Why Is Bitcoin’s Price Lagging? The Truth Behind Whale Selling
Whales & Long-Term Holders Selling: Profit-taking by OG wallets is redistributing supply. Many are diversifying custody or rotating some BTC into ETFs for margin/borrowing flexibility.Seasonality Matters: Bitcoin weakness in August/September is common; thin liquidity + vacation season amplify dips.ETFs as Financial Rails: Institutions and wealthy holders prefer ETFs for cheaper margin rates compared to Bitcoin-backed loans.Retail vs OG Perspective: Whale trims feel like “dumping” to retail but are natural in Bitcoin’s monetization process.Global Reserves Shift: For the first time since the 1990s, central banks hold more gold than U.S. Treasuries—de-dollarization in motion.Fed Politicization: The fight over Gov. Lisa Cook shows growing political pressure on the Fed under fiscal dominance.Fee FUD Dismissed: Low on-chain fees ≠security crisis. Dynamic fee markets ensure resilience.Store of Value vs Medium of Exchange: False dichotomy—Bitcoin functions as both, but its SoV role dominates today.Bitwise Framework: 2035 scenarios debated: bear $88K, base $1.3M, bull ~$3M. Panel skeptical of the low-end case.Specter Association Launch: Swan transfers Specter to a new Swiss nonprofit. Yan Pritzker joins the board; roadmap now fully community-driven.
Swan Private helps HNWI, companies, trusts, and other entities go beyond legacy finance with BItcoin. Learn more at swan.com/private. Put Bitcoin into your IRA and own your future. Check out swan.com/ira.Swan Vault makes advanced Bitcoin security simple. Learn more at swan.com/vault.
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1:12:45
Powell Sparks Bitcoin Surge
Lighthearted banter to kick things off—coffee, creatine, and mushroom elixirs fueling the Swan crewMarket focus: Jerome Powell signals possible September Fed rate cut, sparking a sharp Bitcoin rally to $117K+Discussion on short-term market sentiment vs long-term conviction: zoom out, stay focused on fundamentalsTechnical analysis spotlight: Bitcoin’s 200-day SMA crosses $100K for the first time, historically a bullish long-term signalDebate over whether Bitcoin will continue classic boom–bust cycles or “grind boringly” upward due to ETF + institutional flowsBitcoin seasonality chart reviewed: September historically weak, but October and November deliver strong gains (“Uptober”)MicroStrategy revises MNAV guidance on ATM issuance—sparks short-term drama but long-term thesis remains unchangedDebate around Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff’s anti-Bitcoin remarks (“$100 not $100K”) dismissed as stale FUDBIS proposal to blacklist “non-KYC tainted coins” sparks discussion on financial surveillance and freedomLighter notes: Bitcoin cameo in South Park, Norwegian sovereign wealth fund adds MSTR/MetaPlanet exposure, Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong calls for $1M BTC by 2030
Swan Private helps HNWI, companies, trusts, and other entities go beyond legacy finance with BItcoin. Learn more at swan.com/private. Put Bitcoin into your IRA and own your future. Check out swan.com/ira.Swan Vault makes advanced Bitcoin security simple. Learn more at swan.com/vault.
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1:01:33
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1:01:33
Treasury’s Mixed Signals on Bitcoin Sparks Volatility
Anniversary reflections: 54 years since Nixon closed the gold window in 1971 and 5 years since MicroStrategy announced its first Bitcoin purchaseGlobal inflation since 1971: No country has averaged Nixon’s 1971 speech revisited — false promises of “temporary” suspension and dollar “stability” contrasted with 89% dollar debasement sinceU.S. debt and deficits: July 2025 saw $338B in receipts vs. $630B in spending, underscoring the inevitability of growing debt burdensDeep dive: What’s Bitcoin’s greatest threat? Panel discussed regulation, quantum computing, mining centralization, custodian failure, and social consensus challengesRate cuts incoming? Debate around September Fed meeting, with markets pricing an 85% chance of a cut despite hotter CPI printsTreasury Reserve: Treasury Secretary Bestyn flip-flops on whether the U.S. will acquire more Bitcoin, fueling speculation about policy directionBitcoin treasury companies: Pubcos now hold 951,000 BTC; Sequans enters the top-25 list with >3,000 BTC in partnership with SwanMicroStrategy “Stretch” (STRC): Explained as a variable coupon preferred equity designed to tap bond-like capital pools, offering ~9% returnsQuick hits: Bitcoin obituary count at all-time lows, Google Play walks back non-custodial wallet ban, UK pushes bizarre “delete emails to save water” advice, and James Chanos misunderstands network effects
Swan Private helps HNWI, companies, trusts, and other entities go beyond legacy finance with BItcoin. Learn more at swan.com/private. Put Bitcoin into your IRA and own your future. Check out swan.com/ira.Swan Vault makes advanced Bitcoin security simple. Learn more at swan.com/vault.
