A compendium of counternarratives
Because that’s what the Blind Spot was made for. Today we assess the emerging anti ‘energy lockdown’ narrative and the Trumpian market manipulation grift that may just be a cover for dual-use finance.
Meet Qivalis: The bank-led effort to internationalise the euro with stablecoins
Policymakers are beginning to recognise the importance of homegrown private-sector initiatives in countering dollar-backed stablecoins.
LONG READ: Steelmanning Trump’s war strategy (as an intellectual exercise)
In an information war that’s gone kinetic, the first casualty is still the truth.
Did you hear the one about China’s ‘M&A Guidance Fund’?
Of course not. All attention has been on Iran. But it’s important, because it’s a mirror of the West’s private credit crisis.
Banks should probably stop trying to mint their own stablecoins
Under the OCC’s proposed framework it might make more sense to enter into issuer-parnterships.
Bank of England signals flexibility on stablecoin rules as consultation continues
BoE’s Breeden says the Bank’s shift from 100 percent to a 60/40 percentage split on remunerated holdings shows it is listening to industry.
Circle is turning into a repo machine
The stablecoin issuer’s latest filings show that roughly 54 percent of all depositor cash in Circle’s Reserve Fund is invested in repo.
Poland’s epic gold-buying spree may have had a secret wartime agenda all along
After the president unveiled a rival rearmament plan to be financed by the central bank that amassed the bullion, speculation is growing that Poland’s vast gold reserves could play a pivotal role.
The Blind Spot classified-tech-themed Tête-à-Tête with Nick Cook
With Donald Trump both ready to disclose a raft of UFO files and threatening to embargo Spain (an outcome nobody had on their geopolitical bingo card for 2026), we felt there could be no more appropriate moment to convene once again for a fine-dining experience built around Spanish culinary consumption, while discussing defense technology, classified […]
Lebanon’s shift hints at long-rumoured, secret de-radicalisation deal in the Middle East
A striking sentiment is emerging on the ground in Lebanon: 20 years of regional political stagnation may have shifted within a few weeks. And it may speak to a greater transformation. One that is secretly reshaping the entire Middle East. I’ve been obsessed with this theory since I first heard of it last year, from […]