Podcast Summary: The Wolf of All Streets

Episode: Bitcoin On Edge As Trump’s Policies Rattle Markets! What Comes Next?

Host: Scott Melker
Guests: Mike, James, Dave
Date: January 12, 2026

Episode Overview

This Macro Monday episode dives deep into the heightened uncertainty and volatility shaking the financial markets, with Bitcoin stuck around $90,000 as Donald Trump’s latest policy pronouncements and political theatrics send shockwaves through global markets. The panel unpacks Trump’s radical proposals—ranging from capping credit card interest rates to barring institutional housing investment—as well as the unprecedented Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell. With gold and silver hitting historic highs, the discussion expands to the future of the US dollar, Fed independence, global de-dollarization, precious metals, and the currently frozen state of Bitcoin. The episode is animated, incisive, and laced with both biting humor and seasoned market analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bitcoin, Markets, and Trump’s Policy Bombshells

[00:01 - 05:57]

Bitcoin’s price stagnates at $90,000, with “perpetual” sideways action.
Trump’s “truth social” posts: self-styled President of Venezuela, aggressive claims over Greenland (“going to be ours whether you like it or not”), floats notions like banning institutional investors from buying houses, and capping credit card interest rates at 10%.
- Memorable: “This is fourth turning stuff right here.” — Scott Melker [08:25].
Markets are “all over the place,” with uncertainty clouding direction.

2. Fed Drama: DOJ Moves on Powell & What’s Really at Stake

[05:57 – 16:40]

The DOJ investigation of Jerome Powell revolves around renovations to historic Federal Reserve buildings and accusations of lying to Congress, but is interpreted as political retaliation.
- Quote: “This new threat is not about my testimony…it is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment…rather than following the preferences of the President.” — Jerome Powell video, played by Melker [06:56 – 08:25]
Panel sees this as an attack on Fed independence, with Powell depicted as standing up to “a bully.”
- “The Fed is the most unaccountable power in the United States…and it’s not even close.” — Dave [08:32]
Debate ensues: Is Fed independence even real? Does the Fed add value, or is it “putting lipstick on a pig” in a system fundamentally driven by fiat money beyond repair?
- “The fiat system is still fucked.” — Dave [10:40]
Powell’s defensive move interpreted as “political theater,” but also as unprecedented escalation that can’t be undone: “You can’t put that back in the horse.” — Melker [15:53]

3. Global Macro: Dollar Confidence, De-Dollarization, and Gold/Silver Mania

[16:40 – 34:27]

First Principles:
- US needs the Fed to support confidence in the dollar due to perpetual deficit spending and rising distrust abroad. With cracks in confidence, central banks steadily shift reserves from Treasuries into gold.
  - “The real function [of the Fed] is to embolden the world’s confidence in the U.S. dollar.” — James [11:30]
Gold & Silver Rally:
- All-time highs prompt the question—cycle top, or just the beginning?
  - “These kind of moves are awesome if you’re in it, and you’re supposed to be in it years ago.” — Mike [02:57]
- Booming central bank gold buying; industrial and speculative demand up for silver, especially as electrification and battery tech soar.
  - “Silver is the world’s best conductive metal…demand is increasing, not decreasing.” — Dave [24:44]
- Fundamental vs. speculative drivers: is price up because of fundamentals, or are fundamentals used to rationalize moves after the fact?
  - “Those were the same fundamentals when silver was 25 bucks.” — Melker [29:36]
- Warning: Parabolic price moves eventually reverse, and “elasticity” means supply can flood in—OGs and sock-drawer holders will sell into this rally.
- “Don’t ever forget the elasticity of price. People can bring silver supply from their underwear drawers and they will; in history, they always have.” — Mike [21:57]
Geopolitical Layer:
- “There’s a third world war going on. That’s part of the reason gold and silver are rallying.” — Mike [37:56]

4. Bitcoin: Stuck in Amber, Apathy, and Political Luggage

[40:59 – 55:00]