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1:03:58
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1:03:58
Trump Opens 401Ks to Bitcoin as FED Eyes Gold Revaluation
 Major Policy Shift: President Trump signs an executive order directing the Department of Labor to reexamine fiduciary guidance, opening the door for Bitcoin and crypto investments in 401(k) retirement plans — a $9 trillion market.Implementation Timeline: Panel agrees it’s medium-to-long-term bullish but may take 1–2 years before Bitcoin ETFs appear broadly in 401(k) offerings due to provider-by-provider approval.Bitcoin vs. Crypto: Hosts stress ongoing need to educate the public on why Bitcoin is different from other cryptocurrencies, as broader “crypto” inclusion could expose investors to higher-risk assets.Regulatory Clarity: Michael Saylor and others call for clearer frameworks to classify assets, separating Bitcoin from altcoins to prevent harmful policy spillover.FED Gold Revaluation Paper: Federal Reserve explores revaluing gold reserves (currently marked at $42/oz) to unlock budget-neutral spending capacity — potentially tied to creating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.Hidden Inflation Signal: Revaluing gold to current market prices (~$3,500/oz) would implicitly acknowledge an 8%+ annual inflation rate since the gold peg was abandoned.Gold Tariffs & Bitcoin Advantage: Temporary headlines about potential U.S. gold import tariffs spark discussion; Saylor on Bloomberg notes Bitcoin’s weightless, borderless nature makes it immune to tariffs.Volatility Compression: Since Bitcoin ETFs launched, 90-day rolling volatility has dropped below 40 — less than 2Ă— gold’s — suggesting a structurally different, steadier bull market.Cycle Danger Zone: On-chain analyst Checkmate highlights we’re within 30 days of the historical post-halving blow-off top window; debate over whether this cycle breaks the four-year pattern.Central Banking & Money Creation: Clip from Richard Werner explaining commercial banks’ ability to create money from nothing sparks discussion on fiat fragility, war financing, and the importance of Bitcoin as sound money.Â
Swan Private helps HNWI, companies, trusts, and other entities go beyond legacy finance with BItcoin. Learn more at swan.com/private. Put Bitcoin into your IRA and own your future. Check out swan.com/ira.Swan Vault makes advanced Bitcoin security simple. Learn more at swan.com/vault.
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1:10:11
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1:10:11
MSTR's Q2 Earnings: A Bitcoin Milestone
MicroStrategy’s new Stretch preferred equity product raised $2.5B—5x oversubscribed—marking the largest U.S. equity IPO in 2025 so farStretch offers a 9% yield, targeting fixed-income investors, and positions MicroStrategy to tap into trillions in money market capitalDiscussion of the growing trend of Bitcoin Treasury companies, with over 160 firms now holding BTC on their balance sheetsAlex and John caution investors to treat Bitcoin-related equities as high-risk—spot Bitcoin should remain the core holdingRay Dalio now recommends a 15% allocation to Bitcoin or gold, signaling growing institutional acceptance of Bitcoin as digital goldThe IMF’s energy FUD was debunked, with Daniel Batten and Lynn Alden praised for educating on Bitcoin’s use of stranded/wasted energyU.S. government reaffirms the right to self-custody Bitcoin; however, progress on establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve remains stalledCoinbase quietly added 2,500 BTC in Q2—its largest quarterly accumulation yet—but is still criticized for its crypto-first strategyGalaxy Digital’s $9B sale of 80K BTC had limited impact, showing Bitcoin’s market depth and growing institutional demandTucker Carlson’s discussion of central banks funding perpetual war is a sign Bitcoin-aligned ideas are entering mainstream discourse
Swan Private helps HNWI, companies, trusts, and other entities go beyond legacy finance with BItcoin. Learn more at swan.com/private. Put Bitcoin into your IRA and own your future. Check out swan.com/ira.Swan Vault makes advanced Bitcoin security simple. Learn more at swan.com/vault.
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