The "Internet of Money" and Future of Crypto Commerce
Litecoin, the 5th largest cryptocurrency by market cap, is on a tear, rallying over 50% during the past week. Kenneth Asare, CEO of LitePay, a Litecoin payment processor, was with us to explain why merchants need to be ready for the digital currency revolution.
On February 26th, 41 countries will have access to LitePay merchant payment processing. Retailers will be able to use LitePay's retail, e-commerce, billing, and donation tools to accept Litecoin payments from customers anywhere on earth. Asare said the platform is targeting people with access to smartphones, but not banking.
Asare said Litecoin is the 'internet of money.' He stressed that it's not a way to replace fiat currency or the stock exchange, and it's not something to invest in. Instead, this is the very beginning of a new way of sharing and transferring value, he said.
According to data from Dealogic, the Nasdaq is on track to beat the NYSE in IPOs this year, raising $191 billion so far, compared with the NYSE's $109 billion. Louis Cordone, senior president of Data Strategy at AST, discusses why 2021 was so successful for IPOs, and what differentiates the two exchanges.
Bitcoin took a nosedive over the weekend, falling to its lowest price level in nearly two months. According to data from Coindesk, the crypto dropped more than 20% to $42,000 on Saturday before rebounding some. Prices of Ether, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu dropped as well, with Ether tumbling by more than 15%at one point. Lance Ippolito, head trader at the Future of Wealth, joined Cheddar to discuss why crypto plummeted and what to expect next.
Less than six months after making its public debut on the NYSE, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi says it will delist in the U.S. and pivot to Hong Kong instead. Chinese regulators are citing cybersecurity and data concerns. Shehzad Qazi, Managing Director, China Beige Book International joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
As offices shifted to remote schedules, and people were forced into a new way of work, many began to re-think their career path and their purpose in the workforce, leading to what many are calling 'The Great Resignation.' During the last year, Americans quit their jobs in unprecedented numbers, seeking more flexibility, better benefits, a higher salary, and ultimately greater independence. Danielle Neal, CEO of Digital with Danielle, is just one of the millions who quit their job during the pandemic, and she joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to tell her story.
As Americans quit their jobs in record numbers this year, companies have been scrambling to try and fill those gaps. Gad Levanon, head of the labor market institute at The Conference Board, says companies need to focus more on salary if they want to better retain their employees. Levanon joined Cheddar to discuss the labor shortage, the "Great Resignation," and what companies can learn from it going into 2022.
