Trade War Panic!

In this episode, the Swan team dives into the week’s tumultuous markets, triggered by escalating tariff tensions between the US and China. With sweeping tariff announcements initially roiling equities, a sudden pivot by the administration briefly stabilized stock prices—yet concerns remain about stress in market “plumbing,” particularly negative swap spreads and rising bond yields. The discussion highlights how quickly financial conditions can shift, forcing the Federal Reserve’s hand toward potential liquidity measures or yield curve control. On the Bitcoin front, the hosts note that BTC’s performance has diverged notably from equities and other risk assets, signaling that institutional involvement—and global macro uncertainty—may be ushering in a new era for Bitcoin. They also explore rumors of Russia and China conducting energy trades in BTC, plus the potential of a US “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve,” as nation-states weigh the benefits of a neutral reserve asset.