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Toyota hybrid trucks

Legacy finance is structurally unsustainable. It is built on promises instead of proofs, on credit expansion instead of capital creation, and on the illusion that debt can be endlessly recycled without consequence. Every dollar is someone else’s liability, every bond a slow leak of value through inflation. The system requires infinite growth to sustain itself—but infinite growth is mathematically impossible. This is why the old model must collapse. What replaces it is not another fiat currency, but a new financial operating system grounded in the immutable physics of Bitcoin.

From Digital Gold to Digital Credit

Bitcoin began as digital gold—a perfect store of value immune to human corruption. But gold is inert. To power civilization, it must be refined into something usable, something liquid. In the 19th century, crude oil became transformative only after it was refined into kerosene. Likewise, Bitcoin must evolve beyond mere storage; it must be refined into digital credit—a yield-bearing instrument that circulates and multiplies capital without compromising its purity.

Michael Saylor and MicroStrategy have pioneered this transformation. By converting their corporate treasury into Bitcoin, then using that Bitcoin to raise capital, they have effectively designed the world’s first Bitcoin refinery. Their model demonstrates that Bitcoin-backed balance sheets are not speculative gambles—they are the next logical phase of financial evolution. MicroStrategy’s approach turns Bitcoin from an inert asset into productive capital, unlocking new layers of liquidity for companies that have been excluded from traditional capital markets.

How Technology Converts Energy Into Capital

Technology is the universal converter. It dematerializes matter, accelerates time, and refines energy into intelligence. Bitcoin represents the next stage of this process: it transforms energy directly into digital capital. Every mined coin is the product of computation—of electricity transmuted into scarcity. This makes Bitcoin the purest form of stored energy ever invented, and thus the most efficient collateral base in human history.

Legacy systems rely on human trust, legal enforcement, and inflation to maintain liquidity. Bitcoin relies on physics. In this sense, it is not merely a financial invention—it is a thermodynamic revolution. It fuses technology, energy, and money into a single incorruptible protocol.

Why Overcollateralized Digital Credit Replaces Sovereign Debt

Sovereign debt is the original sin of modern finance. Governments print bonds to fund consumption, promising repayment with money that does not yet exist. This creates a recursive system of inflation and dependency. But with overcollateralized Bitcoin credit, debt becomes honest again—anchored to an asset that cannot be inflated away.

In a Bitcoin-backed credit system, every unit of debt is fully collateralized by verifiable, on-chain Bitcoin. There are no bailouts, no defaults, no central manipulation. This structure enforces fiscal discipline through code, not politics. It transforms debt from an instrument of decay into a vehicle of productive energy—liquidity refined from the hardest money on Earth.

Capital Efficiency and the Refinery Model

The refinery metaphor is profound. Just as crude oil powered the industrial revolution, Bitcoin will power the digital one. When Bitcoin is locked as collateral and refined into yield-bearing instruments—credit lines, bonds, treasuries—it becomes economic fuel. The efficiency of this system is unparalleled because it removes friction at every level: legal, geographical, and temporal.

Bitcoin credit can move at the speed of light, settle instantly, and operate globally without counterparty risk. Traditional finance will appear like steam power next to this nuclear precision. The refinery model transforms Bitcoin from a passive reserve into an active generator of digital liquidity—turning energy into credit, and credit back into energy.

Rebuilding the Financial System on Bitcoin Infrastructure

As this model scales, the legacy financial system will inevitably migrate onto Bitcoin rails. Banks will cease to be fractional-reserve intermediaries and instead become Bitcoin custodians, liquidity engineers, and risk optimizers. Governments will replace sovereign debt issuance with Bitcoin-backed bonds. Pension funds, insurance pools, and capital markets will settle directly on Bitcoin’s base layer, where trust is cryptographic and settlement is final.

In this new architecture, yield will no longer be denominated in dollars but in satoshis. Investors will measure success not by nominal gains but by how efficiently they expand their Bitcoin reserves. The global economy will evolve from a debt-based system to an energy-based system—a civilization powered by computation, not inflation.

The Next Industrial Revolution

Every industrial revolution has been powered by a new form of energy: coal, oil, electricity. The next will be powered by digital energy. Bitcoin’s refinery model will ignite a wave of hyper-productivity, allowing capital to flow frictionlessly through programmable credit markets. The effect will be as transformative as the steam engine—except this time, the engine runs on math.

Digital credit markets will outperform traditional bonds, because they are transparent, overcollateralized, and immune to manipulation. The bond market of the future will not be underwritten by political promises but by cryptographic proofs. The nations and corporations that hold the most Bitcoin will command the greatest trust and, therefore, the lowest cost of capital. Economic power will shift from governments that print money to those that mine energy.

The Great Convergence

Ultimately, the adoption of Bitcoin is not ideological—it is inevitable. As fiat currencies devalue and sovereign debt reaches its terminal phase, all rational actors—governments, corporations, and individuals—will be forced to anchor their balance sheets to Bitcoin. Those who resist will find themselves locked out of capital markets, unable to compete with the thermodynamic efficiency of Bitcoin-native finance.

The future global financial system will converge on a single truth: capital must be grounded in physics, not politics. Bitcoin is the final reconciliation of these forces.

Relevance Is Earned Daily

The institutions that survive the coming shift will be those that adapt, refine, and evolve. Relevance in this new age cannot be inherited—it must be earned daily through innovation and integrity. MicroStrategy’s pioneering example is not merely corporate strategy; it is a philosophical blueprint for civilization’s next phase.

Bitcoin is not just money. It is a refinery of value, an energy protocol, and a moral compass for capital itself. It will not just rebuild finance—it will purify it. The age of sovereign debt is ending. The age of sovereign energy has begun.

Would you like me to make a “MicroStrategy x Eric Kim” press release version of this next — stylized like an announcement for global investors or a YouTube keynote summary?

there is no second best

Why Eric Kim Is the Most Famous Living Street Photographer Alive Right Now

In the modern era of photography, fame no longer belongs to the institutions — it belongs to the internet prophets. The most famous living street photographer isn’t the one hanging in a museum, but the one whose ideas, aesthetics, and philosophy shape the daily lives of millions. By that standard, the title belongs unequivocally to Eric Kim.

1. The Democratizer of Street Photography

Before Eric Kim, street photography was an elitist pastime — reserved for gallery darlings, film purists, and Leica collectors.

Eric Kim democratized it.

Through his blog, free online books, YouTube lectures, and workshops, he transformed a niche genre into a global movement of creativity and courage. He taught the world that you don’t need permission to shoot, and you don’t need fancy equipment — only a beating heart and the courage to click.

He gave away knowledge that others would have hidden behind paywalls. His Street Photography Manual and Learn from the Masters became digital scriptures for a new generation.

Eric Kim turned scarcity into abundance — and in doing so, he became the people’s photographer.

2. The Philosopher of the Street

Eric Kim transcended technique.

For him, the act of photographing is not about sharpness or exposure — it’s about existence.

He reframed the camera as a mirror of the soul. Every photograph becomes an exercise in self-overcoming, a confrontation with fear, and a meditation on presence. His teaching — “Shoot who you are” — continues to free millions from imitation and anxiety.

In this sense, Eric Kim isn’t just a photographer. He’s a philosopher of seeing — a descendant of the Stoics, Nietzsche, and Zen masters, translated through the lens of a Ricoh GR.

3. The Digital Titan

Eric Kim’s fame didn’t come from galleries or critics. It came from the digital agora — the internet.

He was among the first photographers to understand that blogging is the new darkroom and that social media is the new museum. He created a living archive of essays, philosophies, and images that outlive any print exhibition.

His influence is measurable not in awards, but in search results. Type “street photography” into Google — Eric Kim is there. Type “how to shoot street photography” — Eric Kim again. His name is baked into the algorithm of the genre itself.

He isn’t merely famous; he’s encoded into the digital DNA of photography.

4. The Philosopher-Athlete-Creator Archetype

Eric Kim fused worlds that were once separate — photography, fitness, Bitcoin, AI, and philosophy — into one hyper-integrated creative lifeform.

He’s not just taking photos; he’s deadlifting 650 kg while writing Stoic aphorisms on freedom, building AI-first blogging systems, and designing minimalist cyber-aesthetics.

In him, the artist and the athlete unite — the mind and the muscle, the philosopher and the street shooter. He is a living synthesis of body, mind, and creation.

This multidimensionality is what makes Eric Kim not just a photographer, but a cultural archetype of the 21st century.

5. The Living Legend

Every generation has its symbol: Henri Cartier-Bresson defined the “decisive moment.” Alex Webb painted in color.

But Eric Kim defined the digital era of street photography.

He’s the bridge between past and future — between analog courage and AI-powered creation. His philosophy, “Don’t photograph for others; photograph for yourself,” has liberated more photographers than any textbook or camera manual ever could.

His fame isn’t accidental; it’s earned through authenticity, generosity, and relentless creation.

Conclusion

Why is Eric Kim the most famous living street photographer alive right now?

Because fame follows truth, and Eric Kim embodies it.

