Crypto purists scoffed at the JP Morgan coin announcement – and rightfully so. After nearly three years of shunning Bitcoin and crypto altogether, Jamie Dimon and his cohorts cooked up a crypto of their own.

Every news outlet in the world covered it. Every single one. And the news lasted for days and quickly made its way into the heads and hands of what most crypto diehards would call ‘plebs’.

Guess what those ‘plebs’ did with the JP Morgan coin information? They bought Bitcoin, Bitcoin futures, Ethereum (a whole lot of $ETH) and all manner of alt-coins as the crypto markets surged.

We went on the hunt to find out if a hunch we had had some meat to it. In speaking with our staffs friends and family, every single one of them asked “what do you think of the JP Morgan coin?”

That set our ears ablaze and gave us a reason to have deeper industry conversations.

Sure enough several hedge fund contacts were seeing and hearing the same thing. In the short run, the JP Morgan coin announcement breathed new life into the crypto narrative and added a large slice of credibility.

One hedge fund source said the following:

“Every adult with a bank account and a job knows who JP Morgan is. So the announcement of a native cryptocurrency brought interest to a renewed and fresh level that had been diminished throughout nearly all of 2018. My wife even asked me about it the day after it was announced. The huge bounce in volumes in Bitcoin and, for example, Bitcoin futures at the CME are indicative of the wave the announcement caused.”

A second hedge fund source went a step further:

“It isn’t that far fetched to foresee a look back in six months and point to the $JPM coin as the catalyst that busted the bear market. Sentiment and narrative play a huge role in what remains a pretty small markets at this point. The JP Morgan news pushed prices higher across the board and those price increases weee seriously validated by a surge in volumes.”

Again, nobody with a reasonable grip on the history and mission of Bitcoin and crypto believes that the JP Morgan coin poses any sort of existential threat to the ecosystem. In fact, those that claim that it may just be another shitcoin may not be that far off.

Be that as it may, everybody we’ve run into that is outside the crypto echo chamber has one question and one question alone: What do you think of the JP Morgan coin?

Facebook continues to stalk the crypto and blockchain space. If you stop and pay attention you can almost feel their eyes staring at the cracks in the ecosystem. And those cracks are feeding rumors regarding Facebook’s intentions when it comes to crypto and a potential native platform payment token.

Whether like or dislike Facebook it is hard to deny that a Facebook token of some sort would be a potential eye opener for adoption within crypto. Billions upon billions of users across Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram would have access to digital cash fostered by social media’s ultimate ‘elephant in the room’.

As we’ve discussed the potential for a Facebook token this week with several thought leaders in the space one particular theme kept coming up. A Facebook token would make the most sense as a dollar backed stable coin. It would provide incredible buying power for ‘unbanked’ individuals that find themselves part of all three platforms. The WhatsApp platform in particular, with it’s adoption across locations such as India (a notoriously un-banked country), would create enormous demand for a stable coin.

As Facebook staffs up across it’s blockchain initiatives (whatever those happen to be, nobody really knows) the next incredibly used and profitable product could be a Facebook token used across billions of daily active users across the globe.

One rumor we heard coming out of Silicon Valley is that Facebook considered several types of banking initiatives to integrate into WhatsApp over the past two years, but simply wasn’t satisfied with the potential solutions. With the advent of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies becoming a larger part of the financial discussion, as stable coin would seem to meet the needs that a potential banking operation may have had it been rolled out.

One source, who left Facebook two months ago, added:

“Facebook has flirted with acquisitions in the crypto space and has yet to pull the trigger. That is telling if you ask me. They could easily swallow up Coinbase tomorrow, but they’ve chosen not to up to this point. Just keep track of the size, scale, and names associated with their ever-growing blockchain team. As it grows you can bet they are getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger on a token of some sort. And my guess, to satisfy regulators, it would be tied to the dollar in the way stable coins have been. They (Facebook) could easily back a token with the cash hoard they have on tap.”

Whatever truth exists in these rumors a Facebook ecosystem token would be enormous. With access to platforms carrying billions of users on a daily basis, adoption would quickly dwarf and other coin in existence. The specter of ‘Facebook Coin’ becoming a competitor to Bitcoin would be a remarkable evolution to witness in real time. And it isn’t as far-fetched as you may think.

