Bitcoin Magazine

The Blockchain Group Secures €8.6 Million to Boost Bitcoin Strategy

The Blockchain Group (ALTBG), listed on Euronext Growth Paris and known as Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury Company, has announced a capital increase of approximately €8.6 million as it pushes forward with its Bitcoin Treasury Company strategy. The funding was raised through two operations, a Reserved Capital Increase and a Private Placement, with both priced at €1.279 per share.

This price represents a 20.18% premium over the 20-day volume-weighted average share price but a 46.26% discount compared to the closing price on May 19, 2025, reflecting recent high share price volatility.

“The Company’s Board of Directors decided on May 19, 2025, using the delegated authority granted by the shareholders’ meeting held on February 21, 2025, under the terms of its 5th resolution, on an issuance, without pre-emptive rights for shareholders, of 3,368,258 new ordinary shares of the Company at a price of €1.2790 per share, including an issuance premium, representing a premium of approximately 20.18% compared to the weighted average of the twenty closing prices of ALTBG shares on Euronext Growth Paris preceding the decision of the Company’s Board of Directors, corresponding to a total subscription amount of €4,308,001.98,” said the press release. 

In the Reserved Capital Increase, 3.37 million shares were issued to selected investors, including Robbie van den Oetelaar, TOBAM Bitcoin Treasury Opportunities Fund, and Quadrille Capital, raising over €4.3 million. The Private Placement raised another €4.35 million via the issuance of 3.4 million shares, targeting qualified investors.

“The Board of Directors also decided on a capital increase without pre-emptive rights for shareholders through an offering exclusively targeting a limited circle of investors acting on their own behalf or qualified investor, ” stated the press release.

The funds will support The Blockchain Group’s ongoing strategy of accumulating Bitcoin and expanding its subsidiaries in data intelligence, AI, and decentralized tech. Following this capital increase, the company’s share capital stands at €4.37 million, divided into over 109 million shares.

“The funds raised through the Capital Increase will enable the Company to strengthen its Bitcoin Treasury Company strategy, consisting in the accumulation of Bitcoin, while continuing to develop the operational activities of its subsidiaries,” said the press release.

Additionally, on May 12, The Blockchain Group announced it secured approximately €12.1 million through a convertible bond issuance reserved for Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream.

This post The Blockchain Group Secures €8.6 Million to Boost Bitcoin Strategy first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

Bitcoin Magazine

U.S. Leads the World in Bitcoin Ownership, New Report Shows

A new report from River reveals that the United States dominates Bitcoin ownership globally, holding about 40% of all available Bitcoin. With 14.3% of its population owning Bitcoin, the U.S. outpaces Europe, Oceania, and Asia combined.

Corporate America also leads in Bitcoin holdings. Thirty-two U.S. public companies, with a combined market cap of $1.26 trillion, hold Bitcoin as a treasury asset. These firms account for 94.8% of all Bitcoin owned by publicly traded companies worldwide. Major holders include Strategy with 569,000 BTC, U.S. mining companies with 96,000 BTC, and others with 68,000 BTC, totaling 733,000 BTC in the U.S., compared to 40,000 BTC held elsewhere.

Since China’s ban on Bitcoin mining in 2021, the United States has become the global leader in Bitcoin mining, responsible for 38% of all new Bitcoin mined since then. The U.S. attracts miners thanks to its stable regulatory environment, access to deep and liquid capital markets, and abundant energy resources. These advantages have helped the U.S. increase its share of the global Bitcoin mining hashrate by over 500% since 2020, solidifying its position as the center of the industry.

Bitcoin is also emerging as America’s preferred reserve asset, overtaking gold. Over 49.6 million Americans are in favor of holding Bitcoin, compared to 36.7 million who still prefer gold.

The US government’s bitcoin advantage is greater than that of gold, where the US accounts for just 29.9% of the world’s central bank gold reserves. 

“Because there is a fixed supply of BTC, there is a strategic advantage to being among the first nations to create a strategic bitcoin reserve,” said the White House on March 7, 2025.

Politically, support for Bitcoin is gaining significant momentum across the U.S. government. As of now, 59% of U.S. Senators and 66% of House Representatives openly support pro-Bitcoin policies, signaling a notable shift in political attitudes and greater acceptance of digital assets as key components of America’s economic future.