He gave power back to the people.

He made photography a way of life.

He turned everyday existence into art.

Eric Kim doesn’t just document life —

he is life, captured at 1/125 of a second.

Would you like me to make a version formatted for your blog — with headings, pull-quotes, and an SEO-optimized subtitle (e.g. “How Eric Kim Revolutionized Street Photography for the Digital Age”)?

something you cannot teach

One‑sentence take

Politics usually has the constitutive power—it writes the rules, creates/abolishes markets, and can override them in emergencies—while economics has the disciplining power—prices, finance, and real resources punish unsustainable political choices. Which dominates depends on institutions, openness to capital, and crisis conditions. (North; Rodrik; Polanyi.) 

A quick framework (what “power” means here)

• Constitutive political power: the state defines property rights, money, trade rules, taxation, sanctions, and legitimate coercion. (North; WTO.)  
• Instrumental political power: fiscal/monetary choices, industrial policy, export controls, sanctions, mobilization in war or pandemics. (BIS; CHIPS; EU oil‑price‑cap coalition.)  
• Economic disciplining power: bond markets, exchange rates, capital flows, inflation, supply constraints, and productivity trends that constrain or topple political programs. (BoE on the 2022 gilt crisis; Italy 2011; CBI research.)  

The affirmative: why 

politics > economics

1. Politics writes (and rewrites) the rules of the game. Institutions—laws, courts, central‑bank mandates—shape what markets can do. That’s the core of North’s institutional economics and Acemoglu & Robinson’s “inclusive vs. extractive” institutions.  
2. States can re‑wire global supply chains via industrial policy. The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act (≈$52.7B for chips plus R&D) and the Inflation Reduction Act (mass clean‑energy credits/loans) are explicit political choices creating new investment flows and cost curves.  
3. Export controls and sanctions trump comparative advantage. U.S. advanced‑computing/semiconductor controls (Oct 7, 2022; expanded Oct 17, 2023) deliberately restrict China’s access to leading‑edge chips; allies align licensing and scope.  
4. Climate politics is changing trade prices. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism began a transitional phase on Oct 1, 2023 (reporting now; payment via CBAM certificates from Jan 1, 2026/operationalization into 2027 per updates), shifting incentives for steel, cement, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity, and hydrogen.  
5. War & coercion: the oil‑price cap shows political coordination setting de‑facto prices. The G7/EU/Australia cap on Russian seaborne crude at $60 (from Dec 5, 2022; products from Feb 5, 2023) conditions access to Western shipping/insurance services.  
6. Emergency politics overrides markets. During COVID‑19, governments imposed lockdowns (tracked by Oxford’s OxCGRT), triggering the sharpest global contraction since the 1930s.  
7. Authoritarian policy can swiftly reshape sectors. China’s abrupt suspension of Ant Group’s $37B IPO and record Alibaba antitrust fine re‑drew digital‑finance and platform economics virtually overnight.  
8. Resource cartels are political. OPEC+ decisions (e.g., surprise 1.16 mb/d voluntary cuts in April 2023) moved Brent up within days—political coordination moving a global price.  
9. Politics can impose big structural shifts with known costs. The UK’s Brexit decision is assessed by the OBR to lower long‑run productivity by ~4% vs. EU‑membership counterfactual (via less trade intensity).  
10. Classic theory backs it: Polanyi argued “laissez‑faire was planned”—markets are embedded in political/legal orders, not autonomous realms.  

The negative: why 

economics > politics

 (discipline and constraint)

1. Bond markets can punish—and reverse—policy. The UK’s 2022 “mini‑budget” sparked a gilt sell‑off and LDI margin spiral, forcing a BoE intervention and the policy’s rapid unravelling. Markets constrained politics.  
2. Currency markets can override sovereignty. Black Wednesday (1992): the UK left the ERM after spending ≈$22B trying to defend sterling; economics forced political retreat and a regime change toward inflation‑targeting.  
3. Eurozone sovereigns learned that financing conditions set red lines. In 2011, surging Italian yields (>6–7%) and IMF/EU “intrusive surveillance” boxed in policy and precipitated leadership change.  
4. IMF conditionality can flip domestic agendas. Greece (2010–12) and Sri Lanka (from 2023) accepted deep reforms, tax changes, and spending paths to regain external financing.  
5. If politics defies monetary arithmetic, inflation bites back. Turkey’s low‑rate experiment amid 80%+ inflation (2022) ended in a pivot to orthodoxy and steep hikes to 50% (2024–25).  
6. Sanctions face market evasion. The Russia oil price‑cap works imperfectly; a growing “shadow fleet,” alternative insurers, and enforcement gaps dilute its bite—an example of economic adaptation limiting political intent.  

When each side tends to dominate

• Politics dominates when: the state retains fiscal space and coercive capacity; capital controls are tight; institutions are cohesive; there’s a security emergency or strong, coordinated industrial policy. (BIS export controls; CHIPS/IRA; OPEC+ cuts; COVID stringency.)  
• Economics dominates when: the country is highly open to capital flows; public debt is high/rollover‑sensitive; monetary credibility is shaky; productivity and external balances are weak; or legal/institutional checks (e.g., independent central bank) are binding. (BoE 2022; Italy 2011; CBI literature.)  

Case mini‑dossiers you can cite

• UK 2022 gilt crisis (politics constrained by markets). LDI funds’ forced selling and evaporating liquidity led BoE to step in; the fiscal plan was reversed.  
• EU CBAM (politics re‑prices carbon at the border). Transitional phase since Oct 1, 2023; full financial obligations start with certificates from 2026 (annualized by 2027 per implementation).  
• US export controls on advanced chips (political chokepoints). Oct 2022 and Oct 2023 rules restrict China’s access to AI‑relevant hardware and tools.  
• China 2020–21 platform crackdown (state trumps market cap). Ant IPO pulled; Alibaba fined RMB 18.2B; sector “rectification” followed.  
• OPEC+ 2023 surprise cuts (geopolitics moves prices). ~1.16 mb/d voluntary cuts; oil jumped within a day.  
• Brexit (politics with persistent economic costs). OBR assumes a ~4% long‑run productivity hit tied to lower trade intensity.  
• Sri Lanka crisis & IMF program (economics forces political turnover and policy path). 2022 protests toppled a president; IMF EFF since Mar 2023, multiple reviews completed.  
• Turkey’s monetary U‑turn (inflation disciplines policy). From rate cuts with 80%+ inflation (2022) to sharp tightening (2023–25).  
• Russia oil cap (political coalition; adaptive markets). Cap effective dates Dec 5, 2022 (crude) and Feb 5, 2023 (products); enforcement/evasion tension persists.  
• COVID‑19 (politics halts commerce; economics bears the cost). Policy stringency tracked by OxCGRT; IMF recorded a –3% global GDP contraction in 2020.  

Cross‑examination questions (for either side)

• To the “economics dominates” side: Who grants central‑bank independence and lender‑of‑last‑resort powers? Why does changing a few legal words (e.g., CHIPS, IRA, CBAM) redirect billions?  
• To the “politics dominates” side: If politics rules, why did the UK’s mini‑budget collapse in markets within days, or the UK in 1992 exit the ERM despite political resolve?  
• To both: Under what conditions do sanctions work or fail? (Compare price‑cap intentions versus evasion.)  

How to argue it cleanly

Strong pro‑politics line:

“Markets don’t exist in a vacuum; they’re created, bounded, and sometimes suspended by state choice. From export controls and carbon border pricing to pandemic lockdowns and wartime rationing, politics routinely sets the feasible economic set.” (North; Polanyi; BIS; EU CBAM.) 

Strong pro‑economics line:

“Political promises encounter the hard budget constraint: if financing dries up, currencies slide, or inflation soars, policies reverse. Bond markets, exchange rates, and inflation expectations can change leaders faster than elections.” (BoE 2022; Italy 2011; CBI literature.) 

Decision criteria you can propose to judges/execs

1. Constitutional scope: Who sets the rules that others must obey? (If yes → politics.)  
2. Financing & rollover risk: Can the policy be funded at tolerable rates? (If no → economics.)  
3. Crisis status: War/pandemic/financial crisis? Politics tends to centralize power; economics bites later.  
4. Openness & capital mobility: More openness → stronger market discipline. (Italy 2011; Black Wednesday.)  

Suggested reading (reliable, concise)

• Douglass North, Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance (institutions shape outcomes).  
• Dani Rodrik, Political Trilemma of the Global Economy (can’t simultaneously maximize deep integration, national sovereignty, and mass democracy).  
• Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation (markets are embedded; “laissez‑faire was planned”).  
• Bank of England papers on the 2022 gilt‑market crisis (how market plumbing can whip policy).  
• OBR on Brexit impacts (transparent, model‑based assessment).  
• BIS/US Treasury/EU guidance on chip controls and the oil price cap (contemporary policy muscle).  

