The Dollar Fix Is In: The Playbook for Gold, Tech & Bitcoin ft. Michael Howell
The Dollar Fix Is In: The Playbook for Gold, Tech & Bitcoin ft. Michael Howell
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Quick Insights

The current global liquidity cycle is expected to support risk assets until at least early 2026, making it crucial to own assets that protect against currency debasement. Core holdings should include technology stocks and Bitcoin (BTC), which are primary beneficiaries of this monetary environment. Gold (XAU) is also a key hedge against inflation and could see a significant price breakout as financial conditions ease. For regional diversification, consider Japanese equities as they may benefit from a structural rotation out of the local bond market. Investors should maintain this pro-risk stance for at least the next six months while the underlying liquidity trend remains intact.

Detailed Analysis

Investment Theme: Global Liquidity & Monetary Debasement

  • The core thesis of the discussion is that global central banks and governments are engaged in monetary inflation (also called currency debasement) to manage massive debt loads. This is not a temporary phase but a long-term trend.
  • The current liquidity cycle, which fuels asset prices, is described as "late" but not over. The speakers estimate it will not peak until at least Q1 or Q2 of 2026.
  • A key driver of this liquidity is a shift from central bank QE to "Treasury QE". This involves governments, particularly the U.S. Treasury, issuing large amounts of short-term debt (bills) instead of long-term bonds.
    • This practice keeps volatility low and is effectively a form of monetization, as banks readily buy this short-term debt.
  • The speakers believe the rate of debasement is likely to grow at 8-10% per year to keep up with debt growth, meaning investors need to find assets that can return at least that much to preserve their purchasing power.

Takeaways

  • The primary investment takeaway is that the environment supporting risk assets is expected to remain favorable for at least the next 6 months and potentially into early 2026.
  • Investors should focus on assets that perform well during periods of currency debasement. These are often called "long-duration assets" because their value is derived from long-term growth potential, making them sensitive to changes in liquidity.
  • Calling a market top right now is considered "problematic" as the underlying liquidity trend remains intact. While there will be volatility, the overall trend is expected to continue upwards for a while longer.

Technology Stocks

  • Technology stocks are identified as a primary beneficiary of the monetary debasement trend. They are considered a key long-duration asset.
  • The speakers cite the Swiss National Bank as a prime example of a sophisticated institution that understood this game early. Instead of traditional central bank activities, they simply bought U.S. tech stocks to outperform the debasement, which proved to be a "genius" move.
  • The extension of the current liquidity cycle suggests that the prices of tech stocks could be "extended upwards" beyond what a normal, shorter cycle would produce.

Takeaways

  • Technology stocks should be considered a core holding for investors looking to protect and grow their wealth in the current macro environment.
  • The ongoing liquidity injections from governments provide a strong tailwind for the sector. The longer the cycle is extended, the higher prices could potentially go.

Cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, Stablecoins)

  • Cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin (BTC), are framed as a crucial asset for a "monetary inflation world," similar to technology stocks.
  • Initially, people may have bought Bitcoin without fully understanding why, but now it is increasingly being purchased as a direct "monetary inflation hedge."
  • The discussion highlights that the extended liquidity cycle is bullish for crypto prices, just as it is for tech stocks.
  • Stablecoins are described as a "revolution" and a critical part of the new financial plumbing.
    • They function as a "fractionalized eurodollar market," allowing individuals worldwide to access U.S. dollars and, by extension, U.S. debt markets.
    • This is seen as a powerful tool for the U.S. Treasury to fund its debt, effectively expanding the demand for U.S. bonds to a global retail audience.
  • Sovereign wealth funds, particularly in the Middle East, have reportedly started adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets, signaling growing institutional acceptance.

Takeaways

  • Bitcoin is positioned as a primary hedge against currency debasement and should be considered alongside assets like gold and technology stocks.
  • The growth of the stablecoin market is a major long-term bullish factor for the entire crypto ecosystem, as it deeply integrates crypto rails with the traditional global financial system.
  • The ongoing liquidity cycle provides a positive backdrop for crypto asset prices into 2025/2026.

Gold (XAU)

  • Gold's behavior has changed. It used to be highly correlated with real interest rates, but since 2022, this relationship has broken down.
  • It is now seen as moving more in line with monetary factors and the flow of liquidity. Like Bitcoin, it is being bought as a "monetary hedge" against currency debasement.
  • The speakers note that gold is also highly correlated with financial conditions. A weakening dollar and lower interest rates would ease financial conditions and could lead to a breakout in the price of gold.

