Other People's Words
Even if Frank Writes Less, There's Still Plenty to Read
Howdy, friends!
Happy sunny Saturday to everyone. I’m writing to let you know that I may be writing fewer editions of this newsletter in the upcoming weeks/months/years/whatevs…
However, to play on the words of the great Rakim, don’t fret because…
“I wouldn’t have left you / without some strong newsletters to invest to”
Why will I be writing a bit less? Well, I recently accepted my first ever full-time position as a writer. Crazy, right? Someone thought the raving lunatic who writes this digital rag should be paid to explain crypto to people. Truly unprecedented times we’re living in. So, I will be joining the team at Finder.com as their New York City Cryptocurrency Staff Writer. What’s super fantastic about this is that they are going to pay me to write, yet you can still read my work for free! What a world. I’ll be sure to link my Finder articles in future editions of the newsletter. And yes, my Finder articles can count towards your 100 hours of homework.
Speaking of homework, here’s your video for this week:
Jeff Booth is a kind, soft-spoken, and highly-intelligent person. This edition of the newsletter was largely premised on his book, The Price of Tomorrow: Why Deflation Is the Key to an Abundant Future, which I very much recommend you read. I share this video this week, because I received a text from a friend two days ago in which she told me that she’d begun her 100 hours of studying Bitcoin, and she realized that she has been learning much more than just what Bitcoin is; she said that she has been learning about money in general and, more broadly, global economic matters, as she studies it. The same happened to me when I began studying Bitcoin, and, when I found Jeff Booth’s work, my mind blew wide open. Jeff is a master at contextualizing the importance of Bitcoin. He lays out the dangers of our broken system in a fairly easy-to-follow manner. I don’t necessarily agree that Bitcoin is as much of a solution our financial woes as he claims it is, but I believe he diagnoses the ills associated with our current financial system in an incredibly insightful manner. And, again, he’s a very kind person, which makes him a pleasure to listen to. I hope you enjoy the video.
But lets get to the meat and pataytees of this edition of the newsletter…
We’re living in a golden age of decentralized information. Newsletter culture has become a big thing, and I’m really into it. I read editions of anywhere from 10-20 newsletters per week, and sometimes I feature information from some of these newsletters in my newsletter. So, I figure if I’m going to be writing this newsletter a bit less, you can go straight to some of my sources to garner information for yourself.
The Wolf Den Crypto Newsletter (Free) - This is one of the best, if not the best, free daily crypto newsletter out there. It used to cost $15/month. Its author, Scott Melker AKA “The Wolf of All Streets” (cringey name, I know), starts each newsletter with a lesson on finance and then breaks the markets down in charts. If you’re are looking for timely info and trade set ups for crypto (and sometimes traditional) markets and you are looking for it for free, look no further.
Tascha Labs (Free) - Natasha Che (Tascha) has a Ph.D. in economics and she mostly writes about how the macroeconomic picture is affecting digital asset markets. She has a really good brain. She makes me want to have a better brain.
Blockware Intelligence Newsletter (Free) - In this newsletter, wunderkind William Clemente III provides a deep dive on on-chain analysis for Bitcoin. The content is a bit difficult and challenging to follow, but, ya know, it’s free, so consider giving it a read.
Rekt Capital Newsletter (Free/$14 per month) - I don’t subscribe to this, but my buddy “The Russian” (weird how the connotation for this joke of a pseudonym so quickly took a turn for the worst; let’s just pretend he’s one of those good everyday Russian people who isn’t in favor of the current war) does and he says it’s good. Rekt provides clear and concise technical analysis of Bitcoin and large altcoins. He also has a YouTube channel.
Wealth Mastery (Free/$39 per month) - There’s both a free and paid version of this newsletter. I only subscribe to the free version, but, again, “The Russian,” subscribes to the paid version and says it’s solid. It’s written by the eternally optimistic YouTuber Lark Davis and his staff. From what I see in the free version, Lark usually has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in digital asset markets.
Route2Fi Newsletter (Free) - Great for deep dives on engaging with DeFi ecosystems. Very degen-friendly.
The DeFi Edge (Free) - Also great for deep dives on engaging with DeFi ecosystems and also very degen-friendly.
The Coin Bureau Newsletter (Free) - The newsletter provides a decent general overview of what’s happening in digital asset markets, but the YouTube channel is even better.
Cobie’s Newsletter (Free) - OG crypto legend breaks down how the game is played; Cobie is also a host of the podcast UpOnly. I find his cynicism comforting.
The Macro Compass (Free) - Alfonso Peccatiello (howyadoinz), or Alf, frequent Real Vision contributor, goes deep on macro here. Honestly, about 33% of what he writes goes over my head, but I like reading this newsletter to challenge myself.
Lyn Alden’s Newsletter (Free/$199 per year) - Lyn, like Natasha Che, is so smart that my brain often hurts when she talks. She focuses most on macro in her newsletter, but she touches on Bitcoin from time to time. I only subscribe to the free edition of the newsletter. If you Google Lyn, you’ll find her as a guest on tons of different podcasts. Maybe start by listening to some of those interviews first.
Nik Bhatia’s The Bitcoin Layer Newsletter (Free/$10 per month) - Nik wrote Layered Money: From Gold and Dollars to Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies, a very solid read. He’s a professor of finance at USC and focuses primarily on happenings around Bitcoin in his newsletter. I only subscribe to the free version.
The Pomp Letter (Free/$50 per year) - Often featured on CNBC crypto segments, Pomp is a pseudo-celeb in Bitcoin world. His newsletters don’t necessarily provide groundbreaking information, but they will keep you up to speed on all things Bitcoin. I only subscribe to the free version. I recommend listening to his podcast and subscribing to the free version to see if you are into his takes before subscribing to the paid version.
Jerry Brito’s Newsletter (Free) - Jerry Brito is the executive director of Coin Center, a non-profit focused on the policy issues facing cryptocurrencies. His newsletter is a great source for what’s happening on the digital asset policy front.
Mike Solana’s Pirate Wires Newsletter (Free/$8 per month) - Mike is the vice president at venture capital firm Founders Fund. He doesn’t really write about markets directly. He mostly comments on what’s happening in the world of Big Tech, and he does so in an unflinchingly witty way. One of the better writers I’ve found on the Internet.
Elsa Zhou’s “Personal Writings” (Free) - Elsa was a student of mine at Baruch College (CUNY). Her IQ is much higher than mine, and I feel for her in that she had to suffer through my ramblings on the English language as a student of mine. She’s from Hong Kong and mainland China and often offers insightful information on what’s happening in both places. Feel free to start with her piece “Megacorporations, not states; Tales of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau”
In closing…
I don’t recommend going and getting paid subscriptions to all of these newsletters right away. Instead, subscribe to a few of the free ones first and see how you like them. If you’re thirsty for more information, then consider a paid subscription. Step by step. And, of course, save a little headspace for my articles on Finder.com!
Big virtual hug to everyone!
Best,
Frank
Twitter: @frankcorva
Currently Reading: Finding Your Way in a Wild New World, by Martha Beck
Currently Listening To: Olivia Rodrigo (on repeat)