Crypto will break down barriers around fundraising and capital formation next.
Reducing friction around fundraising will increase the number of startups in the world, accelerating progress. Every entrepreneur knows how time consuming (and expensive) fundraising can be.
Altcoins After the Gold & Silver Spike (Short Scenario Tree, with GPT 5.2)
Gold & silver don’t move just on inflation. They move when the monetary regime starts breaking. What happens next to altcoins (high-risk Beta assets) depends on which gold cycle we’re actually in.
Here’s a probability-weighted view based on how similar today looks to past gold cycles.
By structure, today looks like a mix of:
• ~50% like 1976–1980 (stagflation, fiscal dominance, late-cycle gold surge)
• ~30% like 2009–2011 (QE fears, negative real yields, liquidity boom)
• ~20% like 1933–1935 (debt stress, regime risk, regulatory tightening). Each led to very different outcomes for speculative assets.
Scenario A — “1970s Redux” (≈ 50%)
Boom → Blowoff → Mass Extinction
• Forced easing, real yields go negative
• BTC breaks out → ETH follows → alts go vertical
• Then inflation re-accelerates
• Regulation hits stablecoins + leverage
• Policy reverses
• Altcoins crash 80–95%
Scenario B — “QE Era 2.0” (≈ 30%)
Slow Bull → Heavy Concentration
• No major crisis
• Liquidity leaks into risk assets
• BTC grinds up
• ETH underperforms BTC
• A few alts rise on real usage narratives
Scenario C — “Soft 1930s” (≈ 20%)
Crash → Crackdown → Grey Market
• Debt stress + capital controls
• BTC spikes, then gets crushed by regulation
• Stablecoins restricted
• On-ramps surveilled
• Privacy chains revive quietly
What Comes Next After the Gold & Silver Spike?
Below is a short historical reflection, summarized with the help of GPT-5.2.
1930–1935
Gold: revalued higher as the U.S. abandoned the gold standard
Then → massive policy intervention (New Deal)
Stocks: deep collapse → long recovery only after regime reset
Pattern: metals surge → old system breaks → equities restart in a new regime
(Note: this one was a forced monetary reset, not a normal market cycle.)
1971–1982
Gold & silver: exploded after Bretton Woods collapsed
Then → Volcker slammed rates to kill inflation
Stocks: terrible real returns in the 70s → massive bull market from 1982
Pattern: metals top → rates spike → equities reset into a new cycle
2008–2011
Gold & silver: surged after QE started
Then → QE became permanent
Stocks: bottomed in 2009 → long tech bull market
Crypto: Bitcoin launched in 2009 → first major bull runs after 2011
Pattern: metals lead → liquidity follows → risk assets moon
2020–2022
Gold & silver: spiked during COVID money printing
Then → inflation arrived
Stocks: bubble peak in 2021 → sharp drawdown in 2022
Crypto: euphoric top in 2021 → brutal crash 2022–23
Pattern: metals warn → bubbles inflate → policy slams → everything reprices
The 3rd and final installment of a16z's Big Ideas 2026, this time featuring takes from our Crypto team (and some special guests) looking ahead to the new year: https://t.co/p9BAaU8CoM
Prediction markets today are mostly 'Live-or-Die' binary contracts. I see potential for multi-outcome scenarios, bringing new research questions in "(smart) contract design". Contract theory will go to the next chapter soon with AI and Blockchain. Bullish.
@rektbuildr@luigidemeo I just accidentally visited this site. But had not done anything like connecting wallet. Is it still a risk of data leak? What should I do?