Today is Monday, January 26, 2026.
The Early Bird Index today is 84.82.
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Crypto Investing Guide 2026
What are the bull case and the bear case for investing in cryptocurrency in 2026? Top experts explain in today’s new episode of the Early Bird podcast.
Bigger Picture: Some of the biggest themes that will impact crypto prices in 2026 include potential new regulations, geopolitical tensions, more stablecoin growth, continued inflows into crypto ETFs (exchange-traded funds), and further tokenization of real-world assets.
The Bull Case: Crypto prices can have a great 2026 if the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act passes the U.S. Senate, which could provide greater clarity on policy and regulations. A stronger macroenvironment with lower interest rates could also help.
There’s also potential for a so-called “supercycle” in 2026, particularly as Bitcoin $BTC ( ▼ 1.78% ) becomes more mainstream.
The Bear Case: Crypto prices can drop in 2026 if the macroenvironment turns negative. This is especially true if unemployment and inflation problems persist.
More crypto-related thefts could also scare people from investing in it.
Final Thoughts: What price do experts predict Bitcoin will hit in 2026? Find out by listening to today’s new episode of the Early Bird podcast.
Last Time the Market Was This Expensive, Investors Waited 14 Years to Break Even
In 1999, the S&P 500 peaked. Then it took 14 years to gradually recover by 2013.
Today? Goldman Sachs sounds crazy forecasting 3% returns for 2024 to 2034.
But we’re currently seeing the highest price for the S&P 500 compared to earnings since the dot-com boom.
So, maybe that’s why they’re not alone; Vanguard projects about 5%.
In fact, now just about everything seems priced near all time highs. Equities, gold, crypto, etc.
But billionaires have long diversified a slice of their portfolios with one asset class that is poised to rebound.
It’s post war and contemporary art.
Sounds crazy, but over 70,000 investors have followed suit since 2019—with Masterworks.
You can invest in shares of artworks featuring Banksy, Basquiat, Picasso, and more.
24 exits later, results speak for themselves: net annualized returns like 14.6%, 17.6%, and 17.8%.*
My subscribers can skip the waitlist.
*Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd.
Notables
Notable Earnings Today: Steel Dynamics (Nasdaq: STLD), Brown & Brown (NYSE: BRO), Nucor (NYSE: NUE), Crane (NYSE: CR), Alexandria RE (NYSE: ARE), Bank of Hawaii (NYSE: BOH), Western Alliance Bancorp (NYSE: WAL), Sanmina (Nasdaq: SANM), W.R. Berkley (NYSE: WRB), Agilysys (Nasdaq: AGYS), AGNC Investment (Nasdaq: AGNC), Bank of Marin (Nasdaq: BMRC), First Merchants (Nasdaq: FRME), First Sun Capital (Nasdaq: FSUN), Five Star Bank (Nasdaq: FSBC), Graco (NYSE: GGG), HBT Financial (Nasdaq: HBT), Lakeland Financial (Nasdaq: LKFN), Northwest Bancshares (Nasdaq: NWBI).
Notable IPOs Today: Rithm Capital Corp. (NYSE: RITM), Safeguard Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: SAC), New America Acquisition I Corp. (NYSE: NWAX), Blue Moon Metals Inc. Common Shares (Nasdaq: BMM), Leapfrog Acquisition Corporation Class A Ordinary Shares (Nasdaq: LFAC), Activate Energy Acquisition Corp. Class A Ordinary Share (Nasdaq: AEAQ).
Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: ACME Atronomatic (StartEngine).
Notable Economic Events Today: Durable Goods Orders / Core Durable Goods Orders (8:30 a.m. ET).
Merck Ends Buyout Talks
Pharmaceutical giant Merck $MRK ( ▼ 0.26% ) might have abandoned plans to buy biotech company Revolution Medicines $RVMD ( ▼ 19.74% ) .
Details: The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Merck is no longer in discussions with Revolution Medicines to buy the company for around $30 billion.
Final Thoughts: Merck’s stock is up about 10% in the past year.
Baker Hughes Posts Good Results
On Sunday, the energy technology company Baker Hughes $BKR ( ▲ 3.51% ) posted better-than-expected financial earnings results of 88 cents per share and revenue of $7.4 billion.
Final Thoughts: These results come as shares of Baker Hughes are up about 23% in the past 12 months.
Trends to Watch
Still Golden: Another day another high: Gold surges past $5,000 as investors seek shelter from global risks (CNBC)
Peace at Home: Minnesota’s Biggest Companies Call for ‘De-escalation’ of Tensions (New York Times)
Near Certification: Samsung Nears Nvidia’s Approval for Key HBM4 AI Memory Chips (Bloomberg)
Less Flashy: Solana’s new phase is ‘much more about finance,’ says Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante (CoinDesk)
Big Week: The Fed is expected to stand pat this week. The big question is for how long? (MarketWatch)
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The contents of Early Bird are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. They do not constitute trade or investment recommendations, and they are not financial or legal advice. Readers are encouraged to consult licensed professionals for personalized guidance regarding their financial or legal situations.
