POD256 | Bitcoin Mining, Freedom Tech, and Awesome Tangents

<p>In today’s POD256, we opened with a timely update on the <a href="https://change.org/billandkeonne" target="_blank">Change.org petition</a> to pardon Samourai Wallet developers Bill and Keonne. We dug into confusing verification flows, the low conversion rate from views to valid signatures, why pseudonyms and disposable emails are allowed, and why donations on Change.org don’t reach the families; direct support should go to <a href="https://givesendgo.com/billandkeonne" target="_blank">GiveSendGo</a>. We also covered the growing media push, the reported acknowledgment from President Trump, and counter-narratives forming in the broader media. From there, we pivoted into mining: BitCrane and Addit boards for S19/Whatsminer control, Mujina support, 120V PSU unlocks, and heat-reuse projects. We previewed our Telehash fundraiser and HydraPool setup for NEMS, discussed pool trust and verification (including scam pools and coinbase-checking tools), OCEAN’s decentralization claims, and why share-chain style P2Pool v2 matters. We wrapped with open hardware manufacturing updates (pick-and-place triumphs and solder paste woes), Heatbit’s new radiant “Canvas” miner, and practical self-hosting lessons; closing with a call to action to sign the Samourai petition and keep the pressure on while the window remains open.</p>

<p>In this episode, eco &amp; Tyler welcome back Skot who was at the African Bitcoin Conference, this year hosted in Mauritius, where he spoke on open-source Bitcoin mining. We swap travel tales (including Scott’s chaotic Paris layover) and impressions of Mauritius, the conference venue, and side events focused on Bitcoin education. We dig into mining headlines: Bitdeer’s missed ASIC roadmap and investor lawsuit, Bitmain’s history (Antbleed) and why open-source mining matters, and MicroBT’s M70-series lineup pushing industrial-scale, three-phase miners. Skot explains the theory behind Bitdeer’s hyped “adiabatic charge recovery logic,” why it’s hard to scale, and how thermal and power density realities define miner design. We go deep on open hardware and firmware progress: Braiins’ open control board, Secure Boot obstacles, and Mujina’s modular path to safe, customizable, dev-fee-free mining; plus Skot’s BitCrain control board concept for USB‑controlled fleets. We share shop-floor lessons building AddIt boards and Ember One prototypes (solder paste, tombstoning, reflow profiles) and celebrate practical innovation like Gridless’s open-source JuaKali direct-DC solar mining kit. On home-mining UX, Tyler demos new Home Assistant integrations for Canaan Avalons and WhatsMiner, and we preview Hydra Pool deployments (Grafana/Prometheus dashboards) for the upcoming Telehash. Finally, we update the community on the Samourai Wallet case: Keonne’s facility designation, the continuing push for a presidential pardon, and how to support via petition and donations. #PardonSamourai.</p>

<p>In this episode of POD256, Tyler and eco catch up on winter in Colorado, project trucks, and then dive deep into the latest in Bitcoin mining and freedom tech. We recap last week’s conversation with Keonne Rodriguez of Samourai Wallet, the urgent push for signatures on the pardon petition, and practical ways to support; while clarifying privacy-friendly ways to sign. We also discuss GrapheneOS stepping back from France amid regulatory pressure, the broader trend of governments targeting toolmakers, and why freedom tech from Bitcoin mining to open hardware matters now more than ever.<br /><br />On the mining front, we showcase Hydra Pool, our open-source non-custodial pool software, now running in our lab and soon to be public for Telehash #3 and beyond. We walk through the Grafana dashboard, PPLNS accounting for up to 100 addresses per coinbase, and our goal to migrate community hash over for solo mining support. We also update on Ember One and Libre Board: open-source hashboard and controller hardware moving through v5 prototyping on our pick-and-place, aiming for developer kits before fully assembled plug‑and‑play units. We hit Bitmain’s reported federal probe, solo block wins by small hashers, and the path to open hardware parity. We close with hasher shoutouts and a call to action: sign the Samourai petition and join Telehash to help fund open mining R&amp;D.</p>

<p>In this urgent and heartfelt conversation, we sit down with Keonne Rodriguez, cofounder of Samourai Wallet, to unpack his prosecution and five-year federal sentence for building noncustodial Bitcoin privacy software. From the government’s shifting theory of “unlicensed money transmission” to conspiracy charges built on out-of-context tweets and slides, Keonne details how a noncustodial wallet was framed as a financial institution, even after FinCEN itself reportedly said it was not. We dig into Whirlpool’s design (no custody, blinded coordination), the difference between mixers and CoinJoin, and how broad prosecutorial language threatens developers, node operators, and even miners. Keonne walks us through the pretrial gauntlet, denied motions, the plea calculus that cut risk from 25 years to 5, and why truth often can’t reach a jury. He shares practical digital hygiene tips, why open source kept Samourai’s work alive (Ashigaru, RoninDojo), and how the community can help by amplifying the <a href="https://www.change.org/p/stand-up-for-freedom-pardon-the-innocent-coders-jailed-for-building-privacy-tools" target="_blank">petition</a> and supporting <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/billandkeonne" target="_blank">families</a>. This episode is a call for builders and Bitcoiners to rally, defend open-source freedom tech, and stand against precedent that endangers everyone who values privacy. Resources and how to help: Sign and share the petition for clemency and support families at <a href="https://billandkeonne.org/" target="_blank">billandkeonne.org</a>. If donating, use the non-crypto options listed until the dev's surrender date to avoid any bail-condition issues. Keep learning about CoinJoin, Dojo, and community forks like Ashigaru and advocate for legal defense infrastructure to protect open-source builders going forward.<br /><br /><br /></p>

<p>In this episode, we go deep on the shifting landscape of Bitcoin mining hardware, open-source firmware, and why trustless stacks matter for miners big and small. Fresh off the local Bitcoin++ in Durham, we recap the vibe: a developer-heavy crowd, real collaboration between devs and miners, and our announcement of the Mujina developer preview—an open-source mining firmware now publicly accessible for hands-on testing. We discuss practical demo plans for the HeatPunk Summit, creative power ideas (from inverter gens to EVs like the F-150 Lightning/Cybertruck), and what it takes to stage quiet, controlled mining demos. From secure boot cat-and-mouse games to aftermarket control boards, we unpack why closed firmware is antithetical to Bitcoin’s trust-minimized ethos, the history from CGMiner and GPL violations, and how LibriBoard, Hydro Pool, and Start9 packaging can radically reduce friction for at-home and pro operators. We also cover Stratum v2 progress, open-source community wins (Home Assistant integrations, config-first setups), and tangible on-ramps for developers—including free Auradine chips from 256 Foundation for reverse engineering and Bitaxe-based Mujina dev workflows. We close with a candid segment on Freedom Tech, the chilling effects of targeting software developers, and why building and supporting open-source tools is essential for a free society. Resources and links mentioned (non-sponsor): - Mujina developer preview: github.com/256foundation/mujina - 256 Foundation chips request: 256foundation.org (contact form at page bottom) - Hydra Pool (self-hosted pool software) - LibriBoard (open control board initiative) - ESP-Miner and Bitaxe (dev-friendly hardware) - Start9 Office Hours (service packaging) and Hydra Pool packaging efforts - Exergy docs and forum: support.exergyheat.com - Bitcoin++ local edition (Durham), BitDevs communities - Stratum v2 discussions and implementations - Home Assistant miner integrations, Node-RED and shell-script config approaches</p>