Bitcoin and Gold Post Rare Joint Losses as US Expansion Hits 77 Months

Key Takeaways

1. Bitcoin (-11.7%) and gold (-10.2%) are the worst-performing major assets in 2026 so far, a combination the source says has not occurred in any prior calendar year.
2. The current US economic expansion has run 77 months, above the post-1949 average of 67 months but below the 2009–2020 record of 128 months.
3. Amazon AWS generated $161 billion in trailing-12-month revenue, more than 476 S&P 500 companies, while only 2% of US equity funds beat their benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over 20 years, per a reposted claim.
4. A reposted claim says US family health insurance premiums now exceed $28,000 a year, up from $6,000 in 1999, excluding deductibles, copays and surprise bills.
5. Jason Calacanis argues AI adoption is still early, with only about 10%–20% of workers using AI frequently or daily, and says that share could reach 60%–80% once enterprise security concerns ease.
6. Raoul Pal says simultaneous rises in the dollar, rates and oil tighten financial conditions and pressure liquidity and markets, and that crypto needs all three to fall.
7. A reposted thread credits seven entrepreneurs with consumer-benefiting products, while a separate reposted claim says about 80% of Wikipedia's Zionism entry has been rewritten since October 7, 2023, with cited sources often not supporting the text.

1. Markets and the Macro Cycle

1. Bitcoin and gold are the two worst-performing major asset classes in 2026, at -11.7% and -10.2% respectively, and the source says this pairing has not happened in any prior calendar year. The same source puts the current US expansion at 77 months, above the 67-month post-1949 average but below the 128-month record from 2009–2020 and far above the 12-month shortest expansion in 1980–1981. — via 1 2 3 4
2. Amazon AWS reached $161 billion in trailing-12-month revenue, exceeding the revenue of 476 S&P 500 companies, according to the source. A separate reposted claim says only 2% of US equity funds beat their benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over the past 20 years, with 98% falling short, citing Jack Bogle's advice to "buy the whole haystack" rather than hunt for the needle. — via 1 2 3
3. A reposted claim says US family health insurance premiums now exceed $28,000 per year, compared with $6,000 in 1999, and that this figure excludes deductibles, copays and surprise bills; the repost argues the US health system has fundamental problems. — via 1

2. AI Adoption and Market Liquidity

1. Jason Calacanis argues the biggest AI opportunity is still ahead: Gallup data cited in the repost shows only about 10%–20% of workers use AI frequently or daily. He says large enterprises restrict free AI use and connections to email, knowledge bases, Notion and Slack over cybersecurity concerns, and that daily usage could rise to 60%–80% once those threats ease; the post also notes Uber bought ChatGPT for every employee last week. — via 1
2. Raoul Pal says simultaneous increases in the dollar, interest rates and oil tighten financial conditions and weigh on liquidity and markets, and that crypto needs all three to fall. He also says Trump wants lower oil, rates and the dollar before the midterms, and speculates oil could be addressed through Iran, restoring risk appetite and drawing capital back into markets. — via 1

3. Disputed and Unverified Claims

1. A reposted thread credits seven entrepreneurs with consumer-benefiting products: Bezos (free delivery in competitive markets), Cuban (low-cost generics via Cost Plus Drugs), Koum (free messaging and international calls via WhatsApp), Hastings (replacing cable bills via Netflix), Ek ($10-a-month music via Spotify), Page/Brin (free email, GPS and search via Google) and Schwab (zero-commission investing). Separately, a reposted claim says Mark Zlochin found that about 80% of Wikipedia's Zionism entry has been rewritten since October 7, 2023, with cited sources often not supporting the text, and that historian Benny Morris reviewed the findings; another repost invokes "O'Sullivan's law" to call Wikipedia bad. These claims are disputed/unverified and rest on the reposted accounts' assertions. — via 1 2 3
2. A reposted item memorializes Bill Nordhaus, citing two underappreciated papers: one finding innovators capture only a small share (about 4%) of the returns from their innovations, discussed in terms of property-right strength and innovation incentives, and another arguing military spending statistics poorly reflect living standards, with tanks and carriers valued as deterrence options rather than at cost; the repost notes a co-authored paper with Geloso in The Review of Austrian Economics 39(1): 19-50 (2026) extending that work. — via 1