Gary Black
Co-Founder & Portfolio Manager of The Future Fund
Bitcoin's rally should be faded because the Treasury's bond buying is not QE. Bitcoin rallied after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said purchases of longer-dated Treasuries would double from $2 billion to at least $4 billion, tiny next to Fed QE, where the Fed prints money to buy Treasuries. No crisis warrants new QE, and Fed chair Warsh would lose credibility on getting inflation to 2% if seen following Trump's push to lower long-term rates. x.com
Bitcoin is in a prolonged correction similar to 2022, down 47% from its $125.3K October high to $65.9K. Cascading liquidations from high futures open interest amplified the drop, Iran tensions lifted oil, inflation fears, the dollar and yields as capital rotated into gold, and spot bitcoin ETFs saw significant outflows. The war's end could spark a rebound, though falling rates would likely send investors to tech stocks instead. After 2022's 75% drawdown, recovery took two and a half years. x.com
The Fed's continuing inflation focus and prospect of expensive money for longer are eroding Bitcoin's initial relief from the rate hold. At the 3.75%-4.00% hold, two officials voted to hike; Warsh left further tightening open but did not commit to a December hike. BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF drew $136M yesterday, its third straight inflow session, showing buyers are still present. x.com x.com x.com
Bitcoin's rebound faces constrained upside from dealer hedging and weak US spot demand. Seventy percent of dealer gamma sits at $75,000-$82,000 ahead of Friday's $11B options expiry; the Coinbase premium had no positive days in October and an $83,000 fakeout keeps traders defensive. The Fed hold spurred relief, ETFs added $110.34M and $176M, and record US debt drives long-term accumulation. A hot PCE print would raise December hike odds and pressure Bitcoin through higher yields. x.com x.com
Bitcoin's near-term macro backdrop is not yet favorable because the Fed balance sheet is stuck at $6.75 trillion, so patience is warranted. The Fed will eventually have to step in for debt markets. ETF inflows leave time for October to turn positive, while Bitwise raised its 2036 target to $1.6 million and says institutions may allocate 1% to 5% as adoption and debasement-hedge demand rise. A U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve may start buying very soon once crypto rules are settled. x.com x.com … Show more
Bitcoin may need sustained demand above all to outweigh selling pressure, since even favorable catalysts have coincided with declines. BTC fell despite rate cuts, a pro-crypto president, institutional adoption and rising liquidity; it now faces rate hikes, war in Iran, inflation, AI-bubble fears, quantum risks and AI-driven crypto hacks. x.com
Bitcoin is likely to be hit hard in the scenario expected next year, with the dollar index now seemingly certain to reach 108-110. @AtlasShrug1 warns that a dollar index at those levels would make it tough for bitcoin and could bring a retest of the lows. x.com x.com
A hawkish Fed surprise could briefly pressure Bitcoin, but any dip remains a chance to accumulate. Kalshi odds of a rate hike ticked up before Bitcoin weakened, and odds of a dissenting vote spiked ahead of FOMC; dissents are usually hawkish. Expect more red just after the announcement only if that signal materializes. x.com
The US-Iran war, inflation fears and rising bond yields make Bitcoin's run to $100,000 much harder. A target that once seemed achievable now looks impossible in 2026. x.com x.com
History and correlations point to elevated near-term risk for bitcoin. Measured against Wrightson ICAP's estimate of net T-bill issuance, the chart suggests bitcoin bottoms out around $70K by the end of October. @MichaelMOTTCM notes the Fed has stopped its reserve management purchases, meaning no more QE; if that is accurate, it is a serious blow to bitcoin. x.com x.com
Bitcoin's fixed supply offers protection as UK debt forces sterling debasement. With debt above £3 trillion, a roughly £350 billion annual deficit and a 5.77% 30-year gilt yield, a war scare could serve as cover for printing. A sudden UK monetary reset could wipe out 80% of purchasing power, though this could be wrong. Bitcoin is a 5-10 year hold, not a promise of returns in 6-24 months; if governments keep printing, its long-term price should rise against their currencies. x.com x.com
Long-dated US Treasuries benefit from falling long-end yields as the Fed's inflation response becomes a policy error. The Fed looks likely to hike again to defend its credibility despite a supply shock; 5% rates are unsustainable, and current price action points to financial damage followed by a hard pivot. A one-year rate freeze could instead let long yields rise by giving the economy a breather and making later hikes more likely. x.com x.com x.com x.com
