Ok, serious question here. If there was a "BITCOINER STARTER PACK" that could be purchased from a local bitcoin shop.. What would all be included in this starter pack? #AskNostr

Remember, foreigners have to recycle their trade surpluses back in USDs in order to settle global trade and hold enough currency reserves in their central banks. (Historically they have done so by buying US Treasuries since these are considered risk-free assets) This is an easy way to earn yield on a massive amount of USDs that have built up on their balance sheet. After the 2008 GFC the US government borrowed a lot to fund TARP and increase unemployment benefits. The majority of this borrowing was backed up from foreign creditors purchasing the US Treasuries who bought around 70% of the new debt issued, the Fed bought most of the rest. However, since 2015 foreign banks have eased up on their purchasing of US treasuries and foreign purchases flatlined and no net increases for several years. This is surprising given that the trade deficits were still increasing, so the US was still sending out more dollars into the world than it received. US debt ballooned to $9trillion but foreigners only bought 14% of that from 2018-2022. This was a drastic decrease from their buying in previous years. America has taken on too much debt and at the time rates were too low, so foreign banks did not buy their usual amount of US treasuries. But they still had to recycle their dollar surpluses effectively, so they bought assets denominated in USD. (Equities, real estate etc) So they have started massively investing in US assets. US owns 29trillion in foreign assets while foreigns own 42trillion in US assets. This represents a whopping 60% negative NIIP and has fueled the creation of a massive stock and real estate bubble domestically. All this has boosted growth in the past but also creates systemic risk. With foreigners owning so much in US assets it means a large proportion of wealth creation is being siphoned off overseas and doesn't recycle back into America communities. This contributes to wealth inequality all over the globe and creates the potential for a massive rug pull on the American economy. If foreigners began to lose confidence in the US economy they could essentially begin a run on the dollar. This would begin by massive selling of US treasuries but could spread to stocks and real estate causing widespread deflation much worse than 2008. The FED would then be faced with the grim choice of either letting $42trillion of US assets be fire sold into a new great depression or ramp up QE to bride the assets on sale. Untold trillions of dollars would need to be printed. This would make the current QE program look like a joke in comparison. Most foreigners don't want to invest in US assets especially treasuries, but are forced to die to the structure of the system and the fact there is no good alternative for now...

Since the almighty greenback is the Global Reserve Currency (GRC), it is widely for a variety of purposes, including: Settlement of Trade Invoices, bills, etc are settled in dollars Foreign exchange reserves for central banks (think BoJ using USTs to prop up the dying Yen) Lending for International Debt and Loans IMF, World Bank, and others lend to sovereigns in dollars Foreign currency exchange (Forex) Most currency pairs are quoted against the dollar (e.g., EUR/USD, USD/JPY), making it central to global FX markets. Outright Dollarization Some countries use the U.S. dollar as their official currency (e.g., Ecuador, El Salvador) or alongside their local currency. Remittances & Cross-Border Transfers Dollars are widely used for sending money across borders, particularly in developing countries. Safe-Haven Asset Feature During crises, investors buy dollars for safety, causing global capital flows into U.S. assets like Treasuries. Eurodollar Market (perhaps most important of all!) U.S. dollars dominate SWIFT transactions, international bank reserves, and offshore banking systems- the offshore system is called the Eurodollar market. USDs are lent into existence by foreign banks and used to finance global commerce. (Banks in Pakistan lending eurodollars to oil refiners in Iran for trade, for example)

🪙Gold is Being Revalued Quietly – The price of gold is rising without triggering panic, suggesting strategic positioning before a formal acknowledgment of gold’s role in the financial system.

It is not bad that your cost of living should decline rather than increase over time. Unfortunately, it takes from the banker 🏦and gives to the individual 🧑‍🔧. Therein lies the problem. Deflation in this sense is good, as it allows prices to fall ⬇️ for those who make sound financial decisions, save, and hold money; sound money. While taking from those who choose to lever up or hold a debt-laden money. Money that pre-spends its future by pulling it forward into today ⌚

I took risks and I paid for them. It fueled me to keep going and to really open the hood of this bitcoin thing. The rest is history and will be my legacy.

Why is Bitcoin’s value rising? Because as the M2 fiat money supply increases, each unit of currency (like the USD) loses value. When you compare that to Bitcoin—an asset with a fixed, finite supply—its value naturally rises in terms of debased fiat. Starting to get it yet ?

A million conspiracy theories about who really runs the world. Turns out it's just the bond market.

For years, faking it worked. In politics. In business. Say what people want to hear—get elected, get the job, move up. But the internet broke the illusion. Now we see principled people regularly—and we’ve developed a taste for it. You can’t just mimic anymore. You actually need to believe in something. That’s why politics feels broken. Most politicians brought up over the last 50 years were rewarded for being chameleons. Same with execs at large orgs. Now they have to relearn the meta. The market demands authenticity. It’s time to believe.

I see money and currency working alongside each other. Bitcoin will actually allow the dollar to last longer than we expect. And that's because if the US govt is going to build a Bitcoin position, those positions will increase in value faster than the interest on the existing debt, so by owning bitcoin you can prolong the Fiat system. Bitcoin is not a risk-on tech stock. When they add Bitcoin to the balance sheet it actually strengthens the credit worthiness of the country. So the idea of a Bitcoin money and a fiat currency is not that farfetched of an idea because Bitcoin is really just replacing real estate as a base layer pristine collateral.

The best Layer 2's will help increase velocity on the bitcoin network without compromising block size. And once we get it, Then bitcoin will be accepted as a medium of exchange. Then bitcoin will be adopted as a unit of account. And then bitcoin will go to global GDP divided by 21million. We will move away from the COMMODITY VALUE of bitcoin which is based on the commodity cycle relative to cost of production, and we will move up that S-curve to MONETARY VALUE which is the entire value of the economy divided by the amount of circulating coins.

Bitcoin isn't replacing the dollar, it's replacing the foundation it stood on.

Treasury collateral is the foundation and backing of our financial system. It is the Layer 0. All financial products like credit cards, bank deposits, car loans, and mortgages are backed by it. But it is being devalue and it's deteriorating. Inflation was caused by increasing the money supply by 40% in just 2 years. Now they think they need to raise rates to fight inflation but as they raise interest rates, they're devaluing Treasury collateral. As yields go up principal value goes down. Literally the entire backing of the financial system is being devauled with no forward guidance. We are just left to fend for ourselves. Bitcoin takes up that fight for us.

GM ☀️