Bitcoin

Bitcoin tax rules finally came to the Land of the Free yesterday; and we have to imagine there are some not-too-happy campers today, if they even know about it. What’s most interesting about this new set of rules is what they might mean for gold. Imagine – paper currencies go into freefall. Gold soars. Anyone who bought gold early sees sizeable profits (in paper currency)... at which point the government steps in after the fact and sets up new tax rules to confiscate a substantial portion of those gains. Think it can’t happen? These Bitcoin rules certainly establish a precedent.

• One-Ship Ukraine Navy Defies Russia to the End (WSJ)
• Crimea-Induced Trading Surge Stokes Moscow Exchange Rally (BBG)
• Moscow says Ukraine stops Russian crews disembarking in Kiev (Reuters)
• New images show more than 100 objects that could be plane debris (Reuters)
• Anger of Flight 370 Families Explodes in Beijing (BBG)
• Murdoch Promotes Son Lachlan in Succession Plan for Empire (BBG)
• Facebook to buy virtual reality goggles maker for $2 billion (Reuters)
• Syrian Regime Exploits Rebel Despair (WSJ)
• King Digital IPO price may not bode well for stock (Reuters)
• Rothschild in Twitter Spat as Bakries Cut Ties With Miner (BBG)

After less than three months consideration, the IRS has issued its statement clarifying th etax treatment of Bitcoins (and other virtual currencies) before the April 15th Deadline. The finding, summarized, is that Vitual currencies will be treated as property (not as a currency) which, as WSJ notes, means an investor who buys bitcoin would typically have a capital gain or loss when it’s sold. The price of Bitcoin is rising modestly on this news...

I bet you the Turkish government can explain the intrinsic value of Bitcoin to Krugman and Roubini very soon as they systematically lose the ability to censor information due to Namecoin and affiliated technologies.

The situation with Russia should give investors and traders a reason to brush up on their history, as current events take root in things that happened 50, 100, and 200 years ago.  To understand this, can provide perspective, during an information war, where it's not easy for some to separate facts from beliefs and propoganda (on both sides).  The relationship between US and Russia has always been interesting, as we shall explore.

The cultural divide

The latest news out of insolvent Bitcoin exchange Mt.Gox will hardly boost confidence in the safety of the digital currency, after last night it announced that it had "found" nearly a quarter, or 199,999.99 of the bitcoin it had previously reported as missing. Mt.Gox Chief Executive Mark Karpeles said his insolvent company found the 200,000 bitcoin assumed lost in a digital wallet, or storage file, that hadn't been used since 2011. As a reminder, when Mt.Gox filed for bankruptcy at the end of February, it reported 850,000 bitcoins were lost, mostly belonging to its customers, with Karpeles stating at the time only 2,000 bitcoin were left, blaming hackers and technical issues for the loss. It turns out there may have been more than met the eye, and one can surely accuse Karpeles of a completely lack of knowing what was truly going on at his company.

• Australia says nothing spotted in search for plane (AP)
• Putin looks to Asia as West threatens to isolate Russia (Reuters)
• China Billionaire Builds Metals With Dreyfus, Glencore Hires (BBG)
• China Beige Book Says Economy Slowing (BBG)
• Caterpillar Said to Be Focus of Senate Overseas Tax Probe (BBG)
• US Cancels Summit With Divided Group of Gulf Nations (WSJ)
• Cyprus defense minister suffers aneurysm (AP)
• Abe to zero in on economy as tax hike looms (Nikkei)
• Europe strikes deal to complete banking union (Reuters)

• Possible debris off Australia a 'credible lead' for missing Malaysia jet (Reuters)
• Maldives and Afghanistan: Theories Blossom for Airliner (BBG)
• Ukraine Military Concedes on Crimea as Russia Takes Hold (BBG)
• Asia Stocks Drop on Fed; H-Share Index Enters Bear Market (BBG)
• Scientists say destructive solar blasts narrowly missed Earth in 2012 (Reuters)
• GM’s Ignition Victims Need Help From Bankruptcy Judge (BBG)
• U.S. Alleges Inside Traders Used Spycraft, Ate Evidence (WSJ)
• God Meets Profit in Obama Contraceptive Rule Court Case (BBG)

• Lost Jet’s Path Seen as Altered via Computer (NYT)
• Fed Links Low Rates to “Persistent Headwinds” in Economy (Hilsenrath)
• Top German Court Clears Euro-Zone Bailout Fund (WSJ)
• U.S., EU set sanctions as Putin recognizes Crimea "sovereignty" (Reuters)
• Indian wealth effect: Sensex, Nifty hit life highs as domestic-focused firms rally (Reuters)
• China bond default has positive effect on local government groups (FT) - unless it's negative
• Russia tensions  risk higher gas prices (FT)
• China Home-Price Growth Slows in Big Cities on Tight Credit (BBG)
• ECB's Weidmann says German surpluses "here to stay" (Reuters)
• Microsoft Office for iPad (AAPL) to be introduced this month (The Verge)

With Bitcoin's erstwhile founder (according to NewsWeek) denying it all, we thought it might be useful to hear from 'the horse's mouth' just what Bitcoin is. While many have heard "shit bitcoin fanatics say", Conan O'Brian's interview ith the "Bitcoin COO" is full of clarifying knowledge... (and sadly reflects most people's perspective still on the virtual currency space)

Remember Newsweek's "shocking" inaugural print issue which claimed to have uncovered the creator of Bitcoin (by scouring the phone book), and of course poor Satoshi Dorian Nakamoto's 15 minutes of fame? Guess we can put that to rest. "I did not create, invent or otherwise work on Bitcoin. I unconditionally deny the Newsweek report."

Oh, no! Bitcoin's end is near! Reggie Middleton was finally proven wrong!

When "Muppets" are told to bite the hand that feeds them, will they listen? Goldman, et. al. better hope and prey that they do!

News about Bitcoin suddenly seems to be everywhere. The severe technological and security problems that have led to the outright collapse of Mt. Gox – the largest bitcoin exchange globally - on top of the stunning spike in bitcoin prices by more than five-fold late last year and spectacular collapse (then some rebound!) since, some high-profile arrests in the Bitcoin universe, and a swath of regulators and government officials beginning to weigh in on the subject have pushed Bitcoin and digital currencies into the headlines enough to warrant Goldman Sachs discussing it.

US equities surged... Japanese stocks soared.. and Europe recovered greatly but on a risk-adjusted-return basis, Goldman Sachs notes, nothing beat Bitcoin in 2013...