Washington’s dysfunction is proving a tailwind for Bitcoin. The latest US government shutdown - still in force at time of writing on Thursday morning - has revived the cryptocurrency’s role as a hedge against political risk, with investors seeking shelter from eroding confidence in the dollar and the nation’s fiscal management. Each day that federal agencies limp along without funding, Bitcoin looks less like a fringe speculation and more like a structural alternative. The immediate backdrop is familiar. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees face missed paycheques, agencies are shuttered, and markets are ... (full story)