“Decentralized Social Media!”

Hi There! Grief has no boundaries. It doesn’t follow a schedule or wait for the right moment. It can show up in the middle of your workday, while you're laughing with friends, or during a quiet holiday when you least expect it.

For me, Father’s Day has always been one of those days.

This past Sunday, June 15, marked nineteen years since I lost my dad in a tragic fishing accident. No body; no signs of him; no final goodbye; just sudden loss and a lot of unanswered questions. Even after all these years, certain memories still catch me off guard.

One of the hardest parts was what happened before he disappeared. Our last conversation wasn’t a kind one. We had a minor disagreement and, stubborn as we both were, we stopped talking directly to each other. We exchanged messages through my mother instead. Neither of us wanted to be the first to call.

After he passed, that regret followed me. Every Father’s Day reminded me of what we never got to fix. As the time kept moving, that guilt held me in place.

This year, however, I decided it was time to shift that. I wrote my dad a letter. I didn’t do it for closure. I did it for release. I used that moment to forgive myself for the silence, for the pride, for not knowing how short time really was. Writing the letter helped me feel a little lighter.

Now, instead of carrying only grief, I also carry his stories, his strength, and the values he taught me.

If you’re reading this and something in it feels familiar, I just want you to know you’re not alone. Grief looks different for everyone. It can show up years later, in unexpected moments, and that’s okay!

What matters most is how we choose to move forward, with kindness toward ourselves, and with space for healing.

Alright, let’s dig in!

U.S. Markets Recap (June 8 - June 14, 2025)

Volatility made a sharp comeback last week as tensions in the Middle East increased. U.S. equity markets reversed earlier gains last Friday after Israel launched direct strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Meanwhile, fresh signs of inflation easing and strong Treasury auctions helped cushion the blow. Overseas markets struggled, with geopolitical and trade uncertainties dampening sentiment across Europe and Asia. Commodity markets surged in response to global risk, and gold reclaimed its role as the safe haven of choice.

Equities:

• Last week, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hovered near flatlines after early-week strength gave way to caution. The Dow underperformed as industrials and consumer cyclicals took a hit.

• Investors remained hopeful after the U.S. and China announced a “framework” deal in London. This was seen more as a reaffirmation of the Geneva truce than new progress.

• Looming tariff hikes post-July 9, potential auto tariff increases, and friction in trade talks with Japan, India, and the EU continued to weigh on risk appetite.

• Growth stocks held up better, but even tech couldn’t carry markets into positive territory by week’s end.

Fixed Income:

• The 2-year and 10-year yields fell roughly 7 basis points lower than prior week.

• Treasury auctions were the standout story: $119 billion across 3-, 10-, and 30-year bonds was met with strong demand, especially the 30-year auction, which came in with a lower-than-expected yield.

• Despite debt issuance concerns, buyers (foreign and domestic) are still showing up, at least for now.

Commodities:

• The Bloomberg Commodities Index ended higher thanks to a sharp rally in crude oil last Friday.

  • WTI Crude spiked as Israel’s airstrikes heightened fears of restricted flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway responsible for 1/3 of global oil transport.

  • Weekly inventory declines also supported prices.

• Gold caught a safe haven bid, jumping higher on both geopolitical headlines.

Currencies:

• The U.S. Dollar Index slipped 1.0%, touching a three-year low.

• Euro and British pound surged to levels not seen since 2021. Every G-10 currency rose against the dollar last week.

U.S. Economic Recap (June 8 - June 14, 2025)

• CPI (Consumer Inflation): Rose just 0.1% in May, fourth straight downside surprise. Year-over-year inflation is 2.4%, with core at 2.8%.

  • Tariff-exposed categories like autos and apparel dropped in price, suggesting companies absorbed tariff costs, but this may not be sustainable.

• PPI (Producer Prices): Also came in softer than expected.

Global Markets Recap (June 8 - June 14, 2025)

Europe:

• Broad declines across European equities, led by Germany.

• France cut growth and inflation forecasts citing tariff pressures.

• The UK eked out gains, with optimism around Finance Minister Rachel Reeves’ new defense-focused budget.

