💰 5 Fact Friday: Bitcoin Breaks The $100K Barrier

CRYPTO
1. Bitcoin Breaks The $100K Barrier 🚀

Hold onto your digital wallets, Money Maniacs! Bitcoin blasted past the psychological milestone of $100,000, soaring from $98K to nearly $104K in under an hour on Wednesday night. Talk about a moonshot!

During this meteoric rise, Bitcoin's market cap crossed $2 trillion, overtaking Saudi Aramco and setting its sights on Google as the next giant to surpass.

Shoutout to the 76% of you who predicted this last month—way to HODL! (For context, only 63% of bettors on Kalshi called it.)

So, what's fueling this crypto rocket?

We've had two major catalysts over the past month:

1. MicroStrategy's Accumulation: The company continues its aggressive strategy of loading up on Bitcoin via debt financing. Risky? Absolutely. Effective? You bet.

2. First Pro-Crypto Administration: The celebration of the first openly pro-crypto U.S. administration has injected a healthy dose of optimism into the market.

But it was the third spark that really lit the fuse:

3. Paul Atkins Nominated to Lead the SEC: Former Bush-era SEC commissioner Paul Atkins has been tapped to helm the regulator. Trump praised Atkins, saying he "recognizes that digital assets and other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before."

Back in June, our analysis predicted Bitcoin hitting $100K to $150K by October 2025. So this early arrival is a welcome surprise!

But the million-dollar question remains: Will the administration simply stay out of the way, or actively support the crypto industry—perhaps even creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve?

That could make a world of difference in Bitcoin's trajectory. Buckle up, folks. The crypto rollercoaster just got a whole lot more interesting!

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ECONOMY
2. BNPL Rides The Holiday Wave 🛒

Black Friday and Cyber Monday smashed e-commerce records, as cozy shoppers skipped icy parking lots and long lines. Because seriously, why brave Best Buy at 4 a.m. when you can snag deals while sipping hot cocoa on the couch?

How It Played Out

Black Friday: Americans dropped $10.8 billion online—a 10.2% jump from last year. Meanwhile, in-store traffic dipped 3.2%.

Cyber Monday: U.S. consumers spent a whopping $13.3 billion online—up 7.3% from 2023—on the biggest online shopping day ever.

Mobile Surge: Mobile shopping stole the spotlight, with phones and tablets accounting for 57% of all online sales.

Global Frenzy: The five-day spree from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday pulled in $49.7 billion globally.

But here's the kicker: a significant chunk of this spending was fueled by Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services like Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna.

This year, BNPL is projected to finance $18.5 billion—or 7.7%—of online holiday sales, marking a 10% increase from last year. Although this approach eases cash flow for shoppers, it also raises concerns about consumers overextending themselves.

BNPL stocks, though? They’re thriving.

• Affirm ($AFRM) shot up 56% over the last month.

• Sezzle ($SEZL) leapt 87%.

• Block ($SQ), Afterpay's parent, gained 32%.

Why It Matters

With consumer spending driving nearly 70% of U.S. GDP, these record sales numbers are a much-needed boost for retailers and a positive signal for the economy.

While BNPL bills could lead to a financial hangover in January, for now, retailers are celebrating the spending spree. 🍾

MARKETS
3. All-Time Highs, All Around 📈

Index investors, rejoice! All three major U.S. indexes hit fresh all-time highs this week, powered by a Wednesday one-two punch from Salesforce and J-Pow.

First up: Salesforce. Its earnings sent shares soaring 11%, adding nearly $30 billion to its market cap overnight.

The star of the show? Agentforce, Salesforce’s AI-powered digital agent platform, which closed 200 deals this quarter and promises to revolutionize digital labor.

This momentum helped propel the tech-centric $XLK ETF to a new peak—its first since July. Apple, Meta, and Amazon hitting record highs added extra fuel to the rally.

Then came Powell.

Speaking at the NYT DealBook conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stated plainly:

While the exact timing remains unclear, expectations for a 0.25% rate cut on December 18th surged past 70% in response. Bond yields dropped, and with cheaper money on the horizon, equities rallied hard.

The catch? U.S. stocks now account for nearly 70% of the top global equity index, a sharp jump from just 30% in the 1980s. While it highlights America’s dominance, some fear it could signal the “mother of all bubbles.”

For now, the rally shows no signs of slowing. But as always, stay sharp—markets have a knack for surprising us as soon as things feel unstoppable.

MARKETS
4. BlackRock’s Private Credit Play 💳

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, just dropped $12 billion to acquire HPS Investment Partners. This move propels BlackRock into the top five private credit players.

Despite its already massive $11.5 trillion AUM, BlackRock has its eyes on private credit as the next big thing. The firm projects the market to swell from around $2 trillion today to $4.5 trillion by 2030.

So, what’s private credit, and why is it such a big deal?

Private credit involves lending to mid-sized companies that banks won’t touch, often due to regulatory constraints or higher risk.

For investors, it’s a dream—higher interest rates, better returns, and a steady income stream. Add in the fact that private credit firms have outperformed traditional asset managers in recent years, and it’s no mystery why BlackRock wants in.

Post-acquisition, BlackRock will manage $220 billion in private credit assets. That’s still trailing leaders like:

• Apollo: $598 billion

• Blackstone: $432 billion

• Ares: $335 billion

But the deal delivers a 40% boost to its private market AUM and a 35% jump in management fees—a win for shareholders and a wake-up call for competitors.

To ensure a smooth integration, the firm is earmarking $1.3 billion for employee retention packages, or roughly $1 million per employee. This step shows BlackRock isn’t just buying assets—it’s buying the expertise to handle them.

As big banks and private equity giants form alliances to lay claim to this booming market, BlackRock’s move sends a clear message: they’re done playing it safe.

This bold pivot puts BlackRock in the center of a market that’s reshaping finance. If private credit really is the future, BlackRock just reserved a front-row seat.

OUR PARTNER: THE DAILY UPSIDE

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STOCKS
5. Guess That Stock 🕵️‍♂️

Can you guess this telecom giant? Here are five clues about a stock that may have finally found its groove again:

1. The stock has been stuck in a $15 to $30 range for two decades, a far cry from its nearly $45 peak during the dot-com boom.

2. In a high-profile pivot, the company offloaded major media assets for around $50 billion to focus on its core offerings.

3. This back-to-its-roots strategy is paying off. The stock is up over 40% year-to-date as it leans into its strengths: phones, broadband, and connectivity.

4. Investors are benefiting from a 4.7% dividend yield and plans to return $40 billion via buybacks and dividends in the coming years.

5. As the third-largest wireless provider in the U.S., the company is aggressively expanding its 5G and fiber broadband network to reach 50 million locations by 2029.

Got a guess? Tap here to reveal the answer → 

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