Global Market Comments
September 3, 2021
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(LOOKING AT THE LARGE NUMBERS)
(TLT), (TBT) (BITCOIN), (MSTR), (BLOK), (HUT)
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
September 2, 2021
Fiat Lux
FEATURED TRADE:
(BIOTECHS ARE OUT FOR BLOOD)
(BIIB), (LLY), (BAYRY), (NVS), (SNY)
Tracing its origins in Greek mythology to the infamous Dracula tales, stories centered on the restorative powers of blood have captivated our imagination for millennia.
In the past two decades, however, the concept of hailing blood as the elixir of youth has come a long way from ancient folklore.
These days, this idea has reached the medical world with highly renowned researchers throwing their names behind the study of the regenerative ability of young blood.
From mere storybook fantasies, this concept has become one of the serious contenders alongside the likes of Biogen (BIIB), Eli Lilly (LLY), and Bayer (BAYRY) in the fight against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and even stroke.
Here’s a quick explanation for this change.
At its core, one of the major causes of aging is when our systems go on overdrive in the performance of usual bodily functions.
That is, the body shifts away from the “regular” state or homeostasis and instead is forced to constantly be in alert mode.
This causes us to end up with a hyper pro-inflammatory immune system, which then malfunctions and results in damaged tissues and organs over time, exposing the body to diseases and conditions like neurodegeneration and heart attacks.
The solution is quite simple. Let’s just flush out those pro-inflammatory aging compounds—aka the overworked system. That way, we can delay (or probably even prevent) the aging process.
This can be done through a process called “parabiosis,” which has only been experimented on mice.
Basically, this works by connecting the circulatory system of an older mouse to a younger one. Then, the older mouse starts to get younger as well.
In 2005, researchers published a paper that studied two identical mice (one old and one young) to demonstrate the veracity of the concept.
To test the idea, they connected the circulatory systems of both mice. This means that the two lived off the same general blood pool, which comprises young and old blood.
In just 5 weeks, the older mouse’s stem cells started to divide again. Its muscles and liver cells also began to repair themselves.
Essentially, from a cellular viewpoint, the older mouse transformed into a younger version of itself.
Given the medical, moral, and ethical issues that come with the traditional “parabiosis,” biotechnology companies have searched for more efficient and effective ways to achieve these age-defying results other than the vampiric blood swap.
But, how can these results be replicated?
This is where “Total Plasma Exchange” (TPE) comes in.
TPE is done using an apheresis machine. The patient’s blood runs through this device, which then removes and discards filtered plasma via the reinfusion of red blood cells as well as other replacement fluids, including plasma or albumin.
Without going through the technical nitty-gritty, TPE involves the extraction of a large volume of blood from a patient, taking it apart into its individual components, then returning it to the same patient’s body sans the filtered-out components courtesy of the machine.
Recently, clinical trials on humans showed that TPE managed to slow disease progression among patients suffering from age-related disorders, like Alzheimer’s, by more than 66%.
While there’s no uniform cost for this treatment, the average estimate for every TPE session is roughly $101,140. Just how much this would cost in the long run heavily depends on the person’s condition and desired outcome.
At this point, the research is still in its early stages.
However, this hasn’t prevented rogue biohackers from testing out their own theories—and come up with surprisingly workable results.
In 2020, two 50-year-old self-confessed “biohackers” based in Russia hooked themselves up to blood collection machines. They then proceeded to replace practically half of the plasma coursing through their own veins with salty water.
After 3 days, their blood tests showed an improvement in their general well-being, as seen in their hormones, fats, and other indicators.
In particular, their immunity, cholesterol metabolism, and even liver function showed better performance.
So far, this concept has been explored by other researchers who are now replacing plasma with saline and adding other components like albumin.
These experiments are still being conducted on animals, but they have to date proven to be promising in terms of reducing inflammation in the brain and improving cognitive functions.
Primarily, the Russian biohackers and these experts are diluting the anti-aging factors to slow down or even eventually prevent aging.
Among the probable applications of plasma in the anti-aging movement, the dilution process seems to be the easiest and most convenient track to pursue—so much so that a company, called IMYu, was founded by top UC Berkley researchers to develop this strategy further.
Thus far, only a handful of biotechs have focused on this concept.
Some of the frontrunners are Massachusetts-based Elevian, which was founded in 2017, and Alkahest, which was acquired by Spanish pharmaceutical giant Grifols (GRF) for $146 million.