Bitcoin is “boring”:
- Volatility is at decade lows. Price “stuck in amber.”
- Retail and speculative interest is abysmal: crypto YouTube views at multi-year lows.
- Smart money debate: is it accumulating or getting short?
  - “Smart money has been getting short and leveraging the money in bitcoin for months now.” — Mike [44:09]
- Bearish technicals: “Bear flag, volatility very low—that typically breaks down…Bitcoin is all technical because there’s no basis.” — Mike [44:49]
  - James/Scott: Ultimately, bigger cycles and confidence matter; apathy could give way to sudden upward momentum if/when macro shifts.
Politics:
- “What if the fact that bitcoin is so strongly associated with the letters T R U M P is why it’s stuck where it is?” — Dave [50:44]
- Panel muses on whether Bitcoin’s political baggage under Trump is suppressing upside; potential for upside if/when Trump loses influence.

5. Trading Opportunities & Risk Management in Historic Crosswinds

[55:00 – 62:30]

Volatility strategies:
- “Selling when they’re yelling, buying when they’re crying”—classic behavioral inversion for traders.
- Shorting Bitcoin & copper; overweighting Treasuries as risk-off play.
- Warning against being long too late in parabolic commodities (“elasticity of price”).
Market context:
- Low volatility in equities despite wild geopolitics hints at coiled risk: “We are in a crazy geopolitical time. At the same time, market volatility is as muted as we’ve ever seen it.” — Dave [61:11]
- Contrarian value in trading ranges vs. long-volatility/wild trend bets.

6. Trump’s Specific Proposals: Price Controls, Real Estate, and the ‘Fake Capitalist’ System

[58:01 – 60:29]

Panel briefly revisits Trump’s proposal to cap credit card rates at 10% and ban institutional house buying.
- “In the history of man…there has never once been a successful implementation of price controls.” — Dave [58:35]
- “We are in a fake capitalist system…it’s not really fully capitalist.” — James [59:21]
Broader issue: populist policies reflect the broken system, but Bitcoin is seen as a long-term winner because of this dysfunction.

7. Final Thoughts & Macroeconomic What-Ifs

[62:30 – End]

S&P 500 vs. gold chart highlighted: hints at “something’s got to give,” expectation for a big move (“I think it goes to 1 to 1” ounces) as historic volatility and mispricings unwind.
Unaddressed risks: Iran’s potential for dramatic geopolitical regime change, deep state and NGO scandals, ongoing malaise in US policy—markets pricing in no resolution for now.
“Markets believe all this is saber-rattling and nothing major is going to happen.” — Dave [62:28]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Fed’s independence:
- “The Fed is the most unaccountable power in the United States…and it’s not even close.” — Dave [08:32]
On fiat and the monetary system:
- “Having the, quote, independent Fed is putting lipstick on a pig. The fiat system is still fucked.” — Dave [10:40]
- “The real function [of the Fed] is to embolden the world’s confidence in the U.S. dollar.” — James [11:30]
On political theater and Powell's stand:
- “This is political theater. This is for the entire world to see that the Fed is pushing back on political pressure.” — James [13:20]
- “You can’t put that back in the horse.” — Melker [15:53]
On gold and silver's historic moves:
- “Silver can easily get to 100. Gold, the trend is towards 5000.” — Mike [03:32]
- “Don’t ever forget the elasticity of price. People can bring silver supply from their underwear drawers and they will; in history, they always have.” — Mike [21:57]
On Bitcoin’s current state:
- “Bitcoin is boring. Bitcoin right now is boring. It’s in one of those cyclical downtrends...it’s not dropping, it’s basically kind of stuck.” — Dave [49:00]
On the politicization of Bitcoin:
- “What if the fact that bitcoin was so strongly associated with the letters T R U M P is why it’s stuck where it is?” — Dave [50:44]
On risk management and trading:
- “Selling when you’re yelling, buying when they’re crying—those are words to live by.” — Dave [55:31]
On price controls:
- “In the history of man, in peacetime, there has never once been a successful implementation of price controls. Never once.” — Dave [58:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:01 – 00:55 | Bitcoin holds $90k amid Trump policy chaos
01:27 – 05:57 | Fed drama & litigation; Market meeting recaps
06:56 – 08:25 | Powell’s defense statement (played on-air)
08:32 – 11:30 | Power & transparency of the Fed debated
11:30 – 15:53 | First principles: Dollar, deficits, de-dollarization
16:40 – 22:28 | Gold & silver highs; trading views and historical context
22:29 – 34:27 | Industrial & speculative drivers, supply risks in metals
34:27 – 40:59 | Geopolitics, Greenland, Venezuela, Trump’s global posture
40:59 – 46:22 | Bitcoin’s lack of volatility & trader behavior dissected
47:50 – 55:03 | Boredom/apathy in Bitcoin & crypto, political association with Trump
55:31 – 58:01 | Trading tactics, short/long vol, unique market opportunities
58:01 – 60:29 | Trump’s proposed economic interventions & systemic critique
62:30 – 65:36 | Final macro bets, S&P vs gold, Iran, unpriced risks
65:36 – End | Closing comments, preview of crypto town hall

