Month: April 2025

Bitcoin Magazine

Y Combinator Backed Theya Announces Bitcoin Solutions for Businesses

Theya, a Bitcoin self-custody platform backed by Y Combinator, has launched Theya for Business, a new solution designed to help companies securely hold, manage, and operate on Bitcoin.

The platform is targeted at a broad range of organizations, including startups, mining firms, corporations, investment funds, and service providers. Theya for Business aims to simplify treasury operations by eliminating reliance on custodians and reducing the complexity of traditional multi-signature (multisig) wallet setups.

“With Theya for Business, we’ve built more than a vault—it’s your company’s Bitcoin operating system,” said Joe Consorti, Head of Growth at Theya. “Our platform is designed to scale with any team structure and workflow, giving organizations the flexibility to run on a Bitcoin standard without sacrificing control or simplicity.”

Theya’s architecture allows businesses to create single-key or 2-of-3 multisig vaults depending on their operational needs. These vaults can be used for both cold storage and day-to-day spending.

Organizations can sign up and begin setting up their vaults via the Theya for Business website. Founded in San Francisco, Theya continues to build solutions that prioritize security, transparency, and ease of use for Bitcoin users.

This post Y Combinator Backed Theya Announces Bitcoin Solutions for Businesses first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Vivek Sen Bitcoin.

Bitcoin Magazine

The 14 Types of People You’ll Definitely See at Bitcoin 2025

Loud. Friendly. Huggy. The Bitcoin Bro is your hype man for hyperbitcoinization. He doesn’t know what “joules per terahash” means, but he’s onboard for the vibes and will yell “Buy the dip!” during your panel Q&A.

They party hard, orange-pill harder, and are basically Bitcoin’s version of a frat brother with a bull market pump tattooed on his calf.

Want to party with the Bitcoin Bros IRL? Secure your pass to Bitcoin 2025. No halving knowledge required.

Slicker than a fresh seed phrase, this guy’s teeth are whiter than your Lightning wallet. He’s rented a Lambo for the afternoon and drops your first name way too often, like he’s trying to sell you a time-share in the metaverse.

He doesn’t care about decentralization. He cares about gains, baby. And tailoring. Always with the tailoring.

The apocalypse isn’t a threat—it’s a plan. This dude hasn’t touched fiat since 2018 and bathes in non-KYC sats. He’s already learned to make his own soap and catch fish from nearby lakes and streams.

He’s not paranoid. He’s prepared.

Come swap survivalist soap recipes with fellow plebs. Get your Bitcoin 2025 tickets now.

Lives in a van. Pays for tacos with lightning. Might be hiding from the IRS (but only spiritually). They believe Bitcoin is peace, man. And also chaos. And also freedom.

Will fix your flat tire in exchange for a hammock spot and a cold yerba mate.

The unsung hero of Bitcoin. Speaks only in thermodynamic math and SATA cable specs. Makes ASIC firmware upgrades look like wizardry, but can’t explain what he does to his mom without her crying.

Definitely knows the precise BTU-to-wattage ratio for his off-grid, solar-powered mining container. Definitely doesn’t know what “small talk” means.

Don’t understand them? That’s okay. Join us anyway—they’re building the future while you tweet.

Yes, plural. Yes, anonymous.

They don’t want to talk to you. They don’t want to be on your podcast. They don’t even want you to know they’re here. Ask them when something will be done and you’ll get the sacred prophecy: “Two weeks.”

They are the shadowy super coders that Elizabeth Warren warned you about—hunched over ThinkPads, pushing protocol upgrades that will quietly redefine monetary history. You won’t recognize them. That’s by design.

Armed with a gimbal and a dream. Their camera roll is 80% memes, 20% selfies with CEOs. Some are here to spread the signal. Some are here for the clout. All are uploading something right now.

Will say “Let’s run it back!” at least 17 times a day.

