Good morning valued readers,

We hope this week's carefully curated selection of news finds you well. In this edition, we cover the latest developments across investing, finance, crypto, AI, and other topics to help you stay informed.

As always, our goal is to provide you with a professional, unbiased roundup of noteworthy news to augment your understanding of what's happening in the world. We take pride in hand-selecting articles from trustworthy sources across a diverse range of industries.

Please enjoy this week's newsletter. We're grateful for the opportunity to share these insights with you and look forward to continuing to be a valuable resource.

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Investing and Finance

This week we analyze tech investments, tracking controversies, and surging hedge fund profits alongside geopolitical moves between Turkey, Sweden, and NATO. Netflix and India's stock markets saw growth, but US economic gains slowed amid high interest rates. Plus, an unassuming AI stock is challenging leaders like Nvidia, while data privacy concerns plague Google following its multi-billion dollar settlement. Between turbocharged markets, geopolitical realignments, Big Tech pushes, and economic uncertainty, it's a complex moment with winners and losers emerging across sectors. Now let's dive into the details behind this week's top business, economic and technology headlines.

1. Why Microsoft’s stock is a better investment than Apple’s - Read more

2. Google now admits it tracks you in Chrome's incognito mode following $5B settlement - Read more

3. World’s largest hedge funds record bumper year of profits, research shows - Read more

4. The tricky timing behind Citi’s bet on China - Read more

5. Turkey may soon get F-16 jets after voting to ratify Sweden's entry into NATO - Read more

6. Netflix's Better-Than-Expected Q4 Revenue Got A Boost From Strong Subscriber Growth - Read more

7. Nancy Pelosi Made $500,000 From Her Nvidia Bet, Doubling Her Annual Government Salary - Read more

8. India Tops Hong Kong as World’s Fourth-Largest Stock Market - Read more

9. This Incredibly Cheap Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Is Crushing Nvidia in 2024 With 50% Gains - Read more

10. US Economic Growth Slowed in 4Q But Still Beat Expectations Despite High Interest Rates - Read more

Crypto News

This week we analyze major Bitcoin developments, including a 27-year-old busting its anonymity, debates around investing amid volatility, and Grayscale sell-offs ending. Meanwhile Nexo seeks billions after a botched investigation, Celsius transfers Ethereum, and Mt. Gox repayment plans progress. With Trump's wallet holding meme coin, JPMorgan downgrading Coinbase, and the SEC battle outlook improving, crypto maintains its unpredictable ups and downs. Though Bitcoin's future remains uncertain, its continued evolution ensures it will remain a driving force in the crypto sector and the larger financial landscape. Now let's explore this week's top crypto headlines in more detail.

The first article below tells the story of Sarah Meiklejohn, a 27-year-old mathematician who in 2013 debunked the myth of Bitcoin's anonymity. Initially, many people thought Bitcoin was a completely anonymous cryptocurrency. But Meiklejohn made 344 Bitcoin transactions, recorded the addresses, and then traced the transactions on the blockchain to prove that most Bitcoin users could be tracked.

This led to the solving of several major criminal cases, including the theft of half a billion dollars in Bitcoin from the first crypto exchange, the arrest of hundreds of pedophiles, and the largest monetary seizure in the history of the US Department of Justice. Debunking the myth of Bitcoin's anonymity changed the world of cybercrime.

