Instagram is building non-SMS 2-factor auth to thwart SIM hackers
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TechCrunch, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Hackers can steal your phone number by reassigning it to a different SIM card, use it to reset your passwords, steal your Instagram and other accounts, and sell them for Bitcoin. As detailed in a harrowing Motherboard article today, Instagram accounts are especially vulnerable because the app only offers two-factor authentication through SMS that delivers […] |
Airbus and Boeing have racked up more than $55 billion in sales this week, and it's only Tuesday (BA)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
The Farnborough Airshow is the biennial midsummer meet-up of aviation's who's who. As a result, the trade show has also become the battleground where Airbus and Boeing hold dueling press conferences to announce sale after sale after sale. In less than 48 hours, Airbus and Boeing have reported an estimated $55 billion in orders and commitments at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow. The hottest sellers are the narrow-body jets led by the Airbus A320neo family and the Boeing 737MAX. Major Airbus deals include a commitment from an as-yet-unnamed leasing company for 80 A320neos worth $8.8 billion at list prices. It is customary for airlines and leasing companies to receive generous discounts when ordering in bulk. Another unnamed customer committed to 25 A321neos and 75 A320neos worth $11.5 billion at list prices.
The Boeing 737MAX is doing equally robust business with highlights including Air Lease Corporation's decision to buy and commit to 75 MAX 8 planes worth $8.8 billion. India's Jet Airways also ordered 75 737MAX 8 jets worth $8.8 billion, while Aviation Capital Group and Goshawk Aviation each ordered 20 Boeing 737MAX jets worth $2.3 billion per deal. Leasing firm Jackson Square Aviation ordered 30 Boeing 737MAX jets worth $3.5 billion. Brazilian airline Gol ordered 30 Boeing 737MAX 10s and 15 MAX 8 jets worth a combined $5.7 billion. The market for wide-body jets has been equally action-packed. India's Vistara announced it would order six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with an option for four additional aircraft. The total value of the deal is $2.8 billion at list prices. United Airlines bought four 787-9s worth $1.1 billion.
Boeing also managed to cut a few deals for freighters. Russia's Volga-Dnepr Group and UK-based Cargologic committed to acquiring 29 Boeing 777 freighters worth $9.8 billion. The duo also agreed to take on five Boeing 747-8 freighters worth $2 billion. All this action and we're only two days into the week-long show. Stay tuned for more. SEE ALSO: Take a closer look at the $300 million Airbus A330neo — Europe's answer to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content! Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: An early investor in Airbnb and Uber explains why he started buying bitcoin in 2009 |
And then there was the confirmation of an order for 60 Airbus A220-300 (nee Bombardier CS300) jets by JetBlue founder David Neeleman's upcoming airline startup. 
Taiwanese startup StarLux Airlines committed to five Airbus A350-900s and 12 A350-1000 jets worth a total of $6 billion. China's Sichuan Airlines confirmed its order for 10 A350-900s worth $3.2 billion. Cryptocurrency Market Booms – EOS, Cardano, Stellar and Neo Post Big Gains
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The cryptocurrency markets finally appear to be in full recovery mode — at least as of Tuesday afternoon when all the major coins posted considerable leaps with most in the double digits. The total market cap shot up to $291 billion, which is the highest it has been in almost two months. Bitcoin shot upwards The post Cryptocurrency Market Booms – EOS, Cardano, Stellar and Neo Post Big Gains appeared first on CCN |
Bitcoin passes $7K bringing all 100 top coins up with it
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TechCrunch, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Bitcoin is moving up, and it’s taking 99 of its best friends along for the ride. In the last 24 hours, every one of the top 100 coins by market cap was in the green with 84 of them posting gains of over 5 percent. At the time of writing, Bitcoin was sitting at $7,310, […] |
A throwaway comment from Goldman Sachs' CFO shows how automation is changing Wall Street (GS)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
One simple 31-word comment made by Goldman Sachs Chief Financial Officer Marty Chavez shows just how much technology is changing Wall Street. Remember also that for generations, investment banks have relied on the adage that firms are only as good as their assets and the assets walk out the door each evening. And so they rely on generous compensation packages to attract and retain the best talent. At Goldman, where the firm's money-minting trading business continues to search for an answer to a years-long slump, the firm is pushing into digital consumer banking. It's looking for ways to deliver more products and services to institutional clients. And it's entering businesses long dominated by larger commercial banks, such as credit card lending and cash management, under the theory that technology has suddenly put what may have once been unassailable market positions up for grabs. But machines don't work for free. And some or all of that will be offset by an increase in non-compensation costs, including technology spend. At Goldman, the change began under current CEO Lloyd Blankfein, and its expected to continue, if not speed up, under incoming CEO David Solomon. The new chief has been a big champion of the firm's digital consumer banking product, Marcus, and he pushed the investment banking division to think about ways to do more with technology. Chavez on the call today spoke to the bank's willingness to hear feedback and suggestions from the investment community. "For all of us at the firm, disclosure is a huge priority and we're open to any and all suggestions and recommendations from you, the analysts, from our investors and we're taking them onboard," he said. One of those new metrics is the efficiency ratio, which lumps compensation and non-compensation costs together and compares them to total revenue, to come up with a measure of how much it costs to produce one dollar of revenue. It's a metric that's been long used by commercial banking competitors and one that Goldman has only started disclosing in recent quarters. It's just another sign that Goldman, that venerable Wall Street institution, is changing for the new environment. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: An early investor in Airbnb and Uber explains why he started buying bitcoin in 2009 |
Op Ed: Addressing the Threat of Cryptomining Malware
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST One major class of attacks to hit the hacking landscape recently is cryptomining. While cryptomining on its own supports a good cause when being done consciously, it also allows nefarious actors to make a lot of money fast, and, with the sheer number of cryptocurrencies available to mine, it is becoming a popular choice for attackers. The technique essentially involves an attacker taking advantage of another person’s computer and using its CPU power to mine for cryptocurrency. If the malware is configured to consume a large percentage of CPU power, it can prevent the CPU from doing other tasks and effectively deny the user access to the machine and its application. The malware mining work is often done through mining pools, a collaborative framework which allows numerous “miners” to work together, thus increasing the amount of money the attackers can make collectively. So what can organizations do to protect their systems against this attack? Hitting the TargetAttackers try to exploit any publicly available interface that will allow them to carry out the attack. Such interfaces can include misconfigured services in the cloud like databases, caches, management tools like Kubernetes and more. For example, recent research from Imperva shows that 75 percent of Redis servers are infected with cryptomining malware. Having said that, web servers remain the largest target for attacker, since they are meant to be public.In fact, cryptomining has grown so popular that, in the closing months of 2017, there was a surge in attacks, where researchers saw that 88 percent of all remote code execution attacks (RCE) sending