Business
Stablecoin: A brief history of Bitcoin reveals that 2023 is its least volatile year yet

Stablecoin: A brief history of Bitcoin reveals that 2023 is its least volatile year yet

FTX effects

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the defunct crypto-exchange FTX, is now deep into his fraud trial, with his ex-partner-turned-star-witness Caroline Ellison taking the stand to testify against him yesterday. Ellison, the former CEO of the FTX-affiliated crypto hedge fund Alameda Research, accused Bankman-Fried of orchestrating the siphoning of billions of dollars in customer deposits from FTX into Alameda to conceal losses.

Amidst the scandalous courtroom drama, the release of Michael Lewis's book on the subject, and the news out this week that Hamas has used digital currencies to fund its war machine, the world of crypto has suddenly been thrust back into the spotlight, after what had been a relatively subdued 2023.

Bitcoin is... quite stable?

For the most prominent cryptocurrency, the chaos of the 2020-2022 era seems long gone. Bitcoin, which was often criticized for being too volatile, hasn’t seen a daily gain or loss of more than 10% this year. That's in stark contrast to 2022 and 2021 when it swung outside this range 9 and 11 times, respectively. All told, the price of Bitcoin has risen more than 60% this year, despite the continued crackdown on major exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase.

But, even though Bitcoin is looking a little bit more stable, enthusiasm for the sector more broadly looks to have vanished, with venture capital funding for crypto companies and projects falling to a 3-year low.

More Business

See all Business
business

Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

business

Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

business

Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC.