Ripple's XRP cryptocurrency soaring to new heights this week. Coindesk's Director of Research Nolan Bauerle and Fortune Staff Writer Robert Hackett explain factors driving altcoins up, and Bitcoin down.
"Bitcoin has an enviable problem of being so popular, and such strong brand name that it became hard to access," says Bauerle. "I think when people saw that surge hit in December they said well I'll try something else." Altcoins like Ripple's XRP, Ethereum, and Tron posted significant gains in the first week of 2018.
"Retail investors are gobbling it up," says Hackett on some companies adding the word "Blockchain" to their name. " On Thursday Ripple's co-founder Chris Larsen became one of the wealthiest Americans on paper with his shares of the cryptocurrency growing to more than $59 billion. But Hackett says its important to note these shares are hard to transfer to direct wealth. Even if he were able to cash out all of his fortune, the markets would not handle it well says Hackett.
Kory Kantenga, Head of Economics Americas at LinkedIn, unpacks Friday’s jobs numbers, labor force trends, and signals of a potential economic deal with China.
Bret Kenwell, US Investment Analyst at eToro, joins us to break down tech earnings, what’s driving tech stock momentum, and what investors should watch next.
Citigroup’s Global Chief Economist, Nathan Sheets, breaks down the Fed’s decision to hold rates, Trump’s reaction, and the likelihood of a cut this fall.
Tony Edward discusses Ethereum’s rise, governance of corporate crypto treasuries, the newly signed GENIUS Act, and the pending CLARITY Market Structure Act.
The Ether Machine, led by CEO David Merin, announces a $1.5B SPAC IPO. The firm holds 400K ETH, making it the largest Ethereum treasury holder globally.
President Donald Trump pulled a rabbit out of his trade war hat this week, announcing a trade deal with Japan putting 15% tariffs on most Japanese imports.
