“I see us going to $100,000 by the end of next year, easy…and that’s ignoring a Bitcoin spot ETF; that is a complete game changer.”
— Steve McClurg

Steven McClurg is a Co-Founder of Valkyrie Investments. In this interview, we discuss the North American Bitcoin Summit, speculation about SEC approval of Bitcoin ETFs, and the potential advantages of having the first approved ETF. The conversation also covers the US government's debt and its effect on the economy, the concept of inflation and its potential impact, the influence of BlackRock and state involvement in Bitcoin, and future Bitcoin adoption.

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One of the hot topics at the North American Bitcoin Summit was the speculation surrounding the approval of Bitcoin ETFs by the SEC. I was fortunate to be able to have a new interview with Valkyrie Investments CIO Steven McClurg, who provided insight into the SEC's decision-making process, how the SEC will likely batch the approval of ETFs, the role of BlackRock in changing the SEC's stance, and the impact of the speculation on Bitcoin’s price.

Our conversation moved on to cover the US government's debt and its impact on the economy. The elephant in the room is the increasing pressure debt servicing applies to the US government finances, particularly in the wake of interest rate rises. Steve focused on the concern that the government seems to have little political incentives to solve the debt problem, as politicians are focused on getting reelected rather than addressing long-term issues.

We discussed the compounding effect of inflation, and how even a small increase in inflation can have significant consequences over time. The rising costs of groceries, fuel, and housing, are materially affecting people's ability to invest and save. Whilst we are veterans of believing Bitcoin provides financial protection, it seems like prominent financiers such as Larry Fink, BlackRock’s CEO, are also considering Bitcoin as a solution to the current economic situation.

The podcast concluded with a discussion on the potential for government investment in Bitcoin. We speculated on the amount of Bitcoin owned by El Salvador and its potential value. We touched on the seizure of Bitcoin by US police and how the government has dealt with these seizures. Finally, Steve and I talked about whether other countries are likely to be acquiring Bitcoin. It may be very soon that all countries realise that they don’t have enough!

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This episode’s sponsors:
Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably
Bitcasino - The Future of Gaming is here
Ledger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware wallet
Wasabi Wallet - Privacy by default
Unchained - Secure your bitcoin with confidence
Orange Pill App - Stack friends who stack sats

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WBD738 - Show Notes

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Macro, Fed Pivot & Bitcoin with Steven McClurg

The Peter McCormack Show