James Wester
@jameswester
Tech analyst covering #payments, #digitalassets, #fintech, #stablecoins, and #crypto for a very long time. All tweets are pre-washed and ready to consume.
Despite the Fed keeping rates elevated at 5.25–5.50%, financial conditions have eased all the way back to levels we last saw when rates were near zero and the Fed was still doing quantitative easing. That’s not supposed to happen. Higher rates are meant to tighten financial…
Financial conditions back to as loose as they were prior to the Fed tightening cycle when rates were at zero and QE was flowing through the system.
Why do these people look like they're in an advertisement for a drug called "Crypto." "Do not take Crypto if you're allergic to any ingredients in Crypto. Crypto may cause sleeplessness or insomnia. Consult a physician if you experience mood swings or irritability."
Understanding the crypto hesitation. Let’s break down the top barriers from non-crypto-holding Americans and stack them against the facts.👇
This behavior is called splootting. This squirrel sploots in my driveway every day. I have named him Pedro Pasquirrel. I really need to get out of the house more often.
There's probably a through line between "ornamental hermit" and "industry analyst."
I just copied someone else's tech job description, popped it into AI, and said "Rewrite this as an ornamental hermit." Voila.
Why didn't I know this was a career choice?
easily in my top 5 random historical facts
I love how quickly people have pivoted from "No one will want to use a stablecoin" last year to "Stablecoin=prepaid on steroids!" today. I don't know why I'm surprised.
Yes. Iconic. (This image is from an anti-smoking documentary from the 70s called "Death in the West" filmed for Thames Television. Philip Morris sued to halt it being rebroadcast.)
Now that everyone is talking about nostalgic ad campaigns, we have to tip our cap to the old Marlboro ads. Iconic.
Anchorage Digital to issue first GENIUS‑compliant stablecoin in US with Ethena Labs theblock.co/post/364119/an…
Western Union's BIG MOVE into Stablecoins Revealed! Devin McGranahan, CEO of Western Union, highlights that the payments company will use Stablecoins. #stablecoin #stablecoins #crypto #westerunion #thinkingcrypto @ThinkCryptoPod @WesternUnion
Frank Howard actually looked like a senator. (Ranger trivia: Howard hit the first Rangers home run.)
1969 Topps Frank Howard Baseball Card #MLB #Legend #History
No, thank you. It's a private, permissioned blockchain built on DA's Canton tech. It's a blockchain.
Recommend a new industry standard: we stop referring to private networks (like Goldman's) as blockchains. These offer literally none of the benefits of an actual chain: no liveness or safety guarantees, no censorship resistance, no transparency. Whatever cryptography they use…
We have apparently reached the final stage.
Watching the debanking discussion evolve: "It didn't happen." "It might have happened, but it was limited." "It happened, but it was due to extreme caution." "It happened, and it was probably deserved." Next step: "YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I ORDERED A CODE RED!"
Ozzy Osborne has died. Normally, he being an Englishman and all, I wouldn't mention it here, but this is a Texas history page and there is, well, you know ... THAT. For those totally unfamiliar with the story, on February 19, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne found himself in San Antonio,…
Y tho
JUST IN: 🚨 Polymarket is considering launching its own stablecoin.
Ken Griffin’s Citadel Securities says it has concerns about tokenized assets siphoning liquidity away from traditional markets. "Simply put, while we strongly support technological innovations designed to address market inefficiencies, seeking to exploit regulatory arbitrage for…
RIP, Ozzy. I was listening to Diary of a Madman a couple of weeks ago and thought, "This is still good." On a separate note, this interview with Ozzy and Geraldo during the "satanic panic" in 1988 is also still good. "I'm not a bad guy." Indeed. youtube.com/watch?v=sGFMBW…
The baseless persecution of @jespow is finally over. fortune.com/crypto/2025/07…
JUST IN: 📝 Sen. Tim Scott and Senate Banking colleagues Lummis, Hagerty, and Moreno release discussion draft of their crypto market structure bill (Senate version of the CLARITY Act)
35 pages only. Well this will be a fast analysis. I’ll just hit the highlights.
Today, @SenatorTimScott, @berniemoreno, @SenatorHagerty and I led our colleagues in releasing the discussion draft for market structure legislation that will serve as the foundation for making the U.S. the crypto capital of the world.