Deutsche Bank: ‘End of Fiat Money’ May Be Near

Deutsche Bank:
‘End of Fiat Money’ May Be Near

A top Deutsche Bank strategist speculates

that we may be looking at the “start of the end of fiat money”. Bitcoin was originally developed as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that would free its users from the bondage of state-controlled currency and the erosion of wealth due to inflation. Despite its phenomenal growth, most mainstream financial analysts remain skeptical that it will ever achieve mainstream adoption – at least as a currency used for everyday transactions.

However, as Business Insider reports, Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid envisions that the current fiat monetary system could begin to collapse within the next decade, creating a climate that would encourage the rise of an alternative currency system.

Reid made this shocking claim in a recently-released research paper, and he argues that the current fiat monetary system – which began in 1971 when U.S. President Richard Nixon decoupled the dollar from gold — is “inherently unstable and prone to high inflation”. The corrosive effects of inflation have largely been masked in major economic markets, primarily due to the meteoric growth of China’s economy and the global working-age population. He says that these factors created a situation in which central banks could control inflation externally and prevent wages from

increasing too rapidly.

“It’s not usually this easy as inflation would have normally increased with such stimulus and credit creation,” Reid writes. In fact, “it could be argued that this external disinflation shock has perhaps ‘saved’ fiat currencies.”

demographic and developmental cycle slows or reverses, it “could spell problems for the fiat currency system,” he continues, “which could herald in the beginning of the end of the global fiat currency system”.

Opportunity for Alternative Currencies

Reid anticipates that central banks may seriously consider a shift to a commodity-backed monetary system within the next decade, vindicating the gold bugs who have been marginalized and ridiculed by mainstream financiers. However, the economy looks quite different than it did in 1971, and many bitcoin advocates believe that the emergence of the digital age necessitates a digital currency. Acknowledging this, Reid says it is possible that cryptocurrency or another alternative medium of exchange could eventually supplant paper money, although he stops far short of predicting that this new system will be based on bitcoin.

“Although the current speculative interest in cryptocurrencies is more to do with blockchain technology than a loss of faith in paper money, at some point there will likely be some median of exchange that becomes more universal and a competitor of paper money,” Reid concludes.

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BP, Shell lead plan for blockchain-based energy trading platform

BP, Shell lead plan for blockchain-based energy trading platform

 A consortium including energy companies BP and Royal Dutch Shell

will develop a blockchain-based digital platform for energy commodities trading expected to start by end-2018, the group said on Monday. The logo of BP is seen at a petrol station in Kloten, Switzerland October 3, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann. Other members of the consortium include Norwegian oil firm Statoil, trading houses Gunvor, Koch Supply & Trading, and Mercuria, and banks ABN Amro, ING and Societe Generale.

Blockchain technology, which first emerged as the architecture underpinning cryptocurrency bitcoin, uses a shared database that updates itself in real-time and can process and settle transactions in minutes using computer algorithms, with no need for third-party verification. Mercuria has been a vocal advocate of implementing blockchain technology to significantly cut costs in oil trading. “Ideally, it would help to eliminate any confusion over ownership of a cargo and potentially help to make managing risk more exact if there are accurate timestamps to each part of the trade,” said Edward Bell, commodities analyst at Dubai-based lender Emirates NBD PJSC.

Similar efforts for an energy trading platform have failed to take off, Bell said, but added this latest bid with backing from BP and Shell and the banks, “may have more success than if it were an independent party trying to convince oil and gas companies to make use of it.” The new venture is seeking regulatory approvals and would be run as an independent entity, the consortium said in a statement. “The platform aims to reduce administrative operational risks and costs of physical energy trading, and improve the reliability and efficiency of back-end trading operations…,” the statement said.

World needs new rules for powerful tech

Paddy Cosgrave, co-founder of Web Summit, attends an interview with Reuters in Lisbon, Portugal, whose annual Web Summit takes place in Lisbon this week, joins growing calls for tighter regulation of big technology firms especially after news that Russia may have manipulated the last U.S. election with political advertisements on Facebook. He said recent initiatives by European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager could bring big changes for big tech companies and help level the playing field in a sector which is having a profound impact on societies.