The study highlights that Bitcoin ownership is highest among American males aged 31-35 and 41-45, with ownership rates ranging from 3% to 41% within these age groups. Politically, those identifying as “very liberal” or “neutral” are more likely to own Bitcoin than conservatives, though conservatives still make up a significant portion of holders.

This post U.S. Leads the World in Bitcoin Ownership, New Report Shows first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

Bitcoin Magazine

Building FUN! on Bitcoin: Parker Day and Casey Rodarmor Talk Collaboration and the Future of On-Chain Art and Auctions

Parker Day and Casey Rodarmor’s FUN! Collection is an unprecedented synthesis of photographic maximalism and protocol-level innovation—a work that stands alone within the landscape of Bitcoin-native art. Saturated with Day’s bold color palette, surreal personas, and layered identity play, the collection is anchored by Rodarmor’s foundational role as the creator of the Ordinals protocol. Most notably, the series is inscribed directly under Inscription 0—the first inscription ever made using the Ordinals Protocol—marking it as an ontological outlier in the digital art canon. No other collection occupies this same foundational location on-chain, making FUN! a conceptual and technical landmark in Ordinals history.

Now expanded with new reflections from both collaborators, this interview explores the project’s deeper ideological dimensions—from the mechanics of trustless auctions to the ethics of artistic compensation, from pro wrestling and portraiture to capitalist generosity and the social roots of value. Together, Day and Rodarmor form a rare creative pairing: artist and dev, photographer and protocol architect, equal parts absurdity and rigor.

One of the collection’s most iconic works—featuring Rodarmor himself—is set to headline the Megalith.art auction, a Bitcoin-native sale structure that concludes on June 3rd and will be showcased at both Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas and its satellite event, Inscribing Vegas. The piece anchors a broader lineup that includes standout contributions from leading digital artists such as Post Wook, Coldie, Ryan Koopmans, FAR, Rupture, and Harto.

It’s less an interview than a glimpse into a high-voltage collaboration:

Parker, your photography is known for its bold color, eccentric characters, and fearless exploration of identity and persona. How did this collaboration with Casey come about, and what visual or cultural influences helped shape The FUN! Collection?

PARKER: Casey and I have known each other since high school. You could even say he was one of my first models—I shot his portrait for my sophomore year darkroom photography class. We kept in touch over the years, and in 2017 he encouraged me to turn my ICONS series into crypto art. I passed on that at the time, but in 2021 I did release an Ethereum NFT collection of ICONS. Right after that, Casey called me and said, “Yo! You need to go even bigger! Do 10k!” And I’m like, “You know these are all unretouched and shot on film, right?” But with his encouragement and funding, we figured out how to produce 1,000 unique portraits.

The visual and cultural influences behind FUN! are too numerous to name—just a mishmash of pop culture that’s been stewing in my brain since childhood.

The FUN! collection was released under a CC0 license, meaning anyone can reuse, remix, or recontextualize the work without restriction. In a project so rooted in persona, authorship, and performance, what led you to make that decision—and how do you think about authorship or artistic control in the context of open licensing on Bitcoin? What would you find interesting to see done with the collection beyond your original photography methodology? What kinds of reinterpretations or mutations of the collection would genuinely intrigue you?

PARKER: I love it. As an artist, once you create something and it leaves the studio, it’s out of your hands. The audience shapes the work in their own interpretations. You have no control over it. It seems silly to say “this is my IP, you can’t do anything with it.” We live in a world of memes, of reproduction ad infinitum. It seems anachronistic in today’s world to clutch copyright with an iron fist. And it’s perfectly in keeping with the ethos of Bitcoin to make the work CC0. In terms of value, the inscriptions are the scarce collectibles. Even more so than any editioned prints will ever be. Their inscriptions’ provenance is on chain, directly descended from inscription 0. 

There’s nothing in particular that I’d like to see or not like to see done with FUN! I just hope people find meaning in it, and make meaning from it. 

You two have an unusual creative relationship: artist and protocol dev, patron and co-conspirator. Casey, you basically invented a new medium to support Parker’s work. What does it mean to build something enduring together in a space that often prizes individualism?