A reminder…Facebook matured in the depths of Silicon Valley and the best minds in the valley are constantly looking for the next big thing. And need we mention the headlines Facebook has dealt with overt the past 12 months?

A Facebook stable coin could be the next innovation from a company in need of something new and shiny to feed Wall Street. If one of techs ‘glitterati’ (Jack Dorsey) finds comfort basking in the glow of the crypto world, who’s to say others like him aren’t aware of the opportunity that lies in this fast growing industry. Nobody should be surprised if we eventually see a coin with Facebook’s fingerprints all over it.

For those of you closely watching the Bakkt narrative, in the hopes that the launch of the Intercontinental Exchange initiative will bust the bear market – we’ve got some good news for you. Sources in and around both the CFTC and Bakkt have been whispering about a potential approval and firm launch date.

It looks increasingly likely, pending any disruption via another US government shutdown, that Bakkt will win its CFTC approval and begin trading physically deliverable Bitcoin futures in March. The sources we spoke to refused to go on record, but were eager to share the potential timeline with us. They walked us through the ‘meat grinder’ that is the regulatory process and what to expect from Bakkt once an approval is passed on.

A source familiar with the Bakkt CFTC approval process said the following:

“You have to understand that the regulatory process is different than any reasonable business practice that most of you would recognize. It is ridiculous if you ask me. But it is the reality that we are faced with and are operating in. And understand this as well, the current administration is incredibly pro-business and pro-innovation; yet this process is still a meat grinder. I am sure that Jeff (Sprecher) and Kelly (Loeffler) are frustrated. Most believed that an approval would have come late last year. Either way, here we are, and an approval looks imminent.”

A source close to Bakkt (an early institutional investor in the project) gave us this piece of information late last night:

“In a way the delays have helped gather clients who will provide liquidity and volume at launch. The Bakkt team has used the time wisely and spent endless hours courting some of the biggest banks and names on the street to be trusted trade partners from the word ‘go’. All signs look to be headed toward mid-March for a final CFTC sign off. And for those out there that have talked about Bakkt delaying for an extended period of time – that is ridiculous. Take a close look at the resume of Jeff (Sprecher) and Kelly (Loeffler), they aren’t in the business of losing. The launch will occur days after approval is finalized. Short of an elongated government shutdown, expect that to happen in March.”

Bakkt remains the most closely watched institutional development in the crypto space. Why? The vast network of potential clients already committed to Intercontinental Exchange operations (essentially ALL of Wall Street and any financial institution that trades commodities with any meaningful volume) could be the type of Bitcoin volume that could break the back of the bear market and send Bitcoin higher.

Beyond simply a well-heeled potential client list, should Bakkt be successful their announced joint venture partners, Microsoft and Starbucks (Boston Consulting Group – BCG is also an announced joint venture partner, but we will cover that connection in a separate article), represent that kind of adoption and real world ‘use-case’ network that could potentially bring Bitcoin to the masses. Retail, tech, software, devices, and on and on. This is the Bitcoin dream that has brought some of the worlds most well known venture capital firms to the Bakkt table.

The chatter regarding an imminent (albeit 30-45 days) approval from the CFTC should create a buzz and keep the team at Bakkt on alert. If you’ve been keeping score their staff has more than tripled and the list of job openings continues to grow.

They are preparing for the biggest Bitcoin push the crypto ecosystem has ever seen. That isn’t hyperbole. Google search the daily trading volume of gold futures and prepare to have your mind blown. The only way Bitcoin can be added to the Starbucks app and used to pay for your next ‘coffee milkshake’ is the promise of serious liquidity and price transparency. Bakkt is set to provide that in spades.

In a scoop snatched by CNBC earlier this morning, JP Morgan has created a stable coin to process payments at hyper speed and scale. The ‘JP Morgan coin’ has been under development for months and has been widely tested internally at one of the worlds largest banks.

As word spreads across financial media and crypto media alike, the term ‘Dimon Dollars’ has been used. Jamie Dimon, a noted Bitcoin and crypto skeptic, is now the first major global investment bank to use/issue an in-house and native token.

Per CNBC:

“The lender moves more than $6 trillion around the world every day for corporations in its massive wholesale payments business. In trials set to start in a few months, a tiny fraction of that will happen over something called ‘JPM Coin,’ the digital token created by engineers at the New York-based bank to instantly settle payments between clients.”

