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DESK // PERCEPTION_RESEARCH

Access the narrative arbitrage others miss

Spot early narrative shifts, regulatory pivots, and capital flows before they reach general news feeds. Written by former Blockstream VP Fernando Nikolić.

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Fernando Nikolić

Fernando Nikolić[AUTHOR]

Ex Universal Music, Ex Blockstream VP

Boutique executive research library in Lake Como
FIG_01 // BOUTIQUE_INTELLIGENCE_DESK // LAKE_COMO
[ RESEARCH_ARCHIVE ]
What Happens When Mainstream Media Watches Bitcoin Without a Frame
Perception Research4 min readMarch 16, 2026

What Happens When Mainstream Media Watches Bitcoin Without a Frame

The Open Bitcoin sold off when the U.S.-Iran war started. Two weeks later it's outperforming the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and...

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The Insiders Are Bearish. The Suits Are Buying.
Perception Research8 min readFebruary 23, 2026

The Insiders Are Bearish. The Suits Are Buying.

Perception Weekly. Week of February 16-22, 2026

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The Market Crashed 45%. The Infrastructure Didn't Notice.
Perception Research7 min readFebruary 16, 2026

The Market Crashed 45%. The Infrastructure Didn't Notice.

Perception Weekly - February 16, 2026

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Crime Coverage Spiked 271%. Here's Why.
Perception Research4 min readFebruary 9, 2026

Crime Coverage Spiked 271%. Here's Why.

Crime & Legal coverage jumped 271% this week, from 28 mentions to 104 across 28 outlets. That's nearly a 4x surge in a s...

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Bitcoin in the Media: 2025 Year-End Report
Reports19 min readJanuary 27, 2026

Bitcoin in the Media: 2025 Year-End Report

Comprehensive narrative intelligence analysis from 356,423 data points and 653 sources

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Standing on a Shrinking Island
Opinion5 min readJanuary 13, 2026

Standing on a Shrinking Island

It happened on the factory floor first. The work was physical, repetitive, measurable. Of course it would be automated...

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The Wrong Story: What 354,000 Media Mentions Reveal About Bitcoin in 2025
Reports5 min readDecember 30, 2025

The Wrong Story: What 354,000 Media Mentions Reveal About Bitcoin in 2025

Here's what the data shows.

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The 6.7x mainstream media coverage gap (Q3 Report)
Reports4 min readOctober 17, 2025

The 6.7x mainstream media coverage gap (Q3 Report)

Elite outlets published 3% of Bitcoin coverage in Q3

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📈 Perception Quarterly: Hidden In Plain Sight
Reports4 min readOctober 2, 2025

📈 Perception Quarterly: Hidden In Plain Sight

The 2,948-to-1 intelligence gap revealed.

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Why I just left my VP job to build in the chaos
Opinion3 min readAugust 2, 2025

Why I just left my VP job to build in the chaos

I'm going all-in on Perception.

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Q2 2025 Crypto Media Bitcoin Coverage Report
Reports6 min readJuly 14, 2025

Q2 2025 Crypto Media Bitcoin Coverage Report

Executive Summary Crypto-native media's Bitcoin coverage in Q2 2025 reveals a strikingly different narrative from mains...

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Q2 2025 Mainstream Media Bitcoin Coverage Report
Reports5 min readJuly 8, 2025

Q2 2025 Mainstream Media Bitcoin Coverage Report

Executive Summary Mainstream media coverage of Bitcoin in Q2 2025 revealed a deeply polarized narrative landscape, with...

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These Outlets Shaped Bitcoin’s Narrative in May.
Reports4 min readJune 9, 2025

These Outlets Shaped Bitcoin’s Narrative in May.

The Bitcoin Mainstream Media Power Rankings — May 2025 Edition

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About the FT’s Bitcoin Coverage
Reports3 min readMay 15, 2025

About the FT’s Bitcoin Coverage

Dear reader, The Financial Times just hit its 400th piece on Bitcoin since 2018 with a banger of a mini-documentary fea...