requests to external sources were trying to download cryptomining malware on target machines. To carry out cryptomining attacks, hackers will first look for an RCE vulnerability, which allows attackers to run arbitrary code on the vulnerable server. For example, a recent RCE vulnerability attackers used to mine cryptocurrency was related to insecure deserialization. In these types of vulnerabilities, attackers tampered with serialized objects that were sent to the web application. Then, after the object was deserialized, malicious code was run on the vulnerable server, which allowed the attacker to mine for cryptocurrency. Cryptomining attackers use similar techniques to other attacks in terms of infection, evasion and persistency. However, in some cases, we see malware samples that try to maximize the attack, and their profit, either by spreading in the network through vulnerable devices or injecting code to the server that affects the end users. In addition, cryptomining attacks can be a prelude to other kinds of malicious activity. If a server is infected, it usually means that it is vulnerable to some kind of a code injection. The same vulnerability that was exploited to infect the server with cryptomining malware can be reused to infect it with other malware or to launch further attacks on the attacker’s behalf. An infected end-point means that the attacker has gained a foothold in your internal network and that the attack can potentially spread to other machines in your organization. Although bitcoin is probably the best-known and most popular cryptocurrency, attackers are not mining for bitcoin; this is not only because special hardware is required to mine for this coin, but also because bitcoin transactions are not private. This means that coins can be traced back along the transaction chain, which means attackers have a higher chance of getting caught. As a result, attackers are instead increasingly mining for two types of coins: privacy-focused coins like Monero, and newer cryptocurrencies that require less specialized mining equipment. These alternative cryptocurrencies allow attackers to undertake transactions without the fear of it being traced back to them as an account balance cannot be seen, and the transaction does not reveal the sender, receiver or the amount transferred. Protecting Against Cryptomining AttacksTo protect against cryptomining attacks, organization should try to reduce their attack surface as much as possible, limit public access to their assets whenever it is possible and enforce rigid authentication processes. Cryptomining malware usually needs a lot of computing power, thus a simple detection can be achieved by monitoring the CPU for high consumption. However, some cryptomining attacks are programmed to work under the radar. They are specifically configured not to overload the CPU, thus making them more difficult to detect. To protect against cryptomining attacks, organizations must first ensure their systems are fully up to date with all relevant patches. In order for cryptomining to be successful, attackers must first take advantage of a vulnerability. However, if an organization is up to date with all its patches, then this entry point is sealed. As attackers are targeting RCE vulnerabilities in web applications to launch their malware, patching is crucial. By ensuring IT teams are fully aware of— and ensuring systems are up to date with — the latest vendor patches, these kinds of vulnerabilities can be mitigated. Alternatively, virtual patching can also be utilized to actively protect web applications from attacks. This reduces the window of exposure and decreases the cost of emergency patches and fix cycles. A web application firewall that provides virtual patching doesn’t interfere with the normal application workflow and keeps the site protected while allowing the site owners to control the patching process timeline. Taking ActionIllicit cryptomining is an effortless way for nefarious actors to make money as it slips under the radar of victims. Plus, it is lucrative. The attack itself is simple to mount and is rapidly overtaking ransomware in becoming the most prevalent attack vector. Although some see this type of attack as simply a nuisance, cryptomining has the potential to cause large scale “brownouts,” as computer infrastructures collapse when criminals fight for compromised systems to get their hands on cryptocurrencies. This is a guest post by Nadav Avital, an application security research team leader at Imperva. Nadav has more than a dozen years of experience working in the computer and network security industry with strong technical skills in application security, hacking, operating systems (Linux and Windows), web architecture, Python and PHP. Views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Bitcoin Magazine or BTC Media. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
Litecoin's Lee: Bank Deal Might Lead to New Crypto Services
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Charlie Lee took to reddit Tuesday to clarify his and the Litecoin Foundation's roles in the new acquisition of nearly 10 percent of a German bank. |
Concern Mounts Over Potential Crypto Exchange WEX Exit Scam
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Users are increasingly concerned that an exchange claiming to be based in Singapore is pulling an exit scam following suspicious trading activity and locked wallets that are now preventing all users from withdrawing funds. On July 11, CCN reported that BTC/USD was trading on the WEX exchange at over $9,000 despite the global market average The post Concern Mounts Over Potential Crypto Exchange WEX Exit Scam appeared first on CCN |
A Boeing exec reveals what's in store for the 747 jumbo jet and predicts that Airbus won't be able to deliver the rest of its A380s (BA)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
On Tuesday, Boeing released its latest market forecast for the next 20 years. In total, the US aviation giant expects global demand for jets to reach 42,730 aircraft over the next two decades. The total value, a whopping $6.3 trillion. Of those, only 60 are expected to be jumbo jets. That's right, Boeing predicts global demand for passenger aircraft comparable in size to its own iconic 747 and the Airbus A380 will be three planes a year. According to Boeing vice president of marketing Randy Tinseth, the 747-8's market appeal in the passenger hauling business will be limited to work as an ultra-luxury private jet. "The 747-8 Intercontinental is in our lineup, we see it mostly as a VIP opportunity," Tinseth told Business Insider at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow. Since 2005, Boeing has taken just 150 orders for the 747-8, the latest incarnation of the jumbo jet. Of those, only 47 have been passengers planes. In fact, the company hasn't landed a new airline customer for the plane since Air China placed an order in 2012. Currently, Boeing has zero order on books for the passenger carrying 747-8I.
"We don't believe Airbus will deliver the rest of their backlog on A380s," Tinseth said. Airbus did not immediately respond to a request to for a comment about Tinseth's prediction. Fortunately, for Boeing, it has a ready replacement on deck. "The big airplane of the future for the aviation industry is going to be the Boeing 777-9," the veteran aviation executive said. "It carries 400 passengers, it flies further than the 747 and the A380 does today." "It's just the twin-engine, twin-aisle economics of that airplane just beats the big four-engine aircraft and it's just the reality of the market," Tinseth explained. According to Tinseth, the large jumbo jets are useful in very specific cases where there is airport congestion. However, most airlines prefer to give their customers the option of more flight frequencies which makes smaller wide-bodies like the 787 more popular.
Even though the future for the 747 in passenger service seems a bit grim, the plane is expected to thrive as a cargo jet. "The future of the 747 is in the cargo business," Tinseth added. Boeing expects there to be a market for around 980 new freighters in the coming years. A good number of them could be the 747. SEE ALSO: Take a closer look at the $300 million Airbus A330neo — Europe's answer to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content! |
Also baked into Boeing's market forecast is the belief that there won't be enough demand of Airbus to successfully deliver more than 100 A380 superjumbos that are still on order. 
