' Hey, Linas here! Welcome back to a ' weekly free edition ' of my daily newsletter. Each day, I focus on 3 stories that are making a difference in the financial technology space. Coupled with things worth watching & most important money movements, it's the only newsletter you need for all things when Finance meets Tech. Circle's explosive IPO debut signals new era for stablecoins in public markets '' [quick recap of the IPO performance and what it indicates + bonus dives into Circle's intensifying competition & the ultimate list of 110+ real-world stablecoin use cases] Digital Banking's Crown Jewel: Monzo's 2025 Annual Report Shows Exceptional Unit Economics and Market Leadership '' [breaking down the key numbers, what they mean & why you should be bullish on Monzo + bonus deep dives into its competitors Revolut & Starling] Wise's New York migration indicates deepening crisis for London's capital markets ''' [London's growing challenges, what it means for the future of Wise & FinTech per se + bonus deep dive into Wise & why you aren't bullish on them enough]...
Good morning & happy Wednesday! Today we're looking into two financial technology giants - Revolut, which is now building a crypto derivatives platform (what it's all about & why it matters + bonus deep dives into Revolut & more), and PayPal that just expanded its physical payments footprint with a new credit card (why it matters & what to expect next + bonus deep dive into PayPal & co). So let's just jump straight into the good stuff '' The news '' FinTech giant Revolut is positioning itself for a significant expansion into cryptocurrency derivatives trading, according to recent job postings that reveal ambitious plans to build an entirely new business vertical from the ground up....
Happy Monday & greetings from sunny Las Vegas! '' Today's issue is all about crypto as we're going to look into record activity and infrastructure advances that mark the industry's maturity (breaking down the latest state of crypto report from a16z, focusing on key insights & what's next), and Bitstamp which just secured a landmark EU crypto derivatives license (what it means for both Bitstamp & Robinhood, and what can we expect next). Let's just jump straight into the good stuff ''...
These price decreases come at a bad time. As key inputs to energy transitions, military technologies and consumer electronics, demand for various critical minerals is expected to range from doubling to quadruple by 2040, and forecasts indicate a potential supply deficit as soon as 2028. Given the long lead times to develop new supply sources, investments in mining these minerals must begin now. Yet, in the face of low prices, the mining industry is delaying projects, scaling back work and suspending operations. For these minerals, emerging futures and options markets ' collectively known as derivatives ' present a promising avenue to increase pricing transparency and stability by increasing liquidity. Contracts in metals markets traditionally can go three to five years forward. These contracts, therefore, provide visibility on sellers' profits and buyers' costs, enabling them to plan for the future. Although not without some detractors, research has suggested that deep derivatives markets, i.e. those with many active participants and significant trading volume, can reduce pricing volatility due to increased liquidity, enhanced risk management capabilities and improved mechanisms for price discovery....
