benjaminchodroff
Benjamin Chodroff

https://benchodroff.com/photos

Head of HSBC Lab
DeFi in TradFi
🇺🇸 in 🇨🇳
BTC/LN/ETH runner behind the GFW

Public Key

npub1nep6hm6fpl740n0nnsap442d0yf670lk0qw9yxv6k7s2tky5ea0s8zqulg

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

NIP-57 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsfusataaysll2heheecws664xhjya08lm8s8zjrxdt0g99mz2v7hcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsh36lsn

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1nep6hm6fpl740n0nnsap442d0yf670lk0qw9yxv6k7s2tky5ea0s8zqulg

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Last Notes

2024-08-29 07:01:14

Watching as IBM China R&D closes, and laid off all 1000+ people. I don’t think most people understand how significant this move is, and the signal it is sending to both China and the world.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/ibm-close-china-rd-department-affecting-over-1000-jobs-yicai-reports-2024-08-26/

2024-08-24 12:34:08

Spent the day learning about zero knowledge proofs to create privacy UTXO tokens managed on Ethereum.
https://m.primal.net/KKes.png

2024-08-04 17:13:52

Working on my pizza making game #foodstr
https://m.primal.net/Jngi.jpg
https://m.primal.net/Jngk.jpg

2024-08-01 05:40:59

My OSL Hong Kong account has been mysteriously shut down after only 3 months of opening, with a single BTC trade. I can’t tell if it was because one of my verified wallets gave them concerns, or perhaps because I am American (maybe they changed their policy), or perhaps because they found I am a permanent resident in China? Or maybe they don’t like that I only did 10k HKD and found their service ludicrously expensive. Who knows. It’s quite disappointing to see the state of Hong Kong these days. I also was denied a bank account at ZA due to being American and the HKMA complaint resulted in “oh well.” State of the world.

2024-08-01 05:36:59

I have been thoroughly impressed with the CoinJoin plugin inside @npub155m…dcvg. I’m not an expert on it. It has so many configurations possible to run your own coordinator, and I’m a bit lost on knowing the full risks and costs of using other coordinators. I’ve started small, and hope to keep learning as I go.

2024-08-01 05:32:58

Keybase had a great way of associating proofs of identity (dns, social media, wallets, etc) to a private key. I wish there was something like that for Nostr clients like Damus so I could start to easily filter spam accounts impersonating other users. Centralization is not always bad, as long as I can toggle the service provider and retain my data without censorship.

2024-07-08 10:20:50

Blockchain should bring power to the people #EthCC
https://m.primal.net/JKgL.jpg

2024-07-07 11:17:37

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Mine on a phone? Literally zero sats. You would have a better chance at showing advertising and converting those ad payments into BTC.

2024-06-27 00:42:11

#Bitcoin is too complicated @River
https://m.primal.net/IzEp.jpg

2024-06-27 00:39:17

Bitcoin is too complicated… @npub1xke…d0en amazing work
https://m.primal.net/IzEk.jpg

2024-06-20 02:30:28

Camping along the Payette River in Idaho.
https://m.primal.net/IrAq.jpg

2024-06-17 15:39:23

While I am happy to now be considered a @npub155m…dcvg code contributor for using my volunteer created rust-teos docker container, I am curious what is the future of The Eye of Satoshi for Lightning? Why is there no official docker container being maintained on docker hub? TEOS seems like a great idea and one that should be encouraged for all Lightning nodes, but I am eager to learn if others recommend another solution.

2024-06-17 15:35:34

After over a year, I wrote about the project I created to protect over $120M USD worth of Ethereum assets. Please ensure you always store every private key material securely offline.
https://www.benchodroff.com/2024/06/17/ethereum-clwp-success-protecting-over-120-million-usd-in-validator-assets/

2024-06-17 14:42:08

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Surprised to learn that no U.S. state has no property tax. TIL…

2024-06-08 17:25:25

Glad to be following some great Ben.
#note1qj2…zxfx

2024-06-08 17:23:01

Trying out CoinJoin using the plugin in my BTCPay server… seems to be up and running and found a few hopefully levitated coordinators on the Nostr relay. Any top tips? Warnings?

2024-06-08 07:13:41

GameStop traders are finding out the hard way just how rigged the game is. Time to move the fight to the most salable asset the world has ever known…

2024-05-25 00:48:31

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I’m hopeful that one day bitcoin supports drivechain (bip300/bip301) to allow a real evm compatible layer2 to be supported by Bitcoin.
I’ll keep holding my Ethereum, but I think Bitcoin can address its long term miner incentivized security concerns by enabling this type of capability.

