The Commoner
Something Is Breaking Behind the Scenes
The Bitcoin fear and greed index hit 9. Blue Owl Capital permanently froze investor redemptions. The Fed flagged private credit vulnerabilities. Something is breaking beneath the s…
8 min read
TFTC / Marty Bent
The Commoner
Truth for the Commoner, every weekday. Money, machines, and the people trying to control both.
Independent writing by Marty Bent at TFTC since 2017. Commentary on money, markets, AI, energy and privacy.
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1,478 posts
The Commoner
The AI Surveillance Machine Hidden Inside Your KYC Verification
Security researchers exposed 53MB of source code revealing how KYC provider Persona and OpenAI built a surveillance machine that screens millions with facial recognition and files…
8 min read
The Commoner
The AI Boom Just Broke the Global Supply Chain
The AI arms race broke the global semiconductor supply chain. SK Hynix and Samsung are sold out through 2026, Sony delayed the PS6, and hyperscalers are hoarding capacity — with ri…
5 min read
The Commoner
Individuals Are Selling Their Bitcoin at the Fastest Pace Ever
River's latest ownership data reveals a historic shift: individuals distributed 696,000 BTC in 2025 while businesses, funds, and governments absorbed supply at an unprecedented rat…
9 min read
The Commoner
US Banks Are Growing Loans Into Deteriorating Credit
Q4 2025 banking data: US banks expanding loans into deteriorating credit while changing modification rules to mask the damage. Plus AI tutoring, Simplicity on Bitcoin, Epstein file…
6 min read
The Commoner
Open Source the Books. $90 Billion in Fraud from 0.16% of Medicaid Providers.
The HHS DOGE team open-sourced the largest Medicaid claims dataset in history, covering 2018-2024. Within hours, one analyst scanning just 0.16% of providers uncovered $90 billion…
4 min read
The Commoner
2.4% CPI, Fear at 9, and the Biggest Capitulation Since 2021
CPI drops to 2.4% — below consensus. Fear & Greed hits 9. Goldman triples their Bitcoin ETF bet to $1.1B. And the biggest capitulation signal since 2021 is flashing.
5 min read
The Commoner
Paper Bitcoin Is Back and the First Body Just Floated to the Surface
The time to set up bitcoin self custody is now.
7 min read
The Commoner
Bitcoin Hashrate Will Fall During the Winter Storm
Make sure your long johns are clean.
6 min read
The Commoner
Taxation Is A Humiliation Ritual
You're mad as hell. Are you going to do anything about it?
8 min read
The Commoner
The National Security Strategy of the United States: Exactly What You Love to See
Take the time to read this.
8 min read
The Commoner
Lessons from James J Hill
Avoid the temptation to take the government handouts.
4 min read
The Commoner
Non-Custodial Bitcoin Wallet Developers Under Attack: Free Samourai
The state hates you.
7 min read
