🇨🇳 "In 'cold war' of modern exchange rates, 'digital currencies from reserves are used'. However, when 'hot war' of major default does begin, 'nuclear weapons of GOLD' are deployed!"

-ANOTHER (THOUGHTS!), 5/21/98

🔗 Luke Gromen

📉📈 Luke Gromen: BTC is starting to act more like an energy-linked neutral reserve asset and less like a levered NDX proxy.

📝 EndGame Macro: This is a key structural shift Luke Gromen is calling out if BTC is beginning to decorrelate from tech beta (NDX) and move more like a neutral reserve asset, that implies a rotation in who is accumulating and why. It suggests sovereign or macro allocators those who care less about speculative upside and more about systemic hedge characteristics are stepping in.

The energy linkage matters too. Bitcoin is priced globally in dollars but secured by energy. That makes it functionally different from both fiat and gold it has production costs like gold, but is digital, portable, and censorship-resistant like no other asset. If global trade continues to fragment and commodity-based FX regimes emerge (petroyuan, gold-linked rails, BRICS tokens), Bitcoin may begin behaving as an option on monetary reset. Watching this divergence from NDX is not just about price it’s about signal migration from risk asset to strategic collateral.

🔗 EndGame Macro

🇺🇸🪖🇨🇩 Erik Prince, a key Trump ally and founder of Blackwater, has struck a deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo to help secure and tax its mineral wealth.

The arrangement, made before a major rebel offensive, focuses on curbing smuggling and improving tax collection — not deploying contractors to conflict zones.

Talks continue as the U.S. and Congo discuss a critical minerals partnership.

🔗 Clash Report

🇺🇸🇸🇾 After media in Israel earlier this week suggested that the United States was preparing to begin a phased-withdrawal from Syria in the coming months, the New York Times is now reporting that the U.S. has begun drawing down hundreds of troops in Northeastern Syria, as well as the shuttering of three of eight military bases in Kurdish-controlled territory to the Northeast.

The drawdown began Thursday and will initially involve 600 of the 2,000 U.S. Servicemembers currently deployed to Northeastern Syria, with MSS (Mission Support Site) Green Village, MSS Euphrates, and another much smaller base located near Deir ez-Zor to be shutdown, with control being handed over to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), now operating under the Syrian Government. According to U.S. officials, after 60 days military officials will assess whether or not to make additional cuts to forces in the country, though commanders on the ground have recommended keeping at least 500 troops in Syria.

U.S. President Trump, however, has expressed deep skepticism about keeping any troops in the country. At least for now the reductions that started on Thursday are based on ground commanders’ recommendations to close and consolidate bases, and were approved by the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The Trump Administration is expected to conduct a broad review of its policy regarding Syria, with some official stating that U.S. forces in the country could be entirely withdrawn by 2026.

🔗 OSINTdefender

🇨🇳🇾🇪🇺🇸 Chinese government-linked satellite company Chang Guang Satellite Technology, Co., Ltd (CGSTL), provided satellite intelligence to the Houthis as part of ongoing Chinese, Russian, and Iranian support to the Houthis.

This intelligence could support Houthi attacks against US vessels and commercial shipping, which demonstrates how the Houthis are continuing to cooperate with US adversaries to disrupt global trade.

CGSTL has ties to the Chinese military through China’s military-civilian “fusion” program which integrates private sector work with military research and development.

Houthi-owned military communications and domestic surveillance companies have reportedly imported Chinese-made communications equipment.

The Yemeni coast guard and Omani customs have previously seized shipments of Chinese-made military equipment to the Houthis, such as hydrogen fuel cells for powering missiles and drone propellers.

Targeting intelligence from Iran and Russia aids Houthi attacks on international shipment.

The Houthis reportedly told China and Russia in March 2024 that the Houthis would not target Chinese and Russian-flagged vessels transiting the Red Sea.

