CBDC Means Central Bank DIRECT Control (Central Bank Digital Currency Is Frought With Moral Hazard Risks)

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are the digital form of a government-issued currency that isn’t pegged to a physical commodity (in other words, CBDCs are digital FIAT currency). They are similar to cryptocurrencies, except that their value is fixed by the central bank and equivalent to the country’s fiat currency, which is the US Dollar.

The US Federal Reserve has not created a CBDC … yet. Our woefully corrupt El Presidente Jose Biden (more of a Latin American, tinhorn Banana Republic dictator than as US President) has ordered the study of a CBDC. Since everything Biden touches reeks of “boodle” I am suspicious as to Biden’s motives.

There are some positives to a CBDC, mostly with WHOLESALE CBDCs. Wholesale CBDCs are similar to holding reserves in a central bank. The central bank grants an institution an account to deposit funds or use to settle interbank transfers. Central banks can then use monetary policy tools, such as reserve requirements or interest on reserve balances, to influence lending and set interest rates.

It is the RETAIL CBDC that is the cause for concern. Retail CBDCs are government-backed digital currencies used by consumers and businesses. Retail CBDCs eliminate intermediary risk—the risk that private digital currency issuers might become bankrupt and lose customers’ assets.

There are two types of retail CBDCs. They differ in how individual users access and use their currency:5

  • Token-based retail CBDCs are accessible with private keys or public keys or both. This method of validation allows users to execute transactions anonymously.
  • Account-based retail CBDCs require digital identification to access an account.

The real problem with CBDCs is that The Federal Reserve and Federal government can trace EVERY EXPENDITURE of a household. Including political contributions, firearm and ammo purchases, etc. With this much information at their disposal, this allows for DIRECT CONTROL of the population.

Given that we now know that Biden used social media platforms to pass false narratives and repress alternative views, can we trust The Federal Reserve with this much information about consumer spending? Of course not. This is a consolidation of censorship and repression of individual liberties.

Yes, paper and coin currency serve a purpose in society as an alternative to barter. Imagine trying to buy a Ford F-150 Lightning (LMAO!) using barter? Ok, we have a system of credit where you can obtain a car loan. But barter, an old system of exchange, is inefficient. That leaves us with physical currency (certain restaurants only allow payment in cash). But many consumers are using Debit Cards as a substitute for physical cash, so this is a giant step towards RETAIL CBDC already.

Alternatives to the US Dollar? Of course, gold and silver are popular choices historically. Then we have rise of the cryptocurrencie market, which some Congressional members want heavily regulated or banned. Why? First, there are some shady crypto activities (see Sam Bankman-Fried and his shady political contributions to Democrats). Second, cryptos are volatile. Why is this of any interest to Congress? Third, cryptos can be used for illegal activities (but so can cash. Just watch Netflix’s Narcos for the shipment of US Dollars to Columbia in mattresses, etc. No, the goal of some members of Congress is to overregulate or obliterate alternatives to the US Dollar … unless The Federal government does it, like The Fed’s CBDC!

My favorite crypto site is Coinbase where they allow trading in 325 different crypto currencies.

With Biden’s Department of Injustic and several Democrat state Attorney Generals indicting Biden’s top political opponent Donald Trump with the intent of preventing him from campaigning for President (sounds so much like other Totalitarian regimes in history), trust in the Federal government and Federal Reserve are almost nonexistant.

Here is chart of the purchasing power of the US Dollar (blue line) since the creation of The Federal Reserve system and core CPI YoY which is still relatively high at 4.86%. That is over twice The Fed’s target rate of 2%.

I am sure that Billions Biden doesn’t understand moral hazard risk. For him, there is no risk, But for the middle class and lower wage worker class, CBDC represent a clear moral hazard risk, particularly if cash vanishes and Congress tries to ban cryptos.

The face of why so many Americans don’t trust The Fed. Or The Biden Administation.

Or this face, Urban Joe Biden (Stalin was Country Joe).

ECB Official Fabio Labels Crypto As “Deleterious” With “No Societal Benefits” In Scathing Speech (The Fed And ECB Are The Deep State’s Own Printing Presses And Don’t Want Competition!)

Yes, the ECB’s own Fabio … Panetta wants to ban any competition to Central Bank printing presses. Of course, like Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and SEC’s Gary “The Ghoul” Genslar, he wants to protect The Deep State’s monopoly on money printing by banning competition.

According to Fabio Panetta, crypto volatility and aspects of blockchain technology made digital assets only suitable for gambling

Fabio Panetta, an executive board member of the European Central Bank (ECB), has suggested a dark future for cryptocurrencies, in which digital assets may be used for little more than gambling among investors.

