The first thing to note is that despite the safe-haven characterization of crypto, the asset class itself in March appeared to be closely correlated with traditional public markets. Additionally, there were some notable crypto funds that went insolvent due to unhedged positions, a leverage mismatch or challenges with conducting proper risk management. Similar to December 2017, some funds were so beneath their high-water mark that the fund managers decided to wind down their fund, issue compulsory redemptions and stop activities. On average, crypto hedge funds were down among our clients, but not as much as their traditional counterparts. Both categories …

Mexican cryptocurrency exchange Bitso joined forces with the crowdfunding platform Donadora to launch a crypto-based donation system. The platform will help gather funds to buy food for the most vulnerable families affected by the COVID-19 crisis. According to a report published by El Heraldo de México on May 15, each pantry delivered will be worth 150 Mexican pesos. They will have enough food to feed families of between four and six members for a week. Donation options include both fiat currencies and various cryptos, such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and XRP. Crypto donations gain popularity as a crowdfunding method …

With some countries beginning to lift lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic, many are focusing attention on the technological tools that can help public authorities to comply with the World Health Organization’s guidance for COVID-19 suppression —- “test, trace, isolate.” This mantra has become all the more resonant in light of the apparent failure of multiple states to implement contact-tracing measures successfully early on in the crisis. Amid the belated scramble to develop solutions that can safely enable the resumption of some aspects of social and economic life, the debate over tech-enabled contact tracing and movement-tracking has largely been framed …

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, privacy was already at a premium. Now, we’re facing a further dive into the uncharted territory of pervasive privacy intrusions. Targeted advertising tools in your web browser already track your favorite websites, purchases and habits, and browser privacy is a foregone relic. That data is then centralized under the auspices of a big technology firm’s servers and sold to the highest bidder or leveraged to glean a competitive edge. Governments maintain wide-ranging surveillance on internet communications, and financial privacy is virtually nonexistent for any bank-related activities — encompassing the vast majority of financial transactions. Most people …

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is transforming blockchain companies, and its impact is not always negative for the blockchain industry. Amid the latest coronavirus crisis-fueled changes, China is taking another step toward blockchain adoption to officially recognize industry jobs. China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, or MOHRSS, is the ministry responsible for national labor policies and regulations. Recently, they have added blockchain-related jobs to a list of officially recognized jobs. New occupation types are officially introduced to promote employment amid COVID-19 According to a May 11 statement by the MOHRSS, blockchain-focused professions, like tech developers, engineers, and analysts, are …

The CEO and co-founder of Bitcoin (BTC) investment app Amber, Aleks Svetski, said he thinks the COVID-19 pandemic has bolstered Bitcoin awareness. "COVID was one of the best marketing campaigns for Bitcoin in history," Svetski told Morgan Creek Digital co-founder Anthony Pompliano in a May 13 podcast episode. Coronavirus has caused global uncertainty Since taking center stage as an official pandemic in 2020, governmental coronavirus prevention actions have caused business slowdowns, rising unemployment numbers, and falling markets. The U.S. government has taken several measures to right the sinking economy, including various funding tactics. Svetski pointed back to the smartphone invasion, …

In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Nick Williamson, the chief executive of U.K.-based fintech firm Qadre, argued that blockchain technology can unlock access to capital for small and medium sized enterprises, or SMEs. “With interest rates near zero for the better part of a decade and no end in sight, capital has been desperately searching for returns, but has always overlooked one of the largest sectors of the economy, small and medium sized enterprises,” he stated. “One reason for this is that it's really difficult to invest $10 billion in a diverse portfolio of corner bakeries! It's currently much easier …

Milton Friedman called it the tyranny of the status quo. It is a resistance to change that imprisons us in the moment and blinds us to potential. Yet, despite it all, innovation proves inevitable and change is often thrust upon us, quickly transforming the norm. We subsequently acclimate to the change to which we first resisted and suddenly find that going back is incomprehensible. At times, this transformation happens slowly, other times quickly, but not since the world wars and the Spanish Flu has the world been forced to adapt as quickly as it has in response to the COVID-19 …

One of the persons behind an alleged cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme has once again been denied bail. The accused, John Caruso, continues to be considered an extreme flight risk despite pleading not guilty earlier in 2020. As filed by Judge John Tuchi on May 14, Caruso requested another emergency motion asking to be released from prison, after a similar request was denied in April by Judge Michelle Burns. Caruso’s legal team attempted a COVID-19 defense, arguing that the spread of the virus puts the defendant at risk of infection while he stays in prison. Both of the judges reviewing the motion …

The worst recession since World War Two and its fallout was not the fault of the fiat money system, according to the chairman of the United States Federal Reserve. In a televised address on May 13, Jerome Powell said that for all the damage done to the U.S. and global economy this year, the culprit was coronavirus — not governments or central banks. Powell: “No bubble, no unsustainable boom” “The current downturn is unique in that it is attributable to the virus and the steps taken to limit its fallout,” Powell summarized. This time, high inflation was not a problem; …

Anthony "Pomp" Pompliano, the co-founder of Morgan Creek Digital, argued that the United States government’s response to the COVID-19 lockdown will drive new users to adopt cryptocurrencies. During a discussion with Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao at Consensus: Distributed on May 12, Pomp argued that the uncertainty and fear surrounding the monetary policies introduced to stem the impacts of the economic slowdown will drive ordinary people to seek out hedges against inflation and alternative stores of value. Stimulus will up demand for alternative assets When asked if the coronavirus pandemic is driving more people toward cryptocurrencies, Pompliano stated, “I don’t know …

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the world both economically and socially, serving to aggravate political tensions while driving nationalist protectionism. Despite the full extent of the pandemic being not yet fully known, COVID-19 has reignited a conversation among media and academia regarding the fate of neoliberalism and globalization. If we were to extrapolate based on recent data, it would appear that de-globalization is accelerating. Major indicators of globalization, such as global trade and foreign direct investments, started plateauing a decade ago. Facing challenges of diminishing returns and an ever-widening wealth gap, various developed democracies seem to …