Vestager, who will speak at the Web Summit on Tuesday, has levied huge fines for unpaid taxes and unfair competition on big technology firms, including Apple, Google and Amazon in the past couple of years. “In economic terms these (companies) would appear to fall into a classic definition of monopolies,” Cosgrave told Reuters in an interview.  “And if she (Vestager) is successful she will probably set the standard for the rest of the world and will usher in a fundamental change in how the largest and most profitable companies in the history of the world are treated. This changes the playing field for all other companies.”

Cosgrave said that new technology had been assumed by many to be just positive, but it often “can be incredibly disruptive”. He said the need for new rules was similar to past technological shifts such as the invention of cars. “We had an operating system that, by and large with some modifications every decade, worked for the last 200 years,” Cosgrave said. “And then suddenly, you’d have to be naive or have your head buried in the sand, to not realize that the very fabric of our society, certainly western society, feels like it’s getting pulled and stretched in weird ways. I think we need … a new operating system.”

Web Summit has grown into one of the world’s largest technology conferences, from 400 participants when it started in Dublin in 2010, to 59,000 participants this week. It started as a venue for tech startups and includes investors, but also increasingly politicians and regulators. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to attend the Lisbon summit.

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ETF Firms File to Create Blockchain Investment Products

Two firms specializing in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) filed

with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to create blockchain-related vehicles this past week. Reality Shares Advisors, a subsidiary of Reality Shares ETFs, plans to work with Nasdaq Inc. to offer securities for different blockchain companies. Similarly, Amplify Trust ETF also filed for permission to invest and trade in blockchain startups. Neither company completed their prospectus applications, but they both indicated they would exclusively invest in different blockchain companies.

According to Reality Shares’ application:

“Blockchain technology may be used to support a vast array of business applications in many different industries and markets, and the extent of its versatility has not yet been fully explored. As a result, the Index may include equity securities of both operating and non-operating companies.”

Both companies noted that, due to the early-stage status of the technology, investing in it could prove risky, particularly since there is no regulation surrounding the space and some blockchain-based services may not turn a profit.

The two applications shared several common details, including the stipulation that only companies with market capitalizations greater than $200 million and a six-month daily trading average of at least $1 million would be considered for the fund. Neither prospectus is complete, and both companies included disclaimers stating that the details of their indices may change. The companies need to complete the forms, and the SEC has to rule on each application before either organization can begin offering securities to investors.

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How to Protect Yourself From the CryptoShuffle Trojan

How to Protect Yourself From the CryptoShuffle Trojan

Russian based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Labs has warned owners

of cryptocurrencies that their coins are not safe even in private wallets. A new trojan called CryptoShuffler is stealing coins right from under the noses of users by replacing wallet addresses on a user’s clipboard as they copy and paste wallet data for transfers. No wallet is safe because the trojan utilizes the clipboard function on computers. The trojan has already caused a substantial amount of damage in just a short time, though the cyber researchers believe the trojan has been working for perhaps a year or more.

Per Kaspersky:

“…cybercriminals have already managed to steal 23 Bitcoins, which is the equivalent of approximately $140,000 (as of the end of October). In addition, thousands of dollars of other cryptocurrencies such as Litecoin, Dash, Monero, Ethereum, Zcash and Dogecoin, have been accumulated.”

Protect yourself

The most basic way to protect yourself is to carefully compare the address you’ve inputted after copying. Carefully checking wallet addresses for every transaction should keep your funds safe. However, the trojan developers know that the normal process is simply to copy, paste and send, without carefully checking the address. For this reason, Kaspersky is warning users to take special precautions. Further, users are advised to utilize an antivirus and anti-malware system in order to detect and remove malicious programs. As the cryptocurrency world continues to grow, risks will continue to increase, and owners will need to be vigilant to protect their funds.

