Market Trends & Geopolitical Dynamics - Gold has risen 15% since Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole [1] - The US Treasury's gold reserve has reached $1 trillion [1] - US gold reserve share at a global level has decreased to a 90-year low [1] - China has been actively purchasing gold, aiming to influence the dollar hegemony [1] - Post World War II, the US held over 50% of the world's global gold reserve supply as a central bank, now it's less than 20% [1] - Shanghai has the largest gold trading volume in the world for physical gold settlement [3] Bitcoin & Gold as Investments - There's a potential strategy to leverage the paper gains of gold to invest in Bitcoin [1][5] - If Bitcoin appreciates by 12% annually, it could yield a 30x return in 30 years [5] - If Bitcoin appreciates by 40% annually, it could yield a 30x return in 10 years [5] - The US Treasury holds a trillion dollars in paper gains on gold [4] Societal & Cultural Shifts - There's a "retardification of society" linked to a decline in reading and a growing sense of instability [24][26] - Max 7 companies and Pokemon cards have outperformed the S&P 500, indicating a memeification of markets [28] - The probability of a US government shutdown is high, reflecting political dysfunction [30]