Nostr notes by frankcorva

🎯

2026-10-17T22:07:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…pa4h
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🎯

It made me think about that, as well

2026-10-14T07:31:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…al03
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It made me think about that, as well

Chin up. #naddr1qq…2aay

2026-10-11T19:16:50Z

Chin up.

quoting
naddr1qq…2aay

This piece was initially published via my Substack account.

Please feel free to subscribe: https://frankcorva.substack.com/p/do-not-despair

As I was scrolling through X yesterday, I came across this post:

It stirred in me a sense of worry and dread.

The idea of the interest payments on the U.S. debt growing at approximately $76k/second ($2.4 trillion divided by the 31,556,926 seconds that make up a year) made me feel ill at ease.

It’s not that I’m cheering for the fiat system to survive, but more that if it all falls apart quickly, there will be a lot of pain, and I don’t wish that kind of pain on people.

Plus, history shows that when systems fall apart rapidly, those in control of the system do everything in their power to keep people trapped in it.

In the effort to do so, we’ll likely see a broadening of the surveillance apparatus across all dimensions of our lives, particularly the financial ones.

I don’t want to see that either.

The current levels of financial surveillance are already altering people’s behavior and infringing upon fundamental civil liberties.

If you think I’m being hyperbolic with the civil liberties point, read the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government’s report on the matter.

But I digress.

Frank Corva's Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

“At least we have bitcoin, a money that can’t be confiscated or debased,” I thought to myself after seeing the Scaramucci post.

However, i t didn’t take long for my mind to wander to “But what if something goes wrong with Bitcoin?”

And then I thought about a post I saw while scrolling earlier in the day:

The word “mostly” in the post above stuck with me. It was like a fly in the ointment.

Elliptic curve cryptography is used to generate public-private key pairs on Bitcoin. If AI breaks elliptic curve cryptography, then the private keys to people’s bitcoin could be exposed, which means people’s bitcoin can be stolen.

(For the record, elliptic curve cryptography protects much more than just Bitcoin key pairs. Many systems that store sensitive digital data would be put at risk. Also, there are cryptographers in the Bitcoin space like Jonas Nick who are working under the assumption that elliptic curve cryptography will one day be broken and are working to solve this problem.)

“Great,” I thought to myself. “Bitcoin will probably also break, and we’ll also just be relegated to being fiat slaves living in a digital panopticon forever.”

(If I’m being honest, I’m dramatizing this thought a bit to make a point.)

Later in the day, I went to see The Social Reckoning, the recently-release film about how Facebook is both a social cancer and a threat to democracy.

The movie was a reminder that social media platforms optimize for outrage content, something that I was well aware of but that I was happy to be reminded about.

I left the theater feeling tired of feeling scared.

Sure, we might see a sovereign debt crisis not only in the U.S., but in bond markets across the globe.

Sure, parts of Bitcoin may break.

But something deep within me reminded me that neither will be the end of the world and that history shows that human beings are quite innovative in the face of great challenges. We’ve solved all sorts of difficult problems.

Governments are adapting to historic sell-offs in government bonds by purchasing gold, while developers are working on making it resistant to potential future threats, like quantum computing. We adapt to challenging situations.

And what’s beautiful about a system like Bitcoin is that it’s global and open-source, which means that everyone from developers at NYC’s Chaincode Labs to women in Kenya can contribute to protecting it from future threats.

As Bitcoin enthusiasts, we tend to be adversarial thinkers, which, I believe, is ultimately a good thing.

What I realized this week, though, is that the challenging part is finding the right balance between constantly assessing for flaws, reviewing priors, and not just assuming Bitcoin will survive and believing from the deepest sense of our being that we are okay and will adapt — no matter what happens.

So, let us proceed together apace — with more faith and less despair.

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Talking Global Bitcoin Adoption on BMTV

Speaking of putting adversarial thinking into perspective, I touched on this topic this week during my in-person appearance on BMTV, the new daily show from the team at Bitcoin Magazine.

I also shared my insights on what Bitcoin adoption around the world — from India to Kenya to Indonesia — looks like.

I’m deeply grateful to the team at BMTV for having me on and it felt great to see so many of the people with whom I used to work on live desk productions.

I’m really proud of them for what they’ve as created with this new show.

You can watch the segment here.

Gandhi on Funding Government Institutions

I’ve been reading Gandhi’s autobiography, “My Experiments With Truth”.

And last night, on the subway ride home from the movie theater, I came across a powerful passage in which Gandhi weighs in on how permanent funding for government institutions is what leads to their “moral fall.”

Here’s the passage:

“And now after considerable experience with the many public institutions which I have managed, it has become my firm conviction that it is not good to run public institutions on permanent funds. A permanent fund carries in itself the seed of the moral fall of the institution. A public institution means an institution conducted with the approval, and from the funds, of the public. When such an institution ceases to have public support, it forfeits its right to exist. Institutions maintained on permanent funds are often found to ignore public opinion, and are frequently responsible for acts contrary to it.”

