Nostr notes by Alex Li

I’m in China at a 苍蝇馆子(hole in the wall restaurant). ...

2026-09-08T05:00:11Z

I’m in China at a 苍蝇馆子(hole in the wall restaurant). The owner is smoking a cig while lecturing his employees. The raw ingredients are on display for you to choose. The patrons throw their trash on the ground and smoke while drinking loudly. The food is delicious and cheap. Vibes are unbeatable

Nostr event nevent1qqsf6z7pv6e8rq6gh8n882m569trwwaf96jc3kwypud5mzgzuxwcc7gzyzqg8hmqs8v3ks4u7yzzy90yhlyfftuf8ng8afrjaqqmcpu5mgunghldlft

2026-08-30T03:07:14Z

quoting
nevent1q…kdyr
In America I carry a pistol on my hip, in Singapore I make do with a fat water bottle filled with ice to survive the heat and expensive bottled water.

In America I carry a pistol on my hip, in Singapore I make do ...

2026-08-30T02:55:08Z

In America I carry a pistol on my hip, in Singapore I make do with a fat water bottle filled with ice to survive the heat and expensive bottled water.

My first meal in Singapore cost $45, the pork soup and intestines ...

2026-08-29T14:30:31Z

My first meal in Singapore cost $45, the pork soup and intestines at Somg Fa are AWSOME! Singapore has achieved remarkable improvements in living standards, the city is incredible clean and safe, all while being more free than mainland China.

One day I’ll be able to wake up and vote in a free and fair ...

2026-08-29T04:48:17Z

One day I’ll be able to wake up and vote in a free and fair election in China. Until then, the struggle for freedom continues!

You should host a beefsteak for BTC Asia, then you can quickly ...

2026-08-26T07:57:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…9sqa
_________________________

You should host a beefsteak for BTC Asia, then you can quickly hop across the border to Shenzhen with a visa on arrival to get a taste of the country. Sadly you’ll need a visa if you want to explore most of mainland China which isn’t hard to get but annoying nonetheless

Last 3 taxi drivers I met in Northeast China (东北) all lost ...

2026-08-26T03:28:11Z

Last 3 taxi drivers I met in Northeast China (东北) all lost their jobs last year, now they drive to make ends meet. Economy down, but life goes on. Deflation means goods are cheaper. Affordable Chinese phones, cars, and products can still make a decent life possible but drivers have to work long 12-14 hour days to make ends meet.

Forgot that in Northeast China food portions are double that of ...

2026-08-26T03:26:02Z

Forgot that in Northeast China food portions are double that of southern China. Ordered 3 dishes (frog, eggplant + potato and some sauerkraut fish) for 2 people and came out weighing 20 pounds more. Not bad for $25

You know you are in working class China when the driver whips out ...

2026-08-24T01:14:25Z

You know you are in working class China when the driver whips out a cig and starts smoking while driving with need for speed skills

Changsha, China is a beautiful city at night. Downside is it’s ...

2026-08-22T14:32:01Z

Changsha, China is a beautiful city at night. Downside is it’s insanely hot and humid, and making fun of politicians gets you sent to the gulag

Chinese robot delivering takeout to my hotel room, they help ...

2026-08-18T23:28:55Z

Chinese robot delivering takeout to my hotel room, they help handle the high volume of cheap and convenient takeout orders (paid for by low wage delivery workers)

You know you are in China when you get to see Terminator version ...

2026-08-17T03:04:57Z

You know you are in China when you get to see Terminator version 0.1 in Shanghai

Had the best day of my life yesterday, Almost got mugged in ...

2026-07-30T14:10:19Z

Had the best day of my life yesterday, Almost got mugged in Jamestown, Ghana. A Muslim goat herder saw me and rescued me via his motorcycle. Ended up getting a free tour and dinner from him, true 12/10 experience. Thank you Hafiz for rescuing me!

You can only experience the highest of highs after the lowest of lows.

Me right now ...

2026-07-19T08:25:31Z

Me right now

The European mind cannot comprehend civilians having the same ...

2026-07-05T04:24:13Z

The European mind cannot comprehend civilians having the same firepower as the police.

Happy 4th of July!

I love the diversity of America. Never knew an AR guy and an AK ...

2026-07-04T16:20:14Z

I love the diversity of America. Never knew an AR guy and an AK guy could get along in these divisive times

Last week I was melting in France because the hotel AC barely ...

2026-06-26T17:01:06Z

Last week I was melting in France because the hotel AC barely worked. Meanwhile, back home in America, my AC was faithfully keeping my gun collection cool, dry, and rust free.

The European mind cannot comprehend this.

Luxembourg spent most of its history being colonized by other ...

2026-06-22T21:53:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…2xce
_________________________

Luxembourg spent most of its history being colonized by other European powers so you are correct that Luxembourg is rich despite of European colonialism

Capitalism is only successful because of welfare? You got it ...

2026-06-22T20:30:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…sdjq
_________________________

Capitalism is only successful because of welfare? You got it completely opposite, you can only have good welfare with free markets powered by capitalism.

Luxembourg is so underrated, high diversity, rich, public ...

2026-06-22T20:15:34Z

Luxembourg is so underrated, high diversity, rich, public bathroom and transit is clean and free, just walked around and the Grand Duke of the country was chilling in a chair waving at us. The beauty of capitalism in generating prosperity never ceases to amaze me

The Belgians fenced off the woods where Easy Company dug ...

2026-06-22T15:45:21Z

The Belgians fenced off the woods where Easy Company dug defensive foxholes in the Battle of the Bulge. Costs 28 euros to get the museum + foxhole combination ticket. Unbelievable greed considering we liberated their country for free in WW2 and gave them so much free aid.

It’s 34°C (93°F). The hotel AC is set to 19°C (66°F), but ...

2026-06-22T07:57:15Z

It’s 34°C (93°F). The hotel AC is set to 19°C (66°F), but the room is still 23°C (73°F). No ice anywhere. The grocery store sells lukewarm beer.

How did Europe conquer the world while living like this?

In America, I run the AC to keep my guns cold and rust-free.

The key to out drinking the Polish is having a 1.5 Liter water ...

