AI deepfakes, $96 missiles, CPI lies, and Bitcoin's surprising strength. Today's Bitcoin Brief.

It struck me some time ago that the people we think of as “geniuses” tend to arrive, over time, at surprisingly similar sets of conclusions. It further strikes me that a simple list of such thoughts might be of value. And so, here is a list pulled from my…

Guilt, as I’ve noted before, is the great vulnerability of the Western world. I’ll pass up an explanation of why for today, but the validity of this statement is made ever so clear by the fact that political types rise to power by championing one class or…

Medi-Cal doubled to $222B. Nick Shirley found empty strip malls billing millions. After Minnesota, California is even worse.

It has become a common belief among Americans that they should “respect the office” of an official, even if they don’t respect the person holding that office. The same, of course, goes for “the law.” And while I understand that people saying such things are…

Dubai crude at $152. WTI at $94. An Indian tanker paid in yuan for safe passage through Hormuz. The petrodollar is dying in a shipping lane.

The modern world will allow you to join any of a thousand collectives, but it will punish you for standing on your own, as a self-willed entity. People who commit this crime understand that they are outlaws in the present world. And if at first they don’t…

Square Lightning for 4M merchants. Tether funding Ark. $1.17B Lightning volume. 4nm mining chips. The builders aren't watching the price chart.

Put/call ratio highest in 5 years. Transfer volume down 31%. Maximum fear precedes maximum opportunity.