🎙 Bitcoin Fortress Podcast — Episode 229
The Price is in a Bear Market. Bitcoin Isn't.
Date: August 16, 2026Block Height: 962764Moscow Time: 1583Fees: 1 / 1 /1
In this episode: Bitcoin remains stuck in a frustrating bear market, but beneath the price action the network and its surrounding infrastructure continue to strengthen. This week we look at whale accumulation, ETF flows, miner selling, Strategy and the evolving Bitcoin treasury model, the convergence of Bitcoin mining and AI infrastructure, and the emerge...
🎙 Bitcoin Fortress Podcast — Episode 229
The Price is in a Bear Market. Bitcoin Isn't.
Date: August 16, 2026
Block Height: 962764
Moscow Time: 1583
Fees: 1 / 1 /1
In this episode: Bitcoin remains stuck in a frustrating bear market, but beneath the price action the network and its surrounding infrastructure continue to strengthen. This week we look at whale accumulation, ETF flows, miner selling, Strategy and the evolving Bitcoin treasury model, the convergence of Bitcoin mining and AI infrastructure, and the emergence of institutional Bitcoin-backed credit. We also examine the latest delay in the CLARITY Act, the SEC’s regulatory push, Tether’s first Big Four audit, growing Wall Street exposure, and another reminder about the importance of privacy and self-custody. Plus, we survey the Bitcoin podcast universe, feature “The Discipline of Enough,” and discuss why sometimes the hardest part of a Bitcoin bear market isn’t price pain—it’s time.
Bitcoin Fortress YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEPGN1YCIQcMxkUig5GaNrQ
Bitcoin Fortress Substack Featured Post:
The Discipline of Enough
https://bitcoinfortress.substack.com/p/the-discipline-of-enough
Bitcoin Fortress Books:
Follow me on Nostr:
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NEWS (August 9, 2026 – August 16, 2026)
Market Structure & Bitcoin Price
Bitcoin stuck as ETF inflows offset selling — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/08/11/bitcoin-stuck-as-etf-inflows-offset-selling-but-inflation-data-could-spark-a-move
Bitcoin volatility returns to 2026 lows — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/daybook-us/2026/08/14/volatility-exits-crypto-tradfi-markets-even-as-u-s-iran-risks-linger-sovereign-debt-rises
Bitcoin ETFs see first two-day August drawdown — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/08/14/bitcoin-slips-as-u-s-inflation-fails-to-spark-gains-etfs-see-august-s-first-two-day-drawdown
Bitcoin's strongest hands appear to be accumulating — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/08/11/bitcoin-s-strongest-hands-are-back-on-chain-data-show
Mining & Energy
Public miners add $1.78 billion of selling pressure — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/08/12/one-overlooked-group-has-added-usd1-78-billion-of-selling-pressure-to-bitcoin-market
Why Bitcoin mining and AI are merging — Bitcoin Magazine
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/bitcoin-for-corporations/ai-hyperscalers-are-pricing-bitcoin-miners-off-the-grid-heres-why-its-a-massive-win-win
Treasury Companies & Bitcoin Credit
Strategy sells Bitcoin for fourth consecutive week — MarketWatch
https://www.marketwatch.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-s-p-500-nasdaq-soft-july-payrolls-fed-hike-trump-iran-war-nuclear-deal/card/bitcoin-takes-a-hit-after-strategy-sells-for-a-4th-straight-week-AlbzdhKbBdQD22vLpLzA
Strategy and Metaplanet face possible MSCI index exclusions — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/08/14/bitcoin-holders-strategy-and-metaplanet-face-stock-index-exclusion-under-msci-s-new-proposal
Strategy responds to MSCI proposal — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/08/14/strategy-says-msci-should-measure-markets-not-dictate-corporate-assets
Metaplanet introduces BitBonds — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/08/13/bitcoin-treasury-company-metaplanet-unveils-bitbonds-with-usd1-3-million-private-debt-sale
Bitcoin-backed lending enters institutional era — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/08/11/bitcoin-backed-lending-is-entering-its-institutional-era-two-prime
Institutional Adoption
UBS increases BlackRock IBIT position — Bitcoin Magazine
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/ubs-buys-blackrock-bitcoin-etf
Goldman Sachs to acquire NEOS Investments — Bitcoin Magazine
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/goldman-sachs-to-acquire-neos-investments
Regulation & Washington
CLARITY Act faces long odds after Senate delay — Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/crypto-bill-faces-long-odds-after-senate-punts-vote-september-2026-08-10/
SEC sets meeting for Regulation Crypto proposal — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/08/11/u-s-sec-sets-meeting-to-propose-reg-crypto-to-support-certain-digital-assets-offerings
SEC later cancels crypto rulemaking meeting — Investopedia
https://www.investopedia.com/market-update-bitcoin-falls-as-regulatory-hopes-are-dashed-price-btc-12059975
OCC grants conditional trust charter to World Liberty Financial — Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-regulator-approves-bank-charter-trump-backed-crypto-company-world-liberty-2026-08-14/
Stablecoins & Global Adoption
Tether completes first KPMG full audit — Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/stablecoin-issuer-tether-says-kpmg-us-has-audited-its-2025-statements-2026-08-14/
Russia proposes regulated retail access to Bitcoin, Ether and USDT — CoinDesk
https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/08/12/russia-moves-to-restrict-retail-crypto-trading-to-bitcoin-ether-and-usdt
Security
Trezor data breach exposes nearly 14,000 customer records — Bitcoin Magazine
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/trezor-data-breach-leaks-customer-info
Macro
Fed expected to hold following softer July inflation — Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/traders-stick-narrow-bets-september-fed-hold-after-inflation-data-2026-08-12/
Podcast Universe
What Bitcoin Did — The $1 Trillion Bitcoin Loan Market Is Coming | Mauricio Di Bartolomeo
https://www.whatbitcoindid.com/
What Bitcoin Did — The Data Says Bitcoin's Bottom Is Already In | Mitchell Askew & John Haar
https://www.whatbitcoindid.com/
TFTC Podcast
https://www.tftc.io/podcast