2026-06-20T17:29:38Z

The key to out drinking the Polish is having a 1.5 Liter water bottle and chugging water in between shots. The European mind cannot comprehend drinking so much water so all their alcohol dehydrates them and gives them hangovers whereas I'm completely fine

Thankfully outdrinking poles is not too hard, I was chugging ...

2026-06-20T10:04:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…y7xc
_________________________

Thankfully outdrinking poles is not too hard, I was chugging water in between each shot so I outlasted them

Europe is awesome because I’m chugging vodka with a bunch of ...

2026-06-19T20:38:03Z

Europe is awesome because I’m chugging vodka with a bunch of poles in a Belgium town that was liberated by the Americans in WW2 surrounded by Germans, Brits, and the Dutch chugging vodka alongside me

In Belgium they just park on the side of the road, must suck if ...

2026-06-19T10:48:22Z

In Belgium they just park on the side of the road, must suck if you are disabled and use a wheelchair on the sidewalk.

Missing it this trip, driving to the Ardennes and camping at La ...

2026-06-19T09:42:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…u7cj
_________________________

Missing it this trip, driving to the Ardennes and camping at La Gleize with fellow WW2 gun/Militaria collectors

Going to Belgian fast food chain Quick for the first time, French ...

2026-06-19T09:25:41Z

Going to Belgian fast food chain Quick for the first time, French fries were invented in Belgium but they charge 1 euro for ketchup with your fries. This country is the king of nickeling and diming wtf. How did this country go from inventing French fries, looting and destroying the Congo to charging a euro for ketchup and taking a shit

Going to Europe in 2026 reminds me of 2007 China, driving a ...

2026-06-19T09:23:21Z

Going to Europe in 2026 reminds me of 2007 China, driving a manual car, no drying machines so I dry my clothes in the sun. When in Europe I have to experience life like a European

Would love to but we are driving to La Gleize for the Militaria ...

2026-06-18T21:02:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…znk9
_________________________

Would love to but we are driving to La Gleize for the Militaria show, gonna be camping in the WW2 battle sites and hanging out with European WW2 gun collectors

The Brussels Charleroi Airport in Belgium has the audacity to ...

2026-06-18T20:45:50Z

The Brussels Charleroi Airport in Belgium has the audacity to charge 1 euro to use the bathroom inside the terminal. Bruh my ticket includes all these airport taxes and even the crappiest African airport has free toilets

GOD BLESS AMERICA, NOW LEGAL TO SMOKE WEED AND OWN GUNS ...

2026-06-18T14:11:18Z

GOD BLESS AMERICA, NOW LEGAL TO SMOKE WEED AND OWN GUNS 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅

Prague is overflowing with history. I visited the site where ...

2026-06-15T12:02:45Z

Prague is overflowing with history.

I visited the site where Czech resistance fighters assassinated Reinhard Heydrich, the SS leader known as the “Butcher of Prague” and one of the chief architects of the Holocaust. Also visited the Kobylisy Shooting Range, where German forces executed hundreds of Czech patriots and resistance members during the Nazi occupation.

Sarajevo described in one video ...

2026-06-05T19:29:53Z

Sarajevo described in one video

The problem with Bitcoin today in one image: Standing room only ...

2026-04-28T22:40:37Z

The problem with Bitcoin today in one image:

Standing room only crowds to watch a billionaire fiat man talk about Bitcoin.

Empty rooms for the people defending the tools that make Bitcoin actually useful for financial freedom.

#freesamourai

Nothing is more important in Bitcoin right now than ...

2026-04-27T22:58:16Z

Nothing is more important in Bitcoin right now than https://freesamourai.com/

Just used btcpay server to buy a domain on namecheap, magic ...

2026-04-14T05:21:11Z

Just used btcpay server to buy a domain on namecheap, magic Internet money is awesome!

Anything you want me to ask @nprofile…xnfk about tomorrow? Drop ...

2026-04-14T05:20:07Z

Anything you want me to ask calle (nprofile…xnfk) about tomorrow? Drop your questions below!

quoting
nevent1q…xq4j
join us at pubkey, let's talk about freedom tech and beef tallow fries

nevent1q…vd5x

Don’t miss my talk with @nprofile…0uuh about freedom go up ...

2026-04-13T15:49:40Z

Don’t miss my talk with calle (nprofile…0uuh) about freedom go up tech!

quoting
nevent1q…hycc
We’re excited to host calle (nprofile…aupg) next Tuesday, April 14th for HRF (nprofile…ngx5) x PubKey | This is How Freedom Tech Wins

Event starts at 6pm!

🧡🍻🙏

RSVP:
https://luma.com/p1o1aeqs

Reached out and touched 1000 yards (915 meters) with my rifle ...

2026-04-07T04:39:49Z

Reached out and touched 1000 yards (915 meters) with my rifle today. There’s a certain peace in the desert dust and the wind, a reminder that the ultimate guarantor of liberty isn’t empty promises from politicians but the right to keep and bear arms.

There’s a zen to long range target shooting that’s hard to ...

2026-04-04T20:58:44Z

There’s a zen to long range target shooting that’s hard to describe. Your brain deletes the noise, work emails, deadlines, and trauma all vanish. In the space between heartbeats, there is only your breath and the target.

Practicing anti drone warfare with my Vickers water cooled belt ...

2026-03-25T21:40:49Z

Practicing anti drone warfare with my Vickers water cooled belt fed machine gun in Arizona

lol I also brought a vickers belt fed water cooled gun

2026-03-24T20:04:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…cypn
_________________________

lol I also brought a vickers belt fed water cooled gun

A drone

2026-03-24T18:37:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…s59d
_________________________

A drone

Sometimes you gotta send a few rounds downrange to recharge your ...

2026-03-24T18:17:56Z

Sometimes you gotta send a few rounds downrange to recharge your freedom batteries 🇺🇸

I picked a great day to go target shooting in the desert, ...

2026-02-28T21:40:10Z

I picked a great day to go target shooting in the desert, hopefully nothing major is going on in the news right now

I was a bit grumpy because my wife was having fun building a ...

2026-02-17T21:59:05Z

I was a bit grumpy because my wife was having fun building a snowman while I was shoveling the driveway, turns out the snowman is the best thing ever!

New 10/22 takedown build ...

2026-02-17T06:23:16Z

New 10/22 takedown build

Was cleaning my room and found an old Free Ross flyer, man it’s ...

