Ross Mould

But you've been able to make money in bonds, able to make money in commodities.

So it's been, on the end, a pretty straightforward year.

Something like a yen shakedown could make next year less straightforward.

And we're probably overdue a bit of volatility.

Well, this is an intriguing one.

The company got into trouble with the US federal authorities in 2023 for having weak controls, for sanctions busting, money laundering, and was fined something around €4 billion, I think, by the federal authorities.

The FT has now done a really deep dive investigation, as it's very good at doing, and they think they've got proof that the company is still moving money around between sanctioned individuals, terror organizations, and money laundering.

They cite an example of somebody who allegedly lives in a Venezuelan ghetto who's moved around $90 million around through the platform.

So they're saying that there is still a problem here.

The company has been given a chance to comment, and it's understandably pushed back, saying we've got robust systems, stout controls.

No, no, no, you've got it wrong.

And don't forget that their founder, Changpeng Zhao, was actually pardoned by President Trump back in the autumn, which I think is part of the...

the White House's drive to position America as the center of cryptocurrency worldwide.

But it continues to raise questions over exactly who is using crypto, why, and what the potential implications of that are.

But it doesn't, for that matter, seem to necessarily stop crypto buyers, although Bitcoin's had a bit of a swan dive in the second half of this year.

And you do see most monetary authorities now looking to ease regulations on crypto, even for investment purposes for private individuals, rather than tighten them.

They make your toes cold.

Yeah, I mean, the blockade rumbles on.

I mean, the Americans are saying this is part of President Trump's drive against drugs and something where he's taken a very strong position on with China with regard to fentanyl.

And he's arguing that President Maduro...