Takeaways

  • Gold is a key asset for protecting against the long-term trend of currency debasement.
  • Investors should watch indicators of financial conditions (like the U.S. Dollar Index and interest rates) for clues about gold's next major price move. An easing of these conditions is likely bullish for gold.

Japanese Equities

  • An interesting dynamic is unfolding in Japan. Investors appear to be selling ultra-long-term Japanese government bonds (JGBs).
  • This is not seen as a broad rejection of Japanese debt, but rather a specific rotation. The speakers theorize that this is a "switch from bonds into equities."
  • Investors are likely moving out of long-term bonds, which lose value during inflation, and into the Japanese stock market, which is a better prospect in a mild inflationary environment.
  • The Bank of Japan appears to be allowing this to happen, which is seen as a purposeful policy to support the equity market.

Takeaways

  • There may be an ongoing investment flow from the Japanese bond market into the Japanese stock market, providing a structural tailwind for Japanese equities.
  • This makes the Japanese stock market an interesting regional opportunity for investors.

Commodities

  • The speakers highlight that China is beginning to stimulate its economy again by injecting liquidity.
  • Historically, Chinese liquidity cycles have a strong correlation with global commodity prices. The podcast shows a chart linking the CRB Index (a broad commodity index) to Chinese liquidity.
  • The continuation of this Chinese stimulus is expected to lead to stronger commodity markets.

Takeaways

  • A potential pickup in the Chinese economy, driven by government stimulus, could be a bullish catalyst for commodities.
  • This suggests a potential for a global business cycle pickup and could present a cyclical investment opportunity in commodity-related assets or companies.

VeChain (VET)

  • This information is from a podcast sponsor and not part of the speakers' core analysis.
  • VeChain (VET) has launched a new staking platform called Stargate.
  • The platform allows users to stake their VET to earn VTHO rewards.
  • An "early bonus pool" of 5.48 billion VTHO is being distributed to stakers weekly through December.
  • The sponsor claims yields can reach up to 9% APY, and the minimum to start is 10,000 VET.

Takeaways

  • For investors who hold VET, the Stargate platform offers an opportunity to earn yield on their holdings.
  • The "early bonus pool" creates a limited-time incentive to participate sooner rather than later.

Crypto-Backed Lending & Investment Services

  • This information is from podcast sponsors and not part of the speakers' core analysis.
  • Figure Markets, a non-bank lender, is offering loans backed by Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
    • They have lowered their rates to 8.91% (9.999% APR) for 50% loan-to-value (LTV) loans.
    • This provides a way for crypto holders to access cash for major purchases or new investments without having to sell their crypto assets.
  • Bitwise is an asset manager specializing in cryptocurrency.
    • They offer over 30 crypto strategies for investors seeking professional management of their crypto exposure.
    • They donate a portion of their profits to open-source developers who build and maintain the crypto networks.