Over the past year, the jumbo jet officially ended passenger service with US airlines with both Delta and United sending their aging fleets of 747-400s into retirement. Foreign carriers including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air China, Korean, and Lufthansa still operate the aircraft.Bitcoin soars over $7,000 in biggest swing in months
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Bitcoin had one of its biggest upswings in recent memory on Tuesday, soaring close to 10%, according to Markets Insider data. The cryptocurrency, which at the end of 2017 reached close to $20,000 a coin, has struggled to stay above $10,000 a coin for much of this year. But the volatile digital currency pushed through the $7,000 price level on the heels of bullish reports in the market for digital currencies, including one by Bloomberg News that suggested Coinbase, the cryptocurrency exchange, was inching closer to trading cryptos deemed securities. There were also reports over the weekend that BlackRock, the $6 trillion asset manager, was eyeing the crypto market and had created a working group to study it. But a source close to the company's operations told Business Insider that the group has existed for several years. At last check, the coin was trading up 9% at $7,359 a coin, according to Markets Insider. Elsewhere, ether was trading up 5%, at nearly $500 a token. In total, the market for digital currencies is up more than $50 billion since July 13, according to CoinMarketCap data. Despite the bearish sentiment that has underpinned the crypto market for much of 2018, there are bullish indicators. Fintech analytics firm Autonomous NEXT found that the market for initial coin offerings has continued to grow this year and Wall Street firms are moving quickly to adopt technologies related to crypto. "The financial industry is working to build tokens into an asset class, with developments across custody, institutional exchanges, decentralized exchanges, traditional financial products (e.g., Bitcoin futures) and Security Tokens," the firm wrote in a recent note. |
Bitcoin soars over $7,000 in biggest swing in months
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Bitcoin had one of its biggest upswings in recent memory on Tuesday, soaring close to 10%, according to Markets Insider data. The cryptocurrency, which at the end of 2017 reached close to $20,000 a coin, has struggled to stay above $10,000 a coin for much of this year. But the volatile digital currency pushed through the $7,000 price level on the heels of bullish reports in the market for digital currencies, including one by Bloomberg News that suggested Coinbase, the cryptocurrency exchange, was inching closer to trading cryptos deemed securities. There were also reports over the weekend that BlackRock, the $6 trillion asset manager, was eyeing the crypto market and had created a working group to study it. But a source close to the company's operations told Business Insider that the group has existed for several years. At last check, the coin was trading up 9% at $7,359 a coin, according to Markets Insider. Elsewhere, ether was trading up 5%, at nearly $500 a token. In total, the market for digital currencies is up more than $50 billion since July 13, according to CoinMarketCap data. Despite the bearish sentiment that has underpinned the crypto market for much of 2018, there are bullish indicators. Fintech analytics firm Autonomous NEXT found that the market for initial coin offerings has continued to grow this year and Wall Street firms are moving quickly to adopt technologies related to crypto. "The financial industry is working to build tokens into an asset class, with developments across custody, institutional exchanges, decentralized exchanges, traditional financial products (e.g., Bitcoin futures) and Security Tokens," the firm wrote in a recent note. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Expanding Warren Buffett’s value investing approach to the socially responsible sector |
Stronghold and IBM Collaborate to Launch FDIC-Insured Stablecoin on Stellar
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Stronghold, a cryptocurrency trading platform housed by Stellar, is launching a stablecoin on its parent network’s blockchain in collaboration with IBM. Stronghold USD will be backed with “one-to-one U.S. dollars per coin,” according to an official press release, and held in an account with Nevada-based Prime Trust, the same trust company that banks for the stablecoin TrueUSD. The stablecoin is also purportedly protected by FDIC Insurance, something no other stablecoin or cryptocurrency company — bar Coinbase and Gemini — can claim. Founded in 1933 in the throes of the Great Depression, the FDIC is a federal agency that provides deposit insurance for clients at commercial banks and savings institutions, covering amounts up to $250,000. As an exchange, Stronghold acts as a Stellar network anchor, a trusted entity that holds deposits and issues corresponding credit for these deposits. Anchors allows Stellar’s users to bridge the gap between networks, as any currency (fiat or crypto) can be represented as credit on the network and traded accordingly (except for lumens, which is Stellar’s native coin and is settled on-chain without the need for an anchor or credit). Stronghold USD will act as a new anchor for Stellar’s network. Underpinned by Stellar’s blockchain, Stronghold USD will be issued and transacted on the network, and users will be able to liquidate their Stronghold USD through Stronghold’s exchange or Prime Trust. IBM’s involvement in the project is unsurprising given the legacy tech company’s ongoing partnership with Stellar. Stronghold also chose to collaborate with IBM to explore the potential business and enterprise application of their newest offering. The partnership will test this potential by examining use cases for the blockchain businesses that leverage IBM’s blockchain platform. “The digitization of real-world assets using blockchain can dramatically transform many forms of financial transactions conducted around the world,” Global Vice President of IBM Blockchain, Jesse Lund, said in a statement. “New types of fiat-backed instruments, like Stronghold’s USD token, have the potential to improve the backbone of international banking operations and payments, giving banks an easier way to integrate with public blockchain networks without significant changes to their core banking and compliance infrastructure.” The company statement seems to take aim at other stable tokens in the ecosystem: “[the] intent of issuing a token, like Stronghold USD, is to strengthen confidence in the practical application of stablecoins for routine transactions by addressing the challenges associated with previous attempts at fiat-backed coins, where limited transparency into the underlying reserves guaranteeing the coin’s value prevented broad adoption.” “Previous attempts” could be pointing a semantic finger at Tether, the oldest and most popular stablecoin on the market. Tether has long drawn skepticism and criticism from the community for its lack of transparency and opaque asset management practices. The company has repeatedly stressed that it can’t acquire an official audit to attest to the dollar reserves that are supposedly backing its supply, and naysayers doubt that it has one-to-one backing at all. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have even argued that Tether’s fractional issuance inflated bitcoin during last year’s bull run. Unlike Tether, Stronghold USD is audited, according to Scott Purcell, Prime Trust’s CEO, but the identity of the auditing firm has not been revealed. The new stablecoin also features backing by the FDIC in what may be perceived as a badge of legitimacy and reliability. Tether is also mainly used as a haven of stability for traders. When navigating the daily volatility of the cryptocurrency market, traders will often “tether up” to avoid losing their holding’s dollar value. Judging by the press release’s emphasis on business, Stronghold and IBM are working to bring Stronghold USD to business, financial institutions and the like for enterprise adoption and day-to-day use. Stronghold is currently accepting applications for institutional investors and entities to test Stronghold USD. Access for retail investors will be opened at a later but unspecified date. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
Crypto Market Adds $20 Billion in 30 Minutes as Bitcoin Spikes Above $7,400
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The bitcoin price has surged 10 percent over the past 30 minutes, subsequent to experiencing a substantial spike in its volume. Within one-hour period, the price of bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, ether, Ripple, and EOS increased by 6 to 10 percent, as the valuation of the cryptocurrency market surged to $292 billion from $272 billion, by The post Crypto Market Adds $20 Billion in 30 Minutes as Bitcoin Spikes Above $7,400 appeared first on CCN |
Crypto Market Adds $20 Billion in 30 Minutes as Bitcoin Spikes Above $7,400
