U.S. Embraces Bitcoin ETFs: A New Chapter
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently made history by approving the country's first Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). This landmark decision includes an ETF from Brazilian firm Hashdex. This follows years of SEC rejections of Bitcoin ETF applications. BlackRock's proposal earlier in 2023 marked a turning point, generating widespread interest due to their market influence. Standard Chartered Bank predicts these ETFs could attract up to $100 billion in the first year.
Marcelo Sampaio, CEO of Hashdex, views the launch as a significant regulatory step in the U.S. and a victory for digital assets. Despite the approval, SEC Chair Gary Gensler cautions investors, clarifying that the SEC doesn't endorse Bitcoin. To lure investors, companies like BlackRock are cutting administration fees, with some even offering zero fees.
The anticipation of ETF approvals has already boosted Bitcoin's value significantly, with a more than 160% increase over the past year. However, after the announcement, Bitcoin's value momentarily dipped. Analysts predict the ETFs could drive Bitcoin's value to new heights, potentially reaching $50,000 soon and possibly its all-time high later in the year. They also anticipate a favorable impact from the upcoming Bitcoin halving event, which reduces its inflation rate. But there is caution about potential profit-taking once it reaches certain levels.
Nicole Dyskant from Fireblocks notes that the SEC's decision influences more than just market liquidity. It could transform the broader financial and capital markets. The days leading up to the ETF launch saw cybersecurity incidents and criticism. The SEC's Twitter account was hacked, falsely announcing the ETF approvals, which the SEC later denied and began investigating. Gensler has also warned about risks in the crypto market, emphasizing the importance of understanding risks and legal compliance.
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Speaking at the WEF, Savor CEO Kathleen Alexander boasts about how her company is "saving the planet" from the evils of agriculture by replacing real butters and oils with synthetic versions made from carbon dioxide and methane. 😳
"Savor is part of bringing transformation to the food system by re-imagining how we make an entire macronutrient—fats and oils."
"The result is that we can dramatically lower the planetary footprint of our food system."
"Our food system today uses about 50% of the habitable land on the planet. It's 20-30% of our greenhouse gas emissions."
"And we can reduce all of those by 50-100%."
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🇮🇷🏆🇺🇸 Iran Is a Bigger Defeat Than Vietnam | Foreign Policy
At his second inaugural, U.S. President Donald Trump pronounced his hope “that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country.” By losing his Gulf war, Trump has achieved that goal. His choice to launch a campaign against Iran was encouraged by others, but fully his own. It has led to a reversal that marks a strategic calamity far greater than the U.S. defeat in the Vietnam War.
Defeat in the Iranian war looks, on the surface, nothing like other U.S. military defeats. The speed of the war and its remoteness have lent an air of unreality to the whole endeavor. The White House has not been burned, as it was in 1814; there have not been protests against a nonexistent draft. The absence of substantial U.S. casualties in this conflict also masks the scale of the U.S. defeat. To be sure, the war has been deadly: Thousands of Iranians, ...
According to The Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump reviewed military options for a full-scale war against Iran to “finish the job,” but has decided, for now, not to move forward.
The report says Trump is concerned that renewed military conflict could hurt the chances of a diplomatic resolution and of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, and that he’s shown willingness to let indirect talks in Qatar run past the August 18 deadline. He is said to be fine with continuing limited strikes on Iranian targets if Tehran violates the current temporary deal - as it already has, repeatedly.
How are those negotiations going?
Not well. It seems JD Vance’s “historic” face-to-face achievement was a one-off. Washington has been quietly downgraded from talking to the Great Satan to negotiating with the Little Satan instead - a senior Qatari official confirmed that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Qatari officials in Doha, but there are currently no high-level U.S.-Iran meetings ...