Brian Cohen

Bitcoin Protocol: Permanent Permissionless Trustless Transparent Immutable Irreversible Inviolable Uncensorable Distributed Decentralized

.@zooko: "Bitcoin is not a payment system that can empower individuals the way Zcashers and Hal Finney would have wanted."

The Ghost Portfolio: Innovation, Investor Psychology, and the Legal Boundaries of Financial UI The "What If" virtual portfolio — an opt-in, toggled view showing the real-time hypothetical value of positions a user has already sold — is a deceptively simple feature that sits at the intersection of behavioral finance, product design, trading incentives, and regulation. To a disciplined trader it’s a powerful retrospective analytics tool. To a compliance officer it’s a potential liability. Its rarity across major brokerages and exchanges stems not from outright illegality, but from a careful calculus of psychological impact, revenue models, operational complexity, and regulatory risk. 1. Psychological Duality: Regret vs. Validation Human decision-making under uncertainty is asymmetric. Behavioral economics shows we feel the pain of missed gains far more acutely than the satisfaction of avoided losses (loss aversion + FOMO). A live "Ghost Portfolio" would surface this tension in real time. -The Regret Ledger: Sell too early and watch the asset moon? The feature becomes a constant reminder of opportunity cost. This can induce decision paralysis on future sales — exactly what a high-velocity, fee-generating platform wants to avoid. - The Bullet-Dodged Indicator: Sell near a top or before a crash? The same tool delivers clear validation, reinforcing process over outcome. For most retail investors, the regret side dominates. Sophisticated users already track this manually or via third-party tools (Excel, Sharesight, Portfolio Visualizer), but surfacing it prominently in the main app could reduce trading activity — a direct hit to spread and commission revenue for many brokers. Yet the validation aspect is underappreciated. Long-term investors and process-oriented traders would benefit from objective post-trade review, turning the feature into a learning engine rather than pure emotional friction. 2. The Math vs. The Interface: ATHs and Framing Effects Mathematically, an All-Time High (ATH) on a sold position represents the best possible realized outcome in hindsight — perfect profit-taking. Raw historical charts already display ATH markers without issue. The regulatory and product tension arises in the *interface*. A neutral, opt-in retrospective ledger is one thing. A proactive push notification saying “The asset you sold last month just hit a new ATH — see what your ghost portfolio would be worth” is another. This shifts from passive data to an emotionally charged, personalized nudge that leverages framing bias. Regulators evaluate not just the data, but how the design influences behavior. Platforms already show realized P&L on closed positions. Extending that to live hypothetical current value is technically straightforward but requires careful design to avoid being perceived as implied advice or gamification.

The marginal annual cost for storing one customer's account data entry in the cloud is roughly 0.0003 to 0.03 cents (i.e., a few ten-thousandths to a few hundredths of a cent). Pure Storage Cost (AWS S3 Standard, most common benchmark) Pricing: ~$0.023 per GB per month → $0.276 per GB per year. Typical record sizes (name, address, account #, billing summary, meter info, etc.): 10 KB (minimal active record): ~$0.0000026 (~0.00026 cents/year) 100 KB (with some history): ~$0.000026 (~0.0026 cents/year) 1 MB (generous, with logs/attachments): ~$0.00027 (~0.027 cents/year) 10 MB (very bloated): ~$0.0027 (~0.27 cents/year) Even at the high end, it's negligible.Other Providers (similar range) Azure Blob Hot / Google Cloud Standard: ~$0.018–$0.023/GB/month → comparable annual figures. This is raw object storage only. In a full utility billing/CRM system there are additional tiny per-record costs for database indexing, occasional queries, backups, and redundancy — but these still keep the incremental cost per idle account well under 1 cent per year. Your guess of ~0.0001 cents is spot-on for a lean record.

This is my monthly electric bill for using *zero* electricity. I pay about $30 a month just for the privilege of having the *option* to switch over to the grid. Unfortunately, it is necessary because we go through extended periods of continuous rain and I need it for backup. No real reason for the post, I just thought it was interesting and I'm curious what anyone else's ebill is in a similar situation. So, over $300 a year to use zero electricity. Easy money HELCO!

Jensen Huang, the CEO of NVIDIA, broke away from President Trump’s schedule and headed straight into one of Beijing’s traditional hutongs to enjoy a bowl of zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) from the famous Fangzhuan workshop.

@mert x.com/i/status/20075…

zcash is a swiss bank in your pocket

@AllHailSatoshi @CathieDWood Why you no $ZEC?

