Hey there, PoI readers! 💫

It's your favorite crypto connoisseur, Mochi, back with another serving of tantalizing tech and web3 news. From Tether's open-source mining revolution and the UK's crypto detective appointment to Durov's puzzling French predicament and traditional finance finally embracing blockchain, we've got a buffet of digital drama to digest. So, buckle up and get ready for a wild ride through the wonderland of crypto chaos!

INTEL BRIEF

🟧 Tether plans to open-source its Bitcoin mining OS by Q4 2025 to help smaller miners compete.

🟧 UK appoints first crypto specialist to recover crypto from bankruptcy cases as insolvencies surge 420%.

🟧 Telegram's Durov remains confused about his French arrest, claims company did nothing wrong.

🟧 Nasdaq-listed Netcapital acquires crypto protocol Mixie in reportedly first public company blockchain expansion deal.

Tether Decides to Open Source Bitcoin Mining Because Why Not

Tether's CEO, just announced that the stablecoin giant is planning to open-source their Bitcoin Mining OS (MOS) by Q4 2025. And honestly? It's about time someone threw the little guys a bone in this mining game that's become more exclusive than a VIP crypto conference.

Tether's MOS is supposedly scalable and modular, built with what Ardoino describes as a "peer-to-peer Internet of Things architecture." Translation? It's believed to be fancy enough to work with existing mining setups while being user-friendly enough that you won't need a PhD in computer science to figure it out.

The big promise here is that "a horde of new Bitcoin mining companies" will be able to jump into the game without getting financially demolished by expensive third-party vendors. Currently, large miners have massive advantages – better power contracts, economies of scale, and enough hashrate to make smaller operations look like they're mining with calculators.

This move fits perfectly with Tether's recent decentralization efforts. Remember when they partnered with Ocean mining pool back in April? Yeah, they're apparently serious about this whole "keeping Bitcoin decentralized" thing.

Meanwhile, the mining landscape is getting spicier than a ghost pepper. Some miners are pivoting to AI (looking at you, Hive Digital, who's making more from AI than actual mining), while others like Cango are doubling down on Bitcoin, generating over $100 million in just two months after ditching their legacy operations.

Tether plans to open-source Bitcoin Mining OS by Q4 2025 to help smaller miners compete

Current mining market favors large players with better power deals and economies of scale

Move aligns with Tether's decentralization efforts and broader mining industry diversification trends

UK Government Hires Professional Crypto Detective to Hunt Missing Digital Assets

The UK government just realized that when people go bankrupt, they might be hiding their digital treasure chests. Who could have seen that coming?

Meet Andrew Small, the UK's brand-new crypto intelligence specialist – basically the country's first official digital asset detective. This former police investigator with an economic crime background has been tasked with hunting down crypto that's mysteriously "disappeared" during bankruptcy proceedings. And judging by the numbers, he's going to be busier than a one-legged cat in a sandbox.

Crypto-related insolvency cases have exploded by 420% over the last five years in the UK. But wait, there's more! The estimated value of crypto assets identified in these cases has increased 364 times to £523,580 ($709,500). That's not just growth – that's a financial rocket ship to the moon!

Small's job description reads like a crypto enthusiast's wishlist: he'll be tracking down everything from Bitcoin to memecoins and NFTs. Yes, you read that right – even your beloved Shiba Inu coins and those questionable ape JPEGs are now on the government's recovery radar.

The timing couldn't be more perfect, considering crypto ownership in the UK jumped from 4% in 2021 to 12% in 2024. UK adults are reportedly holding an average of £1,842 ($2,496) in crypto. That's a lot of digital assets potentially floating around in bankruptcy limbo.

And if you thought this was just about recovery efforts, think again. Starting January 1, 2026, UK crypto companies will need to report every single customer transaction – names, addresses, tax IDs, the works. Privacy advocates are probably having nightmares about this level of surveillance.

