Spot Markets Live Transcript: 20/06/22
Comments IK – I’ve decided to post today’s comments after all, but only as an example of what you will see when you are in the live chat. I have, however, obscured the identities with initials for privacy reasons. (Apart from Graham from Coodash.) They’re also in reverse chronological order. 12:08 Graham Halliday: Thanks for […]
Spotlight on mass-market satellite access
When a snapshot of a mirrored monolith was posted by state biologists conducting a survey on local bighorn sheep in November 2020, it ignited what would soon become one of the most intensive open-source pursuits for topological intelligence the world has ever seen. Within hours, thousands of amateur sleuths were dissecting the image (which was […]
Is the ECB’s anti-fragmentation tool a CBDC?
The most intriguing news that came out of the ECB’s ad hoc meeting on Wednesday was that the governing council had accelerated work on a new “anti-fragmentation instrument” to help it cope with diverging sovereign bond valuations as it moves into a tightening phase. The exact wording was this: In addition, the Governing Council decided […]
ALTIF transcripts: Twilight of the private equity gods
Twilight of the Private Equity Gods Private equity firms have amassed vast fortunes for their owners by snapping up companies in a rising stock market using ultra cheap debt. But what happens when values go down and interest rates rise? We talk to US investor and private equity sceptic Dan Rasmussen about the coming buyout Götterdämmerung. […]
Rationist No. 2: That mankind is programmed for political revolution
This is the second 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 […]
In the Blind Spot (Anti-fragmentation, NATO, crypto)
This edition of the Blind Spot Wrap was compiled by Izabella Kaminska (IK) and Dario Garcia Giner (DGG). Markets, finance, economics etc… The Fed decision was anything but a Volcker shock. Basel committee goes knee-deep into overseeing climate-related financial risk. The Tesla Hype Complex. What exactly is the ECB’s anti-fragmentation instrument? The Blind Spot will […]
What the Fed giveth, the Fed taketh away
The outcome of Wednesday’s FOMC decision could possibly end up being one of the most important in recent history. Thanks to some tactically positioned media guidance, the market is, as of Monday, expecting the Fed to go as far as a 75 basis points hike when It concludes its June FOMC meeting. The up-turn in […]
Coinbase as a pathway to “tradfi” crypto contagion
When Coinbase direct-listed on the Nasdaq on April 14, 2021, it did so with a valuation of $85.8bn. The listing came at what might retrospectively be considered the peak of crypto market exuberence and the height of the NFT craze. The nuts price tag at the time somewhat remarkably put the crypto trading platform ahead […]
Top Gun and the struggle to get enough 5G fighters
This is a guest post by “the Data Artist”, an author who hails from the fintech world and is a believer in beautiful rather than big data. The esteemed editor of The Blind Spot and I were both enthusiastic viewers of the Top Gun sequel, “Top Gun- Maverick”. But while I was keen to absorb […]
In the Blind Spot (Ghost guns, crypto, online groceries)
This edition of the Blind Spot Wrap was compiled by Izabella Kaminska (IK) and Dario Garcia Giner (DGG). Markets, finance, economics etc… As of Monday, everyone expects a 75 basis point hike by the Fed this Wednesday. Markets puked accordingly. Oh to remember the transitory inflation days. – IK The BIS differentiates cross-border financial centres […]