Bits + Bips: Why Rate Cuts Are Less Likely This Year, but Crypto's Outlook Is Positive - Ep. 839

21/05/2025 1h 22min Episodio 839
Bits + Bips: Why Rate Cuts Are Less Likely This Year, but Crypto's Outlook Is Positive - Ep. 839

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Episode Synopsis

U.S. credit got downgraded. Fed policy expectations are flipping. And Coinbase hit the S&P 500 (while also being extorted).

But what does all of this mean for crypto?

On this week’s Bits + Bips, James Seyffart, Alex Kruger, Ram Ahluwalia, and Noelle Acheson break down:



Why the Moody’s downgrade doesn’t mean much for markets




Whether Fed rate cuts are now further off than expected




Why Alex says Coinbase is a “horrible product” despite S&P inclusion




How stablecoins tie into U.S. geopolitical strategy




Whether Circle should sell to Coinbase




And what the altcoin ETF delay really tells us




Plus: unemployment, yield curve control, the “Consensus vibes,” and Ram’s wild anecdote about workers gaming unemployment benefits.



Bitwise






James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence




Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard




Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida




Noelle Acheson, Author of the “Crypto Is Macro Now” Newsletter 




Macro



Reuters: Moody's downgrade intensifies investor worry about US fiscal path




USNews: Trump Tells Walmart to 'Eat the Tariffs' Instead of Raising Prices




Coinbase



Unchained: How the Attack on Coinbase Shows the Dangers of Centralized Exchanges




Fortune: Circle pursues IPO—but talks with Coinbase and Ripple could mean a sale, sources say




CNBC: Coinbase joining S&P 500, replacing Discover Financial




Stablecoin bill



Unchained: Stablecoin Bill Passes Key Hurdle: Dems Join GOP to Deliver a Crypto Win






Timestamps:

👋 0:00 Intro

💳 2:18 A big reason why the U.S. credit downgrade matters for investors

📉 7:49 Contrarian take: why souring U.S. debt could also hurt crypto

🛡️ 15:30 Do tariffs work against the U.S. military and national security? 

🔁 20:14 Why the crew flipped on Fed rate cut expectations

📊 28:35 Is the U.S. about to introduce yield curve control?

🧾 35:04 Are the Mag7 stocks the new safe havens in a recession?

📈 38:54 What if the “Goldilocks” scenario is priced in, and it's wrong?

💼 44:26 Why hedge funds are secretly in a vulnerable position

🫱 49:15 What the “vibes” at Consensus 2025 revealed

💵🇨🇳 50:44 A secret threat that the stablecoin bill poses to China?

📈 57:43 What Coinbase’s S&P 500 inclusion means and why Robinhood is its biggest threat

🌀 1:07:17 Should Coinbase acquire Circle? Here’s what the panel thinks

⏳ 1:13:38 Why altcoin ETF approvals are delayed and wen staking in ETFs?
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