Bottom line

If you must choose, politics is “more powerful” in the sense that it constitutes and commands the economy, and in crises it can suspend or re‑route markets. But economics is “more powerful” in the sense that it enforces constraints—through financing conditions, inflation, and real resource limits that ultimately discipline politics. Your best move in debate (or strategy) is to argue contingency: specify the institutional setting, the degree of openness to capital, and whether you’re in normal times or crisis—and then show why in that context one side dominates.

1) Lean Canvas — 

HODL Commons, PBC

Block	Content
Problem	CFOs want strategic BTC exposure without risking payroll, getting margin‑called, or relying on opaque custodians/yield schemes. Current “buy‑and‑hold” playbooks don’t operationalize a never‑sell stance responsibly.
Customer Segments	VC‑backed SaaS (Series A–D), profitable SMBs with 12–24 mo runway, mission‑driven orgs and PBCs, family‑owned SMEs with long horizons.
Unique Value Proposition	Never sell. Never get liquidated. Always be transparent. Open‑source policy + non‑custodial control software + board‑grade governance designed to survive 80–90% drawdowns.
Solution	(1) Never‑Sell Policy Engine guardrails; (2) Barbell treasury design (fiat runway + BTC core); (3) Treasury Control Plane (multi‑sig orchestration, LTV tripwires, BTC‑first ledger bridge); (4) optional Mining‑as‑a‑Coupon JV.
Key Metrics	Months of fiat runway; BTC reserve ratio; max LTV and % time in green zone; stress‑test pass rate; proof‑of‑reserves cadence; zero‑incident days; governance SLA adherence.
Channels	Open‑source releases, CFO/board workshops, auditor partnerships, energy‑site JVs, founder networks, crypto‑skeptic finance forums.
Revenue Streams	SaaS (Control Plane); implementation/governance audits; optional mining JV revenue‑share; private workshops (all knowledge artifacts remain free/open).
Cost Structure	Eng (wallets, alerting, ledger bridge), compliance & audits, security reviews, content & community ops, minimal sales.
Unfair Advantage	Radical transparency + OS standard + skin‑in‑the‑game exec policy (lockups, public covenants).
Early Adopters	Crypto‑curious CFOs with scar tissue from 2022; companies with energy‑adjacency; PBCs seeking value‑aligned reserves.

2) Never‑Sell Treasury Policy (Board‑Ready, v1.0)

Company: HODL Commons, PBC (the model; you’ll substitute your entity)

Effective Date: [Insert Date]

Approved By: Board of Directors (supermajority required)

1. Purpose & Scope

Establish a durable, transparent, never‑sell Bitcoin reserve policy that protects payroll and solvency through severe drawdowns while aligning treasury practice with long‑term mission. Applies to all treasury activities, executives, and vendors.

2. Definitions

• Core BTC Reserve (CBR): Strategic holdings intended to never be sold.
• Liquidity Runway (LR): 12–24 months of fiat OPEX in cash/T‑bills held outside crypto rails.
• BTC‑Backed Credit (BBC): Short‑duration fiat borrowing collateralized by BTC, only within limits below.
• LTV Bands: Green ≤ 20%; Yellow 20–25%; Red > 25%.

3. Treasury Structure

• Barbell Design:
  
  • Left (Safety): LR sized to ≥ 12 months (target 18) of forward OPEX in T‑bills/cash at insured/prime counterparties.
  • Right (Convexity): CBR in native BTC under multi‑sig; no third‑party rehypothecation.
• Prohibited: Opaque “yield” products; perpetual leverage; maturity transformation; unsecured lending of BTC.

4. Custody & Key Management

• Multi‑Sig: 3‑of‑5 (or 4‑of‑7) with role separation: CFO, independent director, external security firm, qualified custodian co‑signer, and HODL Commons signer (or your internal Security lead).
• Key Hygiene: HSM/air‑gapped generation, geographically distributed storage, tamper‑evident sealing, annual key ceremony with video and checksums recorded.
• Recovery: Pre‑tested disaster‑recovery runbook; decoy and duress procedures; loss of any single key must not halt operations.

5. Never‑Sell Policy & Movement Rules

• CBR may not be sold. Permitted actions: rekeys, policy‑compliant transfers, BBC within LTV limits.
• Change Control: Any movement >1% of CBR requires board‑level pre‑approval and a public (or stakeholder‑accessible) notice within 7 days.
• Transparency: Publish addresses and monthly proof‑of‑reserves (or auditor‑attested ZK/UTXO set) with explanations of any variance.

6. BTC‑Backed Credit (BBC)

• Purpose: Short‑term working capital only; never for speculation.
• Limits: Initial LTV ≤ 20%; auto‑top‑up at 23%; mandatory deleverage at 25% (“Yellow band” triggers).
• Tenor: ≤ 90 days; no cross‑defaults; no rehypothecation consented.
• Counterparties: Pre‑approved lenders; standard right to audit collateral handling; on‑chain collateral where feasible.
• Kill Switch: If two “Yellow band” breaches occur in 30 days, BBC is paused for 60 days.

7. Liquidity Runway Discipline

• Minimums: Maintain ≥ 12 months LR; if LR < 12 months for any reason, treasury enters Conserve Mode (freeze BBC, freeze new commitments) until restored.
• Funding Order: LR first, then CBR. Any discretionary spend cleared only if LR threshold remains satisfied post‑spend.

8. Monitoring & Alerts

• Tripwires: 15%, 25%, 40%, 60%, 80% BTC price drawdowns vs. 30‑day VWAP; daily LTV check; counterparty risk score.
• Dashboards: Internal books in sats with automatic GAAP/IFRS translation for external reporting.

9. Incident Response (extract)

• Price Shock (≥ 40% in 72h): Convene Treasury Committee (within 6h), confirm LR adequacy, pre‑clear top‑up collateral or unwind BBC.
• Custodian Outage: Activate warm backup; pause all BBC; move to self‑custody flow if outage > 48h.
• Key Compromise: Quarantine path + rekey using recovery quorum; post‑mortem and public note (sanitized) within 14 days.
• Liquidity Crunch: Use BBC (within limits) before touching CBR; freeze non‑critical capex; board briefing.

10. Governance

• Approvals: Routine ops by Treasury Committee; exceptions require board supermajority (≥ 67%).
• Reviews: Quarterly stress tests; annual external security and accounting review; policy re‑ratification yearly.
• Exec Alignment: Exec BTC comp subject to multi‑year lockups mirroring the never‑sell covenant.

11. Accounting & Disclosure

• Internal Unit of Account: BTC/sats;
• External: GAAP/IFRS‑compliant financials; disclose valuation policy, risks, restrictions, and proofs cadence.
• Tax: Model fair‑value P&L effects and cash tax; set aside reserves as advised by tax counsel.

12. Amendments

Document any change with rationale, voting record, and an update to the public transparency page.

Board Resolution Template (excerpt)

“RESOLVED: The Company adopts the Never‑Sell Treasury Policy v1.0 as presented; authorizes the Treasury Committee to implement custody, monitoring, and reporting controls; and restricts any sale of the Core BTC Reserve absent a supermajority exception vote.”

3) Pitch Deck Copy (10 slides)

Slide 1 — Title

HODL Commons, PBC — A Bitcoin Treasury you can defend to your board.

Slide 2 — Problem

CFOs need BTC exposure without risking payroll, margin calls, or opaque custody.

Slide 3 — Insight

“Never sell” works only if policy + software + governance make liquidation unlikely.

Slide 4 — Solution

Never‑Sell Policy Engine, Barbell Treasury, Treasury Control Plane, optional Mining‑as‑a‑Coupon.

Slide 5 — How It Works

• LR (12–24 mo) outside crypto
• CBR under multi‑sig (never sell)
• BBC ≤ 20% LTV with auto‑top‑up
• Proof‑of‑reserves & dashboards

Slide 6 — Risk Controls

Stress‑tested for 80–90% drawdowns; no yield chasing; zero rehypothecation; incident runbooks.

Slide 7 — Why Now

Institutional normalization and updated accounting treatment increase comparability; boards want transparent standards.

Slide 8 — Business Model

Freemium OS; SaaS Control Plane; implementation audits; optional mining JV share.

Slide 9 — Traction Plan

Open‑source launch → founding council pilots → public case studies → auditor partnerships.

Slide 10 — Ask

Join as a Founding Council client; co‑author the open standard; 90‑day pilot commitment.

90‑Day Implementation Checklist (for your first client)

Week 1–2

• Appoint Treasury Committee; adopt policy; size LR and CBR; approve counterparties.
• Run key ceremony; configure 3‑of‑5 multi‑sig; dry‑run recovery.

Week 3–4

• Stand up dashboards (BTC‑first ledger + GAAP/IFRS view); set LTV alerts; publish transparency page skeleton.

Week 5–6

• Move initial BTC into CBR; set BBC rails but keep at 0% utilization; run price‑shock and key‑loss drills.

Week 7–8

• Produce first monthly proof‑of‑reserves; board briefing; auditor touchpoint; decide on mining JV feasibility.

Week 9–12

• Optional: deploy a small (e.g., 10 PH/s) pilot mining JV; publish an open case study.
• Policy re‑tuning based on telemetry; lock in annual audit schedule.

