In the Blind Spot (Technocratic coups)
SNEAK PEEK — Is a coalition of tech bros and industrialists planning to rescue America in the event all hell breaks loose after the November 5 U.S. election? — Rumors of the dollar’s demise are greatly exaggerated because alternatives are still too expensive and require even more pre-paid capital. — China’s economic model faces […]
Britain’s art-loving elite fumes at money laundering crackdown (POLITICO)
By Eleanor Myers · Oct 23, 2024 LONDON — At London’s annual Frieze art fair, attendees trickle into a fake sauna. Inside, a screen shows a person dressed as a pink alien in fuchsia lingerie, gyrating in an abandoned swimming pool. Thumping techno accompanies the spectacle. An employee speaks over the deep bass to lament […]
Digital euro sparks sovereignty battle between EU governments and ECB (POLITICO)
By Giovanna Faggionato, Ben Munster · Oct 24, 2024, BRUSSELS — A battle is brewing between Europe’s most powerful nations and the European Central Bank (ECB) over control of a new monetary tool that both sides fear could destabilize the continent’s banking system if mismanaged. At the heart of the conflict lies the digital euro […]
In the Blind Spot (In defense of forward deployed engineers)
SNEAK PEEK — Is spytech contractor Palantir miscast as the source of all evil? As the company takes control of the U.K MoD’s contracting review, Izzy considers the counter-narrative. — U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ National Wealth Fund announcement invited more questions than answers. We look at what we know for sure. — There’s a […]
In the Blind Spot (The West’s regulatory chainsaw massacre)
SNEAK PEEK — Regulators finally catch on to the liquidity vulnerabilities associated with intraday liquidity mismatches brought on by instant payments and mobile apps. — Why the West’s incoming red-tape “chainsaw massacre” risks creating a two-tier capital market. — Dario argues that by giving back the Chagos islands, the British risk opening up a destabilizing […]
In the Blind Spot (Why the internet might never be the same again)
SNEAK PEEK — Authoritarian states are using a UN process to extinguish the internet’s borderless and free nature by transforming it at the root level into a fragmented patchwork of centrally governed protocols. — An upcoming HBO documentary claims to know Satoshi’s identity, and Izzy knows who it is. — Dario argues that […]
In the Blind Spot (The proliferation of dual-use corporations)
SNEAK PEEK — There’s been a Cambrian explosion of high-signal news the past month, and Izzy wonders if it has something to do with AI helping everyone join the dots. — What if most of the private sector is actually dual use? Izzy considers the impact on valuations if the purple economy — aka […]
Quickfire blind spots (We’re starting a new type of update!)
SUBSCRIBER UPDATE Good morning subscribers! We had a few technical issues with the send-out of our newsletter again this week. If you were expecting it and it didn’t land in your inbox, it was published on Sunday and is available here. To avoid these issues, we will shortly be moving to a new content […]
In the Blind Spot (The slow march of Western capital controls)
SNEAK PEEK — Izzy sprinkles a few insights gleaned from her Saudi-state-funded trip to Riyadh. — Are capital controls about to make a comeback? Evidence is mounting that the answer is yes. — Dario reports from Buenos Aires on how ordinary Argentines are handling Milei’s reforms. Good evening subscribers! Greetings from Riyadh. By the […]
In the Blind Spot (Mario Draghi’s great reformation)
SNEAK PEEK — NOT TO BE MISSED: Mario Draghi is set to reveal his big plan to save the EU from near-certain stagnation. Weirdly, almost nobody outside Brussels knows about it.— What the revelation that Russia is paying off influencers tells us about the murky world of independent media . — Dario catches you up […]