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Q1 2025 Mainstream Media Bitcoin Coverage Report
Reports5 min readMay 1, 2025

Q1 2025 Mainstream Media Bitcoin Coverage Report

Prepared for Capital Allocators, CIOs, and Institutional Strategists

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Crypto Media Sentiment Exposed: Who’s Bullish on Bitcoin?
Reports5 min readApril 21, 2025

Crypto Media Sentiment Exposed: Who’s Bullish on Bitcoin?

Crypto Media Bitcoin Sentiment Report – Q1 2025

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Q1 2025 Bitcoin Narrative Intelligence Brief – What Institutions Missed After $100K
4 min readApril 7, 2025

Q1 2025 Bitcoin Narrative Intelligence Brief – What Institutions Missed After $100K

Narrative Trends, Sentiment Shifts & Institutional Signals

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Why Most Fear & Greed Indexes Misread Bitcoin Sentiment
Opinion4 min readMarch 19, 2025

Why Most Fear & Greed Indexes Misread Bitcoin Sentiment

Bitcoin’s market sentiment is a popular topic, but many Fear & Greed indexes function as black boxes: they lack transpar...

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Perception Weekly #70
Perception Research3 min readMarch 4, 2025

Perception Weekly #70

💡Last week’s discussions highlighted the complex interplay of regulatory challenges, institutional investment trends, a...

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The Quiet Shift in How Information Spreads
Opinion2 min readFebruary 27, 2025

The Quiet Shift in How Information Spreads

Since 2021, I’ve led the Marketing & Communications department at Blockstream, and one thing has become increasingly cle...

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Perception Weekly #69
Perception Research4 min readFebruary 24, 2025

Perception Weekly #69

💡We’ve just rolled out a powerful new feature on Perception! Now, you can select any media outlet and instantly analyz...

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Perception Weekly #68
Perception Research4 min readFebruary 17, 2025

Perception Weekly #68

💡The Perception platform is now live in alpha for you to test. The platform is designed for researchers, journalists,...

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OPINION: MSM’s Potential Narrative Casting Bitcoiners as the 1%
Opinion3 min readJanuary 27, 2025

OPINION: MSM’s Potential Narrative Casting Bitcoiners as the 1%

Some of last week's headlines have drawn an interesting parallel between the world’s wealthiest individuals and Bitcoin...

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The Article That Aged Like Milk: NYT’s Bitcoin ‘Collapse’ Prediction
Opinion3 min readJanuary 16, 2025

The Article That Aged Like Milk: NYT’s Bitcoin ‘Collapse’ Prediction

How a Finance Professor Got Bitcoin Wrong (And Missed the Greatest Rally Yet)

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Perception Weekly #67
Perception Research3 min readJanuary 13, 2025

Perception Weekly #67

💡The Perception platform is now live in alpha for you to test. The platform is designed for researchers, journalists,...

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Weekly Recap #66
Perception Research4 min readJanuary 6, 2025

Weekly Recap #66

👋A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER: Hey, Fernando here – Happy New Year! 🎉 Sorry for the radio silence here, but I’ve been...

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Opinion: The era of centralized narratives is over.
Opinion3 min readNovember 25, 2024

Opinion: The era of centralized narratives is over.

The very journalists and companies that once dictated public narratives are fleeing platforms that no longer cater to th...

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Weekly Recap #64
Perception Research4 min readNovember 4, 2024

Weekly Recap #64

💡Here’s a snapshot of last week’s Bitcoin market insights, curated by Bitcoin Perception. Bitcoin Perception will soon...

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Weekly Recap #63
Perception Research4 min readOctober 28, 2024

Weekly Recap #63

💡The past week’s coverage reflects a multifaceted view of Bitcoin’s global position: • Positive Trends: Institutional...

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Weekly Recap #62
Perception Research5 min readSeptember 30, 2024

Weekly Recap #62

💡At Bitcoin Perception, we’re working on building a powerful platform that will give you real-time, on-demand access to...

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Weekly Recap #61
Perception Research3 min readSeptember 23, 2024

Weekly Recap #61

💡At Bitcoin Perception, we’re working on building a powerful platform that will give you real-time, on-demand access to...

