TradeStation President John Bartleman: Cryptocurrency "Here to Stay"
Cryptocurrency has investors in a frenzy, with some swearing by it, and others warning of instability and bubbles. In the pro-crypto camp is John Bartleman, president at digital brokerage firm TradeStation, who believes that digital currency is the future.
“I think this is here to stay, I think we are in the early days, somewhat like the internet in the early 80s, early 90s” he said.
Bitcoin is the top cryptocurrency now, shooting up the charts and, in a matter of weeks, jumping from $8,000 to over $11,000. Some analysts say there’s no reason for the hike, and swear the bubble is about to burst.
JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon, one of the most notable naysayers, says the Bitcoin currency is a fraudulent system, too often used for illicit purposes. Similarly, the CBOE recently announced it will launch Bitcoin futures trading as of December 10th, offering free trading through the month of December. The exchange says the move will provide “transparency, efficient price discovery, deep liquidity, and centralized clearing,” to investors.
Bartleman does agree that there is a lot of fraud as of now, and that the digital currency can see a correction, but he contends that “there’s real value in [crypto].”
“In the next five years, I think we will find ourselves in a place where retail customers will be interactive, trading in different type of crypto companies,” Bartleman said.
Orangetheory Fitness is redefining the future of workouts with smarter tech, strength-based programming, and community-driven studios built for what’s next.
Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
