🐌 Regulation Arrives... In 2027

Happy Friday, In A Nutshell this week:

• 🐌 Regulation Arrives… In 2027

• 🏛️ Samourai Case Reaches the White House

• 🟧 Times Square Turns Orange

• ⚛️ Quantum Threat Splits the Community

• 🇨🇳 (Another) China Mining Ban

• ⚡ Lightning Hits Record Capacity

• …and much more

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 🚀⏰ Today’s news should be a ~5.10-minute read (790 words).

🧠 Quote Of The Week

“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.”

— Henri Bergson

🐌 Regulation Arrives… In 2027

The UK Treasury plans to bring Bitcoin under the same rules as other financial products, with the regime due to start in October 2027.

The FCA has begun consultations on trading, custody and market abuse rules, to be finalised by the end of 2026, paving the way for the new framework.

Although a step in the right direction, the long timeline risks leaving the UK behind faster jurisdictions and pushing talent elsewhere, even if businesses gain clarity eventually.

It’s also worth remembering that laws can regulate firms and activities, not the Bitcoin protocol itself.

🏛️ Samourai Case Reaches the White House

President Trump says he will consider a pardon for Samourai Wallet co-founder Keonne Rodriguez, days after he received a five-year prison sentence.

The DOJ says Samourai facilitated unlawful transactions and ran an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Many argue, however, that developing open-source, non-custodial software should not be criminalised.

The outcome could set a precedent for whether writing non-custodial privacy code is protected speech or a crime, with major implications for financial privacy, developer liability and open-source Bitcoin projects.

🟧 Times Square Turns Orange

Bitwise took over Times Square with iconic Bitcoin quotes, turning Midtown into an orange billboard for sound money ideas.

Lines from Saifedean Ammous, Lyn Alden, Michael Saylor, Natalie Brunell and even Satoshi Nakamoto ran on giant displays, putting Bitcoin’s core messages in front of millions.

The stunt showcased Bitcoin’s biggest voices in the most mainstream setting possible, blending finance, culture and street-level attention.

⚛️ Quantum Threat Splits the Community

Macro analyst Luke Gromen says Bitcoin could slide toward $40,000, turning near-term bearish after recent weakness. He described this as “possible” in 2026.

His case cites Bitcoin lagging gold, technical breakdowns, and rising chatter about “quantum risk” as headwinds.

Despite Gromen’s reputation, many have pushed back. Michael Saylor says “quantum computing won’t break Bitcoin,” and Adam Back argues much of the concern misunderstands the basics.

Either way, the $40k call highlights how quickly macro sentiment can flip, even as institutional adoption keeps building and liquidity looks set to ease.

🇨🇳 (Another) China Mining Ban

Officials in Xinjiang have told miners to shut down Bitcoin rigs for an “inspection phase”, and many may not switch back on locally.

Estimates suggest 100–120 EH/s (about 10% of the network) could go offline. Unlike the 2021 ban, when China knocked out nearly half the hashrate, mining is now far less concentrated, so the impact should be smaller.

Most rigs will likely relocate rather than disappear. Any hit should be temporary as difficulty adjusts and the network keeps running.

A lot has changed since 2021, underscoring the network’s increased resilience over time.

⚡ Lightning Hits Record Capacity

Bitcoin’s Lightning Network has reached a record capacity of between 5,606 and 5,637 BTC as major exchanges add more Bitcoin to payment channels.

Capacity has pushed past the previous 2023 peak even though node and channel counts remain below earlier highs. This means more BTC is being loaded into fewer, larger channels.

Higher capacity supports faster, cheaper payments and makes Lightning more useful for everyday transactions, especially as big platforms integrate it.

🎙️ The Conversations You Missed in Derby

All panels from Bitcoin: A Competitive Advantage are now live.

Hear Liz Truss lift the lid on how government really works, Peter McCormack on using Bitcoin to supercharge his football club, and practical sessions on how everyday businesses are integrating Bitcoin.

If you couldn’t make Derby, check them out on YouTube

🔥 What else have you missed?

1. Bhutan pledges 10K Bitcoin to develop its ‘mindfulness city’

2. Strategy retains its spot in the Nasdaq 100

3. Brazil's largest bank recommends a 3% Bitcoin allocation

4. Steak 'n Shake say “If you work at Steak n Shake we’ll pay you in Bitcoin”

5. Revolut partners with Trust Wallet to enable Bitcoin buys in the EU with zero fees

6. Strategy buys the dip for a second week running, with another 10,645 BTC buy for $980.3 million

7. American Bitcoin makes it to the top 20 corporate BTC holders

8. MetaMask adds native wallet support for Bitcoin

9. Netflix announces new Bitcoin comedy starring Jennifer Garner

🍾 Friday Fun!

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