Macro Mondays: October 20, 2025
Macro Mondays: October 20, 2025
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

The recent crypto market sell-off presents a contrarian buying opportunity in assets like Bitcoin, with a potential rebound expected into year-end. Strong leading economic indicators suggest the AI and Semiconductor sectors have more room to grow, making recent volatility an attractive entry point. Keep a close watch on NVIDIA (NVDA), as its mid-November earnings report will be a major catalyst for the entire tech sector. For higher-risk investors, the unprofitable tech theme is expected to perform well in an environment of easing monetary policy. These themes represent high-conviction opportunities to capitalize on market dislocations and positive underlying trends.

Detailed Analysis

Crypto (General)

  • The recent market volatility caused a significant sell-off in the crypto space, which one host described as feeling like a "Black Friday".
  • This sell-off led to a washout in leveraged positions, which is viewed as a healthy reset for the market.
  • Sentiment in the crypto market is currently "incredibly bad", and positioning is much lighter compared to a few months ago.
  • There has been a noticeable shift of speculative interest from altcoins to unprofitable tech stocks.
  • The hosts noted a potential positive social media campaign underway for crypto, possibly driven by a large fund, which is a sign of strategic positioning.

Takeaways

  • The combination of a leverage washout, extremely negative sentiment, and lighter investor positioning is often a contrarian buy signal.
  • The hosts are bullish on crypto for the remainder of the year, believing there is a strong possibility of a "pretty decent rebound into year-end".
  • Investors with a higher risk tolerance could view the recent dip as a buying opportunity, as the current market structure may be favorable for a bounce.

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • The discussion highlighted the impatience of some retail investors. One anecdote captured this sentiment: "if I put $1,000 into Bitcoin, the absolute best case is that I get $1,400 in half a year's time. That's not making me rich."
  • This suggests that some retail investors, who are chasing life-changing returns, may feel that Bitcoin's potential upside no longer justifies the risk of large drawdowns, especially when compared to other speculative assets.
  • Unsubstantiated rumors about a 0% capital gains tax on crypto from Trump were mentioned as a sign of desperation and wishful thinking in the market.

Takeaways

  • The current market environment could be a buying opportunity for Bitcoin, based on the same factors as the broader crypto market (washout, bad sentiment).
  • Investors should be aware of a potential shift in the retail investor base. The "get rich quick" crowd might be moving on to other assets, which could lead to a more stable but potentially less explosive market for Bitcoin in the near term.

Unprofitable Tech Stocks (Investment Theme)

  • This sector has experienced a "very solid cycle" over the past few months, with returns in some cases stronger than in profitable tech giants.
  • This performance is characteristic of an environment where monetary policy is easing while the economy is in a cyclical upswing, similar to what was seen in 1999 and 2020.
  • The hosts believe we are in such an environment now, with the Fed expected to ease and economic indicators pointing to an acceleration.
  • The core idea is that in this environment, "you can actually make money trading stuff that doesn't make money." The hosts believe there is "more left in this non-profitable tech cycle."

Takeaways

  • This is a high-risk, high-reward investment theme that could continue to perform well if the macroeconomic outlook of easier money and economic growth holds true.
  • Investors looking at this space are betting on future potential rather than current profitability and should be prepared for significant volatility.

AI & Semiconductor Sector (Investment Theme)

  • Despite ongoing talk of an "AI bubble," the underlying fundamental data appears strong.
  • Export data from South Korea, a key bellwether for global trade and the tech cycle, is showing "very compelling" acceleration. Since the Korean economy is heavily based on trade, this is a strong leading indicator.
  • This export acceleration is seen as a positive sign for the upcoming tech earnings season, particularly for semiconductor companies.
  • While the data is accelerating, it is still far from previous cycle peaks, suggesting there is more room for growth. The host stated he has "high conviction that this is not the peak."

Takeaways

  • The positive leading indicators from Asia suggest continued strength and momentum for the AI and semiconductor sectors.
  • The recent market volatility could be viewed as a buying opportunity for investors who are bullish on the theme, ahead of what is anticipated to be a strong earnings season.

NVIDIA (NVDA)

  • NVIDIA is a key company to watch in the semiconductor space, with its earnings report scheduled for mid-November.
  • CEO Jensen Huang was mentioned for his recent pivot to support the quantum computing space, both "rhetorically and with money."

Takeaways

  • NVIDIA's upcoming earnings will be a significant catalyst for the entire semiconductor sector and a major indicator of the health of the AI trend.
  • The CEO's interest in quantum computing is a signal of the company's long-term, forward-looking strategy, but it is not an immediate investment thesis. It positions NVIDIA as a potential player in a future technological paradigm.

Quantum Computing (Investment Theme)

  • This sector was highlighted as the prime example of the "unprofitable tech" theme.
  • Companies in this space are estimated to be 10-15 years away from profitability, yet some command "$20 billion dollar valuations."
  • Interestingly, the hosts noted a "very, very clear negative" social media campaign against quantum stocks, which contrasts with the positive campaign seen in crypto.

Takeaways

  • Quantum computing is a highly speculative, long-term investment suitable only for investors with a very high risk tolerance and a time horizon that can span decades.
  • The combination of extremely high valuations, long timelines to profitability, and observed negative sentiment campaigns presents significant risks that investors must carefully consider.
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Video Description
🔥 *Join the waitlist: https://rvtv.io/3IQ5Bs6* Andreas Steno and Mikkel Rosenvold of Steno Research break down the latest news and trends driving markets, from inflation and labor data to Bitcoin’s rally and the Japanese bond market action. 📣 This episode is brought to you by Bitwise Asset Management*. Bitwise has been all-in on crypto since 2017 and has more than 20 crypto-based products to help investors get the necessary access. 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 over 100 people in the US and Europe to help manage everything from ETFs to private alpha strategies to 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 Elevate your brand with Real Vision. Connect with us at partnerships@realvision.com to explore advertising possibilities. Music license ID: WJ6TRPVHFD About Real Vision™: We arm you with the knowledge, tools, and network to succeed on your financial journey. Connect with Real Vision™ Online: Website: https://www.realvision.com/join Twitter: https://rvtv.io/twitter Instagram: https://rvtv.io/instagram Linkedin: https://rvtv.io/linkedin Disclaimer: https://media.realvision.com/wp/20231004185303/Disclaimer-1.pdf #macro #trump #dollar #bitcointrends #trumppolicies #macromondays #usd #dxy #nasdaq #dow #china #macrotrends #ratecuts #inflation #trumptariffs #trump #crypto #fed #powell #rates #economy #markets #bullish #bearish #etf #ethetf #btcetf #congress #uselections #stablecoins #usdt #usdc #inflation #steno #memes #stocks #equities #unemployment #raoulpal #realvision #fed #sec #ai #conflict #tradewar #creditcrisis #FOMC #macro
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