The SEC continues its gradually more visible presence in digital finance and today suspended trading in an obscure digital currency company whose shares surged more than 17,000 percent in less than three months, making paper billionaires out of top executives. As … Continue Reading
WTO releases new database for regional accords
The World Trade Organization recently released a new database on Regional Trade Agreement, which includes an expanded list of topics and provisions that can be searched across all RTAs. There is also an interactive graph and a preferential tariff search tool. … Continue Reading
My (Really Interesting) Interview with Paypal CEO Dan Schulman
I had the great pleasure of recently interviewing PayPal CEO Daniel Schulman on the future of commerce, fintech, and financial inclusion on Capitol Hill as part of IIEL’s expanding Fintech programming. As the head of the world’s leading online payments … Continue Reading
US Trade Representative Offers Sharp Critique of WTO in Argentina
As has now been reported, the US trade representative levied a critique against the body largely focusing largely on three themes: First, that some wealthy emerging countries are masquerading as “developing”—and in the process avoiding implementing their WTO commitments Second, … Continue Reading
Coinbase becomes most downloaded in Apple’s App Store (and credit is really helping fuel bitcoin speculation)
The FT reports that Coinbase, an online bitcoin trading service, became the most-downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store over the weekend. Combined with the fact that trading on at least one exchange (in Tokyo) is being fueled in part … Continue Reading
Bitcoin futures trading goes live on Sunday. Here are a couple of things to watch for.
The trading of bitcoin futures is scheduled to go live next week on the Cboe, and later in the month, on the CME. As bitcoin hits mainstream markets, some folks are expecting major questions about its ultimate viability as a … Continue Reading
The Plot Thickens on the Future of Bitcoin Futures
Much ado has been made by the CME’s decision to list bitcoin futures—and the acceptance and support voiced by the CFTC in move. But not everyone is happy. Not only has the ICE chosen not to list Bitcoin futures products, … Continue Reading
Odds of terminating NAFTA “50/50”–and Mexico open to “user fee”
Mexico’s ambassador to the U.S. has declared that the odds of renegotiating NAFTA as standing at “about 50-50” odds. His remarks come on the heels of five rounds of talks aimed at modernizing the accord. The story can be found … Continue Reading
U.S. SEC institutes first ICO charges
Following their initial warnings about ICOs and the still significant reach of the US securities laws, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against two organizers of a $15 million initial coin offering (ICO). According to reports: Two … Continue Reading
The unintended consequences of “expensing of equipment” under the Senate tax bill
The Senate passed its tax bill recently, and well, there have been plenty of responses, most negative. One relatively overlooked provision involves what accountants describe as the expensing of equipment and qualified property. As a colleague recently explained to me, … Continue Reading