Opinion

April 11, 2023 @ 10:37 am By JD Alois  |  

The IMF expects global economic growth to decline by 0.1 than previously anticipated generating 2.8% before rising to 3% in 2024. In 2022, economic growth stood at 3.4% and thus reflects the declining global economy. The expectations were shared as part of the IMF’s World… Read More

April 10, 2023 @ 10:40 am By JD Alois  |  

The demise of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) left a big hole in the early-stage/private firm ecosystem. SVB was a favorite bank of VCs and hence the companies they invested in.  The failure of SVBs has exacerbated the already challenging funding environment for private firms that… Read More

April 6, 2023 @ 7:56 pm By Gabriella Kusz  |  

For more than a decade, cryptocurrency has been referred to by some as a digital “Wild West.” Those who use that terminology refer to the lack of regulation that applies to the crypto space. They are also typically implying that wandering into the realm of… Read More

April 6, 2023 @ 6:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier today, the US Department of Treasury posted a report on DeFi entitled “2023 DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment.”  For the first time, Treasury addressed the concept of DeFi  – a sector of digital assets that engenders challenges for regulators. Treasury noted that DeFi is… Read More

April 6, 2023 @ 10:18 am By JD Alois  |  

The JOBS Act of 2012 was signed into law eleven years ago, on April 5, 2012. While it took some time for the various acts to become actionable – with Title III Reg CF not going into effect until 2016, the bipartisan act of legislation… Read More

April 3, 2023 @ 2:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Surging oil prices are likely to mean higher interest rates “for longer as the price rally adds to inflationary pressures,” warns the CEO of an independent financial advisory, asset management and fintech organization. The warning from deVere Group’s Nigel Green comes as the price of… Read More

March 30, 2023 @ 10:29 am By Amal Ahmed  |  

Industry players are on a mission to differentiate themselves, while merchants and consumers are demanding innovative ways to pay for what they buy.  A seamless payment experience is becoming more and more important to consumers and, therefore, merchants as e-commerce continues to be as competitive… Read More

March 29, 2023 @ 7:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SMEs are at the heart of our economy and financial institutions need to do more to help them. It has been found that they play a central role in financial inclusion, representing around 90% of businesses globally and more than 50% of employment worldwide, according… Read More

March 28, 2023 @ 9:49 am By JD Alois  |  

This past week, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission filed an enforcement action against Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ). The lawsuit comes as no surprise to industry followers as Binance is the largest crypto exchange globally and represents a fat target for regulators. The… Read More

March 27, 2023 @ 3:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto appears to have chosen an unlikely supporter in its ongoing struggle against oversight by the US Securities and Exchange Commission: an ex- Coinbase worker who was convicted of allegedly engaging in insider trading. This, according to a recent report by the WSJ. Ishan Wahi,… Read More

March 27, 2023 @ 3:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) management has recently stated that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH) don’t bring anything “useful” for society. This, despite the firm’s powerful processors selling in massive quantities to the nascent crypto industry. Michael Kagan, Nvidia’s CTO, noted that other popular uses of… Read More

March 26, 2023 @ 10:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Yoko Spirig, co-founder and CEO of Ledgy, recently shared her views on Tech Nation’s latest report (and last before it closes next month) which looks at how the nation and industry can “turn the U.K. tech sector into a $4 trillion industry.” The report states… Read More

March 24, 2023 @ 5:58 am By JD Alois  |  

Moody’s is out with a report on the banking crisis, lauding policymakers for their rapid response. At the same time, the research firm states that stress in the banking sector can spread to other sectors while outlining three different possible paths for contagion. The banking… Read More

March 23, 2023 @ 11:57 am By JD Alois  |  

The Wall Street Blockchain Alliance (WSBA) has published a set of “Crypto Industry Principles” that are described as “foundational statements of best practices” for the digital asset sector. WSBA is a non-profit advocacy group that supports the utilization of blockchain technology in financial markets. The… Read More

March 23, 2023 @ 10:14 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the only publicly traded digital asset exchange, Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), announced that it has received a Wells Notice from the SEC indicating there is a high possibility of an enforcement action. Coinbase criticized the move by the SEC, stating that it has attempted to engage with the… Read More

March 23, 2023 @ 10:03 am By JD Alois  |  

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has increased its Bank Rate by 25 basis points, echoing the move by the US Federal Reserve, which did the same yesterday. Unlike the Fed, the vote was not unanimous in a 7-2 majority decision. The MPC said… Read More

March 22, 2023 @ 4:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

As widely predicted by market followers, the US Federal Reserve increased benchmark rates by 25 basis points. Not too long ago, prognosticators were vacillating on whether the March meeting would increase rates by 50 bps or 25 bps. The recent bank crises caused the financial… Read More

March 22, 2023 @ 11:52 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK delivered some unwanted news today as inflation delivered a number that was hotter than anticipated – bucking a recent downward trend. The UK Office of National Statistics reported that the consumer price index (CPI) increased by an annual 10.4%. This was above expectations… Read More

March 21, 2023 @ 6:27 pm By Omar Makkawy  |  

Currency devaluations and inflation erode investment returns, reducing a company’s valuation and the value of its total addressable market (TAM). However, several sectors have demonstrated resilience in such conditions and can actually generate substantial shareholder value in difficult economic times. A major example is Egypt… Read More

March 21, 2023 @ 3:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

While US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen claims the situation is stabilizing – not everyone in the banking sector is as certain.  Typically considered a mundane sector of finance and investing, US banks have tanked as everyone became aware of problematic balance sheets. While… Read More