The triangular system of "U.S. Treasuries—Dollar—Gold" that has supported the global financial markets for decades is experiencing a certain structural break.
This is not just short-term volatility. The latest report from Bank of America reveals three bizarre anomalies: gold and real interest rates have decoupled, the dollar and interest rate spreads have also decoupled, and even local currency bonds in emerging markets and U.S. Treasuries are beginning to diverge. The breakdown of correlations has become the clearest signal of systemic risk.
Why is this happening?
In simple terms, economic data are no longer reliable. Instead, there is a wave of "unprecedented populism in 120 years." The current populist rulers already surpass the historical highs of the 1930s and 1970s. History never repeats, but it often rhymes. This time, the rhyme is clear—over the next decade or so, the economy will grow slowly, inflation will rise, and trade barriers will increase. These will all become the new normal.
Once distrust spreads from emerging markets to developed economies, the basis for pricing shifts entirely from economic data to institutional risk.
At the core of the on-chain dollar competition is: who ultimately benefits from the yield rights?
The U.S. CLARITY Act on the surface is about a compliant framework for stablecoins, but fundamentally it is a fight over the distribution of on-chain dollar yields. The draft directly directs profits to a few banks and custodians, pushing DeFi incentives into a gray area. The issue is not whether there is demand, but whether the U.S. is willing to let transparent, regulated dollar yields stay on open networks—or simply push funds and innovation overseas.
The distribution of yield rights determines everything: whether on-chain dollars are allowed to grow freely within an open ecosystem, or are locked behind the walls of traditional financial institutions.
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AirdropNinja
· 01-20 11:23
Are we talking about the US debt system collapsing again? Is this really happening this time? It feels like I hear this kind of rhetoric every year.
All along, it’s just the US not wanting DeFi to make money, trying to pull all the yield rights back.
Are innovations being pushed overseas? Then what off-chain opportunities should we focus on?
The phenomenon of correlation breakdown is indeed strange, but is it systemic risk or re-pricing? I can’t tell the difference.
The CLARITY Act’s tricks seem like they will continue to escalate later on.
The 120-year unprecedented populism—this term sounds very alarming, but how much impact can it really have on the crypto world?
The upward shift of the inflation center is still a reliable prediction; gold has already reflected this.
Instead of predicting what the world will look like in ten years, it’s better to think about how to survive next year.
The matter of yield rights, to put it simply, is a redistribution of power. The contest between traditional finance and on-chain ecosystems is still far from over.
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WagmiOrRekt
· 01-19 07:33
The triangular system has shattered, the populist wave is coming, are the economic data already dead? DeFi is really about to rise then.
What does the failure of relevance mean? It means no one knows what to do next.
The CLARITY Act's move is to circle all on-chain dollar yields back into traditional finance, claiming it's for compliance—truly brilliant.
If you ask me, this is the central banks' fear—fear of open networks stealing their jobs.
More and more countries will choose to bypass the dollar system; the competition of stablecoins has just begun.
DeFi being pushed into the gray area means there's even less reason not to build your own ecosystem.
The key still lies in the game of yield rights—who controls the on-chain dollar yields will win the next decade.
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AirdropAnxiety
· 01-17 17:51
Really, this time the decoupling is different. The loss of correlation means the system is being re-priced.
CLARITY's approach is too obvious, just trying to take a piece of the DeFi pie for themselves.
Populist waves combined with trade barriers—what liquidity will there be in ten years?
Forget it, better stock up more on on-chain assets. Centralized things are becoming increasingly unreliable.
View OriginalReply0
BearMarketBard
· 01-17 17:50
Correlation failure is a signal. I wouldn't be surprised if the triangle system collapses; it was long overdue.
I see through the CLARITY Act's tricks—it's just trying to eat up the DeFi cake. Retail investors still dream of free growth.
The saying about history rhyming is pretty good; this time, it's truly different.
Ultimately, the fight over profit rights is a power game. The US won't let go; overseas models are the way out.
The era of US bonds, the dollar, and gold is indeed coming to an end. The question is, what will the next triangle be?
View OriginalReply0
InfraVibes
· 01-17 17:45
Once this triangular system collapses, everything collapses... The failure of correlation essentially amounts to a crisis of confidence, and people don't know where to move their money anymore.
View OriginalReply0
MevHunter
· 01-17 17:43
Triangular system breakdown? It's been obvious for a while, and those who only realize it now are a bit late.
Loss of correlation was always the biggest risk signal. This populist wave can break everything.
The CLARITY Act's tricks, to put it plainly, are just trying to prevent DeFi from making money, insisting that all profits follow the traditional banking model.
Rather than being restricted, it's better to innovate and develop overseas—that's the long-term strategy.
View OriginalReply0
GmGnSleeper
· 01-17 17:31
Decoupling, decoupling, in the end, it's all about the game of profit rights. The CLARITY Act, on the surface, is called compliance, but frankly, it's about cutting the DeFi cheese and handing it over to Wall Street.
View OriginalReply0
NFTArchaeologist
· 01-17 17:30
Decoupling, decoupling, decoupling. Now everything is decoupling, and it feels like the entire system is about to fall apart.
The CLARITY Act really is something else—superficially compliant but actually just harvesting, and DeFi is once again being pushed into the gray area.
The 120-year populist wave analogy, I believe it. Now it’s just a matter of seeing who can survive and come out of this decade.
View OriginalReply0
GasFeeSurvivor
· 01-17 17:24
Decoupling, decoupling, decoupling. After all the talk, the core is that the US wants to monopolize on-chain dollar profits. The CLARITY Act is an old trick.
The triangular system of "U.S. Treasuries—Dollar—Gold" that has supported the global financial markets for decades is experiencing a certain structural break.
This is not just short-term volatility. The latest report from Bank of America reveals three bizarre anomalies: gold and real interest rates have decoupled, the dollar and interest rate spreads have also decoupled, and even local currency bonds in emerging markets and U.S. Treasuries are beginning to diverge. The breakdown of correlations has become the clearest signal of systemic risk.
Why is this happening?
In simple terms, economic data are no longer reliable. Instead, there is a wave of "unprecedented populism in 120 years." The current populist rulers already surpass the historical highs of the 1930s and 1970s. History never repeats, but it often rhymes. This time, the rhyme is clear—over the next decade or so, the economy will grow slowly, inflation will rise, and trade barriers will increase. These will all become the new normal.
Once distrust spreads from emerging markets to developed economies, the basis for pricing shifts entirely from economic data to institutional risk.
At the core of the on-chain dollar competition is: who ultimately benefits from the yield rights?
The U.S. CLARITY Act on the surface is about a compliant framework for stablecoins, but fundamentally it is a fight over the distribution of on-chain dollar yields. The draft directly directs profits to a few banks and custodians, pushing DeFi incentives into a gray area. The issue is not whether there is demand, but whether the U.S. is willing to let transparent, regulated dollar yields stay on open networks—or simply push funds and innovation overseas.
The distribution of yield rights determines everything: whether on-chain dollars are allowed to grow freely within an open ecosystem, or are locked behind the walls of traditional financial institutions.