In written remarks for a panel at the Bank for International Settlements Annual Conference on June 23, Panetta said crypto’s perception among investors as a “robust store of value” began to dissipate in late 2021 and into 2022, when the total market capitalization fell by more than $1 trillion. According to the ECB official, the “highly volatile” nature of crypto assets made them suitable for gambling, and should be treated as such by global lawmakers.

“Due to their limitations, cryptos have not developed into a form of finance that is innovative and robust, but have instead morphed into one that is deleterious,” said Panetta.

“The crypto ecosystem is riddled with market failures and negative externalities, and it is bound to experience further market disruptions unless proper regulatory safeguards are put in place.”

He added:

“Policymakers should be wary of supporting an industry that has so far produced no societal benefits and is increasingly trying to integrate into the traditional financial system, both to acquire legitimacy as part of that system and to piggyback on it.”

Panetta claimed the “security, scalability and decentralisation” of crypto transactions was “not achievable,” saying the immutability of blockchains is a negative aspect of the space due to transactions often being unable to be reversed. He cited the collapse of FTX, as well as a recent lawsuit brought by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission again Binance, as “fundamental shortcomings” of the ecosystem.

“Crypto enthusiasts would do well to remember that new technology does not make financial risk disappear,” said the ECB official.

“It is like pressing a balloon on one side: it will change in shape until it pops on the other side. And if the balloon is full of hot air, it may rise for a while but will burst in the end.”

Panetta has previously backed parts of the ECB’s plans for a potential digital euro, currently being researched by the central bank.

He has also proposed banning crypto assets with an “excessive ecological footprint” as part of efforts to address risks to the environment.

Panetta is similar to anti-competition Statists like Senator Elizabeth Warren and SEC’s Gary “The Ghoul” Genslar who don’t want competition for The Fed’s massive printing press.

We know that Bitcoin along with Gold and Silver have done well the September 2022 when the US Dollar began to lose value.

Today, we are seeing a slight up-tick in Bitcoin (+0.05%) and Ethereum (+0.60%).

Not this Fabio.

Bitcoin Soars +3.23%, Moving With Gold Since March As Expectations Of Fed Rate Hikes Grow And US Dollar Deteriorates

Fridays are always fun in the market. Bitcoin is up 3.23% as The Fed took a pause yesterday.

Note that bitcoin and gold are moving together since March 2023 as the US Dollar deteriorates. And expectations of Fed rate hikes (yellow dashed line) increases.

On the housing front, the University of Michigan Buying Conditions for Houses rose to 50, far below the 142 level before Covid and Gov’t Gone Wild!!

As least Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria knows better than to trust Creepy Grandpa Joe! Or Pedo Peter as his son Hunter calls him.

Simply Irresponsible! Biden Signs Grossly Irresponsible Debt Ceiling Hike/Budget As Cryptos Demolished (Bitcoin Down -6%)

Simply irresponsible. Biden’s budget that is!

Biden signed the debt ceiling bill craftted by McCarthy (RINO-CA) and Schumer (Communist-NY). Its allows for uncontrolled spending and borrowing for at least 2 years. And as Milton Friedman once said “There is nothing more permanent than a temorary Federal program … or debt limitiations.

With Biden signaling that government has gone wild with no controls on fiscal responsibility (and Elizabeth Warren flailing her arms and screaming for regulations on cryptocurrencies), cryptos today are getting demolished.

China, Japan and the BRICs realize that there are no controls on ANYTHING coming out of Washington DC. Insane spending, an insane Federal Reserve, corrupt DOJ and FBI.

Doctor, doctor (Yellen), we’ve got a bad case of Federal corruption.

Gov’t Gone Wild! Biden Refuses To Cut Bloated Budget, Cory Bush’s $14 TRILLION Reparations Demand (US Dollar DOWN -21% Since Sept 2022 While Bitcoin UP 41%, Gold UP 21%, Silver UP 28%)

This is truly the new version of “Girls Gone Wild!” except this time it is elderly politicians in Washington DC acting like demented children. Biden will not budge on spending cuts with the debt limit soooo close to the point of no return. But Biden may not budge since he has the corporate media spewing hate against Republicans nonstop.

And on top of Biden’s outrageous budget, largely payoffs to progressive groups, Missouri Representative Cori Bush (D-of course) is demanding $14 TRILLION in slave reparations. Or what?? More BLM riots? Even California Governor Gavin “Gruesome” Newsom isn’t stupid enough to approve budgetary disaster like reparations.

