Financial Trends from Bric Investments to Bitcoin

Julio M. Herrera Velutini belongs to a family that has played a prominent role in Venezuela’s emergence on the world stage in the banking sector. At present, Julio M. Herrera Velutini leads an international bank based in Puerto Rico.

One trend identified in a recent article in The Telegraph is a resurgence of the Bric countries (i.e., Brazil, Russia, India and China) as an investment destination. The reasons have to do with improving IMF-defined economic indicators, as well as sustained declines in interest rates.

Those pursuing diversification are increasingly seeking out alternative assets that include real estate, commodities, private equity, and infrastructure. Investors are able to access a much wider range of opportunities than before through hybrid advisers that incorporate artificial intelligence with the insights of human experts. With seasoned professionals setting parameters specific to client needs, machine learning enables analytics to take in a wide range of datasets and uncover new opportunities.

Another major trend centers on the emergence of cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin, with the caveat that these are still highly volatile. With industry regulations just starting to take force, uncertainties centering on the launch of bitcoin derivatives and futures, as well as the potential of splitting the currency further, threaten to create wide swings in value in the foreseeable future.