🌪️ Connection That Survives the Storm

Happy Friday, In A Nutshell this week:

• 🌪️ Connection That Survives the Storm

• 🐴 Strategy Breaches Wall Street

• 💰 From Crime to Collateral

• 🇬🇧 The Antidote for UK Builders

• 💪 Strength in Numbers

• 💼 Why Business Owners Are Turning To Bitcoin

• …and much more

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 🚀⏰ Today’s news should be a ~5.13-minute read (782 words).

🧠 Quote Of The Week

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

— Charles Darwin

🌪️ Connection That Survives the Storm

Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat has jumped to the #2 most-downloaded app in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa disrupts communications across the Caribbean.

Bitchat uses peer-to-peer messaging over Bluetooth, providing a way to connect without relying on centralised servers. That makes it useful when mobile data or cloud services are down.

The sudden spike suggests people are turning to tools that keep working when the grid doesn’t, demonstrating the real-world need for decentralised applications, especially in times of crisis.

🐴 Strategy Breaches Wall Street

S&P Global has assigned Strategy (MSTR) a B– issuer rating, the first credit grade for a Bitcoin-treasury company.

Despite the “junk” label, which reflects the perceived risk of a Bitcoin-heavy balance sheet, the rating marks a step toward mainstream acceptance.

On its Q3 earnings call, Strategy posted a second straight profitable quarter, driven by fair-value gains on its 640,808 BTC.

Taken together, the first-ever rating and strong results strengthen the case for potential S&P 500 inclusion in December. Strategy is infiltrating every corner of traditional finance, acting as a Trojan horse for Bitcoin.

💰 From Crime to Collateral

JPMorgan will allow institutional clients to use Bitcoin as collateral for loans, marking a major shift at the largest bank in the US.

The move comes despite CEO Jamie Dimon’s long-held scepticism; he has previously called Bitcoin a “fraud” and argued it is only used by criminals, sex traffickers and money launderers.

But this shift signals the bank’s acceptance of Bitcoin within traditional finance and recognition of its value as an asset.

🇬🇧 The Antidote for UK Builders

London-based Antidote has launched with £2.5m to support startups building on open technologies, with a focus on Bitcoin and fintech.

The programme, backed by VCs Fulgur Ventures and Initial Capital, targets areas such as Bitcoin infrastructure, digital identity, and next-gen payments.

The aim is to provide capital and mentorship to UK-based Bitcoin builders, keeping talent onshore and helping turn early ideas into scalable products.

💪 Strength in Numbers

Bitcoin’s computing power crossed 1 zettahash in mid-September and has already climbed to around 1.12 ZH/s, marking a rapid jump in network strength.

For context, it took nearly 11 years to reach 100 EH/s (Jan 2020). In the last six weeks, miners added another 100 EH/s, with a difficulty rise of about 6.6% expected next.

Growth is being driven by more miners coming online, better hardware, and deeper integration with energy systems.

A rising hashrate means a more secure network and growing investment in Bitcoin’s long-term infrastructure.

💼 Why Business Owners Are Turning To Bitcoin

We speak with UK business owner and Bitcoin Collective team member Jez Casey about practical Bitcoin adoption for companies.

Jez explains how lockdowns pushed him to study Bitcoin, why merchant onboarding is crucial for adoption, and the simple steps SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) can take to get started.

The episode is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify

🔊 More Speakers Announced for Bitcoin | A Competitive Advantage

We’ve dropped yet another heavy-hitting speaker to the lineup for Bitcoin | A Competitive Advantage on Friday, 21st November, Derby:

Peter McCormack — Postcast Host & Chairman of Real Bedford FC

From business leaders to independent thinkers, if you're taking action or ready to start, this conference is for you.

🎟️ Day tickets are now available and selling fast, grab yours whilst you can!

🔥 What else have you missed?

1. Coinbase increase Bitcoin holdings by 2,772 in Q3

2. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink says you own Bitcoin if you believe “countries are going to continue to debase their currency.”

3. Germany’s opposition political party (AfD) propose a national Bitcoin reserve

4. Ledn posts record bitcoin-backed lending volume as it surpass $1 billion for 2025

5. US Congressman to introduce bill that bans the President, his family, and all elected officials from owning Bitcoin

6. Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose spotted wearing a Satoshi Nakamoto shirt in El Salvador

7. Rumble partners with Tether to add Bitcoin tips for content creators

8. Nordic Bank Nordea to allow Bitcoin ETPs

🍾 Friday Fun!

This week’s crossword is now live - Play here

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