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The bitcoin price has surged 10 percent over the past 30 minutes, subsequent to experiencing a substantial spike in its volume. Within one-hour period, the price of bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, ether, Ripple, and EOS increased by 6 to 10 percent, as the valuation of the cryptocurrency market surged to $292 billion from $272 billion, by The post Crypto Market Adds $20 Billion in 30 Minutes as Bitcoin Spikes Above $7,400 appeared first on CCN |
Newsflash: Bitcoin Price Goes Vertical Near $7,500, Hits 5-week High
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Bitcoin price has skyrocketed on Tuesday’s evening trading session, making upward gains to peak at $7,483. The price of bitcoin, the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency, exploded to its highest trading levels since the first week of June after gaining nearly $700 in less than an hour on Tuesday evening (UTC). After trading around resistance The post Newsflash: Bitcoin Price Goes Vertical Near $7,500, Hits 5-week High appeared first on CCN |
Above $7K: Bitcoin's Price Shot Up $600 in 30 Minutes
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Bitcoin's price shot well above $7,000 Tuesday in a dramatic move. |
Buy a Whole Bitcoin Before Buying Any Altcoins, Says Litecoin Creator Charlie Lee
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST It’s common for longtime cryptocurrency investors to advise newcomers to invest heavily in bitcoin and — depending on their proclivity toward “Bitcoin maximalism — ethereum before investing in what many of them not-so-affectionately refer to as s–tcoins. What’s less common, though, is for an altcoin creator himself to give that same advice. Yet that’s exactly … Continued The post Buy a Whole Bitcoin Before Buying Any Altcoins, Says Litecoin Creator Charlie Lee appeared first on CCN |
Buy a Whole Bitcoin Before Buying Any Altcoins, Says Litecoin Creator Charlie Lee
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST It’s common for longtime cryptocurrency investors to advise newcomers to invest heavily in bitcoin and — depending on their proclivity toward “Bitcoin maximalism — ethereum before investing in what many of them not-so-affectionately refer to as s–tcoins. What’s less common, though, is for an altcoin creator himself to give that same advice. Yet that’s exactly … Continued The post Buy a Whole Bitcoin Before Buying Any Altcoins, Says Litecoin Creator Charlie Lee appeared first on CCN |
CRYPTO INSIDER: The toughest exam in finance is adding a cryptocurrency section
CRYPTO INSIDER: The toughest exam in finance is adding a cryptocurrency section
What you need to know on Wall Street today
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Welcome to Finance Insider, Business Insider's summary of the top stories of the past 24 hours. Sign up here to get the best of Business Insider delivered direct to your inbox. IT'S OFFICIAL: Goldman Sachs names David Solomon as its next CEO David Solomon is now officially in line to succeed Lloyd Blankfein as CEO of Goldman Sachs. The Wall Street firm made the announcement Tuesday, saying Solomon would become CEO and join the board on October 1. Solomon's ascension to CEO was widely expected after he was named in March as the sole president of Goldman, following the departure of his copresident Harvey Schwartz. With the formal announcement, Solomon can begin making changes to his leadership team. Blankfein will remain chairman through the end of the year and then take the title of senior chairman after his retirement, the firm said. The toughest exam in finance is adding a section on cryptocurrency next year Chalk this up as perhaps another sign that cryptocurrencies have grabbed Wall Street's attention. The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Program has announced that cryptocurrencies and blockchain will now form part of the curriculum. According to Bloomberg, crypto topics will now be included under a new reading called "Fintech in Investment Management", alongside subjects such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. A small band of human traders at electronic trading giant Citadel Securities are crushing it One of the largest electronic traders in the world has seen its market share increase in one of the last vestiges of human trading on Wall Street. Citadel Securities, which acquired its trading business on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in 2016 from high-frequency trader KCG, is responsible for helping the trading of more than 1,400 securities, including Walmart and Coca-Cola, as a so-called designated market maker. DMMs, also known as specialists, are human traders responsible for maintaining fair and orderly markets for NYSE-listed stocks particularly during complex events like IPOs and the opening of the trading day. A Chicago trading firm is teaming up with a group of crypto exchanges to stamp out manipulation Trading Technologies, the Chicago-based firm, announced Tuesday a partnership with a group of cryptocurrency exchanges to stamp out manipulation on their platforms. TT has not been a stranger to the crypto market, having previously partnered with Coinbase to allow professional clients to trade bitcoin futures and the underlying asset side-by-side on TT's trading platform. Now, Coinfloor, a UK crypto exchange operator, will be using the firm's so-called Score technology to monitor its markets for manipulation and other unusual activity. TT will allow traders on its platform to access the Coinfloor EX marketplace, the firm said. In markets news
Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: A Nobel Prize-winning economist says 'non-competes' are keeping wages down for all workers |
One of the Tesla Model 3's biggest critics has changed his mind and now says the car could be profitable (TSLA)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Munro & Associates, a Detroit-based engineering company that takes apart cars and evaluates their components, criticized how the vehicle was assembled in April, saying it was heavy for its size, had imprecise panel fits, and contained unnecessary and costly materials. At the time, the company complimented the vehicle's battery and electronics. After examining the car in more detail, Munro & Associates founder Sandy Munro said he thinks the Model 3 is profitable for Tesla, with each vehicle having the potential to bring the company more than a 30% margin, a figure that would exceed every other electric vehicle. On the automotive program Autoline After Hours, Munro reaffirmed the company's praise for the Model 3's battery and electronics, calling the vehicle's circuit board "a symphony of engineering." "I have to eat crow," Munro said. The Model 3 is Tesla's first mass-market vehicle, designed to broaden the company's customer base beyond the luxury segment and increase the rate of electric vehicle adoption. But Tesla struggled to ramp up production after it was launched in July 2017 due to excessive automation at its factories. In May 2016, Musk said he estimated the company would make 100,000 to 200,000 Model 3s during the second half of 2017. Tesla made 2,685 Model 3 vehicles in 2017. The company twice missed its self-imposed deadline to produce 5,000 Model 3s in a week, but hit that rate at the end of June. On July 2, the company said it had made 5,031 Model 3s during the final week of June and 28,578 during the second quarter, more than it had made in the prior three quarters combined. The vehicle has put a strain on Tesla's finances, as the company has posted significant losses in the quarters since it was launched. But Musk has said the company will become profitable in the second half of this year. During Tesla's first-quarter earnings call in May, Musk said the Model 3 would earn around a 20% profit margin by the end of this year and a 25% margin in 2019. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: An early investor in Airbnb and Uber explains why he started buying bitcoin in 2009 |
[promoted] Earning Bitcoin From the Sun
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Bitcoin Magazine, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST There are over 600 million Africans living without electricity despite an abundance of sunshine and hundreds of thousands of solar projects on the drawing board. Now, Sun Exchange, a South Africa-based startup, has developed a solution to Africa’s solar electrification dilemma centered on the intersection of three fast-growing technologies: blockchain, crowd-sourcing and solar photovoltaics. Sun Exchange has combined and synergized these technologies seamlessly on its online platform, enabling people around the world to purchase solar panels that are then leased into projects in Africa to passively collect bitcoin from the leasing of the solar cells that provide clean and affordable electricity at no upfront cost to businesses and communities. “I believe being able to harness energy from our star to be a basic human right,” said Abe Cambridge, Sun Exchange’s founder and CEO. “The Sun Exchange provides the tools for anyone on Earth to exercise that right. We are turning sunlight into a universal source of income. While most solar investment opportunities require a large minimum investment, with Sun Exchange you can buy into a solar project with increments of just $10 in bitcoin equivalent to start, and then increase the number of solar cells you own substantially over time if you like the platform and are happy with the returns.” Ushering in an Era