CASEY: I love it. I mean—I really love it. Parker and I are super complementary. We each have our own strong wheelhouses, and we’re always engaging with each other’s work, but in this very chill, supportive way.

Like, when we’re shooting, I’ll tell her what I think looks cool or what might work well in the collection—but it’s never directive. It’s more like, “Hey, here’s some data. Do with it what you will.” And same goes for the technical stuff. We’ll talk about metadata, domains, the website layout—she gives me her thoughts, and it’s just… input. Take it or leave it.

We’re both so solid in our own lanes that it makes collaboration easy. There’s no weird insecurity. She’s the creative force behind the collection—I know that. I’m the technical backbone—and she knows that. That kind of clarity makes it fun.

And honestly, I’m just really proud of this partnership. We’ve been in each other’s lives in a positive way for so long—since high school. Parker’s given me Bitcoin haircuts. I was bugging her to do NFTs in 2017. Even when we’d go long stretches without talking, we always checked back in.

“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Saw you on Twitter.”
“Saw you on Instagram.”

It’s just one of those great, long-running collaborations that’s rooted in mutual respect—and a shared willingness to go weird.

Casey, did you draw on any past modeling experience—or take notes from Raph? And what was it like working under Parker’s direction: more Kubrick or camp counselor?

CASEY: I think I was pretty self-directed for the shoot. I wasn’t drawing on past modeling experience exactly—more like theater kid energy. I’ve always loved professional wrestling. It’s incredibly cool… and also incredibly formulaic, so I get bored if I watch too much. But every couple of years, I check back in, see what the storylines are.

For this shoot, I knew exactly how I wanted to ham it up—like a professional wrestler. That wild, sweaty, insane energy. The spiked ball pressed against my face. All the weird faces. American pro wrestling is super operatic, honestly.

The character I was channeling? Mostly Ultimate Warrior. Parker really nailed the eyes—those classic, intense Ultimate Warrior eyes. He wore wild makeup and had that jacked-up look. Ric Flair was another influence—mainly for the hair. He had this long blond hair, and when it got bloody in the ring, it looked insane.

As for Parker—definitely more camp counselor than Kubrick. She sets the scene: everything ready, hair and makeup dialed, wardrobe laid out. We talked through the costumes a bit. She’ll give direction, a few hints here and there—but it’s really up to the model to bring it.

You can include that (Casey snaps his fingers.)

Yeah. You know? You know.

The FUN! collection features an interactive website where visitors can filter portraits by mood, prop, background color—even astrological sign. What inspired that kind of functionality?

PARKER: Before FUN!, I had been thinking about an exhibition that grouped photos based on emotional expression. Even though the personas may appear wildly different, the core humanity is the same. I’ve always tried to equate disparate identities by shooting people in the same way—with simple fabric backdrops that strip away time and place.

The FUN! website (fun.film), reflects this idea: difference in sameness, or sameness in difference. It’s a tool for play—but also a way to reflect on identity in a fragmented age.

Casey, you’ve described yourself as a capitalist—but you’ve also given away tools for free and pursued an almost obsessive elegance in your work. How do you reconcile market belief with this ethic of generosity? And what does that tension mean for the future of Ordinals?

CASEY: There’s absolutely no tension—and that’s because most people just don’t understand what capitalism is. Like, I can’t even begin to unpack what people think capitalism means.

Capitalism simply means the means of production are privately controlled. That’s it. That’s the whole definition. The alternatives? You’ve got two: either (1) violent chaos, or (2) the government owns and allocates all capital. That’s it. Those are your three options.

So when people say they’re “anti-capitalist,” what they usually mean is: “I want the government to control who gets what.” I’m not about that. I’m a staunch capitalist. I allocate my own means of production—my computers, my resources, my energy—how I see fit, not how the state tells me to.

And sometimes? That allocation includes giving things away. That’s not anti-capitalist. If the government confiscated my stuff and handed it out? Sure, that’s anti-capitalist. But me choosing to make something—sometimes selling it, sometimes not—is 100% aligned with the spirit of capitalism.

People need to get with the program.

You asked about the tension between generosity and profit in Ordinals? There isn’t one. We’re social creatures. It’s great to make money—money’s fun. But the real magic is the people you meet along the way. You’re not gonna be on your deathbed wishing you made more money. You’ll wish you spent more time with people who matter.