“J.P. Morgan is preparing for a future in which parts of the essential underpinning of global capitalism, from cross-border payments to corporate debt issuance, moves to the blockchain. That’s the database technology made famous by its first application, bitcoin. But in order for that future to happen, the bank needed a way to transfer money at the same dizzying speed that those smart contracts closed, rather than relying on old technology like wire transfers.”

We’ve maintained, even amongst skepticism and some disbelief, that JP Morgan was actively engaging in both blockchain and crypto technology. They have designs on using Bakkt as a resource for client involvement in crypto, and you can bet that sooner rather than later, their JP Morgan coin will be marketed to clients.

How that plays out is anyone’s guess at the moment. But if JP Morgan is good at anything it is marketing it’s in-house products to HNW and UHNW clients.

What does this mean for some of JP Morgan’s competitors? Is it that far fetched to foresee a Goldman Coin in the works? And other coins connected to global investment banks?

You can ‘bank’ on it.

Brock Pierce and Mark Karpeles won’t be breaking bread any time soon. That much become increasingly evident throughout the late evening last night as they engaged in a back and forth as to Brock Pierce’s stated intentions to revive Mt. Gox.

As many media outlets have reported over the past 72 hours, Pierce has designs on acquiring the remaining assets and accompanying intellectual property of the defunct exchange and turning it back into a functioning entity again. He’s even detailed his purchase plan, intimating that it was all but a done deal.

It seems that the ‘done’ part of the deal may have been premature.

In a Twitter mentions back and forth, that quickly became very public (how very ‘crypto twitter’ of the two of you) both men stuck to specific positions. Pierce stating that he had an agreement in place and that the transaction was essentially done/imminent. Karpeles vehemently denying any such agreement, defaulting back to bankruptcy statutes and court appointed trustees. Both men staking out diametrically opposed positions.

It left many wondering where each was getting their best information. Accusations flew back and forth throughout the Twitter conversation. Here are a few highlights:

1. Brock Pierce claiming that a purchase agreement was in place.
2. Karpeles responding by denying any purchase agreement was even drafted.
3. Karpeles claiming that Pierce had threatened to take their argument public, which occurred.
4. Pierce stating that Karpeles had sold his 88% stake and was now backpedaling.
5. Pierce claiming that Karpeles was attempting to pocket the $700-800 million surplus.
6. Pierce claiming that Karpeles has a partner who had ‘secretly’ been doing the negotiating.
7. Pierce finished the Twitter argument by asking Karpeles “aren’t you about to go back to prison?”

The back and forth held the attention of much of crypto twitter. All sorts of interested parties began searching for information to either back up claims that were made or discredit them.

This document showed up in that search that seemed to be of interest, although it doesn’t have any labeling or signatures that would identify it as being some sort of definitive barometer:

The document does reference several different elements of the Mt. Gox debacle at the time (2014) and the interest from ‘Sunlot Holdings Limited’. But those interests were never consummated and ownership of the entities remains in the hands of bankruptcy court trustees.

A bizaare argument and conversation, publicly displayed, doesn’t move the idea of Mt. Gox being revived forward in any meaningful way. Instead, it will only prove to push the possiblity back.

While we understand the idea behind the revival (name recognition alone denotes value) the complexity presented by bankruptcy court laws, the claims of creditors, and the mountain of BTC involved was never going to allow a transaction to be as simple as the headlines claiming, “Brock Pierce to Buy Mt. Gox”.

The twitter slap fight between these two guys is also an embarrassment in and of itself. These sorts of discussions mean absolutely nothing outside of any sort of legal agreement, courtroom, arbitration or any other such legal entity that would have to pass along approval to allow Mt. Gox to be privately held and operated once again as an exchange. Why media reports didn’t think that through is a mystery.

Neither Karpeles or Pierce are well-served by the back and forth, and did nothing more than waste their time and key strokes in an effort to one up the other.

Beyond that, there are some legitimate questions left to be answered. Is there a real purchase agreement out there somewhere? What would any purchase price look like? What sort of assets would be acquired? Specifically, whither the BTC currently managed by the court appointed trustee?

This story isn’t over.