of Solar-Powered Money Sun Exchange manages solar panel owners’ leases and the installation of the solar panels purchased through its platform onto the rooftops of either businesses or even whole community-scale rural micro-grids. As electricity from the solar panels is generated, used and paid for, bitcoin is deposited into the Sun Exchange user’s account as a continuous cryptocurrency income stream that the user can expect to enjoy for a couple of decades. “The Sun Exchange started in 2015 as an Indiegogo project, and has since raised $1.6 million in seed money,” Cambridge explained. “We now have over 6,000 Sun Exchange members in 91 countries. Five solar plants are now being powered by our members’ solar panels and are paying out bitcoin income. And right now, Sun Exchange is inviting our members to buy solar panels to power a recycled plastics facility plant in Cape Town, which is one of the sunniest cities on the planet.” Funding High-Impact, Off-Grid Projects Sun Exchange locates projects where there is abundant sunlight, where smaller scale solar projects —sized a megawatt or less — are still commercially viable. The impact of such systems can be big, such as transforming remote villages into solar-powered communities that otherwise wouldn’t be able to meet the costs to install the requisite cells, but instead, through the Sun Exchange, are able to access clean and affordable solar power at no upfront cost. The core technology that makes this possible is Bitcoin, which is accelerating the growth of solar energy in Africa by providing the financial infrastructure that make possible projects that would otherwise never be built. Just as Africa leapfrogged telephone lines and went straight to cell phones, Bitcoin gives Africa instant access to a global financial market and communities can now skip fossil fuel utility grids and go straight to solar. “Sun Exchange opens up high-impact, off-grid solar installations projects in emerging markets to anyone who wish to own solar panels in the sunniest places around the globe,” said Cambridge. “So not only are the solar panels going to produce more energy, and therefore have a greater environmental benefit, but these projects have a much bigger impact on individual lives and businesses than projects that simply provide extra electricity to an existing grid in a developed country.” Businesses and small communities in emerging markets often lack the upfront capital to go solar. The reason why thousands of perfectly viable solar projects sit on the drawing board is due simply to a lack of access to funding. Prior to a project moving forward and before anything has been installed, Sun Exchange raises all of the capital required for the installation by pre-selling the solar panels that make up the project to its members. Once costs are covered, the array is purchased, installed and goes online within 60 days. Unlocking Africa’s Solar Potential “Growing low-cost clean energy in Africa is imperative for its development,” Cambridge said. “So what’s the barrier; why is Africa not going solar? We have the technology, the skills and the desire. What’s missing is the financial infrastructure.” Africa is unbanked across most of the continent. But with the Sun Exchange, a $10 solar cell owned by anyone on Earth can be leased to someone in Africa for 20 years and that single solar cell could be owned by somebody in another region of the world where it might not make sense to install a solar panel. “Our cryptocurrency-enabled system enables borderless solar ownership,” Cambridge said. “Anyone can own solar panels located in sun-drenched locations and earn an income from them.” Sun Exchange makes transferring payments and value across borders cheap and easy. Using reserve banks and SWIFT comes with a huge cost of effort and cash value when using euros, USD or South African rand. Cryptocurrency breaks that barrier. “We can now transact with the whole world while at the same time reducing the cost of ownership investment down to a single solar cell,” Cambridge explained. “I like to say that we are streaming monetized African sunshine around the world in real time, 24/7/365.” A campaign to power a plastics recycling factory in Cape Town with solar electricity will be the largest Sun Exchange project to date. The Nioro Plastics 473kW solar array will power the recycling of used plastic bottles into new bottles. Anyone interested in generating a passive bitcoin income stream from the project can sign up here. SUNEX Token Sale Sun Exchange recently introduced SUNEX, its own digital rewards token, which can be earned to get discounts on the Sun Exchange marketplace and can be used to stake into a solar project insurance fund. The SUNEX Network Token is currently available for purchase through a public token sale event, which will run through July 31. Note: Trading and investing in digital assets is speculative and can be high risk. Based on the shifting business and regulatory environment of such a new industry, this content should not be considered investment or legal advice. This promoted article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. |
SEC Shutters Kodak-Branded Bitcoin Mining Rig ‘KashMiner’
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The developer behind the purported and much-publicized Kodak-branded bitcoin mining equipment has officially halted operations and has denied ties to Kodak. As CCN reported, KashMiner, a bitcoin mining equipment, was showcased at CES 2018 back in January by the company Spotlite USA, which claimed to be a licensee of the Kodak brand. Spotlite stated that The post SEC Shutters Kodak-Branded Bitcoin Mining Rig ‘KashMiner’ appeared first on CCN |
A Chicago trading firm is teaming up with a group of crypto exchanges to stamp out manipulation
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Trading Technologies, the Chicago-based firm, announced Tuesday a partnership with a group of cryptocurrency exchanges to stamp out manipulation on their platforms. TT has not been a stranger to the crypto market, having previously partnered with Coinbase to allow professional clients to trade bitcoin futures and the underlying asset side-by-side on TT's trading platform. Now, Coinfloor, a UK crypto exchange operator, will be using the firm's so-called Score technology to monitor its markets for manipulation and other unusual activity. TT will allow traders on its platform to access the Coinfloor EX marketplace, the firm said. In addition to catching behavior such as spoofing, TT's machine learning tech will be able to adapt over time to squelch practices ranging from quote stuffing, a way to overwhelm a venue with orders, to washing trading, buying and selling simultaneously to give the impression of a deeper market. Outside of crypto, Score users include prop traders, brokers, hedge funds, and other financial-services firms. The news comes as crypto exchanges are taking manipulation in their markets more seriously. As Business Insider previously reported, Coinbase is building out a platform meant to better monitor its markets. Meanwhile, Gemini is using Nasdaq's Smarts, a surveillance technology used across Wall Street, to identify unusual and potentially criminal trading behavior on its venue. Manipulation in crypto markets has become a hot-topic. Notably, more than 50,000 trades on bitcoin exchange Kraken's market raised red flags and large tether trades failed to affect pricing on the venue. Kraken mocked the claims in the report in a blog post. Elsewhere, academics at the University of Texas published a paper alleging that Tether was used last year to manipulate the price of bitcoin, propping up its run to $20,000 in December. Trading Technologies chief executive officer Rick Lane said the partnership will help further draw in professional traders to the space. "We anticipate Coinfloor’s use of TT Score to help ensure market integrity coupled with our forthcoming connection to the CoinfloorEX marketplace will drive additional market participation by institutional and professional traders,” Lane said. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: This impact investor says stop trying to help people without including them in the conversation |
Bitcoin Mining Giant Bitmain Opens 20,000 Sq. Foot Office in Silicon Valley
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Bitmain, the cryptocurrency industry’s most valuable company, has just opened an office in Silicon Valley ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO) later this year. The Silicon Valley Business Journal reports that the China-based cryptocurrency mining hardware manufacturer has just moved into 20,000 square feet of office space in downtown San Jose, CA, filling The post Bitcoin Mining Giant Bitmain Opens 20,000 Sq. Foot Office in Silicon Valley appeared first on CCN |
Global regulators want to monitor crypto risks
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST This story was delivered to Business Insider Intelligence "Fintech Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. The Financial Stability Board (FSB), which is responsible for regulation of the G20, and the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructure (CPMI) have together developed a framework that evaluates how risks from crypto markets could expand to other parts of the financial system.