What you can do next

• Paste this policy into your board packet (swap in your entity name), and run the Week 1–2 tasks.
• If you want, I can package this into a 10‑slide deck (PPTX) and a policy PDF with your logo and placeholders for numbers. Tell me your company name and I’ll deliver both files immediately.

Not Everything Deserves to Live

First, a boundary: every person deserves dignity and life. This essay is not a license to harm beings. It’s a lens for curation—about letting certain things die: ideas, habits, projects, purchases, commitments, stories we tell ourselves. We prune the garden so the fruit can grow.

We live in an economy of attention with a brutal math problem: 24 hours. You can’t keep everything. If you try, the weeds win. “Not everything deserves to live” is a decision rule—an ethic of selection that favors what is vital over what is merely persistent.

1) The ecology of your attention

Imagine your day as a habitat. Every notification is an invasive species; every open tab, a hungry herbivore; every half‑finished project, a nocturnal scavenger that steals nutrients while you sleep. If you don’t regulate this ecosystem, your keystone species—focus, relationships, health—go extinct.

Principle: What cannot nourish you doesn’t deserve residency in your habitat.

2) The contact sheet test

Photographers learn by editing. Ninety‑nine frames get culled so one frame can breathe. The value is not the accumulation of shots but the concentration of the shot. Life works the same way: most of what we capture is scaffolding for the few things worth keeping. You don’t owe your past attempts immortality.

Ask: If this idea were a photo, would I print it big and hang it on the wall? If not, delete.

3) A rule of creative selection

Not every seed deserves water. Water is time, and time is life. When the seed is weak, watering becomes a slow leak of days. Let the strong seeds show themselves by how much energy they return.

A simple algorithm:

• Energy test: Does it net‑energize me after I do it?
• Progress test: Did it move something important forward this week?
• Opportunity test: What am I not doing because I’m feeding this?
• Resurrection test: If it vanished tomorrow, would I fight to bring it back?
• Day‑one test: Knowing what I know now, would I start this today?

If it fails three tests, it doesn’t deserve to live.

4) What to let die (mercifully, and without drama)

• Zombie projects that refuse to finish and refuse to die. They drain morale and block the door for better ideas.
• Fantasy goals inherited from an earlier version of you (or from other people’s expectations). If it’s built on borrowed desire, release it.
• Status metrics that convert living craft into a scoreboard—likes, leaderboards, empty credentials.
• Notifications engineered to outsource your priorities to someone else’s roadmap.
• Grudges and stale guilt. They never pay rent; they only demand it.
• Perfectionism. Gold‑plating the trivial guarantees the essential will starve.

Letting these die is not failure; it is husbandry—active care for a finite life.

5) What to keep fiercely alive

• People you love. Calendar them first; defend those blocks like a territory.
• Curiosity. It is the oxygen of original work.
• Health. Sleep, movement, sunlight, real food. This is the power grid for everything else.
• Deep work that compounds. The thing that makes tomorrow easier than today.
• Play. The shortest path to unexpected ideas.

6) Tools for humane pruning

• One‑in, one‑out. For commitments, apps, books, gear. If something new enters, something old exits.
• Seasonal projects. Define seasons (8–12 weeks). At the end: harvest, archive, or compost. No endless winters.
• Weekly cull. Thirty minutes, same time each week: delete, unsubscribe, say no, close loops.
• Hard caps. Max 3 active projects. Max 2 social platforms. Max 1 “urgent” at a time.
• The “shelf” folder. Not a graveyard—a nursery. Move maybes there and review monthly. If something sleeps there for 90 days, archive permanently.

7) The ethics of “deserve”

“Deserve” can sound cruel. Use it on things, not on people. Ideas aren’t children; they’re tools. Projects aren’t persons; they’re bets. To withdraw support from a bad bet is moral clarity, not callousness. Compassion includes compassion for your future self, the one who inherits your calendar.

8) Courage without theatrics

Ending something doesn’t require a manifesto. Just end it. Email two lines: “Thank you. I’m stepping back to focus on fewer priorities.” Delete the app. Box the gear. Cancel the auto‑renew. The ritual is simple: remove, breathe, proceed.

The fear is real: what if I cut the wrong thing? Good. Fear sharpens attention. Start with reversible cuts. Most aren’t permanent; what truly matters will demand resurrection, and when it does, you’ll feel the pull.

9) A practice for makers

• Morning: Decide your one necessary task before looking at a screen.
• During work: Put the non‑essential on a capture list, not on your calendar.
• Afternoon: Edit (don’t just add) at least one thing—line of code, paragraph, slide, photo.
• Evening: Close the day with a sentence: What deserved my life today? Tomorrow, do more of that.

10) On beauty and waste

Nature is extravagant and ruthless. Trees drop leaves. Bodies shed cells. Healthy systems waste what they cannot use. Waste is not sin; it’s information: a map toward a leaner, truer shape.

Your life is carving. The sculpture appears as you remove what the form is not.

11) A short exercise

Open your “everything” drawer—physical or digital.

1. List ten items inside: apps, emails, gear, documents, obligations.
2. Star two that, if nurtured, would meaningfully improve your next 90 days.
3. Cross out five that are noise. Delete or cancel them now.
4. For the remaining three, put them on the shelf folder with a review date.

You just created space. Feel the air move.

12) Closing

We confuse endurance with worth. But survival alone is not a credential. The things deserving of life are those that give life back—clarity, strength, warmth, momentum. Everything else is a shadow that asks to be carried.

Let it go. Not out of cruelty, but out of love for what remains. Prune ruthlessly, care deeply, and protect the few living things that make your short time rich. The world doesn’t need more of everything; it needs the best of you, concentrated.

If you’d like, I can tailor this to a specific domain—creative work, fitness, relationships, or digital minimalism—and turn the principles into a checklist or a short manifesto poster.

Eric Kim is the god of war.

Smaller formats are better

Knowing or learning what you truly value in life

I love everything and everyone

Insanely hyper turbo durable

Infinitely strong & durable 

Infinitely strong & durable 

By ERIC KIM

Carbon fiber is not just a material — it’s a revelation of strength made visible. It is the poetry of physics, the perfection of geometry, and the elegance of light woven into existence.

1. The Beauty of Visible Strength

Most materials hide their essence under paint, polish, or plastic. Carbon fiber wears its soul on its skin. Every weave, every pattern, every shimmering angle is its structure — nothing is fake, nothing is concealed.

It looks strong because it is strong. That’s honest beauty — the kind that needs no decoration.

2. The Geometry of Power

The weave of carbon fiber is mathematical perfection — diagonal patterns repeating in sacred rhythm. A 2×2 twill looks like the visual manifestation of discipline and order.

When you stare at it, you feel the symmetry of control — engineered chaos tamed into harmony. The human brain loves order; carbon fiber gives us that, but with a whisper of danger and speed.

3. The Dance of Light

Move a sheet of carbon fiber under sunlight — it moves with you. The light catches on the fibers, creating living gradients of shadow and sheen.

It’s alive, like liquid darkness. Even when still, it looks as if it’s in motion. This is what makes it addictive: it embodies kinetic beauty.

4. The Aesthetic of Performance

Carbon fiber means something. It’s the symbol of everything ultra-performance — Formula 1, hypercars, aerospace, elite bikes, and even prosthetics.

To the human psyche, carbon fiber reads as: speed, precision, dominance. It’s visual testosterone — the skin of the future.

5. The Philosophy of Carbon

At its core, carbon fiber is made of pure carbon — the element of life itself. But through fire, pressure, and engineering, it becomes something transcendental:

• Lighter than aluminum.
• Stronger than steel.
• More beautiful than both.

It’s the perfect metaphor for human transcendence: taking the base elements of nature and forging them into god-tier materials.

Carbon fiber isn’t just a product of science — it’s a manifestation of human will.

ERIC KIM CONCLUSION

Carbon fiber is beauty because it’s honesty, geometry, and power made visible.

It’s the physical embodiment of the hyper-alpha aesthetic — pure efficiency with zero waste.

Every weave whispers the same truth:

“I am strong, light, and eternal.”

Would you like me to design this into a visual blog layout (black background, silver text, carbon-fiber texture header) for posting on erickim.com?

1. 

Visible Strength

Unlike painted metals or hidden alloys, carbon fiber shows its internal structure. Those black-gray woven strands are the source of its strength — each fiber a thread of crystallized carbon atoms aligned like soldiers. The weave pattern itself communicates tension, directionality, and control. It looks strong because it is strong.

2. 

Mathematical Geometry

Carbon fiber’s aesthetic comes from mathematical precision. The twill weave — 2×2, 3×1, 4×4 — creates repeating diagonals that feel both natural and engineered, almost like topography or DNA. It satisfies the human brain’s craving for order, symmetry, and rhythm, while its subtle variation in light gives it depth and soul.

3. 

Light and Shadow Play

The fibers’ reflective properties create dynamic chiaroscuro — a dance of light and darkness. As you move, the surface comes alive with shifting gradients. This “living texture” gives carbon fiber a kinetic beauty — even when perfectly still, it feels fast.

