Why it Exists

Interest rates are not uniform across the world because economies are not uniform. They reflect differences in growth, inflation, credit demand, risk, and policy.

In simple terms:

  • Developed markets like the U.S. or Japan are stable, liquid, and low-yielding.

  • Emerging markets are growing faster, more volatile, and high-yielding.

Economic Reality Behind Rates

  • In low-yield economies: Capital is plentiful. Central banks keep rates low to encourage borrowing and investment.

  • In high-yield economies: Capital is scarce. Governments raise rates to attract funding and stabilize their currency.

The spread between what it costs to borrow in the U.S. and what you can earn abroad — in Egypt, Brazil, or Nigeria — is the foundation of the global carry trade.

Country
1-Year Sovereign Yield
Currency
Approx. Real Yield (2024–2025)

United States

5.2%

USD

~2%

Brazil

14%

BRL

9–10%

Egypt

20%

EGP

12–15%

Turkey

35%

TRY

20%+

Nigeria

16%

NGN

10–12%

This yield gap is not an anomaly — it’s the world’s built-in return gradient. Money naturally flows from where it’s idle to where it’s valuable.

Global institutions have captured this dynamic for decades, borrowing cheaply in one market and lending at a premium in another. Hamilton’s insight is that these yield differentials can now be tokenized, fractionalized, and made accessible to everyone — without the complexity of traditional finance.

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