You’ll spot him by the gravity-defying stack of laminated badges swinging from his neck like a wearable timeline. He doesn’t say much—he lets the passes do the talking. Each one’s a badge of honor. Each one says: I was there.

He’s not here to attend panels—he’s here to assert conference dominance.

Collect your first pass—or your fifth. Bitcoin 2025 is calling.

Branded polo. Branded backpack. Branded soul. You don’t even know how you ended up holding his business card. He’s not here to network—he’s here to execute. He moves in packs, wears his lanyard like a badge of honor, and will be back at the booth precisely 15 minutes after lunch.

Doesn’t talk about Bitcoin. Is Bitcoin.

Old-school finance dudes who smelled the smoke from Wall Street and headed toward the orange glow. Calm. Calculated. Dollar cost averaging into the sunset.

They don’t shill. They don’t yell. They just quietly stack and nod wisely at panels.

Sleeps 3 to a hotel room and burned half their Series A to get to Vegas. They’re pitching a new Lightning wallet-slash-social network-slash-AI market prediction engine and just need one person to believe in them.

Respect the hustle.

Come meet the future of Bitcoin—before they raise your next round. Bitcoin 2025 is where legends are born.

God bless them. They’ve been standing next to their Bitcoin-obsessed partner for three straight days, pretending to understand mining pool fee structures and nodding politely through 5-hour dinner debates.

They are the backbone of the conference. The true MVPs. Probably counting down the minutes to the spa.

Not who you think. No Gucci belts. No megaphones. Just quiet confidence, a phone permanently in hand, and a passive stake in something that’s quietly revolutionizing finance.

Some got lucky. Some built empires. All will ignore your pitch deck.

The rarest sighting of all: A woman. Yes, they exist. Yes, they know more than you. And yes, they’re already five steps ahead of your “Have you heard of Bitcoin?” icebreaker.

Bonus: They’ll probably be the ones explaining immersion cooling to you.

One Event. Endless Energy. Absolute Chaos.

Bitcoin 2025 is more than a conference. It’s a decentralized carnival of code, conviction, and characters. Whether you’re here to build, learn, chill, or meme—there’s a place for you in the movement.

Don’t miss your chance to see it for yourself. Get your tickets to Bitcoin 2025 now. Vegas won’t know what hit it.

This article was inspired by the video “The People of Bitcoin 2022 Miami Conference” by SPACE DESIGN WAREHOUSE. We acknowledge and appreciate the original creative concept, which served as a foundation for this updated and expanded interpretation for Bitcoin 2025. We encourage readers to view the original video and support the creator on YouTube.

At Bitcoin Magazine, we believe in the power of open-source ideas—because great content, like great code, is better when it’s built together. If you have something you’d like to see featured—whether it’s a video, meme, sketch, or spicy take—send it our way at marketing@btcmedia.org. If we use it, we’ll give you credit in the article and share your work with the broader Bitcoin community.

This post The 14 Types of People You’ll Definitely See at Bitcoin 2025 first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Josh Plischke.

Bitcoin Magazine

Ross Ulbricht To Speak At Bitcoin 2025

It’s happening! Everything we’ve fought for and more; Ross Ulbricht is free and he is coming to Bitcoin 2025! Bring your “Free Ross Day One” t-shirts to Vegas because he will be in attendance at the conference for the first time as a free man, in less than two months.

“Freedom is the emancipation from the arbitrary rule of other men.” —Mortimer Adler

Freedom means a lot to us bitcoiners, so when Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, a freedom fighter and a Bitcoin pioneer, was given two life sentences + 40 years with no option for parole, hearts and hopes sank.

All around the world we have advocated and fought for Ross’ freedom. From petitions to t-shirts, he was all in our hearts. Ross represents us in our bravest of times in our adversity, in our fight to do what is right even when it may seem wrong. 

After years of fighting, shouting, challenging, and campaigning, Trump made a promise that if he were re-elected he would pardon Ross. The question whether it would actually happen hung in the air for months. Then, on January 21st, 2025, Trump made true on his promise and it’s fair to say that it caused some commotion. Among the cheers and smiles, this moment showed us how far we have come, but is there still further to go from here?

