James Turk Broadcast Interview – Available Now FOR DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO PLAY OR DOWNLOAD AUDIOS: CLICK HEREJames Turk: Founder & Lead Director of Goldmoney, Inc (Toronto Exchange XAU) – In his latest book, MONEY AND LIBERTY, James Turk explains the inextricable link between liberty and politically honest money that only gold can provide. Drawing upon five decadesof experience in international finance, he explains why national currencies and banking today are based on outdated ideas that have become harmful ...

Group 1: Mastercard's Crypto Partner Program - Mastercard's Crypto Partner Program includes over 85 crypto firms and financial institutions to develop blockchain-based payment products on its existing card network, which processes $9 trillion in annual payments across more than 200 countries [2][5][20] - The program aims to integrate crypto firms into Mastercard's ecosystem to counter the rise of stablecoins as alternatives to traditional payment methods [1][20] Group 2: Ripple's Involvement - Ripple is one of the participants in the Crypto Partner Program, focusing on cross-border settlement, which aligns with its long-term strategy around the XRP Ledger [7][8] - The partnership with Mastercard is not exclusive to Ripple, as it includes other major players like Binance, PayPal, and JPMorgan Chase, indicating a broader industry initiative [7][20] Group 3: XRP and Regulatory Considerations - Mastercard's research identifies XRP as a potential "bridge currency" for cross-border payments, but banks are hesitant to use it until it is classified as a digital commodity under U.S. law [6][15][18] - The current pilot program utilizes Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin instead of XRP, limiting direct impact on XRP's price until regulatory clarity is achieved and more transactions shift to the XRP Ledger [10][18][20] Group 4: Market Implications - For XRP's price to benefit from the Mastercard partnership, the use of XRP as a bridge currency in cross-border settlements would need to be established, creating direct buy-and-sell pressure [16][21] - The potential for XRP price movement is contingent on the expansion of the pilot program to multiple card issuers and countries, as the global credit card market processes over $20 trillion annually [19][20]

Core Viewpoint - Mastercard has agreed to acquire BVNK, a London-based stablecoin infrastructure firm, for up to $1.8 billion, marking its largest investment in digital currencies to date [1][2]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition includes $300 million in contingent payments based on BVNK meeting specific performance metrics and is expected to close within the year [1]. - BVNK was founded in 2021 and had a valuation exceeding $750 million as of last year, supporting transactions across all major blockchain networks in over 130 countries [3]. Group 2: Strategic Implications - This acquisition enables Mastercard to connect traditional payment systems with emerging blockchain-based systems, positioning the company to engage with stablecoins and tokenized deposits as they become more widely adopted [2]. - Mastercard's Chief Product Officer indicated that the company anticipates most financial institutions and fintechs will eventually offer digital currency services [2]. Group 3: Market Context - The interest in stablecoin startups has surged following the reelection of President Donald Trump in late 2024, which has led to a more crypto-friendly regulatory environment [3]. - BVNK had also attracted takeover interest from other companies, including Coinbase, highlighting the competitive landscape in the stablecoin sector [4].

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Mastercard has agreed to purchase London-based stablecoin infrastructure startup BVNK for up to $1.8 billion, with $300 million contingent on meeting certain goals, according to a press release from the card company Tuesday. The card network envisions using BVNK, which is connected to most major blockchain networks, to build a bridge between stableco ...

Uncertainty is everywhere. Investors are freaking out. Fear is taking over the market.And people want to understand what's going to happen to their portfolio. Well, yesterday marked the 15th day since the start of the Iran bombings. Well, the United States and our allies have hit a reported 6,000 targets since the start of the conflict.The straighter whum remains closed, and there is no clear end date in sight. Over those 15 days, we have seen most asset prices fall, and investors are trying to make sense o ...

Core Viewpoint - TransAlta Co. is facing financial challenges but maintains a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating from analysts, with a focus on enhancing its position in the digital currency market through strategic partnerships [3][5][6] Financial Performance - The company is expected to report earnings per share (EPS) of $0.05 and projected revenue of approximately $493.4 million for the upcoming quarterly earnings release [1][6] - TransAlta has a negative price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of -29.03, indicating ongoing losses [4][6] - The price-to-sales ratio stands at 2.08, suggesting investors are willing to pay $2.08 for every dollar of sales [4] - The enterprise value to sales ratio is 3.78, reflecting the company's total valuation relative to its sales [4] Debt and Liquidity - The company's debt-to-equity ratio is high at 2.88, indicating a reliance on debt financing [5] - The current ratio is 0.79, suggesting potential liquidity challenges in covering short-term liabilities with current assets [5] Market Position and Analyst Sentiment - TransAlta's subsidiary, CyberScope Web3 Security, has partnered with Circle to enhance stablecoin infrastructure security, which could strengthen its position in the digital currency market [2][6] - The stock has received a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating from eight brokerages, with six analysts recommending buying the stock and two suggesting holding it [3]

Core Viewpoint - The introduction of the digital euro is projected to cost European banks between 4 billion and 6 billion euros over four years, with an initial setup cost of approximately 1.3 billion euros [1][2]. Group 1: Cost Implications - The operational costs for the digital euro are estimated to be around 300 million euros, although it is unclear if this is an annual figure [2]. - The implementation costs for banks represent about 3% of their annual IT system maintenance expenses [2]. Group 2: Benefits for Banks and Merchants - Banks will be able to recover their costs through fees charged to merchants for digital euro services [3]. - The ECB will not charge banks for its network service, allowing banks to avoid deducting costs from merchants' fees that are typically associated with private payment networks [4]. - Merchants will benefit from lower fees on digital euro payments, which will be capped below the current charges from international firms like Mastercard or Visa [5]. Group 3: Regulatory Context - The ECB is awaiting European Union legislation to proceed with the issuance of the digital euro, which aims to enhance the relevance of public money in a digital economy and protect the bloc's monetary sovereignty [2]. - The ECB is in the process of selecting lenders for a pilot phase of the digital euro, with an official launch anticipated in 2029 [4].

Group 1 - BitGo is going public with an IPO that priced above the expected range [1] - The valuation of BitGo is set at $2.1 billion [1]

I think that um right now we are at a decisionmaking point and very close to a recession and I'm worried about something worse than a recession if this isn't handled well. A recession is two negative quarters of GDP and whether it goes slightly there. We always have those things. We have something that's much more profound. We have a breaking down of the monetary order. we are going to change the monetary order because we cannot spend the amounts of money. So we have that problem and when we talk about the ...

Core Viewpoint - OBOOK Holdings Inc. (OwlTing) has rescheduled its earnings conference call to discuss financial results for the first half of 2025, which will take place on December 29, 2025, after U.S. market close [1][2]. Company Overview - OBOOK Holdings Inc. operates as the OwlTing Group, a blockchain technology company headquartered in Taiwan with subsidiaries in multiple countries including the U.S., Japan, Poland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Malaysia [3]. - The company is recognized as one of the top 2 global players in the "Enterprise & B2B" category of the digital currency market map according to CB Insights statistics in 2025 [3]. - OwlTing's mission is to leverage blockchain technology for reliable and transparent data management, aiming to transform the global flow of funds for businesses and consumers [3]. - The company has introduced OwlPay, a hybrid payment solution for Web2 and Web3, to support businesses in the expanding digital currency economy [3].