Strategy

December 6, 2023 @ 10:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

More than half (62%) of financial advisors currently allocate between 6% and 25% of clients’ portfolios to alternative asset classes, with (85%) of them expecting “to increase allocations to one or more alternative asset classes further within the next year,” according to a recent independent… Read More

December 4, 2023 @ 10:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

This past week saw several notable developments in the digital assets and blockchain space. As widely reported, the US Securities and Exchange (SEC) is seeking feedback on proposed bitcoin ETFs by Franklin Templeton and Hashdex. In other key updates, Interactive Brokers has now launched retail… Read More

December 4, 2023 @ 8:55 am By JD Alois  |  

Bitcoin has experienced a resurgence in interest in anticipation of a possible Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) approval as multiple firms are poised to move quickly and offer a spot ETF if approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). While the SEC has long battled… Read More

December 3, 2023 @ 3:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Zillow (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) predicts in a new real estate market report that more homes for sale will lead to improved affordability in 2024 According to Zillow, home buying / real estate will “remain expensive, so expect a competitive market for homes that need… Read More

December 3, 2023 @ 3:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Most of the investor interest in cryptocurrencies has historically been “concentrated in the digital tokens,” according to an update shared by Anthony Pompliano, an entrepreneur focused on Bitcoin, business, finance, and technology. According to the update, retail investors were “first to the party, followed by… Read More

December 2, 2023 @ 3:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Dollar cost averaging (DCA) has become a key strategy for investors navigating the “unpredictable realms” of digital assets, according to an update shared by Coin Metrics. Coin Metrics explains that this approach “involves regularly investing a fixed amount, regardless of the current market cycle—a simple… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:23 am By Omar Faridi  |  

HMRC recently announced the latest Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts. (HMRC tax receipts and National Insurance contributions for the UK (monthly bulletin) – GOV.UK.) For April 2023 to October 2023 these “are £4.6 billion, which is £0.5 billion higher than the same period last year.” This… Read More

November 24, 2023 @ 8:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Rental concessions—offers meant to entice tenants, such “as free months of rent or free parking—are at their highest level in more than two years despite strong renter demand,” Zillow‘s (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) data shows. That’s because property managers are now “likely competing for tenants,… Read More

November 16, 2023 @ 6:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Manulife Investment Management has signed an agreement to acquire multi-sector alternative credit manager CQS. Upon completion of the transaction, Manulife Investment Management will “acquire the CQS credit platform and the CQS brand.” The acquisition of London-based CQS will “give the clients of both Manulife Investment… Read More

November 13, 2023 @ 10:17 am By JD Alois  |  

Securities issuances are predicted to rebound in 2024 – even while interest rates remain elevated due to the ongoing battle by the US Federal Reserve to crush sticky inflation. This is according to a report from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The report states that global… Read More

November 11, 2023 @ 9:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bakkt Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BKKT) announced today its planned expansion of crypto capabilities into numerous international markets “with both existing and newly-signed clients by year end.” Latin America: Bakkt and long-standing client Hapi, a stock trading platform, recently furthered their Latin American crypto trading capabilities,… Read More

November 9, 2023 @ 10:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) announced that it has agreed to acquire Corvus Insurance Holdings, Inc. for approximately $435 million. Founded in 2017, Corvus is an industry-leading cyber insurance managing general underwriter, “powered by proprietary technology.” Alan Schnitzer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of… Read More

November 8, 2023 @ 5:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Primer, the unified infrastructure for global payments and commerce, has secured investment from the internet company Tencent. Primer claims that it has experienced rapid growth “across Europe, Asia Pacific and the US markets including significant customer wins across retail, fashion, travel and mobility industries with… Read More

October 31, 2023 @ 12:41 pm By JD Alois  |  

As part of a broader warning, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) has cautioned investors to only buy digital assets, or crypto, via registered crypto trading platforms or “CTPs”. Canada has instituted a registration regime for crypto exchanges to provide a level of diligence and security… Read More

October 31, 2023 @ 12:07 pm By Hunter Threet  |  

Venture capital markets showed signs of improvement in the second quarter of 2023. According to Carta, early-stage companies using its platform raised $15.4 billion in funding during the second quarter of 2023, which was up 26 percent from the first quarter. Despite these recent improvements,… Read More

October 31, 2023 @ 10:19 am By Omar Faridi  |  

James Butterfill from CoinShares notes that rising optimism has “prompted largest inflows for 1 & ½ years at $326 million.” The team at CoinShares notes in their weekly update that digital asset investment products reportedly “saw inflows of US$326m, the largest single week of inflows… Read More

October 29, 2023 @ 10:53 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Injective, the blockchain built for finance, published its DeFi Trader Survey 2023. The research draws from various cryptocurrency trading communities, “aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of how professionals and amateurs approach cryptocurrency trading, their motivations, and valuable lessons for the wider trading community.” Most… Read More

October 26, 2023 @ 10:27 am By JD Alois  |  

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Investment Enterprise Scheme (SEIS) provide materially important tax benefits for investors in early-stage firms in the UK. Designed to encourage the support of entrepreneurs and younger firms, EIS and SEIS mitigate risk for investors while possibly generating tax-free… Read More

October 23, 2023 @ 9:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bitcoin has increased by over 18% today, now trading at over $33,000. Just yesterday, Bitcoin was trading under $30,000. Bitcoin has always been a volatile digital asset that gyrated quickly in price – sometimes without an apparent catalyst. The most popular crypto in the world… Read More

October 23, 2023 @ 8:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ubank’s CEO Philippa Watson and Head of Product for Everyday Banking, Andy Wright recently shared key insights at the 10th annual Australian FinTech Summit. In a discussion during the 10th annual FinTech Summit, ubank’s CEO Philippa Watson shed light on how ubank is “redefining customer… Read More