TGIF, Zingernation! You probably know China has banned crypto approximately one gajillion times. So why are there still so many Chinese crypto traders? 

Well, ingenious investors are using overseas bank accounts and annual forex quotas to sneak funds into Hong Kong's cryptocurrency markets. As China's economy faces turbulence, even traditional financial institutions are venturing into crypto in Hong Kong.

You know what they say. If there’s a will, there’s a not-necessarily-legal way.

Today, Ramaswamy and Trump discussed the dangers of CBDC, the U.S. government plans to sell $132.5 million in confiscated Bitcoin and more.

Plus, there’s a bourbon shortage that you can profit off of.

And, did someone forward you this email? Click here to subscribe to this Benzinga newsletter and more.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

FINTECH FOCUS

Vivek Ramaswamy Explained Harms Of CBDC To Donald Trump

Briefly: Vivek Ramaswamy expressed concerns regarding the potential risks that a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) could pose to personal financial liberty.

So Basically: The former GOP presidential candidate fears that a digital dollar would grant the government excessive power to target dissenting individuals by freezing their assets.

So Then: Ramaswamy drew parallels to incidents in China and the treatment of Canadian truckers involved in the Freedom Convoy.

So What? He’s not the only one hitting these talking points. Earlier this week, Trump parrotted them during a rally in Laconia, New Hampshire, saying, "Vivek wanted this: I will never allow the creation of a Central Bank Digital Currency."

What Next: Read more here.

PRESENTED BY VINOVEST

American single malt whiskey (you can profit off of)

American Single Malt is a brand new classification of whiskey, created by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in the summer of 2022. The new classification now allows US whiskey brands to market themselves as competitors to Scotch.

The new classification has resulted in a flurry of brands trying to release their own Single Malt offerings. However, the process for making single malt is different than bourbon and there currently isn't enough single malt distilling infrastructure in the US to meet the new demand.

You can now profit off this trend: Vinovest enables you to invest in new make American Single Malt before it’s matured and sold to brands. Vinovest will take care of storage, insurance and eventual selling of your whiskey.

It’s time to bottle your wealth. Get started in under 5 minutes at Vinovest.co.

FIVE ZINGERS

Past-words: Mastercard is hoping to make passwords a thing of the past with a new biometric authentication service.

Can’t-ada: A federal court ruled against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Canadian truck dispute.

Form-new-la 1: Okay, these titles are getting labored, but you get the idea. The AlphaTauri F1 team will officially change its name to Visa Cash App RB.

Fraud Fix: Manhattan's district attorney has asked Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App to improve their security measures due to increasing fraud.

UX Upgrade: PayPal unveiled new reimagined checkout experiences.

CRYPTO CORNER

Silk Road Loot Goes Public

Briefly: The U.S. government will sell off around $132.5 million in seized Bitcoin.

What Happened: The District Court of Maryland will sell a substantial amount of Bitcoin seized in connection with the Silk Road investigation. This move comes after the court's order condemning and forfeiting the said property to the U.S.

How It Works: Those who claim an interest in the forfeited property must file an ancillary petition within 60 days from Jan. 10, 2024 with the Clerk of the Court in Greenbelt, Maryland. The court will review any filed petitions. If none are filed within the set time, the U.S. can sell the property.

What Next: Read more here.

PRESENTED BY VINOVEST

There’s a bourbon shortage

You’ve probably seen the news: there’s a bourbon shortage.

But how did this happen?

The answer might surprise you - flavored whiskey.

Flavored whiskey is a trendy new category of whiskey with flavors like peanut butter, strawberry, and cookie dough. (Basically, dessert in a bottle.)

But there’s a problem. Flavored whiskey uses 6 to 18-month-old casks. These casks could, would, and should be great bourbon 4+ years from now. Instead, producers are using this premature whiskey to make lower-quality flavored whiskey and disrupting the supply chain.

Here’s how you can take advantage of this trend. Vinovest enables you to invest in traditional high-rye bourbon. These casks will be held for 5 years to ensure that they become great bourbon, and Vinovest will take care of storage, insurance and eventual selling of your whiskey.

It’s time to bottle your wealth. Get started in under 5 minutes at Vinovest.co.