Buffett Exits As Gold And Bitcoin Go Primetime

Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance

It’s been one hell of a week for monetary policy, market mayhem, and good old-fashioned truth bombs. If you missed any of it, here’s what went down on the blog.

First I wrote about how Warren Buffett’s retirement, sadly, feels like the end of an era for the United States and its manufacturing base:

The Sweet Sorrow Of Warren Buffett's Parting

I also wrote a piece after seeing a Bitcoin commercial during the NBA playoffs. No, I don’t use Coinbase, but it was still a huge moment. For the first time, the average TV viewer is getting a dose of truth about inflation and the Federal Reserve’s reckless money printing. Whether you’re into Bitcoin, gold, or both, the message is the same: people are waking up, and the fuse is officially lit.

Sound Money, Make Some F*cking Noise

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Then, we hosted a guest post from Jonathan Newman at the Mises Institute that absolutely torched Modern Monetary Theory. MMTers love to rewrite history, pretending the state invented money. Turns out, that’s nonsense. The historical and archaeological record shows that silver—not state-backed clay tablets—was used as money in the ancient world. The market created money, not the government. Who would’ve thought?

MMT Is Wrong about the History of the Origins of Money

Lyn Alden also delivered a monster deep-dive on the U.S. trade deficit, reserve currency dynamics, and how the entire dollar-based system has hollowed out America’s industrial base. It’s everything you need to understand why the U.S. exports dollars and imports everything else—and why that’s a long-term problem. If you care about the future of the economy, this one’s non-negotiable reading.

Investing For Trade Imbalances And Inflation: Lyn Alden

And I wrapped it all up with a piece looking at my favorite names for 2025 and how they are playing out during the trade war. Empty store shelves are coming, corporate earnings are going to take a hit, and the market still looks overpriced, and I explain my reasoning. Meanwhile, metals, miners, and emerging markets could be quietly setting up for what could be a leg higher as the global economy rebalances.

Trading The Shit Show: May 2025 Market Review

Bottom line: the world is finally starting to talk about the things we’ve been shouting about for years. If you’re reading this, you’re early. That’s a good place to be. Stay skeptical, stay alert, and stay on the fringe.

— QTR

Here’s what else is new on the blog:

• Is This the Man Who Created Covid-19 In Fauci’s US Lab?

• Is Bitcoin Ready To Retire Gold?

• Sweet Fictitious Ignorant Bliss

• The Assault on Substack Takes Predictable Shape

• Uncertainty Is "Paralyzing" For Markets

• The Elusive Meaning of Equal Opportunities

• Did Someone Call The Comex Bluff?

• Stop All Federal Funding of Universities

• Gold Prices Can Go "Multiples" Higher: Larry Lepard

• Trump vs. Powell

• This Is A "Once In 100 Year Scenario"

• It Really Feels Like We're Out Of Time

• There’s Only One Possible Cause of the Next Recession, And It Isn’t Tariffs

• I'm Watching This Precious Metals Play

• The Case For Free Trade

QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer on my About page here. This post represents my opinions only. In addition, please understand I am an idiot and often get things wrong and lose money. I may own or transact in any names mentioned in this piece at any time without warning. Contributor posts and aggregated posts have been hand selected by me, have not been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. They are either submitted to QTR by their author, reprinted under a Creative Commons license with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author.

This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I may or may not own names I write about and are watching. Sometimes I’m bullish without owning things, sometimes I’m bearish and do own things. Just assume my positions could be exactly the opposite of what you think they are just in case. If I’m long I could quickly be short and vice versa. I won’t update my positions. All positions can change immediately as soon as I publish this, with or without notice and at any point I can be long, short or neutral on any position. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. These are not the opinions of any of my employers, partners, or associates. I did my best to be honest about my disclosures but can’t guarantee I am right; I write these posts after a couple beers sometimes. I edit after my posts are published because I’m impatient and lazy, so if you see a typo, check back in a half hour. Also, I just straight up get shit wrong a lot. I mention it twice because it’s that important.