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Bjork’s Latest Album Available Only With Cryptocurrencies, Shows Adoption

Bjork’s Latest Album Available Only With Cryptocurrencies, Shows Adoption

Known for embracing all things edgy,

musician Bjork has announced that her latest album, Utopia, will be available for purchase only through cryptocurrencies. The artist will accept Bitcoin, Litecoin, DASH, and AudioCoin. Interestingly, the album cannot be purchased using normal fiat currencies. The move by the musician may seem like a marketing strategy of sorts to appear unique and to draw attention during a time when Bitcoin’s rise has brought cryptocurrencies into the mainstream. However,

according to Kevin Bacon of Blockpool:

"This really isn’t a marketing strategy with Björk. This is a decision to be a leader. In fact, it’s just the obvious thing to do for her. If I wasn’t involved in this project, I’d expect Björk to be a leader in this area, and for her team to be doing creative things with crypto.”

Virtuous Satoshi cycles

As adoption of cryptocurrencies increases, the price and number of transactions increase, causing greater price stability, and stability increases mainstream adoption. This process of adoption and stability has been referred to as a Satoshi cycle, and is the underlying driver for the increase in Bitcoin price. Bjork’s album offering is simply another step in the ladder of adoption and stability. As the cryptocurrency market continues to gain traction, prices follow the adoption curve and drive the adoption curve concurrently.

Chuck Reynolds

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Cryptocurrencies May Contribute to Financial Stability

Cryptocurrencies May Contribute to Financial Stability

Cryptocurrencies May Contribute to Financial Stability

Bitcoin is trending in Turkey, and the country’s central bank officials are starting to notice. This week President Murat Cetinkaya of the Central Bank of Turkey (CBRT) said the financial institution is monitoring bitcoin closely, and spoke optimistically about digital currencies.

Central Bank of Turkey President Says Cryptocurrencies Could Contribute to Financial Stability

Turkish Central Bank President: "Cryptocurrencies May Contribute to Financial Stability"According to local news outlets in Istanbul, the president of the Turkish central bank, the CBRT, said officials from the region are researching cryptocurrencies. Murat Cetinkaya explains that the CBRT has formed a research group consisting of digital asset market participants, Turkish government officials, and regulators. The country’s banking regulator has explained current financial law does not apply to bitcoin, but has cautioned Turkish citizens against using the currency. Now in a more positive light, president Cetinkaya says cryptocurrencies like bitcoin could “contribute to financial stability.”
 

President Erdogan and Turkey’s Failing Economic Policy Sparked Bitcoin Interest Last Year

The bitcoin economy in Turkey is growing according to many different sources. For instance, the country has a Turkish Lira-Bitcoin exchange, BTCTurk, and other infrastructure providers such as Payza, and Bitwala. Residents living near the Istanbul Ataturk Airport can also utilize the country’s bitcoin ATM as well. Additionally, according to Google Trends statistics, Turkey’s interest in bitcoin continues to rise every month.

Bitcoin demand in Turkey started gathering steam back in 2016 when the Turkish Lira had lost considerable purchasing power that year. At the time, president Erdogan tried to convince citizens to convert their foreign currencies back into the Lira.

Turkish Economist: “There Is Serious Bitcoin Research Happening in Turkey”

Now bitcoin is seeing a lot more traction, as just last month the Miavita Beytepe apartment complex in Ankara, Turkey announced it will be selling luxury apartments for bitcoin. In addition to a few cryptocurrency exchange options, over-the-counter activity on Turkey’s Localbitcoins platform has grown exponentially. Following the statements from president Cetinkaya revealing information on the CBRT’s cryptocurrency researchers, the economist, and director of IS Investment International Markets, Shant Manukyan, confirmed the bank’s current investigation, stating:

There is serious bitcoin research happening in Turkey.

Like the many other central banks worldwide, the CBRT is admitting that policymakers are heavily examining cryptocurrencies. Cetinkaya’s statements, revealing the bank’s crypto-research group and saying the technology may be able to provide financial stability, is a good sign for bitcoin proponents located in Turkey.

Author: Jamie Redman
 

Posted by David Ogden Entrepreneur
David Ogden Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur

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