In the end, buying him a picture of a blue cartoon cat didn’t cost millions. But it was much more expensive than I expected. Because? Rates. Rates for buying cryptocurrency ether, transferring it to my cryptocurrency wallet, and executing a purchase, which included a mining deployment for network congestion.
For the sake of my father, I will continue to be a mother as much as I finally spent. I will say that since the rates cost more than the NFT itself, it was more than I would normally recommend to unwind to laugh quickly.
Since I spend most of my time writing about finance, the episode also made me wonder: between volatility and high transaction costs, do cryptocurrencies really have a future as a widespread means of spending?
But even after tackling the additional costs, the massive build-up in the prices of popular cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether can make people hesitate to part with them.
“I don’t think people look at it from an spending perspective. People see it as an investment yet,” Eleesa Dadiani, an London-based art dealer and cryptocurrency broker, told me.
“Why do you want to spend an appreciable asset on a depreciating product? It makes no sense,” he said.
Bill Zielke, the head of marketing at BitPay, which executes cryptographic transactions between businesses and consumers, accepts that commissions remain a barrier. But there are many innovations that could solve these problems, he said.
“I think the industry is very aware that tariffs need to be addressed so that we continue to grow,” Zielke told me.
As for volatility, Zielke points out that customers can hedge their bets by holding several cryptocurrencies or liquidating part of their portfolio at an appropriate time.
He acknowledged that there are still many people in the crypto community who want to contain their currencies (or HODL, in the language of the industry) while increasing their value.
But as bitcoin, ether and even dogecoin gain strength, Zielke said there has been a growing interest in translating profits into luxury shopping, from boats and watches to houses and planes. This makes him optimistic about the future.
“As consumers continue to use HODL and that balance continues to grow, at some point … they will take advantage of it and spend it,” he said. “And we want to be there.”
Human rights clashes complicate business in China
Tensions over Xinjiang, where US, EU and UK authorities have accused the Chinese government of cracking down on Uighurs and other minority groups through forced labor, mass detention and sterilization, have captured a growing number of businesses and trade relations. in recent months, my company CNN. report companions Jill Disis and Selina Wang.
Beijing has vehemently denied all allegations and claims its camps in the region are “vocational training centers” designed to combat terrorism and religious extremism.
But late last month, a major investment agreement between the European Union and China was called into question after officials shifted sanctions against Xinjiang.
“We are working together with our colleagues in China to do our best to manage the current challenges and find a way forward,” H&M said in a statement on Wednesday.
Beijing has made it clear that multinational corporations must follow their rules if they want to operate in the country and gaining the favor can demand anything from compliance with restrictive regulations to saying a few good words about China. Many companies have traditionally been willing to play it safe, given the appeal of the giant economy as a market for everything from cars and clothes to movies and luxury items.
But the escalating political recovery may make some of these relationships unsustainable, especially when lawmakers and investors step up pressure on Western companies to examine their supply chains for evidence of human rights abuses.
“These companies are only compressed in the center and there is no magic answer,” said James McGregor, president of China’s division, APCO Worldwide. Read the full story here.
Until next time
Monday: ISM Manufacturing Index
Tuesday: Political decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia; Economic perspectives of the International Monetary Fund
Friday: China inflation data; US producer price index