Jae Higham wIZ6

1/ The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times in 2025, mostly in Q4, as the labor market cooled and inflation started falling.
2/ Surprisingly, crypto didn’t rally as expected. Bitcoin, Ethereum & major altcoins weakened together, wiping $1.45 trillion off total market cap since October. 😳
3/ As we enter Q1 2026, the Fed’s stance remains crucial. Despite rate cuts, officials are cautious—focusing on inflation risks and data-driven decisions, not signaling major easing ahead.
4/ The November CPI at 2.63% hints at possible further cuts. But data collection issues make these figures less certain, increasing market uncertainty.
5/ ⚠️ Crypto impact:
If rates stay unchanged in Q1, Bitcoin could drop to around $70,000.
Ethereum could fall to $2,400.
6/ On the flip side, the Fed ending quantitative tightening & starting Reserve Management Purchases may inject liquidity—a form of “undercurrent easing.”
7/ If this liquidity continues, crypto could stabilize & recover, supported by ETF inflows and institutional accumulation.
8/ Current Bitcoin snapshot:
$BTC | BTCUSDT Perp: 88,667.4 (+1.32%)
#CPIWatch #CryptoNews
#Bitcoin

Japan’s cabinet has approved a record $58 BILLION defense budget —
the largest military expansion since World War II.
This isn’t just higher spending.
This is a civilizational and strategic shift.
🧮 THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER
Japan’s new defense plan includes:
🚀 $6.2B for long-range standoff strike missiles
🎯 $1.13B for upgraded Type-12 cruise missiles
(~1,000 km range — capable of reaching mainland China)
🤖 $640M for SHIELD: massive drone swarms across air, sea, and underwater by 2028
✈️ $1B for next-generation fighter jets with the UK and Italy
📌 Japan will hit 2% of GDP on defense by March — two years ahead of schedule.
That makes Japan the world’s 3rd-largest military spender, behind only the U.S. and China.
🔥 WHAT TRIGGERED THIS SHIFT
In November, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made Japan’s position clear:
👉 If China moves on Taiwan, Japan will respond militarily.
Beijing’s reaction was immediate:
Travel warnings issued
Diplomatic summits canceled
China’s Defense Ministry accused Japan of a “militarist revival” and urged “peace-loving nations” to contain it
🌊 THE REGIONAL CASCADE
This move doesn’t stand alone:
🇰🇷 South Korea secured a U.S. deal for nuclear-powered submarines
🇺🇸 The U.S. announced $11B in arms sales to Taiwan — the largest package ever
🇺🇸 Trump is now pushing Japan toward 3.5% of GDP in defense spending
This isn’t an arms race for show.
👉 This is preparation.
🧠 THE BIGGER PATTERN
Across the Pacific, the pattern is unmistakable:
Post-WWII military constraints are being abandoned
Long-range strike capabilities are being built
Taiwan contingency planning is accelerating
📉 The last time the Pacific saw buildups at this scale and speed was the 1930s.
We all know how that chapter ended.
🏁 FINAL THOUGHT
Is deterrence working?
Or is the countdown already underway?
Because when every major player prepares at the same time,
history suggests something big is approaching.
👀 What’s your read?
#Japan #Geopolitics #Taiwan #AsiaPacific #GlobalRisk
$BTC

1/ The market feels upside-down right now.
Gold just smashed $4,500 (+71% in 2025).
Silver went vertical to $72 (+148%), now a top-3 global asset.
2/ Equities aren’t sleeping either.
The S&P 500 printed its highest daily close ever, ripping 43% off April crash lows.
Liquidity everywhere. Risk appetite back. New highs everywhere.
3/ And then there’s Bitcoin…
Down nearly 30% from October ATH, red on the year, facing its worst Q4 in 7 years.
4/ While everything else is celebrating,
$BTC is grinding sideways, barely holding support.
That contrast feels uncomfortable — almost wrong.
5/ Especially for an asset that used to front-run every liquidity wave.
6/ But calling this “manipulation” misses the real story.
Bitcoin isn’t being abandoned — it’s being absorbed.
7/ Institutions aren’t chasing price anymore.
They’re managing exposure.
ETFs, custodians, prime desks, internal rebalancing — all of this suppresses volatility.
8/ Quietly, supply is being redistributed.
BTC has matured.
It’s becoming infrastructure, not a momentum toy.
9/ My view 👇
• Gold & Silver → fear + macro hedging
• Equities → liquidity + buybacks
• Bitcoin → stuck in the middle
10/ No longer a fringe risk asset…
Not yet treated like a full macro hedge.
11/ That doesn’t mean something is broken.
More often, it means something is being prepared.
12/ Markets don’t move together forever.
When one asset lags while liquidity explodes elsewhere, it’s usually not weakness…
13/ It’s compression.
And compression doesn’t last.
14/ So what’s your take, community?
Is $BTC lagging… or loading? 👀
📊 BTC: 87,478.59 (-0.29%)
📉 BTCUSDT Perp: 87,462.1 (-0.24%)
#Bitcoin #BTC #Crypto #BinanceSquareBTC $BTC quare #MarketCycle #Macro #Investing