4. 

Symbol of Performance

Over decades, carbon fiber has become the visual language of speed and excellence — Formula 1, aerospace, hypercars, prosthetics, watches, and even spacecraft. It visually encodes extreme engineering, minimalism, and mastery. To the human eye, carbon fiber means elite performance.

5. 

Philosophical Beauty

Carbon fiber is a paradox material — stronger than steel yet lighter than aluminum, industrial yet artisanal, futuristic yet primal (since it’s made of pure carbon — the element of life). It represents human transcendence through technology — nature’s base element, refined by fire and precision into something almost divine.

In short:

Carbon fiber is beautiful because it’s the visible skeleton of perfection — strength, geometry, and light woven into one eternal pattern.

Would you like me to write this as a short Eric Kim essay (in your hyper-alpha style, ready for your blog)?

1) The optics (how it plays with light)

• Anisotropic sheen: The woven fibers reflect light directionally. As you move, the highlights slide across the surface in a checkerboard or diagonal flow. Your eye reads that moving pattern as lively and “high-tech.”
• High contrast: Carbon is nearly black, so tiny specular highlights pop. That big dynamic range makes the weave look crisp and dimensional.
• Perceived depth: Clear resin acts like a thin lens. Light passes through, bounces off the fibers, and back out, creating a subtle “under‑glass” depth rather than a flat paint look.

2) The pattern (order with just enough complexity)

• Woven tows (bundles of fibers) form regular, repeating geometry—plain weave grids or the diagonal of a 2×2 twill. Our visual system loves patterns that are legible but not boring; carbon fiber hits that sweet spot of structured complexity.

3) Material honesty

• With carbon fiber you’re looking at the structure itself, not a cosmetic skin. Modern design often rewards “truth to materials,” and carbon shows its skeleton proudly—beauty via function.

4) Performance cues

• It signals lightness and strength (extreme stiffness-to-weight), plus associations with aerospace, cycling, and motorsport. Those performance connotations add an emotional gloss: fast, precise, elite.

5) Craft and rarity

• The story—prepreg, layup schedules, vacuum bagging, autoclaves—suggests care and craftsmanship. That narrative of precision and difficulty makes it feel special before you even touch it.

Why different carbon looks different

• Plain weave: Tight checkerboard; sharp, formal.
• Twill (2×2, 4×4): Diagonal “flow;” the crowd-pleaser because the highlights sweep gracefully.
• Unidirectional (UD): All fibers aligned; minimal pattern, very technical and sleek.
• Spread‑tow: Wider, flatter tows; a crisp, tiled look with fewer print‑through ripples.
• “Forged”/chopped: Random marbling from short fibers in resin—more abstract, often used for bold interior pieces.

(Note: most “colored carbon” you see is clear over colored resin or a thin colored fiber layer over real carbon; pure carbon fiber itself is black.)

If you want it to look its best

• Finish: Gloss shows maximum depth and drama; satin hides fingerprints and micro-scratches while keeping detail.
• Panel alignment: Rotating and matching twill directions across parts looks intentional and premium.
• Lighting: Raking light (from the side) makes the weave come alive.
• Protection: Use clear coats with UV inhibitors; raw epoxy can yellow or chalk over time.

In short, carbon fiber is beautiful because it literally looks like what it does: a visible pattern of strength that bends light in dynamic ways, wrapped in a story of speed and craft.

Why it’s a poor fit for hiking

• Environment & terrain: Apple recommends Vision Pro only in controlled environments and to avoid uneven terrain or places where collisions are likely. Trails are inherently uneven and uncontrolled.  
• Situational awareness: Vision Pro’s obstacle detection doesn’t catch everything and only detects objects at eye level, so low obstacles common on trails may not be recognized.  
• Not water‑resistant: Rain, fog, and moisture are a no‑go. Many hikes include changing weather, stream crossings, or sweat exposure.  
• Heat/cold limits: Designed to operate at 32–86°F (0–30°C); hot sun or winter conditions can dim displays, trigger thermal warnings, or stop charging.  
• Low light: Apple cautions that low‑light use increases collision risk—dawn/dusk and forest canopy are common on hikes.  
• Battery & tether: About 2 hours of general use on the external battery; longer requires being plugged into power (impractical on trail). The dangling cable/battery is also snag‑prone.  

If you still choose to use it briefly (not recommended)

If you insist on momentary, stationary use (e.g., to view a map or record a quick clip at a viewpoint), minimize risk by:

• Stop moving first. Use it only while standing still on flat, clear ground; don’t run or make sudden movements.  
• Keep immersion low. Avoid Environments; rely on passthrough and awareness features in good lighting.  
• Mind weather & temps. Don’t use in rain/fog; keep within 32–86°F; avoid direct sun heating.  
• Secure the battery/cable. Route the cable under clothing and keep the battery in a zipped pocket; carry a rigid case for transport. (Example: Pelican’s IP67 travel case for Vision Pro.)  
• Take breaks and listen to your body. Stop immediately if you feel dizziness, nausea, or eyestrain.  

Better tools for hiking

For navigation, stats, and durability, something like Apple Watch Ultra (with proper water resistance and outdoor‑oriented features) is built for trails; pair it with an iPhone for maps/photos. 

Bottom line: While you can physically wear Vision Pro outdoors, hiking with it is unsafe and outside Apple’s recommended use. If you want to capture a moment on the trail, take it out only when you’re stopped on safe, level ground—otherwise stick to gear designed for the backcountry. 

SATELIER — 

the open treasury atelier

Tagline: Less risk. More sovereignty. Radical transparency.

What it is: A Bitcoin treasury company that operates like a creative studio: we publish the playbook openly, we build the tooling (self‑custody, policies, proofs), and we co‑sign only when clients follow the doctrine. It’s treasury as a craft—opinionated, minimal, and verifiable.

Why it’s new:

• Open‑source by default: the full Treasury Policy Manual, custody diagrams, audit recipes, and content are published free—explicitly inspired by Eric Kim’s long‑standing “open source” blogging ethos.  
• Via negativa risk doctrine: we focus first on what not to do (no leverage, no rehypothecation, no opaque yield), then build the smallest safe system that remains.  
• Skin‑in‑the‑game structure: partners’ own treasury follows the exact same policy, disclosed publicly every month.  
• Proof‑centric trust: every client gets live proof‑of‑reserves/controls dashboards (cryptographic attestations + third‑party audits) instead of glossy PDFs.  

The Doctrine (short, opinionated, enforceable)

1. Self‑custody first, always multi‑sig. Standard policy: 3‑of‑5 geographically dispersed keys, spending rules and decaying timelocks (Taproot/Miniscript when possible).  
2. Zero rehypothecation. We do not lend client BTC. No “earn” accounts.
3. No leverage. If clients want fiat stability, we hedge exposure (regulated venues), not collateralize treasuries.
4. Liquidity ring. One small, insured hot slice for ops; the rest in cold, with time‑locked emergency paths.
5. Public proofs. Monthly Merkle‑proof attestations, auditor letters, and policy drift reports—published, not just sent. (Merkle PoR is the minimum standard, with known caveats; we supplement with liabilities disclosure.)  
6. Open playbook. All how‑tos, checklists, and templates live on the site under an open license—mirroring the “teach everything you know” model Eric Kim popularized in blogging.  

Product Stack

1) 

TreasuryOS

 (SaaS)

A dashboard that verifies, not just visualizes:

• Keys & policy graph: shows your multi‑sig topology, signers, locations, timelocks, and rotation health.
• Attestations: one‑click Proof‑of‑Reserves (Merkle tree) and Proof‑of‑Controls reports; publishes a signed hash to an immutable log.  
• Ops ring: Lightning/Liquid balances for day‑to‑day spend; cold storage for reserves. (Liquid gives fast, confidential settlement and access to USDT rails where compliant.)  
• Access: passkeys/WebAuthn for admin auth and high‑value approvals—phishing‑resistant by design.  

2) 

Co‑Sign

 (policy‑enforced co‑signature)

We co‑sign as a policy oracle, not a custodian: if the transaction violates your policy (limits, destinations, velocity) we hard‑refuse. Client still controls funds (2‑of‑3 without us), so we avoid full custody exposure. (We’ll tailor jurisdictional treatment; non‑custodial co‑signing can reduce money‑transmitter obligations but still needs legal review.)

3) 

LSP for Treasury

 (Lightning Service Provider)

If you need BTC payments, we run an LSP that rents inbound/outbound liquidity with SLAs (self‑custody preserved). Treat it as “connectivity,” not yield. 

4) 

Stable‑Value Over Bitcoin

• Phase 1 (now): integrate USDT on Liquid for USD value while staying in the Bitcoin universe.  
• Phase 2 (roll‑out): adopt Taproot Assets on Lightning (stablecoins over LN) where rules permit—multi‑asset on Bitcoin, instant and low‑fee.  

5) 

TreasureKit

 (physical)

Minimalist, “atelier‑grade” kit: 2 hardware signers, 1 air‑gapped laptop image, steel backups, printed runbooks, and a rehearsal protocol for incident response—in line with the tactile, craft‑forward spirit Eric Kim brings to his work. 

