Sam Bankman-Fried, once a crypto wunderkind, now faces a reckoning that could see him behind bars for 115 years. Convicted on seven counts of fraud, his trial showcased a classic tale of deception, with a modern twist: the misuse of cryptocurrency. Continue Reading →
Over the next few days, Android users may notice Google Wallet showing up on their phones. The successor app to Google Pay was announced at Google's 2022 I/O event as a way to manage all of your digital cards: credit, debit, ID, vax status, tickets, and more. Continue Reading →

Twitter & Telegram

Elon Musk has an option to purchase Twitter for $44 billion. For argument's sake, let's say Twitter has 300 million monthly active users (MAU). If so, he is paying approximately $147 per MAU. Telegram, on the other hand, has approximately 550 million MAUs. Using the same math, Telegram should be worth approximately $80 billion, but Twitter and Telegram are apples and oranges. Twitter is a publicly traded company with a traditional corporate form. Telegram is something completely different. Continue Reading →

Ukraine DeFi

First, my heart goes out to the people of the Ukraine and to the innocent victims of Russia's brutal attack. The people of Ukraine are fighting for their lives. Hopefully, the international community will figure out a way to get Russia to stand down. Continue Reading →
Open banking, a fancy name for giving banking customers direct (API-based) control over how their data is released to third-parties, is trending globally. In theory, open banking enables the creation of new financial products and services, as well as easy integrations with third-party developers. It's not new. So why are we hearing about it now? Continue Reading →

Crypto Schmypmo

Have you been wondering why my newsletter has been so highly focused on blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFTs, smart contracts, and the world of decentralized finance? Are you thinking, "This really doesn't apply to me or my business"? Are you saying things like, "Crypto schmypmo"? Continue Reading →

Follow the Money

Walmart and Walgreens are entering the mobile-first banking business in a big way. It's a solid strategic move, as an estimated 169 million Americans regularly use mobile devices for banking. Continue Reading →
The top global standard setter for banking regulation -- The Basel Committee for Banking Supervision, a group of global central bankers and regulators -- proposed a strict new rule that would require banks to set aside a dollar in capital for every dollar of bitcoin or other crypto assets they own. Stablecoins (cryptocurrencies pegged to traditional assets) would be subject to lower capital requirements. Continue Reading →
Just about everyone seems interested in getting into cryptocurrency. Is it too late? Shelly Palmer talks with Bianca Peters and Robert Moses about the technology, as well as his newest book: Blockchain - Cryptocurrency, NFTs & Smart Contracts: An executive guide to the world of decentralized finance. Continue Reading →