The Secret Money Printing Designed by the Fed and the US Treasury... Bitcoin's Bull Market Erupts at Exactly This Time - Professor Hong Ik-hee

연준과 미 재무부가 설계한 '은밀한 돈 풀기... '바로 이 때' 비트코인의 불장이 터진다.ㅣ홍익희 교수
Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 26, 2026 at 09:01  |  18:20  |  815 Money Talk (815머니톡)
Speakers
Hong Ik-hee — Former Professor, Sejong University

Summary

Hong Ik-hee, author and former Sejong University professor, explains that Bitcoin's recent sideways-to-down price action reflects a shortage of US short-term liquidity, heavy T-bill issuance, and investors selling the most liquid risk asset first. He expects liquidity conditions to improve from the second quarter and accelerate into the third quarter ahead of US elections, with Fed repo facilities, Treasury issuance management, and SLR relief supporting banks. He argues this should favor Bitcoin when risk appetite returns, while gold and silver remain defensive real assets in a currency-debasement environment. He also recommends watching short-term Treasury issuance and the 10-year yield and favors a survival portfolio over cash.

  • Bitcoin has been weak because US short-term liquidity is tight and it is sold first among risk assets.
  • T-bill issuance and depleted repo buffers are key causes of the liquidity drain.
  • The Fed's standing repo facility, possible T-bill purchases, and SLR relief are expected to ease liquidity.
  • The speaker sees Q2 as preparation and Q3 as fuller liquidity release before US elections.
  • Stablecoin balance growth is interpreted as crypto buying power waiting to re-enter.
  • The four-year Bitcoin cycle is viewed as less relevant due to mined supply and crypto-friendly US policy.
  • Gold and silver are recommended as real-asset hedges against currency debasement.
  • Bitcoin is recommended as a diversification asset for a survival portfolio, while cash is seen as less attractive.
Ideas
Hong Ik-hee Former Professor, Sejong University 2:32
Gold and silver hedge currency debasement.
Foreign central banks are shifting reserve allocations away from US Treasuries and into gold, weakening long-term Treasury demand. With dollar and won purchasing power debasing, the speaker recommends a defensive survival portfolio that diversifies away from cash into real assets such as gold and silver, alongside Bitcoin.
Hong Ik-hee Former Professor, Sejong University 5:19
Liquidity easing should lift Bitcoin.
US short-term liquidity is tight because T-bill issuance has surged, the repo-market buffer has been depleted, and long-term Treasury buyers have disappeared, so investors sell Bitcoin first as a risk asset. However, the Fed has ended tightening, opened a standing repo facility, and is buying short-term Treasuries; Treasury issuance may be adjusted, SLR relief should expand bank credit and Treasury buying from Q2, and liquidity should build into Q3 ahead of the US elections. When liquidity returns, risk appetite should improve and Bitcoin should attract inflows, while the 4-year cycle matters less because 95% of Bitcoin is mined and the US government is crypto-friendly. In a currency-debasement era, Bitcoin is also a recommended diversification and survival asset.
Hong Ik-hee Former Professor, Sejong University 6:56
SLR relief boosts large-bank capacity.
The SLR capital-ratio relief for large banks, cutting the requirement from 5% to 3.5%, creates capacity for roughly 40% more credit creation and more Treasury purchases. Implementation and consultation delays mean this balance-sheet expansion should begin from Q2, making large US banks a regulatory-beneficiary setup to monitor.
Up Next

This 815 Money Talk (815머니톡) video, published January 26, 2026, features Hong Ik-hee discussing GLD, SILVER, BTC, KBE. 3 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Hong Ik-hee  · Tickers: GLD, SILVER, BTC, KBE