Sam Bankman-Fried’s Supersized Bet: $1 Billion for a Bitcoin Miner on the Kazakh Steppe
Sam Bankman-Fried’s Supersized Bet: $1 Billion for a Bitcoin Miner on the Kazakh Steppe
Money/Currency Markets
Caroline Ellison says she’s ‘truly sorry for what I did,’ as she pleads guilty
Caroline Ellison has apologized for stealing billions in customer deposits at crypto exchange platform FTX to make bets at Alameda Research, the hedge fund she ran. “‘I am truly sorry for what I did.’” — Caroline Ellison, former head of Alameda Research Ellison made her comments in front of a judge in New York federal … Read more
The Crypto Ice Age Is Here. It Could Get Even Worse.
For crypto investors, the only thing to celebrate about 2022 is that it is almost over. The industry is fighting for its life amid a cascade of scandals, bankruptcies, and fury in Washington over its freewheeling, if not fraudulent, ways. Bitcoin has lost 67% since late 2021. The token market is down by $2 trillion … Read more
FTX fiasco one of the most egregious cases of ‘gross negligence,’ says Ackman
Hedge-fund titan Bill Ackman appears to be walking back comments he made via Twitter last week about Sam Bankman-Fried that some interpreted as implicit support for the 30-something who presided over one of the most epic bankruptcies in financial markets in recent memory. Last week, Ackman tweeted that Bankman-Fried’s statements made during a widely watched … Read more
FTX bankruptcy is ‘somebody running a company that’s just dumb-as-f—ing greedy,’ says Mark Cuban
Billionaire tech entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has offered his perspective on the implosion of crypto platform FTX late this week. “‘That’s somebody running a company that’s just dumb-as-fucking greedy.’” — Mark Cuban Cuban, speaking on Friday at a conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by Sports Business Journal, shared the view that avarice … Read more
FTX collapse nothing like Theranos, says Tim Draper
Tim Draper, founder and managing partner of Draper Associates and Draper University, balked at comparing the stunning implosion of crypto trading platform FTX to the notorious biotech startup Theranos, in a conversation with MarketWatch. “It’s not like Theranos,” he said. In a Friday phone interview, Draper said he hadn’t been aware of anyone genuinely comparing … Read more
Another jumbo Fed rate hike is expected this week — and then life gets difficult for Powell
First the easy part. Economists widely expect Federal Reserve monetary-policy makers to approve a fourth straight jumbo interest-rate rise at its meeting this week. A hike of three-quarters of a percentage point would bring the central bank’s benchmark rate to a level of 3.75%- 4%. “The November decision is a lock. Well, I would be … Read more
Tumbling Markets Imperil Tech, the Dollar, and Private Equity
Text size Japan has had to intervene to support the sliding yen for the first time since 1998, even as it tries to keep its interest rates low. Akio Kon/Bloomberg The world has been hooked on cheap money for years. Now we’re witnessing what withdrawal looks like. Lifting interest rates from nil has produced a … Read more
The Other Doomsday Scenario Looming Over Markets
By James Mackintosh Sept. 3, 2022 10:00 am ET Listen to article (2 minutes) Think inflation is the biggest threat to your investments? Perhaps not: One fund manager that successfully navigated the past two major stock crashes is bracing for an awful end to the year because it fears the Federal Reserve’s quiet exit from … Read more
Warren Buffett Has Been Buying T-Bills. Here’s Why That’s a Smart Strategy.
Elias Stein Text size Warren Buffett parks most of Berkshire Hathaway ’s cash in ultrasafe U.S. Treasury bills, and individual investors may want to consider following Buffett’s lead now that the yields are as high as 3%. Treasury bills, which are U.S. government securities maturing in less than a year, are a good alternative to … Read more