2024-05-16 06:04:48

Sharing our HSBC Lab innovation updates in Xiamen. Presenting my case for why digital assets on private chains won’t be commercially successful alone, and why public chains must be adopted to support end-user programmability.
https://m.primal.net/IHIm.jpg

2024-05-09 08:39:54

What are zaps? @npub1j8y…vrvg is explaining it now live at #Bitcoin Asia in #HK 🧡
https://m.primal.net/IEqB.jpg
https://m.primal.net/IEqB.jpg

2024-04-30 15:48:02

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I used to have a esp32 Lora node and did helium for a little until I was incorrectly blacklisted (please don’t judge me… a friend gave me a free hotspot). I haven’t tried this yet… but it would be fun. Sigh… need to find more time.

2024-04-30 15:42:33

I did not imagine ever traveling to Guam, but here we go. Not sure what to expect.

2024-04-28 15:40:31

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I’m intrigued…

2024-04-18 15:16:38

Missing Guizhou. This is the FAST telescope outside of Guiyang. 500 meters wide! The food in Guizhou is by far the best in China
https://m.primal.net/Hwmx.jpg

2024-04-18 15:14:21

Finally have my Bitcoin and Ethereum home rack fully set up.
https://m.primal.net/Hwmu.mov

2024-04-08 01:59:30

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If pitchforks fail, highly recommend protocols such as shadowsocks and Trojan. Best of luck.

2024-04-06 17:39:56

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Super cool

2024-03-31 11:21:12

Can’t wait to go through airport security with my new power brick. Love the skeleton design and wireless charging. https://i.nostrimg.com/7471e62a1b8da302f2f0441da880fc5b965b57becb4cf557f19defe2f66155cb/file.jpeg

2024-03-26 10:39:45

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I read it. Cheers :)

2024-03-24 23:14:21

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“Not as much as I wish I had”
“A small amount more every day”
“more then I originally bought in 2013”
“I set a percentage of my total net worth to be in bitcoin”

2024-03-22 00:49:51

I don’t think most people understand that many institutions will wait 90 days before trading a new ETF. #note1ff0…4arr

2024-03-20 11:22:54

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Agree. I’ve been tempted to switch over to something like graphene OS but… I know I’m just going to get even more frustrated.

2024-03-20 11:06:07

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I’m going to venture a “no”
I also wonder how much data they share with the apple cloud in China. I’m guessing the China policies for apple are completely different than the rest of the world.

2024-03-17 01:32:06

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Is it illegal to issue a bitcoin backed paper currency for use regionally in Lancaster? Asking for a friend…

2024-03-15 00:45:04

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I’m going to start voting for anyone who has never served before. It has to be better.

2024-03-14 17:01:43

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Right. Sell them to me. Please?

2024-03-14 13:25:34

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Living it. From Shanghai… behind the GFW. It’s a wild ride the last six years as an American here.

2024-03-14 06:56:02

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Sadly, I know you’re right.

2024-03-14 06:53:51

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I hope it does not escalate

2024-03-14 00:24:13

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Ugh I can’t math. Who knows.

2024-03-14 00:22:06

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16 Olympic swimming pools

2024-03-14 00:13:15

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Hello from China!

2024-03-12 15:15:19

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Soon

2024-03-12 14:59:21

So tempting to spend all night setting up my new rack mount for all the servers at home. Must. Resist. Breaking. Everything. https://i.nostrimg.com/f3ed23fa1900bf29f1fec2658d19e655913407b0df3de821deab93ddc85f8b81/file.jpeg

2024-03-12 01:31:44

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Gentoo taught me Linux far more than any other distribution

2024-03-07 01:39:46

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My six year old son uses Zeus connected to my node (been using a combination of LNbits for his account and BTCPay with CLN). He makes 500 sats/day for practicing his violin. He has been thrilled to watch his stack increase and knows that his playing is getting better. Thank you for everything you do. It is an amazing client.

2024-03-06 01:33:21

Yeah, lost it on “I identify as Bitcoin” 🤣🤣 #note1gqj…t5gu

2024-03-06 01:23:10

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I jumped in and started laying down my personal experience and facts. But wow, sweet summer children… some aren’t gonna make it 🤣

2024-03-06 00:22:23

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That was epic. My favorite one was “the splitting” instead of the halving. Yeah. We are early.

