Markets

It's that time of year, friends, when we look to the best and brightest across the many sectors of financial technology and digital wealth to share their prognostications for what the New Year may hold in 2022.

This week will be the two month "birthday" of the launch of a Bitcoin ETF. Well, actually on the 18th to be precise (the Pro Shares Bitcoin ETF launched October 18th). And, actually, the ETF holds only futures not actual spot Bitcoin. AND, actually actually, it's not going well. To be fair, it has not been a good two months for the actual "physical" spot Bitcoin either. But a futures based ETF will always underperform a product that directly holds physical assets. Thank you, SEC.

Nothing is too big to fail. Not businesses, not people, empires or even countries. Sometimes it's a slow "death," sometimes its quick and messy and sometimes its a combination of those two.

There seems to be a race on to see which city is the real "Crypto City", which of course means that city would be the coolest and most "cryptonized." Miami and its Mayor, Francis X. Suarez, kicked things off a while back when the city launched "MiamiCoin" and the mayor offered to take his salary in Bitcoin. Not to be outdone, New York City mayor-elect Eric Adams endorsed the NYCCoin (New York City Coin), offered to take his first three paychecks in Bitcoin AND declared “NYC is going to be the center of the cryptocurrency industry."

The first "radical" step in adopting a new currency took place just a few months ago when the country of El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender. People may not remember but in January 2001, the very same El Salvador gave up control of its monetary policy, abandoned the fixed exchange rate and "dollarized" the economy, thus making the U.S. currency in El Salvador legal tender.

Digital Wealth News is pleased to bring you a very special AND EXCLUSIVE interview this week with noted blockchain entrepreneur, T. Gobble of FinTurk Farms.

Keep in mind that these newly listed Bitcoin ETFs do NOT actually hold Bitcoin, but rather Bitcoin FUTURES, and specifically, futures traded on the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) which settle monthly in cash. In other words, these new ETFs will never actually hold Bitcoins. How will this affect Bitcoin trading, settlement and, most importantly, how the ETFs will trade? Again, who knows. Its a brand new world.

always chasing cars actually caught one. Well the "dog" (ProShares) just caught its coveted Bitcoin ETF, sort of. It's a Bitcoin FUTURES ETF. Big difference. But, at least at long last, the SEC finally approved a Bitcoin "flavored" Exchange Traded Fund, well then, yippee!

Gold retires. Yes, it's true. After 5,000 years of impeccable service to global monetary development and stability, Gold announced its retirement. The world is grateful.

Just when you think there could not possibly be anything left to politicize along comes a new entrant. Crypto. How might potential voters view legalizing crypto for payments? Would Republicans or Democrats be more inclined to accept crypto as legal tender? Where do they live? Red state? Blue sate? How would they vote? If you are contemplating running for political office you need (?) to know, right? Well let's dig in.