The Bitcoin conference has always rallied the “Free Ross” movement. He’s not only one of us, but he is someone who has helped make bitcoin what it is today. We stood by Ross, and we couldn’t be more happy for him to come home. 

Are you ready to create a united front that makes a future we are proud to see? Then get your tickets now for The Bitcoin Conference. 

This post Ross Ulbricht To Speak At Bitcoin 2025 first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Madeline McCabe.

Bitcoin Magazine

Former CFTC Chairman Timothy Massad On Bitcoin And Digital Asset Privacy

While attending the MIT Bitcoin Expo this past weekend, I was afforded the opportunity to sit down with Timothy Massad, Research Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and former Chairman of the U.S. Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). 

Massad served as the head of the CFTC from 2014 to 2017, and it was under his leadership that bitcoin was classified as a commodity.

In recent years, Massad has shared his thoughts on what regulation around bitcoin and digital assets should look like. He’s appeared on Bloomberg to discuss the matter, and he recently testified at the first Senate Banking Subcommittee hearing on Digital Assets.

Massad considers the need to balance user privacy when using public blockchains with the need for the U.S. government to monitor the networks for illicit activities as one the biggest challenges that regulators currently face — and he doesn’t claim to have the answer as to how this is best accomplished.

He explained that it’s important that people cannot see the balance of our funds or the entirety of our transaction history when we do something as trivial as paying for a cup of coffee with a digital asset.

In our conversation, he stated that the innovator who develops the technology that finds this balance will have found the “holy grail.”

You can watch the interview here:

This post Former CFTC Chairman Timothy Massad On Bitcoin And Digital Asset Privacy first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Frank Corva.

Bitcoin Magazine

How Semler Scientific (SMLR) Escaped the Zombie Zone with a Bitcoin Treasury Strategy

In a recent interview with Bitcoin Magazine, Eric Semler, Chairman of Semler Scientific, shared how the company transformed its trajectory through a Bitcoin treasury strategy.

Semler Scientific (SMLR) is not your typical Bitcoin treasury company. With a strong cash position but years of underwhelming stock performance, the company turned to Bitcoin—not as a gamble, but as a strategic catalyst. What followed was a radical shift in valuation, shareholder engagement, and long-term positioning.

“We were the second U.S. public company to adopt Bitcoin as a primary treasury reserve strategy. Michael Saylor obviously is the quintessential pioneer, but we’re in that group.”

ACTIVISM MEETS BITCOIN CONVICTION

Semler joined Semler Scientific’s board just two years ago. “I became an activist on the Semler board. I wasn’t actually involved in the company until two years ago,” he said. What he found was a business generating cash but not being rewarded for it—“a zombie company,” as he put it.

“We had all this cash. It looked eerily similar to MicroStrategy in August of 2020. We had a very similar profile. A lot of cash. A lot of our market cap was in cash. We weren’t really growing.”

Rather than pursue an acquisition, Semler helped steer the company toward Bitcoin. “We needed to figure out a way to jump start our growth and we settled on Bitcoin, which was a great decision.”

A TRANSFORMATIONAL MOVE

Since announcing its Bitcoin treasury strategy, Semler Scientific has experienced a significant shift—not just in valuation, but in momentum and perception.

“Our stock at one point had quadrupled. Now it’s basically doubled… it was doing nothing for years, and it was actually going down for years,” said Semler. For a company long seen as stagnant despite consistent profitability, the Bitcoin move catalyzed a market reappraisal and brought renewed visibility to a previously overlooked business.

The internal response has been equally powerful. “Everybody’s fully on board,” Semler said. “It’s just been great to get this kind of electricity into our stock, into our company.”

What began as an activist-led effort to escape a “zombie” stock profile has become a strategic unlock. For companies with strong fundamentals but no growth narrative, Bitcoin offers more than asset appreciation—it offers signaling power, capital preservation, and a way to re-engage the market on new terms.

