Economy
Bitcoin ATMs are coming to a gas station near you
A new feature has appeared at smoke shops in Montana, gas stations in the Carolinas and delis in far-flung corners of New York City: a brightly-lit bitcoin ATM, where customers can buy or sell digital currency, and sometimes extract hard cash.
The machines have multiplied quickly through the United States over the past year, fueled by a frenzy in crypto trading that sent bitcoin prices over $58,000.
GME Plunges, Drags Entire Market With It
Echoing last week’s chaos, GME shares just puked… and were immediately bid back, on absolutely no news…
The New Stimulus Payments Aren’t Protected From Debt Collectors
Debt collectors can take away some of the $1,400 coronavirus relief payments Congress approved last week as part of the American Rescue Plan.
The $600 payments that Congress approved in December were protected from garnishment ― but the special rules that Democrats used to pass the latest bill did not allow them to include the protections this time, according to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Oil and Gas Firms Are Saddling States With Billions in Cleanup Costs
When an oil or gas well reaches the end of its lifespan, it must be plugged. If it isn’t, the well might leak toxic chemicals into groundwater and spew methane, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants into the atmosphere for years on end.
But plugging a well is no simple task: Cement must be pumped down into it to block the opening, and the tubes connecting it to tanks or pipelines must be removed, along with all the other onsite equipment. Then the top of the well has to be chopped off near the surface and plugged again, and the area around the rig must be cleaned up.
Wells Fargo, Chase criticized over timing of third stimulus check delivery
Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase told customers they may not receive the third round of stimulus checks until at least Wednesday, drawing ire from some Americans who were hoping to see the money arrive sooner.
Millions of Americans are poised to receive direct cash payments worth up to $1,400 after President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan last week, injecting another $1.9 trillion into the nation’s pandemic-battered economy. Although the Internal Revenue Service has said the official payment date for the money is March 17, it has already started distributing the money.
France And Germany Pause Use Of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine
France, Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland have joined a number of other European nations in temporarily suspending administration of a COVID-19 vaccine made by AstraZeneca after reports of abnormal blood clotting in several people.
Germany’s health minister Jens Spahn announced Monday that the country would suspend administering the AstraZeneca vaccine. Spahn said it was a precautionary measure following the recommendation of the Paul Erlich Institute, an agency of the health ministry.
Elon Musk Sells Techno Song About NFTs — As An NFT
The announcement comes weeks after Musk ‘s girlfriend, Claire Boucher (aka Grimes) sold $5.8 million in NFT art in under 20 minutes, which was followed by a $69.3 million sale by crypto artist Mike Winkelmann (aka Beeple) at Christie’s.
What exactly are NFTs? As we detailed previously, to the extent that Decentralized Finance is an attempt at re-wiring the financial machine of our abstract asset class markets, NFTs (“non fungible tokens”) and the crypto art movement is an attempt at re-wiring the financial attributes that connect to media and digital objects. To try and explain the rationale behind NFTs, we wrote the following.
Bloomberg Wealth: What You Need to Know About Bitcoin Now
There comes a point in nearly every financial conversation these days when someone drops the “B” word.
Bitcoin, that is.
Maybe it’s pandemic boredom. Maybe it’s the fact that every billionaire out there wants us to know whether they hate it or love it. In any case, the cryptocurrency has been on — hmm, let’s say an… interesting… ride — over the past few weeks. So I thought I’d write you a primer on the latest. That way you’ll be ready with some (new) talking points the next time one of your friends brings up Bitcoin.
Energy
Oil Is Tumbling Amid Oversupply Fears
Despite optimism from Chinese data overnight, forecasts for lower OPEC+ output, and a weaker dollar, oil prices are tumbling this morning with WTI back below $64.50…
Some have suggested the drop is due to investors also considering the potential impact of higher taxes and how that could affect corporate profit growth. President Joe Biden is planning the first major federal tax hike since 1993 to help pay for a long-term economic program, according to people familiar with the matter. The White House is expected to propose a suite of tax increases, mostly mirroring Biden’s 2020 campaign proposals, according to four people familiar with the discussions.
Gold & Silver
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The post Daily Digest 3/15 – Bitcoin ATMs are coming to a gas station near you, Oil Is Tumbling Amid Oversupply Fears appeared first on Peak Prosperity.
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