2026-02-08T21:02:29Z

Was cleaning my room and found an old Free Ross flyer, man it’s so good to see that Ross is free now

On the Wikipedia for guns https://guncadindex.com/

2026-02-03T07:04:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…j5yy
_________________________

On the Wikipedia for guns

https://guncadindex.com/

Can’t stop the signal, so much fun to legally 3d print FOSS ...

2026-02-03T04:49:58Z

Can’t stop the signal, so much fun to legally 3d print FOSS silencers

I’m renewing my Federal Firearms License and had to report that ...

2026-01-26T17:02:47Z

I’m renewing my Federal Firearms License and had to report that I bought 57 guns in the last 3 years. You don’t need a license for guns in America, but getting one gives you extra privileges. I can have guns shipped to my door and can buy guns out of state without background checks.

That’s my Sig P365XL which is perfectly safe, don’t worry I ...

2026-01-26T01:43:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…g8g8
_________________________

That’s my Sig P365XL which is perfectly safe, don’t worry I don’t own a Sig P320

I legally carry a 9mm handgun. Yet Trump and ICE bootlickers act ...

2026-01-25T19:05:00Z

I legally carry a 9mm handgun. Yet Trump and ICE bootlickers act like any cop can execute me because the First and Second Amendments disappear when their favorite politician is in power.

So many “freedom loving” bitcoiners turned out to be ...

2026-01-25T01:12:50Z

So many “freedom loving” bitcoiners turned out to be bootlickers defending government thugs murdering Americans for legally exercising their 1st + 2nd amendment rights

More Freedom Go Up grants from @npub17xv…c9as, bullish for ...

2026-01-14T16:58:30Z

More Freedom Go Up grants from HRF (npub17xv…c9as), bullish for bitcoin in 2026!

quoting
note1kx7…uy4f
HRF’s Bitcoin Development Fund Announces 1.3 Billion Satoshis (13 BTC) Support for 22 Freedom Tech Projects Worldwide

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/human-rights-foundation-1-3b-satoshis

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is pleased to announce 1.3 billion satoshis in grants from its Bitcoin Development Fund (BDF). This round of grants supports projects advancing open-source software development, censorship-resistant communications, mining decentralization, and financial privacy for the more than 5.9 billion people living under authoritarian regimes. Grantee projects will improve the underlying Bitcoin protocol, pilot Bitcoin-based payments for dissident support, and provide grassroots Bitcoin education across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These efforts strengthen the global freedom technology ecosystem, helping human rights defenders, journalists, nonprofits, and everyday citizens connect, organize, and achieve financial freedom in the face of repression.

HRF (npub17xv…c9as)’s grantees for the fourth quarter of 2025 include:

Stratum V2 (Stratum Reference Implementation)
Much of Bitcoin mining still relies on outdated communications protocols that prevent individual miners from choosing the transactions they mine. This leaves block construction in the hands of mining pools, exposing the network to censorship risks. Stratum V2 solves this fault by enabling home miners to build their own block templates. HRF funding will support software developer bit-aloo (npub1vy8…d324)'s full-time work improving Stratum V2 through performance testing, integration work, and code maintenance, helping individuals regain autonomy within existing pool structures.

Braidpool
Traditional Bitcoin mining pools rely on a centralized structure where the operator controls reward payouts and transaction selection, creating censorship risks. Braidpool addresses this structural centralization by introducing a peer-to-peer, open-source mining pool design where participants collaboratively construct blocks and coordinate rewards without relying on a central operator. With HRF support, software developer npub1fdjtlru769nah566jydz2gapjn4fv586zhdxqax4nasgl0kpkx6sfe39e6 (npub1fdj…39e6) will contribute to advancing a new, more democratic mining model that strengthens decentralization and transparency.

Open Money, Closed Access: Building Financial Freedom (OMCA)
In conflict-affected and connectivity-constrained environments, communities are often cut off from formal banking services and safe ways to store or transfer value. OMCA addresses these challenges through Bitcoin-based tools designed for low-cost, private transactions and offline-first use. The program supports the development of local financial infrastructure and resilient communications technologies suited to high-risk contexts. HRF’s support enables individuals to save and transact more securely and discreetly during periods of instability.

Learning Bitcoin from the Command Line
As Bitcoin evolves, open-source developers need up-to-date resources that teach them how the system actually works. Learning Bitcoin from the Command Line by BlockchainCommons teaches prospective developers how Bitcoin works through a hands-on curriculum and across multiple languages. HRF’s funding will allow the project to update its curriculum to match the latest changes to Bitcoin’s software, helping grow the global pool of contributors who keep Bitcoin accessible and resilient.

Voices Uncensored: A Bitcoin-Based Platform for Human Rights Defenders in Azerbaijan
In Azerbaijan, the state routinely targets activists and journalists with surveillance, bank freezes, and blocked donations. Voices Uncensored is a Bitcoin-based platform for human rights defenders led by former political prisoner Elchin Mammad. It pairs uncensorable donations and payments with Azerbaijani-language training and educational resources. HRF’s support will equip Azerbaijan’s human rights defenders with the financial independence, privacy, and resilience needed to continue their work under a repressive regime.

Bitcoin Famba
In Mozambique, citizens face chronic inflation, growing debt, and heavy restrictions on their financial autonomy. bitcoinfamba (npub1rm5…68pk), based in Maputo-Matola, provides accessible Bitcoin education and fosters local circular economies. HRF funding will help dissidents and everyday people access permissionless and censorship-resistant money to achieve financial independence in a repressive political and economic environment.

Bitcoin Indonesia & Bitcoin House Bali
Indonesians face growing financial surveillance, inflation, and censorship. BitcoinIndo21 (npub1y4q…hcr3), Indonesia’s pioneering Bitcoin gathering, along with its Bitcoin education center, Bitcoin House Bali, offers training on using Bitcoin to protect incomes, preserve financial autonomy, and navigate restrictive banking systems. HRF’s funding will expand its workshops, meetups, and media outreach to make Bitcoin a practical tool for financial freedom across the country.

The Bitcoin Learning Center
Across Southeast Asia, millions of people face financial surveillance, exclusion from traditional banking systems, and currency instability. The Bitcoin Learning Center, a physical Bitcoin education hub in Chiang Mai, Thailand, brings students from Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Southern China to learn how to counter this financial repression through Bitcoin. HRF support will expand the center’s educational outreach to ensure more people living under authoritarian regimes gain access to open and decentralized financial tools.

