Monetary Matters with Jack Farley

Harley Bassman, managing partner at Simplify Asset Management and widely known as the “Convexity Maven,” joins Monetary Matters to break down the hidden risks shaping today’s markets. He explains why inflation is likely to remain structurally higher, why massive fiscal deficits matter more than Fed policy, and how passive flows continue to support equities despite growing cracks underneath. The conversation dives deep into bonds, mortgage-backed securities, credit risk, gold as an alternative currency, and why convexity is the key concept investors consistently underestimate. Bassman also outlines practical portfolio hedges designed to perform when markets move to extremes, offering a rare, long-horizon framework for navigating uncertainty in 2026 and beyond. Read Harley’s 2026 Stocking Stuffers here: https://www.convexitymaven.com Follow Harley Bassman on Twitter: https://x.com/ConvexityMaven Follow Jack Farley on Twitter: https://x.com/JackFarley96 Follow Max Wiethe on Twitter: https://x.com/maxwiethe Follow Monetary Matters on: Apple Podcast https://rb.gy/s5qfyh Spotify https://rb.gy/x56dx5 YouTube https://rb.gy/dpwxez Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Financial Crises and Convexity 00:30 Meet the Convexity Maven: Harley Bassman 01:08 Macro View: Inflation and Economic Drivers 01:48 Demographics and Spending Trends 03:24 Immigration and GDP Growth 04:21 Fiscal Policy and Inflation 05:36 Bond Market Predictions 13:27 Equity Markets and Passive Flows 17:31 Mortgage-Backed Securities: A Safe Bet? 23:51 Leveraged Trades and Interest Rate Hedges 32:09 Comparing Long Duration Investments 33:50 Understanding Positive Carry in Options 40:36 Private Credit and High Quality BDCs 48:48 Investing in Big Oil and MLPs 55:03 Gold as an Alternative Currency 01:00:12 Portfolio Construction and Sizing 01:01:50 Conclusion and Future Episodes

Monetary Matters can get 25% off Citrini Bundle (Citrindex AND Citrini Research) here through January 14: https://www.citriniresearch.com/subscribe?coupon=398e4269 The investor known only as Citrini returns to share his thematic watchlist for the new year, aka “26 Trades for 2026.” The conversation pivots from the hardware-focused "phase one" of the AI trade toward "phase two," which focuses on companies utilizing AI to streamline bloated bureaucracies and increase margins. Citrini details his high-conviction "AI Bureaucracy Alpha" framework, identifying firms that could significantly reduce headcounts and improve profitability through automation. Beyond labor, the interview explores critical bottlenecks in the supply chain, specifically highlighting the importance of advanced packaging and custom silicon. They also dive into commodities like natural gas and copper, analyzing how AI data center demand is creating a potential supply squeeze. Finally, Citrini discusses his "Post-Traumatic Supply Disorder" theory, identifying cyclical sectors that are currently showing extreme capital discipline after years of trauma. Recorded December 24, 2025. Pieces Discussed:“26 Trades for 2026: A Thematic Watchlist for the New Year”: https://www.citriniresearch.com/p/26-trades-for-2026 “Carving Up the TPU: Leftovers for Jensen or Just Gravy on the AI Trade?”: https://www.citriniresearch.com/p/carving-up-the-tpu “Robotics Update: Revealing Teradyne’s Vulcan Contract Win, Citrini’s China Supply Chain Tour, and Robotics Basket Winners”: https://www.citriniresearch.com/p/robotics-update Follow Citrini on Twitter https://x.com/Citrini7 Follow Jack Farley on Twitter https://x.com/JackFarley96 Follow Monetary Matters on: Apple Podcast https://rb.gy/s5qfyh Spotify https://rb.gy/x56dx5 YouTube https://rb.gy/dpwxez

