Bankrupt FTX Hit by Mysterious Outflow of About $662 Million (Yellen Calls For Regulation But Ignores Obvious Inflation and Debt Crisis) At Least Dogecoin Is Up Today

Sam Bankman-Fried’s bankrupt digital-asset exchange FTX was hit by a mysterious outflow of about $662 million in tokens in the past 24 hours, the latest twist in one of the darkest periods for the crypto industry.

Customers still coming to terms with the platform’s Friday plunge into Chapter 11 proceedings were subsequently confronted with what the general counsel of its US arm, Ryne Miller, described as “abnormalities with wallet movements.”

Miller said on Twitter that FTX had begun moving digital assets into cold storage — wallets that are unconnected to the internet — following its bankruptcy filing on Friday. The process was later expedited “to mitigate damage upon observing unauthorized transactions.”

Blockchain analytics firm Nansen, which gave the overall estimate of $662 million in withdrawals, said the coins flowed out of both FTX’s international and US exchanges. A separate analysis by Elliptic stated that initial indications showed almost $475 million had been stolen from the exchange in illicit transactions, with the stablecoins and other tokens that were taken being rapidly converted to Ether on decentralized exchanges — “a common technique used by hackers in order to prevent their haul being seized.”

And like that, O’Biden’s Treasury secretary Janet Yellen FTX Debacle said that it shows need for crypto regulation. Or Yellen could suggest a “buyer beware” tactic, but she is part of the most aggressively regulatory administration in history, MORE regulation is needed! /sarc

Regulate, regulate, dance to THEIR music!

At least Yellen is noticing Bankman-Fried (a new twist on Kentucky-Fried) and FTX since she is seemingly oblivious to the harm being done by The Federal Reserve and The Federal government with regards to inflation and debt growth. She is a Bird of War.

Like this chart of the Purchasing Power of the US Dollar CPI. Janet?

Or how about this chart of US Public Debt Outstanding and Real GDP growth per capita? The Fed and Federal government broke the bank, so to speak, by bailing out the banks in the financial crisis (pink box) and then again for the Covid crisis (orange box). Janet?

Damn it, Janet. Why don’t you discuss the Medicare and Social Security crisis (remember Joe Biden said Republicans may try to fix it which Biden turned into a nasty attack claiming that Republicans were going to take away your Social Security).

Lastly, the US has $172.6 TRILLION in unfunded Federal promises. Janet? A least FLA Senator Rick Scott tried to address the problems with Social Security, but Nasty Joe Biden “yelled Republicans are going to take away your Social Security!” I argue that O’Biden, Yellen and Democrats are going to let SS blow-up rather than take on politically challenging issues. Social Security liability is $22.23 trillion yet O’Biden just promised $500 billion per year to third-world countries and keeps sending billions to Ukraine. Janet?

On the crypto side (that Yellin’ Yellen wants to regulate), at least Dogecoin is up 10.37%.

They call Yellen “The Breeze” because she breezes by the hard decisions and focuses on the easy problems like calling for regulation of cryptos.

Perhaps Sam Bankman-Fried could be ordered to do KFC ads as “The Colonel.”

US Mortgage Rates At 7.32%, Up 154% Under Biden (As Fed Fights Soaring Bidenflation)

Biden’s magic trick was to turn the economy into a train wreck.

Example? The 30-year mortgage rate was 2.88% on Biden’s inauguration day (January 20, 2021). They are now 7.32%, a 154% increase under Biden.

The US economy is suffering from knucklehead energy policies, reckless Federal spending and rampant inflation.

Here is Joe Biden doing economic magic tricks, turning a vibrant economy into an inflation-ravaged one.

And why I won’t watch of subscribe to Peacock.

Double Whammy! Mortgage Holders Lose $1.3 Trillion in Equity in Q3 As Price Correction Continues (Nationally, Homes Shed 2.6% of Value Over Past Three Months As Treasury Yield Curve Remains DEEPLY Inverted)

Yes, this is an economic double whammy!

First, according to Black Knight, US home values declined -2.6% over the past three months.

Second, the US Treasury 10Y-2Y yield curve remains near 1980s low.

There is a third whammy, rising utility costs (highest in a decade).

Yes, its a double whammy!

The US Midterm Election In One Chart (Hint: Republicans Favored As Inflation Soars, Biden Unpopular On Kitchen Table Issues)

Here is the US midterm election in one chart.

According to Real Clear Politics, the generic Republican polling data FAVORABLE (red line) is at 47.9% while Democrat polling data favorable polling data (yellow line) is at 45.4%, advantage Republicans.

Biden has been a disaster as President (energy mandates, Afghanistan debacle, endless funding of Ukraine, highest inflation in 40 years, and every time he opens his mouth. But it is the “kitchen table” issues where Biden is getting clobbered: inflation, rising gas, food and diesel prices. One Democrat Congressman, Sean Patrick Maloney, said “Let them eat Chef Boyradee.” I can’t believe how tone deaf some politicians can be.

Biden’s UNFAVORABLE polling numbers (orange line) are directly related to the US headline inflation rate. Inflation was 1.4% YoY when Biden became President and it is now 8.2% YoY (blue line).

And I don’t think Biden’s hateful rhetoric toward “MAGA Republicans” is helping him. I thought his set looked like the movie “Doom” with Duane “The Rock” Johnson and Karl Urban.