Devgitotox
Bitcoin’s reliability and security depend on a robust codebase. devgitotox (npub1tum…uma8) is a Tanzanian Bitcoin Core developer contributing to Bitcoin’s primary software implementation. Her work focuses on improving wallet upgrades, fixing issues with how transactions are created and shared, ensuring nodes connect reliably to the network, and building software testing tools. HRF’s support of Devgitotox helps strengthen the Bitcoin codebase while empowering more women to contribute to Bitcoin Core.

Stratospher
Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer network can be vulnerable to surveillance and disruption if weaknesses in transaction relay, validation logic, or cryptographic components are not addressed. stratospher (npub1c5d…0pn2),
a Bitcoin Core developer from South Asia, strengthens the protocol by improving how nodes (computers running the Bitcoin software) share and spread information, improving validation and cryptographic systems, and enhancing code quality through reviews and testing. With HRF funding, her contributions will help ensure that Bitcoin remains a robust tool for financial freedom.

Sovereign Engineering
Authoritarian regimes actively suppress financial freedom, leaving human rights defenders in need of open and censorship-resistant financial technologies. Sovereign Engineering (npub1s0v…rmq5) is a long-term development program that supports freedom technologists building on Bitcoin, Nostr, and ecash. Already, the program has catalyzed projects like Blossom, which stores data on public servers in a decentralized manner, and npub.cash, a Nostr-native Lightning address for anyone. With this funding, the program will continue to innovate on freedom technologies that protect civil liberties under repression.

OpenSats Initiative, Inc.
Open and transparent funding is key to sustaining many of the freedom technologies human rights defenders rely on today. OpenSats (npub10pe…n34f) is a public nonprofit organization that supports the projects and the individuals building freedom tech by distributing financial support across the ecosystem. With this grant, OpenSats can fortify its operations and continue channeling resources to the builders who keep freedom tech open, secure, and accessible for people living under tyranny.

Africa Free Routing Lightning Developer Bootcamp
Bitcoin adoption is rising across Africa, but access to quality education and development training is often limited or unaffordable. Africa Free Routing (npub1j8w…8nud)’s Lightning Developer Bootcamps address these mismatches by providing structured programs that combine theory, hands-on workshops, and mentorship to software developers. These same developers can then contribute to the Lightning Network and build censorship-resistant financial tools. With HRF funding, the program will expand to ten bootcamps across Ethiopia, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and beyond to foster a continent-wide network of freedom tech contributors.

Programming Lightning
In many repressive environments, the Lightning Network ecosystem suffers from a shortage of skilled developers, leaving censorship-resistant payment tools underbuilt and unevenly maintained where they are needed most. Programming Lightning is an open-source course that will offer self-paced, multi-language learning with hands-on programming exercises. The curriculum will teach anyone to build on Lightning. This grant will help scale a global community of builders to sustain an open payment infrastructure that activists can use to sustain their work under repression.

Zapstore
Authoritarian regimes can censor freedom-tech apps on centralized app stores to control information and limit tools for communication and organizing. Zapstore (npub10r8…t2p8) is an app store built on Nostr, a protocol for decentralized communication. On Zapstore, apps can be independently uploaded and verified by users, without being blocked or removed by dictators. HRF’s support will ensure that dissidents, journalists, and civil society around the world have access to freedom tech without gatekeepers.

Validating Lightning Signer
Most computers running the Lightning Network software today store private keys on the node itself. This creates an online setup where a breach can allow attackers to drain a user’s bitcoin. Validating Lightning Signer (VLS) solves this by separating key management from the node and validating every transaction before signing, enabling true self-custody and resistance to breaches. With HRF support, VLS will lower the barrier for people to safely control and use their own money on the Lightning Network, even in places where financial and digital rights are under threat.

Vexl
Dissidents acquiring bitcoin often need to do so privately to protect their identity, donor networks, and personal safety. Yet centralized exchanges often collect vast troves of personal information and monitor user activity. To address this, vexl (npub1mft…rkl3), an open-source mobile app, allows peer-to-peer bitcoin trading without collecting personal data. With HRF’s support, Vexl can provide human rights defenders and civil society in authoritarian contexts a means to acquire Bitcoin without surveillance and absent gatekeepers.

Dhananjay Purohit
Dictators frequently restrict the finances of online platforms and independent media to silence dissent. To overcome this, open source developer DhananjayPurohit (npub1qnw…9r6h) built ngx_l402, a web server module that enables websites and applications to accept bitcoin payments directly for web or API access. With HRF’s grant, Purohit’s work can help embed bitcoin payments into the internet infrastructure layer, keeping the web open, uncensorable, and resistant to centralized financial control.

BTCPay Server
Under dictatorships, traditional nonprofit fundraising channels can be censored, surveilled, frozen, or cut off without warning. btcpayserver (npub155m…dcvg) uses the permissionless foundations of Bitcoin to work around this. Using this open-source and self-hosted software, NGOs and dissidents can freely accept Bitcoin and Lightning payments directly into their self-custodial wallets. HRF’s renewed support will ensure censorship-resistant crowdfunding in even the most repressive environments.

Bitika
In Kenya, obtaining bitcoin can be challenging. bitika (npub1pcw…eat5) addresses this by allowing users to buy bitcoin directly into their Lightning wallets through M-Pesa (the country’s most widely used financial infrastructure). This makes self-custodial Bitcoin use simple and accessible. This grant will help Bitika improve Kenyans' financial independence by expanding access to censorship-resistant money in an increasingly surveilled payments landscape.

Threads of Freedom: A Bitcoin Graphic Novel and Learning App
Young people, especially women and girls, who live under repressive regimes often lack access to financial education. Threads of Freedom, created by Afghan tech pioneer and founder of the Digital Citizen Fund, Roya Mahboob, provides a culturally-rooted graphic novel and learning app that explains how Bitcoin works and why it matters under tyranny. With HRF support, Threads of Freedom will expand access to education that helps people protect themselves and remain financially autonomous under repression.

