V3 Research
What are @TakayamaJoe's views on global macroeconomic conditions and their impact on Bitcoin based on his tweets from the past 7 days?

Key Findings

  • U.S. Housing Market Distortions: TakayamaJoe warns that the U.S. housing market is highly imbalanced. New homes are currently cheaper than existing ones, and there is a record disparity as sellers significantly outnumber buyers. Affordability has hit an all-time low, prompting expectations of an imminent price correction or policy-driven market rebalancing 1567891011.
  • Manufacturing Sentiment Decline: The outlook for manufacturing is sharply declining, with capital expenditure expectations falling to levels last seen during the 2008 financial crisis. This signals a potential early-cycle recession and increases the likelihood of future interest rate cuts 212131415.
  • Potential Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal: A peace agreement could alleviate global food and energy inflation by up to two percentage points, reducing monetary pressure by approximately 100 basis points and reshaping macroeconomic conditions for risk assets 16172021.
  • Bitcoin Outlook: In this context, TakayamaJoe identifies Bitcoin as vulnerable to short-term liquidity shocks but ultimately positioned to benefit from potential central bank policy shifts if inflation declines. He also points out on-chain yield opportunities as a safeguard against macroeconomic challenges 321.

Housing Market Distortions

The combination of low-interest-rate mortgages locked in at 3% and current rates of 6-7% has frozen the existing-home market. As a result, one-third of listings are newly built homes, prompting builders to reduce prices and offer incentives 56789. Chart showing record seller-buyer gap 1.
Due to builders' discounts, the median price for new homes is US$33,000 below that of existing homes, a reversal not observed even during the housing bubble of 2005 5. Chart showing new homes cheaper than existing 5.
TakayamaJoe suggests such price inversions are unlikely to last; either interest rates need to decrease, or the prices of existing homes must adjust, making the coming months crucial for price discovery 1011.

Manufacturing Investment Slump

The Richmond Fed's survey from July records the Capital Expenditure (CapEx) expectation index at –19, matching the lows seen during the 2001, 2008, and 2020 recessions 212. Year-over-year intentions have declined by 26%, indicating plummeting business confidence 1314. The scenario is likened to "factories' engines cooling," with probable consequences for employment and consumption if policy support is not forthcoming 15. Richmond Fed CapEx index collapse 2.

Geopolitical De-inflation Catalyst

Peace talks involving Trump, Putin, and Zelensky could rejuvenate Ukraine's grain exports and relax energy sanctions. TakayamaJoe notes that the conflict increased global inflation by up to two percentage points; its resolution could reduce headline inflation rates and lower crude oil prices below $50 per barrel 161720. Markets are already anticipating this outcome, as evidenced by the rising value of Ukrainian bonds, which could signify a major breakthrough for risk assets 21.

Implications for Bitcoin

  1. The tightening liquidity environment due to higher interest rates and weakened housing and manufacturing sectors may place short-term pressure on speculative assets like Bitcoin.
  2. Should inflation decrease following a peace deal and the resulting economic slowdown compel the Federal Reserve to ease monetary policy, Bitcoin might appeal again as a non-sovereign store of value.
  3. TakayamaJoe illustrates how his 5.8% yield from decentralized finance (DeFi) can help counteract macroeconomic headwinds 3.
Overall, while TakayamaJoe anticipates increased volatility, he believes that changes in the macroeconomy—including a housing market correction, manufacturing retrenchment, and a potential geopolitical peace agreement—may eventually create a favorable environment for Bitcoin as monetary policies shift.