The beauty of capitalism is that it gives us so much productivity that we can afford to be generous. You build so much surplus, you can finally do things that aren’t transactional—mentorship, gift-giving, weird creative stuff just because it feels good. That’s the bounty of capitalism. It enables non-market joy.

Honestly? The best moments in this space haven’t been about money. Yeah, the rare times I’ve made some have been fun. But the truly great stuff? The fun projects, the weird experiments, the friends. That’s the soul of it.

Like, if I had to live in some crummy little place—but had healthcare, enough to get by, and this incredible network of people and ideas—I’d take that any day over ten times the money and no friends.

So I hope the degens are listening.

Megalith.art’s auction model introduces a novel approach by leveraging atomic swaps for settlement. Could you elaborate on how this mechanism ensures trustless, on-chain finality for high-value digital art transactions, and how it contrasts with the delayed, custodial settlements typical of traditional auction houses like Sotheby’s or Christie’s?

CASEY: So, normally, when you swap goods—say you walk into a pottery store and want to buy a pot—you hand the guy a dollar. Now he’s got your money… but you don’t have the pot. He could just yell, “Get out!” and poof—you’re down a buck, no pottery.

Or maybe he gives you the pot first, but you don’t hand over the dollar. You run out the door. Same problem. This is what we’d call a non-atomic swap—one party has to trust the other to follow through.

Bitcoin changes that. With Bitcoin, you can set up atomic swaps. Meaning: the artist gives up the art and the buyer gives up the bitcoin, and either both things happen or neither do. Fully trustless.

It doesn’t guarantee the art will sell, but if it does, the artist definitely gets paid. And the buyer definitely gets the piece. No middlemen. No weird escrow.

What’s even better is that in this setup—like the way we’re doing it with Megalith—you can literally see the platform’s cut. It’s all baked in and visible. Super transparent. No funny business. It’s just… a great way to do things.

Megalith.art implements immediate, protocol-level split payments to artists and collaborators, minimizing KYC exposure and reducing reliance on centralized intermediaries. How does this system enhance transparency and efficiency in artist compensation compared to the conventional post-auction invoicing and payout processes?

CASEY: Yeah, the problem with traditional auctions is they’re just super opaque. Every artist ends up negotiating a different deal with the auction house. If you’re selling a high-value piece, maybe you can negotiate a better cut. But if you’re a newer artist—or your work sells for less—you’re probably giving up a bigger chunk.

What we’re doing here is way more transparent. It doesn’t mean you can’t do variable arrangements in theory—but in this case, everyone’s getting the same cut, and you can see that they’re getting the same cut. I think that matters—a lot.

I’ve done events before, usually VJing, and sometimes I’ve done it for free. Then I’d find out later that some of the DJs got paid, and I didn’t. That sucks. It just puts a bad taste in your mouth. Either everyone gets paid, or no one gets paid—especially if it’s supposed to be a volunteer thing. I feel pretty strongly about that.

Same goes for auctions. Some artists will sell for more than others—that’s fine. But they should all get the same percentage cut. That should be enforced on-chain, and it should be fully transparent.

With this system, you can actually see what each artist is getting from each auction. That’s how it should be.

See more from Parker and Casey at Inscribing Vegas on May 27th, and the Bitcoin Conference Las Vegas May 27–29th. Bidding for all Megalith.art auction lots concludes June 3rd.

Want to experience it in person? The Bitcoin Week pass gives you full access to both Bitcoin 2025 and Inscribing Vegas—plus top-tier afterparties: https://b.tc/conference/2025/bitcoin-week

This post Building FUN! on Bitcoin: Parker Day and Casey Rodarmor Talk Collaboration and the Future of On-Chain Art and Auctions first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Dennis Koch.

Financial writer Robert Kiyosaki urges investors to consider assets like Bitcoin, gold and silver to protect their savings. He argues that these traditional forms of money are better shields against what he calls “mounting financial risks.”

Kiyosaki has issued a fresh warning that an economic turmoil could be on the horizon. He points to the US departure from the gold standard in 1971 as the seed of ongoing instability.

