For the first half of the year, we were warned early and often by authorities that the Brexit vote could be a calamity for the ages. For example, the IMF claimed that a “Leave” result would threaten to “cause severe damage”, while Standard and Poor’s said that it would “paralyze” investment in the UK. But, it turns out that the real Brexit casualty isn’t the UK economy – instead it is the reputation of the many professional economists who wrongly predicted doom and gloom as the likely aftermath....

The Economic Impact of Violence The Chart of the Week is a weekly Visual Capitalist feature on Fridays. When you regularly buy goods or services, it helps fuel the economy at both the local and national level. But what if you live in a place like Syria, that is torn apart by a seven-year long civil war? Aside from the obvious humanitarian costs, these dire circumstances would ultimately change your spending behavior, how businesses operate, and how capital gets utilized....

The cloud has changed everything about how we work and interact with technology and the savvy investor should look at trends in the industry to see where opportunities lie. Here, here, and here are good places to start. on But fast forward to the end of last week, and SVB was shuttered by regulators after a panic-induced bank run. So, how exactly did this happen? We dig in below....

Soon after it received the label “Delta,” it started to become the predominant strain of COVID-19 in countries of transmission. It spread faster than both the original disease and other variants, including “Alpha” that had taken hold in the UK. Now the COVID-19 pandemic has essentially become the Delta pandemic, as the variant accounts for more than 90% of global cases. But how does the COVID-19 Delta variant differ from the original disease?...

While bitcoin only managed to return 59.8% last year, the crypto sector’s total market cap grew by 187.5%, with many of the top coins offering four and even five-digit percentage returns. 2021 Crypto Market Roundup Last year wasn’t just a breakout year for crypto in terms of returns, but also the growing infrastructure’s maturity and resulting decorrelation of individual crypto industries and coins. Crypto’s infrastructure has developed significantly, and there are now many more onramps for people to buy altcoins that don’t require purchasing and using bitcoin in the process....

Canada has now become the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis nationwide – and across the border, more U.S. states are also entering what could become a $95 billion market by 2026. As the industry matures, product quality will become a strong differentiator between those competing for market share. But what makes for a top-notch cannabis product, and does organic farming play a role in this? How Quality Cannabis is Made Today’s infographic from The Green Organic Dutchman explains what goes into making a high quality cannabis product, and why the industry could be gearing towards embracing organic farming....

33 Fascinating Facts on U.S. Currency Probably the most significant fact concerning U.S. dollars is that there are trillions of them making up 29.1% of global debt. Beyond that, however, today’s infographic covers 33 fascinating facts about the notes and coins themselves. Another interesting fact worth mentioning: The United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing makes approximately $696 million in currency each day. Amazingly, according to their very fitting website MoneyFactory....

Against all odds, sustainable investing in the U.S. smashed records in 2020. Estimated net flows reached $20.9 billion in the first six months alone—that’s nearly equal to the amount of new money invested in all of 2019. What is driving the shift to sustainable investing? This visual dashboard from Raconteur explains five key drivers, from generational shifts to investors’ preferred strategies. Millennial Investors and Personal Beliefs Interest in sustainable investing is booming across the general population....

The fact is that 68% of customers leave because they feel brands do not care about them, and the cost of these lost customers can add up fast. It’s estimated that acquiring new customers is 500% more expensive than keeping old ones. How can brands get customers to keep coming back, to avoid the problem of high churn? The Science Behind Customer Loyalty One way of looking at customer loyalty is to think about the underlying behavioral psychology....

Today’s infographic comes from Fortune’s Nicolas Rapp, who used this data to visualize the CO2 emissions saved by 56 of the Fortune top 100 firms. In the graphic, each company’s CO2 savings are represented by an equivalent mass of coal not burned. Big Companies, Big Goals Nearly half (49%) of Fortune 500 companies in 2016 set targets to increase renewable energy sourcing, improve energy efficiency, or reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)....

How Does the Recent Oil Slump Compare? There’s no question that the recent slump in oil prices is historical in both its extent and global implications. But how does it compare to other famous oil slumps in history? From June 2014 until the end of the year, crude dropped 49% overall. It turns out it is a big decline, but nothing that trumps the storied slumps of 1990-91, 1996-98, or late 2008....

To claim even the 100th spot in this ranking, your website would need around 350 million visits in a single month. Using data from SimilarWeb, we’ve visually mapped out the top 100 biggest websites on the internet. Examining the ranking reveals a lot about how people around the world search for information, which services they use, and how they spend time online. Note: This is a ranking of biggest websites, specifically....

The sophisticated players in this funding landscape make significant amounts of dough by spotting game-changing opportunities in their early stages, and then applying their insights, connections, and experience to these startups to make them financially viable. Finally, they guide the successful company to an exit, take their returns, and then distribute to the partners. But what if startups, especially those related to the blockchain, were able to raise money from everyone simultaneously?...

This time 2017 is no exception, and the year was filled with game-changing innovations that are on the cutting edge of science. These breakthroughs will surely alter how we think of the world, and they will likely also translate into future unknown technologies that will affect how our society operates. Scientific Breakthroughs in 2017 Today’s infographic comes to us from Futurism, and it highlights the big scientific advancements that happened over the course of the year....

Even this year, which is the eighth anniversary of the lows of the Financial Crisis, has the S&P 500 charging forward with a 9.5% performance year-to-date. That said, it’s important to keep in mind that individual sectors that make up the market are not created equally – and while some have been crushing it, others have been taking a beating. Today’s visualization, including a screenshot pulled from FinViz.com, shows a map of stocks in the U....

On one hand, companies such as Uber and Airbnb have helped to make significant improvements in the lives of consumers by using new technology to rethink old business models. Finding a ride or a place to stay has never been easier or more customized, and many workers love the ability to set their own schedule and be their own boss. However, the detractors of the gig economy will say that it has helped to displace millions of real jobs with many small independent contracts....

Through the power of the internet, entrepreneurs have the choice of a variety of platforms and business models, all with almost zero barriers to entry. Today’s startups may take many forms: some are run as side hustles on shoestring budgets, while others may be backed by venture capitalists at multi-million dollar valuations even before a cent of revenue is generated. While it is true that today’s entrepreneurs must be able to navigate this unique landscape, many of the crucial habits adopted by the world’s highly successful entrepreneurs are actually quite timeless and applicable to most situations – and anyone can take them up as long as they are committed to results....

The above infographic from Business Insider shows the 14 companies that control a combined 54 car brands. The Illusion of Choice This is a fantastic follow-up to the previous two infographics we published, showing the “illusion of choice” in certain markets: These 5 Companies Control the World’s Beer The Illusion of Choice in Consumer Goods And as we have mentioned before: each dollar you spend is a vote, so make sure it goes to a company and product that you believe in....

In the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns, many places reported a marked increase in air quality. Northern India captured the world’s attention when it was reported that the Himalayan mountain range was visible for the first time in decades. On the flipside, later in the summer, wildfires swept over the Pacific Northwest and California, blanketing entire regions with a thick shroud of smoke that spanned hundreds of miles. How is air quality measured, and what goes into the health scores we see?...

According to Zenith Global, the U.S. CBD-infused drinks market will reach an estimated $1.4 billion by 2023, making it one of the fastest-growing segments in the overall industry. Today’s infographic comes to us from Trait Biosciences, and outlines the magnitude of the CBD-infused beverage segment, along with some of the subsequent challenges and opportunities that will shape the future of cannabis. CBD and its Benefits CBD is an abbreviated term for cannabidiol, a type of cannabinoid that makes up 40% of a cannabis plant’s extract....