Nik Bhatia is an author of two economics books, a visiting fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute and the founder of The Bitcoin Layer. In Nik's first appearance on the podcast, he discusses his niche in the Bitcoin community, the role of Bitcoin as a transaction asset, the threat or lack thereof of quantum computing on Bitcoin, his issues with the current eurodollar market, his new proposal to use stablecoins as statecraft, and much more.

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Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links.

Recorded on May 5th, 2026

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Follow Nik X: @Timevalueofbtc

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Timestamps

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:49 - Nik's Career and Background

00:12:32 - Crypto Assets for Transactions

00:18:28 - Quantum Computing and Bitcoin

00:24:08 - Stablecoins as Statecraft

00:58:36 - Outro

Bryan Cutsinger is an assistant professor of economics at the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University. Peter Ireland is a professor of Economics at Boston College. Will Luther is an associate professor of economics at the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University and is the director of the American Institute for Economic Research's Sound Money Project. Bryan, Peter, and Will return to the show to discuss the big takeaways from the 2025 Fed framework review, the flip flopping of FIT to FAIT back to FIT, the biggest lessons from the 2020 Fed framework review, the case for NGDP targeting at the Fed, hope for future reviews, and much more.

Watch the full length video on our new YouTube Channel!

Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links.

Recorded on May 6th, 2026

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Follow David on X: @DavidBeckworth

Follow Bryan X: @BryanPCutsinger

Follow Peter X: @PIrelandecon

Follow Will X: @WilliamJLuther

Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings

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Timestamps

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:51 - Origins of Bryan, Will, and Peter's Paper

00:03:40 - Big Takeaways

00:06:14 - The Fed's 2020 Framework Review

00:12:43 - Lessons Learned from 2020 Review

00:14:38 - Nominal GDP Targeting and Productivity Shocks

00:26:59 - Reviewing the Fed's 2025 Framework Review

00:57:20 - Hopes for the Future

01:03:06 - Outro

Brendan Greeley is a veteran journalist from the Financial Times and current PhD student at Princeton studying monetary history. In Brendan's first appearance on the show, he discusses why he went for a PhD after being a journalist for 20 years, why the dollar's history goes far beyond America's founding, when America actually achieved a currency union, the untold origins of the dollar, how Herbert and Lou Hoover's date nights played a role in the history of the dollar, the crucial importance of Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz in understanding the dollar's history, the happy accident of Eurodollars, what the future of dollars looks like, and much more.

Watch the full length video on our new YouTube Channel!

Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links.

Recorded on May 4th, 2026

Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus

Follow David on X: @DavidBeckworth

Follow Brendan X: @BHGreeley

Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings

Check out our Macro Musings merch!

Timestamps

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:12 - Brendan's Career

00:06:27 - How Old Is the Dollar?

00:25:24 - Where Did the Dollar Start?

00:38:11 - The Modern Dollar

00:57:08 - Future of the Dollar

01:01:59 - Outro