Ken Lewis: CEO of APMEX Talks Counterparty Risk

• Palisades Gold Radio
  Tom welcomes Ken Lewis to the program. Ken is CEO of APMEX and OneGold. To subscribe to our newsletter and get notified of new shows, please visit http://palisadesradio.ca​
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  Ken explains the origins of OneGold and what motivated them to build the platform. They wanted to take on ETF’s by allowing investors to buy directly, seamlessly, and intuitively. You can create an account and purchase gold just above spot in only a few minutes. Investors can have partial ownership of a bar and be able to convert this ownership into physical delivery. OneGold is trying to make it easy to either take physical or keep metal on the system. He explains the differences between ETFs and OneGold. Unlike the ETFs, OneGold can’t sell metal they don’t have in the vault. He notes, they have more exposure to the financial markets because they trade 24/7, and he outlines their hedging requirements.
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  Ken discusses the different countries where vaulting is available and their plans to expand into other currencies. There are jurisdictional and legal differences between vaults, and they try to be as transparent as possible. Their original vision for OneGold never fully materialized because miners and banks were reluctant to adopt new ideas. OneGold launched in Canada and utilized a pooled account with the Royal Canadian Mint. They felt that having the government of Canada behind the Mint brought several advantages. Premiums are moving higher from wholesalers, and the supply options are increasingly limited. He says, “Silver eagles are in short supply and by June he believes they will run out.” He demonstrates how OneGold customers can use their balance to buy any product they want from APMEX.
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  Ken explains why they are revising some of their terms and conditions by removing obsolete policies and clarifying specific details. He explains why investors’ silver can be segregated and pooled as this allows investors to own fractions of a bar. Ken discusses their methods and practices around privacy and cybersecurity. They are careful to hold the minimum information legally required for their customers and provide ways for removing unnecessary customer data upon request. Time Stamp References:
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  0:00​ – Introduction
  0:30​ – OneGolds Story
  6:06​ – OneGold vs. ETFs
  9:00​ – Silver Squeeze
  12:46​ – CFTC & Bullion Banks
  14:15​ – OneGold App & Storage
  16:07​ – Royal Mint – Pooled
  23:09​ – Vaults, Audits & Title
  27:27​ – Premiums & Wholesalers
  30:14​ – Getting Physical & APMEX
  35:54​ – Fractional Ownership
  37:10​ – Terms & Conditions
  40:08​ – Record Keeping
  42:13​ – Audits & Security
  45:12​ – Other Conditions
  48:50​ – Counterparty Risk
  53:06​ – Vaulting Jurisdictions
  56:15​ – Privacy Policy
  1:00:25​ – Wrap Up
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  Talking Points From This Episode
  – OneGold’s history and background.
  – Title and ownership of metals in vaults.
  – Wholesaler premiums and limited supply of silver.
  – Privacy, audits, and KYC Requirements

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