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The Bank of America upgrade of Coinbase points to something deeper than just stock sentiment.
By expanding into spot, derivatives, and prediction products, Coinbase is effectively building a one-stop-shop for institutional finance. Bringing all these tools under one roof is a major market opportunity that legacy institutions are clearly beginning to respect.
Thank you for sharing! For those in the PNW, there is the Bitcoin is for Everyone conference May 22-23, 2026, in Portland, OR.
That’s a great analogy. I find that general audiences tend to have a better time understanding these types of real-world comparisons. It makes bitcoin feel more accessible to them.
The PIN comparison is a great bridge because it highlights that the order of the words is the key, and that secrecy is absolutely vital so no one else can access your money. The main distinction is that a bank PIN is isn’t actually secret, it’s shared with the bank, who is the gatekeeper of your funds.
Looking forward to the Rai Stone podcast episode!
Historically, record-high household exposure suggests that the marginal buyer has already entered the market. But what happens when everyone is all-in? There are a few possible scenarios:
- An increase in leverage to chase further gains, which drives extreme volatility.
- Any further gains are essentially a reflection of newly created money rather than productivity.
- Smart money begins to exit, searching for a better store of value.
While we’ve seen similar setups in 2000 and 2007, 2026 may offer a different outcome. A CAPE ratio hitting 45 is a clear admission that price has detached from earnings, but it also indicates that people are searching for a better store of value than the dollar.
Thanks so much for sharing your story. It is so important for us to utilize the human part of the network that brings us all together.
I think the most important lessons for kids aren't necessarily about Bitcoin, but about responsibility.
I'd start with the basics: personal finance, money management, and the difference between 'Easy' and 'Hard' money. It might sound boring at first, but if the learning is hands-on, like managing a small budget or earning sats for chores, the lessons stick.
Once they understand that money is just a way to store their time and effort, Bitcoin will make sense.
Great article. I’ve found that learning about the network through hardware like the Bitaxe is both educational and fun, as it provides a hands-on way to support Bitcoin’s decentralized nature. While hobbyist mining is vital for overall network resilience, the reality of today’s industrial-scale dominance means the mathematical probability of finding a solo block is effectively a lottery. It is a powerful way to participate in the network, allowing you to verify the network's consensus rules directly from your desk. Ultimately, running a small miner is less about the immediate payout and more about maintaining a sovereign, distributed system.
The cost of single-family homes is a huge issue, but focusing solely on "large institutional investors" misses the deeper issue. Real estate investment in general is driven by a lack of a superior store of value.
When money was created in response to the pandemic, a large amount of it ended up in better stores of value, like real estate. Removing Blackstone might lower competition at the top, but smaller investors and individuals will still be forced to treat housing as a long-term store of wealth until they feel like there is a better alternative.
Great piece! The best way to understand value is to work for it, then see what it actually buys. Additionally, the more we get Bitcoin into the economy, the more others can understand its value.
Great article! Monetary policy is the 'easy button' for politicians because fiscal policy (balancing a budget) is too slow and unpopular. It is a big reason the Fed’s is only independent on paper.
The Polymarkets correlation makes sense given that there was a push to lower interest rates to keep debt payments low and inject more money into the economy, further diluting the dollar.
MSCI is essentially admitting that legacy definitions need to change. They need 'further research' to determine if a Bitcoin-heavy balance sheet makes you an operating company or an investment vehicle.
This may be a moot point as more companies add Bitcoin to their balance sheets. MSCI was trying to use old labels for today's reality. It seems like the index is already learning to adapt to the market.
This is a fair assessment of Natalie Brunell's book. While the book probably isn't for everyone, those relatable comparisons are what we need to bridge the gap for non-Bitcoiners. If you drink wine, her example of money dilution being like adding water to wine is perfect (p. 30) - it makes inflation feel personal. No one wants watery wine! Why should we accept watered down money?
I remember those first few transfers. It felt like a high-stakes wire transfer... the stress and anxiety of having the responsibility to get it right. And then waiting for the transfer to go through, even though it was just a few minutes, felt like a lifetime. It takes some getting used to, but once you move to Lightning, that weight lifts and it feels much easier.
Hi there! Thanks for the warm welcome and the intro to ~Agora. I’m a big believer in the P2P aspect of Bitcoin and am excited to spend some time exploring these real-world use cases! Stack on!
Thanks! I'm planning to make real-world case studies a core part of my weekly newsletter, with a dedicated section for them on Substack.
I’ll be sharing the first one in the next couple of weeks. I’d love to know what you think when it drops!
This is a really interesting article. This transition proves that Bitcoin is more than just an investment. By settling stablecoins on Bitcoin-linked layers, especially when there are outages on other networks, the ecosystem will be more connected and reliable.