But that is where we are in the US. A President who acts like a spoiled 12 year old bully, members of Congress like Cori Bush and AOC who think The Fed can just print trillions MORE and give it to preferred groups. Senator Diane Feinstein (soon to be replaced by a horrible human being in the person of Adam Schiff). John Fetterman, the next Bernie Sanders?? C’mon DC. A true ship of fools. And dangerous ones at that.

So since September 26, 2022, we have seen a fundametal shift in markets. The US Dollar is down -21% since September 26, 2022 while Bitcoin is up 41%, Gold is up 21% and Silver is up 28%.

Biden is sitting pretty, If McCarthy chickens out and agrees to Biden’s outrageous budget, Biden looks like a hero. If Biden defaults, the MSM media will blame McCarthy and Republicans, so Biden wins. No wonder Biden said he isn’t worried about the debt ceiling negotations. He wins no matter what, And we the 99% get screwed.

Doge Coin Versus Venerable Bitcoin, Is The Thrill Gone From Dogecoin? (US CDS 1Y Rises Again On Democrat Failure To Control Budget)

Is the thrill gone from Dogecoin?

In the crazy world of Cryptocurrencies, two “coins” stand out: the venerable Bitcoin and Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer’s Dogecoin (aka Dog Coin based on a Shiba Inu dog.

After a jolt of popularity, likely related to Elon Musk’s tweets, dogecoin has dropped -46.5% since November 1, 2022 while Bitcoin has gained 34% over the same period.

In the highly volatile world of cryptos, XRP is today’s leader at +4.81%. Today’s biggest loser is Polygon at -2.31%. Dogecoin is down almost -1% while Bitcoin is up slightly.

With Washington DC completely out of control (see the Durham report on the attempted coup by Hillary Clinton, Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney, etc., the FBI. CIA and the rest of the Deep State), don’t be surprised if dim bulbs like Liz Warren and AOC try to make alternatives to the US Dollar illegal.

Speaking of DC being out of control, the CDS for the US rose again on the failure of Biden/Yellen/Schumer to agree on a sensible Federal budget.

Silvergate Tumbles After Bank Posts Loss, Fires 40% of Staff (Fed Tightening Making Matters Worse)

Silvergate!

Silvergate Capital Corp. shares plunged after the bank said the crypto industry’s meltdown triggered a run on deposits, prompting the company to sell assets at a steep loss and fire 40% of its staff.

Customers withdrew about $8.1 billion of digital-asset deposits from the bank during the fourth quarter, which forced it to sell securities and related derivatives at a loss of $718 million, according to a statement Thursday. Executives said on a conference call that Silvergate may become a takeover target.

“In response to the rapid changes in the digital asset industry during the fourth quarter, we took commensurate steps to ensure that we were maintaining cash liquidity in order to satisfy potential deposit outflows, and we currently maintain a cash position in excess of our digital asset related deposits,” Chief Executive Officer Alan Lane said in the statement. 

The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX sparked a crisis for Silvergate, which held deposits for FTX units and Alameda Research, the trading firm at the heart of the crypto exchange’s downfall. Lawmakers are also scrutinizing the bank. 

Silvergate plunged 44% to $12.34 at 9:48 a.m. in New York, the steepest decline since the La Jolla, California-based company went public in November 2019. The stock is down 91% in the past 12 months. Signature Bank, which said in December that it intended to shed as much as $10 billion deposits from digital-asset clients, fell 5.8% to $111.05.

Silvergate Capital Corporation operates as a bank holding company. The Company, through its subsidiary Silvergate Bank provides a banking platform for innovators, especially in the digital currency industry, and developing product and service solutions addressing the needs of entrepreneurs. Silvergate Capital serves customers in the United States.

Silvergate once saw the crypto industry as giving it a huge growth opportunity. Over the course of a decade, it transformed itself from a firm catering to small businesses into a publicly traded company known for providing banking services to major crypto clients such as Coinbase Global Inc. and Gemini Trust Co. — as well as FTX and Alameda Research.

At least Solana is on the rise.

Sam Bankman-Fried will go down in history as commiting one of the greatest financial frauds in world history. Why did he have four meetings with Biden’s top staffers prior to FTX’s crash and burn?

Eyes Wide Shut? Sam Bankman-Fried And The Absence Of Risk Management (The Collapse Of Cryptos As The Fed Tightens Fighting Bidenflation)

One of the great ironies of the Sam Bankman-Fried debacle is that while SBF was a generous donor to Democrats (and a few RINOs) and President Biden, it was Biden’s green energy policies that were part of the nail in SBF’s crypto empire. As inflation exploded upon Biden taking office (and massive overspending by Congress), The Federal Reserve jumped in to cool inflation leading to the downfall of cryptos in terms of price.

