The U.S. government agency charged with ensuring market integrity and protecting retail investors from fraud and abuse expressed skepticism over whether Wall Street firms could ever issue a cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) that would satisfy securities laws. A crypto ETF would greatly expand the pool of potential investors, creating liquidity that would make cryptocurrencies more […]
Category: Real Money
BlackRock Strategist: Bitcoin ‘Not Investable’
The world’s largest investment manager BlackRock runs $5.7 trillion in assets. But not in Bitcoin, or not yet anyway. BlackRock has a spotty record predicting emerging technologies such as the Internet, yet it has massive influence in markets and with policymakers. Its global chief strategist for multi-asset investments, Isabelle Mateos Y Lago, recently said flatly that “Bitcoin isn’t […]
Financial Regulator FINRA Zeroes in on High-Risk Brokers
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has taken new steps to identify and weed out high-risk brokers. Under pressure from both investors and lawmakers, the industry-run regulator has created a dedicated examination unit. The unit already has identified between 100 and 200 rogue reps. This is a significant improvement over previous FINRA security measures, which […]
As Bitcoin Falls, Investors Flock Instead to Blockchain ETFs
Bitcoin, the most popular of the digital currencies by market capitalization, has plummeted in value. Now, investor cash is starting to flow into the exchange-traded funds (ETF) business related to blockchain, the technology that drives cryptocurrencies. Investors poured $240 million into two new blockchain ETFs launched on Jan. 17. Amplify Transformation Data Sharing ETF (BLOK) increased managed […]
UK Royal Mint Launches Gold-Backed Cryptocurrency
One argument of cryptocurrency skeptics is that the market is based on new, unproven technology. Blockchain technology might be considered new, although it has been around since 2008. Now, skeptics are being forced to admit the technology isn’t unproven. One of the world’s oldest businesses is adopting it. The Royal Mint has announced the creation of Royal Mint Gold, […]
Crypto Investments Likely Worthless, says Money-Losing Bank
The European Union’s largest and most influential bank believes that cryptocurrency investments are probably worthless and warns its investors to steer clear. Deutsche Bank’s wealth management division strongly advises against investing in cryptocurrencies, ICOs and tokens, said Markus Mueller, its global head of investment. A white paper produced by the bank cites extreme volatility, price manipulation […]
‘Dr. Doom’ says Dump Bitcoin, Buy This Instead
Economist Nouriel Roubini is known as “Dr. Doom” because he generally has a dim view of markets. But his opinion is still widely respected because his past calls have been prophetic. In 2006, for instance, he warned that a housing bust was on the horizon and it would force the global financial system to freeze […]
401(k) Millionaires Club Hits Record High
You don’t need to visit Hollywood to see a bunch of millionaires. Fidelity Investments says that the number of people with $1 million or more in their 401(k) retirement plan at work has skyrocketed in the past year. Fidelity says that 133,000 people have achieved millionaire status, a significant jump from the 89,000 savers that became […]
Cryptocurrency Backed by Distressed Real Estate Launches
Swarm Fund, the blockchain for private equity, today unveiled the first two funds running on its network, and confirmed the on-track timing of its initial product release date, set for Jan. 29. At launch, members of the Swarm will have the ability to invest in the platform’s Distressed Real Estate and Silicon Valley Coin funds […]
Bitcoin Bubble Fears Spark a Mini Gold Investment Rush
Bitcoin’s market value volatility may be causing some cryptocurrency investors to seek out gold as a investment refuge. Bitcoin has fallen by some 40% in value since New Years’ 2018. Meanwhile, gold traders in Europe have seen an increase of over five times their normal trading volume in the corresponding period. As of December 2017, […]










