In previous posts, I have highlighted the problems faced by Ulster Bank as a result of the financial crisis. Once again, Ulster Bank (and its parent company RBS) has announced losses in excess of £1 billion (click here). At the root its problems are defaults on the property loans it made at the height of the housing boom. The big question for me is whether there are even more dramatic losses to come. Only time will tell!
According to Robert Shiller , speaking at Davos, Bitcoin is a perfect example of a bubble - story here . Shiller sees Bitcoin as a backwards step in the evolution of money. George Selgin , a free banker, takes an opposing view - click here . Although he doesn't believe that Bitcoin is money, he sees its development as a fascinating turn in the evolution of money. In particular, he lauds the fact that Bitcoin production is constrained and cannot be infinite. There is a short video below where Bitcoin explain how it works.