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Weekly Recap #60
Perception Research5 min readSeptember 16, 2024

Weekly Recap #60

💡At Bitcoin Perception, we’re working on building a powerful platform that will give you real-time, on-demand access to...

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Weekly Recap #59
Perception Research4 min readSeptember 9, 2024

Weekly Recap #59

Date range:  September 2 - September 8, 2024 Weekly Snapshot 📸 News 🗞️ 1. Metaplanet's partnership with SBI...

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Weekly Recap #58
Perception Research4 min readSeptember 2, 2024

Weekly Recap #58

Date range:  August 26 - September 1, 2024 Weekly Snapshot 📸 News 🗞️ NOSTR as a Telegram Substitute Sent...

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Weekly Recap #57
Perception Research3 min readAugust 26, 2024

Weekly Recap #57

Date range:  August 19 - August 25, 2024 Weekly Snapshot 📸 Hot Discussions 🔥 * Discussions around Bitcoin'...

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Weekly Recap #56
Perception Research4 min readAugust 19, 2024

Weekly Recap #56

Date range:  August 12 - August 18, 2024 Weekly Snapshot 📸 Hot Discussions 🔥 1. 18% of Democrats Have Boug...

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Weekly Recap #55
Perception Research4 min readAugust 12, 2024

Weekly Recap #55

EOW closing BTC price: $58,829 Date range:  August 5 - August 11, 2024 Weekly Snapshot 📸 Hot Discussions 🔥...

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Weekly Recap #54
Perception Research4 min readAugust 5, 2024

Weekly Recap #54

EOW closing BTC price: $58,138 Date range:  July 29 - August 4, 2024 Weekly Snapshot 📸 💡Welcome to this week’s...

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Weekly Recap #53
Perception Research4 min readJuly 29, 2024

Weekly Recap #53

❗Saturday's Trump appearance at the Bitcoin conference in Nashville sparked an all-time high in Trump/Bitcoin coverage...

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Weekly Media Recap #52
Perception Research4 min readJuly 22, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #52

Bitcoin Perception celebrates 1 year! 🎉

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Mainstream Media Bias Will Only Get Worse
Opinion4 min readJuly 18, 2024

Mainstream Media Bias Will Only Get Worse

This is an op-ed originally published in Bitcoin Magazine.

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Weekly Media Recap #51
Perception Research5 min readJuly 15, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #51

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #50
Perception Research4 min readJuly 8, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #50

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #49
Perception Research4 min readJuly 1, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #49

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Left-Leaning Outlets Amplify Their Anti-Bitcoin Bias Following Trump's Endorsement
Opinion4 min readJune 26, 2024

Left-Leaning Outlets Amplify Their Anti-Bitcoin Bias Following Trump's Endorsement

Is it about Bitcoin? Or is it yet another front in the ongoing political battles duked out in the media landscape?

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Weekly Media Recap #48
Perception Research4 min readJune 24, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #48

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #47
Perception Research4 min readJune 17, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #47

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #46
Perception Research4 min readJune 10, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #46

EOW closing BTC price: $69,638 Date range: June 3 - June 9, 2024 In this report: How the mainstream media covered thes...

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Weekly Media Recap #45
Perception Research4 min readJune 3, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #45

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #44
Perception Research4 min readMay 27, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #44

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #43
Perception Research4 min readMay 20, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #43

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #42
Perception Research4 min readMay 13, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #42

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #41
Perception Research4 min readMay 6, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #41

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #40
Perception Research5 min readApril 29, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #40

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #39
Perception Research4 min readApril 22, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #39

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #38
Perception Research4 min readApril 15, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #38

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #37
Perception Research4 min readApril 8, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #37

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #36
Perception Research5 min readApril 1, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #36

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #35
Perception Research5 min readMarch 25, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #35

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #34
Perception Research5 min readMarch 18, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #34

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Asleep At The Wheel: The MSM's Fixation With Altcoins
Opinion4 min readMarch 13, 2024

Asleep At The Wheel: The MSM's Fixation With Altcoins

How the media's altcoin obsession misses the mark during new all-time highs.

