The continued high volatility in equity markets, which are normally buoyant in December, is attributable to a further increase in political risk. Trump's ceasefire was short-lived. The current message from the market is clear: With the increase in political tensions, the economic risks are now rising globally too. 

One politician is dominating the financial markets this year like no other: US President Trump – and his trade war with major exporting nations. In order to deliver on his electoral promise to "make America great again" and improve the chances of the Republican Party emerging victorious from the midterm congressional elections on November 6, Donald Trump has gone the extra mile – but he is also risking a great deal. Above all, his decision to increase the volume of goods with punitive tariffs imposed on China by a factor of five is responsible for the difference between the performance of US equities (upwards) and that of the emerging markets (downwards), as well as the disappointing performance of European equities. With these initiatives, Trump has extended the economic growth difference advantage enjoyed by the US. However, with escalating the trade conflict he is courting the risk of the global economy taking a hit in 2019. This could be to the detriment of US interests, too.

The turbulent performance of Bitcoin over the last year has brought this cryptocurrency to the attention of the wider public. But this currency has actually been around for almost ten years, and an estimated 1,600 other alternative currencies have also sprung up in the meantime. The question is often asked whether these constructs – which only exist in the form of digital code – can really be considered currencies at all in a way that bears comparison with the dollar, euro or yen. We will return to this question later in this article. First of all it is worth establishing what actually lies behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ether and Ripple.