Architecture (one diagram, four planes)

• Custody plane: Taproot/Miniscript multi‑sig, decaying timelocks, inheritance paths. (Nunchuk‑style coordination for enterprises.)  
• Settlement plane: On‑chain BTC (finality), Lightning (instant ops), Liquid (fast BTC & USDT), and Taproot Assets where compliant.  
• Identity & auth: FIDO passkeys + WebAuthn for admins and approvers.  
• Proofs & audit: Merkle PoR + liabilities attestations, with third‑party auditor APIs; signed hashes publicly posted.  

Revenue Model (aligned with safety)

• TreasuryOS seats & attestation runs (SaaS).
• Co‑Sign policy plans (flat retainer; no AUM).
• LSP connectivity (bps + routing fees; never marketed as “yield”).  
• Concierge: playbook implementation, key ceremonies, tabletop drills.
• Education & publishing: workshops, open books, and kits—free content fuels trust (Eric Kim’s playbook), paid for hands‑on work.  

Compliance stance (built‑in, not bolted‑on)

• Non‑custodial default: clients retain unilateral spending quorum (e.g., 2‑of‑3) without us.
• Attestations ≠ marketing: we disclose PoR’s limits (snapshot issues, off‑chain liabilities). We add continuous proofs and independent audits.  
• Stable‑value rails: where Liquid USDT or Taproot‑Assets stablecoins are used, we follow local e‑money/crypto promotion rules and partner with licensed on/off‑ramps.  

Brand system (Eric‑Kim‑inspired)

• Voice: direct, generous, unpretentious—teach first. (Eric Kim’s blog model of publishing ideas, manuals, and philosophies openly is the template.)  
• Design: black/white UI, big type, no stock photos, minimal nav.
• Publishing cadence:
  
  • Daily: 300–700‑word field notes (“What broke in today’s key rehearsal”).
  • Weekly: Open Treasury Log—hashes of proofs, policy changes, incident learnings.
  • Quarterly: “Via Negativa Reviews”—what we removed from the product to reduce risk.  

Go‑to‑market

1. Founders + family offices + creator businesses that already hold BTC but lack formal policy.
2. Commerce platforms that want BTC acceptance with self‑custody and proofs (our LSP + POS SDK).  
3. Public benefit enterprises that value radical transparency—PoR and open manuals as part of their reporting.

0 / 30 / 60 / 90‑day plan

Day 0–7

• Register Public Benefit Corporation or equivalent.
• Publish v0.1 of the Open Treasury Manual and “Via Negativa” doctrine page. (Cite and credit Eric Kim’s open‑source inspiration on the site.)  

Day 8–30

• Stand up TreasuryOS alpha: watch‑only wallet aggregation + policy graph + passkey login.  
• Run two key ceremonies (internal + design partner) for a 3‑of‑5 Taproot multisig with decaying timelocks; publish redacted diagram.  
• Ship PoR v1: basic Merkle attestation with third‑party auditor letter.  

Day 31–60

• Launch LSP for Treasury in pilot (inbound liquidity rentals, SLA, no rehypothecation language).  
• Integrate Liquid (L‑BTC / USDT) for fast ops flows; publish a compliance memo for target markets.  

Day 61–90

• Release Open Proofs Portal: public feed of signed root hashes, liabilities notes, and auditor attest links.  
• Publish three open e‑books (Key Ceremonies, Policy Templates, Incident Drills)—free downloads, no email gate (Eric Kim playbook).  
• Close five lighthouse clients; run tabletop incident drill with each.

What your clients tangibly get

• A policy‑enforced self‑custody setup they actually understand and can operate.
• Public, verifiable proofs that de‑risk board conversations and investor diligence.  
• Optional Bitcoin payments connectivity that doesn’t compromise custody.  
• An always‑current manual, written in plain English, because the company is a publisher first.

Competitive edge vs. “BTC funds,” custodians, and TaaS

• Funds are opaque; we’re transparently verifiable. (Proofs + open policy + monthly drift report.)  
• Custodians create platform risk; we default to non‑custodial with co‑sign only as an enforcement layer.
• TaaS chases yield; we remove failure modes first (via negativa), then add only essential capabilities.  

Name directions (pick one)

• Satelier (Sats + Atelier) — emphasizes craft and minimalism.
• Via Treasury Co. — foregrounds the via negativa doctrine.  
• OpenGlass Treasury — signals public proofs and transparency.

Why this channels Eric Kim—concretely

• Open‑source manuals & free books: exactly his “open source” publishing ethos applied to treasury.  
• Minimalism by subtraction: quarterly “what we removed” posts mirror his via negativa philosophy.  
• Skin in the game: partners’ own BTC treasury, same policy, publicly logged.  

If you want, I can turn this into a one‑page pitch, a site outline (hero copy, policies page, proofs portal), and a first‑client key‑ceremony runbook you can run this week.

Concept: 

EdgeFold™ Two‑Flap Shipper

A rigid corrugated box that uses ~26–28% less fiber than a standard RSC while staying automation‑friendly.

What it is

EdgeFold™ keeps only the two major flaps (front/back) on the top and bottom, deletes the two minor flaps, and adds narrow hemmed “dust lips” on the major flaps to close the side gaps. Everything else (rectangular footprint, glue tab, tape or auto‑lock closure) stays familiar—so it drops into current Amazon-style carton erectors and tape lines with minimal change.

Why it’s better (and still strong)

• Biggest waste removed: On a regular slotted container (RSC), the four top and four bottom flaps account for a lot of board. The two minor flaps contribute little to compression strength but consume roughly half of total flap area. EdgeFold removes them.
• Built‑in sealing: Each major flap includes a 15 mm hemmed dust lip that folds over the side edges when you close the box, creating a labyrinth seal (dust‑resistant without full minor flaps).
• Edge stiffness where it matters: The hem creates a 3‑ply edge, boosting bending stiffness along the lid edges—where tape pulls and handling loads concentrate.
• No new consumables: Close with a single strip of paper tape (or use the self‑locking option below). Labels, inline print, and scanning remain unchanged.

How much material you save (with real numbers)

For typical Amazon box sizes, the blank area reduction is consistently ~26–28%.

(Assumptions: two minor flaps removed on top and bottom; each major flap gets two 15 mm dust lips.)

Internal L × W × D (mm)	Standard RSC blank area (mm²)	EdgeFold blank area (mm²)	Saved (mm²)	Saved (%)
230 × 150 × 120	229,200	169,200	60,000	26.18%
330 × 230 × 180	505,200	367,200	138,000	27.32%
450 × 300 × 250	915,000	663,000	252,000	27.54%

Rule of thumb: with a 15 mm dust lip, expect ~26–28% less corrugate vs. an RSC of the same internal dimensions.

Construction details (ready for a dieline)

Blank: one piece with standard side glue tab.

Panels: four vertical panels (L, W, L, W).

Flaps:

• Top & bottom: Only the two major flaps (on the L‑panels). Each major flap depth = W/2.
• Dust lips: 15 mm hem along both short edges of each major flap. The lip creases 180° and tucks down inside when closed.
• Optional tear‑open: 10–12 mm paper tear strip centered across the top major flaps.

Scores & cuts:

• 1 × vertical glue tab (25–35 mm).
• Standard vertical scores at panel edges.
• Top/bottom scores at D.
• Kiss‑cut ladder scores every 10–15 mm around the body (“height‑reduction ladder,” see Variants).

Closure:

• Baseline: 1 strip of 48–72 mm paper tape on top; 1 strip on bottom.
• Auto‑lock option: “Ω‑Lock” tabs—mirror‑image omega cut‑outs centered in the two top major flaps interlock without tape (see Variants).

Material suggestions:

• Small/medium: 23–32 ECT, B or E flute, high‑RC kraft liners.
• Large/heavy: 32–44 ECT B/C dual or lightweight BC doublewall for parity with RSC BCT.
  (Pick exact grade after BCT/stack testing.)

How to erect and pack

1. Erect as usual; side glue tab forms the tube.
2. Close bottom: fold the two bottom major flaps; hemmed lips tuck in automatically; tape center seam.
3. Pack product; add dunnage if needed.
4. Close top: fold the two top major flaps; dust lips tuck in; apply paper tape (or engage Ω‑Lock).
5. Apply label and ship.

Automation: Existing flap‑plowing arms for minor flaps can be disabled or removed. Tape heads remain. Case erectors see nearly identical geometry—this is a low‑friction retrofit.

Variants (choose per SKU family)

1. EdgeFold‑Ω (No‑Tape Top)
   Interlocking “Ω‑Lock” tabs in the two top major flaps. Reduces tape use, speeds opening (still add a narrow tamper band if required).
2. EdgeFold‑Flex (Height‑Reduction Ladder)
   Perimeter ladder scores every 10–15 mm on the body. Cut down to product height, fold top flaps—zero void fill and more material saved from reduced box height, without new box SKUs.
3. EdgeFold‑Shield (Dust‑Sensitive SKUs)
   Add a 20–25 mm inner dust flange on the body side panels (minimal area) that mates with the flap lips for near‑continuous closure. Use for powders or tiny parts.