It will monitor the risks related to cryptos, such as Bitcoin and Ether, even though they don’t pose a major threat to financial stability as of yet, according to a reportfrom the FSB. With this framework, the FSB hopes to identify potential financial stability concerns in time. The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors have received the report and framework from the FSB. The framework will use public sources to identify risks that cryptos might pose to the financial system. As a result, the quality of the information may vary, according to the report. The goal of the framework is to monitor the primary risks of crypto assets and potential transmission channels to financial stability risks. The framework identifies areas that the FSB will use to monitor risks on a short- or long-term basis, depending on whether or not concerns increase. It includes monitoring of the size and rate of growth of crypto markets to determine the effects of potential declines in valuations. Establishing such a framework at a time when risks are still limited is probably a good idea. While there isn’t too much of a threat to financial stability yet, it seems wise to monitor any potential risks now. Additionally, that the FSB is responsible for the regulation of all G20 members will likely make this framework more effective, as risk from all member countries will be monitored. Hence, we expect this framework to be successful, and more countries may well adopt it in the future. Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:
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'I always knew this day would come': Read the memo outgoing Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein just sent to staff
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
It's official. David Solomon will succeed Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein as the Wall Street firm's new CEO. The firm made the announcement on Tuesday, saying Solomon will become CEO and join the board on October 1. In a memo to staff, Blankfein said that it had been hard to imagine leaving, but by his own "convoluted logic, it feels like the right time." He also praised his successor, saying: "He was an outstanding division head for more than 10 years, helping cement Investment Banking’s leading franchise. And, as a chief operating officer, David has demonstrated strategic insight into all of our businesses, focusing on the key trends that will shape them and what our clients will most value from us in the years to come." Here's the full memo: July 17, 2018 To the People of Goldman Sachs Today, our firm is announcing that I intend to step down as chief executive officer at the end of September and remain as chairman until the end of the year, and that David Solomon will succeed me in both roles. After I retire, I will be honored to serve as senior chairman to support our firm where I can. I always knew this day would come. But, of course, the reality of it prompts many thoughts and emotions. When I’ve been asked about succession in the past, it’s always been hard for me to imagine leaving. When times are tougher, you can’t leave. And, when times are better, you don’t want to leave. Today, I don’t want to retire from Goldman Sachs, but by my own perhaps convoluted logic, it feels like the right time. I am very optimistic that our firm has tremendous opportunities ahead and will continue to earn its distinctive position. Few things in life are granted, but I’m very proud that dedication, drive and focus continue to define this institution on the eve of its 150th year. Thirty-six years at Goldman Sachs and over 12 years as chairman and CEO is a long time. As I get distance from my role, I suspect people will ask me what I miss most about the firm and the special opportunity to lead it. I already know the answer: all of you. The people of Goldman Sachs have always been our most differentiating strength. When we've had tough days (or a crisis or two), I could count on you to bear down, help our clients and focus on solutions and getting better. In better times, I have fed off your excitement, ideas and passion. And, there were times when your support got me through my own challenges. I want to congratulate David. He's been a terrific partner to me and I look forward to watching him lead Goldman Sachs for years to come. He was an outstanding division head for more than 10 years, helping cement Investment Banking’s leading franchise. And, as a chief operating officer, David has demonstrated strategic insight into all of our businesses, focusing on the key trends that will shape them and what our clients will most value from us in the years to come. I want to especially thank my wife, Laura, and our children, Alex, Jonathan and Rachel. It may be hard for some of you to believe, but I'm told that sometimes I'm not the easiest person to live with. I could not have gone through the ups and downs of the last 12 years without their patience, love and constant support. I hope to pursue other interests in my life, but I will never do anything that will be as much a part of me as working with all of you in such a special place. Lloyd See also: |
‘Big Four’ Giant PwC Director Quits, Joins Cryptocurrency Exchange as CEO in Australia
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST A director at ‘big four’ accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in Australia has quit the firm to join crypto exchange bitcoin.com.au as its newest CEO. Ben Ingram left PwC Australia back in March, where he was responsible for digital strategy, accounting and consulting, as its director before taking over the exchange as its chief executive, Business The post ‘Big Four’ Giant PwC Director Quits, Joins Cryptocurrency Exchange as CEO in Australia appeared first on CCN |
IT'S OFFICIAL: Goldman Sachs has named David Solomon as its next CEO (GS)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
It's official. David Solomon will succeed Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein as the Wall Street firm's new CEO. The firm made the announcement on Tuesday, saying Solomon will become CEO and join the board on Oct. 1. Solomon's ascension to CEO was largely expected after he was named in March as the sole president of Goldman, following the departure of his co-president Harvey Schwartz. With the formal announcement, Solomon can now begin to make changes to his leadership team. Blankfein will remain chairman through the end of the year, and then take the title of senior chairman after his retirement. “David is the right person to lead Goldman Sachs," Blankfein said in the firm's statement. "He has demonstrated a proven ability to build and grow businesses, identified creative ways to enhance our culture and has put clients at the center of our strategy." [See also: A throwaway comment in a conversation with Richard Branson hints at the future of Goldman Sachs] Blankfein, who once joked that he would die at his desk, was the longest-serving Wall Street CEO after JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon. Taking the reigns of Goldman in 2006, Blankfein, a former gold salesman, navigated the firm through the financial crisis and the subsequent fallout in which the firm was demonized and called the "vampire squid" of finance. He later helped improve Goldman's public image, serving as an elder statesman of sorts for the industry. Under Blankfein, Goldman has expanded away from its roots as a pure investment bank and into new areas such as its consumer banking business, Marcus. Raised in a housing project in Brooklyn’s East New York neighborhood, he attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School through financial aid. Solomon cut his teeth as a banker at Bear Stearns before joining Goldman as a partner in 1999. He ran the bank's leveraged finance unit and rose up the ranks of the the investment banking business with a reputation for being Goldman's point man on many key client relationships, including those with 3M, Disney's Bob Iger, and the casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. He's also known for his work to address gender imbalance within Goldman's workforce, and for spearheading a task force to try and retain junior bankers. Solomon is also known for his unorthodox hobby: production of electronic dance music. Solomon, known as DJ D-Sol, recently released his first track, a dance remix of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 hit "Don't Stop." See also: Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: An early investor in Airbnb and Uber explains why he started buying bitcoin in 2009 |