FROM UNDER THE RADAR TO THE SPOTLIGHT

For a company that had spent years overlooked by the market, Semler Scientific’s pivot to a Bitcoin treasury strategy didn’t just shift financial fundamentals—it dramatically raised the company’s profile.

“I had strong conviction in Bitcoin, but I had no idea what I was getting into… The entire social media aspect of it was really jolting for me,” said Semler.

A former journalist and seasoned investor, Semler is used to working behind the scenes—asking the questions, not answering them. “I’m more of an introvert. I’m not into kind of exposing myself by social media,” he admitted.

But Bitcoin has a way of changing a company’s relationship with visibility. Semler Scientific has attracted a new, vocal shareholder base, and Semler himself has become a reference point for other executives weighing the Bitcoin path. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s effective.

“At the end of the day, really what matters is that we own a lot of Bitcoin and that Bitcoin appreciates… what matters most is… that we create shareholder value.”

For Semler Scientific, Bitcoin hasn’t just altered the balance sheet—it’s pulled the company into the spotlight and into the conversation.

WHY INSTITUTIONS ARE TAKING NOTICE

While retail investors can access Bitcoin through spot ETFs or self-custody, many large institutional funds remain restricted by mandates that prohibit direct exposure. That dynamic creates a unique opening for publicly traded operating companies with Bitcoin on their balance sheet.

“Most investment funds can’t buy ETFs,” Semler explained. “For a large number of the huge funds in this country, we’re really their only way to get exposure to Bitcoin in the stock market.”

This limitation—little known outside institutional circles—has turned companies like Semler Scientific into proxy vehicles for Bitcoin exposure. And for fund managers who believe in the long-term thesis but can’t touch the underlying asset, firms like SMLR offer a rare bridge.

As more institutions seek asymmetric upside and diversified alternatives to fiat-debasing capital environments, Semler Scientific (SMLR) is increasingly part of that capital conversation—not because of what it sells, but because of what it holds.

NAVIGATING VOLATILITY

When asked what advice he would give to other companies considering Bitcoin, Semler didn’t sugarcoat it. “Just be ready for volatility. If you’re comfortable with that, know that that’s gonna be part of this experience.”

He recalled the company’s first major purchase. “We took almost all of our cash and bought Bitcoin in May. As soon as we finished buying, their news came out that Mt. Gox was doing a distribution. And I think Bitcoin just plummeted, like, 25% in a short period of time… it was a, you know, a hit to the stomach, a stomach punch.”

But instead of pulling back, they pushed forward—raising more capital and buying more Bitcoin through both ATM equity and convertible notes. “We did 100 million dollar convertible loan.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Semler believes the long-term upside goes beyond “hodling.” As infrastructure matures and institutions like JPMorgan step deeper into the space, he sees potential to leverage Bitcoin for yield and financing.

“I could see us being a kind of a Bitcoin financial company.”

For now, the focus is clear: accumulate Bitcoin, manage volatility, and unlock value where others see risk. “We’re early in accumulating Bitcoin, and we’re gonna continue to do that.”

Disclaimer: This content was written on behalf of Bitcoin For Corporations. This article is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be interpreted as an invitation or solicitation to acquire, purchase, or subscribe for securities.

This post How Semler Scientific (SMLR) Escaped the Zombie Zone with a Bitcoin Treasury Strategy first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Nick Ward.

Bitcoin Magazine

Global Nonprofits Form Bitcoin Humanitarian Alliance to Advance Civil Liberties and Aid

Today, twelve of the world’s leading human rights and humanitarian organizations gathered today at London’s Frontline Club to announce the formation of the Bitcoin Humanitarian Alliance. The coalition seeks to harness the power of Bitcoin to deliver civil liberties, support dissidents, and provide aid where traditional financial systems fall short, according to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine.