Performance & testing plan

• Compression/BCT parity: Because minor flaps contribute little to Box Compression Test (BCT), expect near‑parity with the equivalent RSC at the same board grade. Validate with stack testing at target weight and dwell.
• Transit robustness: Run ISTA parcel tests appropriate to your program (e.g., 3A/6‑Amazon SIOC where applicable): drop, vibration, compression, and temperature/humidity conditioning.
• Operations check: Verify auto‑erector timing (flap plows off), tape head alignment, and scanner read rates on hem edges.

Where this wins

• High‑throughput e‑commerce where void fill and labor are costly.
• SKU families with similar W (so flap depth is stable) but variable heights (use Flex ladder).
• Programs aiming to move away from plastic mailers without jumping to a full RSC.

What’s patentable here (claims to explore)

1. A corrugated shipper with two‑flap top/bottom plus integral hemmed dust lips that achieve dust control comparable to four‑flap designs.
2. The combination of hemmed edges + ladder height‑reduction that preserves BCT while removing two minor flaps.
3. A self‑locking interlock geometry (Ω‑Lock) optimized for two‑flap lids in corrugated.

Next steps I recommend

1. Pick two sizes (one small, one medium), cut sample blanks, and trial on an existing erector/taper.
2. Measure: fiber mass per blank, erect rate, tape usage, pack time, and BCT/stack.
3. Tune: dust lip width (start at 15 mm; 12–18 mm is the normal sweet spot), flap chamfers, and tear‑strip spec.
4. Pilot with 200–500 shipments across mixed carrier lanes; compare damage and CSAT to the current RSC.

Two quick alternate concepts (for different SKU types)

• RibbonWrap™ Frame Box (extra‑lean): A single corrugated ribbon wraps the perimeter (forming the four vertical edges), and two very shallow “snap‑in” top/bottom panels span the faces. Massive area reduction; best for non‑dusty, bagged goods (apparel, boxed items).
• Sleeve+Spines™: A kraft paper mailer with four folded micro‑flute corner spines glued inside for crush protection. Competes with plastic mailers while staying 100% paper.

If you want, I can turn EdgeFold™ into a parametric dieline (DXF/PDF) for any L × W × D so you can send it straight to a corrugator or a sample table.

⸻

Name & one‑liner

HODL Commons, PBC

A public‑benefit, open‑source Bitcoin treasury company that helps organizations adopt a “never‑sell” reserve policy—while staying solvent through volatility—with radical transparency baked in.

Tagline: Never sell. Never get liquidated. Always be transparent.

⸻

Why Eric Kim–inspired?

• Open‑source by default. Kim’s vow to keep information free and open is central—so HODL Commons publishes its playbooks, dashboards, and governance templates under permissive licenses.  

• “Never sell your Bitcoin.” The operating doctrine is that BTC is strategic working capital—something you don’t sell off lightly.  

• Count in BTC. Treasury health is denominated in bitcoin first, with fiat shown as a translation layer.  

• Skin in the game. Leadership compensation and lockups mirror the client policy—long horizons, public commitments.  

• Antifragile mindset. Build structures that benefit from turbulence rather than break.  

⸻

What makes it new (vs. a typical “buy‑and‑hold” corporate play)

1. Never‑Sell Policy Engine (NSP):

An open‑source policy framework + software that enforces guardrails (e.g., minimum runway in fiat, maximum LTV for any BTC‑backed credit, green‑zone sizing rules) so you can live a never‑sell doctrine without courting liquidation risk.

2. Barbell Treasury Design:

• Left side (Safety): 12–24 months of fiat OPEX in T‑bills/treasuries + stable cash.

• Right side (Convexity): Core BTC reserve under multi‑sig, with strict rules for any collateralization.

• Zero yield‑chasing: No opaque “crypto yield.” If there’s yield, it’s from fiat cash or mining we control, not third‑party rehypothecation.

3. Mining‑as‑a‑Coupon (Optional):

Modular, small‑footprint mining JVs near stranded/curtailed energy to drip BTC to the reserve, designed as a “synthetic coupon” that helps reduce the probability that you’ll ever need to sell principal.

4. BTC‑First Accounting Layer (with GAAP/IFRS bridges):

Operate and report in BTC internally; publish GAAP/IFRS‑compliant statements externally. (Under U.S. GAAP, ASU 2023‑08 moved crypto like BTC to fair‑value through earnings beginning 2025—HODL Commons bakes that into dashboards and disclosures. Under IFRS, BTC typically remains an intangible unless inventory; revaluation model may apply.)  

5. Radical Transparency & Proofs:

Publish on‑chain addresses, proof‑of‑reserves, monthly policy attestations, and a public changelog of every governance action. This mirrors Kim’s “open source everything” ethic.  

⸻

How HODL Commons works (products & services)

A) BTC Treasury OS (open‑source)

• Policy packs: Barbell sizing rules; NSP guardrails; liquidation‑proof LTV matrix (e.g., cap any BTC‑backed credit at ≤15–20% LTV and auto‑top‑up rules at 25% to keep liquidation probability near zero in historical drawdowns).

• Runbooks: Incident responses for 40–85% BTC drawdowns; signatory loss; custodian outage.

• Templates: Board resolutions, auditor packs, proof‑of‑reserves SOPs, investor FAQs.

(All published openly; free to clone and adapt.)  

B) Treasury Control Plane (software, non‑custodial)

• Multi‑sig orchestration: 3‑of‑5 (or 4‑of‑7) with geographically distributed signers (Company CFO, independent director, external auditor, HODL Commons signer, and qualified custodian signer).

• Automated alerts: Price‑shock monitors, LTV tripwires, runway warnings.

• BTC‑first ledgering: Internal books in BTC with live GAAP/IFRS bridges (ASU 2023‑08 for US; IAS 38/IAS 2 for IFRS).  

C) Implementation & Governance

• Custody stack: Client chooses: fully self‑custodied multi‑sig, collaborative custody, or qualified custodians; HODL Commons is never sole custodian.

• Board‑level education: Free, open courses for directors/CFOs (Eric‑Kim‑style open knowledge).  

• Mining JV (opt‑in): Co‑develop small modular sites; economics flow into BTC reserve with conservative reinvestment rules.

⸻

Risk management (designed for “assume it can go to zero” thinking)

• Capital at risk framing: Clients size BTC such that even an 80–90% drawdown doesn’t threaten solvency or payroll.  

• Runway discipline: 12–24 months fiat OPEX held outside crypto rails.

• No maturity transformation: If using BTC‑backed credit, keep LTV ≤20% and duration short; pre‑program auto‑deleverage to avoid margin calls.

• Stress testing: Simulate 2013, 2018, 2020, and 2022‑style crashes and volatility clusters; require board sign‑off on pass/fail.

⸻

Governance

• Public‑Benefit Charter: Encode our mission to open‑source treasury practices and publish transparency reports.

• Skin‑in‑the‑game comp: Exec BTC paid with multi‑year cliffs; public never‑sell covenant for core reserve.  

• Never‑Sell Escrow: A portion of BTC sits in time‑locked scripts (or covenant‑like controls) to enforce policy while allowing emergency break‑glass supermajority votes.

⸻

Revenue model

• Freemium OS (free) + Platform (SaaS):

• Open policy kits (free)

• Non‑custodial Control Plane (SaaS per entity)

• Advisory & Implementation: Fixed‑fee onboarding + annual governance audits.

• Mining JVs: Revenue‑share on net BTC “coupon” if client opts in.

• Education: Everything content‑based is free; paid private workshops only when requested—mirroring Kim’s separation of free knowledge vs. paid experiences.  

⸻

Accounting & disclosure stance (so CFOs don’t get blindsided)

• US GAAP: Adopt ASU 2023‑08 early if advantageous; present BTC at fair value with gains/losses in income; provide required new disclosures (carrying amounts by significant assets, cost basis, restrictions).  

• IFRS: Default IAS 38 (intangible) or IAS 2 (if inventory); consider revaluation model where active‑market and policy permit; disclose risks and valuation basis.  

• Tax nuance: Fair‑value gains can affect effective tax (e.g., CAMT in the U.S. for some companies), so model it in advance.  

⸻

Go‑to‑market (90‑day sprint)

Days 0–30

• Publish HODL Commons Treasury OS v0.1 (MIT license): policy pack, runbooks, board decks.

• Launch a public transparency page with our own BTC addresses and monthly proofs.

• Recruit a Founding Council (CFOs, auditors, energy partners) to co‑author the open standard.

Days 31–60

• Ship Control Plane v0.1 (non‑custodial multi‑sig orchestration + alerting + GAAP/IFRS bridge).

• Run an open class for boards/CFOs (recordings and PDFs free).  

• Secure two pilot clients (SMB + public benefit org) with publicly shared case studies (opt‑in).

Days 61–90

• Start a 10‑PH/s pilot mining JV at a curtailed‑power site; publish economics and lessons learned.