1. How a 27-year-old busted the myth of Bitcoin’s anonymity - Read more

2. Bitcoin was up 155% in 2023 - but should you invest? Here’s what experts say - Read more

3. Crypto lender Nexo seeks $3 bln in damages from Bulgaria over aborted investigation - Read more

4. JPMorgan downgrades Coinbase stock to ‘underweight’ following spot Bitcoin ETF approvals - Read more

5. Tesla maintains Bitcoin holdings amid market volatility - Read more

6. Celsius moves a massive $1B in Ethereum to CEXs: Repayments incoming? - Read more

7. Donald Trump’s Ethereum Wallet Holds $1.1M in MAGA Meme Coin - Read more

8. Mt. Gox confirms creditors’ Bitcoin addresses for repayment: Report - Read more

9. JPMorgan Sees Limited Further Downside For Bitcoin With Grayscale’s GBTC Profit-Taking Now Over - Read more

10. Coinbase's Outlook Brightens: Analysts See Positive Turn In SEC Legal Battle - Read more

Artificial Intelligence

This week we examine AI's accelerating impact across science, law enforcement, and various industries like finance and auto. However, studies reveal limits to AI's economic disruption, and hype leads to inflated projections. Major players like Apple, Google, and BlackRock make big moves to integrate AI into their products and services more deeply, even as risks like job losses persist. With AI's massive potential accompanied by emerging challenges, understanding its complex effects across sectors remains crucial. Now let's dive into the details behind this week's top AI headlines.

1. Discoveries in weeks, not years: How AI is speeding up scientific discovery - Read more

2. This AI Watches Millions Of Cars Daily And Tells Cops If You’re Driving Like A Criminal - Read more

3. Apple boosts plans to bring generative AI to iPhones - Read more

4. Rethinking AI's impact: MIT CSAIL study reveals economic limits to job automation - Read more

5. SEC pushes decision on BlackRock’s spot Ethereum ETF to March - Read more

6. The AI revolution is generating some investor ‘hallucinations’ too - Read more

7. Musk denies report his AI company secures $500 million toward $1 billion funding goal - Read more

8. Google cancels contract with an AI data firm that’s helped train Bard - Read more

9. Disney offers an elegant solution to VR’s movement problem - Read more

10. AI puts every CEO on the hot seat - Read more

Top Article Picks this week

This week we have an eclectic mix of articles exploring life's big questions. From mid-life crises to retirement, raising families, free will and the future of books, these pieces will make you think. Don't miss the fascinating interview with the "Godfather of AI" on his fears about his own creations, and find out why public libraries are more essential than ever. Whether you're a parent, retiree, or philosopher, there are thought-provoking perspectives for every stage of life.

The "godfather of A.I.", Geoffrey Hinton, has spent his life teaching computers to learn like the brain. He helped develop key advances like backpropagation that enabled the recent A.I. boom. Now Hinton worries A.I. systems like ChatGPT are better than humans at some things and fears where it could lead. Though Hinton doesn't regret his pioneering work, he believes A.I. may take control from biological intelligence and thinks we should prevent autonomous weapons. While some experts like Yann LeCun aren't scared of A.I., Hinton believes it poses an "existential threat" if abused by the powerful. Despite doubts, Hinton feels A.I. could also contribute greatly to fields like medicine, so he did not support pausing research. You can read more in article 3 below.

1. How to Write a Book Right Now / 8 min read - Read more

2. Inside My Mid-Life Crisis / 7 min read - Read more

3. Why the Godfather of A.I. Fears What He’s Built / 46 min read - Read more

4. The End of Retirement / 26 min read - Read more

5. Why We Need Public Libraries Now More than Ever / 25 min read - Read more

6. Why the Family Meal Is So Essential - And How to Make It Work / 5 min read - Read more

7. What's the Future of Books? / 4 min read - Read more

8. Millennials aren’t having kids. Here’s why / 8 min read - Read more

9. Yes, We Have Free Will. No, We Absolutely Do Not / 13 min read - Read more

10. It Never Gets Easier / 5 min read - Read more

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Book of the week

The New World Economy provides a useful introduction to the major economic trends and forces shaping the global economy in the 21st century. Epping discusses topics like globalization, technological innovation, emerging markets, and the rise of the service economy in an accessible style for general readers. While not overly detailed, the book succeeds in giving readers a broad overview of the key factors impacting the world economy and how they interact. Overall, this is a solid primer for those looking to understand the new dynamics and structures driving the global economic landscape.

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