• ECB policy debates remain unresolved.

Asia:

• Mixed results amid last Friday’s selloff tied to Middle East risk.

• South Korea and Taiwan posted weekly gains.

  • South Korea: Boosted by post-election momentum and progress in U.S. trade talks.

  • Taiwan: Tech sector strength was key.

• Japan traded flat; BOJ reiterated readiness to tighten.

• China ended the week slightly lower despite support signals from Beijing.

Crypto Recap (June 8 - June 14, 2025)

• Bitcoin gained 1.7%, once again diverging from equities.

  • Strong inflows of $1.4 billion into spot Bitcoin ETFs fully reversed the outflows from prior weeks.

• The crypto market continues to trade as an alternative risk barometer, drawing capital during macro uncertainty.

• Top Crypto Gainers Last Week: AERO, AB, SPX6900

Another week packed with news and geopolitical unrest!

Key U.S. Economic Releases developments so far:

• NY Fed Manufacturing Index: Fell to 16.0, far below expectations.

• Retail Sales: A big miss. Consumers are spending less, with core retail sales falling 0.3%.

• Industrial Production: Down 0.2% overall, with weakness outside of autos and aerospace.

• Housing Starts & Permits: Both missed. Permits at the lowest level since May 2024; starts at lowest since July 2024.

• Jobless Claims: Slight improvement to 245,000, but still elevated.

Key U.S. Economic Releases remaining this week:

Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (Friday)

Events to Watch:

• Juneteenth Holiday (Thursday): U.S. stock markets closed. Trade crypto.

• Geopolitical Flashpoints: Watch for further escalations between Israel and Iran, particularly if the Strait of Hormuz remains at risk.

Fed speeches and Policy this week:

• Fed Rate Decision (Wed.): No cut this month. Fed kept rates at 4.50%, but the Dot-Plot emphasized two cuts likely in 2025.

• Powell’s Comments:

  • “We’re well-positioned to wait.”

  • Acknowledged tariffs could raise short-term inflation, but longer-term expectations are anchored.

  • The Fed’s new projections lower growth, raise inflation, and reaffirm their commitment to cutting later this year.

Earnings: 

Notable earnings for this week is outlined in red in the chart below.

Medium-to-High Impact Global Economic Events This Week:

Special Tools and Strategies - Nostr Protocol

What if You Didn’t Need to Beg the Algorithm Anymore?

Let’s be honest, most of us are tired.

Tired of shadow bans that silence our voices without explanation.

Tired of watching our posts disappear into the void unless we “play the game”; that is, post daily, engage constantly, and stay within the algorithm’s ever-changing boundaries.

Tired of seeing valuable content from our friends buried, while viral clickbait rises to the top.

Centralized social media platforms have become digital landlords with a chokehold on what we see and what we’re allowed to say. It does not matter if you’re a content creator, crypto educator, small business owner, or just someone trying to keep up with your circle. No one is exempt.

There was a time when entire crypto communities were deplatformed from Facebook for simply sharing educational content. More recently, Instagram restricted access without warning because a person’s caption didn’t match the “trend”.

At Bitcoin 2025, I sat in on a panel called “Decentralizing Social Media” featuring Martti Malmi (developer of Iris on the Nostr ecosystem) and Alex McShane from Roxom TV. Their conversation opened my eyes to what the next chapter of the internet might look like. An internet where your voice isn’t filtered by Big Tech, and your digital identity isn’t owned by a platform. They were talking about something called Nostr, and I’ve been down a rabbit hole ever since.

Let me break it down for you, simply.

The Problem With Today’s Platforms

Before we get into what Nostr is, let’s unpack why it even matters.

Centralized platforms (Facebook, Twitter/X, TikTok, Instagram) are run by corporations. That means:

• They decide what you see: Algorithms filter your feed to prioritize profit, not connection.

• They own your data: Every click, like, and share is monetized and stored.

• They can ban you without recourse: Entire pages, followers, and years of content gone overnight.

• They don’t talk to each other: Your Twitter followers can’t find you on Instagram unless you tell them.

It’s like renting a digital apartment with no legal rights; you pay (in time, content, and data) but you don’t own a thing.

