Unnecessary Evil: How Government Regulations Kill Crypto Startups and Encourage Crime

Thanks to the EU’s most recent money laundering directive, a small business called Post-a-coin, which sold cute postcards pre-loaded with tiny amounts of bitcoin, is being forced to shut down. Meanwhile, the most heinous criminals in history are continuing to facilitate violence, trafficking and laundering of cash with impunity. Also Read: Why the Counter Economy … Read more

IIF Report Predicts Global Debt Will Reach New All-Time High of $257T in 2020

Global debt records were broken in 2019, but that likely won’t be the end of such ominous economic milestones, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) predicts. The number could reach $257 trillion sometime in Q1 2020, according to a recent report by the group. Economies worldwide are struggling to address pressing issues such as stimulation … Read more

US and European Regulators Say Crypto a Priority This Year

Several regulators in the U.S. and Europe have made cryptocurrency among their top priorities this year. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s compliance office and the European Securities and Markets Authority, in collaboration with other regulators, have outlined their plans to focus on crypto oversight. Further, China’s central bank has made digital currency a priority. Also … Read more

ECB Wants Active Role in Crypto, Will Not Deter Private Solutions

The European Central Bank (ECB) wants to play an active role in the field of digital currency, said President Christine Lagarde. As the bank works on its own digital currency and an instant payment system, Lagarde emphasizes that “central bank initiatives should neither discourage nor crowd out private market-led solutions for fast and efficient retail … Read more

China Takes Another Step Away From USD Hegemony

The China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS) announced that effective January 1, 2020, the system “will adjust weights for CFETS RMB Index,” decreasing the weighting of the USD for the second time in the currency basket’s history from 22.40% to 21.59%, and increasing the Euro from 16.34% to 17.40%. The change could signal further disassociation … Read more