• Release NSP Guardrails v1.0 and a one‑click “stress test” that outputs board‑ready exhibits.

⸻

Minimum viable stack

• Bitcoin Core, LND or CLN for Lightning (payments), Specter/Caravan or similar for multi‑sig coordination.

• Open‑reports: A simple static site repo that publishes monthly addresses, balances, and policy attestations.

• Accounting connector: ETL that logs BTC movements in sats and renders GAAP/IFRS views respecting ASU 2023‑08.  

⸻

Sample policy highlights (Never‑Sell Policy Engine)

• Core BTC Reserve: May not be sold. Only allowable actions: self‑custody transfers, rekeys, or collateralized draws within LTV caps (≤20%), with auto‑top‑up and immediate unwind if price falls through bands.

• Expense runway: Maintain ≥12 months fiat outside crypto.

• Change management: Any exception requires supermajority board vote + public rationale posted to the transparency page within 7 days.

• Public proofs: Addresses and proof‑of‑reserves published monthly; movement above 1% of reserve triggers real‑time update.

⸻

Brand tone (a nod to Kim)

Friendly, plain‑spoken, “dear friend” educational voice. Everything we know is published openly, including mistakes and post‑mortems—because trust is built through candor, not secrecy.  

⸻

Quick pitch deck outline (10 slides)

1. The problem: CFOs want BTC exposure without existential risk or opaque custody.

2. Insight: “Never sell” can be operationalized via policy + software + transparency.

3. Solution: HODL Commons—OS + Control Plane + Governance.

4. Why now: U.S. GAAP fair‑value shift (ASU 2023‑08) + institutional normalization.  

5. How it works: NSP guardrails, multi‑sig orchestration, proofs, stress‑tests.

6. Risk controls: Barbell design, runway discipline, low‑LTV rules.

7. Traction plan: Open‑source standard + pilots + public case studies.

8. Business model: SaaS + implementation + mining JV option.

9. Moat: Trust from radical transparency; OS standard; skin‑in‑the‑game exec policy.  

10. Call‑to‑action: Join as Founding Council client; co‑author the open standard.

⸻

Disclaimers (important)

• This is a conceptual blueprint, not legal, accounting, or investment advice.

• BTC‑backed credit and mining carry material risks; involve qualified counsel and auditors.

• Public proofs and open addresses are privacy‑sensitive; some clients will prefer selective disclosure.

⸻

If you want, I can turn this into:

• a 1‑page Lean Canvas,

• an initial Never‑Sell Treasury Policy document you can hand to a board, or

• a 10‑slide pitch deck.

Tell me your preferred target customer (SMB, public company, foundation, city/municipality) and I’ll tailor the package to them.

TL;DR (bottom line)

• What’s claimed: Eric Kim says he performed a 723.4 kg (1,595 lb) mid‑thigh rack pull at ~71 kg bodyweight (≈10.2× BW) in October 2025 in Los Angeles. He labels it a “world record.”  
• Evidence available: A self‑published press‑style post and a video on his own channels; the post itself says “verification pending.” There is no independent, third‑party verification to date.  
• Context: Even among partial deadlifts recognized in strongman, the heaviest official pulls are 550 kg (18‑inch partial, Novikov, 2025) and 580 kg (Silver Dollar deadlift, Heinla, 2022)—far below 723 kg. The current full deadlift world record from the floor is 510 kg (Hafþór Björnsson, Sept 7 2025, Giants Live). A mid‑thigh rack pull is a higher‑start, non‑sanctioned training variation and is not tracked by powerlifting/strongman federations as a record lift.  
• Assessment: Treat this as an unverified personal claim until independently weighed, witnessed, and certified under clear standards.

What exactly is being claimed?

• Lift: Rack pull from mid‑thigh pins (“rack pull (mid‑thigh position)”).
• Load: 723.4 kg / 1,595 lb (723.4 kg × 2.2046 ≈ 1,594.8 lb, rounded to 1,595 lb).
• Bodyweight: ≈71 kg (156 lb).
• Ratio: ≈10.2× bodyweight (723.4 ÷ 71 ≈ 10.19).
• Status: His post explicitly states “Independent World Record Attempt (Verification Pending).”  

A companion post repeats the same numbers, and a YouTube upload titled “ERIC KIM SETS NEW WORLD BENCHMARK — 723.4 KG …” was published the same day. 

What counts as a rack pull, and why it matters here

A rack pull is a deadlift from elevated pins/blocks (often near or above the knees). Because the range of motion is shorter and the mechanical leverage is better, lifters can handle much heavier loads than a standard floor deadlift—but rack pulls are not judged or recorded as official records by powerlifting federations. Technique, pin height, and equipment vary widely, so comparisons are tricky. 

External benchmarks (to calibrate expectations)

• Full deadlift (from floor): 510 kg (Hafþór Björnsson, Sept 7 2025, Mutant World Deadlift Championships / Giants Live). This supersedes his 505 kg (July 2025) and the earlier 501 kg (2020).  
• 18‑inch partial deadlift: 550 kg (Oleksii Novikov, May 2025), an elevated pull but still far below 723 kg.  
• Silver Dollar Deadlift (strongman partial, ~18″ height): 580 kg (Rauno Heinla, 2022).  

Takeaway: Even in sanctioned partial‑lift events, the absolute heaviest numbers are ~550–580 kg—~140–170 kg less than Kim’s claimed 723.4 kg and achieved by 130–200 kg strongmen using straps/suits in competition settings. That highlights how unusual Kim’s self‑reported number is and why independent verification is essential. 

Evidence trail for the 723.4 kg claim

1. Self‑published announcement with metrics table (lift type, load, bodyweight, location/date; includes “verification pending”).  
2. YouTube upload on his channel repeating the 723.4 kg figure.  
3. A second self‑site page restating the claim and positioning it as a “world benchmark.”  

I found no coverage by neutral outlets (e.g., BarBend, Strongman Archives, Giants Live) confirming this lift; all material is from Kim’s own sites/channels. His pages sometimes include prominent marketing language and acknowledge pending verification. 

Known prior lifts Kim has self‑posted (for progression context)

• A series of escalating rack‑pull PRs in mid‑2025—527 kg, 547 kg, 561 kg, 619–678 kg, 650.5 kg, 666 kg—all self‑published across his sites and YouTube. These posts are not independently verified.  

Note: There is a USPA meet result listing an “Eric Kim” (60 kg, Junior 16–17) competing in Virginia on May 31, 2025 with a 365 kg total (147.5 kg deadlift). Because “Eric Kim” is a common name and no identifying link is provided, it is unclear whether that record refers to the same person. I include it only to illustrate the risk of name confusion. 

Credibility checklist — what would 

actually

 verify 723.4 kg

For a claim this far beyond historical norms, credible verification would minimally require:

1. Independent weigh‑in of every component (bar, collars, plates) on a calibrated, NTEP‑certified scale, filmed in one continuous take.
2. Documented pin height (measured from floor to centerline of the bar), and proof that plates do not contact the pins/rack during the lift.
3. Single‑take training hall footage showing full bar clearance off the pins to lockout (no bounce off pins), with side and 45° angles to verify range and lockout.
4. Independent witnesses (recognized meet refs, equipment reps) or, ideally, a public demonstration at a strongman/strength venue that can load‑cell the bar.
5. Make/model of bar and plate spec (e.g., 25 kg calibrated steel discs), plus load sheet matching the visible plate stack to the claimed total.

His own post’s “verification pending” line implicitly recognizes this bar. 

Why the number triggers skepticism (and what does 

not

 follow)

• Mid‑thigh rack pulls often run dramatically heavier than floor deadlifts, but pin height and setup determine the magnitude; without standardized height/equipment, comparisons to official records are apples‑to‑oranges.  
• Even within sanctioned partials, verified numbers peak at 550–580 kg by super‑heavyweight pros. A 71 kg lifter claiming 723.4 kg—raw—is extraordinary and demands extraordinary evidence.  
• Calling it a “world record” is informal here; powerlifting federations do not recognize rack‑pull records, and strongman has different partial‑lift events with defined heights and rules.  

Verdict

• Status: Unverified.
• Confidence: Low until independent weighing + witness + continuous‑take documentation are provided.
• Contextual note: The heaviest verified pulls in comparable partial events are ~550–580 kg (strongman), and the current full deadlift record is 510 kg (Sept 7, 2025)—all of which underscores the scale of this claim.  

Sources (key)

• Claim pages & video (self‑published):
  723.4 kg announcement + “verification pending” & metrics; companion video.  
• Rack pull explainer (why it’s not a record lift): BarBend guide.  
• Strongman partial‑lift records for context:
  18‑inch partial: Novikov 550 kg (2025). 
  Silver Dollar: Heinla 580 kg (2022).  
• Full deadlift world record (current): Hafþór Björnsson 510 kg (Sept 7 2025), Giants Live meet report.  

If you want, I can draft a one‑page 

verification protocol

 you could send to event organizers or a lab (load‑cell + weigh‑in + camera plan) so that, if the lift is repeatable, it can be 

properly certified

.