Financials
Defectum ad carpe diem: the failure of Meta’s initial Crypto venture
Meta Platforms Inc. has been at the centrepiece of discussion for FinTech and Crypto since it announced rebranding in October 2021. The potential and excitement surrounding the Metaverse have spilt over to many large names such as Disney, Adidas and even JP Morgan, all exploring the possibilities of the Metaverse. Metaverse Cryptocurrencies have also received…
Read MoreProof of work vs Proof of stake
In an already wholly digitized world, it seems inevitable that cryptocurrency will soon be used universally. However, development is still required for such a tectonic shift due to the current environmental impact of this technology. On 12th May 2021, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, expressed his concerns on Twitter regarding the “rapidly increasing use of…
Read MoreLooking for Unicorns? Go to Africa.
Fintech unicorns, a unicorn company is a start-up with a valuation of over 1 billion USD, have doubled this year in Africa which highlight the positive trajectory of the financial technology market. Due to an increased need for virtual banking in the pandemic, fintech firms have become more valuable in Africa and consequently increasing investments…
Read MoreThe Sandbox: Metaverse’s Future Playground
On the 28th of October, Facebook Inc. announced its official rebranding to Meta Platforms Inc. This was accompanied by the plans of a Metaverse – a digital reality, combining aspects from the likes of augmented and virtual reality, along with areas of social media and gaming to allow users to interact virtually (similar to the…
Read MoreMemecoins: a harmless joke or something far more sinister?
On 6th December 2013, Dogecoin was launched as a proof of work cryptocurrency, based upon the existing protocols of Litecoin and Luckycoin. Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer created Dogecoin as a joke, based around the popular internet Shiba Inu meme. Generally, it has stayed that way since its launch: a joke within the market as…
Read MoreWhat did the Bank of England’s recent interest rate decision mean for the bond markets?
On 4th November, the Bank of England (BOE) announced that its base interest rate will remain at 0.1%. This was a surprise to investors as policymakers had made statements that suggested a contractionary monetary policy would be adopted instead. The impact of the Bank of England’s decision was noticeable in bond markets both domestically and…
Read MoreThe Big Bang 2.0
Under Margaret Thatcher’s government in the mid 1980s, the City of London underwent a wave of financial deregulation, including the abolition of fixed commission charges and the movement to an entirely electronic system of share trading. 35 years later, in early 2021, a report conducted by Lord Jonathan Hill and commissioned by the UK Chancellor…
Read MoreDeliveroo’s IPO intentions
On March 15th, 2021, Deliveroo confirmed its intention to undertake an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). With the last round of private funding providing a valuation of over 5 billion GBP, and rumours of a 7 billion GBP valuation target, the transaction has the potential to become one of the…
Read MoreAn analysis of Government plans to partially underwrite 95% mortgages
On the 6th October 2020, the Prime Minister verbally proposed plans to enable 95% mortgages for first time buyers. Later, in the 2021 budget, this appeared in writing: “A new mortgage guarantee scheme will enable all UK homebuyers to secure a mortgage up to £600,000 with a 5% deposit”. This marks a 50% decrease from…
Read MoreThe Greensill Saga
Greensill Capital, a provider of working capital finance, is on the verge of insolvency after 10 billion USD of funding from Credit Suisse was frozen on Monday 1st March. With impacts on financial markets ranging from Switzerland to Australia, Greensill offers an insight into the interconnectedness of global financial markets. With the saga being far…
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