Conclusion

This episode provides a turbo-charged tour of the current macro landscape, with Trump’s chaos politics, US institutional credibility, gold and silver’s breakouts, and Bitcoin’s eerie calm front and center. The panel’s trading wisdom (“sell when they’re yelling, buy when they’re crying”) is underscored by the warning: these parabolic moves in metals and dormant stretches in crypto are both warning and opportunity for nimble investors. Above all, the confluence of political, monetary, and market distortions signals a world where the old rules are rapidly breaking down, making hard assets and clever trading more relevant than ever—even as the system itself feels increasingly fragile.

For more deep dives, follow The Wolf of All Streets and tune in next week for another Macro Monday.

Podcast Summary: The Wolf of All Streets

Episode: Bitcoin On Edge As Trump’s Policies Rattle Markets! What Comes Next?

Host: Scott Melker
Guests: Mike, James, Dave
Date: January 12, 2026

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bitcoin, Markets, and Trump’s Policy Bombshells

[00:01 - 05:57]

Bitcoin’s price stagnates at $90,000, with “perpetual” sideways action.
Trump’s “truth social” posts: self-styled President of Venezuela, aggressive claims over Greenland (“going to be ours whether you like it or not”), floats notions like banning institutional investors from buying houses, and capping credit card interest rates at 10%.
- Memorable: “This is fourth turning stuff right here.” — Scott Melker [08:25].
Markets are “all over the place,” with uncertainty clouding direction.

2. Fed Drama: DOJ Moves on Powell & What’s Really at Stake

[05:57 – 16:40]

The DOJ investigation of Jerome Powell revolves around renovations to historic Federal Reserve buildings and accusations of lying to Congress, but is interpreted as political retaliation.
- Quote: “This new threat is not about my testimony…it is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment…rather than following the preferences of the President.” — Jerome Powell video, played by Melker [06:56 – 08:25]
Panel sees this as an attack on Fed independence, with Powell depicted as standing up to “a bully.”
- “The Fed is the most unaccountable power in the United States…and it’s not even close.” — Dave [08:32]
Debate ensues: Is Fed independence even real? Does the Fed add value, or is it “putting lipstick on a pig” in a system fundamentally driven by fiat money beyond repair?
- “The fiat system is still fucked.” — Dave [10:40]
Powell’s defensive move interpreted as “political theater,” but also as unprecedented escalation that can’t be undone: “You can’t put that back in the horse.” — Melker [15:53]

3. Global Macro: Dollar Confidence, De-Dollarization, and Gold/Silver Mania

[16:40 – 34:27]