Meanwhile, a company called Nugenics Research has actually patented the name “Elixir” for its plasma-derived product under development.
There are also clinics like the Atlantis Anti-Aging Institute based in Florida and companies such as Ambrosia, which market plasma gathered from donors ages 16 to 25 and sell them for several thousand dollars for every transfusion.
Thus far, big pharma has yet to get its hands on this technology.
Only a handful of major companies, including Novartis (NVS) and Sanofi (SNY), have expressed interest in exploring these possibilities.
However, these innovations are only a glimpse of the incredible momentum driving the anti-aging industry these days.
It’s only a matter of time until we achieve a spectacularly extended lifespan with an impressively high quality of health and wellbeing.
When John identifies a strategic exit point, he will send you an alert with specific trade information as to what security to sell, when to sell it, and at what price. Most often, it will be to TAKE PROFITS, but, on rare occasions, it will be to exercise a STOP LOSS at a predetermined price to adhere to strict risk management discipline. Read more
Mad Hedge Bitcoin Letter
September 2, 2021
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(THE TRUTH ABOUT CRYPTOCURRENCIES AS AN ASSET CLASS)
(BLOK), (MSTR), (HUT)
It's my responsibility to new readers of the Mad Hedge Bitcoin Letter to offer an imminent snapshot of where we are in the crypto universe at this point in time.
It would be negligent if I didn't.
To say that Bitcoin is the only investment in the crypto sphere is also not true. Bitcoin is the biggest and most trusted crypto network, and many have become grotesquely wealthy because of it. Yet there are other altcoins out there.
Knowing what to digest and what to avoid like the plague is where I come in.
Don't get me wrong. I'm still highly bullish on Bitcoin as an asset, but we don't operate in a vacuum.
Many altcoins have been performing alongside Bitcoin in recent months. Bitcoin is up approximately 5% year to date, although it's recently fallen through the $90,000 to $100,000 range.
Ethereum, for instance, is trading around $3,000 to $3,400 in November 2025. This reflects a pullback from earlier highs this year.
The earlier expectation that Ethereum would push past its former May high of approximately $4,200 hasn't materialized as of late 2025. This prediction is now flagged for review.
As one might have assumed, lesser coins with cheaper pricing benefit or suffer from the law of small numbers, with wider gaps in percentage change on up and down days.
It's simply the nature of the beast.
Overall, the second largest cryptocurrency by valuation performing well is a highly bullish signal for Bitcoin itself. It also signals increasing adoption, which is positive for the security and regulation of the broader asset class.
I subscribe to the rising tide lifts all boats theory in cryptocurrencies, because it does more to legitimize the top asset than pull capital away from it.
The most poignant takeaway is that readers can't overlook other cryptocurrencies simply because Bitcoin is the apex warrior.
Returning to the foundations, cryptocurrencies have a reputation for being difficult to understand. Don't be embarrassed if you're befuddled. I felt the same way the first day I tried to understand this material.
A poll earlier this year found that a large share of people who'd heard of cryptocurrencies still had little or no understanding of how they work.
How Do I Buy Bitcoin?
Conventional wisdom has it that the most likely route is a Bitcoin online exchange.
Create an account, then enter a payment method.
Reputable exchanges will require information such as bank account details or a debit or credit card. Proof of identity is required, such as a driver's license, ID, or passport.
After verification, you can purchase Bitcoin by transferring it to a personal hot wallet. Then you can buy and sell the asset.
Remember that these accounts coming directly from Bitcoin brokers aren't insured and aren't secure.
Therefore, a better way to mitigate risk is by going through a Bitcoin ETF on the United States public markets with an official broker registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC.
Not only do public stocks provide additional security as a Bitcoin trading vehicle, but ETFs aggregate crypto asset tracking data points, which reduces volatility even further.
Unregulated crypto exchanges come with a higher level of operational and systemic risk. Not everyone wants to venture into the arid Wild West without a horse or water.
If you trade with an official brokerage registered with the SEC, your bank deposits are covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC, insurance up to $250,000 per account holder. Brokerage crypto assets themselves aren't FDIC insured.
There's also another layer of protection. You're covered by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, SIPC.
SIPC protects brokerage accounts up to $500,000, including a $250,000 limit for cash intended for securities transactions.