Takeaways

  • For BTC and ETH holders, services like Figure offer a way to unlock liquidity from their assets while maintaining their long-term position.
  • For investors who want exposure to crypto but prefer a managed approach, firms like Bitwise offer a range of fund and strategy options.
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Video Description
🔥 *Download Raoul Pal's 5-year investing roadmap for free:* https://rvtv.io/41fVHWF. You've asked, we listened: On the latest "Journey Man," Raoul Pal welcomes back Michael Howell, CEO of CrossBorder Capital, for an analysis of the global liquidity cycle, with a breakdown of what's going on in the U.S., China, Japan, UK, France, Germany, and how it's going to affect risk assets. Has liquidity already peaked, as some think Howell has claimed? Recorded on August 28, 2025. 📣 This episode is brought to you by Figure, the platform to Earn and Borrow. Need liquidity without selling your crypto? Figure offers Crypto-Backed Loans, allowing you to borrow against your Bitcoin or Ethereum with 12-month terms and no prepayment penalties. They have the lowest rates in the industry at 8.91%, allowing you to access instant cash or buy more Bitcoin without triggering a tax event. You can always see your BTC ownership in your FM account and verify holdings in your personal BTC vault onchain. Unlock your crypto’s potential today. 👉 Visit their app to apply for a Crypto Backed Loan today https://figuremarkets.onelink.me/Plnq/2uhuytay 📣 Bitwise has been all-in on crypto since 2017 and has more than 20 crypto-based products to help investors get the access they need. Bitwise manages the world’s largest crypto index fund, one of the top Bitcoin ETFs, and one of the largest institutional Ethereum staking solutions. Bitwise has over $10 billion in assets under management and employs over 100 people in the US and Europe to manage a range of products, including ETFs, private alpha strategies, and SMAs for large investors. 👉 Check out Bitwise at https://bitwiseinvestments.com and let them know that Real Vision mentioned them. Carefully consider the extreme risks associated with crypto before investing. 📣 Stake $VET on StarGate, VeChain’s new user-friendly staking platform, to earn your share of the 5.48 billion $VTHO bonus pool being distributed to stakers through to December. To get started, stake at least 10,000 $VET, mint a Delegator NFT, and collect $VTHO rewards every seven days. The earlier you stake, the more you stand to earn, so visit https://app.stargate.vechain.org/?utm_source=journeyman&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=kol-august-2025 today to put your $VET to work. Timestamps: 00:00 Sponsors 02:10 Sub + show intro 04:59 Mike Howell returns 05:20 Liquidity cycle: late stage 06:26 Debt refi & AI capex drain 06:50 No biz cycle; bills drive it 08:06 “Treasury QE” via bills 09:26 Endgame risk: inflation 10:26 Monetary vs CPI inflation 11:24 Rates, Fed’s real sway 12:44 YCC/IORB chatter 13:50 Banks monetizing deficits 14:56 High-street vs monetary inflation 15:19 Net vs total liquidity 15:49 Cycle timing: late but running 17:06 1987 analog risks 18:14 QE, not-QE, Treasury-QE mix 20:13 Banks & stables buy bills 20:58 Japan: bonds vs equities 21:44 JGB term premium (long end) 23:49 Weak yen geopolitics 26:08 Demand, not supply, in JGBs 27:06 China: yields & stimulus 29:38 China’s debt/liquidity fix 30:28 PBOC injections ramp 31:58 Commodities follow China liq 32:37 Global biz pickup case 33:00 Japan/Europe liquidity up 34:35 France/UK sovereign stress 36:18 UK term premia; BoE options 37:37 VeChain mid-roll 38:58 Taxes, IMF, or monetize 41:11 Everyone shifting to bills 42:19 Dollar: trade-weighted view 43:27 Flows still into USD 45:22 Hedges: gold & crypto 46:17 Next 3–6m: benign liq 47:13 Fed liq, TGA skepticism 49:36 Europe/Japan/China easing 50:06 Total liq dominates now 51:22 Likely peak: Q1–Q2 52:15 Long-duration wins 52:59 Gold tracks FCI now 55:09 PalBot promo 55:35 Reserves to gold/ BTC; SNB tech 56:48 Stablecoins = retail Eurodollars 58:53 Euro stablecoin/CBDC push 59:56 Crowding to U.S. assets 1:00:39 Debt vs liquidity path 1:02:10 Takeaways Unlock the potential to showcase your brand to our global audience. Contact us at partnerships@realvision.com for advertising inquiries. 🍌 Get your Banana Zone swag at the Real Vision merch store: https://shop.realvision.com Connect with me: Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/RaoulGMI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raoulgmi/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raoul-pal-real-vision/ My other work: Real Vision: https://rvtv.io/3LHYIaH Global Macro Investor: https://globalmacroinvestor.com The Exponentialist: https://realvision.com/thefuture EXPAAM: https://expaam.com Connect with Real Vision™: Twitter: https://rvtv.io/twitter Instagram: https://rvtv.io/instagram Get a FREE membership: https://rvtv.io/3Y4t5Pw Disclaimer: https://media.realvision.com/wp/20231004185303/Disclaimer-1.pdf #raoulpal #crypto #macro #macroeconomics #cryptocurrency #cryptonews #blockchain #web3 #nft #nfts #btc #eth #btcnews #bitcoin #bitcoinnews #bitcointoday #cryptotrading #cryptoinsights #cryptoinsights #macroinsights #realvision #solana #sol #solanasol #altcoins #bitcoinnews #btctoday #btcnews #sui #suicrypto #ethnews #liquidity #globalm2 #qe #quantitativeeasing
About Raoul Pal The Journey Man
Raoul Pal The Journey Man

Raoul Pal The Journey Man

By @raoulpaltjm

Join me on my journey through macro, crypto and the Exponential Age of technology. The world is changing faster than ever ...