Exchanges/Platforms

Crypto watchdogs have a giant offshore problem

17 Nov 2022

FTX’s collapse should trigger tougher oversight of digital-asset groups in the Unites States and elsewhere. Yet big players, like Binance and the $40 bln decentralised-finance system, may stay out of reach. Clearer rules could bring more business onshore, but not all of it.

Crypto readies itself for a post-FTX hose-down

15 Nov 2022

The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s empire exposed the vulnerabilities of a vast, unregulated world of digital finance. Rivals like Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire hope to prove there’s a safer side of crypto worth saving. He presents his case in this episode of The Exchange podcast.

Sam Bankman-Fried did financial system a favour

14 Nov 2022

The curly-haired cryptocurrency kingpin pushed regulators and politicians to legitimise assets like bitcoin. A few more years and his now-bankrupt exchange FTX would have burrowed deeper into mainstream finance, amplifying the damage. His downfall sends the process into reverse.

NFTs may not get back up off the canvas

7 Nov 2022

Global non-fungible token sales have dropped over 90% since January. Enthusiasts remain hopeful that NFTs can branch into new, more durable applications that are less like trinkets. But with rate rises upending niche assets, don’t bet on it.

Abrdn’s battered model may yet start to shine

4 Nov 2022

The British group meshes staid fund management with technology platforms for savers and wealth managers. The latter are growing and benefitting from higher interest rates. CEO Stephen Bird’s turnaround has a long way to go, but an undemanding valuation leaves plenty of upside.

UK tech flops expose perils of IPO forecasts

2 Nov 2022

E-commerce group Made.com has all but collapsed little more than a year after issuing sunny targets in an 800 mln pound float. Stock market duds Deliveroo and Funding Circle had optimistic guidance. When initial public offerings restart, investors should ignore the projections.

Risky debt selloff has much further to run

28 Oct 2022

Investors are dumping corporate bonds as interest rates rise. Relatively safe investment grade securities have fallen harder than those issued by junk-rated borrowers, which hit $650 bln last year. That will reverse as high-yield debt starts pricing in defaults and a recession.

Western economies rediscover meaning of scarcity

27 Oct 2022

For several decades, constraints on supplies of labour, energy and capital appeared to have all but disappeared. Now they are back, humbling leaders like former British Prime Minister Liz Truss. Allocating scarce resources means more state intervention, writes Edward Chancellor.

The urgent search for the perfect inflation hedge

20 Oct 2022

Nearly every major asset class has lost money this year, leaving investors scrambling to protect their wealth from rising prices. Traditional alternatives such as gold and property also have drawbacks, writes Edward Chancellor. The best shield may be the most obvious one.

Europe’s energy crisis nears winter of discontent

18 Oct 2022

Germany, Italy and others have scrambled to replace Russian gas and pipeline attacks have become a concern. The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies’ Jack Sharples tells The Exchange podcast Europe must learn to live with less power. Next year may be even more challenging.

Prada homecoming would set a financial fashion

18 Oct 2022

A decade after its Hong Kong IPO, the $12 bln maker of Galleria bags is seeking to trade also in Milan. That will help it into European indices and create a hedge against Western decoupling from China. It would also make sole listings in the Asian hub less desirable.

Pension fund blowup faces brutal second act

6 Oct 2022

The Bank of England’s $74 bln bond-buying scheme saved retirement plans from losses on government bonds. But the fallout from the crisis means funds with $1.9 trln of assets now need to reduce risk by selling corporate bonds and other esoteric assets. That will spread the pain.

Capital Calls: Peloton races tough economic cycle

6 Oct 2022

Concise views on global finance: The $2.9 bln fitness company is laying off staff for the fourth time this year in a turnaround bid for survival.

Tokyo blinks in game of forex chicken

22 Sep 2022

Japan has responded to the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes by moving to prop up the staggering yen, the first intervention since 1998. The country’s economy and Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s loose policy make it unlikely the plan will work. The attempt may even backfire.

Tough love is best fix for energy cash crunch

7 Sep 2022

Utilities and power traders face a $1.5 trln surge in collateral demands due to swings in gas futures. The answer could be bailouts, halts in trading and collateral tweaks. Yet radical changes may increase risk. And government help, if properly priced, needn’t be a freebie.

Chinese audits, Vaccine wars, UK tax cuts

1 Sep 2022

Beijing will let companies submit to U.S. audit requirements. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists argue only weak firms will comply. Also, Pfizer and Moderna’s legal battle is unlikely to create a winner, and Britain’s prime ministerial hopefuls debate handouts.

Hong Kong’s tiny floats are filled with big risks

19 Aug 2022

A biotech firm sold just 2% of shares in its IPO, highlighting a trend of relatively illiquid stocks coming to market. It’s a way to prop up valuations. Yet issuers will struggle to raise more funds and the added volatility worsens the city’s dismal secondary market performance.

EU crypto rules will cheer banks and deter minnows

6 Jul 2022

Europe’s digital asset legislation set clearer guidelines on cross-border transactions. That’s good for big banks keen to mix it with the likes of Coinbase and Binance. But while those bigger crypto beasts are able to swallow higher compliance costs, smaller fry will struggle.

Robinhood’s reversal, Russian oil cap

30 Jun 2022

The digital brokerage is worth less than a quarter of its $32 bln IPO value. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists argue that its $7 bln cash pile and ample user base make it an attractive target. Also, Western leaders’ plan to restrict funds to Moscow may backfire.

Capital Calls: Fed faces inflation divergence

30 Jun 2022

Concise views on global finance: The central bank’s preferred measure of rising prices, the U.S. personal consumption index, rose 6.3% in May. That’s more subdued than the surging consumer price index. But the latter offers a better read on household spending.