'Regulation is scant and centralization remains pervasive'

'Don't get fooled again by crypto'

Eswar Prasad at The New York Times

Cryptocurrency is "on the verge of mainstream acceptance" among politicians, but this "probably has more to do with a cynical bid for young voter support and Silicon Valley cash than a maturing of a financially perilous set of assets," says Eswar Prasad. Crypto today "presents even greater risks to its investors and to our financial institutions than it did before," and the "fact that the Republican Party is publicly celebrating crypto to American voters could only make matters worse."

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'A string of exits might help guide more CEOs to the door'

Garrett M. Graff at The Washington Post

There is "no question harder for a leader than knowing when to say goodbye," says Garrett M. Graff. Luck "can often play a bigger role in who leaves when than the leaders' choices themselves — and, unfortunately, luck is often visible only in hindsight." But this is a "reminder to anyone in a leadership role that it is important to start thinking about your end goals — and what you aim to do after you accomplish them."

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'What would a Trump II Taiwan policy look like?'

John Rodden at The American Conservative

While "Trump's critics have been proclaiming that he is set to abandon Taiwan and turn the island over to the Chinese Communist Party, other explanations are equally or more plausible," says John Rodden. Trump has "always taken what is described as a 'transactional' approach to foreign policy. He is "not 'abandoning' Taiwan, but rather recalibrating the relationship," which is "at odds with the convictions of the China hawks who had counseled him during his first administration."

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'What burger flipping tells you about the US economy'

Soumaya Keynes at the Financial Times

Some economists "emphasize the role of people switching to better jobs as a mechanism for boosting pay. But what happened to pay for the same work?" says Soumaya Keynes. It is "tough to be sure that the numbers are really describing pay for the same work, and not simply differences in tasks or even skills." If "Washingtonians earn higher McWages than Mississippians, it is probably because of where they live, not because they are particularly proficient at squirting sauce."

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