Checking in on blockchain hype, Blythe Masters edition
The Blind Spot gave evidence before the House of Commons science and technology committee on blockchain on Wednesday. There’s a good write-up of the whole thing here. Though one oversight of that piece is that it fails to mention Aaron Bell MP’s masterful insertion of the term “shitcoins” into the parliamentary record. “… forgive me, […]
US oil is approaching Mad Max mode
Cushing Oklahoma is where crude that settles under the CME’s West Texas Intermediate contract must be delivered. Whenever there is a big discrepancy between the price of WTI and Brent (the latter of which trades more internationally) there is often a big incentive to store US crude there. The tankage system at Cushing, however, has […]
In the Blind Spot (Blockchain, NATO, renminbi)
Economics, markets, finance etc… Spanish newspaper estimates the current rise in EURIBOR will make the average mortgage to rise by €1,200 annually. Credit Suisse was found guilty and fined for involvement in money laundering related to a Bulgarian drug gang. Switzerland’s criminal court found the bank didn’t do enough to prevent the Bulgarians from extracting […]
In the Blind Spot (Energy distress, Melilla, Rocky IV)
Economics, finance, markets: The BIS is definitely not on team transitory. G7 proposes price cap on Russian energy. “The gas cap would operate simply by European countries refusing to pay above an as-yet unspecified fixed price for Russian gas.” This is the most absurd idea I have seen yet from our side. One doesn’t have […]
Spot Markets Live Transcript: 27/06/22
Hi everyone! Today’s Spot Markets live session is with Marc Ostwald, Chief Economist and Global Strategist at ADM Investor Services International, previously of Monument Securities. Marc is a fixed income specialist, who conducts his consensus-challenging forecasting and analysis of macro and microeconomic trends and central bank policies on a broad range of asset classes. Comments […]
ALTIF transcripts: Lawfare latest – Banks vs Cadwalladr
Lawfare latest: Banks vs Cadwalladr A victory for public interest journalism, or a travesty of the law? We pick through the surprise judgment handed down in Brexit “bad boy” Aaron Banks’s libel case against investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr in the company of top media lawyer, Mark Stephens. Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins. With […]
Excerpt: The rise of counter-satellite-detection services
This is a free excerpt from our deep dive into the mass-market satellite industry, first published on June 19, 2022. Having reviewed who the main players in the field are and their business models, we delve into the unintended consequences of the mass market access they are advancing. The emergence of a counter-detection industry For […]
Rationist No. 3: The cycle of political revolution of Anacyclosis
This is the third in a series of essays by Tim Ferguson, founder of the Anacyclosis Institute, arguing in favour of Rationism, a middle-class-oriented political theory that advocates benchmarking the national economy against the national median household net worth. Izabella Kaminska has also described Rationism as Vitruvian Capitalism, based on its promotion of the values […]
In the Blind Spot (Swiss neutrality, inflation truthers, Czechia)
This edition of the Blind Spot Wrap was compiled by Izabella Kaminska (IK) and Dario Garcia Giner (DGG). Markets, finance, economics etc… Sri Lanka’s economy faces complete collapse. There is an inflation in the number of stories noting “politicians and central bankers” were complacent on inflation. Probably time to do a roll-call of the media […]
In the Blind Spot (Aircraft carriers, Rouble, Larry Fink )
This edition of the Blind Spot Wrap was compiled by Izabella Kaminska (IK) and Dario Garcia Giner (DGG). Markets, finance, economics etc… Russian rouble hits near 7-year high vs dollar as tax payments loom (chart courtesy of CNBC). Putin has been indulging in the schadenfreude. Here’s what he’s been saying in his domestic channels. The […]