When Software Becomes the Enemy

A government tried to install spyware on every device in the country. A prominent family watched nine figures in memecoin gains vanish. And a hardware wallet company partnered with Lamborghini to sell you the dream of "making it".

Meanwhile, Bitcoin just kept producing blocks as it always does.

Three stories, but all with the same lesson. Everyone's still looking for shortcuts - and the shortcuts keep failing.

This week: India's surveillance app vs. Apple. Trump’s crypto losses pile up. Ledger x Lamborghini and the Fartcoin ring.

1. When "Security" Becomes Surveillance

India's government tried something bold last week: mandate that every smartphone sold in the country come preloaded with a government app called Sanchar Saathi that users couldn't delete or disable.

The justification? Cybersecurity. The reality? A backdoor into every device in the world's largest smartphone market.

Apple said no.

The company reportedly told India's telecom ministry it doesn't comply with government-mandated app installations anywhere in the world. Within days, India reversed course entirely. The app is now ‘voluntary’.

This isn't just about India. I break down the global pattern - and why I think Bitcoiners should be on high alert:

The UK also tried something similar earlier this year, demanding Apple build a backdoor into iCloud encryption. Apple pulled its Advanced Data Protection feature from UK users rather than comply.

Governments keep wrapping surveillance in the language of "security" and "protection" to justify reaching into private devices and data, and this is exactly why Bitcoin matters.

It's the one monetary system that doesn't require permission from anyone, that can't be shut down by a government decree, and that doesn't need to be preloaded on your device by a ministry that promises it's definitely not snooping.

Moves like India's are why self-custody matters. Your keys, your coins, no government app required. Rhino makes stacking on autopilot simple [Set up auto-stack].

2. Utility Wins, Hype Loses

The market is doing what markets eventually do: separating substance from speculation.

Trump family crypto ventures have shed over nine figures in value since September. World Liberty's token is down by half. American Bitcoin Corp crashed thirty-nine percent in a single day when restricted shares unlocked. The Trump memecoin? Down ninety percent from its January highs.

Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy's Strive sent a seven-page letter to MSCI this week, essentially begging the index provider to reverse its proposal to exclude Bitcoin treasury companies from major benchmarks.

The proposal would reclassify firms with more than half their assets in digital currencies as "funds" rather than operating companies.

Strive's letter criticizes MSCI for departing from "neutrality" while simultaneously lobbying for rules that benefit its own positions. The company holds over seven hundred million dollars in Bitcoin.

When your strategy depends on convincing regulators to change their rules, you don't have a strategy. You have a lobbying campaign.

3. Stop Chasing Short Term Gains

Ledger announced a partnership with Lamborghini this week to launch a new type of Ledger Stax. The tagline? "Wen Lambo? Right here."

Consider this trade.

In 2017, someone bought a two hundred thousand dollar Lamborghini with 45 BTC. Those coins would be worth over $4M at current prices. The car? Maybe $160K. Bitcoin has outperformed Lamborghinis by roughly 25x.

And it's not just Lamborghinis. This week also brought us the crypto ring. TradingView partnered on a smart ring that changes color based on your altcoin portfolio. The promotional image showed it displaying Fartcoin's ridiculously overvalued market cap.

This is what short-term thinking looks like. Hardware that glows green when your memecoin pumps.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin dominance sits near sixty percent, up from thirty-eight percent in early 2023. When the noise clears, Bitcoin remains.

Everyone is looking for the next Bitcoin. The answer has always been the same: stack Bitcoin.

While Ledger partners with Lamborghini and TradingView makes rings for memecoin traders, Bitcoin continues on “tick tock next block” and Rhino makes stacking simple with industry-low fees.

The Final Word

India tried to install surveillance software on every device and got pushed back. Trump-branded crypto ventures bled nine figures. And Lamborghini wallets reminded us that some corners of this industry still think "wen moon" is a business model.

Through all of it, Bitcoin kept doing what it does. No government backdoors. No founder tokens to dump. No reliance on favorable regulations.

When everything else requires permission, Bitcoin doesn't. When everyone's chasing the next big thing, the biggest thing has been sitting there all along.

Forget looking for the next Bitcoin. Stack the real one.

Chat next week,

- Hector