Next US Inflation Report After Midterm Elections Likely To Remain High (Projection For Headline Inflation = 7.9%, Core Inflation = 6.5%) As Diesel Prices UP 102% Under Biden And Inflation UP 486%

The US midterm elections are Tuesday. I was denied an absentee ballot for some reason, but I will get my disabled body over to the local precinct to cast my ballot.

Fortunately for Democrats, the next inflation report is not due out until November 10th. Because the forecast for the next inflation report is ugly.

Headline CPI YoY = 7.9%

Core CPI YoY = 6.5%

These numbers are slightly lower than the last inflation report, but Americans are still suffering mightily under Biden’s Reign of Error.

Diesel fuel prices, the lifeline of the food industry, is up 102% under Biden’s mandates with the inventory of diesel fuel down 36%.

Inflation is relentless like Jason from Halloween.

Inflation is UP 486% under Inflation Joe, The Bully of DC.

I am going for a few Tequila shots on Wednesday.

How Biden And The Fed Defanged The FANG Index And Clobbered Growth And Real Estate ETFs (Cousin Eddie And Clark Griswold Strike Again!)

There is no doubt that Biden is the Cousin Eddie of politics with his gifts that keep on giving. Like rampant inflation, soaring food, gasoline and diesel prices, and Pelosi/Schumer’s helping hand in creating price controls that will kill potential cures for illnesses.

In addition to rampant 40-year highs in inflation, we have the Clark Griswold of the economy, Fed Chair Jerome Powell, slamming his foot on the economic breaks to combat inflation created by Biden’s energy mandates and reckless Federal spending (like the aforementioned, laughable “Inflation Reduction Act.”

So, Biden helps creates massive inflation and Powell and the Gang counterattacked by raising their target rate with more to come (at least until May 2023). And with the implied Fed Funds rate soaring (red line), we are seeing the FANG stocks (Facebook or Meta, Amazon, Netflix and Google) falling more rapidly (white line) than the S&P 500 index. Which is also falling like a rock (yellow line). All this is happening as M2 Money YoY crashes and burns.

How about growth versus value under Cousin Eddie and Clark Griswold? The Vanguard Growth ETF and Vanguard Real Estate ETF are plunging with Fed tightening (red line). Vanguard’s Value ETV (yellow line) is down too, but not by as much.

Yes, Washington DC elites. The gift that keeps on giving … bad things.

Thanks to my former GMU student Andrew Edwards for the Cousin Eddie suggestion!

US Mortgage Rate Hits 7.35% As Fed Combats Bidenflation (Mortgage Rates UP 155% Under Inflation Joe!)

The mortgage market is really hurting under the stewardship of “Inflation Joe” Biden.

Bankrate’s 30yr mortgage rate hit 7.35% yesterday, up 155% under Biden.

Here is a photo of Inflation Joe taking aim at the mortgage industry and housing market.

US REAL 30yr Mortgage Rates Finally Turn Positive (0.32%) While REAL 10yr Treasury Yields Remain Negative (-2.50%)

It has been a wild and mostly negative ride under Biden’s Reign of Error. 40-year highs in inflation (caused by Biden’s fossil fuel mandates and Federal spending) have left the US mortgage market FINALLY seeing positive REAL mortgage rates (now 0.32%), even though the REAL 10yr Treasury yield is still negative (-2.50%).

Terminal Velocity? Bank of England Raises Rates By 75 Basis Points, Biggest Hike in 33 Years (Follows US Fed Is Tightening, But Fed Still Slow To Shrink Balance Sheet As M2 Money Growth Collapses)

The Bank of England followed the Fed’s 75 basis-point increase with an equivalent hike on Thursday, but strongly pushed back against market expectations for the scale of future increases, warning that following that path would induce a two-year recession. The pound fell 1.8% to $1.1183.

Stocks and bonds fell as Jerome Powell’s warning that the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates more than previously anticipated sapped risk appetite. The dollar gained.

Futures on the S&P 500 fell 1% in the wake of Wednesday’s 2.5% drop. The selloff spread to Europe and Asia, where China’s affirmation of its Covid-Zero stance dashed hopes of a reopening. Lumen Technologies Inc., Peloton Interactive Inc., Moderna Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. tumbled in premarket trading, while Etsy Inc. and EBay Inc. rose.

So, the BofE, Fed and ECB are back to 2008/2009 era central bank rates.

But the US Fed is slow to shrink its enormous balance sheet.

What happened to terminal rates in the US?

And M2 Money velocity (GDP/M2) seems terminal.

Powell’d! S&P 500 Index Drops -2.35% On Failure Of Fed Pivot (“Very Premature To Be Thinking About Pausing)

Markets are getting stranger than the Paul Pelosi hammer attack.

The S&P 500 index tanked -2.35% after Powell and The Fed failed to pivot.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell opened a new phase in his campaign to regain control of inflation, saying US interest rates will go higher than previously projected, but the path may soon involve smaller hikes.

Addressing reporters Wednesday after the Fed raised rates by 75 basis points for the fourth time in a row, Powell said “incoming data since our last meeting suggests that ultimate level of interest rates will be higher than previously expected.”

Powell said is it would be appropriate to slow the pace of increases “as soon as the next meeting or the one after that. No decision has been made,” he said, while stressing that “we still have some ways” before rates were tight enough.

“It is very premature to be thinking about pausing,” he said.

Fed Funds Futures data point now to a June peak in the target rate of 5.055%, then a decline.