Cash held solely to earn interest isn't protected. SIPC was established by Congress but is funded by its member broker dealers.
In many cases, SIPC protects against unauthorized trading or theft in the account.
My favorite crypto ETF in the earlier years of this publication was the Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF (BLOK). It's grown into one of the strongest blockchain related ETFs on the market since its inception.
BLOK is an actively managed ETF that seeks to provide total return by investing at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of companies actively involved in the development and utilization of blockchain technologies.
BLOK's largest holdings included MicroStrategy Incorporated, now rebranded as Strategy Inc., and the Canadian crypto mining company Hut 8 Mining Corp. I've already circulated a trade alert on Strategy Inc. to new readers and remain highly bullish on the company.
However, this ETF encompasses more than Strategy Inc. It offers broader exposure to firms related to Bitcoin, crypto miners, and software companies heavily involved in crypto.
Hut 8 engages in industrial scale Bitcoin mining operations. It owns and operates dozens of BlockBoxes in Drumheller, Alberta, and Medicine Hat, Alberta.
BlockBoxes are among the most powerful and cost effective Bitcoin mining units available on the market.
BLOK doesn't track Bitcoin one to one, but it mimics Bitcoin's price action relatively closely, with less extreme swings.
Controlling excess volatility is something you should be happy about. BLOK also has an expense ratio of 0.71%, which is reasonable for those who want to buy and hold the ETF rather than actively trade the derivative.
Buying BLOK is still a reliable way to ensure safer trading under the SEC framework, although some investors prefer a higher risk profile and may seek more direct exposure.
The crypto revolution is now well beyond its infancy, but the possibilities remain vast because adoption is still expanding.
However, we can't assume Bitcoin will always lead the charge. Paying attention to developments throughout the industry provides deeper insight into how the bellwether, Bitcoin, is performing and reacting to future challenges as the top asset.
The truth is that several winners will benefit from higher crypto prices, not just Bitcoin. Blockchain technology will also be a major winner from higher crypto prices.
Even if one doesn't want to profit from crypto, this will remain one of the intellectual challenges of a lifetime.
Lastly, I'd like to note the price call made in 2021 that projected Bitcoin at $66,000 by the end of that year. That prediction was surpassed long ago. Bitcoin eventually reached a peak of approximately $126,000 in October 2025.
“Bitcoin will do to banks what email did to the postal industry.” - Said Swedish information technology entrepreneur and founder of the Swedish Pirate Party Rick Falkvinge
Global Market Comments
September 2, 2021
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(MANY THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERNS)
(WHY WATER WILL SOON BE WORTH MORE THAN OIL),
(CGW), (PHO), (FIW), (VE), (TTEK), (PNR), (BYND)
Sorry for the late letter this morning. I received a call from Cal Fires yesterday asking for a spotter pilot near the Lake Tahoe region.
So, the early AM found me flying a wide circle around the Sierra foothills with a pair of binoculars and a GPS calling in new smoke plumes to Central Command in Sacramento.
When you get near the big fires, the turbulence is incredible and you wonder if the plane can hold together. These are things better observed from a distance.
Thank you, Clyde Cessna for building such great aircraft!
Thankfully, the kids are old enough to drive themselves to school. I gave them $20 for dinner in case I didn’t come back.
Don’t worry about me. I evacuated out of Lake Tahoe weeks ago, as even back then, the smoke was so thick that the air was unbreathable. All of Lake Tahoe has now been evacuated, except for Incline Village at the northern tip.
There are now 70 bulldozers building a giant fire break at South Lake Tahoe. The 25,000 residents have been moved to emergency evacuation centers throughout northern Nevada.
The casinos are all closed but the hotels are open to house firefighting and support teams. Some teams have been lost to Covid. The water bombers are knocking the daylights out of the West Shore.
Welcome to the nightmare scenario. This is a disaster on a biblical scale.
At home, we are watching the TV, amazed at videos of 600-pound bears on fire running out of the mountains.
In the meantime, I have received dozens of emails, phone calls, and text messages from subscribers asking about my safety.
Don’t worry, all is well here out in San Francisco. But thanks for asking!
The View from Incline Village, Nevada
Mad Hedge Technology Letter
September 1, 2021
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(DOOM AND GLOOM FOR THE PANDEMIC TECH DARLINGS)
(ZM), (TDOC), (DOCU), (FSLY)