@sreeramkannan Before and after Zcash

@WSJ ZcashExplainers.com

With many crypto fans souring on bitcoin, some are getting behind Zcash, a privacy token that lets users shield transaction details and remain anonymous on.wsj.com/435cPir

WSJ visits a little-known room at the New York Stock Exchange, where a group of certified coffee graders perform a job essential to global commerce. 🎥 Watch more: on.wsj.com/4eMoZUG

For $BTC, many early adopters trace their conviction to a single @WIRED piece in Nov 2011. Today's WSJ article on @Zcash $ZEC feels like one of those moments. Grayscale Zcash Trust (Ticker: $ZCSH) is the only pure-play and publicly traded @Zcash $ZEC fund in the world. Read the full article: wsj.com/finance/curren…

Think its scary that China may have backdoored our old modems? How about when they sell us robots and flip the switch? x.com/i/status/20545…

In another universe we have a mayor who embraces crypto and stablecoin for international remitances x.com/i/status/20546…

The Andromeda IDIQ announcement (May 12, 2026) is a direct, concrete validation of @inthepixels' (Brian Cohen) long-running bullish analyses on Intuitive Machines ( $LUNR ). It doesn't contradict or surprise his thesis — it executes it. Intuitive Machines + Lanteris Space (post-acquisition) was selected by the U.S. Space Force for the Andromeda IDIQ contract. They’ll compete on next-gen Space Domain Awareness (SDA) systems to detect/track/characterize objects in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). Emphasis: This is the first major win as a combined company. It highlights vertical integration — Intuitive Machines’ rapid innovation + Lanteris’ flight-proven manufacturing — creating a “next-generation space prime” that operates from Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Tone: Proud, strategic, and forward-looking on U.S. space superiority through 2030+. How it lines up with @inthepixels’ analyses (from his public threads, 2025–March 2026) @inthepixels has posted multiple in-depth, bullish deep-dives on LUNR since at least May 2025, framing the company as far more than a “lunar lander play.” Key recurring themes that the Andromeda win now confirms: Lanteris acquisition = the vertical integration moat He repeatedly called the 2025 Lanteris buy (former Maxar assets, 1300-series satellite heritage) the “underappreciated fulcrum” that turns LUNR into an end-to-end space prime (Build → Navigate → Connect → Compute → Operate). Exact match in the May 12 post: “merging @Int_Machines’ rapid innovation with Lanteris Space’s flight-proven manufacturing” to create a “vertically integrated next-generation space prime.” SDA as a core (not side) business In his March 24, 2026 “Orbital Edge Intelligence Thesis,” he explicitly flagged SDA Tranche 3 Critical Design Review as a near-term catalyst and highlighted on-orbit/edge processing for real-time object classification in defense applications. Andromeda is precisely next-gen GEO SDA — the exact domain he said would drive high-margin, recurring “AI-as-a-Service” and defense intelligence revenue. Shift from lumpy lunar missions to prime-level, high-margin infrastructure His bull cases (Dec 2025 EO analysis, May 2025 global lunar thesis, March 2026 OEI thesis) argued LUNR was re-rating from “speculative space contractor” to an AI-native systems prime with $900M–$1B+ revenue run-rate and 30–50x multiples on the software/edge-compute layer. Andromeda is the first major post-acquisition proof point of that shift — government validation of the integrated stack for Earth-orbit superiority (not just lunar). Policy and execution tailwinds He tied LUNR’s upside to Executive Orders and DoD/NASA preference for commercial, fixed-price, vertically integrated providers. The Andromeda selection under the Space Force is textbook confirmation. Bottom-line differences and what’s new His analyses: Forward-looking, speculative, valuation-focused (re-rating catalysts, edge AI, cislunar economy). He was predicting this kind of win. This announcement: Backward-looking confirmation — it happened. It’s the “first major selection as a combined company” he said would de-risk the thesis and trigger re-rating. No major surprises or contradictions. If anything, it’s cleaner and faster than the timelines he outlined (he had SDA Tranche 3 CDR in August 2026 as a validation step; Andromeda is already here in May). In short: .@inthepixels’ threads read like the strategy deck this announcement is now executing in public. The post you shared isn’t just corporate PR — it’s the market finally catching up to the exact vertical-integration + SDA + prime-contractor narrative he’s been pounding the table on for over a year. x.com/i/status/20542…

By merging @Int_Machines’ rapid innovation with Lanteris Space’s flight-proven manufacturing, we have established a vertically integrated next-generation space prime capable of securing the high ground from Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond.

Intuitive Machines is proud to announce our selection by the @USSpaceForce @USSF_SSC for the Andromeda IDIQ contract. Under Andromeda, we will compete to design and field next-generation Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities to detect, track, and characterize objects in geosynchronous orbit. Our focus is to provide innovative and dependable SDA mission solutions for the U.S. Space Force to maintain space superiority through 2030 and beyond. The Power of Integration: This award marks our first major selection as a combined company following the acquisition of @LanterisSpace. Together, we bring unique mission value for Andromeda through our combined heritage of high-performance systems delivered via commercial based processes.

We need this on the Belt Parkway in NYC to catch dangerous speeding drivers who weave in and out of lanes and tailgate. You have to pray for your life every time you get on the Belt. x.com/i/status/20545…

This photo feels like a deliberate luxury-flex shot mixed with “cute pet content” — essentially the internet’s two most reliable engagement engines combined into one frame. The setting is a modern upscale apartment kitchen with warm wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and a neutral designer palette. The Bag The handbag strongly resembles an Hermès Birkin or a Birkin-inspired bag: Structured trapezoid silhouette Sangles/strap closure Gold-tone hardware Exotic crocodile/alligator embossing or skin Bright “pool blue” / turquoise color The proportions suggest it may be a smaller Birkin size (roughly 25–30cm equivalent). The vivid turquoise is intentionally eye-catching because: It contrasts strongly with the warm brown kitchen It pairs visually with the cat’s cool-toned fur Bright luxury items perform well online because they instantly signal value Whether authentic or not cannot be determined from the image alone. The Cat The cat appears: Groomed and likely indoor-only Relaxed and curious rather than startled Tail upright = generally confident/social mood Focused on the bag/handler interaction The breed presentation resembles: Ragdoll Possibly bicolor ragdoll pattern Blue eyes are visible despite flash reflection The cat’s fur color subtly complements the bag: Gray-brown ears/mask Cream-white coat Cool-toned palette overall This is aesthetically coordinated whether intentional or accidental. Composition & Staging This is not a random snapshot. Several things suggest intentional staging: 1. Forced Interaction The hand lowers the bag to the cat’s eye level: Creates a “cat approves luxury” meme energy Anthropomorphizes the pet Gives the bag a “presentation” feel 2. Flash Photography Direct flash creates: Reflective shine on the leather Catchlights in the cat’s eyes High-contrast “celebrity paparazzi” aesthetic Slightly overexposed foreground with darker background That style is extremely common in luxury Instagram culture because it makes objects pop. Environment Analysis The kitchen suggests: Urban luxury apartment or condo Mid/high-end modern interior Quartz or engineered stone counters Contemporary mosaic backsplash Built-in cabinetry with minimalist handles Interesting detail: The background is intentionally subdued and color-neutral so the turquoise bag dominates the scene. Social Media Psychology This image hits several online-status archetypes simultaneously: ElementPsychological SignalExotic handbagWealth/luxury/accessDesigner-looking kitchenLifestyle successPurebred-looking catTaste + softnessFlash photography“Candid rich life” aestheticTurquoise colorAttention-grabbing uniqueness It’s effectively “quiet luxury” mixed with “internet softness.” Cultural Reading This kind of image exists in the overlap of: Luxury fashion culture Pet influencer culture Apartment aesthetic culture “Soft wealth” Instagram/TikTok imagery The cat functions almost like: A social proof device A softness-balancer to the conspicuous luxury A memeable character Without the cat, it’s just a handbag photo. Without the handbag, it’s just a cat photo. Together, it becomes aspirational lifestyle content. Technical Photography Notes Shot vertically for social platforms Wide phone lens distortion slightly enlarges foreground objects Bag appears emphasized because it’s closer to camera Warm indoor lighting plus flash gives mixed color temperatures Depth separation naturally draws eyes to bag + cat Narrative the Photo Tells The implicit story is: “This is normal life in my world — luxury objects casually coexist with adorable domesticity.” That’s why these images perform well online. They make wealth feel cozy instead of distant. Tiny Details Worth Noticing The cat is on the countertop, which many pet owners allow despite culinary taboos. Orange packaging/tissue beneath the bag may hint at recent shopping/unboxing.

California Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Role in $263 Million Cryptocurrency Scam: The defendant broke into victims' homes to steal cryptocurrency hardware wallets. He also used fraudulent documents to open digital accounts that enabled the defendant and his co-conspirators to buy luxury goods, including an Hermès Birkin bag. justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/got… @FBILosAngeles @IRS_CI @USAO_DC

Gemini has gone full retard

2019 Pandemic prediction trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/upl… #influenza