🔗 Critical Threats

📊 It’s pretty insane that DOGE is already voluntarily lowering its guidance by -97% and it’s not even Easter yet.

One of the biggest failures in political history.

And it was *so* obvious both ex ante and ex post.

🔗 Spencer Hakimian

🚘🔋🇪🇺 Tesla Sales in Europe Drops, Again

New Tesla registrations plunged across most of Europe in the first quarter of 2025, with some countries seeing dramatic drops:

🇩🇪 Germany: -62.2%
🇸🇪 Sweden: -55.3%
🇩🇰 Denmark: -55.3%
🇳🇱 Netherlands: -49.7%
🇫🇷 France: -41.1%
🇵🇹 Portugal: -25.7%
🇳🇴 Norway: -12.5%
🇪🇸 Spain: -11.8%
🇮🇹 Italy: -6.8%

But one country bucked the trend:
🇬🇧 UK: +3.5% growth

🔗 Clash Report

🇺🇸📞🇺🇦🇷🇺 — US President Donald Trump made several statements about the war in Ukraine, as the negotiations stall

➡️ The U.S. will walk away from negotiations if Russia and Ukraine complicate efforts to end the war — but I hope it won't come to that.

➡️ There is currently a good chance of reaching a Russia-Ukraine agreement to end the war.

🔗 NEXTA (@nexta_tv)

🇺🇸❌🇾🇪 — Satellite image shows aftermath of U.S. airstrikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port, April 18, 2025.

Visible oil slicks and damage near the Red Sea coastline.

Photo by Planet Labs PBC via AP

🔗 Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork):

🇮🇷❌🇺🇸❗️ — Iranian Regime says its red lines, set by Supreme Leader Khamenei, include:

➡️ No dismantling of centrifuges
➡️ No halting uranium enrichment
➡️ No reduction in enriched uranium stockpile
➡️ No negotiations over its missile program.

🇺🇸🇸🇾 After media in Israel earlier this week suggested that the United States was preparing to begin a phased-withdrawal from Syria in the coming months, the New York Times is now reporting that the U.S. has begun drawing down hundreds of troops in Northeastern Syria, as well as the shuttering of three of eight military bases in Kurdish-controlled territory to the Northeast.

The drawdown began Thursday and will initially involve 600 of the 2,000 U.S. Servicemembers currently deployed to Northeastern Syria, with MSS (Mission Support Site) Green Village, MSS Euphrates, and another much smaller base located near Deir ez-Zor to be shutdown, with control being handed over to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), now operating under the Syrian Government. According to U.S. officials, after 60 days military officials will assess whether or not to make additional cuts to forces in the country, though commanders on the ground have recommended keeping at least 500 troops in Syria.

U.S. President Trump, however, has expressed deep skepticism about keeping any troops in the country. At least for now the reductions that started on Thursday are based on ground commanders’ recommendations to close and consolidate bases, and were approved by the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The Trump Administration is expected to conduct a broad review of its policy regarding Syria, with some official stating that U.S. forces in the country could be entirely withdrawn by 2026.

🔗 OSINTdefender

🇨🇳🇺🇸❗️Beijing has completely stopped importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States due to the escalation of the trade conflict with Washington, the Financial Times reports.

🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️Putin Declares Easter Truce

The Russian side will cease all military operations from 18:00 on April 19 until 00:00 on April 21, the Kremlin press service reported, citing the head of state.

"Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce. I order all military actions to be stopped for this period. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions," the president said.

🇨🇳🇺🇸🚢 INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Paparo testifies that China's warship production ratio is 3.3:1 compared to the United States

https://fxtwitter.com/tshugart3/status/1913206746417447349

🇺🇸🇨🇳 China stops buying liquefied natural gas from the US

There have been no shipments between the two countries since February 6 as the Sino-American trade war spilled into the energy sector.

https://www.ft.com/content/a6ad1627-3481-455e-ade8-65c595c1d3e5

https://archive.ph/1iRjU