Of Bitcoins, Nazis, boos at the opera and other news and views

Bitcoin Is Now Bigger Than Buffett, Boeing and New Zealand - Bloomberg
Bitcoin’s extraordinary price surge means its market capitalization now exceeds the annual output of whole economies, and the estimated worth of some of the world’s top billionaires.
Enter the 'petro': Venezuela to launch oil-backed cryptocurrency - Reuters
“Venezuela will create a cryptocurrency,” backed by oil, gas, gold and diamond reserves, [ President Nicolas] Maduro said in his regular Sunday televised broadcast, a five-hour showcase of Christmas songs and dancing.
CBOE to launch bitcoin futures trading on December 10 - Financial Times
Bitcoin futures trading is almost here. CBOE Global Markets said on Monday it will launch trading in futures tracking the controversial cryptocurrency next week, giving many mainstream investors their first shot at speculating on its price.
Bitcoin and Fundamentals - Money and Banking
So, the price of Bitcoin has all the hallmarks of a bubble. What could puncture it?
One possibility is the advent of derivatives. ... It seems possible that the introduction of Bitcoin futures, which facilitate short positions, will eventually turn the boom into a bust.
Another threat to Bitcoin is a broader international crackdown on the concealment of cross-border transactions, perhaps for national security reasons (think North Korea), or to retrieve funds from tax havens, in addition to all the familiar concerns about illegal activity.
Our bottom line: when unsophisticated investors start buying an asset whose key virtue is that they can sell it to others with similarly limited knowledge, then it is time to worry.
The Real Story of How the Nazis Have Returned to Germany's Parliament - Haaretz
Why denazification failed in communist East Germany – and how that fuels today's Holocaust-denying, anti-immigrant German far right, the Alternative for Germany
A storm of boos for La Bohème at the Paris Opera - Financial Times
A new production of La Bohème in Paris involves a defective spacecraft and is set on an alien planet. It was not well received.
Top companies face legal action over sexual harassment - Financial Times
Equality commission warns FTSE chairs of repercussions from systemic failings

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