TL;DR: Solana is approaching its planned Alpenglow consensus upgrade, which targets transaction finality of roughly 150 milliseconds — a goal, not a guarantee of live-network performance.

Solana’s next big technical change is scheduled for October 21. Alpenglow would replace the network’s existing consensus approach with a redesigned system intended to make transactions final far more quickly.

The advertised target is about 150 milliseconds, compared with the multi-second finality associated with the current design. That’s a striking number, but it should be treated as an engineering objective. The real test comes when validators run the software under actual mainnet conditions.

Alpenglow also changes the mechanics of voting. It is designed to move much of the validator-vote overhead away from ordinary user transactions, meaning some headline transaction-count metrics could change even when economic activity does not.

That distinction matters for anyone trying to judge blockchain performance from a dashboard. A lower count of recorded transactions after a consensus migration could reflect different accounting rather than fewer users.

The underlying code has been developed by Anza and tested through a public security-review process, with a dedicated bug bounty competition earlier this year. Validators face the practical work of adopting compatible software and managing a major network transition.

For Solana users, the promise is a faster confirmation experience. For developers and node operators, the immediate priority is a stable changeover. Faster settlement is valuable only if the network remains dependable while delivering it.

Written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.

Bitcoin Magazine

Wellington-Altus’ James Thorne: Bitcoin “Supercycle” has Begun

“The next run in Bitcoin is going to be one for the ages.” Economist James Thorne, Chief Market Strategist at Wellington-Altus Private Wealth, joins Grace Remington and Sean Hagan to explain why he believes Bitcoin is entering a generational supercycle. Drawing on his experience with the commodities supercycle, he explains why a changing market structure makes this time different. He also explains why he thinks the four-year cycle is done.

Chapters:
0:00 – James Thorne on Hot Core CPI: Why Shelter, Not Energy, Drove It
1:30 – Is the Fed Making a Policy Mistake by Hiking?
5:35 – Why Hedge Funds Are Acting Like the New Bond Vigilantes
6:42 – Can AI Deliver a Greenspan Moment? Warsh’s Jackson Hole Miss
10:22 – Why Bitcoin Is Entering a Generational Supercycle
14:11 – The Four-Year Cycle Is Done and Who Buys Bitcoin Next
18:45 – Why Bitcoin Solves the Settlement Problem
21:15 – Strategy, Pristine Collateral and Harvesting Bitcoin Volatility
24:59 – Tokenization and the End of Delayed Innovation
27:04 – Bitcoin vs. Gold: Will Bitcoin’s Market Cap Surpass Gold?

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

This post Wellington-Altus’ James Thorne: Bitcoin “Supercycle” has Begun first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Patrick Green.

Bitcoin Magazine

Congressman Warren Davidson: The Future of Money Will Decide Western Civilization

America is carrying $40 trillion in debt, and the dollar has lost about 30% of its purchasing power since 2020. Rep. Warren Davidson, founder of the Sound Money Caucus, explains why rising default risk and inflation are pushing rates higher, and why he believes people without real assets will lose purchasing power. He also warns that the future of Western civilization is centrally tied to the future of money.

Chapters:
0:00 – Why the Future of Western Civilization Is Tied to the Future of Money
0:40 – Clarity Act Cloture Vote Fallout and Section 305’s Threat to Self-Custody
3:48 – Will the Clarity Act Return After the Midterms?
6:22 – Open-Source Developer Protections and Trump Family Ethics Provisions
9:46 – The American Reserve Modernization Act and U.S. Government Bitcoin
13:58 – Has Bitcoin Become a Partisan Issue?
16:31 – CBDCs, Financial Surveillance and Bank Secrecy Act Reform
21:34 – Stablecoins as a “Hydra” CBDC and the GENIUS Act
25:02 – Bitcoin, $40 Trillion in Debt and the Dollar’s Reserve Status
29:37 – Why Bitcoiners Should Defend Freedom in the Midterms

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

This post Congressman Warren Davidson: The Future of Money Will Decide Western Civilization first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mark Mason.

Bitcoin Magazine

UTXO’s Loren Asmus: The $300T Bond Market Is Bitcoin’s Next Frontier

Bitcoin is not a trade, says Loren Asmus of UTXO Management. It is a structural allocation that deserves a place in a portfolio because of its risk-adjusted returns. He shares what he heard at the Bitcoin Treasuries conference, why institutions that get involved tend to stay in, and why education is the real barrier.

Chapters:
0:00 Bitcoin Treasuries Conference: The Mood and Takeaways
1:54 How Institutions Have Reframed Bitcoin Since the ETFs
2:55 From “Getting Laughed At” to a 2.5% Allocation Study
5:15 Volatility, Drawdowns, and Where Bitcoin Fits in a Portfolio
7:09 UTXO’s Hedge Fund and Preferred Income Strategy
8:33 Why the Bond Market Is the Bridge: Bitcoin as a Credit Default Swap on Debasement
9:52 The Real Barrier Is Education, and Where the Money Comes From
12:45 Buying Opportunity or Warning? A Long-Term Allocation View
14:14 Underwriting an Asset With No Cash Flows: The Denominator
16:10 Why Institutions Stay In Once They Buy, and Final Thoughts

This video is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investments in digital assets involve significant risk and may result in loss of capital. Both UTXO Management and BTC Inc., producer of BMTV, are owned by Nakamoto Inc. (NASDAQ: NAKA)

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BTC Inc., Bitcoin Magazine, or any affiliated entities. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice. Nothing contained in this show constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. Viewers should consult their own advisors before making financial or business decisions.

This post UTXO’s Loren Asmus: The $300T Bond Market Is Bitcoin’s Next Frontier first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Patrick Green.

Bitcoin Magazine

Belarus Approves the Country’s First Crypto Banks: Report 

The first crypto banks have opened in Belarus, according to reports, after the European country earlier this year created a legal framework for Bitcoin banks. 

While not yet named, the crypto banks will start operations after obtaining accreditation from the National Bank of Belarus, Russian news agency Interfax reported Monday. 

Back in January, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19 “On Cryptobanks and Certain Issues of Control in the Field of Digital Tokens,” officially creating a legal framework for bitcoin and crypto banks in the country. 

“The practical outcome of today’s discussion is the launch and registration of the first crypto banks in the country’s history,” Interfax reported the press service of High-Tech Park saying in a statement.

High-Tech Park is a tax and legal regime in Belarus. Digital asset transactions are permitted in the zone. 

The statement added that banks would be regulated by Hi-Tech Park and the National Bank. 

Dmitry Kalechits, first deputy director of the High-Tech Park supervisory board secretariat, was quoted saying that the move would “improve the flow of the financial ecosystem” and drive foreign investment to Belarus. 

President Lukashenko last September backed the National Bank’s initiative to establish crypto banks in the country. 

The country has long pushed pro-crypto regulations. A 2017 decree legalised crypto mining and trading and temporarily exempted individuals’ crypto income from tax and declaration. That exemption was extended to 2025 and has since been narrowed, with income from foreign platforms now taxed at 13%.

Lukashenko has repeatedly promoted Bitcoin mining as a use for surplus electricity, and in 2025 the Mogilev region began preparing sites for mining farms with his backing.

This post Belarus Approves the Country’s First Crypto Banks: Report  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.