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A little off topic, but I was listening to TFTC podcast today and they were discussing currencies. I did not know that Canada was considered to have a pretty free banking system, and very solid currency, until Trudeau/Covid. I'm hunting around for a little reading material on it.
I don't know about free banking system. It has always been highly stable but is highly regulated and controlled by four major banks. Some of our financial rules around securitization are much more lax than in the US which is why Canada has always been a hotbed for venture, otc listings.
The Canadian dollar has typically been linked to commodity boom and bust cycles due to our plethora of natural resources but since Trudeau hates our resource industry and wants to exert control over it the Can dollar does not really benefit from commodity booms anymore.
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50 sats \ 1 reply \ @gnilma 27 Feb
Slight correction, Canada actually has 5 major banks, not just 4, that monopolize the banking sector: RBC, BMO, CIBC, TD, and Scotiabank.
The Canadian banking sector had traditionally been very conservative and highly regulated compared to US banks. That is part of the reason why Canada did not get hit very hard during the 08/09 financial crisis. So, I agree that Canada's banking system is not that free when compared to the US.
Yes, before virtue signalling, failure to face reality Trudeau got in office, Canada had long been a natural resources and energy exporting country. I believe through the early 2010s, the Canadian dollar was hovering around par versus the US dollar, and at times would go slightly above par.
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Yes 5. My bad. I forgot about CIBC.
Good points about the banking sector and the great financial crisis.
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I guess that pretty free banking comment was relatively speaking!
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Which episode? I will have a listen when I get a chance so I better understand the context and can probably give you a better perspective than the broad strokes of my above comment.
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2/21 episode about base money. They also mentioned that Canada didn't have a central bank until fairly recently.
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I will give it a listen. Canada's central bank was chartered in 1934. There is a question of impartiality though. I think the BoC is highly in lock step with the government.
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I don't want to give you the wrong impression. Canada is only mentioned briefly. Still, it's a great episode about bitcoin as a base money.
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Downloaded it. I will give it a listen in the next few days. I am a bit behind on podcasts but hopefully will catch up by the weekend now that my wife is back from Texas.
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50 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 27 Feb
How's your father in law?
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He is ok thanks for asking. Unfortunately he will need to go in for another procedure soon and is being stubborn about it but my wife and son had a nice visit.