💰🔽💰Crypto markets in trade wars: Since trade war worries began on January 20th, crypto markets have erased -$800 BILLION.

⬛️ For 10+ years, Bitcoin was viewed as a decentralized HEDGE against uncertainty, but something changed.

🔶️ At first glance, you may think that trade wars would benefit crypto, a decentralized system.
In fact, from 2015 through 2023, Bitcoin and Gold were viewed as SUBSTITUTES. Now, Bitcoin and Gold are moving in opposite directions

🔶️ In fact, the inauguration of President Trump on January 20th marked the near-term TOP in crypto. Total crypto market cap has fallen from $3.7 trillion to $2.8 trillion in ~5 weeks.
Even more interesting is that President Trump is the most pro-crypto president in HISTORY.

🔶️ Crypto's correlation with risky assets as grown rapidly. Bitcoin has traded almost PERFECTLY in-line with the Nasdaq 100 since 2023. In 2024, the correlation coefficient between Bitcoin and the S&P 500 hit 0.88 at its peak.

🔶️ Additionally, we have very little precedent for crypto during trade war environments. During the last trade war, the total crypto market was worth just ~$300 million. Now, it's 10 TIMES larger with much more widespread adoption. This means the swings will broaden.

💰 Also, gold appears to have taken the spotlight as the global hedge against uncertainty. Gold ETFs bought a whopping 52 tonnes of the metal last week, the most since July 2020. Gold prices are now up +50% in 12 months and just posted their best year in over a decade.

🔗 Kobeissi Letter

🇹🇼⚓️ Map of recent suspected undersea cable sabotage incidents around Taiwan as of 2/26

🔶 In February 2023 there were two separate incidents resulting in the complete disruption of internet access to Matsu. Both are presumed to be deliberate.

🔶 On January 3rd of this year, a Chinese-crewed ship "Shunxin39" allegedly damaged the TPE undersea cable north of Taipei. It had sailed under multiple national flags, including Cameroon and Tanzania.

🔶 Finally, yesterday the TPKM-3 undersea cable was damaged by Chinese-crewed ship Hong Tai 58. As of writing this, it is presumed to be a deliberate attempt of sabotage.

🔗 TaiwanMonitor

🇺🇸 Donald Trump has begun a mafia-like struggle for global power

The rupture of the post-1945 order is gaining pace. In extraordinary scenes at the UN this week, America sided with Russia and North Korea against Ukraine and Europe. Germany’s probable new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, warns that by June NATO may be dead. Fast approaching is a might-is-right world in which big powers cut deals and bully small ones.

The administration is a swirl of ideas and egos but its people agree on one thing: under the post-1945 framework of rules and alliances, Americans have been suckered into unfair trade and paying for foreign wars.

This new system has a new hierarchy. America is number one. Next are countries with resources to sell, threats to make and leaders unconstrained by democracy. Vladimir Putin wants to restore Russia as a great imperial power. Muhammad bin Salman wants to modernise the Middle East and fend off Iran. Xi Jinping is both a committed communist and a nationalist who wants a world fit for a strong China. In the third rank are America’s allies, their dependence and loyalty seen as weaknesses to exploit.

Territory is up for negotiation, detonating the post-1945 rules. Ukraine’s boundary may be set by a Trump-Putin handshake. The borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria have been blurred by 17 months of war. Some outside powers are indifferent to this. Yet Mr Trump has eyed up Gaza, as well as Greenland and in any Sino-American talks, Mr Xi could bid for territory, too, for example offering to limit exports in return for concessions on Taiwan, the South China Sea or the Himalayas.

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/02/27/donald-trump-has-begun-a-mafia-like-struggle-for-global-power

https://archive.ph/dj6cr

🇺🇸🇬🇱❌🇷🇺🇨🇳 — Carla Sands, former U.S. ambassador to Denmark:

"Greenland will gain independence from Denmark, and the US wants to prevent it from falling under Russian or Chinese influence".

🇷🇺❌🇺🇦 — Russia rules out any negotiations over the status of five Ukrainian regions it has occupied.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

"The territories that have become part of the Russian Federation, as outlined in our country's constitution, are an inseparable part of our country. This is undeniable and non-negotiable".

🇧🇷🇷🇺🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦❌🇺🇸BRICS vows ’won’t stop’ de-Dollarization efforts despite Donald Trump’s 100 % tariff warning

➡️Brazil's President Lula da Silva affirmed that BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is determined to end U.S. dollar dominance, regardless of former President Trump's warning of 100% tariffs on exports if they attempt to replace the dollar.

➡️Lula stated that the group's commitment to alternative payment platforms will not be swayed by threats. He noted that Brazil’s presidency will enhance the bloc's push for a multipolar world. This effort comes in response to Western sanctions on Russia and aims to reduce reliance on the dollar, a discussion that has gained urgency as BRICS expands its membership.

"We are going to require a commitment from these seemingly hostile Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs," Trump said on Truth Social in a statement on January 31, nearly identical to one the US President had posted on November 30.

➡️At the time, Russia had said that any US attempt to compel countries to use the dollar would backfire.

➡️BRICS Attempt at De-Dollarisation
The BRICS group - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - has been discussing ways to reduce reliance on the US dollar for years. The BRICS economic collaboration has only intensified since Western sanctions were imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. In recent years, BRICS has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.

Follow: @VixUltra

🇺🇦✈️🇺🇸 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to arrive at the White House today at 11:00am EST, where he will be met by U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

A Press Conference between Trump and Zelensky is scheduled for 1:00pm.

🇺🇸📞🇺🇦❗️ — US President Donald Trump to Ukrainian President Zelensky:

You either make a deal or we are out.