About BDF
BDF supports individuals and projects that make Bitcoin and related freedom technologies more powerful tools for human rights defenders operating in challenging political and financial environments. Since launching in 2020, BDF has granted $10.8 million in BTC to 341 projects across 65 countries worldwide.

Learn more about BDF on our website.

HRF is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. Gifts can be made at HRF.org/DevFund, and proposals for support can be submitted to https://hrf.org/bdfapply.

Follow HRF (npub17xv…c9as) on Nostr for more updates on this project and all of our other programs designed to promote freedom and human rights around the world.

The AI camera surveillance system in China is called Skynet ...

2025-12-30T09:12:44Z

The AI camera surveillance system in China is called Skynet (天网). I only had to pay a fine to Skynet today, no killer robot with machine guns hunting me down

quoting
nevent1q…qsxx
Got my first traffic ticket in China, the endless AI cameras are all knowing and all seeing, you can’t dodge them. Was fined 100 RMB (~$14) for crossing a white line from the straight turn lane into the right turn lane. The local government was kind enough to text me about it

The violation was for ...

2025-12-30T08:52:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…ny4w
_________________________

The violation was for “机动车通过有灯控路口时，不按所需行进方向
驶入导向车道”.

There are various ways to translate it, but basically the AI detected I was in a go straight lane and then detected my right turn. My friend who was in the car at the time told me that the violation is given when you illegally cross the solid white lane dividers.

Luckily I only got a fine, no points deducted. Illegal right turns are 3 points deducted, running a red light is 6 points, get 12 points in one year and you lose your license and have to go to driving school to get it back.

I never claimed I was innocent which is why I’m waiving my ...

2025-12-30T08:33:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…5x2z
_________________________

I never claimed I was innocent which is why I’m waiving my right to contest the ticket and paying it.

In China you are allowed to cross dashed white lines but not solid white lines. It also depends on each intersection as there are different cameras for different violations (speed, yielding to pedestrians, red lights, etc) and each camera is owned by a different department (public security bureau, traffic bureau, urban management bureau etc)

200 RMB is a lot for many Chinese workers. A taxi driver may need ...

2025-12-30T08:28:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…5ggv
_________________________

200 RMB is a lot for many Chinese workers. A taxi driver may need ~6 hours to earn that, one ticket can wipe out a day. Minimum wage is ~21 RMB/hour, so 200 RMB is roughly a full day’s work for a street sweeper or store clerk.

Getting a foot massage. Therapist says my muscles are tense and ...

2025-12-30T08:21:42Z

Getting a foot massage. Therapist says my muscles are tense and that I must not go often (no surprise, massages are expensive in the US).

I pay 138 RMB($20)/hour but he only gets 35 RMB ($5). He works 10am–midnight, 365 days a year, zero days off, for 7,000 RMB a month (~$1,000)

Got my first traffic ticket in China, the endless AI cameras are ...

2025-12-30T07:30:55Z

Got my first traffic ticket in China, the endless AI cameras are all knowing and all seeing, you can’t dodge them. Was fined 100 RMB (~$14) for crossing a white line from the straight turn lane into the right turn lane. The local government was kind enough to text me about it

Nothing like some miserable Chinese smog to start the day with, ...

2025-12-30T02:35:31Z

Nothing like some miserable Chinese smog to start the day with, winter heating + a power grid that’s still over 50% coal = heavy smog.

Eh every hospital in China has metal detectors and a bunch of ...

2025-12-29T09:09:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…5wyv
_________________________

Eh every hospital in China has metal detectors and a bunch of security guards.

A basket of fresh strawberries here in China costs 60 RMB (~$8). ...

2025-12-29T09:09:13Z

A basket of fresh strawberries here in China costs 60 RMB (~$8). Local minimum wage is 21 RMB/hr ($3). That’s ~3 hours of work. In the US, a carton of $5 strawberries is 30 min at minimum wage. Same fruit, vastly different purchasing power.

Xiaomi YU7 SUV: $33k USD base, $45k fully loaded. I tested the ...

2025-12-29T07:40:10Z

Xiaomi YU7 SUV: $33k USD base, $45k fully loaded. I tested the full self driving which uses LIDAR + cameras, lane changes, right turns, yielding, zero input from me. ~350-mile range, air suspension, sub-3 second 0–60 on Max version. Built by $4/hr factory labor.

40% of Chinese people make less than $150 a month, it’s just ...

2025-12-28T12:53:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…upqd
_________________________

40% of Chinese people make less than $150 a month, it’s just more expensive than other developing countries now

Even in low wage China I cannot escape the scourge of self ...

2025-12-28T05:37:49Z

Even in low wage China I cannot escape the scourge of self checkout machines

First time driving in China, I’m in a used $2k Wuling Mini! No ...

2025-12-27T08:55:41Z

First time driving in China, I’m in a used $2k Wuling Mini! No airbags, 100 mile range, 65 mph top speed, it’s cheap can’t complain. The new $5k models have airbags and ABS. This top seller is built by workers on ~$3/hr, pulling 12-hour shifts with only 4 days off a month.

Xiaomi used to just be a knockoff android phone manufacturer but ...

2025-12-26T08:09:57Z

Xiaomi used to just be a knockoff android phone manufacturer but now they sell high end electric sedans and SUVs alongside their smartphones

Merry Christmas! I had a great time listening to a govt approved ...

2025-12-26T03:13:54Z

Merry Christmas! I had a great time listening to a govt approved pastor give a govt approved sermon at Jingling Church. Although the sermon was dry, it was awesome to worship in the same venue where Sun Yat Sen’s wife and father in law/revolutionary financier used to worship

Asked my hotel in Shanghai for a razor and they delivered it via ...

2025-12-25T07:19:33Z

Asked my hotel in Shanghai for a razor and they delivered it via robot

The security camera at the Chinese DMV written test center. They ...

2025-12-25T02:58:06Z

The security camera at the Chinese DMV written test center. They have TSA security with a metal detector and wand to check for hidden electronics

At this Chinese clothing store, everything is on sale at 80-95% ...

2025-12-24T02:58:33Z

At this Chinese clothing store, everything is on sale at 80-95% off but the prices are all 5-20x the normal price, so you just end up having to do non stop math while you shop to calculate the price 😂 I love the honesty it’s way funnier than American fake sales

The irony of the 24-hour registration rule in China: There are a ...

