Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein: I Don't Love Cryptocurrency
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein says a lot of the talk about cryptocurrencies is “hype” and that he doesn’t “love” the concept of the digital assets.
“I don’t get how something that moves thirty percent in a day, or twenty percent, can be a store of value,” he told Cheddar. “Something that is very hard to clear or retain, that gets stolen a lot -- I don’t see how that can be a medium of exchange.”
His statements come after reports in December that Goldman was planning to launch a crypto trading desk by the middle of this year. Blankfein clarified that, while the company will clear futures contracts for customers, it has no plans at this time to buy, sell, and hold positions in digital assets for its customers.
Blankfein did acknowledge, though, that his skepticism over crypto may prove to be unwarranted.
“I remember when cell phones came out, and I said to myself, ‘Who the hell is going to lug around this thing?’ A lot of things have worked out that I don’t love...I’ve learned in my life in the financial markets, sponsoring companies and investing in things, to keep an open mind as long as you can.”
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/goldman-sachs-ceo-lloyd-blankfein-weighs-in-on-market-volatility-crypto-and-trump).
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Thursday that the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. in the current fiscal quarter will be sourced from India, while iPads and other devices will come from Vietnam as the company works to avoid the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on its business. Apple’s earnings for the first three months of the year topped Wall Street’s expectations thanks to high demand for its iPhones, and the company said tariffs had a limited effect on the fiscal second quarter’s results. Cook added that for the current quarter, assuming things don’t change, Apple expects to see $900 million added to its costs as a result of the tariffs.
Visa is hoping to hand your credit card to an artificial intelligence “agent” that can find and buy clothes, groceries, airplane tickets and other items on your behalf.
Skift Editor-In-Chief Sarah Kopit discusses how summer travel plans remain uncertain for most as many international travelers are leery to travel abroad. Watch!