|

Sometimes saying nothing is smart

S2N spotlight

There’s a line attributed to Marcus Aurelius that has always stayed with me:

“Watch closely. Stand ready to respond, but do not rush to speak.” 

It captures perfectly how I’m approaching the markets right now.

Yes, I’ve been vocal for months about the growing fragility beneath this stock market and crypto rally. And yes, the cracks we’re seeing now look a lot like the patterns I’ve been warning about. But this is precisely the moment not to gloat, not to claim victory, and not to pretend we know how the next chapter unfolds.

The Stoics remind us that wisdom isn’t loud—it’s observant. When reality begins to shift, the disciplined response is not celebration or panic, but quiet reflection. The goal is to see clearly, not to be proven right.

This is why I have been taking a step back. Not disappearing—just speaking less, watching more, and letting the noise settle so the real signals can emerge. Whether this proves to be a meaningful turning point or just another tremor is something the market, not our egos, will decide.

Right now, the right move is simple: breathe, observe, and stay humble in front of unfolding reality.

S2N observations

Chart

Fascinating how the data centre narrative boosted the markets, and now that the hype has settled, serious questions are being asked about how the economics work.

Chart

I have a story about resilience and luck that is close to home. Actually not that close.

Chart

Two Aussie brothers with a background in banking left their jobs at Macquarie Bank to become one of the world’s biggest Bitcoin miners. They quickly captured immense wealth during the Bitcoin bull market at a time when mining was all the rage. It soon became apparent that making money as a miner was just too costly, and their business nearly folded. I cannot remember all the gory details, but these guys were on death’s door. I remember them coming up with all the typical investment banking financial engineering, reminding me of myself in a past life. Then I forgot about them.

About a month ago I was in shock to see a $15 billion deal with Microsoft. They had repurposed themselves for the latest data centre boom, as they had all the compute power to do the heavy lifting from their Bitcoin GPUs. Once again they were on a rocket, another one, but this boosted the share price of Iris Energy into the stratosphere. In line with the broader market, their stock price is coming in for a landing. Who knows where this one lands?

Well done fellas.

Chart

S2N screener alert

That will be it for today.

S2N performance review

Chart
Chart
Chart
Chart
Chart
Chart
Chart

S2N chart gallery

Chart
Chart
Chart
Chart
Chart
Chart

S2N news today

Chart

Author

Michael Berman, PhD

Michael Berman, PhD

Signal2Noise (S2N) News

Michael has decades of experience as a professional trader, hedge fund manager and incubator of emerging traders.

More from Michael Berman, PhD
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold climbs further, focus is back to 45,000

Gold regains upside traction and surpasses the $4,900 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, shifting its attention to the critical $5,000 region. The move reflects a shift in risk sentiment, driving flows back towards traditional safe haven assets and supporting the yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid risk-off, $2.6 billion liquidation wave

Bitcoin edges up above $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as dust from the recent macro-triggered sell-off settles. The leading altcoin, Ethereum, hovers above $1,900, but resistance at $2,000 caps the upside. Meanwhile, Ripple has recorded the largest intraday jump among the three assets, up over 10% to $1.35.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans. 

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.