2025-12-23T04:31:12Z

The irony of the 24-hour registration rule in China: There are a million cameras tracking my every move, but the state still demands I fill out a paper form to tell them where I sleep.Since I'm with relatives in a smaller city I have to go to the Public Security Bureau. If you are in a large city you can register online, or if you are staying a hotel that accepts foreigners they register for you.

China is one of the few places where an International Driving ...

2025-12-23T03:42:45Z

China is one of the few places where an International Driving Permit is invalid. Most city folk just take public transit or taxis, but I have a strong itch to roadtrip and drive some Chinese EVs so I’m spending my limited time navigating the Chinese DMV. I’ve survived the California DMV before so I should be fine, wish me luck!

I feel super safe with the CCP's surveillance cameras ...

2025-09-10T05:23:46Z

I feel super safe with the CCP's surveillance cameras tracking everyone who enters a Tibetan monastery

ShangriLa, China is gorgeous ...

2025-09-10T04:43:31Z

ShangriLa, China is gorgeous

One day Europeans can join China and figure out how AC works. ...

2025-09-06T08:32:27Z

One day Europeans can join China and figure out how AC works.

Not really, the lights are optimized for traffic and light ...

2025-08-31T00:44:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…d9t0
_________________________

Not really, the lights are optimized for traffic and light lengths change depending on traffic levels.

The billions of cameras that use AI and facial recognition to track your every move is Orwellian.

Chinese highways have cameras every couple of minutes that check ...

2025-08-31T00:40:37Z

Chinese highways have cameras every couple of minutes that check if you are wearing your seatbelt, texting and driving, or speeding. They text you a ticket immediately if they detect a violation. They also upload your location to a database so they can track where you are.

I'm in a buttfuck nowhere Chinese city and the city's ...

2025-08-31T00:26:29Z

I'm in a buttfuck nowhere Chinese city and the city's traffic lights are internet connected and tell your car's navigation system if the light is green, yellow, or red and how long the light is

My greatest battle with my in laws are the AC settings. It's ...

2025-08-30T23:41:54Z

My greatest battle with my in laws are the AC settings. It's 40C (105F) outside with 75% humidity. They want the AC set to 25C (77F) and I want it set at 18C (65F). I'm currently in a suspended state where everything I do is 0.5x speed because it's too damn hot.

I was the only foreigner on my packed HK - HangZhou flight to ...

2025-08-30T12:06:04Z

I was the only foreigner on my packed HK - HangZhou flight to mainland China, immigration in the foreigner lane was super fast! 🤣

Losing my brain cells listening to a member of the Trump con man ...

2025-08-29T07:18:24Z

Losing my brain cells listening to a member of the Trump con man family gonna go hang out with FOSS devs instead

My friend is not impressed with Binance founder CZ ...

2025-08-29T04:27:00Z

My friend is not impressed with Binance founder CZ

Oops almost stumbled into the wrong conference ...

2025-08-28T00:09:03Z

Oops almost stumbled into the wrong conference

In Hong Kong the Communist Chinese military garrison is next to ...

2025-08-27T22:19:30Z

In Hong Kong the Communist Chinese military garrison is next to Bank of America

Looking forward to being at Bitcoin Design Week! #nevent1q…sllc

2025-08-04T22:26:21Z

Looking forward to being at Bitcoin Design Week!

quoting
nevent1q…sllc
Bitcoin needs better design. We're doing something about it.

Dates/Location: Sept 15-19, Presidio SF

Bitcoin Design Week brings together Silicon Valley designers and the bitcoin community to tackle the hardest design challenges in money.

This is a free event but space is limited.

Ready to shape the future of money?

👉 https://event.bitcoin.design/

People who don't fall in love and get suckered by politicians

2025-08-01T04:50:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…qm7u
_________________________

People who don't fall in love and get suckered by politicians

People laugh at Bitcoin but central banking is an even bigger ...

2025-07-24T21:28:25Z

People laugh at Bitcoin but central banking is an even bigger joke

How my brain feels attending the Presidio Bitcoin Quantum Summit ...

2025-07-17T23:52:25Z

How my brain feels attending the Presidio Bitcoin Quantum Summit learning about all the post quantum cryptography schemes 🤯

At the Presidio Bitcoin Quantum Summit, highly recommend tuning ...

2025-07-17T18:16:33Z

At the Presidio Bitcoin Quantum Summit, highly recommend tuning into the Livestream
https://www.youtube.com/live/GeUdu4hrBPI?si=hzvVOveEhe5XqiCk

HRF is happy to match this bounty for $1000. Freedom Go Up! ...

2025-07-17T15:13:32Z

HRF is happy to match this bounty for $1000. Freedom Go Up!

quoting
nevent1q…xtum
BIP 353 is a huge leap forward in security and UX for common payments from hardware wallets. Yet, sadly, its stuck in a three-w
ay chicken-and-egg problem between the software wallets that people use, the hardware wallet firmware, and recipients.

No one wants to do the work to be a first-mover when the other two legs don't exist yet.

So, to get off zero, lets try a bounty.

I'm offering $1000 (payable only in Bitcoin to a BIP 353 HRN) each for the first hardware wallet and (on-chain, hardware wallet-supporting) software wallet to support sending to BIP 353 HRNs.

For a hardware wallet, this should be easy, just detect the PSBT field for a DNSSEC proof, validate it, and display the HRN for verification instead of (or in addition to) the actual address. You don't have to use https://docs.rs/dnssec-prover to do the validation, but I imagine it will be easy. The feature has to exist in the released default firmware for the hardware wallet.

For a software wallet, there's only a few more steps, support detecting a BIP 353 HRN in the send-to UI, do the DNS lookup (again, dnssec-prover should make this easy, if you want), build the proof, and include it in the PSBT you provide to hardware wall
ets. Also store the HRN (and maybe DNSSEC proof) so that the transaction history shows it. The default sending methods (GUI/CLI/whatever) have to support accepting HRNs and should handle them just like regular addresses. You don't have to support silent
payments, but of course its good to as well. Support has to be in an official release.

A hardware wallet that also provides a software wallet doesn't get to claim both bounties. Releases which satisfy the bounty must be made before December 31, 2025.

Nothing like drinking a beer @nprofile…glpg to celebrate number ...

