Market Mad House

In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. Friedrich Nietzsche

P2P

Opportunities

Nine Threats to Banks

Cryptocurrencies are a menace because they can form the basis of a wide variety of financial products including loans, bonds, and savings account. A major threat to banks is that fast-growing altcoins such as Bitcoin and Ethereum provide a better hedge against inflation than cash. Particularly dangerous to banks will be cryptocurrency Visa and MasterCard products that allow payment at brick and mortar stores with altcoins. Also on the horizon are cryptocurrency banks such as Change Bank. A major threat is that cryptocurrencies will become the money transfer mechanism of choice, allowing consumers to cut out banks completely.

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Long Ideas

Is Lending Club Really Bubble Proof?

To be fair, there are some signs Lending Club is starting to make money. According to its financials, Lending Club had $64.6 million in cash and short-term investments when it went public. Yet on March 31, 2015, Lending Club had $874.13 million in cash and short-term investments. That shows us that it is capable of generating a lot of cash in a very short period of time, but can it keep that up?

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