Early Days after I saw the AMA on SN https://stacker.news/items/932297 Had a blast talking with him, he was very open about what all the pain points were building a company like Boltz...enjoy stackers...certified fresh ep recorded this yesterday at noon. -Car_


![](https://m.stacker.news/95995)

# Summary

In this episode of _Early Days,_ Car sits down with Kilian, Co-founder and CEO of Boltz, to explore the inception and evolution of the platform—designed to enable non-custodial swaps across Bitcoin layers. Kilian shares insights into the early challenges of the Lightning Network, the integration of Liquid for more efficient transactions, and the ongoing pursuit of privacy in Lightning payments.

https://streamable.com/l/ndfkh4/mp4-mobile.mp4

# Chapters

03:38 How Boltz Evolved
06:16 Liquid’s Role in Lightning
09:25 User Experience and Wallet Integration
12:31 The Boltz Founders Journey 
15:30 Technical Challenges and Node Management
18:27 Legal Considerations: Structuring a Non-Custodial Business
21:39 The Future of Lightning Network and Privacy Concerns
41:52 How Private is Lightning?
45:16 Bolt12 in Focus
48:55 Compliance Challenges in an Open Bitcoin Ecosystem
52:10 Rethinking Liquid
59:28 Lightning Network and Channel Management

# Learn More

Follow Kilian on [X](https://x.com/kilrau)  
Learn more about [Boltz](https://boltz.exchange)

E A R L Y D A Y S with Kilian of Boltz

PlebLab newsletter for June 2025.

![](https://m.stacker.news/95138)