Gandhi wrote that 100 years ago, yet it couldn’t be more relevant today.

The same surveillance state that I mentioned earlier in this edition of the newsletter can only exist in its current form because of its permanent and constantly-expanding funding.

And that level of funding can only exist in a fiat system, where governments can print money and issue debt to no end.

Most of these agencies ignore public opinion on surveillance, and their permanent funding enables them to do so.

Only in a world where money and debt issuance are constrained do we get more moral institutions that are accountable to the public they serve.

Markets

Chop-tober continues.

Bitcoin continues to trade sideways in what seems like a consolidation phase before another leg up.

Hard to say for sure if we go up from here, but given the rate of the issuance of government debt globally, it wouldn’t surprise me to see bitcoin trade at a higher price.

With that said, if we do see sovereign debt crises around the world play out, I’d argue that the whole market will come down significantly before it goes back up.

And so the safest way to play this, IMO, is to dollar-cost average into bitcoin.

Please note that the above isn’t financial advice. The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only.

And I recommend DCAing with Strike. Please feel free to use my referral code.

Also, if money is tight right now but you’d still like to accumulate some bitcoin, you can earn some bitcoin on everyday purchases you make with fiat. I do this with the Gemini Credit Card, which gives me to 4% back in sats on everyday purchases. Please feel free to use my referral link.

I also use the Fold app to get free sats every day (spin the wheel; it’s free!) and to get sats back on gift card purchases. I highly suggest using Fold if it’s available in your jurisdiction. Please feel free to use my referral link.

Alright. That’s that.

Faith, not fear — that’s the TLDR for this edition of the newsletter.

Act from your heart and contribute to Bitcoin, other freedom tech, and the general greater good when possible.

In the words of the great Joe Strummer, “The future is unwritten.”

So, let’s choose to make it one infused with love instead of fear.

Best,

Frank

X | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube

“…it has become my firm conviction that it is not good to run ...

2026-10-11T01:39:35Z

“…it has become my firm conviction that it is not good to run public institutions on permanent funds. A permanent fund carries in itself the seed of the moral fall of the institution. A public institution means an institution conducted with the approval, and from the funds, of the public. When such an institution ceases to have public support, it forfeits its right to exist. Institutions maintained on permanent funds are often found to ignore public opinion, and are frequently responsible for acts contrary to it.” -Mahatma Gandhi

Thanks. I’ve had someone share that with me. I don’t agree ...

2026-06-22T13:14:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…8mjj
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Thanks. I’ve had someone share that with me. I don’t agree with the framing at all and I find the argument disingenuous.

Totally. They want it to happen without having to bear the brunt ...

2026-06-22T04:48:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…7z3n
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Totally. They want it to happen without having to bear the brunt of the blowback.

Did you know that it’s one of Peter Thiel’s companies (Persona) that they’re contracting to do the KYC?

I’ve recently opened my mind to BIP 110 for the sake of trying ...

2026-06-21T22:12:42Z

I’ve recently opened my mind to BIP 110 for the sake of trying to hear where supporters for it are coming from, as I believe many of them care about Bitcoin as much as I do.

I get some of the arguments, but what I can’t wrap my head around are notions like the one below.

Are BIP 110 supporters okay with getting rid of Bitcoin’s PoW algorithm?

I’m asking this out of genuine curiosity, not trolling.

YIL that Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker, who just signed a bill ...

2026-06-18T12:03:31Z

YIL that Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker, who just signed a bill that mandates a 0.2% tax on companies transacting with or storing crypto, once had five toilets removed from his second mansion as part of a tax fraud scheme.

He had the mansion rendered “uninhabitable” so to pay significantly less in property taxes. He ended up not paying over $500k he otherwise would have had to have paid (until he got caught and had to pay some of that money back).

The point is that the person who wants to make it more costly for reputable Illinois-based Bitcoin companies like strike (nprofile…9pf8) to do business is also the person who isn’t a fan of paying taxes himself.

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/03/654201077/illinois-gov-candidate-removed-mansions-toilets-to-dodge-taxes-report-finds

One of the most beautiful things about Bitcoin is that we all ...

2026-06-15T04:17:07Z

One of the most beautiful things about Bitcoin is that we all want to help others see what we see in it.

It makes me believe that humans fundamentally want the best for one another.

Francisco Calderón (@nprofile…hesm ) is one of the realest ...

2026-05-09T13:17:35Z

Francisco Calderón (negrunch (nprofile…hesm) ) is one of the realest cats in Bitcoin.

The Venezuelan🇻🇪 developer, who has 20+ years of experience in the open-source space, could work on anything but focuses his time and effort on Mostro (nprofile…nkst) , which enables those living countries in crisis (e.g., #Cuba) to access #Bitcoin.

In this, his first interview in English, we discuss:

⚡️ How his experience watching the economic situation in his home country deteriorate informs the work he does
⚡️ How Mostro is built to be used in the harshest and most technologically-unfriendly environments
⚡️ Why Mostro utilized #Nostr
⚡️ What's currently happening in Venezuela
⚡️ Why the open-source future is bright

It was a tremendous honor to speak with Calderón.

