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What Moved Global Markets
– The dollar slipped and global equity markets traded little changed on Monday, halting a rally that lifted a key index to just under a new high, after a media report cast fresh doubts on reaching phase one of a U.S.-China trade deal. Chinese officials were somewhat troubled by Trump’s comment that there was no agreement on phasing out tariffs, a government source told CNBC.
– The record-breaking rally has brought the S&P 500′s return this year to nearly 25%. Going back to 1928, there have been 17 such occasions.
– The Czech government approved a 7% digital tax proposal on Monday aimed at boosting state coffers by taxing advertising by global internet giants like Google and Facebook, the Finance Ministry said. The proposed tax, which still must make it past lawmakers in parliament, covers revenue gained from targeted advertising, providing digital market places, and user data sales.
– Big numbers coming from the Middle East again. Emirates has ordered 50 Airbus A350 jets, the Dubai state-owned airline announced at the Dubai Air Show on Monday. The order’s list price sits at $16 billion, but at a steep discount is typically negotiated by airlines.
Crypto Prices (from CoinMarketCap)
Bitcoin: Down 2.99% to $8,295.01
Total trading volume (24h): $21.6+ billion USD
Ethereum: Down 2.55% to $179.90
Total trading volume (24h): $7.75+ billion USD
3 biggest movers 24 hours
Biggest Mover 1: GameCredits is up 221.41% to $0.070157
Biggest Mover 2: DUO Network Token is up 74.77% to $0.079875
Biggest Loser: Bigbom is down 38.86% to $0.000559
What moved Crypto Markets (i.e. digital assets)
– How tricky stable coin game can go!? Crypto backed by crypto: Dai seeks to change ‘stablecoin’ game. Unlike other coins, it’s not backed by any valuable asset, or actual currency – but by… Ethereum and multiple collateral types. MCD has activated on the MakerDAO system after MKR token stakeholders made an executive vote last Friday to pass it through. It is gaining some traction: the Oxfam aid agency is testing it for distributing aid on a Pacific island, while some Argentinian savers desperate to avoid inflation are using it.
– Visa, the world’s largest card payment network, has been quietly developing a blockchain system that could upend how banks transfer customer transaction data to consumer financial applications like Mint and Credit Karma. In a paper published by Visa’s research and development arm, researchers describe a system called LucidiTEE. It outlines a system for sharing sensitive personal data on a blockchain.
Other Specialties
Fintech: SoftBank Corp plans to merge internet subsidiary Yahoo Japan with messaging app operator Line Corp to create a $30 billion tech group, as it strives to compete more effectively with local rival Rakuten and U.S. tech powerhouses.
Healthtech: Remember Apple launching health studies? A genetic testing firm called Invitae launched a new app, dubbed Invitae Discover, aimed at gathering heart health data from the Apple Watch and Health app built inside your watches and iPhones, which the company will combine with users’ genetic information to study potential genetic causes of atrial fibrillation (Afib).
Al: British Airways has introduced artificial intelligence technology to parts of its “airside operation” at Heathrow Airport. In an announcement Monday, the airline said that AI would be used to tackle challenges related to delays.
Smart cities: German airline Hahn Air claims to be the first airline company to issue tickets on a blockchain, the firm announced in a press release on Nov. 18.
NexChangeNOW Pick of the Day
Libra Testnet ‘Going Strong,’ Boasts Over 51,000 Transactions and 34 Projects. The Libra Association declared that the much-maligned venture has been “going strong,” adding that the Libra’s testnet has logged over 51,000 transactions and a slew of projects, including 10 wallets, 11 blockchain explorers, and two IDEs.