The Bitcoin Layer

Nik welcomes back Michael Howell of CrossBorder Capital for an urgent breakdown of the global liquidity cycle. Michael explains why the cyclical top is in, how oil, the MOVE index, and the dollar have dealt a 20% blow to global liquidity, and why the everything bubble is over. They cover the $45 trillion debt maturity wall, China's monetization driving gold, Treasury QE replacing Fed QE, bank deregulation as a 2027 catalyst, private credit's illiquidity risk, and why Michael says don't trade bitcoin or gold, own them. The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik welcomes back Brent Johnson of Santiago Capital for a wide-ranging global macro conversation. Brent breaks down the dollar's behavior during geopolitical crises, the deglobalization thesis and fracturing supply chains, and his Rise of the American Empire framework drawing parallels to Rome's transition from republic to empire. They cover the Office of Strategic Capital's push to secure critical minerals and semiconductors, the US-China power competition over chips and rare earths, Persian Gulf risks including fertilizer disruptions and famine, and close with stablecoins, bitcoin as a pure play on global liquidity, and why digital assets are here to stay. The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik welcomes back Yaël Ossowski, Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, to break down the escalating standoff between Anthropic and the Pentagon. They examine how Claude was reportedly used in the Venezuela raid, why Anthropic is drawing a hard line against warrantless surveillance and autonomous weapons, and the political fault lines forming between AI safety and permissionless innovation. Yaël unpacks the third party doctrine and its direct implications for Bitcoiners’ financial privacy, and they close with a look at how the massive AI capex buildout is reshaping the U.S. economy and what it means for Bitcoin in the broader macro picture. The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik breaks down why Anthropic's Claude has displaced Donald Trump as the single most important force driving global macro and financial markets, walking through the system-level evidence including IBM dropping 12% on a single AI headline, Block cutting 40% of its workforce, trucking capacity sold out from data center buildout, and Treasury yields falling in direct response to new model releases. He connects the AI arms race to US economic statecraft, the fight to outpace China, and what a disinflationary labor market shock means for Fed policy, credit spreads, and Bitcoin. 📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube. 📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe 🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform. 📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer 📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial 🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch ⛓️ ₿lock Height 938641 ⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Nik Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtc Researcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschatt Lead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik sits down with Sam Baker, Research at River, to break down River's second annual Bitcoin adoption report, covering how institutional ownership, registered investment advisors, sovereign holdings, and small business adoption all accelerated in 2025 despite price weakness. Sam explains why individual ownership likely peaked in 2024, why RIAs managing $146 trillion hold less than one basis point in Bitcoin, and what the ownership distribution trend implies for the decade ahead. Nik connects the data to his framework of Bitcoin as a tool of American economic statecraft in the US-China competition for global capital dominance.Episode links: https://river.com/learn/files/river-bitcoin-adoption-report-2026.pdfhttps://x.com/River/status/2026322299595432323?s=20https://btcmap.org/https://x.com/macromule📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 938184⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik walks through our TBL proprietary liquidity index, explaining why the red signal flagged in late December and confirmed in January preceded Bitcoin's sharp decline below $70,000. He breaks down the four inputs driving the current liquidity contraction, with focus on dollar volatility and bond stress, the US-Japan currency relationship, and why early-cycle US credit growth remains the structural argument for improving conditions ahead.📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 937304⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik breaks down Bitcoin’s bounce following a softer-than-expected CPI print and falling Treasury yields, analyzing the rollover in the 200-day moving average, the latest negative mining difficulty adjustment, and what shifting liquidity conditions mean for risk assets. He explains why bond markets, dollar strength, and fixed income demand, including Google’s rare 100-year bond issuance, matter more for Bitcoin in the short term than fundamentals, while also revisiting the long-term case tied to global wealth distribution, fiscal deficits, and the evolving role of Bitcoin in U.S. economic statecraft.📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 936413⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik breaks down dramatic political developments in Japan, including a snap election, currency intervention, and the U.S.-Japan effort to defend the yen, and explains why these moves matter for global liquidity and Bitcoin. He walks through Bitcoin’s drawdown using on-chain metrics like realized price and MVRV, shows why rising volatility and elevated stock correlations point to a macro driven move, and ties Japan’s bond market stress, dollar weakness, and FX intervention directly into TBL Liquidity, framing Bitcoin’s price action as part of a broader system level liquidity shift rather than an isolated market failure.📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 935803⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik and Matt Dines break down Bitcoin’s 52% drawdown, focusing on the global liquidity forces pressuring risk assets. They explain how reindustrialization, capital rotation out of software and speculative assets, yen and dollar liquidity stress, and rising volatility across gold, equities, and FX are colliding at once. The conversation reframes Bitcoin’s selloff as a macro-driven liquidity event, not a failure of the asset, and walks through what must stabilize before conditions improve.📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. 🔓 The Bitcoin Layer is proud to be sponsored by Unchained, the leader in Bitcoin financial services. Unchained empowers you to take full control of your Bitcoin with a collaborative multisig vault, where you hold two of three keys, and benefit from a Bitcoin security partner. Purchase Bitcoin directly into your cold storage vault and eliminate exchange risks with Unchained's Trading Desk. Unchained also offers the best IRA product in the industry, allowing you to easily roll over old 401(k)s or IRAs into Bitcoin while keeping control of your keys. Don’t pay more taxes than you have to. Talk to us today. Visit unchained.com/tbl and use the code TBL10 for a 10% credit towards your first year's account fees. 🔨 Try Stamp Seed, a DIY kit that enables you to hammer your seed words into a durable plate of titanium using professional stamping tools. Take 15% off with code TBL. Get your Stamp Seed today! https://www.stampseed.com/shop/seed-plates.html▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 935306⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik sits down with TBL on-chain analyst Johan Bergman to break down Bitcoin’s recent breakdown, sell-the-rip behavior, and the on-chain signals flashing bear market conditions. Johan walks through cost basis models, the AVIV Ratio Mean, short-term holder behavior, and why Bitcoin’s November trend break marked a major regime shift. They discuss ETF flows, forced selling, liquidation dynamics, and where real support may emerge next, while separating long-term conviction from short-term market reality.📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 934791⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik steps back to assess the massive shifts underway in global markets. With gold surging to record highs, silver collapsing after a historic spike, and Bitcoin struggling versus both gold and the dollar, Nik revisits long-held assumptions about money, Basel III, the Shanghai Gold Exchange, and the end of the WTO era. He explains why gold is reentering the monetary system, how Bitcoin still fits into the layered money framework, and what these changes mean for investors navigating a post-globalization world. Link to podcast mentioned: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bias-the-sequel/id1802258017📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 934397⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik breaks down the Japan “rate check” that sent the U.S. dollar sharply lower and triggered major moves across global markets. He explains how Japan’s bond stress, rising yields, and yen instability forced coordination with the U.S., why the dollar index breaking long-term support matters for liquidity, and how a weaker dollar is pushing stocks and gold higher. Nik closes by connecting the rate check to TBL Liquidity, why Bitcoin has lagged gold so far, and why a sustained dollar breakdown could be a powerful setup for Bitcoin heading into 2026.📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 934035⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik breaks down a massive global macro repricing as gold approaches $5,000, bond markets stabilize, and the world adjusts to a new economic order. He walks through key signals across Bitcoin, Treasuries, inflation expectations, labor markets, and global trade to explain why volatility is falling, liquidity conditions are improving, and why Bitcoin’s muted price action may be a feature, not a flaw, of this transition. Nik ties together Davos rhetoric, Supreme Court tariff dynamics, fiscal math, and capital flows to show how markets are responding to structural change heading into 2026.Polymarket Link: https://poly.market/rXYgPKB📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 933577⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik sits down with Brian McCarthy to break down China’s debt-driven growth model, rare earth leverage, and why central planning has created deep structural risks. They explore how China’s manufacturing dominance masks massive capital misallocation, why rare earths have become a geopolitical pressure point, and how a potential unwind could reshape global markets. The discussion ties China’s internal fragility to global liquidity, geopolitical escalation, and the long-term implications for Bitcoin as a non-sovereign store of value.Follow Brian's work: https://x.com/briangobosoxhttps://macrolens.substack.com/https://macrolens.com/📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 933274⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik breaks down how the Supreme Court’s tariff decision, the administration’s healthcare proposal, and growing pressure on the Federal Reserve are all part of a single fiscal and national security framework. He explains why economic sovereignty, debt servicing costs, and healthcare spending are now central to U.S. policy decisions, and how these forces intersect with interest rates and Fed independence. Nik walks through the unsustainable math behind rising deficits, why lowering rates has become politically unavoidable, and how fiscal stabilization could ultimately support Bitcoin as a long-term store of value heading into 2026.Polymarket link: https://poly.market/uzPASJ2James E. Thorne's Tweet: https://x.com/DrJStrategy/status/2011499438125301970📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 932442⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik breaks down Bitcoin’s strong start to the year as price reclaims key technical levels following a deep but healthy drawdown. He walks through daily, weekly, and structural trend lines to explain why recent higher lows and higher closes matter for Bitcoin’s next move. Nik then zooms out to discuss resistance zones, bull market structure, and what a potential test of the $108,000 to $112,000 range could signal for momentum. He closes with a deeper look at the growing debate around the Federal Reserve, central bank independence, the legacy of Jekyll Island, and why political pressure, market rates, and liquidity dynamics ultimately shape Bitcoin’s long-term path.Link to Nik's Letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.substack.com/p/the-delusion-surrounding-centralThe Creature from Jekyll Island: https://www.amazon.com/Creature-Jekyll-Island-Federal-Reserve/dp/091298645X/ref=sr_1_1📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 932179⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.

In this episode, Nik Bhatia and Demian Schatt step back from short-term liquidity signals to examine the global balance sheet and its implications for Bitcoin. They break down why global wealth has decoupled from GDP, how financialization and credit expansion reshaped the world economy, and why policymakers have become increasingly resistant to prolonged contraction. Nik explains how Bitcoin fits into a system with nearly $1 quadrillion in existing net worth, why adoption and credit expansion matter more than simple rotation narratives, and what this framework means for Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory.Link to article: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/financial%20services/our%20insights/the%20rise%20and%20rise%20of%20the%20global%20balance%20sheet%20how%20productively%20are%20we%20using%20our%20wealth/mgi-the-rise-and-rise-of-the-global-balance-sheet-full-report-vf.pdf📚 Bitcoin Age is here, order yours today: https://a.co/d/5gau08H📊 The Bitcoin Layer is a bitcoin and global macroeconomic research firm. ▶️ Subscribe and turn on notifications for TBL on YouTube.📚 Subscribe to TBL’s research letter: https://thebitcoinlayer.com/subscribe🎧 Subscribe to The Bitcoin Layer on your favorite podcast platform.📱 Follow TBL on X: https://twitter.com/TheBitcoinLayer📩 Join the official TBL channel on Telegram: https://t.me/thebitcoinlayerofficial🧢 Use code TBLYT10 for 10% off all The Bitcoin Layer Merch at http://TheBitcoinLayer.com/merch⛓️ ₿lock Height 931466⚡ Contribute to The Bitcoin Layer via Lightning Network: [email protected] Bhatia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/timevalueofbtcResearcher Demian Schatt's Twitter: https://x.com/demianschattLead Statistician Augustine Carrasco Twitter: https://x.com/AugustineCarrB The Bitcoin Layer and its guests do not provide investment advice.