Could crypto be the oligarchs’ way out of sanctions?
Crypto is anonymous, fast and global — the perfect tool for Russian oligarchs trying to dodge sanctions. But new analytics tools are making transactions more traceable than many think.
All posts filed under: Writing Archive
Columns and blog posts, written over the years on a variety of websites.
Amazon’s hidden business — worth more than many countries’ GDP
Amazon's advertising business brings in SEK 290 billion a year — bigger than Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest combined — and it has been hiding in plain sight.
The heist of the century: a married couple laundered SEK 42 billion
A New York couple is suspected of laundering SEK 42 billion in bitcoin. The case shows both the traceability of crypto — and how much work the industry still has to do.
Why TikTok, Zuckerberg’s nightmare, might also be his rescue
TikTok tanked Meta's stock and exposed a new kind of competitor. But it may also be Zuckerberg's best shield against US antitrust pressure.
Microsoft’s gaming deal is a threat to Apple
As Microsoft and Sony consolidate the gaming industry, Apple's quiet dominance in mobile gaming is under threat. A Nintendo acquisition could be the answer.
New patents reveal Zuckerberg’s plans for the metaverse
Meta's metaverse patents show the business model: capture more personal data — including facial expressions — and serve better-targeted ads in 3D.
Microsoft’s big bet: building a Netflix for games
Microsoft frames its Activision Blizzard deal as a metaverse play against Facebook. The real logic is Xbox Game Pass — a Netflix for gaming.
Big tech is immune to the sell-off — everyone else is not
The tech sell-off is splitting the sector into two camps: mature big-tech giants mostly worried about regulators, and high-growth newcomers getting repriced hard.
Apple’s App Store rules are strict — unless you’re China
Apple enforces its App Store rules with an iron hand everywhere except China. With the digital yuan launching at the Beijing Olympics, expect another round of exceptions.
Why the next Theranos is already being funded
Elizabeth Holmes is convicted, but the fear-of-missing-out that enabled Theranos is alive and well. Due-diligence timelines are shrinking, not expanding.