Global Finance and Market Commentary by Mike Bird
Mike Bird is Deputy CTO at OANDA, a global fintech platform known for integrating retail Forex and crypto trading. He joined OANDA’s London office in 2022 to oversee system reliability, low-latency trading architecture, and cross-asset digital deployment. His work supports more than 250,000 global accounts and underpins API-accessible crypto trading modules for BTC, ETH, and other tokens.
Prior to entering fintech, Bird was a financial markets editor at The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider, where he covered global central banks, currency crises, and emerging-market dynamics. Since 2023, he has shifted his focus to building technical infrastructure for regulated crypto execution and exchange bridging.
Although not a public-facing thought leader in crypto, Bird’s backend systems work directly supports OANDA’s entry into tokenized instruments and stablecoin trading rails. He plays a key role in making crypto accessible to retail users via traditional brokerage interfaces, marking him as an important figure in the infrastructure development space for regulated digital asset markets.
Investment banker reactions to SpaceX IPO show key industry attitudes, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, examines how Wall Street's strong support for the SpaceX IPO reflects the culture and motivations within investment banking. He references his ...
Mike Bird: Stablecoins and deregulated banks not yet major Treasury market forces
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, examines the roles of stablecoins and deregulated banks in the U.S. Treasury market. He finds that although these groups are often discussed as ...
Investment democratization may mean more than low-entry funds, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, raises questions about what investment democratization truly means. Bird queries whether it refers to concepts such as market sentiment, research ...
Mike Bird: Bitcoin earnings per share have been flat
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, points out that Bitcoin earnings per share have remained quite flat over this ...
S&P earnings forecasts suggest strong economic recovery, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, observes that S&P earnings expectations are currently at levels suggesting the U.S. economy is emerging from a severe recession. This implies that ...
Mike Bird: Crypto loses countercultural appeal without gaining traditional investor demand
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, writes that crypto has lost its countercultural and rebellious identity but has not attracted enough interest from mainstream, conventional ...
New Giga-IPOs cannot replicate historic compounders, Mike Bird argues
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, writes that the wave of large-scale Giga-IPOs highlights deeper issues with public markets. He points out that most IPO gains come from a handful ...
Mike Bird: Eleven U.S. companies now hold trillion-dollar market capitalizations
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, highlights that there are now eleven American companies with market capitalizations in the trillions of dollars. In comparison, only three companies ...
Gilt selloffs often indicate growth expectations, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, discusses how a mild selloff in gilts is often interpreted as a sign investors expect government spending plans to drive economic growth. He ...
Mike Bird: Financialisation of compute emerges as major market trend
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, observes that efforts to financialise computing power are among the most compelling developments currently unfolding in markets. This growing trend ...
A $1 trillion company emerges in seventh largest market, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, observes that the seventh largest stock market globally is now home to a $1 trillion company and is close to having two such firms. He adds that ...
Mike Bird: Real estate on UK supermarket balance sheets often exceeds market value
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, criticizes the ongoing 'War on Prices' in the UK, describing it as especially misguided within the supermarket sector. He highlights that ...
Understanding politicians is key to avoiding losses, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, discusses why investors have a strong incentive to understand politicians due to the financial risks involved. He explains that research is ...
Mike Bird: Stock index gains remain valid even if driven by a few sectors
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, addresses the perspective that rallies in stock indexes are not authentic when they are led by a specific group of stocks. He contends that gains ...
Calls to move beyond bond market reliance will likely have consequences, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, points out that attempts to move away from dependence on the bond market may not be well received by market participants. His remarks suggest that ...
Mike Bird: Tech stock momentum compared to infectious disease curve after cruise outbreak
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, draws a parallel between the recent momentum in tech stocks and the rapid spread of infectious diseases following a cruise with a recirculating air ...
Italy outside euro would mean continued devaluation, Mike Bird argues
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, questions the rationale behind the argument that Italy would have benefited by leaving the euro and restoring its own currency through ongoing ...
Mike Bird: Vice Media peak valuation in 2017 was double New York Times market cap
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, points out that at its peak in 2017, Vice Media was valued at twice the market capitalisation of New York Times. This comparison highlights the ...
Aggressive leverage in bull markets tests investor ability, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, reflects on investor sentiment during a bull market, cautioning that rising markets may lead individuals to overestimate their investing abilities. ...
Mike Bird: Personal freedom in financial losses debated
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, discusses the topic of individual freedom when it comes to financial decision-making. Bird expresses concern about increasing calls for protective ...
UAE leverages lower breakeven oil price to punish Saudi, Mike Bird notes
Mike Bird, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, highlights analysis suggesting the UAE’s diversified economy and large external surpluses keep its oil breakeven price far below Saudi Arabia’s. ...