This conversation was a strong reminder of not only how powerful freedom tech can be but the fact that it takes sincere, committed people like Calderón to bring this tech to life.

Finally, thank you to the Cuba ₿itcoin (nprofile…qcqg) and bitcoinr3 (nprofile…aa5u) teams for highlighting how the communities with whom you work use Mostro in my recent interviews with you. You inspired me to reach out to Calderón to have this conversation.

Enjoy!

Hmmm

2026-04-17T18:04:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…ja4j
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Hmmm

👀

2026-04-13T23:52:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…4k7v
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👀

It’s sorta nuts how good you are at what you do, sir 🫡 Great ...

2026-03-21T23:51:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…5580
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It’s sorta nuts how good you are at what you do, sir 🫡

Great work!

Agreed 100% Great film.

2026-03-21T14:36:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…udr0
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Agreed 100%

Great film.

That it is! (I miss you. Will I see you in Vegas?)

2026-03-19T01:55:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…ffpa
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That it is!

(I miss you. Will I see you in Vegas?)

Just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who helped point ...

2026-03-19T01:44:54Z

Just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who helped point people in the direction of this new account today and also extend one more massive thank you to miljan (nprofile…x3qd) and daniel (nprofile…clsr).

I found out my old nsec had been compromised early yesterday evening, and it was quite a punch to the gut. I felt vulnerable, as I had no idea how the private key was discovered/compromised (I still don’t).

Thoughts like “I’m done with Nostr” went through my mind for a moment. It’d been a stressful few weeks starting a new gig and the last thing I felt like dealing with was getting this new npub established.

But daniel (nprofile…clsr) reached out right when he saw that the account had been compromised (someone shared that it had been here on Nostr) and offered to help in any way he could. He was online with me last night until after 10 PM ET building tools for me to help transfer my info from my old account to a new one.

He was also the one who put me in touch with miljan (nprofile…x3qd), who, by this morning when I woke up, had already messaged me saying he’d transfer my Primal Legend status to my new npub. One hour after I respond to him, the status had been transferred. He also helped me with the messaging to make sure people knew my old nsec had been compromised and that the new account/npub was legit.

Then, as all the zaps and support came in this morning, I was reminded of why I came to Nostr in the first place: the community.

We’re all here trying to build this thing out together, and when I stumbled, you all helped me back up. In the process, my feeling of vulnerability inverted. I feel more supported by this community than ever, and I’m deeply grateful for that.

As a thank you to miljan (nprofile…x3qd), I’m going to purchase a Primal Premium subscription for my other account - newrenaissancecapital (nprofile…0ygv). As for daniel (nprofile…clsr), I often see him around NYC, so I’ll have to get him a drink or pay him back in some other way.

And there was also one last thing I wanted to share about him…

It felt quite serendipitous that I published a piece this morning on another community he supports, the Harlem Bitcoin 🗽🧡 (nprofile…8z9x) community.

I’m sharing the piece below just to show you all how good of a guy he is both here amongst the Nostriches and IRL.

https://www.fedi.xyz/blog/community-spotlight-harlem-bitcoin

He’s a true believer in freedom tech and community. We’re extremely lucky to have both him and miljan (nprofile…x3qd) in this space with us, and I’d once again just like to say how grateful I am for how they both helped me out in the last 24 hours.

Much love, daniel (nprofile…clsr), miljan (nprofile…x3qd), and Nostr fam.

Onward 🫡

Last November, Jamaica was hit by a category five hurricane that ...

2026-03-18T13:26:02Z

Last November, Jamaica was hit by a category five hurricane that leveled parts of the west side of the island.

And not only was physical infrastructure affected, but the banking system stopped functioning in many parts of the island, as well, making it difficult to move the money coming in for aid.

Jamaica's flash (nprofile…gjue) app, created by dread (nprofile…6c9v) didn't stop working, though, and Dread and his team used the app to distribute the over $15,000 worth of bitcoin that was donated by the Bitcoin community to help the many people deeply affected by the hurricane to get food and resources in their hour of need.

I recently sat down with Dread to discuss the relief effort he and his team have been a part of (it's still ongoing), how Bitcoin and other freedom tech not only helped in the wake of this storm but are now being implemented to help prepare for future storms like it, and why it was essential that Dread designed Flash in a way that Jamaicans would trust.

While Dread's abilities as a developer are both tremendous and outstanding, they are only rivaled by the size of his heart, which is a large part what makes the work he does with Flash and beyond so special.

Please enjoy this interview and give it some space to move and inspire you.

https://fountain.fm/episode/SxxUnDjz0mxSuLqmYBh0

Nostr event nevent1qqs0uyy0awue09kypythtcq2587rllzgntfzlhcl332ekfrjs9wqn3czyzh442ycargnk6h002045hn00eqvplz6axkre7psz46w39zg3eyhxf3lgg9

2026-03-18T13:11:14Z

This is my new account.