Liz Trump – now there is a scary thought! Liz Truss is the news again – still in denial. Trump is in court and angry. Crypto shills are talking BitCoin higher on the halving and presenting detailed charts on why it’s definitely going to $300k. Madness stalks the Earth.  

Nigeria is under attack by cryptocurrencies, says the Government. The Naira has collapsed as locals flee to Bitcoin and Tether – where “crypto-predators” are scamming them. Is this the future? Could it happen to the dollar market as the global economy de-dollarises, leaving a monetary vacuum? What will it mean for the mighty Treasury market?

Bitcoin has zero fundamental utility. It is cult that was designed and loaded to make its’ “high priests” rich. To understand how it will trade, forget common sense – focus on what it is, who the players are and what is likely to motivate and influence the price. On that basis Buttcon may be a cynical buy – but be prepared to exit early.

“I think there is a world demand for about five computers”

Yesterday IMB announced a new breakthrough in quantum computing. One day Qubits will make crypto obsolete. A new revolution in computing is coming, and it could well be IBM that leads it!

Bitcoin’s recent gains are about as relevant as Liz Truss. But banks, earnings, inflation, rates and investment remain critical. Now shadow banking investment is under threat – which isn’t going to help.

Crypto has fallen 30% through May. The headlines about scams, illegality, and outright theft obscure the key facts; its overly complex, vulnerable and doesn’t actually do anything we can’t already do better. It’s terribly clever, but a pointless, busted bubble.

Some investment banks are picking up cheap Russian assets – which negates the purpose and aims of sanctions, and will simply fuel Putin’s propaganda machine. Meanwhile, Blain’s stupidity index is only down 38% - which shows there are still greater fools out there…

The immediate financial market outlook is risk-off driven by Ukraine, followed by rising fears and concerns about inflation policy mistakes, wondering when to pick the bottom in the tech cycle to buy great ideas, why Boeing should be in jail, and longer-term concerns about where we are going in terms of transition. 

If there is common theme to some of the market’s speculative bubbles its their thin supporting veneers of fake credibility and plausible deniability. Trump’s Social Media empire, Bitcoin and Evergrande – all share a core of fundamental emptiness.

Yesterday’s events across Tech served to remind us it’s a fluid sector where what we believe one day may be false the next, but deep down there is bedrock. Crypto currencies saw a last-chance bubble pop, while Tesla genuinely surprised me by producing solid results – which don’t for one moment change my perspective its fatally overvalued. Meanwhile, the latest China clampdown on listed stocks shocked markets, but reminds us we need to think differently about the wakening Dragon.