The Daily Leo: On Land and Space, the Future is Shaking

We got a kind of service that has been blooming recently, Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) fintech platforms that allows customers to make purchases and spread their payments, in the case of "Four" over four months. Aimed at easing the financial burden of shopping, Four supports both online and in-store purchases, offering a seamless checkout experience with multiple payment options including Google Pay, Apple Pay, and traditional credit or debit cards. Additionally, Four provides a mobile app for easier access and management of purchases and loans. Retailers can also benefit from partnering with Four by tapping into its user base, improving sales, and receiving immediate payment for purchases, while Four handles the loan repayments. The platform is highly rated on Trustpilot and integrates with major shopping platforms like Shopify, enhancing the user experience and trustworthiness. This is a promising options, especially when other similar services only give a 1 or 2 month long credit, Fours seems to actually be an option even for people with lower incomes.

Crypto is susceptible, as the rest of the economy, to political news, some times even more, since fear is one of its components. We saw a drop recently and it has to be with news on Israel. The recent military exchange between Iran and Israel has significantly heightened tensions in the Middle East, sparking fears of a wider regional conflict that could draw in international powers and escalate uncontrollably. This escalation follows an Israeli attack on a consulate in Damascus that killed several Iranian generals, prompting a massive retaliatory strike by Iran involving missiles, drones, and cruise missiles targeting strategic locations within Israel. The attack, notable for its scale and coordination, was largely intercepted with the help of international forces, including the United States and the Royal Air Force. The global community, particularly the G7 nations, has expressed serious concerns about the potential for regional escalation. The incident has placed immense pressure on Israeli leadership and has significant political and military implications, with calls for deescalation being urged by world leaders to avoid further violence and work towards a lasting peace.

Since the beginning of April, the crypto market has faced a significant downturn, primarily due to escalating global tensions and diminishing hopes for early interest rate cuts by major central banks, expected no earlier than the third quarter of 2024. Despite previous optimism that the Federal Reserve (FED) might reduce rates, high core CPI data and jobless claims have made them hesitant to lower rates, impacting investment in cryptocurrencies negatively. As a result, Bitcoin plummeted from a high of $73K to $60, with similar losses seen across various altcoins. This current environment offers potential buying opportunities, as lower prices could benefit new investors looking to acquire assets at a discount during what might be seen as an opportune "good drop"
in the market.

We have to be open when seeing the market movements, it can be discouraging if you are expecting all greens, but read the room, do your research on the assets and how they behave, because often, those drops are opportunities we regret not have taken, or worse, we end up buying high and selling low.