NEW YORK: Bitcoin “is a fraud” and will blow up, Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co, said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a bank investor conference in New York, Dimon said, “The currency isn’t going to work. You can’t have a business where people can invent a currency out of thin air and think that people who are buying it are really smart.”
Jamie Dimon said that if any JPMorgan traders were trading the crypto-currency, “I would fire them in a second, for two reasons: It is against our rules and they are stupid, and both are dangerous.”
Dimon’s comments come as the bitcoin, a virtual currency not backed by any government, has more than quadrupled in value since December to more than $4,100.
Bitcoin is a digital currency that enables individuals to transfer value to each other and pay for goods and services bypassing banks and the mainstream financial system.
While banks have largely steered clear of bitcoin since it emerged following the financial crisis, the virtual currency has a range of people who support it, including technology enthusiasts, liberterians skeptical of government monetary policy and speculators attracted by its price swings.
“Like it or not, people want exposure to bitcoin,” Edward Tilly, chairman and CEO of exchange group CBOE Holdings, said at the same conference.
CBOE has applied with US regulators to launch a bitcoin futures contract and a bitcoin exchange traded fund on its venues.
Any good trade is started with a difference of opinion, Tilly added. ”So Jamie can be on the short side and the issuers and those trading in physical can be on the long side, and it sounds like we have a great trade.”
Dimon may also be on the other side of another bitcoin trade closer to home.
At another conference about two hours later, Dimon said that one of his daughters had bought some bitcoin.
“It went up and she thinks she’s a genius now,” Dimon said at the CNBC Institutional Investor Delivering Alpha Conference.
Banks and other financial institutions have been concerned over bitcoin’s early association with online crime and money laundering.
The supply of bitcoin is meant to be limited to 21 million, but there are clones of the virtual currency in circulation that have made the market for it more volatile.
“It is worse than tulips bulbs,” Dimon said, referring to a famous market bubble from the 1600s.
JPMorgan and many of its competitors, however, have invested millions of dollars in blockchain, the technology that tracks bitcoin transactions. Blockchain is a shared ledger of transactions maintained by a network of computers on the Internet.
Dimon said such uses will roll out over coming years as it is adapted to different business lines.
Financial institutions are hoping blockchain can be adapted to simplify and lower the costs of processes such as securities settlement, loan trading and international money transfers.
Dimon predicted big losses for bitcoin buyers. “Don’t ask me to short it. It could be at $20,000 before this happens, but it will eventually blow up.” he said.
“Honestly, I am just shocked that anyone can’t see it for what it is.”
Bitcoin’s price fell as much as 4 percent following Dimon’s comments and was last trading at $4,164. Rumors that the Chinese government is planning to ban trading of virtual currencies on domestic exchanges has weighed on bitcoin recently.
“It feels like we are in the midst of a negative news cycle, but even considering all this, we are still trading above $4,000.” said John Spallanzani, chief macro strategist at GFI Group.
Bitcoin ‘is a fraud’, says JPMorgan chief executive
Bitcoin ‘is a fraud’, says JPMorgan chief executive
Saudi investment pipeline active as reforms advance, says Pakistan minister
ALULA: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Mohammed Aurangzeb described Saudi Arabia as a “longstanding partner” and emphasized the importance of sustainable, mutually beneficial cooperation, particularly in key economic sectors.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Aurangzeb said the relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia remains resilient despite global geopolitical tensions.
“The Kingdom has been a longstanding partner of Pakistan for the longest time, and we are very grateful for how we have been supported through thick and thin, through rough patches and, even now that we have achieved macroeconomic stability, I think we are now well positioned for growth.”
Aurangzeb said the partnership has facilitated investment across several sectors, including minerals and mining, information technology, agriculture, and tourism. He cited an active pipeline of Saudi investments, including Wafi’s entry into Pakistan’s downstream oil and gas sector.
“The Kingdom has been very public about their appetite for the country, and the sectors are minerals and mining, IT, agriculture, tourism; and there are already investments which have come in. For example, Wafi came in (in terms of downstream oil and gas stations). There’s a very active pipeline.”
He said private sector activity is driving growth in these areas, while government-to-government cooperation is focused mainly on infrastructure development.
Acknowledging longstanding investor concerns related to bureaucracy and delays, Aurangzeb said Pakistan has made progress over the past two years through structural reforms and fiscal discipline, alongside efforts to improve the business environment.
“The last two years we have worked very hard in terms of structural reforms, in terms of what I call getting the basic hygiene right, in terms of the fiscal situation, the current economic situation (…) in terms of all those areas of getting the basic hygiene in a good place.”
Aurangzeb highlighted mining and refining as key areas of engagement, including discussions around the Reko Diq project, while stressing that talks with Saudi investors extend beyond individual ventures.
“From my perspective, it’s not just about one mine, the discussions will continue with the Saudi investors on a number of these areas.”
He also pointed to growing cooperation in the IT sector, particularly in artificial intelligence, noting that several Pakistani tech firms are already in discussions with Saudi counterparts or have established offices in the Kingdom.
Referring to recent talks with Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim, Aurangzeb said Pakistan’s large freelance workforce presents opportunities for deeper collaboration, provided skills development keeps pace with demand.
“I was just with (Saudi) minister of economy and planning, and he was specifically referring to the Pakistani tech talent, and he is absolutely right. We have the third-largest freelancer population in the world, and what we need to do is to ensure that we upscale, rescale, upgrade them.”
Aurangzeb also cited opportunities to benefit from Saudi Arabia’s experience in the energy sector and noted continued cooperation in defense production.
Looking ahead, he said Pakistan aims to recalibrate its relationship with Saudi Arabia toward trade and investment rather than reliance on aid.
“Our prime minister has been very clear that we want to move this entire discussion as we go forward from aid and support to trade and investment.”
