Fiat Feeling Pain Below The Corn Belt

A movement is building in the Middle West to compel the United States Government to raise the amount of debt that qualifies for restructuring under Chapter 12 "family farm" bankruptcy terms (archived). This push comes amid widespread fear from agricultural lenders concerned that the present limits would push many of the year's anticipated farm bankruptcies into either Chapter 7 liquidation or a far more expensive Chapter 11 reorganization, alternatives which would make their receiving eventual repayment far less likely. Depressed prices for corn and other staple agricultural products in the United States along with declining export sales are leading to grim prospects for 2016 on the farm. Sorry for your loss.

First Mass Walmart Closure

Arkansas based retailer Walmart is closing 269 stores including 154 locations in the United States. The move is expected to result in a reduction of at least 11,000 10,000 jobs in the United States (archived). Walmart has never before engaged in a mass closing of stores in its home territory inside the United States. Of all the indicators pointing to a dire 2016 for fiat enterprises this might be the most dire so far.

Another One Bites The Dust: Cryptsy Edition

The altcoin exchange known as Cryptsy finally went full Gox after more than a year of warnings. Reports then came in that the company moved out of their office without any notice to users. Yesterday divorce proceedings involving the exchange's proprietor, Paul Edward Vernon, were posted to Bitcointalk leading to speculation that the civil court has frozen all of the proprietor's assets including Cryptsy's cold wallet until divorce proceedings have finalized. Cryptsy has acted irresponsible in regards to its users, and has yet to make a public statement of any kind regarding its situation.