ASIA: President Trump tweeted today that China has let us (the U.S.) down by not purchasing American agricultural products as promised. This could impact the possibility of an amicable trade agreement. The positive reports indicating progress seem to have no positive end goal. Trump concluded his tweet with “hope they will soon,” a more optimistic […]

ASIA / AUSTRALIA: China responded to the UK’s criticism of its handling of Hong Kong by telling them that they should not interfere in “domestic affairs.” The UK’s Foreign Secretary tweeted full support for the Hong Kong citizens right for a peaceful protest. In addition, he told China that the way good relations are maintained […]

ASIA / AUSTRALIA: Hong Kong repealed their decision to allow extradition to China after thousands went to the streets in protest of the original decision. Prominent activist Joshua Wong has called for the city leader Carrie Lam to step down. Chinese technology giant Huawei has admitted that there has been as much as a 40% […]

QUESTION: Controls v Protectionism If capital controls would be such destructive measure, then China already has in place what one would consider Capital Controls and if they were to lift their control a lot of money will leave China – why is that not destructive: as you mention that the centre of finance will move […]

QUESTION: Hi Martin, I appreciate everything you do to clear away the mist and show what is truly happening in the world. You are one of the few voices of reason out there. In New Zealand, since the mosque shootings in Christchurch, things have become very tense and this is due, in large part, to […]

Asia: China wishes to ban bitcoin mining in an attempt to make the world a safer place – at least that is the positioning according to the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission. While hard to take serious at times, the group releases a report every year announcing what industries it wishes to restrict or […]

  While many believe that the off-exchange trading platforms in Bitcoin bypass fiat central banks, there are developments in the legal world that warn of regulation is headed into the field with a vengeance. There were three important recent actions in federal courts that illustrate the interplay among the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) & […]

QUESTION: Why is Facebook going to issue a cryptocurrency? Doesn’t that confirm the evolutionary path of technology? ND ANSWER: The term “cryptocurrency” is being thrown around very loosely. It is true that there is increasing hype and speculation regarding a theoretical Facebook Coin. However, this is not a “cryptocurrency” it is simply a digital entry […]

Over the centuries, sailors have told legends of monster waves that would appear out of nowhere in the middle of the open sea. Most scientists dismissed the stories as fabrications and legends. These stories were reported over the centuries by sailors who repeatedly saw these rogue waves of gigantic proportions rise up from nothing far above the […]

  Asia: Asian markets were mostly flat today with the exception of the KOSPI index (+1.1%) and the Hang Seng (23 bps decrease). The Chinese Shanghai stock market slipped 10 bps, even with good economic data regarding their trade numbers in January. The concern is still with the US-Chinese trade deal as negotiations continue. The […]