UK appoints first crypto intelligence specialist as crypto-related bankruptcies surge 420% in five years

Andrew Small will hunt down hidden crypto assets from Bitcoin to memecoins in insolvency cases

New 2026 regulations require reporting every crypto transaction as UK tightens industry oversight

Telegram Founder Still Has No Clue Why France Arrested Him

Telegram, just sat down with Tucker Carlson for his first interview since French authorities decided to give him an unexpected "staycation" at Le Bourget Airport last August. And spoiler alert: he's still scratching his head about the whole thing!

The Telegram founder was arrested on August 24, 2024, and slapped with six charges including complicity in criminal activity, money laundering, and basically being the digital equivalent of a bad houseguest who won't moderate their platform properly. French prosecutors were reportedly feeling generous, threatening him with up to 10 years in prison. Talk about French hospitality!

Durov claims French authorities were acting like Telegram was "some kind of mystery" when they interrogated him about how the platform works. This is coming from a guy whose company is audited by Big Four accounting firms, works with major financial institutions, and spends millions on legal compliance quarterly. The man's basically saying, "We operate in almost 200 countries without issues, but France thinks we're digital pirates?"

The real kicker? Durov insists they "did actually nothing wrong" because French authorities allegedly didn't follow proper due process. When pressed about why his movements are still restricted, his response was peak confusion: "I'm still trying to find out, to be honest. I'm confused."

Carlson didn't hold back either, calling the arrest an act of "humiliation" and criticizing how publicly the whole affair was handled. Meanwhile, over 9 million Telegram users signed a letter demanding Durov's release – that's more signatures than most politicians get votes!

Since the drama, Telegram has hit 1 billion monthly active users, proving that controversy might just be the best marketing strategy in tech.

Pavel Durov still "confused" about his August 2024 arrest in France on six criminal charges

Claims Telegram followed all legal procedures and French authorities didn't follow due process

Over 9 million users signed release petition as platform reaches 1 billion monthly active users

Nasdaq Company Finally Buys Into Crypto and Stock Price Goes Wild

Netcapital, a Nasdaq-listed fintech that probably used to roll its eyes at crypto, just did something unprecedented – they acquired crypto-native protocol Mixie and basically announced they're joining the blockchain cool kids table!

This deal went down through Netcapital's portfolio company Zelgor for an undisclosed amount. But here's the kicker – a company spokesperson claims this is the first time a publicly-listed company has acquired a crypto-native protocol specifically to expand in blockchain.

Netcapital (ticker: NCPL) saw its shares surge over 16% on the news, and they're sitting pretty with a 48% gain year-to-date. Not bad for a nano-cap company with a $6.8 million market cap that's smaller than some people's crypto portfolios! The Boston-based company usually helps private companies raise capital through their SEC-registered platform – you know, the traditional "boring" finance stuff.

Mixie's tokenization infrastructure and its no-code Web3 gaming platform. Apparently, they're betting big on those "synergies between Mixie's tokenization capabilities and Netcapital's browser-based security offering." Corporate buzzword bingo, anyone?

But this isn't happening in a vacuum. 2025 is becoming the year of crypto M&A madness! We've already seen Kraken drop $1.5 billion on NinjaTraders, Coinbase shell out $2.9 billion for Deribit, and Ripple pay $1.5 billion for Hidden Road. It's like Black Friday, but for blockchain companies.

EARN'M CEO Dan Novaes thinks this consolidation trend will continue because the industry is still "overcrowded and overtokenized." Translation: too many projects, not enough winners.

Netcapital becomes first public company to acquire crypto protocol with Mixie purchase

NCPLNCPL shares surged 16% on acquisition news, up 48% year-to-date despite $6.8M market cap

2025 shaping up as record M&A year with major deals from Kraken, Coinbase, and Ripple

And that's a wrap, my lovely PoI readers! I hope this edition left you feeling informed, entertained, and maybe even a little bit richer (in knowledge, of course). From mining democratization to bankruptcy recoveries, from confused founders to corporate acquisitions - the crypto world never fails to deliver the unexpected! Remember to stay curious, stay informed, and keep spreading the love. Until next time, this is Mochi, signing off with a virtual high-five!

P.S. Don't forget to share your thoughts, questions, and favorite crypto puns with us. very voice matters in the PoI community! 📣❤️ Share the newsletter

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