Now imagine if instead of living in isolated, corporate-controlled buildings, your content existed on a public street that you could walk down, carry with you, and decorate however you like.

That’s the idea behind Nostr.

What is Nostr?

Nostr stands for Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays. It’s an open protocol, which means, it is not a company, not an app, and definitely not a coin. You can think of it like the rules of the road: anyone can build a car (app), as long as it follows the rules (Nostr protocol), and you can drive it on the same public highways (relays).

At its core, Nostr is designed for one purpose: decentralized, censorship-resistant communication.

That means:

• No one can take your account away.

• No central algorithm curates your feed.

• You can move from app to app and take your followers, posts, and identity with you.

It’s a bit like email: Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook all use the same protocol (SMTP), so you can email anyone no matter what app they use. Nostr does the same for social media and beyond.

Here’s how it works under the hood without getting too techie:

Three Moving Parts: Relays, Clients, and Keys

1. Relays:

These are the backbone of Nostr that act like public bulletin boards where posts (or “notes”) live. Anyone can run a relay if they have some technical chops. If one relay won’t host your content, you can publish it to another. Right now, there are over 1,000 known relays across 50 countries, and hundreds of them are active at any given time.

2. Clients:

These are the apps you use to interact with Nostr. Think of them like your Gmail or Outlook interface, but for posts, blogs, chats, videos, and more. You can use multiple clients and still see the same content.

3. Public and Private Keys:

This is how Nostr identifies you. You get a public key (your profile ID) and a private key (like your password or crypto wallet seed phrase). You use your private key to “sign” posts, proving they came from you. Lose your key and your account is gone. Share it with someone, and they can impersonate you. So, handle it like your digital passport.

Why It Matters: Identity Without the Middlemen

On Instagram or X (formerly Twitter), you sign up with your email and phone number, and your entire presence exists inside their system. They your account, your data, your followers, all of it.

With Nostr:

• You don’t need an email or phone number to sign up.

• Your content isn’t stored in one central place.

• If you dislike an app, you can switch and take everything with you.

It’s the internet version of owning your own home instead of renting.

A Protocol Backed by Real People, Not Corporations

Nostr was created in 2019 by a pseudonymous developer named fiatjaf, who’s also contributed to Bitcoin and the Lightning Network. Inspired by a concept called Diagon Alley (a decentralized market idea), he published the first Nostr manifesto in November 2019.

It really started gaining traction in 2022, when Jack Dorsey (former Twitter CEO) discovered it. Since then, Jack has donated millions of dollars to Nostr-related development through OpenSats. As of now, nearly a million profiles have been created.

Edward Snowden has also publicly supported Nostr, praising its ability to empower free speech without surveillance.

Built-In Payments With Lightning Zaps

If you’re into Bitcoin, Nostr has support for Lightning Network payments built right in. With something called NIP-57, users can send tiny amounts of Bitcoin (called “zaps”) to tip creators, pay for subscriptions, or deter spam.

This changes the game for content monetization. No ad platforms. No sponsorship middlemen. Just direct, peer-to-peer support using satoshi (Bitcoin’s smallest unit).

How to Get Started

You don’t need to “apply” or wait for an invite. Just:

1. Pick a Nostr client (like Primal, Damus, Satlantis, or Nostree).

2. Generate your keys (save your private key somewhere safe; treat it like a wallet backup).

3. Start posting!

No email. No phone. No algorithm to “train.” You’re in.

One Last Thing: It’s Still Early

Yes, there are 97+ apps on Nostr right now, including tools for blogging, video streaming, reading, even playing chess.

But you’ll notice:

• The user experience (UX) is a bit raw.

• Interfaces can feel clunky compared to polished platforms.

• Managing your private key safely takes some learning.

Plus, there are real privacy concerns, too. While posts are signed and relayed securely, relays can still log your IP address and metadata. There’s no guarantee how long a relay stores your content or whether it’s ever truly deleted.

Still, the direction is clear: Nostr puts you back in control.

If you’ve ever been deplatformed, demonetized, or just disillusioned with corporate social media, this protocol is worth exploring.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.