Maybe, but it wouldn't have taken much. r/wallstreetbets and /biz/ are full of comments and threads by retail investors who've seen the market manipulation going on for decades and have themselves lost money. Many of them knew the weaknesses/exposure of the short positions already. There's been smaller group exploits of the market in the past, but nothing of this scale or with this much potential to kick the big guys in the nuts.
However, the r/wallstreetbets logo looks a bit like Baron/Donald Trump.
If the numbers can be shown (or manipulated) that more shares of GME are currently owned than actual shares issued then that would be an open door for TPTB to unwind some/most/all GME transactions over the last weeks. I don't think it would be too hard for some group in power to make the owned shares appear to be more than the issued shares. We'd have no way to combat their findings because that info is owned by the exchanges and SEC. I think we all know that the folks who run the exchanges and SEC are more likely to lookout for their interests and the interests of their associates rather than the interests of John Q Public.
I hope it doesn't happen this way but I won't be surprised if it does.
.>open door for TPTB to unwind some/most/all GME transactions over the last weeks
I could see that. But the counterfeiting, according to the link, happened at the clearinghouse & market maker level. That's a huge blow to the veneer of integrity that at least the transactions themselves are honest. That in itself could trigger a crash besides what GME might do.
.> I don't think it would be too hard for some group in power to make the owned shares appear to be more than the issued shares
Maybe, but it wouldn't have taken much. r/wallstreetbets and /biz/ are full of comments and threads by retail investors who've seen the market manipulation going on for decades and have themselves lost money. Many of them knew the weaknesses/exposure of the short positions already. There's been smaller group exploits of the market in the past, but nothing of this scale or with this much potential to kick the big guys in the nuts.
However, the r/wallstreetbets logo looks a bit like Baron/Donald Trump.
If the numbers can be shown (or manipulated) that more shares of GME are currently owned than actual shares issued then that would be an open door for TPTB to unwind some/most/all GME transactions over the last weeks. I don't think it would be too hard for some group in power to make the owned shares appear to be more than the issued shares. We'd have no way to combat their findings because that info is owned by the exchanges and SEC. I think we all know that the folks who run the exchanges and SEC are more likely to lookout for their interests and the interests of their associates rather than the interests of John Q Public.
I hope it doesn't happen this way but I won't be surprised if it does.
.>open door for TPTB to unwind some/most/all GME transactions over the last weeks
I could see that. But the counterfeiting, according to the link, happened at the clearinghouse & market maker level. That's a huge blow to the veneer of integrity that at least the transactions themselves are honest. That in itself could trigger a crash besides what GME might do.
.> I don't think it would be too hard for some group in power to make the owned shares appear to be more than the issued shares
link already did.
if this is exposed, is this when the market attempts to divide by zero?