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.
Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as earnings reporting season got underway and CEOs began to show how well or poorly they’re navigating high inflation and a slowing economy.
Here is a rundown of Cheddar News' top market stories of the day.
Warner Bros. Discovery said it's raising the monthly fee of HBO Max to $16 from $15.
Cassette sales shot up nearly 30% in 2022, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. soundtrack as the top sale.
Barbara A. Friedberg, CEO at Wealth Media joined Cheddar News to discuss I-bonds, which are issued by the government, and how yields are adjusted.
Walmart is partnering with Salesforce to sell delivery technology to retailers.
Home Depot is changing its hourly pay policy after several pay-related lawsuits.
Subway could be gearing up for a sale that could value the company at $10 billion, according to reports.
Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, joined Cheddar News to discuss inflation trends. “I think with strong confidence that peak inflation is behind us, the trend is definitely one towards continued improvement but we've got a long way to go,” he said.