First Principles:
- US needs the Fed to support confidence in the dollar due to perpetual deficit spending and rising distrust abroad. With cracks in confidence, central banks steadily shift reserves from Treasuries into gold.
  - “The real function [of the Fed] is to embolden the world’s confidence in the U.S. dollar.” — James [11:30]
Gold & Silver Rally:
- All-time highs prompt the question—cycle top, or just the beginning?
  - “These kind of moves are awesome if you’re in it, and you’re supposed to be in it years ago.” — Mike [02:57]
- Booming central bank gold buying; industrial and speculative demand up for silver, especially as electrification and battery tech soar.
  - “Silver is the world’s best conductive metal…demand is increasing, not decreasing.” — Dave [24:44]
- Fundamental vs. speculative drivers: is price up because of fundamentals, or are fundamentals used to rationalize moves after the fact?
  - “Those were the same fundamentals when silver was 25 bucks.” — Melker [29:36]
- Warning: Parabolic price moves eventually reverse, and “elasticity” means supply can flood in—OGs and sock-drawer holders will sell into this rally.
- “Don’t ever forget the elasticity of price. People can bring silver supply from their underwear drawers and they will; in history, they always have.” — Mike [21:57]
Geopolitical Layer:
- “There’s a third world war going on. That’s part of the reason gold and silver are rallying.” — Mike [37:56]

4. Bitcoin: Stuck in Amber, Apathy, and Political Luggage

[40:59 – 55:00]

Bitcoin is “boring”:
- Volatility is at decade lows. Price “stuck in amber.”
- Retail and speculative interest is abysmal: crypto YouTube views at multi-year lows.
- Smart money debate: is it accumulating or getting short?
  - “Smart money has been getting short and leveraging the money in bitcoin for months now.” — Mike [44:09]
- Bearish technicals: “Bear flag, volatility very low—that typically breaks down…Bitcoin is all technical because there’s no basis.” — Mike [44:49]
  - James/Scott: Ultimately, bigger cycles and confidence matter; apathy could give way to sudden upward momentum if/when macro shifts.
Politics:
- “What if the fact that bitcoin is so strongly associated with the letters T R U M P is why it’s stuck where it is?” — Dave [50:44]
- Panel muses on whether Bitcoin’s political baggage under Trump is suppressing upside; potential for upside if/when Trump loses influence.

5. Trading Opportunities & Risk Management in Historic Crosswinds

[55:00 – 62:30]

Volatility strategies:
- “Selling when they’re yelling, buying when they’re crying”—classic behavioral inversion for traders.
- Shorting Bitcoin & copper; overweighting Treasuries as risk-off play.
- Warning against being long too late in parabolic commodities (“elasticity of price”).
Market context:
- Low volatility in equities despite wild geopolitics hints at coiled risk: “We are in a crazy geopolitical time. At the same time, market volatility is as muted as we’ve ever seen it.” — Dave [61:11]
- Contrarian value in trading ranges vs. long-volatility/wild trend bets.

6. Trump’s Specific Proposals: Price Controls, Real Estate, and the ‘Fake Capitalist’ System

[58:01 – 60:29]

Panel briefly revisits Trump’s proposal to cap credit card rates at 10% and ban institutional house buying.
- “In the history of man…there has never once been a successful implementation of price controls.” — Dave [58:35]
- “We are in a fake capitalist system…it’s not really fully capitalist.” — James [59:21]
Broader issue: populist policies reflect the broken system, but Bitcoin is seen as a long-term winner because of this dysfunction.

7. Final Thoughts & Macroeconomic What-Ifs

[62:30 – End]

