📈 Bitcoin's will-they-won't-they moment

Crypto investors popped their corks too soon | Japan and China hit both ends of the stock spectrum | [Finimize](   TOGETHER WITH   Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for January 11th in 3:15 minutes.   🥥 Finimized over a coconut latte at [Kings Cart Coffee Factory]( in Singapore (🌧 27°C/80°F) Today's big stories - Crypto enthusiasts weren’t skeptical enough about digital information, after a major announcement turned out to be fake - Wall Street pros predicted how the year might play out – [Read Now]( - Japan’s stock market notched a 34-year high, a feat China could only dream of these days Show Your Appreciation [Show Your Appreciation] What’s going on here? Crypto investors demonstrated just how much they’d value a crypto-focused spot exchange-traded fund (ETF). What does this mean? Cryptocurrencies stole some attention from Hallmark movies at the end of the year, with the OG crypto bitcoin climbing over 150% during 2023. That’s at least partly because investors have been enticed by the prospect of a more stable and accessible crypto market: bad actors were locked away last year, regulation was a hot topic, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been expected to approve a spot bitcoin ETF. (You can already buy ETFs that track bitcoin futures, but this would track bitcoin itself.) That anticipation was especially clear on Tuesday, when the SEC took to X, formerly Twitter, to announce that the plan was a go. Investors flocked to bitcoin when the news hit, only to send the crypto’s price back down to sub-$46,000 when the SEC clarified that the “reveal” was nothing more than a social media hack. Why should I care? For markets: Gold 2.0. ETFs do the heavy lifting for their investors. When someone buys into a fund through an exchange, the ETF provider mints new shares, takes the cash, and buys the actual underlying assets. That means investors can own a basket of themed stocks, say, or track one specific commodity – all without having to source and own the asset itself. Now, a laundry list of providers are keen to branch into crypto funds, which would pull in a fresh bunch of crypto enthusiasts who prefer a lower-effort approach. We’ve seen this before: when a major gold ETF started trading in 2006, the precious metal’s price steadily doubled over the following four years. The bigger picture: Take it to the till. While ETF approval could make the digital currency more mainstream, the biggest proof of concept would be if crypto coins became legal tender at everyday stores like Walmart and McDonald’s. But ETFs are no use at the checkout, so that price-propelling move will only come with more pushes down the line. You might also like: [Bitcoin’s revved up – here’s what’s driving the rally](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Show Your Appreciation&utm_campaign=daily-global-11-01-2024&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Wall Street’s 2024 Predictions And What They Mean For Your Portfolio [Wall Street’s 2024 Predictions And What They Mean For Your Portfolio]( [Photo of Stéphane Renevier, CFA] Stéphane Renevier, CFA, Analyst Some people read "A Christmas Carol" [every December](. Others, like me, read stacks of [economic outlook reports]( – some from the most influential global banking giants and some from smaller, lesser-known investment houses. When you read a lot of them, you can get a pretty sharp sense of what the investing world [sees coming](. That’s today’s Insight: [Wall Street’s predictions and what they mean for your money](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY CFA INSTITUTE Turn your career resolution into reality Let us guess: you have a resolution to [make a career change this year](. We all know how easy it is to let those ambitions slip away when life gets busy again, especially in a competitive job market, but [CFA Institute]( has courses that make it easy to follow through. With over 70 years of expertise in professional learning, [CFA Institute]( has developed a range of courses and certificates designed to help you progress, no matter where you are in your career. So whether you want to bag that promotion, take on new challenges, or start a career in finance, you can [sharpen your skills and make sure your CV stands out against the rest](. Let’s start this year off on the right foot: [find the right certificate for you with the CFA Institute brochure](. [Find Out More]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. Spring To Attention [Spring To Attention] What’s going on here? Blossom season came early for Japan, with the country’s biggest stock market breaking a 30-year-old [record]( on Wednesday. What does this mean? China had overshadowed most of the world’s heavy hitters, save for the US, for the last two decades. But the world’s second-biggest economy still hasn’t recovered its balance after being knocked off-course during the pandemic. Plus, with prices on the descent, the country’s at a higher risk of seeing corporate and personal bankruptcies – two surefire ways to derail an economic recovery. But investors didn’t need to look far to find a promising replacement: with a flourishing export industry, Japanese [outlooks]( are only getting better. So while Chinese stock markets are hanging near their 2020 lows, Japan’s Nikkei index has reached a height not seen in 34 years. Why should I care? For markets: You don’t need 99 problems when you’ve got this one. Deflation is a tough itch to scratch. When prices are rising, shoppers tick off their shopping list sooner in case prices are even higher later. But when they’re on the slope, shoppers keep their wallets shut, waiting for a bigger bargain. The same goes for companies looking to reinvest in themselves. So when it’s getting easier to afford a wishlist, folk and businesses are less likely to rely on cheap loans to fund their spending – and that diminishing borrowing and spending can kick off a nasty downward spiral for a country’s economy. Zooming out: Japan’s new dawn. Japan took two whole decades to shake off deflation. After twenty years of ever-shrinking prices, Japanese shoppers are practically programmed to hold back. But if the country’s newfound inflation sticks around, they’ll slowly warm up to more spend-happy ways. That matters: the more money floats around the economy, the more likely Japanese stocks are to hold their own. You might also like: [The stocks you might want in 2024](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Spring To Attention&utm_campaign=daily-global-11-01-2024&utm_source=email) 💬 Quote of the day "I think all great innovations are built on rejections." – Louise Berliawsky Nevelson (an American sculptor) [Tweet this]( SPONSORED BY ADMIRALS The trading platform trusted for over two decades The paradox of choice: the more options you have, the less satisfied you are with your pick. That applies to everything: romantic partners, Netflix shows, menu choices, investing platforms. Well, unless you go with [Admirals](, that is. After all, you couldn’t want more: as a regulated broker, you can trade a ton of assets with or without leverage: [stocks and ETFs, Forex pairs, CFDs on indexes, commodities, and bonds](. What’s more, you can do it all with peace of mind. [Admirals]( has been trusted since 2001: you can always access your funds, which are held in top-tier banks and separately from company funds. With Admirals, you can [take advantage of any opportunities that pique your interest, with the comfort blanket of tried-and-tested security](. [Find Out More]( Disclaimer 72% of retail CFD accounts lose money. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🎯 On Our Radar 1. Gen-Z missed the lunch memo. They want to [eat and scroll]( in peace. 2. Bitcoin’s big news. You can trade the most popular cryptocurrencies without fronting big prices with [these micro-sized tools](.* 3. Jo Koy didn’t strike gold. This is exactly [what went wrong at the Golden Globes](. 4. AI isn't new. Here's [what investors need to know]( about its evolution – and its future.** 5. We might’ve ruined our planet. Now experts are worried that [we’ll destroy the moon](. Your capital is at risk. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.** When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. SPONSORED BY HEALTHWORDS.AI [HEALTHWORDS.AI]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🌍 Finimize Live 🤩 Coming Up Soon... All events in UK time. 💸 [Your 2024 Crypto Investing Roadmap](: 5pm, January 16th ❤️ Share with a friend Thanks for reading {NAME}. If you liked today's brief, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. You stay classy, {NAME} 😉 We’d love to hear your thoughts. [Give feedback]( Want to advertise with us too? 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