Drugs: EI Weekend 3273
The drug economy: a gazillion dollar - predominantly illegal - sector across the world.
Exchange Invest is a unique information resource combining the day’s stories in a newsletter for investors in exchanges/financial markets infrastructure.
Exchange Invest was founded by former exchange CEO and author of the first bestselling book of fintech (“Capital Market Revolution!” FT 1999) Patrick Young. Monday through Friday our daily paid subscriber email discusses the business of bourses of all kinds across the world.
On this day in 1801, William Hammond laid the first foundation stone for the new building of "The Exchange," now the London Stock Exchange.
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MACRO THOUGHTS
According to the latest 2024 UNODC report (UNODC World Drug Report 2024: Harms Of World Drug Problem Continue To Mount Amid Expansions In Drug Use And Markets — based on 2022 data, so already the situation is worse…).
“The number of people who use drugs has risen to 292 million in 2022, a 20 per cent increase over 10 years. Cannabis remains the most widely used drug worldwide (228 million users), followed by opioids (60 million users), amphetamines (30 million users), cocaine (23 million users), and ecstasy (20 million users).
Nitazenes — a group of synthetic opioids which can be even more potent than fentanyl — have recently emerged in several high-income countries, resulting in an increase in overdose deaths.“
Of an estimated 64 million people worldwide suffering from drug use disorders, only one in 11 is in treatment, with a huge sexist skew. One in 7 men is in treatment compared to just one in 18 women.
IPO-VID LIVESTREAM: NEXT TUESDAY
“The Evolution of Trading”
Guest: Mark Beddis
May 20th, 2025
1700 UK, 1800 CET, 1200 EST
Mark Beddis began in tech in Hong Kong and evolved to key roles shaping the future of markets, including developing the Hong Kong stock options market (first in the region) and then honing the business of block trading with the BIDS platform. His achievements are many in between, and he brings a fascinating perspective to markets from his 4 decades of frontline experience around the world.
IN BIGWORLD
From Exchange Invest 3268: May 12th
At the China EV100 Forum in Beijing last month, He Xiaopeng, the CEO of Chinese premium EV maker Xpeng, announced a 3 billion yuan (US$413 million) investment in the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft business this year.
Justifying the decision, He noted, “Although low-altitude aircraft only account for 3 to 5 per cent of today’s automotive sales volume, they represent 20 per cent in terms of sales revenue.”
…With the fascinating kicker, that the Xpeng CEO believes the global market for flying cars could reach US$2 trillion in the next two decades, double the size of land vehicles.
PLY: Market Movers On Fintech TV
Catch me on Market Movers On Fintech TV on Tuesday at 0920 AM for the latest insights in finance, technology, impact investing, and market trends. Fintech TV is on the web (Fintech.TV), in a multitude of airports across the USA and other channels.
BITCARNAGE
Distributed Flounce
And lo, it has come to pass in the half life of crypto trends — about the lifespan of a goldfish — now the Dems loathe crypto and the GOP is the crypto beholden. Thus, from blowing kisses at SBF in hearings in the Capitol, it has become: House Democrats Storm Out Of Cryptocurrency Hearing, Alleging Trump ‘Corruption’ (Fox News).
The funny thing is this might be the sole area where the Dems could cut through about the Trump admin, as it does have a — how might I put it — quirky optic… to put it mildly, the way Trump has endorsed crypto. At the same time, the risk here is that if it does not cut through, there may also be a case that actually the big wide world of voters don’t care much for crypto
and that… is bad news for the bros who have a form of Tourettes’ in their diction suggesting there is a new wave of investors coming to crypto imminently and / or vast institutional investment…
If you enjoyed this excerpt, you may be interested to know that you can read Bitcarnage every day in Exchange Invest.
Alternatively, if you want to follow Bitcarnage — the daily update on happenings in the world of crypto and digital assets, then you can find Bitcarnage as a standalone on Substack.
EXCHANGE INVEST WEEKLY PODCAST
There’s A Big Sip Surprise,
Worries About An FMX Folly?
While ASX Has A Brave New Plan For IPOs. But Is Anybody Listening?
B3 Disappoints,
And London Is Running Scared.
OF INTEREST
As always, a review of interesting reading to provoke thoughts and consideration… Not sure we agree with much of it….but it’s thought-provoking!
Nowhere To Run: The Online Footprint Of An Alleged Kinahan Cartel Associate
Bellingcat
Surrey Cokeheads Are Lining Up Chaos
UnHerd
Drug Traffickers, Illegal Miners And Dissidents: The Triple Alliance Devastating The Amazon | International
EL PAÍS English
The Mutiny Nightclub Was The Center Of Miami’s Cocaine Trade
Air Mail
Inside The Mutiny, The Notorious Nightclub In Griselda And Scarface
British GQ
What Is Fentanyl And Why Is It Behind The Deadly Surge In US Drug Overdoses? A Medical Toxicologist Explains
The Conversation
What The Opium Wars Can Tell Us About China, The U.S. And Fentanyl
The Conversation
Books worth reading:
Finance Book Of The Week
“The Death of Gentlemanly Capitalism” by Philip Augar examines the decline of the British merchant bank during the 1980's and 90's through the boom of the Thatcher years, the crash of 1987, the "Big Bang" and the aggressive invasion of the American banks.
Get the book here.
*Paid link, as an Amazon Associate, Exchange Invest earns from qualifying purchases.
Suggestions welcome if you would like to nominate a book for us to cover!
Our next Book of the week will be unveiled Saturday in the EI Weekend Edition.
& don’t forget if you want all the news on the bourse business sent daily to your Inbox subscribe to Exchange Invest — via Exchange Invest.com — it’s only $499 per annum to join “The Exchange of Information.
Capital Market Revolution
First published in 1999, “Capital Market Revolution!” offered a clear, concise roadmap for navigating the financial revolution fueled by technology. And 25 years later, as the world of fintech continues to evolve, the core principles laid out in the book remain surprisingly sharp
This new edition was produced to celebrate PLY ringing the NYSE Closing Bell July 5th, 2024. There are several new sections of PLY pith to add 10,000 more words of context and the original book which is remarkably prescient and elegantly dated all at once! It’s only $9.99 on Kindle, a fraction of the original price in 1999 to encourage revolutionaries with any budget!
Get the book here.
*Paid link, as an Amazon Associate, Exchange Invest earns from qualifying purchases.
IPO-VID LIVESTREAM PODCAST
Out now: the latest episode of the #IPOVID podcast — How Floors Help Markets. Dominik Roesch, Associate Professor of Finance at the University at Buffalo, joins us to explore new academic research into the value floor traders still bring to today’s markets. From liquidity to efficiency, this episode dives into the mechanics of market quality and what’s often overlooked in the shift to all-electronic trading.
🎧 Catch up now and stay ahead in the world of markets!
EI Website | Spotify | Apple Podcast | Anchor
LAST WORD
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