In this episode of Other People’s Money, Matt Ober, General Partner at Social Leverage, discusses how the data economy is evolving for providers, vendors, and investors. He explains how AI is reshaping data business models, highlights emerging data sources in what he calls the “degenerate economy,” and argues that many alternative data sets once considered sources of alpha are rapidly becoming commoditized beta. Matt also shares how Social Leverage uses data to make seed stage venture investments, how its approach differs from that of mega VC firms, and where the firm is currently focused. He reflects on his career path from quantitative hedge funds to venture capital and how the expanding role of data shaped his trajectory in the investment business. Before joining Social Leverage, Matt was Chief Data Scientist at Third Point, where he built the firm’s data analytics and technology platform supporting investments across equities, structured credit, venture capital, and cryptocurrency. Earlier, he was Head of Data Strategy at WorldQuant and a founding member of WorldQuant Ventures, focused on private investments in fintech, data, and technology. Sign up for Matt’s newsletter The Rollup: https://www.mattober.co/ Follow Matt on X: https://x.com/obermattj Follow Max on X: https://x.com/maxwiethe Follow Other People’s Money on: Apple Podcast https://bit.ly/4e7QJ1M Spotify https://bit.ly/3Yhaazi YouTube https://bit.ly/3C63VXR X https://x.com/opmpod Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:21 The Business of Data 03:28 Data Pricing and AI Impact 04:36 Challenges for Data Companies 07:31 Emerging Data Sets and Buyers 14:25 Social Leverage's Investment Strategy 17:07 Venture Capital Market Dynamics 21:22 Fund of Funds and Network Value 22:40 Insights on Software and AI 25:54 Beehive vs. Substack 29:46 Hedge Fund Journey and Data Evolution 31:41 The Data-Driven Investment Strategy 32:05 Scaling Up: From Millions to Billions 32:24 Global Data Acquisition 32:49 Building a Data-Driven Ecosystem 33:06 Transition to Third Point 33:43 Integrating Data with Investment Processes 34:34 Challenges and Politics in Hedge Funds 35:49 Evaluating Data Sets and Their Impact 37:43 The Evolution of Data in Investment 38:49 The Role of Data in Hedge Fund Success 43:10 From Hedge Funds to Venture Capital 52:08 The Future of Wealth Management 55:00 The Rise of Prediction Markets 59:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Today's episode is brought to you by Teucrium. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/4gfI0fe Jack welcomes Maria Vassalou, head of the Pictet Research Institute, to discuss global demographic decline and how technological revolution is imperative to prevent economic stagnation. They talk about why aging populations in countries like China, Japan, and Italy pose a fundamental threat to traditional economic growth as dependency ratios are projected to exceed 50%. Maria argues that while these trends seem "gloomy" in isolation, the rise of robotics and AI provides a critical remedy by substituting for scarce labor and significantly boosting productivity. The episode concludes with a look at the "winners" and "losers" of this shift, identifying housing, healthcare, and food as resilient sectors, while cautioning that countries must invest heavily in technology now to avoid long-term GDP flatlining/decline. Recorded December 12, 2025.  “Demographics and Technology” Paper (by Maria Vassalou PhD & Pictet Research Institute): https://www.pictet.com/us/en/about/pictet-research-institute/publications-and-press/demographics-and-technology More info about Pictet Research Institute: https://www.pictet.com/us/en/about/pictet-research-institute/publications-and-press/FT-coverage-30oct2025 Follow Maria Vassalou on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/maria-vassalou-ph-d-2b771511 Follow Teucrium on Twitter https://x.com/TeucriumETFs Follow Jack Farley on Twitter https://x.com/JackFarley96 Follow Monetary Matters on: Apple Podcast https://rb.gy/s5qfyh Spotify https://rb.gy/x56dx5 YouTube https://rb.gy/dpwxez

Today's episode is brought to you by Teucrium. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/4gfI0fe   Jay Shambaugh, former Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, joins Jack to discuss U.S. economic relations, China, and more. He draws on his years of expertise to deliver important insights into how America has realigned itself in the world economic order in the second Trump administration. Recorded on December 17th, 2025.   Follow Teucrium on Twitter https://x.com/TeucriumETFs Follow Jay Shambaugh on Twitter https://x.com/jaycshambaugh Follow Jack Farley on Twitter https://x.com/jackfarley96   Follow Monetary Matters on: Apple Podcasts https://rb.gy/s5qfyh Spotify https://rb.gy/x56dx5 YouTube https://rb.gy/dpwxez