A small band of human traders at electronic trading giant Citadel Securities are killing it, and they could help the firm tap into a $800 billion market
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
One of the largest electronic traders in the world has seen its market share increase in one of the last vestiges of human trading on Wall Street. Citadel Securities, which acquired its trading business on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in 2016 from high-frequency trader KCG, is responsible for helping the trading of more than 1,400 securities, including Walmart and Coca-Cola, as a so-called designated market maker. DMMs, also known as specialists, are human traders responsible for maintaining fair and orderly markets for NYSE-listed stocks particularly during complex events like IPOs and the opening of the trading day. Citadel Securities has won 71 listings since May 2016, which is more than any other trading firm on the floor and includes newly launched special purpose acquisition vehicles, initial public offerings and direct listings. That translates into a win-rate of 44% during that period, including the headline-making direct listings of Spotify and insurance firm AXA's initial public offering. Its win-rate for 2018 stands above 50%, showing the firm is winning listings at an even faster clip. In total, Citadel's market share stands around 41% of NYSE listings, compared to 35% for rival GTS. Other competitors on the floor include Virtu Financial and IMC. The pitchWhen Citadel acquired the DMM business from KCG it made a bet that hiring more staff and more proactively reaching out to potential clients would help it grow, Joe Mecane, head of execution services at Citadel Securities, said in an interview with Business Insider.
Citadel has also put a bigger focus on marketing itself to potential clients and holding conversations with companies well-before they make the decision to go public, Mecane said. Typically, when a company files to go public on the New York Stock Exchange, market-making firms set up 20-minute interviews prior to IPO day to pitch themselves to manage the first trade of the issuers' stock. Now, Citadel is trying to have a lot of those conversations earlier in the process. "We are being more proactive in terms of reaching out to possible clients earlier on to tell our story," Mecane said. To that end, Citadel has brought on two trading vets this year to pitch potential clients on its DMM business, including Michael Harris, who joined the firm from Morgan Stanley, as head of business development and Rich Barry, who joined the team from the New York Stock Exchange, as head of corporate client services. Citadel has the pitch down, according to Mecane. "It is about the whole package," he said. "We trade a huge amount of volume, have the most diverse order-flow and superior risk-management capabilities, and we also pride ourselves on our market structure expertise internally." Those attributes, Mecane says, could play a key role in attracting firms looking to conduct a direct listing, a way to go public as Spotify did without raising money via big bank underwriters.
"When you are looking at a direct listing, having a balance in orders is key to relatively stable opening price, because if you don't balance those you could see volatile swings at the open," Cruz said. Citadel is also betting a rise in the number of special purpose vehicles will be good for its DMM business. SPACs, also known as blank check companies, raise money in the capital markets for acquisitions. In the first half of 2018, SPACs raised $5.5 billion, the highest amount since 2007, according to Dealogic. Citadel said it's served at the DMM for every listing of so-called special purpose vehicles. Mecane said the firm's history as the go-to SPAC market maker on the floor of NYSE will translate into more business in the future. New businessesNYSE pays designated market makers enhanced rebates —a payment to brokers made by exchanges to add liquidity to their venues — but it's not a big profit opportunity, according to insiders. The value of the DMM isn't necessarily in how much money it brings in for the firm but what it could translate into for other businesses that could be more lucrative down the line, Mecane said. That's because the DMM business establishes a direct relationship with corporate clients. And that could potentially help the firm expand its market making business in fixed income, which serves 1,000 institutional clients across 47 countries. For instance, a DMM client could potentially partner with Citadel to customize interest swaps for hedging rate exposure when issuing debt or to buy and sell treasuries as part of their cash management and balance sheet activities. This is a service Citadel already provides for corporations. It could also get new businesses off the ground. A business to help companies repurchase shares is one opportunity the firm is considering, according to Mecane. JPMorgan estimates companies will buy back $800 billion worth of their shares by the end of 2018, a more than 50% increase from last year. Apple, for instance, announced it would buy back $100 billion worth of stock. Typically, Wall Street banks help handle buybacks for their corporate clients, but since DMM firms in theory have a strong sense of how a given stock trades, such firms could be well positioned to provide such a service. Let's say, for example, Coca-Cola wants to buy back $500 million worth of shares. A company like Citadel could serve as a broker to match buyers and sellers and execute the trade in a way that lessens the impact on the broader market. Elsewhere, rival GTS is also looking to capitalize on the buyback boom and is leveraging its DMM relationships to grow its buyback business, according to a source familiar with the firm's strategy. As for how large of a profit opportunity this is for trading firms, insiders estimate that brokers have an opportunity to rake in more than $100 million in fees from the $800 billion buyback wave. "If they get paid a penny a share to trade a buyback, then it is going to be lucrative," Sandler O'Neill analyst Richard Repetto said in an interview. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: An early investor in Airbnb and Uber explains why he started buying bitcoin in 2009 |
"I would say that for the year before I joined, a lot of the focus was on rebuilding the trading technology," Mecane said. "We would point to the fact that we are a top performer in terms our participation rates as evidence of our success in rebuilding that."