The Bitcoin Humanitarian Alliance website states that it “is a coalition of human rights defenders, pro-democracy movements, and humanitarian organizations using Bitcoin to advance civil liberties and humanitarian aid worldwide.”

“As a decentralized, borderless, and censorship-resistant financial tool, Bitcoin operates outside the control of governments, banks, and corporations,” further stated on its website. “This means humanitarian organizations can raise funds, move money across borders, and bypass financial repression — but only if they understand how it works, how to use it safely, and how Bitcoin differs from crypto.”

From helping political activists bypass financial censorship to enabling life-saving funds to reach crisis zones, Bitcoin has emerged as a vital tool for nonprofits operating under extreme conditions. The Bitcoin Humanitarian Alliance aims to formalize and expand this work through coordination, shared knowledge, and collective action.

Founding members include:

CANVAS (Srdja Popovic)

Anti-Corruption Foundation (Anna Chekhovich)

Voluntad Popular (Leopoldo López)

World Liberty Congress (Carine Kanimba)

Ideas Beyond Borders (Abdo Alrayis)

Democracy Lab (Noemi Boyer)

Human Rights Foundation (Alex Gladstein & Femi Longe)

Digital Citizen Fund (Roya Mahboob)

Groundswell (Hadiya Masieh)

Save the Children (Antonia Roupell)

Ríos de Pie (Jhanisse Vaca Daza)

Bitcoin Policy Institute (Fadi Elsalameen)

Collectively, these organizations span regions from Latin America to the Middle East, and their missions range from anti-corruption to child welfare. They all share a vision of Bitcoin not just as a speculative asset, but as a tool for empowerment, resilience, and access.

“Bitcoin operates outside the control of governments, banks, and corporations,” said Erik Hersman, co-founder of Bitcoin mining company utilizing hydro power in Africa, Gridless, who attended the announcement in-person today. “This means humanitarian organizations can raise funds, move money across borders, and bypass financial repression.”

The Alliance also hopes to inspire broader adoption of Bitcoin and other decentralized technologies within the nonprofit sector. As stated in its mission, it champions “a new era of philanthropy grounded in financial freedom, resilience, and global inclusion.”

For more information about the coalition and its members, visit their website here.

This post Global Nonprofits Form Bitcoin Humanitarian Alliance to Advance Civil Liberties and Aid first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Nik.

Bitcoin Magazine

India’s Leading Bitcoin And Crypto Exchange Unocoin Integrates Lightning

Unocoin, one of India’s longest-standing bitcoin and crypto exchanges, has announced the successful integration of the Lightning Network, a second-layer protocol designed to enable fast and low-cost bitcoin transactions. The integration is powered by Voltage, a U.S.-based infrastructure provider known for its enterprise-grade Lightning solutions.

This development marks a significant step forward for bitcoin utility in India, especially in the context of rising demand for scalable and cost-effective transactions. By adopting the Lightning Network, Unocoin aims to offer its users instant bitcoin settlements and, in the near future, Tether (USDT) transfers via the same network.

“We continuously seek ways to improve transaction efficiency and cost-effectiveness for our users. With the Lightning Network, powered by Voltage, Unocoin is enabling the fastest, lowest-cost bitcoin and Tether transfers,” said Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO of Unocoin.

Unocoin’s move comes at a time when the Indian crypto landscape continues to face regulatory headwinds. While several exchanges have scaled down or exited the market, Unocoin has remained resilient, maintaining operations and user trust. The exchange’s adoption of Lightning technology reinforces its position as a leader in innovation within the country’s bitcoin and crypto sector.

“The Lightning Network represents a revolutionary leap in bitcoin scalability, enabling fast, secure, and cost-effective transactions,” said Graham Krizek, CEO and Founder of Voltage. “By partnering with Unocoin, we aim to bring these benefits to millions of users in India, fostering greater adoption and utility of bitcoin in daily transactions.”

This post India’s Leading Bitcoin And Crypto Exchange Unocoin Integrates Lightning first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Vivek Sen Bitcoin.