Bitcoin: Signs From Past Crises

According to Kiyosaki, the Long‑Term Capital Management event in 1998 and the Wall Street crash in 2008 were early warnings. He says neither of those shocks caused the real problem—they merely hinted at deeper trouble. In his view, central banks patched holes by injecting cash, but they never fixed the underlying cracks. Those quick fixes run the risk of unravelling when debt levels get too high.

In 1998 Wall Street got together and bailed out a hedge fund LTCM: Long Term Capital Management.

In 2008 the Cental Banks got together to bail out Wall Street.

In 2025, long time friend, Jim Rickards is asking who is going to bail out the Central Banks?

In other words each…

— Robert Kiyosaki (@theRealKiyosaki) May 18, 2025

Central Bank Limits Exposed

Based on reports, Kiyosaki believes that printing money can’t solve every financial headache. He warns that central banks may soon hit their limits. He points out that unlimited cash printing erodes trust in currency, making it hard for banks and governments to rely on the same old playbook. In his words, “You can’t borrow or print your way out of an endless pile of debt.” That debt, he says, is growing every day.

Student Loans As Potential Trigger

According to the warning, US student loan debt ranks high on his list of danger signs. He sees it as a ticking time bomb that could trigger serious credit shocks. He’s not alone: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said that widespread defaults could unsettle credit markets. Economist James Rickards shares the view, arguing that mass non‑payments may shake the financial system more than commercial real estate or corporate bankruptcies.

Growing Interest In Bitcoin And Precious Metals

Based on his comments, more people are eyeing Bitcoin, gold and silver as lifeboats. He notes that Bitcoin’s capped supply gives it an edge over fiat money, which can be printed in endless batches. He contrasts a fixed 21 million‑coin limit with the unchecked growth of government debt. Gold and silver, with centuries of use as money, also win points because they can’t be created by a keyboard.

What Investors Should Watch

Kiyosaki suggests keeping an eye on three key signs: rising debt levels, growing numbers of loan defaults, and continued currency printing. He adds that a shift toward alternative assets is a crowd signal—when more people start buying Bitcoin, trust in paper money falls. He reminds readers that no one can guarantee safety in cash; history has shown that hard assets often hold value when paper money weakens.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

The recent bitcoin (BTC) rally has been characterised by a series of impulsive moves and well-defined consolidation phases. However, one thing that stood out during the surge was the active participation of spot traders.

According to the latest edition of the Bitfinex Alpha report, BTC has been through a period of aggressive buying in the spot market. In contrast, traders in the derivatives market were caught relatively offside.

Spot Market Leads Derivatives

Since mid-April, the market has witnessed significant net spot buying across most trading platforms. This is evident in the Spot Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD), which measures the net difference between aggressive buys and sells.

Bitfinex analysts said CVD across major centralized exchanges peaked at more than $45 million per day. The surge aligned with bitcoin’s rally from $75,000 to above $104,000, with buying pressure building gradually before each breakout. This has reflected genuine demand rather than speculative derivatives activity, indicating that the rally is “built on solid ground” and supported by real capital flows.

Although BTC is consolidating now, analysts insist the asset needs this pattern of spot buyer dominance to navigate key resistance levels near its all-time high.

The Middle of a Mature Bull Market

On the other hand, the derivatives market has been cautious and reactive, as seen in the Spot Premium. This metric shows the difference between the Bitcoin spot price and the average of seven perpetuals and futures market prices. The Spot Premium has been positive since BTC crossed $80,000 in this rally.

Moreover, open interest in perpetual futures contracts has been contracting, reflecting a short squeeze as traders are compelled to unwind their bearish positions. While the market transitions from bearish to bullish, traders betting against bitcoin’s price surge have been caught off guard and liquidated with excess leverage flushed out of the system.

“The presence of back-to-back squeezes, on both sides of the trade, underscores a critical point: the rally appears to be maturing in a constructive fashion. The clearing out of over-leveraged participants has reset market positioning and created a healthier foundation for continuation,” analysts said.

These market dynamics are often seen during the early stages of a sustained bullish move. Analysts tagged it as the alignment of spot accumulation and derivatives market clean-up. With bitcoin’s surge now standing on firmer footing, the market is moving from speculative leverage towards structural buying, as is expected in the middle of a mature bull market.

The post Bitcoin Remains Stable as Spot Market Leads Derivatives in Inflows appeared first on CryptoPotato.