2024-03-05 23:56:09

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Can’t be too sure… who knows… maybe Wall Street has plans 😀

2024-03-05 23:36:27

I love how the WSJ still considers the halving merely a theory, and that the only reason people are buying bitcoin is because of ETFs. While the article is well written, they would have a more accurate perspective if they left Wall Street more often and studied the space a little closer.
Bitcoin’s Stunning Climb to New Records https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/bitcoin-price-record-charts-86a00638?reflink=integratedwebview_share

2024-03-05 16:36:38

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Looking forward to beating the inflation adjusted all time high - $77k USD!

2024-03-05 16:35:56

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For now. The growth is exponential.

2024-03-05 16:27:37

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Captain, quit holding back and let’s see what this thing can really do

2024-03-05 15:40:24

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Spaghetti. Door. Bitcoin (okay that one is pretty common)

2024-03-05 15:37:02

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Expect the unexpected

2024-03-05 15:36:37

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Received. Welcome

2024-03-05 15:35:48

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Hey from China! Welcome.

2024-03-05 15:35:20

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That’s what this is all about! Welcome!

2024-03-05 15:34:51

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Set up a lightning wallet so we can zap you some sats. Welcome!

2024-03-05 14:05:02

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That is gorgeous. I love the texture detail in the maple leaf. Amazing work.

2024-03-05 14:02:48

Welcome to Nostr! Thank you for an amazing service. #note1fns…c5k9

2024-03-01 12:45:58

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My bad, sorry about that.

2024-02-29 01:02:20

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https://farside.co.uk/?p=997 this one?

2024-02-28 16:40:51

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After this next halving, #bitcoin will have a superior stock to flow than gold, and absolute proven scarcity. We are witnessing the changing of the guard. London can still fix the gold price twice a day with the five bullion banks - soon, a lot less people will care.

2024-02-28 16:38:07

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Well you did amazing! Keep it up :) God I miss the cheese boards at Eataly :-)

2024-02-28 16:33:27

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Those crispy black spots look amaaazing. What dough recipe you using? I’ve been using https://medium.com/@recipezenith/vito-iacopelli-pizza-dough-recipe-poolish-69e0b949b63e but I keep having to use about 65% hydration or it gets too sticky. Maybe I need more practice!

2024-02-28 15:25:22

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My Intel NUC 10 i7 has 32gb in it because it has dual DDR4 dimms

2024-02-28 15:22:52

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You blue yourself

2024-02-28 13:51:47

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Object storage. I just had to transfer a personal 1.2TB backup between USA and China, and I was downloading 60MB/s using Aliyun.
I also use it with Synology NAS cloud sync. If the file is small enough, I just use Tailscale direct to my NAS.

2024-02-27 03:32:24

💎🙌 I don’t stack to see my USD valuation, I stack to change the world.

2024-02-26 09:46:00

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Welcome to a slice next time you are in Shanghai :) thanks for the zap!

2024-02-25 15:38:11

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Thanks, I’ve downloaded the hamstudy app and I’ll give it a go. Cool.

2024-02-25 15:00:02

#foodstr #pizza made a 60% hydration type00 dough with a poolish starter, and three days of fermentation. Cooked at 500C for less than four minutes in an overclocked electric oven at home in #shanghai https://i.nostrimg.com/68df6af608563002b8315334470146e6939b7b5426736267bed9e8b78a778041/file.jpeg

2024-02-19 13:52:01

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Star guide on iOS is great

2024-02-19 05:21:20

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Personally, I still use my ledger nano X as a daily “warm wallet” but not for my cold storage.
I’d recommend a Trezor — model three is on my wish list.

2024-02-19 05:18:47

I am planning to run a free volunteer class in Shanghai on how to set up a @npub155m…dcvg #Bitcoin and #Lightning server for the https://offchain.social Code group. Trying to decide if I teach how to do it on physical hardware (I’m using a manual docker deployment on Intel NUC) or demonstrate something in cloud (much easier given VPN issues in China). I’ve been meaning to try @npub1agh…mhct too…
Advice appreciated!

2024-02-17 07:41:29

U.S. Spot #Bitcoin ETF flow in real time https://farside.co.uk/?p=997 https://i.nostrimg.com/31b31d4efd98a12d095a472e8c9c3354fad2db26d28d943f5d59460429ffab72/file.png

2024-02-14 03:40:20

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That’s a brilliant strategy

2024-02-14 03:39:49

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I’m on latest TestFlight Damus and I cannot see your profile picture (it’s just the robot default)

2024-02-12 15:32:51

Flying high in #vietnam #phanthiet https://i.nostrimg.com/fecf4b3ee0fca8b6b0594ea2cfe2dd35d8b1c57498dd9b9d6cbfe94082167f74/file.jpeg

2024-02-12 15:23:57

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Run BTCPay Server and pick your deployment pattern. For myself it was docker, but for others it may be in cloud or umbrel.