In a direct listing, it's the market-makers job to get a sense of investor appetite in the security so that it can set a price for the first trade. Strong technology married with deep liquidity better positions a firm to handle such a transaction, said Shawn Cruz, an analyst at TDAmeritrade. Crypto Markets Consolidate Gains – Bitcoin Price at $6700
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST The cryptocurrency markets continued to post a positive performance on Tuesday, with almost all Top Ten coins posting considerable increases. As at press time on Tuesday late morning Bitcoin was trading at well above the $6,700 level on Binance with turnover increasing quite considerably over the past hours. It seems that the news announcements with The post Crypto Markets Consolidate Gains – Bitcoin Price at $6700 appeared first on CCN |
Here comes Goldman Sachs earnings... (GS)
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Goldman Sachs is expected to announce second-quarter earnings results Tuesday morning. Analysts expect the bank to report adjusted earnings per share of $4.66, an 18% increase from last year. Here's what else analysts will be looking for:
Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: An early investor in Airbnb and Uber explains why he started buying bitcoin in 2009 |
IMF: The US trade war could cost the global economy $430 billion
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
The Washington-based IMF said on Monday that the US could be the "focus of global retaliation" to Trump’s trade war and said the country is "especially vulnerable" to repercussions from an increase in tariffs. "Our modeling suggests that if current trade policy threats are realized and business confidence falls as a result, global output could be about 0.5 per cent below current projections by 2020," the IMF said. "As the focus of global retaliation, the United States finds a relatively high share of its exports taxed in global markets in such a broader trade conflict, and it is therefore especially vulnerable." The comments were part of the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook report, which was released on Monday. It urged countries not to look "inward" and to end the trade tensions which continue to dampen growth. Trade tensions have remained high as President Trump has renewed threats of 10% tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese exports, while calling Europe one of his "greatest foes" on Sunday. At the EU-China summit on Monday, EU Council President Donald Tusk called for the US and China to "prevent global Chaos" and leave the global order intact. Despite its trade war warning, the IMF said in Monday's report that global growth remains strong. But the IMF said larger risks have emerged that have "clouded" the outlook for the global economy. The IMF's global growth forecast of 3.9% remained unchanged for this year and next. Beyond that, growth in the UK, Europe, and Japan is predicted to slow, while Asian and US growth is forecast to remain relatively strong. Maurice Obstfeld, director of research at the IMF, also warned about the cost of economic inequality, adding that many of the risks the world faces today have their roots in non-inclusive economic growth and political "malaise." |
Bitcoin Price Retakes Key Moving Average for First Time in Two Months
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CoinDesk, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST BTC found acceptance above the 50-day moving average support on Monday, however, a bull reversal is still not confirmed. |
Messaging Giant LINE’s Cryptocurrency Exchange Begins Global Operations
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Japanese mobile giant LINE has officially launched operations of its Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange BITBOX with support for 30 cryptocurrencies including bitcoin. With an announcement on Tuesday, LINE confirmed the exchange will only support crypto-exclusive trading pairs with no trading offered between fiat currency and cryptocurrencies. Around 30 coins are being traded presently at launch including The post Messaging Giant LINE’s Cryptocurrency Exchange Begins Global Operations appeared first on CCN |
Qatar Airways CEO says business has gotten better, not worse, with Trump in office
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
Qatar Airways has had its fair share of business and political problems over the past year. However, its US business is doing just fine according to the airline's CEO. In fact, not only has its US business not softened, Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker claims his airline's US business has actually increased. "On the contrary, our traffic from the United States is growing because our adversaries next door are cutting traffic into the US," Al Baker said to Business Insider in reference to United Arab Emirates-based Etihad's and Emirates' decision to reduce US flights. While fellow Middle Eastern powerhouse Emirates has complained about falling passenger figures due to the US Government's toughened stance on immigration, the Qatari CEO seems unfazed by President Donald Trump's tough talk. "You should not forget that the United States has a huge diaspora of people from our region and they have to travel," Al Baker explained. "So, whatever President Trump says, people will still want to travel in and out of the US."
"The only people that will hesitate to leave America are people who are there on refugee visas or extended education visas who are from the countries that President Trump has announced will not be given visas," Al Baker told us. "Other than that, the diaspora who is already there with green cards or with nationalities, but have their roots in our region, will continue to travel." In addition, the Qatar Airways CEO said that his airline's role in the tourism industry falls within President Trump's "Buy American" initiative. "When you're talking about "Buy American," then you also need to promote tourism to your country," Al Baker said. "And how will the tourists go? They won't go by swimming across the Atlantic right? They have to fly." Al Baker said this leads him to believe that, in spite of Trump's sharp rhetoric about immigrants and immigration, the President doesn't actually want to close America's borders to foreigners. "I don't think the statements that are coming from President Trump really (means) he wants to close to doors on the United States," the airline boss explained. "In this regard, I'm still positive that the traffic flow in and out of the US will continue." The Trump Administration has been criticised over the past year for its zealous immigration enforcement and anti-immigrant sentiment. This includes President Trump's plan to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and the separation of migrant children from their families at the border. In an interview with The Sun, Trump told the UK newspaper that has had a negative effect on Europe's culture. FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content! |
The outspoken CEO who, in the past, Brazilian Police Bust Gang Who Used Bitcoin to Launder Millions of Dollars
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CryptoCoins News, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST Brazil’s Federal Police has recently arrested 12 individuals connected to a gang that allegedly used bitcoin to launder “millions of dollars” earned smuggling drugs into Europe, Asia, and Africa. According to local news outlet Folha de S.Paulo, the gang was busted in an operation dubbed “Antigoon,” in cooperation with the country’s Department of Federal Revenue. The post Brazilian Police Bust Gang Who Used Bitcoin to Launder Millions of Dollars appeared first on CCN |
Qatar Airways CEO just gave an ominous warning to those who cave to pressure from Qatar's enemies and shun the country
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Business Insider, 1/1/0001 12:00 AM PST
FARNBOROUGH — Over the past year, Qatar Airways has had to battle financial headwinds resulting from a blockade instituted by the Middle Eastern neighbors of the home country. However, even as the airline adapts to life with the blockade in place, the man in charge of Qatar Airways doesn't think the political climate that caused the strife will get better in the near future. In fact, things may get worse, he said. "I don't think it is going to get better, on the contrary, they are trying to make things more difficult," Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker told reporters at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow in England. The controversial chief executive also accused Qatar's adversaries of "intimidating" suppliers, manufacturers, and even banks into shunning the country and its national airline. While Al Baker understands that business must do what's best for their individual interest, he also hinted there may be consequences for those who capitulate. "At the end of the day, this is a business decision companies have to make of where they have an interest," Al Baker said. "They should also know that if they oblige the adversaries, when things get back to normal, we will remember them." The Qatari CEO declined to identify the specific party or parties who have gone about the alleged behavior. Since June 2017, several of Qatar's Persian Gulf neighbors including Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have cut off all relations with the nation. Points of contention include Qatar's close ties with Iran, the alleged funding of terrorists, and the country's controversial Al Jazeera news network. As a result, of the blockage, Qatar Airways and all Qatari-registered aircraft are barred from entering their respective airspaces. This has effectively kicked Qatar Airways out of two of its most important markets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It has also forced the country's national airline to take round-about routes that increase both the length and costs of its flights. For example, the airline's service between the Qatari capital of Doha and Sao Paulo, Brazil now requires an extra one hour and 45 minutes of flying time because its planes must fly around Saudi-controlled Yemeni airspace. SEE ALSO: These are the 9 biggest stories people will be talking about at the 2018 Farnborough Airshow FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content! |
