Lessons From the Presidential Debate and a Look Ahead to the FOMC
Initial Thesis – Senate More Important Than Many Recognize
This week, we witnessed what was the first – and potentially final – presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Anticipation for this event was high, with the public initially favoring Trump, as reflected in prediction markets. This preference was largely attributed to Harris's lackluster debate track record. However, the dynamics shifted during the debate itself, with reactions in prediction markets indicating that Harris emerged as the victor, challenging initial market sentiment.
While the long-term impact on polls remains uncertain given the considerable time until election day, the verbal sparring between Harris and Trump—both of whom obviously hold divergent views on crypto—provided valuable insights on how BTC might trade in the months post-election in the event of a Harris victory.
All things being equal, the resulting price action in the event of a Trump victory seems rather obvious at this point. Trump's campaign has consistently expressed pro-crypto rhetoric and crypto was explicitly supported in the formal GOP platform. Thus, one should expect crypto markets to price in a “Trump Premium” should he win in November. There would also intuitively be a repricing higher of coins that curr...Reports you may have missed
CORE STRATEGY Most of the risks that prompted us to turn cautious in early February still persist, so we believe it’s right to remain patient. However, the near-term (2–4 weeks) setup is starting to look compelling for a tactical rally as sentiment is miserable, liquidity conditions are improving on the margin, a lot of risk has already been priced in, and we’ve seen serious capitulation and deleveraging. All eyes will...
MSTR Reloading Presents Opportunity for Bounce, But Broader Picture Remains the Same
CORE STRATEGY There is a chance that MSTR flows spark a short-term bounce here, but assets further out on the risk curve continue to face headwinds from ongoing uncertainty surrounding trade and monetary policy. Although the current administration takes a pro-crypto stance, there appears to be no immediate catalyst to revive market enthusiasm. We still anticipate that crypto will outperform this year, but until we see further progress on trade/monetary...
CORE STRATEGY With lingering trade war talks and robust economic data dissuading a dovish Fed pivot, we think the potential for downside volatility remains elevated. While regulatory developments and institutional adoption continue to bolster the medium- to long-term outlook, no immediate “good news” seems likely. Nevertheless, we still expect crypto to outperform this year. Until we see flows return to crypto, raising cash/trimming altcoin positions appears prudent (BTC dominance higher)....
CORE STRATEGY With the looming threat of an escalating trade war and economic data robust enough to discourage a more dovish Fed stance, we believe the upside risk for the DXY and yields has increased in Q1. Moreover, the market remains highly volatile and headline-driven, inhibiting the crypto market from gaining meaningful momentum. While regulatory developments are a key medium- to a long-term tailwind for crypto, it is unlikely that...