When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Economy

The World Watches Silicon Valley Bank's Collapse And Braces For 2008 Déjà Vu

The effects of the fall of Silicon Valley Bank show the limits of the tech world, but also the current fragility of the international financial system a generation after the 2008 global financial crisis that was sparked by U.S. bank failures.

New York Stock Exchange

New York Stock Exchange on Feb 28, 2022.

Alexandre Counis

-Analysis-

PARIS — Five months after the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which continues to shake the crypto world, it's the turn of Silicon Valley Bank, which was at the heart of U.S. start-up financing until it failed on March 10.

It is still too early to know if this new fire will spread or be contained quickly, but lessons can be drawn from the bank's failure, which looks like the consequence of the abrupt transition from the era of free money to the era of rapidly rising interest rates.

The first lesson concerns the world of start-ups.

It is surprising and distressing that this ecosystem, so quick to disrupt the models of the past, should find itself trapped by the simple fact that a traditional bank has become a must-have in Silicon Valley.

This has left the entire venture capital world on edge.


The second lesson is regulatory.

The collapse of SVB is the second largest bank failure in U.S. history, after the 2008 failure of Washington Mutual. Now, 16 years after the explosion of the subprime bubble, the SVB collapse testifies to the weaknesses of American banking regulation when it comes to monitoring local banks, which are a crucial part of the economy.

The persistent fragility of banks

The disappearance of SVB also says a lot about the state of global finance.

First, it shows the astonishing fragility of banks and the financial system as a whole.

We are all paying for years of zero interest rates.

By focusing too much on the desired effects of increasing interest rates in terms of reducing inflation, we have ignored the bad side: real carnage in the valuation of central banks' bond portfolios.

If they are forced to dispose of them, they will take colossal losses, and risk not being able to pay for it. Now, we are all paying for years of zero interest rates. The accounts had to be settled one day. That day has arrived.

The SVB episode also shows the incredible nervousness of investors.

While observers agree that the stock market's rebound this year has been suspicious, the recent news shows that they are far from calm, and that at any time they can lose confidence, panic and even cause a global market crash in a matter of hours.


You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

Should Christians Be Scared Of Horror Movies?

Horror films have a complicated and rich history with christian themes and influences, but how healthy is it for audiences watching?

Should Christians Be Scared Of Horror Movies?

"The Nun II" was released on Sept. 2023.

Joseph Holmes

“The Nun II” has little to show for itself except for its repetitive jump scares — but could it also be a danger to your soul?

Christians have a complicated relationship with the horror genre. On the one hand, horror movies are one of the few types of Hollywood films that unapologetically treat Christianity (particularly Catholicism) as good.

“The Exorcist” remains one of the most successful and acclaimed movies of all time. More recently, “The Conjuring” franchise — about a wholesome husband and wife duo who fight demons for the Catholic Church in the 1970s and related spinoffs about the monsters they’ve fought — has more reverent references to Jesus than almost any movie I can think of in recent memory (even more than many faith-based films).

The Catholic film critic Deacon Steven Greydanus once mentioned that one of the few places where you can find substantial positive Catholic representation was inhorror films.

Keep reading...Show less

The latest