2024-02-10 07:50:29

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Beautiful. Nice work!

2024-02-10 00:32:39

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Exactly as others said… it’s the BIP39 seed phrase (and optional BIP38 passphrase) that are the REAL security. The hardware wallet is a convenient way to avoid having to touch these while signing a transaction. I recommend using metal stored in a secure location(s) for your seed phrase — never online (even encrypted, it’s too scary for me!)

2024-02-09 14:44:58

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Same here. “Bitcoin has not changed. The dollar is now only 2100 sats.”

2024-02-09 14:21:37

Yeah, that hit a little too close to home… #note1puj…jg6m

2024-02-09 14:20:32

Happy Spring Festival. Great to spend time with parents and family in Vietnam.

2024-02-08 00:59:25

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Happy new year

2024-02-06 21:16:17

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Corrupt disk?

2024-02-05 06:12:59

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My friend in Shanghai Serena (also native Chinese) is also interested. Her WeChat is SweetyRuWang. Let me know if you don’t have WeChat and I’ll try to get them on Nostr.

2024-02-05 01:57:47

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My friend Rusty Peng (native Chinese) in Shanghai is able to help. Do you have WeChat? His WeChat is rustypeng.

2024-02-04 21:55:36

Consolidated 50+ utxo. Sparrow wallet is my new favorite #bitcoin wallet

2024-02-04 21:43:07

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I have shared your post in the https://OffChain.social Guangzhou and Shanghai meetup groups. Will let you know if someone responds.

2024-02-02 17:04:06

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What happens after all 21 million are mined? Why is Bitcoin considered anonymous if it’s a public blockchain? How do financial crime tools work on public blockchains? How can we trust it if we can’t see who created it and what if the code changes? Many more…
The engagement in the room was awesome. These are all great questions and they were happy to get answers on each:
- transaction fees after the year ~2140 will be necessary to keep the miners running, and it may be that energy is much cheaper by then… (I had already covered how Bitcoin miners can unlock energy from renewable energy sources dynamically)
- Bitcoin is not anonymous but rather pseudo-anonymous since every transaction is public but contains no identity details. In fact some other chains provide even more privacy but, as bitcoin is first and has a hard money principals, remains the longest running and most battle tested public blockchain for value preservation
- data analytics in partnership with OSint, law enforcement and data sources allow pattern matching and tagging of known and suspected matching for direct and indirect funds
- many of the websites and services we use are made with free and open source software contributed by people we don’t know. We trust open source code because we can read it and experts can find cybersecurity vulnerabilities faster with this open collaboration. Bitcoin is secure not because Satoshi said said so, but because anyone who wishes to attack it could - and yet, it remains secure.
I’m paraphrasing from memory…

2024-02-02 16:44:27

I am so happy. *Multiple* of the ultra high net worth clients who attended the event in Dubai have contacted their relationship manager asking how to buy #Bitcoin. This made my day - a small win 😀

2024-02-02 05:20:22

Had an amazing opportunity educating HSBC ultra high net worth clients in #Dubai Museum of the Future on the advantages of #Bitcoin over private ledgers. I explained how Bitcoin works and its merits as a store of value, and drew comparisons to other digital assets including CBDC. The questions and audience engagement were fantastic. https://i.nostrimg.com/4d3e77341edff092c952c9281b07b199b884e5c0da511bac0badae130f185625/file.jpeg https://i.nostrimg.com/ce7fb33fce5cf5df706bff5c6bef9c1b60c749be63aa7c5aba3d98b3eca0ac9c/file.jpeg

2024-01-28 05:27:19

Hope I can find a coffee shop in Dubai that will be able to give me a receipt denominated in Satoshi, accept lightning, and allow me to try to submit the receipt in China for reimbursement 🤑juvenile or dreamer, doesn’t matter to me.

2024-01-27 16:31:26

Heading to Dubai for the week on a work trip. Any place worth visiting? Anyone accept bitcoin?

2024-01-25 02:04:59

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Yup! That’s how I got my start… and I still claim it’s the reason I’ve survived this long — paper wallets for the win.
I wish they would make a new version that supported a native segwit wallet. I think that may help some avoid higher fees, if I understand correctly?

2024-01-18 15:55:12

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I just tried sparrow for the first time and I’m in awe.