M2 Money YoY (green line) shows the massive growth money with the Covid economic shutdowns in 2020. Cryptos skyrocketed after that much money was printed by The Fed. Cryptos fell shortly after peaking in April/May 2021, then peaked again in a horrific display of asset volatility in October/November 2021.

What happened in late 2021 to crush cryptos? Ah, expectations of Fed rate increases (red line) started to soar meaning the punchbowl for cryptos was being taken away. The Fed giveth and The Fed taketh away.

The risk management question is … how did SBF and Alameda Research’s Caroline Ellison didn’t notice the relationshop between crypto prices and changing Federal Reserve monetary policy? Even worse, why didn’t investors ask questions??

Take a gander at Bitcoin relative to US diesel fuel prices (orange line) and The Fed’s inflation counterattack (red line). Sam and Sweet Caroline (who was seen walking free in NYC) must not have been monitoring how rapidly rising diesel prices would permeate the entire economy in terms of price increases. M2 Money YoY (green line) has been declining as the expectations of Fed rate tightening (red line) has increased.

SBF donated a huge amount to the midterm elections, the party that went along with Biden’s war on fossil fuels. Then inflation ensued as energy and food prices skyrocketed, leading The Federal Reserve to fight inflation by removing the monetary punchbowl. So, in a sense, SBF donations led to his own collapse.

Apparently, SBF, Caroline Ellison and the other FTXers were engaged in orgies and not paying attention to the impact of inflation and Fed policies on cryptos.

Lastly, how did Gary Genslar and the SEC not see any of this? In the same way that Fed Chair Ben Bernanke didn’t see the financial crisis as it was rapidly unfolding: eyes wide shut.

I read that Nicole Kidman underwent psychiatric treatment after filming “Eyes Wide Shut.” I saw it and was bored out of my mind.

Crypto Bank Silvergate Asked by US Senators to Explain FTX Ties (Where Were The Regulators??)

Always behind the curve, US Senators (Warren, Marshall, Kennedy) want to get to the bottom of Silvergate’s decline and its relationship with Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX. This reminds me of the 2008 financial crisis when The Federal Reserve claimed they never saw it coming. Despite the data.

But back to crypto bank Silvergate.

Crypto bank Silvergate Capital Corp. was asked by three US Senators to release all records about transfers of funds for the collapsed FTX empire of Sam Bankman-Fried. 

“Your bank’s involvement in the transfer of FTX customer funds to Alameda reveals what appears to be an egregious failure of your bank’s responsibility to monitor for and report suspicious financial activity carried out by its clients,” Senators Elizabeth Warren, Roger Marshall and John Kennedy wrote in a letter released Tuesday. “The public is owed a full accounting of the financial activities that may have led to the loss of billions in customer assets, and any role that Silvergate may have played in these losses.”

Shares of the La Jolla, California-based bank fell as much as 8%. The slide extends Silvergate’s losses on the year to more than 84% and has it trading at a fresh 52-week low. Not surprisingly, Silvergates’ stock price is closely linked to cryptocurrency Bitcoin.

The letter cite concerns about the banking services that Silvergate provided to both FTX as well as Bankman-Fried’s trading firm, Alameda Research. It says the arrangement between FTX and Alameda depended on Silvergate’s depository services and puts the bank “at the center of the improper transmission of FTX customer funds.”

“Silvergate’s failure to take adequate notice of this scheme suggests that it may have failed to implement or maintain an effective anti-money laundering program, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act,” the Senators said.

Perhaps Silvergate should be renamed Silverfish. But seriously, no US Senator or DC regulator saw the following chart?? Bitcoin and other cryptos have been clobbered in 2022 as The Fed tightens monetary policy to combat inflation.

Here is our regulator, SEC’s Gary Genslar, keeping an eye on cryto exchanges like FTX.

Maybe US Senators and DC regulators thought Silvergate is a silverfish.

104 Days Later! US 10Y-2Y Yield Curve Remains Inverted For 104 Staight Days, Mortgage Rate Falls As Fed Tightens (Ethereum Rises > 4%)

Yes, The US Treasury 10Y-2Y yield curve remains inverted, for the 104th straight day. And Bankrate’s 30-year mortgage rate has dropped -57 basis points since November 3, 2022.

This comes after a gruesome Pending Home Sales and mortgage applications reports today.

At least Ethereum is up over 4% today!