2025-07-11T00:05:14Z

Nothing like drinking a beer PUBKEY (nprofile…glpg) to celebrate number go up, never lose sight of FREEDOM GO UP

Any questions that I should ask Alex Gleason for our Pubkey event ...

2025-07-09T20:49:05Z

Any questions that I should ask Alex Gleason for our Pubkey event tomorrow at 7pm?

Happy 4th of July! Today we celebrate rebels who used ...

2025-07-04T18:16:24Z

Happy 4th of July! Today we celebrate rebels who used unregistered military grade weapons to overthrow their tyrannical government! Live free or die!

Camping at the Black Rock Desert for Juplaya ...

2025-07-03T00:27:24Z

Camping at the Black Rock Desert for Juplaya

Must read every week! #naddr1qq…dh77

2025-06-26T15:37:23Z

Must read every week!

quoting
naddr1qq…dh77

Good morning, readers!

Iran’s largest digital asset exchange, Nobitex, was hit by a cyberattack in which $90 million in digital assets were intentionally drained and destroyed. The hacker group Predatory Sparrow also claims to have wiped records from Sepah Bank, one of Iran’s largest state-owned banks, and leaked Nobitex’s source code, exposing any remaining funds. The hack is an example of how centralized financial infrastructure may increasingly be targeted during geopolitical conflicts, presenting yet another reason why users, especially those living under authoritarian regimes, should consider custody of their Bitcoin.\ \ Meanwhile, in India, thousands of people have had their bank accounts frozen without notice as part of what is being billed as a sweeping crackdown on cybercrime. While ostensibly intended to combat fraud and illicit activity, the measures are ensnaring ordinary citizens, many of whom are now unable to access savings or make basic transactions. Victims face long delays, lack of recourse, and even demands for bribes from bank officials, raising serious concerns over authoritarianism, corruption, and the erosion of financial rights in the name of enforcement.

In Bitcoin news, Blitz Wallet has added LNURL address support and experimental self-custodial zaps to its Spark-powered web wallet. LNURL allows users to create static, human-readable Lightning addresses that make payments easier and more consistent for non-technical human rights advocates. Additionally, self-custodial zaps are a promising development toward sending bitcoin micro-tips on nostr without relying on custodial solutions. With these tools, activists can — for example — use nostr to blog and easily get paid for their content anywhere in the world.\ \ We conclude with a debate between HRF’s chief strategy officer, Alex Gladstein, and LayerTwo Labs CEO, Paul Sztorc, who discuss the notion of whether Bitcoin is failing to scale properly.

Here’s what you need to know.

SUBSCRIBE HERE

GLOBAL NEWS

Iran | Largest Digital Asset Exchange Hacked

Iran’s largest digital asset exchange, Nobitex, suffered a cyberattack in which over $90 million in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies were deliberately destroyed (sent to unspendable wallets) rather than stolen. The group behind the attack, “Predatory Sparrow” (or Gonjeshke Darande), claims the action was intended to undermine Iranian state infrastructure, accusing Nobitex of financing Iran’s military operations. The group has also taken credit for wiping records from Sepah Bank, one of Iran’s largest state-owned banks, and has since leaked the Notibex source code, placing any remaining funds at risk. The attack, which occurred during a nationwide Internet blackout, shows a growing use of financial infrastructure as a front line in geopolitical conflicts and the risk faced by ordinary users who store assets on centralized exchanges in authoritarian regimes.

India | Thousands Report Frozen Bank Accounts as Officials Crack Down on Cybercrime

In Mangaluru, India, thousands of individuals are reporting their bank accounts frozen or marked with liens by officials without prior notice or due process. This comes as officials tighten surveillance and confiscation in the name of fighting cybercrime activity, with everyday Indians caught in the crossfire. Affected people are left unable to make basic transactions or access their savings. Some report that account recovery can take months. Many more share that the process of unfreezing bank accounts is opening the door to corruption. Certain bank officials are reportedly demanding bribes for a more timely account resolution. The real issue is that India’s approach to fighting cybercrime is ensnaring innocent people without adequate safeguards or recourse. Instead of directly targeting criminals, officials cast an overly wide net (sometimes based only on proximity to fraudulent transactions) and place the burden of proof on victims to clear their names.

Venezuela | Gold Grams Against Hyperinflation

In Venezuela’s remote mining town of El Dorado, access to financial services is as mythical as the city it’s named after. Home to 5,000 residents, most of whom work (officially or not) in gold mining. Camps dot the perimeter of the town. Families sift sand through their fingers in search of gold flakes. While others blowtorch impurities before gold is traded or sold. It can take hours to find even a fraction of a gram, and that’s just enough to buy maize meal or cooking oil. Despite the name, most of El Dorado’s residents remain poor. “If I don't have gold, I have no life,” one merchant said. And while residents could offload their gold to dozens of dealers on the streets, most prefer to keep it in light of the bolivár’s 50% depreciation this year alone. This offers a stunning illustration of the second-order effects of Venezuela’s rapidly depreciating currency and immense financial repression. State policy has pushed an entire community into a makeshift gold economy, where groceries are priced in gold grams, and survival depends on what you can dig from the earth on a given day.

Togo | Protests Follow Constitutional Changes that Allow Indefinite Rule

Togolese citizens are rising up after President Faure Gnassingbé, already in power for two decades, implemented constitutional changes that allow him to assume a powerful new role with no term limits. Sworn in as “President of the Council of Ministers” in May, the Togolese parliament can now indefinitely re-elect Gnassingbé, bypassing the popular vote. Opposition leaders have denounced the move as a “constitutional coup,” and citizen protests erupted in Lomé and online despite a ban on demonstrations since 2022. It would be no surprise if these demonstrations are financially suffocated, given Gnassingbé’s long-standing use of the financial system as a tool of repression. There are also reports of police beatings, dozens of protestors in detention, and over 80 arrests. “A staggering 97%of the country’s citizens have lived under the shadow of a single ruling dynasty,” Togolese democracy activist Farida Nabourema said. “The Gnassingbés do not just run elections; they are the elections.”