S&P 500 vs. gold chart highlighted: hints at “something’s got to give,” expectation for a big move (“I think it goes to 1 to 1” ounces) as historic volatility and mispricings unwind.
Unaddressed risks: Iran’s potential for dramatic geopolitical regime change, deep state and NGO scandals, ongoing malaise in US policy—markets pricing in no resolution for now.
“Markets believe all this is saber-rattling and nothing major is going to happen.” — Dave [62:28]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Fed’s independence:
- “The Fed is the most unaccountable power in the United States…and it’s not even close.” — Dave [08:32]
On fiat and the monetary system:
- “Having the, quote, independent Fed is putting lipstick on a pig. The fiat system is still fucked.” — Dave [10:40]
- “The real function [of the Fed] is to embolden the world’s confidence in the U.S. dollar.” — James [11:30]
On political theater and Powell's stand:
- “This is political theater. This is for the entire world to see that the Fed is pushing back on political pressure.” — James [13:20]
- “You can’t put that back in the horse.” — Melker [15:53]
On gold and silver's historic moves:
- “Silver can easily get to 100. Gold, the trend is towards 5000.” — Mike [03:32]
- “Don’t ever forget the elasticity of price. People can bring silver supply from their underwear drawers and they will; in history, they always have.” — Mike [21:57]
On Bitcoin’s current state:
- “Bitcoin is boring. Bitcoin right now is boring. It’s in one of those cyclical downtrends...it’s not dropping, it’s basically kind of stuck.” — Dave [49:00]
On the politicization of Bitcoin:
- “What if the fact that bitcoin was so strongly associated with the letters T R U M P is why it’s stuck where it is?” — Dave [50:44]
On risk management and trading:
- “Selling when you’re yelling, buying when they’re crying—those are words to live by.” — Dave [55:31]
On price controls:
- “In the history of man, in peacetime, there has never once been a successful implementation of price controls. Never once.” — Dave [58:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:01 – 00:55 | Bitcoin holds $90k amid Trump policy chaos
01:27 – 05:57 | Fed drama & litigation; Market meeting recaps
06:56 – 08:25 | Powell’s defense statement (played on-air)
08:32 – 11:30 | Power & transparency of the Fed debated
11:30 – 15:53 | First principles: Dollar, deficits, de-dollarization
16:40 – 22:28 | Gold & silver highs; trading views and historical context
22:29 – 34:27 | Industrial & speculative drivers, supply risks in metals
34:27 – 40:59 | Geopolitics, Greenland, Venezuela, Trump’s global posture
40:59 – 46:22 | Bitcoin’s lack of volatility & trader behavior dissected
47:50 – 55:03 | Boredom/apathy in Bitcoin & crypto, political association with Trump
55:31 – 58:01 | Trading tactics, short/long vol, unique market opportunities
58:01 – 60:29 | Trump’s proposed economic interventions & systemic critique
62:30 – 65:36 | Final macro bets, S&P vs gold, Iran, unpriced risks
65:36 – End | Closing comments, preview of crypto town hall

Conclusion

For more deep dives, follow The Wolf of All Streets and tune in next week for another Macro Monday.

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Bitcoin On Edge As Trump’s Policies Rattle Markets! What Comes Next?

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Summary

Podcast Summary: The Wolf of All Streets

Episode: Bitcoin On Edge As Trump’s Policies Rattle Markets! What Comes Next?

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bitcoin, Markets, and Trump’s Policy Bombshells

2. Fed Drama: DOJ Moves on Powell & What’s Really at Stake

3. Global Macro: Dollar Confidence, De-Dollarization, and Gold/Silver Mania

4. Bitcoin: Stuck in Amber, Apathy, and Political Luggage

5. Trading Opportunities & Risk Management in Historic Crosswinds

6. Trump’s Specific Proposals: Price Controls, Real Estate, and the ‘Fake Capitalist’ System

7. Final Thoughts & Macroeconomic What-Ifs

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Conclusion

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Wolf of All Streets

Episode: Bitcoin On Edge As Trump’s Policies Rattle Markets! What Comes Next?

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bitcoin, Markets, and Trump’s Policy Bombshells

2. Fed Drama: DOJ Moves on Powell & What’s Really at Stake

3. Global Macro: Dollar Confidence, De-Dollarization, and Gold/Silver Mania

4. Bitcoin: Stuck in Amber, Apathy, and Political Luggage

5. Trading Opportunities & Risk Management in Historic Crosswinds

6. Trump’s Specific Proposals: Price Controls, Real Estate, and the ‘Fake Capitalist’ System

7. Final Thoughts & Macroeconomic What-Ifs

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Conclusion