The Markets

NEW YORK (Capital Markets in Africa) — Tucked away among the Ford, Dodge, and Chevy sedans, the 12,000-gallon storage container and the inoperable Caterpillar tractor being auctioned off by the U.S. government is an unusual item: 0.7501 of a Bitcoin. The U.S. General Services Administration typically uses its auctions to sell surplus federal equipment to the general public. With lot 4KQSCI21105001, which goes up for auction in a week, the government is offering an amount of Bitcoin worth…

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) — Kenya has postponed plans to raise funds for road-building through selling bonds backed by a fuel levy, citing the need to complete ongoing works before starting new projects. The government planned to raise 30 billion shillings ($274 million) in the fiscal year ending June, by issuing debt that would be repaid through a road maintenance tax on every liter of gasoline and diesel. The securities may still be issued…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Bitcoin is nursing losses after its worst weekly plunge in almost a year and on one view its longer-term outlook could be even worse because of environmental concerns and tightening regulations. The sheer amount of energy needed to mine Bitcoin and the prospect that governments will create more obstacles for the largest cryptocurrency point to the token losing “most of its value over time,” BCA Research Inc. said. The expense and slowness of…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Eight years ago, when the taper tantrum roiled emerging markets, the so-called Fragile Five of Turkey, Brazil, South Africa, India and Indonesia suffered the most. Another spike in U.S. Treasury yields is threatening to wreak havoc on at least three of those nations. The Turkish lira, Brazilian real, and South African rand led major global declines last week in the worst developing-nation currency selloff since late September. Those exchange…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Jumia Technologies AG is expanding in online food delivery as the pioneering Africa e-commerce business looks to grow beyond its main market of trading phones and electronics. Food makes up 20% of overall transactions on the platform and is growing quickly, co-Chief Executive Officer Sacha Poignonnec said in an interview. The company is expanding the service into Egypt, where there is a gap in the market following the exit of Uber…