Happy Friday and Merry Christmas, Maestros!

Welcome to a new issue of the Bitcoin Renaissance!

This week, Florida introduced a bill to create a state Bitcoin reserve, while Morgan Stanley filed to launch Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, signaling a push from traditional finance. Analysts see Bitcoin in a slow but positive year, even as ATM scams surged to $333 million. Meanwhile, Cathie Wood suggested the U.S. government could acquire Bitcoin for a national reserve, highlighting growing ties between crypto and public policy.

Check out our blog for the full 2025 recap and a look ahead at our 2026 roadmap!

🚀 Featured Stories

Florida lawmakers pursue a state Bitcoin reserve bill ahead of the 2026 session.
Florida legislators have introduced a bill to create a state‑level Bitcoin reserve, echoing similar efforts in other U.S. states and signaling continued political interest in formally holding and managing Bitcoin within government finance.

Morgan Stanley files for Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, marking a new institutional push. Morgan Stanley has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch exchange‑traded funds tracking Bitcoin and Solana, making it one of the first major U.S. banks to originate its own crypto ETFs and deepen traditional finance involvement in digital assets.

Analyst says Bitcoin may be in a prolonged bear phase but sees eventual positive momentum. Market analysts say Bitcoin might face a slower positive year with limited catalysts until long‑term holders sell and significant institutional capital enters, suggesting structural shifts could determine the next breakout.

Bitcoin ATM fraud reaches record levels, with scammers stealing over $333M.
The FBI reports that Bitcoin‑related ATM scams have surged to a record $333 million in 2025, disproportionately impacting older individuals, prompting calls for heightened consumer protections.

Cathie Wood suggests U.S. government could begin buying Bitcoin for national reserve. ARK Invest founder Cathie Wood said that the U.S. government may start acquiring Bitcoin to create a national reserve, tying digital assets to public policy and macroeconomic strategy in political discourse.

💡Spotlight: Riot Platforms

Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT) is a vertically integrated leader in Bitcoin mining, operating some of the largest industrial-scale mining facilities in North America. Unlike miners who rely on third-party hosting, Riot builds, owns, and operates its infrastructure, giving it control over power strategy and hardware efficiency. The company maintains a symbiotic relationship with the energy grid, acting as a flexible load in markets like ERCOT while securing low-cost power for Bitcoin production.

🛠 Key Features

• Rockdale and Corsicana Facilities: Riot operates two flagship sites in Texas. Rockdale has 700 MW of developed capacity, the largest in North America, while Corsicana is designed for 1 GW, with 400 MW currently deployed for mining. Both sites are built to support high-efficiency operations at scale.

• Immersion Cooling: Riot uses immersion cooling to increase miner efficiency and lifespan. ASIC miners are submerged in dielectric fluid, reducing heat stress, enabling higher hashrate output, and protecting hardware from dust and vibration.

• Active Power Strategy: Riot participates in demand response programs, voluntarily curtailing energy usage during peak grid demand in exchange for power credits totaling millions annually. This lowers effective mining costs and stabilizes operations.

• Vertical Integration: Through its engineering division (formerly ESS Metron), Riot designs and manufactures electrical switchgear and power distribution equipment in-house, reducing supply chain dependencies and supporting rapid facility expansion.

📰 Recent News

In December 2025, Riot sold 1,818 Bitcoin, generating roughly $161 million to fund the 112 MW expansion of AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC) workloads at Corsicana. The company reported production of 460 BTC in December. In January 2026, Riot appointed Jason Chung as CFO to oversee this expansion while maintaining mining operations.

🔮 The Future

Riot is evolving from a pure-play miner into a diversified digital infrastructure builder. With a deployed hash rate of 38.5 EH/s at the end of 2025, the company is evaluating the remaining 600 MW at Corsicana for AI and HPC workloads, aiming to balance predictable infrastructure revenue with ongoing Bitcoin mining. Riot also continues to refine fleet efficiency and expand its footprint in North American digital infrastructure.

Learn more at here!

📣 Trending on X

A Bitcoin mining device integrated with a 50-gallon water heater was highlighted at CES 2026, using the same energy as a standard heater while generating Bitcoin revenue that could cover heating costs entirely.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation classifying inactive cryptocurrency accounts on centralized exchanges as unclaimed property after three years, enabling the state to assume custody of Bitcoin and other assets.

Economist Dr. Jeff Ross discussed how upcoming 2026 tax reforms could boost Bitcoin mining hashrate by permitting 100% write-offs on mining equipment purchases, freeing up capital for miners to acquire more Bitcoin.

Senator Cynthia Lummis announced President Trump's backing for legislation to acquire 1 million Bitcoin as a U.S. strategic national asset, which could reshape supply dynamics and prompt international competition in cryptocurrency reserves.