Could digital currencies put banks out of business?

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have been billed as a major disruptor to finance. But digital currencies issued by governments might be even more radical—they may even threaten the future of traditional banking.

Project Polaris: Offline payments with CBDC

As part of Project Polaris, the BIS Innovation Hub Nordic Centre has published a comprehensive handbook exploring key aspects of how central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) could work for offline payments. 

Read the report at https://www.bis.org/publ/othp64.htm

Is The Banking Crisis Finally Over?

A look at the takeover of First Republic Bank by the FDIC and its subsequent sale to JP Morgan. 

We explore the impact of this crisis on other regional banks such as PacWest and Western Alliance, and discuss whether or not the banking crisis is finally over, as JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon claims.

Carl Icahn Comes Under Fire!

Legendary corporate raider and activist Carl Icahn found himself on the wrong side of a familiar battle this week when the short selling investment firm Hindenburg Research took aim at Icahn’s publicly traded holding company, alleging in a new report that Icahn Enterprises L.P. (IEP) is overstating the value of its private asset portfolio, and that its publicly traded stock units–85% of which Icahn owns–are “significantly overvalued.” Icahn’s fortune fell over 35%, from $18.3 billion on Monday afternoon to $12 billion as of Tuesday’s market close. 

Icahn Enterprises units tumbled 20% on Tuesday, shaving $3 billion in market value off Icahn’s fortune. Forbes then trimmed Icahn’s estimated net worth by another $3.6 billion, after it was revealed that Icahn had pledged over half of his IEP shares as collateral against unknown personal debts. 

Hindenburg is a short selling activist hedge fund run by Nate Anderson who is most famous for having released a video of Nikola’s electric truck prototype being towed up a hill in order to be pushed down to make a promotional video showing that the technology was fully operational. He claims that Icahn Enterprises has a Ponzi-like economic structure.

Why First Republic Bank Was Seized and Sold to JPMorgan Chase

First Republic Bank was seized by the FDIC early Monday and a deal was struck to sell the bulk of its operations to JPMorgan Chase, a move that regulators hope will stabilize the industry and cut down on customer panic. This comes after First Republic lost $100 billion in deposits following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

The Billion Dollar Scam

From the BBC World Service. Investigative reporter Simona Weinglass leads a #BBCEye investigation into a criminal network, believed to have scammed more than a billion dollars from victims across the globe. The organisation sponsored a top-tier football club to promote its online trading platform, promising investors the chance of astonishing returns. But what lies behind the claims? The search – from a mansion in London, to a forest in Scandinavia and a call centre in Georgia – reveals a web of deceit. We hear from victims, undercover agents and police, in a bid to track down who’s in charge.

Bonds, Explained Through SVB’s Collapse

Buying U.S. government bonds is among the safest investments you can make. In fact, people often put their college funds and retirement savings into bonds. In the midst of recession fears, bonds are often referred to as “risk-free” because there are only two ways you can lose money: 

• The government defaults, which is almost certainly not going to happen, or 
• You sell the bonds early at a loss, which contributed to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank 

This might make you wonder how safe bonds really are, so WSJ explains why they’re still a good investment.