*as of 4/23; Sources: S&P, BTC, FTSE, DJRE, CL50

Earlier this week, Slava Rubin of Vincent, Josh Kampel of Worth Media, and Jan-Erik Asplund, co-founder of Sacra, discussed how investors should approach the emerging AI ecosystem and its most promising companies, and how investors can get exposure to the hottest sector in pre-IPO investing. Their conversation looked at the top 10 public and top 10 private companies, but also the overall opportunities and challenges for investors within the AI landscape. They touched upon their own recommendations for investing strategies and the ways they evaluate specific companies.

➨ TAKEAWAY: Investing into AI-related companies presents the potential for significant returns, but of course, that can also come with commensurate risk. Slava, Jan-Erik, and Josh, emphasized that investors need to understand the sector before investing in it, and understand the value that a company specifically brings that makes it stand out from the others. The companies that will deliver the highest returns over the next decade are the ones that differentiate themselves, either with their product or their scale. The world of AI startups is highly competitive and rapidly evolving, so investors need to stay informed and continue to do their own research.

Brought to you by Healey Pre-IPO: Concierge access to private tech stocks. Founded by specialist Pre-IPO broker Christine Healey.

The investment banking firm Cantor Fitzgerald is partnering with Softbank, stablecoin provider Tether, and crypto exchange Bitfinex to create a oublicly listed $3 billion crypto acquisition company. The companies are trying to mimic Michael Saylor’s playbook with Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and are hoping that the current administration’s crypto-friendly policies will be good for the market long-term.

➨ TAKEAWAY: While the market struggled through most of February and March, there has been a recent uptick in crypto prices, and an announcement like this is sure to spur more interest. Buying pressure is what drives crypto prices higher, and if this deal inspires other major investment companies to create similar vehicles, it could creata a lot of additional investor demand.

🏒 Ovechkin card record: In the aftermath of Alex Ovechkin breaking the NHL’s all-time record for goals, one of his rookie cards sold for $381,000, more than double any previous Ovechkin sale and a new record for any modern day hockey card.

📖 Shakespeare’s folios: A set of the first four editions of Shakespeare’s plays will be auctioned off together for the first time since 1989, and it is expected to bring in between $4 million and $6 million next month at Sotheby’s.

🚀 Supabase raise: The open source database startup raised $200 million at a $2 billion valuation, more than double its previous valuation from last September, as it becomes a go-to tool for developers coding with AI.

🏡 New home sales up: Sales of new single-family homes jumped by 7.4% in March and are up 6% year-over-year, led by less expensive houses, primarily in the South, as affordability drove demand.

🪙 Trump Media partners with Crypto.com: The President’s media company signed a deal with the crypto exchange to create “Made in America” ETFs that will launch later this year, pending regulatory approval.

🏢 Loan modifications surge: As nearly a trillion dollars of commercial real estate loans are due to mature this year, lenders and borrowers are relying on changing the terms of existing loans to avoid defaults. There have been $39.3 billion in modifications in the past twelve months, nearly double the $21.1 billion from the prior twelve.

AI is already disrupting so many aspects of society that it is hard to keep up, but it’s already having a big effect on the job market - in a different way than you might think. Scammers are increasing using AI to apply and interview for remote job openings with fake resumes, headshots, and LinkedIn profiles in an effort to steal company secrets or install malware. By 2028, it’s estimated that 1 in 4 job applications will be fake, but companies can fight back with the somewhat obvious step of requiring in-person interviews.