Sudan | Inflation and Food Prices Continue to Rise

Sudan’s currency collapse is deepening. Inflation rose to 142.82% in May, with food prices jumping nearly 9% in just one month. Today, Sudanese families pay more than twice what they did last year for basic groceries. This crisis isn’t abstract. It’s what happens when a country simultaneously loses political agency and currency stability. Two years of civil war have decimated banks, severed aid routes, and turned cash into a liability, especially in RSF-held areas where new banknotes issued by the Sudanese government are banned. This financial collapse and political fallout has displaced more than 16,000 people in the past week. And refugees who do manage to flee across borders can’t open bank accounts or access financial services without a proper ID. Thankfully, grassroots efforts like the Bitcoin Innovation Hub in Uganda are helping Sudanese refugees learn to save, spend, and rebuild using censorship-resistant money.

BITCOIN AND FREEDOM TECH NEWS

Blitz Wallet | Introduces LNURL Addresses and Self-Custodial Zaps

Blitz Wallet, an open-source, self-custodial mobile Bitcoin wallet in beta, released support for LNURL and self-custodial zaps (bitcoin micro-tips on nostr) via its Spark-powered web wallet. LNURL is a Bitcoin address protocol that allows users to create static, human-readable Lightning addresses for payments (e.g., yourname @ blitz-wallet.com). This means Blitz users can send and receive bitcoin payments asynchronously without having to copy and paste a string of alphanumeric characters. The addition of self-custodial zaps is also a promising addition toward greater financial sovereignty. But it's important to note that because the Blitz web wallet is currently powered by Spark, users do not yet have a unilateral exit. They still need Spark’s cooperation to move funds into full self-custody. While in beta, these tools represent meaningful steps toward lowering friction and censorship risks in bitcoin payments for dissidents, human rights defenders, and nonprofits.

Ashigaru | Releases Zerolink CoinJoin Coordinator

Ashigaru, a project building open-source bitcoin tools, launched a new Zerolink CoinJoin coordinator, reviving a privacy tool for Bitcoin users following the closure of Samourai Wallet’s “Whirlpool.” CoinJoin is a collaborative Bitcoin transaction method that breaks links between senders and receivers by combining multiple users’ coins into a single transaction, making it difficult for a dictator to spy on dissident financial activity. Around the world, pro-democracy movements rely on Bitcoin to organize and resist authoritarian regimes that freeze bank accounts and surveil payments. But Bitcoin’s public ledger can expose dissidents and nonprofits to identification and extreme repression. CoinJoins provide a layer of plausible deniability, letting supporters fund movements without exposing themselves or the recipients.

Sorted Wallet | Implements Breez SDK for Bitcoin Lightning Payments

Sorted Wallet, a mobile wallet designed to bring Bitcoin payments to low-cost devices like feature phones and entry-level Androids, integrated the Lightning Network via the Breez SDK. Feature phones are used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, especially by those living in authoritarian or underdeveloped regions. With this integration, these individuals can gain access to fast and low-cost bitcoin payments using the tools and devices they already have. In countries where smartphones are rare and banks are either inaccessible or untrustworthy, this gives people a basic but reliable way to save and send value via bitcoin that can lower the barrier to financial participation for some of the world’s most excluded communities.

Zeus Wallet | Adds Cashu Ecash Support

Zeus Wallet, a popular self-custodial Lightning wallet for mobile, introduced experimental support for Cashu, a Chaumian ecash protocol built on Bitcoin. Cashu enables fast, low-friction bitcoin payments with strong privacy properties, but users must trust the mints (custodians of ecash) to custody their funds. This integration is part of Zeus's new graduated wallet system, which helps onboard new users by offering simple, private payments before guiding them toward full self-custody. With ecash support, Zeus lowers the barrier to entry for private Bitcoin usage and enhances the choices dissidents have over how they transact in the presence of authoritarian regimes.

Skibidi Wallet | New Bitcoin Wallet Designed for Youth

Skibidi Wallet is a new self-custodial Bitcoin Lightning wallet built with Gen Alpha in mind. The wallet combines gamification and Bitcoin to introduce foundational concepts of financial sovereignty in youth-oriented language. It integrates the Breez Nodeless SDK, enabling fast, low-fee Bitcoin payments for users without requiring technical expertise or node management. And it even includes a built-in 2D RPG that rewards engagement and helps teach core Bitcoin principles. In regions where traditional financial systems continue to limit opportunity for youth, Skibidi Wallet offers an early, hands-on path to financial agency. Learning to use open-source, censorship-resistant money from a young age provides the next generation with a deeper understanding of their financial rights and how to protect them in a digital world.

Geyser Fund | Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) Hackathon Grant

The NWC Hackathon Grant is a new funding opportunity supporting open-source projects and developers that integrate Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC), a protocol designed to facilitate Lightning payments and communication between apps and wallets. This hackathon welcomes software and hardware projects in all stages. More than $10,000 in funding will be distributed across two chosen projects. The initiative seeks to encourage innovation in tools that enhance NWC’s role in the Bitcoin and Lightning ecosystems, contributing to greater financial sovereignty and freedom for all users, especially those building, operating, or living under tyranny. Learn more here.

RECOMMENDED CONTENT

Is Bitcoin Failing? Alex Gladstein vs. Paul Sztorc Debate

In a debate on “What Bitcoin Did,” HRF Chief Strategy Officer Alex Gladstein and LayerTwo Labs CEO Paul Sztorc tackle a critical question: is Bitcoin falling behind? The pair debate whether the Lightning Network is failing, if privacy tools like ecash are a step forward or a compromise, and whether hard forks should be revived to spur progress. Sztorc argues Bitcoin is stagnating and becoming resistant to innovation, while Gladstein defends its antifragility and real-world utility for people in repressive regimes. It’s a “theory” versus “practice” exchange on Bitcoin’s future, well worth watching in full.

If this article was forwarded to you and you enjoyed reading it, please consider subscribing to the Financial Freedom Report here.

Support the newsletter by donating bitcoin to HRF’s Financial Freedom program via BTCPay.\ Want to contribute to the newsletter? Submit tips, stories, news, and ideas by emailing us at ffreport @ hrf.org

The Bitcoin Development Fund (BDF) is accepting grant proposals on an ongoing basis. The Bitcoin Development Fund is looking to support Bitcoin developers, community builders, and educators. Submit proposals here.

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Another US war in the middle east, what could go wrong? ...

2025-06-22T00:17:08Z

Another US war in the middle east, what could go wrong?