Owning Fiat Just Got More Expensive – NIRP Strikes Again

With the recent Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) announcement that even more customers will be charged to hold money in their banks, people are scrambling to find ways to preserve their wealth, while USB and others scramble to dam the losses resulting from national negative interest rate policy (NIRP). The relatively recent experiments with NIRP … Read more

Liquidity Difficulties in China: Second Bank Bail-Out Now Reality

Although it has its peculiarities, the Chinese banking sector now faces similar challenges to the west’s financial system. Dozens of small banks have been experiencing liquidity difficulties in the past few months. Observers believe the expanding problem has the potential to trigger a financial crisis that could grow into a new global meltdown. Chinese state-owned … Read more

Unbanked for Buying Bitcoin: How the Financial System Criminalizes Crypto

When we think of the unbanked, we envisage citizens of developing nations who lack the means and documentation to obtain access. But you don’t have to be a Mongolian goat herder to find yourself financially excluded. In the West, relatively affluent citizens are having their banking services withdrawn suddenly and without warning. Their ‘crime’? Buying … Read more

Money Laundering Fines Worth Billions Help Bankers Avoid Prosecution and Unpleasant Labels

The recent seizure of a cargo ship owned by JP Morgan, a vessel loaded with 20 tons of cocaine according to latest accounts, highlighted the risks of banks’ involvement in illicit activities, inadvertent or otherwise. And although U.S. authorities released the MSC Gayane after the owner, JP Morgan’s asset management arm, and the operator, Mediterranean … Read more

Money Laundering Scandals Bring Court Charges and Record Job Cuts to Euro Banks

The international financial establishment is known to express concern about the risks of money laundering when the crypto space is mentioned. A string of scandals indicates, however, that traditional banks are not only susceptible to the phenomenon but sometimes complicit, whether knowingly or inadvertently. New chapters have been added to the saga over the last … Read more

Tel Aviv Court Rules Bank Can’t Close Crypto Miner’s Account

A court in Israel has once again ruled against a local bank which tried to close the account of a cryptocurrency related business without any due cause. This time a Tel Aviv court has determined that a bank can’t refuse to operate an account on behalf of a crypto miner. Also Read: Tel Aviv Court … Read more

Wyoming Senate Passes Bill Recognizing Cryptocurrency as Money

The Senate of the U.S. state of Wyoming has passed a bill which defines cryptocurrency as property and establishes rules including for allowing banks to provide crypto custodial services. For secured transactions, however, the bill recognizes cryptocurrency as money subject to some of the same rules as money in the state. Also read: Indian Supreme Court Moves … Read more