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Today is Friday, December 26, 2025.
The Early Bird Index today is 84.40.
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Nvidia Buys Groq's Assets
At the end of an incredible year for Nvidia $NVDA ( ▲ 1.62% ), the technology giant appears to have made its largest purchase ever, setting the company up for potential success in 2026 and beyond.
Details: CNBC reported on Wednesday that Nvidia has acquired assets from the AI chip startup Groq for about $20 billion. Several executives from Groq will also join Nvidia.
Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: Nvidia’s deal to license Groq’s IP and buy key assets is mainly about shoring up its weakness in ultra‑low‑latency, cost‑efficient AI inference while neutralizing a fast‑emerging rival.
If Nvidia successfully incorporates Groq’s low‑latency, high‑efficiency ideas into its data‑center products, it could reduce customers’ cost of running models at scale.
Final Thoughts: Nvidia’s stock is up 36.37% in 2025.
7 Ways to Take Control of Your Legacy
Planning your estate might not sound like the most exciting thing on your to-do list, but trust us, it’s worth it. And with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning, preparing isn’t as daunting as it may seem.
Inside, you’ll find {straightforward advice} on tackling key documents to clearly spell out your wishes.
Plus, there’s help for having those all-important family conversations about your financial legacy to make sure everyone’s on the same page (and avoid negative future surprises).
Why leave things to chance when you can take control? Explore ways to start, review or refine your estate plan today with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning.
Notables
Notable Earnings Today: N/A.
Notable IPOs Today: N/A.
Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: N/A.
Notable Economic Events Today: N/A.
Equity Crowdfunding 2025 Review
Equity crowdfunding experienced another year of mainstream success in 2025 as an outlet for everyday investors to back growing startups.
Definition: Equity crowdfunding is a way for startups and small businesses to raise money online from everyday retail investors, who typically receive equity in the business for their financial support.
Deeper Dive: Kingscrowd, a platform that analyzes equity crowdfunding deals, offers some insight into the state of equity crowdfunding in 2025:
About 21% of deals had backing from venture capital, the most ever in a year for equity crowdfunding.
35 startups that raised funds through crowdfunding failed in 2025, which is the lowest level since 2020.
19 startups that raised funds through crowdfunding had successfully exited in 2025, a similar amount to 2024.
Debt crowdfunding, which involves debt-based deals instead of equity, totaled $23 million in the first 10 months of the year. In 2024, debt-based deals nearly totaled $60 million.
Details: In 2025, some of the highest amounts raised in equity crowdfunding included Newsmax's $75 million round and Fanbase's $12.3 million round.
Success and Failures: This was also a year to highlight both the successes and failures in equity crowdfunding. Beta Bionics, which previously raised funds through equity crowdfunding on the Wefunder platform years ago, went public in 2025. However, Meatable, which previously raised funds on the Seedrs platform, ceased operations in 2025.
Final Thoughts: While equity crowdfunding can be a great way for investors to get exposure to startups, these types of investments can be risky.
Hyperliquid’s Christmas Week Breakout
Among major cryptocurrencies this week, Hyperliquid $HYPE ( ▲ 0.39% ) is performing the best, with a gain of about 9%. Most other major cryptos are breaking even this week.
Final Thoughts: Hyperliquid is still down about 7% this year.
Trends to Watch
Reality Check: Tesla Robotaxis Are Big on Wall St. but Lagging on Roads (New York Times)
Hitting the Brakes: Waymo pauses robotaxis in SF again due to flash flood warnings on Christmas Day (CNBC)
Looking Back: Bitcoin’s $70,000 to $80,000 zone highlights gap in historical price support (CoinDesk)
Big Jump: Canton token rallies 27% after DTCC outlines tokenized Treasury plans (Cointelegraph)
The Best Day Ever: For investors, the real gift from Wall Street comes a day after Christmas (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.