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Weekly Media Recap #33
Perception Research5 min readMarch 11, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #33

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #32
Perception Research5 min readMarch 4, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #32

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Weekly Media Recap #31
Perception Research4 min readFebruary 26, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #31

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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Comunicado de Prensa: Nuevo Informe Revela el Sentimiento de los Medios sobre la Adopción de Bitcoin en El Salvador
Press Releases2 min readFebruary 20, 2024

Comunicado de Prensa: Nuevo Informe Revela el Sentimiento de los Medios sobre la Adopción de Bitcoin en El Salvador

La firma de investigación de medios Bitcoin Perception anunció hoy el lanzamiento de su primer informe de investigación...

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Press Release: New Report Reveals Media Sentiment on El Salvador's Bitcoin Adoption
Press Releases1 min readFebruary 20, 2024

Press Release: New Report Reveals Media Sentiment on El Salvador's Bitcoin Adoption

Media research firm Bitcoin Perception today announced the release of its first long-form research report, titled "Bitco...

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Bitcoin as Legal Tender: El Salvador's Groundbreaking Decision and the Salvadorian Mainstream Media's Reaction
Reports10 min readFebruary 20, 2024

Bitcoin as Legal Tender: El Salvador's Groundbreaking Decision and the Salvadorian Mainstream Media's Reaction

A Bitcoin Perception report written by Luis David Esparragoza and Fernando Nikolić.

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Bitcoin como Moneda de Curso Legal: La Decisión Innovadora de El Salvador y la Reacción de los Medios de Comunicación Salvadoreños
Reports11 min readFebruary 20, 2024

Bitcoin como Moneda de Curso Legal: La Decisión Innovadora de El Salvador y la Reacción de los Medios de Comunicación Salvadoreños

Un reporte de Bitcoin Perception por Luis David Esparragoza y Fernando Nikolić

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Weekly Media Recap #30
Perception Research3 min readFebruary 19, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #30

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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A Satoshi Nakamoto Cosplay Gone Too Far
Opinion4 min readFebruary 14, 2024

A Satoshi Nakamoto Cosplay Gone Too Far

It's time to stop lending the spotlight to a 'tech whiz' in a pinstripe suit, claiming to be something he's not.

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Weekly Media Recap #29
Perception Research3 min readFebruary 12, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #29

Bitcoin, as covered in the mainstream media.

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A Closer Examination of Bitcoin Coverage During El Salvador's Presidential Election
Opinion3 min readFebruary 10, 2024

A Closer Examination of Bitcoin Coverage During El Salvador's Presidential Election

The recent media focus on El Salvador serves as a stark illustration of media bias and its consequences.

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Weekly Media Recap #28
Perception Research3 min readFebruary 7, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #28

Bitcoin, as covered in the MSM last week.

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Mainstream pundits are the new Bitcoin maxis
Opinion2 min readJanuary 31, 2024

Mainstream pundits are the new Bitcoin maxis

The Cypherpunk transformation reporters didn't see coming.

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Weekly Media Recap #27
Perception Research2 min readJanuary 29, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #27

Bitcoin, as covered in the MSM last week.

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The Last Stand
Opinion3 min readJanuary 24, 2024

The Last Stand

The financial press' typewriters are trembling!

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Weekly Media Recap #26
Perception Research3 min readJanuary 22, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #26

Bitcoin, as covered in the MSM last week.

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Bitcoin ETF: The Movie
Opinion4 min readJanuary 17, 2024

Bitcoin ETF: The Movie

Welcome, Boomers, to the greatest show on Earth.

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Weekly Media Recap #25
Perception Research3 min readJanuary 15, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #25

End The Fed Still In Play

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My New Year Resolution Is Bitcoin, Too
Opinion3 min readJanuary 9, 2024

My New Year Resolution Is Bitcoin, Too

This Week's Spotlight: The Financial Times

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Weekly Media Recap #24
Perception Research4 min readJanuary 8, 2024

Weekly Media Recap #24

I'm Here To Fix The Block Size Problem

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[ PERCEPTION_DOSSIER ]
Opinion4 min readJanuary 1, 2024

Not Your Typical Full-Year Roundup

The year in review and what you can expect in 2024.

