#May CPI Incoming#
This Wednesday, the U.S. will release May CPI data — a key test for rate cut expectations. Cleveland Fed forecasts 2.4% YoY CPI (up from 2.3%), with core CPI flat.
💬 If inflation beats expectations, will the Fed still cut in June? Will you stay on the sidelines or take early action?
#Tech Giants Eye Stablecoins#
Apple, Google, Airbnb, and X are in talks to integrate stablecoins into their payment systems, aiming to cut fees and streamline global payments. Following Circle’s IPO surge, stablecoins are quickly gaining traction across tech and finance.
💬 Could stablecoins be
Crypto Podcaster Busted in Vegas After $2M Scam—A Fugitive's Last Gamble
A podcaster turned crypto conman swindled investors out of $2 million, using fake businesses and pop culture references before vanishing—until a Vegas arrest sealed his fate.
From Podcast Fame to Prison: How Investors Were Fooled for Years
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on March 14 that Brooklyn podcaster and cryptocurrency personality Thomas John Sfraga, also known as “T.J. Stone,” has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Frederic Block handed down the sentence in federal court in Brooklyn, also ordering Sfraga to forfeit $1,337,700, with restitution to be determined later. Sfraga, who pleaded guilty in May 2024, defrauded real estate and cryptocurrency investors of more than $2 million through fraudulent schemes, including a business named after a fictional company from the television show Seinfeld.
According to court filings, between 2016 and 2022, Sfraga posed as a successful entrepreneur and the owner of businesses such as Build Strong Homes LLC and Vandelay Contracting Corp., a name referencing “Vandelay Industries” from Seinfeld. Prosecutors stated:
Authorities revealed that he deceived at least 17 victims in Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Long Island into investing in fraudulent ventures, including fake real estate deals and a non-existent digital asset scheme.
One victim was convinced to loan Sfraga $100,000 for a construction project that never existed. Another was tricked into placing money in a bogus crypto investment, as prosecutors explained: “On yet another occasion, Sfraga convinced a victim to invest in a fictitious cryptocurrency ‘virtual wallet.’” Instead of investing the money, he spent it on personal expenses and to pay off earlier victims. When law enforcement closed in, he fled to Arizona under a false identity but was later arrested in Las Vegas after skipping out on a bill at the Wynn Casino.
Emphasizing that the fraud caused severe financial and emotional harm to those who trusted him, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham condemned Sfraga’s actions: