Option.Finance

Whom to trust with money in the digital age?

To this gentlemen, the case is clear. We 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 in trustless blockchains, but in him and the institutions he represents, the centralbanks:

"Some say that in the future, money and finance will be provided by just a few big tech corporations. Others dream of a decentralised system in which blockchains and algorithms replace people and institutions. And maybe, all of this will take place in the Metaverse. [...]

The soul of money belongs neither to a big tech nor to an anonymous ledger. The soul of money is trust. So the question becomes: which institution is best placed to generate trust? I will argue that central banks have been and continue to be the institutions best placed to provide trust in the digital age. This is also the best way to ensure an efficient and inclusive financial system to the benefit of all."

The same slow, painful decline that gutted the print media after readers and advertisers moved online and publishers lost their sway over them may be waiting in the wings for banking, too.

Banking Could Go the Way of News Publishing Tech giants pose a far bigger challenge to brick-and-mortar lenders than fintech startups that don’t have the scale of platform businesses.

“Secondly, there is a playbook for how to build and scale SaaS companies, such as which marketing and sales profiles to hire at what commercial maturity level. In SaaS — especially if you are a second time founder — you can control the go-to-market a lot more than what you can do in consumer,” she adds.

Why do VC investors love SaaS startups so much? | Sifted Investors can’t get enough of subscription-based online software. But what is it about SaaS startups that they like so much?

Income Tax was introduced in the UK in 1799 by Prime Minister William Pitt as a temporary measure to fund the war against Napoleon. It still survives 222 years later, and although it was introduced at only two-and-a-half percent, it now features a top UK rate of 45 percent. Bismarck introduced a tax on champagne to fund the construction of Germany’s Grand Sea Fleet. The remains of that fleet now decay on the ocean’s floor, but Germany still taxes champagne. It is a good working rule of thumb that taxes brought in for a specific purpose will eventually be used to fund the general expenses of government. Milton Friedman once said that “nothing is more permanent than a temporary government program.” It is fair that the state is appropriating more power in this corona crisis at the expense of individual freedom, however history shows that such temporary measures quickly become permanent. Do not fear. Friedman was a visionary and produced for us the beautiful and educative documentary Free to Choose https://lnkd.in/d6cqffc already in in 1980! about the workings, fairness and justice of a liberal society and economy. Old but timelessly solid and offers a good roadmap for rebuilding our post-corona society. Enjoy watching and keep your notebook close https://lnkd.in/dfxFjVU

You say Bitcoin is dead 💀 I say your dirty cash 💵 is spreading COVID-19 🐀 poison ☠️

Within 24 hours the insanity was over, oil cost money again, and it was tempting to see what happened as a blip. But WTI futures, in which buyers and sellers agree on a price to trade at some upcoming date, sit at the heart of the $3 trillion-a-year oil and gas industry. WTI is one of the main components that determines the global price of oil—whether that oil is being sold by a Middle Eastern kingdom or a fracking conglomerate in Alberta. It affects what airlines pay for jet fuel and what manufacturers pay for petroleum-based chemicals.

Beyond the physical commodity itself, billions of dollars’ worth of financial products are also pegged to WTI in a specific and idiosyncratic way. Their value is determined by the WTI price at 2:30 p.m. four working days before the 25th of every month. That crucial “settlement” for the May WTI contract was on April 20.

The Essex Boys: How Nine Traders Hit a Gusher With Negative Oil Over the course of a few hours on April 20, a guy called Cuddles and eight of his pals from the freewheeling world of London’s commodities markets rode oil’s crash to a $660 million profit.