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Weekly Media Recap #23
Perception Research5 min readDecember 18, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #23

You Are Not Bullish Enough

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Weekly Media Recap #22
Perception Research4 min readDecember 11, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #22

Jamie Dimon vs. Nayib Bukele

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Weekly Media Recap #21
Perception Research4 min readDecember 4, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #21

This week's spotlight: The Independent & BBC

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Weekly Media Recap #20
Perception Research4 min readNovember 27, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #20

This week's spotlight: CNBC

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Weekly Media Recap #19
Perception Research5 min readNovember 20, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #19

What Journalists Are Beginning To Notice.

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Weekly Media Recap #18
Perception Research5 min readNovember 13, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #18

It Feels Like 2016 Again

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Weekly Media Recap #17
Perception Research4 min readNovember 6, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #17

Institutions Are Coming, But They Are... Regulatory?

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Weekly Media Recap #16
Perception Research4 min readOctober 23, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #16

Feeling Bullish Yet?

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Weekly Media Recap #15
Perception Research4 min readOctober 16, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #15

The New York Times Sets the Stage for Fear Mongering

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Weekly Media Recap #14
Perception Research4 min readOctober 9, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #14

SBF Trial And How Legal Circuses Affect The Perception Of The Public And Regulators

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Weekly Media Recap #13
Perception Research4 min readOctober 2, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #13

The "Ultimate Test" For The Bitcoin Mining Industry Is Coming

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Weekly Media Recap #12
Perception Research3 min readSeptember 25, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #12

"Bitcoin's Fed Nightmare"

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Weekly Media Recap #11
Perception Research3 min readSeptember 18, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #11

Kill the Noise: Mainstream Media's Rush to Sensationalism

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Weekly Media Recap #10
Perception Research4 min readSeptember 11, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #10

Bitcoin Miners Navigate Power Shortages and Policy Shifts

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Weekly Media Recap #9
Perception Research4 min readAugust 28, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #9

Forbes Is Letting You Know: Oman Is Coming For Your Hash Rate

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Weekly Media Recap #8
Perception Research3 min readAugust 20, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #8

Reporters Begged for Drama, and Volatility Delivered

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Weekly Media Recap #7
Perception Research4 min readAugust 14, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #7

Scams surface, anticipation around SEC's Bitcoin ETF decision, mining giants' robust strategies in tumultuous times, and...

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Weekly Media Recap #6
Perception Research3 min readAugust 7, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #6

BBC, Fox, and Newsweek delve into the darker side of Bitcoin, while Bitcoin's significant role in the financial market i...

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Weekly Media Recap #5
Perception Research3 min readJuly 31, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #5

Cybercrime, Scandal, and a Game-Changing Revelation from Newsweek!

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Weekly Media Recap #4
Perception Research1 min readJuly 25, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #4

Skyrocketing Mining Difficulty Sparks A Surge In Discussions.

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Weekly Media Recap #3
Perception Research4 min readJuly 23, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #3

Amidst the negative coverage of El Salvador's President and Bitfinex hacks, RFK Jr.'s advocacy for Bitcoin stands out.

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Weekly Media Recap #2
Perception Research2 min readJuly 19, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #2

A social media snapshot of the Bitcoin Mining space in the past week.

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Weekly Media Recap #1
Perception Research4 min readJuly 17, 2023

Weekly Media Recap #1

RFK Jr.'s holdings, Standard Chartered's bold prediction, Europe's first Bitcoin ETF. Plus, get a glimpse into the futur...

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The Inexplicable Embrace of Craig Wright as Satoshi Nakamoto: An Open Letter to Forbes
Opinion3 min readJuly 13, 2023

The Inexplicable Embrace of Craig Wright as Satoshi Nakamoto: An Open Letter to Forbes

How the media, in a quest for sensationalism, perpetuates the dubious narrative of Craig Wright as Bitcoin's creator, Sa...

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